lanidon's reviews
1802 reviews

DNF @ 17%

I simply cannot respect someone whose favorite of ALL Doctor Who companions is Amy, this is why you should not include pop culture in books....

Also halting the entire book to have a 101 lecture of bisexuality is just cringeworthy writing on the level of a 2013 Tumblr post that ends with a picture of Dean Winchester winking

DNF @ 11%, I realized the start was so bad it could never recover for me

This is info dump tell tell tell central. The characters directly address the audience to explain their whole lives like this is an AA meeting instead of slowly unfolding for us. Also I hate hate hate when characters are already obsessed with each other before the start of the book, it is always lazy writing to not put the work into developing the romance and showing why they are good together. You can't just tell me those moments happened off page and move on. 

Also the FMC is complaining about how her life is so hard because she hasn't gotten a dream job in the two weeks since she graduated. Meanwhile she has loving parents who are willing and able to financially support her indefinitely, a brother who can fly her around the world like it's nothing, and an obsessed celebrity handing her said dream job out of thin air. I wish we all could have such terrible lives

I was starting to think I just don't find horror scary when I'm written form but this proved me wrong. I'm not sure every element is the most unique, but together it adds up to a very fresh and original feeling story. It has a scattershot approach that keeps you confused until the end and even then doesn't give you all the answers. I think this will frustrate some and hook others; I'm certainly one of the latter 

Also taking applications for a Charlie in my life, I love her forever

DNF @ 25% 

I didn't jive with the narration style, plus a story like this requires a compassionate mc

I'm sorry Dr Chuck, I feel so conflicted about this one. I enjoyed the main narrative but I really hated the metanarrative. The characters don't really connect emotionally unfortunately. The social commentary was so heavy handed without actually saying much of anything at all. It felt like a 2014 meta dialogue thrown into a very 2024 story. The horror elements were so imaginative and cool, but the framework around them didn't hold up to their potential. 

I liked the story and characters but the sex scenes were so bad and so sudden and so numerous

You've Got Mail: Sport Edition

Very sweet, a good amount of depth and complexity, only a minor amount of frustrating miscommunication. I wish the minor characters and a bit of the world were more fleshed out, but overall a very solid romance. The couple was believable and felt like such a good match

Needed more Oberic

I read this fully expecting it to be trashy fun, but it's genuinely well crafted and compelling. The characters, the setting, the plot, the magic system... All so well done

This is not the number one best romance I've ever read, there are definitely some shaky bits as a debut, but I smiled so hard through the whole thing and couldn't possibly give it below 5 stars. It's a five star experience, but objectively a four star book. I cannot wait to see what the author does next.

I love the slow burn of carefully rebuilding their friendship before coming together romantically. I love the added depth that being in the minors brings as everyone is in different stages of their careers. I love the team atmosphere (even though they could be a little more fleshed out). I love seeing them play a full season together.

This book has a few elements I typically am wary of in romance but finally done well. I'm normally put off by ADHD depictions because they tend to act like it's a cute and quirky trait, instead of a real struggle people have to deal with and accommodate for as is shown in this. Anxiety is often depicted like a quivering chihuahua, so I really appreciated how it affected Luis; he shuts down in a way that makes him seem cold and brusque when really it's his body trying to protect him from his anxiety.

 I'm normally hesitant with lighthearted trans books because they tend to be a 101 course for cis people instead of actually fleshing out the trans character. It was so refreshing how this book made being trans a part of Gene without making it the whole of him. It perfectly balances between an idealistic world where it's not a big deal and a realistic one where it still affects him and his goals. I find a lot of lighthearted books will go entirely into a fluffy dreamland which softens the edges so much that nothing makes an emotional impact, that's thankfully not the case here. 

I kinda hope the author expands this world, perhaps a prequel with Jack and Vince... perhaps a Kyle/Kyle/Kyle triad......