shrayirene's reviews
488 reviews

Indigo Ridge by Devney Perry

adventurous funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

I don't typically rate a romance this high, but I thoroughly enjoyed this. The banter was fun, the characters lovable, and the addition of the murder/mystery was intriguing. I only got part of the whodunnit correct, so that was a nice twist. I'm planning on working my way through the rest of the series. 

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

adventurous challenging dark informative sad tense 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

4.25

I thought that this book was very well written. It was shocking from the very first page and carried you along on a truly harrowing journey. I thought that Cummins did a very good job in describing the trauma and grief - specifically the physicality of grief - that all of the main characters experienced. She also chose to jump POV between (most often) the two main characters, Lydia and Luca, even though they were always together, which I thought was very interesting in a third person novel. The subtle shift in perception of the same circumstance was fascinating. 

The Kremlin's Candidate by Jason Matthews

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-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

4.5

I was a little nervous going into this book as HEA is not Matthews style, but I so wanted one for Domi, Nate, and the rest of the CIA team. However, Matthews did deliver a solid end to his trilogy in my opinion, with an intricate global tapestry of spy work, with fascinating cause and effect relationships that caused no end to the tension I felt.

There were definitely elements of the storyline that I was not happy with, but they did however ring true with the characters and the world that Matthews had built, so I'll have to be satisfied with that. 

I wish he had written more novels before his passing. 

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

This is my third time reading this one (now on audible), and next to KoA, this is definitely my favourite in the series. I just love the character growth that Aelin experiences in this book, the introduction of Manon & Abraxos... *chef's kiss*

Court of Tricksters by S.L. Prater

emotional lighthearted fast-paced

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

1.5

This book didn't grab me at all. The characters were poorly fleshed out and didn't feel real at all, the world building was choppy, and the attempted epic political conflict was murky and simplistic at best. The books ends very much on a cliffhanger and I have no desire to push myself through the second book to see what happens. The story was presented as if there was some depth to it, but I found only surface level characters/conflicts/etc. in actuality. 

Romance Rules for Werewolves by Linsey Hall

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

Fun and cozy romantasy that didn't feel as repetitive as the second book. Sometimes you need a light and fluffy read to break up the epic fantasy, and this did the job. 

The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

adventurous emotional tense fast-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

3.75

I very much enjoyed this read, and I thought that the setting of a huge prison was very interesting. There are some very endearing characters, and I look forward to seeing where book two takes them. 

The author threw in quite a few plot twists, some predictable, while others were less so. Personally, I don't mind guessing some reveals correctly, but it's nice when I don't see it coming. However, I think this is the first time that I've been annoyed by a surprise reveal. The twist seemed completely at odds with the MC's character and now I feel like I can't trust them as a narrator. We'll see what happens during the second book, but the author will have to do some convincing for me to buy what's happening. 

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed reading this for a second time, as I could really appreciate all of the foreshadowing and seemingly unimportant elements and people that will end up playing a huge role later on. 

Also, I know there's a lot of debate about when to read this book. The first time through I was very happy with my choice to read it third after Crown of Midnight, and after my second time, I agree with Maas that third is perfect for Celaena's character development. It fills in some of the mystery about her history, and now we're ready to move forward. 

My Lady Jane by Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-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

I thoroughly enjoyed this tongue-in-cheek retelling that only loosely aligns with traditional history books. The sarcasm was on point, the narrators were hilarious, and in general there were delightful recurring jokes throughout the story. (Although there was some nasal humour that was a little overdone at the beginning- we get it - he has a huge sniffer!) 

This book will also encourage you to google the real story (or rather, the officially accepted version), and I've already ordered the rest of the series! Can't wait to learn about more Janes and Marys in history. 

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.

I was in the mood after watching season 3, but then that waned, and I wanted to read other things. I'll probably do a re-read/finish the series when the next season is set to release.