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gnomepatronus's reviews
312 reviews
Ruin My Life by Julia E. McColgan
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
You know that sound—“Your Gonna Suffer, but you’ll be happy about it”? Yeah. That’s this book in written form.
We get two main characters who don’t fit neatly into any stereotype—both flawed, both raw, both impossible not to love. And every chapter? It drags you deeper into their past and present, layering heartbreak upon heartbreak until you feel it in your bones.
There are some soul-crushing moments in this book. The kind that sit heavy in your chest, where you know something is coming, but you still aren’t prepared.
It’s been over a week since I finished, and this book still owns a piece of my heart. Easily one of my top reads of 2025.
📖 “Believe me, love, I know what it’s like to choke on darkness. To drown inside with a fake smile that no one seems to see through…” (← Tell me that didn’t wreck you.)
This is a book that makes you feel—the messy, painful, and beautiful kind—this is a book that once you read it-it stays with you!
ARC Read via author sign up
We get two main characters who don’t fit neatly into any stereotype—both flawed, both raw, both impossible not to love. And every chapter? It drags you deeper into their past and present, layering heartbreak upon heartbreak until you feel it in your bones.
There are some soul-crushing moments in this book. The kind that sit heavy in your chest, where you know something is coming, but you still aren’t prepared.
It’s been over a week since I finished, and this book still owns a piece of my heart. Easily one of my top reads of 2025.
📖 “Believe me, love, I know what it’s like to choke on darkness. To drown inside with a fake smile that no one seems to see through…” (← Tell me that didn’t wreck you.)
This is a book that makes you feel—the messy, painful, and beautiful kind—this is a book that once you read it-it stays with you!
ARC Read via author sign up
Story Of My Life by Lucy Score
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
I swore I wasn’t signing up for any more ARCs or ALCs… but the second I saw Gilmore Girls and Schitt’s Creek inspired, that promise went flying out the window so fast you didn’t even see the blur. And honestly? Zero regrets.
This book has all the Gilmore Girls energy:
☕ A grumpy, cranky, but completely lovable MMC
📖 A romance author whose life just got flipped upside down
🔥 A fake dating setup for book research (because that always goes smoothly, right?)
👀 A sex pact that escalates
😤 An MMC who’s definitely not jealous of his own brother, her best friend, or the chaos swirling around them
🦝 A raccoon, a fish-dropping eagle, and questionable small-town antics
I haven’t watched Schitt’s Creek, so I can’t speak to those vibes, but if you love Gilmore Girls, this book needs to be your next read. It’s cozy, chaotic, and completely addictive.
My Date with an Ampersand by Nicole Parker
3.75
Y’all know I read some weird and wild books, but it’s rare that I actually stop mid-page, stare into the void, and ask myself: WTF did I just read?
This book? Had me doing that at least three times. Three.
Also, I could never remember the actual name for “&” before… but after this book? Yeah, that knowledge is burned into my brain forever.
If you love books that make you question your sanity while being completely unputdownable—this one’s for you.
Final Play by Eden Finley
5.0
I could not love this book more if I tried… okay, that’s a lie. If it were longer, I’d still love it just as much, because that would mean more of it.
Final Play by Eden Finley is book six and the final book in the Fake Friends series, and let me tell you—this one hits different. Unlike the earlier books, this is the onein the Sadenverse where I 100% recommend reading books 1–5 first. You needthe full journey before diving into this one.
You know that feeling when you’re saying goodbye to someone you love, and you just have to squeeze in one last hug? That’s this book. It’s bittersweet, nostalgic, and so satisfying. We got glimpses of all our favorite characters, and every moment felt like a warm, final embrace before letting go.
If you’ve been following this series, you need this book in your life. And if you haven’t started yet… what are you waiting for?!
Spotlight by Eden Finley
medium-paced
4.0
I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. I went in skeptical because single-parent romances aren’t usually my thing… but Eden Finley shoved that trope down my throat and made me beg for more. And honestly? No regrets.
We’ve got:
🎤 A retired pop star trying to give his kid a normal life
🎼 A nanny with dreams of making it in the music industry
🔥 Jealousy, banter, protectiveness, possessiveness, that into the unknown 😉 feeling
💘 slow burn with longing
The single-parent angle? It just works. It adds depth, character growth, and allthe emotions. If you’ve been hesitant about this trope, trust me—this is the book that did it right!
Pop Star by Eden Finley
fast-paced
3.0
I love the narrator, and I love the author, but the characters were just kinda acquaintances, and never really hit that level of me rooting for them as an individuals or as a couple. I absolutely loved getting to see a couple of people from the fake boyfriends but this one just did not grab me and hold me the way other books from Eden Finley has.
Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver
adventurous
dark
funny
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
I thought I knew what to expect going into this book. I really did. But somehow, it managed to be both exactly what I expected and something completely different at the same time?? My brain is still trying to process, but my heart? My heart is fully obsessed.
Listen. I loved Butcher and Blackbird. I loved our main leather-clad menace in Leather and Lark. And while I was excited for this character’s book, I wasn’t necessarily holding my breath for it. BUT OH MY GOODNESS. I should have been. Because this book wrecked me in the best way.
The character development? Chef’s kiss. The complexity? A full meal. The banter? CRACKLING. I devoured this book like I had a personal grudge against it. Once I started, there was zero stopping until I hit that last page. (Shoutout to DoorDash for making sure I didn’t starve in the process.)
The slow burn in this one?? Painful. Delicious. Exquisite suffering. And this MMC?? He does things. He thinks things. And every single inner monologue moment had me feral. So. So. SO. Well done.
If you need me, I’ll just be over here staring at the wall, trying to recover.