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ladyazulina's reviews
30 reviews
Lub Dub Love by Blanche Maze
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
⚠️ Warning: On this review appears eighteen times the word 'love'. Proceed with loviness. ⚠️
Note: For the first time since I started reviewing, I decided to not edit or revise my words to avoid repetition because I'm sure that word is the only one enough to help me express the emotion I want to release. Please, take that into consideration while reading.
I have to start by saying that I have loved the brief time in which I have been part of Blanche Maze's ARC reader team. Since before starting to read her lovely, sapphic, wholesome, romantic story, I knew I would love to be in contact with her and that increased the probability of me loving her stories. This is just the first one I had touched on (for now) and I'm giving this review in exchange for so an amazingly opportunity.
If you're after those words I said before (lovely, sapphic, wholesome, romantic), you're already on board. But if you're not and are still waiting for something to convince you, unless you totally despise the romantic genre, you will love this book. I love this book. Though it says romance everywhere, it not only shows the romantic love, you get to see lots of filial and friendly love. I loved to see the relationship between some parents and their children. I am totally in for the one between best friends (like, I would do everything to have something like that). I wasn't fond of more than one, but I loved the progress of going to a healthy relationship and I'm not loving anything more than healthy things lately. Give me something healthy (or on the way to being healthy) and I'm already sold off.
It's not angst-free, and I panicked for my romantic love due to that. Everything was great, and suddenly, everything was wrong! And in its way to worse! For too much time that I was growing desperate, but I have to say that in those tumultuous times, I found my favorite character, aside for the protagonists. The details that were showing, what that meant... I loved all of it.
Honestly, though, this book accompanied me for a little time during a bad month. When everything was feeling wrong and suffocating, the book filled me with wholesomeness and love. With all the attraction symptoms (which I still feel from time to time and I simply adore the feelings). Being giggly and hopeful and nervous and also confused, with all the expectations and opportunities, I like being like this because I feel powerful and inspired. And I was able to have that for a while, even if it only lasted the time I had the book in my hands (and the time it wasn't angsty, of course). But that time was enough, and I love the book for it.
Note: For the first time since I started reviewing, I decided to not edit or revise my words to avoid repetition because I'm sure that word is the only one enough to help me express the emotion I want to release. Please, take that into consideration while reading.
I have to start by saying that I have loved the brief time in which I have been part of Blanche Maze's ARC reader team. Since before starting to read her lovely, sapphic, wholesome, romantic story, I knew I would love to be in contact with her and that increased the probability of me loving her stories. This is just the first one I had touched on (for now) and I'm giving this review in exchange for so an amazingly opportunity.
If you're after those words I said before (lovely, sapphic, wholesome, romantic), you're already on board. But if you're not and are still waiting for something to convince you, unless you totally despise the romantic genre, you will love this book. I love this book. Though it says romance everywhere, it not only shows the romantic love, you get to see lots of filial and friendly love. I loved to see the relationship between some parents and their children. I am totally in for the one between best friends (like, I would do everything to have something like that). I wasn't fond of more than one, but I loved the progress of going to a healthy relationship and I'm not loving anything more than healthy things lately. Give me something healthy (or on the way to being healthy) and I'm already sold off.
It's not angst-free, and I panicked for my romantic love due to that. Everything was great, and suddenly, everything was wrong! And in its way to worse! For too much time that I was growing desperate, but I have to say that in those tumultuous times, I found my favorite character, aside for the protagonists. The details that were showing, what that meant... I loved all of it.
Honestly, though, this book accompanied me for a little time during a bad month. When everything was feeling wrong and suffocating, the book filled me with wholesomeness and love. With all the attraction symptoms (which I still feel from time to time and I simply adore the feelings). Being giggly and hopeful and nervous and also confused, with all the expectations and opportunities, I like being like this because I feel powerful and inspired. And I was able to have that for a while, even if it only lasted the time I had the book in my hands (and the time it wasn't angsty, of course). But that time was enough, and I love the book for it.
Misdirection by J.M. Leigh
So… secret agents. And spies, uh? My cup of tea even when I know nothing about them and I don’t always understand what they’re doing or how they did what. But is that I just can’t stop! They’re so… interesting. And how things unfold! No one trusts each other and the lack of communication creates unnecessary issues! It drives someone a bit mad when we know they should be talking. But is even worse when the information they need is nowhere to be found, not even in the only person alive involved.
Have you heard about selective memory? How about repressed memory? I know very well the second one, but the trauma that our female protagonist suffered is indescribable, mostly because is nowhere too. It’s a thing of them, the secret agents and spies, their records aren’t easy to reach.
But what is easy is how fast you can love the male protagonist’s team! Maybe not all of them (because what would be the fun in having a whole team of approachable, reachable sex appeals?) but the vast majority… if you have my taste. If not, they’re still pretty diverse.
It doesn’t come without some content warnings… Just think about it, the background of those agents isn’t the prettier. But aside from the bad and the drama (that can be good, but is also bad), there are some spicy, some spy moments and reminiscences, very much some flirting, and a whole lot of action. The action just steps aside a little bit during the whole book, so…
If that’s your thing, why not give it a try? 😉
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
I’m giving this review because I was blessed enough to be part of J. M. Leigh’s awesome ARC Team; I enjoyed this book and I hope to be able to enjoy many more.
So… secret agents. And spies, uh? My cup of tea even when I know nothing about them and I don’t always understand what they’re doing or how they did what. But is that I just can’t stop! They’re so… interesting. And how things unfold! No one trusts each other and the lack of communication creates unnecessary issues! It drives someone a bit mad when we know they should be talking. But is even worse when the information they need is nowhere to be found, not even in the only person alive involved.
Have you heard about selective memory? How about repressed memory? I know very well the second one, but the trauma that our female protagonist suffered is indescribable, mostly because is nowhere too. It’s a thing of them, the secret agents and spies, their records aren’t easy to reach.
But what is easy is how fast you can love the male protagonist’s team! Maybe not all of them (because what would be the fun in having a whole team of approachable, reachable sex appeals?) but the vast majority… if you have my taste. If not, they’re still pretty diverse.
It doesn’t come without some content warnings… Just think about it, the background of those agents isn’t the prettier. But aside from the bad and the drama (that can be good, but is also bad), there are some spicy, some spy moments and reminiscences, very much some flirting, and a whole lot of action. The action just steps aside a little bit during the whole book, so…
If that’s your thing, why not give it a try? 😉
Easy Guide to Escape Hell by Elisa Menz
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-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
I committed to starting every review by saying that I was blessed to receive Elisa Menz’s free ARC copy and I’m corresponding with this review more because I loved the book than I have to.
Honestly, I expected to find the wholesome, lighthearted, slow-paced rom-com novel that the cover and the synopsis referenced, and it was! For, like, the first quarter. But then, a lot of hidden plots appeared and we were fast pacing toward this really big-grand scheme to attempt to-… no, I will not tell.
But yeah, you can sense the plots growing underneath your feet until it’s impossible to keep balance. And it’s that the wholesome, lighthearted, slow-paced rom-com novel is just the smallest part of the whole story. And what a story! We see a great development there, of all the characters (well, more or less, villains are villains and only have one outcome, don’t they?). There isn’t really a lot of communication, but it shows what a healthy relationship is! And not only the romantic one. With family, and friends, and even as professionals, in the workplace. It shows you what it is to be a person and to treat all people as equals.
I loved our sassy queen. I will not say that she underwent a great change, rather she showed her true personality, though it can be seen as the truest change. I would love to be more like her, not only about the sassy part 😉.
Though, in the end, I’m not really sure if we learn an easy way to escape hell. In fact, I think we found a way to go to hell. It’s not as bad as it sounds, I promise.
Dragon Your Bones by Tatiana Obey
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
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? No
5.0
Oh, right. I decided now always start by saying that I was blessed enough to be selected as a part of Tatiana’s incredible ARC team, I read her free copy for pure and total joy, and I’m reviewing it in exchange for it, but mostly because when I found something I like, I love talking about it… even when, well, you will see.
I need to be honest, it’s being complicated for me to find words to express how amazing this book was. I just found a new favorite author. I just found a new favorite series, and that’s usually a hard thing to achieve, or at least that’s what I think, with what the world says about second parts being bad. This second part was the best, and it’s just amazing because, thanks to, the first part.
If you like adventure, big schemes, political affairs, a new totally different setting that at the same time it’s able to be close to your heart and not at all has to be in a different world, just a different location (think about your local desert 😉), this book is for you. I wasn’t looking for any of that, and this book found me. My journey with this book was speechless. It didn’t say The End, but you feel the goodbye, and I’m still not ready to let it go, I still feel there are more things to tell, more adventures to live, more dragons to slay, and more moments to hunt. But I get it, this hunt finished, which made me able to start new ones.
Ah! I have a warning: don’t believe that all the synopsis says is everything you will get. You will find more. A lot more. And you will be amazed and you will think you will be satisfied. But you will not. Everyone grows here, it almost feels as if they were being grounded. Everyone finds or confirms their purposes. Everyone has a happy ending… well, more or less, it can be whatever you say, but to me, it is not an ending. Things are just starting.
I still love Ra-ja and Kai, even more if it’s possible. Zephyr is like a brother to me now, I like him, I can bear him, but he’s not my favorite. Ysai is, and you’re going to find out I like him a lot more after I found out he can also be violent 😏 I still don’t stand Suri, but I like Nico more. And, surprisingly, I get to like Kelin more than Azan! I adore each of their scenes with their respective friends, but still, Kelin rises to my heart. Neema didn’t give me a reason to like her, so she still doesn’t. And we somehow get new characters! Rae is totally adorable, I really love them. And Jilah! I’m grateful for her existence and her constant presence. I wasn’t pleased with Kibari, but I’m also not happy with her path. I still want to know more about Shamai-ta, and surprisingly, I don’t want to know Kai’s and Nico’s and Rae’s late tah anymore, I want to get to know more about their alive tah better. And these are only the characters. I have trillion new questions about the whole world now that everything’s “finished” and I can’t wait to know what Tatiana will give us next. Whatever it is, I know I will like it.
Soulmates: A Metaphysical Love Story by Sarah Faeth Sanders
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
sad
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
This story caught me just by the title, it has everything I like. Soulmates. Love. Story (?). Love Story. Soulmates Story. A Love Story of Soulmates. A Soulmates Story of Love. I think you already understood. Eh? Metaphysical? Uuuuh- I’ve seen that word several times in the past, in different contexts, so I know what it means… barely. But don’t ask me! I’ll not remember if you do!
Ah~, this book showed me what I already was knowing about how a healthy relationship should be. And how a toxic one can be. I liked it in a higher sense. I have always loved the idea of soulmates, of reincarnation and every time be bonded to meet the same set of souls. Of be… destined for something beyond all of us. To love, and be loved, because that’s the real reason the universe is expanding.
This story not only made me happy, but also made me sad. Because life isn’t always pink color, and no matter if you found the right person, it doesn’t mean that is the right time. Yeah, I already told you, it’s sad. But what isn’t sad is that… this is just one life, one of the countless of the lifetime of your soul. This sadness is temporary, you were made to be happy, you were made to be loved. If not now, then in your next life. And even if you haven’t reached happiness already, it doesn’t mean that you will not meet it soon.
For above all, this book gave me hope.
Ah~, this book showed me what I already was knowing about how a healthy relationship should be. And how a toxic one can be. I liked it in a higher sense. I have always loved the idea of soulmates, of reincarnation and every time be bonded to meet the same set of souls. Of be… destined for something beyond all of us. To love, and be loved, because that’s the real reason the universe is expanding.
This story not only made me happy, but also made me sad. Because life isn’t always pink color, and no matter if you found the right person, it doesn’t mean that is the right time. Yeah, I already told you, it’s sad. But what isn’t sad is that… this is just one life, one of the countless of the lifetime of your soul. This sadness is temporary, you were made to be happy, you were made to be loved. If not now, then in your next life. And even if you haven’t reached happiness already, it doesn’t mean that you will not meet it soon.
For above all, this book gave me hope.
El dueño de las sombras by Care Santos
3.0
Fue un libro interesante, me pareció refrescante la manera de contar la historia y aunque te haces una idea de quién es el narrador, no lo descubres o lo confirmas hasta el final.
Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
5.0
I really love Carry on, because of Baz, obviously. I don't remember loving more an antagonist than a protagonist before. I think I almost love everyone less the protagonist here (though I didn't like the interest romantic nor the real villain...).
I have a whole history with carrying On. I meet them with Fangirl, and then I heard they had their one history. AND THEN it's not the only one! I was so happy, I had a lot more of Baz to know.
I have a whole history with carrying On. I meet them with Fangirl, and then I heard they had their one history. AND THEN it's not the only one! I was so happy, I had a lot more of Baz to know.
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
5.0
After reading Carry On in English for the first time (the first-first time was in Spanish), I HAD to read the second one (and would read the third one if I was able to find it...). And, yeah, wasn't the same, but anything was the same after leaving Watford. It was those stories are about.
I feel a bit awkward during the road trip, but I loved seeing all... all right, almost all of the trip. Starting with Baz, he made it all worthwhile for me.
I feel a bit awkward during the road trip, but I loved seeing all... all right, almost all of the trip. Starting with Baz, he made it all worthwhile for me.
Un cuento oscuro by Naomi Novik
5.0
NO esperé que el libro terminara gustándome tanto, si es que quiero ser honesta. Lo empecé porque de Naomi sólo conocía la saga de Temerario y quería leer algo más. Agniezka me frustraba casi tanto como al Dragón, pero fue gracias a ellos que terminé amando esta historia. Es definitivamente por ellos que me gusta tanto, mi recepción y aceptación no hubiera sido la misma sin su dinámica durante toda la historia.
Un mundo helado by Naomi Novik
5.0
De acuerdo, quise seguir conociendo las historias de Naomi Novik y por un instante creí (por el parecido en la portada) que tendría que ver con Un cuento oscuro, pero nada que ver. Absolutamente nada. Y me frustré muchísimo porque todas las escenas eran retratadas lo más generalizadas posibles y me veía constantemente tomándome un espacio para alargarlas o describirlas con más detalles en mi cabeza, porque así era como quería ver la historia (así sería como la escribiría, supongo). Y al final la amé, a pesar de todas las frustraciones y dolores de cabeza que me dieron los capítulos, los personajes, especialmente los personajes. Pero Naomi me dio un final satisfactorio, cerró todas las tramas, me respondió todas las preguntas y, la verdad, así es como amo los libros autoconclusivos. Por eso terminó gustándome tanto.