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bees_books_lemons's reviews
81 reviews
Impractical Magic by Emily Grimoire
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
I felt like the writing style was adolescent and very negative at times. I tried really hard to get through it, but I couldn't.
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Court of Claws by Briar Boleyn
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Court of Claws is the second book is the Blood of a Fae series and it immediately picks up where the first book left off, so you have to read Queen of Roses to know what's going on. Morgan Pendragon wakes up in a strange place surrounded by strange looking people only to soon find out she's not at all where she thinks she is. Kairos Draven is the only person who looks familiar. He however is not who Morgan thought he'd be and spends the rest of the book grappling with that.
I honestly liked the first book better than this one, which is honestly shocking for me because it's usually the other way around. I gave this three stars as opposed to four like I did with Queen of Roses strictly because of Morgan. Even though she's the narrator of the series, I could not stand reading this from her perspective. She is sooooo hardheaded and has major survivor's guilt, so she won't allow herself to be happy. She lashes out at everyone, especially Draven, and it was incredibly annoying. Literally 50% of the book is Morgan raging about how much she hates Draven and how she wants to kill him. There is a moment where things are looking up and my feelings about her began to change, but then she returns to her angry self so I've lost all hope for her. I can't stand characters whose personality is just self-loathing.
I will say though that this book is incredibly action packed and has a good amount of spice. The twists are also amazing, which is definitely the redeeming factor. I will be reading the third book because I have to know what happens, but I'm really hoping that Morgan is better. She's so powerful and has a chance to represent something, but she has to let go of all the anger that encompasses her. Otherwise, she won't make it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I honestly liked the first book better than this one, which is honestly shocking for me because it's usually the other way around. I gave this three stars as opposed to four like I did with Queen of Roses strictly because of Morgan. Even though she's the narrator of the series, I could not stand reading this from her perspective. She is sooooo hardheaded and has major survivor's guilt, so she won't allow herself to be happy. She lashes out at everyone, especially Draven, and it was incredibly annoying. Literally 50% of the book is Morgan raging about how much she hates Draven and how she wants to kill him. There is a moment where things are looking up and my feelings about her began to change, but then she returns to her angry self so I've lost all hope for her. I can't stand characters whose personality is just self-loathing.
I will say though that this book is incredibly action packed and has a good amount of spice. The twists are also amazing, which is definitely the redeeming factor. I will be reading the third book because I have to know what happens, but I'm really hoping that Morgan is better. She's so powerful and has a chance to represent something, but she has to let go of all the anger that encompasses her. Otherwise, she won't make it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the author for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Queen of Roses by Briar Boleyn
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Alcoholism and Physical abuse
Vow of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
I loved this book with every fiber of my being. This duology is general is amazing. Vow of Thieves continues where Dance of Thieves leaves off and boy, does everything hit the fan. There were definitely moments when I thought things were going to take a turn for the worst, but Kazi and Jase have incredible friends that are with them through everything, including some that are unexpected. Vow of Thieves is full of action, twists, betrayal, love, and pure willpower. There isn't a single part about this book I didn't like. I'm upset at myself for waiting this long to read it.
I will say that this book has one of my favorite romance tropes (which I won't share because it's a dead giveaway), but when it happened, I screamed and almost threw my book across the room. I was so happy. I wish I could read this book again for the first time because of the emotional rollercoaster it put me through.
I also wish this was a trilogy because I want more of Kazi and Jase...
I will say that this book has one of my favorite romance tropes (which I won't share because it's a dead giveaway), but when it happened, I screamed and almost threw my book across the room. I was so happy. I wish I could read this book again for the first time because of the emotional rollercoaster it put me through.
I also wish this was a trilogy because I want more of Kazi and Jase...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture
Minor: War
A Hunger of Thorns by Lili Wilkinson
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Thanks to NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, this was a rough read. I really struggled to get through it. I enjoyed the concept of this story though. I love books that deal with magic and witches, so A Hunger of Thorns caught my attention immediately. However, the reason I rated it so low was because of the characters. They are just so unlikeable. There is so much self-loathing and self-hatred that I could barely stand to keep reading. The fact that this book pretty much centers around an incredibly toxic friendship bothered me so much. It was painful to read. Maude is so attached to Odette that it's almost her identity. She is nothing without Odette and bases all of her actions off of what Odette would want instead of being her own person. Odette is a terrible friend, and proves it early on in the book and yet Maude just won't let her go. The amount of emotional abuse that Odette puts Maude through is just ridiculous and I hated reading it.
This book only got 1 star because of the fact that I liked the concept/theme.
Wow, this was a rough read. I really struggled to get through it. I enjoyed the concept of this story though. I love books that deal with magic and witches, so A Hunger of Thorns caught my attention immediately. However, the reason I rated it so low was because of the characters. They are just so unlikeable. There is so much self-loathing and self-hatred that I could barely stand to keep reading. The fact that this book pretty much centers around an incredibly toxic friendship bothered me so much. It was painful to read. Maude is so attached to Odette that it's almost her identity. She is nothing without Odette and bases all of her actions off of what Odette would want instead of being her own person. Odette is a terrible friend, and proves it early on in the book and yet Maude just won't let her go. The amount of emotional abuse that Odette puts Maude through is just ridiculous and I hated reading it.
This book only got 1 star because of the fact that I liked the concept/theme.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying and Toxic friendship
Minor: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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? No
5.0
A big thank you to Heather Fawcett and Daly Rey Publishing for this arc.
I have been waiting for months to read this book and wow, it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved it! I read the whole thing in five hours. Having read the first book in the series (Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries), I was excited to see more of Emily and Wendell's adventures. I loved how Heather Fawcett called back to the first book several times because those moments are definitely important to Emily's story. There was so much action and love and friendship in this book, and the very real weirdness that can be family dynamics. Emily is such a well-rounded character and is so relatable. Wendell is the perfect foil for her in every way. The edition of Orga is also amazing. Of course Wendell would be a cat person.
It was also funny that Wendell wrote in Emily's journal again. I cackled in the first book when he wrote in it and it was just as funny in the second book.
I'm super excited that there's going to be a third book because I need to know what happens now that things are the way they are. I will definitely be preordering a copy of this book as soon as possible.
I have been waiting for months to read this book and wow, it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved it! I read the whole thing in five hours. Having read the first book in the series (Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries), I was excited to see more of Emily and Wendell's adventures. I loved how Heather Fawcett called back to the first book several times because those moments are definitely important to Emily's story. There was so much action and love and friendship in this book, and the very real weirdness that can be family dynamics. Emily is such a well-rounded character and is so relatable. Wendell is the perfect foil for her in every way. The edition of Orga is also amazing. Of course Wendell would be a cat person.
It was also funny that Wendell wrote in Emily's journal again. I cackled in the first book when he wrote in it and it was just as funny in the second book.
I'm super excited that there's going to be a third book because I need to know what happens now that things are the way they are. I will definitely be preordering a copy of this book as soon as possible.
Ms Perfectly Fine by Kate Callaghan
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
What can I say? Kate Callaghan did it again. I couldn’t put this book down. I was so invested in Autumn and Elijah’s story that I stayed up until 2am two nights in a row reading. There was just enough spice to keep things entertaining and fun, plus a bonus of elements of a thriller. This book is not your typical romance novel.
Tropes:
~ enemies to lovers
~ forced proximity
~ he falls first and harder
~ grumpy (her)/sunshine (him)
What I enjoyed the most was how relatable both Autumn and Elijah are. I can see both of them as actual human beings walking around the neighborhood and living their lives. I relate directly to Autumn since she lives with chronic pain. Hers was brought on by a horrible accident while mine is a medical condition. It still doesn’t make the pain any different. When you have a chronic illness, you don’t want to feel like a burden on the people in your life or be treated differently, so you constantly tell everyone that you’re perfectly fine even though you aren’t. Autumn has spent much of her life doing that and even ignores/waters down things that should be concerning. Woo, I feel you, girl. She does eventually notice that there’s been one person who hasn’t treated her any different seen they’ve met, and I think it helps heal a part of her that she didn’t think could be.
The thriller elements of Ms Perfectly Fine were totally unexpected, but I absolutely loved it. It didn’t feel out of place at all. I mean, what famous person doesn’t have a weird fan at some point in their career? When it all came together and the big ending happened, I couldn’t believe it. I was so upset for Autumn. All she wants is to live a somewhat normal life, but things and people just keep getting in the way.
Overall, I love Kate Callaghan’s books and this one surely didn’t disappoint. I will be buying myself a hard copy as soon as I can.
Thanks to NetGalley and Kate for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Minor: Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Stalking
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Soul of Light and Thunder by Arianne Nicks
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
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
4.0