helica_la's reviews
71 reviews

Lights Out by Navessa Allen

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

It was a good spicy and overall FUN read. There is a list of trigger warnings and I STRONGLY encourage you read before you start. 

The only flaws is a spoiler 

Aly having mob/mafia connections felt unbelievable because it came out of no where. The author did try to make it make sense and it DOES but only at a surface level.

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

It was lackluster 

Anyhow, the Rabbit Is Infatuated with the Puppy by Nie

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

0.25

Not a book I could recommend due to content 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Nova by Cara Clare

fast-paced

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

2.5

I felt it was very predictable, which for some folks that’s fine. I didn’t get enough about the characters to care about them so when the big event happens at the end I was very “meh” about it 

The Words by A. Jade

emotional funny inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I truly enjoyed this book, I read the entire thing in one day. The sexual tension between the characters was believable. The problems characters faced real and not played for laughs or gimmicks. Even if some character were insufferable they were for the right reasons and it fleshed out their character more. I recommend it to anyone interested in an enemies-to-lovers story with good smut!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Violence

Bite the Woman That Feeds by Penelope Barsetti

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

2.0

The ending was not what I expected and done it such a way it felt forced. only for the reader who REALLY enjoy it. This was a out of normal reading genre for me and it has made me wary of other books of similar type. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Blood

Even If We Break by Marieke Nijkamp

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I picked it up on a whim, had an interesting premise. I found it a off in the pacing, I liked more characters then others so I found myself skimming faster to get to my favorite character. I feel the twist was middle for the hype of the environment they were in. 

Praise for have diverse characters that didn’t feel like tropes 

Criticism, I found myself sometimes lost between what was going on vs what a character was reflecting on.

Possessed by the Alien Hero by Krista Luna
Did not finish book. Stopped at 85%.

I should start and say I am half Mexican and grew up hearing slang and Spanish used my entire life but there came a time where mierda was used so often it really took me out of the story to the point I had to stop and just not finish it. Spanish as a language is so expressive and there are other words to use and there are online resources to help if the author doesn’t share a culture. I enjoy that the author expressed another culture in their work but the slang and usage of it was flat and meaningless not to mention jarring and took me out. I still enjoy their work otherwise, it is very steamy but I wish just a little more care. 

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

If you want to read a gruesome book filled with horrid telling of death and dismemberment, start here. I read this book over the course of a few hours and felt compelled to finish it. I found myself disgusted and hooked, similar to a car crash or house fire. 

Not for the faint of heart, details are graphic  

Obsession by Cassie Hargrove, Story Brooks

dark fast-paced

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

0.75

I was not a fan, I’ve read my share of dark romance books and this one was not what I expected. Writer made interesting choices that left me wanting more.