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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

February 6, 2020 by Steph Leave a Comment

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. MaasA Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Published by Bloomsbury USA Children's Buy for Kindle | Buy in hardcover | Buy in paperback
Goodreads

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

So, I wanted to love this book. When I finished it, I did love this book, in fact. But the more I thought about it after I finished, the more iffy I got about it. (Maybe this is a sign of a good book, though. I was thinking about it after I finished it, so that should count for something?)

First, the plot borrowed heavily from Beauty & the Beast. (Not necessarily the Disney franchise, btw.) There were times it was distracting because of this. I kept making little checkmarks on my “Was this in Beauty & the Beast” list. I don’t mind stories having similar plots to old favorites, so it wasn’t a huge problem, but I feel like people should be aware of this upfront.

Second, there’s a scene midway that breaks the book into halves, and it seems like during that scene, the author sort of switched courses a bit. The second half of the book felt like a completely different book altogether. It wasn’t necessarily a bad course correction, but it felt a little abrupt and jarring.

Toward the end of the book, it honestly felt a bit like she was up against a deadline and had to get it done. (I’m assuming this is because it’s a series, and she needed a break point.) And the ending left me with more than a few questions which I’m hoping are going to be answered in the next books.

Also, the character development was a little dicey at times. Authors sometimes forget we’re not in their heads, so we do need a little exposition or explanation. Overall, though, I enjoyed the characters a lot. I felt like it was a new, fresh take on an old story, and the characters were endearing for the most part.

All in all, this book was a solid, fun read. The author is good at “showing not telling,” and that goes a long way to making a good read, I think. (She’s a storyteller who writes well, and that’s a rare commodity. I’m a huge fan of folks who tell stories instead of writers who are writing, if that makes sense.)

I’m definitely not mad I spent time on it like I have been with other books. (Those reviews are coming, I swear!) I plan on reading the next novel in the series, and provided it’s at least as good as this one, I’ll likely read the last of this trilogy.

So, have you read this book/series? What were your thoughts?

Note: apparently reworking classic fairy tales is kind of this author’s thing. Good to know.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: new adult, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, young adult

Free Book of the Day: I Bring the Fire series.

January 5, 2018 by Steph Leave a Comment

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Free Book of the Day: I Bring the Fire series.by C. Gockel
Published by Amazon Digital Services Buy for Kindle
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Sometimes the hero is the wrong guy at the right time.

When Amy Lewis prays for a savior, Loki Norse God of Mischief and Chaos isn’t who she has in mind. Loki can’t resist Amy’s summons, but he can insist she help him outwit Odin, ruler of the Nine Realms. Can Amy trust a so-called God of Mischief? With a powerful evil calling him from beneath the city's streets, can Loki even trust himself?

This box set contains the first three installments of I Bring the Fire plus In the Balance. It is perfect for fans of The Dresden Files, American Gods, and Terry Pratchett.

So, my IDKBFF, Missy, introduced me to this series a while back, and I really, really loved it. Enough so that I bought the rest of the series, and y’all. I don’t buy books very often. There are entirely too many free options. (As you know since you’re here grabbing a free book right now!)

It’s a modern take on Norse mythology (with a little bit of Hinduism and maybe some Buddhism thrown in), and it’s also pretty damn sexy. (It’s not really erotica, though. At least not in my opinion. Just a good ol’ action romance. Is that a thing? It is now.) Since I don’t do spoilers, how about just read the books?

Also, let’s establish right now most of what I read and review will be rated M for Mature. I’ll note it when a book is okay for younger kids, but that’s not really my thing. Maybe I could get Tricia to write reviews? Hmm…

ANYWAY, please let me know what you think. Don’t be scared; Missy and I won’t come to your house and demand you explain yourself if you hate it. Well, probably we won’t.

four-half-stars

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: buy more books, daily free books, free books, free Kindle books, Friday Favorites

Free Book of the Day: Karma.

January 4, 2018 by Steph Leave a Comment

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.
Free Book of the Day: Karma.Karma by Donna Augustine
Buy for Kindle | Buy in paperback
Goodreads

People say karma's a...well, you know. Personally, I don't think I'm that bad. It's not like I wanted this job. I wasn't even in my right mind when I accepted the position.
Now, I'm surrounded by crazy coworkers like Lady Luck, who's a bit of a tramp, and Murphy's Law, who's a bumbling oaf. But the worst is Fate. He's got a problem with transfers like myself, and I have to see him constantly. It's unavoidable. We're hunting the same man—my murderer.

So, I’m going to switch things up a little around here. Rather than just throwing a bunch of free books at you and hoping one sticks, I’m going to offer one free book I’ve actually read. That way you know you’re getting a solid recommendation instead of just a shitload more books to add to your TBR pile. Also, it’s self-preservation, y’all. My TBR shelf on Goodreads is getting out of control.

This was one of the very first free books I got, and I LOVE it. The whole series is actually pretty good (but not free!). Since I’m not about the spoiler life, I’m not going to go into huge detail about the plot. Overview: Karma is a real person who has to work with other anthropomorphized concepts like Fate, Luck, etc.

It’s a fun, light read for ADULTS. I don’t recall it being filled with loads of graphic sex scenes, but there were definitely some sexy scenes. Violence wasn’t a major issue, either, but again – it was present. So maybe don’t use this as a chapter book for your fourth grader is what I’m saying here. But hey, you do you.

Please let me know what YOU think; I’d love to steer toward books y’all will love. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ll be happy to the boss of you, but you know, it’s okay to speak up is what I’m saying.

Filed Under: Reviews Tagged With: magic, paranormal romance, urban fantasy

Hi, I’m Steph!

I'm reading books (mostly) from Kindle Unlimited so you don't have to...unless they're awesome and well-worth your valuable reading time.

You're welcome. 😂

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