Natasha's Updates en-US Thu, 24 Apr 2025 03:38:25 -0700 60 Natasha's Updates 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Friend1420967505 Thu, 24 Apr 2025 03:38:25 -0700 <![CDATA[<Friend user_id=103602508 friend_user_id=4785544 top_friend=true>]]> Review6549816196 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 01:55:26 -0700 <![CDATA[Natasha added 'The Long Journey to You']]> /review/show/6549816196 The Long Journey to You by Vincent Traughber Meis Natasha gave 4 stars to The Long Journey to You (ebook) by Vincent Traughber Meis
bookshelves: gay, mental-health, romance
Own voices stories are definitely my thing and if you have read any of Vincent's stories, you will realise how they are heavily inspired by his personal life and the people around him.

This is the story of a POC, from his life as a young gay man during the AIDS epidemic to an adult. It narrates his experiences in this ever changing world, his relationship with another man and his life in general. The characters are real and flawed, making the story raw, heart touching, and full of emotions and hope. The character growth and development is amazing. I liked the pace of the overall story.

Both Nathan and Mateo have my heart and I rooted for them throughout the story. They are both struggling in their own ways but the story is from Nathan's POV. Don't worry, Mateo's story is never left behind since that is also narrated through Nathan's POV only.

If happily ever afters are your thing, you must definitely pick this up. Definitely recommended. ]]>
Rating847056465 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:54:39 -0700 <![CDATA[Natasha liked a review]]> /
Reckoning by Elexis Bell
"I'm not going to spoil anything in this review. This is the fourth and final book in this scifi series and it was brilliant.
The book was full of adventure and intense scenes. I loved how the author described the battles and the action scenes. They were very vivid and I could picture everything clearly like I was watching a movie.
There were some emotional scenes too that really touched me. I loved every character's storyline but Olivia's was my favorite. She had such a hard journey and her growth was amazing.
The ending was very satisfying, I loved it.
I had an absolutely amazing time reading this series and this book was the perfect conclusion. I'm going to miss these characters and this world.
I highly recommend it."
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Rating847056454 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:54:32 -0700 <![CDATA[Natasha liked a review]]> /
Reckoning by Elexis Bell
"‘’You’re not small. You’re not nothing,� Rone says. ‘You’re the spark that starts a wildfire.’�
What a beautiful ending to an amazing series! Don’t get me wrong, there were tears, but I still fell in love from the first page.
I fell in love with Olivia even more during this book - I’ve always related to her because of our similar struggles with mental illness and seeing more of her recovery was brilliant to read.
This was so easy to get into - I was in a reading slump when I started, I will admit, but as soon as I forced myself to start reading, I couldn’t stop. Each book in the series has just kept me an absolute chokehold, I’m genuinely obsessed.
And a happy ending! I won’t spoil anything but it was all I could’ve wanted in an ending and more.
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Rating847056449 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 00:54:28 -0700 <![CDATA[Natasha liked a review]]> /
Reckoning by Elexis Bell
"{4.25/5}

CW: violence, gore, mental health struggles, experimentation/mental torture, spice, some others

Thank you to the author for the gifted copy!

I love it when a series wraps everything up well.

War is coming. To the humans. To Regonia. The Drennar just don’t know it yet. If Tenna and Krona can’t convince Taron tribe to align with the Daen tribe, to support Olivia and Ricardo in their efforts to stop the Drennar, then all may be lost. On Novay, Rone and Reginald are doing everything they can to aid their distant allies, but the experiment has changed, and time is running out.

Talk about emotions; this book decided to take that nice, leisurely pace we’ve seen in the three previous books and ramp it up just enough to ensure that I had to finish the whole book in a day.

You already know the characters are great, but looking back on where each of them started, specifically Olivia, and comparing it to where they are going into this final installment was wonderful. Every single one of them could probably use a hug and a nap, though. And the found family vibes here? All the fuzzy feels.

We also get even more world building and scene setting, and it’s all so beautiful. We started to get a glimpse of Regonia in book 3, but we get to expand upon it even more as the group has journeyed up the mountains, and then further as the story progresses.

Of course you already know the plot was doing all the things, wrapping up all the questions, giving us some answers and resolution. I can’t tell you much about that without spoiling things, but you should know that I was stressed at some of these deadlines. There’s more action, there’s a lot more moving pieces, but it all stayed engaging and entertaining.

I was really pleased with how the series wrapped up, and I’m so glad I got the chance to read it. It’s been a while since I was able to sit and read an entire storyline across multiple books without any interruptions, so if your usual argument is “I’m waiting for all the books to be done before I start reading,� then you’re in luck! All four books in “The Regonia Chronicles� are now out, so you have no excuses. It’s a solidly entertaining sci-fi series that won’t lose you in all the technicalities, and I really think you should give it a try.
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Review6819292169 Sun, 13 Apr 2025 22:48:35 -0700 <![CDATA[Natasha added 'Ascending']]> /review/show/6819292169 Ascending by Elexis Bell Natasha gave 4 stars to Ascending (The Regonia Chronicles, #3) by Elexis Bell
bookshelves: fantasy, mental-health, romance, scifi
Ascending is the third installment in the Regonia Chronicles series and it only gets better. Olivia still has her struggles but the rest of the characters shine too. That being said, I have to mention Reginald and Rone.

The action in this one is a notch lower than the previous book, which provides a much needed breather for some readers. More loose ends tied but more cliffhangers for the final installment in the series. The short chapters make it fast paced and there's always the hunger to know where the story would head next. It headed in the right direction, trust me.

The adventure never stops in this book series. ]]>
Review6549819520 Sun, 13 Apr 2025 22:29:34 -0700 <![CDATA[Natasha added 'Faltering']]> /review/show/6549819520 Faltering by Elexis Bell Natasha gave 4 stars to Faltering (The Regonia Chronicles, #2) by Elexis Bell
bookshelves: fantasy, mental-health, romance, scifi
Okay, what should I say about this one? It was a roller-coaster ride with too many emotions and had me questioning everything.

This one picked up from right where the previous one ended. So many loose ends from Awakening were tied here but not before new ones were introduced. Olivia spoke as the main character to me. I could understand her on a personal level, especially the choices she made. This book is high on mental health and its effects, especially when it comes to her.

Did I mention that the previous book was a page turner? Wait until you pick this up. ]]>
Review6549819082 Sun, 13 Apr 2025 22:02:50 -0700 <![CDATA[Natasha added 'Awakening']]> /review/show/6549819082 Awakening by Elexis Bell Natasha gave 4 stars to Awakening (The Regonia Chronicles, #1) by Elexis Bell
bookshelves: fantasy, mental-health, scifi, romance
I am not into reading sci-fi but when Elexis Bell writes, I read. I love stories with multiple POVs and Awakening gave me six main characters to look out for. And it spreads across the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, romance, suspense and a hint of dystopia. The world building and character development are done very well.

Just like the rest of her books, the imagery is vivid and it transports you into a world outside your own. The characters are flawed but that is what makes them who they are. The resemblance to real life human experiences, the raw depiction of emotions and the never ending consciousness questioning in times beyond our control is what kept me hooked to not just the first book but the entire series. It also has a playlist...

Elexis is one of my favourite indie authors. I love her writing style. The way her stories are raw and never sugar-coated is what makes me keep coming back to them.

If you are a sci-fi lover looking for a thought-provoking story with strong female characters, this is your book. It is a page-turner and I definitely recommend it. ]]>
ReadStatus9294911419 Thu, 10 Apr 2025 17:17:30 -0700 <![CDATA[Natasha is currently reading 'Wishing Well, Wishing Well']]> /review/show/7478963640 Wishing Well, Wishing Well by Jubilee Cho Natasha is currently reading Wishing Well, Wishing Well by Jubilee Cho
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ReadStatus9222501934 Sun, 23 Mar 2025 13:06:48 -0700 <![CDATA[Natasha is currently reading 'Saving Piglet']]> /review/show/7428364162 Saving Piglet by G. Leeson Natasha is currently reading Saving Piglet by G. Leeson
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