titalindaslibrary's reviews
640 reviews

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

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dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

The ANGST! The HORROR! The GOTHIC ROMANTIC VIBES! Cañas cooked with this one and I can’t believe this is her debut. Wow wow wow. Loved it. Absolutely enjoyed every facet of this gem.
Isaac's Song by Daniel Black

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challenging emotional hopeful medium-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

4.5

Oh wow this is so unbelievably tender and reflective. I can’t believe I haven’t read this author’s previous work (trust me I will be remedying that immediately!). But even without that context, Isaac’s Song was a requiem to nurturing tender masculinity, the freedom to feel, reckoning with internalized homophobia, and the heavy, traumatic history of slavery and how it continues to impact generations today. This is ultimately a book of hopefulness and healing, and I cannot recommend it enough! Really enjoyed it on audio too.
Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity, and the Truth About Where I Belong by Georgina Lawton

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced
Yours, Insatiably by Aveda Vice

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emotional 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

4.0

Damn. This was hot 🙈
The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry

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adventurous challenging dark 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

What a fantastic book to start 2025 off with! This hit all the vibes I’ve been craving - a magical school, malicious fae, a cohort of complex characters with intense relationships, and a history that demands to be unraveled. This was fantastic to experience on audio as well! 
The Bloodless Princes by Charlotte Bond

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adventurous mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

Can’t go wrong with a hot knight, a talking dragon, and a smart mage. The perfect trio for a romp through the afterlife! Enjoyed this one even more than the last book but still wish there had been a way to smash these two novellas into one epic novel. 
The Fireborne Blade by Charlotte Bond

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

3.75

Kinda just wish this and the next novella were mashed into one big book tbh. But an enjoyable read nonetheless! Loved the twist at the end 
You, with a View by Jessica Joyce

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emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

I am once again feeling sappy and softhearted by the end of a Jessica Joyce novel. This is only the second book I’ve read by her (which I believe is her total number of published books), but she’s for sure an auto-buy author for me now! 
There were so many sweet, humorous, tender, and sexy moments in this book. I just love a well crafted adult romance. 

Both Noelle and Theo were so playful yet mature, moving through their relationship at a believable pace. Even the third act conflict was handled so maturely and I really appreciated that. While I found The Ex Vows more compelling, this sealed the deal on how I love Joyce’s handling of her characters and their personal growth. 
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Damn. I almost DNFed this again, but I’m so glad I stuck with it! While it has a slow start and a bit of an overwhelming amount of world building, I slowly sank into the story and Taliyen’s impossible struggle to get some fucking respect. 

This story deals with misogyny, double standards, and has betrayals left and right that will have you fuming. 
And at the heart of it is our resilient, dutiful “Bitch Queen” doing her damnest to keep her country together even as it’s being pulled apart at the seams from the inside out. 

Villoso has a steady voice in this heavily character-driven story, drawing the reader in through Taliyen’s resilient and unflinching perspective. The worldbuilding is in depth and everything is incredibly political. I also appreciated how this is a fantasy world that is also a love letter to the Philippines and what it could’ve evolved into without colonial forces. 
Swallowed by Meg Smitherman

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

3.5

Smitherman excels with these horroromance novellas, I tell you what! While I prefer Thrum, Swallowed was another sci-fi lite read that I finished in a single day. And yes, it was horny af!