bookswithjax's reviews
725 reviews

I wasn’t prepared for this story!! First of all this is one well written novel, (just beautifully written), and it made for such an impactful read. I cried 3-4 times while reading this and I’m not usually a book crier.

I felt like this story was so authentically written from the point of view of an angsty teenage boy. The short sentences, erratic thoughts, bubbling anger, and Ari not understanding any of it, gave this coming of age story legitimacy in my opinion. I have 3 much younger brothers so maybe I found it believable because of my experiences with them. This is a coming of age story, of a young boy discovering who he truly is, and that’s the plot in its entirety. There’s no real climax to the story (although I could argue for their being one) in the traditional sense, but that’s what makes it so good!! Ari and Dante are 17 at the end, heading into their senior years of high school, there is just so much yet to come in their lives, they are still in the beginning stages of their stories and I hope to see what else comes along for them!!

Not all stories are for everyone, so ignore the reviews and give it a shot, with an open mind. If you don’t like it, that’s cool to each their own, but at least you have it a chance. Who knows maybe it will be just the story you needed at just the right time.

I actually enjoyed this read from a historical romance perspective and give it 3.5 stars. As Goodreads doesn’t allow halves I round up. The main characters are believable, and their connection is believable. The story captured my attention and I definitely am now invested in this world of characters, so I’ll be purchasing the novella and the subsequent follow up. I always love when you have a heroine who is out to save herself and a hero who allows her the freedom to try. There’s a lot of political themes and discussions on consent which work well with the premise.

One issue I had... I was distracted by some of the crude language though purely because it just doesn’t fit with the era. I didn’t find it necessary and it stands out like a sore thumb. My guess is that the writer feels like it adds to the steaminess of the sex scenes etc. I also imagine that many people would agree with her, and I could be the odd man out so to speak. I thought the scenes held up well on their own without it and were integrated into the story well. I don’t like books where the story is drowned out by the sex; I prefer story over steaminess.

Anyone thinking about reading this be warned that there are triggering themes. Familial mental and physical abuse are there as well as what I can only presume to be hints at pedophilia and then you have the outright murder of children. The author doesn’t go into too much detail but it’s there.

*Disclaimer: I was gifted this ARC by Hidden Gems for my honest review.

Cobwebs of Youth is a very pleasant story. It starts off slowly and it just rather plods along. I hit chapter 20 and felt like I’d been reading it for days but I was barely 30% into the book. I almost gave up on it, but I pushed through and enjoyed it. I wouldn’t read it again though, the romance between Lara and Rob grated on my nerves after awhile and I’m sorry I can’t imagine my best friend of 20 years ever acting like Jen.

That said there’s something about the story that feel true to life. The character dynamics and how the MC interacts with family, friends, and in relationships feels genuine and realistic, especially as Lara is an artistic type. Her internal monologue and insecurities don’t feel contrived. I do also love that it’s set in England and you get that British feel without the stereotypes.

All in all a very decent read. *Disclaimer I was provided this book by Voracious Readers

This story has me highly conflicted. I actually really like the premise and the characters in this book. I find Aisling to be a strong heroine and the Prince to be a complimentary hero. That said, there are some big writing flaws within the story. The prose is difficult to ignore and the dialogue is stilted and without nuance. I would find myself engrossed in the story only to been jerked out it if by the stilted and simplified writing. It almost felt like it was a translation from another language. The storyline is overly simplified and for a fantasy novel it lacks enough fantasy elements. I think it would make for a really good pre-teen book.

Now that I’ve said all of that, I actually still kind of liked it. Enough that I’ll be reading the sequel. Seems strange I know but even with the weird dialogue I liked the characters.

Technically 3.5 stars. This is my first time reading anything by this author and I have to say it was a cute fun read. I actually really liked that this was narrative story, it worked well. I didn’t love the Game of Thrones-esque comparison, it sort of distracted me. That said Emma and Pierce are a cute, stupid but cute, couple and I loved that Emma got to stand on her own two feet a bit rather than the typical fairytale ending. I mean let’s face it, it’s still a fairytale, that’s why we read these. However she still stays true to her which I thought was great. If you’re looking for something light hearted, fun, and happily ever after this is the book for you.

Disclaimer I received this book as an ARC from Hidden Gems with no obligation of review.

Soooo this was a super hyped up book!! Plus it came in my Owlcrate box. Most of my Owlcrate books are still in my TBR pile, but I opted to read this one for a book club. It took me a few days to get into this one. It’s a really slow burn!

The MC Zafira is a strong huntress who supports her village, but then she’s also a mess of emotions and lacking in confidence. It’s a weird dichotomy, that I don’t generally like. However as I get older I’ve come to realize that, this is real life. People have both strong and weak within them and she became such a relatable character.

Nasir the enemy to love interest character annoyed me. He just wouldn’t do what I wanted him to do. However as the story unfolded the depths of his abuse became clearer and I found myself rooting for his redemption.

The sub characters are all rather interesting and Altair is my favorite. I like that they have back stories and we get peaks into those back stories.

The plot of this book is not a new one, let’s face it 99.9% of all novels boil down to a handful of basic plots and tropes. I’ve seen many people dock We Hunt the Flame for this which I think is silly. This is a quest novel and the author writes a beautiful story with some unique takes, and I was even surprised a few times. I also loved the Arabic theme. By the end I was heavily invested and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

So I’d say 3.5 stars and I recommend for anyone who likes a slow burn. That includes the story and the romance. It picks up in the end, but it takes awhile to get to any fast pacing.

At one point I was so engrossed in this story that I yelled, "HAH I KNEW IT." Then i had to remind myself that I'm a grown adult reading a middle grade book... of course I knew it haha.

That said I love this series, I read the first two books, back to back, in two days. I am completely invested in this world and the story line. I read somewhere that this was signed up as a trilogy but Jessica Townsend has storyline for 9 books. Fingers crossed for more than just 3!!

So no spoilers per usual, however the story building in this world continues and gets more complex and varied. We get more characters and storylines for those characters. I'm feeling legitimate emotions towards characters because I have become fully invested in them. This is how I know these are good books!! It's not quite Harry Potter level, but honestly if I was the target audience for these books I think it definitely would be. I am going to recommend these to my cousin who is 14 immediately because I think these will be fantastic for her. She's just been scraping the surface of not hating to read and I think these might get her fully into the bookish camp (the rest of the family is already haha).

So I highly recommend these for kids 9-15 and then for anyone else over the age of 15 who can appreciate a really well written kids fantasy a la Harry Potter.

So I loved this book!! Seriously loved it! I found myself smiling in places (usually during the romantic parts), and I definitely became highly invested in these characters.

First things first this is a book about a 16 year old girl raised in a magical library, an 18 year old sorcerer who has been raised by a demon for the last 6 years, and that said demon. Anyone complaining about them not acting in accordance with being an adult, or falling in love too fast etc. has forgotten what being a teenager was like!! Seriously take this story within the context of their ages. That said... this is a book filled with common YA tropes, and it’s pretty predictable. That didn’t stop me from enjoying it though!!

So firstly I thought Elisabeth was badass... she is strong, powerful, indecisive, scared, and still figuring out who she is. Basically she is every 16 year old girl!! She never backs down in this story, even when she’s fainting or blacking out she comes back kicking. I kind of loved that she is so powerful and yet vulnerable at the same time. That’s real life.

Nathaniel is a wounded soul, and a bi-sexual one at that. I liked that he was an inclusive character, but it’s mentioned once and it felt a little like, oh let me toss this factoid in there. I would have liked it to have been more than a throw away comment. He’s 18 with the shoulders of Job, and I love him. There’s just something about his relationship with Elisabeth that just made me smile the whole time.

Silas the demon... yeah he steals the show. Seriously though he’s awesome, he’s that redeemable character and he saves the day in the end at the sacrifice of himself. At least his old self. Also he has some of the best lines.

The author gave me a story about a girl who’s love language is books... honestly it’s me!! How could I not love it!!

This book is still magical and wonderful, but it’s my least favorite of the series. I find most people I talk to agree.