Scan barcode
howlinglibraries's reviews
1719 reviews
It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman
3.0
I keep hoping, with every Malerman story I read, "maybe this will be the piece that makes this author finally 'click' with me!" and every time, I'm let down. So many of my friends adore Malerman's work so much and I keep thinking I just haven't tried the right piece, but I'm always left bored and wanting more. :(
I will say, however, that whoever was responsible for the sound effects and creepy voice acting in the end of this audiobook understood the assignment for sure, because that part was excellent!
I will say, however, that whoever was responsible for the sound effects and creepy voice acting in the end of this audiobook understood the assignment for sure, because that part was excellent!
In Bloom by Paul Tremblay
4.0
I mean, logically, I guess I can see why this has such a low average rating, but something about it really worked for me. I think part of it is because it feels so plausible, and part of it is because I actually loved the ending. I saw it coming from a mile away, but in a good way, and watching it unravel was just a lot of fun.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
This was my first Hazelwood title and I fully get the hype. I absolutely adore arranged marriages between members of opposing sides like this, and Bride was probably my favorite example of the trope I’ve read yet.
Misery was so easy to love, Lowe was my perfect kind of Alpha (dominant, but his utmost concern was keeping his pack safe, not simply being worshipped and obeyed), and there were so many side characters to enjoy, too — especially little Ana! 🥰 And most of all, the chemistry between these two?! Off the charts. I've been struggling with "buying in" to the relationships in some of the romance books I've been reading lately, but that wasn't an issue here at all because I was rooting so hard for these two!
Don't get me wrong, this book wasn't perfect, but it was close enough. The only complaint I had was that some of Lowe's actions during the third act conflict felt very unnecessary, but it was so short-lived and didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story at all. At that point, I was honestly invested enough in the mystery unraveling that I didn't really mind the conflict! 😬
As one last note, after growing up reading some VERY, erm... graphic fanfiction, this was the first time I saw *certain elements* of shifter spice 🪢 in a trad-pub novel and I was delighted to see it done so well. 😅 It was weirdly nostalgic? I dunno, I'm sure some of y'all get me though. I just felt like this whole book was so clearly written as a love letter to those of us who grew up on paranormal romance and I loved it. 🖤 All the stars.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
What's that? Give my Favorite Book of the Year So Far™️ spot to Ali Hazelwood? Don't mind if I do.
There’s a tense atmosphere, and then there’s this. One venue, three species, five centuries of conflict, and zero good faith.
This was my first Hazelwood title and I fully get the hype. I absolutely adore arranged marriages between members of opposing sides like this, and Bride was probably my favorite example of the trope I’ve read yet.
He’s as harmless as a land mine. He could destroy entire galaxies with a stern look and a growl.
Misery was so easy to love, Lowe was my perfect kind of Alpha (dominant, but his utmost concern was keeping his pack safe, not simply being worshipped and obeyed), and there were so many side characters to enjoy, too — especially little Ana! 🥰 And most of all, the chemistry between these two?! Off the charts. I've been struggling with "buying in" to the relationships in some of the romance books I've been reading lately, but that wasn't an issue here at all because I was rooting so hard for these two!
"Misery. We are the consequences."
Don't get me wrong, this book wasn't perfect, but it was close enough. The only complaint I had was that some of Lowe's actions during the third act conflict felt very unnecessary, but it was so short-lived and didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story at all. At that point, I was honestly invested enough in the mystery unraveling that I didn't really mind the conflict! 😬
“You’re not a problem, Misery. You’re a privilege.”
As one last note, after growing up reading some VERY, erm... graphic fanfiction, this was the first time I saw *certain elements* of shifter spice 🪢 in a trad-pub novel and I was delighted to see it done so well. 😅 It was weirdly nostalgic? I dunno, I'm sure some of y'all get me though. I just felt like this whole book was so clearly written as a love letter to those of us who grew up on paranormal romance and I loved it. 🖤 All the stars.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Blood
Minor: Death, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and War
Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney
This was alright, but not as good as I hoped it would be. Despite how short the audiobook was, I still kept having to re-wind it because my mind would wander; it just wasn't keeping my attention. The writing was lovely at times, and I loved the boy's relationship with his dog Teach, but everything else was a bit bland and the ending just upset me. Spoiler alert: (view spoiler)
I'll admit I'm a tough sell with cosmic horror, so someone who enjoys it more might like this better than I did, and I don't regret reading it, but I probably won't be first in line to check out Coney's next release.
Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for the audio review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
2.75
The boy wishes he was like the land, that he could bury his secrets down deep, hide them until millennia later when what is sharp and dangerous about him could be beautiful, too.
This was alright, but not as good as I hoped it would be. Despite how short the audiobook was, I still kept having to re-wind it because my mind would wander; it just wasn't keeping my attention. The writing was lovely at times, and I loved the boy's relationship with his dog Teach, but everything else was a bit bland and the ending just upset me. Spoiler alert: (view spoiler)
I'll admit I'm a tough sell with cosmic horror, so someone who enjoys it more might like this better than I did, and I don't regret reading it, but I probably won't be first in line to check out Coney's next release.
Thank you to the publisher and LibroFM for the audio review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
Deliverance by Asia Brito Guerrero
4.0
Poor Susannah never should have gone home to visit. Sheesh! As someone who was frequently stopped by older people in my late teens and early twenties to be lectured about my tattoos and as someone who narrowly dodged out of the way when a grandparent of mine, upon seeing my new lip ring, literally tried to grab it and rip it out of my face(!!!), this made me shudder all over. The writing was really good and I'm definitely going to look for more books by this author!
The Embalmer by Rayne Havok
2.75
I went into this with morbid curiosity and the assumption that the low ratings were from the content, but no. The writing was lacking in a big way — as in, I stopped counting run-on sentences after the first chapter. This negativity is coming from me, someone who reads a lot of under-edited books and usually doesn't complain much about it, so take that for what you will! If you don't mind the poor writing, though, the plot was pretty solidly fucked up and I liked the protagonist.
The Fine Print by Lauren Asher
1.5
Well, at least that's over.
Rowan has to be one of the most unappealing romance heroes I've ever met. He spends the majority of the book being a raging prick who is so out of touch with reality that he has no concept of how the 99% lives, and even when he's being "nice", he's so possessive and demanding that I found myself rolling my eyes at most of his dialogue. He's wounded because his dad was mean to him, but having an unsupportive parent is no excuse for half of the things he says and does. I saw a review on here that said he doesn't view employees as human beings until he starts to have sex with one of them, and that's spot on.
It would have been bad enough to deal with how much I disliked Rowan's character, but I had mixed feelings about Zahra, too. I like her sunny demeanor, but I could have done without her frequent outbursts at work and how immensely unprofessional she is. Rowan deserved it, but who gets away with yelling at their boss in front of their co-workers numerous times without any repercussions or anyone at least giving her the side-eye?
All of that said, the chemistry between these two wasn't anything I could buy into either. Rowan thinks with his dick from the very beginning and even once they develop strong feelings, it still felt like the only way they knew how to bond was through sex. And the bit with him requesting unprotected sex the moment she gave him a second chance (er, third? fourth?) because "nothing can come between us"? I'm too pragmatic for this shit because I physically shuddered in revulsion at the idea of her risking pregnancy with this fool five seconds after he groveled again.
The only thing I liked about this was the disability rep. Ani, Zahra's little sister, has Down Syndrome and is an absolutely delightful character who stole the show every time she was on-page. I loved her! Everything else about this book, though? It's a no from me.
Buddy read with Misty!
✨ Representation: Zahra is half Armenian, Ani is half Armenian and has Down Syndrome
Rowan has to be one of the most unappealing romance heroes I've ever met. He spends the majority of the book being a raging prick who is so out of touch with reality that he has no concept of how the 99% lives, and even when he's being "nice", he's so possessive and demanding that I found myself rolling my eyes at most of his dialogue. He's wounded because his dad was mean to him, but having an unsupportive parent is no excuse for half of the things he says and does. I saw a review on here that said he doesn't view employees as human beings until he starts to have sex with one of them, and that's spot on.
It would have been bad enough to deal with how much I disliked Rowan's character, but I had mixed feelings about Zahra, too. I like her sunny demeanor, but I could have done without her frequent outbursts at work and how immensely unprofessional she is. Rowan deserved it, but who gets away with yelling at their boss in front of their co-workers numerous times without any repercussions or anyone at least giving her the side-eye?
All of that said, the chemistry between these two wasn't anything I could buy into either. Rowan thinks with his dick from the very beginning and even once they develop strong feelings, it still felt like the only way they knew how to bond was through sex. And the bit with him requesting unprotected sex the moment she gave him a second chance (er, third? fourth?) because "nothing can come between us"? I'm too pragmatic for this shit because I physically shuddered in revulsion at the idea of her risking pregnancy with this fool five seconds after he groveled again.
The only thing I liked about this was the disability rep. Ani, Zahra's little sister, has Down Syndrome and is an absolutely delightful character who stole the show every time she was on-page. I loved her! Everything else about this book, though? It's a no from me.
Buddy read with Misty!
✨ Representation: Zahra is half Armenian, Ani is half Armenian and has Down Syndrome