mariedaniella's reviews
219 reviews

King of Sloth by Ana Huang

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

Reading this right after King of Greed which I didn’t particularly like helped set up a good reading experience. Like the bar was really low, you know?

Sloane and Xavier were cute. They had better chemistry in comparison to the last book’s couple, a bit of personality, and some developments to work with. They were interesting enough to keep some intrigue that made me continue to finish the book. Still, everything was pretty… stale. At one point, I was honestly wishing for some ridiculous, over-the-top dramatics like the Twisted Love series just to get some excitement with the story.

That is to say, there’s not much improvement from King of Sloth that gives much hope for this series. I honestly think the Kings of Sins is getting more and more boring. I would probably still read the upcoming books but just because I’m already too far with it so I might as well (shrugs) and not necessarily because I’m deeply invested.

King of Greed by Ana Huang

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

This took me two tries (one from last year) to finish. It’s not that I didn’t like it. It’s more that I thought everything was so… boring. 

I didn’t feel any chemistry nor was anything interesting except maybe for the introduction of Roman. The story and characters were so flat. I was expecting angst and groveling but I didn’t really get any. It was more like backsliding (although, quite funny because Isa actually points this out at one point in the story) and there wasn’t much apologizing. 

I would still continue with the series though. I’m excited for Sloane and Xavier. 

The Emperor by RuNyx

dark fast-paced

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

3.5

The Reaper by RuNyx

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Like The Predator, I skipped this book for the most part. I did notice that the writing wasn’t as overly lengthy in this one so I read more but I still feel like I did not ‘properly’ read the book. I will be rereading this one. For now, it’s at 3-stars, a decently enjoyable read for me.

I’m really getting invested in the series. I’m excited to read Dante and Amara’s book! 

The Predator by RuNyx

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Not going to lie, I skimmed-read this book. So, I’m giving it 3-star rating to be fair. 

The writing is very flowery and gets a bit too lengthy, too much on inner monologues as such a case for some self-published books and I just didn’t have the patience for it. I only read the dialogues and important scenes, especially the plot revelations. 

The character and plot were interesting. I (still) got really into it. I promise to reread this before continuing the latter half of the series when the final book is released. 

Reckless by Elsie Silver

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.25

 Again, another case of being overhyped by social media—I seriously need to stop getting easily swayed by social media. Don’t get me wrong, this was entertaining and I could not stop reading. It’s a story written to be easily consumed if that makes sense. But I wanted more from the characters and the story. 

My disappointment therein lies with the time-skip where there shouldn’t have been. I would have loved to go along with Winter's pregnancy, how she dealt with the unexpectedness and everything else surrounding leading to what we would then see as her changes. Especially her and Summer’s early stages of rebuilding their sisterhood. It would’ve made for a better emphasis on her growth, honestly, and then her being a single mom. 

I also think that if it weren’t for the time-skip then maybe Theo’s support after learning about his daughter wouldn’t feel a tad bit “the bare minimum.” 

Nevertheless, for what we were given, this book was easy and enjoyable for the most part. Theo was charming and his moments with Viviene were adorable. Winter was relatable with her icy facade to hide her vulnerability. They were cute together and lovable which made for an okay romance. 

Again, I just wished there wasn’t a time-skip. 😞 

Jasper Vale by Devney Perry

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

(a very, very mid book but still entertaining to read, I guess.) 

This book was what I kept seeing on social media that put this book series on my radar and encouraged me to start reading it. That being said, I still went into this one without knowing anything except for the main trope of the story: accidental marriage and fake relationship. 

Initially, the book was quite interesting. Mostly because I love the trope of fake dating, fake relationships. I liked the chemistry between the leads. The story also kept me curious about Jasper's story and Eloise’s arc.

However, it quickly got disappointing and terribly lacking. Jasper was too clammed up until one explanation of his backstory. Eloise was trying to prove herself to her family but her family didn’t really show up much. But most especially, I disliked that the resolution all hinged on one conversation, like click! They’re happy and content—the power of communication! I wanted something more. More showing.

Lastly, the dramatics of the last part of the book were unnecessary.

I really should have stopped reading this series after Juniper Hill and all my reading after book two is just me feeling being in too deep, I might as well finish the entire thing. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Garnet Flats by Devney Perry

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.25

(I didn’t like this, a terribly forgettable book.) 

I was hesitant to continue The Eden book series with the more-or-less negative reviews of this book. When I did decide to read this, I was reading it with a “positive lens” or looking for the positive which is why my rating is honestly higher than it could have been. 

Now, Talia and Foster had a handful of cute moments but I wasn’t totally sold on them. There wasn’t groveling or enough of an apology, a show of growth that makes second-chance romance stories good. But especially with their backstory being so, so messy. I didn’t like it and wished it was something else because it also made me off-put by the characters and the romance itself (cough toxic cough). 

Other things: Talia’s character arc was very lacking–I would have preferred for the “drama” to be about her troubles at work. There weren't any family/small-town moments that I was only here for. 

Flawless by Elsie Silver

lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

Yet another case of FOMO and TikTok made me read it (the first being The Serpent and the Wings of Night for me) and it was really disappointing this time.

I found this book was mostly lacking, especially the main male lead, Rhett, and the couple’s chemistry. I thought that the only thing for both was being constantly horny. It was fine at first understandably for the spice element of the book but to continually read about hard-ons and not much else quickly got tiring. I was looking for more depth, something more interesting. Summer had her moments that I liked and my curiosity about her family drama was the thing that kept me reading.

To be fair, though, maybe I just got too overhyped from TikTok and expected too much. It was still… readable, I guess. Not necessarily the worst I’ve read. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Juniper Hill by Devney Perry

lighthearted

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.25

(simple, easy, romance!)

I read this right after finishing Indigo Ridge, staying up (healthy sleeping pattern who?) finishing two books in two nights. I enjoyed the book and could not put it down. 

The thing about this book is that there’s nothing spectacular about it but it works. The characters are actually a bit bland and flat. There’s not much plot. The story-telling is too contained in that there wasn’t that showing of the town and the Edens which I liked from the first book and I honestly think would have been better in this. Nevertheless, again, it somehow worked, making a simple, romantic story. 

I liked Memphis. She was easy to root for! And I liked how she and Knox were together. It didn’t come off as “saving the day or the damsel in distress” but as a support system and found family. It was sweet. I loved the domestic tropes and, most importantly, no third-act break-up! 

I’m not sure if I’ll continue the series. The lack of a peek into the Edens and the town in this one certainly didn’t help but we’ll see. 🙈