3 stars

Review: A Chip in His Shoulder

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A Chip in His Shoulder
A Chip in His Shoulder by L.A. Witt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Chip in His Shoulder by LA Witt is a really good and often used idea in science fiction. There are a few fresh twists and a brief attempt at tension but overall the story is interesting and fun to read. Where the novella stumbles though is on the pacing and content. There is too much that is skipped over and summarized leaving a very rushed and choppy feel. The world building is decent for the length but sadly leaves out so much. I wish this had been a fully fleshed out novel with solid world building and complete characters; instead it reads like the first book of a series and not a satisfying stand-alone. Continue reading →

Review: Riot Boy

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Riot Boy
Riot Boy by Katey Hawthorne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I wasn’t sure what to expect from Riot Boy and I’m glad I took the chance on it. It’s a fun, super sexy erotic ride with well done punk and a dash of supernatural to top it all off. The story is mostly erotica, made up of numerous back-to-back sex scenes with a few breaks in between. Most of the plot takes place off page and the relationship develops exclusively through sex. Although this may require some suspension of disbelief I really enjoyed the writing and the sex is incredibly hot so I went along for the ride. The plot isn’t very well fleshed out nor is the supernatural element but it’s still a fun, hot read that I’d recommend for those looking for something easy and entertaining. Continue reading →

Review: First Watch

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First Watch
First Watch by Peter Hansen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m not really sure what category First Watch falls into, more sci-fi than anything else with a somewhat vague romantic thread and ending. I quite like the writing and the sci-fi bent with Edouard endebted to some sea creature for his life but the ending feels too easy and the romance feels thrown in and rushed. Despite these stumbles, I think First Watch stands out as unique, captivating, and worth reading. I’m interested to see what else the author has to offer but I’m leery about anything with a pseudo romance attached. I think the sci-fi elements are considerably stronger and better executed than the romantic additions. Continue reading →

Review: Pretty Monsters

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Pretty Monsters
Pretty Monsters by Andrea Speed

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the first Andrea Speed story I’ve read and it makes me want to start on her backlist immediately. The story is only a few pages, barely enough to grab your attention but it does. The premise is pretty simple and it’s one I’ve seen before but that doesn’t mitigate the cute and fun details the author included. It’s a nice little story that whets your appetite but it’s not long enough or meaty enough *cough* to satisfy just yet. Continue reading →

Review: Tonight or Else

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Tonight or Else
Tonight or Else by M. King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Tonight or Else is a fantasy story with an unusual ending. It’s exactly the kind of story I expect from King, mythical with a lot of exaggerated details and a compelling narrator. I like how King’s stories are always different with a darker tone than most in this genre and although there is rarely a happy ending, the characters emerge strong and vibrant at the end. Continue reading →

Review: Dance With Me

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Dance With Me
Dance With Me by Heidi Cullinan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a bit of a difficult review to write because while the book is decent, I didn’t particularly enjoy reading it. I’m not entirely sure why except I couldn’t connect to either character and thus never really cared about them together. Due to this the story somewhat bored me and I found myself sometimes skimming just to finish. There are a lot of great elements in the story that should work together to form a moving, memorable story. I like the individual characters but together I never really bought into their dynamic and I didn’t like some of the choices the story made. Overall this one just didn’t work for me unfortunately, but judging by the popularity of the story it might just be me. Continue reading →

Review: Prove It

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Prove It
Prove It by Chris Owen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Prove It is a sweet tale, filled with a lot of humor and background. It’s short and easy to read in one sitting, but the romantic connection never really worked for me. I like the slow build up and the extensive background information on all the characters. I like the use of the third best friend and his gf quite a bit but overall the main romantic connection felt more like an afterthought and awkward than real and important. I still enjoyed reading this story for a number of reasons but never really bought into the late added romance. Continue reading →