stephjayne4_reads's reviews
145 reviews

Next Of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young

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emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

“When did you start making your feelings smaller for other people’s benefit?”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I may have found a new favorite author?! I knew from the dedication page that Hannah was going to be my girl, and she did not disappoint. This is a romance that deals with some heavy topics, so check your trigger warnings!

Chloe and Warren are thrown together into a shared living situation by CPS when they both want to foster their siblings. What follows is a beautiful, messy, tender love story with complicated family and friendship dynamics thrown in.

I loved that this book leaves room for the relationship to take shape (aka the slow burn) and then we actually get some time to see Chloe and Warren together as a couple! I feel like romances so often end right as the couple is finally coming together, leaving you wanting more. This one was wrapped up so nicely 💝
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Winter Solstice by Elin Hilderbrand

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

3.0

I read this series so fast and adore Elin Hilderbrand, but…

 think this book was my least favorite and a major reason is because it brings in characters from the Rumor (which is also not my fav!!). The other is because it’s so sad anddd I feel like a there were so many different story lines that none of them could really be wrapped up in a satisfying way.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

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funny lighthearted tense fast-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

3.75

This book was soooo fun! I really got into it towards the end - loved the different components of romance and murder mystery, but the best part for me was the character growth of our FMC. She truly grows into her own and learns to trust herself (with the help of the MMC), which is so amazing to see!

“If mankind has one superpower, it’s gaslighting women into thinking they’re the problem.”
Winter Stroll by Elin Hilderbrand

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emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-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

4.0

This series is sooo addicting! 
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.75

I really liked this book, but it seemed too drawn out and kind of started to give me anxiety towards the end? I am also not really sure I grasp what the point of it all was… if I were to guess, it would be that nothing will ever be “perfect”, but you have to learn to make the most out of what you have, the situation you’re in, etc etc. entertaining read, though. 
Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

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

3.0

Cute holiday read - love the family dynamics and dual POVs Elin bakes into her stories. Onto the next in the series!
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show by Bethany Joy Lenz

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dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

Wow. One of the best memoirs I have ever read. Listen to her narration on audio - she is a wonderful storyteller and has been through so much!
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The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

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emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? No

3.0

I really liked the premise of this book! I wanted to love it, but the dialogue wasn’t great… it didn’t quite feel natural? There were also some really weird lines… this is not really a spoiler but putting in brackets for a trigger warning - suicide
at one point she makes a joke offhandedly about killing herself, which I really didn’t like.
also, is it just me or was Jack kind of creepy?

The way Lucy acted like Christopher’s mom was also kind of weird… there were just some weird undertones on some very heavy subject matters 

Overall, a fun quick read, but I wanted more out of it. 
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My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book was so fun! It started to get a bit ridiculous towards the end (which feels so dumb to say about a book about vampires! But iykyk lol), which is why my rating is a little lower than I had originally thought it’d be.

I loved Fredrick’s character and how he learned to exist in the 21st century. Cute, fluffy, palate cleansing read for sure
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

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funny hopeful lighthearted tense fast-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

5.0