Take a photo of a barcode or cover
opheliaslittlelibrary's reviews
118 reviews
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
slow-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
4.5
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
5.0
Heart of Night and Fire by Nisha J. Tuli
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
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
4.75
✨️ REVIEW ✨️
Title: Heart of Night and Fire (The Nightfire Quartet, book 1)
Author: Nisha J Tuli
Rating: 4.75
**Thankyou to the publisher for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review**
As soon as I saw the author's name, I knew this book would be epic. Well, I'm pleased to say that I was not disappointed.
This book had everything I could have asked for: Enemies to lovers, a unique magic system, powerful characters and complex relationships. I thought Trial of the Sun Queen (one of her other series) would still be my favourite but I'm questioning that now.
Would it be wierd of me to day that one of my favourite things about this book was the food? Technically, the world (which is drawn from South-East Asian Mythology) but the food especially. The magic too intreagued me from the start, and being gradually revealed as it was really heightened the suspense throughout the novel.
I also loved the male/female friendships in this book. Including that, and not just relying on romance as a subplot was wonderful.
What's more, I loved that Zaraya (the main character) embraced both sides to her personality: the fierce, badass side as well as the gentler, more stereotypically feminine side. This balance really made her feel so much more real and three dimensional, not just a character in a book. There were parts of the book where she could be a bit frustrating, but her character developed a lot throughout the course of the novel and it showed in her actions.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves high fantasy and the elements I mentioned above. And thankyou to the author bringing this story into creation!
Title: Heart of Night and Fire (The Nightfire Quartet, book 1)
Author: Nisha J Tuli
Rating: 4.75
**Thankyou to the publisher for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review**
As soon as I saw the author's name, I knew this book would be epic. Well, I'm pleased to say that I was not disappointed.
This book had everything I could have asked for: Enemies to lovers, a unique magic system, powerful characters and complex relationships. I thought Trial of the Sun Queen (one of her other series) would still be my favourite but I'm questioning that now.
Would it be wierd of me to day that one of my favourite things about this book was the food? Technically, the world (which is drawn from South-East Asian Mythology) but the food especially. The magic too intreagued me from the start, and being gradually revealed as it was really heightened the suspense throughout the novel.
I also loved the male/female friendships in this book. Including that, and not just relying on romance as a subplot was wonderful.
What's more, I loved that Zaraya (the main character) embraced both sides to her personality: the fierce, badass side as well as the gentler, more stereotypically feminine side. This balance really made her feel so much more real and three dimensional, not just a character in a book. There were parts of the book where she could be a bit frustrating, but her character developed a lot throughout the course of the novel and it showed in her actions.
Overall, I'd highly recommend this to anyone who loves high fantasy and the elements I mentioned above. And thankyou to the author bringing this story into creation!
A Cursed Kiss by Jenny Hickman
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
A Thousand Boy Kisses by Tillie Cole
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I went into this book totally blind, and I've been left with mixed feelings.
I'll start with the basics. This is a sad book. I didn't really know that to start but I enjoyed that (I'm wierd like that, I know).
I did struggle with the first half especially, though. I couldn't in good conscience not mention that I felt this didn't represent a healthy relationship, and it could be quite toxic at points (miscommunication, codependence, mentions of misogyny, etc). The writing also didn't feel like it capture the mind of the 5 and 8 year olds the characters are at the start of the book, and that was part of the reason I struggled to get into it).
The second half of this book still held traces if these, but less so. I won't go unto it too much for fear of spoiling it, but I felt it approached the theme of this book quite well, and it was thought provoking for me, especially the ending.
I wasn't expecting to cry over any book at the moment, but definitely not this one. Nevertheless, I cried. It was inevitable and emotional, and it affected me more than expected.
I felt that the bonus content was the perfect way to end the book, and it made everything come full circle. It was the ending that was needed and I'm looking forward to other people being able to read it too.
I'll start with the basics. This is a sad book. I didn't really know that to start but I enjoyed that (I'm wierd like that, I know).
I did struggle with the first half especially, though. I couldn't in good conscience not mention that I felt this didn't represent a healthy relationship, and it could be quite toxic at points (miscommunication, codependence, mentions of misogyny, etc). The writing also didn't feel like it capture the mind of the 5 and 8 year olds the characters are at the start of the book, and that was part of the reason I struggled to get into it).
The second half of this book still held traces if these, but less so. I won't go unto it too much for fear of spoiling it, but I felt it approached the theme of this book quite well, and it was thought provoking for me, especially the ending.
I wasn't expecting to cry over any book at the moment, but definitely not this one. Nevertheless, I cried. It was inevitable and emotional, and it affected me more than expected.
I felt that the bonus content was the perfect way to end the book, and it made everything come full circle. It was the ending that was needed and I'm looking forward to other people being able to read it too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Terminal illness
The Long Game by Elena Armas
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.5
I was beyond stoked to have an advanced copy and still am. One of my auto-buy authors, the closest thing to a celebrity in my head, and all my high expectations were met.
I understood Adalyn a lot, how she was driven and determined, so much so that often times she lost herself to her work. Seeing her take a step back and learn more about who she really is throughout the course of the book stood out to me, and Armas always does a commendable job.
Cameron similarly experienced a powerful character arc, and every interaction of his with Adalyn had me grinning like an idiot. Their hate to love was executed wonderfully, and both of them were transformed by the end of the book.
They did go back and forth between hate and love a few times in the middle section which could be a bit frustrating, but it didn't deter me in the slightest and was all worth it in the end.
I'd like to out a heads up that there is coarse language and blasphemy in this book, which didn't bother me personally but may affect other readers.
Overall, I'd strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a small town romance with a variation of enemies to lovers and lots of funny moments. One of the great things about Armas' work is that you always know there will be a HEA, and I was sad when this book was over. I am so excited to hopefully see another book set in this world in the future.
I understood Adalyn a lot, how she was driven and determined, so much so that often times she lost herself to her work. Seeing her take a step back and learn more about who she really is throughout the course of the book stood out to me, and Armas always does a commendable job.
Cameron similarly experienced a powerful character arc, and every interaction of his with Adalyn had me grinning like an idiot. Their hate to love was executed wonderfully, and both of them were transformed by the end of the book.
They did go back and forth between hate and love a few times in the middle section which could be a bit frustrating, but it didn't deter me in the slightest and was all worth it in the end.
I'd like to out a heads up that there is coarse language and blasphemy in this book, which didn't bother me personally but may affect other readers.
Overall, I'd strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a small town romance with a variation of enemies to lovers and lots of funny moments. One of the great things about Armas' work is that you always know there will be a HEA, and I was sad when this book was over. I am so excited to hopefully see another book set in this world in the future.
Love For Life by Saman Shad
lighthearted
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