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mangosugar's reviews
171 reviews
Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart by Sarah MacLean
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
4.5
Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
i feel a little conflicted by this because i do love sarah maclean’s writing and i adored the first book of this series, but there are a few narrative problems with this sequel that bug me.
first, it’s the timeline of events. while the novel starts up quite slowly, the bulk of the action takes place over three to four days, which was so unbelievable to me given how intense all the characters’ emotions were. when you become explicitly told via character dialogue that it has only been three days in the last quarter of the book, it really takes you out of the story. there’s only so much disbelief one can overlook.
secondly, the characters themselves felt a little lacking to me. i love the concept of a lady forced to run her own estate because her father is a rat’s ass and she turns her home into a safe haven for young women on the run from the abusive or toxic men in their lives. minerva house is so special and a lovely idea, there’s nothing like a female found family to win over my heart. on the other hand, i do feel like isabel suffered from some character flaws not uncommon in historical romance—she’s so beyond stubborn that it becomes infuriating at some points. similarly, nick also made me want to pull my hair out at times because of all the unnecessary tension he contributed to.
however, there are still a lot of very positive aspects of this novel that i enjoyed! as mentioned, i love strong female characters and this book does not lack any. from isabel to her close circle of powerful, loyal women to the brief appearance of callie, our beloved first book’s protagonist who has tamed her marquess even more in their marriage.
i really loved nick’s relationship with james, isabel’s little brother in need of a male role model to look up to and confide in. and oh my god, i love rock!!!!! FINALLY a person of color in these english romances who isn’t a stereotype or the eternal butt of jokes. his friendship with nick and some of the other characters (no spoilers lmao) were so endearing and i truly hope to see more of him in the third instalment of this series.
first, it’s the timeline of events. while the novel starts up quite slowly, the bulk of the action takes place over three to four days, which was so unbelievable to me given how intense all the characters’ emotions were. when you become explicitly told via character dialogue that it has only been three days in the last quarter of the book, it really takes you out of the story. there’s only so much disbelief one can overlook.
secondly, the characters themselves felt a little lacking to me. i love the concept of a lady forced to run her own estate because her father is a rat’s ass and she turns her home into a safe haven for young women on the run from the abusive or toxic men in their lives. minerva house is so special and a lovely idea, there’s nothing like a female found family to win over my heart. on the other hand, i do feel like isabel suffered from some character flaws not uncommon in historical romance—she’s so beyond stubborn that it becomes infuriating at some points. similarly, nick also made me want to pull my hair out at times because of all the unnecessary tension he contributed to.
however, there are still a lot of very positive aspects of this novel that i enjoyed! as mentioned, i love strong female characters and this book does not lack any. from isabel to her close circle of powerful, loyal women to the brief appearance of callie, our beloved first book’s protagonist who has tamed her marquess even more in their marriage.
i really loved nick’s relationship with james, isabel’s little brother in need of a male role model to look up to and confide in. and oh my god, i love rock!!!!! FINALLY a person of color in these english romances who isn’t a stereotype or the eternal butt of jokes. his friendship with nick and some of the other characters (no spoilers lmao) were so endearing and i truly hope to see more of him in the third instalment of this series.
Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-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
rarely is a book truly delicious, but this one was delectable. cheesy romance and drama, wonderful writing, a male lead equal parts lovable and irritating, and all the angst a girl growing up on fanfiction could desire. congrats to this book for hitting #2 on my very official list of historical romances. i’m so excited to read everything else this author has to offer.
Prosper's Demon by K.J. Parker
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Happy Place by Emily Henry
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
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
4.0
The Deep by Rivers Solomon
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
4.5
The Wicked King by Holly Black
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
if taryn has a million haters, i’m one of them. if taryn has 5 haters, i’m one of them. if taryn has one hater, that one is me. if taryn has no haters then i’m no longer alive. if the world is for taryn then i’m against the entire world. until my last breath i will hate taryn.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
adventurous
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
3.5
i can’t believe this was a decently good read. the entertainment of the story bumped it up a whole star but the writing… really hope holly black stops having our girl narrate directly to the reader and quite literally list out backstory instead of, you know, properly writing it into the narrative. otherwise a solid YA fantasy romance. easily better than acotar but let’s be real almost anything is better than that shitfest
How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.0
The first 150-ish pages are pretty slow, and I won’t lie, I did want to give up on this book. But I persevered, and I’m really glad I did, because once that hurdle passed, I fell in love with this book.
It’s absurd, ridiculous, terrifying at times, and most of all, it’s a splendidly painful and sorrowful portrait of family. Lies and secrets to protect from grief that always rears its head in the end, hope and love managing to grow through it all—this book has everything a family drama needs.
It’s absurd, ridiculous, terrifying at times, and most of all, it’s a splendidly painful and sorrowful portrait of family. Lies and secrets to protect from grief that always rears its head in the end, hope and love managing to grow through it all—this book has everything a family drama needs.