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1250797306
| 9781250797308
| 1250797306
| 4.05
| 11,230
| Feb 08, 2022
| Feb 08, 2022
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I’m on BookTube now! =) I think I’ve to admit that I was totally drawn by the cover of this book. I mean look at those amazing colours! I didn’t even kn I’m on BookTube now! =) I think I’ve to admit that I was totally drawn by the cover of this book. I mean look at those amazing colours! I didn’t even know what “Ophelia After All” is about when I picked up the book, but after a short glimpse at the blurb I had to borrow it because YAY, it’s actually a queer book! XD As for what it is about: Apparently Ophelia is a romantic and has many boy crushes until she suddenly begins to think about a cute girl named Talia?! Sounds right up my alley, so here we go! Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 18, 2024
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not set
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Nov 18, 2024
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Hardcover
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1949749029
| B07VJXV6KZ
| 4.15
| 11,366
| Jul 10, 2015
| Jul 18, 2019
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really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”You never said it, but it's clear. Somewhere along the line you learned that it's a failure to accept help. That it makes you I’m on BookTube now! =) ”You never said it, but it's clear. Somewhere along the line you learned that it's a failure to accept help. That it makes you weak. Right?" Trigger warnings:(view spoiler)[ homophobia, assault (in the past), trauma, grief, violence, hurt animal (but don’t worry she’s fine), queer-bashing, low self-esteem (hide spoiler)] I don’t know how to put this into better words so I’ll just choose the easy way and say that “In the Middle of Somewhere” was almost perfect?! And with that I mean, that it was just the right mixture of in-depth characterisation and off-the-charts hot spicy scenes! I think Roan Parrish is one of those rare authors that manage to pull off both in equal measure and that’s no easy feat! Usually one or the other is lacking but not in this case! Before I continue to praise the author to the skies, let’s just get to the actual review and talk about the nitty-gritty details instead, shall we? I’m suddenly so relieved that I go a little woozy. I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t hurt the poor dog beyond repair. I’m not a total fuckup. “Woah,” he says. In one step, he’s there, grabbing me by both shoulders to keep me upright. My vision is a little blurry and I blink up at him. God, he’s handsome. So first things first! The entire book is told from Daniel Mulligan’s POV and we follow him to a job interview in a small town named Holiday. The interview went well but when he’s on his way back home he has an accident and ends up in the middle of the woods with an injured dog. Enter Rex Vale, a huge, but gentle carpenter who takes Daniel to his cabin and helps him. Both men instantly like what they see but none of them is ready for whatever chemistry is sparking between them, so the next morning they both go their ways until they meet again when Daniel actually gets the job and moves into town. Well, and from there on out the plot thickens and becomes really, really good! ”It’s finally sinking in. I live here now. I live here in this tiny town. Everyone knows each other and I’m a stranger. They’ll want to know me. Know about me. And then maybe they’ll hate me.” I absolutely loved Daniel, because damn, that boy is as broken as they come and as we all know, broken boys are my kryptonite. In this case he comes in a nice package as well, because Daniel isn’t just a teacher but also a tattooed one that has quite a mouth on him and tends to hide his insecurities behind sarcasm. Also due to him growing up with a bunch of homophobic brothers that always gave him shit, he’s always on guard and trusts absolutely no one. Well, no one except of his best friend Ginger, who is a heavily tattooed mother hen and an angel sent from above! Ginger was awesome and I’d defend her and Daniel with my life! Their friendship was one of the best things about this book and I was glad Daniel had her. Heaven knows he needed someone like her in his life, especially with a family like his. My brothers had called me Danielle before they ever knew I was gay, but learning I was gay had made it more pointed. “Don’t call your brother that,” my dad snapped. It wasn’t out of protectiveness for me or anything, he just hates to be reminded of how I’m not the to-the-garage-born specimen of beer-swilling, sports-watching, car-fixing masculinity that he wishes I were. *sigh* Poor Daniel didn’t have it easy and my heart broke for him. His relationship with his father was horrible and Colin, one of his brothers, didn’t make it any better as well. It made me so sad that he had to learn how to defend himself and that when something good happened; he always waited for the other shoe to drop. I think in that regard, I could relate to him, because for a very long time I was like that, too. When many bad things happen, you don’t trust the good ones that come along your way. >_< It’s not easy to trust or to have trust in someone else for that matter. For some reason Rex managed to get through to Daniel, though. ”Just relax. No big deal, right? Just relax. Years of experience have taught me that it is a big deal, though. If you relax, someone can sneak up on you. If you relax, you can’t react quickly enough. Years of brotherly sneak attacks on the couch, being pulled into hallways and alleys, and slammed against lockers and walls have taught me so.” Ahh Rex! This huge gentle giant instantly made his way into my heart. I loved him for being so thoughtful and he was such an interesting and multi-layered character as well. I mean, he’s a carpenter and handy man for the people of the town, knows how to cook, got his life together and is very down to earth. Plus he loves old movies and is extremely empathic. But there’s also a secret Rex is hiding and some dark past that caused him to hone his body into a wall of muscles. Which broke my heart btw! It was so sad to hear Rex’s background story and to find out why he hides behind his strong exterior. T_T I’m not going to spoil anything, though! ;-) ”Maybe the point of I love you is that it is a tether. A connection so you can find your way back to someone even when shit seems huge and unmanageable on your own. A promise to help just because you care about someone, a promise to help that doesn’t mean pulling away.” What I AM going to talk about is that I loved how Rex and Daniel got to know each other and how their relationship grew and developed. With every revelation they got closer, their trust got deeper, and it was just so beautiful to see their character arcs; and how they complimented each other. Daniel finally let his guard down and Rex was able to talk about his secrets and thoughts. Also, I found it very realistic that not everything was sunshine and rainbows and that they very often just rubbed each other the wrong way. They did the mature thing though, and talked things through in order to understand where the other one was coming from and that’s how a relationship usually works. So I was very happy to see such a lifelike representation on page. Well, and the spicy scenes were strong as well. For me it always felt like every spicy scene had a purpose and helped the characters to connect with each other, so that was great. They might have felt a little bit unrealistic at times but as long as I turned off my brain, I could live with it. *lol* As for the other characters of the book: ”He looks me up and down and smiles that smile that’s going to get him laid or laid out, depending. Me, I kind of want to punch him, but part of me can’t help but be a little impressed. He’s really elevated this whole small-town-gossip thing to an art form. I adored Leo so much! That cocky little sh*t was definitely one of the highlights of this book! *lol* It was kinda sweet how Daniel and him bonded through being queer and how he looked up to him! But then Will happened and I gotta say I’d love to see THIS ship sail! Leo was so much fun with all his Buffy references and the interactions with him and the other three men were always hilarious. He brought a fresh wind into the story and his horror at Daniel boiling ham will always live in my mind rent-free. *lol* Also he helped to smooth over the relationship between Daniel and Will, so that’s always a good thing. At least they both could agree on the fact that Leo and his smart mouth needed all the protection he could get. Haha! ”No way,” Will says. “This guy’s helpless. Can’t let him wander around like that. God knows what kind of trouble he’ll get into. Especially with that come-fuck-me smile.” “Right?” I say to Will. For once we’re in total agreement. Leo looks mortified and Rex looks uncomfortable. Well, and then there was Will who wasn’t just Rex’s handsome ex but also seemed to have his own history and judging by the way he looked right through Daniel’s cool exterior, he was very good at gauging people’s characters as well. I’d really love to find out more about mysterious Will, but since he was only a side character I’ll have to wait until I get to the book that’s about him and Leo. (Yes, I needed to spoil myself here and found out that one of the other two books of this series is about those two, which makes me really, really happy. *lol* Not that you couldn’t find that out for yourself if you just look up the rest of the series. ;-P) The scenes in which those four men were together totally gave me found family vibes and I really hope Rex and Daniel will have a cameo in the other books. =) “Rex," I say, but I don't have anything to say to him. It's more like I'm asking for something, but I don't know what it is. "Rex," I begin again, thinking maybe the sentence will finish itself. Finally yet importantly, I have to mention the great grief rep I didn’t expect to find in this book, but which was done so masterfully I just have to bring it up in here! The way it was written, was so raw and palpable and I just felt with the characters! I loved that there were so many different kinds of grief! The kind of recurring grief that hits you whenever you think about a dear person you lost years ago, the acute grief of losing a person recently, the grief of never being able to talk things through, the grief of missed chances and opportunities, the grief of what could have been and isn’t anymore, the sort of grief that makes you angry and bitter. You name it! As a grief counsellor, I can’t help but appreciate a great grief rep when I see it and Roan Parrish did a great job in this book. Grief can come in many forms, from many places and stem from many different and conflicting emotions as well and I totally felt this with the representation in here. Well done, Roan Parrish, well done! Conclusion: All told, “In the Middle of Somewhere” was a great read and had me totally invested. Rex and Daniel were two multi-layered characters that fought their way towards happiness and I was so here for it. The unexpected grief rep and the found family vibes really worked for me and even though the spice felt a little bit unrealistic at times (as it so often does with m/m romances), I can’t really find it in me to complain. XD I’ll definitely pick up book two because I’m extremely curious how the other character’s stories will work out and if there’ll be a cameo of Rex and Daniel in them. I suppose I’ll find out rather sooner than later. ;-) _________________________ All I can say to this right now is that I absolutely adored Rex and Daniel! They fit together so perfectly and this book might have had quite the spicy scenes, but it also had a lot of heart and all the characters were unique and fleshed out! <333 Loved them! It might have been a quiet ending but a great one! Full RTC soon! I’ll write down a few more thoughts! =) _________________________ Okay, I admit it! Sometimes I’m a really simple mood reader. I stumbled upon this book recently, read the blurb and was intrigued, well, and then I saw that Martin rated it with 5 stars and I can always trust in him to read the best m/m books. So here we are! *lol* I only started this yesterday, but the chemistry between Daniel and Rex had me glued to the pages so I’m already at 25%?! I figured I might as well add it to my GR challenge because heaven knows it’s been a slow reading year for me. So far this has: - Lots of hot sex scenes - A guarded smart mouth teacher with tattoos - A secluded living giant of a man named Rex who loves old movies - A cute dog lady named Marilyn - And a queer kid in a small town named Leo who’s an adorable smart mouth as well Seriously, what’s not to love?! Gonna continue to read now! Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 2024
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Nov 10, 2024
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Nov 01, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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9798988445463
| B0D7T6L99H
| 4.45
| 56
| unknown
| Aug 06, 2024
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I’m on BookTube now! =) I got “Idol Lives” as an ARC from the author and NetGalley and I wanted to read this so badly you have no idea!!! Unfortunately I’m on BookTube now! =) I got “Idol Lives” as an ARC from the author and NetGalley and I wanted to read this so badly you have no idea!!! Unfortunately, life got in my way… again and here I am, extremely late to the party but still super excited to finally read this book! Jason and Tae Hyun are my k-pop babies and all I want, is for them to be happy and to have their well-deserved HEA! After the second suspenseful book I’m not sure what’s going to happen in here, but you can bet I’m going to enjoy every second of it. I don’t want this series to end, but I need to know how it ends! One last ride with my favourite k-pop romance couple. T_T (I’m not ready!) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 28, 2024
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not set
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Oct 28, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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1488089329
| 9781488089329
| B076PDH5XN
| 4.16
| 10,307
| Feb 19, 2018
| Feb 19, 2018
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it was amazing
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”Murder was like getting a tattoo. The first one you carefully ask yourself why; each one after you ask yourself why not?” Damn, I’m on BookTube now! =) ”Murder was like getting a tattoo. The first one you carefully ask yourself why; each one after you ask yourself why not?” Damn, I think I should read more in the m/m supernatural genre again, because this book was exactly what I needed and craved! I loved this story and the characters so much and I’m kinda mad at myself for waiting so long to pick it up! Cooper Dayton and Oliver Park were two amazing characters and the humour was impeccable! Not to mention the plot and the murder mystery they were trying to solve. “The Wolf at the Door” delivered on all fronts and I honestly couldn’t be happier about it. Plus there was a lot of chemistry going on between our two MCs, yet I’d definitely say that it was a really nice slow-burn romance that smouldered throughout the entire book before it actually caught fire. ;-) "A large, warm hand grabbed his arm and prevented him from face-planting into a rotted log. Cooper straightened quickly and shrugged out of Park's powerful grasp. "I'm good," he said gruffly. "Of course you are," Park replied, deep voice reassuring and solemn, but there was a teasing narrowness to his eyes and the slightest quirk of his mouth. I mean Cooper and Park were vibing from the moment they had their first meet-cute, but it took a little more time and energy to get those two to a point where they were comfortable enough to trust each other. Considering their pasts it’s not all too surprising they were guarded, though. Not to mention the fact that they were thrown together as the first human/werewolf team to ever solve a murder case in a joint effort. A cooperation between the BSI and The Trust in the middle of nowhere when both parties are guarded certainly wasn’t the best starting point, but Cooper and Park were determined to make it work. Well, and they eventually did. Most definitely much better than their supervisors might have anticipated. *lol* ;-P ”Something bothering you, Agent Dayton?” “Nope. Just want to solve this case. And go home and hug my very live cat.” “Should have known you were a cat person.” “Why, because I don’t like you?” Cooper muttered as Park left the trailer. Park called over his shoulder, “Because you’re an anti-social asshole.” Cooper laughed despite himself. Honestly, those two made me laugh so often! I really enjoyed their antagonistic conversations and in their case it worked out so perfectly. I wouldn’t say they were enemies-to-lovers, but it also wasn’t exactly rivals-to-lovers, if you know what I mean?! If anything it was more like distrustful-co-workers-with-a-lot-of-personal-issues-to-lovers. Haha! If that’s not a sub-trope already I’m going to make it one now. XD No, seriously, their chemistry was so off the charts that even the most mundane actions had some sort of innuendo lurking beneath the surface. ”You really know how to butter a guy up, Dayton." "Oh, get over yourself. It wasn't that big a deal. What are you expecting, that I get on my knees and beg?" Park tilted his head. Now the look in his eyes was not soft at all. They flicked down to Cooper's mouth and then back up. Cooper didn't breathe. Both MCs were very different and I think that’s why they worked so well. Unfortunately we only see all the events happening through Cooper’s POV and I really wish we would have gotten Park’s view as well. It would have added another layer to the story and in my humble opinion would have made everything even better. Don’t get me wrong, this is already a five star read but with Park’s POV it would have been a “hall-of-fame I’ll never stop gushing about the book” one! *lol* Not that it isn’t already, but you get what I mean. XD Anyway! I enjoyed being in Cooper’s head more than I’d like to admit because he was one of the most relatable characters ever. The way he thought about people’s actions, his sarcasm, his tendency to overthink simple things, his honesty and him being a grumpy smart mouth with a great humour… It were all character traits I have myself so I couldn’t help but be soft for him. *lol* Also his statement about parents: ”Parents, right?” he said weakly, “No one knows you better and no one understands you less.” Boy, truer words have never been spoken. Haha! I found it interesting to read that so many people didn’t like Cooper at first because I loved his character right from the beginning. I guess the saying “One man’s meat is another man’s poison” might apply in his case. Well, and then we have Park, a quiet and rather stoic seeming werewolf who has a tight grip on his feelings and only lets a little bit of amusement shine through his impeccable façade every once in a while. I’m not gonna lie, Park was a mystery and I think that’s why Charlie Adhara decided not to give him his own POV. Smart move! It definitely would have taken away some of the mystery and to experience everything he did through Cooper’s eyes made him even more interesting. Because of that, the reader and Cooper are left guessing at his motives and actions instead of knowing what he’s up to. Okay, I would have loved to get at least one Park POV chapter but I’m fine with the way it was handled here. Maybe in one of the other books when we got to know him better?! You can always hope and dream. ;-P ”Every time he managed to catch Park’s eye, Park would immediately look away, and when Cooper tried to get him alone he’d scamper off. Or whatever the Park equivalent of scamper was. Gracefully glide elsewhere.” ”For someone who enjoyed being around people, he was a very private person. Charming other people from behind a carefully controlled mask. Cooper wondered if he’d always been like that or if it was something he’d learned out of necessity.” I kinda liked the fact that Cooper used to be a profiler at the FBI and only changed to the BSI taking over the same function. I really enjoyed seeing how he worked through the clues and evidence while he tried to get a clear picture of the murderer’s personality. It was one of the many things that made the book even more intriguing and even though we didn’t find out all too much about Park’s past I’m pretty sure he’s not as much of a blank slate as Cooper thought he’d be. He brought a lot of experience and insight to the table and I doubt everything was only based on him being a perceptive werewolf. Also I found it hilarious that Park was so private Cooper didn’t even know his first name. At least not until something happened that got Cooper in quite a … tight spot. *lol* Sorry, couldn’t help the allusion to that scene! I laughed so much! Cause guessing his first name was what was going to make the difference here. Stupid. Maybe he deserved to have someone drop a rock on his head and put him out of his misery. "C'mon, you bastard. Show me your super hearing. Asshole Park. Huge alpha Park. Big, strong, muscular Park. Amazing Ass Park. Pretty Eyes Park." Those two! I absolutely adored them. Them and their easy banter, which is top-notch. I can’t wait to read all the other 4 books of this series because I’m pretty sure it will only get better and better from here on out. At least that’s what the increasing rating of all the other books on goodreads indicates. I’m secretly hoping for more quotes like this one: Oliver looked puzzled. “Why wouldn’t I want to work with you?” “Why would you?” Cooper asked bluntly. “Since we first met, I’ve done nothing but stick my foot in my mouth and my head up my ass.” “Very flexible of you. Good trait in a partner.” Haha! I can’t with them! *lol* Okay, okay! I’m going to stop now! I think this review already got excessively long! The only thing I’ll add and say is that the plot was actually pretty enjoyable as well. I figured out a couple of the clues and hints, but didn’t totally nail the identity of the culprit. And this doesn’t happen often when I read murder mysteries. Usually I’m quite good at figuring out leads so the fact I had a hard time this time around made the story even more appealing. At least for me it did. Conclusion: Just in case you didn’t already realize this by seeing the high rating or reading this review: I loved and adored this story and its characters! Cooper Dayton is one of the most relatable characters I ever came across and Oliver Park is one hell of an intriguing love interest. The combination of a supernatural murder mystery paired with a m/m romance and great humour hit exactly the right spot and the spicy scenes fit perfectly into the story. Bottom line: I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the next book. ;-P ____________________________ Okay, I absolutely loved and adored this?! And I could legit bite myself in my own behind for not picking this up sooner!!! Cooper and Park had such a great chemistry and the supernatural mystery element was done so well too. Not to mention the humour! *lol* Also Cooper is so damn relatable, I can’t even. Haha! Love this man. Full RTC soon-ish. Stay tuned for more! ;-) P.S: I managed to finish one #rainboween book, at least. >_< _____________________________ “The Wolf at the Door” is my second #Rainboween read this year and I’m more than just a little curious about it! So many people raved about this story, you have no idea! Also it sounds exactly like my cup of tea! I mean, two FBI agents that work for a special investigations bureau and are forced to team up in order to solve a supernatural case?! They are attracted to each other but don’t want to give in?! This sounds like the supernatural version of the “Cut & Run” series and I don’t know about you, but I’m so here for it! <3 Let’s do this! Cooper and Park, here I come! Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 21, 2024
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Oct 31, 2024
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Oct 21, 2024
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ebook
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1682637379
| 9781682637371
| B0D7PJSTSM
| 4.00
| 961
| Sep 24, 2024
| Sep 24, 2024
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I’m on BookTube now! =) This book was such a great surprise! I absolutely loved the world building and all the characters! I swear I never shipped a thr I’m on BookTube now! =) This book was such a great surprise! I absolutely loved the world building and all the characters! I swear I never shipped a throuple so hard! Like, seriously, Gisela, Kazik and Aleksey were everything! <333 Also Kazik is my precious bi disaster boy and no one can persuade me otherwise! Loved him so much! Full review to come soon-ish! ;-) __________________________________ Okay, this comes a couple of days too late but let’s finally do this! “This Fatal Kiss” is going to be my first #Rainboween read and I’m so curious about it! I mean we have a folklore tale with a nymph, the son of a local witch and a love interest they both fall for while they also fall for each other?! Polyamorous rep is so rare and this is just perfect for my readathon! I think this will tick off many prompts from the bingo board! XD I AM READY! P.S: If you want to know more about #Rainboween and the bingo board just follow the link to my channel and IG! You can still join if you want to. ;-) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 04, 2024
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Nov 26, 2024
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Oct 04, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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1627980547
| 9781627980548
| B01HKYBT8U
| 3.72
| 1,357
| Aug 11, 2013
| Aug 12, 2013
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really liked it
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”What Ian asked of him – whatever it was – Taren feared it. He feared a future with choices and uncertainty.” So this was not what I expected, but it w ”What Ian asked of him – whatever it was – Taren feared it. He feared a future with choices and uncertainty.” So this was not what I expected, but it was still kinda good? O_o I never thought I'd enjoy a mermen book that much but aside from the rather weird start (all I'm saying is "butter"?!) this actually turned out to be an interesting read. *lol* To read this felt like to witness the author’s journey. I think at first she might have wanted to go for smut but the longer she wrote the more her story became fleshed out. Hence the rather smutty and weird beginning that turned into an unexpectedly good story line. Of course we’re not talking Shakespeare here, but it definitely was good enough to make me want to read her second book. ;-P ”The fates will find you, Taren. They always will.” And how they found him. Poor boy knew nothing but slavery and servitude, but despite everything he still managed to stay positive and that instantly caused me to like him. Plus I loved him with Rider and Bastian! If the book would have continued to be merely smut I definitely still would have been hooked by it. The Rider/Taren/Bastian love triangle was just too amazing and in all honesty I would have been content just to go on with those three. XD ”I know you too well. I can sense the turmoil in your heart. You want him, and yet you hesitate. Why?” “I’m not sure.” Taren shook his head. I LOVED Bastian’s character and how he always knew how Taren felt and what was on his mind. Those two would have been so cute together but since Shira Anthony obviously had other plans Taren got lost at sea and met Ian instead. I was okay with that ship though so I can’t really complain. *lol* After all Ian was a very strong-willed and caring character and I loved that he always kept an eye on Taren. <3 ”Aye, I will come with you. Not to make certain you do not harm him – you are too kindhearted to do him harm, even if he has brought it upon himself – but to give you my support, should you need it.” Ian kissed the top of his head. After the ending I can’t help but be curious about book two and I’m sure sooner or later I’ll eventually get to it. For now all I can say is: I really enjoyed this and I want to read more about those amazing mermen Trigger warnings: slavery, torture, abuse ____________________________ Ahh damn! Am I going to read an m/m mermen book right before the old year ends? Yep, yes I am! *nods* Don't judge me! XD A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. *lol* Merged review: ”What Ian asked of him – whatever it was – Taren feared it. He feared a future with choices and uncertainty.” So this was not what I expected, but it was still kinda good? O_o I never thought I'd enjoy a mermen book that much but aside from the rather weird start (all I'm saying is "butter"?!) this actually turned out to be an interesting read. *lol* To read this felt like to witness the author’s journey. I think at first she might have wanted to go for smut but the longer she wrote the more her story became fleshed out. Hence the rather smutty and weird beginning that turned into an unexpectedly good story line. Of course we’re not talking Shakespeare here, but it definitely was good enough to make me want to read her second book. ;-P ”The fates will find you, Taren. They always will.” And how they found him. Poor boy knew nothing but slavery and servitude, but despite everything he still managed to stay positive and that instantly caused me to like him. Plus I loved him with Rider and Bastian! If the book would have continued to be merely smut I definitely still would have been hooked by it. The Rider/Taren/Bastian love triangle was just too amazing and in all honesty I would have been content just to go on with those three. XD ”I know you too well. I can sense the turmoil in your heart. You want him, and yet you hesitate. Why?” “I’m not sure.” Taren shook his head. I LOVED Bastian’s character and how he always knew how Taren felt and what was on his mind. Those two would have been so cute together but since Shira Anthony obviously had other plans Taren got lost at sea and met Ian instead. I was okay with that ship though so I can’t really complain. *lol* After all Ian was a very strong-willed and caring character and I loved that he always kept an eye on Taren. <3 ”Aye, I will come with you. Not to make certain you do not harm him – you are too kindhearted to do him harm, even if he has brought it upon himself – but to give you my support, should you need it.” Ian kissed the top of his head. After the ending I can’t help but be curious about book two and I’m sure sooner or later I’ll eventually get to it. For now all I can say is: I really enjoyed this and I want to read more about those amazing mermen Trigger warnings: slavery, torture, abuse ____________________________ Ahh damn! Am I going to read an m/m mermen book right before the old year ends? Yep, yes I am! *nods* Don't judge me! XD A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. *lol* ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Dec 26, 2019
not set
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Jan 04, 2020
not set
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Sep 11, 2024
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ebook
| |||||||||||||||
1788167228
| 9781788167222
| 1788167228
| 3.94
| 83,237
| Jan 12, 2021
| Jan 06, 2022
|
liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”We are much stronger and more powerful than we understand. We are fifteen thousand pounds of muscle and bone forged from rage I’m on BookTube now! =) ”We are much stronger and more powerful than we understand. We are fifteen thousand pounds of muscle and bone forged from rage and trauma, armed with ivory spears and faces unique in nature, living in grasslands where any of the ubiquitous humans may or may not be a poacher.” Trigger warnings:(view spoiler)[ transphobia, violence, physical abuse, assault (on page), suicide, transphobic slurs, cheating & infidelity, MC is outed by another person (hide spoiler)] I finished “Detransition, Baby” about 3 weeks ago but I still haven’t found a way to review this book properly. I wish I could give you that elaborate review I spoke about, but with a book like this it’s really hard to speak about all the things I liked and didn’t like. I guess that’s the reason why so many other readers kept their reviews short and simple. I have extremely mixed feelings about this story because on the one hand it’s so good to have this book out there in the world and to get the unfiltered truth about how it feels to be trans in our society. It’s a true and bold representation of trans life we usually never get to see. But on the other hand there were a lot of serious themes and issues that were addressed in a way that made me feel extremely uncomfortable while I read the book. I’m pretty certain this was the author’s intention but for me those passages weren’t thought-provoking, but felt pretty alarming instead. So the question is: How do I review this book? I guess we might as well start with the plot and take it from there. The premise of the book was really interesting and I think it’s a very unusual approach because for once we also get a de-transition rep. So far I only read about MCs that transitioned so to get a de-transition story and then even in this kind of setting was something completely new and different. Which is a good thing in my book! Torrey Peters might have educated an entire generation of readers with this story and I’m very glad she did! It takes guts to write a book like this and there need to be voices like Torrey Peters’s in order to make trans experience not only more palpable but also available for the general public. ”This is what happens when the only trans voices out there are the loudest, shrillest trans girls constantly publishing dogmatic Trans 101 hot takes to rebuke the large cis public. You get people thinking that in order to avoid offending trans people, you must locate and follow a secret guidebook filled with arcane rites, instead of just thinking about them decently, as you would anything else.” I think it’s safe to say that the plot is rather simple because we have two POVs, Reese’s and Ames’s, and they vary while the story is told. A couple of years ago Reese and Ames were in a relationship. Back then Ames still went by Amy and was a girl, but then something happened that caused him to de-transition again and their relationship ended. Fast forward a couple of years later and Ames works at a company and has an affair with his boss Katrina. Well, and because Ames thought that after years on estrogen he would be sterile, they didn’t take any precautions and Katrina ends up pregnant. They both don’t feel up to the task and Ames gets in contact with his ex-girlfriend Reese asking her if she’d like to help him raise Katrina’s and his kid, finally fulfilling Reese’s strong wish for motherhood. I know, it sounds extremely crazy if you write it down like that and don’t worry, the MCs question their idea, too. *lol* Okay, so much to the plot. Still, there’s a lot more to this story and I think the only way to talk about this, is to speak about the characters and their stance on things themselves. So I guess I’ll try to write about the characters now and choose three quotes for every MC that represent the essence of their character. I have to divide this somehow so please bear with me. In his reply, he can’t help but let loose an old defensiveness on this topic. “I think it’s the opposite,” he says too sharply. “The whole reason transsexuals transition is because gender matters so incredibly much.” Ames: ”He hadn’t understood how little sense he made as a person without Reese until after she began to detach from him, until the lack of her became so painful that he started to once again want the armor of masculinity and, somewhat haphazardly, detransitioned to fully suit up in it.” Ames was the character I could relate to the most, because the way he thought and his opinion on certain things aligned the most with my own views of the world. I found his character interesting because his gender was so fluid. He started out as James then transitioned into Amy and later on de-transitioned into Ames. One of the most intriguing things in the book was Ames’s conversation with a man that de-transitioned, because it showed how the perception of others plays so much into the way people see themselves. That tans woman didn’t pass as a woman but when he de-transitioned back into a man, he didn’t pass either because people still saw his femininity. I think Ames could relate to that because when he was still James everyone was able to glimpse his femaleness, then he transitioned into Amy and became a beautiful woman, but he didn’t feel like he passed and sometimes craved the safety that comes with masculinity. I think the fact he chose Ames as his final name said a lot about the way he sees himself. And I’m pretty sure Ames was living his own truth outside of the gender norm because he loved to be a woman but he also enjoyed his masculinity and the protection it gave him. The author never explicitly mentioned it but I got gender-fluid vibes from Ames and experience has taught me that it takes one to know one. ;-) Maybe that’s the reason why I could relate to Ames character the most. This however is also one of the things I criticize about the book. I mean even in a story about people who are transgender all of the characters desperately try to fit into the gender binary of male or female. And this with all the horrible prejudices and gender stereotypes that come along with it which made me feel extremely conflicted about the book. But let’s go to the next character and get deeper into this discussion. ”She should have felt happy, but she didn't. Instead, she felt as if she had given in to an urge that ought to be turned away from. As when people shut their eyes in horror at the possibility of an apparition." "I got sick of living as trans. I got to a point where I thought I didn't need to put up with the bullshit of gender in order to satisfy my sense of myself. I am trans, but I don't need to do trans." Katrina: ”Are you sure you’re okay with this?” she asked. “If the genders were reversed, and some man had told his female employee to take a day off of work and come over I’d be appalled.” Katrina stands for the typical emancipated cis women of our generation. She’s in a leadership position, worked on her career, doesn’t take any shit and has a pretty strong opinion of what it means to be a woman and mother. I think I have to give her kudos for realizing that she’s not ready for a kid because a lot of people only realize that when it’s already too late. Moreover, I appreciated the way she was trying to think outside of the box and questioned herself and her decisions. I think in that way she had a leg-up on Ames and Reese, because those two thought more inside of the box of the gender binary than her. Which says a lot about how they perceived women- and motherhood. And this brings me right to Reese and her stance on things. ”What am I, some kind of walking uterus to you? Have you seen pregnant women? Do you think I would choose to go through that just to play a part in giving a baby to your ex-lover? Do you have any respect for my body? Do you value me at all?” ”I can’t believe that I’m more willing than you to think openly. Maybe the way you’re seeing things isn’t working. You’re so sure how things are, how to do things. But the way you do things ends in funerals. Maybe instead of saying what the inevitable outcome is, just make a fucking leap.” Reese: "She'd be over here, getting knocked around, each blow a minor illustration of her place in a world that did its gendering work no matter what you called it. So yeah, Stanley, bring it on. Hit Reese. Show her what it means to be a lady." Reese… where do I even start with her?! I read a couple of reviews that said that the book is misogynistic and I’m pretty sure this perception is due to Reese’s POV. Reese is a trans woman and strives to achieve that picture perfect idea she has of woman- and motherhood. Only, her idea of womanhood is a very narrow-minded one and she borrows all the usual clichés. I think in her mind women are still “the weaker sex” and she thrives when she feels fragile and vulnerable. I mean okay if she wants to feel like that in order to feel strengthened in her womanhood, but the way she lived it was nothing but self-destructive. For instance Reese only dated men that were unfaithful, bad company, misogynistic and hit their women. The fact she dated men from fetish sites, so called “tranny chasers” certainly didn’t help and I think her self-esteem must have been extremely low to put up with a guy like Stanley. Oh boy, how I hated him! Also and I need to say this here: Reese’s view of what it means to be a woman and that it entails being weak and vulnerable kinda made me angry. Because women in general are extremely strong and it takes a lot of strength to carry a child for 9 months and to raise it and give it all your love. So, yeah, if I’d be face to face with Reese I’d tell her: “Fragile and vulnerable?!” my ass!!! Seriously, I’m not surprised so many people thought this story to be misogynistic. With a character like Reese it’s really hard not to. Also and I say this with all the respect to Reese’s womanhood and femininity here, but a statement like the one she gave about cis women and hysterectomies tells me that she didn’t have to deal with this kind of problem. Just to make this very clear: Hysterectomies are NOT wildly available and every doctor will ask you about 10 times if you really want to get one before they give you a huge folder with thousands of things you have to sign in order to get one. And this is only the paperwork and psychological evaluation you’d have to get through. It SHOULD be a wildly known fact to everyone that hysterectomies are a not a walk in the park. They affect women who get them in so many ways because your hormones go crazy and they are dangerous, so many things can go wrong and leave scars you have to deal with for the rest of your life. It says a lot that doctors usually only go for them when the woman who gets surgery already has cancer and there’s no other way to save her life. It’s THAT kind of a life altering surgery where it’s better to deal with the repercussions than to die from cervical cancer. Truth be told it’s way easier for men to get a vasectomy and in comparison to women they barely have any repercussions to fear and if necessary could even undo it. You can’t undo a hysterectomy. And mind you: Usually it’s the woman who has to think about pregnancy prevention because almost every contraceptive or contraceptive device needs to be used by the woman. Pregnancy prevention for women is in fact WILDLY AVAILABLE because men don’t get pregnant. And if you just take a little moment to think about all the things women can use and do, not to get pregnant, and then there are just condoms for men (which a lot of them don’t want to use, but that’s an entirely different matter for another day), you see the imbalance women take for granted every single day. So yes, that’s the bitter truth right there. Sorry for that short essay but Reese’s ignorance on that matter and the way she assumed every woman would secretly cherish the idea of “their reproductive ability” made me so angry. It felt like a typical male view and Reese is a woman so I think this riled me even more?! It felt like a betrayal from your own ranks. I honestly hope that Reese’s view on womanhood and motherhood is not typical or representative for trans women because the way Reese lived her truth was very stereotypical, self-destructive and extremely unhealthy. I like to believe that not all trans women are in abusive relationships, because that wouldn’t just be toxic but also horrible. No woman deserves to be treated the way Stanley treated Reese. Period! As you can see I have a strong opinion about those things and I stand by it. ”It didn’t really matter what the difference was – although usually it was maleness to her femaleness, because men knew how to make her feel feminine, and feeling feminine turned her on; but she supposed she’d be open to other different types who could do the same. However, never someone just like her. No one should be that vulnerable to another.” "Cis women are always complaining about the burden of their reproductive ability, while secretly cherishing it. Hysterectomies are widely available, but even women who don't want children aren't exactly lining up to get them." One more topic to address : "He didn't need to explain this to Reese. She knew that no matter how you self-identify ultimately, chances are that you succumb to becoming what the world treats you as." I think this quote put the struggle of identifying as someone outside of the gender binary extremely well and I really liked the authors approach on this. When you’re a trans woman you want to pass as a woman, when you’re a trans man, you want to pass as a man. You want the world to see you the way you see yourself and to be confronted with other people’s perception is a constant struggle and challenge. And I’m just talking about being trans here. If you’re non-binary, gender-fluid, bi-gender or somewhere on that spectrum you have an even harder time because people will always try to fit you in a box. A box that doesn’t fit and never will, because you’re neither male nor female, you’re always somewhere in between. Just putting that out there in the world as an impulse for further thoughts. ;-) Conclusion: This review is already way too long and I still have so many thoughts I could share but I think I’ll just leave it at that. If you’ve read this book and want to talk about it, be my guest in the comments! I mean, all things considered this was a good book. The writing style might not have been for me and I disagreed a lot with Reese’s character, but I can appreciate what the author tried to do with this story and even though the ending wasn’t my cup of tea either, I still think that it fit the book. I’m going with the middle ground here: 3 stars. No less, no more. ________________________________ I honestly dunno how I feel about this book, let alone how I’ll rate it. There were good things but there were also some things I didn’t like. But I guess that’s exactly what the author tried to achieve because this book is supposed to be controversial. Anyway! RTC soon! I’ll give this a think and will try to put my thoughts & feelings into an elaborate review. ________________________________ I heard so many things about “Detransition, Baby” by now and I’ve to admit that they all only made me even more curious about the book. Some people hated it, others loved it, and I can’t help but wonder why. So if you know me, you know I’m intrigued. ;-) The only way to find out on which side I’ll land on, is by reading the book, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. The blurb already sounds like we’ll have complicated family & relationship dynamics and I’m so here for it. Give me all the trans reps! I hope this will be a good one. *fingers crossed* Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 14, 2024
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Sep 28, 2024
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Aug 14, 2024
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Paperback
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1473693152
| 9781473693159
| 1473693152
| 4.17
| 6,682
| Jul 18, 2023
| Jul 26, 2022
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I’m on BookTube now! =) This was such a great finale for a series and I didn’t know this was even possible but I loved all the characters even more tha I’m on BookTube now! =) This was such a great finale for a series and I didn’t know this was even possible but I loved all the characters even more than I loved them before?! I mean Nicky and his father are the best! <333 I love them and their interactions so much. And their friends and the Dad Squad! Damn, I just loved everything about this book. Full RTC once I sorted through my emotions and thoughts. XD _________________________________ I think by now you can say that it’s one of my traditions to read a book written by T.J. Klune every summer during the holidays. So this time around, I decided for “Heat Wave”! Because 1.) I’m so curious how this series is going to end and 2.) I finally need to finish one of the many series I started to read and this is the last book! XD And 3.) The title fits so perfectly to the summer heat over here. *lol* I can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen with Nick and Seth in this instalment! I love them both so much and I just want a great HEA for my two precious boys! <333 Also, side-note to myself: Get up the review for book two soon!!! >_< Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 05, 2024
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Sep 08, 2024
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Aug 05, 2024
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Paperback
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1035007312
| 9781035007318
| 1035007312
| 4.10
| 243,149
| Feb 22, 2022
| Nov 10, 2022
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it was amazing
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. An orc’s life was strength and I’m on BookTube now! =) ”After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. An orc’s life was strength and violence and a sudden, sharp end – but she’d be damned if she’d let hers finish that way. It was time for something new.” And something new it is! I think the special thing about “Legends & Lattes” is that the story starts exactly where other books usually end. The adventure is over, all the fights are won and Viv has the scars to prove it. She’s tired of her life as a soldier and after 22 years she craves some quiet and peace. A normal trade that will ensure she can enjoy a calm peaceful life, a place to call her own and lots of coffee to bring joy into the world. It’s a pretty humble plan but it’s definitely an honourable one. (One I fully support because reasons and mostly COFFEE! *lol*) So right after her last adventure Viv sets out to find the perfect place for her coffee shop and ends up in Thune. A little city whose residents have never even heard of coffee. A small obstacle Viv is sure she’ll be able to overcome once they taste her delicious drinks and goods. Well, and once her legendary Scalvert’s Stone starts to work its magic and provides her with some dire needed luck. ;-) "They called it a café. People just sat around drinking it from these little ceramic cups, and I had to try it, and ... it was like drinking the feeling of being peaceful. Being peaceful in your mind. Well, not if you have too much, then it's something else." I honestly loved this so much!!! I think I get the hype now, and why so many people loved “Legends & Lattes”! This book is very different to other high fantasy stories and extremely slow paced but I think that’s exactly what makes it so charming. We follow Viv as she buys an old building, renovates it with the help of Cal, a hob who becomes one of her most trusted friends, and then starts her business by selling coffee and café latte. Sure, there doesn’t happen a lot, but it’s so nice to follow Viv as her long-cherished wish of being a coffee shop owner comes to fruition. It was a slow start, but boy, did I live for the way everything came together so nicely. I just loved the manner in which Viv went about setting up her business. She might have been a layperson but she trusted her gut instinct and made so many precious friends along the way. No matter if it was Tandri, the succubus she hired as a barista, or Thimble her rattkin baker, that created the most delicious pastries, Viv seemed to have a sixth sense for who to hire and to trust with her dream. It was so satisfying, wholesome and oddly soothing to read about every food that was added to the menu and boy, did this book make me hungry! Thimble sounded like a genius in the kitchen and I found myself wanting to taste his pastries. They sounded way too good! *lol* "Come on around here. I'll show you," said Viv. She was smiling, and for the first time, the building, the city, this place ... felt like hers. A place she'd still be tomorrow, the week after, next season, next year ... Home." But not everything is perfect and there are clouds on the horizon. An old battlefield acquaintance is jealous of Viv’s success and a local gang has set their eyes on Viv’s shop and profit. Our quick-witted orc barbarian would never allow them to destroy what she built, though and with the help of her friends and a huge dire-cat named Amity she’s ready to defend what’s hers. I won’t go into more detail here because you’ve to experience this book yourself but I just wanted to say that I loved how so many of the shops customers became Viv’s closest friends. They all contributed something to make the place a safe haven and it was so beautiful to see how every single one of them fell in love with the idea of Viv’s shop. Also and this is so rare for a standalone novel, all the characters were unique and fleshed-out! No matter if it was Hemington, a standoffish student who made the wards for Viv’s shop, Pendry the shy musician, Durias the chess playing gnome or Laney, Viv’s old neighbour that couldn’t bake to safe her own life, they were all one-of-a-kind and gave so much warmth to the storyline. The kindness of the characters made my heart feel so full and I think that already says so much about this book. <3 That’s not what I mean,” said Tandri, with surprising heat. “Sure, it might be fine this time, for this one thing … but once it’s an option, once she can pick that back up …” She pointed at the sword on the wall. “She loses what she won by building this place without it.” I can’t talk about the characters kindness without mentioning Tandri as well, because I loved her so much for being at Viv’s side from the beginning. They started out as strangers, then became friends and tentatively turned into more than that later on in the book. Such a satisfying slow burn romance that made me very happy for both of them. They both deserve happiness and a quiet peaceful life and the way they understood each other without saying anything was chef’s kiss. Give me more sweet and gentle romances like this one, please!!! ”You’d find few who know it, these days, but ‘the ring of fortune’ is an old sea-fey phrase. It means … a destined cadre, I suppose. Individuals brought together, like to like. Which can be fortunate, of course. Sometimes, nothing’s more fortunate than that!” Conclusion: “Legends & Lattes” is one of the most wholesome and tranquil books I’ve ever read. It floats by so steadily and it’s the perfect story it if you want to read something quiet, relaxing and rather uneventful. The found family trope in this book is perfection and the descriptions of Thimble’s delicious pastries made me hungry more than once. If you’re looking for something slow-paced and nice that will put a soft smile on your face: This is the book! ___________________________________ Short info: Yes, the hype around this book is real! <3 This was so, so wholesome and sweet and the found family trope really gets a chance to shine in here! There doesn’t happen a lot, though and the book is very slow paced. I guess it depends on your reading tastes, but for me this was perfect! Full RTC soon! I’ll write down a couple more thoughts because this was nice!! ____________________________________ It’s time for a comfort read and every book reviewer, book blogger, bookstagrammer and BookTuber I know said that “Legends & Lattes” is one of the best comfort books ever. So here we are and since I’m in dire need of a comforting and wholesome story it seems like the right time to pick this up. =) Plus it’s queer too so this sounds perfect! Let’s find out if this is as amazing as everyone claims it to be. ;-) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 30, 2024
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Aug 18, 2024
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Jul 30, 2024
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Paperback
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B0CCZM8Y4C
| 4.09
| 11
| unknown
| Aug 31, 2023
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liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) "His soft hand is wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer. The tears slowly come to a crawl as he breathes life between my li I’m on BookTube now! =) "His soft hand is wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer. The tears slowly come to a crawl as he breathes life between my lips. The rain outside starts to pour down while the spinning world seems to come to a perfect still moment between us. Our galaxies are swirling together." It were quotes like this one, which made this book really interesting and good for me. I’m not gonna lie, though, at parts this story was extremely confusing and the timeline seemed to be all over the place. “Flesh and Bone – Awakening” had some good parts but also some that would have needed a little bit more work or feedback from the beta readers. So I think it’s best if we start with the good things first and then work our way through the not so good parts, okay?! First I’ve to say that I really loved Sam and Max as characters. They both gave me “All For the Game” vibes and if you know me, you know that I’m obsessed with this series. So I really appreciated those two boys and that they made their way even though they had a lot of baggage they carried with them. ”Well, I give up," I mutter through gritted teeth. Making eye contact, we both lean into the flame. The tobacco leaves light the night between us. His dimples radiate against the flame as that smirk transforms into a full-blown smile, all the while his hazel eyes never leave mine. We stay in that flame, gazing, gauging each other. Their chemistry was very palpable and even though they didn’t want to admit it at first, it became obvious that they were drawn to each other and weren’t able to escape each other’s pull. I really wish the author wouldn’t have left us in the dark about their mysterious connection because the way it reads, you know there is something between them but you never truly find out what exactly it is. I’m pretty certain a lot of people will say it’s insta-love, but I got the distinctive feeling that the author had reasons for writing them that way. Still, even after finishing the book, I didn’t grasp those reasons and that’s a shame because I really wanted to understand their relationship. "Caught off guard, I respond without thinking. "Absolutely, I ... I think I would go to war for you." His hand grabs mine firmly; a deep blush crossing his face. My grip tightens but he responds in kind. As stories go, this is a slow-paced one and there doesn’t really happen a lot. I’m honestly still trying to figure out in which kind of direction the author wanted to go with this because on the one hand we have the budding relationship of Sam and Max, then we have Max’s mysterious powers which he’s trying to hide and we also have Sam playing Lacrosse with his team. Well, and in between there are some sort of random fighting scenes and mysterious moments when I didn’t know what exactly was going on. *lol* I think you can already tell why this book was so confusing for me. XD "I might not know you very well Sam, but I recognize strength when I see it. You're the only one who doesn't want to recognize it. I thought at first it was a fear of being hurt, but now I think it's fear of being able to hurt others." From the blurb you can tell that mythology and gods seem to be involved in the story as well, but that aspect was highly confusing for me. We get a lot of dream sequences or parallel world sequences even (if I understood that correctly), in which Max is struggling with his fate, but we never truly find out what that fate is or entails. You might say Max is a very unreliable narrator and I think you’d be right with that assumption. Also I didn’t quite grasp which mythology the author wanted to go for. There were a couple of Greek Gods that were mentioned (Zeus, Hera, Olympus, etc.) but then we also had Max’s uncle named Horus?! And Horus is a god from ancient Egypt so this confused me immensely. Unless this was supposed to be a mash up of many different mythologies?! I think in this particular case, it would have been better not to keep the reader in the dark and to go for some tangible facts instead. That way a lot of the reader’s confusion could have been prevented. ”Just … wait, Sam. I didn’t want this, I didn’t want to have someone feel that my life depended on them, I’ve never depended on anyone before, and I don’t want to start now. I didn’t want anyone mixed up with any of this! I don’t even feel like I should be here! I feel like I’m on borrowed time, but whose time, right? Whose lives are sent to replace my own? I mean, do you really want to become involved in this? In me?” I’m still trying to figure out what Max meant with all of this and so far there’s nothing but a huge question mark hoovering over my head. XD Anyway! Ignoring all of those issues, I could still see that the author has a lot of potential. There’s this raw and intense energy to his writing that sometimes grips you and you can’t help but think: “Damn, this is written so beautifully.” The relationship between Max and Sam, once it gets out of the “I hate you but I still kinda like you” stage is written so tender that you’re happy about every single moment they spend together and I think this was the part where the author’s writing style excelled the most. In addition, the ending was quite suspenseful and many things started to make sense. All told, I ended up liking SammaX’s story, no matter how confusing it was and I’ll watch out for book two because I hope to get some answers! Because as I already said, this story had a lot of potential and I’m curious if it will be used in the next book. =) ________________________________ This was a very interesting book but also extremely confusing at some points. I’m not gonna lie, half of the story I had no idea what was even going on (Max is an unreliable narrator) and the timeline confused me big time. XD Still, there’s a lot of potential and the last couple of chapters were pretty suspenseful. This said: Full RTC soon! I need to think about this some more in order to put all my thoughts into words. Stay tuned. ;-) ________________________________ I heard about this book on IG and wanted to read “Flesh and Bone - Awakening” ever since I saw the fanart some artists made about the main ship Sammax. So here we are! Considering there is even fanart on IG I’m surprised this doesn’t have more reviews on goodreads!? I mean the book is about sports and two boys that fall in love and apparently it also has some mythology angle?! Sounds good to me. =) I don’t know about you, but I’m sold. xD Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 12, 2024
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Aug 04, 2024
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Jul 12, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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1039007570
| 9781039007574
| B0CKKZPV8R
| 3.82
| 936
| May 07, 2024
| May 07, 2024
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it was amazing
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”They could have this, if only for a moment. A tiny bit of comfort in a world that wanted to rip them apart.” **I received an advanced copy of this ”They could have this, if only for a moment. A tiny bit of comfort in a world that wanted to rip them apart.” **I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House Canada and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much for giving me a chance to read this ARC!** After reading “The Sins on Their Bones” and giving myself some time to digest the book it seems like I’m still at a loss for words. Considering the heavy topics this story explored and how dark and twisted it turned out to be this shouldn’t come as a surprise, though. If you ask me Laura R. Samotin did something not many authors are able to pull off. She wrote a book that’s not only set in a Jewish folklore-inspired queernormative world but also one that features three different POVS. And she gave all those characters such a unique voice that it was extremely easy to keep them apart. No matter if it was Dimitri, Vasily or Alexey, each and every single one of them had their own agenda and tried to push it forward. Still, if you’re expecting something fast paced now, you’ll be disappointed. “The Sins on Their Bones” is a very character driven story that used every tool available in order to create a lush and credible setting. There’s a very strong religious element that runs through the entire storyline and the topic of abuse and how it affects the people who suffered from it is always in the forefront as well. All of the characters are morally grey and they all did things they aren’t proud of. It’s a pretty complex world with multi-layered characters that are all forced to play the parts they’ve been given. Like a chess game, that’s working its way towards the grande finale. What the book truly lives from are the different kinds of love that are visible in every line of the story, though. And I’m not just talking about queer love here. I’m talking about the toxic, destructive, manipulative kind of love that rips you apart, the wholesome and nourishing sort we all crave for, as well as the love that comes from having supportive friends that stick with you through thick and thin. Samotin didn’t just cover the entire bandwidth of human emotions and relationships, she also dove into the abyss of human nature and gave this book an unexpected psychological depth that’s not easy to match. The story raises the century old question of what is wrong and what is right and confronts the reader with what happens if both sides think that the other side is in the wrong. Hearts and bones are quite literally broken in order to find the truth, but in the end, as is the essence of war, no side ever truly wins. And for that alone I love what Laura R. Samotin did with this story! “The Sins on Their Bones” is a book about love and loss, about grief and guilt, about the darkness within and the light of hope that always finds its way in. It’s a study of human nature, a story about the resilience of humankind and what we’re able to endure. But most of all it’s a story about faith, the belief that no matter how dark it gets, there are people who love us, there’s a higher power that guides us and when confronted with our sins, there’s always hope for change and amendment. 4,5 stars rounded up to 5. Trigger warnings:(view spoiler)[physical and mental abuse, gaslighting, child abuse (mentioned & insinuated), blood & gore, violence (also sexual), drug use, war (mentioned), body horror and human experimentation (on page), trauma, grief, sickness, panic attacks, PTSD, depression, bodily harm (hide spoiler)] The characters: Welcome to my spoiler section! When I read ARCs I usually don’t go for one of these, but since I bought the book (my e-reader died and my copy didn’t work anymore) I decided I’d go for a more thorough review here. I have many thoughts and I need to put them into words. So here goes nothing! You’re welcome to join me or to skip this part. It’s your choice. ;-) Dimitri: "I'd ask God to protect you, but I don't think He's listening to me anymore." Dimitri looked down at his hands in his lap, his voice thick. Dima is a character I couldn’t help but feel sorry for. He probably would hate me for saying that, but after everything he went through it’s no surprise that he’s a broken man. The things he did in order to get Alexey back and the things he had to do after he betrayed him? It’s enough to break any man and this without true love being involved. Dimitri loved Alexey too much and there’s truth in the saying that “the ones who can hurt you the most are the ones you love”. I hear the reviewers who said that Dima is wallowing in self-pity and therefore didn’t get anything done but hear me out. This man was thoroughly broken, Alexey was the one person he trusted and his everything after his parents died. He was manipulated and gaslighted by him for years and because he loved him, he didn’t even notice until it was too late. The pain and guilt that came along with the realization of what he’d done and what he had allowed him to do with his country must have been more than just crippling and yes, we might have not known everything that happened but the reader knows enough to get a good picture of the situation. And if that wouldn’t have been enough already, the physical and mental abuse went on for years. No, seriously, I feel so, so sad for Dimitri because he’s a poor soul that had to suffer. Yet despite it all, he’s also a survivor and I loved to see the change in him. It was slow but it was realistic and after all the pain he went through I honestly hope that he and Vasya will have some peace now. ”He’d spent the last year wondering if Alexey had been right, if he’d been too weak to be the Tzar that Novo-Svitsevo needed. He still heard the echo of every one of Alexey’s scornful remarks over and over, every time he was alone.” ”Alexey was still so much a part of him, still controlling him, still leaving him crippled with guilt and with grief. He was nothing more than a boy living in the past, wishing that there was some way to undo his sins so he didn’t have to grapple with the consequences in the present.” Alexey: ”They all cried out for their families, begged him to let them go, prayed to God, as if Alexey Balakin, God’s finest creation, was not standing in front of them, offering to be their family, giving them a chance to protect the empire from any of the monstrosities that would stand against it. None of them loved Novo-Svitsevo like he did. Boy, Alexey was a piece of work! >_< The horrible thing about him, was that he truly believed he was doing what was best for Dimitri and his country. Whilst Dima was eaten up with self-doubt and self-hatred in equal measure, Alexey had no such qualms. Quite the contrary, Alexey was self-assured and believed in himself and his Holy Science. You might say he was a fanatic that did what he thought needed to be done and you’d be right. But unfortunately he was also charismatic and manipulative af and very scary which explained all the people at his court that just tried to survive his reign. For Alexey there’s no doubt that he’s in the right and he ruled with an iron fist. And I have to say this here: he’s also a sadistic assh*le that thrives when others are in pain. From what I gathered from all the sex scenes in the book he enjoys being in power and degrading and humiliating others. I know some people criticized that there are seemingly unnecessary sex scenes but I think Samotin wrote them in order to emphasise Alexey’s sadistic streak. For me those scenes revealed a lot about his character and megalomaniacal personality and therefore actually felt necessary for the plot. ”Every day after that, Alexey had prayed that Dimitri made no trouble, because as long as he made no trouble, he could stay alive. The moment he began to make a move for the throne, he would have to die. There would be no way that Alexey could maintain control otherwise. So he hoped that Dimitri would never make that mistake.” "I believe, Moy Tzar," Ivan said, bending down for another kiss, then nuzzling his neck. "I believe in two things. In you, and in the Lord our God." Alexey didn't correct Ivan that believing in him and believing in God were one and the same. Vasily: "He'd made it his life's mission to protect Dimitri - the very heart of Novo-Svitsevo, the backbone of them all - from anything that might hurt him, be it assassination or civil unrest, or bruised ribs and a broken heart." Can I have my own Vasya, please?! I swear this man stole the show and I enjoyed his POV so damn much! The way he toyed with Alexey and catered to his needs in order to get the information, he wanted… chef’s kiss! The role as spymaster fit him so well and Dima honestly couldn’t have found a better guy for the job. Vasya has all my respect for being a force to be reckoned with, and keeping a cool head when everyone else would have succumbed to panic. I’m not gonna lie, I fell in love with this man’s clever mind and the way he went about solving problems. He was extremely resourceful and would have done everything to safe not only Dima but also his country and people. His unwavering trust, dedication and loyalty in Dima and his court was so admirable. I can’t even. Moreover, I adored him for being so compassionate and having one hell of a poker face. Yes, I’m besotted with this man and I regret nothing. Legit the best character in the entire book. <3 ”Alexey licked his lips, and Vasily prayed to God that Ivan was satisfying in bed, because while he would bury every fear and instinct of his and let Alexey fuck him for days if that would save Dimitri and Novo-Svitsevo, he’d really rather not.” ”You shifted my entire image of myself. For all this time, I thought I deserved what happened to me as a child. I thought I was the one at fault. But now that instinct just kills me, because I see it in you too.” The relationships & ships: Dimitri & Alexey: "But he could love Alexey the same way Alexey had loved him. Unflinchingly, honestly, willing to look him in the eyes and assess his flaws. Willing to betray him, because the love they both felt for their country was more powerful than anything else." I’m still in awe of the way Samotin wrote their toxic relationship. It felt so real, dark and twisted and it was definitely abusive and destructive as well. You know some part of Dima still loves Alexey, yet at the same time he’s painfully aware of all the abuse he went through. Alexey for his part sees nothing wrong in his actions and this makes it so damn difficult. Whilst Dima went through some tough trauma initiated by his own husband, Alexey thinks the end justified the means. Alexey is blind to his own actions and how they affect and hurt the ones around him. Mostly because his humanity seems to have died when he returned from the grave. It was so hard to read from the villains POV because you know he’s wrong but he doesn’t see the error of his ways. Alexey tried to form Dima into someone he wasn’t and he didn’t care whether that broke him or not. So whilst Dima has true feelings for Alexey, his husband seems to be incapable of feeling anything at all. Even worse, when confronted with the truth, he refuses to acknowledge it. In the end Dimitri sees no other way than to kill his own husband, even going as far as to ask for help from an angel. Which is dangerous and leaves him with an arm that was flayed open because Gods name ended up written on his bones. Quite literally. Boy, that one was graphic. As were the scenes of Alexey’s abuse and how he broke Dimitri, figuratively and literally. This definitely wasn’t for the faint hearted… In the end, Dima tried to do the right thing and suffered immensely because of it and I can’t help but wonder how this will affect him in the second book. I’m sure we’ll see more of Alexey as well and that their toxic story isn’t quite over yet even though I wish it would be. For Dima’s sake I hope he’ll be a lot stronger when he faces him again. >_< But that’s the problem, if you’ve been the victim, it’s not easy to change your role and to fight against what the other made you believe. I guess we’ll have to find out in the next book. "If there was one thing about Dimitri he had despised, it was how stubborn and steadfast he was. Dimitri had pushed back and fought him, clawed at him, despite all of Alexey's efforts to mold him." ”We’re just two broken men, aren’t we? Who tried and tried, and yet in the trying, made everything worse.” Alexey recoiled and squared his shoulders. “I am not broken.” Dimitri laughed wetly. “If you refuse to admit it, then, who are we but two people who loved each other to the point of destruction? You and I burned everything to the ground in our wake. I loved you, Alexey, but I lost you all the same. I lost you to that fucking Holy Science of yours, and you never came back to me.” Dimitri & Vasily: ”It filled him with guilt, pretending that Vasily was Alexey instead, but it was what he needed. And Vasily had never told him no, had never complained, and so he took and took and took, even as he wished it wasn't Vasily he was taking from." Those two were so good for each other and I loved their slow burn romance! I know a couple of other readers mentioned that Dima was too hung up on Alexey to make their ship believable but I personally think that this was very realistic. To fall in love is easy, but to fall out of it is hard and it’s exactly what Dimitri was trying to do. He knew Alexey was bad for him, but his heart couldn’t quite follow the lead of his head. Once there are feelings involved it’s always difficult. You can hate someone but still love them and I think Samotin portrayed Dima’s inner conflict more than just well. So yes, Vasya’s and Dima’s relationship is developing slowly and there isn’t a lot of chemistry, but considering their history this felt real. They connected more on an emotional level than on a physical one and I think that’s totally believable. Both of them suffered physical and emotional abuse from the people they trusted and loved so them building a healthy relationship based on trust and familiarity was exactly what they needed. I think it was realistic and developed naturally and I don’t need them to have mind-blowing chemistry as long as they are happy and feel comfortable around each other. They have room to grow and to heal and that’s perfect! I ship it! Period! ”I know what he would do. I know exactly what he would do, because I spent years watching him do it to you. I could draw the atlas of the way he hurt you.” It was a punch to the gut, the way that Dimitri leaned into his touch, the way that he replied, “I don’t want him to hurt you. And I’m afraid he will.” Like his own hurt didn’t matter. Like he was so worthless that he didn’t deserve to be safe. ”It was a feeling that only one other person had truly been able to give him, and something in Dimitri’s heart burned with the thought that Vasily’s comfort was better, and purer, and more real and selfless and solid than Alexey’s had ever been. He couldn’t lose this. He couldn’t bear it. This would be the loss that tore him to shreds.” ”There will merely be this, between us, this recognition of the perfect hurt and pain that honed us into blades, so we could cut each other free. I wanted so badly to tell you that if you died, I would follow, because it’s no longer the secrets of heaven I would wish to whisper to you. It’s that I love you too.” Alexey & Ivan: ”Would you –“ Ivan was truly crying now, and Alexey deigned to wipe away his tears. “Would you be doing this if I wasn’t my father’s son?” No, Alexey thought. “Yes, of course. Don’t be ridiculous.” I still feel sad about Ivan’s death because this gullible boy fell in love with the wrong man and he’s basically the embodiment of what could have happened to Dimitri if he would have stayed with Alexey. But Dima was too strong-willed and fought against Alexey, something that would have never even occurred to Ivan. Which is so tragic because it’s the reason Alexey didn’t love him as much as he loved his husband. Ivan was too pliable and innocent. No match for Alexey’s wickedness and cunning. He was just a means to an end and this will always be tragic and sad. T_T ”None of us get what we want in this life.” Ivan’s voice was laced with such unbearable sadness that it made Alexey choke on a sob. “Not bastards, not Tzars. Not even the chosen one of God.” Dimitri & his Court: ”I meant it because to people like you, to people like me, there’s more to our lives than family, than friends, than love,” Annika continued. “There is duty, and loyalty to one’s country, and the knowledge that we will do what we must to protect our people.” I absolutely adored Dima’s court because they weren’t just amazing but also distinctive and diverse voices. Mischa his physician went by they/them pronouns, Ladushka (Lada in short) seemed to be on the aro/ace spectrum and Annika was a compassionate soul that deserved the world. (I think she might have been bi or lesbian, but it was never truly mentioned, at least as far as I can remember) I loved that they all had different strengths and that they did their best to support Dima. They definitely were a found family and I was glad Dimitri and Vasily had them. =) ”None of them had protested the plan. He had not needed to ask if they would come with him, back to Novo-Svitsevo. Because he knew that even if he was standing at the edge of the world, these four would be behind him, holding him up. They were his friends, his family, his strength, his salvation.” Conclusion: So, those are my thoughts on the book and its characters. I probably could go on and on but I think I’ll leave it at that. If anyone wants to discuss the story with me, feel free to drop me a comment! I’d love to talk about this because I still have so many thoughts! =) _____________________________ I was very lucky to get an e-ARC of “The Sins on Their Bones” through NetGalley. Well, and then I was extremely unlucky because my e-reader died and my ARC copy didn’t work anymore. >_< Guess they are right when they say: You win some, you lose some?! *lol* I decided to buy the book now, though because I wanted to read this so badly it hurts So yeah, I might be late to the party but I had very good reasons and now I’m going to read this book! Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 24, 2024
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Aug 24, 2024
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Jun 24, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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3000767665
| 9783000767661
| B0CP47YSP9
| 4.27
| 223
| unknown
| Jan 29, 2024
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it was amazing
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”The Binding. For the first time Vindt understood what it meant, its impact, its finality. The Singer’s heart beat against Vind I’m on BookTube now! =) ”The Binding. For the first time Vindt understood what it meant, its impact, its finality. The Singer’s heart beat against Vindt’s back, strong and fast, like his own.” **I received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review and all opinions are my own. Thank you so much for giving me a chance to read your book, Thelma!** Trigger warnings:(view spoiler)[mention of past suicide attempt, lashing (on page), dubious consent, on page sex, blood drinking, mention of torture, mild body horror, war, trauma, forced servitude, slavery, violence (hide spoiler)] I thought long and hard about how to start this review but all I seem to be able to come up with is: Wow. What a debut!!! The fact this is Thelma Mantey’s first book is something my mind can’t comprehend because how do you even write a story and characters like that?! It boggles my mind but I definitely won’t complain because this was amazing and exactly the kind of book I want to read. There’s so much to love about “Ocean’s Blood” because we don’t just have two really interesting and complex MCs but also a great setting and world-building. There are a lot of intrigues and schemes going on as well and the unique magic system had me glued to the pages. The idea of Singers who can decide a war by just using their voices is wild, but also very fascinating and it was extremely interesting to find out more about their origins and limitations. ”Withdrawal. The Singer’s blood was a drug, without exit. No matter how long the abstinence went, how much he suffered, it wouldn’t leave his system. If the new Singer didn’t arrive soon, Vindt would die, slowly and painfully.” One of the things that gives the story an intriguing dynamic is the fact that we explore this world through Vindt’s eyes and even though he’s spent a decade in the service of Silhorveen, his former master and quite a piece of work, he somehow managed to live from day to day without giving his surroundings much of a thought. Something he becomes painfully aware of once an unforeseeable chain of events causes Silhorveen to be out of the picture and binds him to a new master. Asche is completely different than Silhorveen, though and for the first time in years Vindt is making an effort to understand his new masters motives. "Mad?" he said, so quietly Vindt was sure the others couldn't hear him. "Funny. You are not the first to say that." Louder, he added, "You need my blood, Thyd. If I were you, I would think before speaking." With that, he rose and left the tent. What I really liked about those two is the way they challenged each other. No matter if it was Asche asking Vindt to change his braid because he was aware of its meaning or if it was Vindt refusing to give into Asche’s manipulations. They both gave each other a run for their money and I lived and breathed for their little mind games. Vindt has been through a lot and his distrust and defiance are based on years of abuse by his former master. Whilst everyone else considers being a Thyd an honour, Vindt certainly doesn’t see it that way and Asche is trying to understand the reasons why. He’s the first Singer who confronts Vindt and demands answers to questions Vindt doesn’t want to answer, let alone think about. And I loved that about him. "I assume you sent a messenger?" Plotliw just glowered at Asche. "So you've received an answer. Let me guess. She said, 'Try to negotiate, and if he won't, give the bastard the fucking money.' Am I wrong?" Asche is such a multi-layered, mysterious, charismatic and morally grey character, I couldn’t help but adore him. There’s good in him and you can see that he truly cares about his people, but there’s also a darker side to the Singer and he seems to thrive when he’s challenged and forced to use his wits. All his schemes and the way he presented himself were calculated and deliberate and trying to figure him out had my mind in knots. In a good way, of course. ;-) I love characters like that because they make me think and I’m sure Vindt felt the same way, his initial distrust and animosity turning into something like respect and tentative trust. "He didn't know how long he had been sitting like that when someone crouching down in front of him made him look up. Asche's face was as pale as bone, the lips pressed together into two bloodless lines. The dark, burning glow in the black eyes would have made Vindt recoil, had it not been for the wheel at his back. “You’re wounded.” Asche sounded as if he wanted to strangle him. The more time they spend together, the more the reader learns about the world they live in and I really appreciated this kind of approach of introducing your characters and their environment. What I also valued, and now we’re finally addressing the big elephant in the room, was their extremely slow slow-burn and how their relationship changed throughout the book. At first, they were two strangers that didn’t trust each other, then they turned into acquaintances that respected and appreciated each other’s company and mind. And at the end? Well, I definitely wouldn’t call them lovers because they’re not. Maybe two people who feel an undeniable pull towards each other? It’s complicated, especially after that ending, but it has me hooked for sure. XD "Now that the chase was over, the places their bodies touched crawled to the forefront of his awareness, chest, groin, thighs. Asche's flanks under his hands. So strange. Not a demon's squirming nothingness but an actual body, bones, flesh. Touchable." And speaking of THAT mind-blowing ending without spoiling anything, at least for now: My mind still grapples with all the insinuations and repercussions the actions of Asche and Vindt might entail. I mean, I’m still thinking about this book, and I have so many questions that haven’t been answered and so many thoughts on what exactly happened! Thank you, Thelma for doing my head in. Haha! No, seriously, I have THOUGHTS and because of that, I need to go for a little spoiler part real quick now: (view spoiler)[ 1.) Asche had known him for less than a month; Vindt’s eyes had not even made a full turn. It took people years to notice the color changing. Most never did. From gray to deep green and back in a moon’s cycle. “Moon child,” Asche said. He knew. What is it with Vindt’s eyes that makes him so special?! I mean Asche alludes to them more than once and the other Singers seemed to be impressed by him being a moon child as well. Does it come with special abilities? Are those powers dependent on the moon cycles? I need to know!! And I hope we’ll find out more about this in book 2! Also, nice touch with the Swedish word “växling” which means “change/shift”. ;-) 2.) "So, golden boy, next time you think you are the dependent one in our relationship, the slave - think again." This bomb was dropped and delivered so nicely. So if I got that correctly Singers are also sort of enslaved to their gods and hunted by the Verdurs?! And their Thyd’s have more power over the Singers than the Singers have over them? Which changes literally EVERYTHING!! And especially what happened near the ending between Asche and Vindt! I swear my mind is still in knots about this and I’ve thought about this scene again and again. 3.) ”The other side: untainted, unclaimed. Vindt could see the pulsing vein beneath the pale skin, smell the blood. He licked his lips. The Singer’s eyes went even wider. “No.” “No?” Vindt didn’t let go of Asche’s wrists, but he slackened his grip so it would take a child’s strength to free them. Then he waited. Now it was Asche’s turn to lick his lips. He tried to say something, but all that came out was an inarticulate noise. He was struggling now, ferociously – Vindt felt it – just not with his body. “Tilt your head.” Asche’s breath changed from shallow to wheezing. THIS scene! I’ve reread it more than twice and I’m still trying to figure out if it was consensual or not. At first I didn’t understand why Asche lashed Vindt within an inch of his life after they slept with each other but then I reread that moment and if we consider the fact that a Thyd who drank a Singers blood is stronger because of it, then I have to assume that Asche couldn’t stop Vindt even if he tried?! He said “no”, he was struggling against Vindt’s pull and I think some part of Asche tried to fight it but couldn’t. Vindt wanted Asche to stop him but he didn’t and Vindt took this as consent even though his actions and his reactions to him spoke a different language. Damn! My mind is still reeling from this and then we have this quote as well: "Losing is an acquired taste, you know. Once you've done it a few times, you'll start to ... well." Asche bored his glinting eyes into Vindt's. "Get addicted to it." Vindt's skin prickled. He wasn't sure whether the Singer was still talking about chess. We know the Singers drink each other’s blood as some sort of power game and if you win you’re considered to be the highest rank on the food chain. So how often did Asche lose to Ru and is this the reason he learned to accept it?! To protect himself from thinking of it as what it is, namely rape. Because there’s clearly no love lost between these two and Asche hates Ru at least as much as he seems to hate him. ”His mind was dazed, and yet he had never been this aware. And he wanted Asche to be aware, too. Of this. Its impossibility. The universe upended. Of the fact that he could have prevented it but had not.” I’m so confused! I honestly don’t know if it was consensual or not and I hope one of these days I’ll stop breaking my head over this. My mind says “no” it wasn’t consensual but there’s a small part that considers all of Asche’s actions and can’t help but wonder if it was consensual after all. I mean he obviously tried to manipulate Vindt into betraying him to Ru and Vindt didn’t betray him, even though he had plenty of chances to do so after he drank from Asche’s wrist. Giving into Vindt’s advances and hurting him so much that he had no other choice than to go to Ru and finally take action against Asche wouldn’t be that improbable. Quite honestly, it’s something that’s definitely in Asche’s skill set. And it would explain Asche’s cautious probing and confusion through their mental link after he lashed Vindt. For Asche the end justifies the means, but he might have felt guilty and confused about his own growing feelings for Vindt. 4.) ”This time, however, the pattern didn’t inspire dread; to the contrary, the Singer looked newly born, as if the ocean had spat him out of its womb, a creature made of waves and tides, of liquid and darkness, something that would slip through Vindt’s fingers as soon as he tried to grasp it.” And last but not least: Are Singers vampires or do they fall into the category of sirens and merfolk?! Maybe they are both? I get siren vibes but also vampiric ones and I honestly don’t know where to place them. Anyway, I hope Thelma will put me out of my misery with the release of her second book and with answers to all of those burning questions soon because this is driving me nuts. XD (hide spoiler)] ”With my blood, I bind you. I bind your body and your soul. My blood will fulfil your destiny. You will be my shield and my sword. You will be my voice. You will depend on me as I will depend on you. You will defend my life with yours, and I will do the same for you. This Bond is sacred. It shall only be broken by death.” Conclusion: “Ocean’s Blood” is one hell of a debut novel and once I started to read it, I had difficulties to put it down. The world building was well thought-out and the characters were intriguing. In addition to that, I loved all the machinations, political schemes and mysteries that raised so many questions that have yet to be answered. What the book truly lived from was the chemistry between the two MCs, though. Their character arcs and the way their relationship changed and grew into something more was done so masterfully and I honestly can’t wait to see how their bond is going to develop in the next book. I’m definitely going to find out because there’s no way I’ll miss this. Thelma if you read this: Thank you! And now, I need book two! ;-P ______________________________ I absolutely loved this book! Asche was such a complex, mysterious and morally grey character! I totally lived and breathed for this. Also the world building! Amazing! <3 What happened at the ending totally blew my mind and I’m still reeling from … everything?! I want to understand what happened there?!?! Anyway! Full review to come soon! I’m looking forward to the next book in the series! _______________________________ At the end of January, Thelma asked me if I wanted to read an ARC of “Ocean’s Blood” and I was more than just happy to say “yes”! I already saw the book all over my IG feed and got extremely curious about it. So Thelma Mantey asking me to read it was perfect timing! It took me a while to get to it, but here I am, totally ready to dive into this enemies-to-lovers story that promises “Captive Prince” and “Interview with the Vampire” vibes. The world building already sounds so unique and I love the concept of Singers that use their voices to bring down entire empires! Not to mention that I can’t wait to meet Vindt and Asche and all the intrigues they’ll have to face! Can you already tell I’m excited? Boy, I’m so here for this! Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 14, 2024
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Jul 07, 2024
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Jun 14, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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1529099439
| 9781529099430
| 1529099439
| 3.87
| 93,975
| May 03, 2022
| Nov 2023
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really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”Who you are here doesn’t have to be the same as who you are out there. And if the person you feel like you have to be in this I’m on BookTube now! =) ”Who you are here doesn’t have to be the same as who you are out there. And if the person you feel like you have to be in this town doesn’t feel right to you, you’re allowed to leave. You’re allowed to exist. Even if it means existing somewhere else.” Every single time I think: “Oh, this might turn out to be a short review!” I look through all the quotes I saved and realize that “no” this is most definitely not going to be one of my short reviews. *lol* I had every intention to keep this short and simple but the truth is, there are just too many things I need to address and talk about. And because I’m nothing but thorough and because this book left me with a lot of mixed feelings, I just have to go into more detail. You should always voice your opinion when it differs from the general tenor of other people’s perceptions. Maybe, just maybe, someone else sees it the same way I do?! You never know. ;-) This said: Casey McQuiston wrote an interesting and enjoyable book that tackled many different topics. Despite the Christian Academy setting of a small town in Alabama there were a lot of queer (non-binary, gay, lesbian, etc.) and diverse characters and I absolutely loved that about the book. Not everyone who’s part of the LGBTQIA+ community grows up at a place that is nourishing and accepting and some of us still have to be the first ones to bring about change. Even if that means to thrive in secret and to know who you are even if no one else does. In some environments, this is already an act of defiance and it was intriguing to see how living at a place like Willowgrove shaped its students. I guess you might say that religion was a huge part of the book and ran through it like a common thread. Also the scavenger hunt aspect of finding Shara reminded me a lot of John Green’s “Paper Towns” and I found it funny that even the author referred to it during the book. But that’s actually where the similarities end because “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” is going in an entirely different direction and tackles completely different topics. Still, McQuiston lost me at the romance part because I never truly shipped the main couple and this is kinda sad. Anyway! I’m going to take a deep dive into everything in the spoilery part of my review now so here goes nothing! ;-) The characters: ”All around them, the rest of Willowgrove is filtering into first hour, and every single one of them takes a second to stare as they pass. Chloe Green, the one who scored a 35 on the ACT. Smith Parker, the saint who led Willowgrove to the state champ title two years in a row. And Rory Heron, best known for flooding the bio lab on purpose. The three of them occupying the same spot is ripping a hole in the Willowgrove space-time continuum.” Okay, this is the moment when I tell you that the rest of this review is going to have a couple of spoilers. If you’ve already read the book: Be my guest! If you haven’t: Well, it’s up to you! I can only give you a fair warning, you’re old enough to decide for yourself. *lol* Chloe: ”She still has something on Shara: herself. She can make Shara chase her. She can be smart about it – let her think she might have a chance and then give her the first bottom-of-the-heart rejection of her entire charmed life. Chloe’s spent four years trying to keep one thing out of Shara’s hands. Now she can be that.” Chloe… Boy, this girl was a piece of work. *lol* No, seriously! I honestly dunno if I liked her or not because for a main character Chloe was quite flawed and I usually like that about my MCs but in this particular case it just annoyed me?! There was something about Chloe that made it really hard to warm up to her and whenever she did something really nice for her friends, she had the most obnoxious thoughts about Shara and this kinda ruined everything for me again. Her holier-than-thou attitude got on my nerves big time and I expected more compassion from her? I mean how thick in the head do you have to be not to notice that Shara’s disappearance was a cry for help?! Her lack of sympathy for Shara was such a red flag and it wouldn’t have hurt if she’d have reflected on her actions and thoughts a little bit more. I get that Chloe didn’t have it easy, but you’d think that this would have made her more aware of other people’s problems, but nope, for a long time she was completely blind to the struggles of her class mates. There was some character development near the ending but for me personally, it came a little too late. Still, her taking the fall for Georgia was a great gesture and it showed that there is potential for change. I just wish we had gotten that character arc during the book and not at the end of it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ " ”I, uh. Okay. I actually have to go.” She turns for the door, then pauses. “Um. Not because of you. You’re doing great, with all the, um. Identity stuff. Also pronouns?” Smith bites his lip. He looks like he might smile. “Same for now.” "Before they moved here, she never felt anything about Alabama, and she certainly never imagined it could make her feel anything about herself. But Alabama is in her, no matter how much she pretends it's not." She exhales. It really is a long list. “And I’m really, really sorry I didn’t apologize to you until now. I would jump on a gay grenade for you every day of my life, and it sucks that I wasn’t acting like it.” ”So if she’s the only one in the class of ’22 who’s really out for now, if her existence can provide cover for half her graduating class to stand up for something without saying things about themselves they can’t yet say, that’s enough. That’s plenty.” ”I learned that a lot of us – a lot more than I thought – are doing whatever it takes to survive in a place that doesn’t feel like it wants us. I learned that survival is heavy on so many of us. And on a personal level, I realized I’d gotten so used to that weight, I stopped noticing how much of myself I’d dedicated to carrying it.” Smith: ”He’s one of the few athletes Chloe considers good-looking instead of thick-necked hot-ugly: high cheekbones, striking brown eyes with sharp inner corners and arched brows, dark brown skin that somehow remains clear during football season. He’s tall, even taller than Rory.” Smith my ray of pure sunshine! <333 I absolutely loved and adored Smith, which shouldn’t have surprised me because at the end of the book was his character sheet and Smith has the same MBTI as me. *lol* Still, Smith turned out to be my favourite character and I shipped them so much with Rory. It was so nice to follow Smith’s journey and to see how he figured out himself. And yes, I’m using he/him as well as they/them pronouns because I think even though Smith might choose they/them pronouns eventually, he still went with he/him during the book. It’s a process and I’m sure Smith will figure it out at some point in the future. I really liked that Casey left this open and didn’t rush Smith’s character development. It was a slow progress and it was perfect that way! Also the fact that they didn’t want frogs to get hurt. Aww Smith was so damn precious! He’s a person you just can’t help but adore. <3 ”Smith leans on one of the six leather barstools lining the island, thinking. The more time she spends with him, the more she notices that he doesn’t carry himself like all the other football players out in the yard. He’s big, but he’s graceful. He doesn’t walk from room to room as much as he flows through them.” ”I like my body, because it’s fast and strong and good at football. But it also has to be a dude’s body, because I play football. So like, maybe sometimes I wish it was smaller or softer or … different … but I don’t really have a choice. And I can wear stuff like my letterman jacket and feel better because I could be shaped like anything under that, and I can imagine that maybe I’m not shaped like a dude sometimes.” ”It’s fucked up. It’s fucked up how they makes us feel about ourselves, and we put up with it because we don’t think there’s anything we can do about it. We put up with it for so long that we don’t even know who we are, only what they want us to be. And I don’t want to put up with it anymore.” ”At his request, Chloe smudges a hint of gold eyeliner around the corners of his eyes. By the time they’re done, he looks like a god of the forest in white Air Forces. Rory stares at him from across the room with wide eyes, like he’s never seen anything quite like him before. None of them have, really. There’s nobody like Smith Parker.” Rory: ”Dark curly hair with caramel highlights, light brown skin, long and straight nose, a jawline both square and delicate like fishbone. Rory Heron. Willowgrove’s answer to every brooding bad boy from every late ‘90s teen drama.” This boy was amazing! Rory brought so much fun to the trio and I loved how he was always up for mischief but also extremely observant. He was one of the few people Willowgrove wasn’t able to bend to its will and I think that was mostly due to him knowing who he was and accepting himself. Plus of all three of them he was the most serious and got things no one else did. Which was in odd contrast to him being the embodiment of the bad boy who was known for his pranks. I really appreciated that he was always honest and didn’t beat about the bush. Even when he got aware of why he was jealous whenever he saw Shara with Smith he was completely honest about it and didn’t try to hide it from Chloe. And he was basically the only one who told Chloe the truth about her being as mean as Shara sometimes which was extremely refreshing! She totally needed to hear that and Rory made sure she did. XD Loved that boy! ”Rory tilts his head back, settling it against the tree so his curls crumple up at his crown and his jawline goes all model-y, his eyes slipping closed like visions of perfectly executed pranks are dancing in his head. He answers, in the wistful voice of someone announcing a long-awaited fantasy: “The air ducts.” ”She’s mean.” “Sometimes,” Rory says, returning to her. “Sometimes you are too. I still think you’re cool though.” That strikes Chloe momentarily speechless. Rory shrugs, pats Chloe once on the shoulder, and rises to his feet. Shara: ”This whole thing was pretty distracting, right?” Shara says. “I turned in my assignments for the last nine weeks ahead of time, but you’ve probably missed a couple deadlines, right? Dropped a percentage point or two?” “You did this to – to sabotage my chances at valedictorian?” Shara rolls her eyes. “Like you wouldn’t have done the same thing if you’d thought of it.” I honestly don’t know what to say about Shara because we really didn’t get a lot of her in the book. Since she was mostly absent and pulled the strings in the background, we only got a glimpse of her character once she reappeared again. From the little I saw she was a very intelligent and manipulative character that learned how to act the part at a young age. Despite her being such a conniving and rather mean person I still felt sorry for her because it couldn’t have been easy to be the daughter of the principal. And this without even adding her liking girls to it. That girl was never allowed to be her true self and always had to be the picture perfect daughter everyone expected her to be. There must have come a point when she just couldn’t play her role any longer and I think that was the moment she came up with that elaborate scavenger hunt for Chloe and the others. Despite everything I just said Shara wasn’t really a nice person and that made it hard to ship her with Chloe. ”I mean I feel more comfortable around her than I do around almost anyone,” Smith says. “I’m not thinking about what everyone expects me to be. Sometimes we don’t even have to talk. It’s just like, an understanding. But at the same time, there’s always more going on in her head than you can ever guess, and she’ll never tell you exactly what it is. You still have to figure her out.” ”That was my plan. This wasn’t ever part of it, but that was back when I thought I knew what all of my lies were and why I had to tell them. It hadn’t really occurred to me that I was lying to myself too. I didn’t know that part until two nights ago, and that’s why I decided to tell y’all everything. I think maybe I needed so many secrets to keep this one locked up, and now that it’s not locked up anymore, I don’t need the rest.” ”Shara slips the necklace under the neckline of her dress and straightens her shoulders, and Chloe realizes this is Shara when nobody’s looking. Born so smart and so curious and so fucking proud that not even Jesus could convince her she was wrong. Saved by God first and her God complex second. Going through hell and painting pink nail polish over it.” The relationships & ships: Chloe & Shara: "Even if Chloe doesn't want Shara back, she does want to be a sharp-beaked little bird making a nest in that pretty head. If the next note is anything like the last, she needs it. Like, for entertainment purposes." Those two. There’s so much to unpack here. >_< First of all, I didn’t ship them. Not even at the ending when they became a couple and everything was resolved. They just didn’t have any chemistry and I think McQuiston waited too long with their first meeting. If I remember it correctly, we were already over the halfway mark when Chloe found Shara and then they continued to fight each other tooth and nail up until the last 20% of the book. There was so much animosity between those two and after being in Chloe’s head for so long and seeing how much she despised Shara the change from “I hate her” to “I love her” felt too extreme. They shared like two kisses and both were hate-kisses with an ulterior motive. I didn’t buy their sudden realisation that they were in love with each other because there was really no indication that they actually were. Truth be told their entire relationship felt kinda toxic to me and even though they might have been obsessed with each other I didn’t feel it click?! All their interactions just felt too aloof and both of them could be extremely egoistic and mean. So yeah, I didn’t ship them at all and I’d really like to know if anyone else felt the same way about them. I can’t be the only one, right?! ”Shara’s the one who Gone Girl’d herself because she’s in love with Chloe. How is Chloe the crazy one?” Instead, she breaks off, abrupt enough that Shara’s left blinking and dazed, and God, finally Chloe isn’t the one doing the embarrassing leaning. She’s getting embarrassingly leaned at. Amazing. Top five Chloe moment. “Told you,” Chloe says. And with one solid shove, she pushes Shara – prom dress and all –over the railing and into Lake Martin. ”God, I thought I’d won. But it didn’t feel the way it was supposed to. And that pissed me off. And I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t enough, and then I read your last card and I realized that I didn’t just want you to see me. I wanted someone who sees me, and I wanted it to be you, because I think I always knew you were the only one it could be.” Rory & Smith: ”It’s hard to explain,” Smith says. His brow pinches. “I haven’t talked to him since we were fourteen, but I haven’t been able to get rid of him either. It’s like he was always gonna come back to mess things up for me, and now he has.” I ADORED those two! You hear me?! I know I should have been on the Chloe/Shara ship but those two definitely stole the show! I was more invested in what was going on with Rory and Smith than I was curious about what would happen with Shara and Chloe. Their chemistry was off the charts and their lingering looks and how they always wondered about what the other would say was a dead giveaway! Also Rory gets the title of best and most observant boyfriend ever because even when they weren’t together he made sure to give Smith the moon and the stars! <3 This boy got Smith his favourite food without asking, always knew about his classes and legit flooded the bio lab because he knew Smith cares about frogs and didn’t want to dissect them in class. I honestly have no words for how precious Rory is and I’m so happy him and Smith got together in the end. They were so damn adorable! <333 Most shippable couple in the entire book! I screamed when they finally kissed and I’d do it again! *lol* “Spanish," Rory says. "What?" "Smith's in Spanish right now." Chloe squints at him. Rory squints back. The speed with which he recited Smith's schedule goes unaddressed but not unnoticed. ”Like what? That you’re meant for each other?” In her periphery, Rory is shaking his head. “No, like … like maybe I talked myself into her, because when I looked at her and Smith together, I was so jealous, and she seemed like the right place to put it.” “She’s not a place,” Chloe points out. “Or an idea. She’s a person.” “Yeah,” Rory says. “But an idea can’t want you back. And I’m starting to think that was kind of the whole point.” ”Can I hear one sometime?” Smith asks. “One of your new songs?” “That depends,” Rory says. “Depends on what?” And with all the courage in his noodle-y body, Rory says, “Depends if you don’t mind that they’re all about you.” Conclusion: I really enjoyed “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” and Casey McQuiston did an amazing job at portraying the life and journey of queer teens in a very religious environment that almost leaves no room to find yourself. The diversity and representation was great but I just couldn’t connect with the MC and unfortunately the main romance fell flat for me too. Still, the story had its good parts and since I adored the side-characters this might have left me with mixed feelings about the main couple, but ultimately turned out to be a good read. Four stars. _______________________________ It’s been a while I read my last Casey McQuiston book so I thought: Why not pick up this one? XD “I Kissed Shara Wheeler” sounds like it might be a fun book. To be honest the plot kind of reminds me of John Green’s “Paper Towns” because apparently Shara disappears the same way Margot does, but I’m sure Casey will go in a completely different direction. Let’s find out where Shara Wheeler went! XD Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 06, 2024
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May 26, 2024
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May 06, 2024
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Paperback
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9798212191333
| B0CLWXD1YR
| 3.73
| 604
| Apr 09, 2024
| Apr 09, 2024
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really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) **This ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are m I’m on BookTube now! =) **This ARC was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing.** ”She told me to follow the music, but I don’t know where it’s going to lead.” I was very excited to start “The Last Love Song” because it sounded like everything I like to read about in my books. Mamma Mia vibes, music, two POVs in different time-lines, a grief rep, a scavenger hunt with a mystery element and a Sapphic romance. I mean, what’s not to love? I was so ready to dive into this story and once I did, I had a really good time. I think for a debut this was great and despite a couple of little issues I had with the storyline I was still happy to tag along Mia’s scavenger hunt and to find out more about her mother’s mysterious past. I’ve never known how to really know her for everything she was. I’ve never known how to leave the little pieces of her I have or the people who need to hold on to those stories without saying them.” So what exactly is the book about? Well, we follow Mia Peters who lives in a small town and is the daughter of former country music star Tori Rose. Apparently, Tori’s death was kept quiet and no one wants to talk about what happened in the past. After graduation, her grandmothers give her letters in her mother’s handwriting, though and so an unexpected scavenger hunt for the whole truth and Tori’s past ensues. I’ve to admit that the premise of the story was very intriguing and I enjoyed to follow all those little hints alongside Mia. With every new letter, there comes another clue and the pages of Tori’s diary don’t only reveal how her career started but also hint at the identity of Mia’s father. I personally love scavenger hunts and the way it was done in here was a lot of fun and kept me guessing until the very end. "I have the angles of her features when I search for them, I have her songs in my heart, but I will never have her fate, and I will never get out of this town." Another thing that was done well, was Mia’s anxiety and her fear of always being compared to her mother. Mia was a great musician in her own right, but if you’re the daughter of one of the brightest country stars that ever shone, some people will always draw comparisons and see you as some sort of legacy. All of Mia’s insecurities stemmed from that and I think her character arc was very relatable and comprehensible. It’s not easy to deal with all of those expectations and the added pressure of Britt – her best friend and soulmate – leaving soon to follow her own dreams, certainly didn’t help. Still, at times I couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated with Mia because it was so obvious that she wanted to be with Britt, yet it seemed like she didn’t want to face that truth and conditioned it on how her mother’s scavenger hunt would end instead. Mia wanted someone else to make that choice for her and yes, that was extremely frustrating. Then again, she was still a teen and I guess if you’re that young and never knew your mom, you might crave some sort of guidance. ”When I look back, she’s already taken the stage, scanning the room, still searching for me in a way that I hope she one day – in six-almost-five days – won’t, if only so I can stop being the person who lets her down.” As we follow Tori Rose’s diary entries and her story unfolds, we discover that she didn’t always have an answer for everything, though. The reader gets to see a young Tori Rose at the beginning of her career, torn between adventurous life on the road and the quiet safety of the small town she grew up in. Her inner struggle reflected in the two boys that accompany her on her journey while she follows her dreams. And let me tell you this, those two boys couldn’t have been any more different even if they tried. "His voice was gentler than I'd kept mine. He made his way across the lobby, and I held his gaze again. Our melodies wound together. I didn't make a move until the song was over." "Dance with me," I said. "It's the perfect weather." He shook his head, took a bow, and extended a hand. I looped my arms around his neck. On the one hand, we had Patrick Rose, the mysterious boy with the rose tattoo who connected to Tori through their mutual love for music. And on the other hand we had David Summers, Tori’s childhood best friend who supported her no matter what and knew her better than anyone else. I loved how those two boys stood for different things in Tori’s life and the fact that one of them could be Mia’s father only made to read her POV even more intriguing. The only thing Tori Rose always knew was that she wanted to make music, but in order to do that she also had to make a choice. "She had choices, she had fears, she had songs that scared her, and she tried her best. She was a million paradoxes, and she wanted the music despite it all." So in the end both, Mia as well as Tori Rose, had to decide what they wanted and it was no easy choice for either of them. I think what Patrick and David represented for Tori Rose was exactly what Britt and Mia’s grandmothers represented for her. Choices, different paths with a million of possibilities and yes, this can be quite scary. Still, despite it all, I could always feel how much Mia loved her grandmothers and Britt. Both girls, Mia and Tori, felt torn inside and both had to find their own way. ”Her nose nudges mine, and our lips meet again, fingers tangling deeper in hair and hearts on sleeves. We burst and we break. We are dichotomies and paradoxes and lies and happily never afters. We are an ending that wants to be a beginning and a beginning that never got to start quite right. We are everything, and she is everything, and only I know that I truly wish I could go with her.” Even though Mia’s POV wasn’t as interesting as Tori Rose’s, I still loved her relationship with Britt and those two had a lot of chemistry and sweet moments that instantly caused me to pull for them. In addition, I’m such a sucker for the best friends-to-lovers trope and Britt and Mia definitely delivered on that front. What I really loved about this book were the beautiful lyrics, though. They made everything feel even more real and I could totally imagine them singing those songs on a stage together. Meaningful lyrics that rhyme are my kryptonite in books that feature music so this was amazing! "Better off with no hearts on sleeves, for mine's caged inside. Better off without the truth, for there's safety in our lies." ”And the songs in my heart won't be silenced by dawn, Because honey the music's been raging too long. So in this garden of dreams, constellations at its seams, I ask you this time: will you follow the music with me?" Finally yet importantly, before I end this review I’ve to mention a couple of things: Firstly: The fact that we got an elderly lesbian couple in the form of Mia’s grandmothers was awesome. I honestly need more representation like this in my books! For obvious reasons we so rarely get older LGBTQIA+ couples in stories, but I think representation like that is so important. Secondly: Kalie Holford nailed the grief representation for me. It ran like a common thread through the entire book and was palpable in many different ways. No matter if it was through Mia’s grandmothers that didn’t want to talk about Tori Rose, Tori’s old friends, people that knew her and spoke about her with Mia or even Mia herself who never got to know her mother and held on to her letters so tightly it hurt. Grief can have many forms and this was shown so nicely throughout the story. ”For all the pain her passing caused, I am so glad I met her, that she was part of my life. That’s the funny thing about loss, you know? You wish you’d never had to feel a hurt that deep, but you *knew* that person and you wouldn’t have had it any other way. For however long they were there, they meant something, and that is forever.” Despite all my enjoyment there were some things that didn’t make a lot of sense though and of course I want to address them in my review as well. For instance, I couldn’t understand why Mia’s grandmothers never spoke about Tori Rose. I mean she was their daughter and no matter how much it hurt, for the sake of their grandchild’s sanity alone they should have told her about her mother. And if we’re already talking about flaws in the story: I didn’t get how Mia was able to live in Sunset Cove all her life without finding out about her mother’s death. You would think that it’s impossible not to know everything about your famous country star mother in a city that is so clearly dedicated to her life and work. Not to mention that the press would have had a field day finding out who Mia’s father was. Under normal circumstances, Mia could have easily read about Tori Rose’s love life in all the tabloids and newspapers of that time. Especially in times like now in which all those things are archived online and you just have to follow the right link. So that part of the story felt a little unrealistic and I’m sure the author could have found a different way to keep the mystery alive than just not allowing the characters to talk about Tori Rose. ”You can outgrow places and people and still love them.” Conclusion: All told, “The Last Love Song” was a great debut novel that lived from its beautiful lyrics and intriguing storyline. The scavenger hunt element and the mystery around Tori Rose’s death and Mia’s father kept me invested and I really wanted to know how the story would end for both of those girls. I loved how the grief representation was handled and the fact we got a queer rep as well was the icing on the cake. So despite of some things not making a lot of sense I was still happy to follow Mia’s journey. 3,5 stars rounded up to 4, because at the end of the day this was a very enjoyable read and I had a good time reading it. ________________________________ This was a nice story and I really wanted to find out who Mia’s dad was. I liked that we had an elderly lesbian couple in this and the lyrics throughout the book were great. I gotta admit I was more invested in Tori Rose’s storyline than I was in her daughters, though. XD Full RTC soon! I’ll try to get it up asap because I was already late reading this ARC. >_< ______________________________ I got “The Last Love Song” as an ARC from NetGalley and I’ve been looking forward to read it ever since! Unfortunately life happened and I didn’t manage to get to it sooner. Anyway! I’m ready to dive into this and I’m extremely intrigued by the premise of the book. I love stories that blend the past and future together and have a music element. Mia’s mother is a country music star and we’re going on some sort of scavenger hunt through her city. Plus there’s a LGBTQIA+ rep and I’m always here for them! This said: I’m ready! Let’s do this! =) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 29, 2024
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Jun 10, 2024
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Apr 29, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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9781706447573
| 1706447574
| 4.06
| 18
| unknown
| Mar 29, 2020
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really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) **I received this book as a free eBook copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you S.P. Fletcher for en I’m on BookTube now! =) **I received this book as a free eBook copy from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you S.P. Fletcher for entrusting me with your story and for your endless patience!** ”You’re the first one I actually ever voted for because I thought you would make life for people around here better. So you are going to get on that rocketship and you are going to go make a difference like everyone knows you can.” First of all: I’m kinda mad at myself for reading “The Senator” so late! This story was great and I absolutely loved it because it was once again the right book at the right time for me. And secondly: The European elections are around the corner, Austrian elections for the Austrian parliament are coming up this autumn and I still don’t know who to vote for. Modern day politics have become tiresome and vexing and with all the scandals and corruption allegations, it’s really not easy to find someone decent who actually deserves your vote. I want change and I want Austria to become a better country, for the politicians to do more for their people and to understand the troubles and hardships Austrian citizens have to face. Unfortunately, it seems like they are miles away from knowing what is truly happening in their country and I think I’d have to go into politics myself in order to truly bring about change. Well, and that’s the point where we come back to the plot of the book because that’s exactly what the MC of “The Senator” does! ”To me, it seems democracy too easily falls prey to men of greed and power.” I could totally relate to this quote and if there ever was a guy who would have gotten my vote then it would have been Senator Jason Jones! XD I really loved the fact that Jason came from a poor background and lived at a trailer park. His life wasn’t easy and due to politicians and people who didn’t care he had an accident that turned him into some sort of indestructible superhero when he was a teen. Of course, no one knows about this part of Jason’s past and even though he had to fight his way to the top, he became the official senator of Kentucky! He’s become a man of the people and because he’s so down-to-earth and knows about the struggles ordinary people have to face, he’s trying his best to change American politics from the inside. "And here I am, day after day, in a small forlorn and forgotten back alley of the rust belt, fighting to keep us out of poverty, fighting to keep the bank away from the house, fighting to stop Dad from gambling away his pay check on horses and drugs while he bashed my head in on a regular basis." Yes, Jason didn’t have it easy and because of that he’s become a fighter for the poor people that can’t defend themselves. No matter if it’s at the courtroom in his official function as a prosecutor, as the Senator of Kentucky who works in the Senate or as a secret villain who takes out corrupt politicians at night. Jason’s work is cut out for him and as it seems he’ll have to go through half of the Senate in order to weed out all the bad roots. The worst part? Apparently, the President himself is allied with the very forces that want to bring about the downfall of America. ”Thank you for not fucking something up for once, I guess? That's an improvement for you guys." How much prison time do they give you for killing the President again? Is it like a guaranteed ride to the electric chair or would I be able to say he asked for it? And so it happens that Jason ends up at the Oval Office at midnight, while the man who is responsible for America is trying to ensure his silence by offering him way too much money. Of course, Jason declines which causes him to end up on the blacklist of the President himself. Talk about a good start of your career as a Senator. *lol* Jason would not be Jason if this would faze him, though. If you stick your nose in someone else’s business, you’re bound to face some serious backlash. Jason was aware of that from the beginning. Still, he didn’t think the crazy leader of America would go to such lengths in order to get rid of him. ”This is just turning into the worst week of my life.” I calmly survey the tanklike men. “Come to Washington D.C. Be a senator. You’ll spend your whole term cleaning up other people’s messes and have people trying to kill you.” Haha! I just loved Jason’s black humour, unapologetic attitude and his integrity. I mean they tried to bribe him with a lot of money, but he still said “no”. They did everything in their power to thwart his career because he came from a poor background and is gay and they crossed him on multiple occasions, trying to get rid of him with all their machinations and intrigues. Thankfully, Jason had a great team that was loyal to him and always managed to be one-step ahead of the game. Bless Harry, the Senator of Hawaii, his personal assistant Jackie and sweet Earnie. ”You ever try something like that again and I will rip your arms out of their sockets and beat you to death with them. Come after me all you want. That’s fine. But you don’t dare fuck with the innocent families of this country. I was a prosecutor. If I kill you, I will get off without a sentence or conviction.” I know Jason’s actions were more than just morally grey and totally out of line. You don’t go about killing corrupt politicians at night. It’s the wrong way to bring about change and it’s morally reprehensible, but some part of me could understand why he did what he did. Jason was tired of the system failing whenever it was important. Cases lost on some minor technicality that let the culprit get free and do it again or just judges that were bribed with a lot of money. And quite honestly, that part wasn’t even fiction. So many cases are lost because of little mistakes and the victims have to suffer their entire lives from what was done to them while the rapists, murderers, burglars etc. get free without any consequences. Add to that the sheer amount of horrible, rich and entitled Senators that never did what was good for their people and only ever worked for their own gain. Jason was in a position to get his change, whether it was through legal ways or through using his special abilities, either way he was determined to do what was best for his country and people. So yeah, I got where he was coming from and his actions might have been drastic and wrong but they ultimately came from a good place. ”I’m not exactly sure I’m the hero America wants. But, if I’m sure of anything, it’s that, right now, I’m willing to be the villain it desperately needs.” S.P. Fletcher created an anti-hero you can’t help but pull for, no matter how condemnable his actions are. I think in many ways Jason Jones reminded me of Matt Murdock. Attorney at day and “Daredevil” at night. Both of them are morally grey characters but Jason definitely gets his hands way dirtier than Matt and thrives when he hands out justice. I think there’s a dark side to Jason that enjoys killing those politicians and to take them out of the race. Yet there’s still his unshakable belief in justice and truth that motivates him to get up every day. Jason is a truly complex character and I loved that about him. ”That hadn’t gone so well. Since I didn’t speak any Russian, I had to interrogate him through Google Translate, and from the weird looks he kept giving me none of my questions were making any sense. I could have bought the app for my phone but they wanted $29 and no interrogation is worth wasting that kind of money on.” Also he’s funny! *lol* There were a couple of scenes that caused me to laugh because they were so absurd, but also very relatable. Sure, the fact no one is able to catch him felt a little unrealistic at times, especially because the story played in the future and there are like a million of surveillance systems that should have been able to give him a hard time. For the plot’s sake I had no problem to overlook those minor issues, though. Sometimes you just gotta cut the author some slack and let them off the hook in order to enjoy a book. Call it creative freedom. ;-P "Sadly, there are no good, decent men in the Senate anymore," I say, almost fiercely. "But lately I'm starting to wonder if there ever was anyone decent in this job." "That can't be true, sir." He locks eyes with me. "I'm looking at one of the decent ones right now." I blush uncomfortably. Last, but not least I have to talk about Jason being a part of the LGBTQIA+ community and the very steamy scenes we get throughout the entire book. Truth be told, it even starts with one and that was quite a surprise! I didn’t expect the book to go for it right at the beginning but that opening scene certainly intrigued me enough to continue. *lol* You have no idea how happy I was to find out that Jason isn’t only gay but also very unapologetic about it. He’s secure in his sexuality and whenever he meets someone he finds attractive Jason doesn’t beat about the bush and makes his intentions clear. When he gets a “no” he accepts it and when he gets the all-clear he enthusiastically goes for it. I loved this! No, seriously! Please write more characters like that! The world needs them! “Never seen a male senator with the pizza boy before.” He opens the car door for me. There’s a hint of a smile on his features. “Ah. How time changes and we move forward.” “Well that’s what I’m here for,” I say. “Breaking barriers and moving America forward one pizza boy at a time.” That scene! *lol* It was gold! As was Special Agent Galloway who becomes Jason’s bodyguard and is part of his security detail. This hot Scottish Highlander with copper hair and a body like Adonis was exactly what we needed in this story. XD His growing friendship and later on relationship with Jason was perfect and it was nice to see that there was someone who could accept Jason for who he was, with all his faults, flaws and secrets. He doesn’t condone Jason’s actions and even calls him out on them, but he understands why he is doing what he’s doing and he respects Jason’s decisions. I was glad he finally found someone who made him feel safe enough to confide in. When I turn my gaze away from the rain thrusting down across the street and off my portico, my eyes are haunted. “They killed an entire town.” I feel my throat hoarsen. “Because they didn’t want to pay seventeen dollars and nine cents. They killed 449 people just for that. For a measly seventeen dollars and nine cents. All my childhood friends and Link. They killed them all.” My heart broke for Jason when he told his superhero origin story and despite the book having a rather black humour and being very action driven those chapters were kept very serious and sober. With this S.P. Fletcher managed to convey the intensity of Jason’s background story and as a reader you feel his pain and helpless rage at the system. Moreover, you become angry on Jason’s behalf and you want the bad guys to pay for what they did. Quite honestly, it’s a genius stroke of the author and this scene was done masterfully. You have enough distance to take it all in but it still leaves a strong impression. Conclusion: I can’t believe I waited so long to read “The Senator” because this was amazing! I dunno what it is about this book but it catered to all my needs and I was hooked right from the beginning. No matter if it was the backstabbing politics, the superhero aspect, the LGBTQIA+ representation, the humour, the steamy scenes or Jason as the multi-layered MC of the story who’s integrity can’t be swayed, I enjoyed it all. This was great and if you’re tired of today’s politics this perfectly hits the nerve of the times. ;-) __________________________________ I had so much fun reading this! <3 I didn’t expect to like “The Senator” that much but once again it was the right book at the right time. Also I loved the mixture of intrigues, superpowers, action and LGBTQIA+ rep! And yes, it was steamy too. ;-P Full RTC soon! I need to think this through and write a proper review! =) ___________________________________ First of all I want to apologize to S.P. Fletcher for taking so long to get to this review copy, and then I want to add how much I’m looking forward to read “The Senator”! I heard this is a book for people that are fed up with politics and quite honestly the mere fact we have a Senator who has super powers and uses them to get rid of corrupt politicians is already persuading enough. *lol* Plus I heard that Senator Jason Jones is part of the LGBTQIA+ community so this sounds perfect! Let’s find out the truth. ;-) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 15, 2024
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May 30, 2024
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Apr 15, 2024
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Paperback
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0008607338
| 9780008607333
| 0008607338
| 4.22
| 24,538
| May 02, 2023
| May 11, 2023
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it was amazing
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”It feels bigger than I want it to be. Do I really have to announce this? Can’t I just feel something and live inside it while I’m on BookTube now! =) ”It feels bigger than I want it to be. Do I really have to announce this? Can’t I just feel something and live inside it while it’s happening and not analyse it to death?” Can I say something before I write this review? Yes? Okay! I loved this book so, so, so much, you have no idea! It was perfect, just like “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” was and I’m so glad I dared to read another one of Becky Albertalli’s books. Not all of them were my cup of tea, so I’m even happier I can say that this was amazing! I think in some way “Imogen, Obviously” was everything I wanted “Leah on the Off-Beat” to be. Unfortunately, I was no big fan of Leah’s book and had a couple of issues with it, but Imogen? Wow! Please give me more books like this one, because the world needs them! I think by now it will surprise absolutely no one that I actually rated this five stars, right? I feel like I need to explain my deep love for this book, though so let’s just dive into my review and get to the facts. ;-) ”I almost can’t catch my breath for a second. But Tessa’s still smiling at me, so I smile back, except now I’m blushing, and I’m pretty sure the eye contact should have ended by now. Only I can’t look away, because Tessa’s so cute, and her smile is like sunshine on water.” First things first: The plot! So we basically have Imogen who’s been an ally to her queer friends and sister ever since they came out. Despite being the best and most thoughtful ally in the world she considers herself to be totally hetero and only ever had crushes on boys. Well, that is until one of her best friends Lili goes to college and invites her to stay over for a couple of nights. It’s the first time Immy is on campus and Lili introduces all her cool new and very queer friends that instantly adopt her into their circle. There’s a little catch, though. Due to being a little intimidated by her friends and feeling insecure Lili claimed Imogen is bisexual and that they were in a relationship. Being the bestie that she is Immy plays along but soon realizes that she might not be as straight as she thought she was. Because every time she sees Tessa – one of Lili’s new friends – her heart is doing crazy things. ”She scrunches her nose at me. A bubble of laughter rises up from my chest for no reason. But then Tessa clamps a hand over my mouth, and it makes something twist inside me. The skin of her palm on my lips. Oh gosh, those two were just so adorable! I loved their easy banter and their conversations! Also Tessa being Tessa was one of the best things about the book. I swear, I’m having a major book girlfriend crush on Tessa, because this girl is perfect. I adore her so much and it’s almost impossible not to fall for her, she’s girlfriend material through and through. The way Immy and her flirted and got to know each other was so much fun to read about and I could relate to Imogen’s feelings so much. A lot of queer people start out like her, thinking they are just an ally until they realize they’re not. Suddenly there comes a girl that turns your world upside down and you find yourself questioning everything you ever did. It sure as hell felt like that for me. So Imogen’s thoughts and her second guessing everything she did was extremely relatable. ”For a while, I was worried I shouldn’t be there. I spent weeks reading every blog post and Reddit forum I could find about allies and safe spaces, and whether it was even okay for me to show up at the meetings. Was I just another straight girl invading queer territory? Was I an outsider, sucking all the oxygen from the room?” Also: Fair warning, it gets a little personal now! ;-) When I was a kid I loved Sailor Moon and watched every episode. I especially liked Sailor Uranus who was named Haruka and liked to dress like a boy. She was even in a relationship with Sailor Neptune who was also a girl and despite 8 year old me never being able to tell if Haruka was a boy or a girl (or both) that was in a romantic relationship with a girl, I just accepted it and liked her even more for it. I never really thought about that until I was a teen and fell in love with another girl. Looking at it in retrospective everything made so much sense. *lol* But of course 8 year old V was oblivious af and had no idea what it all meant. Later on there came that nagging question: Do I want to be like him/her/them or do I have a crush on him/her/them?! It was something that was always in the back of my mind but I never dared to acknowledge it. (The answer was both, actually. xD) Living in a country with relatives that are straight and very catholic will do that to you, but that’s a story for another day. Bottom line: Just like with Imogen the signs were all there, it only took a while to see them for what they truly were. ;-) ”Something’s glitching. The way my heart’s pounding straight through my chest. The way my brain’s completely stuck on Tessa. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think this was an actual crush. But how do I know if it’s real?” To get a glimpse at Immy’s thoughts and her feelings felt so good and there were many scenes, in which I found myself. I’m sure a lot of other people who read this book will be able to relate to her as well and I’m very glad there are books like this out there in the world now. Teen me would have needed those books so badly, I’m thankful they exists for the next generation, though. It might have taken me years to figure out myself but I eventually did. *lol* Anyway! Back to the book! Of course I loved all the LGBTQIA+ reps we got and Becky made sure to play the entire spectrum our rainbow has to offer. We had everything from non-binary to lesbian, gay, bi and pan. And haha I guess it’s true that queer people just can’t sit normal in a chair. I’m guilty of that too. XD Lili was quiet for a moment. "But what's the solution? Not let anyone in the door until Gretchen decides they're queer enough?" Still, not everything was rainbows and sunshine and I loved the way Becky tackled the topic of LGBTQIA+ people not always being save even in queer spaces. She did it by inventing a bisexual character named Gretchen and I think everyone who’s part of the LGBTQIA+ community either knows or knew someone like Gretchen. I came across a lot of Gretchen’s in my life and they always think that they are entitled to tell you how you feel and what you have to think. People like her just can’t let you be and always want to put a label on everything. They can’t seem to be able to accept that there are other identities as well and they never think about the fact that everyone is different and that everyone’s experiences are different too. For them there’s just one truth and it’s theirs. ”Well,” Gretchen says slowly. “If you had a crush on her, it would feel like a crush.” “I think it does, though? Just a different kind of crush.” Gretchen draws back, eyeing me appraisingly. “Okay, how about this?” she says finally. “Do you want to fuck her? No? Then you’re safe.” The rage I felt when I read this! UGH!! I mean Gretchen WTF?! That woman was always so fast at pointing out the flaws of others but had absolutely zero self-reflection abilities. The way she gaslighted Immy and always turned everything into her being straight. There are so many reasons why that statement above is extremely problematic, just one of them the simple fact that there ARE people out in the world who are aro/ace or demisexual etc. I just couldn’t with Gretchen. No, seriously, if I’d still have toxic people like her in my life I’d give them a piece of my mind before I cut them out of it entirely. Still, Becky Albertalli inventing her character is a stroke of genius and I can only salute her for it. So many of us have been there and made experiences like Imogen and I’m about 98% convinced Becky Albertalli was there too and this is the reason why she wrote the story like that. I don’t even have to mention how toxic “friends” like that are when you’re already questioning and have enough on your plate. Also I loved Lili for feeling that “reptilian rage” with me. *lol* ”Some queer people just really seem to love shitting on other queer people. Every day, someone’s out there weighing in about whether bi and pan girls even count as queer to begin with. Or we’re only queer under certain circumstances. They’ll say it with their whole chest. Absolutely zero awareness that their very specific queer experience isn’t one hundred percent universal.” Say it louder for the people in the back!!! So yeah, I couldn’t stand Gretchen but that’s exactly what Becky aimed for. She wanted us to question her character and maybe representation like that will animate some people in the queer community to think outside of their boxes in the future. Who knows? Just the fact it was properly addressed in here and pointed out will already mean a lot to many people, so no matter if you find yourself in Imogen or maybe even in Gretchen, Becky did her job. The fact there is no immediate and direct solution for the problem of queer people not accepting other LGBTQIA+ identities felt very realistic and I think at the end of the day we all have to decide how we want to deal with the Gretchen’s of the world. There’s no general solution and every situation is different so all we can do is to point out those prejudices and to work on them as a community. I’m convinced it will get better with time. It’s a process. ;-) ”That I thought I was straight. Even though I’m not. And I wasn’t. I don’t think I was. But then again, do I really know that? Does anyone really, truly, one hundred percent know?” Conclusion: All told, I loved “Imogen, Obviously” and despite all the heavy topics it tackled, it still had many cute and adorable moments. The slowly growing romance was such a nice counterweight to all the serious stuff and I absolutely loved Imogen’s and Lili’s group of queer friends. They were so much fun and their antics and shenanigans were hilarious. Becky Albertalli totally delivered with this one and I’m looking forward to read her next book. =) _______________________________ This is legit one of Becky Albertalli’s best books! For me “Imogen, Obviously” is on the same level as “Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda” which basically means: I loved it and it was adorable af! <333 Also the topics Becky addressed! Chef’s kiss! This was a win! Full RTC soon! I have THOUGHTS to share! ;-) ________________________________ I’ve been curious about “Imogen, Obviously” ever since my bestie read and loved it. I mean, this sounds like such a cute LGBTQIA+ romance. A girl who thinks she’s totally straight and then discovers she has feelings for one of her bestie’s new friends who happens to be a girl?! I love stories like that, so count me in. ;-P Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 08, 2024
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Apr 30, 2024
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Apr 08, 2024
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Paperback
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1250822130
| 9781250822130
| 1250822130
| 4.32
| 21,237
| Sep 06, 2022
| Sep 06, 2022
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I’m on BookTube now! =) This was great! The world building was amazing and I loved to learn about all the different dioses and their cities. Plus some I’m on BookTube now! =) This was great! The world building was amazing and I loved to learn about all the different dioses and their cities. Plus some of the trials were extremely suspenseful! Teo, Niya and Xio were such a fun trio! The ending, though! Like OMG! O_o I need to read book 2 asap! Full RTC soon! Give me some time to gather my thoughts! ;-) ________________________________ I loved “Cemetery Boys” when I read it last year and I’m already convinced I’ll love “The Sunbearer Trials” too! I mean what’s not to love? - A trans masc MC - Mythology, gods and semidioses - A deadly competition - “Hunger Games” meets ”Percy Jackson” This sounds exactly like my cup of tea! =) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 02, 2024
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May 12, 2024
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Apr 02, 2024
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Hardcover
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0702304328
| 9780702304323
| 0702304328
| 4.08
| 42,244
| Jun 02, 2020
| Jul 02, 2020
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I’m on BookTube now! =) This was a great read that tackled many important and interesting topics. Also boy, did some of those characters make me angry. I’m on BookTube now! =) This was a great read that tackled many important and interesting topics. Also boy, did some of those characters make me angry. The backstabbing was strong in this one. Loved #Mighty as a ship and Jordan Jennings is one hell of a precious soul! <3 No one can persuade me otherwise. Full RTC soon! This was awesome and I’m glad I finally read it! ___________________________________ I only heard good things about “You Should See Me in a Crown” and I read that it’s a fluffy YA romance which is exactly what I need after finishing “A Little Life”. Also I can’t wait to read about two girls that both want to become prom queen and kinda fall for each other while they compete! Liz sound like a great character and I’m already curious about her POV! Will she become prom queen and get the scholarship?! I guess we’ll find out! ;-) Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 18, 2024
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Jun 2024
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Mar 18, 2024
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Paperback
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4.26
| 136,403
| Jul 13, 2021
| Jul 13, 2021
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it was amazing
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I’m on BookTube now! =) ”The City was a healthy place, a thriving place. A never-ending harmony of making, doing, growing, trying, laughing, running, l I’m on BookTube now! =) ”The City was a healthy place, a thriving place. A never-ending harmony of making, doing, growing, trying, laughing, running, living. Sibling Dex was so tired of it." Boy, ain’t that a #mood! *lol* No, seriously, I can relate to that quote so much because I feel the same way whenever I leave my small town and go to Vienna. Don’t get me wrong, I love Vienna and it will always be the city I was born and grew up in, but everything there is so much more hectic and stressful than it’s in my chosen hometown. So when Sibling Dex – Dex for short – decided to leave the big city in order to find the sound of crickets I could totally understand that. Sometimes you just need quiet and the sounds of nature and this is exactly what Dex sets out to do. They want to become a tea monk and even though they have a rocky start, they put a lot of energy and effort into getting better and become the best tea monk of Panga in the end. Well, at least that’s what people claim, Dex would never say that about themselves. ;-) ”Dex had taken respite in tea parlors plenty of times, as everyone did, and they’d read plenty of books about the particulars of the practice. Endless electronic ink had been spilled over the old tradition, but all of it could be boiled down to listen to people, give tea.” I totally loved the concept of tea monks, because even though it sounds simple, it’s not really that easy to listen to people and to give them exactly the kind of comfort they need. Dex however does an amazing job and I could relate to them so much. I think if I’d live in their world I’d be a tea monk too. XD Because apparently I’m a good listener and give solid advice. I dunno about that, but it’s what other people think of me so I won’t argue with their perception of me. What I do know is that I have some sort of gift – if you want to call it like that – that causes people to open up to me and to just talk. It’s an endless source of amusement for my friends and hubby, because whenever I come home and tell them about my day there will be a story about a stranger I met on the train or subway and that started to talk to me. *lol* It happened recently with a lady on the train and I probably know more about her now than I know about my own cousin. XD Anyway! Let’s get back to Dex! ”In seven hours, they were supposed to be in Hammerstrike, a smile on their face, a mug of comfort extended. They believed in that work; they truly did. They believed the things they said, the sacred words they quoted. They believed they were doing good. Why wasn’t it enough?” Dex has a gift to help people in need, yet despite all their efforts and the knowledge they are doing something good, they still can’t shake the feeling that they are missing out on something. What exactly that is they don’t know, but it’s gnawing on them and they always feel like there’s more out there. That what they do isn’t enough. So one day they pack their things and go off the usual path, trying to find whatever it is they are searching for. And then they meet Splendid Speckled Mosscap and an adventure into the wild begins. The robot took another step back. “Are you afraid of me?” “Uh, yeah,” Dex said. The robot crouched, trying to align itself with Dex’s height. “Does this help?” “That’s … more condescending than anything.” Haha! Gosh, I loved the way they met and their first contact was hilarious. Those two were so different and at first Dex is more than just a little wary of Mosscap. It’s the first time a robot is talking to a human being after they went into the wild and Dex can’t believe that they are the one Mosscap wants to talk to. After all, robots and humans haven’t been in touch for centuries, surely there’s someone better qualified to handle this exchange, right? No, Mosscap insists it’s Dex it wants to talk to and after a couple of adventures they start to get to know and trust each other. Dex took note of Mosscap’s phrasing. “So, it is correct, then? You wouldn’t prefer they or –“ “Oh, no, no, no. Those sorts of words are for people. Robots are not people. We’re machines, and machines are objects. Objects are its.” “I’d say you’re more than just an object.” Dex said. The robot looked a touch offended. “I would never call you just an animal, Sibling Dex.” It turned its gaze to the road, head held high. “We don’t have to fall into the same category to be of equal value.” And that’s basically the essence of the book, Dex and Mosscap have meaningful conversations while they make their way through the wilderness together. I know that doesn’t sound adventurous or interesting but it was! I dunno what it is about this book, but the way Dex and Mosscap got to know each other and how they explained things, it was just so wholesome and sweet! They are both very innocent and they are aware that there is a lot they don’t know about each other, yet at the same time they are perceptive and try their best not to assume anything. Their conversations kinda reminded me of two little kids starting to talk to each other at the playground. Two strangers without an ulterior motive or any bad intentions. They just are and let each other be and try to understand where the other one is coming from. It was so refreshing and wholesome to read this. Also Mosscap’s curiosity! Ahh! I loved Mosscap so damn much! <333 ”You said you didn’t know how to make a fire,” Dex said as they approached. “I didn’t,” Mosscap said. “I went through the library and found a book that taught me how. I’ve never read a book before; it was very exciting. They’re not supposed to fall apart when you touch them, though, right?” Mosscap is honestly such a cute robot and I’d love to talk to it! I really enjoyed hearing what it thought and how it approached things. It was such a wise robot and the way it saw things and thought outside of the box was more than just a little intriguing. Mosscap is a gentle but also passionate soul and I hope we’ll get to know some of the other robots it spoke about in the next book. They all sounded like such interesting individuals. And speaking of interesting, alone the fact the robots were the ones who went into the wilderness is one hell of an intriguing and unique concept! I mean, robots who are made of technology and consist of metal that was bend together and shaped into a human form decided to go into nature and to study it. You’d think they wouldn’t be able to survive in a world without internet, electricity or shelter yet they seem to thrive and have their own rules and started their own civilisation. It’s amazing and I absolutely fell in love with the world-building and overall idea of this book. Becky Chambers really has become such a comfort author for me and I want to read all of her books. ”It’s pretty here,” Dex said. “I wouldn’t have imagined I’d say that about a place like this, but –“ “Yes, it is,” Mosscap said, as if making a decision within itself. “It is. Dying things often are.” Dex raised an eyebrow. “That’s a little macabre.” “Do you think so?” said Mosscap with surprise. “Hmm. I disagree.” It absently touched a soft fern growing nearby, petting the fronds like fur. “I think there’s something beautiful about being lucky enough to witness a thing on its way out.” Conclusion: I loved every second of “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” and I was kinda disappointed when it ended. I mean, I knew it was a short book, but once I finished the last page I couldn’t help but want for more! It felt like Dex’s and Mosscap’s journey just started, and I suppose in some way it actually did. I can’t wait to read the second book and I hope there are more to come! If you want to read something wholesome, endearing, meaningful, intriguing and unique, then this is the book for you! I know the premise sounds simple but the story is so much more than meets the eye and dare I say it? Splendid! ;-P 5 stars! ___________________________ This book was so, so, so wholesome! I have no idea how to describe it, but just to meet Mosscap and Dex was extremely soothing. The way they got to know each other, it was so nice and easy to read. <3 Loved it. Such a comfort read! Full RTC soon! I’ll try to nail that feeling with words. Wish me luck! XD ____________________________ Every once in a while you just need to read that one book everyone is raving about and I guess for me this is “A Psalm for the Wild-Built” by Becky Chambers. So many people recommended this book to me and everyone is telling me that this story is extremely wholesome and awesome. So basically all the some’s. *lol* I’m very curious what a tea monk and a robot have to discuss so I’m totally here for their conversation. XD Let’s do this. Ready, steady, go! Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 26, 2024
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Mar 10, 2024
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Feb 26, 2024
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Hardcover
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1250162688
| 9781250162687
| 1250162688
| 3.86
| 15,349
| Jun 19, 2018
| Jun 19, 2018
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really liked it
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I’m on BookTube now! =) "Help me find out who killed Nick Elliot, and everything I can teach you before Frostnight is yours." He propped his chin on th I’m on BookTube now! =) "Help me find out who killed Nick Elliot, and everything I can teach you before Frostnight is yours." He propped his chin on the pad of his thumb and the second knuckle of his index finger, examining me again. "Starting with how to hide your true nature, I think. You shine, Starred One, to anyone with the power to see." And so the interesting tale of Dr. Miles Singer and Tristan Hunter begins. To say it’s an intriguing story would be an understatement because wow, this book really surprised me. In the best way possible, I might add. These days it’s quite rare to find a unique and intriguing world-building but “Witchmark” managed to do exactly that! Plus it addressed a lot of other topics and themes and that makes it kinda hard to put it in just one category. For instance, we don’t just have the murder mystery around Nick Elliot who was killed by a stranger and passed his witch powers on to Miles right before he died. We also have politics, a secret society, magic, class differences, complicated family relationships, slavery, mental health, the aftereffects of war and PTSD. It’s a lot that’s packed into this 318 pages book but despite all that, it worked more than just well! C.L. Polk managed to pull it off and even added the setting of Edwardian England to it, which made for great scenes with bicycles and carriages. I honestly thought I read it all but then there comes this amazing chase scene on bicycles and I’m like: “Woah! I love it.” *lol* "She'll gut me if I hurt you," he said with a grin. "She didn't even need to say it. You inspire a true friendship, Miles." "She's never met anyone who claims to call on me." "I question the taste of every man and woman in this city." My face grew hot. So yeah, I had a great time with this book and I really enjoyed reading about it all. What I found very fascinating as well was the magic system and how it worked because apparently the people with magic abilities were also the people who were in charge and could do whatever they wanted. The way I understood the politics and power dynamics in this story, the aristocracy was divided into witches and storm singers. The Storm Singers kept their country safe by protecting it with their magic and keeping storms and horrible natural disasters at bay. And to strengthen their own powers while maintaining the weather balance in their country they took the power from Witches - which they considered inferior to them - and exploited their magic for their own gain. Which brings us to the topic of slavery because Witches weren’t even allowed to marry whoever they wanted, let alone allowed to use their own powers the way they wanted to. They are, for lack of a better word, some sort of battery that’s used by the Storm Singers. ”Free rein, but not free, Grace.” “I need you, Miles. If I’m to become the Voice, I need you. I wanted to convince you. I didn’t want this.” “But you won’t release me.” Silence. I rolled away from her hand, turned my back to her. “Go away.” Of course, this was the exact reason why Miles ran away from home and chose being a doctor in a war over being enslaved to his sister Grace. After he returned from the front, he let his family believe that he was dead and worked as a doctor in a veteran’s hospital instead. Unfortunately, him trying to heal Nick Elliot doesn’t only lead him to good people like Tristan Hunter but also causes him to be discovered and well, the rest you better read for yourself because I won’t spoil anything! ;-P This said, the mysterious mental disease some of the veterans brought back from the front and that turned them into murderers made for an interesting mystery and the love story between Tristan and Miles was just so sweet and tender. ”Should I go?” “No. Stay.” His hands trembled as he set them in mine. I raised them to my mouth and kissed his knuckles. “You didn’t enchant me.” “Like in the stories,” Tristan said. “I never did.” “You’re shaking.” “I am. Isn’t it silly?” I turned his hands over to kiss the palms, tracing the calluses of his sword hand. “You’re nervous. I didn’t think you felt –“ “Shut up, Miles.” He wound his arms around my neck and let me carry him upstairs. I mean, alone this quote! I loved those two together and I adored Tristan for giving Miles the respect and reverence he deserved. Miles was Tristan’s equal in every way and he appreciated his company, skills and intelligence! This was so palpable in every scene they had together and I just loved that about them. Was their love a little bit insta-lovey? Sure, I mean the happenings of the story take place during a timespan of about two weeks and that’s pretty short, but despite all that I’d still consider their love to be a slow-burn because they get to know each other first. They spend time together, they find out about each other’s habits and they have conversations while trying to solve a murder mystery. I really liked that about them and they both were such precious souls that just tried to help other people. No, seriously, they are a match made in heaven. <3 "He sat beside me and poured, stirring in a cube of sugar before giving me a cup. He rested his hand on my thigh as he sipped his own. Grace's nostrils flared as she watched Tristan lean against me as if we were lovers. I let him.” Also: I absolutely loved the way Tristan was protective of Miles and how he subtly but very clearly made his point in front of Grace. *lol* This Gentleman’s subtle “f*ck off” will forever be in the hall of fame of my favourite bookish scenes. It’s a gem. XD And speaking of Lady Grace Hensley, I hated her so much! Ugh! The way she treated Miles was horrible and it was so sad to see that Miles obviously loved her more than she loved him. If you truly love your sibling you’d never enslave him the way Grace did and the fact that she had the audacity to suggest marriage to him!! ARGH! That scene made me so damn angry and was pretty much the straw that broke the camel’s back. Grace was so egoistic and only thought about herself and her place in society while Miles always thought about others and tried to help them as best as he could. I mean that man tried to keep a low profile while working at a veteran’s hospital, healing other soldiers even though he went through hell as well. The only reason his cover was blown was because he tried to save a life. Grace… well she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and it was annoying af. XD I honestly dunno how I feel about continuing this series because I loathe Grace and apparently she’s the MC in the second book. I really would have wanted more of Miles and Tristan, not Grace. So I feel kinda conflicted about picking up the second instalment now. >_< Anyway! Back to the ending of my review! "Call me Tristan," he said. My pulse thumped in my ears. "It's not proper." "Miles," he said. Warmth spread across my chest. He leaned closer. Too handsome, and his face was only half of the truth. Conclusion: “Witchmark” was a great story with quite a unique world building! I haven’t read anything like it before and I really liked the entire Edwardian England with magic vibe! Miles was an amazing, altruistic, humble and extremely genuine MC as well and I enjoyed being in his head. His slow-burn romance with Tristan was awesome and I liked that it wasn’t the focus of the book, but still added so much to it. Politics, a murder mystery and social criticism were strong themes of the story too and I found myself enjoying that immensely. Maybe I might give the second instalment a chance after all? I guess we’ll see, for now I’m just glad I read the first book. =) ______________________________ Yesh! I finished this just in time to count it to my February Wrap Up! It’s the small goals, you know?! ;-P *lol* Anyway! I really enjoyed this and I loved the world building! I genuinely wish we would have gotten even more of it. The murder mystery was interesting too and I liked the characters as well. The ending could have been a little more detailed, though. Full RTC as soon as I get to it! (which might take a little while… XD ) _______________________________ I’ve wanted to read this for ages so I finally decided to go for it. I mean I really don’t know a lot about the plot other than that it’s a m/m story that plays in Edwardian England and apparently features a witch who’s hiding as a doctor in an asylum and a gorgeous man who helps him to solve the death of one of his patients. Sounds intriguing and as you all know I can never resist a great m/m series. So here we are! XD Find me on: My Blog Instagram ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 19, 2024
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Feb 29, 2024
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Feb 19, 2024
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Paperback
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Virginia Ronan
>
Books:
lgbtq
(77)
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my rating |
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4.05
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not set
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Nov 18, 2024
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4.15
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really liked it
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Nov 10, 2024
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Nov 01, 2024
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4.45
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not set
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Oct 28, 2024
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4.16
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it was amazing
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Oct 31, 2024
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Oct 21, 2024
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4.00
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Nov 26, 2024
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Oct 04, 2024
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3.72
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really liked it
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Jan 04, 2020
not set
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Sep 11, 2024
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3.94
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liked it
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Sep 28, 2024
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Aug 14, 2024
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4.17
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Sep 08, 2024
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Aug 05, 2024
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4.10
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it was amazing
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Aug 18, 2024
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Jul 30, 2024
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4.09
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liked it
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Aug 04, 2024
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Jul 12, 2024
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3.82
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it was amazing
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Aug 24, 2024
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Jun 24, 2024
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4.27
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it was amazing
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Jul 07, 2024
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Jun 14, 2024
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3.87
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really liked it
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May 26, 2024
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May 06, 2024
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3.73
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really liked it
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Jun 10, 2024
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Apr 29, 2024
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4.06
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really liked it
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May 30, 2024
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Apr 15, 2024
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4.22
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it was amazing
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Apr 30, 2024
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Apr 08, 2024
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4.32
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May 12, 2024
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Apr 02, 2024
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4.08
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Jun 2024
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Mar 18, 2024
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4.26
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it was amazing
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Mar 10, 2024
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Feb 26, 2024
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3.86
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really liked it
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Feb 29, 2024
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Feb 19, 2024
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