caseythereader's reviews
1744 reviews

The Prospects by KT Hoffman

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emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? No

4.75

Thanks to The Dial Press for the free copy of this book.

 - You’ve seen endless great reviews for this book, and let me tell you, they are all absolutely correct. What a gift of a book THE PROSPECTS is!
- Gene and Luis have my whole heart. What beautiful, soft men, learning to let themselves have what they dream of.
- The supporting cast is wonderful, too. I would gladly read whole books about Vince, Baker, or the Kyles.
- If you’re worried about the baseball, don’t. It’s a sport I feel neutral about and I was still swept along with the story. 

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Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

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challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

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

3.5

Thanks to Harlequin for the free copy of this book.

 - I found THE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE to be a gorgeous and frustrating book. The concept is fantastic and romantic, but the execution left something to be desired.
- I loved this conception of fated mates, weaving in ancient mythology, welding this magic with the glitter of modern circuit parties.
- However, we jumped so quickly between timelines that the relationship didn’t actually have much space to grow beyond us just being told that they were drawn together. Any actual reasons or chemistry were absent.
- Some plot threads kind of disappeared, side characters reappeared or didn’t without much logic, and I’m honestly not sure what was happening in the final scenes.
- Side note: I see so many reviews hating on the euphemism “my influence,” but I thought it was funny, lol. 

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Didn't See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thanks to PRH Audio for the free copy of this book.

 - Ooohhh, DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING was so fun. It’s You’ve Got Mail with half a dozen other romance genres gleefully mashed in there and I adored it.
- I loved that this book was so fun, but had at its heart an issue important to teenage girls. Sutanto showed the many ways sexism and misogyny can show up in daily life, from adults and peers, in big ways and small.
- I’ve read a couple Sutanto books now and can’t wait to get my hands on the rest. I adore her brand of joyous chaos! 

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Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.75


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Boys Weekend by Mattie Lubchansky

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dark funny 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

4.0


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We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thanks to Avon Books for the free copy of this book.

 - I sat down to write my review of WE COULD BE SO GOOD and all that came out was 😍😍😍😍 *pterodactyl screeching* 🥲🥲🥲🥲 So that’s what I’m rolling with, consider this my official review. 

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Like Happiness by Ursula Villarreal-Moura

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

4.25


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The Salvation Gambit by Emily Skrutskie

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adventurous tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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Chronically Dolores by Maya Van Wagenen

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emotional funny hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Thanks to Random House for the free copy of this book.

 - CHRONICALLY DOLORES is easily a new favorite YA novel for me. It’s all the best parts of YA - exploring topics kids are embarrassed to talk about, complicated feelings, big feelings, but still being funny and fun.
- I adored Dolores and her new friend Terpsichore, and seeing them figure out how to befriend each other as they try to navigate the world as teens who are chronically ill and autistic, respectively.
- I really liked how this book very pointedly discussed the difference between having an incurable disease and being neurodivergent. Both shape who you are and the way you live, but they are not the same.
- I don’t even have space to get into everything else this book covers. Religion, ableism, class, familial tensions...all this and it’s still a book that had me laughing out loud. I hope you’ll seek it out! 

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