vinreads's reviews
81 reviews

Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday

dark emotional funny hopeful relaxing sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This book has been heavily criticized as not being a romance. I think we need to stop putting a cap on what's romance and what's not as long as, and strictly as long as said romance with a capital R ends in a happily ever after or happy for now. This book did, and so irregardless of the heavier themes of loss, death, anxiety and panic disorders, and eating disorders, this book was still a romance. And I think we need more realistic, heavy romances that include dark topics. Not every book is a picture perfect fairy tale, and that's okay! Not only that, but not every book needs to be detailed with kisses and spice. Some books don't need to focus on that in order to show that two characters are falling for each other. That being said, my only hangup about this book is that she called the MMC by his first and last name in her POV monologues for the entire. Damn. Book. That was honestly infuriating to me, but as long as you can just... not pay attention to that, it's really a great romance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol

Fortune's Kiss by Amber Clement

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The synopsis for this is super underwhelming. The book is leagues better than you're lead to believe based on the synopsis. I thought hm, two young girls gambling and it's dangerous? Sounds cool, and then people started dying and I was like damn, this is great! There were twists, turns, and even though I sort of pieced together what happened near the end, with the big twist, I liked that the book naturally led me to that conclusion and that it didn't come out of left field. It made sense, and that made me love the book even more. There were of course sad moments, but some got rectified and of course I cried over it like a baby. I really didn't expect to like this book as much as I found I did by the time I was done with it. Shout-out to myself for picking up a random book at the library because this was phenomenal. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris, David Javerbaum

adventurous funny informative reflective fast-paced

3.25

This was as funny as it was enlightening; I've never read an autobiography in the first person in the format of a choose your own adventure book. It's definitely been ages since I've read one and it took me back to my simpler childhood times, but in the form of Neil Patrick Harris's life! There were obviously a lot of fabricated moments, however, and I feel that it took away from the meaning of an autobiography just a bit. I understand he's a funny guy, but it's hard for me to connect bits and pieces of his life together when some of it is obviously made up bits for the story. I spent some time going through this book and the options given, but I don't think I even really got to read everything there was. There were a few times I got to a "The End" point and wasn't sure which page I had left on so I could go back and choose something different. If it had been less clunky to read I probably would've rated it higher. 

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren
Did not finish book. Stopped at 11%.

I was perturbed when Elliot asked a family member for information on where Macey worked, come to find out via reviews that he's assaulted at some point in the past plot of the book and it's not only never addressed but swept under the rug??? Also huge lack of communication that could've been apparently solved had they just spoken 11 years prior, and they continued to refuse to speak to each other about it making excuse after excuse how they'd just talk later about it. Yikes. Glad I dodged a bullet with this one. 

The Witch who Trades with Death by C.M. Alongi

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

I am so glad I didn't give up on this book. Given the trigger warnings, I almost set it down right then and there, and again when I almost threw up reading some of said triggers after deciding they weren't that bad. But once I got past the initial first few chapters, I found myself enjoying the book more and more. The cast of diverse characters all held importance to the book and were loveable underdogs, each and every one of them. And despite the heavy triggers and topics, Alongi handled them incredibly respectfully, and I appreciated mention of charities involving victims of assault. It really made it feel like the author cared about the readers and victims alike, and I think made it a bit easier to stomach the heavy contents of the book. I cried multiple times for this sweet little found family, and I'm so happy to have gotten an ARC of this book. It may take some time for me to get around to rereading it, but I can safely say I'll be back for more with this one, and I'd be more than happy to read any other books Alongi puts out in the future. She's got a fan for life for sure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: how to heal from distant, rejecting, or self-Involved-parents by Lindsay C. Gibson

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

This book was a tough read. I needed it though. I became interested after seeing a reel on Instagram recommending the book to anyone who could relate with the content of the video, of which I could relate to all of it. I never considered before that my parents could be emotionally immature, but not only did I find it to be true, I realized other people in my life were emotionally immature too. It was really eye opening and refreshing to learn things not only about myself but about the people closest to me too. I would absolutely recommend this book for anyone who is sending an upset between themselves and anyone in their life who may exhibit signs of emotional immaturity, such as being unable to connect emotionally with their children, prioritizing one child's needs above another, belittling a child who seems to be "self sufficient" and "mature", and making themselves unavailable to talk about emotions or making everything about them and leaving no room for anyone else to talk about their feelings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Abandonment

The Prince and the Player by Nora Phoenix

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-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? Yes

3.5

This was a nice, short, sweet and spicy book. I enjoyed that the soccer element was actually present in the book; I've read some sports books where the sport is more of an after thought, but this book made it clear that soccer was important to the plot and then showcased that with its multiple scenes of practice and soccer games, so I really appreciated that. I think my only hangups about the book are the fact that their bicuriosity was very.. lackluster, and their coming out to their team scene came too easily. It's not that I think women shouldn't be allowed to write MM books, but oftentimes a lot of things don't get written as well because a woman will never be able to understand what it's like for two men to explore liking men together, and what it's like for them to come out. As a bisexual man myself, I think it's important to celebrate ownvoices as much as possible, and when writing something as a non ownvoices author, to do the best research possible for a book. Its important to have sensitivity readers for things you don't have experience with and to make sure you're painting as accurate picture as possible with minority groups. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

Fable for the End of the World challenges the thought, what if there was more to life? But unlike the fairy tales where the protagonist gets the love interest, this book doesn't go as prettily. Instead, you're met with the bleak outlook that no matter how much you may want to live a different life, sometimes that's just not in the cards. It makes you think of the oppression minorities face daily, the things they go through in the face of an oppressive government who seeks to control the minds of those who are less fortunate and boost up the lives of those who can afford to rise above the rest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver
Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.

I could not handle the weird paragraph/dialogue breaks in the middle of a scene using the little symbols. To me, those should be used to signal the end of a scene, not plopped in between one character talking and another talking. What's weird was there were some well placed ones, but they were mainly badly placed and it got in the way of my ability to read any of this coherently. 

Letters to Half Moon Street by Sarah Wallace

emotional funny informative reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

I have unfortunately discovered regency romances are not really for me.