Rae

this read like a crackfic so i enjoyed the absolute mayhem - you can tell it didn't take itself that seriously and i love that

the chronicles of "you're not like other omegas"

Larkin is so interesting as a main character, if he had stat points his charisma would be in the negatives. He's determined to the point of stubbornness and is somewhat monotonous when speaking - but he's also deeply empathetic, he cares about people especially when they're hurting. Doyle is everything I want in an actual, real life partner - grounded, charming and reliable (being tall and having an attractive voice doesn't hurt either). In the audiobook, whenever Doyle calls Larkin "Evie" I swoon.

I went into this not knowing Larkin was married (I don't like cheating plotlines because I hate feeling guilty for rooting for the main characters) but I pushed through and surprisingly enjoyed it, especially when accompanied by the audiobook.

100% agree with the fact that Larkin and Noah no longer fit together - they had problems waaay before Doyle came into the picture, he was just the catalyst. The "cheating" (more emotional than physical) wasn't necessarily at the forefront of the plot, it was more like it highlighted the underlying issues Larkin needed to confront - facts about himself, his perceptions and his relationship that he'd either buried or overlooked. I do feel for both Larkin and Noah; I honestly don't think Noah is coming from a place of true malice but I can see how, in his eyes, Larkin's attitude towards him had pushed him to react the way he does.

I had to remind myself that this all took place over 2-3 days, the pacing made it feel like weeks had passed. The crime-solving was interesting as well, I enjoyed reading about the other characters and how they fit into the story. Each only had a few pages dedicated to them but they felt real- flawed and so very human (human enough that I wanted to reach in and sock some characters in the jaw).

It was a good time and I finished it all in a day - I'm looking forward to picking up the next one.

m/m cozy chef simulator

2.5(?)

mary sue love interest – i just wanted to read about a femdom relationship LMAO

3.5

3.5 ★ ★ ★ ☆ while i do like penny i think the real highlight is emery, since we actually got his perspective i think i connected with him a lot more than with darius.my quip is that they got touchy pretty quickly - it was kinda abrupt actually - i get it depicts how compatible they are to be dual-mages but it was just fast for me.

3.5 ★ ★ ★ ☆ after 3 books i'm pretty attached to the main cast of characters - darius though, he's pretty much an accessory to me

when the main character uses words like badassery, bejeebus, tater tits and lady bits- it pretty much sets up the trajectory of the rest of the book.

but if you unclench and embrace the cringe, it's a fun time.

at her core, reagan is a tier 1 rage baiter

pushing historical accuracy and scientific plausibility aside, it wasn't the worst time travel book i've read but it did have a fair amount of ???? moments. definitely didn't have to be a series though, this could've easily been one book.

2.5 ★ ★ ☆ it peaked in the beginning and then just rolled downhill from there - the characters and the world itself were full of inconsistenciessometimes matt's naivete and hubris is fitting for a young teen (13-16 y/o), but then he suddenly has the prowess and insight of a grown man with years of experience. the relationships felt kind of performative too, i understand the want to show strong bonds between the characters, but their speech and interactions seemed unnatural.there's also the lack of an end goal. i thought it was gonna be about growing stronger to confront the noble family that neglected his home world but that gets rectified without him having to take any action. events just happen for the sake of things showing the progression of time, none of it builds into an overarching story.the most engaging part was the first quarter of the book, when he was building his strength, but then he has everything spoon-fed to him later through pseudo-nepotism.

the backend of the book felt like a starwars opening crawl - we just kept getting exposition.

i did appreciate how both susan and olix (mostly) respected their cultural differences and practices though - it also got points for not having them fall in love (or lust) after the first meeting.

The premise was interesting enough, but I wasn't truly invested in any of the characters or the world building - honestly that's probably why it felt so slow to actually get to the end for me.

a touch-starved necromancer with social anxiety falls for a paladin strapped with a hero complex.

cozy but kinda forgettable (also, for a previous black ops member, theo is really nice - debilitatingly so).

3.5

3.5

3.5

3.5

3.5

3.5

alina is the embodiment of "curiosity killed the cat"

🎧 loved the narrators for the audiobook - this is for the ascended astarion girlies

i believe the audiobook differs from the actual book as it removes the sexual assult near the back end of the book and rewrites the ending slightly - that's how i chose to consume it, rounding up my rating :)

that cooking competition was goofy as hell, which pretty much reflected how far the guardian's have fallen from their origins. also, i'm so over mmcs leaving fmcs behind without actually communicating how they felt.

if i'm being completely honest i could've done without charity's story, but i guess they needed a more concrete way to tie the shifters and the fae into the overarching story.

as individuals, they don't interest me much; charity reminds me of a less entertaining penny and devon is a moodier, more juvenile version of rodger.

but i do like them together, both headstrong and stubborn so they clash a lot. plus i like the pack dynamics as well, andy especially (i have a soft spot for the comedic relief).

also devon's mood swings gave me whiplash, but then i remembered that these characters are younger (still in uni - so like 20 or so).