nouriareads's reviews
190 reviews

Butcher and Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

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

3.25

I’m going to be a killjoy, sorry 🤷🏿‍♀️ but that’s not how you (should) do CW/TW. I get the intent behind the humour, but apart from the appropriate ones, the “funny” ones were weird. Using them for promotion is fine, but not where your readers are trying to take care of themselves.

It reads very quickly, I was glued to my e-reader!! Sloane and Rowan are charming and have chemistry, their banter was so good both IRL and through text. Rowan is like that guy who says corny things, but you can’t help but swoon a little. Even if the dynamic and kinks aren’t your cup of tea, there’s consent, a safe word and checking in so they’re exploring their relationship in a healthy way.

I’m not a fan of insta-lust, the time jumps made it seem like their friendship developed too quickly, and the romance even faster, so it felt like insta-love too. Before developing feelings for each other, I wanted them to be friends, so I wasn’t satisfied with the trope’s execution. Their character development was superficial and the author was too heavy-handed in setting up the sequels. Let me enjoy this couple first, then we’ll see.

It’s the kind of book you turn your brain off to read, it worked for the romance but my traitorous brain couldn’t help but ask SO many questions about the 🔪 logistics, but that’s a me problem. Their rationale for hunting serial killers and their victim’s psychology were flimsy. Also, why only 🔪 men?

It was still an enjoyable read: no plot just vibes with an original premise, but not as intense as the TW and synopsis make it seem. If you’re looking for a palate cleanser and aren’t squeamish this could work!!
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A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland

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adventurous emotional funny fast-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

4.5

Such a great read, when I say I love a slow burn, this is what I mean!! The 18 hours flew by, I had such a fun time seeing the relationship between Kadou, the prince, and Evemer, his bodyguard, develop. 

Kadou was especially endearing because he went from feeling like a coward/burden because of his anxiety and panic attacks to recognizing his self-worth. I loved that it’s a dual POV so we got their perspective on each other and how their first impressions changed over time. I felt attached to the main and side characters and I found the worldbuilding fascinating especially regarding trade relations. I have to mention the stellar audiobook narration which embellished the already beautiful prose!!

I just wished for more complexity in the mystery. It’s pretty predictable, which is not something that usually bothers me, but since the rest was so good I expected a bit more.

Perfect if you’re looking for a slow-burn romance (with lowkey more vibes than plot) and interesting worldbuilding!!
Outdrawn by Deanna Grey

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-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

3.5

I enjoyed this!! The rivalry between the MCs was believable, I enjoyed their relationship with their art and seeing behind the scenes of creating a comic. I also liked how they overcame their struggles, whether it’s Sage learning to accept leaning on others, or Noah proving to her scientific family that being an artist is a real career.

Unfortunately, I enjoyed these subplots more than the romance. The transition from reluctant colleagues/rivals to getting closer before they get romantically involved felt rushed, so the switch came a bit of nowhere. But once they’re together, they make a cute couple, and have chemistry and interesting conversations, especially about not letting their work affect their relationship.

I only had access to the audiobook and didn’t like either narrator, I might’ve rated it higher if I hadn’t read it that way. So while I recommend it, I’d say to stay away from the audiobook or listen to a sample first!!
Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco

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4.5

Jade City by Fonda Lee

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adventurous dark tense slow-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

4.5

Jade City has it all: thorough worldbuilding with interesting magic, a diverse cast of well-crafted characters and amazing action scenes. 
The clan war involves strategizing within the political and economic context of Kekon, so I loved all the sitting down and talking. So, beware if it’s not your preference but I love dialogue-heavy scenes. There are some interesting family dynamics at play, each member has a different relationship with the others, the clan and their status as Green Bones. There’s no stone left unturned in the worldbuilding, the magic system built around Jade, clan hierarchy, politics, socio-economics, international relations, religion and history: every aspect is explored and is interesting.
It was a little difficult to follow at first, but it became easier fast enough that it wasn’t much of an issue. It’s an introductory book, so the pace is pretty slow and there’s less action than I thought there would be but I’m excited to continue the trilogy, I hope there will be more action in the sequel!!
Les Larmes des nymphes by Sandy Bizzozero

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

4.5

Les Larmes des Nymphes se déroule dans un décor à l’atmosphère aussi cozy que mystérieuse. Il y a une petite ambiance cottagecore avec les descriptions de la forêt, la maison chaleureuse de Blanche et l’atelier où Cléa peint; elles permettent une excellente immersion portée par la jolie prose, par moments quasi poétique, de l’autrice. 

Sans spoil, on a un type de narrateur et un trope que je n’apprécie pas tout le temps mais l’autrice les a très bien amenés. C’est un roman assez contemplatif, donc il y a peu d’action, mais au fil des pages, et des petits indices laissés par l’autrice, le mystère entourant le passé de Cléa et son lien avec Ombelle se dévoile. Je reste vague parce que le spoil est trop facile, notamment par rapport à l’aspect fantastique, mais il y est (et est bien fait) donc j’espère que ça vous intriguera plus 👀 

On aborde ici le rapport à son art et la perte d’inspiration, la transition entre l’adolescence et l’âge adulte, la solitude et le désir d’amitié. Cléa m’a beaucoup touchée, ainsi que les personnages secondaires qui sont au final tous attachants, même ceux que j’appréciais moins au départ.

J’aurais aimé qu’on découvre un peu plus les personnages secondaires (autre qu’Alice) et qu’ils soient plus actifs dans l’intrigue et qu’on aille plus loin pour le thème du rapport à la nature. Ça reste une très bonne lecture, parfaite pour l’automne et qui je pense plaira aux fans de Ghibli (surtout Kiki La Petite Sorcière) parce qu’elle romantisme les actes du quotidien tout en abordant des thèmes plus sérieux.
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Xeni: A Marriage of Inconvenience by Rebekah Weatherspoon

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

3.0

Xeni and Mason were cute and I liked their banter, and how they adjusted to the situation. It’s a bi4bi romance and I enjoyed their conversation surrounding bisexuality and biphobia, there’s also some family drama, and I always enjoy reading that!
But between the instant attraction, the MANY mentions of his height (she gives Ali Hazelwood a run for her money lmao) the extremely fast pace at which their relationship develops and the unnecessary third-act breakup, I reached the end and I felt like that Elizabeth Debicki meme when she won at the SAG awards, very surprised. I think I’m in the minority, so if you’re looking for a marriage of convenience book give it a try! I just didn’t like it as much as I’d hoped, and I don’t recommend the audiobook. It was so bad that I had to switch to the ebook not even an hour in.
Triple Sec by TJ Alexander

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emotional funny lighthearted 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? It's complicated

4.0

Butch bartender Mel ends up in a poly relationship with married couple Bebe and Kade. We have an F/F/NB polycule and it was well-written, well-paced, super sweet and steamy. The audiobook narrator is amazing, and it’s so random but I loved the cocktail descriptions! It was lovely to see Mel believe in love again after a bad breakup, and believe enough in her mixology skills to enter a competition to try making her dream of opening her own bar come true.
The relationships were a little fast to develop and I wanted to spend more time with all three of them together. I wish the author had developed them as a polycule with a bit of focus on each relationship rather than two individual relationships that turn into a throuple. I hope I’m making sense! I also found that the talks surrounding class differences lacked a bit of depth. But apart from that, I loved it, It’s one of my favorite romances of the summer!
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

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

3.0

I LOVED seeing the side characters more (Dawes and Turner, my loves). An element of the quest allows us to know more about them, and it was so refreshing to have characters other than Alex developed!! I noticed a slight increase in dialogue which I’m happy about since I love dialogue-driven books. Apart from a few odd sentences in the beginning, I still love the writing and the atmosphere. The research, teamwork and rituals to save Darlington were fascinating, even if the book relied too much on convenience.

The author is very knowledgeable about Yale and it shows, but the Dark Academia vibe is almost completely gone, it’s more of an urban fantasy now. There’s nothing wrong with it (I love the genre), but it’s not what I expected of the series. The secret societies are also less present. With that in mind, I’ll be adjusting my expectations for the third book. While I enjoyed the quest, the payoff was SO anticlimactic that I felt robbed. I knew I smelled romance brewing in NH, I can't go into details without spoilers but…I don’t want it 😭(I know it’ll still be there though so oh well) I also feel like the murder mystery was randomly thrown in? It wasn’t as compelling as in NH (and I found it a bit boring in NH) because it wasn't the main plot.

I still don’t feel like Alex, and since the series is mostly from pov I have to say that it’s an exploit I still want to read the 3rd book, so hats off to Ms Bardugo!!
Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

I loved Aaliyah’s friend group and I enjoyed how the author handled the themes of grief and trauma. The book also deals with fatphobia, especially in the familial context when it’s disguised as wanting “what’s best” and saying that she doesn’t fulfil those expectations because of her weight. Aaliyah follows a great arc in that regard and ultimately decides to choose her happiness. 
While Aaliyah’s dates at Ahmad’s bar were perfect for building their chemistry, the dates got repetitive fast and almost formulaic, and there was SO MUCH miscommunication/poor communication. I didn’t think I had terminology preferences for sm*t, but there are words I never want to read in this context again!! It was a fun romance with characters with great banter, but the vibe was just not entirely there for me, and the ending was abrupt.