jkreads's reviews
67 reviews

A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd

3.0

An interesting reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, told from the POV of their daughter Rosaline (Rosie). Part cozy mystery, part historical fiction, this was a strong start to the series. Die-hard fans of Shakespeare probably wouldn’t enjoy this book, but those who don’t mind liberties being taken with language and facts of the OG story would probably really enjoy it.

Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch

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3.5

This book was a great time! Really well written, funny with an interesting world and cast of characters. I enjoyed the time I spent in this alternative version of Elizabethan London. I did at times find it hard to keep track of all the different characters and plot threads, but this was a minor issue for me in what was otherwise a really solid story.

Do Me a Favor by Cathy Yardley

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slow-paced

3.5

I enjoyed this more than I expected to!

I really liked Willa and Hudson as characters, them being older than your standard romance leads meant that they had more life experience. Their stories didn’t need to be supplemented with overinflated minor issues or traumas to make them interesting, as they had already lived full lives and had well-rounded interests and passions. Willa was a widow, but she was so much more than that. She wasn’t defined by the tragedy of losing her husband, it was simply part of her story.

The relationship between the two MC’s unfolded in a realistic way, nothing ever felt forced or manufactured. I could easily picture this couple working out in real life. This was a slow burn, but again this felt realistic.

Overall this was a lovely story that would make for a great book club read.

Furious by Rebecca Podos, Jamie Pacton

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adventurous emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

4.0

First things first - I’m not a Fast and the Furious fan. Just needed to put that out there because despite that being a consistent element throughout the story, I still really enjoyed this! A part of me thinks it may have worked better as a New Adult novel rather than YA, but I did love that being YA gave it the freedom to explore themes so synonymous with adolescence - love, growth and heartbreak.

Overall this was a really beautiful queer coming of age story and it’s one I’ll definitely recommend!

Don't Be a Drag by Skye Quinlan

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

Really loved this one! Found family/community building is one of my favourite things in a book (and in life) and this one had that in spades. I loved the celebration of different sexualities and gender expressions, and the exploration of drag culture. I felt as though the mental health themes were presented really well, they felt realistic and raw, and above all relatable. I think a lot of people are going to feel really seen by this book, which is a beautiful thing!

Like Water Like Sea by Olumide Popoola

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challenging dark emotional slow-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

3.0

The writing in this story was absolutely stunning, genuinely some of the most beautiful and thoughtful prose I’ve read in a long time. The themes in the story were important, hard and messy. All hallmarks of a great story, however this one just missed the mark for me. The vignette-style chapters felt a little stilted which may have been intentional but it made it difficult to connect with the characters at times. I think it needed to be pulled together just a little more tightly, sometimes this felt like an intentional creative choice but other times it just felt like a lack of editing. Overall though, I feel like this was an interesting exploration of grief, family trauma, mental illness and sexuality.

Markless by C.G. Malburi

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

When I picked up this book I didn’t realise that the author was formerly a fanfic author. I’ve read many books by former fanfic-turned tradpub authors (mostly romance), and many of them still have a fanfic vibe to them. Which isn’t a bad thing necessarily, it’s just a specific feeling I get when reading them. I’m not sure if it’s because this was primarily sci-fi/fantasy rather than romance, but this book didn’t have that fanfic vibe to me at all.

I went into this with high hopes because the blurb sounded really intriguing, but unfortunately it fell a little short of my expectations. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good book, I just felt like there were a few elements missing or not properly explored that would have made it a great book. The main thing for me was Dekala as a character, I felt like we didn’t get to know her as deeply as was needed to make sense of her decisions and overall characterisation. I wanted to love the romance but it just felt forced and a bit unrealistic, which I think in part was due to how Dekala was written. I couldn’t really understand what drew Ruti to her other than her looks.

The pacing was a bit all over the place but overall I found the world easy and enjoyable to immerse myself in. Overall this was a solid debut and I would definitely read more from this author in the future.

Others Were Emeralds by Lang Leav

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emotional reflective slow-paced