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chronic_listener's reviews
166 reviews
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was such a comfy, cozy read with lots of wholesome moments that had me go "🥹". I really liked the details of Viv and Cal building the shop, that combined with all the baked goods slowly added to the shop felt like unlocking new levels in a cozy video game.
I totally see how this is beloved by so many but for me personally a 5 star read needs to really move me and leave a lasting impression, which as sweet and fun as this book was, in just not the case here for me.
Would totally recommend if you are looking for a short, quick and enjoyable book with a coffee shop DIY project and found family vibes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Racism, Xenophobia, Stalking, Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Absolutely unputdownable, laced with magic and an eerie atmosphere, One Dark Window was a delightful surprise to me.
I loved this so much more than I thought. The tension, the plot, the pacing, the characters, the setting, the romance, the writing - I was absolutely captivated.
More things I loved:
♥ the fmc not being a complete pushover
♥ the magic system
♥ the tree family names
♥ the action scenes
♥ the tension between Elspeth and Ravyn
♥ the Nightmare
♥ the eerie rhymes
This really felt like a movie in my head, the narrator did such an incredible job bringing this story to life. The writing was so horrifically great that I felt queasy at times because I could just imagine someone living inside my head and feel the pain of all the injuries like it was happening to me.
I can‘t wait to see where this story goes.
One thing I noticed: Considering our fmc seemed quite bright, it took her painfully long to realize what I feel like was quite obvious to the reader from early on. The Nightmare being the Shepherd King and slowly becoming stronger the more she asks for his help.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol
Minor: Bullying, Police brutality
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
What I Loved
âž³ the angst (oh it was ANGSTING)
âž³ Jacks' POV (about damn time)
âž³ all the twists and turns (the gasps I gusped)
âž³ very high stakes (shaking in my boots)
âž³ SO many great quotes (*swoon*)
What I didn't like about this was how much focus there was on Apollo. I get that we needed his POV chapters for impact, but did we really need that many..? I hated him with a fiery passion and while I love when a book evokes intense feelings, I do not enjoy being miserable half the time.
The parts in this I loved I LOVED but overall it left me wanting more. More Jacks, more reward for their pain, more answers to some plot points that were just kinda... brushed over or ignored which I wished were focused on before the series wrapped up for a more satisfying ending. (I haven't read the Caraval series yet so maybe that'll shed some more light on it!)
I really enjoyed the writing and worldbuilding, so whimsical and like a pastel explosion (in a good way) but with a slightly darker side of centuries old twisted curses, a metric shit ton of pining, packed to the brim with action and so much happening my face was 😦 a good chunk of the time.
This book hurt me in great (and some less great ways) and even though the ending felt a bit rushed I will definitely re-read this whole series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Animal death, Torture, Death of parent
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Given Our History on paper is truly my kryptonite:
➸ estranged childhood best friends to lovers
➸ dual timeline
➸ second chance romance
➸ tall smart soft spoken shy mmc (with glasses!)
➸ relatable fmc
➸ forced proximity
➸ just the right amount of angst
➸ "show me" micro-trope
➸ 2000's references and nostalgia
The writing was amazing and made it so easy to fly through this book, but around the 60% mark the pacing started to feel off, their palpable tension and chemistry from the teenage timeline not translating well into the present timeline. From that point it dragged on a bit, their reasoning for not talking to each other becoming annoying rather than understandable.
At first, I felt so seen by this book and really connected to Clara, I totally got her hesitation but then it reached a point where I wanted to yell at her "... girl. Take a swift step to the side AND GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY".
When a book starts out this amazing and then loses me along the way I'm always extra sad. I wish there was a bit more talking to each other and bit more of a satisfying resolution at the end. Also more Teddy. I would have loved a chapter from his POV to get a glimpse into his brain.
Still a great book, cozy fall vibes all the way through; the first half was a rock-solid 5 star read for me. I might want to reread next fall because I really loved the first part of it so much!
🎧 loved the narration! She made her voice sound younger for the different flashbacks, which I thought was great.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent
Minor: Injury/Injury detail
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
What a rollercoaster!!
I genuinely loved this book and had such a blast reading!
What I especially loved (an incomplete list):
➸ how action-packed it was
➸ the push and pull between Evangeline + Jacks
➸ the pining and teasing
➸ the secrets and curses and betrayals
➸ the enchanting writing
Halfway through this book I was already itching to re-read the whole series. The amount of swoon-worthy moments in this was truly a health hazard!!!
There was SO MUCH happening, there was never time to take a breath and recover before the next thing happened, which made for an exciting and entertaining read that I couldn't put down.
My fav book in this series, it had everything I want in a fantasy novel: action, tension, high-stakes, secrets and betrayals, a hot love interest with layers who had me melt into a puddle on the floor, and an intriguing plot that glued me to the page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Self harm, Torture, Stalking
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Kidnapping, Grief