ellelainey's reviews
2519 reviews

A Vampire in the Bathhouse by Niko Izuki

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

5.0

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE **
Copy received through Netgalley

~

This was the MOST adorable single volume manga! It was fun, light and yet had a serious undertone of family, strength and community. I loved everything about it.

All of the characters were brilliant. I particularly loved Sakura and his little brother Ume. The way the vampire Luka and his demon minion Pequeno fitted into their little family unit really stole my heart. They made such a beautiful family.

The slice of life aspect was brilliantly done. Every 'storyline' had a purpose that evolved as the story progressed, until we had a pretty clear view of how these strange people fit into one family unit.

The art was absolutely stunning! I loved the historical quirks to Luka's outfits early on, then how he adapted to modern clothing later. Everyone was so damned attractive!

Muted, Volume 2 by Miranda Mundt

3.5

 

 ** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

 Copy received through Netgalley 

 ~ 

 Muted, Vol. 2 is an continuation of the story that evolved in Volume 1. For me, it was much darker and there were ZERO trigger warnings for the content, which is unfortunate, because this is billed as a YA/teen read and there should at least be some warning of what's to come. 

 TRIGGERS: suicidal thoughts, threat of arranged marriage, self-loathing, parental control, parental emotional abuse, mentions of death and suffering, mentions of violence 

 For me, the plot was a lot darker than the previous volume, which made this volume feel really heavy and intense. There were very few places to get an emotional breather from the darkness. I appreciated that there was a lot of plot in the story, but it was so heavily focused on violence and pain that it was exhausting to read. 

 Overall, the plot and characters are good, but there were still issues with the execution: 

 1) there are still editing issues within the text 

 2) while the meaning of the title appeared, it wasn't *actually* explained. There was a hint that it might mean taking away Camille's powers, but it was so vague that there's no context for what that really means. 

 3) Again, I wasn't a fan of the ending. It was sudden and lacked that point of interest that would make 

 I'll probably read the next volume, but I'm not sure if I'll still feel that way when it's eventually released. I find the plot a little forgettable, to the point where I might not remember why I'm interested when Volume 3 releases. 

The Valrais Legacy by J.F. Miev

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

~ 

The Valrais Legacy 

Forging the Stars, 02 

J.F. Miev 

★★★★☆ 

371 Pages 

3rd person, dual character POV 

Themes: Sci-Fi, enemies-to-lovers, MM, slow burn, pining, obsession, vengeance/justice 

Triggers: mentions of off-page death of a spouse, violence, mentions of off-page childhood trauma, depression, implied eating and sleeping disorder, anxiety, voyeurism, public sex, biting, first time gay sex 

~ 

The Valrais Legacy is the second, and final, book in the Forging the Stars duology. A lot happens in this book. It's 371 pages for a reason, because it takes place just a month after their escape from Horizons prison, but takes them right up to the conclusion of the story. And, I'll admit, I doubted whether it would get there before the end. At multiple points, but especially at about 45%, I wasn't sure it could finish the story adequately before the end of the book. 

In one way, it did – the ending made sense for the situation, the characters, and it was both the smart and logical choice. However, I also ended the book with A LOT of unanswered questions. 

I can't talk much about the plot, because that would give away spoilers. 

The book begins a month after their prison break, so everyone is pretty much settled and comfortable with each other. Bea, Nyle and Kristen are in a poly relationship, Darren and Aiden are still tip-toeing around each other, and they're searching for the clues that lead to the Valrais Legacy. 

Book 2 gives us some brief recaps of what happened in Book 1, what led them here and what they're leaving in the past, but I felt they were included well and in the right places. There were no info dumps to catch us up, just appropriately placed mentions of one to two sentences of recap. 

As for the writing – there are still the same issues as Book 1, for me. There's some stilted, awkward phrasing, for example: 

““You… don’t think Marcus killed him?” Darren jumped in, stifling down the pang of panic coursing through him as he remembered the night of the attack. 

“I know so.”” 

For me, this part doesn't make any sense – maybe it's because I'm British/Scottish and we do things differently, I can't say, but it's not what I'm used to with English text. To reply 'I know so' would be to confirm Darren's suspicion, so when he says 'you don't think they did this', to reply 'I know so' would be saying 'Yes, I DO think they did that'. Whereas, in the text, it's made clear that Aiden means the exact opposite of yes. 

Another example comes later: 

 “It didn’t sound like this was anything other than a routine check,” Darren pointed out, sounding no different than usual. Aiden agreed, concluding that just like Nyle had suggested earlier, the GN officers had likely just picked the Maine at random. 

 “It didn’t feel like it was,” 

Again, this is not the natural or appropriate response. The way Bea replies to Darren implies that she's disagreeing with him, that she believes it's more than a random check, when it's not. At this point, she's neither disagreeing with him or believes that it was anything but the expected random check she said it would be. Little things like this really pulled me out of the story, because it's confusing to hear the characters say the total opposite to what they mean. 

As with Book 1, the story was slow in parts but actually more engaging and full of mystery this time around. I really liked the pacing, the constant sizzle of attraction and chemistry between Darren and Aiden. They kept quite a distance from each other through the beginning of the book, but it was totally natural and continued the sense of cautionary distance from Book 1. They circled each other for a long time before giving in, but only once Aiden had fully dealt with his mental health needs and grief. 

For me, I think the best part about their romance was that they gave each other space when it was needed and necessary, and they didn't push for something that would only fall apart because they forced it. There were at least three times in the plot where there had an opening to solve their heavy feelings with sex, and I'm SO HAPPY that they never took them. All three times, they stopped and communicated with each other, talking openly and honestly, rather than letting sex dictate their relationship. Even when Aiden tried to do that, one time, Darren put his foot down and said no, giving Aiden time to grieve and fall apart in a safe place. I think moments where Darren broke apart and let Aiden take care of him, followed by Aiden's dream, and when Aiden fell apart over Claudia, were two of the best moments in the book. 

OVERALL 

I really enjoyed the faster pace of the book, the more visceral sizzle between Darren and Aiden, and how well the team functioned together. 

However, I found the ending to be a little anti-climactic. It was an interesting, unexpected ending, and it actually felt like the smart and logical choice for a man like Darren, who genuinely did want to put his people first – BUT, it left A LOT of unanswered questions. 

What happened to Rick? Why were Liu and Claudia in cryo? Did Marcus get away with it? I would have liked a last page or chapter in either Marcus or Rick's POV – maybe even Claudia, if she woke up from cryo, wondering where Aiden was – which would have answered most of these questions. It was mentioned at one point that there were 5 companies involved in the assassination of the Valrais family, but only Marcus is ever mentioned as being involved from midway through Book 1. I presumed this was because of Aiden's involvement with the family, but the other 4 companies are never mentioned again. I feel like the other 4 companies probably wouldn't be happy with how Marcus let this whole situation run away with him, causing such widespread chaos across Mars, Earth and Jupiter, but there's no mention of them at all in Book 2. And the book ends without resolving the fact that Darren had to leave his best friend Matt behind in Horizons. 

As I said, I have SO MANY questions unanswered. 

~ 

Favourite Quote 

“the darkness which lived in Darren… it was so irresistible, so familiar and tempting, and Aiden was powerless against it, drawn to it like a moth to a candle. He craved to see more of it, to unravel it piece by piece until all that was left of the man who’d shattered his world was only the raw, naked truth he didn’t want anyone to see.” 

Chasing Howe by J.F. Miev

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 ** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

~ 

Chasing Howe 

Forging the Stars, 01 

J.F. Miev 

★★★★☆ 

346 Pages 

3rd person, dual character POV 

Themes: Sci-Fi, enemies-to-lovers, MM, slow burn, pining, obsession, vengeance/justice, undercover, false identity, grief, power dynamics, forced proximity, prisoner x warden 

Triggers: grief, off-page death of a spouse, violence, mentions of off-page childhood trauma, depression, obsessive behaviour, implied eating and sleeping disorder, anxiety, voyeurism, uncomfortable with physical intimacy 

~ 

Chasing Howe is the first in the Forging the Stars duology, and it's a good introduction to the story that will develop in the second book. Overall, it was a really interesting concept and a good plot at the core, but it had a few issues and stumbled along the way towards the good parts. I'd say that the story didn't pick up and really hold my interest until 45-50%. 

My first issue is that the book began – somewhat inexplicably – with EIGHT PAGES of story that came BEFORE the contents page. I have no idea why this was done. It reminded me of old Mills & Boon novels, which used to give you a page snippet of the story before you ever got to the title page. Or years ago when Sierra Riley used to include the only sex scene of the book at the start, then you'd turn the page and the two characters hadn't even met yet. That's what this felt like. And, honestly – it wasn't necessary. The EXACT SAME chapter is actually the first chapter of the book, so I have no idea why the author/publisher would include it before the contents, then have us read it again as the first chapter. It was very confusing. 

The beginning was EXCEPTIONALLY slow paced. I really struggled to keep going with the book, up to around 40%, where things started coming together. If I'd been reading it for myself, I probably would have DNF'd before then, but because I was reviewing I kept going and I'm glad I did. It DID pick up later, but it took a long time to get to the point. I easily could have cut the first half of the book in half or even less. 

The plot itself was really interesting. Aiden's fiancee, Claudia, was murdered two years ago, but instead of her killer, Darren Howe, being put to death – as is usual in this world, for the crime – he's been sent to prison for 50 years. Aiden can't understand why there's a discrepancy with the expected sentence, and why he's been shut out of the investigation, the trial, and isn't allowed to see or know about any of the investigation. He decides to investigate himself, with the help of a PI. In the course of this investigation, he gets a job as the new replacement warden to the Horizons prison, where Darren is incarcerated. He intends to get answers as to why Claudia was murdered and why Darren escaped a death sentence, but what he finds is only more questions... 

This part of the plot was INCREDIBLE. I loved every part of it, from the littering of hints and clues throughout, to the way that Aiden and Darren kept circling each other's orbits without actually getting together too quickly. The slow burn was just right, considering Aiden's mental struggle and the awkward situation of him being the 'warden' and Darren being a prisoner. 

However, I found their flirtations a little awkward. Sometimes they would have 'banter' with each other, but it felt drifting and stilted, like it was unnatural. They also made more out of looks and exchanges than I would have read into them. They thought each other were far more flirty and seductive than it came across in the text, e.g. 

“Darren licked his lips, feeling his expression turn impish. “May I speak freely?” 

“You may, though I was of the impression you already were.” 

Darren’s dick jerked in his pants. That mouth. “I think you are an arrogant smartass that likes to get off by feeling superior.”” 

For me, this doesn't feel like the “that mouth” comment is really appropriate; Aiden wasn't particularly snarky or provocative, to warrant it. This kind of thing happened a lot. I think there was a little too much emphasis on how obsessed and attracted they were to each other, with little instances like this meant to reinforce that feeling, but it just didn't feel natural. Which was a shame, because I really liked both characters and they had great chemistry together. 

For me, their BEST chemistry was when the author wasn't trying to prove they were into each other. Darren was mouthy, flirty and inappropriate most of the time. Aiden was conflicted, because he shouldn't like Darren but he couldn't resist; was disgusted by his own thoughts over Darren, and that this was the man who murdered his fiancee. I LOVED that conflict and I could see how well matched they were when it wasn't forced. 

Personally, I found some of the phrasing...odd. It didn't always read well, in places, and it didn't feel like an editing issue. Sometimes it felt like the author wasn't a native English writer – though I don't know if that's the case, only the phrasing was off in a way that I've seen happen with writers who don't have English as their first language. Everything was understandable, but the formatting of the phrases was all wrong. 

I also feel like the sex scene – there was only one, but it was pretty detailed – was very rushed and not really logical. I had a hard time picturing what was going on because there was lots of movement, lots of aggressive adjustments and rearrangements that didn't always flow well, to show what was happening. 

~ 

OVERALL 

While I had some issues with the execution – word/phrase choices, the slow pacing at the beginning – I really did enjoy the book. It all came together in the end to create an intriguing and clever plot, with interesting characters. I really liked Darren and Aiden, both individually as well as as a potential, future couple. I also liked the secondary cast – the inmates, the prison guards, particularly Nyle and Bea. I liked how well they'd been fleshed out, each with their own part to play and personalities. 

I hesitated over my review rating, between a 3.5 – which I would give a good plot with great potential that wasn't quite pulled off brilliantly – and a 4. In the end, I went with the 4, because I finished the book and I'm eager to read the next one, and even the backstory. 

I'm looking forward to Book 2, but I'm also eager to read Star Heist, which is a backstory to Book 1. However, I'll wait until I've finished Book 2 before I delve into Star Heist, just in case there's some minor spoilers to how the series ends. 

~ 

Favourite Quote 

“when he met those potent eyes and found in them the suppressed, haunted want that spoke to his soul without being asked to, he knew he’d lost the fight. He couldn’t just walk away, not when he saw in this man a kindred soul, someone who offered him what he had been searching for without even knowing it.” 

Omega Syndrome, Vol. 6 by Aki Kobaco

5.0

The Good Boys Club by Jemma Croft

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK FOR MY READING PLEASURE ** 

The Good Boys Club 

Mythical Mishaps, Book 2 

by Jemma Croft 

★★★★★ 

479 Pages 

1st person, dual character POV 

Themes: Alpha/Beta, kink (snowballing, watersports, put play, praise kink, CNC, breeding, knotting, voyeurism, shifted wolf sex, edging, begging, collaring, golden shower); pining, friends-to-lovers; fake dating; road trip; only one bed; first time, bi/demi-awakening, hints of mpreg (very minor, barely mentioned); hurt/comfort; touch starved MC 

Triggers: casual mentions of off-page drug use and partying lifestyle, vomiting, poop, piss, alcohol; speciesism, classism, historic death of parent 

~ 

The Good Boys Club was so different from Book 1 of the Mythical Mishaps series, yet it was similar in that it was so much more than I'd expected. It's actually very emotionally impacting, full of pining and lost hope and near misses. It's all the good stuff of a cheesy rom-com without any of the bad stuff, and doesn't mind taking the p!ss out of itself or the tropes, either. 

Cian is a great main character, in that he's pretty human-ish and a wolf shifter, which means he has more ability to pass as human. He's smart, serious and driven, but trapped in place by his love for Mash. In contrast, Mash is the happy-go-lucky f*ckboy we knew and loved in Book 1, but somehow more. He's secretly damaged, terrified and on the run from responsibility, relying on his friendship with Cian to cure all his hurts. 

The plot is exactly what it promises to be – Mash is unable to put his family off any longer: he needs to go home to his pack for the holidays, but the only way to do that safely, without the threat of being matchmade into a mated pair is to fake a relationship. At first the manwh*re womaniser goes to Cian for help – he works at a were dating agency so he can help Mash find a woman to fake being his mate – however, the plan quickly falls apart when they discover Mash has burned his bridges with every werewolf woman on the database! The only successful way to fake it is for Cian to be his fake mate. They know each other best and Cian can manage to partially shift – enough to show his ears and tail – to look like a born werewolf. 

It's a solid plan that goes t!ts up pretty quickly. There are too many werewolf traditions he doesn't know, too many ways he doesn't even resemble a werewolf. But they stutter through it, progressing to fake kissing to being intimate “for the sake of the lie” and all kinds of good stuff. 

As characters, I loved both Cian and Mash equally. Mash was surprisingly more self-aware than I'd initially given him credit for, and Cian was sunk far deeper in unrequited love than I anticipated. Together, they made for a few more bittersweet romance than I'd prepared myself for. 

I loved the cast of secondary characters as well. Mash's entire family – his nana, Rita; his mother, Kimmy; his sister, Clem; his nephew, Felix – were all incredible in their own way. 

I REALLY loved all the well-placed flashbacks that showed us just how much history existed between Cian and Mash, from both POV's, so that we could see the how and why of what they were saying and meaning. There was a lot of miscommunication between them, but it was in a way that made sense – two people have two totally different conversations where the words took on an utterly different context than they anticipated, because they just weren't on the same page. 

I loved how openly Cian and Mash discussed consent – such as when Mash is a wolf, and can't remember things the next morning, does that still count as consent? – and how they really try to be open about everything except their deepest, darkest secrets. You can genuinely feel the bond between them and how long it's existed. 

There was a lot more humour here than I expected as well, due to how bittersweet and hope-less some aspects were. The whole f*reskin thing was utterly hilarious and – though I can't explain how – was full of British stoicism and embarrassment. Also the moments-after situation with Mash, the toilet and the bathroom floor, were hilarious. 

I can't wait for Book 3. This is definitely a series – and an author – I'll be following in the future. 

~ 

Favourite Quote 

 “This was the end of an era. No more Bangers and Mash.” 

 “I could be happy here.” 

 “I was a shadow, and he was the sunshine.” 

Shroom for Improvement by Jemma Croft

adventurous funny hopeful informative lighthearted medium-paced

• 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

5.0

Shroom for Improvement 

Mythical Mishaps, Book 1 

by Jemma Croft 

★★★★★ 

438 Pages 

1st person, dual character POV 

Themes: grumpy/sunshine, quiet/rambler, slow burn, UST, mystery, magic, Fae, forced proximity, only one bed, 

Triggers: light bondage (edging, toys etc), mentions of off-page party drug culture; use of mushroom hallucinogenics; parental abandonment, depression, loneliness; non-MC bullying, sexual harassment, attempted murder, suicidal thoughts; body insecurities; punishment and praise kink 

~ 

Full disclosure: I don't normally like puns, books advertised as "funny" or "silly", but I loved the sound of book 2 and took the risk. 

This book was such a surprise! A great one! There were incredibly unique characters, a clever if weird plot, great pacing, a brilliant slow burn, and lots of chuckles. The British humour was spot on! 

Claude - a shroom Fae - is a curmudgeon of a train conductor with that one annoyingly persistent customer who keeps getting into his personal space. After three years they've only said a handful of words to each other, despite Sonny's best attempts. 

Three years ago, Professor Sonny - a magpie Fae - grew instantly intrigued by Claude. Ever since he's been secretly and mostly accidentally swiping little tokens from Claude, due to his magpie nature. It's nothing big, really - just a few pins, a pen... Claude's front door key! 

Then Claude's absent father dies and he inherits a magical house. There are tenants, magical rules, a sentient house and a ritual that must be completed by the solstice - just 2 months away - that no one can explain to him because of ancient shroom magical rules! He's in a pickle and needs a shroom magic expert to help. 

He just doesn't expect that expert to be Sonny! 

Lots of hijinks ensues, fun misunderstandings, magical interference, and unwanted feelings keep getting in their way. Not to mention the mysterious guests that live on the property who get in the way more often than help. 

ALL of the characters were great. Funny, smart, with a purpose, and all well fleshed out. It's not often I get to say that, but really no one was left sitting on a shelf, nothing more than pointless decoration. We even get to see quite a bit of Mash, who is the MC of Book 2, which gave me enough hints and clues to his personality that I can't wait to delve in. I particularly loved Jenny and how it completely changed the tone of what we knew. Talk about an unreliable narrator! John was also incredibly interesting, a complete mystery but brilliant. 

As for the plot, I loved everything about it - the intense UST, the simmering slow burn and the magical mystery. I loved that both Sonny and Claude are vers, with their own preferences, but also that they have different ideals for life. Claude just wants a bigger TV and a nice chai tea, while Sonny wants to save the planet with every fibre of his being. Neither are conventionally attractive or fit, but they're each other's ideal. 

I need to commend the author for the full page and a half of content warnings. Some of them were more literal - as in, lots of dick jokes and contempt of estate agents - while others were more triggering content warnings, like bondage, secondary character suicidal thoughts and bullying. 

Not only is this book one of the best of the year so far, but it gets the award for the weirdest, most oddball but loveable characters ever!) 

~ 

Favourite Quote 

 “I wanted to tell him the same. That he was different. But Sonny was everything I'd imagined he'd be, and I realised in that moment, I'd imagined I way more often than I cared to admit. He was warmth, and lightness, and optimism, and passion, and rosy cheeks, and crooked smiles, and sexy, filthy fingers.” 

 “It was always going to feel like the end.” 

Hold My Reins by TJ Nichols

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

  Hold My Reins, by T.J. Nichols 

★★★★★ 

 175 Pages 

 3rd person, dual character POV 

 Themes: grief, hurt/comfort, assassin, small town, monster romance, dating app 

Triggers: grief, recent off-page death of mother, slavery/captivity 

 ~ 

 Hold My Reins was a really good, interesting monster romance. With a dual hurt/comfort, a lot of romance and a little bit of mystery, there was plenty to keep me hooked on the story. 

 This is part of a shared universe series, but I haven't read any of the other books and this one read perfectly well as a standalone. It was a definite Urban Fantasy, with a human town that had a portal to a monster town, meaning there were often equal blends of humans and monsters in a single town. This made the story really interesting, because in some cases it was impossible to tell the human apart from the monster. 

 The theme of this series is a dating app called Monster Match. This is Season 2, but I've never read any of the other books in either season 1 or 2. I'll admit, the dating app concept was only briefly, barely explored in the story and there was little world-building to expand upon the basic concepts of the app and a human town with a portal to a monster world. However, I'm so used to Nichols' writing and fantasy worlds that it actually felt very reminiscent of their Fae novel, Liminality, or even the Mytho series. In that way, it felt comfortable and familiar. 

 I really loved both the main characters, which is a feat that doesn't often happen. But I'm so used to loving T.J. Nichols' world-building and character crafting that it's no surprise this one was no different. 

 Rox has been adrift for the last six months, flitting from place to place, never settling in anywhere. His mother died recently and left him feeling emotionally untethered and lost. He's come to town for a new job and on his first night he signs up for Monster Match for a hook-up. He gets matched with Lynck, who is a kelpie with a dark past, but while he's desperate for a deeper relationship, he's afraid of opening up about his past for fear of the consequences. 

 Together, they have a lot of baggage to deal with, but I loved how that was explored throughout the story. It was a short read, but it had absolutely everything it needed to make it a compelling one. The emotional connection was there, the flirty beginning leading to deeper feelings, and I really loved how they communicated as a couple. Often, when one MC is a different species or whatever, the other MC drifts along and secretly researches; here, Rox was open with his curiosity and Lynck was willing to help Rox get to know him, to understand his kelpie nature. They talked, they communicated well and there was none of that awkward misunderstanding trope to deal with. 

 There weren't many secondary characters – there really wasn't much time/space to fit them, honestly – but Thurston was a really good friend and roommate to Lynck. He was super interesting and I'd definitely read his story, if T.J. Nichols decided to write more in this world. 

 Overall, this story had everything I wanted – strong characters, a well paced plot, a great blend of action, romance, suspense and angst, with a dual hurt/comfort that didn't get overly angsty. This is definitely one that I'd read again. 

 ~ 

 Favourite Quote 

 “If he met up with a monster by the lake, was he going to end up in one of the true crime documentaries his mother loved?” 

 “If he’d known his ideal boyfriend was a monster, he wouldn’t have wasted six months driving around aimlessly. Except he’d needed that time to find himself because the man he’d been six months ago hadn’t known who he was or what he wanted. 

He rolled up onto his toes and kissed Lynck, then brushed his nose against his for good measure. 

“What was that for?” Lynck gazed at him. 

“For being you.” For letting him be him.” 

Wild Roses and Pretenders Vol. 2 by Kamoburger

5.0

Stay by My Side After the Rain 3 by Shoko Rakuta

5.0