shamelesslyintroverted's reviews
356 reviews

I want to thank Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka for this delight of a book! When I finished it, I jabbed the book in my husband’s face and said, “They’re married in real life! I want to cry.”

The Roughest Draft is a dual POV romance between cowriters as they work through their shit to fulfill their two-book contract. 

I was giggling, kicking my feet, the whole nine yards. The book is set in Florida and features many beach scenes, so it would be a great vacation companion. I was hoping to devour this by the pool, but Denver had stormier thoughts. ⛈️

Not only do I love romance books with writers, but I also love stories that highlight the realities of the profession. Katrina is terrified of happiness and success because it can be taken away, while Nathan is scared of speaking his truth without the shroud of fiction. It’s just so authentically written, with beautiful quotes!

There were a few things that I didn’t love, but they’re just preferences. I don’t like when characters are in current relationships at the start of a romance. It makes me feel gross to know that someone else is possibly going to get heartbroken at the end. In this case, it worked out okay. (Fuck Chris, but what about Melissa?)

Another thing I didn’t like was there were a few chapters toward the end that pulled me out of the story. They’re finally getting together, but it’s layered with fights from the previous timeline. It was distracting and a little frustrating. 

That being said, those are the only two nitpicks that I have and I truly loved this book. I may want to return to it to annotate it. 

🥀 A haunted house story with edge and nods to classic Gothic literature.

Noemi is sent to check on her cousin after her father receives a distressing letter from said cousin, who lives in the Mexican countryside. When she arrives, she quickly realizes that this isolated mansion harbors secrets (and spirits) that may be too much for her handle.

I rarely get creeped out by books, but @silviamg.author is making my skin crawl. Those nightmares? No fucking thank you.

This is a book that I want to take into the bathtub with me, turn out the lights, and rely on candles to read by. That’s the vibe.

Getting deeper into the story, I don’t know what I was expecting but this wasn’t it. A haunted house, ghostly things, mysteries, secrets, and run-down mansion atmosphere? All expected. 

Was I expected to be grossed the fuck out and not be able to eat while reading? Nope.

Not only does it get nasty, but it’s a tad confusing. I had to read chapter 21 twice because I didn’t understand the reveal. Maybe I’m not smart enough, but this gets trippy.

Things become a little more clear as you progress, but the creepy and gross themes remain. The ending was well done and the scene where everything goes down will probably stick in my memory for a very long time.

Also, the writing is *chef’s kiss.* The descriptions were so well written. Did I fully enjoy this book? Eh. Maybe not because it’s deeply unsettling, but it did its job! 

I was not vibing with the language since it was set in the 1800s and follows these girls dressed in gowns as they trapse through the forest looking for a bird. The characters were funny, but when they fell into a 'chasm' I was very confused because it was simply said. There wasn't any imagery about them falling in a big ass hole in the ground or anything and that's when I realized that the writing wasn't going to be for me. I don't really like regency era stories...

It's such a magical thing to read the right book at the right time. 

If you're looking to chase the high of Legends & Lattes, but add some slightly higher stakes and a dash more romance, this book could be for you.

I absolutely loved the worldbuilding, the island vibe, and the magic system. We're talking about a librarian turned runaway rogue and practicing illegal spell work to save her childhood home. It's cozy, cute, and just what I needed.

I especially loved getting to know the world with its magical creatures. I've never heard of Sarah Beth Durst before, but you can bet that I'll be checking out her other books.

The only issues I had, which is why this isn't a raving five star read, were petty. I didn't even really care that there were a bunch of discoveries of convenience (things popping up just as you happened to need them) and the romance felt like Disney created it. The book was just so well written and the vibes were amazing.

Solid four star read and since I borrowed the library's copy, I will be purchasing one for my own shelves.

Pro tip: make sure you have plenty of baked goods with you while you read. You'll thank me later.

After reading the blurb, I was immediately hooked and was able to score a copy from my local library. I do have to say that even though it's tagged as an LGBTQ romance, the romance is very slow burn and I expect it to fully bloom in the next book. Don't go into this if you're looking for a fantasy romance.

That being said, it is LGBTQ forward, which I love.

Anyone else's heart ripped out over the death of Calgir? Farvor's grief turned into my grief and the pure brutality of this queen to burn the body so Hellevir couldn't bring him back was just... heart wrenching, but I loved it?

I also loved that we have Death personified, which is one of my favorite things in fantasy books. This personification of death is not to be trifled with. He's not a shadow daddy; this guy is demented and angry,

but you can also feel his loneliness.

Like there's this scene fairly early on in the book where Hellevir takes a soul without his explicit permission and he meets her in a dream that is just... unsettling.

If you're an audiobook person, I highly recommend it. The narration is incredible and this book is thick. It doesn't look it, but the audio is 18 hours long. Kristen Atherton did a great job giving all of the characters voices that fit their personalities, including Death.

While I absolutely loved parts of this book, I did have some issues with the pacing. There were points where I grew bored or was uninterested enough to consider putting it down, but I'm glad I didn't. The relationship Hellevir has with literally everyone is interesting enough to keep reading about.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I think it's a great debut novel. The political intrigue is brutal, the passing into Death was atmospheric (as is the rest of the book), and the ending has me wanting to reach for book two even though it's not here yet!

I'll be purchasing a copy for my shelves for sure.

When I tell you that I was scared to read this because of the tennis… I’m so glad I pushed through and read it anyway.

This book is not about tennis. I found Carrie very relatable due to her perfectionism and how independent she requires herself to be. Nobody can get close, aside from her father. She must win, no matter the cost. 

She’s cold, unfeeling, and has been granted the nickname that no woman ever wants to be called: the bitch. She doesn’t wave at fans or kiss babies. She’s there for one reason: to win. 

🎾 Carrie Soto is a badass tennis player who comes out of retirement to make sure her records are safe when a younger player threatens to break them. 🎾

This is truly an ode to the eldest child who is their own worst enemy and loudest critic. I loved watching Carrie’s journey as she makes connections and learns things about herself. I also love that she’s older! We need more stories about people in their 30s-40s!

Ps: I really love Nicki Chan as a character. 🤭

I cried throughout the last fifty pages. The loss of her father really hit home, but I can see why TJR did it as a writer. Carrie finally understood her father's words and intents after having to compete without him. I also loved their last conversation. It really hammered the theme home, but in a heartbreaking way. 

I loved quite a few things about this book, including:
 - how she found love with Bowe at the end. Her personality and flaws and traumas are so anti-love, so when she acknowledged and welcomed love with someone... made my heart happy.
 - Nicki. Everything Nicki. I loved her personality, even at the end when she was actually allowing her hatred for Carrie to show. I loved that parallel because Carrie was finally finding the fun in Tennis and accepting that she's going to retire, which lead to the welcoming attitude toward her loss as Nicki was letting herself get upset visibly. I also loved that she ended up coaching Nicki at the end. It's a full circle moment.

What I didn't love, but understand, is how the book ends midsentence. Like. Fuck you. Why would you do that to me? I want to know if Nicki ended up beating the records and we don't get to see it? I'm assuming that she does. I'm choosing to believe that she does, but I understand that it doesn't matter. Winning was never the point.

 I was beginning to think that I didn’t like horror as a genre. 

 

Most horror books that I’ve read didn’t work for me because of the writing or misogynistic characters. Turned out, all I needed to do was pick up an Alexis Henderson book. 

 

In this fantasy horror debut, we’re following Immanuelle as she discovers the darkness within herself while warring with a puritanical society. 

 

Her writing is gorgeous and atmospheric, laced with tension and a beautiful cast of people. I devoured this book in three days and loved the nods to the supernatural, witchy vibes, and forest lore. The setting was so rich that it was jarring coming back to my bedroom after a reading session. 

 

In terms of the scare factor, I would say this is like a 3 out of 5 ghost rating. I wasn’t too scared, but there’s a lot of blood and tension. The descriptions of the witches are also pretty gnarly. 

 

I wish I had more to say, but I just really enjoyed this and am flabbergasted that it’s her debut. I will be picking up her other book and waiting for her latest release to hit the shelves later this year. 

I want to know what Ren DeStefano’s research process was like. Her search history for this book must be wild! 

I absolutely loved this book. Honestly, it's probably my biggest surprise of the year! While the premise interested me, I didn't expect much. The cover is gorgeous, and I thought the vibes would be perfect for a warm-weather thriller. 

I was right. 

I love how we don’t know the main character’s name. We know her as Sissy, which is the name she goes by with her sisters (to murder people), and the fake name she donned for this specific mark. 

As mentioned in my reading update, I love the writing. It makes murder seem romantic and poetic. Sissy really believes that she must kill this man, even though she’s falling in love with him. 

Super quick and... I thought it would be easy to read. Grab the popcorn, but... would a popcorn thriller bring you to tears multiple times? I don't know. It gets a bit heavy when the twists start happening and it becomes more of a self-discovery journey. 

The only reason I'm knocking a star off is because of the ending. I feel like the ending kind of went against her inner dialogue. I go into spoilers below, but I do recommend this book with my whole chest. You should read it.

Since we're also talking about spoilers, I'll sneak this in here too. I loved Iris. She was my favorite sister and when her twist was revealed, that just deepened the feeling for me. I knew she wasn't as hard as she was leading since she took forever to recover from a kill. But the way that she died was poetic and I sobbed. 

I also loved Moody and how she killed Dara. It's twisted as fuck and I loved it, specifically the way it was written. It was gentle and slow, comfortable almost... feeding her meds to cause Dara to OD in the bathtub. 

I also loved Colin and how Sissy/Emily felt like she had to hide her relationship with him. Omg and how her name wasn't revealed until the very end. This book was just so well written. I was fish on a hook the entire time.

Want a drinking game while you read? Take a shot every time the word “minty” shows up. Just kidding… don’t because you’ll get alcohol poisoning. 💀

A Novel Love Story was very different from Ashely Poston’s other books and I don’t know if it’s in a good way. I adore the way she writes magical realism into her romances because it leaves you asking the question: how the fuck is this going to work out?

The Dead Romantics: she’s in love with a ghost. The Seven Year Slip: she’s in love with someone from the past. A Novel Love Story: she’s in love with… a fictional character. The reason I didn’t love this situation is kind of spoilery, but I’ll expand into spoilers on my StoryGraph account.

But he’s not really a fictional character. In her other books those barriers were real, but she figured out a way to make them work in a beautiful way! It’s like she got stumped by her own scenario and decided to make him a real boy instead! Just a bit frustrating.

🌼 Eileen, breaks down in the fictional town of her favorite book series, where she gets to experience the town’s characters and settings. 🌼

I did love what the book was trying to do. It’s a love letter to your comfort books, series, and authors. Those books that got you through the toughest bits of life.

For me, that book is Looking for Alaska by John Green.

While I loved the idea of this book, I struggled and ranted to my husband to the point where I think it annoyed him. 🤣

To be fair, one of the biggest issues I had was Elsy. I found her annoying and immature for a 32 year old.

Like, she’s sneaking out of bookstores using a trellis by the window, she’s leaving his store unattended when she promised to watch it, the way she thinks and talks reminds me a teenager. I get that she’s supposed to be the sunshine to his grumpy, but sunshine characters don’t have to be immature.

I was also confused throughout most of the book because there are so many characters, all of whom Elsy already knows from this book series. I felt like I was scrambling trying to remember who was who while Elsy threw information at me.

There were some things that I liked, though! I loved the waterfall scene, the scene where she fixes a child’s book, the setting (including the bookstore), and the relationships she has with her own world (her book club, her best friend). I also loved the ending in terms of her personal growth.

I also acknowledge that, while this story wasn’t her best, the girl can write. Some of the quotes toward the end gave me goosebumps.

Since I did have a lot of problems, but I still enjoyed my experience (to an extent), I’ll give this one a solid three star rating.

I was so bored and found that I didn’t care about any of the characters. We’re told everything instead of shown things. It’s a slice of life, but I usually love those kinds of books. Plus this one revolves around a bookshop! I was excited, but ultimately bored enough to not want to pick up the book. If you’re procrastinating on reading, it’s not a book for you. 🤷‍♀️