Rosanne

I had so much fun reading this! It's definitely a unique book, I've never seen anything like it. I was rotating the book, browsing back and forth to check things and I enjoyed every minute.

I'm a little disappointed with this book. The first few chapters were promising; I was looking forward to see how the main character was going to step into the footsteps of her intelligent and independent aunt. But along the way it turns out she's just like all the other 'different' girls in a romantasy book. The writing felt juvenile, and I think the story needed a few more rounds of editing to make it solid. If even half the effort that was put into describing princess dresses would have gone towards the plot, this would have been a lot better.

I can't believe there's a second part to this already too long book.

The ending of human life used to be in the hands of nature. But we stole it. Now we have a monopoly on death. We are its sole distributor.

This is definitely one of my favourite reads of this year. I thought the world building was so smart and intriguing. Every question I asked myself about this utopian future was answered later in the book. There was corruption, vengeance, allies - and there is so much more to explore. On to the sequel!

We could have been called reapers, but our founders saw fit to call us scythes - because we are the weapons in mankind's immortal hand.

The ending of human life used to be in the hands of nature. But we stole it. Now we have a monopoly on death. We are its sole distributor.

This is definitely one of my favourite reads of this year. I thought the world building was so smart and intriguing. Every question I asked myself about this utopian future was answered later in the book. There was corruption, vengeance, allies - and there is so much more to explore. On to the sequel!

We could have been called reapers, but our founders saw fit to call us scythes - because we are the weapons in mankind's immortal hand.

Again. a not great but still okay book. There were things I found really funny, for example the way Rook and Rebel meet. Or the fact that he's bored while stalking her because all she does is watch TV and order food. Rebel slowly becomes more involved in Rooks world and the development of her dark side (and her criminal record) is romantisized. Personally, I think murder is still a no no, even if it's done for ✨love✨ Rook is charming though. What made this book only 2,5 stars is that it felt like I was reading about psychotic teenagers instead of an organised criminal bikergang. There wasn't enough depth in the plot, just a lot of stabby stabby and vroom vroom.

Was it great? No. The writing style felt a bit juvenile sometimes. There were a few things I wished the writer would have done a little research on, for example getting - and taking care of - a tattoo. The way it was described in the book is a one way ticket to an infection. Speaking of infections: do not have sex in a pond. Ew. But I still had fun reading it and I am curious to see what else will take place in the little community of Bracken Creek.

"It seemed like just another Monday, innocent but for its essential Mondayness, not to mention its Januaryness".

This brilliant line immediately set the mood for me. I loved Taylors writing style from the beginning. The way she portrays the beautiful city of Prague or the lively souk in Marrakech. Her characters come to life and even though at first I thought they were a bit ordinary, I soon found out that's definitely not the case. Then comes the part where there are monsters, and angels, and a big mystery surrounding.. teeth? Everything is explained later, in a ‘let me show you, ‘cause talk is cheap' kind of way. Needless to say, I was hooked!

I liked Karou and her strange family of monsters. You can say what you want about the morally grey Brimstone, but he did give Karou some pretty good advice about her love life and any “inessential penises” she may encounter in her life. I laughed so hard at that.

“Someone who was for her, as she was for him, whose blood and butterflies sang to hers and answered them, note for note”.

"It seemed like just another Monday, innocent but for its essential Mondayness, not to mention its Januaryness".

This brilliant line immediately set the mood for me. I loved Taylors writing style from the beginning. The way she portrays the beautiful city of Prague or the lively souk in Marrakech. Her characters come to life and even though at first I thought they were a bit ordinary, I soon found out that's definitely not the case. Then comes the part where there are monsters, and angels, and a big mystery surrounding.. teeth? Everything is explained later, in a ‘let me show you, ‘cause talk is cheap' kind of way. Needless to say, I was hooked!

I liked Karou and her strange family of monsters. You can say what you want about the morally grey Brimstone, but he did give Karou some pretty good advice about her love life and any “inessential penises” she may encounter in her life. I laughed so hard at that.

“Someone who was for her, as she was for him, whose blood and butterflies sang to hers and answered them, note for note”.

This book has absolutely nothing to do with Highland Games, or any games for that matter. But it was a fun read, and I completely understand her choice to move to a cabin in Scotland. The romance was a little over the top for me, but I knew what I was getting into with a cover like this😉

This was an engaging read-not overly complex but compelling enough to hold my attention throughout. The footnotes occasionally added intrigue and context, though they didn't feel essential. Around the 70% mark, I wondered how the final third would unfold, as the plot felt like it was already wrapping up. Still, the pacing never dragged, and the story didn't overstay its welcome.

Unlike in Lights Out, there was not enough humor and tension in this sequel. The story was predictable and Nick/Junior wasn't even close to being as charming as Josh. This felt like every other mafia romance, and I'm not a big fan of that genre.

Unlike in Lights Out, there was not enough humor and tension in this sequel. The story was predictable and Nick/Junior wasn't even close to being as charming as Josh. This felt like every other mafia romance, and I'm not a big fan of that genre.