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blewballoon's reviews
672 reviews
Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 Stars because this book brough me nothing buy joy when I needed it. I absolutely loved the premise of the Earls and Earl-to-Be being beacons of healthy masculinity and male friendship. Communication. Empathy. Support. Found Family. If those wholesome male relationships weren't enough, we also get the beautiful reconnection of two somewhat estranged sisters as they come to fully understand each other and become true friends. The romance was a sweet slow burn of mutual respect and affection, with a flavor of childhood-friends-to-lovers. I also enjoyed what seemed to be some historical ADHD representation as well as lightly touching on some heavier subjects while keeping the story focused on how having the right people around you can make anything more bearable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Dementia, and Grief
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War
Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This is a heavy read that will potentially trigger painful memories of the Covid pandemic. It was particularly difficult to read just after the 2024 US Presidential election, when the same type of scapegoating and fearmongering of 1347 seems to have won in our modern age. Eleanore is a compelling protagonist and fortunately encounters enough enlightened and open minded people that the bleak atmosphere of the story is somewhat bearable. The story could have gone much darker than it did, and I'm grateful for the hope spots and kindnesses that were highlighted instead. The dog does not die! Saskia Maarleveld was an excellent audiobook narrator, as always.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Antisemitism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Child abuse and Alcohol
Evocation by S.T. Gibson
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
4.25
This is a book for character driven readers. Yes, there's supernatural stuff going on, a secret occult society, witches, mediums, demons, and there's allegedly a plot about dealing with a demon potentially collecting someone's soul, but that's all just set dressing and background aesthetic for the tangled knot of emotions and conflict between the main three characters. Fortunately for me, I did get quickly invested in the characters and their relationships and that was plenty to keep me interested. That being said, the pacing was a bit inconsistent and some of the more interesting stuff happens off page. I also feel like the characters went around in circles and didn't realize the obvious, but that fit the situation, so it wasn't too frustrating. Overall I enjoyed the spooky stuff, the tension, and the writing style.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Sexism
Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
4.25
I've read two other books by Talia Hibbert, one was a short kobo plus ebook and one was a YA romance. I was impressed by the prose here, it felt elevated. I have gotten a bit used to more simplistic and maybe a little clumsy writing in the romances I've read lately, but this had more finesse in the dialogue and descriptions. I liked both characters and the romance, but there is really no plot outside the romance at all. The drama is just them miscommunicating or jumping to conclusions unnecessarily, which was a bit tiring, especially in the 3rd act. The fibromyalgia representation helps the book stand out, that was the most unique element. I'll definitely read more of this series though and I loved that the audiobook was narrated by the actress who plays Lady Danbury on Bridgerton.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness and Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
emotional
funny
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
4.75
If you liked Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, I don't think you'll be disappointed. This felt very similar in tone, and once again you have an eclectic mix of strangers all becoming a found family of friends. I think the characters were a little more flawed here, Ziggy and Art in particular had a lot of growing to do. This has some similarities to the Thursday Murder Club and also reminded me a little of Call the Midwife. The audiobook narrator was great. I was invested quickly and couldn't put it down.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Dementia, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
The Wolf and the Witch by Charissa Weaks
adventurous
dark
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
3.5
I have been really rooting for this series ever since the first book took me by surprise with how much I enjoyed it, but each entry since has let me down just a little bit more. In this one I was dismayed to find that I thought the prose itself had gone down in quality; it seemed like even the audiobook narrators were having trouble making the sentence structures sound coherent. I didn't like following Nephele and Neri as much as I had liked following Raina and Alexus, and I didn't like the tone of their spicy scenes very much either. I will say that this feels less like filler than I expected it to, there is some movement of the overall plot of the series and I do still plan on reading the 4th book, which will hopefully get the series back on track.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Gore and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher
funny
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75
This was slightly better than A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon, but had some of the same problems I had with that book, especially towards the end. The book really hypes Violet up by doing a lot of telling rather than showing, in my opinion. In action she flips between being the stereotypical clumsy girl who can't be trusted to carry a cupcake down a flight of stairs without breaking a hip and a "badass" who can practically control the weather on a whim. This juxtaposition maybe could have worked with some careful writing, but I didn't feel like it did here. In contrast, the book tries to throw Lincoln under the bus and goes the exhausting route of not allowing him to explain himself several times. The story suffers from using plot contrivances to both create and resolve tension, so the drama and victories don't feel earned. Violet's friends annoyed me more than they charmed me. Damn, I guess I have a lot of complaints. Overall this was a decently fun paranormal romance, but I've read better ones and I think my standards were a little too high to just enjoy this as a light popcorn read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Night of the Witch by Beth Revis, Sara Raasch
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
The comparison of this book to Serpent & Dove is definitely appropriates, it's a very similar setup but with some key differences and a more grounded setting. I think I enjoyed this one a little bit more, and I had enjoyed Serpent & Dove quite a bit. I really liked Otto and Fritzi and their relationship. Yes, the "enemies" part of the "enemies to lovers" trope is there because of their positions as a witch and a witch hunter, but they very quickly get past that and it's more like two partners working on a heist. I thought the prose was excellent, not too drawn out and floral but still evocative and descriptive. I appreciated the incorporation of historical and German references blended with the fantasy elements. My one complaint (which is due to my personal preference as someone who gets frustrated with fantasy series pacing and plotting) is that I wish this was a standalone, because I feel like they really could have pulled it off into a satisfying ending if they hadn't included the epilogue. I will probably pick up the next book, and hopefully having a good sequel without bad character regression will make it different from Serpent & Dove.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual content, and Grief
Minor: Physical abuse, Antisemitism, and Alcohol
My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine
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
4.25
So much fun. This series is very sweet and cute, and I enjoyed this entry just as much as the first. There are some awkward bits of humor and dialogue, but the charm makes up for it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, and Blood
Minor: Death, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
I really enjoyed Vampires of El Norte by this author, and I enjoyed this one as well. This felt like more of a horror read, with the scary stuff happening fairly quickly and being the primary focus of the plot. This story fits the gothic horror paradigm of a new wife faced with a mysterious husband, a creepy house, and a hostile welcome to her new home, but it still felt fresh and different. If you liked Fleabag season 2 but wanted it to be set at a haunted house in historic Mexico, you will probably enjoy this as well. I did get a little frustrated with Beatriz sometimes, but overall she made for a compelling heroine. The audiobook narrators both did a great job, but sometimes I did wish I could see the text because I wasn't sure how some of the Mexican words were spelled based on how they were pronounced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death, Racism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Abortion, Alcohol, and War