i feel like i am the target audience for this book as it was totally giving beauty and the beast x smart house (1999), which are two of the greatest mi feel like i am the target audience for this book as it was totally giving beauty and the beast x smart house (1999), which are two of the greatest media pieces of all time. however, if i could describe this book in just one word, it would be: disjointed.
i have a lot of little comments about random things that bugged me throughout this book, which i've learned usually means i wish it had more editing. the main theme of what i wish had been touched up is just how choppy the writing and pacing is. from scenes jumping around to a timeline that isn't very consistent, and sometimes the characters speaking to each other like they're in two different conversations, this book had me questioning whether i was just dumb or the book wasn't making sense.
i did love how closely it followed beauty and the beast in the beginning, but after the first 50 pages, that plot kind of died down and the enemies/rivals to lovers trope was already starting to resolve. the characters getting vulnerable with each other so soon was unexpected and took away from the tension. then the last half was like a wild west of unresolved plot points and family drama i didn't care about because it was being resolved so typically and cheesily. the third act breakup was totally predictable and run of the mill.
we did not get left hanging on the smut though!! this book would've been much harder to power through without all the steam, so i appreciated that and the only one bed trope that unfolded during this. also the reversed expectation of the guy being the one to want to take it slow was a surprising change of pace and i enjoyed their dynamic in that regard. even though a lot of times the banter is this was unrealistic and cheesy, and i didn't like that oliver called her a pet name, i could put that aside for the times that their snark and rivalry actually worked.
for a book i picked up on a whim for the plus size readathon i was able to sail through it pretty fast, but there isn't really any focus on her weight other than some mentions in the first half, and the rest of this is so shakily developed that i don't know how strongly i can recommend it....more
this book was so amazing! i'm usually not a fan of books that follow movies or tv shows but the baking competition element of this was very unpredictathis book was so amazing! i'm usually not a fan of books that follow movies or tv shows but the baking competition element of this was very unpredictable and addicting. i also loved that the main character was flawed and said some mean things that later she realized was wrong. it was just refreshing to see someone who makes mistakes and how she still emerges from her struggles with strong friendships by her side. one of my only gripes is the love triangle in this felt lackluster because i was really only rooting for her to get back with her ex.
it was so sweet to be enveloped in this world where shireen's whole family and friend system were not only accepting of her weight but also her sexuality. the main character still experienced some racism and fatphobia but i loved that she had a support system and even a judge within the baking competition that could act as her mentor. overall the cast of characters, writing and pace of this book were excellent!
i am now desperately craving some donuts..... and a trip to ireland...more
this book was NOT good and i think at this point i need to stop pretending that olivia dade is for me
as much as i like reading books with representatithis book was NOT good and i think at this point i need to stop pretending that olivia dade is for me
as much as i like reading books with representation of fat girls, this one came at the MAJOR expense of being unbearably unreadable. i hate to roast the main character because we did have a lot in common with our insecurities and depressive tendencies, but i really could not take her seriously because her dialogue was absolutely miserable. so overwritten, weighed down by memes and references that were sometimes decades old, and generally so unbelievable as a main character to the point where i was shocked that the main male lead didn't find her horrendous instead of attractive.
immediately when i read the one (and only...... and on page 300....) sex scene, all i could think about was how i was going to quote it WORD FOR WORD in this review because the main character's dialogue was absolutely diabolical. if i had to suffer, then so do you:
"You are the undisputed Champion of Head, long may he reign, and long may he lick. You can grab a condom and get inside the pussy you now own. Congratulations, by the way. The owner's manual will arrive in your inbox shortly."
this book was still super slow for the first 200 pages the same way that book one was very expository, but damn if a 6'5 warrior immortal puts the frothis book was still super slow for the first 200 pages the same way that book one was very expository, but damn if a 6'5 warrior immortal puts the front pieces of his long blond hair into slutty little braids. fine, you get four stars
this book finally got to the bulk of the action i was hoping for with the main characters actually starting to fight the villain instead of putting out fires he started... and traveling aimlessly around the world just to introduce 30 kingdoms. i do think that foundation helped in this book because there's so many different players and people of different backgrounds. however. it's becoming increasingly clear in this book that victoria is creating "fantasy" kingdoms that are almost exactly just pulled from history, like the Mongols and the Ottoman empire and even mirroring current countries like Scotland. I wish it were more imaginative and not just pulled directly from real human history.
but really the shining cast of characters are the companions, and in this one you really get to see the machinery start working together and everyone truly becomes a team. even though i am VERY brave in continuing a series with very little romance, you can start to see the characters all splitting off in this one toward their closest partners and i thought it was so sweet.
i maintain my gripe that the villains in this feel very surface-level and you don't know a lot about why they want to ruin and rule the world other than they're just kinda sad and were told by other people that they should. there was a looooot of one of the villain's POV to this story that i don't think added any more depth to their character.
also, there's a character in this that's a witch and just kind of shows up randomly to save the day all the time, and i wish her magic was better explained because right now she just saves their asses over and over. idk why they don't just use her to solve all their problems instead of forcing a 16 year old human to suffer but i digress.
also victoria aveyard it is the year of our lord 2024, why are we still killing our gays?!
anyway, i have the third one on hold at the library and i will be taking another solid two months to complete that one as well. let's cross fingers we get some more action! (and more slutty elf braids)...more
i can never complain about scientific books written by and about women because it's always fascinating, but i can't help but thinking that this book wi can never complain about scientific books written by and about women because it's always fascinating, but i can't help but thinking that this book will be so good if it were written 50-100 years from now because soooo many answers in this book (specifically about menopause and why human women evolved to be the way we are) boil down to "well we're not sure yet!"
most of this book is told in examples from the animal kingdom, and although it made interesting comparisons i wish it would've focused more on humans and our ancestors. this book could also be a bit repetitive.
not my fave but definitely not wasted time....more
if we're being honest, this book doesn't need to exist. the novellas set after war storm should have just been part of the fourth book because the booif we're being honest, this book doesn't need to exist. the novellas set after war storm should have just been part of the fourth book because the book ended so abruptly. but i have been CRAVING a continuation, so i was holding my breath in hopes that it would deliver, and it SO did.
i loved coriane's novella but found farley's mostly boring. the middle story about the disputed lands felt out of place but wasn't entirely uninteresting.
evangeline has my entire heart and i adored the end of her story.
the last 100 pages of this book about mare and cal i spent alternating between giggling and kicking my feet, and then sobbing. heavy on the sobbing in the last ~15 pages.
my biggest shock of 2023 was how much i loved these books, given how low my expectations were. definitely plan to read more from victoria aveyard in the future....more
this snippet was pretty boring and confusing. a 60 page novella shouldn't take like 2 weeks to read lol
i do like that shade is in this one and you getthis snippet was pretty boring and confusing. a 60 page novella shouldn't take like 2 weeks to read lol
i do like that shade is in this one and you get a little backstory of their whereabouts before the action of red queen, but largely this seemed like extra info that doesn't become relevant in a really confusing format. a swing and a miss....more
god, i was expecting this book to flop but it's been a couple days since i finished it and i can't stop thinking about it. even though the contents ofgod, i was expecting this book to flop but it's been a couple days since i finished it and i can't stop thinking about it. even though the contents of this novella are referenced in book four, i'm glad i read it after the series to get the full context. i'm sure it also works great as a prequel or to read it in between the actual storyline. the calore family stays slaying (view spoiler)[(and slain, in some instances) (hide spoiler)]...more
i've been missing how productive i was in college when i would listen to audiobooks all the time as i cleaned,might be re-entering my audiobook era??
i've been missing how productive i was in college when i would listen to audiobooks all the time as i cleaned, so knowing now that i absorb nonfiction best in this format, i gave this one a listen. i'm not the biggest true crime junkie, but i figured that if it reads like a podcast, it might be interesting. and lemme tell ya, i listened to this at 1x speed and enjoyed every second of it! michelle is a great writer and this book was gripping and illuminates the bizarreness of a serial criminal who should've been caught decades ago. i echo everyone else's sadness that she didn't get to see the killer be identified just a few short years after her death.
i would definitely recommend this if anyone needs a fast-paced audio listen that also contains the satisfaction similar to redditors who are able to find out more than law enforcment....more
this book was like a kick to the spleen but it was so short, sweet and well-illustrated that i can't stay mad at itthis book was like a kick to the spleen but it was so short, sweet and well-illustrated that i can't stay mad at it...more
once i get over that this is lesbian porn written by a man, i do think it had a really sweet and funny plot. there's four more volumes and i'm excitedonce i get over that this is lesbian porn written by a man, i do think it had a really sweet and funny plot. there's four more volumes and i'm excited to see where it goes because i liked the characters in this so far. not much else to say other than this is almost exactly what you think it is based on the description haha...more
i get why therapists might review this and rate it low, but as someone who just wanted to be a fly on the wall and absorb this book for what it is (a i get why therapists might review this and rate it low, but as someone who just wanted to be a fly on the wall and absorb this book for what it is (a transcript of client/therapist conversations), i really did enjoy it. i won't be following the advice to a t, but i did think it was very interesting to see how different the culture is in Korea versus America and how the author's insecurities and societal pressures differ from--or are similar to-- mine. it was inspirational to see how i could advocate for myself/my experiences, and i thought the nuance was interesting that depression doesn't always mean being suicidal and it can manifest in other ugly ways. the fact that this was a hard story for this author to tell probably proves why it should exist, especially in its native country/language.
again, maybe i grossly misunderstood this because i'm a sheeple and not a mental health professional but still!!! this book made me emotional at certain points and i liked that it had an uplifting message at the end. on top of it being a short book, it was just an easy time with a title that makes me giggle....more
please i'm begging someone take lowe to the optometrist with the amount of times his pupils dilate in this book. also stephen king called and wants thplease i'm begging someone take lowe to the optometrist with the amount of times his pupils dilate in this book. also stephen king called and wants the main character's first name back (misery???!!!!!)
i can't be mad at this book bc i do love primal, biological attraction in paranormal/fantasy romance but i can't help but think that authors like kathryn moon would run laps around this and this is more of a tame starting point for people who've never read alpha/interspecies romances.
mainly this book is annoying because the main character has millennial, cringe-ass dialogue in a world that's pretty serious. but also there was soooooo much miscommunication with the main character interpreting the love interest's attraction as hatred, which was so obvious and set up a lot of the romance to be predictable.
i did find the plot of this interesting so i wasn't too upset that most of the book was about solving a disappearance and fixing the vampire-werewolf relationship. but you can't tell me that after all the sapphic energy between sarina (is that her name? i already forgot) and misery (ugh) that they didn't even kiss once??? lame.
if you were a twilight girly back in the day and want to elevate the game to something smuttier then i would recommend this, but if you're expecting the next five star read of the century, i say skip it and find something smuttier on kindle unlimited instead....more
i can't not give this book five stars because it was SO good but i'm surprised that this ending was so weak? it felt like it needs 100 more pages, andi can't not give this book five stars because it was SO good but i'm surprised that this ending was so weak? it felt like it needs 100 more pages, and everything wrapped up so... as expected. it's very unlike victoria, so i finished it a little confused. i was expecting to be a sobbing mess because this series has been top of mind for me for the past few months as i read them all back to back, but it ended in a place where it's almost like i should expect a fifth book.
i guess that just means i need to dive into the novellas and see what i missed!...more
i genuinely think i read a different book than everyone else who's giving this five stars?? because it was shocking how much i dislikeDNF at 120 pages
i genuinely think i read a different book than everyone else who's giving this five stars?? because it was shocking how much i disliked this. as i was debating the pros and cons, the only positive i could think of for this book was that the font size was so big that it went by fast.
i picked this up primarily on the basis that the main character is fat, and fat women in fantasy is SO rare. but every page is full of internalized fatphobia and disgusting descriptions of her body and how gross she perceives herself. on top of that, this main character frequently binge eats to the point of even vomiting, and she felt like more of a caricature and hyperbole of a fat girl than anything else. i was so disappointed and this book made me feel icky about myself in turn.
the magic system in this book is not my cup of tea--the main character was born with a gemstone in her belly button (????) called a godstone. so it revolves around religion and praying to god to help her..... ok.
but most problematically, there's a group of people who are after her for her "powers" that are written as seemingly native, complete with painted skin and rudimentary weapons. in just the one scene where she's attacked by them (view spoiler)[(i've read ahead that she's apparently also later kidnapped by them) (hide spoiler)], she outright calls them savages no fewer than six times, which was so uncomfortable and disappointing to see that racist trope alive and well with no one else talking about it.
i almost stuck it out just to see how this book improves once some real action is added, but this main character had zero personality and clunky dialogue. it was also annoying slogging through so many descriptions of her loathing of her body and eating habits (not to mention the author admitting in interviews she was a size 6 when inspiration hit her for this book).
bottom line, if i wanted to read a book inspired by spanish morocco or narrated by a fat woman, i'll just find one from an own voices author....more
this book was very feel-good as well as educational, and i liked following lilah throughout the summer! i thought it was especially neat how you as ththis book was very feel-good as well as educational, and i liked following lilah throughout the summer! i thought it was especially neat how you as the reader only know as much ASL as she does, so all the miscommunications and missed dialogue at the beginning of the book steadily becomes more comprehensible the further you get into the book and the more she learns.
i thought the summer camp feeling to this definitely shone through as well as the other plot points. but being YA it had some pretty predictable emotional angst to it with the relationship. also, at times i wished this author would've just written a non-fiction book about deaf culture rather than packing a bunch of messages into a story, because the middle and end of it somewhat felt like bouncing from plot point to plot point just to make a statement about ableism.
but i still learned a lot and it was packaged up in a fun romance, so i definitely recommend this if you want to read more books about characters who are hard of hearing or just want a summer campy read!...more
i found this book through my library when looking up books about fat main characters and color me surprised to see a new julie murphy book i hadn't hei found this book through my library when looking up books about fat main characters and color me surprised to see a new julie murphy book i hadn't heard of!!
it's not often that i pick up middle grade but i loved the concept of this, and it definitely delivered on some fun and silliness while also packing in an important message. younger me would have definitely loved this book, but i also really appreciated reading it as an an adult and seeing a young girl stand up to fatphobic adults around her. i wish i'd had fat friends growing up who all loved ourselves, instead it was so isolating being fat when growing up.
i will say the vampire themes to this were so overt from even the book cover that the plot and reveals were a bit childish, but this book was the kind of corny that was more endearing than cringy. highly recommend to younger folks but also i would say it does read a bit like healing for us adults :')...more
this book was so sweeeeet. the main character and her friend group felt like a realistic girl friend group, and i loved the setting of this and the cothis book was so sweeeeet. the main character and her friend group felt like a realistic girl friend group, and i loved the setting of this and the coming of age progression of the plot. it always makes me feel a bit warm to read stories of tentative first love between two girls and any positive reception from family members and friends, so i appreciated it for that....more
the characters in this shined much brighter than the plot bc i ended this book like wait what even is a venin again? and why do we hate them? and why the characters in this shined much brighter than the plot bc i ended this book like wait what even is a venin again? and why do we hate them? and why are they bad? what is the goal of this series again? what are they even trying to accomplish? why is it taking so long?
i really can't bring myself to give this a more thorough review other than saying it was still pretty cringe and i wish the publishing date had been moved back so they could edit this more...more
IF JULIE SOTO HAS ONE FAN, IT IS ME. IF JULIE SOTO HAS NO FANS, I AM DEAD
i went into this book with zero expectations and literally on page 10 i told IF JULIE SOTO HAS ONE FAN, IT IS ME. IF JULIE SOTO HAS NO FANS, I AM DEAD
i went into this book with zero expectations and literally on page 10 i told my best friend on facetime "this is five stars, mark my words." is this kylo ren fanfiction???? if it is, consider me changed because WOW.
any book blurbed by sierra simone officially has my stamp of approval, because tell me why this is one the best romance books i've ever read??? SO fast paced and a then-and-now perspective jump that suspended the angst absolutely perfectly. perfect sprinklings of smut throughout. characters who are so believable and easy to root for. (my ONE critique is that this book is just so fast that you don't get to dive **too** deep into the characters, so if that's your thing, it may not hit as hard as you're hoping. but i'm a slut for any book that can wrap it up in 330 pages)
this book had me laughing out loud and kicking my feet and giggling. there wasn't a single page of it i didn't enjoy, and that is SO rare for me nowadays. this book was an absolute treat and i am a self-declared simp for any man with flower tattoos.
i didn't even care that the villain in this book is also named whitney. tbh i'd let ama put me out of business too
(view spoiler)[i also REALLY appreciated how the ending of this book didn't "fix" ama by making her finally accepting of being married, but showed that you don't HAVE to get married to be in a forever, serious relationship. the ending is just so tangled-coded, i couldn't not help but finish the book and go OH MY GODDDD. honestly. so good. (hide spoiler)]...more
Loading...
