joyreads2024's reviews
93 reviews

Bad Vampire by Lauren Dawes

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

3.5

This book is junk food, it’s meant to be sweet, funny, with some complexities but overall, it’s meant to give you a cavity. Cat’s constant freak outs about unicorns (including unicorn underwear) was INCREDIBLY cringy, but her overall attitude to “supes” was understandable. The ending really clinched it for me as a 3.5 star because I was desdset not expecting it. 

I’m really curious to find out more on how Sawyer and Cat deal with him being an incubus in the next few books. 
Custom Built by Chantal Fernando

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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? No

4.25

This book was incredibly touching. It’s been sitting on my shelf for nearly 2 years now, and I have only just picked it up, and man do I wish I had picked it up earlier. Who knew a biker romance could have so many emotional facets?

Brontë deals with grief (
the death of her father, with lines such as just wanting the man who loves her most in the world wanting her back making me tear up
), cancer scares, infertility and then at the end
becoming a mother
. This book has such strong found family and Crow was the biggest sweetheart. Brontë experienced major growth, and the whole book was very heartwarming. 100% enjoyed reading it and will be going on a Chantal Fernando buying spree. 
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Die for You by Lauren Jackson

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

2.75

Short explanation: Twilight meets Vampire Diaries; but the bad qualities of both. Long explanation:

If you're going to write a vampire romance story, a few things:
  • Describe the powers they actually have
  • Describe how one becomes a vampire 
  • Don't randomly have a bonded system that isn't explained
  • DOn't hint at other supernatural creatures but not explain it

If you're trying to make a male character interesting, a few things:
  • Don't name him Hunter and then randomly make him Italian, that just reads as shallow and stupid
  • DESCRIBE HIM MORE THAN ONCE
  • Don't say he has had intense depression, and then randomly fix it with a girl - yes, while being in a relationship can help, if the character has intense depression, actually delve into it rather than mention it a total of 3 times, it feels very shallow and "just for the plot"

Things I didn't like about the female main character:
  • The constant repetitive description of her as "weak" "precious" "fragile" and "tiny." It's 2024, stop it.
  • THE WHININESS and constant back and forth in her head, dear god, even Elena and Bella did better AND THATS SAYING SOMETHINg
  • Her describing herself as "weak". Bitch, go do some bicep curls or sit ups or push ups. Women aren't weak inherently, and yes a vampire can move faster than you, but I'm sure if you actually work out you'll be fine. Don't go on about doing self defence classes and then not be able to do shit. 

OH AND DON'T SAY "brave girl" BEFORE A SEX SCENE, HELLO??? And don't even get me started on Cora and Theo. Lucy deserved better.

While this book should have had an awesome premise, the writing was weak. The constant repetition of sentences from one page to another; the, at times, dodgy sentence structure; and the overuse of ellipses was draining. While set in Australia, there was barely any "Australian-esque" vibes. I really wanted to like this book, but I kept nearly ripping it in two, and that's the vibe I got.
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Happily Never After by Jeaniene Frost

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

3.5

The extra half star is merely for Bones being in a confessional, and some funny moments throughout the book. Here’s a tip I learned from the book: if a mob boss is asking you to have sex with them and you don’t wanna, ensure you have a stash of yeast infection medicine handy to flash at them. 

It was a nice novella, but nothing necessarily memorable. 
The Other Half of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

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dark emotional funny mysterious tense 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

4.0

Rating this book was HARD. First and foremost, I’ve read this series for over a decade, but ngl, I barely reread the first book because of Cat’s fookin attitude. Which I was warned by the bookshop employee was even worse from Bones’ perspective. Add into reading this with COVID, and well, you can imagine how much I wanted to yeet Cat out of the book for the first 3/4 of the book and shake her. And don’t even get me started on Justina. I think my feelings towards THAT particular character is what Bones thought he should do, which is bite her until she becomes nice. Do you know how much easier the coming several books will be to read? Dear LORD. 

I actually don’t know how Bones survived this book in terms of brain cells because it was hard. Now in terms of Bones, first book boyfriend, fav character… what the fuck. Babes, babes.. INSTA LOVE REALLY. I was hoping for a bit more angst but I guess it was more fated mates vibes, and kinda made me roll my eyes at him for the 3/4 of the book. And the sex scenes… Jeaniene, babes, I’ve seen you write some good ones, but what the tuck was that. Sucked with immortal strength? Please. The detailed thoughts at the start of the first scene? GIRL. I rolled my eyes so hard I got a headache. 

Also the pacing at the start felt very clunky, and it just made it a bit difficult to get through.

Now by this point, your probably wondering, if you disliked it so much, why did you rate it highly? Well, first of all, it’s Cat and Bones and they’re my babies, even if they’re my stupid ones. Secondly, Bones’ wit and humour CARRIES the series. Thirdly, we had this beautiful sentence from Ian, and man have I missed the man we hate to love and who honestly is the most chaotic bitch on the planet, “What part of ‘be more careful’ did you take as ‘whee, murder spree!’ Crispin?”. Fourth, Rodney, I have missed that man. Fifth, the epilogue. Mm mm mmmm there’s that angst I need. Also, Cats growth always slays and it gets really romantic at parts. 

I feel like I can  critique it as I would a misbehaving child because the characters live rent free in my head, but love it dearly at the same time. 

While this book made me question whether or not to buy the second book from Bones’ perspective (for fear it’ll ruin the second book for me), it was a good homecoming, and idk, while I didn’t LOVE it, I’ll probably read it again in the next half decade. 

End of rant, thanks for listening xx 
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Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews

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

4.75

Ilona Andrews does it again. They put weed in these books I swear. For a short novella (100 something pages) it is everything you want and more. A little bit of fun with plot, intergalactic aliens, humour, a giant cat-like being, almost-gods fighting, a hedgehog chef that’s going through a crisis, and an ex-galactic tyrant who people watches. Reading this makes you feel like you’ve just watched the weirdest shit ever, and it’s exactly what you need when you need some cray cray in your life. 
Cheeky Brat, Vol. 1 by Mitsubachi Miyuki

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funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Cheeky Brat is such a good manga, but reading it as an adult definitely makes me roll my eyes at Naruse more than I would have as a teenager. Overall, a good vol 1 manga, just lacking something. 
Reckoning by Jeaniene Frost

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

4.0

Diehard Bones and Cat fans, this one’s a tough read. Bones has the audacity to flirt and stuff with another woman, and while he doesn’t know Cat exists yet, THE AUDACIITTYYY. 

This book was definitely just horror, not romance, and the images were wild. It was an easy, quick read that gives us an insight into why Bones is banned from New Orleans and introduces us to Ralmiel and Marie.
RIP to Becca, the human slaughtered, and the ghoul who’s name starts with J that I’ve already forgotten my b, and THE LALAURIES WERE CREEPY FUCKERS SO WOO FOR THEM BEING DEAD
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Archangel's Resurrection by Nalini Singh

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.75

Second chance romance on crack with loveable characters. And that’s the tea, sis. Go read it. 

I was really tripping up between a 4.75 and a 5 star when reading this. The first half of the book is the definition of that meme where a credit card is repeatedly slapped down on a table. The second is that, but quieter. This book was what I call a “Singh plot filler” intermingled with DEEP LOVE between the characters, and Zanaya is my favourite. She’s so badass I love her. And Auri and Meher BLESS, but wish we had more. Alexander shoulda grovelled more but that’s fiiiine. I did love though the resolution was about the importance of knowing that time is in fact not infinite for a couple, and they therefore have to get their shit together eventually. I also so wish we got more of the end reveal but i’m sure we’ll get it eventually because THATS HILARIOUS. I still don’t know what to rate this book BUT GAHD. This book makes me scared/excited for the next one. Okay, spoiler time so I can come back to this in 22 days: 
Zanaya wakes up, has the power to give reborn  rest (even tho we already got the antidote in Sun but whatever), Cassandra makes a fucking cryptic statement at the start of the book that im still thinking about, they finally get together, Antonicus is a reborn archangel but is now dead, Neha went to sleep and I am CRYING


It’s sooo good but just not as good as Prophecy or War AND IDK WHYYY I think I wanted more like with Viper LOL. 10000/10 recommend. 
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Archangel's Light by Nalini Singh

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adventurous dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

4.5

The subplot of this book is interesting but I feel like I needed more from it, I don’t know what, but I did. I actually forgot the subplot of the book for about two whole years even though I remember all the other plots. The actual plot was good, and very cute, but I kinda wanted to knock their heads together. I just wanted something more. What I will say tho is that (1) they need a second book (2) how Nalini comes up with these horrific things is wild and I see why now she writes thrillers (3) Nalini perfectly captures the arguing people who are very close to each other do, it felt really authentic. And it also made me a bit more excited to read Resonance Surge

But as a summary:

Aodahn ignored Illium, Illium was sad, they had to move Suyin’s home base to the coast but there were spouts of fog popping up randomly which were toxic, Kai who is Kaia’s descendant showed up, they found skins in the village and then they found Lijuan’s child who’s name I’ve already forgotten, Aodahn’s past was revealed, Aodahn and Illium had it out verbally, they finally kissed, Illium said goodbye to old memories, and then they got together the end
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