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claragweny's reviews
184 reviews
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
Oh, this book had me kicking my feet! Elias is so surly and simultaneously charming I couldn't help but love him as an MMC. Dora is so witty and brave despite being "emotionless". I love how little she cares for the whims of men and society in general.
Mostly, what I love about this book is that these are real faeries. Like William Shakespeare faeries. "Don't give them your name" kind of faeries. They're evil and wicked and so, so not human.
I ate this book up so fast that I just knew I was going to read the whole series immediately after finishing.
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
"I did not come here only to dance. I came here only to dance with you. It is quite a different thing."
Oh, this book had me kicking my feet! Elias is so surly and simultaneously charming I couldn't help but love him as an MMC. Dora is so witty and brave despite being "emotionless". I love how little she cares for the whims of men and society in general.
Mostly, what I love about this book is that these are real faeries. Like William Shakespeare faeries. "Don't give them your name" kind of faeries. They're evil and wicked and so, so not human.
I ate this book up so fast that I just knew I was going to read the whole series immediately after finishing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Trafficking, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, and Death of parent
A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley
This book didn't draw my attention on its own. It was a book club read, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It was really funny but also quite heartfelt at times. Mariel is plagued with self-doubt after being essentially gaslit (i.e., abused) by her family for her magical abilities for years. Her only desires are to be allowed to flourish among her plants and find peace in acceptance. Mariel is an incredibly relatable character despite being non-human, existing in a fictional universe, and "fake dating" a demon.
Now the critiques, I'm not sure I'd even call this a fake dating trope. You're hardly into the book before it seemed to be that their "fake dating" moved into declarations of love. Quick for a book with the title "A Witches Guide to Fake Dating a Demon" in my mind.
My only other critique is that despite this being adult fiction it reads very YA to me. Mariel could very well be a mature 18/19 and not headed to grad school.
Overall, this was a really fun start to the year! I laughed a lot and enjoyed Mariel's blossoming story (and showing her family who's the boss!!).
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
3.75
"What Mariel wanted was to feel like less of a failure. She wanted flowers and muffins and the contentment of being exactly enough for someone."
"Trust literal demons to be kinder to their children than the American education system."
This book didn't draw my attention on its own. It was a book club read, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. It was really funny but also quite heartfelt at times. Mariel is plagued with self-doubt after being essentially gaslit (i.e., abused) by her family for her magical abilities for years. Her only desires are to be allowed to flourish among her plants and find peace in acceptance. Mariel is an incredibly relatable character despite being non-human, existing in a fictional universe, and "fake dating" a demon.
Now the critiques, I'm not sure I'd even call this a fake dating trope. You're hardly into the book before it seemed to be that their "fake dating" moved into declarations of love. Quick for a book with the title "A Witches Guide to Fake Dating a Demon" in my mind.
My only other critique is that despite this being adult fiction it reads very YA to me. Mariel could very well be a mature 18/19 and not headed to grad school.
Overall, this was a really fun start to the year! I laughed a lot and enjoyed Mariel's blossoming story (and showing her family who's the boss!!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Animal death, Violence, and Gaslighting
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
Evil Twin by Kati Wilde
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
FMC & MMC are both the “evil twins” but…
they mutually sexually assault each other? But hey, it’s ~sexy~ so it’s fine. Later, FMC poisons her husband and they engage in non consensual sex again. It’s like a kink friendly BDSM scene only that no one actually consented to anything that occurred. So actually, not at all like a kink friendly BDSM
scene.
(Ladies and friends, if you want to explore your bound/confined fantasies perhaps try reading kink friendly erotica instead of whatever the fuck this is.)
Who the hell cares about the fantasy elements? Anyone? Pretty sure everyone reads this for the fucking because the world building is so shitty and sparse. I know it’s a short book but it’s pretty obviously taking a backseat to the characters themselves.
The only reason I didn’t DNF this was out of curiosity. Like just how bad can this get? Spoiler alert: FMCend the book pregnant . My, and SO many others, absolute least favorite trope.
I need to stop taking book recs from strangers on the Internet 😤
they mutually sexually assault each other? But hey, it’s ~sexy~ so it’s fine. Later, FMC poisons her husband and they engage in non consensual sex again. It’s like a kink friendly BDSM scene only that no one actually consented to anything that occurred. So actually, not at all like a kink friendly BDSM
scene.
(Ladies and friends, if you want to explore your bound/confined fantasies perhaps try reading kink friendly erotica instead of whatever the fuck this is.)
Who the hell cares about the fantasy elements? Anyone? Pretty sure everyone reads this for the fucking because the world building is so shitty and sparse. I know it’s a short book but it’s pretty obviously taking a backseat to the characters themselves.
The only reason I didn’t DNF this was out of curiosity. Like just how bad can this get? Spoiler alert: FMC
I need to stop taking book recs from strangers on the Internet 😤
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Blood
Moderate: Pregnancy
The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex by Tamsyn Muir
I love this glimpse of young Camilla and Palamedes sososo much. I love them I LOVE them.
But second cousins??? This entire time??? I don’t know how to feel about this 😰
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
“Palamedes remembers everything: That was his problem. I always remember him. That’s mine.”
I love this glimpse of young Camilla and Palamedes sososo much. I love them I LOVE them.
But second cousins??? This entire time??? I don’t know how to feel about this 😰
Lovers at the Museum: A Short Story by Isabel Allende
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I picked this based on the cover on Kindle and was pleasantly surprised! A magical, mystical story of two lovers who meet and fall in love before stumbling into the Guggenheim. It’s short, sweet, and really you can’t ask for more in a novella you just stumbled upon.
Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I think I might be too queer for insta-love, ultra horny, big strong man trope Tessa Bailey books and novellas. It’s not bad, I guess, but I found myself laughing at what was supposed to be sexy lines.
Slow Time Between the Stars by John Scalzi
Honestly, I only picked this up to meet my reading goal for the year. I was not expecting such a poignant meditation on human expansion into the universe and what is means to be human at all. I haven’t read a lot of AI/robot sci-fi but I can’t image there are many other examples of novellas that are as well done, and with such a short page length, as Slow Time Between the Stars.
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
“We are all made up of smaller things connected to l larger things, and in the middle, we are we, us, I, me.”
Honestly, I only picked this up to meet my reading goal for the year. I was not expecting such a poignant meditation on human expansion into the universe and what is means to be human at all. I haven’t read a lot of AI/robot sci-fi but I can’t image there are many other examples of novellas that are as well done, and with such a short page length, as Slow Time Between the Stars.
Not Just Best Friends by Darcy Liao
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Lesbian best friends to lovers novella 👩🏻🍳😚
Darcy Liao wrote two relatable, realistic characters who’ve been pining after each other for years. Who’s never experienced a little bit of pining, after all?
Not Just Best Friends was a fast paced but perfect length novella introducing us to Frankie and Vivian’s history. We can see them, and other characters, again in Liao’s full length novel Make Room for Love
- which has more gorgeous queerness and sapphic love.
Darcy Liao wrote two relatable, realistic characters who’ve been pining after each other for years. Who’s never experienced a little bit of pining, after all?
Not Just Best Friends was a fast paced but perfect length novella introducing us to Frankie and Vivian’s history. We can see them, and other characters, again in Liao’s full length novel Make Room for Love
- which has more gorgeous queerness and sapphic love.
The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman
funny
hopeful
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? No
3.5
A little silly and an absolutely ridiculous premise but a heartfelt story of reconnecting with community.
The Lost Sisters by Holly Black
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The audiobook version of this is really great. It feels as if Taryn is just talking to herself while writing the letter to Jude. I still don’t really feel all that bad for her though and I don’t really like her at all.