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thecaffeinatedreader's Reviews (685)
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/06/17/gift-from-the-sea/
I was excited to receive this from the publisher after requesting it, in its 70th anniversary edition. I think I made the right call in requesting this one (so keep in mind this is a gifted copy but my review isn’t affected by that).
Lindbergh talks about how our various stages of life, relating them to different shells on the beach while also reminiscing upon her own time on the beach and how it's made its mark on her and her lifestyle.
This isn’t a long book, but a short memoir about life, shells and the sea. I recommend for nothing but curiosity, but you might be able to find a small connection if you are a person who relates to being a parent who juggles life and being a partner and raising a family.
I was excited to receive this from the publisher after requesting it, in its 70th anniversary edition. I think I made the right call in requesting this one (so keep in mind this is a gifted copy but my review isn’t affected by that).
Lindbergh talks about how our various stages of life, relating them to different shells on the beach while also reminiscing upon her own time on the beach and how it's made its mark on her and her lifestyle.
This isn’t a long book, but a short memoir about life, shells and the sea. I recommend for nothing but curiosity, but you might be able to find a small connection if you are a person who relates to being a parent who juggles life and being a partner and raising a family.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/06/09/writing-mr-right-blog-tour/
This was an adorable romance story. I liked that in a way Mr. Right was just her creativity but at times I did wonder how that worked, was this something of an extension of herself then? I certainly had questions with that but our FMC and MMC were both adorable and I liked that it was some wholesome. Definitely a read for those who don't need/want spice and especially any who like something sweet. Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. I would love to read more from this Author and I'm excited to be part of the blog tour.
This was an adorable romance story. I liked that in a way Mr. Right was just her creativity but at times I did wonder how that worked, was this something of an extension of herself then? I certainly had questions with that but our FMC and MMC were both adorable and I liked that it was some wholesome. Definitely a read for those who don't need/want spice and especially any who like something sweet. Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. I would love to read more from this Author and I'm excited to be part of the blog tour.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Full Review: https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/05/19/the-elopement/
This was another book tied into Jane Austen's family members and I really enjoy historical fiction when it's connected to real people but not as well known as say Jane herself. Though it's brilliant we do have instances of Jane Austen in books; it's nice to know more about those that were around her or her peers.
Edward has a happy family and they are quite content at Godmersham. His eldest daughter Fanny has gone off to marry Sir Edward Knatchbull and though it's not a marriage of love it is one that develops into some good affection. She has five step children and Mary Dorothea is the eldest.
The pacing is a bit off on this one compared to her first book. I have to see this one did not hold up as well as the first. I don't mind that we weren't particularly meant to like Fanny Knight but I did feel as if this book had her in it too much because it never truly felt like Mary's book. More Mary and Fanny's and it was disjointed because of that. The prose is still well written and engaging and the characters were quite interesting, making me invested in their outcomes.
There we have it, this beautiful book will be out on shelves May 22 (2025) and I cannot wait to own my physical copy in my hands.
3.5/5 Cups of coffee from me. Thank you so much to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
This was another book tied into Jane Austen's family members and I really enjoy historical fiction when it's connected to real people but not as well known as say Jane herself. Though it's brilliant we do have instances of Jane Austen in books; it's nice to know more about those that were around her or her peers.
Edward has a happy family and they are quite content at Godmersham. His eldest daughter Fanny has gone off to marry Sir Edward Knatchbull and though it's not a marriage of love it is one that develops into some good affection. She has five step children and Mary Dorothea is the eldest.
The pacing is a bit off on this one compared to her first book. I have to see this one did not hold up as well as the first. I don't mind that we weren't particularly meant to like Fanny Knight but I did feel as if this book had her in it too much because it never truly felt like Mary's book. More Mary and Fanny's and it was disjointed because of that. The prose is still well written and engaging and the characters were quite interesting, making me invested in their outcomes.
There we have it, this beautiful book will be out on shelves May 22 (2025) and I cannot wait to own my physical copy in my hands.
3.5/5 Cups of coffee from me. Thank you so much to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review!
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Full Review: https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/05/14/downlands-tour-review/
I adored the artwork in this and the story, it's the sort of perfect creepy haunting read. (If you're the kind who likes a seasonal TBR and does Halloween reads, I'd definitely put this on my list and probably will do a reread of it in the fall). Konyu has an entirely atmospheric style of art. I was drawn to it from page one and the story was a beautiful blend of the past and present and connecting it all is the story of death.This story is begun by James Reynolds, our MC facing a heavy loss; his twin sister. Looking for answers, maybe closure, James is set on the path to find out more about this creature and the answers might be with the local 'witch.'
I adored the artwork in this and the story, it's the sort of perfect creepy haunting read. (If you're the kind who likes a seasonal TBR and does Halloween reads, I'd definitely put this on my list and probably will do a reread of it in the fall). Konyu has an entirely atmospheric style of art. I was drawn to it from page one and the story was a beautiful blend of the past and present and connecting it all is the story of death.This story is begun by James Reynolds, our MC facing a heavy loss; his twin sister. Looking for answers, maybe closure, James is set on the path to find out more about this creature and the answers might be with the local 'witch.'
I'll be recommending this one for sure again on the blog for Halloween time and you'll see the physical copy on my Instagram, a huge thanks to Titan Comics for sending me a copy to use for my tour day! I’ve included a couple of pictures of the interior of it and downloads of the art in the next photos. Full review is up on my blog!
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Full Review Here: https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/05/12/the-kiss-countdown/
I don't usually read contemporary romances but uh she involved astronauts ams there was no way I wasn’t going to read it. I really really enjoyed this book! I’ve rounded up to four cups of coffee but the reason it wasn’t a full four is solely because I don’t like a certain third act trope 👀 iykyk. Other than that? Such a fun read and I would love a movie adaptation of this. Our MC is pretty relatable and also so kind hearted omg I loved her and same with her LI, just think of that ‘Now kiss’ gif and that was me with these two. Loved it, would absolutely read any other of her books. And if you like that trope then this is definitely a book to pick up and give a shot.
I don't usually read contemporary romances but uh she involved astronauts ams there was no way I wasn’t going to read it. I really really enjoyed this book! I’ve rounded up to four cups of coffee but the reason it wasn’t a full four is solely because I don’t like a certain third act trope 👀 iykyk. Other than that? Such a fun read and I would love a movie adaptation of this. Our MC is pretty relatable and also so kind hearted omg I loved her and same with her LI, just think of that ‘Now kiss’ gif and that was me with these two. Loved it, would absolutely read any other of her books. And if you like that trope then this is definitely a book to pick up and give a shot.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Full review here: https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/05/09/attention-all-shipping/
Poignant and emotional, it was a journey more than a read. Biggs did a lovely job showing the different points of view and how hard it is to become a caregiver to your parents, especially when they have something like dementia. The characters are all well thought out and full of heart which is important with this sort of read.
The pacing was pretty well balanced too, and Biggs avoided any lulls. (Which made it hard to put down!)
I do think that maybe there were too many things going on at once, too many dramatic plot points when just any one or two of those would have done well. But that's a personal preference.
3.75/5 Stars from me, and I would read more by Biggs. Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Full review will be up soon on my blog.
Poignant and emotional, it was a journey more than a read. Biggs did a lovely job showing the different points of view and how hard it is to become a caregiver to your parents, especially when they have something like dementia. The characters are all well thought out and full of heart which is important with this sort of read.
The pacing was pretty well balanced too, and Biggs avoided any lulls. (Which made it hard to put down!)
I do think that maybe there were too many things going on at once, too many dramatic plot points when just any one or two of those would have done well. But that's a personal preference.
3.75/5 Stars from me, and I would read more by Biggs. Thanks so much to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Full review will be up soon on my blog.
adventurous
funny
informative
fast-paced
https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/04/28/the-art-thief/
Another book club pick to review! This one is for our nonfiction bookclub at the local library! It was a fantastic read. Finley does a great job of writing it as the same flow as a fictional book which made it easily digestible and kept me hooked. It’s also not a very long book and I flew through it. He gives us the details of the greatest or rather the most prolific art there of our time, Stéphane Breitwieser. An expert in snatching things in broad daylight and waltzing out, until he flew a little too close to the sun as the ease of it kept him going back for more. There’s a lot of interesting information and I enjoyed hearing the how of it all along with hearing about his capture and life thereafter. I do wish it had been more information, or more follow up on other aspects of this outside of Breitwieser but I really enjoyed it. The four rating was between the lack of expanding information and I wasn’t always sure the information I was getting was solid. I think I wanted a bit more about the research process too as it felt so fictional while reading. But again, 4/5 cups of coffee from me and I think I'll be adding this to my own bookshelf!
Another book club pick to review! This one is for our nonfiction bookclub at the local library! It was a fantastic read. Finley does a great job of writing it as the same flow as a fictional book which made it easily digestible and kept me hooked. It’s also not a very long book and I flew through it. He gives us the details of the greatest or rather the most prolific art there of our time, Stéphane Breitwieser. An expert in snatching things in broad daylight and waltzing out, until he flew a little too close to the sun as the ease of it kept him going back for more. There’s a lot of interesting information and I enjoyed hearing the how of it all along with hearing about his capture and life thereafter. I do wish it had been more information, or more follow up on other aspects of this outside of Breitwieser but I really enjoyed it. The four rating was between the lack of expanding information and I wasn’t always sure the information I was getting was solid. I think I wanted a bit more about the research process too as it felt so fictional while reading. But again, 4/5 cups of coffee from me and I think I'll be adding this to my own bookshelf!
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a strong sequel for me. Chan continues to delight me with her world-building and I enjoy the flow of her writing style a lot. I think there's just enough left on descriptions for us to fill in on our own which is nice with such a unique world as this one. I continued to love the characters and any time there's an ocean voyage you can basically assume I'm going to love it.
In all honesty there were a lot of parts of this book that I enjoyed more than the first. I felt this only grew stronger, and when I was absolutely certain nothing Chan could write could make me feel any sort of sympathy for Cordelia, she surprised me. There were other characters that were nuanced just enough that though I could see where they were coming from, I'm glad Chan didn't make excuses for them and I felt the way things ended was right for this set of characters it just felt good at the end. I'd been on this emotional journey with them all for two books and I don't know that I'm ready to say bye; but I know this is going on my favorite releases of 2025.
Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read this, my honest review has been given in exchange for the eARC!
In all honesty there were a lot of parts of this book that I enjoyed more than the first. I felt this only grew stronger, and when I was absolutely certain nothing Chan could write could make me feel any sort of sympathy for Cordelia, she surprised me. There were other characters that were nuanced just enough that though I could see where they were coming from, I'm glad Chan didn't make excuses for them and I felt the way things ended was right for this set of characters it just felt good at the end. I'd been on this emotional journey with them all for two books and I don't know that I'm ready to say bye; but I know this is going on my favorite releases of 2025.
Thanks to the publisher for the chance to read this, my honest review has been given in exchange for the eARC!
adventurous
challenging
funny
If you ever wanted to know what a drug trip might feel like while never having done drugs, like myself, and just set it all in space...Might I suggest this? And you know what? I think I’d reread this again. It was fun, unique, the art was gorgeous, and it was just weird enough to keep me invested.
Overall it was so quirky and so fascinating that I enjoyed it but I also was like 'this is ridiculous' so be forewarned. This could very much not be your cup of tea or you will end up just sitting back and enjoying the ride. And the plot was a bit more cohesive and lol coherent in this volume to me than the first. Or maybe it seems like it cause it's a shorter volume.
Because this left me in such a 'what did I just read?' moment, I didn't give it a rating but I hope this review might help you decide to read (or not read) it! So, no cups of coffee from me, only chaos.
Overall it was so quirky and so fascinating that I enjoyed it but I also was like 'this is ridiculous' so be forewarned. This could very much not be your cup of tea or you will end up just sitting back and enjoying the ride. And the plot was a bit more cohesive and lol coherent in this volume to me than the first. Or maybe it seems like it cause it's a shorter volume.
Because this left me in such a 'what did I just read?' moment, I didn't give it a rating but I hope this review might help you decide to read (or not read) it! So, no cups of coffee from me, only chaos.
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
https://thecaffeinatedreader.com/2025/04/23/starstruck-vol-1/
If you ever wanted to know what a drug trip might feel like while never having done drugs, like myself, and just set it all in space...Might I suggest this? And you know what? I think I’d reread this again. It was fun, unique, the art was gorgeous, and it was just weird enough to keep me invested.
This was another read for the Goodbye Comics club I'm part of which meets at our awesome local comic book store Hello Comics.
Overall it was so quirky and so fascinating that I enjoyed it but I also was like 'this is ridiculous' so be forewarned. This could very much not be your cup of tea or you will end up just sitting back and enjoying the ride.
I did go ahead and read the second Volume and pretty much this review can be applied to it too just add in the fact that the plot for that one is definitely more solid and cohesive (and coherent lolol).
Because this left me in such a 'what did I just read?' moment, I didn't give it a rating but I hope this review might help you decide to read (or not read) it! So, no cups of coffee from me, only chaos.
If you ever wanted to know what a drug trip might feel like while never having done drugs, like myself, and just set it all in space...Might I suggest this? And you know what? I think I’d reread this again. It was fun, unique, the art was gorgeous, and it was just weird enough to keep me invested.
This was another read for the Goodbye Comics club I'm part of which meets at our awesome local comic book store Hello Comics.
Overall it was so quirky and so fascinating that I enjoyed it but I also was like 'this is ridiculous' so be forewarned. This could very much not be your cup of tea or you will end up just sitting back and enjoying the ride.
I did go ahead and read the second Volume and pretty much this review can be applied to it too just add in the fact that the plot for that one is definitely more solid and cohesive (and coherent lolol).
Because this left me in such a 'what did I just read?' moment, I didn't give it a rating but I hope this review might help you decide to read (or not read) it! So, no cups of coffee from me, only chaos.