aortiz's reviews
612 reviews

Holiday Romance by Catherine Walsh

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

I cannot believe I'm writing this, but FRIENDS TO LOVERS is my new favorite trope. This book has what every love story (in my opinion) should have: great characters, a good plot, and a fitting ending. This book starts with two people who barely know each other and progressively become friends thanks to their coincidental Christmas travel plans. I liked how the author played with the timeline, mixing scenes of the "present" trip with their past trips, because it kept me interested in the story. Another thing I believe the author did very well is the portrait of the friendship between the main characters; it felt natural. However, what I loved the most about this book is that it wasn't an instant-love/fairytale type of story; you can actually believe the development of their relationship. 

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a realistic romance

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture, I had the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review

The Girl on the Platform by Ellie Midwood

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

The Girl on the Platform is a marvelous and heartbreaking story about heroes and love based on true events. The book tells the story of a German couple that stood up to the Nazi regime. For me, this book was fascinating because it is told from the perspective of a privileged German woman, and it also depicts how the Nazi government slowly brainwashed the population. Regarding the characters and plot, they are well written and researched as always by the author. However, the plot was a little slow-paced for my taste, and the ending was bittersweet. Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to everyone who wants to know more about WWII heroes. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture, I had the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Girl Who Survived by Ellie Midwood

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Another amazing historical novel by Ellie Midwood. I love that most of this author's novels are always based on true stories. Anyway, what I liked about this novel is that it is pretty focused on the romantic relationship between Ilse and Willi without neglecting the background in which the story develops (e.g., the details of the war, the horrible conditions the Jews were subjected to in the ghetto, etc.). My only small complaint is that I would have liked to read more about Ilse's relationship with her sisters. Nevertheless, the plot and characters were very well researched and written, and I loved the ending. 

I would highly recommend this inspiring story about heroes and true love to anyone who loves historical fiction books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture, I had the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lies You Never Told Me by Jennifer Donaldson

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book literally blew my mind. It was a page-turner with an awesome plot and characters. I cannot believe I did not see the plot twist coming. One of the best YA thrillers I have ever read.

The Half-Class by Kayvion Lewis

challenging emotional reflective

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

4.0

I did not expect this book to explore heavy topics, but I am amazed by how well the author did it. The story illustrates real-world problems while also showing characters with complex personalities. For me, the plot was foreseeable, but what makes this book special is that I ended up caring a lot about the characters.  I guess this is the type of story that makes you see that people's actions are not always black or white, but grey. I will definitely be reading the sequel.

On another note, plotwise, this story did remind me a little bit of The Jewel by Amy Ewing, so if you like that book, I highly recommend this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Independent Publishers Group, I had the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

This book was so good. I had never read anything quite like it. My favorite thing about it is that the format allows the reader to know all the characters' perspectives on the same events, resulting in many contractions. I have to say that for me, the story seemed real. It was fun and sad at the same time. If I have not seen a Tik Tok about how this story is pure fiction, I would have sworn the band was real. I hope that the TV adaption lives up to this amazing book.

My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I loved everything about this novel: the characters, the plot, and how the author introduced and handled the past lives theme. But, to be honest, I was not too fond of the ending. I refuse to believe that this is a standalone book. I need the sequel. 

Whenever You're Ready: How to Compose the Life of Your Dreams by Jeeyoon Kim

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

Whenever You're Ready is the self-help book I did not know I needed it.  Honestly, I chose to read this book before reading its description because I liked its cover. Once I realized that it was a self-help book, I feared it would be slow and boring. However, I am happy to confirm that my worst fears did not come true. It happened exactly the opposite. This book was really easy to read, the advice it contains seems sound, and it is interesting because tells a little bit about the author's life as a professional pianist. Even though I am not a musician, I did not have a problem relating to some of the author's troubles, and  I loved that the book format was like a concert program. Actually, it made me want to play the piano again after 10 years. I am looking forward to applying everything I learned in this book. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group, I had the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful

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

5.0

I bought this book just because I loved its cover. I had no idea what the book was about, but I am glad I gave it a shot. This book was wonderful. I liked Shiori so much as the main character that I got stressed about all her misfortunes. Regarding the plot, I have to say that some of the plot twists were foreseeable, but the main ones were not. One thing that is important to point out is that, unlike Spin the Dawn, this story is more about adventure than romance. Unfortunately, the story ends up with a cliffhanger, but what a cliffhanger. I am still shocked by it. I cannot wait to read the sequel.

In short, the characters and the plot were great. Highly recommended.

Breathless by Jennifer Niven

emotional hopeful reflective sad

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

4.5

When I bought this book, I thought it would be a typical teenage love story. How wrong I was! This story was so emotionally deep. Even though the main theme is romantic relationships, much of the book is centered around family and friends' relationships. In general, I loved the plot and the subjects it touched. The characters were very well written, but I wish the story had more interactions between Claude and her dad. Also, I would have liked to see how things ended with her friend Shaz. And, obviously, I would have loved to continue to read more about Jeremiah and Claude's love story. I guess that my issue is that I need a sequel because I was not too fond of the end, hence the 4.5 Stars