i can't not give this book five stars because it was SO good but i'm surprised that this ending was so weak? it felt like it needs 100 more pages, andi can't not give this book five stars because it was SO good but i'm surprised that this ending was so weak? it felt like it needs 100 more pages, and everything wrapped up so... as expected. it's very unlike victoria, so i finished it a little confused. i was expecting to be a sobbing mess because this series has been top of mind for me for the past few months as i read them all back to back, but it ended in a place where it's almost like i should expect a fifth book.
i guess that just means i need to dive into the novellas and see what i missed!...more
i really don't have anything negative to say about this which means fuck it, five stars.
i haven't DEVOURED a series this hard since i reread acotar li really don't have anything negative to say about this which means fuck it, five stars.
i haven't DEVOURED a series this hard since i reread acotar last year. these books have really done me in. i love the world. i love mare (even though that's a controversial statement - but as someone who has i-love-meanies syndrome, i'm rooting for her. and she reminds me of nesta). i love knowing that there's still two books full of conflict and drama and nothing is what it seems on the surface. i love the cliffhangers and betrayals.
this is some literature my dude. i immediately dove into book three and put holds for the rest of the books at my library. i'm gonna be sad when it's all over...more
the characters in this shined much brighter than the plot bc i ended this book like wait what even is a venin again? and why do we hate them? and why the characters in this shined much brighter than the plot bc i ended this book like wait what even is a venin again? and why do we hate them? and why are they bad? what is the goal of this series again? what are they even trying to accomplish? why is it taking so long?
i really can't bring myself to give this a more thorough review other than saying it was still pretty cringe and i wish the publishing date had been moved back so they could edit this more...more
IF JULIE SOTO HAS ONE FAN, IT IS ME. IF JULIE SOTO HAS NO FANS, I AM DEAD
i went into this book with zero expectations and literally on page 10 i told IF JULIE SOTO HAS ONE FAN, IT IS ME. IF JULIE SOTO HAS NO FANS, I AM DEAD
i went into this book with zero expectations and literally on page 10 i told my best friend on facetime "this is five stars, mark my words." is this kylo ren fanfiction???? if it is, consider me changed because WOW.
any book blurbed by sierra simone officially has my stamp of approval, because tell me why this is one the best romance books i've ever read??? SO fast paced and a then-and-now perspective jump that suspended the angst absolutely perfectly. perfect sprinklings of smut throughout. characters who are so believable and easy to root for. (my ONE critique is that this book is just so fast that you don't get to dive **too** deep into the characters, so if that's your thing, it may not hit as hard as you're hoping. but i'm a slut for any book that can wrap it up in 330 pages)
this book had me laughing out loud and kicking my feet and giggling. there wasn't a single page of it i didn't enjoy, and that is SO rare for me nowadays. this book was an absolute treat and i am a self-declared simp for any man with flower tattoos.
i didn't even care that the villain in this book is also named whitney. tbh i'd let ama put me out of business too
(view spoiler)[i also REALLY appreciated how the ending of this book didn't "fix" ama by making her finally accepting of being married, but showed that you don't HAVE to get married to be in a forever, serious relationship. the ending is just so tangled-coded, i couldn't not help but finish the book and go OH MY GODDDD. honestly. so good. (hide spoiler)]...more
this book changed the composition of my DNA. i went into this completely blindly and ended up sobbing my way through it even though it's so short. as this book changed the composition of my DNA. i went into this completely blindly and ended up sobbing my way through it even though it's so short. as someone who had to move out of my childhood home and holds fond memories and yearns to go back, this book struck home. the art style was so gorgeous and familiar, and i savored every single page of this even when it made my heart ache. SUCH a good story to share with kids who experience moving, and definitely a bit cathartic for me as an adult as well. i'm so tempted to get my own copy of this after reading it from the library so i can have a piece of it with me to remind me that home isn't just a geographic coordinate, it's who i'm there with and how i curate my space.
long story short i'll be telling my therapist about this...more
this book was my first foray into phoebe's work and holy shit!! i can't believe she isn't more popular. i requested my library purchase this book and this book was my first foray into phoebe's work and holy shit!! i can't believe she isn't more popular. i requested my library purchase this book and was so pleased when it showed up in my holds because i saw it as a recommendation for a fat main character in a fantasy world. boy was i not let down!!
phoebe is a precious little witch living amongst fairies and mice and friends, and each of these four little stories focuses on a new season. i read all of them back to back and was weeping a bit at how they all folded together, and how dreamy and precious each storyline was paired with the cozy art style.
i can absolutely see myself rereading this every season and it made me wish there was a little kid to share it with. so absolutely precious....more
sorry but where is the pulitzer prize for this book?????
book one in this series was really good but this book took it to a whole nother level and thissorry but where is the pulitzer prize for this book?????
book one in this series was really good but this book took it to a whole nother level and this book was REAAALLY GOOD!!!
from the set up (that made me cry) to the wedding to the characters to the dialogue to the small town/orchard setting, i loved every single bit of this book. every single bit of it. every crumb, every morsel. this book had the perfect pacing, perfect characters, perfect believable drama and growth. i seriously have zero complaints other than i wish i've read more of rebekah's other books because there were so many side characters mentioned from books of hers i haven't gotten to yet. but that just means i have more amazing books in store!
okay yes it's 1:30 AM and i just spent the entire night reading this because i couldn't put it down but rebekah weatherspoon continues to never disappokay yes it's 1:30 AM and i just spent the entire night reading this because i couldn't put it down but rebekah weatherspoon continues to never disappoint!!!
this book was laugh out loud funny, i adored the main character and her friendships. but also rafe is such a sweet guy who was so gentle but fun and my only complaint about this book is i wish it was longer because i adored the couple!!! definitely looking forward to continuing this series :) ...more
i knew from the first few chapters of this book that i would really love it, and although it didn't end up topping the charts for me, i had such a funi knew from the first few chapters of this book that i would really love it, and although it didn't end up topping the charts for me, i had such a fun time reading this book! the main character and i have a LOT of similarities and so i was eating this up and laughing out loud, i felt so seen. i love a book that wraps it up in 300 pages but this felt a bit fast and therefore somewhat surface level, and for a book set at summer camp, i didn't get a whole lot of those scenes relaxing at the lake or doing crafts and whatnot. but this book was just SO enjoyable, i devoured it. hee-haw!!!!...more
listen, i'm not going to say i don't trust saniya's book recommendations, but as someone who's been pretty skeptical of how corny the romance genre halisten, i'm not going to say i don't trust saniya's book recommendations, but as someone who's been pretty skeptical of how corny the romance genre has become lately, i definitely balked when my bestie said i should give lily gold a try. also, pretty silly goose behavior of me to pick THIS one, because i really don't like or want children, nor do i enjoy books about parents because babies stress me out.
but this??? unexpected LOVE.
the writing was SO fun without being cringy, and the story just flew by. every character had such a nicely built backstory that was never trite or longwinded, and it made it all the more interesting to discover the ways they all complete each other. i was enjoying this book so hard that i didn't even hate the things i usually hate in books, like the miscommunication trope and, again, children.
it looks like lily has several more books in this format of why choose/reverse harem, and although i love it, part of me was weirded out that all three of the guys are just bro besties and are content to live together platonically for the rest of their lives while all smashing the same woman. is that not a little fruity??? could yall not step back and think about your straightness for a moment??
but regardless i was shocked at how fast i flew through this (450 pages in like two sittings!!) and it made me so eager to read the rest of this author's books. i definitely got my money's worth on kindle unlimited this month.
Merged review:
listen, i'm not going to say i don't trust saniya's book recommendations, but as someone who's been pretty skeptical of how corny the romance genre has become lately, i definitely balked when my bestie said i should give lily gold a try. also, pretty silly goose behavior of me to pick THIS one, because i really don't like or want children, nor do i enjoy books about parents because babies stress me out.
but this??? unexpected LOVE.
the writing was SO fun without being cringy, and the story just flew by. every character had such a nicely built backstory that was never trite or longwinded, and it made it all the more interesting to discover the ways they all complete each other. i was enjoying this book so hard that i didn't even hate the things i usually hate in books, like the miscommunication trope and, again, children.
it looks like lily has several more books in this format of why choose/reverse harem, and although i love it, part of me was weirded out that all three of the guys are just bro besties and are content to live together platonically for the rest of their lives while all smashing the same woman. is that not a little fruity??? could yall not step back and think about your straightness for a moment??
but regardless i was shocked at how fast i flew through this (450 pages in like two sittings!!) and it made me so eager to read the rest of this author's books. i definitely got my money's worth on kindle unlimited this month....more
this is going into first place for the horniest book i've read this year and honestly, it'll be hard to knock it. kathryn has really fKATHRYN????!!!!!
this is going into first place for the horniest book i've read this year and honestly, it'll be hard to knock it. kathryn has really found her place in the monster smut genre and her plots are so simple but so well thought-out. there's no grossness in any of the size difference/human vs creature nature of it, and the control the main character has over her sexuality and desires is so empowering. in addition, she was plus sized and believable and actually had a personality beyond wanting to be fucked. Bonus, the plot outside of the sex work was interesting as well and honestly i wouldn't have minded for this book to be longer with more plot surrounding the smut--which is something i NEVER say haha.
i'm a biased reviewer because i will never not pick up another kathryn moon book but this one was so, so good and somehow didn't feel gratuitous despite the sheer volume of sex. as soon as a preorder link hits for the sequel, i'll be first in line....more
i put off reading this book because i wasn't ready for this series to be over and i knew it would be a book that i loved. and i do stay convinced thati put off reading this book because i wasn't ready for this series to be over and i knew it would be a book that i loved. and i do stay convinced that this series is SO under rated and tessa dare nailed a book that kept me hooked and made me feel transported to an earlier time. i dont even care for murder mysteries and this series' twists and turns kept me guessing.
i especially liked the character dynamics in this one, mainly the born rich vs rags to riches opposites attracting, and also how lily is deaf and how julian navigates that. their conversations and relationship just felt so believable. the tone of this was never too sad or too sappy, i think because the characters are both smart and quick to stand up for themselves.
the reason i took off a chunk from this rating is a big spoiler for the mystery that spans the entire series, but (view spoiler)[i hate that the death they've been trying to solve in this series comes down to a gay man being murdered by homophobes. even if it's accurate for that time period, i feel like we are so beyond using hate crimes as plot twists and juicy reveals. it especially sucked to read during pride month. it ended up wrapping up in a way that was sweet and accepting, but i felt a bit wronged by it to be frank. (hide spoiler)]
needless to say despite this series' few (few!!!) faults, i absolutely devoured and marked these up and cannot wait to reread them someday. i've read some of tessa's other books but none of them gripped me as hard as these have. maybe that just means it's time to read some more of hers, which i'm not complaining about one bit. her writing is SO beautiful and i absolutely flew through these. highly recommend!!...more
probably one of my new favorites in the series! i love that this installment flips your expectations upside down and was also an unexpected but very wprobably one of my new favorites in the series! i love that this installment flips your expectations upside down and was also an unexpected but very welcome prequel to the next installment. i read it a few weeks ago so i don't remember specifics but i remember absolutely devouring this in only a few sittings even though it's 500+ pages long, and for someone who doesn't love mysteries or thrillers, it kept me hooked. but i don't know why i would have expected any less because kathryn moon can do no wrong....more
i listened to this in a day and totally understand why it went super viral around the release. jennette narrates the audiobook and i could not put it i listened to this in a day and totally understand why it went super viral around the release. jennette narrates the audiobook and i could not put it down, even when it got super hard to read and you really get to know what was happening behind the scenes of the roles she's known for. i wish we'd gotten to know more of what she plans to do in the future and how her recovery is going, but honestly that might just be something she's continuing to figure out. highly recommend if you're on the fence about this!...more
what a story to live in. i'm so happy i read this!!
casey once again proves their competency at writing found family stories. every single character inwhat a story to live in. i'm so happy i read this!!
casey once again proves their competency at writing found family stories. every single character in this jumps off the page and all of their conversations feel SO real. i'm not one for a mystery element in books, i'm just here for kissin', but this was a surprising page turner that had me invested in more than just the relationship.
i love that this book reads like a love letter to the lgbtqia+ community from the 20th century that helped pave the way to legalize and normalize queerness. and the backdrop of new york made me feel dying to go back. all the emotion in this was so vivid and yet so relatable with august steering the story. literally every element fell into place and i couldn't love it more.
if you've been putting this book off like i did because you thought you couldn't love anything more than casey's debut, stop it!!!! it's so, so worth it....more
well holy shit. this book is an interesting one to start the year off on but it was on kindle unlimited and high up on my tbr, so i gave it a4.5 stars
well holy shit. this book is an interesting one to start the year off on but it was on kindle unlimited and high up on my tbr, so i gave it a go. and shockingly it's pretty easy to fly through writing-style wise, although the content is obviously very heavy. for me this book felt like more of an emotional journey than a plot one, and despite that it wasn't boring at all. i was both infuriated but also enjoyed watching the main character's perceptions of her situation form and then change over time. the reason i subtracted a bit off the rating is because it felt a bit disconnected at the end, almost like it lacked the ephiphany this book is building toward. still, i was pleased by the (view spoiler)[uplifting (hide spoiler)] ending.
major content warnings for child abuse, grooming, and sexual assault if you plan to tackle this, but i think it's worth it if you can stomach it. although some scenes in this book feel gratuitous it all adds up to make you realize just how controlled she was by her abuser, which makes her breaking free that much more powerful. ...more
this book was.... well, lovely! i enjoyed that even though it's a war story, you are given the foreshadowing that it contains aphrodite's fav4.5 stars
this book was.... well, lovely! i enjoyed that even though it's a war story, you are given the foreshadowing that it contains aphrodite's favorite couples, so it's nice to get to assume that there will be happy endings despite the graphicness of war. the gods narrating the book was a cool narration style, even though it took some googling on my end to understand why certain gods stepped in.
i haven't read a book in a while where the characters are so instantly likable. the cast of humans in this were so charming and realistic and funny, you couldn't not love them. i think this book's greatest success is that i was SO invested in what would happen, basically reading this book in three sittings as i was hoping and wishing things would turn out okay because i was rooting for them so hard. and i was not disappointed!
one thing that was shocking that not a lot of reviewers i saw on here discuss is the ramifications of centering one perspective of this book around a Black character. there's a whole history to unpack with how Black men in america were treated differently during the war due to prejudice and racism, but this book included every slur in the book, and quite frequently. although i think it painted a well-researched picture of what it must have been like for those men at the time, i was very very aware while reading this that a white author was writing explicit hate speech and violence as an integral and inescapable part of the plot, and then trying to describe what it must have felt like from the perspective of being Black. it felt like an overstep at times, and i would definitely place a substantial trigger warning on this for any people of color, specifically Black readers, interested in picking it up. however, any racism the white characters overheard was challenged on-page, so i think it attempted to handle the subject respectfully.
regardless of that issue i had with it and that it was slow to start, i finished this book at 4 AM weeping with my cats because i was so touched. i can definitely see why this is some people's favorite, and if you love the angst of a good wartime love story or two, i would recommend this for sure despite its faults. ...more
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