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areadinggem's reviews
167 reviews
Verity by Colleen Hoover
5.0
"What you read will taste so bad at times, you'll want to spit it out, but you'll swallow these words and they will become part of you, part of your gut, and you will hurt because of them."
Creepy. Unique. Disturbing. Addictive. Unexpected.
I started Verity expecting it to be yet another one of Colleen Hoover's amazing romance novels. But it was not. Instead, I read one of my very first thrillers, by one of my favorite authors. And she did not disappoint.
The thriller revolved around a very messed up family with a dark past that Lowen, the main female character, seemed to have sucked herself into. Lowen was hired by Jeremy Crawford to ghostwrite the remaining books of a series his wife, Verity, couldn't finish due to her unfortunate car accident. But when Lowen stumbles upon Verity's autobiography, she realizes that what she has gotten herself into is much more disturbing than she could have imagined. The woman's secrets are all Lowen could think about. How could she now differentiate between what is true and what she thought was true?
"After all, this is a house full of Chronics. The next tragedy is already long overdue."
The book seemed to focus more on the story and the mystery aspect of the plot that I found myself not getting too attached to the characters. I was more interested in knowing what was about to happen next and what secrets were yet unfold. It's truly rare for me to find books that catch me completely off-guard, but this one would be on the top of my list. It's the perfect amount of unique and disturbing.
"Verity" is a book based solely on tricks and the art of deception. You'll be sucked into a world where you might think you're going crazy, where illusions are your best friend and where nothing is truly what it seems. The energy in this book was wild and uncontrollable. It would make you feel as if you were in Lowen's shoes: confused and doubting everyone and everything around you. If I were Lowen, I don't think I would have made it this far inside the house. I'm pretty sure I kept screaming at her to get out of there, but to no use.
And the ending. Oh my God, the ending. It caught be completely off-guard. Actually, it didn't even catch me. I just felt like I was falling into this massive black void, not knowing where it even began or ended. Colleen Hoover is simply a master at last minute plot twists. She would hit you with the "my life is a lie" moment out of nowhere and leave you staring at a blank wall contemplating your life choices, trying to figure out your imagination from your reality.
All in all, "Verity" is the kind of book that would make you stay up all night to finish while looking up every few seconds to make sure no one was around to give you the scare of your life. 10/10 would recommend.
Creepy. Unique. Disturbing. Addictive. Unexpected.
I started Verity expecting it to be yet another one of Colleen Hoover's amazing romance novels. But it was not. Instead, I read one of my very first thrillers, by one of my favorite authors. And she did not disappoint.
The thriller revolved around a very messed up family with a dark past that Lowen, the main female character, seemed to have sucked herself into. Lowen was hired by Jeremy Crawford to ghostwrite the remaining books of a series his wife, Verity, couldn't finish due to her unfortunate car accident. But when Lowen stumbles upon Verity's autobiography, she realizes that what she has gotten herself into is much more disturbing than she could have imagined. The woman's secrets are all Lowen could think about. How could she now differentiate between what is true and what she thought was true?
"After all, this is a house full of Chronics. The next tragedy is already long overdue."
The book seemed to focus more on the story and the mystery aspect of the plot that I found myself not getting too attached to the characters. I was more interested in knowing what was about to happen next and what secrets were yet unfold. It's truly rare for me to find books that catch me completely off-guard, but this one would be on the top of my list. It's the perfect amount of unique and disturbing.
"Verity" is a book based solely on tricks and the art of deception. You'll be sucked into a world where you might think you're going crazy, where illusions are your best friend and where nothing is truly what it seems. The energy in this book was wild and uncontrollable. It would make you feel as if you were in Lowen's shoes: confused and doubting everyone and everything around you. If I were Lowen, I don't think I would have made it this far inside the house. I'm pretty sure I kept screaming at her to get out of there, but to no use.
And the ending. Oh my God, the ending. It caught be completely off-guard. Actually, it didn't even catch me. I just felt like I was falling into this massive black void, not knowing where it even began or ended. Colleen Hoover is simply a master at last minute plot twists. She would hit you with the "my life is a lie" moment out of nowhere and leave you staring at a blank wall contemplating your life choices, trying to figure out your imagination from your reality.
All in all, "Verity" is the kind of book that would make you stay up all night to finish while looking up every few seconds to make sure no one was around to give you the scare of your life. 10/10 would recommend.
Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
3.0
“Never flinch" A cold whisper in her ear. "Never fear. And never, ever forget.”
This book was not my cup of tea. I bought it about 3 or 4 years ago and it had been sitting on my shelves, unread, ever since. But after seeing all the hype it was getting, ESPECIALLY on bookstagram, I decided to finally pick it up. So, as you can see, I went into this with high expectations - bad idea, if you ask me. This was not my first Jay Kristoff book, but it was not my favorite.
I kept waiting and waiting for something major to happen that will render me speechless, but it never came - at least not towards the first half of the book. I was actually tempted not to finish the it but curiosity got the best of me. Plus, I am not usually the type of person who doesn't finish a book unless I do not feel like it might get any better. I did have hope for Nevernight, which explains the 3 star rating. I honestly struggled to rate the book in a way that shed the light on my struggle to finish it.
To be completely honest, the second half of the book got better. I mean, the world created and the school were quite interesting. The fierce female protagonist had her ups and downs for me though. Of course she has her own issues due to her past and background, but it rarely felt like she could show any emotion. Maybe that's just something I noticed. But she surely knows how to fight and I definitely enjoyed that about her. Things got interesting near the end when Kristoff dropped a plot twist like a bomb. I did not see it coming. And I liked that. It got me excited to finish the book which was exactly what I needed.
“You've got the look of a girl who's no stranger to the page. I can tell. You've got words in your soul.”
But my BIGGEST issue of all was the footnotes . I have absolutely no idea why they were necessary. It felt like I was reading a book alternating between a dark story and a textbook. I do have a thirst for knowledge and history, but not like this. I swear I actually skipped half of them because it got too much at one point. They kept messing with my train of thoughts, which I dislike, especially when I'm trying to fully get into the story. The writing style was a little weird but the footnotes definitely were what did it for me.
Despite all of the somewhat negative feedback stated above, I did not hate the story. I feel like it was just the writing style that ruined it for me(and those footnotes). But the world Kristoff based his novel on was very creative and intriguing. I did really like the covers too, which was a bonus. I might continue with the rest of the series because I do have a lot of questions left unanswered.
“Iron or glass? they'd ask.
She was neither.
She was steel.”
This book was not my cup of tea. I bought it about 3 or 4 years ago and it had been sitting on my shelves, unread, ever since. But after seeing all the hype it was getting, ESPECIALLY on bookstagram, I decided to finally pick it up. So, as you can see, I went into this with high expectations - bad idea, if you ask me. This was not my first Jay Kristoff book, but it was not my favorite.
I kept waiting and waiting for something major to happen that will render me speechless, but it never came - at least not towards the first half of the book. I was actually tempted not to finish the it but curiosity got the best of me. Plus, I am not usually the type of person who doesn't finish a book unless I do not feel like it might get any better. I did have hope for Nevernight, which explains the 3 star rating. I honestly struggled to rate the book in a way that shed the light on my struggle to finish it.
To be completely honest, the second half of the book got better. I mean, the world created and the school were quite interesting. The fierce female protagonist had her ups and downs for me though. Of course she has her own issues due to her past and background, but it rarely felt like she could show any emotion. Maybe that's just something I noticed. But she surely knows how to fight and I definitely enjoyed that about her. Things got interesting near the end when Kristoff dropped a plot twist like a bomb. I did not see it coming. And I liked that. It got me excited to finish the book which was exactly what I needed.
“You've got the look of a girl who's no stranger to the page. I can tell. You've got words in your soul.”
But my BIGGEST issue of all was the footnotes . I have absolutely no idea why they were necessary. It felt like I was reading a book alternating between a dark story and a textbook. I do have a thirst for knowledge and history, but not like this. I swear I actually skipped half of them because it got too much at one point. They kept messing with my train of thoughts, which I dislike, especially when I'm trying to fully get into the story. The writing style was a little weird but the footnotes definitely were what did it for me.
Despite all of the somewhat negative feedback stated above, I did not hate the story. I feel like it was just the writing style that ruined it for me(and those footnotes). But the world Kristoff based his novel on was very creative and intriguing. I did really like the covers too, which was a bonus. I might continue with the rest of the series because I do have a lot of questions left unanswered.
“Iron or glass? they'd ask.
She was neither.
She was steel.”
Christmas At Cedarwood Lodge by Rebecca Raisin
4.0
"I wanted to recreate that time, that feeling, when holidays were about relaxation, or being awed by the natural beauty of the elements. Having a place where you could do as much or as little as you liked."
Heart-warming. Festive. Enchanting. Dreamy.
[b:Christmas At Cedarwood Lodge|41442886|Christmas At Cedarwood Lodge|Rebecca Raisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1535055301l/41442886._SY75_.jpg|58312741] is honestly the first holiday related book I ever read, and it did not disappoint. I found it at my bookstore only a week before the holidays and the blurb caught my attention, as well as the really dreamy cover. I actually never heard of [a:Rebecca Raisin|6915386|Rebecca Raisin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1382789444p2/6915386.jpg] before so I was interested to see what she had in store for me.
Clio Winters has finally started the business of her dreams by purchasing Cedarwood Lodge and slowly renovating it into the most magical place for celebrations, weddings and holidays. Along the way, she received help from her childhood best friend Micah, the fiery hardworking gardener Isla, the blue-eyed Australian contractor Kai, and her fancy New York best friend Amory. They all work hand in hand to turn Cedarwood Lodge into the perfect destination for a holiday getaway, soon gaining the help of other people around. They surely face obstacles along the way, but with the help of the people Clio now calls family, any problem can be fixed.
Everything is coming into place at the lodge, but not so much with Clio and her mother. The latter has grown even more distant after Clio's return from New York and the reason seems to be related to the lodge itself. Clio has always dreamed of having this perfect mother-daughter relationship, but her mother seems too caught up in her past to be able to express her feelings and share the secret that has destroyed her life. What could it be?
"You know, not all of us are lucky in love. Some people find love but lose it, some only have an imitation of the real thing. Others search for it their whole lives, never quite catching it, but always believing it's there if only you try hard enough."
Clio has always loved playing Cupid, and at Cedarwood Lodge, she is definitely in her element. She always makes sure everyone around her is happy and in love. Cedarwood's magic definitely played a role in bringing everyone together, but why does it feel like something is still missing in her life? For someone who seems to know a lot about love, the woman still needs guidance when it comes to her own love life. Will she finally open her heart and give love a chance or will she always remain the single matchmaker of the group? Will she finally find her happy ending or will she always be the reason for other people's happy endings?
"Why don't you stop pretending? You're the biggest advocate for love, yet you spend your life waiting for it to happen to you when really you should be a big girl and help it along..."
I loved everything about this story, from the setting to the characters. Cedarwood Lodge is now the destination of my dreams. And I absolutely adored the relationships between the characters; the love, the care, the understanding... The reason I did not give the book 5 stars was due to it having more renovations than romance, especially between the two main characters, Clio and Kai. At times I felt like we barely got to know Kai at all. I also did feel like the romance was slightly rushed, especially in the last few chapters.
Overall, the book did put me in the festive spirit, not only because of the magical settings of Cedarwood Lodge, but also because of the amazing friendships and relationships that were built along the way.
Heart-warming. Festive. Enchanting. Dreamy.
[b:Christmas At Cedarwood Lodge|41442886|Christmas At Cedarwood Lodge|Rebecca Raisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1535055301l/41442886._SY75_.jpg|58312741] is honestly the first holiday related book I ever read, and it did not disappoint. I found it at my bookstore only a week before the holidays and the blurb caught my attention, as well as the really dreamy cover. I actually never heard of [a:Rebecca Raisin|6915386|Rebecca Raisin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1382789444p2/6915386.jpg] before so I was interested to see what she had in store for me.
Clio Winters has finally started the business of her dreams by purchasing Cedarwood Lodge and slowly renovating it into the most magical place for celebrations, weddings and holidays. Along the way, she received help from her childhood best friend Micah, the fiery hardworking gardener Isla, the blue-eyed Australian contractor Kai, and her fancy New York best friend Amory. They all work hand in hand to turn Cedarwood Lodge into the perfect destination for a holiday getaway, soon gaining the help of other people around. They surely face obstacles along the way, but with the help of the people Clio now calls family, any problem can be fixed.
Everything is coming into place at the lodge, but not so much with Clio and her mother. The latter has grown even more distant after Clio's return from New York and the reason seems to be related to the lodge itself. Clio has always dreamed of having this perfect mother-daughter relationship, but her mother seems too caught up in her past to be able to express her feelings and share the secret that has destroyed her life. What could it be?
"You know, not all of us are lucky in love. Some people find love but lose it, some only have an imitation of the real thing. Others search for it their whole lives, never quite catching it, but always believing it's there if only you try hard enough."
Clio has always loved playing Cupid, and at Cedarwood Lodge, she is definitely in her element. She always makes sure everyone around her is happy and in love. Cedarwood's magic definitely played a role in bringing everyone together, but why does it feel like something is still missing in her life? For someone who seems to know a lot about love, the woman still needs guidance when it comes to her own love life. Will she finally open her heart and give love a chance or will she always remain the single matchmaker of the group? Will she finally find her happy ending or will she always be the reason for other people's happy endings?
"Why don't you stop pretending? You're the biggest advocate for love, yet you spend your life waiting for it to happen to you when really you should be a big girl and help it along..."
I loved everything about this story, from the setting to the characters. Cedarwood Lodge is now the destination of my dreams. And I absolutely adored the relationships between the characters; the love, the care, the understanding... The reason I did not give the book 5 stars was due to it having more renovations than romance, especially between the two main characters, Clio and Kai. At times I felt like we barely got to know Kai at all. I also did feel like the romance was slightly rushed, especially in the last few chapters.
Overall, the book did put me in the festive spirit, not only because of the magical settings of Cedarwood Lodge, but also because of the amazing friendships and relationships that were built along the way.
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
5.0
"Through love, all is possible."
When I heard [a:Sarah J Maas|20057969|Sarah J Maas|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] was publishing another book, I was beyond excited. It took me a while to grab my own copy of it but I decided to start my year with [b:House of Earth and Blood|44778083|House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559142847l/44778083._SY75_.jpg|46924772].
The book started off slow, a lot of details and world building, which was quite expected for a fantasy book but sometimes quite unnecessary. Bryce and Hunt's constant bickering made up for that though. The beginning of the book mostly introduces us to the characters: Danika, the Pack of Devils, Bryce, Hunt, Ruhn... along with some other side characters. We get glimpses into the characters' lives, Danika and Bryce's friendship, the world they are living in and so on. Then the murder happens and Bryce gets assigned to investigate it along with Hunt. The first few chapters after the murder mostly include a lot of bickering between Hunt and Bryce and searching for clues and suspects, until everything slowly starts to fit together.
Honestly, it took 60 chapters for Hel to finally break loose. My heart shattered a thousand times in the last 70% of the book. I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride, debating whether I'll make it out alive or not. Plot twist after plot twist, shock after shock, heartbreak after heartbreak. I don't know how I did make it, to be honest. I laughed and cried. I screamed at the book and tossed it across the room. It was a whole journey of emotions I was barely able to handle. But the ending was all worth it.
I gave this book 5 stars because it made me happy in the first half and then gave me all the feels in the second. I like books that can move me or just make me feel something, anything. And this book did just that, regardless of the slow pace it started out with, regardless of the similarities between it and Sarah's other books, regardless of the not so diverse characters. I still enjoyed it a lot. I'm also quite glad it did not end on a major cliffhanger because I don't think I will be able to wait another year or so for the second book.
As for the characters, I always enjoy strong female leads, even though Bryce had a lot of bad qualities (drugs, sleeping around, partying...) but she was still fierce and did not easily back down from a challenge. Hunt was a broken soul that hid it well as the Shadow of Death, but I enjoyed seeing how that mask slowly fell off his face, revealing who he really was deep inside. Danika was a badass character with such a good heart, always there for her friend no matter what. Ruhn is a favorite of mine, especially with how protective and caring he was all along. I also really liked Flynn and Declan. I wish we got to see more of all three Fae men because they were such an epic trio. Fury was a very mysterious character, almost like Amren from ACOTAR, but I also love her and wish we had more glimpses into her life. Juniper was a very sweet friend that I'm glad stuck around for Bryce. Lehabah had to be my favorite, how she cared for Bryce even when the latter would snap at her several times; that was true friendship. There are so many other side characters that added to the plot in more ways than one (Tharion, Amelie, Isaiah, Jesiba...)
So, to finally sum up, this book left me at a loss for words. I loved it even with all its flaws that I briefly mentioned above. I just hope book 2 lives up to our expectations since I really don't know what to expect from it. All in all, yes, the book could have been shorter than 800 pages but I still enjoyed every second of it and would re-read it all over again someday.
When I heard [a:Sarah J Maas|20057969|Sarah J Maas|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] was publishing another book, I was beyond excited. It took me a while to grab my own copy of it but I decided to start my year with [b:House of Earth and Blood|44778083|House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559142847l/44778083._SY75_.jpg|46924772].
The book started off slow, a lot of details and world building, which was quite expected for a fantasy book but sometimes quite unnecessary. Bryce and Hunt's constant bickering made up for that though. The beginning of the book mostly introduces us to the characters: Danika, the Pack of Devils, Bryce, Hunt, Ruhn... along with some other side characters. We get glimpses into the characters' lives, Danika and Bryce's friendship, the world they are living in and so on. Then the murder happens and Bryce gets assigned to investigate it along with Hunt. The first few chapters after the murder mostly include a lot of bickering between Hunt and Bryce and searching for clues and suspects, until everything slowly starts to fit together.
Honestly, it took 60 chapters for Hel to finally break loose. My heart shattered a thousand times in the last 70% of the book. I felt like I was on a roller coaster ride, debating whether I'll make it out alive or not. Plot twist after plot twist, shock after shock, heartbreak after heartbreak. I don't know how I did make it, to be honest. I laughed and cried. I screamed at the book and tossed it across the room. It was a whole journey of emotions I was barely able to handle. But the ending was all worth it.
I gave this book 5 stars because it made me happy in the first half and then gave me all the feels in the second. I like books that can move me or just make me feel something, anything. And this book did just that, regardless of the slow pace it started out with, regardless of the similarities between it and Sarah's other books, regardless of the not so diverse characters. I still enjoyed it a lot. I'm also quite glad it did not end on a major cliffhanger because I don't think I will be able to wait another year or so for the second book.
As for the characters, I always enjoy strong female leads, even though Bryce had a lot of bad qualities (drugs, sleeping around, partying...) but she was still fierce and did not easily back down from a challenge. Hunt was a broken soul that hid it well as the Shadow of Death, but I enjoyed seeing how that mask slowly fell off his face, revealing who he really was deep inside. Danika was a badass character with such a good heart, always there for her friend no matter what. Ruhn is a favorite of mine, especially with how protective and caring he was all along. I also really liked Flynn and Declan. I wish we got to see more of all three Fae men because they were such an epic trio. Fury was a very mysterious character, almost like Amren from ACOTAR, but I also love her and wish we had more glimpses into her life. Juniper was a very sweet friend that I'm glad stuck around for Bryce. Lehabah had to be my favorite, how she cared for Bryce even when the latter would snap at her several times; that was true friendship. There are so many other side characters that added to the plot in more ways than one (Tharion, Amelie, Isaiah, Jesiba...)
So, to finally sum up, this book left me at a loss for words. I loved it even with all its flaws that I briefly mentioned above. I just hope book 2 lives up to our expectations since I really don't know what to expect from it. All in all, yes, the book could have been shorter than 800 pages but I still enjoyed every second of it and would re-read it all over again someday.
Tormentor Mine by Anna Zaires
2.0
“There is no beauty without ugliness, just as there’s no happiness without sorrow. We live in a world of contrasts, not absolutes.”
I came across this book on Kobo this week, saw its high rating and decided to give it a shot. I've never read a dark romance book before so I was really tempted to check this one out. The author is also unfamiliar to me so it was interesting to see how her writing style was.
Honestly, the book kind of gave me the creeps. I think it's the fact that I'm not used to this genre yet but I was squirming in my seat the whole time, unable to stop reading though. I still managed to read it in one sitting because I had no idea what to expect throughout the whole thing. It was really out of my comfort zone which explains the 3 star rating.
The male character, Peter, was a complete psycho. I did not like him. I mean, that was the whole point of his character but I realized how I do not like psychos, no matter how good looking they might be. I hate how he threw himself into Sara's life and how she could not do much about it. I understand that Peter had a troubled past and all that but I don't know, I just felt uncomfortable whenever he popped up again.
“One can live in the darkness and see the light of the sun; it’s even brighter that way.”
The style of writing was good, the events did all tie together, which was probably the only reason I gave it 3 stars and not lower. Also due to the fact that I could not stop reading it. Whether it was out of fear or interest, I have no clue.
I just hate the overall idea of forced love, especially in cases where one of the main characters happens to be a psychotic obsessive freak. I didn't like either of the characters. I know Sara did not have much choice but I still did not like the choices she made in the ending. I feel like Sara was just driven by her lust making her limp and spineless. I don't think I will read the rest of the books in the series. I've went through enough torture. Again, it might be because I'm not familiar with this genre but that was not the best book to start with.
I think I'm a really generous star giver. But, anyway, if you like dark romance books with crazy male leads, this book is for you. Not my cup of tea though.
Actually, I'll be changing my rating to 2 stars. Just the thought of the book's events and characters again made me dislike it more and feel uncomfortable all over again.
I came across this book on Kobo this week, saw its high rating and decided to give it a shot. I've never read a dark romance book before so I was really tempted to check this one out. The author is also unfamiliar to me so it was interesting to see how her writing style was.
Honestly, the book kind of gave me the creeps. I think it's the fact that I'm not used to this genre yet but I was squirming in my seat the whole time, unable to stop reading though. I still managed to read it in one sitting because I had no idea what to expect throughout the whole thing. It was really out of my comfort zone which explains the 3 star rating.
The male character, Peter, was a complete psycho. I did not like him. I mean, that was the whole point of his character but I realized how I do not like psychos, no matter how good looking they might be. I hate how he threw himself into Sara's life and how she could not do much about it. I understand that Peter had a troubled past and all that but I don't know, I just felt uncomfortable whenever he popped up again.
“One can live in the darkness and see the light of the sun; it’s even brighter that way.”
The style of writing was good, the events did all tie together, which was probably the only reason I gave it 3 stars and not lower. Also due to the fact that I could not stop reading it. Whether it was out of fear or interest, I have no clue.
I just hate the overall idea of forced love, especially in cases where one of the main characters happens to be a psychotic obsessive freak. I didn't like either of the characters. I know Sara did not have much choice but I still did not like the choices she made in the ending. I feel like Sara was just driven by her lust making her limp and spineless. I don't think I will read the rest of the books in the series. I've went through enough torture. Again, it might be because I'm not familiar with this genre but that was not the best book to start with.
I think I'm a really generous star giver. But, anyway, if you like dark romance books with crazy male leads, this book is for you. Not my cup of tea though.
Actually, I'll be changing my rating to 2 stars. Just the thought of the book's events and characters again made me dislike it more and feel uncomfortable all over again.