booksalacarte's reviews
695 reviews

Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

4.5⭐️3🌶️

Asian inspired Urban Fantasy
Multi POV
Death Trials/Games
Unique Magic System
Rebellion
Treason 

This was such a great series start that I took notes, but didn’t write a review except “so good!” 

The premise was similar to hunger games in in the video of a to the death games. But that’s really where the similarities stop. I was so interested and invested in the characters and what was going on. The magic system was unique and intriguing. I had so many questions that kept me in the story. The politics were well done. I’m so excited for this series!
Not in My Book by Katie Holt

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emotional funny informative tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5⭐️3🌶️

Contemporary romance
College romance
NY setting
Academic Rivals
Rivals to lovers
Writer MCs
Peruvian FMC
Slow burn
Deception



The premise is rivals in phd are so disruptive and childish in class that they are assigned a co-written project and I loved it! The tension and banter is realistic for people who argue and obsess over their angst, but because of the level of unprofessionalism it felt a little juvenile. I had to keep reminding myself that they were over 25 and in their MFA program. I think the single POV was definitely the best choice, thank goodness. If this book had been dual POV it would have spoiled so much. 

The fact that the writers are writing themselves into their project seems really stereotypical… but I found it a little repetitive to read the project excerpts of the same moment from the project. I wish that it had given glimpses into moments we didn’t see on page instead. But it was an interesting use of POV shift. 

I love when NY as a setting make an appearance as more of a character. 

There was a lot of Meg Ryan movie references and parallels. As a lover of Meg Ryan, I approve. It wasn’t overdone, but it was palpable. 

Thank you NetGalley and Aclove Press for this eARC. All opinions are my own.
Bride of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes

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challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

3.75⭐️2.25🌶️

Romantasy
Dual POV 
Slow burn
Unique Fae magic and lore
Mythical beasts 
Politics
Deception


Tw: misogyny 


The worldbuilding was pretty crazy. I wish there had been more information about the difference between the fae differences, and the magic left me with questions still. I’m hoping that a lot will be explained in book 2.

That ending was wild. A lot was foreshadowed,   And I’m interested to see what happens… I was interested in some of the side characters, to only have them gone when so much was character building was put into them was an interesting choice. 

It was a little too insta-love for me. But also slow burn at the same time? 

I didn’t love the POV shifting and having to read the same scene from the new POV. It made things too repetitive for me. I think it stunted the pace of things.

The emotions from the MMC in the end reveal was confusing. It didn’t fit the character as far as we know him in this book. I’m hoping his reaction to things get explained in book 2, because…. It made me not like him for character inconsistency. 

The last chapter is very interesting!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

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hopeful reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.0

3⭐️3.25🌶️

Novella
Contemporary romance
Gamer romance
Workplace romance
Unrequited Romance
Forced proximity



I listened to this book, and while the narrator was great, there were moments when the cadence felt a bit off.

I wasn’t a fan of the ‘big, strong man’ and ‘tiny, delicate woman’ dynamic—it just didn’t sit well with me.

The story also reminded me a lot of Love on the Brain, with some of the dialogue feeling a bit cliché and immature. I got the sense that the book leaned more towards erotica than contemporary romance, especially in the second half, which focused almost entirely on romance scenes with minimal character development.

The miscommunication trope was also a bit too predictable and felt overused, taking up way too much of the plot—especially considering the story takes place during a short work trip.

It delivers for Ali Hazlewood fans.
Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5⭐️.5🌶️

Fantasy
Sleeping beauty reimagining
Farie
Mythical beasts
Diverse characters
Found family


This was a great sleeping beauty reimagining novella! The writing was beautiful and eire. It was engaging and moving. The pacing was steady with great worldbuilding and connection between the characters. 

The audiobook was beautifully narrated. I was able to listen at 2x and finish in just over 2 hours. 
The Cure for Women: Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi and the Challenge to Victorian Medicine That Changed Women's Lives Forever by Lydia Reeder

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.25

The cure for women

3.25⭐️1🌶️

Historical Non-Fiction
Victorian medicine
Women’s health
Gender discrimination
Misogyny

TW: everything and anything you can think of in regards to medical trauma, malpractice and experimentation.

Victorian healthcare and women in health has been an interest of mine since I read Women in White Coats by Olivia Campbell and My Notorious Life by Kate Manning last year. The idea of the levels of mysogny being so profound, and continuing in small ways into todays healthcare system is mind blowing and very revealing.

This book was an interesting look at women’s health in Victorian times, and more specifically the life of Dr. Mary Putnam Jacobi, daughter of a NY publisher and first woman to be accepted into a world renown medical school in Paris. Dr. Putnam Jacobi focused her attention in researching women’s reproductive health with backed up data rather than the fabricated women’s health practices of the time.

It was more in the style of a textbook than a story, so thankfully the book was very well researched. The storyline that was promised was very much non-linear, and would shoot off topic fairly often, following other well known individuals. With how much research was done, I really wish there had been more direct quotes. I think this would have lent to feeling like we knew Dr. Putnam Jacobi better as a person and practitioner. More showing and less telling.

The medical procedures were well written and documented. 

The topic of women’s healthcare, gender discrimination and women’s rights is so important and timely. Proper recognition is due to so many more silent (or quieted) leaders in women’s health, women’s continued education and standard sterile practices.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Tale of the Heart Queen by Nisha J. Tuli

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

3.5⭐️3🌶️

Fourth book
New Adult
High Fantady
Fantasy Romance
Adult Fantasy
Multi POV
Flashbacks
BIPOC
Fae courts
Magic
Politics

Tw: death

I wish there had been more of a recap. Having been so long since I read the 3rd book, I had forgotten exactly what led up to the moment of the opening chapter. 

Books 1-3 were great! This book was good, but it was a book of tying up ends, not necessarily explaining anything further or MC growth. The character growth that did happen was for side characters and bad guys… which was an interesting choice.

The big bad had quite the setup for very little payout. There was so much opportunity to expand on his role, magic and setting. We got the barest of that, which was disappointing.

I felt like every chapter was a closing chapter… which made the reading experience unfortunately, very repetitive. All the things that were listed as problems by the characters just… fix themselves quickly and neatly. This could have been edited a little more to cut some of the repetitive moments and internal dialogue in favor of SHOWING us more of the key aspects from the previous books resolved. 

I liked how it ended… but thought the final steps of the lead up were skimmed over.

Thank you NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for an Advanced eReader Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

—————————
Artifacts of Ouranos
Trails of the Sun Queen- 4⭐️2.5🌶️
Rule of the Aurora King- 3.75⭐️2.75🌶️
Fate if the Sun King- 4.5⭐️3🌶️
Tale of the Heart Queen- 3.5⭐️3🌶️
The Serpent and the Wolf by Rebecca Robinson

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

4.75⭐️3🌶️

Fantasy Romance
Unique ruling system
Political Intrigue
Magical sickness
Political marriage
Grumpy/sunshine
Enemies to lovers
Slow Burn 
Found family
Betrayal


I was hooked from the first chapter. Being dropped in a political marriage wedding night gone wrong. It was a great way to start the action of this book from the very beginning. 

The characters were well developed and individual. I enjoyed them both so much. Vassa is a strong willed and cunning woman who knows how to get things done. She was born and raised in the game of politics and is adept in navigating her way in the political world she is thrust into. It was really interesting to have a female with shadow powers and seeing her learn about them as an adult. Seeing the magical learning process. 

Reid is a great leading man, maybe a little less dynamic, but still solid, considering we don’t see his POV.

I’m really excited about where this series will head. The world-building was good (could be great with a map). The side characters are solid. The magic system is intriguing. I’m really enjoying this debut!

Hopefully a map will be in the next book.


Thank you NetGalley and  Saga Press Books for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Puck & Prejudice by Lia Riley

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emotional tense medium-paced

3.0

Puck & Prejudice

3⭐️3.25🌶️

Contemporary/historical fantasy
3rd person
Dual POV
27/30yo MCs
Time travel romance
Marriage of convenience


Tw: drowning, cancer remission

Being a historical romance reader, I thought this would be an easy read for me. Who wouldn’t want to see a person go back to 1812? But I have to admit, the chosen historical speech pattern didn’t flow naturally until mid book, when the modern speech started morphing into a more historically formal approach. It was the most distracting part of the book.

It took a while to get into. It was way spicier than I expected. The modern language/praise in the intimate scenes was a bit too out of place for my taste.

So yes, this was definitely a silly read, but possibly too much camp for me to really adore, even as a historical/contemporary romance reader. Maybe if the contemporary girls read this they might branch into historical romance… making it a gateway book into the sub-genre. In the end, the story was cute, even if I didn’t enjoy the ending as much as someone else might have.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

When among crows

4⭐️1.5🌶️

Urban Fantasy Novella
Present tense
Multi POV
Tri Narration
🏳️‍🌈 MCs
Slavic folklore
Chicago Setting
Mythical creatures
36hr quest

Tw: gore

Trying to break a curse while hunting for Baba Yaga.

 So much was covered in such a short novella. Immigration, culture, Slavic lore, and so much more. I was so thrilled with listening to this novella because the narrators were great.

This was an awesome little novella. The world building and magic system felt complete. The slavic folklore was explained so well.