jennireadsmaybe's reviews
650 reviews

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious 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
I'm so mad at myself for putting this off as long as I did!!! S.A. Chakraborty always delivers, and Amina Al-Sirafi is her latest masterpiece. Set in and around the Indian Ocean during the Middle Ages, this book is full of a diverse cast of characters; each one is so unique and you can't help but love them. Amina the titular character has to get her pirate gang back together after several years of retirement to find young, kidnapped girl. The getting the gang back together sequences were fun and full of hijinks. I can definitely see this getting an adaptation because it reads like it's on the screen already. 

This blends my two great loves history and pirates, adds a splash of fantasy, and a bunch of the struggles of single motherhood to make the most delectable fantasy book I've read in quite a while. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, and I fell in love with this whole story. I can't wait to see where the gang has to go next. I read it physically while listening to the audio and I definitely recommend. The audio is stunning, but there's something about words on a page telling Amina's story that is so special. 

Read this if you want pirates, a found family gang of misfits, highly researched historical fantasy, single mom's living their best (kind of) life, and fantasy grounded in reality. 
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Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense 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
Thank you to Kacen Callender for writing the fantasy book a younger me dreamed of. A trans man mc, genderqueer LI, and a polyamorous love triangle. Transness is built into the magic system, so Ash and Ramsay can choose how they are represented each time they interact with someone. It's amazing! There all multiple scenes that show Ash's partners gentle and swoony care as he experiences body dysmorphia and discomfort. 

Callender tackles grief, classism, trauma, and so much more throughout Infinity Alchemist without ever weighing down the book's plot. I'm interested to see how things will continue to build in this world following the end of this book. This is such a powerful novel about magic and who in a society is deserving of magic and power. 

Read this if you're looking for queer and trans fantasy, polyamorous love triangles, partners that share openly with each other and check for consent constantly, and overthrowing tyrannical governments.. 
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Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-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
I'm constantly in awe of indie authors who decide to go traditional; Jillian Meadows is the latest in a long line to blow me away. Give Me Butterflies is a phenomenal debut about finding love after loss and trauma. Millie and Finn have a meet-disaster and find themselves in a work place, hate-to-love romance when Finn is put on the hiring committee for the position Millie is applying for. I've always been endlessly fascinated by behind the scenes museum happenings, so this book really delivered on that. 

The communication pushes the chemistry past hot and right into sensual. They are honest with each other about mental health, grief, life events, trauma, and dreams. There are so many soft moments between the two and Finn's nieces that make it impossible not to fall in love. Overall, this was a wonderful, steamy, STEM romance debut. I'm looking forward to reading more from Jillian Meadows soon. 

Read this if you like workplace, hate-ish-to-love, single guardian romances, stellar communication, found family, a bit of grumpy sunshine, and butterflies. 
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The Oath by T.M. Richardson

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adventurous emotional lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Listen, I'm just saying if my husband made his three best friends promise to take care of me in all ways (yes even that way ;)) after he died maybe I'd wanna get get married (jk or am I?). The Oath is an outrageous, erotic, romantic romp of a why choose romance. I love that Tatum's husband thought through the different ways these men would be able to comfort her following his death. They are each so unique, but together they're able to do what the husband no longer could. 

My only gripe with this was Cassidy being straight, but he gets a pass this time because he's fine as hell! In all seriousness, I love how T.M. Richardson explored the characters new and burgeoning relationship dynamics and what it looked like for the four of them to be together as a quad and individually. I love that each man got their time to know Tatum outside of her marriage. This is a fun, spicy, time! 

Read this if you want Black romance, polyamorous romance, older MCs who are already established in their lives, finding love after loss, and constantly learning new things about yourself
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Whirlwind by Kayla Grosse

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adventurous funny lighthearted 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
Kayla Grosse is one of the only authors that can make me laugh out loud while reading. Her books have a charm that I find is hard to replicate. Her FMCs take the fat, funny friend and lets her get her own love story. Whirlwind is fun, sexy, and full of well researched tornado chasing knowledge. I had such a great time reading about Finley, Ryker, and the whole storm chasing squad (I will die for Joey my bisexual king!!!). 

This is a professor x masters student romance, which isn't my favorite trope. I liked that the romance was building off of an established yet forbidden friendship. It lets the audience see that while their attraction isn't new, it is something they haven't acted on before. I really enjoyed that Finley demands more from Ryker than being the woman he regrets due to the forbidden nature of their relationship. She makes her feelings known. I liked this one a lot!

Read this if you think kissing doesn't take away from a woman's character arc, if you've ever asked yourself how can tornados be sexier, want to dip your toe into forbidden romance, and fat women getting loved on. 
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Hungerstone by Kat Dunn

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
So many things aligned perfectly for me to read and fall in love with this book; namely, my cycle starting and finishing in the same time it took me to finish this. A book about carnal hunger and all of the ways the patriarchy demands women and femmes shut those hungers down, Hungerstone, demands that you allow yourself to want. Lenore has buried her wants so deep inside herself that at first she believes she is empty of wants. She's been relegated to the crumbling countryside manor her husband purchased, trapped in a loveless, sexless, secret-filled marriage, and expected to fix the house in time for a hunting party.

An expected house guest comes in the form Carmilla, a woman rescued from a carriage crash on the outskirts of town, who doesn't seem to have any knowledge of her life prior to the crash. She's haunting and strange and Lenore quite frankly doesn't know what to do with her. Carmilla becomes the person who most pushes Lenore to want; she wrecks much havoc on the household and brings about much carnal signs during her time there.

Hungerstone is a wonderfully written retelling of Carmilla. Kat Dunn destroyed me in so many ways throughout the book. I'm sure I will return to this at many points in my life to remind myself that it's okay to want, that the carnal urge inside needs to be fed before it gets to late. 
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A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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
A Bánh Mì for Two is delightful YA sapphic romance between main characters Vivi and Lan. Vivi lied to her parents about her study abroad trip; she's actually in Vietnam to find out more about her mom's family and life. Once there, she meets Lan, who runs her mom's food cart in Sài Gòn and Vivi's favorite food blog A Bánh Mì for Two. They strike a deal and slowly grow closer. I loved how their friendship and feelings for each other developed naturally as they spent time getting to know each other. 

These two girls are very different from each other, and these differences push them to go out of their comfort zones and grow in many ways. I, honestly, loved their story so much. Trinity Nguyen tackles grief, family expectations, identity, colonization, war, and so many things with such grace. This book is one I will continue to recommend for years to come. The tears I shed while listening won't go unnoticed. 

Read this if you like foodie romances, growing pains, exploring cultures through food and history, sapphic representation, and thoughtful representations of grief and family trauma. 
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Setting Up Love by Rose Santoriello

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The cutest Valentine's themed monster/alien romance around. I had such a fun time while reading this, and I will definitely be going back to read other books by Rose Santoriello. I loved that they were academic rivals and both set on being valedictorian, because it added a bit of tension between the two out of their romance competition. Over all, a very fun and cute read. 
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Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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
I'm an extremely character driven reader, so Spinning Silver definitely suited my particular interest. It's all about women gaining agency. Miryem, Wanda, and Irina all live such different lives, but they are all suffering under the weight of a world that demands women be less. Naomi Novik weaves so much real world commentary into this Slavic inspired fantasy that not only applies to the books original release date but also now eight years later. To quote my eleventh grade English teacher's thoughts on one of my essays, "this is a feminist document." 

I wanted a polar fantasy and Spinning Silver certainly delivered. Everything in the world is informed by the freezing cold of a seemingly endless winter. The Staryk kingdom needs winter to flourish, so the characters must live with those consequences. The characters stories all come together so well. 
Though the beginning is a bit bogged down with so much exposition to get there, in the end the book is such a beautiful story. 

Read this if you like polar fantasy, women gaining agency, fantasy that isn't afraid to comment on real world issues, and the power of choices. 
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Hide n' Seek by Ashley Pines, Ashley Pines, Eden Emory

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adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I read Hide n' Seek at just the right time. I couldn't put it down!! It's super fast paced, but it doesn't ever feel like you're missing something important between the characters. I found it so unique because the authors turn these childhood games into a deadly competition for wealth, fame, and bragging rights. It really dark and twisted in the best way! The atmosphere, a seemingly run down amusement park, is so intense. I'm honestly not convinced I'll ever be able to go to one again without thinking of this book. 

Kohl is a nonbinary hottie who's not afraid to be a good boy. Also a quick aside, I loved that the authors had a bit in the front of the book about the characters pronouns and language they preferred to use (it was so refreshing). Victoria is a badass goddess. They've both grown up in toxic households run by previous winners, so going into the games is really a last resort for both of them. Their tension jumps off the page in both present and past events. I really enjoyed both of their stories. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series. 

Read this if you like deadly competitions, good boys, dystopian worlds, scary masks, a lot of smut, queer and nonbinary representation, no I'm serious a LOT of smut. 
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