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moonzies 's review for:
The Guardian
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
I want so badly to give this book a higher rating. From the beginning setup alone, it had so much potential to be an interesting plot with plenty of angst and development and a good enemies-to-lovers romance. What I got instead was so utterly disappointing, boring, and unoriginal.
It was, essentially, stale bread.
I’ve read so many fanfictions that are better written than this. I’ve read cheesy romance novels with dark brooding males countless times. I’ve been there. But this book was so utterly predictable in every regard.
I liked the main female character, Lydia, and the main male character, Seth, at the very beginning. Great introductions with room to produce great scenes. That’s why by the end, I was quite shocked that I really thought there were more to these characters. As stories typically progress the characters grow and develop. Their “progress” felt so plain and.... boring. Predictable.
It felt like this entire book was written so slow. Almost as if in the middle of the book the author realized she had to get the plot moving along. The pacing was absolutely TERRIBLE. New events would come out of nowhere and take far too long to progress the story. This book felt like a novella. It was so short and VERY rushed midway through. That is so disappointing because I’ve read so many books with insta-love but they still manage to pace things nicely and all the events that take up time are important and matter.
Speaking of insta-love, WHAT THE HELL IS THE ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK!?! Their relationship starts with so much potential and clearly alludes to being a slowburn relationship type of thing. I mean, how could it not? When Mr. Tragic Past has been abused and has been thru some messed up crap, I wouldn’t expect him to trust so easily. So they’re at odds with each other and... while she’s being held captive with him they just fall in love all of a sudden? Out of NOWHERE?
I thought there relationship was barely beginning to be friends at this point, and the book throws romance at you like it’s been there all along.
MIND YOU, I was shocked because even books that have insta-love have buildup that makes sense! They have tension! You KNOW they’re gonna do the diddly, but the fun is how they’re getting there, and them falling in love along the way. THIS IS NOWHERE NEAR WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK. These two barely know a thing about each other personally. Yeah, she knows his tragic past and all, but WHAT ELSE IS THERE? She just pities him and therefore loves him? Why does he even love her, because she took care of him? That’s IT? No other reason!?! They never get to know each other with conversation. Find similarities with each other. He has some smutty thoughts of her, but hell, they are so BORING and not passionate AT ALL. There is NO sexual or romantic tension between these two.
The book never really takes upon the point of the fact he thinks she’s just taking care of him to escape. This book is so rushed and makes characters have thoughts and feelings without those ever getting resolved. It's a big MESS.
Ya’ll, I don’t mind stolkhome romances. I’ll love it if it’s done well (I.E. the Shatter Me series), but this book was such PLAIN SPAHGETTI with absolutely no passion whatsoever, I couldn’t even get past the romance.
All the side characters were boring and forgettable except for Jaden. He was funny, charming, and admitted for his mistakes and took responsibility for Seth. (how rare for a big "tough" guy to do)!
Noir is disgusting and just annoying to read about constantly.
The most enjoyable part of the story was Seth’s character and backstory, which even then wasn’t enough. Wasted potential.
The world building is pretty much non existent. No further information about anything.
In short, this book was pointless. It was an overall disappointing read and I’m sad to say so.
It was, essentially, stale bread.
I’ve read so many fanfictions that are better written than this. I’ve read cheesy romance novels with dark brooding males countless times. I’ve been there. But this book was so utterly predictable in every regard.
I liked the main female character, Lydia, and the main male character, Seth, at the very beginning. Great introductions with room to produce great scenes. That’s why by the end, I was quite shocked that I really thought there were more to these characters. As stories typically progress the characters grow and develop. Their “progress” felt so plain and.... boring. Predictable.
It felt like this entire book was written so slow. Almost as if in the middle of the book the author realized she had to get the plot moving along. The pacing was absolutely TERRIBLE. New events would come out of nowhere and take far too long to progress the story. This book felt like a novella. It was so short and VERY rushed midway through. That is so disappointing because I’ve read so many books with insta-love but they still manage to pace things nicely and all the events that take up time are important and matter.
Speaking of insta-love, WHAT THE HELL IS THE ROMANCE IN THIS BOOK!?! Their relationship starts with so much potential and clearly alludes to being a slowburn relationship type of thing. I mean, how could it not? When Mr. Tragic Past has been abused and has been thru some messed up crap, I wouldn’t expect him to trust so easily. So they’re at odds with each other and... while she’s being held captive with him they just fall in love all of a sudden? Out of NOWHERE?
I thought there relationship was barely beginning to be friends at this point, and the book throws romance at you like it’s been there all along.
MIND YOU, I was shocked because even books that have insta-love have buildup that makes sense! They have tension! You KNOW they’re gonna do the diddly, but the fun is how they’re getting there, and them falling in love along the way. THIS IS NOWHERE NEAR WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK. These two barely know a thing about each other personally. Yeah, she knows his tragic past and all, but WHAT ELSE IS THERE? She just pities him and therefore loves him? Why does he even love her, because she took care of him? That’s IT? No other reason!?! They never get to know each other with conversation. Find similarities with each other. He has some smutty thoughts of her, but hell, they are so BORING and not passionate AT ALL. There is NO sexual or romantic tension between these two.
The book never really takes upon the point of the fact he thinks she’s just taking care of him to escape. This book is so rushed and makes characters have thoughts and feelings without those ever getting resolved. It's a big MESS.
Ya’ll, I don’t mind stolkhome romances. I’ll love it if it’s done well (I.E. the Shatter Me series), but this book was such PLAIN SPAHGETTI with absolutely no passion whatsoever, I couldn’t even get past the romance.
All the side characters were boring and forgettable except for Jaden. He was funny, charming, and admitted for his mistakes and took responsibility for Seth. (how rare for a big "tough" guy to do)!
Noir is disgusting and just annoying to read about constantly.
The most enjoyable part of the story was Seth’s character and backstory, which even then wasn’t enough. Wasted potential.
The world building is pretty much non existent. No further information about anything.
In short, this book was pointless. It was an overall disappointing read and I’m sad to say so.