sarai0410's Reviews (404)

adventurous fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

While I still enjoyed this installment of the PJO series, it is definitely the weakest so far. The new characters were interesting, the story itself felt very much like filler - which is okay and necessary to move the plot along - but I still felt like something was lacking. I am very excited to see how Percy and Annabeth's relationship develops as they continue to grow up together. 
dark mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Not much to say about it other than it was a compelling read once I got drawn into the story (at around page 80) and I truly wasn't expecting the plot twist of an ending. Still, I think the story had some holes that left me wanting more. 
emotional hopeful medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I love the Bridgerton series a great deal - like an obsessive amount at this point if I'm being honest and book-Eloise is one of my favorite characters in the series (not so much on show-Eloise after season 2 but that's besides the point..); however, To Sir Phillip, With Love was a bit lackluster in terms of the plot and character/romance development. While I enjoyed the interactions between Eloise and Phillip, it just felt like something was missing - maybe because we didn't get to see them writing to one another over their year of correspondence and the thoughts that went into their developing relationship.

Onto the positives because no matter how much this wasn't my favorite, Bridgerton books are just fantastic to me anyway. I truly believe that Eloise and Phillip do suit one another and Phillip allows Eloise the opportunity to live a life different than what she grew up around, something that she seemed to crave - his non-stuffiness and dislike of Ton society life is perfect for her considering her complete lack of interest in marrying anyone of that sort. Amanda and Oliver, especially interacting with Eloise, were hilarious and it felt like they had a little of that Bridgerton personality hiding away (pranks included).

I love love LOVE the interactions between Eloise and her brothers in this. It is so fascinating to see how the brothers behave now that they are all married with families (minus Colin because he and Penelope are newlyweds) - Sophie is a doll and reminds me how much I loved her and Benedict in their book. The shooting scene reminds me so much of the pall-mall scene in The Viscount Who Loved Me and I loved it. I can't even put into words how much I loved the little bit of Colin 'My Wife' Bridgerton we got here (literally swooning still - my favorite quote below).

Colin leaned forward. “I really did not want to leave my wife." ... Colin was still working on his food, having somehow managed to charm the servants into bringing him a bowl of soup. He’d set down his spoon, though, and was presently examining his other hand, idly flexing each finger in turn, murmuring a word as each pointed out toward Phillip. “Miss. My. Wife.”

This book series holds a very special place in my heart and I can't wait to move onto #6 with Francesca (a character we know very little about) in When He Was Wicked.
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I've seen this book floating around social media for years and I finally decided to give it a shot when I fell into a 'monster/alien romance' mood. Honestly..it was pretty solid. Were there plot holes? Sure. Did it follow a bunch of obvious tropes. Of course. Did I still enjoy it? Yep (although there could have been more smut in my opinion). 
emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-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: Yes

Let me just say that I absolutely love the Bridgerton series and I've found (most) characters to be witty, entertaining, heartwarming, (and a little obtuse when it comes to the men..); however, due to his portrayal in the first three in the series, I was most excited to get to Colin's story. Like Penelope, I think I put this poor man on a pedestal, which unfortunately did not do him any favors in his book. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy him, I was just expecting more of that Colin wit and humor to come through - the bit that we got at the beginning and end were just what I was looking for. I just wish it had been more prevalent throughout. Penelope (plus Lady Danbury) were the clear winners in this book for best characters and I was so happy to see Penelope come out of her shell and let others see who (and what) she has been keeping so close to the chest for so many years.

My initial thoughts when I finished the book were mixed with disappointment because the romance didn't quite hit the same notes that the previous three had, but after sleeping on it I've come to realize that it didn't need to and I probably would have been more disappointed had it. Colin and Penelope's love story does not follow the lines of 'convenience to lovers,' 'disdain to lovers,' or 'opposites attract' as in The Duke and I, The Viscount Who Loved Me, or An Offer From a Gentleman, respectively - their story is truly one of 'friends to lovers' (a trope that is very unfamiliar to my 'enemies to lovers' obsessed heart). As Daphne said "Love grows and changes everyday. And it isn't like some thunderbolt from the sky, instantly transforming you into a different man." Ultimately, I believe this was exactly the love story that Colin and Penelope needed - a comfortable transition into their love, to have grown into who they were supposed to be separate from one another, and then together. 

And that was when he realized that Daphne had been right. His love hadn't been a thunderbolt from the sky. It had started with a smile, a word, a teasing glance. Every second he had spent in her presence it had grown, until he'd reached this moment, and suddenly he knew. He loved her.
lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: N/A
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

A murder mystery combined with Busy Town vibes - literally just so fun and entertaining. The characters we met throughout the story (Police bear Orville being my particular favorite) were so charming and I thought the mystery element was done well. I'm excited to continue the series and follow Vera along on her hunt for the next story. 
emotional funny hopeful sad fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was such a refreshing change in plot theme for the Bridgerton series, and while Cinderella retellings are not my go-to, I quiet enjoyed how it was done in An Offer From a Gentleman. Sophie and Benedict's relationship was equally as heartwarming as it was heartbreaking, and I couldn't help but feel so sorry for Sophie as she battled with her desires to attempt to capture her dreams while understanding that her station in life would not allow her to do so. While Benedict didn't always make the best decisions (or offers) regarding Sophie, his nature to protect and provide for her were wonderful and their natural banter and connection were refreshing and entertaining. I believe Sophie's experiences in life, so vastly different of that of the Bridgerton family, creates a good contrast from the ballroom and lavish setting that they (and we) are accustomed to.

As much as I enjoyed Benedict and Sophie's characters, the real star here is Violet and I find myself loving her more and more with each book in the series due to her wit, the natural banter with and complete devotion to the happiness of her children.
Marrying someone from below ones station in the Regency Era was quite the scandal and could put a stain on a family name in an instant, but Violet's willingness to accept a servant into the family, all for the sake of her son's happiness - that's a true mother's love.


Also - I still love Colin and I can't wait to see how he fixes his word-blunder in the next of the Bridgerton series, Romancing Mister Bridgerton.

A couple of notes on the use of Australia criminal transportation in the story from a historical context as I have seen numerous reviews that mention it in a negative light: Between the years of 1788 and 1868, when the practice was ended, more than 162,000 convicts from Britain and Ireland were transported to Australia as punishment for crimes committed in their homelands. Criminal transportation was not something that an individual would have wished for themselves as the living conditions were difficulty and what could lie ahead of them in an unknown land, many times alone, was rightfully terrifying, especially for women. The threat of transportation was very real and it is understandable why this is not an option that any woman would choose for themselves. The Bridgerton series is a historical romance, meaning that readers should take the historical portions of the story with the context of the time period into consideration when taking in the story. 
dark mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Am I going to immediately add A.G. Slatter's entire backlist to my TBR after reading this? Absolutely yes. The Briar Book of the Dead was a cover buy for me and I went into it barely reading the synopsis - which I think was the best decision I could have made as it really let the story tell itself without me having any preconceived thoughts and theories about the characters or plot. While the pacing could be considered a little slow, the character development and world-building, without massive info-dumps, was so beautiful and intriguing that I honestly would have loved another 100 pages to this book. The Briar family dynamic, expectations, and secrets sets this book apart. 

There's so much I want to say about this book, but I think it's so worth it to go in blind and fall in love with the story along the way. 
hopeful reflective fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: N/A
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

It was alright. I enjoyed the premise, especially the strict rules that are placed on the time travel component of the story. The characters were enjoyable and each mini-story had it's strengths and weaknesses (some more than others - cough cough Mother and Child). I enjoyed how the characters in each story were connected to one another in some way. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. 
adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was such a pleasant surprise. Right from the jump, Ibañez had me searching for answers alongside Inez - especially in regards to how on Earth her parents could leave their daughter behind as they lived another life in Egypt. The atmosphere of this story was top-notch and instantly put me in a The Mummy rewatch mood. The use of language and the beautiful settings in both Argentina and Egypt had me wanting to be there with Inez as she unraveled the mystery behind her parent's deaths. The character of Inez, her personality, and her actions (for the most part) made sense considering her sheltered and privileged upbringing away from her parents, but there were most definitely some decisions made that made me want to yell "girl, wtf are you thinking??" The relationship between Inez and Whit was okay, but it didn't feel like a true rival-to-lovers experience. Honestly, I'm happy that the romance was not the focal point of the book and I was much happier with the pseudo-trope than it taking over the mystery.

I thought the mystery and twists were done quite well and I found myself genuinely surprised by a couple things, especially
when Lourdes chose to lie to and betray her daughter after having essentially abandoned her for half of her life. Also, THE ENDING - are you kidding me?? Such a good cliffhanger and made me want to pick up the finale immediately.


A couple things that I wish we had more of: 
  1. The magic system was incredibly interesting, but I wish we would have had more exposure to it, or more of an explanation on how it worked as it seemed important to the plot, but there wasn't enough of it within the story to feel that it was truly important. 
  2. More time in the exploration of the ruins. I loved the bit that we got and I would have loved to see more. I do love that illustrations were included throughout the book though because it really did enhance the experience and feel that Inez is an artist. 

Unfortunately, at the time of this review, the finale, Where the Library Hides is not due to release for another 6 months, and I will be impatiently waiting for to read more about Inez and Whit while they unravel the remaining mystery involving
Lourdes and The Company, and the possible deceit of Inez by Whit
.