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readlentless's reviews
71 reviews
Beautiful Player by Christina Lauren
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
i read this first thing this year. i remembered enjoying their chemistry. the miscommunication annoyed me but they had tension and that's all that matters really. it's a brother's best friend trope. i had a few issues with the writing but then it was published in 2013 so i gotta give it some leeway.
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.0
it had the perfect ingredients for a good romcom just by looking at the premise but all i felt while reading this was excruciating pain. i appreciate the progressive writing but i felt like the author had a list of inclusiveness to tick and then forgot to actually add a plot and chemistry with the characters. the fmc was plus size but she wasn't described like one at all. the mmc was picture perfect— missmaam, this is a novel, not a daydream. give me imperfections, give me some charms. there was no tension and angst between them. i hate the mutual pining and the miscommunication bleeuhk
Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
i just decided to read this bc of its cover. it's like i'm watching studio ghibli film x samurai champloo. i love the lore, the atmosphere and the adventure elements. there's a lot of telling but it was still pretty interesting, writing is very straightforward (ig bc it's a translated work and aimed at a younger audience). i wish it had a bigger plot tho so they could explore the characters' depth and the world the author built. i wanted to give it 4 but the second half wasn't as strong as i hoped it would be.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
3.0
i really wanted to like this one but i feel disconnected with the characters. i wanted to know them more but i'm not getting anything. their relationsip with each other don't feel strong enough. the quest-like acquisition of things around the café bored me halfway. the writing was good but that's just it. it's regretful bc i like books where nothing really happens. i think i would've appreciated this more if it was an animated show. tho i can see the charm and the appeal... maybe, i'm not ready for cozy reads yet.
The Lover by Marguerite Duras
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
the book reminded me of that fleabag quote, "women are born with pain built-in, it's our physical destiny..." i am destroyed, literally and figuratively. the writing and the flow ugh chef's kiss. the atmosphere was just so haunting. the author's relationship with her family especially with her mother was utterly afflicting. there's some madness and beauty within the complicated and toxic daughter-mother rs that just always gets me. it's just so gloomy, so personal— almost like a diary you don't want to be read aloud but you're secretly hoping to be found. what tickled my mind was the complication of their identities and how it played with societal expectations (femininity, race, age, social standing). i wondered what would happen if roles were reversed... anw, the story was more a vibe than a solid plot. it also jumps from one timeline to another so it might be confusing.
Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.25
i'm honestly conflicted of how to rate this book. it's so different from book 1 but still quiet charming. it tackled class struggle and the dangers of bottling your emotions. it is somewhat a cinderalla story but the fairy godmother is a fae man. the writing was good but something is lacking in it that i can't quite describe. tho it left me kinda unsatisfied, i'm still inclined to read the third book.
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
4.75
i wasn't planning on reading this yet but oh man the story and the characters just crept into my heart. it has bridgerton x howl's moving castle vibes but with traditional fae magic elements. the story was charming. dora was lovely and lord sorcier— oh my word... it's fun but it also deals with political aspects which i thought was a nice juxtaposition to its bright regency magical background. i wish it was longer. i'm stoked to read the next books tho i'm a bit skeptical bc iba na yung main characters...
Furysong by Rosaria Munda
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.75
it's like i'm seeing my kids grow lol the first half was intense and angsty, and the second half was agony and melancholy. so many things happened that when it suddenly got mellow and the characters got sort of "break" it felt illegal. this book also felt like coming-of-age. it's nice to see their potential selves if they weren't so wartorned. i love how they were so different from the first moment i met them to how they were by the end. i love the female characters most especially— love the nuances that the author put in them. the book ended on a really good note. i must admit, there were a bit dragging parts like teeny tiny but it is so good as an overall series. i got teary-eyed several times.