The Laughing Listener
Reread July 2018
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Jason Carpenter & Elizabeth Louise
Length: 12 hours & 29 minutes

Story Rating: 4 Stars
Performance Rating: 4 Stars
Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Ahhhh I forgot how much I love this book! I read these novels years ago when they first came out and really loved them. Despite being in the middle of another audiobook already, when I spotted Clipped Wings online I couldn’t help myself and completely derailed my reading schedule by starting it.



This book is completely filled with drama. From beginning to end it’s nothing but angsty longing, bad decisions, and heartbreak. I wanted to shake some sense into the characters more than once. But despite all this, there’s something so lovable about Hayden and Tenley. They’re both such flawed characters, but that’s really their appeal. It’s so nice watching their relationship grow as they find solace in one another while trying to overcome their complicated pasts.

And as a person with several tattoos of my own, I really really love the way body art and body modification was represented in this. I know what it’s like to get an important personal tattoo along with the heavy emotions that accompany them and it seemed like the author does too. It all felt so real to me that I really have to hand it to Hunting for her wonderful writing and descriptions.

FINAL WORD

I loved this. If you like emotional romances with a bit a drama, then you’ll definitely like this one.

The Laughing Listener
April 2018
Format: Audiobook AND Paperback
Narrator: Jennifer Ikeda
Length: 16 hours & 7 minutes

Story Rating: 5 Stars
Performance Rating: 5 Stars
Overall Rating: 5 Stars

Ya'll, I hate writing reviews like this.

Right now you're probably thinking "Ummmmm, what are you talking about?? You just gave this five stars??????" Why yes reader, yes I did. And I am COMPLETE TRASH FOR THIS BOOK NOW. Nothing constructive is going to get accomplished in this review. NOTHING. I HAVE NO COHERENT THOUGHTS. My mind is nothing but mushy fangirling screams.

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS?!?!?!



THE GOOD

Ummm everything?? What, you want specifics?? GOD, you guys are so demanding.

Okay, okay. Coherent thoughts. I CAN DO THIS.

First of all, FEYRE IS AMAZING AND I LOVE HER????? I'm not even kidding when I say that my love of her character accounts for about 83% of my five star rating. She's smart, cunning, and loyal with a big heart and killer kick ass instincts. I just love her! It was so refreshing to read about a woman with a good head on her shoulders who didn't start any unnecessary drama. Even in a fairy mansion surrounded by dozens of fantastical creatures, I still found her completely relatable.

I also really loved the way this was written and Maas did an amazing job! Not only was the writing captivating, but I also really enjoyed the way she flowed the story. Too many young-adult books do the whole insta-forbidden-love thing and it drives me insane sometimes. The relationship between Feyre and Tamlin really takes it's time, which was SO NICE. I didn't mind the slower pacing at all and really liked watching their bond develop.

And I know this is an odd thing to comment on, but the level of vulgarity in this book is top-notch. I actually really loved that Maas didn't shy away from using swear words here and there because let's face it, we've all been swearing on the regular for years. Every time Feyre called Rhys a prick, it was like music to my ears. Plus, sex scenes in young-adult books can be so awkward sometimes and they all do that weird fade-to-black maneuver. Maas gave us all just enough to keep things interesting without giving too many details. IT WAS SO NICE.

THE UGLY

Ummmmm.... Nothing?? Is this real life? Who am I?? What's happening?!?



Kidding! Kidding! I do have one thing to rant about, so LET'S TALK ABOUT RHYS. I am so completely confused by him? To be fair, I'm think I'm supposed to be confused by him and that Maas wants him to be a mystery for a while. But part of the problem for me is that I already kind of know who he is to Feyre after watching the internet talk about this series for the past few years. Knowing the vague nature their future relationship made it hard for me to process his actions. When he lays claim on her during the trials, calling Feyre his "belonging" and making her drunkenly dance for everyone, I was EXTREMELY uncomfortable and pissed off. NO ONE HURTS MY FEYRE. NO ONE.

I don't know. Hopefully it will all make more sense in the next book. Even though I didn't like it AT ALL, I didn't hold that little drunk dancing stint against the book because I just don't think I have all the information yet. Plus, Rhys did say he was purposely goading Tamlin so he would kill Amarantha quicker. I'M SO CONFLICTED.

FINAL WORD

YES. ABSOLUTELY. DO IT. AMAZING. LOVE. GREAT. CAN'T FORM COMPLETE SENTENCES.

#1 ↦ [b:A Court of Thorns and Roses|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1491595796s/16096824.jpg|21905102] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
#2 ↦ [b:A Court of Mist and Fury|17927395|A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1485259138s/17927395.jpg|25126749] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
#3 ↦ [b:A Court of Wings and Ruin|36233660|A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1514213400s/36233660.jpg|25126752] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✧
#4 ↦ [b:A Court of Frost and Starlight|31076583|A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1517328945s/31076583.jpg|54810660] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✧

The Laughing Listener
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Olivia Song
Length: 11 hours & 11 minutes *Make a wish!*

Story Rating: 5 Stars
Performance Rating: 5 Stars
Overall Rating: 5 Stars

At the ripe old age of 27 I think I know myself fairly well, but sometimes it feels like there are two versions of me. Half of my brain is devoted to darkly fantastical things like vampires, futuristic science-fiction, werewolves, zombies, dragons, action, adventure, magic… And then there’s this other half. It’s the half that’s seen You’ve Got Mail a BILLION times, has a secret affinity for the Hallmark channel, and downloads free romance novels from BookBub on a regular basis.


via GIPHY

It’s rare that these two versions of myself come together, and most of the time they polarize like two magnets. The only exception to this rule (so far) has been watching Pride and Prejudice and Zombies where I sat in a movie theater for two hours in perfect harmony with myself. But that girly side is what made me pick up this book in the first place. After reading the very vague description, I had every intention of ignoring this. It sounded like all the other two-perfect-men-love-me-what-am-I-going-to-do romances and I was not interested. When a tidal wave of five-star reviews rolled across my Goodreads page, however, my interest was peaked. I decided to go for it.

Me and my girly half signed up for a contemporary romance, but what I got was so much more. That’s the most important thing to take away from this review.

It’s nothing like you think it will be, it’s more.

THE REHASH

I’ve decided you don’t get a rehash for this one. The less you know the better. Don’t even look at the blurb, just go read it.

THE GOOD

I just… I have no words for everything this book is. This is going to stay with me for daaaaaaaaaaaays. For life.

Random question time. Have you guys ever watched the movie The Cabin In the Woods that was written (in part) by Joss Whedon? I know this is weird, but bear with me a second. When that movie first came out, I avoided it because it’s a horror movie and me + horror movies just don’t get along. Fast forward a few years and one of my best friends is urging me to see it. I reply with “no, it’s a scary movie,” because that should be explanation enough. She promises that I’ll love it and, since she’s the best, I reluctantly agree. What starts off as a clichéd horror movie slowly transforms into something completely different and brilliant. It’s now one of my favorite movies ever.

This book was exactly like that feeling.

It starts off as a contemporary romance just as expected, but slowly transforms into something incredibly meaningful, giving me a new important perspective that I didn’t even realize I was missing. This is a genius move on Hoover’s part, for reasons I can’t get into without giving away the plot. And Olivia Song’s performance is absolutely perfect, delivering the spectrum of emotions in such perfect clarity that I felt them in my heart.

Right now I’m bursting at the seams to gush, but I’m holding myself back. Suffice it to say, I loved everything about this.

THE UGLY

Umm hello, didn’t you just hear me? I said I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS!


via GIPHY

FINAL WORD

Trust me on this one. Trust me. Go read this book.

P.S. Do yourself a favor and stick around for the author’s note. It’s probably the most beautiful author’s note that I’ve ever read.

The Laughing Listener
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Vanessa Moyen
Length: 8 hours & 19 minutes

Story Rating: 3 Stars
Performance Rating: 5 Stars
Overall Rating: 4 Stars

I don't...... understand..... what just happened????? I'm just... SO CONFUSED.



This book was recommended to me by several different platforms. Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, Audible... And I finally threw in the towel just so I could stop seeing it everywhere. Plus, I was pretty intrigued by the Greek gods thing because you just don't see that a lot outside of the Percy Jackson books. I knew nothing about it and I definitely didn't know this was about a reverse harem, which is probably good because then I never would have picked it up if I had.

.... Okay I'm sorry, but this book is terrible. THERE. I SAID IT. Right about now you're looking at my star rating and thinking, four stars is terrible???? REALLY??



Look, I KNOW. Didn't I say that I was confused?? The story isn't that spectacular. There are tropes galore. Willa can be kind of dumb. Someone is always falling or yelling or bleeding. There's a love HEXAGON. But this book IS. SO. FUNNY. I laughed so much during this entire thing that it's blinding me a little. It seems like Trickery knows exactly how ridiculous it is and plays into it SUPER well. The banter and inner-monologues that happen are top-notch. And that scene between Willa and the servant Jeffrey had me in STITCHES y'all.

FINAL WORK
This book is just plain fun. If you want a little bit of romance and a laugh, DEFINITELY try this. I'm both ashamed and proud to admit I'll totally be continuing on to the next book.

#1 ↦ [b:Trickery|33898320|Trickery (Curse of the Gods, #1)|Jaymin Eve|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484709065l/33898320._SY75_.jpg|54759820] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✧
#2 ↦ [b:Persuasion|34881966|Persuasion (Curse of the Gods, #2)|Jaymin Eve|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492551287l/34881966._SY75_.jpg|55577462] ↦ ✦✦✦✧✧
#3 ↦ [b:Seduction|36165362|Seduction (Curse of the Gods #3)|Jaymin Eve|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1504305752l/36165362._SY75_.jpg|56739045] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✧
#4 ↦ [b:Strength|40582871|Strength (Curse of the Gods, #4)|Jane Washington|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1529435013l/40582871._SY75_.jpg|57988533] ↦
#5 ↦ [b:Pain|40877170|Pain (Curse of the Gods, #5)|Jane Washington|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1532036577l/40877170._SY75_.jpg|57988540] ↦

The Laughing Listener
July 2018
Format: Paperback

Overall Rating: 4 Stars

Ugh, I made it. Thank god, it's finally over. Oh wait... that sounds like I didn't like this and I really did! But MAN was it hard to motivate myself to read it. Prequels really aren't my thing and I don't do well with them. Knowing a tragic end is coming to a character I love is NOT a good way to get me to read something. I've been through this agony with [b:Heartless|18584855|Heartless|Marissa Meyer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477740245s/18584855.jpg|26322524] and Assassin’s Blade was no different. But DAMMIT. I’M HERE. And my heart is sort of maybe in tact mostly.



The first three quarters of the book were SO AWESOME. I absolutely LOVED seeing where our girl Celaena came from and watching her adventures with Sam. Since I’ve read up through [b:Heir of Fire|20613470|Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460846511s/20613470.jpg|25128502], this book really shed some light on her character arc and showcased how much she’s really grown. It was so heartbreaking watching her relationship with Arobynn and seeing her yearn for that paternal affection. My heart ached for Celaena and made me love her all the more. Plus, it added another layer of meaning to [b:Throne of Glass|7896527|Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495278054s/7896527.jpg|11138426] that I didn’t have the first time around and now I almost want to read it again.

And of course, Sam was too precious for this world and DESERVED BETTER.



When he confessed his love to Celaena and they finally kissed, I think I melted into a puddle on floor. Only Sarah J. Maas could write a love confession scene in a damn sewer and make it romantic.

“My name is Sam Cortland… and I will not be afraid.”

OH GOD WHYYYYY?!?!?! *Hysterical ugly crying*

My only problems with this are centered around Sam’s death and are harder to articulate. It just felt like something was missing??? I know some people are reading Assassin's Blade that haven't read the other books yet, so maybe this wouldn't be an issue for them. But for those of us who have, this entire book is just a giant lead up to Sam's death. That's what I was waiting for the ENTIRE book, so when it finally happened it all felt kind of... rushed?? The problem is that I don't know what could have been done differently. Adding more details into how Sam died would have been AWFUL because he was tortured. And who the hell wants to read about that?? Ugh. But it was just so fast! One minute Sam is there, off to complete an important mission and the next he's dead. It was like I blinked and he was gone. And maybe that's the point?? I don't know, but something about the way it went down felt so anticlimactic after waiting the whole book for his death scene.

FINAL WORD

This was wonderful and I loved the added perspective it gave me into Celaena’s character! The ending pretty much ripped my heart out, but it’s Sarah J. Maas, so I loved every second.

#0.5 ↦ The Assassin’s Blade ↦ ✦✦✦✦✧
#1 ↦ [b:Throne of Glass|7896527|Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1495278054s/7896527.jpg|11138426] ↦ ✦✦✦✧✧
#2 ↦ [b:Crown of Midnight|17167166|Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391580481s/17167166.jpg|21581860] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✧
#3 ↦ [b:Heir of Fire|20613470|Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460846511s/20613470.jpg|25128502] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
#4 ↦ [b:Queen of Shadows|18006496|Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1441230104s/18006496.jpg|25272067] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
#5 ↦ [b:Empire of Storms|28260587|Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1463107108s/28260587.jpg|25272004] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦
#6 ↦ [b:Tower of Dawn|31450852|Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, #6)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1497973101s/31450852.jpg|51681900] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✧
#7 ↦ [b:Kingdom of Ash|33590260|Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7)|Sarah J. Maas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1531922609s/33590260.jpg|25272014] ↦ ✦✦✦✦✦

The Laughing Listener
September 2020
Format: Paperback

Story Rating: 4.5 Stars

“Fear and bravery are often one and the same. It either makes you a warrior or a coward. The only difference is the person it resides inside.”

I’ve been out of the review game for a while because real life has been crazy lately, but I loved this book so much I feel like I NEED to write something. I am obsessed with this series. I know I say that a lot since I’m generally a very enthusiastic book reviewer, but seriously ya’ll. THIS IS MY NEW OBSESSION.



Several book friends have screamed about this series so much that I decided to take a shot and order the physical paperbacks and it was WORTH IT. The beginning half of this novel is admittedly slow and there’s a lot about the world building to wrap your head around. That’s why this is getting 4.5 stars instead of a full 5. But despite the slow pace, I was never bored and once you hit that halfway point, the plot takes off and never slows down.

This was just SO FUN to read and I could not put it down. I loved all the characters, I loved the world building, I loved all the plot twists—it was GREAT. In the beginning I equated it to another [b:ACOTAR|16096824|A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406962l/16096824._SY75_.jpg|21905102] kind of book, which didn’t bother me since I loved that series. However, it eventually morphs into something all it’s own and now I can’t even imagine comparing it to anything else.

If you love fantasy romance books, you NEED THIS IN YOUR LIFE.

FINAL WORD

GIMME MORE GIMME MORE GIMME MORE

#Smutathon 2020



This was super cute! It was a little slow there in the beginning, but I really loved the characters and this story. I'm super curious to see where it goes. T.S. Joyce never lets me down, I swear.