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jkreads's reviews
112 reviews
Mother of Death & Dawn by Carissa Broadbent
3.0
I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the previous book in the trilogy. It was longer than book 2 - understandable, given it was the final book in the trilogy, but it FELT so much longer. The pacing was inconsistent, the plot throughout the middle of the book seemed to crawl along and then the last few chapters moved through at a blistering pace. I did appreciate that although everything was wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end I was still left with a feeling of uncertainty, which was in keeping with the characters’ personalities and journeys throughout the series. Broadbent’s writing is easy to read and this is definitely a series I will recommend to people wanting to read fantasy, especially if they’ve never read it before.
From Lukov with Love by Mariana Zapata
3.0
After reading a grim YA novel I chose a romance next for something more lighthearted & enjoyable. It was lighthearted for the most part, but I can’t say I really enjoyed it. As a general rule, I don’t enjoy first-person writing in fiction. I have to REALLY like a character to be stuck in their head for an entire book, and unfortunately that wasn’t the case here. It is written from the perspective of Jasmine, who has a prickly personality which isn’t bad but I felt like there was so much made of it throughout the book & by a certain point it felt redundant.
She’s also an over thinker & given that you’re stuck in her head for the entirety of the book, it was almost unbearable to read at times. There were multiple times she would be having a conversation with another character & there would be an entire page with no dialogue between them, just Jasmine’s thoughts about the interaction. When I’m reading a first-person POV I much prefer for it to be a bit more dialogue-heavy so that I can see the relationship unfolding almost as a third-person observer, rather than solely through the MC’s eyes.
I’ve seen this book recommended by so many people as a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance which I should have loved because those are some of my favourite tropes. It was certainly a slow burn, in that the first half of the book played into the “they’re just being mean because they like you” mentality, and the second half was the MMC putting out the most blatantly obvious signs that he was in love with the FMC but her being either unwilling or unable to notice. So many references to ‘a funny feeling’ in the FMC’s stomach when the MMC said or did something nice or thoughtful for her. I know it’s a slow burn but by the end I was practically screaming at my book “you are in love with him!”. People who are ‘just friends’ don’t squeeze your thigh under the dinner table! People who are ‘just friends’ don’t KISS YOU ON THE LIPS! Girl, come on. Overall this was quick & easy read but not one I’d go back and re-read.
She’s also an over thinker & given that you’re stuck in her head for the entirety of the book, it was almost unbearable to read at times. There were multiple times she would be having a conversation with another character & there would be an entire page with no dialogue between them, just Jasmine’s thoughts about the interaction. When I’m reading a first-person POV I much prefer for it to be a bit more dialogue-heavy so that I can see the relationship unfolding almost as a third-person observer, rather than solely through the MC’s eyes.
I’ve seen this book recommended by so many people as a slow burn, enemies to lovers romance which I should have loved because those are some of my favourite tropes. It was certainly a slow burn, in that the first half of the book played into the “they’re just being mean because they like you” mentality, and the second half was the MMC putting out the most blatantly obvious signs that he was in love with the FMC but her being either unwilling or unable to notice. So many references to ‘a funny feeling’ in the FMC’s stomach when the MMC said or did something nice or thoughtful for her. I know it’s a slow burn but by the end I was practically screaming at my book “you are in love with him!”. People who are ‘just friends’ don’t squeeze your thigh under the dinner table! People who are ‘just friends’ don’t KISS YOU ON THE LIPS! Girl, come on. Overall this was quick & easy read but not one I’d go back and re-read.
The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni
4.0
This book had a slow start for me, but once I had my bearings and immersed myself in the world I loved it! I was a big fan of The Hunger Games books when they came out and reading (or rather, listening to) this reminded me of the feeling I had while reading those. It’s hard to describe but I almost felt as though Kiva was keeping the reader at arms length throughout the story, which is fitting for her character as she tends to be closed off to others. This was really well written as it was intriguing rather than off-putting.
Noni did a brilliant job of creating likeable, multi-dimensional supporting characters and I really enjoyed watching them develop their relationships with each other as well as with Kiva. There were some big reveals at the end which provided some momentum going into the second book, which I’d thankfully already lined up and have already started! I’m looking forward to seeing what direction the series heads in.
Noni did a brilliant job of creating likeable, multi-dimensional supporting characters and I really enjoyed watching them develop their relationships with each other as well as with Kiva. There were some big reveals at the end which provided some momentum going into the second book, which I’d thankfully already lined up and have already started! I’m looking forward to seeing what direction the series heads in.
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
5.0
Absolutely devoured this book. Will be recommending this to anyone who asks for easy to read yet still fast-paced fantasy. This book was everything I wanted ACOTAR to be.
The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni
4.0
This one was so hard to settle on a star rating for! I didn’t find it quite as gripping as the first book in the trilogy which I gave 4⭐️, but 3.5 didn’t quite feel like enough. So we’re doing quarters because StoryGraph says we can
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
4.0
I’ve never met a Carissa Broadbent book I didn’t like. This one was no exception. This book was like a spicy vampire Hunger Games and I had so much fun reading it. It probably would have been a 5 star read, but the ending felt a little rushed, especially given it’s the first book in the series so it’s not like there was no time to flesh it out a little more. I also felt the ‘twists’ at the end were quite predictable. Overall though, this book was such a good time I can forgive those things. The world building was amazing as always, it didn’t take long before I felt fully immersed in the world and the characters’ stories. I enjoyed the relationships between Oraya and the other characters, and how these changed throughout the course of the book as everyone’s motivations came to the surface.
A fantastic read and I will for sure be picking up book 2 when it’s released next month!
A fantastic read and I will for sure be picking up book 2 when it’s released next month!
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
4.0
"It's not porn. It's a romance book that happens to have a little bit of sex in it." - Anastasia Allen, Icebreaker.
If that doesn't sum up just about every contemporary romance novel l've ever read, I don't know what does. This book was certainly no exception! You know when it's a cute cartoon cover it's about to be filthy. This was a fun, lighthearted read, it was exactly what you expect it to be which in this case wasn't a bad thing. The Grumpy x Sunshine trope is always fun for me especially when it's flipped like in this book, and the FMC is the grumpy one. I enjoyed seeing Anastasia's relationship develop with Nathan, but I almost enjoyed her relationships with Henry and JJ more. Unsure how to feel about the clearly autistic-coded Henry, I did feel as though some interactions infantilised him a bit which felt icky to me.
Overall though I really enjoyed this book, it's fantastic if you're looking for something light and easy to read, but is still well-written with a decent plot.
If that doesn't sum up just about every contemporary romance novel l've ever read, I don't know what does. This book was certainly no exception! You know when it's a cute cartoon cover it's about to be filthy. This was a fun, lighthearted read, it was exactly what you expect it to be which in this case wasn't a bad thing. The Grumpy x Sunshine trope is always fun for me especially when it's flipped like in this book, and the FMC is the grumpy one. I enjoyed seeing Anastasia's relationship develop with Nathan, but I almost enjoyed her relationships with Henry and JJ more. Unsure how to feel about the clearly autistic-coded Henry, I did feel as though some interactions infantilised him a bit which felt icky to me.
Overall though I really enjoyed this book, it's fantastic if you're looking for something light and easy to read, but is still well-written with a decent plot.
The Blood Traitor by Lynette Noni
4.0
A great end to the series! Everything resolved in a really satisfying way, with some fun bonus reveals that were beautifully breadcrumbed so as to be shocking but believable at the same time. I enjoyed the world-building throughout this series even although it was done more in the background, as I found the plot to be primarily character-driven. The relationships between the cast of characters were the focus of the series, and the author did a terrific job of writing side characters who weren’t just one-dimensional plot devices.
I will probably reach for Lynette Noni’s books in the future when I’m in a YA mood (which let’s be real, is pretty often).
I will probably reach for Lynette Noni’s books in the future when I’m in a YA mood (which let’s be real, is pretty often).