4 stars I received an ARC of this book from the author. If it were my first book from her, I’d probably give it five stars, but since I’ve read so many of her other books, I have to give it only four. The writing is good, as always, and the characters are memorable. In fact, I remember Lucy from a previous book in the series. Unfortunately, the plot was just not as compelling as it has been in her other books. I simply couldn’t understand Harrison’s fear that his secret would be exposed. It was fairly clear early on what it must be, but the fact that he was so obsessed with it made me question whether it might be something more serious. The resolution seemed superficial and lacked closure. As far as the reader nows, Harrison never discussed his intentions with the duchess or his friends. And perhaps it bears little consequence to the overall story, but I found myself wondering how he and Lucy coped with his decision. To be clear, I enjoyed the story and I recommend anything from Bianca Blythe. September 22, 2021
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5 stars I would have found it impossible not to fall in love with Jensen and Harriett, but then I wouldn’t expect any less from Caitlyn Crews. I first read one of her books through Netgalley and I have been a fan ever since, so when I saw this book offered on Netgalley as an ARC, I knew I had to request it. It was outstanding, as usual. Jensen Kittridge and Harriet Barnett are complex and relatable characters. In the hands of another writer, they might come across as caricatures of real people—the laid-back, good-natured cowboy/playboy and the prissy, proper librarian. But neither are quite what they seem. Jensen is committed to his role as town clown, always ready with a joke and a laugh, pretending to be dumb. Harriet immediately sees through his act, but it’s not until he confides in her the reason for it that we realize how damaged he is from a traumatic event when he was a teen. Meanwhile, Harriet dresses in frumpy, comfortable clothing and doesn’t have a care for what anyone thinks of her—until she realizes that they feel pity because they think that she has a crush on Jensen. When she realizes this, she is incensed and suggests that maybe he is the one who has a crush on her (not suspecting that he actually does). One of the things I liked about the two of these characters was their intuitive ability to read one another. Jensen recognizes the physical reactions in Harriet that reveal her interest in him (“...he had made a study of female arousal. Because Jensen liked a party, but he first liked to be invited to attend.”), while she recognizes the behavioral signs that he wants something more with her than he is prepared to admit. I also love how Jensen is always described in physical terms that convey his utter relaxation, even though it is an affectation to disguise his actual feelings. He is constantly propped against a wall, tipped back in a chair, or drawling his responses to questions. Early on, this encounter goes a long way toward describing their interactions: “...she held his gaze with an uncomfortable directness that might have made him sit up and take notice if he hadn't been so deeply committed to the lazy way he was currently lounging there.” Later, she sees him in the local coffee shop, kicking back on a sofa against the far wall and “he looked as if it was possible he didn’t actually possess a spine, so committed was he to his boneless lounging.” Harriet, although comfortable with herself and unconcerned with social isolation, nevertheless feels awkward when forced to socialize with her peers. When approached by several of the local women who seem to want to get to know her better, her response is priceless: “I’m not good with people,” Harriet announced baldly. “I honestly can’t tell if this is an attempt to befriend me or if it’s the opening scene in one of those horrific teen films where everybody knows what’s going on except me until endless humiliations ensue. I’d really prefer it if you could be up front.” Later, while giving her phone number to one of her new friends, she feels she must sound like “a robot impersonating a human.” One of the most endearing things about Harriet is her ability to cut to the heart of an issue and clearly see what is going on. She is guileless and honest to a fault. She understands Jensen in a way he can’t understand himself, and unfortunately, is not ready to understand himself. She also understands “the rules” if she wants him to stick around. But I was especially touched by her sudden and unavoidable understanding of the nature of love and heartbreak: “She’d always thought that heartache came later. The period at the end of a sentence she’d never uttered. It had never occurred to her that really, heartache was an echo. Because first there was this. “This ache. This stunning knowledge that something she’d never expected to happen to her, could. So easily and so smoothly it was like surfacing from the water and lifting her face to the sun.” The story is richly layered and profoundly touching. These are real people with real feelings, struggling to find their way to someone who will understand them, who will love them, despite their failings. It begins with an unlikely friendship and develops into a lasting love and it’s inspiring. September 20, 2021 2 stars This is book four in the Siren of War series and I haven’t read books one through three. Because I received an ARC, I started this one, hoping I’d be able to piece together what had happened in the previous books, but I had to read the synopsis of each book to get an idea of who Maria and Wiliam were. I considered going back to the beginning to, at least, read book one, which is currently free on Amazon, but then I still wouldn’t have books two and three. I could buy them, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t care enough. I didn’t find the characters compelling enough to care about what happened to them. I didn’t feel as if I related to either of them in any way. After just a few chapters, I decided to cut my losses and stop reading. It’s possible that I might enjoy the entire series, but based on this small taste of it, I’ve determined that my time would be better spent reading something I’ll find more exciting. September 16, 2021 5 stars I’m not going to argue this book isn’t written well, because of course, it is. But boy, am I confused. This picks up where the last story of the LaViolette’s left off, and it was so long ago that I can’t even remember the name of that book! I tried looking on Goodreads, but couldn't figure it out. Naturally, I remember much of the previous book, especially since the horrific ceremony Charlotte witnessed in the last one is seared into my memory, and it’s always easy to slide back into reading about Nicholas and Colleen. Lauren features heavily in this one too. I just wish there were a place I could go to read a synopsis before diving into the next installment of a saga like this one. It ends on a cliffhanger, but because I’m so confused anyway, it’s not as frustrating as it could have been. Honestly, I feel like I need to reread everything that led up to this point, and then I’ll be cursing the cliffhanger. Despite this inevitable result, I would still do it, if only I could remember the names of the books that came before this! September 15, 2021 3 stars I received an ARC of this book, and I really wish I could give it a higher review, but I must be honest. I’ve slept on it and thought about it all day, and I’m still just as confused now as I was when I finished reading it. Froga is the main character, an Ember Dwarf, and I couldn’t decide whether he’s the hero or the villain because he mostly acted the villain (but not always), and if he was the villain, why would I care about his fate? I think the authors were trying to do something different, but it just didn’t work for me. At the risk of sounding dumb, I don’t get it. What might help to clarify things would be a more detailed book describing the various peoples living in Ylecium and how they interact with one another. I never quite understood the motivations of the characters or the purpose for what they were doing. And I thought that if I just kept reading, it would all come together and I’d have this a-ha moment, but I never did. I love Autumn Birt’s writing so I will definitely be looking for more from her in this series, but so far, I’m not thrilled and I cannot recommend it. September 12, 2021 5 stars I received an ARC of this book from the author because I love her books. She writes what she knows (heavy metal, Colorado, etc.) and everything seems genuine. Characters are believable and plots are unexpected. This one was a page-turner and I couldn’t wait to find out more about Violet. At times, it was a bit sappy, but since it was told in first-person from the POV of Violet, it worked. Violet (nickname) finds herself on the bank of a river, soaking wet, and with no idea how she got there. This sets up the amnesia that compels her to discover who she is, and from the start, there are hints that she might not like that person. It’s tricky writing a review for a book like this without spoiling anything, and I really don’t want to do that because the discovery was the heart of the book. Therefore, I will just say that I really enjoyed it (apart from some very unpleasant flashbacks that were quite disturbing). I guess I’d have to give this a trigger warning, but if you’re not easily upset (and to be clear, I can be, at times), this is worth reading. September 9, 2021 3 stars I received an ARC of this book through Reedsy. Unfortunately, it was in the form of a PDF which made reading it a bit cumbersome. I tried not to let that affect my review. I finished this story yesterday and decided to sleep on it to let it percolate before putting my thoughts on paper, so to speak. For the most part, I enjoyed the book, particularly the voice of Liz, but there were times that the pacing dragged and it felt like there was filler to make the book longer. The story was primarily told in present-tense, first-person, but toward the end, it switched to third-person from the POV of Maggie, Liz’s daughter. This was jarring but manageable. Unfortunately, at one point, the author confused the two POVs and ended up with a paragraph talking about the “women” (Liz and Jack) and then switched to “I” (Liz). Here’s the sentence: “Both women pick up their plastic tiki glasses of wine and ‘clink!’ as Jack toasts to now living their lives in paradise, and I give a big thanks to William and James for making it possible.” (I’m embarrassed to admit I don’t know who William and James are. I guess they weren’t integral to the story.) There were some cute parts of the story and I really liked some of the dialects and the way they were phonetically spelled. For example, one of Liz’s neighbors has a very strong German accent. While walking her dog, she runs into him and he says, “Hallo leetle dawgie. And how goes its with you twos?” She goes on to explain that he drives a van with advertising for ceiling popcorn removal, amongst other things, so she asks him for a quote. “He admits that his wife is the brains of the operation and an interior decorator as well. As best I can decipher, he advises me he’ll have her stop by soon to give me a quote. Either that, or she’s stooped over with a spoon on a boat?” It’s silly, but I found that very amusing. Additional criticisms: Why don’t Liz and Jack use the flashlight function on their phones when the power goes out? Liz uses hers later, so I know their phones were capable. Instead, they bumbled around in the dark, which I suppose is funnier, but I kept thinking how unnecessary it was. Also, Ik got a little tired of the Blum jokes. Liz’s last name is Blum, pronounced bloom, but every time she says it to someone, they ignore her and pronounce it like plum. The author takes to putting it in parentheses as the story goes on and it happens over and over. After a while, I was like, okay, I get it. People consistently mispronounce her name. Being really careful not to spoil anything: Liz is a bit of a prude and avoids sexual discussions, but when she is intimate with Stu, there is a description that I found completely out of character for her. Remember, this is told from the first-person POV. The author described it rather than allowing Liz to describe it in the repressed fashion that the reader has come to expect. Stu is a doctor but is surprisingly unhelpful when it comes to Daisy. I expected him to jump in and explain things and work to assuage people’s concerns but he doesn’t. Also, we never really find out what happens to Daisy. Based on the supernatural nature of the story overall, I expected a supernatural solution, but if there is one, I missed it. Oh, and also, the denouement is a bit underwhelming. The climax was tense and exciting, with great descriptions, but then, it just kind of fizzled with a tying up of loose ends that didn’t tie up all of the loose ends. Overall, I liked the book. I think the writing is engaging and I loved some of the descriptions, which I found to be evocative and realistic. In other words, the author painted a vivid picture of Liz’s life. I’m happy to have read it, and although I wouldn’t give it my highest recommendation, I’d still suggest it as a fun read. August 10, 2021 5 stars This book really sold me on Seamus and Grace’s love for one another, especially compared to the first book in the series. I enjoyed Discerning Grace enough that I requested an ARC of this one, but I have to admit I was surprised by the improvement in writing and storytelling in this one. Some descriptions were so cleverly worded and vivid that I have to mention them. Truly, this book did much to inform my vision of what this time period (1830s) was really like in a sometimes stomach-churning manner. “A bubble of mucous and blood inflated from one of his nostrils. It popped, and the red glob dribbled over his lips and down his chin.” “She cackled bawdily, her rotting teeth spraying a reek of curled milk and tumorous disease that smacked him back a step.” “...the heat beat down on Seamus like a despotic tyrant with a fiery flail.” “...a lace curtain the colour of tobacco spit, and a moth-eaten rug.” When a fat dead person was kicked: “The kick ricocheted across the body, the excess flesh wobbling like a whale carcass on the shore being pounded by the surf.” In the first book, I was totally convinced of the love between Seamus and Grace, but this book left no doubt that they shared a bond that was incredibly strong. When Grace was pregnant, Seamus said a prayer asking God to look after her and the babe and it was so touching because he was so earnest. In fact, if I had to say one thing about Seamus’ love for Grace, it would be that it was earnest. There was something very pure and not quite innocent about their love for one another. It was probably this unadulterated love they had for one another that made me feel for them when they experienced losses. I did actually get choked up on a couple of occasions as their pain was on display. One of the things I really enjoy about Emma Lombard’s writing is all of the new things I learn while reading. Whether it was archaic medical terminology like “wandering womb” or the meaning of “tow rag” or even just insults like “sphincter worm,” I find I am constantly exposed to new things. In addition, she uses language appropriate for the time which I found refreshing because it’s not often you get to use words like merkin or menhir. August 5, 2021 5 stars I received an ARC of this book and I found it to be very different from other books by Jade Jamison. The plot is unusual and features some sinister events that are a bit frightening. At times, the tension was a bit overdone, but enjoyable nonetheless. Surprisingly, what I found most stressful was not the revelation of what the military had done (which I expected), but rather the control that Kimberly was willing to give over to Brandon. Every time he asked if she trusted him, she said yes, but then admitted to herself that she wasn’t sure if she did. She kept ignoring her intuition, and it didn’t matter whether she was right to be suspicious or not. The fact that she was suspicious was reason enough for her to trust her gut. I felt that she was giving up bits of herself and that disturbed me more than her willingness to give up control, which is a different issue. I don’t know if I’m making sense, but I guess my point is, if you’re going to allow someone to dominate you, you’d better be sure you trust them. If not, you’re allowing yourself to be abused. I don’t enjoy books that feature BDSM themes, but I can ignore those aspects of a story if the characters are willing participants. I felt that Kimberly was manipulated into doing something she didn’t want to do. August 1, 2021 5 stars After reading a description of this book, I requested an ARC from the author. Although this book did not actually change my mind about anything, I found it compelling and thought-provoking. It was a bit slow-moving at first, but soon enough, it became difficult for me to put down. The writing is such that the compassion of the author is readily apparent. It gave me hope that there are others who think like him. Like many others, I am well familiar with the fact that the US incarcerates more people per capita than any other country. Likewise, I already knew that the ranks of the incarcerated are primarily comprised of people of color. And I know there are societal issues that contribute to the unfair application of law in this country. It’s hard to deny that poverty and disadvantage result in more poverty and disadvantage. My hope is that this book might change the minds of just a few people who are unfamiliar with these statistics—maybe those in positions able to facilitate change. I have always been against the death penalty (and not only because it costs us so much money), but had never given much thought to life sentences. I had not realized how freely they are given to those who have not committed the kinds of crimes we might argue deserve such a penalty—murder or rape, for example. It has long been clear to me that punishment for crimes has devolved into an instrument of revenge more than one of redemption, and that has always bothered me. Surely, any argument that the US justice system is designed to promote behavioral change is easily refutable. Unfortunately, people are driven more by their need for revenge than a desire to create a better society. It’s always nice to hear from someone who shares my vision for a world in which all people are treated equally and fairly and consequences for poor choices are reasonable and designed to improve behavior. Though the author does not directly address the issue, it is undeniable that change is impossible so long as prisons are an opportunity for businesses to make money. I wish it weren’t so, but I’m hopeful that books like this might help change some minds. August 9, 2021 |
Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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