Loved most of it but the ending felt sort of sudden and simple, I wish there was more about Nook's thoughts and feelings, and/or some kind of resolutiLoved most of it but the ending felt sort of sudden and simple, I wish there was more about Nook's thoughts and feelings, and/or some kind of resolution showing that the badger had some of the same fears/sensory needs as Nook, or something. There are just so many pages showing Nook's regular life, it seems strange that the whole incident/plot/resolution thing happens in just a few....more
I seem to be the opposite of a lot of reviewers -- I loved the first volume, thought the plot was great and the characters were so much more nuanced tI seem to be the opposite of a lot of reviewers -- I loved the first volume, thought the plot was great and the characters were so much more nuanced than I expected. The second volume seems much more "queer 101" to me, and they introduce a bajillion other characters to do 101s of all their different sexualities and issues, and although they all seem neat it takes away from the plot until there isn't a plot anymore. I'd really like to see individual volumes/arcs about some of the different Pride members, where we could go deeper than surface-level again....more
The mystery was engaging, I was figuring things out usually just a little ahead of the characters, and that's always fun. But the inherent horror of aThe mystery was engaging, I was figuring things out usually just a little ahead of the characters, and that's always fun. But the inherent horror of an unheard intruder in your home is thoroughly undercut because from the start it's obvious that the murder must be someone intimately involved with the families, so it doesn't feel like there was an intrusion or home invader at all.
Worse than that though, by the end I was absolutely sick of the main character and her sister. Paige does a royally terrible job at literally everything she does and is wildly unprofessional, but her sister is even more irrational. Being friends or sisters with someone who's vaguely involved in a murder investigation gives you absolutely no right to know the details of the investigation. The personal arc involves Paige learning her sister isn't a teenager anymore and doesn't need parenting, but with her sister throwing childish fits about absolutely normal and well-established procedures, that's hard to support.
Some of the other characters are just as bad, like the guy who gets his feelings hurt that Paige doesn't want to date him while he's a murder suspect, when they've met twice. Trying to pressure a woman with "if you can't trust me now you never will so this isn't going to work out" when you're LITERALLY A MURDER SUSPECT who she JUST met, AFTER THE INVESTIGATION STARTED, is ridiculous at best and also comes off like an attempt to ensnare a woman who's easily gaslighted. People regularly complain that they're being "persecuted" by the police and say "why can't they just leave us alone," when a toddler in their care literally just got murdered. Why the hell would the police just leave you alone. It's all just really frustrating....more
I either forgot or never knew that this wasn't just a baking romance but also kinky erotica, and although I'm fine reading both of those things, it feI either forgot or never knew that this wasn't just a baking romance but also kinky erotica, and although I'm fine reading both of those things, it felt like a very sudden shift from one to the other halfway through. I would've preferred either more of a blend (which might have taken a full novella instead of a novella) or just the cute autistic baking romance since that's what I expected from the cover and summary, and that part of it doesn't feel complete because of the sudden genre change....more
I liked the main character a lot, but the whole book was focused on "isn't this character charming and doesn't he have such a charming life," and the I liked the main character a lot, but the whole book was focused on "isn't this character charming and doesn't he have such a charming life," and the mystery was nonexistent. The murder doesn't happen until halfway through, I didn't recognize the killer at the reveal and am not sure they were ever mentioned in the first place, and the plot is a much-shortened version of (view spoiler)[
Rattle His Bones(hide spoiler)], probably the most well-known museum-based mystery. And maybe other people don't seek out museum-based mysteries specifically, but for me it was a disappointment that it was the same reveal, and I'd guessed it at the beginning because I'd read the other book.
Tagged "queer" because the MC is implied to be either ace or gay, but it isn't said outright....more
CN: some historical racism (and sexism), but it's a very genuine attempt to address a changing time, talking about a blending family and also about whCN: some historical racism (and sexism), but it's a very genuine attempt to address a changing time, talking about a blending family and also about white Americans starting to understand the Asian immigrants coming into California. So there's some built-in racism (the rendering of Hana's Japanese accent is unfortunate), but it's not an attempt to other them. The author was actually born and raised in Japan until she was about 15....more
CN: suicide, mutilation, multiple animal injuries and deaths (but Ramses (view spoiler)[is fine at the end (hide spoiler)].)CN: suicide, mutilation, multiple animal injuries and deaths (but Ramses (view spoiler)[is fine at the end (hide spoiler)].)...more
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