hrtlss_grl's reviews
117 reviews

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-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

5.0

Lake of Sorrow by Lindsay Buroker

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

For Whom The Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Based on the Tiktoks she originally created, this book acts as a Prequel to that story. It is fantastic. While there are a few minor typos, they didn't take me out of the story. I honestly felt like some of my religious trauma healed a bit, just from reading this. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it made me think and feel in a way I hadn't done in a long time. I would highly recommend looking into the trigger warnings, and know going in that you are reading something written by and for people who view human rights  as a thing of the utmost import. Oh, and the spicy meter is off the charts! Can't wait for the next one!
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Shadows of Winter by Lindsay Buroker

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

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adventurous emotional inspiring 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

4.25

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King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Heir of Ashes by H.M. Darling

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tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

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Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster

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adventurous emotional funny medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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The Frost Queen's Blade by Meg Smitherman

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adventurous emotional funny 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

5.0

This book was one I couldn't put down. It definitely got me out of a slump. And while I feel like technically it was a little obvious in its "twists" it was not supposed to be some kind of over the top Machaivellian masterpiece. It was exactly what I think it was meant to be: fun, inspiring, fantastical, romantic and a little bit smutty. It got me out of a slump and into a frenzy. I was laughing, smirking, smacking my forehead and groaning in disbelief. My family is convinced I'm crazy, but this book was just that good. 
Elma was fantastic and while Rune outshown her on occasion, she flew high on her own, kicked butt and saved the day. We gotta love a woman who knows what she wants, and while it takes her a little bit to figure it out, when she does, she takes it. 
Something that I really enjoyed was what felt like an accurate (to my experience with mental health) depiction of depression, lonelines, and suicidal thoughts. I am so glad that the author was thoughtful enough to include a trigger warnings section in her book. It helped me mentally prepare.
Overall, I loved this. It will easily be in my top 5 favourites for a long while. 
5 🌟 (stars)
3 🌶 (spicy peppers)
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Beautiful Wreck by Larissa Brown

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious slow-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

3.75

This book was very heavy on the prose. For swaths of the book, it felt like nothing was happening because it was all flowery words. That being said, the main character is a linguist, so it did make sense. This is one of the slowest of slow burns I have ever read, and I mean that with all my heart. Having met fairly early in the story, they don't even brush hands until around 100 pages in. It takes them even longer to kiss. He is technically untouchable, so that has a ton to do with it, but it also informs the whole story and a strong amount of the plot. I will say it takes the main character far to long to figure out the major twist. I saw that coming from a mile away, and so did my beastie Betta. I will say there is some mild sort of grooming going on with Betta, but it actually seems to work for the book. I also feel like grooming is sort of the wrong word, but I haven't got a better one. In the end, it is a lot of buildup for a quick wrapup. I wished we had gotten more of an ending. There is however a book 2, though I believe it is about a different main character and I will have to consider it, since I didn't care to much for her in this one. (I wasn't supposed to, but oh well.) I did love how women were always the center and focus of this book. We rarely saw the men, and truly only through the women's eyes. Would definitely recommend for viking romance fans, time travel romance fans, historical fantasy epics fans, or anyone who just loves a beautifully written love story.
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