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poegostick's reviews
171 reviews
Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
4.0
Coming back to a Sherrilyn Kenyon book is like coming home. I'm re-living my best 2000s vampire phase and no one can stop me!
Wicked Things by Nyla K.
3.0
This was super fun smut! Perfect for fun times reading in the pool for summer.
Sweet Vengeance by Viano Oniomoh
2.0
I really enjoyed the representation here! I think the author has a lot of potential, however If I had to hear the word "dripping or leaking" one more time, I would probably riot.
Overall it just lacked depth. Also, reading on my kindle there was no TW listed, and with the explicit way that it talks about SA, I would have liked some more big red flags. I found the smut was actually ruining whatever the story was here.
Probably won't check out any other works from this author again.
Overall it just lacked depth. Also, reading on my kindle there was no TW listed, and with the explicit way that it talks about SA, I would have liked some more big red flags. I found the smut was actually ruining whatever the story was here.
Probably won't check out any other works from this author again.
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
3.0
I have some mixed feelings about this book.
I think it really started off strong. Feyi was a robust character - she felt real. Her processing grief, the reckless cycle she found herself in trying to process these emotions was wonderful. As someone who knows the messy part of going through the loss of a loved one, it was so relatable.
So where did it fall apart for me? Well, when was got to the actual plot of the story.
SPOILERS BELOW
The main romantic lead doesn't show up till nearly halfway in the book. Despite everything Feyi is just immediately attracted to this guy? She has felt so-so about everyone else, but this is the dude she wants and I don't think we ever really get enough meat about why.
Perhaps some foreshadowing of Alim could have helped. If we heard about her obsession with this guy and his TV shows earlier on, maybe we would understand and lean into him more when he shows up. It felt like the author wanted this to be a big surprise, but when the plot us summarized in the jacket, there's no literary pay off for hiding it.
We also had no hint of Nasir's toxic tendencies. I think some red flags (at least for someone familiar with an abusive partner) littered in the beginning wouldn't make us feel so conflicted about his reaction.
All in all, I just didn't care about her relationship with Nasir's father. I get that there was this grief bonding, but I think that we didn't get enough time with it. I didn't feel the slow build up or the tension. In fact, I think it would have been better if Feyi hadn't even been attracted to him at first, and we could have seen some development.
I'm so sad to have knocked off so many stars for the book, but I found after the halfway point it just fell flat for me.
I think it really started off strong. Feyi was a robust character - she felt real. Her processing grief, the reckless cycle she found herself in trying to process these emotions was wonderful. As someone who knows the messy part of going through the loss of a loved one, it was so relatable.
So where did it fall apart for me? Well, when was got to the actual plot of the story.
SPOILERS BELOW
The main romantic lead doesn't show up till nearly halfway in the book. Despite everything Feyi is just immediately attracted to this guy? She has felt so-so about everyone else, but this is the dude she wants and I don't think we ever really get enough meat about why.
Perhaps some foreshadowing of Alim could have helped. If we heard about her obsession with this guy and his TV shows earlier on, maybe we would understand and lean into him more when he shows up. It felt like the author wanted this to be a big surprise, but when the plot us summarized in the jacket, there's no literary pay off for hiding it.
We also had no hint of Nasir's toxic tendencies. I think some red flags (at least for someone familiar with an abusive partner) littered in the beginning wouldn't make us feel so conflicted about his reaction.
All in all, I just didn't care about her relationship with Nasir's father. I get that there was this grief bonding, but I think that we didn't get enough time with it. I didn't feel the slow build up or the tension. In fact, I think it would have been better if Feyi hadn't even been attracted to him at first, and we could have seen some development.
I'm so sad to have knocked off so many stars for the book, but I found after the halfway point it just fell flat for me.
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
1.0
I just couldn't get into the writing style. The character was passive, the world was just happening to her. I think the style was getting in the way of the story telling and I quickly got bored with it. There were some beautiful moments here and there. Maybe I will come back to it when I have more patience.
Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian
3.0
Something about Sebastian's writing is beautiful, but feels like watching a summary of "What happened last week" on a TV show. I never feel entirely in the moment, and everything feels overwhelmingly passive. That being said, these characters were delightful. Having a non-binary lead in a romance novel is something I'd love to see more of!
Beyond Shame by Kit Rocha
2.0
Not great but not awful. The world is interesting, but can't help but think about how misogynistic it feels. Everyone is poly but somehow we only have F/M/F relations? The main characters conflict made no sense and I found myself skipping the parts with her and Jasper to get to the other characters. Kinky stuff was fun but towards the end I also skimmed through it. Honestly good to just read casually while sipping tea before bed.