#Book Review Blog

[interstellar-cluster]

would anyone potentially follow a book review blog if we made one? :3

[fantasyforlife-reviews]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

As a huge fan of profiling and true crime, this book seemed like the absolute perfect choice for a little break from fantasy books. (Please, don't come for me!🫣)

'The Naturals' is a series that has been on my To Be Read-List for a while now and the first book didn't disappoint. It's a Young Adult Crime and Mystery book that revolves around the 17-year-old Cassie Hobbes, who is invited to join an FBI program called "The Naturals", because of her natural ability to profile people.

Intrigued, she accepts and moves to Washington, D.C. to train her skills and become a real profiler. She isn't the only one living in the Safehouse, though. Her roommate Sloane has a talent for numbers and statistics, Lia is a human lie detector, Michael reads people like a book by their body language and Dean is another profiler. While Agent Lacey Locke begins her training, Cassie learns more and more about the other teenagers in the program and unravels one secret after the other. Soon it becomes clear that the serial killer their supervisors try to catch has an interest in her and her new friends participating in the hunt …

Guys, hear me out. To read this book was so refreshing and I bet there were a lot of readers who felt the same. Cassie and the others are smart, efficient and so effortlessly written. Like, you could imagine them living exactly like that in that Safehouse. Five teenagers who are in different stages of their personal development. I loved everything about it and what I loved the most, was that Cassie thinks LOGICALLY!👏

Yes, she has a heart, but her head is stronger than that and I enjoyed that so much. No stupid emotional choices, no heartbroken revenge - all that stuff. Cassie thinks about her feelings and how they affect those around her. She wants to be a comfort place for those she cares about and tries to swallow her trauma every single day. She reminded me so much of a soft version of Katniss Everdeen in another universe.

When I think about Sloane, I have to say that she is such a cute and in many ways relatable character - which is kind of scary, because she is definitely crazy. She is super sweet and adorable with all her quirks. I loved every interaction between Cassie and her.

Lia, on the other hand, is on my To Be Murdered-List. Yes, she has her heartbreaking story about her past and all, but that's no excuse to be shitty. She has her moments, definitely, but if I had been in Cassie's position, at some point I would have slapped her without hesitation. She triggered all my dark and evil desires - like murder🔪.

Moving on to the boys: Dean has my heart entirely! Though I found out way too late his hair is blonde which triggers my entire image of him. To me, he has black hair. Period. That mysterious, self-punishing, dark boy who cannot help himself, but care for the others (except Michael)? 10/10🔥.

And then there is Michael, and I am sorry to everyone out there who crushes on him, but that boy was on my nerves! Immature, annoying and an ego bigger than a skyscraper. And I know, here opinions are divided, he can be sweet and all, but that's still a big 'No!'❌️ from me.

But now what I disliked about the book: While reading, I felt like the story was served half raw. Something about crime books is that the entire thing has to be thought through in the tiniest detail. Whoever investigates follows the traces back to the murderer, because it all already happened. And reading this book felt different. As if the author was still building the entire plot and planned to go into an entirely different direction, before deciding else. Reading the final wasn't that feeling of everything falling into place, but rather: What a convenient explanation ... To me, it didn't truly make sense, so I was disappointed there. Besides the fact that all of this is unrealistic - the FBI seeking the help of five teenagers to catch a serial killer and all - this was the final straw for me to only give four stars. The information about profiling and that entire area of expertise was researched very well and I enjoyed it all. I even read that book in one sitting while my cat underwent surgery, but while I am looking forward to the rest of the series, I feel like the entire plot of Cassie being personally involved in the case would have made more sense in the second or third book.

All in all, this book was great and I definitely am going to recommend reading it. The characters were so well written, including Lia and Michael and I cannot wait to learn how their stories evolve. There was an amazing balance between their personal lives and struggles and the actual case that was going on, which I really enjoyed. I just think that most of my complaints could have been fixed if there would have been more thinking and editing of the final story.

Spicyometer: 0/5

Romanceometer: ❤️❤️.5/5

Tropes: The Gifted💫, Love Triangle💞, Secret Government Program🫆, Tragic Past🥀, Elite Training⚔️, Found Family🧡

Bonus: None

This is the link to a Spotify playlist, that may make reading this book a whole different experience: 🎵 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6C0JBHOz5gKoaeC3UWqdQf?si=603c064e21ec4e10 🎵

What do you think? Let me know in the comments if you agree with my review and if you like Dean or Michael better. To everyone who hasn't read this book yet, come back after you did and tell me about your thoughts. I hope you get to enjoy the book as much as I did. Hopefully, I hear from you soon!

[flaviathebibliophile]

Countess by Suzan Palumbo (ARC Review)

Title: Countess Author: Suzan Palumbo Type: Fiction Genre: Adult, Science Fiction, Novella, Queer Publisher: ECW Press Date published: September 10, 2024 A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by ECW Press in exchange for an honest review. A queer, Caribbean, anti-colonial sci-fi novella, inspired by the Count of Monte Cristo, in which a betrayed captain seeks revenge on…

[genieinanovel]

March/April 2025 Wrap Up

Ahhhhhh. I’m back, y’all. At least for the moment. So my reading life has been weird. I’ll be super-into it and then when I finish what I’m reading, I’ll dive into photography and not touch a book for two weeks. That’s really the problem… photography. With the nicer weather we’ve had, I’ve been getting outside and taking photos – mostly street and skate photography. But then a month ago I…

[jand87sportsgirlie]

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

I have been meaning to do a post on this for a while now. I listened to this audiobook series prior to the start of the pandemic and lucky for me… I didn’t have to let it go for a while because Netflix made the series into a movie in 2018. I will never forget how audiobooks helped me through my quarantine… out in the middle of nowhere. There was little to do. For those of you that do not know……

[booksteacupandreviews]

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune - uplifting cozy LGBTQ fantasy

Somewhere Beyond the Sea is a heart-melting, uplifting cozy LGBTQ fantasy about love, kindness, and the power of family. Somewhere Beyond the Sea SynopsisReviewMy favorite QuotesBook Links Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #2) by T.J. Klune Publication Date : September 10, 2024 Publisher : Tor Books Read Date : November 13, 2024 Genre : Fantasy / LGBTQ Pages : 416 Source :…

[readnburied]

13 Thoughts I had while Reading “These Violent Delights”

So I read These Violent Delights by Chloe gong this month and really enjoyed it. I loved the entire atmosphere and the setting, and most of all I loved the plot. I felt a lot while reading this book and wanted to share my thoughts here. So here’s a glimpse of my thoughts regarding These Violent Delights. 

1. A retelling? Wow! This will be exciting! 

This book is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare which I read in junior high and didn’t like it. But I loved this book. 

2. Okay I’m loving this idea of rival gangs. And the names. I love the names.

The author’s idea of having rival gangs was a clever one and I absolutely loved the names of the characters and their personalities. 

3. Juliette is badass. She knows how to shoot. I want to learn it. 

Considering she’s the heir to the Scarlet Gang, it’s fitting that she’s strong and independent but I loved how she could wield a gun, because that is something I really want to learn. 

4. I love the relationship dynamics between Roma and the others. 

Roma is an amazing character. He will steal your heart without you knowing it. And I loved the dynamics between him and his people and Juliette. 

5. What is this monster? Lice? Eww. 

The monster is causing people to die in a unique and horribly gross manner. I’ve never read about this kind of monster. So as disturbing as it was, it was also novel. 

6. So much bloodshed. So much misunderstanding. Loyalty? Love? What do you choose? 

This is after reading about Roma’s and Juliette’s perspectives and the reason behind what they did. Both of them had it tough. 

7. I like how nobody questions Juliette and Roma and they can go wherever they want. 

Throughout the novel, they’re hardly ever home, which makes sense considering their lifestyle and what they have to do. But I like how no one questions them, because if I go out, a lot of people ask me to give them details. 

8. This madness is driving me mad. I hate people dying! 

As the story progresses, the monster takes hold of the city and plenty of people are dying. I hated how people close to the main characters become victims of the monster. 

9. Roma, Marshall and Benedict have my heart. They have it and I don’t regret giving it to them. 

I adored this trio and I wish I could meet them in real life. I wish they were real. The author has done a splendid job with these characters and their personalities. 

10. Oh my, I did not see that coming!

When the truth finally comes out and the audience gets to know who the monster is and why it was created in the first place. 

11. This monster is unreal. Good thing it’s fiction. 

Reading the physical description of the monster made me nauseous, but that’s just another proof of the author’s talents. But yeah, I found the whole monster thing kind of unrealistic but since it’s fiction, I can’t complain. 

12. Marshall!! No!! 

Marshall didn’t deserve what happened to him. And I wished I could protect him from such a fate. I love Marshall. 

13. Oh my… thank God! But wait, release what? 

The ending brought a massive relief but at the same time a fresh wave of anxiety, which made me hungry for book 2 and I can’t wait to read it. 

And that’s it. These are some of my thoughts while reading These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong. Of course I had other thoughts as well but I couldn’t write them all down or I’ll be here forever. If you haven’t read this book or series, I highly recommend that you guys read it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. 

[samwaverley]

What happens when a quiet fishing village accidentally becomes the center of a modern-day myth? This dispatch will take you there, but pack light—truth and wonder weigh nothing.

[rachellepryce]

What happens when a quiet fishing village accidentally becomes the center of a modern-day myth? This dispatch will take you there, but pack light—truth and wonder weigh nothing.

[onetribune]

What happens when a quiet fishing village accidentally becomes the center of a modern-day myth? This dispatch will take you there, but pack light—truth and wonder weigh nothing.

[esperanzapretila]

In all my wandering, I had not found something like Unheard. Here's why.

[sallymajors]

In all my wandering, I had not found something like Unheard. Here's why.

[flaviathebibliophile]

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch (ARC Review)

Title: The Nightmare Before Kissmas Author: Sara Raasch Type: Fiction Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+ Publisher: Bramble Date published: October 8, 2024 A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Bramble in exchange for an honest review. Nicholas “Coal” Claus used to love Christmas. Until his father, the reigning Santa, turned the holiday into a PR façade. Coal will…

[genieinanovel]

Review: Happily Never After

I'm finally back with a book review!

Their name? The objectors.Their job? To break off weddings as hired.Their dilemma? They might just be in love with each other.When Sophie Steinbeck finds out just before her nuptials that her fiancé has cheated yet again, she desperately wants to call it off. But because her future father-in-law is her dad’s cutthroat boss, she doesn’t want to be the one to do it. Her savior comes in the form of…

[booksteacupandreviews]

The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals and Romance #1) by Sara Raasch - Holiday themed queer romance

The Nightmare Before Kissmas is an engaging, heartwarming, and magical Holiday themed queer romance with an amazing concept and lovable characters. The Nightmare Before KissmasSynopsisReviewYou might enjoy The Nightmare Before Kissmas if you like,Book Links The Nightmare Before Kissmas (Royals and Romance #1) by Sara Raasch Publication Date : October 8, 2024 Publisher : Bramble Read Date :…

[catbrarian]

cats and libraries ۫ ꣑ৎ