Review: Ship Wrecked

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
RATING: 1.5 STARS
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Sighs.

2022 has become a very lackluster reading year for me and after selecting “Ship Wrecked” among the numerous ARCs I failed to complete this year (a story for another time), I was really hoping for a win. Ha! Why do I always get my hopes up to only watch it crash and burn?

All in all, I didn’t like “Ship Wrecked” as much as I thought I would. The body positivity and plus size representation, yes. Everything else, no. The first few chapters were barely decent but it slowly started spiraling before I’ve even reached the 10-20% mark. The only chapter that is worth the read is chapter one. That’s all folks!

One of the noticeable issues of the book I had was the pacing. It was horrendous. As a reader, it's a vital part of any story and it was pretty much non-existent. One moment we’re with the main characters, Peter and Maria’s, one night stand scene then the next we’re transported a number of years later where their relationship betters for the worse all within the same sentences. Half the time I didn’t know where I was at with the out-of-whack jumps throughout and essentially found myself less and less enthused in finishing this read.

Additionally, readers were left out the loop on Peter’s and Maria’s relationship building and development, and it felt like we just had to trust the author’s word on it. Ugh no. That is typically my favorite aspect of a romance novel. Seeing how the characters interact and grow after pinning and finally getting together.

Despite the author being new to me—the likelihood of me reading from Olivia Dade is zero to none. Don’t waste your time in picking this up. You’re welcome.

Review: To Swoon and to Spar

To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters
RATING: 2 STARS
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Martha Waters has always been a hit or miss for me and surprise surprise! I unsurprisingly got nothing from this.

The storyline was dull with an ill paced plot that was essentially non-existent. Perhaps it was just me but I felt like I was reading the same paragraph over and over again—making it quite obvious the writing style left much to be desired. Then the biggest issue I came across were the main characters, Jane (intolerable) and Penvale (tolerable). They were terribly boring and poorly written. The lack of character traits that typically can draw readers in the storyline and the world that the author created were MIA. With that being said, I can't fail to mention the romance. Absolutely lackluster. Where was the chemistry? Where was the tension? Why were they such a boring AF couple?

Ugh. To put it bluntly—"To Swoon and to Spar" was an uneventful romance with one dimensional characters that would put you to sleep. I was really hoping for the swooning enemies to lovers banterful romance the synopsis made it out to be. But like I said—I got a whole lotta nada. 10/10 won't recommend it.

Review: The Haunting of Alejandra

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro
RATING: 3 STARS
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“The Haunting of Alejandra” touched on heavy topics such as mental health, toxic and unhealthy relationships, abuse, myths/legends, hauntings and more. Most importantly: La Llorona. 

If you weren’t already aware—"The Weeping Woman" or "The Wailer" is a Hispanic-American mythical vengeful ghost—better known as La Llorona—who is said to roam waterfront areas mourning her children whom she drowned. Growing up in a Hispanic household, my brothers and I were told of the folktale when we were young and being firm believers that she is real—I was immediately drawn to this story and was anticipating the author's take on this infamous being.

Was I disappointed by this take? Yes and no. From page one, I was immersed by the eerie atmosphere, realistic and broken down characters (Alejandra for obvious reasons), the story and the background of “The Weeping Woman ''.

The slow build up for the first 80% of the novel was absolute perfection. The author had a unique writing style that fit perfectly with the novel’s themes and despite it being hard to frighten someone with the written word—there were moments where I felt like something was about to jump through the pages. And I think if the author continued this momentum in the remaining 20% of the novel, this would have received a 5/5 star rating.

What dropped the initial high rating I was going to provide this new to me author? The climax. Once we reached the climax, the story took a 180 and lost its momentum as the build up and suspense was often scarier and more fun than the payoff. I was not satisfied with the rushed ending and wished the author took the time to really flesh it out even if it meant adding additional chapters.

Nonetheless, with some revisions and reworkings—“The Haunting of Alejandra” has the potential to be one of the best reads of 2023.  

Review: A House With Good Bones

A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
RATING: 1.5 STARS
DNF: 63%
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Based on the ratings, I may be one of the few that had a terrible time reading this. “A House With Good Bones” was a bore and once I reached the halfway mark, I just couldn’t find it in myself to finish the remainder.

The synopsis checked off everything I enjoy in a suspense/horror novel. Like who doesn’t like to read about haunted houses, possible ghosts/demons and with creepy vultures thrown in? Nonetheless, the pacing was too slow and the passages seemed drawn out. Maybe it was just me but a whole lot of nothing happened beside the small photo capture of a hand after the 60% that literally did nothing for me. I quickly dropped the novel after that.

Additionally the characters were bland AF. Sam, the main character, of the novel had a very interesting background, but personality-wise, very one-dimensional. The grandmother, mother, and gardener had more depth and caught my interest.

I can’t pinpoint if I am being affected by the reading slump or I am being picky, but this doesn’t live up to the hype but considering how the author is a fan favorite, I may go back to read other works to see if it’s really me or this novel in general.

Review: Two Wrongs Make a Right

Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese
RATING: 3 STARS
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“Sorry before I start, I need to go off on a rant—WTF was that shit at the 90% mark?! It was a half assed attempt to stir unnecessary drama between the leads. I almost threw my Kindle across the room. Why do authors ALWAYS do this especially if we're mere pages away from the finale?! Couldn't that fuckery drop in the middle?! Uggggh, my blood pressure is through the roof.

NOW BACK TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING.

“Two Wrongs Make a Right” is a Shakespeare ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ opposites attract inspired romance novel that features a neurodivergent couple: Beatrice (Bea) is on the autism spectrum and Jamie (Wes) has anxiety. They started off on the wrong foot but gradually started to warm up to each other and soon discovered a deeply compatible partnership. After joining forces to seek revenge on her twin sister, Jules, and Jamie’s roommate, Jean-Claude—the fake dating ensues causing miscommunication, sexual tension, and bubbling feelings to come to the surface—leaving readers wanting more with this fake dating, autism spectrum, opposites attract romance.

Compared to most recent romance releases, “Two Wrongs Make a Right” was a breath of fresh air and the reimagining of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ was everything I hoped for and more. It was a terribly cute read with realistic and by far the most relatable characters I have read in a long, long time.

I absolutely loved how they both equally pinned for each other but the fear of ruining the fake relationship blossoming friendship frightened the couple. Plus the LGBTQIA representation was another greatly added addition to the novel and how open all the characters were top notch.

But… The side plot of Jean-Claude and Jules, and his friendship/relationship with Jamie baffle me. How are you a pediatrician and have a roommate? The astrology bits were a nuisance and that ending. Once again… WTF. Nonetheless, the HEA is there and I can honestly consider this better than the "Bergman Brothers" series which I had found to be long and drawn out.

Lastly—Did I spot a little something something brewing between Kate and Chris? A possible enemies to lovers in the making? I am livin’ for it.

 

Review: The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond

The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond by Amanda Glaze
RATING: 4 STARS
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“The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond” follows the story of seventeen-year-old twins who, just like their belated mother, are powerful mediums. The gifts that have been passed down from their mother, split into two—Violet can open the veil between life and death, and Edie can cross into the spirit world—unfortunately couldn’t save them when their mother died in the veil and their father threatened to commit them to a notorious asylum one year prior.

The night of their mother’s passing, the twins became runaways and now are part of a traveling Spiritualist show, a tight-knit group of young women who demonstrate their real talents under the guise of communing with spirits. Each night, actresses, poets, musicians, and orators all make contact with spirits who happen to have something to say. But when Violet’s act goes terribly wrong one night, Edie learns that the dark spirit (what I would deem as the “Shadow Man”) responsible for their mother’s death has crossed into the land of the living. As Edie investigates the identity of her mysterious final client, N.D, she quickly realizes that someone… or something is hunting mediums and they may be next. Not wanting to cause Violet fear, Edie keeps the secrets of not only the dark presence that has surface but the reason cause of death of their love one is causing a wavering bond among the twins—Edie soon realizes she can’t only trust herself to uncover a killer who will stop at nothing to cheat death.

If that synopsis doesn’t push you to pick this book up this holiday season, I don’t know what would. I can’t begin to describe how much I thoroughly enjoyed this YA paranormal murder mystery book. I came in with low, low expectations and was blown away by the author's research (asylums, women’s rights during the era, society in the late 1800s, spirituality, etc.), writing style, great assemblage of characters (Laws has my heart!), themes, perfect mix of genres that I am living for, pacing, storyline and surprisingly enough, the mild romance that typically tends to fail time and time again in other YA paranormal books. Another thing I was highly impressed by was the fact that each of the sisters had their own identity. They had their unique personalities, quirks, abilities, strengths, and opinions—despite that, there was a strong sense of understanding between them.

Despite the raving review, I do want to point out the one thing that I highly dislike was the lack of Violet. Her skills and gifts were only showcased during the later book of the novel but all throughout, the story primarily focused on Edie. Maybe it’s just me but I really wanted Violet to more heavily involved in the murder mystery investigation.

Altogether, “The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond '' downright unputdownable and has become the first YA I have come across in a long time that lives up to the hype. Across the board—a phenomenal read I know I will pick up time and time again this spooky season.

Review: The Bodyguard

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
RATING: 1.5 STARS

DNF: 67%
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“The Bodyguard” synopsis drew me in with its refreshing premise but I soon came to realize it was too good to be true (like everything else in my life). The read felt juvenile, the storyline/plot was a snoozefest, the characters were awkward AF, and based on their behavior—I kept forgetting they were adults. I had to re-read the synopsis to make sure I didn’t pick up a YA/NA romance novel.

Additionally—the characters were very one-dimensional and I struggled to connect with either Hannah or Jack. As a bodyguard, Hannah did a whole lot of standing around and being walked all over by her boss, ex-boyfriend, ex-best friend, and hell—even Jack. Where was the ‘tough guy’ exterior that is supposed to come with being a bodyguard? Poor girl wasn’t born with a backbone. Honestly, I was far more intrigued by the corgi stalker than anything else.

And I can’t fail to mention that the ‘romance’ left much to be desired. This bland Wattpad wannabe Hallmark movie was altogether a waste of time but if you’re a masochist like myself—10/10 would highly recommend it!

If you want to read more as to why you shouldn't read this horrendous novel, give Matilda's review a whirl.

Review: Pride & Puppies

Pride & Puppies by Lizzie Shane
RATING: 2.5 STARS 
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Just like many before, “Pride & Puppies” is a Jane Austen inspired modern-day romance featuring a MC who is well obsessed with… Jane Austen. Like almost every other page, ‘Darcy’, ‘Blingley’ and ‘Jane’ are mentioned obsessed. Was it annoying to the point you couldn’t help but roll your eyes when the forsaken three were mentioned? Ab·so·lute·ly.

Despite my digressions, Charlotte (“Charles” by her wannabe Darcy) is single again after dumping her cheating boyfriend, Jeff. After a wild night of venting with her best girlfriends with a strong bottle of liquor in her hands, she decides it’s time to swear off men… for six months at least and get a puppy that she always dreamt of and who would love her unconditionally—forming the Puppy Pact. Cue in her neighbor, co-worker and friend George—who has been pining for her since the moment he arrived at Pine Hollow—providing pet advice and being a shoulder to lean on as Charlotte rediscovers herself and what love should mean to her. Amidst that, George announces he’s contemplating a cross-country move which then spirals Charlotte's emotions out of whack and pushes her to realize she may have less than friendly feelings for him. Mixed emotions, miscommunications, should they shouldn’t they drama upfolds—leaving me much to desire.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to connect with either MCs—George and especially Charlotte. I found her to be pushy, messy and just plain annoying. In regards to the romantic components—the chemistry and flirting was practically non-existent. In all honesty, I truly didn’t believe Charlotte's feelings were genuine for George and the romance seemed too forced, especially after she discovered his decision to possibly move back home and her sudden ‘realization of her feelings’. They worked better as friends than lovers. Let’s not forget Jane Austen obsession and references were too much of the focal point of this novel.

All in all, a strong engaging start but once the wishy-washy back-and-forth with Charles and George began, I started to tune out. It gradually became worse towards the later half of the novel when Charlotte proclaimed she was in love with the real life Blingley. It just was not believable nor did the romance stand out. I was far more intrigued by the side characters and their stories. Nonetheless, not the worst Jane Austen inspired romance novel I have read but it could have been better.

Review: This Vicious Grace

This Vicious Grace by Emily Thiede
RATING: 2 STARS
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“This Vicious Grace” synopsis pretty much describes the plot to the T. Alessa, the main character, has gone through three weddings and three funerals to find the right suitor who does not die from her touch. With only weeks left until a hungry swarm of demons devours everything, Alessa, who becomes desperate to survive, hires the “Wolf”, the cringey nickname for Dante, an outcast marked as a killer, to become her personal bodyguard after a priest convinces the faithful that killing Alessa is the island’s only hope, pushing her own soldiers to try to assassinate her in her sleep.

Que in fantasy, dark secrets, betrayal, and romance (I could have done without) and we’re all left with “This Vicious Grace”. Based on the initial plot and characters, this YA fantasy had potential, but I had trouble wrapping my head around the curse. Barely any details were provided throughout the story and it left me wanting more.

In general, this novel left much to be desired. Besides what was mentioned above—the worldbuilding was MIA, the storyline was mediocre and far too predictable (and dare I say convenient?!), the god-divine magic system was vague AF, the dialogue was piss poor and the characters with their non-believable romance—blah. I can’t fail to mention the anticlimactic battle scenes. Ha. In all honesty, does the author really expect readers to enjoy this when we were left with the bare minimum? Probably.

All in all, this ‘high-stakes’ fantasy did absolutely nothing for me and reading the sequel isn’t even a possibility. But if you are looking for a cheesy YA fantasy romance smother with the overused grumpy bodyguard trope, give this a go. I’m sure you’ll love it.