Meeting your in-laws for the first time is always a nerve-wracking event.
Toby and his son, Luca, are headed to Texas with Toby’s wife, a pediatricianMeeting your in-laws for the first time is always a nerve-wracking event.
Toby and his son, Luca, are headed to Texas with Toby’s wife, a pediatrician and heiress named Alyssa. Alyssa has given Toby every reassurance she can muster about her family, because Luca is starting to show signs of being queer and Toby doesn’t want him around bigots; and, well, Alyssa’s grandfather is a famous televangelist. Alyssa tells him her family is too rich to be bigoted. Well, you can see how well this is going to go.
I liked the idea of this book much more than I liked the book itself. I liked the individual story components more than the whole. I liked the tropes, but not how they were assembled. Does that all make sense? It was like the ingredients were all there but the measurements were wrong and it was baked wrong.
For one, it was baked too long. This book was too long by far. The third act of a thriller should be where you kick it up a notch, but I honestly thought the third act was the slowest of the entire book. I kept saying, “We’re not done yet?”
Second, the repetitiveness. By the end of the second act my eyes were starting to glaze over every time I read the term “mind palace”.
Third, the ending. I’m sorry, but I can’t vibe with the ending. It wasn’t good.
I am going to list off a few TWs for you: incest, “wilderness” camp, homophobia, internalized homophobia, transphobia, CSA, suicide. Those are the big ones.
In the end, it was a very average novel that was well-written for the most part but just didn’t vibe as a whole.
I was provided with a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Since this review is rated three stars or lower it will not be appearing on my social media. Thank you.
The Dalton twins are so close they almost can’t exist apart from one another. One has a hangover, the other has a How close are you to your siblings?
The Dalton twins are so close they almost can’t exist apart from one another. One has a hangover, the other has a sympathy hangover. One’s depressed, the other feels it too. They know one another so well they can pretend to be one another; point in fact, they’ve been getting away with this very thing since middle school. Or, they were until Benny Dalton went and fell in love during the fall semester. Now it’s spring and Emmett Dalton is starting to feel like a frayed thread. He’s lonely, kind of lost, and can’t sustain pretending to be his twin anymore. He’s too full of secrets, even ones his twin doesn’t know.
We first met Emmett Dalton (in Franklin U 2) back in the second book, Saxon James’ A Stealthy Situation, with Emmett being the one to take Benny’s statistics classes for him since Benny isn’t good at math. While Benny was swooning over their classmate Harrison, it turns out Emmett was swooning over someone too: their stats professor, Jonah.
Twincerely Yours offers up a lot of great tropes, including some of my favorites:
The end of the world is upon us. What would you do?
Well, Major Atlas Brandt is going to get to work. He’s going to fight to protect his country, humanThe end of the world is upon us. What would you do?
Well, Major Atlas Brandt is going to get to work. He’s going to fight to protect his country, humanity, or he’s going to die trying. That was the plan, anyway, until one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and an angel with black wings came and turned what was left of his world upside down. That’s only the beginning of what to expect from the first half of this companion duet to Moreau’s fan-flipping-tastic The Four Horsemen series.
Point of order: It is completely necessary to read the entirety of The Four Horsemen book series before starting this book. You will not understand anything going on in this book if you don’t read that series before starting this book. Atlas is not a whole story unto its own: it’s a companion story to a much larger and more complex story that begins and ends in The Four Horsemen series. Atlas is an entire story that happens within (and likely after) the main events of The Four Horsemen but is ultimately supplementary material borne of love for the character Atlas Brandt (at least that’s why I wanted it and have been excited for it) and wanting to read his side of the story. So if you start Atlas and are lost then don’t say you weren’t warned.
Atlas is finally here and I’m beyond excited. From the first time he was introduced in War, Atlas has been a completely transfixing character in The Four Horsemen series: A character that represented the human race in a story writ large for supernaturals. Atlas not only needed to stand out so his signal didn’t get lost in the noise, but we needed to be invested in him without seeing him as either a victim or villain. Sienna Moreau made him an advocate instead, and he is fierce. While he’s not my favorite character in this universe (that’s Paul, of course, iykyk), this book completely elevated him in my esteem.
Seeing The Four Horsemen story through Atlas’ eyes (this book covers the events of the series throughout War) is something I knew I wanted but didn’t know I needed this much. Atlas is somehow the best of what humanity should be, but he’s just so battered. He’s indefatigable. Resilient. Implacable. He’s also lonely. Desperate. Needy. Deep down, in the places sealed off from even himself, Atlas is terrified and so tired. What Atlas is the most, though, is angry. That’s what makes him burn so brightly and I’m here for it.
Sienna Moreau already built us a rich world for this book to take place in, but now we get to see her work with Conquest, Raziel, and Atlas down to a deeper, more emotional character level that wasn’t possible in The Four Horsemen series. Conquest is the shortest of The Four Horsemen books (not by much, but still), and it also had the job of introducing the series. That’s a tough job and doesn’t allow for the same amount of character-building that the other three horsemen received. Atlas part one clocks in at 411 pages, longer than any of the horsemen novels. This gives us a lot of time to get to know our trifecta, as well as lots of action and plot.
Let’s not forget the spice. All of the horsemen books are seriously spicy (I’d still say Famine is the spiciest and kinkiest) and Atlas doesn’t disappoint on that front. I don’t think it’s as spicy as the other horsemen books (it’s been a few months since I’ve read those), but it’s a rather fast burn and there are more than enough scenes. You’ll have to forgive Atlas for being human and not having the same…abilities as Con and Raz.
This book was totally worth the wait and I adored it. It ends on a mild cliffhanger but not an unexpected one given we know where the story is going. It was great spending time with familiar characters (PAUL) and I am just going to have to sit here and pout while waiting for part two.
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.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Book Series/Dark Romance/Apocalyptic/Gay Romance/Kink Friendly/LGBTQ Romance/Romance Series/Polyamorous Romance/Spice Level 3/Supernatural Fantasy ...more
Popped is one of the strongest romance anthologies I’ve read in quite awhile, full of great first-time stories fWhat was the last anthology you read?
Popped is one of the strongest romance anthologies I’ve read in quite awhile, full of great first-time stories from some of my favorite LGBTQ indie romance authors working right now. Some dip into these authors’ existing universes and some look like they could be the start of something special all on their own in the future (I’m looking at you, Lily and Cora!).
My rating of this anthology isn’t rooted in anything more substantial than the quality of the anthology as a whole. I’m not looking to nitpick short stories included in a charity anthology that’s meant to go to a good cause. These authors donated their time, effort, and IP to this project, and others donated production materials and labor to put this all together. It’s an honorable project and I don’t think subjecting it to extended scrutinization is a worthy endeavor.
That being said, I’m going to go over the stories I loved best and tell you what I loved about them!
Are you looking for a great book to sit by a body of water with and read? Maybe with a cold drink in hand? Some salacious, sReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Are you looking for a great book to sit by a body of water with and read? Maybe with a cold drink in hand? Some salacious, soapy, and thrilling? Then you might be looking for Ladykiller.
Ladykiller is author Katherine Wood’s debut novel, and even if it’s pretty obvious this is a debut novel, it’s a pretty good shot for a debut thriller beach read being published smack dab in the middle of summer. Set mostly in the sublime Greek islands and filled with sun, food, drink, sex, and secrets, there is nothing about this book that doesn’t meet the criteria needed for something fun and diverting to read when it’s hot outside and you just want to drink your daiquiri and be left alone.
This book is mostly told from two POVs: Gia is the scion of a wealthy family who is in the midst of divesting herself of the beloved family estate in Greece, and Abby is her best friend who was also the daughter of their family cook growing up. Abby’s story is told in first-person POV, while Gia’s is told in chapters from a manuscript she wrote for the majority of the book. Along for the ride as a narrative foil is Gia’s younger brother, Benny. If you’re thinking unreliable narrator, you got it. If you’re thinking “best friend’s brother” trope, you got it. Is it spicy? Not in my opinion. There’s titillation, but no explicitness. Nudity, but not smut. Fade to black, mostly.
This book isn’t heavy and it’s not meant to be; even so, there’s just so much of this book that seems to breeze by and so much stuff that seems to be a bit too incredulous. I can only suspend disbelief so much. Either that, or I’m more of a cynic than I thought I was. Either way, I just wasn’t as engaged as I’d hoped. I want to be swept away by my beach reads. This was fun, but not quite fun enough 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. Thank you.
How well do you remember your childhood? Are you sure you’re remembering it correctly?
Lenny Marks is alive, but she’s not living. She’d be fine with How well do you remember your childhood? Are you sure you’re remembering it correctly?
Lenny Marks is alive, but she’s not living. She’d be fine with that if it weren’t for the fact she knows it makes her mom (well, her former foster mom but the closest thing to a mom she’s had in a long time) upset if she doesn’t at least try and engage with the world around her. If Lenny had it her way she’d keep to her strict routines and schedules, never letting anyone get too close to her or know anything much about her. It’s safer that way. No one can abandon you if you don’t let them in, after all.
The themes of abuse, abandonment, fear, anger, loneliness, and loss are all at the heart of Lenny Marks Gets Away With Murder. If you think this book is lighthearted at all, be forewarned it’s not. I cried more than once. My eyes are unhappy with me.
Debut author Kerryn Mayne has written a book with an extraordinary protagonist who will rip your heart out from your chest, break it, then repair it before placing it back inside and stitching you back up all shiny and new. Lenny Marks is written as a neurodivergent character who also has a large issue with dissociation surrounding a traumatic event from her childhood. Lenny’s type of neurodivergency isn’t explored or explicitly stated, but Mayne did a terrific job of writing a neurodivergent character without coming across as precious or exploitative. If you don’t fall in love with Lenny I don’t know what kind of person you are, because Lenny is so easy to love. I think that’s why this book has been so widely lauded for breaking people’s hearts and making them cry. You just feel so much for Lenny and what she’s been through. And after all she’s been through, she’s still out there trying her best to survive and do right when so many people who should know better choose to do wrong.
The pacing of this book is lovely, with a natural progression and no filler. Mayne’s writing style is sharp and insightful, with a dark sense of humor and a deep well of emotion. Her characters are well-drawn and her plotting is clear and well-rounded. The dialogue in this book is a delight and one of its best features.
This is definitely women’s fiction, but it’s definitely on the lit fic side of women’s fiction. It’s women’s fiction because the book deals with, in a large amount, issues that widely affect women and their children. The take on these issues is more on the darkly humorous side, which I always enjoy. If you love a tale that ultimately results in revenge, then you’ll end up loving this.
TW for child abuse TW for mild animal abuse (one scene) TW for violence TW for child death TW for domestic abuse
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.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Dark Comedy/Disability Rep/Literary Fiction/Women’s Fiction...more
Have you ever gone into work and ran into someone you didn't expect to? Was it awkward?
Willow Dixon’s sixth book in the Crimson Club series follows JeHave you ever gone into work and ran into someone you didn't expect to? Was it awkward?
Willow Dixon’s sixth book in the Crimson Club series follows Jett, who works part-time at the Crimson Club as a bartender. His day job is construction and carpentry, which he learned from his former father in-law. Jett can only work so many hours, though, and he wants to try and get out and try to start living his life. So he goes out to a club, maybe looking to get a little action. He certainly finds it (in a series of scenes that are scorchingly hot). It just becomes a bit awkward when Monday rolls around and the same couple Jett unexpectedly and impulsively hooked up with over the weekend just happen to be his new coworkers (because this is romance and of course they are).
Willow Dixon’s cast of characters are just so endearing. They feel genuine without feeling cloying or cheesy. Their expectations of one another are realistic, their dialogue has a nice rhythm to it that doesn’t feel too practiced or overwrought, and there aren’t any speaking pieces that feel like a speech or soliloquy, which was a nice break from some books I’ve read recently. I loved the array of sexual preferences that could be found from other characters and how the main characters had tastes that were still developing and evolving.
The relationship between the core three characters in this book was sweet, and the growing pains all three went through were realistic when you consider all the angles. The spice was so, so hot. Some of my hottest hot buttons (exhibition, voyeurism, dirty talk) are included in almost every spice scene and I’m never going to complain about that. It was a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it for any MMM fan.
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.
The first book in this series, House of Omega, was one of my top indie romance of 2023 and remains one of my favorite omegaverse novels. Roxy Collins The first book in this series, House of Omega, was one of my top indie romance of 2023 and remains one of my favorite omegaverse novels. Roxy Collins is also one of my favorite omegaverse authors. So of course I was going to want to read The Alpha Club. I wasn’t going to miss it.
Thankfully, Roxy delivered a great novel about Jasmine, the omega who was resigned to having to bond to Grace’s psychotic stepbrother Kayden from the first book. In House of Omega, every time Grace tried to help Jasmine escape Kayden, the omega reluctantly told Grace she was staying where she was. Did Jasmine have good reasons for staying with Kayden? Yeah. She also had a plan. But you make plans and the universe laughs. Especially in romance novels.
This book has so many things I consider to be some of my top-tier omegaverse tropes: two omegas who are involved with one another, some serious spice, why choose with LGBTQ content, disability representation, polyamory, and a twist on designation. The choice to write both omegas and one of the alphas as disabled (yes, I am counting mental illness) was something I didn’t know I needed but was very welcome. I like the acknowledgement that it’s not only omegas that can have issues, and I like that it’s not only one character that has issues.
I always love Roxy’s characters, spice, stories, and writing style. There was only one issue with this book, and that was the plotting. The first half was even, but the second half felt very rushed. I actually feel like the book could’ve been longer (I wouldn’t have minded at all) in order to give the characters and relationships more time to interact, integrate, and develop. In the end it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment all that much, but it did affect the overall quality. I love everything Roxy Collins writes and I’ll always read it, though. That hasn’t changed!
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 discovered the Dark Witch Academy series late in 2023, gobbled up all three existing books in less than three days and have been waiting with baitedI discovered the Dark Witch Academy series late in 2023, gobbled up all three existing books in less than three days and have been waiting with baited breath ever since for the fourth book. I got myself a spot early on for the ARC team because I knew I wanted to read Gemini Wicked as soon as it was ready. It didn’t disappoint!
This installment picks up as Zara and her court (as it exists) head to her birthday celebration on a superyacht moored in the harbor outside the academy. The opening chapters of this book are tense and full of action, because of course they are. Nothing ever goes according to plan when a crown is up for grabs in a fantasy novel! (Plus, that’s kind of the major plot arc for the entire series, so we’d be without a story without a precipitating event, right?)
This disaster of a birthday celebration is only the start of a raucous set of events that stand between Zara and the crown. The pace of this book is fast, interspersed with action, lots of spice, and intimate conversations.
One of the things I love most about Laura’s Navarre’s writing in this series is her inner narrative for Zara. Most of the time I can’t stand first-person POV that breaks the fourth wall and has an extreme amount of slang. Somehow it just really works for me in these books. It fits the character, somehow. I can’t imagine Zara Gemini without her charming, cheeky inner voice.
Oh, and if you love breeding kink? Trust me, you’re not going to want to miss out. All of the Dark Witch Academy books are spicy af, but Gemini Wicked takes spicy af and adds a hefty dose of breeding kink on top for maximum effort. It’s giving ghost pepper levels of spice and I'm here for it.
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 confess I’m obsessed with Veronica Franco, Lucrezia Borgia, and Giulia Tofana. All three of these women were incredible exReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
I confess I’m obsessed with Veronica Franco, Lucrezia Borgia, and Giulia Tofana. All three of these women were incredible examples of “don’t judge a book by its cover”. The Assassin of Venice takes place roughly a couple of decades after Lurezia’s lifetime, during Veronica’s, but around a century before Giulia’s. Do I really just like Renaissance women and the idea of them making any combination of sex, intellect, power, and/or violence work in their favor? Why yes, yes I do. Am I under an assumption that all the stories are true? No, no I’m not. Let a girl dream.
Alyssa Palombo takes us readers back to the early half of 16th-century Venice, where Honest Courtesans ply their trade and the Council of Ten watch over the city-state to keep it free of any and all outside influence. Venice was a vitally important port city to Italy during the Renaissance and the military security of the country, the Adriatic Sea, and a chunk of the Mediterranean depended on the Italians due to the threat of the Ottoman Empire from the East. Italy was insular and paranoid, with good reason. Political intrigue and the trading of secrets was a national sport.
The plot of The Assassin of Venice is a good one, romantic and dramatic with an almost-cinematic feel to it. It would make a good movie. That doesn’t necessarily mean the book was executed in the same manner. While well-paced, I never once felt concerned for the characters in this story. I never once felt like any of them were in any real danger. I actually felt like they were being overdramatic more than once and not seeing the forest for the trees. There were also quite a few speech anachronisms in the protagonist’s inner narrative that made me wish the editor had done a bit more thorough job.
It’s a diverting read, if not too exciting or challenging. I think you’ll love it if you love your historical fictions heavier on the fiction side and a bit soapier without a lot of accurate worldbuilding or detail. If you’re looking for accuracy and high stakes, then I’d look for another story.
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.
There’s a huge thrill that comes with being a long-time fan of both Saxon James and Eden Finley and their “Sadenverse”, and that’s when you get blastsThere’s a huge thrill that comes with being a long-time fan of both Saxon James and Eden Finley and their “Sadenverse”, and that’s when you get blasts from the past as your new main characters and get to watch the new generation fall in love. In A Stealthy Situation we’re getting a call from the CU Hockey series in the form of Benny Dalton, one of the Chaos Twins from both Line Mates & Study Dates and Puck Drills & Quick Thrills (don’t worry, Emmett’s in here too).
The Chaos Twins fell out of love with hockey before they could be drafted and fled to California in order to get away from the pressure that had surrounded them all their lives. The pair of them still love to sow a little chaos, which is why they take great pains to make sure no one in San Diego knows the Dalton Twins exist. They each go to a different school, they keep their appearances identical, they dress similarly, and don’t go out in town at the same time. They rely on each other to get through anything and everything, which is why things start to go awry when Emmett is suddenly expelled from his university and takes to crashing on a mattress in Benny’s bedroom at the DIK frat house.
A Stealthy Situation is cute and sweet, with a great sense of humor to it. I love a good cinnamon roll and snark monster dynamic, and that’s exactly what Harrison and Benny have. Benny has a deliciously morbid sense of humor that I adore and insults being used as a love language is something I myself use on an everyday basis, so I can totally be book bffs with him.
I thought the supporting cast really came in clutch here for comic relief and emotional support, and I thought the disability rep was very well done.
I can’t wait for Twincerely Yours (which comes at the end of FU 2) so I can read Emmett’s story!
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’m a big fan of Elena Lawson’s (writing as E. J. Lawson) omegaverse novels. I think I’ve read and reviewed every single one. Her Wild Heat series is I’m a big fan of Elena Lawson’s (writing as E. J. Lawson) omegaverse novels. I think I’ve read and reviewed every single one. Her Wild Heat series is no exception. Salvation is no exception to this rule. I mean, come on: hunters versus hunted? Professional alphas being hired to hunt down a runaway omega who no one can seem to track down? Right away I’m thinking feral, I’m thinking primal, I’m thinking down and dirty. I’m catching rut and heat vibes. I’m catching, “Mine!” vibes.
I was totally right.
If you like strong, independent FMC omegas, this is the book for you. If you like books where the pack doesn’t come pre-made, this is the book for you. If you like your why choose with a splash of sword-crossing but not full-on scenes, this is for you. If you like outdoor romances and don’t mind your spice coming with some dirt, then you’ll like this.
I wouldn’t read this if you’re a fan of nesting or bites in your omegaverse. If you like your omegas soft or pampered in any way, this may not be right for you. If you’re the triggering type you will want to check the TW/CWs for this one because there are darker elements.
I do think this could’ve maybe taken one more pass with a beta reader and editor, because there were a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes and I did feel like it was a bit too long, but otherwise it was another great omegaverse romance from Lawson.
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.
She’s dressing for obsession, possession, protection, and to attain perfection in his eyes.
If you go into Morally Corrupt He’s dressing for revenge.
She’s dressing for obsession, possession, protection, and to attain perfection in his eyes.
If you go into Morally Corrupt thinking it’s going to be similar to the movie “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, you’ll be pretty disappointed, because these love birds aren’t working against one another. It’s more of a moral quandary that puts a wrench in things between these two.
Note: Make sure you read the list of TWs thoroughly before you start because it’s long and not to be taken for granted.
If you like dark or mafia romance then this book is a ton of fun to read. I love my feral female murder kittens, and Bianca is an excellent example of such a creature. She has no solid identity of her own, but she’s got loyalty down pat. She kills because it gives her an outlet and because she likes it. She does it as a contract killer because that means she gets to have awful people picked out for her. And when she’s not working at that she’s free to spend every waking hour ensuring no one comes anywhere near Theo, who’s been her ultimate obsession since she was a teenager.
Nothing stays a secret forever, though. Especially not between spouses.
It’s an enjoyable read, if a little long. I really loved the twists and turns of the story and the way the main characters had to constantly adapt and change tact in order to keep ahead of the enemy and solve conflicts. There’s some great spice, great action, and great suspense. A really solid read.
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.
File Under: Age Gap Romance/Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Dark Romance/Mafia Romance/Romance Series/Spice Level 2 ...more
Bubblegum Pop is author Abigail Hunter’s (writing as Abby Hunter) debut omegaverse novel in the Suck It Up omegaverse series, set in the town of KnottBubblegum Pop is author Abigail Hunter’s (writing as Abby Hunter) debut omegaverse novel in the Suck It Up omegaverse series, set in the town of Knottinghill. As such, the series itself is labeled “Suck It Up”, while the universe is known as “Knottinghill”. (I’m noting this because at first I was a little confused, so I thought I would un-confuse it for anyone else that might be in the same position).
I’ve recently begun to assess the light to dark scale of omegaverse romances based on a 6-point scale that was inspired by a coffee roasting chart. 1 is a light omegaverse, and 6 is a pitch black omegaverse. Bubblegum Pop falls at about a 4 on the omegaverse roast scale: The story itself isn’t too dark, but the way it’s executed (along with some story elements that could be very triggering to some, so watch your TW/CWs) could be considered dark.
In the teasers and promos for this book, Hunter told us to expect a lot of smut, heats, knots, and nesting. The first thing is true: There is a huge amount of smut in this book. Now, I love a smutty book, and since this book is about a sex worker and her bodyguards working in a huge brothel I don’t think the amount of smut written into this book is invalid or out of character. Also, The way Hunter has chosen to write her omegaverse (sometimes authors write their omegaverses with a little tweak here and there) means that the fast burn and hypersexuality are completely in character for alphas and omegas in this universe.
Are there heats? Yes, but most of them aren’t on page. Are there knots? Yes, so many. Is there nesting? Yes. There’s also a lot of trauma (both on and off page), angst, violence, mental health issues, manipulation, coercion, extortion, and blackmail.
It was interesting, hot, and entertaining. I’m curious about where Hunter’s going with this and what she’s going to do next.
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 was initially skeptical about reading and reviewing this book because the central victim involved is another All-American girl and it’s written by aI was initially skeptical about reading and reviewing this book because the central victim involved is another All-American girl and it’s written by a man who’s worked for two media outlets I completely despise (the New York Post and The Daily Mail). What made me change my mind is the fact that I’m always intrigued by the stories of disappearances that just don’t make any sense. So many people saw Lauren Spierer the night she disappeared. She was seen in multiple locations and on multiple cameras. There just happened to be no cameras in the last place she actually might have been, and then it was a handful of rich college boys who were all in that same spot and had enough time to cover their butts before anyone came after them with questions about what happened that night.
I would’ve been really into this book if I felt it wasn’t anything but a waste of everyone’s time, in the long run. It’s not that Cohen is a bad writer, it’s just that all the new “testimony” that Cohen collected isn’t really testimony: it’s more like anecdotes from friends, potential witnesses, and some of the potential suspects. None of this comes into play until far into the back half of the book.
Otherwise, the book feels rather repetitive, somewhat exploitative, and more than a little tawdry. I feel like there were some discussion topics that could’ve been explored here that would’ve contributed well to the book and to who Lauren was as a person but maybe weren’t approached, possibly out of courtesy to the Spierer family, but if you want to paint a portrait of a college girl gone missing, you should paint a complete one.
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 is rated three stars or under, which means it will not be appearing on my social media pages. Thank you.
Franklin University is back, and The Hook Up Mix-Up reminded me right away of how much I loved this series and how I wasn’t wrong to look forward to iFranklin University is back, and The Hook Up Mix-Up reminded me right away of how much I loved this series and how I wasn’t wrong to look forward to it returning this summer. The authors behind FU and FU 2 definitely saw the success that came with the first season of these books and understood the assignment: Take all of that, rewind it back, and build on this universe in an interconnected, tangential way.
Riley Hart decided to build The Hook Up Mix-Up on top of the foundation of her FU book from 2023, Playing Games (the story of Brax and Tyson, who feature heavily in this book). In Playing Games we were introduced to Perry, Tyson’s half-brother, who is one of the MMCs in this book. The other MMC is Theo, a student at Franklin U.
This is your pretty standard bi-awakening, friends-to-bed buddies-to-lovers plot, but that simply doesn’t matter one bit, no matter how much I’m almost always down to read those two tropes combined, because the thing that makes this book worth reading is THEO.
Can I just say Theo is so cute and sweet I wanted to reach into the book, drag him out, and adopt him? I was like that gif of Kristin Bell fawning over a sloth while reading this book the entire time. I almost spent the entire book wondering how anyone could possibly not fall in love with him (before I remembered not everyone loves a people pleaser and that being a people pleaser isn’t always the healthiest thing for your mental wellbeing).
It’s not like Perry is a slouch. It was funny watching how oblivious to how in his deep in his feels he was long before he actually realized it. The boy was done for long before he knew it and it was absolutely adorable to read.
This book does have its hot and spicy moments, but not as spicy as some other authors’ books in this series might end up being. I didn’t find that upsetting in this instance because I was too busy loving Theo and Perry and their burgeoning relationship. Definitely a stellar start to FU season.
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.
This certainly has been a year for horror books about horror films!
How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive is author Craig DiLouie’s second foray in aThis certainly has been a year for horror books about horror films!
How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive is author Craig DiLouie’s second foray in a row with writing Hollywood horror into an unsettling novel (Episode Thirteen is about a paranormal reality show). The blurb calls it darkly humorous, and it has its moments. The tagline for the book is, “Horror isn’t horror unless it’s real”. Make of that what you will.
The first 25% of this book was very wobbly for me. While I was invested in the story and intrigued by the characters, it felt like the pacing was off and like the tone of the novel wasn’t quite tuned. When the book found its footing I was very satisfied with everything about it until the last 20% of the book. Then it started to crumble again a bit for me and then limped a bit to the finish. I want to be clear: At no time did I stop reading this book. At no time did I think about DNFing. I was invested the whole time and felt compelled to finish. It’s a total page-turner. I just didn’t find the book as a whole to be completely solid. I think the issue may have been that the book was probably too long.
What I loved about this book was the sheer love of horror movies it showed as a whole. From quotes by famous movie directors to film references to on-page deaths that would be at home in a “Final Destination” movie, this book shows a deep and abiding respect for the horror genre, even for what came after the time period after this book is set in.
Craig DiLouie is a fantastic horror author and his books are always a great read. This one may not be 100% solid, but I still recommend it.
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 absolutely adored Bewitched, the first book in this series, and Bespelled ensnared me with its charms just as effectively. I’m not the hugest fan ofI absolutely adored Bewitched, the first book in this series, and Bespelled ensnared me with its charms just as effectively. I’m not the hugest fan of straight-up MF romance, but there’s just something about the way Laura writes her lead couples that sucks me every time and causes me to become heavily invested in them and their story. I can’t pinpoint what it is about them yet (yes, even though we’re at the end of the second book) that has me so captivated, but I know there has to be other authors out there that wish they could bottle this particular blend of writing witchcraft.
Bespelled picks up almost right where Bewitched left off, with Selene having been framed for the witch murders by Memnon, because someone’s still stuck on his tour of vengeance. Selene has the memories of her past life back, but it’s kind of hard to focus on anything but being, well, under arrest for crimes she didn’t commit. Luckily, the situation rights itself pretty quickly, and soon we get back to the incredibly charismatic push-pull dynamic between Selene and Memnon as they try and navigate each other, the situation they find themselves in now that Selene can remember the past, and what to do about the ongoing murders.
We get to meet a whole slew of supporting characters, see the overarching plot develop some more, see a new major plotline develop, see the rise and fall of a whole subplot within this book, and have it end with not a cliffhanger but a huge question mark. There’s a ton of magic, a whole bunch of intrigue, a great deal of action and violence, some great swoon-worthy romance, decent spice, and buckets of blood.
A lot happens in this book. I mean, a lot, a lot. Thalassa does a great job keeping the story moving and not letting everything get too tangled together at the same time. There is a pretty large infodump via looking into memories (not by flashback) near the beginning of the book, but I can’t in all fairness call it lazy storytelling in this instance because it falls in line with the way magic works in this series and the way the characters exist. There just wasn’t a better option to get the necessary information across to we readers.
It was a fantastic read and I’m absolutely anticipating the final book!
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.
The wake for Elena’s dad, head of the Amante crime family, isn’t even over before she catches her brother selling her off to a pack over the phone wheThe wake for Elena’s dad, head of the Amante crime family, isn’t even over before she catches her brother selling her off to a pack over the phone when her father had always told her she would have a choice when it came to finally packing up. Now not even trusting the bodyguard she’s in love with, she swallows her pride and decides to run and hide in the sex club/casino known as the High Roller. At least at the High Roller she can still make her own choices.
Elena’s a striking contrast of an omega, and I fell in love with her immediately. She’s a hopeless romantic, but she’s no swooning doormat. She wants to know what it is to love and be loved in return, but you had better do it with some respect for her as a person or not do it all. She can be spiteful and vindictive, which are two things I love seeing in FMCs and never get to see enough of. She’s your good girl if you’re good to her, but she’s a hellion if you get on her bad side. I was here for it.
Her pack is nicely complicated too, full of family conflict, resentment, emotional trauma, and hurt feelings that have lain buried under the guise of duty. There is no sword-crossing action in this one, but there is a very nice twin sandwich scene.
The plot is where this one gets a touch wiggly, but I really think the characters make up for so much of it. I enjoyed the whole book a great deal.
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.
Annika Knowles wasn’t always Annika Knowles. Once upon a time she was a mafia princess omega, living with three bodyguards (one a cocky younger alpha,Annika Knowles wasn’t always Annika Knowles. Once upon a time she was a mafia princess omega, living with three bodyguards (one a cocky younger alpha, the other two more like uncles) and going to college until one day she arrived home to a nightmare and a kidnap attempt. Luckily, Annika is my kind of omega and she saves herself before driving away from everything she knows because she no longer knows who she can trust.
A handful of years later finds Annika at the High Roller Club, using her talents with numbers and patterns to help catch cheaters in the high roller room in the casino half of the business. She has a…friend named Grady who she spends almost all her time with when she’s not working and it’s definitely not platonic but she’s not willing to admit it might be anything else. Things begin to change one night when Annika is tasked with trying to ascertain whether one particular VIP is cheating or not. This meeting starts a chain of events that will bring Annika all the way back to the start, in more than one way.
Queen of Spades was absolutely delightful. The only way it could’ve been better is if it had sword-crossing in it. The story may start in Vegas, but it doesn’t stay there for long. There’s a crazy road trip to Kentucky with an omega in pre-heat, then a trip to Virginia with a cranky omega in post-heat. There’s spicy scenes in multiple public places and one primal play scene.
What I loved the most about this book were the characters. I’ve talked about Annika, but I have a ton of love for Grady, who is more than he seems in so many ways and would probably let Annika use him as a footstool so long as he had permission to move as soon as he sensed danger. He’d probably dress up as a puppy and play fetch with her so long as he could actually bite people. Deranged and hopelessly devoted to Annika is Grady. Her other eventual pack members are also all slightly off the rocker a little bit in their own ways, but the way they all work together in their own off-the-cuff way (half-preparation, half-perspiration) is both really hot and really cute. The fact Annika just keeps pushing through everything from pre-heat to post-heat to get up and fight alongside the guys whenever she can only makes this book better.
Come for the omegaverse, stay for the kick-butt omega and the bromances. That’s what I say.
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.
![Bubblegum Pop (Suck It Up [Omegaverse] #1)](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1710146606l/195093438._SY75_.jpg)
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