Go get this book. It releases on the 13th and you want it. If you've ever bought a book on my recommendation before, you NEED this book.
First, I cWow.
Go get this book. It releases on the 13th and you want it. If you've ever bought a book on my recommendation before, you NEED this book.
First, I can't believe I've never read anything by Amelia before. She's made my auto-buy list from the first chapter. This book is THAT good. I'll be grabbing her entire backlist the second I get paid. You should too.
Jack of Thorns has an amazing voice. The characters have secrets. Their secrets have secrets. And that's hard to pull off when at least two of them have visions of the future/past throughout the story. This book is long and it could easily be longer. I didn't want it to end. And the final scene isn't a cliffhanger so much as an OOOOOHHHH SHIT?!?!?! that will leave you DYING for the next installment. I. Love. This. Book.
Lawrence is a heroin addict, a drug addict in general, and the story opens with overdose. Lawrence is not a clean, perfect hero. He's real, he's struggling hard, and he makes a lot of mistakes. By contrast, Quen is a really big questionmark throughout the entire story. He's got a history he's trying his best to repress which leaves a lot more questions than answers-- this book focuses on Lawrence and his situation rather than digging up Quen's past. I can't WAIT for a Quen-focused book.
Quen is ace, possibly by trauma rather than birth, and there's no sex in this book. Nothing explicit at all. Based on the direction the romance goes, I'd say Quen is specifically demisexual. There's definitely going to be more kissing.
There better be more kissing.
You hear me, Amelia?
Dan is an interesting character that I wanted to punch in the face repeatedly. Jack getting tangled up (ha) in Lawrence's life was perfectly played out. I did want to see more reflection on Dan's final situation and hopefully we'll get some of that in book 2.
Lawrence's mom is the best mom ever. I love her. If she's ever threatened I will cut someone. She is an angel and not to be harmed.
This book will leave you with the biggest hangover, FYI. I got sucked into the world and it wouldn't let me go. I was reading while out to dinner with Boyfriend. I HAD TO KNOW. Put this on your TBR. Mark your calendar for the 13th.
This is a very short story, just be aware of that going in. I didn't realize and Content warnings: depression, suicide attempt, mild suicidal ideation
This is a very short story, just be aware of that going in. I didn't realize and found myself at the end rather suddenly.
That aside, Better World is an interesting glimpse into a science fiction future that I can completely buy. Humanity is lingering, desperate, and going on little more than faith. Maeve is out of faith. This short lightly touches on the journey of a depressed young woman working her way from done to passably tolerable.
Maeve is lesbian, but I'm a little conflicted at the representation. This story isn't a romance of any kind, so the love interest, Cassia feels like she's dropped in suddenly around the half way point. There's a history between them that's tragic and I try to avoid LGBT work that results in romantic tragedy just because the characters are LGBT. At the same time, the words lesbian, love, or desire are never used. The reader is heavily reminded that what these two girls have is a FRIENDSHIP don't forget they're FRIENDS and they can't be FRIENDS anymore because FRIENSHI-- I was being beaten over the head with it. What's with the allergy to the word lesbian? Don't look now, just gals being pals face-sucking before impending doom, move along, nothing to see here.
Unfortunately, this shoehorn of a relationship crushed a lot of my enjoyment of this short. The plot itself is sold. Maeve's character is great. The world is very believable and concrete. I enjoyed the dialects and slang. All of these things are very hard to get right and Better World gets these pieces right.
So should you pick up this short? Don't go in expecting a fantastic piece of F/F representation. But for a glimpse into the world of Legacy Code, it might be worth while. Just note that Legacy Code is a het story, so Better World doesn't really speak to the right audience either way....more
I'm a sucker for hurt-comfort stories and this one is an adorable addition to the M/M genre. Sweet enough to rot your teeth.
Kate and Deacon's charactI'm a sucker for hurt-comfort stories and this one is an adorable addition to the M/M genre. Sweet enough to rot your teeth.
Kate and Deacon's characters are solid and I appreciated all the detail of their D/s relationship from start to finish.
I found the POV drifted to a distance sometimes, becoming more summary rather than strictly involved in the actions, and to my disappointment, quite a few kink scenes were skipped entirely.
The story is not complex, nor is the writing, which allowed me to read along for hours. But the simplicity of the story and writing also allowed me to put the book down. I wasn't hooked so strongly that I had to finish in one go.
All in all, a solid book with a great pair of protagonists!...more
Sedition is the second in the Demoted series and I have not read the first book. Despite my jump, I was not lost or confused with characters or plot. Sedition is the second in the Demoted series and I have not read the first book. Despite my jump, I was not lost or confused with characters or plot. There was a bit of a backstory dump in the first chapter which was thick, but critical to my understanding of the character histories. That backstory could have been smoothed.
Sedition's voice drifts from distant overview to very intense close third and back again. I've never been fond of distant voices and I don't think Sedition gains anything from the review/telling moments. It does help skip time along, but it kicked me out of the story a few times when things could have been more engrossing.
That being said, the moments of close third were stunning. I love how strong the visuals were and I often got lost in the story in these scenes.
I finished Sedition in one sitting. The plot is compelling and the characters are sharp. I wanted to see more of the political jockeying that they played, the details of deception are always interesting to me and much of them were downplayed or skimmed over.
The actual details of the research in question (what, specifically, they were researching, how they went about it, what kind of results they were seeing, etc.etc.) were missing entirely. I may be an odd one out, reading medical science journals is a past-time for me, but even a glimpse into this very important piece of the plot would have been nice.
The concept of Free/Demoted is an interesting one and I want to go back to book one on the change it details this process a bit more completely. That said, I will pick up book three if it comes my way because the slave/hurt/comfort trope gets me every time....more
I wanted to like this story more than I ended up doing. The premise is great and I enjoyed learning about the characters as we went along...
My first iI wanted to like this story more than I ended up doing. The premise is great and I enjoyed learning about the characters as we went along...
My first issue started at page 1 and didn't really resolve until the middle of the book. I was very confused on the setting-- the actual physical place the characters were standing. A ship? Earth? An alien planet? Moving from scene to scene was confusing without clarity on where the characters were.
My second issue started at page 1 and didn't resolve at all. I had a very hard time keeping the two main characters apart. Different people call them by different names and the voice wasn't distinct between them. Their first names at the top of each scene didn't help until mid-book when I finally understood who was the psychic and who wasn't. Knowing I'm reading from West's POV isn't useful if I can't figure out which one is West.
These were major setbacks for my understanding and enjoyment of the story which the rest of the book couldn't overcome.
The plot was engrossing and I very much enjoyed the twists of the mystery. The descriptions of Reading and psychic work in general were excellent. I have several favorite characters!
But I wish the first third of the book had been more concrete. I'm left mostly with disappointment. ...more
Are you kidding me right now? This book sat on my phone for a year. A YEAR. I had it pre-ordered from Riptide the SECOND it released. I remember gettiAre you kidding me right now? This book sat on my phone for a year. A YEAR. I had it pre-ordered from Riptide the SECOND it released. I remember getting an email about it's availability. I'll read that next. And then I never picked it up BECAUSE I'M A RIGHT IDIOT, LET ME TELL YOU ALL ABOUT IT.
Static is a brilliant encapsulation of trans social issues. It checks every box on the list. And it's all wrapped up in a wait-and-see timebomb of a plot. I love this book. Alex is traumatized. Damon is caught between a rock and a hard place. The two of them together are a little avoidant but their relationship is so healthy.
I want to work at the Welcome Mat and I'm an introvert. OH AND LET'S TALK ABOUT TOXIC WORK CULTURES, YES? I quit a very good job with very good pay and benefits because one asshole of a guy that I couldn't pin anything on with HR. I FEEL THIS BOOK.
I am yet again reminded why Witt is in the top five of my immediate-read list....more
What to say about this book? I've seen the series floating around the internet but never took much interest in it. I've never really considered myselfWhat to say about this book? I've seen the series floating around the internet but never took much interest in it. I've never really considered myself a fan of historicals but given that I've started writing them, perhaps a reassessment is in order.
I interviewed Jordan not long ago and when the subject of the W&G series came up, she touched on the fact that the occult and language matters of this book were in the vein of Lovecraftian horrors.
That put Widdershins on the map for me. I may be confused about my stance on historicals, but I will kill for a well-paced eldritch terror.
Widdershins is a historical romance at the heart, but its murder-mystery plot has a classic Lovecraft cult at the center of it. We sense the monsters lurking before they ever come on screen while the most horrific of them never gets more involved than a single tentacle.
A true Lovecraft has more horror in its human characters than the mysterious traumatic ones, but Widdershins blends the line between human and monster a bit. Smudging the ease with which you can define either.
I can't reliably tell you if every word of this novel is historically accurate and I frankly don't care. The world is woven tight, Whyborne's voice comes through the page strongly, and I thoroughly enjoyed it....more
This book drops you into the details of sheep shearing and the culture that surrounds it from page one. It paces well and at no point did I get lost iThis book drops you into the details of sheep shearing and the culture that surrounds it from page one. It paces well and at no point did I get lost in unfamiliar details.
I appreciated how individual each character was. The only thing keeping this book from five stars is the way the ending comes about.
Spoiler: (view spoiler)[I felt it was very deus ex. Shane doesn't decide pursue Lachie himself, he doesn't do everything he can at the end to overcome Lachie's hesitations. Instead, Shane is told where Lachie lives and that he's been dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake, so obviously he should go help. I wanted to see Shane be more driven for what he wants. (hide spoiler)]
But that detail doesn't change how well written and carefully romantic this book is. Recommended....more
It kicks you over and doesn't stop there. Awful, beautiful characters. Good support cast. Small focus. SO good. A little Hunger Games mGuh. Read this.
It kicks you over and doesn't stop there. Awful, beautiful characters. Good support cast. Small focus. SO good. A little Hunger Games mixed with Flesh Cartel. ...more
A piece of art as much as a story to enjoy, 4 stars.
The first thing that struck me about The Way Home was the format in which this story is told. TherA piece of art as much as a story to enjoy, 4 stars.
The first thing that struck me about The Way Home was the format in which this story is told. There's a very non-traditional series of time jumps that, at the start, can be hard to follow. The blurb description does this story an injustice. It sets up a plot expectation that the format doesn't fill, and the novel is so much more than that.
At the heart of the narrative is a friendship-maybe-more that grows over the kind of timespan you simply do not encounter in most romance books. And this is a romance, make no mistake. There is a domestic BDSM aspect (power exchange, spanking) that hints at some sexual overtones near the end of the story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
[trigger warning: major self-harm]
The major critique I had of this story surrounds the dominant conflict. Kat has depressive tendencies which culminate severely in two suicide attempts via sleeping pills. Either the format or the writing or both got in the way of my fully understanding this aspect of Kat. I didn't see a build-up to this kind of behavior so it caught me off guard. I'm not sure the first attempt was on-screen-- if it was then I didn't recognize it for what it was.
Anyone who enjoys the craft of writing, if you're into Tolstoy and Hemingway for their format as much as their content: read this book. If you're on vacation lounging for hours with nothing to interrupt you: read this book. There are beautiful scene pairs and excellent pacing throughout.
TL;DR: 4 stars. Beautifully written and as such, requires focus to enjoy....more
A solid hurt/comfort but the ending is rushed. 3 stars
I love a good hurt/comfort story and Rescuing Jack is a great entry for this genre. It's a werewA solid hurt/comfort but the ending is rushed. 3 stars
I love a good hurt/comfort story and Rescuing Jack is a great entry for this genre. It's a werewolf story where the paranormal is just a side-note to the character-driven focus. Marius (werewolf) who works and owns an animal shelter has a talent for pairing animals with new owners. Jack (human), recently sexually assaulted, thinks he needs a guard dog to keep the world at bay.
I enjoyed the details of Jack and Marius' progressing relationship and the reflection of Jack and Missy's trust issues. The biggest disappointment for me, however, is how quickly the sexual recovery happens. The majority of the progress Jack and Marius make in this book occurs over a 12 hour period maybe a week after they've met.
The external consequences of the attack (a video, extortion) are also treated like window dressing. The situation never felt very dire for me as Marius simply calls in his brother to take care of the issue.
I'm fond of the characters in this story. Everyone is distinct and running their own lives beyond Jack and Marius. Each voice remained clear and I'm particularly fond of Marius' brother even though he only got a few pages of screen time.
I feel like the book ended before it needed to. Jack grows rather dependent on Marius and the timeline doesn't provide enough room to show him growing into his own. I would have liked to see more of Jack standing on his own feet and knowing he could make it. Marius' brother also stirs up the comfortable relationship Marius and Jack have established but the book ends before any of that can be explored to resolution.
Over all, a solid book that I enjoyed in a single afternoon. Characters are relateable, the violence in Jack's past is handled realistically, and I'm fond of the animal shelter backdrop. Marius tries his best to do good, makes mistakes, and owns up to them.
TL;DR: Not much closure at the end, but an interesting character drama nevertheless. ...more
What to say about Omorphi but why don't you own this book already? 5 stars
Omorphi, at its most broad is a story about abuseA Read The Rainbow review.
What to say about Omorphi but why don't you own this book already? 5 stars
Omorphi, at its most broad is a story about abuse and the way that trauma follows a person. It's about learning how to support someone who has been abused, how to work through it, and recognize that love doesn't just fix the problem. Indeed, love is the reason to persist on the path toward healing and sometimes it's the only thing a person knows for sure while the world crumbles around them.
I honestly only had one reservation about this novel and that was the prologue. It gave additional context to the remainder of the story, but it wasn't necessary plot-wise and stylistically speaking, felt distant. The second scene in the prologue had a different POV that was not the main character and he didn't reappear until the climax of the novel. I don't think it detracted in any way from the flow of the story, but it wasn't necessary for understanding.
Omorphi is long. Almost 500 pages. Kennedy builds the characters slowly, deliberately, and every interaction provides additional insight into the lives of these people. The supporting cast is varied and strong. Not all of them were interesting or likable, but not every person in life is either. I felt like I was watching a select group of very smart young adults at the edge of their high school years deal rather well (most of the time) with the trauma of entering the adult world, coming out to parents and friends, the thrill of first relationships, and the chaos that Christy brings with him from Greece.
Kennedy doesn't once cop out on the plot or the characters. People don't do dumb things (ok, jumping a fence with a dislocated knee is stupid, but there's a solid supporting lead up, there) for no apparent reason. Arguments aren't simply resolved like magic. The drama isn't over 'does he like me, or doesn't he', the definition of a relationship, or even boys wearing lacy things. It's about things that matter, that persist over time, that change a person.
Abuse doesn't go away in chapter two.
Omorphi is a hurt/comfort story about two young men from completely different backgrounds finding common ground together and dealing with the wretchedness of humanity.
TL;DR: 5 stars. Trigger warnings all over the damn place, but if you can, read this novel. Then go paint something....more
I want to write a book like Bloodraven. This slow torture, political long game, intense mental distortion kind of story that rocks you hard and demandI want to write a book like Bloodraven. This slow torture, political long game, intense mental distortion kind of story that rocks you hard and demands to be re-read. I've never been so enthralled with a book that took me so long to read. I had this thing open on my kindle for almost the entire month of January. Even Boyfriend mentioned it was taking forever.
This book is long, yo. And I loved almost everything about it. I terribly enjoyed the pieces of this story that prompt readers and reviewers to throw up all kinds of warning signs. Rape, torture, slavery, disillusionment of one's upbringing-- there are warnings for this book for good reason.
Bloodraven is a powerful journey. I probably still haven't processed it entirely. The very first scene of the story is chaotic and hard to follow, in no small part because all the Ydregi seem to have names that start with Y. Past that initial confusion, though, things quickly even out into a steady stream of brutality and questionable ethics that, due to its ubiquity, becomes the new normal.
So when our MC is suddenly free of his slaver about a third of the way in, he rapidly loses direction. His entire world has been turned upside down. His understanding of normal has shifted so dramatically away from anything anyone else experiences that he doesn't quite comprehend the idea of being free.
Of course, he's not really free to go and the story tumbles inexorably downward into wretched depravity until the bird scene. The bird scene. Just. Ugh. Everything in the entire book lead up to that moment. It was horrific and amazing.
But so much of the story turned on that fulcrum that the events following lost some of their impact. Our MC's method of 'recovery' from his madness didn't have any shock value after what he'd been through. It should have been awful, but by comparison it was a mild violation, even as small as an inconvenience. Which, perhaps that gives it some horror in retrospect, but it didn't feel that way while I was reading it.
I want much more of Bloodraven's story. But more importantly, I want to write a book that makes me feel like this one did. And that's far more interesting to me....more
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