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callmekt's reviews
65 reviews
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
That said, it's a fun romp and adventure. Reads like it would make a killer screen adaptation. Hollywood, please produce this.
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Animal death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing
Minor: Alcohol, Murder, Death, and Animal cruelty
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I love a good romance that starts with a complicated relationship. This book had a great setup with a lot of promise, but no pay out. The MC Morgan and her love interest Rachel were former besties in high school, but while Morgan took off for the city to start a life and career of her own, Rachel stuck around the small town where they grew up. Their parting was not amicable, and I loved the allusions to the big fight and fallout.
Unfortunately, that level of complication did not extend beyond the middle of the book. I felt Morgan and Rachel reconciled too easily before starting their relationship.
The main plot involved Morgan setting up a big fundraiser to save Rachel's tree farm. This also had an easy resolution, especially with Christy, who is the main villain. Christy is part of a large enterprise that had taken over a neighboring small town, and she's leading the charge to do the same in Fern Falls. The decisions she makes in the climax of the fundraiser plot are such a 180 from what she had been doing until that point that it took me out of the book.
The book ends with the standard Hallmark plot of the Big City Girl staying in the small town indefinitely. And while there's a lot of lead up to that sort of ending, it's still disappointing to me, the person who would like the Big City Girl to return to the Big City with her love interest in tow for once.
My final thought involves the description of attraction Morgan has to Rachel. It's entirely based on Rachel's appearance and descriptions therein. I guess that's great for some people, but love is more than looks. I wanted to know what Rachel did to make Morgan feel wanted and welcome. I wanted Rachel to see Morgan for who she is, and I wanted Morgan to melt at every sign of Rachel putting her trust in her.
Despite these gripes, I did enjoy this book. It's a cozy, holiday story I would recommend for the holiday season.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use and Grief
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Graphic: Religious bigotry and Homophobia
Moderate: Gore, Torture, Violence, Death, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Vomit
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Transphobia and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Spoilering my review because I want to talk about later plot developments.
<Spoiler> Overall, I liked the first half over the second. Kyr's slow realizations were much more interesting than the timey-whimey shenanigans of the second half.
<Spoiler>I am not big into stories where time travel is a major plot development. I think things start to go off the rails in Part 3 when Kyr gets to the Wisdom node on Chrysothemis and both Magnus and Avi conveniently show up. Without prior understanding of a Wisdom node's security measures, it felt a little farcicle.
<Spoiler>If Part 4 had been a longer segment, I would have DNF'd right there, but Tesh seemed to understand that would have been a stopping point for a lot of readers and brought back the main timeline to keep us going. I was worried that the last part would be another jump away from the original timeline of the first half, but it didn't. Thankfully.
<Spoiler>Part 5 had the most adventure and action. That made it fun and engaging, though I would have liked another moment between Kyr and Lisabel. I think they make a cute couple.
This book talks about sexual subjugation of women, and I was a little worried we would see a graphic rape scene. We did not. I am grateful that this is a book where sexual assault is a central talking point without being graphically depicted.
For readers like me who want to know exactly how a book handles/talks about sexual assault, here is a spoiled list of the mentions:
<Spoiler>
- Serious talk of Ursula, Kyr's sister, getting raped by Aulus Jole. This includes Kyr's thoughts going from "Jole hurt my sister" to "Jole raped my sister." This is brought up a lot.
- Allusions to the women assigned to Nursery at Gaea Station being raped regularly, and this rape bears children. Not mentioned as often as the first point but still often.
- One of Kyr's friends, newly assigned to Nursery, is led away by a superior officer in front of Kyr, who does not try to stop it.
- Jole kisses Kyr without consent. He also touches her hand and arm and shoulder. Clothes are on throughout the exchange and Kyr gets herself out of it.
- A single mention of Kyr realizing female fetuses are aborted so the majority of births on the station are male. This is only ever mentioned explicitly once.
Graphic: Sexism, Genocide, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, War, and Rape
Moderate: Torture, Suicide, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Gun violence
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Physical abuse and Death of parent