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my rating |
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| 1529098947
| 9781529098945
| 1529098947
| 3.52
| 28,097
| Feb 20, 2024
| Feb 2024
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Iām on now! =) Iāve been intrigued by āA Tempest of Teaā� ever since I saw it on my Instagram feed! I mean an established tearoom by day that t Iām on now! =) Iāve been intrigued by āA Tempest of Teaā� ever since I saw it on my Instagram feed! I mean an established tearoom by day that turns into an illegal blood house for vampires by night?! A strong found family trope and a crew thatās planning some sort of heist! Whatās not to love? Iām very curious how Iāll come out of this. Apparently, people either loved it or ended up feeling āmehā�! Let's see if this one will hit the mark for me. XD Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 28, 2025
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not set
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Apr 28, 2025
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Paperback
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| 3.96
| 69,840
| Jul 25, 2023
| Jul 25, 2023
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Iām on now! =) This felt so nostalgic! Being back with the entire cast of book one and two was such a fun and sweet experience! I loved all the Iām on now! =) This felt so nostalgic! Being back with the entire cast of book one and two was such a fun and sweet experience! I loved all the found family dynamics between the Bayview Crew and we finally got a proper ending to this great series! Full RTC soon! I really, really enjoyed this! =)) _________________________________ Technically āOne of Us Is Backā� is on my April TBR, but Iām way too curious and tomorrow it will be April 1st so I decided to cut myself some slack here. *lol* I mean, letās be honest, Iāll finish it in April anyway. ;-) This said: I canāt believe Iām going to be reunited with the entire cast of the first two books again! I canāt wait to see how Nate and Bronwyn are doing and what Addy and all the others are up to! I wonder whose POVs weāll get to read! Iām so pumped for this! XD Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 31, 2025
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Apr 26, 2025
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Mar 31, 2025
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Hardcover
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| 4.11
| 405,587
| Aug 30, 2022
| Sep 01, 2022
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Iām on now! =) This was as much fun as the other two books! =) I loved the way Avery grew from all those challenges and I think she chose wisel Iām on now! =) This was as much fun as the other two books! =) I loved the way Avery grew from all those challenges and I think she chose wisely in the end! The found family was so strong in here, which I absolutely adored! I think Avery and her four Hawthorne boys will be amazing in the future. Oh, and I canāt wait to read the next series & āThe Brothers Hawthorneā�. Full RTC soon! Iāll have a field day with this one. *lol* ____________________________ Itās time to read the next book in this series: āThe Final Gambitā�! Yes! Iāll try to get up a review of the second book soon, but for now Iāll just dive into the third one. *lol* #SorryNotSorry XD I just need to know how it continues and ends! Also Iām not sure if āThe Brothers Hawthorneā�, the fourth book, is the last book or just an extension of this trilogy but Iāll definitely read it after finishing āThe Final Gambitā�. Anyway! Iām sure Iāll enjoy this one and I canāt wait to find out who Avery is going to choose. ;-P Iām invested!!! Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 24, 2025
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Apr 06, 2025
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Mar 24, 2025
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Paperback
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| 0008659311
| 9780008659318
| 0008659311
| 4.07
| 97,897
| Nov 05, 2015
| Sep 26, 2024
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really liked it
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Iām on now! =) āCharlie and I have discussed at length how itās possible for Oliver to be related to us, since heās the literal embodiment of Iām on now! =) āCharlie and I have discussed at length how itās possible for Oliver to be related to us, since heās the literal embodiment of joy and weāre both miserable fucks. We concluded that he must have got all the happy genes.ā� Trigger warnings: (view spoiler)[self-harm, mental health, eating disorder, homophobia, queerphobia, ignorant views regarding mental health troubles (hide spoiler)] I have no idea how Alice Oseman is always able to pack such a punch, but it happened once again and this 160 pages novella hit me right in the feels! I kinda went into this blind as well and the only thing I knew was that it plays around Christmas and is a novella thatās set right before āSolitaireā�. Also, and I didnāt know that when I watched the TV show, they actually made an entire episode out of this short story and included it in the third season. I remember watching the TV show and wondering where that entire episode came from, because I loved it, but couldnāt for the life of me, remember ever reading it before. Well, I suppose now I know! āThatās the other thing they donāt get. They think eating disorders and mental illnesses can just be fixed at the drop of a hat. They donāt understand that itās a process. That it takes time and treatment and effort and bad days and good days.ā� One of the many things I loved about this short story and thatās always among Osemanās fortes was the way mental health was addressed and handled. I think many people are still ignorant to the struggles that come along with suffering from a mental illness and Charlieās family is no exception to the rule. There are family members that are trying their best to help him like Tori and then there are relatives that make it worse and donāt really understand the difficulties Charlie has to face. Well, and then there are those that are completely ignorant and think itās not that bad and that an eating disorder is like the flu and youāll eventually get better after a couple of days. Oseman doesnāt shy away from calling out ignorance like that, though and I absolutely love the author for that! āI hate the way people react when they learn Charlie spent a few weeks as an in-patient. As if itās the most horrific thing theyāve ever heard. Itās because it automatically makes them think mental asylum and crazy people, instead of treatment and recovery and learning to manage an eating disorder.ā� Mental illnesses need to be destigmatized and every book written by Alice Oseman is working towards that goal. They are all a step in the right direction and raise awareness to this important topic! The fact Charlieās stay as an in-patient was a good experience for him and actually helped him cope with his eating disorder only emphasises that stance and I canāt stress this enough: I think this rep will help so many people! Not only the ones who actually need help but also those who are trying to support their loved ones but just donāt know how. To make the struggle of people with mental illnesses visible goes a long way! āThat stuff just happens, like diseases or cancer. So itās not his fault. Actually, I think it was probably my fault it got so bad. When I noticed that something was off with him, I didnāt tell my parents and I didnāt ask him what was wrong. I didnāt talk to him enough. I didnāt do enough.ā� Charlie isnāt the only one who needs help, though and it broke my heart to see the beginnings of Toriās growing problems. Sheās blaming herself for how bad things got with Charlie and thinks itās her fault because she didnāt talk about it with him. Itās a theme thatās picked up in āSolitaireā� again and Tori goes on her own journey of self-discovery that comes with an entirely new set of troubles she has to face. Still, the sibling relationship between those two is so wholesome and I just love how much they care about each other. <333 As long as Charlie and Tori stick together theyāll always make their way. I wonāt lie, though, the moment Charlie ran out on Tori was a blow to the heart and physically hurt me. It made me so sad that they just werenāt able to express how they felt. They are both awkward teens and theyāve been through hell and back, so the fact they just couldnāt find it in themselves to talk it out was just heart-breaking. Relatable and understandable, but still painful af! āI think sometimes,ā� says Nick, āyouāre so scared of being a burden that it makes you terrified to ask for help. But you have lots of people around you that would be there for you, if you opened up about what help you need.ā� Thankfully Nick Nelson isnāt only an angel but also the voice of reason and managed to mediate between the two siblings. Heās the best boyfriend ever and Iām pretty sure Charlie knows exactly how lucky he is to have him! XD It was really nice we got to see some precious Nick and Charlie moments as well and I personally loved that Nickās family (or at least most of it) was happy for them and immediately accepted Charlie as a new extended family member. Conclusion: āThis Winterā� was an amazing novella that in spite of its shortness, still managed to pack quite a punch! To be honest, I didnāt expect any different from Alice Oseman, though! If youāre looking for a short story that plays around Christmas and will give you all those wholesome āH±š²¹°ł³Ł²õ³Ł“Ē±č±č±š°łā� vibes youāre craving for, then this one is for you. But donāt worry, it also addresses serious topics like healing, interpersonal relationships and an amazing mental health rep thatās unparalleled. I think if you enjoyed āH±š²¹°ł³Ł²õ³Ł“Ē±č±č±š°łā� and Alice Osemanās other books then this novella is a really nice addition to the overall storyline. =) _________________________________ Only Alice Oseman is able to pack this kind of a punch with a mere 160 pages novella. The mental health rep was amazingly done and Charlieās and Toriās sibling relationship is just so wholesome. It broke my heart, though. >_< Full and short review TCS! Stay tuned! __________________________________ Itās still March and this means #MinisculeMarch is still in full swing too! So Iāll just squeeze in another short novella I wanted to read for ages! I recently found āThis Winterā� in one of my libraries and since itās one of the few Alice Oseman stories I still havenāt read yet, I decided to go for it now. =) This obviously plays around Christmas but itās officially Spring now and since Spring is Charlieās family name this is enough justification to read it. *lol* To my brain this makes perfect sense. Anywayyyy! All this to say: Iām gonna read this now. XD Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 21, 2025
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Mar 23, 2025
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Mar 21, 2025
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Paperback
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| 1035057190
| 9781035057191
| 1035057190
| 4.18
| 6,700
| Sep 03, 2024
| Sep 2024
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Iām on now! =) This book was amazing and up until the very end I had absolutely no clue how the story would end! I mean I always hope for a HEA Iām on now! =) This book was amazing and up until the very end I had absolutely no clue how the story would end! I mean I always hope for a HEA but damn, it was hard to picture one here. āCelestial Monstersā� was suspenseful, full of heart, bittersweet but also hopeful and sad. It was the full package and Iāll write a veeery long review about it! This said: Full RTC soon! (Hopefully! *fingers crossed*) __________________________________ I probably should have written my review about āThe Sunbearer Trialsā� first, but Iām too curious about how this story is going to continue. Moreover, I need to know how Teo, his bestie and his crush are going to save the world. *lol* Also can we take a minute and appreciate this absolutely gorgeous cover?! We have Teo and his beautiful wings gently holding Aurelio and the way they look at each other is justā� chefās kiss! <33 I need āCelestial Monstersā� in my life now! Period! I probably should write my review of the first book soon, thoughā�. >_< Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 17, 2025
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Mar 30, 2025
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Mar 17, 2025
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Paperback
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| 1529367263
| 9781529367263
| 1529367263
| 3.97
| 149,747
| Aug 30, 2022
| Jun 22, 2023
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it was amazing
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Iām on now! =) "But Death did not need to be seen; he was to be felt. He was a weight upon the chest, or a collar buttoned too tight. A fall i Iām on now! =) "But Death did not need to be seen; he was to be felt. He was a weight upon the chest, or a collar buttoned too tight. A fall into frigid, lethal waters." Trigger warnings:(view spoiler)[ blood, gore-spitting, vomiting, poisoning, suicide, self-harm, grief, sexism, inebriation, murder, arson (hide spoiler)] Soooā� this is going to be a controversial review because I know many people loved āB±š±ō±ō²¹»å“Ē²Ō²Ō²¹ā� yet there also seem to be some voices that hated it. The interesting thing here is: I rated it 4 stars because I actually liked it, but I had my issues with some parts of the story, too. Even more interesting: It werenāt the same troubles all the other people who rated this only 1 or 2 stars pointed out, which is quite unusual but it is the way it is. And just to give you an idea of what Iām talking about: If you go into a book that very clearly states that the female MC has a special connection with Death and that he has followed her around ever since she was a baby. And if that very same blurb says that sheās still inexplicably drawn to him, and if that book is classified as a romantasy?! Well, you can bet your lovely behind that Signa (the FMC) and Death will end up having a romance together. āDeath was her poison, and all she wanted was to consume more.ā� This is no spoiler btw. In fact itās written on the blurb of the book and no secret. So I gotta say I donāt really get the low ratings of reviews that found their blooming relationship offensive due to the age gap. I mean Death is as old as time (or dirt) and Signa is a 19-year-old girl that lives in the 19th century. At least thatās what I gathered from the time she seems to live in. I mean weāre talking debuts here, decency and proper etiquette so I can only assume thatās the time frame we move in. Considering all those things a romantic relationship between Signa and Death doesnāt strike me as scandalous or shocking. I think if you read the blurb you donāt go into this book blind. You know exactly what youāll get. I mean just as an example: If I canāt handle thrillers that are about child abductions, I donāt read them, right?! Thatās just my humble and very subjective opinion, though, so you donāt have to agree. ĀÆ\_(ć�)_/ĀÆ āHis presence was intoxicating and familiar, and it took Signa by surprise as it always did ā� writhing shadows cast into the vague shape of a human. So dark and void of light that it was painful to look at him. And yet looking at him was all Signa could do. All she could ever do. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. And so, it seemed, was he to her.ā� Okay, letās move on and get to the plot of this story which is easily told: Signa Farrow is an orphaned girl that has been handed from family member to family member ever since her parents died when she was an infant. None of her guardians treated her well (except of her grandmother who died of old age) and the last one, her aunt Magda, only used Signaās allowance to gamble it away. Because of that Signa is malnourished when she is brought to her uncle and two cousins at Thorne Grove. At first it seems like she wonāt want for anything until sheās able to accept her inheritance, but then she finds out that her cousins mother died from a mysterious disease and is haunted by her ghost. So with the help of Sylas Thorly, an infuriating stable boy, and the aid of Death himself Signa is trying to solve the mystery of her aunts death while also fighting to save her cousin Blytheās life who is suffering from the same sickness. The question is: Will she be able to solve the mystery in time? āWhoever designed this place was an odd soul. A soul, Signa decided, that had been begging for this house to be haunted. Theyād certainly gotten their wish.ā� I can only speak for myself here but I really liked the mixture of murder mystery, ghosts, a haunted mansion and family intrigues. Thorne Grove was such an interesting setting, especially because I love old houses with secret passages and the author even added some spooky elements that made everything even more intense. All the new faces we got to know, had their own agenda, issues and conflicts and it was fun to unravel the puzzle around Lillianās death. Iāve to admit that the mystery around the death of Signaās aunt and Blytheās sickness was also one of the weaknesses of the book, though. I saw this āplot twistā� coming from miles away and Iām pretty sure I wasnāt the only one. To me it was just glaringly obvious. Still, I enjoyed to get to know Marjorie, Signaās new governess, Elijah, her haunted uncle and his two children Blythe and Percy. Out of the two cousins, I liked Blythe the most and her fierceness, strong will and intensity made for a very intriguing character with a lot of potential. āI know how society teaches us to be soft and dull and compliant, but you will not be any of those things, do you understand? Do not change the parts of yourself that you like to make others comfortable. Do not try to mold yourself to fit the standards someone else has set for us. Those are the rules for wearing this mask.ā� Another thing I loved was the great grief representation we got in here. I know this might sound weird but Adalyn Grace really nailed this one and I need to point it out because not many authors do. The way Elijah grieved for his wife was extremely relatable and while he tried to distract himself by throwing, one party after another, his son Percy and Blythe grieved in different ways. Blytheās situation was heart-breaking because she didnāt just lose her mother but also constantly found herself close to following her into her grave. I think itās safe to say that Lillianās death had an impact on all of them and this in very different ways. Yet all the representations felt real and coherent. Moreover, we even got to see Lillianās grief and this was a perspective you donāt get all too often. I mean the anger, sadness, envy and resentment of a ghost whose life was taken way too early, is something thatās never given a lot of room. The author gave Lillian a voice, though, and I really appreciated this. Elijah was unfazed as she tried to surround his pieces. āSo you see the problem. I cannot sleep when I hear her roaming about, haunting these halls, and yet I cannot so much as shut my eyes in her absence, for I wonder if I will ever hear her again.ā� The, at times, difficult relationships between the characters had an interesting dynamic as well and I enjoyed how Signa got closer to all of them and was able to find some common ground. No matter if it was Marjorie who helped Signa to get back on track with her studies, if it was Blythe who despite being critically ill still managed to have some serious backbone and vitriol or if it was Percy who annoyed his cousin, they all formed great relationships with our MC. This said I absolutely adored the sibling relationship that developed between Signa and Blythe. Those two were awesome and their friendship was extremely wholesome and beautiful to read about. The way they cared and supported each other was so healthy. We definitely need more strong friendships like that between women in our books. If this one is going to survive the threat of death? Well, Iām not spoiling anything! ;-P Signa rolled to her side to look at her cousin, who looked back at her with the smallest smile upon her lips. āI must thank you, cousin. Not only for your help but because I feel that you are the only one who did not give up on me.ā� Tears prickled in Signaās eyes, though she refused to let them fall as she reached to take Blytheās hand. āIāve never known a family. I will not presume to know what it feels like to have a sibling, though I do imagine it. And I imagine that if I had one, I would feel for them as I feel for you.ā� Last, but not least, letās go for the one thing everybody wanted to read about: The relationship between Signa and Death which was fun to read about but also kinda odd. For different reasons than everyone else mentioned, though. As already established at the beginning of this review: I could live with the glaringly obvious age gap because Death is Death and heās been around ever since people died so yeah, not bothered by that at all. In fact it was one of the things that intrigued me about this story. What I actually didnāt like was the use of the love triangle trope we kinda have going on between Signa, Death and Sylas. I think it was unnecessary and could have been solved differently?! Also the fact that Death consisted of shadows and that this was made a topic when it came to their spicy scenes. āH-how would that even work? With your shadows, I mean?ā� Signa asked. Rather than answer her aloud, Signaās skin burned as one of Deathās shadows slipped beneath her nightgown and brushed against her inner thigh. āCare to find out?ā� Like erm. For me this wasnāt sexy but rather caused me to laugh. *lol* Iām sorry, but shadows that slip beneath nightgowns?! Nah, didnāt really work for me. I would have liked Death to be more physical than that but who knows, maybe there are people out there who enjoyed their intimate scenes? One manās meat is another manās poison, right? Also there are moments when Death takes the form of a human man so why not use this state to āget physicalā�?! Would have made more sense than to keep him in this semi-shadow form. Still, I wonāt lie, I enjoyed their interactions and conversations and since they have some sort of enemies-to-lovers arc going for them I was happy with the way things developed. "No one has dared speak to me in the way that you do. Why is it you are so polite to others? So demure and soft, and yet so bullish when we speak? Ask me kindly, Signa Farrow." She rolled her eyes. "Perhaps it's because whenever you're around, someone always ends up dead." Is Death a little bit of a red flag? Well, yeah, pretty much! But what do you expect from an obviously morally grey being whose sole purpose is to take the lives of people and who canāt help but be fascinated by a girl whose life heās unable to touch. Death made some seriously questionable decisions on behalf of Signaās well-being but I think that only emphasises the fact that her existence causes him to feel like a human being. Death should be above interfering with human fates and we get this approach when he talks about what it means to be Death and the responsibilities that come along with it. Yet Signa seems to be his weakness and kryptonite that causes him to throw all rational thought right out of the window. āThereās good in it, too,ā� he went on. āI am the first person people see when they draw their last breath. I am the messenger who can deliver them to those theyāve missed. I am the one who assures them not to worry, or who delivers a swift death to those who are not welcome into the afterlife. I am many things, but what I am not is ashamed.ā� To be honest, I donāt know whose influence is bigger. Signaās or Deathās. Most likely they influence each other in equal measure and together theyād definitely be a force to be reckoned with. Death is so susceptible to Signaās will, though. One word and heād probably hand her the world. Still, I liked the way they got closer by trying to solve the mystery around Lillianās death and for me this story was a slow-burn romance because it takes quite a while until something truly happens between them. The innuendos and their dialogues as well as the atmosphere that went along with them was great and Iām looking forward to read the other two books of this series. āAll those I touch,ā� Death whispered, ādie.ā� His other hand pressed against her cheek suddenly, and he breathed out a wondrous sigh so heavy that Signaās entire body warmed. āExcept for you, Signa Farrow. When I touch you, I feel you. On you, my influence is temporary.ā� As for some other things I need to talk about but donāt want to spoil for people who havenāt read the book yet: Well, here comes a little spoiler section for those who already finished the story and want to know why I was unhappy not only with the ending but also with the way some issues were handled. (view spoiler)[1.) Death and the way he influenced Signaās future: I think for an entity who is supposed to be neutral Death intervened quite often with fate whenever Signa was involved. I mean he admitted that he killed all of her guardians because he couldnāt accept the way they mistreated her. And his readiness to infect one of the two āgossip girlsā� that were supposed to become Signaās friends with a plague was quite something as well. I read opinions in which people blamed him for taking Signaās grandmother and her parents when she was so young and that this was the reason she was treated so badly afterwards. But I think such accusations are baseless because other people poisoned her parents and her grandmother died of old age, so he merely did his job there and to interfere and let them live would have been another violation of his boundaries. Then again he had no qualms about killing off her guardians so yeah, that was an inconsistency I just couldnāt overlook. 2.) The entire shitshow that was Percyās motive: First of all I have to say that I saw this coming from miles away! I mean Percy was the only one who regularly visited Blythe and was allowed into her room. He had the opportunity, he had the means, he was inconspicuous enough to be totally ignored when it came to her sickness. The moment he didnāt want to be seen at the apothecary and was so averse to Signa buying a cure for his sister? Well, that only confirmed my suspicions. So yeah, I figured that one out pretty quickly and was not surprised. I could have lived with that if weād have gotten a solid motive for his actions, but that motive never came! I mean he basically told Signa that he accidentally poisoned Lillian ā� his adoptive mother ā� even though he wanted to poison Marjorie his real mother. Boy, thereās a lot to unpack here. If I got that correctly, Percy loathed his real mother for trying to build a relationship with him and he didnāt want for it to come out that he was the son of the governess instead of Lillianās. So he poisoned Marjorieās tea, which for some reason that is NEVER revealed, Lillian drank instead of Marjorie. And once he gets wind of the fact that he accidentally poisoned the wrong woman and not his birth mother: Does he stop before itās too late or does he try to give her a cure?! No, Nah, Nopedy nope! He continues to poison her because: Whoopsie, my bad but I just couldnāt let her live now that I already started to poison the wrong person. Like I mean WTF?! The moment he noticed Lillian was suffering from being poisoned he could have chosen not to continue and she would have survived so why the hell did he still do it?! Especially if he wanted to poison Marjorie instead? And then to add insult to injury and to make this even less logical he started to poison his sister as well?! Because after the death of Lillian he wanted to get closer to his father again and of course poisoning his own sister is going to do the trick?! The fact Blythe almost died a couple of times didnāt cause him to stop eitherā� I mean is he a psychopath?! And if he is, couldnāt the author have written that into the book to make this halfway believable? Weāre supposed to believe that a normal person is acting like that and just rolled with all the murder?! Also he saw that Blythe being so close to death only caused his father to disappear even more and instead of stopping it because it didnāt have the result he wished for, he almost killed her?! Where is the logic in that?! Please someone help me to see it because I donāt. 3.) Sylas being Death: That was so obvious and unnecessary and not the shocking twist it should have been. Good for Signa, though, because she didnāt have to choose. *lol* (hide spoiler)] Conclusion: āB±š±ō±ō²¹»å“Ē²Ō²Ō²¹ā� turned out to be a quick and nice read. I read this story in a couple of days and considering it usually takes me a while to get through a book this should speak for itself. The characters were likeable, the chemistry between the two MCs great and I loved the slightly spooky setting of a house thatās haunted by its former mistress who died a gruesome death. If you like murder mysteries, morally grey characters and have no troubles to accept that Death ā� a millennial old being ā� falls in love with a young girl, Iām sure youāll enjoy this as well. I definitely did and I canāt wait to read book two, because now things are getting really interesting. ;-) _________________________________ YES, I managed to finish this in February! *lol* I gotta admit it was easy, though, because boy, those last couple of chapters were quite a wild ride! Also apparently, I read too many murder mysteries, because I was right with both my theories. ;-P Still, I canāt wait to read the next book! Iām hooked now! Full RTC soon! Not sure if it will be a long or a short one. XD __________________________________ I donāt know much about āB±š±ō±ō²¹»å“Ē²Ō²Ō²¹ā� but apparently the MC Signa is an orphan that is sent to her remaining relatives ā� The Hawthornes (I swear people love to use this as a family name for rich people XD) ā� and jumps right into solving a murder case?! With the help of a stable boy and Death himself?! And thereās something going on between Signa and Death?! O_o This plot sounds all over the place, but also extremely intriguing?! Well, here goes nothing! Letās see if this is for me. Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 15, 2025
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Feb 28, 2025
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Feb 15, 2025
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Paperback
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| 1484746430
| 9781484746431
| 1484746430
| 4.27
| 106,936
| May 01, 2018
| May 01, 2018
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Iām on now! =) I think I know why I procrastinated and didnāt read this book sooner. Cause it HURT! T_T Uncle Rick is taking no prisoners. This Iām on now! =) I think I know why I procrastinated and didnāt read this book sooner. Cause it HURT! T_T Uncle Rick is taking no prisoners. This series is probably the most serious one heās written so far. Might be because Apollo is an adult, might be because of the Roman emperors. All I know is: IT HURTS!!! Full RTC soon. I need to digest this first. >_< ______________________________ Iāve borrowed this book about 6 times from my library by now because I always had to return it. Well, not anymore! Iām determined to read it those next four weeks because itās finally time to start another Uncle Rick story! I missed Apollo and his friends so Iām ready for this new adventure! Also, I canāt wait to see more of Apolloās character growth! <333 Next to Percy heās one of my fave Rick Riordan MCs! Letās do this and finally read āThe Burning Mazeā�!!! Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 2025
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Apr 13, 2025
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Feb 01, 2025
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Hardcover
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| 1837840725
| 9781837840724
| 1837840725
| 4.48
| 13,826
| Sep 05, 2023
| Aug 06, 2024
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Iām on now! =) Itās time to start reading one of the books I put on my January TBR and of course it needed to be āThe Spirit Bares Its Teethā�! Iām on now! =) Itās time to start reading one of the books I put on my January TBR and of course it needed to be āThe Spirit Bares Its Teethā�! I absolutely loved and adored āHell Followed With Usā� so Iāve been dying to read Andrew Joseph Whiteās new book as soon as I knew it was going to be a thing. I mean a trans masc MC whoās shipped away into a Sanatorium to cure him from a mysterious sickness only violet-eyed women who can speak with the dead suffer from?! And then the ghosts of former students start to beg him for help?! Iām so intrigued!!! I have really high hopes for this one and Iām convinced theyāll be met! <333 Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jan 13, 2025
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not set
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Jan 13, 2025
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Paperback
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| 1444957651
| 9781444957655
| 1444957651
| 4.47
| 178,922
| Dec 07, 2023
| Dec 19, 2023
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it was amazing
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Iām on now! =) āare you flirting with me or something Nicholasā� āMaybe I am, Charles ā¦ā�.ā� āyou are terrible at itā� This volume was great again an Iām on now! =) āare you flirting with me or something Nicholasā� āMaybe I am, Charles ā¦ā�.ā� āyou are terrible at itā� This volume was great again and by now I think my love for the āH±š²¹°ł³Ł²õ³Ł“Ē±č±č±š°łā� series knows no boundaries. It always feels so good to come back to this world and to be part of the amazing queer found family Alice Oseman created. By now they feel like real people and the mere thought of Volume 6 being the last feels kinda overwhelming. I know this series has to end, but after being a fan of Nick and Charlie for years (I read Volume 1 on tumblr long before it was even released as a paperback and when Aliceās name was still a whisper in the queer community on the net) I just canāt wrap my head around the idea of this series being finished. It feels so surreal, but it is the way it is. *sigh* Iāll miss those two and their friends. T_T Anyway! Letās not be maudlin and talk about Volume 5 instead! āWhy? You know I, like ā� really fancy youā� āI know, it ā� itās not really anything to do with you, I just ā� Itās just all in my head.ā� āIs there anything I can do to help?ā� This time around we tackle the important topic of trust and sexual intercourse and I think Alice did an amazing job of conveying Charlieās as well as Nickās struggles. Both boys feel more and more ready to take their relationship to the next level, yet at the same time they are both scared of this huge step. What I really liked was that Oseman stayed true to her characters and showed how different their reasons of being scared were. For Charlie being intimate with Nick was a struggle, not because he didnāt love him or didnāt want to be with him in that way, but because of his mental health and the thoughts that invaded his mind whenever they got close to being intimate. Charlie knew that he could trust Nick completely, yet his mind still interfered and got in the way. OCD and the impulse to control things is not something you can turn off and I love that Alice Oseman was able to portray this so well. āA part of intimacy is trusting someone enough to let go of that control a little. And that can be very difficult sometimes. But itās important to remember that as long as you and Nick trust and respect each other, and are listening and communicating with each other, then youāre safe, and thereās nothing to worry about.ā� I loved Mr. Geoff for saying this and I loved him even more for having an open ear for Charlie and trying to help him to get to the solution on his own. And I fully agree with him: Charlie is strong! I think he doesnāt even realize how far heās come and Iām so proud of him for tackling his problems heads-on and addressing the things that are important to him. Heās come such a long way! Also the way he stood up to his mum and didnāt allow her to get away with trying to control him again. Awesome! Thatās my boy! I think his mum played a very big role in Charlieās and Toriās mental health getting worse and worse and a lot of their problems stemmed from her being too strict and controlling, so itās good for them to speak up for themselves and to set some boundaries. āIām not a child. And if I want to spend time with my boyfriend, then I will. You canāt stop me.ā� Nickās mum is the complete opposite of Charlieās and I love Mrs. Nelson so much, you have no idea!!! This woman is made of awesomesauce. Period! The casual way she offered Nick to go to the pharmacy if he and Charlie needed something. Acceptance and absolutely no judgement! This is a mum, who truly cares about her son and supports him no matter what! Gosh, the world needs more mums like that! Even though Nick felt very embarrassed by her offer, which is understandable but damn, is he lucky to have her. <3 āIf you need me to get you anything, I can always stop at the pharmacy on my way home from work.ā� āMum please stop talking.ā� āO°ģ²¹²āā� I think Nickās fear of taking the next step comes from being embarrassed by the topic of having sex in general and the fact that he doesnāt feel secure in who he is. There were so many things he figured out about himself in those last couple of volumes and it was just a lot. Plus he always had Charlie at his side who helped him along and emboldened him to be true to himself and to find his own way and voice. Nick kept so many things to himself before he became friends with Charlie and that almost makes him a completely different person to the first volume. Well, at least to his family and former friends. Deep down he was always the way heās now but he never truly showed it and kept that part to himself. āWhen I realised I was bi ā� I feel like I woke up. Because I was repressing so much of myself before then. Not just my sexuality, but, like, my thoughts and feelings and personality.ā� Thankfully, he has a great support system of friends now, and Elle and Tara who arenāt afraid of nudging him in the right direction. Gently and with a lot of understanding and patience. I had to laugh so much when Elle addressed the elephant in the room and her and Tara accompanied Nick while he bought some āprecautionsā�! Haha! Seriously, you need friends like this! Especially Elle! I love that fierce and bold girl that tackles everything heads-on and is never afraid to speak her thoughts and opinion! No wonder Tao is besotted with her. *lol* <3 āCould we not have gone through like self-checkout?ā� āN“Ē±č±š.ā� āThatās Ā£ 15.99 please.ā� āI hate you bothā� āYouāll be thanking us when you and Charlie get to āā� āE³¢³¢·”!!ā� They spoke about Nickās wishes as well and I thought that scene was so important for him. Nick was always more some sort of a people pleaser and just went along with his friends, and even now that he found his own voice heās still struggling with going for what HE truly wants. Iām so glad Elle spoke up and was able to get through to him because sheās right. Of course Nick loves Charlie, but his future is important too and he needed to hear that. At that age you have to put yourself first and the people that truly love you will support you no matter what. Iām sure Charlie and him will figure it out. Elle: āNick, you always put everyone elseās feeling above your own. And I know you and Charlie love each other, but this is your future. Like, I know how you feel. Iām in the same boat. But ā� I have to put myself first right now.ā� Tara: āCharlie would support you! He wants you to be happy! Putting yourself first for once wouldnāt make him hate you!ā� Nick: āIt ā� Itās not just about him. Iām scared to be away from him. I donāt know who I am without him.ā� Tara: āMaybe itās time to find out.ā� Also, one of my favourite moments in this Volume was when Charlie and Tori took that Ferris wheel ride and spoke about Tori struggling with her sexuality and her love for Michael. The way Tori broke the news to Charlie that neither her nor Michael are straight was kinda funny but also serious at the same time?! I just loved the fine line between humour and severity in this scene. And can we, just for one second, acknowledge how relatable Michael Holden is?! I mean that quote below?! Pedro Pascal is awesome and the fact Michael loves him too, and is a fellow pansexual, only caused me to love him even more. I adore Michael Holden more and more. <333 āNeither of us is straight, Charlie. Iām surprised you didnāt notice with Michael.ā� Michael: āOh, are you guys watching āNormal Peopleā�? Paul Mescal is soooo sexy. Is that Pedro Pascalās Instagram? Iām obsessed with himā� Plus the sibling relationship between Charlie and Tori is one of the best things in this series. They truly care about each other and it made me so happy that Tori knew she could confide in Charlie and that he would listen to her. She might be his big sister but Charlie knew she had troubles and it was so heart-warming to see she trusted him enough to come out to him as asexual. And donāt even get me started on Charlieās awesome reaction and the way he acknowledged her fears but also managed to give her the necessary support to confront them and encouraged her to talk about her feelings with Michael. Itās so wholesome to see them both supporting each other in that way and I need to see more of their sibling bond in the next volume. <3 āFUCK what anyone thinks. Your relationship can be whatever you want. Girlfriend and boyfriend, or not. Who cares. I said to Nick once that if he didnāt ever want to have sex then that would be fine. Like, yes, I really want to do that with him, but if he didnāt, I wouldnāt break up with him. I love him. I know not everyone feels that way about their relationships, and thatās fine, but I do. Maybe Michael does too.ā� āA lot of people would think youāre weird for saying that.ā� āI donāt give a fuck.ā� Conclusion: Iām always in awe how Alice Oseman manages to tackle so many different issues in just one volume! And Iām even more flabbergasted by the fact that she always, really always, nails them in such a short time span. I mean this volume had 336 pages and they packed quite a punch! I canāt wait to read Volume 6 but Iām also sad because it will be the last one and Iāll have to say goodbye to the found family that accompanied me for years. T_T I already know it will be bittersweet, but thankfully, I have a little time left to make peace with the fact that thereāll be a final volume. <3 Wish me luck, Iāll need it. XD ________________________________ I know I say this about every āHeartstopper" volume BUT I loved it! <3 Alice Oseman just writes all those characters and their struggles so well! It feels real! They feel real and they all had a lot on their plates once again. XD Full RTC soon! For now Iāll just say that I canāt wait for Volume 6!!! _________________________________ I finally found āHeartstopper: Volume 5ā� at my library!!! YAY! I wanted to read this so badly ever since it came out and since Iām trying to finish all the books on my ācurrently readingā� until the end of the year this is a good and short choice for in between. I canāt wait to find out what Charlie and Nick are up to in this volume! Iām sure it will be epic. <3 Iām so ready for this, you have no idea!!! The excitement is real! XD Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 09, 2024
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Dec 23, 2024
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Dec 09, 2024
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Paperback
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| 4.50
| 379,132
| Sep 13, 2022
| Jun 29, 2023
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Iām on now! =) DAMN!!! What an ending! O_o My sister was the first to get my unfiltered reaction right after I finished this book and let me tel Iām on now! =) DAMN!!! What an ending! O_o My sister was the first to get my unfiltered reaction right after I finished this book and let me tell you, it was another four letters word but it started with āFā� instead of āDā�. I canāt believe the book ends like this!!! After all those chapters!!!! ARGHHHHHH!!! Iām not okay and I wonāt be until I got that last book into my hands and know how this story ends! Full RTC once I managed to collect my brain cells. Theyāre all over the place right now. T_T __________________________________ Iāve been dying to read āThe Ballad of Never Afterā� ever since I finished the first book and Iām so curious in which kind of direction this series will go. With Stephanie Garber and with Jacks everything is possible. *lol* As it seems Evangeline will have to trust our beloved Prince of Hearts once again in order to break a murderous spell. Sounds very intriguing already and well, thereās also Apollo to think of. ;-P Letās find out where Eva and Jacks are heading. XD Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Dec 02, 2024
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Jan 18, 2025
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Dec 02, 2024
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||||||
| 1250797306
| 9781250797308
| 1250797306
| 4.04
| 11,633
| Feb 08, 2022
| Feb 08, 2022
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it was amazing
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Iām on now! =) āI know,ā� he says. āYour sexuality doesnāt define you, but it is a part of you.ā� His words are tight, voice breaking ever so sl Iām on now! =) āI know,ā� he says. āYour sexuality doesnāt define you, but it is a part of you.ā� His words are tight, voice breaking ever so slightly. I squeeze his hand gently, an understanding passing between us. āBut questioning who you are? Itās a risk we all take. Itās your risk to take if you want to. No one else gets to decide this for you; itās your life.ā� Trigger warnings:(view spoiler)[homophobia, biphobia or just queerphobia in every possible way, racism, sexism, outing of a character (hide spoiler)] And this quote is exactly why books like āOphelia After Allā� are so important for young queer kids. I honestly didnāt think starting to write my review about this beautiful coming-of-age story would make me this sad, but considering the world we live in, alone to write about a queer book has become some act of defiance. The voices that want to silence us are becoming louder and louder each day, all over the world the political climate is changing. These days it seems like all the good work, all the acceptance, the progress we made, is undone and destroyed by a handful of conservative and rich men that managed to get to the top of the food chain. Amazing books like this one are most likely being banned and destroyed as I type this and yes, Iām allowed to feel sad about this. Because it are voices like Racquel Marieās that make a difference and change so many peopleās views and beliefs. Who is going to tell those stories? Who is going to change the world for the better? Who will write about acceptance and loving yourself and preach love instead of hatred? I honestly dunno, and thatās a scary thought and one of the reasons why Iāll continue to read and write about queer books. Because the world needs those stories and characters, it needs voices that tell you that queer kids exist and that they have no evil agenda and only just want to live their lives in peace. Just like Ophelia Rojas who always thought, she was boy-crazy until she met a nice girl named Talia that turned her entire world upside down. "My parents love me; I know this for sure. But I also know they love weddings and grandchildren and the expectations they have for me. They love the daughter they know, but what if I stop being that daughter?" What if? I think thereās not a single queer kid in this world that didnāt have the same thoughts as Ophelia and wondered if their parents would still love them if they found out that theyāre queer. Itās the kind of question every person thatās part of the LGBTQIA+ community has to deal with at some point and the outcome can vary from good to extremely bad. It always depends on your family and friends and itās something you donāt have any control over. Thankfully, Ophelia has good parents and awesome friends. At the beginning of the book it might not seem like it, but thatās part of the storyās charm. I mean, we start like Ophelia and donāt know her friends and familyās stance on being queer, it was something that never even occurred to her until she met Talia so she has no idea what to do with all those feelings and how to sort through them. Opheliaās emotions are a real mess and this makes her story so relatable. She might have no idea what sheās feeling or doing, but sheās painfully aware of the fact that she needs to figure out whatās going on. āI know Lucas is just who my parents would expect to see me with, who I wouldāve expected as well, once upon a time. But I have to forget about those expectations. I have to think about what I want now. Whatever that is.ā� Ophelia isnāt the only one whose love life is messy, though, and we get to see a side-character love triangle in the form of Lindsay, Wes and Sammie as well as many other different and diverse representations. This was definitely something I absolutely adored about the book and the way all those reps were woven into the story was done so well. No matter if it was Ophelia herself who wasnāt just American-Cuban but also Jewish, Wesley who was Korean American or Sammie Opheliaās best friend who was Pakistani, each and every single one of those characters was diverse and true-to-life. Not to mention all the sexualities that were represented as well. We have Talia who is a bisexual black Latina, Zaq whoās black and pansexual and Wes whoās Korean American and asexual. And yes, this might sound like many reps packed into a small book but it worked because every character had its own voice and was fleshed out. āFor the love of all that is good, please tell me why youāre in my bedroom insulting me this early in the morning.ā� Before he can even fully open his mouth, I add, āAnd donāt you dare ask what time of day Iād prefer you to insult me at.ā� He closes his mouth, lips still curled in amusement. Alone the interactions between Ophelia and Sammie were gold because you could tell those two have been besties for years and knew each other better than theyād like to admit. Of course you never know every side of someone and sometimes you donāt even know yourself which caused those two to have a couple of struggles along the way. Still, their friendship was really sweet and their problems stemmed from other things than Ophelia discovering her sexuality, which I loved btw! Sammie and Ophelia were two teens struggling with many issues and hang-ups that influenced their actions, but there was never a doubt they truly cared about each other and wanted to work things out. The good thing is, they talk about it and try to understand where the other one is coming from. Well, at least after the dust has settled and theyāve gotten a chance to calm down a little bit. āNo, I want to know why my friends seem to think all my problems have to be centered around boys,ā� I say, crossing my arms. āAnd why they think I canāt be friends with a guy without being in love with him. And why I canāt have, like, three days of being moody without it being the end of the fucking world.ā� To witness Opheliaās realisation that everyone had a certain picture of her and that it was so far from how she truly felt and saw herself was kind of heart-breaking at times, but the way she learned to embrace those parts of herself and allowed herself to feel all those things was extremely beautiful to read as well. The emotions Ophelia feels are raw and all over the place, but they are also powerful and real. At first, she tries to ignore them but they eventually demand to be acknowledged and felt, which led to a situation that escalated pretty quickly, but then again to come out to your family and friends is always messy and never a walk in the park. It felt realistic that all those bottled up feelings would erupt at some point and they eventually did. āYou think I donāt know about consequences, Sammie? You think I donāt know what itās like to feel your heart burning a hole straight through your chest because you know if you open your mouth, if you let yourself admit the truth even for a second, that everything will change? I know what that feels like. I will never forget what this fucking feels like.ā� Ophelia is never alone with her problems, though and I loved that Wesley was such a huge part of her journey and helped her as best as he could. At first Wes seemed to be a very shy and reserved guy but the more I got to read about him the more he grew on me. Heās one of the side-characters I ended up loving the most and heās definitely some sort of mentor for Ophelia. I think every kid should have a Wesley in their life. ;-) "I never apologized for kissing boys. I shouldn't have had to apologize just because she and her mom and whoever else decided somewhere along the way that I wasn't the type of girl to kiss another girl." Anyway! Another thing I liked was that the way people perceive others was given some room as well. The characters in this book donāt have it easy, they have to deal with their heritage, with the way others see them and how they feel themselves and then they have that added layer of being queer and figuring out stuff as well. I liked that some of them were still questioning, that they admitted that itās not easy to balance their heritage and the expectations that come along with it while also trying to be true to themselves. Itās something a lot of teens that come from mixed backgrounds have to work through and itās tough but everyone has to find an individual solution that works for THEM. And maybe, sometimes the answer is just to acknowledge that there will always be two sides to the coin and that youāll always try to find a balance. āHalf of my blood and heritage is one thing, half is another, and more often than not, it leaves me feeling less like a whole person with a complete, unique makeup, and more like two halves of a girls who is never enough.ā� I think the ending and how everything comes together in those last couple of chapters was done extremely well. Racquel Marie gave her characters enough time to sort through their issues and to come to their own conclusions and this is always a good thing. I love myself some MCs that tackle their problems head-on and find a way to overcome their troubles. Yes, there were some moments in the book when everything felt a little bit educational but then again the information was woven into the story and the reader finds out about all the different queer labels alongside Ophelia. Therefore, I canāt really blame the author for trying to explain labels this way. Probably it was a little bit too on the nose for me because I know about all the queer labels already, for someone who never heard about other sexualities it might be a very welcome explanation, though. āWaiting for someone to love you back seems beautiful in a miserable way when youāre young. No offense.ā� She smiles. āBut a life spent waiting is not a life spent loving. Itās a life spent wasting away on the promise of something youāre not guaranteed.ā� Conclusion: āOphelia After Allā� was such a positive surprise and I canāt believe there arenāt more people raving about this book. As coming-of-age stories go, this one was great and I loved all the different and diverse reps! The ending was very unique, atypical but also realistic and for me this made it an even better read! All told, I really hope many people will read this story because itās a great one and as I said at the beginning of this review: The world needs more books like āOphelia After Allā�! Always and especially in times like these. ______________________________ This book was such a surprise and I loved it!! All the different queer and diverse reps and the way the characters issues were handled?! Chefās kiss! We love a group of friends that tries to solve their problems by communicating. How come not more people are talking about this book?! Full RTC soon! I have thoughts and I need time to write them down! _______________________________ I think Iāve to admit that I was totally drawn by the cover of this book. I mean look at those amazing colours! I didnāt even know what āOphelia After Allā� is about when I picked up the book, but after a short glimpse at the blurb I had to borrow it because YAY, itās actually a queer book! XD As for what it is about: Apparently Ophelia is a romantic and has many boy crushes until she suddenly begins to think about a cute girl named Talia?! Sounds right up my alley, so here we go! Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 18, 2024
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Jan 20, 2025
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Nov 18, 2024
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Hardcover
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| Oh, Axie
*
| 9781529391732
| 1529391733
| 4.09
| 83,603
| Feb 22, 2022
| Feb 23, 2023
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really liked it
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Iām on now! =) āThe rules are simple: No warriors. No women, besides the Sea Godās bride. No weapons. Joon broke the first rule by coming toni Iām on now! =) āThe rules are simple: No warriors. No women, besides the Sea Godās bride. No weapons. Joon broke the first rule by coming tonight. I broke the second. And the third. Donāt you love it when youāre whisked away into a magical world and donāt know whatās happening but everything is so mysterious and intriguing you just come along for the ride? Well, I do and this was exactly why āThe Girl Who Fell Beneath the Seaā� worked so well for me. I know there will be some people out there who wonāt like the sudden story jumps and changes in scenery, but I definitely enjoyed reading this book. I think the experience I made with this was similar to how I felt when I read āThe Starless Seaā� and Iām pretty certain if you loved that book youāll have a great time reading this one as well. I mean with myths and legends you always have to accept parts of the story the way they are without second-guessing the logic of it and if youāre able to do that, Iām sure youāll be fine. ;-) āSometimes, only through a story can a truth be heard.ā� As for the story itself: As far as I could gather this book is loosely based on a Korean legend named āThe Tale of Shim Cheongā� and gave it a new spin. What I found very interesting is that Axie Oh still kind of wove the original tale into the story by making Shim Cheong one of the main characters. In this story she is supposed to be the Sea Godās bride and taken on a boat to be sacrificed, but instead of her being thrown into the sea and the Spirit Realm itās our MC Mina who sacrifices herself and jumps into the sea in order to take her place. Mina doesnāt have anything to lose and her brother Joon is madly in love with Shim Cheong so she doesnāt want him to be heartbroken and does the only thing she can think of. Namely sacrificing herself to the Sea God instead of her brotherās one true love. Well, suffice it to say things get really interesting from there on out, because Mina lands in the Spirit Realm where the red string of fate leads her directly to a sleeping Sea God and confronts her with the truth. The Sea God isnāt angry at her people, heās in an enchanted slumber no one has been able to wake him from. Oh yeah, and there are three warriors that make sure heās protected from the outside world by cutting the string of fate and turning the brideās souls into magpies because apparently being bound to a human bride makes the Sea God vulnerable and weak. "Who are you to judge their hopes? At least they have them. What do you have? A sword that cuts. Words filled with hate." We're both breathing heavily. His gaze moves upward, from my mouth to my eyes. "For someone who can't speak," he says slowly, "you have a lot to say." To say Minaās first encounter with Lord Shin and his two loyal friends Kirin and Namgi doesnāt go well would be an understatement, but then again they cut her string of fate and kidnapped her soul that turned into a magpie. Well, and to add insult to injury sheās not only stranded in the Spirit Realm and has no idea what to do, but also lost her voice along with her soul. Itās a frustrating and terrifying situation our heroine finds herself in, but thankfully she gets unexpected help from two spirits with a baby. I absolutely loved and adored Mask, Dai and Miki! They were so kind and always tried to help Mina whenever she lost her way and didnāt know what to do next. And they loved each other so fiercely it actually caused me to shed a few tears. T_T I mean if you managed to read about Daiās unconditional love for Miki without even batting an eye, chances are high you might actually have no soul. XD āDo you know how much I love Miki?ā� he continues. āWhen she gurgles, like she does when sheās happy, I feel like my heart grows to ten times its normal size. When she is sad, I feel like my heart is breaking. I would give my life a hundred times for Miki.ā� Those three! <3 They arenāt the only trio thatās amazing in this book though and I loved the dynamic between Lord Shin, Kirin and Namgi as well. All three of them had a unique voice and came from different backgrounds, yet they were still fiercely loyal to each other and literally would have gone through hell and back in order to save each otherās lives. Their brotherly bond was so nice to read about and I canāt help it, but I still think that Namgi and Kirin felt a deeper love for each other than ājustā� brotherly affection. The way Namgi spoke about Kirinā� you donāt speak about your friend or brother like that! I think Namgi had it bad for Kirin but due to their different social standing and upbringing, he felt like he wasnāt good enough for him. Which was such a shame, because Namgi was one of the purest and kindest souls ever and I really loved him so much. <3 āHe forms attachments slowly, but when he does, heās the most loyal friend, fiercely protective of those he cares about. He would do anything for Shin.ā� āAnd you?ā� I ask softly. Namgi says nothing, though a shadow falls across his face. āWhen I look at Kirin, I see only him, a bright light in the darkness. When he looks at me, he sees only the darkness.ā� I wonāt spoil anything but there was a scene later on that made me think that maybe, Kirin might feel the same way about Namgi after all. XD So I was happy with the way things played out and I loved how we found out who or rather what Namgi and Kirin truly are. So despite them not having the best start with Mina, all three warriors grew on me and I was a sucker for the Mina/Lord Shin dynamic. Those two gave as good as they got and I adored Mina for being a heroine that has no idea whatās actually going on but still knows who she is and never falters. She was a stubborn, compassionate and strong-willed MC and I absolutely loved that about her. āYouāre right,ā� I say. The boyās eyes flit back, narrowing as I speak. āI am like the other brides. I know what it is to love someone you would do anything to protect. Who are you to say what my fate is ā� if I am to fail, or if I am to succeed? My fate is not yours to decide. My fate belongs to me.ā� Also Lord Shin! It was so nice to see their relationship evolve. At first they were very weary and distrustful of each other but the more time Mina and Shin spent around each other, the more they got to know each other. I think they were a classic case of ānothing is as it seemsā� and I really liked that they took their time to get to know each other. At first there seemed to be so much that separated them, but the more they talked and spoke about the things that concerned them, the more they realized that there were actually more things that connected them than drove them apart. āYou claim the gods should love and care for humans. I disagree. I don't think love can be bought or earned or even prayed for. It must be freely given." For once, I donāt jump to argue with him, mulling over his words. āI can respect a belief such as that,ā� I say finally. Mina might have been a stubborn MC but she also knew how to reflect on her actions and thoughts and she could admit when someone else made a valid point. I appreciated this immensely, because so often you have a main character thatās stubborn for no reason and refuses to acknowledge that there are other opinions and beliefs as well. I think the world would be a better place if people would listen to each other and try to understand where the other one is coming from before they jump to conclusions and judge others for their actions. There definitely need to be more Minaās in the world, because Mina sees people for who they are, with all their strengths and weaknesses and she accepts them without hesitation. āIt might not be as large as a mountain or as bright as the moon,ā� I say as he lifts his eyes to meet mine, a heart breaking vulnerable look in their dark depths, ābut itās just as beautiful because itās your soul. Itās strong, resilient, and steadfast. And stubborn.ā� He laughs softly. āAnd worthy, just as you are.ā� That moment caused me to smile and made me sad at the same time. T_T Because despite the first impression we get from Lord Shin heās actually an honourable soul that tries to do whatās best for the Spirit Realm and the Sea God. He literally dedicated his entire life to protect the Sea God and to keep peace in the Spirit Realm and he always put his people and duty first. >_< Get yourself a Lord Shin. Thatās all Iām going to say. ;-) Conclusion: āThe Girl Who Fell Beneath the Seaā� was very different to the books I usually read and it doesnāt happen all too often, that Iām whisked away into another world and donāt want to leave it. But this was exactly what happened with this Korean folklore and mythology inspired retelling. Itās rare for me to love all the main and side-characters, yet I couldnāt help but pull for each and every single one of them. The world building was done so well, too, and I could imagine the Spirit Realm and its inhabitants so well. And the ending?! Well, I didnāt see it coming and in my humble opinion thatās always an achievement! XD If you like fairy tales with strong MCs and arenāt afraid to go into another world completely blind, Iām sure youāll enjoy this book as well. Itās a fun ride and Iām glad I went along with it. ;-) ___________________________ I was totally vibing with the fairy tale and folklore parts of this story and I loved that āThe Girl Who Fell Beneath the Seaā� was so very different than the books I usually read! Also the ending and how it all came together! No words, just admiration! Shin and Mina were two really great MCs but the side characters were awesome too! Kirin, Namgi, Mask, Dai, Miki.. they all have my heart. <3 Full RTC soon! I need to think this through! ____________________________ I suppose for once Iām actually good with going through with my monthly TBR. *lol* āThe Girl Who Fell Beneath the Seaā� is the second book I wanted to read in November and itās been on my TBR for ages. I love myself some good mythology in my books and this sounds like it will deliver! The only other Axie Oh story I ever read was āXOXOā� and I enjoyed that one so Iām pretty optimistic Iāll end up liking this one too. I guess weāll find out and see! ;-) Find me on: ...more |
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Nov 11, 2024
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Dec 08, 2024
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Nov 11, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1682637379
| 9781682637371
| B0D7PJSTSM
| 4.00
| 1,988
| Sep 24, 2024
| Sep 24, 2024
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Iām on now! =) This book was such a great surprise! I absolutely loved the world building and all the characters! I swear I never shipped a thr Iām on now! =) This book was such a great surprise! I absolutely loved the world building and all the characters! I swear I never shipped a throuple so hard! Like, seriously, Gisela, Kazik and Aleksey were everything! <333 Also Kazik is my precious bi disaster boy and no one can persuade me otherwise! Loved him so much! Full review to come soon-ish! ;-) __________________________________ Okay, this comes a couple of days too late but letās finally do this! āThis Fatal Kissā� is going to be my first #Rainboween read and Iām so curious about it! I mean we have a folklore tale with a nymph, the son of a local witch and a love interest they both fall for while they also fall for each other?! Polyamorous rep is so rare and this is just perfect for my readathon! I think this will tick off many prompts from the bingo board! XD I AM READY! P.S: If you want to know more about #Rainboween and the bingo board just follow the link to my channel and IG! You can still join if you want to. ;-) Find me on: ...more |
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Oct 04, 2024
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Nov 26, 2024
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Oct 04, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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| 000860066X
| 9780008600662
| 000860066X
| 4.16
| 637,808
| Apr 04, 2023
| Aug 30, 2023
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Iām on now! =) WHY REBECCA ROSS?! Why?! I think Iām speaking for both of us when I say: We need book two asap!! Iris and Roman were so cute and Iām on now! =) WHY REBECCA ROSS?! Why?! I think Iām speaking for both of us when I say: We need book two asap!! Iris and Roman were so cute and yes, they broke my heart! T_T Full RTC soon! For now Iām busy with trying to get my hands on book two! *lol* ___________________________________ This is a buddy read with my lovely sister and even though Iām a couple of days too late Iām still glad weāre doing this together! (Sorry, didnāt plan on getting sick. *lol*) So as soon as I have the energy to pick up that huge brick of a book (not even kidding here. It IS a heavy book!) Iāll play catch up! Thankfully youāre not that far ahead in the game... yet. XD This said: Iām very curious how the magical letter exchange is going to play out in this and if Iāll end up loving the story or not. Could go either way. The fact itās enemies-to-lovers is already a plus, though. Guess weāll see and find out. Find me on: ...more |
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Sep 21, 2024
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Oct 20, 2024
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Sep 21, 2024
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| 1640322779
| 9781640322776
| 1640322779
| 3.72
| 577
| Jan 12, 2021
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Iām on now! =) This was so cute. <3 I really loved how Madison and Wooyeong met and became friends. Seriously, this is like every k-pop fanās d Iām on now! =) This was so cute. <3 I really loved how Madison and Wooyeong met and became friends. Seriously, this is like every k-pop fanās dream. *lol* Also, the way the serious themes were addressed and handled was great as well. Full RTC soon! =) ____________________________ I initially wanted to read āBias - A K-Pop Romanceā� in July, but what can I say?! The summer was over so fast I didnāt even manage to get to it. XD Since Iāve been told that this is one of the best K-Pop romances ever, I decided to finally read it, though. Iām kinda sceptical because the title is so ā� blunt? Too on the nose?! I dunno! *lol* But I honestly hope Iāll stand corrected. So many of my k-pop friends loved this, it just has to be good! Letās find out if all the praise is true! ;-) Find me on: ...more |
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Sep 02, 2024
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Nov 23, 2024
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Sep 02, 2024
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| 9781526651792
| 1526651793
| 3.97
| 25,893
| May 11, 2023
| May 11, 2023
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Iām on now! =) I really enjoyed this book and it was a lot of fun! =) The conversations between Gwen & Art were hilarious and gave me life, plu Iām on now! =) I really enjoyed this book and it was a lot of fun! =) The conversations between Gwen & Art were hilarious and gave me life, plus their interactions with Gabe & Bridget were cute. The ending was a little bit heavy, though so I dunno. >_< Full RTC soon! Iāll give it a think. ______________________________ I recently found āGwen & Art Are Not in Loveā� in my library and just had to borrow it because the premise sounds way too good. I mean, this is a retelling in which Gwen and Art are supposed to marry each other, but actually hate each otherās guts?! *lol* And to top it all off they are not only in love with other people but both of them are queer as well! This sounds like the most interesting love square!? I hope this is a good one!! *fingers crossed* Find me on: ...more |
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Aug 26, 2024
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Sep 13, 2024
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Aug 26, 2024
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| 4.19
| 551,809
| Sep 07, 2021
| Sep 07, 2021
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really liked it
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Iām on now! =) āEst unus ex nobis. Nos defendat eius.ā� She is one of us. We protect her. Did it take me half a year to sort my thoughts and to Iām on now! =) āEst unus ex nobis. Nos defendat eius.ā� She is one of us. We protect her. Did it take me half a year to sort my thoughts and to actually write a review about this wild rollercoaster of a book?! Erm, yeah, Iām afraid so. Truth be told, I probably wouldnāt have even started to write this review if I wouldnāt have found the third book at my library recently. I dove right in and figured I would have to write about āThe Hawthorne Legacyā� first before I forget too many details and plot points. And there were many!! Boy, Jennifer Lynn Barnes definitely knows how to capture her readerās attention and all the revelations and games within games had my head spinning. Add to that the inescapable and strong pull of Jameson and Grayson Hawthorne and youāre in for one hell of a ride. What I really liked about this story, was that we finally got some answers about Averyās past and how sheās connected with the Hawthorneās. I think Iām not spoiling anything when I say: Youāll never guess the truth and whatever you think you know, you know nothing and youāre absolutely on the wrong track. ;-P Just come along for the ride and enjoy whatever the author throws at you because it will be highly entertaining, surprising, suspenseful, heart-breaking and intense. You just gotta love all those Hawthorne boys with their unique talents and charisma. āI donāt know who my father is. Skye was never what one would call maternal. The old man raised us. He made us in his own image.ā� Jameson swung, and the ball went soaring. āXan has his mind. Grayson got the gravitas. Nash has a savior complex. And I ā¦ā� Another ball. Another shot. āI donāt know when to give up.ā� But the book isnāt just about them and the mystery around Averyās inheritance, itās also about Avery getting more confident in her new role and about a found family that sticks with her not matter what. I loved that she didnāt just get support from the four Hawthorne boys but also from her bestie Max, Libby, Oren and Alisa. They might all be side characters but they have their own voices and I grew quite fond of Oren, Averyās bodyguard and Alisa, her lawyer. They always try to protect Avery and even though itās their job to do so, I got the distinct feeling that they actually care about her and want whatās best for her. Sure, you could argue about Alisaās actions here but Iāll talk about that in my spoiler part! Anyway! Before this gets even longer: I had a blast reading āThe Hawthorne Legacyā� and Iāll analyse the hell out of this story now, so youāve been warned! ;-) The characters: Welcome to Hawthorne Manor, where every secret passage leads to hidden rooms and glaringly obvious spoilers! Itās up to you if you want to discover the truth or not. Be warned though, once you found those spoilers thereās no return! Enter at your own risk. ;-P Avery: āI am an expert at not wanting to want things,ā� I held my sword up for a moment longer, then lowered it, the way heād lowered his. āBut Iām starting to realize that the person I need to be, the person Iām becoming ā� sheās not that girl anymore.ā� Iād been given the world. It was time to stop living scared, time to take the reins. It was time to take risks. To say Averyās life was turned upside down would probably be the understatement of the century. Ever since she became a billionaire, her life became madness and it showed at the beginning of the book. After being shot at and running for her life she went through some serious trauma or well she probably would have had a trauma from everything if given the chance. Unfortunately, our MC is never allowed to take a little breath and there is danger at every corner. Seriously, I have no idea how Avery is coping with all this because if she didnāt need therapy after the first book sheāll definitely need it now. All those revelations about her father, Toby and her mom. Damn! Add to that Tobias Hawthorneās riddles that are thrown at her from the grave, some danger because everyone wants her money and youāve a recipe for disaster and at least 10 years of therapy coming her way. Avery wouldnāt be Avery if sheād just stand there and let everyone have their way with her, though. By the end of the book she became so damn strong and Iām kinda proud of her! There are many things that are out of her control but there is also a lot she can do and sheās finally figuring that out! Iām very curious about her character arc in the next book because I really want to see that self-confident girl that allows herself to actually WANT things! Give me this version of Avery, I beg you, please!! āToby Hawthorne loved my mother. She loved him. It had been an epic, seaside kind of love. Literally. Just knowing that made me feel like Iād been lying to myself every time Iād pretended that I didnāt have feelings, that things didnāt have to be messy. That I could have what I wanted without ever really longing for anything, body and soul.ā� Jameson: "Would you close the door if I promised very sincerely not to ravish your client?" "Jameson!" I hissed. Alisa glanced back and rolled her eyes. "I've literally known you since you were in diapers," she told Jameson. "And you have always been trouble." I already was in love with Jameson after the first book and nothing changed. Heās my broken-boy kryptonite and the way he cares about Avery and always puts her first is just so damn disarming! This boy has his priorities straight and even though he just canāt resist a good puzzle, Avery and his family are more important to him. I think if he set his mind to it, Jameson would be one of those people who could even charm a wall. So that clearly works in his favour, as does his smart mouth! Haha! I kinda adore him for being so unapologetic, yet soft at the same time. His soft side is so endearing ugh! I feel Averyās struggle, you want to resist him but damn is he tempting. *lol* Iām glad he finally opened up and we got to see more of the real Jameson and I canāt wait to see what heās going to do in book 3. Grayson: Grayson turned the phone back around and those gray eyes locked on mine. āAvery, have I ever given you reason to believe that Iām particularly averse to danger?ā� Grayson Hawthorne was arrogant enough to consider himself bulletproof ā� and honourable enough to see a promise through to its end.ā� Well, I suppose Iāve a problem now because on the one hand Grayson has turned into broken-boy kryptonite in this second instalment but on the other hand he did some things I just couldnāt understand and that left me disappointed. Ugh! Grayson Davenport Hawthorne why do you have to be so infuriating and difficult?! I can respect his integrity, though. Gray is so hard to assess. Heās honourable and keeps his promises and we finally got to see his vulnerable side, but heās also stubborn and sometimes very inflexible. In short heās fighting an internal fight and I donāt know which side of him will win, but Iām pretty sure it wonāt be enough to win Averyās heart. Just a guess. Iām definitely ready to see where his character arc will go and I hope Iāll feel less conflicted about him in the future. *fingers crossed* Xander: āBoth,ā� Xander gritted out, and there was a note of intensity in his voice that Iād never heard from him before. Xander was the youngest Hawthorne brother. The least competitive. The one whoād been in on their grandfatherās last game.ā� Mhmm Xander wasnāt that huge of a part in this book because he set out to do one thing but then got distracted by another hint and dropped his original search to find Toby. I personally think that he has enough of following his grandfatherās clues and just wants to live his own life. Heās an inventor and has his grandfatherās intelligent mind and unlike his brothers heās not as invested in solving puzzles. The fact he was in on all the secrets in the first book and was only a spectator but not a participant says it all. Heās more like Nash in that regard and keeps to himself and out of the hunt. Yes, sometimes he helps Avery and his brothers but as a rule, he doesnāt get involved in the games. I respect that and I think even his grandfather did. Iām very curious if he and Max will hook up, though! *LOL* I know, I know! But there was some serious chemistry there and Max is intelligent and can follow his talk about science so I think it wouldnāt be that unrealistic, right?! Someone back me up here! Haha! Nash: āHey, kid.ā� Nash didnāt bat an eye at the fact that Iād just appeared seemingly out of nowhere. In fact, the oldest Hawthorne brother gave the impression that the whole mansion could come crashing down around him and heād just keep leaning against that fireplace. Nash Hawthorne would probably tip his cowboy hat to Death herself.ā� I still like this calm cowboy! Thereās just something really grounded and sweet about him. Add to that his āsavior complexā� (like Jameson called it) and you canāt help but trust this man. Nash is just wholesome and gives off comforting āBen & Jerryāsā� vibes. *lol* Moreover he keeps out of all the games his brothers play and that makes him an extremely calming presence. I like that heās watching out for Avery and helping her whenever he can and I still ship him and Libby! Unfortunately, we didnāt see much of them in this book and I hope that will change in the next one. Also my bad opinion about Skye only got even stronger after everything I found out about Zara and Nashās father! How could she do that to her own sister? It takes a high level of spite and cunning to seduce the man your sister loves just because you begrudge her happiness. Zara definitely rose in my esteem after I found out that she took care of Nash when Skye dropped him and this despite everything. >_< This said: Can I have more Libby and Nash moments in the next book?! Alisa: Hurt flashed across Alisaās features, and I remembered what Max had said. Alisa had moved me back here without permission. With my life on the line, sheād acted to save my inheritance. āDonāt look at me like that,ā� Alisa said ā� to me this time. āIt worked, didnāt it?ā� I was here. I was alive. And I was still a billionaire. āIt cost me dearly,ā� Alisa held my gaze. āIt cost me this family. But it worked.ā� Okay, hear me out! I think thereās a lot so say about Alisa and sheās probably one hell of a morally grey character who has a tendency to follow logic instead of her heart. (Sheās very similar to Grayson in that regard.) Sheās an amazing attorney, though and sheās loyal to a fault. Even after Tobiasās death sheās doing everything in her power to make things work and while her decisions might seem heartless sometimes I still think that they are actually meant well. She was tasked with a job and sheās doing whatever it takes to go through with it. Even if that means to take Avery from the hospital, which in all honesty was a smart move because I donāt even want to know what could have happened to her in there. There are many people who want to see her dead, and to be hidden in Hawthorne Manor was definitely the best course of action while she was vulnerable and in a coma. Iām giving Alisa the benefit of the doubt here and I think the Hawthorneās should do it, too. Period. The relationships & ships: Avery & Jameson: āTell me what you need.ā� Jameson wasnāt flirting. He wasnāt being cryptic. He wasnāt using me, in any way that I could tell. I let out a long, effortful breath. āI need to take this damn wall down.ā� Jameson nodded. He looked past me to Oren. āWeāre going to need a sledgehammer.ā� I already said it when I spoke about Jameson and Iāll say it again, I love how much he cares about Avery! She always comes first and heās the first one who would jump in front of her to save her from a bullet! (He actually did that in the first book, if I remember correctly.) Jameson tries to give Avery what she needs and heās not doing it for his own gain, heās doing it for Avery! Yes, heās always a little bit playful but Avery can be serious around him too and that makes their relationship so beautiful. Somewhere along the way, Jameson fell head over heels for her and he came to a point where he doesnāt want to deny his feelings any longer. Avery was still torn at the beginning of the book but I think she made her decision by now. When it comes to feelings, Jameson is just more reliable and I think thatās exactly what will make her choose him over Grayson. Jameson loves Avery and he doesnāt make a secret out of it, heās there and addressed the elephant in the room which is more than I can say for Grayson. If Avery knows whatās good for her sheāll choose Jameson. XD āYou donāt have to kiss me now. You donāt have to love me now, Heiress. But when youāre ready ā¦ā� He brought his hand to the side of my face. I leaned into it. His breath went ragged, and then he pulled his hand back and nodded to the disk in my hand. āWhen youāre ready, if youāre ever ready, if itās going to be me ā� just flip that disk. Heads, I kiss you.ā� His voice broke slightly. āTails, you kiss me. And either way, it means something.ā� Avery & Grayson: āIām his āā� Before I could get the word daughter out, Grayson leaned his head down and crushed his lips to mine. He kissed me to save me from what Iād been about to say. For a small eternity, nothing in the world existed outside of that kiss. His lips. Mine. For show. Grayson kissing Avery to shut her up was definitely one of my favourite moments in the book. Haha! I really wanted to ship them so badly but I just couldnāt. Turns out that Gray is even more of a broken boy than Jameson is and unfortunately, that comes with a full set of problems. He just has too many issues that work against him and heās not ready for a real relationship. I think Gray has to work on loving and forgiving himself before he can go into a serious relationship and Avery is just not the right girl for that. She wants different things Gray just isnāt able to give her. Itās sad but it is the way it is. For me their potential for a relationship died when Avery was attacked and Grayson didnāt do anything. I get why he didnāt do anything, but this is just not how you want your love interest to act. *sighs* So yeah, after this book I canāt ship them anymore. I do hope that Grayson will find true love and a girl that will make him happy, though. He deserves it; it might just take a little while. Grayson & Jameson: āThis isnāt just a clue,ā� Grayson said, his voice low and harsh. āThis is my ā¦ā� He couldnāt say the word father. āI know.ā� Jameson crossed to stand in front of his brother, lowering his forehead until it touched Graysonās. āI know, Gray, and if you let this be a game, it doesnāt have to hurt.ā� Soo those two brothers still have the most dysfunctional relationship ever but they also care for each other deeply?! I swear theyāre a mess, but I still love their dynamic. They might have been raised to compete against each other, but they still managed to keep their brotherly affection alive. Sure, they argue a lot but show me any siblings that donāt. XD I think my heart broke a little for both of them when Jameson gave Gray a chance to be with Avery. I know he would have stepped aside if it would have made Avery and Grayson happy, but since Gray didnāt choose Avery and fought his feelings instead, Jameson finally acted. Damn. *sighs* Those two brothers are killing me, I swear!!! On a side note: I found it interesting that we discovered who Graysonās and Nashās fathers were and Iām pretty sure weāll find out about Xanderās and Jamesonās dadās too. āAre you done?ā� Grayson was yelling now. āAvery was dying, and you couldnāt run toward her?ā� āWhat do you want from me, Jamie?ā� āYou think I didnāt fight the same fight? I halfway convinced myself that as long as Avery was just a riddle or a puzzle, as long as I was just playing, Iād be fine. Well, jokeās on me, because somewhere along the way, I stopped playing.ā� Toby & Avery & Hannah her mom: āYou have a daughter now,ā� I told him, my voice low. He looked at me, his expression never wavering. āI have two.ā� In the span of a heartbeat, fury gave way to devastation. Tobias Hawthorne the Second wasnāt my father. He hadnāt raised me. I didnāt carry a single drop of his blood. But heād just called me his daughter. Can you give me a minute?! I need to cry a little because the entire Toby/Hannah/Avery story was killing me! Seriously, it was so heart breaking! T_T I never expected Averyās story to turn into this kind of direction and damn, did it hurt! I honestly thought she was his daughter. But then we found out about Tobyās past with Averyās mom and that he loved her more than anything but they kinda were star-crossed lovers. I honestly didnāt expect Sheffield Grayson to try to get revenge on Toby, but after everything was revealed this made perfect sense. Toby seeing Avery as his daughter and trying to make sure she was okay after her momās death. AHHH!! I swear his āIn my heart you were always mine.ā� was such a shot to the heart! >_< He loved Hannah so much and his love extended to Avery even though she had no idea who he was. It made me really sad that Hannah and Toby never got a chance to be together but after everything that happened it was very realistic. I just hope that Avery and Toby will see each other again. Heās her real father in every way that counts and they deserve to be in each otherās lives. <33 āKnowing what I know now, I donāt know how you did it. I should have drowned. I should have burned. My lips should never have touched yours, but for the rest of my life, Hannah, O Hannah ā� I will feel every kiss. Feel your touch when I was halfway dead and wholly rotten and you loved me despite myself.ā� Conclusion: āThe Hawthorne Legacyā� was as engaging, enchanting and suspenseful as the first book! If not even more! By now, we know the players; we have a good grasp on their characteristics, weāre familiar with the world they live in and all of this makes it inherently easier to move through the storyline! Which is full of plot twists, new mysteries, shocking revelations and intense moments between the MCs! Do I even have to say more?! I loved every second of this book and Iām very glad there are more to come! ;-) Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 20, 2024
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Sep 29, 2024
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Aug 20, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1473693152
| 9781473693159
| 1473693152
| 4.16
| 7,124
| Jul 18, 2023
| Jul 26, 2022
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Iām on now! =) This was such a great finale for a series and I didnāt know this was even possible but I loved all the characters even more tha Iām on now! =) This was such a great finale for a series and I didnāt know this was even possible but I loved all the characters even more than I loved them before?! I mean Nicky and his father are the best! <333 I love them and their interactions so much. And their friends and the Dad Squad! Damn, I just loved everything about this book. Full RTC once I sorted through my emotions and thoughts. XD _________________________________ I think by now you can say that itās one of my traditions to read a book written by T.J. Klune every summer during the holidays. So this time around, I decided for āHeat Waveā�! Because 1.) Iām so curious how this series is going to end and 2.) I finally need to finish one of the many series I started to read and this is the last book! XD And 3.) The title fits so perfectly to the summer heat over here. *lol* I canāt wait to find out whatās going to happen with Nick and Seth in this instalment! I love them both so much and I just want a great HEA for my two precious boys! <333 Also, side-note to myself: Get up the review for book two soon!!! >_< Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Aug 05, 2024
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Sep 08, 2024
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Aug 05, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1529380944
| 9781529380941
| 1529380944
| 4.06
| 523,236
| Sep 28, 2021
| Jun 30, 2022
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really liked it
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Iām on now! =) "I believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. Every story has the potential for infinite endi Iām on now! =) "I believe there are far more possibilities than happily ever after or tragedy. Every story has the potential for infinite endings." Since I already started to read the second book of this series I decided it was about time to write my review for the first one! I mean, I rarely continue series in the same year I started to read them, so I think this says a lot about how much I enjoyed āOnce Upon a Broken Heartā�! I really liked āCaravalā� and the way the first trilogy developed, but after reading the beginning of Jackās trilogy I have to admit, that I love this story even more. I think there are three very good reasons why I find myself enjoying this even more than the āCaravalā� trilogy and Iāll try to put them into words. 1.) The trilogy is only about Jacks and Evangeline (and Apollo?!) and thatās good the way it is, because in āCaravalā� the first book was about Scarlett and then we suddenly had Tella as the MC in the second and third book. So the consistency of the MCs is one of the things that makes it easier to dive into this tale. 2.) Evangeline is not as adventurous and naĆÆve as Tella and Scarlett. She might be as young as Tella, but she learns from her mistakes, which already makes her a more mature MC than the other two girls. To be honest they were kinda prone to put their foot in it, especially Tella. *lol* Iāll explain what I mean in more detail in the character section later on. ;-) 3.) Plus the world building and plot are interesting and so far itās been quite unpredictable, which I love. Some people might say the plot is all over the place but I donāt think it is. Thereās a reason to every single moment the reader experiences with the MCs and Stephanie Garber knows exactly what sheās doing. Sheās keeping her readers on their toes and I love that. Also unofficial reason number 4: Jacks! He qualifies for being a reason; because heās one of the most intriguing, morally grey, manipulative, always thinking ten steps ahead characters ever and you all know how much I adore characters like that. *lol* I think I could write down at least 5 more reasons but Iāll leave it at that because otherwise this overview will get too long. Suffice it to say, I was highly entertained and that Iām pretty certain Iāll love the rest of this series too! I canāt wait to dive into the other two books, but before I do, you get a detailed and spoilery review about the characters and my thoughts! That is, if you want to, and continue to read. ;-) The characters: Welcome to the Magnificent North where fairy tales come true! Be careful of the fairy tale youāre wishing for, though, because as we all know some of them are cruel and donāt end well. ;-) This kingdom is full of spoilers as well, so you better donāt dwell if you have no desire to find out the truth. Itās up to you, choose your path wisely. Evangeline Fox: āShe just wanted one more hug from her father. One more moment of her mother smoothing her hair. The pain she felt at missing Luc wasnāt even a scratch in comparison to the absence of her mother and father. She still wanted Luc, but what she really wanted was the life and all the love that sheād lost.ā� What to say about Eva?! Well, she might seem to be young, naĆÆve and clueless at first because she makes a deal with Jacks to stop the wedding of her sister and her ex-boyfriend, but unlike Tella she learns from her mistakes. Evangeline has a good heart and always wants to see the best in people, but the farther we get into the plot the more she questions everything. I think with her itās less being naĆÆve and more just not believing that the people sheās spent her entire life with would do her harm. And quite honestly this is relatable because we all want to trust the people we love and care about. Unfortunately, Eva canāt really trust the people she loves and what makes it even worse is that they have the potential to hurt her the most. So I feel for Evangeline and every choice she made that forced her to acknowledge that bitter truth. The Eva at the end of this book is not the same Eva we got to see at the beginning and this is what I call character growth. Is she still trying to believe in the good of people? Yes, because real character growth takes time and doesnāt happen from one second to the next, but sheās definitely more on guard, and starts to develop a healthy dose of distrust towards other people. Especially towards Jacks which can only be good for her. *lol* Also she has her principles and beliefs. Moreover she has compassion for the people around her, no matter how vile they treat her. I think Eva is the best-developed and well-rounded female MC Stephanie Garber wrote so far and I definitely want to see more of her and her character arc. āKeeping Apollo under this curse felt a lot like letting Marisol and Luc remain stone statues; it would be less painful for Evangeline, but she couldnāt do it. She couldnāt doom Apollo to living life under a spell.ā� āDoesnāt matter.ā� Tiberius gave her a bleak look. āMagic things always want to do that which they were created to do.ā� āBut Iām not a magic thing; Iām just a girl with pink hair!ā� āI wish that were true.ā� His voice was torn. āShe cried once more for Apollo, she cried with relief that she was still alive, and she cried for Tiberius. Not for the part of him that had tried to kill her but for the part of him that had killed his brother by mistake.ā� āShe wanted to hope that Jacks wouldnāt have gone this far. But he was the Prince of Hearts. According to the stories, heād left a trail of corpses as heād searched for his one true love. He would definitely go this far if it gave him what he wanted. And he wanted to make that prophecy come true.ā� Jacks: āHe sat on the dais steps, lazily leaning against one of the pillars with his long, lean legs stretched out before him. His hair was golden and messy, his too-bright blue eyes were blood-shot, and his mouth twitched at the corner as if he didnāt enjoy much, but he found pleasure in the brief bit of pain heād just inflicted upon her. He looked bored and rich and cruel.ā� Jacks! Oh my! I already loved him so much in āCaravalā� but boy, was he amazing in here. I just love my male MCs cruel and cunning, but also gentle and caring and boy did Jacks deliver in this book. Heās honestly such an intriguing character and I loved every single moment he appeared on page. I think what makes him so damn appealing is the fact that he might be manipulative and adamant but heās also vulnerable and hurt. That scene at the beginning of the story when we saw him in his church? I think that was the true Jacks behind his seemingly impeccable faƧade. Eva caught him at his most vulnerable and she did it by entering HIS church that was actually locked up! Which if you ask me, was the reason he realized that sheās the key who can open the Valory Arch. Jacks is one who plays the long game like no other so Iām sure many things will make sense later on in the series and I canāt wait for them to unravel. XD The last thing Iāll say about Jacks here is that heās always honest with Evangeline, well that is if she asks the right questions which she rarely does. *lol* But to me itās obvious that he cares about her and that he wants to protect her from himself. He told her more about himself than he ever told anyone before and every piece of information about him comes in disguise. With him, you really have to read between the lines but itās so worth it. <3 I love this man and I want more. Period. "I don't think you and I have the same definition of hurt." "Be thankful for that, Little Fox." Jacks gave her a smile that was all sharp edges. A drop of blood fell from the corner of his mouth, and something godforsaken washed over his expression. "Hurt is what made me." āEveryone lies ā� people think Iām more likely to help if theyāre after something noble like true love.ā� A hint of derision crept into his voice, chipping away a little more at the Prince of Hearts sheād imagined. āBut even if you do really love this boy, youāre better off without him. If he loves you back, he wouldnāt be marrying someone else. End of story.ā� āIt wasnāt that long ago that I saw you in my church, willing to promise me almost anything to make the pain stop. Was that a lie? Or have you already forgotten the way heartbreak rips apart the soul piece by piece, how it turns you into a masochist, making you long for the thing that just eviscerated you until thereās nothing left of you to be destroyed?ā� His cold fingers dug into her cheek. āJacks shoved her out of the way before she could move. Lighting fast, he darted in front of her like a shield. Luc didnāt have time to switch course, and his teeth clamped onto Jacksās neck with a sickening tear. Prince Apollo: āYou donāt have to give me so many gifts,ā� she said. āIād give you the world if I could. The moon, the stars, and all the suns in the universe. Anything for you, my heart.ā� Now Prince Apollo is quite the enigma if you ask me. We almost know nothing about him aside of the fact that heās the Prince of the Magnificent North and that he has a brother who obviously loves him. Judging by the way he reacted to Evangeline when he first saw her, he didnāt really seem to be a huge fan of her, though. To me it felt like heās one hell of an entitled pain in the ass that thrives when heās able to put on a show. At least thatās what I gathered from what other people said about him. He sounds like one of those men who know they are rich and handsome and use this knowledge to their full advantage. So in short pretty much like a narcissistic jerk who doesnāt treat others very well. I can only assume those things, though, because due to Evangeline kissing him and putting him under a love spell right after, we never had a chance to glimpse his true personality. I personally think that Eva wonāt like it once the spell and curse are lifted. Itās just a hunch. ĀÆ\_(ć�)_/ĀÆ I genuinely hope Iām wrong, but Iām afraid I might be right. I suppose sooner or later Iāll find out. His eyes were red, his mouth twisted, and his jaw clenched so tightly she thought it might crack. āWhat have you done, Evangeline?ā� His harsh words werenāt quite a yell, but they were certainly loud enough that the guards on the other side of the door probably heard. āWhy do I feel as if youāve stabbed me in the heart?ā� He grimaced in pain as his eyes closed. The relationships & ships: Evangeline & Jacks: "There are much better ways to die than this, Little Fox." "Your attempts at comfort are tr-tragic," Evangeline stuttered. "You're still alive," he grumbled. His fingers found her eyelids then, and with feather-soft touches, he brushed away the melting ice. Wow, just wow. Those two will most definitely be the death of me if they continue to be like they were in the first book. Enemies-to-lovers doesnāt cover it, because they are so much more than that. Itās kinda hard to give them classical Greek drama roles but if I had to put them in categories Iād say Eva is the protagonist of the story and Jacks is the deuteragonist. Because he is her foil and he certainly aids her as much as he opposes her plans whenever itās necessary. And if that isnāt the definition of a deuteragonist, then I dunno. *lol* Of course his own interests get in the way as well which makes for extremely entertaining scenes between those two. Jacks is not the villain of the story but the question is, who is?! I havenāt found an answer to that yet but I will. ;-) Anyway! I loved the intense chemistry between those two and even though neither Eva nor Jacks would ever admit it, they definitely caught feelings for each other. Which is kinda bad because technically Jacks pushed Eva into Apolloās arms and Iām sure sooner or later heāll regret that. Also I find it interesting that there were already two kisses in the first book (if I remember it correctly, itās been a while I finished this book *lol*) and I canāt help but wonder whoāll get the last kiss from Evangeline. Iām going to be bold now and make the assumption that the last kiss will go to Jacks because he tries to avoid it at all costs and it would be kind of poetic if the last kiss Evangeline has to give would be to him. Well, I guess Iāll find out if Iām correct when I read the last book. For now, all I have to say is that they are truly cursed because I honestly canāt see the thing with Apollo ending well. >_< Still, Jacks is so soft with Eva, I want more of this side of him. <333 āHe held on to her as if she were a grudge, his body rigid and tense, as if he really didnāt want her there, and yet his arms were tight around her waist as though he had no intention of ever letting her go.ā� She shouldnāt have stared ā� staring at Jacks was never a good idea. But it was impossible to pull her gaze away. His skin was flushed with color, and his eyes were brighter as well, a radiant sapphire blue. He looked part angel, part fallen star, and completely devastating. āEvangeline ā� stop looking at me like that. Youāre making this much more difficult.ā� Jacks spoke between clenched teeth, but she still caught a glimpse of his sharpened incisors, which now looked startlingly like fangs. āYouāre the one who said I needed a distraction.ā� His fingers drifted lower, trailing down her chest to the sensitive stretch of skin right above the lacy line of her corset. āIsnāt this better than talking?ā� One finger dipped all the way into the corset. Her breathing hitched. āI donāt think this is a good idea.ā� āThatās what makes it interesting.ā� I was only trying to warn you, Jacks silently replied. And then, as if he werenāt a monster as well, Jacks slid an arm underneath her cape and wrapped it around Evangelineās waist, holding her possessively tight as he drawled, āStop flashing your fangs. Iām the only one who gets to bite her.ā� āShe didnāt want Jacks. She just wanted someone to want her the way Jacks had wanted this girl. And she didnāt want it to be because of a spell or a curse. Evangeline wanted a real love powerful enough to break a spell, which was exactly what Jacks wanted, too. He leaned his head against the dark iron gate, and Evangeline would forever remember the way he looked just then. He was still indescribably breathtaking, but it was all the tragic beauty of a sky where every single star was falling. His hair was a storm of broken gold. His eyes were a mess of silver and blue. Evangeline & Prince Apollo: "His lips greedily slanted over hers as his other hand slid into her hair, destroying the curls Jacks had already mussed as Apollo plundered her mouth. He tasted like lust, and night, and something lost that should have stayed that way." This is literally a love match made in hell. >_< When Jacks told Eva to kiss Apollo, I knew that this wouldnāt end well and judging by the ending of this book the signs Iām right are all there. In addition, I still feel kinda conflicted about Apollo. He didnāt strike me as the kind of guy whoād be very forgiving once the spell was lifted. I mean I respect Evaās wish to free him of the love spell, but Iām honestly scared what will happen to her afterwards. Apolloās obsession with her was very unhealthy and didnāt they say that strong spells like this one always have repercussions to the person who used them? This is so going to bite Jacks and Eva into their butts. For now she should be safe though, I guess?! I dunno, Iām not happy about this. >_< āAll she could see was the longing and the hope and the hint of fear swirling in Apolloās expression, as if she might say no. But how could she? For the first time in months, her heart felt full to bursting.ā� Evangeline & Marisol: āShe might have lost her parents, but sheād had their memories to hold on to, their stories and their words of encouragement. But all Marisol had was her mother, who had torn her down instead of building her up.ā� I think Eva has way more trust in their relationship than I ever would have. I understand that she didnāt want to believe Marisol could be so vile and hurt her like that but all the signs were there and Jacks gave her plenty of hints as well. Evaās stepsister is an evil one and I knew she would judge her for trying to stop the wedding with the help of Jacks. Marisol is so holier-than-thou and ugh, I hate her for it. Those two will never be friends because Marisol is too evil for it. *lol* I canāt help but wonder how her character arc is going to proceed from here on out, though. I doubt that sheāll be able to redeem herself in the next book. Sheās not the mastermind and villain in the story, though so the question still stands: Whoās the true villain of this story?! Maybe the second book will help with that? I need more hints to find the true antagonist. XD āMarisol was not the rumors and the lies that had been printed about her. And if she and Marisol showed up tonight together, smiling and happy and untouched by fear, people would be able to see the truth and stop believing all the lies.ā� āIāve made some poor choices as well.ā� Evangeline squeezed her stepsister a final time before letting her go. Now it was her turn to be nervous. But Marisol deserved to know the truth. It wasnāt fair to let her carry all the guilt or believe that Evangeline was entirely innocent. Evangeline didnāt know if they would ever be true sisters, but they would never mend all their wounds if some were still infected with lies.ā� Conclusion: āOnce Upon a Broken Heartā� was an amazing start into a new series and I already liked this one more than the entire āCaravalā� trilogy before it. And I really enjoyed āCaravalā� so this speaks volumes! Jacks is one hell of a multi-layered and morally grey MC and Evangeline is a heroine with strengths and weaknesses in equal measure. The world building of the Magnificent North was marvellous and I totally loved the fairy tale vibes this story gave off. Of course, Stephanie Garberās writing style is as beautiful and engaging as ever and I canāt wait to continue with this series. In fact, the second book is already waiting for me so please excuse me while I get back to it. ;-P Iām determined to find the true antagonist of this story. XD Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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Jul 24, 2024
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Aug 17, 2024
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Jul 24, 2024
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Paperback
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| B0CCZM8Y4C
| 3.83
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| Aug 31, 2023
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liked it
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Iām on now! =) "His soft hand is wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer. The tears slowly come to a crawl as he breathes life between my li Iām on now! =) "His soft hand is wrapped around my neck, pulling me closer. The tears slowly come to a crawl as he breathes life between my lips. The rain outside starts to pour down while the spinning world seems to come to a perfect still moment between us. Our galaxies are swirling together." It were quotes like this one, which made this book really interesting and good for me. Iām not gonna lie, though, at parts this story was extremely confusing and the timeline seemed to be all over the place. āFlesh and Bone ā� Awakeningā� had some good parts but also some that would have needed a little bit more work or feedback from the beta readers. So I think itās best if we start with the good things first and then work our way through the not so good parts, okay?! First Iāve to say that I really loved Sam and Max as characters. They both gave me āAll For the Gameā� vibes and if you know me, you know that Iām obsessed with this series. So I really appreciated those two boys and that they made their way even though they had a lot of baggage they carried with them. āWell, I give up," I mutter through gritted teeth. Making eye contact, we both lean into the flame. The tobacco leaves light the night between us. His dimples radiate against the flame as that smirk transforms into a full-blown smile, all the while his hazel eyes never leave mine. We stay in that flame, gazing, gauging each other. Their chemistry was very palpable and even though they didnāt want to admit it at first, it became obvious that they were drawn to each other and werenāt able to escape each otherās pull. I really wish the author wouldnāt have left us in the dark about their mysterious connection because the way it reads, you know there is something between them but you never truly find out what exactly it is. Iām pretty certain a lot of people will say itās insta-love, but I got the distinctive feeling that the author had reasons for writing them that way. Still, even after finishing the book, I didnāt grasp those reasons and thatās a shame because I really wanted to understand their relationship. "Caught off guard, I respond without thinking. "Absolutely, I ... I think I would go to war for you." His hand grabs mine firmly; a deep blush crossing his face. My grip tightens but he responds in kind. As stories go, this is a slow-paced one and there doesnāt really happen a lot. Iām honestly still trying to figure out in which kind of direction the author wanted to go with this because on the one hand we have the budding relationship of Sam and Max, then we have Maxās mysterious powers which heās trying to hide and we also have Sam playing Lacrosse with his team. Well, and in between there are some sort of random fighting scenes and mysterious moments when I didnāt know what exactly was going on. *lol* I think you can already tell why this book was so confusing for me. XD "I might not know you very well Sam, but I recognize strength when I see it. You're the only one who doesn't want to recognize it. I thought at first it was a fear of being hurt, but now I think it's fear of being able to hurt others." From the blurb you can tell that mythology and gods seem to be involved in the story as well, but that aspect was highly confusing for me. We get a lot of dream sequences or parallel world sequences even (if I understood that correctly), in which Max is struggling with his fate, but we never truly find out what that fate is or entails. You might say Max is a very unreliable narrator and I think youād be right with that assumption. Also I didnāt quite grasp which mythology the author wanted to go for. There were a couple of Greek Gods that were mentioned (Zeus, Hera, Olympus, etc.) but then we also had Maxās uncle named Horus?! And Horus is a god from ancient Egypt so this confused me immensely. Unless this was supposed to be a mash up of many different mythologies?! I think in this particular case, it would have been better not to keep the reader in the dark and to go for some tangible facts instead. That way a lot of the readerās confusion could have been prevented. āJust ā� wait, Sam. I didnāt want this, I didnāt want to have someone feel that my life depended on them, Iāve never depended on anyone before, and I donāt want to start now. I didnāt want anyone mixed up with any of this! I donāt even feel like I should be here! I feel like Iām on borrowed time, but whose time, right? Whose lives are sent to replace my own? I mean, do you really want to become involved in this? In me?ā� Iām still trying to figure out what Max meant with all of this and so far thereās nothing but a huge question mark hoovering over my head. XD Anyway! Ignoring all of those issues, I could still see that the author has a lot of potential. Thereās this raw and intense energy to his writing that sometimes grips you and you canāt help but think: āDamn, this is written so beautifully.ā� The relationship between Max and Sam, once it gets out of the āI hate you but I still kinda like youā� stage is written so tender that youāre happy about every single moment they spend together and I think this was the part where the authorās writing style excelled the most. In addition, the ending was quite suspenseful and many things started to make sense. All told, I ended up liking SammaXās story, no matter how confusing it was and Iāll watch out for book two because I hope to get some answers! Because as I already said, this story had a lot of potential and Iām curious if it will be used in the next book. =) ________________________________ This was a very interesting book but also extremely confusing at some points. Iām not gonna lie, half of the story I had no idea what was even going on (Max is an unreliable narrator) and the timeline confused me big time. XD Still, thereās a lot of potential and the last couple of chapters were pretty suspenseful. This said: Full RTC soon! I need to think about this some more in order to put all my thoughts into words. Stay tuned. ;-) ________________________________ I heard about this book on IG and wanted to read āFlesh and Bone - Awakeningā� ever since I saw the fanart some artists made about the main ship Sammax. So here we are! Considering there is even fanart on IG Iām surprised this doesnāt have more reviews on goodreads!? I mean the book is about sports and two boys that fall in love and apparently it also has some mythology angle?! Sounds good to me. =) I donāt know about you, but Iām sold. xD Find me on: ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 12, 2024
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Aug 04, 2024
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Jul 12, 2024
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Kindle Edition
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Virginia Ronan
>
Books:
young-adult
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my rating |
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| 3.52
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not set
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Apr 28, 2025
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| 3.96
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Apr 26, 2025
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Mar 31, 2025
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| 4.11
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Apr 06, 2025
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Mar 24, 2025
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really liked it
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Mar 23, 2025
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Mar 21, 2025
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| 4.18
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Mar 30, 2025
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Mar 17, 2025
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| 3.97
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it was amazing
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Feb 28, 2025
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Feb 15, 2025
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| 4.27
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Apr 13, 2025
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Feb 01, 2025
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| 4.48
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not set
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Jan 13, 2025
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| 4.47
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it was amazing
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Dec 23, 2024
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Dec 09, 2024
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| 4.50
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Jan 18, 2025
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Dec 02, 2024
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it was amazing
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Jan 20, 2025
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Nov 18, 2024
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| Oh, Axie
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| 4.09
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really liked it
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Dec 08, 2024
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Nov 11, 2024
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| 4.00
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Nov 26, 2024
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Oct 04, 2024
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Oct 20, 2024
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Nov 23, 2024
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Sep 02, 2024
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| 3.97
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Sep 13, 2024
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Aug 26, 2024
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really liked it
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Sep 29, 2024
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Aug 20, 2024
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| 4.16
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Sep 08, 2024
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Aug 05, 2024
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| 4.06
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really liked it
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Aug 17, 2024
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Jul 24, 2024
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| 3.83
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liked it
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Aug 04, 2024
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Jul 12, 2024
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