what a shit show. kate robb, you have let me down. this concept - Pleasantville meets Teen Beach Movie should have been amazing but oh my ★2.47 stars★
what a shit show. kate robb, you have let me down. this concept - Pleasantville meets Teen Beach Movie should have been amazing but oh my god, I could not STAND Brynn who was supposed to be thirty but acted like a petulant twenty year old who was too blind to be aware of anyone around her.
I kept waiting for her to hit that aha moment characters usually hit around the 30-50% mark but we were a solid 60% in and she was still deluded and pissing me off. It was so bad that I found myself skimming to the end.
I admittedly liked the unconventional ending but overall, not a fan. Kate Robb, I love ya but I think we missed the mark a bit on this one. I'm still going to read anything you write though
______________
pre-review
me trying to get through this book: [image]...more
i am absolutely blown away. almost everything about this book was perfect. almost everything...
the ONLY reason this is not getting a full ★4.56 stars★
i am absolutely blown away. almost everything about this book was perfect. almost everything...
the ONLY reason this is not getting a full five stars is because the description and marketing did a terrible job explaining what this book would be. based on the title, cover, and description, i expected a macabre, twisted memoir from a serial killer.
instead, i got a tragic but thrilling coming of age story with a twist of the supernatural. don't get me wrong. i loved it. i legit cried at the end... but it took me until i was about 30% into the book to figure out what was going on.
in short, amazing book, horrible marketing.
oh, also. stephen, i don't know how you don't know the basic mechanisms of a seizure and i have no clue how such an inaccurate scene passed through multiple editors without someone saying 'oh, wait this isn't how seizures work'
it was... fine. i kind of just kept going because i wanted to know how it ended and van was kind of a... i won't say compelling... as much★2.47 stars★
it was... fine. i kind of just kept going because i wanted to know how it ended and van was kind of a... i won't say compelling... as much as just attractive... character. my issue is mostly with margot who annoyed the hell out of me. she kept flipping back and forth between #GiRlbOsS and a mary sue with a heavy lean to mary sue.
additionally, literally everything that happened was just... so improbable and would never happen in real life. like, they were constantly stealing things and destroying national artifacts and art with minimal to no consequences.
it definitely reminded me of rough drafts of books i've written where i don't think about how real life works. i just know what i want the characters to do so i make it happen regardless of if it's grounded in reality....more
4.5 Stars - Oh what a blast. I blew through this in two sittings because it was so much fun to read. Gemma and Jack had so much chemistry and the stor4.5 Stars - Oh what a blast. I blew through this in two sittings because it was so much fun to read. Gemma and Jack had so much chemistry and the story was so compelling that I didn't even mind that there was zero spice, something that would usually render a romance pretty dry for me...more
edit: why the FUCK did the UK get a better cover than we did?? life is so unfair
Not gonna lie. That was a bummer. I was here for cute, nerdy werewolf edit: why the FUCK did the UK get a better cover than we did?? life is so unfair
Not gonna lie. That was a bummer. I was here for cute, nerdy werewolf with anxiety... and there was basically none of that. Give me the dramatic transformations! Give me the sexy growls! Give me the fangs and claws dammit. I am so disappointed by the lack of werewolf.
The book focused much more heavily (almost completely) on Eleanora who is the only reason this isn't a 2.5 stars rounded down. I adored Eleanora. She was witty, clever, and fun (although the narrator's accent for her was a bit much and took some getting used to).
Basically, I was expecting a werewolf romance and got a vampire one. The vampire romance, on it's own, was good but it's like taking a gulp of orange juice expecting chocolate milk - distinctly different from what I was expecting....more
★4.56 Stars ★ - Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This. Was. Everything.
Th★4.56 Stars ★ - Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
This. Was. Everything.
The moment I read the description, I knew I had to have this book. I absolutely love werewolves and shifter romances in general. Something happened in my childhood (god knows what) that inexorably linked shifters with my sex drive so now it's a kink of mine. Cool!
Unfortunately, a lot of the werewolf romances out there are ABO (alpha, beta, omega for the uninitiated) and tend to be set in a world of pre-existing werewolf lore. While those romances are okay to read, I really like werewolves in the real world where the exploration of the lore is filled with more mystery and humor vs. the dark fantasy angst that ABO books tend to have. I also like more cozy camp and warm intimacy which Rosie Danan did perfectly in Fan Service.
She also did such an amazing job catering to the massive group of slightly bizarre writers and readers who create fandoms and fanfic. This book was such a clear love letter to all of us and the worlds we create and it warmed my heart to read.
Finally, holy heckin hell, Rosie Danan dialed the kinky up to 11. Degradation, submission, BDSM, a dash of masochism... my lustful heart was SCREAMING.
Much like a novelty ice cream, this book wasn't perfect. It could have used a few touch ups here and there, but that couldn't matter less to me. The joy it filled me with was worth every word.
_______________
Edit - WAIT A GODDAMN SECOND. It just occured to me that I could've (and should've) been imaging Devin as Jared Padalecki this whole time. Missed opportunity. I'll do it when the audiobook comes out
_______________
side thoughts (not main review) - i do think that devin should've been younger. not only was the age gap a little.... odd, he also didn't act 42 at all nor did alex act 34. They should've both been in their late 20s imo.
_______________
IT'S MINEEEE
Infinite thanks to Berkley Publishing for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review _______________
i swear to god if i am not able to get my hands on an arc i might actually die. i cannot wait until march...more
take a shot every time she says "minty" and you will most certainly be dead as a doorknob before the 50% mark
in all seriousness, this book hit me liketake a shot every time she says "minty" and you will most certainly be dead as a doorknob before the 50% mark
in all seriousness, this book hit me like a truck. what the author lacked in vocabulary*, she made up for in heart and poignancy. this book was oozing with both joy and maturity and acted like a warm balm on my jaded heart.
*like jesus christ, she described the MMC's eyes as 'minty' 19 times....more
I- I am almost at a loss for words because that was truly one of the scariest but also most profound and sincerely disturbing horror novels I've ever I- I am almost at a loss for words because that was truly one of the scariest but also most profound and sincerely disturbing horror novels I've ever read. The last time I felt this way is when I walked out of the theater after watching Talk to Me which remains one of my all time favorite horror movies.
Like that movie, I was left sitting in silence for hours just trying to digest that absolute delight of terror I had just ingested.
I don't write full blown reviews like I used to (I just don't have time) which is honestly kind of a bummer because this book would supply enough material for a review that would likely be well above 5+ paragraphs.
There is just so much to digest about. And I'm not talking about the insane level of scares this book had. No, I'm not speaking of the superb creature descriptions and the fact that I probably won't sleep for a week.
NO. I am talking about the allegories. Because that, my friends, is what takes a book from a book I'll forget about in two months to a coveted position on my Mind Shelf® where all the best books stay. These are the books that I recommend without a second thought because they are just. that. good.
I won't get into all the details but this book isn't just a surface level monster story (although it can absolutely be enjoyed as such!!!) It is a tale of generational trauma. A story of broken families. It tells the heart-wrenching story of a girl who comes to the realization that life is unfair far too early.
I think my favorite part of this book is actually one that may frustrate some readers and that is that (view spoiler)[it is never explained exactly who or what Other Mommy is nor why she has chosen Bela to haunt.
Don't get me wrong. I love a good lore dump. Give me ALL the exposition but in this case, I appreciate Malerman's choice to leave the audience in the dark. I think it gives readers a perfect opportunity to make their own decisions about the nature of what happened Around the House (haha. get it?!)
For some, Other Mommy may seem like a demonic manifestation of human guilt and lust. For others, it may more religious. But for me, Other Mommy is the representation of the awful truth of life I learned far too young - Life isn't fair. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people. Families fight. Relationships splinter. Yes, there is always the ability to do the right thing, say the right thing and move forward but that requires effort and, in my opinion, help from others.
Sometimes, there are those who don't have the luxury of love.
And that's what Other Mommy is in my opinion - the antithesis of love. What could be scarier than that? (hide spoiler)]...more
Maybe I need to take a break from romance. Maybe it's cause I haven't had therapy in two weeks. Maybe I'm just depressed... but this just didn't do itMaybe I need to take a break from romance. Maybe it's cause I haven't had therapy in two weeks. Maybe I'm just depressed... but this just didn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, Frederick had some great funny moments and this novel inspired a lot of imaginary boyfriend material in my head (I definitely drove for a solid hour with the book paused just writing my own novel in my brain) but the book was lacking in spice and honestly in chemistry too. I loved Frederick as a character but Cassie not so much. I didn't really feel much between them beyond physical attraction....more
I must say... I am quite disappointed. This book was a creepy, decadent horror novel that had all the makings of a brilliant story... but it fell shorI must say... I am quite disappointed. This book was a creepy, decadent horror novel that had all the makings of a brilliant story... but it fell short. And the hurt of that compounds on itself so much so that I would have given this two stars if it weren't for the deliciously creepy atmosphere.
The first thing I noticed was that this book couldn't decide what it wanted to be. Was it a mystery thriller? Was it a horror novel with a pinch of occult? Was it a freaking second chance romance? It couldn't decided and honestly, I don't think it wanted to. I think it wanted to be all three.
I would've previously said this couldn't be done but I recently read Monsters We Have Made which showed that it can be done well. This author just didn't do it well. Things were too scattered, at times too cliche, and overall too disorganized for it to work. The books strongest strength was the creepiness but it kept getting thrown off with random moments of romance or the desire to just move on to the next plot point already (which is hilarious because this is actually quite a short book at just under 300 pages)
Overall, it had all the right ingredients but unfortunately, ingredients are only half the work....more
[image] Many thanks to Rachel at Gallery Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review
Christina Lauren's books have always been hit or miss f[image] Many thanks to Rachel at Gallery Books for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review
Christina Lauren's books have always been hit or miss for me. Fortunately, they've been more hit than miss but I'm never sure what I'll end up enjoying.
I am happy to say that this is definitely one of my favorites of theirs (although I have only read four of their titles). It wasn't super holiday-y which was probably a good thing as I read it in October, a decidedly un-holiday-y month although you wouldn't be able to tell as at this point most stores are stuffing the shelves with Christmas stuff already.
An interesting thing I noticed was that this book, in my opinion, gave of young adult vibes much more than adult. I can't quite put my finger on why that is. I don't really remember the age of the main character(s) but they felt much younger than they were supposed to.
I didn't mind the time travel loop idea although it was kind of brushed over and wasn't very clear. Also, there wasn't a clear ending to it which stressed me out. I was just so tense waiting for her to go back in time.
Overall, this one was definitely a win.
- - - - - -
that was not half bad. You've redeemed yourself, Christina Lauren
[image] Many thanks to Harper Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review
There are many who pretend to despise and belittle t
[image] Many thanks to Harper Audio for the free audiobook in exchange for an honest review
There are many who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach. -Aesop
For the third time in my reviewing career, I am leaving a book unrated because there are no ratings that feel fair to this book. I originally decided four stars but then went down to three stars and then all the way down to two stars but after drafting this review, I realized that I didn't stand by any of those ratings.
So, what's this book about? The town of Bentley holds two things dear: its football, and its secrets. But when star quarterback Dylan Whitley goes missing, an unremitting fear grips this remote corner of Texas.
Joel Whitley was shamed out of conservative Bentley ten years ago, and while he’s finally made a life for himself as a gay man in New York, his younger brother’s disappearance soon brings him back to a place he thought he’d escaped for good. Meanwhile, Sheriff’s Deputy Starsha Clark stayed in Bentley; Joel’s return brings back painful memories—not to mention questions—about her own missing brother. And in the high school hallways, Dylan’s friends begin to suspect that their classmates know far more than they’re telling the police. Together, these unlikely allies will stir up secrets their town has long tried to ignore, drawing the attention of dangerous men who will stop at nothing to see that their crimes stay buried.
But no one is quite prepared to face the darkness that’s begun to haunt their nightmares, whispering about a place long thought to be nothing but an urban legend: an empty night, a flicker of light on the horizon—The Bright Lands
This book wasn't bad. It was creepy, gay, and well-written. For a few reasons, it didn't work for me. I cannot stress enough that I am not saying this book is bad. I just didn't enjoy it. Does that make sense?
The first problem wasn't the author's fault. I requested the audio file from HarperAudio. Some publishers will send a file you can download and listen to via a media plyer app. This was the case with Bright Lands. Unfortunately, Apple is super annoying and it took me hours to figure out how to properly play the files. Even after figuring it out, I was so worried that the files were out of order so I kept worrying all the way until I finished the book.
I also felt a detachment from all the characters. I never got a look inside their heads. This story was told mostly without internal thoughts of the characters (aka 3rd person objective) which made the book feel more like a long list of events that happened. Kind of lacking in emotion.
Because of my previously mentioned worrying, I was having a hard time paying attention to the plot. It was mostly enjoyable but towards the end, I started to get a little lost in the weeds. I was able to sort out most of it but there were a few things I had to get clarified after finishing.
There were a LOT of characters and I think that most of them were necessary to the plot but I just... struggled to keep track of all the roles.
All that said, there were quite a few great things that I did enjoy.
This book was so creepy. It gave me Stephen King vibes. The magical realism and horror elements were mixed into the plot in an amazing way that was subtle and unsettling.
I loved the small-town mystery, too. It had a slow build-up but it was excellently written and had a really cool ending.
I loved the gay themes. I won't go into specifics because I feel like I'd be spoiling but the quote I have in the beginning kind of hints at what happens and I loved it, in spite of the fact that it was kind of weird.
I also liked the narrator. He did a great job with voice acting the many (many!) characters and working with tone to make the characters sound different from each other which I really appreciated.
Overall, this book is a great book but due to things no one could control, I didn't really enjoy it. If you're a fan of Stephen King or anything gay (or both), I highly recommend this book!
Bottom Line: No Rating Age Rating - [ R ] Content Screening (Mild Spoilers) Positive Messages (1/5) - [Leaving toxic communities if needed] Violence (4/5) - [Gore, Murder, Rape, Fights, Guns, Knives, Stabbing] Sex (4/5) - [Rape, Sexual Assult, Sexual themes] Language (3/5) - [F**k, Sh*t, D*ck, F*gg*t] Drinking/Drugs (3/5) - [Drug misuse, Alcohol consumption] Content and Trigger Warnings - Explicit sexual themes, Sexual abuse, Nudity, Violence, Homophobia, Death, Loss of a loved one, Horror Publication Date: July 4th, 2020 Publisher: Hanover Square Press (an imprint of HarperCollins) Genre: LGBT/Horror
-------------
I waffled back and forth over this rating all night... but I feel like it's fair. The quality of this book was 5 stars but my enjoyment of this book was honestly 2(ish) maybe 3 stars.... soooo
3 stars
review to come
------------
[image]
------------
welp, i am officially a stalker because i've watched about 5 of this author's live streams and i also just found out this is 11/10 on the gay level and if i don't get this book now, i will literally implode
------------
well, the author described himself as "Stephen Queen" so you know...
this is a not so subtle allegory of people falling to sin and Jesus rescuing them.
I haven't read this book in a long, long time and I probably wouldn'this is a not so subtle allegory of people falling to sin and Jesus rescuing them.
I haven't read this book in a long, long time and I probably wouldn't enjoy it as much if I read it now but I just remember that was (one of) the first times I really started getting enthralled by reading
basicaly, this book is okay... it's the nostalgia that earned the four stars
[image] Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
[image]
The romance genre has its problems whi[image] Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
[image]
The romance genre has its problems which I discussed in my latest booktube video that you can click here to watch) but there are occasionally books like these that break down the problematic tropes.
Skip to 12:33 to here my thoughts on this specific book and what it does to push back against problems with the romance genre.
------------------
"What do you want? It's as simple as that. Who do you love? Who do you want to be with? Forget everything else."
When the final seconds of this book played through my headphones, I confidently press "rate 5 stars" but in the back of my mind, I was worried that the rating might go down once my initial emotions settled. It didn't.
Even after letting this amazing story digest for days, the raw emotion still remains in my heart.
So, what's this book about Mia Graydon's life looks picket-fence perfect; she has the house, her loving husband, and dreams of starting a family. But she has other dreams too — unexplained, recurring ones starring the same man. Still, she doesn’t think much of them, until relocation to small-town Pennsylvania brings her face to face with the stranger she has been dreaming about for years. And this man harbors a jaw-dropping secret of his own—he's been dreaming of her too.
Determined to understand, Mia and this not-so-stranger search for answers. But when diving into their pasts begins to unravel her life in the present, Mia emerges with a single question—what if?
Acclaimed author Colleen Oakley delivers a heart-wrenching and unforgettable love story about a woman who must choose between the man she loves and the man fate has chosen for her in a novel that reminds us that the best life is one led by the heart.
I have to confess that I went into this book expecting a contemporary romance with a magical-realism twist. I did not expect to become so attached to the characters so quickly. I also didn't expect [SPOILER REDACTED] which broke my heart into a million piecesssssssssssssssssss. I STILL CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE COLLEEN OAKLEY DID THAT!!
This book goes even further beyond evoking raw emotion, though. It covers a lot of really deep themes and covers them in a way that most books don't.
The theme of this book that sometimes it's better to focus on the 'what is' instead of the 'what if' or 'what could be'. You can spend your entire life tortured by not knowing, chasing knowledge or you can simply accept the unknown and live in spite of it.
I also really, really loved Harrison and Mia's relationship. It was so realistic. I feel like we don't see enough married couples in romances. On top of that, we don't see enough married couples who are not perfectly married. It was really encouraging to read a story that is proudly saying 'Yes, couples fight. Couples disagree. Couples have problems but they fight for love anyway.'
Overall, this book made me chuckle and smile, but, most of all, it made me ugly cry. I cannot recommend this one enough!
Bottom Line: 5 stars Age Rating - [ PG-13 ] Content Screening (Mild Spoilers) Educational Value (1/5) - [Medical terms/procedures] Positive Messages (4/5) - [Choosing the 'what is' over the 'what could be', kindness, sacrifice] Violence (2/5) - [Brief gun violence, off-page death] Sex (3/5) - [Sexual themes, Kissing, Off-page sex] Language (2/5) - [Brief and mild use of language] Drinking/Drugs (3/5) - [Alcohol consumption, medicinal drugs] Content and Trigger Warnings - Miscarriages, Loss of loved ones, Death, Depression, Appendicitis, Hospitals, Scene with psychic Publication Date: January 7th, 2020 Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group Genre: Contemporary/Romance
-------------
HOLY FORKING SHIRT I AM WRECKED RIGHT NOW
-------------
I requested this solely because I saw that it's set in Pennsylvania (where my family is from and where I go every holiday season)
Loading...
