5 stars A gifted writer can evoke the emotions of the characters in her readers. Emma Castle is one such writer. I found myself, at turns, heartbroken, nervous, excited, and relieved. Tackling the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs by rewriting one of his most iconic stories, Tarzan of the Apes, takes guts. In this case, the gamble paid off spectacularly, as this story took on a life of its own and made all other retellings background noise. Bravo! Elements of spirituality add a magic to this tale that gives the reader hope during the darkest parts of the story. As with any romance, we expect an HEA, but knowing that Thorne and Eden are on the side of goodness in a battle for the heart of the jungle, knowing that the spirits of those who came before them are somehow helping them, gives the reader the fortitude to keep reading even when it seems that all hope is lost. There’s a reason the jungle is a frequent metaphor for difficulties in life, as in statements like, “it’s a jungle out there.” The jungle is harsh and unforgiving. It doesn’t allow for weakness. Emma Castle illuminates the harshness of the jungle, but also highlights its beauty. The research that must have gone into this book is readily evident as scenes are described in meticulous detail that engages all of the senses. Her love of this place is undeniable. The relationships between Thorne and the animals are realistic and precious. The instant connection between Thorne and Eden is also believable. Her acceptance by his “tribe” and her love for them because he loves them, is inevitable and inspiring. There are some tough scenes in this book—good people and good animals are killed. I had to remind myself it was fictional, but then I remembered, just because this story is fictional doesn’t mean the events described are not happening on a regular basis. People and animals are killed in the pursuit of wealth and power. Any story in which the “good guys” win is a story I want to read. If I wanted to see the “bad guys” win, I wouldn’t be reading fiction. As always, I discovered some quotes that were just too beautiful to allow them to be forgotten: “Life was ever a battle of clinging with desperation and letting go with longing.” “My heart has only one name carved upon it, and I will love her until there is no more breath in me.” There were also a couple of funny moments, lending a bit of comic relief to a very emotional and intense story. While trying to figure out who is the villain, Emma “imagined some super-powerful man in the shadows, an archvillain right out of a comic book, with a mustache he twirled while he bathed in a bathtub of stolen gold and ordered the deaths of anyone who stood in his way.” Then she realized how unrealistic that sounded and dialed it back a bit. Another scene that made me chuckle was this one: “Sorry I’m late. The curling iron and I are not friends.” She laughed, and the sound was sweeter than any music. He didn’t know who the curling iron was, but if they were not Eden’s friend, then they were Thorne’s enemy. But he would deal with them later.” My only complaint about the story was that Thorne seemed to adjust a little too quickly to modern life, even learning to speak fluently in a very short period of time. I think he would have been afraid the first time he rode in a car. He should have been terrified to fly in an airplane, especially since the last time he had, the plane had crashed. Yes, he was courageous in all other circumstances, so I understand how he could have been brave in those as well, but it felt like he was almost superhuman in his reactions and his ability to adjust to new events. There were just too many things which would have been completely new to him: eating with utensils, clothing, sitting on furniture, speaking to strangers, reading, etiquette, and the list goes on. This in NO WAY diminishes the impact of the story. Indeed, how could any author incorporate into a novel all of the ways in which Thorne had to adapt to contemporary life? The most salient points were addressed and the others were left to the reader’s imagination. Perhaps it was his connection with the spiritual world that enabled him to slide so smoothly into a new and different life. Regardless, this book is outstanding and memorable and I highly recommend it. September 23, 2020
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3 stars I got the ARC for this book through Netgalley. The story was pretty good and the writing was easy to follow, but the plot was too predictable. Here’s the plot, in a nutshell: Attractive man-whore/hot actor (Dash) and naive-yet-competent woman (Sydney) who reinvented herself but has now returned home (and who also happens to be “Hollywood royalty”) fall in love, but her stalker ex is intimidating her, so Sydney determines the best thing to do is separate herself from Dash without telling him why. Meanwhile, her possibly homicidel ex will use an innocent victim to manipulate Sydney to comply with his wishes, but never fear, because Sydney is a survivor and love conquers all. HEA. I don’t mean to sound jaded. It’s not that the plot is bad. It just isn’t surprising, and at times, I felt like I read more about how they felt than witnessed it through their actions. I guess if I hadn’t read some many books with this predictable arc of events, I might be more inclined to enjoy it, but as it was, I found it tedious. I’m sure many will like it. Hints that should have been conveyed via subtle foreshadowing were instead presented as glaring road signs warning about bends in the road. Without any context, here is an example: “He glanced at Monty and saw the director mopping his forehead with a handkerchief.” Still not sure what’s going to happen? Here’s more: “His color didn’t look good. The redness should have subsided by now.” Here’s another, which for some reason, the author felt the need to put in italics, just to make sure the reader wouldn’t miss it, I guess: “Across the street, Wake Marshall watched with interest.” As I already mentioned, the book is okay. I wouldn't say it’s a complete waste of time, but for me, I kept thinking I could be reading something better. P.S. - I don't think I chose this book because of the cover, but it didn't hurt. September 21, 2020 5 stars This story focuses on Theo, the drug addict of the witch coven, who doesn’t believe in the curse or the idea of a soul-match. Although the plot probably could have delved further into the issue of addiction (which could have been a really dark turn), that really wasn’t the purpose of the book so it was unnecessary. The larger point of the book is to show that Theo was blocking his destiny, or at least his understanding of it, by using drugs. It’s not until he stops that he realizes there is some truth to the mission he has been told he and his siblings must pursue. Because I am not British, there are some colloquialisms that confuse me in Rachel Medhurst’s books. One of the terms I didn’t understand this time was “agony uncle.” I also didn’t get “monkeys” like in this quote: “My motto had been not to give a monkeys about anyone else…” I read it as “monkey’s ass.” At first, I thought it was a typo, but it appeared a few times so I don’t think so. I liked Theo, despite his superiority complex, which I suppose contributed to his drug addiction. He was smart and had some clever comments, like this one: “Stupid is far too intelligent to come near me.” I also loved this exchange: “Are you going to stop doubting?” Her image started to fade. I held onto her, not wanting her to go. “I doubt it…” The story is not quite finished. The coven still has work to do, but with this book, they have moved forward considerably and seem to have gained the advantage. Theo will be a formidable opponent to Nick so I’m looking forward to some of their future encounters and watching Theo grow into his power. September 18, 2020 1 star This is when I normally thank Netgalley for the ARC, but not this time. This is the kind of book that makes me question the screening process that goes into Netgalley’s selection of authors/books. This book is a poorly-executed mystery presented in the form of a Penthouse Forum letter. It does not live up to its description by any stretch of the imagination, and I am so disappointed. The writing was convoluted and confusing and the characters evoked no empathy. Steve, the main character, only thought about sex. Whether he was fantasizing or actually engaged in it didn’t matter much as far as descriptions were concerned. It’s told from Steve’s POV in third-person, and there’s a lot of “introspection.” For the purposes of this review, let’s define “introspection” as fantasizing about having sex with the women in the book. Sex was described in painful detail. There’s a paragraph devoted to describing the type of nipples Steve preferred on a woman and this likely being a result of his mother breastfeeding him until the age of five. Words like “joystick” were laughable, but sentences like this one made me question why I continued reading: “He moved up and aligned his pulsating love muscle with her waiting juicy body.” I could go on, but…. Ewwww. So the sex takes up a good portion of the book, but I kept reading because I was intrigued by the mystery. Let me tell you up front, if you’re reading this for the mystery aspect of the book, you might as well stop because it’s not worth the trip to get there. There’s a sex cult. In other words, it’s an excuse for more sexual encounters, fantasizing, revelations, insights, what have you. Ugh. I don’t even know what to say about the plot. It’s just not worth the effort to try to formulate sentences. Verb tenses made it difficult to determine when events were occurring. This was especially true during the epilogue, when the storytelling changed to present-tense with a bit of past-tense mixed in just to confuse things. But then there was this, which seemed like an important quote from Tara’s mother, but didn’t really make any sense. That was partly because it’s just a stupid statement and partly, I think, because the verb tenses were wrong: “Tara was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, and the truth will never be the same.” I may never be the same. September 16, 2020 2 stars When I get a free book from Netgalley, I feel an obligation to finish it, even if I don't like it very much. I forced myself to finish this book. (There are times when I cannot.) To begin with, there was nothing endearing about Travis. He was simply a pig, telling Skyla what he planned to do to her within moments of conversing in the bar. He was exactly the sort of man most women would avoid, and in fact, that's what Skyla tried to do. Skyla was so painfully insecure (except while having sex, when she became brazen and unbelievably confident), I lost patience with her. Of course, as luck would have it, they were thrown together and had to escape a mobster together. I thought the story had some potential, but the bulk of it was made up of scenes where Skla and Travis "went to town" on one another. Seriously, the author used that phrase. But that was not the only uncomfortably immature description of intimacy. The writing was so full of cliches and clunky phrases, I literally wanted to scream. And when I say literally, I mean that literally, unlike the author, who used the word literally (on several occasions) when she really meant figuratively. The other thing she did was use the phrase "of which," a handy phrase for avoiding ending a sentence with a proposition. Unfortunately, "of which" usually prefaced a sentence ending in a preposition, again, making me want to literally scream. An example: "... of which he was grateful for." Vocabulary choices were questionable, at best. "Smarted" was used, frequently, to convey that someone said something clever. Characters gave one another "withered" looks rather than "withering"ones. I couldn't figure out what it meant when someone "mulled exasperatingly." Maybe smiled? Travis sat at a bar and "continued to nipple his beer." I think that was supposed to be "nurse." Bequethed was used when I think she meant requested? Nonplussed was used when I suspect she meant unbothered. Rile was used as a noun rather than a verb. Cajoled was used instead of joked, I think. A few pet peeves : They're instead of their! Had ran instead of had run! Sat instead of set. Characters winked at one another an awful lot, I guess to convey playfulness or a secret. I don't know. It was very off-putting after the first few times. Travis' tribal tattoo turned into an ink-sleeve. It was a mess. I didn't really like either of the characters much, but I tried. I thought the mobster theme might make this more interesting, but it only served as a back story to Travis and Skyla having sex as often as possible. Finally, the ending was simply appalling. It’s not exactly a cliffhanger, if only because I don’t really care what happens next. What it is, if I’m being honest (and why stop now?), is a segue into the next book in the most obnoxious manner possible. I turned the final page of the story, only to discover a preview into the next book. C’mon, man. I won't be looking for more from this writer. September 14, 2020 5 stars I love to lose myself in a Tracy Sumner story. She creates characters who are real and evocative, not to mention memorable. She taps into the emotions of love and loss and longing with precision. Here, she introduces Charlie, a spirited, independent woman who doesn’t quite fit in with her small town (and who, by the way, is incredibly strong), and Adam, a wealthy, experienced newspaper editor...and her new boss. With every interest in common as well as an undeniable attraction to one another, it seems inevitable for them to end up together. However, Adam is determined to never love again, after having lost his mother and his brother to death and feeling devastated. Charlie is willing to accept what little he can give because she loves him enough to not want to cause him the discomfort that would come along with loving her. Adam does everything he can to avoid the final realization that he loves Charlie just as much as she loves him. The journey is poignant, and at times, heartbreaking, but there’s never really any doubt about the happy ending that will eventually arrive. Personification is always a favorite of mine, so I loved this image: “Moonlight from the lone window poured in, sliding across his legs to pool on the floor in a neat puddle.” And this one was funny: “She tried to compose herself, brushing wrinkles from a dress that looked as if it had jumped off an ironing board minutes before.” There were some fun similes/metaphors in this story, like this one: “...a rich, all-too-comforting fragrance permeated the air, slashing like a blade as no words could have.” I also liked this one: “The morning was a sharp and frigid as an old woman’s cackle and just as inviting.” And this one, because it was so closely related to the love of writing that Adam and Charlie shared: “...she swayed and slipped to the ground as weightlessly as a piece of parchment in the wind.” This one was an apt reflection of Adam’s state of mind, desperately clinging to the memory of Charlie while fighting his feelings for her: “...he muttered and threw the pieces to the ground. Then, pitifully, like a beggar after a few coins, he gathered them and slipped them in his shirt pocket.” But Adam’s state of mind was probably best described thusly: “He could not love her. Would not love her. Oh, God. It frightened him to consider that the matter had been decided without his consent.” How many others, throughout history, have lamented just this fact of life? I enjoyed the voice of the narrator (third-person) and the alternating POVs of Charlie and Adam, with a few from Miles (their mutual friend) and Marilyn (briefly) thrown in. It could have gotten confusing had the author decided to switch to these other POVs more often. As executed, it was perfect for allowing the reader a view of the lovers through the eyes of observers, who clearly saw the love that Charlie and Adam were valiantly denying existed. I really enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it. September 12, 2020 5 stars I edited this book. There were certain things about it that I didn’t like, but that’s more about the content than the writing. The writing is compelling and engaging. The characters, though vastly different from me in experiences and in preferences, are relatable in ways that are surprising. By the end, I really liked Hawke and appreciated his gooey center. I also understood, in a way I don’t think I had previously, the inherent need in the Fae to experience violence as a psychological aspect of sexual stimulation. Seeing the characters in this world as not-quite human (though Charley is half human), made it easier for me to accept that these inclinations are an inherent part of who they are as a species. They don’t feel pain in the same way that I would, making it possible for me to ignore the “pain” as it is described because it’s not interpreted in the same way by the characters. The psychological damage experienced by both Hawke and Charley in their formative years serves as a bond that makes them uniquely qualified to understand one another. Action sequences are described using powerful action verbs that draw the reader in, painting a vivid picture of encounters, especially with the villain, Dimitri. The final battle with Dimitri is exciting and easy to visualize. It’s always satisfying to see a recurring villain soundly defeated, or should I say, annihilated. I enjoyed the clever banter between Charley and Hawke, mostly because her insults are so amusing. The fact that some of the Fae Corps also insult him in similar fashion added to my entertainment. There’s a certain dry humor that underlies every bit of dialogue, and I love that. The book is told from alternating POVs of Charley and Hawke, in present-tense, which adds to the urgency of the moments presented in each scene. I’m told this is the final story of the Fae Corps, but I can see some kind of story about Rafael coming at a later date. We’ll have to wait and see. September 7, 2020 5 stars The popular girls invite you to join their clique. What's the worst that can happen? This book endeavors to answer that question and it does not paint a pretty picture. How about life-long psychological damage? Most people have already been damaged by events from their teenaged years, whether they realize it or not. Teenagers are particularly adept at singling out those who are different and tormenting them mercilessly over it. Combined with the average teenagers’ deep feelings of inadequacy and fear of being ostracized, the one who discerns this as an opportunity to manipulate and torture others has an unfair advantage—and is a sociopath. Luckily, most teenagers outgrow this tendency toward inhumanity and become normal adults capable of contributing something positive to society. The sociopaths never grow past their compulsion to wreak havoc in the lives of others, the need to cause pain growing as they witness the capacity of their victims to endure the abuse. What causes the pathology is not really important to the victims. Stopping the actions of the “villain” is what matters. And I must add, the level of villainy displayed in this book is truly stunning in its depth. Still, one has to wonder whether the abuse experienced as a teen at the hands of other teens could lead to a psychological necessity to exact vengeance. To me, this book had the perfect amount of tension and mystery. I found it to be very well-written and engaging with believable, realistic characters. The story is told mostly from the POV of Emily Bennett, with the occasional POV of Grace Farmer, the bullied one. I was provided with an ARC of this book and I have to say, I am impressed by Avery Bishop. I will be happy to read more from her. September 1, 2020 4 stars This was brief and enjoyable, but not remarkable. I liked the story and the characters and I could see where it might be fun to read some of the other books in the series. It was fairly predictable, but it’s a romance, so surprises are not usually a part of the genre. I laughed at some of the interactions between Eloise and William, particularly when he decided to take a dinner roll after she warned him to back off. “There was a pause in which it felt as if the continued existence of the world was at stake.” I loved the use of hyperbole to describe the tension. Characters were pretty well developed but not necessarily complex and the plot was, again, predictable. Overall, I liked the writing style and enjoyed the novella. August 24, 2020 5 stars I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and I have trouble believing this is a debut author. The story is so engrossing and so well told, it could have been written by a seasoned successful author. I’m not sure of the official category for this book, but I would classify it as literary fiction. The plot jumps back and forth between the present day in Connecticut and Venice in 1571, and the connection is not completely clear until the very end, at which point I was quite surprised to be provided with some unexpected details, kind of an epilogue, if you will (but not). There are some elements of the paranormal, with an alchemist who might be able to turn into a crow(?) and a budding relationship between Rose and Wiliam which seems like it may be a case of reincarnation of past lovers. But William is married and nobody likes a cheater so Ms. DeRoux wisely chose to avoid stepping over the line. Rose and William share a deep connection, which may or may not be related to the past, but a romantic relationship is not meant to be—although both will be profoundly changed for having known one another. Both will learn important truths about themselves. Scenes depicting battles between the Muslims and the Christians, though clearly important to the story, were not my favorite. There were some brutal things they did to one another, as any student of history knows, and I wasn’t thrilled about being reminded of such acts. Likewise, reading about the subjugation of women and Jews was unpleasant and made me anxious. I had not realized that the ghettos had originated in Venice, complete with yellow stars the Jews were forced to wear. It seems the Nazis were not exactly original, and sadly, history repeats itself more often than we might like. Needing a scapegoat to blame for societal ills is a recurring theme in this world. The other thing that made me nervous, particularly when reading about events in 1571, was the feeling that something terrible was going to happen to the characters. I made the fatal error of trying to read Pillars of the Earth a few months ago, and although I could not finish it, I am still haunted by scenes from that book that were so disturbing, they return in my nightmares. I was on edge, fearful that something equally terrible would happen in this book. I’d like to thank the author for NOT doing that. The worst in this book was the depiction of the leader of an army who was flayed alive before his skin was stuffed with straw and paraded around the city. Yes, it was ghoulish and disgusting, and I had trouble reading it, but it was nothing like Pillars of the Earth, which was unrelenting in its horrors. That said, I could have done without that particular scene in this book. Margaux DeRoux has the voice of a poet conveying the visions of an artist. Images like Rose walking down the street as “she watched fragments of herself slip past in store windows” were so easy to visualize, reminding me of times I have done something similar, never giving it a second thought. The ordinary became extraordinary because of the attention given, like Gio’s observation about Chiara: “Her voice was soft, with a scratch inside it like a fingertip curling: come closer… She was dazzling in a way only something that won’t last can be. In a few years’ time, he knew her face would be hardened, her posture settled into the architecture of a body accustomed to use.” There are so many wonderful images and profound universally-applicable observations—too many to list, really. For example, we are briefly introduced to Ali Pasha, admiral of the Ottoman fleet, who ponders the illogical nature of faith. “He could never understand the shortsightedness of the Christians. How could they despise the Jews for not recognizing Jesus, even as they themselves refused to perceive that the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) was sent to continue His very work? How could they not recognize that this was the advocate Jesus Himself had foretold?” When we are convinced of the truth of our beliefs, we will go to any lengths to prove the truth of them, even ignoring facts that may contradict these “truths.” By the time I had reached the end of this book, I was crying. It was so very touching, the characters so real and so relatable. Truly, I fell in love with them and felt their anguish. Life is hard. It is filled with lessons to help us grow along the way and the most resilient amongst us take the lessons and apply them to create better lives. I keep thinking of Gio’s words, and his desire to hold onto something when he knows he must let it go: “—to know in the very act that his mind would surely circle back again and again to these minutes, the way a desperate creature returns to a place where there once had been water.” I feel like my mind will keep returning to this book, to these characters, to their story. August 23, 2020 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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