amy_holden23's reviews
294 reviews

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

Bonded by Thorns by Elizabeth Helen

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

This is not what I would usually read, and it was a bit too smutty at times for me. That being said the vibes and characters were fun and distinct, and I love all the princes

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

How I feel about this book is 99% because of me, I did enjoy this but it also made my brain hurt, and feels like a fever dream😂 

I love the relationship between Dante and tella,  probably my fave part

A Night to Remember: The Sinking of the Titanic by Walter Lord

emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

This book was heartbreaking, but added so much colour to the disaster. Looking not only at the sinking itself but the rescue and response from the media, whilst also considering aspects of race, class and gender, this was so so insightful.

The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris

hopeful informative inspiring reflective

An interesting read explaining Harris' background, with a good balance between her personal life and her professional. This being written before the Biden admin was nice too, giving colour to her work before being VP.

Off to the Races by Elsie Silver

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

This is my favourite Elsie Silver book so far

I really enjoyed how much horse-riding played a role in this book, and it added a fun dynamic- I also really enjoyed that they were actually enemies at the beginning. I'm excited to see the other couples' stories! 

I would've liked a little more development in the relationship but I can see why this wasn't done, as it would've taken pages from the other plot. I thought the resolution to the issue was also quite satisfying,  if a little cringe.

Foxglove by Adalyn Grace

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

This book was so so good, and reinforced that this is a favourite series of mine. Whilst there was a trope I'm not a fan of it this, I thought it was a unique handling that made sense for the characters.

I'm so excited to read book 3!

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

adventurous fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was a lot of fun, and I'm so excited to continue the series

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was my first cosy-fantasy and I loved it! It felt like a hug in a book, and at times I related to Kiela a little too much 😅  I loved the other villagers too, and I thought the pacing was pretty good too

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I need to sit on my rating, but for now I'll put that. 

I really wanted to love this, and I'd like to think it was just a matter of personal taste. I have to think I just don't enjoy cozy fantasy without high stakes, or at least I wasn't in the mood for it right now. I love all the characters from the first book (especially Talia ), but even they couldn't save this for me. I think the main issue I had was the writing style, which is quite surface-level with its themes, rather than threading them throughout with nuance. I love books with political themes, so I think it was just the style. I found the good v bad dichotomy to be very archetypal on the bad side, and the ending didn't really resolve it, just bringing in a new plot point with its own political parallel. 

I did however think the discussions around trauma were really important and well-considered.