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vicktorea's reviews
443 reviews
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.75
wonderful message ❤️
CW: mental illness (OCD, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, depression), mild queer discrimination
<u>what i liked</u>
- I loved the queer representation in this - it was very intersectional! Lots of queer rep with a MMC who was a gay POC; i loved that the author showed one of the MMC's discovering and exploring his sexuality and learning that it's okay not to have a label (or choose one that fits right away);
- Lots of representation surrounding mental health; i loved that the author showed the characters dealing with their mental illnesses - both their progress and setbacks! it felt very realistic!
- i really enjoyed the reality show aspect and the little behind-the-scenes takes we'd get from the cast - i loved how the majority of the women really liked each other even though they were all technically competing for one man;
- the romance between the MMCs was so sweet and tender - Charles showed so much growth during the entire novel and i loved that! We see him go from barely being able to touch anyone, to being so completly open and honest about his feelings with Dev and i loved that Dev was part of the process of helping Charles with this. His growth was more linear than Dev's - at first Dev seemed like the more put together of the two, but we soon learn that Dev is actually masking his depression very well. We see Dev completely fine at the beginning of the book, go through some states of his depression (that I kind of wish the booked delved into a bit more), then <i>seem</i> fine again.
- There was such a beautiful message surrounding love in this book. romantic love is not necessary to complete a person; happiness exists within ourselves and platonic love can be just as fulfilling as romantic love but the most rewarding kind of love is self-love. Love comes in a plethora of forms ❤️
<u>what i didn't like</u>
- the dreaded third act conflict.i didn't like how Dev shut Charles out towards the end - it made no sense to me. It would've been so easy for Dev and Charles to be together after the show and i didn't understand why Dev just checked out and decided he and Charles couldn't have a future. it was so incredibly frustrating (& a bit infuriating) and it felt like such a slap in the face to Charles who had never been able to be vulnerable with anyone until Dev.
Overall, a great diverse and sweet M/M romance with a resounding message that love comes in a magnitude of forms and our happiness is not dependent on one form unless it's the love we give ourselves 💛
I listened to this audiobook via Libby and liked the narration!
CW: mental illness (OCD, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, depression), mild queer discrimination
<u>what i liked</u>
- I loved the queer representation in this - it was very intersectional! Lots of queer rep with a MMC who was a gay POC; i loved that the author showed one of the MMC's discovering and exploring his sexuality and learning that it's okay not to have a label (or choose one that fits right away);
- Lots of representation surrounding mental health; i loved that the author showed the characters dealing with their mental illnesses - both their progress and setbacks! it felt very realistic!
- i really enjoyed the reality show aspect and the little behind-the-scenes takes we'd get from the cast - i loved how the majority of the women really liked each other even though they were all technically competing for one man;
- the romance between the MMCs was so sweet and tender - Charles showed so much growth during the entire novel and i loved that! We see him go from barely being able to touch anyone, to being so completly open and honest about his feelings with Dev and i loved that Dev was part of the process of helping Charles with this. His growth was more linear than Dev's - at first Dev seemed like the more put together of the two, but we soon learn that Dev is actually masking his depression very well. We see Dev completely fine at the beginning of the book, go through some states of his depression (that I kind of wish the booked delved into a bit more), then <i>seem</i> fine again.
- There was such a beautiful message surrounding love in this book. romantic love is not necessary to complete a person; happiness exists within ourselves and platonic love can be just as fulfilling as romantic love but the most rewarding kind of love is self-love. Love comes in a plethora of forms ❤️
<u>what i didn't like</u>
- the dreaded third act conflict.
Overall, a great diverse and sweet M/M romance with a resounding message that love comes in a magnitude of forms and our happiness is not dependent on one form unless it's the love we give ourselves 💛
I listened to this audiobook via Libby and liked the narration!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit
Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood
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
chilling, creepy & atmospheric
this creepy Jane Eyre-inspired book would've been a great read for spooky szn!
I really enjoyed the writing style, fantasy/horror elements, romance, and how the author interwove Ethiopian culture throughout the novel. The Jane Eyre inspo was really apparent to me in the atmosphere and romantic elements of the story and i really appreciated that (since it's my fav classic)! the main character was also smart, feisty, and headstrong (just like Jane 😌)!
There were times, however, that i found the plot dragged. I listened to the audiobook via Libby; the narration was impeccable and i think that really contributed to my enjoyment! I think i would've gotten a bit bored with the movement of the plot had it not been for the audiobook/narration.
this creepy Jane Eyre-inspired book would've been a great read for spooky szn!
I really enjoyed the writing style, fantasy/horror elements, romance, and how the author interwove Ethiopian culture throughout the novel. The Jane Eyre inspo was really apparent to me in the atmosphere and romantic elements of the story and i really appreciated that (since it's my fav classic)! the main character was also smart, feisty, and headstrong (just like Jane 😌)!
There were times, however, that i found the plot dragged. I listened to the audiobook via Libby; the narration was impeccable and i think that really contributed to my enjoyment! I think i would've gotten a bit bored with the movement of the plot had it not been for the audiobook/narration.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Blood, and Death of parent
Heartstopper Volume 3 by Alice Oseman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
heartwarming as always 🌈❤️
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder and Homophobia
Minor: Outing
Fairytales of the Macabre by Olivie Blake
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
witty & clever!
these were so good! The atmosphere and tone in each story was so captivating and I love the magical realism throughout each story!
Animation Games, ugh my heart! 🥺 but Fates & Consequences actually had me loling, that was my fav! Really enjoyed Pins & Needles, too - so twisted!
I’m making my way through Olivie Blake’s backlist after thoroughly enjoying The Atlas Six. I just wish Id discovered her sooner - her prose is to die for!
these were so good! The atmosphere and tone in each story was so captivating and I love the magical realism throughout each story!
Animation Games, ugh my heart! 🥺 but Fates & Consequences actually had me loling, that was my fav! Really enjoyed Pins & Needles, too - so twisted!
I’m making my way through Olivie Blake’s backlist after thoroughly enjoying The Atlas Six. I just wish Id discovered her sooner - her prose is to die for!
This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi
adventurous
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
city of brass meets cinderella(ish) vibes!!!
ok I really enjoyed this!
Here’s what I loved:
- The writing; it was lush, the imagery was vivid and the plot was adventurous! I never could quite put my finger on what would happen next!
- The characters! Alizheh (our FMC) is smart, resourceful and a badass fighter when she needs to be! Moody, broody, melancholy Kamran (our MMC) oozed angst and tension and I’m still wondering what’s up with two other characters (who shall remain nameless as I don’t want to add any spoilers)!
- the Persian Lore/Mythology; I loved this! This was what reminded me of City of Brass and it lent such an interesting spin on the plot and magic system! There also seemed to be some elements of Cinderella in this and I loved that incorporation!
My criticisms:
-the magic system. I actually liked it, but I didn’t quite understand it; however, I think this is because the character (that we know of) with magic, Alizheh, didn’t quite understand how her magic worked and I hope as the story continues and Alizheh discovers more about herself, the reader will too.
-the romance / pacing. I’m grouping these together because, at times, both felt a little disjointed. The beginning of the book did start out slow and it picked up towards the second half of the book, as expected with most books. But the development and pacing of the romance itself coincided with this. Alizheh and Kamran had met once and afterwards the reader gets his reaction to her, but not so much her reaction to him. By the time they meet again, we know he’s into her but we don’t know what she makes of him so her strong reaction to him during that second meeting felt like it came out of nowhere. Then by the their third meeting, it felt like those feelings just…fizzled? We don’t hear her dialogue of how drawn she is to him like we did during their second meeting and that kind of threw me off - I expected a stronger reaction from her.
These criticisms didn’t take away from the story, I just wish they’d been more fleshed out, but this is a trilogy, so I’m hoping (expecting) we’ll get more in the next book…..
especially bc WHAT TF WAS THAT ENDING???!! 😭 and whose team am i on???? I think I might actually like—you know what lemme not say anything except I need book two asap and I’m so glad I took the plunge and ordered that Bookish Box special edition!
Big thank you to HarperCollins for the ARC!
ok I really enjoyed this!
Here’s what I loved:
- The writing; it was lush, the imagery was vivid and the plot was adventurous! I never could quite put my finger on what would happen next!
- The characters! Alizheh (our FMC) is smart, resourceful and a badass fighter when she needs to be! Moody, broody, melancholy Kamran (our MMC) oozed angst and tension and I’m still wondering what’s up with two other characters (who shall remain nameless as I don’t want to add any spoilers)!
- the Persian Lore/Mythology; I loved this! This was what reminded me of City of Brass and it lent such an interesting spin on the plot and magic system! There also seemed to be some elements of Cinderella in this and I loved that incorporation!
My criticisms:
-the magic system. I actually liked it, but I didn’t quite understand it; however, I think this is because the character (that we know of) with magic, Alizheh, didn’t quite understand how her magic worked and I hope as the story continues and Alizheh discovers more about herself, the reader will too.
-the romance / pacing. I’m grouping these together because, at times, both felt a little disjointed. The beginning of the book did start out slow and it picked up towards the second half of the book, as expected with most books. But the development and pacing of the romance itself coincided with this. Alizheh and Kamran had met once and afterwards the reader gets his reaction to her, but not so much her reaction to him. By the time they meet again, we know he’s into her but we don’t know what she makes of him so her strong reaction to him during that second meeting felt like it came out of nowhere. Then by the their third meeting, it felt like those feelings just…fizzled? We don’t hear her dialogue of how drawn she is to him like we did during their second meeting and that kind of threw me off - I expected a stronger reaction from her.
These criticisms didn’t take away from the story, I just wish they’d been more fleshed out, but this is a trilogy, so I’m hoping (expecting) we’ll get more in the next book…..
especially bc WHAT TF WAS THAT ENDING???!! 😭 and whose team am i on???? I think I might actually like—you know what lemme not say anything except I need book two asap and I’m so glad I took the plunge and ordered that Bookish Box special edition!
Big thank you to HarperCollins for the ARC!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Death of parent
Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked it, pity the author is problematic
half the time I didn’t know what was going on but what I did grasp, gripped me.
I liked the characters, the adventure, the atmosphere but this was SO mfing loooooong!!!! Like did it really need to be that long ???! 😭
I listened to the audio via Libby which was great!
I bought the physical copy before I realized the author had made anti-Semitic comments and I don’t condone that whatsoever. Like why do authors have to do this shit. No only are they harming a whole populous of people but they take the enjoyment out of something that people shouldn’t feel guilty doing. So yeah, fuck you JK (and all the other racist/problematic authors) for that.
half the time I didn’t know what was going on but what I did grasp, gripped me.
I liked the characters, the adventure, the atmosphere but this was SO mfing loooooong!!!! Like did it really need to be that long ???! 😭
I listened to the audio via Libby which was great!
I bought the physical copy before I realized the author had made anti-Semitic comments and I don’t condone that whatsoever. Like why do authors have to do this shit. No only are they harming a whole populous of people but they take the enjoyment out of something that people shouldn’t feel guilty doing. So yeah, fuck you JK (and all the other racist/problematic authors) for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Homophobia and Death of parent
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nice message
I had some mixed feelings about this. There were so many points where i felt the main character could get out of the situation they were in but just...didn't. Like at any point in real life when those opportunities to escape had arisen, anyone would've taken them so it didn't make sense that the MC didn't take advantage of those moments other than the fact that the author needed to propel the story forward. I also guessed all the twists but i still liked the ending.
I liked the 90's vibe, the creepiness/atmosphere, and the incorporation of classic movies woven throughout the story. I also appreciated the overarching message this story offered; life isn't a movie but you can live your life to the fullest and make it your own movie - carpe diem!
I had some mixed feelings about this. There were so many points where i felt the main character could get out of the situation they were in but just...didn't. Like at any point in real life when those opportunities to escape had arisen, anyone would've taken them so it didn't make sense that the MC didn't take advantage of those moments other than the fact that the author needed to propel the story forward. I also guessed all the twists but i still liked the ending.
I liked the 90's vibe, the creepiness/atmosphere, and the incorporation of classic movies woven throughout the story. I also appreciated the overarching message this story offered; life isn't a movie but you can live your life to the fullest and make it your own movie - carpe diem!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Car accident, and Murder
Moderate: Death and Death of parent
Minor: Vomit and Suicide attempt
Getaway Girl by Tessa Bailey
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
good-ass butt play, just fine romance
okay so I get this was written in 2018 and my expectations have risen since the bar has risen off the floor for contemporary romances, and maybe i would've liked this a lot more had i read it when it was released in 2018 and maybe if i hadn't listened to the audio. hear me out.
i generally liked the characters (esp Elijah for the most part - mr. gentleman in the streets and freak in the sheets 🥵🔥), but I hate the miscommunication trope - it's just a cheap cop-out to me - and i don't like when the characters (the FMC in this case) have unresolved issues that only serve to act as a reason for the dreaded third act break up. In this case the FMC has abandonment issues because of her mother and absentee father, which led her to believe the MMC was always going to be better off without her. This was annoying - get fucking therapy, heal yourself, and find a way to communicate like an actual adult. i really liked Elijah but didn't care for his people-pleasing but was happy that this was something he was developing out of throughout the book. But it really bugged me how he handled Addison in the third-act dramawhen she finally confessed her feelings - like bro are you stupid?? say something because you know you feel similarly and have the words to say it...you just didn't know it was love .
this sex in this was great -i get why people hail Tessa Bailey as the smut master bc she deliverrssss! i loved that the FMC and MMC were into butt play for the MMC - yay for no toxic masculinity! what i didn't like about them, though, was because of the audio. The narrator for the FMC was way too into using a babytalk voice and that was fucking disgusting to me - there's really no reason to initialize sex. like ever. so i probably would've enjoyed those scenes more if I'd read them physically (the sex scenes from Elijah's POV with the male narration were great tho!).
okay so I get this was written in 2018 and my expectations have risen since the bar has risen off the floor for contemporary romances, and maybe i would've liked this a lot more had i read it when it was released in 2018 and maybe if i hadn't listened to the audio. hear me out.
i generally liked the characters (esp Elijah for the most part - mr. gentleman in the streets and freak in the sheets 🥵🔥), but I hate the miscommunication trope - it's just a cheap cop-out to me - and i don't like when the characters (the FMC in this case) have unresolved issues that only serve to act as a reason for the dreaded third act break up. In this case the FMC has abandonment issues because of her mother and absentee father, which led her to believe the MMC was always going to be better off without her. This was annoying - get fucking therapy, heal yourself, and find a way to communicate like an actual adult. i really liked Elijah but didn't care for his people-pleasing but was happy that this was something he was developing out of throughout the book. But it really bugged me how he handled Addison in the third-act drama
this sex in this was great -i get why people hail Tessa Bailey as the smut master bc she deliverrssss! i loved that the FMC and MMC were into butt play for the MMC - yay for no toxic masculinity! what i didn't like about them, though, was because of the audio. The narrator for the FMC was way too into using a babytalk voice and that was fucking disgusting to me - there's really no reason to initialize sex. like ever. so i probably would've enjoyed those scenes more if I'd read them physically (the sex scenes from Elijah's POV with the male narration were great tho!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
Woman Last Seen by Adele Parks
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 26%.
This is boring. I used to love domestic thrillers, but lately - they’ve been giving absolutely nothing. This initially sounded exciting - two different women going missing in the same week; both from loving and, seemingly, happy families, and a detective who has an inkling that they might be connected.
This is off to a very slow start and that’s what has been putting me off. We started off somewhat strong with one of the characters waking up somewhere strange and chained down in a room. We then get some of said character’s backstory and what she was doing right before she went missing. The problem was, I did not give a single fuck. The details the author gave felt unnecessary and they just weren’t interesting. Nothing about any of the characters was interesting and the author really lost me when she had her character refer to hip hop/rap as “angry lyrics”. It just didn’t sit right with me because anyone who knows the music genre knows it’s so much more than that.
If anyone wants to spoil the ending for me, feel free to do so (like I honestly mean it because, while I’m curious to know how it ends, I love myself too much to go through reading the process of reading a lousy book - life’s too short)!
Thank-you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
This is off to a very slow start and that’s what has been putting me off. We started off somewhat strong with one of the characters waking up somewhere strange and chained down in a room. We then get some of said character’s backstory and what she was doing right before she went missing. The problem was, I did not give a single fuck. The details the author gave felt unnecessary and they just weren’t interesting. Nothing about any of the characters was interesting and the author really lost me when she had her character refer to hip hop/rap as “angry lyrics”. It just didn’t sit right with me because anyone who knows the music genre knows it’s so much more than that.
If anyone wants to spoil the ending for me, feel free to do so (like I honestly mean it because, while I’m curious to know how it ends, I love myself too much to go through reading the process of reading a lousy book - life’s too short)!
Thank-you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair
adventurous
dark
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
not bad!
as a smutty romantasy, i liked this! it was super sexy and steamy and i liked the chemistry between the FMC & MMC.
what i didn't really enjoy was the writing. it wasn't horrible and i didn't absolutely hate it, but it felt pretentious. I also found the characters a little too tryhard. The FMC was a badass but that came across too hard in the writing - it didn't feel natural, but like the author was trying to overly convince me by having her do things that just felt so unnecessary. I felt this was about the villain too - they came across as almost juvenile in the way that the author tried to portray them as evil. It just wasn't believable to me.
I really liked the MMC, Adrian; he was so kind and gentle but strong and commanding 🥵 and i loved that!
I guessed the twist, but I thought it was a decent and I'm interested to know more about how it came to be. Hopefully the questions surrounding it are answered in the next book and I'd like to see more character development, more in-depth and fleshed out magic system & more Adrian (& more steam bc it was 🔥)!
as a smutty romantasy, i liked this! it was super sexy and steamy and i liked the chemistry between the FMC & MMC.
what i didn't really enjoy was the writing. it wasn't horrible and i didn't absolutely hate it, but it felt pretentious. I also found the characters a little too tryhard. The FMC was a badass but that came across too hard in the writing - it didn't feel natural, but like the author was trying to overly convince me by having her do things that just felt so unnecessary. I felt this was about the villain too - they came across as almost juvenile in the way that the author tried to portray them as evil. It just wasn't believable to me.
I really liked the MMC, Adrian; he was so kind and gentle but strong and commanding 🥵 and i loved that!
I guessed the twist, but I thought it was a decent and I'm interested to know more about how it came to be. Hopefully the questions surrounding it are answered in the next book and I'd like to see more character development, more in-depth and fleshed out magic system & more Adrian (& more steam bc it was 🔥)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Blood
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Death of parent