Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry



Series: Pushing the Limits companion series (Book 1)

Format: Paperback

Pages: 391

Rating: 5 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

                I really needed this book. The last three books I read were disappointing and I couldn’t decide what to read next. So I decided to re-read Pushing the Limits. I already knew I wanted to read this again before Breaking the Rules comes out in December.

                This definitely didn’t disappoint. I still give it five stars and love spending time with Noah and Echo. I cried the first time (mostly during Echo’s parts), but this time Noah’s story with his brothers destroyed me. I feel like I was crying more than not. I will say I think I was in a very emotional place while reading so maybe I wanted to cry.

                I also liked seeing Isaiah again. Originally, I was not a fan of him, but during Crash into You I feel in love. So, it was interesting to see him with a new perspective.

                This is less a review than rambling isn’t it?

                I’m glad I decided to re-read this, but Crash into You is still my favorite. And I’m even more excited for Breaking the Rules to come out so I can spend more time with Noah and Echo.


~Thanks for reading
Holly 

Friday, September 26, 2014

Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson


Series: The Remnant Chronicles (Book 1)
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 486
Rating: 3 Stars
How I Got It: Borrowed from the library

                So, I really struggled with rating this book. Until around page 300 this was going to be a 2 star book. And I did like it more as the stakes were raised and it came to an end. However, that could only do so much to make up for the beginning. Now, a lot of people really like this book, so it appeals to some people. And even though I had quite a few issues I plan on continuing with the series.

                My main complaint is that this book had so much potential and it went unrealized. I expected so many more fantasy elements and world building. Instead a huge chunk of the book is Lia forcing herself into relationships. And basically the whole story is driven by her desire for love/a boyfriend. I can respect that, but her decision ends up hurting a lot of people and it bothered me that she didn’t even think about that ahead of time.

                And, for me, the world building was lacking. I’m still confused about the history of the world and how all the different countries interact. Then there’s the magic that isn’t explained clearly. I feel like Ms. Pearson is purposely keeping things close to the vest, but it made it hard for me to get fully invested in the story.

                Then, there’s the romantic elements. There’s supposed to be this love triangle, but it seemed like Lia just wanted a relationship, so she went after both guys. You know if you throw enough darts one is bound to hit. And I just don’t believe she has strong romantic feelings for either Kaden or Rafe.

                I did like the idea of not knowing if Kaden or Rafe were the Prince or Assassin. For a huge part of the book that mystery is what kept me reading. Although, I did figure out who was who pretty early on.

                The book really picked up for me when the secret came out. Things felt more intense and dangerous. Plus, not everything was about romance. If the series continues with the tone of the end of this book I’m hopeful I will enjoy it.

                Like I said earlier I do plan on continuing to read the series, but I’m glad I got this from the library. And when the next book comes out I’ll probably get that from the library, too.



~Thanks for reading!
Holly

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Review: The Devil Wears Kilts by Suzanne Enoch



Series: Scandalous Highlanders (Book 1)

Format: Paperback

Pages: 325 pages

Rating: 3 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

                Honestly, this book was pretty “meh” for me. And it’s kind of forgettable. I definitely preferred the second book in pretty much all things: the characters, the romance, and the larger plot/conflict.

                When it came to the characters, I couldn’t connect with Ranulf or Charlotte. I found them both kind of bland and lacking in any real depth. And they basically kept having the same conversations with themselves and each other.

                I also thought the romance was pretty weak, too. Before they decided they liked each other they had no chemistry. And then it was as if they were like “we’re characters in a romance novel and must love each other.” For example: the first time he kissed her it seemed to come out of nowhere.

                The larger family plot also fell flat for me. The conflict with the other families is just executed better in the second book. Plus, Ranulf’s main issue seemed to be deciding if he should change everything about himself for a woman. That just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. And the ending was ridiculously abrupt. That seems to be a trend for this series.

                I will say I liked seeing the MacLawry family interactions. You get to see how each one fits into their family dynamic. Arran is my favorite, but I’m curious to see if Bear gets a book and what the storyline will be.

                I respect that Ms. Enoch wanted to be authentic, but sometimes the Scottish dialogue was too much. It would pull me out of the story because I had to stop and really think about the dialogue and what it was saying.



~Thanks for reading!
Holly

Monday, September 22, 2014

Review: Starling by Fiona Paul



Series: Secrets of the Eternal Rose Trilogy (Book 3)
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 324
Rating: 2 Stars
How I Got It: Purchased
               
                I basically had to force myself to read this. I really enjoyed Venom, the first book, but after the series went downhill. The romance has been bothering me since book two, but in this book the mystery plot was also weak and Cass started to get annoying.

                I’m still completely uninterested in the romance/love triangle. Belladonna clearly showed that Ms. Paul though Luca was end game and then had to take back everything she built in the first book. Honestly, there’s just no chemistry between Luca and Cass. I think I said this in my previous review: the series would have been better without the romance.

                The mystery plot with The Order was what redeemed Belladonna. But I thought this was book was slow and choppy. There would be an issue and then it got resolved in a chapter. This happened several times. I’m just used to bigger conflict in a final book. Plus some…ok a lot…of the conflicts were resolved quickly.

                And then there’s Cass. I actually liked her in the first two books. But in this book I felt like she got whiny. She was very woe is me. And I could tell Ms. Paul was trying to give her some strength or agency by teaching her to fight. But it was so brief (like many things in this book) that it fell flat. Personally, I felt like she was constantly talking herself into loving Luca.

                I did like some parts of the book. Mostly it had a lot of potential that wasn’t fully developed. We learned more about Cass’ aunt which was interesting and I wish there had been more. I did enjoy most of the ladies from the brothel. Those were the parts I liked the most and there definitely could have been more.



~Thanks for reading!
Holly

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Review: Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton



Series: Cocktail (Book 3)

Format: Paperback

Pages: 245

Rating: 4 Stars

How I Got It: Purchased

                This is the third book in Alice Clayton’s Cocktail series and this one is about two new characters. And while it is a romance I think it’s more about Viv’s personal journey. The characters are great and it’s still funny (sort of) which I expect in an Alice Clayton book.

                The best part of this book is the characters and world building.

                Viv, especially, was developed well. And she isn’t what you would expect. She’s an alternative girl with tattoos and piercings, but she has a strong love for computers and painting. My favorite part is how anal retentive she is. She spends a lot of time cleaning and organizing. I just like it, because that isn’t a personality trait you would typically attribute to someone like her.

                And I can see that Viv is supposed to be funny. And I wouldn’t say she isn’t, but her humor just didn’t connect with me. Wallbanger made me laugh out loud and this was more ‘eh’.

                And I know you’re probably wondering what I meant by world building since this is a contemporary romance. But seriously, Ms. Clayton really created a community. I can clearly picture the characters who live there. I want to go visit them.

                I like that both Viv and Clark have nerdy characteristics. And just like Viv isn’t a stereotype, Clark has some surprises. I really liked Clark and wish I could have spent more time with him.

                Of course, some of the characters from the previous books show up which is always fun.

                I do wish it was a little longer. The romantic resolution was wrapped up a little quickly for my taste. And some things happened in the epilogue that seemed a little early or fast.

                Even with some of the disappointments it was an enjoyable read. And I want to read the next book which is about Clark’s cousin, Chloe.



~Thanks for reading!
Holly