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3.27 AVERAGE
3.27 AVERAGE
Rather ho-hum until the last 20%, when the action (in and out of bed) picks up and doesn't let up till the end.
Things I liked about the book:
* Diving info appropriately detailed but not boringly so
* The science behind Finn's research seems solid. It could be total BS, but it had me fooled. :)
* The big and badass final confrontation--totally saved the book for me
Things I didn't care for:
* Stock supporting characters -- world-domination type bad guy, evil henchmen, even an
* The plot was very predictable for most of the book. Not much excitement or surprises in the first 80% of the book. Couple that with the turtle-paced romance and I got myself a record-breaking book--took me 10 days to finish--the longest ever for a romantic lesfic. :) It is a well-written book though, so I stuck till the end.
Things that could have been done better (little nitpicks):
* Finn's English-ness was never apparent, other than her surname and the initial mention. All throughout, I imagined her to be an innocent All-American girl next door. And the name Oz--cute, but I had to mentally remind myself the setting was the Florida Keys and not the Great Barrier Reef. :)
* One of the main themes of the book is Finn's journey of assertiveness and independence, actively encouraged by Oz...but all throughout, Oz repeatedly calls her 'baby' :)
Overall, an above average read. I like the author's second book better though.
P.S.
Things I liked about the book:
* Diving info appropriately detailed but not boringly so
* The science behind Finn's research seems solid. It could be total BS, but it had me fooled. :)
* The big and badass final confrontation--totally saved the book for me
Things I didn't care for:
* Stock supporting characters -- world-domination type bad guy, evil henchmen, even an
Spoiler
unfortunate best friend* The plot was very predictable for most of the book. Not much excitement or surprises in the first 80% of the book. Couple that with the turtle-paced romance and I got myself a record-breaking book--took me 10 days to finish--the longest ever for a romantic lesfic. :) It is a well-written book though, so I stuck till the end.
Things that could have been done better (little nitpicks):
* Finn's English-ness was never apparent, other than her surname and the initial mention. All throughout, I imagined her to be an innocent All-American girl next door. And the name Oz--cute, but I had to mentally remind myself the setting was the Florida Keys and not the Great Barrier Reef. :)
* One of the main themes of the book is Finn's journey of assertiveness and independence, actively encouraged by Oz...but all throughout, Oz repeatedly calls her 'baby' :)
Overall, an above average read. I like the author's second book better though.
P.S.
Spoiler
In the climactic action scene, I really liked how the author had Oz smartly and purposefully plot her way out of the mess she was in, rather than the usual reliance on luck/help from others/superhuman feats. Perfect resolution. As for the cliffhanger ending--now that is how to do cliffhanger endings--no hints or warnings and totally unexpected. Very cinematic! :)
Rather ho-hum until the last 20%, when the action (in and out of bed) picks up and doesn't let up till the end.
Things I liked about the book:
* Diving info appropriately detailed but not boringly so
* The science behind Finn's research seems solid. It could be total BS, but it had me fooled. :)
* The big and badass final confrontation--totally saved the book for me
Things I didn't care for:
* Stock supporting characters -- world-domination type bad guy, evil henchmen, even an
* The plot was very predictable for most of the book. Not much excitement or surprises in the first 80% of the book. Couple that with the turtle-paced romance and I got myself a record-breaking book--took me 10 days to finish--the longest ever for a romantic lesfic. :) It is a well-written book though, so I stuck till the end.
Things that could have been done better (little nitpicks):
* Finn's English-ness was never apparent, other than her surname and the initial mention. All throughout, I imagined her to be an innocent All-American girl next door. And the name Oz--cute, but I had to mentally remind myself the setting was the Florida Keys and not the Great Barrier Reef. :)
* One of the main themes of the book is Finn's journey of assertiveness and independence, actively encouraged by Oz...but all throughout, Oz repeatedly calls her 'baby' :)
Overall, an above average read. I like the author's second book better though.
P.S.
Things I liked about the book:
* Diving info appropriately detailed but not boringly so
* The science behind Finn's research seems solid. It could be total BS, but it had me fooled. :)
* The big and badass final confrontation--totally saved the book for me
Things I didn't care for:
* Stock supporting characters -- world-domination type bad guy, evil henchmen, even an
Spoiler
unfortunate best friend* The plot was very predictable for most of the book. Not much excitement or surprises in the first 80% of the book. Couple that with the turtle-paced romance and I got myself a record-breaking book--took me 10 days to finish--the longest ever for a romantic lesfic. :) It is a well-written book though, so I stuck till the end.
Things that could have been done better (little nitpicks):
* Finn's English-ness was never apparent, other than her surname and the initial mention. All throughout, I imagined her to be an innocent All-American girl next door. And the name Oz--cute, but I had to mentally remind myself the setting was the Florida Keys and not the Great Barrier Reef. :)
* One of the main themes of the book is Finn's journey of assertiveness and independence, actively encouraged by Oz...but all throughout, Oz repeatedly calls her 'baby' :)
Overall, an above average read. I like the author's second book better though.
P.S.
Spoiler
In the climactic action scene, I really liked how the author had Oz smartly and purposefully plot her way out of the mess she was in, rather than the usual reliance on luck/help from others/superhuman feats. Perfect resolution. As for the cliffhanger ending--now that is how to do cliffhanger endings--no hints or warnings and totally unexpected. Very cinematic! :)
2.5 stars, it may have been more if the blurb in anyway reflected the actual book. The blurb made it sound like a light summer read and almost immediately someone is being shot in the head and then there are terrorists and biological weapons.
dark
sad
fast-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:
Yes
2/5
Audiobook narrated by Heather Wilds.
Finn leaves the UK to get away from her controlling father. She joins a diving instructor programme and meets Oz, her trainer. They grow closer as they discover the true reach of Finn's father.
- I actually really enjoyed the beginning of this book, the bits about the diving school and the "getting to know you" phase of the book. I think if there had been more focus on that side of things I may have enjoyed the book a lot more. Sadly the plot took more of an espionage/violence turn which I didn't really enjoy.
- The characters felt really flat. There are a bunch of military and mafia type characters who all felt like they'd come out of a cheesy parody. Oz and Finn were better rounded but I don't think Bramhall captured their full potential.
- So for most of the book, this was a cheesy and reasonably light book. (Spoilers) Then an important side character is shot, there's lots of violence and particularly I really disliked the sexual assault elements. The ending felt rushed and honestly, after a massively traumatic experience, I'm not sure my first instinct would be to have sex with my partner.
Started well but not my cup of tea. If you like a bit of grit and you're prepared to put up with slightly stereotypical mafia-esque villains then you may enjoy this more than I did.
Audiobook narrated by Heather Wilds.
Finn leaves the UK to get away from her controlling father. She joins a diving instructor programme and meets Oz, her trainer. They grow closer as they discover the true reach of Finn's father.
- I actually really enjoyed the beginning of this book, the bits about the diving school and the "getting to know you" phase of the book. I think if there had been more focus on that side of things I may have enjoyed the book a lot more. Sadly the plot took more of an espionage/violence turn which I didn't really enjoy.
- The characters felt really flat. There are a bunch of military and mafia type characters who all felt like they'd come out of a cheesy parody. Oz and Finn were better rounded but I don't think Bramhall captured their full potential.
- So for most of the book, this was a cheesy and reasonably light book. (Spoilers) Then an important side character is shot, there's lots of violence and particularly I really disliked the sexual assault elements. The ending felt rushed and honestly, after a massively traumatic experience, I'm not sure my first instinct would be to have sex with my partner.
Started well but not my cup of tea. If you like a bit of grit and you're prepared to put up with slightly stereotypical mafia-esque villains then you may enjoy this more than I did.
So bad it's good? Ridiculously over the top but entertaining if you read it as a parody.
I’ve loved every Bramhall book I’ve read so far but this one, not so much. There were things I really liked and others I disliked just as much. I’m still interested in reading the second book in the series, though. The MCs were very good and I’m not completely ready to let go of them.