TL;DR: Don’t look too closesly and you could have a fun ride with this one.Source: NetGalley, so many thanks to the publisher! Plot: Bianca tries to figure out how to save her horse-husband and they avoid assassins.Characters: I meaaannn… don’t look too close.Setting: There are two kingdoms… and war. And magic but again, don’t look... Continue Reading →
Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher
TL;DR: Delightfully fun with a unique side character.Source: NetGalley, so many thanks to the publisher! Plot: Edmund accidentally pulls a sword out and an ‘angel’ saves him - ha.Characters: I know the quirky characters Kingfisher writes are not always people’s favorites but I adore them.Setting: For Kingfisher fans, this is familiar land but it’s a... Continue Reading →
How To Fake It In Society by KJ Charles
TL;DR: Not my favorite of KJ Charles but still has some great strengths.Source: NetGalley, so many thanks to the publisher! Plot: Titus comes into unexpected wealth and Nico appears to help him manage it.Characters: I did like our primary characters, sadly the surrounding ones were very thin.Setting: Not the strongest I’ve seen from this author.Romance:... Continue Reading →
The Wicked and the Damned by Rebecca Robinson
TL;DR: This was like… 75% fillerSource: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: Vassa gets kidnapped and we get a lot of filler before a bang of an ending.Characters: Vassa looses a lot of her kickassery in this and we don’t get nearly enough Reid time. I couldn’t stand most of the other characters (Roman).Setting: A... Continue Reading →
Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti
TL;DR: This was aggressively fine.Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: Not real enemies become lovers and seemingly random hijinks.Characters: These two were… not that impressive to be honest. I wasn’t sold on either one and honestly got them confused the entire way through.Setting: A vaguely regency (maybe?) time period. I distinctly recall one location,... Continue Reading →
Love is an Open Book by Chandra Bloomberg
TL;DR: A bit forgettable but with interesting ideas.Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: Two friends become more after trying out book tropes.Characters: Gavin was adorable, but Mia was frustrating beyond belief at times.Setting: I don’t know that I can clearly visualize anywhere these two went.Romance: I wasn’t sold on this one from the jump.... Continue Reading →
Something Wicked by Falon Ballard
TL;DR: A lot of work on the sex, not so much on the actual plot.Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: There is an attempt at a political engine here, but I think the story was written for the sex and the characters.Characters: These two read identical in their voice. They had different ideas and... Continue Reading →
Empire of Flame and Thorns by Marion Blackwood
TL;DR: More of the same tropes and a cliffhanger ending with no satisfaction. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: Silver haired fae girl enters trials to get freedom, black haired broody man gets horny. Characters: I can’t say much for them because honestly there wasn’t much too them. Setting: Felt very much like every... Continue Reading →
Once Upon You and Me by Timothy Janovsky
TL;DR: Maybe not for me, very quick burn with shallow feeling characters. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: A young assistant falls for his boss’s ex-husband. It goes about as well as you expect. Characters: They felt very bland and honestly seemed to exist to check some boxes, which made me very uncomfortable. Setting:... Continue Reading →
The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten
TL;DR: A deeply disappointing sequel. Source: NetGalley, thank you so much! Plot: Immediately after book one, and we quickly find out nothing was free will? Characters: For such fierce characters in book one these three felt so drab and dull. Setting: The city just sat there. It felt like a prop. Other parts of the... Continue Reading →