Reviews

Pretty Little Lion by Suleikha Snyder

cakt1991's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

Pretty Little Lion is an ambitious follow-up to the amazing Big Bad Wolf. While this one largely focuses on a different couple, it is highly dependent on the world building of the previous book, so I would highly suggest reading that one first. And like the first, it’s akin to a police procedural, but with shifters and also more politically conscious. While more than likely a coincidence due to issues of timing, I got some Law and Order: Organized Crime vibes with this one. 

I liked further exploration of worldbuilding, and while the author made obvious parallels to the political situation in the previous book, the more recent developments have allowed for more stark commentary about the state of the world. While I know it’s going to annoy some people, I like that Snyder is boldly making her politics known in this series. Escapism is all well and good, but not everyone can do that, especially people from marginalized groups, and that needs to be respected. 

This book is busy, and I had conflicting feelings about that. On the one hand, I was never bored, as there’s constant action going on, what with the constant state of suspense. 

However, it’s also busy from a character side of things. This is pitched as Meghna and Elijah’s book, and I did enjoy and invest in their developing relationship, as it’s super sexy and complicated, in a similar way to the relationship at the center of Big Bad Wolf. Meghna is a badass heroine, which is always a plus, and I loved the insights into both of their backgrounds sprinkled throughout. But they’re sharing page time with other characters, in particular a secondary developing romance between Finn, Grace, and Nate, and while I’m curious as to where that goes, I found it hard to split my interest between the two. 

While this book didn’t completely deliver for me, I did still enjoy some of the same elements that carried over from the first book. If you enjoyed the first book, there is still a chance you’ll enjoy this one, especially if you like the mashup of romantic suspense, dystopian, and paranormal, and don’t mind the focus being on more than one romance.