CJ Bailey
This book ended a little abruptly; it would have been nice to get an epilogue. Maybe the author chose not to because this is the first book in a series, and we'll see Ben and Philip again, but I just wanted a little more resolution.
Speaking of Philip - he is largely why this book is rated so low. While he did eventually grow on me, and I came to even enjoy his point of view, for the first several chapters I actively despised this man. I get that he's all grumpy and miserable, but I honestly wanted to drop kick him all the way back to his ship. Ben and the children caried the story in the early chapters, and the only reason I didn't want to see Philip choke on a cactus was purely for the sake of his children. (I mean, he was mad that his oldest son had a nickname that he didn't know about?! My guy, you weren't there, being a parent to your children, of course you don't know them! And his constant judgement about how wrong things were if they weren't exactly like his experiences on his ship. I can't even... Just no. Boo, Philip. Boo, in the bin with you! And Ben, my sweet sunshine boy, can you stop mooning over the grumpy asshole and just slap him like I know you want to? Please? As a personal favor?)
Needless to say, Philip did improve (or this would have been a 2 star book, if I hadn't stopped reading altogether) - in that he stopped bossing everyone around, stopped blaming other people for his problems, and stopped thinking military precision and punishment were the only way to manage his children. By the midpoint, I was actively rooting for the pair to be together, though I wasn't sure how the author would manage it when both men seemed to want such different things.
All in all, this was a sweet story and a quick read with enough spice to keep things interesting. My favorite part by far was the familial plotline with Ben and Philip getting to be adorable gay dads, and watching Philip mend the relationship with his kids was heartwarming. I actually wish we'd gotten more of this.
This book needed another round of edits, and I would have liked more resolution to the attempted murder plotline. Quinn seemed to take things in stride to a questionable degree - nothing seems to faze this woman, not an attempted murder, not being rescued by a kraken. This begs the (unanswered) question about whether humans know there are supernatural creatures among them or that exist on the planet; it's clear that the races? species? largely keep away from humans, but the only way Quinn's reaction makes a shred of sense is if she knows, at least tangentially, that krakens and other supernatural creatures exist. Speaking of which, it would have been nice if we'd gotten to meet more of them.
My last complaint is that pretty much all we see Quinn doing is cooking (besides spending time with Jorah); does she not have any other hobbies or interests? For several days, she gets up, cooks all day, and goes to bed. Thankfully, they find a way to off load some of this food, so it doesn't all go to waste. But if less time had been spent of Quinn cooking and more on the relationship (you know the main plot), it wouldn't have felt so insta-lovey. I get that with fated mates, there is always an element of insta-love, and I get that I'm taking this silly little monster novella way too seriously - it is what it says on the tin. However, this story actually had a lot of potential. I really like the world the author created. I'm a sucker for magical communities and found families - I just really wish we'd gotten more of these elements (and more relationship development between Quinn and Jorah) and less of Quinn cooking for scene after scene. Don't get me wrong, I really like it when a character has a passion for something (besides their love interest) and like to see them doing it; it just feels like the balance was a little off, especially for such a short book.
Also, an extra half star off for the “resolution” to the attempted murder. Quinn seems to feel smug that her attacker is getting punished, but she did nothing to bring it about (and seems to have no lasting effect over being nearly murdered! No, I'm not letting this go). I wanted a scene detailing the consequences for him, a confrontation to resolve the inciting incident; instead, we got an after-the-fact newspaper clipping. Unlike all my other (relatively) petty nick-picks and grievances, this genuinely annoyed me. But then I enjoy seeing people who cause harm get what's coming to them. They don't usually in real life, so I like my fiction to rectify that.
All in all, this was fine. Not especially memorable, but I was in the mood for a quick summery read to kick off Pride month, and it did the job.
Anyone who knows anything about this series knows the books are forever long. Just finishing one feels like a major accomplishment. That said, I do mostly enjoy this series... this installment maybe more than the last two. There were certainly sections where I had to force myself to continue reading (having already seen the series, I already knew, at least in the broadest sketches, what was coming), other stretches where nothing much seemed to happen, and still others where I lost myself for hours in the story and hardly came up for air. After plodding through the first half over the course of a month, I read the last half in about four days.
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.
Contains spoilers
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.
Overall, I very much enjoyed this one. It did drag just a little in the middle. The issues with Aidan's family genuinely made me angry, but the MCs' reactions (especially Maggie) aligned with what I would have liked to say in the situations, which almost never happens. (I do wish Sheryl had been punched honestly. It would have been cathartic.) I also wish we'd gotten at least a hint about his family situation in the epilogue, even if he no longer has a relationship with any of them; it's such a big plot point, and it's left feeling slightly unresolved. Other than that, my complaints are nitpicky.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Overall, I enjoyed this book more than it frustrated me. I liked the dynamics between the main pair (not only their relationship but the situation they found themselves in). I really liked the premise and the fairy tale aspects (though I do wish they had been used to better effect. )And the cover! It's one of the prettiest covers I've come across and what initially drew me in.
However, the execution was not great. As for the FMC, Helena, we're constantly told how smart she is, but none of her plans seem to back that up and she seems somewhat juvenile for her 24 years. And Declan, the MMC, has some pretty high stakes if he doesn't complete the job he was let out of prison for, and yet he never really tries. (Don't get me wrong, I liked the dynamic, and it was necessary for the plot, it just seems like there should have been more of a struggle on his part and it should have taken longer then a few hours for him to jump ship and be team Helena.) The side characters were mostly flat and one-dimensional, even the antagonists. The conflict was... underwhelming. The dialogue was occasionally stilted and even eye-rolling at times. The historical anachronisms were... jarring (especially regarding undergarments. I won't rant about how the dresses relied on undergarments for their shapes and that it would have been exceedingly obvious if the FMC wasn't wearing anything under her gown. Which she did, in public. Twice.) Also the sex scene was... weird and frustrating and almost made me put the book down. What was with all the rolling? And could he not prepare her, even a little?! This man supposedly loves her and isn't inexperienced himself - he should know what to do. Honestly, it came across as the author not knowing how the female body works, which might have been acceptable in the older historicals, but haven't we moved beyond that by now? Also the name Knightly Snow. Just no.
But I digress. On the whole, it was a cute, fluffy story with some emotional depth; it never got dark, though I did feel for Helena's predicament. I do wish we could have gotten a little more side character development (especially with the sisters, the “potential duchesses”, and the antagonists) and more in the epilogue - like her parents' reaction to the marriage and an elaboration on the status of her relationship with her sisters and Declan's family.
Over all, this could have been really good, and while I mostly enjoyed it, the more I think about what could have been done with this story, the more disappointed I am. That being said, it's not a bad read, and I might continue the series at some point. Hopefully, the rest of the series will be better.
So, I needed a book to listen to while I worked out and saw this one was available through my library. Guess I'm going ahead with the series sooner rather than later.
I still enjoyed this one, and it seemed even shorter than the first, or at least to go by faster, even though I think they're about the same length. The mystery was engaging, and it did not work out like I expected. I'm still enjoying the secondary characters, and the grim reaper aspect continues to intrigue me.
However, there were a few things that bugged me. Though I kind of get why Charley is the way she is, her flippant attitude occasionally comes across as frustrating or even cold-hearted. I also don't get why she was so dead-set on ignoring Reyes' decision with regards to his body; I get that she didn't want him to “die” but he'd still be around, they'd still have the relationship that they do now, and it seems like the danger would be (at least temporarily) averted. I'm also not sure I get why they like? Love? each other. There hasn't been much of an actual relationship. And I get that Charley wants one, but how is that going to work with him potentially incarcerated for the next who-knows-how-many years?
I'm definitely continuing with the next book soon because I want to know how things will work out and because my library happens to have the complete series. And in audiobook no less. I love it when that happens. Fingers crossed the books don't decline in quality/readability.
This was cute. A little spooky, but nothing too scary. I really like these characters and the world the author has created.
However, this installment was not nearly as funny, and there just wasn't much to it; it's not particularly memorable, but it was enjoyable. But her writing style does take a little to get used to; it's something I struggle with each time I start one of her books.
I got the recommendation from a booktuber and couldn't... not check it out. It was both better and worse than I expected. Better, in that it's surprisingly wholesome (at least the relationship between the main couple); I really like the world that C.M. Nascosta is creating here, as well as the side characters; there was no third act break up, which was nice; and the ending was happy, without including marriage and babies (which is fine - I'm not anti-marriage and babies when it makes sense for the story/characters; I simply appreciate the less typical direction this story took). I also quite like the main pair, and found Violet to be extremely relatable. (Floundering millennial, struggling with anxiety and recovering from perfectionism? Present.)
Now the not-so-greats: there were some pretty noticeable errors that pulled me out of the story (including one where I had to flip between pages, trying to determine if I missed something or if the pages were out of order). The timing of the story was... a little confusing at times, with unexplained or poorly explained time-jumps. And several scenes that would have benefited the story to be fleshed out were skimmed over, told in hindsight, or simply left to be inferred. Also, the majority of the relationship aspect between our main couple is focused on the build up to the relationship; once they get together, the story feels rushed and summarized.
All that being said, I did enjoy this book. I will continue the series. I just wish it had been better fleshed out (even an additional fifty pages would have been nice) and done more showing and less hindsight telling.
Definitely enjoyed this book more the second time around - maybe because I knew what to expect (and what not to) this time. It still hurt to watch these characters (especially Simon and Baz) stumble around and wonder if their relationship is salvageable. But that's mostly because I adore these characters.
That being said, I love books with the road trip trope. I loved Shepherd (maybe the best part of this book?? Well, him and Baz's fashion choices.) And I liked getting to see into after the “happily ever after” even if it wasn't so happy.
I have mixed feelings about this book. There were several things that I really liked, but a few that bugged me.
I really enjoyed the main characters, especially Artemis, and the banter, as well as the family bonds. In fact, I wish we'd gotten more of this. I liked the aspect of the FMC, Artemis, being a secret writer and her aspirations of opening a women's college; I also wish we'd gotten more of this, especially involving her plans or maybe even gotten to see her in action. I liked how much of a role Artemis' books played in the story. I really liked the respect Artemis and Dominic had for each other, and the way Dominic encouraged her dreams; I also really liked that there was no third-act misunderstanding-fueled breakup; Dominic could easily have made a huge deal over discovering Artemis' secret, and he handled it with maturity. I really appreciated that.
However, I wasn't such a big fan of the writing style in some places - it felt overwrought and overwritten (which was maybe intended to go with the time period in which the book was set but it occasionally felt over the top and pulled me out of the story. A few times, I caught myself rolling my eyes. But then, I've never been the biggest fan of Gothic romances, so maybe it just goes with the territory.) I also wasn't a big fan of how the story occasionally dipped into almost soap opera territory (or just over the top plot twists) but again, maybe that just goes with the territory of a Gothic romance and I'm merely judging the book for following expected tropes. Another thing that bugged me a bit was the pace at which Dominic and Artemis' relationship moved - the “I love you”s seemed to come too soon, especially considering Artemis seemed to think she was holding out on him. Maybe this is simply because we're not given a clear timeline? And lastly, the villains seem so one-dimensional, especially the male villain. He's bad because... he's bad?
Overall, I did enjoy this book - the positives outweighed the negatives - and I plan to continue with the series... Eventually.
This series is a lot of fun, but in light of the past few years, this one... hit a little close to home. The way they were so glibly talking about creating a pandemic was a bit off-putting. I know this book came out several years before 2020, so I can't fault the authors or their creativity, but I didn't enjoy this one as much as previous installments. And that's almost certainly because of when I read it. That being said, I really like these characters, and I enjoy how the authors manage to up the ante each time.
I have mixed feelings about this one. Some elements I liked, others not so much. Sometimes the characters come across as almost caricatures, and the writing can be a little clunky at times. One thing that really bugged me was Evie's character in this one: she went from interesting and independent in her own story to being completely defined by her relationship with Mateo. Also, did we get a scene with just the sisters and none of the guys? While I like the romantic relationships - and I love how inclusive and welcoming the Savoie family is (found family/single, loner welcomed into a big, chaotic family is one of my favorite tropes) - I wanted a little more sisterhood in this one; it feels as though the romantic relationships are slowly eclipsing the familial ones. It may be nitpicky, but it's something that's bothered me about the last two installments in this series, but especially this one.
Also, really looking forward to Henry and Clara's story. They've been teased for so long now, why is their story the last one?! I mean, it will be nice to finally get to the bottom of the Jules/Ruben storyline, but I'm actually more interested in Clara's story.
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.
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.