Take a photo of a barcode or cover
themoonwholistens's Reviews (698)
READ IF: looking for an easy to read enemies -> bestfriends -> lovers trope that still delivers the emotional gut punches
OH MEE GOSH THIS WAS ADORABLE !!
AND FUNNY !!
AND YEAHHHH !!!
OH MEE GOSH THIS WAS ADORABLE !!
AND FUNNY !!
AND YEAHHHH !!!
*ARC received from the publisher -Macmillan/Tor- for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
I usually love fantasy standalones when they were well-executed but I think this could have done more being a first in a series.
The magic system wasn’t the most intriguing to me because it was mostly just elemental magic so it pulled me out of the story a lot and i feel like it wasn’t as utilized as it could have been. But the action scenes were well-imagined and tense, which i find enjoyable. The characters were not as well established as I would have liked since it was so short but i did appreciate the society-normalized queerness present throughout the story.
It’s a short but fast-paced high fantasy standalone that read more like an action-packed side story that expands to something bigger but whether that’s good or bad is ultimately up to you.
— 3.0 —
I usually love fantasy standalones when they were well-executed but I think this could have done more being a first in a series.
The magic system wasn’t the most intriguing to me because it was mostly just elemental magic so it pulled me out of the story a lot and i feel like it wasn’t as utilized as it could have been. But the action scenes were well-imagined and tense, which i find enjoyable. The characters were not as well established as I would have liked since it was so short but i did appreciate the society-normalized queerness present throughout the story.
It’s a short but fast-paced high fantasy standalone that read more like an action-packed side story that expands to something bigger but whether that’s good or bad is ultimately up to you.
— 3.0 —
“If you can’t stand being with a woman who’s more successful than you, then leave her alone. She’s better off without you. If you actually love her, then know the value of that love and make it a promise. That is the only thing she needs from you.”
woah woah woah. okay.
I read that Helen Hoang was kind of imagining a gender-swapped Pretty Woman and that is honestly the perfect way to explain the general plot. I got into this book thinking it was going to be a light read but it got a little deeper than I expected. Not that that was a bad thing.
It rode the topics of Autism and "Escorting" smoothly. It never, in any part of the story, felt forced and I was very pleased with the way the author used it in the romance. The author was able to explore the struggles that our female MC dealt with when it comes to autism and explored the reason as to why our male MC had to take up escorting in the first place.
There was definitely a huge family aspect and you can definitely see the importance they play in the story. It also gave the romance a more three-dimensional feel and brought the story to the level I needed for it to get 5 stars from me.
I was definitely SO SO SO invested in the story and the characters that were born. I saw how they grew and how every little thing affected their decisions. Our MC's Autism showed me a new light and imparted some knowledge that I never realized before.
Overall, I just really enjoyed this book. It was funny, enjoyable, and realistic. The characters were easy to relate to and that much easier to fall in love with. The plot was not something completely outrageous but there never seemed to be a boring part.
woah woah woah. okay.
I read that Helen Hoang was kind of imagining a gender-swapped Pretty Woman and that is honestly the perfect way to explain the general plot. I got into this book thinking it was going to be a light read but it got a little deeper than I expected. Not that that was a bad thing.
It rode the topics of Autism and "Escorting" smoothly. It never, in any part of the story, felt forced and I was very pleased with the way the author used it in the romance. The author was able to explore the struggles that our female MC dealt with when it comes to autism and explored the reason as to why our male MC had to take up escorting in the first place.
There was definitely a huge family aspect and you can definitely see the importance they play in the story. It also gave the romance a more three-dimensional feel and brought the story to the level I needed for it to get 5 stars from me.
I was definitely SO SO SO invested in the story and the characters that were born. I saw how they grew and how every little thing affected their decisions. Our MC's Autism showed me a new light and imparted some knowledge that I never realized before.
Overall, I just really enjoyed this book. It was funny, enjoyable, and realistic. The characters were easy to relate to and that much easier to fall in love with. The plot was not something completely outrageous but there never seemed to be a boring part.
Sometimes you just need a second chance romance between two witches. I love it here.
Read this for the cozy vibes, fun times, girl bosses, and non-toxic male lead that is set in a small town. The plot could have been better executed though because the tension started to fall towards the end. I still really enjoyed it. Definitely would recommend if you are looking for a light and easy romance to break things up.
— 3.5 —
⤜ pre-read review ⤛
yes second chance romance !! im here for it
Read this for the cozy vibes, fun times, girl bosses, and non-toxic male lead that is set in a small town. The plot could have been better executed though because the tension started to fall towards the end. I still really enjoyed it. Definitely would recommend if you are looking for a light and easy romance to break things up.
"Sometimes she thought what she'd really fallen in love with that summer was the version of herself she was when she was with him. But as lovely as that memory was, she didn't want to think about the past when the present was right here in front of her."
— 3.5 —
⤜ pre-read review ⤛
yes second chance romance !! im here for it
A well executed thriller story if you are looking for one.
— overall thoughts: 3.5 —
⇢ trigger warnings//
This was fun while it lasted. The reason I'm DNF-ing this is not because it's bad or it's not holding my interest but because it's so twisted and I don't want to be think those kind of thoughts.
I actually really loved the parts that I read. I read this on a whim and got instantly hooked by the first page. I did look up some spoilers for the ending and I did read the last 2 chapters, which was also amazingly written. It was a bit predictable but the execution was what made me love it. My interpretation of the ending:
There were so many things that I found relatable. Reading this was engrossing and it felt like I was reading from the perspective of someone familiar... I don't know if that's a good thing.
A lot of things happen with the fast-paced plot. I enjoyed the back and forth of the timeline and seeing how their relationship started to how their marriage with their family is now. The execution of their family interactions felt entirely realistic. Being in the husband's head, seeing everything from his perspective was intriguing. I didn't care for much of anyone outside of their family but I think it mattered less as the book went on.
Family dynamic = spot on! I like to think it was more about their family rather than just the couple.
↣ I am convinced this would make a really good movie that I would actually finish. Highly recommended if you are into messed up mindsets and murdering couples with thought provoking family habits. ↢
This was really a really fun, intriguing story, even with how messed up it actually is when you take a step back. If ever Samantha Downing ever writes a fantasy book, I would read it hands down simply for her writing style and the .
— overall thoughts: 3.5 —
⇢ trigger warnings//
Spoiler
serial murder, death of a friendThis was fun while it lasted. The reason I'm DNF-ing this is not because it's bad or it's not holding my interest but because it's so twisted and I don't want to be think those kind of thoughts.
I actually really loved the parts that I read. I read this on a whim and got instantly hooked by the first page. I did look up some spoilers for the ending and I did read the last 2 chapters, which was also amazingly written. It was a bit predictable but the execution was what made me love it. My interpretation of the ending:
Spoiler
was that he's trying to make something that he's used to doing equate to something that is not about murdering... though it could be that he's just going to keep murdering without his mastermind wifeThere were so many things that I found relatable. Reading this was engrossing and it felt like I was reading from the perspective of someone familiar... I don't know if that's a good thing.
A lot of things happen with the fast-paced plot. I enjoyed the back and forth of the timeline and seeing how their relationship started to how their marriage with their family is now. The execution of their family interactions felt entirely realistic. Being in the husband's head, seeing everything from his perspective was intriguing. I didn't care for much of anyone outside of their family but I think it mattered less as the book went on.
Family dynamic = spot on! I like to think it was more about their family rather than just the couple.
“My feelings about this are conflicted. I want my kids to feel safe. I also want them to know how dangerous the world is.”
↣ I am convinced this would make a really good movie that I would actually finish. Highly recommended if you are into messed up mindsets and murdering couples with thought provoking family habits. ↢
This was really a really fun, intriguing story, even with how messed up it actually is when you take a step back. If ever Samantha Downing ever writes a fantasy book, I would read it hands down simply for her writing style and the .
I think I just felt my heart swell and fall out.
This is a collection of unconventional short love stories that's perfect for those who love the absurdity, hopeless romanticism, and the off-beat dark humor of it all. (Which makes sense given that this is written by the creator of Bojack Horseman). Each story is so unique whether it's the format that it's written or what it's actually about. Some of these stories went from the most mundane events to something incredibly fantastical (think, Daisy Jones & the Six characters in the plot of Eternals by Marvel) but it all boils down to the same revolving themes around reality, complicated relationships, societal expectations, and going through life with someone you love.
I do think this takes the absurdity up a notch and gives a casual tone to otherwise sensitive topics so I think that you should be prepared for that going in but I loved every bit of it. The different writing formats and style for each story that somehow all had different themes or a distinct aspect to it or “quirky thing” was working so well for me. If you get the humor and the nuance it brings, I think you'll really love this.
↣ This is better read than explained so I just suggest you read this if you like romance and dark humor that makes you believe a little more in the real type of love and everything that comes with loving people. Very highly recommended. ↢
— 4.25 —
⇢ content warnings// Cheating, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Overdose (mentioned), Suicide
This is a collection of unconventional short love stories that's perfect for those who love the absurdity, hopeless romanticism, and the off-beat dark humor of it all. (Which makes sense given that this is written by the creator of Bojack Horseman). Each story is so unique whether it's the format that it's written or what it's actually about. Some of these stories went from the most mundane events to something incredibly fantastical (think, Daisy Jones & the Six characters in the plot of Eternals by Marvel) but it all boils down to the same revolving themes around reality, complicated relationships, societal expectations, and going through life with someone you love.
“a person who gets to know not just the you you sometimes show, but the you you truly are; a person who—when you weren’t looking—slipped a naked, wounded heart into the pocket of your jacket with a bow and a note that said, “handle with care”.”
I do think this takes the absurdity up a notch and gives a casual tone to otherwise sensitive topics so I think that you should be prepared for that going in but I loved every bit of it. The different writing formats and style for each story that somehow all had different themes or a distinct aspect to it or “quirky thing” was working so well for me. If you get the humor and the nuance it brings, I think you'll really love this.
↣ This is better read than explained so I just suggest you read this if you like romance and dark humor that makes you believe a little more in the real type of love and everything that comes with loving people. Very highly recommended. ↢
“Better question: What happened to our society to make it so we view damaged things as somehow incomplete?”
— 4.25 —
⇢ content warnings// Cheating, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Overdose (mentioned), Suicide
I have no idea why but I thought this was going to be a middle-grade read.
⟹ MY BLOG ⟸
⟹ SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ⟸
*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless states otherwise*
PLOT
I found the synopsis of this story to be alluring.. even though, to be honest, this book was a bit weird to me at first. Weird in the way that the premise was unconventional and I think a lot of authors would never considering starting off a book like how The Strange Life did for fear of scaring readers. I liked that Spotson took that risk as it made the story different.
As a fresh high school graduate, I was very amused by the technical mathematics and scientific terms that were included. For some reason it made Brandon's life that much more relatable. The reader is able to connect their own experiences with Brandon's through that one word or sentence, even though it may be nothing alike. Except when it started to get too complicated towards the end of the book. It took me some time to read through, what was to me, gibberish. There was a lot of technical talk but it should not be something that hinders the reader's enjoyment. It matched the theme of the book.
There was nothing in the plot that really surprised me. It did lose me on some pages but I did enjoy it more based on the way it was written rather than what was actually happening, mostly by the second half. Parts of the stories touched me in that soft and subtle way. There were also some uncommon elements that gave the book something different. It also went through a big chunk of his life which I did not expect even though it said so in the title.
CHARACTERS
Brandon's character was okay for me. I related with him on some levels, some I did not. But his character was written well for my opinion and it matched perfectly to the theme that the book seemed to be going for. His characteristics and thoughts gave me the vibe that the plot was giving. I find it greatly important that a character is written to match the story that they are a part of.
His dreams were what interested me the most and reminded me of The Monster Calls. The book kind of gave me that vibe at some points.
WRITING STYLE
The writing style not bad and I actually enjoyed Brandon's narrative even though it was less descriptive that those that I usually prefer. The problem with a lot of narratives that are more on "describing" rather than "showing" is that sometimes they tend to be bland and boring, as they are pretty straight forward. This was not a problem for me in this book because of the interesting premise and that the speculation itself kept me curious.
OVERALL
This was an interesting read and did a good job making me curious. I was fine with the pacing of the story for the first half but there was a point when it started to drag and there were some things that I thought were unnecessary. Though, this could be based more on the fact that I started to relate less to Brandon's life as the story went on. Nevertheless, I expected something different going into the book and I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong.
This book was strange, but in the good way. It was fascinating to me and well written.
Thanks to the author for sending me an ARC through Booksirens to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⟹ MY BLOG ⟸
⟹ SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ⟸
*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless states otherwise*
PLOT
I found the synopsis of this story to be alluring.. even though, to be honest, this book was a bit weird to me at first. Weird in the way that the premise was unconventional and I think a lot of authors would never considering starting off a book like how The Strange Life did for fear of scaring readers. I liked that Spotson took that risk as it made the story different.
As a fresh high school graduate, I was very amused by the technical mathematics and scientific terms that were included. For some reason it made Brandon's life that much more relatable. The reader is able to connect their own experiences with Brandon's through that one word or sentence, even though it may be nothing alike. Except when it started to get too complicated towards the end of the book. It took me some time to read through, what was to me, gibberish. There was a lot of technical talk but it should not be something that hinders the reader's enjoyment. It matched the theme of the book.
There was nothing in the plot that really surprised me. It did lose me on some pages but I did enjoy it more based on the way it was written rather than what was actually happening, mostly by the second half. Parts of the stories touched me in that soft and subtle way. There were also some uncommon elements that gave the book something different. It also went through a big chunk of his life which I did not expect even though it said so in the title.
CHARACTERS
Brandon's character was okay for me. I related with him on some levels, some I did not. But his character was written well for my opinion and it matched perfectly to the theme that the book seemed to be going for. His characteristics and thoughts gave me the vibe that the plot was giving. I find it greatly important that a character is written to match the story that they are a part of.
His dreams were what interested me the most and reminded me of The Monster Calls. The book kind of gave me that vibe at some points.
WRITING STYLE
The writing style not bad and I actually enjoyed Brandon's narrative even though it was less descriptive that those that I usually prefer. The problem with a lot of narratives that are more on "describing" rather than "showing" is that sometimes they tend to be bland and boring, as they are pretty straight forward. This was not a problem for me in this book because of the interesting premise and that the speculation itself kept me curious.
OVERALL
This was an interesting read and did a good job making me curious. I was fine with the pacing of the story for the first half but there was a point when it started to drag and there were some things that I thought were unnecessary. Though, this could be based more on the fact that I started to relate less to Brandon's life as the story went on. Nevertheless, I expected something different going into the book and I was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong.
This book was strange, but in the good way. It was fascinating to me and well written.
Thanks to the author for sending me an ARC through Booksirens to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
ARC received from the author -Chad Nicholas- in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Well, I enjoyed this. Even though I don't exactly go looking to read horrors I'm glad that I gave this a chance.
Despite being horror, the book still had very strong family dynamics which was 100% my favorite aspect. Getting to see how familial relationships work and how it is tackled in horror/thriller/suspense stories (as they do get quite tragic) is always so interesting to me.
— overall thoughts: 2.5 —
The concept of nightmares, crows, and ghosts(?) was what pulled me in at the beginning... I am happy to report that I was not let down.
If you're a squeamish person, probably prepare yourself. Not too much that I won't be able to sleep tonight but I was creeped out to say the least... which is good.
Love the beginning, it was hooking, but nothing particularly interesting to me happened for a good 30 pages. However, it does explore the different characters’ mindset and dynamics at this time which does help with the anticipation and actually getting attached to them.
The way they were all tip toeing around Scott in the beginning broke my heart into a million pieces.
I do feel like some scenes were just the same thing over and over again in the beginning. I had no idea what the direction of the story was and it just felt like those parts dragged more than what was necessary for the suspense. I had this heavy feeling of dread for the most part which is probably something good for a horror story? I really don't know, I don't usually read this genre, please be aware.
I would suggest trying this out if you are into more "there might be something wrong with your head" types of horror stories. Not the biggest fan of the rest of the plot but the family relationship made up for it.
instagram | blog | ko-fi | booksirens
Well, I enjoyed this. Even though I don't exactly go looking to read horrors I'm glad that I gave this a chance.
Despite being horror, the book still had very strong family dynamics which was 100% my favorite aspect. Getting to see how familial relationships work and how it is tackled in horror/thriller/suspense stories (as they do get quite tragic) is always so interesting to me.
— overall thoughts: 2.5 —
The concept of nightmares, crows, and ghosts(?) was what pulled me in at the beginning... I am happy to report that I was not let down.
If you're a squeamish person, probably prepare yourself. Not too much that I won't be able to sleep tonight but I was creeped out to say the least... which is good.
Love the beginning, it was hooking, but nothing particularly interesting to me happened for a good 30 pages. However, it does explore the different characters’ mindset and dynamics at this time which does help with the anticipation and actually getting attached to them.
The way they were all tip toeing around Scott in the beginning broke my heart into a million pieces.
I do feel like some scenes were just the same thing over and over again in the beginning. I had no idea what the direction of the story was and it just felt like those parts dragged more than what was necessary for the suspense. I had this heavy feeling of dread for the most part which is probably something good for a horror story? I really don't know, I don't usually read this genre, please be aware.
I would suggest trying this out if you are into more "there might be something wrong with your head" types of horror stories. Not the biggest fan of the rest of the plot but the family relationship made up for it.
instagram | blog | ko-fi | booksirens
REVIEW UPDATE 1:
give me a few days to gather my thoughts because my mind is barely working right now
AND THIS BOOK IS JUST ALSDNCBERFDJC
if this is on your tbr, you might want to push it up higher
--------------------------
REVIEW UPDATE 2:
it took me a few months to actually write something coherent. This is review is still just some raw thoughts and notes from when I was reading the book. Full review might come as a series review on my blog.
"I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted."
plot:
- it’s nice to see vin comfortable in her own skin after ebing sucked in to her troubles and feeling every hardship
- I liked how Elend was so much more than just the love interest in this book, especially when you compare it his charcater in the first book.
writing style:
- what’s unique with this story is how it shows both sides of the “good” and “bad” people, but you are still left guessing how everything will turn out
- previous book focused highly on the plot, detail, and world building while these was able to make the readers sympathize with its characters more
characters:
- OreSeur and Sazed are so precious
- it’s nice to see the others characters humanitized
- Sazed and Tindywl RHVWSDJSND
- Brandon Sanderson knows how to focus on characters without the world revolving around said characters
- ZANE ZANE ZANE
- ZANE is such a unique anti-hero and I LOVE IT
- he doesn’t hate elend, even from the start
- it’s not petty
- he descriptions are so accurate
-------------------------
REVIEW UPDATE 3:
RTC
give me a few days to gather my thoughts because my mind is barely working right now
AND THIS BOOK IS JUST ALSDNCBERFDJC
if this is on your tbr, you might want to push it up higher
--------------------------
REVIEW UPDATE 2:
it took me a few months to actually write something coherent. This is review is still just some raw thoughts and notes from when I was reading the book. Full review might come as a series review on my blog.
"I write these words in steel, for anything not set in metal cannot be trusted."
plot:
- it’s nice to see vin comfortable in her own skin after ebing sucked in to her troubles and feeling every hardship
- I liked how Elend was so much more than just the love interest in this book, especially when you compare it his charcater in the first book.
writing style:
- what’s unique with this story is how it shows both sides of the “good” and “bad” people, but you are still left guessing how everything will turn out
- previous book focused highly on the plot, detail, and world building while these was able to make the readers sympathize with its characters more
characters:
- OreSeur and Sazed are so precious
- it’s nice to see the others characters humanitized
- Sazed and Tindywl RHVWSDJSND
- Brandon Sanderson knows how to focus on characters without the world revolving around said characters
- ZANE ZANE ZANE
- ZANE is such a unique anti-hero and I LOVE IT
- he doesn’t hate elend, even from the start
- it’s not petty
- he descriptions are so accurate
-------------------------
REVIEW UPDATE 3:
RTC
”This is like Cinderella minus the glass slipper.” ”He’s my Cinderella.”
FORMAT READ: eBook (Kindle)
SIMILAR VIBES: Jennifer E. Smith or Kasie West books
READ FOR: cute & giggly story
⟹ MY BLOG ⟸
⟹ SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ⟸
*All of my reviews are as spoiler-free as possible unless states otherwise*
*Thank you to Xpresso Tours, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Sandy Hall for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*
OVERALL: 3.25
The beginning and the end are honestly the strongest parts. I’m happy I started and ended this book on good notes.
This book is about two college freshmen who actually knew each other in middle school but have not seen each other since. They parted with some not-so-pleasant memories and the story begins when they meet again at a party. The beginning of the book was what really made me intrigued and sucked me into their story.
I’m gonna start by saying that this is not my favorite in terms or writing style and plot that but I did enjoy this book on a sort of basic level.
A lot of things were just happening. There were parts when it’s just pages full of dialogue and no description of anything. Scenes just weirdly ended and started. That disturbed me a bit but it is an enemies to lovers trope (and I LOVE those). In terms of the enemies to lovers trope, I think that this was very well paced that it satisfied my need for that cliche.
okay… I REALLY enjoyed the two characters’ quarrels AT FIRST even though it was petty. There was a point when it became a bit much for my taste. This came to me at a time I was looking for a Contemporary Romance to read so I enjoyed it more than I would have. Even if there were so many things I found petty and childish… but they kind of started to make sense the more I read through the story so… it’s fine it’s fine…
but they were still petty and childish..
Though!!! There were themes in the book that I did like <3 For risk of spoiling I’m not saying what exactly but there were some pretty nice topics covered, my main problem was just the way it was written into the story. Nevertheless, I like a book that deals with those kinds of topics.
I also have to mention that the characters were a bit inconsistent and there are specific writing things that some readers might not like. But if you are just looking for a light Contemporary Read to break off a fantasy marathon, this is a nice refresher.
PLOT: ★★★☆☆
WRITING STYLE: ★★★☆☆
WORLD BUILDING: ★★☆☆☆
CHARACTERS: ★★★☆☆
THEMES: ★★★★☆
PACING: ★★★★★
PAGE TURNER: ★★★☆☆
————————————————
PRE READ:
I'm finally using my Kindle account !!! this is the first book I'm going to be reading from Kindle so I'm just excited yall