jkreads's reviews
67 reviews

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

5.0

This was breathtaking. So thought-provoking, challenging, dark, hopeful, and gut-churning. The prose was lush and emotive without being overly flowery - to me this was a great example of “showing not telling”. This book didn’t need to tell me how to feel because the plot did that all on its own. The climax of this book felt inevitable, it was very obvious where it was going almost from the start, and yet somehow when it was revealed it still managed to feel like a gut punch. Incredible, incredible writing. Etaf Rum has cemented herself as a must-read author for me.

Content Warnings

Happy Place by Emily Henry

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emotional lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

Really surprised that I loved this one! I DNF’d Book Lovers and haven’t really been super interested in any of EH’s other works even though I know they’re so loved. This book was far from perfect and contained a lot of miscommunication (which I hate) but somehow it had enough endearing elements to be a solid read for me!

Leather, Lace, and Locs by Anne Shade

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emotional reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

I felt like this book had great potential but I felt a little let down by it. The three main characters were interesting but I feel like all their stories could have made up separate books - this would have given them the depth they deserved and this would have also left more room for more ‘showing’ and less ‘telling’ when it came to the love stories. Overall this was a solid read, I just think my expectations might have been a little high!

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

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emotional funny hopeful relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I adored this book! Eve was honestly kind of insufferably entitled at the start (which I know is the point) and I almost DNFd at one point, but I pushed through because so many people say this is their favourite of the series and I’m so glad I did! I I loved Eve’s growth throughout the series, which included her growing confidence in herself and her abilities. Without giving anything away this was hands down one of my FAVOURITE endings of a romance book ever. It wasn’t cliched, it wasn’t unrealistic, it was just SO PERFECTLY Eve and Jacob 🥹 it’s the reason this book just pips Dani’s at the post for being my fave of the series!

With this series Talia Hibbert has cemented herself as being one of my favourite romance authors. The tenderness that she manages to inject in her stories without making them saccharine or try-hard is second to none!

Content Warnings

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

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lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

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

0.5

I’m sorry, I know everyone loves this book but Michael gave me the ick. “Seducing” Francesca hoping she’ll get pregnant and be forced to marry him? And literally telling her that upfront? Nothing about that was romantic to me at all 🤢

Terra Nullius by Claire G. Coleman

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Bloody loved this book. Talia Hibbert’s romances have my whole heart

A Duke of One's Own by Emma Orchard

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.0

{ARC review - thank you to Boldwood Books for the early copy in exchange for my honest review}

This was a fun little Regency romance to whet my appetite for the upcoming season of Bridgerton! I didn’t super love the main characters - they felt a little underdeveloped and (as much as I hate this term) all of the character development that happened felt like a case of “telling, not showing”. We were told the characters had these attributes, that Georgie was flighty and rebellious and Gabriel was a rake, but we weren’t actually SHOWN enough examples for these to be their defining characteristics imo.

That said I did like the side characters, I especially appreciated that a couple of members of Georgie’s family were in same-sex relationships and that this was acknowledged as a challenge given the time period. I loved that the one same-sex relationship we got a bit of insight into (Georgie’s aunt Louisa and Jane) was shown to be a loving, supportive relationship. Without giving too much away I really loved where those two ended up!

Overall this would make a great read for anyone looking for a light but spicy Regency romance. A Duke of One’s Own is out tomorrow (April 22nd)!

Content Warnings

Luster by Raven Leilani

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

It's been a while since I last felt FED by a book, but this one felt like a whole meal. The prose was so lush, it was such a pleasure to consume. I listened to the audiobook and the narration was great.

Raven Leilani has such an exquisite way of describing the mundane - something as ordinary and dare I say, cliche, as a twenty-something living in a crappy roach and mouse infested apartment in New York is recounted in a way that almost adds a layer of magic and whimsy to it.

Don't get me wrong, nothing about it is glamourised, it's bleakly realistic, but the language used is just so divine.

I'm not usually a litfic girlie, I tend to get bored, but I was HOOKED by Luster literally straight away. I anticipated that I would get bored halfway through like I usually do during anything that isn't a fantasy or a romance, but I was pleasantly surprised that Luster kept me hooked from start to finish. Everything about this book felt cliched or inevitable, which it leaned into, but it's really a testament to Leilani's writing that the story was so captivating because in my opinion this is not something that's easy to pull off. I can't wait to read more by this author in the future!

Content Warnings

Because of Her by Devon May

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

This was some of the best infertility representation I’ve read in ages! I’m always nervous going to a romance book where infertility is part of the plot, as all too often there’s a such a huge focus of it throughout the story only for there to be a random surprise epilogue baby thrown in. Which sure, some people dealing with infertility have that outcome but many don’t and I feel like that’s not represented enough. I felt like Cassidy’s feelings around her infertility were realistic and explored well. Her journey towards the realisation that biology isn’t all that makes a family was emotional and tough but again, I felt like that was very realistic.

Watching Cassidy’s relationship with Maisie develop was honestly better for me than her relationship with Callum! I loved how she slowly opened up to her and realised she loved her and wanted her in her life, and that even though she didn’t give birth to Maisie she was still an important part of her life. I loved that this wasn’t presented as a ‘consolation prize’ for Cassidy in place of having her own biological child - she loved Maisie completely and unconditionally. Same with the other children in her life - they weren’t placeholders for the children she wished she would have, they were loved for who they were.

The romance in the book almost felt like a side plot to me (even though it wasn’t) because I just didn’t feel as invested in it as I did with Cassidy’s infertility journey and relationship with Maisie! There is A LOT of conflict in this book - much of it is internal conflict as it’s written in first person POV, but that’s something to be aware of if a heap of conflict in a romance isn’t your thing.

{ARC review - thankyou very much to Devon for providing an early copy in exchange for my honest review}

Content Warnings

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jkreads's reviews 67 reviews

jkreads's reviews
67 reviews