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melissat's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
fast-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
5.0
Eliza MacArthur is quickly becoming my favourite author. I've been holding off reading this book for a long time because I knew i would love it, but I didn't realize how tender and gentle the love story would be.
This was such an easily accessible paranormal contemporary romance. The world was very easy to understand and I liked that paranormal creatures are well-known to those in the community. It was such a good balance of creatures and humans ("vampires, they're just like us! except they sleep all day and can only drink blood").
Esther and Hank are both in need of extra TLC and I loved Hank's on-page therapy sessions. They were both busy bees, dealing with heavy feelings but also getting caught up in their attraction to each other - I have never been more excited that a book did not make me wait til 60% for us to get some spicy time.
I love the secondary characters and I can't wait to finish Jory's book. This book was chef's kiss, Hank was the biggest simp and so swoony. I also adored that both main characters were plus sized. I'm about to go devour the other books from the same author.
This was such an easily accessible paranormal contemporary romance. The world was very easy to understand and I liked that paranormal creatures are well-known to those in the community. It was such a good balance of creatures and humans ("vampires, they're just like us! except they sleep all day and can only drink blood").
Esther and Hank are both in need of extra TLC and I loved Hank's on-page therapy sessions. They were both busy bees, dealing with heavy feelings but also getting caught up in their attraction to each other - I have never been more excited that a book did not make me wait til 60% for us to get some spicy time.
I love the secondary characters and I can't wait to finish Jory's book. This book was chef's kiss, Hank was the biggest simp and so swoony. I also adored that both main characters were plus sized. I'm about to go devour the other books from the same author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content
Minor: Blood and Police brutality
cluckieduck's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was...ok, I guess, but I found myself getting easily annoyed by the decisions made by the characters in this one. If you find the miscommunication trope grating - I beg you to turn around right now and run the other way, because this is chock-a-block with miscommunications around every corner and it gets old real, real fast, and all the build-up to the climax was such a let down in the end.
I must admit, I was drawn to this one by the cover and title in the hopes that there was some deeper meaning. There's not. Other than the fact that Hank is, indeed, quite soft emotionally. I appreciated reading about a broken MMC trying to put the pieces back together, and doing so quite messily. Reading other reviews that mention the Twilight dad fanfic parallels - I didn't grasp that while reading (thankfully), so it didn't influence my enjoyment. Esther was not as fully fleshed out, and I don't believe she experienced any character growth outside of her very stubborn, do-it-herself-without-trusting-her-witchy-instincts, which is unfortunate.
The best thing about this one is the chemistry between Hank & Esther, but how dare she tease us with one of the most combustible intimate scenes so early on and then let the slow-burn burn hard!
The world-building itself could have used some greater development as well. It felt like she just threw PNR stuff in a blender rather than creating a polished, fleshed-out setting. The side characters were intriguing, but some of the written-out accents were jarring to read. Just tell me they're Irish or Scottish, I don't need a dinnae or ken or verra thrown in to remind me of their background.
All in all, entertaining but underwhelming.
I must admit, I was drawn to this one by the cover and title in the hopes that there was some deeper meaning. There's not. Other than the fact that Hank is, indeed, quite soft emotionally. I appreciated reading about a broken MMC trying to put the pieces back together, and doing so quite messily. Reading other reviews that mention the Twilight dad fanfic parallels - I didn't grasp that while reading (thankfully), so it didn't influence my enjoyment. Esther was not as fully fleshed out, and I don't believe she experienced any character growth outside of her very stubborn, do-it-herself-without-trusting-her-witchy-instincts, which is unfortunate.
The best thing about this one is the chemistry between Hank & Esther, but how dare she tease us with one of the most combustible intimate scenes so early on and then let the slow-burn burn hard!
The world-building itself could have used some greater development as well. It felt like she just threw PNR stuff in a blender rather than creating a polished, fleshed-out setting. The side characters were intriguing, but some of the written-out accents were jarring to read. Just tell me they're Irish or Scottish, I don't need a dinnae or ken or verra thrown in to remind me of their background.
All in all, entertaining but underwhelming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Moderate: Grief, Violence, and Stalking
Minor: Police brutality, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship
bookishjae's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, and Police brutality
Minor: Blood
Police brutality not on page and challengedthereadinghammock's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Eliza knocked it out of the park with this debut novel!! Beautifully complex characters, trauma recovery, witty banter, STEAMY fun moments, and Peril--with a capital P! Hank and Esther both have enough baggage to bury your average person under, but nothing feels insurmountable when you've got the right person to help you unpack it. Watching Hank's stoicism unravel in the face of Esther's chaos was such a ride to tag along with.
Where do I start with how much I love the World's End cast of characters? Everyone feels lived in, rich with back stories we've only just scratched the surface of. I want to know everything about Magda; what's the history between Nat and Niamh; what happened between Callum and Jory; and what other supernatural beings are there hiding in the PNW that we haven't met yet?? I can't wait for the rest of this series. I love all the characters so much!!
Where do I start with how much I love the World's End cast of characters? Everyone feels lived in, rich with back stories we've only just scratched the surface of. I want to know everything about Magda; what's the history between Nat and Niamh; what happened between Callum and Jory; and what other supernatural beings are there hiding in the PNW that we haven't met yet?? I can't wait for the rest of this series. I love all the characters so much!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Abandonment, and Mental illness
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Police brutality, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Alcohol
doseofromance's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Love love loved this book. Despite the suspense aspect of the story, the whole book feels like being wrapped up on the softest flannel blanket. Mostly because Hank is the sweetheart hero to end all heroes. He's so lovely, sweet, considerate, and also very hot. Esther on the other hand has got her sh*t handled and is ready to take charge. I really appreciated that she was the aggressor in their relationship and their first... Encounter so to speak. All throughout the story typical gender roles for romantic suspense were flipped a bit and I loved it. All of the side characters are so intriguing and I seriously can't wait where the next couple is going to take us. I actually might have to look into getting a paperback copy of this to have in my physical possession (signed, if that's gonna be available at some point), because I know I'm gonna need to be back in this story. There are a lot of heavier themes in here though, so check trigger warnings below or on the author's website or shoot me a DM, I'm happy to give more in depth info!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an advance copy!
Trigger/content warnings: mental health issues (depression, anxiety, negative self talk), suicidal thoughts, mention of (vampiric) assault, past police brutality (not on page)
Thank you to the author for providing me with an advance copy!
Trigger/content warnings: mental health issues (depression, anxiety, negative self talk), suicidal thoughts, mention of (vampiric) assault, past police brutality (not on page)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Sexual assault
Trigger/content warnings: mental health issues (depression, anxiety, negative self talk), suicidal thoughts, mention of (vampiric) assault, past police brutality (not on page)abritromantic's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Soft Flannel Hank - the debut book by Eliza MacArthur.
Hank is just a regular guy who happens to know about the paranormal world. Esther is a witch on the run from a Vampire. When they see each other across the room they feel drawn together and when they get together sparks fly. If you love contemporary romance and are looking to branch out into paranormal I think that this would be a really good book to start with. Although we have witches, magic, tarot and vampires, the heart of the book is about the emotions, self doubt, self discovery, and romance involved. I found myself so invested in Hank and Esther’s relationship, their fears and their journey together. This book is so well written that if I hadn’t been following Eliza for a while (and a member of her Patreon) I wouldn’t believe that this is her debut book. I completely lost myself in it and fell in love with the characters. I can’t wait to read more about all the side characters.
Soft Flannel Hank releases on Monday 10th April. I was lucky enough to receive and ARC copy, but have also preordered one from Amazon because I just *had* to buy it.
Read it, enjoy it, and fall in love with Hank (I wish I could put an order in for my very own Hank).
Hank is just a regular guy who happens to know about the paranormal world. Esther is a witch on the run from a Vampire. When they see each other across the room they feel drawn together and when they get together sparks fly. If you love contemporary romance and are looking to branch out into paranormal I think that this would be a really good book to start with. Although we have witches, magic, tarot and vampires, the heart of the book is about the emotions, self doubt, self discovery, and romance involved. I found myself so invested in Hank and Esther’s relationship, their fears and their journey together. This book is so well written that if I hadn’t been following Eliza for a while (and a member of her Patreon) I wouldn’t believe that this is her debut book. I completely lost myself in it and fell in love with the characters. I can’t wait to read more about all the side characters.
Soft Flannel Hank releases on Monday 10th April. I was lucky enough to receive and ARC copy, but have also preordered one from Amazon because I just *had* to buy it.
Read it, enjoy it, and fall in love with Hank (I wish I could put an order in for my very own Hank).
Content Warnings
Minor: Police brutality
erinrachelreads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I loved this so much! I’m going to preface this by saying I don’t really read paranormal romances and I honestly hadn’t realised that this was one and had requested the ARC based solely on a recommendation. In that respect my focus throughout was more on the connection between the characters than the paranormal aspect of the plot. Whilst those paranormal elements are prevalent throughout (witches, vampires, magic) this story is also very much steeped in reality with police brutality, depression, therapy, divorce and estrangement playing a big part in Hank’s human experience and story.
The connections throughout are incredible. The chemistry between Esther and Hank is wonderful, leading to some almost immediate spice, but then we get the deepening of their relationship and it just got better as it went on. They’re both protective and determined and so loving and sweet, I adored them both. Hank’s journey was so beautiful and had me weeping on multiple occasions. In general the depiction of vulnerability in men was phenomenal; honest and genuine throughout and those friendships were some of my favourite parts of the story. The side characters added such richness to the story and I can’t wait to delve into their stories when they’re released too. All in all, this was joyous and Eliza’s writing is magic. Highly recommend.
The connections throughout are incredible. The chemistry between Esther and Hank is wonderful, leading to some almost immediate spice, but then we get the deepening of their relationship and it just got better as it went on. They’re both protective and determined and so loving and sweet, I adored them both. Hank’s journey was so beautiful and had me weeping on multiple occasions. In general the depiction of vulnerability in men was phenomenal; honest and genuine throughout and those friendships were some of my favourite parts of the story. The side characters added such richness to the story and I can’t wait to delve into their stories when they’re released too. All in all, this was joyous and Eliza’s writing is magic. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment and Stalking
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Suicidal thoughts
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