rdmoreland0801's reviews
258 reviews

Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score

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adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was ridiculously enjoyable.  Whenever I didn’t think it could get any crazier, it proved me wrong.  I enjoyed the narrators and will definitely be continuing the series. 

I’m rating this book purely on my enjoyment and not the quality of writing per se.  I was constantly cracking up and actually wanted more of some of the characters.

Im a sucker for banter, and Naomi and Knox fit the bill.  I also love how easily Knox took Waylay under his wing and became just an all around girl dad.
Love Unwritten by Lauren Asher

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emotional funny reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I am a sucker for a single dad/ nanny romance.  It gets me every time.  Just seeing the bond form between the nanny and the child is so sweet.

As emotional as their issues were, it was actually kinda refreshing to see characters who had a troubled past but not the same issues we read about over and over again.

After Rafael stopped being such an asshole, he turned out to be really sweet.  His rules and gifts were so sweet, especially the ones that weren’t over the top expensive.  I really loved his flower obsession after Hawaii.  Also, he rescues animals.

This is exactly what I needed in the moment and my rating is purely based on vibes.
Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

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dark funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book had its moments but it was missing something.  Sloan and Rowan were so goofy and constantly had me giggling and kicking my feet.  I missed them.  I felt more emotion in the single sweet scene with Fionne and Rose.

I didn’t feel much of a connection to with Lark or Lachlan, but I did enjoy their sweeter moments and even their banter.  They just felt a little forced rather than completely smitten like Sloan and Rowan.

Ethel was my favorite.  So sassy and chaotic.

I cannot wait for Fionne and Rose’s book!  ❤️
Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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

3.75

**3.75⭐️**

I adored the childhood rivals to lovers aspect of this story.  Dahlia and Julian’s competitiveness led to great banter and some phenomenal one-liners.  They had that suppressed sexual tension that could really be either live or hate, probably both.

I just know their moms had been planning for them to get together their whole lives.  The family group chat cracked me up.

However, this book was a little too long for me.  The first half of the book was really slow and was even slightly stilted.  It definitely picked up in the second half.  It wasn’t even just the spicy scenes, but just the sweet gestures and little things here and there.  Julian being the heart-eyed, obsessive boyfriend was cute.  The fact that he fired or promoted every male worker that came around Dahlia was hilarious.

I already love Rafa and can’t wait for his book next.
Dark Harmony by Laura Thalassa

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adventurous dark funny mysterious 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

I really loved seeing Callie come into herself throughout this book.  She finally stopped fearing herself and stepped up when her kingdom needed her.  Does always believed in her, but her true power came from believing in herself.

All of the sweet moments throughout the story outweighed any places where the plot line dragged.  The Thief of Souls was a creepy motherfucker and got handed an absolutely appropriate death.  Temper is such a force of nature and is hilarious.  As much as she didn’t want it to happen, she fell hard and fast for Malaki.  I wish we could see more of them.

The plot was interesting enough, but I really stuck around for the romance.  The wedding scenes were my absolute favorite. ❤️ 


The Emperor of Evening Stars by Laura Thalassa

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dark emotional fast-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

4.25

It was nice to get a little bit of Des’s backstory, but the first half felt rushed.  I would’ve liked to see more of his early life with his mom.

I do love how obsessed Des is with Callie.  He feels this overwhelming sense of love and protectiveness over her, but he doesn’t stop her from doing what she wants.  He keeps secrets from her, but never forces her to do something she doesn’t want to.  I always want more of that.
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

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adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

**3.75⭐️**

I wanted to enjoy this because I had heard so many great things.  Unfortunately, I think I had trouble with the audio.  The narrator’s different voices didn’t match what I expected for the characters, and that greatly impacted how engaged I was.

I found myself losing interest while listening and then would suddenly have missed large chunks of the comity.

The premise was good and I will try the next two books, but I’m just not sure if they’re for me.  I do also want to give the movie a chance because I’ve heard great things about it as well.
A Strange Hymn by Laura Thalassa

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious medium-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

While we got more of a plot in this book, it was still much more heavily romance. Don’t get me wrong, I love the dynamic between Des and Callie.  He is still super secretive, but you can tell he is catastrophically in love with Callie.  She is extra sassy and pushes Des to his limits, creating a delicious back and forth.

I don’t like to compare book series, but I get major Rhysand vibes from Des.  Shadow powers can disappear and reappear at will, extremely powerful, obsessed with his mate, rather controlling.

While I do believe Des truly cares for Callie and would never make her do anything against her will, he does always seem to get his way.  Even Callie finds herself questioning if he would ever let her go, although she never seems to be truly scared.

Temper is hilarious and I love that she has Malaki so enthralled.  Destroying a portal into the Otherworld to save your best friend is one hell of a way to make an entrance.  I can’t wait to see more of her and Des being chaotic together.  Just from the small glimpse we got, I know it’s going to be glorious.

The Thief of Souls is creepy as hell and I really need to know how people who should be dead are not actually dead.  Now that Callie is immortal, she’s more at risk than she ever was as a human.  Hopefully we actually get a moving plot in the final book to answer all these questions.


Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa

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dark funny mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The ending is definitely what bumped this book up to a 4-star read.  While I enjoy a fantasy romance, I felt like the only real plot-moving action happened right at the end of this book.

However, this hit the spot exactly the way I needed it to all the moment.  It’s not the greatest writing in the world, but it was definitely enjoyable.

I liked the used of flashbacks to get a deeper glimpse into Des and Callie’s relationship.  Her teenage crush on Dee was cute, but I was thankful he waiting until she was of age before acting on his feelings.

I’m hoping for more of a plot in the second book as we really see the Thief of Souls coming into play.  I feel like there’s a lot to do with this storyline that I would like to play out.