I enjoyed this one more or less, but not nearly as much as the original trilogy. As several other reviewers have noted, there was something almost remI enjoyed this one more or less, but not nearly as much as the original trilogy. As several other reviewers have noted, there was something almost remote and distanced in the storytelling here, that prevented me from really feeling immersed in the story and engaged with the characters. Personally, I think a large part of this was due to the narrative style where the book was essentially told in two timelines, the present tense with Iain trying to reconnect with James, and the past that shows how they formed their friendship and how it fell apart. I don't generally enjoy heavy flashback use, partly because it often feels like almost a crutch for the writer to give us needed context. And while I don't deny that some of this context *was* needed, I don't think it was necessary to show us quite as many flashbacks as she did. I think the story would have felt stronger if there'd been more of a focus on the characters as they were in the present instead of the past. I still enjoyed this one, and I'm glad to have read it, but don't expect it to read like the first three books!
Merged review:
I enjoyed this one more or less, but not nearly as much as the original trilogy. As several other reviewers have noted, there was something almost remote and distanced in the storytelling here, that prevented me from really feeling immersed in the story and engaged with the characters. Personally, I think a large part of this was due to the narrative style where the book was essentially told in two timelines, the present tense with Iain trying to reconnect with James, and the past that shows how they formed their friendship and how it fell apart. I don't generally enjoy heavy flashback use, partly because it often feels like almost a crutch for the writer to give us needed context. And while I don't deny that some of this context *was* needed, I don't think it was necessary to show us quite as many flashbacks as she did. I think the story would have felt stronger if there'd been more of a focus on the characters as they were in the present instead of the past. I still enjoyed this one, and I'm glad to have read it, but don't expect it to read like the first three books!...more
Cute read, though unlike most of the books in this series, this one definitely requires that you've read the one right before, Sagittarius Saves LibraCute read, though unlike most of the books in this series, this one definitely requires that you've read the one right before, Sagittarius Saves Libra, as the two MCs are twins and there are a lot of references. Definitely some OTT banter and plotting, and stuff that just didn't quite make sense to me (I'm often left with the impression that the author is making leaps in her head that don't make it onto the page, leaving some actions/reactions feeling bizarre and out of nowhere), but overall I did have fun with this one. ...more
Standard Marina Vivancos; promising concept, meh execution. This one was shorter and definitely felt pretty rushed, particularly the l2.5 rounded down
Standard Marina Vivancos; promising concept, meh execution. This one was shorter and definitely felt pretty rushed, particularly the last half or so. I enjoyed it enough for what it was, but I went in expecting what I got....more
I enjoyed this one well enough, but I didn't love it.
As always, some great writing, and it felt very British with a great sense of setti2.5 rounded up
I enjoyed this one well enough, but I didn't love it.
As always, some great writing, and it felt very British with a great sense of setting, which I loved. I enjoyed both of the characters and their connection, and for the most part I like the build between them. My first issue is that I would say this barely works as a stand-alone. Though I did technically read Merrow's first book in this series, Wake Up Call, it was over three years ago and I didn't particularly enjoy it/remember much about it. This book assumes you've read that one, and includes a lot of characters and backstory from that book--I felt quite wrong-footed for much of the book, and the only reason I wasn't more lost was because I had at least a vague recollection of the first one.
My second biggest issue, was the frankly bizarre interlude between Mal and Jory's estranged wife. (view spoiler)[It was fucking weird for her to invite him over, and it bothered me from the start that Mal didn't think so. It was 100% clear what was happening, and it was just SO shitty on both Mal and the wife, Kristy's, part, and I really didn't feel like the emotional resolution there was in any way satisfying. I totally get Mal being in a fucked-up headspace, but I wanted a lot more groveling than we got, and it ended up souring the whole getting together for real bit (hide spoiler)]. The heat here is also relatively tame, and the smut we got at the end wasn't what I wanted after (what felt to me) like a big betrayal on Mal's part that's not addressed in any satisfying manner.
I generally enjoy this author's works, but so far her books in this series haven't done it for me and I'm honestly a bit nervous about the final one...
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2.5 rounded up
I enjoyed this one well enough, but I didn't love it.
As always, some great writing, and it felt very British with a great sense of setting, which I loved. I enjoyed both of the characters and their connection, and for the most part I like the build between them. My first issue is that I would say this barely works as a stand-alone. Though I did technically read Merrow's first book in this series, Wake Up Call, it was over three years ago and I didn't particularly enjoy it/remember much about it. This book assumes you've read that one, and includes a lot of characters and backstory from that book--I felt quite wrong-footed for much of the book, and the only reason I wasn't more lost was because I had at least a vague recollection of the first one.
My second biggest issue, was the frankly bizarre interlude between Mal and Jory's estranged wife. (view spoiler)[It was fucking weird for her to invite him over, and it bothered me from the start that Mal didn't think so. It was 100% clear what was happening, and it was just SO shitty on both Mal and the wife, Kristy's, part, and I really didn't feel like the emotional resolution there was in any way satisfying. I totally get Mal being in a fucked-up headspace, but I wanted a lot more groveling than we got, and it ended up souring the whole getting together for real bit (hide spoiler)]. The heat here is also relatively tame, and the smut we got at the end wasn't what I wanted after (what felt to me) like a big betrayal on Mal's part that's not addressed in any satisfying manner.
I generally enjoy this author's works, but so far her books in this series haven't done it for me and I'm honestly a bit nervous about the final one......more
I was underwhelmed. I didn't feel like there was anything new or interesting being said here, nor did it really feel at all helpful or practical for cI was underwhelmed. I didn't feel like there was anything new or interesting being said here, nor did it really feel at all helpful or practical for concretely tackling time management. I appreciated the concept and approach, but this fell short of expectation for me....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: BELARUS === 4.5 rounded up
I really enjoyed this one! The concept seemed up my alley, as I generally enjoy any kind oAround the World Reading Challenge: BELARUS === 4.5 rounded up
I really enjoyed this one! The concept seemed up my alley, as I generally enjoy any kind of fable/mythology retelling, and the vibe here was very gothic mystery, which I'm also quite into. Had the sort of expected damsel-in-distress/no real strong female characters issue that often comes with older works, but I appreciated the critical approach towards the aristocracy. On the whole an engaging read with great sense of atmosphere....more
What can I say, this series is surprisingly working for me! I enjoyed the characters and their connection, and I appreciated that the conflict felt beWhat can I say, this series is surprisingly working for me! I enjoyed the characters and their connection, and I appreciated that the conflict felt believable and had stakes. Way too many kids/teenagers/other characters to the point of confusion and clutter, but on the whole I had fun with this one....more
Another book by an author I generally enjoy that just didn't work for me. I really did try, but the plot was a bit convoluted, and I felt absoDNF ~48%
Another book by an author I generally enjoy that just didn't work for me. I really did try, but the plot was a bit convoluted, and I felt absolutely no connection between the main characters. I was just bored.
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DNF ~48%
Another book by an author I generally enjoy that just didn't work for me. I really did try, but the plot was a bit convoluted, and I felt absolutely no connection between the main characters. I was just bored....more
It was okay. Enjoyable enough, but nothing all that special. 2.5 rounded down.
The characters were decently interesting, as was the plot, but I didn't It was okay. Enjoyable enough, but nothing all that special. 2.5 rounded down.
The characters were decently interesting, as was the plot, but I didn't super buy the chemistry and the sexual dynamic just didn't do it for me.
This is actually one of the first times that I wish the series followed different couples instead of the same one, as I don't care enough about this couple to continue reading more about them...
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It was okay. Enjoyable enough, but nothing all that special. 2.5 rounded down.
The characters were decently interesting, as was the plot, but I didn't super buy the chemistry and the sexual dynamic just didn't do it for me.
This is actually one of the first times that I wish the series followed different couples instead of the same one, as I don't care enough about this couple to continue reading more about them......more
This was an intense read. I expected it would be based on the subject matter, but I found the writing style really amplified it and made the whole booThis was an intense read. I expected it would be based on the subject matter, but I found the writing style really amplified it and made the whole book feel very relentless and often quite hopeless. I think a lot of that is intentional, but unfortunately it made for an often very unpleasant reading experience. Incredibly informative and written with a lot of compassion, this book really focuses on people, with several stories intertwined throughout from renters and landlords alike across the spectrum. It did feel almost more geared towards people who are newer to social justice issues, particularly when it comes to poverty, as it felt the main thrust was really humanizing the people and showing all the barriers capitalism has put up to make it almost impossible to get out of the hole. Personally, I've found I'm much more interested in books that spend more time exploring the systemic issues as opposed to focusing on the personal angle -- the author touches on these aspects, but never dives as deep as I personally would have preferred, and I wish maybe half the book was the people aspect, and then the second half dived more deeply into structural stuff. Particularly the racial aspects, which suffused this book at every point, and though acknowledged, were never made as prominent as they should have been given the subject....more
Informative and incredibly detailed account of the USA's involvement in the conflict between Israel and Palestine as a so-called mediator. Similar topInformative and incredibly detailed account of the USA's involvement in the conflict between Israel and Palestine as a so-called mediator. Similar topic as covered in Khalidi's Brokers of Deceit: How the U.S. Has Undermined Peace in the Middle East, but I thought that this book was a little stronger. It's longer, but felt less dense and would be a better starting point for those interested in the role the USA has played over the past ~100 years or so. Important and enlightening in general, but particularly for those in the USA who want to learn more about the role our country has played in destabilizing the region and the peace process....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: TAJIKISTAN === A collections of short stories by Tajik authors and set in Tajikistan that I found quite engaging! SoAround the World Reading Challenge: TAJIKISTAN === A collections of short stories by Tajik authors and set in Tajikistan that I found quite engaging! Some were stronger than others, but on the whole I was quite impressed with this collection....more
Around the World Reading Challenge: LIBYA === I thought this was an interesting read about Asouf, a lone bedouin who watches over the Wadi Matkhandoush Around the World Reading Challenge: LIBYA === I thought this was an interesting read about Asouf, a lone bedouin who watches over the Wadi Matkhandoush and its mysterious cave art, and who has an almost protective relationship with the waddan, a type of large mountain sheep that seems to hold some sort of mystical place of importance. The style here is quite fluid, with jumps in time between Asouf's current conflict with hunters who've come to kill the waddan and Asouf's past that's brought him to this point. It's quite a short read, and while I enjoyed it overall, I can't say I liked the ending....more
Queer, cozy fantasy with a female fighter orc getting injured and forced to recuperate in a sleepy town, where she makes friends, a lo3.5 rounded down
Queer, cozy fantasy with a female fighter orc getting injured and forced to recuperate in a sleepy town, where she makes friends, a lover, and still manages to get up to shenanigans. Fun read, though I do think the cozy vibes ended up feeling a little too low-stakes for me, and I was glad there was at least some necromancer plotting. This is a prequel novel, and I hadn't quite processed what that would mean for the ending -- it added a bit of a bittersweet twist to the end which I liked. I enjoyed this enough that I'll probably plan to read the main book, but it didn't totally absorb me, which I think it more a testament to the tone/genre not totally being my bag....more
I was almost able to get through this one and not totally hate it, but the twin plot stuff was so unbelievable and convoluted that it kept thrDnf ~50%
I was almost able to get through this one and not totally hate it, but the twin plot stuff was so unbelievable and convoluted that it kept throwing me out of the story, and the smut went from 0 to 100 in a way that felt pretty rushed. There were also approximately 8000 references to other books by this author, which I'm just very over....more
Interesting concept, but the execution felt a little all over the place to me. There wasn't a ton of diversity of locales, and it just felt a little mInteresting concept, but the execution felt a little all over the place to me. There wasn't a ton of diversity of locales, and it just felt a little messy overall....more
Thank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review! === 2.5 rounded up
I was super excited abouThank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review! === 2.5 rounded up
I was super excited about this one--I loved the first book I read by this author and the summary seemed really promising. I enjoyed it overall, but I can't say it quite lived up to my hopes for it.
I've read variations on the dad/teacher thing before, but I thought the twist of the dad being famous and the teacher having already been a fan was interesting, and I generally thought it played well--pretty easy for it to veer into creepy, but I didn't feel like that line was crossed. I'm not always a big fan of kids in books, and I actually didn't find the five-year-old to feel all that present in the book. On the one hand, I personally appreciated it, but on the other, it did feel a little weird for there not to be more of her considering she's pretty young, Spencer is a single dad, and Zeke is her teacher. There aren't even conversations at the end, when it's clear they're serious, about what it means for them to be in a relationship when one of them is raising a young kid and the other is (at least at the moment) her P.E. teacher... Felt like a very odd omission. There's also hardly any hockey for a hockey romance. I wasn't personally bothered--the POV character is the teacher, and we don't get Spencer's POV at all so it makes sense there isn't a ton of hockey, but I know that's a draw for some people.
The writing itself... there was something about the writing here that felt a little off for me, and I'm having a difficult time articulating it. I think that part of it was the fact that Zeke's character in particular felt a little all over the place. Despite being the POV character, I never really felt like I had a solid read on him, because his characterization never felt entirely consistent. It almost read as if the author's conception of him evolved as they wrote, but then there was no going back through to edit him into a coherent and consistent character. It was subtle and hard to place, but I had a difficult time connecting to him, in part because I never felt like I knew him. (As a smaller aside, I don't know that we ever really even got a good description of him, so I had no idea what to even picture, which I found a bit frustrating.)
The pacing here also wasn't quite right for me. The lead up to the relationship was excellent, but the sudden sexting pivot point felt like a really sudden and aggressive flip, and then the jump into a full relationship with absolutely no discussions about what they were doing was really confusing. The whole last 1/3 of the book I kept waiting for something to happen (3rd act breakup, some kind of DTR) but it just read like an extended epilogue in which not much happens and I was sort of scratching my head. I appreciated the maturity of the relationship (though it was jarring for me to realize these guys are in their mid-20s and not their mid-30s, as they mostly read as older to me) but I was a bit bored at the end, waiting for some kind of tension or climax or something, instead of just a slow descent into the ending, which felt fairly abrupt considering the lack of a climactic event to mark the coming end/resolution of the book, and no official epilogue.
There were some good bones here, but it felt like it could have used a stronger editor to work on the pacing and characterization/writing issues.
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Thank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for providing me a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review! === 2.5 rounded up
I was super excited about this one--I loved the first book I read by this author and the summary seemed really promising. I enjoyed it overall, but I can't say it quite lived up to my hopes for it.
I've read variations on the dad/teacher thing before, but I thought the twist of the dad being famous and the teacher having already been a fan was interesting, and I generally thought it played well--pretty easy for it to veer into creepy, but I didn't feel like that line was crossed. I'm not always a big fan of kids in books, and I actually didn't find the five-year-old to feel all that present in the book. On the one hand, I personally appreciated it, but on the other, it did feel a little weird for there not to be more of her considering she's pretty young, Spencer is a single dad, and Zeke is her teacher. There aren't even conversations at the end, when it's clear they're serious, about what it means for them to be in a relationship when one of them is raising a young kid and the other is (at least at the moment) her P.E. teacher... Felt like a very odd omission. There's also hardly any hockey for a hockey romance. I wasn't personally bothered--the POV character is the teacher, and we don't get Spencer's POV at all so it makes sense there isn't a ton of hockey, but I know that's a draw for some people.
The writing itself... there was something about the writing here that felt a little off for me, and I'm having a difficult time articulating it. I think that part of it was the fact that Zeke's character in particular felt a little all over the place. Despite being the POV character, I never really felt like I had a solid read on him, because his characterization never felt entirely consistent. It almost read as if the author's conception of him evolved as they wrote, but then there was no going back through to edit him into a coherent and consistent character. It was subtle and hard to place, but I had a difficult time connecting to him, in part because I never felt like I knew him. (As a smaller aside, I don't know that we ever really even got a good description of him, so I had no idea what to even picture, which I found a bit frustrating.)
The pacing here also wasn't quite right for me. The lead up to the relationship was excellent, but the sudden sexting pivot point felt like a really sudden and aggressive flip, and then the jump into a full relationship with absolutely no discussions about what they were doing was really confusing. The whole last 1/3 of the book I kept waiting for something to happen (3rd act breakup, some kind of DTR) but it just read like an extended epilogue in which not much happens and I was sort of scratching my head. I appreciated the maturity of the relationship (though it was jarring for me to realize these guys are in their mid-20s and not their mid-30s, as they mostly read as older to me) but I was a bit bored at the end, waiting for some kind of tension or climax or something, instead of just a slow descent into the ending, which felt fairly abrupt considering the lack of a climactic event to mark the coming end/resolution of the book, and no official epilogue.
There were some good bones here, but it felt like it could have used a stronger editor to work on the pacing and characterization/writing issues....more
Interesting historical true crime book covering one of the earlier known serial killers and the evolution of forensic science. I'm not m3.5 rounded up
Interesting historical true crime book covering one of the earlier known serial killers and the evolution of forensic science. I'm not much of a true crime girlie, but I did find the forensic stuff and learning more about France in that time period all pretty interesting. The actual crime stuff and focus on the murderer himself wasn't my favorite, particularly post-apprehension and the circus of the trial, but I thought this was surprisingly thought-provoking in terms of how we view "insanity" and lack of personal responsibility when it comes to violent crimes....more
It's been *years* since I read the first book, which I generally really enjoyed, but after seeing a lot of mixed reviews for this one,2.5 rounded down
It's been *years* since I read the first book, which I generally really enjoyed, but after seeing a lot of mixed reviews for this one, it sort of fell to the back burner. And, unfortunately, after giving it a read, I was pretty underwhelmed. Honestly I would have DNF'd this halfway through, but I had a headache through the first half and thought maybe that was affecting my feels so I decided to stick the rest of the book out, but no, I just didn't vibe with this one.
There's a *lot* of hockey in the one, significantly more than I remember from book 1, which isn't a problem for me at all, just something to mention. I really liked that both of the characters are POC, which is particularly rare in hockey, and something that's addressed decently well within the narrative. It's an enemies to lovers romance that actually delivers on the enemies bit if that's your jam, and it is for me, but I'm super picky, and I didn't totally love it here.
Honestly, I just didn't totally buy their chemistry. The sex was hot, but I didn't actually *feel* the attraction, and then when ~feelings~ happen, I didn't feel it either--lots of telling and not showing. I also generally thought some of the relationship pacing in general is off here. The move from fuck buddies to boyfriends happens pretty quick IMO, and then (view spoiler)[after the requisite breakup, one of the characters tells Emmitt some hard truths that basically say "go tell your man you want to talk about things after the Stanley Cup" and then Emmitt... doesn't do it? Instead he drops by for a "no strings attached" fuck, even though they are in love and know they are in love?? and there is no conversation, and then a month later they are back together, also with no conversation??? The entire ending from the break-up on was SO fucking odd with no actual communication and yet somehow they're both fine and happy and the things that broke them up in the first place aren't an issue anymore even though they've not talked about it at all? I was annoyed (hide spoiler)]
IDK, something about this never clicked for me. There were some good bones, but the characters and relationship never gelled, and the climactic relationship stuff was weird.
Merged review:
2.5 rounded down
It's been *years* since I read the first book, which I generally really enjoyed, but after seeing a lot of mixed reviews for this one, it sort of fell to the back burner. And, unfortunately, after giving it a read, I was pretty underwhelmed. Honestly I would have DNF'd this halfway through, but I had a headache through the first half and thought maybe that was affecting my feels so I decided to stick the rest of the book out, but no, I just didn't vibe with this one.
There's a *lot* of hockey in the one, significantly more than I remember from book 1, which isn't a problem for me at all, just something to mention. I really liked that both of the characters are POC, which is particularly rare in hockey, and something that's addressed decently well within the narrative. It's an enemies to lovers romance that actually delivers on the enemies bit if that's your jam, and it is for me, but I'm super picky, and I didn't totally love it here.
Honestly, I just didn't totally buy their chemistry. The sex was hot, but I didn't actually *feel* the attraction, and then when ~feelings~ happen, I didn't feel it either--lots of telling and not showing. I also generally thought some of the relationship pacing in general is off here. The move from fuck buddies to boyfriends happens pretty quick IMO, and then (view spoiler)[after the requisite breakup, one of the characters tells Emmitt some hard truths that basically say "go tell your man you want to talk about things after the Stanley Cup" and then Emmitt... doesn't do it? Instead he drops by for a "no strings attached" fuck, even though they are in love and know they are in love?? and there is no conversation, and then a month later they are back together, also with no conversation??? The entire ending from the break-up on was SO fucking odd with no actual communication and yet somehow they're both fine and happy and the things that broke them up in the first place aren't an issue anymore even though they've not talked about it at all? I was annoyed (hide spoiler)]
IDK, something about this never clicked for me. There were some good bones, but the characters and relationship never gelled, and the climactic relationship stuff was weird....more
Concept was super interesting, but the moralizing, puritanical outlook was off-putting, and I was shocked at how absolutely uninformed she seemed to bConcept was super interesting, but the moralizing, puritanical outlook was off-putting, and I was shocked at how absolutely uninformed she seemed to be about eating disorders, given the reckless promotion of intermittent fasting, restrictive diets, and "food addiction". There were a couple of nuggets in here that have proven interesting food for thought, but they were vastly outweighed by her overall tone and approach, which felt very simplified and without any kind of nuance....more
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