emilyreads15's reviews
160 reviews

4⭐️ - Thank you so much to Netgalley, the author, and St. Martin’s Press for gifting me an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Our Infinite Fates was so unique and beautiful!!! This book covers topics of soulmates, reincarnation, and gender fluidity while incorporating detailed aspects of history.

To start off, the writing was so so lovely. I really loved all the unique words the author used as well as their descriptive writing was very enjoyable to read. Next I absolutely LOVED the plot and overall concept of this book. I’ve always loved period pieces so reading all the past life flashbacks that took place all throughout history was very fun for me. The author also seemed to do adequate research on the time periods, languages, architecture and more, everything felt very realistic. The concept of being reincarnated into other lives was enjoyable and honestly not a huge topic discussed in books. I really loved the aspect of our main characters Arden and Evelyn loving each other but also having to kill each other in every life because it created a sad but romantic read.

On top of the interesting plot, the author also deeply dived into the gender fluidity topics. Both Evelyn and Arden were reincarnated as both boys and girls throughout their many, many lives but still loved each other nonetheless. It really proved the author’s point of loving someone based on their soul and personality not on looks or what not. It was really beautiful seeing how they traversed these different lives and unique conditions (as lgbtq+ relationships were looked down upon/not allowed in a lot of these time periods) but still managed to love each other despite it all.

I liked that throughout the book the reader was left in the dark as we read from Evelyn’s pov and they were also left in the dark about why this whole reincarnation and killing thing was happening. However, I feel like it took awhile to get any sort of answer. It may have been more interesting if little pieces were put together throughout the novel however that just didn’t happen as much as expected. Due to this I felt like it caused a very rushed and sudden ending where everything was revealed at once. However, I still enjoyed the ending and was satisfied with how the book played out. It was definitely a plot twist and not what I expected at all. But it was really sad but still beautiful. 

To me this book also had good sized chapters. Never too big or too short. It felt mostly fast paced which helped keep me entertained and made it easy to keep up with and understand the plot

This book was a 4 star read for me mainly because it just felt like something was missing. While I really enjoyed it I just didn’t love it. There was nothing outright wrong with it because I did really like it but I feel like some sort of element should have been added to make it a 5 star. I don’t know what but something needed to be there. I also feel like I wasn’t as connected to the characters as I could have been. I think that probably is due to the constant flashbacks, the changes in lives and names. It was a lot to keep up with at times which made me feel a little disconnected. 

I would also like to add that this book is marketed as Young Adult. However, despite the characters only living until 18 in each life they have still technically been around for 1000s of years. This book also does have some sexual scenes and explores heavy topics as well as explicit scenes of war and torture and nudity. So I would market this book more at lower new adult rather than YA. The characters definitely didn’t feel like teenagers due to their constant reincarnation.

Overall though, this book was unique, diverse, beautiful, and very interesting. I really enjoyed the entire process. I definitely recommend if you enjoy unique books and books with historical elements as well as lgbtq+ rep. Excited to read more by this author in the future!

Once again thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital review copy!

2.25⭐️ ~ Thank you to the author for gifting me an E-book of the first two books of this series!!

So. Where do I even begin 😬

To start off…the writing in this book was just not for me. I didn’t really like how the characters talked, I didn’t really like how it was from a 3rd person pov but then had thoughts and flashbacks in first person. And I didn’t rlly like the descriptions. Idk the writing just wasn’t very good to me and I think it could’ve used more revision.

That being said, I have to admit that the worst part of this book was the plot and the way it was laid out. The author had a pov from EVERY character at some point in this book. Mind you this is like 6-10 different characters (I lost count tbh). The chapters were not even labeled with whose pov we were reading and you had to just assume based off of whose name was mentioned the most since it was 3rd person. AND it would just randomly switch perspective in the middle of the chapter. I was so confused.

As for the plot I thought some parts were interesting such as the world structure and the whole prophecies/thinkers thing. But the main plot was a cliché “it’s forbidden to have powers” but ofc the prince I born with them and so is some common girl and they fall in love blah blah blah. Along with the mid plot and bad writing there were SO MANY PLOT HOLES. Like some points you would get the same scene from two character povs and they described it COMPLETELY DIFFERENTLY. I was so lost and since pov changed like every chapter I lost track of the timeline because it would mention the next morning and then go back to the night before and omg I was just so lost at some points. I honestly feel like the author rushed through this and hardly revised because there was also so much repetition and parts where someone would refer to one of the mmc’s wife as his fiancée still? Like did we not just read about the wedding? 

I know that this book and book 2 were published in the same year (2023 I think) which I think contributes to the poor writing quality. Book 3 has just now been released so hopefully its quality is better. But I truly just don’t understand how the author let so many holes and info slip past her? It makes me feel like she did not reread.

Anyways, you are all probably wondering “Emily why did you even finish this book?” Well let me tell u, sometimes u have a book or tv show that’s so bad u just have to see where it goes and that’s what this was for me. On top of this I did enjoy small parts of the romance plot (if u can even call it that 🤨) and that kept me going for a bit. But honestly NOTHING happened in this book fantasy plot wise until I was 90% through no joke. Up until that point it just felt like a basic forbidden romance novel set in a random fantasy world with no explanation.

The worldbuilding twas not good as well. Once again quite confused and I think having the 10 kingdoms be called the First Kingdom, the Second Kingdom, etc was dreadfully boring and unoriginal. And the whole prophecy this entire book surrounds I feel like is SO OBVIOUS. We obviously know from the start who the prince of snow is but the violet queen? You want to just ignore the emphasis on the fmc violet eyes?? Tf.

As for characters. I didn’t connect with any of them. 🫤 They honestly didn’t develop much from the start to the end of this book. And they switched up so fast. One minute you don’t trust each other and the next you are kissing and spilling your secrets like you’ve known eachother for years. It made no sense.

On top of this (Ik u are wondering when this rant will end) the author marketed this for fans of the tv show Reign. That is my FAVORITE SHOW and this book can’t even compare and I lowkey don’t know why it’s marketed that way because I saw no similarities other than taking place in a royal court 😭

So. Overall, I WILL be reading book 2 because it was so bad I must know what happens and I want to know if I’m right about that dang prophecy. However, as an avid fantasy and Romantasy reader this book is not good. I can’t speak for books 2 and 3 but I do not recommend this one unless you feel like being bored and confused. 

This is probably one of the most negative reviews I’ve done and I feel so awful for saying all of this because I’m sure the author did put in effort and Ik this book probably means a lot to her. But in truth this book needs more work. I think it could be great with more revision (maybe the copy she gave me was an arc and unrivised???😬) but right now it’s just not.

This is her debut novel as an indie author and I think she has amazing potential as a writer just not in this one. Maybe book 2 will be better?? At least this one was not a DNF.

NO SPOILER REVIEW: this was crazy but by far the best book 3 I’ve ever read in a long term series. I will be suffering until book 4.

To start off, this plot was absolutely full of action from the start to the end. I never once felt bored or felt like it was slow. In fact this book was such an improvement from Iron Flame (see what happens when we let authors cook up). I’m still not sure anything could ever beat the initial love of book 1 but this so close to it. Anyways, the plot had the perfect amount of battle, action, adventure, and of course romance. Twas never a dull moment. I’m so happy that some of my predictions came true but other things I could have NEVER come up with. Rebecca Yarros is truly a mastermind.

Next, the characters were PERFECT. I loved all of them so much (except for the bad people ofc). But we got so many more scenes with the side characters and so much information on them and I loved every second of it. There were so many emotions between them all but it was all balanced perfectly.

And Violet was such a badass in this book. I loved every second of it. I wish she would’ve been a little more like that in book 2.

The romance was of course amazing as always. I love Xaden so much, he’s perfect. And I love him and Violet’s relationship. Their moments were so amazing in this book especially without the overwhelming argument that had plagued it a little bit in book 2. The author included the perfect amount of spice in this book in my opinion. It wasn’t too overwhelming or too much and allowed for more focus on their emotional connection and the overall plot of the book without be overshadowed by physical relations.

A lot of people have been complaining about the world-building in this book but I personally thought it was great. We are learning with the main character so of course some parts aren’t going to fully be explained or revealed especially if Violet herself is learning it for the first time just like us. I do wish that some locations were included on the map to make it a little more visual but I do understand why they weren’t. There were some moments where I will admit that I was a little confused but that’s is 100% to blame on the fact that I haven’t read book 1 or 2 since 2023 so I struggled with some of the character names and terms. But overall it didn’t ruin or dim any enjoyment this book brought me.

I 100% recommend reading this to anyone who maybe didn’t love book 2 but enjoy book 1. Onyx Storm is such a step up from Iron Flame on all levels but especially the plot, writing, and characters.

Overall, this was an AMAZING BOOK 3 and I’m just so so excited for book 4. Sadly I think we will probably be waiting until 2027 but idc how long it takes. Let my queen relax and then slay. I love, love, love this series so much. Forever one of my favs. I never want it to end…but I also want all my questions answered!! Also please Rebecca, give me some mini novellas of other relationships and moments when the main series is done.

Anyways, yay for my first 5 star read of 2025. 

(Someone please DM me. I must discuss and I’m limited to what I can say in this review)

3.5 ⭐️ ~ This was a good follow up book to If He Had Been With Me. It took me a little bit longer to get through because I felt like some parts were slower than book one (it also had longer chapters that added to that.

To start off, Jack’s pov was my fav in this book. It was so sad but also refreshing to read from a new character’s perspective. I liked seeing his love for Finn as it was very different from Autumn’s because he loved him like a brother and best friend. His chapters were also the most sad since I hadn’t read his reactions beforehand. I’m really happy he decided to be there for Autumn and Sylvie though and I hope they all stay in touch forever.

Next, I did like Autumn’s perspective. I felt like she matured a lot in the book and it gave me a lot of closure on her story knowing that she will be okay. Her perspectives on becoming a mother was also very interesting as I usually don’t read books with pregnancy tropes or like single parent tropes but this one really worked and made sense for me. Reading about her maturity and new found friendships was really beautiful as well as reading about her overcoming her grief and emotions.

The perspective I was most disappointed with was surprisingly Finn’s. I really expected and was hoping for more moments from high school when he was yearning for her or felt protective of her or moments when he was maybe close to telling her how he felt. Instead it was really only a few flashbacks and the two days before his death. It was good to get some clarity on the accident and everything that happened. But it honestly made me a little more mad reading his death from his perspective because it was so so preventable. Also going back to the first book, I feel like he should’ve maybe died in a different way? Idk him not realizing the water and fallen electric pole was very out of character for him as he was usually cautious and very smart. But I suppose it does make sense when you look at it as the perspective of him being a in shock at what had just occurred. But overall, I’m very happy the author allowed us his perspective and to see how much he truly loved Autumn. Although I also did expect his death to be more upsetting from his pov but it was very brief and not very descriptive.

Finally, I gave this book 3.5 stars because I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one. It provided good context and closure for the original book however that’s really all it was. On top of that the writing (although better) was still not that great. I’m also very upset that the baby is girl. I rlly wanted it to be a boy and for them to name it after Finny. But no it’s a girl and then Autumn didn’t even tell us a name. I think the author needs to write a third book. Also one part of this book was very unrealistic and that was the fact that Sylvie only got a concussion from the car crash. Like how do u fly through a windshield and only walk out with a concussion? And if the water that electrocuted Finny was right by her head then how did she not get electrocuted? The whole plot of the accident is a little messy.

Overall, is this the best series I’ve ever read? No. But it still has a special place in my heart, as do the characters. Every part of each book was emotional and tragic but also beautiful. I’m very happy I read this and I do believe it gave me the closure I needed. I’m satisfied to know that despite the heartbreaking events that these characters will be okay.

Also I 100% think the author should write a third and fourth book. 1. To be years into the future with Autumn and Finn’s baby in high school or something. 2. And alternate universe or fate novel where if one tiny event at some point in their lives had been different then maybe they would have gotten a happy ending and then that can even go into the future with their college, wedding, etc. idec if it’s a novella. I may have closure but I want that alternate ending.

That’s all for now. I do recommend this series if you are looking for something emotional and sad. But don’t expect the writing to be all that great.

omfg. My brain actually can’t really process this entire book that I just read atm.

To start off I really liked the short chapters and fast pace. I literally finished this book in one sitting because it was so addicting. The reason it’s not 5 stars though is because I won’t lie…the writing was really bad at times. Like lowkey giving wattpad at points and also lots grammatical errors and this book has been out for years so idk how that hasn’t been fixed.

On top of that this had like a plot obviously but the events leading up to end were a little sporadic. I understand it was going through her 4 years of high school but it felt like random and improper diary entries at times.

At time the fmc, Autumn could feel a little pick me or like I’m special vibes but she got way way better by the end. And ofc the mmc…don’t even speak to me about Finn. Literally end me if he gets mentioned.

Parts of this book were extremely relatable and I think that’s mainly because I’m reading it from the obvious lens of a high schooler/teenager just like they were. While Autumn was for sure “weird” at times, I understood a lot of her feelings associated with fears and rejection when it came to friendships and relationships. I think the author did do a wonderful job demonstrating the complexities of the teenage brain and body.

This book was so heartbreaking. From the very start you already are told how it ends and yet the author still goes through the entire story and has you get attached just for it TO END LIKE THAT. I’m literally sobbing. SOBBING. They were so close. SO CLOSE TO A HAPPY ENDING. I literally cannot. I’m so upset. Some parts were predictable but the author did do a lot of foreshadowing which I thought those parts were very beautiful.

Anyways, I do recommend this book just go in knowing it’s not the best writing but when you take away some moments the story is tragically beautiful. (I’ll actually never forgive this author)

I will be reading book 2 asap. If u read this pls have tissues on stand by for like the last 10 chapters. This lowkey messed with my brain. Those last chapters ALTERED my brain chemistry. I’m very heartbroken so I’m gonna act like they got the happy ending they deserved for now.

⚠️TRIGGER WARNINGS + Potential Spoilers⚠️
- grief
- parental divorce
- underage drinking
- car crash
- depression
- eating disorder
- sexual content
- bullying
- cheating on significant other
- death
- SA (briefly mentioned for a side character)
- teen pregnancy

I absolutely loved What the River Knows, so when I started Where the Library Hides (book 2) I was pretty disappointed with how it was beginning. It was pretty slow at the start and the romance seemed to be thrown out the window a little bit. I was really upset with Whit and Inez’s relationship hardly progressing and actually going backwards. I understand the author wanted to make tension etc but I wish the whole enemies to lovers concept would have been left in book one with more romantic interactions in book 2.

However, this book thankfully picked up. The found the plot to be just as interesting as the first despite the slow start. The Library of Alexandria is something I’ve been fascinated with for awhile now so reading a book
(despite it being fiction) about the area was really enjoyable. As always I truly felt like I was in Egypt while reading this. The author does an amazing job with her descriptions and immersive worldbuilding not only in the ancient country/ruins but also in the time period this book takes place (1800s). Definitely recommend this series if you’re looking for an adventurous and historical read. Very Indiana Jones vibes. 

I did notice a few grammatical errors with sentences or like character names especially towards the end. At time it’s did feel like this book was a little rushed which is a little disappointing since the first one didn’t feel that way and we waited a year to get book 2. Some more care could’ve been given for sure by the editors.

As for the romance it DID get better. I still love these character but gosh they were making me so mad at the start. I just wish the author had given them better communication and trust in one another instead of having them wait until 70% through to get over that. I understand both of the characters reading for those issues but I think it would’ve been more enjoyable if they at least trusted each other even if they didn’t trust anyone else. However, I’m very happy with the ending (it is a happy one so don’t worry.)

Especially at the end this book really picked up and some CRAZY plot twists happened. One I saw coming but another one…that was just insane and completely unexpected but I loved it.

Overall, I love the plot and I love the characters. This duology is beautiful and exciting to read as someone who enjoys historical fantasies. I did enjoy book 1 more but I 100% do not think book 2 (this book) is as bad as some people made it out to be in their reviews. I think it’s still worth reading if you enjoyed book 1.

Anyways, I love this upper YA duology and I 100% recommend despite a few of the flaws in book 2. I really enjoy historical fantasy books like this and Us in Ruins so please send me some recommendations if you have any!!

ARC REVIEW: Thank you so much to Adrienne Young and Delacorte Press for gifting me a physical arc of this lovely book in exchange for an honest review!!

Adrienne Young develops of the concepts of grief, past trauma, and romance in this beautiful novel! Her writing was truly beautiful to read and very enjoyable! The detailed descriptions heavily added to the story, making it feel truly real and haunting!

To start off, A Sea of Unspoken Things takes place in a small town within Six Rivers National Forest. In the midst of late autumn/early winter the setting is eerie and as I mentioned before haunting but also cozy and peaceful in a way that creates the perfect scenery for a thriller! This is definitely an amazing read for the fall!

Our fmc James, returns to her hometown after the death of her twin brother, Johnny. The author explores their connection to each other through magical realism, representing that their bond goes beyond the world of the living. As James retraces her brother’s steps in his final months she discovers a whirlwind of secrets hidden within the town while confronting secrets of her own past. The plot of this book as we follow James’s confrontation with her past and her present grief is so unique and interesting! While the book did start off a little slow to set the scene, it picked up after a few chapters creating an exciting and mysterious thriller. I was always trying to guess what happened next and follow the clues, making my own predictions just like the characters. For me, none of it was predictable. I truly didn’t really figure it out until a little bit before the characters!

On top of the mystery plot there was also a side-plot of romance! James reunites with her first love as they work together to reveal what truly became of her brother, Johnny. James and Micah’s relationship was a complex but overall beautiful second chance romance. I really enjoyed their relationship and watching them help to heal each other’s traumas. This book is an Adult book however there is hardly any spice. While there are some allusions to sexual content, the author keeps it all closed door with no explicit details. The closed door scenes can also be skipped as they only add a little bit to the romance side plot rather than the main plot.

The only reason this book gained 4 stars from me was because it did take a few chapters for me to really get into it! Also the final chapter included a trope that I don’t really think was necessary due to the way it was added. Sadly I also don’t like that trope in books. I won’t say what it is bc no spoilers but I’m sure some of you could guess.

But overall, this chilling thriller was entertaining and beautifully written! Adrienne Young never fails to amaze me with her atmospheric writing and storytelling! You can definitely tell she did her research or had prior knowledge on things mentioned in the book and it makes it even better that she is a twin herself!!!

100% recommend this book! It was a perfect thriller and so enjoyable! I can’t wait to see what story the author tells next! Once again thank you to the author and publishers for gifting me a physical arc of this book!

3.5⭐️ ~ This book was a whirlwind of emotions and a complete surprise!

To start off, the character development was great! I really didn’t like any of the characters at the start but over the course of the book they really developed and now I really like them all!

The plot was also enjoyable and interesting. Although I will say that there are some parts that had small plots holes. The worldbuilding also could’ve been a bit better as some of the parts about the types of witches and types of magic got confusing very quickly. As well as the map of the courts didn’t seem to line up with how the locations were described in the book? Idk but some parts definitely could’ve been written a little better. There were also a lot of predictable parts but I think the author added in a lot of foreshadowing that caused that.

There were also some grammatical errors especially towards the end of the book that made certain sentences a little confusing.

In truth, I stayed a little for the plot but mostly for the characters. The found family was perfect and definitely reminded me of the Inner Circle from ACOTAR. The romance was also really good although I didn’t like the heavy sudden amount of spice towards the end. It felt like some of it was added in just to be able to say this book was spicy. On top of that before Remy and Hale officially admitted their love for each other I felt like there should’ve been more of a build up in that exact moment and like denial. It seemed very abrupt as well.

I’m also very mad that certain characters (👀) were brought in by the end just to be taken away…

Overall, this book was good (definitely better by the end) but it wasn’t life changing: hence my 3.5 star rating (the 0.5 was only added because of the last 50 pages).

Anyways, I will be continuing this series and I heard book 2 is much better. Not to mention it features a character who’s been perceived as a villain (Renwick, heir to the Northern Court) and u know I love a good villain turned softie for his lover.

If you are very into fantasy then I suppose I would recommend this series? It really depends on how much you care about the quality of writing on whether or not you would truly enjoy this. I don’t care too much so I liked it more than the average person probably would. I would have to read more of the series to truly recommend though as it may get better as it goes on.

4.5 ⭐️ - Ahh this book was so good!! Adventure and romance come together in Us in Ruins as our main characters, Margot Rhodes and Van Keane work together to find a magical vase of Venus Aurelia, the Goddess of love in the depths of historical Pompeii.

To start off, this plot was AMAZING. If I could recommend a book for the plot alone this would be at the top. The mystery, the adventure, and every moment in between was beautiful. While a few things were predictable it was more so in a sense of figuring out the mysteries, puzzles, and foreshadowing as you went along rather than it being due to bad writing. Lately, I’ve just been loving archaeology themed books and this was no exception. The characters traveled to Rome, Naples, and Pompeii within Italy while trying to conquer magical and dangerous challenges. The whole journey and experience was so entertaining, mysterious, thrilling, romantic, and mystical. I truly felt like I was there. I feel like I’m just generally rambling right now but I truly can’t say too much without revealing some of it so you’ll have to read for yourself!

On top of the amazing plot, the romance was PERFECT. There was the perfect mix of banter, yearning, jealousy (only a little bit), subtle looks/moments, and overall connection and caring for one another. And of course in correct YA fashion this book was NO SPICE. All clean romance with only a few shared kisses. The author truly focused on building the realness of the relationship while also highlighting the detailed plot which created such an enjoyable book. Margot and Van just fit together so well and their bond was so special. This book was also a bit of hating eachother to lovers? I wouldn’t necessarily call it enemies but I guess that’s the only way to describe it. But anyways it was great!

I would have, of course, rated this 5 stars however there were two main things that bumped this down to 4.5 for me. To start off, there was a decent amount of slang used in the book as the fmc, Margot, was obviously from modern day time. While I understand it fit the period, it also caused some moments to feel too modern in a book that was seemingly more intended to be light academia mixed with ancient and magical adventure. The use of slang also dates the book that easily could’ve been timeless without it.

On top of this the mmc, Van, was supposed to be from 1932 but frozen in stone for years until modern day. I think some more research could’ve been done on the authors part to make him sound a little more from that time period. I feel like different words should’ve been used in his diction compared to Margot’s. As well as when he had awoken and discovered all the new inventions of modern day, I expected him to be more surprised and confused than he was which wouldn’t be the case for someone who wasn’t around for almost a century.

However, overall this book was so amazing. The plot was a 10/10. The romance was a 10/10. The writing for parts of the characters and the slang could use some work however this is the author’s 2nd novel ever so I understand she’s still early in her career.

Anyways, definitely a new fav of mine and I 100% recommend if you’re looking for an action packed and super interesting plot with a side of romance. Also 100000% recommend for those who enjoyed What the River Knows, Divine Rivals, and other books with a magical and historical theme!

basically DNFed at 50% but I did read the last chapter and discovered that I still wasn’t missing anything. And yes I’m counting this towards my reading goal bc I feel like after reading half of a book you know whether it will get better or not enough to basically say you read it.

Anyways. I don’t have much to say about this book other than the fact that the plot was boring. The characters were not likable. And the overall theme was also boring. Superheroes have never been my cup of tea so that was probably the main reason I didn’t enjoy this one. I also didn’t enjoy Sketch/Adrian’s povs at all. On top of that it was so confusing bc the author would go back and forth between their “code/superhero” names and their normal names and I couldn’t remember who was who.

Overall, really disappointing because I heard amazing things about this book and I usually enjoy books by this author but if fear this book is a victim of the early booktok overhype train.

Read if you want but I didn’t enjoy. 

(It’s very rare for me to dnf a book and I literally just couldn’t read this anymore)