Scan barcode
genevieve5's reviews
248 reviews
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Blood, and Dysphoria
Husband Material by Alexis Hall
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’ll say this: from start to finish, I could not put this book down. After reading Boyfriend Material, I was so ecstatic to get my hands on the sequel, and to see more from Luc and Oliver and the whole gang. Based on the first book, I had very high expectations. Some of them were exceeded, and some were not met. But I’m mostly not upset that they weren’t.
'Husband Material' is a poignant, thought-provoking, eye-opening, laugh-out-loud, cry-your-eyes out, melt-your-heart emotional sledgehammer of a book. It illustrates situations of profound vulnerability for the characters, depicts and addresses issues of homophobia and LGBTQ+ rights in heartbreakingly honest clarity, develops its characters and story in very unexpected ways, and captures the trials, tribulations, and utter messiness of relationships and of life in general in ways that at times delighted me with their humor and at times wrecked me emotionally.
However, it was at times heavy on the bickering between the couple, and I did not like the way some of the arguments were handled by one character in particular (I won’t say any more to avoid spoilers). For that, it loses a star.
Overall, though this is not my favorite book nor my favorite style of writing, it was well done, and I love it. It is a stunning, bold, messy, blunt, honest, insanely emotional, and exceptionally well-written and plotted read that I overall recommend (though again, could have used less of the arguing).
'Husband Material' is a poignant, thought-provoking, eye-opening, laugh-out-loud, cry-your-eyes out, melt-your-heart emotional sledgehammer of a book. It illustrates situations of profound vulnerability for the characters, depicts and addresses issues of homophobia and LGBTQ+ rights in heartbreakingly honest clarity, develops its characters and story in very unexpected ways, and captures the trials, tribulations, and utter messiness of relationships and of life in general in ways that at times delighted me with their humor and at times wrecked me emotionally.
However, it was at times heavy on the bickering between the couple, and I did not like the way some of the arguments were handled by one character in particular (I won’t say any more to avoid spoilers). For that, it loses a star.
Overall, though this is not my favorite book nor my favorite style of writing, it was well done, and I love it. It is a stunning, bold, messy, blunt, honest, insanely emotional, and exceptionally well-written and plotted read that I overall recommend (though again, could have used less of the arguing).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Emotional abuse
The Dread Penny Society: The Complete Penny Dreadful Collection by Sarah M. Eden
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Murder
Minor: Child abuse and Medical content
The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
medium-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? No
4.25
"Thank you, Sarah Morgenthaler," we all say in unison (or at least I do)
I'm pretty sure I almost fell out of my seat with excitement when I heard that the writer of the Moose Springs, Alaska series, which I absolutely adore, was publishing another book-and a Christmas romcom?! I couldn't pre-order it fast enough!
And she did not disappoint. The Christmas You Found Me is heartwarming & heartbreaking in almost equal measure (though rest assured, heartwarming wins out). It is a wonderful romance with a frankly almost too perfect love interest (more on that later), but it isn't only a romance. It's also a beautiful story of healing from a past relationship, of a family coming together, and of a sweet little girl & the people who love her fighting for her life. The story was engaging, the little girl melted my heart, and the characters were sweet as can be.
The only slight criticism I had, and it is a very slight and very odd one I grant you, is what I mentioned before: the main male love interest is simply too perfect. At all times, he was the perfect gentleman, an amazing father, always said & did the exact right thing at the exact right time, cared fiercely about his family, his faith never wavered, and he was pretty much never in a bad mood or really upset/agitated/angry. A lot of the time, part of what makes me fall in love with characters and make them seem multi-dimensional relatable, is the fact that they're not perfect. Even if romcom characters are this idealized standard of romance that never (or rarely) reflect reality, they are still often imperfect people with depth and flaws, people who've made mistakes and get upset sometimes, and something about that makes them more alive for me. It's part of what made the protagonist in this book alive for me.
But this guy, Guy, was so good and so sweet he didn't seem to have any flaws that I could see. I still loved him as a character and loved the book as a whole, but that kind of unflappable perfection kept snagging in my mind.
Overall, though, I would absolutely recommend this. It is a wonderful cozy Christmas read, sure to give you all the feels.
I'm pretty sure I almost fell out of my seat with excitement when I heard that the writer of the Moose Springs, Alaska series, which I absolutely adore, was publishing another book-and a Christmas romcom?! I couldn't pre-order it fast enough!
And she did not disappoint. The Christmas You Found Me is heartwarming & heartbreaking in almost equal measure (though rest assured, heartwarming wins out). It is a wonderful romance with a frankly almost too perfect love interest (more on that later), but it isn't only a romance. It's also a beautiful story of healing from a past relationship, of a family coming together, and of a sweet little girl & the people who love her fighting for her life. The story was engaging, the little girl melted my heart, and the characters were sweet as can be.
The only slight criticism I had, and it is a very slight and very odd one I grant you, is what I mentioned before: the main male love interest is simply too perfect. At all times, he was the perfect gentleman, an amazing father, always said & did the exact right thing at the exact right time, cared fiercely about his family, his faith never wavered, and he was pretty much never in a bad mood or really upset/agitated/angry. A lot of the time, part of what makes me fall in love with characters and make them seem multi-dimensional relatable, is the fact that they're not perfect. Even if romcom characters are this idealized standard of romance that never (or rarely) reflect reality, they are still often imperfect people with depth and flaws, people who've made mistakes and get upset sometimes, and something about that makes them more alive for me. It's part of what made the protagonist in this book alive for me.
But this guy, Guy, was so good and so sweet he didn't seem to have any flaws that I could see. I still loved him as a character and loved the book as a whole, but that kind of unflappable perfection kept snagging in my mind.
Overall, though, I would absolutely recommend this. It is a wonderful cozy Christmas read, sure to give you all the feels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Vomit, Dementia, and Death of parent
Minor: Toxic relationship
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Transphobia, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Deadnaming, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse
My Dear Henry: A Jekyll & Hyde Remix by Kalynn Bayron
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
The toxic relationship is not the main romantic one, but the one between one of the characters and his father.
Out of Left Field by Jonah Newman
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Homophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Misogyny and Sexism
The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A Twist of Fate by Kelley Armstrong
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
don’t know if I’ve ever read a more maddening book.
It’s one of those where it is glaringly obvious that if the MC had done one simple thing, matters would be much simpler & a good part of the book (though not all, there is more to the plot, which proved intriguing) would have been resolved in about two chapters & the tension would not have dragged on nearly as long. In fact the, MC made a couple different decisions that I questioned the rationale and practicality of, much as she repeatedly claimed to be practical throughout the story (though she is overall smart, and I do like her as a character on the whole, much as she frustrated me sometimes). For that, it loses some points.
Nevertheless, I was hooked from the beginning, clutching pillows and on the edge of my seat at many different moments. And overall, I liked the principle characters and following their stories. I also loved (THIS IS A SMALL SPOILER-SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DONT WANT TO HEAR IT) that characters from the previous book featured-it was a delight to see them again & see how their lives have unfolded.
Like it’s predecessor, it was also intensely sweet & romantic, while also acknowledging the need to address inadvertently toxic behaviors, and addressing them well, & of course throwing a ghostly mystery & nefarious plot into the mix. I think, with the exception of what I talked about at the top of the review, I actually liked this one even more than the first.
Overall, I would recommend this series, at least from the first two I’ve read! I do highly recommend reading the first book, A Stitch in Time, before this one.
It’s one of those where it is glaringly obvious that if the MC had done one simple thing, matters would be much simpler & a good part of the book (though not all, there is more to the plot, which proved intriguing) would have been resolved in about two chapters & the tension would not have dragged on nearly as long. In fact the, MC made a couple different decisions that I questioned the rationale and practicality of, much as she repeatedly claimed to be practical throughout the story (though she is overall smart, and I do like her as a character on the whole, much as she frustrated me sometimes). For that, it loses some points.
Nevertheless, I was hooked from the beginning, clutching pillows and on the edge of my seat at many different moments. And overall, I liked the principle characters and following their stories. I also loved (THIS IS A SMALL SPOILER-SKIP TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH IF YOU DONT WANT TO HEAR IT) that characters from the previous book featured-it was a delight to see them again & see how their lives have unfolded.
Like it’s predecessor, it was also intensely sweet & romantic, while also acknowledging the need to address inadvertently toxic behaviors, and addressing them well, & of course throwing a ghostly mystery & nefarious plot into the mix. I think, with the exception of what I talked about at the top of the review, I actually liked this one even more than the first.
Overall, I would recommend this series, at least from the first two I’ve read! I do highly recommend reading the first book, A Stitch in Time, before this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content and Grief
Fly with Me by Andie Burke
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This one was alright-kept me engaged, and definitely had lots of cute moments, as well as well-done, heart-wrenching ones. I really liked some of the characters, the friendships between characters were amazing, a lot of the main relationship & taking-care-of-when-sick trope was great, the sensitive handling or toxic relationships & anxiety/depression & family struggles were well-done, & the spicy scenes…well, let’s just say they were *chef’s kiss* 👌🏼.
However, it’s also has one of the weakest rationales for a fake dating trope I think I’ve read (and I normally love the fake dating trope). There are also some character reactions that seemed more subdued than I would have expected given the enormity of what just happened in a scene, or just some moments where the reactions/responses just generally seemed a bit odd. And a few different problems/obstacles or just general moments, large and small, came up throughout, that were dismissed, I think, way too quickly. All the sh!t hit the fan, but the resolution didn’t feel as satisfying.
The ending, while cute, was also a bit lackluster for me, and overall, while it kept me reading & I generally enjoyed it, it did feel a bit lackluster as a whole.
Certainly not bad, but not my favorite.
However, it’s also has one of the weakest rationales for a fake dating trope I think I’ve read (and I normally love the fake dating trope). There are also some character reactions that seemed more subdued than I would have expected given the enormity of what just happened in a scene, or just some moments where the reactions/responses just generally seemed a bit odd. And a few different problems/obstacles or just general moments, large and small, came up throughout, that were dismissed, I think, way too quickly. All the sh!t hit the fan, but the resolution didn’t feel as satisfying.
The ending, while cute, was also a bit lackluster for me, and overall, while it kept me reading & I generally enjoyed it, it did feel a bit lackluster as a whole.
Certainly not bad, but not my favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Homophobia
Please note: the toxic relationships here refer NOT to the main relationship, but to one of the MC's relationships with their family