tayahmarie's reviews
91 reviews

Similar to a lot of kids, I was obsessed with learning about Ancient Egypt – how they ruled, the riches and luxuries, their practices and teachings, as well as their beliefs and how religion dominated chiefly every aspect of their day-to-day lives. Cooney takes us on a journey trying to put a face and an actual recount of life to the name King Hatshepsut, the 6th Pharaoh of the 18th Dynasty and one of the few women and by far the most successful to ever rule Egypt.

I knew this book would be right up my alley! I will consume any and all content that focuses on a powerful woman who was and is running sh*t. From what Cooney was able to piece together, Hatshepsut was a highly intelligent, ambitious, and calculated ruler who seemed to keep the Gods and her country’s best interest at heart. I appreciate Cooney for posing thought-provoking/insightful questions as to how Hatshepsut could’ve felt and what she was thinking as she was trying to navigate kingship as a woman. 

First things first, this book was absolutely amazing! I needed a good romance to read after reading so many Thrillers in honor of Halloween, and this satisfied my needs, lol.

I didn't know how much I would enjoy this because I didn't care for the original Romeo and Juliet play, but Ramon and Julieta exceeded my expectations! I sincerely appreciate Latinx culture, and Albertson did a phenomenal job of genuinely capturing it. I think the traditions, the foods (the description of the tacos and various AUTHENTIC Mexican foods made me so hungry!), the colors, music, and the language are stunning. I loved that Dias De Los Muertos was included, and it was a central point of the story. I feel like we don't get too many books with that holiday emphasized, and we should because it's a heartbreakingly beautiful day, and its concept is fascinating.

As for Ramon and Julieta, I loved their characters so much. They both had a lot of character development/growth from the first chapter to the end. Their chemistry was undeniable, and this was, of course, a good representation of an actual star-crossed lovers' situation, which is one of my favorite tropes! 

I cannot wait until this publishes and I hope everyone gives this a read. I'm looking forward to reading more from Albertson!

This memoir made me love MC more than I already did! She overcame so much and has remained resilient which is inspiring for anyone who picks this up. I definitely recommend listening to the audiobook since she narrarates it herself and it’s so engaging, hilarious and more heartfelt. I hope she can narrate other books in the future! 

Now, I’ve loved Jasmine Guillory’s romance books ever since The Wedding Date. That story is still one of my favorites (Alexa and Drew supremacy!) Controversial, but I also really enjoyed The Proposal (the second book in this series/universe). Unfortunately, While We Were Dating missed the mark for me just a bit.

I thought some of the dialogue was cringy and I didn’t feel as connected to Ben or Anna as I did with the other characters from the other books in the series. Although we did get to know more about Ben, I still don’t think he was as fleshed out and developed as Theo or even Carlos….honestly not even Drew! Additionally, I’m the type to suspend disbelief for books that require it, romance definitely being one of those, but I couldn’t get past some of the things Ben said and did because I know for a fact most men wouldn’t say or do some of the things he did, lmao. I did like how he worked in the Communications industry and JG did a great job at showing what Black and brown people have to go through on a daily basis working in it 🙄. As for Anna, I also felt she was a bit underdeveloped and sort of generic in that actress written in a book way. But I did like her character nonetheless and her take no BS attitude, how she dealt with her anxiety/mental health struggles as well as how she always advocated for herself in a cutthroat industry that works OT to tear Black women, especially plus size Black women down.

Even though this wasn’t my favorite JG read, she’s still an auto-buy author for me and I’m going to read any future romance books she puts out, lol. If you want a cute, fluffy(ish), doesn’t require much thinking romance then I’d say go for it.

This book effed me up. It’s a lot darker and more gruesome than I originally thought. This is actually marketed as a Thriller and that’s where it went wrong because it should be classified as Horror IMO.

However, I did enjoy the story for what it was. I thought the plot was unique, I was invested in the characters/their fate, and it was insanely gripping. Like I mentioned in previous posts, I love dual timelines and Tudor executed it well here. My interest in wanting to find out everything I could about what happened in the past and the present day was equal.

The idea of some crazed killer drawing Chalk Men symbols around your hometown (much less a crime scene) is terrifying. Tudor is phenomenal when it comes to imagery and documenting some of the most gnarly and gruesome scenes, as well as just downright CREEPY (the church scene/one of Eddie’s nightmares towards the end? WTF!) There were a few paragraphs I had to bypass because I could actually picture what was going on and wanted to jump out of my skin and throw the book across my room. It was disgusting! That’s how you know someone’s a good writer in that realm, lol. Also, I definitely recommend looking up trigger warnings prior to reading this because there are A LOT. I wish I would’ve because I was completely caught off guard.

Final Thoughts: Overall, this was good. Really good. It was very reminiscent of a Stephen King novel (as if I read more than one book of his 😅). Lastly, this story has me looking at EVERYONE suspect 👀 - it’s pretty crazy when you think about how you don’t REALLY know someone. That goes for your family, your friends, co-workers, the person you’re sitting next to on a train/plane, etc. We all keep secrets, yes, but some are more dangerous, deadly, and downright depraved than others. The quote I chose, in the beginning, is a true sentiment to this little novel, especially the ending 😶!

This was my introduction to Nicole Baart’s work and I can say that I’m obsessed with her poetic writing style. The imagery, the atmospheric tone, and the dual timelines explored here were absolutely amazing. Truthfully, I didn’t know what to expect going into this but I was not disappointed. I felt so invested in all of the characters (I especially liked Juniper and Willa) and their storylines and how all of their lives were not only forever altered and in many ways, destroyed, but also how they were all intertwined no matter how near or far they were to/from Jericho as a result of the Murphy murders. This story reiterates how everything is a chain reaction and we’re all dominoes in this thing called life.

Final Thoughts: I thought this was an excellent, classic whodunnit story vs a straight-up thriller IMO. I don’t think the vague synopsis does it justice, but I definitely recommend picking this up and just reading it! I was so engrossed and lost within this story. I absolutely loved the family aspect of this book, too and the ending/plot twist was crazy. I didn’t see that coming at all! There’s also a lot of important discussions on motherhood, farming, water contamination, Big Agriculture, etc. which flowed effortlessly throughout and held my interest. If you love a good small-town, everyone’s keeping secrets and trying to protect themselves and their image type of situation then this is the book for you.

The number of times this story broke my heart and turned my blood white-hot over and over again from pure rage was astronomical. Before I get any further into my review, I’m letting you know right now that you need to stop what you’re doing and read this book. 

Going into this, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I will say that I got more than what I could’ve imagined. There are so many conversations and themes surrounding anti-Blackness (specifically internalized) and how playing into respectability politics will not save nor free you no matter how much you think it will, as well as how and why trying to bury the past is far more dangerous than facing it head-on. Similar to Mira, I used to actively avoid stories that focused on slavery because of how uncomfortable it made me and how angry I would/still get, but this story forced me to understand that you cannot do that and those who were enslaved and endured the horrors that fell upon them on the plantation, the journey to it, and beyond deserve to have their stories/names be heard and never forgotten.

McQueen is an eloquent and descriptive writer. I could picture the plantation grounds, the heartbreaking and nauseating gruesome scenes, as well as picture/feel the sweltering heat due to the North Carolina sun. I think we as the reader get two modes of horror; the paranormal (I was genuinely creeped out/scared by the visions Mira experienced and the ghosts she came across) and of course learning about some of the horrific and wicked acts that took place - and how we’re still dealing with lasting effects to this day.

The notion “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” has never been more true after reading this. If you want an authentic, horrifying read for this time of year then this is it. This little novel packed an intense punch and it’ll stick with me forever.

Absolutely loved this book! Cannot wait to read more from Alexis Daria.

Well, Alexis Daria did it again! After reading You Had Me at Hola, I became so invested in the Primas of Power series that I couldn’t wait to read about Michelle and her love story.

Mich was an amazing character! I loved how she cut straight to the chase with things and was very direct. However, you could tell that underneath her tough exterior she wanted companionship and to allow herself to be vulnerable and her real, authentic self for someone who deserved it. As for Gabe, I really liked his character, too. I enjoyed watching him grow with each chapter - both he and Mich had changed but were still so similar after all those years apart; true friendships never die!

Final Thoughts: I loved every second of this story. I usually don’t care for the friends-to-lovers trope but this was done so well! And admittedly, I am a sucker for second chance romances, lol. Daria’s writing style is heartbreakingly beautiful and has solidified her as an auto-buy author for me. I was so engrossed in Mich and Gabe’s old/new friendship and the romantic feelings they could finally indulge in. Since there was a lot of baggage and history between the two, there was so much depth added to the story. It felt like you went on this journey with them and it warmed my heart to see their growth individually and collectively. Lastly, I appreciated the reoccurring and real-life themes of family, powerful Latinx representation, overcoming childhood trauma, forgiving others, and most importantly, yourself, reuniting with your loved ones, and learning how to open up and let people in.