currant7's reviews
479 reviews

Almost In Amalfi by Leigh Adams

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adventurous emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.0

POV: Dual POV - Raymond Smith and Valeria Aguilar

This book was an enjoyable and easy read. I enjoyed the second chance themes and the calm and rational main characters. I felt ample angst moments and internal conversations that justified each character's actions, like self-doubt and worthiness for the other partner. Based on that, some misunderstandings happened but flowed with the story.
I enjoyed the reconnection / friendship-building between Val and Ray as they discovered the beauty and magnificence of Italy. They explored the famous sights of Amalfi but also the quiet places of a small winery and hikes around the fantastic location. It was like I revisited Amalfi (and more) with the cinematic descriptions. The "spicy scenes" were just right, especially with the irresistible chemistry between Val and Ray!

Overall, I enjoyed reading Almost in Amalfi. It has a good balance of exploration (of Amalfi) and reconnection between the main characters. I also appreciate the author taking the time to build their friendship beyond the second time. I recommend this book to readers who love their best-friends-to-lovers, second-chance tropes, and destination-discovery themes.

Pebbles and the Biggest Number by Joey Benun, Joey Benun

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informative lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

Pebbles is an adorable and curious butterfly in the story. I shared the book with my daughter, and she enjoyed the book a lot!

I enjoyed:-
1.) Pebbles, the charismatic butterfly, and Pebble's friends discover what would be the answer to the book's title.
  
2.) The scientific trivia sprinkled around the book was wonderfully adapted to moments in the book when applicable. They were great talk points, which my daughter reiterated a few to friends and family.

3.) The ending number was a surprise for me. I didn't realize how off I was, and not that it's a spoiler - it's not a trillion. It is a lesson for all of us in the family, and that's always a good thing in any book.

To add, the illustrations were adorable! The charts and tables inside were easy to digest with the graphics provided!

My favorite moment in the book is when Ms. Eagle saves Pebbles. It was funny what Pebbles initially was happening, but something "bigger" was happening around Pebbles.

This book is a sure winner and highly recommended to anyone who loves numbers, math, and science all rolled into one! 

Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

POV: third person
Main characters: Pandora Blake and Edward Lawrence

Pandora (Dora for short) is an orphaned girl whose uncle (Hezekiah) took her under his care and continued with their family business of selling antiques. She aspires to continue with the antique shop and add her jewelry design drawings to the business. Little does she know that her uncle had other things in mind when a precious cargo arrived at their shop one fateful day that would affect Dora and the people around her.

The world-building was sufficient and suitable. The places, people, and clothing depicted the 1780s well. There was enough research on antiquities and the society that governs them.
The characters were relatable, and the connection between Dora and Edward (Lawrence) - their shared trauma and thus their attraction was subtle but fitted perfectly.
This book is more character-driven than a plot one. Things moved more because each character's actions later constituted dire consequences - i.e., Uncle Hezekiah's injury and bad luck. 

Overall, I found Pandora slower than expected, but I understood the reason for this much better after everything. There were many clues and hints sprinkled throughout the book that later culminated in an ending I did not see coming. Granted that it seems so "lucky" for Dora, BUT I get it. The twists and revelations were executed well at the end. Sometimes, bad things do come back to "bite back" the evil ones. I appreciate how much research the author did to create the story, and it made me love the book a lot more! (Please read through the author's notes at the end of the book, and you will see why.)

Recommended for its: 
  • myths and mythology reimagination
  • mystery and intrigue

Trigger Warning: death of a beloved animal, parents, and sibling, child abuse, domestic violence/abuse
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Like It's 1999 by Karen Grey

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emotional lighthearted slow-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

5.0

I am so happy to have finally read Alice and Steve's story! It is NOT what I expected but definitely a lovely surprise! 

I love the movie quotes sprinkled around the book - from references to Top Gun to Sixteen Candles to Grease! I ate up everything, especially how Alice and Steve connected from just a drop of a quote, and instantly knew where it was from or finished each other's quotes! Perfection!

The story spans a few years, a decade - to be exact, and rounds out well into close to before the 2k bug scare! I loved every moment as Alice and Steve navigated their relationship from acquaintances to friends to partners-in-more-than-a-few-pranks in more! It may sound fast, but I appreciate the author taking the time to make these transitions believable. Believe me when I say it took a long and winding road before they both got a somewhat HEA. With Alice's strong and determined personality and Steve's "let's just go with the flow" outlook...expect a lot of in-denial and slow angst scenes that may or may not agree with readers. I was mad at Steve for letting it happen without a fight early in their lives to avoid the sadness, heartache, and disappointments that came along all those years. But that's how life goes, as this book validates what others must go through to find happiness and fulfillment later. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and highly recommended this as a must for readers who follow the series! 

Sadly, this book has yet to earn much attention compared to the other books in the series, which is also why I took the time to write this review. Give it ago!
Signed, Sealed & Delivered by Karen Grey

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is a prelude to Forget About Me (Book 2) on how Lucy and Ben met, their random interactions, and shared experiences that led them to the infamous summer of 1981. This book is an excellent short read yet detailed enough to show readers how many impressionable moments there were for Lucy and Ben that it was impossible to "forget about" any of them. 
Forget About Me by Karen Grey

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 
I enjoyed reading Forget About Me even more than Book 1 in the series! There were so many good 80s quotes and references that I firmly believed the book was meant for me! I did most, if not all (my young story is different also from hers) of what Lucy did - from making mixtapes to updating my Filofax (which I still have and sometimes refer to up to this day!).

Firstly, I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book cover. Of course, the whole book series is fantastic, and I remember having a few covers in them, but this book got me started with the series and the author! I remember seeing this cute and colorful cover as a newbie in the book community and immediately was drawn to it. I don't know if it's the color, the art, or even the poses of Lucy, Ben, and even Puck, BUT the whole book made me gravitate to it. It was only later that I am now able and privileged to read this book, and it still holds the same wonder and excitement as I remembered before.

Secondly, I enjoyed the author's technique of incorporating the mix tape songs at the beginning of the chapters. It sets the stage for the upcoming chapters and is an excellent trip down memory lane. I couldn't help but find some songs and play them in the background as I read through the chapters. It is a very well-thought-out list!

Thirdly, I like seeing growth in a series. It's not only insta-love and internal conflicts that hook a reader like myself to a story. I invest in a book because of the thought-provoking, heavy topics and issues. I love the book's portrayal of sometimes the ugly side of life - wroth with loss, tragedy, and abandonment. The traumatic event had an impactful and lasting rippling effect on so many people that it was debilitating for both MCs. I love the road to healing for any book and how Lucy and Ben pushed through their lives and inspired others because of their coincidental working relationship. It is one of my favorite outcomes in the story. 

Forget About Me is a beautifully written story about young love, tragic loss, second chances, and healing for all. I enjoyed the love story of Ben and Lucy - the trials and victories through songs and Shakespeare! The book will entertain and captivate readers by bringing everyone back to the 80s! 
What I'm Looking For by Karen Grey

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.0

 
What I'm Looking For is a great escapism read that brings readers back to the eights! The mention of pagers and archaic car phones brought back many beautiful memories of my teenage years.

This book has the feels of Romeo & Juliet with Kate and William in very different worlds - AND the twists were seen in Shakespearean plays that it was impossible NOT to compare. I enjoyed the book immensely - from the funny characters, cute plot, and romantic gestures in Shakespearean quotes! 

I enjoyed the chemistry between Kate and William from the very beginning. It got me going with the chills upon seeing these characters grow as they went on their first date and later became intimate (close-door). It is how young love is supposed to be. Still, I felt both characters had a lot growing up to get to be together and have their careers "secured," so the misunderstanding moments were painful to read through. I was an emotional wreck when they started discovering the error of their ways. Good thing that letter writing was very "in," and they started communicating there.

I cannot wait to get started with the rest of the books in the series! 
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

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adventurous challenging emotional informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

 
Things I love about Portrait of a Thief:-

1.) Unlocking historical backstories. 
I love how the author inadvertently made me dive deeper into the history, background, and information about the zodiac heads, museums, and the people trying their hardest to restore the art and culture of China. This book took me longer to read because, aside from being lengthy, it also made me extrapolate each of the characters and their motivations. 

2.) Intriguing controversies are placed front and center in the book.
The author places the reparations of these stolen artworks into the mainstream of this book to help bring more needed action/attention to this cause. It is current and appropriate as countries, i.e., China trying to find and "bring back" stolen artworks for national heritage preservation. Initially, two zodiac heads were "withheld" after a failed sale (via auction), but the owners later donated them back to China.
This book refers to the previous wars (i.e., the Opium War) that happened in China, with pillaging being the norm and the looting/ spoils of were became trophies brought out of China.

3.) Ingenious plot twists.
The author does a great job setting the mystery and suspense in each scene and between the characters. The book is in the third person, omniscient - multiple characters, which is the best of all worlds in writing BUT withholds some pertinent details that engage readers to keep reading. 
The crew got the "job" done with many moving parts, each character playing an important part. The task was daunting when it started. Heck, I thought it would fail when they even the concerned country! But the author weaved intricate layers and "hand-is-quicker-than-the-eye" moves that made me "re-read" a lot again to believe it. It was amazing!
Note: The heist isn't elaborate since college kids have no idea how to do it or where to start. We see all the fumbling, yet they know a bit to try to get away (or not). The author made sure that readers focus on character development rather than the heist. Note that it depicts a thief ("portrait of a thief") and the general conflicting moral compass for thieves.

4.) Impressionable characters.
There is a split in each character's motivation for "taking the job," which makes each character interesting from an outsider's perspective. Each person's motivations were randomly varied:- from patriotism to monetary, pride to curiosity, cockiness to boredom, or basically, as simple as "they just can do it" reasons. All these reasons make the story a lot more colorful. I can now see how this book was inspired by Italian Job or The Thomas Crown Affair, with an artistic Asian flair.

I also love the internal struggles they have with their identity and purpose. Traditionally, kids pursue the pinnacle of their abilities and opportunities as they transition to "adulthood," or the after-college phases. Many still haunt these characters - the sense of whose lives they are living for: duty to their country, parents, or themselves. This duty is a dilemma faced by most, if not most, kids in general. This book took me longer to read, mainly because of this element. I took to heart everything, and sometimes it would take me a day or two to absorb and reflect on the characters and their situations. This book takes my term "investing in the characters" a whole new meaning - this sets a higher bar for future authors who will give me all "the feels" for book characters. 

5.) The Ending.
Readers can see only parts of what is going on until the ending hits, THEN more twists happen that will ROCK your world. The book might reveal everything, but ultimately, the explanation and understanding have come from the reader and their relationship with each character. 
I was speechless at how everything felt like a chessboard with checkmates happening at the end - just when readers think it was all over - infiltration with class and finesse. A lot of intricacies happened to have the ending work itself out. I appreciate it coming like a great flashback of the past wherein "secrets" were revealed spectacularly!


Overall, Portrait of a Thief is a gem of a debut novel from a new author! This book is a masterpiece that depicts so many internal struggles in each character's life. All the characters were stellar in their own right. This story will undoubtedly leave readers with long-lasting impressions on everything:- familial duty, nationalism, patriotism, identity, and individualism. The writing is impeccable and will grab readers' hearts, minds, and attention, even when you put it down for a break or when you are done. 
I felt so raw after this book. There is the fear of losing one's identity - cultural and personal due to migration, assimilation, and to the extent, "watered down" to the point of insignificance. I felt that preservation and honoring the past (good or bad) are vital in keeping one's cultural identity. Art pieces, like the ones in the book, keep humanity grounded and real.

----------------------
PROS: 
- Suspense at each turn
- Real and well-developed characters with intricate lives and difficult choices
- Tension from start to finish, whether at a job or between each other
- Thought-provoking ideology and topics between the characters
- Moral compass tested
- Representation achieved 

CONS:
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!
I tried looking for something, but I couldn't find anything wrong with this. This book hits every truth of a transplant, migrant diaspora imagined through the characters: the in-depth self-reflection and self-exploration - all "hit home" in my culture and connection. 

Tropes: suspense, second chances, patriotism, coming of age, LBGTQ+, closet characters, mystery 
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 
The Priory of the Orange Tree is a high fantasy book that retells the story of Saint George and the Dragon but with complex plot development and plot twists, dynamic MCs, and vivid depictions and imagery.

Top 5 Reasons to Read Priory of the Orange Tree

1.) Epic Fantasy at its finest!
I enjoyed the lush descriptions that helped visualize new and complex kingdoms. The world-building was fantastic - written with unique and vivid new lands, worlds, and characters. I enjoyed the maps provided, which gave me a better visual aid to the places and topography of the various kingdoms. 

2.) Interesting grey characters in multi-POV
It is impossible to fault the characters who firmly held on to their faith and "religion" after being "blind-sighted" by what happened. It was two sides of a coin that never met due to a plague and "edited narratives" that manipulated the situation to their advantage. It was sad to see as the reader reads along the POVs and starts piecing things together. 
I appreciate grey characters since they may not be the "heroes" in the end, but they develop into something to admire later. Case in point, this book's Niclays redeemed himself in his revelation of self-worth and maybe because he knew that going down a destructive path would not yield ultimate happiness.   

3.) Different perspectives but with one goal - to win over an unbeatable (or so they seem) villain
I love multi-POV! It gives a sense of being included in all parts of the story. Readers get a front-row seat in all the ins and outs of court affairs from all directions (East, West, South). Don't get me wrong; I still had a notebook to write down who was who, where, what, and why. 
I appreciate the author's skillful construction of each viewpoint with strategical flare, timed deception, and manipulation. In the end, no matter how impossible the situation got, it was refreshing to see the "next generation" try to resolve and heal their countries with a united front to take on a sole enemy to all - The Nameless One.

4.) LGBTQIA+ and Saffic representation
It was an honest book with raw emotions and on-page queer representation. Many, if not all, were present and actively participated in the book, even the backstory participant. Each character's chemistry felt natural and lovely to have seen a few "intimate moments" from them - backstory, flashback, and current ones. Yet, the most unfortunate thing in the book was that these beautifully written relationships (most, if not all) were kept hidden/a secret, which led to many sad parts in the book.

5.) Complex plot twists from start to finish
The intrigue, deceit, and betrayals were all over the place! No character (primary or otherwise) was spared from death in the pursuit of Inys throne - even the lowly bed-chamber women!
I was on the edge of my seat each time, especially when Ead and Loth had to infiltrate the Palace to save Sabran. It was heart-stoppingly good. 

Overall, The Priory of the Orange Tree exudes GOT vibes and gives me the high fantasy I yearn for. There are many raw moments of joy and despair, which is what life is all about. There are frustrating moments that show the limitation of humanity but are juxtaposed with the boundlessness of hope sprinkled randomly at the right moment, which ultimately turns the story from a dire outcome to boundless possibilities.
It is impossible not to recall and compare the author to be in the same league as George R.R. Martin! 
Fetish: An Erotic Romance Omnibus by Anonymous

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adventurous emotional medium-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? No

4.0

Fetish is a fantastic collection of Victorian short stories about unique and not-much-discussed fetishes that range from tame - controversial - fascinating - complex. It consists of ten short stories that will entice, enchant and amaze the vastness of this topic. 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Fetish! I was already fascinated by the title and cover, but I got even more excited as I started reading the book. It was beyond my expectations and more! The writing is solid and will keep readers glued to the pages. I savored the stories, which is why it took me a bit of time to finish because I would have devoured this book in one sitting!
My favorites are The Point of No Return and Temptress with a Teapot. The former is due to the excruciatingly lovely slow-burn pace and relationship-building. At the same time, the latter is because of the respect and further revelations both partners show towards each other, even with their "unique set-up."