katerzjoy's reviews
144 reviews

Contract Bound by Elle Mae

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This novel renewed my interest in vampire stories. Brutal and graphic with court intrigue and good spice. Could have used more editing for the jarring grammatical errors
Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes That Dot Our Planet by Geo Rutherford

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adventurous informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

That was good soup
This Princess Kills Monsters by Ry Herman

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adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This delightful retelling of classic fairy tale was a great read! Drawing in from several stories while blending them into a cohesive narrative and with a twist was something new and old. Set in a queernormative world our badass FMC is sent away from her difficult blended family in a magical kingdom to a limited magical kingdom with a patriarchal society. 

The characters had depth and instantly adored everyone. Even the annoying characters and the villains. The plot was fast paced and a great adventure with twists. I experienced all of the emotions reading it and had relevant moments

Thank you Penguin Random House via NetGalley for providing me this advanced reader copy and the opportunity to provide my free and unbiased opinion 
Caraval by Stephanie Garber

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

4.75

Very enjoyable read with beautiful imagery and fast plot. Characters and magic interesting. The story had me an avid participant enjoying the show until the end
City of Darkness by Karina Halle

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

For the love of the side characters I liked this book as the mains were giving me the ick whenever it was their POV

The POVs were disjointed and chaotic and could’ve used less to make the plot run better 

The pop culture and slang was jarring. 

It felt like a different author, or one who stopped being interested in the series. And the book finished on a cliffhanger when the flow finally came together and was interesting 
Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Always the best reread
Wicked in the Pines by L.R. Friedman

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I liked the world, ages and magic. Domestic and mom life was sometimes interesting and sometimes annoying. Spice was few but intense
The Consulate by Allison Carr Waechter

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.75

As a fan of Allison I felt like this was a refreshing read. This was an easy to appreciate world and species. Characters were new and complex. The plot was fast and easy. The rep for neurodivergence and LGBTQIA+ is always perfect. The ending allowed for more stories without leaving things unfinished. Really enjoyed this book and definitely helped bring me out of my slump. Shouldn’t have waited as long as I did! 
A Harvest of Hearts by Andrea Eames

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A Harvest of Hearts is a wonderfully imaginative and fun adventure. The story feels like a friend is sharing an amazing tale with you. It creates a rich new world full of interesting characters, both main ones and supporting ones. The setting is easy to understand and feels well-developed. The characters are complex and relatable. Even though the plot meanders a bit, it allows the story and characters to grow.

I really enjoyed reading it, but I didn’t give it a five-star rating. I’ve been going through a reading slump, and I think that if I weren’t in that slump, I would have read this quickly and given it a solid five stars. Unfortunately, it didn't pull me out of my slump, which is why I'm holding back on that perfect score.

Thank you Kensington Publishing via NetGalley for the advanced reader copy and the opportunity to provide my honest and authentic review 
Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted tense 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? Yes

5.0

Not what I expected at all but so much better. New book not just a rinse and repeat