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amanda_reads13's reviews
447 reviews
Corrupt by Penelope Douglas
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Three years ago, 3/4 horsemen were arrested and thrown in jail. Now they are out to get revenge on Erika (Rika), the woman they blame.
We flipflop between the present and 3 years ago. It is within those snippets of the past that we learn about the men's motivation. They believe that Rika is responsible for 3/4 of them ending up in jail.For some stupid reason, they film their "pranks" and two videos get released.
I felt as though the characters were lacking depth. We don't really get much background information on the men and an idea of what is motivating their behaviour. These men are cruel and horrible to everyone, especially women. There was so much potential to demonstrate the depth of these characters, it comes out in the very end when we get a flashback in the epilogue ofMichael taking care of Rika when she was 13 . We needed more of this depth to really connect to and want to understand these me. Unfortunately, what we get is a bunch of impulsive and misogynistic men who try to justify horrible and abusive behaviour.
We get a snippet of why Damon is the way he is within the last chapters of the book. We learn why he is so angry that Rika has "invaded" the group of men, and his fear of his brotherhood being ripped from him. But his character does not have any growth at all and these limited glimpses into his past do not redeem him.his mother was abusing and raping him as a child.
Rika was incredibly naive and annoying. She is not the strong woman that she thinks she is. She is impulsive and seems to have no survival instincts. She is incredibly immature and throws tantrums when she can't get her way (ie. Running into the gentleman's club when she wasn't allowed in). She is determined to live her life on her own and by her own rules, but panics the second her money is gone, because she is actually completely incapable of providing for herself. Plus, she forgave these men WAY too quickly.
I did really like Alex. She was unapologetically herself and had no shame about what she had to do to pay her bills. (escorting) . She owns her life/decisions and was a complete badass. I think her character really highlighted all of the weaknesses in Rika.
Overall, the plot was interesting and there was a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the characters were lacking depth and I just couldn't get past the their lack of growth. The sauna scene (iykyk), was very spicy, but otherwise the romance fell flat and was not really believable.
Tropes: found family, revenge, brotherhood
We flipflop between the present and 3 years ago. It is within those snippets of the past that we learn about the men's motivation. They believe that Rika is responsible for 3/4 of them ending up in jail.
I felt as though the characters were lacking depth. We don't really get much background information on the men and an idea of what is motivating their behaviour. These men are cruel and horrible to everyone, especially women. There was so much potential to demonstrate the depth of these characters, it comes out in the very end when we get a flashback in the epilogue of
We get a snippet of why Damon is the way he is within the last chapters of the book. We learn why he is so angry that Rika has "invaded" the group of men, and his fear of his brotherhood being ripped from him. But his character does not have any growth at all and these limited glimpses into his past do not redeem him.
Rika was incredibly naive and annoying. She is not the strong woman that she thinks she is. She is impulsive and seems to have no survival instincts. She is incredibly immature and throws tantrums when she can't get her way (ie. Running into the gentleman's club when she wasn't allowed in). She is determined to live her life on her own and by her own rules, but panics the second her money is gone, because she is actually completely incapable of providing for herself. Plus, she forgave these men WAY too quickly.
I did really like Alex. She was unapologetically herself and had no shame about what she had to do to pay her bills.
Overall, the plot was interesting and there was a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the characters were lacking depth and I just couldn't get past the their lack of growth. The sauna scene (iykyk), was very spicy, but otherwise the romance fell flat and was not really believable.
Tropes: found family, revenge, brotherhood
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Play Along by Liz Tomforde
emotional
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
After a drunken night in Vegas, Kennedy and Isaish wind up married. Unfortunately for them, what happens in Vegas does not stay in Vegas as the news of their marriage makes headlines and word gets back to their boss.
I really enjoyed the progression of Isaiah and Kennedy's relationship. Kennedy was afraid of opening herself up to others and Isaiah managed to slowly tear down her walls. I wish we had delved deeper into her relationship with her family, maybe a few flashbacks or something? Just to give us a real understanding of her past. Isaiah always puts up a happy front, afraid to let people what is behind the smile. Kennedy helps him see that compassion and concern for others are actually his strength.
I found parts of the story to be kind of repetitive and felt like it could have been cut back a bit.
Isaiah and Kai had a really difficult childhood. After their mother died in a car accident, their father left them, and Kai pretty much raised Isaiah. To say they are close in an understatement. I LOVE the relationship these two men have. They are so supportive and encouraging of each other. Throw in Miller, Max, and the other friends, this gives such a warm hearted found family vibe. I think that Isaiah's panic attacks/anxiety was handled well, but I wish that there would have been a conversation about him getting help earlier. Yes, they could not afford when he was a kid, but he certainly can now.
Kennedy grew up in a cold home, void of love. She was expected to marry for business and was basically forced into an engagement. Her family, with the exception of her step-brother Dean, have zero respect for any life choices she has made and do not support her at all.
I actually really liked the epilogue. I love that it mentioned him going to therapy for his trauma, but I wish that it had mentioned Kennedy going as well. I also like that they are taking time for themselves as a couple and not rushing into having a baby.
Tropes: he falls first, teach me, marriage of convenience, co-workers, found family
I really enjoyed the progression of Isaiah and Kennedy's relationship. Kennedy was afraid of opening herself up to others and Isaiah managed to slowly tear down her walls. I wish we had delved deeper into her relationship with her family, maybe a few flashbacks or something? Just to give us a real understanding of her past. Isaiah always puts up a happy front, afraid to let people what is behind the smile. Kennedy helps him see that compassion and concern for others are actually his strength.
I found parts of the story to be kind of repetitive and felt like it could have been cut back a bit.
Isaiah and Kai had a really difficult childhood. After their mother died in a car accident, their father left them, and Kai pretty much raised Isaiah. To say they are close in an understatement. I LOVE the relationship these two men have. They are so supportive and encouraging of each other. Throw in Miller, Max, and the other friends, this gives such a warm hearted found family vibe. I think that Isaiah's panic attacks/anxiety was handled well, but I wish that there would have been a conversation about him getting help earlier. Yes, they could not afford when he was a kid, but he certainly can now.
Kennedy grew up in a cold home, void of love. She was expected to marry for business and was basically forced into an engagement. Her family, with the exception of her step-brother Dean, have zero respect for any life choices she has made and do not support her at all.
I actually really liked the epilogue. I love that it mentioned him going to therapy for his trauma, but I wish that it had mentioned Kennedy going as well. I also like that they are taking time for themselves as a couple and not rushing into having a baby.
Tropes: he falls first, teach me, marriage of convenience, co-workers, found family
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Abandonment
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez
emotional
lighthearted
sad
fast-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
3.0
While helping to plan her best friend Sloan's wedding, Kristin meets Josh, the best man. Though they are instantly drawn to each other, Kristen keeps him at arm's length.
Kristen is keeping a big secret from everyone, even her best friend Sloan. She's been dealing with medical issues that would make it next to impossible for her to get pregnant. Her periods are so extreme and painful that she plans to get a hysterectomy. She plans her whole life around her cycle. She works from home so that she doesn't have to leave her house for work and she's with a man who never wants kids so she can't be a disappointment to her partner.
Kristen feels like her inability to have children defines her. She feels unworthy of Josh's affection and love. She can't accept the fact that Josh could love her flaws and all. This is really a story about Kristin accepting that she can be loved for who she is, not what she has to offer others.
The lack of communication in this book on Kristen's part is so frustrating. Instead of telling Josh and having an adult conversation about why she feels like she can't be with him, she just sends him mixed signals and pushes him away. She won't even allow Josh to make that decision for himself. I get it, she's worried that he will be resentful of her in the future, but doesn't even give him the opportunity to make a decision.
Josh is such a patient and kind man. Even though he wants more from Kristen, he he accepts whatever she's willing to give him. It's heartbreaking to watch Josh fall so madly in love with her and not understand why she won't return his feelings.
I saw the pregnancy coming from very on in the book. Why do we always have to define women based on their ability to have children? This is so frustrating to me. I really wish that the ending had been different and she hadn't gotten pregnant. I wish it would have ended with them choosing to adopt or foster a child. This would have given a more realistic ending, as the ending we are given was very far-fetched.
My heart absolutely breaks for Sloan. I'm really interested to see the progression of her character in the next book. She is such a strong woman. She goes through something absolutely heartbreaking, but is still there for her best friend. Just weeks before their wedding, her fiance Brandon dies in a motorcycle accident. He's hit by a drunk driver. He ends up having a stroke and passing away in the hospital.
Tropes: friends to lovers, firefighter, slow burn
Kristen is keeping a big secret from everyone, even her best friend Sloan. She's been dealing with medical issues that would make it next to impossible for her to get pregnant. Her periods are so extreme and painful that she plans to get a hysterectomy. She plans her whole life around her cycle. She works from home so that she doesn't have to leave her house for work and she's with a man who never wants kids so she can't be a disappointment to her partner.
Kristen feels like her inability to have children defines her. She feels unworthy of Josh's affection and love. She can't accept the fact that Josh could love her flaws and all. This is really a story about Kristin accepting that she can be loved for who she is, not what she has to offer others.
The lack of communication in this book on Kristen's part is so frustrating. Instead of telling Josh and having an adult conversation about why she feels like she can't be with him, she just sends him mixed signals and pushes him away. She won't even allow Josh to make that decision for himself. I get it, she's worried that he will be resentful of her in the future, but doesn't even give him the opportunity to make a decision.
Josh is such a patient and kind man. Even though he wants more from Kristen, he he accepts whatever she's willing to give him. It's heartbreaking to watch Josh fall so madly in love with her and not understand why she won't return his feelings.
I saw the
My heart absolutely breaks for Sloan. I'm really interested to see the progression of her character in the next book. She is such a strong woman. She goes through something absolutely heartbreaking, but is still there for her best friend.
Tropes: friends to lovers, firefighter, slow burn
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Sexual content, Grief, and Car accident
Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Having just graduated highschool, three best friends head to Greece for the summer. While there, tragedy strikes and the the girls lives are forever changed.
This is a story about female friendship and how one event can change and shape our future. The story examines the complex and ever changing relationships of teenage girls and how the adult women choose to deal with the choices they made in the past. The story splits the time between the girls at 18 and 10 years later. I felt like the story was a little slow and wish that we had spent more time in the past with the girls.
While in Greece, the girls find themselves fighting and pulling away from each other. One night after an argument, Evangeline falls to her death. This leads to questions about whether it was an accident or whether the other two girls were responsible.
In the present, Joni's fiance has gone missing. Though Bess has not seen Joni in years, she gets roped in to the drama.
It's interesting to see how both Bess and Joni's lives take such drastically different paths. Bess is definitely struggling with PTSD symptoms while Joni is definitely dealing with issues revolving around confidence in relationships.
The ending was an interesting choice as we never really find out what happened to Joni or Willa.
This is a story about female friendship and how one event can change and shape our future. The story examines the complex and ever changing relationships of teenage girls and how the adult women choose to deal with the choices they made in the past. The story splits the time between the girls at 18 and 10 years later. I felt like the story was a little slow and wish that we had spent more time in the past with the girls.
While in Greece, the girls find themselves fighting and pulling away from each other. One night after an argument, Evangeline falls to her death. This leads to questions about whether it was an accident or whether the other two girls were responsible.
In the present, Joni's fiance has gone missing. Though Bess has not seen Joni in years, she gets roped in to the drama.
It's interesting to see how both Bess and Joni's lives take such drastically different paths. Bess is definitely struggling with PTSD symptoms while Joni is definitely dealing with issues revolving around confidence in relationships.
The ending was an interesting choice as we never really find out what happened to Joni or Willa.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Shadow Lands by Stacey Marie Brown
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book is the conclusion to the series. It is faster paced than the others and we get a lot of story progression in a short period of time. But it also felt very disjointed as we also get multiple POVs: Brex, Warwick, Scorpion, Caden, and Killian. It kind of threw off the flow.
One thing that annoyed me was the this book really just served to set up spin off for different characters.Somehow so many mates are discovered within this small group. They just hadn't 'realized' it before. Convenient. Killian/Rosie, Scorpion/Hanna, Caden/Birdie, Zander/Eliza, and if course Brex/Warwick. It was basically just a book about their sex lives with a bit of war peppered in. Almost every chapter seemed to have a sex scene. Hate to say it, but it was too much.
We learn a little more about Brex's magic from Ember and Eli. They are the king's assassin's who manage to find Brex. Only it is discovered thatBrex actually contains part of Ember's fire magic. So some of Brex's magic is Dae magic - pure fae+high demon.
For a series that felt so long, the ending felt incredibly rushed. I would have liked the final battle scene to have been fleshed out more.
I love the found family aspect of this book. Opie and Bitzy continue to be the highlight of the series.
One thing that annoyed me was the this book really just served to set up spin off for different characters.
We learn a little more about Brex's magic from Ember and Eli. They are the king's assassin's who manage to find Brex. Only it is discovered that
For a series that felt so long, the ending felt incredibly rushed. I would have liked the final battle scene to have been fleshed out more.
I love the found family aspect of this book. Opie and Bitzy continue to be the highlight of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Blood Lands by Stacey Marie Brown
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
So this book is basically the same as book 4... It's getting so repetitive, at this point it's almost comical.
Brex and Warwick attempt a prison breakbut are captured and brought to Istvan's labs where they are tested on. They find out that he is using fae essence to make super soldiers. They manage to escape the lab only to be caught and thrown back into prison. In prison theya re subjected to the same torture: forced labour, the hole, and the ring. Fortunately, a perfectly timed explosion allows them to escape again. Istvan manages to get the nectar and when Brex finds out Istvan killed her father she uses it to kill pretty much everyone around her. We end with Brex taking off and Warwick determined to track her down.
I think there is so much potential in this series, but the characters are so under developed and the plot is frustratingly repetitive. This easily could have been a 3 book series, 4 if there was more focus on character development. I don't really care about these characters because I have no emotional tie to them. There needs to be more depth to the story, it is all very surface level at this point.
I've gotten this far, so I will read book 6, I just really hope it gets a bit better.
Brex and Warwick attempt a prison break
I think there is so much potential in this series, but the characters are so under developed and the plot is frustratingly repetitive. This easily could have been a 3 book series, 4 if there was more focus on character development. I don't really care about these characters because I have no emotional tie to them. There needs to be more depth to the story, it is all very surface level at this point.
I've gotten this far, so I will read book 6, I just really hope it gets a bit better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Evie is just her current alias. She has been many people since working for Mr. Smith. But her current assignment starts to go sideways when someone impersonating her real identity shows up.
Evie has been working for Mr. Smith for years, being used and manipulated into doing his dirty work. She very smart, but it seems like he has always been one step ahead of her. She seems a bit naive, but she is incredibly cunning and resourcful. We learn thatEvie has been planning Mr. Smith's takedown for years with her small team, Devon and Amy. As Mr. Smith tries to take Evie down, they are secretly discovering his secrets and true identity.
I had an idea of where this was heading, butI thought Ryan was going to be Mr. Smith, not the UPS guy! It makes sense that he would always want to be close and keep a close eye on her.
I felt that the ending was a bit cheesy, butit is interesting that she becomes Ms. Smith and takes over.
Evie has been working for Mr. Smith for years, being used and manipulated into doing his dirty work. She very smart, but it seems like he has always been one step ahead of her. She seems a bit naive, but she is incredibly cunning and resourcful. We learn that
I had an idea of where this was heading, but
I felt that the ending was a bit cheesy, but
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting
You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Grace arrives at her airbnb on a ranch in Wyoming to find an a secluded and peaceful location with a very handsome host. But her idyllic vacation starts to take a turn as some major red flags are popping up.
I really like the idea of starting out the book as a romance and slowly leading it into more of a suspense/thriller plot. Although I didn't completely predict all of the ending, I did predict a lot of it.
Grace ends up at a secluded ranch with no cell service, working wifi, and a broken down car. At first all seems ok as she beings to get to know Calvin. Calvin quickly becomes obsessed with Grace and we see him do anything he can to keep her close.
I liked that we got the dual povs so we could understand what was going on in both their minds. But we find out that both narrators are liars and unreliable. Calvin is secretly a serial killer who is killing his female airbnb guests and mounting their heads like taxidermy. We also found out that he killed his ex girlfriend when she told him she was moving away. So he purposeful crashed his car and blamed her death on his brother.
But he's not the only one who has a secret. Grace is an alias of Avery's. She is also a serial killer who kills her airbnb hosts. So while Calvin thinks he is in control going to be able to kidnap Grace, she has secretly drugged his coffee and ends up with the upper hand. She ends up stabbing him and setting his house on fire. Then going home to her husband and children like nothing happened. Turned out we have 2 pyachopaths.
Tropes: secret identity
I really like the idea of starting out the book as a romance and slowly leading it into more of a suspense/thriller plot. Although I didn't completely predict all of the ending, I did predict a lot of it.
Grace ends up at a secluded ranch with no cell service, working wifi, and a broken down car. At first all seems ok as she beings to get to know Calvin. Calvin quickly becomes obsessed with Grace and we see him do anything he can to keep her close.
I liked that we got the dual povs so we could understand what was going on in both their minds. But we find out that
But he's not the only one who has a secret.
Tropes: secret identity
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting
Bad Lands by Stacey Marie Brown
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Listen, I get the terror of reliving your nightmare, but this series is so repetitive, I can't handle it anymore. It's literally the same situation played out over and over. Brex is literally caught in a loop of being kidnapped and thrown in prison over and over again. Only this time she is throw in the prison created by the fae but run by the humans.
The humans have now become enemy #1. The have been creating a pill to turn humans into super soldiers and have been killing fae to get their essence. They want to rule the world and force fae into hiding or kill them all.
We find out thatKillian is actually alive and survived the explosion. He, suprise suprise, kidnaps Brex again. There is a hint that Caden may be turning against his father and working to try to get help from the other faction of rebels.
The ending did leave us on a crazy cliffhanger, this is probably the only reason I will read the next one.Brex ends up in the ring with Scorpion and Hanna.
The humans have now become enemy #1. The have been creating a pill to turn humans into super soldiers and have been killing fae to get their essence. They want to rule the world and force fae into hiding or kill them all.
We find out that
The ending did leave us on a crazy cliffhanger, this is probably the only reason I will read the next one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Dead Lands by Stacey Marie Brown
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
We pick up afraid Brex is kidnapped.
So much, yet so little happens in this book. I felt like it was very repetitive and the whole Brex/Warwick tension is getting frustrating, and not in a good way. It's been played out at this point, we get it, they have literal explosive chemistry, let's move on to the plot now.
Towards the end, we do find out a few interesting tidbits that move the story along.We find out that her mom was secretly fighting in the war on the opposite side as her father. Seems like she was possibly a druid and was forced to fight. She gave birth to Brex on the battlefield at the same time as the queen was killed. This released an insane amount of magic, which killed a lot of people, including Brex's mom and aunt. BUT it also infused itself in Brex and the placenta, which is what the nectar is. So it is possible that Brex is actually part Druid, which could explain why she can control the dead spirits, create a protective light around her, etc...
I still don't understand why Brex just agrees to work with every person who kidnaps her... Literally every time.
I am interested to see how Hanna and Caden being in their possession comes into play. Who attacked the compound? We're they looking for Hanna and Caden or just out to kill?
We had a whole storyline where the journal was stolen by the Hounds and theinjured hound ended up being Rose's abusive husband. It seems like it could be important in the future.
As always Opie and Bitzy were hilarious.
So much, yet so little happens in this book. I felt like it was very repetitive and the whole Brex/Warwick tension is getting frustrating, and not in a good way. It's been played out at this point, we get it, they have literal explosive chemistry, let's move on to the plot now.
Towards the end, we do find out a few interesting tidbits that move the story along.
I still don't understand why Brex just agrees to work with every person who kidnaps her... Literally every time.
I am interested to see how Hanna and Caden being in their possession comes into play. Who attacked the compound? We're they looking for Hanna and Caden or just out to kill?
We had a whole storyline where the journal was stolen by the Hounds and the
As always Opie and Bitzy were hilarious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail