Series Review: My Gently Raised Beast volumes 1-9

  

 You can click on the cover of the book to learn more about this series on Goodreads

Format I Used: E-book

Pages: 2,600 (for all volumes)

My Rating: 4 stars

Publication Date: 2021-2023

 

Review for the series overall. As always, be careful when reading my reviews, because there might be spoilers.

*You can buy volumes 1-3 on Amazon now, with 4 and 5 up for preorder. OR you can read it in its entirety on Webtoons*

I'm quickly running out of Shojo manga to read, so I'm going through and picking up their Korean counterparts. This series is as charming as it looks, although there are some dark moments in it, so make sure to do your research on some of the trigger warnings for this series, before you dive into it. I will also say that I was glad that this wasn't an Isekai story. Not that there's anything wrong with those, it's just a nice change of pace that it's not.

I love the relationship Amon and Blondina have, and there were a few times it made me lol. The way Amon would get jealous if Briddy wasn't paying him enough attention was actually adorable. (not annoying like I thought it would be) and I loved how protective he was of her, even though he was younger than she was.

There were also a few times that it had me SO stressed out because I wasn't sure what was going to happen, and I was trying my hardest to not flip to the ending to see how things played out. And the friendships that she was able to cultivate with Lucy and her half brother, Lart.

Lart had the best and most drastic character development in the whole story, and I was glad to see it. I was hoping at least one of her half siblings would be good to her.

I was prepared to HATE Trije. I was expecting him to be a horrible person. He's not. Not really. He made some pretty crappy decisions that hurt a lot of people. But he finally realized what was happening and made some changes. He's still got a long way to go to make up, but at least it's a start.

 

Did It Make Me Cry? Yes.

ARC Review: Famous For A Living ~ Melissa Ferguson

Image from Goodreads. Click on the image to learn more about this book.

Format I Used: Digital E-Arc
Pages: 320
Running Time: 7h 50m
My Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date:May 16, 2023

This book was so charming! There were so many different parts in this book that had me smiling/laughing.

I loved the relationship that Cat had with Terry, and Serena, and so many others.

****possible spoilers, read on with caution****

AND ZAIAH! OMG, he was so sweet. He was a little grumpy, but was the literal calm to Cat's storm. I love the way he balanced her out, and all the different times that he stopped her from thinking too hard and stressing herself out of something. (Like, specifically during the polar plunge) and the way that he created an Instagram just so he could show her support, by following her and liking her posts...  And I appreciate that there wasn't some huge blow up miscommunication between the two.

I like how this book (maybe) makes you think about how much you're using your smart devices, and how that also in a way disconnects you from the real world.

There were a few things that I wish had been a little more fleshed out, which is why it didn't get a full 5 stars, but it's still one of my favorite books so far this year.

Thanks so much to Thomas Nelson, Melissa Ferguson, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this title. All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

 

I inhale sharply, then feel a second later, as if he heard my silent plea, his hand on my hip.

Gentle.

Prodding.

I look to my right. There he is.

“Ready?” he says.

It’s a steadying question, equal to his steady eyes on mine. He isn’t splashing around. No. He’s stoic, incredibly calm, as he waits for my reply. As if the water isn’t freezing his bones as it is mine. As if he’s immune to the icicles forming on his lashes and the air so cold it burns entering our lungs.."

Did It Make Me Cry? No

 

ARC Review: Stolen Sorcery & Other Misadventures ~ Annette Marie

 

 Image from Goodreads. Click on the image to learn more about this book.

Format I Used:Digital ARC E-book

My Rating: 5 stars

Publication Date: April 7, 2023

 

I can always count on Annette Marie (and in this case Rob Jacobsen too) to bring me a book that is filled with so much action and adventure that keeps me obsessed and wanting more.

I'm so in love with Kit and Lienna, and I've enjoyed watching their characters grow. There's still so much that they're learning not only about themselves, but each other too. I like how opposite they are and how they balance each other out.

Kit is so so funny, and I'm a big fan of his POV.

And, as always, I love love love getting to see my dearly beloved characters from the rest of the Guild Codex Books, because the interactions are so fun. I ESPECIALLY enjoyed watching Kit's interactions with Zylas, it had me lol-ing the whole time, and I would like an entire book with just them together.

I'm curious to see how things are going to go for Kit and Lienna, especially with how the book ended with a few surprises.

Thank you SO SO much to Annette Marie for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Did It Make Me Cry? No. But There was a point where I gasped out loud, even though I had already guessed what was going to happen.

ARC Review: It's Boba Time For Pearl Li! ~ Nicole Chen

Image from Goodreads. Click on the image to learn more about this book.

Format I Used: Digital ARC

Pages: 368

Running Time: 7h 31m
My Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date: February 28, 2023

I thought this book was extremely charming. As someone who crochets a little, and enjoys the occasional boba tea, I love that this focuses on Pearl and her love for Boba and Amigurumi.

I think Pearl is a character who is easy to relate to. She's still trying to figure out who she is, and how to stand up for herself and what she loves. A lot of things start changing all at once, and she makes a lot of mistakes, but ends up learning from them. And she's able to strengthen her relationships with her friends and family.

I also love that there is a glossary of terms at the end of the book, and a little chart for how Pearl calculated the profits for Kawaii Crochets. I thought that it was a nice way for younger kids to understand what was being talked about, and give them an idea of what to do if they also wanted to start making and selling things.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harpercollins Children's books for allowing me to read an ARC of this delightful book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Did It Make Me Cry? No.

 

Review: Stardust In Their Veins ~ Laura Sebstian

Image from Goodreads. Click on the image to learn more about this book.


Format I Used: E-book
Running Time: 16h:20m
My Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date: February 7, 2023

 

SPOILERS AHEAD

Mostly because I've decided to be more specific so I can read my own recap of a book instead of always having to re-read a book series or hunt around the interwebs for other spoilery recaps.

Read on with caution

Now Entering The Spoiler Zone

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I'M STILL UPSET THAT THEY KILLED OFF SOPHIIIIEEEEEEEE

Ugh, ANYWAYS.

I started reading this book in early December, and just BARELY finished it. Why? I was a little nervous about how it was going to end. I did manage to read big chunks of it during two different snomageddon's, which seemed apropos, considering last year when I listened to the first one, I did it while I spent a l o o o o o o n g time shoveling my driveway from a 30 thousand (not really, but close) snow fall.

This book was full of twists and political intrigue, and just when I (and our wonderful characters) thought they were going to outsmart Mommy Dearest, it turns out that N O P E, she's still 10 steps ahead and around the corner.

So let us go about the rest of this review in a similar fashion to the one I did for the first book. 

Daphne

I'm still not Daphne's biggest fan, but I dislike her less than I did in the first book. She was a complex character, and while I wish she would have pulled her head out of her butt and believed her sisters about their mother sooner, but she wasn't ENTIRELY to blame. Her mother was IS such a toxic person and spent so many years trying to twist her daughters to fit her plans, so of course it's going to take a while for them to untangle themselves from what they've always known and been told. She spends a lot of time putting all her doubts into a box and shoving them in the way back corner of a closet, so that she can do whatever she can to please her mother. She craves her mother's approval, so the fact that she was able to pull herself out of it was impressive.

Bairre

We learn so much more about him, but at the same time, it still doesn't feel like enough. He is such a strong and sturdy character. He and Daphne spent a lot of time being suspicious of each other, which doesn't really surprise me because of who his mother is and who her mother is. I'm trying to figure out just exactly how their whirlwind marriage at the end of the book is actually going to turn out, and whether everything will be okay for them. I did appreciate the fact that Bairre didn't blow up at Daphne when she finally sat down and told him everything that had been going on with her and why she was even there in the first place. I'm very interested to see how their relationship progresses.

Beatriz

The little revelation about Beatriz and how she's some kind of special Empyrea was something that I didn't see coming. It's kind of interesting that she can wish on a star and "kill" it only to have it come back. This is slowly killing her, and she still won't stop using it. She's going to turn the stars dark or something similarly sinister sounding as foretold by some prophecy, and as such Nigellus tried to kill her. Buttttttttt that backfired and she ended up killing him instead because she has unfinished business to attend to. I'm wondering if it's possible for her to bring Sophie back, or if it would be another life for a life kind of thing (Equivalent Exchange and all that) Oh. And she wished on a star to heal Violie's mother, and by doing so gained the backing of The Crimson Petal.

Pasquale

Is still one of my favorite characters. He deserves all the happiness in the whole wide world, and I hope he's able to get his happy ending. He's such a good supporter of Beatriz and is always going to be down to help her do what's right. I still absolutely adore their friendship and if something bad happens to him I WILL RAGE AND THROW THE BOOK AGAINST THE WALL.

Violie

I guess I'll insert her here since she'd the new Sophie. L I T E R A L L Y. She gets herself caught up in some trouble (trying to kill... Leopold's mother, because she's just as whack as Marguex is (they're like, in cahoots too), and was A BIG REASON WHY SOPHIE GOT KILLED AND LEO ALMOST GOT KILLED, AND THEN THE WHOLE THING WITH LEO'S LITTLE BROTHERS!... I can't actually if that was her fault or the rebels... ehhhh.. It's really interesting to me to see her character development and how much loyalty she still feels towards Sophie. I thought it was genius to use Violie and Sophie's similar looks to their advantage to ger her out of being killed for an attempted assassination. I'm wondering how that whole plot twist will play in the next book. I'm thinking that there will be a Violie/Leopold romance unless something dramatic happens, and I honestly don't know if I like that or not.

Leopold

Was the character in the last book who had the most character development, in my opinion. And he still is continuing to grow. He spent so long living with a blindfold on so to speak, and he's relearning a lot of things.

Nico

Does not actually get a lot of page time in this book, and I'm wondering how things are going to play out with him in the next book. I still don't have a real solid opinion of him to be honest, so we'll see. *shrugs*

Margaraux

Still a crazy beech, and I don't really know what her next move is going to be. When someone told her that "Sophie" is still alive, she "threw her head back and laughed" so I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing? Did she see this coming and that's why she chose Violie to do her bidding in the first place? She's using that similarity to her advantage somehow?

Overall, I enjoyed this book, even though it is a very slow paced read. I didn't enjoy it QUITE as much as book one, but that happens sometimes. So many twists and turns that I didn't quite see coming (not that I was trying to predict anything.) And I can't wait to see what happens in the next book which is forever away I'm sure.

Did It Make Me Cry? No.

*I read an early copy of this book via Netgalley*