I was drawn in by the concept despite the lurid cover, knowing I'd be skipping lots of sexual antics. Fortunately, the concept paid off with the origiI was drawn in by the concept despite the lurid cover, knowing I'd be skipping lots of sexual antics. Fortunately, the concept paid off with the originality I had hoped for and skipping the dumb bits was easy enough.
Victor is a workaday kind of guy with enough superpower to stay independent in the villain gig where his "job" is essentially to make up-and-coming superheroes look good by losing to them in a flashy way. I found it interesting that he doesn't actually make any money from crime, but rather from his PR work making heroes shine. It's a fun conceit and seeing him walk the line between more nasty, actually-evil villains and his own niche was entertaining.
I'm a bit sad that none of the women who attach themselves to him like limpets have any discernable personality. Okay, it's not quite as bad as that. They're all one-note characters, but each note is different and all of them are just a little bit bent (as befits people who would hang out with an avowed villain). But that's not the same as having any complexity or discernable motivations beyond hanging out with Victor and doing their schtick.
The plot is strong enough to keep me interested and with a good pace. There wasn't anything like a longer arc going on, but I did like seeing Victor go up against some of the world's big-bads and holding his own, demonstrating that his sideshow gig really is by choice. He isn't any more inherently villainy than any other normal(ish) guy and he really is in it for the freedom to pick his jobs and do the best he can in them.
I'm going to give this four stars, which is pretty much the maximum I can with a cover that lurid and harem shenanigans I have to skip to maintain any respect for the story. I'll admit, I'm likely to read the next just because I don't think the author has tapped out his creativity with this one and I'd like to see what happens next.
A note about Steamy: It's a harem story. There are three or four explicit sex scenes that would put this in the middle of my steam tolerance if I hadn't skipped them entirely. I'm sure they had all the acrobatic detail you'd expect from a story with harem as a theme and bad-girls demanding someone do them dirty....more
So this is a new series start from Krentz, though it's a lot like previous stories of hers. There's parapsych stuff, lots of woowoo. And people findinSo this is a new series start from Krentz, though it's a lot like previous stories of hers. There's parapsych stuff, lots of woowoo. And people finding love amidst their adventures. It's clear that this series will start with the three friends who have founded a podcast based on the night they "lost" that seems to have strengthened their psychic powers.
They're not the only ones who experienced a thing, though. Ambrose Drake (I think she cashed in all her chips using that name) also had a bad night that strengthened his psychic powers, though he's also a little nuts about sleeping for reasons I'm not sure held together at all.
Pallas Llewellyn (okay, she had chips left over) teams up with Ambrose and they kick psychic butt for goodness. And are only mildly pathetic while doing so. I mean, they stumble around a lot for folks who can read psychic clues. And people get the drop on them rather easily. And that's not even counting the big reveal that set up the series bad guy(s) while putting their full incompetence on display.
And okay, I'm being way harsher than the book deserves because it's fun to snark a bit. I was entertained and liked both protagonists, not least for how they worked together. They were an excellent match and I liked seeing them form a team and do the do-gooder thing. I think it's 3½ stars that I'll round, grudgingly, to four.
A note about Steamy: There's one and some explicit sex scenes putting this on the low end of my steam tolerance. I think. I finished this while travelling and honestly, some of the details are gone. It was typical of the author's woowoo sex where the woo adds to (overwhelms, some might say) the hoo....more
Fair warning up front: This "story" failed to deliver on key expectations with the things I was actually interested in and I'm more than a bit pissed.Fair warning up front: This "story" failed to deliver on key expectations with the things I was actually interested in and I'm more than a bit pissed. It's not so much that it's a cliffhanger as the story just sort of stops before resolving any of the things I cared about. So you should feel free to disregard anything I say in this review as me being emotional in my disappointment. I'm going to spoil the stuffing out of the ending of this "story" but seriously, read my review anyway because it will save you the pain of disappointment if you're tempted to pick it up.
I was drawn into this by the weird mélange of throwing Japanese demonology into an Appalachian folklore setting and making both be real. It's especially bold having an Oni as a main viewpoint character because that gives us up-close insight into that cultural perspective (or should have). Talk about two deep veins of superstition and spirituality to mine! It was kind of fun there, for a bit, seeing them mash up against each other. Only. I'm unfortunately aware enough of both to feel how shallow those elements ultimately were. I wrote a whole dissertation in my head about lost opportunities and places that could have benefited from a deeper penetration of one or the other of those cultures. And it doesn't help that the shallower representation was my personal heritage in the Appalachians. I mean, who puts the spookiest place of power in an Appalachian setting on the top of a (bald) hill?!? No haller? No crossroads? No deep, dark place of hidden power? I mean, seriously?
And even as I resigned myself to the cultural paucity, I felt like at least the pace was good with good action elements and I couldn't wait to see how Rain and Kyosai would team up to beat the antagonist(s). Only they totally don't!!! Lessee. We have Rain's curse: still active. Trapdoor spider creature feeding on the populace: still active (indeed, Kyosai deliberately leaves it alive at one point). Demon crows anticipating any opportunity to pester Rain: still active. The only thing they confront and overcome is a fourth-quarter addition who shows up as a minion of whatever is cursing Rain. Which isn't even identified (though with hints that it's related to the Celtic Morrigan—that's right, we drag a completely separate third culture in at the last minute for no reason and with no payload whatsoever (though I'll give you that Appalachian folklore is heavily spiced with Celtic elements which would have been interesting if there had been any depth to the folklore to that point).
Oh, and don't get me started on the non-romance of this whole thing. We were three-quarters in and we hadn't even had Rain and Kyosai talk about anything of substance or connect on any unsuperficial level at all. Both main character viewpoints mention attraction here and there, but there's no connection. No quiet moments. No reach towards intimacy. There's not even any conflict or disagreements that might have reflected hidden yearnings. This book ends with them just starting to form a connection that might possibly some day lead to a romance.
So can you see what I'm saying when I give this travesty one star? Seriously, authors, give me some resolution to the conflicts in the story! Or, failing that, a romance I can throw my heart over! Give me something that would identify this as a story. Ugh. So terribly disappointing.
A note about Chaste: There's no sex. There's no romance. There's not even any kissing. This is desolately chaste....more
This is another Harmony psy-fi romance though it stands alone well-enough. Characters from some of the previous stories make appearances, but not in aThis is another Harmony psy-fi romance though it stands alone well-enough. Characters from some of the previous stories make appearances, but not in any important way.
This was a giant disappointment. Ethan is okay, though kind of a standard Castle hero, but Ravenna was a whiner. I mean, she got things done so it wasn't like she just sat around or anything. But every time she opened her mouth I cringed. This was particularly galling with regards to Ethan who deserved her gratitude and thanks, not the endless rounds of "matchmaker blah blah" screeds. At least he didn't respond in kind.
And I really hate the romance book thing where they've finally declared feelings and one (or both) goes "I was in love with you from the beginning". It's almost never true, or, if it is, it makes her a jaded jerk if she was in love with him that whole time. I'm sorry, but this does not work for me without at least some kind of support. Ethan at least acted like he fell in love with her from the start. Consistently, even. Ravenna couldn't even manage a little jealousy about the other women she set him up with or regret that she couldn't offer herself as a potential match. I just can't square her getting all mad that he never gave those other girls a chance. It undercuts your whole "loved you from the start" claim and makes it silly.
Add that we're still supporting Melody Palentine as the actual big-bad and I can't go above two stars for this one. She's the least interesting super villain I've ever heard of. She's barely even plotting at all, she just happens to be the administrative assistant of successive failures, still convincing herself that she's a big plotting plotter despite not actually doing any plotty plotting. She's got those mad assistant skillz, yo. So mad that all her bosses fail and get caught.
A note about Steamy: There's some explicit sex, but on the low end of my steam tolerance. Ravenna does this fire-talent fireworks thing that was very nearly interesting the first time it came up and became less so every time it happened. Having it make a sexy-times appearance ended up being kind of lame....more
This is thirteenth in the Ghost Hunters series, but it's the start of its own subseries. There are a bunch of brief cameos at the very end where you sThis is thirteenth in the Ghost Hunters series, but it's the start of its own subseries. There are a bunch of brief cameos at the very end where you see many of the dust bunnies from before and it feels like you should need to read Siren's Call because this one features a brother of the lead in that one. But you don't really need that if you don't feel like it. What I'm saying is that this is a good place to start if you want to just jump into the series.
So it's a Harmony novel so psy-everything and energy everything else and an adventure novel with a romance core. Castle delivers the goods on this kind of story, so it turned out pretty much exactly as expected. And for me, I mean that in a good way.
Hannah and Elias were great. Elias was prone to attributing things to being an engineer that the engineers I know would probably laugh about, but that's because he's a psy-engineer. Obviously. Hannah is a little too family-hungry for someone who has a most excellent found family who clearly love her (and she loves them). And the setting isn't very serious as a thin veneer of psy pasted over Las Vegas. And all of that sounds like negatives but they really weren't. At least not to me. I will admit to being deeply disappointed when we got a psy tsunami and not one person called it a psynami! I mean, that's a gimme right?
Anyway, I'm calling this four stars and I'll admit that it's largely because I knew what I was getting into with a Jayne Castle story set in Harmony. I spent a frustrating bit of googling trying to track down the reference to Arizona Snow. Hannah's dust bunny finds an action figure and attaches to it and I know that name sounds familiar. I traced it back to the Eclipse Bay series but apparently not a main character.
A note about Steamy: There's a couple of explicit sex scenes putting this almost in the middle of my steam tolerance. It was magical. And stuff....more
This has a long, slow start because Grace begins essentially waking from a long period of ennui and it's the clingy kind that makes her numb in ways tThis has a long, slow start because Grace begins essentially waking from a long period of ennui and it's the clingy kind that makes her numb in ways that would have been more frustrating if the setting weren't so interesting. And a lot of that numbness is wrapped up in the ex she is fleeing and the author holds details a little too close for a bit.
Fortunately, the knowledge withholding eases before I got too impatient and I liked seeing Grace develop some fire. I particularly liked that she called Caleb on his crap behavior and never put up with less than being treated like she deserved.
And Caleb is sweet when he isn't reacting out of remembered hurt from a past relationship. I don't remember if we got an age for him, so assuming he's low-to-mid twenties worked fine for me and let me give him a bit of a break on being a little stupid relationship-wise.
And the supernatural community ended up working out for me, too. I liked them a lot and seeing them trying their best through some misreads and miscommunication was endearing.
But my favorite part, and I know this is totally personal, was how Grace talked about teaching high schoolers English—mostly because she says things Melissa and I have been saying for years. We practically teach kids to hate reading by larding them down with opaque slogs and then drilling them on theme and symbolism. It doesn't hurt that Grace specifically mentions books I love (starting with introducing her students to Howl’s Moving Castle to explore character).
Anyway, this is a really weak four stars because at least half a star is loving Grace-the-teacher. The romance works. The community is endearing. And as Grace warms up and comes alive she's great to get to know. And Caleb gets over himself. So lots of win, right?
A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. I actually liked how well those worked out. They required some working together in interesting ways and if that piques your interest, all the better. Though it's probably more mundane than you're thinking......more
About halfway through, I remember thinking to myself "my rating is going to depend a lot on what we find out about Violet's disappearance." And it doeAbout halfway through, I remember thinking to myself "my rating is going to depend a lot on what we find out about Violet's disappearance." And it does.
This story has a lot of moving parts and some complicated relationships. The core relationship is between the missing Violet and her sister Sasha. There's bad blood between them and the story spends the most time establishing the layers of that relationship. The push and pull of rivalry, competition, care, and past hurts. Since Violet is absent from the story (except for a brief appearance at the end that I'll get to), Sasha is by far the most intimate picture of her and that is not a flattering view. Which is why, in the middle of the story, I wondered why we should care beyond maybe a little closure. Which is when the story turned into a logical puzzle for me rather than one where I cared about Violet for herself.
And at least the puzzle was an interesting one. Um. Until you find out and then it turns out it wasn't that interesting after all. At least to me. The author dances around a lot and waves a lot of moving pieces around with the different viewpoints and vignettes and voices telling what they know of Violet. And there's some skullduggery as well that was interesting (until we get to the reveal and it wasn't so much). So the dancing around is entertaining. Violet is an interesting person and getting the layers of her manufactured personas and all these different perspectives of her was engaging.
Less engaging was Sasha's sanctimonious daughter, Quinn. She's the epitome of the wise millennial letting all the adults know what's virtuous and good. Only the author took all the possible shortcuts with her vegan this and environmental that and the haughty lectures about resources and consciousness. Is there a stock of these characters in some warehouse, somewhere? Any chance we can set fire to that thing and make authors go the long-way around to signal character virtue? Yes, yes, Quinn is great and how dare these adults try to have any input whatsoever about her in any way. Sigh.
Anyway, the mystery turns out to be none of the interesting options and instead leans into the (view spoiler)[magical mysticism that's been edging into the story along the way. People really are magical! Sasha really can teleport places and Violet mastered dimensional travel and is now, er, well, we don't really know do we? Sasha has a fade-in/out episode and they have a talk-talk in some random dimensional space where they reenact all their rivalries and decide to be nicer to one another even if neither one cares to let go of any of their animosity. So Violet is . . . somewhere but we don't really know where or what she's doing or why she felt she had to go except for some really stupid egotistical thing that is, I'll admit, on-brand. And then Sasha snaps back to where she was before (hide spoiler)] and now Sasha is fine with things and happy whatever. So it was the cheapest possible option, is what I'm saying.
So yeah, I'm not a fan of the final reveal. I'm going to give this three stars because I was entertained along the way, even if the payoff was weak. I get the feeling that this is supposed to be deep and say things about the masks we wear and how we manufacture our self-image all the time or something. But it's the kind of deep you get in freshman dorms before they've learned anything useful and want to impress each other or in bars just as everyone settles in for the duration and someone asks "hey, am I really me, or am I just who I think is me?" I wasn't drunk enough to find it deep, I suppose.
A note about the audiobook: The audio production is fantastic, with a lot of talented actors contributing to the work. It really worked and worked well, even if the deepthroat guy was way creepier than I liked. I definitely recommend that if you're going to take a shot at this, that you get the audiobook version.
A note about Chaste: There's no sex in this. Violet is a promiscuous, polyamorous bisexual and they talk a lot about her various exploits, but not in explicit terms. So I consider this pretty chaste....more
This is second in a series with paranormal elements and it picks up with momentum from the first one. So you definitely need to read the other one firThis is second in a series with paranormal elements and it picks up with momentum from the first one. So you definitely need to read the other one first or a whole heckuva lot of this one will make zero sense.
Having read the first, you know what to expect with this one. It's a little more meanering and a bit of the interactions between Mia and Merida are a bit too ideal, though not always. Like, there are some tense moments between them and I loved those. But there are even more "Mom" moments that are a bit too smooth. This is a key relationship and I regretted losing some of its edge, frankly.
The moral nuance was as strong in this one, including some vigilante activity that was exactly right for my paladin heart. Further, I liked how different characters approached those moments and the discussions surrounding them. This may be my primary engagement with the story, frankly.
The girlfriend relationships are still "Reverse Harem" ideal with lesbian manifestation. It's a little weaker in this story because some of them fade into the background and some felt same-ier than they had in the first book. Which is too bad.
The school aspects also took a backseat and I'm honestly not sure what I think of that change. There was plenty of story to invest in so that wasn't too bad. I wasn't a fan of all the forgiveness slinging willy-nilly at the start of this. There are consequences for the giant blunder that concluded the last story, but not nearly enough and Mia was forefront in taking it easy on those who betrayed her trust the most. I mean, forgive your friends for a simple mistake, sure. People have lapses in judgement and it's way better to find a way to move on. But some of those Mia let off seemed a bit facile.
Anyway, there was enough friction I'm going to call this four stars. I still love the story and I still have no idea who this book is for because frankly, it's a very odd niche. But I still like Roseau's characterization and moral nuance and found this plenty engaging. I'm definitely in if she continues this series, though I do hope she gets better covers.
A note about Chaste: Mia and her coterie are intimate and affectionate and kissing and cuddling. But they are not having sex and that's even explicitly stated. There's some skyclad witchery as well, though there's nothing salacious about the presentation. So I consider this chaste. But only barely....more
This is third in a series and characters from the others are sprinkled throughout this one. Magnus is introduced in the previous and carries a not-insThis is third in a series and characters from the others are sprinkled throughout this one. Magnus is introduced in the previous and carries a not-insignificant role, there, that bleeds into this story. So I recommend reading them in order.
We've seen a bit of the shifters who can't shift before, though until now, they featured as villains stunted by their inadequacies as shifters. Okay, that was one guy, but he made an impression in the first book. So having Verity show up as one of the so-called "squibs" (awful name that's kind of perfect for its connotations) I was intrigued to see where Davidson was going with it. The emotional pain of being less-than could well have been everything about the character and that would have been a shame.
So it's good that Verity was very much her own self and that she leans into who she is rather than what she cannot do. She has an interesting job, semi-interesting friends, and an attitude of competence that really engaged me. I particularly liked getting to know her largely through Magnus (to start) who is fascinated by her no-holds attitude and willingness to do difficult things.
And I liked Magnus, too. Even as he's trying so hard not to be the creepy stalker while figuring out who this intriguing woman is. I love that a couple of times he had to sit back and acknowledge that he had done as much as he could without being creepy guy and just had to hope she'd rise to his expressed invite. His combination of hope and discouragement sat well with me because it showed he could take a hint and give a woman her space. Plus, it let Verity decide that she really was intrigued by the guy and not just because he had money.
So I liked their relationship and seeing it develop. The plot, on the other hand, was pretty lame. Verity's squib club friends were rather pathetic, really, and I never really felt like I knew them beyond two-word descriptions. So the stakes never felt that real, for all Verity does her best at being distraught over the couple who died. Plus, the villain was rather pathetic once revealed (though I loved the scene where Verity demonstrated just how well a motivated squib could defend herself when pressed, not least because she knew exactly where to get the best bang for her violence buck).
Anyway, Verity and Magnus make this a simple call for four stars. Sure, the plot turned out to be lame, but I didn't care about it at all, so that's alright.
A note about Steamy: As in the others, we get just enough steam to count but not a lot of detail all-told. It works for the series and characters, so I'm okay with that....more
This is second in a paranormal kind of romance series and some characters and story things carry over. Not so much that you couldn't start here if youThis is second in a paranormal kind of romance series and some characters and story things carry over. Not so much that you couldn't start here if you wanted. But I'd recommend reading in order.
I was worried on finding that Oz would star in this one. Oz is kind of a one-liner in the first book who only really comes into his own when the final confrontation happens and his inner badass comes to the fore. Which left me wondering what he'd offer a love interest and why she'd want him. It's not a good sign that I'm still wondering.
Lila, on the other hand? Yeah, she's hardcore awesome with extra spice. She's two steps ahead of opponents, lays her traps well (both verbal and physical), and is as unflappable as a block of granite. Seeing her encounter, navigate, and bend the shifter world to her will was engaging from start to finish.
The plot worked out fine. And the pacing is fantastic. And the secondary characters, particularly the cubs, were highlights. Davison keeps a light tone even in heavy subjects, but I think it serves these stories well (possibly because I'm expecting it).
But yeah, the romance didn't really gel for me. I get why Oz would be fascinated and drawn towards Lila. I'm less certain what she sees in the big goof. It might have worked better if he had rolled with her shenanigans right from the start. She really needs acceptance from someone who can keep up. And I think that may be what Davidson was aiming for because that's sort of where they end up. But it doesn't answer what she sees in him along the way or explain why she's into him so early and so strongly. There's a bit of a thread for a "fated mates" dynamic with a silly name, but that gets undermined hard in the end (and I'm just as glad it did so). What isn't taken into account adequately is that undermining the thing also undermines those initial relationship moments and leaves them begging for what she found to engage her in the goofball Oz.
Anyway, this ends up with 3½ stars that I'm going to round up on the strength of the hijinks and just loving Lila and the cubs.
A note about Steamy: There's an explicit nearly-sex scene and detailed aftermath of sex in a scene and it's enough to trip the steamy tag. But on the low end. And I have to say, one of the ways Oz might have been redeemed from gooftown was bypassed as a result....more
I liked the premise enough to bite, and at least some of that is knowing Davidson wouldn't bog down on the dark side of things. With a subject like chI liked the premise enough to bite, and at least some of that is knowing Davidson wouldn't bog down on the dark side of things. With a subject like child trafficking from the foster care system, that made a difference because that pool could go deep. Yes, I'm saying that Davidson is a little shallow with her stories and that I find them, um, built to banter? Like, bantering over certain subjects just wouldn't fly, so in order to maintain the kind of story Davidson seems prone to tell, I knew it couldn't get that dark. And I was totally right.
And I knew there was a good chance I'd like the protagonist because Davidson likes lots of personality in her heroines. That paid off in the first pages. Annette is kind of awesome as the bear shifter with a mission to protect the vulnerable children in her foster system. Getting to know her was delightful and seeing her interact with her friends and coworkers and charges was entertaining. And even more so once David showed up on the scene.
And yeah, it doesn't hurt that David is my favorite type of male romantic lead. I love the protective, capable guy who works hard, gets stuff done, is fundamentally kind, and protects and supports those around him. David is beyond awesome, with only a tiny flaw in the negative motivation* hanging him up from relationships. I thought it was something serious, too, because he's all "people were killed because ...". Only it turns out he's just projecting unfounded fears and prejudging everyone to be as shallow as his mother.
The romance was great, too. They belong together so strongly and I loved how well they "got" one another. The only drawback on that is the constant misread/guarded comment cycle they went around a few too many times. "she said obviously not when asked if we're dating" "he said of course not when asked..." blah blah blah. It went on too long, though I'm a fan of how it was resolved, finally, and that the resolution included better communication between them for the future.
So this is a generous four stars. There are weaknesses, but the strengths more than made up for them, at least for me. Do bear in mind that it's a light treatment of some hefty subjects and if you want all the drama and angst, this isn't the author for you. Personally, I found that a benefit for this story.
A note about Steamy: There are a couple of explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. The second is way, waaaaay longer than the first and carries a lot of relationship weight as well. Which is a good thing! And well done.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story....more
I have no idea who the audience for this book is, though I'm certainly among their number. Also, is it really a reverse harem if they're all women? OoI have no idea who the audience for this book is, though I'm certainly among their number. Also, is it really a reverse harem if they're all women? Oooo! I'm going to propose a category name for this sub-sub-sub-genre. Let's call it a Sharem story! Come on! That's an excellent idea! Okay, fine, ignore me. It's lesbians doing the harem thing centered around Mia as the central "glue". It's as well established as any of the Reverse Harems are. Better, actually, I think (though that's not hard).
Paranormal. RH. What else. Oh right, this is a really, really deep character immersion. Since Roseau does the characterization very well (with one strange exception that smacks of political posturing), that works way better than I had thought it would. Mia has been homeless for four years after escaping abuse by a foster mother who was a cop. So she has a problem with cops and with authority and with trust in general. This imprints the story strongly so you get a lot of similar interactions with different people. I enjoyed every one of them because they were all layered with the quirks of those characters and served to triangulate Mia's issues with trust.
I liked that Mia learned to extend trust relatively freely over the course of the story. Cautiously, sure, but learning to extend the benefit of the doubt in healthy(er) ways was good to see. And her responses when that trust was violated were both in character (so understandable) and proportionate. And I include (view spoiler)[the final betrayal that has her burning her bridges on her way out of her first year at Greenwood (hide spoiler)]. Delivering justice to abusers and scoundrels is very much a sub-theme of this story and I always enjoy that, as long as it is handled with moral nuance. This story has some outstanding moral nuance.
I found the political posturing a bit grating because it stood out as the only real break in character for Mia. I mean, she's positively vitriolic regarding Trump, going out of her way a couple times to drag him into an otherwise unpolitical conversation. It was weird when you consider that she's been homeless for four years. Like, how much exposure has she had to the guy? It's not like she has a twitter account. It just seemed tacked on and weird.
Anyway, I loved this story all the way to the end. I may be an outlier here because the story goes into a lot of detail for classes and classmates and magic study and hanging out with friends and different date-type activities with Mia's five girlfriends. It would have been slow if the writing hadn't been so outstanding. And by writing, I mean characterization, mainly, because it all hung on those character interactions feeling genuine and important despite being mostly mundane. I'm giving all five stars and tell you that I loved it, even the ending that (view spoiler)[not-quite-literally burned everything to the ground with a betrayal so huge, I was totally with Mia as she stole away in the middle of the night after a righteous rampage, intending never to return (hide spoiler)]. And yeah, I have no idea how Roseau is going to manage a series with this. Maybe with a new protagonist? Maybe with some Earth-shattering changes? I dunno. But I look forward to finding out.
A note about Chaste: For all the intimacy and dating and girlfriend activities, Roseau limits physical activities to kissing and cuddling. It's way more chaste than I expected. Maybe because of the age of the characters? Fifteen is a bit early for lots of sexual shenanigans, true, and I certainly wouldn't want to take that on in a story. By the end, this felt a bit forced due to the emotional intimacy of those relationships, though not really in an unwelcome way....more
This is third in a Paranormal series and character and story arcs build over time. I definitely recommend reading in order.
So more of what you'd expecThis is third in a Paranormal series and character and story arcs build over time. I definitely recommend reading in order.
So more of what you'd expect. Though this has a lot more lore/history to it than previous.
The plot goes along a lot like the previous book—mostly slowly and in the background until the latter parts of the book so we get lots of time for the characters to interact and establish/grow their relationships. I like this aspect of the story.
I'm less of a fan of the lore bits. We learn about Rue's heritage and find out details about her paternal grandmother. There's also more corruption revealed in the Black Hats and you have to begin to wonder why they're an ongoing concern at all. Like, they're pretty much all evil held in check solely by the powerful director (who is also evil, but at least keeps things running smoothly and with the goal of preventing the supernatural world from being revealed). As that control breaks down and more agents go rogue, the benefit of the organization is in question. And that's before we get to the end and actually meet Rue's grandfather (who is the director in question). This has made me less attached to the series, and that surprised me a little bit. Maybe because it's a rift between what I want for Rue and the organization she's taking orders/jobs from?
So I'm going to call this 4½ stars that I'm rounding up because the core group I love is still all my jam. I'm a little worried about picking up the next. It doesn't look like the end of the series and that will mean I've caught up and actually have to wait. So I'm debating about just waiting now because the next looks like a real emotional roller-coaster. This is an odd place to be in.
A note about Chaste: So one of my favorite developments is Asa admitting, reluctantly, that he's a virgin. A never-been-kissed virgin. Which actually makes sense given his background. But his nervousness about intimacy is so very sweet and Rue's care for him even sweeter. They have some lovely kissing in this book, but they're taking it slow. So this is still very chaste, despite a clothes-on snuggle where they fall asleep on the couch....more
This is second in a paranormal series where character and story arcs build over time. So you should definitely read in order.
You definitely know what This is second in a paranormal series where character and story arcs build over time. So you should definitely read in order.
You definitely know what you're getting with this one, though the plot itself is way, waaaay more backgrounded. Indeed, the first half, maybe more, is mostly Clay, Asa, Rue, and Colby hanging out. They're on the trail of bad guys, but there's zero sense of urgency. I was totally down for this, by the way. I love the relationship developments. Rue and Asa are just sweet in their daemony way, and Colby and Clay forming a sidekick alliance of sorts is as sweet as Colby's sugar water diet.
This isn't going to be everybody's cuppa. If you're looking for a spanking pace and lots of action, this book is going to leave you a little wanting. If you don't think Colby is the cutest thing ever, you may not be that interested in her growth as Rue's familiar. And Asa and Rue's courtship is decidedly strange, centered as it is around sharing food (spit muffins are a running thing) and hair fondling. Also, it's a decidedly weird slow burn because their emotional intimacy has ramped much faster than their physical intimacy and that's different, too.
But it turns out that I'm so very into all those things. So while most of my GR friends who have read it have this in the three-star range, I'm going all-in. This is very much my personal cuppa, so let's just acknowledge that as we go...
A note about Chaste: Neither Asa nor Rue are in any hurry for sexing things up. If I had to characterize it, I think they're both enjoying the daemon-flavored dance and their growing emotional intimacy is overwhelming enough for them to deal with. I get the sense that both have been isolated their entire lives and they're cautiously exploring things. Which means, there's no shenanigans, as yet. So I consider it very chaste....more
Rue Hollis is an interesting protagonist, at least for me. She used to be a mover and shaker in the magical enforcement world as a black witch. Which Rue Hollis is an interesting protagonist, at least for me. She used to be a mover and shaker in the magical enforcement world as a black witch. Which apparently means she ate the hearts of her foes to gain their power. Only something happened on her last case involving another black witch that both left her disgusted with that line of power and made her responsible for his last victim. So she foreswore the black witchcraft in favor of the much less powerful white witching and with a bound familiar that was her last-ditch effort to save that last victim. So she has a moth familiar who is what's left of the ten year-old fae girl she "saved" and that relationship was everything to my engagement with the story.
Not that there weren't other things pulling me in. I like Rue and her old partner Clay (a golem of the traditional sort) and her new partner-by-extension Asa (a half-fae, half-demon with glorious hair). These relationships sparkled with interesting back-and-forth. And the plot was nicely handled as a copycat to Rue's last case shows up with icky death-dealing to pursue.
But really, I was all-in on Colby (Rue's moth familiar) and her online gaming and innocent patter and miss smarty fuzzy butt (because moths don't wear pants so smarty pants doesn't apply). Rue obviously loves Colby with what's left of her blackened heart and her attempts to give Colby the life that was stolen from her were adorable. I never knew how cute a moth could be until Edwards imbued this one with the charm and innocence of a ten year-old smart aleck.
On its own, this would probably warrant four stars for an interesting plot and some fun companions. But Colby makes it impossible for me not to go the full five. I can't wait to see what the next story has to offer.
A note about Chaste: Rue is kind of an emotional recluse and the plot doesn't give them much time to develop anything romantic. But I loved Asa's sly courtship as Rue piques his interest. There's nothing sexual at all, so it's pretty chaste. But I found what was there charming and I'm intrigued to see it develop in future stories....more
This is second in a series, though they aren't terribly interrelated. The couple from the first book are present but you don't get any extra context bThis is second in a series, though they aren't terribly interrelated. The couple from the first book are present but you don't get any extra context by knowing their story. I'd still recommend reading in order, though.
This one was a bit more serious than the others by the author I've read so far. The conflict starts off internal with Ivy having secrets she's keeping and pressures she is under for the arranged marriage to Hank. She's a good person and hates the secrets so she's doing the best she can. Still, that tension has some weight that kept this from being as fluffy as you might expect.
That said, Hank is a great guy and I personally had no doubt where he'd break once the secrets came out. He's one of those competent caretakers I love so much, so it wasn't a hard sell to spend time while Ivy figures her situation out. Plus, Ivy is awesome in her own right when all is said. She has been dealt a crap family and is just so appreciative of Hank's stellar qualities that it was fun being along for that ride, too.
The tensions are eventually pulled to the external sources they started as and bad guys start popping out of the woodwork. Which gave Ivy and Hank opportunity to solidify as a team. It's still a really fast timetable to arrive at I love yous, but I enjoyed seeing them gel and start taking things on together.
I'm not sure it ever got to the fluffy read I had expected. Things stay pretty tense with shifters playing deadly games for dominance (not Hank's people, the bad guys play the deadly games against Hank and his pals). I loved seeing the good guys bat right back and not hesitating to do the hard things when they needed doing. And yes, Hank really is all that when he goes all hard boy why do you ask?
I'm giving this four stars as it's still a very light story, despite the harder themes this takes on. And things end up very ideal in ways that evoke fantasy or fairy tale. This is expected, so not a knock on the story. It's just I can't quite justify going to five stars under the circumstances.
A note about Chaste: There's sex in the story, though it is off page. The making out goes far enough that this very nearly trips out of my Chaste category but I think it held the line. It'd be a reasonable call to disagree with me on that, though, as it does come pretty close to, shudder, details... ...more
The cover and blurb should set your expectations just fine, but in case you missed it, this is a really light romance with paranormal influences. The The cover and blurb should set your expectations just fine, but in case you missed it, this is a really light romance with paranormal influences. The worldbuilding is kind of kitchen sink and without a lot of worry over fitting everything together. Like, there's a Valkyrie at one point but no mention of the theology that'd need to support it. Which makes this very much a taste-based read.
Fortunately, I'm in the mood for something light and enjoyed this well-enough. I was engaged with Delaney right off and loved spending time with her. She's quick-thinking and determined and not afraid to face tough truths (like that her mob-connected boss just killed a guy and it's maybe time to take extreme measures not to be in town any more). There are some convenient events to put her into the Nocturne story, but not so many that I minded.
Hugh is harder to engage with. Because he's pretty much a giant coward. He's all "My wife died and I can't take the pain if it happened again" so his primary motivation is all fear. Also, being negative motivation*, it stops the plot dead every time it comes up, leaving Delaney to break stalemates time and again. Add a bit of unilateral idiocy and he's pretty much a waste.
Okay, it wasn't that bad. Hugh was fine when he wasn't all Mr. Mopey-Pants (of the East End Mopey-Pantses, obviously, as he's titled and junk). The plot wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I mean, mobsters from central casting and a scorned Other Woman could be expected. But the family Dame, Hugh's mother, was interesting and the town was a fine setting, so I was entertained.
So this is four stars that rest solely on mood/taste based enjoyment. It's light fluff, but hit the spot for me. If you're worried, the tone is clear right up front, so you'll know in a sample if it's a fit or not, I think.
A note about Chaste: Sex happens and is referred to. But it's off screen and references are non-specific. There's a post-coital discussion scene but again, no sexy details. So I call this chaste, but I can see it might be a close call for others.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back (or, if that link doesn't work, here's a cache of the original) and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story....more
This is first in a series, but it seems like it's intertwined with the author's Nocturne Falls Romances. I started the first of that one and can tell This is first in a series, but it seems like it's intertwined with the author's Nocturne Falls Romances. I started the first of that one and can tell that this one is after that in chronology because I recognize things that haven't happened yet. Feel free to read this first because the spoilers are mostly that Delaney has a store in town so you know things work out and that's not a surprise.
This definitely isn't a romance. It's mostly a cozy mystery, though there's a bit of jeopardy near the end. There are two guys vying for Jayne's attention so it looks like a standard love-triangle situation. I kind of like both and that's pretty rare for me so I'm happy with that. For now.
As for the story, the plot is really light, as is the worldbuilding. It's a minor miracle that it isn't all a jumbled muddle, but Painter at least keeps her lore consistent. And the town is charming, combining small town atmosphere with a heaping helping of supernatural folks works better than it has any right to.
As for Jayne, herself, she's a bit on the immature side, which worried me at first. Only, it turns out this is a lot about her finding confidence and a place for herself and growing into it. And I found that engaging.
So I'm going to go with a solid four stars, but with the caveat that this is very much a taste thing. If you are willing to go with the premise and a fairly light story you might enjoy it, too. Fortunately, the tone is set really early so a sample should tell you if you're going find it interesting or not.
A note about Chaste: Jayne is explicitly someone who doesn't do casual sex. And there are two guys vying for her favors and it ends without her making any kind of choice. Except to keep dating both. So there's no sex at all and only a couple of very nice kisses. So I consider it very chaste....more
Let's just get this out of the way up front: there is nothing cozy about this story and the series setup mitigates against any future stories being evLet's just get this out of the way up front: there is nothing cozy about this story and the series setup mitigates against any future stories being even close. This is really bad marketing by the publisher. I'm not sure what I'd call it. Paranormal mystery, if I were making stuff up. Though I'd try to shoehorn "adventure" in there because this is more adventure story than mystery story.
I'm really conflicted about this story. I really liked Bridget and Sabrina and their never-say-die personalities. They're never too stupid to live and any time it got close, you could clearly see their motivations and they had explicitly decided that the probable consequences were worth it. Since the heart of this story is slavery (that's what they call a "strong reading", i.e. one the author doesn't come close to and I'll work on supporting that in a bit), there are lots of opportunities for them to exercise their personhood in the face of violations of autonomy.
The afterlife posited by the story is bureaucratic hell. Bridget even says so a couple of times and she isn't wrong. The dead have zero autonomy and self-determination is a complete no-go. It doesn't matter what you want to do, you do the job assigned to you. It doesn't matter how you want to live, you live where, and with whom, you are told. And your personal "guardian" is very much in the parental sense of "I get to make decisions for you". This is obscured a little bit because Oz, Bridget's guardian, is mostly a decent person. But that fact seems mostly an accident and we see plenty of abuses of the system to be more than a little skeptical of all the power structures of the worldbuilding. Add that the people assigned to teach newbs the rules are incompetent in the kindest reading and actively evil if you want to take their actions at the results and you have a situation where I can totally see someone with a strong moral code opting out and doing her own things as much as she is able.
So yeah, the dead are essentially slaves. You never see the people in charge, but whoever they are, their enforcers (both the police and the bigger, badder ghost police) are omnipresent, have no check in situ, have no appeal of their rulings, and impose draconian measures with zero remorse or hesitation. And they dictate every aspect of the afterlife from occupation to free time activities to living accommodations to association. Indeed, for the first decade, they put people in group homes with mandatory group activities. Which is my own version of hell. And then they grade on "acclimation" which you quickly learn is a malleable concept open to interpretation. Again with no appeal. So it serves essentially as an obedience training concept where those who go along with the rules and dictates of whoever the powers are receive the accolades. Note: not freedom. Nobody has freedom.
So it's a lot heavier than the marketing would support. But I liked Bridget and Sabrina so much that I was fully engaged in their dynamic-duo determination to get to the bottom of things and to make things right where they can. I liked that they have separate, but very useful, skillsets and I particularly like that Bridget, our viewpoint character, has a very subtle power set based largely on knowing who she is and what she wants. And keen organizational skills.
Oh right. The mystery. The investigation was interesting, though the antagonist was super lame once revealed. Frankly, it managed the pace it did by having a lot of contributing elements stepping on each other along the way. And I mean that in a good way because many of the side characters are variously aligned and are sometimes in conflict and sometimes allied and I liked that dynamic more than a little.
OH! I just realized that this story feels a lot like the 80s RPG Paranoia if you took away the guns and factional antagonism. Yes, I am a nerd. Why do you ask?
Anyway, this is four stars, though I'm not sure I can handle being in that world for more stories. The bureaucratic hell is way too oppressive for my taste.
A note about Chaste: There's no romance in the story, though it feels like Bridget is being setup for a slow-burn with Oz. Which I'm totally down for, though we need more development of him as a character for that to happen. I'm willing to go there if the author does, though....more
This is third in a series and some plot and story arc carries over from the others. I recommend reading them in order.
Having read the others, you knowThis is third in a series and some plot and story arc carries over from the others. I recommend reading them in order.
Having read the others, you know what to expect with this one. And I have almost nothing else to add. Olivia is stronger than we've seen her, which is good. Harlan is about what I expected personality-wise, though I kind of like how his twist on the psychic turned out.
The love was even more insta in this one than the others, though still just as believable (i.e. barely and only because I wanted it to be). The story also establishes a direct tie to JAK's earlier stories with an explicit Jones & Jones tie-in, including (view spoiler)[a formal relationship between the Arcane Society and the Foundation near the end (hide spoiler)]. This is not a surprise.
I'm going with 3½ stars that I'll round up because it delivered on expectations in a pleasant way. Scant endorsement, I know, but if you're mostly a fan of Krentz, this is a decent story in that vein.
A note about Steamy: There's a single explicit sex scene putting this on the low end of my steam tolerance. As expected, it had more than a little woowoo tied in making it extra-extra....more
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