obstinateheadstrongcurl's Reviews (1.37k)

Bro and the Beast 1

L.C. Davis

3.75

lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

This was ABSURD and I fucking loved it. 

Ravished

Amanda Quick

4.25

lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

This is a wild ride. At 30% we’d already had a whole book plot, and I had no clue what was going to come next (a kidnapping, a hasty marriage, an attempted rape, several big arguments at balls, an interrupted theft, and an attempted murder, just in case you were wondering). I had completely forgotten how absolutely bonkers old-school historical romances could be. Also, basically everyone except the hero is obsessed with fossils? My only quibble was that I didn’t feel Gideon ever stopped being so high-handed and treating Harriet like a child; I wish there’d been a bit more growth there. Otherwise, this was bananas and a rollicking good time.

Kiss of a Demon King

Kresley Cole

3.25

dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Long Shot

Kennedy Ryan

4.25

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

Holy shit this is heavy. Definitely check your content warnings on this. Not going to lie I was seriously tempted to DNF as soon as Iris decides not to get an abortion, but even at only 10% of the way through I was already too invested in the story. I ended up reading it all in basically one sitting, but I was actually shaking I was so upset. Iris suffers horrific abuse and it is all on-page. The way she’s able to put her life back together and trust August not to hurt her or Sarai is beautiful, but this is not an easy read. Kennedy Ryan is brilliant and handles this story so well, but I’m going to need a breather before continuing with the series.

Whisky Business

Elliot Fletcher

4.0

lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

More romances set in Scotland written by Scottish authors please. It was so refreshing to read a book with no badly written Scots, no fetishising tropes and with correct information about whisky (this is one of my biggest pet peeves – if you’re including whisky in your book, do the bare minimum of research!). 

Mal and April were so cute. He’s struggling to keep her family’s distillery afloat, while keeping his own family at a distance because of his dad’s disapproval with his career. She’s returned home to deal with the distillery and her family home after her grandfather died, having just gone through a #MeToo ordeal when her manager began sexually harassing her. Mal thinks April is unfeeling and shallow for not coming back to be with her grandfather at the end of his life, but he doesn’t know that her grandfather never told April he was sick. Meanwhile Mal doesn’t know that Keir (the grandfather) had been lying to him about selling him the distillery and has been pocketing the money that Mal’s paid him over the years as April had to buy the distillery after her grandfather’s gambling addiction got out of hand and almost ruined the distillery. April decides she has to make sure Mal can take over the distillery, and they set about working together to get it profitable again.

It's pretty clear these two are both gone for each other from go, as much as they both try to hide it. They really are sweet together, and I think Fletcher does a good job of showing how they take care of one another. And once they get together, whoo it is spicy and delightful.

My critique of this book is that some of the plot felt a bit underdeveloped, especially Mal’s relationship with his dad and April’s relationship with Keir. It felt like we didn’t really earn that final scene at the Macabe family dinner, and it was a bit surprising how much of a non-issue Keir’s deception was.

Overall I really enjoyed this one and I can’t wait for the next. Hoping we get more of the town in that one because it seems like there’s potential for some really fun side characters!

For Real

Alexis Hall

3.0

emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

I struggle with how to review this one. On a craft level, this is well done. It’s long for a romance novel, but you really don’t feel it. There’s a really interesting subversion of traditional power dynamics. The characters are fully fleshed out. My biggest issue was with the age gap, which typically I like. But it was such a big gap, and Toby is so young. And really feels so young. He’s not a 19-year-old who acts older or seems more mature, in fact if anything he often feels younger. It made the difference between Toby and Lawrie a bit icky. And it’s such a crucial aspect of the book that I don’t know if it would still work if they were closer in age, or if Toby at least was a tad older. Overall just kind of an uncomfortable reading experience.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute

Talia Hibbert

5.0

lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Don’t mind me, just in a puddle of goo again over a Talia Hibbert book. I was a bit nervous to read her foray into YA but clearly I’m an idiot because this woman can do no wrong and is a national treasure. Celine was so hurt and tough, and Bradley was such a golden retriever, and it was an absolute delight watching them fall for each other. 

Great Big Beautiful Life

Emily Henry

4.0

emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

I would class this more on the general fiction side of romance, which are always my least favourite Emily Henry books. The romance does suffer for it. Margaret’s story is the best part of this book, but multigenerational family sagas aren’t really my thing. I did cry at the end, though. Is it really an Emily Henry book if I don’t?

Ablaze

A.H. Cunningham

2.5

lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

This was okay. I felt the pacing was a bit uneven. I also thought that there was too much back and forth with Mari. By the end I kind of just wanted it to be Daniel and Mason. 

Dark Desires After Dusk

Kresley Cole

2.0

lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Really didn’t like how this talked about OCD.