tiamango's reviews
114 reviews

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

3.5

A pretty average contemporary romance read. I liked it more than most, but honestly, trying to think back to review this, there isn't much to write home about. I was a bit peeved by the way the dialog of the couple as teens was written because imo teens don't speak like that.

Also, if someone wanted a similar story of

second-chance romance

and want higher stakes, I would recommend

Seven Days In June by Tia Williams

well before this.

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

relaxing fast-paced

3.75

Read if you got a couple hours to kill and want to curb any organic thoughts with some good old contemporary romance

what can i say??? i'm easily entertained, and some of these contemporary romance love interests just have a way with words. the beginning was surprisingly tough to get through ONLY BECAUSE i didn't realize this is part of a series called "The Improbable Meet-Cute". once i understood, all disbelief was suspended and this became 100 pages of sweet, mind-numbing dopamine. 

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

emotional funny inspiring 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

Read if: 
You've ever been curious about random people's lore and are here for the journey not the destination.

I picked this one up LONG before I read anything by Fredrik Backman, but after I read A Man Called Ove (and watched the new movie adaptation) I knew I had to bump this up the TBR.

Overall, a very easy and entertaining read. The plot itself is pretty predictable, but I don't think that was the point of the book at all. The book is heavily character focus with the author's talent at building realistic and emotionally involved backstories. The dry but wholesome tone made this worth the read. 

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious 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? No

4.5

Read if you want to be a romantasy girlie but booktok recommends things that are either TOO romance or TOO fantasy for you

I loved this. very light fantasy elements so the world building was light. very sweet romance elements that still made me squeal with every page turn. i grew so attached to the characters that picking up the sequel was a no brainer, but also bc this is a COMPLETED DUOLOGY! 

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans

challenging emotional informative 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

4.5

10/10 would recommend.

Such a thoughtful collection of short stories with whole paragraphs that will play in my brain on a loop until the day I die. The subject matter of these stories is somehow so pointed but vast that the stories that resonate with each reader could be read like a person's star chart. Every single story HITS but honorable mentions to Alcatraz, Why Won't Women Just Say What They Want, and Anything Could Disappear. 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

ate it up. i love contemporary romance. i love emily henry. i get it. can't be 5 stars only because i have high hopes for her other books

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I think I took too long to write this review because I don't remember why I liked this so much but I do remember I was annoyed that this wasn't a duology (as it was previously advertised to me). 

The things I loved, I REALLY loved, but these were few and far between. I love the tone of the series as a whole and the actual journey they took was so gripping (I'd probably go back to read that part because it was so emotional) but everything else was just meh for me now that I look back on it. 

I'll respect my original rating, but drop it to a flat 4.

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
Did not finish book. Stopped at 68%.

Jonathan Bailey would never

Percy Jackson and the The Olympians - The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Honestly not too much to say here. Definitely better than The Sea of Monsters and did successfully motivate me to finish the series.