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fanboyriot's reviews
907 reviews
Once Upon A Goth Dog Solstice: A Crafty Tale by R.L. Merrill
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
Read For:
✓ Good Humor
✓ Mutual Pining
✓ Healthy Relationship
✓ LGBTQIA+ Characters
✓ Military Veteran (both MCs)
˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗
This is great for those who like shorter stories but where the pacing of the book isn’t rushed. The plot and the characters are well thought out and have great chemistry. The romance was super healthy with good communication. While the main characters were different from one another they seemed to bring out the best in each other especially when they both realized the pining was mutual.
The sense of family and love was beautifully done in a romantic way, friendship way, and also in a family way. It was lighthearted and wholesome all the while having more serious topics and a main character dealing with chronic pain along with trauma from his time in the military.
I loved all the celebrations of each solstice and how this book was broken up between the spring equinox, summer solstice, fall equinox, and winter solstice. I don’t see this in books all that much so it was really nice.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️
Angst Level: 💧💧
POV: Duel, Third Person
Release Date: 10, December 2024
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, Homophobia, and War
The Holiday Trap by Roan Parrish
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
Read For:
✓ House Swap
✓ Happy Ending
✓ Holiday Romance
✓ Healthy Boundaries
✓ Wholesome Romance
˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗
This was such an amazing book. Could not recommend it enough. I loved all the holiday vibes and the healthy romance was so good!! The characters working with how to set boundaries and especially with family it was written so well. And the characters all had depth and personality. The plot was cute and the house swap made for an entertaining read, both settings were written beautifully!
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Angst Level: n/a
POV: Duel, Third Person
Release Date: 06, September 2022
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Ableism, Chronic illness, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Vomit, Grief, and Religious bigotry
Home Is Where the Bodies Are by Jeneva Rose
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Read For:
✓ Plot Twist
✓ Hidden Murder
✓ Family Secrets
✓ Small Town Setting
✓ Generational Trauma
˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗
It was an entertaining mystery/thriller, yes a bit over the top and dramatic but it kept my interest and the narrators did a great job with bringing the characters to life.
Spice Level: n/a
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧💧💧
POV: Switching, First Person
Release Date: 30, April 2024
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Medical content and Gaslighting
Minor: Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Dementia, and Classism
Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar
funny
lighthearted
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
5.0
Read For:
✓ Fake Dating
✓ Bengali MCs
✓ Coming of Age
✓ Opposites Attract
✓ Bisexual and Lesbian MCs
˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗
I really enjoyed this book from the start. The pacing was great, the main characters were lovely, and I really liked the fake dating trope in this book. It definitely lived up to the hype. This book deals with serious topics such as racism, biphobia, and homophobia. Despite how horrible Hani’s friends were this book has a lighthearted feel to it. I essentially loved the sibling dynamic, not to mention Hani and her relationship with her mom was super cute.
Spice Level: n/a
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧
POV: Duel, First Person
Release Date: 25, May 2021
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcohol
A Plain & Fancy Christmas by Cynthia Keller
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
Read For:
✓ Amish Life
✓ Lighthearted
✓ Holiday Book
✓ Switched at Birth
✓ Wholesome Characters
˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗
I would have never guessed I liked this book. It isn’t a genre I usually pick up much but I was looking for holiday audiobooks on Libby and thought I’d give it a try. The narrator did a wonderful job at bringing the characters to life. I really enjoyed the cozy and wholesome moments/atmosphere this book had. I also enjoyed that it was light on the romance and focused more or finding new friends and family.
Spice Level: n/a
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧
POV: First Person
Release Date: 25, October 2011
Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Read For:
✓ Twisted
✓ Sex Worker
✓ Holiday Mystery
✓ Crime Podcaster
✓ Small Town Murder
˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗
I liked the writing style of this book. Found the audiobook on Libby and went into it knowing nothing, I was surprised how much I ended up liking it. Plus the narrator did a great job as well. While it did switch around a bit with point of view and backstories it was such a good twisted mystery for as short as it is. I was invested early on and it kept my interest until the end.
Spice Level: n/a
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: 💧💧💧
POV: First Person and a bit of Third Person
Release Date: 24, October 2023
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Car accident, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
The Biggest Snowman Ever by Steven Kroll, Jeni Bassett
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
This is a nice winter read
It's Halloween, You 'fraidy Mouse! / Merry Christmas, Geronimo! (Geronimo Stilton #11 ) by Geronimo Stilton
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.0
While a bit of this was cute I just found it kinda annoying
Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Read For:
✓ Small Town
✓ A Town Play
✓ Baking Recipes
✓ Christmas Setting
✓ Cozy Murder Mystery
˗ˏˋ ★ REVIEW ★ ˎˊ˗
While this book wasn’t totally in my genre it was pretty good. The characters dialogue was a bit forced but nothing too bad; just a bit cliché Hallmark vibes. The addition of recipes was a really nice touch.
Spice Level: n/a
Spice Level: n/a
Angst Level: n/a
POV: Third Person
Release Date: 27, September 2016
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas by Jane O'Connor
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.0
It was a cute read