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lostinabookishworld's reviews
328 reviews
The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I wanted to like this so badly. In the first few chapters I had such high hopes for this book - the premise was interesting, the world was a fun amalgamation of modern and ancient, and I thought each of the trials would be interesting to read about. Unfortunately, the characters and story did not end up resonating with me.
Lyra was such a frustrating main character and it was really hard to root for her. She was self-sacrificing to the point of ridiculousness, talked/complained about her curse ad nauseam, never listened to reason (or really listened at all), and just did not have enough depth or complexity. Additionally, there were way to many trials which made the pacing inconsistent and the relationship between Lyra and Hades did not feel believable.
I can absolutely understand why others may enjoy this one but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.
Lyra was such a frustrating main character and it was really hard to root for her. She was self-sacrificing to the point of ridiculousness, talked/complained about her curse ad nauseam, never listened to reason (or really listened at all), and just did not have enough depth or complexity. Additionally, there were way to many trials which made the pacing inconsistent and the relationship between Lyra and Hades did not feel believable.
I can absolutely understand why others may enjoy this one but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.
Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was very cute. I have a bit of an up and down relationship with Sarah Adams books so I didn't have super high expectations going in, but happy to say that I enjoyed this one.
Things I loved - the banter and dialogue between Jack and Emily was really well done. Their fighting and bickering didn't feel too juvenile or over the top, I loved how open they were with each other and felt like each of the characters had significant growth over the course of the book. The whole story was really sweet and fun to read.
Things I didn't love - with all the different things both Jack and Emily were dealing with; anxiety, depression, grief, and a narcissistic parent - I did think there was a missed opportunity with being able to go deeper into the mental health aspect and how people can get help with these types of things.
Things I'm being petty about - there were WAY too many times that parentheses were used as an aside or for describing unnecessary things. Normally stuff like this doesn't bug me but when it happened 10+ times in the first 15 pages it legit became distracting for the rest of the book.
Overall, this was a super cute and quick read and would absolutely recommend it.
Things I loved - the banter and dialogue between Jack and Emily was really well done. Their fighting and bickering didn't feel too juvenile or over the top, I loved how open they were with each other and felt like each of the characters had significant growth over the course of the book. The whole story was really sweet and fun to read.
Things I didn't love - with all the different things both Jack and Emily were dealing with; anxiety, depression, grief, and a narcissistic parent - I did think there was a missed opportunity with being able to go deeper into the mental health aspect and how people can get help with these types of things.
Things I'm being petty about - there were WAY too many times that parentheses were used as an aside or for describing unnecessary things. Normally stuff like this doesn't bug me but when it happened 10+ times in the first 15 pages it legit became distracting for the rest of the book.
Overall, this was a super cute and quick read and would absolutely recommend it.
Evocation by S.T. Gibson
emotional
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
3.5
I got this up because of the cover and really had no clue what I was getting into. After reading it I'm not totally sure how I feel - there were things I really liked and other things that I'm not so sure about.
What I liked - I thought that each of the individual relationships were done really well. I felt like you could tell how much Rhys and Moria loved each other and that they were the type of people who would work at their relationship. With Rhys and David, you could feel so much of the longing they had for one another and why they might have been toxic for each other at one point but there was also this intangible thread tying them together. For David and Moria, while they started on such rocky ground I loved how their was eventually so much trust and love between them and they were able to find something in each other that they hadn't had before.
What I didn't like so much - I thought the magic aspect was a bit lacking and took too much of a backseat to everything else. The driving force of all our main characters being together was the curse they were trying to break and I wanted more time spent on that. Some of the religious stuff mentioned was just personally not for me and while I'm not sure how much I can comment on this some of Moria's backstory and characterizations felt a bit stereotypical. Additionally, I know we're getting another book in this series but I honestly don't really know why. There's technically a cliff-hanger (sort of) at the end of this book but I don't feel super compelled to continue on.
Overall, this was a good book but just not great. It's something I'd recommend to others, but for me it's not a must read.
What I liked - I thought that each of the individual relationships were done really well. I felt like you could tell how much Rhys and Moria loved each other and that they were the type of people who would work at their relationship. With Rhys and David, you could feel so much of the longing they had for one another and why they might have been toxic for each other at one point but there was also this intangible thread tying them together. For David and Moria, while they started on such rocky ground I loved how their was eventually so much trust and love between them and they were able to find something in each other that they hadn't had before.
What I didn't like so much - I thought the magic aspect was a bit lacking and took too much of a backseat to everything else. The driving force of all our main characters being together was the curse they were trying to break and I wanted more time spent on that. Some of the religious stuff mentioned was just personally not for me and while I'm not sure how much I can comment on this some of Moria's backstory and characterizations felt a bit stereotypical. Additionally, I know we're getting another book in this series but I honestly don't really know why. There's technically a cliff-hanger (sort of) at the end of this book but I don't feel super compelled to continue on.
Overall, this was a good book but just not great. It's something I'd recommend to others, but for me it's not a must read.
Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
emotional
funny
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
4.25
I really enjoyed this. This was something I picked up almost on a whim and when I started reading I didn't want to stop. It's such a beautiful, tender sort of romance and while it doesn't have the sort of tropes I normally go for - I loved each of the characters and the relationship between Eve and Shep so much. I adored the banter and friendship they had and watching it go from friends to more felt so natural. I'm glad I gave this one a shot and I'd love to read more from this author.
Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura
adventurous
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
2.75
I was sadly a bit disappointed with this book. I was ready and excited for a fun wacky adventure rom-com and this ended up falling a bit flat for me. The insta-love/insta-lust wasn't believable between Rafael and Miri and the overall plot felt lackluster. There was somehow too many and not enough things happening at the same time. I also was so uncomfortable with the fact that one of the spicy scenes happened almost immediately after one of the characters got a concussion - that was a step too far.
Thank you to Berkley for the eARC - all opinions are my own.
Thank you to Berkley for the eARC - all opinions are my own.
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was fascinating. In the best way, I feel like I don’t fully know what I read here but it’s going to stick with me for awhile. I think I liked it, but I honestly don’t think I can articulate why.
Every character in the book is interesting and I feel like I’d have to read this again to pick up on all the clues and breadcrumbs throughout the story. The pacing is slow and it doesn’t always feel like much is happening, but the writing is good enough to keep me interested.
Overall, I’d recommend this one but I think it’s best to go into it with little to no context and just enjoy the ride.
Wedding Dashers by Heather McBreen
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
3.5
This whole book was comedy of errors road trip mixed with more emotional topics that I didn’t totally see coming. Initially, I was pretty hesitant on liking this one - Jack, the mmc, was unlikeable at the beginning and I really disliked some of the things he said and how to spoke to Ada. Additionally, Ada was a bit unnecessarily confrontational and I was worried I wouldn’t like either of them.
Thankfully, towards the middle to end of the book we finally get more depth from all our characters and I started to understand the motivation of everyone more. Overall, I did end up enjoying myself and I thought the individual journeys Jack and Ada took were beautiful and I ended up liking their relationship a lot. Would recommend this one but it does take a bit to get into it.
Thankfully, towards the middle to end of the book we finally get more depth from all our characters and I started to understand the motivation of everyone more. Overall, I did end up enjoying myself and I thought the individual journeys Jack and Ada took were beautiful and I ended up liking their relationship a lot. Would recommend this one but it does take a bit to get into it.