spaceonthebookcase's reviews
1102 reviews

I struggled to invest in the characters and the story, it felt long yet it wasn't. The descriptions of Paris were spot on and I gained so much weight just listening to the food, but I found the story to just miss the spark I needed to dig into it. 

Thank you GetUnderlined for the gifted copy.

***Reading Across the World: France 

Finley has always dreamed of being a famous podcaster, but when it's finally her time to shine her soon to be ex boyfriend, Jensen steps in her way. With revenge on her mind, and new sidekick to help her, Finley comes up with a plan to get Jensen hurt. 

Overall I liked Better Than Revenge by Kasie West, but I struggled with the lack of accountability thrown at Jensen throughout the story. Perhaps that was West's point; to point out the white, penis privilege in ensuring he got everything he ever wanted, or didn't know he wanted, in the end but I found it infuriating. Like physically angry at the end of the book, which does speak to West's writing. 

I do think the growth Finley showed from start to finish was well mapped out, and I liked the morally questionable Theo in the background of it all. 

Thank you GetUnderlined for the gifted copy. 

***50 States Challenge: California

A copy, sapphic romantasy set in the real world, Sage is a witch who's working on a special brew to get over heartbreak. When her ex shows up on the same day it gets stolen, Sage's feelings are pretty clear. But is her bias founded? 

While there is definitely romance within the pages of Brewed with Love, I loved the cozy mystery story happening in the background from misbrewed potions to corrupt council members. The pacing was strong, the story was interesting and I really enjoyed it. 

This is my first Shelly Page novel and it won't be my last.

Thank you GetUnderlined for the gifted copy. 

The second book in the series, Dating and Dragons does a masterful job of blending YA Romance with tough poignant topics that pack a punch. Quinn is ready for a fresh start at a new high school when her grandmother gets in the way, but after meeting up with a local D&D group she feels like she can let her guard down a little bit. A slow burn romance that violates all the rules, former best friend turned bully who won't go away and a grandmother who's health is failing, Quinn realizes things are as stable as she wants them to be. 

I find the side characters to be such a strong part of Kristy's writing, and Dating and Dragons is no exception. I thought the pacing was good, and there was enough D&D mixed in without it becoming bogged down. I'm hoping this series continues because my teen is obsessed, as am I! 

Thank you Get Underlined for the gifted copy. 

***50 States Challenge: Ohio

Love on Paper gives off Romeo and Juliet vibes when the children of dueling prestigious writers team up together at a writing retreat to solve a mystery. Having no idea that it would unlock secrets about their own families as well, Macy and Caleb realize along the way that they have a lot more in common than the thought. 

I found the pacing of the story to be a bit slower than I prefer, and it leans on the younger side of YA. Love on Paper was well written, and I really enjoyed the scavenger hunt as the catalyst to keep the plot moving forward. Overall a solid YA Romance. 

Thank you Get Underlined for the gifted copy. 

***50 States Challenge: California

I want to thank Libro.fm and PRH Audio for the gifted ALC. If I had had to sit down and read this book with only my eyes I would have quit. Both narrators did a great job, especially Ben Holtzmuller for the consistency with accents. The ALC gets five stars because the narrators did a great job. 

On to the book. While I was about halfway through I found a copy in my local store, noticed the sprayed edges and immediately thought, "Why is it so thick?" That was my theme...this book was entirely too long. Like 150 pages too long. 

Scarlett "Vandy" was annoying, Penn is the friend no one wants in their life, and Lukas is a walking red flag. These characters has virtually no depth, no growth, no...anything. Also, for the conflict between Vandy and Penn to ride on Carissa there was also no ending...it just happened. 

The smut was fine. They made BDSM lists and did virtually nothing on the lists, but as an entry level book it was fine. Given her fanbase, it was probably the appropriate choice to scale it down. 

But again, the writing was terrible, the story was awful, there was no one to root for, and the characters had no personalities. This isn't my first Hazelwood book, but this is my first Hazelwood book I'd set on fire because I wish I had never read it. 

I decided at 62% I was switching from finishing to hate finishing---kind of like you hate watch shows and movies. I didn't DNF it, I probably should have, it was terrible. 

***50 States Challenge: California 

Heartfelt is a book about love and how to share it. Using all five senses, Heartfelt shows what love looks like, smells like, tastes like, sounds like and feels like. I loved the diversity within the illustrations along with the community library featured throughout the pages. Overall this is a great book for young readers. 

Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted copy. 

The Little Puppy is about forgiveness after Ollie's picture is ruined by her grandma's new puppy Milo. After spending some time by herself she realizes how silly she acted and is excited to find Milo had followed her. With a monochromatic vibe, I really enjoyed the splashes of red and use of metallics to highlight the hearts. I also found the cut outs to be unique and well placed. 

Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted copy. 

A fun and silly book about Valentine's Day that is the perfect edition to the Pea series. I enjoyed that it introduces children to puns, the illustrations are nicely done and the words don't overwhelm the page so it is easy to follow along. This will definitely inspire little ones to get creative when celebrating Valentine's Day. 

Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted copy. 

A listening book for little ones, each page has a new song. The theme of the book is hard to say outside of each section having a song because the songs and story don't seem to fit together. Still I think little ones will enjoy the pictures and the music. Each song can be activated with a button on the page it matches to. 

Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted copy.