lauraleafromthelibrary's reviews
166 reviews

A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes by Manda Collins

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

  • Romance was a little too backseat for me.
  • Mystery was good but not overly surprising.
  • I enjoyed the one steamy scene.
Pirates of the Silver Coast by Scott Chantler

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adventurous lighthearted fast-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

3.0

Cute idea. Loved the side characters.
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

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adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Classic pirate story — but honestly the modern tales are more fun. This was just straight up boring.
A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Happy Place by Emily Henry

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

Emily Henry is a legend. Just read it.
A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn

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adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Absolutely brilliant, as always. This author doesn’t miss. 🔥
The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

What an ending. Charlotte Brontë would be proud.
Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-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

  • AAPI month — excellent rep
  • Mother/Daughter relationship — especially close to Mother’s Day, not everyone has a perfect relationship with their own mothers (life is messy, so are families)
  • Racism — focus on Chinese in Canada
  • Statelessness — discussion on immigration and citizenship
  • Culture — Chinese vs Canadian (and how they mix together)
  • Female roles — work, family, and personal (how do we fit in?); great discussion
  • Families — what do mixed families look like, how do they function; great discussion
  • Hockey reference — always like to see the Great One on the page #99

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The Gentleman's Book of Vices by Jess Everlee

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Ummm not my favourite. Third-act breakup is my archenemy. So much dramarama in this one.
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The Night and Its Moon by Piper C.J.

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.0

  • Sapphic friends-to-lovers with a mythological plot and an overall adventure story.
  • Bonus points for creating both a semi-LoTR character and a HP dragon moment.
  • Didn’t love it — but didn’t hate it either. *sigh*