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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Perfect post holiday fluff! A cozy by the fireplace one sitting read.
I’ve wanted to try a Janet Evanovich book for a while. Everyone seemed to love them. But I was never certain where to start; there are so many of them. So, when I came across Wicked Appetite, clearly labeled book one in a series I jumped at it. (For the record, I think Diesel is a character from another of Evanovich’s series. But the book certainly stood alone.) After all the anticipation I was severely let down. I found the whole thing silly beyond belief. And not even endearingly silly, just stupid silly. I was irritated by all the onomatopoeia, the dialogue was ridiculous, the plot paper thin, and the characters shallow. I made it all these years without ever reading one of Evanovich’s books. It looks like I’ll go several more without them. I have no desire to read another one. Lorelei King did a fine job with the narration.
Really fun start to a new series. Yes, it has shades of Stephanie Plum, but who cares? It's a good, funny book and I look forward to the next in the series!
I only picked this book because it was available and takes place in Salem, but I regret that choice. I can’t believe I read the whole thing, as this book barely deserves my writing this review. I’m disgusted by the characters: Diesel (what an idiotic name) is constantly sexually harassing Lizzie, the other lead, and she enjoys it. They’ve barely met when he starts making passes at her and she doesn’t blink an eye. He becomes immediately possessive and doesn’t listen when she tells him to leave her house or “no”. All of this is treated very casually, as though a man essentially breaking in to her house has a right to behave as he likes and she accepts that. Lizzie is absolutely a doormat to him because he’s hot. He never actually acts in any way we would typically think of as abusive—hitting, yelling—he merely moves in and acts like a roommate, but it grossed me out. Lizzie doesn’t even think to call the police. None of the women seem to have any sense or real skill and all rely heavily on Diesel to help them with everything. He doesn’t seem to have any real skill other than being “hot” and a man. I’m astonished that a woman would write such characters. I haven’t read any more of Janet Evanovich’s books, but if they’re all like this then I don’t understand how she’s published so many. As an example of terrible writing (and perhaps a complete absence of sympathy): in a later section one of the women wonders if she was raped while unconscious (not by Diesel), and the conversation is so casual it’s like she was discussing the weather. Not only was I horrified by the laissez-faire attitude of the characters towards potential rape, I was horrified that anyone would write and publish such a traumatic experience as being no big deal. Disgraceful.
This book is supposed to be about “unmentionables” who have magic powers, but where is that evidence? There was so little of that in this book that I kept re-reading the synopsis to see if I was mistaken. The magical SALIGIA stones they are trying to find all represent the three types of gluttony: gluttony involving food, gluttony for punishment, and gluttony for...children??? This latter plot device is used to have Lizzie hilariously have baby fever as she comes in contact with the stone. So funny! As she comes in contact will all of the stones her worth as a sexual object is joked about: if she eats too much and gets fat, haha no one will like her, and gluttony for punishment involves her wanting to be spanked, and Diesel is happy to provide commentary on all of that.
Another grievance involves the narrator who had a southern accent even though none of the characters were southern, and she would say “Hwhat”, “Hwhere”, “Hwhy”, etc. infuriating.
This was terrible. I listened to this book as I was commuting and I know I pulled some intense faces. 0/5 stars.
This book is supposed to be about “unmentionables” who have magic powers, but where is that evidence? There was so little of that in this book that I kept re-reading the synopsis to see if I was mistaken. The magical SALIGIA stones they are trying to find all represent the three types of gluttony: gluttony involving food, gluttony for punishment, and gluttony for...children??? This latter plot device is used to have Lizzie hilariously have baby fever as she comes in contact with the stone. So funny! As she comes in contact will all of the stones her worth as a sexual object is joked about: if she eats too much and gets fat, haha no one will like her, and gluttony for punishment involves her wanting to be spanked, and Diesel is happy to provide commentary on all of that.
Another grievance involves the narrator who had a southern accent even though none of the characters were southern, and she would say “Hwhat”, “Hwhere”, “Hwhy”, etc. infuriating.
This was terrible. I listened to this book as I was commuting and I know I pulled some intense faces. 0/5 stars.
A lot like the between the numbers books. Felt like it didn't really go anywhere.
A lot of repetitive phrases "_____ cut his eyes to ______" and "His _____ was ____. His _____ was ____. His _____ was ____." (Which had an interesting rhythm but was used too often to remain charming.) And a couple ridiculously annoying secondary characters.
That being said, the premise is interesting and the library book is free, so I'm going to try out the second in the series.
And in my imagination, Diesel is NOT blond. (Frankly, neither is Lizzy.)
That being said, the premise is interesting and the library book is free, so I'm going to try out the second in the series.
And in my imagination, Diesel is NOT blond. (Frankly, neither is Lizzy.)
Love the cross over with this book and Stephanie Plum series. Her books always makes me smile.
All I can say is *I HATE THAT MONKEY WITH A PASSION*.
This book is a super light, fluffy, comical one for sure. The beginning introduces Lizzy our MC that is just proud and super skilled at making cupcakes. Yes that's right we begin with cupcakes and they never leave. I will give credit where it is due that is a strange way to start a book but it got me interested. She moves into her eccentric aunts dilapidated house in Salem and is working for a long standing family owned bakery. She has a silly, reality detached coworker obsessed with magic and her boss is a stern and caring trope. The plot begins very flat and doesn't do much to evolve any real depth to characters. Hot mysterious guys are walking in and pulling Lizzy around, burning her and no one calls the cops or beats them up. Classic romance level of entertainment. Its fluffy its silly there's a steamy hot guy Diesel that doesn't grow much personality to and is described as hot for the entire book as his main appeal. And honestly I knew it was a trashy light novel but I was enjoying it. Taking a comical air to the dire mystery/adventure trope in fantasy.
Then the monkey shows up.
I can not stand this monkey. Sure he is slightly amusing the first time he flips people off. But then his entire identity is flipping people off. I swear there was a page where he flipped people off three times in it. To add to it the relationship between Diesel and Lizzy becomes weird, less entertaining with this suedo child they have following them. Diesel keeps receiving new sleek and sexy high brow cars that this darn monkey is throwing food in, farting and burping, throwing up and squirting cheese in. There is even a scene where Lizzy is *petrified* and confiding in Diesel that she may have been raped and in the dramatic pause waiting for Diesel's comfort the monkey *burps in her face and proceeds to throw up in the brand new car*. And that is the end scene to that arc; Diesel starts complaining about the monkey, another constant, and then Lizzy blames Diesel's driving on it. *WHAT*
If you like a book that is about some gross monkey farting and burping along with getting in between the main characters far too much for a comical relief then go for this book. I didn't even touch on the lack of character depth or motivation nor the inability for sex because they would loose their world saving powers; yet that being the main focus and dialog between Diesel and Lizzy. I just hate that monkey.
This book is a super light, fluffy, comical one for sure. The beginning introduces Lizzy our MC that is just proud and super skilled at making cupcakes. Yes that's right we begin with cupcakes and they never leave. I will give credit where it is due that is a strange way to start a book but it got me interested. She moves into her eccentric aunts dilapidated house in Salem and is working for a long standing family owned bakery. She has a silly, reality detached coworker obsessed with magic and her boss is a stern and caring trope. The plot begins very flat and doesn't do much to evolve any real depth to characters. Hot mysterious guys are walking in and pulling Lizzy around, burning her and no one calls the cops or beats them up. Classic romance level of entertainment. Its fluffy its silly there's a steamy hot guy Diesel that doesn't grow much personality to and is described as hot for the entire book as his main appeal. And honestly I knew it was a trashy light novel but I was enjoying it. Taking a comical air to the dire mystery/adventure trope in fantasy.
Then the monkey shows up.
I can not stand this monkey. Sure he is slightly amusing the first time he flips people off. But then his entire identity is flipping people off. I swear there was a page where he flipped people off three times in it. To add to it the relationship between Diesel and Lizzy becomes weird, less entertaining with this suedo child they have following them. Diesel keeps receiving new sleek and sexy high brow cars that this darn monkey is throwing food in, farting and burping, throwing up and squirting cheese in. There is even a scene where Lizzy is *petrified* and confiding in Diesel that she may have been raped and in the dramatic pause waiting for Diesel's comfort the monkey *burps in her face and proceeds to throw up in the brand new car*. And that is the end scene to that arc; Diesel starts complaining about the monkey, another constant, and then Lizzy blames Diesel's driving on it. *WHAT*
If you like a book that is about some gross monkey farting and burping along with getting in between the main characters far too much for a comical relief then go for this book. I didn't even touch on the lack of character depth or motivation nor the inability for sex because they would loose their world saving powers; yet that being the main focus and dialog between Diesel and Lizzy. I just hate that monkey.