It was nice to touch base with this origin story again, and I have to say that I like the narrator. I read it the first time, but I'm enjoying the audIt was nice to touch base with this origin story again, and I have to say that I like the narrator. I read it the first time, but I'm enjoying the audio, too....more
I love this series, but I thought the reveal at about 96% was more hook-alike than expected from this author. She writes well enough that she doesn't I love this series, but I thought the reveal at about 96% was more hook-alike than expected from this author. She writes well enough that she doesn't need insipid tricks like that.
That said, I laughed out loud several times while listening to this, which is often the case for me with this series in general. For those reasons I have not down graded my rating for the hook at the near-end....more
I really enjoy these characters, they have more depth than one might imagine. But there were things that just didn't ring for me in this installment3+
I really enjoy these characters, they have more depth than one might imagine. But there were things that just didn't ring for me in this installment.
For example, I figured out who the murderer was when they were introduced to the story. It was that easy. Still, none of these "professional cops" could see it staring them right in the face. Makes no sense and makes it hard for me to completely buy-in.
I also have to admit that I'm rarely swayed by the "but he's so hot" excuse, and there's a lot of that in this series. Finally, I'm hopeful that the heartstrings and violins over kids will finally come to an end and the story can move on a bit. Two books in a row in which it's the (usually tormented) kids that are the excuse for anything and everything, which is fine but I'd like to see something else motivate these folks now.
Finally, the copy editing is worse in this one than it was in the first. It's still not enough to make you want to throw your reader/book, but it became a bit distraction in this addition to the series.
All that said, the characters are easy to empathize with and root for, and I'm going to continue to series.
Oh yeah, and the reason that I rated down to 3 instead of up to 4 was because it ends on a hook. It's not a cliff hanger, but it is a hook and I really hate that shit....more
The last quarter of this book really delivers on the feelz.
I have to admit that I had a very difficult time with the set-up, though. It just all fe3.5
The last quarter of this book really delivers on the feelz.
I have to admit that I had a very difficult time with the set-up, though. It just all felt like abuse to me, the way the author chose to get these people together. Once the worst of that was past I was able to start to warm up to the all the characters, but the set-up for the situation really put me in a place of resisting liking the guys. It all felt a lot like "kidnap her, rape her life, tell her it's for her own good, but really do it to further our own agenda" dysfunction that disinclined me to like any of the guys at all.
As I write this I'm about 45% into the next book, so I know how things are going to go and that's letting me be a bit more forgiving, and the ending of the prior book enabled some forgiveness for these characters, too. But I'm a very hard sell on redemption for outright abuse and this book had a lot of that sort of stuff in it to get the framework set up for the story.
There's a lot of typos and copy editing needs in the book, too, enough to make the read a bit bumpy although nothing that is incomprehensible.
Banet is good with characters, though, and this is no exception. Most of the characters are pretty multi faceted and have their own issues to deal with.
I'm definitely going to read more of these....more
Fair. The characters weren't terribly likeable and the amount of story that was erotica was high. I imagine it'll turn out to be a reverse harem in thFair. The characters weren't terribly likeable and the amount of story that was erotica was high. I imagine it'll turn out to be a reverse harem in the long run. Hard to call it a slow burn just because there wasn't any actual consummation when 70% of the story is erotica but it's imagined erotica.
There's one other audiobook in this series, book 2, that I'm aware of but I don't think I'll be continuing the story....more
Even knowing the ending was a cliff hanger before starting the book I still hated it and had to down grade for it. It's a crying shame this author 2.5
Even knowing the ending was a cliff hanger before starting the book I still hated it and had to down grade for it. It's a crying shame this author uses hooks and tricks like this. I otherwise like her writing.
I'm going to read the last one in this trilogy/arc and abandon the series. I think I'm going to put Ms. Eve on my "not until the series is complete" list. I really hate her endings.
ETA: There was also a lot of sex in this. Much more than the first book. I skimmed most of it in spite of it being well written. Probably could have shaved 30 or 40 pages off it, still had some hot scenes, and been just fine with that....more
I enjoy Jaymin Eve's narrative voice, and she's rather creative with stories. This is no exception and I4+ for the story 1 for the cliff hanger ending.
I enjoy Jaymin Eve's narrative voice, and she's rather creative with stories. This is no exception and I loved the story and the characters, even when the story perhaps strained credulity a bit, or a character's obliviousness might have seemed a bit contrived here or there. The story itself is engaging and a new twist on old tropes that sucked me in.
That ending is everything I hate about books, though. I'm hoping this is just going to be a duology and I can forgive the cliff hanger and read the next and get the end. But if it's a series I'm probably going to have to put Ms. Eve on my "don't bother until the series is finished" list.
With any luck her stuff won't die in the TBR pile, because I do like her narrative voice. She's funny, and creative. I just wish she'd stop turning her endings into marketing gimmicks. It's beneath her talent....more
Light and fluffy again. If the twist was supposed to be a surprise or a mystery it wasn't. I figured it out when the problem started in the last book.Light and fluffy again. If the twist was supposed to be a surprise or a mystery it wasn't. I figured it out when the problem started in the last book.
Still, it's cute and humorous and I'll be listening to the others....more
This truly was a better than 3 read but I just don't feel strongly enough about it to give it a solid 4.
I enjoyed returning to this planet a great d3+
This truly was a better than 3 read but I just don't feel strongly enough about it to give it a solid 4.
I enjoyed returning to this planet a great deal, and I very much like the world building and culture in this series. So much that when I realized Reynolds had released a second I snatched it up and started reading it within a day. In truth I had given up hope that she would return to this world but I'm very glad that she did and hope she will continue to do so.
In fairness I have to say that it took me a long time to warm up to the hero in this one. I didn't find the arrogance attractive, but eventually I got to see more than just charisma and arrogance and did warm up.
Reynolds is another author who does a good job of balancing the relationship with the rest of the story. She often comes down a little more on the romance side than I personally prefer; but she does it well enough, and her erotica is so smokin' hot, that it's not a trial for me. :D
This one ended sounding like there could be more. I sure hope so. I'm in!...more
I had a hard time remaining engaged with this one and I'm not sure why. I enjoyed being back with the gang, I enjoyed seeing more of the kids, it was I had a hard time remaining engaged with this one and I'm not sure why. I enjoyed being back with the gang, I enjoyed seeing more of the kids, it was nice to get a bit more insight into several of what was originally secondary characters like Lassiter, etc.
But I thought the melodrama and self flagellation fests were a bit over the top. I am perfectly willing to admit that it could just be my head space at the moment....more