raindrops333's Reviews (1.96k)

Hot as Puck

Lili Valente

5.0

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Content Warnings

The Boyfriend

Freida McFadden

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The Friend Zone Experiment

Zen Cho

3.0

adventurous lighthearted slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Lack of communication trope. Family or duty? Love or duty? I did not find this story to be a rom-com like the cover and the blurb make you think. There were some interwoven stories that had shining moments, but overall, it felt bland without a sense of direction, verbose, and slow to get to the point.

Content Warnings

That First Night

Jenn McMahon

5.0

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This is a sweet read with tender moments. It is spicy 3🌶️. There's many emotional moments to make it an interesting read. A feel good, if you are into billionaires who are golden retrievers.

Ana Takes Manhattan

Lissette Decos

4.0

funny lighthearted medium-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

I enjoyed this book very much, I loved Ana's growth journey. The author gave her a quirky voice that reminds me of Bridget Jones. The description of her relationships and her woes kept me engaged.

That said, I could not get past the author's use of "Bobby, a motherly and heavyset woman" in chapter 27 to describe a woman. This book was written in 2023. It's time to leave those stereotypes out of writing. There were other cringe inducing stereotype moments, and that deducted a whole star, but this one was the one the took the cake. For a BIPOC writer, it's surprising when they do this.

Content Warnings

Some Like It Cold

Elle McNicoll

5.0

emotional funny medium-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

When the Weaver Met the Gargoyle

Lila Appleton

5.0

funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

2 🌶️

Tropes
- Grumpy vs Sunshine
- Magical world

My Thoughts
This romance fantasy is whimsical and full of magical moments. This book had a slight Beauty and the Beast vibe. Rom is a gargoyle who carries a heavy burden from his past; he's a marshmallow but protective MMC. Lani is a human girl who's chosen to live in this world. The author weaves a story about personal growth and acceptance in a difficult situation due to a misunderstanding of a gargoyle's need to keep his charges from harm. I enjoyed how the story ended showing how sometimes the hero is not the handsome prince, instead is your run of the mill besotted guy.
The side characters are a blast and I'll be looking forward to reading about them.

Triggers
Xenophobic actions
Domestic violence
Mention of death

Spice 🌶️
It is open door and descriptive but minimal. It's not the core of the story. It's appropriate to where the characters are at that moment.

Special notes
The dedication had me giggling.