ourxstorybegins's reviews
582 reviews

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

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

4.5

Most of my thoughts on this involve spoilers so I will just say OMG WHAT?!? I really love this series. It was kind of hard to get into it at first because of a character I didn’t like, but once I got past that I had so much fun. Just like with the first one, some great twists and turns along the way and the CLIFFHANGER AT THE END WAS SIMPLY RUDE. I love being caught up but also I need book 3 YESTERDAY.
A Liaison with Her Leading Lady by Lotte R. James

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 55%.
This isn't bad???? I just COULD NOT for the life of me bring myself to care about these characters.
Wild Scottish Knight by Tricia O'Malley

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 41%.
The whole thing just feels very...in your face with the messaging? It's possible this is because of the audiobook narration, so I might try it in text. Very cheesy (which I don't usually mind) and some of the tropes are a little bit too...meh. Like, sorry, but why is the straight girl's gay best friend just hitting on every hot man within his peripheral? Why is the knight's last name MacKnight? And while I'd usually love subverting gender expectations by making the woman a knight, the whole "NO, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE A MAN" and that whole discussion felt like....idk forced girl power? lmao

Probably could've finished it, but I found myself rolling my eyes so many times that I'm like, why bother??
Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

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

5.0

OH MY GOD???

Okay truly have not finished a book and immediately felt the need to go buy the next one in the series until THIS SHIT. Would've been okay with never being in
that bitch Helena's
head when we got to her POV, but even that was really well done and I overall enjoyed it.

Truly my only critique was there was a few times where the author dropped very specific brand names to such an extent that I was like "ok is this book sponsored?" But it was just a couple of times and I got over it real fast for the sake of the story.
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Puppy Love by Elle Sprinkle

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emotional lighthearted 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

THOUGHTS:
Oh my gosh this was SUCH a good balance of story and spice?? I really really really liked this one!! Cam has Adjustment Disorder which I don’t think I’ve read about before! But we’ve got 2 coworkers (one is a manager) who put together a secret sex contract (no, really) and hook up even though they “totally can’t stand each other” (jk they love each other). Watching their relationship develop felt realistic? LOVED all of the side characters omg, the friends are perfect. HEADS UP if you read, there is a scene with a dog attack and another dog has to be taken to the emergency vet but doesthedogdie.com, NO.
Sips of Her by Karmen Lee

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

THOUGHTS:
I am obsessed with every character in this book are you KIDDING me?? We have Cameran who owns a coffee shop with her best friend and Julie who keeps showing up to said coffee shop because of the cute barista. They end up FAKE DATING, very quickly realize they should REAL DATE, and then the true drama of it all comes from the fact that Julie isn’t technically out to her parents. And get this: it does lead to a 3rd act breakup but then they just...talk about it? Like adults? What a concept. (OH AND MEANWHILE CAM IS A VIRGIN AND IT’S NOT A WEIRD THING ABOUT THE PLOT. IT JUST IS? What a concept.)
A Bluestocking's Guide to Decadence by Jess Everlee

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emotional lighthearted medium-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

THOUGHTS:
I think this is my favorite sapphic historiacl romance that I’ve read so far. Jo has a lavender marriage with her husband Paul, and that generally works well but some things have led to her having more anxiety that he might divorce her. While that’s happening, she meets Emily, a doctor who might help AND the woman she falls for. They end up really connecting while writing letters to one another? And it’s all very sweet and very fun. This is the third in a series (the other two being achillean romances) so I’ll definitely be going back to read those as those characters made appearances and I loved them too!
Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan

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emotional funny 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? No

4.5

THOUGHTS:
This book is SO funny?? Like Violetta shows up with a (fake) story to try and get some money from Bertrice, and this woman is like okay but what if we just do a bunch of ridiculous stuff to RUIN my nephew’s life instead? And then they do things like hire a very bad choir to follow him around singing the Hallelujah Chorus??? Then we get a hard shift into a conversation about how society treats older women, whether they have money or not. Having a romance between two older women (69 and 73) was such a good change of pace, and look IDK what it’s like to be that age but idk I felt like Courtney Milan did a great job with it!
Us by Sara Soler

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hopeful informative fast-paced

5.0

This story is about Sara (writer) and Diana and their relationship as Diana realizes she’s a trans woman, Sara realizes she’s bisexual, and they shift from a straight relationship to a very very queer one. Also there’s a cat!! The story is beautiful -- I was smiling through most of the time I read it, and the illustrations are SO STINKIN CUTE. I came out of this book immediately looking to see if Sara had written anything else because I LOVE her style.
The Soldier's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-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

4.0

THOUGHTS:
My mission to read Cat Sebastian’s back catalogue is proving to be a very enjoyable one! I love love love when a romance has a strong enough side storyline that it could hold its own even if the romance hadn’t been there. The mystery that Jack was trying to solve in the middle of dealing with his feelings with Oliver? Fantastic. They worked together and their strengths and weaknesses balanced out so stinkin well and I love being able to root for their romance AND just general success with everything else.

I will say that I'm less into this audiobook narrator. I still had a good time but he's just generally less engaging than Joel Leslie, who I'm used to having as the narrator for Cat Sebastian.