aebennettwrites's reviews
282 reviews

Paper Castles by B. Fox

4.0

This book perfectly captures the struggles facing Millennials today. Fox does a great job developing both James and Karen as believable characters and writes them so that the reader is really rooting for both of them, despite the hopelessness they face. This is a melancholy read. The middle dragged a bit for me, but overall this book is worth your time.

Witch Hazel & Wolfsbane by Emily Michel

3.0

This book was ok. The world building was solid and the two main characters were likable enough. Unfortunately, I could NOT get over the fact that the author used the word "b*tch" to describe the antagonist in act one. Not once. Not twice. But over and over. The gratuitous use of such a misogynistic term really took away from my enjoyment. I wanted to like this book more but I just couldn't.

Uncharted by Alli Temple

5.0

Temple does it again! If you love swashbuckling adventure with some angst and danger mixed in, this is a romance for you. You'll be rooting for George and Lou the entire time, even when they're at each other's throats. A fun, summer read!

A Touch of Death by Rebecca Crunden

4.0

This was an interesting and intense read. Crunden develops her characters well and I certainly felt a bond between two of the characters. (I don't want to say who because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.) I will say this book was a bit more violent than I was expecting. Some of the prose was also a bit too hyperbolic to be believable (especially the description of some wounds). Overall, though, Crunden is a good writer and has a way with words. Would recommend to anyone who likes dark fantasy.

Shadows & Starstone by Cheryl S. Mackey

4.0

I don't normally go for high fantasy, but this one kept my interest! Emaranthe, Jaeger, Ivo, and Jadeth are characters you root for from the start. Mackey is great with setting and keeping an ominous tone throughout. Her battle scenes are great, too! Would recommend!

Crown of Aster by Emmaline Strange

5.0

I absolutely adored this book! The attraction between Nathaniel and Adair is immediate...very believable and super steamy. Strange does a great job with world building, as well. I was totally immersed! I finished this book in two sittings. Highly recommend if you're in the mood to lose yourself in a mystical world and are looking for high-heat m/m romance.

The Oracle Stone by Talli L. Morgan

5.0

If fantasy is at all a genre you enjoy, you really need to pick up this book! What a fantastic debut! Morgan has a way with words and has created a world unique to the fantasy genre. This page-turner is well worth your time! I can't wait to see what else Morgan has in store for readers!

Innocence and Carnality by J. Alan Veerkamp

3.0

I liked this book but, ooooof, it needed some CW/TWs! Both the cover and description led me to believe I was heading into a romance novel, but this is not that. This is a story about surviving parental and spousal abuse. Veerkamp is a very talented writer and he builds a world that is both fantastic and terrifying. Nathan is a believable character, as is Rother. The story kept me on the edge of my seat and this is a page turner. I just wish I had been prepared for the graphic descriptions of spousal abuse and threats of sexual assault. Take care before picking this one up!

Tales of Solomon Pace by Alan Scott

4.0

I was intrigued by this collection and decided to give it a try. Is Solomon Pace a cold-hearted jerk? Yes! Do you wind up rooting for him anyway? Absolutely! Scott does a good job of creating an anti-hero in a dark world where one has to be ruthless to survive. This is a good collection of dark fantasy!

Beneath the Snow by Kerri Davidson

4.0

I'm a sucker for a good "impending doom/the apocalypse is looming" story and Davidson delivers! When a freak blizzard hits a Canadian town, main character Twyla finds herself trapped in a mall with other citizens of the town. Davidson does a great job of building suspense and creating a tense atmosphere that kept me on the edge of my seat.