thereadinghammock's reviews
600 reviews

adventurous funny reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

A wild ride filled with top tier millennial humor. Charlie was so, so relatable in his "wait... what now?" moments. He really rolled with curveball after curveball, taking familial villainous revelations, spy cats, cetation labor relations, and Caribbean volcano lairs in stride as each new wild layer of his uncle's business empire was revealed. The humor through the whole book kept me laughing constantly and reading passages to my partner and my friends at every opportunity. The Zoom meeting from hell was particularly inspired. I think I was crying laughing by the end of that chapter.

Content Warnings

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

I love Marcus and April's dynamic. Their communication was so nice, and befitting of two adults well past the drama of dating in one's early 20's. I totally understood Marcus's hesitancy telling her he was her internet best friend, because first-- who would believe him?? Second the threat to his career, the legal actions?? But the eventual blow up when it came out was 100% expected, and 100% as heartbreaking for both of them as anticipated. I'm glad April was able to unpack a lot of that on her own and it didn't require Marcus to grovel for them to find their way back to each other. While the fanfiction angle didn't strike gold for me as a reader, I appreciated the love letter to AO3 that was so much of this book.

Content Warnings

Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

Kohl by Abigail Kelly

Go to review page

emotional lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

Sugar, spice, and everything nice. When Abigail said this story was my catnip, she wasn't kidding. Clark Wilson is a himbo with a heart of gold and had never met someone he hasn't turned into a friend (whether they like it or not). But the new witch in town is avoiding him like a plague, and that's just something Clark can't abide.

Nelly Ortega is not what anyone in town was expecting as the new Flora and Fauna Conservator. All bright colors and gangly limbs compared to her orcish neighbors, but she seems to be holding her own. If only her pesky neighbor Clark would stop leaning passive aggressive notes for her.

A blizzard, a car accident, an accidental witchbond, and appearance of the khol, Nelly and Clark find themselves snowed in for a helluva few days. Clark is over the moon at what this means, Nelly is beside herself with guilt thinking she's ruined Clark's life. He falls first and he falls HARD. Clark is Orc Clark Kent. 100% NPDA prime BEEFCAKE and a consummate gentleman. Clark Wilson is a King of Consent. He lets Nelly set the pace for their new dynamic and is determined to let her lead as he shows her just how good a mate he can be.

Content Warnings

Burden's Bonds by Abigail Kelly

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective 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

Abigail continues to be a master of world building, story pacing, breadcrumb trails, and cliff hangers! An unprecedented bounty, an involuntary road trip, some hard core nesting, a voluntary road trip--mix it together and you've got a recipe for a delectable adventure where finding the right partner can help you find the road to healing old wounds.

Kaz is as broody as ever as he fights elvish AND orcish mating instincts. As the EVP's spymaster, he's convinced he's not a man made for matehood. Atria is on the verge of announcing a world-changing scientific discovery with her best friend Ruby Goode. She just needs to get to the conference in United Washington and make the presentation.

I was so ready to watch Kaz get suckerpunched by matehood after listening to him rail against the idea for two books. And Abigail delivered so well on that promise. Having dual POV in this book was vital to how the characters interacted with each other. Atria's power as an empath relies on her ability to feel what the people around her are feeling. Experiencing the power and depth of emotion that Kaz kept buried so deep was critical to her understanding him as her mate and as a person. Sifting through the layers of his gruff exterior and finding the deepest, warmest ocean of his soul was beautiful to read and achingly poignant to watch unfold.

Watching Atria fight her own battle with old insecurities and realize that the "flaws" she was told she had as a Bonded priestess just made her human. The learning curve for matehood is just as steep on the receiving end of that care when you've never experienced unconditional love and affection. I loved watching Atria and Kaz navigate the very uncharted waters for both of them in their fledgling matehood in this novel.

Oh, and who can forget Delilah fucking Solbourne, the biggest BAMF to ever grace the page, and whom gets better and better with every cameo and storyline she's a part of.

When she found Atria and said, "You were never lost to me. No one is." I nearly sobbed. I could hear the emotion and heartache and relief all at once in her voice (in my head) and feel the weight of the hug she was giving Atria in that moment. Abigail writes such visceral moments like that all. the. fucking. time.

Content Warnings

Not So Kind Regards by Clio Evans

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

I went into this booking thinking it would be a fun and sexy romp, and for sure it was. I just wasn't expecting myself to enjoy it quite as much as I did. I think I learned a bit about myself reading this book, or rather confirmed a few things I think I knew but this was like a neon sign saying "If you didn't know before, this is your 100% confirmation you're into this." I don't hate it.

Content Warnings

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

Go to review page

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I love the idea and premise of this book. The main characters were great, the banter came around after the FMC/MMC found their bearings with each other. Some of the one-liners had me actually laughing out loud. But almost all of that was drowned out by the nightmare that was Diantha Spark. That witch was horrific to everyone. Her abuse and cruel treatment of her daughter, and the conniving, competitive, overbearing attitude she had toward everyone and everything else in the book made it so difficult to enjoy the rest of the hijinks and story development. I get that Mariel had to overcome all that to find how her magic worked for her and I'm thrilled that she got there eventually, but I almost gave up on this book two or three times because of Diantha alone because I couldn't stand her that much.

Content Warnings

To Ravish A Rogue by C.M. Nascosta

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

The world of monster romance need more monstrous FMC's. Let women be monstrous and beautiful! CM nails it yet again. Charlotte and Lirian are such a perfect match for each other. Each trying to out maneuver each other in the game of mental chess they're constantly playing with the world.

I loved that Charlotte and her sister were a reimagining of Scylla and the Charybdis. I was dying to know what kind of monster she was the whole book and that reveal was *chef's kiss*, perfection. That Charlotte and Lirian shared a call to heed their monstrous forms when they transformed was a nice duality they both could understand in each other.

The banter among the crew aboard the Malediction was, as always, delightful. That kind of comraderie makes everything feel so lived in, in the best way. That these characters really have known each other for years, working together, fighting together. I hope we get to see them in a cameo at least somewhere down the line!

Content Warnings

A Holly Jolly Diwali by Sonya Lalli

Go to review page

adventurous funny medium-paced

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

3.75

As someone relatively unfamiliar with south Asian cultural and religious celebrations, I was looking forward to maybe learning a few things about Diwali and its celebrations through the story. And while it gave a bit of insight into a celebration, I still feel about as lost as Nicki did as she asked several people early in the book as to what the Diwali holiday and celebrations meant. I suppose much like many other western holidays, the meaning can change from person to person, but I was expecting a bit more cultural context on that front. I also thought the holiday might have been a bigger part of the story, given the title, but really Diya's wedding was the star of the show on that plot front too.

I enjoyed Nicki and Sam--I loved Diya and kind of wished we'd gotten a bit more of her, btu totally understand why she was off page a bit more. Weddings are hard enough--let along a wedding with 1,500 guests!!! Nicki's struggle to be the "perfect Indian daughter" was relatable enough (again, not speaking as a south Asian person, but as a woman who was raised with high expectations even when your parents didn't actually enforce those kinds of expectations). It's like holding the weight of the world on your shoulders and when you finally start dismantling the yoke you've given yourself, the weightlessness is freeing, but the freedom is overwhelming too.

Nicki still has a lot of growing up to do, and by the end she was starting to come down from her head in the clouds a bit, but she still felt a bit immature for being almost 30. I'm glad she and Sam were able to work it out and were seeing where things led.

Content Warnings

Games with the Orc by Kathryn Moon

Go to review page

lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.25

I love Kathryn's world building. She thinks of so many tiny details that make everything feel so lived in that rarely do I question anything she includes in her characters and stories. Games with the Orc and the Monster Smash agency books are no different. She subverts microtropes where she can, flipping narratives we assume as basics for some monsters, like as simple as orcs being primarily vegetarian. Each book usually includes some kind of fun and sexy anatomy lesson, with some new bonus feature being introduced into the monster lore.

Overall, a fun romp of a story. Mostly light, fluffy, and kinky as all get out as most of us come to know and expect from KMoon!

Content Warnings

More...

thereadinghammock's reviews 600 reviews

thereadinghammock's reviews
600 reviews