readclever's reviews
337 reviews

Heroine sparks, hero forgets

I was actually pretty fond of Kali, the heroine. She had some spark. Though I feel like she was a bit young for the kind of nursing position she had. Kali had serious goals, including being a pet foster. (Loved that part.)

While the writing was clunky at times, I liked their friendship. Romance felt really empty, however.

I didn't always follow the passages that cidef too immature. Craig had too much self loathing and Kali felt too much guilt. Yet those times with Chip, a stray kitten, or walking around the city trying to help figure out who he is really worked. His stories about working as a construction worker were relatable. I liked that it wasn't easy.

Unfortunately, the one major plot line felt too forced. I don't understand the romance. And there were logistics of plot movement that stayed unanswered, the antagonist's motivations. Superficial level yet major plot devices.

Author describes it as a sweet/clean romance, but there are sensual scenes that don't turn sexual. There wasn't any closed door elements at all. I got tired of hearing about Kalu's beauty. Seemed misplaced for a guy with amnesia to focus on that.

I gave up at 43%.

The writing was pretty engaging. The conflict logistics made little sense.

Haley is taking care of a sick sister, who needs access to medical care that non-rich people can't gain. Riggins, the billionaire in question, could lose his business through corporate sabotage. All this orchestrated by a Dead Duke who reads like a Regency villain (think Elizabeth Hoyt).

Riggins: a working class hero with suddenly larger responsibilities. Except the duchy makes a huge amount of money already and the Dead Duke was extremely wealthy from his mother's side. Not quite a billionaire, but a lot to lose money on.

And I liked the plot idea! A lot. However, I couldn't get into the meat of the story because it was all world setup. At 143 pages, I expect a little bit more movement. Apparently, it's a serial, but I didn't know that meant cliffhanger. I didn't get that far, thankfully.

No star rating. Just a DNF to add to the pile.

I was so interested in this book. Love an archeologist romance. Plus ated mates? Sign me up. Unfortunately, the characters and plots were muddled from the beginning. I really enjoyed the discussion of the dirty, day to day aspects of the dig site.

Anna (the heroine) was too timid, too submissive, for the role this book required, especially as an archelogy student. And Luke's alphahole tendencies because he was attracted didn't feel like a romance. Felt like a scene you saw at every bar before 2020.

I DNFed 11% in. So no star rating level. There's a mystery plot line about some cave paintings but I stopped when the bat attacked her hair in the middle of the night. Dig sites aren't for midnight rendezvous points.

Fury finds Fate

I really loved the world building and mythology connections. There was a definite sense of direction. I really appreciated Tisiphone and her attitude. Vengeance versus revenge.

Okay, and Cerebrus was oddly adorable with Indigo. Overall, the story had great emotional connection and relationships within the pantheon. Tisi's relationship with the other gods were enjoyable.

And the story has a ton of action. Easy to visualize Vegas here. Plus, I kind of loved Tisi's temper when she first arrives in Sin City. It's a great first scene.

The romance felt a bit shoehorned and out of place. Not bad, just mostly unnecessary. Felt like a friends with benefit over the fated mates push.

Content warnings for children murder and violence against women. Also storyline with a known murderer in the real world. Heads up for that. That and the romance knocked it down a full star.

I rounded up my review for Goodreads up to 4 stars when my blog only had 3 stars. But it was so close.

Here's what I loved:
- Dawn and Angie's friendship that's lasted over 30 years. Angie was honest with Dawn when needed but completely there when Dawn never asked. Vital for a caregiver role since it's hard to ask for help. And Angie gave the best gift ever for a middle-aged woman.

- Dawn's love for her yarn shop. I love to see women passionate about something outside the love interest in a romance. And Dawn started the shop on her own, with her own drive, and is succeeding. It's not easy to start over.

- Dawn's determination to not accept less than what she deserves. Doesn't matter in marriage or business. She's not going to settle. Gotta love that.

- Dawn really seemed to have created a community with her patrons, be it stars or feisty older ladies who say no thanks to immature. And she trusts her friends when a medical emergency comes up. Cancer is no joke. (I wish we had heard more about her recovery in that sense, too.)


What I didn't love:
- Mike, the hero. Look, he reminded me too much of a guy who never left his parents' basement. Even though he obviously did with two divorces under his belt. Unfortunately, he never seems to grow beyond petulance. (Seriously, his existence docked at least half a star.) His comments on his high school girlfriend alone.

- The romance. Too forced in most areas because Mike wasn't ready to date. Not until he got over his insecurities. It felt too much like Dawn was tasked with making him feel better while he was a gigantic whiner.

But I did appreciate his step up when she needed him. It was unexpected given his previous dashes away from responsibility.

- Did I mention Mike?

Overall, I liked the writing style and the community around Dawn. She clearly has a system that loves her. Romance and Mike dropped it to just below four stars but rounded up on here since it was a minor quibble. (Note: I rarely give out five stars.) Solid book with middle-aged protagonists who've come a long way since high school. Or have they?

Fun, silly, steam

I had no idea why I loved this story. Or why it got a 3.5 stars. Wait, that's not true. The follow up story was hilarious. And I actually liked the 90s Rom Com kind of humor.

Plus, there's a cat named Tiramisu. Who hates people. Except Conall.

There's a lot of sexy times. One scene in particular is woo level. The story isn't as strong as some of Mint's other work but it's fun and frothy.

Fair warning, the Irish stereotypes are loud. Super loud. Conall caught that Hollywood accent. I appreciated the drops of Irish mythology, though. And his mom, who was only referenced in the second story.

Tough but good read

I was a preteen when this book first came out. It was one of the first books for teens that addressed gendered violence outside stranger danger.

Reread proved why it'd been in my head for nearly 30 years. Lila is framed as the wanton while clean cut John is being smeared. There were a lot of realistic talking points from the time. And still are, frankly.

I appreciated the social issue aspect as I do a deep dive back into Sweet Valley High. A lot of people spoke down about the series being too soap like. Soaps were openly discussing teen topics in the early 90s. Lila's story was a chance for readers to follow through with the outcome outside of TV.

Still don't like Elizabeth.

Food is love

A rare five star for me. I gave the book 9 stars in almost every category. Fun, frothy, with heart and a lot of emotional connection. There's a wide range of situations that made me laugh. More than that, Luc and Emma respected boundaries and communicated.

The way each other care for the other is brilliant. From the start, there was a clear idea of what they needed. The question was how to get there. Callihan did a terrific job in showcasing those moments of vulnerability.

Audiobook narration was fantastic and offered a way to listen while doing chores. Glad it was included in the loan.

I received a copy of Women Don't Owe You Pretty by Florence Given from NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an honest review.

Women Don't Owe You Pretty snagged my attention because Thalia, a German retailer, had recently highlighted the print book in my search the other other. Luckily, NetGalley had an audiobook for me to listen to. Unfortunately, I can't rate it too highly. It's not a bad introduction into feminism, but many of the points are available on Instagram and online in very similar packaging.

What I did appreciate was the references to Given's personal life and how it helped her find a feminist view. It's not easy to discuss sexual trauma, yet the author openly offers a view. The assault didn't define her. But it did change her. Building upon this, Given lets young readers know that survival is okay. That to be angry, to not be happy, to push and scream to get yourself out of bed, is part of healing.

Add in the queer discussions and there's a certain ring of truthfulness to the book. It felt real. Just not complete. Some sketching out was necessary since listeners can't see the visual cues from the physical copy. I also appreciated that Florence Given narrated the book. I don't know if anyone else can convey such personal tales easily.

Had the book been tighter, less like Instagram quick posts, and with a bit more discussion into the books or sources that helped shape the author, I would have rated the book higher. As it stands, the surface level writing keeps the book at a mid 2 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Iain S. Thomas for the opportunity to listen to the poetry in audiobook form for a free and honest review.

I love poetry. I find it very comforting. And Thomas's writing offers strong prose with a very clear theme throughout. Optimism chases doubt and bitterness. Collectively, the poems seem to document the realities of life, how being a human is full of moments of breathtaking joy and crashes of reality.

Almost meditative as the collection's narrator uses descriptive language to evoke feelings and scenery alike. Very enjoyable. Could almost hear the water sluicing along the rocks as I listened. And Thomas narrating really helped as well. I was able to understand the lines and meanings from inflections. Perhaps speaking a slightly faster audio would have helped since I had to bring it up to about 1.5x to really follow the cadence.