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bottleblondebookworm's reviews
872 reviews
Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey
4.5
Idk. I loved it and could have read another 300 pages. -.5 star for the abrupt ending and sorta 3rd act break up. 🤷♀️
Rogue Games by Reece Barden
4.0
This is the first book I've read from the author but she definitely has a new fan! Rogue Games is the first in a new series, but it appears to involve the same world and characters from the author's other series. I was a bit confused on how the packs, hierarchy, and wolf shifting worked due to this being an existing world, but was able to catch on fairly quickly.
Jamie, a rogue wolf, joins the Alpha Games with her brother, Wyatt, for a chance to find and run a pack of their own, as well as to investigate the game’s host, Alpha Dean Reynolds, and his pack. Jamie is a strong character but she has a soft side and shows her vulnerability in a way I appreciated. She and Dean immediately butt heads but the banter was fun. There was quite a bit of back and forth going on for both characters as they couldn’t deny the tension between them, but felt like it was wrong to give in. Dean was a bit harder to understand, mostly because I didn’t have his full backstory that I think was covered in a previous book. It’s not necessary to read, as Barden does give us enough detail to put things together, but I think it may be best to read this after the other series for the best emotional impact. Dean and Jamie together just make sense , and I enjoyed the evolution of their relationship.
I felt a bit let down over some of the plot points surrounding Jamie and Wyatt’s rogue status, but given that Wyatt is getting his own book, I’m hoping we get more of that history from his story. I did feel that the book was slightly too long and became a bit repetitive and predictable towards the end, with Jamie and Dean being so back and forth on their relationship, but that being said, I stayed up until 1am to read this and had no regrets! I really enjoyed the story and I’m looking forward to reading more from Barden.
I received a free copy of the book from the author. All opinions are my own
Jamie, a rogue wolf, joins the Alpha Games with her brother, Wyatt, for a chance to find and run a pack of their own, as well as to investigate the game’s host, Alpha Dean Reynolds, and his pack. Jamie is a strong character but she has a soft side and shows her vulnerability in a way I appreciated. She and Dean immediately butt heads but the banter was fun. There was quite a bit of back and forth going on for both characters as they couldn’t deny the tension between them, but felt like it was wrong to give in. Dean was a bit harder to understand, mostly because I didn’t have his full backstory that I think was covered in a previous book. It’s not necessary to read, as Barden does give us enough detail to put things together, but I think it may be best to read this after the other series for the best emotional impact. Dean and Jamie together just make sense , and I enjoyed the evolution of their relationship.
I felt a bit let down over some of the plot points surrounding Jamie and Wyatt’s rogue status, but given that Wyatt is getting his own book, I’m hoping we get more of that history from his story. I did feel that the book was slightly too long and became a bit repetitive and predictable towards the end, with Jamie and Dean being so back and forth on their relationship, but that being said, I stayed up until 1am to read this and had no regrets! I really enjoyed the story and I’m looking forward to reading more from Barden.
I received a free copy of the book from the author. All opinions are my own
Tale of the Heart Queen by Nisha J. Tuli
4.5
I’ve loved the world Tuli has created in The Artefacts of Ouranos series. From the beginning, the characters were richly developed and the world intriguing. Over the course of the series, multiple characters have a chance to shine and become more than just side characters or fillers, and the world continues to build, not to mention, the romance! There has been such a build up to Lor’s arc over the past three books, and Tale of the Heaty Queen was a satisfying and, at times, nerve inducing, end to Lor’s story.
While there were a few plot points that felt a bit out of left field, and sometimes too convoluted, Tuli managed to tie things up satisfactorily. I really wish we’d gotten more of Gabriel! What we did get was intensely emotional and well done, but I just wanted more of his story!
Lor really goes through it in this book. The first part of the book is chaotic and emotional and fits well with Lor’s current struggle. Things slow down a bit, and more world lore is introduced, and some additional character POVs that felt unnecessary at times. I do like the idea of getting this specific character’s viewpoint, but at the end of the day, I just wanted Lor, Nadir, and Gabriel. I did hit a bit of a slump around the 40% mark, and started skimming the spice scenes because I wanted more of the other characters, the world lore, and action. I managed to push through that and ended up making myself slow down when I got the last 25% because I didn’t want it to end! 😂
Overall, this was a great ending to a great series and I look forward to what Tuli has in store for us next! 👑
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary arc. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the complimentary arc. All opinions are my own.