shereadytoread's reviews
721 reviews

This book follows the author's difficulty with grieving after she discoveries secrets about her husband after his death, from infidelity to substance use to undisclosed debts. The author details the cognitive dissonance of her feelings for her husband and her newfound knowledge. Overall it was very well-written, easy to follow and really engaging. My only difficulty with this book was the last few chapters seemed a bit disjointed from the rest of the narrative, as we move further from his passing, the story doesn't connect as well as it did for the majority of the book.

Disclosure: I received a free print copy of this book from the publisher. No review was required and all opinions are my own.

This book was an interesting foray into adult dark academia for me. The magic system was very unique and interesting. The book had a lot more direct action than I expected. It is pretty violent as far as my experience with dark academia. It is not a book with a lot of (read: any) likeable characters. The point that no one is good is drilled home over and over. The book did well as far as plot twists without having specific misdirects. 

Lennon our main character seems to lack drive or will which makes her a bit difficult to root for in most of the book. The romantic subplot was well done and well-woven into the story, but I wasn't a fan of the relationship itself. The mystery of the school and its existence developed well and built over the book. It is very character driven to start, and then we end up in the mystery plot.

Disclosure: I received a free eARC and print copy of the book. No review was required and all opinions are my own. 

This is a DARK collection of stories. They are very visceral, violent and striking. I would have enjoyed the collection more but too many of the stories were open-ended for my preference. They touch on a variety of themes like immigration, assimilation, religion, abuse and more. 

Definitely check the trigger warnings on this one!

This was a great in-depth look at Blaxploitation cinema. It orients us to the film industry for black creatives prior to blaxploitation films, how they came to be, the full history of the blaxploitation era, and then the fall of it. It was well researched, easy to follow and I think you could enjoy it even if you've never seen or heard of a blaxploitation film before. I purchased the hardcover myself and then received a free audiobook from the publisher via Netgalley. It is read by the author and he does a great job. 

I definitely recommend this one if you have any interest in the subject and want to learn more. 

I liked this graphic novel. It's sweet and the art was bright and cute. I have never read the original "Emma" but I have seen other contemporary takes on the story and I think this falls in line. Our main character is able to recognize the error of their ways but also how they avoid their own feelings by overinvesting in others. I would recommend this one. 

Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from the publisher. 

I had a terrible time reading this book. EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER switches to a different point in Amanda's life, in no specific order. We jump around from childhood to adulthood at different points. The first five chapters take place in 2019, 1998, 2015, 2002 and then back to 2019. I have never been so frustrated reading a romance novel. The author attempts to misdirect us multiple times about who the main character ends up with even though it was pretty clear very early on to me. If you are a fan of nonlinear stories then you may enjoy this, but the amount of skipping around felt unneeded and stopped me from being able to invest in any of the characters or events happening, because in 5 pages, we will be talking to completely new people in a new year. 

I didn't DNF because I felt like the queer rep was well done and it managed to discuss coming out in as well-explored as you can in a single chapter before we switch to a new year again, but otherwise, I did not enjoy this one.

Disclosure: I received a print copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed the book. I thought the sci-fi elements and the mystery were well done. I was not a huge fan of the romance and I don’t think it was really integral to the plot, so it felt forced in by the author trying to make the romance matter. 

This was a fun and cozy romance. Perfect for fall. Not specifically a holiday romance, but lots of holiday vibes and mentions.

Tropes: 
- Small town romance 
- grumpy x sunshine
- found family

I thought this book was a lot of fun but I found it very predictable. I still really enjoyed reading it but I saw every "twist" or reveal coming from a mile away. I started reading this in print and then switched over to the audio. I doubt I would have finished it in print due to the predictability. 

If you want a cult horror that dips into the religious trauma associated with strict religious communities and excommunication, this is a good pick. It does dip into supernatural horror but it did a good job at building the unsettling feeling of the community first.

The audio narrator was good and I was able to stay engaged with the story. 

Disclosure: I received a free print copy from the publisher.

Being from this region, I thought the story perfectly captured the small coastal and islands attitude towards hurricane season. This story is quick and packs a punch. I loved the eeriness that builds through the conversations until the final interaction.