cozysquib's Reviews (165)

Burn For Me by Ilona Andrews

It took me a minute to get into, but I really enjoyed having an older FMC who felt a bit more relateable.  The series is set in modern day with magical powers that are inherited down bloodlines. There is some minor info dumping at the beginning, but mostly the information flows fluidly alongside the story.

The world of magic and everything along with it is complex and interesting. We get the opportunity to learn along with the FMC, so it feels natural and easy to understand. There is a lot of potential for depth going forward.

This is a case of a true morally grey MMC, which is amazing. He is brutal, and efficient, but also has morals and standards? It's a very fun mix, and I am excited to see how the story progresses.

There is no on page intimacy, but it is clear that we will be heading in that direction if the FMC's inner thoughts are any indication. 

A few things of note; this is an older series, and it shows in subtle ways. Most noticeable is the name dropping of defunct social media platforms (vine). I hate the inclusion of modern day into books for this reason, as it always dates the story and can pull you out of reading.

Next, and this may not be an issue for everyone; I disliked the MMC's voice/accent in the audiobook. The rest of the series will have to be a ebook read for me. I just don't find a gruff southern drawl attractive outside cowboy romances. That's my personal taste though. 

I loved the story. It's a perfect paranormal world, which is my favorite subset of the fantasy genre. I'm very curious where the story will take me next.

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura

This book is super odd.

It took me a while to boil down my thoughts on this one.

The story itself is very good and feels like a Ghibli story.  It is originally written in Japanese, by a Japanese author, for a Japanese audience. This is a very important note to make, because...

It was very difficult for me to get into this book.

I could not for the life of me keep the characters straight or relate to their struggles or choices in any capacity. It is very telling that the students act in accordance with Japanese customs and social norms, but that does not transfer well as a reader since I do not live in that culture. 

This culture clash is exasperated by the fact that this story is very character driven. By 40% in, nothing had happened yet, and all the story was, was minor interactions between the 7 main characters.  

A character centric book in this regard has always been a struggle for me. I am awful at remembering who is who, and frequently glaze over when it comes time to remember a character unless they've done something memorable. 🤷‍♀️ I am simply a story driven reader, not a character driven reader. However this was made infinitely more difficult due culture clash happening. This is not a problem everyone will face, I'm sure. For me, it took a task I'm already trash at and cranked the difficulty up to 11.

I DNFed at aroud 50%. I was simply not feeling the teenage demographic, or the difficulty in understanding a character driven story with the added complication of cultural neuances.

This has a lot of promise as an amazing book, but I have accepted that I am not the target audience, and will be moving on.

The Goddess Of by Randi Garner

I am in love.  I am in love.  I am in love love love love LOVE!

This is the first book in many that has sucked me in, but slowed me down.  Rather than binge reading and burning through the pages like I typically to do, I am savoring this story like a warm sweet treat on a crisp fall evening.  As I'm reading, the words melt away and I am no longer staring at words on pages, instead am a spirit on the wind watching as the story unfolds. 

Something about this story and the writing style soothes my soul and carries all my thoughts away, letting me focus fully on the story.  I swear it is laced with some type of crack that is tailored specifically to my brain chemistry because I cannot pinpoint what it is that calls to me so strongly. This book navigates a fine line of evoking peace while covering fairly dark themes.

This is one of the very few stories told through time jumping that I have not minded. Typically the frequent use of flashbacks will put me off a story. However, with this one I am just as eager for the past as I am for the present. 

I love the subtle inclusion of Japanese culture.  As someone with Japanese heritage, it is always fun to see it incorporated well in a non-fetishized or weeby way.  I love how the author seamlessly includes an explanation for every term introduced, but does so in a way that flows with the story telling.  It is refreshing to see such well done info sharing in an indie book after the sea of amazing stories but rough writing I've been reading lately. 

I love that SHE is the one who is 800 years old while the MMC is the one in his 20's (28 to be exact). 

I haven't once guessed where the story will head next, but I have also found that I am not even trying to, because I am simply enjoying the journey rather than seeking the end. 

Chasing the Wild by Elliott Rose

Um, ok Daddy!

I am not a romance girlie and typically need a healthy dose of fantasy with my romance. That being said I looooved this book.

The story was engaging and real. There was plot, there were established motives, there was slow burn, and oh boy was there smut.

I will say, from a kink/romance perspective, the intimicy does not scratch my personal itch. However, it was so well done and incorporated into the overarching plot so seamlessly, that I didn't mind one bit.

The pacing and tone feels true to the characters. The slow burn and build up to intimicy creates the perfect amount of sexual tension. And, the taboo romance feels appropriately done with the internal struggles our MC's face regarding their feeling for eachother and the potential impact of acting on them.

*chefs kiss* A very well done story with a heaping helping of taboo, age gap, cowboy romance.

 Powerless by Lauren Roberts

The longer I sit on this review, the more hesitant I am to post it. I think my opinion on this book is very mixed, and definitely not going to be the popular opinion.

The book was fun, I like the characters, and I am interested in the continuation of the series.

HOWEVER!

Something about this book is not sitting right for me and hasn't since about 1/4 into the book. There is something about this book that I can not shake that keeps screaming *plagiarism* to me.

I have read a LOT of books in the YA fantasy genre, I understand that it is very difficult to have an entirely unique world that can't be accused of pulling from another book. But, there is something about the plot that feels TOO much like Red Queen + The Selection. To the extent that some portions of the book have scenes that feel directly copied with only very subtle changes made.

I enjoyed my time, I liked the characters, and the romantic tension was perfectly my cup of tea. I just can't seem to shake those bad vibes about the plot. So, for me, the characters alone carry the book and will be the determining factor for how far I continue into the series. 

The Wraith King by Juliette Cross

This is a tough one to rate and review. On the one hand, I loved the plot and the story as a whole. On the other hand, this is some of the rougher indie writing I've found on K.U.

I tend to be fairly immune to unedited writing. It either doesn't really bother me, or I don't even notice it at all.  I can't quite put my finger on what I'm not vibing with in this writing style, but it has taken me 3x longer than usual to finish this book.

That isn't to say I am not enjoying the book because the story is amazing, and I like it more than some other highly rated K.U. books I've read this year. 

Goll is the perfect balance between ruthless because he needs to be and soft for the FMC.

The story progression flows well across an interesting world with multiple unique kingdoms. The intro prelude is one of my favorite establishing chapters to date. 

Mouse Bones by Kinsey Presley-Hornung

Wow! 

This story was interesting from start to finish. With dark academia vibes, ghost students, and a world full of monsters and mysteries, what's not to like?  

We pop into the story following Agnes, a ghost being recruited into an academy for the recently deceased in purgatory. As the journey progresses we notice more things aren't quite adding up. 

I'm at a bit of a loss whit how to best describe this read.  It was so enjoyable yet so unique compared to every else I've read this year.

There are dark academia vibes a la Harry Potter or Wednesday Addams. Ghosts, mysteries, monsters, and betrayals. There is an underlying forbidden romance and reluctant friendships who's goals align. A mystery seeks an answer and our FMC with no memories of her past has to decide where the future lies. 

Mouse Bones is a super fun, unique read. I can't recommend it enough. 

I'm kicking myself for finishing it two weeks before book two releases, because now I'm waiting in purgatory seeking my own answers!

Nine Tailed by Jayci Lee

I really wanted to like this one and it showed a lot of promise but just missed the mark.

The writing felt clumsy and clunky. This was especially noticeable around the Korean themes. When themes and concepts were introduced they were very info dumpy and then every subsequent use would include another explanation of the term. While this was helpful since the terms needed that frequent reminding, it made the writing less fluid.

This issue with the terms also extends to the sheer frequency of them. By turning every term into the Korean name for a concept (archangels for example) then following it up with a reminder that x = y it demonstrates that you didn't need to make that swap. This causes needless confusion and makes the book significantly less approachable. 

Although the story and the journey was interesting, the characters fell flat for me. I wasn't invested in their romance. The FMCs perspective felt extremely juvenile given her supposed age. The MMC had the personality of a paper bag. 🤷‍♀️

I loved the theme. I'm a big fan of cultural lore. I wanted this to be everything I hoped for. But, although it was not bad by any means, it was not good either.

Rabid by Ivy Asher & Raven Kennedy 

Wow. This book covers some pretty heavy topics in a pretty creative way.  Although it is part of a wider shared universe*, Rabid can be read as a standalone with a complete story.

Rabid covers the life of Seneca Rain, a shifter wolf on the eve of accepting her wolf spirit. Her mom has died under mysterious circumstances, and the pack she lives in is run by a brutal psychopath. This is a shifter paranormal romance and does contain on page spice.

There are heavy themes throughout the story. Specially abuses perpetrated by men against women. However, the story incorporates them beautifully, acknowledging the reality of those horrors while giving us a strong female character to face them.

Both the FMC and the MMC are brutal vicious creatures who embrace their inner monsters. While they are not cruel, they are fierce, and do not shy away from revenge or retribution. 

I love rooting for FMCs who embrace their feminine rage and Seneca fits that bill perfectly. She is a fighter through and through. 

This is a fun and interesting story, contains spice, and very much so worth a read. Just, don't go into it thinking you're getting a lighthearted book.