protestmyboredom's reviews
932 reviews

The Duke Who Didn't by Courtney Milan

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relaxing 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

1.75

Meh. I like the town and camaraderie, and love
that they all knew he was the Duke as they teased!!
But this just not seem very realistic for the time or for a duke. It seems like the author wrote what she wanted and just said it was that time period.  
Leather & Lark by Brynne Weaver

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reflective 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

3.0

I like the first better. I like Lachlan’s opening up and the complexity that is Lark’s history and personality but this started slow and ended fast. I feel like the villain scene
happened way too fast and also that no one really thought it was Kane doing it after the marriage though the villain tried to make him look guilty. I thought Lark was going to have evidence and believe her husband instead.
Pucking Around by Emily Rath

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lighthearted 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

2.5

Not a fan of polyamory myself but I like how it is represented and how well they communicate and establish trust and boundaries. 
Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

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funny lighthearted relaxing 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

4.25

I enjoyed it… but I expected more (maybe too much lol). I loved the first book so much- it was my favorite read of 2023. I just feel like I wanted more strong Evie being boss before she recovered the Villain. And more wit and tease between them- I felt like this book treated the romance more seriously. I also thought the random swearing kind of took away from the story; it was jarring to me from this light fantasy world. I did enjoy Lyssa in the manor (knew I would, was excited for it) and enjoyed
Gideon joining in and his point of view.
I do like Evie exploring her dark and powerful side but wanted more of it. 
To Woo and to Wed by Martha Waters

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lighthearted relaxing 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

3.5

I skipped the fourth book (and contemplated skipping the third) because I was excited for Sophie and West’s story. I did enjoy this though I hoped for a little more
cause for their initial separation. I did enjoy how it all came together, except I also wanted more of a reaction to the announcement of their marriage!
Good series! I’ll go back and read the fourth now, though I’m not as excited with just Penvale and a new character as the intermingling between their group. 
To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

I liked the characters in this book but it seemed to come together too neatly. Enjoyable but not memorable. 
To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters

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lighthearted relaxing 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

3.5

Enjoyable read. I like their interactions and the personality described. 
To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Very cute. I enjoyed their interactions and the resolution satisfied me. Looking forward to reading more about the other characters in the rest of the series.  
Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb

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adventurous hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

3.5

Cute romance with a quirky premise and topic. I also like the later-in-life self-discovery theme. 
Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

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adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective 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

4.25

My first Brandon Sanderson book! This reminded me a lot of Terry Prachett’s writing but I did read in the postscript that he used Good Omens as inspiration for the tone so maybe Sanderson’s writing isn’t always like this (full of personality of the narrator and side notes). Good book, very original and I enjoyed the characters and interactions. Looking forward to reading more Sanderson.