CJ Bailey

Very short. Needed for a reading challenge (book set in Ireland). It was... fine. The book was too short for much character development or really to get invested in the romance (which was insta-love, a trope I'm almost never a fan of). The writing was so-so, but there were no glaring errors. The banter between the MCs worked sometimes; other times it came off as cringey. I wouldn't read it again, but with the year ending (and thus time to complete reading challenges running out), I'm glad I found it and that it only took me about thirty minutes to read. On to the next.

This was absolutely adorable, and I wish it had been way longer. 

This was... fine. I wanted to love it, especially after reading the Book Charmer, which was one of my favorite books of last year. But it was just meh. Somehow, it was both too long and too short, in that the set up dragged and then once it got going, it was over. 

Read for a reading challenge (a book with “date” in the title), but it was surprisingly cute. 

Needed a book with a Z in the title for a reading challenge, and as it's the Christmas season, this book fit. It was, ah, interesting. It was not particularly well written and features instalove and and instantaneous pregnancy, which left me baffled (how it was handled and the fact that it was included at all to be honest)  

Anyway, it was a fast read - only took about an hour to get through it, and it was an interesting premise. There were also a few original ideas that I'd never come across before.

 Read for a reading challenge - a book with a Y in the title. For some reason, the cover made me think of Christmas - maybe because it has a present with a red bow? Anyway, this story has nothing to do with Christmas. The writing was... fine. There were several editing mistakes but nothing too terrible. I never really connected with the FMC and felt like I couldn't get a grasp on her character; the MMC was fine-ish. I just wanted more from him. He also said a few borderline misogynistic things, but considering when the book was published, I let it slide. His dirty talk didn't really do it for me, either, but that's personal preference. Overall, the characters could have been better developed, but maybe the lack of development is simply due to the length of the story. 

Though I wasn't exactly enjoying the story after a certain point, which I'll cover in a second, I did feel like an extra chapter was needed to wrap things up. There is no conclusion to the toy reviewing job - did the new articles go over well? We never find out. 

Now the things I really didn't enjoy: The MMC's dog gets hit by a car. This came out of nowhere, drastically altered the tone of the story, and just seemed unnecessarily dark. The dog is okay thankfully, after emergency surgery, or I probably would have put the book down. I guess this functions as the third act drama instead of a break-up? Which makes sense only from the standpoint that we're not sure what the relationship status is at this point. After finding out the dog will be okay, the pair exchange ‘I love you's. And then it's on to the epilogue - a wedding, because of course. It's not clear how much time has passed, but given that the dog's fur is just starting to fill back in, it seems pretty clear it's been less than six months. But whatever floats your boat, I guess. I will give the book credit (a whole extra quarter of a star) for not ending with a surprise baby.  

2.75 stars

*Sigh* Where to start? I fully expected to love this book - not like, love. I wanted to love this book; I've been waiting for Clara and Henry's (or Clarenry... sorry, I might have just thrown up a little bit) story since the grim was introduced. It was so obvious this pair was destined for each other. However, the reality... left a little to be desired, to put it lightly. I didn't hate the book, but it certainly didn't live up to my (perhaps too high) expectations. I'm not sure if the author saved this pairing for last because she had this story planned ("best for last"; "best" here having the meaning of "worst") or because she simply didn't know what to do with them. Now, I'll be the first to admit that a lot of what I didn't like is a me-problem; in fact, it kinda felt like this book was specifically written for not-me because a lot of the tropes used are ones I personally don't like (that doesn't make it a bad book - it just wasn't for me).

What I enjoyed:

Not much.

Mostly checking up on the other sisters/characters, the setting, and returning to the world the author has created. I do love this world, and the larger cast of characters.

What I didn't: Spoilers, spoilers everywhere. Honestly, don't continue if you haven't read the book or don't want the entire plot spoiled. You've been warned. Also, it gets a little ranty.

- The surprise baby trope is one of my least favorite tropes that exist. Seriously, I like to be warned about that ahead of time because it can influence whether or not I pick up a book. And the way that it was handled really bothered me. In large part because

- The relationship between Clara and Henry was... not great. It was kind of a jumbled mess. Somehow it managed to feel insta-lovey, even though they'd both been pining from afar for an unclear amount of time (once it said a year and another time it said years); maybe a better way of putting it, is since they've both been pining for so long, now they're speed-running through their relationship, pole vaulting over relationship milestones. This isn't helped by the lack of time indicators - it's unclear how much time passes between the first kiss to "I love you because you're my soul mate, so of course we'll be together forever" to bam! Clara's pregnant. And because neither felt secure in the relationship, despite what they said (because they hadn't spent enough time together to build genuine love and trust), they were both fearful the other wanted to break up with them. And Clara's first instinct when finding out she was pregnant was fear that Henry would be angry and/or leave her. The whole thing just felt rushed and frankly a little toxic. Not to mention, Clara is a witch - is there not some effective magical birth control??? A tea? A charmed necklace? A spell?! That feels like a plot hole you could drive a pick-up truck into.

- Also, the way Clara pursued the relationship made me a little uncomfortable. I love a woman who is confident enough to go after what she wants, but at times it felt pretty manipulative, like I'm not sure she would have taken "No" for an answer. Luckily, Henry was just as obsessed with her.

- Clara's blind faith in the Spirit/Goddess made me a little uncomfortable, too. It struck me as almost a religious fervor (but that could just be my personal religious trauma talking).

- The climax was... confusing? I never got the intended emotional punch because I kept saying, "Wait, what?" and couldn't get fully immersed in the scene. In part because the villain's motivations left me baffled. He, apparently, hated Henry's father, Silas, even though he was close to the family for years, so he wanted everyone connected with Silas to suffer? He was even gloating that his plan to kill Henry didn't work because it meant Henry would suffer forever. My guy, are you okay? I know jealousy can be toxic but that just seemed unhinged, and then it's explained that he's "just evil." Okay, then. Glad the mystery had such a satisfying conclusion: villain did villainous things because he's the villain. Thanks for that. I know the mysteries aren't the point of these books and frequently have lighthearted/easily wrapped-up conclusions; this one just felt especially meh, which is surprising, considering the outcome (Clara getting shot and essentially dying). Except, just kidding, there wasn't really an outcome from it. Clara's fine, doesn't even have a scar; baby's fine; everything's fine. I mean, Silas is presumably sad because his fiancée died, but we don't really care because we never get to know him. I guess the actual outcome is Henry treating Clara like a 90-year-old woman; she even thanks him for letting her get out of bed after a week of recuperating. That's not smothering at all! Autonomy, who needs it, right? I just wanted her to sit him down and have a conversation about boundaries, but instead she was just tickled pink by everything he did.

- The writing overall wasn't great. There were several lines or even whole conversations that just took me out of the story. Now, with everything else that's bugging me about this one, I'm wondering if the others were actually written on par with this one, and I didn't notice because I wasn't peeved at the characters.

- The epilogue, including a confusing time jump. It was really jarring to read about Clara's third kid when, in the previous chapter, she was just going into labor with her first. (Also, sorry, I know Clara is all sunshine daisies, but does she not experience pain? She was so joyful about going into labor... like, what?)

- Speaking of babies, did there have to be so many?! Could there not have been one childless couple?! And the way three of the sisters got pregnant at once... Why? What is with all the baby mania? I almost feel like there should be a trigger warning for that. (Warning: includes an excess, even an explosion of babies) Maybe I should have picked up on it when Evie got (surprise!) pregnant with triplets. I'm not, despite what you may be thinking, anti-baby; I even love some books that have babies and kids. This was just excessive. It just felt like, again, the author was simply speed-running all the sisters' lives, so we would know what happened to them. (Don't worry, they're all going to have perfectly "normal" lives with marriage and babies, nothing out of the ordinary here, despite this being a fantasy world.) Maybe it was to set up for the next generation stories? But, honestly, after the way this one was handled, I would be leery to pick it up.

All that being said, this was not a terrible book - it was far from good, and it was extremely disappointing, but that's mostly a me problem because my expectations were too high. But I've read worse books that didn't bother me nearly as much. I just expected better from this author.

 Library copy - had to return but was considering DNF'ing anyway. This book has so much potential, I might have squealed - at least internally - when I read the synopsis. And there were so many interesting facets of the world that I enjoyed or was at least intrigued by. But I was having a hard time getting into it. Perhaps I was in the wrong headspace? Will try again later 

This was a cute, mostly enjoyable read that can be finished in one sitting. It wrapped too quickly, however - it needed at least another page or an epilogue to make it satisfying. 

It took me a long time, and multiple attempts, to get invested in this story. It ticks so many boxes in my favorites list, and after loving the author's previous book, I knew I would either adore this book or be bitterly disappointed by it. (Which, now that I think about it, is exactly how I felt when I read the synopsis of The Ten Thousand Doors.) I did really like it, but it has such a bittersweet ending that it depleted some of the enjoyment for me. I probably won't read it again, but I'm so glad that I finally got through it. 

Just couldn't get into it. I might try again later. 

I want to start off by saying I expected to really like this book. I wanted to like it. And if the actual book had gone along with the synopsis, I think I would have. I'm not sure who dropped the ball there. But this book is not a romcom; it's not really even a romance. 

That being said, I did DNF it around 70%. I read most of the first half in one sitting. MC Paris was funny and quirky and relatable, albeit a little whiney, occasionally exasperating, and there were occasions when I rolled my eyes or wanted to shake him. Then the exasperating Paris slowly overtook the funny/quirky Paris, and my main thought went from, “Jeez, honey, you might need therapy,” to “Paris! Just stop. Go find a therapist.” By 60%, I was fighting to continue reading, and my overwhelming emotion towards this book was exhaustion with low-key anxiety. (I admit, I do suffer from anxiety myself, though nowhere near as bad as Paris, which is part of the reason I found him relatable to begin with.) The constant catastrophizing and negative thought cycles just wore me down.    

I wanted to see where this book was going, how it would work out between Paris and Tariq, and if there was a resolution with Paris' parents. But it was becoming too much of a slog, and I could literally feel myself falling into a reading slump. So, I'm calling it quits. 

Second attempt to read this book. I finally made it through the first story, and I'm... underwhelmed. I get that a woman - regardless of age - could be miserable over a breakup; I understand that could even be the catalyst of a good story. But the resolution is that the man might come back in three years and give the relationship another chance?! That, and the fact that I never felt any connection to any of the characters is making me question whether to continue. 

The premise sounds so promising, and the book is so beloved that I've wanted to read this forever, but I'm starting to suspect it's not for me. I do wonder if something major was lost in translation - like all the magic and whimsy. 

Update: 
So, I was going to try to get through the second story before deciding whether or not to call it quits, but I have so many other books calling for my attention and no desire to pick this one up (not even in audio format). And I'm currently on such a good reading streak that I'm worried if I force myself to keep plodding through this book, I'll only wind up in a reading slump. After reading a few reviews, I don't think my issues with the book get resolved. 

I was not enjoying this - in fact, it made me angry for several reasons. (The fat-shaming, the woman-hating, the really unlikable characters, etc.) So, I skipped ahead to see how some things worked out because I'm curious (and apparently a glutton for punishment) and - thanks, I hated it! I haven't had this visceral a reaction to a book in a long time. I read to be entertained - if a book makes me laugh or inspires warm fuzzies, all the better. What I do not look for in a book is a misery-fest of unlikable characters, no-win situations, and situations that are only included to manipulate me into feeling something (presumably crying, in this case). It's especially off-putting when it all gets tied together semi-nicely at the end. Don't get me wrong, I prefer books with happy endings; this story just didn't deserve one.  

I do have to give the author some credit, however; this book had an enticing premise, the characters all felt realistic (I just didn't want to spend any time with them), and there were several questions I wanted to get the answers to, so I stuck with the book longer than I wanted to, but then the answers and/or the way they were resolved, made me regret I picked this book up to begin with. And now I'm stuck with this in my head, and I know I'll think about it from time to time, which will irritate me again, or worse, I'll wonder what I would have done if I were in these characters' situations. And this story just doesn't deserve the head space it's going to take up.    

That's not to say this is inherently a bad book. Some people might enjoy it. If this is your favorite book, that's great. It just wasn't for me. 

Based on the synopsis, it should have been a perfect fit for me. But I'd heard mixed reviews before reading, so my expectations weren't all that high. Still, I wanted to like this book, but I found it disappointing. I never felt like I really got to know the characters - the characterization always felt surface level and there was a distance in the storytelling that prevented me from ever feeling close to the characters. And there were times when I had to force myself to pick it up or prompt myself to just read one more chapter so I'd be closer to being done with it. I'm glad I finally read it. I might continue with the series because I am interested in Gwyn; hopefully the next book is about her. 

This was my second attempt at reading this book. The premise is so good, and I've wanted to read it for so long that I decided to give it another go. A magic college? Yes, please! However, the characters were kind of miserable to follow around (and I can deal with an unlikeable character), but none more so than the MC. Everything exciting happened either off the page or was told at such a distance that it felt more like a lecture. Even the magic and the magic school felt mundane and were almost painfully tedious. It's as though the author tried to write a grown-up Harry Potter (which is more or less what this book is billed as) and in the process sucked all the joy and magic out of it. It actually makes me a little sad, because this could have been so amazing if done well. 

I typically love witchy books. So much so that it is a sure-fire way to get me to at least read the synopsis of a book. However, this book really frustrated me - so much so that I nearly DNF'd it. Repeatedly. It did get better, so I'm glad I stuck with it, and I warmed up to nearly all of the characters, but the first few chapters are rough. I actually found myself wondering a few times who the target audience was, because the author couldn't seem to make up her mind. I also found myself wondering, especially as the book improved, why the first few chapters didn't get edited to better fit with the rest of the story. I'm interested enough to check out the next book when it gets published, because some of the supporting characters really intrigued me. 

I love these characters. This was a nearly perfect send off. I just want more. Also, what was with that epilogue? I like Agatha and all, but she's not really who I want to know about a year in the future. It would have been nice to get a section for each of the characters. 

I did ultimately enjoy this one, but it certainly frustrated me. I was left wondering, especially in the first 25% why Sophie was pursuing the relationship when Ned was giving her absolutely so sign that he was even interested in her. The selfishness of her family, especially her father, drove me crazy, and I really wanted some kind of a comeuppance for him, especially after it's revealed that he used both his daughters' dowries on modernizations for his house . Finally, it bugged me that Sophie had to do all the work for her HEA. I'm not convinced, even after reading Ned's POV, that he deserved her because he put in such little effort. 

The story had potential but there wasn't enough room to let the story/characters breathe. I was expecting a light, cute Christmas read to help me round out my reading count, instead I was frustrated for most of the time I spent reading, which was way too long for under 100 pages. Also the miscommunication trope was employed in the most frustrating way possible. The entire climax of the book could have been solved with one conversation. 

This book. I'm not even sure where to start. First off, I borrowed a copy from my library. Next, it. Is. Long; that being said, after struggling with the few few chapters, I read the majority of the book in three days. It certainly dragged in some places, but on the whole, it kept me guessing and was certainly tense enough that I had to know what was going to happen. (Also, my loan was nearly up, and if I didn't want to wait six months to finish it, I had to rush through it.) It also covered some timely, important topics, which - unfortunately, the people who need the messages most will never see. 

I did not see the twist coming; however, by the time we finally got to the climax, which felt overdue by at least three chapters, it felt a little... anticlimactic? Not that it wasn't super intense; it merely felt like the tension had been stretched too far, so when it came down to it, there was a sense of relief that it had finally arrived, if that makes sense. 

Finally, as much as I enjoy the mysteries, because dang, can JKR really plot them, I'm mostly here for Strike and Robin. I really love them as characters, and I've very much enjoyed the progression of their relationship.  But I genuinely expected them to move beyond the will-they, won't-they? nonsense we've been put through the last three? four? books; I get why they're so slow to move into a relationship, considering everything that's at stake if a relationship between them were to go badly. But it just seems like, considering that their relationship is really the driving force behind these books and how long they are, we should be beyond this point already. And to get to the end of this massive book and have one failed kiss and separate realizations of feelings that they've been trying to repress feels like a bit of a cop out. Like, there's slow burn, and then there's ‘let's see how long we can possibly string this out before everyone gives up out of sheer frustration.' And, unfortunately, this book felt like the latter. What is even more frustrating is that there is so much potential to create drama and conflict after they get into a relationship - they're not going to magically become new people, and I want to see that play out - instead, we're given a baby step forward at the beginning of the book, a massive step backwards, and then a teeny-tiny mini-step forwards at the very end. Because now that Strike is finally, maybe ready to pursue a relationship with Robin, she's getting ready to go on a date with some other guy, which if it had come at any point during the book, would have been fine. Sure, make Strike jealous! Maybe it's his turn to pine?! (Except, he's clearly liked Robin since book one.) And, yay, now he finally sees her as an equal, so they can pursue a more balanced relationship. (But why has it taken so long??? He's recognized her worth since fairly early on in the series.)  And now we have to wait another year or three before the next one, which leaves me with an overall feeling of not only disappointment with the book but also the feeling of ‘did we make any progress?' This was long and ranty/tangential (which is perhaps fitting for the book), and while the book did frustrate me, I enjoyed it. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one. However, if by the end of the next book, we still haven't made progress with Robin and Strike, I might call it quits. 

First off, this is not a horror novel, unless you have crippling arachnophobia. Next, I have mixed feelings about this book - on the one hand, the main character, Annie, irritated me so badly that I nearly DNF'd the book around 40%. She was so whiney and judgmental and desperate for validation. I did ultimately like her arc, but dang did she annoy me along the way. However, the end made me a little uneasy - it almost read like the townsfolk didn't have a will of their own or they were at least being magically manipulated. 

I liked Sophie. She fascinated me, and I wanted more about her backstory, but there was something off about her as well, which I suppose we're supposed to pick up on, but rather than the “Ooh, she might be a scary witch!” vibe, it was more “why is she so desperate for Annie to like her?” Sophie's desperation for a friend made more sense as the book progressed, but still she and Annie didn't have a healthy relationship. I do, however, rather wish they had become a couple, rather than mentor/mentee, but I suppose that would have defeated the point of Annie's lesson (and their power dynamic would have needed to be more even). 

Though I do not like spiders, at all, I did fall completely in love with Ralph.  

To start, I'll just say I expected to really like this. After all, this is the same author who brought Veronica Speedwell to life. Add in some lady assassins of a certain age, and I was prepared to be riveted. Despite all my issues with the book, I did wind up enjoying it more than it bothered me and read the bulk of it in one day. 

After an exciting start, set in the past, the pacing slowed to almost nonexistent for about 30 pages; it honestly felt more like a travelogue than a thriller. (I have nothing against books centered around traveling, but that's not you expect when you pick up a book like this.) The book does pick up though, when the ladies discover that their old employers want to take them out. Though, honestly? A bomb set to detonate aboard a cruise ship of 200, simply to kill four older women? Not only does that feel like overkill, I had a difficult time believing in the organization after that. They're supposed to be about making the world a better place and protecting the innocent. I know, the likelihood of an organization like that ever actually existing is pure fairy tale, but the thing is, the Board had to okay this attack, okay the deaths of approximately 200 people. Regardless of what these older women supposedly did, this level of collateral damage is unacceptable. But then the ladies set fire to the boat to give everyone a chance to get safely off. I admit this is where I became marginally invested. But, who cares about the environment, right? I guess the ship was going down anyway...

The swapping back and forth between timelines was both fairly jarring and came across as a little clunky. Mostly because the chapters set in the present are told in past tense from Billie's POV, while the chapters set in the past are told in third person omniscient in present tense. Even events that happened before the events being recounted are told in present tense (like when Billie is baking, but it also seems like she's at the airport, or when Nat's grandmother is being narrated about as though her antics are happening currently, even though she's been dead for 30 years). I cannot fathom the reason this decision was made. It made the past sections feel pretty amateurly written, like the author didn't have the best grasp of how to use present tense, and I found myself editing the book as I read instead of, you know, paying attention to the story. 

I also really wish we had gotten some sections from the perspective of the other four women instead of just Billie. While Billie eventually grew on me, it did feel like she was too “tough” to process her emotions even to the reader. For that matter, none of the characters felt especially well developed, but I do wonder if that's merely because we're seeing them largely through Billie's eyes. 

Now, this is relatively minor, but as a romance girlie, I wanted more from the relationship between Billie and Taverner, even though I know that was not the point of the story, but the way it was executed was decidedly meh. Also, an epilogue would have been nice.    

I wasn't enjoying this, and I had no desire to pick it up or find out what happens next. I think maybe it just felt too heavy and gruesome for my mindset right now. I might try it again later. 

Might come back and try again. Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace, but I just didn't care, didn't want to pick up the book to find out what happened next. I did enjoy the first in the series.