yeriwithaj_'s reviews
1787 reviews

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

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challenging reflective medium-paced

4.0

This book was recommended as a good place to start if you were coming from a place of complete ignorance and lack of understanding when it comes to Palestine, BLM, and other issues and movements, and it was a very good place to start. 

My understanding and knowledge of Palestine were lacking, not because I didn't know of the situation happening there but because I hadn't done a deep dive into it as I had with other topics (like the colonization, ethnic cleansing, and erasure of Puerto Rican and Hawai'ian people and culture).

This collection of essays, interviews, and speeches was organized in a way that gives the reader an easy way to digest and gain knowledge, I would also say they are compiled in a way that helps them gain the desire to research more information on the topics.
Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark

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

3.0

A lot more tamer than what I was anticipating but enjoyable. 

Not very memorable though, can’t really remember what the story is about other than I was expecting a lot more darkness than what I found.

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Tangled by Emma Chase

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 5%.
First DNF of the year. 

Couldn’t even get past chapter 1.

MMC was insufferable. I don’t even meet the FMC.

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Savage Devil by Daniela Romero

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

2.0

Ugh!

The ending ruined the entire book for me and that is all I am going to say about that. 


No it’s not, wtf kind of third-act-breakup-quickie-fix-rushed-ending crap was that? All that DRAMA and then anticlimactic BS.

I’m frustrated.

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Prickly Romance by Nia Arthurs

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted 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

3.75

I wanted to love it, I’ll settle for liking it, though.

The OW trope in this one stopped me from fully enjoying Sazuki and Dejonae’s love story… these character felt too strong to let an ex come between them and they did and I didn’t like it.

All that aside this was still a really enjoyable read.

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A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a really different read for me, even with my experience with book in the monster romance genre. 

I enjoyed it and that’s all I have for you.

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Please Don't Go, Girl by Naima Simone

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.25

This was a really quick read, only 9 chapters but, it had a lot of story.

This is my second book by Naima Simone and I can't believe I haven't read her work before. 

Please Don't Go, Girl is such a sweet, heartstrings puller, steamy and spicy with such delicious sexual tension, and enough comedic relief that it felt like a full-length novel. And yet, I still wish it had been longer because I wasn't ready to be done with Lina or Kade. 

This book was book 3 in Naima's Love on the Radio series and I have to say it read like a standalone. 

I loved the instant chemistry between Lina and Kade. The way the author showed it to me the reader.  And though at first, I wasn't convinced because these two made-for-each-other idiots hadn't said much to each other, the tension and vibes were there quickly. 

I wish we had delved a little bit more into the characters as individuals, more so Lina than Kade, because while the ending was wonderful it also felt unfinished for me. After all, there is still so much of Lina that is left unanswered for me. We saw where Kade comes from, what his past was, and what the conflict's beginning was. However, with Lina I don't feel like we got to the core of who she was we stayed barely below the surface and for that, this book is a 4.25 read. It was a great read but it could have given me more, I feel like I became invested in a character that I didn't get to know wholly. 

I hope an extended epilogue is given because I want more of these two. 

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Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Was this the best fantasy romance book with dragons ever? no. Did I still gobble this up like a starved human? yes.

Let me start by saying that I would have finished this story in one sitting but, I got cold feet at the last 100 or so pages and said no. So, it took me about 2 weeks to decide whether or not I was gonna finish this book. And that wasn't because I wasn't enjoying the book. 

Now to the actual review of this book and story... I liked it, loved a lot of parts, and also found a lot of parts overdrawn and boring, but not enough to not have me inhaling almost 500 pages in a day. 

I honestly don't even know what I am trying to say. Did I like the book? Yes. Am I gonna read the next book? Also, yes. I already preordered it. I do think the genre is a little mixed, it's not YA but reads like it for the first 100 or 200 pages and then there's sex introduced which ups the genre to new adult. 

I do think the author needs to do better in describing her characters' physical appearances, specifically her black and brown characters. Ma'am, if you can describe the deadly peep-peep thing-- that no one is gonna know how to pronounce unless they listen to the audiobook-- with that much detail, and you can describe these mythical creatures (dragons, gryphons, venin) with the number of details that you included, you can and should be more explicit and intentional with the black and brown bodies, that represent real human beings that exist in your everyday world, in this book. Do better, because you can do better. 
Yours, for Now by Leonor Soliz

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

I love a book with a plus-size woman who doesn't hate herself because she's fat.

Lina and Gabe were so damn sweet and perfect for each other.

The book is cozy, loving, sweet, heartwarming, and just what I needed. The spice was mid but it fit the story and the mood. There's nothing about this book I can complain about.

You have two people that both know what they want in life but, they have a one-track mind and the pressure of what it means to be the children of immigrant parents who moved from their homeland to better their lives and worked hard for it. You also have heavy latine misogyny and sexism (by Lina's uncle towards her), something that is known to be in the latine community but we do not talk about it, we live with it. 
I also really enjoyed how Gabe loved Lina and her existence as a bisexual queer human wasn't negated because she now was in a "fake" relationship with a cishet man.

The author really did her characters justice with her writing of them. There is so much to appreciate, value, and love in this story. I read it in one sitting.

I loved this book. 

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Click by Briana Michaels

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adventurous funny fast-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

4.5

I am loving these stories

This is a really good 4.5 star read.

I enjoyed the characters, they were perfect for each other. I loved, LOVED Carson.

I think Glitch is still my favorite but Carson is a very close second. I loved the way the author wrote him. His flaws, his caring nature. He was perfect.