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reaofsunshine28's reviews
27 reviews
The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
3.0
Grady Hendrix has been praised many a time for being the hot new horror writer and I can see where he gets that title. However, I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. It’s my first novel by him so I will be giving his other stories a shot, but this one just… didn’t do it for me.
The ode to slashers is definitely prominent and the horror nerd in me adored it. The premise is great; I just think six final girls was excessive and therefore had too much going on/too many people to follow.
This is one of those books that’s like a sandwich where the bread is divine, your favorite, freshly baked, but the meat is dollar store, close to being expired. I was hooked in the beginning and devoured the ending but getting through the middle bit was miserable.
I do applaud the twist, though, being teetering on the edge of “oh, it was them! Wait, no — wait, yes! Wait, *what?!*” I think a film adaption of this book could do it justice and make me like it more, but as a novel, it was the equivalent of finding a scary movie on Tubi. Could be a hidden gem, could be a grueling experience, but you still get entertainment either way.
The ode to slashers is definitely prominent and the horror nerd in me adored it. The premise is great; I just think six final girls was excessive and therefore had too much going on/too many people to follow.
This is one of those books that’s like a sandwich where the bread is divine, your favorite, freshly baked, but the meat is dollar store, close to being expired. I was hooked in the beginning and devoured the ending but getting through the middle bit was miserable.
I do applaud the twist, though, being teetering on the edge of “oh, it was them! Wait, no — wait, yes! Wait, *what?!*” I think a film adaption of this book could do it justice and make me like it more, but as a novel, it was the equivalent of finding a scary movie on Tubi. Could be a hidden gem, could be a grueling experience, but you still get entertainment either way.
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
5.0
A beautiful, funny, sexy, modern, (less creepy), actually mystique retelling of The Time Traveller’s Wife is what lies within the pages of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde.
I knew Tia Williams would once again shine, cradling my heart gently before throwing it at the wall and shattering it like glass.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Perhaps this is hyperbole but this is definitely the kind of book that makes you believe in love again; not just the romantic sort either. Love for friends, (found) family, your person and maybe even life itself.
The realization you have once you know where the story’s going puts you in the same smitten despair Ezra has when he meets Ricki. You feel the inevitable ache but you keep pushing on, because the beauty you get out of it is so, so worth it.
I knew Tia Williams would once again shine, cradling my heart gently before throwing it at the wall and shattering it like glass.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Perhaps this is hyperbole but this is definitely the kind of book that makes you believe in love again; not just the romantic sort either. Love for friends, (found) family, your person and maybe even life itself.
The realization you have once you know where the story’s going puts you in the same smitten despair Ezra has when he meets Ricki. You feel the inevitable ache but you keep pushing on, because the beauty you get out of it is so, so worth it.
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
4.0
A very quick classic read, perfect for spooky season or really, any time of year you wish a mysterious vampire would haunt your dreams and eventually find you, live with you and cast a spell of confusion and adoration on you. (Which, tbh, for yours truly, is all year long.)
Beautifully written; a good challenge for anyone looking to expand their palette beyond the modern trends. Also, you really can’t beat the comedy of Carmilla’s different aliases just being anagrams of the same name.
Beautifully written; a good challenge for anyone looking to expand their palette beyond the modern trends. Also, you really can’t beat the comedy of Carmilla’s different aliases just being anagrams of the same name.
As Old as Time by Liz Braswell
4.0
I’m gonna give this book a solid 3.5, but putting a four because of my bias for Beauty & The Beast as a story. This book has a really good solid concept — Belle’s mother being the Enchantress? I’m not only sold, I’m invested. The rudimentary writing style was my major struggle in getting through, but it is a Disney-produced story so I wasn’t expecting any exceptional, grab-your-thesaurus type prose.
My criticisms, however, lie in small details. There’s a lot of dialogue within the story, particularly from the second act onwards that reads far too modern for Belle. My obsessive self couldn’t imagine neither Paige O’Hara nor Susan Egan reciting the lines (all other Belle’s are wonderful, I’m just a bit of a purist) and there was some smart-assery and usage of “like” that, again, I cannot hear Belle saying. And the way this story is set up, it could’ve very easily read as a prequel or even a midquel to the movie — Belle’s Magical World, anyone? — but the fourth act took a sharp left into Okay, This Has Zero Chance of Being Canon. It didn’t totally bum me out, I know this is a “what if?” series and I read my fair share of fic. It just gives off a movie where they spent all their budget on the big names and had spare change for the costumes (coughtheliveactionremakecough).
Speaking of the live action remake, if you’re expecting everything to be frozen in time for this adaptation, nope. The Beast is indeed cursed at the age of eleven. Brutal, but also the tip of the iceberg when it comes to bonkers stuff that happens in this book.
On the flip side, some of my favorite things in this book are the small details! I love how much Rosalind resembles Belle (or Belle resembles Rosalind, either way), how movie scenes are delicately woven in to build a semblance of a timeline and just, again, overall, this is a great premise! It incorporates otherwise minute characters in the movie into lead roles; the bookshop keeper! The insane asylum doctor! Mrs. Potts (kinda)! They’re important!
Overall, this is very much a middle grade book Disney made to make more money but I had fun reading it and I think so will anyone else who enjoys the tale as old as time.
My criticisms, however, lie in small details. There’s a lot of dialogue within the story, particularly from the second act onwards that reads far too modern for Belle. My obsessive self couldn’t imagine neither Paige O’Hara nor Susan Egan reciting the lines (all other Belle’s are wonderful, I’m just a bit of a purist) and there was some smart-assery and usage of “like” that, again, I cannot hear Belle saying. And the way this story is set up, it could’ve very easily read as a prequel or even a midquel to the movie — Belle’s Magical World, anyone? — but the fourth act took a sharp left into Okay, This Has Zero Chance of Being Canon. It didn’t totally bum me out, I know this is a “what if?” series and I read my fair share of fic. It just gives off a movie where they spent all their budget on the big names and had spare change for the costumes (coughtheliveactionremakecough).
Speaking of the live action remake, if you’re expecting everything to be frozen in time for this adaptation, nope. The Beast is indeed cursed at the age of eleven. Brutal, but also the tip of the iceberg when it comes to bonkers stuff that happens in this book.
On the flip side, some of my favorite things in this book are the small details! I love how much Rosalind resembles Belle (or Belle resembles Rosalind, either way), how movie scenes are delicately woven in to build a semblance of a timeline and just, again, overall, this is a great premise! It incorporates otherwise minute characters in the movie into lead roles; the bookshop keeper! The insane asylum doctor! Mrs. Potts (kinda)! They’re important!
Overall, this is very much a middle grade book Disney made to make more money but I had fun reading it and I think so will anyone else who enjoys the tale as old as time.
Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon
2.0
Dear Ruby Dixon,
What a way to tell the whole world your favorite toy is a rabbit. You ain’t slick, girl. (And I imagine neither are your protagonists, with this plain as hell sex.)
Jokes aside, this is… a book series. It was $6 on the clearance rack and I need to hit my reading numbers, okay? I really don’t know how anyone’s paying nearly $20 full price for these books. You definitely don’t need to read in order either, they occasionally hit you with some recap in between, but the lore/world building isn’t half bad so the author gets some points for that. Kira taking over the bad guy’s ship was pretty badass too, not gonna lie. But as someone who sees the true appeal in monsters, I’m sorry, this ain’t it, chief. It was also lame as hell for all that build up about how she can’t have kids just for her to magically have them. I know this wasn’t going to be a compelling, thought provoking story by any means; I just think the author could’ve committed to the “not all happy couples need kids/biological offspring” bit.
This is obviously meant to be a fun, mindless read and I was entertained enough. However, if you think this is peak erotica, please seek out other stories. All the females in this book series deserve better and so do you, dear reader.
What a way to tell the whole world your favorite toy is a rabbit. You ain’t slick, girl. (And I imagine neither are your protagonists, with this plain as hell sex.)
Jokes aside, this is… a book series. It was $6 on the clearance rack and I need to hit my reading numbers, okay? I really don’t know how anyone’s paying nearly $20 full price for these books. You definitely don’t need to read in order either, they occasionally hit you with some recap in between, but the lore/world building isn’t half bad so the author gets some points for that. Kira taking over the bad guy’s ship was pretty badass too, not gonna lie. But as someone who sees the true appeal in monsters, I’m sorry, this ain’t it, chief. It was also lame as hell for all that build up about how she can’t have kids just for her to magically have them. I know this wasn’t going to be a compelling, thought provoking story by any means; I just think the author could’ve committed to the “not all happy couples need kids/biological offspring” bit.
This is obviously meant to be a fun, mindless read and I was entertained enough. However, if you think this is peak erotica, please seek out other stories. All the females in this book series deserve better and so do you, dear reader.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
2.0
Hmm.
This is. A book. A cute, fantasy book. But it lacks the punch its potential holds. It’s a really sweet concept! Rugged (hot) orc lady retires from carnage to open a coffee shop! She gets a found family, a girlfriend, all that good stuff, but. It reads so painfully plain for a book so rich with ideas. The writing style is very rudimentary and at first, I thought this book was PG but the swear words thrown in later on make it very clear this book pushes to PG13 and yet… no other content. You know how some people complain too much ‘spice’ in a book? This is a book that needed it. Viv & Tandri’s slow burn just being sprinkled in didn’t do it for me. I needed all those jokes about Viv needing a bed to lead up to something and it didn’t. Boo. The romantic tension was there, but about as tense as a rubber band.
Legends & Lattes clearly isn’t Travis Baldree’s first foray into fantasy, despite this being his first published work. The book reads like the guide to his beloved D&D lore but he forgot to drop us a glossary/lore dump/map/etc. somewhere in the novel. I couldn’t really get invested in the story either, because it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. Was this a gritty, mournful redemption for Viv? Was it her & Tandri’s blossoming romance? Was this a heartwarming found family setup against a mystical backdrop?
It was all of those things but sadly, instead of melding perfectly like your ideal coffee order, some substances fell flat, others left a rather “meh” aftertaste and the sweet in betweens made it okay, but not worth visiting back. A cozy environment alone cannot make a story.
TLDR? For as short as this book was, it had way too much going on. Great premise, should’ve been longer/stretched out over the series.
This is. A book. A cute, fantasy book. But it lacks the punch its potential holds. It’s a really sweet concept! Rugged (hot) orc lady retires from carnage to open a coffee shop! She gets a found family, a girlfriend, all that good stuff, but. It reads so painfully plain for a book so rich with ideas. The writing style is very rudimentary and at first, I thought this book was PG but the swear words thrown in later on make it very clear this book pushes to PG13 and yet… no other content. You know how some people complain too much ‘spice’ in a book? This is a book that needed it. Viv & Tandri’s slow burn just being sprinkled in didn’t do it for me. I needed all those jokes about Viv needing a bed to lead up to something and it didn’t. Boo. The romantic tension was there, but about as tense as a rubber band.
Legends & Lattes clearly isn’t Travis Baldree’s first foray into fantasy, despite this being his first published work. The book reads like the guide to his beloved D&D lore but he forgot to drop us a glossary/lore dump/map/etc. somewhere in the novel. I couldn’t really get invested in the story either, because it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. Was this a gritty, mournful redemption for Viv? Was it her & Tandri’s blossoming romance? Was this a heartwarming found family setup against a mystical backdrop?
It was all of those things but sadly, instead of melding perfectly like your ideal coffee order, some substances fell flat, others left a rather “meh” aftertaste and the sweet in betweens made it okay, but not worth visiting back. A cozy environment alone cannot make a story.
TLDR? For as short as this book was, it had way too much going on. Great premise, should’ve been longer/stretched out over the series.
The Pairing by Casey McQuiston
2.5
A solid 2.5 for Casey McQuiston’s self insert love story with a Timothee Chalamet/Harry Styles fusion — which sucks, because I really, *really* wanted to like this book.
I don’t know, maybe I’m not cultured enough & too apathetic about sex to enjoy the endless paragraphs about wine, having trysts amid a food tour and famous European landmarks. Or maybe the author themselves describes it perfectly at one point in Act II, “Like a Guadagnino film.” Right down to a peach scene!
This isn’t necessarily a bad book, but I do believe it’s lacking the McQuiston magic that made them well known. I can’t feel bad or root for nepo babies, let alone ones as pretentious as Theo and Kit. I can appreciate the casual queerness of this book but “Be a good bottom for me,” prefacing a love confession is not the grand romantic sequence it was set up to be. Like, yes, there is something inherently erotic about the beauty and nuances of food and travel, but with such pampered, frivolous, immature characters, I can’t get into it. Having to remind myself these two are nearly thirty just made them even more insufferable.
It isn’t a bad premise! Two ex-lovers, ex-childhood best friends, ex-everything’s in a very romantic closed proximity? Sign me up.
But then the sex competition. Them being stupidly rich and way too confident, despite their “noooo I wanna be relatable” auras. This is a case where I liked the story but couldn’t be bothered to care about the main characters. When I wasn’t smitten by the realizations they’ve never stopped loving each other, I was rolling my eyes with annoyance.
Some people have sophomore slumps, and well, this is Casey McQuiston’s senior slump. That’s okay. They can’t all be hits, sometimes you gotta miss.
I don’t know, maybe I’m not cultured enough & too apathetic about sex to enjoy the endless paragraphs about wine, having trysts amid a food tour and famous European landmarks. Or maybe the author themselves describes it perfectly at one point in Act II, “Like a Guadagnino film.” Right down to a peach scene!
This isn’t necessarily a bad book, but I do believe it’s lacking the McQuiston magic that made them well known. I can’t feel bad or root for nepo babies, let alone ones as pretentious as Theo and Kit. I can appreciate the casual queerness of this book but “Be a good bottom for me,” prefacing a love confession is not the grand romantic sequence it was set up to be. Like, yes, there is something inherently erotic about the beauty and nuances of food and travel, but with such pampered, frivolous, immature characters, I can’t get into it. Having to remind myself these two are nearly thirty just made them even more insufferable.
It isn’t a bad premise! Two ex-lovers, ex-childhood best friends, ex-everything’s in a very romantic closed proximity? Sign me up.
But then the sex competition. Them being stupidly rich and way too confident, despite their “noooo I wanna be relatable” auras. This is a case where I liked the story but couldn’t be bothered to care about the main characters. When I wasn’t smitten by the realizations they’ve never stopped loving each other, I was rolling my eyes with annoyance.
Some people have sophomore slumps, and well, this is Casey McQuiston’s senior slump. That’s okay. They can’t all be hits, sometimes you gotta miss.