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honeyreads1066's reviews
345 reviews
Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
3.5
This has to be the single weirdest book I have ever read.
This book follows Zoe and Agnes who originally correspond about the selling of an antique apple peeler but as the two women continue their conversation things get a little too dependent and spiral out of control.
I didn't know what to expect coming into this book but it certainly was not that. The slow descent into dependency and madness by both characters came naturally and each shocking moment felt subdued as though not done for shock value.
It's hard to talk about this book since it's so short which is one of the issues I had here. I do wish that this story was set over a larger period, I felt like it would have added more to the characters and made this feel more natural.
The characters themselves were both unlikable and even with the ending I have no idea how to feel about either of them but they were flawed and dark and honestly that didn't feel too far fetched.
Overall it's weird as hell and also pretty disturbing but I think worth the read.
This book follows Zoe and Agnes who originally correspond about the selling of an antique apple peeler but as the two women continue their conversation things get a little too dependent and spiral out of control.
I didn't know what to expect coming into this book but it certainly was not that. The slow descent into dependency and madness by both characters came naturally and each shocking moment felt subdued as though not done for shock value.
It's hard to talk about this book since it's so short which is one of the issues I had here. I do wish that this story was set over a larger period, I felt like it would have added more to the characters and made this feel more natural.
The characters themselves were both unlikable and even with the ending I have no idea how to feel about either of them but they were flawed and dark and honestly that didn't feel too far fetched.
Overall it's weird as hell and also pretty disturbing but I think worth the read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
We are on a roll with these romances.
This book follows Jordan who after a little issue with the apartment she rents with her boyfriend gets kicked out and as a last resort ends up staying with her boyfriend's father, a grumpy older man who had a little run-in with Jordan before. With her boyfriend seeming more distant and her forced to stay around his grumpy father, a friendship blooms and maybe a little more does too.
I was expecting to have mixed feelings about this book since literally the love interests name is Pike however I wasn't pleasantly surprised. I read this in giant chunks and enjoyed every bit of it.
The story itself was fun and light and it felt natural, their fondness for each other never seemed artificial and I loved watching them fall in love. I also loved the ending, I wasn't expecting to like it because I feel like the ending of romance books I've read before felt rushed or out of place but here it fits very well and I'm glad everything turned out the way it did.
My only issue was that sometimes the characters would say or do things that made me like them a little less when I think we were supposed to like them but that's just me nitpicking.
Overall this was great, I enjoyed and I'm very shocked that Douglas actually made me like a guy called Pike, so yes I would recommend it.
This book follows Jordan who after a little issue with the apartment she rents with her boyfriend gets kicked out and as a last resort ends up staying with her boyfriend's father, a grumpy older man who had a little run-in with Jordan before. With her boyfriend seeming more distant and her forced to stay around his grumpy father, a friendship blooms and maybe a little more does too.
I was expecting to have mixed feelings about this book since literally the love interests name is Pike however I wasn't pleasantly surprised. I read this in giant chunks and enjoyed every bit of it.
The story itself was fun and light and it felt natural, their fondness for each other never seemed artificial and I loved watching them fall in love. I also loved the ending, I wasn't expecting to like it because I feel like the ending of romance books I've read before felt rushed or out of place but here it fits very well and I'm glad everything turned out the way it did.
My only issue was that sometimes the characters would say or do things that made me like them a little less when I think we were supposed to like them but that's just me nitpicking.
Overall this was great, I enjoyed and I'm very shocked that Douglas actually made me like a guy called Pike, so yes I would recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexism
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book was insane in the best way.
This book follows Chiamaka and Devon the only 2 black students at a prestigious private school. After entering their senior year, their lives seem to take a nosedive as someone known only as Aces starts to spread their deepest darkest secrets around the school.
Someone described this book as gossip girl meets get out and they couldn't be more right. The tension and anger that this book made me feel were insane. It has been a while since a book has garnered such a reaction out of me.
The characters read exactly as they were supposed to. They were likeable at times and not so much at others. However, they all went through some serious growth and change especially Devon and Chiamaka of course. I also found that even though they were teens and acted like teens it wasn't in a way that was too annoying. It was a lot more realistic and I think that made me like them a lot more.
The plot is something I've never even thought about in my life. The idea is original and the way it was executed incredibly. There were so many plot twists I didn't expect and things I thought I understood but got slightly wrong. I love that it was unpredictable but in a way that you still understood how and why certain things happened because they didn't come out of nowhere.
Overall I'm still shook over this book. I think it'll stay with me for a while because the idea isn't as far off as one would like to believe. I would 100% recommend this.
This book follows Chiamaka and Devon the only 2 black students at a prestigious private school. After entering their senior year, their lives seem to take a nosedive as someone known only as Aces starts to spread their deepest darkest secrets around the school.
Someone described this book as gossip girl meets get out and they couldn't be more right. The tension and anger that this book made me feel were insane. It has been a while since a book has garnered such a reaction out of me.
The characters read exactly as they were supposed to. They were likeable at times and not so much at others. However, they all went through some serious growth and change especially Devon and Chiamaka of course. I also found that even though they were teens and acted like teens it wasn't in a way that was too annoying. It was a lot more realistic and I think that made me like them a lot more.
The plot is something I've never even thought about in my life. The idea is original and the way it was executed incredibly. There were so many plot twists I didn't expect and things I thought I understood but got slightly wrong. I love that it was unpredictable but in a way that you still understood how and why certain things happened because they didn't come out of nowhere.
Overall I'm still shook over this book. I think it'll stay with me for a while because the idea isn't as far off as one would like to believe. I would 100% recommend this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Murder
amok by Sebastian Fitzek
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I honestly didn't expect to love this book as much as I did.
This book follows Ira who in what she expected to be her last day on the earth, gets pulled back into her job as a hostage negotiator when a man breaks into a radio station. For each hostage, he calls a number from the phonebook, at random. If they answer with a specific slogan, a hostage goes free. If they don't, a hostage dies. The only issue is the thing he wants is his girlfriend except she died 8 months ago in a car accident.
The characters themselves were all complicated. Maybe it's because the book was set in a day but you couldn't guess anyone except Ira's motivations but that worked well for the genre of the book. I think that's what made me guess the whole way through. The characters weren't also likeable but they didn't need to be for you to feel sympathy or empathy. I think that could have gone both ways but was written very well here.
The plot itself kept me guessing the whole way through, I genuinely had no idea where it would end it what the twist would be and also who was reliable and who wasn't. I think that in itself added to the story.
My only issue was that while I understand why it was put in, the things about Ira's daughter just didn't find my interest. Maybe it's because we never met her so I wasn't that upset about it or because Ira wasn't too much of a likeable character so I wasn't invested in what she wanted but frankly I didn't care.
Overall I greatly enjoyed this, it went to places I didn't expect and the twists in the plot weren't things I was able to guess. I would 100% recommend this book as a good thriller.
This book follows Ira who in what she expected to be her last day on the earth, gets pulled back into her job as a hostage negotiator when a man breaks into a radio station. For each hostage, he calls a number from the phonebook, at random. If they answer with a specific slogan, a hostage goes free. If they don't, a hostage dies. The only issue is the thing he wants is his girlfriend except she died 8 months ago in a car accident.
The characters themselves were all complicated. Maybe it's because the book was set in a day but you couldn't guess anyone except Ira's motivations but that worked well for the genre of the book. I think that's what made me guess the whole way through. The characters weren't also likeable but they didn't need to be for you to feel sympathy or empathy. I think that could have gone both ways but was written very well here.
The plot itself kept me guessing the whole way through, I genuinely had no idea where it would end it what the twist would be and also who was reliable and who wasn't. I think that in itself added to the story.
My only issue was that while I understand why it was put in, the things about Ira's daughter just didn't find my interest. Maybe it's because we never met her so I wasn't that upset about it or because Ira wasn't too much of a likeable character so I wasn't invested in what she wanted but frankly I didn't care.
Overall I greatly enjoyed this, it went to places I didn't expect and the twists in the plot weren't things I was able to guess. I would 100% recommend this book as a good thriller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, and Murder
Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
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? Yes
4.0
I think this was a book I needed to read when I read it.
It follows Yinka, a Nigerian woman living in London, she is 31 with a little sister who is married and pregnant and now all her aunties are looking for her to be next. This with the added pressure of her cousin's wedding causes her to make a plan to have a date by then but is this really what she needs.
I think this book follows the pressures of families and singledom well. You get pulled into her family and although dramatic in a way I found them very realistic.
I also found the characters very realistic, they all had their struggles their ways of being and even as friends they were all flawed and j think that brings you into the story a lot better.
The truth is I thought it was going to be a very light read but as I read Yinka's journey I got to bits where I related a little too much and I appreciate that Blackburn was able to write her in such a way that even without an overbearing Nigerian family I was able to relate.
Overall, I would recommend it, it's fun but it also says a lot and I'm really glad I read it when I did.
It follows Yinka, a Nigerian woman living in London, she is 31 with a little sister who is married and pregnant and now all her aunties are looking for her to be next. This with the added pressure of her cousin's wedding causes her to make a plan to have a date by then but is this really what she needs.
I think this book follows the pressures of families and singledom well. You get pulled into her family and although dramatic in a way I found them very realistic.
I also found the characters very realistic, they all had their struggles their ways of being and even as friends they were all flawed and j think that brings you into the story a lot better.
The truth is I thought it was going to be a very light read but as I read Yinka's journey I got to bits where I related a little too much and I appreciate that Blackburn was able to write her in such a way that even without an overbearing Nigerian family I was able to relate.
Overall, I would recommend it, it's fun but it also says a lot and I'm really glad I read it when I did.
Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
3.25
This story is so rich with West African history that I am in awe.
This book follows Simi who is a Mama Wati or mermaid whose job is to collect the souls of the dead. However, she makes a mistake when a living boy is thrown of a slave ship and saves his life. Now she must ask for forgiveness from the supreme creator, though there is something out there who is determined to see her fail and makes her journey a lot more difficult.
First off while I am black, West African history and culture is not my history meaning that I came into this not knowing anything about anything. Bowen has a way of writing that makes you understand while still quickly emerging into the story so here I learnt a lot.
The character was loveable and complicated and overall fun. I loved Kola and Simi didn't annoy me too much which was brilliant. The side characters as well even with the length of the book had their distinct personalities which I loved.
The plot itself was brilliant and interesting. My only fault is that I wish it was longer. While I'm all here for fast-paced books this felt a little rushed once you got past halfway. I just wish I had longer to learn about the world and characters and also see more of the character that I wanted to.
This also meant that the ending felt a little rushed, the plot twist at the very end made sense but it still like there could have been more around it I would have loved to see the aftermath of everything.
Overall this could have easily been split into a duology which I would have happily read and I'm kind of upset that it wasn't. Although it was fun and short and I enjoyed it a lot.
This book follows Simi who is a Mama Wati or mermaid whose job is to collect the souls of the dead. However, she makes a mistake when a living boy is thrown of a slave ship and saves his life. Now she must ask for forgiveness from the supreme creator, though there is something out there who is determined to see her fail and makes her journey a lot more difficult.
First off while I am black, West African history and culture is not my history meaning that I came into this not knowing anything about anything. Bowen has a way of writing that makes you understand while still quickly emerging into the story so here I learnt a lot.
The character was loveable and complicated and overall fun. I loved Kola and Simi didn't annoy me too much which was brilliant. The side characters as well even with the length of the book had their distinct personalities which I loved.
The plot itself was brilliant and interesting. My only fault is that I wish it was longer. While I'm all here for fast-paced books this felt a little rushed once you got past halfway. I just wish I had longer to learn about the world and characters and also see more of the character that I wanted to.
This also meant that the ending felt a little rushed, the plot twist at the very end made sense but it still like there could have been more around it I would have loved to see the aftermath of everything.
Overall this could have easily been split into a duology which I would have happily read and I'm kind of upset that it wasn't. Although it was fun and short and I enjoyed it a lot.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Slavery
The Perfect Find by Tia Williams
funny
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I think I should have read this before Seven days in June.
This book follows Jenna, who at 40 has upended her life and started to work with one of her rivals. The only problem is that she needs to make a perfect web series to keep her job and the man who's videoing the whole thing is Eric, her rivals son and someone Jenna finds a little too irresistible.
In terms of characters, I found everyone fairly likeable, I thought that the side characters were better but that may just be my thing against main characters. Although I did love Eric as a love interest. I was not however a big fan of the dialogue at all, it annoyed me, not to the point I stopped reading the book but I was still very annoyed.
I did feel very convinced about the romance. Sometimes there's an issue of romance feeling very instalove but this wasn't an issue here. It did feel very natural and gradual and I enjoyed that a lot.
The ending was very Tia Williams, I can't complain because I was kind of expecting it but I wasn't a fan of it at all. Despite that I did think it made sense, it didn't feel out of place or out of character which I think is great.
Overall, it was just okay, I think if I read this first I would have enjoyed it a lot more because Seven days in June was so damn good but I still enjoyed it.
This book follows Jenna, who at 40 has upended her life and started to work with one of her rivals. The only problem is that she needs to make a perfect web series to keep her job and the man who's videoing the whole thing is Eric, her rivals son and someone Jenna finds a little too irresistible.
In terms of characters, I found everyone fairly likeable, I thought that the side characters were better but that may just be my thing against main characters. Although I did love Eric as a love interest. I was not however a big fan of the dialogue at all, it annoyed me, not to the point I stopped reading the book but I was still very annoyed.
I did feel very convinced about the romance. Sometimes there's an issue of romance feeling very instalove but this wasn't an issue here. It did feel very natural and gradual and I enjoyed that a lot.
The ending was very Tia Williams, I can't complain because I was kind of expecting it but I wasn't a fan of it at all. Despite that I did think it made sense, it didn't feel out of place or out of character which I think is great.
Overall, it was just okay, I think if I read this first I would have enjoyed it a lot more because Seven days in June was so damn good but I still enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
To the Lake by Яна Вагнер, Yana Vagner
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
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
2.75
I don't feel like this book was for me at all.
This book follows Anya who along with her husband and son make a plan to journey to their lake house to escape the deadly epidemic that has so far ravaged the land and caused everyone it's come into contact with to die.
Despite how deadly this virus is, Anya's husband Sergey with his need to help keeps inviting people to join this journey with them which makes Anya increasingly nervous. The journey itself is already hard and with a lack of petrol and resources, it's not just the virus they need to watch out for.
I just assumed that a lot more would happen on this journey, I felt like is as told what everyone was feeling and the events that happened were so few and far between that I didn't feel like it was worth it.
The characters themselves were very skewed since it's Anya's POV we get everything from. It means that her feelings towards all these characters were what was shown and for that reason, they never really felt like individuals. Anya also didn't seem to like anyone so the majority of the characters were quite unlikeable too.
For that reason, I also did not feel any set of stakes for anyone. I didn't care enough whether they died or not which I suppose changed how this book was supposed to be read.
The description however was extremely detailed, I could visualise each scene incredibly well but in addition to this, it also meant there was a lot of telling and not showing which got irritating after a while.
Overall, I just wish that more happened but I did finish it because I did want to know what happened. I guess this just wasn't the book for me.
This book follows Anya who along with her husband and son make a plan to journey to their lake house to escape the deadly epidemic that has so far ravaged the land and caused everyone it's come into contact with to die.
Despite how deadly this virus is, Anya's husband Sergey with his need to help keeps inviting people to join this journey with them which makes Anya increasingly nervous. The journey itself is already hard and with a lack of petrol and resources, it's not just the virus they need to watch out for.
I just assumed that a lot more would happen on this journey, I felt like is as told what everyone was feeling and the events that happened were so few and far between that I didn't feel like it was worth it.
The characters themselves were very skewed since it's Anya's POV we get everything from. It means that her feelings towards all these characters were what was shown and for that reason, they never really felt like individuals. Anya also didn't seem to like anyone so the majority of the characters were quite unlikeable too.
For that reason, I also did not feel any set of stakes for anyone. I didn't care enough whether they died or not which I suppose changed how this book was supposed to be read.
The description however was extremely detailed, I could visualise each scene incredibly well but in addition to this, it also meant there was a lot of telling and not showing which got irritating after a while.
Overall, I just wish that more happened but I did finish it because I did want to know what happened. I guess this just wasn't the book for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gun violence and Violence
All Rhodes Lead Here by Mariana Zapata
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
God, it has taken me so long to write a review for this book because I'm still on a high. I swear I need to start reading romances more often.
This book follows Aurora, who is starting new after a divorce in the town her mother went missing so many years ago. As she goes on this journey to find herself she may find a lot more than she bargained for on the way.
If you can't tell I loved this book. It is such a slow urn but honestly one of the best I've read in a long LONG time. The characters all felt so real and loveable or not so loveable and we're all complicated with their problems.
I liked the relationships between the different characters as well, as, in the already established ones such as Rhodes and Amos, I thought they were done very well.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book, although it was a slow burn there were but that I thought were a little too long and I wasn't that invested in but overall it didn't change the way I enjoyed the book. 100% would recommend.
This book follows Aurora, who is starting new after a divorce in the town her mother went missing so many years ago. As she goes on this journey to find herself she may find a lot more than she bargained for on the way.
If you can't tell I loved this book. It is such a slow urn but honestly one of the best I've read in a long LONG time. The characters all felt so real and loveable or not so loveable and we're all complicated with their problems.
I liked the relationships between the different characters as well, as, in the already established ones such as Rhodes and Amos, I thought they were done very well.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book, although it was a slow burn there were but that I thought were a little too long and I wasn't that invested in but overall it didn't change the way I enjoyed the book. 100% would recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content