Review: Christian's Menace

Christian's Menace by Lynn Hagen

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Not bad. I liked Christian a lot. I missed a bad-ass vampire. Nowadays authors can't tell the difference between alpha and *sshole so it's always a welcome surprise when characters who are dominant aren't also idiots. Can't say I was as enchanted with (insert both asian names here). I didn't like them as much. The "submissive" one was pretty dull for me and the other just way too prickly. I don't know exactly. Just...there was something that didn't agree with me regarding both of them. I don't think they made that much of a good pair for Christian. The rest of the story tho was quite captivating. Knowing Christian is the original vampire was a very good surprise and I'm just sorry that wasn't explored further. I would've preferred it to Mingsheng's(???) angsty thoughts. Overall it was good but hardly memorable.



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Review: Micah's Refuge

Micah's Refuge by Lynn Tyler

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Weirdly satisfying. I mean, I wasn't exactly expecting a good book. The first novel of this series was pretty much a dud for me so, while I was curious and attracted by the premise, I wasn't really counting on it being any good. I was wrong. Not totally because this is definitely not a brilliant book or anything like that but it is much better than I expected. Shea was a little off putting and if you ask me I have no idea when he had time to fall in love with Micah but, like I said before, it was weirdly solid. A little more time and a longer story would've been beneficial but as it is now it is still enjoyable and entertaining.



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Review: The Vampire's Special Lover

The Vampire's Special Lover by Charlie Richards

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Not exactly what I expected. That being said, it's not bad. It's just not that good either. Both characters were okay but never more than that. I didn't connect with either of them so I wasn't really invested in their relationship. The world-building was not the best and, maybe because it's book number 16 and I haven't been a regular reader, I couldn't really follow the other characters, their stories and all the other things happening around them. So, while it was entertaining, it just wasn't enjoyable enough to be memorable. In fact it appears I've read other books of this series and I don't honestly remember a single story.



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Review: Called to Mate

Called to Mate by Lynn Tyler

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Collars. I'm touched. Not. Anyway it's been proven over and over lying to your other half is a very bad bad thing. I have yet to read a book though where one of the MC's agrees with that and tells the truth instead of a pretty lie. Once again it turned out not only bad but life threatening. Did they learn anything? Probably not. Uh. So, basically? Just your normal shifter romance. Interesting premise. Bad/Poor execution.



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Review: Talon and the Falconer

Talon and the Falconer by Gale Stanley

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



About as weird as the first book. Don't know about the second book 'cause I didn't read it but it was probably as terrible as these other two. But, again, these books are so preposterous I can't help being entertained. Just the idea of hawk vampires is...well. Not all there. So a wolf being turned and mated to a vampire? Such a small step. It's actually more sound than the basic premise of this series. I can't say I'm impressed by these people's ideas of family tho. They really suck at it.



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Review: Hunter and the Hawk

Hunter and the Hawk by Gale Stanley

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Weird, slightly out of whack and extremely simplistic. Not bad. I was incredibly entertained and had lots of fun. I mean, a wolf that suddenly sports fangs and drinks blood? I was amused. How could I not be? Was I impressed with the story or the writing? Hell no. The plot was pretty much non-existent, the conclusion left more questions than answers and the characters were cardboard clichés apart from the whole "wolf drinking blood and vampire going furry" thing. But. I had a good time. I laughed a lot and I can't say I'm sorry for picking this up.



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Review: Rescued

Rescued by Bailey Bradford

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I liked it. Not perfect but satisfying. I liked both main characters and the support characters were pretty interesting too. The world-building could've seen more work but the likeability of both Gabe and Mika managed to surpass that and made for an enjoyable read. That being said, I admit I'd been hoping for a more conclusive end to the corrupt Sheriff. His actions or lack thereof were against the law after all and deserved a more suited punishment and I was a little disappointed by how that turned out. Same with Mika's former pack. It felt a little unexplored and unsatisfying and it could've definitely been better.



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Review: Werewolf at the Zoo

Werewolf at the Zoo by Charlie Richards

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Meh. Everything happened way too fast and to make matters worse you have two main couples. Neither of whom got the attention they deserved because everything ended up being split between them both. Honestly I grabbed the book to read Rainy and Travis's love story and not Cliff and (insert name here) and it was a real shame I had to divide my attention to keep up. Apart from that...it was just some average shifter story. Not much feeling behind it at all. Characters were cardboard cut and the world-building almost non-existent. I couldn't care less what happened to either of them.



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Review: Old Loyalty, New Love

Old Loyalty, New Love by Mary Calmes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Huh. Not bad. I liked it very much after I realized it wasn't going to be all easy and stock full of clichés. The characters are very well done, the background while still mysterious was very comprehensive and entertaining and the support characters were all very interesting. And the angst while present was very toned down too. Not perfect but quite good.



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Review: The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx

The Seahorse Who Loved the Wrong Lynx by Scarlet Hyacinth

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



30 pages to finish and I just couldn't get there. Two words: first person. I hated it. It was confusing and weird and I just couldn't handle it. I was never sure who was talking. The grammar was incredibly poor, the dialog stilted and the background pretty much nonexistent too. There's a part where Layton phones Alexis and they're talking and suddenly Layton says Alexis is arching his eyebrow. I mean, really? It can happen if it's a video call but no one said anything about that so...there's other discrepancies too. Not as blatant but close and it was distracting as all hell. And have I mentioned how much I hated first person? Really awful. Made me hate pretty much every character too. And yes, I know it's number 8 of a series but it's not a good excuse. I've read other books in the middle of a series where some simple paragraphs managed to situate me just fine without any significant bumps. This was not the case. And if the writing was anything to go by..So not worth it.



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Review: Caution: Contents Under Pressure

Caution: Contents Under Pressure by Gabrielle Evans

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



As a leader I didn't expect Stavion to be perfect but I expected better for sure. He was just so damn cudly all the time and he never yelled or got angry. Huh. Must be exhausting to be him 24/7. Also...he was kind of a screw up. Both times he had to act like a leader and he failed pretty badly. Not enough to actually damage things permanently but close. He's not much of an alpha at all. I expected much more from him as a coven leader and a former Enforcer. Kind of disappointed after his growly presence in other books. Don't get me wrong, I liked his "human" side just fine but there was a little too much of it for my peace of mind.



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Review: Let the Rain Come Down

Let the Rain Come Down by Gabrielle Evans

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Meh. I didn't much care for either main character. Not that there was anything wrong with them at all but there was just something missing. Also there's so many characters butting in all the damn time that I just can't get them all straight in my head anymore. I can't remember who is related or mated to whom and it's just confusing. Not to mention how they all just muddle the romance in the story. I spent more time trying to fit all the other characters in the main arc rather than just enjoy the budding romance between Demitrius and Oscar.



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Review: Endless Midnight

Endless Midnight by Gabrielle Evans

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Huh. Not as "good" as the previous story but still entertaining. I didn't connect with the characters as much though. Of course this being the mindless read it is I never really do connect much with the characters. However I do still have some I prefer being inside their heads more than others. These three? I wasn't sold on them. They didn't seem all that good together and I could feel it in the way they interacted. It was still entertaining though and the sex scenes were enjoyable.



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Review: Softly Spoken Lies

Softly Spoken Lies by Gabrielle Evans

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Not bad. Clichéd as always but I didn't pick this up expecting a masterpiece so it worked well for me. I just wanted some mindless read for a little fun and entertainment and that's exactly what I got. No more and no less. I could make a list of all the good and bad about this book but this is the 4th instalment and assuming you read the previous ones...well. Copy/Paste. Just add a 3rd shifter and you know all you need to.



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Review: Leap of Faith

Leap of Faith by Gabrielle Evans

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



About average. Not perfect but not terrible either. Considering how this author can go from 8 to 80 in 0.9 seconds...it was enjoyable enough I guess. I did find the whole ex-boyfriend thingy a little contrived though. They were ex-boyfriends. If an ex-boyfriend of mine called asking me for a book I would've simply given it to him so it's pretty idiotic of Mason to not have tried that first and foremost. Was the beating and arson really necessary? A simple break and entering would've solved everything. Not to mention how ridiculous the hiding place was considering Mason was cheating on Braxton. Either he was a terribly dumb criminal or the author just didn't want to bother with anything better. I'm guessing both actually. Either way, the characters weren't bad or annoying and entertained for the time being so I'm thinking the book, even if not ground-breaking, did its purpose.



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Review: Feathers and Filth

Feathers and Filth by Joyee Flynn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



An ogre? Really? Okay...not exactly kosher but I can get behind that after a little adjustment time, sure. But the dramatics? "I killed your parents because they killed mine" thing? Yeah...way too much specially combined with all the UPAC troubles brought along too. Way too weird and just plain depressing. I couldn't even see them as good for each other. Too many contradictions and problems and surely not enough time spent together besides sex. They talked briefly. They had sex. They talked briefly. They had sex. They talked briefly. They had sex...you get the picture. Yeah there was a lot of info dump and hysterics. Was it enough for them to know each other and fall in love? Highly unlikely and I simply wasn't convinced. Not this time.



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Review: Fur And Flightless

Fur And Flightless by Joyee Flynn

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Uh. Books with wolves. I have a love/hate relationship with them most of the time. I love the idea of a pack (family) but all the dominance and blustering kinda turns me off of them. This wasn't the worst I've read with wolves but not the greatest either. And I always hate how authors portray their mates as whimpering submissives all the damn time. As if someone who isn't a wolf is automatically weaker than them and lower on the totem pole and couldn't possibly be, you know, a normal man. A man perfectly capable of not crying and whimpering and snivelling and always doing whatever the "alpha" wants unless he's angry and throwing a tantrum. Seriously. Of course if a mate actually acts like a normal person it must mean the wolf is an omega and therefore a bottom or the mate is a more powerful shifter like a lion or a vampire. There's never actually an equality. Of course this is not just with wolves or shifters in general...pretty much universal in any M/M novel but, alas, it wasn't excessive in this story and for that I am thankful if not particularly happy overall. I didn't connect with the characters much because of how Lys was presented with a lot of money as if to compensate his feminine appearance for example. Or how being an alpha Rip had to be an aggressive *ss at first. Or how "no one" loved Lys. I mean...kinda when an authors wants us to like a character so much she/he almost kills them for us to have pity on them? Just like that. Lys and Rip were so miserable all the time I just had to like them. Wrong. That just annoyed me all the faster. Lys's whimpering really got on my nerves and his dramatics? Boy. You don't want to know!

2 positive things I can say: Could've been worse and it's over. That's it.



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Review: Trunk and a Skunk

Trunk and a Skunk by Joyee Flynn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Surprisingly not bad. I mean, it's not exactly a masterpiece. These books are pretty formulaic and always follow the same directives but, sometimes, you notice the story you're reading was actually thought through and well written. This was such a case. It's still not great. It's overly simplistic, dramatic and just plain clichéd. But the characters were actually sweet and well put together. They didn't annoy me at all and that's quite an accomplishment with these books. Also liked the support characters a lot. Probably still not ready to recommend this to anyone or even admit I read them but...I was entertained for sure.



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Review: Rebound

Rebound by Chris Scully

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Kind of a cutesy little Christmas story. Romantic and sweet. I'd been hoping for a little more development but I wasn't even disappointed because you end the story with a very hopeful feeling. Definitely approved.



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Review: In From the Cold

In From the Cold by Mercy Celeste

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I expected better. The end was pretty disappointing. It lacked a certain poignancy and overall the execution really didn't live up to what I had hoped for. In fact, the violence displayed throughout the whole novel appears to be just a shock factor and not really part of it all. I gotta say I'm not a fan of violence in my novels, no matter the reason, but I do understand when it's so in tune with the story you can't help but appreciate it and love it all the same. That wasn't the case here. It was used just as a means to lure my sympathy and, in fact, did the exact opposite. Just the same with how Quinn's addictive personality was displayed. I didn't hate them but I didn't love them either. Both circumstances made both characters hard as hell to understand and connect with and I just couldn't do it. By the time the end rolled in...I didn't care about any of them or their situation at all.

One star added solely for the originality factor. Execution barely deserves the other two remaining stars and I actually feel guilty over giving them.



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Review: Tainted Blood

Tainted Blood by Sam C. Leonhard

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Of course this story had to end with a ridiculously nefarious plan revealed. Way too easy for it to be just a well written romance novel with some weird paranormal thrown into the mix. Nope, had to be even more ridiculously complicated than it was already. Seriously? All the rest was bothersome in its complexity but ultimately enjoyable and interesting but the plan in the last few pages put a huge damper on the happiness provided by Aleksei's and Gabriel's love story. And pretty much blind-sided me because there was no reason whatsoever for it to happen. WTH? I'm not even sure if I want to touch the next novel mush less read it. Wow.



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Review: Mint Ice Cream and a Vampire's Bite

Mint Ice Cream and a Vampire's Bite by Scarlet Hyacinth

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Generic copy of all her other novels. Actually...a generic copy of all the other M/M shifter novels and not just this author's. At least there wasn't any m-preg. No, wait! There was. Did you have to make it so easy for me to complain? In some small measure...it was actually sweet. Or at least, it didn't piss me off as much as the other generic copies. Small relief,hm?



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Review: When Adam Kissed Me

When Adam Kissed Me by Chris Scully

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



About the same as the first novel except with a lot more doubt and angst. I actually thought the amnesia was going to be a little better explored and not cast aside as easily but...I guess my expectations didn't really pan out. Either way I was a little disappointed about how it ended.



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Review: Inseparable

Inseparable by Chris Scully

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Very short but incredibly cute and romantic.



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Review: What You Own

What You Own by A.M. Arthur

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Not as good as I expected but decent. I wasn't particularly fond of Adam or Ryan but, after they stopped hurting each other and themselves, they did seem right together. I also can't say I get Langley's point of view and his excuses were just that...nonsensical excuses. A lot of this story could've been solved with communication and the fact that everything actually managed to end okay was pretty miraculous and not exactly an achievement by any of the characters. Honestly, I expected some more character growth. Some more adult behavior and less whining. But what I got wasn't terribly disappointing either, just more like an empty feeling afterwards.



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Review: Liam

Liam by Toni Griffin

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Rushed, clichéd and disappointing. 24h of meeting each other they were mated and proclaiming love. If that wasn't enough...they were both pathetic as male characters and their friends weren't much better. Oh I surely hope this was some sort of satirical portrayal of shifter novels. If not...



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Review: Stay With Me

Stay With Me by S.E. Harmon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I expected better. I expected a whole lot better actually but while the premise was indeed very interesting...the execution not so much. It wasn't bad. I've read worse definitely and I'm not even mad or anything...more like that quiet disappoint that sudden shows up and stares you in the face without you knowing where it comes from. That's what I felt like when I finished this story. Overall, it's not bad but there were so many little things that could've gone better that I just can't help being a bit demoralized about the whole thing.



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Review: Nothing Special

Nothing Special by A.E. Via

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I was seriously liking this book until Cash and Leo fought. Then Cash went all caveman with Leo, more than usual anyway, and I lost a little of the respect I had for them. I mean, the book was never perfect. Reading about a man whimpering and on the verge of tears always pisses me off no matter how much you want me to think he loves his partner. Then you want me to believe a bad-ass detective like Leo simply bends his will to whatever Cash wants...ugh. Not so good there. I mean, aren't there any normal and healthy relationships out there? Is it really necessary to ruin my story with crap like that? Of course, not happy with the amount of bull I had already read, you put Cash and Leo marking themselves with bites to show ownership of each other. My advice is pee. Works every time. Also ménage with Johnson and Ro? Seriously? There's a time and place for everything. That was not it, no matter how it it actually was. So...I didn't hate them or anything but I honestly think their relationship wasn't all it was cracked up to be. A lot of it was so far left field I don't think it was even on the same planet anymore and consistency is always good and nice in a story. The ending? Meh. I expected more.



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