30 Jan 2025. DNF at 37%. No rating. I'm sure many will enjoy the read. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I simply lost interest, and decided to move on to30 Jan 2025. DNF at 37%. No rating. I'm sure many will enjoy the read. It just wasn't my cup of tea. I simply lost interest, and decided to move on to something else. Oh well, another author I tried but didn't love. *shrug*...more
The first one in this series was OK, so I thought I'd try the next. But I'm at 44% and have lost interest. Too much info about sled dogs, and the romaThe first one in this series was OK, so I thought I'd try the next. But I'm at 44% and have lost interest. Too much info about sled dogs, and the romance isn't gripping me. I really love some of this author's books, but this one is just 'meh'. DNF.
Merged review:
The first one in this series was OK, so I thought I'd try the next. But I'm at 44% and have lost interest. Too much info about sled dogs, and the romance isn't gripping me. I really love some of this author's books, but this one is just 'meh'. DNF....more
March 2024. I haven't rated this book, as I decided to dnf after only reading about half way through. Sforza was certainly a feisty and incredible womMarch 2024. I haven't rated this book, as I decided to dnf after only reading about half way through. Sforza was certainly a feisty and incredible woman, with quite an extraordinary life. However the ins-and-outs of the politics of Renaissance Italy, the backstabbing (and literal stabbings!), violence, betrayals, the OTT extravagance of life amongst the noble class were all a little too much for me, and I decided I had read enough. I returned the book to the library unfinished....more
Unpopular opinion alert ..... I got to 77 % and have lost interest and decided I couldn't be bothered reading any more. I'm not normally a fan of YA-sUnpopular opinion alert ..... I got to 77 % and have lost interest and decided I couldn't be bothered reading any more. I'm not normally a fan of YA-style books anyway, but in this one the storyline was quite driving and encouraging you to read on. But after a while I found I didn't really care any more what was going to happen to the characters, so I decided to dnf.
Unfortunately, there were some big things I didn't like about the book. It is incredibly violent, with enormous numbers of minor/secondary characters being killed right throughout the book. The cover did warn of 'brutal games', so I was warned, I guess. The violence wasn't really lingered over, but it's an undeniably brutal and violent world that's depicted. And in spite of the ongoing storyline, I struggled to get over that, and decided I didn't want to keep reading about it. A bit like the 'Hunger Games' books. Yeah, a gripping read, but they actually kill each other in their 'games'. Just no.
Another thing I didn't like was the free use of the 'F' word. Not necessary, even for a gripping and exciting story IMO. Yeah, call me old-fashioned (OK, I am LOL), but I found it irritating.
Basically, everything in the book was the ultimate, extreme, taken to the nth degree, OTT. I just got a bit tired of it, I suppose.
In spite of the way the story carried me along for quite a while, I can't give more than 2 stars to a book I ultimately dnf'ed....more
This started off to be quite interesting, but it dragged and became more tedious as it went on. I read quite a lot of it (89%), but finally just tiredThis started off to be quite interesting, but it dragged and became more tedious as it went on. I read quite a lot of it (89%), but finally just tired of it. I put it aside for a while, but don't feel any desire to go back and finish it, so sadly, I've decided to declare a dnf. Although I liked the book at first, ultimately I can't give a book I dnf'ed any more than two stars.........more
October 2022. I read up to about 40% and decided not to bother with this one anymore. I liked the concept, which is why I bought the book (I'd also reOctober 2022. I read up to about 40% and decided not to bother with this one anymore. I liked the concept, which is why I bought the book (I'd also read some positive reviews). But sadly the writing just didn't work for me. I found the writing style to be a bit pedestrian. Sadly, the main character, who should have fascinating and charismatic, was also a bit pedestrian and uninteresting. I decided this one just wasn't for me. Not a bad book, just a fairly flat and dull one IMO, and not enough there to entice me to finish it at this point. Maybe one day I'll go back to it and try again???...more
[Review June 2022]: I decided to dnf this book at 40% (which in reality is probably about 50% due to the very large notes section at the back). The bo[Review June 2022]: I decided to dnf this book at 40% (which in reality is probably about 50% due to the very large notes section at the back). The book is very long and detailed in its descriptions - too much so for me. The cutesy names the people gave themselves and each other grated on me, and there was a kind of horrible fascination about how awful and simply cruel and immoral some of them were towards each other, often their supposed 'loved ones'. Also, I know little of English politics of this period, which meant the descriptions of people's government roles, their govt. parties, and some of the events that happened, were somewhat confusing, and meant little to me.
There are sections of interest in the book, but other parts where I was bored and was forcing myself to keep reading. So I decided that 40% was enough. I felt I'd read enough to rate it 2 'okay' stars. Well-researched, no doubt, but unfortunately my interest wasn't held enough to wade through the whole thing. Back to the library it goes.........more
**spoiler alert** Feb 2022. Sadly this book just wasn't for me. Sarah's story was too angsty for me to be able to enjoy the read. Her father (married **spoiler alert** Feb 2022. Sadly this book just wasn't for me. Sarah's story was too angsty for me to be able to enjoy the read. Her father (married to someone else) rejected her from before she was born, her desperate mother became a prostitute then died young (in front of Sarah), then Sarah was sold into prostitution at age 8 to a creepy pedophile who abused her and also prostituted her out to others. When she eventually got away from him (years later) she was bashed and robbed by two other prostitutes, leaving her alone and penniless. She ended up working as a prostitute in a town that served the gold miners during the California gold rush (where she also got bashed and mistreated).
Once Michael saved her from the brothel and married her, their relationship was difficult and strained, even though Michael said he loved her. I couldn't understand why Michael loved her when he didn't know her at all. Felt pity for her yes, felt lust towards her yes, but love seemed a stretch. It wasn't convincing to me.
Then Michael's brother Paul came home, and Sarah ran away with him to town, sleeping with him on the way, and returning to life as a prostitute in town. I could see why, with her low self-esteem issues and her horrid past. But at that point I just decided I didn't want to read any more. It was all just too horrible.
I understand this book is based on the story of Hosea from the Bible, and I do understand that through Michael's love and God's love, Sarah will be saved. But the journey was just too harsh and angsty for me and I decided I just didn't want to read on. DNF at nearly half way through....more
DNF at 53%. Just not my cup of tea. Too modern in its style and language. There is no way a gently bred young lady would behave as she did, and eagerlDNF at 53%. Just not my cup of tea. Too modern in its style and language. There is no way a gently bred young lady would behave as she did, and eagerly go straight to full on oral sex with her crush. I doubt a young lady such as depicted would have much idea about sex at all in those days, much less oral. And where were her parents or at least a chaperone? They would not have left her to her own devices as they did. It just didn't ring true for me. The sex was way too explicit and didn't match the character of the sweet young lady that had been developed in the first half of the book. The language used was also way too overt and modern in the sex banter between the MCs.
I tried this book as an October 2021 BOTM for HRBC, secret love theme. I like trying new-to-me authors - in this case an actual new author - I believe it's her first book. Sadly it didn't work for me, though clearly others have enjoyed it. Yeah, just not my cuppa. I decided not to waste any more time on it and dnf'ed. I think I read enough to rate it - I give it 2 stars....more
DNF at about 65%. The story started to drag a bit and I put it down. When I went to pick it up again, (not too much later) I couldn't remember a singlDNF at about 65%. The story started to drag a bit and I put it down. When I went to pick it up again, (not too much later) I couldn't remember a single thing about it. I had to reread the blurb to remind myself who and what it was about. I tried to read on, but had simply lost interest and decided to chuck it in.
The first part was OK, but it was very slow-moving, and clearly the MCs didn't make much of an impact on me. It wasn't horrible, just a bit meh and forgettable. Not one of Ms Grey's best....more
Got to 22% and it wasn't holding my interest so I decided to abandon it. I do like some books by this author, but maybe I just wasn't in the mood for Got to 22% and it wasn't holding my interest so I decided to abandon it. I do like some books by this author, but maybe I just wasn't in the mood for the light comedic tone of this one at the moment. No star rating given, as maybe it's just my current mood....more
DNF at about 45%. I read enough to give it 2 'it was ok' stars, but I couldn't be bothered reading anymore. The billionaire and the poor woman trope iDNF at about 45%. I read enough to give it 2 'it was ok' stars, but I couldn't be bothered reading anymore. The billionaire and the poor woman trope is OK, but for me this book wasn't really working. The way that the heroine ended up employed by and living with the hero's grandmother just seemed ridiculous and unbelievable to me. Perhaps there's some big reveal later that explains why it happened so suddenly, but sadly, I just wasn't engaged enough with the characters to want to read on and find out why.
I didn't enjoy the descriptions of the hero's grandmother's OTT overdecorated old-money Gilded Age mansion. It came across as slightly tacky to me rather than sumptuous and lovely. So that didn't work for me either.
I have really enjoyed some books by this writer, but others haven't worked for me. Sadly this was one in the latter category. Many others may enjoy though, so go right ahead and try it for yourself. This one just wasn't for me....more
Apr 2020. No star rating because I didn't quite make it even to 40%. I have enjoyed some of Lucy Score's books in the past, but this one is getting a Apr 2020. No star rating because I didn't quite make it even to 40%. I have enjoyed some of Lucy Score's books in the past, but this one is getting a bit too trashy for me. The scene in the boss's bathroom was just waaayyyyy too much. I felt like I'd wandered into a porno. It turned me right off the book and I decided I just didn't want to keep on reading........ So, return to KU. *shrugs*...more