rachaelarsenault's reviews
234 reviews

Thad and Ashanti have such great chemistry. I loved their dynamic when they were butting heads and when they were joking around and being flirty and when they were sharing emotional burdens with each other. They both felt like whole people with flaws and quirks and baggage, and that lent weight and meaning to all their interactions. 

I also have to highlight that this book portrays dogs realistically. Sometimes books veer a little too much in the direction of a cartoon-y sidekick when it comes to representing pets, but this story was just as much about the dogs being cute and delightful as it was about them being chaotic, messy, and frustrating. It does not shy away from the realities of dog poop - which I, personally, appreciated. 

There is a bit of smut in this book, and while it isn't anything to write home about (fairly brief and just kinda there), the non-sexual dynamic between Thad and Ashanti was strong enough that I didn't mind the sex scenes being a little lackluster. 

A solid read - fast, accessible, and enjoyable. I appreciated how consistently and in-depth this book explored Oliver's identity as a trans man, as well as the inclusion of various queer characters and allies. Even in time periods were queerness was not widely understood or accepted, queer people still existed!

I did feel some elements could have been stronger, or some opportunities were missed. I was hoping for more of a bi-panic angle for Darcy being attracted to both Oliver and "Elizabeth", but that’s not explored much (and definitely just personal preference on my part). I also found the more modern voice a bit of a hindrance at times. While this style of prose made it a very accessible read and I obviously understand that Novoa is not going to replicate Austen's writing, it became a bit jarring in moments were text (usually dialogue) from P&P was included alongside the more modern writing style in here.

I received a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

What I Liked:
-The concept of a map revealed in stages and Elemental trials.
-The bit about scent being the first thing you forget about someone after they die.
-There were some good descriptions, notably the one of the bridge in the fog.
-The stuff with the fungus and plants growing into Wren and her friends was genuinely horrifying.

What I Didn't Like:
-Ruby was misgendered constantly. I counted at least 41 individual instances of she/her pronouns being used instead of they/them. This type of error does not occur with any other characters.
-Ruby is generally poorly treated by the narrative. They get misgendered, never really get their own backstory or personal motives or character arc, they're the only one who doesn't see an actual person they've lost during the death visions, and they're the only one who doesn't have someone missing them or worrying about them during the trials.
-Ruby also still randomly speaks Japanese in otherwise English conversations, albeit less frequently than in DDtM.
-The trials felt more like terrain obstacles when they would have worked better as explorations of and challenges to characters' flaws and fears.
-Lee’s section of the story mostly involved him accidentally discovering information or stumbling into solutions. A lot of convenience and luck.
-The magic system outside of astrological abilities is never adequately explained, and the distinction between the spells we're told are complex vs simple is so inconsistent as to be nonexistent.
-Betrayals and reveals failed to elicit shock because the characters are so flat I can't bring myself to care, let alone try to unpack their motives.
-The ending is very abrupt and we're never shown the allegedly enormous change the characters have brought to the world as a whole.

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Informative and beautifully written, I loved how this piece explored queerness, ecology, and humanity, and the ways they intertwine. I desperately need to get my hands on a physical copy so I can reread and tab all my favourite parts. 

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will be sharing more detailed reviews on Medium, YouTube, and Patreon at a later date.

What I Liked:
*There were a few great bits of description.
*The symbolism of Four catching the King's crown when it falls off his head.
*The joke about Chad being a festering asshole.
*Golden scars

What I Didn't Like:
*The magic system is never really explored or explained, and it has nothing to do with Tarot outside of the card that brings Hannah to Towerfall.
*The goals and motivations of the antagonists were really unclear. I understood what they were doing and that it was bad, but I didn't understand why they were doing it.
*Hannah is a miserable shell of a character with no discernible goals or passions. What little we are told about her is contradicted constantly.
*Pretty much every plan Hannah comes up with is impulsive and poorly thought out, bordering on nonsensical.
*Girl hate, insulting men for being short, and shaming/vilifying a specific kink (in a kinky romance!).
*Middling sex scenes that seemed to be written by rote and a romance with no organic tension or chemistry.
*Worldbuilding and politics felt very shallow; mostly just an aesthetic.
*Overall, a very forgettable book.

I was pleasantly surprised by this one! Throughout most of the book, I expected to give it about a 4-star rating - nothing to complain about to be fair, but not perfect, either. I felt like there were a lot of scattered elements that were a little distracting, or maybe some aspects advanced too quickly. But then the ending tied everything together so perfectly, and I had so many moments where I went, "Oh, that's why that bit kept getting sprinkled in!" So many great pay-offs I had to give it a 5-star. 

Plus, it was a really cute story! I appreciated the demi rep, and overall diversity of queer identities presented. All the characters felt like they had their own lives going on, even the ones that weren't often front and center in the story. Definitely checking out more books by this author!

This was such a sweet romance. I loved Luka and Stella. Their dynamic was vivid and real and it was easy to feel a sense of history between them. I loved that their friendship was just as important as their romance. 

I received a digital ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a solid, enjoyable book. My favourite aspect was definitely the plot surrounding the black op and dangerous tech - I think it was really well-executed, with good foreshadowing, twists, and tension. I also really appreciated how many of the spies were female and/or queer in a line of work that is usually male-dominated. And, in general, the spy-ness of it all was very engaging and fun and believably written.

The part that was more lacking was, sadly, the romance. There wasn't even necessarily anything wrong with the romance - Yardley and KC were well-realized characters on their own, and I completely understood the conflict that arose in their relationship, and I thought the story did a good job of showing how they grew as individuals before they were able to grow back together as a couple. But the problem is that I really only saw them as a couple in crisis trying to mend things. I know this is probably a personal preference thing - some people live for second-chance romances and established couples in stories - but I found it hard to connect with a relationship that I mostly only saw on its bad days. I think maybe a handful of flashbacks could have remedied this. The narration alludes to happy moments together earlier in their relationship, but readers never actually get to sit in and experience those moments. 

I also think the book is mismarketed slightly. The title, cover art style, and description all gave me the impression that this would be a bit of a comedy. It is very much not. This book leans very serious and tense, with much more emphasis on action and romance than levity.

Overall, this was a good book. I would definitely consider reading from these authors again.