pchamblee's reviews
121 reviews

The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

A cute, semi-spicy small-town romance. It has elements of mystery, but not enough that I’d call it a “cozy mystery.” The story has a fun cast of characters, can be a bit predictable at times, and definitely feels Gilmore Girls adjacent (minus the teenage daughter, and if Lorelai had Luke’s job and Luke had Jackson’s job). If you like cozy romances and don’t mind well-worn tropes that lean a little cliche at points, then you’ll likely enjoy this one.

Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

4.5

This book was oozing with cuteness! It was also a convincing portrayal of teenage neurodiversity. I usually don’t pursue YA romances, but this one is really special and I really loved both main characters as they navigated their summer adventure and learned to embrace their true selves. The romance was so sweet it made me want to melt!

The only area I think could have seen improvement was the climax/resolution. It felt slightly rushed, and I would have loved to see more of Tilly and Ollie living that out in real-time. Maybe I just wasn’t ready to let them go!

The Curse of the Star Wraiths by The Lord Otter

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adventurous hopeful tense fast-paced

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

4.25

This being the Lord Otter’s debut novel, I enjoyed it quite a lot. It’s a high-adventure, high-fantasy coming of age story about endurance, found family, and brothers who stick together. It maintains a hopeful tone despite touching on the gritty realities of war. As a reader, I couldn’t help but become invested in Steel and Stormbright’s endeavors and appalled at the wickedness of their enemy. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys diving into intricate fantasy worlds or action-packed stories.

Content Warnings