Everyone has been talking about this book for ages, so I finally thought I'd give it a try. I'm a little torn on my review, as parts I loved, and others felt detached. Iris is spunky and determined, a heroine that I think many can relate to. She has tragedy thrown at her repeatedly, and while wounded, doesn't let it break her. I feel the situation around her mother could have been brought out more to deepen the impacts on her life and choices, however. Roman is the quintessential handsome rival, hoity and stiff. But through the letters, you see the other side of him, the soft side with his own tragedies that bind the two together. Again, I think more on page of his family might have built his character a bit more, especially his relationship with his father and certain fall outs. The war setting was beautifully written, and you felt like you were on those streets, the cities safe far from the front, the small towns torn but determined. It was the whole inclusion of the Gods that felt unnecessary, however. A normal human war would have resulted in the exact same outcomes. The inclusion of Gods felt completely detached from the overall story and provided no actual purpose. Overall, it was a beautiful, unique love story. The connection of the typewriters, the rivals to lovers, the setting atmospheric and prose beautiful.
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There's just something about a truly immersive fantasy that soothes my soul. I read Throne of Glass maybe ten years ago, but never the rest. In fact, I didn't read another SJM book until last year when I discovered ACOTAR. Since then, I've been devouring everything she writes, and not regretting it one bit. Unlike Heir of Fire, which I felt was a little slow and kind of boring until the last quarter, this one kept my attention from start to finish. Heists, revenge, love, loss and triumph all woven together. You fall in love with new characters and say goodbye to others (good riddance to some) and love every minute of it. Aelin is losing the hesitance of her youth and coming in to her fate as a queen. Chaol, thankfully, makes right his wrongs (or at least tries to), and while I feel like he was turned into such a pain in the butt for most of the book to bring Rowan to the forefront (a la Rhys in ACOTAR) I was thankful for his arc overall. I wasn't a big fan of Manon to start, but she's growing on me. I like strong willed female leads, but they still need to have a heart and depth, which she is finally starting to develop. As always, the world building, fight scenes and character development are lovely, and I can't wait to read the next one. I've read several of this authors books, all twisty mystery's and always am glad I did. This one is no exception! I'm a sucker for New York elite, high society settings, and this book is atmospheric, chalked full of the lives of the 1% we all love to hate. The kids who want for nothing, the parents who flaunt their money and status like a physical being, only to learn it's all a scam and their world comes crumbling down. You spend most of the book wondering where Bernie's mom is, and then it is revealed, it's admittedly a bit of a let down. She's selfish, putting her own needs and status above even her daughter, twisting the lives of those around her like headphones shoved into a pocket that come out all snarled together. In my opinion Esther is the real villain in all this, but I digress. Sure, Skylar is a jerk, doing everything you'd expect from someone like him, but Esther still seems worse. Bernie says she has a plan, but you never really figure out what it is, Tori is the unwitting outsider just dragged along, and Isobel is nothing short of a mess and seemingly only their to put in a 'bad girl' character. The entire book has you guessing who dies, how and why, but the actual ending is a let down. Overall, it was a good read. I just wish the ending had been better. Tell me you're a man who doesn't know how to write women, without telling me you're a man who doesn't know how to write women. All you'd have to do is write this book, and we'd know. I don't even know where to begin with this one. I hate DNFing a book, but with this one, I just couldn't keep going. I don't know what was worse -- the HORRIBLE main character, or the endless inner monologues that had me groaning out loud begging for them to JUST STOP. The concept had SO much potential. Murder, mystery, thrills. I read the blurb and couldn't wait to read it. But the main character was literally the stupidest woman in the world...hence the 'tell me you don't know women' remark. Because only a man would write a female character who does this many things wrong, ignorant to the reality of women and our innate self preservation that is part of our very being. Because this character did everything wrong...so many chances to escape, and never did because of the 'movies in her mind'. Another groan worthy inclusion, basically dramatizing the fact this character is either psychotic or schizophrenic and chalks it all up to her 'love of movies' to escape reality. Honey, no. Then there was the writing...parts were good, with some great analogies, but the endless, constant and repetitive inner monologues that took up 80% of the book pulling you out of the action and making you just want it all to end ruined any chance the book had at salvation. I quit about 60% of the way in, but did Google the ending out of pure curiosity, and it only solidified my decision to quit early because the ending...absolutely not. Don't bother with this one. It misses the mark in every possible way. I love a good mystery. Trying to figure out who the killer is, all the possibilities mixed in with the protagonists motives and challenges. It's like I'm Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote, and it's fun. This book popped up on a recommendation list, and after reading the blurb I figured I'd give it a try. I've been reading so much romance and romantasy for so long I needed a change. With two MC's with drastically different personalities, it gave the opportunity to lead you in a million different directions. The small town setting, where everyone was a suspect and no one had motive. Cam, while brazen and strong willed, was a little too pushy and seemed completely ignorant of her friend's feelings. If she wanted to do something, she did it, damn the consequences. Which blew up in her face in the end, but it was off putting. Blair, while relatable in a lot of ways, was flat with no personality or motivations beyond keeping her boyfriend happy. I think their lack of personal motivation and true depth made it difficult to really delve deep into this one. Jones did a great job in making you consider every single person in Clarissa's life as a suspect, even if the true killer was kind of a cliche. At times it felt like they were running blind, charging head first without a plan, which I suppose is possible with young MC's but at the same time, would you really start investigating a murder without ANY plan? I don't know... Overall, it was a good read in line with A Good Girls Guide to Murder. I love a good rom-com. Whether it's the grumpy sunshine, the rivals to lovers, whatever it is, if its a rom-com I'm all in. My queen of rom-com has been Abby Jiminez for quite a while, and then after a conference in 2023 I discovered Ali Hazelwood and fell in love. So when I heard everyone talking about Emily Henry books and that they were alone the same lines as my two queens of the rom-com, I decided to give it a try with a book that seemed exactly my type. Overall, though, it was just ok. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but I wasn't 'all in' like I tend to be with AJ or AH. Nora was the hard assed city girl who getter, with the perfect rival in Charlie, except you didn't get the true rival vibe, so he was just kind of...the guy who was available. He was clear he was smitten early, but the why was never really worked out. It was like a Hallmark movie with the small town setting, big city girl, finding herself with her little sister in tow. They played up 'the list', which could have done A LOT more for this book if it had been utilized a bit better. Like, show them going through each item, the folly and the fun, Charlie appearing either opportunely or not so opportunely. But they only focused on 2 items-date a townie, and save a business. Both quality list items, but there was so much untapped potential there that probably could have made this book a bit more exciting of a read. For me, if I don't ache to come back to the world of the book and keep going, it's just an 'ok' for me. And this was one of those times. Good writing, solid tropes and some cute moments, but a bit too much missed opportunity for it to be...more. I love when books are stuffed full of tropes. This one definitely was. Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, first love, etc, etc. The stakes were great...what's better than saving your family, or those you love? And yet, I just couldn't fall in love with this one. I can see that Roth was trying to make Cyra the strong female lead, with her martyr nature and torturous fate. But to me, she felt flat, almost whiny. There was much to admire, but I just couldn't get past the obvious opportunities she squandered. Akos was similar, but not quite as bad. He wanted to help his brother, and would do anything to make that happen. He fought for himself and for those he loved, while still keeping a piece of himself intact. While he was the love interest, again, I just couldn't get in to their connection. It gave kind of Shatter Me meets Hunger Games kind of vibes, which was why I was excited to read it. And I've loved Roth's previous books, so figured this was a sure thing. I liked the setting, the originality and the immersive world building, but at times it felt repetitive and a little anti-climatic. I mean, the Shotet want to rule, and yet they scavenge from other planets? It just felt a little unlikely, in terms of political dynamics. Overall, it was okay. Not sure if I'll read the second one or not... Any fan of the Maasverse has no doubt been waiting with baited breath for this latest book to release, and I was no exception. And, in true SJM fashion, she did not disappoint. With the third instalment of Crescent City, we follow Bryce and Hunt and their friends in their mission to defeat the Asteri. If you read HOSAB, you no doubt shook your house with the scream you scrempt while reading the last few chapters. While the first 3/4 of the book was rather slow, the last 1/4 had me throwing it across the room. This book had a solid equality between the characters, so no matter who your OTP were, you got a fair share of them on page. A lot of secrets were finally revealed and explained through the book, as well as some things I was NOT expecting. I found we dove deeper into some of the side characters, particularly Ithan and Tharion, who I think will feature much more in the next book (if there is one, which I'm fairly confident there will be). I was left a little lost as to the purpose of some characters, i.e. Ariadni, Sigrid, etc, but again, it allows for more books to tie off those threads. In the end, the entire thread of the Thunderbirds felt pointless, but who knows if they will feature again later. As the book ends with a fair bit of closer for Bryce and Hunt and Lunatheon finding a new balance (or on the verge of a new reality) I think the next book will follow something like A Court of Silver Flame and will feature Ruhn and Lydia as the MCs with the rest as side characters similar to Nest and Cassian's lead role in ACOSF. There is still a lot to be worked out in this world, so I'm fairly confident there will be another book. Especially with the hints to how the next ACOTAR book may play out in the closing chapters. Overall, another win for the SJM world, and I can't wait for more. As usual, SJM has left me in a puddle of emotion, drowning in my own tears as only she can. But the journey to said tears was not as fraught with peril as I would have expected. I'm slowing making my way through the ToG series (thanks to waiting 3 months + for each book from my library via Libby) and HoF was my latest binge. After leaving me with a cracked and dented heart at the end of CoM, I expected the same fast paced, emotional torture as with the previous books. Alas, this one was a little slower. I expected that Celaena would have to take some time to piece herself back together after the events of CoM. It's expected, and almost a requirement in fantasy series' that the MC questions their actions, past and future. And while this arc was satisfying, expertly executed, I couldn't help but feel it was a little anticlimactic in comparison to the previous books. Nothing really happened until the last quarter, when EVERYTHING seemed to happen all at once. At least with regard to Calaena/Aelin. The introduction of a new love interest in Rowan was fun, especially because he is a much more fitting match to her with their ferocity, skewed moral compass and snark. I like Chaol (yes, I still like him!) but I can see how they aren't the perfect match. Now, Chaol and Dorian...first of all, I am distraught at Chaol's choice in those final chapters. While I understand the necessity to keep the story moving in a certain direction, it seems completely out of character for him to leave as he did. Especially after spending the entirety of the book with Dorian's well being at the heart of his every choice and action. And I cannot even talk about Dorian's fate...again, plot device, but the pterodactyl screech I emitted at that conclusion was unmatched. I'm still a couple months away from securing the next book in the series from my library, so will be moving on to CC3, but can't wait to continue to fall into the mastery that is an SJM fantasy universe. This is another one I had high hopes for, but that fell kind of flat. The premise sounded great--a group of teens on a haunted island for a reality TV show to hunt for treasure. Very Survivor meets Curse of Oak Island. The back matter said hinted that there would be characters dying, fast paced action, and thrilling plot twists. Unfortunately, none of that really happened. The main character, Riley, was ok. Her motivating factor was to reinvigorate her reputation after a 'scandal' at her old school. But the scandal itself felt boring, the aftermath of becoming a meme not quite motivational enough. She describes herself as impulsive and hot headed, but that rarely showed, at least in ways that truly impacted the movement of the plot. The love interest seemed almost there because he needed to be, rather than making readers swoon. The only character I actually liked was Maren--take no s*it and honest, she had more appeal than Riley. The descriptions of the island and the setting were great. You felt as if you were there, and could picture it all really clearly. The survivor-esque challenges were weak, the game itself felt poorly plotted and could have been completed left out of the book for the same outcome. And the true conflicts meant to hold the characters back were more internal than external, the treasure hunt coming WAY to easily for them after so many before them apparently died in its pursuit. But what got me was the ending--rushed, non-sensical and again, much too easy. The writing was good, with solid world building and descriptors. I just hoped for a little more drama and tension, and that wasn't delivered. Maybe next time. |
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