sassypantsreading's reviews
802 reviews

Going Au Naturale at Hallow's Cove by L.E. Eldridge

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

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved Brooks, but I didn’t ever really warm up to Sydney. Hallow’s Cove is the best, though! I felt like there were some things in the book that just didn’t make sense, and I struggled with the writing style. The book was nice and steamy, though, which I appreciated! 
Why Not Us? by Sarah Neeson

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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? No

5.0

I really love this series, and Why Not Us? did not disappoint! I read A LOT, and sometimes, series start to bleed together. But not with the Blue Vista Group. I have loved each and every one of these books, including this one. I loved Nate and Adalie’s story. It had just enough angst to be emotional, but not so much that I was annoyed. It was super hot. And I still love this friend group. I know Vic’s book is up next, and I’m not super excited about it, but only because Ms. Neeson has made her out to be so cold so far. I’m 100% going to read it, though, because I haven’t been let down yet!

I received a copy of Why Not Us? from BookSirens. I am leaving my review voluntarily.
From Nowhere by Jewel E. Ann

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fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

My goodness, this book and series are so good! I loved From Nowhere. I adored Maren and Ozzy. They were such a fantastic couple. This book had just enough emotion to hit me in the feels, but not so much that it was overwhelming. Very well done! 
How The Plot Thickens: A Small Town Romantic Comedy by Joanna Kimber

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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? No

3.0

How The Plot Thickens was a cute story, but I felt it was a bit lacking. I really liked Eden and Cairo, but I kept waiting for the other show to drop. Cairo was just too perfect. I thought he would turn out to be a book MMC as well. I also thought Lindsey would have more to do with the MMCs coming to life. I didn’t really understand her purpose in the book otherwise. The conflict with her was kind of boring, and she didn’t add much value. I did appreciate Eden’s growth arc and I loved Gram. But I don’t know, this book just didn’t do it for me. There’s also a lot of comma abuse lol. Hopefully those are caught during final edits (I read an ARC).
Captivating by Bella Matthews

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medium-paced

2.0

So I just finished Captivating, and honestly, it was a so-so read for me. I’m not quite sure what, specifically, about this series doesn’t do it for me. Right off the bat, the vibes were much more NA than contemporary, and I didn’t love that. Lilah seemed insanely immature. I also felt like she and Noah would have had much more lives experience than they appeared to. I was picturing Lilah almost like a Taylor Swift, but the book was all, girl next door. Killian was cool, but a bit too possessive for me. I don’t know, as I get older, I get more and more annoyed with the FMC who is all “oh no, I hate you so much, you ruined my life, but you’re hot and *slightly* nice to me, so whoops! There go my clothes, but I hate you for making me want you with your magic peen voodoo power, but can we do it again and now I love you?” It feels so tired to me. Last, I don’t get this friend group. I said it with the last book as well: the friend group feels incestuous. It was a little better in this book because Noah and Lilah are twins, but it’s still a lot. I’ve never met twins who “drop a kiss on my head, brush my hip against his, lay my head on his should, etc.” In fact, I’ve never met siblings like that either. I can’t tell if authors do this because it’s how they think family and friends should interact, or if they’ve actually encountered this in the wild. It’s just so weird to me. I don’t go around calling my cousins “cousin,” or my sister “baby sister” or “little sister.” What even is that? So I guess I didn’t like this book as much as I thought lol. 
Lucky Shot by K. Bromberg

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emotional 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? No

4.5

I really enjoyed Lucky Shot. The book was a bit more emotional than I was expecting. As someone who had a soccer career-ending knee injury my senior year of high school, I really felt for Whitney. I loved that this book was about soccer, but set in America; we don’t often get that. Hardy was super hot and so sweet, even though he thoroughly annoyed me at the beginning of the book. Whitney wasn’t my favorite because of her running, but I know it was a trauma response. My only real complaint would be with the author’s writing style. I felt like the book was often wordy and points could’ve been made in a less roundabout and more direct way. There were quite a few times that I had to reread a sentence or paragraph to make sure I wasn’t missing something because of the wording. I did read an ARC, so hopefully some of that is caught in final edits. 

Beltane by Jena Doyle

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Whew! Ok, Beltane. I dragged my feet a bit on this book, but I think it’s because I read the whole series in a handful of days and burnt myself out on it. I love the direction the series took and how everything ended. I realized throughout the series that poly (other than RH) is just not my jam, but I’m not here to yuck anyone’s yum. I still enjoyed the book(s) and appreciate that I learned something about myself. I’m very much looking forward to Kit and Edward’s story.

I received a copy of Beltane from BookSirens and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
Solstice by Jena Doyle

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

4.5

Samhain by Jena Doyle

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challenging medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Midsummer by Jena Doyle

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challenging slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I’m not sure how I feel about Midsummer. It’s my first poly book, and I’m still on the fence about if I like it. But I just don’t know if I like the characters in this book. Once the magic started, I think I started to enjoy it more, and I’m definitely going to read the next book to see what happens, but I’m skeptical that I can get through all four books at this point.