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courtofsmutandstuff's reviews
1274 reviews
Second Tide's the Charm by Chandra Blumberg
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I just love that this book is about sharks and shark research. This book is not spicy (rated PG) but I love the dual POV and second chance romance. There were some parts that made me stress out (if the characters are anxious and dreading something then I'm also going to be anxious and dreading something), and I felt there were some moments of peril/distress that weren't fully resolved ( like who ended up being a troll, but it then seemed largely disregarded ) but I really enjoyed Hope and Adrian, and do recommend this, and it's especially good as a recommendation for someone who doesn't want a spicy romance but they still want something with all the feels.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau
3.0
I did wish that a lot of this was then still covered and featured in book 2, and then the climax/resolution of this was so fast it just didn't feel satisfying. I still feel like I don't really understand where the world is going after this, and wonder how different it would've been if book 2 ended with the night of rebellion, and then book 3 covered what happened afterwards.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Independent Study by Joelle Charbonneau
3.0
The world building is intriguing, but the book ends on a cliffhanger that I almost wish was resolved more in this book rather than the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
3.5
This is still an interesting read, but I think I would've liked it more if I read it more in the peak of dystopian craze. I'm intrigued by the plot/world-building, but there are times where it sounds like a stereotypical dystopian (which I don't think is a dig against the author but more dystopian-fatigue).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
4.0
Love Ali, and love this quick read.
However, dare I say... I could've used a bit more plot.
However, dare I say... I could've used a bit more plot.
Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian
4.5
I really loved listening to this audiobook; each of the narrators did a great job with their POV character, and they were all so compelling. Art has so much anger (which is entirely understandable), but if angry protagonists are not your jam, you'll get frustrated with him. I loved Judy, and I felt so much empathy for Reza and how scared he was. Especially a great book if you want to learn more about the AIDS crisis.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Homophobia
Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora by Saraciea J. Fennell
4.0
This is a really great collection of essays and I highly recommend it as an audiobook because each author reads their own essay. There's a variety of focuses and topics and I would recommend it. As a teacher, there are several strong essays I could recommend to students.
The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan, Mark Oshiro
4.0
I love Nico and Will, but wasn't wild about Nyx as the villain.
The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
SMUTTY. Absolutely smutty (complimentary).
I read The Nanny and wasn't as swept away by it like others were, but I really loved this - it was very trope-y (fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, he falls first, miscommunication, etc.) but I also love those tropes (except for miscommunication which can kick rocks), and the audiobook narrators (especially the FMC) were fabulous. This was very bingeable, and I loved reading it.
However, if you haven't read a lot of shifter romances, this may be confusing. The only "omegaverse" type book I've read before is Ali Hazelwood's Bride, and that was enough for me to know what knotting is - if you have no idea what that is, parts of the book will be quite confusing for you.
I read The Nanny and wasn't as swept away by it like others were, but I really loved this - it was very trope-y (fake dating, grumpy/sunshine, he falls first, miscommunication, etc.) but I also love those tropes (except for miscommunication which can kick rocks), and the audiobook narrators (especially the FMC) were fabulous. This was very bingeable, and I loved reading it.
However, if you haven't read a lot of shifter romances, this may be confusing. The only "omegaverse" type book I've read before is Ali Hazelwood's Bride, and that was enough for me to know what knotting is - if you have no idea what that is, parts of the book will be quite confusing for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment