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whatislaurynnreading's reviews
135 reviews
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
it’s my favorite book, what can i say
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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? Yes
5.0
monty may be one of my favorite characters ever, percy is always lovely and i love their dynamic and how different they are but know each other so well. it makes you feel like you’re on the outside of the joke when they’re together
The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
i can see how this has the potential to be a series i really love but i’m not there just yet. it reminds me of the raven cycle so i probably have to read it multiple times to really understand it.
The Long Game by Rachel Reid
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
4.75
i might be speechless, as always after a series i’m so shocked it’s over. as soon as it ended i immediately missed ilya, he was my favorite from nearly day one and if anything i take him with me away from this series.
shane’s constant fear of coming out overshadowing ilya’s depression of never coming out was heartbreaking, it was hard to see a positive end for them during those times. hayden accidentally outing them was… i don’t want to say stupid but how stupid are you that you send a video without looking at it, hayden being depicted as a bit of an idiot follows though with this mistake but jesus christ he was pissing me off also j.j. seemed to come out of nowhere in the story to be deemed shane’s other best friend and therefore mad he wasn’t told about them.
i loved the freedom they allowed themselves in the intimate scenes, showing how they’ve actually grown as a couple to not just get off and leave but actually knowing each other and using it in their private moments. this book was by far the spiciest and i think that comes from their personalities matching the dynamic they had in the sex scenes. the trophy room was holy shit wow.
the entire second half of the book when ottawa starts winning and is actually in the running for the cup i kept thinking about how ilya needs the win for himself and the team because of all they’ve been though but that also shane needs it to prove ilya hasn’t effected his hockey but after i finished the series i kept thinking about the part where shane trips and that’s really really really fucking dumb i can’t believe it.
it’s the fact that he trips on nothing it’s not even something believable especially after the all star game where he’s the fastest skater, it could’ve been getting hit by troy or tripping on haas’ stick but it’s literally nothing, if ilya was just faster than him or knocked him out of the way or stole the puck ANYTHING that would’ve been better because shane’s team turning on him was appalling and i know it was used to be shane’s last straw with montreal but it hurt to read that so much.
overall series ranking:
- the long game
- heated rivalry
- role model
- tough guy
- common goal
- game changer
shane’s constant fear of coming out overshadowing ilya’s depression of never coming out was heartbreaking, it was hard to see a positive end for them during those times. hayden accidentally outing them was… i don’t want to say stupid but how stupid are you that you send a video without looking at it, hayden being depicted as a bit of an idiot follows though with this mistake but jesus christ he was pissing me off also j.j. seemed to come out of nowhere in the story to be deemed shane’s other best friend and therefore mad he wasn’t told about them.
i loved the freedom they allowed themselves in the intimate scenes, showing how they’ve actually grown as a couple to not just get off and leave but actually knowing each other and using it in their private moments. this book was by far the spiciest and i think that comes from their personalities matching the dynamic they had in the sex scenes. the trophy room was holy shit wow.
the entire second half of the book when ottawa starts winning and is actually in the running for the cup i kept thinking about how ilya needs the win for himself and the team because of all they’ve been though but that also shane needs it to prove ilya hasn’t effected his hockey but after i finished the series i kept thinking about the part where shane trips and that’s really really really fucking dumb i can’t believe it.
it’s the fact that he trips on nothing it’s not even something believable especially after the all star game where he’s the fastest skater, it could’ve been getting hit by troy or tripping on haas’ stick but it’s literally nothing, if ilya was just faster than him or knocked him out of the way or stole the puck ANYTHING that would’ve been better because shane’s team turning on him was appalling and i know it was used to be shane’s last straw with montreal but it hurt to read that so much.
overall series ranking:
- the long game
- heated rivalry
- role model
- tough guy
- common goal
- game changer
Like Real People Do by E.L. Massey
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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
exactly what i needed, so happy i found this story.
You Will Get Through This Night by Daniel Howell
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
5.0
In the Middle of Somewhere by Roan Parrish
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
i feel like this story was part miscommunication part smut with almost no plot?? random tidbits to prevent them from being together, i don’t feel the need to read the other two. His brother being gay after being a raging homophobe is a tired trope and so unnecessary
Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
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? It's complicated
4.5
this one was so good, absolutely flew through this. oh my god i love ilya so much. ilya is hilarious, his quick remarks and cocky attitude about his skills while backing up that talent is just *muah* and shane is so adorable, being flustered constantly by ilya’s affections. i love how sarcastic ilya is and the level of emotions they constantly had whether sexual or concern or anger was always well placed and absolutely delectable.
i really loved the build that they had, nothing was rushed or oversold with how they felt about each other or the situation, given that it was over the course of TEN YEARS it’s paced accordingly and not drug our to over stay its welcome. the ending is just a little abrupt and leaves a massive hole where you just can’t wait to get to the next book, i almost slipped straight to book six i was so excited.
overall series ranking:
- the long game
- heated rivalry
- role model
- tough guy
- common goal
- game changer
Merged review:
4.5/5 • this one was so good, absolutely flew through this. oh my god i love ilya so much. ilya is hilarious, his quick remarks and cocky attitude about his skills while backing up that talent is just *muah* and shane is so adorable, being flustered constantly by ilya’s affections. i love how sarcastic ilya is and the level of emotions they constantly had whether sexual or concern or anger was always well placed and absolutely delectable.
i really loved the build that they had, nothing was rushed or oversold with how they felt about each other or the situation, given that it was over the course of TEN YEARS it’s paced accordingly and not drug our to over stay its welcome. the ending is just a little abrupt and leaves a massive hole where you just can’t wait to get to the next book, i almost slipped straight to book six i was so excited.
overall series ranking:
- the long game
- heated rivalry
- role model
- tough guy
- common goal
- game changer
i really loved the build that they had, nothing was rushed or oversold with how they felt about each other or the situation, given that it was over the course of TEN YEARS it’s paced accordingly and not drug our to over stay its welcome. the ending is just a little abrupt and leaves a massive hole where you just can’t wait to get to the next book, i almost slipped straight to book six i was so excited.
overall series ranking:
- the long game
- heated rivalry
- role model
- tough guy
- common goal
- game changer
Merged review:
4.5/5 • this one was so good, absolutely flew through this. oh my god i love ilya so much. ilya is hilarious, his quick remarks and cocky attitude about his skills while backing up that talent is just *muah* and shane is so adorable, being flustered constantly by ilya’s affections. i love how sarcastic ilya is and the level of emotions they constantly had whether sexual or concern or anger was always well placed and absolutely delectable.
i really loved the build that they had, nothing was rushed or oversold with how they felt about each other or the situation, given that it was over the course of TEN YEARS it’s paced accordingly and not drug our to over stay its welcome. the ending is just a little abrupt and leaves a massive hole where you just can’t wait to get to the next book, i almost slipped straight to book six i was so excited.
overall series ranking:
- the long game
- heated rivalry
- role model
- tough guy
- common goal
- game changer