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booksbytheglass's reviews
855 reviews
Heavenly Bodies by Imani Erriu
dark
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
this would have easily been a 5 star read if it wasn’t for the ending folks 🤠 when it comes to the first book of trilogies, especially in fantasy novels, the author needs to find that sweet spot between wrapping up the first conflict & characterizations but still leaving the readers wanting to know more…
and I fear it did none of that
elara and enzo have my entire heart 🤍✨ they are the peak enemies to lovers couple - and I love their slow burn romance!!! this is 100% a romance first novel with plot and characterization taking a back burn (but honestly loved every scene of them slowly trusting and opening up to each other are we KIDDING)
the beginning plot read a lot like SPARK OF THE EVERFLAME between the politics & prince/princess vibes - but I adored the world building of celestia so much 🌙 I want to bottle up every detail and description and just live there
but can we talk about that ending? loved the soulmate vibes, but I felt like a lot of revelations were just thrown out there without any sort of explanation and resolution 👀 and yes it’s setting up for the sequel, but I low key feel like it was a cheap shot to create drama and prolong the conflict…
more characterization in the sequels please!!! can’t wait to return to celestia soon!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: blanc de noirs champagne
and I fear it did none of that
elara and enzo have my entire heart 🤍✨ they are the peak enemies to lovers couple - and I love their slow burn romance!!! this is 100% a romance first novel with plot and characterization taking a back burn (but honestly loved every scene of them slowly trusting and opening up to each other are we KIDDING)
the beginning plot read a lot like SPARK OF THE EVERFLAME between the politics & prince/princess vibes - but I adored the world building of celestia so much 🌙 I want to bottle up every detail and description and just live there
but can we talk about that ending? loved the soulmate vibes, but I felt like a lot of revelations were just thrown out there without any sort of explanation and resolution 👀 and yes it’s setting up for the sequel, but I low key feel like it was a cheap shot to create drama and prolong the conflict…
more characterization in the sequels please!!! can’t wait to return to celestia soon!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: blanc de noirs champagne
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 35%.
DNF @ 35% - you might be thinking, “what the heck is wrong with you shannon?? this is a leigh bardugo book and you can’t even get past 30%?” reader, that is absolutely correct …
if there’s one thing I adore about leigh’s writing, it’s her world building. this time, in historical early spain during the late eras of witchcraft (boo) and christian savor worship (yay), our story surrounds a maid, luiza, who knows how to perform magic. except, it’s never really talked about, other than she has a weird family….
and don’t get me started on the cast of characters. for someone who is the QUEEN of writing unique lovable characters, they were all sullen, bland, and pretty much the evilest of evil of historical fiction. I couldn’t even find myself rooting for luiza as she barely even wanted to fight for herself…
I fear this one just didn’t hit the spot for me, and that’s mostly due to the characterization and lack of compelling story for me. however, I do adore leigh’s writing style, despite the fact it felt more like poetry than actual descriptive sentences sometimes.
if there’s one thing I adore about leigh’s writing, it’s her world building. this time, in historical early spain during the late eras of witchcraft (boo) and christian savor worship (yay), our story surrounds a maid, luiza, who knows how to perform magic. except, it’s never really talked about, other than she has a weird family….
and don’t get me started on the cast of characters. for someone who is the QUEEN of writing unique lovable characters, they were all sullen, bland, and pretty much the evilest of evil of historical fiction. I couldn’t even find myself rooting for luiza as she barely even wanted to fight for herself…
I fear this one just didn’t hit the spot for me, and that’s mostly due to the characterization and lack of compelling story for me. however, I do adore leigh’s writing style, despite the fact it felt more like poetry than actual descriptive sentences sometimes.
Parents Weekend: A Novel by Alex Finlay
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
if there’s one thing alex finlay knows to do, it’s write a fast-paced, addicting, heart-pounding thriller 🤯 I love a good ol thriller that I can’t put down!!!
five students go missing during parents weekend, leaving their parents scrambling to cover up their own secrets while find out the truth about what happened 😮💨 and it definitely felt more like a true crime doc more than anything
there wasn’t much mystery to this one, as the detective (the same one from EVERY LAST FEAR and THE NIGHT SHIFT) methodically ruled out every red herring until they were only left with one solution - and while I thought it was obvious, I lived for the drama between all of the parents!! there’s something about a messy secret that just gets me going 😂
this was definitely a telling rather than showing type of story, and the cast of characters was so huge that it felt a bit overwhelming at times. even when the readers were supposed to connect with the missing kids, I felt like I didn’t really know them due to the lack of characterization and time spent with each character 🤷🏼♀️
a huge thank you to netgalley and minotaur for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: burgundy red blend
five students go missing during parents weekend, leaving their parents scrambling to cover up their own secrets while find out the truth about what happened 😮💨 and it definitely felt more like a true crime doc more than anything
there wasn’t much mystery to this one, as the detective (the same one from EVERY LAST FEAR and THE NIGHT SHIFT) methodically ruled out every red herring until they were only left with one solution - and while I thought it was obvious, I lived for the drama between all of the parents!! there’s something about a messy secret that just gets me going 😂
this was definitely a telling rather than showing type of story, and the cast of characters was so huge that it felt a bit overwhelming at times. even when the readers were supposed to connect with the missing kids, I felt like I didn’t really know them due to the lack of characterization and time spent with each character 🤷🏼♀️
a huge thank you to netgalley and minotaur for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: burgundy red blend
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, and Suicide
Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Finale by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.5
OK THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!! the tension, the pining, the will they won’t they, the fighting for each other but also fighting for the world- I was screaming the whole time thanks 😍
donatella and scarlett both shared the page this time, reeling after the events of bringing the fate gods back to life as well as their mother… and of course our favorite brothers julian and legend 👀
while scarlett was still the world’s biggest idiot (like you’re telling me you didn’t escape prison for safety because you were ASHAMED of how you looked?? ok sis), I applaud how the whole crew worked together to reach the common goal of bringing down the gods that will only bring ruin upon the mortals!
and the conversation about immortality and its price was SO well done 🫡 even if it all wrapped up a little too perfectly at the end… I’m always suspicious of a happy ending for all iykyk
but I fear what I’m most excited for is jacks’ story in the next trilogy because his back must hurt from carrying the best parts of this series 😮💨😮💨 even though I’m still team legend all the way ok
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: blanc de noirs sparkling wine
donatella and scarlett both shared the page this time, reeling after the events of bringing the fate gods back to life as well as their mother… and of course our favorite brothers julian and legend 👀
while scarlett was still the world’s biggest idiot (like you’re telling me you didn’t escape prison for safety because you were ASHAMED of how you looked?? ok sis), I applaud how the whole crew worked together to reach the common goal of bringing down the gods that will only bring ruin upon the mortals!
and the conversation about immortality and its price was SO well done 🫡 even if it all wrapped up a little too perfectly at the end… I’m always suspicious of a happy ending for all iykyk
but I fear what I’m most excited for is jacks’ story in the next trilogy because his back must hurt from carrying the best parts of this series 😮💨😮💨 even though I’m still team legend all the way ok
rating: 4.5 stars
wine pairing: blanc de noirs sparkling wine
Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I definitely fear I’m an outlier on this one 😔 the more I think about it, the angrier I get at the actions of poe, our true crime podcast main character…
poe interviews cons, felons & sometimes even unalivers on her podcast - so when she seemingly interviews her mother’s killer, all heck breaks loose (especially because she thought she unalived him 7 years ago 🤯)
and while the premise is catchy, the story doesn’t really go anywhere from there. the entire slow burn is poe making idiotic decisions to preserve herself while trying to figure out if this new stalker is indeed her mother’s killer or not… and boy, kip was the only sound character I fear when he looked her in the eyes and said “but you killed someone” 🫡
poe as a character was very uninteresting to me, and spent more time flipping back and forth between drowning in guilt from her actions of the past and being a tough BITCH who is hunting down the killers herself. it was very jarring and didn’t lend very well to relatability.
overall, it was a quick binge, but there was little to no mystery for me. and it left me wanting more from the story as a whole! I fear I’m just getting tired of the female protagonist making idiotic decisions to “protect” the ones they love when really…. just call the damn police okay????
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: oregon pinot noir
poe interviews cons, felons & sometimes even unalivers on her podcast - so when she seemingly interviews her mother’s killer, all heck breaks loose (especially because she thought she unalived him 7 years ago 🤯)
and while the premise is catchy, the story doesn’t really go anywhere from there. the entire slow burn is poe making idiotic decisions to preserve herself while trying to figure out if this new stalker is indeed her mother’s killer or not… and boy, kip was the only sound character I fear when he looked her in the eyes and said “but you killed someone” 🫡
poe as a character was very uninteresting to me, and spent more time flipping back and forth between drowning in guilt from her actions of the past and being a tough BITCH who is hunting down the killers herself. it was very jarring and didn’t lend very well to relatability.
overall, it was a quick binge, but there was little to no mystery for me. and it left me wanting more from the story as a whole! I fear I’m just getting tired of the female protagonist making idiotic decisions to “protect” the ones they love when really…. just call the damn police okay????
rating: 2 stars
wine pairing: oregon pinot noir
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Minor: Vomit
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.0
I definitely enjoyed this one way more than CARAVAL, and that’s mostly due to the fact that donatella is the narrator of this story… after the turmoil and tests that her sister scarlett went through, this time it’s donatella who must solve the mystery behind caraval, its mastermind legend, and how it ties together with her mother!
this series reads like a YA novel, and I fear I would have enjoyed it more when I was in high school during the hunger games / divergent era 😶 trying my best to get into the correct mindset though!!
the romance in this one was SO much better, this time focusing on donatella and dante (with a little side of jacks but let’s be real, we’d all pick dante) 👀 I loved the slow burn forbidden-esque romance!!!
and even though donatella is a literal ✨ child ✨ she’s way more mature than her sister in realizing the stakes of the world and what must be done for the greater good
still not my favorite fantasy series ever - and I missed the fantasy world building in this one (where was the magic!!! where was the beauty!!!), but the cliffhanger ending had me sucked back in ready for the next installment!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: provence sparkling rosé
this series reads like a YA novel, and I fear I would have enjoyed it more when I was in high school during the hunger games / divergent era 😶 trying my best to get into the correct mindset though!!
the romance in this one was SO much better, this time focusing on donatella and dante (with a little side of jacks but let’s be real, we’d all pick dante) 👀 I loved the slow burn forbidden-esque romance!!!
and even though donatella is a literal ✨ child ✨ she’s way more mature than her sister in realizing the stakes of the world and what must be done for the greater good
still not my favorite fantasy series ever - and I missed the fantasy world building in this one (where was the magic!!! where was the beauty!!!), but the cliffhanger ending had me sucked back in ready for the next installment!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: provence sparkling rosé
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
okay hear me out, I enjoyed it, I binged it, but I didn’t… love it? it felt like a combination of a bunch of different fantasy books together with not as much character development 🤔
sisters scarlett and donatella want nothing more than to escape their abusive home and start their own lives - so when they’re invited to the elusive caraval by the master legend himself, everything changes 🤯 they’re immediately wrapped up in a land of magic, mystery, and more danger than they anticipated…
scarlett was not the main character I was expecting, nor was she someone who was smart enough to survive the game, I fear. she quickly abandoned all of her morals as soon as she met morally grey characters, and even forgot her goal of saving her own sister for a bit?? and nativity was certainly her theme here 🙄
I wanted so much more from julian and scarlett’s story, even though the main themes surrounded family and sisterhood. it barely touched upon the desire for forbidden love and totally gave the same energy as elsa when she tells anna “you can’t marry a man you just met”
and while donatella wasn’t much better, she wasn’t disguised as the older and “wiser” sister so 🤷🏼♀️
I did enjoy the world building and magical mystery behind caraval, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this journey expands in the rest of the series!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: blanc de noirs champagne
sisters scarlett and donatella want nothing more than to escape their abusive home and start their own lives - so when they’re invited to the elusive caraval by the master legend himself, everything changes 🤯 they’re immediately wrapped up in a land of magic, mystery, and more danger than they anticipated…
scarlett was not the main character I was expecting, nor was she someone who was smart enough to survive the game, I fear. she quickly abandoned all of her morals as soon as she met morally grey characters, and even forgot her goal of saving her own sister for a bit?? and nativity was certainly her theme here 🙄
I wanted so much more from julian and scarlett’s story, even though the main themes surrounded family and sisterhood. it barely touched upon the desire for forbidden love and totally gave the same energy as elsa when she tells anna “you can’t marry a man you just met”
and while donatella wasn’t much better, she wasn’t disguised as the older and “wiser” sister so 🤷🏼♀️
I did enjoy the world building and magical mystery behind caraval, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this journey expands in the rest of the series!
rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: blanc de noirs champagne
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
4.0
BLACK CAKE was among my favorites of 2022, and I absolutely squealed with delight when I received an early copy of charmaine’s latest! she just knows how to blend historical fiction and drama so effortlessly, and add in her rich character backgrounds? perfection 😮💨
this story surrounds ebby and her family history, from the shooting of her brother when she was a child all the way back to when her ancestors were sold into slavery. and what a journey it was!
the constant back and forth between timelines and characters was a bit jarring at first, especially since I had no idea how they all tied together (other than the obvious family tree). but it was so heartbreaking and beautiful to read about and how five little words can affect generations…
I absolutely loved the conversation between generational wealth and what it means to be an affluent black family in today’s society - and how everyone justifies their own path in the world… and while I did enjoy the side plot with henry and avery, I didn’t need chapters of them attempting to defend their selfish classist and passive racist actions 😅
and while the ending was beautifully done in its own way, I wanted more answers for the mysteries of the past (and less of YT families doomed to repeat their actions bc they think they’re “trying to help”)
still, another gorgeous and thought-provoking novel from charmaine and one I cannot recommend enough! thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: bordeaux cabernet sauvignon
this story surrounds ebby and her family history, from the shooting of her brother when she was a child all the way back to when her ancestors were sold into slavery. and what a journey it was!
the constant back and forth between timelines and characters was a bit jarring at first, especially since I had no idea how they all tied together (other than the obvious family tree). but it was so heartbreaking and beautiful to read about and how five little words can affect generations…
I absolutely loved the conversation between generational wealth and what it means to be an affluent black family in today’s society - and how everyone justifies their own path in the world… and while I did enjoy the side plot with henry and avery, I didn’t need chapters of them attempting to defend their selfish classist and passive racist actions 😅
and while the ending was beautifully done in its own way, I wanted more answers for the mysteries of the past (and less of YT families doomed to repeat their actions bc they think they’re “trying to help”)
still, another gorgeous and thought-provoking novel from charmaine and one I cannot recommend enough! thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 4 stars
wine pairing: bordeaux cabernet sauvignon
The Unlucky Ones by Hannah Morrissey
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
the underlying plot behind black harbor is corruption and greed - and this one is no exception! surrounding drug cartels and a power struggle in the underworld, investigator kole and hazel must team up again after 8 years to solve the latest whodunnit 🙄
and they are STILL pining after each other, despite the toxic hot mess they got into in HELLO TRANSCRIBER… like you didn’t learn the first time? jesus christ
I think the stories with a focus on the drug underworld don’t really hit right for me 🥴 and I do think it’s because they’re fairly straight forward and only convoluted when the reader is figuring out who belongs to which gang… I wanted more mystery behind it all!!!!
I did love seeing the whole gang together again though, and I do hope hannah morrisey continues this series (with less focus on hades and buddha pls)
thank you to netgalley and minotaur books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: primitivo zinfandel
and they are STILL pining after each other, despite the toxic hot mess they got into in HELLO TRANSCRIBER… like you didn’t learn the first time? jesus christ
I think the stories with a focus on the drug underworld don’t really hit right for me 🥴 and I do think it’s because they’re fairly straight forward and only convoluted when the reader is figuring out who belongs to which gang… I wanted more mystery behind it all!!!!
I did love seeing the whole gang together again though, and I do hope hannah morrisey continues this series (with less focus on hades and buddha pls)
thank you to netgalley and minotaur books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: primitivo zinfandel
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Hello, Transcriber by Hannah Morrissey
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
for once, I’m very glad I read this series out of order, as this was by far the weakest of the black harbor series for me 🥲 the way the plot just went through unnecessary side plots only to get to an obvious and unsatisfying conclusion - it was just maddening…
hazel, a new transcriber to the police department, was an intriguing main character to unpack, until I got about halfway through and was wondering how she could possibly stay in this toxic situation any longer 🙄 I mean, if you hate the town and hate your family and hate your husband, why… why are you still suffering 🤠
and I’m super not a fan of the cheating trope - so the entire toxic situationship between hazel and detective kole was a big ick for me 🥴 like what was the point? hazel’s husband was ✨ the worst ✨ so just leave him? and you’re telling me kole was with his sister-in-law? just a big toxic mess that had me saying “why” out loud multiple times…
in terms of the mystery elements, it didn’t hold my interest as much as I thought it would. I would definitely recommend the 2nd and 3rd novels in this series instead…
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: new zealand sauvignon blanc
hazel, a new transcriber to the police department, was an intriguing main character to unpack, until I got about halfway through and was wondering how she could possibly stay in this toxic situation any longer 🙄 I mean, if you hate the town and hate your family and hate your husband, why… why are you still suffering 🤠
and I’m super not a fan of the cheating trope - so the entire toxic situationship between hazel and detective kole was a big ick for me 🥴 like what was the point? hazel’s husband was ✨ the worst ✨ so just leave him? and you’re telling me kole was with his sister-in-law? just a big toxic mess that had me saying “why” out loud multiple times…
in terms of the mystery elements, it didn’t hold my interest as much as I thought it would. I would definitely recommend the 2nd and 3rd novels in this series instead…
rating: 2.5 stars
wine pairing: new zealand sauvignon blanc