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missdewza's reviews
8 reviews
Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Listened to the audio book. Narrators were great, but the accent means listening at least at 1.2x speed for my own sanity.
A fun (if a bit predictable) cozy mystery featuring the zaniest Winston brothers and the banana cake Queen. Looking forward to reading the next one.
A fun (if a bit predictable) cozy mystery featuring the zaniest Winston brothers and the banana cake Queen. Looking forward to reading the next one.
A Certain Appeal by Vanessa King
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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
3.0
A fun re-imagining of Pride and Prejudice centered around a New York burlesque club. Elizabeth is a stage kitten and her boy best friend Jane is a talented singer. Charles and Darcy are "men of business" who don't know what they're in for.
Honestly, it's a fun time (and it makes me wish I could catch a burlesque show in real life, but - alas! - I do not live in New York). However, some of the writing - dialogue in particular - comes off a little clunky to me when quotes taken essentially straight from the original and plonked into modern-day NYC. I get what the writer is going for, and I love Austen, but it just feels shoe-horned in rather than like organic dialogue.
Overall, I would absolutely recommend this for anyone looking for a fun rom-com.
Honestly, it's a fun time (and it makes me wish I could catch a burlesque show in real life, but - alas! - I do not live in New York). However, some of the writing - dialogue in particular - comes off a little clunky to me when quotes taken essentially straight from the original and plonked into modern-day NYC. I get what the writer is going for, and I love Austen, but it just feels shoe-horned in rather than like organic dialogue.
Overall, I would absolutely recommend this for anyone looking for a fun rom-com.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Agatha Christie
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Listened to the audiobook. A different narrator for each author.
Fun to hear the imaginings of Ms. Marple beyond the canon published stories. It would have been nice to get a decade of reference at the top of each chapter though, as it was sometimes unclear.
Fun to hear the imaginings of Ms. Marple beyond the canon published stories. It would have been nice to get a decade of reference at the top of each chapter though, as it was sometimes unclear.
Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Listened to the audio book. One challenge for this one for me was that there are four POVs in the book, but only two narrators. The narrators obviously tried to have different voices for each, but sometimes they blended together. If you missed the brief name mention at the top of the chapter, it could be difficult to tell who was narrating just off the cuff.
I love the Dark Olympus series - definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. I find the plot-to-spice ratio to be relatively well balanced (both are buck wild, so it evens out). I also love the variety of relationship types that Katee represents in her stories. This one is heading towards a polyamorous throuple +1.
As with all Katee Roberts books that I've read so far, check trigger warnings on her site. Some notable triggers for this book include: mentions of abuse, violence, murder, blood
Spice notes: FMM, FF, MM, dual p-in-v, rough
I love the Dark Olympus series - definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. I find the plot-to-spice ratio to be relatively well balanced (both are buck wild, so it evens out). I also love the variety of relationship types that Katee represents in her stories. This one is heading towards a polyamorous throuple +1.
As with all Katee Roberts books that I've read so far, check trigger warnings on her site. Some notable triggers for this book include: mentions of abuse, violence, murder, blood
Spice notes: FMM, FF, MM, dual p-in-v, rough
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder
Christmas At Last: A Heartwarming Christmas Tale by Sidney St James
adventurous
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
Super spicy monster "why choose" romance. Issues with grammar and syntax that I found a bit distracting, and a vagueness to the plot that left room for more. However, I had a fun time with it. If you like monster smut and cheesy holiday romances, this is worth the read. The characters, in my opinion, are too flat to have shown any real development.
Check triggers (non-exhaustive list): Discussions of child abuse, stalking, endometriosis and infertily, fatphobia
I found them to be mostly mild, but definitely do not read if you hate the "magic heals infertility" trope (or skip the epilogue).
Check triggers (non-exhaustive list): Discussions of child abuse, stalking, endometriosis and infertily, fatphobia
I found them to be mostly mild, but definitely do not read if you hate the "magic heals infertility" trope (or skip the epilogue).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infertility, and Stalking
Minor: Blood
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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? It's complicated
4.75
I went into this book blind, and I'm so glad I did. I came to love so many of the characters. Toni and Seb went through so much to get where they're going. Can't wait for book #2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Misogyny
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I thought I was done with Ali Hazlewood books, but Love, Theoretically surprised me. Yes, it's a bit trope-y (but that' something rhat doesn't always bother me about romance) and formulaic (haha! Get it? Science), but this time it worked for me.
I definitely feel like Elsie and Jack are more three-dimensional and fleshed out than the last one of hers I read (so flat I can't even remember their names).
I'm a sucker for a good slow-burn where he falls first (fast and hard).
The end feels a little rushed as they so often do in romances. I think I will always want a little more groveling.
Some explicit sexual content, but not especially spicy in my opinion. Definitely not for clean-romance readers though.
I definitely feel like Elsie and Jack are more three-dimensional and fleshed out than the last one of hers I read (so flat I can't even remember their names).
I'm a sucker for a good slow-burn where he falls first (fast and hard).
The end feels a little rushed as they so often do in romances. I think I will always want a little more groveling.
Some explicit sexual content, but not especially spicy in my opinion. Definitely not for clean-romance readers though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Sexism
Beastly & Bookish by Catrina Bell
hopeful
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Very cute, cozy holiday monster romance (with open-door smut, so be aware). Love the second chance, childhood best-friends-to-lovers relationship between Rom and Noelle. Quick read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Dementia and Injury/Injury detail
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