4 stars This book is the equivalent of watching a B-movie. It’s campy and it’s fun, not too gory, and not too serious. There’s no lesson to be learned or emotions to be exploited. There were a few gory scenes, but they were presented in an exaggerated manner that made them utterly unrealistic. The storytelling/narration was adequate—not too flowery and not too bland, but not terribly memorable. Overall, it was a diversionary endeavor and I enjoyed it. July 30, 2020
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4 stars I got an ARC of this book from Netgalley and this is the first book from this author that I’ve read. Although it didn’t grab me from page one, I found that the plot drew me in and kept me interested throughout the book. Switching between time periods, 1853 and 1918, but maintaining the third-person narrator, kept the story flowing and slowly unveiled details that would solve the mystery presented at the beginning. Some of it was fairly easy to figure out, but that does not detract from the skill of telling the story. There was one line in the book that made me chuckle because it was so out of place and called to mind cartoons depicting the early 1900s. “She tucked her hand into her coat pocket and pulled out a sixpence and held it out to him. His eyes lit up and she had the strangest feeling he was going to snatch it and bite down on it.” That said, I liked it there. It was the narrator’s way of winking at the reader, saying, “I know this probably wouldn’t happen, but wouldn’t it be funny if it did?” The plot will keep you guessing for at least the first half of the book. How are Fleur and Stefan related? Why are we following an Austrian soldier and a young widowed English woman? How does Della fit in? Because the narrator sometimes followed Stefan and sometimes followed Della, it was unclear who was the protagonist in 1853, but I suppose they could both serve in that role. Fluer was the clear protagonist of 1918, and eventually, of the story as a whole. Overall, I enjoyed the story. It included details that painted a vivid picture of Australia in 1853 and 1918, including common landmarks as well as changes in population and development. There was some commentary on the role of outside “explorers” coming in and denying the indiginous people their rights to live on the land. Murdering them for encroaching on settlers’ lands was perfectly acceptable. Furthermore, it did not shine a favorable light on those sent to Australia as convicts since the ones featured in the story continued to behave in sociopathic ways despite being given a second chance. My only question at the end of the book was, how did Hugh know? To me, it wasn’t explained clearly enough for me to connect the dots. I still recommend the book. July 28, 2020 5 stars We first met Isla in Dukes Prefer Bluestockings when she was betrothed to Callum, who subsequently jilted her to marry Charlotte. In that book, she wasn’t a very sympathetic character and seemed rather unfeeling. It seemed she was disappointed her engagement to Callum had been called off because it made her less desirable in the eyes of the ton, and the opinions of those people were very important to her. In this book, Isla is presented in a very different light, and although it becomes clear that she never loved Callum, she nevertheless felt pain when he rejected her and thereby subjected her to spinsterhood. She is sad that she will no longer be invited to social events and will be eyed with suspicion, as if she might have her sights set on the men already married to other women. There is much more to Isla than could have been deducted from her introduction in the previous book and it is fascinating to learn some secrets about her past. Adam is a kind-hearted man who senses in Isla someone who might feel some sympathy for his plight so he asks for her help, and she surprises herself by accepting his proposition. Of course, they fall in love, but getting there is not without its challenges. Naturally, there is a happy ending. It’s not my favorite of the Wedding Troubles series, but it’s an enjoyable book and I recommend it. July 25, 2020 5 stars I really enjoy Bianca Blythe’s books. Although she generally won’t make you feel the uncomfortable emotions of her characters (to the point of sobbing), she does convey those emotions effectively so the reader empathizes. Despite the fact that you generally know what is going to happen, the journey to get to the end is enjoyable, filled with clever conversations and observations. Sebastian and Genevieve are the stars of this book. Genevieve shot Sebastian in the previous book, All You Need Is a Duke, thinking that he was a highwayman. He has continued to hold a grudge, and as a result, they despise each other. When he hits his head and Genevieve’s mother concocts the story that they are married, we all know that won’t end well. We also know that when Sebastian finds out and leaves, Genevieve will be ruined, but they really don’t have too many options and her mother just grabs onto the first idea that she has. Ms. Blythe has a flair for language and I loved the phrasing of some of the things her characters thought and said, especially when it comes to her ability to understate the obvious. For example, when Genevieve first views the cottage where they are going to live, she laments the roof, thinking: “...it was thatched, a structural success architects had spent centuries surpassing.” Later, Genevieve makes an amusing observation about the land surrounding the cottage, having “a long-ago-destroyed topsoil unsuitable for anything except the occasional amble.” Sebastian, while contemplating his behavior toward Genevieve thinks to himself: “His former nurse would be horrified at his words, but she’d also taken pleasure at spanking him when not demeaning him for being naughty, and Sebastian didn’t care what she thought. Besides, she was dead.” Later, when he awakens after the blow to his head, “Pain ripped through it, accompanied by an odd pounding, as if some tin miner had crawled into his head and had decided to dig his way out, armed solely with his hammer and chisel.” I thought that was a great description of a terrible and inexplicable headache. A conversation near the beginning beautifully exemplifies the relationship that Genevieve and Sebastian have, subsequent to her shooting him but prior to his head injury: “Does everything about you require constant compliments?” Genevieve asked. “Even homes you rent to others?” He blinked. “I don’t require compliments—that would be absurd. Though, I will say, I absolutely deserve them.” This back-and-forth bickering only lasts for as long as Sebastian knows who he is and that he is supposed to hate Genevieve. Once he hits his head, he becomes a sweet, considerate, and loving “husband,” compelling her to actually fall in love with him. The amnesia trope is not new, but as with so many of this author’s stories, it’s told in a new way with extremely engaging and sympathetic characters. The final result is a highly enjoyable book, and this is what makes me continue looking forward to her next release. I loved it. July 24, 2020 4 stars I like the concept of this story and I wanted to give it 4 stars, but it really only deserves 3.5. I’m rounding up. It has some strong characters, while others are two-dimensional and seemingly unimportant, which is unfortunate because I’m sure there will be other books focusing on them. For example, Lee and Alex, as well as Claire, feature prominently, with Theo appearing often enough. However, Guy barely shows up and I can’t even remember the names of the other two sisters. Since all need to find their soul matches, it seems to me that the readers deserve more of an introduction to all of them. The gender-stereotyped roles of the characters bugged me a bit. It seemed as if the boys were always expected to save Penny while the girls were helpless, and other than Penny, actually seemed insignificant. Since the “siblings” had been told for their entire lives that they each had a mission to find their soul match and the warlocks would do everything they could to prevent that, it makes sense to me that they would have been trained to fight. However, it seemed like the girls were unable to do that. Penny was immature, which made sense considering her upbringing, but I kept hoping she would develop some sense and stop trying to run away from her challenges. There were many unanswered questions by the end of the book, but considering this is the start of a new series, that is reasonable. If I want to learn more, I’ll just have to read the next one. July 22, 2020 3 stars I enjoyed the plot, which wasn’t very complicated, and the characters, who were unusual. I think there could have been more exploration of the psychological issues that made Lily and Connor who they were, but there was enough information to add dimension to their characters. Conversely, there wasn’t enough information to justify the revelation about another character that happens at the end. It wasn’t shocking, but there weren’t enough hints to make sense of it. Still, I’m sure I would have given this book 4 stars if not for one very distracting issue. The verb tenses kept changing, sometimes mid-sentence and it was extremely disconcerting. After a while, it became infuriating because it was just so frequent. Told from alternating first-person POV, here’s an example of a sentence from Lily’s chapter: “Before I knew what he meant, he pushes down the covers and lifts my shirt.” So we have simple past tense and present tense in one sentence! Sloppy editing like this conveys to me that the author doesn’t value her readers enough to take the extra step of cleaning up grammar. This doesn’t have to be costly, as there are many beta readers and ARC readers who are happy to point out these things. I’m hopeful that this author will endeavor to improve (or has already done so) in this area before publishing other books. July 20, 2020 5 stars My only complaint about this book is that it is WAAAY too short. It’s not complete. I feel certain there is more to the story of Charon and Phaedre, but Charon completes his quest and Phaedre is on her journey and that’s all there is to it. The writing is evocative, with vivid descriptions of historical and mythical places and characters, such as Charon the Ferryman over the Styx. It’s easy to get pulled into the story and I was sad that it ended so quickly. I enjoy Jade Kerrion’s writing so if I have the opportunity to read more in this series, I will be certain to do so. July 18, 2020 5 stars Get the tissues. Kate Meader has a gift for empathetically cutting to the heart of loss and grief and taking her characters on the journey toward learning to move on and love again. I knew I wanted to read this book before it was written. I was familiar with the general outlines of Gunnar Bond’s story and knew that reading his story would be a heartbreaking endeavor. Nevertheless, when an author takes the time and effort to depict a suffering character with such compassion and clarity, I feel an obligation to read it. And I’m glad I did. Gunnar, three years after the death of his wife and twins (approx 4 years old), is haunted by what he should have done differently to prevent their deaths. To cope with his loss, he takes to texting his wife’s phone to tell her how much he misses her. Unbeknownst to him, the phone number is passed on to Sadie and she responds to his grim messages, attempting to buoy his spirits. A friendship ensues. It’s a fantastic beginning to a relationship, original and cleverly told. Their eventual meeting is unexpected, yet totally believable. The development of the relationship is poignant and realistic. POV switches between Sadie and Gunnar, with the reader gaining a sense of the psychological issues that motivate their actions. Dialogue is authentic and revealing, with some spectacular insights. There are some great lines in this book, some of which made me laugh out loud (literally), probably because they were so unexpected. This one, in particular, slayed me, “‘Hi,’ she returned, the soul of wit.” I loved this reluctant observation by Sadie, as she decided to ignore her problems: “Because ignoring the problem always worked.” Comparing Gunnar’s self-imposed exile to “Little House on the Prairie, but with alcohol and swearing” was clever, as was this description of Sadie: “To compensate for her just tumbled out a bag of Doritos appearance, she smiled at hockey camp guy.” There were also some descriptions of pain and hurt that were so visceral, I felt them myself. After Gunnar receives some painful news, he attempts to continue walking toward his destination, but the “people walking toward him were watery blurs, then invisible as darkness edged out the light.” And this description of Gunnar was just so insightful, and clearly true: “His factory setting was good guy. This cranky, brooding version was a placeholder, a shell he’d created to pour his pain and hurt into.” (I’ll be honest. I would have edited that sentence so it didn’t end with a preposition, but that doesn’t detract from the brilliance of the statement.) Theo Kershaw (Instacrush) is a ray of sunshine in this book. No surprise, really. He brings levity and pure joy to everything and he serves as comic relief to the more difficult emotions. He keeps appearing to push Gunnar in the right direction, but this statement, at a “family” picnic where Theo is working the grill with Gunnar’s assistance, is pure gold. “He poked at the burger again because he couldn't leave well enough alone. That’s what’s known as a metaphor, kids.” The happy ending I expected was not as easy to reach as I might have thought. Even when Gunnar makes the effort he thinks will be sufficient, Sadie has the strength and insight to push him further. Sadie is a strong, caring woman who learns to value herself and have faith in her own abilities, so this isn’t just about Gunnar’s journey. They help to bring out the best in one another, which is what every healthy relationship should do. July 17, 2020 4 stars As it got closer to the end, for just a moment, I allowed myself to imagine that this was the end of the series, even though I knew better. After all, it’s only book 2. I am pleased to report, however, that although it is not complete, it does not end on a cliffhanger. For a change. I appreciate that. Some crazy shit goes down in this book. I love some of the dialogue and found Tuddle to be particularly amusing. I loved it when he said “Yippee-ki-yay, mother focker!” But that leads me to a question. Why did Blayde (and Tuddle) use the term focker in conversation when Blayde was more than happy to use the real word just as easily when referring to fornication. I just found it odd that she seemed to be reluctant to swear at times, but not at others, and I found it difficult to discern the motivation for that. Now, I’ve mentioned this with other Ava Mason stories, so I’m sorry to say this continues to be an issue, but I wish she would find an editor who knows how to correct verb tenses. The quality of her writing would be vastly improved with proper editing, and since I usually give her 5 stars, that is saying a lot. I am so tired of seeing “drug” used when the past tense of “drag” is “dragged.” I also noticed several instances of “pat” instead of “patted.” Other verb tense mistakes were clearly mistakes, while “drug” and “pat” happened multiple times, leading me to believe that the editor thought these were correct. Google is an amazing aide in ensuring proper editing when there is any uncertainty. Simple ask: What is the past tense of drag? What is the past tense of pat? It’s not hard. Another problem with the editing was a profusion of dangling participles, which I could usually figure out, but this statement floored me: “Grabbing my sword, I jumped to my feet with one hand, while blocking her blow with the other.” It’s so odd, I’m not even sure that it is a dangling participle, but I don’t know what else to call it. Blayde’s internal dialogue was amusing and I loved statements like this: “Okay, so Queen Slayer was too obvious to use in public, so I shortened it to Stabby…” The plot is action-packed and exciting, but I think Ava Mason missed the mark when it comes to conveying emotion. There’s a lot of saying how much each of the characters care for one another, but when it comes to sex, that seems to be about all there is to it. To me, it was the small displays of affection, like Maverick and Nix comforting one another, that truly conveyed the love the characters felt for one another. One-on-one interactions were an opportunity to explore deeper feelings and sometimes that’s what they did, but it was also used as an excuse to have sex without everyone there together. The sex seemed more about relieving a physical need than an emotional one. I may be alone in this, and I cannot put my finger on exactly why I felt this way, but there was something about these intimate scenes that made me feel icky, like they were gratuitous rather than the profound encounters I think she wanted to portray. I’m hopeful that the next book will delve more into the emotional connections the characters share and demonstrate their feelings rather than just telling the reader. I do not mean to imply that the actions of the characters did not reflect their feelings for one another, because they did, but I can’t shake the feeling that the physical expressions of their love were superficial. I wish I could give concrete examples, but it was really just a feeling that I had. July 15, 2020 5 stars I edited this book, the first in the series by L Steele, and I was so impressed. I found the characters to be believable, relatable, and Summer is likable. Sinclair isn’t meant to be likable. Both are complex, with deep-seated motivations that color their perceptions of others. Sinclair, in particular, having suffered a trauma as a child, has a tendency to attribute malevolent intentions toward others. Their actions are viewed through his jaundiced perceptions. He is unable to trust anyone, even those who might be considered his friends. The story is told from alternating POVs of Summer and Sinclair, giving the reader an insight into the psychological nature of each character and how it affects their impressions and actions. It was the internal struggles that I found most compelling about this book. Personally, although I grew to like Sinclair, I did not like the way that he acted, particularly in terms of his need for dominance. I did not understand Summer’s acceptance (even desire) for that behavior, but the fact that she consented to it is sufficient for me to allow for it (in terms of character/plot development). It was not extreme, so even though it did not subscribe to my personal preferences, I found it tolerable. What I found most enjoyable is the banter between Summer and Sinclair, which is intelligent and succinct. Their apparent disdain for one another is hard to miss, while the internal dialogue contradicts what they say out loud. It’s fun. In this book, we learn little about the motivations/backstories of peripheral characters, which makes sense since this book isn’t about them, but I found it difficult to like/understand Karma, Summer’s sister. I’m sure the book that focuses on Karma will convince me of her positive attributes. The plot is a bit confusing at times, but in the end, it all makes sense. This is intentional. Human nature is complicated and the things that people do when pushed into a corner don’t always make sense. We may think we’d act differently, and maybe we would, but that doesn’t make others’ reactions suspect. Including reactions that may seem unlikely allows the reader to consider other POVs and how those beliefs influence actions. Hopefully, it teaches us compassion and makes us less likely to judge. July 12, 2020 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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