winterwoodbooks's reviews
337 reviews

Hiding Darkness by Lara Holthaus

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4.75

✨️ Vienna - Hiding Darkness 2 ✨️

4,75 / ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️ 🎧

Nachdem mich der erste Band vor einiger Weile sehr positiv überrascht hat, konnte ich den Release des 2. Bandes kaum mehr erwarten und oh boy, ich wurde nicht enttäuscht🤭
(Das Wien Setting hat mir umso mehr gefallen, nachdem ich dort war, auch wenn das ein Schmerzhaftes Erlebnis war.)

Der 2. Band lehnt sich noch mehr in den Suspense Anteil, logisch, nach dem Ende des Ersten.
Dachte ich vorher, dass ich Step-Brother Romance mögen würde? Nö, aber hier hat es mich nicht gestört, ich mochte den Banter und den Humor, den es mit sich gebracht hat.

Herausgestochen hat für mich ebenso, dass sich nicht vor der Darstellung dunkler Themen bzw tatsächlichen Auswirkungen gescheut wurde - wenn Charaktere zusammengebrochen sind, sind sie *zusammengebrochen* und Heilung geschieht nicht von heut auf morgen!

Die ganzen Taylor Swift Anspielungen und halbwegs Deep Cuts habe ich aufgesogen - foolish one, yoyok, Lover??🥰

Die 0,25 Sterne gibt es dafür, dass es mehrere Anspielungen auf das TERF Fandom gab, auf die ich nicht vorbereitet war, die ich nicht unterstütze und deren Notwendigkeit ich nicht verstehe. Jedes andere Magische Fandom hatte es ebenso getan.

Grundsätzlich eine Empfehlung, die eine Kombination aus Gossip Girl und How I met your mother als Romance lesen wollen.
Definitiv 18+, nehmt das Adult in New Adult bitte ernst!

✨️
Farbenrauschen by Kyra Groh

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  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Never date your Enemy by Andreas Dutter

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

*quietsch*
Love Story by Lindsey Kelk

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funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I enjoyed this so much, this the swiftie haters to lovers romcom I needed this summer.

It was so meta about ous booklovers and authors, I looooved it.

The jabs against the younger Gen Z sister got a little bit annoying near the end tho.
You Belong with Me by Mhairi McFarlane

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2.0

This was scrambling so hard to write smth that won't be seen as "for Teen girlies", which would be fine, it just doesn't allow you to retract all emotion or depth of character, I was neutral-meh about all of them and just annoyed.
Almost put me in a reading slump :(

Will keep the book bc it looks cool in my TS Shelf, but still wouldn't recommend it
Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot

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emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted relaxing 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

I bought this purely because of the TS Title, didn't even read the blurb, so I was delighted for it to be low urban fantasy and witchy! 

She is a relateable clothing shop owning witch happily single with her cat, but will start to scream the bridge of Enchanted when she sees a hot window guy.

Honestly, this is the perfect small town high stakes urban fantasy romcom that will make you feel like disney channel movies made you feel as a preteen.

This is how you do romcoms, I just grinned through it and enjoyed the little historical facts about witches and interludes of grimmoires as well! 

(The title might be enchanted, but I think Gorgeous also really fits this book)

Recommend for anyone in search for a feel good romcom in late summer or autumn and all the witch lovers out there.
The Wren in the Holly Library by K.A. Linde

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5.0

This was so damn good, definitely the best Fantasy I've read in a while, maybe even the best of the year.

Loved the characters, the actual grey morality, the dynamics, the World and the way the author pulls you into this awesome World.
And the romance is TO DIE FOR, they have matching daddy issues!

It's for everyone really, but especially for those who wished Folk of the Air to be darker, for the SJM girlies who grew up on Shadowhunters and every Romantasy Lover out there, really.