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amberdlewis's reviews
539 reviews
Camp by L.C. Rosen
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
Not a lot really seemed to happen in this book, but it was a decent enough read. I really enjoyed the side characters and I think it made some good points regarding friendship and support. I liked all the diverse rep and the message that there's no one way to be queer. It was pretty predictable but enjoyable nonetheless. This is one of the few books I've read where I really wish there was an epilogue. While I appreciated the solid HFN ending, a little glimpse into the next summer to know that Hudson was really okay and that the main couple made it would have been nice.
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.0
I would have liked a little more focus on the romance aspects, but honestly, I'm also fine with how the plot was executed. It touched on a lot of important aspects of being queer and nonbinary without feeling too preachy.
Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.5
This book did excellent with the "enemies/rivals to lovers" and "fake dating." The MC and LI had legitimate reasons not to like each other and even to hate each other and the justification for their fake dating was realistic. It worked. Things progressed between them at a good pace and the slip into liking each other felt believable.
The plot was fairly predictable, but some things did take me a little by surprise. I did feel that the ending with everything between their dads happened a little too easily a bit out of the blue. The solution to the whole Suck-O incident seemed out of character for Mr. Cooke given the years of rivalry and denial that he did anything wrong.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It flowed well and I basically read it in one sitting. If you're looking for a fairly light YA read with fun tropes and sentimental moments, this may be the book for you.
The plot was fairly predictable, but some things did take me a little by surprise. I did feel that the ending with everything between their dads happened a little too easily a bit out of the blue. The solution to the whole Suck-O incident seemed out of character for Mr. Cooke given the years of rivalry and denial that he did anything wrong.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It flowed well and I basically read it in one sitting. If you're looking for a fairly light YA read with fun tropes and sentimental moments, this may be the book for you.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Exes & Foes by Amanda Woody
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
4.25
This book was a fun twist on your typical love triangle. I really enjoyed the dynamic between all the characters and LOVED all the queer. However, as much as I liked this book, it didn't pull me in quite as much as the They Hate Each Other. Part of the reason was simply because enemies to lovers is more my jam than friends to lovers, but this story also started a bit slower. It was pretty obvious from the get-go that Emma and Caleb were the endgame couple, so it was hard to be invested in their competition to win over Juliet. Once they started to admit that their feelings for each other, I enjoyed the story a bit more.
Overall this was a great read and I look forward to anything else Amanda Woody is willing to write!
Overall this was a great read and I look forward to anything else Amanda Woody is willing to write!
Bleeding Mars by Asher J. Quazar
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I'm honestly a bit conflicted on how to rate this book.
On one hand: gay vampires in space. I'm a sucker (pun intended, I suppose) for vampires and when you add in some food LGBTQIA+ rep, I'm even more on board. I really liked the scientific and practical explanation of how vampirism worked against this dystopian backdrop. I think the desperation to get and sell blood worked very well and set the story up nicely. In fact, the world building overall was pretty well done.
I also liked the fact that none of the characters were perfect. They all had flaws and issues. I appreciated that.
However, the actual storytelling fell short for me. This book started slow. Other than giving a little background, the first couple chapters didn't seem to have much purpose. It took way too long for the story promised on the blurb to start, and honestly, I almost gave up reading multiple times. When the story did finally get rolling, I kept waiting for the vampire love interest to show up, but they don't have a proper conversation until almost halfway through the book.
I also didn't care for Vesta's POV. She didn't seem to add that much to the story and I often had to fight skimming her sections. I didn't really like her all that much and I wasn't invested in her storyline at all.
Now, once Umbra and Dezi meet and begin their arrangement, I was hooked for a bit. The story really picked up and I didn't want to put the book down for several chapters. (Other than Vesta's bits, admittedly.) I really liked their dynamic and I was invested in finding out the mystery behind Umbra. I liked the moments they had together and I was enjoying watching their relationship change and grow. I liked Umbra's protectiveness.
And then it crumbled.
First, I was taken a bit back by the very violent, so what graphic, and quite unexpected animal death. When I'm dealing with vampires, I fully expect them to feed from humans and I even expect some morally gray behavior towards humans. A warning of violence towards humans also isn't unexpected. What I do not typically expect isa jaguar being mauled and its spine crushed after it had basically been declared and treated as a pet up until that point. I actually read that part twice to make sure I actually read what I had because I couldn't believe we went from such an intimate and promising moment to big cat murder.
I also wasn't a fan of the on again, off again that kept happening between Umbra and Dezi. Once, sure. I kind of expect that, but it was like whiplash watching their relationship. It felt a little over the top at times and got a little repetitive. Everything about their relationship was so hot and cold it was hard to stay invested.
The ending was disappointing, but I'm hopeful that it's setting up for a second book to pick up where this one left off. This book honestly has so much untapped potential and I'm interested to see how the story can continue unfolding. Now that some of the bigger issues have been resolved, things can come to a more satisfactory conclusion.
So overall, I really liked parts of this book and would be willing to continue the series, but there were some things that simply didn't land for me.
On one hand: gay vampires in space. I'm a sucker (pun intended, I suppose) for vampires and when you add in some food LGBTQIA+ rep, I'm even more on board. I really liked the scientific and practical explanation of how vampirism worked against this dystopian backdrop. I think the desperation to get and sell blood worked very well and set the story up nicely. In fact, the world building overall was pretty well done.
I also liked the fact that none of the characters were perfect. They all had flaws and issues. I appreciated that.
However, the actual storytelling fell short for me. This book started slow. Other than giving a little background, the first couple chapters didn't seem to have much purpose. It took way too long for the story promised on the blurb to start, and honestly, I almost gave up reading multiple times. When the story did finally get rolling, I kept waiting for the vampire love interest to show up, but they don't have a proper conversation until almost halfway through the book.
I also didn't care for Vesta's POV. She didn't seem to add that much to the story and I often had to fight skimming her sections. I didn't really like her all that much and I wasn't invested in her storyline at all.
Now, once Umbra and Dezi meet and begin their arrangement, I was hooked for a bit. The story really picked up and I didn't want to put the book down for several chapters. (Other than Vesta's bits, admittedly.) I really liked their dynamic and I was invested in finding out the mystery behind Umbra. I liked the moments they had together and I was enjoying watching their relationship change and grow. I liked Umbra's protectiveness.
And then it crumbled.
First, I was taken a bit back by the very violent, so what graphic, and quite unexpected animal death. When I'm dealing with vampires, I fully expect them to feed from humans and I even expect some morally gray behavior towards humans. A warning of violence towards humans also isn't unexpected. What I do not typically expect is
I also wasn't a fan of the on again, off again that kept happening between Umbra and Dezi. Once, sure. I kind of expect that, but it was like whiplash watching their relationship. It felt a little over the top at times and got a little repetitive. Everything about their relationship was so hot and cold it was hard to stay invested.
The ending was disappointing, but I'm hopeful that it's setting up for a second book to pick up where this one left off. This book honestly has so much untapped potential and I'm interested to see how the story can continue unfolding. Now that some of the bigger issues have been resolved, things can come to a more satisfactory conclusion.
So overall, I really liked parts of this book and would be willing to continue the series, but there were some things that simply didn't land for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Abandonment
Arthur & Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a sweet inspiring book. I really enjoyed seeing the two coming out stories for different generations. I definitely enjoyed the book but the first 75% of the book was a little slow, and the last bit felt rushed. I also felt like they all forgave way too easily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia
Moderate: Suicide
Bouquets & Belonging by Duckie Mack
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
This book was so much fun! I loved the character of Marley and all the energy he brought to the page. He paired so well with Derek and while they weren't quite opposites in every way, they complemented each other very well. The romance was a bit more of a slow burn than Duckie's other books, but it worked perfectly for the characters. Everything happened at a realistic pace. They had great communication once they actually started talking. My only complaint is that there was almost too little conflict. They agreed on everything so easily. I also really like the plus-sized representation in the book and feel it was handled perfectly. Like all her previous books, this story had the perfect blend of sweet and spicy.
This story had one of my favorite micro-tropes: couple rescues a kitten early in the relationship and end up coparenting. O'Malley was so adorable and I wanted to reach into the book and pull him out for some kitty snuggles of my own. (Luckily, my three cats were happy to provide.)
Overall this was a sweet, fluffy read and a great addition to the Heartcraft Market series!
*I received an early copy of the book and this is my honest review.
This story had one of my favorite micro-tropes: couple rescues a kitten early in the relationship and end up coparenting. O'Malley was so adorable and I wanted to reach into the book and pull him out for some kitty snuggles of my own. (Luckily, my three cats were happy to provide.)
Overall this was a sweet, fluffy read and a great addition to the Heartcraft Market series!
*I received an early copy of the book and this is my honest review.
The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
3.25
*Takes a deep breath*
Okay, I should have loved this book. It should have been a slam dunk. A RomCOm full of romcom references? Yes! A sapphic twist on said romcom references? EVEN BETTER! Alas, this was not a RomCOm because a RomCom is first a romance and second a comedy. This book was sadly neither.
That's not to say that there wasn't romance in the book, because there was. I actually thought Ruby and Saoirse were a good match. With all the depressing hardships in her life, Saoirse deserved someone optimistic like Ruby. I also really liked how the two bonded over the romcoms and how Soairse's perspective on love was able to shift. However, I really dislike when a book is marketed as a romance but the characters don't end up together. That's a love story, not a romance. I often get to the end and feel like I invested all that time reading the book and cheering on the characters for nothing. And while I think their decision not to stay together worked well enough, it was not the ending I feel I was promised. I didn't want an open-ended "maybe one day" I wanted "Hey, this is hard but let's give it a shot."
And as far as the comedy part goes, this book had some fairly heavy content in it. Soairse is struggling with a lot: her breakup, losing her friends, moving, her dad's new relationship, and watching her mom fade away due to dementia right before her eyes. Girl has is HARD, and a good chunk of the book focusses on that. In fact, there is so much focus on all the trouble and hardhsip in her life the Falling in Love Montage almost feels like a subplot in the background. Which would be fine because it handles it well but that's really not what I thought I was getting with this book.
All that aside, the book was okay. I wasn't a huge fan of the inner dialogue that seemed to ramble at times, but hat's obviously a personal preference. I did really like Oliver and almost wished his friendship with the MC had been more of the focus. I also wasn't a fan of how the MC treated her dad. Yeah, he wasn't the best and he made some mistakes, but she would go from talking about how much she loved her dad to being really harsh and hateful toward him. Once again, I know she was dealing with A LOT but a good chunk of her problems were her own doing. She purposefully kept things from Ruby and lied to her face dozens of times when Ruby was trying really hard to help her and be open with her. It was kind of hard to feel bad for her when she was merely serving out the consequences of her actions.
Anyhow, this book might be perfect for someone, but it was mostly a miss for me.
Okay, I should have loved this book. It should have been a slam dunk. A RomCOm full of romcom references? Yes! A sapphic twist on said romcom references? EVEN BETTER! Alas, this was not a RomCOm because a RomCom is first a romance and second a comedy. This book was sadly neither.
That's not to say that there wasn't romance in the book, because there was. I actually thought Ruby and Saoirse were a good match. With all the depressing hardships in her life, Saoirse deserved someone optimistic like Ruby. I also really liked how the two bonded over the romcoms and how Soairse's perspective on love was able to shift. However, I really dislike when a book is marketed as a romance but the characters don't end up together. That's a love story, not a romance. I often get to the end and feel like I invested all that time reading the book and cheering on the characters for nothing. And while I think their decision not to stay together worked well enough, it was not the ending I feel I was promised. I didn't want an open-ended "maybe one day" I wanted "Hey, this is hard but let's give it a shot."
And as far as the comedy part goes, this book had some fairly heavy content in it. Soairse is struggling with a lot: her breakup, losing her friends, moving, her dad's new relationship, and watching her mom fade away due to dementia right before her eyes. Girl has is HARD, and a good chunk of the book focusses on that. In fact, there is so much focus on all the trouble and hardhsip in her life the Falling in Love Montage almost feels like a subplot in the background. Which would be fine because it handles it well but that's really not what I thought I was getting with this book.
All that aside, the book was okay. I wasn't a huge fan of the inner dialogue that seemed to ramble at times, but hat's obviously a personal preference. I did really like Oliver and almost wished his friendship with the MC had been more of the focus. I also wasn't a fan of how the MC treated her dad. Yeah, he wasn't the best and he made some mistakes, but she would go from talking about how much she loved her dad to being really harsh and hateful toward him. Once again, I know she was dealing with A LOT but a good chunk of her problems were her own doing. She purposefully kept things from Ruby and lied to her face dozens of times when Ruby was trying really hard to help her and be open with her. It was kind of hard to feel bad for her when she was merely serving out the consequences of her actions.
Anyhow, this book might be perfect for someone, but it was mostly a miss for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia
A Complicated Love Story Set in Space by Shaun David Hutchinson
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
If I had a nickel for every book I've read with space gays stuck in a space ship having to navigate life without knowing what's going on and where the story keeps restarting in weird ways, I've have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.
Okay, so this book wasn't exactly like The Darkness Outside Us, but it had similar vibes at some points. If you liked that book but wanted a little more levity and a plucky third character, this is probably the perfect book for you.
Honestly, this book was a RIDE. I never knew what was going to happen and every time I thought I had things figured out it shifted DRASTICALLY. I definitely liked parts more than others and it took me awhile to really warm up to Noa. I found him annoying at first, but once I got to know him, I appreciated him more. I loved DJ and that love only grew as the story went on. Despite the ups and downs, the story held my attention and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
The ending was a little more open-ended than I usually like, but the story wrapped up enough I felt satisfied. I wouldn't mind a sequel, though.
Okay, so this book wasn't exactly like The Darkness Outside Us, but it had similar vibes at some points. If you liked that book but wanted a little more levity and a plucky third character, this is probably the perfect book for you.
Honestly, this book was a RIDE. I never knew what was going to happen and every time I thought I had things figured out it shifted DRASTICALLY. I definitely liked parts more than others and it took me awhile to really warm up to Noa. I found him annoying at first, but once I got to know him, I appreciated him more. I loved DJ and that love only grew as the story went on. Despite the ups and downs, the story held my attention and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
The ending was a little more open-ended than I usually like, but the story wrapped up enough I felt satisfied. I wouldn't mind a sequel, though.
Self-Made Boys: A Great Gatsby Remix by Anna-Marie McLemore
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was good but I wanted more of Jay and Nick. They didn't have enough moments together to truly build their chemistry. Even after they finally got together, they weren't sharing enough page time to really sell it. I also wasn't a fan of the letters. They broke up the flow of the story. I did enjoy the overall plot and I loved all the characters. The details wound together nicely making this probably my third favorite of the books I've read in this remix series.