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mabookyard's reviews
1290 reviews
Hammer & Gavel: Book 1 of The Omegaverse Case Files by C.T. Whistle
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
.
• M/M New Omegaverse
• Two Detectives fighting a tr@fficking ring
• Everyone has a secondary gender & New take on A/B/O dynamics with 'Sigma'
• Lots of banter, sarcasm and angst and heat
• Definitely a page turner if you like Brit humour, sarcastic MC's and kn0tting ( lol )
.
I did not realise this book was a debut until I finished it. It definitely had its okay moments, but it also managed to grab my attention with its characters, dry humour and a new take on the Omegaverse universe. I really liked the way the author dealt with the aftermath of the initial instant attraction, and the way the characters came together at the end. Sometimes Insta-Love doesn't do it for me, but this book also had high stakes with the kind of theme it explored, so I liked that pairing.
.
As for the main characters, I won't say they were my absolute favourites, because Oliver annoyed me at times, and Lucas was portrayed in a very stereotypical way. They made me laugh at times with their banter, and their drama, but it gets repetitive at times. BUT my favourite character was Alfie, a sweet patotie who deserves all the hugs and love in this world ! And as usual, I hated the ex (no surprises there), BUT he could have been a better villain in my opinion. There was so much at stake and emotional damage, and it just fell flat towards the end. (Maybe i just expected more?)
.
Now as much as I liked the fun and breezy part of the book, it also had its heart wrenching moments. The book deals with a heavy topic of Séx tr@fickking and the aftermath of any rescue as well. I am not an expert, but I think the characters involved were rightfully angry and helpful to the survivors. So be mindful before you start this book. I expected more from the ending, but still enjoyed parts of it (definitely because of Alfie lol).
.
If you like your book with Omegaverse characters, societal stigma over certain genders being useless, a character in need of the right kind of love, an annoying ex who won't leave our MC alone, a sweet boy who needs all the love in the world, some dry humour and knotting thrown in, then you'll definitely like this book ! This book wasn't perfect, but it definitely hit the right emotions at times, so overall, this was definitely a good read that brought me joy guys.
.
.
January 2025 / Kindle
.
• M/M New Omegaverse
• Two Detectives fighting a tr@fficking ring
• Everyone has a secondary gender & New take on A/B/O dynamics with 'Sigma'
• Lots of banter, sarcasm and angst and heat
• Definitely a page turner if you like Brit humour, sarcastic MC's and kn0tting ( lol )
.
I did not realise this book was a debut until I finished it. It definitely had its okay moments, but it also managed to grab my attention with its characters, dry humour and a new take on the Omegaverse universe. I really liked the way the author dealt with the aftermath of the initial instant attraction, and the way the characters came together at the end. Sometimes Insta-Love doesn't do it for me, but this book also had high stakes with the kind of theme it explored, so I liked that pairing.
.
As for the main characters, I won't say they were my absolute favourites, because Oliver annoyed me at times, and Lucas was portrayed in a very stereotypical way. They made me laugh at times with their banter, and their drama, but it gets repetitive at times. BUT my favourite character was Alfie, a sweet patotie who deserves all the hugs and love in this world ! And as usual, I hated the ex (no surprises there), BUT he could have been a better villain in my opinion. There was so much at stake and emotional damage, and it just fell flat towards the end. (Maybe i just expected more?)
.
Now as much as I liked the fun and breezy part of the book, it also had its heart wrenching moments. The book deals with a heavy topic of Séx tr@fickking and the aftermath of any rescue as well. I am not an expert, but I think the characters involved were rightfully angry and helpful to the survivors. So be mindful before you start this book. I expected more from the ending, but still enjoyed parts of it (definitely because of Alfie lol).
.
If you like your book with Omegaverse characters, societal stigma over certain genders being useless, a character in need of the right kind of love, an annoying ex who won't leave our MC alone, a sweet boy who needs all the love in the world, some dry humour and knotting thrown in, then you'll definitely like this book ! This book wasn't perfect, but it definitely hit the right emotions at times, so overall, this was definitely a good read that brought me joy guys.
.
.
January 2025 / Kindle
Fox of Fox Hall by R. Cooper
challenging
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
.
• MM Fantasy Romance
• DragonSlayer/Commoner
• Court politics
• Forbidden Romance
• Angst/steam perfection
• The writing *chef's kiss*
.
I honestly don't even remember the last time I rated a book 5 FREAKING stars. I picked this book up with zero expectations. Maybe that's why I'm so blown away by the emotions I'm feeling right now. This book had everything I needed. It has Court politics, intricate word building, amazing characters, so much angst and drama, refreshing take on fantasy/paranormal setting (they have tails and tail positions to determine moods mkay?) And to top it all off, we have a Dragon slayer vying for the King's Fox attention. It's kinda Forbidden, but not really? Honestly the dialogues, the characters made me giggle and scream. I wasn't really happy with the ending, BUT I don't really care. Because everything else was perfect! Honestly I'm obsessed. Please read it okay?? I'm so happy I picked this book up. Totally going into my reread when bored list lol.
.
.
February 2025 / Kindle
.
• MM Fantasy Romance
• DragonSlayer/Commoner
• Court politics
• Forbidden Romance
• Angst/steam perfection
• The writing *chef's kiss*
.
I honestly don't even remember the last time I rated a book 5 FREAKING stars. I picked this book up with zero expectations. Maybe that's why I'm so blown away by the emotions I'm feeling right now. This book had everything I needed. It has Court politics, intricate word building, amazing characters, so much angst and drama, refreshing take on fantasy/paranormal setting (they have tails and tail positions to determine moods mkay?) And to top it all off, we have a Dragon slayer vying for the King's Fox attention. It's kinda Forbidden, but not really? Honestly the dialogues, the characters made me giggle and scream. I wasn't really happy with the ending, BUT I don't really care. Because everything else was perfect! Honestly I'm obsessed. Please read it okay?? I'm so happy I picked this book up. Totally going into my reread when bored list lol.
.
.
February 2025 / Kindle
Tinkling of the Bell Before It Rings by Sonika Shandilya
3.0
My Rating : 3.5🌟
'I don't feel I am coming to this house for the first time. This is real home, life lives here'
This story revolves around our two main characters Jai and Sakshi, who meet each other by coincidence, and then the story develops as their paths continue to cross resulting in them figuring out their dreams and feelings.
The first thing i really loved about this book was the way the relationship was portrayed between Jai and his family. Few scenes involving his mother and father were really cute! It was really a healthy bond which can make anyone jealous. I really loved that about this book. The second thing was the contrast between Jai's family and Sakshi's family. It is a known concept but was handled really good.
The meeting of Jai and Sakshi was a simple setup and i really liked that. But while the book progressed, the conversations between them felt too filmy and it was quite a let down. It would have been better if they didn't include the names of the character in every sentence. The exchange of feelings in the form of songs were really cute. It actually removed some of the awkward conversations that would have happened otherwise! Since it was in Hindi(with translated short verse in English), the translation didn't do justice to the actual meaning of the lines they were singing. Also in some places it felt very cheesy that it left me wondering 'If someone says that in real life, it would be too weird to even reply!'
While addressing Sakshi's father, in someplaces they used his first name and in the next line they used his last name. It was confusing at first and needed sometime to get used to. Also when i read the blurb of the book, i thought it would deal with their conflicting emotions trying to pick each other over their dreams. But I felt the book actually never gave me the feeling of the 'heartbreak of being apart' part, and it ended rather quickly! It would have been even better if it was explained a little more.
Sakshi bonding with Jai's family, the trust Jai and Sakshi had on each other and the cute moments they shared when they were travelling together made it a really fluffy and fun romantic read! Though a little less of them would have been nice to read. Being a fan of thriller/Horror, i found the cute moments dragged on before the next plot happened. Plus i felt the editing/formation of sentences could have been done a little better(It was simple, yet lacked power in places).
If you are looking for a Bollywood film type romantic adventure that includes family love, songs, self discovery and cheesy dialogues, then I definitely recommend this book to you! Without a doubt, it was a refreshing read for me.
'I don't feel I am coming to this house for the first time. This is real home, life lives here'
This story revolves around our two main characters Jai and Sakshi, who meet each other by coincidence, and then the story develops as their paths continue to cross resulting in them figuring out their dreams and feelings.
The first thing i really loved about this book was the way the relationship was portrayed between Jai and his family. Few scenes involving his mother and father were really cute! It was really a healthy bond which can make anyone jealous. I really loved that about this book. The second thing was the contrast between Jai's family and Sakshi's family. It is a known concept but was handled really good.
The meeting of Jai and Sakshi was a simple setup and i really liked that. But while the book progressed, the conversations between them felt too filmy and it was quite a let down. It would have been better if they didn't include the names of the character in every sentence. The exchange of feelings in the form of songs were really cute. It actually removed some of the awkward conversations that would have happened otherwise! Since it was in Hindi(with translated short verse in English), the translation didn't do justice to the actual meaning of the lines they were singing. Also in some places it felt very cheesy that it left me wondering 'If someone says that in real life, it would be too weird to even reply!'
While addressing Sakshi's father, in someplaces they used his first name and in the next line they used his last name. It was confusing at first and needed sometime to get used to. Also when i read the blurb of the book, i thought it would deal with their conflicting emotions trying to pick each other over their dreams. But I felt the book actually never gave me the feeling of the 'heartbreak of being apart' part, and it ended rather quickly! It would have been even better if it was explained a little more.
Sakshi bonding with Jai's family, the trust Jai and Sakshi had on each other and the cute moments they shared when they were travelling together made it a really fluffy and fun romantic read! Though a little less of them would have been nice to read. Being a fan of thriller/Horror, i found the cute moments dragged on before the next plot happened. Plus i felt the editing/formation of sentences could have been done a little better(It was simple, yet lacked power in places).
If you are looking for a Bollywood film type romantic adventure that includes family love, songs, self discovery and cheesy dialogues, then I definitely recommend this book to you! Without a doubt, it was a refreshing read for me.