thebalancedbookshelf's reviews
275 reviews

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House by Laurie Gilmore

2.0

So disappointed this book went straight downhill. Besides the fact it took me a while to get into, I wasn’t as connected with the two main characters as I wanted to be and found their instant lust/attraction annoying. I’m upset because I loved being back in this town but the ending just killed this book for me.  

Our Wives Under The Sea by Julia Armfield

slow-paced

3.0

I think the whole book is a metaphor for how people handle grief but it just wasn’t for me. I like a little bit more answers with my horror or atleast an ambiguity where the reader can decide what happened. This just felt unsatisfying and dragged out.  

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

emotional

4.0

Not too much to say but I enjoyed this one, it was a nice a heartfelt book.

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
Did not finish book. Stopped at 32%.

DNF at 32%

I think for me that this story is missing seeing the romantic connection grow. We are just thrown into this everlasting love without having seen any of it happen. All of the moves throughout time don’t make me feel connected to the characters but only add more distance . 

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

4.0

I really enjoyed this story. It gives you a lot of depth and emotion in such a short amount of time. I liked all of the different creatures that were featured from Slavic folklore. It’s quick and interesting and leaves you wanting more! 

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore

lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

This book was so much fun. I think I enjoyed this one more than the first but it could be because I love book stores and red headed tattooed fisherman. Either way I enjoyed being back in this cute town. 

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

slow-paced

1.0

If this wasn’t a book club book I would have DNFed it. From the beginning this book was not for me. It’s redundant and soooo slow paced. There are so many unnecessary details and it’s overly descriptive to the point where it just drags the story down. There are too many character and too many POVs to make this story interesting. I felt literally nothing towards anyone in this book and could not wait for this to be over. 

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

5.0

I am in awe of how much I loved this book. Everything from the world building, to the characters, and the dialogue was perfection. There are just so many aspects to love about this that it’s hard to choose. 

Among the many I would say that I loved how this book had such a vivid and descriptive history. I’m blow away by the world building and the magical system. It’s so intricate and unique but still easy to digest and perfectly paced out. 

The characters were another aspect that just made this book even better. Their banter and interactions were fun and entertaining. I don’t know if I’ve ever loved a character more than I have the gargoyle. He gave such spirit to the story and I could not stop laughing at everything he said. What a breath of fresh air and a delight to read about. 

This book and everything about it really just worked so well for me. I felt so engrossed with the story and all of the characters. I felt all of the emotions in this one and that’s not something I can say for many books. Rachel Gillig has crafted such a unique and unforgettable story. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book and this one hasn’t even released yet! 

Thank you to Orbit Books, I had the privilege of receiving this ARC from the Barnes and Noble Festival.

Releases May 20th, 2025

Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood

3.5

I think for a debut this wasn’t bad. I liked the idea for the story and the focus it had on the 12 maidens of Ithaca. I think that overall it started to drag at certain points but I still enjoyed myself while reading it. 

I Am Made of Death by Kelly Andrew

dark

4.0

I’m a little conflicted about this one. I LOVE all of Kelly Andrew’s books but I think what made this for me was the connection to The Whispering Dark. I think without all those ties I’m not sure I would have loved this one as much. 

 

For me the first half felt very slow paced. I wanted more demon activity and more interactions with Vivienne and Tommy. I think their relationship escalated very quickly. I felt like this book needed more focus and development on Vivienne’s and Tommy’s story before adding in the additional characters. I wanted more interpreting and outings with the two main characters before they jumped into danger. I just felt like I wasn’t really convinced on them. 

A lot of what made this book pick up was the last 100 pages where we get big reveals about Viviennes story as well as Colton’s. I think the connections were really clever and I like how they were tied together. Again I just wish that Viviennes story stood on its own a little better and didn’t rely on The Whispering Dark characters as much.

That being said I loved having Colton back in this. I really liked how he stepped up especially once he realized they were related. The fact that the dad was the reason they died was such a good twist. I like how both Colton and Vivienne carved out a way to survive without realizing it. You can see how similar the two characters are and I really loved the scene at the end where they are both sitting contently in their silence. I also liked that we got to see small snippets of Liam without knowing it and how that connected Vivienne to them on another level. This whole storyline really brought together the entire book for me and made me look at the series as a whole differently. 

While I did struggle with this one I think that the ending made it for me. As always Kelly Andrew’s prose is so unique and I love her writing style. I will always pick up what she writes so I’m excited for her next duology.