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sterling_sapphic_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is my first Fiona Zedde book and WOW what a sultry read. And if one of the main characters is a powerful madam, could it get more tantalizing? While House of Agnes is an undeniably sexy read, there's so much more to it. Inside the pages, Zedde's skillful narrative keeps you on the edge of your seat. The romance is electric and fraught with tension, pulling you into the whirlwind of emotions experienced by Agnes and Lola. Each twist and turn of their story was well crafted, keeping you glued to the pages (or in my case my earbuds)
Zedde has a talent for creating multi-dimensional characters that add depth to the narrative, pulling the reader deeply invested in their journeys. The blend of suspense and romance is well-balanced in this book.
Having experienced this first round of Zedde’s storytelling, I am excited to read more of her work. Her ability to create such an engaging and suspenseful romance is fantastic. This novel is a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance with a thrilling twist.
Mari did an excellent performance on this audiobook. Her ability to bring these characters to life and immerse you into their world was superb. 10/10 recommend the audiobook!
Zedde has a talent for creating multi-dimensional characters that add depth to the narrative, pulling the reader deeply invested in their journeys. The blend of suspense and romance is well-balanced in this book.
Having experienced this first round of Zedde’s storytelling, I am excited to read more of her work. Her ability to create such an engaging and suspenseful romance is fantastic. This novel is a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance with a thrilling twist.
Mari did an excellent performance on this audiobook. Her ability to bring these characters to life and immerse you into their world was superb. 10/10 recommend the audiobook!
rogue_lurker's review against another edition
This one was a miss for me.
As a romantic blend, I think that the suspense/mystery angle meshed well with the romance. There were a number of logical inconsistencies and dropped/suddenly inserted elements that required too much of a suspension of disbelief. The chemistry and romance between the mains was not enough to offset the inconsistencies and questions raised by the overarching plot.
As a romantic blend, I think that the suspense/mystery angle meshed well with the romance. There were a number of logical inconsistencies and dropped/suddenly inserted elements that required too much of a suspension of disbelief. The chemistry and romance between the mains was not enough to offset the inconsistencies and questions raised by the overarching plot.
lezreadalot's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. I really liked the first book I read by this author earlier this year, but sadly, this one just didn't land as well as that one did for me. I thought I'd have a pretty good chance of loving this; black women, age gap, intrigue and suspense within a world of high-end escorts and investigative journalism. And I did like a few things about it; the setup, some of the issues discussed, the steaminess. But the concept ended up being way better than the execution.
I guess the most disappointing thing was that I was never completely sold on the characters. I LIKED them a lot for sure, and I liked what they were supposed to be, but I was never convinced of Agnes as a hyper-competent, savvy ice-queen of a business woman, or of Lola as a plucky investigative reporter. They both constantly made decisions that I just couldn't reconcile with their motivations and the personalities that the author tried to sell us on. The insta-lust was a little disappointing; even in a book like this, I'd have liked to have seen that get drawn out a bit more. They did had really good chemistry; it's something that Zedde excels at writing. And I did find their romance sweet, if not amazingly-rendered. The writing isn't bad, but it never wowed me, and there were a few repetitive things that were annoying. The overarching plot was serviceable, but shaky. I just kept waiting to fall in love, and while there's nothing about this book that I dislike, it simply didn't click for me.
I will say, I had thought that I had figured out everything about the plot/trajectory pretty early on, and while I did see a few things coming, there were some things that I did NOT, and that made the later act a bit more exciting and enjoyable. But otherwise... I don't know. Mileages will definitely vary, and I'd recommend you check this out if you're in the mood for sapphic romance with a taste of intrigue and suspense. It just wasn't really for me. I'll still happily look out for other works by this author.
Content warnings:
☆ Review copy provided via NetGalley.
I guess the most disappointing thing was that I was never completely sold on the characters. I LIKED them a lot for sure, and I liked what they were supposed to be, but I was never convinced of Agnes as a hyper-competent, savvy ice-queen of a business woman, or of Lola as a plucky investigative reporter. They both constantly made decisions that I just couldn't reconcile with their motivations and the personalities that the author tried to sell us on. The insta-lust was a little disappointing; even in a book like this, I'd have liked to have seen that get drawn out a bit more. They did had really good chemistry; it's something that Zedde excels at writing. And I did find their romance sweet, if not amazingly-rendered. The writing isn't bad, but it never wowed me, and there were a few repetitive things that were annoying. The overarching plot was serviceable, but shaky. I just kept waiting to fall in love, and while there's nothing about this book that I dislike, it simply didn't click for me.
I will say, I had thought that I had figured out everything about the plot/trajectory pretty early on, and while I did see a few things coming, there were some things that I did NOT, and that made the later act a bit more exciting and enjoyable. But otherwise... I don't know. Mileages will definitely vary, and I'd recommend you check this out if you're in the mood for sapphic romance with a taste of intrigue and suspense. It just wasn't really for me. I'll still happily look out for other works by this author.
Content warnings:
Spoiler
discussion/mentions of rape, forced prostitution, domestic abuse, child abuse, drug use.☆ Review copy provided via NetGalley.
nataschalovesreading's review against another edition
4.0
[Hörbuch] Das ist so viel besser als es klingt, ich schwöre - und ich hab es auch nur gehört, weil das in einer Bookbeat-Rezension stand. Ich war direkt in der Story, konnte gleich eine Beziehung zu den Charakteren aufbauen, kein unnötiges Blabla, hatte aber trotzdem Tiefgang. Ich fand die Plot Twists vorhersehbar, aber nicht so, dass es stört.
Wenn die Branche nicht so romantisiert worden wäre, wären es fünf Sterne gewesen.
Kurz, sapphic smut, bisschen dark romance - top!
Wenn die Branche nicht so romantisiert worden wäre, wären es fünf Sterne gewesen.
Kurz, sapphic smut, bisschen dark romance - top!
closetedgay's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting novel. The charactes were likeable enough. I didn't get why Agnes is called ice-queen, she doesn't act like one.
I loved the steamy parts of the story but I think that the mystery parts had some issues. There were some moments I found a little unrealistic.
Still, I liked the mystery side of the story better than the romance.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Thanks to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for providing me a copy of this novel.
I loved the steamy parts of the story but I think that the mystery parts had some issues. There were some moments I found a little unrealistic.
Still, I liked the mystery side of the story better than the romance.
Overall, 3.5/5.
Thanks to Netgalley and Ylva Publishing for providing me a copy of this novel.
sherekaren's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
pandon's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
yasdnilr's review against another edition
1.0
Big thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for an advance copy of this hilarious book.
A rollercoaster of a read, get ready to suspend your belief and get your sexy pants on. Everyone is beautiful, slim but curvaceous, dresses in the best clothes and has the best sex. Agnes is the corporate madam, but really she rescues women from that life. Lola is a journalist, that might be stretching it slightly, she seems to work for the worst and nastiest of tabloids, lets call her a Murdoch Maven instead. When they meet, all sorts of shenanigans go down. Decent read, lots of sexy sex, and some adventure.
A rollercoaster of a read, get ready to suspend your belief and get your sexy pants on. Everyone is beautiful, slim but curvaceous, dresses in the best clothes and has the best sex. Agnes is the corporate madam, but really she rescues women from that life. Lola is a journalist, that might be stretching it slightly, she seems to work for the worst and nastiest of tabloids, lets call her a Murdoch Maven instead. When they meet, all sorts of shenanigans go down. Decent read, lots of sexy sex, and some adventure.