Accidentally started with the fourth book (again) but I really was not that into this book. It may have been because it's so heavy on horse racing whiAccidentally started with the fourth book (again) but I really was not that into this book. It may have been because it's so heavy on horse racing which is a topic I do not care about in the slightest but it may have just been the book itself, which was kind of just overall boring.
Another problem I have with it is that Gabe completely ignores Virginia every time she tells him to stop?? And he just starts kissing her randomly and she is always uncomfortable about it?? I know she eventually gives in but I don't want to talk about what happens eventually it shouldn't have been a problem in the first place and he should just stop when she asks.
Merged review:
Accidentally started with the fourth book (again) but I really was not that into this book. It may have been because it's so heavy on horse racing which is a topic I do not care about in the slightest but it may have just been the book itself, which was kind of just overall boring.
Another problem I have with it is that Gabe completely ignores Virginia every time she tells him to stop?? And he just starts kissing her randomly and she is always uncomfortable about it?? I know she eventually gives in but I don't want to talk about what happens eventually it shouldn't have been a problem in the first place and he should just stop when she asks.
Merged review:
Accidentally started with the fourth book (again) but I really was not that into this book. It may have been because it's so heavy on horse racing which is a topic I do not care about in the slightest but it may have just been the book itself, which was kind of just overall boring.
Another problem I have with it is that Gabe completely ignores Virginia every time she tells him to stop?? And he just starts kissing her randomly and she is always uncomfortable about it?? I know she eventually gives in but I don't want to talk about what happens eventually it shouldn't have been a problem in the first place and he should just stop when she asks....more
*4.5 While I didn't love this one as much as I loved the two middle books, this was still a great book and a good finale as well.
Up until the last 70 o*4.5 While I didn't love this one as much as I loved the two middle books, this was still a great book and a good finale as well.
Up until the last 70 or so pages it would have been a 4 star read but that end was so good! I already miss everyone and I'm truly in mourning for a few characters. This series was so twisted and amazing to the point where I couldn't root for anyone because I wanted to root for everyone. The characters were all so complex and imperfect and it made the series so much better....more
I honestly was a little skeptical going into this third one because of how the last one ended, but once again, this series is just fantastic. Every siI honestly was a little skeptical going into this third one because of how the last one ended, but once again, this series is just fantastic. Every single point of view and plot captivated me and I loved every second of this book. I'm excited and terrified to finish this series ...more
*3.5 stars This book was super enjoyable! It starts off with the action and it pretty much continues nonstop right up to the end! The romance was real*3.5 stars This book was super enjoyable! It starts off with the action and it pretty much continues nonstop right up to the end! The romance was really nice and I loved the world....more
I am not going to lie to you. This whole situation we're in sucks a lot.
While I am now passed a time in my life where I crave happy endings, I can't sI am not going to lie to you. This whole situation we're in sucks a lot.
While I am now passed a time in my life where I crave happy endings, I can't say I love what's happening. Every little thing that deteriorated everyone's hopes, dreams, and sanity is truly upsetting. That's not to say that I did not enjoy this sequel because I truly did. I'm just sad and dreading what could possibly happen in the last book....more
One of my favorite genres is dark middle grade so I had high hopes for this (regardless of the reviews) and even then it managed to be even better thaOne of my favorite genres is dark middle grade so I had high hopes for this (regardless of the reviews) and even then it managed to be even better than I thought it would be! There were so many lovable characters and so many twists at the end that I did not see coming....more
This book certainly was enjoyable for the most part, but it was nothing special unfortunately. I was super excited for this and I do feel a little letThis book certainly was enjoyable for the most part, but it was nothing special unfortunately. I was super excited for this and I do feel a little let down. Not the greatest way to end 2020 with a bang but oh well.
UPDATE 8/23/23: DNF @ 30% I reread this partly because my mom wanted to read it, but also because I wanted go back and see if I stood by my original rating. 30% in and I can tell that I do, so there's really no point in moving forward....more
**spoiler alert** I went into this knowing it was the lowest rated of the series, but considering how good the other two have been I did not expect it**spoiler alert** I went into this knowing it was the lowest rated of the series, but considering how good the other two have been I did not expect it to be that bad. Unfortunately, I can see why. It was pretty bad.
I was still excited for this going into it even knowing. I loved the jewel tones of the cover, I think carnival settings are really fun, and of course, Audrey Rose and Thomas.
First of all, Thomas was barely in this book at all because Audrey Rose decided it was okay to play with his feelings and pretend to have a relationship with Mephistopheles. I know it was for a "good cause" but for one, it ended up being fake; two, there were better ways to go about that anyway. I absolutely hated the cheating elements of this book, especially considering how patient Thomas was for the entire time.
The murders, however, were morbidly cool and I really liked the final reveal. It doesn't make up for Miss Cheater but it did keep me reading.
Hopefully Capturing the Devil is even a little better. A crumb of faithfulness if you will?...more
I'm very happy that I found this significantly better than the last one. (Though I'm still mad that we were introduced to a cat that had all of four pI'm very happy that I found this significantly better than the last one. (Though I'm still mad that we were introduced to a cat that had all of four pages).
I like that this one took place over two cities so we were able to read about two different settings. I also loved how much Cressworth we got in this one even with the unfortunate problem about halfway through.
Something kind of not-great was how easy it was to figure out who it was. We met him once and then it was obvious.
I really enjoyed this series but I can say I'm glad I finished it. Also, if I never have to read the word 'deduced' or any of its variations again, that would be perfect....more
*4.5 Honestly, this could have been a five-star read but for some reason it took me a full week to read and there were a couple parts that took me lite*4.5 Honestly, this could have been a five-star read but for some reason it took me a full week to read and there were a couple parts that took me literal days to get through. They were good? But they took me forever. I have no idea.
So this book is another book about the legend of King Arthur, and if I had known that before buying I might not have even bought it. I had just been seeing around that it was amazing and gave people City of Bones vibes. Thank GOD I didn't know that beforehand. Yes, this is a King Arthur retelling, but it was SO original and complex and amazing.
I adored Bree as a main character. Unlike a typical YA female protagonist, she was smart! It wasn't just told to us that she was smart- it actually was barely mentioned- but she showed us again and again that she had intelligence. She also thought for herself and had her own personal mission that she never strayed from.
The only criticism I have for the book was that the magic system was barely explained, and very late into the book as well. Normally I do not mind that as much but when the point of view you're reading from is using terms that were never explained to her it gets a little confusing. It could take me out of the story occasionally.
I seriously cannot wait for the next one and I'm so mad at myself for reading this so soon after it came out. The one time I start a series before it's completed and this happens!...more
This book has a bunch of mixed reviews and I unfortunately do see why people did not like it. Luckily, I did thoroughly enjoy it, though. There is notThis book has a bunch of mixed reviews and I unfortunately do see why people did not like it. Luckily, I did thoroughly enjoy it, though. There is not much plot to be perfectly honest, and it's fairly slow; however, the writing style is so beautiful and I found it to be an enchanting read. I would lose myself in the pages and somehow read fifty without even checking the page numbers. The romance was unrealistic but amazing, so as long as you're not looking for realism you might love it too. I wasn't the biggest fan of our main character, Camille, but Trelease still managed to write the different sides of France in such an enchanting way I could forget that for a while. Also, the ending was a bit too perfect for my tastes and that didn't work for me. If you're looking for a great atmospherical read and enjoy historical France, this is the book for you....more
Wow this book took me forever to read. It is in no way the book's fault (college stress), but that's insane. It's crazy, too, because this b*3.5 stars
Wow this book took me forever to read. It is in no way the book's fault (college stress), but that's insane. It's crazy, too, because this book is literally packed with action. It was so thrilling, yet I would read a few pages, stop mid-battle, then go do something else.
Even though this book was mostly action, that doesn't mean we didn't get a chance to learn our characters and see their relationships. That's something I really liked about it. It was a perfectly balanced fast paced book. The found family and sisterhood themes were so incredibly strong, even during battles.
The world was so fascinating. I genuinely loved reading about it and whenever there was a new description of some new ship or anything I would be so captivated. It's this awesome mix of your classic pirate-1600's-johnny-depp mixed with super cool futuristic technology.
I will, however, have to note about our dearest main character and captain, Caledonia. She was terrible :) She was so stubborn and let her ship like it was a dictatorship even though she preached that they were a family. Whenever anyone had an idea different from hers she immediately shot it down and just went with her own. She was also fairly close-minded as well.
Luckily, I believe Parker knew what she was doing with that. All of our side characters were constantly trying to tell Cala to loosen up and listen to others for a change which gives me high hopes that during the rest of the series we get some serious character development for her. Fingers crossed!...more
*2.5 Honestly, this book has great potential. However, for me it really fell flat. The writing was just very one dimensional and there was a lot of tel*2.5 Honestly, this book has great potential. However, for me it really fell flat. The writing was just very one dimensional and there was a lot of tell but not a lot of show....more
This book was really good! The writing style was hilarious and concise and I really enjoyed the characters. The story itself was perfectly over-the-toThis book was really good! The writing style was hilarious and concise and I really enjoyed the characters. The story itself was perfectly over-the-top and I'm truly obsessed with this style of storytelling....more
OKAY so to start this off I want it to be known that I have never read a mass market romance novel before.... and I managed to start off with the fourOKAY so to start this off I want it to be known that I have never read a mass market romance novel before.... and I managed to start off with the fourth book in a series. I found it at a thrift store, chose it because of the (back) cover, and decided to read it during my beach trip because why not. And now that it's finished, I shall leave it in the rental house for others to enjoy. I also want it to be known that this is the book I met my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ goal with. Alright enough recipe blog for this review let's get into it.
The plot is essentially, English Elizabitch (sorry I'm just really not going to type her real name. It's not Elizabeth for some reason) is running after her dog, then her companion attempts an assassination, while Scottish Broc who hates the English for murdering his entire clan decides to save her, then stowing her in an abandoned house to keep her safe for the length of the book.
So this is written in third person omniscient and sometimes I'd get a little confused but most of the time it was very clearly written. I actually enjoyed the writing style for the most part which I am surprised about. She, however, is in the middle of the romance writing spectrum, where she will not use the explicit words, but she also will not use those strange innuendos either. Broc did once refer to his penis as "the wee lad" so that was questionable.
I really enjoyed the amount of consent between the characters. Elizabitch never really initiated anything, but aside from a couple kisses "stolen in anger", Broc was very clear with everything he was going to be doing and stopped immediately when Elizabitch asked him to.
The main reason I rated it three stars is the main plot. I do not like it when a character is deliberately keeping information to "make life easier". That went on the entire book and when it was finally revealed what happened, neither character involved handled it well and then the ending kind of felt like it was just wrapping everything up and very rushed.
Overall, it was a fairly enjoyable time, especially for someone who has never read a romance novel of the mass market caliber. I definitely think I would read one again (maybe even next, I got two at that thrift store)....more
Once again, I did not enjoy this series. The characters all felt flat, and a lot of the conversations felt like robots were speaking, or fifty-year-olOnce again, I did not enjoy this series. The characters all felt flat, and a lot of the conversations felt like robots were speaking, or fifty-year-old English professors, not teachers.
I do not like Conrad and Belly was pining after him the entire time. I also do not like Belly. She is constantly making terrible decisions and is just incredibly whiny. Finally, I hated Taylor. The one good decision was to drop Taylor, but we do still have one book to reverse it and I don't want that to happen.
The book really felt unnecessary overall. Nothing important really happened at all. One more to go, but I do still plan on reading it....more
So unfortunately, my fears were valid. These fears definitely hindered my enjoyment of the book. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hate lovSo unfortunately, my fears were valid. These fears definitely hindered my enjoyment of the book. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I hate love triangles. It got to a point where I stopped rooting for either of them because of how it was turning out.
I did enjoy this, but I'll admit this was my least favorite of the trilogy. The writing and the imagery was still so beautiful and stark.
My review would be longer but my finger is in real pain and I really need to stop typing....more
This is such an important book that I feel everyone Thank you BookSparks for sending me this.
Spoiler-free YouTube review:
This is such an important book that I feel everyone should read. This follows the life of not just Jeremy and his transition, but also his family and their journey to acceptance.
Jeremy's story was just so heart wrenching to read but it also made me feel so happy. Jeremy started off as Emily, someone who never fit in with the girls, and didn't understand why that was so different. As Emily grew older she started to try to figure out why she was the way she was. Through many baby steps, Emily embraced Jeremy and felt true happiness.
Another topic that is not freely marketed with this book is the concept of asexuality and aromanticism. Throughout Jeremy's life he never saw himself having a partner. Instead of most interpretations of transgender stories, Jeremy never "outgrew that phase". Jeremy still lives as just Jeremy, a man who doesn't want any romantic companionship.
This story also follows Jeremy's family. Written by his mother, we are shown the journey of acceptance of this concept that no one in his family were familiar with or truly understood. It isn't a picture perfect story, but it's a real one. The more Jeremy understood himself, his family had to understand as well. It is a journey from not understanding to acceptance to advocacy.
If you know anyone who is transgender and are struggling to understand, or if you just simply are interested in such an important topic, this is something to gravitate to. This is a book that I hope one day serves as a time in history that no one could fathom, and this book will help make that step....more
**spoiler alert** The first ~70 pages? Perfection, stellar, chef's kiss.
Literally everything after that? Terrible, disappointment, worse than The Scar**spoiler alert** The first ~70 pages? Perfection, stellar, chef's kiss.
Literally everything after that? Terrible, disappointment, worse than The Scarlet Letter.
At the beginning I was really enjoying it, and honestly it was hilarious to me. Jonathan thought Dracula eating his mirror out the window was an annoyance..... Dracula? Gay. NO ONE can tell me otherwise. The sexual tension between him and Jonathan was stellar. The only reason he went after Mina so much is because he was jealous and I will not be accepting criticism.
The only thing that made me not want to die for ~most~ of the rest of the book was Van Helsing having absolutely zero filter. King.
The story was incredibly dragged out and honestly could have been 300 pages or less. I hated it the entire time. If this wasn't being read for school it would not have been finished....more
Dylan really has the best taste in classics. Every one he recommends me I end up liking. I really did enjoy this book. This is the best written third Dylan really has the best taste in classics. Every one he recommends me I end up liking. I really did enjoy this book. This is the best written third person omniscient book I have ever read. I loved the characters' declines even if the characters themselves weren't that likable. The ending, however, did make me mad but only in the way a character handled things....more
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