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thereadinghammock's reviews
577 reviews
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
This book was worth the hype it got. Any time I see big hype on Bookstagram/Tok, I get nervous that the book won't live up to the reputation that preceded it, but I was hooked from the start. I loved Evelyn's matter-of-fact confidence of a woman with nothing left to lose at the end of a long life and infamous career in show business. I loved flipping back and forth between present day chapters between Monique and Evelyn, the dictation chapters Evelyn narrated to Monique, and the tabloid excerpts of the headlines Evelyn wanted the public to see (especially in juxtaposition against what we now knew to be true).
Evelyn's take-no-shit attitude rubs off on Monique quickly in their sessions, giving her the confidence to take her life by the horns that she didn't realize she'd been lacking so much of. Feeling some parallels to her own impending divorce, Monique recognizes that Evelyn has a motive behind every action she takes and is waiting for the shoe to drop in their sessions as to why Evelyn needed Monique to be the author of this book. And she kept that hook baited like she did her entire career. Revealing just enough to keep you continually interested and wanting more, then sucker punching you with the reality of what her decisions have led to.
I adored the friendship Evelyn and Harry had; truly the definition of a friendship soulmate. Both being able to be their authentic selves with the other. Celia and Evelyn were such a roller coaster of highs and lows and bringing out the best and worst in each other. You hurt with Evelyn when she realized how big she screwed up each time, but as a woman who did whatever she had to do to protect herself for so long, braking those habits, even for the ones you love, can be extremely difficult. As much as this story focuses on the romances (or lack thereof) across her life, this story is not a romance. The ending s not happily ever after. It's happily bittersweet at best. But it fits and feels appropriate, given the context within the layers of this story.
While seeing Evelyn finally get as close a happily ever after she could, knowing it basically came at the expense of Harry and Celia's lives was heartbreaking. For Harry to have died in that accident--WITH MONIQUE'S FATHER TURNING OUT TO BE HIS NEW LOVER OF ALL PEOPLE--just when he thought he'd found love again. I was devastated. Then to finally get her HEA with Celia, but knowing it had an expiration date; truly heartbreaking. Knowing she got to say goodbye to all the most important people in her life as they passed--Harry, Celia, and then her daughter--was so bittersweet.
Evelyn's take-no-shit attitude rubs off on Monique quickly in their sessions, giving her the confidence to take her life by the horns that she didn't realize she'd been lacking so much of. Feeling some parallels to her own impending divorce, Monique recognizes that Evelyn has a motive behind every action she takes and is waiting for the shoe to drop in their sessions as to why Evelyn needed Monique to be the author of this book. And she kept that hook baited like she did her entire career. Revealing just enough to keep you continually interested and wanting more, then sucker punching you with the reality of what her decisions have led to.
I adored the friendship Evelyn and Harry had; truly the definition of a friendship soulmate. Both being able to be their authentic selves with the other. Celia and Evelyn were such a roller coaster of highs and lows and bringing out the best and worst in each other. You hurt with Evelyn when she realized how big she screwed up each time, but as a woman who did whatever she had to do to protect herself for so long, braking those habits, even for the ones you love, can be extremely difficult. As much as this story focuses on the romances (or lack thereof) across her life, this story is not a romance. The ending s not happily ever after. It's happily bittersweet at best. But it fits and feels appropriate, given the context within the layers of this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident
Moderate: Lesbophobia, Sexism, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Alcohol, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Homophobia, and Misogyny
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Abortion
A Polar Expedition: and Other Stimulating Research Opportunities by Kass O'Shire
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-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? Yes
5.0
A delightful debut from Kass O'Shire! If you love a story with adventure, romance, steamy shifters who know how to appreciate a lady, and hilarious anecdotal interjections in the form of pithy footnotes, you're going to love this book!
Sirin is an ultimate woman in STEM--underappreciated, underestimated, and who's tired of her research being pushed to the back burner. Who wouldn't want to find the scientific source of all magic?? And if the people in charge won't let her do it then she's going to go on this adventure with or without their help!
In her dogged pursuit of magical knowledge, Sirin finds herself entangled in a bigger web of secrecy and information than she could have ever dreamed of. And finds herself on trial for trespassing, with a possible death sentence?! When intrepid scout, and handsome stranger Berne steps in to save her claiming her as his mate, Sirin rolls with the abrupt turn of events and enjoys the local hospitality as she settles in.
Sirin is an ultimate woman in STEM--underappreciated, underestimated, and who's tired of her research being pushed to the back burner. Who wouldn't want to find the scientific source of all magic?? And if the people in charge won't let her do it then she's going to go on this adventure with or without their help!
In her dogged pursuit of magical knowledge, Sirin finds herself entangled in a bigger web of secrecy and information than she could have ever dreamed of. And finds herself on trial for trespassing, with a possible death sentence?! When intrepid scout, and handsome stranger Berne steps in to save her claiming her as his mate, Sirin rolls with the abrupt turn of events and enjoys the local hospitality as she settles in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
A friend on discord recommended this book, and in my goal to read mostly queer books for most of Pride month, I figured it would be a great audiobook for my commute. Am I glad I read it? Yes. Were there times I thought I might DNF? A few times, but I think that's more about me and some of the things I had going on when/while I was listening than as a reflection of the book (yay anxiety). Did the relationship still make me a bit uncomfortable? Yeah, but it worked for them in the end, so who am I to judge?
If the relationship hadn't been queer and were a "my best friend's dad" instead of her mom, I would have been SO squicked out by it. Also, having dual POV was a big help because you knew where they both stood throughout the whole story. And sharing a name with one of the main characters was disorienting at times, for sure.
The age gap was just shy of 20 years, so significant, but Erin had been divorced for several years, so the relationship never felt like a rebound. Parker was definitely a bit of a spoiled little rich girl, especially that first trip home for winter break, and only irritated me a few times. She did a lot of growing up by the time we got to the end of the story.
Cassie was pretty impulsive throughout most of the story. Ballsy, and while she had a lot of growth as a character, it's almost like it happened in spite of all her choices. More often than not, it felt like Cassie grew up but refused to admit it to herself, only for the revelation to snack her in the face at some later point when it was plot convenient.
If the relationship hadn't been queer and were a "my best friend's dad" instead of her mom, I would have been SO squicked out by it. Also, having dual POV was a big help because you knew where they both stood throughout the whole story. And sharing a name with one of the main characters was disorienting at times, for sure.
The age gap was just shy of 20 years, so significant, but Erin had been divorced for several years, so the relationship never felt like a rebound. Parker was definitely a bit of a spoiled little rich girl, especially that first trip home for winter break, and only irritated me a few times. She did a lot of growing up by the time we got to the end of the story.
Cassie was pretty impulsive throughout most of the story. Ballsy, and while she had a lot of growth as a character, it's almost like it happened in spite of all her choices. More often than not, it felt like Cassie grew up but refused to admit it to herself, only for the revelation to snack her in the face at some later point when it was plot convenient.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol and Sexual content
AITA?: A Modern Fairy Tale by Cassie Alexander
emotional
hopeful
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
Who doesn't love a good AITA post to share with your friends and weigh in on, right? Anyone who prefaces a situation with "X doesn't count, alright?" really means it doesn't count for them. From the jump we knew Logan was trash, but in the way that so many wealthy men are trash, in that they've never known being anything other than a little bit garbage, and everyone around them is a bit garbage, so they don't see anything wrong with their behavior. Poor Becky was already in a losing situation.
Quenilith was a delight. Sharp, quick to provoke, and straight to the point. She wanted Becky and nothing was going to dissuade her from that. I felt bad for Becky's guilt about how her whole tryst with Quen began, those feelings are hard enough when you're sure of something, but the doubts that plagued her for most of the book were palpable. And Bastiana--that woman. What a piece of work! I was half expecting there to be some reveal that she was some kind of demon herself! But that would have been speaking ill of a lovely group who just love sushi so much (which was a running joke I appreciated throughout the whole book).
I think my favorite part of the book was Becky's realization that she had to be alone for a while. She knew Logan was no longer her future, and as much as she loved Quen, or at least the idea of Quen, she had to do some big soul searching on her own for a while to get to know herself for real before she could share herself again. Seeing Becky and Quen come back together at and after the gala was so heartwarming and gave me all the good feels.
Quenilith was a delight. Sharp, quick to provoke, and straight to the point. She wanted Becky and nothing was going to dissuade her from that. I felt bad for Becky's guilt about how her whole tryst with Quen began, those feelings are hard enough when you're sure of something, but the doubts that plagued her for most of the book were palpable. And Bastiana--that woman. What a piece of work! I was half expecting there to be some reveal that she was some kind of demon herself! But that would have been speaking ill of a lovely group who just love sushi so much (which was a running joke I appreciated throughout the whole book).
I think my favorite part of the book was Becky's realization that she had to be alone for a while. She knew Logan was no longer her future, and as much as she loved Quen, or at least the idea of Quen, she had to do some big soul searching on her own for a while to get to know herself for real before she could share herself again. Seeing Becky and Quen come back together at and after the gala was so heartwarming and gave me all the good feels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcoholism
Moderate: Alcohol and Car accident
Minor: Death of parent
The Witch Boy by Molly Knox Ostertag
adventurous
emotional
tense
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
5.0
A layered story that's very digestible in an adorable YA graphic novel format. I totally didn't realize it was the first in a series (which, as a book club pick, I really shouldn't be shocked at this point). Aster feels no connection to what should be his innate ability shift; however, he can't resist the siren call of witchery--even though it's an exclusive "Girls Only" club in his community. It was heart breaking to see everyone in his family shut him down every time he tried to explain that shifting didn't come naturally to him the way witchery did. But when his gifts save the day as his cousins start disappearing, it brings about a monumental shift and a change to the family historical narrative that hopefully spells a promising future for Aster and all his cousins in the sequel books. I've already added the other books to my library hold list!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Strike by Abigail Kelly
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
If you read the Fragile Beings novella collection, you probably remember the m-storm featured in Astray which birthed a new elemental. She was quickly whisked away by Taevas and co., clearly having been claimed by the dragon who caught her, as evidenced by the subtle tail wrap Abigail thought we might not notice. But we did (aka she all but pointed a neon sign at it saying "we'll come back to this, I promise!")
Hele is immediately welcomed into the 'Riik, fostered and adopted into clan Aždaja. Her insatiable thirst for knowledge and understanding puts The Little Mermaid to shame (chapter one has big Part of Your World vibes in all the best ways). I love Hele's blunt requests of "explain" every time she doesn't understand the context or application of what's going on around her. While she is often self conscious of her lack of understanding, she never lets it slow her down.
Vael--pining, just wants to hold his täht tight, but doesn't want to stop her from experiencing the world, Vael. Thinks he knows what's best for Hele, but isn't listening to what she's asking from him. Communication isn't exactly his strong suit, but once he realizes Hele waits for no dragon, he finally opens up to her and they clear up the big miscommunications that have been clouding things up between them.
The care and respect between Hele and Vael is beautiful. Abigail knocked it out of the park with the emotion and heart sewn through their story. How finding their love together will also help them find themselves as individuals. For Vael, finding out who he is outside his role in the Wing (Taevas personal security team); and for Hele, what her greater purpose in life can be as she grows and learns. I can't wait to see these two pop up in other stories as they continue on their journey together!
Hele is immediately welcomed into the 'Riik, fostered and adopted into clan Aždaja. Her insatiable thirst for knowledge and understanding puts The Little Mermaid to shame (chapter one has big Part of Your World vibes in all the best ways). I love Hele's blunt requests of "explain" every time she doesn't understand the context or application of what's going on around her. While she is often self conscious of her lack of understanding, she never lets it slow her down.
Vael--pining, just wants to hold his täht tight, but doesn't want to stop her from experiencing the world, Vael. Thinks he knows what's best for Hele, but isn't listening to what she's asking from him. Communication isn't exactly his strong suit, but once he realizes Hele waits for no dragon, he finally opens up to her and they clear up the big miscommunications that have been clouding things up between them.
The care and respect between Hele and Vael is beautiful. Abigail knocked it out of the park with the emotion and heart sewn through their story. How finding their love together will also help them find themselves as individuals. For Vael, finding out who he is outside his role in the Wing (Taevas personal security team); and for Hele, what her greater purpose in life can be as she grows and learns. I can't wait to see these two pop up in other stories as they continue on their journey together!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: War, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Grim and Bear It by Juliette Cross
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What an end cap to a series. I can't believe the Stay A Spell series is over! Clara and Henry's story was everything I wanted and more. We got brooding, only *brief* pining because, let's face it, we all knew it was happening at this point, so there wasn't any point in beating around that bush. My heart broke for Henry as we learned his back story, and watching him heal his trauma and overcome alot of his anxiety with Clara as partners was just so sweet.
The back half of the book was a bit of a punch in the ovaries for me, which I both love and struggled with. I wasn't expecting Isadora, Clara, AND Jules to be pregnant for the back half of the book, and for the epilogue to be an 11 year time skip and so chock full of babies and MORE pregnancies. It definitely triggered some big emotions for me that I wasn't expecting or prepared to deal with. So juggling those emotions PLUS the "oh no, the series is over" emotions has been a lot to process all at once.
I couldn't have hoped for a better ending for the Savoie sisters. I certainly hope for the occasional check in with these amazing characters, because I just love everything about the whole family so much. It's bittersweet to say goodbye!
The back half of the book was a bit of a punch in the ovaries for me, which I both love and struggled with.
I couldn't have hoped for a better ending for the Savoie sisters. I certainly hope for the occasional check in with these amazing characters, because I just love everything about the whole family so much. It's bittersweet to say goodbye!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder
Minor: Gun violence
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
You know when the right book finds you at the right time and it feels like kismet? This was one of those books for me. I felt Poppy's struggle of finding her "home," of finding where she belonged, where she fit in. Feeling like you never quite fit in or not wanting the world to see how much things hurt. And finding her person, but not realizing it until it was almost smacking her in the face--until she almost lost him! Big "Girl, same." energy here.
I both loved and hated the jumps from this summer and summer trips of the past. I loved watching her and Alex's relationship develop, grow, and all the crazy adventures they went on together. But when half the This Summer chapters kept mentioning the Croatia trip, but not giving any hints to what actually happened in Croatia were driving me nuts by the halfway point!! I was DYING to get to the Croatia trip by the time we got there!!And it turned out to just be a kiss??? I was expecting it to be so much more. Though when they finally did come together in Palm Springs, it was glorious.
Seeing how much Alex cared for Poppy, but how stifled his emotional upbringing ended up making him was heartbreaking. He was throwing her all the signs he possibly could in the only way he knew how, but they had such wildly different life experiences growing up that it was like they were speaking completely different love languages by the time they met as adults.My heart literally broke for him in Tuscany with Poppy's pregnancy scare and the panic spiral that sent him into right then and there, let alone the actions he took when he got home--getting a vasectomy without even thinking about it--to have that kind of love is remarkable.
I both loved and hated the jumps from this summer and summer trips of the past. I loved watching her and Alex's relationship develop, grow, and all the crazy adventures they went on together. But when half the This Summer chapters kept mentioning the Croatia trip, but not giving any hints to what actually happened in Croatia were driving me nuts by the halfway point!! I was DYING to get to the Croatia trip by the time we got there!!
Seeing how much Alex cared for Poppy, but how stifled his emotional upbringing ended up making him was heartbreaking. He was throwing her all the signs he possibly could in the only way he knew how, but they had such wildly different life experiences growing up that it was like they were speaking completely different love languages by the time they met as adults.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Good Deeds by Kathryn Moon
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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? Yes
4.75
K.Moon nails another why choose romance with this one! Nötchka was an interesting twist of an FMC from the many of the other K.Moon books I've read. Feeling more a slave to her species' heatburn and adamantly NOT wanting to find herself mated in the process. What better way to burn through it than to shack up with a bunch of androids, right? A nice barter/trade-in-kind service arrangement; a perfect win-win scenario for everyone. Except everyone catches a severe case of the feels, because this Cozy House is full of the sweetest sex androids I've ever encountered. I LOVED meeting, learning, and watching their personalities develop so far beyond the limitations of their programming designed them to be. I especially loved Romeo and Kino, though I don't think it would be going very far on the limb to assume they're all around fan favorites.
I would love to revisit Nötchka and her Droid harem again, just to see what zany hijinks they've found themselves stumbling into. And to see what kind of new stuff the bots have learned along the way.
I would love to revisit Nötchka and her Droid harem again, just to see what zany hijinks they've found themselves stumbling into. And to see what kind of new stuff the bots have learned along the way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment
Minor: Emotional abuse
The Changeup by Megan Cousins
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Another wonderful Hutchinson family romance! Jenna and long time best friend Marcus set out on the road trip they've always dreamed of doing together to work at Yellowstone National Park in hopes of securing a dream research position for scientists like them. Oh, and they both have had feeling for each other FOR EVER but the fear of changing the status quo of their rock solid friendship has kept them both scared to take that next step.
I don't think I realized how much I could love a friends-to-lovers story as much as I loved The Changeup. Everything about the dynamic between Jenna and Marcus just made so much sense. Her fear of telling him about her arthritis and not wanting it to change how he saw her. His fear of his relationship turning into that of his parents and turning sour. The dread of possibly losing a friendship if the romantic relationship doesn't work out. And there were a few times I just wanted to shake them both for being so oblivious to the other's signals and ask them "How could you not know???"
I can't wait to get to James's book next, but I'm definitely going to need to be in the right headspace for that one, as I can already tell it's going to a heavier read.
I was FURIOUS with Jenna's lab supervisor, Aiden, for all the bullshit he kept pulling. Not only harping on "you could be replaced" vibes, but then asking her to stay behind for more samples ALONE???? SIR?!? ARE YOU DAFT?!!? When she laid into him after everything she and Monica went through after his asinine request, I was nearly shouting with "YES! YOU TELL THAT DUCK SNORT WHAT FOR!!"
I don't think I realized how much I could love a friends-to-lovers story as much as I loved The Changeup. Everything about the dynamic between Jenna and Marcus just made so much sense. Her fear of telling him about her arthritis and not wanting it to change how he saw her. His fear of his relationship turning into that of his parents and turning sour. The dread of possibly losing a friendship if the romantic relationship doesn't work out. And there were a few times I just wanted to shake them both for being so oblivious to the other's signals and ask them "How could you not know???"
I can't wait to get to James's book next, but I'm definitely going to need to be in the right headspace for that one, as I can already tell it's going to a heavier read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Ableism