phyllica_reads's reviews
967 reviews

Wicked Obsidian : A dark and depraved taboo Halloween novella by Mortala Author

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dark mysterious
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

This story has such a good set of bones to be a truly dark and sinister story, it simply needed more editorial/proofreading love. 

For a novella, this story does have a lot going on so the reader does get a rather full story. However, on the flip side to that, there were moments where the text was really wordy and often repeated many phrases and words. There were also times where the text would repeat whole paragraphs and it left me feeling jarred and pulled from the story. During paragraphs where the descriptions became redundant,  I would have liked to see more plot development/back story. 
The Sacrifice by Emily Shore

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Did not finish book.
Immediately confusing and I felt very lost. There was so much information however I felt as if nothing was being said. 
Wolfsbane by C. Hebert

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad fast-paced

4.5

 A wonderfully dark adventure. 
Death Cap by C. Hebert

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

4.5

In Dreams by Mila Crawford

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Reading this immediately after The Hunt, book one in the Darkly Ever After series, I went into this story expecting very little plot and a large majority of spice. In Dreams has that exact combo, however, it also has a bit more plot than one would expect. For some, it can be confusing flipping back and forth in the timeline, but I wasn't bothered by it. 
These characters are dark, depraved, and wonderfully sinful. 
The Hunt by Mila Crawford

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dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I liked this book and I also didn't like this book. 
I understand this novella is supposed to be spice > plot, but it felt rather disjointed. While I love the dark depravity of several parts, other segments made me cringe—more specifically, some of the dialogue towards the end. 
I do plan on reading the remaining stories in the Darkly Ever After series, I will simply shift my focus knowing just how spice-heavy the novellas were written. 
No Place to Hide by Harper Ashley, Wren Hawthorne

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The story itself was alright. 
It is very spice heavy over plot, but I went in expecting that. 
I think I would have enjoyed it more had there been a horror element as well. 
Once Gone by Blake Pierce

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dark mysterious slow-paced
  • 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

3.0

Audiobook Review:

Narration: 3.5 stars (FMC was American, and the Narrator was British. Very Odd.)
Story: 3 Stars
Darkness: 1.5-2 Skulls
Overall: 3 Stars

Listened via Chirp app
All Shades of Romance Anthology by Carolina Jax

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funny hopeful mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

* 4.5 - 5 stars * 
Review of Chameleon by MercyAnn Summers

Well S**t, Mercy has done it again. 
I thought that the Ends World series concluded with The Devil We Know story (book 5), however, this novella throws all of that out the window. Why am I not surprised?!
MercyAnn Summers is easily one of my favorite unhinged authors to read. 

As with the rest of the Ends World stories, I loved this novella. It had the signature FAAFO vibes and a heaping dose of banter.  ONLY SLIGHTLY MAD AT THE ENDING, but I'll get over it.  HA!