baexlee's reviews
72 reviews

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco

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dark mysterious 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

4.0

When I had read the initial installment of this book I gave it an abysmal 1.5 stars (at the time the lowest rating I had ever given on The Storygraph) for it's confusing pacing, lackluster ending and unsatisfying cliffhanger. I am happy to report that despite a few flaws that I would still love to see remedied in the overall pacing and delivery of certain reveals, the sequel is far and away an improvement to the series as a whole. Frankly I was still a bit frustrated after the first book did such a disservice to Wrath that I did spoil some of the major plot twists before I actually read them. Despite knowing what was coming however the book keep my attention and still played the reveal cards well. The romance building between Emilia and Wrath only continues to shine in this installment and thankfully the author seems to turn much more of her attention to unraveling the story of their curse rather than diving immediately back into the mystery of Vittoria's death. 

Ultimately this installment leaves me eagerly anticipating the finale, as well as making me consider revisiting the first novel to see if I really read everything the way I thought I did since this seems to be such a departure from the writing style I remembered. 
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Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective 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

Legendborn is a triumph through and through. Deonn masterfully crafts a story that is equal parts real and fantasy and doesn’t pull punches when it comes to the truths and histories buried beneath American institutions. 

Bree’s journey through her grief is real, full of moments when her emotions leap from the page and firmly plant themselves into your heart. Not to mention the last 150 pages are addictively paced and the final revelation left me sobbing through the story’s climax the way a truly well paced narrative will. 
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The Merchant and the Rogue by Sarah M. Eden

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

2.75

For a book with “Proper Romance” on the cover, there was unfortunately not much romance to be found. Overall the plot was interesting and mysterious, but the ending overall left me unsatisfied and feeling as if I had been falsely advertised to in regards to the romantic content. 

It should also be noted that this book is clearly a part of a collection, the Dread Penny Society being the common thread through all the stories. It’s not necessary to read the others but the ending certainly does not wrap things up for our main characters Brogan and Vera as it is implied that things fall into the greater plot of the collection.
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Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

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

5.0

I’m not sure why it took me so long to read this book - not only does it hit one of my favorite tropes (enemies to lovers) - but it also perfectly encapsulates the experience of a late stage sexual identity crisis in Alex, which is something I undoubtedly related to. Moments where Alex’s inner monologue felt eerily familiar to my own as I discovered that I probably was pushing down a sexual identity I’d had all along. Alongside McQuiston’s vibrant portrayal of the bisexual experience, the author flawlessly weaves a devastatingly romantic prose through through love letter emails reminding us that history isn’t as straight as the historians would like us to believe, and great poetry and prose come from the feelings we’re most afraid of voicing publicly, but we also desperately want to be heard. Overall Red, White and Royal Blue is a charming and truly elegant display of love finding a way to succeed. 
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Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

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hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? No

5.0

Cemetery Boys is a phenomenal story of identity, acceptance and discovery. I had the fortunate experience of reading alongside my high school students who provided their additional insight and thoughts through our discussion and this novel is a thrilling success for us. Many of them engaged with it in a way they claimed they had never engaged with an assigned reading book, which made the fact that it deals with topics of transgender identity and acceptance as well as cultural norms and relations to popular culture all the more impactful. Novels such as this, that make these topics so accessible while still being fun and mysterious serve a vital place in the literary space, and Cemetery Boys is a shining example of what that can do for everyone who reads. 
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A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

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dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A Deadly Education is truly something special. If you are at all a fan of dark academia, then you will likely devour this book the way the mals devour the wizards in the Scholomance. Novik creates a rich and vivid world that is both globally expansive and simultaneously isolating - similar to the feeling of staring into the darkness of a starry night. Outside of the delightfully dark atmosphere of the ever dangerous Scholomance, Galadriel is a uniquely crafted character that asks the audience to ponder their own behaviors and morality as she struggles with her natural affinity towards dark and dangerous magic and her loving devotion to her mother and the values she was raised with. 

I'd had that scream inside me since I was nine, knotted up with Mum's love, the only thing keeping it in, and it wasn't enough. 

My praise for this book feels horribly inadequate for the emotions, thoughts and questions that it raised for me throughout my reading experience. It is an absolute pleasure that I was unable to put down and something that I will likely return to again and again. 
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The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling

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

3.25

This is a great lighthearted halloween read, it’s fast paced and I got through it much faster than I thought I would. Overall the characters of Vivi and Rhys are heartwarmingly endearing and it’s near impossible to hate Rhys from the moment you begin to see his point of view. 
The Roommate by Rosie Danan

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adventurous funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Roommate examines female pleasure in a way that I didn’t realize I had been missing. The relationship between Clara and Josh is breathtaking and enticing and takes no prisoners while Danan insists on reminding the reader that a woman’s pleasure can be a paradigm shift. This book reminds you to connect with your own desires, even if they may be a little reckless, because your pleasure and joy matters too. 
The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

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funny hopeful 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

Right after finishing my last read I feared I wouldn’t find something that captured my heart the same way and my book hangover would be too great. But boy did the Spanish Love Deception deliver. Delicious enemies to lovers, a dating arrangement and swoon worthy Spanish endearments. Armas captures the fears of career driven women everywhere so well in Catalina and it’s near impossible not to fall for Aaron as he worms his way into her heart.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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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

5.0

The Love Hypothesis is everything I have been looking for in a romance recently. It was nearly impossible to put down, had my laughing out loud and giddy beyond belief and it’s depiction of academia and the mess of emotions within that space is just *chefs kiss*.

Olive and Adam are swoon worthy and this is not a book to be missed!