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jennaraetions's reviews
63 reviews
Eden Rising by Ash S.-J., Shade Owens
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This took me a bit to get into. What I've learned is that for some reason, assaulting my husband with a lecture containing every detail and plot point about the book I'm reading that I'm not super into makes me see how good it really is. That happened with the last two books I was "meh" about.
This book is basically Handmaids Tale without religion, with some differences, but that's the easiest way to say it. The main one being the women won before Gilead happened but nothing went back to normal, or even a society. They're barely the same, actually, but it gets the gender violence point across pretty well to anyone reading this.
For a while, it was just a dystopian book with okay writing. Nothing new or super impactful, and it almost seemed like just a book written for angry feminists but not super well or interestingly. I happen to be an angry feminist, so I stuck with it because I'm tired of starting books and switching. And when I say okay writing, I mean it literally. It just seemed slightly deadpan, or the kind of writing that states things that don't need stated. Thoughts a character is having that are so obvious it's like the author thinks you're stupid. It's hard to explain, but if you've experienced that, you know what I mean. It wasn't anything to stop reading over, but also wasn't something I was completely engrossed in.
My main frustration was that it was taking so long to find out what "actually happened" during the war. The book alternates between 3 perspectives, with a "before" and "present day" going back and forth for each (so basically 6 perspectives which was very difficult at first for my adhd pea brain). Things that happened during the war are referenced or hinted at almost constantly, but the" before"s sooo sloooowly inched towards the actual shit that happened that it was stressful. Not a slow burn, persay, there's always crazy shit happening, but you want that desire to read something super fucked up to be scratched, yknow? Eventually I accepted that it was purposefully stretching it over the course of the book and in the end, it really made sense. I was mostly just being impatient. I figured that payoff was most of the reason I was still reading it and it was frustrating.
But somewhere around 50% all the set up came together so it could really get into the story, the author hit their groove in earnest, and the story got so good and compelling and addicting.
I will say this book absolutely needs some tws for sexual assault, rape, and almost every kind of violence. That being said, the plot was so good. Eventually, the characters were so good. Even before I fell in love with the main characters, the book is really good at making you hate the people you're supposed to hate. Those descriptions are top notch.
Imagining the world in this book is unfortunately too easy, but also so fucking crazy. None of it seems unbelievable. Even just the scene with the news anchors was so fucking accurate and perfectly something that would absolutely happen that it hurt.
I never really fell in love with Lucy but I am so fucking excited to see where it all goes with Eve and Gabriel and even Zack. So glad I stuck with this.
This book is basically Handmaids Tale without religion, with some differences, but that's the easiest way to say it. The main one being the women won before Gilead happened but nothing went back to normal, or even a society. They're barely the same, actually, but it gets the gender violence point across pretty well to anyone reading this.
For a while, it was just a dystopian book with okay writing. Nothing new or super impactful, and it almost seemed like just a book written for angry feminists but not super well or interestingly. I happen to be an angry feminist, so I stuck with it because I'm tired of starting books and switching. And when I say okay writing, I mean it literally. It just seemed slightly deadpan, or the kind of writing that states things that don't need stated. Thoughts a character is having that are so obvious it's like the author thinks you're stupid. It's hard to explain, but if you've experienced that, you know what I mean. It wasn't anything to stop reading over, but also wasn't something I was completely engrossed in.
My main frustration was that it was taking so long to find out what "actually happened" during the war. The book alternates between 3 perspectives, with a "before" and "present day" going back and forth for each (so basically 6 perspectives which was very difficult at first for my adhd pea brain). Things that happened during the war are referenced or hinted at almost constantly, but the" before"s sooo sloooowly inched towards the actual shit that happened that it was stressful. Not a slow burn, persay, there's always crazy shit happening, but you want that desire to read something super fucked up to be scratched, yknow? Eventually I accepted that it was purposefully stretching it over the course of the book and in the end, it really made sense. I was mostly just being impatient. I figured that payoff was most of the reason I was still reading it and it was frustrating.
But somewhere around 50% all the set up came together so it could really get into the story, the author hit their groove in earnest, and the story got so good and compelling and addicting.
I will say this book absolutely needs some tws for sexual assault, rape, and almost every kind of violence. That being said, the plot was so good. Eventually, the characters were so good. Even before I fell in love with the main characters, the book is really good at making you hate the people you're supposed to hate. Those descriptions are top notch.
Imagining the world in this book is unfortunately too easy, but also so fucking crazy. None of it seems unbelievable. Even just the scene with the news anchors was so fucking accurate and perfectly something that would absolutely happen that it hurt.
I never really fell in love with Lucy but I am so fucking excited to see where it all goes with Eve and Gabriel and even Zack. So glad I stuck with this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Rape
The Fae Princes by Nikki St. Crowe
4.0
Honestly, this was my favorite out of the four, which is interesting bc most reviews seem to say the opposite. I loved the storyline in this one, and that it was a great story with smut, instead of smut with some kind of story thrown around it. It's all up to preference and is a delicate balance. But I felt like this one actually lived up to the potential of the world that was created, and really enjoyed it.
Their Vicious Darling by Nikki St. Crowe
3.0
Honestly I'm kinda pissed lmao once the retelling was pretty much, well, retold, I was over it. It was mostly smut and plot holes and a bunch of stuff about characters that I liked well enough, but most of their personalities were surface level, because where character building usually happens, smut happened instead, so I didn't really care anymore. I'd like to know what happened to the twins, but not enough to read the last book right now. It took me 24 hours to finish the last 10% of this book (which, once I finally did it, took about 15 minutes). But then the GODDAMN TWIST made me want to read it but UGH I don't actually want to but UUUGH. I'll probably be back during my next slump when I need something quick. Or maybe I'll just get it over with so it can be a complete series.
UGH.
Anyways, for all three books as a whole, it's not terrible. It's definitely not great. I'm not a fan for smut for the sake of smut but some of it was quite delicious I can't even lie. Not mad I read it, didn't change my life. I'll never be able to watch Peter Pan again, that's for sure.
UGH.
Anyways, for all three books as a whole, it's not terrible. It's definitely not great. I'm not a fan for smut for the sake of smut but some of it was quite delicious I can't even lie. Not mad I read it, didn't change my life. I'll never be able to watch Peter Pan again, that's for sure.
The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
That was... Something. Not even sure what to rate it exactly.
I actually am more invested in this storyline than I thought I'd be, and really want to know about the retelling. I hate to be that person that's like "I read it for the plot" but like...
Also, getting to text my husband things like "a lost boy just fucked Wendy's great granddaughter while Peter Pan watched" and "Peter Pan and the lost boys are running a train on her" has been fun, I can't lie
I actually am more invested in this storyline than I thought I'd be, and really want to know about the retelling. I hate to be that person that's like "I read it for the plot" but like...
Also, getting to text my husband things like "a lost boy just fucked Wendy's great granddaughter while Peter Pan watched" and "Peter Pan and the lost boys are running a train on her" has been fun, I can't lie
The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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? No
4.0
This is difficult to rate because it took me sooo long to read (compared to usual). It wasn't the books fault, I just kept not having time. It was like being really into a movie but having to pause it every 5 minutes, so you can never really get fully into it. But then, I explained to my husband and teenager what the book was about, and it really helped me realize how into it I was and how invested I was. They ended up both being invested just based off of my description, asking "what happened???" every time I gasped near the end. So honestly somewhere between 3-5 stars?? Lol. Reading the next one immediately, which I usually struggle with, if that helps anything. I am absolutely invested.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Somewhere between a 3 & 4.
The story, at least a four. Surprisingly loved the world and the romance.
It gets significantly lowered when you factor in the 🌶️.
Things like:
"you're so warm inside. So wet, just for my knot."
"I'm going to do it, misery... I'm going to come where I'm supposed to."
WHAT 😂😂
The entire last 20-30 pages are cringe af scenes (which is surprising bc the earlier ones weren't and all others I've read by her aren't, but the introduction of the whole knot thing + this alpha somehow fucking like a 13 year old virgin are just a no go for me), and it overall could've been quite a bit shorter but. Overall, a good read.
It gets bumped back up from 3 because it was literally funny af, genuinely, when usually that's not the case.
The story, at least a four. Surprisingly loved the world and the romance.
It gets significantly lowered when you factor in the 🌶️.
Things like:
"you're so warm inside. So wet, just for my knot."
"I'm going to do it, misery... I'm going to come where I'm supposed to."
WHAT 😂😂
The entire last 20-30 pages are cringe af scenes (which is surprising bc the earlier ones weren't and all others I've read by her aren't, but the introduction of the whole knot thing + this alpha somehow fucking like a 13 year old virgin are just a no go for me), and it overall could've been quite a bit shorter but. Overall, a good read.
It gets bumped back up from 3 because it was literally funny af, genuinely, when usually that's not the case.
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
okay listen. i spent 40-60+% of this book thinking i hated it, or at least that it wasn't very good. i wasn't happy with the love story. the spice wasn't good. the plot could have been so much better because of how amazing the world building was, the whole idea of the revolution and the witches in hiding and the magic system, etc, it was so good, and the focus being on gideon and rune instead of that pissed me off.
also, there were quite a few times where plot points would be unnecessarily re-explained, like the beginning of a sequel to a book, where they kind of re-touch on certain important things, except those important things had just been explained like 20 pages ago. there were also times where small details would be mentioned several times, drawing your attention to them, making it clear that there would probably be a twist involving that detail, ruining the mind blowing moment if it came out. in some cases i was right about that, but in others, it was a diversion, so that was cool.
60%-75% on, though, an amazing thing happened - it wasn't that the book wasn't what i wanted it to be, and i just didn't like it. the book turned into exactly what i wanted it to be. i did predict part of a twist, but not the main one. i was blown away. it turned out that my opinions that i thought were "against the grain" were exactly what i was supposed to be feeling the entire time, and this book ended SO AMAZINGLY that i am honestly shook. i need the next book IMMEDIATELY.
***SPOILER:***
i was 10000% team alex, i was super pissed that the author was trying to make a romance happen with gideon and rune when it made no sense and alex was right there, being wholesome and amazing. i was so worried that he would end up evil. having finished the book now, it's so much worse that he wasn't, and the absolute perfection in the saddest way of his death literally made me have to put the book down and grieve for a bit. i spent the ENTIRE book rooting for him, so it hit so hard.
also, there were quite a few times where plot points would be unnecessarily re-explained, like the beginning of a sequel to a book, where they kind of re-touch on certain important things, except those important things had just been explained like 20 pages ago. there were also times where small details would be mentioned several times, drawing your attention to them, making it clear that there would probably be a twist involving that detail, ruining the mind blowing moment if it came out. in some cases i was right about that, but in others, it was a diversion, so that was cool.
60%-75% on, though, an amazing thing happened - it wasn't that the book wasn't what i wanted it to be, and i just didn't like it. the book turned into exactly what i wanted it to be. i did predict part of a twist, but not the main one. i was blown away. it turned out that my opinions that i thought were "against the grain" were exactly what i was supposed to be feeling the entire time, and this book ended SO AMAZINGLY that i am honestly shook. i need the next book IMMEDIATELY.
***SPOILER:***
i was 10000% team alex, i was super pissed that the author was trying to make a romance happen with gideon and rune when it made no sense and alex was right there, being wholesome and amazing. i was so worried that he would end up evil. having finished the book now, it's so much worse that he wasn't, and the absolute perfection in the saddest way of his death literally made me have to put the book down and grieve for a bit. i spent the ENTIRE book rooting for him, so it hit so hard.
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-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