mccutiereads's reviews
114 reviews

For She is Wrath by Emily Varga

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adventurous dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I ate this book UP!! I was in the mood for a revenge/retribution focused book with a badass female lead and this book delivered! The Count of Monte Cristo inspiration was perfect and didn’t feel too cookie-cutter due to the Pakistani influence (which I loved and was a fun and interesting POV). The imagery was immersive and I felt like I was in the world with Dania! I loved how all the stories connected and the fierce relationships the characters developed! I also wasn’t expecting the twist! Dania went on quite the journey trying to find vengeance, but ultimately found herself. I loved this and would recommend it to literally anyone!
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Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Wow wow wow! The end to the Alex Stern series (or is it?)!! Leigh, seriously, I want more! Give the people what they want! I love Leigh’s writing and dove head first after finishing Ninth House! I’m glad this book focused on getting our beloved Gentleman Demon back from the bowels of hell (even if we took a bit longer to get there). 

I will say, it felt like there wasn’t a clear direction for this book for the first chunk. We had Alex trying to get her life back on track and doing a pretty bang up job of it! Then it slowly unraveling with her LA past coming to ante up, a cropping of  mysterious murders happening around New Haven, and vampires???? All the while, trying to find a way to save our darling Darlington. 

The characters? Fab. And I loved the return of a few old (surprising) faces! The plot? Still fascinating if not a little drawn out a bit more than I thought necessary (all for the sake of page count, right?) 
My only misgivings? I thought the ending was a bit rushed and a few characters having ties to a certain undead group felt out of place and not tied up or explained in the way Leigh usually does. With Ninth House, we were given some explanation for Daisy and Sandow that I thought tied the book together very well!! I felt Leigh trying to do the same here, but it just falling short. All in all, I hope Alex can finally breathe and maybe go visit her mom! 
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Priest by Sierra Simone

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dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was soooooo cathartic for my repressed middle school Catholic girl. Being raised a cradle Catholic, I’ve had my fair share of guilt and shame when it comes to my *ahem* “carnal pleasures” (as Father Bell so eloquently put it). It has taken a long time to embrace my sexuality (and to be honest the embracing is STILL going on)! I gobbled this up literally within 24 hours (thank you Daylight Savings) and will be moving on to the next in the series! The tension and spice was hot hot HOT! And I loved the personal struggles the characters went through and how they came out in the end. My only misgiving was the third act breakup — god help me — and how it clearly went against the characters personalities. It was a happy (and spicy) ending though so I’m fairly happy! 
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One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 84%.
Ran out of time for book club and never came back to it!
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The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

Cozy fall read that follows a cursed witch determined to enact vengeance at whatever cost! 
The Man With Night Sweats by Thom Gunn

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challenging dark emotional slow-paced

4.0

Separated into four parts, Gunn takes readers on a journey through his emotional prose. I would absolutely recommend reading out loud and read if you are experiencing loss and grief. 
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Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 0%.
Not the right time. Will come back to this Irish gem
Funny Story by Emily Henry

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

5.0

Literally adore Daphne and Miles! Emily Henry has done it again and I am not surprised in the least! PWMOV is still my no.1 but this is a very close second!! Her cast of characters gets better with each book, and I feel the MC’s emotions and dilemmas as if they are my own! Love love love!