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American Horror Story  - Season 4
American Horror Story - Season 4
2014 | Horror
Utterly messed up
After a disappointing teen-angst third series, AHS got back to its best in this series. A truly twisted but generally likable cast of misfits interact wonderfully to give a glimpse into the treatment of travelling freakshows in small-town America. The ring-mistress' desire for fame weighed up against the freaks' desire for mere acceptance adds a delicious conflict that bears fruit in every episode. Meanwhile the freaks are being hunted by someone looking to sell their body parts to a museum, and Twisty the clown is getting frustrated with his unwilling audience's lack of appreciation for his terrifying yet mediocre act.
Thrilling, despicable and horrific in equal measure.
  
Wethering the Storm (The Storm, #2)
Wethering the Storm (The Storm, #2)
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's been too long

This book has been on my kindle for a good five years or so and it's roughly been that same amount of time since I read TMS so it's been a bit weird coming back to this couple after so long. I remembered certain bits of the first book but not a lot.

I liked this but it didn't have the same intensity that I remembered from the first. I wasn't screaming at my kindle for them to get together and stop being idiots because they're an established, very happy couple. There was very little angst. It was all rather sedate but sex filled.

I am glad that pretty much everyone got their HAE though!
  
Like Water
Like Water
Rebecca Podos | 2017 | Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm always interested in queer young adult books, and this one especially caught my eye with its mention of "performing mermaids." Because y'all know I love my mermaid books! So Savannah isn't a real mermaid, she just plays one at a water park. But it was enough to make me pick up the book, and it's a good book. Young adult books about discovering your identity are always needed, and this book is about Savannah realizing she's bisexual.

Much of the angst in this book comes from Savannah not knowing if she has the same disease her father does, and she's not sure if she wants to know. Altogether, in this book we have chronic illness, hispanic teens, bisexual, lesbian, and genderqueer teens, small-town angst....there's really a LOT of demographics covered in this book.

I like Savannah, but I don't like her love interest, Leigh, very much. Leigh does NOT have her shit together, and between drinking and doing drugs, all while underage, she poses a very real threat to Savannah's well-being.

I'm a little nonplussed by the ending of the book. It leaves a few questions unanswered, but not in a cliff-hanger-y way. It's more of a possibilities-left-open kind of way. Which makes sense for a "first love" romance. It's not necessarily a "true love" story. It reminds me of John Green novels in that way.

So - it's a great book for representation, but don't expect a tidy, wrapped-up ending. You won't find that here.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
Annie on My Mind
Annie on My Mind
Nancy Garden | 1992 | LGBTQ+
8
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Banned Coming of Age Story
I love being a rebel and reading books that have been banned before. This book showed a lesbian relationship in a positive light which is what earned it the ban.

Nancy Garden did a magnificent job of capturing the angst of first love. This in itself can be hard but add to the mix it being love that is scorned by society and you have a new level of coming of age story. This book was originally published in 1992 which can be picked up from some of the descriptions, none the less, the basis of the story is still relevant today. This story will make you cheer, cry, and want to hit someone with anger. It is a fantastic book.
  
King's Cage
King's Cage
Victoria Aveyard | 2016 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.4 (16 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, that was a long book. I really have enjoyed this series but I had a hard time finishing this book.

Most of the book is very angsty. I know I'm a little older than the target for this book but it just dragged on with how much angst there was. With that said, I really did enjoy the book. It took me a while to finally finish it but I am glad that I did.

The characters are unique and different yet you can find something to relate to any of them.

All in all, this was a good book but it did leave me emotionally drained and I had to turn the audiobook to 2X speed just to push through it.
  
Vicious
Vicious
L. J. Shen | 2016 | Contemporary, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hotholes for the win! I absolutely loved every second of Baron “Vicious” Spencer and Emilia “Millie” Le Blanc’s story. From the start, Shen creates the angst beautifully. I didn’t like the way Vicious was with Millie in the beginning but I knew he needed to be that way for the readers to get the fully effect of his torture, his pain, his anger. I loved how Millie was with him. The slow burn between them in the beginning was amazing and enough to set my heart on fire. When Vicious realizes his feelings…..well, let’s just say I’ve never been so jealous of a character before as I was of Millie! This book is definitely worthy of all the stars! Vicious is MINE!
  
Mine Completely
Mine Completely
J.S. Scott | 2019
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Money sucks.

It can be a good thing, but at the same time it can ruin relationships or at the very least cause fights and angst. Simon and Kara haven’t totally figured out how to deal with their money, even though they are engaged. Kara is still self-conscious about the income gap between them and wants a prenup. Simon is worried that Kara doesn’t think that he trusts her and wants to do anything and everything to prove that he does. Then there’s the little matter of Kara’s pregnancy.

While I enjoyed this Simon and Kara story very much, I only enjoyed reading it once. One read through is enough time to enjoy the romantic gestures and Simon’s and Kara’s hopeless love and attraction to each other. But like a significant other, the more time you spend with the story, the more you see flaws and annoying habits that make you cringe. Simon and Kara fight like two teenagers riddled with hormones and angst. While Simon is still smokin’ hot, and the sex scenes are well worth the read, Simon slowly loses his brain cells until he sounds more like a caveman and less like a video game designer with alpha male tendencies. I don’t know how many times he called Kara “his woman”, but it was enough to annoy me. Severely annoy me.

But like any other significant lover worth loving, you get over the flaws. The Billionaire’s Obsession is a fantastic, well detailed erotic romance that has fantastic sex scenes, great characters, and even a plot, which is a rare find in the dark and dangerous realm of erotica.
  
One is Come (Five in Circle, #1)
One is Come (Five in Circle, #1)
C.H. MacLean | 2014 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am looking forward to the next one in the series. [One is Come] by [C.H. MacLean] is a wonderful mix of magic, adventure and lore. The characters suffer from the typical teenage angst that is common everywhere and similar growing pains. The difference is the issue of puberty brings with it a secret that normal kids don't deal with.

The only people around the kids that can understand are their parents who have taken an oath not to speak of the magic. The conflicting powers fighting for control over the kids and their gift leads to more intrigue. I am still not sure who is good and who is bad, or even if there is a good or bad. Any book that has magic and dragons is always a good bet.
  
Marvel's The Defenders  - Season 1
Marvel's The Defenders - Season 1
2017 | Action
I love the cinematography in this series! The color schemes, the camera work, the choices that are made throughout are great. The story likewise, though it is quite slow through the first couple of eps as the team is re-introduced and brought together. Jessica Jones' snark is great, Luke Cage is strong and thoughtful as always, Matt Murdock steeps in his angst a bit more than I'd really prefer, and Danny Rand...is a spoiled, immature child playacting at being a superhero as before but everyone else's reactions to him make him a bit more palatable. The discussion between Cage and Rand in episode 2 was great.

Overall this is a good addition to Marvel canon. It's only as strong as its story and its weakest link, but still an enjoyable show.
  
Despite being the second in a series, The Trouble with Mistletoe is a standalone that can be enjoyed without reading the first.

I have never read from this author before, but I enjoyed her easy light hearted style. From page one, I knew I was going to enjoy the author’s humor as well as characters. From the beginning, it was hard not to like Willa. She is sweet, kind-hearted, and funny at no one’s expense. Keane was just as likable. Despite their troubles and pasts, there was a delightful lack of angst and self-loathing. A definite win in my opinion.

Just in time for the beginning of the holiday season, The Trouble with Mistletoe is lovely read for those wanting a sweet, not too complicated romance.