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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
Honestly embarrassed at myself for reading this it was so cringe
I just loved it. Being on the older side myself, it was a breath of fresh air to read about a 40-something heroine. I liked the main character a lot, I could relate to her on many levels. The story and the world are delightful. THE HOUSE IS AMAZING! If that last sentence appeals to you, you will LOVE this book, probably. The story is witchy, it reminds me of Practical Magic (the movie, not the book) and Witches of East End (The show, not the books). There are some minor annoyances: the names are a bit ridiculous and the obsession with kilts is a bit much. But these are easy to gloss over, the rest of the story was completely enjoyable and now I'm addicted to the series.
My main complaint is that the main character was such a pushover and just let things happen to her out of pride. Things that could of been avoided by asking for help or even just using a few brain cells.
Otherwise this was an enjoyable read and I will read the next.
Otherwise this was an enjoyable read and I will read the next.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was hard to stay interested in, mostly because I was trying not to pull my hair out the whole time. There were just so many small annoying things in this book that didn't fit. A huge one of me is how flimsy the scenes were, things would happen that didn't really make since. Like, so often I could just see the man behind the curtain pulling all the characters strings "I want our readers to meet the exhusband and ex mother inlaw, Oh I'll have them come to the house! Why would they be there though, hmmm. OH! I'll have them threaten to sue her and say its because she was hiding this house from them in the divorce. Even though there is literal stacks of paperwork/paper trail that say that was not the case and that she was only gifted this property a few days ago. The readers aren't smart enough to see through that right? yeah. Thats a totally plausible thing someone would do"
And dont even get me started on the two female main characters, they were too busy the WHOLE FREAKING BOOK, trying to be quirky and zany. I was excited for this read because of the Heroins age, shes 44, and I wanted to enjoy that perspective. Instead, her character acts more like a teenager in the "Lol so random" phase than anything else. I enjoyed some of the banter/witty back and forth at the start, but it is a constant in this book, and grated on my nerves so fast. I was just so over it at about the 30%-40% mark. Less is more.
The characters just felt so fluid, being/acting not how that character would act in the moment, but how the writer would want them to act in the moment. I know thats a bit confusing, but I mean that the characters dont feel real at all, they feel so fake and like easily transparent plot devices.
An example being. Our main girl is asked to find a lost wedding ring by a customer of her grandmothers, her grandmother sold her services for finding lost things for the town and now that shes gone, our girl has to do it. She not only finds the ring, but three others as well for the woman. but then refuses to be paid for it, even though she has no money in her account what so ever and is going to be losing her house. Even afterward, she is so shocked when her friend mentions talking to the woman about being paid. So I was like "Okay, thats annoying, and doesn't make any sense, but we are establishing that the character is a goody two shoes with zero sense of self preservation." And then literally on the next page, she starts talking about how she lies on the descriptions of the materials she uses for the notebooks she makes and sells on etsy. Says they are consecrated and what not because "people eat that stuff up." WHAT?! Who is this character? Is she a "no no I couldn't possibly take your money, just knowing I helped is all the payment I need. *Sparkle sparkle*" or is she a morally gray character who thinks its okay to tell white/gray lies to put food on the table. Make up your mind.
Also, the love interest has no personality traits other than "Always appears to save the day at the perfect moment" and "Sexy guy in no shirt and a kilt." He is just there to be something to pant over. Nothing to actually want to be interested in other than visually. He's got a dark past that she is very rude to keep asking other random people about, but even then it wasn't something I was curious about because we don't really ever fucking talk to him. (I DNFed at the 70% mark)
And dont even get me started on the two female main characters, they were too busy the WHOLE FREAKING BOOK, trying to be quirky and zany. I was excited for this read because of the Heroins age, shes 44, and I wanted to enjoy that perspective. Instead, her character acts more like a teenager in the "Lol so random" phase than anything else. I enjoyed some of the banter/witty back and forth at the start, but it is a constant in this book, and grated on my nerves so fast. I was just so over it at about the 30%-40% mark. Less is more.
The characters just felt so fluid, being/acting not how that character would act in the moment, but how the writer would want them to act in the moment. I know thats a bit confusing, but I mean that the characters dont feel real at all, they feel so fake and like easily transparent plot devices.
An example being. Our main girl is asked to find a lost wedding ring by a customer of her grandmothers, her grandmother sold her services for finding lost things for the town and now that shes gone, our girl has to do it. She not only finds the ring, but three others as well for the woman. but then refuses to be paid for it, even though she has no money in her account what so ever and is going to be losing her house. Even afterward, she is so shocked when her friend mentions talking to the woman about being paid. So I was like "Okay, thats annoying, and doesn't make any sense, but we are establishing that the character is a goody two shoes with zero sense of self preservation." And then literally on the next page, she starts talking about how she lies on the descriptions of the materials she uses for the notebooks she makes and sells on etsy. Says they are consecrated and what not because "people eat that stuff up." WHAT?! Who is this character? Is she a "no no I couldn't possibly take your money, just knowing I helped is all the payment I need. *Sparkle sparkle*" or is she a morally gray character who thinks its okay to tell white/gray lies to put food on the table. Make up your mind.
Also, the love interest has no personality traits other than "Always appears to save the day at the perfect moment" and "Sexy guy in no shirt and a kilt." He is just there to be something to pant over. Nothing to actually want to be interested in other than visually. He's got a dark past that she is very rude to keep asking other random people about, but even then it wasn't something I was curious about because we don't really ever fucking talk to him. (I DNFed at the 70% mark)
Okay, full disclosure here: I'm a huge fan of Darynda Jones's work prior to reading Betwixt. So I was already fangirling when I bought this book. I was also excited to see a new genre, Paranormal Women's Fiction, being of a (ahem) certain age group that this new endeavor is geared towards. I'm happy to say that Betwixt definitely did not disappoint. There was all the snarky goodness I adore in Jones's writing as well as an awesome friendship between Defiance and her bestie Annette--reminiscent of Charley & Cookie in the Charley Davidson series. But it was the premise itself that really intrigued me.
After already going through a messy divorce and losing her business in the process, Defiance (aka Dephne) learned she was given a gorgeous Gothic-looking house across the country in Salem. She falls in love with it, with the town, but not necessarily with the locals thinking she's a witch. But it turns out that they might just be on to something.
In addition to all the laughter I expected--and happily received!--from Betwixt, Jones was able to pull in a whole variety of emotions. I loved Defiance's bond with her family and all the love that was oh so evident. She had an amazing ability to be empathetic with the locals seeking her help, showing her innate kindness and an urge to assist them. There was even romance in the air when Defiance felt an immediate attraction to sexy, kilt-wearing (!!!!) handyman Roane, which was complicated but intense.
I do want to note that Betwixt is the first in the trilogy and ends with a mother of a cliffhanger that will leave readers pretty much gasping at the shocking secret that's revealed on the final page. (I'm fine with cliffhangers myself, but I know some readers like to be forewarned.)
Betwixt had it all: laughter, family secrets, blossoming attraction, danger, and of course magic. I am completely hooked on this new trilogy by Darynda Jones and will be impatiently biding my time until book two, Bewitched, comes out in a few (sob) months.
After already going through a messy divorce and losing her business in the process, Defiance (aka Dephne) learned she was given a gorgeous Gothic-looking house across the country in Salem. She falls in love with it, with the town, but not necessarily with the locals thinking she's a witch. But it turns out that they might just be on to something.
In addition to all the laughter I expected--and happily received!--from Betwixt, Jones was able to pull in a whole variety of emotions. I loved Defiance's bond with her family and all the love that was oh so evident. She had an amazing ability to be empathetic with the locals seeking her help, showing her innate kindness and an urge to assist them. There was even romance in the air when Defiance felt an immediate attraction to sexy, kilt-wearing (!!!!) handyman Roane, which was complicated but intense.
I do want to note that Betwixt is the first in the trilogy and ends with a mother of a cliffhanger that will leave readers pretty much gasping at the shocking secret that's revealed on the final page. (I'm fine with cliffhangers myself, but I know some readers like to be forewarned.)
Betwixt had it all: laughter, family secrets, blossoming attraction, danger, and of course magic. I am completely hooked on this new trilogy by Darynda Jones and will be impatiently biding my time until book two, Bewitched, comes out in a few (sob) months.
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3½⭐︎ rounded up.
I actually rather enjoyed this read. I've had bad luck when it comes to finding a decent heroine over the age of 40 whose whole back story isn't "husband cheated with SLUTTY SLUTTY SLUTTY younger woman"—thus why you see none of them in my read column; they all got dropped like hot potatoes with their gross shaming—so I was a bit hesitant to try this one. I'm glad I did. Defiance did get treated shoddily by her ex-husband, but it's a different kind of betrayal. Like many "Generation Oregon Trail" women—the youngest Xers and the Eldest Millennials—44 year old Defiance expected to be treated equitably and fairly, and got seriously shafted by it because she didn't perform her due diligence and check up on what her husband and his mother were up to in her name. Defiance learns some really painful lessons in this story.
And I think Defiance excites me a bit because finally, a heroine *is* part of my own peer group. So she's easy for me to identify with, even if I find her ridiculous at times. She's beaten down and resigned with the fact that the system isn't fair so why fight it? Fighting takes resources she doesn't have. It's easier to simply lick her wounds and tread water until she can try something else. She feels guilty that she's utilized her dads' resources as much as she has, because we all came of age at a really rotten time and have been kicked down more than once since hitting adulthood. And many of us are stunted in this weird late 90s' cynical-to-avoid-having-to-try place that makes us hilarious to banter with, but damn. We are pretty sad if you actually look at us too closely. So yes, Defiance is quite immature, but it's not in the overgrown brat stamping her foot while throwing herself into danger and insists she's capable sort of way that the romance genres love so much. It stems more from being too scared to ask for more help than has already been given and yet too lazy to do all of the overwhelming research.
And yay for a fun female friendship with zero back-stabbing! Defiance and Annette's banter is fun, irreverent, and bawdy with a touch of too cool to care coloring it all.
Now this book does end on a doozy of a cliffhanger—which I do not Hate on because this is a really common literary device and yet people act personally affronted by them—and the romance is just starting to get sparked. I enjoyed my time in this world, as campy as it is, and I will be looking for the second installment to see where things go.
Especially with a certain smokin' hot shifter.
I actually rather enjoyed this read. I've had bad luck when it comes to finding a decent heroine over the age of 40 whose whole back story isn't "husband cheated with SLUTTY SLUTTY SLUTTY younger woman"—thus why you see none of them in my read column; they all got dropped like hot potatoes with their gross shaming—so I was a bit hesitant to try this one. I'm glad I did. Defiance did get treated shoddily by her ex-husband, but it's a different kind of betrayal. Like many "Generation Oregon Trail" women—the youngest Xers and the Eldest Millennials—44 year old Defiance expected to be treated equitably and fairly, and got seriously shafted by it because she didn't perform her due diligence and check up on what her husband and his mother were up to in her name. Defiance learns some really painful lessons in this story.
And I think Defiance excites me a bit because finally, a heroine *is* part of my own peer group. So she's easy for me to identify with, even if I find her ridiculous at times. She's beaten down and resigned with the fact that the system isn't fair so why fight it? Fighting takes resources she doesn't have. It's easier to simply lick her wounds and tread water until she can try something else. She feels guilty that she's utilized her dads' resources as much as she has, because we all came of age at a really rotten time and have been kicked down more than once since hitting adulthood. And many of us are stunted in this weird late 90s' cynical-to-avoid-having-to-try place that makes us hilarious to banter with, but damn. We are pretty sad if you actually look at us too closely. So yes, Defiance is quite immature, but it's not in the overgrown brat stamping her foot while throwing herself into danger and insists she's capable sort of way that the romance genres love so much. It stems more from being too scared to ask for more help than has already been given and yet too lazy to do all of the overwhelming research.
And yay for a fun female friendship with zero back-stabbing! Defiance and Annette's banter is fun, irreverent, and bawdy with a touch of too cool to care coloring it all.
Now this book does end on a doozy of a cliffhanger—which I do not Hate on because this is a really common literary device and yet people act personally affronted by them—and the romance is just starting to get sparked. I enjoyed my time in this world, as campy as it is, and I will be looking for the second installment to see where things go.
Especially with a certain smokin' hot shifter.