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emilywemily6's reviews
313 reviews
A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This was actually my first read in this series and I liked it more than I thought I would! There are a ton of side characters that I feel like would be more understood if you have read the others in the series. While I understood Gretchen’s perspective, she got on my nerves, especially with the third act conflict. I honestly was team Colton the whole time and felt like everything potentially hurtful he said was 100% truth 🤷‍♀️ Gretchen’s family made me angry. In general, I liked the writing style and I adored Colton, so I see myself reading from this author again!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Classism
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Physical abuse
A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber
challenging
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
This was alright but not a super satisfying end to the trilogy. Lots of loose holes and questions remain. A lot happened in this book but it felt a bit disjointed as far as plot and pacing go. I love these characters, and while Apollo’s POV was intriguing, it didn’t add a lot to the story overall- 2 or 3 chapters would have been plenty.
Threadneedle by Cari Thomas
challenging
dark
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.25
This ended up being so good but this book was ridiculously slow for the first 20%, and it’s such a long book. I loved the magic system and seeing the main character learn more about the world of magic that her aunt neglected to share. While this book is set in a high school, the themes, content, and writing is definitely adult. Very dark with some trigger warnings. We still have a ton of questions after this book about what is truly happening to the magical world, but we learned a lot through the main character’s perspective so I’m hoping we continue to learn more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Kiki's Delivery Service by Eiko Kadono
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was a cute read! The movie is one of my favorites from growing up so I was delighted to have the chance to read the book. This is very slice-of-life as Kiki tries to make a place for herself in a new community as a little witch. The narrative style of the Japanese books I have read, including this one, isn’t my favorite. The story is not gripping and there is not true character arc. No big climax either. But this was a cozy and simple read that showed lots of vignettes about Kiki’s first year away from home..
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Grief
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
4.0
I really enjoy Chloe Gong’s world building, and this concept was unique as expected. I wanted to read Anthony and Cleopatra first as a refresher, but didn’t get around to it. I didn’t connect to the characters or the love story as much as in her YA series but I still enjoyed them. This was a slower book that took a long time to reveal secrets but I was caught off guard multiple times. The plot twists! I kind of expected the ending, but not entirely. What a cliffhanger! I still have quite a few questions and hope things will be answered in the coming books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.5
This was so much fun!! I loved the wintery/holiday vibes with this being set in Park City, UT (I live in Utah so this was a nice surprise!). I’m not the biggest fan of the Groundhog Day trope, but this book did it well without too many start overs. I adored these characters- friends to lovers is my favorite!! I also connected to these characters and could relate to them. The third act conflict was a little bit blown out of proportion, which is the only reason this isn’t a 5 star. This was everything I wanted in a holiday romance. I enjoyed seeing the FMC’s growth throughout the book too!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing and Car accident
Minor: Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
While good, this book felt a little flat, especially the ending. I didn’t have a lot of feelings while reading this book, even though I knew this was the last one in the series and this should have felt like the biggest lead up and climax for the war. I loved Alex and Aiden together and while the ending worked out a bit too nicely for everyone, I still enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Medical content and Pregnancy
Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This might have been my favorite book of the series. It had a tons of ups and downs for the characters, including some moments that frustrated me a little. But those moments didn’t last long and honestly showed the characters’ flaws and imperfections in a believable and realistic way. The journey these characters went on to try and prepare for the final events of the series was engaging and the climax/ending made me emotional. Aiden and Alex supporting each other was great too. This book was more shallow/less meaningful than it could have been but that’s this entire series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement and War
Elixir by Jennifer L. Armentrout
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This novella is definitely necessary to understand what happens in between books 3 and 4. I liked that it was from Aiden’s perspective, and that we got to see how much he cares for Alex. I felt like the characterization of Alex was a bit off though, even with the understanding that she was not herself. It was kind of a tragic novella that had a big emotional punch.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, and Violence
A Season for Second Chances by Jenny Bayliss
funny
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
3.5
I had a hard time connecting with these characters, and I think it’s because they are 20 years older than me. Their sense of humor, way of texting, etc. were not relatable for me beyond the expected fact that Annie was a restaurateur and mother of adult boys. I found the beginning of the story really slow and the “meet cute” between Annie and John was more than 50% of the way into the book. And it was honestly really intense and aggressive, so I felt like the John we got to know was completely different than the John that was introduced. I liked the catalyst for Annie finding herself at the seaside cottage and how she made it her own space. I also liked seeing her interactions with Max; it helped me understand her character more. There were too many people in this story, which made it hard to follow all the secondary/tertiary characters and remember who was who. There was a big climax/disaster towards the end of the book that felt a bit contrived but was very gripping. The relationship (once these characters didn’t hate each other) was very sweet and while a bit spicy, it was pretty vague and minimally spicy. I would try another book from this author if the character felt more relatable to me and the romance was a more significant part of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent