Review edited on November 27, 2023: Downgraded from 2 stars to 1 star. I don't support genocide apologists who can't make the distinction between the oReview edited on November 27, 2023: Downgraded from 2 stars to 1 star. I don't support genocide apologists who can't make the distinction between the oppressed vs. the oppressor. ------------------------------------------------
Sometimes, I can understand the hype even if I don't like the book. Other times, try as I might, I just cannot understand the hype. Fourth Wing falls under the latter category for me. We have a young heroine who's forced to attend a war college and compete with stronger first-years to become a dragon rider. And then we have an ethnically-ambiguous hero who is cloaked in mystery and secrets and is extra powerful to boot. Perhaps the most mysterious thing about this type of hero is ascertaining whether he's a brown dude with ~tawny~ skin or a white dude who gets tanned after spending 1 minute outdoors. Basically, Xander is your typical romantasy hero, a cocktail of Rhysand and Hawke. Not to worry though, because Xaden does have some unique traits, like his minty scent ...more
Will and Jules are getting married on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Shit happens and then BAM someoThank you Libro FM for my ALC!
3.5 stars
Will and Jules are getting married on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. Shit happens and then BAM someone gets murdered! Who's the victim? Who's the murderer? How did they kill the victim? None of that information is available to us. So we go back in time to get to know the main cast of characters and try to figure out who had the motive to kill whom. Of course, in a book like this, every single character is shady AF.
I really like how the author set up the main characters. It was very easy and straightforward to get to know every single character. I didn't feel lost or confused because each character was distinct. The narrators did a great job bringing their respective characters to life. I also really liked that the identity of both the murderer and victim is kept a secret until the end.
The storyline is interesting. The prose is simple and concise. However, the climax is boring and uneventful. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together. There was one revelation that ended up being a simple coincidence and I thought it was incredibly dumb. I was expecting more from that particular revelation.
Overall, this was a decent mystery, but it's nothing spectacular in my opinion. I'll probably forget about it next week ...more
There's a lot of hype surrounding The Maid and here's my advice: if you want to read this book, do yourself a favour and pick up the audiobook. If I hThere's a lot of hype surrounding The Maid and here's my advice: if you want to read this book, do yourself a favour and pick up the audiobook. If I had tried reading this book, I would have probably DNF it. But the audiobook is so well-narrated that I listened to the first 40% in one sitting ...more
Review edited on March 17, 2024: Downgraded to 1 star. I don't support people that glorify the IOF. See this review. -----------------------------------Review edited on March 17, 2024: Downgraded to 1 star. I don't support people that glorify the IOF. See this review. ------------------------------------------------ 4.5 stars
When adorkable klutz Sophie Abbott tries to get out of a messy situation, she accidentally flashes Camden Cox in the process. The same Camden Cox she went to school with years ago. The same Camden Cox who used to pull her pigtails.
After one wild night in Vegas, Cox and Sophie find themselves married to each other ...more
I think Holly Jackson took inspiration from Shonda Rhimes when she wrote this finale.
I can maybe understand why the author took the story in this direI think Holly Jackson took inspiration from Shonda Rhimes when she wrote this finale.
I can maybe understand why the author took the story in this direction. The events of books 1 and 2 have changed Pip and her perception of justice. The darkness has been building since book 2.
Coming into this book, I knew that Pip's journey would only get harder. But it is undeniable that As Good As Dead suffered from 1) severe character regression and 2) a plot that resembles an episode from a Shonda Rhimes TV show....more
Review edited on March 17, 2024: Downgraded to 1 star. I don't support people that glorify the IOF. See this review. ----------------------------------Review edited on March 17, 2024: Downgraded to 1 star. I don't support people that glorify the IOF. See this review. ------------------------------------------------ 3.5 stars
Corban Nash is a data analyst who thinks he's cracked the code to falling in love. Dr. Hazel Kiegen is a psychologist who thinks Corban's theory cannot be scientifically proven. These two rivals find themselves in hate-lust when they are forced to work together.
Corban is a sexy and socially awkward hero who's easily distracted by data and keeps losing his keys. His hair and clothes are always adorably rumpled. Hazel is a very prim and stiff heroine, buttoned-up blouses and everything. The chemistry between these two is intense from the very beginning. And the hate-lust leads to the most intense angry sex scene I've ever read ...more
I received an ALC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Danica is a witch with powers to fix technology. Titus is a mundane baker with no wiI received an ALC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Danica is a witch with powers to fix technology. Titus is a mundane baker with no witchy powers, but his baked goods make the townsfolk go wild. When Danica and Titus meet for the first time, their chemistry causes literal sparks to fly.
Titus quite literally falls in love with Danica at first sight. But his dating history is so bad that he thinks he's cursed to be a lonely virgin for the rest of his life. As for Danica, she falls pretty hard for Titus, but she's afraid that starting a relationship with Titus will result in the loss of her powers.
The romance was sweet and steamy. Danica is likeable enough, but to be honest, Titus is the highlight of this book. He's the reason I kept reading. I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE Titus ...more
I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Wicked All Night is the final book in the Night Rebel series. I'm pretty sure the auI received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Wicked All Night is the final book in the Night Rebel series. I'm pretty sure the author has confirmed this is the final Ian and Veritas book? This review will contain spoilers from Shades of Wicked and Wicked Bite.
At the end of Wicked Bite, Veritas finally unleashed her powers during that final battle against Dagon. But Veritas's actions have unexpected consequences on the netherworld and now Ian and Veritas have to fight ancient deities who wish to take over the mortal world.
My absolute favourite part about Wicked All Night is the character interactions. If you're a fan of the Night Huntress Universe like I am, then you are in for a treat. The original gang is back together in this book and they're all teamed up to stop yet another apocalypse: we have Cat, Bones, Mencheres, Denise, Spade, Vlad, and even Marie. They don't all appear during the final battle, but most of them are there for the planning and negotiating processes. I love these characters SO DAMN MUCH and I live for every single one of their interactions. Cat and Bones managed to give me SO MANY FEELS even though this isn't even their book! As for Veritas and Ian, I LOVE them. There is a bit of relationship development in this book that further solidifies their love for each other. Plus, we get some more interactions between Veritas and her biological father, which was great.
The plot in Wicked All Night is intense, but I would argue that it's not as intense as the previous two books. The ancient deities are the main villains here, but they aren't as scary and rage-inducing as Dagon. At times, the deities almost feel like caricatures. They do have extraordinary powers though and that's why Ian and Veritas spend a good portion of the book gathering allies to defeat the deities. Along the way, Veritas also has to face the vampire council and convince them to join the fight.
The final battle is great, but it also feels a bit anticlimactic. My favourite part is Vlad's epic entrance. He really livens things up during the climax. The battle itself is shorter than I expected it to be and it also ends quite abruptly. In my opinion, an epilogue is desperately needed to completely wrap up this spin off series. I want to see Ian and Veritas domesticated. I also want to explore the consequences of the decisions made by the vampire council. There's room for more storytelling here. The author has not confirmed anything about any more books set in this world... But should she wish to continue writing in this world, some key events in this book definitely give her the space to do that. Meanwhile, I'll be cooking up some of my own theories ...more
**spoiler alert** Into the Fire is the final book in the Night Prince series and I'm happy that this series is finally over. This review will contain **spoiler alert** Into the Fire is the final book in the Night Prince series and I'm happy that this series is finally over. This review will contain spoilers.
At the end of Bound By Flames, we find out that Leila is bound flesh to flesh and blood to blood to a necromancer vampire named Mircea. If Mircea gets hurt, Leila also gets hurt. If Mircea dies, then Leila also dies. This goes the other way around too. If Leila gets hurt, Mircea also gets hurt. If Leila dies, then Mircea also dies. Vlad and Leila are now trying to track down Mircea, while also searching for a way to break that link. Things take a turn for the worse when Mircea is kidnapped by a new enemy who threatens to kill Mircea, thus Leila, if Vlad does not carry out their demands. Vlad and Leila seek the help of Ian, who has experience navigating the magic underworld.
The first 3/4 of this book is very entertaining and addictive and it is a breath of fresh air after the intensity of Bound By Flames. I was really invested in this new storyline and I just loved seeing SO MUCH of Ian! I had missed him so much!! I loved seeing Ian interact with Vlad and Leila. There were some pretty memorable scenes in this book that I will forever remember LOL. I especially loved exploring the magic underworld. We've experienced magic via Mencheres before, but this time we explore the magic underworld in depth and discover all sorts of new information about the use of magic. We also learn more about the history of magic, witches, and witch hunts. I was particularly surprised to discover that humans also dabble in magic and could be powerful sorcerers! This is a whole new level of world building that I didn't see coming and I am sure that this will be explored further in Ian's series.
Speaking of Ian, there are many things that happen in Into The Fire that set up his own series. It is also confirmed that his heroine will be Veritas, which I am SO EXCITED for! I cannot wait to explore their dynamic!! At first, I was surprised to find out that Ian knew so much about the magic underworld. But then when I thought back to the Night Huntress series, it actually made sense. When Spade needed guidance in the underworld to access Red Dragon, Ian was the person he went to. And in Home For The Holidays, Ian was the first person to notice that there was something magical afoot. I can't wait to read about Veritas and Ian exploring magic, particularly the demon kind, in their series! I also hope they have explosive chemistry together.
Back to Vlad and Leila. There is a new revelation about Leila's lineage that also affects her sister Gretchen. Consequently, we get to learn more about trueborn witches and legacies of magic that can be passed down to the next generation. Again, lots of magic world building, which I loved! The plot regarding Mircea and the people who are holding him captive was interesting at first, but it lost steam at the end. I was really into Leila and Vlad as a couple for the first half or so, but toward the end of the book, I was more interested in Gretchen, Ian, and Veritas. Ian, especially, saved this book for me.
I'm not gonna lie: I'm very happy this is the last Vlad and Leila book. By the end of Into The Fire, both Leila and Vlad (especially Vlad) had pissed me off and annoyed me to the point where I was just done with their story. I don't want to spend any more time reading about them. The whole thing with Mencheres and Kira was the last straw for me. Leila saw reason, but Vlad didn't, which was so fucking cruel. I'm actually surprised that Vlad didn't want Kira to know. He was pissed at Leila for having informed Kira. Didn't Clara allegedly kill herself all those years ago when she thought Vlad was dead?! Didn't Vlad himself save Cat from almost killing herself when she thought Bones was dead?! I'm shocked that Vlad cruelly refused to inform Kira about the truth. Utterly shocked. Talk about character regression.
As for the ending...it's kind of an open ending, which is surprising because Into The Fire was such a long book. The whole Mircea thing was not completely resolved. The same goes with Gretchen and the whole transference of legacy thing. I wonder if the author went with an intentionally open ending to leave room for future stories. But as of now, there is no solid conclusion with regards to Gretchen and Mircea. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I love Gretchen and I want her to have her HEA! Preferably with Samir. But I don't want to keep my hopes up.
P.S. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Mummy references made me SCREAM. Thank you, Jeaniene Frost....more
Bound By Flames is the third book in the Night Prince series and it cannot be read as a standalone. This review will contain spoilers.
After finding oBound By Flames is the third book in the Night Prince series and it cannot be read as a standalone. This review will contain spoilers.
After finding out that his worst enemy is still alive, Vlad is on the hunt for him. But Szilagyi is always 5 steps ahead of Vlad and Leila. Szilagyi is annoyingly hard to kill even though he's not that impressive of a villain. He's smart and very strategic, but he's not as powerful as Vlad. Once again, Leila gets kidnapped by Szilagyi. The plot is frustratingly repetitive, but it is a lot more intense this time around, which results in some excellent character and relationship development. The books in this series are always gory, but Bound By Flames is gorier than usual, which took me by surprise. Lots of content warnings here.
Since the previous book, Vlad and Leila have become very open with expressing their love for each other, especially Vlad. But there are still some trust issues that are explored more deeply in Bound By Flames. Leila cannot always anticipate how Vlad will react to certain things. For instance, Leila thought that Vlad would resent her for doing what she had to do to survive, which surprised me a lot. At this point in the series, even I know that Vlad would never resent a person for doing what they had to do to survive. But Leila's captivity made her emotionally vulnerable. Her captivity is one of the most gruesome and nauseating things I have read so far in the Night Huntress universe. At the same time, it tested the strength of Vlad and Leila's relationship. Leila and Vlad went through some real shit in this book, especially Leila. But they come out of it emotionally and physically stronger than ever, consequently making their relationship stronger.
As for supporting characters, Cat plays a key role in Leila's rescue. I loved getting a glimpse of Cat and Bones after Up From the Grave. We also get a special appearance by Queen Marie herself. Marie's worst sin is going to haunt me. It punched me in the gut and I will never be able to forget it. Leila's sister, Gretchen, and their father are still hanging around because they are hiding from Szilagyi. I don't know if I ever mentioned this before, but I LOVE Gretchen LOL. She has zero filter and she is not scared of Vlad. She even called him Dracula to his face LOL. Also, I totally ship her with Samir and I hope Jeaniene Frost gives us this couple in the future ...more
I received an ARC from HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review.
After finishing Hana Khan Carries On, my new goal in life is to 4.5 stars
I received an ARC from HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review.
After finishing Hana Khan Carries On, my new goal in life is to have a meet cute involving biryani. I am officially waiting for a cute brown man to heroically save my plate of biryani from falling ...more
"So let's not wait anymore. Everyone...we'll see you again, some soon, some later, but as vampires say, until again."
Up From The Grave is the fin
"So let's not wait anymore. Everyone...we'll see you again, some soon, some later, but as vampires say, until again."
Up From The Grave is the final Cat and Bones book in the original Night Huntress series and I'm honestly not sure how I'm supposed to be feeling right now. I feel sad, angry, and happy all at once. This book has victimized me; I am WORN OUT. I'm still not sure about my rating...for now, I am giving it 4 stars. My rating might change after I've properly processed my thoughts and feelings about everything that has happened in this book. This review will contain mild spoilers.
I never envisioned anything specific for the end of Cat and Bones's epic journey because the Night Huntress world is so unpredictable. There was no way I could envision something that would actually happen. And I was right. Up From The Grave is clear proof of just how unpredictable this world is. There's always something from the previous books that you thought was 100% resolved that makes an unexpected comeback. Sometimes it's the tiniest loose end that you waved away, thinking that it was unimportant. Well, Jeaniene Frost is here to shock the wits out of you. Lol.
Overall, I would say this book is a good series wrap up, especially with the epilogue tying the loose ends. However, I'm not sure that I'm 100% satisfied with the way Cat and Bones's final book unfolded. I saw most of the plot twists coming, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment. Certain plot twists were interesting and I liked their inclusion in the story. Other plot twists...I'm having a hard time accepting. It's still hard for me to accept every single thing that has unfolded in this book. My feelings are all over the place.
Cat and Bones are one of my FAVOURITE couples of all time. Did I agree with everything that Bones did in this book? No. His motivations are 100% clear and I agree with his reasoning. But practicing his powers without letting Cat know just how advanced they have become...no. I love you, Bones, but no. That part I have trouble accepting. I also did not agree with everything Cat did in this book. She was reckless and thoughtless, which was quite frankly, a bit out of character. She's not usually so reckless that she would go all out without any backup. I guess this book does a good job demonstrating that at the end of the day, Cat and Bones are still flawed characters who are propelled to action because they fear their loved one getting hurt. Their choices are not always perfect, but it is always love that pushes them to act. There will always be friction between Cat and Bones when it comes to putting each other in danger. But the beauty of it all is that Cat and Bones's relationship stands on solid foundation and that's why they still fight for each other.
Everything that was revealed in this book...it all feels too much to me. It barely gives me time to process it all. I feel like it'll take time for me to come to terms with the fact that this is the last original Night Huntress book. Given how things ended, I feel like there's even more room for Cat and Bones to grow. They have a new challenge ahead of them and we briefly see how they will each deal with that challenge. But I feel a bit cheated because this new challenge will undoubtedly bring out different sides of Cat and Bones that I won't get to see myself ...more
"I've watched you barely escape death several times, and each instance killed me a little inside. They may be dormant now, but we have enemies both
"I've watched you barely escape death several times, and each instance killed me a little inside. They may be dormant now, but we have enemies both cunning and cruel. Knowing you possess the power to defeat most of them doesn't threaten me, luv. It relieves me to my very core."
Mexican Gothic is a dark, creepy, and atmospheric gothic horror. I will be completely honest with you: INote: links to own voices reviews at the end.
Mexican Gothic is a dark, creepy, and atmospheric gothic horror. I will be completely honest with you: I love reading gothic books, but I am not a horror reader at all. Mexican Gothic is my first experience reading horror. I personally found this story to be original, but I can't attest to its originality within the horror genre as a whole because this genre is outside of my purview. But what I do know is that this book tackles a number of important topics related to Mexico's history in a terrifyingly metaphorical way. And it is a story that will stay with me for a long time.
When Noemí receives a disturbing letter from her newly-wed cousin, she travels all the way to the Mexican countryside to go see her cousin. Soon after she arrives at High Place, Noemí meets with her cousin who seems to be recovering from an illness. Her cousin's in-laws easily find an explanation for the strange letter that was sent to Noemí. But the longer Noemí stays at High Place, the more uncomfortable she feels. Strange things start to occur, which leads Noemí to suspect that the house might be haunted.
I really like the author's prose and her choice to write this story as a simmering slow burn gothic horror. She slowly built up the creepiness of the house and the Doyle family, until the big moment when the truth is finally revealed. The first third of the book is mostly gothic in nature and it takes a while for the horror aspect to fully unveil itself. I was thoroughly engaged with the atmospheric setting and the set of characters living in High Place. Parts of this book reminded me a lot of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper and the more I think about these two texts, the more parallels I find, especially in relation to the colour yellow. I don't want to give the story away, but man, it is wild and absolutely fucked up. There were certain parts that I had to reread because I was originally confused. I also needed some time to process everything because this book really messed me up lol.
I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Well...that was disappointing. I had high hopes that Love Her or Lose Her would be mI received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Well...that was disappointing. I had high hopes that Love Her or Lose Her would be much better than its predecessor. But it ended up being worse. Yikes.
Love Her or Lose Her started off well, but it slowly veered off course. As a single woman, I weirdly love reading books that explore marriages in trouble. I have read A LOT of books with this trope. Unfortunately this one didn't work for me because I feel like the author held back from digging deeper into Rosie and Dominic's relationship, particularly the emotional side of things. The therapy sessions were great for providing insight into the characters and their different styles of expressing love. But in my opinion, their backstory isn't deeply explored. The mini flashbacks show us the good times they had from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. The bad times? There are none. They don't even fight. The only fight that's highlighted is a superficial one about Twilight of all things. Whenever it seems like they might start fighting, they just end up in the bedroom. What kind of couple doesn't fight? Show me the ugly side of things. It didn't feel like their marriage was truly on the verge of breaking down.
Rosie and Dominic don't feel real to me. Their relationship wasn't raw enough to feel real to me. Where is the resentment? If a woman packs her suitcase and leaves her home, then she is making a clear statement. Show me the messy feelings! No matter how much you love your partner, if you end up leaving them, there will definitely be some feelings of resentment because we're human. But there was only pining here. The characters were...how do I put this? Perfectly flawed for the sake of steamy sex scenes. Aside from their communication issue, the emotional depth is practically nonexistent. A romance about a marriage in trouble should give you FEELS. It has to have an emotional punch, you know?
Moreover, I still can't grasp Dominic as a fully rounded character. I understand his way of expressing love and how that's influenced by his feelings of inadequacy. I get that. However, I can't help but feel like his deployment was just...glossed over? Is it just me or were there hints of PTSD and unresolved grief over losing his friends? What's weirder is that Rosie and Dominic both claim that Dominic used to openly talk to her before he was deployed. Yet, we're supposed to believe that Dominic's strong dedication to work to provide for Rosie is what now prevents him from talking to her. I'm sorry, but that makes no sense to me. Rosie even mentions that she hadn't realized how quiet Dominic got until after her parents had passed away. What was her grieving process like with a husband that doesn't use words? Again, I come back to my main point: the backstory is not deeply explored, which then resulted in a lack of emotional depth.
P.S. Insecure men are not sexy. I'm referring to a very specific scene that kind of pissed me off. It was supposed to be comedic, but it ended up being the opposite....more
I received an ARC from HarperCollins and the Harlequin Publicity Team in exchange for an honest review.
Well, this book completely took me by surprise. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The Rose is a lush and evocative erotic fantasy romance infused with Greek mythology and magical realism. The book is set in our contemporary world, which is connected to a fantasy world through a Rose Kylix cup that the heroine, Lia, is gifted as a graduation present. The fantastical elements feel like fantasy and realism at the same time. It sounds strange, but it is strange in the best possible ways.
According to the hero, August, the Rose Kylix cup has magical powers. August has his eye on this cup; he wants to buy it from Lia and in the process, he tells her about the history and power associated with it. Telling her is not enough though: he shows her just how this cup has the power to bring erotic fantasies to life. And that is how Lia and August undertake the erotically charged adventure laid out in this book.
Phew this book was super hot and sensual. I was 100% immersed in the story. I was transported to this world from the very moment Lia and August met and the anticipation to continue reading was very high. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun reading a book — I was completely lost in this world and only came up for sustenance (and cleaning...because real life).
Tiffany Reisz is a fantastic writer. Her writing style is sensual and pulled me right into the story. She sets up the story really well; the setting, the tone, and the plot are all in perfect sync with each other. Reisz is also a very creative writer; some of the love scenes in this book blew my mind away. I still can't believe some of the stuff I read. Some of the love scenes were strange...but very sensual and powerfully evocative at the same time. I don't know what kind voodoo magic Ms. Reisz used, but I was totally into all of the weird love scenes - I said what I said lol. She's a very gifted writer and I cannot wait to go back and read The Red!!...more
In her Acknowledgments, Christina Dalcher writes: “To you, dear reader, who will ultimately judge this story. I do hope you enBuddy read with Amanda!
In her Acknowledgments, Christina Dalcher writes: “To you, dear reader, who will ultimately judge this story. I do hope you enjoy it. Most of all, I hope it makes you a little bit angry. I hope it makes you think.”
Vox made me angry. Vox made me think. But not in the way Dalcher wanted to anger me and not in the way she wanted me to think. This book is problematic in so many ways. I wanted to love it. I was expecting a highly intelligent dystopian feminist speculative fiction. Instead, I got a half-assed dystopian fiction in which the term ‘feminism’ is misused.
Dystopian Fiction: Let’s start with the dystopian part. The author has such an interesting and unique concept that was poorly executed. This could have been a truly excellent story in the hands of a more experienced author…with an editor that actually does their job the way they're supposed to. I don’t think this book has truly been edited; that’s how bad it is. There is little to zero world building. The author barely scratches the surface on the details surrounding this dystopian society. We’re told it happened gradually…but what about the Constitution and the different levels of government? The fact that the Bible Belt took over the entire country is infeasible and makes no sense whatsoever. How were all these changes implemented in ONE YEAR? Even the bracelets…how are hyphenated words counted? The setup of this dystopian society is so weak; it’s not clear how society regressed backwards so quickly. There are many other unanswered questions and if I were to list all of them, I’d run out of the word limit on Goodreads (ha. See what I did there.).
Feminist Speculative Fiction: As a feminist speculative piece of fiction, Vox made me think a lot, but surely not the way the author wanted me to think. I’m of the opinion that this book is the opposite of feminist. The author tries to be intersectional in her storytelling, but it’s flimsy and done in such a way that feels inauthentic and forced. The women of colour in this book are very much characterized based on stereotypes. Their behaviour and their physicality is described in a stereotypical and exaggerated fashion and it’s always done in relation to the white woman, which does not sit well with me at all. Not to even mention that deaf women are completely missing from this narrative. We are told that women are not allowed to sign, then please tell me how deaf women’s 100 word quota is being counted? HUGE miss from the author here. Failure of intersectionality is also evident in the lack of representation of women who follow other religions: what happens to them? Are they forced to conform to this extreme version of Christianity?
Also, are we really being equal if we keep generalizing men into two categories: real men vs. sheep? Really? Real men are supposed to beat the shit out men who spit in other people’s cars? Boys also love to blow shit up, heavily loaded with the “boys will be boys” narrative. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK? How is this shit considered to be feminist?? And boy, the constant comparison between Lorenzo (her hero worship of this dude was ANNOYING) and Patrick just kept reinforcing this whole real men vs. sheep crap.
The author’s hatred for Christianity, God, and just religion in general is so pervasive in this book. The right and left political spectrums are portrayed as extremists: all Christians are portrayed as extremist evangelicals and all liberals are portrayed as crazy-in-your-face extremists.
Writing: Let’s begin with the obvious: Vox is so embarrassingly similar to The Handmaid’s Tale. There are way too many similarities between the books; it’s so obvious that The Handmaid’s Tale was used as an outline. There were way too many similarities to dismiss the comparison. The author also tries to describe certain things in a strange manner and it’s so weird and nonsensical (Ex: Lorenzo’s fingers being compared to spider legs; Jean’s overactive imagination of her daughter eventually ending up as a prostitute – so graphic; what kind of mom would think this way??). I’m not even sure what she was trying to do here. Most importantly, the writing is flat and lacking in emotional depth, which is quite disappointing given the topic this book deals with.
Unbelievable Characters: You’re supposed to root for the protagonist in dystopian fiction – you want them to survive. But Jean is such a flat and unlikable character – I sympathized with her situation, but I couldn’t sympathize with her at all. Moreover, she’s supposed to be a scientist and yet she makes some very dumb decisions and it takes her forever to put two and two together. Not to mention how lousy she is as a mother. She literally only cares about her daughter Sonia. I’m not shitting you. She is willing to leave her boys and she herself admits that she cares about Sonia the most. I get that her daughter is in danger because she’s a female. But…her sons are also being brainwashed by this regressive society? And she thinks they’ll be safe if she left them there? Come. On. Also, you’d think she would do a better job parenting Steven? Sit down with the boys, talk to them, and teach them. Nope. It is so important for parents to teach their boys to be better, most especially in this dystopian society that brainwashes men to think they’re superior beings. Jean and her husband have this very laissez faire attitude towards child rearing and it pisses the fuck out of me. They don’t come across as believable parents AT ALL.
The Ending: Bitch, the ending made no fucking sense at all. It was like a bad science fiction movie. A lot of random shit happened – none of it made sense!!! ***Spoiler*** What in the fuck was the point of injecting the chimpanzee with the serum?????????? I don’t fucking get it????????????? What exactly went down with Patrick??? How did a new government form so quickly??? Everything was resolved so quickly in a deus ex machina fashion. It was insane!!! Nothing made sense!!! It’s like the author gave up on her own book at this point and just decided to put a bunch of shit together. Who edited this book?? This was so horribly written on so many levels!!! Such a promising premise that failed so epically in its delivery. I’m SHOCKED this was published. I think Berkley was blackmailed into publishing this book. That's the only explanation I can come up with.
In Conclusion: I fucking hate this book and I wish I didn't waste my time reading it....more
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
How To Love a Duke in 10 Days, or alternatively, How to Lose Oneself in Metaphors, iI received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
How To Love a Duke in 10 Days, or alternatively, How to Lose Oneself in Metaphors, is the first book in Kerrigan Byrne’s brand new series. I love most of KB’s books from her Victorian Rebels series, so I was really excited to embark on a brand new journey with a new set of characters. But as much as I love the characters, I really wish I liked the story a lot more than I do. Spoilers below the cut. I am also including a trigger warning in there. (view spoiler)[ Let’s start with the good things. I think KB did a pretty good job developing the romance between Alexandra and Piers. The timeline of their story is tight – it really does take place within 10 or so days. But because the timeline is so tight, there is a lack of trust building between Alexandra and Piers. Oh, they definitely talked to each other and got to know each other better during their marriage. Piers was also open about his past and his childhood. But Alexandra hid important things from Piers up until the very end of the book. Listen, her reasoning makes sense to me. I get why she wouldn’t divulge her secrets so easily. But what I couldn’t understand is why she was unable to fully trust him about being blackmailed even after significant emotional and physical development.
My main complaint about this book is that there are way too many things happening.The series was set up really well, as expected from a writer like KB, who is so talented and creative. I love the concept of three redheaded girls at university who become lifelong friends and protect each other from the world. Trigger warning: Alexandra gets raped by the headmaster of her school in the prologue and she ends up killing him. This entire scene is graphically described. When they find out what happened, her two best friends, Cecelia and Francesca, help her bury the body. This tragic event changes the girls, most especially Alexandra, and their friendship becomes stronger than ever in the aftermath.
Fast forward 10 years later, we find out that Alexandra is getting blackmailed by someone who knows the truth about that night. That’s one plot point. Francesca also has a bit of drama related to her past going on. Then, there are multiple assassination attempts that take place throughout the book, leaving the reader befuddled as to who the actual target is and what the motive is. And there is a nasty former lover that comes into the already complicated equation and makes everything messier. It is crazy how these threads multiply at a rapid pace and finally amalgamate during the absolutely ridiculous climax, where villains upon villains are unmasked and lots of shooting and injuries occur in the process. It. Was. Way. Too. Much. Not to mention that the mystery blackmailer’s identity and motive were both so painfully obvious from the very beginning. The climax almost felt like a dark comedy – that's how ridiculous it was.
A couple of oddities: 1) Alexandra's parents never make an appearance. It was so odd. Their opinion and reaction to Alexandra's wedding was completely ignored and not mentioned at all.
2) Alexandra leaves her friends to go on her honeymoon even though she isn't sure who among them is in true danger. What happened to sticking together to ensure safety in numbers? Who was protecting the girls while Alexandra was being protected by her husband? Weird.
3) Pretty sure the whole hymen part of the book is not scientifically sound (correct me if I'm wrong though!)
Writing: The writing is strong, as expected from KB. But there were sooooooo many repetitive descriptions and metaphors. The hero and heroine were pining for each other so much that they lost themselves in poetry and weird metaphors that made no sense at all. Some of the metaphors were perfect and beautifully written, but the author definitely went overboard with the others. I love KB's prose, but I think her writing would be much stronger if she cut down on the metaphors.
If I were to conclude my thoughts about this book: I love the characters, but I was not a fan of the plot overall, despite the amazing tropes (scarred hero, beauty and the beast, and marriage of convenience). There were times when I found myself completely enthralled with the story, but then there were times when I was just bored out of my mind. That being said, I am SO excited for the next book! Cecelia and Cassius are going to be SO hot together. I'm sweating just thinking about their dynamic. I need it now!!!!!!!
P.S. It annoyed me so much how the girls had masculine names for each other. Literally, what is the point of this?? (hide spoiler)]...more
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