You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
readmore0304's reviews
272 reviews
Gild by Raven Kennedy
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I am going to read book 2 because the ending intrigued me, but as a stand alone book this was very just okay. It was an easy read and that’s the best thing I can say about it.
The twist was the most predictable thing ever if you just stop and think about things for more than half a second. I felt like it would have been more of a twist to not go that particular route, but then there would be no series because it’s the only thing that makes the FMC interesting. *insert eye roll*
I’m mostly just really mad that it took 300+ pages to get to any sort of interesting world building, or to make me somewhat care about the characters. This book pops up on so many suggested lists and sadly did not live up to the hype. The jury is out on the rest of the series.
The twist was the most predictable thing ever if you just stop and think about things for more than half a second. I felt like it would have been more of a twist to not go that particular route, but then there would be no series because it’s the only thing that makes the FMC interesting. *insert eye roll*
I’m mostly just really mad that it took 300+ pages to get to any sort of interesting world building, or to make me somewhat care about the characters. This book pops up on so many suggested lists and sadly did not live up to the hype. The jury is out on the rest of the series.
Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown
2.0
This book started very strong. I was super intrigued. Then, around Part 3 it started to become a full blown mess. Parts 3 and 4 were just not executed well in my opinion. The story became scattered and the switching of POVs stopped abruptly, which made the entire plot device fall flat. The ending was extremely lame and unsatisfying. The “twist” was not shocking at all. It’s been a while since I was left this disappointed by a book that started out so strong.
Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
3.0
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
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? N/A
4.75
Holy world building Batman! The expansion in this book was deliciously satisfying. So many moments of tension, so much new information, and one of the most frustrating cliffhangers of all time. I’m not going to be able to stop thinking about this for a while and I have so many theories.
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This book is absolutely not for the casual horror reader. In many ways I wouldn’t even categorize it as horror since for about 1/2 of the book it read more like a fantistical historical fiction novel; dealing more in magical realism than anything else. I agree with others who said this easily could’ve been two books, one that dealt with the history of the Mayfair witches, and one that centered on the “present day” characters, but I also understand why the author may have chosen to organize the book the way that she did. Ann did a great job creating an entirely immersive history of her characters that felt real, and knowledge of the family tree was relevant in the end, but it created a dense narrative. I think if this book were rewritten today an editor might encourage the use of flashbacks or some other device instead of completely diverting from the main characters for 19 whole chapters. I can see why many DNF this book, but once we got past all of the backstory and back to the present day characters, I could not stop listening. That being said, I had to listen at 2x speed because 50 hours is insane and listening at 1x was like sleeping potion.
On the whole, I could have done without the bit of pedophilia, it didn’t seem like a necessary plot device AT ALL. The way she wrote about sex and made her FMC and MMC essentially have a rape kink was not for me, so TW everybody. There was also a shit ton of incest as well, but that at least served a purpose in the narrative similar to Game of Thrones. So, do with that what you will.
I want to know what happens next and yet I’m hesitant to pick up the next book in the series.
On the whole, I could have done without the bit of pedophilia, it didn’t seem like a necessary plot device AT ALL. The way she wrote about sex and made her FMC and MMC essentially have a rape kink was not for me, so TW everybody. There was also a shit ton of incest as well, but that at least served a purpose in the narrative similar to Game of Thrones. So, do with that what you will.
I want to know what happens next and yet I’m hesitant to pick up the next book in the series.
The Exorcist's House by Nick Roberts
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is not for the faint of heart. The imagery will leave you shook. Plot wise, things moved along steadily for the first 3/4 of the book, unfortunately the last 1/4 or so fell flat for me. We had all of this action, and then a weird lull, which led to a final showdown that just wasn’t very satisfying compared to all that had been built up. I was prepared to give this book four stars for most of the story, but the ending was just okay.
Powerless by Elsie Silver
I really enjoyed this book, but it started out slow for my taste and I am finding that I generally am just not a fan of the miscommunication trope. Once they got over their shit, I was here for it. The 🌶️ was excellent if a little much at times with certain things…
In terms of writing style, it typically doesn’t bother me when authors expand on their universes across books. I loved that about Abby Jimenez’s Part of Your World Series, and I didn’t mind it in the Dream Harbor book that I just read either, but something about the way it was done in this book was not doing it for me. It felt like the tangents to explore/introduce characters from other books took me out of the story at some of the worst times. I can’t quite explain it, but it definitely didn’t leave me wanting to jump into the rest of the series sadly. This felt like a good one and done for me. This isn’t typically a book I would’ve chosen for myself, it was a book club pick, but I ended up enjoying it overall. I just can’t quite round up to a 4.
That being said Harvey is a gem. 💎
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I really enjoyed this book, but it started out slow for my taste and I am finding that I generally am just not a fan of the miscommunication trope. Once they got over their shit, I was here for it. The 🌶️ was excellent if a little much at times with certain things…
In terms of writing style, it typically doesn’t bother me when authors expand on their universes across books. I loved that about Abby Jimenez’s Part of Your World Series, and I didn’t mind it in the Dream Harbor book that I just read either, but something about the way it was done in this book was not doing it for me. It felt like the tangents to explore/introduce characters from other books took me out of the story at some of the worst times. I can’t quite explain it, but it definitely didn’t leave me wanting to jump into the rest of the series sadly. This felt like a good one and done for me. This isn’t typically a book I would’ve chosen for myself, it was a book club pick, but I ended up enjoying it overall. I just can’t quite round up to a 4.
That being said Harvey is a gem. 💎
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This was the perfect cozy Christmas book. Out of all my winter reads this year, it was definitely my favorite. None of the character development felt rushed. The Gilmore Girl small town vibes were perfect and I loved both of the main characters. I laughed out loud multiple times and watched the last quarter of the book play out in my mind like the end of a wonderful romcom.
5 stars because I laughed and cried, and this far exceeded my expectations.
5 stars because I laughed and cried, and this far exceeded my expectations.
The Sound of Gravel by Ruth Wariner
emotional
sad
slow-paced
5.0
This book left me in an absolute puddle of tears. Beautiful and heartbreaking. I’ve never felt so enraged reading a book, rage on behalf of everything that Ruth went through, rage at her mother’s actions, rage at her monster of a stepfather, and rage at the community and beliefs that allowed everything to occur the way it did.
I can’t say that I understand the grace she must have to be able to forgive her mother, but I still sobbed at her feelings of loss in the end. I hope she is now living the life of her dreams.
I can’t say that I understand the grace she must have to be able to forgive her mother, but I still sobbed at her feelings of loss in the end. I hope she is now living the life of her dreams.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
I'll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone
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? No
4.5