jennireadsmaybe's reviews
651 reviews

The Seven Month Itch by Tanvier Peart

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emotional funny hopeful 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
Tanvier Peart hit this one out of the park!!! I'm packing my bags to go to a singles retreat in Colorado ski country; the setting descriptions were phenomenal, and I was dreaming of their hotel 😩 Also, this was freaking hilarious. Justice and Emma's friendly, quippy conversations had me cackling. I was easily sucked in to the story and didn't want to put it down once I started.

Marriage in trouble is by far one of my favorite tropes. The Seven Month Itch is one of my new favorites. I loved the obvious tension between Justice and Terrence. They love each other so much, but there is a lot of hurt between the two of them. The back and forth and emotional reunion really suited them. I also thought the miscommunication was extremely realistic to their history (I am a miscommunication apologist thought so...). The smut y'all... if y'all blush easy don't read this one in public 🥵. 

Read this if you like second chance, marriage in trouble, learning to trust after hard times, a man who knows what you like and will do it every single time, and realistic third act miscommunication. 
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To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

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adventurous emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated
To Shape a Dragon's Breath is one of the most well rounded fantasies I've read in a while. Set in a fantasy land that mirrors colonial era America. White colonizers have taken over the land and they have dragons. The worldbuilding and setting were so descriptive. Moniquill Blackgoose did a remarkable job at blending the worldbuilding aspects in, so it never felt like an info dump session. The different ways each culture views dragons and their relationship with them was so interesting. 

Anequs is by and far the best fantasy character I've ever read because she knows who she is and what she stands for. You learn right alongside her. I loved her relationships with other the students and teachers and most of all her family. The way she took bits of what she'd learned in school and connected them to her own culture was very powerful!

I'm definitely looking forward to whatever comes next in the Nampeshiweisit saga! 
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Lavash at First Sight by Taleen Voskuni

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emotional funny 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
This wasn't my favorite, I don't remember much about the characters outside of the two feuding families. I tend to enjoy books that are centered around cooking competitions, and I that was probably my favorite part of the book. I also liked the commentary on often overlooked cultural foods. The family rivalry was fun and dramatic. 

I found the romance most lacking for various reasons. The book starts off with Ellie getting broken up with by one of her mail coworkers. She's justifiably upset, but he continues to pop up throughout the book causing jealousy to ensue. It read very instant attraction + insta love, which I guess timing wise makes sense; I just didn't believe that these two would last. 
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

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adventurous dark 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 had the best time reading Phantasma!!! The gothic, haunted house setting + the battle royale competition sucked me in from the start. I loved that the challenges were centered around the seven deadly sins because they got more wild each time. Ophelia is such a badass fighting for her and her sister's lives and trying to avoid making deals with the supernatural creatures that haunt the halls. Every side character added to the plot in such a great way. The mystery also really kept me grounded in the book. 

Blackwell is such a swoony MMC. I genuinely enjoyed how their relationship came to pass. Going from insta-lust to an honest-to-goodness love story can be difficult but Kaylie Smith did a phenomenal job. The will-they-won't-they back and forth tension was dizzying in the best way IMO. I just wanted to reach into the book and push these two idiots together!! The steamy scenes we're so good and really played into the character dynamics. 

Read this if you like deathly competitions, haunted houses, solving mysteries, demons + devils + necromancers oh my, and will-they-won't-they romances. 
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The Pucking Wrong Number by C.R. Jane

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dark emotional 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
I knew what I was getting into, but this was a straight up mess. My favorite character is Ari (he's not one of the two MCs). Monroe deserves way better after her traumatizing as hell childhood. Lincoln is straight up annoying. The stakes just weren't high enough for me to warrant his behaviors. Fourteen year old me would've at this up, but 25 year old me didn't love it. The casual fatphobia in the beginning is really disheartening. 

Honestly, in my heart of hearts, I know that Monroe and Lincoln would not last. I liked them in the beginning but around the 50ish% mark it went down hill. The smut wasn't my favorite and felt very quotable but not emotionally impactful for the characters. 

Read this if you like bonkers dark romance with low stakes, hockey romance, and reliving your Wattpad glory days I guess.
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Scars Like Wings: The Crystal Dragon Duet Book One by Chelsey J. Leon

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated
Byrd better stand behind me so I can protect her from any further harm! To be blunt, she is put through the wringer throughout the entirety of Scars Like Wings, but she is such a loving, caring, sunshiney person that you want to root for her! As the reader, you have much more information that Byrd does about many parts of her life; I found it so entertaining to read along as she discovers long lost truths. I love the friendship she has with Simone and Maisie! It's such an amazing example of strong female friendships. In fact, I loved all of the side characters because they added so much to the plot. 

The overarching fated mates romance between Byrd and Quinn is so gosh darn cute from their love at first clumsiness meet cute. I really enjoyed the build up between them and the various moments of comfort they brought each other. There are a ton of secrets between them that I can't wait to see play out in book 2. The steamy scenes are delectable and really capture their ever developing romance. I just really loved these two together! 

Chelsey J. Leon sat down and wrote a phenomenally stunning debut! Don't let the length deter you because every moment matters. Please read this!!! 
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The Lovers by Rebekah Faubion

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emotional funny hopeful 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
Kit and Julia are both such amazing characters. Kit's storyline deals with a lot of comphet and parental expectations; she's coming into her queerness and it's freaking powerful! Julia is still somewhat recently coming out of a toxic relationship and navigating the world in a way she's not sure suits her anymore. Rebekah Faubion captured them each so well that I'm not convinced I couldn't run into them somewhere in Southern California. Also, the Joshua Tree setting was amazing; I've been there so many times and The Lovers felt just like another visit.

Add it to my list of second chance romances that flashback without taking away from the current romance. Such a phenomenal estranged friends to lovers romance. The tension and the yearning and the horniness, god it was all there for me! It's a romance through and through, but it's also about these two women falling in love with their true selves. I'm also such a sucker for couples getting to know each other again as adults which this does so well! 

Read this if you like sapphic romances, bi4bi, second chances, friends to lovers, learning to love yourself, tarot and other magical things, wonderfully lush settings, and feeling all the feels. 
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Close Knit by Denise Stone, Kels Stone

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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
As a certifiable Ted Lasso fan I just want to start this off by saying Close Knit is the closest I've ever felt to watching Ted Lasso in a book. Grumpy goalkeeper Cameron Hastings has a traumatizing past that leaves him feeling alone; meanwhile, sunshine knitting influencer Daphne Quinn is making the most of her "yes year" by moving to London. I love these two so much because in their loneliness they end up learning so much about themselves. All of the side characters from the football team were hilarious and great additions to the overarching plot of the book. 

Kels and Denise are one of my favorite author duos because not only are they phenomenal at crafting likable and relatable characters, they also write romances that are always believable. I loved this forced proximity, one night to hate to friends to lovers (I think that captures everything)! There's so many feelings and heartwrenching moments between these two that you can't help but root for their romance. And as always Kels and Denise give the characters room to start healing themselves while they fall in love. It's just so heartwarming!!! 

Read this if you like sports romance, knitting and other cozy hobbies, Ted Lasso, knotty smut (🥵), mental health representation, and romances that make you want to fall in love. 

Thank you to Kels and Denise Stone for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts <3  
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Back to Me by Katie Duggan

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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
Jo Quinn and Hunter Cleary the women that you are!!! Katie Duggan is simply the best at creating whole characters that you can't help but root for. I loved them both so much. Jo's journey to leave behind her toxic workplace is so relatable, getting to read her dreams coming true was so heartwarming. Each aspect of the girls' characters was so well researched and written. They're my babies end of story! 

Back to Me is the perfect example of a second chance romance that doesn't rely on the past to push the current relationship forward. Each of the flashbacks came at the exact right time in the story to understand them more. And they were roommates!!! Hunter's pillow definitely heard some things 😳 I think their romance was so heartfelt. Jo learning to love after the traumatic end of her engagement and Hunter journey with her sexuality and hateful family situation had them come together (😉) and have such impactful conversations. If you can't tell, I loved their romance so much!!! 

Read this if you like second chance romance, roommates, fat + midsize representation, following your dreams, love stories for everyone, dancing around your living room with someone you love. 
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You, with a View by Jessica Joyce

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes
I feel like I say this all the time but Noelle is my favorite kind of character to read about. She's a messy twenty something full of grief and jealousy. Honestly, I loved that both of them had insecurities that followed them from a life of competing against each other. I think it made them feel so much more realized than any I've read this year! 

The romance y'all!!! The romance!! They're former academic rivals brought together by a love letter from their grandparents past. I love that they get to know each other while on the roadtrip their grandparents never took. I eat up forced proximity every time, and You, with a View is no different. They go from at odds and full of banter to head over heels in a way that felt so authentic to them. The spice was very hot and fun and full of sneaking little moments where they could. It's sickeningly sweet in the best way!!! 

Read this if you like messy 20 somethings, banter, academic rivals to lovers, forced proximity, road trips, seeing the best in someone when they can't see it in themself, and falling for the most unexpected person. 
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