Pet peeve - when an author uses the same descriptor over and over and over. At least 16 times someone is rollWhy is everyone always rolling their eyes?
Pet peeve - when an author uses the same descriptor over and over and over. At least 16 times someone is rolling their eyes. It's just weird ...more
A little stunned at how low quality the writing is
Where is the character development? We know nothing about the hero, his personality, what he looks lA little stunned at how low quality the writing is
Where is the character development? We know nothing about the hero, his personality, what he looks like, etc. The writing is just not practiced. Is this the author's first novel? Then it would make sense Why are they so many good reviews? I don't get it...more
It's odd that the main hero had so little character development. I'm over 60% of the way through the book and actually hope the Character development?
It's odd that the main hero had so little character development. I'm over 60% of the way through the book and actually hope the girl ends up with the other guy because his personality has been developed just a bit more in depth. I also just realized I've already read this book but it was so unmoving the first time through that it made zero impact on me and didn't stick in my mind at all. I feel the author has stolen a lot of ideas from Tamara Leigh and not done nearly as good of a job making her characters come to life. Hopefully the next in the series will be better....more
Hard to get into this one. I'm 1/3 of the way through and annoyed enough with Alissandra that I may not keep reading. She's theVery unlikeable heroine
Hard to get into this one. I'm 1/3 of the way through and annoyed enough with Alissandra that I may not keep reading. She's the least likeable female character I've ever come across in a Tamara Leigh book. So far she's a spoiled brat, stubborn, willful, disobedient, disrespectful, and I have yet to find a positive quality. She's impossible to root for. I keep hoping Lucien will just sort of abandon her and continue on his journey....more
I really like Tamara Leigh's stories. I enjoyed this book immensely. I love that this is clean romance in mOne request.... or a few... from a true fan
I really like Tamara Leigh's stories. I enjoyed this book immensely. I love that this is clean romance in my favorite time period. Because I've devoured ten of Ms. Leigh's books this month, it's come to my attention that there are a few overused phrases that really chaff. 1) "She moistened her lips." Why? Why do we care her tongue went across her lips? That's strange and awkward and I don't understand why it's in every book so many times. Is there another way to describe whatever you're trying to convey? I am annoyed by how often "she" - every single she in every book - is moistening her lips. I guess chapstick would have been nice in midieval times? 2) "She seamed her lips." I get this phrase, and don't find it as annoying as the moistening one, but nevertheless irksome for how often she's seaming her lips. I would love to see it written differently a few times. 3) "the one who" Whenever I read this phrase, I know it's going to be a super difficult paragraph that's going to include "the former" and "the latter" and I'll have re-read it several times to figure out who in the heck it's talking about because I don't remember by the end who the former was and who was the latter. There have been several times throughout Ms. Leigh's books that I was just confused and wrong about who "the one" was and realized chapters later I'd thought someone else lost an arm, or someone else was a sibling, just because of how purposefully obtuse the wording is at times. About the book: I really like Hector and Severine. They're both beautiful people who deserve love and I did enjoy this story. I would really love to read another one where the hero falls in love first and pursues the lady. And I'd love to see them in love earlier in the book and then face a few challenges together, rather than tough guy resists love until the final chapter when he finally gives in. The end. I just feel like Tamara has it in her to write a great epic that's more than just formulaic romance. Give us more stories about the same people, like a three-part epic about one couple or family we love. Their struggles with children, English politics, excitement and adventure. I know you have it in you, Tamara. Maybe Sir Mael and Lady Mercia. They're sooooo interesting. Please, write us an epic just about them and their children and their adventures and their new lives. I do truly love your stories, Ms. Leigh. I just crave more depth. ...more
Who is betraying whom and why? No clue. I've now listened to beginning four times on audiobook and read it twice andVery difficult storyline to follow
Who is betraying whom and why? No clue. I've now listened to beginning four times on audiobook and read it twice and still have no idea who is betraying whom and why. That's just ANNOYING. How about some clarity? As for the story between the hero and heroine, I loved it so I just pretended like it wasn't important to me to have a clue what the book is about. Again, ANNOYING. Why can't it be written more clearly? I love Tamara Leigh's writing but she has a bad habit of making things really obtuse.,...more
As in the last one, way too much repetitive inner dialogue between actual dialogue. It becomes a drawn-out, uninteresting way to drag out a stoHmm....
As in the last one, way too much repetitive inner dialogue between actual dialogue. It becomes a drawn-out, uninteresting way to drag out a story. And the big conflict, that she's unclean because she gives "favors"? Super cringey. Hesitant to read any more of this series. Maybe the author is tapped out of stories. The first two, Garr and Annyn and Beatrix and Michael were interesting stories. The last three, not so much....more
This is one of the craziest, wildest, off-beat, original books I've read in a very long time. This is the first book I've read by David Gray, but it wThis is one of the craziest, wildest, off-beat, original books I've read in a very long time. This is the first book I've read by David Gray, but it won't be the last. I may need a few days to recover before I grab the next one though because I'm not completely sure what just happened! Congrats, David, on choosing an incredible narrator (Michael Brusasco) to tell your epic tale as it deserves to be told. (Michael, you are fabulous.)
Sci fi + fantasy + humor + horror = WILD RIDE I struggle to describe this book because it's so unlike anything I've ever read and, frankly, I cannot imagine what it's like to live in David's head that he can write things like this. It's almost as if he had a crazy dream one night which incorporated bits and pieces from The Gods Themselves, the Matrix, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Star Trek, Children of Time, The Invisible Man, The Forgotten, and many, many more... and wove them into an entirely original story with a little wacky humor. There were many times while reading this book that I wondered, "How in the world did he come up with this twist??" If you read only biographies and non-fiction, just leave this book here for those of us that have imagination enough to handle this tale. If you enjoy having your mind blown and think you can keep up, I double-dare you to try. I was provided this amazing epic tale in exchange for an honest review.... and I'm so fortunate they picked me to read it....more
There's pieces reminiscent to the Wool series by Hugh Howey and The 100, and I even sensed a dash of The Red Rising, though this book is geared towardThere's pieces reminiscent to the Wool series by Hugh Howey and The 100, and I even sensed a dash of The Red Rising, though this book is geared towards a teen/pre-teen audience. This book is safe for your younger audience. There's nothing to give them nightmares or make you, as a parent, cringe. This book is about a society living beneath the ground in fully functioning pods, complete with ventilation, hydroponics, and living areas. They're survivors of a global pandemic that's wiped out (just about) everyone else. This story keeps a great pace and is a new twist on dystopia....more