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thereadinghammock's reviews
575 reviews
Sanctuary with Kings by Kathryn Moon
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
5.0
Falling in love with Evanthia and her monsters for the first half of the book was classic K.Moon at her finest, and getting the righteous retribution and vengeance of Evanthia, Esther, and Hazel against Birsha was chef's kiss!
I adored getting to have all three polycules together at Hywel's castle! Oh the exhibitionism of it all! And the three mistresses were quite the ringleaders when they wanted to be. I love them all so so much!
And the time jump forward in the epilogue was brilliant! A twist I didn't know I needed and am now feral for! Give me all those modern advances and let me see what they've fallen in love with over the decades! I love it I love it I love it!
I adored getting to have all three polycules together at Hywel's castle! Oh the exhibitionism of it all! And the three mistresses were quite the ringleaders when they wanted to be. I love them all so so much!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, and Confinement
Moderate: Death, Murder, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: War, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture
The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais
Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 38%.
The misogyny that undercurrents the entire plot kept me so distracted from anything else that went on. I want to know what happened with Ruby and what will happen to these witches, but right now I just couldn't.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Alcohol and Bullying
Minor: Sexual content
Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Cozy vibes, with late to the party plot. I wasn't too sure where this story was heading for the first half of the book. The characters were meandering, setting up their soft, new life on the lam and hoping things wouldn't catch up with them for a few years at best. Cute, adorable, the tea & book shop is a total vibe, but as a reader I was getting antsy. I needed something more to happen.
Enter, dragons. A pact, a theft, a mystery! Finally a little plot to sink our teeth into a an audience. I enjoyed how it bright the plot showed up a few notches and made me start caring a bit more about what was happening. I had been staying to worry the cozy vibes were all there was, and as much as it was sweet and all, I was having a hard time staying invested in just that.
Around 77% I had the realization that this story wasn't going to be fully wrapped up by the end. I was a little put out for a cliffhanger with no warning, but I'll survive. At least book 2 comes out this year!
Enter, dragons. A pact, a theft, a mystery! Finally a little plot to sink our teeth into a an audience. I enjoyed how it bright the plot showed up a few notches and made me start caring a bit more about what was happening. I had been staying to worry the cozy vibes were all there was, and as much as it was sweet and all, I was having a hard time staying invested in just that.
Around 77% I had the realization that this story wasn't going to be fully wrapped up by the end. I was a little put out for a cliffhanger with no warning, but I'll survive. At least book 2 comes out this year!
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
On the Care and Keeping of Orcs by Kass O'Shire
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Single mom, doing her best: check
Childhood friends/brother's best friend: check
Golden retriever orc who specializes in praise dirty talk: check
Forced proximity/road trip: check
Horse heist: check
More sassy footnotes from Sirin: check
I loved getting to dive back into the world of Sanctuary and getting to see this world grow and expand. As always, I love Sirin's pithy and contextual footnotes throughout the story. They add great context to the worldbuilding and also promise little hints of books yet to come! Getting to add a few new and saucy friends to the Sanctuary family (looking at you Aegir and Calida!!) gives us all the more to look forward to in the next books!
Cat is doing her best, but just "surviving;" Tor is floundering with what comes next after achieving the goal he's worked the last 15 years to achieve. A rare chance for them both to have a little fun and get out of their routines gives them both time for a little reflection and self-discovery on the road. I loved that we had chapters from Tor's perspective, mostly because for as intimidating as he looks on the outside, he's a gooey cinnamon roll of an orc, with a squishy gum drop heart that makes me love him even more.
Childhood friends/brother's best friend: check
Golden retriever orc who specializes in praise dirty talk: check
Forced proximity/road trip: check
Horse heist: check
More sassy footnotes from Sirin: check
I loved getting to dive back into the world of Sanctuary and getting to see this world grow and expand. As always, I love Sirin's pithy and contextual footnotes throughout the story. They add great context to the worldbuilding and also promise little hints of books yet to come! Getting to add a few new and saucy friends to the Sanctuary family (looking at you Aegir and Calida!!) gives us all the more to look forward to in the next books!
Cat is doing her best, but just "surviving;" Tor is floundering with what comes next after achieving the goal he's worked the last 15 years to achieve. A rare chance for them both to have a little fun and get out of their routines gives them both time for a little reflection and self-discovery on the road. I loved that we had chapters from Tor's perspective, mostly because for as intimidating as he looks on the outside, he's a gooey cinnamon roll of an orc, with a squishy gum drop heart that makes me love him even more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Pregnancy
Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day by Jay Shetty
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
I'll probably pick it back up eventually, but it's not a priority right now
Starter Villain by John Scalzi
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A wild ride filled with top tier millennial humor. Charlie was so, so relatable in his "wait... what now?" moments. He really rolled with curveball after curveball, taking familial villainous revelations, spy cats, cetation labor relations, and Caribbean volcano lairs in stride as each new wild layer of his uncle's business empire was revealed. The humor through the whole book kept me laughing constantly and reading passages to my partner and my friends at every opportunity. The Zoom meeting from hell was particularly inspired. I think I was crying laughing by the end of that chapter.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Murder, Death, Violence, and Classism
Minor: Misogyny, Cancer, and Gaslighting
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I love Marcus and April's dynamic. Their communication was so nice, and befitting of two adults well past the drama of dating in one's early 20's. I totally understood Marcus's hesitancy telling her he was her internet best friend, because first-- who would believe him?? Second the threat to his career, the legal actions?? But the eventual blow up when it came out was 100% expected, and 100% as heartbreaking for both of them as anticipated. I'm glad April was able to unpack a lot of that on her own and it didn't require Marcus to grovel for them to find their way back to each other. While the fanfiction angle didn't strike gold for me as a reader, I appreciated the love letter to AO3 that was so much of this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Body shaming
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Death of parent
Kohl by Abigail Kelly
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Sugar, spice, and everything nice. When Abigail said this story was my catnip, she wasn't kidding. Clark Wilson is a himbo with a heart of gold and had never met someone he hasn't turned into a friend (whether they like it or not). But the new witch in town is avoiding him like a plague, and that's just something Clark can't abide.
Nelly Ortega is not what anyone in town was expecting as the new Flora and Fauna Conservator. All bright colors and gangly limbs compared to her orcish neighbors, but she seems to be holding her own. If only her pesky neighbor Clark would stop leaning passive aggressive notes for her.
A blizzard, a car accident, an accidental witchbond, and appearance of the khol, Nelly and Clark find themselves snowed in for a helluva few days. Clark is over the moon at what this means, Nelly is beside herself with guilt thinking she's ruined Clark's life. He falls first and he falls HARD. Clark is Orc Clark Kent. 100% NPDA prime BEEFCAKE and a consummate gentleman. Clark Wilson is a King of Consent. He lets Nelly set the pace for their new dynamic and is determined to let her lead as he shows her just how good a mate he can be.
Nelly Ortega is not what anyone in town was expecting as the new Flora and Fauna Conservator. All bright colors and gangly limbs compared to her orcish neighbors, but she seems to be holding her own. If only her pesky neighbor Clark would stop leaning passive aggressive notes for her.
A blizzard, a car accident, an accidental witchbond, and appearance of the khol, Nelly and Clark find themselves snowed in for a helluva few days. Clark is over the moon at what this means, Nelly is beside herself with guilt thinking she's ruined Clark's life. He falls first and he falls HARD. Clark is Orc Clark Kent. 100% NPDA prime BEEFCAKE and a consummate gentleman. Clark Wilson is a King of Consent. He lets Nelly set the pace for their new dynamic and is determined to let her lead as he shows her just how good a mate he can be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
Burden's Bonds by Abigail Kelly
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
5.0
Abigail continues to be a master of world building, story pacing, breadcrumb trails, and cliff hangers! An unprecedented bounty, an involuntary road trip, some hard core nesting, a voluntary road trip--mix it together and you've got a recipe for a delectable adventure where finding the right partner can help you find the road to healing old wounds.
Kaz is as broody as ever as he fights elvish AND orcish mating instincts. As the EVP's spymaster, he's convinced he's not a man made for matehood. Atria is on the verge of announcing a world-changing scientific discovery with her best friend Ruby Goode. She just needs to get to the conference in United Washington and make the presentation.
I was so ready to watch Kaz get suckerpunched by matehood after listening to him rail against the idea for two books. And Abigail delivered so well on that promise. Having dual POV in this book was vital to how the characters interacted with each other. Atria's power as an empath relies on her ability to feel what the people around her are feeling. Experiencing the power and depth of emotion that Kaz kept buried so deep was critical to her understanding him as her mate and as a person. Sifting through the layers of his gruff exterior and finding the deepest, warmest ocean of his soul was beautiful to read and achingly poignant to watch unfold.
Watching Atria fight her own battle with old insecurities and realize that the "flaws" she was told she had as a Bonded priestess just made her human. The learning curve for matehood is just as steep on the receiving end of that care when you've never experienced unconditional love and affection. I loved watching Atria and Kaz navigate the very uncharted waters for both of them in their fledgling matehood in this novel.
Oh, and who can forget Delilah fucking Solbourne, the biggest BAMF to ever grace the page, and whom gets better and better with every cameo and storyline she's a part of.When she found Atria and said, "You were never lost to me. No one is." I nearly sobbed. I could hear the emotion and heartache and relief all at once in her voice (in my head) and feel the weight of the hug she was giving Atria in that moment. Abigail writes such visceral moments like that all. the. fucking. time.
Kaz is as broody as ever as he fights elvish AND orcish mating instincts. As the EVP's spymaster, he's convinced he's not a man made for matehood. Atria is on the verge of announcing a world-changing scientific discovery with her best friend Ruby Goode. She just needs to get to the conference in United Washington and make the presentation.
I was so ready to watch Kaz get suckerpunched by matehood after listening to him rail against the idea for two books. And Abigail delivered so well on that promise. Having dual POV in this book was vital to how the characters interacted with each other. Atria's power as an empath relies on her ability to feel what the people around her are feeling. Experiencing the power and depth of emotion that Kaz kept buried so deep was critical to her understanding him as her mate and as a person. Sifting through the layers of his gruff exterior and finding the deepest, warmest ocean of his soul was beautiful to read and achingly poignant to watch unfold.
Watching Atria fight her own battle with old insecurities and realize that the "flaws" she was told she had as a Bonded priestess just made her human. The learning curve for matehood is just as steep on the receiving end of that care when you've never experienced unconditional love and affection. I loved watching Atria and Kaz navigate the very uncharted waters for both of them in their fledgling matehood in this novel.
Oh, and who can forget Delilah fucking Solbourne, the biggest BAMF to ever grace the page, and whom gets better and better with every cameo and storyline she's a part of.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gun violence, Abandonment, and Death of parent
Minor: Trafficking and Murder