happenstance's reviews
850 reviews

Run Riot by Colette Rhodes

adventurous slow-paced

3.0

Pros:

* Riot - non-toxic bad boy vibes
* A neat vaguely greek mythology inspired world
* Solid writing and pacing

Cons:

* Grace's virginal stupidity - not entirely unbelievable considering the state of sex ed in North America, but not what I want from my protagonists
* One by one approach to RH which means Riot's the only guy we've really met so far

Neutral:

* Soul bond = instalove - I don't usually like instalove, but I didn't mind how this was handled in-story. A lot of discussion around choice and consent, which I thought was a nice change of pace. 

Safe Word by Suki Williams

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

3.0

A whole lot of melodrama and how *not* to do ethical non-monogamy. But I mean, points for realism? Too many characters leads to none of them being particularly stand-out, and at least two of the new guys end up feeling like loose threads. I was frustrated at the ending and how most of this story hinges on a lack of any kind of sense or communication. It's still pretty interesting though, story-wise. It was a bit predictable and one-note in certain places, and I'm still sure I know the twist, but you never know! I guess I'll find out in book 3. 

Carnal Cryptids: East Coast by Vera Valentine

dark medium-paced

3.0

Pros:

* The monsters felt monstrous.
* Focus on consent
* Semi-realistic trauma responses
* Anthro urban legends / horror stories is a very cool idea
* Decent characterization

Cons:

* The romance didn't ring true for me
* I would have liked a more fleshed out world / explanation of concepts 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

The Stalking Dead by Eva Chase

medium-paced

1.0

I really really hated this. Too unrealistic and just - stupid. Nothing about this made sense to me, not the bullying, not the way people interacted with the MC, not the way she chose to respond to anything, nothing.
 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying

Carnal Magic: A Dark Monster Reverse Harem Romance by Joely Sue Burkhart

2.0

This was mostly boring and disappointing. It's such a neat concept, but basically nothing happens til the final 2-3 pages. I guess all the ghostly happenings, etc, are meant to build tension or something?

2* because the writing is decent, but content-wise, definitely a 1* for me. 

The Nerd and the Neighbor by Lainey Davis

lighthearted medium-paced

2.0

I didn't hate the idea, but this felt one-dimensional and lacking in some way 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse

The Immortal Soul Salvage Yard by Beth May

emotional reflective

5.0

I loved the style of this. It resonated.

 

Lilacs and Leather by Thora Woods

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.0

I enjoyed Woods' exploration of gender, polyamory, consent and BDSM. There's a neat story here, but it felt a bit flat at times. The relationships between Lydia and the pack didn't feel fully fleshed out somehow, and that got in the way of things sometimes. The antagonists feel almost cartoonish in their villainy 

 

Vera and the Vegas V by Sarah Blue, Ashley Bennett

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

The best thing I can say about this book is that it tried. It really really tried. I think this is a debut effort? In which case, I think the potential is definitely there but not quite achieved in this book.

I was pretty thrilled to see nb representation, but the pronoun speech felt off and awkward somehow (also, in general you don't need to include "preferred" when sharing pronouns - your pronouns are your pronouns, end of story). And Vera's whole 'woe is me' schtick after fucking up - I guess that's common enough, but how about we normalize *not* doing that? That would be cool.

The characterizations of Vera and the gang feel unbalanced and rushed, while the writing style felt stilted and unnatural. There was so much telling and explaining and exposition shoehorned in at the oddest points, it took me right out of the story and I started skipping just to get to the end - only to be cliffhangered. Not that I guess it matters, because I'm pretty sure I know where this is all heading (although I'm prepared to be pleasantly surprised). 

Omega Sanctuary by Mira Kane

adventurous medium-paced

2.0

It's not a bad start, but it could have used some work. Enough typos / errors to catch my attention. An interesting take on the omegaverse, definitely original; the relationships lacked any kind of chemistry for me and the pacing of the story felt inconsistent.