thereadinghammock's reviews
599 reviews

Amor Actually by Adriana Herrera, Sabrina Sol, Diana Muñoz Stewart, Mia Sosa, Priscilla Oliveras, Alexis Daria, Zoey Castile

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 36%.
Not sure if it was the stories being too short, not having any cultural connection for myself as a non-latina reader, or the narrators, but I just couldn't find myself invested in any of the stories unfortunately 
Devotion's Covenant by Abigail Kelly

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense 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

5.0

Morally gray the Abigail way! If you thought High Priestess Petra was a known entity going into this book, I fear you may be mistaken. She is a woman of so many, many layers and we're about to peel that onion.

I loved getting to watch Silas stumble his way through all these big, new-to-him emotions. I just kept imagining him like the Grinch in the classic cartoon version, watching his heart grow a little bit each time. And his disgust over each time it happened was just a riot to me. 

Petra and Silas really are perfectly paired for each other, and in classic Abigail style, the peril is perilous. And while their peril is resolved just in the nick of time, the UTA peril is at an all time high! She's such a lil' scamp!

As always I'm waiting with baited breath for the next anything!!
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A Minotaur Tale In Prose, Being a Monster Romance for Yuletide by Kass O'Shire

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funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

4.5

A perfect nugget of a story to kick off your Yuletide reading! With odes to classic holiday stories, Kass gives us such an adorable courtship between Asterion and Cora. Who doesn't love a partner who does their research? And try as she might, Cora falls for her Minotaur as hard as he for her....maybe with just a bit more encouragement to show her that he's in it for the long haul, not just a fling. And if there's ever a time for a little magic, isn't it the holiday season?
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The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
Just felt so meh about the characters and an arranged marriage that neither of them were made aware of? I don't need someone else's family drama for the holidays. 
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss

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adventurous mysterious reflective 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

I appreciate that the mystery of this book was tired up with a nice neat bow that doesn't make me feel frustrated to have to grab the next one to find out what happens. I did enjoy the story, a bit more slow paced than I typically prefer, but I think the constant interjections with the characters contributed to that. While I loved how it gave us insight into each of the characters as we got to know them, it did make it difficult to stay in the narrative.
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Spare Me by Parker Blythe

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emotional hopeful 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

4.75

A fabulous debut with a story that truly felt unique and fresh. Parker eloquently entwined two seemingly different experiences (growing up in a militarily family and growing up a member of the British royal family) and highlighted how they're not really so different after all. She threw us readers some heavy plot at times (trying not to spoil Maddy's story because it was an audible gasp reader moment for me!) but handled them with care and compassion for both Maddy and Alex. And Bertie always came to the rescue with moment of "cute puppy" when we needed him most!
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Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

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adventurous challenging tense 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? Yes

5.0

I was enthralled by this story from the prologue. The world building was exceptional, the characters were fantastically diverse and beautifully flawed, the narrative was compelling, and I adored every moment I was in the story. I was also a fool ™️ who didn't realize this was the first in a trilogy and book two isn't due it until next spring! Cue me aiming to get it on my library hold list ASAP to get near the front of the line!

10/10 so glad I finally picked this one up! I've been eyeing it on bookshelves for at least a year and it was 100% worth the read.
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Come As You Are: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life by Emily Nagoski

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funny hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

3.25

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For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 30%.
Everyone just felt too edgy for their own good. I couldn't find the desire to care about how anyone's story really turned it. 
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Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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adventurous 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? Yes

5.0

Of the multitude of cliffs to leave us hanging, this is one I knew was an option but could not have predicted would be the one to be left dangling from.

Just like in Assistant, I was laughing, my heart was aching and breaking for the steadily growing found family of Massacre Manor, and I just kept wanting to push Evie and Trystan's heads together in a "just kiss you idiots!" kind of way. I can't wait to see how the fate of Rennendawn will fare with Evie and Trystan teamed up, for better or worse in the final book next year!
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