robinwalter's reviews
1637 reviews

An Unfortunate Return by Cecilia Peartree

lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

A bit too meandering for my tastes

Harlequin Historical April 2021 - Box Set 1 of 2 by Annie Burrows, Eva Shepherd, Eleanor Webster

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.25

The first and last stories  were very enjoyable, the middle one seemed oddly dark and nearly devoid of actual romance. 

Harlequin Historical July 2021 - Box Set 1 of 2 by Virginia Heath, Julia Justiss, Jenni Fletcher

emotional hopeful relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

Harlequin Historical March 2021 - Box Set 1 of 2 by Julia Justiss, Lauri Robinson, Louise Allen
Did not finish book. Stopped at 70%.

The first story was fun, the second really anoyying - Rengencies that don't even bother trying to get the period right are anathema. Third not for me

Steeltown Magnolia by Melissa F. Miller

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A really tense and gripping series debut, I kept reading because I had to know how it ended. For this lifelong  committed malophobe the shameless, brazen shilling for Apple got pretty tiresome, pretty quick though. I don't know if the author actually WAS paid to make the techical superiority of all things Apple a major plot point, but it certainly FELT that way by the end. A drinking game involving a shot every time an Apple product was praised would be very dangerous. 

That aside, the actual story was great, and I'm hoping the next one has less overt advertising in it. Perhaps the security and privacy advantages of FOSS can be integral to that storyline instead.  :)

Unseemly Fate: book 7 of the Concordia Wells Mysteries by K.B. Owen

mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

I gave this one four because it's the last of the series and I'm finally free. I kept hoping for some actual character growth in the protagonist, but overall got none in the SEVEN books of the series. In fact, her behaviour in this one was even more more shamelessly selfish and unethical than in many of the earlier ones. She KNEW she was behaving badly toward peoiple who counted her a friend, but that didn't matter as long as she got to prove she was right and they were wrong. 

Daring Deception by Brenda Hiatt
Did not finish book. Stopped at 8%.

The setup was so rage-inducingly awful I couldn't go on. 

Murder in the Queen's Armes by Aaron Elkins

informative mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Slow to get started and still incredibly dated in its depiction of gender roles, the actual mystery saved it for me. Credible motives and a satisfying denouement 

Defying the Earl by Erica Ridley

lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

It was not overly long 

Uncle Fred in the Springtime by P.G. Wodehouse

funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

It's Wodehouse, and Blandings - a match made in heaven