kassielovestoread's reviews
398 reviews

Oh my God. I mean....just...WOW. This novel was absolutely breathtaking. Will I be able to cohesively give this book the review it absolutely deserves??? IDK, I REALLY HOPE SO.

First things first, the cast of characters is to die for. I am serious- I fucking loved Alex, Jeremiah and the rest of the Torres family. The dynamics between the characters were so reminiscent of my own complicated Latino family and I felt so seen and I can't thank whoever put this book on my radar enough. Alex is a firecracker from page one,- she's a force to be reckoned with and you'd best either stand by her side or step aside. Alex was so interesting to read about because she was so complex. I wanted to shake her and demand that she treat her family and town better while simultaneously demand that her family give Alex her damn flowers! And Jeremiah??? Oh, I'm sorry to all the other book boys I've claimed as top tier, because Dr. Jeremiah Post takes the fucking cake. WHAT A MAN! His story broke my heartttttt :( His development had me crying, clutching the last of the pages of this novel in the hopes that he can finally understand how valued and how loved he is. I also loved how he never stood a chance against Alex, LOL! She bulldozed her way into his heart and he fell fast and hard for this conundrum of a woman. The chemistry between Alex and Jeremiah was off the charts. And yes, this is a spicy book! Everything about their romance was A1- no notes, 10/10!

What else I loved about this book was how its equal parts plot and romance. The plot completely enraptures you because Angelina M. Lopez has the most lush storytelling and prose I've ever read. This book reads beautifully and if you don't stay for the amazing, complicated characters; then you'll most certainly stay for the writing style and plot. This is a story about the lengths that a deeply embedded Mexican-American family will go too to claim what's rightfully theirs against evil, greedy white people. Gentrification for the sake of "economic prosperity" is always immoral and theft and this book does a wonderful job executing that exact lesson! This is a high stakes plot and you feel every moment of it, with Alex and Jeremiah fighting against the clock to save Loretta's and the rest of Milagro Street from gentrification. I cannot wait to get my hands on the rest of this series!! 

God, this book was so fucking good. I learned so much! I love when I can take away an unforgettable story as well as knowledge about something I thought I already knew everything about. I truly feel that there's something everyone can love about this book and I cannot sing After Hours on Milagro Street's praises enough. Pick this book up nowwwwwww, you will not regret it! 

The Drowned Woods is a standalone fantasy and is also a companion novel to the author's previous book, The Bone Houses. While I have not read The Bone Houses, I thought The Drowned Woods was extremely good! And I'd definitely want to read the Bone Houses at some point as well- even if it bugs my type A personality that I technically read these books out of order, lol. 

Our main character, Mer, is a survivor. And a damn good one at that! Mer has one rule she has followed on the run: always know of two exits. She has known a life of cruelty and seeks to find a safe place to settle down. Her plight is one readers alike will be all too familiar with as it's the typical backstory of a number of YA fantasy heroines. HOWEVER! Mer has a never ending fighting spirit and despite the numerous tragedies done to her (and some caused by her), she remains one of the more hopeful and remorseful main characters I've ever read. She's also not afraid to make difficult decisions, a skill she was forced to learn and exemplify throughout the story. I really admired this character- this is a story that will stick with me for a while. The rest of the characters readers will meet in this story are a bag of tricks; an unlikely team they make, but we all know those make for the best kind of heists! 

My only complaint is that I wish the romance was more developed. It felt like it was coming out of nowhere even though I was actively watching out for moments between the love interests. In addition, the ending was *almost* perfect. I just wished that we knew what became of the Prince (seriously, fuck that guy!), I would've loved to see some sweet justice delivered to that asshat. Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book! And if you can, splurge to get the Illumicrate version because it is stunning!

Alright, this is officially the spiciest book I've ever read (so far, to be fair). Miss Tessa Bailey...you evil genius, LOL. Only you can make a polyamorous relationship between one woman and THREE dudes as sexy and fun and surprisingly heartfelt as this! 

I loved the varying personalities that Gabe, Tobias, and Banks had. They each bring something really different to the table, but when you put them together it's just *chef's kiss*. Elise was also a really great character! She was so funny and a mess from start to finish. There's something deeply cathartic about her story to me (and no, it's not the: when in doubt, have an orgy mentality). It's the feeling of not knowing what the fuck you wanna do with your life and can't help disappointing your family that really touches home with me. It made for a super satisfying ending and there's many things I can take away from that. I loved the cast of characters! 

I also enjoyed the side plot of Elise's attempts to uncover the shadiness that is NYC's politics. It was interesting and was a great sidebar to the main plot, even if it was a little predictable. But that's ok! I was entertained nonetheless and that's the most important part. All in all, this was a great freaking book! I think my only wish is that I would have loooooooooooved it if the guys were also attracted to each other. There were so many times that I thought "omg, is it gonna happen? maybe?!" but no dice :( 

Holy freaking crapppppp, this short story has to be one of the best things I've read this year. I loved it so, so much y'all! The sci-fi element to this book is very beginner friendly and the overall plot is super easy to follow. I didn't read the synopsis of this (it was free to me for being a prime member), I just downloaded it a while ago and decided to read it today. I'm very glad that I did! 

I loved the plot twist and I definitely shed a tear at the ending. This would've been an amazing full length novel no doubt, but I'm really glad it was a short story instead. The concept was captivating and I really loved Lily and Matt. Sidebar: I care very little for war history trivia- BUT, I'm curious to see if signal receivers really were as groundbreaking as this book portrays them to be. Either way, I'd recommend to all to pick this one up! It's a super short read but it packs a punch. So worth it! 

I gotta be honest, this is probably one of my least liked novels by Denise Williams :( I wanted to love this one so bad but there were too many iffy aspects that got in the way.

For example, my biggest pet peeve is that this book is advertised as an enemies to lovers when in reality, it is the farthest thing from that trope. Enemies to lovers in a contemporary novel is very hard to pull off. The stakes are never high enough and more likely than not, the reason the couple dislikes each other is usually super petty. As evident in Do You Take This Man, RJ and Lear "hate" each other over a disastrous first meeting and not gonna lie, Lear came off as a total asshole!

Which brings me to my next point, I did not like Lear. Your tragic past is never an excuse to act like a dick! It was an immediate turn off when he told RJ to "smile more." It's actually insane to me that RJ forgave him (I speak as if they're real, but still, LOL). If it had happened to me I would've told him to shove his smile request up his ass. Lear had some serious red flags all throughout the book, adopting this whole "nice guy finish last" mindset to get over his ex and his alcoholic tendencies when he got particularly sad being the top two. This is a couple I'm confident do not last past the epilogue. 

All in all, I would not recommend this book. It wasn't completely terrible, however it's not something I'd ever re-read again. 

I have never been more anxious or excited to write a review for a book before... Not until I read one of the oldest books sitting on my physical TBR, Descendant of the Crane. Joan He, you are the QUEEN of unpredictable, earth shattering plot twists. I knew it when I read The Ones We're Meant to Find and I especially know it now that I have read this mind fuck of a book. This is a story I will never forget and can easily see myself revisiting in the future to spot clues I might've missed!

However, I am so freaking pissed off that this will be (as of now and probably remains) a standalone. The story and its several loose ends feels so unfinished, I'm just aching at the things I need to know.

I mean, what was that epilogue?! Caiyan ripped my heart out just to hastily put it back together in the nick of time! What becomes of Rou and Consort Fei? Is she possibly one of the eleven? And what did she mean when she said yes and no to Rou being the King's son?? WHAT on God's green earth happens when Mei and Sanjing reunite to do what for Caiyan? Can the kingdom of Yan be saved from the Tenet's curse so sooth's may know a life of peace, finally?

Ugh, I have so many questions! It's going to bother the fuck out of me to never truly know what happens. 

Despite the fact that the story is (in my opinion, at least) unfinished, I would still recommend this book. It's beautifully written with equally wonderful characters. In fact, the relationships that Hesina and her siblings have is my favorite part. I loved that Joan He took crucial time on exposition and development so that it hurts especially hard when shit hits the roof, LOL! 

The thing I'm starting to notice about Ms. Huang's books is that...they are basically the same. The men are all the same (with the exception being Josh and only Josh) and it's not that this book wasn't enjoyable because of it. I'm just trying to find something different, ya know? The way I see it, if you've read the Twisted books then you have also read King of Wrath. 

On the other hand, I did enjoy Vivian's POV. I thought she was a solid heroine and I valued how clear headed she was. But, her story is too similar to every other heroine that Ana Huang has written as of late. They all have issues with their parents that bleeds into their self worth. It's a great plot when it's done well, the character development is super satisfying to read. Like I said, I'm just hoping for something different in the next books!

This was a free read for me via the prime reading I get with my family's amazon prime membership. If it hadn't been because it was free and a short read- I probably never would have read this book! I'm glad I did though, it was a super short read to break my reading slump but it surprisingly packed an emotional punch. I generally have a love/hate relationship with standalone novellas, but I immersed myself pretty quickly in Alice Hoffman's writing. I'd recommend to all! 

Another win from Ms. Williams!! Denise has easily become one of my favorite writers- her books rarely miss and are always so entertaining. The Fastest Way to Fall was no exception, y'all. 

I think what I love the most from Denise's books is how much plot and character development goes into her stories. I hate to admit it, but sometimes rom-com's can be a little boring and predictable to read if the author doesn't include a gripping plot to match the romance, ya know? But with Denise Williams' books, you can always expect the perfect balance of character development, attraction, a little bit of spice, and a great plot to tie it all together. It makes for an excellent reading experience every single time! 

Some other things to love: the fact that the author included content warnings in a personal note in the beginning of the book and some resources at the end of the book if a reader is struggling. I deeply appreciated that! Also, has super short chapters that made me feel like I was flying through this book, despite that it's nearly 400 pages. A wonderful touch! This book covered a lot of deep and traumatic topics that I just know will be cathartic to readers. It did it in a way that was hopeful and respectful but doesn't shy away from the very real effects of these issues. I appreciated that more than words can say. 

I hope I was able to convey just how much I adored this book. I think it should be on the top of all rom-com lovers TBR (as well as her other books)! And even if you aren't a die hard romance reader, you should still find a way to incorporate this book into your reading list. It's worth it!