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Pebbles came for a visit today.

Level Hands (Bend or Break, #4) by Amy Jo Cousins

I received this book as an ARC through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I was really disappointed by this book. I liked what I saw of Rafi and Denny in the last book, and I thought that their budding relationship was sweet. I was very excited to read this book, but Rafi drove me nuts in this book. I understand his frustrations, and his fears, but I did not like the way he took them out on the people around him, especially Denny. He blew so hot and cold throughout the course of this book. One minute he loved Denny and the next minute he knew that they didn't fit, and it would never work. It frustrated me especially because it was all Rafi making decisions for Denny, and never sitting down, and talking it out like adults. I liked that Denny got mad, and Denny pushed back, but he seemed a bit too good to be true, and he was always waiting not matter how much Rafi hurt him. He was almost a bit too much of a martyr.



I also didn't appreciate Rafi's attitude towards his new home. It seems like he never really tried to understand the area where his college was located, and took for granted that the white kids around him were just as well off as Denny. I didn't like all of his comments about "New England white boys" kind of drove me crazy. You want to be treated as an individual and not a stereotype, and I appreciate that, but maybe you should extend the same courtesy to others. That and maybe learn a little more about New England. Just a bit.



The plot was a bit slow, and so much of it felt like Rafi's own self created drama that I had a hard time really feeling badly for him. Things started to change towards the ending, but by that time it felt like too little too late, and I just didn't care enough.



mle        

The Possession of Lawrence Eugene Davis by E.E. Ottoman

I received this book as an ARC though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked this book. The Depression era setting was well drawn, and it really made me feel like I was there. I liked how Lawrence's experiences, and injuries from the war played into the story. I think this setting also added to the atmosphere of the story, and the dust, and the war added to the horror of the supernatural elements. I loved the ghost story, and the possession. It was dark, and creepy, and just the sort of story I like. The characters were well drawn, and I was glad it was more a story of attraction than any sort of destined love. I think love is in their future, but it didn't feel forced, or unnatural, and I appreciate that. The ending was well done, and fit this story very nicely. Overall I really enjoyed it.
mle

Wolf, WY (Wolf #1) by A.F. Henley

I received this book as an ARC though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I found the characters to be interesting, and well developed. I liked Randy very much. He was far from a perfect character, and I really enjoyed seeing him grow over the course of the story. I took a little while longer to warm up to Vaughn. He came across as more than a bit of a controlling jerk at first, but I learned to see beyond that, and it helped that Randy never let Vaughn push him too far, and he wasn't afraid to push back either. I liked the different take on werewolves, and it was interesting seeing the challenges of Vaughn and Lyle's relationship, and how Randy's presence played into that. I liked that Randy was far from a pawn, and he was able to stand for himself, and didn't need anyone to save him. I liked the secondary cast. Vaughn's kids were cute, but not obnoxiously so. I really enjoyed Randy's dad as well, and how much he supported Randy. It was nice to see the father as the nurturing one for a change. The plot was well paced, and interesting. I liked how the relationship developed at a natural pace, and there was no real talk of destined mates, or anything silly like that. I'm really looking forward to reading more.

mle

The Girl Next Door by Amy Jo Cousins

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit I was a little leery when I saw that the third book in this series was going to be a het romance. I have nothing against het romance, but I've been reading them for over 20 years, and I'm more than a little burned out on the genre. I was pleasantly surprised that this was far from the same old same old het romance.



I really loved Cash. I loved how much he cared about his friends, and how respectful he was of those around him. I liked how secure he was in his own sexuality, and how open minded his was when it came to his own pleasure, and other people's sexuality. I liked how he took ownership of his own feelings, and didn't hold Steph responsible for his jealousy. I also liked that he wasn't perfect, and how deeply insecure he was about what he saw as his own limits. I liked how those insecurities made him more sensitive to other people, and more willing to ask for help. He was far from the typical alpha male douche that populates a lot of het romance.



I liked Steph as well. It was nice to have such a strong, confident female that wasn't a complete bitch. I don't know why so many authors seem to equate female strength with bitchiness, but they do. I liked that she was bisexual, and I loved that she was sexually confident, and adventurous. No shy stereotypical virgin trope either. I appreciated that she was the character who had the most trouble committing to a relationship, with understandable reasons, and it was nice to see it was more Cash pining for Steph than the other way around. I love it when a trope gets turned on its head. I loved their banter, and the balance of the relationship felt very equal to me, which I also appreciated.



The plot of the book was nicely paced, and I loved how the entire book wasn't focused on the relationship. It was nice to see Cash come into his own, and see how much he changed over the course of story. I loved the secondary cast, and how they played into the main narrative. The resolution felt well done, and I loved the pacing of the romance. One of the best romance novels I've read hands down.

 

 

mle

Yes please

Oh okay

 

Frivolous Pursuits by D.C. Farmer

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. Even thought it was on the lighter side there was enough serious discussion, and consequences that kept it from being too silly or fluffy. The characters were interesting, and well developed, and I liked that their eccentricities were only a part of who they were. They were all real people, and not a joke. For me Darren's friendship with Sanjay was the highlight of the book, and I loved how much they supported each other. Darren's girlfriend Amanda was truly nasty, but not in a terribly over the top sort of way, and, judging by her family, she comes by it naturally.

The plot was well thought out, and engaging. I liked how things came together, and how everyone had a role to play. There were elements, both in plot and character, that were a bit larger than life, but it fit the mood of the story well. The writing was witty, and fun without feeling like it was trying to hard. I appreciated that the author was able to get across the message of the story without it feeling too heavy handed or preachy. Overall a fun, and engaging read.

mle

Evolution by Sam Kadence

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There were aspects of this book I found interesting. I thought the idea of vampires was just a bit different, and I liked that they were deadly, and scary as well as attractive. I thought that idea worked well with the music industry in this book, and I liked how those angles played out. The other supernatural creatures were interesting as well, and worked well into the book's mythology.

The characters fell a bit flat to me, and while there were some secondary characters I liked, the main characters didn't do much for me. I found Gene's innocence to be annoying rather than endearing, and his inability to see the truth that was practically beating him over the head drove me crazy. I thought his family history was interesting, if a bit melodramatic. I also found him to be a bit to inconsistent in his character. At times he felt too forgiving, and at times I found his lack of understanding frustrating. I found KC to bit a bit too much of an ass. The constant battle between wanting to keep Gene close, and to drive him away "for his own good" was wearing on me. I understood his self hatred, but it was just too much for me. I found reading his point of view to be grating, and I never was able to get to a point where I felt I liked him at all.



I didn't like the relationship aspects in this book at all. Gene is just too innocent, too naïve, and a bit too stupid to live. He falls head over heels for KC too quickly not matter how poorly he treated him. I know he felt like it was destined to be, but it just felt too forced. I needed something, anything more to make their relationship seem more real, and less like a crush that Gene was forcing onto an unwilling KC. I also found Gene's insistence on ignoring friends', very valid, concerns about KC to be worrying, and added to my dislike of the character.



The non-romantic plot line was well done, for the most part and I liked the arc at the end with Gene's band mate very much. Had this story not worked so hard to drive KC and Gene together, and Gene had a bit, okay, a lot more common sense I might have enjoyed this story very much, but it was not for me.



mle

On the Clock by L.A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov

I received this book as an ARC though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I took me a little while to get into this book, and I'm not quite sure why. I think I was probably in the wrong mood when I started, but, once I got into it, I was hooked. The characters were interesting, and fully developed people. I loved their interactions, both sexual and platonic, and I loved that their connection wasn't simply physical. I loved Blake's and his respect for Jason. He never looked down on Jason, and always treated him like the professional he was. I really liked his thoughts on the business aspects of Jason's work. I really liked Jason as well. He was smart, and funny, and I liked how much he enjoyed his work.

The sex in this story was particularly steamy, and I loved how Blake's voyeurism kink worked into the story. I also found his attitude towards his own jealousy to be refreshing. I loved the humor in this story. I found myself reading large parts of it to Elspeth because I loved it so much. It really made me laugh, and I loved how in worked into the main plot of the story. It helped me buy into the developing relationship between Blake and Jason.

The ending was well done, and it fit both character well. I was glad that the authors didn't play into what might have been a typical ending for these characters, and instead wrote something that was much more honest for these two. It made things feel much more like real life and a lot less like Pretty Woman. One of my new favorites of the series.



mle

Storytime by K.Lynn

I received this book as an ARC though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the romantic, almost soft mood to the story. I found James to be a relatable character, and I liked that, while he was still mourning his loss, that he was taking steps to move beyond his grief. I can't imagine losing someone like that, and I respected that James was working on not drowning in his heartbreak. I really liked David as well. He is a good man, and I loved seeing them grow closer. I didn't even realize that the age gap was significant as it is because David has such maturity, and presence, and James never once treated him with anything but respect. I loved that David was so self possessed, and he fully understands his own preferences. It made me fully buy into their love story. The ending was nicely sexy, and it wrapped up the story nicely. I loved watching these two fall for each other. A great short story.

mle

Bane by Amelia C. Gormley

I received this book as an ARC though NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked seeing how the threads of Nico and Zach's story wove together with Rhys and Darius's. I liked that their meeting wasn't necessarily positive, and that their goals weren't always in sync. I appreciated that the author didn't use this as an opportunity to vilify anyone, and that by getting in different character's heads I was able to understand what happened, and why from all perspectives. It added a lot of richness to the story for me, and I appreciated that.

The plot was nicely paced, and it really brought together a lot of the lose threads from the previous two books. It took both story lines, and really melded them together without making one more important or central than another. It showed how much all these characters were connected before they even met. The resolution was well done, and it left me feeling satisfied. There were no miracles, and everything that happens felt supported by the story, and the world building. Another great addition to this series. 

mle

Elspeth's babies

Questions

So does he have more babies in more states?

Do they have cowboys for my bitchy mood?

Or my hungry mood?

How about when I'm not in the mood?

 

mle