jennireadsmaybe's reviews
651 reviews

Hearts and Stars by Phoenix Kathryn

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challenging dark emotional lighthearted tense medium-paced
I'm always on the look out for LGBTQIA+ authors to support, so when I found out about Hearts and Stars I immediately ran to the ARC sign up application. Quinntessa, the narrator/FMC of the story, is a bisexual, football player. She's carrying around A LOT of trauma, a FBI agent dad that's never around, and a very reactive dog when she moves into a house falling apart at its seems in Coven, Indiana. She's moved around so much she doesn't want to risk making friends just to leave them behind, and all she really wants is a spot on the losing football team. 

I mean this in the best possible way, if I had found this on Wattpad when I was in high school it would've changed my life (who am I kidding it still kinda did and I'm in my mid-twenties now). I definitely would've realized I was queer way sooner than I did, because of Quinntessa's thoughts and feelings for ex-cheerleader, rebel with a cause Quinn. The way their feelings developed felt so honest. There's teasing, banter, stolen moments, and motorcycle rides. Another refreshing New Adult romance. I'm really looking forward to getting Quinn's POV in the next books to hear her thoughts. 

This is dark and tough to read at times but so worth it. I can't recommend it enough! Such an amazing debut!!! 

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Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

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adventurous dark mysterious reflective 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
Black Sun has been on my radar for the longest time. I didn't know much about it going in, and I do think that's the way to go. Epic fantasy can sometimes fall prey to the dreaded info dump, but I think Rebecca Roanhorse did a phenomenal job of stretching out learning moments throughout the novel instead of all at once. Additionally, I genuinely enjoyed every point of view; not only was each POV necessary to the overarching plot, they were each unique and entertaining enough to jump between without wishing to skip one. I honestly couldn't pick a favorite character if you asked me to. 

There's a lot of moving parts in this. Between prophecies, politics, and magic of all kinds there's enough action and mystery to keep the pages turning. I definitely recommend an immersive reading experience with a physical and audio copy because it's got multiple narrators that capture everything so well. The world itself was so immersive and all the different settings throughout were easy for me to imagine; I could definitely see the similarities between the book and the Pre-Columbian Americas it's inspired by. I really liked the queer + trans representation and how normalized it was for our characters. 

Read this if you like epic fantasy, great world building, multiple POVs, political intrigue, ancient prophecies, magical worlds, and LGBTQIA+ characters. 

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Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage

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emotional funny lighthearted 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
I don't know how I'm going to handle the end of this series that has come to mean so much to me. Lyla Sage is unmatched when it comes to capturing 20 something emotions/feelings. I high key relate so much to Teddy's struggle with feeling left behind while all her friends are moving on to the next thing in life. Teddy is such a fun character too. She's loud, a bit unpredictable, hot as hell, and not afraid to tell you how it is. She's honestly Gus' "worst nightmare," because he loves having a plan. But as always sometimes the best things in life are unexpected. 

My favorite part of L&L isn't the off the charts chemistry and smut (though it's amazing as usual for Lyla Sage), it's actually the soft moments as Teddy and Gus get to know each other beyond their pre-existing best friend's brother relationship. Gus gets to see just how much Teddy cares for everyone around her (especially Riley) and Teddy gets to be the one who he lets his walls down with. They're just so cute y'all!!! 

Lost and Lassoed is not just a romantic love story; it's one of familial love between parents and their kids and platonic love between two best friends. I think my favorite thing about the Rebel Blue Ranch series is that every book mentions how Teddy and Emmy are soulmates. I've been lucky enough to find the other half of my platonic heart in my best friend, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

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The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

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dark mysterious 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
If Isabel Cañas has no fans, I'm dead! In all seriousness The Hacienda is one of my favorite gothic novels of all time. In seeking her own agency, Beatriz is forced to make difficult decisions about what her life will look like; she finds herself plagued by visions and voices in the haunted halls of Hacienda San Isidro. Not only is the haunted house mysteriously terrifying, the prose is simply stunning. I heavily annotated my copy, and I can't wait to reread it one day to see these lines that stuck with me so much. 

Beatriz and Andrés are such great characters individually that it was rather easy for me to picture them as a matched set separated by a cruel world that would do whatever it took to keep them apart. They come to each other in stages of grief, believing that the world is more than what it seems, surrounded by people but achingly lonely. They believe in each other so strongly, even when it seems like they shouldn't. It's beautiful and heart-wrenching. 

It would be remiss of me not to mention the historical setting. Set in the aftermath of The Mexican War of Independence, the audience gets to see a glimpse of Mexico's political relations and what that meant for our main characters and society at the time. Of course, it's all juxtaposed against the super natural elements and history's brutal treatment of women. A phenomenal read! 

One line that stood out to me particularly was, “But if God is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, if He is three in one in the Trinity, then God knows nothing of loneliness. God knows nothing of standing with his back to a gray morning, of dropping to his knees in the dust.” 


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Fire Spells Between Friends by S.O. Callahan, Sarah Wallace

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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? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Top of my cozy fantasy list!!! I had the best time reading Fire Spells Between Friends because it was just so charming. S.O. Callahan and Sarah Wallace prove that anything can be queer-normative if you make it that way (even regency era London). Torquil, our nonbinary mc, is straight up not having a good time; pulled between being the first fae-human member on the Council, entering snobby, prejudiced, high society, running an extremely popular gossip column, and hiding their true feelings for their long-time hook up partner Emrys, they are at their wits end. Meanwhile, Emrys is "trying" and failing to find a marriage worth partner when he's so obviously in love. Emrys is probably the best example of a himbo I've ever read. I loved him so much<3

Council politics mixed with hunt for a new, more inclusive magic testing system added the perfect amount of intrigue to keep me invested outside of the romance (which I loved!!!). Torquil's rough introduction to London's upper crust society felt so real to me. I just knew they were suffering under the weight of society's expectations. Throw in Emrys' meddling grandma and mother and there was the perfect amount of humor and stress. 

Torquil and Emrys' romance is sickeningly sweet in the most amazing way! It felt like a warm hug on a cold day. What started as a one off hook up several years ago has turned into something bordering on much more serious feelings. Torquil is using their gossip column to share what Emrys is looking for in a partner and obviously we know exactly who he is looking for (spoiler alert: Torquil). They slowly get to know each other as they are partnered at very events. It's sweet, soft, slow, and heartwarming. I love their story!!! 

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Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

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adventurous funny lighthearted relaxing 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? No
As someone who's fairly new to the cozy fantasy genre, I can understand why people love this book. It has all the elements that seem common: escaping the brutal fantasy world to run a small business in a small village (in this case and bookstore/cafe combination), a good balance of high and low stakes that keeps a reader invested without becoming monotonous and/or too action packed, magic, dragons, sword-wielding, and an irresistibly cozy setting. It also is sapphic which was my main reason for reading. 

I can't say it's an all time favorite, but I had a fun enough time reading it. I liked how Rebecca Thorne showed the transition for Reyna and Kianthe from hardly getting to see each other to having to spend all of their time together. It's a cute village filled with nosy neighbors and magical politics. I'm jealous that I can't run away to a small, mountain town to open a book shop with my non-existent significant other. Cute! 

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Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

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emotional funny lighthearted 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
Best Hex Ever is the perfect cozy, autumnal read. Dina's magical baked goods are drool-worthy and make you feel the best things. Generally, I loved her magic and how grounded it was in the world while still having the space to be messy and chaotic. I'm also a huge fan of Dina's story as she is a bisexual, brown woman who lives with the relatable fear of coming out to her parents. She's also got a hex that leaves the people she falls for in a perilous position. There's so much self discovery and I just loved it.

I LOVE love and Dina and Scott's love is where it's at! There's instant attraction and chemistry between these two that left me wanting more from the start. Their chemistry is electrifying in the bedroom (literally glowing), and Scott certainly has a mouth on him. 

Overall, a fun read that I want to reread next fall on audio to experience it in a whole new way! 

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Heat and Run by Adriana Herrera

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lighthearted 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? No
Heat and Run is the high heat (😼), sapphic (FFF), omegaverse, holiday romance novella of my dreams. As always, Adriana Herrera pulls off a wickedly sexy and stealthily swoony good time. I loved Melina, Dhanyaris, and Camille fated mates triad! And y'all when I tell you the smut was smutting, I'm pretty sure I melted faster than the Wicked Witch. Please pick this up! 

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Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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
I'm being so freaking serious when I say that Don't Let the Forest In is my favorite read on 2024; I don't care that the we still have two months left. This is haunting, terrifying, creepy, eerie, heart-wrenching, and life changing. I'm not typically a fan of horror, but C.G. Drews drew me in with their phenomenal and heartbreaking writing. I annotated more of this book than any other book I've read. I can't stop thinking about it. It haunts me in a way very few other books have. 

Starting with the characters, Andrew is completely, achingly, brokenly obsessed with his best friend Thomas. He writes twisted fairytales full of dark and dreary monsters, and Thomas draws those monsters in his sketch book. They're messy, chaotic teenagers experiencing the worst parts of teenage-hood and making bad decision after bad decision. I love them both so much for that. Teenagers, especially queer teenagers, should get to exist as they are without having to be the perfect representation at every waking moment. I love these two toxic boys with all my heart. 

They are fighting off the physical manifestations of the fictional monsters they've created. The haunted forest surrounding the campus is destroying them piece by piece. Andrew's asexuality is a huge part of the plot, because he's so terrified that he will never loved. He's also dealing with all of his feelings for Thomas and what it means to be in love with his best friend, especially as they are fighting with each other, because nobody can hurt you worse than the person that knows you the best. The plot is so easy to get hooked into (even scaredy cat me wanted to keep reading). 

The person I was before reading DLTFI was a husk. I will never be the same.  

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Axes & O's by Kayla Grosse

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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
KAYLA MF GROSSE!!! I've been on the edge of my seat ever since she announced that she was writing a "lumbersnack" book. Let me just say, she knocked it out of the park. Honestly, everything about this was exactly what I needed. I 100% adored Nathan, Fox, and Morgan. Fox is a traumatized, dominant who's terrified that he's too much for anyone besides Morgan. Morgan is a sassy, tree scientist, switch who loves Fox with all her heart. And my baby Nathan (same last name as me folx I have to stan!!) is stuck in a rut and desperate for a change when he literally crashes into their lives. Gah!!! I seriously am in love with all three of them. The cozy, snowed in, cabin in the woods setting was so inviting and makes me want to skip ahead to December. 

Listen, smut can be the plot. Smut can be the driving force behind character growth and relationship growth. And, smut can be what sucks a reader into a book. Kayla did the damn thing with the smut in Axes & O's. Was it was hot enough to leave readers a sweaty mess? Absolutely. But, it was also a meaningful exploration of sexuality, desire, k!nk, and what it means to trust the person/people you are in a romantic relationship with. I'm a sucker for a strong man getting on his knees for forgiveness and Fox exceeding my expectations with his apology ;) I will be screaming about this book for years to come. 

Read this if you like lumber jacks, janes, and snacks, a cozy cabin at Christmas, poly romance (specifically MMF), fat representation, learning new things about yourself, smut and k!nk and desire, falling for someone you never expected, and a man who knows when he has to say sorry. 

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