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abinthebooks
DNF AT 24%
They’re already fucking. We are 24% into the book…unfortunately this ain’t gonna be for me.
They’re already fucking. We are 24% into the book…unfortunately this ain’t gonna be for me.
![Duplicity [h.s] by Happydays1d](/assets/placeholder-cover-a3ae92250eb3301e32dc3eabf8d50576c2f047dda89f6ee7cfa9a859cb1fd746.jpg)
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
”Is there a moment you would relive more than once?” he said in a musing voice.
“No,” I replied, “I’m rather fond of my sanity, thank you.”
He brushed a lose strand of hair from my forehead, tucking it behind my ear with one strong finger. I felt the ghost of his touch trailing over my brow for some time afterwards. “That would be mine,” he said.”
AHHH OMFG I LOVED THEM SO MUCH AND I ADORED THIS BOOK SM!!! This was literally the perfect continuation from book 1. I love these characters, and how much the world was built onto in these book. I just also can’t get enough of Wendell and Emily together, they’re so sweet. I was literally crying at parts because you can just tell how much they adore each other!!!!
I was really nervous to read this book because the first book is now one of my favorites of all time, and probably the best book I read last year. So the fact that I liked the sequel probably even more just fills me with so much joy. I can’t even begin to describe my love for this series.
Read this series if you haven’t already, you won’t be disappointed.
my playlist for this book <3
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JUST GOT MY COPY IN FROM THE LIBRARY!!! I’M SO EXCITED!!
* * *
I did not get an arc
“No,” I replied, “I’m rather fond of my sanity, thank you.”
He brushed a lose strand of hair from my forehead, tucking it behind my ear with one strong finger. I felt the ghost of his touch trailing over my brow for some time afterwards. “That would be mine,” he said.”
AHHH OMFG I LOVED THEM SO MUCH AND I ADORED THIS BOOK SM!!! This was literally the perfect continuation from book 1. I love these characters, and how much the world was built onto in these book. I just also can’t get enough of Wendell and Emily together, they’re so sweet. I was literally crying at parts because you can just tell how much they adore each other!!!!
I was really nervous to read this book because the first book is now one of my favorites of all time, and probably the best book I read last year. So the fact that I liked the sequel probably even more just fills me with so much joy. I can’t even begin to describe my love for this series.
Read this series if you haven’t already, you won’t be disappointed.
my playlist for this book <3
* * *
JUST GOT MY COPY IN FROM THE LIBRARY!!! I’M SO EXCITED!!
* * *
I did not get an arc
*2.75
This book was truly hilarious. Like so many laugh out loud moments, and funny awkward scenes. This is definitely what I would actually call a rom-com. However, I feel like My Roommate Is A Vampire didn’t have very much plot or build up between the two main characters. This story is pretty slow for only be 330-something pages, and the characters aren’t very fleshed out either. At the end I honestly started skimming because I was just bored of reading about every mundane thing these characters did.
You can’t really tell this book was previously a Reylo fanfic either unless you’ve actively been a Reylo fan/were in the Reylo fandom for an extended amount of time. The only reasons I could were because I did know before going into this book, but I also could detect some Reylo references because I was in the fandom a long time. However despite this not really reading like a fanfic, I still think this author’s writing has a long way to go before it becomes polished work. Jenna Levine definitely has the humor part down, but she desperately needs to work on relationship building. I didn’t feel much of anything for these characters the entire book, and although I found their interactions funny, I didn’t really think they had a whole lot of chemistry.
This isn’t a bad debut though, I just think this author needs more time to hone her craft: which is never a bad thing. If you don’t mind cheesy situations and writing, an abundance of pop culture references that do make sense with the story (I’m going to admit I brought down my rating from 3 to 2.75 bc this book seems to be team Angel and Spike is literally right there…) and tongue-in-cheek humor, you’ll probably really enjoy this, especially if you just need a good laugh. Personally for me though, I just needed more plot and build-up to fully enjoy this story.
2.75 stars
* * *
Middle school me was an avid reylo stan and community member, so I will be reading.
This book was truly hilarious. Like so many laugh out loud moments, and funny awkward scenes. This is definitely what I would actually call a rom-com. However, I feel like My Roommate Is A Vampire didn’t have very much plot or build up between the two main characters. This story is pretty slow for only be 330-something pages, and the characters aren’t very fleshed out either. At the end I honestly started skimming because I was just bored of reading about every mundane thing these characters did.
You can’t really tell this book was previously a Reylo fanfic either unless you’ve actively been a Reylo fan/were in the Reylo fandom for an extended amount of time. The only reasons I could were because I did know before going into this book, but I also could detect some Reylo references because I was in the fandom a long time. However despite this not really reading like a fanfic, I still think this author’s writing has a long way to go before it becomes polished work. Jenna Levine definitely has the humor part down, but she desperately needs to work on relationship building. I didn’t feel much of anything for these characters the entire book, and although I found their interactions funny, I didn’t really think they had a whole lot of chemistry.
This isn’t a bad debut though, I just think this author needs more time to hone her craft: which is never a bad thing. If you don’t mind cheesy situations and writing, an abundance of pop culture references that do make sense with the story (I’m going to admit I brought down my rating from 3 to 2.75 bc this book seems to be team Angel and Spike is literally right there…) and tongue-in-cheek humor, you’ll probably really enjoy this, especially if you just need a good laugh. Personally for me though, I just needed more plot and build-up to fully enjoy this story.
2.75 stars
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Middle school me was an avid reylo stan and community member, so I will be reading.
Have you ever wondered what an adult, sapphic witchy romcom version of John Tucker Must Die might look like? Neither have I, but that’s really what this book was…and it was pretty disappointing.
This book follows our FMC, Emmy, a late 20-something millennial who left her small witchy hometown to pursue bigger dreams in Chicago after a bad breakup with her high school boyfriend (9 years prior, may I add…). In her small witchy town however, there is a tradition that every founding family competes in a challenge to “rule” over their small town every 100 years. Emmy decided to come back to her small town and reconciles past relationships. She also falls in love with a woman named Talia, who’s also part of the founding families, and one of the women Emmy’s ex screwed over. Emmy, Talia, and Emmy’s best friend decide to team up and get revenge on their collective ex and defeat his reigning champion family in the contest.
I think the premise for this story was so intriguing, and it really does remind me of John Tucker Must Die (which the book isn’t compared to, but I think is a fair comparison to make). However, Payback’s a Witch lacks a lot of things: decent writing, a compelling main character as well as character emotionally maturing, a strong romantic plot, and a compelling main plot at that.
This story has very grotesque writing. A lot of this book is just overwritten to put it in the simplest terms. I think this author really tried to give this story a pretty purply prose, but combined with the numerous cringe worthy pop culture references, and words being used in sentences that just don’t make sense, the writing just read as bad more than beautiful.
The main character Emmy also drove me absolutely insane this entire story. Remember how I mentioned she’s a 20-something millennial? You can definitely tell by the way she’s written. Emmy is a selfish character who still can’t decide what she wants in life despite being almost 30. She doesn’t talk to her best friend, she’s mean to her family for no reason, she’s shitty to Talia, who literally brings up the most valid god damn points about Emmy and her lack of maturity. Yeah speaking of those valid points: Emmy lets her entire life choices revolve around A MAN OF ALL THINGS!!! When I say she literally left her town because her ex boyfriend broke her heart when she was a teenager, I do truly mean that. This woman left everything behind because a fucking man said some mean things to her. And when she was a teenager at that. It was so fucking stupid, and the fact she let everything this man said to her define her entire life choices was absolutely fucking absurd. I couldn’t take her seriously in the slightest.
The only character who had the slightest hint of personality or emotional maturity was Talia. Talia was such a compelling character, and I really wish we actually followed her instead of Emmy. She was so much more fleshed out than Emmy, and honestly I would have rather followed a full book with her in it than Emmy.
The only part of this story that was enjoyable was the romance between Emmy and Talia. I think their interactions and banter had so much potential to be the main plot of this story, but even that gets side swept by the almost-comical plot where our almost-30 year old women decide to ruin their ex’s chances at winning the contest they’re participating in. In John Tucker Must Die (again, this book isn’t explicitly compared to this movie, but I really think the comparison works), this idea works because the main characters are in high (even if they also look 30). They got humiliated by an asshole guy and they want revenge. But as I’ve said before, these women are almost in their 30s, and it was just weird how the entire book’s energy was spent on ruining a man of all people.
So with me saying that, I really think this book would have worked better had it been either: YA or with younger characters. I don’t mind older characters in stories, but the lack of common sense, depth and maturity the majority of them had really made this book read young. And it’s such a shame because I really do think this romance and plot had so so much potential. But we really just don’t get that much Emmy and Talia together. This story was so focused on the ex, and I just couldn’t give a shit less. I wanted sapphic goodness and we have a man as one of the main plot points. Make it make sense!!!
I just wasn’t a fan of this book, especially after coming off another witchy romcom,The Ex Hex,which in my opinion was marginally better. Yes, I know, I actually liked the straight people better?! Crazy thought. Anyways, I would say skip this, both as a witchy romcom and a sapphic book. I think there are much better ones out there, and Payback’s a Witch just really doesn’t hold a candle to other books of the same variety.
2 to 2.5 stars
This book follows our FMC, Emmy, a late 20-something millennial who left her small witchy hometown to pursue bigger dreams in Chicago after a bad breakup with her high school boyfriend (9 years prior, may I add…). In her small witchy town however, there is a tradition that every founding family competes in a challenge to “rule” over their small town every 100 years. Emmy decided to come back to her small town and reconciles past relationships. She also falls in love with a woman named Talia, who’s also part of the founding families, and one of the women Emmy’s ex screwed over. Emmy, Talia, and Emmy’s best friend decide to team up and get revenge on their collective ex and defeat his reigning champion family in the contest.
I think the premise for this story was so intriguing, and it really does remind me of John Tucker Must Die (which the book isn’t compared to, but I think is a fair comparison to make). However, Payback’s a Witch lacks a lot of things: decent writing, a compelling main character as well as character emotionally maturing, a strong romantic plot, and a compelling main plot at that.
This story has very grotesque writing. A lot of this book is just overwritten to put it in the simplest terms. I think this author really tried to give this story a pretty purply prose, but combined with the numerous cringe worthy pop culture references, and words being used in sentences that just don’t make sense, the writing just read as bad more than beautiful.
The main character Emmy also drove me absolutely insane this entire story. Remember how I mentioned she’s a 20-something millennial? You can definitely tell by the way she’s written. Emmy is a selfish character who still can’t decide what she wants in life despite being almost 30. She doesn’t talk to her best friend, she’s mean to her family for no reason, she’s shitty to Talia, who literally brings up the most valid god damn points about Emmy and her lack of maturity. Yeah speaking of those valid points: Emmy lets her entire life choices revolve around A MAN OF ALL THINGS!!! When I say she literally left her town because her ex boyfriend broke her heart when she was a teenager, I do truly mean that. This woman left everything behind because a fucking man said some mean things to her. And when she was a teenager at that. It was so fucking stupid, and the fact she let everything this man said to her define her entire life choices was absolutely fucking absurd. I couldn’t take her seriously in the slightest.
The only character who had the slightest hint of personality or emotional maturity was Talia. Talia was such a compelling character, and I really wish we actually followed her instead of Emmy. She was so much more fleshed out than Emmy, and honestly I would have rather followed a full book with her in it than Emmy.
The only part of this story that was enjoyable was the romance between Emmy and Talia. I think their interactions and banter had so much potential to be the main plot of this story, but even that gets side swept by the almost-comical plot where our almost-30 year old women decide to ruin their ex’s chances at winning the contest they’re participating in. In John Tucker Must Die (again, this book isn’t explicitly compared to this movie, but I really think the comparison works), this idea works because the main characters are in high (even if they also look 30). They got humiliated by an asshole guy and they want revenge. But as I’ve said before, these women are almost in their 30s, and it was just weird how the entire book’s energy was spent on ruining a man of all people.
So with me saying that, I really think this book would have worked better had it been either: YA or with younger characters. I don’t mind older characters in stories, but the lack of common sense, depth and maturity the majority of them had really made this book read young. And it’s such a shame because I really do think this romance and plot had so so much potential. But we really just don’t get that much Emmy and Talia together. This story was so focused on the ex, and I just couldn’t give a shit less. I wanted sapphic goodness and we have a man as one of the main plot points. Make it make sense!!!
I just wasn’t a fan of this book, especially after coming off another witchy romcom,The Ex Hex,which in my opinion was marginally better. Yes, I know, I actually liked the straight people better?! Crazy thought. Anyways, I would say skip this, both as a witchy romcom and a sapphic book. I think there are much better ones out there, and Payback’s a Witch just really doesn’t hold a candle to other books of the same variety.
2 to 2.5 stars