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booksbytheglass's reviews
851 reviews
The Chase by Elle Kennedy
lighthearted
fast-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
sadly, this is my least favorite of the off-campus / briar university series š and I was so ready to love quirky extrovert summer!! however, the tropes were not my cup of teaā¦
after meeting summer in the off-campus series, I was beyond ready to peak into her life (and it didnāt disappoint!) š„¹ we stan extroverted princesses who are both beauty and brains!!!
fitz, on the other hand, annoyed me to no end š„“ he refused to actually speak his feelings, yet seemed to hold everyone else accountable for them. especially when he demanded that summer not date anyone else but didnāt even tell her that he liked her (even as a friend!) - and yes, we discover the roots behind this but it also showed that fitz didnāt WANT to change and help himself for the better š« š«
summer could do so much better!!! and not with hunter either - that was an unnecessary drama tooā¦
I just wasnāt a fan overall as it seemed to use all of the stereotypical tropes when it comes to a āparty princessā and a ātattooed video gamerā (when fitz and summer were so much more!) - and when they seemed to do a 180 towards the end of the book and become completely different people??
overall, this was a very surface level romance for me!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: california sparkling wine
after meeting summer in the off-campus series, I was beyond ready to peak into her life (and it didnāt disappoint!) š„¹ we stan extroverted princesses who are both beauty and brains!!!
fitz, on the other hand, annoyed me to no end š„“ he refused to actually speak his feelings, yet seemed to hold everyone else accountable for them. especially when he demanded that summer not date anyone else but didnāt even tell her that he liked her (even as a friend!) - and yes, we discover the roots behind this but it also showed that fitz didnāt WANT to change and help himself for the better š« š«
summer could do so much better!!! and not with hunter either - that was an unnecessary drama tooā¦
I just wasnāt a fan overall as it seemed to use all of the stereotypical tropes when it comes to a āparty princessā and a ātattooed video gamerā (when fitz and summer were so much more!) - and when they seemed to do a 180 towards the end of the book and become completely different people??
overall, this was a very surface level romance for me!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: california sparkling wine
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual assault
House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
4.0
the first 25% of this book was the lady with the math symbol meme, and the latter 75% of this book was PAIN!!! why was I sobbing for half of this entire story my goodness
everyone warned me about the world building aspects, but coming from game of thrones, I was prepared with my tabs š« and as someone who genuinely loves world building to understand the politics, I really got into it!!!
the urban aspects threw me at first, but I got used to it quicker than I anticipated š«”
bryce and danikaās friendship is by far my favorite fantasy duo of all time š„¹ I cried every time they were in a scene together it was so much love and genuine support for each other
and while Iām firmly not a hunt stan at the moment due to āØ that moment āØ towards the end of the book, I do think that him and bryce are made for each other!! and lil baby ruhn deserves the world š„¹š„¹
due to the slow pace and length of the book, I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in depth and what makes them who they are at their core! and of course, SJM always does a fantastic job at that
Iām not as emotionally invested in this series as I was with ACOTAR or TOG just yet (yes even though I bawled 500 times), but Iām so happy to have these characters in my life now!!
thank you delaney for putting up with my psychotic screaming comments during our buddy read š«¶š¼
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: napa valley merlot
everyone warned me about the world building aspects, but coming from game of thrones, I was prepared with my tabs š« and as someone who genuinely loves world building to understand the politics, I really got into it!!!
the urban aspects threw me at first, but I got used to it quicker than I anticipated š«”
bryce and danikaās friendship is by far my favorite fantasy duo of all time š„¹ I cried every time they were in a scene together it was so much love and genuine support for each other
and while Iām firmly not a hunt stan at the moment due to āØ that moment āØ towards the end of the book, I do think that him and bryce are made for each other!! and lil baby ruhn deserves the world š„¹š„¹
due to the slow pace and length of the book, I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in depth and what makes them who they are at their core! and of course, SJM always does a fantastic job at that
Iām not as emotionally invested in this series as I was with ACOTAR or TOG just yet (yes even though I bawled 500 times), but Iām so happy to have these characters in my life now!!
thank you delaney for putting up with my psychotic screaming comments during our buddy read š«¶š¼
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: napa valley merlot
There Should Have Been Eight by Nalini Singh
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I... was so ready to get invested in this one, but sadly, I never really got sucked in like I wanted to! the first third of the book was more of a friendship / family drama rather than a mystery, and I was super bored by the unnecessary plot points. it just seemed like the group was trying to hang onto old memories, including their unalived friend, instead of making new ones and trying to mend.
other than kaea, I also felt that the characters were superficial in a way that we never really got to know the heart of who they were ... even the narrator had an unnecessary storyline about her health that literally never panned out in the slightest. I just didn't understand what the point of backstories are if they're not utilized.
once the thriller portions of the story started happening around the halfway mark of the book, I just didn't really care anymore? and in my opinion, the person behind it all was super obvious just based on process of elimination - so that the "shocking" ending wasn't shocking at all. I just wanted more from this one!! it had so much potential to be good, but sadly, it fell victim to the overused thriller tropes and too obvious plot twists.
thank you to netgalley and berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: napa valley merlot
other than kaea, I also felt that the characters were superficial in a way that we never really got to know the heart of who they were ... even the narrator had an unnecessary storyline about her health that literally never panned out in the slightest. I just didn't understand what the point of backstories are if they're not utilized.
once the thriller portions of the story started happening around the halfway mark of the book, I just didn't really care anymore? and in my opinion, the person behind it all was super obvious just based on process of elimination - so that the "shocking" ending wasn't shocking at all. I just wanted more from this one!! it had so much potential to be good, but sadly, it fell victim to the overused thriller tropes and too obvious plot twists.
thank you to netgalley and berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: napa valley merlot
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-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
4.5
I ā¦ need to collect my thoughts because this was a RIDE!!! I definitely felt like this could have been divided into two separate books since we got to part two and I was already exhausted my goodness
this one started almost exactly where the previous left off, which I so appreciate, and being thrust into the world again was a perfect way to suck the reader back in! seeing violet, xaden, rhiannon, ridoc and imogen was like hugging a childhood friend š„° I missed them all so much!!!
and after all of the theories bouncing around the internet, I was so happy to see that some were accurate but rebecca yarros found a way to still surprise us!! the blend between war conflict, personal drama, and romance was *chef kiss* š®āšØ even with a slow paced plot, and an easy drag in the middle, it didnāt feel like 650 pages at all!
my favorite part, as always, was the dragons!!! I would risk it all for andarna (and taken of course) š they are just so wonderful and uniquely written AND YES I WANT A PET DRAGON OKAY
the ending felt like a cop out, in my opinion, as it seemed like rebecca yarros didnāt really know how to end and just wanted a shocking cliffhanger. BUT I am excited to see where it goes from here and the possible stories we could get into!!
this is a spoiler free review & as always, if you want to discuss, my dms are open!
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: rioja red blend
this one started almost exactly where the previous left off, which I so appreciate, and being thrust into the world again was a perfect way to suck the reader back in! seeing violet, xaden, rhiannon, ridoc and imogen was like hugging a childhood friend š„° I missed them all so much!!!
and after all of the theories bouncing around the internet, I was so happy to see that some were accurate but rebecca yarros found a way to still surprise us!! the blend between war conflict, personal drama, and romance was *chef kiss* š®āšØ even with a slow paced plot, and an easy drag in the middle, it didnāt feel like 650 pages at all!
my favorite part, as always, was the dragons!!! I would risk it all for andarna (and taken of course) š they are just so wonderful and uniquely written AND YES I WANT A PET DRAGON OKAY
the ending felt like a cop out, in my opinion, as it seemed like rebecca yarros didnāt really know how to end and just wanted a shocking cliffhanger. BUT I am excited to see where it goes from here and the possible stories we could get into!!
this is a spoiler free review & as always, if you want to discuss, my dms are open!
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: rioja red blend
Powerless by Elsie Silver
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
okay please the chestnut springs men can GET IT š®āšØ first I thought rhett would be a new book boyfriend, and then there was daddy cade (say less), and now sweet and caring jasper??? like are we kidding???
this was easily my favorite of the series so far - and it was mostly due to the fact that we got healthy dancer rep! Iām super sick and tired of seeing unhealthy ballerina stereotypes and incorrect representation of life as a professional dancer (as one myself) š„°š„°
(except for the scenes where she was given the half season off to plan a wedding and could just get hired back for the next season like it was no biggie LOL)
but what I loved the best was how well sloane and jasper just knew each other!! from rubbing feet after performances on pointe, to sitting BEHIND the goal instead of being in a box far away, I was squealing the entire time!!
I just love watching two people overcome their own insecurities together and tear down everyone holding them back š„¹š„¹
thank you to netgalley and bloom for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!! read this series!!!!
rating: an easy 5 stars!!!!
wine pairing: niagara on the lake cabernet franc
this was easily my favorite of the series so far - and it was mostly due to the fact that we got healthy dancer rep! Iām super sick and tired of seeing unhealthy ballerina stereotypes and incorrect representation of life as a professional dancer (as one myself) š„°š„°
(except for the scenes where she was given the half season off to plan a wedding and could just get hired back for the next season like it was no biggie LOL)
but what I loved the best was how well sloane and jasper just knew each other!! from rubbing feet after performances on pointe, to sitting BEHIND the goal instead of being in a box far away, I was squealing the entire time!!
I just love watching two people overcome their own insecurities together and tear down everyone holding them back š„¹š„¹
thank you to netgalley and bloom for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!! read this series!!!!
rating: an easy 5 stars!!!!
wine pairing: niagara on the lake cabernet franc
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ruth ware is a firmly a hit or miss author for me - and sadly, this one was just okay š„“ it dragged on for an insanely long time, and even for a 350 page book, I felt about half of it could have been cut
this definitely gave death on the nile vibes, which I loved, and the characters were just the right amounts of secretive. however, I saw the whodunnit from miles away (and again, I fully chalk this up to the fact that I live and breathe thrillers) š« š« the signs just all pointed to the one person
and MC lauren was dumber than a bag of rocks I swearā¦ she was so quick to leave everything and everyone for this job opportunity on the cruise, and then all of a sudden was ready to ditch her jobā¦ her motives just didnāt make the most sense to me
I just wished this was a little more fast-paced and heart-pounding, rather than āletās analyze every single detail of this mystery and talk it outā
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: greek assyrtiko
this definitely gave death on the nile vibes, which I loved, and the characters were just the right amounts of secretive. however, I saw the whodunnit from miles away (and again, I fully chalk this up to the fact that I live and breathe thrillers) š« š« the signs just all pointed to the one person
and MC lauren was dumber than a bag of rocks I swearā¦ she was so quick to leave everything and everyone for this job opportunity on the cruise, and then all of a sudden was ready to ditch her jobā¦ her motives just didnāt make the most sense to me
I just wished this was a little more fast-paced and heart-pounding, rather than āletās analyze every single detail of this mystery and talk it outā
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: greek assyrtiko
The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
everyoneās mediocre reviews had me SO nervous going into this one! the inheritance games is such a great YA mystery series - and I was satisfied with the way it ended - so of course, I was a little wary when JLB decided to continue the seriesā¦
but in JLB we trust!!! this one was just as good (if not better) than the original trilogy š„°š«”
my biggest complaint about the inheritance games was the āpick meā attitude of avery, especially between the love triangle of her, grayson and jameson š so I was elated that she was not the main focus of this one
AND INSTEAD: my four hawthorne siblings are finally getting what they deserve!! weāre talking flashbacks, men with emotions, mysteries about their fathers, and so many shenanigans!! and I loved every second of it
by dividing the POVs between jameson and grayson, we got two completely separate stories that were equally as engaging and entertaining! I could read about these brothers all day long š„¹š«”
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: california sparkling wine
but in JLB we trust!!! this one was just as good (if not better) than the original trilogy š„°š«”
my biggest complaint about the inheritance games was the āpick meā attitude of avery, especially between the love triangle of her, grayson and jameson š so I was elated that she was not the main focus of this one
AND INSTEAD: my four hawthorne siblings are finally getting what they deserve!! weāre talking flashbacks, men with emotions, mysteries about their fathers, and so many shenanigans!! and I loved every second of it
by dividing the POVs between jameson and grayson, we got two completely separate stories that were equally as engaging and entertaining! I could read about these brothers all day long š„¹š«”
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: california sparkling wine
Leave No Trace by A.J. Landau
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
2.5
I was super engrossed in this one from the start! it gave me designated survivor vibes with the government conspiracy and race again time to stop it!
however, it got progressively slower and more boring as the plot continued. instead of intensity, the storyline was repetitive and predictable š¤·š¼āāļø and maybe thatās because Iāve read so many thriller books and watched so many spy moviesā¦
BUT, other than gina (who was the backbone of this entire story), I would have liked to see more likable characters. I didnāt feel invested in them at all, and the ones that I felt a pull to (like danny) were quickly shoved to the side and never mentioned again.
this book could definitely have used some editing when it came to the details of the science and technology, making the dialogue seem more ātellingā rather than āshowingā
thank you to minotaur books for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! this oneās out in february!
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: napa valley merlot
however, it got progressively slower and more boring as the plot continued. instead of intensity, the storyline was repetitive and predictable š¤·š¼āāļø and maybe thatās because Iāve read so many thriller books and watched so many spy moviesā¦
BUT, other than gina (who was the backbone of this entire story), I would have liked to see more likable characters. I didnāt feel invested in them at all, and the ones that I felt a pull to (like danny) were quickly shoved to the side and never mentioned again.
this book could definitely have used some editing when it came to the details of the science and technology, making the dialogue seem more ātellingā rather than āshowingā
thank you to minotaur books for sending me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! this oneās out in february!
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: napa valley merlot
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.5
crying in h mart? more like crying in my jeep renegade
I listened to this in the span of like two days because I couldnāt stop listening to her riveting story and voice okay š„¹
as someone who lost a parent recently, this memoir actually made me smile and laugh at the things that may seem weird or silly to someone not going through trauma or grief - but were 100% relatable to me. it was healing, perfect, and so eye opening to not only other cultures and differences, but at the end of the day, how grief makes us all similar together ā¤ļø
if youāve lost someone close to you, this oneās for you!!
I listened to this in the span of like two days because I couldnāt stop listening to her riveting story and voice okay š„¹
as someone who lost a parent recently, this memoir actually made me smile and laugh at the things that may seem weird or silly to someone not going through trauma or grief - but were 100% relatable to me. it was healing, perfect, and so eye opening to not only other cultures and differences, but at the end of the day, how grief makes us all similar together ā¤ļø
if youāve lost someone close to you, this oneās for you!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent