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kfalsreads's reviews
281 reviews
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
5.0
Before I get into this review, I want to say that I am NOT a fantasy reader.
Did I just become one?! I THINK SO!
Cue my unread books groaning at the thought!
Did I just become one?! I THINK SO!
Cue my unread books groaning at the thought!
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
5.0
This was my first Kristin Hannah, and, BOY, I felt a ROLLERCOASTER of emotions! This was hands down the saddest, most aggravating book I’ve read yet. I mean, just when you thought this book couldn’t get any sadder, it did—again, and again, and again!!
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
5.0
This was the DEFINITION of a COMFORT READ. It’s a classic MZ sloooooooooow burn romance but with a beautiful, deep, heart wrenching story at its core. I really don’t want to say much about the main plot points of the story (I would check TWs), because the beauty of this book is the journey, so I’m going to keep this pretty short.
While I had some issues with the pacing and editing in the first 150-200 pages, I absolutely ADORED the second half of the book where everything really picked up. I became thoroughly invested in Aurora’s personal journey; her growing relationship with Rhodes, his son Amos and their non-nuclear family; her friendships; and finding closure with her past relationship. She was such a great character and she owned my heart in this book.
While I had some issues with the pacing and editing in the first 150-200 pages, I absolutely ADORED the second half of the book where everything really picked up. I became thoroughly invested in Aurora’s personal journey; her growing relationship with Rhodes, his son Amos and their non-nuclear family; her friendships; and finding closure with her past relationship. She was such a great character and she owned my heart in this book.
Fool Me Once by Ashley Winstead
5.0
This was HANDS DOWN the FUNNIEST rom-com I have ever read! Ashley’s writing was whip-smart, witty, and full of hilarious moments. It was a rare moment when I wasn’t smiling or laughing at something Lee said out loud or as part of her inner dialogue.
However, she is a HOT MESS! Professionally, she is firing on all cylinders. Her goals, drive, and intelligence are admirable and inspiring. She is also an A+ friend to her group of hilarious and supportive gal pals. But it was her self-destructive tendencies and awareness of her trust issues with men and relationships, but refusing to work through them for most of the book, that challenged me.
I was in some serious doubt about how she and Ben were going to find their way back to each other, and how I was even going to root for her after finding out in the beginning why they broke up in the first place. I mean, it’s rough, y’all!! But the ending was perfect!!
My absolute FAVORITE thing about the book, besides Ashley’s writing, was the environmental policy and political maneuvering Lee and Ben engaged in to try to get her electric vehicle bill passed. It was informative and entertaining and being an environmentalist, I LOVED this angle!
I highly recommend this book if you’re open-minded about morally gray characters, are passionate about the environment and social issues, are in search of a new book bf, or just want to laugh your ass off.
However, she is a HOT MESS! Professionally, she is firing on all cylinders. Her goals, drive, and intelligence are admirable and inspiring. She is also an A+ friend to her group of hilarious and supportive gal pals. But it was her self-destructive tendencies and awareness of her trust issues with men and relationships, but refusing to work through them for most of the book, that challenged me.
I was in some serious doubt about how she and Ben were going to find their way back to each other, and how I was even going to root for her after finding out in the beginning why they broke up in the first place. I mean, it’s rough, y’all!! But the ending was perfect!!
My absolute FAVORITE thing about the book, besides Ashley’s writing, was the environmental policy and political maneuvering Lee and Ben engaged in to try to get her electric vehicle bill passed. It was informative and entertaining and being an environmentalist, I LOVED this angle!
I highly recommend this book if you’re open-minded about morally gray characters, are passionate about the environment and social issues, are in search of a new book bf, or just want to laugh your ass off.
Kulti by Mariana Zapata
5.0
Um, excuse me Mariana, but WHERE have you BEEN my whole romance reading life?!
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
5.0
I LOVED this book!! This DEBUT novel from Wilkerson just blew me away!!
Let me just start by telling you my mindset before picking this up. My hold came in for this from the library right after reading ACOTAR and I’m not gonna lie, I was hesitant. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make the drastic shift from a fantasy romance to historical fiction. But, boy, I was so glad I decided to go for it!
I recommend this for anyone in a reading rut or suffering from a book hangover. It is such a fast, compelling read that had me hooked early on with its unique structure and succinct, beautiful prose.
The chapters—if you even call them that—are no more than 2-3 pages (most just a page-and-a-half) and switch perspectives between all of the characters and past and present timelines making it compulsively readable. I loved how the story was like peeling back an onion, revealing Covey’s story bit by bit alongside the present-day lives of her children and their reaction to learning about her past.
The ending was so beautiful and emotional. Did I cry? Oh yeah. I’m still feeling a bit emotional while writing this.
Author Dawnie Walton described the characters as “so real you want to scream at them one moment and hug them the next.” I couldn’t agree more, and that’s what I loved about this story. It depicts the messiness of life and family, and the consequences of unsaid things out of fear or stubbornness.
I loved the depiction of culture and the role of food (in this story, the Black Cake) in preserving a sense of home, and the environmental angle in relation to the importance of the oceans and how these things linked Covey’s history and family together.
Needless to say, this book was a top read for me. I do advise going in blind; don’t read the summary! I didn’t, and it was so much better that way!!
Let me just start by telling you my mindset before picking this up. My hold came in for this from the library right after reading ACOTAR and I’m not gonna lie, I was hesitant. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to make the drastic shift from a fantasy romance to historical fiction. But, boy, I was so glad I decided to go for it!
I recommend this for anyone in a reading rut or suffering from a book hangover. It is such a fast, compelling read that had me hooked early on with its unique structure and succinct, beautiful prose.
The chapters—if you even call them that—are no more than 2-3 pages (most just a page-and-a-half) and switch perspectives between all of the characters and past and present timelines making it compulsively readable. I loved how the story was like peeling back an onion, revealing Covey’s story bit by bit alongside the present-day lives of her children and their reaction to learning about her past.
The ending was so beautiful and emotional. Did I cry? Oh yeah. I’m still feeling a bit emotional while writing this.
Author Dawnie Walton described the characters as “so real you want to scream at them one moment and hug them the next.” I couldn’t agree more, and that’s what I loved about this story. It depicts the messiness of life and family, and the consequences of unsaid things out of fear or stubbornness.
I loved the depiction of culture and the role of food (in this story, the Black Cake) in preserving a sense of home, and the environmental angle in relation to the importance of the oceans and how these things linked Covey’s history and family together.
Needless to say, this book was a top read for me. I do advise going in blind; don’t read the summary! I didn’t, and it was so much better that way!!
Cover Story by Susan Rigetti
3.0
This mystery/thriller epistolary novel by the very accomplished Susan Rigetti (seriously, her bio is CRAZY) was a quick, unique read, but, for me, the end (which I kind of predicted based on reviews) didn’t make up for the journey.
The biggest pitfalls for me were that I didn’t emotionally connect with the characters or find them likable. Lora’s character irked me because she just seemed too immature for her age, her actions bothered me, and her diary entries didn’t match her implied gifted writing ability. I know if you’ve read this it must seem silly to say these things, iykyk, but her perspective was 95% of the book, so it still counts for me.
Cat’s character didn’t fare much better for me despite attempts toward the end to provide some empathy for her lifestyle choice, and the text messages between the agents just felt odd and unprofessional.
I recommend this one if you’re fascinated by stories of con artists or are looking for a quick, vacation/beach read. I know a lot of people loved it or really enjoyed it, so I chalk this up to a case of it’s not the book, it’s me.
The biggest pitfalls for me were that I didn’t emotionally connect with the characters or find them likable. Lora’s character irked me because she just seemed too immature for her age, her actions bothered me, and her diary entries didn’t match her implied gifted writing ability. I know if you’ve read this it must seem silly to say these things, iykyk, but her perspective was 95% of the book, so it still counts for me.
Cat’s character didn’t fare much better for me despite attempts toward the end to provide some empathy for her lifestyle choice, and the text messages between the agents just felt odd and unprofessional.
I recommend this one if you’re fascinated by stories of con artists or are looking for a quick, vacation/beach read. I know a lot of people loved it or really enjoyed it, so I chalk this up to a case of it’s not the book, it’s me.
Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
5.0
I adored this story!!! This is everything I want in a book! It had depth, heart, struggle, growth, lovable characters, and a love story I didn’t want to end; can I get an epilogue?!
An Exhaustive Proof of Love by Josie Juniper
4.0
This book was a lot of fun! The writing was smart, funny, and full of ups and downs, twists and turns! Edyth was quirky and feisty. Lawson was really unlikeable at first but quickly grew on me and surprised me throughout. And both characters had really significant character arcs.
The two were magnetic together, and their arguments were the most realistic I think I’ve ever read. This wasn’t your typical one-off, third-act kind of breakup story. There was that, of course, but they also bickered throughout providing opportunities for introspection and growth.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the steam. This was It Happened One Summer caliber steam and lots of it.
The two were magnetic together, and their arguments were the most realistic I think I’ve ever read. This wasn’t your typical one-off, third-act kind of breakup story. There was that, of course, but they also bickered throughout providing opportunities for introspection and growth.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the steam. This was It Happened One Summer caliber steam and lots of it.