chronic_listener's reviews
108 reviews

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

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emotional funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

What a rollercoaster!!
I genuinely loved this book and had such a blast reading! 
What I especially loved (an incomplete list):
➸ how action-packed it was
➸ the push and pull between Evangeline + Jacks
➸ the pining and teasing
➸ the secrets and curses and betrayals
➸ the enchanting writing 

Halfway through this book I was already itching to re-read the whole series. The amount of swoon-worthy moments in this was truly a health hazard!!! 
There was SO MUCH happening, there was never time to take a breath and recover before the next thing happened, which made for an exciting and entertaining read that I couldn't put down.
My fav book in this series, it had everything I want in a fantasy novel: action, tension, high-stakes, secrets and betrayals, a hot love interest with layers who had me melt into a puddle on the floor, and an intriguing plot that glued me to the page.

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These Twisted Bonds by Lexi Ryan

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4.25


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These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan

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5.0


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The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

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4.75


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Lights Out by Navessa Allen

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dark funny lighthearted tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did! Hilarious and fast-paced with a morally grey golden retriever mmc. Has there ever been a less problematic dark romance main character than cat dad Josh? I doubt it.

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The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0


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Funny Story by Emily Henry

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Funny Story was incredibly well written with insane chemistry and banter that made me grin and snort-laugh in equal parts. I also wanted to cry because her character are so real, relatable and fully fleshed out that their pain felt like it was mine. 
I loved the themes in this book more than the romance itself. Yes, I loved Miles and Daphne together but their individual journeys and growth is what made this book remarkable in my opinion.

Some of the themes I loved in this (an incomplete list):
➳ Daphne's connection with her mom
➳ building yourself a full life and figuring out what you want that to look like
➳ putting your trust into someone only to be repeatedly let down but still not being able to let go or stop hoping
➳ the raw and heartfelt moments between all the characters and with Daphne on her own
➳ building your life around someone instead of for yourself and its consequences 
➳ the found family aspect and all the side characters (except for you know who)

"You can‘t force a person to show up, but you can learn a lesson when they don't."

Sososososo many great quotes. Not my fav EmHen book (👑 Happy Place) but one of my fav reads of the year for sure.
🎧 Julia Whelan 10/10 no notes

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The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

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emotional funny lighthearted
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

3.5

The Pumpkin Spice Café had immaculate cozy fall vibes, it was sweet and made me giggle more than once. 🍂 
While I am not a fan of the whole insta-love thing (which made the romance aspect of this book pretty meh for me), and it was a bit "cliché Hallmark movie", I did enjoy a few other things:
♥ the anxiety representation 
♥ the townsfolk (I love a tight knit community)
♥ the found family
♥ the clairvoyant mayor (hilarious)

Overall, I liked their individual character growth journeys more than their romance, I could see myself in Jeanie a lot at times (anxious and spewing words like a waterfall without thinking or being able to stop herself, whoops).

I'll definitely give the rest of the books in this series a chance when I'm in need of a quick and easy read with a dash of spice.
🎧 audio experience could have been better 3/5

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Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

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emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

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Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.25

I thought the opening of the story from the POV of a door bell was just genius and I was immediately hooked.
I loved the writing style, it was magical and whimsical and so easy to follow in my opinion. I was not expecting the fairytales vibes mixed with humor and I was pleasantly surprised. The 400 pages / 10 hours completely flew by! Can't wait to see where this story goes.

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