Lauren's Boookshelf: why choose

-reread-

Title: Pack Darling, Part Two

Author: Lola Rock

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

-reread-

Title: Pucking Around

Author: Emily Rath

Rating: 3 // 5 stars

Title: The Scepter

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

-reread-

Title: The Sword

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

-reread-

Title: The Crown of Oaths and Curses

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

-reread-

Title: The Throne of Honor and Blood

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 4 // 5 stars

April 2024 Wrap Up + Haul

Review: "Pack Darling" Parts 1 & 2 by Lola Rock

The first of two books I got this month was Tourner by Jane Washington. This is the second book in her Ironside Academy series and one I absolutely adore. With the release of the fourth book at the end of May and the upcoming series cover change, I knew I wanted this book on my shelves. I love these covers and Tourner really is one of the more stunning ones in the series. Plus, the story is so much fun and very addicting. I'm just excited to have it and add the next two to my shelves later in the summer.

Then I picked up the Stardew Valley Official Cookbook by ConcernedApe and Ryan Novak. I've become a huge Stardew Valley fan in the last six months and, being a huge foodie, I was so excited when this cookbook was announced. Cooking is a relatively big part of the game and having a lot of the recipes be represented in this cookbook to then get to try is a very fun prospect. I've had a couple cursory flip throughs so far but I'm pretty excited to dedicate some time soon to having a proper look.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Friday, May 10, 2024

Review: "Pack Darling" Parts 1 & 2 by Lola Rock

Duology Title: Pack Darling

Author: Lola Rock

Genre: Adult Omegaverse Why Choose/RH

Individual Ratings:

Part 1 - 5 // 5 stars
Part 2 - 5 // 5 stars

Overall Rating: 5 // 5 stars

I have a new obsession and that obsession is miss Lilah Darling. Pack Darling is a duology that came to me at just the right time in my life when I needed something to fall into and completely get lost in. It helped me when I was low and I am so grateful to have found it when I needed it. Even apart from that, though, this duology is the best omegaverse I've ever read and one that I'm obsessed with and think about daily...enough to the point that I have already reread it.

So I'm fairly new to the omegaverse genre. I've only read a handful of them so far but I do have to say that this duology is the best yet. It has a mixture of some of my favorite tropes (enemies/rivals to lovers, slow burn, angst, hurt/comfort, why choose, found family, etc). The plot is exciting and engaging. But more than anything, the characters are developed and multi-faceted.

We've got a cast of six characters centered in this story: Lilah, Orion, Hunter, Finn, Jett, and Atlas. Sometimes, once the number of love interests go higher than three, it gets hard to differentiate between them and they no longer feel like their own person. That was not the case in this duology. Each character felt so unique and I could tell them apart on the page just by how they were narrating. That, for me, is the first test of great characters in a why-choose series.

The characters were also just fun. Finn, especially, is one of my favorites. He's psycho but in a fun, endearing way....a character you just love to read about because they're wild. Of course, Lilah is my absolute favorite though. She's gone on such a journey, has dealt with so much, and is just badass throughout it all. I could read a million more books about her and her little domestic adventures (or thrilling escapades). More than anything, this duology is about a group of characters going on a journey of healing and learning to trust in each other. I'm a sucker for a found family trope and this duology does it so well.

This duology won't be for everyone, but for me it was a perfect recipe of a lot of elements I love coming together into an addicting read. I've already read it twice in the span of four months and I anticipate rereading it many more times in the future.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Monday, February 5, 2024

Series Review: "Ironside Academy" Books 1-3 by Jane Washington

Series: Ironside Academy

Author: Jane Washington

Genre: New Adult Paranormal RH/Omegaverse

Reading Order & Individual Ratings:

Plier - 5 // 5 stars
Tourner - 5 // 5 stars
Sauter - 5 // 5 stars

Overall Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Ironside is more than a regular academy. It’s also the biggest reality TV show in the world … and a very elaborate, very luxurious prison.

Their hallowed halls are ruled by the powerful Betas and the middling Omegas, with the plentiful Deltas as their main targets, but this year, the officials are stirring things up.

Isobel Carter—the only rare Sigma to be accepted—is the first sign. But there are others. Many others. A sudden influx of precious Alphas will turn academy life, and Isobel’s life, upside down.

She might be the lowest rung on the ladder, but in order to survive Ironside, where social media is king and consequences are deadly, she will need to make her mark.

She will need to climb.

This isn’t a game for the faint of heart, and those who rise should be prepared for a beautiful, brutal fall.

Beware the pretty posers, because this social media game just got dangerous.

I've been reading Jane Washington for almost a decade now and she's been on my auto-buy list ever since that first book all those years ago. Over a dozen books later, Ironside Academy is her newest series and has instantly become a new favorite of mine. Ironside Academy is an omegaverse why choose series set at a boarding school for Gifted (Alphas/Betas/etc) that's host to a reality TV show competition.

One thing I've noticed with everything I've read by Jane is that the stories are always unique and like nothing I've read before. Each of her series is so different but they always have the same "Jane Washington" feeling to them. The addicting characters, the romances, the twisting plotlines where you never truly know what to expect.

Ironside Academy is just addicting. The books are long but I fly through them like they're little chapter books. Between the large cast of love interests, the reality TV competition, and the continuous drama our main character finds herself in, each scene feels engaging and important.

Obviously my favorite character is Isobel, our protagonist. We've got a lot of love interests (ten Alphas) and we're still getting to slowly know some of them so I haven't been able to pick a favorite out of those yet (though I do have an idea of who could be a favorite in future books). However, it's been a blast getting to see her interacting with them all and slowly getting into it.

The world is fascinating. There's the human world but then the Gifted community within it who are kept segregated. The Gifted society is set up in a omegaverse hierarchy and they all have different abilities depending on their hierarchical rank and power level. This boarding school Isobel and the Alphas attend is primarily for human entertainment and the reality TV show competition determines who lives a life of luxury and fame after graduation.

The plot mainly follows Isobel as she begins at this school and gets to know the Alphas. Initially she doesn't want to play into the reality competition but, like everyone, she's eventually drawn in. It's quite difficult to describe what I love about the story without spoiling things but I'll just say that the drama is great, the social element is addicting to read, and the budding romance is so much fun.

Overall, I just love this series so much. Jane knows how to keep me coming back from series to series and I love this one so much. It's provided me so much entertainment during some difficult months and I can't wait to see how the series progresses in the next few books.

TROPES

❂ GIFTED ACADEMY

❂ PROFESSOR X STUDENT

❂ FATED/REJECTED MATES

❂ REALITY TV COMPETITION

❂ MC IS A DANCER

❂ SOCIAL MEDIA COMPETITION

TRIGGER WARNINGS: attempted rape, sexual assault, bullying, physical & emotional abuse, trauma, panic attacks

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Thursday, February 1, 2024

January 2024 Wrap-Up + Book Haul

The first month of January is done and what a month it was. It was a crap month if I'm being honest and one of the longest months of my life. I'm not going to get into it as I prefer to focus on books here but this month was incredibly draining. The impact will continue to be felt for months to come, I'm sure. However, books have been an incredible help with coping with everything this month so I did have a great reading month.

I read 16 books this month and got most of the way through another. I reread a lot of favorites and found a new graphic novel series that I absolutely love. I'm also very much looking forward to a lot of my winter/spring anticipated releases that have started releasing as of January 30th. Let's go ahead and dive in!

Title: A Kingdom This Cursed & Empty

Author: Stacia Stark

Rating: 3 // 5 stars

Title: The Six Deaths of the Saint

Author: Alix E. Harrow

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Title: Just Drop Out

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

-reread-

Title: Make Your Move

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

-reread-

Title: Play the Game

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

-reread-

Title: To The End

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

-reread-

Title: All Hail

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

-reread-

Title: The Ruthless

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

-reread-

Title: Queen Crow

Author: J. Bree

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

-reread-

10.

Title: Lore Olympus, Volume One

Author: Rachel Smythe

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

11.

Title: Lore Olympus, Volume Two

Author: Rachel Smythe

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

12.

Title: Lore Olympus, Volume Three

Author: Rachel Smythe

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

13.

Title: Lore Olympus, Volume Four

Author: Rachel Smythe

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

14.

Title: Lore Olympus, Volume Five

Author: Rachel Smythe

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

15.

Title: Lore Olympus, Volume Six

Author: Rachel Smythe

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

16.

Title: Lore Olympus, Volume Seven

Author: Rachel Smythe

Rating: 5 // 5 stars

Book Review: "Iron Flame" by Rebecca Yarros

December 2023 Wrap-Up

December 2023 Book Haul

Favorite Books of 2023

Book Series I Finished in 2023

I only hauled two books this month so I wanted to discuss them in this wrap up rather than a separate post. The first one is actually under the St. Martin's Press boycott so I won't be talking about it here but I am excited to read it at some point this year and (hopefully) be able to talk to you all about it.

The second book I got was the Target edition of House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas. This is one of my most anticipated releases of the year and I have already started reading it. This release, though, I'm not collecting the various editions as there's just too many. I was going to get the Walmart edition for that bonus scene but they didn't have any at mine on release day so I popped over to Target for my second choice (Ruhn!). Hopefully I'll have a review coming soon!

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Monday, January 22, 2024

Book Series I Finished in 2023

I read 101 books in 2023. Within those 101, I finished ten books series. I had a good year in terms of finishing series and I hope to keep that momentum going into 2024. This year was mostly the year of J. Bree (six of the ten slots on this list are for her). I would say largely it was a good year for series, but not as productive as I would have hoped in regards to my backlist series TBR. Let's go ahead and dive in!

The first series I finished this year was Hannaford Prep by J. Bree, the first series in the Mounts Bay world. However, not only did I read this once this year, I read it twice. Two of the ten spots on this list belong to this series and it truly deserved taking so many spots on my 2023 reading list. It's truly become a comfort series at this point and I'm so glad that I discovered it last year. It's not an example of peak literature by any means but it's super fun, addicting, and the characters have wormed their way into my heart. You can find my original series review here.

Then I continued with my Mounts Bay read-through with the Queen Crow trilogy by J. Bree. This trilogy follows side characters from Hannaford Prep after the fallout of the final book. This series is just as addicting, though I definitely still prefer HP if I had to choose. The romance is incredibly different and the plot stakes have changed. Mostly, it was just fun getting to experience more of this world and spend more time with the characters. You can find my review here.

My last series of the Mounts Bay read-through was the Butcher of the Bay duet by J. Bree. This is a prequel duet set before the events of Hannaford Prep and center two characters we love dearly. The duet is their origin story and how their romance came to be. This duet is very dark and graphic in ways I won't go into here. However, it's also about romance and healing and dealing with trauma. I loved getting to know the history behind these two characters as they've been such a staple on page in the other series. You can find my review here.

I finally finished the Bonds that Tie series by J. Bree this year. I then also reread it in October, putting it as the second series I read twice this year. I enjoyed it a lot on the first read through but I did think the last few books weren't as good as the first few. However, on my reread, I loved every moment and felt I came out of it loving it more than the first time. It's just an addicting series and this year was truly the year of J. Bree. You can find my original review here.

Then I reread the Mindf*ck series by S.T. Abby. This is a super dark serial killer romance series and it's so addicting. It's popular on booktok and I discovered it in 2022. I read it in one sitting that year and fell in love with Lana. Mindf*ck is one of those series where you actually root for the villain to succeed. It's not for the faint of heart though and if you're anticipating reading it I would recommend looking at all the trigger warnings in advance. You can find my original review here.

In the back half of the year I read WITSEC by Ashley N. Rostek. This is a why choose romance series about a girl in witness protection who moves somewhere new and falls for her new neighbors. Did I read this series in 24 hours? Yes. But were they good? Mhm I'm not sure. They were addicting but I think they were only good on the surface level. When you actually dive into an analysis of the series it doesn't stand up. I honestly have also forgotten most of it by now but you can find my review here.

Then I read the Pacific Prep series by R.A. Smyth. This is a why choose bully romance/organized crime series in the same sort of genre as Hannaford Prep. I was looking for something to fill that void from HP and I ended up finding this one. It was alright? Like with WITSEC, on the surface level it was good but wouldn't hold up under a deeper analysis. I was a bit disappointed by the end for sure. You can find my review here.

The last series I read this year was a reread of the entire Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. This is one of my favorite series and one that is truly a staple in my reading journey. It had been five years since I read the series for the release of Kingdom of Ash and I realized how much I was missing it. That combined with the upcoming SJM release made me want to reread it ASAP. So I just sat down and did it. It was truly such a fun experience reading these again and I'm already looking forward to revisiting them in the future.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Friday, December 8, 2023

Series Review: "Pacific Prep" by R.A. Smyth

Series: Pacific Prep

Author: R.A. Smyth

Genre: RH/Why Choose? Romance / Organized Crime

Reading Order & Individual Ratings:

Broken Trust - 4 // 5 stars
Brutal Lies - 4.25 // 5 stars
Beyond Vengeance - 4.25 // 5 stars
Break Free - 4 // 5 stars

Overall Rating: 4 // 5 stars

If you've been around this blog for any amount of time then you'll know that I'm a huge fan of why choose romance series. I've been reading the genre since it was just a tiny lil corner of the book community and it's been wonderful to see it blossom into such a big genre. That being said, I've read a lot of them over the years which means I've become rather particular about the why choose books I read.

This series is addicting as hell. I went into it because people said you'd like it if you love Hannaford Prep series by J. Bree, which I absolutely am obsessed with. I read the entire series in four days and couldn't put them down. But my overall thoughts for this series are the following: enjoyable and addicting but nothing special or remarkable.

This series starts out as your classic bully romance. We're set at a boarding school with the characters in their final year. The new girl is one of the scholarship students whereas most of the school is for rich kids. However, we quickly get the feeling that there's something a bit darker going on with all the characters than just school politics.

I was having a lot of fun in the beginning. The tension between the characters was so good and the pacing was great. The secrecy regarding their histories and motivations was thrilling and I kept reading because I just wanted to know more about the characters and how it was going to impact the plot.

As the romances progressed, though, the characters started falling into a classic trap I've noticed in why choose romances where the love interests all start to meld together. What I mean by that is they stop feeling like their own characters with their own motivations and start feeling very "same-y." In some why choose series, the love interests never feel differentiated at all.

In this series, the love interests initially started as very unique characters. I loved getting to know more about them. However, as the series went on and once they started dating the main character, it just felt more like they were only there for the smut or to fill a body in a scene. It was rather disappointing as it could have been amazing. Additionally, I loved the side characters more than the love interests which indicates to me that they weren't very memorable by the end.

My other main gripe with the series is that it felt like it wrapped up way too easily. We're told for three books how dangerous the antagonists are, how difficult getting out of this situation would be, etc. However, the solutions for all of these obstacles felt too simple. To me, the solutions just negated the tension of the entire series.

Overall though, I enjoyed the story and it was rather addicting. I am also incredibly interested in one of the spin-off series that follows my favorite side characters from this series and have high hopes for that one. Unfortunately, the small issues I had made it so that this series wasn't worth five stars to me.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Lauren

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Monday, November 13, 2023

Series Review: "WITSEC" by Ashley N. Rostek

Series: WITSEC

Author: Ashley N. Rostek

Reading Order & Individual Ratings:

Find Me - 3.5 // 5 stars
Save Me - 3 // 5 stars
Love Me - 3 // 5 stars
Free Me - 3 // 5 stars

Overall Rating: 3 // 5 stars