bookishdaylight's reviews
213 reviews
Their Vicious Darling, by Nikki St. Crowe
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
2.0
I'm disappointed with everything especially the irrelevant characters, actions, and stupidity of the main characters that made me hate this book altogether. If I look back, there are full-on words without meaning, the character's actions that were done blindly without consequences, and lastly what was the whole point, again? that topic was barely brought up due to stupidity.
I just didn't care anymore and the fact that this series is not done like wtf. This should've ended in this book even if the outcome is not what I desired it to be. I am not continuing this series for the reason that I don't see the point in it. This was fun while it lasted but it just gets worse, so I'm done.
I just didn't care anymore and the fact that this series is not done like wtf. This should've ended in this book even if the outcome is not what I desired it to be. I am not continuing this series for the reason that I don't see the point in it. This was fun while it lasted but it just gets worse, so I'm done.
The Dark One, by Nikki St. Crowe
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
3.0
This could have been one book because the book is that short but no, the author wouldn't do that so here are three books in a series with an action-packed storyline with cliffhangers. I'm just here for the ride nothing else.
The Never King, by Nikki St. Crowe
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.0
A Dark Peter Pan retelling with dark, mysterious, brooding characters. This was a fun read and this was a pure plot with lots of spice. There is no romance here just pure spice so I was a bit disappointed in that.
The characters Pan and Vane are both cold and ruthless wherein Kas and Bash are also ruthless with a gentle side to them. To be honest, the characters are bland with no personality whatsoever and the main girl Winnie is horny throughout the story. The magic is cool but other than the spice, everything is mid for me.
The characters Pan and Vane are both cold and ruthless wherein Kas and Bash are also ruthless with a gentle side to them. To be honest, the characters are bland with no personality whatsoever and the main girl Winnie is horny throughout the story. The magic is cool but other than the spice, everything is mid for me.
Always Only You, by Chloe Liese
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“What a terrifying possibility, to find yourself so attracted to someone you can’t help but love them.”
The is a slow-burn grumpy-sunshine sports romance, with an admirable autistic heroin and a cinnamon roll of a love interest. It has a great presentation of the autism spectrum as well as an arthritic person with showcasing the struggles of the lifestyle of the people having those disabilities.
“Ren has been nothing but a ray of sunshine since the moment I met him. And whereas I myself am a little storm cloud,”
The characters were amazingly portrayed with them being opposites attracted with one another. Frankie is a independent and determined woman with a big heart. She had great sense of humor and is big fan of harry potter. Ren is a wholesome, kind-hearted ball of sunshine. He is the most humbled and patient when it comes to Frankie, you can't help but love him as a character. They are just a great duo with lots of chemistry and respect for each other. They communicated very well when it comes to certain situations.
“I hold her close and kiss her, then pull back enough so I can stare into those wide, deep eyes. “I love you. I always have.” Wind rushes through the trees, wraps around us, as I tuck her close, as I press a kiss to her lips and whisper, “It was always only you.”
This is a pleasant and wonderful story with such loveable characters that are well presented with their aspirations, hardships, devotion to their work, and beliefs. Chloe Liese has outdone herself with this heart-warming and alluring writing style! This was such an enthralling, comfort and sexy read!
“Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You to” “I hope you know I’m a safe place for you to be you.”
Lastly Normalise writing books about fictional characters having disabilities! #ownvoices
The is a slow-burn grumpy-sunshine sports romance, with an admirable autistic heroin and a cinnamon roll of a love interest. It has a great presentation of the autism spectrum as well as an arthritic person with showcasing the struggles of the lifestyle of the people having those disabilities.
“Ren has been nothing but a ray of sunshine since the moment I met him. And whereas I myself am a little storm cloud,”
The characters were amazingly portrayed with them being opposites attracted with one another. Frankie is a independent and determined woman with a big heart. She had great sense of humor and is big fan of harry potter. Ren is a wholesome, kind-hearted ball of sunshine. He is the most humbled and patient when it comes to Frankie, you can't help but love him as a character. They are just a great duo with lots of chemistry and respect for each other. They communicated very well when it comes to certain situations.
“I hold her close and kiss her, then pull back enough so I can stare into those wide, deep eyes. “I love you. I always have.” Wind rushes through the trees, wraps around us, as I tuck her close, as I press a kiss to her lips and whisper, “It was always only you.”
This is a pleasant and wonderful story with such loveable characters that are well presented with their aspirations, hardships, devotion to their work, and beliefs. Chloe Liese has outdone herself with this heart-warming and alluring writing style! This was such an enthralling, comfort and sexy read!
“Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You to” “I hope you know I’m a safe place for you to be you.”
Lastly Normalise writing books about fictional characters having disabilities! #ownvoices
Blind Side: Special Edition, by Kandi Steiner
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
“The more I pretended like she was mine to tease like that, the more it felt like she really was.”
This was a wholesome and humorous read on a whim. An endearing sports romance with fun and quick-witted characters that had all the tropes of a college fake-dating romance. It delivered what it was supposed to give making me entertained throughout the book.
It is all about their character dynamic and how genuine and in tune they were with their emotions with each other. An actual friendship and trust were built in their relationship in the beginning, which helped them see and appreciate their partner more despite it being a fake relationship.
“Another tip you picked up from my books?”
“Those things are like a treasure map. Just follow the tabs and highlights to find the pot of gold.”
Clay being the guy who reads the books that Gianna reads to understand her more and know what she likes and dislikes made him more charming. He learned so much by reading those books and he read them because he genuinely wanted to please her. That is everything to me!
The conflict and the ending were not it for me. The conflict was something so unexpected yet foolish since there are different ways it could be solved but how everything happened made it unjustifiable. Then the ending suddenly happened and I was confused about how rushed it was. The conflict was just resolved then they were happy and then it was the end. You can truly see how the author wanted to wrap things up quickly. Overall, I'm here for their relationship and not the questionable writing situations in some scenes.
This was a wholesome and humorous read on a whim. An endearing sports romance with fun and quick-witted characters that had all the tropes of a college fake-dating romance. It delivered what it was supposed to give making me entertained throughout the book.
It is all about their character dynamic and how genuine and in tune they were with their emotions with each other. An actual friendship and trust were built in their relationship in the beginning, which helped them see and appreciate their partner more despite it being a fake relationship.
“Another tip you picked up from my books?”
“Those things are like a treasure map. Just follow the tabs and highlights to find the pot of gold.”
Clay being the guy who reads the books that Gianna reads to understand her more and know what she likes and dislikes made him more charming. He learned so much by reading those books and he read them because he genuinely wanted to please her. That is everything to me!
The conflict and the ending were not it for me. The conflict was something so unexpected yet foolish since there are different ways it could be solved but how everything happened made it unjustifiable. Then the ending suddenly happened and I was confused about how rushed it was. The conflict was just resolved then they were happy and then it was the end. You can truly see how the author wanted to wrap things up quickly. Overall, I'm here for their relationship and not the questionable writing situations in some scenes.
Scarred, by Emily McIntire
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.0
This is for pure enjoyment.
Hooked, by Emily McIntire
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
2.5
For a dark romance retelling, this is actually a funny book because the terms used and the actions of the characters are ridiculous, to begin with. This is free comedy in a nutshell.
I think this was just mid-in-the-dark themes because the idea was there but the execution was not well presented. The concept is overused wherein there no diversity towards the background of the characters, some information was there to present them but that's it and there's no depth. The only reason I tolerated this book is for the reason that this is more of a mafia comedy even though it had some serious content.
I cannot for the life me, take this book seriously. James was supposed to be cunning, smart, calm and collected and yet he was too busy frolicking with Wendy for fun. Wendy on the other hand was naive and stupid, with no personality besides her name being Wendy. The part where James couldn't figure out who were the traitors even though it was obvious if he just truly look into it, instead of getting distracted by his plotting which failed without setting it into place.
If you want comedy this is for you but it involves getting frustrated and laughing at the weird names being called to get through the book and the stupid actions of the characters.
I think this was just mid-in-the-dark themes because the idea was there but the execution was not well presented. The concept is overused wherein there no diversity towards the background of the characters, some information was there to present them but that's it and there's no depth. The only reason I tolerated this book is for the reason that this is more of a mafia comedy even though it had some serious content.
I cannot for the life me, take this book seriously. James was supposed to be cunning, smart, calm and collected and yet he was too busy frolicking with Wendy for fun. Wendy on the other hand was naive and stupid, with no personality besides her name being Wendy. The part where James couldn't figure out who were the traitors even though it was obvious if he just truly look into it, instead of getting distracted by his plotting which failed without setting it into place.
If you want comedy this is for you but it involves getting frustrated and laughing at the weird names being called to get through the book and the stupid actions of the characters.
The Life of a Stupid Man, by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa
emotional
fast-paced
3.0
" His own works were unlikely to appeal to people who were not like him and had not lived a life like his-this was another feeling that worked upon him. And so he decided to write his own brief " poetry and truth. "
The writing explores the fear of madness, loneliness, and death at its finest. It could be seen as something for the author to only relate to because of the different snippets of details in life that can be described as endless melancholia.
The first story " In the Bamboo Grove " hooked me in with the narration of the killer's victims which I find fascinating on how the actions were acted upon. The mindset of the bandit and how he generalizes everything had a certain peculiarity in it that makes you more curious about that person.
“Oh come on, killing a man is not as big a thing as people like you seem to think. If you’re going to take somebody’s woman, a man has to die. When I kill a man, I do it with my sword, but people like you don’t use swords. You gentlemen kill with your power, with your money, and sometimes just with your words: you tell people you’re doing them a favor. True, no blood flows, the man is still alive, but you’ve killed him all the same. I don’t know whose sin is greater – yours or mine.”
The second story " Death Register " didn't interest me that much with its inconsistent pacing and dullness of information being told. You don't really know much about the characters that died except for one or two traits that were mentioned, other than that, it makes the impact non-existent.
" A shimmering of heat-outside the grave, alone I dwell. "
Now, the third story " the life of a stupid man" has some good and mediocre points. Some I think were quite unnecessary to be included but it connects it to the other main points that were delivered. It showed the life that the man didn't care about with no intention of living but just being there physically but not mentally. The act of him being exhausted and forced to live his life makes it seem that he would do anything to end it.
" He barely made it through each day in the gloom, leaning as it were upon a chipped and narrow sword. "
Overall, this is something that would stick with me in some situations, especially the in the bamboo grove. Keep in mind that this is something to grasp with depth considering how short it is.
The writing explores the fear of madness, loneliness, and death at its finest. It could be seen as something for the author to only relate to because of the different snippets of details in life that can be described as endless melancholia.
The first story " In the Bamboo Grove " hooked me in with the narration of the killer's victims which I find fascinating on how the actions were acted upon. The mindset of the bandit and how he generalizes everything had a certain peculiarity in it that makes you more curious about that person.
“Oh come on, killing a man is not as big a thing as people like you seem to think. If you’re going to take somebody’s woman, a man has to die. When I kill a man, I do it with my sword, but people like you don’t use swords. You gentlemen kill with your power, with your money, and sometimes just with your words: you tell people you’re doing them a favor. True, no blood flows, the man is still alive, but you’ve killed him all the same. I don’t know whose sin is greater – yours or mine.”
The second story " Death Register " didn't interest me that much with its inconsistent pacing and dullness of information being told. You don't really know much about the characters that died except for one or two traits that were mentioned, other than that, it makes the impact non-existent.
" A shimmering of heat-outside the grave, alone I dwell. "
Now, the third story " the life of a stupid man" has some good and mediocre points. Some I think were quite unnecessary to be included but it connects it to the other main points that were delivered. It showed the life that the man didn't care about with no intention of living but just being there physically but not mentally. The act of him being exhausted and forced to live his life makes it seem that he would do anything to end it.
" He barely made it through each day in the gloom, leaning as it were upon a chipped and narrow sword. "
Overall, this is something that would stick with me in some situations, especially the in the bamboo grove. Keep in mind that this is something to grasp with depth considering how short it is.
Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
5.0
“I come here with no expectations, only to profess, now that I am at liberty to do so, that my heart is and always will be...yours.”
This is my first Jane Austen novel and this is a work of art in how it showcases the falsehood of passion and love, the money factor in marriage, honor, and truth in character's actions, and overall how the Dashwood sisters tackle the different obstacles in life.
“for when people are determined on a mode of conduct which they know to be wrong, they feel injured by the expectation of anything better from them.”
This is about two sisters who are opposites that view the world differently. We have Elinor who is calm and always collected with her emotions, determined to set things in order, and who acts on honor with intention. Marianne is passionate about showing the things she loves most, someone who acts recklessly, and a sister with a big heart on her sleeve. Their contrast in character shows how they both experience love and heartbreak and how they cope in different ways.
“If I could but know his heart, everything would become easy.”
This is about having the acceptance and knowledge that you wouldn't really know someone unless you truly do know them. So many doubts about some of the character's actions with their motive and yet it was somehow questionable if their whole persona was an act to truly get want they want. So many secrets that made the character act that way in order to survive.
“Sometimes I have kept my feelings to myself because I could find no language to describe them in.”
The simplicity in how this was told was beautifully done and the emotions made me feel lost, frustrated, heartbroken, and in disbelief with the circumstances that the sisters had been in which was already present in the beginning if you truly look into it.
This is my first Jane Austen novel and this is a work of art in how it showcases the falsehood of passion and love, the money factor in marriage, honor, and truth in character's actions, and overall how the Dashwood sisters tackle the different obstacles in life.
“for when people are determined on a mode of conduct which they know to be wrong, they feel injured by the expectation of anything better from them.”
This is about two sisters who are opposites that view the world differently. We have Elinor who is calm and always collected with her emotions, determined to set things in order, and who acts on honor with intention. Marianne is passionate about showing the things she loves most, someone who acts recklessly, and a sister with a big heart on her sleeve. Their contrast in character shows how they both experience love and heartbreak and how they cope in different ways.
“If I could but know his heart, everything would become easy.”
This is about having the acceptance and knowledge that you wouldn't really know someone unless you truly do know them. So many doubts about some of the character's actions with their motive and yet it was somehow questionable if their whole persona was an act to truly get want they want. So many secrets that made the character act that way in order to survive.
“Sometimes I have kept my feelings to myself because I could find no language to describe them in.”
The simplicity in how this was told was beautifully done and the emotions made me feel lost, frustrated, heartbroken, and in disbelief with the circumstances that the sisters had been in which was already present in the beginning if you truly look into it.
Lightkeepers, by Kennedy Plumb
medium-paced
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
It's not that I hate it but I just felt indifferent toward everything. I love a good retelling but I couldn't connect with the characters which affected how I thought about the book itself.
The premise sounds interesting and it intrigued me and I suppose it's how the actions of the main characters and how they interacted throughout the book that seemed off to me and a bit dull to my liking.
The found family was wholesome and that's the only good thing I could say but other than that, this is something that won't stick out to me and is kind of forgettable. I'm gonna say, I was bored as fuck.
It's not that I hate it but I just felt indifferent toward everything. I love a good retelling but I couldn't connect with the characters which affected how I thought about the book itself.
The premise sounds interesting and it intrigued me and I suppose it's how the actions of the main characters and how they interacted throughout the book that seemed off to me and a bit dull to my liking.
The found family was wholesome and that's the only good thing I could say but other than that, this is something that won't stick out to me and is kind of forgettable. I'm gonna say, I was bored as fuck.