Scan barcode
thereadinghammock's reviews
578 reviews
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
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
So much of this book just, sort of, happens around you (as a reader), that it's not until, maybe the last 30 minutes of the book that I had any idea what was actually going on. The world is fascinating, but the delivery is too prosaic for me. It's beautifully written, stunning prose, and I love the respect for archival history threaded throughout the book; but it's simply a case of just not the writing for me--and that's OK!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Confinement, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexism
Minor: Infidelity and Colonisation
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
lighthearted
medium-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
3.5
I picked this book up from the library on my sister's recommendation. It was enjoyable and a decent romance novel, there just seemed to be so many things solved by Michael being somehow "that much better" than every other man because he was a decent human being? I know that maneuvering around an autistic person's idiosyncrasies can be a mine field, and helping them manage their anxiety and emotional reactions to things is no small feat, for the person themselves and their loved ones. But it felt like so many of Stella's "issues" were solved by sexy magic of some kind.
Michael's "she can't love me because I'm just like my father" complex got a little annoying for me about halfway through the book. Never once did he actually act like his father, it's only that he thought about doing the things his father did. But who doesn't deal with the occasional intrusive thought when they're stressed?
Overall, it was a good book. I appreciate the autism representation, but can't speak to it's authenticity, as I'm sure it's an extremely personal experience for each individual, and it's not something I have close first hand experience with.
Michael's "she can't love me because I'm just like my father" complex got a little annoying for me about halfway through the book. Never once did he actually act like his father, it's only that he thought about doing the things his father did. But who doesn't deal with the occasional intrusive thought when they're stressed?
Overall, it was a good book. I appreciate the autism representation, but can't speak to it's authenticity, as I'm sure it's an extremely personal experience for each individual, and it's not something I have close first hand experience with.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Cancer, and Sexual assault
Minor: Emotional abuse and Ableism
Soft Flannel Hank by Eliza MacArthur
emotional
hopeful
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
Eliza knocked it out of the park with this debut novel!! Beautifully complex characters, trauma recovery, witty banter, STEAMY fun moments, and Peril--with a capital P! Hank and Esther both have enough baggage to bury your average person under, but nothing feels insurmountable when you've got the right person to help you unpack it. Watching Hank's stoicism unravel in the face of Esther's chaos was such a ride to tag along with.
Where do I start with how much I love the World's End cast of characters? Everyone feels lived in, rich with back stories we've only just scratched the surface of. I want to know everything about Magda; what's the history between Nat and Niamh; what happened between Callum and Jory; and what other supernatural beings are there hiding in the PNW that we haven't met yet?? I can't wait for the rest of this series. I love all the characters so much!!
Where do I start with how much I love the World's End cast of characters? Everyone feels lived in, rich with back stories we've only just scratched the surface of. I want to know everything about Magda; what's the history between Nat and Niamh; what happened between Callum and Jory; and what other supernatural beings are there hiding in the PNW that we haven't met yet?? I can't wait for the rest of this series. I love all the characters so much!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Abandonment, and Mental illness
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Police brutality, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
I found myself struggling with the names and trying to figure out what was going on. A little too heavy on the sci-fi for my current reading preferences.
Keyed Up by Sarah Estep
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A fantastic debut novel from Sarah Estep!! The number of times I laughed out loud reading this book was far higher than average for me. Eloise and Graham's banter and the overall humor laced throughout the book was top notch. Even reading my husband passages after he asked "what was so funny" got chuckles out of him, and he doesn't often get the humor of the books out of context of the whole story!!
I love enemies-to-lovers as a trope. Sarah delivered one of the best transformations of "I hate you so much. I hate that you're so damned attractive. I hate that I want you. I want you so bad. I hate being without you." evolutions I think I've ever read. Both Eloise and Graham go through such a journey coming together. Their attraction to each other is almost immediate (once they meet in person after coming to hate each other via email), but they both rail against that attraction SO HARD at first that it's almost comical.
And the unwavering support of their respective friend groups is honestly #goals. Sybil and Connor are ride or die for Eloise; and Sam, Peter and Jordy have Graham's back like no other male friend group I've ever read (or seen for that matter) and I want to read more male friendships like that! The rest of the Crane Cove cast are thrilled to watch the "Will they? They will, but WHEN?" of Eloise and Graham and the rampant wagers around town were hilarious.
I'm already so excited for more books in Crane Cove! I can't wait to dive back in and read HEA's for everyone else and see how Eloise & Graham, the rest of the gang, and the hotel come along!
I love enemies-to-lovers as a trope. Sarah delivered one of the best transformations of "I hate you so much. I hate that you're so damned attractive. I hate that I want you. I want you so bad. I hate being without you." evolutions I think I've ever read. Both Eloise and Graham go through such a journey coming together. Their attraction to each other is almost immediate (once they meet in person after coming to hate each other via email), but they both rail against that attraction SO HARD at first that it's almost comical.
And the unwavering support of their respective friend groups is honestly #goals. Sybil and Connor are ride or die for Eloise; and Sam, Peter and Jordy have Graham's back like no other male friend group I've ever read (or seen for that matter) and I want to read more male friendships like that! The rest of the Crane Cove cast are thrilled to watch the "Will they? They will, but WHEN?" of Eloise and Graham and the rampant wagers around town were hilarious.
I'm already so excited for more books in Crane Cove! I can't wait to dive back in and read HEA's for everyone else and see how Eloise & Graham, the rest of the gang, and the hotel come along!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol, Death, Grief, and Toxic relationship
Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 23%.
Just not feeling IAD right now. Finding I don't particularly care for the Lykae or their bad attitudes.
Courtship's Conquest by Abigail Kelly
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Courtship's Conquest picks up concurrently with the closing chapters of Consort's Glory (highly highly recommend reading that one first because obviously--spoilers) at the Elvish Summit. Camille and Viktor's relationship is steeped in "right place, wrong time" and a plethora of what if's of a teenage romance gone sour with miscommunication that is a hallmark of teenage love.
Both Vik and Cam grew a lot in their 20 years apart. Vik becoming a competent and reliable alpha for his pack; Cam as a determined and independent woman taking her destiny into her own hands. But their love, loyalty, and need for each other never really changed--just whether or not they were able to properly express it or not.
Abigail loves a good fated mate moment, and elves and shifters both have STRONG mating instincts/imperatives. Add in a healthy dollop of second chance romance, an assassination plot, and a dash of political machinations to an already wonderful story of strong familial bonds, and you've got the recipe for an excellent story! Watching Cam thaw to Viktor's pursuit, elegantly slipping himself through every loophole she tried to catch him with was just so sweet. When they finally threw open their proverbial curtains with each other and laid it all out and finally had a "...wait you too? All this time?? No way!" they slotted into each others lives almost seamlessly. Almost.
While every new (or new again) relationship has some growing pains, in this new matehood, Cam and Vik grow together with pretty decent communication and trust. Cam's biggest issue being an adjustment to pack life from the relative isolation/small family units of elvish community. Seeing Cam reel a bit and grow in her new role as alpha with Vik was wonderful and I look forward to seeing glimpses of them and visits from the pack as they continue to settle in.
The section with the assassination attempt on the beach, where they sealed their fates as consort & mate almost out of necessity for safety, ooof. That whole scene hit me SO HARD IN THE FEELS. It brought me straight back to when my husband had appendicitis last spring and I had to continue on about my day going to work while he was in the hospital just waiting to go into surgery. And the feeling of relief when I saw him after his surgery and the flood of emotions that came over me as I sobbed into his shoulder (while he was still pretty groggy from anesthesia to boot) from all the worry about "what if something goes wrong?? What if I lose him??" just rushing out of my system. After I read those chapters (and knew Vik was REALLY OK) I just crawled into his lap for a good long snug about it.
Both Vik and Cam grew a lot in their 20 years apart. Vik becoming a competent and reliable alpha for his pack; Cam as a determined and independent woman taking her destiny into her own hands. But their love, loyalty, and need for each other never really changed--just whether or not they were able to properly express it or not.
Abigail loves a good fated mate moment, and elves and shifters both have STRONG mating instincts/imperatives. Add in a healthy dollop of second chance romance, an assassination plot, and a dash of political machinations to an already wonderful story of strong familial bonds, and you've got the recipe for an excellent story! Watching Cam thaw to Viktor's pursuit, elegantly slipping himself through every loophole she tried to catch him with was just so sweet. When they finally threw open their proverbial curtains with each other and laid it all out and finally had a "...wait you too? All this time?? No way!" they slotted into each others lives almost seamlessly. Almost.
While every new (or new again) relationship has some growing pains, in this new matehood, Cam and Vik grow together with pretty decent communication and trust. Cam's biggest issue being an adjustment to pack life from the relative isolation/small family units of elvish community. Seeing Cam reel a bit and grow in her new role as alpha with Vik was wonderful and I look forward to seeing glimpses of them and visits from the pack as they continue to settle in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Blood, Grief, Death, Violence, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
4.0
A beautiful love letter to grief, loss, love, finding yourself after loss, and refinding love after loss. Nina George's lovely story of Jean Perdu rediscovering life after grieving the loss of his lover 21 years before. Jean's amazing ability to read his customers to "prescribe" then just the book they need to cure their woes, hence the shop name, The Literary Apothecary. The only person Jean is unable to read is himself.
A story of love, loss, and the difficulty in refinding joy in life after such great loss. Jean's is a story of finding a way to move on after being afraid to live for so long; Max a story of overcoming the fear of "what's next" after a remarkable success, but that's almost intrinsic of the millennial experience these days. Together, the unlikely pair begin healing the others' unseen wounds through friendship and the remarkable power of books.
On a road trip like no other, the men traverse the French canal system, making friends and changing lives along the way. The Literary Apothecary dispenses its bookish wisdom to customers and passengers both, and Nina George manages to pack remarkably insightful wisdom and worldly advice into a wonderful story of love, grief, found family, and relearning how to live.
A story of love, loss, and the difficulty in refinding joy in life after such great loss. Jean's is a story of finding a way to move on after being afraid to live for so long; Max a story of overcoming the fear of "what's next" after a remarkable success, but that's almost intrinsic of the millennial experience these days. Together, the unlikely pair begin healing the others' unseen wounds through friendship and the remarkable power of books.
On a road trip like no other, the men traverse the French canal system, making friends and changing lives along the way. The Literary Apothecary dispenses its bookish wisdom to customers and passengers both, and Nina George manages to pack remarkably insightful wisdom and worldly advice into a wonderful story of love, grief, found family, and relearning how to live.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Cancer, Sexual content, and Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent
Knot My Type by Evie Mitchell
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
Books are a fantastic way to be able to explore new things in a safe, accessible, and non-committal way. Shibari and rope play has never been super high on my list of "kinks I'd like to explore," but reading about someone else's exploration into learning more about it gave me at least a bit more insight into the overall appeal of the scene from the comfort of my own car (since I mostly listen to audiobooks on my work commute).
I loved Frankie's openness and efforts to talk things through as openly and honestly with Jay from day one. Jay took her refreshing candor in stride and did his best to match her, and pretty darn well for someone with as rocky an emotional past as he had (from growing up in the foster system to the ex who absolutely gutted him). I appreciated Frankie's friends, all of whom are truly ride-or-die for each other in the best of ways. I look forward to reading their books in the rest of the All Access series.
Overall, as a non-disabled reader, the focus on Frankie's capabilities as a woman in a wheelchair was enlightening and just really cool to read. The accessible adaptations to the things I take for granted as an able-bodied person were interesting and never really focused on in a way that fetishized or glamourized her life in a wheelchair, but instead just told it like it is and the things that make up her everyday life. And I appreciated when she called Jay out for his ableist thinking, which also called me out as a reader to rethink my assumptions!
I loved Frankie's openness and efforts to talk things through as openly and honestly with Jay from day one. Jay took her refreshing candor in stride and did his best to match her, and pretty darn well for someone with as rocky an emotional past as he had (from growing up in the foster system to the ex who absolutely gutted him). I appreciated Frankie's friends, all of whom are truly ride-or-die for each other in the best of ways. I look forward to reading their books in the rest of the All Access series.
Overall, as a non-disabled reader, the focus on Frankie's capabilities as a woman in a wheelchair was enlightening and just really cool to read. The accessible adaptations to the things I take for granted as an able-bodied person were interesting and never really focused on in a way that fetishized or glamourized her life in a wheelchair, but instead just told it like it is and the things that make up her everyday life. And I appreciated when she called Jay out for his ableist thinking, which also called me out as a reader to rethink my assumptions!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Cancer, Abandonment, and Alcohol