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judyc_elementz_mj's reviews
50 reviews
The Veiled Kingdom by Holly Renee
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I feel like just read two completely different books.
The first 50% was building into a really amazing fantasy story with lots of promise. Then the last 50% turned into a different book all about sex. It was like every scene ended up with our two protagonists getting their rocks off (or well maybe just her because he seemed to have his hands down her pants all the time).
Anyway, overall I'm not sure how I felt about any of them. I didn't find the story bad, but I think the last half of the book being so sexually oriented, lost some of the momentum that would have built stronger characters and more world-building.
I don't know that I have much else to say. I didn't mark it down further because I'm certainly not averse to a good erotic story, which the last half of the book was. And I did like how it ended, but if I'm being perfectly honest, I don't know that I'll even pick up the continuation. Maybe at some point, I'll see if I pop that into my KU like this one was and read it when I'm just looking for something to read. But then, that may never be.
The first 50% was building into a really amazing fantasy story with lots of promise. Then the last 50% turned into a different book all about sex. It was like every scene ended up with our two protagonists getting their rocks off (or well maybe just her because he seemed to have his hands down her pants all the time).
Anyway, overall I'm not sure how I felt about any of them. I didn't find the story bad, but I think the last half of the book being so sexually oriented, lost some of the momentum that would have built stronger characters and more world-building.
I don't know that I have much else to say. I didn't mark it down further because I'm certainly not averse to a good erotic story, which the last half of the book was. And I did like how it ended, but if I'm being perfectly honest, I don't know that I'll even pick up the continuation. Maybe at some point, I'll see if I pop that into my KU like this one was and read it when I'm just looking for something to read. But then, that may never be.
Poker Face by Maggie C. Gates
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Overall a good contemporary romance with some fun moments. You get the basic guy meets girl and they are attracted, but somehow she doesn't recognize him (which makes no sense whatsoever). Well never mind that she competes in a baking show and he's a judge (which she knows, yep there's that). She wins because she's the best baker ever and goes home.
Turns out said judge just so happens to be buying the restaurant she works in and did I mention she hates him ... which you never ACTUALLY find out why she hates him.
Anyway, it's a typical enemy to lovers, on her side. He chases her, she gives in, they have sex, they fall in love, she thinks he's cheating, he's not, comes home after being away for a bit on business and apologizes ... we're all good.
Honestly, it was a good story overall and not badly written, but Maggie, the main character, was a complete nutjob and all over the place. And as I mentioned above, I never could figure out why she didn't like him, or how she didn't recognize him because that was just stupid. But in the end, she marries him, so I guess it's all good.
Now to the huge elephant in the room. In this story, right near the beginning, a close friend dies. And well that's it. She's mentioned a bit here and there, and she was married to her best friend Steve, but it's like "poof" and she's gone. It was the sort of thing that I felt could have been left out of the story, i.e. the actual death part, and could have still been part of the storyline because it will, of course, impact Steven's story in a later book. It didn't lend much to the overall story and left me feeling that none of them, i.e. Maggie and all of her poker friends, who were all supposed to be close to this person, didn't care. And I don't think that was the case.
Anyway, I may continue to book two at some point, but I'm not in any particular hurry to do so.
Turns out said judge just so happens to be buying the restaurant she works in and did I mention she hates him ... which you never ACTUALLY find out why she hates him.
Anyway, it's a typical enemy to lovers, on her side. He chases her, she gives in, they have sex, they fall in love, she thinks he's cheating, he's not, comes home after being away for a bit on business and apologizes ... we're all good.
Honestly, it was a good story overall and not badly written, but Maggie, the main character, was a complete nutjob and all over the place. And as I mentioned above, I never could figure out why she didn't like him, or how she didn't recognize him because that was just stupid. But in the end, she marries him, so I guess it's all good.
Now to the huge elephant in the room. In this story, right near the beginning, a close friend dies. And well that's it. She's mentioned a bit here and there, and she was married to her best friend Steve, but it's like "poof" and she's gone. It was the sort of thing that I felt could have been left out of the story, i.e. the actual death part, and could have still been part of the storyline because it will, of course, impact Steven's story in a later book. It didn't lend much to the overall story and left me feeling that none of them, i.e. Maggie and all of her poker friends, who were all supposed to be close to this person, didn't care. And I don't think that was the case.
Anyway, I may continue to book two at some point, but I'm not in any particular hurry to do so.
A Luna's Revenge: Stone Mountain Shifters by Melanie Jaynes, Melanie Jaynes
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I'd give this a 4.5 just for pure originality. It's rare that a plot and storyline can surprise as much as this book did.
At the start it seems like a fairly typical shifter romance, but it swiftly moves into unchartered territory. The author manages to come up with new themes that wouldn't be the expected format that typically follows shifter lore ... good for her because it was quite refreshing.
And then you add in a story time loop and it threw me completely and I hooked me completely into the story. So well done.
Add to that a very strong but still struggling female main character, and you have a hell of a great book. I've never read anything from this author before, but from what I can see, she has two more follow-up books coming out between now and the summer (2025), and I will most definitely pick those up to read.
At the start it seems like a fairly typical shifter romance, but it swiftly moves into unchartered territory. The author manages to come up with new themes that wouldn't be the expected format that typically follows shifter lore ... good for her because it was quite refreshing.
And then you add in a story time loop and it threw me completely and I hooked me completely into the story. So well done.
Add to that a very strong but still struggling female main character, and you have a hell of a great book. I've never read anything from this author before, but from what I can see, she has two more follow-up books coming out between now and the summer (2025), and I will most definitely pick those up to read.
How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Sort of surprised myself how much I liked this one. Mostly because horror/slasher isn't really my thing, and it's teens, which REALLY isn't my thing, but I bought the paperback on sale and it seemed like an easy read. It was and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a 5 star for me simply because some parts were cheesy as hell, but for the most part not bad at all.
I particularly loved the weird time twist and the very quick pace throughout. The weird "Sidney Prescott" character that kept popping up at the weirdest times to lead Alice along the story was a hoot, and you knew as soon as she showed up at the beginning exactly what this book would be.
It's the kind of book that is different enough from anything I've read to stand out, which is why I gave it the rating I did.
And damn ... that ending was a definite WTH moment. I had to check to make sure I didn't have more left to read. I loved the ending!
I particularly loved the weird time twist and the very quick pace throughout. The weird "Sidney Prescott" character that kept popping up at the weirdest times to lead Alice along the story was a hoot, and you knew as soon as she showed up at the beginning exactly what this book would be.
It's the kind of book that is different enough from anything I've read to stand out, which is why I gave it the rating I did.
And damn ... that ending was a definite WTH moment. I had to check to make sure I didn't have more left to read. I loved the ending!
Until You Can't by Brittney Sahin
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Another fantastic romantic suspense from Brittney Sahin. I'd give this a bit more than a 4. Maybe 4.25, but alas, Goodreads likes the good old one-star system.
I loved both of our two main characters, Ryan and Natalia. These two characters were not strangers to me as they make regular appearances in the new Costa series, especially the first book. So no surprises with their characters and I enjoyed getting to know them much better. And of course to get their story.
As with many of Sahin's books, this one is a couple that has had a very long pining for each other. Natalia was Ryan's brother's ex-fiance (and yes that was VERY messy) and Ryan, of course, hide his attraction for her because of said brother ... who frankly didn't deserve the consideration because he was a selfish shit.
The story does start because of said selfish shit brother getting himself into trouble and Ryan, who constantly feels he has to protect his brother, rides to the rescue. Of course, it's not that easy and he asks Natalia for help. Now I won't go into too much detail because that would give far too much away, but suffice too say Ryan needs a "fiance" and Natalia fits the bill.
What I liked about this story is that it had so many of her wonderful characters from other stories, i.e. Noah, Owen & Samantha, Luke, Asher and Jessica and a wee mention of The League from Dublin Nights. I also liked the fact that it wasn't Natalia being threatened and who needed rescuing. That was a nice switch. It was his idiot brother who needed it, but also how it folded in the Bravo team from Stealth Ops was great.
Considering how rare Sahin writes standalone books, this one was perfect but still fit perfectly into her world of great heroes and unforgettable heroines.
I loved both of our two main characters, Ryan and Natalia. These two characters were not strangers to me as they make regular appearances in the new Costa series, especially the first book. So no surprises with their characters and I enjoyed getting to know them much better. And of course to get their story.
As with many of Sahin's books, this one is a couple that has had a very long pining for each other. Natalia was Ryan's brother's ex-fiance (and yes that was VERY messy) and Ryan, of course, hide his attraction for her because of said brother ... who frankly didn't deserve the consideration because he was a selfish shit.
The story does start because of said selfish shit brother getting himself into trouble and Ryan, who constantly feels he has to protect his brother, rides to the rescue. Of course, it's not that easy and he asks Natalia for help. Now I won't go into too much detail because that would give far too much away, but suffice too say Ryan needs a "fiance" and Natalia fits the bill.
What I liked about this story is that it had so many of her wonderful characters from other stories, i.e. Noah, Owen & Samantha, Luke, Asher and Jessica and a wee mention of The League from Dublin Nights. I also liked the fact that it wasn't Natalia being threatened and who needed rescuing. That was a nice switch. It was his idiot brother who needed it, but also how it folded in the Bravo team from Stealth Ops was great.
Considering how rare Sahin writes standalone books, this one was perfect but still fit perfectly into her world of great heroes and unforgettable heroines.
Throttled by Lauren Asher
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
You have Noah, who is a F1 championship racer and Maya, who is the sister of Noah's teammate. Unfortunately, Santiago, Maya's brother, and Noah have a history before Santi joined the team, which was tumultuous at best!
So that sets the scene for what is a pretty typical and overly predictable romance. Boy meets girl. Boy thinks he can't have girl because she's off limits. Girl meets boy. Girl thinks she shouldn't like boy because of her brother. And of course in the end they have sex, fall in love and that's pretty much it. I'm perfectly serious.
Now, in between all of that, you have two pretty immature characters. This for Maya is acceptable, as she's only 23, but Noah is 30 and really comes off younger than her at times. I wouldn't say I didn't like Noah's character as he grew on me, but he wasn't particularly likable at the start. Loved her brother and quite liked the other guys from another team, Liam and Jax, and Sophie were a hoot, but otherwise, I found the characters a touch lacklustre. The only one that I liked, or hated depending on how you looked at it, was Noah's dirtbag dad, who was pretty perfectly written.
What grabbed me the most was how the author wrote the racing scenes, both from the perspective of the driver, i.e. Noah, or from the perspective of someone watching, like Maya (the book is in both their POVs). Really well done there, and that was pretty much what kept my interest throughout.
Would I recommend the series? Not for myself. I didn't care for the maturity level of the characters, and the rest of the series follows the same people, but I'd recommend it for anyone that likes younger, angsty, sex filled romances!
So that sets the scene for what is a pretty typical and overly predictable romance. Boy meets girl. Boy thinks he can't have girl because she's off limits. Girl meets boy. Girl thinks she shouldn't like boy because of her brother. And of course in the end they have sex, fall in love and that's pretty much it. I'm perfectly serious.
Now, in between all of that, you have two pretty immature characters. This for Maya is acceptable, as she's only 23, but Noah is 30 and really comes off younger than her at times. I wouldn't say I didn't like Noah's character as he grew on me, but he wasn't particularly likable at the start. Loved her brother and quite liked the other guys from another team, Liam and Jax, and Sophie were a hoot, but otherwise, I found the characters a touch lacklustre. The only one that I liked, or hated depending on how you looked at it, was Noah's dirtbag dad, who was pretty perfectly written.
What grabbed me the most was how the author wrote the racing scenes, both from the perspective of the driver, i.e. Noah, or from the perspective of someone watching, like Maya (the book is in both their POVs). Really well done there, and that was pretty much what kept my interest throughout.
Would I recommend the series? Not for myself. I didn't care for the maturity level of the characters, and the rest of the series follows the same people, but I'd recommend it for anyone that likes younger, angsty, sex filled romances!
Death by Fire by S.C. Muir
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
3.0
A solid read with an interesting magic premise.
This world exists with 4 types of Mages ... life, death, fire and water. They don't mix their bloodlines because of something in their history that went very bad. This story follows Mari, a death mage, and Zahir, a fire mage, who have been, more or less, forced to marry by their parents.
Now, why they were forced is not super clear until close to the end, so I won't give it away, but I did find that a bit weird, if I'm being honest.
The characters of Mari and Zahir are easy to like, and they both take to their situation quite easily considering how young they both are, 21 and 25, respectively. At times, their immaturity does come out, mostly in Zahir, but I think it's age-appropriate. They are both trying to make the best of their situation. I also liked that the author kept their intimate contact to a minimum. It really wasn't the meat of the story. To me, the romance was second to the plot, which I enjoyed.
What threw me a bit was the attempt to make the city of Brahn almost "urban" but not really. It's hard to explain, but they had things like refrigeration, whisky, wine, etc. but there was no explanation about electricity, they had no transportation other than by horse, and overall, it felt like a weird setup. And then where Mari came from was like she lived off the land in the woods like a pioneer of old days. Where she came from seemed very poor, yet her father was still the King of the death mages. It just was a bit hard to imagine and threw me.
Beyond that, the understory of the rebels looking for a dual mage (meaning a mage with two of the magics, which was supposed to be non-existent) and several battles that ensued made the story much more interesting, and the final chapter ended with a bang.
I picked up book two and will continue on with Mari and Zahir's story, although I think the second book might focus a bit more on Mari. We shall see!
This world exists with 4 types of Mages ... life, death, fire and water. They don't mix their bloodlines because of something in their history that went very bad. This story follows Mari, a death mage, and Zahir, a fire mage, who have been, more or less, forced to marry by their parents.
Now, why they were forced is not super clear until close to the end, so I won't give it away, but I did find that a bit weird, if I'm being honest.
The characters of Mari and Zahir are easy to like, and they both take to their situation quite easily considering how young they both are, 21 and 25, respectively. At times, their immaturity does come out, mostly in Zahir, but I think it's age-appropriate. They are both trying to make the best of their situation. I also liked that the author kept their intimate contact to a minimum. It really wasn't the meat of the story. To me, the romance was second to the plot, which I enjoyed.
What threw me a bit was the attempt to make the city of Brahn almost "urban" but not really. It's hard to explain, but they had things like refrigeration, whisky, wine, etc. but there was no explanation about electricity, they had no transportation other than by horse, and overall, it felt like a weird setup. And then where Mari came from was like she lived off the land in the woods like a pioneer of old days. Where she came from seemed very poor, yet her father was still the King of the death mages. It just was a bit hard to imagine and threw me.
Beyond that, the understory of the rebels looking for a dual mage (meaning a mage with two of the magics, which was supposed to be non-existent) and several battles that ensued made the story much more interesting, and the final chapter ended with a bang.
I picked up book two and will continue on with Mari and Zahir's story, although I think the second book might focus a bit more on Mari. We shall see!
The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
To begin, I'll say, it took to page 200 of a 338 page book to get a dead body ... just saying!
Everything leading up to that was a collection of various POV's that slipped from present to past and back again. It made for a very choppy and fragmented story, which did eventually come together. It just took forever to get there.
Once the dead body was found, things moved a bit quicker, but by then, I'd pretty much figured out who the killer was (the real one) and how things had transpired in their pasts. Can I also say that I hated all of them? There wasn't a single one with a likable (or even dislikable) quality. They were all just THERE. It killed the story for me because characters can carry a story for me.
Overall, it was a fairly lacklustre story about a bunch of old college friends who hated each other, a few loved themselves, and several had reasons for feeling sorry for themselves. Oh, and guilty for real reasons that should make them redeemable (it didn't). Yes, I'm serious.
And in the end, the author attempted a bit of warmth among the ones left and that fell with a big splat. I'm not sure I'd recommend this book, but it wasn't the worst I've read. I think I covered all of the things that I felt dragged the story down.
I would add that the best thing about the book was the setting of the hotel. It was a combination of really cool and super creepy at the same time.
Everything leading up to that was a collection of various POV's that slipped from present to past and back again. It made for a very choppy and fragmented story, which did eventually come together. It just took forever to get there.
Once the dead body was found, things moved a bit quicker, but by then, I'd pretty much figured out who the killer was (the real one) and how things had transpired in their pasts. Can I also say that I hated all of them? There wasn't a single one with a likable (or even dislikable) quality. They were all just THERE. It killed the story for me because characters can carry a story for me.
Overall, it was a fairly lacklustre story about a bunch of old college friends who hated each other, a few loved themselves, and several had reasons for feeling sorry for themselves. Oh, and guilty for real reasons that should make them redeemable (it didn't). Yes, I'm serious.
And in the end, the author attempted a bit of warmth among the ones left and that fell with a big splat. I'm not sure I'd recommend this book, but it wasn't the worst I've read. I think I covered all of the things that I felt dragged the story down.
I would add that the best thing about the book was the setting of the hotel. It was a combination of really cool and super creepy at the same time.
The Ever King by LJ Andrews
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 12%.
I was not enjoying the writing, characters or story. I was reading this in KU so as I do, if I don't like it, I don't continue with it.
The Hero by Susan Stoker
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Forced proximity, marriage of convenience with insta-love and a protective alpha male teddy bear.
So plenty of tropes that were an enjoyable read that sat pretty much middle of the road for me.
Overall, I liked the story and both lead characters, Kendric and Marlowe, but there wasn't anything that happened that wasn't expected.
I did find that Marlowe was a good, strong, smart female, but then when she turned around and said all she wanted was to be a mom and stay home with kids, it kinda lost me. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it sort of came out of left field and was just a touch too convenient for her and him being together. And, of course, her continuing to his place once he rescued her from Thailand (I won't give that away because it's an integral part of the story).
Either way, it's a good, fast and entertaining read that doesn't require a lot of time ... perfect for a chill read!
So plenty of tropes that were an enjoyable read that sat pretty much middle of the road for me.
Overall, I liked the story and both lead characters, Kendric and Marlowe, but there wasn't anything that happened that wasn't expected.
I did find that Marlowe was a good, strong, smart female, but then when she turned around and said all she wanted was to be a mom and stay home with kids, it kinda lost me. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it sort of came out of left field and was just a touch too convenient for her and him being together. And, of course, her continuing to his place once he rescued her from Thailand (I won't give that away because it's an integral part of the story).
Either way, it's a good, fast and entertaining read that doesn't require a lot of time ... perfect for a chill read!