I attribute this rating to one thing - reading too much Ali Hazelwood at one. Her books are so painfully the same story over and over again.2.5/5 ⋆˙⟡♡
I attribute this rating to one thing - reading too much Ali Hazelwood at one. Her books are so painfully the same story over and over again. The men are exactly the same. They are so fun to read, and I loved Love on the Brain, the Love Hypothesis & Love Theoretically - but realistically they are all the same story. Guy who she hates/is an 'asshole' turns out to have loved her all along and didn't actually ever do anything wrong. Guy is always 6'4, built (in a lot of detail), who doesn't date anyone else/hasn't really dated.
There's always a bit where the main character sees a girl's name pop up on his phone, a picture of her on social media/in real life where she automatically goes "yeah they have a girlfriend that's it".
I enjoy these books a lot, but I think I need a longer grace period in between them.
₊˚⊹♡ reading log
↪ 30/06 3:39pm a FOOTBALL reference, Orlando Pride? I cannot believe it but she supports Real Madrid I can't
↪ 26/06 8:43am i’ve been so incredibly busy with uni i haven’t even thought about picking up a book, i don’t know how people manage their time like that at all
↪ 21/06 7:10pm im in a romance burnout im trying i swear ...more
I did not anticipate a lot of this book - there were a lot more twists and turns than your Hunger Games and your Divergents. It took me a whi3.25/5
RTC
I did not anticipate a lot of this book - there were a lot more twists and turns than your Hunger Games and your Divergents. It took me a while, but I grew to love the world. You know I love the found family trope, but the end had me so personally angry. I don't know if i'm going to continue this series, I know everyone says that it will get better as it goes on and to trust the process, so I'll sit on it for now.
⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── reading log
hours of reading: 4.8 avg. minutes per session: 14 avg. pages per minute: 4.3
29/05 6:22pm ୨ৎ oh man i did not see that coming how what?
29/05 3:25pm ୨ৎ YES okay its taken 152 pages but I am in it I love the games style type things
29/05 10:54am ୨ৎ there are NO friends in this story
28/05 2:02pm ୨ৎ so the story and plot is very good but i’m not gelling with the writing style
27/05 4:56pm ୨ৎ oh god this does fit in with the 2014 hunger games period
26/05 5:26pm ୨ৎ i have to remember that it always takes some brain power at the start to read sci-fi/fantasy books - but this is already making me emotional i didn't expect it to have so much heart
⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── pre-reading
after reading bride (i want to throw up) i need something to take me into a different universe... far away from vampires and werewolfs. everyone loves this one so I am very excited ...more
The only way I can describe this is we get to see the domestic version of the ACOTAR universe. You learn more about all your favour3.75/5 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
The only way I can describe this is we get to see the domestic version of the ACOTAR universe. You learn more about all your favourite characters and get to see the interactions/dynamics between them and I just felt so cozy. I typically like multiple POV's - but some were written in first or third person and it was a tad confusing. They felt a bit, human, or more normal should we say.
There's no high stakes like the previous 3 books, so there was no hysterical crying and weeping from me, which is why I couldn't give it a higher rating. I feel like it's a good palate cleanser though between ACOWAR and what's to come and I think that's what it was exactly designed to be.
The best thing that came out of this book was Azriel and Elain. For sure. The imagery is amazing, and I did see some artwork on TikTok so I think I had a preconceived image of what it would be. Also, imagining little Fae children painting is just the sweetest thing ever. ⊹˚. ♡....more
Well as the self proclaimed romance hater - I'm giving this 4 stars, which is probably like 6 stars in a romance lover's eyes. This was such a g 4/5 ☆
Well as the self proclaimed romance hater - I'm giving this 4 stars, which is probably like 6 stars in a romance lover's eyes. This was such a good story, I loved following it and it was genuinely just cute. Her writing was just smooth and buttery.
I usually don't like the FMC in romances (but I've only really read Ali Hazelwood and all her characters are the same person in different fonts) - but she was really relatable and I was rooting for her the whole time. Her whole 'finding herself journey' was so wholesome and heartwarming to follow. I relate to her relationship with her mother, and with finding friends. I think I do the same thing too, but I just didn't know how to express it until Emily Henry put it into words. I rarely sink the time into people and just conclude they'll be an acquaintance.
Miles is a top tier guy, I would totally date him in real life and he'd give me so many butterflies - I'd also think he was being 'just nice' like Daphne did and not that he actually liked me.
I love Julia and Ashleigh as well - such girls girls, I would love to have friends like them. I'm genuinely so proud of Daphne, it makes my heart so fuzzy and warm. I would have loved to live this romance.
I couldn't give this 5 stars (for personal reasons), because I winced at certain moments and was like 'why isn't love like this in real life'. ⋆...more
i’ve re rated this after i can’t remember how it ends at all
Oh it doesn't feel right to give this book such a harsh rating when I don't thi2.3/5 ✩‧₊˚
i’ve re rated this after i can’t remember how it ends at all
Oh it doesn't feel right to give this book such a harsh rating when I don't think I was the intended audience.
I've discovered I'm a very plot driven reader, and this was extremely character based. The pacing - felt so slow for me at the start and I was pushing myself through it (something I said I wouldn't do this year).
The writing is beautiful, the world created is gorgeous. I could picture it all perfectly and that deserves so much praise. I love the ocean, I love the ships & islands. There were incredibly wholesome moments too.
With the plot, I'm not even sure I understood what happened - and this may be because I'm dumb and I'm off my ADHD medication, but I found this very difficult to follow.
19/04 9:26am ୨ৎ so i’m halfway through i think, and i just feel like i have to keep dragging myself through. it’s such a shame because it’s a beautiful book, the characters and the imagery are top notch, im just a plot driven gal.
18/04 6:42pm ୨ৎ the pace has finally picked up a bit and i’m sensing some drammaaaaaaa some jeopardy im still only at pg 128
18/04 2:01pm ୨ৎ okay this is not grabbing my attention like i thought it would and maybe i’m just dumb but i’m finding this difficult to read - i did not take my adhd medication today
18/04 9:46am ୨ৎ can everyone be real with me for a second, does anyone prefer long chapters?
︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
the spinny wheel has chosen... the night ship! i'm not sure what genre i'd put this under, but it's based of the coast of western australia so it's home territory. and it's based on a ship! i love stories about pirates, loved the greyjoys in GOT - so im hoping i'll love this one.
i've done well picking some highly rated reads recently so im hoping the streak will continue ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚...more
I'm so confused for what to feel for this book. On one hand I really like the content of the story and I appreciate that this was inspir2.5/5 ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
I'm so confused for what to feel for this book. On one hand I really like the content of the story and I appreciate that this was inspired by the author's own experiences. I just think there was a lot of loose ends that didn't fit together in the end, and maybe I don't understand the content as well as I thought I did? I'm just so confused I don't know if I can review this properly
︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶
₊˚⊹♡ reading log
16/05 8:35pm ୨ৎ i am so close to finishing this but dnfing it would also feel so good but i've come this far ive got to know how it ends
15/05 4:20pm ୨ৎ okay so i feel like the premise of this is really good but the execution has fallen slightly short? it just feels weird and choppy but i am really invested in the outcome, im just not spooked or anything like i feel i should be?
14/05 9:44pm ୨ৎ how does one balance reading and work/school
13/05 7:44am ୨ৎ i'm always nervous to read on the train because i dont like people looking over my shoulder
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
i'm not doing so good on my planned may tbr (the gripes of being a huge mood reader) - but i'm not tooo mad about breaking it for this one because i loved the premise of this thriller, but i've been put off by the reviews, so let's see how it goes.
︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶
may tbr:
ಇ. salt to the sea ಇ. powerless ಇ. house of earth and blood ಇ. everyone in my family has killed someone ಇ. bride ಇ. listen for the lie ಇ. she's not sorry ಇ. love on the brain ಇ. the familiar ಇ. a court of wings and ruin + a good girl's guide to murder + the clinic...more
29/04 5:22pm i really do hope it’s (view spoiler)[ olivia (hide spoiler)] dead but i feel like that’ll be too on the nose so i don’t know
29/04 2:29pm if only i was rich enough to have these problems
29/04 10:23am woah jaclyn hill and jeffree star mention?
29/04 7:55am thank the stars for short chapters - this is exactly what i needed i get the sense im watching selling sunset on netflix except these women aren't selling anything
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
alright here we go *my* (with all your suggestions) fool proof method to avoid a reading slump! a quick, easy to follow, mystery/thriller. I saw fellow Australian Paige read this and gave it 4 stars so I have high hopes for this one...more
"Weyward, they called us, when we would not submit, would not bend to their will. But we learned to wear the name with pride"
I did not exp5/5 ✧₊⁺☆
"Weyward, they called us, when we would not submit, would not bend to their will. But we learned to wear the name with pride"
I did not expect to be taken back by this book as much as I was, towards the end I did let out a few tears. There's something about powerful women in this context that pulls at my heartstrings. I love the idea that the past women from your family are with you, and grant you strength. I choose to believe in that wholeheartedly and this story perfectly embodied that.
The entire time I was reading this, 'Can't Catch Me Now,' by Olivia Rodrigo was just playing on a loop in the back of my mind.
︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶
જ⁀➴ Plot: This book follows 3 women in 3 different timelines. This was so masterfully done - there was high stakes in each of the POV's, so I wasn't dreading any of them or wanting to skim past anything. The main themes revolve around empowering women, and learning to embrace their own nature - not what a man dictates for them.
As a thriller/mystery girl, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy the narrative of this because I felt like it would be more of a recount, but I assure you I was flipping through the pages. ...more
So I actually didn't DNF it and decided to finish it this morning.
You gotta hear me out on this one. I don't think this is a BAD book by any means. I'So I actually didn't DNF it and decided to finish it this morning.
You gotta hear me out on this one. I don't think this is a BAD book by any means. I'm just the tin man and can't stand when 'normal' love happens. I'm not going to give a proper in depth review like I usually do because I just don't feel like I have the credentials.
I conquered my fear, a romance novel.
Things I will say - Maddy was my favourite character. Justin and Emma are both too equally perfect, and I think this is the 'will they won't they' trope? (can you tell how much I read romance). It didn't feel like there was any jeopardy, which is my type of love - *cough* Magnolia Parks *cough*.
If you like romances, please don't be discouraged by this review and take it with a grain of salt.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊
reading log ୨ৎ
i'm soft DNFing this at 48%, i think i just cant be around a meet cute love right now and the characters are frustrating me and i'm just in a state - i think this is a it's not you, it's me type of situation with this book
13/04 7:14pm why do i feel like there’s no plot? like they’re already a perfect match and basically in love what are the rest of the pages for i’m confused and please don’t hate me i just don’t typically read romances i’m sorry
13/04 6:30pm what on gods green earth you expect me to believe a seemingly perfect man everyone just declares isn't the one what do you mean? like what do you mean this is all too meet cute for me i'm what do you mean?
13/04 1:40pm i will never understand the american diet or how they describe coffee orders what the heck is a grande triple caramel macchiato iced tea infusion thingy; the dragon fruit one? when i order a coffee (which i don't) i get a flat white
*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚
⋆˙⟡♡ pre-reading
everyone please pray for me - i'm tackling my biggest fear, a romance novel. i will do my very best to not DNF this....more
I'm .... indifferent on so many different things in the book. I'm really confused on how the book ended, I think there were a lot of loo3/5 ★
╰┈➤ Plot
I'm .... indifferent on so many different things in the book. I'm really confused on how the book ended, I think there were a lot of loose ends and the reveals weren't as shocking. There were some plot points that led you down one path felt like they had no merit at the end. I'm still sitting here going "what about this... or what about this"?
I was really excited for this because of one of her other books, The Overnight Guest, in which I guessed the plot twist but it still kept my heart pumping. This somehow felt less high stakes even though the premise felt like it should have been even MORE high stakes.
I think this had so much potential, it just fell short for me.
╰┈➤ Characters
I think you had all your tell tale characters to make up this kind of thriller - mum, lawyer, doctor, senator, journalist - all very typical. That being said, I didn't like any of the characters. I felt no emotional attachment to any of them - so I didn't really care what happened to them.
We don't really know why anyone wants to win the money (except Marie) other than the fact money = good. Which felt really shallow and gave me only one character to root for - Marie.
╰┈➤ World/Setting
The world was described very nicely and I love some Italian architecture. I think the world was the only thing that gave the book its 'eerieness'. The setting was also very good, very Squid Game. But in Squid Game, I felt the characters pain and suffering.
╰┈➤ Pacing
Very fast paced. I chewed through this in a day because I was really interested, the book keeps you hooked, even if the plot points fell short. I was so excited to see how they all came together so I just kept on turning pages.
╰┈➤ Enjoyment
If the ending didn't turn out the way it did, I would rate this higher. I enjoyed all the little clues in Italian (yes I went to google translate), I enjoyed flipping the pages to see how it would all come together, the premise is brilliant - it just fell short at tying everything together in a bow and so the end kind of crushed it for me.
02/04 4:50pm ୨ৎ ok hang on things are starting to come together i feel like a bit of a detective putting clues together here -- (view spoiler)[ so they were all given wine bottles that had words on them written on Italian - and maybe i'm ruining this for myself but i decided to go to google translate and they give such a big hint into what's to come (hide spoiler)]
02/04 8:00am ୨ৎ this is super easy to get through and i am intrigued to see who wins i don't have any bets yet but there is for sure high stakes with (view spoiler)[ fern locking cat away in the cellar (hide spoiler)].
02/04 4:22am ୨ৎ it may or may not be 4am - i've read about 11%? not as heart racing as the overnight guest so far - i think it might be the setting
︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶
pre-reading ⁺˚*･༓☾
OH MY GOSH i’m so excited i’ve been waiting for this one to come out for some reason it released in australia today?? anyway i absolutely loved the overnight guest it was a 5 star read for me so yes i’m mood reading like hell right now (please don’t hate me i’m going through a nasty break up)...more
Do you like high stakes, drama in every chapter and unexpected twists & turns? This is for you.
I honestly think I could give this 5/5.4.8/5 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Do you like high stakes, drama in every chapter and unexpected twists & turns? This is for you.
I honestly think I could give this 5/5. In my opinion, the flaws were so minor I didn't notice them at all. I could not put this book down at all. Every page I wanted to know what happened next. I was glued to it for 4 hours I think? It did not leave my hand.
I thought oh man I guessed the plot twist - and I mean I *sort of* did - but it was so much bigger than I expected, so much more jaw dropping. For my first Holly Jackson book - I have such high praises for her and will most certainly be reading everything else she has to offer.
I don't know if it's naïve of me that I can't find a fault in this book. The pacing, the characters, the plot - all amazing. My own personal enjoyment, 5/5. My heart was thudding in my chest. So good. Maybe my favourite thriller of the year.
If you read my reading log, you'll see I looked a tad silly ...more
"Kind of incredible. She is you, she is your mother, your father, your country."
Wow. This is my third solid 5 star read for the year 5/5 ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.•
"Kind of incredible. She is you, she is your mother, your father, your country."
Wow. This is my third solid 5 star read for the year. There's nothing I would change about this book. I loved every second of it. It was emotional and gripping. I was incredibly reflective on what I knew about WW2 and its tragedies, which as it turns out was not enough.
I was never bored, it never dragged, I was invested in all of the characters and cried. I will think about these characters and story long after finishing this.
04/05 4:00pm ୨ৎ this book has my whole heart at the moment - it really perfectly and elegantly captures the brutality of the second world war and i want to read more about it
04/05 11:15am ୨ৎ i will finish this book today i am determined
03/05 7:16pm ୨ৎ if anyone dies in this book i will burst into tears
03/05 4:51pm ୨ৎ this has just captured my attention so well, and it's so fast paced and i'm already feeling for all the characters oh my goodness
₊˚⊹♡ pre-reading
good afternoon and welcome to my may tbr (we will get through it i promise, it's got 10 books on it so i'm probably a little too ambitious)
i'm super interested in this, when i was a kid i used to read war character driven books so let's hope this delivers - i'm predicting around 3 stars ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*...more
I must just be choosing all the wrong reads for me.
This really disappointed me. I wanted to love this so much - I loved the premis2.2/5ੈ ✩‧₊˚
DNF @ 55%
I must just be choosing all the wrong reads for me.
This really disappointed me. I wanted to love this so much - I loved the premise. I used to read the Chinese Cinderella series when I was younger and I loved how rich the culture was, and discovering everything that came along with that.
The main issue for me was the pacing. Without spoiling - the blurb tells you that Rebecca and Jasmine's stories intertwine, but they don't show you how, at least not yet. I felt no urgency on (view spoiler)[ how Jasmine was going to get Fifi back, or if Wren was going to find Jasmine. (hide spoiler)]
I felt like they spent way too long on the world building and I'm really sorry but I just got bored and didn't want to finish it, and was not looking forward to what was happening next. It's 2024 - if I don't want to read a book, I'm going to DNF it ):
Things I loved surrounded the underlying themes, with Rebecca's struggle of being a mother of a mixed baby. That reminds me of my own mother, and that was the most interesting part of the book to me.
I just think for over halfway through, I should feel a bit more urgency and a bit more direction in the plot. It feels like there has been no development since the start.
Would I recommend this? I'm not sure. The plot has so much promise. The writing style was so vivid and built a world I could picture perfectly in my mind. Maybe if I had finished this book I'd have a different opinion, but for now this is where I'm at.
07/04 2:32am goodness me its picked up the pace now, and i'm intrigued. i think initially the pacing was hard to get behind and I do love the underlying feminist themes
06/04 8:08pm i love jasmine’s chapters, rebecca’s not so much - they feel like fever dreams
06/04 12:48pm i'm finding it a tad difficult to get into this, maybe because of my sort of drowsy state from being in hospital?
︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶
pre-reading ⋆˙⟡♡
i can't continue on with magnolia parks at the minute whilst my own heartbreak is going on, so i thought i'd switch it up a little bit.
i haven't heard too much on this book so i'm excited to go into this blind :)...more
ˋ°•*⁀➷ My initial thoughts are this was very bingeable - I finished it in 24 hours. It was over the top and ridiculously detailed - in a g3.9/5 ⋆˚☆˖°
ˋ°•*⁀➷ My initial thoughts are this was very bingeable - I finished it in 24 hours. It was over the top and ridiculously detailed - in a good way. I adore Lachlan Kane & their romance was very swoon worthy. I love unconditional love, despite all the skeletons in the hypothetical closet.
The only thing I didn't like about this book is that I felt like it lacked plot - or the plot was very shallow, in my opinion. Compared to Butcher & Blackbird, I'd say I liked the romance in this one more but the plot in the first one more.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Plot: A fake marriage of convenience is always a creator of tension and a lot of fun. This was less convenience fake dating though, this was like 'we need to marry or you die.' I loved being in this universe again though, two morally grey characters that hate each other and end up married.
I will say, this was more character driven than Butcher & Blackbird. There's no fun murder games this time and even though this book followed the same formula as the first one, it felt a little more lacklustre.
There is plenty of gore and serial killer madness, as well as some very sufficient spice scenes. I'm not typically a reader of spice, but I'm a fan of Brynne Weaver's depictions.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Characters: I liked Lark and Lachlan wayyyy more than I liked Sloane and Rowan. Lachlan is the broody older brother and is definitely attractive in a bad boy that you want to have a soft spot for you kind of way. He's not all sex, he has such a caring, nurturing but leading masculine vibe. 10/10.
Lark is bubbly and fun. She's the golden retriever to Sloane's black cat personality. I found her just fun to follow, and she was complex. A little bit of childhood trauma mixed with a fierce protector - leads her to make life altering decisions. I was a bit surprised that (view spoiler)[ she doesn't tell Sloane about her 'multiple deleter' antics. I think they'd have a blast carrying out their vigilante justice right? (hide spoiler)]
ˋ°•*⁀➷ World/Setting: This was where I didn't really notice anything special. It's set in... Boston? or Rhode Island? I'm genuinely not sure because it was never really relevant to the story in my opinion. The graphic scenes where described in great detail, and were so incredibly uncomfortable that I visibly cringed - exactly like they were intended to make you feel.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Pacing: I finished this in less than 24 hours - so it was for sure easy to flip the pages. It felt like the romance was developing more and more at a good pace - the plot though was never really at the forefront so I can't really comment on that.
ˋ°•*⁀➷ Enjoyment: I did love reading this - mainly because I just adored the romance and felt my heart flutter during all their tense pining. The plot is a fun premise and I enjoy reading about serial killers. In no way is this a thriller though. I saved a bunch of quotes that I wish I could hear in real life.
Would I recommend this? Yes - especially if you've read the first one! ᥫ᭡
07/06 12:13am ʚɞ » it's midnight and i can't put it down help
⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── pre-reading
I have never been so excited for a release to come out this year - as I completely adored butcher & blackbird I have been impatiently awaiting this book and I have such high expectations but I am so certain this will deliver
︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶⠀୨♡୧⠀︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶︶
june tbr:
ಇ. first lie wins ಇ. the only one left ಇ. leather & lark ಇ. if something happens to me ಇ. the familiar ಇ. the warm hands of ghosts ಇ. a court of silver flames...more
this was lighthearted and fun, it felt like a hollywood movie. it did break my slump so i’m happy about that! 3.5/5 ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗ post reading
this was lighthearted and fun, it felt like a hollywood movie. it did break my slump so i’m happy about that! I couldn’t give it 4 stars, but I’ve rounded up :)
˗ˏˋ ♡ ˎˊ˗ pre-reading
let’s get me out of this reading slump! this book looks fast paced and light hearted - described as funny and hilarious. please pray for me that this gets me out of the slump ...more
Natilie ‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡🪐༘⋆ (semi-hiatus)
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Books:
2024
(40)
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