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!

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Audiobook Review – Serpent and Dove

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So this a dark, witchy tale with a dual-POV romance where sides are unclear in a mix of gray. I feel like this should’ve been straight up my alley, but for some reason, it really just didn’t grab me, and the religious hypocrisy and misogyny themes were a little thick for my taste. Around the 60% mark, I started rooting for the characters, and there some nice reveals between 60%-80%, but overall I think the pacing was a little slow for me and I thought the relationship and plot just didn’t quite develop as naturally as I would’ve liked. The narration on the audiobook is great though, and this one’s extremely popular so if you’re looking for a dark fantasy with marriage of convenience / forced proximity / enemies to lovers tropes, this might be for you!

⭐⭐⭐¼

At this point, I was literally starting to worry my book radar was broken. The ready slump growsss. 😭

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – One of Us is Back

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So I loved book 1 of this series, I thought book 2 was okay, and I think I feel about the same about book 3. Though I really like the quick-flowing writing style, over the course of the series, I feel like we just kept adding characters to the Scooby Doo crew and in this one they all kind of blended together. The only one that popped for me is Nate, and while I enjoyed getting more of his story, I felt like the climax felt a just little flat. However if you enjoyed book 2, I’d definitely recommend giving this a try!

⭐⭐⭐½

The reading slump is growing… someone save me!

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Ruthless Vows

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I knew it would be hard to follow up the first book after I loved it so much, but this wasn’t the sequel I hoped for.

I felt like in so many ways, we were re-treading the ground covered in book one, and I didn’t see as much magical world-building as in the first book. While the writing was wonderful and I still loved the characters, I feel like we didn’t dive deep enough into them in this book. I think all of those elements combined really slowed the pace down. And yet the ending felt weirdly rushed?

Overall, this left me with mixed feelings about this duology, but of course, if you loved the first one, I’d still recommend picking this one up and seeing what you think. (And the audiobook narration is fantastic!)

⭐⭐⭐¾

Sequels are hard, man! (Did I mention I was in a reading slump? x_X)

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Better than the Movies

What I liked:
Wes. I totally wished this had been a dual POV! Wes is so obviously head over heels with Liz from the beginning, but he does what he can to help her get what she wants. And he had so many clutch saves when she was in a bind.

What I didn’t like:
Liz. The clueless heroine is one of my least favorite tropes and I got pretty impatient with her. She goes through a big lying phase, treats her best friend poorly, does the whole “makeover for a guy” thing, gives the “it’s complicated” excuse for not communicating, and doesn’t treat Wes very well.

Neutral:
This book was chock FULL of pop culture, movie, and song references. I don’t really have any strong feelings about them, but I know some do so I’m throwing it in here.

I don’t think this one was really for me, but if you’re interested in a classic-feeling YA romance, it might be for you!

⭐⭐⭐¼

At 3 “not-for-me” books in a row, I think I can’t deny that I’ve entered into the dreaded reading slump.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The September House

Okay, this was fabulous. Fresh tongue-in-cheek horror at its finest. I loved rooting for Margaret, as bizarre as she was with her love for her house and her acceptance of its… quirks. Loved the deeper parallels of the cycle of abuse and strength. Even the journey of Catherine’s (audiobook listener, so I’m not sure how she spells it) understanding and acceptance of her mother. Loved how it didn’t pull punches with the graphic horror, but Margaret’s reaction to it had me smiling every time. And then that ending was just *chef’s kiss.*

Excellent audiobook narration and I already recommended it to a friend within seconds of finishing. Such a satisfying read, and highly recommend for anyone looking for a paranormal horror with a likable main character and a straight-up cathartic conclusion.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Chef’s kiss and definitely in the running for a favorite read of the year.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – Under the Whispering Door

What I liked about this book:

  • The thought of a whimsical halfway tea house on your way to the afterlife
  • Lovely writing
  • Most of the supportive characters were engaging and likable
  • The audiobook narration was good

What I disliked:

  • The main character, Wallace. At the beginning he is awful, and I thought his redemption and personality shift was way too quick. Honestly, I think the ending he got was completely undeserved, and the speed in which he changed everything about himself made his relationships with the other characters seem shallow.
  • The pacing. For me, this book progressed very slowly, with the characters 0ften waxing poetic on life and death.

So overall, I didn’t really think this one was for me, but if you’re looking for a philosophical, whimsical paranormal that takes its time, this could be for you!

⭐⭐⭐½

Another recommendation from my coworker. I love the idea of a magical tea house for obvious reasons, but I can’t even with Wallace.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – See You Yesterday

I’m a sucker for a time loop, and I liked Solomon’s Today, Tonight, Tomorrow, so I picked this one up. Overall, I think it was a satisfying new adult romance with slowburn type of romance, but I also thought it was on the slow side and kind of predictable. The audiobook was well-narrated, so if you’re looking for a college time loop story very similar to Palm Springs with sweet but awkward protagonists, give this one a try.

⭐⭐⭐½

Where are all my breakneck pace books at? I need you in my life.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Library at Mount Char

This was… a very weird book. My coworker begged me for months to read it so that we can talk about the end. So finally, here we are. First of all this book is very dark, so watch the content warnings, and I can honestly say that throughout, I had no idea where it was all going, but I thought the end suitably fit to complete the picture.

While I did appreciate how unique the premise and set up was of this world, my biggest issue was that I didn’t really care or connect with any of the characters, so I felt like I witnessed their bizarre, almost-trippy plight in a kind of detached way. And because of the way this is set up, I felt like the climax was extremely understated. That said, if you’re looking for a dark, strange tale of powerful Gods that feels a “out there,” this might be for you.

⭐⭐⭐½

Yes, you were right, coworker, that book was definitely weird.

Thanks for reading!

Posted on by hrchow12

Audiobook Review – The Tipping Point

I didn’t find this one quite as compelling or novel as some of Gladwell’s other books, but the breakdown of how ideas are spread and the case studies illustrating the points are interesting. The audiobook is only 3 hours, so definitely worth a listen if you’re interested in the nature of virality. Though it doesn’t mention the influence of social media on these ideas, the afterword does include other interesting applications inspired by the principles.

⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Totally ready for my books to hit the tipping point over here, just saying. (A girl can dream.)

Thanks for reading!