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pagesofnay's reviews
316 reviews
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Holiday Hostilities by Katie Bailey
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Omen of Ice by Jus Accardo
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 stars rounded to 4!
Omen of Ice is a great fantasy book that balances romance and plot perfectly. It has action, adventure, and a twist that leaves you wanting the next book immediately!
The writing is simple and easy to read, which makes it the perfect book to escape into. While predictable, it is executed so nicely that it does not take away from how good the book is. The characters are easy to feel for and written very well, especially Keltania. I really enjoyed how funny the interactions between Keltania and Valen were. Minor characters were also able to shine and add so much depth to the story.
Overall, I liked this more than I expected. This is the perfect book to read after a complex high fantasy! Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Omen of Ice is a great fantasy book that balances romance and plot perfectly. It has action, adventure, and a twist that leaves you wanting the next book immediately!
The writing is simple and easy to read, which makes it the perfect book to escape into. While predictable, it is executed so nicely that it does not take away from how good the book is. The characters are easy to feel for and written very well, especially Keltania. I really enjoyed how funny the interactions between Keltania and Valen were. Minor characters were also able to shine and add so much depth to the story.
Overall, I liked this more than I expected. This is the perfect book to read after a complex high fantasy! Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Teen for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Afterdark by E. Latimer
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The Afterdark is a thrilling, creepy, and dark queer horror. The writing is so beautifully detailed and compelling that it makes it hard to put down. This review will not be very detailed to avoid spoilers.
These characters are written so well. Holland and Evie were mutually obsessed with one another. Leta might have been my favorite! I have had to take time and process the ending before writing a review. The plot is well thought out and executed very well. Loved all the twists. Overall, this was such a chilling and intriguing read. I cannot wait to reread and annotate it!
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
These characters are written so well. Holland and Evie were mutually obsessed with one another. Leta might have been my favorite! I have had to take time and process the ending before writing a review. The plot is well thought out and executed very well. Loved all the twists. Overall, this was such a chilling and intriguing read. I cannot wait to reread and annotate it!
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Bound by Shadows by Vera Winters
0.0
Had gone into this book blind on KU. The writing seemed off, so I checked other reviews and found accusations of the author using AI. There are multiple red flags when looking for information on the author and cover artist. After completing this book, I can say that it felt very repetitive and contradictory. Characters lack depth. There’s absolutely nothing happening in the book plot wise. It very much points to AI in my opinion. However, this could just be a very poor writer that could benefit from an editor. Ultimately it is up to you if you’d like to read this and draw your own conclusions.
The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am in awe of how beautiful this book is. Ex Marks the Spot is an excellent story that explores deep topics while still maintaining a fun, whimsical feel.
First and foremost, Gemma feeling disconnected from her culture is so realistic and handled with such care. This is the part of the story that stuck with me the most, as well as feeling like you must hide your true self in order to be liked by others. These topics are so important to discuss and I think Gloria Chao did an amazing job with this book.
These characters were so well done. Every character offered something to the story. They were fleshed out and did not feel one-dimensional. Gemma is an absolute lovely character. She wasn’t always perfect, she made mistakes, and couldn’t see that things weren’t always black and white. I enjoyed reading her growth over the story! Xander is a very interesting character. He was easy to understand and feel for. Trisha and Val were close favorites for sure!
The plot is developed so well. I was fully invested and didn’t want to put this book down! The puzzles were so fun and while I did predict the ending, it was executed so beautifully that I couldn’t be happier!
Overall, this revived my love for young adult romances. Before this I had felt like I was outgrowing YA romances, but this was such a refreshing read. The banter was just perfect. The plot was intriguing and exciting. The characters were so lovable and funny. I was smiling, laughing, and even shed a few tears while reading this. I will definitely be looking into this author’s other work!
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
First and foremost, Gemma feeling disconnected from her culture is so realistic and handled with such care. This is the part of the story that stuck with me the most, as well as feeling like you must hide your true self in order to be liked by others. These topics are so important to discuss and I think Gloria Chao did an amazing job with this book.
These characters were so well done. Every character offered something to the story. They were fleshed out and did not feel one-dimensional. Gemma is an absolute lovely character. She wasn’t always perfect, she made mistakes, and couldn’t see that things weren’t always black and white. I enjoyed reading her growth over the story! Xander is a very interesting character. He was easy to understand and feel for. Trisha and Val were close favorites for sure!
The plot is developed so well. I was fully invested and didn’t want to put this book down! The puzzles were so fun and while I did predict the ending, it was executed so beautifully that I couldn’t be happier!
Overall, this revived my love for young adult romances. Before this I had felt like I was outgrowing YA romances, but this was such a refreshing read. The banter was just perfect. The plot was intriguing and exciting. The characters were so lovable and funny. I was smiling, laughing, and even shed a few tears while reading this. I will definitely be looking into this author’s other work!
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Brewed with Love by Shelly Page
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0