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baexlee's reviews
72 reviews
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 34%.
It got to the romance almost too quickly, I was only 1/3 in and they were already throughly involved. I don’t love a super slow burn but I wanted something a bit slower than this (less insta lovey). I might pick it back up because I do love the main characters but their relationship just didn’t hit the way I wanted and contemporary is already a bit harder for me to read nowadays so I just couldn’t motivate myself to pick it back up.
Flock by Kate Stewart
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
4.0
Exodus by Kate Stewart
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
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
4.25
Corrupt by Penelope Douglas
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
I was prepared for a dark romance but this just took things too far. The main romantic lead had absolutely no redeeming qualities and honestly Rika was pretty annoying herself. She acts so naive to what’s going on around her (likely for the plot of the book to allow for a reveal) even though she realistically is supposed to be smart enough to get into Brown. The whole revenge plot is gross and poorly motivated, not to mention the unnecessary and disgusting rhetoric around drug addiction spouted by Michael - “Drugs are a crutch for people too ignorant to self-destruct on their own.” Like jesus christ tell me you have no empathy for human beings in a single sentence Michael. None of these characters were like-able enough to bother continuing, the book is trying to hard to be edgy and mysterious and it comes off tacky and slimy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Stalking
Gleam by Raven Kennedy
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book was an improvement in some regards and a downgrade in others, the story was more complex and truly felt like it’s own book whereas the first two felt like a single book split in half. There was actually a notable climax to the story that carried through to a cliffhanger that could certainly convince a reader to come back.
My problem lies primarily with loose ends and poorly managed plots/power explanations. Auren is a very cool character, but Kennedy’s description of her magic is inconsistent. In this installment it is a very prevalent plot point that ANYTHING Auren touches with her bare skin during the day will turn gold, however this is not accurate to the lore written in the second book and her life in the military camp. There were a few other things that just didn’t line up, or were waved away rather than being explained in the lore of the world. I hated the perspective of Malina and overall felt it set up an irrelevant and boring plotline that could have been easily introduced without spending chapters in an alternate character perspective, especially if the next book is heading the direction I think it might be. Overall it wasn’t a horrible read but I found myself slogging through it at the end and I am doubtful that I will pick up the next installment.
My problem lies primarily with loose ends and poorly managed plots/power explanations. Auren is a very cool character, but Kennedy’s description of her magic is inconsistent. In this installment it is a very prevalent plot point that ANYTHING Auren touches with her bare skin during the day will turn gold, however this is not accurate to the lore written in the second book and her life in the military camp. There were a few other things that just didn’t line up, or were waved away rather than being explained in the lore of the world. I hated the perspective of Malina and overall felt it set up an irrelevant and boring plotline that could have been easily introduced without spending chapters in an alternate character perspective, especially if the next book is heading the direction I think it might be. Overall it wasn’t a horrible read but I found myself slogging through it at the end and I am doubtful that I will pick up the next installment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria
Moderate: Addiction, Rape, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Glint by Raven Kennedy
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Definitely better than the first book in the series, but I’m really struggling to understand where the romance is in this series. I’m more interested than I was previously with the love interest but truly the first and second books should have been combined into one. The reveals and plot twists really didn’t pack as much punch as I was hoping for… overall it’s just fine.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Child abuse
Gild by Raven Kennedy
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I saw this book hyped up everywhere, first of all as a romance and also as something that SJM and Armentrout fans would love. It’s not bad for a book I read for no cost, but honestly with the reviews it got I was left sorely disappointed in the actual content and had I bought this book I may have been more upset. The material is disturbing with no romance to be found to even justify a “dark romance” title. It just plays heavily on the themes of male pride and ignorance and the abuse of women and then doesn’t actually do anything with those serious subjects. It is graphic but not in a romantic way, if I am meant to root for King Midas I find it nearly impossible to find any romance there. If not, why have we gone through the entire first book without meeting the romantic interest?
The big reveal of the book was relatively obvious from the get go, overall it feels like I could have entirely skipped this installment to get to the second. I’m still holding out for some romance somewhere…
The big reveal of the book was relatively obvious from the get go, overall it feels like I could have entirely skipped this installment to get to the second. I’m still holding out for some romance somewhere…
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Death and Trafficking
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
adventurous
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
4.5
The Unhoneymooners is a perfectly adorable, heart warming romance that is perfect for those of us looking for those classic romantic tropes spun delicately together into something that is refreshing and believable. Despite some of the far-fetched ideas introduced it's impossible not to love Olive and Ethan as they tumble headfirst into an unlikely romance in Maui. It was a lightning fast read for me, all together only taking about 6 hours to get through the entire thing, so this is an ideal book for a vacation read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Night Circus sets an incredible atmospheric standard for Morgenstern's work. The world that the circus inhabits feels like our own, just as if you have stepped through a door into a mirrored and more magical version. The characters are lovable and despite the sheer number of them, they all grow on you and it is impossible not to feel as if you have become a reveur wandering among the circus patrons with your flash of red. All though I had to take a break from reading in the middle of this book for unrelated reasons, it was easy to dive back into the world of the circus and feel swept away in the magic once more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide
Neon Gods by Katee Robert
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Neon Gods is hot I won’t lie, Katee Robert writes a compelling urban fantasy that cleverly retells the Hades and Persephone myth. Despite the popularity of this retelling in particular, Robert is creative and fun in crafting the characters and they certainly captured my attention and my heart.
If you aren’t comfortable with BDSM and kink than this book probably isn’t the one for you, but the romance between Hades and Persephone is only complemented by the unique modern world of Olympus, a city that exists within the human world as we know it but dances along the line of myth and gods without setting the characters themselves into a supernatural role. The next installment Electric Idol appears to be a spin-off within the same world, which is promising considering the development in this book.
If you aren’t comfortable with BDSM and kink than this book probably isn’t the one for you, but the romance between Hades and Persephone is only complemented by the unique modern world of Olympus, a city that exists within the human world as we know it but dances along the line of myth and gods without setting the characters themselves into a supernatural role. The next installment Electric Idol appears to be a spin-off within the same world, which is promising considering the development in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Violence