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funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
That was so good! I am not a fan of the fated mates trope, but this time it worked, it worked so well. The plot was so well thought out, and everything made sense! Not something I can say about everything. Both love interests were wonderful characters. The fmc was funny and smart and the mmc was a whole person with friends and motives outside the love story.
This is my first Hazelwood book and I am impressed!
This is my first Hazelwood book and I am impressed!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I am furious at this book. I really, really liked it; it was well on it's way to 4 stars or higher, and I would've thought fondly of it as something not incredibly special but still special enough to feel different and memorable. And then the last ~80 pages happened and my opinion skydived and forgot to bring its parachute because boy did it splatter on the asphalt.
Beware vague spoilers from here onwards.
Let's get this out of the way: I didn't like Lowe. I don't like that cliché alpha male type, and yes he's the pack alpha, but he doesn't have to behave like a cliché. I've read other books with (wolf and other kinds of) alphas, and they managed just fine. Granted, Lowe doesn't do it often, but enough times that it irked me. Worse, he's the self-sacrificing kind. Why is that bad? Because he's the type that forgets that other people have a free will too and can make decisions for themselves, and don't need his fucking ass to decide what is best for them without taking a fucking second to wonder if they agree. Yes I'm seething and I don't think Misery was nearly mad enough at him. If he pulled that stunt on me, I would have punched him and then told him to fuck off, fated mates or not. I could NOT bring myself to ever trust him again. Fuck that.
The ending was also incredibly rushed. After 300 pages of a relatively slow pace, the plot was resolved in maybe 10 pages by the main villain monologing about all their evil deeds. I couldn't have imagined a more boring way to bring the plot together and answer all the questions than by having someone summarise to me how they've been pulling all the string all along. Really? Did the author run out of pages or what? And is that ending supposed to tease a follow-up book or is that just for funsies?
Honestly, I'm so mad that it just had to (and I cannot overstate how absolutely unnecessarily) use a trope that I loathe from the bottom of my heart that I'm tempted to give it even fewer stars, but I DID really enjoy about 75% of it and I really like Misery, so. Take your 3 stars and go.
Beware vague spoilers from here onwards.
Let's get this out of the way: I didn't like Lowe. I don't like that cliché alpha male type, and yes he's the pack alpha, but he doesn't have to behave like a cliché. I've read other books with (wolf and other kinds of) alphas, and they managed just fine. Granted, Lowe doesn't do it often, but enough times that it irked me. Worse, he's the self-sacrificing kind. Why is that bad? Because he's the type that forgets that other people have a free will too and can make decisions for themselves, and don't need his fucking ass to decide what is best for them without taking a fucking second to wonder if they agree. Yes I'm seething and I don't think Misery was nearly mad enough at him. If he pulled that stunt on me, I would have punched him and then told him to fuck off, fated mates or not. I could NOT bring myself to ever trust him again. Fuck that.
The ending was also incredibly rushed. After 300 pages of a relatively slow pace, the plot was resolved in maybe 10 pages by the main villain monologing about all their evil deeds. I couldn't have imagined a more boring way to bring the plot together and answer all the questions than by having someone summarise to me how they've been pulling all the string all along. Really? Did the author run out of pages or what? And is that ending supposed to tease a follow-up book or is that just for funsies?
Honestly, I'm so mad that it just had to (and I cannot overstate how absolutely unnecessarily) use a trope that I loathe from the bottom of my heart that I'm tempted to give it even fewer stars, but I DID really enjoy about 75% of it and I really like Misery, so. Take your 3 stars and go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood
challenging
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I loved this book. I was surprised at the end which I love me a twist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Confinement, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Colonisation, War
Minor: Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Extremely formulaic. If you like the dark-emo-brooding guy seems to hate heroine but she looks below the surface and understands he's actually kind then they have 8 pages of implausible sex , a falling out, the heroine saves the day and reconciliation and denouement type fantasy. If you like that, this if for you. If you think it might be unhealthy to fantasize about men who loom over women in a threatening way and think that might mean he's emotionally immature or just a bit of a dick (think how Edward Cullen comes off in the movie, not OK post #metoo) and if you worry that fantasizing about a relationship based almost entirely on sex then try something more grown up and nuanced.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Kidnapping
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Read via Libby
I am very much enjoying Ali Hazelwoods books at the moment. Easy to read, well written sex / attraction scenes. Strong obstinate clever female characters.
This is definitely a slight turn away from her books set at university and I do feel sorry for the female MC even if she is a vampyre, who calls their child Misery? Very unfortunate. She is likeable, spunky and sarcastic though despite that.
Lowe is in my mind a younger shorter haired Alcide from True Blood (who also turned into a white wolf). Will protect those he loves no matter the cost.
The build up between the two of them was well done. The no sex scenes sexier (what the f- with the knot???) and I loved the ending.
I am very much enjoying Ali Hazelwoods books at the moment. Easy to read, well written sex / attraction scenes. Strong obstinate clever female characters.
This is definitely a slight turn away from her books set at university and I do feel sorry for the female MC even if she is a vampyre, who calls their child Misery? Very unfortunate. She is likeable, spunky and sarcastic though despite that.
Lowe is in my mind a younger shorter haired Alcide from True Blood (who also turned into a white wolf). Will protect those he loves no matter the cost.
The build up between the two of them was well done. The no sex scenes sexier (what the f- with the knot???) and I loved the ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was sexy-good! I would recommend it to anyone you don't mind sharing sexy books with (for me, that's anyone). I loved the slow burn, force-proximity romance that unfolded; it also fit with the plot much better than a lot of other books. I feel like the ending was a little rushed, or the climax was just drawn over several several pages (with a villains monologue at the very end, which wrapped everything up nicely but a little wordy).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Gaslighting
Moderate: Death