sarahloving's reviews
42 reviews

Witch Finder by Sheri Lewis Wohl

dark mysterious slow-paced

2.0

Thank you, Bold Strokes Books Inc., Sheri Lewis Wohl, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I DNF'd the book around 40% in. It wasn't easy to follow the plot because the points of view shifted so fast. I would just be getting into one point of view, and then it would switch. I didn't have time to sit and read this book in one go, so I went back a lot to re-read parts because I forgot what had happened before. 

I liked the idea of the plot. It seemed interesting to me. I did like Tamisin and Morrigan, but it was hard to know them because it was jumping around so much. If I get time to sit and read this book in one sitting, I will try it again and maybe rate it differently, but right now, this is where I will rate it. 

Where Starlight Burns by Alicia Haberski

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Thank you BookSirens and Alicia Haberski, for the ARC.

I thought it was a great book. It was easy to get into the world. Sometimes, I have difficulty visualizing the world with SciFi, and Alicia did a fantastic job with this. She talks about critical topics. Especially with accepting people's circumstances and understanding they did what they had to do.

The characters needed a bit more development. They felt a little two-dimensional to me. 

I recommend reading this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Chasm by Stacey McEwan

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Thank you, Angry Robot, Stacey McEwan, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

 

This was an excellent 2nd book. I did have to stop and reread Ledge before I continued with this book because I had forgotten what had happened. I’m glad I reread it because I would have been so lost. I loved the storyline in this book. It kept me interested the whole time. This book had a lot of twists and turns. I love the chemistry between the characters. Salem and Ersa always have me cracking up. 

 

The one thing that got on my nerves was Dawsyn's hyper-independence. She would not accept help if it dropped at her feet and became annoying. I wanted to scream, just let them help you. But other than that, I thought it was a great book, and I can't wait for the next one.

Forged by Magic by Jenna Wolfhart

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.0

Thank you, Victory Editing, Jenna Wolfhart, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

 

Nothing against this book. I was not in the mood to read it, so it took me a while. It was a great book; I will reread it when I'm more in the mood. It was a slow start, but it picked up around chapter 10. I loved the concept of the book. It is a sweet story. The Island is so cool, and I loved that it had games to give people one wish. 

 

This is enemies to lovers story and slow burn. I recommend reading this book.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.

I DNF’d at about 15%. I had too many questions and none of them were being answered. Why didn’t Violet fight her mother on joining the quadrant? She is in her 20s it wasn’t like anyone was forcing besides her mother which she had full rights to fight her mother on this she’s not a teenager. She just stood there while her mother is sentencing her to death. She did not have to go. Why did they have to climb the stairs and jump it had nothing to do with the becoming a rider that was explained? Why do they want to murder each other? If this is such an elite group why are they allowing them to murder each other? Why is Violet good with daggers? What was the rebellion about and why did they let the kids of the rebels join the school when they know it will make them ten times more dangerous if they end up graduating? Why do the dragons match with some people and kill the ones that they don’t match with? How come they have to wait a year to match with a dragon? I have so many more. 

If I had these many questions less than a hundred pages in and more questions kept coming in my initial questions would not be answered.

Also, the dialogue was not the best. When Mira warms Violet from Xaden that actually could’ve been left out completely and Violet could’ve found out on her own.

Where the Rain Cannot Reach by Adesina Brown

adventurous emotional tense 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? N/A

4.0

Thank you, Atmosphere Press, Adesina Brown, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

 

This world is amazing. Adesina did a fantastic job world building. I love the relationships between the characters. This is a high fantasy that will keep you guessing what is happening. Tair is learning who she is and how she fits into this world. 

 

The world-building was really good, even though it made for a slow start in the book. It took me about 20% into the book to start picking up. But once it does, it is hard to put down. 

 

I recommend reading this book.

The Springfest Sprint by Georgie Monroe

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? N/A

2.0

Thank you, Book Sirens, and Georgie Monroe, for the ARC.

This book had me longing for more. I love the world it was set in. It left me with a lot of questions. Like how did the Springfest Sprint come about? Why has it stayed in practice for so long? What is Em and Ty's backstory? What happens if someone is LGBTQ? I would also like a more in-depth story on Ty and Em.

I just needed more. I love learning about worlds, and it just was not enough for me. Some people will like the quick story and enjoy it. It is just not for me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Giovanna by Victoria Arrow

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Thank you, Book Sirens and Victoria Arrow, for the ARC.

This was a good book. It is very dark, so please read the trigger warnings before reading this book. I am a mood reader, and mafia romances are always a hit or miss for me. It just depends on my mood. This book had me on the edge of my seat with what would happen. It was a slow start, but at about 20%, it got perfect.

I'm not a big fan of arranged marriage trope. It is just not my thing. Some problems did drag on when they could have been solved relatively quickly, which can be annoying. Other than that, it was an exciting read. I recommend reading this book

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Homeland by Allisa Bahney, Kristin Keppler

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

4.0

Thank you, Bold Stroke Books, Inc., Kristin Keppler, Allisa Bahney, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

 

This is mostly my fault; I did not realize this book was the final book in a trilogy. I was very confused throughout the book. It will probably make more sense once I read the first two books. 

 

The writing was well done. It did suck me in the story, even though I did not know what was happening. The characters are well-developed and likable. The relationship between Kate and Dani works so well together. I loved how the story ended.

 

The story is interesting, and I will probably read the whole trilogy.

Finders Keepers by Radclyffe

emotional lighthearted 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? N/A

4.0

Thank you, Bold Strokes Books, Inc., Radclyffe, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

 

This was a cute book. It is a slow burn. Rome and Tally are perfect for each other. I loved that the puppies were the central part of the book and not just a sweep under the rug. Puppies are the best. The small town is fun to read about the relationships within the town and how everyone rallies together. 

 

Slight spoiler:

It is kind of a miscommunication trope, but it happened when they were teens, and it was just how a scene was interpreted.

This was done well. Usually, I wouldn't say I like miscommunication tropes, but this wasn't bad. 

 

I recommend reading this book.