This is book five of the Puckboys series, and I think this is the first time I’ve given a book in this series less than five stars. For some reason, tThis is book five of the Puckboys series, and I think this is the first time I’ve given a book in this series less than five stars. For some reason, this entry just didn’t gel for me as well as the others: it was a combination of not liking one of the MMCs too much, the two MMCs not having as much chemistry as I wanted, and not having the amount of spice I was expecting that threw me off, I think.
Of course, the formidable writing duo that is Eden and Saxon didn’t fail me in the writing department, though. The plot is solid, their effortless humor is there, and our beloved Queer Collective makes a few cameo appearances. Asher, Quinn’s teammate, made my day almost every time he was on page.
Minor annoyances aside, any entry in the Sadenverse is a good entry. Eden and Saxon don’t write bad books, in my opinion. This is just a little less of a good book than all their other absolutely excellent books, that’s all.
I was provided a copy of this title by the authors. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Well! With friends like these, who needs enemies, right?
This is a closed-loop domestic thriller/suspense mystery about the tReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Well! With friends like these, who needs enemies, right?
This is a closed-loop domestic thriller/suspense mystery about the type of mean girls who grew up to be the type of moms I worked very hard to stay away from at any and all social events that involved children when mine were growing up: rich, self-involved, vain, discriminatory, judgmental, and insular. At a “moms-only” party one night, the hostess is found floating in the pool, and the police call it homicide. Now the question is: Who murdered her?
The narrative structure of this book is first-person, with chapters alternating between characters (Brooke, Whitney, and Jade), and between timelines (Then and Now). Even though there were more people present at the party than these three characters and there are more suspects than these three characters, it’s pretty evident that by making these three core characters the center of the narrative that one of them must be the culprit. While this is convenient for narrative structure it sure does take the power out of the story. It becomes pretty easy to guess (for me, at least) who the culprit is by about halfway through the book with only three true suspects to contemplate. In my readings I’ve found that five or six is my preferred number of suspects in a closed-loop mystery.
A lot of the motives behind our main characters’ actions in this book is love. Usually I don’t have an issue with that, but in the case of this book it made me so mad at these women because their love made them all look so weak.
The story itself is nice and soapy. Twisty and turny. It’s entertaining enough for a shorter read. It’s certainly not the tidiest book when it comes to closed-loops, but it’s pretty decent. I just wish these women hadn’t come across as so weak.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without recompense. Thank you.
This book had everything going for it but the plot. That’s the main point I feel I need to make in this review. It’s that I Real Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
This book had everything going for it but the plot. That’s the main point I feel I need to make in this review. It’s that I read this book and kept hoping Ella and Brooke weren’t going where they were going with the plot. I kept hoping they were going to give it a new twist or a spin. They didn’t, and I can’t tell you how disappointed that made me.
Because otherwise, this book is a yummy, spicy, funny, charming, and sometimes sweet bi-awakening LGBTQ romance. This is the first book in Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine’s new Park Avenue Princes series, so there is a good amount of page time given over to introducing us to all the Princes, not just West, who is the “Infamous” Prince who’s one of the two MMCs in this book. The other is JT, a freshman at Astor University, where his mother runs the show. JT is eager to break out of his childhood chrysalis and make new friends, since all of his high school friends had chosen to go to college elsewhere. He’s aware since his mom runs the school he’s already a pariah, in a way, and he’s eager to try and stand out and make his own way. JT is sweet, earnest, and hardworking. West is almost the exact opposite. You could call him gregarious and maybe even well-meaning, but he knows money solves almost any problem and he’d rather party than work any day.
I did love the humor, the spicy scenes (good lord I forgot how much I love Ella and Brooke’s spicy scenes!), the dialogue, and I always love a good New York romance. I just wish with all of my being they had gone with another plot.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I thank the universe for sending the romance world Cora Rose. I honestly don’t remember what reading romances was like before her and I don’t think I I thank the universe for sending the romance world Cora Rose. I honestly don’t remember what reading romances was like before her and I don’t think I want to remember. What I do remember is that I wasn’t a huge rom com fan before her, but with one book she made me fall into instalove with her style, her characters, her charm, and the hilarious situations her characters somehow seem to end up in without it seeming completely cheesy. Let’s not forget her impeccable ability to embed her characters with dimension, depth, and a wealth of personality.
Exception is shorter than most Cora Rose novels simply because it’s part of a series in which all the novels are on the shorter side. They’re meant to be fast-burn and low-angst. But Cora wouldn’t be Cora if she didn’t do the book her way. It turned out magnificent.
Exception is hot, hot, hot! The spice is nice and plentiful, but not so plentiful that we don’t get plenty of plot and character development. The book is hilarious, full of marijuana-induced hijinks and a perverted kleptomaniac of a monkey. It’s also emotionally touching, with our opposites-attract main characters maybe not being as opposite as they think and coming together in the most auspicious of places.
It’s an excellent entry into the Unlucky 13 series and just a stellar rom com all on its own. I’m here for it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, ideas, and views expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
So what’s a trauma-bonded quartet of super soldiers all in love with the female super soldier who could easily take them all out after taking out almoSo what’s a trauma-bonded quartet of super soldiers all in love with the female super soldier who could easily take them all out after taking out almost all of her maniacally evil scientist daddy’s experimental laboratories do?
Well, it turns out they go home, rest up, train, research, and try to find out where that crazy mofo went. He’s squirrely. At first time doesn’t seem to be the largest issue; but after a tragic incident, Nova willingly goes back into her own personal hell, and her men are left to track her down as quickly as possible.
If you look at my rating for Unstoppable, you can see that Unbreakable gained a half-star in rating over Unstopppable. When I read Unstoppable I didn’t feel it was exactly good enough to reach that four star mark, but I am certain Unbreakable is. Read together, the duet is a solid four star read.
What Unbreakable has over Unstoppable, believe it or not, is less spice, which makes way for more plot and character development. We get more of the character’s inner narratives, more of everybody’s feelings and a better look at how they interact, and some of the thought processes behind their decisions, no matter how painful. Like I said in my review for Unstoppable: I do enjoy the way Knight writes spice, but after a while I start to forget who’s even having sex with Nova because it starts to blur.
I enjoyed this duet, and I recommend it highly for the non-squeamish. If you’re squeamish, please check TW/CW before you start.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Anyone who is familiar with Saxon James’ Divorced Men’s Club series should be familiar with Molly, a supporting character in that series who acted outAnyone who is familiar with Saxon James’ Divorced Men’s Club series should be familiar with Molly, a supporting character in that series who acted out when his best friend started dating his dad and decided to set out for Seattle to try and get a fresh perspective on life and a fresh start. That’s not where this book begins, but that’s a good thing to know when one goes in to read this book. I would love to tell you that you could read this book without that knowledge, but I thought long and hard about how I would feel if I hadn’t read the DMC books, and I realized I’d feel very confused. I don’t know if that will be every reader’s experience, but it definitely contributed a touch to my rating of this book.
Normally, almost every Saxon James book gets five stars from me, but there was a second factor that lowered my rating to a 4 star: I just thought the beginning of the book was slow and a little messy (not in the good way). I just didn’t feel the chemistry between the characters for a bit and the dynamic felt a little forced. Everything smoothed out around the 20% point, but before that I felt like the characters were kind of floundering a bit. Then it clicked in and we were on our way.
Of course, when you’re on your way with a Saxon James book, you’re in for a good time and a good ride. Molly is cute as a button, with Xander being a neurotic sweetheart right behind him (and I swear, that better be chemistry between him and the guy at the pharmacy or I’m going to die). Rush made me snicker and snort every time he came on page, and the fact that nude yoga in the backyard is an everyday thing in their household for Madden is something I am totally on board for. Auntie Aggy is giving me life! Then there’s Seven. That boy kept breaking my heart and mending it. I call foul.
Did the plot feel a little loose? Yes. Did I enjoy the medium-burn? No. Did it feel a bit crowded? Yes. Did I wish it was spicier? Yes (but I’m me and I’m like that so don’t listen to me). Did I still enjoy the heck out of it? Yes I absolutely flippin’ did!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Eenee, meenee, minee, mo…Which one of the people closest to Mia Anderson is hiding a massive amount of secrets from her? WhiReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Eenee, meenee, minee, mo…Which one of the people closest to Mia Anderson is hiding a massive amount of secrets from her? Which one is secretly turning her whole life upside down? It was nice to be seen a little bit, for a little while, but then admiration turns into control and all Mia wants to do is to go back. Only she’s no longer in control of her own life.
You Look Beautiful Tonight was an okay read: it was diverting and engaging in a lot of ways, but the ending was one of the worst I’ve read recently in a thriller and a lot of the characters (including Mia, our protagonist) were written either too flat or problematically.
The most entertaining aspect of this book was the way Mia (and by extension, us readers) constantly examines the motivations, honesty, actions, and words of everyone in her life out of the paranoia created by a man she met online who seems to know everything about her even though they’ve never met. She can’t figure out how he’s getting all this information about her and her life. Is it her bestie? Is it her closest co-worker? Who knows?
It’s the characterizations, character development, and the ending that bring the book down to a 3.5 star rating and make the book just an okay read. Mia is treated like a dowdy librarian who, if she removes her glasses, lets her hair down, and starts wearing pretty clothes she’s all of a sudden worth attention and is taking control of her life. That’s problematic to me. Having her male co-worker and good friend approach her more than once about maybe trying dating again during work hours is problematic. Portraying her as a spoiled brat when she doesn’t get the promotion she was up for instead of maturely filing a complaint with HR is problematic.
The characters are all just a little problematic.
Would I say I recommend this book? Not really, but I’m not going to tell anyone not to read it. Like I said, it’s engaging enough, but be ready to suspend disbelief.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I’m so happy that Amber Nicole and Jenn Bullard seemed to have upped the ante and put some really solid work into Locked Promises, the middle book in I’m so happy that Amber Nicole and Jenn Bullard seemed to have upped the ante and put some really solid work into Locked Promises, the middle book in the Society for Lost Souls trilogy. This is definitely not a case of sophomore slump–this is a case of sophomore improvement.
While I enjoyed Locked Hearts a lot, I did think it had a whole lot of potential that wasn’t fully realized. The book simply felt like it hadn’t been worked through enough or polished enough to be published. It still felt really rough around the edges. And the characters were still only cookie dough; they weren’t quite cookies yet. They needed to rise and fill out and become fully fleshed-out cookies and they just weren’t there yet.
Thankfully, so many of these issues have been resolved, leaving behind a much smoother, leaner, suspenseful storyline and plot and characters that are definitely fully baked and perfectly cooled cookies.
We got to know so much more about Chastity and all the other characters in this book, and a lot more about the Society for Lost Souls, too. We got so many answers to burning questions from the first book and in the last act of the book we were suddenly peppered with many more!
And then, there’s that last step known as a cliffhanger. It’s a doozy! If you thought the cliffhanger from the first book was a wallop, then this one is going to twist your head around.
Let’s not forget the spice, because Bullard and Nicole sure don’t forget how much they denied us satisfaction in the first book. They make up for it with some very sexy and sensual spicy scenes I quite enjoyed. But I’m the blasphemous type.
If you liked Locked Hearts you’ll love Locked Promises. If you were mild on Locked Hearts, I say give it a try before you make up your mind. If you haven’t tried this series yet, give it a shot!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
It’s very rare for our beloved Eden and Saxon to step outside the box and try something new, but I do like it when they do. Up in Flames is their firsIt’s very rare for our beloved Eden and Saxon to step outside the box and try something new, but I do like it when they do. Up in Flames is their first time writing something other than hockey romance as a joint endeavor, and just like any other time these two have a document shared between them, if there’s a single crack in there you sure as heck can’t see it. These two are so symbiotic when they write it should be scary, but it nets all us readers amazing books so I think I’ll just sit here and be in awe of their symbiosis instead.
Like Eden’s solo effort, Can’t Say Goodbye, this book is made of somewhat heavier stuff than the author duo’s usual fare. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s good for authors to stretch their wings and try new ventures. You never want to stifle the muse when they come to call. Of course, neither Eden nor Saxon is in the business of getting truly angsty, but they did want to tell a story that wasn’t all just sugar, spice, and everything hilarious. Of course there was sugar (the way Sanden and Remy are to one another is definitely sweet and considerate), and there was spice (definitely fewer spice scenes than we’re used to from the writing pair, as well as somewhat less explicit but they’re still hot), and I don’t think either Eden or Saxon could stand to release a book that didn’t make us smile and laugh more than we got the sads.
Speaking of the sads: This book does have the sadness, but it has the healing for the sadness too. Or, rather, it showcases the path to healing the sadness. I applaud both authors for fully endorsing, researching, and having both Remy and Sanden going through the process of therapy to help them work through their inner demons and trauma separately and for themselves. They both owned up to the fact they needed to be healthy to move on in life and sought out the tools to help them get there. Men seeking treatment for mental health issues is still a stigmatized issue, and seeing it normalized and visible in media can only work in favor of helping to destigmatize the process.
I took a star off because I thought the ending was a bit rushed, but otherwise it’s an outstanding novel.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I feel like I was conned by a gorgeous book cover and a really well-written blurb. It’s not the first time, but I’m really bummed about it in this casI feel like I was conned by a gorgeous book cover and a really well-written blurb. It’s not the first time, but I’m really bummed about it in this case, because I was really looking forward to this book and then it took a lot for me to finish it.
Calling this book enemies-to-lovers is generous. It’s more of a socioeconomic difference mixed with distrust for a governing system and then paired with a tenuous employer/employee relationship. They’re not enemies, per se. They just have a lot of trust issues and don’t know anything about one another personally; only rumors.
I just wanted so much more from this book, but pacing issues took up a lot of space and time in this book, which made it longer than it needed to be and really ruined some of the more dramatic, fantastic, and exciting portions of the book. Our FMC, Temperance, needed her hide saved far too much for me to appreciate, and it was usually Arcadio (our MMC) that did the saving. That never sits well with me in romance.
While two out of the other three members of the ship Temperance commands are female (when you exclude Arcadio), this book barely even passes the Bechdel Test because all the other female crew members want to talk to Temperance about 99% of the time is Arcadio (and/or Temperance having intercourse with him). Thanks but no thanks. I’d rather hear about their work aboard the ship, their lives, or anything else.
I just can’t in good conscience say this book truly connected for me. It was an okay read, but not a good one for me.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. No compensation was offered or accepted for this review. Due to the three star or lower rating, this review will not appear anywhere on social media, as personal policy dictates. ...more
I’m sitting here humming “Moon River” as I start this review, because I’m thinking of Ely and Wyatt as the two drifters who are off to see the world aI’m sitting here humming “Moon River” as I start this review, because I’m thinking of Ely and Wyatt as the two drifters who are off to see the world and there’s such a lot of world to see. These two people who are so similar in many ways and yet have a large gulf between them, adrift in life and moored in their mutual, chosen loneliness. Two miserable dinghy-people, just bailing water out as fast as they take it on.
This book could’ve turned out so badly. A nudge one way and it comes out saccharine. A nudge the other way it comes out too pessimistic. Somehow, Victoria Lee kept it steadily walking that earnest and vulnerable line, where she opens up her characters for us and we fall in love with them and watch as they each fall apart and put each other back together, over and over again. This story is sensual, sweet, and optimistic (without coming across as so sunny you’d think Pollyanna was turning the pages for you).
In most romances, I don’t so much get on board for genuine, heartfelt happiness. For some reason, when it comes to LGBTQ romances, that’s all I want for them. I want all the genuine happiness. Maybe it’s a reflection of how many unhappy endings LGBTQ people (especially transgender) get in real life and how much that upsets me. Maybe since I’m LGBTQ and I have a LGBTQ child I just want to see the LGBTQ people in romance novels end up happy because I didn’t and I want better for my own kid someday. This book genuinely moved me. The way Wyatt and Ely propped each other up even when they weren’t romantically involved, the way they supported each other in their sobriety, and the way they were so reverential with one another’s bodies when they were together was an honest show of how much it meant to them to shed every layer and be bare before one another in every way. To drop every veil and reveal everything, including every insecurity and every scar.
Now, I’m new to Victoria Lee’s work, but not only did she show off some serious research chops in this book, but she also brought beautiful prose and excellent dialogue skills to the table. Her characters jumped off the page and added just enough background color and noise that they never took away from our two main protagonists–they just garnished them the right amount.
I loved that this book ended happily, but not with a tidy little bow. Because life is messy. We don’t always get everything we want. But what matters is that we keep trying and holding onto the ones we love. This book definitely conveys that.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I had hoped this book would be something I’d enjoy, but not only could I not get into it, but it moved so slowly I don’t know how it could be considerI had hoped this book would be something I’d enjoy, but not only could I not get into it, but it moved so slowly I don’t know how it could be considered a thriller. Honestly? I was bored. And a thriller set in the Applachians in the thick of winter involving vampires shouldn’t be boring. It shouldn’t be possible. Yet here we are.
The only redeeming thing about the whole book is Scott’s prose, which is incredibly evocative and full of the right weight for this book. I just wish the book itself would’ve been worthy of the prose.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you. Personal policy dictates this review will not appear on social media due to receiving a rating of three stars or lower. ...more
At 209 pages, this book is only a handful of pages longer than a novella, and the book truly suffers for it. Actually, the book just suffers from poorAt 209 pages, this book is only a handful of pages longer than a novella, and the book truly suffers for it. Actually, the book just suffers from poor research, clumsy writing, inelegant plotting, a truly predictable plot, and cookie cutter characters with no nuance to them whatsoever. I almost DNF’d it because I knew I could be spending my time reading the many other ARCs calling my name for April 4th’s release date.
Sure, I wax often and eloquently about the virtues of the novella and its ability to pack so much into so few pages, but that virtuosity depends on the economy of words and brilliant sentence structure. This book has neither. It’s clunky and runs like a carriage on cobblestones: rough and wobbly, starting and stopping, letting too many characters talk and get their voices in. There are too many players on the board for this to be anything but a tangle of threads that’s too conveniently cleaned up.
I wish Chad Zunker better luck in the future with his writing, because this read amateur, and I can see he’s no amateur.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, ideas, views, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you. Due to personal policy, this review will not be posted on any social media or bookseller websites due to a rating of three stars or under.
File Under: Crime Thriller/Not For Me/Kindle Unlimited/KU/Short Story/Thriller/What Did I Just Read That Was Bad ...more
I was a fan of the first book in Alexandria Warwick’s Four Winds series, The North Wind, but this book is better than that installment for sure. Even I was a fan of the first book in Alexandria Warwick’s Four Winds series, The North Wind, but this book is better than that installment for sure. Even though I gave them both four star ratings, they came by those ratings for very different reasons.
I continue to be a fan of Warwick’s narrative prose, which has grown in maturity and tone since the last book. She’s managed to hold onto that rather minimalist way of describing sets, scenery, and wardrobe compared to most of her contemporaries, which I adore for the simple change of pace and because I like to let my own mind fill in some of the blanks. That’s what an imagination is for. Warwick gives us just enough to work with that we can fill in the blanks, and I like it.
At the same time, her inner narratives for our main characters show just how much time, dedication, and love she has suffused each of them with as she has developed them and written them. She knows who these characters are–each and every one of them–and you can feel her affection and care in the way she writes them and how defined they are. Their voices are as unique as their appearances and backstories, which makes for great stories and some fantastic dialogue that can verge toward melodrama at times but usually course-corrects on its own.
I like this plot much more than the plotline in The North Wind. For one, this book doesn’t really stop. It keeps moving. Whether the cause is fleeing, fighting, or chasing, the book is one long quest that keeps our main characters moving to and fro, over and under. The North Wind lacked that movement but had charms in other places. I also loved the questions the book posed surrounding faith, blind faith, the nature of higher powers, sacrifice, what lengths people will go to for protection out of fear, and what lengths people will go to in order to face their fears to save the ones they love.
It’s a hefty read at almost 650 pages, but it’s a good one if you’ve got the time.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Talk about a book that meets and exceeds expectations. Talk about a book that hits the sweet spot (and yes, I do mean BOTH kinds of sweet spots, my daTalk about a book that meets and exceeds expectations. Talk about a book that hits the sweet spot (and yes, I do mean BOTH kinds of sweet spots, my darlings). Did you think your body was ready for this book? This book will take you to church, my lovelies!
Reminisce for a moment, if you will, and think about the Triad series. Take Scarlet’s go-to, take no prisoners, give-no-effs attitude and stunning looks and mix them with Sebastian’s bloodthirsty tendencies, impulsivity, imperiousness, talent with knives, and (again) stunning good looks. Now combine them into one firecracker full of power, money, and a ton of confidence. That’s how you get Izabela Deluca, the sole heir apparent of the Triad. Like most mafia princesses, she’s had to grow up too fast to ensure she was ready to take over the reins as soon as she became an adult, if needed. Furthermore, she seeks out trouble like a cruise missile and sometimes trouble just comes to find her. Either way, Izabela thinks trouble means a damn good time is coming her way.
Izabela’s most tempting piece of trouble comes in the form of Niko, the Triad’s head of operations. He’s twice her age, won’t give her the time of day, but she can tell he’s not immune to her…charms. She’s wanted him for quite some time, and on the night of her eighteenth birthday she sets out to get Niko. Not too long after that night, Izabela’s assigned a business trip to Ireland to secure a weapons deal. Niko is a native to Ireland, and Izabela finagles a deal to make him the head of her security, sending the two of them alone to the Emerald Isle, even though Niko’s family warned him to never return when he turned his back on the family business.
These two are like feral animals with one another, unable to keep their hands off one another, sinking their teeth and claws into one another, leaving bruises and marks all over each other’s bodies, and I am her for it! Their chemistry is off the charts and I couldn’t love Niko’s pet name for Izabela more if I tried. They’re both so invested in the reputation of the Triad and enmeshed in one another it’s as if they are of one mind sometimes, knowing what the other has said or done without even needing to speak. It’s not love so much as it’s obsession and possession, at least until the very end. For Izabela there is no one but Niko, and for Niko there is not one but her. Both would rather kill an entire room full of people in unspeakable ways than let the other be touched or let themselves be touched by someone other than each other.
The forced proximity. The age gap. The bodyguard trope. The bloodthirsty female willing to kill for her man. The way Izabela submits to Niko and only Niko. The way she was meant to wear a crown and he was meant to stand behind her throne like a watchful sentinel. The way Izabela looks to her mother as both a guiding light and a cautionary tale and looks at her dads as both father and authority figures. The way she knows it’s her responsibility to care for her many younger siblings as well as the Deluca name. Izabela is a powerhouse and only a man as strong as Niko deserves to stand by her side as she prepares to helm the Triad empire.
I hope Dana plans to write more Triad (next generation) books in the future. I don’t care when, or if they come in any sort of order, or if we have to wait. If they’re all as on fire as this one, then I’ll totally wait for the burn.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All ideas, thoughts, views, and opinions contained herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Super secret scientific experiments! Psychopathic dad who uses his daughter as his test subject! Like potato chips, the psycReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Super secret scientific experiments! Psychopathic dad who uses his daughter as his test subject! Like potato chips, the psychopath couldn’t only stop at torturing his daughter: He tortured numerous children, and all but four of them managed to live. But the genetically engineered birds have come home to roost, and they long to use their enhanced brains and bodies to peck some eyes out. They’re more than up to the challenge. Sayeth the Daft Punk:
“Harder Better Faster Stronger”
Off the cuff, this plot sings to me. A BAMF female who would rather kill a warehouse filled with combatants before a drop of blood touches her men, and a cadre of men who would die for her but will shed more than their fair share of blood before that will ever come close to happening. It’s not “touch her and you die”, it’s “touch any of us and you will die”.
The violence goes hand-in-hand with the kind of bonding that would usually form a tight-knit band of soldiers; but in this case it spins a reverential and uncompromising web of shared trauma, emotional intimacy, and deep love between these five survivors turned rescuers. Their mission is to ostensibly root out the deepest, darkest seeds of our FMC’s father’s research, his labs, and to find any and all other test subjects, if there are even any left. Then they are to help burn it all to the ground.
See all this? This, ALL of this, is my jam. If this were The Voice, I’d be begging this book to pick me as its mentor. I’d smash that red button. The thing is, there’s a lot of issues with this book that interrupt the fun.
I’m not even talking about Nova’s (our FMC) relationship(s) with the fabulous males in this book. Those dynamics and relationships are fine. The men sound hot, have great personalities, and recognize Nova for being far more dangerous than they are. And they’re here for every blood-soaked minute.
No, the main issue I have about this book is predictability and repetitiveness. These characters are supposed to have enhanced intelligence, yet they’re written like they don’t. And the spice scenes? Well, don’t get me wrong–I adore the kind of spice scenes Knight writes in this genre of book, where the characters both crave and can take it hard, fast, and violent, but the spice scenes seemed so much the same with almost every male character and proceeded almost all in the same manner that I stopped trying to keep track of who Nova was engaging with because it all blurred together. In the end, the spicy scenes stopped being hot and started being boring.
In the end, I decided I couldn’t rate it a full four stars because I just didn’t feel like it earned it, but it didn’t warrant a 3 star because the story is too good all on its own. You could’ve removed half the spice and I would’ve still been happy.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. Any views, thoughts, or opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
When I go to open up a new Eden Finley, Saxon James, or a book concocted by these two evil geniuses together like this installment of the Puckboys serWhen I go to open up a new Eden Finley, Saxon James, or a book concocted by these two evil geniuses together like this installment of the Puckboys series, I always rub my hands together briskly before starting and let out a silly little giggle because I know without a doubt I’m in for a really good time and a really good book. So I snuggled down into my bed with my puppies and settled in for my definition of literary comfort food.
I asked, and they delivered: GOAL. I still don’t understand anything about hockey (even after reading hella hockey romances), but the jokes! The chirping! The personalities! The ups and downs of competition and the pros and cons of celebrity! Let’s not forget Oskar, who (along with other members of the Queer Collective) make some hilarious cameos or appear here and there to help give the plot a gentle nudge along.
Oh Aleks, you sweet little baby pansexual. The world is your oyster and you have no idea what to do with it all. At the beginning of this book everything is brand-new for Aleks: new town, new house, new team, and a finalized divorce after he and his wife grew apart. He wants to explore everything the queer community has to offer, but has no idea where to start. Enter the Queer Collective, a bunch of alcohol and bad decisions (which honestly should be a warning sign Oskar wears around and all of us know it), and one small accident with fire that brings two firemen to Aleks’ backyard. It’s one hell of a meet cute. One of the best I’ve read in at least the last year. I was living for it.
Gabe is one of the firefighters that responds to this odd and ultimately hilarious call, and let’s talk about that insta-lust, okay? The insta-lust was real and I’m a big fan, being prone to it in real life myself. The sparks fly, the chemistry is explosive, and neither of these two can list patience as a strong suit. They want hands, mouths, and more all over one another as soon as possible. The sooner the better. Trying to take it slow just doesn’t work.
Eden and Saxon get me in one of my weakest spots with the dirty talk. I’m weak for it. And they write it so well.
This book isn’t on the long side. It’s less than 300 pages, and it’s a quick read. The burn is fast, the writing is hilarious, the romance is pure fluff sweetness, and the friendships are so pure. It’s another winner from Finley and James, keeping them at the top of their game.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, views, ideas, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
For spoiler reasons, I can’t tell you how Eve and Wren end up permanently escaping Compound Eleven and arriving in the camp full of compound outcasts For spoiler reasons, I can’t tell you how Eve and Wren end up permanently escaping Compound Eleven and arriving in the camp full of compound outcasts in worse for wear conditions, but this is where we are at the beginning of Ending Eleven: Eve and Wren are injured, broken in mind and body, traumatized, and (in Eve’s case) suspicious of everyone around them. It’s not like she has it in here to trust easily.
And while Eve loves the outdoors, is trying her best to make allies and friends among the outcasts, and loves exploring the man-made constructions that once covered the world, she knows she has a mission to complete and promises she needs to keep. There is more than one obstacle standing in her way, though, and she needs those resolved or removed before she can make good on freeing everyone inside Compound Eleven and ensuring the “leadership” pay for their reign of terror.
So, listen to me.
I’ve enjoyed reading this trilogy so much because Jerri Chisolm is an underrated and talented as heck writer. Her world building is spectacular and her characters are terrific. She writes terrific, thought-provoking, and intelligent dialogue for the YA set.
There is an inherent issue with the Eleven trilogy, though overall it’s a terrific read in the YA dystopian genre. The issue? It’s too optimistic for its target demographic. Please take into account this is my opinion, and I’m middle-aged, but I found the ultimate ending (AKA, the epilogue) to be too optimistic for the events of the trilogy as a whole. As a matter of fact, I found most of the characters to be in too high of spirits in the last act of this book for the events that were happening and had happened.
But, I’d like to directly thank Jerri Chisolm for writing this trilogy, because it was a terrific read in a genre that often doesn’t take the time to hit all the beats or check all the boxes. I hope you go on to write more, and to write just as great.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All views, opinions, and thoughts expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: YA Fiction/Young Adult/YA Dystopian Fiction/YA SciFi/YA Science Fiction/YA Political Fiction/Part of a Fantasy Series/YA Romance/Kindle Unlimited/KU/Coming of Age/YA Book Series ...more
I loved the first installment of this series, Problem Child, so much I knew I wanted to get to the next book in the series aReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
I loved the first installment of this series, Problem Child, so much I knew I wanted to get to the next book in the series as soon as I could. I was downright greedy for more of KC, her friends, and the mercurial boys in her life…especially after that cliffhanger ending!
So I went into Mad Boys hoping it would be as fast-paced, exciting, and event-filled as the first book, even if it meant putting up with even more slow burn (yeah, yeah, I’m a thirsty girl and I have a hard time with slow burns in contemporary romances in this age group. It’s a thing and I acknowledge it). That’s not what I got from the book. This, sadly, was a huge case of sophomore slump in a book series. I can’t pretend it’s all sunshine and roses and everything is superb in this book, because it’s not. It has a lot of problems. There is a lot to recommend, though!
KC’s character development has evolved between the first book and this one, and I’d say it’s for the better. While not outright hostile to people at Blue Ivy Prep, she does have a cynical bubble around her now due to the events of the last book and because of current events in her personal life. If you thought she had trust issues before, well, now her trust issues have trust issues and she’s not afraid to straight-up NOPE out of a situation if she thinks it’s only going to lead to something bad. Aubrey has also gone through some character growth due to what went on with KC and the pressure their record label is putting on them to work on their new album. And the most positive character change between books one and two was Jonas, who went from being madly in love with KC but being unable to speak to her except to leave sheet music for her in the first book to being able to speak to her but being very shy and reserved in this book.
But there were a whole lot of issues with the book, too: a huge plot hole that may have solved the central mystery of this book if only two of the guys remembered one cringe morning in their apartment, deliberate miscommunications, immature reactions, immature measures, and a lot of repetitive scenes. Then there’s the fact that I can’t suspend my disbelief enough to think that the guys wouldn’t have thought to search on their own to see if they had any other step-siblings in the world, considering their stepfather isn’t keen on keeping it zipped.
Heather Long is a gifted writer when it comes to characters, especially the female ones, and that’s one of the reasons I show up. Her premises and plots are another reason I come to read. I just think this book was a hiccup in the series, which I’m looking forward to continuing.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All views, thoughts, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I knew when I read the previous book in this universe (don’t worry, both books can be read as standalones and you won’t miss a single thing), We Are WI knew when I read the previous book in this universe (don’t worry, both books can be read as standalones and you won’t miss a single thing), We Are Worthy, that I would want to read any other book Alisha Williams wrote that was set in the same universe. So, when We Are Destiny was announced, I signed up to read, review, and promote that book right away.
This book hit two huge omegaverse sweet spots for me: omega on omega action, and alpha on alpha action. It’s all well and good to read your standard omegaverse novel where it’s all just alpha(s) on omega action, but to be honest, I’ve really gotten tired of them. They’ve started to bore me in the same way that about 75% of heterosexual contemporary romances have, which is why I don’t usually read m/f contemporary romance unless it’s highly recommended to me by people I trust to make good recommendations. With omegaverse, I now see the standard alpha(s) x omega and I’m already pretty bored. I end up returning them to KU usually before the 20% point because I just need more from my omegaverse novels now. And mixing things up or adding up the kink and/or spice factor is a spectacular way to grab my attention and keep me reading.
While I loved We Are Worthy because of its unconventional yet BAMF FMC who was more into who her potential pack members were inside rather than what muscles they had on the outside, I loved We Are Destiny because of the two omegas in the book: our MMC, Spencer, and the feisty little omega Everlee, who is barely-controlled chaos with devious plans in mind that are meant to make everyone happy. The two together are so sweet and cuter than a pair of kittens who have just discovered their toe beans.
Also, bravo to Williams for tackling the struggles that come with depression and anxiety and the unhealthy coping mechanisms one might use in the dark times when it seems you’ve lost everything and don’t know if you’re ever going to come out of the dark pit you’ve found yourself in. As someone who has a panic disorder and an anxiety disorder (let’s not talk about the bipolar), I felt those scenes were written rather well and handled with appropriate care instead of exploitatively. While Spencer’s anxiety and depression are intrinsic to the plot, Williams did take care to not make Spencer all about his depression and anxiety, instead opting as often as possible to show as many different facets of Spencer as possible.
Now, we all know we don’t read omegaverse for plot. We read it for fun and for spice. You don’t have anything to worry about on that front. There is a lot of spice in this book, and the pairings are in every formation possible. It’s all hot, and it’ll make you squirm real good. Not only that, but you get a lot of sweet and soft intimate moments, which is always nice.
All in all, it’s another winner from Alisha Williams in this omegaverse universe. It’s a great book available on Kindle Unlimited and you should definitely check it out if you like your omegaverse novels spicy, diverse, and versatile.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All opinions, thoughts, ideas, and views expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
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