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gattolino_nn's reviews
563 reviews
Love & Rome by Jenna Lo Bianco
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Without spoiling anything this book gave me strong feelings. I was reading this on a bus and could not contain my rage or fist pumps of success. I'm sure it made for interesting passenger watching.
I didn't realise this had a slight love triangle when going into and got quite a surprise with how we got introduced to the love interest Vincent compared to Marco. It was also good to see how Stella reacts to both and that the reactions are not the same. The men are not the same people and I would have felt disappointed if we got "oh no they are both hot" which can sometimes happen with love triangles.
The love triangle did make for an interesting read, as mentioned earlier the men are quite differnet from one another. Marco who is just a cinnamon roll, compared to Vincent's strong personality, and this also plays a role in how they are with Stella. This made for a really dramatic and emotion filled, not always good, read.
Despite my love for Marco and my tolerance of Vincent (I am a first impressions matter kind of girl) I felt more invested in Stella's story and growth. That is something that I am loving with Jenna Lo Bianco's stories, the romance isn't the whole plot. Stella has goals, motivations and agency. I loved watching her grow through out the whole book and the ending was just brilliant in my opinion. It was great to see Stella in such a good and happy state with her work and herself. It is the type of ending that I hope everyone gets to in their life, but also see that sometimes it can be hard and the journey may feel impossible but we can get there.
I really liked the story and cannot wait to read Venetian Lessons in Love.
I didn't realise this had a slight love triangle when going into and got quite a surprise with how we got introduced to the love interest Vincent compared to Marco. It was also good to see how Stella reacts to both and that the reactions are not the same. The men are not the same people and I would have felt disappointed if we got "oh no they are both hot" which can sometimes happen with love triangles.
The love triangle did make for an interesting read, as mentioned earlier the men are quite differnet from one another. Marco who is just a cinnamon roll, compared to Vincent's strong personality, and this also plays a role in how they are with Stella. This made for a really dramatic and emotion filled, not always good, read.
Despite my love for Marco and my tolerance of Vincent (I am a first impressions matter kind of girl) I felt more invested in Stella's story and growth. That is something that I am loving with Jenna Lo Bianco's stories, the romance isn't the whole plot. Stella has goals, motivations and agency. I loved watching her grow through out the whole book and the ending was just brilliant in my opinion. It was great to see Stella in such a good and happy state with her work and herself. It is the type of ending that I hope everyone gets to in their life, but also see that sometimes it can be hard and the journey may feel impossible but we can get there.
I really liked the story and cannot wait to read Venetian Lessons in Love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual content
Lore by Alexandra Bracken
adventurous
dark
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
I really loved the concept of this book. I thought having the Greek Gods become mortal for a time and sending humans to hunt them down to gain their immortality was a really cool concept.
I also liked how the different houses were all based on Greek myths, from more commonly known to lesser known.
All the characters were great in this story. For as much as the concept was really cool, Lore, Castor, Athena and the others were what made the story. From the Gods to the mortals everyone had flaws and there was a constant distrust that runs through everyone as the stakes are life and death. It makes for really good moments where the stress and emotions are at peak and everything comes to head.
This along with the amount of twists that this story has, had me devouring the book in three days over the Christmas period. It was addicting and really good entertainment. I would love to see this made into a movie or TV show.
I also liked how the different houses were all based on Greek myths, from more commonly known to lesser known.
All the characters were great in this story. For as much as the concept was really cool, Lore, Castor, Athena and the others were what made the story. From the Gods to the mortals everyone had flaws and there was a constant distrust that runs through everyone as the stakes are life and death. It makes for really good moments where the stress and emotions are at peak and everything comes to head.
This along with the amount of twists that this story has, had me devouring the book in three days over the Christmas period. It was addicting and really good entertainment. I would love to see this made into a movie or TV show.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Spellbound by Jessica Marting
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
4.0
I do love a fun mystery/investigation story and nothing beats a good murder mystery.
I really liked Merritt and Ivy. I thought they made for a good couple and a strong team when it came to solving the murder of Ivy's husband.
I really liked that both were part of the paranormal community. For the past four books there has always been one human in the relationship so it was nice to see a change in that. I also liked that we got to see Elora and Ben (from the third book) a couple of times in this book. It makes the world feel alive.
The investigation was also good, it wasn't a shock of who did it of what happened but I don't think it was trying to be the best murder mystery out there. The fun and enjoyment came from figuring out how to expose what happened once they figured it out.
I have really enjoyed this series and would love to see another book to be added as I feel like there are many stories to tell still.
I really liked Merritt and Ivy. I thought they made for a good couple and a strong team when it came to solving the murder of Ivy's husband.
I really liked that both were part of the paranormal community. For the past four books there has always been one human in the relationship so it was nice to see a change in that. I also liked that we got to see Elora and Ben (from the third book) a couple of times in this book. It makes the world feel alive.
The investigation was also good, it wasn't a shock of who did it of what happened but I don't think it was trying to be the best murder mystery out there. The fun and enjoyment came from figuring out how to expose what happened once they figured it out.
I have really enjoyed this series and would love to see another book to be added as I feel like there are many stories to tell still.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Fox and Hound Issue 3 by N.S. Kane
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is really an unapologetic series and issue 3 is no exception.
Fox and Hound are still a lot of fun, and I like how we slowly get snippets of their history through different context clues in the art.
This issue is also were we start to see a bit about just who they are dealing with and who no doubt they will also be the main antagonists over the next three issues.
I am still really enjoying the series. It is colourful, fun, and very much NSFW.
Fox and Hound are still a lot of fun, and I like how we slowly get snippets of their history through different context clues in the art.
This issue is also were we start to see a bit about just who they are dealing with and who no doubt they will also be the main antagonists over the next three issues.
I am still really enjoying the series. It is colourful, fun, and very much NSFW.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, and Murder
Auē by Becky Manawatu
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book has a lot of triggering events. I highly recommend looking them up before reading.
I can't say I enjoyed the book as it is not something you enjoy. It was an experience and unfortunately something that people go through in real life.
I thought it was interesting how we have constantly changing POVs and who we followed. It was one of those moments where by the end as all the pieces fall into place.
It was also written in a way that kept you reading just to see what happens and how it all ends of everyone.
I can't give it more than three stars as it was just depressing and soul crushing to read. It is not something I would recommend but if people were already interested in the story I would say to read it, but make sure to really look at the trigger warnings.
It was just not something I would personally read and didn't realise just how depressing everything would get.
I can't say I enjoyed the book as it is not something you enjoy. It was an experience and unfortunately something that people go through in real life.
I thought it was interesting how we have constantly changing POVs and who we followed. It was one of those moments where by the end as all the pieces fall into place.
It was also written in a way that kept you reading just to see what happens and how it all ends of everyone.
I can't give it more than three stars as it was just depressing and soul crushing to read. It is not something I would recommend but if people were already interested in the story I would say to read it, but make sure to really look at the trigger warnings.
It was just not something I would personally read and didn't realise just how depressing everything would get.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
Pokémon Adventures (Red and Blue), Vol. 1 by Hidenori Kusaka
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This is nothing like the anime and instead follows the games more closely. Our protagonist is Red and their rival is Blue, following the naming conventions of the games released outside of Japan.
They work through some of the first gyms of the game and interact with team rocket who are a far cry from the beloved trio in the anime.
With it not being like the anime I will say it instead felt more mature, and a bit edgy at times. There topics talked about that don't beat around the bush and panelswhere we see abused, dead/killed, and even zombified pokemon , not very children friendly like the anime. I would say great for teenagers though.
I also appreciate Red having the confidence of very 10 year that thinks they are the best. Every inline for a 10 year old, but we also get to see growth as he is humbled and then actually work towards being a better trainer.
I cannot wait to see more Blue and especially Green in the following volumes. I know we are going to have fun with them.
They work through some of the first gyms of the game and interact with team rocket who are a far cry from the beloved trio in the anime.
With it not being like the anime I will say it instead felt more mature, and a bit edgy at times. There topics talked about that don't beat around the bush and panels
I also appreciate Red having the confidence of very 10 year that thinks they are the best. Every inline for a 10 year old, but we also get to see growth as he is humbled and then actually work towards being a better trainer.
I cannot wait to see more Blue and especially Green in the following volumes. I know we are going to have fun with them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Violence
Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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? It's complicated
3.75
I thought this book was a bit slow at the beginning, this may also be due to a reading slump and not having the mental capacity for a fantasy novel. Once we got to the halfway mark it really picked up in pace, and I found myself having a much easier time with reading and enjoying the book.
I enjoyed our heroes POVs and found them more interesting than Erida's. Hers felt more or less the same with each chapter,the slow descent into madness as she craves to be the conquering Queen and proceeds to put fear into everyone, got repetitive after a while. After the first couple of chapters there wasn't enough to keep me interested in her story for as often as we got it.
The other POVs I felt had a good mixture of action, interpersonal issues, and conflicts to keep me interested so even when chapters felt similar to one another in the actions taken the other areas made the difference to keep me engaged.
By the end of the book I was hooked and loving each battle, triumph, and loss that our group faced. There relationships are very much a strong point for me in this series so far. Seeing how they grow together and interact after each challenge is always a highlight.
The ending has me wondering what direction the third book will take and who we will be focusing on the most. I cannot wait to finish this trilogy.
I enjoyed our heroes POVs and found them more interesting than Erida's. Hers felt more or less the same with each chapter,
The other POVs I felt had a good mixture of action, interpersonal issues, and conflicts to keep me interested so even when chapters felt similar to one another in the actions taken the other areas made the difference to keep me engaged.
By the end of the book I was hooked and loving each battle, triumph, and loss that our group faced. There relationships are very much a strong point for me in this series so far. Seeing how they grow together and interact after each challenge is always a highlight.
The ending has me wondering what direction the third book will take and who we will be focusing on the most. I cannot wait to finish this trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Xenophobia
Dragon's Keep by Jessica Marting
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I thought the book was good, and different from the rest of the series.
Unlike the other stories there wasn't really an external force or an antagonist for our MCs to thwart.
There are characters like Dr Putnam, and Clarinda but they weren't the villains of the story and more instead the dealings with people who are selfish.
The main conflict of the story comes from Xavier not knowing much about shifters and in particular dragon shifters as he is the only known one. This made for a different kind of story but I still very much enjoyed the interpersonal conflict that it provided. Arabella and Xavier made a good team and once the initial shock of crash landing into his cave passes the two are always looking out for each other and trying to do what is best for the other, or at least what they think is best.
Unlike the other stories there wasn't really an external force or an antagonist for our MCs to thwart.
There are characters like Dr Putnam, and Clarinda but they weren't the villains of the story and more instead the dealings with people who are selfish.
The main conflict of the story comes from Xavier not knowing much about shifters and in particular dragon shifters as he is the only known one. This made for a different kind of story but I still very much enjoyed the interpersonal conflict that it provided. Arabella and Xavier made a good team and once the initial shock of crash landing into his cave passes the two are always looking out for each other and trying to do what is best for the other, or at least what they think is best.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
Spy x Family, Vol. 12 by Tatsuya Endo
adventurous
funny
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
4.25
I thought this volume was one of the funnier ones after a couple very serious volumes with 10 and 11.
We got to see a little about The Handler and how she lives as well as friendly competition between her, Loid and their dogs. As well as Yur interacting with her co-workers. Spy x Family does a good job with side characters that they don't feel completely forgotten and feel like individual from one another. They won't get the same development as the main and secondary characters but it is still nice to see them.
I was delighted to see more Anya, Becky and Damian. Their interactions are always the cutest and funniest. I do appreciate the little fourth wall break and thought that was really funny. Which helped with the funny light hearted tone of the volume.
I thought the last few chapters and the build up was well done. The way the story can so easily transition from chapter to chapter and how different the tones are without being jarring.
Tatsuya Endo has nailed making these cliff hangers. I haven't tired of them yet and they are always well done when we do have them. He has spaced them out really well so you are still engaged and satisfied even when there is no cliff hanger.
I cannot wait to see how volume 13 will start off.
We got to see a little about The Handler and how she lives as well as friendly competition between her, Loid and their dogs. As well as Yur interacting with her co-workers. Spy x Family does a good job with side characters that they don't feel completely forgotten and feel like individual from one another. They won't get the same development as the main and secondary characters but it is still nice to see them.
I was delighted to see more Anya, Becky and Damian. Their interactions are always the cutest and funniest. I do appreciate the little fourth wall break and thought that was really funny. Which helped with the funny light hearted tone of the volume.
I thought the last few chapters and the build up was well done. The way the story can so easily transition from chapter to chapter and how different the tones are without being jarring.
Tatsuya Endo has nailed making these cliff hangers. I haven't tired of them yet and they are always well done when we do have them. He has spaced them out really well so you are still engaged and satisfied even when there is no cliff hanger.
I cannot wait to see how volume 13 will start off.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol
The Italian Marriage by Jenna Lo Bianco
emotional
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.5
I now believe I can renovate a small European estate and make a thriving business following the blueprint that is this book. Also known as this book was written so well and realistically that it has given me the confidence to try this myself (I know it is a long title).
As major part of the writing I think was Sarah and Matthew's relationship. I loved watching them grow together, starting off as friendly but still somewhat strangers. They never had any animosity between them which I've seen with fake dating staring off (which if you don't like each other why would you fake date) but instead they were adults and acted as such through the whole book. It was refreshing but also needed for some of the serious topics that were brought up with health.
On top of the wonderful relationship between Sarah and Matthew I loved their relationship with the community and other characters in the book. It was filled with so much genuine love between everyone and it felt like they wanted to get involved and help the community. It really helped sell the small town vibes and the close knit and welcoming community that is typically associated with small Italian towns.
I loved this book and I cannot wait to see what the other books are like in the series. It was a breathe of fresh air to have mature adults in these books talk and interact without the unwanted drama. It was cozy and hit my love watching old estates and buildings be renovated and brought back to their former glory.
As major part of the writing I think was Sarah and Matthew's relationship. I loved watching them grow together, starting off as friendly but still somewhat strangers. They never had any animosity between them which I've seen with fake dating staring off (which if you don't like each other why would you fake date) but instead they were adults and acted as such through the whole book. It was refreshing but also needed for some of the serious topics that were brought up with health.
On top of the wonderful relationship between Sarah and Matthew I loved their relationship with the community and other characters in the book. It was filled with so much genuine love between everyone and it felt like they wanted to get involved and help the community. It really helped sell the small town vibes and the close knit and welcoming community that is typically associated with small Italian towns.
I loved this book and I cannot wait to see what the other books are like in the series. It was a breathe of fresh air to have mature adults in these books talk and interact without the unwanted drama. It was cozy and hit my love watching old estates and buildings be renovated and brought back to their former glory.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical trauma and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual content
Minor: Infertility