hollielovesromance's reviews
587 reviews

Saltwater by Katy Hays

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mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A decades old scandal surrounding a wealthy family comes to head on their annual family vacation to Capri. This book was wild. Very rich people behaving badly vibes. I had so many times while reading where I felt like I knew what had happened but the twists kept coming and I was truly surprised by part of the ending. I really enjoyed the way that we were taken into multiple point of views during different time periods. It added a lot of layers and richness to the story. This is definitely a book I’ll be recommending folks to grab and ready on the beach. 
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Ahhhhhhhhhh. Am I ever glad that book 2 is already out so that I don’t have to sit in my anxiety waiting for its release. Rune is everything I want in a FMC. Gideon is moody and awkward and just a sweet baby. I really loved the pacing of this one and appreciated how it never really felt like it slowed down or dragged. Perfect YA fantasy book
The Latina Anti-Diet: A Dietitian's Guide to Authentic Health that Celebrates Culture and Full-Flavor Living by Dalina Soto

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informative fast-paced

4.0

If you’re starting your journey to heal your relationship with food this is a great introduction. I’ve been following Dalina on social media for a while and have always loved her way of being upfront, realistic, and encouraging. This book is her gift to her community. There is so much factual information in this book and it could have easily been overwhelming but Dalina presented it in a straightforward and simple way. Her personality and passion shines in this book. 
Hot Air: A Novel by Marcy Dermansky

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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

3.0

If you like messy rich people who are mildly self aware but ultimately decide to do whatever they want this book is for you. Joannie is on a first date at Johnny’s house when a hot air balloon crashes into his pool. Joannie is surprised when one of the inhabitant is the man she had her first kiss with at summer camp. Everything else that follows is rich people behaving badly while using their money and privilege to make the normies in the story feel bad because they think it helps them. If you’re looking for likable characters this isn’t the book for you. It’s a quick read perfect for the beach. 
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

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challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Stephen Graham Jones has done it again. He has taken us on a winding journey of an epistolary novel where you constantly question what is truth and what might have been left off the page. The discovery of a hidden journal quickly has Etsy Beaucarne translating the work of her great-great-great grandfather in hopes of publishing a book that will land her tenure. What Etsy discovers is the tale of her Lutheran Pastor grandfather receiving confession from a mysterious Native man whose story is almost unbelievable until more and more things start to occur. 
I am so obsessed with the way this story was told and how I found myself furiously flipping the page to find out what would happen next. Stephen Graham Jones has delivered the perfect amount of tension and body horror to ensure that I will never be able to forget this story. I appreciated the way people, land, and assimilation were discussed through Good Stab’s journey. 
Taking Shots by Toni Aleo

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Oh boy. This was a re-read for me to satisfy a reading challenge prompt and friends this was something. I had read this maybe back in 2017(?) and had remembering enjoying it but this was rough. These so much fat shaming, slut shaming, and absolute nonsense. The FMC is a size 10 and thinks she’s fat and not worthy of love. The MMC is a hockey player named Shea based in Nashville…which makes me think the author was like ope this is Shea Weber who was the captain of the Nashville hockey team at the time of her writing. These two do not communicate worth a damn and all their struggles are because they don’t communicate and are both very insecure. Maybe I enjoyed this one the first time I read it because the other hockey romances I was reading at the time were preetttyyy bad as well. 
By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land by Rebecca Nagle

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fast-paced

5.0

I really appreciated the way Rebecca presented the facts of the case and the history surrounding it. It would have been easy to not include the information surrounding her family and her thoughts about how their actions impacted Cherokee nation but she faces this head on. I learned so much from this book and know I’ll be thinking about it for a long time. 
My Big Fat Fake Marriage by Charlotte Stein

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oh bravo! Hazel and Beck are everything I could want from a couple. Everyone in Hazel’s life thinks she’s this confident big personality but she’s calculated and trying her best to hide the things she thinks no one would like about her. She knows what “nice guys” are like and when her neighbor Beck keeps doing all these nice, kind things for her she’s got her guards up. Beck is the most delightful cinnamon roll who is also a giant teddy bear. People underestimate him and think he’s old fashioned. When Beck finds himself the target of a work colleague he tells a lie that he has a wife and doesn’t know how to get out of it. When Hazel meets this work colleague she quickly finds herself identifying as Beck’s wife and shenanigans ensue on a writer’s retreat. 
This book has a plus banter, steamy scenes that will make you reach for a glass of water, and a couple who sees each other exactly as they are and accepts each other. I loved this book so much and found myself laughing out loud at times. Charlotte Stein has done it again. She’s quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me. 
When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

What a delightful novella filled with so many twists and turns that I found myself at the end giggling from the joy of not being able to predict the outcome. The Polish folklore in this was excellent. 
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Girl she has no clue what the fuck she’s doing with this whole ass series and this was her swing at the fences to course correct from book 2. Someone get her an editor to sit with her and plot out the next 2 books so maybe we actually get out of this series with an ending that has a modicum of sense to it.