Note to self: Have pb copy for LFL - Spotify has it available so maybe read it that way instead tomorrow.
This started out cute enough but it lost me. Note to self: Have pb copy for LFL - Spotify has it available so maybe read it that way instead tomorrow.
This started out cute enough but it lost me. The romance was meh and underdeveloped and the addition of a ridiculous rival was so incredibly annoying and a complete waste of space. The kids were adorable and I usually hate them in a romance so at least there was that.
I've been in a bit of a reading slump and am finding things way too easy to put down after a chapter so I picked this up. I'll let you figure out whatI've been in a bit of a reading slump and am finding things way too easy to put down after a chapter so I picked this up. I'll let you figure out what it's about from the cover and the title because I'm too tired to synopsisize. It's pretty much exactly as advertised, lol.
I wasn't bored but it didn't knock me over with emotion either but that's fine. It was surprisingly sweet and well developed and very funny in parts. Recommended if you like your romances on the weird side and why wouldn't you?...more
This book is hurting my head. I usually enjoy this author but there are way too many characters coming at me and I simply can’t work this hard to keepThis book is hurting my head. I usually enjoy this author but there are way too many characters coming at me and I simply can’t work this hard to keep up because I’m tired. I’ll pick up another from the tbr instead....more
I feel like I just ate a giant bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and washed it down with a gallon of Pepsi. A little queasy and left wondering why I just did I feel like I just ate a giant bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and washed it down with a gallon of Pepsi. A little queasy and left wondering why I just did what I just did. This book and its characters were absolutely dreadful but I could not stop reading.
It starts out strangely with a psychiatrist and a test about a broken vending machine and the terrible lying liars who refuse to report it. Lmbo, what? That’s not a lie ...more
Clara is a young witch who has inherited a wild magic she can’t control. In an outburst of emotion she accidentally injures her beloved father and begClara is a young witch who has inherited a wild magic she can’t control. In an outburst of emotion she accidentally injures her beloved father and begs an old friend for help which comes with an enormous cost.
This was a cozy, sweet cottagecore fantasy filled with flowers ...more
This was a good follow up to Lavender House. There’s a lot going on as Andy attempts to resolve some past relationship issues, find the person menacinThis was a good follow up to Lavender House. There’s a lot going on as Andy attempts to resolve some past relationship issues, find the person menacing and threatening the queer community and solve a murder but I never felt overwhelmed or lost in the subplots as can sometimes happen. I listened on audio and recommend it if you’re an audio fan. The narrator does a fantastic job....more
This started out great. A detective is called out to a remote Alaskan town to investigate the brutal death of a teen. Barbara is an expert in vampyr kThis started out great. A detective is called out to a remote Alaskan town to investigate the brutal death of a teen. Barbara is an expert in vampyr killings but she is not at all thrilled to be there. The townsfolk dislike her and want her to order a complete cull of the protected vampire colony. She refuses to do that until she learns more.
This has a great setup but it lost me somewhere and started to bore me. I’m probably not the intended audience for this as I’m not a huge fan of police procedurals/murder investigations and that’s basically what this one was with a dash of “vampyr” and prejudice. The characters really have to stand out for a book like this to hold my attention and these just didn’t.
You might like it better than me. Most people appear to but I found it all a bit lifeless ...more
I am so sad to report that this is my least favorite Simone St. James book. It started out strong but lost me about halfway in and I had to force myseI am so sad to report that this is my least favorite Simone St. James book. It started out strong but lost me about halfway in and I had to force myself to finish it. The main characters had secrets but after awhile their weird behavior annoyed me and I found them boring and lacking in the personality department. I don’t know, maybe it’s me but I didn’t care about them or the mystery ...more
How can a serial killer who is supposed to be the devil be so effing boring? I wish blurbs would stop their lying.
I can't do it anymore. BetwDNF @ 32%
How can a serial killer who is supposed to be the devil be so effing boring? I wish blurbs would stop their lying.
I can't do it anymore. Between the boring as shit pretentiousness of the "love interest" who is a philosophy professor and an apparent serial killer, the lack of chemistry, his lame nickname of "Little Halen" for the grown MC and the fact that I have to apparently read this entire book only to be left hanging with a major cliffhanger (according to reviews) I'm calling it done. This book has used up my last drop of kindness today.
Final Girls took some ridiculous turns, its characters made freaking ridiculous choices and were sucOoof I finished and boy do I have regrets.
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Final Girls took some ridiculous turns, its characters made freaking ridiculous choices and were such ridiculously terrible people that it should've been a ton of fun but somehow it was all dreadfully boring and ridiculously repetitive just like this review will continue to be if I tell you how ridiculous I found the end of it.
You can love it and we can still be friends. I swear its true.
But I'd recommend reading this one instead The Only One Left - especially if you haven't read this author before now....more
“What is so wrong about being a bitch? It is the closest a girl can be to being a wolf.”
I need more books like this one in my life. Sweet but also bit“What is so wrong about being a bitch? It is the closest a girl can be to being a wolf.”
I need more books like this one in my life. Sweet but also bitter, witchy and filled with nature and a grumpy little romance. Is there a giant plot hole that could've been fixed with the removal of one paragraph or so? Oh, yes, there certainly is. But honestly, I don't give a damn because I loved spending time with this book and that's all that counts to me. 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5 because I needed these vibes.
Good stuff - if you're into this kind of stuff. If you read via audio, the narration is also excellent....more
These stories in the "Creature Feature Collection" have been a bit hit or miss for me ranging from creepfest to snorefest. This one - a folk horror shThese stories in the "Creature Feature Collection" have been a bit hit or miss for me ranging from creepfest to snorefest. This one - a folk horror short - about a young couple dealing with grief, was excellent at the creepiness. Recommended if you like this stuff....more
I had a bit of a struggle getting used to the narrator whose accents didn't work for me and also the writing style which was a lot of telling instead I had a bit of a struggle getting used to the narrator whose accents didn't work for me and also the writing style which was a lot of telling instead of showing. I listened on audio so I stuck with it and eventually - around the 80% mark, both the narrator and the characters grew on me. Both sweet and charming with a lot of external elements forcing stress on them.
I'd recommend listening to a sample first to see if the narrator works for you but I understand if you don't because I never do. Or maybe just give it a read in paper....more
I'm reviewing the audiobook which isn't listed here yet. I follow Niall Harbison's account on social media and feel like I already know all of these dI'm reviewing the audiobook which isn't listed here yet. I follow Niall Harbison's account on social media and feel like I already know all of these dogs and it was a joy reading about their stories and also about Niall's road to recovery in more detail. I think you will get more out of this book if you follow him on Instagram, YouTube or even the hellhole that is Twitter. The audio is read beautifully by the author. Definitely recommended but I believe the book has photos which the audio does not so you might want to check that out first if you're unfamiliar with the dogs. Any way you discover the stories, I think you'll be inspired by these stories of survival, heartbreak and hope....more
This was a cute romance but the heroine was a bit too doormatty for my tastes for most of the story with both her family and her mentor. Woman you areThis was a cute romance but the heroine was a bit too doormatty for my tastes for most of the story with both her family and her mentor. Woman you are grown. All the way grown up. It is ok to put your annoying mother on mute/ignore FOREVER or to finally tell her she's a mess. She needs to hear it. Grrrrr. Anyhow, the professional conflict between the couple seemed a little OTT manufactured and I didn't really buy into it fully. But alas it was still cute. Not as steamy as some people are making it out to be though and it also didn't hit emotionally.
The narration was terrific. No ridiculous sounding men voices - phew.
It floats somewhere between a 3.5 and a 4 for me so guess I'll go with the 4....more
I think it's best if I don't revisit these books. I am sad to say that I found Ruby melodramatic, repetitive and a bit boring. Ruby is just too perfecI think it's best if I don't revisit these books. I am sad to say that I found Ruby melodramatic, repetitive and a bit boring. Ruby is just too perfectly perfect and naive. I finished it but have no desire to reread the rest in the series. I think I'll have to stick to the Lifetime movies which are super melodramatic but also culled so they're never boring. Guess I'll give it a 3 but it's really a 2.5 in my head but now people complain if we don't bump up. People will yell at me no matter what I rate it anyway.
The touristy setting is well done but everything else (and there's really just too much) feels underdone and rushed.
Riley is summoned by an aunt to The touristy setting is well done but everything else (and there's really just too much) feels underdone and rushed.
Riley is summoned by an aunt to the touristy town only to discover she's now stuck being a caretaker to a haunted house. Why doesn't this ever happen to me? I promise you I would spend every day in bliss and I wouldn't complain.
Anyhow, her love interest is the local hunky, anxiety-stricken librarian named Edison. They met on the ferry when she puked on his shoes. And then she screams at him for hogging the bathroom. It was a weirdly uncute, unfunny kind of gross "meet cute". Soon after they fall in insta-love with very little romance development. They both have POV's and his often starts with him recapping and skim recalling their dates after the fact which kind of takes all of the fun out of the development of the actual romance and felt like a cheat. Weird. I would've preferred more pages and/or trimming of some of the other unneeded stuff or perhaps just a complete ditching of the romance and having it developed better in another book once this set up book was done.
There are secrets and surprises and new friends and all of that good cozy stuff that made me think of the show "Ghosts" but none of it hits exactly right here. The humor often felt awkward instead of genuine. The narration was well done but I don't think I liked the story enough to read the next one but never say never.
I listened to this book on audio and never zoned out or felt the urge to put it down so for that it's getting some stars. It's a wild one though. You I listened to this book on audio and never zoned out or felt the urge to put it down so for that it's getting some stars. It's a wild one though. You will have to leave your brain behind. Pretend you're in a Rebecca/VC Andrews kind of world where any kind of wild shit can happen and everyone seems to be lying their pants off. By the time I finished I had given every character the side-eye.
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And I absolutely loved that about this book. It's fun. There are many secrets. And, of course, a suspicious murder or four. There's a stern housekeeper, a sexy handyman/hanger-around, a heroine with a tortured past, strange sounds in the night, enough family secrets to keep everyone happy (ok everyone is me but that's the only one who counts here, lol) and a mansion that is tilting because some brainiac built it upon the edge of a crumbling cliff.
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I made tons of guesses and didn't have a clue who the culprit was until everything was revealed. Love it when that happens. I loved it in all its nonsensical creepy glory and loved that I didn’t have a damn thing figured out right ...more
Laurie (barksbooks)
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