rainydayread's reviews
81 reviews

Magical Midlife Madness [Dramatized Adaptation] by K.F. Breene

adventurous funny fast-paced

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

4.25

K.F. Breene books and Graphic Audio are a match made in heaven - they have a way of bringing her often quirky cast of characters alive that leaves me listening over and over. Would I enjoy these as much in ebook form? I don’t know, but they are an excellent listen. I do think the concept of the main characters age is a little heavy handed (I’m 41 and yeah I feel old but jeez I’m not falling apart THAT much) but it’s at least refreshing and enjoyable to have a character over the age of 19 in a fantasy. Loved the side characters as always and the dialogue!

Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

4.0

Why did I like this book as much as I did? I’ll never know. It’s not my usual, but the author has a definite talent for dialogue and storytelling that kept it going even through the less believable parts. It was fun, no regrets.

From the Start by Katie Duggan

emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

4.5

This was a sleeper hit for me, I absolutely loved it. The main characters were wonderful and I related heavily to the neurodivergent FMC. I found the spicy scenes realistic and they kept me engaged. I will definitely seek out more from this author.

Icebreaker by Hannah Grace

funny 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

3.5

This was another one that I enjoyed more than I expected to. For a romance, I did like the MMC more than I thought I would, and I appreciated aspects of the FMC. The side characters were a big selling point for the book, I really enjoyed that. 

Irresistible Devil by Jenny Nordbak

dark medium-paced

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

3.5

This was a fun time when I was in the mood for a fast paced dark romance. Nordbak does a great job with these types of stories, and when I’m in the mood they hit the spot.

For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

challenging mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Most Ardently: A Pride & Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa

emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

3.5

Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted 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? No

4.0

Big Little Spells by Hazel Beck

medium-paced

3.0

I was pretty underwhelmed by this book. Again the underlying plot and clever magic system is the main thing going for it, but the characters fall very flat for me as does the “romance”. I had higher hopes for this book.