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Ever since I started studying comparative literature at university, I haven‘t picked up a classic for the sole purpose of entertainment instead of the fact that it was yet another title on my assignement list. Then I decided to watch the 2005 movie of this beloved classic, not expecting anything. Let alone this new obsession that began. But then Mr. Darcy went from „not handsome enough to tempt me“, flexed his hand, poured his heart out while the rain did the same, and you can bet I was invested. So invested that I hit replay on that movie, rewatched it countless times in the span of three weeks, and finally read the classic itself.
Usually when I pick up a book after watching the adaptation, it‘s for two reasons. I either loved the characters and wish to see more of them or my curiosity got the better of me, and I want to know how different things play out in the story. Both of these reasons applied for my decision to read Jane Austen‘s famous novel.
Pride and Prejudice suprised me in so many ways that it became evident to me why it has been such a beloved story for centuries. Not only does it revolve around the romance of
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy but it focuses on many important themes for that time while offering some of the most fun and deliciously light dialogues I've come across. The people were
right when they said that this book's full of humor. I found myself grinning and laughing out loud more often than expected.
It‘s no suprise that the main theme of this book is that a woman must marry well, but what did suprise me was that despite this being Lizzy‘s story, we get to see more than just her view on marriage and can generally follow the other characters‘ agendas and motives as we read on. The other characters weren’t mainly existing but had their own pursuits, and I found myself as interested in them as in the two main characters. I loved Jane and Elizabeth’s sisterly bond, was very fond of Mrs. and Mr. Gardiner, and the whole Wickham would have kept me turning the pages if I didn’t already know the outcome.
The short chapters were yet another thing of suprise as I usually have come across classic that tend to have longer ones filled with descriptions. But here, each chapter focuses mostly on one event, making it so much easier to grasp what is happening. I very often found myself saying „just one more chapter“, a lie we all tell ourselves when reading a good book, but one that I haven‘t told myself when reading a classic for a long time.
However, the core of the story is the romance between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and I‘ve become as invested as I did watching the movie regarding these two. Their relationship is a delight to everyone who is a fan of the hate-to-love trope, but what makes it even more beautiful is the growth and development these two go through as they challenge each other. While they do seem to find their way to each other like to magnets, it‘s not what drives them together. The fact that both of them have to set aside their pride and prejudice of each other to finally be able to embrace their love is a thing I wish to see more often. Because while no one can tell me the attraction hasn‘t been there to some extent before, and we all know between hate and love is a fine line to trespass, it‘s the work put into changing to become a better version of oneself that seals the deal.
I would have never expected to count myself among the Mr. Darcy fangirls. But here I am, and I am not at all mad about it. Never woud I have guessed how much I would love this story, and I‘m happy that I‘ve come across this novel at my own time and pace so I was able to throughly enjoy it.
Usually when I pick up a book after watching the adaptation, it‘s for two reasons. I either loved the characters and wish to see more of them or my curiosity got the better of me, and I want to know how different things play out in the story. Both of these reasons applied for my decision to read Jane Austen‘s famous novel.
Pride and Prejudice suprised me in so many ways that it became evident to me why it has been such a beloved story for centuries. Not only does it revolve around the romance of
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy but it focuses on many important themes for that time while offering some of the most fun and deliciously light dialogues I've come across. The people were
right when they said that this book's full of humor. I found myself grinning and laughing out loud more often than expected.
It‘s no suprise that the main theme of this book is that a woman must marry well, but what did suprise me was that despite this being Lizzy‘s story, we get to see more than just her view on marriage and can generally follow the other characters‘ agendas and motives as we read on. The other characters weren’t mainly existing but had their own pursuits, and I found myself as interested in them as in the two main characters. I loved Jane and Elizabeth’s sisterly bond, was very fond of Mrs. and Mr. Gardiner, and the whole Wickham would have kept me turning the pages if I didn’t already know the outcome.
The short chapters were yet another thing of suprise as I usually have come across classic that tend to have longer ones filled with descriptions. But here, each chapter focuses mostly on one event, making it so much easier to grasp what is happening. I very often found myself saying „just one more chapter“, a lie we all tell ourselves when reading a good book, but one that I haven‘t told myself when reading a classic for a long time.
However, the core of the story is the romance between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and I‘ve become as invested as I did watching the movie regarding these two. Their relationship is a delight to everyone who is a fan of the hate-to-love trope, but what makes it even more beautiful is the growth and development these two go through as they challenge each other. While they do seem to find their way to each other like to magnets, it‘s not what drives them together. The fact that both of them have to set aside their pride and prejudice of each other to finally be able to embrace their love is a thing I wish to see more often. Because while no one can tell me the attraction hasn‘t been there to some extent before, and we all know between hate and love is a fine line to trespass, it‘s the work put into changing to become a better version of oneself that seals the deal.
I would have never expected to count myself among the Mr. Darcy fangirls. But here I am, and I am not at all mad about it. Never woud I have guessed how much I would love this story, and I‘m happy that I‘ve come across this novel at my own time and pace so I was able to throughly enjoy it.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
What a beautiful, dark and whimsical retelling of Rumpelstiltskin where gold had been not the only thing that was spun!
I had two reasons to be very excited for Gilded: one, it‘s a retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales of all time, and two, it‘s written by Marissa Meyer. Ever since she introduced me with The Lunar Chronicles to the beauty of fairy tale retellings, I have been putting all my trust into her craft. And oh man, am I happy, I picked this one up.
From the very beginning, I really loved the setting of this book and the protagonist Serilda who had enchanted me with her stories just as much as the children of her village. Having been very familiar with the story of Rumpelstiltskin, I knew what to expect with most of the story, but I was thrilled to see how it had its own unique elements that twisted everything into a darker story, including some other tales or beasts from German folklore such as the Erlkönig.
Overall, what was truly impressing was how Marissa didn‘t stray too much away from the original story but kept it unique, and left me wondering what could happen next by switching the roles of the King and … Rumpelstiltskin. The latter has become one of those cinnamon characters that I just want to protect at all costs, while the former intrigued me in the beginning before he revealed himself as a rather two-dimensional villain. Which is one of the two reasons why this book didn‘t end up being a full five-stars-read. The other was the slower pace right before twist of the story begins. And while I can appreciate that, I do have to admit it was way too easy to just put the book aside during those moments.
This doesn‘t change anything though that I truly enjoyed reading this retelling, and I‘m now hyped to see where all of this is leading us in the sequel, Cursed. Which by the way, just happens to have one of the best covers I‘ve seen. I AM IN LOVE!
If you love a dark and whimsical retelling of a fairytale that has its strength in the way each tale is being spun to a bigger story, then this book should added to your TBR. Like now.
What a beautiful, dark and whimsical retelling of Rumpelstiltskin where gold had been not the only thing that was spun!
I had two reasons to be very excited for Gilded: one, it‘s a retelling of one of my favorite fairy tales of all time, and two, it‘s written by Marissa Meyer. Ever since she introduced me with The Lunar Chronicles to the beauty of fairy tale retellings, I have been putting all my trust into her craft. And oh man, am I happy, I picked this one up.
From the very beginning, I really loved the setting of this book and the protagonist Serilda who had enchanted me with her stories just as much as the children of her village. Having been very familiar with the story of Rumpelstiltskin, I knew what to expect with most of the story, but I was thrilled to see how it had its own unique elements that twisted everything into a darker story, including some other tales or beasts from German folklore such as the Erlkönig.
Overall, what was truly impressing was how Marissa didn‘t stray too much away from the original story but kept it unique, and left me wondering what could happen next by switching the roles of the King and … Rumpelstiltskin. The latter has become one of those cinnamon characters that I just want to protect at all costs, while the former intrigued me in the beginning before he revealed himself as a rather two-dimensional villain. Which is one of the two reasons why this book didn‘t end up being a full five-stars-read. The other was the slower pace right before twist of the story begins. And while I can appreciate that, I do have to admit it was way too easy to just put the book aside during those moments.
This doesn‘t change anything though that I truly enjoyed reading this retelling, and I‘m now hyped to see where all of this is leading us in the sequel, Cursed. Which by the way, just happens to have one of the best covers I‘ve seen. I AM IN LOVE!
If you love a dark and whimsical retelling of a fairytale that has its strength in the way each tale is being spun to a bigger story, then this book should added to your TBR. Like now.
If you're a fan of a vast fantasy world, morally grey characters and tropes such as enemies-to-lovers and arranged marriage, then you might want to pick up Benyu Born of Ash, the first installement of The Ischyró Chronicles as it got it all!
The story follows the protagonist Roan, who's been an outsider due to her Elemental magic and dreams of death. She tries to keep to the shadows, but when her village is being invaded by the enemies, the Woodlanders, Roan does everything she can to protect her people. And that includes signing herself off to a blood bargain which reveals to bind her to the Woodlander's general Galin, who might not be the enemy Roan believes him to be. From there on, Roan finds herself on a path, trying to unravel the truth behind everything - her magic, how to save her people, her heritage.
The worldbuilding of this book is really impressive, and I have to admit it took me a while to grasp the whole concept. But I enjoyed how bits and pieces were revealed along and we were able to find out things as Roan did. Generally, Roan is a pleasant character to follow around. Despite her impulsive choices, she is a determined character who tries her best to save everyone around her while figuring out who and what she is. I really enjoyed how we were able to see everything through her perspectives, and how much her bonds with other characters played a big role in this. The relationships and bonds she had with her father, siblings, and especially Galin were probably my favorite aspects of this story. If you're a fan of a great slow-burn romance, then you should definitely try getting tortured by the tension between Roan and Galin. Often I found myself yelling at them, and I really enjoyed the scenes between them!
Overall, this is a great first installement that introduces us to a vast world, interesting characters to which is more than we can see, and opens up new questions and paths that make me very excited for the sequel!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows the protagonist Roan, who's been an outsider due to her Elemental magic and dreams of death. She tries to keep to the shadows, but when her village is being invaded by the enemies, the Woodlanders, Roan does everything she can to protect her people. And that includes signing herself off to a blood bargain which reveals to bind her to the Woodlander's general Galin, who might not be the enemy Roan believes him to be. From there on, Roan finds herself on a path, trying to unravel the truth behind everything - her magic, how to save her people, her heritage.
The worldbuilding of this book is really impressive, and I have to admit it took me a while to grasp the whole concept. But I enjoyed how bits and pieces were revealed along and we were able to find out things as Roan did. Generally, Roan is a pleasant character to follow around. Despite her impulsive choices, she is a determined character who tries her best to save everyone around her while figuring out who and what she is. I really enjoyed how we were able to see everything through her perspectives, and how much her bonds with other characters played a big role in this. The relationships and bonds she had with her father, siblings, and especially Galin were probably my favorite aspects of this story. If you're a fan of a great slow-burn romance, then you should definitely try getting tortured by the tension between Roan and Galin. Often I found myself yelling at them, and I really enjoyed the scenes between them!
Overall, this is a great first installement that introduces us to a vast world, interesting characters to which is more than we can see, and opens up new questions and paths that make me very excited for the sequel!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: leaning towards 3.5. stars
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is one of those books that made me feel several things, and left me in a conflict with myself as I have found myself loving the lush worldbuilding, the lyrical prose and most of the plot but I also had to struggle during times with the story which I mainly blame on the pacing. Should I rate this book higher because it was a magical ride? Or should I take in consideration that there were longer periods where I found myself … falling asleep as I was reading, during the middle of the day?
Now here‘s the thing. Daughter of the Moon Goddess IS a beautiful story. The worldbuilding is so vibrant, enchanting, incorporating elements of Chinese mythology, introducing us to such a unique setting. I surely wouldn‘t mind to read more installements, or books overall, in the Immortal Realm. The world was the first thing that pulled me into the book. The second was the lyrical prose that allowed me to vividly imagine every part of this world I have fell in love with. I knew I would love the story, and impatiently I kept turning the pages as I was excited to learn more about the Moon Goddess herself, about Xingyin, the secret-kept daughter, about her heritage, and what else this realm has to offer. Then Liwei came into the picture, and I just couldn‘t help myself but immediately fall for the Crown Prince of the Celestial Empire. I loved what role he played in Xingyin‘s life, and the beginning of their relationship just had so much to offer already. But shortly after, I started having problems with the plot - which I mainly blame on the pacing.
Between time jumps, a slow middle part, and some characters scenes that seemed were moving too fast, I found myself caring less and less for some particular interactions. While I hadn‘t mind the time jumps early in the book, despite the fact that they took away a good portion of the relationship development between Liwei and Xingyin, I was still able to enjoy their dynamic because the very first scenes they shared were so promising. But later on, we get introduced to a potential second love interest, and once more the time jump takes away what would have helped to understand the ground on which the relationship between Xingyin and Captain Wenzhi was built. While I did enjoy the set up of a love triangle of some sorts, I couldn’t take the relationship to the latter love interest seriously. Unlike to her relationship with Liwei, their fist encounters didn‘t offer much insight, and unfortunately, we also missed a lot of the protagonist‘s own character development. I just had to accept where she was in life now, what she had already accomplished. This is where the storyline started to feel a bit dragging. While the plot itself showed us different aspects of the world and was vital to where we were supposed to go, and I was able to enjoy some visits to other kingdoms (like the part where she is at the East Sea), I couldn‘t completely invest any feelings to what Xingyin was going through. I didn‘t see any proper risks, and I became indifferent towards the characters‘ goals and dreams. I found myself very often dozing off as I was reading the chapters, and hoping for some twist, anything that would speed up things.
Thankfully, that did happen. The pace quickened in the last third of the book. After a twist that truly put the characters‘ goals at stake, I found myself once more engaged by the plot. I loved in which direction the story was heading, I finally felt the risks tickling, and once more was flipping those pages. The last third of this book really made up for the slow-paced middle part, and I was once more enthralled by the plot. However, when the ending was reached, the story felt more like that of a standalone as everything wrapped nicely together, which leads me to wonder what possibly could happen in the sequel. While in my current state of curiosity I would have immediately picked up the sequel, I don‘t know if I will have the same feeling when the Heart of the Sun Warrior will come out. This is something that we‘ll only find out in the future, I guess.
Overall, I can highly recommend this book to anyone who adores an enchanting and lush worldbuilding and beautiful prose. If one anticpates the dragging middle part, then the twist towards the end of the book as well as everything revolving the ending will make up for it, and reward one with a beautiful story and some characters that might stay in your heart.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is one of those books that made me feel several things, and left me in a conflict with myself as I have found myself loving the lush worldbuilding, the lyrical prose and most of the plot but I also had to struggle during times with the story which I mainly blame on the pacing. Should I rate this book higher because it was a magical ride? Or should I take in consideration that there were longer periods where I found myself … falling asleep as I was reading, during the middle of the day?
Now here‘s the thing. Daughter of the Moon Goddess IS a beautiful story. The worldbuilding is so vibrant, enchanting, incorporating elements of Chinese mythology, introducing us to such a unique setting. I surely wouldn‘t mind to read more installements, or books overall, in the Immortal Realm. The world was the first thing that pulled me into the book. The second was the lyrical prose that allowed me to vividly imagine every part of this world I have fell in love with. I knew I would love the story, and impatiently I kept turning the pages as I was excited to learn more about the Moon Goddess herself, about Xingyin, the secret-kept daughter, about her heritage, and what else this realm has to offer. Then Liwei came into the picture, and I just couldn‘t help myself but immediately fall for the Crown Prince of the Celestial Empire. I loved what role he played in Xingyin‘s life, and the beginning of their relationship just had so much to offer already. But shortly after, I started having problems with the plot - which I mainly blame on the pacing.
Between time jumps, a slow middle part, and some characters scenes that seemed were moving too fast, I found myself caring less and less for some particular interactions. While I hadn‘t mind the time jumps early in the book, despite the fact that they took away a good portion of the relationship development between Liwei and Xingyin, I was still able to enjoy their dynamic because the very first scenes they shared were so promising. But later on, we get introduced to a potential second love interest, and once more the time jump takes away what would have helped to understand the ground on which the relationship between Xingyin and Captain Wenzhi was built. While I did enjoy the set up of a love triangle of some sorts, I couldn’t take the relationship to the latter love interest seriously. Unlike to her relationship with Liwei, their fist encounters didn‘t offer much insight, and unfortunately, we also missed a lot of the protagonist‘s own character development. I just had to accept where she was in life now, what she had already accomplished. This is where the storyline started to feel a bit dragging. While the plot itself showed us different aspects of the world and was vital to where we were supposed to go, and I was able to enjoy some visits to other kingdoms (like the part where she is at the East Sea), I couldn‘t completely invest any feelings to what Xingyin was going through. I didn‘t see any proper risks, and I became indifferent towards the characters‘ goals and dreams. I found myself very often dozing off as I was reading the chapters, and hoping for some twist, anything that would speed up things.
Thankfully, that did happen. The pace quickened in the last third of the book. After a twist that truly put the characters‘ goals at stake, I found myself once more engaged by the plot. I loved in which direction the story was heading, I finally felt the risks tickling, and once more was flipping those pages. The last third of this book really made up for the slow-paced middle part, and I was once more enthralled by the plot. However, when the ending was reached, the story felt more like that of a standalone as everything wrapped nicely together, which leads me to wonder what possibly could happen in the sequel. While in my current state of curiosity I would have immediately picked up the sequel, I don‘t know if I will have the same feeling when the Heart of the Sun Warrior will come out. This is something that we‘ll only find out in the future, I guess.
Overall, I can highly recommend this book to anyone who adores an enchanting and lush worldbuilding and beautiful prose. If one anticpates the dragging middle part, then the twist towards the end of the book as well as everything revolving the ending will make up for it, and reward one with a beautiful story and some characters that might stay in your heart.
HELLO MY NEW FAVORITE BOOK AND THE SOLE REASON WHY MY SEROTONIN LEVEL IS SO DAMN HIGH!
Being part of the bookstagram community, I have seen this book pop up on my feed numerous times. I‘ve seen people obsessing over it, I‘ve seen the hype. And somehow decided to stay away from it. However, after one long day at work (which happens to be a bookstore) with one of my best friends (which happens to be my colleague at work), we decided we need a good light, heart-warming read for the weekend, and thought „why not buddy read something?“. So during a quiet moment in the store, we roamed the shelves, and both of us were pulled like magnets toward the two copies of The Love Hypothesis on the shelf. This lead to an impulse buy on both our ends, and me discovering a new favorite book mere hours after the purchase had been done.
As a teenager, I very often found myself reading waaaay after bedtime, but I never minded the lack of sleep. Even as an adult and despite the looming task of adulthood, books kept me awake until 1 or 2 am. However, I was always aware of the hours, and always knew when time had come to finally get some rest. On this fine Saturday night, though, I started the book, laughed immediately when the „expired contact lenses“ debate started (because oh damn, I feel you, Olive. But you really need to get some new ones), and kept going, reading and reading - until I heard some birds chirping outside of my window, and realized it was 5 freaking am. The last time I had stayed up this late for a book was because of Cassandra Clare‘s Clockwork Princess. Though that one had wrecked my heart, while The Love Hypothesis had only boosted my serotonin, and made me the happiest.
This book just came at the perfect time in my life. The prior two months had been stressful, busy, full of dreading tasks and unnecessary drama. I was very close to falling into a slump, my motivation to participate in the bookish community reached negative numbers. And then the story of Olive and Adam came, and I felt like reborn.
Ali Hazelwood‘s debut novel is filled with moments of laughter, some second-hand embarassment, and lots of tension. It‘s one of those books where you get easily addicted to the storyline, turning the pages like a maniac to see whether one of the protagonists is finally making the move, and cheering on them. I must truly say I have loved every single chapter, page, scenes between Olive and Adam. I enjoyed these two protagonist and their whole fake-dating deal so so much. Adding to that, we also had a hilarious cast of secondary characters (I‘m still laughing just thinking what Anh had put Olive through), and the academia setting was so refreshing and fit the story so perfectly that I‘m in a mighty need to see it more often in contemporary novels.
I don‘t think I can add anything to what has been already said about this book. The hype is totally justified, and I‘m joining it loud and proud. Do I want everyone to read this? Hell yes. Has Ali Hazelwood now become an auto-buy-autor for me? Absolutely. Will I be rereading this book a billion times until her next novel comes out (and even after that)? You can bet on it.
So if you‘re looking for a romance book that has the tension, the fun, a cool setting and amazing characters in it, then read THIS. Oh, and the spice? It‘s *chef‘s kiss*. (I have or have not reread it more than once hehehe)
Being part of the bookstagram community, I have seen this book pop up on my feed numerous times. I‘ve seen people obsessing over it, I‘ve seen the hype. And somehow decided to stay away from it. However, after one long day at work (which happens to be a bookstore) with one of my best friends (which happens to be my colleague at work), we decided we need a good light, heart-warming read for the weekend, and thought „why not buddy read something?“. So during a quiet moment in the store, we roamed the shelves, and both of us were pulled like magnets toward the two copies of The Love Hypothesis on the shelf. This lead to an impulse buy on both our ends, and me discovering a new favorite book mere hours after the purchase had been done.
As a teenager, I very often found myself reading waaaay after bedtime, but I never minded the lack of sleep. Even as an adult and despite the looming task of adulthood, books kept me awake until 1 or 2 am. However, I was always aware of the hours, and always knew when time had come to finally get some rest. On this fine Saturday night, though, I started the book, laughed immediately when the „expired contact lenses“ debate started (because oh damn, I feel you, Olive. But you really need to get some new ones), and kept going, reading and reading - until I heard some birds chirping outside of my window, and realized it was 5 freaking am. The last time I had stayed up this late for a book was because of Cassandra Clare‘s Clockwork Princess. Though that one had wrecked my heart, while The Love Hypothesis had only boosted my serotonin, and made me the happiest.
This book just came at the perfect time in my life. The prior two months had been stressful, busy, full of dreading tasks and unnecessary drama. I was very close to falling into a slump, my motivation to participate in the bookish community reached negative numbers. And then the story of Olive and Adam came, and I felt like reborn.
Ali Hazelwood‘s debut novel is filled with moments of laughter, some second-hand embarassment, and lots of tension. It‘s one of those books where you get easily addicted to the storyline, turning the pages like a maniac to see whether one of the protagonists is finally making the move, and cheering on them. I must truly say I have loved every single chapter, page, scenes between Olive and Adam. I enjoyed these two protagonist and their whole fake-dating deal so so much. Adding to that, we also had a hilarious cast of secondary characters (I‘m still laughing just thinking what Anh had put Olive through), and the academia setting was so refreshing and fit the story so perfectly that I‘m in a mighty need to see it more often in contemporary novels.
I don‘t think I can add anything to what has been already said about this book. The hype is totally justified, and I‘m joining it loud and proud. Do I want everyone to read this? Hell yes. Has Ali Hazelwood now become an auto-buy-autor for me? Absolutely. Will I be rereading this book a billion times until her next novel comes out (and even after that)? You can bet on it.
So if you‘re looking for a romance book that has the tension, the fun, a cool setting and amazing characters in it, then read THIS. Oh, and the spice? It‘s *chef‘s kiss*. (I have or have not reread it more than once hehehe)
This book was anything but what I expected, and still I was able to enjoy every page of it!
When I first came across Only a Monster, I immediately added it to my TBR, knowing I will pick it up sooner than any other book. How could I have not? A book about monsters where the hero is the antagonist? Add to that some time travel that always intrigues me (which shouldn‘t be a suprise considering I grew up with constant rewatchs of Back to the Future), and a potential love triangle that is promising some good enemies-to-lovers trope on both sides, this book was one I quickly was excited for. And I‘m happy to inform you that I enjoyed every page of it!
Only a Monster is a fun, fast-paced and engaging story featuring a cool cast of characters coming from various backgrounds and with different opinions on what it means to be a monster, introducing us to a world within the one we know that is filled with time travelling monsters that can jump from time to time only for the tiny cost of … a human life. Oops! Doesn‘t sound as nice anymore, but hey, we are speaking of monsters, so why should we be surprised, right?
What did suprise me was how light-hearted it was, which makes it a perfect quick YA read for everyone to enjoy! I had expected a much darker tone, and a worse kind of monsters if I‘m being honest. And yet, I didn‘t mind that those expectations weren‘t met because the world itself and the elements of time travelling were so refreshing and unique. The mystery revolving around the timeline, as well as the twists and turns kept me flipping those pages, and made it hard to put the book aside. It‘s one of those reads you can easily binge in a sitting or two, and leaves you making all sort of theories, desperate for more answers!
The reason why I do end up rating it just four out of five stars is that the story moved forward too quickly at some parts, which didn‘t leave enough room to develop some relationships between the characters. As it was heavily marketed on the enemies-to-lovers love triangle I was hoping for more agony, tension, and investment on my side. Unfortunately, one love interest didn‘t deliver enough for me to care particularly about him, which made me feel pretty underwhelmed at the ending of the story. Generally, the ending felt a bit too convenient, and I would have wished for more build-up.
However, I still had a lot of fun reading this book, and it did leave me with lots of questions and possible theories that I can‘t wait to see whether they‘ll turn out to be true in the sequel! If you‘re looking for a fun, quick and engaging YA story that offers some unique elements, leaves room for lots of theories, and that you can devour in a day - Only a Monster might be the book for you!
When I first came across Only a Monster, I immediately added it to my TBR, knowing I will pick it up sooner than any other book. How could I have not? A book about monsters where the hero is the antagonist? Add to that some time travel that always intrigues me (which shouldn‘t be a suprise considering I grew up with constant rewatchs of Back to the Future), and a potential love triangle that is promising some good enemies-to-lovers trope on both sides, this book was one I quickly was excited for. And I‘m happy to inform you that I enjoyed every page of it!
Only a Monster is a fun, fast-paced and engaging story featuring a cool cast of characters coming from various backgrounds and with different opinions on what it means to be a monster, introducing us to a world within the one we know that is filled with time travelling monsters that can jump from time to time only for the tiny cost of … a human life. Oops! Doesn‘t sound as nice anymore, but hey, we are speaking of monsters, so why should we be surprised, right?
What did suprise me was how light-hearted it was, which makes it a perfect quick YA read for everyone to enjoy! I had expected a much darker tone, and a worse kind of monsters if I‘m being honest. And yet, I didn‘t mind that those expectations weren‘t met because the world itself and the elements of time travelling were so refreshing and unique. The mystery revolving around the timeline, as well as the twists and turns kept me flipping those pages, and made it hard to put the book aside. It‘s one of those reads you can easily binge in a sitting or two, and leaves you making all sort of theories, desperate for more answers!
The reason why I do end up rating it just four out of five stars is that the story moved forward too quickly at some parts, which didn‘t leave enough room to develop some relationships between the characters. As it was heavily marketed on the enemies-to-lovers love triangle I was hoping for more agony, tension, and investment on my side. Unfortunately, one love interest didn‘t deliver enough for me to care particularly about him, which made me feel pretty underwhelmed at the ending of the story. Generally, the ending felt a bit too convenient, and I would have wished for more build-up.
However, I still had a lot of fun reading this book, and it did leave me with lots of questions and possible theories that I can‘t wait to see whether they‘ll turn out to be true in the sequel! If you‘re looking for a fun, quick and engaging YA story that offers some unique elements, leaves room for lots of theories, and that you can devour in a day - Only a Monster might be the book for you!
WELL, CALL THIS A MASTERPIECE!!!!
At this point, how can anyone question Sarah J. Maas releasing a mindblowing book? Let alone not love it????
While I could do gladly with some parts of the fandom (huge f*ck you‘s to those spoiling the bookish community), I don‘t think I could ever do without Sarah‘s books. And just let me tell you how much I loved this one. Of course, without spoilers!
First things first, I am fully convinced that Crescent City is the best series Sarah has put out there because it is plot and character driven, and combines elements I have loved in her previous series so so much. In House of Sky and Breathe you get everything: an epic worldbuilding, a twisted magic system, a set of amazing characters of which each of them gets enough time to shine. I love how we get to discover even more of the world of this series, while the pacing knows when to slow down to give us more insight to the characters‘ thoughts and feelings. Just in the style of the previous book House of Earth and Blood, we follow the characters as they try to solve a mystery, navigating through the city, finding clues and questioning the big why‘s of this world. This time, however, more characters aside from the ones we came to love in the first installement get to shine. With multiple POVs, and several different subplots, we really get to know the cast of Crescent City so much better, making it hard to dislike any of them.
Did some aspects exist that I wasn‘t very fond of? Yes. I can‘t deny that. But thankfully, most of them very minor or at least overshadowed by the good parts of the book that I don‘t mind them as much. I guess one can go nitpicking all they want, but the fact is that this book is a rollercoaster of emotions. We get the mystery, we get the adventure, we get the smut, and we emotional moments between lovers, friends and allies, and we get a mindblowing ending that no one could have seen coming (unless you were spoiled like I was!).
I could sit down and write a lenghty review on every aspect I loved, name a few that weren‘t as exciting and analyze this whole book - but where‘s the point? I‘m glad I took my time with this, I‘m glad I joined the big world of SJM books, and I‘m once more happy to announce how much I loved a new book by this author. The Crescent City series has the potential to become my all time favorite of them all, though the need to go back and reread her previous series is strong now since I miss the characters, the worlds and generally the books I once obsessively devoured.
And now I shall excuse myself and hide in a cave, sending rambling messages to friends and trying TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS ENDING MEANS AND WHAT AWAITS US!
At this point, how can anyone question Sarah J. Maas releasing a mindblowing book? Let alone not love it????
While I could do gladly with some parts of the fandom (huge f*ck you‘s to those spoiling the bookish community), I don‘t think I could ever do without Sarah‘s books. And just let me tell you how much I loved this one. Of course, without spoilers!
First things first, I am fully convinced that Crescent City is the best series Sarah has put out there because it is plot and character driven, and combines elements I have loved in her previous series so so much. In House of Sky and Breathe you get everything: an epic worldbuilding, a twisted magic system, a set of amazing characters of which each of them gets enough time to shine. I love how we get to discover even more of the world of this series, while the pacing knows when to slow down to give us more insight to the characters‘ thoughts and feelings. Just in the style of the previous book House of Earth and Blood, we follow the characters as they try to solve a mystery, navigating through the city, finding clues and questioning the big why‘s of this world. This time, however, more characters aside from the ones we came to love in the first installement get to shine. With multiple POVs, and several different subplots, we really get to know the cast of Crescent City so much better, making it hard to dislike any of them.
Did some aspects exist that I wasn‘t very fond of? Yes. I can‘t deny that. But thankfully, most of them very minor or at least overshadowed by the good parts of the book that I don‘t mind them as much. I guess one can go nitpicking all they want, but the fact is that this book is a rollercoaster of emotions. We get the mystery, we get the adventure, we get the smut, and we emotional moments between lovers, friends and allies, and we get a mindblowing ending that no one could have seen coming (unless you were spoiled like I was!).
I could sit down and write a lenghty review on every aspect I loved, name a few that weren‘t as exciting and analyze this whole book - but where‘s the point? I‘m glad I took my time with this, I‘m glad I joined the big world of SJM books, and I‘m once more happy to announce how much I loved a new book by this author. The Crescent City series has the potential to become my all time favorite of them all, though the need to go back and reread her previous series is strong now since I miss the characters, the worlds and generally the books I once obsessively devoured.
And now I shall excuse myself and hide in a cave, sending rambling messages to friends and trying TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THIS ENDING MEANS AND WHAT AWAITS US!
Actual rating: 3.5 stars
This book made me obsessively turn the pages and roll my eyes at the same, and yet, I have come to the conclusion: there's a reason why paranormal romances had me a chokehold a decade ago. And why they still seem to do.
Crave hasn't reinvented the wheel, but it isn't trying to. Which is when you pick up this book, you better expect the unnecessary drama, the instalove and the cringe. Especially the cringe. But as soon as you welcome these aspects, this book actually turns out to be a fun read that you don't want to put aside that quickly.
I've had a fair share of vampires in my teens. And while I wouldn't be able to obsess so easily over the Edwards and Salvatore brothers now as I did back then, this book was a friendly reminder on why I didn't care about anything else but fangs back then. Crave immediately transported me to those times, feeling all sorts of nostalgic feelings, and enjoying the paranormal romance at the boarding school.
Now if I had to objectively rate this book, I would have given it less stars. Because to be fair, the book lacks aspects that could have made me enjoy it more. The romance was due to being victim of the instalove trope mostly cringey. The plot didn‘t give more insight than Grace having to learn to navigate through this boarding school of paranormals. And the writing isn‘t usually my cup of tea. Yet, I enjoyed this book more than I had expected. Simply because the book itself is entertaining. It was fun to read something I would have devoured as a teen, and it did manage to give me a rest of all the things that are keeping me busy in life. In the end, I enjoyed the romance for what it was, had a fun time discovering the secrets of Katmere Academy alongside Grace, and appreciated the characters who offered lots of humor. And sometimes all I need is that: enjoyment and some entertainment to distract myself from whatever else is happening.
After all, Crave is a great read if you‘re looking for something light and fun, something that will maybe remind you too about your own vampire-obsessed-period, and that will give you a good time for the time being without asking too much from you.
This book made me obsessively turn the pages and roll my eyes at the same, and yet, I have come to the conclusion: there's a reason why paranormal romances had me a chokehold a decade ago. And why they still seem to do.
Crave hasn't reinvented the wheel, but it isn't trying to. Which is when you pick up this book, you better expect the unnecessary drama, the instalove and the cringe. Especially the cringe. But as soon as you welcome these aspects, this book actually turns out to be a fun read that you don't want to put aside that quickly.
I've had a fair share of vampires in my teens. And while I wouldn't be able to obsess so easily over the Edwards and Salvatore brothers now as I did back then, this book was a friendly reminder on why I didn't care about anything else but fangs back then. Crave immediately transported me to those times, feeling all sorts of nostalgic feelings, and enjoying the paranormal romance at the boarding school.
Now if I had to objectively rate this book, I would have given it less stars. Because to be fair, the book lacks aspects that could have made me enjoy it more. The romance was due to being victim of the instalove trope mostly cringey. The plot didn‘t give more insight than Grace having to learn to navigate through this boarding school of paranormals. And the writing isn‘t usually my cup of tea. Yet, I enjoyed this book more than I had expected. Simply because the book itself is entertaining. It was fun to read something I would have devoured as a teen, and it did manage to give me a rest of all the things that are keeping me busy in life. In the end, I enjoyed the romance for what it was, had a fun time discovering the secrets of Katmere Academy alongside Grace, and appreciated the characters who offered lots of humor. And sometimes all I need is that: enjoyment and some entertainment to distract myself from whatever else is happening.
After all, Crave is a great read if you‘re looking for something light and fun, something that will maybe remind you too about your own vampire-obsessed-period, and that will give you a good time for the time being without asking too much from you.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Alright, call me obsessed. And the romance is to blame.
I knew people were hyping the Crave series, and I did welcome the nostalgia that came with reading Crave. But as much fun as I had to read a paranormal book with a magical boarding school and a broody and overprotective vampire as well as witches and dragons, I wasn‘t obsessed with the story. As I have stated in my review for the first installement, the story didn‘t reinvent the wheel. It was a welcome adventure. But one that I did cause some eye-rolling and cringing. However, Crush crushed it. (And don‘t ask me why I continue doing these pad puns!)
If I start comparing Crush to the book prior, all I can say is buckle up for a ride. Because this book is a wild improvement, and I didn‘t consider it to be needed since I took the first book for what it is: a nice distraction and a trip down to memory lane. But oh boy, this book! And this twist. I‘ll be cancelling all my plans and devouring the other books as we speak.
After the cliffhanger of the first book, I was curious to see where the story would lead - and also mildly annoyed that our protagonist turns out to be a very special snowflake. But oh did I not expect this turn of events, and I‘m here for it. I can‘t say much without giving away too much, so let me try to phrase it this way: While I enjoyed the book for what it is, every aspect that was indeed bothering me, didn‘t occur or was better handled in this one!
The cringe? Gone! And not because of lack of opportunities but because our girl Grace really learned to handle herself, and I‘m applauding her for that.
The storyline? While I didn‘t mind the rather obvious one in book one, this one had improved by lots. We get to see more aspects of the world, and it opens up so many more questions and made me more curious about how everything works!
The romance? After reading this one, I‘m all fine with how Jaxon‘s and Grace‘s relationship was too much of some sort of instalove with the only explanation of a mating bond because this book totally showed how to build up a romance in the slowest, most painful way, and let me tell you I was rooting for this one since the first banter. Just let me tell you it was *chef‘s kiss* and the sole reason for my obsession!
Surely, there were a few aspects that hold me back of rating it a full five stars such as the rather slow beginning, and some dragging moments here and there, but overall, this book alone is totally worth the hype and added some interesting twists that I was not expecting! Now, let me go and devour Covet because I need ALL. THE. ANSWERS! (And a special someone!)
Alright, call me obsessed. And the romance is to blame.
I knew people were hyping the Crave series, and I did welcome the nostalgia that came with reading Crave. But as much fun as I had to read a paranormal book with a magical boarding school and a broody and overprotective vampire as well as witches and dragons, I wasn‘t obsessed with the story. As I have stated in my review for the first installement, the story didn‘t reinvent the wheel. It was a welcome adventure. But one that I did cause some eye-rolling and cringing. However, Crush crushed it. (And don‘t ask me why I continue doing these pad puns!)
If I start comparing Crush to the book prior, all I can say is buckle up for a ride. Because this book is a wild improvement, and I didn‘t consider it to be needed since I took the first book for what it is: a nice distraction and a trip down to memory lane. But oh boy, this book! And this twist. I‘ll be cancelling all my plans and devouring the other books as we speak.
After the cliffhanger of the first book, I was curious to see where the story would lead - and also mildly annoyed that our protagonist turns out to be a very special snowflake. But oh did I not expect this turn of events, and I‘m here for it. I can‘t say much without giving away too much, so let me try to phrase it this way: While I enjoyed the book for what it is, every aspect that was indeed bothering me, didn‘t occur or was better handled in this one!
The cringe? Gone! And not because of lack of opportunities but because our girl Grace really learned to handle herself, and I‘m applauding her for that.
The storyline? While I didn‘t mind the rather obvious one in book one, this one had improved by lots. We get to see more aspects of the world, and it opens up so many more questions and made me more curious about how everything works!
The romance? After reading this one, I‘m all fine with how Jaxon‘s and Grace‘s relationship was too much of some sort of instalove with the only explanation of a mating bond because this book totally showed how to build up a romance in the slowest, most painful way, and let me tell you I was rooting for this one since the first banter. Just let me tell you it was *chef‘s kiss* and the sole reason for my obsession!
Surely, there were a few aspects that hold me back of rating it a full five stars such as the rather slow beginning, and some dragging moments here and there, but overall, this book alone is totally worth the hype and added some interesting twists that I was not expecting! Now, let me go and devour Covet because I need ALL. THE. ANSWERS! (And a special someone!)
