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Rikki Hammond (33 KP) rated Dominant Species in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019 (Updated Jun 12, 2019)
Interesting term mechanism (2 more)
Each species plays slightly differently
Some interesting event card powers
Woefully long at high player counts (2 more)
Boring to look at
Can be almost impossible to come back from losing
An absolute slog of a game
Dominant species is one of those games that you will either love or hate. Now I don't despise many games but this is definitely one of them.
Players choose one of many different types of species in the game, and try to become the dominant species of the game by expanding their species across the different hexagonal tiles on the board, through migrating, reproducing, and attacking other animals. If a player has more animals on a tile than other players, they are considered the dominant species of that tile and can therefore gain victory points from doing so.
Turns are determined by players placing their action pawns on different spaces on the grid to the right of the board. Once everyone has placed their pawns on the grid, actions are then worked from the top of the grid to the bottom. These actions include, but are not limoted to moving your species to another tile, attacking another species, or picking up an event card to use later. The game ends once this stack of event cards runs out, and final scoring takes place.
Each species starts out with a certain traits which means they are suited to a certain type of terrain. You can use one of your actions to gain different traits and therefore allows you to expand your species into different terrain tiles. The event cards are also useful in that they give you special abilities or can change the game in some way. This could be having your species migrate more than once in a turn, to removing every other species from your own tiles.
I like the way the turn mechanism works as it gives each player a little bit of freedom as to where they can place their pawns, and how soon they want their turn to be taken. There are a finite amount of spaces on each place of the grid so if you're action is taken up by other players before you get to it then that's just tough luck. I also like that the different species are slightly different and so gives the game a slight bit of replayability.
These are all the positives that I can give this game however. The game in general is just incredibly dull and boring to look at. Each species is differentiated by different coloured cubes and cones on the board. Take the player boards away and this game could literally be about anything you want.
The game also goes on for far too long especially at higher player counts, and especially if people don't quickly pick up those event cards, as that is the only way the game will end.
The game can also be horrendously unfair to a player. If you make one or two wrong judgements at the start of the game it can be nigh on impossible to come back from being in last place which to me, does not sound fun at all.
Personally I do not recommend dominant species as a game and I do think there are much better ones out there.
Players choose one of many different types of species in the game, and try to become the dominant species of the game by expanding their species across the different hexagonal tiles on the board, through migrating, reproducing, and attacking other animals. If a player has more animals on a tile than other players, they are considered the dominant species of that tile and can therefore gain victory points from doing so.
Turns are determined by players placing their action pawns on different spaces on the grid to the right of the board. Once everyone has placed their pawns on the grid, actions are then worked from the top of the grid to the bottom. These actions include, but are not limoted to moving your species to another tile, attacking another species, or picking up an event card to use later. The game ends once this stack of event cards runs out, and final scoring takes place.
Each species starts out with a certain traits which means they are suited to a certain type of terrain. You can use one of your actions to gain different traits and therefore allows you to expand your species into different terrain tiles. The event cards are also useful in that they give you special abilities or can change the game in some way. This could be having your species migrate more than once in a turn, to removing every other species from your own tiles.
I like the way the turn mechanism works as it gives each player a little bit of freedom as to where they can place their pawns, and how soon they want their turn to be taken. There are a finite amount of spaces on each place of the grid so if you're action is taken up by other players before you get to it then that's just tough luck. I also like that the different species are slightly different and so gives the game a slight bit of replayability.
These are all the positives that I can give this game however. The game in general is just incredibly dull and boring to look at. Each species is differentiated by different coloured cubes and cones on the board. Take the player boards away and this game could literally be about anything you want.
The game also goes on for far too long especially at higher player counts, and especially if people don't quickly pick up those event cards, as that is the only way the game will end.
The game can also be horrendously unfair to a player. If you make one or two wrong judgements at the start of the game it can be nigh on impossible to come back from being in last place which to me, does not sound fun at all.
Personally I do not recommend dominant species as a game and I do think there are much better ones out there.
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated Trophy Wife (The Dumont Diaries, #0.5-5) in Books
Feb 8, 2018
MMM, this is a hard one, on the one hand, I very much enjoyed Trophy Wife and on the other, there was some real no no's that totally turn me off when it comes to erotic fiction.
This is the main reason I've marked it down in my ratings.
Now obviously what sinks my ship may float your boat and more, we are all different and you may find my reasons don't bother you at all.
Now there are gonna be some teeny spoilers ahead as It's major unavoidable if I am going to explain why I've marked this down.
My major hard limit
CHEATING!!!!!
and not only cheating, the fact that no one's really bothered and I know this may seem a bit boring, but I like my Lover & Lovee to save the honey for each other, no excuses, no we were on a break and definitely no contact of any kind whatsoever, no exceptions and that means kissing also.
Why you might ask.
BECAUSE THERE MEANT TO BE BLOODY IN LOVE!!!!!!
or getting there at least and I'm a die hard romantic like that.
So yes no bodily contact with others while still being as filthy as downright sin is the flavour I like to see in my reading.
So, of course, this is where Trophy Wife let me down a bit, I maybe could have overlooked this if either Nathan or Candy had got their knickers in a twist diva style or something to that effect, but no let's brush it under the carpet like it never happened, and yes it's still cheating in my book when he takes his ex-girlfriend back and sleeps with her while still being married to Candy.
So the poor boy needed to get his leg over with his ex to decide he's in love with his wife geez!!
What happened did a shag unlock his brain.
And I do know that Candy is not exactly innocent either, They both behaved like a pair of absolute bloody pillocks in my opinion.
The second thing I had an issue with was the car incident. I have nothing against voyeurism at all but when Nathan gets candy to perform a certain service for his business associate and calls her a derogatory name in front of him well this wasn't hot or sexy one iota I was cringing in shame for the poor girl, awful behaviour.
The third and final thing and it may seem a tad silly but it's the name CANDY!!!
I hate it, it sounds like a stereotypical strippers name, which I know Candy is, but couldn't the poor girl have had something more sophisticated than Candy.
Despite my above bugbears, I really did like the rest of this book. It was mucky as hell and hot hot hot.
The story flowed brilliantly and I especially loved seeing the inner thoughts of both Candy & Nathan.
I feel that we needed to see inside Nathan's head as well as if I hadn't I don't know if I could have warmed to him at all.
He was such a dominant man, his vulnerability was so well hidden that it was his musings inside is own head that showed he had a softer side.
Trophy Wife by Alessandra Torre gets a three & half from me a great read with some issues that for me are just personal preferences.
You they might not affect at all.
Trophy Wife is currently free on KU.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
This is the main reason I've marked it down in my ratings.
Now obviously what sinks my ship may float your boat and more, we are all different and you may find my reasons don't bother you at all.
Now there are gonna be some teeny spoilers ahead as It's major unavoidable if I am going to explain why I've marked this down.
My major hard limit
CHEATING!!!!!
and not only cheating, the fact that no one's really bothered and I know this may seem a bit boring, but I like my Lover & Lovee to save the honey for each other, no excuses, no we were on a break and definitely no contact of any kind whatsoever, no exceptions and that means kissing also.
Why you might ask.
BECAUSE THERE MEANT TO BE BLOODY IN LOVE!!!!!!
or getting there at least and I'm a die hard romantic like that.
So yes no bodily contact with others while still being as filthy as downright sin is the flavour I like to see in my reading.
So, of course, this is where Trophy Wife let me down a bit, I maybe could have overlooked this if either Nathan or Candy had got their knickers in a twist diva style or something to that effect, but no let's brush it under the carpet like it never happened, and yes it's still cheating in my book when he takes his ex-girlfriend back and sleeps with her while still being married to Candy.
So the poor boy needed to get his leg over with his ex to decide he's in love with his wife geez!!
What happened did a shag unlock his brain.
And I do know that Candy is not exactly innocent either, They both behaved like a pair of absolute bloody pillocks in my opinion.
The second thing I had an issue with was the car incident. I have nothing against voyeurism at all but when Nathan gets candy to perform a certain service for his business associate and calls her a derogatory name in front of him well this wasn't hot or sexy one iota I was cringing in shame for the poor girl, awful behaviour.
The third and final thing and it may seem a tad silly but it's the name CANDY!!!
I hate it, it sounds like a stereotypical strippers name, which I know Candy is, but couldn't the poor girl have had something more sophisticated than Candy.
Despite my above bugbears, I really did like the rest of this book. It was mucky as hell and hot hot hot.
The story flowed brilliantly and I especially loved seeing the inner thoughts of both Candy & Nathan.
I feel that we needed to see inside Nathan's head as well as if I hadn't I don't know if I could have warmed to him at all.
He was such a dominant man, his vulnerability was so well hidden that it was his musings inside is own head that showed he had a softer side.
Trophy Wife by Alessandra Torre gets a three & half from me a great read with some issues that for me are just personal preferences.
You they might not affect at all.
Trophy Wife is currently free on KU.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
Forced premise (2 more)
Storytelling & writing that drives you insane
Not interesting
You'll probably love it or hate it
Dustin Tillman is a psychologist in Ohio; he's married with two sons and rarely even thinks about the horrific incident of his childhood, when his adopted brother, Rusty, murdered Dustin's parents and his aunt and uncle. Dustin was just a child then, and his brother was arrested largely on the testimony of Dustin and his cousin Kate and the 1980s' fears over satanism. But now Dustin learns that Rusty is being released from prison; his appeal has been granted, and his verdict overturned based on DNA evidence. Meanwhile, Dustin is struggling with one of his patients, Aqil, a former police officer who believes there is a link among a group of drunken college boys who have died by drowning. As more and more things start going wrong in Dustin's life, he gets drawn into Aqil's paranoia-- and he threatens to bring down his family with him.
This book had an interesting premise: linking two sets of crimes in the past and present, but I felt like that premise was a little forced/falsified, and I never got into the book, or the characters. As a reader, you'll probably find the way it's written either brilliant or incredibly irritating, and I fell squarely into the irritating camp. There are very abrupt chapter switches between the present and the past that are quite annoying, making it difficult to tell exactly where you are in time. The changes in point of view aren't as bad, allowing you to hear from Dustin, his son, and others, but it still gets confusing quickly. (Sidebar: doesn't anyone just tell a linear story from one person's point of view anymore?)
Even more, the story is written quite like the characters think--which is fine in theory--for instance, this includes Dustin's tendency to just stop mid-sentence, something his family teases him about. After a bit you get somewhat used to the random sentences that end mid-thought, or the weird white spaces, but it's still strange. Other parts are the story are split into two or three parts on a page and told almost in parallel, causing you to flip back and forth to read each set. I never was quite sure of the point of that. Yes, people in the novel are going crazy and on drugs. I could get that concept and not have to flip back and forth constantly to read chunks of the story. It's one of those storytelling devices that, to me, could be amazing, but just winds up driving you slightly insane.
This novel is also very dark. Again, that's fine. I just finished The Roanoke Girls, which was incredibly dark, and loved it. But this one: I just didn't find it that interesting. I found myself finishing it more out of a vague curiosity and duty than anything else. I figured out one of the main plot points pretty on and wasn't engaged with any of the characters. Then, after all of this, the ending is awful and vague, and there's no resolution, and I found myself just throwing the whole thing down in disgust. Definitely not one of my favorites. I can see the potential for others, but it wasn't for me.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you) in return for an unbiased review.
This book had an interesting premise: linking two sets of crimes in the past and present, but I felt like that premise was a little forced/falsified, and I never got into the book, or the characters. As a reader, you'll probably find the way it's written either brilliant or incredibly irritating, and I fell squarely into the irritating camp. There are very abrupt chapter switches between the present and the past that are quite annoying, making it difficult to tell exactly where you are in time. The changes in point of view aren't as bad, allowing you to hear from Dustin, his son, and others, but it still gets confusing quickly. (Sidebar: doesn't anyone just tell a linear story from one person's point of view anymore?)
Even more, the story is written quite like the characters think--which is fine in theory--for instance, this includes Dustin's tendency to just stop mid-sentence, something his family teases him about. After a bit you get somewhat used to the random sentences that end mid-thought, or the weird white spaces, but it's still strange. Other parts are the story are split into two or three parts on a page and told almost in parallel, causing you to flip back and forth to read each set. I never was quite sure of the point of that. Yes, people in the novel are going crazy and on drugs. I could get that concept and not have to flip back and forth constantly to read chunks of the story. It's one of those storytelling devices that, to me, could be amazing, but just winds up driving you slightly insane.
This novel is also very dark. Again, that's fine. I just finished The Roanoke Girls, which was incredibly dark, and loved it. But this one: I just didn't find it that interesting. I found myself finishing it more out of a vague curiosity and duty than anything else. I figured out one of the main plot points pretty on and wasn't engaged with any of the characters. Then, after all of this, the ending is awful and vague, and there's no resolution, and I found myself just throwing the whole thing down in disgust. Definitely not one of my favorites. I can see the potential for others, but it wasn't for me.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you) in return for an unbiased review.
If you thought a modern retelling of [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926]--set mainly in present day Cincinnati--didn't exactly sound like a page-turner, no one could exactly blame you. But, nonetheless, you'd be quite wrong. Sittenfeld's novel imagines the Bennet family in our modern times; Mr. and Mrs. Bennet live in a rambling Tudor home in Cincinnati: broke and somewhat clueless as their house crumbles around them. Mrs. Bennet spends her time clucking around her five unmarried daughters: Jane, Liz, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. The book revolves mainly around the perspective of Liz, a magazine writer in her upper thirties living in New York City. She and Jane, also in NYC, return home to their parents and younger sisters after Mr. Bennet has a heart attack, only to find the house and the family in a bit of a shambles.
The book is amazing. It's been a while since I read [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926], but even I can tell you that the novel does an excellent job of following the original plot without being annoying or cloying. It's [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926] with lesbians and hate sex! The book comes across as familiar yet new, allowing you to ache, laugh, and rage at what feels like a group of old friends.
Mr. Bennet is a trip, even while having a heartbreaking sadness and sweetness at his core (though some of his zingers are priceless). The younger sisters are as (nearly) vapid as to be expected--truly awful at times--for much of the book. But seriously, Lydia and Kitty loving CrossFit? It's awesome. And Liz is wonderful; you will adore this surprisingly realistic and modern Liz, with all of her foibles and issues: a truly modern Liz struggling mightily to keep her family together and afloat.
As for Darcy, well he's as Darcy as ever. Somehow Sittenfeld has managed to truly capture the essence of Austen's Darcy and Elizabeth in her new characters. I don't know how, but it's funny and lovely all at the same time. (Side note: As a woman in her early thirties, will I ever be able to read about Darcy without picturing Colin Firth? I now have a desperate need to watch the BBC/A&E mini-series again.)
Overall, I found this book funny, touching, and compulsively readable. The characters are truly characters: they are fully formed within moments of picking up the book. The city of Cincinnati makes a great guest appearance, with the city playing a prominent role in many scenes (hi Skyline Chili!). If you loved the original, you'll find this updated version enjoyable and imaginative, with a surprising depth behind it. If you've never read Austen's work (and you should), you will still discover a funny, sweet yet weighty story of a family trying to make it in this day and age. Highly recommended (4.5 stars).
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available for U.S. publication on 4/19/16. You can check out a review of this novel and many others on my <a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">blog</a>;.
The book is amazing. It's been a while since I read [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926], but even I can tell you that the novel does an excellent job of following the original plot without being annoying or cloying. It's [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320399351s/1885.jpg|3060926] with lesbians and hate sex! The book comes across as familiar yet new, allowing you to ache, laugh, and rage at what feels like a group of old friends.
Mr. Bennet is a trip, even while having a heartbreaking sadness and sweetness at his core (though some of his zingers are priceless). The younger sisters are as (nearly) vapid as to be expected--truly awful at times--for much of the book. But seriously, Lydia and Kitty loving CrossFit? It's awesome. And Liz is wonderful; you will adore this surprisingly realistic and modern Liz, with all of her foibles and issues: a truly modern Liz struggling mightily to keep her family together and afloat.
As for Darcy, well he's as Darcy as ever. Somehow Sittenfeld has managed to truly capture the essence of Austen's Darcy and Elizabeth in her new characters. I don't know how, but it's funny and lovely all at the same time. (Side note: As a woman in her early thirties, will I ever be able to read about Darcy without picturing Colin Firth? I now have a desperate need to watch the BBC/A&E mini-series again.)
Overall, I found this book funny, touching, and compulsively readable. The characters are truly characters: they are fully formed within moments of picking up the book. The city of Cincinnati makes a great guest appearance, with the city playing a prominent role in many scenes (hi Skyline Chili!). If you loved the original, you'll find this updated version enjoyable and imaginative, with a surprising depth behind it. If you've never read Austen's work (and you should), you will still discover a funny, sweet yet weighty story of a family trying to make it in this day and age. Highly recommended (4.5 stars).
I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley (thank you!); it is available for U.S. publication on 4/19/16. You can check out a review of this novel and many others on my <a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">blog</a>;.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Breakdown in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Read my review here: https://bookbumzuky.wordpress.com/2017/02/08/review-the-breakdown-by-b-a-paris/
<i><b>Synopsis:</b> On a stormy night, Cass decides to go against the wishes of her husband and take a dangerous shortcut home. Passing through the rural wooded road, she notices a car pulled up with a woman sat inside. After pulling over to help, Cass gets a weird feeling - why hasn’t the woman in the car shown relief at someone pulling over? Why has she not moved from her spot in the seat, just staring blankly out of the windscreen? Feeling spooked, Cass decides to drive off. The next morning she finds out that the woman is dead, “brutally murdered”, as the police say.
Cass can’t shake the guilt she feels at leaving the woman alone, and soon, the guilt is all she can focus on. She’s started to forget things, like when she bought an alarm system or inviting her friends over, but what she can’t forget is leaving the woman on her own, on a stormy night, to be murdered. She also can’t forget the silent phones calls she’s receiving and the horrible feeling that she’s being watched.</i>
---
After the huge success of <i>Behind Closed Doors</i>, B A Paris had a lot to live up to with this second novel, and for me, it wasn’t anywhere near as good. It didn’t grab me as well as the last. The tension was built just as well in this, steady and slowly, but it was the actual plot that I wasn’t connecting with. It seemed a bit outlandish and didn’t keep me on my toes quite as much. Annoyingly, someone hadn’t marked the spoilers in their review of this, so about halfway through reading the novel, the twist was “ruined”, but, to be honest, the ending was very predictable and I had already sussed it by the time I read that person’s review, so it wasn't that big of a deal.
Another problem with this book was the lack of character development. While we felt so attached to Grace and eager for her to be rid of the troubles in her life, I didn’t find myself thinking the same for Cass. In all honesty, she was a bit of a drip and was so overly hysterical that she just became annoying to read about. Our other, more side characters, Matthew and Rachel, were flat, soppy and unrealistic.
<spoiler>The texts between Matthew and Rachel, at the end of the novel, were really irritating that I ended up skipping over them. Why would we need to see what they said to each other when we already know what they had done? It was just rehashing parts of the plot that we could have sussed was them…</spoiler>
I hate to say such negative things about this novel, but I just don’t get the hype. The story has been done a million times before, and in better ways, too. Maybe I think so badly of this novel because Paris’ last was so great, but there is no comparison between the two.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin UK Ltd for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
<i><b>Synopsis:</b> On a stormy night, Cass decides to go against the wishes of her husband and take a dangerous shortcut home. Passing through the rural wooded road, she notices a car pulled up with a woman sat inside. After pulling over to help, Cass gets a weird feeling - why hasn’t the woman in the car shown relief at someone pulling over? Why has she not moved from her spot in the seat, just staring blankly out of the windscreen? Feeling spooked, Cass decides to drive off. The next morning she finds out that the woman is dead, “brutally murdered”, as the police say.
Cass can’t shake the guilt she feels at leaving the woman alone, and soon, the guilt is all she can focus on. She’s started to forget things, like when she bought an alarm system or inviting her friends over, but what she can’t forget is leaving the woman on her own, on a stormy night, to be murdered. She also can’t forget the silent phones calls she’s receiving and the horrible feeling that she’s being watched.</i>
---
After the huge success of <i>Behind Closed Doors</i>, B A Paris had a lot to live up to with this second novel, and for me, it wasn’t anywhere near as good. It didn’t grab me as well as the last. The tension was built just as well in this, steady and slowly, but it was the actual plot that I wasn’t connecting with. It seemed a bit outlandish and didn’t keep me on my toes quite as much. Annoyingly, someone hadn’t marked the spoilers in their review of this, so about halfway through reading the novel, the twist was “ruined”, but, to be honest, the ending was very predictable and I had already sussed it by the time I read that person’s review, so it wasn't that big of a deal.
Another problem with this book was the lack of character development. While we felt so attached to Grace and eager for her to be rid of the troubles in her life, I didn’t find myself thinking the same for Cass. In all honesty, she was a bit of a drip and was so overly hysterical that she just became annoying to read about. Our other, more side characters, Matthew and Rachel, were flat, soppy and unrealistic.
<spoiler>The texts between Matthew and Rachel, at the end of the novel, were really irritating that I ended up skipping over them. Why would we need to see what they said to each other when we already know what they had done? It was just rehashing parts of the plot that we could have sussed was them…</spoiler>
I hate to say such negative things about this novel, but I just don’t get the hype. The story has been done a million times before, and in better ways, too. Maybe I think so badly of this novel because Paris’ last was so great, but there is no comparison between the two.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin UK Ltd for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Girl Before in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Read my review here: https://bookbumzuky.wordpress.com/2017/02/04/review-the-girl-before-by-j-p-delaney/
<b><i>Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.</b></i>
One Folgate Street is a minimalist house built by the mysterious, controlling and handsome Edward Monkford. To be granted lease, you must fill in a laborious questionnaire and attend a face-to-face meeting with Edward himself, and even then, you’re unlikely to be approved. There are a large number of rules you have to abide by when you live in the house, such as, no books (?!?!?!), no rugs, no curtains, and no leaving things out, such as clothes, toiletries etc, to name a few. You must also open your home for tours every so often and complete various questionnaires/assessments throughout your stay.
So, I know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking “who the hell would agree to that?” but as it happens, two women choose to live at One Folgate Street. Thanks to its low rent and dishy architect, both Jane and Emma are happy putting up with all the rules. Jane is the girl from now, and Emma is the girl before. Both women are troubled and both begin a relationship with architect Edward.
What follows is a novel full of mystery and sex. If you’re also not into the whole “daddy” thing then this won’t be for you.
Starting off this book, I was very worried I was going to hate it, because I’d seen a lot of people say the focus on kinky sex as a bit left field and overpowering to the plot. But, I managed to get over that when it started to appear in the story. In my opinion, it wasn’t as bad as many people had made it out to be and in any case, you can always skip over it. I thought it was going to go full 50 Shades at some moments, but it managed to avoid any of the scenes becoming too tactless.
The mystery of “the girl before” is certainly intriguing and kept me hooked (for the first half, at least). I liked the way this was set out as Emma (before) and Jane (now) and how the chapters often mirrored each other so we could see the similarities in each of the tenants lives and relationships with Edward.
What I didn’t like about this book was the characters, which I’m kind of assuming was the goal by Delaney? If not, then he/she (does anyone know and can inform me on their gender?) is pretty terrible at creating characters. Although Edward is set up to be our “villain”, I found Emma to be the most dislikable character, even after all was said and done. She was manipulative, unnecessarily forward, obnoxious and total putty in Edward’s hands. Women who can’t act on their own accord because of a man infuriate me, which is probably why I didn’t get on with this novel that well, as it’s kind of what the whole plot is about. I like my women strong and independent!
The ending of this novel, no word of a lie, infuriated me. What a total cop out. People are comparing this to <i>Gone Girl</i>, LOL. The conclusion to this novel is the most overused and uninspired “twist” you can ever imagine. What a way to ruin a perfectly OK novel.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
<b><i>Please make a list of every possession you consider essential to your life.</b></i>
One Folgate Street is a minimalist house built by the mysterious, controlling and handsome Edward Monkford. To be granted lease, you must fill in a laborious questionnaire and attend a face-to-face meeting with Edward himself, and even then, you’re unlikely to be approved. There are a large number of rules you have to abide by when you live in the house, such as, no books (?!?!?!), no rugs, no curtains, and no leaving things out, such as clothes, toiletries etc, to name a few. You must also open your home for tours every so often and complete various questionnaires/assessments throughout your stay.
So, I know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking “who the hell would agree to that?” but as it happens, two women choose to live at One Folgate Street. Thanks to its low rent and dishy architect, both Jane and Emma are happy putting up with all the rules. Jane is the girl from now, and Emma is the girl before. Both women are troubled and both begin a relationship with architect Edward.
What follows is a novel full of mystery and sex. If you’re also not into the whole “daddy” thing then this won’t be for you.
Starting off this book, I was very worried I was going to hate it, because I’d seen a lot of people say the focus on kinky sex as a bit left field and overpowering to the plot. But, I managed to get over that when it started to appear in the story. In my opinion, it wasn’t as bad as many people had made it out to be and in any case, you can always skip over it. I thought it was going to go full 50 Shades at some moments, but it managed to avoid any of the scenes becoming too tactless.
The mystery of “the girl before” is certainly intriguing and kept me hooked (for the first half, at least). I liked the way this was set out as Emma (before) and Jane (now) and how the chapters often mirrored each other so we could see the similarities in each of the tenants lives and relationships with Edward.
What I didn’t like about this book was the characters, which I’m kind of assuming was the goal by Delaney? If not, then he/she (does anyone know and can inform me on their gender?) is pretty terrible at creating characters. Although Edward is set up to be our “villain”, I found Emma to be the most dislikable character, even after all was said and done. She was manipulative, unnecessarily forward, obnoxious and total putty in Edward’s hands. Women who can’t act on their own accord because of a man infuriate me, which is probably why I didn’t get on with this novel that well, as it’s kind of what the whole plot is about. I like my women strong and independent!
The ending of this novel, no word of a lie, infuriated me. What a total cop out. People are comparing this to <i>Gone Girl</i>, LOL. The conclusion to this novel is the most overused and uninspired “twist” you can ever imagine. What a way to ruin a perfectly OK novel.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated A Missing, Presumed in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/missing-presumed-by-susie-steiner
AVAILABLE NOW IN THE UK!
There aren’t really any more avenues for detective novel writers to go down, each story follows a very similar storyline to the last but still we pick them up. Why? Because some are shite and others are amazing but it’s so hard to tell by just reading the synopsis. This one? Well it’s certainly similar to other novels <i>but</i> it’s refreshingly lighthearted, still managing to tackle dark subjects but in an easy-to-read way.
My one problem with the book that I noticed straight away was <b>too many narrators.</b> Luckily, as the novel went on, it got easier to remember who was who so it wasn’t as annoying as in the beginning but it was a little confusing at the start.
Other than my hatred for having to focus so much on whose chapter it was, I actually liked all of the characters in this book! It was so nice to have a police based book where none of them were arseholes and they all managed to get along, like most colleagues do in the real world! Even the SIO was normal! Though, I will admit, I found reading about Miriam a bit dull, I could have done without most of her stuff.
Manon was such a realistic person, she really reminds me of an actual human being rather than that fuddy duddy police machine type robot you find in so many of the these types of books. I loved that she had a life outside of work that we got to see, that wasn’t only depressing. Granted it was a little sad that she was so lonely but her internet dates were so funny and that made everything a lot nicer to read. Also, her whole spiel on hobbies was hilarious!
<b><i>”I’ve decided to get hobbied up.”
“And how is that going?” asks Davy, with hopefulness that would imply he’d never met Manon.
“Awful. I hate it. I mean, what’s the point of doing something just for the sake of it, when it isn’t your job?”</b></i>
Davy was by far my favourite character in the book. It was so refreshing to find an officer who thoroughly enjoyed their job and time with their colleagues. He was a total sweetheart, I loved him! I also loved the mystery that was Kim, she was a funny ol’ character to have as an extra, just brightening up a scene every now and then with her strangeness.
I felt the plot for this novel was more of a character building plot, rather than a fast paced mystery thriller, but that was something I didn’t mind when it came to this book because all of the characters were worth getting to know.
The resolution of the novel kind of disappointed me. It wasn’t how I would have pictured the missing person's case to have ended up, but I was happy with how the ending chapters gave us an insight into how everyone on the force was doing and how their personal lives ended up.
I’m glad to hear that Manon will be featured in other novels by the author because she was a great character and I will definitely be reading more novels with her in!
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
AVAILABLE NOW IN THE UK!
There aren’t really any more avenues for detective novel writers to go down, each story follows a very similar storyline to the last but still we pick them up. Why? Because some are shite and others are amazing but it’s so hard to tell by just reading the synopsis. This one? Well it’s certainly similar to other novels <i>but</i> it’s refreshingly lighthearted, still managing to tackle dark subjects but in an easy-to-read way.
My one problem with the book that I noticed straight away was <b>too many narrators.</b> Luckily, as the novel went on, it got easier to remember who was who so it wasn’t as annoying as in the beginning but it was a little confusing at the start.
Other than my hatred for having to focus so much on whose chapter it was, I actually liked all of the characters in this book! It was so nice to have a police based book where none of them were arseholes and they all managed to get along, like most colleagues do in the real world! Even the SIO was normal! Though, I will admit, I found reading about Miriam a bit dull, I could have done without most of her stuff.
Manon was such a realistic person, she really reminds me of an actual human being rather than that fuddy duddy police machine type robot you find in so many of the these types of books. I loved that she had a life outside of work that we got to see, that wasn’t only depressing. Granted it was a little sad that she was so lonely but her internet dates were so funny and that made everything a lot nicer to read. Also, her whole spiel on hobbies was hilarious!
<b><i>”I’ve decided to get hobbied up.”
“And how is that going?” asks Davy, with hopefulness that would imply he’d never met Manon.
“Awful. I hate it. I mean, what’s the point of doing something just for the sake of it, when it isn’t your job?”</b></i>
Davy was by far my favourite character in the book. It was so refreshing to find an officer who thoroughly enjoyed their job and time with their colleagues. He was a total sweetheart, I loved him! I also loved the mystery that was Kim, she was a funny ol’ character to have as an extra, just brightening up a scene every now and then with her strangeness.
I felt the plot for this novel was more of a character building plot, rather than a fast paced mystery thriller, but that was something I didn’t mind when it came to this book because all of the characters were worth getting to know.
The resolution of the novel kind of disappointed me. It wasn’t how I would have pictured the missing person's case to have ended up, but I was happy with how the ending chapters gave us an insight into how everyone on the force was doing and how their personal lives ended up.
I’m glad to hear that Manon will be featured in other novels by the author because she was a great character and I will definitely be reading more novels with her in!
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I read this novel as my BookBum Club book for November! Check out <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/297482-bookbum-book-club">this page</a> to find out more about my very own Book Club!
I decided I wanted to read a seasonal book this year and I found this one lurking on my shelf from last year when I also decided I wanted to read a seasonal book but didnt.
Ive reviewed each of the short stories one-by-one. Theres only 4, so its not a massive review, dont worry!
~
<b>The Mistletoe Murder</b>
I really loved the writing in this one! It hooked me straight away. I instantly connected with our narrator, even though shes a bit of an enigma. With short stories, you rarely get to know the characters very well, but I liked how our narrator was strong willed and sassy.
This story is a classic whodunit murder mystery. Not as complex as Christie, but definitely gives off those vibes. The conclusion to the story was pretty obvious, but the last little paragraph bought a smile to my face!
~
<b>A Commonplace Murder</b>
This one takes on a completely different tone from the story before it. Rather than being a cosy murder mystery, this one is that little bit darker. Youre introduced to a not very likeable narrator who holds an innocent mans freedom in his hands.
The story for this one is grittier and dirtier and comes to a shocking conclusion. When I first finished this one, I was adamant I didnt like it, but after letting it brew for a while, I realised that this one is very clever, and since it was published in 1969, was probably innovative for its time, and I can appreciate that!
~
<b>The Boxdale Inheritance</b>
This one was definitely my least favourite of the batch. It was definitely still a nice old school mystery to read about but it wasnt exactly exciting like the last two. This one took me a little longer to read than the others because I was getting distracted by various bits which didnt happen when I read the other two stories.
It was a nice introduction to Dalgliesh, and I think the conclusion of the crime was actually more intricate than the others, but it didnt gel with me like the others did.
~
<b>The Twelve Clues of Christmas</b>
I really liked this story in the collection! I connected with Dalgliesh in this one much more than I did in the other beforehand. I also liked how the characters in this one were sassy and outright with each other.
Even though the crime in this was easily guessable, I really enjoyed the way it was set out and how we came to know about the 12 clues of who committed murder!
~
Even though I hate a modern cosy mysteries, when it comes to old-school ones, I love them! This short story collection was exactly what I needed to help me on the track to enjoying reading again. I read it one sitting, and even though it is a short book, thats not something I do very often, so it really had me hooked!
I decided I wanted to read a seasonal book this year and I found this one lurking on my shelf from last year when I also decided I wanted to read a seasonal book but didnt.
Ive reviewed each of the short stories one-by-one. Theres only 4, so its not a massive review, dont worry!
~
<b>The Mistletoe Murder</b>
I really loved the writing in this one! It hooked me straight away. I instantly connected with our narrator, even though shes a bit of an enigma. With short stories, you rarely get to know the characters very well, but I liked how our narrator was strong willed and sassy.
This story is a classic whodunit murder mystery. Not as complex as Christie, but definitely gives off those vibes. The conclusion to the story was pretty obvious, but the last little paragraph bought a smile to my face!
~
<b>A Commonplace Murder</b>
This one takes on a completely different tone from the story before it. Rather than being a cosy murder mystery, this one is that little bit darker. Youre introduced to a not very likeable narrator who holds an innocent mans freedom in his hands.
The story for this one is grittier and dirtier and comes to a shocking conclusion. When I first finished this one, I was adamant I didnt like it, but after letting it brew for a while, I realised that this one is very clever, and since it was published in 1969, was probably innovative for its time, and I can appreciate that!
~
<b>The Boxdale Inheritance</b>
This one was definitely my least favourite of the batch. It was definitely still a nice old school mystery to read about but it wasnt exactly exciting like the last two. This one took me a little longer to read than the others because I was getting distracted by various bits which didnt happen when I read the other two stories.
It was a nice introduction to Dalgliesh, and I think the conclusion of the crime was actually more intricate than the others, but it didnt gel with me like the others did.
~
<b>The Twelve Clues of Christmas</b>
I really liked this story in the collection! I connected with Dalgliesh in this one much more than I did in the other beforehand. I also liked how the characters in this one were sassy and outright with each other.
Even though the crime in this was easily guessable, I really enjoyed the way it was set out and how we came to know about the 12 clues of who committed murder!
~
Even though I hate a modern cosy mysteries, when it comes to old-school ones, I love them! This short story collection was exactly what I needed to help me on the track to enjoying reading again. I read it one sitting, and even though it is a short book, thats not something I do very often, so it really had me hooked!
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Mercy Snow: A Novel in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/mercy-snow-by-tiffany-baker
<b><i>The real trick to holding two things together, June was coming to see, wasnt how rightly they were bound but how well. Sometimes a loose thread was a saving grace.</b></i>
This is more a review on the characters than the overall novel because the plot took a back step to the characters stories.
Beautiful writing style! Its so elegant and well formed. Easy to read yet full of vivid imagery and scenery. Every character, no matter how small, was really well formed and interesting to read about. Unfortunately, there were some really dislikable characters in this novel.
I thought I liked June, I thought she was a brave outsider doing her best to assimilate but it just turns out shes selfish! You would have thought that a woman who knows what it feels like to be on the outside of everyone else would sympathise with the likes of Mercy and her family, but instead she does whatever she can to get rid of them, all for her own selfish needs and even after she knows how heart broken her son is. I thought maybe it had something to do with Cal, as it was obvious he was angry and controlling at times, but I still couldnt sympathise with her because, in the end, she could have just left the Snows alone, rather than torment and threaten them. <spoiler>She was also everything I hate a woman can be when her partner cheats on her - forgiving and accepting. No. <b>No.</b> Never, ever, ever, ever, ever accept infidelity.</spoiler>
Mercy, of course, was supposed to be every readers hero. She was the kind of person you wish you could be. She was gentle and kind, she was obedient and caring, and most of all, she was selfless. She held no grudges against anyone, even those who were plotting against her, all she wanted to do was help people prove her brother's innocence, and that her family werent the neer-do-wells everyone believed them to be.
Although Mercy was lovely, Hazel was by far my favourite character because she was <i>so genuine.</i> She wasnt perfect, she had her doubts and silly thoughts, <b><i>Hazel supposed she ought to thank her, but instead she felt a hot flush across her chest. They were </i>her<i> sheep, and Fergus was </i>her<i> man,</b></i> but she tried her best to do what was right and that made her a really likable person.
Nate really grew as a character throughout the novel. To begin with, he remained a bit of a nothingy addition to the story, but he gradually became one of the nicest characters to read about. He was so warm and kind, he didnt take after his father at all, which is clearly a good thing! He was a total cutie as well, the part with the lamb birthing almost had my heart melting! (although it was also a little too TMI when it talked about his hand in her really warm uterus . *shudder*)
Cal doesnt even get a paragraph because of what a twat he was.
This was a lovely book, full of morals and thought-provoking subjects. What started out as a bit of a boring and weird read for me, turned into something really wonderful. Im glad I picked this up.
<b><i>The real trick to holding two things together, June was coming to see, wasnt how rightly they were bound but how well. Sometimes a loose thread was a saving grace.</b></i>
This is more a review on the characters than the overall novel because the plot took a back step to the characters stories.
Beautiful writing style! Its so elegant and well formed. Easy to read yet full of vivid imagery and scenery. Every character, no matter how small, was really well formed and interesting to read about. Unfortunately, there were some really dislikable characters in this novel.
I thought I liked June, I thought she was a brave outsider doing her best to assimilate but it just turns out shes selfish! You would have thought that a woman who knows what it feels like to be on the outside of everyone else would sympathise with the likes of Mercy and her family, but instead she does whatever she can to get rid of them, all for her own selfish needs and even after she knows how heart broken her son is. I thought maybe it had something to do with Cal, as it was obvious he was angry and controlling at times, but I still couldnt sympathise with her because, in the end, she could have just left the Snows alone, rather than torment and threaten them. <spoiler>She was also everything I hate a woman can be when her partner cheats on her - forgiving and accepting. No. <b>No.</b> Never, ever, ever, ever, ever accept infidelity.</spoiler>
Mercy, of course, was supposed to be every readers hero. She was the kind of person you wish you could be. She was gentle and kind, she was obedient and caring, and most of all, she was selfless. She held no grudges against anyone, even those who were plotting against her, all she wanted to do was help people prove her brother's innocence, and that her family werent the neer-do-wells everyone believed them to be.
Although Mercy was lovely, Hazel was by far my favourite character because she was <i>so genuine.</i> She wasnt perfect, she had her doubts and silly thoughts, <b><i>Hazel supposed she ought to thank her, but instead she felt a hot flush across her chest. They were </i>her<i> sheep, and Fergus was </i>her<i> man,</b></i> but she tried her best to do what was right and that made her a really likable person.
Nate really grew as a character throughout the novel. To begin with, he remained a bit of a nothingy addition to the story, but he gradually became one of the nicest characters to read about. He was so warm and kind, he didnt take after his father at all, which is clearly a good thing! He was a total cutie as well, the part with the lamb birthing almost had my heart melting! (although it was also a little too TMI when it talked about his hand in her really warm uterus . *shudder*)
Cal doesnt even get a paragraph because of what a twat he was.
This was a lovely book, full of morals and thought-provoking subjects. What started out as a bit of a boring and weird read for me, turned into something really wonderful. Im glad I picked this up.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Other in Books
Jun 6, 2018
(This review can also be found on my blog at <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.co.uk">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was definitely intrigued. One good twin, one bad twin, yup, definitely sounded interesting. However, it took me a long time to get into this book, but I was definitely rewarded with a twist and a great ending!
Niles and Holland are identical twins. Niles is the good one whilst Holland is the bad one, always up to something really bad. Niles worships Holland and would do anything to get Holland's admiration, including making excuses for Holland whenever Holland does a bad deed. What will it take for Niles to realise that Holland isn't all he seems?
The title of this book comes across as being a book about something sinister. I believe there were plenty of better titles the author could have chose for his book though. Whilst it does suit the story, I feel the author missed a trick with the naming of it.
The cover of The Other very much suits it!! I won't say too much because I don't want to give anything away, but once you read this book from start to finish, you'll realise why it suits the book perfectly.
The world building and setting are fantastic! The book takes place around the mid-1900s. I wasn't alive at the time, but the author did a great job in re-creating that era for me. I could actually feel that I was in that moment in time.
The pacing is what really good me. The first two-thirds of the book is really slow, almost painfully. I was tempted to stop reading it and add it to my did not finish pile, but I really hate leaving books unread, so I read on. However, I'm so glad I didn't give up on this book. The last third of the book is amazing! The author nailed the pacing here. I couldn't put the book down once I got to this bit. I was rewarded for my perseverance with a twist I never saw coming as well as an ending that I didn't see coming either.
The dialogue matches the setting. The characters speak as they would from the mid-1900s. I found the dialogue between the characters to be quite entertaining and sometimes funny.
As for the characters, for a long time, I had a hard time relating to them. It wasn't until I started to really enjoy the book and found out the twist that I started caring about the characters. Niles is always aiming to please, a goody two shoes. Holland doesn't really care what anyone thinks. He's his own person and will do anything to get what he wants. Ada comes across as the voice of reason in the book. I found myself wishing that she was my grandmother. My favourite character was Alexandra, the mother of the twins. Although she wasn't featured much in the book, I still really liked her. I think it's because I found myself relating to her the most.
This book definitely isn't what you think it is. It will leave you gobsmacked once you finish it. I'd recommend this book to anyone aged 15+.
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was definitely intrigued. One good twin, one bad twin, yup, definitely sounded interesting. However, it took me a long time to get into this book, but I was definitely rewarded with a twist and a great ending!
Niles and Holland are identical twins. Niles is the good one whilst Holland is the bad one, always up to something really bad. Niles worships Holland and would do anything to get Holland's admiration, including making excuses for Holland whenever Holland does a bad deed. What will it take for Niles to realise that Holland isn't all he seems?
The title of this book comes across as being a book about something sinister. I believe there were plenty of better titles the author could have chose for his book though. Whilst it does suit the story, I feel the author missed a trick with the naming of it.
The cover of The Other very much suits it!! I won't say too much because I don't want to give anything away, but once you read this book from start to finish, you'll realise why it suits the book perfectly.
The world building and setting are fantastic! The book takes place around the mid-1900s. I wasn't alive at the time, but the author did a great job in re-creating that era for me. I could actually feel that I was in that moment in time.
The pacing is what really good me. The first two-thirds of the book is really slow, almost painfully. I was tempted to stop reading it and add it to my did not finish pile, but I really hate leaving books unread, so I read on. However, I'm so glad I didn't give up on this book. The last third of the book is amazing! The author nailed the pacing here. I couldn't put the book down once I got to this bit. I was rewarded for my perseverance with a twist I never saw coming as well as an ending that I didn't see coming either.
The dialogue matches the setting. The characters speak as they would from the mid-1900s. I found the dialogue between the characters to be quite entertaining and sometimes funny.
As for the characters, for a long time, I had a hard time relating to them. It wasn't until I started to really enjoy the book and found out the twist that I started caring about the characters. Niles is always aiming to please, a goody two shoes. Holland doesn't really care what anyone thinks. He's his own person and will do anything to get what he wants. Ada comes across as the voice of reason in the book. I found myself wishing that she was my grandmother. My favourite character was Alexandra, the mother of the twins. Although she wasn't featured much in the book, I still really liked her. I think it's because I found myself relating to her the most.
This book definitely isn't what you think it is. It will leave you gobsmacked once you finish it. I'd recommend this book to anyone aged 15+.