Aimee
I really enjoyed this book! It was exactly what I was looking for; lovesick MMC, and an overall lighthearted read—but still with some grit to drive things along/provide more compelling character decisions.
Also, loved the unexpected Welsh representation! 🏴
Overall, an extremely good palate cleanser from my usual complex/high fantasy reads. I have a feeling it'll be a nice little re-read for me, and has contributed greatly to my current regency romance binge. Hoping to find similar dynamics/vibes in other books :)
I was really excited to read this book, and I'm happy to say it didn't disappoint. I very much loved it from the start and couldn't put it down—something that's been missing from my recent reads.
I found Dain's flaws and character development/arc wholly compelling and realistic. He still felt too emotionally immature for my liking, but it wouldn't have been natural for all his flaws to vanish; it would make him feel less human, as well as negate the effects of his childhood experiences. All I can say is props to Jess for handling his ass like he deserves 😂 His arc circled beautifully, with a lot of understated symbolism and full-circle moments that felt wonderfully bittersweet.
I absolutely loved Jess. Such a refreshing read in a more contemporary (ish) regency romance. Strong, confident, intelligent—without it coming across as forced or performative. I felt like, despite her deserving better realistically, she was well-paired with Dain, and their dynamic served that delicious tension while also feeling natural and authentic.
Oh, and Mr. Herriard is my feminist icon. Love that guy.
Overall, definitely a favourite that I've read this year. Interested in reading the rest of the series!
Was looking for a much needed, lighthearted palette cleanser from my high fantasy reads, and this one did the job.
I found Savvy to be relatable and witty, and Darwin was a compelling man who served as good OCD-representation. That being said, the same feelings arise in me that doctors watching Grey's Anatomy have: not too realistic in a lot of ways, but serves the plot. I also really enjoyed the writing too, though some scenes had me cringing quite hard.
I did find the connection and attraction from Darwin's end to be a bit too quick for my tastes—but I did need to remind myself that this is a standalone, 250 page book, and is not meant to fulfil what a multi-book, slow-burner has (my biases are showing 😂). I very much didn't like Raven though; her reaction to Darwin and Savvy's relationship was blown out of proportion, in my opinion. Completely understand the apprehension and protectiveness, but icing your friend out when you could just speak like adults? Yeah, no.
Overall, it was the epitome of “fine” for me. A lighthearted and simple read that has a tiny bit of grit. Perfectly fine for a palette cleanser/break read.
Admittedly, this book did take me a lot longer to get into than it seems it did for a lot of people. I'd say I struggled to really get into it until about 50% of the way in, and didn't actually become interested until the latter third of the book. However, I'm going to cut the book some slack since my usual reads are fast-medium paced books, so it's kind of my fault. I just didn't realise how much of a slow-burn this was—purely why I didn't rate it a 4*+.
That being said, the dynamic and characters in this book were just chef's kiss, not to mention the world-building! One thing I constantly thought throughout the book was how it would make a fantastic movie/TV series.
Will definitely be reading the rest of the series—wholly excited to see the shift that I know is building between Damien and Amma (the sexual tension is delicious).
10/25: upon review and re-reading, I'm giving it a higher rating. I just can't get this book out of my mind! Definitely one of my favourites this year.
I went into this book with little in the way of expectations or preconceived notions—not even having read any reviews, which I tend to do. But I'm happy to say that this feels like exactly what I was looking for: a relatively lighthearted or straightforward romantasy book that still has enough material to sink your teeth into.
I found the characters to be compelling and the storyline interesting, but not overdone in the way that there's always something going on. I love that this book diverges from a lot of romance reads in that their dynamic and connection weren't built from a physical attraction/lust—quite the opposite actually. There was a deeper connection to them that I loved, that fuelled a really wholesome development to their relationship.
Definitely interested in reading the rest of the series!
My first book by Hannah Bonam-Young and I can't say I was disappointed. This was a delightful read; characters that had depth beyond the superficial, chemistry that had me laughing and kicking my feet, and a plot that handled the overused “accidental pregnancy” trope really well. The diversity in the cast was also really nice to see.
I really enjoyed the writing—very engaging and well-written. I do wish we had more open discussions of Win's previous relationship as we did with Bo's. But overall, a very lighthearted, easy story.
Possibly my favourite read of this year—or a definite contender at least. Her past and present were weaved in so well, and only added to the substance behind the plot. I found the romance didn't take away from the plot (quite the opposite really), and really enjoyed the suspense and dance between the more thrilling aspects of the plot and the romance.
It does deal with some heavy topics (child abuse, rape, physical abuse, murder, etc.), but I found these to be tackled well and only served to add weight and depth to the characters and the choices they made.
I think the third and fourth books in this series are the strongest. I really enjoyed getting to see the relationship development between Kai and Miller. I felt like there was a bit more substance to both the main characters in this book than her previous books, which made understanding their decisions and mindset easier. A really good, lighthearted read with some good attempts at depth.
A good palate cleanser, reminiscent of a bingeable but superficial TV show or something. I liked this book a lot more than the first as the characters felt slightly more fleshed out and real than the first novel, though understandable given that they were both introduced in the first book. The writing wasn't to my taste (a bit juvenile). Overall, an easy and lighthearted read.
A lighthearted and relaxing read. Think of it like a reality TV show or something superficial you watch to pass time. Nothing to phone home about but a decent palate cleanser. Minus the superficial characters and plot, I found the writing to be a bit too juvenile for my tastes; it needed a different editor.
I've been looking for a good fantasy read with a romantic sub-plot, and unfortunately Fourth Wing didn't meet the mark. It's a pity because there's some really interesting premises and settings; teens split into different factions in order to serve a wider purpose, dragons, some interesting, though juvenile, world-building. It's very reminiscent of the Divergent series in some ways.
My gripes are plenty. Violet feels incredibly childish that can detract from the storyline. I can understand if this is deliberate with a young FMC, but she's supposed to be late-teens/early twenties. Similarly, there was a lot of focus on her stature and frailty, which I understand comes from an Ehlers Danlos Syndrome representation, but it just didn't hit the mark for me in terms of balancing the representational aspect with the whiny, woe-is-me undertones. There was also a lot of “ooo he's so hot” that oftentimes felt cringe and overused—like I get you feel he's the most perfect specimen to ever walk, but it falls more into the lustful enemies to lovers. And don't get me started on the smut; wholly gratuitous and unnecessary, in my opinion.
Overall, while the premise was interesting, I felt that it was poorly executed. I'll probably try to read the subsequent books as I am intrigued by the fantasy elements over the romance.
I may be in the minority of ACOTAR readers, but I wholly disliked this book purely because of how Nesta's character development was handled (as the main thing anyway).
Going into the book, I felt like there was a lot of good material to really delve deep into Nesta's character and flaws and work it into an amazing redemption arc. But as with ACOTAR as a whole, and most romantasy books I've read, it always comes down to the execution. I could write an essay on my feelings as to how Nesta's character was handled here, but in a nutshell: I, personally, felt like her arc was half-assed, lacked true depth, and lacked consequences. She was filled with guilt, anger, and self-loathing; all the lashing out at others, often going too far, and yet given no consequences (training I don't consider a consequence). The ending felt too. . .easy of a conclusion? Like it was all tied up in a pretty bow so easily and simply, without the complex resolution I was expecting (not to mention how future issues are fixed with the click of a button, it feels).
The one thing I did enjoy was the differences in how the Inner Circle was portrayed in Feyre's POV vs Nesta's—showcasing the importance of a varied perspective. They came across as likeable in Feyre's books because that's how she saw them, versus the flawed and sometimes dislikable individuals Nesta saw them as. Really enjoyed seeing these differences.
Overall, not my favourite in the series, and while I appreciate Nesta's portrayal as a complex individual, I'm not wholly convinced and was disappointed in how it was handled.
As with a lot of fantasy books, I always feel that the premise and world are interesting enough to pull me in, but the execution always falls short of expectations.
Feyre, despite elements suggesting a strong and mature FMC, fell short in a lot of ways. I understand the juvenile nature comes from her age, but I found her hard to sympathise with. Tamlin felt like the typical red flag, domineering MMC in every romantasy series ever—which may well have been deliberate, but no less hard to read.
The book felt like watching paint dry for the first 3/4 of the book. It's only towards the end where things get interesting. If it wasn't for the knowledge that the second book gets better, and to see what happens following the end of this book, I don't think I'd have continued with the series.
I was excited to read after having been recommended it, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.
The premise was good in theory but underwhelming in its execution. I found it cringe in a few places, with debatable chemistry between the MCs. The whole “how can anyone love me?” FMC x “my shitty childhood's made me unable to believe/accept love” MMC felt eye-rolling and repetitive.
There was also an almost weird dichotomy between the overall pacing of the plot, which I found rather sluggish, and the pacing of the relationship, which felt rather quick. There was overt sexual attraction from the get-go, which I'm beginning to accept is a must in popular historical romance novels. I think I'm just tired of the constant focus on sensuality disrupting what could be something much better without—in my opinion!
That being said, I did enjoy the writing. I'll definitely take a peek at the rest of her oeuvre. This one just isn't for me.
To be honest, the writing style is the least egregious thing about this book. I didn't even notice it.
Human as pets is one thing—a thing I think can be done “well” dependent on execution—but human as pet that owner has sexual feelings/relations with whilst still seeing them as a pet? ON TOP OF THAT, an owner that has sexual relations with his pet human literally just after said pet human was forcibly drugged and almost raped? Fuck. No.
This book is all sorts of weird—and not the good kind. Kudos if you found it up your alley, but it's not for me.
Was quite intrigued by the premise but found it difficult to truly get into it. The dialogue felt too contrived at times, almost as if the author was trying to push or force the witty banter over it coming across more naturally.
I have a feeling I'll come back to this eventually, but I'm just not in the mood to force myself to push on atm.
I'm not exactly sure why I couldn't just plow on with this book. I suppose the potentials are numerous.
For one, while I can always appreciate a simple and undramatic plot, I found myself bored. I managed to get about a third of the way in before I just couldn't be arsed and began to skim; it just didn't interest me as much as I was hoping it would.
One thing I will say is that I was happily surprised that the revenge plot wasn't kept to. A twist I wasn't expecting and greatly appreciated—in addition to the realisation that Harry did indeed have feelings for her. But I just got tired of the repetitiveness of Genevieve's feelings towards Harry; like I get you were hoping he'd want you but it doesn't mean I want to hear about it incessantly. I found a lot of things very...played upon (?) and repetitive, which paired with a very simple plot line, led me to become bored quite quickly.
Overall, there was nothing inherently bad about this book. All things considered, it seems a very solid, lighthearted read. I suppose it was just a combination of things that made it not for me. It may also very well be due to the fact that I've read so many regency/historical romances that I've begun to get burned out 😂 I may come back to this in future to give another go at it.
Very intrigued from the start; loved the idea of a self-assured and slightly austere woman. But the attraction/feelings came on a bit soon for my tastes—and what I was expecting given the setup of the MMC's character and personality type. I'd have thought that an initial one-sided slow-burn would've better suited. Why after almost a decade working did his feelings change seemingly overnight?
This leads me to how a lot of things felt too good to be true, which is an element in a lot of novels and, of course, part of what appeals to a lot of people. Yet certain bits felt more contrived than I typically like, almost too “too good to be true” and incongruent with the slightly more realistic aspects of the time, not to mention how the characters were established to be.
Areas where I'm guessing readers were meant to swoon, I cringed instead. Reactions and dialogue in moments of high emotion felt too...early 2010s Wattpad-esque? Writing style also didn't flow in the way I've grown used to in historical romances—which, of course, could just be me and my preferences. But I just felt that the style was somewhat variable in that there'd be almost clinical/robotic short sentences followed by extremely long, overly-explained or descriptive ones.
I liked Pettypiece well enough. She felt like a realistically strong-minded, accomplished woman of the time, over attempts at working a modern woman (and modern sentiments) that would've felt anachronistic.
Overall, I had high hopes for this book. It was okay at best, though I can't say I necessarily enjoyed what I did manage to read.
I paused in reading and just never a want to return, which feels like a need to DNF. Nothing explicitly wrong with it; I just had better things to read 🤷♀️
Not sure what I was expecting, considering how these books tend to go, but I was optimistic. My mistake.
Not for me. Inner monologue felt very forced bravado and attempts to be funny. I wasn't immediately hooked, which meant it felt like I was slogging through each chapter—and that's saying a lot, considering they're long. I eventually began to skip through, and...yeah, I'm not into this as much as I was hoping to be.
I was in the mood for a “reality TV” series or book, and thought I'd found exactly what I was looking for; interesting premise, not too much commitment—happy days. But I found it incredibly hard to read.
The first few chapters were intriguing and laid out some world-building quite naturally, without the usual first 100 pages being all world-building and a slog to get through.
But it just got to a point where I couldn't get passed the contrived feeling of Paedyn and Kai's dynamic and what I'm calling the “Chosen One”/“Bella Swan effect”, which I think of as a martyr-like protagonist, depicted as an almost transformative presence, but who lacks the foundational depth to substantiate it beyond narrative convenience/indulgence.
But that's just my opinion though! I know others have found her to be a strong and compelling FMC, with an excellent push-pull dynamic with Kai. I just wasn't feeling it, personally. It also just felt like a reworking of the Hunger Games but with some powers mixed in.
I may come back to this another time as the premise itself isn't too bad and the writing is a nice style of fast-paced.
It's hard to describe why I just couldn't power on. Maybe it's just not what I need at the moment, but I felt like the plot—while lighthearted and predictably fun—had scenes that just felt too cringe and out-of-place for my liking. The premise is straightforward; the writing the strongest aspect of this book— I really enjoyed how witty it was.
Maybe I'll come back to it, but I got to the first intimacy scene and just...couldn't bring myself to continue.
I've had this paused for so long that I think it's just better off as a DNF at this point.
I'll most likely come back to it in future :)
I've had this paused for so long that I think it's got to be a DNF by this point.
I trudged through the first book, and while it was okayish, I just got really bored and can't bring myself to continue the second.