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cassroberts89's reviews
468 reviews
This Spells Love by Kate Robb
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was really enjoying it at first, but I kept waiting for the part where she actually gets back to her own timeline. She was only trying to get a kiss for the spell, but at one point it’s like the spell, and the reason for it, had left her brain altogether.
I really don’t see this as a friend-to-lovers romance. Like, at all. We barely got a peek into Gemma and Dax’s friendship in the real world. In the new timeline, he doesn’t even know who she is. How can they have started as friends if they basically started as flirting/dating? And if she intended to go back to her own timeline and pursue Dax, why did she jump his bones?? She’s experiencing all the newness of their sexual relationship here, and then she will, what, go back and do it all over again with the real Dax? I feel like that’s just asking for some kind of weird emotional/sexual tension and confusion. Something about it just feels icky.
As a regular old love story, it was really not bad for a debut. There were just some weird things about the timeline. Robb’s writing style is light and fun and made for a quick read. I might grab another by her at the library to see if her writing improves.
Solid three stars.
I really don’t see this as a friend-to-lovers romance. Like, at all. We barely got a peek into Gemma and Dax’s friendship in the real world. In the new timeline, he doesn’t even know who she is. How can they have started as friends if they basically started as flirting/dating? And if she intended to go back to her own timeline and pursue Dax, why did she jump his bones?? She’s experiencing all the newness of their sexual relationship here, and then she will, what, go back and do it all over again with the real Dax? I feel like that’s just asking for some kind of weird emotional/sexual tension and confusion. Something about it just feels icky.
As a regular old love story, it was really not bad for a debut. There were just some weird things about the timeline. Robb’s writing style is light and fun and made for a quick read. I might grab another by her at the library to see if her writing improves.
Solid three stars.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
So cute! I absolutely adored Dead Romantics and completely forgot Poston had another book until this hold showed up on my kindle. I loved in nearly as much. There were just a couple of minor errors that an editor probably missed, but I can’t wait for her next book!
The Magician's Daughter by H.G. Parry
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
Wonderful! I did not realize when I started this that it was YA (bought about a year ago and shelved it, oops). I enjoyed it quite a bit anyway. I think my teen would love it too. It’s giving Howl’s Moving Castle vibes.
The Five Year Lie by Sarina Bowen
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Couldn’t put it down! Thank you to Goodreads and the publisher for the giveaway ARC.
Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-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? No
4.0
1996 by Kirsty McManus
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
That was cute! I almost DNFed right away because, honestly, the writing isn’t exactly top notch. I’m glad I didn’t though. It was a great, light, fun read when I’ve been reading some pretty heavy topics lately. I was even invested enough to try to get the next book in the series, but my library doesn’t have it 🤷🏻♀️
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is one of those times that I wish I had reviewed this right away. I had a lot to say, and now it’s gone to the same place as my missing stray socks. I know I loved it. I know it went a lot deeper than a simple vampire story. This was also one of those rare times where I didn’t particularly like the main character, but I still found myself rooting for her and enjoying the book.
Introverted Mom: Your Guide to More Calm, Less Guilt, and Quiet Joy by Jamie C. Martin
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
I should have paid more attention. I was looking for new homeschool mom “professional development” material, and this came up when I was searching for secular books. It’s clearly not. If you are Christian and are looking for a book with a heavy emphasis on faith, this is good. It started out great actually. But there was little practical application and much inspirational fluff. Since the inspirational fluff became increasingly faith-based, I found that not much of it really helped me personally. Your mileage may vary.
The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 50%.
Full disclosure: I’ve made it halfway through, but set it back on the shelf for now.
I can’t decide how to feel about this book, but definitely heed all content warnings. It’s a heavy one. I appreciate some of the family dynamics, particularly between the sisters (up until a certain act that I can’t get on board with), but there’s not a while lot else that’s positive in this story. It’s extremely depressing. Granted, the subject matter is depressing at best and horrifying at worst. But it makes for a difficult read when it feels like there’s no point or there’s no hope. Maybe I need to read further, but a quick skim doesn’t reveal much either.
That’s not to say this is not well written. The fact that I am so affected is probably a good indicator of the writing quality. I just needed to set it aside for something lighter. Will update if and when I finish.
I can’t decide how to feel about this book, but definitely heed all content warnings. It’s a heavy one. I appreciate some of the family dynamics, particularly between the sisters (up until a certain act that I can’t get on board with), but there’s not a while lot else that’s positive in this story. It’s extremely depressing. Granted, the subject matter is depressing at best and horrifying at worst. But it makes for a difficult read when it feels like there’s no point or there’s no hope. Maybe I need to read further, but a quick skim doesn’t reveal much either.
That’s not to say this is not well written. The fact that I am so affected is probably a good indicator of the writing quality. I just needed to set it aside for something lighter. Will update if and when I finish.
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
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
4.0
Homeschool read-aloud.
Well, I liked this more than my kids did. They thought it was alright and seemed interested enough while reading it, though. I liked seeing how much Esperanza grew over the course of her time in the worker’s camp—and the little hint of potential romance between her and her long-time friend, Miguel. They’ll have some work to do going from such different classes in Mexico to being basically at the same level in the U.S.
Well, I liked this more than my kids did. They thought it was alright and seemed interested enough while reading it, though. I liked seeing how much Esperanza grew over the course of her time in the worker’s camp—and the little hint of potential romance between her and her long-time friend, Miguel. They’ll have some work to do going from such different classes in Mexico to being basically at the same level in the U.S.