tacoshark's reviews
856 reviews

A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross

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

4.25

This was a satisfying conclusion. I liked the broader setting and the exploration of the west. Well structured and paced and while the twists and turns were a little predictable, they still worked. A very solid duology. 
The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian

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emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

3.75

This was a charming little romance, nothing earth shaking but very enjoyable. 
There There by Tommy Orange

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challenging dark emotional informative sad 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? It's complicated

3.5

There were aspects of this that really moved me but I found that it didn’t hold together as one unified story. It reminded me a lot of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, and my issue with that book was the same as my issue with this one. It was so fragmented and while individual pieces were fascinating and compelling and incredibly affecting, it was very uneven and didn’t come together for me in the end. I found myself confused, at times, about whether a particular character was one I’d heard from before or not (I found it particularly confusing to keep track of what was happening in the Calvin/Daniel/Octavio storyline). I wanted more of some stories but there was ultimately too much going on for it to hold together as a single narrative. And then the end felt really confusing and unresolved and disappointing. There was so much here that had potential that I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed at the end. 
The Soldier's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian

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

3.75

A little too long but well put together and satisfying. 
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

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emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This was pretty good. I generally prefer dual POV and in some ways I wish this had been, bc it’s kind of a lot being in Elsie’s head the whole time, and Jack might have come across as less patronizing if his POV had been included. That said, somehow this added up to more than the sum of its parts, and as always, I really like Ali Hazelwood’s use of the academic setting. It’s unusual and she does it very well. 
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I really liked this - very engrossing, great world building and some very satisfying twists and turns. The central romance was a bit thinly developed to me, but not so much that it bothered me. I’ll definitely read the second one. 
Once a Rogue by Allie Therin

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.5

This was a great follow up - I just want these two dummies to be happy together!! Is that so much to ask?! 
A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles

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

4.25

Solid - very tightly plotted, moved right along nicely, and the balance of romance with the broader plot was good.
At First Spite by Olivia Dade

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emotional funny 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

4.25

This kind of shouldn’t have worked but it did somehow - and I enjoyed it very much. A tiny bit overly long and I could have done without the third act breakup (one of my least favorite tropes) but I liked the characters and the setting and as ever, Olivia Dade’s books are well written and singular. 
A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.
I just could not stand the writing style or the main character.