kassielovestoread's reviews
398 reviews

All it took was just one out of context line on a TikTok for me to go and buy this ebook! And I'm glad that I did :) this book was too good! 

The romance was so well done, it was easily my favorite part of Because You're Mine. The chemistry between Catalina and Loren/Lorenzo was off the charts. And the drama was exceptional! The description of this book offers very little as to what it's about- other than introducing the main characters. Figuring out the plot and the circumstances of how these characters meet was really interesting and could've been excellent if a little more context was included. 

However, this book is not without its faults. Firstly, why include Lorenzo/Loren's POV if there was only going to be like, 5 chapters of it? If it's going to be a dual POV, make the POV'S even! Secondly, I encountered a ton of issues with awkward scene transitions, repeated phrases + descriptions of characters, and overall continuity errors that I felt could've been avoided with an editors touch. And finally, I thought the ending dragged on for a little longer than I would've liked. 

All in all, I did really like this book! I kept sending my best friend voice notes over text messages expressing the utter shock I felt during some of the plot reveals, LOL! This book reminds me of a telenovela in that way. I already have book two queued up in my kindle library and I'm excited to get into it! 

I really, really disliked this book. It was free to me as an amazon prime member, so I'm glad I didn't waste money buying this.

Why did Lennox and June dislike each other so much in the beginning? Lennox saves June's life and from that point they practically hate each other. Although I am loathe to admit it...the banter between them was pretty funny. That's all I liked from their romance, though. These two don't have a chance in hell of staying together. Sidebar- is this book supposed to be YA? It didn't read like one, tbh. 

Something that really bothered me was the best friend/potential love interest, Matt. He started off as a great dude! I felt like the author needed to make him wholly unlikeable so the readers would see Lennox as the superior love match for June. Matt's possessive behavior developed out of nowhere- I did not appreciate that "plot twist." And weirdly enough, June stays friends with Matt without any kind of conversation about how horrible he acted? Hard pass! 

If you couldn't tell by now, I would not recommend this book. The last 30% of June, Reimagined is filled with miscommunication for the dumbest reasons. It was an endlessly frustrating reading experience and I'm very glad to be done with this book! 

What. A. Masterpiece.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon IS the book to beat for best read of 2023- and we're only in January!! Seriously, this tome of a book was the most heart stopping, gut wrenching, epic tale featuring the best cast of characters I've ever read. I can't believe this book sat on my shelf for the better part of a year just waiting to be read. I've got to admit, like many others I was intimated by the length of this standalone novel. But I don't think I'll ever turn down a high fantasy with LGBTQIA+ representation and for that, I'm so glad I gave this book a try. It took me ten days to finish and I don't regret that one bit. My advice: take your time reading this book! Allow yourself to be immersed and don't worry about setting a goal. Because once you hit the 300 page mark, you better buckle up. The story really takes off!

Samantha Shannon knows how to write a damn book, that's for sure. I was completely entranced by the first chapter. I knew full well that this book was going to tear my heart apart and keep me grasping at the pages to know what happens next. I also knew this was going to be a 5 star only 100 pages or so in. And my intuitions were correct! I loved the writing style- the lyrical prose drew me in and refused to let go (I'm not mad at it!). I loooooooved the intricately woven plot that had so many moving details spanning across 4 characters from opposing sides of the world. And the plot twists!? My GOD! I was gagged; I never saw them coming! Let me just say for the record: Tané and Ead. That's it. If you know, YOU KNOWWWW! Badass-er women you have not read until you read their stories. And I'll die on that hill!

If this review (as much of a hot mess as it is, LOL) convinces just one apprehensive individual to read, then I will consider this a blazing success. And if you need more, here's a couple! If you like the bodyguard falls for their assignment trope, look no further. If you watched Game of Thrones and felt personally insulted at the writers for doing what they did to Queen Daenerys and her dragons in the series finale- consider this book as a balm to that insult! I can't recommend this book enough and I cannot wait for A Day of Fallen Night to be released!! 

Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter is exactly the kind of book I was in the mood for, I'm really glad I picked this one up! 

Don't be fooled by the adorable cover- this book packs an emotional punch with the addition of a super cute romance. The main characters, Aja and Walker suffer from chronic anxiety disorders and parental trauma PTSD. You can tell that the author has an intimate understanding of these conditions; the way the characters are described during their panic attacks is so on the nose. I think this could be a deeply cathartic read for those who suffer as Walker and Aja do. As I said, the romance was too cute and the spice was soooo good. The ending dragged on a little longer than I would have liked, but everything tied up nicely in the end. 

I enjoyed this story a lot! However, I found myself struggling to read this book...the writing style was not my favorite unfortunately. I have a love/hate relationship with third POV in contemporary romance novels as it is and in this instance, I thought the third POV made the characters ambitions, thoughts and desires come off as a little stunted. Which sucks! I think when a book gets this deep about mental illness, you need that first person pov to make the story flow better. That's just a personal preference though. I'd still recommend this book! Especially to all who are looking for a fictional man who understands how essential it is to take care of yourself emotionally. 

Do you know the feeling of standing by and watching a scene unfold (like a multi car pile up for example) and doing nothing at all to help, instead you stand there and gawk until it's resolved? That's probably the best scenario I can use to describe what I felt like reading this book. I wanted to crawl into the pages and rescue Eve and Olivia so damn badly. Alas, this is just a work of fiction so I could only read on to see if things got better.

This book was just so...weird. And not in a good way. The author unsuccessfully tries to be deep with these drawn out conversations about sexuality and none of it made any sense to me. At first I thought, maybe it's just me, I'm probably too dumb for this book. But now that I finished I can say with absolute certainty that I am not too dumb for this book, it's all fake deep nonsense. I kept asking myself: what is the point of this book? I cannot figure it out. It was also ridiculous how long each chapter was- at least 40 or so pages. And there were NO quotation marks in the dialogue, it drove me absolutely mad. I will never understand the significance of leaving out quotation marks! 

What is advertised as a novel about a woman coming to terms with her sexual identity quickly spiraled into a disturbing (but can't look away either) sexual relationship between Eve, Nathan, and Olivia. I don't want to give too much away in this review considering that that is literally the entire plot of this novel, but I was not comfortable with their situation. I kept hoping for a different outcome and I was really disappointed by the ending. And yes, I really think Nathan did it (iykyk).

Still, there's something about a chaotic book like this that left me wanting to read it anyway. I could've dnf'ed it- however there was something about Acts of Service that compelled me to stay for the shit show anyway. I can't really say if I'm glad that I did though, LOL. I would not recommend this book nor will I ever re-read it (once was enough, thank you kindly). I think there's much better books out there to explore that can take what this author tried to do and execute it way better. 

I seriously cannot get over how stunning Mimi Grace's covers are! That alone makes me want to read all her books. I wish all novels feature beautiful character art like her books do. 

It wasn't the perfect 5 star read for me unfortunately. I didn't really enjoy the writing style, more specifically how the author kept switching between Jolene and Jason's perspectives multiple times during a chapter. It was like every other paragraph the author would pause to switch and not gonna lie, it was kind of annoying. I usually have no opinion on third person point of view versus first person, but I felt that in this case, the third person p.o.v. made what the characters were doing/experiencing come off as impersonal. It was also unclear who exactly was saying what- I think this book could've benefitted from an editor's touch to get those little issues squared away. 

However, I did enjoy the story for what it was! The characters were great and the spice was aplenty. This is a short read that I feel anyone could enjoy. I don't regret reading this, just wish the editing was more fleshed out. I'd be open to reading more books by this author in the future though! 

I stand with the HarperCollins Union and will withhold my review until they receive a fair contract! 
DO NOT CROSS THE PICKET LINE! 
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Update on 2/16/23: The HarperCollins Union has voted today to ratify their contract and will return to work on the 21st!! CONGRATS!! <3 

“Mother, at all costs.” -Devon Fairweather 

     What a phenomenal book. This book, this book RIGHT HERE, is one of the greatest masterpieces I have ever had the privilege of reading. I will try to do justice to this review and if I can convince just one person to give The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean a chance, I will consider that the best win of my life. As always, check trigger warnings! 

     Where do I even begin? This book is definitely the most unique fantastical literary concept I’ve ever read. The premise: a secretive species living undetected amongst humans, called the book eaters, who are desperately trying to rebuild their numbers as their species has started dying down. So desperate in fact, that the patriarchs of the remaining families treat the rare female book eaters as a commodity to be traded, bred, and subsequently forgotten about once they are past their fertility capabilities. They have no say in this and next to children, are the most exploited members of book eater society. The crimes committed against these women are abhorrent and are all too reminiscent of what humans do to each other. The symbolism did not escape my notice; for all that the book eaters consider themselves superior to humans, they sure act like them anyway. 

     
     The story of Devon Fairweather is a story I will never forget. The lengths that Devon went too to protect her children was courageous, admirable, and inspiring as hell. When the cards seemed so stacked against Devon, she found solace in her children and found the strength to persevere, even when others would rather her abandon her kids for a life of solitude. I shook with rage when Devon was drugged during her wedding night to her husband. I was heartbroken with grief so absolute when Devon was forced away from her daughter’s life. I cried reading the loneliness that Devon and Cai experienced living in that hell house. I experienced so much heartache during this book and I would still re-read it a million times again if given the chance. Devon’s story was monumental and I feel like my perspective on motherhood has completely shifted. 

     I want to also mention the actual construction and unraveling of this plot. The book tells Devon’s story in a series of back to back chapters with one explaining the past and the other telling the present. You learn information as Devon reveals it to others- no info dumping in the first 10 pages here. Everything you learn in the past is critical information to understand what has led Devon to the present. It made for such a smooth and immersive reading experience, which just solidifies my opinion that this is a literary masterpiece. The pacing of this story was perfect- not too slow and not too fast. There’s also excellent LGBTQIA+ representation in this book! 

     Let me conclude by saying that Sunyi Dean does a scary good job of tearing your heart apart reading Devon’s and Cai’s plight. Such a good job that when the author gives you a shred of hope, you cling to it fiercely. I’ve invested far too much of my emotional and mental stability in Devon’s journey- but I honestly wouldn't have it any other way. Like I said, I’ll never forget this story. I loved everything about this book and I’m hoping that with the ambiguous ending, perhaps there will be a book two on the horizon? I sure hope so. I’m not ready to say goodbye to Devon and Cai anytime soon! 

This is a great spicy romance book for the holiday season! If you loved Legally Blonde you will also love Tis' The Season for Revenge. It's got just about everything you could want in a rom-com (no 3rd act breakup either, just an argument and a little miscommunication), but also manages to pack an emotional punch. Check out the trigger warnings before reading!

It's not the most well written book though, there were a lot of scenes and phrases that felt repetitive. I also think the ending was a dragged on a little. I kept thinking, "OMG, just tell him already!". I think this book would've benefitted from a professional editor's touch to stretch it from a good story to a great one. Either way, I enjoyed this book and would recommend to all :) 

I stand with the HarperCollins Union and will withhold my review until they receive a fair contract! 
DO NOT CROSS THE PICKET LINE! 
~~~~~~~~~
Update on 2/16/23: The HarperCollins Union has voted today to ratify their contract and will return to work on the 21st!! CONGRATS!! <3 

     OK, so, Written in the Stars has got to be one of the most romantic books I’ve read. Obviously the attraction between Darcy and Elle is clear as day and the chemistry is believable (opposites do not always attract, folks) and the spice was brief, but well done. All of those things can be present in any rom-com and yet, the thing that’s always missing is the actual romance between the characters! More than witty banter, I'm talking about swoon worthy dialogue. Like, when Elle countlessly compares Darcy to the damn stars! I found myself underlining the crap out of so much dialogue in this book and smiling like I’ve lost my mind, LOL! It was all worth it though, this rom-com was really great. 

     However- this book is not the perfect 5 star read for me. For one thing, there are far too many Harry Potter references throughout this book. I generally do not mind pop culture references (bonus points if I can understand them) in books, but Harry Potter, in 2022? Nooooo thank you. I cannot emphasize this enough: I DO NOT CARE WHAT YOUR HP HOUSE IS! Secondly- I just really disliked Brandon. I get that he had to be the overbearing little brother interfering with his sister’s love life for the sake of the plot. But between me and you, if it were my brothers, I’d have kicked their asses five “let’s go speed dating” times over. He really grated on my nerves! I’ll have to skip his book because I just don’t think I’ll be able to manage. 

     Overall, Written in the Stars is a lovely rom-com! I would recommend this to all, just be aware of trigger warnings as always and the absurd amount of HP references. It’s also the perfect read for the late fall/early winter season. 

I wanted to love this book so bad, y'all. I'm a HUGE fan of Claire Legrand's! The Empirium Trilogy is literally one of my all time favorite fantasy trilogies and I regularly find myself itching to re-read the series again to relive that amazing story. Of course when I had the chance to read an arc of her upcoming adult fantasy debut I jumped at the opportunity and was so excited to start! I did like the book, but I didn't fall in love with it like I hoped I would.

First things first, Claire's prose is fantastic (as usual!). You are transported into the lush language and the author's keen ability to describe the surroundings in stunning clarity. The world building is light in the beginning and the information you need to understand the mist and Gallinor is slowly introduced. I appreciated that! And the romance? It was easily my favorite part of this book. The attraction between Talan and Gemma was apparent from their first gaze and they tumbled hopelessly in love thereafter. The spicy scenes were also written beautifully. I want to mention that this is a very sex positive book despite the fact that it's a regency era! 

However- I thought the plot was a little too all over the place. It's hard to put into words and I hope I'm making sense here: how the book starts and finishes, it feels like it's two different novels. I think it's primarily due to the characters, since this is one of the more character driven plots I've read. For example, Gemma's objectives were constantly changing. It seemed never ending! What did she want, truly? I probably have a better grasp of it now that I finished the book, but throughout the reading journey I couldn't say for sure. It's not a development arc I'm fond of, it made me dislike Gemma just a little truth be told. 

This book is also missing something that I've generally come to associate with Claire Legrand's work: diversity. I'm pretty sure there was only one character of color in this book! I was disappointed in that regard and I hope that by providing this in my review, this can be amended for future books in this series. I also want to mention that Gemma is bi-sexual and is disabled (chronic pain and anxiety), so that was great representation! 

While I didn't love this book, I think I can say I like it just fine. It's an okay adventure with a really great romance. I wanted this to be a high stakes, fast paced plot to keep me on the edge of my seat- again, similar to what I experienced reading The Empirium Trilogy. I would still be interested in reading the rest of the books in this series as they come out though, perhaps now that I understand the vibe of this book I can appreciate the rest. I'll go ahead and pre-order this book anyway and maybe I'll re-read it upon release to see if my feelings change. Either way, I can confidently recommend this book to a specific sort of reader. Just because it wasn't my favorite doesn't mean it can't be yours!