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amateur_bookworm's reviews
587 reviews
The Runaways by Devney Perry
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 used one of my Audible credits on The Highways by Devney Perry because it’s like getting five books for one credit. She was also on my author TBR list.
I really enjoyed each of the books here. It is really bittersweet to hear the backstory of how these six characters came together as runaways as teens but it was also really gratifying to see each one’s redemption arc and finding (or returning to) their true love.
The narrators are overall really great. I definitely enjoyed some more than others, but the performances were all overall well done
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Iron Flame (Part 1 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I’ve already read this before but I wanted to listen to the audiobook before Onyx Storm is released. I love the Graphic Audio version with the full cast. I do think the sound effects were a bit much at times, particularly the spicy scenes. But I enjoy how this version really makes the story come alive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and War
Moderate: Sexual content
Iron Flame (2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation] by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I’ve already read this before but I wanted to listen to the audiobook before Onyx Storm is released. I love the Graphic Audio version with the full cast. I do think the sound effects were a bit much at times, particularly the spicy scenes. But I enjoy how this version really makes the story come alive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
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? No
5.0
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros is the third book of her Empyrean series. The series is expected to be five books in total and there is no announced release date for the next book at this time (but rumors are 2027!!).
I absolutely love this book and it completely blew me away. There is SO MUCH packed into this one that I was pulled into it right off the bat. I really took my time reading. I felt like I was going back and rereading almost every passage to try to understand every little detail. I was a bit disappointed with Iron Flame so I wasn’t too sure what to expect—but Onyx Storm far exceeded any expectation I had for it.
I love that each book so far in this series widens the world building but it all makes sense. Rebecca Yarros has fed the details to us just enough at a time that I mostly understand it all (except for Lewellen. Who/what/where is Lewellen??!? Please, we need answers here.)
It’s really hard for me to not *immediately* go back and reread this one. I want to start again and really try to wrap my head around everything that has happened. It might just take me until the next book’s release of the series to try to understand it all!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
Fall Into You by J.T. Geissinger
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Fall Into You by J. T. Geissinger is the second book of her Morally Gray duet. When it first started, I had to go back and see if I was even on the right book because nothing was the same as book one. But I quickly figured out that the story just switched brothers.
I liked it through most of it. The one night stand was hot. Then the awkwardness of landing a new job and finding out your boss is the one night stand. I was enjoying Shay and Cole falling for each other.
But then the twist hit. Everything felt off and rushed after that point. I’m honestly kind of annoyed and I feel like I wasted an Audible credit. Oh well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Car accident
Liars Like Us by J.T. Geissinger
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I saw a recommendation for the audiobook of Liars Like Us by J. T. Geissinger and went for it after loving her book Pen Pal. Liars Like Us is the first book of the Morally Gray duet. I really didn’t know what to expect yet it all was still somehow unexpected.
This is a darkly humorous, morally gray, billionaire romance featuring a marriage of convenience with spicy scenes. It has multiple narrators and I loved that they each do their own part (I hate when male narrators do a female voice and vice versa). I really enjoyed it and I’m so intrigued by where this plot is going to go in the second book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Sexual content, and Gaslighting
Minor: Death of parent
Protect by Paisley Hope
medium-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? No
4.0
Protect by Paisley Hope is the second book of the Sky Ridge Hotshots series. Each of the three books of the series are written by a different author. I love a good second chance romance and this one delivers.
I really enjoyed the flashbacks to when Rowan and Violette were 18. It’s always nice to see a redeeming love story for the one that got away. I was skeptical of the single mom trope here, but I thought it was so sweet to see Rowan’s relationship with Hollie develop. Even though the writing is in the wall here since she’s a burn unit nurse and he’s a hotshot, it was still tough to know was coming. Overall, I really liked this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Honor by Danielle Baker
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-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? No
5.0
Honor by Danielle Baker is the third and last book of the Sky Ridge Hotshots series. Each of the three books of the series are written by a different author, which is really fun. And this book is, without a doubt, my favorite of the series.
The way I *felt* the connection between Xander and Teddy is unreal. And the way he called her Mama?!? Whew. It might just be my favorite term of endearment that I’ve read yet. Like, seriously? How in the world did Danielle Baker make that so hot??!? I feel like Xander was giving *me* butterflies at the same time as Teddy.
This is a fantastic single mom romance, albeit definitely under sad circumstances. I was already tearing up only a few pages into it. It’s sweet and sad, yet hopeful and, just, swoony. I mean a (literally) growly main male character?! I’m here for it.
This was my first book by Danielle Baker and it will not be my last. I see that there will be a spin-off series about Xander’s brothers and I’m excited for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Fight by Sloane St. James
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Fight by Sloane St. James is the first book of the Sky Ridge Hotshots series. Each of the three books of the series are written by a different author and I’ve really enjoyed books by two of the authors with the third author being new to me. I’m pretty excited for this series and I like that each one is written by a different author.
This is a forced proximity romance with the new girl in town and the reformed playboy with lots of spicy scenes. I found both Prescott and Callahan’s characters to be likable. It definitely took several turns that I did not see coming along the way. I overall enjoyed it.
Honestly, just the glossary at the beginning is super helpful. I live in a wildfire prone area so I’ve spent some time listening to the scanner feeds during those fires so I am pretty familiar with the terminology and strategies. I was expecting a bit more of the wildland firefighting to play a role in the plot but I’m also relieved it didn’t at the same time. And now I’m super excited for Paisley Hope’s book in this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia and Religious bigotry
A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni
mysterious
tense
medium-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? No
4.0
A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni is the eleventh book of his Tracy Crosswhite series. It’s a police detective thriller/suspense novel.
I’ve really enjoyed this series over the years and I appreciate how Tracy’s character has changed and aged as the series has gone along. The return to Tracy’s roots with the competitive shooting was interesting to me, as my kids and I both participate in recreational shooting competitions. There’s quite a bit of technical explanation of her police qualifying and competitive shooting elements and, personally, I found these parts engaging and relatable.
I did like this one but I found myself getting increasingly frustrated with Tracy, and even Dan, as the story went on with some of their decisions. This made it hard to really enjoy the book. That being said, I will continue to recommend this series as a whole as it’s still one of my favorite detective series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Death, Grief, and Death of parent