Dual first person POV and there is so much Telling. “I love to make other people happy! That’s what I’m good at!” “My parents have an unhappy marriageDual first person POV and there is so much Telling. “I love to make other people happy! That’s what I’m good at!” “My parents have an unhappy marriage so I don’t believe in love!” Whatever happened to character development? DNF 3%...more
I’m afraid this was a DNF for me at 24%. It is a good premise - newly minted marquess sets out to divest from the slave ships that made his family’s fI’m afraid this was a DNF for me at 24%. It is a good premise - newly minted marquess sets out to divest from the slave ships that made his family’s fortune - but it needed another developmental edit, at least, before being let loose in the world. Also another copy edit. ...more
DNF 17%. Interesting subject matter, but I found it very hard to follow. It’s not written as 12 chapters, each focused on one person; it’s meandering,DNF 17%. Interesting subject matter, but I found it very hard to follow. It’s not written as 12 chapters, each focused on one person; it’s meandering, with odd authorly interjections. Might be better on audio. ...more
Having DNF this in print, I decided to try it on audio. Sadly, even decent narration can’t disguise tell-don’t-show writing. I really wanted to make tHaving DNF this in print, I decided to try it on audio. Sadly, even decent narration can’t disguise tell-don’t-show writing. I really wanted to make this work, but no. ...more
DNF 41%. Not into the grownup-still-obsessed-with-high-school-love thing, and the narrator’s delivery makes it hard to follow.
With a first-person POVDNF 41%. Not into the grownup-still-obsessed-with-high-school-love thing, and the narrator’s delivery makes it hard to follow.
With a first-person POV, a narrator has to find some way to distinguish between the MC’s inner voice and her speaking voice. AND in a dialogue-heavy book, you have to do different voices for all characters. This narrator is reading them all exactly the same (apart from the Irish ones, who also all sound the same), and I find it confusing.
I also think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it with my eyes. For what’s supposed to be a funny book, you need a narrator with great delivery and comic timing. ...more
**spoiler alert** It’s a DNF at 40%, I’m afraid. I felt a little bored.
I just… it’s not as if he was literally never there over the 20 years he was i**spoiler alert** It’s a DNF at 40%, I’m afraid. I felt a little bored.
I just… it’s not as if he was literally never there over the 20 years he was in the navy. SURELY he would have noticed the dire straits his wife and children were in—she said sometimes she went without food so the kids could eat?! I don’t understand how the fact that his father embezzled money from her dowry is just coming to light now.
Then she jumped to the conclusion that he wants to live apart from her just because he wants to visit their estate in Wales. I can’t with stuff like that....more
I didn’t mind that the first 15% of the book was wall-to-wall banging, but the writing was not good, the baseball sections were laughable, and the herI didn’t mind that the first 15% of the book was wall-to-wall banging, but the writing was not good, the baseball sections were laughable, and the hero has a goatee. NEXT...more
I was kinda into this despite it being an unexpectedly gross-out romcom a la Bridesmaids — the FMC is unhinged and the writing slightly bonkersDNF 59%
I was kinda into this despite it being an unexpectedly gross-out romcom a la Bridesmaids — the FMC is unhinged and the writing slightly bonkers. Sadly I got bored with their constantly getting in fights and then making up. I also thought there were some ...more
DNF 15%. Writing not as bad as the book of the same name by AK Landow, but the writing and dialogue are cheesy and the MMC is coming across as a smarmDNF 15%. Writing not as bad as the book of the same name by AK Landow, but the writing and dialogue are cheesy and the MMC is coming across as a smarmy creep. ...more
DNF 1%. Terrible writing, plus all the girls giggle and say things like “His possessive side is such a turn-on. Women love that. Me in particular.” NoDNF 1%. Terrible writing, plus all the girls giggle and say things like “His possessive side is such a turn-on. Women love that. Me in particular.” Not my bag. ...more
I only picked this up because it had KD Casey's name on it, but the writing was terrible, which leads me to believe she only, like, looked at it. Her I only picked this up because it had KD Casey's name on it, but the writing was terrible, which leads me to believe she only, like, looked at it. Her own stuff is leagues better....more
DNF 36%. Just wasn’t into this and the writing was weird. It’s best not to read carefully, otherwise you’ll realize that the individual words don’t reDNF 36%. Just wasn’t into this and the writing was weird. It’s best not to read carefully, otherwise you’ll realize that the individual words don’t really make sense together. Best to rush through it.
I’ll try another Adderly, though, because Bass-Ackwards is a classic of our time. ...more
First off, I am OBSESSED with this cover. It’s a cartoon cover I can get behind.
Sadly,the cover is the best thing about it. At 31%, I don’t feel like First off, I am OBSESSED with this cover. It’s a cartoon cover I can get behind.
Sadly,the cover is the best thing about it. At 31%, I don’t feel like finishing this one. It had its amusing moments, but I was bored and the earls all seemed to have been to a 21st-century therapist, throwing around phrases like “found family.” It felt more like a bromance than a romance tbh. Better books are waiting patiently on my TBR. ...more
Friends… I just don’t think Julie Garwood is for me. This was appealingly bananas at first: A white baby is raised with the Dakota and then goes to EnFriends… I just don’t think Julie Garwood is for me. This was appealingly bananas at first: A white baby is raised with the Dakota and then goes to England to claim her inheritance, but she must get married to keep it out of the hands of her sadistic father. English isn’t her first language and English customs are unfamiliar to her, and I felt like I was high for the first four chapters. But there is so much expository dialogue and the writing felt… amateurish? (I’m sorry to all the Garwood fans out there!) Reading this, I remembered I DNF The Bride when I was a baby romance reader, which leads me to conclude this is a Me Thing. Great cover, though. ...more
I guess I wasn’t in the mood for froth—there was precisely zero tension here, in any respect. Where could the story go when the only possible tension I guess I wasn’t in the mood for froth—there was precisely zero tension here, in any respect. Where could the story go when the only possible tension (she being furious with him because he created a directory of rich ladies) was resolved almost instantly and they both fancied each other right away?
Possibly not the best book to read right after a Judith Ivory.
I was so tempted to finish this because it is hilariously terrible, but it’s a DNF at 49%.
An example:
She’s crying about the fact that he, the Paul HoI was so tempted to finish this because it is hilariously terrible, but it’s a DNF at 49%.
An example:
She’s crying about the fact that he, the Paul Hollywood surrogate, was mean about her terrible dessert and then he sneaks up behind her, puts his hand on her lower back and whispers, “Please don’t cry, Baby Cakes. I can’t have you crying.”
guiltless pleasures
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