thebalancedbookshelf's reviews
275 reviews

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

funny inspiring lighthearted

4.0

This was a sweet Christmas read. I liked how this book was set in Edinburgh at Christmas time. The descriptions were really cozy and atmospheric. I enjoyed the characters and loved the family aspect. The romance wasn’t my favorite but it wasn’t supposed to be the focus of the story anyways. 

Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg

lighthearted

4.0

This was a good follow up to the first book. I liked being back with all of the characters and seeing their relationships grow. I enjoyed the storyline and the mishaps that ensued. Overall, I find this to be a fun series that I will be continuing.  

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

fast-paced

4.5

This one took me by surprise. I didn’t read anything before diving into it and I think that helped. I liked that this was a short, quick read that you still get a lot out of. The story was so interesting and just keeps getting better as you read on. I definitely recommend this one! 

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holmberg

funny lighthearted

5.0

This book was fantastic. I don’t know what I was expecting what I started it but I loved it either way. It was so cute and sweet and had so many amazing elements. I loved the characters, I loved the magic, and the found family aspect. The time period and the setting was really intriguing. And of course I loved the house. I can’t think of any reason why this wouldn’t be a 5 star read for me! 

American Royals by Katharine McGee

3.5

This book had a unique concept which I liked a lot. It follows multiple characters and we get a deep insight to their lives and struggles. I found this one to be fun and not bad for a young adult novel. My only complaint is the ending tilted so much towards the predictable and younger side of young adult that it took away from the story a little bit. I know that this is a series but I was hoping for a little bit more depth and less drama and miscommunication. Because of the last 100 pages I had to drop my rating down but I still enjoyed this overall.  

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

dark funny tense fast-paced

4.5

Wow this book was wild. Start to finish I read this under 24 hours because I could not put it down. 

There’s so many things to like about this book. It’s interesting to see the inside of publishing a book and the other side of the book community. I liked how the author did not hold back on dropping names of authors and publishing houses. I also like how she explains how the process works and all the terms that go with it. This industry is constantly evolving and this book is a great example of the pitfalls and challenges many authors still face. 

Outside of the publishing, this book at a whole is horrifying to read. It’s about a woman stealing a book and a culture and attempting to make it her own. What’s crazy is just how delusional June is. Instead of feeling bad and guilty she makes herself into a victim time and time again. The way she justifies things is baffling. It’s sad that this is definitely not as fictional as it should be, but well worth the read! 

The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright

4.0

This book definitely took me a while to get into. All of the Welsh names and places were very confusing for me. I feel like this book could have benefited from having a map since they mention a lot of different locations and kingdoms. I did appreciate the pronunciation guide though. Because of this I would say it took me to about 40% for me to get hooked. I finally got a lay of the story and was able to appreciate the story. I also think it really starts to pick up at that point and I found I couldn’t put the book down. I needed to know what was going to happen and how this would all play out. 

There were a lot of good twists that I didn’t see coming and I liked how the author was able to surprise you. I think all the characters had great chemistry and the romance was what really kept me interested at times. I love a good love triangle so that was definitely a highlight for me. I also found Ffions character to be so endearing. She’s headstrong but is working towards everyone goals even though hers also coincide. I loved how they talked about the different ways to preform magic and how Ffion used hers. 

There were a few things I didn’t love in the story but overall I think this was a good read and an interesting fantasy book. I am a fan of a standalone so I was happy with how everything wraps up in the end.

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

funny lighthearted

4.0

This book wasn’t a bad follow up to the first. I don’t think it was as good but it was still a fun and entertaining read that I couldn’t put down. I always struggle when additional character point of views are added but I grew to enjoy them in the end. 

What I love about these books is that the slow burn is slooowww. My favorite part of romance is the tension and this series delivers on that. I do not mind it being dragged out at all and honestly it’s what keeps me wanting to read this series. 

This one felt more kitschy than the first one. There were a lot of catch phrases and dramatics that weren’t as well placed as the previous book. Besides that though I still did enjoy the banter and overall interactions between all the characters. As with the last one it ends on a sort of cliff hanger so I am eager to read the next one when it comes out! 

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

funny lighthearted fast-paced

4.5

I’m shocked by how much I enjoyed this book. I think the writing might not be for everyone but it really worked for me. It’s so witty and sarcastic, while still having the typical elements of a rom com. 

Evie is the best character she’s funny, and honest but also sassy at times. I love the way she gets under everyone’s skin but in a good way. She’s so wholesome but also extremely smart and that makes her such an endearing character. I also enjoy having both perspective in my romance books so I really enjoyed getting The Villains point of view. 

I couldn’t put this book down and felt it was really refreshing. I liked how the setting of this was basically a work office. I really enjoyed how it featured the typical office disputes and squabbles, while having the “villainous” element to it. It was really fun to read and very entertaining. I liked how the ending was set up and can’t wait to read the next book! 

A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross

slow-paced

3.25

Unpopular opinion…while I did like some aspects of this book I definitely struggled with it overall. 

I do think there’s a lot to enjoy about this. I liked how it really expanded on the world and the characters that were portrayed previously, while still adding something new. I think we get a really great look into the characters and their struggles. It feels like each character is carrying something heavy and you can feel for them as they are going through it. I like that some time had passed and we didn’t just jump right into where the story left off. I also really enjoyed the spirits involvement in this. It felt very mystical and added to the whimsy of the island itself. The myths of both clans was so interesting to me and I loved the Bane reveal. 

What I struggled with is that I do think this book covers a lot of ground. Literally, in that we get to see the west but also figuratively as we get so many characters and their perspectives. There are multiple plot points and storylines all corresponding at the same time. I definitely enjoyed some more than others and think the amount tended to make this book drag on. While I loved the addition of the spirits, I think Torin’s time in detail there was a bit much. He was able to show us things that were happening while he was also learning about them but it was so slow and too descriptive. Kae’s character in this was literally just as a plot device and she wasn’t able to add much to the overall story. I loved the opening chapter but was so disappointed when we got nothing from Kae but memories when it was convenient for plot. 

I think there are a lot of good elements in this story and you can feel the emotions but at the same time it felt repetitive and boring. The romance aspects were okay in the first book but not really to my liking in this one. I think that’s a personal preference as these tend to lean towards friends to lovers and that’s not really for me. 

I do this book does a great job at  portraying the characters struggles and how they care about each other, their clans, and their island. I just think that overall there was too much going on, with too many characters, and point of views to be shoved into this one book. I think with the amount that went into this it could have benefitted from being a trilogy instead of a duology.