2 stars

Review: Don’t Look Back by Josh Lanyon .. seriously, don’t look. Don’t bother.

3 Comments

Don't Look BackDon’t Look Back by Josh Lanyon

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I listened to the audiobook version of this because someone had asked me about my 2 star rating (sans review) and I had no idea why I’d rated it that way. Funny enough listening to the book I remembered absolutely nothing about it so it was like reading for the first time. I still didn’t like it, so apparently my tastes haven’t changed that much. I found the story plodding, silly, and disliked the main character a lot. I liked the concept of the story quite a bit and think written in a different way it would have been a real hit. Unfortunately I found JL’s handling of the idea clunky, obvious, and not entertaining sadly. I know other people who loved it so ymmv. Continue reading →

Review: ZA: And the Dead Shall Rise by I.D. Locke .. Hopefully the dead will eat the living

Leave a comment

ZA: And the Dead Shall RiseZA: And the Dead Shall Rise by I.D. Locke

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I love a good apocalypse story and zombies can add a great humorous element. I haven’t read any other books in this series but I really struggled with this one. Some of time the story would be entertaining and pages would fly by but then I’d get annoyed by the same issues and I’d not read for several days. It’s not a bad book, it’s just too coincidental and repetitive. I read somewhere a coincidence that lands the characters in a problem is good but a coincidence that gets them out of the problem is lazy. I feel as if that quote typifies exactly what went wrong with ZA: And the Dead Shall Rise, there are so many lazy coincidences that keep life extremely easy for the main characters. Continue reading →

Review: His Client #1 & 2 by Ava March … Meh, more of the same

Leave a comment

His Client (His Client, #1)His Client by Ava March

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ava March’s regency mm books are always easy and enjoyable to read. His Client takes a familiar and classic framework and gives it a happy ending with a small taste of kink along the way. Jasper is a hooker in love with his client, Nate. Nate visits Jasper as a way to have sex but also lament his long standing infatuation with his straight best friend. When said best friend gets married Jasper is beyond exasperated by Nate’s despondency. Despite efforts to get Nate to see that Jasper is in love with him, Nate refuses to see the truth. Thus Jasper leaves the whoring life, forcing Nate to follow and see the truth.

The story is fun, quick, and enjoyable. It’s clear Nate and Jasper are well suited with a small bit of kink and role playing thrown in for some extra spice. It’s not much and I doubt anyone will be bothered by the inclusion since the main thrust of the story is all about the two men’s inability to recognize each other’s feelings. They of course work things out well in the end with a satisfying resolution. For such a fast read this novella was delightful and another solid March book. Easily recommended for both fans of the author and those new to her work.

His Request (His Client, #2)His Request by Ava March

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a free follow-up to His Client and it includes a roleplaying sex scene – doctor and patient hehe – and some nice progression in the main couple’s romantic relationship. It’s as well written as any of March’s books and the fact that it’s free is a surprising but nice bonus. It shows the couple very happy and well equipped to have a happy ending while communicating about their various needs. It’s one of the few follow ups that makes me feel as though the couple really could live HEA.

View all my reviews

Review: Gemini by Clancy Nacht and Thursday Euclid… sex next to a dead body never tasted as sweet

Leave a comment

GeminiGemini by Clancy Nacht

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is kind of a weird book that I’m not sure how to characterize. It’s a shoot ‘em up action style story with a lot of hot sex but the actual plot is convoluted and totally unbelievable. I can get behind a book that needs considerable suspension of disbelief, but Gemini stretches it too far. To accept the sequence of actions and villains in the plot, the good guys don’t come across so well. It’s certainly an attention grabber and I think for those readers that are instantly engaged and absorbed, the flaws may not matter. But as soon as the flaws are noticed, I think it’s a downhill ride to an unsatisfying finish unfortunately. Continue reading →

Review: Threshold by Jordan L. Hawk .. where has the magic gone?

Leave a comment

Threshold (Whyborne & Griffin, #2)Threshold by Jordan L. Hawk

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Clearly I’m an extremely odd man out on this one. I haven’t read any reviews but just skimming the good reads page I can see a plethora of 4 and 5 stars so clearly almost everyone loved this book. Even those readers I tend to agree with absolutely loved this book so I’m left wondering what the hell I missed. I’m actually very serious about this – not trying to create discord but could someone please tell me what exactly I’m missing that everyone else loved? I want to like this! I think the author is a very good writer but somehow the plot just seemed ridiculous to me and the characters took a turn from adorable and charming to I hope the crab people kill them. I’m very sad about this and even more so considering I quite liked the first book in the series. Maybe it was the narrator. Continue reading →

Review: Benjamin Pepperwhistle and the Fantabulous Circus of Wonders

Leave a comment

Benjamin Pepperwhistle and the Fantabulous Circus of Wonders
Benjamin Pepperwhistle and the Fantabulous Circus of Wonders by Cornelia Grey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I like this author and she’s done some really incredible short stories, however, this one is just straight up weird. It’s not so much that I personally don’t have a gun fetish, because I can read a great number of stories where I don’t share the particular proclivity, but more so that the characters, behavior, and more so the writing were just overwrought and uninteresting. The gun kink is of course the theme but it’s the only aspect to the entire story. There is literally nothing else to the draw the reader’s attention. If someone has a deep and abiding love of the depiction of a gun fetish, perhaps this will be a hit with them. Otherwise I can’t really see whom this will appeal to, but ymmv. Continue reading →

Review: Panic

Leave a comment

Panic
Panic by Lauren Oliver
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I found Panic to be mildly interesting with great potential but ultimately failed under the weight of its own angst. The story itself has so much possibility and Oliver has the storytelling capability of making this an incredible book. Unfortunately she commits a cardinal YA sin of not actually advancing her characters from their initial weak, immature, and irritating teen behaviors to much more mature, developed, and rational young adults. Instead they simply get a happy ending without any consequences to their truly dangerous and immature actions while having learned absolutely nothing over the course of what should be a transformative summer. Some readers have said this is similar to Hunger Games or Divergent, which it’s not in any way. Both of those are rip offs of Battle Royale and Panic is a study of desperate immature teenagers with no future because they’re too stupid to actually grow up. Totally different books. Continue reading →