CJ Bailey

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

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. 

I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

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.  

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. 

Well, I finished it, and I wanted to know how everything would work out, so the book had that going for it. However, I didn't particularly like any of the characters, and none of them felt particularly well fleshed out. The twist was, frankly disturbing, and not in the way the author was going for, I don't think, and at the same time it was a bit of a let down, sort of a “Oh, this the direction we're going in?” The trauma was not handled respectfully, or at all in some cases. The ending felt rushed. And there were so many unanswered questions. It was evident, fairly early on who the “villain” was not, and while I am glad there was ultimately another responsible, there is no explanation for the supposed villain's behavior. On a related note, why are all the men (sans maybe one) such terrible humans in this book?! 

Oh well, I've wanted to read this book for a while, and now I can say that I have. On to the next one...

Dang, was this a long book! Even listening to the audiobook, it seemed to take forever. And yet, for the most part, I enjoyed this book - there are some events that are impossible to enjoy, but I do love these characters, and I like following along with their adventures. That being said, my favorite scenes are the quiet family moments when they're all gathered together, without threat or immediate danger, simply enjoying each others' company.

I've already seen the show, so I knew most of what was coming, but there were still some surprises - plot points that were omitted or handled differently, and it was nice to get more detail on some of the events from the show as well. Overall, this is another good addition to a wonderful series, not my favorite but certainly not my least favorite. The ending is a bit abrupt, however.  

 Three stars feels a tad generous, but two stars feels like a discredit to all the hard work that undoubtedly went into this, so three stars it is! That being said, several things bothered or even irritated me. The artwork was inconsistent; most of the male characters were indistinguishable; Claire's boobs???? (This is nitpicky, I know, but Scotland is cold, and Claire is not going to be walking about the countryside in so little clothing. Most of the time her clothing is not all that different from the dress that had the Scotsmen debating her virtue.) And who the heck was Kenneth, and why was he even included???? He really didn't add anything to the plot but confusion and irritation because I felt like I was missing something, even though I've read the book and seen the show.

Also, the portrayal of both Geillis and Laoghaire felt off - the first for being too manipulative (isn't that supposed to be a surprise? I much prefer her character in the book/show; I also really like the friendship between her and Claire in the show, and this completely tossed that out the window) and the second for not being manipulative enough. (If we're getting the truth about Geillie then why not Laoghaire? Who, by the way, comes across as innocent in this, which makes me want to slap somebody. Also, I just like Geillis better. Justice for Geillis! She may have had it coming in Voyager, but I really like her character in book 1.)

Finally, this was supposed to be from Jamie's point of view? Right? It honestly was more from Murtagh's. I like Murtagh - don't get me wrong (especially the version from the series), but I didn't need the story from his POV. Actually getting the story from Jamie's perspective could have been really interesting.

Also, the graphic novel felt really, in some cases oddly, abbreviated, though I know, in order to do the full story justice, it would have had to be nearly quadruple the length... though I wouldn't have minded if that were the case, especially if we had gotten some of the scenes that were cut from the series (“Fretful porpentine” anyone?) If anything, this made me want to go back and read book 1 again. 

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. 

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. 

I'm not sure how I feel about this book; that almost never happens. I... suppose I cared about most of the characters, in that I didn't want to see any of them die, except perhaps Callum, but that was so clearly the  intended reaction, it feels a little like being manipulated to go along with it - ironically. I also didn't see the twist at the end coming, or rather twists. This books feels highly intelligent, but perhaps too much so at times? The magic system was interesting, in that it felt grounded and real, but it was also a little bogged down by all the science-y-ness (yes, that's a word now) which, ironically, lessened the magical feel. In short, it feels as though this book quite possibly short-circuited my brain (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), and I'm not going to rate it until I figure out how I feel about it.  

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. 

This was a nicely atmospheric book with a hint of spookiness, which I'll admit almost got me once or twice. The main character annoyed me to begin with, but I warmed up to her by the end, and I appreciated that she was older than your typical heroine. The mystery, however, was predictable and evident halfway through the book, which made it irritating that the characters were so oblivious. 

After thoroughly enjoying the last two, I was pretty disappointed by this one. Let's just say I have mixed feelings about it. There were several things I found charming, but Anne herself frustrated and even horrified me a little. The cat scene, need I say more? Actually, I will - if they had actually killed the cat, I would have put the book down and not picked up another one. Why do most of the characters seem to hate cats?! What did poor Rusty do, besides having the misfortune of liking Anne and being “disreputable looking.” As is, the fact that Anne went along with the cat-murder plot left me feeling betrayed. Oh! And the same goes for Mr. Harrison who killed his dog (twice) simply because he was tired of him. What. The. Hell? Also, her refusal to examine her feelings for Gilbert at first felt adorably naïve and true to life but quickly became tiresome, especially her borderline catty commentary about Christine. The side-story with Mr. Douglas, his mother, and Janet, whom he'd loved for over twenty years, just irked me. I don't know if his mother's two-faced cruelty or the man's lack of backbone bothered me more. And Janet was way too forgiving in my opinion. I know the series was written for kids and has lessons and morals, but they just feel a little too heavy-handed sometimes. However, all that aside, it was mostly an enjoyable read and a little bittersweet to see everyone growing up, and I'm glad Anne stopped being such a dolt about her feelings for Gilbert, even if that part felt needlessly rushed, but I guess it makes sense considering the target audience. 

It took me several days to read this book, not because I wasn't enjoying it, but rather because I didn't want it, and by extension this series, to end. I absolutely adored this book and all the characters. I identify with each of the Brown sisters in different ways. Fingers crossed this isn't the last we'll see of them. I could definitely go for a book about Tessa, or Alex, or Mont, or hey, a book for each! 

This book was by turns funny and frustrating, lighthearted and at times a little horrifying. It is by far the most creative and whimsical dystopian I have ever read.  

This was one of my first Katee Robert's. It's pretty meh; she has much better books. But it's short, sweet, steamy, and well-written - good for getting over a reading slump or boosting your TBR count. It's also a good book to dip your toes in the romance genre. Of course, it could have been a lot more fleshed out - and perhaps that's the reason for the meh-rating. But, it's surprising how this feels like a complete story; we get just enough backstory to understand who these characters are and their past. There is no instalove, which is always a plus. And I have to admit, the epilogue almost got me emotional. 

 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 

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

Lost interest. Attempting to clear out my 2021 in-progress books before year's end. Might try again later. 

I wanted to like this book. There were so many things about the premise that appealed to me, but ultimately it was a chore to slog through, and after two months of forcing myself to pick it up, I'm calling it quits. I thought Jane could do better - Rosie actually irritated me, and their relationship came across as kind of toxic. The supporting cast had very little depth, and I even found myself struggling to remember who was who a couple of times. The sex scenes were lukewarm at best. And the third act conflict felt unnecessary. 

Library book, had to return. However had no interest in continuing - not as engaging as previous installments in the series. Still, I might try again later. 

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. 

 Well, the plot sounded promising. I even read the first chapter before purchasing; I was all on board. I liked Luna and her relationship with her brother and his fiancé. She was quirky and fun (if a bit manic but I can work with that). I enjoyed the relationship between Declan and Cohen. I was all “Cute names, adorable relationships, DIY/crafty goodness!” This is gonna be great!  Or at least a fun time.  

Then, for no apparent reason, Thad ruined it all. I hated the prologue. Absolutely loathed it. The tone was all over the place; it was crude and offensive for absolutely no reason. And I genuinely want all bad things for Thad. (I get why his brother “betrayed” him; I don't know what Alec did but I'm pretty sure Thad deserved it. And I'm genuinely concerned for his fiancée - I'd tell her to get out while she still can.) It's been a while since I had such a visceral reaction to a character, let alone let one character poison an entire book. But here we are. 
 
So, I took to goodreads to see if I was alone or if the book improved (or if Thad had a personality transplant... or a good old-fashioned lobotomy). Nope, he just gets worse. So, I'm saving myself the trouble (and the seething rage) and calling it quits now. 

On to (hopefully) better reads, though all things considered, that's not a high bar.