April
This is a contemporary romance, but there's a historical element, too. While struggling to accept himself as a gay man, William discovers the tragic story of a gay man who was imprisoned at a mental hospital during the Great Depression.
I'm not really sure how I feel about people writing and reading tragic stories about groups they don't belong to. I have thought about it a lot, and I haven't come to a conclusion. I do feel that this author handled these serious topics with sensitivity and care; she approaches everything she writes that way, which is why I read her books.
The narrative directly contrasts Bill's devastatingly sad story with the hope and peace that William and Colby find together. Bill came alive for me in his letters; he did not feel like an example of a gay man who suffered, but like an actual person. But it was his suffering that influenced William to take charge of his own life, so he sort of was an example. I sobbed through the epilogue, because I was thinking of all the real people who have lived lives just like his. I do think the book addressed this terrible history respectfully, though. It isn't trauma tourism.
I liked Colby and William's romance a lot. There are not a lot of m/m romance novels with flamboyantly gay characters like Colby, and I like reading about those kinds of characters. I think this aspect of his personality worked really well in the story, too, since it drove home the facts that he was comfortable with himself, and that everyone in his small town accepted him as he was. There are lots of nice domestic moments, as Colby and William become friends and then lovers. I also liked that their happy ending was very solid, maybe the most detailed I've seen from this author. It would've been an unbelievable downer if Colby and William's story had ended up in the air, since Bill's story ended so sadly.
This book has not one but two gay danceclub scenes, which are kind of a pet peeve of mine, but they fit into the story naturally. And the book was published in 2013, maybe before these scenes became massive cliches, so that's alright. I did think the pacing of the romance was a little off. Some of Colby's indecision felt like a little too much.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by KC Kelly, and he did a great job. He's very casual, which suited this story.
I think I must've been in the wrong state of mind for this book, because I didn't really enjoy it. I don't know. This is the first of her books in a long time that I didn't love, so it's actually a little difficult to admit my dislike to myself, as silly as that may sound. But I wasn't enchanted.
Overall, this book includes a lot of emotionally fraught themes - family devotion, polyamory, virginity, internalized homophobia, sexual consent, living outside of societal norms, choosing to control one's own life - and in my opinion, most of those topics weren't given enough attention in the narrative. It needed more focus.
I loved Guy and wanted him to be happy, but I didn't like Philip much at all. Every other character in the book was more appealing to me. He's in the same vein as Lord Crane, who was hard for me to like at first too, but he won me over eventually because of his devotion to Stephen. That isn't the plot here, which is fine, but I didn't like the way this romance played out. Philip's primary flaw is his difficulty understanding other perspectives, which is a big flaw in a romance hero. The plot does address this problem, in the end. But to also make him unable to give all of himself to Guy seemed like an odd choice. He was still emotionally unavailable in some ways, at their happy ending.
More damningly, I can't pinpoint the moment when Philip and Guy fell in love with each other. There was a lot of introspection and talking about their relationship; those parts of the book really dragged for me, probably because I didn't like Philip. But despite all Philip's waffling, I still didn't feel like I understood his feelings.
I like reading about polyamory, and when I figured out that's what was going on, I was interested to see how everything would resolve. But I don't feel like we got a resolution. I think it would've been more emotionally satisfying for Guy to definitively say that he wanted to have sex with the others, or to see that happen. Instead, this part of the story was left up in the air.
I'm annoyed, also, at the audiobook narrator, for giving John a Caribbean accent. Here's John's introduction:
Guy had never in his life seen a dark-skinned man except in pictures [...]. This one wore breeches and a coat like any gentleman might, and was smoking a cigarillo. He pitched it away as Guy approached and said, in a voice that had nothing of exotic shores about it, “Here you go, Phil. Outraged brother. Have fun.”
Philip used his respect for consent as a weapon against Guy in their argument before storming off.
Wow, fantastic book. Just warm and lovely the whole way through, very cozy, and full of sweet domesticity. I wanted it to be about three times as long, not because it's incomplete in any way, but because I wanted to spend more time with these characters.
To be honest, I put off reading this book because of the serious subject matter, but of course Cat Sebastian handles Hartley's past with sensitivity and care. It's not at all an emotionally overwrought book, but I got choked up more than once, at all the small moments that led to Hartley and Sam finding happiness together. I loved both main characters, but the side characters all felt real to me, too, with their own motivations and personalities. Really immersive book.
I listened to the audiobook performed by Joel Leslie. He is not my favorite narrator, but he really knocked this one out of the park. I especially loved the voice & accent he did for Kate.
This is a great read and I'm glad to see Cat Sebastian trying out a different historical era (post-WWII). I loved the setting of a quiet village in the English countryside and all of the domestic moments. In fact, those cozy scenes aren't just fluff, but are relevant to the romance plot and to Leo's character development: After a lifetime as a spy, he isn't sure if he deserves to have people who care about him. So we're often seeing his baffled reaction to pleasant but ordinary moments.
This may have been my own shortcoming as a reader, but in the end, I wished I'd had a little more time in James's point-of-view. I'm not really sure why he developed feelings for Leo. However, I did understand Leo's perspective and I enjoyed his growth as a person over the course of the story. I also liked the mystery - multiple mysteries, really - and while they kept me guessing, the solutions weren't out of left field.
I'm so glad I read this, and I'm sure I'll listen to the audiobook many times when it comes out. I hope that the series will continue very soon!
This is a good romance, and I'm glad I read it. I found the heroine, Valinda, very appealing, and she definitely fits the title & series title. She's very sweet and tender-hearted, as well as unafraid to fight for what's right. It's a good feminist coming-of-age plot, in my opinion; the story is about Valinda accepting who she is, finding a way to best make her mark on the world, and discovering that love can be real. Valinda's upbringing in New York City was sheltered, with a controlling father, and she traveled to New Orleans in order to teach the newly freed. In New Orleans, Valinda meets many women of color who manage their own lives, which is somewhat new for her. There's a lot of focus in the book on her friendships with her love interest's sister-in-law and mother, which I really enjoyed. Valinda wants to change the world, and with their guidance, she finds a way to do that.Valinda's love interest, Drake, is also a wonderful character. I loved their banter, and I laughed out loud more than once. They seemed perfect for each other and I believed completely in their happy ending. I thought the conflict between them late in the book was a little contrived. Valinda already knew who Drake was, and that he wasn't the kind of man who would try to control her. But I guess her hesitation to really marry him was understandable, given her upbringing.I have read two other books by Beverly Jenkins, [b:Night Hawk 12182154 Night Hawk Beverly Jenkins https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347763121l/12182154.SY75.jpg 17131631] and [b:Indigo 347339 Indigo Beverly Jenkins https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539072697l/347339.SY75.jpg 1360994], and I enjoyed them both. When I read that she had included queer characters in this book, I was curious to check it out. I usually read historical romance with queer main characters, so it was interesting for me to see characters of this type through the lens of hetero main characters instead. I felt the queer couple's story was both realistic and hopeful; they faced challenges, but so did all the other characters. Racism is a major topic in this book. I learned a lot about how difficult it was for the recently freed, as well as free people of color, to live in the South at this time (1867). There was segregated transportation; it was only lightly touched on in the book, but I was curious enough to read more about it, and learned that there were successful protests of the unfair system around this time. Also, Drake has to fight off a mob of white supremacists at the book's climax, which was very scary to read about. The city feels almost lawless, because people of color can't rely on the authorities to protect them. As a result, there is a strong sense of community, and of people of color and their allies working together to protect and uplift each other. Valinda and Drake are both dedicated to that cause, which is another reason their romance felt so believable to me.CW: Valinda is threatened with sexual violence several times in this book, but she is not assaulted.I look forward to finding out if the rest of the books in this new series focus on characters introduced here. I really liked that the book portrayed Drake's former mistress sympathetically, and I'd be especially interested in reading about her adventures in Mexico. But I'll come along no matter where this series goes next. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Kim Staunton, and her performance was excellent.
My favorites list here is very long and also pretty idiosyncratic. But this book is something else. I really enjoyed it, but beyond that, it gave me the rare feeling of encountering something that felt like a piece of myself. It's very hard to put this feeling into words. I don't mean it as an endorsement of the book's quality or even as a comment on my own enjoyment of it. But over the years, as I've watched TV shows, played games, read books, etc., I've often felt, “I like this a lot, but I would like it more if there were queer characters, or if the humor was sillier, or if there was (or wasn't) a romance,” and so on. I had none of those thoughts about this book. The humor is absurd, every major character is queer, and the (low) romance content is perfect. Even though there was a section I didn't love (the visit to Carcosa), I could see how it worked as part of the whole. So, just in terms of my own preferences, I wouldn't change anything. I don't get this feeling often, even though I enthusiastically enjoy a lot of books; the last book I felt this way about was [b:The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet 22733729 The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1) Becky Chambers https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405532474i/22733729.SY75.jpg 42270825]. These two books are very different, but they do have something major in common, which is that they're both episodic in nature. But there's really only one point-of-view character in this book, John, except for one chapter, so it isn't a multi-person character study. Instead, the investigation feels like a trip around the bizarre world John lives in, and it's almost all wonderful. I know there were a lot of references to other works that I didn't pick up on; I'm pretty familiar with the original Sherlock Holmes stories, but otherwise, I've never read much 19th-century fiction. But I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything.But wow, I loved John Wyndham, even though I really can't think of a character I have less in common with, in a superficial sense. Although he is a gay trans man, he hasn't rejected his strict religious upbringing in any way except what was necessary to live as himself. He doesn't swear, he prefers not to eat dessert, he thinks paisley is garish, and he's appalled at the idea of spending a (chaste) night with someone he's not married to. He's also brave and noble to a fault. I signed my soul over to him about halfway through the book, even though I know a gesture like that would offend his sensibilities too.I love the style of the book, too. I'm sure every sentence was carefully crafted, but it gave the illusion of being indulgent and verbose. It's like no word that would fit was left out. I never felt like anything was under-explained or under-described. I know a lot of readers prefer just the opposite style of writing, so I guess this is one of those details in a positive review that might drive people away from a book. The chapters themselves are very short, if that changes your mind! In a few ways, this book also reminded me of [b:The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy 386162 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1) Douglas Adams https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1559986152i/386162.SX50.jpg 3078186]. Like Arthur Dent, John Wyndham is disoriented in a strange environment, while spending all his time with Ms. Haas, who knows (or pretends to know) pretty much everything. But this is a much more character-driven book. Mostly, I thought of Hitchhiker's Guide because there are digressions and references to in-universe books, etc., as well as a lot of humor, and wildly creative concepts.I would call this an adventure novel with a mystery. Neither main character has a romance plot; there are only some mentions of John's future husband, and some flirting that seems like it might continue in a future book. John and Shaharazad both have sex (with other people), but it isn't explicit. As much as I've shipped other versions of Holmes & Watson, I think I do prefer it when they're friends with nothing romantic or sexual between them. I found the resolution of the mystery (this is only a mild spoiler) both completely unexpected and very satisfying.I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Nicholas Boulton (it was my first time listening to one of his narrations, and he was excellent) and also read the text, which was a very good experience. I really hope there will be more books because I need to know who John married: the sweet little necromancer or the gruff but kindly detective? I was cheering for the necromancer, but we didn't see too much of him. Or maybe it's someone else! I also thought there would be more of a resolution of the conflict between John and the Eyan myrmidon, but maybe that will happen in a future book.
I don't think I can really review this book right now in any way that will be helpful to other readers, because I loved it so much. When it comes out in paperback, I'll probably buy a copy just so I can literally draw hearts in the margins.
I was in a major book slump before I started this. For the past few months, I've been rereading all my old favorites, while picking up a lot of new books, then eventually setting them aside. But I couldn't tear myself away from this. It's just what I needed.
Okay, let's see, what's absolutely essential to know? Pat and Fen cuddle while trying to solve a mystery, and it's a good mystery plot. Also, you could read this without reading Think of England. I would call them companion novels rather than two books in a series, but there are a lot of clever parallels between them.
Anyway, if you have any interest in this book, definitely read it, and cherish it, just like these two cherish each other. Well, now I'm metaphorically drawing hearts in the margins of this review.
This book definitely seemed like something I might like, but some of the negative reviews I'd seen dampened my enthusiasm. I'm glad to say I enjoyed it a lot!I would guess the author has probably written or read fanfic, but I definitely don't say that to insult her or this book. For one thing, she never uses epithets (and rarely proper names) when two or more characters with the same pronouns are present, yet it's never confusing! More significantly, this book delves deeply into the characters' emotional states. Since we're mostly in Jasen's PoV, and he's a fairly self-involved guy, it's his feelings we're mostly dealing with. He's reasonably open-minded, though, so the fish-out-of-water vibe of an outsider at a royal court is usually a lot of fun. He does spend a lot of the book disoriented and unsure of himself, but it was never boring to read about.I'd say the central theme is Jasen's coming of age, which is really him coming to realize that he has to live his life, even without the guarantee of success. In addition to that theme, the whole concept of the consorts going to training and then competing for suitors feels a little juvenile. Jasen is 20, but he isn't worldly wise at all, even at the end of the story. The sex is non-explicit, also, so I can recommend this book to YA readers. Again, though, I don't mean that classification as an insult, just an observation. Unfortunately, the pairing of Jasen with Rilvor, who is about 30 years old, a ruler of a kingdom (or empire, really), and a father of four children, didn't really work for me. They didn't feel like they were at the same place in life at all, which can make for a good romance, but something was lacking for me here. More character development for Rilvor may have helped me appreciate them as a couple. I didn't feel like Rilvor's own inner conflict regarding his wife's death was dealt with to my satisfaction, although I understand why Jasen felt okay with it. The worldbuilding, with the dragons and their relationship with humans, was very interesting, but not as detailed as I would've preferred. I really like the idea that both Rilvor and Tasenred wanted Jasen, in different ways. I absolutely loved Risyda, as well as Polina's character arc. I hope there will be a book or short story about them. This book has a number of interesting side characters, and the plot gives them all room to be flawed and human. There is no actual villain, which I thought was an impressive feat in a fairy-tale-ish story. I believed that Adwig really was concerned with the safety of the realm, even if I didn't like his methods.This book reminded me somewhat of a few others, especially [b:The High King's Golden Tongue 25902535 The High King's Golden Tongue (Tales of the High Court, #1) Megan Derr https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436805757s/25902535.jpg 47453880] and [b:Lord of the White Hell, Book 1 8017244 Lord of the White Hell, Book 1 (Lord of the White Hell, #1) Ginn Hale https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1270983929s/8017244.jpg 12582432], because all three are mainly about an outsider diving into a life among nobles. But all three books stand on their own merits. I'd say this one is more personal than the others, in that Jasen's daily experiences and his emotional state are the most important things happening in the book, rather than dramatic plot events. I like an intimate book of this kind sometimes. I think the world really was at stake, but it wasn't the most upfront thing happening in the story.Overall, this is very good, and I'll gladly read more by this author.
This is a good Christmas romance and I'm glad I read it, although I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I usually enjoy this author's work. The angel's role in this story is much subtler than in [b:Summerfield's Angel 41718433 Summerfield's Angel (The Christmas Angel, #2) Kim Fielding https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1541504561s/41718433.jpg 65075360]; this book doesn't really seem like fantasy. But this one is also about a pair of men who are an unlikely couple, this time for personal reasons, rather than due to social class. Christopher is a Vaudeville magician who has spent his whole life on the road, while Edward is a small-town accountant for whom the theater only brings back sad memories. I liked them both a lot and it was easy to see why they were drawn to each other. There's only a light touch of the “fated love” idea I was expecting from this series, but their romance works really well without it. Christopher is very charming and charismatic, and I like the way the author describes his stage presence. He's as openly gay as it was possible to be in 1910, which is pretty great; there are background lgbt+ characters as well. His inner struggle is also intriguing in this story, as he wrestles with his doubts about whether he's on the right path in life. But while Christopher's growth over the course of the story was believable to me, something was slightly lacking with Edward. I can't really pinpoint the moment when he felt at home in the theater again, but it was stated in the end that he did. But maybe I just missed it. Either way, I can overlook it, because I did believe in their feelings for each other. The happy ending that they find together is very satisfying and seems fairly realistic to me for the time and place. There is a light theme of chosen family, which this author always writes so well, and it fits right in with the theater setting.This was a cool idea for a holiday series, and I'd love to see more multi-author collections of this kind in m/m romance.
I've only read two stories in this anthology so far, and I'm going to set it aside for now. I'm writing a review because those two stories were both amazing! I'll update this review if I continue reading.
Infernal Affairs by Jordan L. Hawk
This is a fun and fast-paced story, with some standard urban-fantasy stuff alongside some new ideas. I am already a fan of his, so I'm definitely heavily biased, but I absolutely loved this story. It's hilarious; I have a ridiculous sense of humor, yet somehow, it's on my exact comedy wavelength. I also found this story super hot, probably because Chess seducing Ralgath is a key plot element, even though the sex is not too explicit (which is unusual for this author). The emotional connection between these two built slowly, and I found it totally believable. Ralgath and Chess are a really appealing pair. I also thought the villain was pretty fabulous! This feels like the start of a new series, and I sincerely hope it is.
Counterfeit Viscount by Ginn Hale
I also really like this author. I always feel so immersed in the worlds she creates. This is set in the same world as Wicked Gentlemen, which I haven't read yet, but I didn't feel lost at any point. I loved the atmosphere (it reminded me somewhat of Sunless Sea, which is always nice). As is usual with this author, the romance is just one of many things happening in the plot. But there's a strong feeling of romantic tension, and the way that tension was resolved surprised me, in the best way. The plot is partly about privilege and (fantasy) racism, which sometimes feels like commentary on the real world, yet is not heavy-handed. Archie loves Nimble, but he has also spent a long time seeing Nimble as ultra-powerful, (sort of) because of his race, instead of as a full person with both strengths and weaknesses, which is a form that real-world bigotry can take. But Archie does come to love Nimble for who he really is. This is a long story, with an almost leisurely feel to it, yet I still wanted more - so I'll have to read Wicked Gentlemen very soon.
Between 4 and 5 stars. This novella has been on my TBR list for a couple of years, and I'm so glad I finally read it. It's a very straightforward story, and I found the happy ending really heartwarming. I have not read many books set during the Revolutionary War, so I liked the novelty of that. I was surprised at how easy it was for me to get caught up in Elijah's idealism about the promise of America.
My only criticism is that the writing style is a little bit stilted, which took me out of the story a few times. But I haven't noticed that problem in this author's other work at all, so maybe this was one of her first published stories, or maybe I'm just grumpy.
Overall, this is a good and comforting read.
Instant favorite. I'm always amazed at KJ Charles' wizardry, but I really don't understand how there is this much emotional depth in a relatively short work.
This story actually conveyed a truth to me about a formative relationship in my own life, something I've been unhappy about for years, partly because I didn't understand. I'm in awe at that. I would've said I was too old to read a book that would reframe my perspective so dramatically, but I guess not.
Trying to think about this book on its own merits, though - well, the writing is really top-quality. Here's some amazing characterization of Vikram via his reaction to an environment:
The Strand was a wide thoroughfare with imposing tall frontages, fit for the capital of empire; Holywell Street was its disreputable, drink-sodden uncle with his trouser buttons undone. It was narrow and lined with sagging Jacobean or even Elizabethan houses, their black timbers barely showing against soot-darkened plaster, with pointed gables and overhanging storeys that conspired together to block out what little daylight there was.
To me, Gil and Vikram grew up like entwined trees, supporting and encouraging each other's better natures. When they were torn apart, they both ended up a little deformed, and a little less themselves than they had been together. It was extremely satisfying to watch them work their way back to each other. I don't know if a relationship that fulfilling can exist in real life, but I loved reading about it.
I have had this audiobook since it came out but I didn't want to listen to it and not have it to look forward to. I finally gave in and I enjoyed it as much as I expected to.
Sometimes Jordan L. Hawk's books remind me of Indiana Jones movies, in the best way. This one has that feel, of a wild and dangerous adventure with very menacing villains. But there is also a really nice found-family theme, and of course I far prefer these characters to anyone in an Indiana Jones movie.
I really appreciate that none of the villains in this book make racist, transphobic, or homophobic remarks or threaten sexual violence at any point, and that there is no on-page coming-out scene for any major character. Instead, Henry and Vincent both have to cope with some issues from their pasts. I also like that Henry, Vincent, Jo, and Lizzie act as a team for most of the book.
This is the scariest book I've read by this author so far, but that may be down to Greg Tremblay's narration, which is great. I reread the first two books in this series many times before the audiobooks came out, and to me, he chose the perfect voices for all the characters.
This feels like the ending of this series, and I'm very happy with it! Now we just need a new series about Jo's adventures in Europe! (Only kidding, I really am satisfied, but I would also enthusiastically read that.)
This short story really should have had a better edit. I almost suspect that an early draft was uploaded by mistake. There are a few outright errors, but mostly, the word choices and phrasing are just very stilted and awkward. I had to reread sentences often, because while they weren't technically incorrect, the phrasing was not natural. It's very hard to feel lost in a story when the language itself confuses me.
This author has definitely followed the advice that “said is dead” (which isn't true). This thesaurus abuse happens all through the story, but here's a very bad one:
“It is absolutely not,” disagreed Daly, shaking his head and frowning.
He blinked, tugged from his thoughts. “Hm?” he inquired, glancing over at Daly to find the person of his affection staring at him instead of the road; which was the moment he realized they'd stopped.
I can't believe that we don't even see them eat the apple pie, which is built up as important in the first scene. Not Chekhov's pie, I guess.
Well, I didn't like this book very much. I was looking forward to it as a cheerful escape, so part of my problem is definitely that I had the wrong expectations.
There are some technical aspects of the writing that aren't to my taste: use of epithets, such as calling Cassius “the valet” during sex scenes; repetition of cheesy phrases like “their gazes clashed;” lots of gasping; avoidance of “said” and “asked” in favor of other verbs, which often broke up the flow of scenes; and lots of usage of the word “soul” to convey depth of feeling. Nothing in that list bothers me when it's used once or twice in a romance novel, or if it's a central concept, as in soul-bonding. But all of those things happened way too frequently for me.
I like fanfic and I love fairy tales, and lgbt+ fluff is one of my favorite things in the world. But this book is not very fluffy. There is one really heartwarming scene, when Merrick visits Cassius's family, and the epilogue is also sweet. Every other moment is tinged with sadness.
They don't think they can ever be together, because of their homophobic society. This is set in a vague fantasy world, but I read a lot of queer historicals, so I'm not unfamiliar with that concept as a plot element. But in this book, the homophobia is not all that severe, yet both MCs are dealing with internalized homophobia. There's no mention of legal penalties, just the fear of facing ostracism. This conflict does work well as a central plot here, because both MCs really love their families. But the forbidden nature of their relationship is part of almost every interaction they have, and almost all of their introspection, which I found difficult to enjoy reading - especially because they both seemed to wonder if what they were doing was morally wrong, without exactly stating their thoughts in those words. Every time they lament their lack of a future together, it feels to me like they both just wish they were heterosexual.
In the end they both come out to their families, who react really well. But in Merrick's coming-out scene, he and his sister start quoting modern-day lgbtq-activism-lite; the phrase "born this way" is used, etc. I was feeling pretty grumpy about this book by that point and rolled my eyes very hard.
There are a few sex scenes, and they're fine, just angsty. The language is not too flowery - no throbbing manhoods or anything like that. It was mostly the description of their emotions that seemed over-the-top to me.
On the positive side, I really believed in their romance and in their happy ending. They spend a good amount of time together doing things other than having sex. Also, I wouldn't really call this book predictable. Every time I thought a trope I recognized was going to play out, something happened that mildly surprised me. Of course it did manage to squeeze in a gay nightclub scene; I'm not sure how that even happened in vague-fantasy-with-homophobia-land. But I don't really mind those scenes in m/m.
Overall, I think that this book would appeal to a lot of people, but it really was not for me. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie, who did a fantastic job, as always.
I enjoyed this mystery a lot, and I'll probably continue with the series soon. Ian Rutledge is solving a difficult mystery in a quiet English village, while also trying to figure out how to live with the emotional scars of his WWI service.
I like the writing style, which is straightforward, yet gives a good sense of the setting. I didn't really feel it was a hundred years ago, but that isn't necessarily a criticism. There are a number of great characters, including several interesting female characters. The main character does not have a romance plot at all, and I enjoyed that, as a change of pace for me. In the course of solving the mystery, Ian uncovers all the other secrets of the villagers' lives. I felt emotionally invested in these plots, and none of them were boring.
The mystery's actual solution seems a little bit far-fetched and almost hokey. On the other hand, the concept of the unwanted voice in Ian's head prepares the reader for what's going on with the killer. On the third hand, I strongly dislike demonization of mental illness.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Samuel Giles, and I thought he was great. I especially liked the way that he did Hamish's voice, with a sort of bullying smugness that drove home just how much of a burden he was on Ian.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the author, but his generosity didn't influence my review.
The blurb makes this book sound like a horror novel, but the haunting is not all that scary. So, even if horror is a genre you avoid, you shouldn't avoid this book. However, although the supernatural aspects didn't bother me, the real-life themes upset me a lot. This story is really about two survivors of child abuse and how that trauma shaped who they are. A parent also dies (in flashbacks) and her illness is described in detail.
So, the material is heavy, and the characters are unhappy for most of the book. The depiction of Jonathan and Eddie's love for each other does temper the sadness, though. Their relationship is sweet, and while they do have a conflict in the middle of the story, it gets resolved pretty quickly. I also liked their fast friendship with their new neighbor, an older lady named Maggie. This version of small-town life overall feels real to me; Maggie knows almost everything about her old neighbors, and she's always been willing to help any way she can. In general all of the dialogue feels very natural to me.
Overall, the book is well written, with some lovely prose. The theme of abuse survivors helping each other find peace is interesting, and the author executed it with both skill and sensitivity. There is also an uplifting ending. I didn't have strong feelings about any of the major characters, but that was okay, since it's mainly a plot-driven book.
I recommend the audiobook. The narrator has a calm and ordinary delivery, and his performance really works well for such a serious book.
I haven't read the other books in this series, but this one stands alone. There's only a very short bit at the end which is completely unrelated to this book and probably ties it in to the series.
I've greatly enjoyed every volume of this series and I loved this last book in the first set of novellas. Just like the others, it's funny, exciting, and emotionally moving, without ever being maudlin. The reason why Murderbot's favorite show is its favorite actually made me a cry a little, but this book also made me laugh out loud several times. I was very sorry to reach the end, and I eagerly anticipate the Murderbot novel that's planned for 2020.
In addition to the continuing themes of identity and finding a place for oneself, the anti-corporate theme is central here. We see a little bit of Dr. Mensah & her associates' home society, and it's pretty much fully automated luxury gay space communism, which I probably don't need to say is extremely appealing to me.
Kevin R. Free did another amazing job narrating the audiobook, perfectly capturing Murderbot's cynical but innocent personality. I liked the voices he performed for the other characters also.
Between three and four stars, rounded up because some of my objections were just my own problems.
This book delivers exactly what I expected it to and what you would guess based on the summary. Ultimately, it reminded me of old-time Westerns, which meant it also reminded me somewhat of various Star Trek subplots. But I like those things. The setting is definitely original and plays an important role in the story.
Somehow, though, I didn't really feel the connection between the main characters. For me, there was too much angst, mainly over withheld information. It took me a ridiculously long time to read this book, at least partly because of the angst; there is some domestic fluff in the middle, but it was so sweet that I knew an awful thing was going to crop up and threaten their happiness. I also didn't really like the writing style, with a lot of verbing of nouns and sentence fragments for effect. The book needed another pass by a proofreader, too. I liked all the important side characters and that sexual orientation seemed to be a non-issue on Alkirak. Bram and Gael were both likable characters, but I never fell in love with either of them.
Overall, it is not a bad book, and the ending is satisfying. I can recommend it, just not with too much enthusiasm.
I can't decide on a star rating for this book. I loved and empathized with the main character, Emilio, from the beginning. Because of the book's structure of showing the aftermath of the mission in alternating chapters with the mission happening, I had some idea of what had occurred all along, as well as some good guesses; still, the plot twists surprised me, and I was riveted from about the halfway point to the end. Best of all, it's a really thought-provoking book that asks very good questions and doesn't provide answers. So, I enjoyed it immensely and I'll probably read the sequel soon. I can also understand why it's such an acclaimed book. However, I always interpret other people's 5-star ratings as enthusiastic approval, and I don't really feel that way. I'll just leave the rating blank.
A lot about this book reminded me of the pop-anthropology talk that crops up on the internet sometimes: that women and men have immutable characteristics which define their personalities, and that happy hetero marriages are the best way for humans to live, because of biological truths. Additionally, biological truths completely define the aliens' behavior; the frustrated desire for reproduction is the two main villains' (if you can call them villains) motivation, and biology in general is the ultimate reason for all the horrible things that happen.. I'm sure other people have phrased this much more clearly than I will, but I believe that sentience itself means that there will always be variation in how we live our lives and how we find happiness. The aliens, though, don't really vary from what biology says they should do or be.
In general I didn't like all the unrequited love between the humans, especially the feelings of the book's sole gay character, which seemed like a clear example of the old-fashioned “gay = miserable” trope. But I also wonder if those subplots were meant to point to the central relationship in the book: Emilio's relationship with God. Is Emilio's love for God unrequited? As an atheist I don't feel qualified to answer the question, but I'm pretty sure the book is asking it.
It's quite a heavy book and I'm glad I read it. I wish I could read it as part of a book club or class, because it would definitely inspire some interesting discussions. I listened to the audiobook and I don't recommend it; the narrator was too fast for me. I kept wishing I had the text in front of me, but it's expensive, especially considering it's over 20 years old.
This is a pretty enjoyable book. It's very different from anything I've read before, though, so if you often read (or watch) contemporary horror, this review probably won't give you much useful info.
The presentation is great. I listened to the audiobook (via my library's Hoopla service, which is a great way to venture outside of my usual genres with no risk), but I also bought the ebook because it was on sale. It has illustrations in the form of maps and catalog descriptions for some of the furniture items and (once the plot gets rolling) torture devices. In the audiobook, the brief catalog and employee manual parts are narrated by Bronson Pinchot, who did a great job of making even ordinary descriptions sound creepy; the main audiobook narrator, Tai Simmons, was new to me, and I really loved her performance. I'll definitely be seeking her out again.
Overall, this book feels like the author had a clever idea and worked really hard to bring it to life, and he mostly succeeded, in my opinion. This book covers a lot of the unsettling qualities that IKEA has in reality; the maze-like structure is a recurring theme. Even the proprietary Allen-wrench-like things make an important appearance.
The characterizations are especially good. I don't believe I've read a book with a PoV character quite like Amy. She's young and misanthropic, she does not want to be working in retail, and she doesn't know how she's ever going to get ahead in life. She doesn't really solve any of those problems, either, although she does find a purpose. She's not sexualized in any way; in fact, her sexual orientation never comes up, and she has no romance plot. I really appreciated that neither Amy nor any of the other characters face the threat of sexual violence at any point in this book.
There are two other interesting female characters, too, who start out as stock characters but gain some depth over the course of the story. I did not really like or sympathize with the way Amy saw them. I'd like to be seen the way people see Ruth Anne, and I didn't like Amy's belief that Trinity was an airhead rebelling against her family, which especially grated with me when it was hinted that Trinity was bisexual. But I didn't feel the author was asking me to agree with Amy's dark view of the world. She also had nasty thoughts about Basil, comparing him to Steve Urkel, which seemed a little racist to me. But the way Basil was actually written most reminded me of Dwight from The Office (with a love for Doctor Who instead of BSG), although he's definitely also an original character. Matt was the least interesting character, a bland young hetero white guy, but it's much more common for a mainstream story to make someone like him a PoV character. I was glad he did not feature too prominently in this book.
I noticed a handful of PoV errors which a good editor should have caught; Amy is the only PoV character, but sometimes the reader is told how someone else is feeling. I also noticed epithets when Amy was alone with Ruth Anne or Trinity, because of the difficulty of not repeating pronouns & names when both characters are of the same gender. But these are very minor complaints.
I'm very wimpy about horror, although I think I'm slowly wearing down my defenses. But nothing in this book actually scared me. The plot was definitely creepy, but it also didn't feel totally real to me. But it developed slowly, and I don't want to spoil the mystery by talking about it too explicitly in my review. It is supernatural, though. There's some mild body horror, but nothing too disturbing. The book is more action-oriented, really, despite the title. I also didn't find anything laugh-out-loud funny, but I'm not sure if the author was going for comedy or not.
The ending really impressed me, and it made me a little emotional, too. I would read this author again. Perhaps my highest praise is that I know I'll be thinking about this book from now on, every time I'm in a big-box store.
This is a collection of three stories that are set in the same alternate-universe Earth and include some of the same characters. In each story, one character has ties to a secret government agency, The Bureau, that investigates supernatural crimes. Overall, these stories are dark and focus a lot on the evil humans are capable of. So, content warning for rape (although there's nothing overly explicit) and violence. This isn't my favorite Kim Fielding book, but urban fantasy isn't my favorite genre.
Also, one of the reasons I have read a lot of this author's books is that I really like the way she writes female side characters - as three-dimensional people - and that her characters generally treat and talk about women the same way. There aren't any important female characters in any of these stories, which is okay. But I really disliked the way a major character (the agents' boss) talked about women. I understand that his offhand remarks are appropriate to the time period, and perhaps his misogyny also serves to show that he is morally gray. But his attitude made me cringe.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joel Leslie, and he did a great job, as always. I especially liked the voices he chose for the main characters in Creature.
1. Corruption - 3 stars. In the 1940s, a Bureau agent who is half-human and half-angel falls in love with a demon. It's kind of an insta-love story, without all that much development. I guess that Charles is a Dom and the demon is a natural submissive, but the story doesn't really come out and state that. I liked it, though. These characters show up in the other two stories.
2. Clay White - 2.5 stars. An ex-agent falls in love with a vampire and they investigate a mystery. This story takes place in the present day and it's written in first person. I think the author was aiming for a noir feel. Maybe she didn't succeed or maybe it just isn't my thing, but this was my least favorite of the three.
3. Creature - 4.5 stars. In 1950, a prospective Bureau agent is tasked with investigating a Frankenstein-like scientist, and he falls in love with a man who is (more or less) a sentient zombie. This one is novella-length and my favorite of the three. The human character, Harry, thinks of himself as stupid; although I don't think he truly does lack intelligence, this story feels like a good portrait of a man who sees himself that way. The romance feels pretty natural, but it creeps me out a little bit, because John has never interacted with any human other than Harry. Still, their connection is very emotional, exactly what they both need, and I enjoyed the story.
I love this series so much. If you liked books one and two, I'm sure you'll enjoy this also.
Book two focused on Murderbot's friendship with ART, and this story focuses on a friendship between a different kind of robot and a human, which Murderbot has a lot of complicated feelings about. The new characters are engaging. It's amazing how well-developed they are, in such a short book.
Once again, Kevin R. Free's audiobook performance is top-notch. I am still so delighted that one of my favorite narrators does one of my favorite series!
Mild spoiler: I've been hoping that Murderbot would eventually see Dr. Mensah again, and it seems that will happen in the last book. I can't wait!
I was really looking forward to this book, and although it has some great qualities, I didn't enjoy it. I have not read many published Sherlock Holmes adaptations, but I think I've rated them all two or three stars. So, please keep in mind that I may be more biased against adaptations with these characters than I realize.The cover is absolutely perfect; it's so rare for a cover to show the characters exactly as they're described, and I am always glad to see black women on the cover of a novel. It also illustrates a specific moment in the book, which is nice.There's some lovely writing, and I usually found it easy to relate to the main character (apologies for possible errors in this quote; I transcribed it from the audiobook): An image of my younger self came back sharp and strong. Who was she, I wondered. That tall and stocky girl who dragged her suitcase up the stairs that hot and rainy August afternoon. Would we recognize each other? Nostalgia had a funny sharp edge when you came down to it. I liked that young girl with her attitude and her belief she could conquer the world. I wasn't so sure she would like me back.I feel like I'm definitely in this book's target audience. I'm a casual fan of Sherlock Holmes and an avid science-fiction reader, and I prefer to read about queer characters. I also like fanfiction. The book is overt about its political leanings, but it's in line with my own beliefs, more or less. The main character, Janet Watson, fought on the federal side of a second US civil war, against (what sounds like) right-wing terrorists; Trump and his supporters are explicitly named as responsible for this current crisis, and GWB is also mentioned as contributing to the problems. I didn't realize at first that the author was white, but I don't object to non-own-voices books on principle; I'm also white, and some of my favorite authors (like KJ Charles) regularly write about marginalized groups they don't belong to. This book does deal directly with Watson's identity as an American black woman. I didn't notice any problems on that front, but it isn't my place to say whether it's good representation or not. I am a queer woman and I was happy with that aspect of Watson's character, but her queerness is given less attention than her race. It's set in the near future but there's no specific date given; it could be 5 years down the road or 50, but it mostly feels like today with a little more technology, as well as the societal ramifications of the second civil war. So, the author didn't really give herself leeway on conveying the experience of black and/or queer people in the real world, because the setting is sort of a version of the real world. But again, a black reader would be more qualified than I am to say whether the representation is accurate or not.But overall, I found the book boring as well as sad. Watson is deeply depressed, with good reason, but her misery is unrelenting. She suppresses almost every laugh and smile. She has thoughts like this frequently:Perhaps it was just as well my life had crumbled into dust.We spend almost the entire book deep in Watson's mind, as she analyzes events, thinks about her life, writes in her journal (why did we need journal excerpts in the book when it's written in first person?), notices the grim landscape, and is generally unhappy. There are at least two long and detailed sections of her doing nothing but riding the city bus or wandering around the city while nothing worth mentioning happens for seemingly endless paragraphs, but the author reports every bit of minutiae anyway. Late in the book, she ends up on a long car ride with Holmes which has the same boring level of detail, and they rarely speak to each other, even though at this point they're investigating the book's main mystery. Holmes has shared some info with Watson, but she withholds important details until the last moment, for no real reason except maintaining narrative tension.Most damningly, Watson doesn't admire Holmes. She does not even like Holmes, although she is attracted to her. While I haven't read a lot of the newer versions of these characters, I've seen many of the TV & movie adaptations; one element all of those versions have in common is the companion's admiration for the detective's intellect. The admiration doesn't have to inspire romantic feelings, but I do think it needs to be there. Janet Watson doesn't care about Sara Holmes' powers of deduction. She is not impressed. Really, she's too deep in her misery to find anything impressive. She's also highly intelligent herself, which I think is fine in a Watson-type character; they should be smart, with their own skills, just not as skilled at deduction as Holmes. But since we are firmly in Watson's PoV, I didn't admire Holmes' intellect either. We don't really see Holmes do anything all that impressive except use cool gadgets and arrange convenient transportation, which come across as signs of her wealth and connections; she's good at what she does because of her resources, not because of her abilities, and I think Holmes should work the opposite way (enhancing their abilities with their resources). The author doles out information in a really annoying way. I never knew what Holmes knew or what she was doing. I actually still don't know who all the glamorous people were that she entertained at their apartment. I was confused for most of the book, and the ultimate reveal was a serious letdown. I don't know if I was confused because of my own shortcomings or because of the book, but I rarely get confused in this way when reading. I kept thinking of a book with a slightly similar structure, [b:Seven Summer Nights 33116450 Seven Summer Nights Harper Fox https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479938519s/33116450.jpg 53781146], which is also about a veteran suffering from PTSD because of a specific incident. You don't know the details of this incident until far into the book, but the author shares a lot of info about it without giving all the details; I never felt lost or irritated at the lack of info. Here, everyone else in this book knew the basics of what had happened at Alton; it was a major battle in the war and the kind of incident that everyone who knew about would have an opinion on, but the reader was basically in the dark. When we do find out more details, they're incredibly anticlimactic. To me, it would've been a much better book if we'd seen that event clearly from Watson's perspective very early on. So, the mystery was not gripping, and the real villain does not actually make an appearance in the book. I guess there will probably be a sequel, but I don't know if I'll read it. The plot was basically a backdrop to Watson being miserable. I think there is a romance plot; I read it that way, but it isn't totally clear. I also think it would've been a better book if the romance plot had been more in the foreground, and if it had seemed at any point that Watson actually liked Holmes - not just because I enjoy romance (I do), but because any moment of lightheartedness would've made this book significantly more enjoyable. On a positive note, I really liked the audiobook narrator, Lisa Renee Pitts, and I'll seek out other books she's narrated. She chose distinct voices for everyone and kept my attention with her delivery, even when the writing itself was extremely dull. But I don't really recommend this book.