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korry_tza's Reviews (405)
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have to start by emphasizing that I read this book via audiobook, which greatly impacted my star rating. I strongly believe that the interpretation would be different if this was read as a physical copy. It is taking away a part of the enjoyment of the story and giving it the tone that I don't think it deserves.
The story starts with a strong world-building and it pulls you in from the start. The world is so intricate and wide, with a developed political system which is something to appreciate in the fantasy-building world. I like how the world-building is fortified with the old ways of telling a story and introducing us to their world's history.
It was a slow start, but it does pick up its pace in the book's second half.
The characters felt bland. The chemistry between the two main characters was off and it felt forced in some weird atmosphere and in some strange moments.
In the end, it just didn't fulfill my expectations.
It was written in a single POV, but in this case, I believe that a dual POV would do much better for the story; in that way, we could see elaborate views from both sides.
The story starts with a strong world-building and it pulls you in from the start. The world is so intricate and wide, with a developed political system which is something to appreciate in the fantasy-building world. I like how the world-building is fortified with the old ways of telling a story and introducing us to their world's history.
It was a slow start, but it does pick up its pace in the book's second half.
The characters felt bland. The chemistry between the two main characters was off and it felt forced in some weird atmosphere and in some strange moments.
In the end, it just didn't fulfill my expectations.
It was written in a single POV, but in this case, I believe that a dual POV would do much better for the story; in that way, we could see elaborate views from both sides.
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was just one cozy, fluffy, fantasy read. This is a Hygge book :)
When I read my fantasy book I like them to have some plot and dragons and plot twists and romance and suffering... I read this one as an audiobook and when I started I was missing all of the above but as the menu of the coffee shop grew so did my liking of this book. I had a bit of a tough time getting into the story at first but then it got cute and a big orc was finding her place in the world and creating a cozy warm place for herself and the others. I just didn't know I needed it.
The writing - great, the characters - so likable and interesting, the narration - amazing, (which makes sense, right :).
This was just a perfect read for a cozy moment and for a break from all of the fantasy with the big new worlds and names you couldn't pronounce :)
When I read my fantasy book I like them to have some plot and dragons and plot twists and romance and suffering... I read this one as an audiobook and when I started I was missing all of the above but as the menu of the coffee shop grew so did my liking of this book. I had a bit of a tough time getting into the story at first but then it got cute and a big orc was finding her place in the world and creating a cozy warm place for herself and the others. I just didn't know I needed it.
The writing - great, the characters - so likable and interesting, the narration - amazing, (which makes sense, right :).
This was just a perfect read for a cozy moment and for a break from all of the fantasy with the big new worlds and names you couldn't pronounce :)
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
2.5 ⭐, rounded to 3 ⭐.
As I read the synopsis, the story got my interest right away. A world of Gods whose demeanor of power brings them down for a much-needed break and intertwines them with the mortal plain. I always love to see human virtues and flaws in a character of a God.
But in the end, it turns out this book just wasn't for me.
From the first chapter, it was chaotic to read. I couldn't figure out what was the important part of the story. It was all over the place. The writing does get better in the other half of the book.
The idea of representation of a Goddess in the most basic human daily environment sounds interesting, but in this case, for me, it remained only that… an idea.
The love story starts at a fast pace, with a back story hidden in a veil of lost memories and a nice starting point, but it all felt awkward and in some parts not connected.
I had to read some parts twice to figure out what was happening. Just in a short paragraph, there is a switch of theme 2-3 times, each of the sentences on their own. There wasn't a consistent train of thought and events in a chapter. Further editing could have resolved this problem. It was hard to read, which is the part that stole my enjoyment.
Overall, the baseline was good and interesting, but if we could pluck some parts out it would be so much more fun to read..
2.5 ⭐, rounded to 3 ⭐.
As I read the synopsis, the story got my interest right away. A world of Gods whose demeanor of power brings them down for a much-needed break and intertwines them with the mortal plain. I always love to see human virtues and flaws in a character of a God.
But in the end, it turns out this book just wasn't for me.
From the first chapter, it was chaotic to read. I couldn't figure out what was the important part of the story. It was all over the place. The writing does get better in the other half of the book.
The idea of representation of a Goddess in the most basic human daily environment sounds interesting, but in this case, for me, it remained only that… an idea.
The love story starts at a fast pace, with a back story hidden in a veil of lost memories and a nice starting point, but it all felt awkward and in some parts not connected.
I had to read some parts twice to figure out what was happening. Just in a short paragraph, there is a switch of theme 2-3 times, each of the sentences on their own. There wasn't a consistent train of thought and events in a chapter. Further editing could have resolved this problem. It was hard to read, which is the part that stole my enjoyment.
Overall, the baseline was good and interesting, but if we could pluck some parts out it would be so much more fun to read..
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The amount of support written in this book! Amazing!
You could say this was a rom-com with all of the usual elements that make it predictable, but did I care? Absolutely not! That is exactly what you need for a Christmas read...a nice, happy story.
The sweet and cozy world is written with a twist that opens a door to a taboo that has its roots in the world but still has a veil of judgment on it.
Right from the start, it sets a question of where and how this is going to unravel and by the end, everything ends perfectly as the movie they were filming.
Bee is a bit annoying at the beginning but further down the story, she grows on you. Such a good representation of a plus-size FMC and I love her confidence and her little moment of awareness of the brutality of the world and her not caring about it. Way to go girl!
I was worried about how Bee's characters is going to connect with Nolan, but after his first chapter, there is no question about it that they will fit perfectly.
I love how they have a secret crush on each other and life just decided to cross their paths.
I read this via audiobook and I was amazed by the narrators. My recommendation is...go with the audiobook!
You could say this was a rom-com with all of the usual elements that make it predictable, but did I care? Absolutely not! That is exactly what you need for a Christmas read...a nice, happy story.
The sweet and cozy world is written with a twist that opens a door to a taboo that has its roots in the world but still has a veil of judgment on it.
Right from the start, it sets a question of where and how this is going to unravel and by the end, everything ends perfectly as the movie they were filming.
Bee is a bit annoying at the beginning but further down the story, she grows on you. Such a good representation of a plus-size FMC and I love her confidence and her little moment of awareness of the brutality of the world and her not caring about it. Way to go girl!
I was worried about how Bee's characters is going to connect with Nolan, but after his first chapter, there is no question about it that they will fit perfectly.
I love how they have a secret crush on each other and life just decided to cross their paths.
I read this via audiobook and I was amazed by the narrators. My recommendation is...go with the audiobook!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received an eARC from NetGalley provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op in exchange for an honest review.
2.5⭐
This book was a nice little Hallmark movie.
The book world is huge right now; when you tell a story, you should make sure that it has something special, different from the others so it could stand out. The "amnesia" storyline is worn out and I was hoping that this would have a different line of events but I was wrong. This book was easy to forget. Not a single plot line was original, it was all made of cliches, and I usually don't have a problem intertwining a cliche as a part of your story, but please make it your own. There were a lot of plot holes and inconsistencies in a matter of a few paragraphs...There was no dynamic.
The characters were bland and there was no real chemistry between them. Some of the side characters were completely unnecessary.
A lot of questions were unanswered. I need to know the process of her finding out that her ex-husband is coming home with amnesia. How did she feel, what emotions that brought up? We didn't get that. He left, they argued, but what was it all about? We don't get to see the ugly side of Archie and why did he leave ... Why do we hate Archie? We are missing that part of the story, it is badly needed so that his redemption ark is strong. We can not fall in love while love is still there and not much of a determination to not let things hurt you again.
This was a casual quick read; if you want an easy HEA then you should pick this up. If you are looking for some plot twists or deeply developed characters then maybe you should skip this one.
2.5⭐
This book was a nice little Hallmark movie.
The book world is huge right now; when you tell a story, you should make sure that it has something special, different from the others so it could stand out. The "amnesia" storyline is worn out and I was hoping that this would have a different line of events but I was wrong. This book was easy to forget. Not a single plot line was original, it was all made of cliches, and I usually don't have a problem intertwining a cliche as a part of your story, but please make it your own. There were a lot of plot holes and inconsistencies in a matter of a few paragraphs...There was no dynamic.
The characters were bland and there was no real chemistry between them. Some of the side characters were completely unnecessary.
A lot of questions were unanswered. I need to know the process of her finding out that her ex-husband is coming home with amnesia. How did she feel, what emotions that brought up? We didn't get that. He left, they argued, but what was it all about? We don't get to see the ugly side of Archie and why did he leave ... Why do we hate Archie? We are missing that part of the story, it is badly needed so that his redemption ark is strong. We can not fall in love while love is still there and not much of a determination to not let things hurt you again.
Spoiler
We get an explanation of their big fight at the end of the book, but then it is too late. It did nothing for the storyThis was a casual quick read; if you want an easy HEA then you should pick this up. If you are looking for some plot twists or deeply developed characters then maybe you should skip this one.
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Prologue! This is the scariest mom I have read about. The boys trust in his mother, above this world... For me, as a mother, this opening scene was a lot.
This was a strong start in the story and in writing and I was really hyped about the reading but the next few chapters took a much slower pace and I had a bit of trouble getting into the story with all the rich world-building and the names.
In the middle it loses my interest a little bit, the slow pace and the intensive world-building can be a bit tiresome.
It does get better in the second part when it finally grabbed my attention and I had to keep reading.
All of the characters were well developed, with a lot of characterization and backstory. The most interesting one was Serapio.
I did like the book at the end and I will read the next book, although I have to say I was on edge of DNFing it in the first quarter.
This was a strong start in the story and in writing and I was really hyped about the reading but the next few chapters took a much slower pace and I had a bit of trouble getting into the story with all the rich world-building and the names.
In the middle it loses my interest a little bit, the slow pace and the intensive world-building can be a bit tiresome.
It does get better in the second part when it finally grabbed my attention and I had to keep reading.
All of the characters were well developed, with a lot of characterization and backstory. The most interesting one was Serapio.
I did like the book at the end and I will read the next book, although I have to say I was on edge of DNFing it in the first quarter.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I started reading this book because of TikTok. It was so highly recommended that I had to see for myself what the hype was all about.
Emerson and his change of behavior the moment he realized that he made a mistake was indeed a moment when I thought where we can like this guy... Emerson is a teddy bear, cute and sweet with a touch of possessiveness.
Charlie is a representation of curiosity in a human and wants to find out more as soon as the surface is scratched. Everything that was in an aspect of taboo was a new normal...
The pacing of the book is calm and steady at the beginning and then it hits you with the spice, you do see some breaks at the beginning but at one point we lose the breaks :) In the second half of the book, the question is: what was the plot all about?
I need a book to have a good plot, so that was a problem for me
Emerson and his change of behavior the moment he realized that he made a mistake was indeed a moment when I thought where we can like this guy... Emerson is a teddy bear, cute and sweet with a touch of possessiveness.
Charlie is a representation of curiosity in a human and wants to find out more as soon as the surface is scratched. Everything that was in an aspect of taboo was a new normal...
The pacing of the book is calm and steady at the beginning and then it hits you with the spice, you do see some breaks at the beginning but at one point we lose the breaks :) In the second half of the book, the question is: what was the plot all about?
I need a book to have a good plot, so that was a problem for me
funny
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I have mixed feelings about this one. I enjoyed reading it but it just was not as strong as the previous books I have read from Tessa.
The book is written as a love story between a man and a woman, except the man is divided. As if one person is split into 3 personas and their only difference is their profession. It was a bit bland. I am on insta-buy with Tessa's books and I wanted to love this one, but it wasn't quite right. It didn't feel natural and I couldn't find the connection between them, other than there is something in the air, but I don't think it is love...
Tobias is a jerk with a secret wish to just be normal but he doesn't know how so he's digging a hole every time he speaks.
Banks is a smart play guy that transforms his intelligence from the field and the team play and brings in the action.
And Gabe... he is just a pure soul, so naive but with a great heart.
Elise is just a mystery of how she is so sizable to the guys. It has to be her appearance since I don't see anything from her breathtaking character.
The most growth in a character I see in Tobias. The other ones are just taking the wave and not doing a lot for development for them as a character. I guess they did get a happy ending and did grow as a whole group but it still feels off.
When they have their first gathering as a tram fam (it's worrisome how easily it sticks to your mind) is the point that you don't care how they started this but how they will end it...
There is some mystery going on, a dose of fear not to get caught, and a need to be protected and comforted, which is the right moment for three men that you want to come by.
I have to say that Tessa is best at representing that connection between two characters and she did just that with Elise and Tobias. A man that needs a fresh start and a person who will make him feel whole again. I understand that this is her first "why chose" and if she keeps writing them, surely will get better and better, but she stays a queen in one on one dynamic between characters.
Overall, not much character development, the plot was just barely there. It touched everything a story should have but it just didn't have time to breathe and grow in an excellent novel. It started quickly. The insta love part was a down for me. But three chapters in and the first "serious" conversation between Tobias, Barns, and Gabe made me laugh so hard that I had no question whether I would enjoy this book or not. This book was not meant to be read seriously :) Just have some fun with all the weird, awkward, and funny situations.
The book is written as a love story between a man and a woman, except the man is divided. As if one person is split into 3 personas and their only difference is their profession. It was a bit bland. I am on insta-buy with Tessa's books and I wanted to love this one, but it wasn't quite right. It didn't feel natural and I couldn't find the connection between them, other than there is something in the air, but I don't think it is love...
Tobias is a jerk with a secret wish to just be normal but he doesn't know how so he's digging a hole every time he speaks.
Banks is a smart play guy that transforms his intelligence from the field and the team play and brings in the action.
And Gabe... he is just a pure soul, so naive but with a great heart.
Elise is just a mystery of how she is so sizable to the guys. It has to be her appearance since I don't see anything from her breathtaking character.
The most growth in a character I see in Tobias. The other ones are just taking the wave and not doing a lot for development for them as a character. I guess they did get a happy ending and did grow as a whole group but it still feels off.
When they have their first gathering as a tram fam (it's worrisome how easily it sticks to your mind) is the point that you don't care how they started this but how they will end it...
There is some mystery going on, a dose of fear not to get caught, and a need to be protected and comforted, which is the right moment for three men that you want to come by.
I have to say that Tessa is best at representing that connection between two characters and she did just that with Elise and Tobias. A man that needs a fresh start and a person who will make him feel whole again. I understand that this is her first "why chose" and if she keeps writing them, surely will get better and better, but she stays a queen in one on one dynamic between characters.
Overall, not much character development, the plot was just barely there. It touched everything a story should have but it just didn't have time to breathe and grow in an excellent novel. It started quickly. The insta love part was a down for me. But three chapters in and the first "serious" conversation between Tobias, Barns, and Gabe made me laugh so hard that I had no question whether I would enjoy this book or not. This book was not meant to be read seriously :) Just have some fun with all the weird, awkward, and funny situations.