Scan barcode
bringmybooks's reviews
1195 reviews
Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.25
This one gets bumped from “borrow” to “bring” (/buy) because this cover is just too stinkin' cute and I’m fine with that
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Look if they didn’t want us to judge books by their covers then WHY HAVE SUCH CUTE COVERS
But anyways - I liked this one a lot (the banter was *chef’s kiss*), but there was a little tiny something missing that moved it down from a 5 star read to a 4. I thought that Adams did a really good job giving both Annie and Will a lot of backstory and making their relationship seem really plausible, and I absolutely loved the communication. Loved it.
Also worth noting that I’ve seen this author recommended as a closed door author, and while that is still true here, it veers a little towards slightly open door? I’m not sure exactly how to describe it, but it’s not a full fade to black - didn’t bother me, but worth noting if you’re going into it not expecting that.
ANYWHO. Still love Rome, Kentucky, still love these wacky neighbors, still love the Walker family and will definitely be continuing with the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Dementia
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Deep Tide by Laura Griffin
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I was kind of disappointed in this one because I was looking forward to Leyla getting her own story and this just felt kind-of underwhelming. It had way more insta-love than the previous installments, which is already a notch against it, but I also didn’t find myself as compelled to keep reading as I had in the first 3 in the series (finished each in a day!).
All of that being said, I did still enjoy the writing and will continue with the series if Laura Griffin decides to write more!
(Furthermore, I think this was my favorite “climactic moment” of the series - my heart was pounding throughout all of those chapters and I absolutely could not stop reading!)
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Probably my least favorite of the series, but still a fast paced, “fun” read!
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I was kind of disappointed in this one because I was looking forward to Leyla getting her own story and this just felt kind-of underwhelming. It had way more insta-love than the previous installments, which is already a notch against it, but I also didn’t find myself as compelled to keep reading as I had in the first 3 in the series (finished each in a day!).
All of that being said, I did still enjoy the writing and will continue with the series if Laura Griffin decides to write more!
(Furthermore, I think this was my favorite “climactic moment” of the series - my heart was pounding throughout all of those chapters and I absolutely could not stop reading!)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Midnight Dunes by Laura Griffin
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Veering into similar territory as the previous two books, but still an enjoyable read!
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I felt like this one was getting heavier on the romance - and it wouldn’t have bothered me so much if it still had the believability of the previous two, but this is veering into straight intstalove territory, and that’s never bene my favorite.
That being said, I still really liked the plot and I like getting to revisit the same characters from previous books. (Also, when is the female detective going to get her own story?!?)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Stalking
Flight by Laura Griffin
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Really enjoyed this one - thought the plot was really good, didn’t want to put it down (another that I read in a day!), and thought the romance made sense.
My favorite thing in romance is dual POV and Laura Griffin does not disappoint - I loved hearing both Joel & Miranda’s POVs, and thought her being temporarily moved onto the police force made a lot of sense for the plot and added a lot to the believability of the story.
Overall a good second in the series and definitely made me want to keep going!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Ahhh, I love when the second in a series doesn’t disappoint!
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
Really enjoyed this one - thought the plot was really good, didn’t want to put it down (another that I read in a day!), and thought the romance made sense.
My favorite thing in romance is dual POV and Laura Griffin does not disappoint - I loved hearing both Joel & Miranda’s POVs, and thought her being temporarily moved onto the police force made a lot of sense for the plot and added a lot to the believability of the story.
Overall a good second in the series and definitely made me want to keep going!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Violence
Hidden by Laura Griffin
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Romantic Suspense? Sign me up! (Maybe?)
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I had never heard of this author before, nor was I particularly familiar with the subgenre “Romantic Suspense,” but I ended up being pleasantly surprised by both!
I really liked the mystery in this book, and how tightly paced everything was - I read it in one day because I couldn’t bear to put it down!
I also really appreciated that while there were some sexy times, they seemed plausible and did not take over the plot. I really liked their chemistry and I enjoyed seeing how all of that played out.
I also really liked how the story came together in the end! Overall this was a really good read that I highly enjoyed and it got me to either buy or borrow the rest of the series to read as well!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Murder
Minor: Eating disorder
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I liked this book, and I think it’s one that I’ll be able to hold on to a lot of the details for a long time(some 3 star books I just, like, forget?)
The premise was super intriguing, I absolutely didn’t want to put it down (finished in one day!), and thought that the resolution of everything made sense.
…That being said, there were threads that were kind of left hanging and while it feels like that was done intentionally (&sometimes this works in mysteries & thrillers!), in my opinion this left me feeling more deflated than it did intrigued or shocked.
If you need a quick read to bust a slump or get on track with a reading goal, I think this would be a solid choice!
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Look, I’ve only experienced anything resembling insomnia once in my life and it was an incredibly disorienting and scary experience, and this book took me right back to that feeling and frankly I did not like it
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I liked this book, and I think it’s one that I’ll be able to hold on to a lot of the details for a long time(some 3 star books I just, like, forget?)
The premise was super intriguing, I absolutely didn’t want to put it down (finished in one day!), and thought that the resolution of everything made sense.
…That being said, there were threads that were kind of left hanging and while it feels like that was done intentionally (&sometimes this works in mysteries & thrillers!), in my opinion this left me feeling more deflated than it did intrigued or shocked.
If you need a quick read to bust a slump or get on track with a reading goal, I think this would be a solid choice!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Blood
Moderate: Death, Gore, Infidelity, and Murder
Minor: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
This was a stunningly researched and unbearably heartbreaking book based on the grim reality of decades of oppression felt by the Romanian people during the latter half of the 20th century, and while it was hard to read, it also felt really necessary.
I was familiar with a bit of Romanian history prior to reading this book, but after reading this I realized just how much I didn’t know. I have such an appreciation for well researched historical fiction novels because they not only give me an idea of what was happening throughout the time periods & locales they are written in, but also the urge to do research on my own to learn and understand more (and absolutely ALL of Ruta Sepetys' books have done just this).
This book reminded me of Salt to the Sea in that it had short chapters, some choppy (on purpose) sentence structure, and once you were invested (happened at about 50pgs for me), you’re not going to put it down until you finish. (Unlike Salt to the Sea, this book only had one POV.)
100% recommended by me and now maybe I should read Fountains of Silence???
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-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
5.0
One more finished for my #12BooksRecommendedBy12Friends challenge and the further we get into the year the more amazed I am that I haven’t already read some of these books - especially this one.
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
This was a stunningly researched and unbearably heartbreaking book based on the grim reality of decades of oppression felt by the Romanian people during the latter half of the 20th century, and while it was hard to read, it also felt really necessary.
I was familiar with a bit of Romanian history prior to reading this book, but after reading this I realized just how much I didn’t know. I have such an appreciation for well researched historical fiction novels because they not only give me an idea of what was happening throughout the time periods & locales they are written in, but also the urge to do research on my own to learn and understand more (and absolutely ALL of Ruta Sepetys' books have done just this).
This book reminded me of Salt to the Sea in that it had short chapters, some choppy (on purpose) sentence structure, and once you were invested (happened at about 50pgs for me), you’re not going to put it down until you finish. (Unlike Salt to the Sea, this book only had one POV.)
100% recommended by me and now maybe I should read Fountains of Silence???
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
oh man, this one hurts
B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
I loved Every Summer After. Like, LOVED. And while this book was okay (and I really did like some parts of it), it did not have that magical summer feeling of youth that Every Summer After did.
I never really connected with either of the MCs, I didn’t really care about the major present day arc of the story, and a lot of the past stuff seemed to be presented as more dramatic than it actually was - or at least out of proportion with the reasons behind it.
Super bummed because I absolutely could not get enough of Every Summer After and how nostalgic and wonderful that book was. Some of this might be having my expectations too high, but after looking at some of the reviews I feel like I’m not alone in this.
THAT BEING SAID, I will for sure be reading her third book - no questions asked. If there’s even a chance of experiencing the magic of her debut again, I’m going for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death of parent
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Fire/Fire injury
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-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
5.0
tl;dr the hype is (99%) worth it
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
OK SO LOOK
It’s not a perfect book. It’s not a super involved epic fantasy with crazy intense world building. It might not have the character depth that people expect from fantasy novels. It’s New Adult Fantasy Romance, so (while imo better) it’s closer to Maas than it is Rothfuss or Jordan or Martin or Shannon or Kuang.
BUT ALSO LOOK
This book is freaking FUN. It just is! You don’t want to put it down, you’re obsessed with the characters & THE DRAGONS, and you just love it! And sometimes that’s fine! I love finding super engrossing fantasy novels that aren’t going to take me three months to read while referencing maps & character family trees to keep everyone straight.
I genuinely LOVED this book and I LOVED watching it take my bookish communities by storm. I loved talking about this book with so many people, and I truly can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment, and I am SO PSYCHED that we only have to wait until November!!
so yeah, I think you should read it.
Also, it’s #hawt and there are #dragons so #yeah
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I did it, y’all. I DID IT. I read And Then There Were None before someone spoiled it for me!
✨ 𝗕𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 ✨ B̷O̷R̷R̷O̷W̷ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷
To explain further, I became convinced within literal moments of deciding last year that I wanted to read Agatha Christie that someone would spoil her books for me (namely this one & The Murder of Roger Ackroyd) before I could actually read them, thus depriving me of the joy I would have had upon finishing them.
Is there a statute of limitations on spoiling books? Honestly, I think there is. If I happen to off handedly mention the ending of The Great Gatsby, I don’t think I can get blamed for ruining that for you, you know? (Personally I put my limit at 50+ years - if it’s been published prior to 1970, that’s fair game)
ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, I WAS NOT SPOILED AND I AM SO GLAD
Furthermore, take this as your sign to read And Then There Were None if you haven’t already, because this was such a dang fun read and I absolutely loved how everything came together at the end! Loved the setting, loved the characters, loved the plot, loved the writing, LOVE how a mystery book that was written almost 100 years ago could still be so relevant & important to the genre today!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism