probtori's Reviews (168)

Took me a little bit to get through on graphic audio but I ended up really enjoying it. The friendship that blossomed between Painter and Yumi was so sweet and wholesome. I loved how Yumi got the chance to live out of her comfort zone in Painter’s world and meet new people.

Likes:
- painter and Yumi were so sweet together! And I loved how they both learned new things about each other while being together
- as per usual, Brandon sanderson’s world building is so unique. The idea of painting nightmares is definitely not something you see in other books.
- I loved meeting Painter’s friends! They were all so unique
- I also loved the nods to other Cosmere novels (Stormlight in particular)

Dislikes:
- Hoid literally drives me nuts. Idk if it’s worsened since I listened to Tress and Yumi in graphic format but dear GOD. I think I’ll read The Sunlit Man physically to see if I get a different vibe.
- it was a touch slow in the beginning and I definitely think it could’ve been a little shorter, but overall I did still really like how everything progressed 

What a fun read! I've never read a Lauren Connolly book before, but I'm glad I did! I was a little skeptical at first since our main girl Beth here gets a little horny from engine failure, but I ended up really enjoying Beth and George's banter and progression from (slight) enemies to friends to lovers. Beth wanting to be a pilot is a really unique premise, and I enjoyed reading about her learning to fly with George.

One of my favorite tropes is grumpy x sunshine and while Beth maybe wasn't the most sunshiney character of them all, George sure was grumpy. I love my MMC's with a dose of grumpy but pining, and that is definitely what I got with this book (thank you Lauren!!!).

I also really enjoyed all the side characters. Darla, Beth's bestie, and Shawn, her brother, lowkey stole the show for me. I especially loved Beth and Shawn's book clubs! They annotate the book and then trade so they can review each other's annotations. I genuinely think that is the most wholesome thing ever.

I definitely feel like Lauren set up for a sequel for Beth's brother, and let's just say that I am very excited for the golden retriever x black cat book that we are about to get... Until then, I will be checking out Lauren's other romcoms!

 Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 

Fifty Fifty follows two lawyers, Eddie and Kate, as they represent two sisters, Alexandra and Sofia, each accusing the other of murdering their father. This was my first legal thriller, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It gave me major Criminal Minds vibes, which I absolutely loved.

Even though this is the fifth book in a series, I never felt lost. Both Eddie and Kate’s storylines kept me fully invested, and the side characters added so much depth without being distracting. Now I definitely want to go back and read more from the series.

One of my favorite aspects was getting the killer’s POV in short sections labeled “She.” It kept me guessing the entire time. Every time I was sure I had it figured out, I’d completely change my mind. I genuinely had no idea who the real culprit was until the end!

I already have Thirteen by this author on my shelves, and after this, it’s definitely moving up my TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

While I wasn’t a huge fan of Under Loche and Key, I was a HUGE fan of Overruled! I used to love Suits a few years back, so getting to read a lawyer romance felt like coming home. The banter between Dani and Ezra was top tier, and when I tell you I was SAT for all the courtroom scenes, I mean it. I was practically cheering during the divorce battle because I desperately wanted Bianca to get what she deserved. Their arguments felt so realistic, especially with them literally going head-to-head in court.

If I had one wish, it would be for the prologue to show their first meeting. I just wanted to understand why Dani hated Ezra so much from the beginning. That background would’ve made their relationship more realistic to me.

You know who else I want to be happy besides our main characters? Eli. He was a total ass in the beginning, but by the end, I was completely sold on his redemption arc. I am officially requesting a sequel where he gets his own story and someone to love. Also, I selfishly just want more lawyer romance in my life!!

And lastly, I don’t think I’ve ever loathed human beings more than I loathed Alexander and Lorenzo. We all hate fantasy villains, sure, but real-life villains like them hit different. It’s the kind of evil that actually makes my skin crawl. The lengths people will go to for money or power is just straight-up vile.

Overall, I definitely think this was a hit for me! I will continue to read anything Lana puts out (especially very excited for her omegaverse sequel...).

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars? 4 stars? I don’t know how to rate something that didn’t really have an ending. 

I really enjoyed the dual timeline to help unravel that our FMC Talia is actually psycho like yeah don’t cheat on this woman. However, the ending was getting so interesting then BAM. confusion. 

I really wish this was a full length Freida book. I feel like she lately has been doing over the top twists (The Teacher, The Tenant, The Boyfriend), but I felt like this twist would’ve done well if it was more fleshed out. 

I’m excited to read the next few short stories in this series! 

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Originals for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

2.5 stars! 

This was a wild ride. The story follows two characters, a man named Gareth, a police officer, and his wife Fran, who is almost a serial killer. Throughout the book, we get both of their points of view as Fran pretends she didn’t murder a man and Gareth pretends he actually knows his wife.

The pacing was a bit slow at times, and the plot wasn’t quite as thrilling as what I’m usually drawn to. It leaned more into the mystery side than I expected, and while that’s not a bad thing, I do think I would’ve been more engaged if it had gone heavier on the thriller aspects. That being said, I still really enjoyed how everything played out in the end.

What stood out to me most was Gareth and Fran’s relationship. Their marriage was surprisingly sweet, and I liked seeing how they each responded as things got messier. Watching them try to navigate their secrets and trust each other in their own weird way was one of the more interesting parts of the book. Even though it didn’t totally hit the mark in terms of suspense for me, the character dynamics kept me invested all the way through. I wouldn’t be opposed to picking up another one of this author’s books if the premise intrigues me! 

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

This was certainly a book that I read. I’ve never read Olivia Dade before so I didn’t necessarily know what I was getting myself into. I felt like the plot/dialogue was trying to be ridiculously funny but instead it felt very juvenile but with a fair amount of smut thrown in. 

I actually really enjoyed the setting the book was in. A post-apocalyptic world where zombies are actually supersoldiers that were genetically fucked up to fight the supernatural creatures that popped up (vampires, werewolves, fae, etc.). I feel like that is a very unique storyline that I haven’t seen before. 

Despite the unique world building, the delivery was not my favorite. The two main characters fell in love way too quickly for my liking and were way too horny for one another with little chemistry in my opinion. The side cast of characters weren’t as developed as I would’ve liked them to be, though I admit I am used to more in depth/longer fantasies where the reader has more time to fall in love with side characters. 

Overall, I felt like this was a quick read with some funny parts, but might not be something that I would recommend or continue as it is a series. 

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

Marie Lu really said I’m going to write an adult fantasy and wrote a damn adult fantasy. I REALLY enjoyed this. The only thing keeping me from 5 stars is I was not completely bought into the romance. I think there needed to be a bit more yearning/connection in the beginning for me to truly feel for their pain being on either side of a gang war. 

Regardless, I feel like I was hooked from page 1 (ok maybe page 20, but whatever). I think the urban fantasy nature of the story really added to the imagery. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements as well. Lu really eased you into the world with the two main characters as children learning about the magic of alchemy and sand. 

If I had to compare this book to others I’ve read, I’d say it’s a combination of Jade City and The Poppy Wars. With the rival gangs and assassinations, it ended up being pretty gruesome. I relate this to The Poppy Wars, because I do think Red City leaned heavily into the exploration of a young girl who was dealt a hard lot in life and how she navigated the tough decisions she had to make in life to survive. I’m really interested in seeing where Sam goes next and the impact the events of Red City will have on her actions. 

Really looking forward to book 2! 

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and Tori for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>

I actually really enjoyed this! The first half was a bit difficult to get into, but I definitely felt like the pacing picked up in the latter half. I couldn’t put it down since I just wanted to know what was going on. 

I really liked how there was dual POV with Georgia in second person and Mandy in first person. I also feel like enough new info was dropped in each chapter to make the reader want to continue and be interested in the story. 

I’m not typically a huge fan of red herrings, so the one that happened in this book was not my vibe. However, I did find the ending really well done. I think it was unique and not what I expected whatsoever. I also loved the epilogue as I like endings like that in general. 

I was a little hesitant to try another Sarah Pekkanen since I didn’t like The Golden Couple, but I thoroughly enjoyed this and will try more books by Pekkanen in the future. 

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!</i>