sassypantsreading's reviews
799 reviews

The Billionaire's Snowbound Heart by Avalon Barlowe

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Did not finish book.
Very poorly edited. 
Tempting the Black Wolf by N.J. Walters

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emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed Tempting the Black Wolf! It was much more emotional for me than I was expecting. I just felt so terrible for Onyx; she was so beaten down and just accepted that she would have a loveless life and likely die confronting Solange. Dagen fighting his bond with her made me so sad for her. I didn’t read the first two books so I didn’t have the complete picture of the other two wolves and their battle with Solange, but I didn’t feel I was missing much. I thought the pacing and writing were well-done. It could’ve been slightly steamier, but it was still good. 

I received an ARC of Tempting the Black Wolf from NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily. 
Capitally Engaged by Rachel Holm

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lighthearted 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

3.0

Capitally Engaged was a meh read for me. The plot was fine, the Brandt brothers are amazing, and Preston was absolutely perfect. Jax, on the other hand, goes onto my “nope” list: she’s erratic, secretive, kind of manipulative, a user, and basically kind of a jerk. There’s only so many times you can freeze someone out or behave terribly and call it your “walls” in place. No, you’re actually just a bit awful. Preston deserved so much better! He was such a golden retriever, though it did get to be a tiny bit much sometimes. Otherwise the story was okay. I appreciated the DC-area bits, as a resident of the DMV.

One note about the writing style: it was oddly verbose with very strange placement of propositional phrases, which really reduced the readability and flow of the book. There were many, many sentences that I was trying to piece together out of the order written to determine what the author was trying to say. Some examples:

- I arrived twenty minutes early, wanting to be already situated as my dinner date approached, locking in for my own sake that I was in charge here.

- Tucking my phone away, the strain of leaving reduced knowing something to look forward to waited for my return.

- She bent down and put the hat back on my head she had knocked off during our enthusiastic celebrations. (This reads like she knocked off his head, not his hat 😂)

I received an ARC of Capitally Engaged from BookSirens. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Forbidden Desires by Stephanie Tyo

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 7%.
It’s a book about cheating. I never would’ve picked it up if I knew that. 
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The Vanishing of Margaret Small by Neil Alexander

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

5.0

I really liked The Vanishing of Margaret Small. The little mystery of who was sending Margaret letters kept me on my toes. I also learned a lot more about the history of long-term care homes and how tragic it was that people with learning disabilities were sent away. This book was very well-done. 
Blood and Whiskey by Jena Doyle

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

5.0

I think Blood and Whiskey is my first foray into the Royal Bastards Motorcycle Club; I say think because there are a ton of RBMC books out there. I’m not generally a fan of interconnected worlds by multiple authors, and had I known that was what I was getting into, I might’ve passed on this book. I’ve been burned by low-quality writing and plot lines in these types of worlds before. However, I’m glad I read it. I enjoyed Blood and Whiskey. It had just enough suspense to keep me on my toes. Isolde and Orion were super hot together. I loved the other members of the MC, and some of the Vanderbilt family members. I’m actually hoping for more books on either of those two groups from this author. The werewolf spin on the MC was a fun one. I did find it odd that Sol just woke up from her transition just totally, completely cool with the fact that, not only did shifters exist, but she was one. Like imagine one day being a normal human, then waking up to that news and being like, sure that tracks? Wild. I also didn’t think there was much closure with Sol’s brothers or the Scorpions, which is why I think more books are in order.

I received an ARC of Blood and Whiskey from BookSirens. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Cowhand Crush by Audrey Bell

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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

5.0

I seriously love these short, sweet, and steamy stories by Audrey Bell. Cowhand Crush was no exception. My only complaint is that they aren’t longer! I loved Avery and Bowen together, and revisiting Grady and Birdie a bit! 

I received an ARC of Cowhand Crush from Booksprout. I am leaving my review voluntarily.


Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows

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lighthearted slow-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

5.0

I loved Give Me Butterflies and I can’t wait to read more from this author. I thought this book was really well done, especially for a first-time author. The MCs were so well-written. Both of them have been emotionally abused in some way and have the scars to prove it, but the way they overcome them together is perfect. The side characters are amazing. I wish the author nerded out a bit more in Finn and Millie’s respective career fields, though. I think that would’ve added a bit more depth to the book and made it less generic. You could’ve substituted just about any scientific field or career and had similar results, though the astronomer part was played up much more than the entomologist part. The book was also perfectly steamy. Overall, just well done. 

I received an ARC of Give Me Butterflies from NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily. 
Prisoner of the Lycan Prince by Amy Pennza

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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? It's complicated

5.0

Oh man, I loved Prisoner of the Lycan Prince!  totally ate it up! It had everything I want in a book. I loved the creatures from the maze and the bit of suspense. Our FMC, Harper, is a great character. Einar is so hot and whew, the spice is right 🥵 I hope we can have an Arlo book in the future! 

I received an ARC of Prisoner of the Lycan Prince from Booksprout. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
The Wrong Sister by Ariana Cane

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

4.0

I really enjoyed The Wrong Sister, but Ezra is NOT my favorite MMC. He’s really awful for most of the book; I didn’t think his redemption arc was all that grand. I think I would’ve liked him more if the author had delved more into Ezra’s abusive father and had him work on himself a bit more. I loved Maeve and do think she’s a good balance for Ezra, but we don’t get to see that as much because the author focuses more on the conflict than the relationship. I was also hoping for more resolution with the various parents, but I suppose we still have Bea and Theo’s story! 

I did kind of enjoy that this seemed to be two books in one. It was really long, but it didn’t feel like it because, first, we have the deserted island part, and then we have the arranged marriage part. We definitely have a lot of character development and growth for Maeve because of the length, but not as much for Ezra. 

Overall, I’m glad I read The Wrong Sister, and I’m looking forward to the next book. 

I received an ARC of The Wrong Sister from Good Girls PR. I am leaving my review voluntarily.