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fossilreads's reviews
126 reviews
Her Nemesis until 5pm by Eve Pendle
I enjoyed the spicy scenes, though I didn't love how after the most important ones we just skipped through by mentioning how 'we did it like 5 more times before lunch!'.The diversity felt lacking to me, why did our only(?) POC character only get described as "The door was held open by a black woman wearing a red shift dress."? She ends up being a business owner but was there really no other way to describe her? Was she only here to tick off a diversity box?
As the characters settle into their relationship, I very much enjoyed their interactions and this is where the story got very enjoyable for me. No more creepy guy, actual appreciation for the FMC's other traits too. The MMC's actions could've been cute and romantic from the beginning, if he hadn't displayed such toxic traits.
I loved the peek into their future at the end, it really tied the story up better than expected. The content warnings were great, didn't spoil anything too closely, and let me be mindful of if I was in the right headspace to read this story.
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.0
Creepy in the beginning, but got better towards the end.
I wanted a short, spicy romance and that was indeed delivered! Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the MMC's POV in the beginning, he was just creepy and inappropriate. Constantly describing how horny you are because a woman simply exists in your presence is gross.
I wanted a short, spicy romance and that was indeed delivered! Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the MMC's POV in the beginning, he was just creepy and inappropriate. Constantly describing how horny you are because a woman simply exists in your presence is gross.
I was a little sad with the long time skips, but I absolutely understand why they were necessary to keep the story short and give enough time to set the basis for the main romance. The part of them making up at the office ended up being quite cringy in my opinion: "And that was when clapping broke out behind them..." Made it feel like a tumblr shitpost.
I enjoyed the spicy scenes, though I didn't love how after the most important ones we just skipped through by mentioning how 'we did it like 5 more times before lunch!'.
As the characters settle into their relationship, I very much enjoyed their interactions and this is where the story got very enjoyable for me. No more creepy guy, actual appreciation for the FMC's other traits too. The MMC's actions could've been cute and romantic from the beginning, if he hadn't displayed such toxic traits.
I loved the peek into their future at the end, it really tied the story up better than expected. The content warnings were great, didn't spoil anything too closely, and let me be mindful of if I was in the right headspace to read this story.
Weathering The Storm: A Second Chance Romance by Carolina George
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Kind of a cute second-chance story but somewhat disappointing in the end.
I was looking for a short romance and this was sort of what I wanted, but the story had so much potential that it didn't use. In the end, I had so many questions about what happened before and how they were even given the chance to get stuck in such dangerous circumstances with no food, etc.
There were many cute scenes and the characters often showed their interest in each other in a sweet way. I just kept being confused on the light levels of their surroundings, in the same scene they described not being able to see and then somehow they did?I would NOT walk down a completely dark staircase on stilettos, but even worse, CARRYING SOMEONE. Staying up at the office alone is still better than that...
The writing was nice, I just wish I didn't end up with more questions than answers in the end. I didn't really get to form a proper opinion on the characters, because their past was left so unclear to me.
I was looking for a short romance and this was sort of what I wanted, but the story had so much potential that it didn't use. In the end, I had so many questions about what happened before and how they were even given the chance to get stuck in such dangerous circumstances with no food, etc.
There were many cute scenes and the characters often showed their interest in each other in a sweet way. I just kept being confused on the light levels of their surroundings, in the same scene they described not being able to see and then somehow they did?
The writing was nice, I just wish I didn't end up with more questions than answers in the end. I didn't really get to form a proper opinion on the characters, because their past was left so unclear to me.
The Broken Daughter by Samantha Shaye
It was refreshing to have a young adult main character, with a good reason for being clueless.
I loved watching Aymeri grow into her role as queen and fight her way through a lifetime of secrets. She really showed her ability to rule a kingdom. Aymeri being kept in the dark felt like a nice way of introducing the world to me as a reader too. I personally liked learning the ins and outs of her world along with her.
This book has some juicy betrayals and even though I somewhat guessed a major twist around the beginning, I couldn't lock on it. And THE twist was a complete surprise to me, I loved it! The book kept me guessing on who to trust and to be honest, I started being paranoid about EVERYONE!
I'm very excited to see what's next, I'm hooked!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
5.0
Thank you to the author for an ARC copy!
"Say the words and I will forever keep you as mine, Aymeri."
It was refreshing to have a young adult main character, with a good reason for being clueless.
I loved watching Aymeri grow into her role as queen and fight her way through a lifetime of secrets. She really showed her ability to rule a kingdom. Aymeri being kept in the dark felt like a nice way of introducing the world to me as a reader too. I personally liked learning the ins and outs of her world along with her.
This book has some juicy betrayals and even though I somewhat guessed a major twist around the beginning, I couldn't lock on it. And THE twist was a complete surprise to me, I loved it! The book kept me guessing on who to trust and to be honest, I started being paranoid about EVERYONE!
I'm very excited to see what's next, I'm hooked!
At First Spite by Olivia Dade
As the name suggests, there is a handful of spite and petty revenge. I had so much fun with Athena's pranks, especially the audiobook one!
I loved Athena teaching Matthew internet culture and their banter. The Rickrolling and Tolkien connection were fun additions! The spice was steaming and I just loved their connection there.
As much as I don't usually like a 3rd act breakup, this time it worked. The breakup made sense, even if I didn't want it to, given their life experience and trauma. I really loved how the characters work through their issues and show that they're ready to do the work to be better.
Athena's depression was realistically depicted, all the messy and devastating parts of it were in there, not just a romanticized, clean version. I appreciated how her depression wasn't just 'fixed' by love and your partner helping take care of her, but was shown as a long-term issue (as it is). Athena was a full person WITH her depression, not just despite it. I loved how Matt supported her through a rough patch, ensuring people knew what Athena wanted them to know. I also really appreciated how the friends were there for her in their own ways, as much as they were allowed to.
I loved seeing the peek into the couple's future, and seeing how they made it work long-term. They're a couple I can believe working out after the book.
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Raw, heartbreaking, and funny all at once!
When their eyes met, he was back at that cool museum with white marble floors, contemplating the history of potatoes. Researching the topic on his phone, to their mutual pleasure and satisfaction. Hoping for more non-potato-related pleasure and satisfaction to come.
As the name suggests, there is a handful of spite and petty revenge. I had so much fun with Athena's pranks, especially the audiobook one!
I loved Athena teaching Matthew internet culture and their banter. The Rickrolling and Tolkien connection were fun additions! The spice was steaming and I just loved their connection there.
As much as I don't usually like a 3rd act breakup, this time it worked. The breakup made sense, even if I didn't want it to, given their life experience and trauma. I really loved how the characters work through their issues and show that they're ready to do the work to be better.
Athena's depression was realistically depicted, all the messy and devastating parts of it were in there, not just a romanticized, clean version. I appreciated how her depression wasn't just 'fixed' by love and your partner helping take care of her, but was shown as a long-term issue (as it is). Athena was a full person WITH her depression, not just despite it. I loved how Matt supported her through a rough patch, ensuring people knew what Athena wanted them to know. I also really appreciated how the friends were there for her in their own ways, as much as they were allowed to.
I loved seeing the peek into the couple's future, and seeing how they made it work long-term. They're a couple I can believe working out after the book.
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
This was a great continuation to the series, I was so invested while reading and almost couldn't put it down. I keep finding Murderbot more and more relatable with each part of this series.
It's interesting to see MB work out pretending to be a human and having to come up with new things to stay undetected. MB also keeps getting slightly more human traits through each book. I can't wait to see what's next for MB.
I really enjoyed the action and the plot had me hooked. I was happy to see some of our earlier characters again and Murderbot's interactions with them were interesting to read!
I enjoy Martha's writing style and this series is turning out to be a comfort read for me!
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
I still love Murderbot!
“Sending SecUnits after me was one thing. But they sent SecUnits after my client. No one gets to walk away from that”
This was a great continuation to the series, I was so invested while reading and almost couldn't put it down. I keep finding Murderbot more and more relatable with each part of this series.
It's interesting to see MB work out pretending to be a human and having to come up with new things to stay undetected. MB also keeps getting slightly more human traits through each book. I can't wait to see what's next for MB.
I really enjoyed the action and the plot had me hooked. I was happy to see some of our earlier characters again and Murderbot's interactions with them were interesting to read!
I enjoy Martha's writing style and this series is turning out to be a comfort read for me!
Crystal Clear by Lou Nova
This is the first book I've read where I could recognize myself in the main character very well. I haven't read many books with autistic rep yet but it felt SO GOOD to see a character with similar traits as I do! I finally felt like I actually fit in with Nik.
I loved seeing Nikolai and Constantine work out their relationship and it was so nice to see an autistic character be loved so unconditionally and not have all their traits be treated as burdens. I was so happy Con was so willing to advocate for Nik's needs when he wasn't always able to do it on his own.
The crystal magic was beautiful, though sometimes I was a little confused about what each crystal was for since I'm not too familiar with them at the moment. The dragon lore was interesting and I enjoyed learning new things about the world.
I had some issues focusing at times (because of other things than the book), which also caused me to have some difficulties picturing the surroundings. I kept picturing an old castle and city like many fantasies are placed, but then some situations seemed to be much more modern and have modern items.
The queer rep was so good and not done as a box to tick off. All the characters had a meaning and their sexualities and gender identities being revealed didn't feel forced, but were meaningful to the characters' relationship growing.
I was missing August in the middle of the book. I feel like he was kind of dropped off for a while even though he was so important to Nik.
I loved the main romantic plot but felt a little lost on the subplot with the politics. I'll definitely be reading the next part when it gets published, I hope to have a few things (crystal) cleared out there!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Thank you to the author for the opportunity to be an ARC reader!
"Every single day he wakes up and nobody understands him. But he can't reply, because he doesn't want to fumble his way through this conversation more than he already has and create an argument that shouldn't be."
This is the first book I've read where I could recognize myself in the main character very well. I haven't read many books with autistic rep yet but it felt SO GOOD to see a character with similar traits as I do! I finally felt like I actually fit in with Nik.
I loved seeing Nikolai and Constantine work out their relationship and it was so nice to see an autistic character be loved so unconditionally and not have all their traits be treated as burdens. I was so happy Con was so willing to advocate for Nik's needs when he wasn't always able to do it on his own.
The crystal magic was beautiful, though sometimes I was a little confused about what each crystal was for since I'm not too familiar with them at the moment. The dragon lore was interesting and I enjoyed learning new things about the world.
I had some issues focusing at times (because of other things than the book), which also caused me to have some difficulties picturing the surroundings. I kept picturing an old castle and city like many fantasies are placed, but then some situations seemed to be much more modern and have modern items.
The queer rep was so good and not done as a box to tick off. All the characters had a meaning and their sexualities and gender identities being revealed didn't feel forced, but were meaningful to the characters' relationship growing.
I was missing August in the middle of the book. I feel like he was kind of dropped off for a while even though he was so important to Nik.
I loved the main romantic plot but felt a little lost on the subplot with the politics. I'll definitely be reading the next part when it gets published, I hope to have a few things (crystal) cleared out there!
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
3.5
It was very much what I expected, but I couldn't get into it that well. Chess apparently is not my thing AT ALL and as dramatic as many of the matches were supposed to be, they didn't really do it for me.
I had a good time reading a fade-to-black romance for once, though I was not too fond of the main characters that much. Mallory did have a nice redemption arc, I'm glad she could realize how messed up her role in the family had become. I loved the friendship arc too!
I didn't end up liking this couple too much, I feel like they wouldn't last for very long after the book ends. There are so many difficult differences to navigate and they tend not to communicate very well.
I didn't really enjoy having so many TikTok references and some brand mentions felt very pointless ("on my iMac" for example) and could've been generalized to not feel so dated.
I loved how the misogyny of the chess world was shown and handled in the book, Hazelwood has a great record of showing real issues in romances since the characters are way more than just here to fall in love.
In short: it's a good book, just not my style and setting.
I had a good time reading a fade-to-black romance for once, though I was not too fond of the main characters that much. Mallory did have a nice redemption arc, I'm glad she could realize how messed up her role in the family had become. I loved the friendship arc too!
I didn't end up liking this couple too much, I feel like they wouldn't last for very long after the book ends. There are so many difficult differences to navigate and they tend not to communicate very well.
I didn't really enjoy having so many TikTok references and some brand mentions felt very pointless ("on my iMac" for example) and could've been generalized to not feel so dated.
I loved how the misogyny of the chess world was shown and handled in the book, Hazelwood has a great record of showing real issues in romances since the characters are way more than just here to fall in love.
In short: it's a good book, just not my style and setting.
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
It is a thoroughly enjoyable and fun experience! This was exactly what I needed right now: easy to read and a successful woman as a lead.
I enjoy Hazelwood's writing style and this book kept me engaged throughout. I loved the main characters and the side characters were either very lovable or interesting! I love that there are usually queer side characters (without a coming-out arc), I would love to see more of them too!
At first, I was unsure of Levi, but he might be my favorite book-boyfriend now! His black cat gets him extra points too. Every once in a while I was so mad at how oblivious Bee is, but it was a fairly important detail for some of the plot.
There is a tendency for the MMCs to be described as big all the time, which can get quite repetitive, but it was toned down in this compared to The Love Hypothesis, for example. I liked Bee's health issues and how she embraced her style, even when discouraged by the dudebros around her.
I enjoyed the plot twists, I immediately caught on to one of the revelations, but was surprised by the big twist! I knew something was up but couldn't figure out who was behind it all.
I like how Hazelwood includes real issues in her books, most women already know the struggle we go through, but maybe someone who doesn't get it will learn how messed up things still might be.
I enjoy Hazelwood's writing style and this book kept me engaged throughout. I loved the main characters and the side characters were either very lovable or interesting! I love that there are usually queer side characters (without a coming-out arc), I would love to see more of them too!
At first, I was unsure of Levi, but he might be my favorite book-boyfriend now! His black cat gets him extra points too. Every once in a while I was so mad at how oblivious Bee is, but it was a fairly important detail for some of the plot.
There is a tendency for the MMCs to be described as big all the time, which can get quite repetitive, but it was toned down in this compared to The Love Hypothesis, for example. I liked Bee's health issues and how she embraced her style, even when discouraged by the dudebros around her.
I enjoyed the plot twists, I immediately caught on to one of the revelations, but was surprised by the big twist! I knew something was up but couldn't figure out who was behind it all.
I like how Hazelwood includes real issues in her books, most women already know the struggle we go through, but maybe someone who doesn't get it will learn how messed up things still might be.
A Crown of Ash and Silver by B.C. FaJohn
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 20%.
Not for me at this time. Didn't have the brain for fantasy.
Beautiful writing but I need something lighter and easier right now.
Beautiful writing but I need something lighter and easier right now.