A quick little roundup of several smaller reviews I wrote in Summer 2024. Beware of spoilers!
Title: House of Marionne
Author: J. Elle
Series: House of Marionne #1
Much thanks to J. Elle, Penguin/Razorbill, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book hits many of the same story beats as other YA fantasy*, so I could understand if some readers accuse it of being formulaic. I didn’t mind its predictability. I liked Quell (pronounced Kell) and Abby. Jordan…. Something about Jordan kept me from liking him too much. His eagerness to please the headmistress, perhaps, or his lack of decisiveness. Or maybe lack confidence? Not sure, but he lacked something. I did not buy his and Quell’s love; they barely had a relationship. *That’s why I didn’t call this a romantasy. Quell could do better.
I think Elle rushed the story; she didn’t build the world enough, didn’t build Quell’s relationships, didn’t flesh out the lore. Just plot point to plot point to plot point. I didn’t completely understand toushana, how it was different than normal magic, what’s so bad about it, etc. I also didn’t understand the class structure very well; is there a minimum of schooling order members have to undertake, or can they seriously progress as fast as they can pass the rites? Why the diadems and masks? Why do they have to grow out of you? So many questions.
The ending was pretty disappointing. Not the cotillion, although I’m not super fond of the idea of equating academic success with societal gatherings, but rather the end-end in Yagrin’s POV. Not just the cliffhanger but the revelations he casually thinks about. Yeah, the ending sucked. I’m not entirely clear on why we needed Yagrin’s POV at all.
And Red. I have never read nor seen a more unrealistic or cliched depiction of a farm girl, at least one that wasn’t trying to be cliched. Wide-brimmed hat—I’d bet it was straw—overalls, barefoot, walking through a field of tall grass? She’d just left the porch, so I’m to understand the front yard is a field of tall grass? Their house has to be overrun with bugs and rodents. I hate this description so much. Sorry to burst your bubble, but farmers do have tidy yards they mow. As for barefoot—I know some people love being barefoot, but it drives me insane. I live on a farm and my yard is full of poop, mud, rocks, holes, sticks, ant hills, and old nails. Do you know how many flat tires we get in a year? Sometimes you come across a random piece of barbed wire from the old pasture, or shards of glass from the distillery that was here before it was a farm. Lord only knows what’s been buried in the yard decades past just waiting to resurface. Walking around a farm barefoot is the height of stupidity, and if they’ve got livestock, that girl is asking for a hoof to shatter the bones in her feet.
I hated Red so much. I didn’t even get to see her die.
Overall, I was entertained by this book, and I liked some of its original ideas. The story intrigued me and I liked the main character. But it just wasn’t well thought out.
Title: The Cruel Dark
Author: Bea Northwick
Series: n/a
Much thanks to Bea Northwick, Victory Editing, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Jane Eyre fans, here you go. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Some readers might find it predictable, but I actually did not see any of the twists coming. Must be having an off day. 😉 Northwick might have tried a little too hard to make the twists extra twisty, but not enough to bother me.
I rolled my eyes when Millie and Callum started hooking up; it was all kinds of inappropriate, and it also felt toxic at times. All I could think was, Girl, you are going to get took so hard…. And I didn’t want Callum to be a villain. But in the end, everything made sense.
Overall, this is a great gothic romance with a touch of horror and an intriguing mystery. I’m totally going to listen to this again when I get caught up with ARCs. I want to experience it from the perspective of someone in the know.
Oh, and I have to mention the narrators, Madison Mitts and Theodore Zephyr. They are fantastic. Mitts sounds like she’s having phone sex, but since the love scenes are graphic, that’s appropriate. Zephyr’s voice is so deep and smooth it pickles my brain in happy chemicals. He would also excel at phone sex. It was a little jarring to be listening to a woman narrate then suddenly an actual man pops in to perform the men’s dialogue, but I got used to it just fine. They both did great accents.
Title: Secrets of Rose Briar Hall
Author: Kelsey James
Series: n/a
Thank you to Kelsey James, Highbridge Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sigh. Once again the marketing was misleading. Don’t see the title and cover and think you’re in for a spooky tale of old secrets and haunted halls. Nope. I’m not familiar with the Ingrid Bergman film the blurb references, but “gaslighting” is this book in a nutshell. I would actually liken it to contemporary psychological thrillers—the protagonist’s entire world has tilted off axis and she can’t trust anyone while she struggles to discern truth from lie. But someone, whether the author or editor or marketing team, decided this was a gothic mystery and ran with it. Wrong. There’s nothing gothic about this story, and there’s little mystery. There’s really only two suspects and they’re both human garbage, so it didn’t much matter which of them had done it. No horror, either. It’s part psychological thriller and part legal drama. Yes, legal drama. And part romance.
It’s not a bad read. It just really fucking annoys me when the PUBLISHER gaslights THE READER. Minus one star for that, and minus another because the irony pisses me off.
Here’s a better blurb:
Millie Turner wakes up and finds out she’s lost two weeks of her life following a house party. She can’t remember any of it. What the F? She figures out she’s been drugged, then discovers she’s suspected of killing another woman. And that’s only the start of the surprises in store for her—missing decor, servants acting like prison guards, fair-weather friends, empty accounts, mistresses. She wants out—out of her house, out of her marriage—but no one believes she’s a victim. No one’s willing to help her. She has nowhere else to go.
She devises a plan: expose her husband’s lies, ruin his reputation, and sue for divorce. David, a childhood friend and now a journalist, is willing to help. But she has to step carefully, for her husband is campaigning against her, sowing seeds of madness and hysteria. What other surprises lay in store for her? Can she find evidence against her husband? Will she ever be free?
Title: Murder at an English Pub
Author: Alice Castle
Series: Sarah Vane Mystery #1
Thanks to Alice Castle, Bookouture Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Calling the subtitle’s bluff—this book is not gripping or addictive. It is cozy, though, and felt rather like sitting at Grandma’s kitchen table listening to her reminisce while plying me with sweets. Except the protags aren’t my grandma’s age (god rest her soul), they’re my parents’.
Oh my god. I’m old.
Well, that puts a bit of a different perspective on it. The narrator sounded like a grandmother, not someone retirement age. In my opinion, anyway. So I’m imagining octogenarians sleuthing around with hearing aides and orthopedic shoes. Sigh. Narration matters, people!
No, Jilly Bond is truly a wonderful and talented narrator. She just sounded too old to my ear.
*narrows eyes* *re-reads blurb*
Actually, the blurb seems to almost avoid mentioning the protag’s age. Only the word “retired” suggests a figure, and that could be easily missed. No wonder I was taken aback to hear a narrator sounding like a grandma.
Aaaanyway—this is a quaint and enjoyable narrative. There’s not much tension or sense of danger. Sarah and Daphne had so much fun sleuthing it came off like a lark. Hamish and Tinker Bell stole their scenes to the point that I didn’t much mind when we suddenly switched to Hamish’s point of view. I wasn’t sure what to think about Charles at first, especially as a potential love interest, but he grew on me.
Overall, if you like cozy English mysteries and don’t mind if the characters arent thirty-somethings, you’ll love this book.
Title: Bitter House
Author: Kiersten Modglin
Series: n/a
Thanks to Kiersten Modglin, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I read The Hollow earlier this year and hated it. But so many of the reviews for that book said it wasn’t a good example of Modglin’s writing, it was a departure from her usual plots and talent. I was curious to try her again, so when this galley popped up, I held my breath and clicked.
It didn’t start well. Lots of angst and melodrama. But I told myself I couldn’t DNF, I had to give Modglin a fair shot, so I persevered. And it got better. Once the protag, Bridget, calmed down and remembered she was a grown woman and should act accordingly, I enjoyed myself. The tension grew with each letter, and when the truth was verified—oh yeah, I was IN. Modglin kept the cast small, which limited the potential for red herrings, but I was so fascinated with the premise that I didn’t care.
Overall, I agree, The Hollow is perhaps not a good introduction to Modglin’s work; this one would be better. However, I wouldn’t say it’s a complete departure from her style; I have a feeling her idea of romance is angst and melodrama, which I don’t care for. But if she can temper that and remember to give her characters some maturity, I might be reading more of her books.
And hey, if you feel attacked by this book—definitely go to a dinner party hosted by a group of women. You’ll be fine.
Title: The Spellshop
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Series: n/a
Much thanks to Sarah Beth Durst, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I adore this book! So charming, and so full of heart and fun. It feels like the author enjoyed writing it as much as I enjoyed reading it—or listening to it, rather; the narrator, Caitlin Davies, was wonderful. The worldbuilding is thorough but accessible, though I admit I struggled to envision some things, such as a sentient spider plant and a merhorse giving birth. Winged cats I could picture, but it’s rather a terrifying idea to me, lol! If not for Davies giving life to Caz (the spider plant), I’m not sure my imagination could have done him justice. And Meep! The token they/them request threw me a bit, but Meep was so adorable I wanted to reach in and squeeze them to me. Which would hurt, because they’re a cactus. But oh, what fun this was. I’m sure there are flaws to find if I looked, but I couldn’t care less. The story works well enough as it is and I love it.
Title: Murder on Devil’s Pond
Author: Ayla Rose
Series: Hummingbird Hollow B&B Mystery #1
Thank you to Ayla Rose, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was okay. It wasn’t bad, but it also didn’t make much of an impression. The characters were fine, the mystery was fine. I didn’t quite understand if Hannah inherited in the end or not; I struggled to follow the legal and business back-and-forth, who screwed over who, who bought what. Perhaps there too many suspects—these people wanted Ezra’s land, these people had business dealings with him, these people came out of nowhere with past revelations. By the end I was kinda over sorting it all out and trying to remember who was who and why I was supposed to care.
Title: Castle of the Cursed
Author: Romina Garber
Series: n/a
Thanks to Romina Garber, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was okay. Has a little too much fantasy to be as gothic as it thinks it is, in my opinion.
The romance was not well built at all; the chemistry between Estella and Sebastian was there but needed more development. It was insta-love-ish. More focus was on the paranormal aspects and lore-building, which were fascinating and deliciously bloody. When we got into other dimensions and needing this or that to successfully dimension-hop, I got a little lost, but followed along well enough.
Estella was a great protagonist, I liked her a lot. Beatriz grew on me. Felipe . . . disappointed me. Seemed like a nice guy, but his fixation was very unheathy. Uncle Teo was a douchebag. And Sebastian . . . needed work. One minute he was threatening to kill Estella and the next he was building her elaborate if inedible dinners and seeing to her every need. Rather like the romance, the potential was there but was not developed well enough. I’m a little confused about the sister; was she a psychopath from the start or did her experience at the other castle ruin her? I think it was suggested she was rotten from the start. Not a super strong villain, but her absolute antipathy was chilling.
Overall, the world-building and lore were fascinating, but the story wasn’t as cohesive as it could have been. Entertaining if not riveting.
I’m completely ignoring the “Bast” at the end, because I want this story to be done.
Title: Never Fall for a Dragon
Author: Lola Glass
Series: Mate Mountain #1
Thank you to Lola Glass, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this book—but. The beginning was super abrupt—you need a hook, sure, but don’t just jump into the middle of a conflict without any build up or even introducing the characters. The end also seemed fast. The romance had crossed the finish line, but not much else truly felt resolved. Also, I didn’t feel that I got to truly know the characters—or that they got to know each other as well as they could have. I liked Elody but she went along with strangers giving orders way too easily.
Overall, this is one of those light romances which play out fast and shallow and develop relationships based on sex over conversation. I don’t mind those romances but they do leave me wanting.
Title: The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish
Author: Paula Brackston
Series: ? #1
Thank you to Paula Brackston, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I tried three times to get into this audiobook. I didn’t know if it was the book or me, if the story was failing to grab me or if I just wasn’t paying enough attention. After the second try, I moved on to a different audiobook and listened to that one from start to finish, totally into it. At that point I knew the problem was this book, not me. I was tempted to DNF but decided to see it through.
What put me off was a mix of the sluggish pace, the setting and topics, strange tone, and the “hauntings.”
So one: The beginning lacks a strong hook. There’s nothing that takes a fistful of your shirt and yanks you into the story. We start out at the breakfast table with some family chatter, then Hecate bikes off to work. For the first time, sure, but unless the voice of the narrative is exceptionally charismatic, nothing about anyone’s morning grind is interesting.
Which leads to two: The story is set in a church, too many of the characters are priests, and every discussion revolves around religion and the history of the cathedral. The blurb says a cathedral is involved, but I did not expect that much church talk. I could not care less about religion, especially Christianity, so enthralled I absolutely was not. (Side note: The blurb is incredibly vague. No wonder I had no idea what I was getting into.)
Third: All that church made the inclusion of a pagan god and magic feel so weird. The book tried to address this but unsuccessfully. I’m sure some book out there could mix the two and do it well, but reading this narrative felt like trying to mix oil and water. That contributed to the strange tone, but the handling of the ghosts did as well. With a title like “The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish” one would expect some spooky and creepy, some dark and lurky. Some gothic. Nope, this narrative was pretty upbeat. Not rom-com upbeat, but definitely not gothic. The ghosts were friendly, helpful, and coherent. Hecate Cavendish was not haunted nor did she do any haunting, which makes me absolutely HATE the title.
Overall, this book was definitely not to my taste, which disappointed me. I’m rather astounded it’s to be a series; no wonder I was so bored and the pace dragged—the storyline was being stretched. Bah humbug.
