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Don't Clause a Scene (Love In Maplewood #10)
7.0
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The world expects us to hate each other, but fate has other plans. As a member of a Maplewood...
Contemporary MM Romance
All Fired Up (Sin City Uniforms #1)
7.0
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Shawn can’t decide whether he wants to punch or kiss Trent. Kissing wins. The party never ends...
Contemporary M_M Romance Mystery Crime
David Livingstone, Africa's Greatest Explorer: The Man, the Missionary and the Myth
7.0
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In 1841, a twenty-eight-year-old Scottish missionary, David Livingstone, began the first of his...
Hazel (1853 KP) rated A Grimm Curse (Grimm Tales #3) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Janna Jennings’ latest book, <i>A Grimm Curse</i>, is set long before the previous two novellas in <i>A Grimm Tales</i> series. Rather than focusing on Andi, a girl from the “real” world, this is a story about the characters in the fairytales – most importantly Cynthia or, whom readers may know her better as, Cinderella.
As in the traditional tale, Cynthia works as a slave for her horrible stepmother and stepsisters – a fate she succumbed to after the death of her father. There is also an upcoming ball at the palace for the prince who is seeking a bride. This, however, is where the similarities end. As well as <i>Cinderella</i>, other fairytales make their appearance, particularly <i>The Frog Prince </i>and <i>Rapunzel</i>. But something is unsettling the characters; they are experiencing bad dreams. Or are they memories?
Cynthia is a much more admirable character than the original Cinderella. She is clever, determined and independent – she does not need a fairy godmother for a start! Neither has she any interest in the prince. If she is going to escape from servitude it will be by her own dexterity, rather than her reliance on someone else to save her.
<i>A Grimm Curse</i> can work as a prequel to the first in the series as it sets the scene that Andi will come across. It can also survive as a stand alone as there is no reference to the events of the other books, however knowledge of these will help the ending make more sense.
Personally I preferred <i>A Grimm Curse</i> to the stories that Jennings’ previously wrote. I had misgivings about the author’s use of fairytales that were not one of those collected by the <i>Brothers Grimm</i>. The tales in this book were, however, so therefore fit better with the title.
I strongly recommend this story to readers – adult and adolescent – who are still in love with fairytales or retellings. It is as though it is written with feminism in mind as the heroine does not need a man to rescue her, thus is in keeping with modern times rather than the time period of the originals.
Janna Jennings’ latest book, <i>A Grimm Curse</i>, is set long before the previous two novellas in <i>A Grimm Tales</i> series. Rather than focusing on Andi, a girl from the “real” world, this is a story about the characters in the fairytales – most importantly Cynthia or, whom readers may know her better as, Cinderella.
As in the traditional tale, Cynthia works as a slave for her horrible stepmother and stepsisters – a fate she succumbed to after the death of her father. There is also an upcoming ball at the palace for the prince who is seeking a bride. This, however, is where the similarities end. As well as <i>Cinderella</i>, other fairytales make their appearance, particularly <i>The Frog Prince </i>and <i>Rapunzel</i>. But something is unsettling the characters; they are experiencing bad dreams. Or are they memories?
Cynthia is a much more admirable character than the original Cinderella. She is clever, determined and independent – she does not need a fairy godmother for a start! Neither has she any interest in the prince. If she is going to escape from servitude it will be by her own dexterity, rather than her reliance on someone else to save her.
<i>A Grimm Curse</i> can work as a prequel to the first in the series as it sets the scene that Andi will come across. It can also survive as a stand alone as there is no reference to the events of the other books, however knowledge of these will help the ending make more sense.
Personally I preferred <i>A Grimm Curse</i> to the stories that Jennings’ previously wrote. I had misgivings about the author’s use of fairytales that were not one of those collected by the <i>Brothers Grimm</i>. The tales in this book were, however, so therefore fit better with the title.
I strongly recommend this story to readers – adult and adolescent – who are still in love with fairytales or retellings. It is as though it is written with feminism in mind as the heroine does not need a man to rescue her, thus is in keeping with modern times rather than the time period of the originals.
Becs (244 KP) rated The Raven Boys in Books
Sep 22, 2019
Ronan Lynch, Adam Parrish, and Noah Czerny made this novel (1 more)
The rollercoaster of emotions you feel
The villain didn't offer as much as I'd like but it was too big of a letdown (1 more)
The MC wasn't my favorite but she had good complexities that made her unique
Deserves all the hype!
You can also find this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
TRIGGER WARNINGS: suicidal ideation, (past) suicide attempt, violence, guns, death
REVIEW: Y’all, I think I found a new favorite series. This series… the characters… the world-building… the character development… UGH I absolutely adore everything about it. Ronan Lynch has my heart and Noah Czerny is such a babie and I want to protect him forever and ever. The Raven Boys gave me so much more than what I was expecting.
The Raven Boys follows Blue Sargent. But unlike her family of physics, seers, and clairvoyants, Blue has no magical abilities. She has been warned all her life that the first person she kisses, will die. One night, she sees a boy on the Corpse Road and this is a sign. The only way that a non seer sees a ghost is if that ghost is either a true love or the non-seer killed them. This is where the Raven Boys come into play.
The Raven Boys is basically the name of four boys that attend Aglionby – Gansey Richard III, Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch, and Noah Czerny. Gansey is the so-called leader of the group and he’s on a mission to find the final resting place of Glendower, a Welsh King who passed away in Henrietta. There is a legend that says if he’s awoken, he grants the person who woke him a “favor”. Gansey wants to be the person to wake Glendower but he isn’t the only one looking for him.
I didn’t know too much about this series other than the writing style wasn’t the greatest. I didn’t really see a problem with this as I listened to them on audiobook. The narrator was not my favorite and some of the voices he used I didn’t feel worked with the characters. But all in all, I was really invested in the plot and paranormal aspect of Blue and the Raven Boys.
Speaking of Blue and the Raven Boys, they were so well-written! Each character within this novel was complex and had their own unique peculiarities that made them extremely interesting to read about. They were also really relatable. Even the situations that they each experienced, felt real and not at all cliche’d. Plus, all the sarcastic remarks had me howling with laughter, especially Ronan and Gansey’s friendship. It was *chefs kiss*
“We have to be back in three hours,” Ronan said. “I just fed Chainsaw but she’ll need it again.”
“This,” Gansey replied “is precisely why I didn’t want to have a baby with you.”
The characters that I found the most interesting, were honestly Ronan, Noah, and Adam. Blue was a great protagonist and had her complexities, but I didn’t feel anything special for her. Gansey was also an interesting character but I felt that the book revolved a bit too much about him and his mission. I wanted more scenes with Noah, Adam, and Ronan.
Ronan gave me all the bad boy vibes and has my heart while Noah is such a babie that I must protect. But if we’re talking great backstories and the main character in my book, I would say Adam takes that role. Adam’s story is honestly the best of them all. It was tragic, and made my heart hurt in more places than I expected that he had to go through what he did. I was taken on the biggest roller coaster ride I’ve ever been on and man, this book hit home – hard.
I was unable to put this down and I just wanted to keep listening to it. I was emotional because of the relationship with the OT5, driven due to the quest of finding Glendower and wanting to discover the truth. This is also the first book that I felt nothing for the “villain”. I mean if you know me, I’m always falling for the villain and here, I’m just like meh about him. He didn’t offer a ton to the story but he did offer just enough that without him, this story wouldn’t have made sense one bit.
Also, can we talk about all the foreshadowing within this novel? Cause holy guacamole! There was a ton. For example:
“Ronan said, “I’m always straight.”
Adam replied “Oh, man, that’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told.”
Like.. WHAT!? DO I SMELL A BUDDING ROMANCE? FRIENDS TO LOVERS MAYBE? Please let these two be a couple in the end, cause I need me a Ronan and Adam couple scene. DON’T LET ME DOWN MAGGIE!
The writing was beautiful, and I felt it flowed wonderfully. I got swept into the world of Cabeswater and I loved how you could actually feel like you were there alongside Blue and the Raven Boys.
Okay, before I make this any longer and bore y’all to death with my love for Ronan Lynch and Noah Czerny – just please… I beg of you to pick this up and give The Raven Boys a chance.
“The way Gansey saw it was this: if you had a special knack for finding things, it meant you owed the world to look.”
TRIGGER WARNINGS: suicidal ideation, (past) suicide attempt, violence, guns, death
REVIEW: Y’all, I think I found a new favorite series. This series… the characters… the world-building… the character development… UGH I absolutely adore everything about it. Ronan Lynch has my heart and Noah Czerny is such a babie and I want to protect him forever and ever. The Raven Boys gave me so much more than what I was expecting.
The Raven Boys follows Blue Sargent. But unlike her family of physics, seers, and clairvoyants, Blue has no magical abilities. She has been warned all her life that the first person she kisses, will die. One night, she sees a boy on the Corpse Road and this is a sign. The only way that a non seer sees a ghost is if that ghost is either a true love or the non-seer killed them. This is where the Raven Boys come into play.
The Raven Boys is basically the name of four boys that attend Aglionby – Gansey Richard III, Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch, and Noah Czerny. Gansey is the so-called leader of the group and he’s on a mission to find the final resting place of Glendower, a Welsh King who passed away in Henrietta. There is a legend that says if he’s awoken, he grants the person who woke him a “favor”. Gansey wants to be the person to wake Glendower but he isn’t the only one looking for him.
I didn’t know too much about this series other than the writing style wasn’t the greatest. I didn’t really see a problem with this as I listened to them on audiobook. The narrator was not my favorite and some of the voices he used I didn’t feel worked with the characters. But all in all, I was really invested in the plot and paranormal aspect of Blue and the Raven Boys.
Speaking of Blue and the Raven Boys, they were so well-written! Each character within this novel was complex and had their own unique peculiarities that made them extremely interesting to read about. They were also really relatable. Even the situations that they each experienced, felt real and not at all cliche’d. Plus, all the sarcastic remarks had me howling with laughter, especially Ronan and Gansey’s friendship. It was *chefs kiss*
“We have to be back in three hours,” Ronan said. “I just fed Chainsaw but she’ll need it again.”
“This,” Gansey replied “is precisely why I didn’t want to have a baby with you.”
The characters that I found the most interesting, were honestly Ronan, Noah, and Adam. Blue was a great protagonist and had her complexities, but I didn’t feel anything special for her. Gansey was also an interesting character but I felt that the book revolved a bit too much about him and his mission. I wanted more scenes with Noah, Adam, and Ronan.
Ronan gave me all the bad boy vibes and has my heart while Noah is such a babie that I must protect. But if we’re talking great backstories and the main character in my book, I would say Adam takes that role. Adam’s story is honestly the best of them all. It was tragic, and made my heart hurt in more places than I expected that he had to go through what he did. I was taken on the biggest roller coaster ride I’ve ever been on and man, this book hit home – hard.
I was unable to put this down and I just wanted to keep listening to it. I was emotional because of the relationship with the OT5, driven due to the quest of finding Glendower and wanting to discover the truth. This is also the first book that I felt nothing for the “villain”. I mean if you know me, I’m always falling for the villain and here, I’m just like meh about him. He didn’t offer a ton to the story but he did offer just enough that without him, this story wouldn’t have made sense one bit.
Also, can we talk about all the foreshadowing within this novel? Cause holy guacamole! There was a ton. For example:
“Ronan said, “I’m always straight.”
Adam replied “Oh, man, that’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told.”
Like.. WHAT!? DO I SMELL A BUDDING ROMANCE? FRIENDS TO LOVERS MAYBE? Please let these two be a couple in the end, cause I need me a Ronan and Adam couple scene. DON’T LET ME DOWN MAGGIE!
The writing was beautiful, and I felt it flowed wonderfully. I got swept into the world of Cabeswater and I loved how you could actually feel like you were there alongside Blue and the Raven Boys.
Okay, before I make this any longer and bore y’all to death with my love for Ronan Lynch and Noah Czerny – just please… I beg of you to pick this up and give The Raven Boys a chance.
“The way Gansey saw it was this: if you had a special knack for finding things, it meant you owed the world to look.”
A Hamiton Christmas (HIS #9)
8.0
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While some may try, no one ruins a Hamilton family Christmas. From Romantic Suspense BEST-SELLING...
To Tempt A Troubled Earl (Regency Rossingley #1)
8.0
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A chancer and a rogue, Kit Angel is down on his luck. Presenting himself at Rossingley Hall in the...
Historical MM Regency Romance Enemies to Lovers Hurt / Comfort
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Last Sacrifice in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I waited a long time to read this book, but it was still well worth the wait. In typical Rose fashion, she disregards the practical advice of her friends and family to try and help those she cares about most. Embarking on a road trip around the eastern United States, she searches for the clues to the missing Dragomir heir, all the while growing closer to the newly-Moroi Demitri. All the while, Lissa navigates the intricacies of the Royal Court and deals with being thrust into the running for the new Queen.
All the recognizable faces from throughout the series make an appearance in the final book, as any good series finale would do. All but one of the loose ends were resolved decently, such as dealing with the problem of the Dashkov brothers.
The trials that Lissa goes through to be declared a valid candidate for Queen were interesting in that they forced her to rely on only herself and tested her inner strength and resolve. They showed a maturity in her that goes far beyond her young 18 years.
Of course, the biggest anticipation for me was the final outcome of who would end up with Rose - Dimitri or Adrian. While at first I disliked Adrian, he seemed to prove his worthiness to me throughout the series. The road trip, though, forces Dimitri to heal from his memories as Strigoi and face some things about himself. Without giving away Rose's choice, I am happy with it, though I feel sorry for the man that got left behind. The promise of the spin-off series, Bloodlines, centered around the Alchemist Sydney, gives me hope that he will find someone who matches him better than Rose did.
The ending answers my own question of what the title was referring to, though it was a bit predictable. I am thrilled about the outcome of the Queen's replacement, and I really hope that the spin-off series will also show some of the new Queen's life. What was not predictable for me was the revelation of who murdered the previous queen - I made the same assumption early on as most of Rose's allies did, and I was just as surprised as they were over who really did it - and I'm still kind of disappointed, since I liked the character responsible and I feel as betrayed as many of the others did by the news. When the characters can feel that real, I know it's good writing.
All the recognizable faces from throughout the series make an appearance in the final book, as any good series finale would do. All but one of the loose ends were resolved decently, such as dealing with the problem of the Dashkov brothers.
The trials that Lissa goes through to be declared a valid candidate for Queen were interesting in that they forced her to rely on only herself and tested her inner strength and resolve. They showed a maturity in her that goes far beyond her young 18 years.
Of course, the biggest anticipation for me was the final outcome of who would end up with Rose - Dimitri or Adrian. While at first I disliked Adrian, he seemed to prove his worthiness to me throughout the series. The road trip, though, forces Dimitri to heal from his memories as Strigoi and face some things about himself. Without giving away Rose's choice, I am happy with it, though I feel sorry for the man that got left behind. The promise of the spin-off series, Bloodlines, centered around the Alchemist Sydney, gives me hope that he will find someone who matches him better than Rose did.
The ending answers my own question of what the title was referring to, though it was a bit predictable. I am thrilled about the outcome of the Queen's replacement, and I really hope that the spin-off series will also show some of the new Queen's life. What was not predictable for me was the revelation of who murdered the previous queen - I made the same assumption early on as most of Rose's allies did, and I was just as surprised as they were over who really did it - and I'm still kind of disappointed, since I liked the character responsible and I feel as betrayed as many of the others did by the news. When the characters can feel that real, I know it's good writing.
Annie Chanse (15 KP) rated The Chosen (Black Dagger Brotherhood #15) in Books
May 25, 2018
Blehc. Definitely not Ward's best...
Contains spoilers, click to show
Yechk. I honestly did not care for 90% of this book. The whole thing kind of pissed me off really.
Although, in general, I love the BDB books and the characters in those books (with only a few exceptions), this one was just... blah. There were really no sympathetic characters that made me want to read forward or 'root' for them. Xcor is semi-relatable with his awful upbringing, but he is kind of like a rip-off of V and Z, so there's no real flair there.
Quinn goes off the damned deep end and kinda makes you hate him.
Blay's hurt feelings and arguments make sense, I guess. He is really the only character I understood in this book.
V is all emo lonely, woe-is-me, should I or shouldn't I cheat?! and that is nothing if not hella boring.
And. DO. NOT. Get. Me. Started. On. Fucking. Layla. Her whole story arc just infuriates me. I mean, seriously? And she can't even understand why Quinn is so furious? Oh, and, you are told you're to leave your kids because you endangered them by being with a murderous traitor, and the FIRST THING you do is hunt down said murderous traitor and move him into your place?! Really? No matter how Ward wants to spin it, you are a horrible freaking mother, and you absolutely do not deserve to be around your kids ever again. Let me lose my son over a man? I would NEVER see that man again unless it was to cut his sac off to prove we were done and try to get my kid back. ...eye roll... Seriously, she's the worst.
The sideplot with Tres and Trez? Waaaaay too fairy tale, happy ending that honestly? Seems like a way for Ward to backtrack and try to appease fans that were irate at how "The Shadows" ended and also, it went nowhere, fell flat, and seemed waaay superfluous.
The Tohr/Xcor "twist"? At this point in the series... pretty predictable Ward behavior.
Really, the only interesting bit of this book were the 10 pages or so involving Lassiter's new gig in what is SEEMINGLY leading up to the actual defeat of the Omega, which I assume will also signal the end of the books. I never thought I'd say this, but maybe that's a good thing. Ward is truly off her game lately, and the BDB is getting a bit stale. Maybe it's time for an ending.
Although, in general, I love the BDB books and the characters in those books (with only a few exceptions), this one was just... blah. There were really no sympathetic characters that made me want to read forward or 'root' for them. Xcor is semi-relatable with his awful upbringing, but he is kind of like a rip-off of V and Z, so there's no real flair there.
Quinn goes off the damned deep end and kinda makes you hate him.
Blay's hurt feelings and arguments make sense, I guess. He is really the only character I understood in this book.
V is all emo lonely, woe-is-me, should I or shouldn't I cheat?! and that is nothing if not hella boring.
And. DO. NOT. Get. Me. Started. On. Fucking. Layla. Her whole story arc just infuriates me. I mean, seriously? And she can't even understand why Quinn is so furious? Oh, and, you are told you're to leave your kids because you endangered them by being with a murderous traitor, and the FIRST THING you do is hunt down said murderous traitor and move him into your place?! Really? No matter how Ward wants to spin it, you are a horrible freaking mother, and you absolutely do not deserve to be around your kids ever again. Let me lose my son over a man? I would NEVER see that man again unless it was to cut his sac off to prove we were done and try to get my kid back. ...eye roll... Seriously, she's the worst.
The sideplot with Tres and Trez? Waaaaay too fairy tale, happy ending that honestly? Seems like a way for Ward to backtrack and try to appease fans that were irate at how "The Shadows" ended and also, it went nowhere, fell flat, and seemed waaay superfluous.
The Tohr/Xcor "twist"? At this point in the series... pretty predictable Ward behavior.
Really, the only interesting bit of this book were the 10 pages or so involving Lassiter's new gig in what is SEEMINGLY leading up to the actual defeat of the Omega, which I assume will also signal the end of the books. I never thought I'd say this, but maybe that's a good thing. Ward is truly off her game lately, and the BDB is getting a bit stale. Maybe it's time for an ending.