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unravelingchaos's reviews
473 reviews
Tarnished Crown by Robin D. Mahle, Elle Madison
Tarnished Crown pulls you in from the opening line. Rowan is hilarious. There are some moments that I'm reading that I just started laughing out loud because the lines were too funny not to.
Evander. Evander. Evander. Does it say something about me that I'm fond of morally grey characters? Evander is an a**hole. But he's loyal to his people. I just loved him in general. He does things with the right intentions, even though it doesn't seem like it sometimes.
I have a habit of stopping to highlight my favorite quotes from what I'm reading. However, when I was reading Tarnished Crown, I didn't do so as much. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because I was too focused on the story that I didn't want to stop reading.
The cliffhanger makes me want to read the next book immediately! But sadly I have to wait. At least it isn't too long.
I have only read The Lochlann Feuds series from Robin D Mahle and Elle Madison, but after Tarnished Crown, I know I would like the original series, The Lochlann Treaty. Or anything that they write, for that matter. From the two works that I have read from them, I enjoyed every moment of it. There was humor, romance, drama. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. I can't wait until December for the final book in the series, Obsidian Throne.
4.0
My father always said my big mouth would be the death of me someday.
Tarnished Crown pulls you in from the opening line. Rowan is hilarious. There are some moments that I'm reading that I just started laughing out loud because the lines were too funny not to.
Evander. Evander. Evander. Does it say something about me that I'm fond of morally grey characters? Evander is an a**hole. But he's loyal to his people. I just loved him in general. He does things with the right intentions, even though it doesn't seem like it sometimes.
I have a habit of stopping to highlight my favorite quotes from what I'm reading. However, when I was reading Tarnished Crown, I didn't do so as much. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because I was too focused on the story that I didn't want to stop reading.
The cliffhanger makes me want to read the next book immediately! But sadly I have to wait. At least it isn't too long.
I have only read The Lochlann Feuds series from Robin D Mahle and Elle Madison, but after Tarnished Crown, I know I would like the original series, The Lochlann Treaty. Or anything that they write, for that matter. From the two works that I have read from them, I enjoyed every moment of it. There was humor, romance, drama. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. I can't wait until December for the final book in the series, Obsidian Throne.
The Singles Table by Sara Desai
4.0
Going into The Singles Table, I didn't know it was part of the Marriage Game series. You can read The Singles Table as a standalone without any confusion. I haven't read anything from Sara Desai before, but I own The Dating Plan. After reading The Singles Table, The Dating Plan has sparked my interest more. So I'm planning to read that sometime soon.
Just from reading the summary, The Singles Table captured me with all of my favorite buzz words; grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract, and romantic comedy.
I can't picture things in my head. It's a condition called aphantasia. That aside, the whole time I was reading The Singles Table, I was able to imagine it as a rom-com film/tv series. Sometimes you want a rom-com to take you away from your life. Something cheesy and entertaining in the best possible way.
Zara is a walking contradiction. Not only that, but she's a mess and relatable. When someone is happy all of the time without a care in the world, it just seems fake to me, and it irks me. But with Zara, it was just enough that it doesn't cross the line. She may be happy and free-spirited, but she has depth. She isn't naive but rather chooses to see the positive instead of the negative. Jay was so grumpy, and I loved it. Even though they were opposites, they understood one another on some level. The only thing that I didn't like was how Jay was presented in the beginning with how he talked and what he said. But besides that, I enjoyed reading The Singles Table.
The Singles Table has a full-circle moment. It begins and ends with a paintballing scene, which was something I loved. Their meeting was so funny that I couldn't help but laugh the whole time I was reading it. The Singles Table as a whole was entertaining but also heartfelt. I can't wait to read more from Sara Desai.
Just from reading the summary, The Singles Table captured me with all of my favorite buzz words; grumpy x sunshine, opposites attract, and romantic comedy.
I can't picture things in my head. It's a condition called aphantasia. That aside, the whole time I was reading The Singles Table, I was able to imagine it as a rom-com film/tv series. Sometimes you want a rom-com to take you away from your life. Something cheesy and entertaining in the best possible way.
Zara is a walking contradiction. Not only that, but she's a mess and relatable. When someone is happy all of the time without a care in the world, it just seems fake to me, and it irks me. But with Zara, it was just enough that it doesn't cross the line. She may be happy and free-spirited, but she has depth. She isn't naive but rather chooses to see the positive instead of the negative. Jay was so grumpy, and I loved it. Even though they were opposites, they understood one another on some level. The only thing that I didn't like was how Jay was presented in the beginning with how he talked and what he said. But besides that, I enjoyed reading The Singles Table.
The Singles Table has a full-circle moment. It begins and ends with a paintballing scene, which was something I loved. Their meeting was so funny that I couldn't help but laugh the whole time I was reading it. The Singles Table as a whole was entertaining but also heartfelt. I can't wait to read more from Sara Desai.
A Very Grumpy Christmas by Jerica MacMillan
4.0
A Very Grumpy Christmas is the first Christmas-themed story I've read, at least from my memory, and it didn't disappoint. Christmas is weird for me. I love Christmas movies and will watch them year-round. Mainly for the cheesy, heart-warming factor. I believe it applies to books as well. The holiday itself, though, I'm not too fond of for a personal reason.
This ending from the summary had some of my favorite buzzwords. Sarah is the definition of sunshine. She works in a Christmas shop and moonlights as an elf. Shane is grumpy, but he has a reason to be. He was living his life, and suddenly, he became a single parent to his youngest sister. So even though we see Shane and Sarah's relationship, it's also about Sophie's life and grief.
Sophie is the star of the story. I'm uncertain if it will be a thing, but I would love Sophie's book. Shane and Sarah's miscommunication irked me. But I think that has more to do with my mood as I read A Very Grumpy Christmas. Besides that, I enjoyed my overall experience. It was just what I needed to take me away from everything.
A Very Grumpy Christmas is about grief, love, family, and the magic of Christmas. There are some sad moments, but you know it will have a happy ending. It will put you in a holiday mood.
A Very Grumpy Christmas is a standalone, small town, neighbors to lovers romance featuring a grumpy single dad and the sunshiny neighbor who's determined to make his Christmas better. Full of heat and heart with an HEA guaranteed!
This ending from the summary had some of my favorite buzzwords. Sarah is the definition of sunshine. She works in a Christmas shop and moonlights as an elf. Shane is grumpy, but he has a reason to be. He was living his life, and suddenly, he became a single parent to his youngest sister. So even though we see Shane and Sarah's relationship, it's also about Sophie's life and grief.
Sophie is the star of the story. I'm uncertain if it will be a thing, but I would love Sophie's book. Shane and Sarah's miscommunication irked me. But I think that has more to do with my mood as I read A Very Grumpy Christmas. Besides that, I enjoyed my overall experience. It was just what I needed to take me away from everything.
A Very Grumpy Christmas is about grief, love, family, and the magic of Christmas. There are some sad moments, but you know it will have a happy ending. It will put you in a holiday mood.
Crimson Kingdom by Robin D. Mahle, Elle Madison
5.0
Crimson Kingdom is the third book in The Lochlann Feuds series. Rowan finally returns home to Lochlann after being imprisoned in Socair. Her perspective of the world is now different from before because of her experiences away that forced her to grow up. She left a piece of herself behind, along with some memories.
Everyone dreams of being a princess. They want a fairytale and happily ever after. Until they realize that royals are humans, too, nothing is perfect. So there are going to be negatives with positives.
Royals have responsibilities. The kingdom first before themselves. Rowan must marry to prevent a war among the kingdoms. As long as it benefits the kingdom in the long run, love doesn't matter. Rowan must choose between playing it safe or risking everything for a love that can break her.
When I know there is a love triangle, I tend to stay away. The back and forth frustrates me. That is not the case with Crimson Kingdom. Rowan knew who she wanted. It was more to the matter of listening to her heart or her head. She is in a position where her decision doesn't just impact herself but also her kingdom.
Seeing Rowan's family was interesting. All of the characters, main or side, have backstories. They have depth; there is more to them than meets the eye. They aren't flat. I understand that The Lochlann Feuds series is told from Rowan's perceptive, but I wish there were multiple points of view. To see what the other characters were thinking and feeling. I guess that is why I tend to go for multiple points of views stories.
Crimson Kingdom was so captivating that I finished reading in one day. Robin D. Mahle and Elle Madison know how to hook you in from beginning to end. It makes you want to read the series from back to back in one go. Although I couldn't read them that way, I'm glad the wait for Obsidian Throne isn't that long. The Lochlann Feuds series concludes with Obsidian Throne on December 26, 2021.
Everyone dreams of being a princess. They want a fairytale and happily ever after. Until they realize that royals are humans, too, nothing is perfect. So there are going to be negatives with positives.
Royals have responsibilities. The kingdom first before themselves. Rowan must marry to prevent a war among the kingdoms. As long as it benefits the kingdom in the long run, love doesn't matter. Rowan must choose between playing it safe or risking everything for a love that can break her.
When I know there is a love triangle, I tend to stay away. The back and forth frustrates me. That is not the case with Crimson Kingdom. Rowan knew who she wanted. It was more to the matter of listening to her heart or her head. She is in a position where her decision doesn't just impact herself but also her kingdom.
Seeing Rowan's family was interesting. All of the characters, main or side, have backstories. They have depth; there is more to them than meets the eye. They aren't flat. I understand that The Lochlann Feuds series is told from Rowan's perceptive, but I wish there were multiple points of view. To see what the other characters were thinking and feeling. I guess that is why I tend to go for multiple points of views stories.
Crimson Kingdom was so captivating that I finished reading in one day. Robin D. Mahle and Elle Madison know how to hook you in from beginning to end. It makes you want to read the series from back to back in one go. Although I couldn't read them that way, I'm glad the wait for Obsidian Throne isn't that long. The Lochlann Feuds series concludes with Obsidian Throne on December 26, 2021.