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mangosugar's reviews
171 reviews
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.5
When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn
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Content Warnings
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
— 3.75 stars
i was really into this until about the 80% mark when we took a disappointing turn :/ it kind of cheapened the romance aspect and i feel like miss quinn really rushed the end to sort of up the romance value if this makes sense… if you read it you’ll know what i mean lmao.
all in all, definitely the best book of the series. the main guy, michael, still has the signature julie quinn toxic masculinity and bursts of anger that we’re supposed to find so hot. but i feel she at least *tried* to tone it down this time… although he does monologue about trying so hard not to kill someone every chapter so who knows, maybe i’ve just become desensitized to it from reading the series. that said, i like him way, *way* better than any of the bridgerton men which really says something about how damn bad julie writes them. i think it’s safe to say we’re all only here for the bridgerton women and we can watch the show to see the guys act normally.
francesca is… i don’t really know. i can’t put my finger on whether i like her or not, i never really gave her much thought in previous books and i started this one out rooting for her but she sadly got on my nerves sometimes. still, though, i think she and penelope are the easiest to empathize with and relate to in the series, so that’s something.
what really made this book fun for me, though, was the longing. i’m a sucker for longing, yearning, aching, unrequited love and all that good stuff. i think julie quinn did a fantastic job expressing that through michael. i also love the added layer of michael being john’s cousin and i think the entire situation and the grief theme was handled really well.
i was really into this until about the 80% mark when we took a disappointing turn :/ it kind of cheapened the romance aspect and i feel like miss quinn really rushed the end to sort of up the romance value if this makes sense… if you read it you’ll know what i mean lmao.
all in all, definitely the best book of the series. the main guy, michael, still has the signature julie quinn toxic masculinity and bursts of anger that we’re supposed to find so hot. but i feel she at least *tried* to tone it down this time… although he does monologue about trying so hard not to kill someone every chapter so who knows, maybe i’ve just become desensitized to it from reading the series. that said, i like him way, *way* better than any of the bridgerton men which really says something about how damn bad julie writes them. i think it’s safe to say we’re all only here for the bridgerton women and we can watch the show to see the guys act normally.
francesca is… i don’t really know. i can’t put my finger on whether i like her or not, i never really gave her much thought in previous books and i started this one out rooting for her but she sadly got on my nerves sometimes. still, though, i think she and penelope are the easiest to empathize with and relate to in the series, so that’s something.
what really made this book fun for me, though, was the longing. i’m a sucker for longing, yearning, aching, unrequited love and all that good stuff. i think julie quinn did a fantastic job expressing that through michael. i also love the added layer of michael being john’s cousin and i think the entire situation and the grief theme was handled really well.
Minor: Sexual assault
Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
sad
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
5.0
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
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Content Warnings
emotional
funny
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Child abuse
Persuasion by Jane Austen
emotional
inspiring
relaxing
slow-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
When in Rome by Sarah Adams
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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? No
2.5
King of Pride by Ana Huang
emotional
funny
relaxing
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
King of Wrath by Ana Huang
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.5