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sophs_mood_reading's reviews
396 reviews
The Love Wager by Lynn Painter
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a cute little romance and just what the doctor ordered.
Following an amazing one night stand Hallie and Jack decide they aren’t for eachother but should enter a wager where both aim to find the one and debrief/commiserate about failed dates during the process. Add a weekend of fake dating and a sprinkle of one bed and you have another Lynn Painter romance hit.
I didn’t realise it was in the same series as Mr Wrong number but is easily a stand alone (you just would know who got together in the first if you read this beforehand)
Hallie and Jacks banter is on point and the chemistry is 🔥.
Also I’m a sucker for fake dating so was delighted as the book developed into some brilliant situations.
Plus double points for a whole lot of pride and prejudice references.
The communication issues of romance books always annoy me but not sure they can be avoided.
Following an amazing one night stand Hallie and Jack decide they aren’t for eachother but should enter a wager where both aim to find the one and debrief/commiserate about failed dates during the process. Add a weekend of fake dating and a sprinkle of one bed and you have another Lynn Painter romance hit.
I didn’t realise it was in the same series as Mr Wrong number but is easily a stand alone (you just would know who got together in the first if you read this beforehand)
Hallie and Jacks banter is on point and the chemistry is 🔥.
Also I’m a sucker for fake dating so was delighted as the book developed into some brilliant situations.
Plus double points for a whole lot of pride and prejudice references.
The communication issues of romance books always annoy me but not sure they can be avoided.
Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Two strangers meet in an art institute and agree to have 6 conversations to learn about each other. This is how Regan and Arlo begin their relationship and let emotional whirlwind begin.
The presentation of the story is quite interesting we start with some old school third person narrators for both Arlo and Regan and then switch to their own inner monologues. This is where things get complex as we are not simply in a first person linear narrative, no this is the thought process of the character at the time. We get to live through moments but also know exactly what they are feeling and thinking. It gets complicated and be difficult to seperate if there is dialogue or just thought process. But you really do feel connected to the character and truly know them.
In all this is where I found I couldn’t really agree with it being a love story. On the surface maybe yes but Regan and Arlo are so self obsessed, co dependent and then obsessive about each other that I couldn’t really say yes this is love but more hmmm this seems problematic. This made it hard for me to really love the book as all I could think was eek she really has some mental health issues that need properly addressing and not necessarily how they are being addressed in the book.
It is beautifully written and you do really understand the inner workings of Regan and Arlo, I’m just not sure that’s something I wanted to do.
The presentation of the story is quite interesting we start with some old school third person narrators for both Arlo and Regan and then switch to their own inner monologues. This is where things get complex as we are not simply in a first person linear narrative, no this is the thought process of the character at the time. We get to live through moments but also know exactly what they are feeling and thinking. It gets complicated and be difficult to seperate if there is dialogue or just thought process. But you really do feel connected to the character and truly know them.
In all this is where I found I couldn’t really agree with it being a love story. On the surface maybe yes but Regan and Arlo are so self obsessed, co dependent and then obsessive about each other that I couldn’t really say yes this is love but more hmmm this seems problematic. This made it hard for me to really love the book as all I could think was eek she really has some mental health issues that need properly addressing and not necessarily how they are being addressed in the book.
It is beautifully written and you do really understand the inner workings of Regan and Arlo, I’m just not sure that’s something I wanted to do.
Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I’ve continued on my murder mystery exploration but this time set in a paranormal gothic fantasy and yes it was a hit.
Signa has been haunted by death since she was a child, loosing all those around her, but she is finally standing up to him, it helps that she can’t seem to die so it’s an easy fight to have.
However when she arrives at Thorn Grove she find she must work to save her carers/family and this time death seems to be on her side.
I really loved this book, the premise was so unique and who doesn’t love a mysterious, dark and handsome man (even if he is the grim reaper).
The plot kept twisting so that I never saw the killer coming and had many a “oh what!” moment. The banter between Death and Signa was spot on and there was some great slow burn angst to keep you flipping through the chapters.
I did find a couple of parts more horror-movie-esque that my sensitive little mind didn’t love but the book still kept me hooked.
We were left on not so much a cliffhanger but an introduction into the next mystery which was great, including the intro into a new character who I can’t wait to learn more about.
Lucky I have the sequel Foxglove ready to go!
Signa has been haunted by death since she was a child, loosing all those around her, but she is finally standing up to him, it helps that she can’t seem to die so it’s an easy fight to have.
However when she arrives at Thorn Grove she find she must work to save her carers/family and this time death seems to be on her side.
I really loved this book, the premise was so unique and who doesn’t love a mysterious, dark and handsome man (even if he is the grim reaper).
The plot kept twisting so that I never saw the killer coming and had many a “oh what!” moment. The banter between Death and Signa was spot on and there was some great slow burn angst to keep you flipping through the chapters.
I did find a couple of parts more horror-movie-esque that my sensitive little mind didn’t love but the book still kept me hooked.
We were left on not so much a cliffhanger but an introduction into the next mystery which was great, including the intro into a new character who I can’t wait to learn more about.
Lucky I have the sequel Foxglove ready to go!
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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? It's complicated
4.5
Well this was just short of Amazing.
Oliver, convicted murderer, has been released from jail after 10 years and what does he do? Drive straight back to his old collage to tell the retired cop who put him in jail the story of what really happened.
And so the play begins…
The players: self obsessed 4th year drama students who are an elite clique of their own obsessed with all things Shakespeare.
The stage: A castle like art school where life evolves around acting, musics, Shakespeare, booze, drugs and Shakespeare.
We follow the story along as Oliver relives his final year at college where his small group of friends are as dramatic off stage as their Shakespearian counterparts on stage.
This story is fantastic, you are drawn into the drama and as the tension mounts you are quickly trying to gather every clue and innuendo to figure out what really happened and how Oliver ended up in jail.
I adores the sprinkling of The Bard’s prose throughout the novel, not only when the characters are acting but in their own natural dialogue and thoughts. It really draws you into their world.
The only thing that stopped it being 5 star for me was I felt the pace slowed as we discovered how and why Olivier was in prison and the Epilogue could have got to the point much quicker then it did.
But I will just say, OMG THAT TWIST AT THE END! I was quickly googling a certain play to figure out exactly what the meaning behind it all was.
Oliver, convicted murderer, has been released from jail after 10 years and what does he do? Drive straight back to his old collage to tell the retired cop who put him in jail the story of what really happened.
And so the play begins…
The players: self obsessed 4th year drama students who are an elite clique of their own obsessed with all things Shakespeare.
The stage: A castle like art school where life evolves around acting, musics, Shakespeare, booze, drugs and Shakespeare.
We follow the story along as Oliver relives his final year at college where his small group of friends are as dramatic off stage as their Shakespearian counterparts on stage.
This story is fantastic, you are drawn into the drama and as the tension mounts you are quickly trying to gather every clue and innuendo to figure out what really happened and how Oliver ended up in jail.
I adores the sprinkling of The Bard’s prose throughout the novel, not only when the characters are acting but in their own natural dialogue and thoughts. It really draws you into their world.
The only thing that stopped it being 5 star for me was I felt the pace slowed as we discovered how and why Olivier was in prison and the Epilogue could have got to the point much quicker then it did.
But I will just say, OMG THAT TWIST AT THE END! I was quickly googling a certain play to figure out exactly what the meaning behind it all was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Murder, and Alcohol
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Holy moly what a whirl wind adventure that was!
Open on a 1920’s English country manner estate, where someone is running for their life from a killer and you are trying to help them, although you don’t know where you are or who you are. Imagine then finding out you are actually there to solve a murder that hasn’t happened yet (don’t bother trying to stop it) and if you don’t you wake up the next morning as one of the other guests and start the day again.
This was a fantastic premise for a murder mystery, slowly seeing clues be pieced together from reliving the same day but as different people and even changing some things along the way.
I loved how every “host” our MMC took over exhibited some of their personality traits especially as the week moved along and we had more interesting and devious characters.
I must admit I did get a bit lost at times with all the different names and characters. Even with the different accents and voices in the audiobook.
I loved the twists and turns of the book and I did not guess at all the ending (the killer or how and what they got into the loop in the first place).
Open on a 1920’s English country manner estate, where someone is running for their life from a killer and you are trying to help them, although you don’t know where you are or who you are. Imagine then finding out you are actually there to solve a murder that hasn’t happened yet (don’t bother trying to stop it) and if you don’t you wake up the next morning as one of the other guests and start the day again.
This was a fantastic premise for a murder mystery, slowly seeing clues be pieced together from reliving the same day but as different people and even changing some things along the way.
I loved how every “host” our MMC took over exhibited some of their personality traits especially as the week moved along and we had more interesting and devious characters.
I must admit I did get a bit lost at times with all the different names and characters. Even with the different accents and voices in the audiobook.
I loved the twists and turns of the book and I did not guess at all the ending (the killer or how and what they got into the loop in the first place).
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
Ali Hazelwood is an autobuy author for me so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her new book.
One of my favourite aspects of Hazelwoods books is her FMCs are intelligent women who have a field of expertise and are at the top of their game.
For her chess book (as the author put it) we have Mallory who is watching her best friend move to collage while she stays home with her ill mum, two younger sisters and works to pay the bills.
But when she accidentally beats the world number one in a charity chess game, everything changes and she is flung back into the world of chess and all the memories that brings back.
This is a YA romance which still ticks all the Hazelwood boxes for me. Being YA (and closed door romance) we got a lot more insight into Mallory’s personal struggles.
Hazelwood mentions in the authors note that this book was written to highlight her previous work in stereotype threat and you could see this coming out well in the book. Although I would have loved even more as Mallory did get a dream run, I feel a conversation with Defne or another female player could have highlighted this on a more personal level.
As always Hazelwood hit some great plot tropes and inclusions.
♟️ LGBTIA + rep
♟️ He falls first
♟️competitor romance
And if you aren’t a fan of chess please don’t let it turn you off. Yes, chess talk is hugely present but it’s used so well it’s not overbearing.
One of my favourite aspects of Hazelwoods books is her FMCs are intelligent women who have a field of expertise and are at the top of their game.
For her chess book (as the author put it) we have Mallory who is watching her best friend move to collage while she stays home with her ill mum, two younger sisters and works to pay the bills.
But when she accidentally beats the world number one in a charity chess game, everything changes and she is flung back into the world of chess and all the memories that brings back.
This is a YA romance which still ticks all the Hazelwood boxes for me. Being YA (and closed door romance) we got a lot more insight into Mallory’s personal struggles.
Hazelwood mentions in the authors note that this book was written to highlight her previous work in stereotype threat and you could see this coming out well in the book. Although I would have loved even more as Mallory did get a dream run, I feel a conversation with Defne or another female player could have highlighted this on a more personal level.
As always Hazelwood hit some great plot tropes and inclusions.
♟️ LGBTIA + rep
♟️ He falls first
♟️competitor romance
And if you aren’t a fan of chess please don’t let it turn you off. Yes, chess talk is hugely present but it’s used so well it’s not overbearing.
A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
Oh my gosh I loved this trilogy and this was such a fantastic way to complete a story.
This book managed to build a new plot, villain and adventure all while continuing the love and loathing for characters.
There were answers but for every answer a new mystery and you couldn’t help but keep reading to find out more.
The third instalment differs from the other two as it provides multiple points of view, this added so much more depth and really got you loving (and hating) characters even more.
And I won’t say who but if you’ve read this book you will understand this comment:
He is UNHINGED!
This would have to be my favourite fantasy trilogy and I hope we get to see more of the Magnificent North.
This book managed to build a new plot, villain and adventure all while continuing the love and loathing for characters.
There were answers but for every answer a new mystery and you couldn’t help but keep reading to find out more.
The third instalment differs from the other two as it provides multiple points of view, this added so much more depth and really got you loving (and hating) characters even more.
And I won’t say who but if you’ve read this book you will understand this comment:
He is UNHINGED!
This would have to be my favourite fantasy trilogy and I hope we get to see more of the Magnificent North.
Ana Turns by Lisa Gornick
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
It’s Ana’s 60th birthday and as we go though the events of the day we also learn about some major events of her life and what has shaped her as a person.
Boy has she had a lot going on, from a absent father, a mother missing any maternal feelings, an insensitive brother, a lost friend and her son identifying as trans there is a lot to unpack in one day.
We follow Ana and those in her life on a multiple point of view journey. Often hearing two sides of a story throughout.
The book was well written and it was interesting to hear how people viewed and coped with different events.
I do wish we had a bit more emotion from Ana, she seemed like such a push over I wanted to just shake her and say “react!” But I think that is just who she is.
I do think the story missed a climax as it seemed to stay on one tear the whole time and when I reached the end I was left feeling we could have had more.
Boy has she had a lot going on, from a absent father, a mother missing any maternal feelings, an insensitive brother, a lost friend and her son identifying as trans there is a lot to unpack in one day.
We follow Ana and those in her life on a multiple point of view journey. Often hearing two sides of a story throughout.
The book was well written and it was interesting to hear how people viewed and coped with different events.
I do wish we had a bit more emotion from Ana, she seemed like such a push over I wanted to just shake her and say “react!” But I think that is just who she is.
I do think the story missed a climax as it seemed to stay on one tear the whole time and when I reached the end I was left feeling we could have had more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
Forget Me Not by Julie Soto
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
Ama, a Sacramento wedding planner who has landed a celebrity wedding which could really put her on the map! She loves the couple, has no budget, but the catch is she has to work with Elliot from Blooming, the best florist in town, who is grumpy, smoking hot, and her ex.
And thus we have a fantastic romantic comedy! I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, felt not to predictive and there was some good steam to it as well.
If you like:
🌸 grumpy/sunshine
🌸 forced proximity
🌸 second chance romance
🌸 duel pov
🌸 multiple timelines
Then this is a book for you. Also loved that the couple getting married were two women and it was a safe, happy, space with no bigotry!
I didn’t love Ama’s obsession with donuts (why do girls in romcoms have a silly food obsession as their personality?!?)
But it didn’t smother the story and actually made a dramatic plot point at one stage, so I’ll allow it.
And thus we have a fantastic romantic comedy! I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, felt not to predictive and there was some good steam to it as well.
If you like:
🌸 grumpy/sunshine
🌸 forced proximity
🌸 second chance romance
🌸 duel pov
🌸 multiple timelines
Then this is a book for you. Also loved that the couple getting married were two women and it was a safe, happy, space with no bigotry!
I didn’t love Ama’s obsession with donuts (why do girls in romcoms have a silly food obsession as their personality?!?)
But it didn’t smother the story and actually made a dramatic plot point at one stage, so I’ll allow it.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This is such a beautiful edition of this book. My daughter adored looking at all the pictures and fold out surprises. Made for an even more exciting read.