1 star Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. The main character and narrator, Mercy Pryce is unlikeable from the get-go. She is conceited, self-important, indignant, self-righteous, convinced of her cleverness, and jaded. She is cold and calculating, and she relays sexual acts in a clinical manner. I never quite figured out how Leona fits into her relationship with Yakim. And I never believed she had any love in her heart for anyone. This is all about revenge, and although what Colton did to her was horrible, what was worse was her unwillingness to move past it. She and Yakim were two of a kind, driven by an eye for an eye concept of justice. It was impossible for me to empathize with her because she was only slightly less despicable than Colton. Colton was a sociopath, but I can’t say that Mercy wasn’t also one. Yakim might be a decent person, but really the only human and likable characters were Ari and Ruby. I can’t recommend the book because I felt no connection to any of the characters and didn’t particularly care what happened to them. I don’t feel happy or hopeful or even thoughtful. I just feel annoyed. March 30, 2021
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4 stars I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley, but it’s not my first experience reading a book from Sophie Barnes. In fact, it’s not the first book from this series that I’ve read. This book focuses on Lady Angelica Townsbridge and Randolph Benedict Scott Trevarian, Viscount Sterling. The story is told in third-person, past-tense from the opposing POVs of Randolph and Angelica. Viscount Sterling invites a number of eligible women to his castle to determine who might make the best wife for him, having lost his wife two years prior. With a touch of paranormal and a gothic twist, this story focuses on Colchester Hall and the uneasy feeling Angelica gets while staying there. She becomes convinced that Randolph’s first wife’s spirit is haunting the place and she is trying to convey an important message. Angelic believes she is the only person aware of the presence of Katrina, but that’s not quite true. I felt that the revelation toward the end of the book was a bit over-the-top. The solving of the mystery surrounding Katrina’s death did not need to be quite so dramatic, and had it been less so, the story would have been better. Unfortunately, the series of events made the story less believable, and I say that about a story that has a ghost (that part was more credible). Overall, I enjoyed the story and I probably would have given it five stars, if not for the melodramatic and inconceivable events near the end. March 29, 2021 5 stars I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. I didn't love it, and I don't feel terribly hopeful now that I've read it, but I cannot say there's anything wrong with it. It's educational and easy to read and understand. Hartmann goes back in time to demonstrate the various times the oligarchy of the United States attempted to trample over democracy. He explains in a way that I'd never before heard, the Confederacy was a group of oligarchs who compelled the poor southerners to fight for them to continue to make huge amounts of money, and he explains how the invention of the cotton gin was largely to blame for this. It was fascinating. He also covers some important points that are not revelatory, but useful to have in one place. "Oligarchies find debt one of the easiest ways to control their citizens, particularly where there are laws that criminalize failure to pay." Of course, keeping people poorly educated is another tool of oligarchs. He demonstrates, with data, how the south has invested significantly less in public education and keeps more of its citizens in poverty. But here was the part that I found most useful, in which Hartmann describes the process by which oligarchs take over a democracy and turn it to tyranny: "Oligarchs fund media, lobbyists, and think tanks that seize the public dialogue while burrowing deeply in the popular media and academia. They use the power of that money to further weaken laws keeping money out of politics. They move from ownership of individual politicians to ownership of an entire political party. They use that party to seize control of government itself and then 'deconstruct the administrative state.' Without the state protecting the people, and with the state controlling elections in a way that widely disenfranchises the victims of the oligarchy, democracy becomes a sham exercise and a police state emerges to enforce the new economic and social order." In a book like this, I don't think it's necessary to worry about spoilers so I will tell you what he suggests we do. "First, we challenge oligarchs and tyrants head-on through expanding the right to vote, the right to unionize, and the obligation of the very wealthy to pay reasonable taxes. Then we provide Americans with the life that citizens of every other advanced democracy already enjoy: free healthcare, free education, good public transportation, greening infrastructure, and a democratic government that responds to all of its citizens wants and needs." Another thing that I found stunning was Hartmann's observation about the GOP logo. In 2000, they flipped the stars on their logo from the polar star to the pentagram. No one in the GOP has been willing or able to explain to him why this was done. There were many references to other books from Mr. Hartmann, other “hidden histories” to learn more about subjects which he barely explored in this book—Supreme Court, guns, healthcare, voting rights, and monopolies. At times, I felt as if he were trying to sell me on the complete series, implying that I only had a small part of the knowledge necessary to understand the whole picture, and understanding everything is essential if I wish to take meaningful action. I’m sure those books are equally interesting, but the fact that there are so many of them is a bit overwhelming. I guess the biggest problem I had with this book, despite some very informative and enlightening history, is that the call to arms at the end, though not lackluster, is not exciting enough. I wanted to feel energized and motivated to do something, but instead, I feel a bit depressed and powerless. March 28, 2021 3 stars I received an ARC of this book from the author, and if this were the first book from her that I’d read, I imagine I’d be giving it a higher rating. However, since I have read so many of her books, I kept comparing this one and it came up short. It shared many of the same attributes that I have loved about some of her other books, but the witty banter and the interactions between characters didn't compensate for the annoyances. My biggest complaint was the use of the word “er” in conversation. From the start, Rupert’s speech was peppered with er’s and it made him seem wishy-washy and utterly unappealing. It was hard to overcome that impression, no matter how heroically he might act in certain circumstances. I’d have rathered ellipses to indicate hesitation in speech or even a narrative that described the pauses. Having Rupert say “er” all the time was very off-putting. And why was he so solicitous toward his cousin, who was a complete jerk at every opportunity? I couldn’t have any respect for him because he came across as a bumbling idiot. The other complaint I had was that I couldn’t figure out the logistics of Rupert and Aria, and later Demon, traveling through the countryside. Sometimes they seemed to be inside of the carriage while other times they were outside of it. I think Demon was driving while Rupert and Aria were inside of the carriage, but then he seemed to be a part of the conversation. That just didn’t make sense to me. I rely on the words to relay a picture to my imagination. The travel scenes were murky to me and I just couldn’t see what was happening. Overall, it’s a pretty good story and it was nice to see Princess Aria get her happy ending after she had been such a good friend to Daisy in The Duke Meets His Matchmaker (a 5-star book). I recommend this book with one caveat: it’s not Bianca Blythe’s best. March 27, 2021 4 stars I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley. It's my first experience with this author and I found her writing to be engaging and immersive. Despite the paranormal elements of the book, it was believable and relatable. I liked most of the characters, but more importantly, I had a clear picture of each of them and understood their motivations. It wasn't a remarkable book. To be honest, I think it could have benefited from the injection of some humor. But it was well-written and I enjoyed it. March 26, 2021 5 stars A steamy historical romance with unusual characters— Torren, “The One-Faced Duke” and Adalia, this story takes place during the war between Britain and France, which is a key component of the plot. When Torren is first introduced, I wondered what might be revealed about him to explain his lack of emotion, assuming it would be a form of ASD, but the truth of it is far more tragic. The development of the relationship between Adalia and Torren was layered and realistic. Brought together by Adalia’s older brother Theo, the reader does not at first understand why he would direct Adalia to go to the duke for help, but there is a conversation that foreshadows a later epiphany. Torren relates the first conversation he had with Theo, a philosophical discussion regarding the mating habits of peacocks. Theo was convinced that male peacocks were blind because the peahens were so plain. He feared that if their eyesight ever improved, it might mean the demise of the species. “The only thing he could imagine that would save the species was if one could encourage true love between the peacock and the peahen.” Adalia is the opposite of Torren in almost every way, her enthusiasm and passion for life a stark contrast to his logic and inability to emote. The writing is evocative and engaging and I found myself pulled into the world of Adalia and Torren, understanding their complicated feelings for one another and rooting for Torren to finally realize that what he felt was actually love, even if he didn’t know the word for it. I really enjoyed the book and I recommend it. March 24, 2021 4 stars It’s a prequel so it’s not long, but it gives some great background on the Seven, including a rare glimpse of Baron. I can’t say I particularly liked any of the characters, but they’re nineteen-year-old jerks so, I guess it’s true to life (in a way?). At any rate, this book introduces us to the Seven, from the POV of Sterling Sinclair and we learn how he meets Meredith and how they form 7A Investments. It’s worth reading, if only to provide additional context for the love stories of the characters that are to come later. March 16, 2021 5 stars This book was on my TBR list for a while, because I’m a member of the Carey Lewis fan club (unofficial), and the plot sounded intriguing. I was not disappointed. In fact, there was only one part where I thought, “hey, that doesn’t make sense,” but then it turned out it didn’t matter. I won’t explain why as that might spoil the surprise.The characters were well-developed and relatable, and the sense of being overwhelmed and confused (Charlotte) was believable. Jack was the grifter that you can’t help but love, even if you’re not entirely sure if he’s on the up and up, and you’re pretty sure he’s not. It ended in much the way I expected, but it was touch and go, and there were lots of unexpected and very clever occurrences. One of the things I like about Carey Lewis’ books is his sense of humor. For example: “The Polish guy’s name was Mateusz, a name Charlotte couldn’t pronounce because it always sounded like she was faking a sneeze.” And as the narrator described a route through the city, he threw in, “...Avenue Road, probably the stupidest name for a street she ever heard.” And when one of the characters was asked whether his mother would mind someone bunking in the basement, he said, “...she wouldn’t mind because she wouldn’t know because she never comes downstairs.” But it’s not all fun and games and Lewis also knows how to cut through the mundane to the heart of the conflict characters sometimes feel within themselves. As Charlotte questions her life choices, she looks out the window of her car. “As she waited for the light to change, she couldn't avert her gaze from the buildings. They seemed to lean forward, out of breath, out of life. They hadn’t changed in awhile, and now looked like they wanted to give up. They were something past the point of... what? Beauty? Use? Youth?” Personification may be one of my favorite literary devices (my favorite being alliteration), and it is not used nearly often enough. This example will have to fuel me for a while. A suspense/mystery plot requires a level of planning that not all books need. Not only is the pacing of this book perfect, but it also unravels the suspense at a rate that keeps the reader guessing right until the very end. I highly recommend this book. Until now, my favorite Carey Lewis book was Bestseller (which is mentioned in this book in a roundabout way), but I think I may even like this one better. Both are worth reading. March 23, 2021 4 stars I received an ARC of this book, apparently, Lauren Smith's first. It's really good. It's different from other books I've read from her, even the Royal Dragon series. It's very short but she manages to fully develop the characters, have a beginning, middle, and most importantly, an end, and leave room for a sequel. If there is one, I'm interested in reading it. March 20, 2021 4 stars I received an ARC of this book, a standalone contemporary romance about Henley and Russell, step-siblings. It was short and cute, with likable characters and an amusing plot. Character development was minimal, but adequate. It jumped from the main part of the story to the epilogue three years later a bit abruptly, but other than that, I enjoyed it. March 19, 2021 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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