laurenleigh's reviews
624 reviews

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

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

2.0

Yeah, no thank you. Not my cup of tea! This livestream TV show concept didn’t feel believable at all. The characters have somehow been pining after each other for 15 years but also had zero contact that whole time? So even with all those years, it still felt like insta-love, which is a turn off. Also way too much smut for me; it just starts to get boring and repetitive. I did however really like our FMC! Can we transplant her into another book?
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab

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

4.0

It’s fun to revisit this world and these characters that I love so much. I thought it might be a whole new cast with mere cameos from the original folks, but it’s still very centered on the Darker Shades cast. However, I wish there was more action and excitement. It felt overall rather slow with a lot of set up for the subsequent books. The White London storyline in particular wasn’t holding my attention well. The last 75 pages or so were great, and I would have liked more of that pacing throughout.
Everything I Know About Love: A Memoir by Dolly Alderton

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emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

4.0

Alderton chronicles her millennial coming of age, from a preteen obsession with online instant messengers to thirtieth birthday parties. Lots of it was highly relatable, though I personally phased out of late night partying earlier. Even just reading about her 4am escapades exhausted me lol.  (No shade, just where I’m at!) The message I appreciate the most here is that our western culture can value romantic love above all else, when platonic, familial, and self love are just as important.
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore

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lighthearted fast-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

3.5

Perfectly fine Hallmark movie-esque holiday romcom. Not something I’ll think about much now that it’s over, but it was fun for a light palette cleanser when I was in the mood for it. The small town vibes were cute and very Gilmore Girls coded, as to be expected from this author. The romantic pairing was okay, if not my favorite. They clearly had physical chemistry from the start, but I’m not sure if they have a much deeper connection. Their dogs are amazing though, fave characters!!
One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

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

4.5

Very glad I put down the audiobook when it wasn’t hitting, because I knew this would be amazing if I got the timing right! Everyone’s highly rated reviews are correct. Excellent gothic spooky vibes with a unique card based magic system. We love a band of misfits trying to overthrow a corrupt government. The romance felt a little rushed maybe, but I liked the end result. I can see why it was necessary for the plot, but I think this is a fantasy novel first, with a bonus romance subplot, which is generally my favorite way to balance the two.
The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

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

4.0

This is actually hovering around a 3.75 if I did quarter stars...maybe I will in 2025! I loved the first book so much, and this didn’t deliver as strongly. The plot dragged for too long in the beginning, and I needed more action or at least something to move us forward. The structure of the trials from book one really helped the pacing, and that was missing here. I still plan to continue the series, since the next two books focus on new characters. I like Oraya and Raihn, but I think their story has played out.
The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

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funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.5

SUCH a fun time! I loved this listening experience, and I love Kelly Bishop even more now. It was especially fun to read this at the same time as my mom and hear her take. She was truly obsessed with A Chorus Line when it came out. Bishop originated the character Sheila, and it was so cool to hear how much of the character was based on her real life. It’s kind of wild to read about a Boomer’s life and see how much has changed in such a relatively short amount of time. A must read for any fan of Gilmore Girls or Chorus Line!
A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang

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

4.0

I had extremely high expectations because my #1 favorite BookTube gal is obsessed with this one. It didn’t quite live up to that, but it’s a very well written story nonetheless. I liked the spy storyline much more than the romance plot. Our FMC is seducing the enemy king to get information, and their relationship was actually more complex and interesting to me than her real love interest. The ending was kind of weird and unsatisfying, but I also understand what the author was trying to do.
Furysong by Rosaria Munda

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adventurous dark tense 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? Yes

4.5

An excellent end to the trilogy. Strings are tied up, but not too perfectly. Also I appreciated that there were real consequences for our protagonists. Even if it’s painful and sad when bad things happen to your favorite characters, I like my fantasy to actually be high stakes. And Munda does exactly that without violence or darkness feeling gratuitous and unnecessary. If you liked OR wanted to like Fourth Wing and/or Red Rising, I think you should give this series a try!
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

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hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Very cute and cozy read, perfect for when you need a break from all the dark spooky reads of the season. The characters are lovable, and I appreciated their sense of humor. There were a few major plot twists that I not only didn’t see coming, I didn’t realize this was the kind of book to have twists at all! I doubt I’ll remember this book forever, but it was a very fun time while I read it. Give me more librarian MMC’s please!