Why? It’s just not written very good. The writing is super repetitive (like Issy mentioning her dead parents multiple times peWhere did I stop? 23% in
Why? It’s just not written very good. The writing is super repetitive (like Issy mentioning her dead parents multiple times per chapter), very basic and with zero flair (basically there’s no personality in the writing), and the work could do with a line edit (poor punctuation, mostly). The sexual situations were enticing, but the storyline wasn’t keeping me interested and the writing was turning me off of it more. I just couldn’t ignore what I wasn’t liking about it to continue reading what I was. There was more of the former than the latter, unfortunately.
Merged review:
Where did I stop? 23% in
Why? It’s just not written very good. The writing is super repetitive (like Issy mentioning her dead parents multiple times per chapter), very basic and with zero flair (basically there’s no personality in the writing), and the work could do with a line edit (poor punctuation, mostly). The sexual situations were enticing, but the storyline wasn’t keeping me interested and the writing was turning me off of it more. I just couldn’t ignore what I wasn’t liking about it to continue reading what I was. There was more of the former than the latter, unfortunately....more
I don’t think I realized the author wrote the series backwards so I spent a decent chunk of it trying to set my mind in the storyline and which characI don’t think I realized the author wrote the series backwards so I spent a decent chunk of it trying to set my mind in the storyline and which characters were which and what had already happened. Because the impression of Ally’s dad in book two (previously the first book) was not a positive one. Plus the Hatter was obsessed with the last Alice, so my brain was just trying to play chess with the characters I already knew and setting them on their correct tiles. But that’s just me.
ALICE AND HER KNAVE is frankly tame compared to ALLY AND HER MAD HATTER when it comes to the sex. Still on the rougher side, but the Red Knave character is much more in control of his darkness than the Hatter is. I do like that the author didn’t dabble with the Hatter at all in this one because, at least for me, that would have gotten weird. Although it is kind of weird that he was so obsessed with his next obsession’s mom, but also kind of fitting to the character so I didn’t hold that against him.
The Red Knave is kind of a white knight for Alice, although with a [likely] far darker disposition than any white knight would have. I think because he was juxtaposed against Hatter, it was a little odd to read the parts where the Knave’s darkness slipped because it felt out of character. At the same time, that was kind of the point. The Knave’s disposition was one in direct opposition to his darkness where the Hatter leaned into his. So I got it.
Alice is a character that I kind of waffled on, because at times she did come off a little simpering, but she stood on her own two feet as well. The simpering I could understand, all things considered. Not sure how I would react being brought into a world like this. She did lose herself a little toward the end, especially as the Knave fulfilled his end of the deal regarding her and Wonderland. But by then the HEA was settling in so it could be forgiven.
The voice took some time getting used to. I understand the intent behind it, but at times, especially at the beginning, it felt like a little too much and anachronistic against the characters. At least for Alice and Charlotte. I kept questioning whether this was a truer tie to the original Alice in Wonderland and set at that time, but it couldn’t be because ALLY is modern and Alice is her mother. But once I settled into the story the issues I had faded away.
Overall I enjoyed ALICE AND HER KNAVE. Not as much as I liked ALLY AND HER MAD HATTER, but still good. Great sex scenes. Damn, Hunt does know how to write them! I hope they continue writing in this world because I’m enjoying myself in it, for multiple reasons! ...more
WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU is a unique take on horror that had me interested from the very beginning. Although, I will admit that it took me a little bit tWHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU is a unique take on horror that had me interested from the very beginning. Although, I will admit that it took me a little bit to get into the story. Not because the concept wasn’t compelling, or I was uninterested. But for the first half-ish part of the book, the chapters jump from one character to another without any repeats. So for a while it seemed like the story didn’t really move forward time-wise for the sake of getting different perspectives on paper. I stuck with it because it wasn’t a difficult read, and I wanted to see where it went, and I’m glad I did. It was just a little bit of a struggle for me to keep my focus until the story really settled into Danny and Val’s perspectives.
The more I think on this story, the deeper it goes. On the surface it can very much be a creature feature of a rampaging woman tearing apart the world. But just under the surface, and with the realization by one of the characters, it’s a hearty eff you to the patriarchy by basically saying women are exactly what the men controlling them have made them. I don’t want to give too many details, because I would consider that a spoiler, but it’s very hoisted by their own petard on the men’s part.
It starts with the founding of this town by seven women, when it’s quickly co-opted by the men folk and turned into exactly what they wanted it to be. Generations later, when one woman tries to break the cycle, she unknowingly falls right back into a patriarchal trap, but a trap with unintended consequences for that patriarchy. By the time the next generation breaks that same mold, we can only hope that she’s doing it the right way, but the story leaves us hand shy, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Once the story settles behind the eyes of Val and Danny, it really picks up and as the reader you finally get to see a 360-degree view of what’s going on, and what certain people are doing about it. Or trying to do about it. It starts off almost Darwinian, survival of the fittest and all of that. But it quickly devolves into something else entirely, and something unexpected.
I was equal parts creeped out and amazed by the storytelling here. Despite my wobbly legs at the beginning, WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU turned into a poignant, eerie story about falling in line and breaking the cycle, and how the two can be both advantageous and destructive in the right/wrong hands. With some Cronenberg-level body horror to go along with it.
4
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review....more
I’d read Bodine’s work before she asked me to blurb NEVEREST, so I was interested in seeing what she’d come up with next in this interesting horror stI’d read Bodine’s work before she asked me to blurb NEVEREST, so I was interested in seeing what she’d come up with next in this interesting horror story set on Everest. It’s something different and intriguing and it captured my attention immediately. And it certainly didn’t disappoint.
One thing I’ve noticed about Bodine’s writing is her ability to dig up the humanest of human emotions in her characters. To the point where they’re almost unlikeable for how raw they react to situations. Yet at the same time they’re so incredibly human that you can’t help but empathize with them while you’re reading. Carrie is no different as we sit on her shoulder and climb the mountain with her. She works through a rollercoaster of emotions as she grapples with her husband’s death, and the guilt of some of her feelings toward him in the final handful of time before he died. At times cringey, but realistic to the point of hurting, I couldn’t look away.
Plus, there’s this underlying low thrum of horror that simmers under the surface of the story. Right from page one there’s a sense of foreboding as Carrie’s plane comes in for a rocky landing. NEVEREST is definitely not a sun-shiny story, that’s for sure! It’s a horror that lurks in the corner of the eye, in reiterated tales of urban legends that live on only on people’s tongues. Or in Carrie’s case, in the works of her husband through his journal.
The ending doesn’t really give you that well-rounded solution to the story, but it’s a fitting ending and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. The horror is insidious that way, lurking just on the edges of the pages. It might peek it’s finger in, but that’s all you’ll see of it. I love this kind of psychological horror that never gives you the satisfaction of a solid ending. That’s the whole point, and it makes it all the creepier.
NEVEREST was a ride of a story that had me flinching with every page turn because I kept expecting something to reveal, but she keeps the terror on simmer the whole time, allowing it to needle under your skin and fester. If you want a low-key yet mind-screwy king of horror, NEVEREST is the book for you!
The title pretty much says it all. Borne into this world by a romance editor on TikTok as a lark, Swark created a guffaw-inducing compendium of terminThe title pretty much says it all. Borne into this world by a romance editor on TikTok as a lark, Swark created a guffaw-inducing compendium of terminology NOT to use when writing a romance novel. I mean, I guess you COULD use it, but it’s ill advised. I found myself cackling profusely, especially during the chapters highlighting the names of male and female bits. MY how creative society can get!
There are also, dare I say, inspirational terms in here too, especially as they pertain to certain kinks. Those were a little harder to read as I fumbled my way through pronouncing a lot of them. But I did! Success!
THE SMUTESAURUS is a must have for any romance writer, because if you find yourself using one of these more gregarious terms in your writing, it must be stricken forthwith! Unless you’re writing a satire. In which case, carry on!
First and foremost, check your triggers on this book. Like seriously. The author puts them at the front. You will need them. A[image]
Sweet.
Baby.
Jesus.
First and foremost, check your triggers on this book. Like seriously. The author puts them at the front. You will need them. ALLY AND HER MAD HATTER is INTENSE. And DARK. Like seriously dark. Darker, I think, than King of Flesh and Bone. So if KoFaB had you clutching your pearls, ALLY will have you turning them into paste.
This book is sexy af. Like let’s just get right to the point, shall we? It’s deep and dark and dirty and will make you question why you’re finding this hot but it’s FURKING HOT and you may need to take a break or twelve in the middle to, you know, tend to your needs. Like, I don’t think this book is doing anything particularly hard left of center, but it takes what people do tend to like and pushes them to the extreme. So, like, pleasure in pain? YEAH. It’s going to go a bit down the path with that one. Choking? Dangling from the cliff. There’s some double action and, shall we say, REALLY deep throating.
Like I said, there isn’t anything in here that’s super niche kinky, but it turns some fairly common kinks up to 37.
The story itself is a fun one. Ally is the daughter of Alice [in Wonderland fame] and gets pulled through the looking glass because Wonderland needs a new Alice. Except Ally isn’t really the sweet thing her mother and prior Alices were. She’s something darker, and when she meets Hatter, their darkness feeds off of each other.
Thing is, it ends pretty sweetly. For how dark the book gets, it is absolutely a HEA and I thought the end was a nice way to round out the book and bring it back to something that is wholly settling and squishy and gives someone lovely feels in all the right places.
ALLY AND HER MAD HATTER is one of those books I wish I could read again for the first time. I couldn’t put it down, especially when a chapter ended in the middle of something super spicy. Yeah, DEFINITELY not putting it down there. But I, uh, will be referring back to it pretty often, thankyouverymuch. The only complaint I really have about it is it could do with a copyedit or a run through ProWritingAid or Grammerly, but I was reading an ARC, so take that for what you will. Obviously it did not detract from my reading because I absolutely swallowed this book whole (heh).
If you’re looking for some super dark, sexy fun, this is it.
4.5
I received a copy of this book from the author through BookSprout in exchange for an honest review....more
THREADBARE is another book I found on YONDER, the next generation reading app from the WEBTOON and Wattpad family of apps, tHooked from the beginning.
THREADBARE is another book I found on YONDER, the next generation reading app from the WEBTOON and Wattpad family of apps, that I’m really glad is available outside of it because I need more of this kind of scifi in my life. I would also call it a slight dystopia, just from how the government’s kind of run, but scifi first and foremost.
I think the biggest draw here is Vick and her inner struggle. Like literally. She’s more machine than human, yet she retains enough of her humanity to really struggle with that new reality of herself. Never mind that she’s not supposed to be that level of aware. She’s sort of a prototype, which makes the ethics of it all the more interesting. It’s definitely a book about man and machines and are machines that look human ever actually machines. I love playing around with that kind of thing and sitting with that information. Where does human end and machine begin, if at all?
The dynamic between Vick and Kelly is wonderful, and the struggle the two of them have as they manage this very odd relationship they must navigate is something else to watch. Gripping and fascinating. I couldn’t look away. Plus there’s actually a fair amount of action in this book. It’s not just focusing on two characters, but how these two characters function in this world and in this ever-increasingly dangerous scenarios that they’re put in. I was never for a second bored, that’s for sure.
I love the world that Ire created and how familiar it still is while at the same time not being set on Earth for a good chunk of it. It’s a very relatable scifi story for me and it makes the genre more accessible. It’s low on jargon and high on incredible character development and plot, which is what I need. There’s enough of the world to root me in the story and give me context, but it’s not going on for pages with details on machine development or what the moon station looks like or anything.
This is book one and I’m itching to get my hands on the others. I want to see where these women take their intense and complicated relationship and especially how Vick navigates the world with VC1, her machine self, kind of riding shotgun the entire time. Forever fascinated. Truly.
I found this book on YONDER, the next generation reading app from the WEBTOON and Wattpad family of apps, and I’m so glad it’s available to purchase oI found this book on YONDER, the next generation reading app from the WEBTOON and Wattpad family of apps, and I’m so glad it’s available to purchase outside of the app. POSTER BOY is a fantastic, gripping book with somewhat unlikeable characters, yet you can’t pull your eyes away from them. There is a disturbing similarity between the society unfolding in the book and the one we’re currently living it that I think makes the book all the more chilling and relatable. I think dystopias that play so close to the line like this make some of the best books for that very reason, because it makes us see what a couple more steps in the current direction can get us.
It’s a dual POV story with Rosa and Teresa narrating their own versions of the stories. Rosa is a very lost teenager who has always come in second to her brother, who died and whose death was warped for the needs of the state. Rosa finds herself basically out on her ass with no parental support. No surprise she spirals, but ultimately finds meaning before everything goes completely belly up. Teresa is telling her story on the same timeline, acting as a double agent working for the insurgents trying to overthrow the fascist government while working for said government. Hers is a personality that’s a bit grating, and I think if the entire book were in her POV it would be hard to read because she is so single-minded and comes off rather robotic as a result. She’s not necessarily unlikeable, and it’s interesting watching how far she’s willing to push the “by any means necessary” mantra for her cause, but she’s not the most likeable character either.
The book opens at the end, then reverts back to the beginning with how Rosa ends up on stage with the prime minister with a bomb strapped to her chest. My knee jerk reaction is “why would you give away the ending?” But it’s not quite the ending, and the ending will kick your teeth in. I was wholly sucked into reading about how Rosa got to that point and where her road and Gridless’s road intersects. I often found myself wondering where the story was possibly going. How does THIS end up THERE? There’s not a whole lot of action in the story, and from that perspective it is a more character-driven narrative, but the characters are fascinating in a morbidly curious sort of way that I couldn’t look away from.
The ending was spectacular. Completely unexpected until the very last second. I honestly can’t recommend POSTER BOY enough.
Why? I really liked the premise of the story, but the writing style is absolutely not for me. All tell and no show with descriWhere did I stop? 11% in
Why? I really liked the premise of the story, but the writing style is absolutely not for me. All tell and no show with descriptions so detailed they read more like bullet pointed lists than anything prose-like, I was struggling by the time I stopped. I wanted to get to at least 25% and I couldn’t even get there. Not only was it all tell and no show, it didn’t even tell me about character emotions or feelings or thoughts. It was entirely focused on physically moving the characters from one scene to the next, and that’s it. So I had zero connection to the characters, and while the story started with a serious bang, and I can absolutely appreciate that, it just was not anywhere near engaging enough for me to keep reading. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review....more
The final (for now) book in the Ace Carroway series, ACE CARROWAY AND THE BLIND PANIC gives us everything a Guy Worthey book is supposed to give us: qThe final (for now) book in the Ace Carroway series, ACE CARROWAY AND THE BLIND PANIC gives us everything a Guy Worthey book is supposed to give us: quirky characters, high stake situations, and a fun time. Worthey doesn’t disappoint here. While I haven’t read the entire series (yet), the book fills in enough so that I’m not left hanging. What isn’t given to me I don’t really need and can easily look over without having it detract from the story.
Not going to lie: what happens to Ace is kind of terrifying and disorienting and I think Worthey handles it really well. Those chapters and scenes from Ace’s POV brought a new perspective and a new level of anxiety to his writing that I don’t think is in other Ace books. He certainly upped the stakes here, that’s for sure!
Expect the same level of camaraderie as the other Ace books, but with the tension turned up to eleven. I do think this is the most anxiety-driven story of the series, and it makes the series go out with a bang. You’ll be rooting for Ace and the gang to pull out okay, but at the same time Worthey leaves you wondering if they actually will. Don’t miss this epic conclusion to the Ace Carroway series! Now I just have to go back to the beginning and read the rest I haven’t read yet!
4.5
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review....more
Yup, the sequel was just as good, if not better, than the first! More saucy interactions, more supernatural shenanigans, and the slowest of the slow bYup, the sequel was just as good, if not better, than the first! More saucy interactions, more supernatural shenanigans, and the slowest of the slow burn romances. I’m here for it!
Charlotte is a gem and I think I like her even more than Daphne, which is hard as hell because Daphne is a fantastic character. Charlotte’s defense mechanism appears to be charm and wit. Whether it’s her natural personality, something she learned at court, or a little bit of both, the reader will probably never know. But she’s a witty, smart, independent woman who doesn’t need no help from no one. Until she does. ...more
KING OF FLESH & BONE is not something I would usually pick up, but it kept popping up on TikTok, and not necessarily for good reasons. It’s a dark fanKING OF FLESH & BONE is not something I would usually pick up, but it kept popping up on TikTok, and not necessarily for good reasons. It’s a dark fantasy romance and there are some puritans on TikTok that think books like this shouldn’t exist and want to shame the people who read and enjoy these books, this particular title especially. So of course I bought it because I wanted to see if it was as dark as everyone says it was.
Yeah, it kind of is. This is a romance born of basically Stockholm Syndrome and out of torture. There is noncon and dubcon galore. Yet, here I sit, completely unfazed. Maybe it’s because I read a lot of Labyrinth fanfic in my youth that played around with a lot of these themes already? Not to mention I tend to lean toward the villains and morally gray characters anyway . . . so . . . ...more
Book two in the Dark Ink Tattoo series, and it’s just as good as the first. It’s much heavier on Jack’s story than Angela’s, but Angela’s goes into moBook two in the Dark Ink Tattoo series, and it’s just as good as the first. It’s much heavier on Jack’s story than Angela’s, but Angela’s goes into more of a maintenance mode at a certain point, so it makes sense to focus more on Jack from that moment forward since he has more going on.
Still, the sex is still incredibly hot, the action is sky high, and I couldn’t get enough of the story. Alexander knows how to pack a punch and I’m here for it. PUNCH ME.
I actually really love Alexander’s werewolf lore in this story. I find it fascinating how she’s working within the patriarchal setup of the lore just when it comes to the creation of werewolves. Only men can pass it on to other men by bite (which has its homoerotic undertones to it, which I love), and women basically absorb the change through impregnation. That was actually kind of mind blowing to me. I’d call it really unique, but I haven’t read nearly enough werewolf lore to make that assertion, so I won’t. So basically, if a woman isn’t already born with the gene, the only way she can get it is from a man. Makes me wonder what f/f relationships look like in this particular world, but that’s beside the point. It just really cements the alpha control aspect of werewolves in a way I find truly mesmerizing and I want to see more of it!
Of course, that is the catalyst for Angela’s story, so I won’t go into more detail there so I don’t spoil it. But she has a hard day when she learns the Pack’s secrets, for sure.
When it comes to Jack, comparatively, he had a harder time in his transition into supernatural life. Both he and Angela had it done effectively against their will, whether through coercion or lack of informed consent, it was basically a form of rape. Only Jack’s sire didn’t get jailed the same way Angela’s did. He didn’t get that pass, and it made his life rather difficult for an extended period of time. Living on the run, fighting his new nature, all that fun stuff new vamps have to contend with, all to save someone who’s no longer in the picture anyway.
So much action and drama! Alexander delivers yet again with great characters, a great story, and enough sex to leave you winded at the end of it. I can’t wait to read book three!
5
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review....more
Okay. I picked BLOOD OF THE PACK up through a big freebie giveaway thing like two weeks ago, not really thinking much of it. I’m usually not one for aOkay. I picked BLOOD OF THE PACK up through a big freebie giveaway thing like two weeks ago, not really thinking much of it. I’m usually not one for anything werewolf, but the little blurb in this book on the giveaway listing also had vampires, lots of sex, and sex variety. So I’m like okay. It’s worth what I pay for, right? If I don’t like it, I just won’t be getting my time back.
TAKE ALL MY MONEY.
I don’t know what I was expecting with this story, but it wasn’t this. The sex is hot af and yes, much variety. But there’s also a plot! And a good one! Yes, the story borders on erotica. There is A LOT of hot, detailed sex in this book and not just het sex either. But there’s a multilayered plot that I’m getting into, with writing that I just want to talk about forever, if I’m being honest.
What really got me into this story was that the motorcycle pack wasn’t the focus, because that’s not really my thing either. They’re operating more in the periphery, with Angela trying to stay away from them. Angela’s boyfriend Mark isn’t the most straight and narrow, but he operates as a buffer layer between Angela and her ex. And then Angela and Jack seem to be a storyline of missed opportunity. Although, it’s very clear that Angela is always on Jack’s mind, but Angela doesn’t seem to think about Jack much at all. At least for right now. It’s a five book series. There’s time.
What I especially liked was the worldbuilding. It’s not a long book at all. I’d actually call it a novella. But I get a very clear picture of the world while the author doesn’t use a whole lot of words. Normally, I like hearty worldbuilding. I’ve had complaints in the past when authors make insinuations within the writing that the reader might not make and it leaves me scratching my head. Not a moment of that here. With just a single sentence, Alexander paints just enough of a picture for me to pick up what she’s putting down and then we move on with the story. I love that.
A super spicy, enticing book, BLOOD OF THE PACK is a fantastic start to the series and I can’t wait to read the rest. It’s exactly what I needed in this moment.
Why? For as much personality as the blurb has, there is none in the writing. To the point where I struggled to pay attention aWhere did I stop? 36% in
Why? For as much personality as the blurb has, there is none in the writing. To the point where I struggled to pay attention as I was reading it. The writing is robotic. She did this. They did that. He cried. That kind of thing. There’s also no depth of character. I didn’t really know what the characters were feeling, Roxanne especially, since most of what I read was in her head. They just all came off rather blank. I knew the barest bones of their movements, which is what took up most of the writing, but nothing else. A lot of cigarette lighting, for those familiar with the terminology. I got all the minutiae of where the characters were on the chessboard, but none of how they were feeling, how the plot was impacting them, or what kind of characters they were in general. Getting a third of the way through the book, I’d expect to have more of that. As it stands, the book couldn’t hold my attention, and I wasn’t connecting with the characters in any meaningful way. I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review....more
Why? I wanted to like this book. It had all the makings of something I would like. But the voice is just not doing it for me. Where did I stop? 45% in
Why? I wanted to like this book. It had all the makings of something I would like. But the voice is just not doing it for me. I tried. I really did. But it’s so stilted and dull that I find my mind wandering as I read. I can chalk it up to the MC being homeschooled and getting a more formal, rigid education, and that’s fine. I can also see the variety in voices among the characters, so it’s really just this character. But it’s her story, told from her POV in her voice. So the deviation from that is minimal. There’s no real tension in the story, and aside from the townsfolk being pitchfork-wielding clowns toward her if they see her, the crux of the story doesn’t involve her. She shoves herself into it, but as far as I can tell, she has no real stake in the outcome. If she were to stop doing what she’s doing, the world would have no real impact on her. She’s attached herself to this boy who thinks his friend’s death is suspicious because she has a vision about him dying, but also because he’s the first person to not treat her as a leper. It just feels very shoehorned. Because the MC has no real stake in the plot, and the voice is so rigid, I have a hard time keeping interested and invested in anything that’s happening....more
I was dragged into this one kicking and screaming. If I had to pay any money for it, I wouldn’t have read it. Luckily, it was free on KU and that was I was dragged into this one kicking and screaming. If I had to pay any money for it, I wouldn’t have read it. Luckily, it was free on KU and that was also the day I realized I actually have access to KU. I thought it was separate from my Prime membership. Hey, I have my moments.
Anyway, you all got a poop kink. I don’t know what else it can be. Nearly all of the women in this story are covered in human feces for about 3/4 of it. Sex and sex-related events happen while Georgie is covered in poop or in a room covered in poop. Did you all miss this? If so, HOW?
Shit aside, it’s not the worse ridiculous book I’ve ever read. It’s not great either. The writing is very superficial with no real character development, and it’s redundant. Cut out all the redundancies and you can easily get rid of a quarter of this book. It also solidified my dislike for fated mate stories. I can suspend my disbelief for the entire alien premise except falling in love with an alien and getting pregnant with its alien baby over the course of a week. That’s what kills it for me.
That and the poop.
I shit you not. There is a whole ass scene toward the beginning of the book where all the captive women of the first set of aliens decide to mutiny and use their shit-filled waste bucket to do it. Georgie’s the one holding onto it, but it’s sloshing shit all over her arms and just as she’s about to throw it on the alien, the ship starts crashing and shit starts flying. It slops EVERYWHERE. As if that isn’t enough, the ship loses gravity so poop blobules are floating all over the place, further covering everyone in feces. Then it crashes.
Georgie’s wearing nothing but little shorty pajamas so she’s COVERED. But before she goes on a scouting mission on the unknown planet, she changes into the alien’s space suit, removing her shitty shorts and that’s the point where the poop kind of fades into the background maybe? Except her skin is still covered in it and it’s now smeared on the inside AND outside of that space suit.
It’s like that that Vektal, the alien barbarian, finds her and promptly noms on her mons, poop be damned. YUM. Georgie finally does wash in part two, but then promptly gets back into the shit-smeared space suit, negating that washing. Sex acts ensue before and after this. There is only a single sex scene that doesn’t involve poop sex, at least for Georgie. The rest of the women (except those that were in the capsules) are still covered in poop and have been for days. I’M SURE THEY’RE FINE.
Why is this a thing in this book? I’m almost convinced that ICE PLANET BARBARIANS is a spoof. Like someone was like LETS SEE WHAT KIND OF SHIT I CAN GET AWAY WITH. LITERALLY. I’ve seen a few people say that they think Ruby Dixon is actually a dude and I’m not unconvinced of that. Because why? Why is there so much human feces and sex in this book and why is no one else seemingly disturbed by these combinations of things?
Far be it from me to kink shame, but that’s nasty. Yeast infections are the least of Georgie’s concerns there.
Was the sex hot? NO. It was covered in poop. How could it be hot???
Why? I was bored. There was nothing happening. I purposefully held off on reading this because I was having surgery just afterWhere did I stop? 24% in
Why? I was bored. There was nothing happening. I purposefully held off on reading this because I was having surgery just after I got it. No way was I going to read a horror novel about being conscious during surgery just before I go under. Little did I know I would have nothing to fear, because nothing happened by the time I stopped reading. Literally nothing that would even indicate that actual plotline was going to occur. On top of that, the characters were pretty gross. A lot of antiquated and pejorative slang was being thrown around, along with a lot of cliché-for-the-90s antagonism between the MC and her parents that just screamed forced tension. For a book that just came out this year, it read like it was written twenty years ago. If it weren’t for mentions of the pandemic, it might as well could have been. I was just not liking this book at all. I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Why? This book is very cringy boomer, from Toni’s relationship with her husband (that started as an affair when she was his coWhere did I stop? 30% in
Why? This book is very cringy boomer, from Toni’s relationship with her husband (that started as an affair when she was his college student and he was still married) to Toni’s demand of respect largely due to her years of experience in living (and how this needs to be set right because people MUST respect her), to them not knowing how to stop a landline from ringing other than by cancelling the service and waiting for that to take effect (HOW ABOUT UNPLUGGING THE PHONE?). And let’s not forget the persistent functional alcoholism of every character in the book (every scene someone is drinking, and multiples). The antagonistic relationship Toni had with the much younger new cop, Adriana, was infuriating. It was clear Adriana was supposed to be the villain in this scenario, but Toni kept insisting on inserting herself where she didn’t belong and basically demanded respect while standing on someone else’s shoes. It got old quick. So did Toni thinking that Adriana would be pretty if she actually smiled. EW. The entire plot is predicated on the police who are supposed to be investigating the crimes being absolute idiots, the pathologist Toni, being the only one who can solve the crimes, and Toni and co. actively withholding information in a police investigation. Plus the immediate suspect apparently being under absolutely no surveillance, despite the fact that he’s out on parole. That is a massive amount of suspension of disbelief required for me. Plus, the book is very repetitive. Every piece of information is repeated every time a new character comes on the page, sometimes multiple times a chapter. This includes the token catch phrases of certain characters, like ‘I’ll tell you what’ for the bumpkin and ‘oy gevalt’ for the lone Jew. Character building via catch phrase. It gives me the impression that the author can’t handle an omnibus cast and pace and plot a story simultaneously. I’m surprised I got as far as I did....more
I know Guy from Wattpad. It’s where I first read one of his Ace Carroway books and I kind of love them a little. I’m not sure where to place them on tI know Guy from Wattpad. It’s where I first read one of his Ace Carroway books and I kind of love them a little. I’m not sure where to place them on the age range spectrum. They fall anywhere between lower YA/easy reader to lighter fare adult, but they’re good stories for a broad spectrum of people. Let’s put it that way.
I do feel like I’m missing critical backstory for Ace by diving into the seventh book in the series first, but luckily there’s enough exposition in GHOST LINER for me to get buy. If I wanted the full story, I’ll just read the first book in the series, THE GREAT WAR (which I do have). For now it’ll suffice with just the Cliff Notes. I feel like I know enough about Ace to get by, but her history is intriguing and I want to know more. Female fighter pilots are in short supply even today. So one from history is even more intriguing, even if she is fictional. I kind of adore that Guy chose Ace (or did Ace choose him?) as the protagonist of his series. He does her justice.
GHOST LINER itself takes place in Alaska, or the Alaskan territory since it’s not yet a state when the story is set, and it’s interesting seeing the setting as it once was. As someone who’s never been to Alaska, I feel like what it looks like now isn’t far off! But I’m probably just being unfair to the current state of Alaska. I did like the visuals of the teeny, tiny port towns that consist of maybe a dozen people and some shacks. I also liked the unnerving quiet that settled over the entirety of the story. Between the fog and the still water, I could almost hear the silence of the area, if that makes sense.
There were also some gruesome parts to the story, namely the cavern of bodies that Bert ends up in and Ace stumbles upon. That’s horrifying, and right up my alley. Makes my black little heart sing when creepy things pop up where I least expect them. But it adds a sort of grounding to the story that otherwise comes off light hearted and almost whimsical.
The style of writing is something that took me a little getting used to because I’m used to more depth in my writing, like deeper dives into character development and a lot of flourish on scene setting. Worthey’s story focuses on plot with just enough character development and scene setting to sketch everything in your mind. That’s why I likened it to an easy reader because it doesn’t go into a ton of detail. Just don’t mistake this for me thinking it less than. I don’t. It’s just a more simplistic storytelling method than most of what I read.
The only thing that irked me about the story was Sam and his constant use of sahib. This bothered me reading it but I couldn’t articulate why. Sam is, I believe, Egyptian and when I looked up the term it does have its roots in Arabic, however it’s much more rooted in the colonialism of India. And then when I read a little more into it is has a sort of master connotation behind it when the native Indians used it to address their British colonizers. While I don’t think this others Sam within the context of the story (there are a number of other characters that each have their own individual quirks, whether speaking or mannerisms that work to differentiate them from each other), as one of two non-white characters in a cast of about a dozen characters, him using this term feels not quite right. Whether it’s accurate to the time or not, I don’t know, but reading it just felt a little off.
Other than that I think ACE CARROWAY AND THE GHOST LINER is a fun adventure story with a great yet quirky character in Ace at the helm, and a cast of supporting characters that add a ton of color to the bleak, fog-soaked landscape of the Alaskan territory. I look forward to reading more of Worthey’s work!
4
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review....more
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