lostinabookishworld's reviews
328 reviews

Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent

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adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

I loved this. I've read this book before and now listened to the audio version and am just so obsessed with Carissa Broadbent's writing and her excellent ability to create such layered and interesting characters, amazing magical worlds, and phenomenal stories. There are many times when the story is difficult to read because the number of bad things that happen to our characters is a bit out of control but I loved every second of it. Max and Tisaanah are just the best. 
We Love the Nightlife by Rachel Koller Croft

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

“It’s not like they were going to fact-check me after I ate them.” We Love the Nightlife - Rachel Koller Croft

It took me a criminally long time to read this because life really went hard over the last few months but I absolutely loved it. The vibes were perfect: 1970s disco, London club life, toxic friendships galore, and vampires. Set in a dual-timeline we see how Amber and Nicola first meet, how they instantly gravitate towards each other and the truly devious things they do to each other throughout the years.

The writing was great and fast paced, there were twists I fully did not see coming and the ending was crazy in the best way possible. 
Forever Wild by Rebecca Jenshak

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emotional lighthearted medium-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

4.25

This was such a good ending to this series. I've LOVED Jack and Everly's dynamic since the pair started butting heads and it was just a joy to finally read their story. I liked how this was a bit different than a normal romance plot, focusing a bit more on their individual journeys, but I really enjoyed it. I will always recommend a Rebecca Jenshak and this was no different. 
How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

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adventurous mysterious 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

3.0

I loved the premise of this; the fortune teller "prophecy", the dual timelines, the mystery to figure out - but at the end of the day it all fell just a bit flat for me. I don't know if it's because none of the characters really had a chance for us to know them (Annie's chapters are a bit chaotic and Frances's diary entries feel like such an unreliable POV), or if I was just hoping for more overall. There were a ton of side characters that it was hard to keep track of who everyone was at times and the pace was a bit choppy. I also think I wanted their to be more of a romance sub-plot (I have found this is just my preference in books - I want there to be LOVE) and to enjoy spending time with these characters - which wasn't always the case. 

Overall, I could totally see why people may love this book and I didn't not like it, it just wasn't my favorite. 
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

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funny lighthearted 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? No

3.75

This was very cute if a bit forgettable. I liked the writing style and I didn't guess the ending or see the twists coming which is always nice for a book like this. I know there's a bunch of other books in this series but I don't have a lot of desire to keep reading on. While done well it didn't grab me enough to invest a lot of time into the series as a whole. 
The Striker by Ana Huang

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.5

I read this on my kindle so I had ZERO clue it was close to 600 pages - which to be honest is entirely ridiculous given the story really could have been just a fun delightful little romance. While I admit that I read this very fast and wasn't necessarily bored at any point in time there's a lot that could have been cut/reworked to make the plot feel more directional and important. I'm never not going to read Ana Huang's work but this one wasn't my favorite. 
Daydream by Hannah Grace

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emotional funny lighthearted 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

4.25

Daydream was SO cute! Halle and Henry’s relationship felt so authentic and I loved how much they communicated with each other. It was a quick, easy, sweet read with a perfect amount of spice. Highly recommend!
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

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adventurous emotional 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? No

3.5

I liked this better than the first book and I think listening to the audio helped with that. I didn't love the amnesia plot but I felt like I understood better why Iris and Kit actually loved each other which was nice. Even though they are central to the books, the gods story arc was always just the slightest bit confusing. The best part was the magical typewriters.
Unsteady by Peyton Corinne

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emotional funny hopeful medium-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

3.75

This book was really good. I thought both the main characters had a lot of depth and I liked their individual stories and their relationship together. There was a lot more emotion than I was necessarily prepared for but I really enjoyed my time reading this one. 
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

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

4.0

This was a lot of fun! In classic Ali Hazelwood fashion she gives a ton of comedy, a healthy dose of miscommunication and the classic forever pining boy. Overall, I had a great time listening to this - I enjoyed all the characters, thought the set up of the retreat lent itself to some good shenanigans and liked Viola and Jesse were cute.