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topy_loving_books's review
4.0
I love following the author on IG because she's one of those few wonderful humans who make a difference on the internet with their kindness, tolerance and decency. So when she announced her first book and that we would have bi rep AND talk about mental health, I was sold. The little stickers swag were the icing on the cake.
Hank & Esther are two broken people who found each other and sparks flies right away. They both have trauma to deal with and the author did an amazing job to portrait a 45 divorced man who face his own mental struggles and seek professional help to get better. Because yep Hank chopping wood until full exhaustion is not the solution, even if you are a marvel to the eye for your woman.
The witchy women community surrounding Esther was really nice to see. YEAH for women supporting women. I totally understand why Esther felt so safe around Hank. Because even at his worse, he gave such reassuring vibes, that even us readers felt through the pages.
Finally, this small town and their inhabitants are full of promises for futur books, especially the 900 years of pining between a certain sexy vampire & a kick-ass selkie (out 8th april 2024).
Hank & Esther are two broken people who found each other and sparks flies right away. They both have trauma to deal with and the author did an amazing job to portrait a 45 divorced man who face his own mental struggles and seek professional help to get better. Because yep Hank chopping wood until full exhaustion is not the solution, even if you are a marvel to the eye for your woman.
The witchy women community surrounding Esther was really nice to see. YEAH for women supporting women. I totally understand why Esther felt so safe around Hank. Because even at his worse, he gave such reassuring vibes, that even us readers felt through the pages.
Finally, this small town and their inhabitants are full of promises for futur books, especially the 900 years of pining between a certain sexy vampire & a kick-ass selkie (out 8th april 2024).
thatsme_lauravz's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Too long, but enjoyable. It got repetitive.
corieob's review against another edition
5.0
Settling on a solid 4.5 really loved this just had a couple small minute dragging points.
breannennaerb_'s review against another edition
3.0
Idk what to say about this one. The name is….certainly a name. But that’s fine. It has no deeper meaning that I found lol. Definitely doesn’t indicate all the supernatural-ness throughout the book.
This book had so many really good aspects and the story is so weird but good. Hank is like the sweetest saddest man and Esther is like the perfect person to take care of him. But damn the miscommunication trope in this one is WILD lol. Just like a tiny bit of communication could’ve fixed everything.
It got a little corny and rushed at the end so overall I’d really rank it like a 3.5⭐️, definitely considering reading the next one, the characters in it are both supernatural and it sounds interesting.
This book had so many really good aspects and the story is so weird but good. Hank is like the sweetest saddest man and Esther is like the perfect person to take care of him. But damn the miscommunication trope in this one is WILD lol. Just like a tiny bit of communication could’ve fixed everything.
It got a little corny and rushed at the end so overall I’d really rank it like a 3.5⭐️, definitely considering reading the next one, the characters in it are both supernatural and it sounds interesting.
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
emmaskies's review against another edition
3.0
I would say I never knew I needed Charlie Swan fanfiction in my life, but that would be a lie. This was sitting at a solid 3.5 before the ending brought it down to a 3, but I had a fun time with this one.
It was pretty fun! An interesting little paranormal romance between a witch on the run from a group of vampires and a man who is quite literally Charlie Swan with the serial number filed off. Non-derogatory. I'm pretty sure that was in fact the initial thought experiment for this book.
But Eliza MacArthur has built her own world around that initial idea. The cast of characters is good and there are paranormal creatures abound in this world that will be interesting to pursue in future books.
As far as the romance, it's alright. Hank Dove is a bit of a pathetic man, and quite frankly I'd like to see more of them in the genre. He borders on being too much of a sad sack sometimes but he's newly in therapy and I love that for him. Esther held my interest as a main character and the way her story is parsed out through the book I think is well timed. Despite the initial romantic conflict revolving around a one-night-stand-esque miscommunication I would put this in the insta-love category.
The non-romance plot is where this book loses points for me. The basic premise is that Esther is running from a group of vampires because she saw something she shouldn't have and now they're after her. The book never answers WHY. Why are they after her? Who could she possibly tell and what could the potential consequences be? The foundational why of the conflict, why the antagonists care about her seeing something, is never explained.
And in the end, nothing matters anyway. The plot wraps up in such a way that the entire book from page one never needed to happen. I love a good bit of "it's about the journey, not the destination" as much as the next person, but for the climax of a book to tell you that nothing you just read mattered or needed to happen is the least satisfying way possible to wrap things up.
So would I recommend this? Honestly, sure! If you wanted to see Charlie Swan get his happy ending give this book a shot and have a nice time with it without expecting too much from the paranormal in terms of plot.
It was pretty fun! An interesting little paranormal romance between a witch on the run from a group of vampires and a man who is quite literally Charlie Swan with the serial number filed off. Non-derogatory. I'm pretty sure that was in fact the initial thought experiment for this book.
But Eliza MacArthur has built her own world around that initial idea. The cast of characters is good and there are paranormal creatures abound in this world that will be interesting to pursue in future books.
As far as the romance, it's alright. Hank Dove is a bit of a pathetic man, and quite frankly I'd like to see more of them in the genre. He borders on being too much of a sad sack sometimes but he's newly in therapy and I love that for him. Esther held my interest as a main character and the way her story is parsed out through the book I think is well timed. Despite the initial romantic conflict revolving around a one-night-stand-esque miscommunication I would put this in the insta-love category.
The non-romance plot is where this book loses points for me. The basic premise is that Esther is running from a group of vampires because she saw something she shouldn't have and now they're after her. The book never answers WHY. Why are they after her? Who could she possibly tell and what could the potential consequences be? The foundational why of the conflict, why the antagonists care about her seeing something, is never explained.
And in the end, nothing matters anyway. The plot wraps up in such a way that the entire book from page one never needed to happen. I love a good bit of "it's about the journey, not the destination" as much as the next person, but for the climax of a book to tell you that nothing you just read mattered or needed to happen is the least satisfying way possible to wrap things up.
So would I recommend this? Honestly, sure! If you wanted to see Charlie Swan get his happy ending give this book a shot and have a nice time with it without expecting too much from the paranormal in terms of plot.
hillarybowen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
A beautiful book made even better by MacArthur's writing. I loved Hank so much and how gently MacArthur wrote him. The book is the perfect combo of real and magic which I found enchanting. Read it! You will enjoy it so much.
lacyparrish's review against another edition
4.5
This is a new to me author and I hope to pick up book two in a few weeks. The overall world does have fantasy touches, but it is treated as everyday and the main characters are what make this story sing. The honesty which Hank finds through therapy, both with himself and those in his life is refreshing. I loved the sparks with the meet-cute and enjoyed the push-pull being driven by Esther's genuine concern for not wanting to drag Hank into the mess in which she finds herself. While I thought I would be mad at that plot point's 'resolution,' I admit that I was too smitten with Hank, Esther and the rest of the townsfolk in World's End to let it bother me terribly. Upon reflecting a bit, I think it will work out for future books' benefit.
Full Rating (out of 10 possible): 8 (based on a modified CAWPILE system)
Romance level (out of 5 possible): 4 (for on-page, detailed intimacy scenes)
Full Rating (out of 10 possible): 8 (based on a modified CAWPILE system)
Romance level (out of 5 possible): 4 (for on-page, detailed intimacy scenes)
jnb_reads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
3.5
reahbee's review against another edition
5.0
I had to mull this one over. I absolutely loved the premise, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Sometimes Hank was so mopey it got annoying, but for the most part he was great and not like most romance heroes I’d read before.
My main complaint is about the ending because, considering the tone of the book, and the hundreds of pages of ado about protecting Esther’s life, I felt like I was owed a climactic, dangerous ending with dark conspiracies afoot. It felt like a bit of a cop out to use a miscommunication powering such a high stakes conflict, and to have Callum moving the story forward in the next book, and not as a villain.
However, I had a lot of fun reading this and I would definitely read more from this author.
My main complaint is about the ending because, considering the tone of the book, and the hundreds of pages of ado about protecting Esther’s life, I felt like I was owed a climactic, dangerous ending with dark conspiracies afoot. It felt like a bit of a cop out to use a miscommunication powering such a high stakes conflict, and to have Callum moving the story forward in the next book, and not as a villain.
However, I had a lot of fun reading this and I would definitely read more from this author.