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bookrecsbyjess's reviews
1006 reviews
Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Libro.fm and Random House of Canada for the ALC of Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu. All opinions are my own.
This romantasy book had such an interesting world with magical powers like dream walking, which I found fascinating. I also loved the romance in this book.
The book was easy to immerse myself in right from the very beginning. The magic system was complex enough to be interesting but not too hard to understand. I enjoyed seeing how the main character’s powers grew throughout the story as she learned to better use them.
The romance had so much passion, and I liked how the characters grew to care for each other and look out for one another.
The ending of this book was so wild and fast-paced that I didn’t want to stop reading. I also think it sets up for the sequel well because I really want to know what will happen next.
I listened to the audiobook for this, and I loved the narrator. I thought she did an excellent job with all the different characters’ voices. I would recommend this format.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and will continue with the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Torture, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, and Kidnapping
His Perfect Bride by Jody Hedlund
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Sunrise Publishing and the author for the ARC of His Perfect Bride by Jody Hedlund. All opinions are my own.
His Perfect Bride is book three in the Bride Ships: New Voyages series. It can be read as a standalone, but there is a small part of the book that includes characters from the first book in this series.
I loved this book so much! I stayed up late multiple nights to read it because I didn’t want to put it down. This story had characters who had gone through such difficult trials, and I loved seeing how they grew to love and accept themselves instead of holding onto past mistakes.
Sage was such a resilient character with all the loss and hardship that she had experienced, yet she had the courage to leave her family behind in search of a life that would help support them financially. I loved that she could see the best in others and wasn’t quick to judge them based on first impressions.
Jackson was so brooding to begin with, but I really felt for him. He was hurting due to past mistakes, and he had to learn to give himself grace. I loved his passion for engineering and eventually his love for Sage.
The romance in this book had me squealing! Jackson tried to hold himself back for so long, but he was completely gone for Sage. I loved all the moments that he just couldn't keep his eyes off of her. There was so much pining, and so many great kissing scenes! I also just loved how well these two complemented each other. They built each other up, and they were better together.
Jackson’s sister Augusta was such a great side character. I loved how she treated Sage. She didn’t look down on her or consider her beneath her even with their class differences. Her scheming was also a lot of fun.
There were some light themes of faith throughout the story that I appreciated as well. I loved that the characters tried their best to be honorable even when they found themselves in sticky situations.
Overall, I would highly recommend this book!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Death of parent
The Dreams We Knew by Rachel Scott McDaniel
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Thank you Uplit Reads and the author for the ARC of The Dreams We Knew by Rachel Scott McDaniel. All opinions are my own.
After reading Walking on Hidden Wings by this author last year and enjoying it, I was excited for this new release. I, however, did not know that I would be obsessed with this book! It was so amazing, and it’s definitely a new favorite of mine.
This story is a mashup of genres in the best way possible. I loved the historical details, the intriguing mystery, and the romance with sizzling chemistry. I also appreciated the faith elements throughout.
The Dreams We Knew features some side characters from some of this author’s previous books, but it is considered a standalone novel since you don’t have to read those books first in order to enjoy this one.
Delvina and Kent were such amazing main characters, and I loved the chemistry between them. They each had very different personalities, but they complemented each other so well. I loved how charming Kent was and how he never stopped loving Delvina. The admiration Delvina had for Kent was so heartwarming, and I loved how she consistently boosted his self-worth. There were so many heartfelt scenes between them where they shared their feelings, and I loved all the sweet romantic moments they shared.
The mystery in this story was so interesting, and I loved how the author wove a lot of historical details into the story. I learned a lot about this time period, and I felt immersed in the story from the very beginning. The mystery kept me on my toes, and I didn’t want to put this book down at all.
While it wasn’t a huge portion of the story, I appreciated the Christian faith elements the author included. The characters were still learning to trust and were unsure of their faith a lot, and I felt that their faith was included in a natural way throughout the story.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone! Please note that there is some heavier topics in this book including abandonment, death of a parent, violence, and classism.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Alcohol
Kingdom of the Feared by Kerri Maniscalco
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
What it's about:
In this third book of the series, the focus of the book is a lot more on the relationship between Wrath and Emilia. There's also a big focus on breaking the curse that affects so many people.
What I thought:
I enjoyed how this book wrapped up, but I would've preferred more focus on the emotional part of Wrath and Emilia's relationship instead of such a heavy focus on the physical aspects.
- I loved the chemistry between Emilia and Wrath
- There were too many spicy scenes for my taste
- I would be interested in reading more about the other princes
🎧 Audiobook Thoughts: Marisa Calin did an excellent job with the narration, and the added music was a nice bonus.
⚠️ there is gore and violence throughout as well as swearing.
🌶️ while the scenes are pretty easy to skip, there were quite a lot of spicy scenes throughout the whole book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Kidnapping
The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
4.0
Thank you to Revell for the ARC of The Indigo Heiress by Laura Frantz. All opinions are my own.
The Indigo Heiress is a beautiful historical fiction story about a woman who must make sacrifices for her family and endure painful hardships that ultimately produce strong character growth and joy in unexpected places.
This was my first book by this author, but I had heard great things about her books prior to reading this book.
I have to say that this book was not what I expected, but I overall enjoyed it and would recommend it to other readers.
What stood out to me most about this book was the strong character of the protagonist, the author’s eye for historical details, and the faith themes woven throughout the story.
Juliet, the main character, was such an amazing woman. She cared so much for her family (especially her sister Loveday), and she had a servant’s heart. I loved how she grew to love Leith even though she had prior misgivings about his character. Her quick acceptance of his children was so heartwarming, and her work on the plantation (publicly and secretly) was admirable. She also took on responsibilities without complaint, and she still found time to care for people that others overlooked.
Leith was an interesting character. He had big feelings but was terrible at conveying them to others. I loved his protectiveness and willingness to change even when others looked down on him for doing so. His unwavering love for Juliet was so beautiful to see.
While I often was confused due to Scottish slang or historical terms in the dialogue, I did think the author did a great job making sure to include so many historical details that contributed to a rich setting. I know very little about this time period, so I enjoyed being able to learn more about it.
The Christian faith elements in this story were a nice touch. They weren’t pushy, but I liked how the characters were honest about their faith journeys. It was also encouraging to see characters grow in their faith despite their awful circumstances.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you’re looking to read a beautiful albeit slower paced historical fiction set in the turbulent times leading up to the American Revolutionary War.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, and Murder
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
I was so disgusted with Verity when she talked about her feelings and actions towards pregnancy.