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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
lighthearted
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:
Yes
I am sad that I really did not love this one, especially with how much I usually love Alyssa Cole's book and the fact that I was looking forward to reading a f/f romance from her. But alas not a whole lot happened in this one, and for how long it was there wasn't much development to the romance. Sad times indeed.
As much as I liked Bez, I didn't love Makeda and I have other books I want to read more right now. Maybe I'll come back to this later!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
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:
No
Thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for an advance e-galley for honest review.
Another charmer from Alyssa Cole! I forgot that it was supposed to be a queer Anastasia retelling, but I don't think you have to have that lens to enjoy it. I loved the sections that took place as Bez and Makeda traveled and really connected. The ending was a pleasant surprise.
Another charmer from Alyssa Cole! I forgot that it was supposed to be a queer Anastasia retelling, but I don't think you have to have that lens to enjoy it. I loved the sections that took place as Bez and Makeda traveled and really connected. The ending was a pleasant surprise.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
This was... a right mess. Maybe that's cause of the way I read it (audio, split up into like 20 chunks), maybe it was the book itself. I forgot I was reading this at least ten times. I forgot I finished this yesterday until I just saw it on my profile. I never really understood what the plot and the conflict of this book was? Was I just inattentive or was there really not much to work with? Who knows!
It feels unfair to rate this. But I still think this is the worst Alyssa Cole I've read.
It feels unfair to rate this. But I still think this is the worst Alyssa Cole I've read.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Alyssa Cole's contemporary romances keep being lauded on romance review sites I frequent, and I keep reading her books, waiting to be as impressed as others seem to be. We first met Beznaria "Bez" Chetchevaliere in a cameo in the first book in this series, How to Catch a Queen. Turns out I possibly prefer her in smaller doses, she's a bit much as a protagonist in her own book. I can see why Makeda is rather taken aback by her.
Frequently one of my complaints of Cole's contemporary romances is that the heroines are way more impressive than the heroes and I just don't think they've found a person who's good enough for them. In this story, where we have two heroines, I'm still not entirely sold on them as a couple. I think I liked them fine as individuals and people interacting, but kept waiting for the romance to work for me - which it never really did.
Additionally, there is the whole missing "long lost heir" storyline that played out in an albeit surprising manner, certainly not at all the way I was expecting it to, but that once again felt a bit too outlandish to me. The things I liked best about this book were Makeda's grandmother, said grandmother's mean old cat and the dude we are introduced to who is yet another royal (SO many of them out there in Cole's romance world) out and about in a secret identity. He seemed interesting, so I guess I'll probably pick up the next book in this series as well. With the exception of her historical romances, Ms. Cole is now very much a "pick up on sale" or whenever I can find one available at the library. There's always enough entertainment value in each book that I don't entirely regret spending the time reading them, though. Not exactly the strongest recommendation, but there we are.
Judging a book by its cover: As always, Ms. Cole has really beautiful covers, featuring beautiful people in interesting outfits. I still think the model who portrays Bez should have been more muscular (her arms are basically matchsticks, which feels very wrong) and her shoulders should have been wider, but otherwise, I guess it's fine. It's always nice to see two ladies in a clinch cover instead of the standard hetero couple.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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