I love her, I love her, I LOVE HER! Alizeh has to be one of my favourite protagonists of all time. Her silent strength, selfless kindne|| 5.0 stars ||
I love her, I love her, I LOVE HER! Alizeh has to be one of my favourite protagonists of all time. Her silent strength, selfless kindness and quiet resillience had my heart aching while simultaneously also bursting with pride. She was such a wonderful person who has suffered so much without ever losing her vibrant spirit or gentle heart; I adored her so much.
The romance was very gripping as well: Their feelings for each other were so poignant and vivid. I could feel the wonder and deep emotion coming in waves from both Alizeh and Kamran whenever they were in each other’s company; it might have felt overdone or overly intense had even a slight thing been done differently, but the way it was now, it was truly perfectly done. I felt their love deeply and truthfully, and their chemistry continued to blow me away. It was beautiful.
”I think I might fetch you the moon if only to spare your tears again.”
The side characters were genuinely amazing as well. -Hazan was such an intriguing character and I feel like his loyalty and dedication to Alizeh had hidden depths I cannot wait to uncover further. -Cyrus has only been introduced near the end, so I don’t know much, but he definitely seems like a fun character who can add a whole new dimension to the already amazing storyline we’ve had so far! -I found Miss Huda terribly humerous in a slightly pathetic yet still endearing way. I can’t say I know her that well yet, but I feel like her friendship with Alizeh could be rather sweet and heartwarming if it gets the chance to blossom; she definitely seems like she would benefit from someone kindhearted around her. -Now, of course, I cannot forget to mention my baby, Omid. He was such a pure and adorable kid, I fell in love with him instantly. He was the absolute sweetest little child, and his unlikely friendship with Alizeh warmed my heart until it positively glowed. Their scenes together always put the biggest, brightest smile on my face.
The writing was also stunning, absolutely gorgeous. I have only praise for it. It gripped me from the very first page and didn’t let me go until the very end; I loved it all the way through and I genuinely felt like I was fully transported into this new world with these new people I have grown to love and care about.
In other words: I loved this book wholly and completely. I cannot wait for the next installment so I can find out what will happen next…!
This is one of those books where I can see why some people love it and why some people don’t. My feelings are lingering somewhere in th|| 3.5 stars ||
This is one of those books where I can see why some people love it and why some people don’t. My feelings are lingering somewhere in the middle; I was not wowed or blown away by anything this book had to offer, but I did have a good time and was enjoying myself during most of the book.
I think what was dragging the book down for me, though, is the lack of character development and depth we got. It’s what stopped me from ever veering into love territory when it comes to this book.
Scarlett is a semi-likeable character, but that’s about it. She doesn’t really shine in any particular way and she stayed the very same from beginning to end. I would describe her as a rather… flat character. I think I can best describe her character like this: It constantly felt like the story was happening to Scarlett rather than her truly living the story and actually acting like an important player within it. She was just kind of… useless.
In a way, Scarlett’s only real personality trait was that she thinks her sister is a moron who is in constant need of her help (even though we learn Tella is anything but stupid and has actually been twenty steps ahead this whole time, which makes her seem a whole lot more interesting in my eyes, but that’s beside the point). I mean, I do adore sibling love, but their relationship felt more like an obligation to Scarlett than it did actual love. Most of her inner monologue mentioned Tella in a very negative light and she did not seem to actually like her sister all that much; she just loves her because she thinks she has to… Which is not great. Especially not when her enire story in this book was based on that supposed love for her sister. It took away the emotion and weight out of that part of the story quite a bit.
That said, her relationship with Julian was better. Still not amazing, but definitely better. I wish I could have seen why and how they fell in love a little bit clearer, because it did feel pretty random now, but I do believe they each cared for each other, and they also had semi-decent chemistry. When we saw hints of Julian’s protectiveness, that was when he shined the most.
Now, as has probably become quite clear, neither the characters nor the relationships did all that much for me here, and I think the best part about the book was something entirely different: the mystery. We knew that everything the main character saw and heard in this book could be a lie and so it definitely kept you guessing what was real, what everything meant, what you could trust, and what would eventually happen. Thus, it was mostly my drive to see the mystery uncover that was driving me forward to keep reading with relish. It was what kept me on my toes and intrigued to find out what came next. In other words, it is what made me feel invested in this book despite my lack of character investment.
All in all, the book had its pros and its cons, and although it failed to give me the character and relationship depth I would prefer in a book, it did capture me with its mystery and twists-and-turns. The story was definitely unique in its own way.
Well, that was... boring. Didn't do anything for me. Aside from this book being yet another disturbing mixture of smut, violence, submi|| 2.0 stars ||
Well, that was... boring. Didn't do anything for me. Aside from this book being yet another disturbing mixture of smut, violence, submission, body-betraying-syndrome, and reluctant obsession we have come to know and NOT love from Rina Kent, it was genuinely also really boring. I honestly skimmed over so many pages here, because I simply could not be bothered, and I knew nothing was happening anyway other than sex or cringy lines about owning someone, threatening people, or trying to sound edgy or menacing while secretly coming off as nothing other than a pathetic tool. Although this wasn't the worst I've read of Rina Kent, it was still very lackluster, slightly disturbing, and I certainly couldn't find it in myself to care about any of it.
Also, side note: I read God of Fury first, which honestly made Lan seem really protective over Bran, and so, naturally, I was insanely disappointed with Lan and Bran’s relationship in this book; Lan didn’t seem to give a damn about Bran for even a second, whereas God of Fury truly made me believe he saw him as his “other half”, that he only acted like a dick to “get his attention”, that he “loves him unconditionally”, the he is “the one person who matters”, that he comes up with silly schemes to “force him to spend time with him”, and that he would literally “stab himself if that would help him breathe better”. This was not what I saw here; Lan genuinely didn’t spend a single thought thinking or caring about Bran, and I honestly feel cheated because of that. Does this mean his affection towards Bran was all a mask, since his inner monologue does not reflect that care at all? That’s really depressing, to be honest. Especially since their bond was the sole reason I even wanted to read Lan’s book, and then, when I do, I don’t even get to see any love or affection from him towards his twin whatsoever… What a waste of time.
The book follows Elliot and Knight, two people at opposite ends of an internet debate about a serial killer who lived and died over 200|| 2.5 stars ||
The book follows Elliot and Knight, two people at opposite ends of an internet debate about a serial killer who lived and died over 200 years ago. Elliot is obsessed with the killer and thinks he was severely misunderstood; he beliefs that the killer had good reasons for murdering his victims, and that he was simply lonely and abused by those he tried to love, and he admires him for taking control into his own hands, and fighting back against those who wronged him. Knight, on the other hand, is very passionate about putting the truth about this killer out there, because he is a descendant of the killer's last victim. Of course, Elliot is entirely misguided in his delusions about this serial killer, but his reasons for feeling this way are very sad and, in a way, almost understandable. He has so many issues and he has been abused all his life, so he wants to look up to someone who he beliefs fought for himself and against those who hurt him. I did get it, because I really did feel very sorry for this messed-up, lonely, sad, and abused young man. I know for a fact he never would have felt this way if only a single person would have shown him love in his life.
Obviously, the set-up for these two characters sounds like it couldn't possible work out. A delusional guy who is in love with a serial killer and a history fanatic who wants to purify his descendant's name? They are at opposite ends of the spectrum, and Knight truly hates Elliot when he only knows about him from the internet. However, when they meet, Knight soon finds out that the guy behind the mask is a vulnerable man who is in desperate need of love and care. He sees that his misguided ideas are not based on a sick or sadistic mind, but on loneliness and vulnerability, and that's why he quickly realises he wants better for him. He wants to make him feel cared for, and hopes he can heal him that way. However, Knight also has issues of his own, as he is incapable of commitment, so when they grow closer and closer, and Elliot wants more, Knight is not sure he can give that to him, therefore making Elliot feel like he isn't enough after all, leading Elliot back to his love for the killer, who, he finds out, just so happens to be living as a ghost in the basement of his old home.
Honestly, this book had a lot of potential, because it had a unique premise and a lot of hurt/comfort, but it was just too much sex and too much of the same being repeated over and over again. I did see growth in these guys as individuals, but I also wanted to see more progression in their relationship; why did they fall in love, really? Was it just because Knight wanted to take care of someone, and because Elliot was hard-wired to fall for anyone who would give him even the slightest bit of attention? I just wanted more depth, and not constant sex or drawn-out descriptions of things I didn't care about. The execution was simply lacking for me: It was too weird, smutty, dragged out, and repetitive.
'Kings of Hell MC' series: 1. Laurent and the Beast - 3.0 stars 2. My Dark Knight - 2.5 stars
This was a never-ending, near inscrutable stream of ramblings from a paedophile on how disturbingly sexy he finds little girls. The book|| 1.0 star ||
This was a never-ending, near inscrutable stream of ramblings from a paedophile on how disturbingly sexy he finds little girls. The book goes on entire tangents dedicated to the beauty of unblemished skin, wobbly knees, knobbly joints, and gangly limbs; it’s a (supposedly beautiful) love letter to the body of children and tries (but luckily fails, in my case) to convince me of their seductive powers. Then, of course, the book just straight-up goes into a story of kidnapping, abuse and rape, and well… In what world I was meant to enjoy this, I don’t know. Even besides the obvious fact that it’s a disgusting read, it was also so exhausting to get through due to the painfully pretentious and slowly paced writing style.
And really, I know that all this was meant to symbolize the main character’s personality, manipulations and mind, and that it doesn’t actually point to any type of depravity concerning the author. After all, it’s quite clear that he never romanticizes Humbert (even though many of his readers do), and I understand that he is trying to criticize the very thing he is writing. Yes, I’m aware of all that… Still, I don’t actually care much about that when it comes to passing judgement on the book as a whole, since the end result stays the same: It’s still a sickening story told in the most dreadful (and often mind-numbingly boring) way. Which means it’s just not an enjoyable (or even palatable) book to read. Easy as that. I mean, why would I want to undergo the uncomfortable task of viewing the world through the eyes of a predator? What on earth should be enticing about that? So, yes, I understand the author’s intent in writing this, and that’s interesting in theory, but in practice I don’t see the appeal of reading about the allure of a child’s body for hundreds of pages on end.
Genuinely, I think this book can only be fun to read if you either feel like Humbert is relatable to you (which is a big, fat, giant ew), if you want to understand men like Humbert (which is a lesser ew, but still very much ew), or if you somehow want to feel interesting or smart for liking risqué subjects and pretentious blabber (which is certainly not my jam, but at least it’s not an ew, so please let this be your reason).
Honestly, though, maybe I’m simply too normal to understand the appeal of this book or have it work on me, because no, it did not make me sympathize with the paedophile, and no, it did not make me think Dolores was a seductress (or supposed nymphet) or anything but an innocent victim, and no, it did not make me understand why little girls could be justifiably attractive to dirty old men, and no, it did not make me feel like I was witnessing a forbidden, tragic love story of any kind (not even a twisted one, since there simply was no love involved; only sick lust), and no, Humbert’s gaslighting simply did not work on me at any given point.
In truth, it all did absolutely nothing for me. As, in my opinion, should be the case for everyone. But sure, I accept art is subjective and all that, so I’ll try not to judge (or be too creeped out by) all the love this novel has received, but I genuinely find it hard not to in this case… Why anyone can find even a hint of sympathy or understanding for this abusive paedophile is beyond me. This book certainly gives you no valid reason to either. Which makes me think some readers have more sympathy and understanding for paedophiles in their hearts (and from the out-set) than I personally feel even remotely comfortable with… and that’s honestly quite sad.
All in all, I obviously think a story like this should make you feel nothing but disgust and horror (and, in my case, unfortunately, a lot of unexpected boredom as well), which, for some people can certainly be interesting to read, and I find that to be completely valid. Unfortunately, not even those feelings of disgust were particularly prominent for me since the writing was so dry, it nearly put me to sleep. Rather than cry in horror, I snored in boredom. Even more so, the way a lot of fans have been talking about this book shows me that disgust is certainly not the predominant (or only) emotion they all feel towards this story. They somehow feel understanding, sympathy, intrigue, love, justification, or even blame towards the victim, which just baffles my mind. I don’t understand how they get to that point, as I genuinely don’t think even the book itself or author himself tried to make them feel that way! Rather, it’s quite obvious that the author intended the very opposite. And so, even though the book failed to make me feel any good things about it (or really, failed to make me feel much of anything at all), I do almost feel sad for the author to see his work be so often misunderstood and misused to justify paedophilia. Imagine writing a whole book about the delusions of paedophiles, only for your readers to go along in those very same delusions and have them fail to seperate reality from fantasy. That has got to suck. But then again, maybe it also shows why he never should have written it in the first place. Due to the way the story is told, it simply can’t really be enjoyed unless you do sympathize with the paedophile, which just seems like a contradictio in terminis to me.
P.S. If you want to read a meaningful, heartbreaking, and truthful version of this kind of story, please read My Dark Vanessa instead....more
This was truly incredibly repetitive and painfully slow-paced. I’m serious, almost every page is the exact same, and I’m sure you could|| 1.5 stars ||
This was truly incredibly repetitive and painfully slow-paced. I’m serious, almost every page is the exact same, and I’m sure you could skip chapters upon chapters without any issue. So much so, I’d even argue there wasn’t much of a real plot to speak of here. Sure, the premise was really cool and the potential could have been off the charts, but the lack of anything ever really happening kept this from being anything of the sort. There’s also little to no interaction outside of one single room and between four one-dimensional characters. It’s supposed to be a story about a prison, yet we never set foot outside of the infirmary where the main character works, thus it never actually felt like a story that took place in an actual prison. It could have been anywhere. Therefore, there’s never any real suspense or even sadness about the horrific conditions of the place since we simply don’t get to see it. It’s vaguely mentioned once or twice, but not really. You definitely don’t get to actually experience or feel it. It’s mostly just a whole lot of inner monologue, which got old and boring sooo quickly.
Also, I don’t know what everyone is on about when it comes to the ending being so rad and shocking, because I found the plottwists to be extremely predictable. It was about as cliche as it could possibly be, not to mention incredibly stupid since it leads to three very important (and unfortunate) things as a result: 1) It negates the entire, never-ending inner monologue we have sat through this entire book, since it’s clear the main character has been lying and withholding truth this entire time, but since we’re reading from inside her head, I guess she’s been constantly hiding the truth from… herself?? Is she mentally insane? Like, nothing even remotely logical could explain her inner monologue when you consider the truth. It makes no sense. Genuinely, no sense. 2) The reveal makes all of the main character’s emotions entirely invalid. We have been led to believe a lot of things to explain her situation and her feelings on matters, but it turns out it was all untrue, so her feelings and emotions during this entire book are now completely null and void. 3) The plottwist also changes her from someone we previously viewed as incredibly compassionate and selfless to someone I’d personally call heartless. We now know she could have done plenty to save many many people, including her father and her mother, but she simply chose not to. It changes our view of her entire character from someone who constantly tries her hardest to save as many people as she can because she cares deeply about everyone around her to someone not even willing to help the people she supposedly loves most with minimal effort. I mean, I’d dare say she is approaching psychopath territory with that: You have to have no compassion at all to just sit by and watch people (your parents included) die when you had the power to save them. Crazy.
So, those three things combined really just lead me to question what on earth I’ve spent all this time even reading? It seems I’ve literally just read the most mind-numbingly slow story, narrated by a girl who is lying to herself for no reason other than to give us, as readers, a gotcha moment. Which means I basically read… nothing. What a waste of time.
That said, I do have to admit that I had a little bit of a soft spot for Tipp. The stuttering, vibrant 11-year old really managed to pull on my heart strings once or twice as the boy was simply too precious. But really, he was my one highlight, and he was far from enough to save this book for me....more
This started out surprisingly good, but it quite quickly turned into smut, smut, and more smut. Sure, there was also a LOT of melodrama|| 2.0 stars ||
This started out surprisingly good, but it quite quickly turned into smut, smut, and more smut. Sure, there was also a LOT of melodramatics and over-the-top love bombing during all that smut, but that certainly wasn’t any better. I truly got so bored of it after a while that I couldn’t help but start skimming. I was just over it. It was simply too dragged out, too repetitive, too over-dramatic, too sugary, and too smutty. It had 100 times too much angst, especially since the angst never led to any real conflict between them two; they were always so forgiving, always love-bombing. It was angst that led to nowhere but crying and love confessions.
And honestly, I felt so disappointed with how this turned out because I was really into it during the first 30% or so… I mean, really though, who on earth decided it would be a good idea to make this book 700 pages long? It had no business being over 400 pages maximum....more
Ohh, this was so insanely adorable! The second half was much more heartwarming and sweet than I was expecting based on the beginning. I|| 4.0 stars ||
Ohh, this was so insanely adorable! The second half was much more heartwarming and sweet than I was expecting based on the beginning. It started out as true enemies to lovers with perfect banter, animosity, and tension, which all slowly grew into more and more chemistry based on genuine affection, trust and connection they built over time.
I especially liked that their relationship was always so balanced: when they were enemies, they were both throwing out the sass and insults at each other in equal measure (it wasn't just him being rude, while she takes it like a doormat: never that), but when they grew closer, they both gave each other true support, understanding and care in equal measure as well. They each gave as much as they got at every stage of their journey.
It was actually super endearing to see how much attention they both paid to the other’s needs and wants; they were both such truly nice and likable people, and it was really charming to see them both open up to and comfort each other. It was a genuine connection, but not one that was sickeningly sugary; they constantly kept their banter and tension, they never lost that. Therefore, I feel like they constantly kept that spark and chemistry alive, and I never ever grew bored with them.
Also, once he let go of his guarded grumpiness, he genuinely became the perfect guy; he was so in-tune with her, constantly made sure she was okay or comfortable, always wanted to spoil her, did the cutest and most thoughtful (little and big) things for her, and was honestly just downright obsessed with her (and her cat). He straight-up went from a menace from literal Hell to a sensitive golden retriever who simply wanted to be loved (but just by her, no one else would do).
I don’t want to praise only him, though, because the heroine was truly awesome too. She could read him so well and could give him just what he needed to heal from his past trauma and accept love again. The way she would give him words of affirmation about how loveable he was while she wat petting his hair and giving him little kisses was just about the cutest scene I’ve read in a while; she was exactly what he had always wanted even though he never dared to admit that to himself before he met her.
All in all, I can confidently say that while I was reading this I constantly had a giant smile on my face, experienced more than a few heart flutters, and actually laughed out loud at certain points as well. In general, I just had a really good time....more
Oh god, what a ride! The twists and turns, the shocking reveals, the persistent suspense… It all had me in a constant chokehold! I don’|| 4.5 stars ||
Oh god, what a ride! The twists and turns, the shocking reveals, the persistent suspense… It all had me in a constant chokehold! I don’t want to go into the specifics of the plot since I feel like it would give too much away, but I can honestly say I was insanely engrossed with this entire book! The narration flowed so easily while the story itself was mind-blowing enough to keep me on my toes throughout! This book definitely had me in its grip from beginning to end.
I was hired as an editor for this book, so I don't think it would be fair for me to write a full review or even give a rating, but I did want to give I was hired as an editor for this book, so I don't think it would be fair for me to write a full review or even give a rating, but I did want to give the book a little shoutout on here:
Go pick this up if you're in the mood for a book that has a really unique way of dealing with mental health issues through the most intriguing and surprising kind of coping mechanism....more
This is an anti-slavery novel written in the 17th-Century by the very first professional female author; for that reason alone I would a|| 4.0 stars ||
This is an anti-slavery novel written in the 17th-Century by the very first professional female author; for that reason alone I would already consider this to be a historically interesting and admirable piece of writing. However, it is not for that reason alone that I am glad to have read this, as it also turned out to be a surprisingly well-written, easy to follow, thoroughly compelling and emotionally engaging story! I truly felt my heart break and my anger rise during so many moments in this novel: it was so brutal and so tragic!
In the first part of the novel we get to see the beauty and honour as well as the hardships and barbaric customs of the African culture of which Oroonoko is a Prince. Then, after he is tricked into slavery, we get to see how disingenuous Europeans can be in how they betray their promises to Oroonoko time and time again. Yet, the Europeans also show him a tremendous amount of kindness and care that they do not show any of the other slaves. They claim this is because he is “different” and “better” than all the others, but it was clearly just because Oroonoko resembled their own features and customs more than the other slaves; his beauty and haughtiness somehow commanded their respect and admiration…
So as it was in vain to make any resistance, he only beheld the captain with a look all fierce and disdainful, upbraiding him with eyes that forced blushes on his guilty cheeks, he only cried in passing over the side of the ship, “Farewell, Sir, 'tis worth my sufferings to gain so true a knowledge both of you and of your gods by whom you swear.” And desiring those that held him to forbear their pains, and telling 'em he would make no resistance, he cried, “Come, my fellow-slaves, let us descend, and see if we can meet with more honor and honesty in the next world we shall touch upon.”
As I said before, this was a very gripping novel, and I especially felt myself near tears when it came to Imionda’s, even more so than Oroonoko’s, fate… Whereas Oroonoko had a very powerful and self-assured aura around him, Imionda was shy and defenseless and so entirely innocent. Considering Oroonoko himself had sold slaves when he was still an African Prince, I found it more difficult to feel true sympathy for him. I had no such problems with Imionda, and could only deeply admire her for her bravery and loyalty, and thus, my heart genuinely shattered into a million pieces for her from the moment she received the Royal Veil to the moment of her death…
“And why,” said he, “my dear friends and fellow-sufferers, should we be slaves to an unknown people? Have they vanquished us nobly in fight? Have they won us in honorable battle? And are we by the chance of war become their slaves? This would not anger a noble heart; this would not animate a soldiers soul: no, but we are bought and sold like apes or monkeys, to be the sport of women, fools, and cowards; and the support of rogues and runagates, that have abandoned their own countries for rapine, murders, theft, and villainies. Do you not hear every day how they upbraid each other with infamy of life, below the wildest savages? And shall we render obedience to such a degenerate race, who have no one human virtue left, to distinguish them from the vilest creatures? Will you, I say, suffer the lash from such hands?” They all replied with one accord, “No, no, no.”
Personally, I thought this novel showed a very interesting duality in how there were both Africans and Europeans who could either be pure and nobel and worthy of great respect as well as those who could be filled with deceit, dishonour and cruelty. This might not sound like much to today’s standards of racial equality, but for a novel written in the 17th-Century, which was during the very height of the slave trade, I found this to be extremely surprising and perhaps even inspiring to read!...more
Well, I officially can’t stand Adrian anymore. He’s a weak, pathetic excuse for a boyfriend. Sydney was being tortured for months and t|| 3.5 stars ||
Well, I officially can’t stand Adrian anymore. He’s a weak, pathetic excuse for a boyfriend. Sydney was being tortured for months and this dude never actually did anything to save her; he was partying, laughing, flirting, drinking, and even kissing other girls. In what world is this supposed to be someone I like, let alone someone I’d swoon over? He’s a self-pitying, petulant, selfish loser and I don’t respect him at all. Sydney deserves a million times better than that sad excuse of a man. It genuinely broke my heart to see Adrian’s chapters of partying be alternated with Sydney’s chapters of bravely fighting through pure agony and torture, while constantly believing Adrian would come for her. I got angry every single time I saw how much pain and sorrow she was going through, only for her boyfriend to be a sad waste of space, with no genuine plan to save her. He disgusted me, and I don’t think the last book could do anything to change my opinion of him after what he did here.
Sydney, of course, was still as admirable as always. Her cleverness, compassion, and bravery never fail to inspire admiration in me, and my respect only flew higher at seeing her character continue to stay strong in that torture camp. She was a true hero, for herself and others, unlike her pathetic boyfriend, or anyone else for that matter. After the amount of times she saved everyone around her, it physically hurt me to see how idle and useless everyone else was when she was in danger. The only person who ever did anything substantial was Magnus, and not any of her so-called friends.
Oh… This was actually quite sad. Depressing even. Definitely tragic.
Amberly was clearly such an insecure, naive, desperate and dumb gi|| 3.0 stars ||
Oh… This was actually quite sad. Depressing even. Definitely tragic.
Amberly was clearly such an insecure, naive, desperate and dumb girl, but the most awful thing about that was that Clarkson chose her exactly because of this. He wanted someone he could control and would blindly adore him no matter what, so that’s the only reason why he decided Amberly, as the biggest doormat imaginable, was perfect for him.
It was truly heartbreaking to see Clarkson propose to her with words that only portrayed calculation and manipulation from his side, yet having Amberly receive it with nothing but heart-eyes and love.
I really just witnessed the beginning of an abusive relationship, and the most painful part about it is that Amberly was so incredibly happy and grateful to be in one.
This was just another superficial romance with a ridiculous premise and two unlikable main characters. There’s nothing new here and ins|| 2.0 stars ||
This was just another superficial romance with a ridiculous premise and two unlikable main characters. There’s nothing new here and instead, it only rehashes silly cliches (with poor execution) I’ve never liked in the first place, let alone enjoy reading the billionth replica of. In short, this book brought me nothing but boredom, eye-rolls, and a whole lot of skimming.
'Dreamland Billionaires' series: 1. The Fine Print - 2.0 stars 2. Terms and Conditions - 2.0 stars...more
This was a brutal and grim story about conflicting moral ambiguity, the power of gods, the overpowering need for revenge, the conflict || 3.5 stars ||
This was a brutal and grim story about conflicting moral ambiguity, the power of gods, the overpowering need for revenge, the conflict of the poor versus the elite, the all-consuming effect of rage, and the horrific atrocities commited during wars and ethnic cleansings. It’s not a story where there’s truly one good guy and one bad guy; it’s realistic in that sense, where everyone is led by their own viewpoint, which means everyone is someone’s enemy, someone’s idea of evil; it just depends who you ask.
Despite inviting interesting moral questioning within the readers, I do think this book lacked a little bit of an emotional punch. There was so much pain and suffering in this book, yet I can’t say I ever truly felt sad. Somehow the writing didn’t quite manage to convey enough emotional depth for me and neither did it enable me to feel a true connection to the characters or narrative. Not even the main character, who should be beautifully complex in theory, made me feel entirely connected to her or allowed me to fully understand her actions or thought-processes; I did in a way, just not fully. I simply wish I would have felt more for her, because if I had, I know this book could have wrecked me.
Lastly, I was surprised to realise that I actually prefered the first part over the second and third. Rin’s journey to and training at Sinegard was more intriguing and engaging to me than the actual war itself, which is odd since the story became more shocking at that point with much higher stakes… I just feel like the first part was more character-driven with more emotional detail, whereas the writing became more distanced and sterile when the plot took a turn....more
This was a story about a woman who never learned to stand up for herself in an abusive home environment, who never learned to accept he|| 3.0 stars ||
This was a story about a woman who never learned to stand up for herself in an abusive home environment, who never learned to accept herself for who she really was, but also about a woman who was forced into a role of caregiver when she was wholly unprepared and unsuited for it. I think that last part is the one that I found the most intriguing here; the portrayal of being a caregiver was very raw and bold in this book, showing the ugly and dark sides, while also not shying away from the reality of not wanting to dictate your entire life to someone else’s needs, not even when it’s for a person you love. Eventually, someone might simply burn out after having to spend each day that way for months, and I think that’s understandable.
Anyway, I think it’s obvious that, in a way, I did like this book as it dealt with some very interesting themes, but most of it got overshadowed by how much I despised the heroine, Anna. She was very selfish, egotistical, naive, passive and weak. I know she was autistic and had her struggles because of that, but that wasn’t an excuse for every single thing. Some of it simply showed bad character.
For example, the fact that she let her dad brutally suffer for months and months, knowing he didn’t want to live that way, only because she didn’t dare open her mouth to her mother and sister was honestly disgusting and cruel. If it had been because she couldn’t say goodbye or face the truth of her father’s hopelessness I could have understood, but no. She never opened her mouth only because she didn’t want her mother or sister being disappointed in her or thinking bad of her. That’s why she let her father be tortured for months. It genuinely made me a little sick.
I want to tell them to stop, that he’s moaning because he doesn’t want to live this way, and all their ministrations are torturing him. But I don’t. I know it won’t do any good. I’m not here to talk
I also feel like she didn’t appreciate Quan enough. She took him for granted and didn’t give him the same care, support, interest and consideration as he did her. She let her family treat him like trash without ever correcting them. Even more, she never actually broke up with her other boyfriend, even after months of dating Quan, which was just insanely disrespectful. He really deserved better, and I could never quite figure out why he was so in love with her. She truly wasn’t all that great to him (or anyone else), so it didn’t make sense to me. I almost felt like she was using him a little bit, and he just accepted it for no reason. He gave her everything, while she gave him basically nothing.
“Anna, I’m in love with you.” “I love… being with you. You’re the one person I can really be myself with. But I don’t know if I’m in love with you yet.”
Long story short, I think this book had an interesting story to tell but I sometimes struggled to get over my dislike for the heroine.
Well, shite. What a big disappointment. Especially after I had such high hopes…
This book really started out promising; it was gentle an|| 2.0 stars ||
Well, shite. What a big disappointment. Especially after I had such high hopes…
This book really started out promising; it was gentle and sweet and delicate. Archer was such a broken but heartbreakingly kind man, and Bree was the sunshiney goodness he needed in his life. They were both so pure and warm, I instantly loved them. I adored seeing their quiet but strong connection grow over time; it was so endearing to see Archer find a safe place and a person he could talk to. It was sad, but also really beautiful.
However, the minute these two decided to get intimate in a romantic way was the same moment the whole book went downhill. Gone went all of their sweet and meaningful interactions, and in its place came nothing but horniness, smut and the occasional love-bombing. Sex was all these two seemed to do with each other anymore and their love declarations felt a little over-the-top and underserved; the book just lost all depth and beauty for me, and it simply became boring and repetitive. Super disappointing.
Also, I got really frustrated with their relationship near the end. At first, Archer seemed to think Bree hung the moon and stars and adored her with a fiery passion. This woman was his whole world and you’d think he could never live without her. But then, randomly, and without reason, this man decides to leave her for months because he loves her too much and needs to learn how to live on his own…?? EXCUSE ME!? He literally just left her. With a dumb, weak note. For months. Bree had no idea if he’d be back, or when that would be, and he even said he didn’t expect her to wait (so apparently he was fine with her moving on??? What the hell??). But obviously she does wait, and when he comes back she doesn’t even get mad. Nope, she welcomes him back with open arms like nothing happened and they live happily ever after. And I guess their happy ending was that Archer now learned to love her less, so he won’t be afraid of losing her, and that’s… good somehow? I dunno. I thought it sucked. And honestly just kind of ruined their whole relationship dynamic for me.
Lastly, the plot of this whole book was insane. You’re telling me Archer’s dad and uncle shot each other, but nobody ever thought to ask the only witness, Archer, what the hell even happened? Even if he couldn’t speak, they could ask him to write it down! Jeez. How incompetent is the police department in that town??...more
Oh my god, this was so good! I liked the first two books a lot, but this was truly a million times better!
We’ve left the silly romance|| 4.5 stars ||
Oh my god, this was so good! I liked the first two books a lot, but this was truly a million times better!
We’ve left the silly romance plot behind entirely, and instead, this book only focused on giving us an intricate, well thought-out, and intriguing murder mystery that gets solved in the most tension-filled way! I love that each little piece gets revealed slowly and surprisingly, but that every single reveal still made so much sense afterwards. I was shocked by a lot of them, but nothing felt random or forced; there were always clues that could be pointed at, even if you didn’t see them at first!
P.S. When it comes to Sloane, I feel like a mother hen protecting her chick. I want to wrap her up in a warm blanket, tell her everything will be okay, and snarl at anyone who dares to come too close.
This was very trashy and it definitely wasn’t good. That said, it also wasn’t boring, so it kept me entertained for the most part.
Of co|| 2.5 stars ||
This was very trashy and it definitely wasn’t good. That said, it also wasn’t boring, so it kept me entertained for the most part.
Of course, the hero is about as morally dark as it can get, but that wasn’t really my problem. My problem was the awful writing and complete lack of depth or build-up within the relationship. If you write a hero who has supposedly never cared about another girl before, then you have to give him a reason as to why he’s suddenly obsessed with the heroine. Why does someone who usually doesn’t have feelings, suddenly overflow with them? What makes these two so compatible (aside from sharing sexual kinks)? Where are the bonding moments?? It was just very superficial, so I didn’t really care. Besides, he never became very soft or affectionate with her; he remained rather rough and bossy with her until the end, which I personally just don’t like. He was obviously obsessed with her, but he never treated her with respect. I prefer my morally dark heroes to treat their love interest like a princess, not like their property. And unfortunately, the heroine just accepts the bad behaviour from him since she has no backbone whatsoever.
All in all, this was not well-written whatsoever, but I can see why it would attract certain readers. I personally don’t like smut and I read romance for the emotional connection, so this book clearly wasn’t a great fit for me since their relationship was pretty much completely based on their sexual compatibility and nothing else.
I’m absolutely flabbergasted that anyone could call this a romance book. It’s a horror story, from start to f|| 1.0 star ||
Um… What. The. Fuck.
!??!?????
I’m absolutely flabbergasted that anyone could call this a romance book. It’s a horror story, from start to finish. I honestly don’t even want to believe that this book actually exists in this genre.
The hero literally rapes the heroine when they first meet and then he continues to rape her for almost the whole book until she finally gives into him completely and becomes his permanent fuck-toy without fighting back anymore. The heroine has a lot of self-esteem issues and doesn’t have the energy to fight against this monster in the end, so she just gives up. He tells her what to do at all times, and eventually she just does it without even bothering to say no or voice her opinion, because she knows she has no say anyway. He continues to slap, choke and rape her, but somehow that’s okay, because now she sort of wants it…?
How can this sound like a happy ending to anyone!?? This story is a goddamn tragedy, and it’s making me loose all faith in humanity that some people are actually SIMPING for this abusive rapist while calling the victim “boring”. There’s just no way.