leandrathetbrzero's Reviews (412)

I bought this book years ago during a time I was obsessed with color, its place in human culture and history. That was when I added The Secret Life of Colors to my shelves too 🤩🌈

My motivation for finally reading Bluets is the Mid Year Reading Scramble, a month-long readathon that prioritizes your TBR. This is among the shortest books I own, counting for one of the readathon’s prompts. And it was an interesting, quick read. Nelson structures her writing into numbered vignettes, giving the book a poetic, lyrical tone.

She blends together facts on blue, her obsession with this color, and anecdotal personal stories. And while I thoroughly enjoyed the historical and cultural facts, I had expected and wanted more of it. The narrative gradually turned its focus onto a heartbreak that still haunts Nelson, and the sparseness of the vignettes prevented me from fully connecting with her words. With that said, I am always happy when I take a book off my physical TBR! 

This was a really enjoyable, easy-to-listen-to audiobook. It made a fun impromptu buddy read with one of my coworkers! I caught on to a few twists early on, but the author does a great job of throwing suspicion over all characters. I recommend going in completely blind! 

Harriet and Wyn were the perfect couple until Wyn ended their engagement over an excruciating 4-minute phone call. Fast forward six months, and the two find themselves on their annual friends vacation…pretending to still be engaged. During the longest week of her life, Harriet must address her own people-pleasing tendencies, how she feels about Wyn’s proximity, and why their love didn’t last.

Wow, did I hate this book. It had every unhealthy relationship, from romantic to platonic. My biggest problems with Happy Place centered around the actions of Wyn and Sabrina, especially how they abused Harriet’s need to people-please and her tendency to blame herself. Both characters knew she grew up in a home with a loveless marriage, and that she struggles to set boundaries and speak up for what she wants, so I was shocked by how often her ex-fiance and (supposedly) best friend manipulated her and violated her trust. 

The only way this narrative could have been redeemed is if Harriet left everyone behind (besides Cleo and Kimmy, they were cool) and prioritized herself and her happiness. But alas, that did not happen, and this ended up being such a depressing book. #JusticeForHarriet

For those interested, I have a full review posted on my booktube: Leandra the TBR Zero. If you adored this book, then I recommend you take inventory and decide whether or not it is a good idea to watch!

 Booktube Review: https://youtu.be/RrXYUYSNfAI

 Such a cute cast of characters! I love how each of them is hiding their identities, leading to absurd shenanigans, but no one can hide from the adorable, telepathic Anya. Definitely the best choice as my first ever manga! 

 *Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for gifting me an e-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review! 

Private investigators Viviana Valentine and Tommy Fortuna are invited upstate to investigate odd noises occurring at the estate of wealthy and eccentric man of science, Buster Beacon. As Viv and Tommy pretend to be unassuming houseguests, the party grows ever more sinister: the strange noises continue, the roads close for snow, and a dead man is discovered among them. Can Viviana figure out who the culprit is before the weather clears, or before another person dies?

I am officially in love with Viviana and her 1950s world of private investigation. She has the perfect amount of street smarts, spunk, and unwavering loyalty. Her sharp tongue consistently makes me laugh, and I just find her character to be extremely likable. In this second installment, I was especially excited to see her working alongside Tommy this time, and I had so much fun experiencing their dynamic as they supported each other’s leads or theories. Naturally, I am a sucker for a good ‘fake dating’ trope, so when the two had to pretend to be engaged while attending Buster’s party, I was on cloud nine! Overall, just a wildly entertaining historical mystery with a vibrant setting, whether Viviana finds herself in New York City or on an expansive country estate.

There were some interesting references to scientific and technological advancement of the time, and these references heavily influenced the mystery plot. It’s obvious that Edwards performed the necessary research to make the plot coherent and keep the political and war history fans entertained. Always impressive when the author proves that they’ve done their research!

I can’t recommend this series enough to those who enjoy historical mysteries, wildly entertaining and sharp women sleuths, and satisfying romantic subplots. I’ve said it once, but I’ll say it again great for fans of Phryne Fisher or her niece Peregrine, His Girl Friday, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The voice narrator is fantastic as well for those who enjoy audiobooks or immersive-reading with book + audio!

 

I was hoping for a grumpy-sunshine dynamic, especially because book #5 set us up for it and built up so much expectation between these two characters, but this was a really frustrating read. And I found Josie so unlike herself. It seemed that the storyline for these two characters was sacrificed to set us up for books 7-8 to come.

The narrative and romance were fine, but the grotesque violence and Hook's mistreatment of Wendy at times left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Meanwhile, the many odd twists at the very end were absurd and the epilogue might have been the most out-of-character thing I had ever heard. I will not be continuing with this series.

 EcoWitch-Cum-Slayer to the Rescue...Again!

Frankie Rosenberg has enough on her plate, let alone saving the residents of New Sunnydale…again. Her grades have lowered since becoming a slayer, she has a complicated romantic relationship with this hot demon nicknamed Grim, and her best friend’s sister keeps calling her childish nicknames that rub her the wrong way. And now demons are flocking to the Hellmouth and acting erratically. The bright side? Cacti can be used for vegan leather!

I cannot express how much I adore this series as someone whose experience with Buffy the Vampire Slayer only derives from the spin-off Angel. This is such a fun, action-packed YA paranormal series. You’ve got all the monsters, sharp dialogue, and modern-day pop culture references…what more do you need? In this sequel, we actually get to know ecowitch-cum-slayer Frankie so much better, and I grew to really care for her. She is so unique as a slayer, and that uniqueness becomes her strength in this novel. I also continue to be impressed by the strength and trust exhibited by the Scooby gang as a whole. Multiple times, I was worried that the Scoobies would be frustratingly duped or forced to distrust each other, but Kendare Blake writes a refreshingly supportive group of friends with common sense.

I freaking love this series with all my heart, and I am dying to read book 3 once it eventually comes out. SERIOUSLY. SO. GOOD.