this companion novel doesnt necessarily add anything to the main series in terms of plot, but it does make me fall even more in love with rhyan.
anyonthis companion novel doesnt necessarily add anything to the main series in terms of plot, but it does make me fall even more in love with rhyan.
anyone who has read these books knows just how perfect he is, so im glad his POV books arent a retelling of the series from his perspective (which i feel would limit his character), but rather an opportunity for growth and development by telling his story and sharing his background.
so, overall, an enjoyable read and an installment that has me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series!
this is a quick and easy read with a good ending, but its probably my least favorite book by CRH so far.
i think the idea is interesting and the fact this is a quick and easy read with a good ending, but its probably my least favorite book by CRH so far.
i think the idea is interesting and the fact this is loosely inspired by the series of women who went missing in ireland in the 90s had me intrigued, but i dont feel as if this fully delivers what it promises.
the title is called ‘the trap’ and the synopsis claims the story is about a woman risking everything to catch the person who took her sister, but none of that is really the focus of the story. its mainly about introducing all of the characters, how they are impacted by the missing women, and the police investigation. lucy trying to “trap” the culprit is only like 10% of the story. so i wish that had gotten more page time and played a bigger part in the plot.
but, like i said, this is a quick and easy read with a good ending. i just think it could have been better if the main focus of the story was different.
true to KAs signature style, this is a relevant story that hits on necessary topics, delivers great courtrooms scenes, and ends in a reveal you dont strue to KAs signature style, this is a relevant story that hits on necessary topics, delivers great courtrooms scenes, and ends in a reveal you dont see coming.
while all of these aspects are what makes KAs stories so great, my favorite parts are the ones that take place in the courtroom. KAs background as a lawyer does her a great service in being able to portray trials in a realistic, yet dramatic, way. which makes it fun and engaging to read.
my only complaint would be the ending. its extremely abrupt and caught me off guard. while it does provide all of the answers a reader needs, it still feels like its lacking closure.
but, ending aside, this is still a great addition to KAs bibliography and a sequel thats as good as the first book.
the premise of this story isnt horrible. in fact, i actually think its a pretty good recipe for an entertaining story. but man, the characters in thisthe premise of this story isnt horrible. in fact, i actually think its a pretty good recipe for an entertaining story. but man, the characters in this suuuuck. lol.
they just arent good. arsene is not a person anyone should be falling in love with. he doesnt make me swoon, he makes me want to call the police. my feelings would be different if he redeemed himself by the end, but that never happened. and winnifred is a two dimensional stereotype. although she didnt repel me like arsene did, shes just a massive snoozefest.
i feel like this is a story that could have been enjoyable if the characters had been completely different and more tolerable. oh well.
while i dont exactly think its a terrible book, i just dont think its a very good ending to the series. i actualim not sure what to think about this.
while i dont exactly think its a terrible book, i just dont think its a very good ending to the series. i actually believe RAs strength is in writing duologies. she has successfully proven that she knows how to create two parts of a story and does a great job at telling each half so wholly and completely.
so do i think i would have enjoyed this series more if it had only been two books and not drawn out across four? yes, probably. because this installment feels as if RA was just trying to fill the pages until it reached the end, especially after the previous book felt so out of place. readers who enjoy classic fantasy creatures, court politics, and war schemes will most likely have fun with this, but everything just felt unnecessary to me when i take in the series as a whole.
so, in short, this is an okay book on its own but, when viewed as a part of the series, im not sure i liked it.
hmmm. while this isnt necessarily a bad book, i cant help but compare it to KDs debut novel (which i loved immensely) and see all of the ways in whichhmmm. while this isnt necessarily a bad book, i cant help but compare it to KDs debut novel (which i loved immensely) and see all of the ways in which this novel doesnt live up.
objectively, this has a good story. the characters are older, so i think this was trying to fall under the NA genre, but it is very much YA in feel and writing. which is fine. i think it does a good job at discussing grief, how to be a good friend, and choosing what to do with ones life. all of these are great topics for the YA audience and the story represents them well.
that being said, i never got attached to any of the characters and, therefore, never fully cared about any of them as a result. my investment in the characters was what made me to love ‘some mistakes were made’ so much, so its such a bummer that i didnt have the same experience this time around. i also didnt believe the romance between the two MCs. it felt like it was based on pretty much nothing, so that whole subplot didnt really work for me.
but overall, i do think that is a decent book; i just personally didnt find it as enjoyable as KDs previous novel.
it reminded me of my reading experiences with ‘blood and moonlight,’‘serpent and dove,’ and ‘small favi loved this! like, whole-heartedly loved this.
it reminded me of my reading experiences with ‘blood and moonlight,’‘serpent and dove,’ and ‘small favors.’ not because the plots are similar (theyre not), but because i was so effortlessly submerged in the stories.
the characters are fully developed, the plot is engaging, the writing is spot-on, and the overall vibe is entertaining. its just a high-quality novel in all the ways that matter to me as a reader.
with an average rating on the lower end, i was worried going into this that it would be quite the let down. luckily, it wasnt, but eh, this was fine.
with an average rating on the lower end, i was worried going into this that it would be quite the let down. luckily, it wasnt, but that doesnt mean it was amazing either. it was just a fine read all around.
the narrative is more mystery than it is thriller, but it has an interesting commentary on southern legends, compelling secrets, religious influence and everything else that makes small appalachian towns unique. i did find the pacing to be quite slow and there wasnt anything specific that made me look forward to picking this up, but something about that story made me want to see how everything played out.
so, all in all, this was interesting enough but nothing spectacular.
i picked this up not because the story sounded interesting but because i adore KAs ‘winternight’ trilogy. so i initially read this more because i likei picked this up not because the story sounded interesting but because i adore KAs ‘winternight’ trilogy. so i initially read this more because i like the author rather than because i enjoy magical realism. which i dont. lol. so im pleasantly surprised i liked this as much as i did!
this is definitely a story that places more emphasis on the journey, rather than the destination. i think, had i been reading with my focus on how everything is resolved, i would have been disappointed and left feeling like, “thats it?!” so, by being patient with the exploratory narrative and appreciating the message the story was trying to convey, my reading experience was more enjoyable.
and even though magical realism just isnt the genre for me personally, i do think KAs take on the horrors of WWI fit the style and tone of the story really well. this isnt quite on the same level of loveliness as her ‘winternight’ trilogy, but still a good book and an easy recommendation to those who enjoy war novels.
i definitely would have liked this story more if it had a length that suited it.
its too long with too slow of pacing to be a novella and, yet, its toi definitely would have liked this story more if it had a length that suited it.
its too long with too slow of pacing to be a novella and, yet, its too short with too shallow of concepts to be a full in-depth novel. its almost as there is too much happening but not enough pages for the characterisation, pacing, and narrative plot to be executed properly.
either it need to be longer to give all of these elements room to breathe, or some of it needed to be trimmed to turn the book into a short story.
because all of the good concepts are there - gothic house, cursed family, strange deaths in the town, nice writing - it just didnt quite come together as well as i thought it could. great potential and ideas, but the execution just left a bit for be desired for me personally.
did i honestly read the same book as everyone else?!? because i seriously doubt it. nor do i think an editor did.
there is just no way i can give this did i honestly read the same book as everyone else?!? because i seriously doubt it. nor do i think an editor did.
there is just no way i can give this 5 stars, like it seems to be getting left and right. and heres why.
the lack of editing is seriously criminal for a big publisher like simon and schuster. so many continuity errors, so many grammar mistakes, so much awkward and unrealistic/unnatural dialogue from page 1, so many odd skips and jumps in the narrative. this honestly reads like a wattpad story that was hastily written and posted at 2am without a second thought.
heres the thing though. these kinds of these can be overlooked and not take the reader out of the story IF the reader is thoroughly engaged. and i just wasnt. its not original by any means. ive read this kind of plot so many times before, it has so many overused tropes, and i could predict any sort of plot twist from the very beginning.
so, because of my lack of interest in the story, the editing mistakes were the nail on the coffin that made me just not want to deal with this story any more. i didnt hate it, but its just not a book i would personally consider good or enjoyable.
not for me at all, but im happy so many people could overlook the writing issues and get hooked on the story!
i could tell with KMs last series (which this is a spin off of) that she was eagerly trying to shift her way out of YA stories. so this is her first si could tell with KMs last series (which this is a spin off of) that she was eagerly trying to shift her way out of YA stories. so this is her first series that it is full on adult romantasy from the start and it does not hold back.
this is very heavy on the romance, which isnt bad if thats what youre wanting. but i did find myself more interested in the plot than the smut scene, which i eventually started skipping about half way through because thats how frequent they are. while the angst and envy between the two characters is done well, its the storyline outside of the bedroom that was more entertaining for me. i enjoyed the scavenger hunt-esque game, the riddles, the mystery of camillas origins, and the overall puzzle of the narrative.
so based on my feelings for this first installment, i do think this is going to be a very good companion series, as each book is set to explore a different prince of the seven circles, who were first introduced in the kingdom of the wicked series. this definitely gives KM room to expand her world building and develop her characters without feeling constrained to a singular story arc.
so im looking forward to the next book coming out later this year!
while this release is a pleasant surprise, its definitely not the release that i (or probably many other rothfuss fans) was wanting. it unfortunately while this release is a pleasant surprise, its definitely not the release that i (or probably many other rothfuss fans) was wanting. it unfortunately seems like the wait for book #3 will most likely last indefinitely. :/
that being said, i did enjoy this short novella. i already liked the original short story, so its nice to see it get expanded and explore a delightful day in the life of bast.
bast is one of those characters that i really wanted more of in the series - i found him so mysterious and intriguing. and i will admit that, by the end of the second book, i had some massive questions about him. this didnt answer any of those questions, but it did make me trust him more.
so all in all, a charming story about a very charming character.
im so satisfied with this sequel and really enjoying this series as a whole. lately ive suspected that ive fallen into a reading sluthis hit the spot!
im so satisfied with this sequel and really enjoying this series as a whole. lately ive suspected that ive fallen into a reading slump because books just werent impressing me as much as they used to. so what a relief that i found a book where i was always looking forward to picking it back up every time i had to put it down.
there honestly isnt much lacking from this. the characters are all pretty stellar, the plot is interesting, the pacing is on point, and the writing is so bingeable. its a top notch book in nearly every aspect.
buuut, if i had to critique anything, it would be how this teeters right on the line between YA and adult. there were times when it felt like i was reading a very YA story and then other times it was like i had an adult fantasy book in my hands. for me, personally, i wish the story had tipped over the edge and fallen into adult. theres a lot i believe the narrative could benefit from if it didnt feel constrained by a YA vibe.
but obviously this wasnt a dealbreaker for me as i really enjoyed this. i cant wait for the next book!
this mostly likely would have been a 4 star read if i hadnt already read SYs adair family series (which this series is a spin-off of).
the reason beinthis mostly likely would have been a 4 star read if i hadnt already read SYs adair family series (which this series is a spin-off of).
the reason being is everything about this story feel very recycled, very copy and paste. so much so that i genuinely believed for a few chapters that i had already read this and just forgot because thats how familiar everything felt. its as if the events of the main series are happening again, this time to different characters.
but for some readers, this may be a good thing. i mean, its one the reasons i read all of the books in adair family series - because i enjoyed the consistent predicability. i knew what i was getting before i even opened the book - some suspense, most likely a kidnapping or death threat, a brooding love interest who will protect the woman from those threats, and a whole lot of angsty romance. its a formula that works.
so its too bad that i was actually wanting this to be different. not completely different, but something… fresher? that it would give something that the main series hadnt already. but that, unfortunately, was not the case. again, this could be either a bad or good thing, depending on what you are looking for. but, for me, it just felt old and used.
this book was given to me as a gift by a good friend, with a note saying it was one of his favourites.
not only was i fortunate to read such a wonderfthis book was given to me as a gift by a good friend, with a note saying it was one of his favourites.
not only was i fortunate to read such a wonderful story, but i feel so much closer to my friend. by experiencing what he enjoys to read, i have come to understand him so much more.
and now, whenever i think of this story, i will think about him - as both are strong, courageous, funny, and show a subtle hint of love.
this book recently went through a cosmetic rebranding, getting a new cover and title, but it unfortunately did not go through any kind of new editing this book recently went through a cosmetic rebranding, getting a new cover and title, but it unfortunately did not go through any kind of new editing or revising. as KLWs debut novel, it makes sense that this isnt as strong as her more recent books. which makes me wonder - why have a rerelease three years later if none of the content is updated to reflect the authors more developed writing?
this is just a little too simple, relies a little too much on stereotypes, and the best friend trope just isnt used as effectively as it could have. i probably would have enjoyed this a lot more if i read it as a teenager because its your classic YA coming-of-age novel. but with my older age, i need a little bit more substance from my stories.
so all in all, not a terrible book, but it definitely could have been better.
ooooh, this sequel is so interesting. after finishing it, its so blatantly obvious that the sole purpose of this installment is to be a bridge and conooooh, this sequel is so interesting. after finishing it, its so blatantly obvious that the sole purpose of this installment is to be a bridge and connect the previous book to the next book. and i know some of you are thinking, isnt that what books in a series are supposed to do?
the answer is yes. but the way this sets up the next book, its as if book #1 and book #3 are two separate stories, but AG needed a way to link them, so she wrote this sequel as a filler to do that. but this doesnt feel like a filler, even though thats what its supposed to be.
the gothic ghost vibes are still going strong, the secretive family history is still a mystery, and the spooky atmosphere is still serving its purpose. i think the transitionary nature of the plot is why i didnt love this as much as the first book, but i have a very strong feeling the next book is going to bring back the spark that made me obsessed with this story, the characters, and AGs writing!
august is one of the worst love interests i have read about in a very long time. he made me drier than the arizona desert i grew up in. the opposite of august is one of the worst love interests i have read about in a very long time. he made me drier than the arizona desert i grew up in. the opposite of swoon-worthy.
and i wish i could just leave my review at that, but this was given to me as an ARC and so i feel obligated to at least explain why i didnt enjoy this.
my main lack of enjoyment came from the characters themselves. natalie isnt particularly special in any way. shes your basic run-of-the-mill heroine. and then theres august, who is one of the biggest idiots of all time. so it was impossible for me to believe there was any kind of romance between such a dull princess and massive douche bro. lust? sure. i can believe that 100%. but not for one second did i see any kind of love between these two characters.
which left me asking, what was even the point of this romance novel?
on one hand, im feeling pretty proud that i finished a romance series. that pretty rare for me, so i feel accomphmmm. where do i begin with this one?
on one hand, im feeling pretty proud that i finished a romance series. that pretty rare for me, so i feel accomplished that i stuck with it.
on the other hand, im pretty much over the whole tiktok romance genre. you know the stories. the ones that are very pop culture and smut heavy. they definitely serve a particular purpose in the book world, but i no longer feel like they suit my particular reading needs.
that being said, i didnt hate this. i never wanted to DNF the book and i actually thought sloane and lucians hate relationship in the beginning was super believable. they definitely acted like two people who realistically hated each other, which impressed me.
but there wasnt much else i got out of this in terms of satisfaction. is it easy to read? yes. is the angst turned up all the way? yes. is it a good conclusion to the series? yes. but none of those yeses excited me. which is why im pretty much done with this kind of story. not the books fault, but it is what it is.
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