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Calluna: Darkness Rising: A Plus-Sized Standalone Paranormal Romantic Comedy by Jewels Arthur
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review
4.0
Sometimes it's weird to think that I discovered Silver Springs already long before the lockdown. Silver Springs has become my lockdown series, a comfort read where I always find characters warming my heart and making me smile. Slowly I'm making my way back to the office, out of the lockdown, but luckily Silver Springs is still going strong. I was therefore quite happy that I got an arc for this Calluna sequel, especially because Arthur always delivers.
With this sequel Arthur once more proves that it's quite possible to write a very hot book, while also having a gripping and exciting plot with a little danger. Yes, Calluna has four guys and Arthur makes sure that each of her guys gets a moment to shine, mostly subtly based on a similar scene or situation we've already encountered in the first book. And when normally I'm not a huge fan of too many scenes like that, Arthur writes all those scenes too well to not enjoy them.
In between all those tender and intimate moments there is a constant danger lurking in the shadows, quite literally. I love how Arthur builds this danger up. It's only in the finale that all the pieces of the puzzle click and that we get all the answers on the how and the when, but from the very start those pieces of the puzzle are already handed out. And all those pieces are spread out through the story quite nicely, not too much, but often enough to remind us that something's going on.
Arthur also uses this book once more to show us how amazing Calluna is as a character. I'm not a huge fan of the all tough up girls who almost seem to lack emotion, but Arthur created a perfectly balanced personality. Calluna is fierce, Calluna is brave, Calluna has confidence and knows what she's capable of (and what not), but she's also vulnerable at times. This makes her not only more relatable, but also quite realistic.
If there is an idea for another sequel, I'd love to read it!
With this sequel Arthur once more proves that it's quite possible to write a very hot book, while also having a gripping and exciting plot with a little danger. Yes, Calluna has four guys and Arthur makes sure that each of her guys gets a moment to shine, mostly subtly based on a similar scene or situation we've already encountered in the first book. And when normally I'm not a huge fan of too many scenes like that, Arthur writes all those scenes too well to not enjoy them.
In between all those tender and intimate moments there is a constant danger lurking in the shadows, quite literally. I love how Arthur builds this danger up. It's only in the finale that all the pieces of the puzzle click and that we get all the answers on the how and the when, but from the very start those pieces of the puzzle are already handed out. And all those pieces are spread out through the story quite nicely, not too much, but often enough to remind us that something's going on.
Arthur also uses this book once more to show us how amazing Calluna is as a character. I'm not a huge fan of the all tough up girls who almost seem to lack emotion, but Arthur created a perfectly balanced personality. Calluna is fierce, Calluna is brave, Calluna has confidence and knows what she's capable of (and what not), but she's also vulnerable at times. This makes her not only more relatable, but also quite realistic.
If there is an idea for another sequel, I'd love to read it!
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