melissaslibraryy's reviews
166 reviews

Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Noxx by Tasha Black

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Hating You by J.L. Beck, C. Hallman

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.0

MAJOR TW: a LOT of non-con/dubious consent and sexual assault

This book was genuinely not for me. I love a good dark romance like most gals but this did way too much even for me. The whole “bully” aspect of the story (essentially the whole storyline) is the mmc assaulting and forcing the fmc to do various sexual acts against her will while she’s literally crying and begging him to stop. He even says multiple times how her fighting him “turns him on even more” and makes him harm her even further. Every male character in this book deserves jail time and I mean that so honestly bc there is so much SA from the male characters (malee las included) that assault the fmc or other women mentioned in the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Classism, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Grief, Medical content, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Cursing, Genocide, Torture, Body horror, and War

A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow wow wowwww! I had no idea what to expect from this book since I only picked up the audiobook on Libby for being a fantasy romance (without reading the blurb) but it beat every expectation I had. I assumed it was YA, so imagine my surprise when the characters started cussing in some parts and there was even some spice (though they didn’t go all the way). I love that it was a high stakes fantasy that didn’t shy away from the violence and gore especially since most of it was done by our badass female lead. As for the romance, I’m not mad about the person who was “The Shadow” being predictable bc it leads to an amazing enemies to lovers situation filled with tension due to their forced proximity (and even the “single bed” trope😉.)

Spoiler

The ending may have also been a bit obvious with its plot twist but it left off at a good cliffhanger, so I can’t wait to pick up the next book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Slavery, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Medical content, War, Addiction, Colonisation, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Self harm

Moderate: Cursing, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Trafficking

The Orc from the Office by Kate Prior

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

This was such a cute novella! I love that it was an accidental mating turned office romance with a golden retriever type of male lead. He was so caring and loving toward the female lead and I’m just bummed that it wasn’t dual POV so the reader can’t really tell what he’s thinking although, we do see how he feels when it comes to his actions. I also wish there wasn’t that slight miscommunication bc of the fmc being an overthinker but I’m glad it worked out and they got their HEA :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content

Possessive Cowboy by Jenna Cook

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

2.0

The fmc is a bit of a pushover and desperate for love so against her better judgement, she sleeps with a guy she found on a hookup app to get out of her post breakup funk even though he’s kind of an asshole and makes some misogynistic remarks the first time they meet. The morning after they have sex he’s suddenly all Gaga for the girl even though he knows nothing about her and even made it clear that sex is all it’s gonna be. When  they see each other again a month later first thing they do is fuck and he “claims her as his” and is pretty possessive overall like the title says. I just feel like this story definitely could’ve been better and had more romance and plot (even as a novella) but it was just eh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual content

Letters to Molly by Devney Perry

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, Grief, Cursing, and Death

Minor: Murder, Pregnancy, and Infidelity

The One by Audrey J. Cole

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

She did what she had to do, and I was applauding her for it from beginning to end 👏🏼👏🏼

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Medical content, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Car accident, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Infertility, and Death of parent

Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content

The Stormbinder King: A Steamy Fantasy Romance by Kate Ravenscar

fast-paced

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

2.0

I read the book on a whim after seeing a rec on tiktok bc it made the book sound good which was unfortunately not the case. The premise of the story sounded great but it fell pretty flat with its ok world-building, lack luster characters and boring romance.
The writing style wasn’t for me and while I am aware this is a debut novel I do believe the author could’ve done better with research when writing a “high-stakes” fantasy. There were things that played out in the beginning that were supposed to start out the main plot that just didn’t make sense so I was already uninterested by the first 3 chapters yet continued hopping irl pick up eventually which it didn’t. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual content