trinityb2021's reviews
239 reviews

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Go to review page

4.0

4 ⭐️

There are two parts of this book. The romance and the Alzheimers. I think the romance was gorgeous. On par, with Part of Your World’s romance. It is emotional and beautiful. It definitely qualities as insta-love which would normally not be my thing but Abby Jimenez is an amazing author and she makes it work.

This book is funny and silly and times. I love that Abby is chronically online and her references always make me laugh. She writes like she's 15 years younger than she is and that’s iconic.

The Alzheimers side of the story made me kind of uncomfortable. At first I thought it was just because it hit too close to home. I've been surrounded by this disease my whole life so seeing it in a book like this was a little traumatizing. But my biggest gripe was how Samantha and her family handled their mother’s care.

*Minor Spoilers*
 By the middle of this book she 100% needs to be in a memory care unit. Putting locks and alarms on doors, throwing glass dishes around the room, injuring people, head butting people, this is when care needs to be transferred to professionals. I was so mad that the whole family thought putting their mom in a memory care unit was tantamount to torture. It would’ve been better for her! She would’ve been safe and not wandering around the town at night barefoot. Or slipping in the shower and injuring her husband. Or head butting her daughter. Multiple times they say that “she wouldn’t want us to suffer” and then THEY CONTINUE TO SUFFER. 

I’ve seen people deteriorate due to Alzheimer's and they need full time care. It makes me so sad that this family is still, even at the end of this book, killing themselves and hindering their lives to accommodate their sick mother. Samantha even turns down a job she really wants, that pays well, and has good benefits, so she can be a full-time caregiver. That isn’t right. Care facilities exist for a reason. They aren’t torture. If you do your research and find a good one, they are better than everyone bending over backwards and ruining their lives to take care of your loved ones.

I feel very strongly about this and am disappointed that Abby didn’t explore the nuances of care facilities and seemed to write them off immediately. It made me not like this book nearly as much as a I wanted to.
Not in My Book by Katie Holt

Go to review page

2.0

2 ⭐️

So much in this book is poorly developed. I don’t even know where to begin.

The premise is essentially Beach Read if it was set in a grimy NYC apartment instead of a beach front vacation home. Two authors who write different genre’s are “forced” to work together on a book that combines both of their genres.

The series of events that cause Rosie and Aiden to work together are super dumb. The teacher wants them to work together to write one book. Alternating chapters? Already an incredibly hard task for any author. Also no other students in the class have to do this. In college isn’t that kind of frowned upon? Also the teacher essentially forces them to go on a date together “for research”. What the actual fuck? If a teacher forced me to go on a date with a man I hated for a class I would report them to the Dean. That has to be illegal. Yes I know that romance novels usually have a silly and unbelievable set up to get the ball rolling but this required suspending my disbelief more than I could. Maybe it’s because I just got out of college.

Moving on to their actual personalities. Rosie comes off as spunky and confident. We never hear about her insecurity in her internal monologue or in discussions with her friends. We know she is distrustful of men because of her history with her ex but that is not the same as insecure. All of a sudden in the first sex scene she is super insecure about her body, her looks, her stretch marks, her weight, everything. I don’t understand? It felt like it was included because women would find it relatable and not because it fits with the character. I think that it’s fine to include but why did Rosie not even think about it once until that moment. I hated that. One ounce of foreshadowing please.

Aiden is pretty boring. He what, has divorced parents? That’s his tragic backstory. His dad is comically evil. I hate when people are caricatures of evil instead of actual people. Think of all the best villains in stories. They are almost always relatable or at least you can understand their actions. Aiden’s dad is an asshole because?? We don’t know. And none of that story is ever resolved. 

I liked Rosie’s family but everyone just kind of annoyed me. Rosie in particular was very annoying. It is quite literally the novelization of the two most annoying people you know fall in love. And by the 10 hour mark I was DONE. (I think if I read this book on my kindle I maybe would've liked it more since I would've only been subjected to 3-4 hours of it instead of 6+ on the audiobook)

Also the narrator, she cannot do a decent male voice to save her life. It was bad.

Aiden is an objectively better writer than Rosie sorry. We get excerpts from their book as epigraphs and all of Aiden’s chapters are better lol. 

I hate pea coats.

Aiden is ugly on the cover.

They somehow fucked up making chocolate chip cookies, twice? I’m a horrible baker and can manage to do cookies. And they’re both like 6 years older than me.

Don’t get me started on all the dumb miscommunication. It is the only plot this book has. I’m pretty sure at no point Aiden says he doesn’t like relationships or isn’t the type to fall in love but Rosie has convinced herself that this is the case. He basically only said he doesn't like romance novels because he finds them unrealistic. Which is 100% valid. From about the 20% mark to the 85% mark the main conflict is Rosie not thinking Aiden is serious until that is resolved and ANOTHER miscommunication shows up. Cannot stand when miscommunication is this blatant and dumb.

I did like the early chemistry the characters had. The banter was pretty good.

The sex scene written through the book 🤤😮‍💨. That was probably the best part of this book. But that’s kinda sad because I want to enjoy the romance and not just the physical elements.
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

Go to review page

4.5

4.5 ⭐️ 
I refuse to believe this book is any more than 100 pages. Wait what’s that? Its 450? No that can’t be. I’ve only been reading for an hour. What’s that? It’s been 4 hours? 
No but seriously I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun, been more immersed, or lost track of time as much as I did while reading this book. 
This was a little sweet treat cooked up just for me. Nothing is so perfectly nerdy and dorky. Matt Dinniman is an incredibly brilliant author. 
When I hit the last page I was so surprised that it was over already. I need a hundred more books exactly like this. And luckily, there are. I mean not a hundred but a lot. 
This book isn’t even reading istg. I just watched a video about a new game that was just released, right? RIGHT? OH WAIT IT’S A BOOK? I don’t believe you. 
This was almost perfect. I wanted just a tiny bit more character backstory. There were hints at it. They fed me tiny little scraps. But I was hungry for more. Something to make Carl just a little bit more of a character. He is our narrator yet we know next to nothing about him. It’s a small gripe; we know the big stuff and he’s obviously busy not dying. One scene in a safe room of him thinking through some of his regrets from life would’ve been enough imo. 
This was exceptionally well written. When I remembered that I was in fact not Carl and was a person reading a book, I was so captivated by the craftsmanship of this book. This is not an easy book to write. It is an easy book to READ but it had to have been incredibly hard to write. Getting the comedy right, the tone right, the balance between game mechanics and story beats. It would’ve been so easy to lean too much in one direction and all of a sudden you have a cringey, annoying, unoriginal, D&D book that is horrible. Matt balanced it perfectly and created something unlike anything I’ve ever read before. 
Forget Me Not by Julie Soto

Go to review page

2.5

2.5 ⭐️ 
This was fine. I don’t like second chance romances so I should really stop reading them. This couple in particular, more than most I’ve read, really shouldn’t have gotten back together. Literally nothing changed in the almost 4 years they were apart. No one went to therapy, learned anything from other relationships, nothing. They literally just worked for 4 years and changed their minds. 
Ama so clearly needs therapy. Her breaking her foot made her realize she needed a boyfriend? It’s so dumb. 
Also Elliot proposing after 3 months? Any normal girl would run at that much less a girl you KNOW has commitment issues. Bro what WERE YOU DOING?! 
I hate this couple together. I honestly enjoyed reading about the chaos of the wedding planning way more than the couple. There was some tension in the flashbacks but honestly. Meh. I think Elliot deserves someone who actually wants to commit. Who’s to say that in 2 years after another of her Mom’s divorces that she doesn’t freak and run again? 
Elliot, I’d get out while you still can. 
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Go to review page

5.0

5 ⭐️
This book is weird. But it is so good.
I think everyone who reads it should just go in blind like I did. The surprises were the best part.
I was essentially anxious the whole time but in a good way. My body has that little adrenaline rush I get when I read an amazing book and that is how I know this is a 5 star book.
Rare 5 star sci-fi book. I think it is because, like Project Hail Mary, it focuses more on people and relationships. It is about family and love and self-sacrifice way more than it is about the other topics.
The ending made me tear up, just a little. 🥲
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Go to review page

challenging dark sad tense

5.0

5 ⭐️

This is one of those books that’s hard to explain WHY I like it. The characters were good, the plot was interesting, the concept was gripping but I can’t point to a single moment and go “this is why it is good.”

It reminded me a lot of The Last Of Us. While there are no zombies, it is similar because it is a post-apocalyptic world that focuses on human relationships. What makes us human? Why do we form attachments? HOW do we form attachments? Why are these things important? How do you cope with the end of the world? etc. I think the direness and bleakness of the world really amps up those themes to the highest setting and creates for some interesting explorations.

I also liked it because it was realistic. This is honestly a terrifying story. I just survived a pandemic 5 years ago and I don’t even know what I would’ve done if it would’ve been like this. Probably died. I think that made this book even better. This situation was a little TOO relatable. It makes me want to cry just thinking about it.

I wish I could be a fly on a wall in this world and just observe what it is like. I want to see the sites and explore the world. I want to know what happened to those pilots in the airport who flew away. Did they find their families? Did they all die and crash and burn? I still have so many questions at the end of this book but I’m glad they weren’t answered. In that world, information is a extravagance they don’t have. So it makes sense that I don’t get it either.

I think this is a must read book in the post COVID age. It is bleak and scary but also heartwarming at moments. It has a fantastically unsettling vibe and I can't describe it but it deserves 5 stars, trust me.
The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

Go to review page

slow-paced

4.5

4.5 ⭐️

I may need more time to determine if I actually like these characters and this series now or if I’m being gaslit. Is this sunk cost fallacy? Have I spent too much time and money that I now have to like it? Or is it actually good? I’ll go with the latter.

I honestly loved this. Very little Rand (10/10 Rand usage in this book). He fucks off at the 10% mark and disappears for the most part until the end. He is so boring please kill him.

I like how the separate plots all are interesting and weave together for a great end. Very Sanderlanche. Very good.

I love Nynaeve, Elayne, and Egwene. Still the most interesting characters. Give me magic. Give me matriarchal societies. Give me prodigies who are the best to ever do it. Give me scheming and manipulation. Give me girl friendship. Give me hating man energy. I love them; they are the definition of slay. Fuck it throw Moraine in there too. She’s great.

Lan and Loial are runner ups. They’re great but pretty underused. Lan especially has been pushed aside for the last two books. I need more warder action. Maybe once the girls are strong enough to get warders of their own.

Matt redemption arc!! Sort of. I mean, in my eyes. He was boring and whiney, and now he’s funny and cool. Major hot, hunk energy from him. Himbo in training. I love his power; it is so fun. He has a goofy little saying? I fuck with his energy.

Perrin also gets some sick development. Good for him getting a girl. Never thought he would do it (I don’t trust her at all). I love that he’s a giant that is scared that he is so big he’s going to hurt people. Like dude you can’t be THAT big you’re just a boy. He is gentle and kind hearted and this world is too cruel for him.

Crazy good ending. No spoilers, but like I fucked with that ending. Very fun. Very end of the season but I can’t wait for the next one kind of vibe. They literally do the thing where the list all the things they still need to do. “Stick around folks there’s still lots of evil to slay”

I need Padan Fain to come back. He is my favorite little weasel. 

I actually love this series now and am so glad that I still have *checks* 11 books to go.
Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Go to review page

4.5

4.5 ⭐️

That ending was SOOOO GOOOD!

I love how complex these characters are. Everyone has their reasons and their moral beliefs and really sticks to them, even when I hate them for doing so. I love Darrow and I hate the feeling that this book gives me. He's always stuck in between a rock and hard place and I never know how he's going to get out of it. Every time I'm blown away by a co-conspirator or crazy plan I never saw coming.

I’m not a big sci-fi person tbh and I think my least favorite part of this was the weird sci-fi stuff. Not the books fault it’s just my preference.

I loved the characters and the relationships. They were so interesting and I was on my toes the whole time trying to figure out who could be trusted.

Major Cruel Prince vibes honestly. Much more brutal and complex than that but at its core its about deciding which friends you can trust. Also kind of Well of Ascension vibes? This did a good job of blending the action with the political machinations. I love a good scheming moment and this book is filled with them!

This was fun and heartbreaking and I cried at least twice. I still am waiting for it to give me that 5 or 6 star feeling. With all the set up of the last two books, I have very high expectations for Morning Star.
Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

Go to review page

3.5

3.5 ⭐️
I don’t know why I was so scared to start this. This was honestly much tamer than I was expecting. If you’ve watched R rated movies or seem M rated TV Series then you’ve already seen worse than the graphic content in this book. Still worth checking the trigger warnings if it’s something you’re sensitive to and honestly they’re just funny to read.
This was super unserious. I think that’s the only way a story like this could work. There’s no way you can write a serial killer romance and not have it be kind of goofy. If it took itself too seriously it would’ve sucked.
This was a short, fun, smutty, adventure but I don’t know if I need to hear about all the other Irish brothers getting murderous girlfriends too. I think this is a one and done kind of trope.
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

Go to review page

4.5

4.5 ⭐️

This is such a crazy book but it is honestly so good. The Serpent and The Wings of Night doesn’t fall into the typical pitfalls of most other romantasy I’ve read. It keeps its worldbuilding simple and small. I don’t need 3 continents with wildly different politics that we only get to glimpse at. That makes everything feel shallow and unrealistic. This world is simple, there are Hiaj vampires and there are Rishan vampires and they hate each other. That is all the reader needs to know to get started. Sure there are other clans and humans play a small part in that as well but it keeps it basic. THIS IS NOT A BAD THING. Because we spend a lot of time on character development and fun badass fights, we don’t have time to develop the religion and politics of multiple small competing nations. We focus on the broadstrokes and fill in the details later. 🤌 perfect worldbuilding for this kind of novel 🤌

I also like that Raihn is at least slightly different than Rhys/Xaden/Rowan. Even if his name bareleigh qualifies as a name (I don’t think anyone will get that reference). He is a lot more charismatic and sweet. He gives more romcom vibes than broody MMC. Although he technically does have shadow daddy powers and I hate that. There are other powers out there authors. Also by the end I have mixed feelings BUT that is by design so I still kind of love it.

I really thought this book could only end in one of two ways. But I was WILDLY INCORRECT. The ending completely threw me for a loop but in a good way. It was forshadowed really well (with hindsight) and I think it was way more interesting than what the obvious options were. I am extremely impressed that Carissa Broadbent had the balls to pull this off.

I love vampires. I make no apologies for that.

This was just so fun to read. It was suspenseful, hot, surprising, and well written. What more can you ask for in a romantasy?

also PS is there a reason the Rishan have so much fallen angel symbolism? That had to be intentional.. . but what does that mean? I have some theories brewing