Scant 2 stars at best, dammit. I’m disenchanted about this one. I have enough respect for certain pieces of it, and for other work I’ve read by this aScant 2 stars at best, dammit. I’m disenchanted about this one. I have enough respect for certain pieces of it, and for other work I’ve read by this author, that I’d like to write a constructive review. But I’m perturbed about it going so sideways for me.
The first quarter or so of the book was delightful... Fenn, the world building, the horse, the story setup. It all had so much personality and mystery; I was engaged and excited to see how it would play out.
But then it started to fall apart. And that was before it got worse.
In retrospect, I think the biggest issue affecting everything was the (lack of) character development. Morgrim was all over the board, and after 100k words I’m none the wiser about who tf he is. Not only was he inconsistent, but it seemed like his actions were based on whatever was convenient for the plot.
And because of this shortcoming, I didn’t feel any tension or chemistry between the MCs. I didn’t see what they saw in each other. Yeah I know, I was told, but I didn’t feel it. The next paragraph isn’t much of a spoiler, but it has to do with their sexual dynamic, so if you’re strictly spoiler-averse, leave it alone.
(view spoiler)[The sex was unappealing, to put it as politely as I can, and this is coming from someone who frequently seeks out kink stories. They're tricky to write. It's not as simple as putting in a bit of restraint or rough treatment or informing the reader that someone wants to be dominated. It has to make sense, has to be an organic development that you can understand the characters wanting. Otherwise it just feels weird and unsexy. (hide spoiler)]
Fenn’s character was one of the pieces that started strong for me, but instead of evolving and becoming more dimensional as the story progressed, it did the opposite. He became sort of a blue-collar stereotype. Even though his inner monologue at one point assured us that he had changed over the course of the story’s events, his words and actions became less nuanced. The “good ole boy” dialect wasn’t used judiciously; it was every time he opened his mouth, with repetitive phrasing that grated. He was increasingly portrayed as naive, unrealistic, and idealistic despite having lived a difficult life that was incongruent with these traits.
I have a particular dislike for conflicts wrapping up neatly, sweetly, and conveniently during the last stage of the book, and this one tapped into that but hard. With every new saccharine conclusion it got worse. That’s enough said about that, because to be fair there’s probably nothing the book could have done to rescue itself by that point anyway.
Merged review:
Scant 2 stars at best, dammit. I’m disenchanted about this one. I have enough respect for certain pieces of it, and for other work I’ve read by this author, that I’d like to write a constructive review. But I’m perturbed about it going so sideways for me.
The first quarter or so of the book was delightful... Fenn, the world building, the horse, the story setup. It all had so much personality and mystery; I was engaged and excited to see how it would play out.
But then it started to fall apart. And that was before it got worse.
In retrospect, I think the biggest issue affecting everything was the (lack of) character development. Morgrim was all over the board, and after 100k words I’m none the wiser about who tf he is. Not only was he inconsistent, but it seemed like his actions were based on whatever was convenient for the plot.
And because of this shortcoming, I didn’t feel any tension or chemistry between the MCs. I didn’t see what they saw in each other. Yeah I know, I was told, but I didn’t feel it. The next paragraph isn’t much of a spoiler, but it has to do with their sexual dynamic, so if you’re strictly spoiler-averse, leave it alone.
(view spoiler)[The sex was unappealing, to put it as politely as I can, and this is coming from someone who frequently seeks out kink stories. They're tricky to write. It's not as simple as putting in a bit of restraint or rough treatment or informing the reader that someone wants to be dominated. It has to make sense, has to be an organic development that you can understand the characters wanting. Otherwise it just feels weird and unsexy. (hide spoiler)]
Fenn’s character was one of the pieces that started strong for me, but instead of evolving and becoming more dimensional as the story progressed, it did the opposite. He became sort of a blue-collar stereotype. Even though his inner monologue at one point assured us that he had changed over the course of the story’s events, his words and actions became less nuanced. The “good ole boy” dialect wasn’t used judiciously; it was every time he opened his mouth, with repetitive phrasing that grated. He was increasingly portrayed as naive, unrealistic, and idealistic despite having lived a difficult life that was incongruent with these traits.
I have a particular dislike for conflicts wrapping up neatly, sweetly, and conveniently during the last stage of the book, and this one tapped into that but hard. With every new saccharine conclusion it got worse. That’s enough said about that, because to be fair there’s probably nothing the book could have done to rescue itself by that point anyway....more
I thought I was going to be able to muscle through this one despite my issues, but it just wasn't getting any better foUhh... don't mind me. DNF @53%.
I thought I was going to be able to muscle through this one despite my issues, but it just wasn't getting any better for me so I called it quits.
It was so promising. Creative setup and the writer clearly has skill... but. The constant expository dialogue and inner monologue really killed the characterization and the potential relationship tension. I wanted my red pen so badly; the over-explaining was so unnecessary.
(h/t to Teal about the Romance Cluestick™️ -- that second paragraph could have been my review here, too.)
My feed and friends list is FULL of glowing experiences with this book and series, so please take this with a grain of salt....more
After my second read, I love this story even more. The last one — for which I've been waiting what feels like my whole life After my second read, I love this story even more. The last one — for which I've been waiting what feels like my whole life ...more
Meh. It started okay - a little slow but the characters and premise seemed promising. But as soon as the story started unfolding, the character develoMeh. It started okay - a little slow but the characters and premise seemed promising. But as soon as the story started unfolding, the character development got abandoned and I was left being told about a plot. The other (flat) people were basically introduced just to keep telling me things. I’m not sure where this one fits into the Henry Rios arc, but since he was here, I think maybe this was an alternate look at one of his cases from another story? idk.
But I read a thing. And sorta reviewed it. So that’s a win. ...more
I don’t knoooow. This one was probably around 2.5 stars for me, surprisingly. I wasn’t tempted to set it down but that was largely due to the love I hI don’t knoooow. This one was probably around 2.5 stars for me, surprisingly. I wasn’t tempted to set it down but that was largely due to the love I have for this series and these characters… rather than this volume.
A strong element for me was the supporting characters, who were robust and held my interest. Also there were compelling world-building additions that definitely implied more of this story is to come.
But I didn’t really feel any progression with Cooper’s and Park’s character development. They were just kind of there for me. Several funny lines to be sure, but a lot fewer than in the previous volumes. One of the things I thought Adhara had done outstandingly well in the past was keeping their tension/interest without forcing drama between them, but this time I didn’t feel that tension.
So I went in expecting to love it, and it missed that mark. But on the whole it wasn’t bad, and it definitely piqued my interest as a setup for the spinoff. Which, unfortunately, might have been the primary objective....more
Calling it at 32%. 1.5 stars, probably. I wish I were one of those people who could head-down-plow-through and finish a book when I'm feeling meh abouCalling it at 32%. 1.5 stars, probably. I wish I were one of those people who could head-down-plow-through and finish a book when I'm feeling meh about it, but instead it just makes my kindle collect dust. Which is a travesty.
I never felt anything for these characters. No chemistry was developed between them, everything felt told. And the angsty voice of the POV character felt so contrived, like why tf was he all i-can't-i-can't-i-can't? Who knows. That's a particular pet peeve of mine, when the narrative tries to create tension in that way and it only creates eye rolls.
Holl, I'm so glad our buddyhood is a lot more successful than our truly abysmal buddy read record. ...more
Very enjoyable! The story drew me in right away. I didn’t end up feeling quite as enthusiastic about it as I did my first read by Welch, but a lot morVery enjoyable! The story drew me in right away. I didn’t end up feeling quite as enthusiastic about it as I did my first read by Welch, but a lot more was bitten off here, and it really feels like comparing an apple to an orange so I won’t do that.
The shining star of this one was the plot, including the magic. The world building was scant in parts, but for a standalone novel with a robust paranormal element, it was decent. And I’ve never seen the anthropomorphism of certain objects the way it was done here, to delightful effect. On the whole I thought the character development was pretty good, although every once in a while something was laid down about one of the MCs (John) that didn’t seem to fit his picture, only to support the romance.
Which leads me to my biggest challenge with the book. I never really felt the “true love” connection of these two. I felt a camaraderie, and definitely a realistic hookup situation... but anytime the soulmates vibe was presented, I didn’t buy it.
This is where I am NOT a true Romance™️ reader. Because if this story hadn’t tried to fit into the rules of the genre, it would have been a lot stronger for me. In fact — and I’ll accept the side eye for this, bring it — (view spoiler)[I found myself wishing that the story had ended with Soren’s return to the sea. It would have been a poignant conclusion that fit with the couple’s connection, which was strong for a specific purpose and time but not necessarily built to last forever (hide spoiler)].
But I can easily recommend this one despite the room for improvement. It was funny and creative, and I have a lot of appreciation for the quality of Welch’s writing. I’m looking forward to her new one coming out next month!
Thanks for the buddy read, Gabi, Linda, Rosa, Teal, and Xia. I missed them so much and I’m glad to be back. ❤️...more
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