Search

Search only in certain items:

An Earl to Enchant by Amelia Grey
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance

Rating: 1

After the first two chapters of this book, I was ready to give up. I gave it a little bit more just to see if it was worth it, and I sort of regret it. I could have been reading something else.

I felt like I knew everything after the first chapter, and that there was no reason to keep going. The character spilled her guts, the sexual tension was immediate and way too strong for a first meeting, and it felt typical. I knew what would happen: They’d meet, they’d sleep together, they’d get married, they’d fall in love. In that order. There was no mystery, there was nothing keeping me reading.

The characters seemed dense and melodramatic. For instance, Arianna fainted in the first chapter, and woke being “carried in strong arms” (the Earl). She “felt safe there for some reason.” But I was thinking the whole time, She doesn’t even know the guy. It felt wrong that she was so attracted to him and “felt safe” and “felt at home” when she—and I as a reader—didn’t even know the character very well. Also, after one argument she’s convinced herself that he’s ill tempered—when he’s not—and that keeps her from being open to him.

The writing wasn’t that great, either. The prose felt forced and hard to read, and the dialogue was awkward. It was as if the characters said more than they needed to, and said everything they thought, and described things unnecessarily. For example,

It’s just that I’m so happy to be outside for the first time in such a long time. I seldom left my room on the ship, and this is the first time I’ve been out of your house. Everything looks fresh and new.”

(Page 108, ARC)

I would have said “It’s just that I’m so happy to be outside for the first time in such a long time.” She had seldom left her room on the ship, and it was her first time outside of his house. Everything looked fresh and new. It’s less awkward... or maybe just less wordy.

There was just too much against this book to keep me reading. I will say that from what I read, Grey is good at developing the sexual tension. But that was another thing that was just too much for me.

All in all, I was expecting a lot more from the plot and characters than I got from An Earl to Enchant.

An Earl to Enchant was published April 6th. It got 4- and 5-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Please consider other reviews before making purchase decisions.
  
AU
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, this second entry into the Rogues Club series was much better than the first. As with the first book, the plot is unoriginal and I have read better books with the same theme, but it was still a nice, easy, and sometimes humorous read. Also, I love scarred/tortured/etc heroes, they're my weakness! :P All the characters were much more enjoyable and believable, especially Alex and Hawk (I've found that Annette Blair's secondary characters are usually more interesting than the hero and heroine, except Alex and Hawk were equally enjoyable this time), there was more humor, and overall I actually enjoyed it. My main problem was the secret keeping; there were times when I thought, "Just tell him/her you idiot!" Sometimes that can be very annoying in romances. However, as I said before, this book was a nice read to pass the time but nothing too remarkable.
  
A Dance with Dragons: Part 1: Dreams and Dust
A Dance with Dragons: Part 1: Dreams and Dust
George R.R. Martin | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.3 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ugh! I'm so frustrated! Who knows how long I'm going to have to wait to find out happens next!? That is the crappiest part of this book. There are still so many loose ends with the conclusion of this part.
As usual, this book did not disappoint. There was still the usual blend of treachery, lies, murder, etc. Without giving too much away, I was thrilled to read about Cersi finally getting hers!! She is one of my least favorite characters. But I was also bummed to read the arc of Jon Snow. :( I'm hoping that Martin has a surprise up his sleeve still with Snow. He was an intriguing character.
I guess all I can do now is wait with the rest of the world to see what happens next. Well played Martin!
  
I can sum this up as a if you enjoyed the Wheel of Time series with it's multitude of characters and in-depth lands then this is for you. You may need a notebook to keep everything straight though as there is a lot.

I enjoyed the plot and the massive world building but for me it was too much to keep straight and I found myself going back to remember who was who and how they go into the bigger story.
  
I received this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to say this was a cute romance novella but the heroine was too frustrating. Actually, both leads were but male protagonist’s was more understandable. The couple fell in love but, due to their relationship, are not allowed to be together. However, they still act like they are together, e.i. jealousy, touching, etc. That was all fine and dandy, but the female lead was too childish for me. Not to mention she seemed to cry on nearly every page. I don’t mind tears, they realistic. But this novel had too much.

Also for being the first in the series, there isn’t much background information. While it’s not absolutely necessary, it would have been much appreciated.

The author created a interesting universe with realistic characters (even though they weren’t my favorites). It ends with a pretty hot scene, but is overall pretty tame.
  
40x40

Erika (17788 KP) rated The Meg (2018) in Movies

Aug 25, 2018  
The Meg (2018)
The Meg (2018)
2018 | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
Goofy is the best word to describe this movie. It wasn't terrible, but I found it a little too comical to be taken seriously. I'm not sure what the intention was with the film, Jason Statham seemed to have fun with his goofy role. The film was completely predictable, and there wasn't one thing that was original or new.
The ending was especially comical for me, Statham VS Meg, in the water was so out of the realm of realism. But, it was amusing.
  
Untouchable (2019)
Untouchable (2019)
2019 | Documentary
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Untouchable is a documentary film about Harvey Weinstein being a dirtbag. The whole situation is still highly disturbing, and the fact that the harassment/abuse was being covered up is disgusting. I found it interesting that people had been reporting it, and nothing was done.
My favorite interviewee was the former assistant that found out about it via court docs delivered to the office and up and quit. There were other assistants that quit too. I like people with conviction to stand up. But, too bad they were all paid off/signed noon-disclosure agreements.
It's an interesting documentary, though it is completely disturbing,
  
I didn’t pay too much attention that this was a novella until I started reading it. It may be a short story, but it was packed full of heat and emotion. At first, I thought this would be one of those novels where the protagonists are pig-headed and constantly misinterpreting each other, but was pleasantly surprised by when that wasn’t the case. Of course there was a misunderstanding, one that stemmed from childish selfishness, but I was pleased to read how the characters handled it and how they grew as people.

There was little plotline to the story, but I feel that for this story, it was just right. There didn’t need to be some grand adventure for the characters. I did feel, however, that the story just cut off at the end. There was no cliffhanger but it still felt unresolved. I would have liked another chapter or at least an epilogue to see how things truly turned out instead of the reading assuming.

The author also wrote some erotic scenes. I like my historical erotic to be erotic and different from the usual scenes you find in historical romance. The scenes were tamer than I usually read, but fit with the theme and feel of the novel. In certain places, however, she would write in short staccato sentences. Sometimes this was distracting and took away from the heat of the scene. In one part, it was downright annoying because of the number of said sentences. They did not take away from the novel as a whole, however, and I often found myself swept away in the passion of the characters.

This was the first piece I have ever read from the author and I enjoyed enough to seek out her other works.
  
40x40

Nick Cave recommended Here I am in Books (curated)

 
Here I am
Here I am
Jonathan Safran Foer | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"“I fled through Jonathan Safran Foer’s Here I Am and halfway through I was in tears and again a bit further on, more tears – as a father, as a son and as a husband. The last book that did this was Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and in some way this book is not dissimilar – there is a family in crisis and there is an apocalypse – but The Road is all darkness with brief spasms of light, and although Here I Am is also a deeply melancholy book about a doomed family, it is wickedly funny, so that you are laughing too, as it all goes to hell. A book with an enormous and furious heart. I loved it.” -NC"

Source
  
40x40

Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Viper in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
TV
The Viper
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book was engaging from the very first page. I was left guessing right up to the very end! Some books in the crime/suspense genre leave a bitter taste in your mouth when you finish, but this one did not.
I was intrigued from page one because right off the bat one of the main characters is in the hospital in a semi-coma. Fredrik is lying there & his detective partner is talking to him while his wife looks on. Then suddenly they are in the middle of the investigation into a billionaire's death. The plot bounces back & forth between the present time & the past few months when the investigation was taking place. It wasn't hard to follow at all despite the jumps in time frame. In fact, I think that part was a big reason why the book was so engaging.
There was also plenty of blood & gore, but it wasn't to the point that I was grossed out. It fit seamlessly in with the plot. The characters are well written & believable, not too out in left field. The plot was suspenseful & there was a lot of great police work mixed in with a healthy dose of luck, just like a real investigation. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!