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1.84k reviews by:
caseythereader
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
No
Thanks to Forever for the free advance copy of this book.
- BEHIND THE SCENES is a delightful sapphic romance that's equal parts silly, tender, thoughtful, and joyous.
- I loved that this book had characters who were both working through past trauma but also doing things that brought them happiness.
- And on top of all that, Rose and Ash are a great pair: both driven, but in different ways. It's easy to see why they are attracted to each other so quickly.
- BEHIND THE SCENES is a delightful sapphic romance that's equal parts silly, tender, thoughtful, and joyous.
- I loved that this book had characters who were both working through past trauma but also doing things that brought them happiness.
- And on top of all that, Rose and Ash are a great pair: both driven, but in different ways. It's easy to see why they are attracted to each other so quickly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to Harper Voyager for the free copy of this book.
- Wow, how do I even review a work like THE ACTUAL STAR? This book is a massive undertaking, telling the stories of three sets of people in three timelines each a thousand years apart. We watch as their stories braid, repeat, differ, and merge.
- I saw elements of Ursula LeGuin, Octavia E. Butler, Simon Jimenez, and more from across decades of sci-fi and fantasy literature in this story.
- I felt deeply invested in each timeline, and was on the edge of my seat as the stories came together. It’s quite a feat to make a slow paced, 600+ page novel a page turner.
- Story aside, the writing is fantastic, too. Beautifully written, with the recurring elements never becoming too heavyhanded.
- Wow, how do I even review a work like THE ACTUAL STAR? This book is a massive undertaking, telling the stories of three sets of people in three timelines each a thousand years apart. We watch as their stories braid, repeat, differ, and merge.
- I saw elements of Ursula LeGuin, Octavia E. Butler, Simon Jimenez, and more from across decades of sci-fi and fantasy literature in this story.
- I felt deeply invested in each timeline, and was on the edge of my seat as the stories came together. It’s quite a feat to make a slow paced, 600+ page novel a page turner.
- Story aside, the writing is fantastic, too. Beautifully written, with the recurring elements never becoming too heavyhanded.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Terminal illness
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to PRH Audio for the free copy of this book.
- Hello, I need to do some queer screaming about this book! EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END is the sapphic supernatural noir I didn’t know I needed.
- This is the rare novella that feels complete. Full characters, a real-feeling world, supernatural logistics that make sense within the world. Helen in particular felt true to life in that she was often complicated and frustrating.
- Polk does get into the homophobia of the era, but it isn’t gratuitious or overwhelming, simply a factor in the plot.
- The writing was also just so good: engaging and quick. I am looking forward to catching up on Polk’s backlist now.
- Hello, I need to do some queer screaming about this book! EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END is the sapphic supernatural noir I didn’t know I needed.
- This is the rare novella that feels complete. Full characters, a real-feeling world, supernatural logistics that make sense within the world. Helen in particular felt true to life in that she was often complicated and frustrating.
- Polk does get into the homophobia of the era, but it isn’t gratuitious or overwhelming, simply a factor in the plot.
- The writing was also just so good: engaging and quick. I am looking forward to catching up on Polk’s backlist now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Forced institutionalization
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thanks to PRH Audio for the free copy of this book.
- THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES is such a gloriously cozy fantasy romance. I adored every member of Nowhere House and the gently magical world they inhabited.
- I feel like it’s uncommon to find books about the importance and necessity of found family where the main relationship is a hetero one. I enjoyed that this book pushed back against the idea that blood family is important over all.
- THE VERY SECRET SOCIETY OF IRREGULAR WITCHES is such a gloriously cozy fantasy romance. I adored every member of Nowhere House and the gently magical world they inhabited.
- I feel like it’s uncommon to find books about the importance and necessity of found family where the main relationship is a hetero one. I enjoyed that this book pushed back against the idea that blood family is important over all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia, Racism
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the free advance copy of this book.
- AGAINST THE CURRANT is the first book in a new cozy mystery series, set at a family's West Indian bakery in New York.
- I immediately loved Lyndsay and her family and friends. It's such a loving and funny group, who all want the best for each other.
- I did find some of the dialogue repetitive: there's a lot of repeating the same information to new groups of people without really moving the mystery forward. However, the characters and the setting were such a joy that I definitely want to see where Matthews takes this series.
- AGAINST THE CURRANT is the first book in a new cozy mystery series, set at a family's West Indian bakery in New York.
- I immediately loved Lyndsay and her family and friends. It's such a loving and funny group, who all want the best for each other.
- I did find some of the dialogue repetitive: there's a lot of repeating the same information to new groups of people without really moving the mystery forward. However, the characters and the setting were such a joy that I definitely want to see where Matthews takes this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Murder
Moderate: Suicide
challenging
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Suicide, Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thanks to Joy Revolution Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE is Talia Hibbert's YA debut, and what a joy it is. Hibbert's adult romance novels have the best banter, and this book is basically solid gleeful banter all the way through.
- Celine fits right in to the Hibbert pantheon of smart, headstrong women. I loved how driven she was, even when pointed in the wrong direction, and seeing Brad gently help her reassess was so lovely.
- I loved that Brad had OCD, and that instead of this being a discovery and diagnosis story, he already had a fair handle on it and was shown on the page using his techniques to combat intrusive thoughts.
- HIGHLY SUSPICIOUS AND UNFAIRLY CUTE is Talia Hibbert's YA debut, and what a joy it is. Hibbert's adult romance novels have the best banter, and this book is basically solid gleeful banter all the way through.
- Celine fits right in to the Hibbert pantheon of smart, headstrong women. I loved how driven she was, even when pointed in the wrong direction, and seeing Brad gently help her reassess was so lovely.
- I loved that Brad had OCD, and that instead of this being a discovery and diagnosis story, he already had a fair handle on it and was shown on the page using his techniques to combat intrusive thoughts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Medical content, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content, Alcohol
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Thanks to St. Martins Press for the free advance copy of this book.
- DRINKING GAMES is part substance abuse memoir, part dissection of the larger role alcohol plays in our lives today.
- I liked Levy's point that she and many others convince themselves that their drinking isn't a problem because they can still hold down a job, friends, etc., and pointing out that not only is "rock bottom" different for everyone, but that you don't need to reach it to change your relationship to alcohol.
- I am someone who quit drinking relatively recently, and something that really resonated with me was Levy's description of how small things suddenly bring outsized joy. For me, when not dealing with the highs and lows that come with drinking, I began to find great pleasure in things as small as a fuzzy blanket or a new kind of candy.
- DRINKING GAMES is part substance abuse memoir, part dissection of the larger role alcohol plays in our lives today.
- I liked Levy's point that she and many others convince themselves that their drinking isn't a problem because they can still hold down a job, friends, etc., and pointing out that not only is "rock bottom" different for everyone, but that you don't need to reach it to change your relationship to alcohol.
- I am someone who quit drinking relatively recently, and something that really resonated with me was Levy's description of how small things suddenly bring outsized joy. For me, when not dealing with the highs and lows that come with drinking, I began to find great pleasure in things as small as a fuzzy blanket or a new kind of candy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Thanks to Books Forward PR for the free advance copy of this book.
- BLUE FLAME is the second book in the Daemon Collecting series, and it was so fun to return to Leda and Rachel's unique world and get to see it expand in this installment.
- I enjoyed how Levy combined both beings from existing mythologies and newly invented beings in these books.
- Fair warning that BLUE FLAME ends on a bit of a cliffhanger! I'm looking forward to the next in the series!
- BLUE FLAME is the second book in the Daemon Collecting series, and it was so fun to return to Leda and Rachel's unique world and get to see it expand in this installment.
- I enjoyed how Levy combined both beings from existing mythologies and newly invented beings in these books.
- Fair warning that BLUE FLAME ends on a bit of a cliffhanger! I'm looking forward to the next in the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Slavery, Blood, Islamophobia, Abandonment
Moderate: Sexual content