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what_is_daphne_reading's reviews
388 reviews
Sex, Lies and Sensibility by Nikki Payne
emotional
funny
sad
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
3.25
It was a cute and fun story. I liked when Nora and Bear are walking through the woods and she thinks of him as a walking google. She starts asking him random questions and he had an answer for everything. I found that scene very endearing.
I haven’t read Sense and Sensibility (I will be rectifying that shortly) so I don’t know if this concept is from that, but I really liked the fact that they each had to do and endure what they had been avoiding for years separately in order to be together.
Overall, a good time.
I haven’t read Sense and Sensibility (I will be rectifying that shortly) so I don’t know if this concept is from that, but I really liked the fact that they each had to do and endure what they had been avoiding for years separately in order to be together.
Overall, a good time.
Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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? It's complicated
4.5
Some of my theories were correct and some were not. The story progressed in some ways that I didn’t see coming. Yarros does a good job at feeding us tidbits as the story goes. There are things that happened that when you look back at the other books you can see how the road had been paved long before.
There are so many characters. And I was nervous to look up a character list because then I might find spoilers. So I had to be like dig into the recesses of my memory and sometimes just let it go until later. Like Felix. I didn’t remember Felix. Or Imogen’s last name.
I loved the chapters that were in other peoples perspective. I like to hear their relationship with their dragons. I want a chapter in Jesinia’s voice. I’m assume we will get some in the last book since she’s the one “writing” all these books.
Like the other 2 books, this one ends in a cliffhanger. I felt like the cliffhanger at the end of Fourth Wing was net positive, and the one in Iron Flame was net negative. This one is somewhere in the middle.
This series is fun and interesting
There are so many characters. And I was nervous to look up a character list because then I might find spoilers. So I had to be like dig into the recesses of my memory and sometimes just let it go until later. Like Felix. I didn’t remember Felix. Or Imogen’s last name.
I loved the chapters that were in other peoples perspective. I like to hear their relationship with their dragons. I want a chapter in Jesinia’s voice. I’m assume we will get some in the last book since she’s the one “writing” all these books.
Like the other 2 books, this one ends in a cliffhanger. I felt like the cliffhanger at the end of Fourth Wing was net positive, and the one in Iron Flame was net negative. This one is somewhere in the middle.
This series is fun and interesting
Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Some of the scene jumps were awkward, but overall a cute story.
The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
What a lovely book this was.
Although I had a hard time with it at first. The book is first told in second person. Which takes sometime to get use to because it is so rarely used. But then you (the second person you) are listening to a story that your Lola is telling you. So that isn’t in second person. Also, you fall into a dream where the story is being told to you anew in the form of a play. So you are both hearing the story from your Lola, remembering the stories she told you, and watching it as a play. And then! There are all these asides from the different characters. You will hear about the main character in the play Keema meeting someone, and you will briefly hear their thoughts too. And I was doing all of this as an audiobook!
I got the physical book to see if the different asides were clearer in the written form. Then, I didn’t need the physical book anymore. Once I got use to the rhythm of the story I marveled at what a great job the narrator was doing distinguishing all the voices.
The story within the story within the story was everything. There was love and vengeance and redemption. I fell in love with a defect and with a literal monster.
I also realized that although this is unlike so many of the books I’ve consumed, bursting with characters and life, all important in their small way, demanding to be heard, this is how I tell my own stories. Full of asides for further depth and clarification. This book was an experience. Highly recommend.
Although I had a hard time with it at first. The book is first told in second person. Which takes sometime to get use to because it is so rarely used. But then you (the second person you) are listening to a story that your Lola is telling you. So that isn’t in second person. Also, you fall into a dream where the story is being told to you anew in the form of a play. So you are both hearing the story from your Lola, remembering the stories she told you, and watching it as a play. And then! There are all these asides from the different characters. You will hear about the main character in the play Keema meeting someone, and you will briefly hear their thoughts too. And I was doing all of this as an audiobook!
I got the physical book to see if the different asides were clearer in the written form. Then, I didn’t need the physical book anymore. Once I got use to the rhythm of the story I marveled at what a great job the narrator was doing distinguishing all the voices.
The story within the story within the story was everything. There was love and vengeance and redemption. I fell in love with a defect and with a literal monster.
I also realized that although this is unlike so many of the books I’ve consumed, bursting with characters and life, all important in their small way, demanding to be heard, this is how I tell my own stories. Full of asides for further depth and clarification. This book was an experience. Highly recommend.
The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
First of, this is the first ARC I’ve ever felt compelled to requested and I can’t believe I got it!
I loved it! My kids kept commenting, “mom is so happy reading her book.”
I sure was!
I love the way Knightley writes. The world building was short and sweet. Letting you get familiar with it through the story after a quick primer. The characters are so smart and funny. The banter is next level. I am glad that I read this digitally so I could look up the words I found intriguing. But like, I could understand what the words meant in the story due to context, but getting their full meaning would often make the comment that much more fitting.
This is a slow slow burn. The tension builds up over the whole book. We don’t even get a release by the end (maybe this pun is intended, let me get back to you on that). This feels more natural though. Like, you can fall in love with your enemy but it should take time. We see how being with each other slowly changes the other. There’s a point in the beginning when they are making their way through something and Aurienne is using light while Osric is using shadows that perfectly explains they are diametric opposites but also, similar. Beautifully done.
I knew this is the first part of a duology going in but I need more. At about 200 pages in I started doing the mental math of how much was left to be discovered versus how much book I had left. I could’ve read many many more pages.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A cyborg who is contractually obligated to do a job finds away to do “the least” while still doing the most. Is it weird that I love murderbot? All he wants to do is the bare minimum that is required of him and then forego human interaction to watch crappy tv in solitude and convalesce. I love the idea that what made him shitty at his job is also what made him exceptional at his job. Read this on the recommendation of my coworker. It was her favorite book from 2024 and I can see why. It was fun and funny.
Oh and because I read a lot of romance I felt some “tension” between Muderbot and Doctor Mensah. And since I will never see the gates of heaven I thought, “okay but tell me about its penis.”
Spoiler alert: he has none.
Oh and because I read a lot of romance I felt some “tension” between Muderbot and Doctor Mensah. And since I will never see the gates of heaven I thought, “okay but tell me about its penis.”
Spoiler alert: he has none.
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
mysterious
reflective
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
3.75
This was like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Little Stranger mixed into one.
Even though I had a good idea of where the story was going the whole time, it was still fun to get there.
Even though I had a good idea of where the story was going the whole time, it was still fun to get there.
The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
This is the quietest of the Moreno-Garcia books I’ve read. It also very sad but it had the happiest ending of her books. Suffice it to say, it is unlike her other books.
It mostly read as an Edwardian Era romance novel, (no sex tho). A story filled with formal courting and unrequited love. There was a little supernatural element which was the possession of telekineses by some of the characters. This aspect sometimes seemed like an after thought and not necessary. It served a purpose at the end but either it needed to play a bigger role or a smaller one.
Valerie was wild. The most chilling type of evil. The self righteous one. The one that you can understand their thought process, even if you can’t abide with their actions. It’s like Coriolanus Snow in The Ballad Of The Songbird and the Snake. We can understand why Valerie made the choices even if we don’t agree with them.
Overall, I enjoyed this book because Moreno-Garcia is a phenomenal author. I happen to be someone who also enjoys period books so I was into it, but I could see how someone coming off some of her other books might feel, I don’t want to say disappointed, but some type of way about this book.
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
I have overwhelmingly positive feelings about this book. It seemed so natural. It flowed amazingly. All the little things that don’t make sense in other fantasy books are explained really masterfully here. There are little things, continuity things that bugged me at first. Saeris being excited about it snowing when Layne said it snowed every day. Later Saeris knowing about how foxes eyes work when she has literally never heard of foxes before. But, I got to a point in the book that if there were inconsistencies like these I didn’t really notice because I was ALL IN.
Kingfisher was like made in a lab just for me. You mean he is tall, dark hair, light eyes, tattooed fae with a tragic background who loves his mom? Tell me that’s not for me. Then you add that he is vampire like. I know he isn’t really a vampire(?) but he has fangs and drinks blood so let’s not split hairs here. AND he’s bi right? I’m getting a bi vibe off him. Malcom keeps calling him love. In my head he’s f***ed Malcolm like at least once. Tell me I’m wrong! And I love a bi-guy. 🤷🏾♀️
The banter between everyone was amazing. Carrion is lovable and consistently delivers.
Oh, one little thing at the end,
Didn’t Malcolm, Belikon and Madra say that all 3 had to die for any of them to die? But somehow Saeris killed Malcolm?
I am guessing that will be explained in the next one. Or not, I actually don’t f’ing care. More of Kingfisher please.
Kingfisher was like made in a lab just for me. You mean he is tall, dark hair, light eyes, tattooed fae with a tragic background who loves his mom? Tell me that’s not for me. Then you add that he is vampire like. I know he isn’t really a vampire(?) but he has fangs and drinks blood so let’s not split hairs here. AND he’s bi right? I’m getting a bi vibe off him. Malcom keeps calling him love. In my head he’s f***ed Malcolm like at least once. Tell me I’m wrong! And I love a bi-guy. 🤷🏾♀️
The banter between everyone was amazing. Carrion is lovable and consistently delivers.
Oh, one little thing at the end,
I am guessing that will be explained in the next one. Or not, I actually don’t f’ing care. More of Kingfisher please.
The Roommate Risk by Talia Hibbert
emotional
funny
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
4.0
Why is unrequited love so romantic and yet kinda creepy all at once?
So the MMC(Rahul) has been in love with the FMC (Jasmine) since they met in college. They’ve been best friends since but because Jasmine doesn’t date and Rahul doesn’t want a friends with benefits situation (see aforementioned love), they’ve kept it strictly platonic (since that one time.)
Rahul always being there for Jasmine even though he knew that he was never going to get what he wanted from her is lovely. But if I think about it too much it’s also kinda creepy. But mostly lovely and like I wish I had that. Someone so smitten by my crazy personality that they put up with all my bullshit just to like hang out with me. Amazing. Secretly hoping I trip and fall on their d*** makes me uneasy though.
Anyway, I don’t know how I feel about it in real life so I guess it’s a good thing I’m not in danger of experiencing this.
So… the spice was spicing as only Miss Hibbert can do. I love Rahul, I love Jasmine. There was a 3rd act breakup which was holy unnecessary. Like, not needed at all. I thought we wouldn’t get one because the miscommunication could’ve just been their entire adult life but no…. I guess she wanted a little trauma for us in there. The breakup is why this wasn’t a 5.
So the MMC(Rahul) has been in love with the FMC (Jasmine) since they met in college. They’ve been best friends since but because Jasmine doesn’t date and Rahul doesn’t want a friends with benefits situation (see aforementioned love), they’ve kept it strictly platonic (since that one time.)
Rahul always being there for Jasmine even though he knew that he was never going to get what he wanted from her is lovely. But if I think about it too much it’s also kinda creepy. But mostly lovely and like I wish I had that. Someone so smitten by my crazy personality that they put up with all my bullshit just to like hang out with me. Amazing. Secretly hoping I trip and fall on their d*** makes me uneasy though.
Anyway, I don’t know how I feel about it in real life so I guess it’s a good thing I’m not in danger of experiencing this.
So… the spice was spicing as only Miss Hibbert can do. I love Rahul, I love Jasmine. There was a 3rd act breakup which was holy unnecessary. Like, not needed at all. I thought we wouldn’t get one because the miscommunication could’ve just been their entire adult life but no…. I guess she wanted a little trauma for us in there. The breakup is why this wasn’t a 5.