readers_together's reviews
985 reviews

Stepbrother Dearest by Penelope Ward

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hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Good Boys: The Visionary by Jeremy Robinson

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Reckless Love by Willow Aster

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hopeful lighthearted medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

I love this series. I was introduced to Willow Aster last year when I did the first book in this Single Dad’s Playbook series and was hooked from the get-go. Each book has been just as good as the one before it. This friend group just fills my heart with so much happiness.

This is a friends to lovers, kinda fake dating as they only fake date for about two seconds because they have been in love with one another for thirteen years–basically since the day they met, but have had this friendship and the way they were both, well, Rhodes especially, is you know, once he has her in his grasp he is like this is it. End game, I have her now, and I am never letting her go. She is a little bit more reluctant, which makes sense, she is thinking it will ruin their friendship and it’s been the one constant in both their lives. But he is like, no it’s not. You’re mine. Revelations are made and it is so much fun and so sweet, and there is a little bit of a moment where we think things are going to turn creepy and wondering what is going on.

You know when you get those books that are just a joy to read or listen to? That is this book…this series. There is the cutest little boy in Levi, and I 100% recommend you doing this, grab the audio. Sean Crisden and Angelina Rocca perform in dual narration. They were absolutely perfect for these characters. Chef’s kiss for appropriate casting. I think Sean was the perfect voice for Rhodes, he has that gruff, I’m a big football player, you know, the big I am in that world, but I am the sweetest person with the people I care about, and I thought that was conveyed so well and suited his voice. And then with Angelina, she has such a unique way of voicing certain things, and in this case, you have Elle who is this sweet person, she is a professional cheerleader, and has really strict and religious parents—her father is a pastor, and she has these creepy-arse men in her life, and the way that kind of conveys that vulnerability of the position she is in, plus she is hiding a little bit of a secret from everybody, and that nervousness around that and how it is performed is so fantastic. Their voices work really well together, so definitely highly recommend. The production was great. You should check it out. And if you haven’t done any of this series yet, you’ll want to.

Stealing Sunshine by Hannah Cowan

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hopeful lighthearted 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

When I found out this book was going to be Bryce and Daisy, I was like Yes! Give me the sapphic. And then discovering it was to be performed in dual by Kristen DiMercurio & Andi Arndt was just the perfect blend.

When I tell you it was brilliant. This book very much seemed to be the focus that this is a queer book that people can read and listen to and be like yes, I see myself here or I’ve had that experience. It was such a beautiful story.

One of the things that I love about Hannah’s writing is the multi-faceted layers of characters, specifically those that present in a more negative way or that readers would interpret as rude or this person does things that are hurtful or they’re too grumpy - all the things we would praise a male character for. The way she writes it where we get that but we also get why, I mean if we bother to look under the surface.

The way Bryce, to everybody looking in, was like the rough and tumble, the hard-arse type person but actually when you’re listening you’re like she has a heart of gold, and she’s 100% head over heels for Daisy. Even for Daisy, who comes across as the sunshine personality and kind, and not having a backbone and able to just go with the flow and be happy all the time. Yet we see more and more when it comes to Bryce that she is willing and ready to throw down. I loved it. I loved their dynamic, the way they work together as a couple. The way they push each other away because they think the other person isn’t feeling the way that they are. But it doesn’t feel like it’s unnecessary, you can see why they would feel that way. And you can see them both really struggling to find that balance between the real and the fake.

Even the black moment, you understand it and know it is coming from a good place. And look, I loved Johnny in Chasing Home, and I know it’s his twin, but he was lucky he did not come out of that with a bodily injury - because I was ready to kick a shin lol.

It was such a wonderful listen. Andi and Kristen were absolutely fantastic. I loved their voices together. This was the definite right casting for Andi’s more sweet, sunshiny type of performance for Daisy, in contrast to Kristen’s for Bryce, which was more gruff, standoffish type and it just worked so well. The production was great. I loved it, you should definitely check it out.

Fragile Sanctuary by Catherine Cowles

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emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced