unabridgedchick's reviews
1394 reviews

Goddess of Filth by V. Castro

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Minor: Child death

Secretly Yours by Tessa Bailey
Did not finish book. Stopped at 15%.

Such sloppy, lazy characterization and, honestly, so cringe - a decades-long crush on the senior when you were a freshman? To the point of not dating anyone else? This wasn't a romance of adults; it felt like a tween romance.

The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe
Did not finish book. Stopped at 75%.

UGH, what a wreck of a plot:

Romantic lead is a jerk, remains a jerk, heroine fine with it.

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.0

The Age of Phillis by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Incredible volume of poetry, fifteen years in the making! with gargantuan amounts of original research into Wheatley's life. Absolutely a top ten read for 2023

A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

Bachelor Beast by Grace Goodwin

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

1.0

Super bland for an alien sex novel: zero character development, writing style is so basic.

Babel by R.F. Kuang

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

emotional lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Husband Material by Alexis Hall

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-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

3.5

I didn't like 4 Weddings and a Funeral so this format miffed me AND I found the ending sad. I think it was supposed to be liberating but the whole book felt so sad, not romantic. Maybe I'll like it better on reread (I reread Boyfriend Material yesterday and liked it far more than I did the first time around!).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia