Sammy

I'm going tot give this 3.5 stars because the CNC wasn't explicit in the beginning. But I did finish it, and immediately pick up the second one.

If you binged the Brynn Weaver books and are looking for someone to fill the gap, this one is for you.

I adored the plot. I found the ending a little anti-climactic. I learned new things about myself (looking at you, drowning scene). I laughed so hard I cried (pineapple scene).

I think I need something a little less gory for my next book, but I will absolutely be reading Slay Ride.

The Narration was very well done. The book itself sucked me in and made me feel all the emotions. That being said, this was darker than I was expecting. There were many plot holes and the twist was completely predictable. I'm not interested in reading anything else in this series.

The world building of this series is phenomenal. Like I definitely want to read Chev's story. However there were two major plot points in this one that had me almost DNFing. It was giving Ross & Rachel's "We were on a break" with major miscommunications.

I've owned this book forever, and I finally got around to reading it. Let me write up a report card for this book.

Trope: "But Daddy, I love him"; forbidden romance.

World Building 7/10 note: felt like SOA fanfiction

Plot: 6/10 note: things were introduced but barely carried through to when they were actually important. Then the big bad wasn't really introduced until near the end.

Dialogue 2/10: This was horrendous and almost made me drop the book. Way too much usage of the word "cool" and the phrase "you got me". In fact, it felt like everyone had the same darn speech pattern. It carried the plot like a sifter carries flour.

Character development: 9/10 there were good character arcs.

Overall: This felt like a high school SOA fanfic that I would find on Wattpad or AO3. I wouldn't recommend it, and I definitely won't be reading the next one.

"All stories are love stories, if you love stories"

I didn't love the book-ception bit, but the writing was magical all the same.

This was good, but I almost feel like this should have been two books. There was so much packed into this one book that it felt rushed in places. The world building was very good, but the plot felt a bit thrown together. I will be reading the second one.. eventually.

I love this series. The fact that this one started where the last one left off, had me a bit confused since it's been like a year since I read the last one. I love Marlow's character development, however I really really disliked the Silas plotline.

This was a solid read with great spice and a great plot. My *ONLY* complaint is that it doesn't read quite like the first in a series.

The author went in to too much unnecessary detail, but not enough detail when it mattered. Then the action part felt choppy. Not sure I’ll pick up the third one.

Maybe it's cause I'm born and raised in the most diverse area of Nashville, but I felt there was an over explanation of the AAVE used in this book. AND theres the whole whodunit not being present for most the book.

I really loved this book a lot. I love the commentary on AI and how it can be very dangerous, but it could also be a very good tool. I feel like this sums up my feelings on AI pretty accurately. I commentary on community and friendship, found family, and overreaching government.

This is so incredibly Fourth Wing Coded. I didn't love the FMC, I thought she was needy and jealous. The plot twist was predictable. However, the world building was amazing and beautifully painted, I would read the next one for the world building alone.

Interesting premise, but it dragged on forever in some spots.

If you have never read a book by Court Stevens, you are missing out. Though, to be completely fair, you may not have experienced a book punching you in the very core of your being either.
I would put this book in the same category as The Measure by Nikki Erlick. Live-changing stories that I think everyone needs to read & that I will get a tattoo for, in order to commemorate the experience of reading it for the first time.

There were three twists I didn't see coming. That being said, this book moved a bit slower than I would have liked. Although, Elizabeth Knowelden did a superb job with the narration.

Absolutely phenomenal. I couldn't put it down.

If they didn't chop the big ending off at the knees, this would have been a five star read for me. but alas. 500 pages later here we are.

This was a great wrap up to the end of this trilogy. Idk if I'm getting desensitized here or if this book was just way more wholesome than the other two.

This was a good story. I enjoyed the writing. The quality of the male narrator's audio was noticeably worse than that of the female narrator

This was so good! I had a hard time putting this one down.

This book was incredible until the last 2%. The ending fucking sucked. I'm like legitimately angry about how this book ended.

Literally the worst portrayal of a Deaf/Hoh person I have ever read. Absolutely bullshit. There was so much inconsistency with her disability and then suddenly she had magic powers where she could understand the words as they moved against her skin?! that's not how that works.

I didn't love this one as much as i liked the first one, I wish there would have been more actual bookshop stuff. Also the inaccurate science about the decomp of a body really irked me. Though, that's just me being picky

Lyla Sage is 2/2 in books I've read and then can't stop thinking about. I absolutely adored this story and wish I could stay with these characters longer. This will probably be my Top Read for January.