sassypantsreading's reviews
798 reviews

Heart of Defiance by Eva Chase

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

3.0

Heart of Defiance was good, but it felt very rushed to me. I didn’t think Signy had much chemistry with any of her men because of that. While the book was definitely spicy, I just wasn’t feeling the love between Signy, Jostein, Iko, and Landric. It was really interesting reading part of the backstory of the Darium empire, but I wish we had a reference point for how they got from winning the rebellion to where they are in the Royal Spares series, since this book was supposed to be a prequel of sorts.

I received an ARC of Heart of Defiance from BookSirens. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Tide Together by Melanie Summers

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

4.0

Tide Together is a sweet rom-com. Paige and Mac were a great couple, and I loved when they were bantering. The side characters were great, except for Paige’s family. This book is a fade-to-black book, which isn’t really my thing. Overall, I enjoyed this book. 

I was fortunate to receive a copy of Tide Together from NetGalley, and I am leaving my review of this book voluntarily. 
Stalking Cinderella by Leann Belle

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2.0

Stalking Cinderella was my least favorite book in the Vicious Wonders series. Right off the bat, I figured out that I like the fantasy worlds and quests of the other books in the series. Though Stalking Cinderella does have a bit of paranormal/fantasy with Nero, it wasn’t the same. This book was by far the least dark, but it had an underlying ick factor for me that reeked of grooming. I didn’t feel like the plot was very well developed and there wasn’t a redemption arc for any of the characters. There’s next to no backstory on why Nero is involved. I don’t think Rowan and Zakari treat Elise with any modicum of respect, and I hated that Elise is basically nothing more than a slave to her body. The author definitely brought the heat with Stalking Cinderella, but without chemistry between the characters, it fell flat. This book just really didn’t do it for me, unfortunately. I am, however, otherwise obsessed with the series, so I will continue reading. 

I received a copy of Stalking Cinderella from BookSirens. I am leaving my review voluntarily. 
There's No Place Like Oz by Leann Belle

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

5.0

Once again, I am in awe and obsessed with a Vicious Wonders book! There’s No Place Like Oz was so good! Of the three books I’ve read in the series, this one stood out because Dorothy is with each of her men all the time. They aren’t frenemies like they are in Alice in Wonderland and Labyrinth retellings. However, just because the element of conflict was removed from the relationship between the men didn’t mean there was no conflict. Each of the witches was twisted and dark in their own right. I loved how the men had almost visceral reactions to seeing their witch again and had to work through their trauma. I think the characters in this book had the biggest redemption arcs. And, as always, I love how Ms. Belle explores different aspects of mental health and how the journeys allow the women to heal. Stalking Cinderella is up next for me, and I can’t wait!

I was fortunate to receive a copy of There’s No Place Like Oz from BookSirens to voluntarily review.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Keep Me Warm - A Christmas Novella by E a Brady

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

3.0

Keep Me Warm was just ok for me. I loved the cozy winter vibes of the book, but the story felt forced and too formal. Eden and Henry were great together, but, as a novella, I didn’t feel like there was much chance for their relationship to develop adequately. It was still a cute read, it just fell a little flat for me.

I received a copy of Keep Me Warm from BookSirens. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
Stitches and Sparks by E.A Brady

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4.0

Stitches and Sparks was just what I needed after reading some intensely dark romantasy books. It was a super sweet, four 🌶️ open door, small-town romance. Mia and Jesse had some serious chemistry and the author did a great job of relaying that chemistry. I did feel like the plot wasn’t fully fleshed out and glossed over a lot of detail. I was expecting more on Jesse’s fight, since his training was a huge plot line. I also expected more closure for Mia and her sister’s conflict. We don’t get details, just the end result. I’m also firmly in the “describe the FMC’s physical characteristics” camp, though I know the romance community is split on this. I like to have a full picture in my head of the MCs; I almost feel like it disrupts my reading flow when I need to stop and imagine what someone looks like. Overall, I did enjoy this book, and will happily read more of this author!

I received a copy of Stitches and Sparks for free from BookSirens. Thank you to the author, E. A. Brady, for this copy. This review is wholly my own, and I am leaving it voluntarily.
Braving the Storm by Elliott Rose

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slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

Holy geez, where do I start? First, thank you, Elliott Rose, for the ARC of Braving The Storm, and for giving us Crimson Ridge. I think I’m obsessed with this series. I’ve been dying for this book since the sneak peek in Chasing The Wild. Briar and Storm’s story was everything I never knew I needed. I LOVED them together. This book was beyond scorching hot 🥵 Just so good! I was hoping Beau and Sage would be next, so I’m excited for book 3. Thank you for gifting the world this series and book!
The Witch's Cottage: A Cozy Witch Romance by Emberly Wyndham

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lighthearted relaxing 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

5.0

The Witch’s Cottage was simply delightful! I loved it! It was short, sweet, steamy, and made my little cottagecore heart happy. I want to find a cottage in the woods and have tea and bread and big, burly carpenters come by the help me with *things* 😉 Aurora and Alden were great together and had lots of chemistry. I don’t know that I realized this series was why choose, but I am definitely here for it. I can’t wait for The Witch’s Rite!

I received an ARC of The Witch’s Cottage from BookSirens. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
Let's Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan

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emotional 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

5.0

I enjoyed Let’s Call a Truce! At first, I was expecting it to be a plug and play office romance, but it was so much more than that! Juliana and Ben had so much depth to their character and so much trauma in their pasts. There were so many twists to their story, but it didn’t feel like the twists were there just to add length and conflict; each new twist revealed more of the inner turmoil the characters were grappling with. Ben turned out to be a bit more of a cinnamon roll than I was expecting. I would’ve liked to see him be a bit more aggressive in fighting for what he wanted. Overall, this book was very well-done. 

I received a copy of Let’s Call a Truce from NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily. 
Christmas Off Script by Evie Alexander

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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? No

4.0

Christmas Off Script was such a sweet, sexy read! I adored Ella and Leo together. Their friendship made their love so much stronger and sweeter. While I thought their love was really strong, I didn’t exactly feel much chemistry between them. They kind of just fell into their situation and rolled with it. I thought Ella had great growth as a character, and Leo was a trip. His family was bananas and I was here for it! And this panto thing - it’s now on my bucket list! Luckily, I have a sister-in-law in England, so I might just have to plan a Christmas trip to visit. It was so much fun reading about the panto, I can only imagine it’s that much better in real life!

I received an ARC of Christmas Off Script from BookSirens. I am leaving my review voluntarily.