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jae_28's reviews
150 reviews
Holding by Alexandria House
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
4.5
What this book gave me, was not what I expected. It was so sad but beautiful. So many things about it made me as angry as it made me sad and smile and laugh…
This felt like two different stories, with constant flashbacks and forward, from past to present. I, for one, hate a flip-floppy ass book. I HATE it, and if I knew this was what I was going into, I might’ve skipped it. The thing is, I sat with it, and I was swept up in all the history and emotions that came with these two. I’d get so into both sides that there were moments I wanted to stay in the past or the present.
Reading this made me want to go back and read all of House’s books/series in order. Characters from other books always pop up and I love when that happens because the mf are funny. That interconnection along with the community are top reasons why I’ll continue reading this author. I’m too attached to them.
The first book in this series still takes the cake, but I’m going into the third with an open mind.
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This title should’ve been ‘That Time I Got HIGH… And Saved A Human’ because that’s what happened. I was actually mad when I finished this because I needed more.
I need more stories for other characters, I want to see Dante and Fallon rule the world together with their wives. Brie, Cherrie, and Cin… needed to see them catching up. I needed a novella at the end of this book because it’s entirely unfair for it to end the way it did. I finally got an MC that wasn’t scared to spend her man’s money and I was living for it!
I loved that this series started with the ultimate threat being eliminated and we get the aftermath of the state of the world. It matched the vibe of the series. Low stakes with the right amount of life-threatening danger, endless humor, and great relationships. You know the characters are gonna be fine and the reader is here to have fun. I’ve had so much fun with all these books and I can’t wait for Lemming’s coming series. I really hope she publishes more stories set in this world though.
Also love that Alexis is showing up everywhere now, even though she gets on my nerves sometimes.
Compared to the last two books, this one took a little bit (a teensy bit) to hook me, but in the end it was worth it. The most frustrating thing was knowing how close they were to each other and getting what they wanted if they only communicated. Yeah, it’s the plot, whatever, but it was like an irritating itch. I let out the biggest breath when we finally got there though.
The second book was still my favorite but this one was much less predictable. Just when you think everything’s fine, here comes another curveball! Stuff was just happening but it wasn’t in a jarring way. It was enough for me to sit up and clutch my pearls a little bit. Dante might be my favorite MMC, but I won’t know until I read the series again…
10/10 It’s great for anyone getting into fantasy or wanting something to wind down with. And it's so easy to read, you can devour this (and all the books) in a day, at most.
I need more stories for other characters, I want to see Dante and Fallon rule the world together with their wives. Brie, Cherrie, and Cin… needed to see them catching up. I needed a novella at the end of this book because it’s entirely unfair for it to end the way it did. I finally got an MC that wasn’t scared to spend her man’s money and I was living for it!
I loved that this series started with the ultimate threat being eliminated and we get the aftermath of the state of the world. It matched the vibe of the series. Low stakes with the right amount of life-threatening danger, endless humor, and great relationships. You know the characters are gonna be fine and the reader is here to have fun. I’ve had so much fun with all these books and I can’t wait for Lemming’s coming series. I really hope she publishes more stories set in this world though.
Also love that Alexis is showing up everywhere now, even though she gets on my nerves sometimes.
Compared to the last two books, this one took a little bit (a teensy bit) to hook me, but in the end it was worth it. The most frustrating thing was knowing how close they were to each other and getting what they wanted if they only communicated. Yeah, it’s the plot, whatever, but it was like an irritating itch. I let out the biggest breath when we finally got there though.
The second book was still my favorite but this one was much less predictable. Just when you think everything’s fine, here comes another curveball! Stuff was just happening but it wasn’t in a jarring way. It was enough for me to sit up and clutch my pearls a little bit. Dante might be my favorite MMC, but I won’t know until I read the series again…
10/10 It’s great for anyone getting into fantasy or wanting something to wind down with. And it's so easy to read, you can devour this (and all the books) in a day, at most.
Goal by Alexandria House
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
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
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve read this book, but it might be my third or fourth. It has the right amount of drama, trauma, and my kind of humor. Alexandria House will always give me real people and the best kind of black love. I’m already planning on rereading all her books next year, from the first series to this one. I’ll never get enough of them. Now I can finally continue with this series since the third book came out not too long ago. I’m excited to see where these take me.
A Bump in Boohail by Kimberly Lemming
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Not in the mood for a review today. But if you like the series, the characters, the humor—read it.
That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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
5.0
This is definitely my favorite book in the series so far. Fun, funny, fluffy—that’s all I needed and this book gave me everything. There was just enough drama to unseriousness. This is one of those books where you know there’s going to be a happy ending so you can enjoy it from start to finish, stress-free. The whole vibe of the series is a 10/10. I loved the characters and their relationships with each other. I got so excited seeing people from the first book and the short story. I found myself wanting to read stories about damn near everybody. The worldbuilding is perfect for me; it’s quirky and simple. This series doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s written so well that it’s easy to enjoy and follow. I can’t wait to get to the rest of the series and check out more of Kimberly Lemmings’s works.
Mistlefoe: A Mead Realm Tale by Kimberly Lemming
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This was too cute! Short, sweet, and entertaining. It’s taken me too long to come back to this series but I plan on finishing it by the end of the year. I’ve missed this world. It’s cozy and fit for the season.
The only critique I have: the random mean girl trope added some drama but it wasn’t necessary. It felt juvenile and out of place. Maybe if she was an established and/or prominent character in the first book, I would’ve taken her seriously. Despite that, I could’ve read at least another fifty pages of this.
The only critique I have: the random mean girl trope added some drama but it wasn’t necessary. It felt juvenile and out of place. Maybe if she was an established and/or prominent character in the first book, I would’ve taken her seriously. Despite that, I could’ve read at least another fifty pages of this.
you are your own fairy tale by Amanda Lovelace
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Starting out, I wasn’t terribly impressed with this collection. There’s nothing you don’t expect to be in here regarding the narrative. What I didn’t expect was the artwork, which is beautiful! It added another layer to each piece and I started getting into it the more I read. The third book was my favorite. I was drawn to the feel of it and resonated with most of the pieces. There’s enough white space to write down your thoughts without restriction. I wish the author had played around with movement more in terms of the formatting of the poems, but that might’ve been a publisher thing.
Overall, the entire collection was heartwarming, comforting, and motivational. And for someone who lives for whimsical, magical, fairy tale things, I found a lot of myself between these pages. I can definitely see myself picking it back up.
Overall, the entire collection was heartwarming, comforting, and motivational. And for someone who lives for whimsical, magical, fairy tale things, I found a lot of myself between these pages. I can definitely see myself picking it back up.
A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
This one hurt me. Yeah, the last three hurt me too but this one really did something to my brain and being. After I finished it and went to sleep, I dreamt about it. Then I woke up the next morning and it was the first thing I thought about. The entire day was me simply mourning and being very depressed.
However, the book was amazing. After all the chaos, we slowed down and had a few pages to rebuild and see what the characters’ lives looked like after the war. I appreciated that because I hate nothing more than a book that ends abruptly after hopscotching on my emotions.
I honestly don’t know what to say. The finale was as epic as I expected it to be. This was a five-star series. My body was bow-string tight every time I opened the book and I was shaking the entire time. I can't tell you the number of times I screamed and stared up at the heavens. There were so many twists, some predictability that I still wasn’t ready for, and I closed the book with a weirdly satisfying hole in my soul. I also closed the book thinking I wanted to start Heir, but I think it’s best for me to wait until the second book comes out.
However, the book was amazing. After all the chaos, we slowed down and had a few pages to rebuild and see what the characters’ lives looked like after the war. I appreciated that because I hate nothing more than a book that ends abruptly after hopscotching on my emotions.
I honestly don’t know what to say. The finale was as epic as I expected it to be. This was a five-star series. My body was bow-string tight every time I opened the book and I was shaking the entire time. I can't tell you the number of times I screamed and stared up at the heavens. There were so many twists, some predictability that I still wasn’t ready for, and I closed the book with a weirdly satisfying hole in my soul. I also closed the book thinking I wanted to start Heir, but I think it’s best for me to wait until the second book comes out.
Jazz by Toni Morrison
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It took three months to decide whether I wanted to switch to the audio and pick up the physical next year when I get into my classics era. Listening to Toni Morrison read is an experience. It felt like floating on a cloud and I loved it! It was the best thing I could’ve done because the font size in the book was borderline hurting me. Who knows why publishers do this, the book isn’t even long.
As for the story, the complexity of the characters and elimination of time forces you to pay attention to every word. This is not an easy book to read, and listening to the audiobook (I’ll be honest) you lose a lot of the story because [I believe] only the abridged version is available. I know I missed out on chunks of this which is unfortunate and why I plan on rereading it next year.
Morrison tells stories in a way that it feels like she’s speaking to the reader directly. Like she knows these people irl. It reminded me of someone who would be telling you something but kept branching off but found their way back—filling in a bigger picture. It left me lost, and sometimes I wasn’t sure who’s head I was in. Still, as a writer, I found that impressive. This is the kind of book you can read a dozen times and find something new each time. This is not the kind of book to be rushed. It will be confusing, and hard to get through for some.
As for the story, the complexity of the characters and elimination of time forces you to pay attention to every word. This is not an easy book to read, and listening to the audiobook (I’ll be honest) you lose a lot of the story because [I believe] only the abridged version is available. I know I missed out on chunks of this which is unfortunate and why I plan on rereading it next year.
Morrison tells stories in a way that it feels like she’s speaking to the reader directly. Like she knows these people irl. It reminded me of someone who would be telling you something but kept branching off but found their way back—filling in a bigger picture. It left me lost, and sometimes I wasn’t sure who’s head I was in. Still, as a writer, I found that impressive. This is the kind of book you can read a dozen times and find something new each time. This is not the kind of book to be rushed. It will be confusing, and hard to get through for some.
Little Lies by Talia Aden
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I’ll never pass up a good fake dating trope but this book was so much more than that. The drama, the family dynamics, the relationships—I adored how they were all tied together. My favorite thing though: Tully didn’t like being touched (I’m pretty sure she’s autistic) and when Nathan found out, he constantly asked her “Yes or No?” whenever he wanted to touch her. It was, top 5, one of the cutest things I’ve ever read. He was respectful of her boundaries and discomforts and always made sure she was okay mentally and physically. The growth of their relationship based on her reactions to that question alone was enough to do me in.
I can’t say enough good things about this story. It made me feel so many things—got a few chuckles out of me, made me inexplicably upset, and even had me tearing up on multiple occasions. I didn’t expect this to affect me so much. After I finished it, I kept saying to myself “That was a good book”.
I’m not gonna lie, I almost DNFed it in the beginning because there’s this back and forth time lapse thing that I HATED. It’s not the book, I simply don’t like stories that do that very much. Thankfully, it only happened in the first few chapters. I stuck in there and in no time, I was locked in.
As much as I loved the ending, I’m also not a fan of stories that end the second the love interests get together, especially, when there’s so much more to the plot. I needed at least an epilogue of what happened with Joliet (that deranged psycho) and when they got back to school after break. What did Tully’s family dynamic look like after that?? How did school change for her? So many questions and curiosities! I’m super happy I got to experience this book and Tully’s growth. The latter especially was a good glass of lemonade on a hot day. I’d devour a book two that covered the second half of the semester honestly. Because somehow, I can tell, this wasn’t the end of the drama. This was too good!
I can’t say enough good things about this story. It made me feel so many things—got a few chuckles out of me, made me inexplicably upset, and even had me tearing up on multiple occasions. I didn’t expect this to affect me so much. After I finished it, I kept saying to myself “That was a good book”.
I’m not gonna lie, I almost DNFed it in the beginning because there’s this back and forth time lapse thing that I HATED. It’s not the book, I simply don’t like stories that do that very much. Thankfully, it only happened in the first few chapters. I stuck in there and in no time, I was locked in.
As much as I loved the ending, I’m also not a fan of stories that end the second the love interests get together, especially, when there’s so much more to the plot. I needed at least an epilogue of what happened with Joliet (that deranged psycho) and when they got back to school after break. What did Tully’s family dynamic look like after that?? How did school change for her? So many questions and curiosities! I’m super happy I got to experience this book and Tully’s growth. The latter especially was a good glass of lemonade on a hot day. I’d devour a book two that covered the second half of the semester honestly. Because somehow, I can tell, this wasn’t the end of the drama. This was too good!