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sophiesometimesreads's reviews
221 reviews
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
emotional
lighthearted
medium-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
I want to preface this review by saying this is the first ever historical romance I’ve read, but in saying this I did enjoy this book.
The characters were well rounded and well written, and I loved Little Bartholemew and Lady Marleigh in particular, they were hilarious.
I think some of the initial “we can’t be together” conflict could have been cut down to make the book a bit faster paced. I don’t think it needed to be gone over three times before being somewhat resolved, the first two could’ve been cut for the third seeing as it was only half resolved then anyway.
I did like the fact that the “reveal of identity” was done early on and wasn’t the main conflict, that was overcome quite quickly. I did really like how Gracewood was rather quick to accept Viola as she is, it was sweet.
I did like the writing style but sometimes I got confused by the sentence structure, where it felt like the sentences were flipped around in an attempt at poetic writing but it just got me confused for a moment, but that could honestly just be my lack of comprehension at the time or a part of the genre I have yet to get used to, with this being my first.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and would look at picking up a historical romance again, as well as reading Hall’s other works.
The characters were well rounded and well written, and I loved Little Bartholemew and Lady Marleigh in particular, they were hilarious.
I think some of the initial “we can’t be together” conflict could have been cut down to make the book a bit faster paced. I don’t think it needed to be gone over three times before being somewhat resolved, the first two could’ve been cut for the third seeing as it was only half resolved then anyway.
I did like the fact that the “reveal of identity” was done early on and wasn’t the main conflict, that was overcome quite quickly. I did really like how Gracewood was rather quick to accept Viola as she is, it was sweet.
I did like the writing style but sometimes I got confused by the sentence structure, where it felt like the sentences were flipped around in an attempt at poetic writing but it just got me confused for a moment, but that could honestly just be my lack of comprehension at the time or a part of the genre I have yet to get used to, with this being my first.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and would look at picking up a historical romance again, as well as reading Hall’s other works.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Deadnaming, Violence, and War
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was a rollercoaster of emotions but in a good way. I really enjoyed the reading experience.
The characters were frustrating but in a relatable way, though I wish Sadie had tried to communicate more but I can understand her reluctance to seeing as Sam was often closed off. In saying this, I didn’t feel like this negatively impacted the reading experience as they were still well-rounded and real characters, and their actions and attitudes reflected their experiences.
The storyline was emotional and made you feel for these characters in a multitude of different ways, often despite how you may have felt about their recent actions.
I enjoyed the writing style and the pacing of the book was good. I liked how it didn’t dwell on the games and creation of games, but the impact these games and experiences had on the characters instead.
The characters were frustrating but in a relatable way, though I wish Sadie had tried to communicate more but I can understand her reluctance to seeing as Sam was often closed off. In saying this, I didn’t feel like this negatively impacted the reading experience as they were still well-rounded and real characters, and their actions and attitudes reflected their experiences.
The storyline was emotional and made you feel for these characters in a multitude of different ways, often despite how you may have felt about their recent actions.
I enjoyed the writing style and the pacing of the book was good. I liked how it didn’t dwell on the games and creation of games, but the impact these games and experiences had on the characters instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Wow, what a wild ride!
This book definitely lived up to the hype for me. The book started off a little slower than I expected but towards the end is where it really shone. There was no point throughout the novel where I knew who was the obvious candidate, and I was shocked when I found out the culprit and what had actually happened.
I don’t want to give too much away but the plot twist was really well done, it made enough sense given the information we had known up until that point without being glaringly obvious but as soon as you thought you knew the whole story, something else happened to turn that on its head!
I also liked the characters and their dynamics with one another.
It was such a great read, and I’d definitely recommend.
This book definitely lived up to the hype for me. The book started off a little slower than I expected but towards the end is where it really shone. There was no point throughout the novel where I knew who was the obvious candidate, and I was shocked when I found out the culprit and what had actually happened.
I don’t want to give too much away but the plot twist was really well done, it made enough sense given the information we had known up until that point without being glaringly obvious but as soon as you thought you knew the whole story, something else happened to turn that on its head!
I also liked the characters and their dynamics with one another.
It was such a great read, and I’d definitely recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Death, Vomit, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Sexual harassment
The Night Swim by Megan Goldin
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I listened to the audiobook version of this story. I liked the different narrators for Rachel and Hannah, and it really made the podcast chapters come to life.
This was a heavy story, so check the trigger warnings before reading, but I really liked the discussion around rape and sexual assault, and the difficulties victims face in trying to find justice, as well as how this tied the two components of the story - the trial and Hannah’s story - together.
The story was paced well and the twist at the end was reasonable and wasn’t completely out of the blue, though it wasn’t completely shocking either as I did expect the stories to blend together somehow.
Overall, I really enjoyed this but it was more of a mystery than it was a thriller.
This was a heavy story, so check the trigger warnings before reading, but I really liked the discussion around rape and sexual assault, and the difficulties victims face in trying to find justice, as well as how this tied the two components of the story - the trial and Hannah’s story - together.
The story was paced well and the twist at the end was reasonable and wasn’t completely out of the blue, though it wasn’t completely shocking either as I did expect the stories to blend together somehow.
Overall, I really enjoyed this but it was more of a mystery than it was a thriller.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
3.75
This was a very cute book and I particularly liked the ending, I did get a little emotional over it after all. It also made me really want cake and fresh bread.
The character growth was really good and I liked Lila’s personal journey to find herself but also in finding Orion. The side characters were really good too. In saying this, I did find it took me a while to really connect with them all, except for Orion who I adored from the start.
The storyline was relatively simple and predictable but it was still enjoyable. I did keep forgetting about a couple of the little sub plots through the story but did enjoy how most of them sort of came back around and tied into the main storyline by the end.
Some of the prose was unnecessarily complicated. The way some of the sentences were structured confused me a bit and interrupted the flow of the story, though I did read a chunk of this on my breaks on night shift so maybe it this was influenced by the inability of my brain to do much at 3 am.
Overall, a cute read that was enjoyable but nothing super groundbreaking. I’m looking forward to the movie though (and can 100% see Kit Connor as Orion).
The character growth was really good and I liked Lila’s personal journey to find herself but also in finding Orion. The side characters were really good too. In saying this, I did find it took me a while to really connect with them all, except for Orion who I adored from the start.
The storyline was relatively simple and predictable but it was still enjoyable. I did keep forgetting about a couple of the little sub plots through the story but did enjoy how most of them sort of came back around and tied into the main storyline by the end.
Some of the prose was unnecessarily complicated. The way some of the sentences were structured confused me a bit and interrupted the flow of the story, though I did read a chunk of this on my breaks on night shift so maybe it this was influenced by the inability of my brain to do much at 3 am.
Overall, a cute read that was enjoyable but nothing super groundbreaking. I’m looking forward to the movie though (and can 100% see Kit Connor as Orion).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia, and Alcohol
Minor: Grief
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I know absolutely nothing about tennis and I can say that I have never watched a full game of tennis in my life. Despite this, I really enjoyed this book.
Firstly, the pacing of the book was excellent. It could have been really easy for TJR to spend too much time on the matches and the rallies, but instead the key plays and moments were highlighted, but only a few pages maximum were spent on each game. This meant that the book flowed really well, and the timeline felt appropriate for the length of the book. More time was able to be focused on character growth this way, too, which was the primary focus of the book.
Carrie Soto was a complex character and I really like how TJR always writes intricate, interesting and multi-dimensional characters. At first, I didn’t particularly like Carrie but I really enjoyed her development and I was rooting for her at the end. I also loved Nicki Chan as a character and the dynamic between Carrie and Nicki.
The ending was exactly what I wanted from this book, and really highlighted the character growth. The last sentence was a bit mean, though (iykyk).
I have recently heard some commentary around TJR’s writing of Latina characters as a white person, which I respect and agree with. I don’t think that Latina heritage played enough of a role in this story, except for concerning Carrie’s father’s backstory, that she needed to be Latina, and TJR could have easily written her as another heritage to acknowledge and act on these criticisms.
Firstly, the pacing of the book was excellent. It could have been really easy for TJR to spend too much time on the matches and the rallies, but instead the key plays and moments were highlighted, but only a few pages maximum were spent on each game. This meant that the book flowed really well, and the timeline felt appropriate for the length of the book. More time was able to be focused on character growth this way, too, which was the primary focus of the book.
Carrie Soto was a complex character and I really like how TJR always writes intricate, interesting and multi-dimensional characters. At first, I didn’t particularly like Carrie but I really enjoyed her development and I was rooting for her at the end. I also loved Nicki Chan as a character and the dynamic between Carrie and Nicki.
The ending was exactly what I wanted from this book, and really highlighted the character growth. The last sentence was a bit mean, though (iykyk).
I have recently heard some commentary around TJR’s writing of Latina characters as a white person, which I respect and agree with. I don’t think that Latina heritage played enough of a role in this story, except for concerning Carrie’s father’s backstory, that she needed to be Latina, and TJR could have easily written her as another heritage to acknowledge and act on these criticisms.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Alcoholism
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I want to preface this review with the fact that I am way out of this book’s target audience so that factors into my thoughts A LOT. Also minor spoiler warning so read at your own risk.
This is apparently young adult but it read more like middle grade. I usually like young adult but this felt too young to me, though I think a lot of that was because of the characters.
Belly was not a good character. Usually, I don’t mind frustrating characters for the sake of a story but she was so immature and was written the same way at 11 years old as she was at 16 years old. Steven and Conrad were just condescending and mean, it made me dislike them and I was not rooting for either of them. Jeremiah was okay, but he didn’t really do anything in particular to make me like him either. The only person I liked was Cam and everyone was so mean to him.
I also didn’t really like the Conrad x Belly pairing, it felt a bit weird seeing as she seemed so young and he was written to be quite mature, with the drinking, smoking and partying. Not to mention, he would be going off to college after the summer and she was barely 16. I know it’s not a huge difference in years, but it just didn’t feel like the right choice. He could’ve easily been a bit younger and it wouldn’t have changed the story.
I also guessed the “plot twist” at the end from very early on, which didn’t help with the engagement factor either.
Like I said at the start, I think my age plays a big factor in my opinion of the book and if I had read it in my early teens when it came out, I may have actually enjoyed it. That’s also why I rated it 2.5 stars instead of the 1.5 to 2 stars I would have rated it otherwise.
I don’t know if I’ll continue with this series. Maybe one day I’ll pick them up but I think I’m going to focus on all the other things I have to read for now. I can always just watch the series instead.
This is apparently young adult but it read more like middle grade. I usually like young adult but this felt too young to me, though I think a lot of that was because of the characters.
Belly was not a good character. Usually, I don’t mind frustrating characters for the sake of a story but she was so immature and was written the same way at 11 years old as she was at 16 years old. Steven and Conrad were just condescending and mean, it made me dislike them and I was not rooting for either of them. Jeremiah was okay, but he didn’t really do anything in particular to make me like him either. The only person I liked was Cam and everyone was so mean to him.
I also didn’t really like the Conrad x Belly pairing, it felt a bit weird seeing as she seemed so young and he was written to be quite mature, with the drinking, smoking and partying. Not to mention, he would be going off to college after the summer and she was barely 16. I know it’s not a huge difference in years, but it just didn’t feel like the right choice. He could’ve easily been a bit younger and it wouldn’t have changed the story.
I also guessed the “plot twist” at the end from very early on, which didn’t help with the engagement factor either.
Like I said at the start, I think my age plays a big factor in my opinion of the book and if I had read it in my early teens when it came out, I may have actually enjoyed it. That’s also why I rated it 2.5 stars instead of the 1.5 to 2 stars I would have rated it otherwise.
I don’t know if I’ll continue with this series. Maybe one day I’ll pick them up but I think I’m going to focus on all the other things I have to read for now. I can always just watch the series instead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Alcohol
Minor: Death
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this book, it was a fun and relatively easy read. In saying this, I didn’t really feel emotionally connected to the characters until the last few chapters, where I finally started to feel more involved in the story rather than a third party viewer. In saying this, the last few chapters gripped me. I would have liked a bit more foreshadowing of what was going to happen, though, rather than Evelyn simply saying “you’ll see”. Despite all this, I did enjoy the book and I thought the characters were well-written, dynamic and complex.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Car accident, and Alcohol
Moderate: Biphobia, Grief, and Abortion
Minor: Suicide
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“I don’t think happily ever after is something that happens to you, Dev. I think it’s something you choose to do for yourself.”
I give this book ALL THE STARS because it gave me ALL THE FEELS.
The representation? Amazing. The romance? Beautiful. The ending? Heartwarming.
I’ve heard a lot of good reviews about this book and, honestly, picked it up as I’d heard it was good demisexual representation and it did not disappoint. I resonated with Charlie’s journey and I loved how the discussion around sexuality was explicit, with the terms asexual and demisexual used as well as explained, as often times these are implied and not explicitly described. I also loved how some characters were just described as they were, no explanations, like they/them pronouns being used for Jules and Alex causally. There was a nice balance between self-exploration with some characters and self-assurance and knowledge in who they are with others.
The mental illness representation was also great. I loved how there was so much focus on loving people for everything about them, mental illness included, not aside from their flaws. It also really shone a light into how mental health plays into expectations of other people and ourselves.
I also loved the subtle shade thrown at relatively television, particularly dating shows. I wasn’t sure how into the book I’d be, given I’m not a fan of dating shows, but I really enjoyed how it explored the behind-the-scenes of these types of shows.
This book was relatively fade to black, which I personally enjoy more, but it’s something to keep in mind if you do enjoy a bit of spice.
Overall, I loved the characters, the story and the romance and will definitely be re-reading in the future.
I also want to start a petition for a sequel focused on my queen Daphne Reynolds, who’s with me?!
I give this book ALL THE STARS because it gave me ALL THE FEELS.
The representation? Amazing. The romance? Beautiful. The ending? Heartwarming.
I’ve heard a lot of good reviews about this book and, honestly, picked it up as I’d heard it was good demisexual representation and it did not disappoint. I resonated with Charlie’s journey and I loved how the discussion around sexuality was explicit, with the terms asexual and demisexual used as well as explained, as often times these are implied and not explicitly described. I also loved how some characters were just described as they were, no explanations, like they/them pronouns being used for Jules and Alex causally. There was a nice balance between self-exploration with some characters and self-assurance and knowledge in who they are with others.
The mental illness representation was also great. I loved how there was so much focus on loving people for everything about them, mental illness included, not aside from their flaws. It also really shone a light into how mental health plays into expectations of other people and ourselves.
I also loved the subtle shade thrown at relatively television, particularly dating shows. I wasn’t sure how into the book I’d be, given I’m not a fan of dating shows, but I really enjoyed how it explored the behind-the-scenes of these types of shows.
This book was relatively fade to black, which I personally enjoy more, but it’s something to keep in mind if you do enjoy a bit of spice.
Overall, I loved the characters, the story and the romance and will definitely be re-reading in the future.
I also want to start a petition for a sequel focused on my queen Daphne Reynolds, who’s with me?!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Homophobia
Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
This was my first experience listening to an audiobook. I enjoyed it, but I definitely found that I didn’t absorb as much from the listening experience as opposed to reading the book myself, but this is a personal thing and nothing to do with the book.
I really enjoyed the story and I thought that Julia Whelan’s narration added another dimension to her characters. I also enjoyed how the conflict wasn’t overly drawn out and her characters recognised their flaws and rectified the situation in a timely manner. I did call the plot twist that occurred partway through the book but I honestly wasn’t mad about it.
This book was lighthearted and an easy listen, nothing too deep but an enjoyable reading or listening experience.
I really enjoyed the story and I thought that Julia Whelan’s narration added another dimension to her characters. I also enjoyed how the conflict wasn’t overly drawn out and her characters recognised their flaws and rectified the situation in a timely manner. I did call the plot twist that occurred partway through the book but I honestly wasn’t mad about it.
This book was lighthearted and an easy listen, nothing too deep but an enjoyable reading or listening experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail