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buffyreads's reviews
497 reviews
Sleepless Volume 2 by Sarah Vaughn
4.0
The Good
This story continued the fast pace of the first volume! The art was beautiful and the romance was subtle yet so sweet. The plot lines were wrapped up nicely.
The Bad
The shortness of this story does leave something to be desired. I didn't even remember who the character who was exposed to be the big villain was. The apology from the King also felt like a shift in personality. He would marry her to a man who tried to kill her because there wasn't enough evidence but suddenly lets her go now that he finds out the truth? It felt rushed.
Format:
Ebook — Libby
The Rating
I give this book a 4/5
This story continued the fast pace of the first volume! The art was beautiful and the romance was subtle yet so sweet. The plot lines were wrapped up nicely.
The Bad
The shortness of this story does leave something to be desired. I didn't even remember who the character who was exposed to be the big villain was. The apology from the King also felt like a shift in personality. He would marry her to a man who tried to kill her because there wasn't enough evidence but suddenly lets her go now that he finds out the truth? It felt rushed.
Format:
Ebook — Libby
The Rating
I give this book a 4/5
Can't Escape Love by Alyssa Cole
4.0
The Good
I loved both Reggie and Gus so much! I wish this was a full length book because they both were so interesting to read about and their relationship was so sweet and full of understanding. Two nerds in their own ways with their own differences falling in love.
The Bad
I really wish this was a full novel and not a novella because the dynamic between Reggie, her sister, and her family was super complex and I wish we got to see that more.
The Rating
I give this book a 4/5
I loved both Reggie and Gus so much! I wish this was a full length book because they both were so interesting to read about and their relationship was so sweet and full of understanding. Two nerds in their own ways with their own differences falling in love.
The Bad
I really wish this was a full novel and not a novella because the dynamic between Reggie, her sister, and her family was super complex and I wish we got to see that more.
The Rating
I give this book a 4/5
Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory
4.0
Characters:
Olivia is a lawyer, very confident and ambitious. A character trait she had that annoyed me is she constantly made assumptions about everything, and not based on people's actual behavior but her idea of them in her head. She got much better when her walls began to go down. Max is a US senator who is impulsive, empathetic, self-assured and a huge romantic. I loved how open and genuine he was. He wore his heart on his sleeve and loved wholeheartedly. He however is also incredibly impulsive and didn't think through his decisions and their effects on Olivia.
Plot:
This book focuses in their romance and connection so much through simply dating. It's super different from a lot of contemporary romance where people fall in love without dating at all. I loved seeing their feelings grow. I love that their conflict was realistic and not based on miscommunications or misunderstandings.
Secret Sauce:
I love that we see them actually dating and determining if they like each other. There's so much insta-love or insta-lust in other romance books that this stood out. Max is an incredible male lead I adore him.
Rating: I give this book a 4/5
Olivia is a lawyer, very confident and ambitious. A character trait she had that annoyed me is she constantly made assumptions about everything, and not based on people's actual behavior but her idea of them in her head. She got much better when her walls began to go down. Max is a US senator who is impulsive, empathetic, self-assured and a huge romantic. I loved how open and genuine he was. He wore his heart on his sleeve and loved wholeheartedly. He however is also incredibly impulsive and didn't think through his decisions and their effects on Olivia.
Plot:
This book focuses in their romance and connection so much through simply dating. It's super different from a lot of contemporary romance where people fall in love without dating at all. I loved seeing their feelings grow. I love that their conflict was realistic and not based on miscommunications or misunderstandings.
Secret Sauce:
I love that we see them actually dating and determining if they like each other. There's so much insta-love or insta-lust in other romance books that this stood out. Max is an incredible male lead I adore him.
Rating: I give this book a 4/5
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
3.0
Characters:
I like Dani as a character but I don't usually like the whole "character that hates romance falls in love" archetype. I do find the reversal interesting because it's usually the male love interest that has this characterization but here it's flipped. Zafir is an amazing male lead. I love that he also (like me) loves romance books. He's also unafraid to love even though he has grieved so much.
Plot:
I usually like fake-dating even though it is such a heavily used trope. Pairing a romantic with someone who only wants physical relationships with romantic isn't something I usually like to read but I was willing to give it a chance since I liked the first book in this series and how it elevates parts of tropes that frustrate me. I couldn't really get over it thought and I actually wanted Zafir to stick to his guns about what be wanted. I do understand Dani though and her past pain so I can't blame her.
Secret Sauce:
Hibbert is so great at making characters that feel like real people. This couple had great chemistry together and I felt a good connection between them.
Rating: I give this book a 3/5
I like Dani as a character but I don't usually like the whole "character that hates romance falls in love" archetype. I do find the reversal interesting because it's usually the male love interest that has this characterization but here it's flipped. Zafir is an amazing male lead. I love that he also (like me) loves romance books. He's also unafraid to love even though he has grieved so much.
Plot:
I usually like fake-dating even though it is such a heavily used trope. Pairing a romantic with someone who only wants physical relationships with romantic isn't something I usually like to read but I was willing to give it a chance since I liked the first book in this series and how it elevates parts of tropes that frustrate me. I couldn't really get over it thought and I actually wanted Zafir to stick to his guns about what be wanted. I do understand Dani though and her past pain so I can't blame her.
Secret Sauce:
Hibbert is so great at making characters that feel like real people. This couple had great chemistry together and I felt a good connection between them.
Rating: I give this book a 3/5
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Characters:
I liked how real Feyre felt. She wasn't overly impulsive but she also had her own rage that came out at times. I however didn't enjoy her utter powerlessness at every moment in the story. She occasionally was badass but throughout so much of the story she is actionless or making naive decisions. Her guilt and self-flagellation was annoying as well. I love the grumpy and serious lead trope so I loved Tamlin. He was a complex character and put under a terrible curse. I loved how much of an asshole Lucien is. His backstory was sad but I loved his bluntness and loyalty. Rhysand was very scary and he gave me the creeps. But he had his desires and a backbone.
Plot:
I felt like Feyre's escape plans were silly but I admired her trying. The book had a real beauty and the beast vibes which was made better by the plot twist. I feel like Tamlin is very stupid and selfish for sending her away. It feels like a plot hole. The last 25% wasn't very fun for me. It was a sudden shift in the story being told and I didn't like the trials. The ending was good though.
Secret Sauce:
The world-building was very interesting. I haven't read many fae/fairy books where I've really felt invested in the world but this was good. Once the hostility was gone, Tamlin and Feyre had great chemistry. They understood each other well so I understood why they connected. I have complaints about the last 1/4 of the book but the ending was satisfying.
Rating:
I give this book a 4/5
4.0
Ra's Mini Review!~
Characters:
I liked how real Feyre felt. She wasn't overly impulsive but she also had her own rage that came out at times. I however didn't enjoy her utter powerlessness at every moment in the story. She occasionally was badass but throughout so much of the story she is actionless or making naive decisions. Her guilt and self-flagellation was annoying as well. I love the grumpy and serious lead trope so I loved Tamlin. He was a complex character and put under a terrible curse. I loved how much of an asshole Lucien is. His backstory was sad but I loved his bluntness and loyalty. Rhysand was very scary and he gave me the creeps. But he had his desires and a backbone.
Plot:
I felt like Feyre's escape plans were silly but I admired her trying. The book had a real beauty and the beast vibes which was made better by the plot twist. I feel like Tamlin is very stupid and selfish for sending her away. It feels like a plot hole. The last 25% wasn't very fun for me. It was a sudden shift in the story being told and I didn't like the trials. The ending was good though.
Secret Sauce:
The world-building was very interesting. I haven't read many fae/fairy books where I've really felt invested in the world but this was good. Once the hostility was gone, Tamlin and Feyre had great chemistry. They understood each other well so I understood why they connected. I have complaints about the last 1/4 of the book but the ending was satisfying.
Rating:
I give this book a 4/5
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
3.0
The Good
This book is a slow start and if I didn't like the characters especially the main character I probably wouldn't have finished it. I loved Bri. She is so caring and so smart. She both fights her power and wants to embrace it. I related to how socially awkward she was. I also loved Bri's moms! They loved and cared for her so much and complemented each other. Marie was interesting from her very first appearance and she is a bit haunting and creepy.
The Bad
One thing that annoyed me about this book was how Bri was sometimes confused or brushed off the existence of magic. She makes plants grow with her mind and they move with her presence and somehow magic isn't the first thing she thinks of? I was super interested in the magic system in this book but felt like it took so long to get any answers. 70% through the book the audience and Bri barely know anything and every interesting character doesn't tell us anything. It was probably supposed to build suspense but it just annoyed me. The romance was very insta-love and not even in a fun way. Marie and Bri barely interact in any meaningful way and do not cultivate a bond at all. I think the author should have had her take more of the friend role so this could a friends to lover type situation and show a buildup rather than them just liking each other based on looks and vibe.
Format:
Libby — Audiobook
The Rating
I give this book a 3/5
This book is a slow start and if I didn't like the characters especially the main character I probably wouldn't have finished it. I loved Bri. She is so caring and so smart. She both fights her power and wants to embrace it. I related to how socially awkward she was. I also loved Bri's moms! They loved and cared for her so much and complemented each other. Marie was interesting from her very first appearance and she is a bit haunting and creepy.
The Bad
One thing that annoyed me about this book was how Bri was sometimes confused or brushed off the existence of magic. She makes plants grow with her mind and they move with her presence and somehow magic isn't the first thing she thinks of? I was super interested in the magic system in this book but felt like it took so long to get any answers. 70% through the book the audience and Bri barely know anything and every interesting character doesn't tell us anything. It was probably supposed to build suspense but it just annoyed me. The romance was very insta-love and not even in a fun way. Marie and Bri barely interact in any meaningful way and do not cultivate a bond at all. I think the author should have had her take more of the friend role so this could a friends to lover type situation and show a buildup rather than them just liking each other based on looks and vibe.
Format:
Libby — Audiobook
The Rating
I give this book a 3/5