Reading this book was a rollercoaster. I loved the dual timeline aspect of it, how the past and the present come to play and influence each other.
I had my issues with the book, mainly how the present timeline took place in a matter of days and how one of the more significant reveals (and one of a couple of plot twists) happens somewhere between the two timelines. I would’ve liked it if the same care and attention had been given to the present timeline as a way to add more depth and weight to the issue that ultimately broke these two characters apart in the past.
Speaking of characters, all of these characters are flawed and make (a lot of) questionable decisions. However, despite understanding that (and enjoying flawed and questionable character choices), I feel like some of these worked more as plot devices for the sake of it which betrayed the foundation previously laid down for the characters. Once again, I say this because I wished it was explored more than what it was.
I enjoyed the setting, the serenity and the nostalgia that this story encapsulates.
It was an enjoyable read even if I was disappointed with the characters at times and found it hard to root for FMC.

King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Nikolai is my favourite character in the Grishaverse, so I had high expectations for this book, which is why I was a bit disappointed.
I loved the world-building and the scene's descriptions. I think that is one of the strengths of this book, but I struggled to LOVE everything about it.
For starters, we have two storylines that feel disjointed, and I am not sure why they were included in this book like this. I'm sure there is a reason (maybe this makes more sense in the second book), but it felt unnecessary. Not only that but the changes and jumps between the two storylines broke some of the tension and took away from what could have been two great stories if they weren't intertwined with each other.
It might be just me, but at times, I felt like the book wasn't sure what it was about and what it was trying to achieve/get across. Not to mention the ending. There's this prolonged build-up and then everything comes crashing down too quickly in a if-you-blink-you-might-miss-it kind of fashion. It wasn't pleasant and it wasn't satisfying. If anything, it made me disappointed.
Even the different character's perspectives weren't as engaging. I think the third-person perspective is one of Leigh Bardugo's strengths (just read Six of Crows and you'll see it), but this felt flat at times and I wasn't able to connect with the characters as much as I would have liked.
All in all, this is a good book, and I am sure my high expectations are the reason why I didn't love it as much as I wanted to. Still, it feels like a story that wants to be everything at once, and by doing so, it loses its focus.
I'm not sure I'll be reading the sequel, but only time will tell.

The Dating Dare by Jayci Lee

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funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

2.5

I didn’t like this book. For starters, we’re supposed to believe these characters are adults, but their inner thoughts and dialogue read a lot like horny teenagers than anything else. There is no character development and a lot of tell instead of show. We’re supposed to believe these characters like each other and are meant for each other but are they? Their lack of chemistry makes it hard to believe.
The sources of conflict also feel forced and I struggled to take some of the scenes seriously. Whenever an emotional scene was happening, the impact it could’ve had on me was undermined by a horny thought from one of the characters.
I struggled a lot with this book, but I pushed through because I wanted to see what kind of resolution it would have. That was okay, but it had a lot of tell instead of show once again.
Besides, if you read the first book in this series, I found some inconsistencies in this based on what had been written in the first one when it came to Tara and Seth.
This book didn’t come across as cheesy to me (which would have been fine). It came across as cringey.

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved everything about this book. The characters, the setting, the story… I cried a lot towards the end. It is both heartbreaking as it is hopeful. Truly a wonderful read!

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tarireads's reviews 22 reviews

tarireads's reviews
22 reviews