thindbooks's reviews
1046 reviews

Here For The Cake by Jennifer Millikin

5.0

This story follows Paisley who is the maid of honor at her’s sister’s wedding and is getting married to her ex and she needs to find a fake date. I really loved this book. I was hooked into the story from the first chapter and just knew it was going to be good with the way the story was going. I really enjoyed the main conflict of the story and the message behind it. The setting was well described and I loved how the story had a subplot for publishing. This story is not just about love but also has a lot of self-development and family relationship. This story follows both Paisley and Klein povs. 

Paisley is the FMC of the story and I really enjoyed her character. She has been judged by her family for so many years and doesn’t want them to think she’s weak. I loved seeing her develop and build the self-confidence for herself. Then there is Klein who is a bartender and wants to be an author. I really enjoyed his story and seeing his obsession for Paisley. He’s such a sweetheart and as much as he didn’t have Paisley’s type of development, he was still a great MMC. There are many side characters in this book and I really loved Paisley’s best friend and so many other amazing women. The romance is second chance, fake dating and friends to lovers with such amazing chemistry between the couple. 

The ending was well done with a cute epilogue. I really enjoyed the story and hope there will be more stories from this world. I really loved everything about this book and had an amazing experience with it. I recommend checking this book out as you don’t want to miss out. 

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Pretty Furious by E.K. Johnston

3.0

This story follows 5 good girls who look for justice through fierce friendships. This is a book that I read in one sitting due to how short the story was. I enjoyed the overall plot of the story and the message that the author was giving to its readers. It showed a different side of society especially with the way people think in a small town and how it can affect the young ones. I do wish there was more of a strong conflict in the story as it was like nothing happened but instead we get a message. The story is told from the different perspectives of the girls with their wishes. 

 

I won’t go into each character since there’s a lot of FMCs but I enjoyed most of them. I did feel a bit like I was missing some of their stories from the start of the book but I guess that’s the perspective we are supposed to get. I did enjoy the wishes aspect of the story for each character and how it is associated with them. They all developed in some way but the story mostly showed how the society worked in that world. There are many side characters in this book which most I didn’t enjoy but it’s because it was the way the characters thought of them. 

 

The ending was well done but overall it was a pretty good read. I enjoyed the fierceness of each character and how their relationship was strong showing that no one can mess with them. I do wish there was more of a conflict to keep the story entertaining. 

 

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return* 

The Happiness Blueprint by Ally Zetterberg

4.0

This story follows two people who are going through some life struggles and work together in the construction company. This was a well-written book that focuses a lot on physical and mental health. I do have to say that I went into this book thinking it was a full-on romance but it’s not and mostly focuses on self-development. This is not a bad thing but for someone like me that’s a one-star less rating. I like to be promised of what I get from the story. I did enjoy the setting and really liked how this book takes place in Sweden. The author did an amazing job describing the area. I do have to say that this book is very slow and there are not many strong conflicts throughout the book. This book is close to 400 pages which was a bit of a struggle for me to get through. This book is told from both Klara and Alex’s pov. 

 

Klara is the fmc of this book and I really enjoyed her character. She has type 1 diabetes and believes she has autism so she is stressed with life especially having to take over her dad’s company. I enjoyed seeing her develop throughout the book. Then there is Alex who struggles with mental health after his brother’s death and needs work. He really improved throughout the story and you could tell. There were some side characters in this book but the MCs took the lead to the story. The romance is a slow burn like a very slow burn which could have been better. I didn’t feel any chemistry but you can tell they are a compatible couple. 

 

The ending was something I didn’t care for as there wasn’t much conflict. I did like the meaning behind the story and seeing so much character development but I do have to say there could have been more conflict and romance. Overall not a bad story but if this book can get categorized as contemporary with no romance that will help get better audience. 

 

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return* 

Burning Crowns by Katherine Webber, Catherine Doyle

4.0

This is the finale of the series which follows both Wren and Rose. I enjoyed this book which was a great way to end the series. The story picks up a bit after the second one and there are more conflicts that both Wren and Rose need to solve. I do have to say that this felt more like a Rose book and I really enjoyed seeing more of her character after the first two books. The pacing was wonderful and I really enjoyed how the authors got a bit more into their world. 

 

In this book we get more of Rose and Wren with their own conflicts going on that affect them both. I really enjoyed seeing more of Rose and the way she develops throughout the story. I do have to say for Wren that I felt her development was more lacking but we did see her’s more in the previous books. There were a lot of side characters in this book and I enjoyed seeing more of Shen Lo. There was romance in this book but it was very light as the story focuses more of the sibling bond. 

 

The ending was well done and I’m happy with how the FMCs ended up. This was a wonderful series and I really loved the characters from this book. I’m excited to see what else this author duo comes out with because they have a fantastic writing style when it comes to fantasy. This story is perfect for fans of Serpent & Dove and note that SJM says this series is amazing! 

 

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return* 

The Witches' Blade by A.K. Mulford

4.0

This story follows after the first book with new characters. You must read the first book to understand the story. This book follows Rua who has the Immortal Blade and everyone is searching for her. This was another fun book which has a new story and more conflicts. I loved seeing the world a bit more but again the fast pacing doesn’t help as you can’t stay with the story for too long. Though I liked how the Immortal Blade was a stronger conflict and seeing how wanted it was. The story is written from Rua’s pov. 

 

Rua is the MC of this story who’s on the run and has the blade. I did find her character a bit annoying for the royalty aspect but she did have character development. There were many side characters in this book with some new ones and old ones who come back. I loved Renwick and how sweet he was to Rua and so patient. This story has the fated mates and enemies to lovers romance with a bit more steam then the previous book. I liked the chemistry in this book a lot more and seeing Renwick and Rua develop their love. 

 

The ending was well done and I’m excited to see what the next book is about. This series is so fun, especially reading a new story with different characters as the MC. This book does deal with more trauma so I recommend reading the triggers. 

 

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return* 

The High Mountain Court by A.K. Mulford

4.0

This story follows 19-year-old Remi who is the last red witch with secrets but meets Hale and wonders if he could help her on her quest. I heard wonderful things about this book and I have to say that Mulford did not disappoint. I also read A River of Golden Bones which I really enjoyed so I wasn’t expecting anything different for their fantasy novels. The world-building was well developed and at first I did think it was a bit complicated and very similar to Serpents & Dove. I enjoyed the conflicts in the book but I didn’t really enjoy the fast pacing. I wanted to learn more about the characters and experience the conflicts properly. This book is told from Remy’s pov. 

 

Remi is the main character of this book and I really enjoyed her story. She is brave and badass with secrets she has to keep. I loved her development in this book. Our main side character is Hale and I enjoyed everything about him. I did wish we got his pov because there’s more to his story from my feelings. There are other characters in this book who play major roles throughout the story. The romance is fated with mates and allies with great chemistry and minor steam. 

 

The ending was well done but I’m curious to see how the next book picks up. I wonder if there will be new characters in the next book or if the story will be more about Remy. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend checking it out especially if you love Serpent & Dove and From Blood and Ash. 

 

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return* 

Effie Olsen's Summer Special by Rochelle Bilow

4.0

This story follows Effie who is a chef and arrives back home where she stopped speaking to her childhood best friend. This was such a fun, cute read perfect for the summer. I enjoyed Bilow’s writing style and how they took us to Maine where lobster is the main dish for the state. The conflict was entertaining and while reading this book, the author just made you feel warm with all the descriptions of beach and ice cream. This book is told from Effie’s pov. 

 

Effie is the FMC of the story and had been a chef all over the world and decides to come back home. She is dealing with some past problems that won’t escape her and I enjoyed seeing her development though them and receiving the help. Then we have Ernie who is the main side character and I really enjoyed his character. He’s a sweetheart who cares for Effie and would do anything to get her to stay. There are other amazing side characters in this book and a chef everyone will hate. The romance is a second chance and friends to lovers with minor steam. The chemistry is cute and well done. 

 

The ending was amazing where everyone got the life they wanted to have. I do wish this book was a bit shorter or had more conflicts because at some points I would lose interest with the repeated scenes. Overall it was an amazing book which I recommend checking out especially during this upcoming summer time. 

 

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return* 

A Tempting Arrangement by Jessa Wilder

5.0

This is a billionaire romance following an heir who is obsessed with one of his employees. I have heard of Wilder’s books and how amazing they are so I knew I had to check this one out. Let me tell you that I was not disappointed at all. I really enjoyed the storyline and was hooked from the first page of this book. The book was well written and I loved the pacing of this book. There were so many great conflicts and I loved how the FMC was treated with so much care throughout the novel. I loved the world the author created and from what I understood, this book connects with the author’s other books. This book is told from dual povs of both  Damon and Jessa. 

 

Damon is the MMC of this book and I really enjoyed his character. He’s an alphahole but there are so many sweet sides of him when it comes to Jessa. He wants to protect her in any way he can and I just loved that. Then there is Jessa who is such a kind person and I loved how her passion is making outfits for herself. She has gone through trauma in the past so I recommend reading trigger warnings. They both have lovely character development. There are many side characters in this book with some coming from other books of the authors but there are also Damon’s brothers. I loved how they loved Jessa like their sister. The romance is a marriage of convenience and he falls first with very steamy scenes and amazing chemistry. 

 

The ending was well done and I really loved this book. This book was not what I expected and I loved every single page of this book. I really hope the author writers the brother’s books because I would love to read their stories. I recommend checking this book out because it’s a wonderful story for every billionaire romance readers. 

 

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return* 

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley
Did not finish book.

0.0

DNFed at 16% of the book as I wasn’t getting into and and heard that it could be a problematic book. I will be probably be doing more research if I decide to go on with this book. 

Lord of the Fading Lands by C.L. Wilson

2.0

This book is republished with a new cover and is a bestselling series. This story follows a young girl calls King Rain and Rain realizes he has a true mate. I was super excited to read this book but let me say that the world building is very complex. I didn’t expect it to be complex with a lot of new terms and people that it made the book hard to understand. I enjoyed the magic system of the story but the new fey words made it hard to understand. The pacing for this story is fast and I enjoyed the parts of the story I understood. I do wish this book had povs written of who’s is who’s because I did often get lost when I didn’t grasp whose pov I was reading. 

 

Ellysetta is the FMC of the story and I wish I enjoyed her character but I felt she was there. Like the book is about her but you don’t know anything about her. She’s described as a powerful character but honestly, I didn’t see that part of her or any development to her character. Then there is Rain which I wish I knew more about but his pov was hard to figure out and I couldn’t even imagine him in my head. There are many side characters in this book and I enjoyed one of Ellysetta’s protectors. The romance is fated mates but I couldn’t feel the chemistry just yet as Ellysetta was basically taken to Rain. 

 

The ending didn’t really have a cliffhanger nor did I care for it. I was really excited for this book but the world was just too complex for me. You can tell the story is written in the early 2000s which I didn’t mind. I have the second book in the series which I will be reading just because I have it and can see if the story gets better. 

 

*this book was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*