Frigid by Jennifer L. Armentrout | BOOK REVIEW

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Non-spoiler

I’m never shocked that I rate a JLA book 5 stars… it’s expected now. I love a contemporary romance and I especially love it when they’re written by my favourite author. This was a lovely friends-to-lovers romance and, the fact that it snowed where I am whilst reading this, made it even more immersive. It’s a perfect winter read.

Sydney and Kyler were great protagonists. They had great chemistry and a scorching romance. I will admit, there were a couple of times where I just wanted to shake them for being so oblivious, but that’s the fun of friends-to-lovers. Watching their relationship develop was entrancing and I couldn’t put the book down.

What I love most about Jen’s contemporary books is that it’s not all about the romance. There’s often subtle subplots and additions of thriller/mystery which makes everything so much more gripping. There was a stalker subplot to this book and, while the ‘antagonist’ was pretty predictable, it added another element and layer of intrigue to the book.

Crown of Bones by A. K. Wilder | ARC BOOK REVIEW

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I was sent an ARC of this book from Entangled Teen in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to jump into this book. The whole concept of being able to call up phantoms is awesome, and it created a great base to the book. I liked the book as a whole but I felt like a lot of things were told instead of shown to the reader.

My favourite characters had to be Ash and Kaylin. They were definitely the most interesting and, honestly, I skim read a lot of Marcus’ parts. Ash was a great female lead- she was smart and had a great determination which drove the story forward. I also loved Kaylin- he added a bit of humour and swoon-worthiness that this book definitely needed. I liked their blossoming romance but I was a little unsatisfied with how the book ended. We didn’t get to see Ash confront Kaylin about all the Mar reveals which would have tied up a few things ahead of the sequel.

The ending as a whole was unsatisfying to me. We had a massive fight on Aku which was done brilliantly but going back to Baiseen and the defences there were very rushed and glossed over. We didn’t get any closure and, while it is obviously the first book in a series and cliffhangers are to be expected, there wasn’t any sense of closure to the book. I wanted the others to see Ash’s phantom and I desperately wanted Ash to address why and how she could hear other people’s thoughts! It happened so much throughout the book and she didn’t even seem fazed! She didn’t discuss it or ponder what it meant at all!

Bridgerton Season 1 | TV REVIEW

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Spoilers

I need to preface this review by saying I’m not a massive fan of period dramas. It’s not my thing. Usually...

Along with the rest of the world, I have become obsessed with this show. I binged the whole thing and fell in love with absolutely everything. It was an emotional rollercoaster with gasp-worthy moments and scorching romance.

Daphne and Simon were the prominent storyline this season and… they certainly kept me on my toes. It was a great romance and they have heartbreaking highs and lows. The actors portray these characters so beautifully and it was easy to get invested in their romance. I will say that the pair are beyond perfect- there are definitely toxic and abusive traits in their relationship but I think it raises the right conversations.

Moving through the Bridgerton siblings… Anthony was one of my faves (and the most attractive to me). I loved his relationship with Sienna and it broke my heart to see them end the way they did- though I 100% respect Sienna for her decision. I also loved the duel scene between Simon and Anthony- I had my hand over my mouth the entire time, it was so intense! I liked seeing Anthony’s protective streak of his family and learning the pressures of being head of the household. I’m so excited that the next season will focus on his story.

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron | BOOK REVIEW

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I had really high expectations for this book- the concept, the diversity, the story sounded amazing to me! And it was a good book but… it didn’t blow me away. I thought the story was very convoluted and the characters were two-dimensional. It fell flat for me.

What I did like about the book was the interesting twist on the Cinderella fairytale, the diversity, and the romance. Sophia and Constance really were well-suited and brought the best out of each other. Their relationship was refreshing and lovely to follow. I also really liked Luke as a side character and wish we’d seen more of him.

I think what really pushed me back on this book was how surface level all of the characters were. Take Constance for example. We know she’s feisty, we know she’s strong and badass and resilient. But that was it. She was a tool to drive the plot forward and I wanted to know more about her. We didn’t delve deep into her vulnerabilities and her experiences. And that’s what it was like for most- if not all- of the characters. We had their motivation and that was about it.