triple_m's reviews
256 reviews

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

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3.75

Overall I enjoyed this book but there was something keeping me from being fully invested in the characters, and that something was THE DAMN DNA TEST taken in the beginning of the book.

My logic:
  • Emma’s mom is from Minnesota
  • + Emma’s dad was married
  • + Justin’s dad is dead and we don’t know much about who he was as a person
  • + @sarahsbookstacks gave this a 1⭐️ review and said “are we sure Colleen Hoover didn’t write this?”
  • = incest?????? 

I could not shake the fear that the two leads were siblings or at the very least distant cousins. I’ve read Abby Jimenez before and knew this was unlikely, but the possibly was always in the back of my mind, making me unable to fully engage with the characters. I’m very pleased to spoil that they are not related

Aside from the maybe incest of it all, I just thought the book focused on Amber a little too much and going through the process of her meltdown made the book too long. I liked the reason for the third-act break up, I thought it actually made sense, but I don’t like that we’re supposed to believe Emma is just all better after 6 months. 

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Bride by Ali Hazelwood

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Cute, fun, and a quick read! It’s cheesy and at times silly and a really enjoyable way. I thought Misery (lol) and Lowe’s relationship was really nice and I could see that they really respected and cared for one another. I loved the little snippets we got from Lowe in the beginning of every chapter.

I didn’t really understand the reason for Lowe’s internal conflict and wanting to hide the truth from Misery. It definitely felt a bit shoe-horned in just to cause the expected third act break up. I’d still highly recommend though.

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The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

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

3.0

The beginning of this book definitely grossed me out, with how often Solene thought of Hayes as a “little boy.” The age gap is pretty extreme and I don’t really think the gender roles being reversed makes it any less inappropriate. 

This book was way too slow. While Solene did have valid concerns, all she did was wallow in them and ultimately never made a damn decision about anything. So much of this book was spent inside her head battling the same issues over and over and over again. 

I never really felt like they fell in love, nothing seemed that special about their connection besides great sex.

And then, the ending…
what’s the point of reading a romance where the characters end up utterly heartbroken and alone? And the complete lack of epilogue was crazy.


I think with some edits this could’ve been a compelling literary fiction novel. Robinne Lee has talent as a writer, but this book is not romantic.

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The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

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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? It's complicated

4.25

I love the idea of this book and I think the author incorporated sex work very respectfully. The relationship between the two main characters developed in a really natural way and they were cute together. 

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Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis

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informative medium-paced

4.0

I think this book has really great information, but overall could have been organized better. I didn’t think that each speech added the central themes. Also, because of the nature of speeches, most of the topics just scratched the surface of the issue.
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams

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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? It's complicated

4.5

This book is so deeply romantic! The connection the two main characters have is so intense and I really loved the supernatural spin this book has, it makes it really unique. And of course I loved learning about Harlem’s history!

I think Tia Williams does an excellent job at creating interesting and authentic side characters. They feel like real people rather than props just to further the main plot, but aren’t distracting to the overall love story.

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Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

The actual drawings included in this book made it go from good to great. Definitely an engaging read and I didn’t predict the ending. 

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The Monstrous Duke and I by Dee St. Holm

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slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

This book isn’t terrible but it’s so boring. I found the character’s logic to not make any sense. The logistics behind his flames were confused. They were cold flames, except for when he burned through paper and clothes, and when Pen was around him she only felt warmth. Huh? 

The instalove was extreme. Really low spice for a monster romance. Also, I just pictured a man with blue surrounding him. I want my monsters to be unique and horrific. 

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Noragami: Stray God by Adachitoka

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adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.25

Review for the entire series.

I really enjoyed this manga and I think the relationships between Yato, Hiyori, and Yukons were so beautiful. This story has a lot of heart. All of the characters felt very real and complex.

I did feel during the final battle with the sorcerer, there was a lot of leveling up in the battle. “Just when you think the fight couldn’t get any tougher…!!!” Needless to say it’s long and unfortunately there’s not a lot of space for Hiyori during that arc.

Loved the story, loved the ending. 

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A Soul to Steal by Opal Reyne

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adventurous medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I really loved this couple! Honestly I thought their time in void-dad’s stomach was interesting, but the real story begins when they return to not Australia. I personally loved the
forgotten memories
trope because I think it made a lot of sense and fit well. I think they’re relationship is even stronger than it was before the
memory loss
. Aleron is so sweet and patient.

This is definitely a more couple-focused compared to the previous installments, which add a lot more building. I was hoping to found out the status of the demon king. 

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