brookeasmith17's reviews
222 reviews

Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

Alexene Farol Follmuth aka Olivie Blake absolutely hits it out of the park with this Shakespeare retelling, coming of age story about a girl hiding behind stereotypes and a boy learning to overlook them. This book healed me in ways I didn’t know I needed healing.

It’s angry, it’s feminist, it’s nerdy, and I am so so obsessed. This is for the theatre kids who played dnd, for the gamers who stayed up way too late staring at computer screens, and for anyone who never felt like they fit into a particular group or niche.

Things to love:

•poc rep

•gamer rep

•lgbtq2ia+ rep

•black cat x golden retriever 

•bane of each others existence to friends to lovers 
•nerd x jock

•shakespeare retelling
•embracing who you are

A modernized Twelfth Night retelling with a gamer twist, I loved seeing themes from Shakespeare’s comedy paralleled to a modern coming of age story. The writing is true to style of other Olivie Blake books in that it’s detailed and academic, but this felt so welcoming too. Every single character felt complete and necessary to the story. It was such a joy to read, and I loved and rooted for the side characters just as much as I did for the main characters.

Viola is messy and unapproachable, but she is strong in her convictions and her ability to be her own person, a true black cat character. But she is also soft and sensitive which is why her rough exterior is the perfect armour to keep her from being exposed. 

Jack is a golden retriever, golden boy who gets knocked from his assumed place in the world and has to figure out a new path outside of everyone’s expectations for him, including his own. Once he’s no longer locked in a football huddle, he realizes there is more to life than touchdowns.

Their journeys to figuring life out was so relatable and rewarding to watch. I felt like their story healed some of mine, and tells readers to embrace who they are and find their people. 

I loved the gaming and RPG focus in this book, particularly because it focused on a girl in a space typically occupied by men and the realities of being in such a space as a woman. But also because it portrayed “cool,” “popular” people getting excited about it, which kind of de-stigmatized gaming and RPG’s as a negative hobby. It felt like such a fresh perspective for me and I loved it so much!

Overall, I though this book was amazing and insightful, and so much fun. I HIGHLY recommend!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexism and Gaslighting

Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy

hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

funny hopeful relaxing 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

Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

If You Give a Single Dad a Nanny by Ann Einerson

hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

“She’s like the sun, and we’re all lucky enough to be in her orbit, basking in her warmth.”

This book is so cute and wholesome! It’s filled with tender moments but the 🌶️✨spice✨🌶️  is SPICY let me tell you.

Definitely an opposites attract, Marlow is bright, absolute sunshine and Dylan is grumpy and very particular about how things are done, so when Marlow and her free-spirited dog literally come bursting into his and his daughter’s life, her chaos disrupts his carefully organized world for the better.

This book was a fun, light and easy read, and I loved being back in Aspen Grove with Johanna’s meddling, the small town gossip, and the Stafford brothers. 

Pick this up if you’re looking for a light and spicy read, it’s the perfect pallet cleanser!

•age gap

•billionaire romance

•opposites attract

•grumpy x sunshine

•single dad

•his daughters nanny

•takes care of her when he’s sick

•”good girl”

Set on You by Amy Lea

funny hopeful relaxing 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

4.5

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

challenging emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense slow-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

3.5

“He has been dead a long time, and she is his resurrection.” 

Some of my favourite things include sentient houses, enchanted woods, mysterious plots and the most lovable and strange found family, and Where the Dark Stands Still certainly checks all those boxes.

It’s so mystical and a bit gothic and spooky. Centred around Polish myth and legend, it’s a unique story about finding belonging and setting to rights old wrongs. 

The pacing in the beginning is a bit slow, and the organization of events didn’t always feel like the most effective for me, but this story has so much character and so much magic to unveil, it kept its hooks in me enough to push through to the end and I’m glad I did. 

The found family in this book and its deep roots in Polish folklore are the shining stars of this story. Where it lacked in pacing for me, it made up for in its characters and the curiosity it inspired in me to find out more about them and their stories.

It was an enjoyable debut read overall, and if you’re a fan of Margaret Rogerson or Naomi Novik, you should pick this up!

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-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? Yes

4.75

I’m not sure what I was expecting going into this book, but it exceeded my expectations. In classic Ali Hazelwood style, Bride was so much fun, and so quirky, but also filled with so much heart.

It’s unlike anything she’s published yet, but firmly places Ali Hazelwood in my auto-buy author category (more than she was already) 

It’s an enemies to lovers, fated mates, found family, paranormal/fantasy-esque romance with a mystery subplot (and knotting?!!) that took up all of my brain space. I devoured this book and could not stop thinking about it. 

This book is for the fanfiction/AO3 girlies, and it is everything I needed!! In fact, I need more. 

Off the Beaten Path by Madison Wright

emotional hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

It’s small town romances like these that actually make me glad to live in a small town. They remind me how full a small town life can be.

Wren and Holden’s story is so human, it’s slice of life that’s so easy to fall into, and though the book has no real “spicy” scenes, it doesn’t feel lacking. 

It’s an independent girl learning she doesn’t have to do it alone, and a single dad learning to open his heart years after his divorce. It sweet and yearning with an adorable six year old and meddling town folk. 

A grumpy x sunshine, single dad, found family romance that’s easy to binge read, I read this one in just over a day and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to slow down and smell the roses for a while.