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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DNF - Apart from establishing herself as a gang boss and having a few flings not much happens.
A different type of RH than Madison Kate, but one I’m not against. It’s unusual (at last in the RH’s I’ve read) to read a RH where the guys aren’t an established “group” or some kind already. Those tend to go the easiest when developing a RH. Hades group is interesting since they spread across a wide age range (younger, same, and older than her) and they come from different places/gangs. She’s literally developing her RH and I kind of enjoy seeing that because it’s more of a testament to their love for her that they won’t let barriers get in the way.
I’m not particularly drawn to one guy over the other. There’s less angst in Hades than MK. Sure, Zed and her have some angst, but it’s not the same as Archer and MK. Zed is more the second chance. Lucas is the fresh, young one. Cass is the gruff, rough around the edges one. I like all three of them and I liked Cass from MK so that was a happy thing to see.
The story is still a suspense mystery type of who is going after Hades. She has a better idea of who it might be sooner than what MK’s was so I think the story will be quicker in that way.
I like Hades too and how tough she is. MK was more sass and attitude, but Hades grew up in the world and fought hard to get where she is. So she’s tough outside, but soft on the inside for the guys. It’s fun seeing a woman in charge like this.
I’m not particularly drawn to one guy over the other. There’s less angst in Hades than MK. Sure, Zed and her have some angst, but it’s not the same as Archer and MK. Zed is more the second chance. Lucas is the fresh, young one. Cass is the gruff, rough around the edges one. I like all three of them and I liked Cass from MK so that was a happy thing to see.
The story is still a suspense mystery type of who is going after Hades. She has a better idea of who it might be sooner than what MK’s was so I think the story will be quicker in that way.
I like Hades too and how tough she is. MK was more sass and attitude, but Hades grew up in the world and fought hard to get where she is. So she’s tough outside, but soft on the inside for the guys. It’s fun seeing a woman in charge like this.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
just fun
I actually think I’ll like it I just don’t want to read it lol
/puts book in my mouth and thrashes around like a dog/ (yes, I did this. actually. that's how bad it was)
I knew that for mine, and my GF's first buddy read as a couple, I wanted it to be awful. And boy, did I get it!!! Worst book of 2024 so far. Aspiring authors out there, you have hope. If this steaming pile of hot garbage can get indie-published and picked up, you can do it, too. And of course, after researching Tate James and seeing that she puts out these schlocky books like no tomorrow, it's not a shock that 7th Circle ended up like this.
The prose, for lack of better words, is genuinely ass. Like, this is what passes for good these days??? Clearly, the editor grew legs and walked off because I've read first drafts better than this. The amount of James-isms had me screaming into the book every time they popped up. "Chuckled/snorted/etc. a laugh" "Crossing my arms under my breasts" "JUST rolling eyes and [insert other action here]". Someone needs to put this woman in a creative writing course because even freshmen don't make these mistakes. I don't know what the word "said" did to James, but it's BARELY in the book, leading the characters to growl, snarl, chuckle, reply, and tell all of their dialogue. My girlfriend kept a tally, and they found it was only used 37 times in the entire 279-page novel. That's diabolical. In a book full of dialogue!!!
And, of course, how can I forget about the telling? James treats the reader like idiots, spelling out blatantly obvious things like how characters feel CONSTANTLY. What is it with adult authors nowadays??? This isn't cocomelon for adults!!! Come on!
This is not a book where a ton of things happen. Plot? Forget it. You're getting crumbs and that's it. For so long, I wondered if there was a prequel I missed because it sounded SO much more interesting than what we got (Hades' takeover of the Timberwolves). Whenever I didn't feel rage, I just felt...bored. None of the characters were intriguing in any sort of way. So, let's talk about them.
Hades/Hayden/Dare/whatever her name is has to be one of the worst main characters I've had the displeasure of reading about. Her whole thing is supposed to be that she's a stone-cold bitch who dresses sexy and is a ruthless killer. And yet, throughout the entire book, she's belittled by her love interests (them constantly being bigger/manhandling her, HER INTRO SCENE IS HER GETTING REJECTED) and barely does anything actually badass. She kills her first dude almost 100 pages into the book. We're constantly told that she's a badass, that she "usually" would never do what she actually does in the book, which creates a weird sort of cognitive dissonance. Who is Hades? The character we're constantly told she is, or the one we see on screen? I could believe this more if we had established who she was before getting tossed around by her boytoys. But nope. She's also a complete and utter douche to her sister
Also, we're gonna talk about how Hades is just. An awful mob boss and business owner. Because, holy shit, she SUCKS. First of all, she's a multi-billionaire at 23 after taking the business over at...18??? Hello??? Most normal mob bosses are going to be within the hundred million dollar range, not BILLION. You're telling me this NOBODY who's supposed to be hiding out has more wealth than Al Capone at his height. And the kicker, most mob bosses/professional criminals who WERE that rich dealt with prostitution (which she doesn't do; she makes a point to say she despises pimps) and hard drugs (another thing she tries to stay away from, if her strong reaction to PCP is anything). Fat Tony Salerno, who made his wealth over DECADES and dealt with loans and casinos, was only worth a "measly" 600 million. Not to mention the fact that she fucks one of her barely legal employees and keeps him on. And this is for some of her "legitimate" businesses! If that doesn't shut her ass down, the fact that one of her(?) bars has a supply room that stores cleaning products and alcohol in the same room will!!! Slightly related, but let's talk about the fact that Zed PUNCHED A COP IN THE HEAD. Why would you do that? Congrats, now you have the cops on your ass due to ASSAULTING AN OFFICER.
(also like. The fact that Hades somehow sniffed out an undercover fbi agent when that's never happened in U.S history. Joe Pistrone didn't die for this (his ass is still alive but hey))
The three "love interests" are just. So blah and boring. Isn't the whole fun of a harem/reverse harem the fact that every love interest is different? Sure, Zed, Cass, and Lucas are all different on paper. And yet they all play the exact same role: rough and domineering men who tower over Hayden even when she's wearing heels (as the narration so blatantly points out over and over again). It becomes...boring. Give me some femdom! Give me a sweet romance (also side note: Hayden, our super smart and confident mafia boss can't tell her childhood friend is pining over her the entire book??? Really?? He was making it obvious). Not to mention the fact that the age gaps are...incredibly weird. Sure, all of the characters are adults, but it's still strange that Hayden is fucking a high schooler and Cass knew her when she was 18 as well when he was 29. Remember, kids, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's moral.
And even then, we have to make our villain cops worse by selling CSEM, and of course, Hayden DESPISES that. Girl. You're dating a guy who's closer in age/maturity to your kid sister. Stones and glass houses.
This is awful, even for a bad tiktok mafia romance book. Well worth the 17$ because I started biting the book while reading it and my girlfriend and I had an awful time. So oppressively heterosexual I had my first ever kiss because I needed to feel something. Tate James, when I catch you.....
P.S.: are we gonna brush over the fact that James referred to a character having a "Hispanic complexion?" I have. No words.
P.P.S: stop with the grumpy cat. You're not gonna make it happen. 2012 wants their dead meme back
I knew that for mine, and my GF's first buddy read as a couple, I wanted it to be awful. And boy, did I get it!!! Worst book of 2024 so far. Aspiring authors out there, you have hope. If this steaming pile of hot garbage can get indie-published and picked up, you can do it, too. And of course, after researching Tate James and seeing that she puts out these schlocky books like no tomorrow, it's not a shock that 7th Circle ended up like this.
The prose, for lack of better words, is genuinely ass. Like, this is what passes for good these days??? Clearly, the editor grew legs and walked off because I've read first drafts better than this. The amount of James-isms had me screaming into the book every time they popped up. "Chuckled/snorted/etc. a laugh" "Crossing my arms under my breasts" "JUST rolling eyes and [insert other action here]". Someone needs to put this woman in a creative writing course because even freshmen don't make these mistakes. I don't know what the word "said" did to James, but it's BARELY in the book, leading the characters to growl, snarl, chuckle, reply, and tell all of their dialogue. My girlfriend kept a tally, and they found it was only used 37 times in the entire 279-page novel. That's diabolical. In a book full of dialogue!!!
And, of course, how can I forget about the telling? James treats the reader like idiots, spelling out blatantly obvious things like how characters feel CONSTANTLY. What is it with adult authors nowadays??? This isn't cocomelon for adults!!! Come on!
This is not a book where a ton of things happen. Plot? Forget it. You're getting crumbs and that's it. For so long, I wondered if there was a prequel I missed because it sounded SO much more interesting than what we got (Hades' takeover of the Timberwolves). Whenever I didn't feel rage, I just felt...bored. None of the characters were intriguing in any sort of way. So, let's talk about them.
Hades/Hayden/Dare/whatever her name is has to be one of the worst main characters I've had the displeasure of reading about. Her whole thing is supposed to be that she's a stone-cold bitch who dresses sexy and is a ruthless killer. And yet, throughout the entire book, she's belittled by her love interests (them constantly being bigger/manhandling her, HER INTRO SCENE IS HER GETTING REJECTED) and barely does anything actually badass. She kills her first dude almost 100 pages into the book. We're constantly told that she's a badass, that she "usually" would never do what she actually does in the book, which creates a weird sort of cognitive dissonance. Who is Hades? The character we're constantly told she is, or the one we see on screen? I could believe this more if we had established who she was before getting tossed around by her boytoys. But nope. She's also a complete and utter douche to her sister
Also, we're gonna talk about how Hades is just. An awful mob boss and business owner. Because, holy shit, she SUCKS. First of all, she's a multi-billionaire at 23 after taking the business over at...18??? Hello??? Most normal mob bosses are going to be within the hundred million dollar range, not BILLION. You're telling me this NOBODY who's supposed to be hiding out has more wealth than Al Capone at his height. And the kicker, most mob bosses/professional criminals who WERE that rich dealt with prostitution (which she doesn't do; she makes a point to say she despises pimps) and hard drugs (another thing she tries to stay away from, if her strong reaction to PCP is anything). Fat Tony Salerno, who made his wealth over DECADES and dealt with loans and casinos, was only worth a "measly" 600 million. Not to mention the fact that she fucks one of her barely legal employees and keeps him on. And this is for some of her "legitimate" businesses! If that doesn't shut her ass down, the fact that one of her(?) bars has a supply room that stores cleaning products and alcohol in the same room will!!! Slightly related, but let's talk about the fact that Zed PUNCHED A COP IN THE HEAD. Why would you do that? Congrats, now you have the cops on your ass due to ASSAULTING AN OFFICER.
(also like. The fact that Hades somehow sniffed out an undercover fbi agent when that's never happened in U.S history. Joe Pistrone didn't die for this (his ass is still alive but hey))
The three "love interests" are just. So blah and boring. Isn't the whole fun of a harem/reverse harem the fact that every love interest is different? Sure, Zed, Cass, and Lucas are all different on paper. And yet they all play the exact same role: rough and domineering men who tower over Hayden even when she's wearing heels (as the narration so blatantly points out over and over again). It becomes...boring. Give me some femdom! Give me a sweet romance (also side note: Hayden, our super smart and confident mafia boss can't tell her childhood friend is pining over her the entire book??? Really?? He was making it obvious). Not to mention the fact that the age gaps are...incredibly weird. Sure, all of the characters are adults, but it's still strange that Hayden is fucking a high schooler and Cass knew her when she was 18 as well when he was 29. Remember, kids, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's moral.
This is awful, even for a bad tiktok mafia romance book. Well worth the 17$ because I started biting the book while reading it and my girlfriend and I had an awful time. So oppressively heterosexual I had my first ever kiss because I needed to feel something. Tate James, when I catch you.....
P.S.: are we gonna brush over the fact that James referred to a character having a "Hispanic complexion?" I have. No words.
P.P.S: stop with the grumpy cat. You're not gonna make it happen. 2012 wants their dead meme back
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
(Puts face in hands)
Buddy-read with my darling girlfriend, who always seems to know exactly which books are gonna give me a conniption. She thought it would be trashy fun, and wouldn't you know it, it's quite awful!
To start off lightly: The prose is dogshit. Tate James took "said is dead" way too closely to heart, and now every character has to reply, bark, snap, and mutter their dialogue. It's worse when she tries to get creative, and now they lie, announce, observe, and agree, all in cases where either it's not appropriate or it's painfully obvious what the context is. I actually kept count, and "said" was only used 37 times in a 279-page novel with 33 chapters. That's not even 1.5 "said"s per chapter. There's a reason why "said" is fine, and it's because it makes unique dialogue tags stand out when they're used; otherwise, you get word soup like this.
The narration repeats certain baffling sentences over and over again, in a way that makes me question how much Tate James knows about creative writing. Characters frequently "just" roll their eyes/laugh/shrug, and then immediately do another action and have a line of dialogue, which isn't what "just" means. "[name] snickered/snorted/scoffed a laugh" is a redundant frequent occurrence, right alongside "jerked a nod." Repeatedly, Hades states that "even in my high heels [insert love interest here] towered over me," and she's constantly "fold[ing] my arms under my breasts." Like, verbatim, that's how it's stated at least three times.
The pacing is also atrocious. The 3 sex scenes don't help (and we'll get to the sex scenes, oh man), nor does the author not understanding that books in a series need to also work on their own. The beginning is way too slow, and the end is rushed to the point of absurdity. The entire third act is maybe 30 pages, and it ends on a cliffhanger that's failed to hook me in any way, shape, or form. Hades, the supposed tough-girl mob boss who keeps telling us she's such a bad bitch and a stone-cold killer, only shoots her first man on page 87. I'm realizing that Bloom books is an imprint of Sourcebooks, and if you've seen my DNF review of both The Poisons We Drink and Monsters Born and Made (both Sourcebooks Fire), you'll understand why I'm singling out the company; one must ask where the editors went if this makes it to print.
And here's the thing: I'm pretty forgiving with prose. As long as you tell a compelling story with compelling characters, I'll rarely dip below 3 stars. I was promised a female mob boss with three men at her beck and call, all with different ages and backgrounds, and so I expected just that. In her early interactions with Lucas, I was praying for femdom.
But nooooooo, we couldn't even have that. Which brings me to this book's worst sins: telling vs showing, and shitty characterization.
Instead of showing us a character's facial expressions and body language, the narration tells us what they're feeling or what emotion they "look." Instead of showing us Hades being a bad bitch, we're told she is as she capitulates to every man in her life. The supposed genius mob boss (who, by the way, is 23 and already a billionaire, lol) makes several bad decisions and puts herself in danger way too often. My girlfriend knows a lot about mob history, and it was so much fun seeing her lose her shit over Hades' shitty management.
All her love interests, too, are exactly the same. Yes, ingenue Lucas, best friend Zed, and old rival Cass are all super assertive and physically domineering, despite the differences in age, personality, and sexual history. I get having a type, but isn't the appeal of multiple love interests the fact that they're all kind of different? Like, imagine if Cass was the older macho dom, Zed the snarky yet gently loving best friend, and Lucas the naive yet bratty sub who gets pegged. Now that would have been an interesting story with push and pull, instead of variations on a "bighugelarge dark-haired abs macho dom" theme.
All these combined easily make this the worst book I've read this year. At least Lightlark had a semblance of a non-romance plot. This one doesn't even pretend it's not about the dick. If this is where M/F romance has gone, well, consider me turned off on the genre forever.
PS The first sex scene takes place in a supply closet at a bar where cleaning supplies are kept next to beer kegs and liquor bottles. I'll give everyone with a food handler's permit time to scream.
PPS The wine snob MC describes Sangiovese as a "light, fruity" wine. Sangiovese is the grape used in the famously full and tannic Chianti, for the record.
PPPS 3 Grumpy Cat references in a book published in 2020 should be illegal, right?
Buddy-read with my darling girlfriend, who always seems to know exactly which books are gonna give me a conniption. She thought it would be trashy fun, and wouldn't you know it, it's quite awful!
To start off lightly: The prose is dogshit. Tate James took "said is dead" way too closely to heart, and now every character has to reply, bark, snap, and mutter their dialogue. It's worse when she tries to get creative, and now they lie, announce, observe, and agree, all in cases where either it's not appropriate or it's painfully obvious what the context is. I actually kept count, and "said" was only used 37 times in a 279-page novel with 33 chapters. That's not even 1.5 "said"s per chapter. There's a reason why "said" is fine, and it's because it makes unique dialogue tags stand out when they're used; otherwise, you get word soup like this.
The narration repeats certain baffling sentences over and over again, in a way that makes me question how much Tate James knows about creative writing. Characters frequently "just" roll their eyes/laugh/shrug, and then immediately do another action and have a line of dialogue, which isn't what "just" means. "[name] snickered/snorted/scoffed a laugh" is a redundant frequent occurrence, right alongside "jerked a nod." Repeatedly, Hades states that "even in my high heels [insert love interest here] towered over me," and she's constantly "fold[ing] my arms under my breasts." Like, verbatim, that's how it's stated at least three times.
The pacing is also atrocious. The 3 sex scenes don't help (and we'll get to the sex scenes, oh man), nor does the author not understanding that books in a series need to also work on their own. The beginning is way too slow, and the end is rushed to the point of absurdity. The entire third act is maybe 30 pages, and it ends on a cliffhanger that's failed to hook me in any way, shape, or form. Hades, the supposed tough-girl mob boss who keeps telling us she's such a bad bitch and a stone-cold killer, only shoots her first man on page 87. I'm realizing that Bloom books is an imprint of Sourcebooks, and if you've seen my DNF review of both The Poisons We Drink and Monsters Born and Made (both Sourcebooks Fire), you'll understand why I'm singling out the company; one must ask where the editors went if this makes it to print.
And here's the thing: I'm pretty forgiving with prose. As long as you tell a compelling story with compelling characters, I'll rarely dip below 3 stars. I was promised a female mob boss with three men at her beck and call, all with different ages and backgrounds, and so I expected just that. In her early interactions with Lucas, I was praying for femdom.
But nooooooo, we couldn't even have that. Which brings me to this book's worst sins: telling vs showing, and shitty characterization.
Instead of showing us a character's facial expressions and body language, the narration tells us what they're feeling or what emotion they "look." Instead of showing us Hades being a bad bitch, we're told she is as she capitulates to every man in her life. The supposed genius mob boss (who, by the way, is 23 and already a billionaire, lol) makes several bad decisions and puts herself in danger way too often. My girlfriend knows a lot about mob history, and it was so much fun seeing her lose her shit over Hades' shitty management.
All her love interests, too, are exactly the same. Yes, ingenue Lucas, best friend Zed, and old rival Cass are all super assertive and physically domineering, despite the differences in age, personality, and sexual history. I get having a type, but isn't the appeal of multiple love interests the fact that they're all kind of different? Like, imagine if Cass was the older macho dom, Zed the snarky yet gently loving best friend, and Lucas the naive yet bratty sub who gets pegged. Now that would have been an interesting story with push and pull, instead of variations on a "bighugelarge dark-haired abs macho dom" theme.
All these combined easily make this the worst book I've read this year. At least Lightlark had a semblance of a non-romance plot. This one doesn't even pretend it's not about the dick. If this is where M/F romance has gone, well, consider me turned off on the genre forever.
PS The first sex scene takes place in a supply closet at a bar where cleaning supplies are kept next to beer kegs and liquor bottles. I'll give everyone with a food handler's permit time to scream.
PPS The wine snob MC describes Sangiovese as a "light, fruity" wine. Sangiovese is the grape used in the famously full and tannic Chianti, for the record.
PPPS 3 Grumpy Cat references in a book published in 2020 should be illegal, right?
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
omg
What an explosive and extremely hot story about a mafia boss lady. She is fierce but cares deeply for her sister. Hades has three guys interested in her well being. It will be fun reading how well they do. Story does end in a cliffhanger.
What an explosive and extremely hot story about a mafia boss lady. She is fierce but cares deeply for her sister. Hades has three guys interested in her well being. It will be fun reading how well they do. Story does end in a cliffhanger.
Tate James has done it again! HOLY SHIT! 7th Circle is an AMAZING start to a new series! I can't wait to see what shit we get into after that ending! Honestly best book yet!