You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
tobereadbookshelf's Reviews (935)
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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:
Complicated
Denial is a river and our girl Oraya was drowning in it. It’s baffling that she questioned so little throughout the course of her life. I won’t pretend to have seen all the plot twists coming, but I certainly picked up on more than she did. At the very least she should have considered what other motivation her father could have for sending her into the trial. I also really don’t understand Raihn joining the Kejari to protect Mische when it was a fight to the death. Did he plan to just kill himself if it came down to the two of them? At one point I know he said he would have found a way to get her out, but that seems unlikely.
Despite a few plot holes here and there, I thoroughly enjoyed this which was a pleasant surprise. I find that I am often disappointed by the books that have received this level of hype and TikTok celebrity. It’s a nice feeling to be able to jump on the bandwagon for once and be just as excited for a book as everyone else. The build up of the romance was expertly done and despite the revelations near the end, Raihn is prime book boyfriend material. He may even been in my top 5! From what I’ve heard, book two isn’t quite as good, so I may put off reading it for a little while. I just want to bask in the glow for a bit without tainting it. 😅
“Death isn’t frightening when weighed against an insignificant existence.”
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Oh… so THAT was why I skipped this book and jumped straight to reading the other two in the series. 🥺😢
What a depressing and frustrating read. I hate that the author gave readers hope and then shifted to such a sad outcome for that particular character. I’ll admit that book two was very good and could not have existed without this outcome, but I can’t help but feel personally victimized by the author for being subjected to this storyline. The fun cover and cutesy romcom title feel like a bit of a scam.
I was also extremely annoyed by the lack of communication between the two main characters throughout the book. Romance books essentially would not exist without miscommunications, but this felt excessive. Maybe if this was YA I could understand, but since these two are both fully grown adults, I expected more. They could have spared themselves so much grief and pain if they would have just sat down and talked it out rather than running away. I don’t really care what their reasons were, a relationship involves two people and it’s not fair for one person to try to make decisions for the both of them.
I saw the ending coming from a mile away. Even though the story had a happy ending for our MC’s, the sad events of the book were still in the back of my mind and were like a dark cloud hanging over the story. I’m a big fan of Abby Jimenez, but she did us dirty with this one. This was not her best work.
What a depressing and frustrating read. I hate that the author gave readers hope and then shifted to such a sad outcome for that particular character. I’ll admit that book two was very good and could not have existed without this outcome, but I can’t help but feel personally victimized by the author for being subjected to this storyline. The fun cover and cutesy romcom title feel like a bit of a scam.
I was also extremely annoyed by the lack of communication between the two main characters throughout the book. Romance books essentially would not exist without miscommunications, but this felt excessive. Maybe if this was YA I could understand, but since these two are both fully grown adults, I expected more. They could have spared themselves so much grief and pain if they would have just sat down and talked it out rather than running away. I don’t really care what their reasons were, a relationship involves two people and it’s not fair for one person to try to make decisions for the both of them.
I saw the ending coming from a mile away. Even though the story had a happy ending for our MC’s, the sad events of the book were still in the back of my mind and were like a dark cloud hanging over the story. I’m a big fan of Abby Jimenez, but she did us dirty with this one. This was not her best work.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Welp, it seems I am in the minority again… Hanging out over here on misfit island trying to understand how this has received so many five star reviews. 🤔 I’m very glad to be reading “The Serpent & The Wings Of Night” in tandem with this so I can say definitively that it’s THIS book I don’t like, not all popular books in general. (Even if it sometimes seems that way 🙃).
Let’s start with the heavy hitting issues… Moonbeam is a terrible nickname. Honestly, I’m struggling to think of a nickname I’ve hated more. I did just read a book where he kept calling the FMC “buddy”… that was pretty bad… “pet?” Anyways… please stahpp.
Secondly, Raeve is the worst kind of FMC. She is bullheaded and selfish and the type of person to stab first and ask questions later. Why are we glorifying people like this so often in books? She was also too cowardly to learn about her past or get close to anyone because she’s scared to lose them, which is just kind of silly and does nothing but hurt everyone involved (including herself). I’ve seen a lot of people comparing this book to an SJM book and I do see a lot of parallels between her and Aelin, but not in a good way. She has all her worst traits without the growth. I am firmly in the ACOTAR camp and Aelin honestly wasn’t my favorite character either(sorry), but at least she was always working hard to protect people and was open to learning about her true identity rather than trying to hide under a rock and pretend nothing had changed.
I also felt like this author made a lot of awkward/uncomfortable word choices that bogged down the reading experience. Instead of saying someone was living a nightmare, she would say they were “living a slumber terror,”etc. Just why? What is she trying to prove? We get it, you know lots of words. 🙄 Decoding the characters bizarre way of speaking often distracted from the plot and those unnecessary deviations added nothing to the story.
Maybe most importantly, this is High Fantasy but it’s not explained clearly at all. This was especially hard to digest while listening to the audio. The description given for the book was about the only explanation the author gave for anything. Readers are left to their own devices and must scrounge up and hoard tiny snippets of information as they read.
Upon finishing, I am left with so many questions. Who are the creators? Gods? If so then why do they not factor into the story? Is that just an origin story that was created over time to explain the dragons entombing themselves in the sky? How long is a phase? How long is a cycle? They say “folk,” (an aggressive amount) do they mean “fae?” Are the dragons similar to any other animal? Or are they more sentient? They played almost no role despite the importance placed on them. Why? The world building was so messy and incomplete which was even more upsetting to me since the book was so long.
I also think the voice actors for the audio were poorly chosen. Her voice sounded too modern and his accent was one that I could not even place, making the finished product feel very disjointed. If anything, he should have sounded more modern since she’s been entombed for so long. Her voice would be perfect for a contemporary romance, but it did not quite work for this book.
The revelations at the end mainly just annoyed me. I felt like we should have known them all along and was bothered again by her lack of bravery in uncovering the truths of her past. I should not have had to wait that long for that information and then feel like it was poorly explained enough to relisten to the final chapter.
Reading this was an absolute drag and I’m feeling pretty salty about the whole experience. I’m honestly so disappointed despite my premonition that this wasn’t for me. Sighh*
__________________________________________
I have a bad feeling about this one. Not sure why, but I think I’m gonna hate it. 😅 I’d love to be wrong! Fingers crossed for 5 stars! 🤞🏻
Let’s start with the heavy hitting issues… Moonbeam is a terrible nickname. Honestly, I’m struggling to think of a nickname I’ve hated more. I did just read a book where he kept calling the FMC “buddy”… that was pretty bad… “pet?” Anyways… please stahpp.
Secondly, Raeve is the worst kind of FMC. She is bullheaded and selfish and the type of person to stab first and ask questions later. Why are we glorifying people like this so often in books? She was also too cowardly to learn about her past or get close to anyone because she’s scared to lose them, which is just kind of silly and does nothing but hurt everyone involved (including herself). I’ve seen a lot of people comparing this book to an SJM book and I do see a lot of parallels between her and Aelin, but not in a good way. She has all her worst traits without the growth. I am firmly in the ACOTAR camp and Aelin honestly wasn’t my favorite character either(sorry), but at least she was always working hard to protect people and was open to learning about her true identity rather than trying to hide under a rock and pretend nothing had changed.
I also felt like this author made a lot of awkward/uncomfortable word choices that bogged down the reading experience. Instead of saying someone was living a nightmare, she would say they were “living a slumber terror,”etc. Just why? What is she trying to prove? We get it, you know lots of words. 🙄 Decoding the characters bizarre way of speaking often distracted from the plot and those unnecessary deviations added nothing to the story.
Maybe most importantly, this is High Fantasy but it’s not explained clearly at all. This was especially hard to digest while listening to the audio. The description given for the book was about the only explanation the author gave for anything. Readers are left to their own devices and must scrounge up and hoard tiny snippets of information as they read.
Upon finishing, I am left with so many questions. Who are the creators? Gods? If so then why do they not factor into the story? Is that just an origin story that was created over time to explain the dragons entombing themselves in the sky? How long is a phase? How long is a cycle? They say “folk,” (an aggressive amount) do they mean “fae?” Are the dragons similar to any other animal? Or are they more sentient? They played almost no role despite the importance placed on them. Why? The world building was so messy and incomplete which was even more upsetting to me since the book was so long.
I also think the voice actors for the audio were poorly chosen. Her voice sounded too modern and his accent was one that I could not even place, making the finished product feel very disjointed. If anything, he should have sounded more modern since she’s been entombed for so long. Her voice would be perfect for a contemporary romance, but it did not quite work for this book.
The revelations at the end mainly just annoyed me. I felt like we should have known them all along and was bothered again by her lack of bravery in uncovering the truths of her past. I should not have had to wait that long for that information and then feel like it was poorly explained enough to relisten to the final chapter.
Reading this was an absolute drag and I’m feeling pretty salty about the whole experience. I’m honestly so disappointed despite my premonition that this wasn’t for me. Sighh*
__________________________________________
I have a bad feeling about this one. Not sure why, but I think I’m gonna hate it. 😅 I’d love to be wrong! Fingers crossed for 5 stars! 🤞🏻
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Sorry to say it, but this book could have been an email.
Unbroken Bonds was an extremely underwhelming ending to a series that should have wrapped up two books ago. Just more of the same old song and dance and I am so over it. Oli talking endlessly about how much she trusts her bonded, how obsessed she is with them, how much she wants to kill anyone who would hurt her bonded, blah blah blah. 🙄 There is so much repetition to the dialogue and key words and phrases are painfully overused. I’d write them out for you, but I fear I might simply pass away from overexposure if I have to read them again. 😉
Honestly, this went pretty much the way I expected it to go. I did still have a small kernel of hope that the author was headed somewhere interesting after so much build up, but oh well. At least I can say that I persevered.
If you’re wondering, I’m Team Gryphon.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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:
Complicated
I love how realistic this meet cute was. I can very easily imagine this exact scenario taking place which almost makes it more romantic? A little spark of hope for all the single gals out there. 💕
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
For a plot with many unexpected twists, this book was extremely slow. The female main character was very naive and too trusting which frustrated me to no end, and the timing of the romance felt very off. He is adamant that they can’t be together until he realizes she is heir to a fortune which felt very suspicious to me. I am now concerned that his reasons for honoring his previous engagement were financial. I’m sure you could make the argument that he had the realization that she would need to marry someone else and came to his senses, but I’m not fully buying it.
I was bored throughout the book and considered DNFing at several points. The storyline was decent, but it took too long to get to where it was going. The ending was honestly a lot darker than I was expecting which did take me by surprise. Despite the more fast paced ending, I feel pretty indifferent about continuing this series but I may read on if the next book has good enough reviews.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“You're not asking too much," he said. "You were just asking the wrong person. Ask me instead.”
All hail Abby Jimenez, the Queen of character development. Justin and Emma are so multifaceted and feel as real as you or me. It’s becoming more and more common to write characters with trauma or mental health struggles, but very few authors do it well. It often feelings more like checking a diversity box than anything else. Abby Jimenez is the exception. I am always impressed by how much detail she is able to convey to readers without the story feeling bogged down with them. When it comes to writing complex characters, she is unmatched.
I also loved the portrayal of each of their unique family struggles and how they impacted their lives. They had very different backgrounds but were able to find common ground and be a support for each other. I’m rooting for them as if they were real people, and in my opinion; that is the sign of a great book. Part of Your World is still my favorite from this series, but this was a great read!
“What are you thinking?” I asked. He didn’t answer for a long moment. When he did, he did it with his eyes closed. “All I ever think about is you.”
All hail Abby Jimenez, the Queen of character development. Justin and Emma are so multifaceted and feel as real as you or me. It’s becoming more and more common to write characters with trauma or mental health struggles, but very few authors do it well. It often feelings more like checking a diversity box than anything else. Abby Jimenez is the exception. I am always impressed by how much detail she is able to convey to readers without the story feeling bogged down with them. When it comes to writing complex characters, she is unmatched.
I also loved the portrayal of each of their unique family struggles and how they impacted their lives. They had very different backgrounds but were able to find common ground and be a support for each other. I’m rooting for them as if they were real people, and in my opinion; that is the sign of a great book. Part of Your World is still my favorite from this series, but this was a great read!
“What are you thinking?” I asked. He didn’t answer for a long moment. When he did, he did it with his eyes closed. “All I ever think about is you.”
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved Lovelight Farms, but unfortunately this just did not hit the same. I felt like the author was trying to force the magic of the town back on us and sadly I think it may be all used up. The third act break up was VERY avoidable and frankly kind of pissed me off. He overreacted, but she should have texted that morning for starters, but she also should have stayed and proven to him that she wasn’t going anywhere instead of - shocker - leaving AGAIN. That girl would give me trust issues too. 🙄 Overall, pretty meh.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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:
Complicated
Hold up… are cheesy alien romances my new guilty pleasure?! This was just so wholesome and adorable. Suddenly, being abducted by aliens is sounding pretty appealing. 😅 I legitimately listened to the entire audiobook in one sitting. (On a Monday night!!) I don’t think I would be brave enough to carry these books around in the subway, but nothing could stop me from adding the rest of the series to my summer TBR. Let’s be honest, I DO judge books by their covers, but in this case, I was happy to be wrong. 🤗
_________________________________________
Pre-Read: Ope… Feel like I might have just fallen down a rabbit hole… See you on the other side. 👋🏻👽🛸
_________________________________________
Pre-Read: Ope… Feel like I might have just fallen down a rabbit hole… See you on the other side. 👋🏻👽🛸
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
This was a pretty average cozy mystery/romance. I wasn’t overly impressed, but the Stars Hollow vibes were on point. I can’t speak for everyone, but I’d say people loved this in direct proportion to how much they love Gilmore Girls which gave this book an unfair boost.
_____________________________________________
It’s currently 80 degrees in Nashville, but I’m forever a Fall girlie 💁🏼♀️. Bring on all the cozy Stars Hollow vibes. 🙌🏻🍁☕️🍂🐈⬛🫶🏻
_____________________________________________
It’s currently 80 degrees in Nashville, but I’m forever a Fall girlie 💁🏼♀️. Bring on all the cozy Stars Hollow vibes. 🙌🏻🍁☕️🍂🐈⬛🫶🏻