A little insta-love, but that's to be expected with these tropes. Sort of two short stories making up a novella; I enjoyed it, but it wa3.5 rounded up
A little insta-love, but that's to be expected with these tropes. Sort of two short stories making up a novella; I enjoyed it, but it wasn't anything particularly special....more
What you'd expect from this author. It's super short, so even less substance than usual, but enjoyable for what it was.What you'd expect from this author. It's super short, so even less substance than usual, but enjoyable for what it was....more
I thought this was a fun holiday read! The Christmas Curse concept was a little silly, but it wasn't so overblown as to be totally unrealistic. I realI thought this was a fun holiday read! The Christmas Curse concept was a little silly, but it wasn't so overblown as to be totally unrealistic. I really enjoyed the characters and the build of their relationship was lovely. The nuanced family dynamics and MC backgrounds were great and made this world feel more lived in. Lovely!...more
I really liked this one a lot! Great chemistry and interesting world-building -- easily could have read a full novel with theUnwritten Runes 4.5 stars
I really liked this one a lot! Great chemistry and interesting world-building -- easily could have read a full novel with these two!
Ordinary Ghosts: 3 stars
This was less enjoyable for me. It felt like this one suffered more for being a novella -- there was a lot of backstory and world-building I felt I was missing, and I just didn't vibe as much with the characters, but it was fine....more
Decent enough conclusion with the characters working through some of the issues that have cropped up in the previous novellas. But still not quite deeDecent enough conclusion with the characters working through some of the issues that have cropped up in the previous novellas. But still not quite deep enough for what I wanted. Enjoyable enough for a quick read, but really just okay overall.
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Decent enough conclusion with the characters working through some of the issues that have cropped up in the previous novellas. But still not quite deep enough for what I wanted. Enjoyable enough for a quick read, but really just okay overall....more
Short and smutty freebie set in the Ys world, which I wanted to like much more than I did. It was fine, but I found the POV character to be a little eShort and smutty freebie set in the Ys world, which I wanted to like much more than I did. It was fine, but I found the POV character to be a little exhausting and not particularly likeable. A large part of what made me pick up this book was wanting more of the Ys world-building, and given this was super light on that aspect, and with a MC I didn't really connect with, this one was a bit of a miss.
Merged review:
Short and smutty freebie set in the Ys world, which I wanted to like much more than I did. It was fine, but I found the POV character to be a little exhausting and not particularly likeable. A large part of what made me pick up this book was wanting more of the Ys world-building, and given this was super light on that aspect, and with a MC I didn't really connect with, this one was a bit of a miss....more
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Short stories are hard. They're completely different from full-length novels, a fact that 99% of m/m romancI've said it before and I'll say it again: Short stories are hard. They're completely different from full-length novels, a fact that 99% of m/m romance authors apparently cannot grasp. I might have t stop reading anthologies because I'm really sick of being disappointed. Authors: DO NOT participate in a short story anthology if you can't do short stories or trying to shoe-horn in a promotion for your next book or if the short story cannot be read on it's own and enjoyed without knowledge of your previous works. All that ends up doing is really disappointing readers, many f which may be BRAND NEW to your writing. There are several authors in here that I've enjoyed before, and if this was my first introduction to their writing, I would not bother to read anything else by them. Writing shitty half-assed short stories can actually harm you--it's better to just pass on the opportunity if you haven't actually worked on refining your ability to tell a story in few words. /rant over/ Now on to the reviews, LOL
Rhys Ford - Dim Sum Asylum 3 stars. I liked the setting/set-up, and the writing pulled me in, but this very much felt like the first couple of chapters of a longer novel and then it seemed as if the author realized it was a short story and tried to shoe-horn in some relationship development that made zero sense and moved way too quickly. Taking a look, it actually looks like the author has expanded this into a full novel, which feels like it was their plan for the start and kind of annoying in a short story anthology.
Ginn Hale - Swift and the Black Dog 4 stars. I really loved the premise of this one--child war heroes set a decade or two after they saved the world and showing the sort of gritty aftermath of that. I honestly thought it was SO fascinating and could have very much read an entire book set in this 'verse. Though I did feel like the story felt very well contained in this short story format, I did think there was a lot of world-building and backstory here. Overall I think the author managed to convey the information really well, but given the amount of it, there were definitely times I felt a little confused and where I think a longer novel that could have taken time to expand would have worked well.
KJ Charles - A Queer Trade 4 stars. Read this one outside of the anthology, but including my original thoughts here. I really liked this one! I really just adore this verse, and these new characters were interesting and had some great chemistry. It definitely flew by, and while I'd love to read more in this verse (I've already got Rag and Bone queued up!) I thought the pacing here was decent. Some novellas read like they're overly ambitious for the short length they aim for, but I thought this one had a satisfying flow.
Nicole Kimberling - Magically Delicious 2 stars. Something about this world felt familiar, and I had a feeling I'd read a short story set in this verse in Irregulars, which I did! Though it's been long enough that it just sort of tugged at my brain. Overall I do feel like this felt like the continuation of a series/previous book in that it seemed to be kind of light on trying to get the readers emotionally invested in the characters, as if the author expected you to already know and love them. Which, if you don't, made for kind of a bland read.
Jordan Castillo Price - Everyone's Afraid of Clowns 2 stars. And that is coming from somebody who has read and enjoyed the main series with these characters. I think if you weren't already familiar with this one, it would be even duller.
Jordan L. Hawk - The Thirteenth Hex 3.5 stars. I really liked the world-building and magical theory stuff in the one, and the over-all premise was pretty interesting. The relationship stuff didn't grab me quite as much, but it was still generally enjoyable.
Charlie Cochet - The Soldati Prince 1.5 stars. This actually started out pretty decent as far as this author's work goes, but quickly devolved into random insta-love. Writing, as expected with this author, wasn't super great, the king dude was an asshole the entire time, and the climax and ending were super rushed. Maybe could have been halfway decent if the author had time to flesh the world/characters/relationships out, but not sure even that would have been enough.
Lou Harper - One Hex Too Many 2.5 stars. Another one that started off really promising with a really interesting plot and characters, but the author just didn't make the best use of the short story length, at least as far as the relationship was concerned. I actually thought the case aspect was really well paced, but it was like the author forgot this was also supposed to be a romance and then at the very end the characters start banging OUT OF NOWHERE in a fade to black sex scene that literally ends the piece. There were a TON of hanging threads which makes me think this is the start of a series, though I'm not even sure that's the case. If I were just rating on the case aspect I'd go much higher, but the romance was o random and disappointing that it really drug it down.
Andrea Speed - Josh of the Damned vs. the Bathroom of Doom 2 stars. Again, clearly part of a greater series that I am unfamiliar with, which I think would have enhanced the experience. Definitely unique and some funny moment, but honestly really just crack fic, which isn't my favorite. Plus, no smut, which felt like a missed opportunity considering this was an established relationship and the smut wouldn't have felt random/rushed.
Astrid Amara - The Trouble With Hexes 3.5 stars. Good, solid pick to close out the anthology. The case was interesting, if a little simple, and the exes bit added nice tension. I do think they got back together a little too quickly/easily, but it's a short story, so I get it. I also would have preferred more resolution/aftermath in terms of what happens with the person who'd done the hex, since that was kind of a big bomb and I feel like the impact/implications were sort of handwaved away.
Merged review:
I've said it before and I'll say it again: Short stories are hard. They're completely different from full-length novels, a fact that 99% of m/m romance authors apparently cannot grasp. I might have t stop reading anthologies because I'm really sick of being disappointed. Authors: DO NOT participate in a short story anthology if you can't do short stories or trying to shoe-horn in a promotion for your next book or if the short story cannot be read on it's own and enjoyed without knowledge of your previous works. All that ends up doing is really disappointing readers, many f which may be BRAND NEW to your writing. There are several authors in here that I've enjoyed before, and if this was my first introduction to their writing, I would not bother to read anything else by them. Writing shitty half-assed short stories can actually harm you--it's better to just pass on the opportunity if you haven't actually worked on refining your ability to tell a story in few words. /rant over/ Now on to the reviews, LOL
Rhys Ford - Dim Sum Asylum 3 stars. I liked the setting/set-up, and the writing pulled me in, but this very much felt like the first couple of chapters of a longer novel and then it seemed as if the author realized it was a short story and tried to shoe-horn in some relationship development that made zero sense and moved way too quickly. Taking a look, it actually looks like the author has expanded this into a full novel, which feels like it was their plan for the start and kind of annoying in a short story anthology.
Ginn Hale - Swift and the Black Dog 4 stars. I really loved the premise of this one--child war heroes set a decade or two after they saved the world and showing the sort of gritty aftermath of that. I honestly thought it was SO fascinating and could have very much read an entire book set in this 'verse. Though I did feel like the story felt very well contained in this short story format, I did think there was a lot of world-building and backstory here. Overall I think the author managed to convey the information really well, but given the amount of it, there were definitely times I felt a little confused and where I think a longer novel that could have taken time to expand would have worked well.
KJ Charles - A Queer Trade 4 stars. Read this one outside of the anthology, but including my original thoughts here. I really liked this one! I really just adore this verse, and these new characters were interesting and had some great chemistry. It definitely flew by, and while I'd love to read more in this verse (I've already got Rag and Bone queued up!) I thought the pacing here was decent. Some novellas read like they're overly ambitious for the short length they aim for, but I thought this one had a satisfying flow.
Nicole Kimberling - Magically Delicious 2 stars. Something about this world felt familiar, and I had a feeling I'd read a short story set in this verse in Irregulars, which I did! Though it's been long enough that it just sort of tugged at my brain. Overall I do feel like this felt like the continuation of a series/previous book in that it seemed to be kind of light on trying to get the readers emotionally invested in the characters, as if the author expected you to already know and love them. Which, if you don't, made for kind of a bland read.
Jordan Castillo Price - Everyone's Afraid of Clowns 2 stars. And that is coming from somebody who has read and enjoyed the main series with these characters. I think if you weren't already familiar with this one, it would be even duller.
Jordan L. Hawk - The Thirteenth Hex 3.5 stars. I really liked the world-building and magical theory stuff in the one, and the over-all premise was pretty interesting. The relationship stuff didn't grab me quite as much, but it was still generally enjoyable.
Charlie Cochet - The Soldati Prince 1.5 stars. This actually started out pretty decent as far as this author's work goes, but quickly devolved into random insta-love. Writing, as expected with this author, wasn't super great, the king dude was an asshole the entire time, and the climax and ending were super rushed. Maybe could have been halfway decent if the author had time to flesh the world/characters/relationships out, but not sure even that would have been enough.
Lou Harper - One Hex Too Many 2.5 stars. Another one that started off really promising with a really interesting plot and characters, but the author just didn't make the best use of the short story length, at least as far as the relationship was concerned. I actually thought the case aspect was really well paced, but it was like the author forgot this was also supposed to be a romance and then at the very end the characters start banging OUT OF NOWHERE in a fade to black sex scene that literally ends the piece. There were a TON of hanging threads which makes me think this is the start of a series, though I'm not even sure that's the case. If I were just rating on the case aspect I'd go much higher, but the romance was o random and disappointing that it really drug it down.
Andrea Speed - Josh of the Damned vs. the Bathroom of Doom 2 stars. Again, clearly part of a greater series that I am unfamiliar with, which I think would have enhanced the experience. Definitely unique and some funny moment, but honestly really just crack fic, which isn't my favorite. Plus, no smut, which felt like a missed opportunity considering this was an established relationship and the smut wouldn't have felt random/rushed.
Astrid Amara - The Trouble With Hexes 3.5 stars. Good, solid pick to close out the anthology. The case was interesting, if a little simple, and the exes bit added nice tension. I do think they got back together a little too quickly/easily, but it's a short story, so I get it. I also would have preferred more resolution/aftermath in terms of what happens with the person who'd done the hex, since that was kind of a big bomb and I feel like the impact/implications were sort of handwaved away....more
After really loving the novella in between the first book and this one, I was hoping to like this one more, but it felt pretty similar t2.5 rounded up
After really loving the novella in between the first book and this one, I was hoping to like this one more, but it felt pretty similar to book one in terms of my feelings towards it. Quite short, again, and I just didn't feel like we made quite as much progression as I wanted to. I think part of what I liked about book 1.5 was getting to see these two in the context of other people as well, and this book, like book 1, was basically just them stuck together for a fairly short period of time, and IDK, it just wasn't that interesting. :/
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2.5 rounded up
After really loving the novella in between the first book and this one, I was hoping to like this one more, but it felt pretty similar to book one in terms of my feelings towards it. Quite short, again, and I just didn't feel like we made quite as much progression as I wanted to. I think part of what I liked about book 1.5 was getting to see these two in the context of other people as well, and this book, like book 1, was basically just them stuck together for a fairly short period of time, and IDK, it just wasn't that interesting. :/...more
I will say, it didn't feel particularly Christmas-y at all--I actually forgot it was supposed to be a part of a Christmas seriesShort, enjoyable read.
I will say, it didn't feel particularly Christmas-y at all--I actually forgot it was supposed to be a part of a Christmas series, which isn't ideal. It didn't honestly bother me, but YMMV. I thought the post-war set up was really interesting, and the connection between the two characters was great. I appreciate that the author didn't minimize the difficulties of them being together in that time period, but it also didn't feel overwhelmingly depressing, either. It's a relatively short story, but I thought the author did a great job of making it feel complete.
Smut aspect didn't quite work for me, but I'm picky sometimes.
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Short, enjoyable read.
I will say, it didn't feel particularly Christmas-y at all--I actually forgot it was supposed to be a part of a Christmas series, which isn't ideal. It didn't honestly bother me, but YMMV. I thought the post-war set up was really interesting, and the connection between the two characters was great. I appreciate that the author didn't minimize the difficulties of them being together in that time period, but it also didn't feel overwhelmingly depressing, either. It's a relatively short story, but I thought the author did a great job of making it feel complete.
Smut aspect didn't quite work for me, but I'm picky sometimes....more
Eh. Fairly short novella that ends rather abruptly/unsatisfactorily and clearly meant to encourage readers to continue on with the ser2.5 rounded down
Eh. Fairly short novella that ends rather abruptly/unsatisfactorily and clearly meant to encourage readers to continue on with the series. Not generally a massive fan of short story series as they feel a bit gimmicky? Not bad, but not particularly exciting, either. I'll probably read at least the next book since it's on KU to see if it can hold my interest.
Merged review:
2.5 rounded down
Eh. Fairly short novella that ends rather abruptly/unsatisfactorily and clearly meant to encourage readers to continue on with the series. Not generally a massive fan of short story series as they feel a bit gimmicky? Not bad, but not particularly exciting, either. I'll probably read at least the next book since it's on KU to see if it can hold my interest....more
Enjoyable continuation of the series. I liked getting more of this couple, and I like that, despite being established, they still have their issues toEnjoyable continuation of the series. I liked getting more of this couple, and I like that, despite being established, they still have their issues to work through.
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Enjoyable continuation of the series. I liked getting more of this couple, and I like that, despite being established, they still have their issues to work through....more
Nice sequel that gets us a little more of these two together now that they're actually, you know, together. A bit frustrated at times with Mark's inabNice sequel that gets us a little more of these two together now that they're actually, you know, together. A bit frustrated at times with Mark's inability to express himself, and Stephen's inability to cut Mark some slack.
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Nice sequel that gets us a little more of these two together now that they're actually, you know, together. A bit frustrated at times with Mark's inability to express himself, and Stephen's inability to cut Mark some slack....more
Not really my thing. I felt like Sky was a little too unrealistically country-boy wholesome and Emmett was a little too caught up on his ex, which thoNot really my thing. I felt like Sky was a little too unrealistically country-boy wholesome and Emmett was a little too caught up on his ex, which though it actually made sense and would have felt unbelievable otherwise, made it hard to get into Sky/Emmett as a pairing given how short the book is. I also just really wasn't personally a big fan of the direction the author chose to take this. I would have rather an actual rebound instead of pretending some great future connection. IDK, not bad, but not especially captivating either.
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Not really my thing. I felt like Sky was a little too unrealistically country-boy wholesome and Emmett was a little too caught up on his ex, which though it actually made sense and would have felt unbelievable otherwise, made it hard to get into Sky/Emmett as a pairing given how short the book is. I also just really wasn't personally a big fan of the direction the author chose to take this. I would have rather an actual rebound instead of pretending some great future connection. IDK, not bad, but not especially captivating either....more
Intriguing premise, and I enjoyed the writing quality, but I wasn't sold on the pairing. Grif starts out as a real asshole with fucked2.5 rounded down
Intriguing premise, and I enjoyed the writing quality, but I wasn't sold on the pairing. Grif starts out as a real asshole with fucked-up and abusive tendencies, and I think if the author wanted to start him at such a low point, the book needed to be a hell of a lot longer with a much slower burn to work for me. Kiernan is essentially entirely dependent on him for survival, and the build of feelings on his part felt really rushed given how their relationship started and the super unequal power imbalance between the two, so it just felt a bit icky for me. I think if things had progressed more slowly and we'd seen Grif take any kind of accountability for his shitty behavior I may have felt differently, but alas, we did not get that.
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2.5 rounded down
Intriguing premise, and I enjoyed the writing quality, but I wasn't sold on the pairing. Grif starts out as a real asshole with fucked-up and abusive tendencies, and I think if the author wanted to start him at such a low point, the book needed to be a hell of a lot longer with a much slower burn to work for me. Kiernan is essentially entirely dependent on him for survival, and the build of feelings on his part felt really rushed given how their relationship started and the super unequal power imbalance between the two, so it just felt a bit icky for me. I think if things had progressed more slowly and we'd seen Grif take any kind of accountability for his shitty behavior I may have felt differently, but alas, we did not get that....more
Standard Marina Vivancos; promising concept, meh execution. This one was shorter and definitely felt pretty rushed, particularly the l2.5 rounded down
Standard Marina Vivancos; promising concept, meh execution. This one was shorter and definitely felt pretty rushed, particularly the last half or so. I enjoyed it enough for what it was, but I went in expecting what I got....more
Thank you to Peppermint Vixen for gifting this to me during the 2024 Secret Santa Book Exchange! === Another great installment in this series, which is Thank you to Peppermint Vixen for gifting this to me during the 2024 Secret Santa Book Exchange! === Another great installment in this series, which is one of my favs from this author. Well paced novella with really lovely characters and satisfying plot....more