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Audiobook Review – The Black Witch

I had a big road trip today, and I was drawn in by this book the WHOLE way. It hooked me with the complex world, epic stakes, and dark tones from the very beginning and then the misfit revolutionary vibes of the lovable cast and the slowburn budding romance had me till the very end. Note this book does have a lot of heavy, complex themes and it does not pull punches when it comes to the dark reality of their society (genocide, slavery, abuse, racism, religious extremism… I could probably go on), so it won’t be for everyone, but for me, the pacing and story-building were totally on point. I’m not going to lie, I think I enjoyed this one more than Fourth Wing (there are definitely similarities) and I’m so excited to read book 2! My only note is that I don’t think this book stands alone in any way. While there is a lot of satisfying progress, and it doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, there are still so many resolutions we’ll need from the rest of the series. Recommended for those looking for an epic fantasy with intense political world-building and dark undertones.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not going to lie – this one blew me away. Highly recommend!

Thanks for reading!

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Audiobook Review – Legends & Lattes

This book brings ALL the found family and cozy fantasy vibes. I loved the characters and the sweet budding romance, but the tension was just a little low for me, and while the resolution was fitting it didn’t quite the satisfaction I was hoping. That said, if you’re looking for a low stakes, cozy read—this is for you!

⭐⭐⭐⭐¼

It was at this point in my life that I started to realize that perhaps a book could potentially be *too cozy* for me.

Thanks for reading!

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Audiobook Review – The Things We Leave Unfinished

This is another of those books that wasn’t really for me. There are two stories in this one—present day and 1940s, but we already know from the start that the 1940s story ends tragically, and for me, it felt like watching a tragedy in slow motion. While well-written, both stories had elements of insta-love. While I did enjoy the twist at the end, this one overall was just too bittersweet for me. But if you like historical fiction with a bittersweet ending this could be for you!

⭐⭐⭐½

Okay, I’ll admit, I’ve had a hard time finding my cup of tea lately, but it’s not one with a bittersweet flavor for sure.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Fangirl (the Manga)

Fangirl’s one of my favorite books, and when I saw this at the library, I definitely want to jump back in. I don’t think I quite enjoyed this as much as the novel though. For some reason, it didn’t quite capture Cath the way I remembered her, and the narrative felt a little unbalanced with introspection. Still enjoyed it, but I definitely preferred the novel and I’m not sure I’ll pick up the second manga book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love me some Fangirl, but I’m definitely team novel on this one.

Thanks for reading!

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Audiobook Review – Nora Goes Off Script

This was soooo cute. Once I started reading I really couldn’t put it down. While the “small town mom falls for a movie star” feels pretty classic, I loved the characters, the quick writing style, and there were a few moments that suprised me. I will say the miscommunication trope is a little heavy-handed, and its impact lasted longer than I thought was really reasonable. But still recommended for anyone looking for a fast-paced romance with deep themes that just flows.

⭐⭐⭐⭐¾

Totally on the sweet romance train, and not mad about it.

Thanks for reading!

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Audiobook Review – Thank you for Listening

Really enjoyed this one!

What I liked:
– The characters
– The themes of accepting yourself and braving failure
– Lots of well-executed romance tropes

What I didn’t like:
– Self-awareness of tropes (I’ve seen this a lot recently and it always takes me out of the story)
– A little cheesiness in the dialogue between the couple and… that final scene between them was a little cringe for me.

Recommended for anyone looking for a solid romance!

⭐⭐⭐⭐¾

Why yes, I will absolutely accept a well-done sweet romance, thank you very much.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Darling Girls

I got this audiobook NetGalley widget in my email and decided to give it a shot on a bit of a whim. Sally Hepworth is a new-to-me author but I was feeling in the mood for a bit of a mystery or a thriller. Full disclosure, I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump and the narration wasn’t my favorite, but this story held my attention from beginning to end. I wouldn’t say it was particularly fast-paced, and I don’t think I would classify it as my usual read, but the *characters* absolutely hooked me.

The characters are all deeply flawed, and yet somehow I still loved them all. The incredible bond between the three main characters and the history between them had me rooting for them the entire time. The side characters popped, and I even found the villain to be riveting in her slow-burn, sadistic kind of way. While I think this was on the slower side for a thriller (I would call it more of a mystery) the reveals were perfectly paced to keep my attention fully in the world and made me look forward to my commute.

And despite the darkness of this novel (definitely check the content warnings), I loved the hopeful ending that was just incredibly satisfying. Definitely recommended for anyone looking for a solid character-driven mystery!

⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Thumb’s up for this nice NetGalley surprise!

Thanks for reading!

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Audiobook Review – Heartstopper (1-5)

Since I flew through this series, I combined the reviews for five books currently out into one post.

Book One

So… I saw the Netflix show when it first came out and loved it. Finally got around to reading the graphic novel, and my god, how is it EVEN BETTER THAN THE SHOW?! (I mean, really, I should’ve expected this, the book is almost always better than the show/movie, but the show set such a high bar!)

Sweet, YA romance perfection I would recommend to literally everyone. My only warning is there’s totally a cliffhanger (thank goodness I have seen the show for that reason,) and I cannot WAIT to read the rest of the series. (5 stars)

Book Two

Just as adorable as book one and I’m honestly blown away by how faithful an adaption the Netflix show is! Onward to book 3! (5 stars)

Book Three

Cutest series ever continues to be the cutest series ever. I can’t believe I didn’t read these sooner! (5 stars)

Book Four

Another cute installment of the Heartstopper series! I really appreciate how they took on mental health issues in this one, and there were some really sweet moments, but I felt like the majority of this volume was told through journal entries in a narrative flashback style instead of experiencing the events in the moment with the characters. I’m not a huge flashback fan, so I didn’t love this one quite as much as the first three. Overall though, definitely recommend for fans of the series, and I’m definitely excited to read vol 5! (4 stars)

Book Five

Another cute installment of the Heartstopper series that tackles hurdles (in per the usual, an amazingly sweet and tactful manner) like applying to college, long distance, and physical intimacy. I read this in one sitting and definitely recommend for all Heartstopper fans. Can’t wait to see what volume six brings, and hoping for more seasons of the show as well!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Oh my gosh, after that INTENSE reading slump, these books were such a relieving breath of fresh air. My only complaint is that I want more!

Thanks for reading!

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Audiobook Review – The Library Witch Mysteries

Since these audiobook books were bundled together (along with book 3), I’ve combined the reviews into one post.

Book One’s Review:

This was a cozy mystery with all your usual flavors of paranormal in a magical library.

What I liked:
– The premise. I mean, who wouldn’t love to find out you’re a witch and go live in a magical library?
– Easy read, very short, and super chill vibes.

What I didn’t like:
– The tension and character depth just weren’t there for me. Though they’re dealing with a murder, everyone seems to take it rather in stride, and I didn’t feel like we really cracked the surface of most of the characters.

So no quite for me, however, if you like your mysteries with MAXIMUM cozy, this might be for you!

Book Two’s Review:

I read this one because the first three audiobooks were bundled together. I could probably copy and paste my review for the first book for this one. Super cozy mystery. Quick easy read. But not quite enough tension or character development for me. However, book 1 and book 2 are so consistent in formula and tone, I definitely think if you enjoyed the first book, you would enjoy the second. As for me, I think I’m going to stop myself here since these aren’t super up my alley.

⭐⭐⭐¼

Me trying to figure out what genre is going to get me out of this reading slump.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Duke and I

I have big mixed feelings on this one. Regency romance isn’t really my thing generally, but I found a “most popular series” list and I’d tried nearly all of them, so my completionist self is now exploring the last few I missed.

I really liked the comedic sense of the gossip papers and the light-hearted writing style. But honestly there’s two big plot points (see spoilers below) that were (and I don’t use this word lightly) problematic and definitely not romantic.

Highlight to See Spoiler


I mean the brothers forcing Simon to marry Daphne at gunpoint, and Daphne herself manipulating him just felt so… ugh. And then… Daphne makes it her mission to *change* Simon even after he’s very explicit with her about what he does and does not want. When he doesn’t bend, she forces herself on him while he’s drunk and asleep. O_O


If not for those things, I think I could’ve enjoyed this or might read the sequels one day, but those two big elements just left my skin crawling. So… yeah. Not for me. But if you’re a regency romance fan or a fan of the Netflix seris, it could be for you!

⭐⭐⭐

I mean, at this point, the slump is really my fault for choosing books based on a “most popular” list. But I want to be informed!

Thanks for reading!