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whatislaurynnreading's reviews
134 reviews
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
3.0
3/5 • i think overall, the story is good, definitely a slow burn. it almost seems like you have to wait for it to get good and given that it’s book one of five, i knew that going into it. i was worried i wouldn’t like feyre because i thought she was a little bit like clary from the mortal instruments but she has much more of her own head about her.
i thought it was out of place for her sisters to not have adapted to their life in poverty, considering how long it has been. feyre is the youngest and she was so young when things went wrong for their father, and given that nesta and elaine are older, then not doing what needed to be done is weird. i know it’s presented as a reason to not miss home, but if that’s the only reason she doesn’t miss home it’s not a good enough reason, because she still wants to go home.
i love lucian, i think he’s one of the best parts of the book. any part that is slow is made up for by him, he definitely balances tamlin both in their dynamic and the flow of the book because if they were both sarcastic or both closed off it wouldn’t work as well. i think alis was a great addition to the hidden secrets lucian couldn’t give because alis was always with feyre, and they became comfortable together quicker, whereas with lucian and feyre were still keeping each other at a distance.
when feyre was sent home, i almost stopped reading the book. i really don’t like major left turn decisions like these, where they completely try to change the course of the story but inevitably you know that she’s gonna go back and it just feels like a waste of time. i don’t think that going home and telling nesta everything added much to the plot that we desperately needed at that point, also her not being glamoured does not make sense, there’s no reason for her to not be especially if elain and her father and 99% of the village was affected.
i figured out the riddle immediately, it made the most sense because that was like the whole reason she was doing all of this. i think the challenges were really interesting to be like actual physical challenges that weren’t just mind games and they were things that she could defend herself in and actually try to win so that the fight seems fair and that the point was either she died trying or got to the third and final battle and then was not supposed to be able to kill tamlin.
the very subtle suggestion that tamlin couldn’t be killed because his heart was in under control was very clever, while you’re reading you completely miss it.
overall, really liked it, really excited for the next book. my sister has finished the series so i know a very few spoilers so nervous and excited.
i thought it was out of place for her sisters to not have adapted to their life in poverty, considering how long it has been. feyre is the youngest and she was so young when things went wrong for their father, and given that nesta and elaine are older, then not doing what needed to be done is weird. i know it’s presented as a reason to not miss home, but if that’s the only reason she doesn’t miss home it’s not a good enough reason, because she still wants to go home.
i love lucian, i think he’s one of the best parts of the book. any part that is slow is made up for by him, he definitely balances tamlin both in their dynamic and the flow of the book because if they were both sarcastic or both closed off it wouldn’t work as well. i think alis was a great addition to the hidden secrets lucian couldn’t give because alis was always with feyre, and they became comfortable together quicker, whereas with lucian and feyre were still keeping each other at a distance.
when feyre was sent home, i almost stopped reading the book. i really don’t like major left turn decisions like these, where they completely try to change the course of the story but inevitably you know that she’s gonna go back and it just feels like a waste of time. i don’t think that going home and telling nesta everything added much to the plot that we desperately needed at that point, also her not being glamoured does not make sense, there’s no reason for her to not be especially if elain and her father and 99% of the village was affected.
i figured out the riddle immediately, it made the most sense because that was like the whole reason she was doing all of this. i think the challenges were really interesting to be like actual physical challenges that weren’t just mind games and they were things that she could defend herself in and actually try to win so that the fight seems fair and that the point was either she died trying or got to the third and final battle and then was not supposed to be able to kill tamlin.
the very subtle suggestion that tamlin couldn’t be killed because his heart was in under control was very clever, while you’re reading you completely miss it.
overall, really liked it, really excited for the next book. my sister has finished the series so i know a very few spoilers so nervous and excited.
Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
3.0
3/5 • i love a murder mystery! jane austen meets agatha christie. i really liked how blended it was with the original story, the use of the estates names for the businesses was very clever. i wish there was a bit more romance like the original but the little bit we got was even more 3/4 enemies to 1/4 lovers. collins being the murderer was such a twist! i thought it was truly wickham the whole time!
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian
adventurous
medium-paced
3.5
i really like it.
this is a wonderful slow burn, it definitely built the tension between kit and percy. i really like the tension kit and percy had during their fights, the soft touches kit kept allowing himself were like so close but not quite.
i do think that the beginning is slightly confusing because it seems like you’re dropped into the middle of a conversation about the blackmailer, but written like you should know what’s happening. i checked a few times to make sure i was on the first book.
the difference between jenny with janet and tom with rob isn’t distinct enough to know who is who. it’s easy enough to know this is kit’s “old crew” but it seems like everyone is dead except kit and then you find out that jenny (or is it janet) is alive but in jail and the other woman is kit’s sister and has a baby.
rob not being dead is wild! immediately i knew that he would be the love interest in book two, it all seemed to come together instantly. it seems “oh and it all works out in the end” and little bit odd how they just like come to the conclusion of who it is.
my most negative experience with the book is actually the narrator, his performance is so exaggerated that it takes away from the sexual and soft moments and anything serious kit or percy say sounds ridiculous because it’s so far from how an actual person would say it.
this is a wonderful slow burn, it definitely built the tension between kit and percy. i really like the tension kit and percy had during their fights, the soft touches kit kept allowing himself were like so close but not quite.
i do think that the beginning is slightly confusing because it seems like you’re dropped into the middle of a conversation about the blackmailer, but written like you should know what’s happening. i checked a few times to make sure i was on the first book.
the difference between jenny with janet and tom with rob isn’t distinct enough to know who is who. it’s easy enough to know this is kit’s “old crew” but it seems like everyone is dead except kit and then you find out that jenny (or is it janet) is alive but in jail and the other woman is kit’s sister and has a baby.
rob not being dead is wild! immediately i knew that he would be the love interest in book two, it all seemed to come together instantly. it seems “oh and it all works out in the end” and little bit odd how they just like come to the conclusion of who it is.
my most negative experience with the book is actually the narrator, his performance is so exaggerated that it takes away from the sexual and soft moments and anything serious kit or percy say sounds ridiculous because it’s so far from how an actual person would say it.
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
4.0
4/5 • love the ineffable husbands, i watched the show before i knew it was a book and it’s copy and paste. love crowley and aziraphale so much.
Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian
4.0
three for three, i adore these books.
i think the books decrease in “plot-ness” as you get through the series, this one is 90% “will they, won’t they” and it’s not enough to carry the whole book. i was really worried that martian would die at the end because given the first two books, the last chapter saves the entire book.
in book one and two, while they’re not strictly sequential this one feels like the only one you couldn’t read alone because it’s lacking in non-relationship plot. book one has philip and ben with the children and the threat returning to sea then hartley and sam have the paintings, hartley’s trauma and the pub but if this book was going to be martian and will plus martian’s health it just wasn’t enough.
i absolutely loved the tattoos at the end, it completely filled my heart. i want a fourth book to see everyone in their relationships and all domestic.
i think the books decrease in “plot-ness” as you get through the series, this one is 90% “will they, won’t they” and it’s not enough to carry the whole book. i was really worried that martian would die at the end because given the first two books, the last chapter saves the entire book.
in book one and two, while they’re not strictly sequential this one feels like the only one you couldn’t read alone because it’s lacking in non-relationship plot. book one has philip and ben with the children and the threat returning to sea then hartley and sam have the paintings, hartley’s trauma and the pub but if this book was going to be martian and will plus martian’s health it just wasn’t enough.
i absolutely loved the tattoos at the end, it completely filled my heart. i want a fourth book to see everyone in their relationships and all domestic.