amateur_bookworm's reviews
589 reviews

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.

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A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni

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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.

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All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles

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emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

All the Missing Pieces by Catherine Cowles is a romantic suspense novel that follows a fictional true crime podcaster. I absolutely love this book.

I’m obsessed with this story. I love Ridley. And Colt. His nickname for her, Chaos. The tension and attraction between them. Their brokenness. The mystery and suspense and intrigue of the story. The tragicness of their sisters’ stories. Her VW bus. The setting in the small mountain town on a lake. The edge of danger coming into play throughout the book. The witty banter. I love all of the pets. I laughed and I cried.

I absolutely recommend this book and I can already tell this will be one of my favorites for the year (and yes, I know we’re only two weeks into the year).

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The Apple Tree by Jewel E. Ann

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emotional funny lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

The Apple Tree by Jewel E. Ann is the second book in her Sunday Morning series. It’s a small town, age gap, single dad, forbidden love romance that had me feeling every emotion right along with the characters.

I was completely obsessed with this book at the halfway point. I love Eve’s rebel heart as she finds her way in the world. Grandma Bonnie is definitely one of my favorite parts of this story and I can’t get enough of the special relationship she and Eve have. Josh is just the most adorable little boy. And how can you not be hot for teacher in this one? I felt like I was on a roller coaster of emotions throughout this book, but I spent most of it with a little grin on my face while reading.

I love the song titles listed alongside each chapter number. I absolutely made a playlist of the songs and really reminisced with some of them. And I enjoy all of the 80s references. Seeing Dirty Dancing in theaters? I’m so jealous!

I discovered and fell in love with Jewel E. Ann’s writing with Sunday Morning, the first book of this series. I just adore her writing style. I think I highlighted at least half of this book because so many lines are just perfection. I cannot wait for the next one for Gabby’s story.

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It's a Love Story by Annabel Monaghan

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funny lighthearted reflective 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

It’s A Love Story is a standalone romance by Annabel Monaghan. It’s a rivals to lovers love story with a big side of dealing with deep-rooted insecurities. This was my first book by this author but it makes me want to read her backlist now.

Although a bit of a slow starter for me, I was absolutely obsessed with this story by about the halfway mark. I loved watching Jane fall for Dan before she could fully understand what was happening with her emotions. I loved Dan’s big and loving family. And I love all the metaphors and descriptions used in the telling of this story.

It feels a little like an ugly duckling turned swan story. And it makes me wonder how Steve Urkel from Family Matters, Screech from Saved by the Bell, and Kimmy from Full House coped with their childhood roles as adults.

Overall, I definitely recommend this one! It is coming out in May and will be a great beach read.

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To Die For by David Baldacci

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mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

To Die For is the third book in David Baldacci’s 6:20 Man series. It is a thriller that keeps you in unputdownable suspense once the action kicks in. The twisty plot comes together nicely while you just can’t help but root for Betsy, the young girl, and the people that help her and Travis along the way.

This is a typical David Baldacci thriller and I really enjoyed it, as usual. I much prefer his action-packed modern day thrillers over some of the other genres he’s branched out into and this one felt like I returned home to his typical books that I know and love.

Content Warnings

The Path to Loving Him by Meghan Quinn

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

The Path to Loving Him is the third book of Meghan Quinn’s Almond Bay series. It’s a small town romance that starts off with a bang. It’s really sweet to see how much Ryland and Gabby each put their family first and you can’t help but root for all of them along the way.

I really enjoyed this one. Both Ryland and Gabby each have pretty traumatic pasts so it’s really satisfying to watch their relationship unfold and see them both happy. And the spice hits in chapter two, so this book has that going for it also. I loved the baseball theme of the book and how capable and respected Gabby is with the team. And Ryland will always have my heart as the big protector and for how sweet he is raising his niece. I teared up at several parts of the book (but with happy tears!).

I cracked up at all the romance book references throughout. And Meghan Quinn’s banter is still top notch here, but there’s a lot more touchy-feely family-first themes in this one that really hit the mark for me. I definitely recommend this one.

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Pack Darling Duology by Lola Rock

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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

4.5

Pack Darling by Lola Rock is a two book duology. It’s a slow burn, reverse harem MMFMMM omegaverse romance with humans and no shifting.

What is an omegaverse, you ask? Well, I didn’t know before this one either. Omegaverse refers to a subgenre of spicy romance featuring alphas, betas, and omegas. Alphas are the powerful and aggressive leaders and there are not very many of them. Betas are your typical average members of society and most of the population falls into this category. Omegas are the most rare and sexually submissive to the alphas. There are heats and knotting and scenting. There’s a great Reddit post in r/RomanceBooks that explains it well titled Omegaverse: Genre 101 + Discussion.

I got this book in my first ever Probably Smut book box. I was so excited to get this one and this edition is absolutely gorgeous. It is almost too pretty to read. I think this is a great selection for the month.

I went into this not really knowing what to expect. But I absolutely adored it and blew through both parts of the duology. I hardly put it down. I love Lilah’s strength but I hate her brokenness for her. She is such a strong and tough character even though my heart broke for her over again throughout. She’s such a badass. The guys were a bit tougher to nail down and I’m still not entirely sure why Jett’s and Finn’s characters were the way they were. But at least they all knew how to grovel.

Overall, I loved this book so much. But it’s also a little weird, which I think is why it works for me. Lilah made the whole story.

Content Warnings

Fourth Wing (Part 2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous emotional 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

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is the first book of her Empyrean series. It is a fantasy book featuring dragons, daring riders, a cutthroat war college, love, and a stronger-than-she-looks main character.

I have read this book twice and am now listening to the GraphicAudio versions of this and Iron Flame before Onyx Storm is released. I swear this book just gets better and better each time I read or listen to it. I just love this one so much.

I really enjoy the GraphicAudio dramatized versions of fantasy books and this one is no exception. I especially like the narrator for Violet. The full cast is excellent. I wish there weren’t quite as many sound effects and noises throughout, but particularly in the sex scenes (although it did make me laugh).

Content Warnings

Fourth Wing (Part 1 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous emotional 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

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amateur_bookworm's reviews 589 reviews

amateur_bookworm's reviews
589 reviews