tacoshark's reviews
856 reviews

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

I really love Rainbow Rowell’s first book, Attachments, so I was thrilled to see her return to adult romance but this was just … not it. I wanted to like this so much but it didn’t really work for me ultimately. I found both main characters intermittently irritating and their relationship was such a mess that by the end I didn’t really want them to end up together at all. There were some good moments but overall, it was a bit of a miss. 
Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray

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challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I really enjoyed this slow burn - it was well constructed (needed a bit stronger type editing but the writing itself was good), compelling and moving. I loved the build of the relationship and the very relatable and possible struggles over time to find a way to be together. The ending was a bit abrupt, but overall I thought this was very good. 
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These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

5.0

I really really enjoyed this. It was a bit slow to get going but after the first 50 pages or so, it started really picking up speed and it was utterly compelling. The writing was so sharp and the plotting was great, just a slowly tightening knot that built to an incredibly satisfying climax. This is the first in a trilogy, I believe, but actually works very well as a standalone. Just a really satisfying, meaty sci fi - loved it. 
Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-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? It's complicated

4.25

I really liked this, though I didn’t realize until I started it that it was another accidental pregnancy book, typically not a trope I like and somehow I’ve read two this year? This has a LOT of similarities with Ready or Not but I ended up liking this one better - I really liked the main character here, and while the love interest seemed a little bit overly idealized, it read mostly as just being really in love with her and not just wildly unrealistic. I hadn’t read a book before where the protagonist had a limb difference disability (mostly I’ve read books with protagonists with more invisible disabilities) and I really appreciated that aspect of the story. Overall I liked this a lot and I’ll definitely read more by this author. 
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

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challenging dark emotional funny 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? It's complicated

3.5

This was an interesting read but ultimately a bit unsatisfying. The gimmick is so good but there’s really not enough to latch onto with the main character - maybe because the story just launches right in and you really don’t know anything about her except what’s happening to her, so it’s a bit hard to relate and it only gets harder. It got more interesting once Bohai showed up (loved him) but then kind of went off the rails. That said, it was pretty entertaining and I’d certainly be interested to see what this author does next. 
The Measure by Nikki Erlick

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? No

4.5

An odd book to be reading during Archie’s final days, but I actually found it somewhat comforting. I liked this a lot overall, it was very well structured and well written. It occasionally veered into an earnestness bordering on schmaltz and I felt a few characters were a little under-served (there may have been 1-2 more POV characters than necessary), but it was pretty successful and compelling. 
Lucky Bounce by Cait Nary

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emotional inspiring fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This was pretty good though I found the ending rather rushed and too easy. I can only handle so much “dude” between love interests too. 
The Gentleman's Book of Vices by Jess Everlee

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emotional lighthearted fast-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? No

4.5

I really liked this. Fast paced but well structured and well developed. I love a dual POV, too. It all just worked for me - I liked the characters, the club, and the conflict and resolution made sense and were satisfying. 
Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

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emotional lighthearted 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? No

3.25

This was cute, if facile. I think I’m kind of done with YA romance and maybe YA in general. While this was sweet, it was just very predictable. I liked the setting around a Singaporean Chinese family but otherwise there wasn’t much to this. 
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-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

I liked this a lot. The MMC, Justin, in particular, was a real charmer and very sweet. I liked that this wasn’t really trope-y at all, and all the conflicts between the two main characters were genuinely challenging issues. I didn’t love the ultimate resolution, which felt a bit rushed and unrealistic, a bit out of step with the overall realism of the rest of the book. Still an enjoyable read though.