sarahm's reviews
60 reviews

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

5.0

Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage

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lighthearted relaxing slow-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

4.0

I'm obsessed with this series, and this newest installment didn't miss. This book felt a bit different than the others- since these two characters have been so present in the previous two books, I felt like I already knew the characters before reading this book. That can be a challenging book to write, and I was a bit nervous that it wouldn't land as well as the others have, but Sage did it wonderfully. This one felt even cozier and lower-stakes than the rest of the series, and is a perfect curl-up and read-in-one-sitting book, with familiar characters and a familiar setting. 

I'm super excited to read Cam's story next! I don't feel like we know Cam and Dusty very well yet, and the little hints in the last couple books definitely have me eager to see what happens.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House / Dial Press for the e-ARC! 
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

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

2.75

Could have done without the characters not taking no for an answer, in multiple scenes :/ 
Batman: The Long Halloween: Deluxe Edition by Jeph Loeb

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dark tense fast-paced

5.0

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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challenging dark hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

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dark 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? It's complicated

2.5

Yeah, I dunno, something about this just didn't work for me. Skimming the reviews, I seem to be in the minority with that opinion, so maybe take my thoughts with a grain of salt here. I just felt off the whole time I was reading this. The pacing felt weird, the transitions between plot points felt obligatory and forced rather than clever, the characters didn't feel real, and the amazing worldbuilding I loved in the first book was barely there. 

This next paragraph I'm going to let out some spoilery frustrations... It was nonstop plot point to plot point to plot point, and there wasn't enough time between heavy scenes to feel for the characters.
Yet, when the characters knew something was urgent, they just split up and went to their respective dwellings and took some downtime? Even though at the end of the book there were suddenly enough rooms in Il Bastone for everyone to NOT split up?
The characters didn't feel firmly *in* the story and setting, and their reactions to things happening around them didn't feel true to their characters.
I mean, the whole book Alex is yearning for Darlington, and then he finally comes back, and she leaves him with barely a hello to... go eat dry cereal. I'm confused. And Mercy just instantly accepts magic exists within the span of a paragraph with basically no follow up questions? Just because the plot needed her?
 

There were some really awesome worldbuilding and lore ideas in this book, that I feel could have made for a really great sequel, but it just wasn't there yet. Maybe I just didn't meet this book at the right time. 
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston

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funny lighthearted 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

4.5

Yep, this is the romance book of the year for me. Maybe the romance book of the past 5 years and future 5 years. Maybe longer. I'm not usually a fan of second chance romances, but this one was it. I don't know if I'll ever even try another second chance romance, because how could it be better than this one? Nonbinary representation, bisexual representation, jump-first-think-second representation... Plus the most delicious descriptions of food and wine I've ever read (truly, it was like I was reading a cookbook or a wine tasting tour brochure). It was sweet, it was sexy, it was heartfelt, it was surprising, it was predictable when it needed to be. Interesting main characters, delightful side characters, and the typical romcom tropes weren't overdone or boring. Highly recommend. Fans of McQuiston's RWRB are going to be pleased. 

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the e-ARC! 
When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

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

4.5

I put off reading this book for so long because I really thought it was like 500 pages or something, so when the ebook had a hold line of 2 months and I got the physical copy instead, imagine my surprise in finding it's a novella of barely 150 pages. And oh boy do I wish I had just read it when I first got the ARC. I'm always a fan of urban fantasy, especially with folklore mixed in, and this one definitely hit the spot for me. The worldbuilding is so clever - creatures that feed on fear running a horror movie theater? That's such an artfully simple, genius idea. The worldbuilding didn't feel weighty, and I was impressed with how well-developed the characters felt given the book's length. I did feel that the relationships between the characters could have been developed just *slightly* more, and I found myself almost wishing it was the 500-page brick of a book that I thought it would be... Almost. I think it's a great example of a well-executed novella, fitting everything it needs to in such a small package. As a plus, I don't usually comment on book covers, but this one is simply gorgeous.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor books for the e-ARC! 
Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan

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adventurous lighthearted 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book was everything for me. A thrilling heist story, complete with a stunning setting and delightful nods to history and art. The cast of characters (because every heist story needs a large, well developed crew) was fantastic, each having their own backstory and believable goals. I was completely sucked in, rooting for them and waiting for the inevitable catastrophe-turned-twist (because again, it's what every heist story needs). Even knowing the twist was coming, I was second guessing myself and going back to previous chapters to see what I might have missed. I was truly along for the ride with this one and I want a billion more. I don't care if it was maybe a bit predictable - again, it's a heist story - and a well done one at that. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan) for the e-ARC! This is my completely honest review. 
How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? No

4.0

This was such a neat premise! It felt familiar and cozy, but I don’t think I’ve read a mystery quite like it before. The reveals were unpredictable enough to surprise me, but not so out of the blue that I felt cheated. While I can get easily bored by dual timelines, they added so much to the suspense and pacing of this book, and I think they were done really well. Don’t expect an edge-of-your-seat suspense thriller, but pick this one up for a cozy mystery with a bit of a kick to it. I’d definitely read more of this author. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for the e-ARC!