zoeelizabethk's Reviews (642)

Right Girl, Wrong Side was such a sweet, wholesome read! There is no spice, and this is a romance that is as much about the families as the couple. I loved Evita and Ryan and how they were so determined to get their families to be reasonable and heal - and not just so they could be together. I loved the sibling dynamics and the realistic portrayals of generational challenges, sibling dynamics, and new parenthood. The relationships were all just well done and it was a great summery environment for all of this to play out. I hope there are some companion books for this cause I really enjoyed the dynamics! 4.5 stars.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

I adored The Plus One. It's much deeper and darker than a lot of romcoms, but that's all in its favor in my opinion. Check out full trigger warnings, but a heads up that The Plus One deals heavily with PTSD, war, and divorce. I loved Indira and Jude. They both felt very real and I loved the childhood frenemies to lovers dynamic. They had a beautiful friendship. Speaking of - the friendships in this book were so lovely, especially for the guys. Guys who talk about their feelings, are willing to actually talk through issues, and aren't afraid to say I love you to their friends: so wholesome and much needed! I also think Act 3 was dealt with very well and was very believable.

If I have any gripes, it is that I had a little bit of trouble with some of Judy's attitutdes/actions but I think this is likely just my experience of PTSD being a little different from his. And I found the steam (gets fairly steamy) to be a little over the top tonally. We have a very wholesome sassy relationship and I expected some spice but to me it felt like there was too much and the story would have felt just slightly more cohesive tonally had the spice been toned down a bit. But that is also just my personal preference.

Overall, I highly recommend The Plus One and would encourage people who want their romcoms with some depth and therapy to check this one out. It was seriously so good! 

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I finished Gardens of the Moon. Overall I did enjoy it but it was definitely a challenging read. I particularly struggled with the constant pov switches cause it made it hard for me to feel attached to characters. Also so much Deus ex Machina except Erikson sets it up in very subtle ways so it’s not really, but the amount of interweaving and coincidences is mind boggling 😵‍💫 I read the wiki as I went along and most of the time I did in fact catch most of the plot points, I just always felt like I probably hadn’t because of all the characters and worldbuilding things that are just not explained 😅 Anyway, I’m looking forward to continuing on with Malazan, but I think Gardens is sitting at three stars for me at the moment. 

I think The Secret Benefits of Invisibility will be fun for younger middle graders who are fans of secret missions, training camps, and exploring new environments, a la Rick Riordan or B.B. Alston. As an adult reader, this one didn't make a big impression on me and was just ok.

Thanks to Cinnabar Moth Publishing and to Netgalley for an audioARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this book was so hard to read but so worthwhile. Definitely look at trigger warnings because this is a tough book that deals with domestic violence, abuse, ableism, and war. But my goodness what a beautiful and heartrending story. Straight forward enough to work for mature middle graders but still packs a huge punch for adult readings. This one will be sticking with me for a long time. 

The Magician's Daughter was a delightful read! I've been meaning to read some of H.G. Perry's work for awhile and I'm definitely going to be reading more from her. The atmosphere and lyrical writing are perfect for this sweetly magical tale. Don't get me wrong, it gets dark! But the tone and writing weave the air of folklore and magic right into it. Often these kind of books start strong prose-wise, but can't maintain that tone, but Perry did a lovely job carrying through the tone consistently. I loved the Celtic and English folklore elements, and the characters were easy to care about and love. It is a rather slow start, but there's plenty to keep you engaged until the plot and action picks up. My only minor complaints were that the middle section dragged a little bit, and I was not a huge fan of a decision made near the end. Those things didn't really affect my enjoyment, and I would highly recommend The Magician's Daughter to readers who love magical atmospheres, mythology, and a beautiful found family.

Thanks to Redhook and to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. I also listened - and loved! - the audiobook narrated by Rose McPhilemy. Her narration was perfection for this story!

This book was unfortunately a miss for me. If you're in the mood for a twisty, multiple time line, sci fantasy, murder mystery in a city, try this one out. Just be prepared that it is pretty slow and takes awhile to become invested in it.