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bookishkellyn's reviews
381 reviews
Uncovered Truths: A Novella by Alexandra Warren
funny
hopeful
relaxing
5.0
An office romance that was put on ice, thaws out during a Super Bowl weekend blizzard. The chemistry between Kendra and Easton felt natural, with spicy moments to hold us over while they surrendered to the idea of there being a them. I was pleasantly surprised at the vulnerability, and the epilogue was a nice touch.
A Rich Man's Wife 2: the Finale by Jessica N. Watkins
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I had to see this storyline through to the end. I thought everyone needed therapy in the previous book, but now they’re in the absolute trenches after the blowups. With the slight switch up in POVs, it sometimes gave The Coldest Winter Ever vibes. It was a wild ride that dragged at some points, but the ending was realistic enough.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Confinement, Death, Suicide, Stalking, and Pregnancy
A Rich Man's Wife by Jessica N. Watkins
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Zuri being a jail counselor and her cheating ass hubby (Rashaad) being the warden at the same facility provided the perfect playground for getback when Aanan “Law” taps in. I can see why this book was rated high, but I just couldn’t. Besides some misused words and character name mixups, there was too much normalization of inappropriate relationships. Some parts were hard to digest, but I had to see how the betrayals were going to play out. The characters sacrificed way more than they knew for revenge and the love of money. The cliffhangers!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Infidelity, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Break Him by Nicki Grace
funny
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This was one of the few times where the advertised drama exceeded my expectations. Bree wasn’t just a fed up housewife, she was an intelligent woman scorned. I didn’t see any of the plot twists coming, and the revenge takedown of her husband (Elijah) was flawless.
Evan & Bellerose by ML Bash
lighthearted
4.0
A miscommunication sidelines feelings between Evan and “Rosie” until they’re forced to interact years later with the help of some special cookies. (Not 🍃 cookies, just 💘 cookies.) Even though they were grown, something about the plot gave YA vibes until the sprinkle of spice was dropped in. Very cute but tame.
Isaac's Song by Daniel Black
Racial slurs, Rape, Slavery, Violence
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Isaac seeks help from a therapist to unpack his complicated grief. Through a journaling exercise, he recounts his life and sorts his emotions with a new historical lens. The diary format gave it a generational vibe as it spanned multiple decades of his most significant interactions and pivotal events before coming full circle.
I haven’t read a book that touched me this much since The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois. (The beautiful writing even made me feel sympathy for his father–a previously unsympathetic character at first glance–and willing to try and read his book.) The prologue alone had me in my feelings, but the ending had me crying.
I haven’t read a book that touched me this much since The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois. (The beautiful writing even made me feel sympathy for his father–a previously unsympathetic character at first glance–and willing to try and read his book.) The prologue alone had me in my feelings, but the ending had me crying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Sexism
I Think They Love You by Julian Winters
emotional
funny
- 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? Yes
4.5
Now this is a rom-com! Awkwardly running into the ex who broke your heart and moved away was funny enough, but he’s still fine and now sounds like John Boyega? (I was howling laughing at the foolery even though the author was dead serious.) I loved almost everything about this queer, fake dating, second chance romance. The chemistry, dad jokes, sprinkles of spice, flashbacks, and lack of toxic masculinity were top tier. But lowkey, everyone in the Carter family (except the nephew) irked me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
Making Things Right with A Goon by Khemistri J
dark
funny
- 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
2.5
Kairo McCoy, a CEO by day (but goon by night), gets the surprise of a lifetime from the fling (Brooklyn) he was searching for in the daytime with a flashlight. It started out great, but then he became an unhinged jerk without many redeeming qualities. I like the “touch her and die” trope, but this needed more balance. Their chemistry was believable, but the conflicts/mystery were wild yet underwhelming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Kidnapping
Heir of Riot and Ruins by A. R. Anderson
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
This final installment was a perfect mix of action, romance, Greek mythology, and mystery. Physical descriptions were more vivid, memorable, and necessary due to the extended cast. At one point I thought the arcs were a little dragged out, but the ending absolutely shut me up and canceled out my complaints. I actually started reading slower near the end, because I felt sad parting ways with these characters. There were minor paragraph spacing discrepancies that I can’t take off points for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Torture, and Pregnancy
Crown of Bone and Irons by A. R. Anderson
adventurous
reflective
- 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
4.5
Romance right out of the gate, background characters pushed into the forefront, and found family explored. The characters’ commitments to each other in the face of conflicts fueled the plot and spawned a mission. I enjoyed this book more than the first one, probably because this has more romantasy and spice. (It’s the first non-YA fantasy series I’ve read, and the mid-book scene was downright filthy.) It ends on a cliffhanger.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Grief, Abortion, and Abandonment