kassielovestoread's reviews
393 reviews

The relief I feel after finally finishing this book. I swear, it feels like time moves far slower when you're reading a bad book. There was honestly so much to dislike about The Accidental Pinup, but my primary reason is this: NO MORE PLOTS WHERE THE MMC STEALS A JOB FROM THE FMC AND HE KEEPS IT AS A SECRET UNTIL SHE FINDS OUT IN THE WORST WAY POSSIBLE AND TAKES HIM BACK! Not only is this plot (and subsequent resolution) completely unrealistic; who would take a man back that fucks with their career?? I certainly wouldn't, I don't care how long he grovels for forgiveness. 

Unfortunately, that plot was a real issue for me and pretty much set the tone going forward that I wasn't going to enjoy this book. I stubbornly kept reading because I have such a *thing* with DNF'ing. I am honestly super reluctant to read anything else by this author...but I'm going to play that by ear. Maybe I'll change my mind once the memory of this book fades, LOL.

A dramatic and adventurous conclusion to this duology was delivered in The Blood Gift. Similarly with The Blood Trials, I was entertained from start to finish. There's just something about the plot, cast of characters, and writing style that drew me in and refuse to let go. I'm not complaining though! I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I'm genuinely so sad to say goodbye to this world :(

I will say, I wish this had been a trilogy rather than a duology. Of course I want to see more of this world (and Ikenna especially), but there was too much plot and adventure for this novel. Seriously, it was a little overwhelming with the amount of plot there was. I think if the first half of this book's conflict were expanded and turned into book 2 of 3, this would've been a 5 star read for me! I felt that some loose ends were not given enough attention and ended with little to no fanfare. I wanted to see more of the Accacian Empire as well as the Khanian Empire! I also felt that character development fell, a little, in favor for all of the plot advancements. The cast of characters have my whole heart obviously, I just would've liked to see more development and found family shenanigans.

Overall, I recommend the fuck outta this series! I loved it so, so much. I became so emotionally invested in this story and Ikenna's journey. This is a series that will not leave me, it's earned a special place on my bookshelf as a result!

That ending??? Oh come ONNNNN. You mean to tell me that The Blood Gift is truly the last we'll see of Ikenna and the rest of Invictus?? Not to mention the looming threat of Selene out there, licking her wounds. I refuse to believe she's just going to lie low and find a new life out there while she's "denied" what she wants most in the world. And this prophecy detailing Ikenna's upcoming war with the remaining Gods?? Like- we need more! Don't leave us with this open ending, Davenport!!!

ALSO! With all due respect to the author and the artist of this cover...but, who the hell are these people standing with Ikenna?? From what the author gave of these character descriptions....none of the characters on the cover compare to the book descriptions of Darius, Dannica, Haynes, Caiman, Greyson, Dane, and Liim. I'm so genuinely confused! Don't get me wrong though, it's a gorgeous cover nonetheless. I just wished it matched with the actual characters of the book. 

How do I start this without sounding like a toddler on a sugar rush?? This book WAS SO FUCKING GOOD, Y'ALL. I  stood up until 3 am each night reading!! Take this as a positive aspect: I could not find a good enough spot to call it for the night so I could get some sleep, LOL. Each chapter left you wanting more and more and to find a lull in the story to break was damn near impossible. Eventually when exhaustion would hit too hard and the words were starting to blur together, I had to force myself away from the book. I went to sleep thinking about this book and I woke up thinking about this book! It's been such a long time since a fantasy series gripped me like The Blood Trials has.

Oh, Ikenna. The woman that you are. To say that I'm obsessed with Ikenna Amari is the understatement of 2024! If you want the most badass, takes no shit, challenges authority with no trepidation, intelligent and calculating, murderous fmc, look no further. I feel like I say that about every fmc in high fantasy novels but I want to scrub the record clean- Ikenna is officially number one!! I loved this character sooooo much. I was in awe of her strength and her unwavering commitment to revenge. Every decision that Ikenna made was (at least I hoped) something I felt like I could/would do in her position. I can't sing enough praises of this character. I want more!! I just know The Blood Gift isn't going to be enough- give me five more novels with this fmc!!!

In addition to the compelling plot and my new, favorite book GF; I can confidently say that the way this novel was written was also one of my favorite aspects. The action rarely stops! It's nonstop, from page one to fin! It made for an anxious reading journey for me because I invested so much of my emotional and mental wellbeing on Ikenna's journey, LOL. But that's what makes me love reading so damn much. I don't care this much about movie's or tv shows or even music. However, a book can always have the capacity to turn me into a sobbing, anxious mess if it's written, paced, and filled with a damn good cast of characters JUST like this one. Several times I had to force myself to stop reading because I kept forgetting that this was a work of fiction and that I was not, in fact, watching a movie in my head. The disassociation was real. I was immersed fully into this world. N.E. Davenport, you evil genius!!

As I'm writing this review, the clock just turned 12:10am. Do I forego sleep until 3 am once again to start book two?? I'm thinking yes! I'm not sure if I'll be able to sleep otherwise!!

Do yourself the favor and buy this series!

As much as I liked the concept of a Dark Olympus series and all the schemes and political movings, I think it's finally time for me to admit that Katee Robert's writing style and I simply don't match. I think this book would've been great if the prose was less juvenile. I wanted to continue to read this series because I do think the quality gets better...but I just can't see myself dedicating that much effort (and money) for it to possibly blow up in my face, LOL! I think what could potentially sway my opinion is reading Eurydice's and Callisto's books. I'd really have to be in the mood for it, but I could see myself reading them. 

Damn, this book hit me right in the feels. To be honest, I only read this book to check off the "Q" requirement off of my 2023 Alphabet reading challenge. I'm so glad that I did though! This book was shocking and sad and incredibly moving. This book explores so many topics and themes and it was all done so seamlessly. It never felt rushed or thoughtless, as you read through Queenie's darkest moments.

I loved every bit of this book; Queenie is a character that'll stick with me for years. I can absolutely see myself revisiting this story in the future. I can relate a lot to Queenie's struggles and I took so much satisfaction in her recovery. Make no mistake, the author puts Queenie THROUGH it! But like I said, there's so much joy in discovering how Queenie can forgive and move on and heal the past to focus on the future. It was incredibly inspirational and I don't say that lightly. 

The ending was perfect, I can't say that about all of the books I read (even if they are all 5 stars!), but I can definitely make that statement with this book. This novel was such a cathartic and necessary read and I'd absolutely recommend to all! 

PS. look up trigger warnings!! 

This was a book I was dying to get to read! Definitely one of my most anticipated reads for the year and for good reason. Lately I've been on such a slump when it comes to rom-com's. They all blur together at some point; same tropes, same character types, same plots...etc. But Raiders of the Lost Heart?? Yeaaaaah, this was like a refreshing glass of cool water after trekking through a hot ass desert. This book was so good! It was so different from anything I've ever read before (in this genre, ofc). 

I love that the story gets straight to the point! The reader isn't burdened with instant info dump galore at the beginning. Instead, we meet our FMC Corrie as she's propositioned for the opportunity of a lifetime. I really admired this character- she's feisty and smart and incredibly adept to the career she chose. I love how independent and headstrong she was as well! And then we have Ford; not going to lie, it took a while for me to warm up to him. It seemed like this couldn't be a love story if he was so hellbent on professionally (and personally) screwing over Corrie. But I kept my mind open and when the full extent of the truth was revealed, I did eventually come to like Ford. I'm glad his reasons were legit and completely relatable! He was definitely such a chicken compared to Corrie in terms of adventure, LOL. But that duality made the story so refreshing and interesting to read. 

What I absolutely NEED to know is: will there be a book two??? Are we to expect a blooming series about this couple and their various adventurous escapades across the world? If so, count me IN! I need more after that epilogue!! 

This was certainly a rollercoaster of a read! The lengths that June would reach to get the fame, notoriety, financial and blockbuster successes she desperately yearned for was both absurd and yet completely grounded in truth/reality. And I know this to be especially true because on any given day, I will learn about the most horrific publishing drama and it is always on (or very close to) the same level of June's crimes! Now I'll always compare it to this book- and how many authors could really stand to learn a thing or two about this story.

What I found particularly engrossing about this novel is that June is not meant to be a likable character, you should NOT root for this girl to win. She is not deserving of a HEA or a redemption arc in the slightest. It's like stopping your commute to watch a fight happen; you can't look away from June, you just have to see how it'll play out! The reader can feel deep in their bones how true that is; even when faced with multiple opportunities to tell the truth and make the horrible situation better, June viciously defends her right to be a plagiarist and will jump through multiple hoops to be deserving of her place in the industry. It's astounding but again, this is rooted in personal knowledge of how these people work and the author more than exemplifies that. June makes no earnest apologies and will emotionally manipulate the memory of Athena to serve her interests. June is a straight up villain, through and through. 

If you wanted to watch a movie with a similar plot, check out Not Okay! I kept referencing this movie throughout this novel and I wanted to share that in this review. This book was very good and extremely thought provoking. I'd say this is most certainly a must read for EVERYONE! 

Well, this was a disappointing read for me. I think the concept of this book had a lot of potential, but the execution fell flat. My primary issue was the pacing. It was entirely too slow for a horror novel. By the time the plot manifested and the apex of the conflict was achieved...I was not at all attached to the characters nor the plot line. It was important for me to finish the book anyway; I paid 28$ for this copy, SHEESH!

I think another issue I had with this book was that I very much did not care for the characters. I did like Monsterrat, I think she was a strong fmc in her own way. I just couldn't connect with her and I often questioned her decisions. I never understood why she stayed friends with Tristian- I get that she was in love with him but damn, stand up girl! He is just a man! He was also a terrible person! Tristian often talked about how ordinary looking Monsterrat was, how she was a mess with her unruly hair and didn't like her interests. He would use her once a romantic relationship imploded and took advantage of her kindness. Am I seriously expected to root for them to get together in the end? That is a toxic man-child who will suck up the best years of your life, Monsterrat! RUN FOR THE HILLS! 

There were some other petty issues I took with this book, none other worth mentioning besides the pacing and the unlikeable male MC. I'm super bummed I couldn't get into this book, Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my favorite authors and I generally always enjoy her writing! I'm hoping her next novel will be amazing to make up for this one. 

Wow. WOW! I meaaaaannnnnnn.... wow. What a fantastic novel- this review will surely end up being an incoherent mess but if it's all the same, I'm gonna try like hell to really give this review the justice it deserves. 

I don't really remember ever purchasing this book; it's completely possible that it was gifted to me during my birthday or even at Christmas. I decided to read this because I was in the mood for something dark and I wanted a standalone story to sink my teeth into. And this book delivered just that!! The writing style consistently evoked a moody, atmospheric New York City which relayed the perfect backdrop to this murder mystery (and a dash of dark academia!). Our main character Nell is working through her messy life when her father abruptly dies and the way that this story slowly unwinds to reveal its many surprises kept me endlessly entertained. I especially loved the way the past is told; the chapters break to the many side characters perspectives as they recount the memories to Nell. Those memories are slowly fed to us as the story progresses- making sure that the reader is keeping up with both the past and the present. It's definitely not a new concept, but it was executed so perfectly I can't help but gush about it!!

I just looooved this book. I sometimes questioned the cast of character's ambitions and decision making because some of the things they'd do, I would never have done! But that's what made this book so enjoyable anyway, I had to reserve my judgement until I got the whole story. The ending was so bittersweet (more sweet than better, to be fair) and it definitely left me wanting more. Not in the way that the ending feels inconclusive, but rather a sense of not wanting to say goodbye to this story and its characters. 

I think Peng Shepherd is an author I've got to keep my eye on for future releases! The way this story will stay with me for a long time! I would definitely recommend this undervalued book to people who love magical realism stand-alones! 

ANOTHER win from Miss Tessa Bailey!! I can't believe this was FREE through Amazon! I easily would've paid any amount to read this book. In my opinion, Tessa Bailey's novels always hits, she's got a forever fan in me. Her books are the perfect, quintessential rom-coms that you absolutely need in your life. I loved this book so much and I'm soooo excited to read her new sports romance series!!