ofclumsywords's Reviews (486)

I'll Be Gone for Christmas

Georgia K. Boone

4.0

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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: Complicated

A cute Christmas book inspired by The Holiday movie where two women switch houses for the holiday season. Both Clover and Bee were fun characters and the romance was not too dramatic or over the top. All in all a fun holiday read.

Content Warnings

The Gilded Crown

Marianne Gordon

2.0

dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book is not at all what I was expecting. The plot was what drew me to this book but after the first few chapters it fell flat. The characters were terrible and shallow, with barely any backstory to them. The romance was nonexistent with no chemistry between the supposed couple. Not to mention the world building, which had no history to the land or any other magic users besides the main character who could bring back the dead. This book was a complete disappointment and I am not even considering reading the second book.

Content Warnings

A Pirate's Life for Tea

Rebecca Thorne

4.0

adventurous funny medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Another great book in this series. Though it was a little slow at times and part of me wishes that the plot didn’t take Reyna and Kianthe away from their home town. But another part appreciated that we got to see other parts of this fantasy world Thorne created. All in all it was a fun book filled with adventures, pirates, and puns. I just really missed that the tea/book shop wasn’t in it much.

Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths

Natalie Haynes

5.0

emotional sad tense fast-paced

Another fantastic book by Natalie Haynes. Going into even more depth about women she had previously talked about in her book A Thousand Ships, while adding more women to the list of forgotten voices in Greek myths.

Content Warnings

Dictee

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha

3.0

mysterious reflective fast-paced

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea

Rebecca Thorne

5.0

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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: No

This book is the very definition of what a cozy fantasy should be: low stakes plot, heartfelt, and hilarious. I picked this book up because the world just seemed a little bit darker recently and I needed something to make it better. And this book was exactly what I needed.

I loved all the characters and the fact that Kianthe and Reyna are basically living my dream of opening up a bookshop/bakery/teashop and doing something that makes them happy. I felt like I was there along with them as they traveled to their new town, renovated the barn, and opened the most wonderful shop one could imagine. I can’t wait to return to this world and see what my favorite characters are up to next.