I don't think this author or series is for me anymore. I liked the first book, thought the second book was ok, and couldn't get into the thirdDNF @23%
I don't think this author or series is for me anymore. I liked the first book, thought the second book was ok, and couldn't get into the third book. Tried a different book in the series, couldn't get into it either. Tried THIS book in the series, and I'm finding myself so incredibly bored. I'm not connecting with the characters, their motivation, and it's not clear why either of them are attracted to the other person other than their physical appearance. Which..is fine, but I need more substance.
So I'm going to DNF this book, and DNF this series. I wish I could like it, but after so many failed attempts to read more books, I think this is a sign I need to walk away....more
I really REALLY wanted to like this book. I mean, everyone talked about how much of a simp Eli was, and how he“Not in Love” by Ali Hazelwood
DNF @ 37%
I really REALLY wanted to like this book. I mean, everyone talked about how much of a simp Eli was, and how he was down bad for Rue. This is true, and just based on those two statements I really thought I would eat this story up. But it didn't take long for me to feel very…off while reading the story. It took me a minute, but I think I pinpointed why.
Eli isn't presented to the readers in a way that fosters understanding and trust. I don't know him, he's thrown on the page and his first chapter just told me he's super horny. I don't know who this guy is and what his intentions are with Rue aside from having sex. Which, that alone would be fine, but it's very obvious how obsessed he is.
Now, I am totally down for a desperately obsessed MMC– IF I have an understanding about their obsession. I guess Eli is purely physically attracted to Rue, which isn't something I'm interested in reading about in a romance novel. I need more substance. It's one thing if I'm reaching for a Jessa Kane novella, but I'm going into that story knowing it's erotica and having certain expectations about the plot and characters. But with “Not in Love”, it didn't quite feel like a run of the mill contemporary romance, and it didn't really feel like a romcom; I'm not sure what to make of the story’s tone.
The pacing is very fast, and I get that there's instalust, but it's combined with instalove. When I read instalove in a contemporary romance I have a difficult time buying into the story and characters. I know it doesn't bother some people, but unfortunately I don't care for it. And ultimately, I didn't believe Eli’s grand statements about Rue.
Some of Eli’s internal dialogue gave me the creeps, and I found myself actively disliking him as the story progressed.
I also found the writing to be not Ali’s usual quality, it read really stilted and like a rough draft. Normally I can tear through any Ali Hazelwood story regardless of my star rating. But this is my first Ali Hazelwood DNF, and it's very disappointing.
I wanted to read until after the first sex scene, because this is supposed to be Ali's smuttiness book. It was a fine scene, but wasn't very effective since I didn't connect with either MC.
While I did DNF the book, I skimmed the rest, and by the end I felt extremely frustrated. The beginning of the book is so poorly presented, if Ali had made some changes on how the MCs were introduced, I think I would have really loved the story.
-I really wanted to like this book, it gets so many rave reviews (especially the audiobook). The horror aspect was a bit too much, I was starDNF @ 43%
-I really wanted to like this book, it gets so many rave reviews (especially the audiobook). The horror aspect was a bit too much, I was started to get grossed out. And I didn't find the romance compelling enough to continue....more
-This book may check all the boxes on your dark romance wishlist. This book might fulfill any kinks you were “Pretty Monster” by Sheridan Anne
DNF @ 6%
-This book may check all the boxes on your dark romance wishlist. This book might fulfill any kinks you were curious to read about. I went into this story thinking I’d have a grand old time reading about a stalker and their victim having a super fucked up romance. Well…they did, but I can say with certainty that this is not the book for me. In fact, I would say this book taught me where my hard line is for dark romance: I don’t want to read about an MMC who murders women.
-Yes, you read that correctly, the MMC is a serial killer who stalks women, fucks them, then gets off on killing them. So in the prologue we meet Reid, and he just killed another victim. He goes on and on about how much it gets him off, how much he loves it, and who he has killed in the past. This should have been red flag number one, and a good indicator of my ability to read this story. I simply cannot buy into an MMC who flippantly murders women. They didn’t do anything wrong, aside from fulfill Reid’s fucked up purpose, and once they were of no use he disposed of them.
-Then we learn about Reid’s next victim, Kyah, who is a tattoo artist living in Brooklyn. But wait, she’s not like other girls! She’s not afraid to walk down the street at night, she doesn’t clutch her purse whenever she walks by strangers. She’s so stinkin’ attractive, literally every other male character mentioned in this book aside from ONE wants to fuck her. So…red flag number two, every guy is attracted to her. That’s boring, and completely unbelievable; it reads like a self-insert fanfiction I would have written as a fourteen year old.
-My last straw was when the MMC compared the euphoria of fucking Kyah for the first time like if he got an extra patty on his McDonald’s cheeseburger. At that point I was done, there was no way I could possibly lose myself in the story and root for the couple.
-I decided to skim the rest of the book to see what shenanigans Reid and Kyah get into, and I do have to give the author credit, she did a good job keeping the reader in suspense. Who is Reid? This is a multi POV book, there are Kyah, Reid, Viper, Crew, and Alex chapters. The reader has to work to figure out who Reid is, and once that’s revealed it’s like…idk, it’s fine I guess.
-Like I said, this book might be for you, but it definitely wasn’t for me. Please check the content warnings at the beginning of the book. Oh, and the ending is a nontraditional HEA. I don’t have a problem with those, but I know some people might find them irritating. Do with that what you will~ ...more
-I feel so awful whenever I DNF an ARC, but I truly think this isn’t the book for me. “Savor It” is my first Tarah “Savor It” by Tarah Dewitt
DNF @ 22%
-I feel so awful whenever I DNF an ARC, but I truly think this isn’t the book for me. “Savor It” is my first Tarah Dewitt novel, and it will probably be my last. I don’t think her writing style meshes with what I prefer as a reader. The characters didn’t interest me, the small town antics rubbed me the wrong way, and the multiple page breaks were very distracting. ...more
-Thank you so much to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. I truly apprec“Of Storm and Emerald” by Jessica Hoffa
DNF @ 43%
-Thank you so much to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review. I truly appreciate Jessica sending me her book, I know she worked so hard and is very passionate about the world she built. Unfortunately, I don’t think this book is for me.
-There is a lot I enjoy about this story, like using crystals to name the different courts. I enjoyed reading about older MCs, this is something I don’t come across very often in fantasy books. The smut is well written, and very hot!
-The things I didn’t mesh with really came down to the writing style. I found the pacing a little difficult to follow, sometimes the descriptions for the clothing or rooms were quite lengthy, and while the smut was really spicy, I actually could have done with less sex scenes. At a certain point those scenes became a distraction from the overall plot of Auraelia understanding her magical abilities.
-I think this book has the potential to be enjoyed by many people, but like I said, it just wasn’t for me. ...more
I think this book just isn’t for me. Some aspects are nice, like Emmy’s family, and I enjoy the setting. But I“Done and Dusted” by Lyla Sage
DNF @ 34%
I think this book just isn’t for me. Some aspects are nice, like Emmy’s family, and I enjoy the setting. But I’m having a very difficult time understanding why Emmy dislikes Luke so much, it doesn’t seem like he did anything wrong. Unless having an annoying personality as a teenager is a huge offense?? There were some other cringe lines, like Luke saying he’d walk through fire for Emmy after their fourth interaction (which, for the most part, have been pretty short).
It’s a cute premise, but I think it’s time to step away. ...more
-I wanted to like this book so badly! On paper, the story sounds interesting: small town romance between childho“Always Mine” by Laura Pavlov
DNF @ 54%
-I wanted to like this book so badly! On paper, the story sounds interesting: small town romance between childhood best friends. But in reality the story was quite boring. Here’s what I took issue with:
-The pacing is very odd. Scenes move fast, but the dialogue drags on and on.
-Speaking of the dialogue, sometimes it felt very stilted and awkward. It kind of reminded me of the movie “The Room”.
-The smut is tame and moves quickly, nothing is drawn out.
-There’s zero pining, not a lot of tension. Vivi and Niko decide to have sex because she’s never experienced an orgasm, not because there’s a secret attraction. It’s only after the fact (WELL after the fact) that they realize “oh hey, maybe we should give this a shot”.
-Vivi’s sisters are annoying and their personalities are defined by singular traits.
-I decided to DNF because I started skimming paragraphs, and found the bits that I was reading to be unsatisfying. ...more
I heard the praise kink in this book is top notch. Unfortunately, I'm just not vibing with the writing style. The book isn't bad, it's just nDNF @ 16%
I heard the praise kink in this book is top notch. Unfortunately, I'm just not vibing with the writing style. The book isn't bad, it's just not for me....more
Y'all, I tried. The amount of grammatical errors is so distracting, and the writing needs work. Maybe this story could have benefited from aDNF @ 11%
Y'all, I tried. The amount of grammatical errors is so distracting, and the writing needs work. Maybe this story could have benefited from additional rounds of editing.
I was also super bored (probably because of the writing style), and felt no emotional investment in the characters....more
This was the fastest and easiest DNF of all time. I don’t remember Rosie being so imma“The American Roommate Experiment” by Elena Armas
1⭐️/5⭐️ DNF @ 4%
This was the fastest and easiest DNF of all time. I don’t remember Rosie being so immature and obnoxious in “The Spanish Love Deception”, but it’s been about a year since I’ve read that book (my reading tastes have also changed a bit). The writing quality is just…not good. I don’t know how else to phrase it; it’s not a well written book. The dialogue is super cheesy and cringe, there’s no way I could ever take Rosie and Lucas’ relationship seriously with how they talk to each other. ...more
Terrible writing. And after hearing about the fourth book? Yeah, I don't need to finish the series. The first book had so much potential, all of it waTerrible writing. And after hearing about the fourth book? Yeah, I don't need to finish the series. The first book had so much potential, all of it was wasted....more