Jordan Castillo Price has a knack for creating her own reality; the Turbulence Collection feels as if she embraced her gift aFabulous World-Building!
Jordan Castillo Price has a knack for creating her own reality; the Turbulence Collection feels as if she embraced her gift as a world-builder and went wild with it. Her take on the legend of the Bermuda Triangle is one I've never seen before or considered on my own. I enjoyed the theoretical possibilities put out by Marlin -who was obsessed with metaphysics- to be interpreted by Dallas and Paul. (Captain Kaye is along for the ride, but I didn't feel as invested in her as a researcher so much as a willing participant in Flight 511.) The story is the primary focus for the Turbulence Collection so I am very grateful I was able to read through the piece in its entirety in the collected edition.
I will point out if you're looking for a romance-centric work, this would not be the JCP book I would suggest. There is a romance between Dallas and Paul. It's interesting. It's cute. It's well-developed. I just wasn't as interested in them as a couple as I was as their involvement as part of the flight crew for Flight 511 and the implications of the turbulence on their lives and interactions with one another.
Honestly, it's hard to come up with an adequate way to explain what I did love about the Turbulence Collection without feeling as if I'm potentially spoiling the reading experience for others. Everything has a slow build at first as it has this contemporary, modern feeling without the hint of "other" I'm accustomed to getting from a JCP book. When the first real hurdle comes between Paul and Dallas, it introduces the whole concept of the turbulence phenomenon really fast with this abrupt feeling which almost gave me whiplash.
Don't get me wrong: I liked the story concept and I don't think it would have worked as well if I weren't just thrust right in there alongside a clueless Paul.
I do wish I had gotten a smoother transition from the contemporary feel of the story into the paranormal portion of things.
Most of what made the Turbulence Collection engrossing me to was the mystery behind Marlin, all the different theories about the turbulence, how the "autopilots" interacted with themselves and strangers, and how everything was completely insane yet life continued on regardless.
These guys literally are on a carnival ride they can't get off without knowing they've thrown someone else on the tracks in front of them.
I don't want to share my thoughts on the ending because I feel I would give away too much. I will say there is a happy ending for all of the flight crew of Flight 511 -Kaye, Marlin, Paul, and Dallas- and I was very satisfied with the questions I was left with at the conclusion of the collection. It's not a story which can be ended as much as it's a story which can have a 'for-now' ending and that's what life is really like, isn't it? There's something coming next no matter what stage of life we're in.
I applaud Jordan Castillo Price for another unique world-building experience filled with interesting characters and a great story. I can't wait to read more of her work in the future. If you're considering picking this up and have a love for metaphysics, science fiction, paranormal fiction, or just books which make you think, I'd say it's a definite must-read. ...more
Rowan McBride has a fun approach to science fiction writing. There's a definite yaoi vibe to One Shot which I dWas I Just Pitched A Personal Trainer?
Rowan McBride has a fun approach to science fiction writing. There's a definite yaoi vibe to One Shot which I did enjoy. I was interested in the flu shot which could make people either grow taller, grow taller and build more muscles, or cause people to lose height in a very rare chance. I've read a lot of weird premises so I was willing to take the concept at face value and run with it even though I have to say I couldn't really understand the fascination with height.
All the way through One Shot, I kept thinking I was being pitched a personal trainer. I've never read a book with so many specific muscles mentioned without it being my Anatomy & Physiology textbook. Who thinks in terms of trapezius muscles and deltoids and lats and uses all the exact names for each muscle group? Body-builders? I could buy that. I just found it distracting when it was a self-confessed number nerd like Nick Carlyle who couldn't stop mentally fangirling over Riley's growing body.
I was more on the side of "Le sigh~ Of course~" when the shot caused the unwanted side effect in Nick. The guy seriously had a thing about height. Jeeze. I couldn't count the number of height references. It was almost the only way he identified anyone -in reference to how many inches in height they were from him- and it got old fast. The sex with Riley could have been really sexy if I hadn't been overly focused on the whole size difference thing being so much the point of contention.
I enjoyed the ending a lot more than any other part of the book. It's got a great HEA. I also laughed a lot at Riley talking about how comic books never talk about how superheroes with super-strength deal with unwanted boners. I still snicker a little over that. I'd recommend this short read to anyone who likes yaoi style M/M, people who are open-minded about their science fiction, and folks who like large size differences between their protagonists....more
Everyone can use a sweet story once in a while; Rowan McAllister creates a poignant love story between broken lost boy Tanner WallisPoignant and Sweet
Everyone can use a sweet story once in a while; Rowan McAllister creates a poignant love story between broken lost boy Tanner Wallis and reluctant family hero Mason Seidel which has a sweetness only the best contemporary writer can manage. The premise had me worried I'd have to suspend disbelief in order to manage to fall into the story, but the characters are so well realized it required little from me in order to fall in love with them both.
All, really.
McAllister created a beautiful world on the Seidel ranch where everyone introduced had a purpose alongside a fully developed characterization. The bigoted old Mr. Robert Seidel cuts a pathetic figure who alternately inspires fear and pity. Ed and Lucy are the domestic parental figures who inspire natural warmth in the reader and provide a nurturing element for everyone involved in the story. Diana showcases the loved sister while also showing some prejudices can be learned regardless of one's own wishes to be different from their parents. All the ranch hands are indicative of traditional cowboy archetypes which help with the atmosphere of the ranch while also propelling the storyline forward at a reasonable pace.
Tanner is designed to inspire pity and affection in the reader; he's a sweet fellow who I enjoyed seeing develop back into a confident, capable man. His panic attacks were realistic when considered against the trauma he'd experienced. His interest in Mason starts out as a crush and I loved seeing his crush become reciprocated as well as evolve into a devoted love. There's a bit of a loose end left hanging in regards to his original assault, but we do get a full story from Tanner whose life goes full circle over the course of the book.
Mason breaks my heart a lot because I know what it feels like to believe one is a disappointment to their father. No one wants their parents to be disappointed with them. There's an innate desire in people to want to make their parents proud. It hurt my heart to see his father's bigoted ideals shown all the way through the piece and then echoed by his sister Diana. I loved seeing Mason find peace with himself regardless of his father's disapproval.
I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a bit of hurt-comfort, sweet love story, and a Happy Ever After which is believable and fantastic at once. It's a four star read for me; I would definitely read another Rowan McAllister book in the future. ...more
Actors are often depicted as over-the-top billionaires with perfect bodies, lives, and families. Many romance readers want Co-Stars to Shooting Stars!
Actors are often depicted as over-the-top billionaires with perfect bodies, lives, and families. Many romance readers want to see books featuring a leading man or a leading lady of the screen depicted exactly that way and it's totally fine. Me? I'm a fangirl. I go to conventions. I stand in line for hours to get autographs from my favorite stars and I go to their panels to listen to them talk about their actual lives---or as much of their real lives as they're willing to share with a roomful of fans.
When I saw Keira Andrews did a co-stars romance featuring television actors? I was ridiculously excited. When I saw it was a Christmas story on top of that? I may have made an embarrassing squeaking sound of glee.
Keira Andrews writes characters who are people. They're not completely perfect. Their families are not completely perfect. Their lives are three-dimensional and so are they. I love her for it. I cannot even express how wonderful I think she did at capturing the spirit of being in the limelight as a television actor -the fangirls putting up posters of the stars, the fandom giving their storyline a shipper name of "Stishi," and the monotony of that 'almost inevitable question asked every time in every interview'- while always depicting both Cary and Ryan as more than actors.
Cary comes from movie royalty yet he doesn't seem to want to reap any of the benefits of his family legacy. His father reminds me of a Bruce Willis type who does big blow-em-up action blockbusters with great one-liners. Well. With the exception his father isn't nearly as accepting or cool as Bruce Willis. Cary feels as if he's a constant disappointment; his father hates he took a role on a television show rather than go into mainstream blockbusters the way he and his own father did with their careers. There's a vulnerability to Cary which good looks and a personal-trainer-perfect body do nothing to dismiss. He's got his own insecurities the same as any other guy.
Ryan has the exact opposite family dynamic from Cary in that he comes from a middle class family who are very close, accepting of each other, and seem to have no interest in benefiting from his relative fame. He can't even get his father to let him fix the roof on their family cabin despite everyone knowing he can more than afford it. His financial situation is actually something of a joke in the family which they tease him about and I love that. Doesn't everyone wants their parents to be proud of them? Ryan's family is proud of him for being who is, not for being on television, not for making a great salary, not for any other reason than he's their son.
These guys are very close courtesy of fifteen-hour days shooting their show; I loved seeing them joke around with one another. I thought it was really natural for Ryan to offer Cary the option to come spend Christmas with his family in Canada. He's grown up in a close-knit family who really go all out for Christmas while Cary has never had a real Christmas? I'd believe he'd make the offer in a heartbeat. I was surprised when Cary takes him up on it, but that surprise only heightened the excitement of the story.
Where the Lovelight Gleams reads very fast without feeling as if the guys are rushing into a relationship, gives a great example of how bisexuality is more common than many people think, and has a family holiday with all the trimmings tucked in there, too. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Christmas romances, friends-to-lovers, seeing actors as real people, frank discussion of bisexuality, and/or a love of a great story because at it's heart?
Keira Andrews has written a great story.
Merged review:
Co-Stars to Shooting Stars!
Actors are often depicted as over-the-top billionaires with perfect bodies, lives, and families. Many romance readers want to see books featuring a leading man or a leading lady of the screen depicted exactly that way and it's totally fine. Me? I'm a fangirl. I go to conventions. I stand in line for hours to get autographs from my favorite stars and I go to their panels to listen to them talk about their actual lives---or as much of their real lives as they're willing to share with a roomful of fans.
When I saw Keira Andrews did a co-stars romance featuring television actors? I was ridiculously excited. When I saw it was a Christmas story on top of that? I may have made an embarrassing squeaking sound of glee.
Keira Andrews writes characters who are people. They're not completely perfect. Their families are not completely perfect. Their lives are three-dimensional and so are they. I love her for it. I cannot even express how wonderful I think she did at capturing the spirit of being in the limelight as a television actor -the fangirls putting up posters of the stars, the fandom giving their storyline a shipper name of "Stishi," and the monotony of that 'almost inevitable question asked every time in every interview'- while always depicting both Cary and Ryan as more than actors.
Cary comes from movie royalty yet he doesn't seem to want to reap any of the benefits of his family legacy. His father reminds me of a Bruce Willis type who does big blow-em-up action blockbusters with great one-liners. Well. With the exception his father isn't nearly as accepting or cool as Bruce Willis. Cary feels as if he's a constant disappointment; his father hates he took a role on a television show rather than go into mainstream blockbusters the way he and his own father did with their careers. There's a vulnerability to Cary which good looks and a personal-trainer-perfect body do nothing to dismiss. He's got his own insecurities the same as any other guy.
Ryan has the exact opposite family dynamic from Cary in that he comes from a middle class family who are very close, accepting of each other, and seem to have no interest in benefiting from his relative fame. He can't even get his father to let him fix the roof on their family cabin despite everyone knowing he can more than afford it. His financial situation is actually something of a joke in the family which they tease him about and I love that. Doesn't everyone wants their parents to be proud of them? Ryan's family is proud of him for being who is, not for being on television, not for making a great salary, not for any other reason than he's their son.
These guys are very close courtesy of fifteen-hour days shooting their show; I loved seeing them joke around with one another. I thought it was really natural for Ryan to offer Cary the option to come spend Christmas with his family in Canada. He's grown up in a close-knit family who really go all out for Christmas while Cary has never had a real Christmas? I'd believe he'd make the offer in a heartbeat. I was surprised when Cary takes him up on it, but that surprise only heightened the excitement of the story.
Where the Lovelight Gleams reads very fast without feeling as if the guys are rushing into a relationship, gives a great example of how bisexuality is more common than many people think, and has a family holiday with all the trimmings tucked in there, too. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Christmas romances, friends-to-lovers, seeing actors as real people, frank discussion of bisexuality, and/or a love of a great story because at it's heart?
I literally could not stop reading this book. I had to put it aside for a few hours to sleep---and honestly wished I had just stRidiculously Riveting!
I literally could not stop reading this book. I had to put it aside for a few hours to sleep---and honestly wished I had just stayed awake to finish reading even though I'm way too old to pull an all-nighter. Jordan Castillo Price should be hugged or something she'd positively love for putting this piece of fiction out into the world.
Hemovore presents the vampire concept as a virus known as HHV or Human Hemovore Virus which coincided with the HIV/AIDS outbreak in terms of relative era. Now, given the Big Bad of the book isn't exactly too clear on when he contracted the virus? It's possible HHV has existed longer than before the 1980s only it was so isolated in Europe it didn't get noticed until it spread to more and more first world countries such as those of Western Europe and America. I loved all the details centered around the fear of the virus because I grew up in the era when HIV was causing mass panic. I remember it being called GRID -Gay-Related Immune Deficiency Disease- and when they reported the "first" case of heterosexual individuals having contracted it.
JCP sets up this world in which it's normal to have gloves for the grocery store, the car, the house, the bathroom, everywhere. Homes are equipped with incinerators to best destroy any potential threat of viral contact and autoclaves are a necessity since the "good gloves" aren't cheap. There's entire aisles in the grocery store for cleaning products, wipes, sprays, disinfectants, and on and on to protect V-negatives against the threat their V-positive coworkers or employees or employers or random passers-by pose to them.
It's not a disease people want to contract.
It's scary.
It progresses in stages and it kills more than it 'converts' which is why it's scary and why it isn't this glamorous thing people yearn for the way people typically romanticize vampirism in fiction.
All the world-building is seamless. It's flawless. I could bask in this world for hours because it's so richly-detailed.
The writing is raw and real and reckless at times since the story is a thriller. I wanted to quote several passages, but it's just ridiculous how much of this book is worth quoting. I think it's the kind of writing most writers aspire to manage yet never do which is the best I can do to describe something indescribable.
Every character is three-dimensional. I loved the juxtaposition of the huge helper to the smaller, slighter V-positive painter where we have Mark Hansen as this forty-something queer who is a real Friend of Dorothy versus the much-younger-in-appearance Jonathan Varga who is a strange enigma of a creature. Mark is many guys I know in my own life. He's tall, decent-looking though showing his age, and he's comfortable as a queer man. He makes so many Wizard of Oz jokes I couldn't even keep up with them and they're absolutely perfect to help establish his character. I loved him painfully from page one. Jonathan is a little harder to love at first only because he is meant to be mysterious. I really came to enjoy his macabre sense of humor, self-awareness, and comfort in his physicality. He's one of the few slight male characters I can recall being depicted as ruthlessly male and dangerous. He's a feral breed in a way which is why watching him fall in love with Mark is so thrilling.
There's a wonderful thriller plotline where they're running from a murderer. They have to learn to survive without any of the money or comforts they've come to be accustomed to and they go underground in a way which is really believable. Our pair gets help from a sexual support group designed to help couples who are "mixed" in their viral conditions in that one partner is V-positive and the other is V-negative. I loved the way they got to look at what love can look like for a couple who knows they have to compromise for their own safety. I loved all the people who helped them along their way. It was such a wild ride. I'd definitely take it again.
I read the Kindle version of Hemovore which has a novelette at the end showcasing Mark and Jonathan after the events of the book. I really loved it as an additional read and additional glimpse into their world, but the book doesn't need an epilogue. It's a complete story all on its own and I would recommend it to anyone interested in paranormal romance or thrillers in the M/M genre. It's a perfect 5-star read in my opinion....more
Artists speak to some people the way writers speak to me; I loved reading about Rory's adoration for Ran Yamane's woEvery Hero Has A Hero Of Their Own
Artists speak to some people the way writers speak to me; I loved reading about Rory's adoration for Ran Yamane's work as an artist because I could understand how something another person created could transcend your consciousness to a place you never imagined you could go. There are some talents which burn bright enough to light up all the stars in the sky for even the dimmest of eyes. I truly believe Yamane was that talent for Rory.
I expected to find this a very meet-cute type story since the premise is basically Rory thinks he's going to be all heroic Southern gentleman and sexy Cajun charm for a shy Japanese maiden only to find out Yamane is no maiden in need of saving. I was surprised by how Yamane had a sudden about-face when he realized Rory was determined to give him the flowers he'd brought for his fantasy maiden. I wasn't quite sure where the story was going from there in terms of their connection to each other. I think that's what made this such an enjoyable read for me.
There was a new surprise around every corner.
Amelia was a fabulous villain. I loved how she brought out the best in Rory and, in a way, allowed him to embrace who he had been all along since it was her threats which drove him to trying desperately to save Yamane from her. Ethan brought me insane joy with his casual dude-talk with Rene the Sheriff. I thought the entire stalker arc was handled very well on the whole.
I also liked they didn't immediately rush back into one another's arms for an easy Happy-Ever-After. They were both reluctant to be in a relationship. They both had their own hang-ups and insecurities about being together. I liked that the author gave both men a chance to make a real informed decision before trying to make a go of a relationship together. I thought the Epilogue was icing on the cake, to be honest, and now all I want to know are two things:
1. What's Rory's real first name? 2. Why hasn't everyone I know read this already?
Merged review:
Every Hero Has A Hero Of Their Own
Artists speak to some people the way writers speak to me; I loved reading about Rory's adoration for Ran Yamane's work as an artist because I could understand how something another person created could transcend your consciousness to a place you never imagined you could go. There are some talents which burn bright enough to light up all the stars in the sky for even the dimmest of eyes. I truly believe Yamane was that talent for Rory.
I expected to find this a very meet-cute type story since the premise is basically Rory thinks he's going to be all heroic Southern gentleman and sexy Cajun charm for a shy Japanese maiden only to find out Yamane is no maiden in need of saving. I was surprised by how Yamane had a sudden about-face when he realized Rory was determined to give him the flowers he'd brought for his fantasy maiden. I wasn't quite sure where the story was going from there in terms of their connection to each other. I think that's what made this such an enjoyable read for me.
There was a new surprise around every corner.
Amelia was a fabulous villain. I loved how she brought out the best in Rory and, in a way, allowed him to embrace who he had been all along since it was her threats which drove him to trying desperately to save Yamane from her. Ethan brought me insane joy with his casual dude-talk with Rene the Sheriff. I thought the entire stalker arc was handled very well on the whole.
I also liked they didn't immediately rush back into one another's arms for an easy Happy-Ever-After. They were both reluctant to be in a relationship. They both had their own hang-ups and insecurities about being together. I liked that the author gave both men a chance to make a real informed decision before trying to make a go of a relationship together. I thought the Epilogue was icing on the cake, to be honest, and now all I want to know are two things:
1. What's Rory's real first name? 2. Why hasn't everyone I know read this already?...more
Shades of Gray has a great premise -informant and FBI agent who is handling him start an affair while trying to stay alive- and it'sLife in Grayscale
Shades of Gray has a great premise -informant and FBI agent who is handling him start an affair while trying to stay alive- and it's a fantastic action story. There's enough crazy killer action for the reader to really worry that Madrigal might catch up to them to hurt Danny or Miller or both of them; Hinestroza is a real threat with a strained sense of humanity to him in spite of the fact he's a ruthless drug lord. I honestly enjoyed the action and espionage side of the story more than the romance.
Miller is the type of straight-laced FBI agent who could be a great addition to the cast of Criminal Minds. The guy's pretty much Hotchner only with hidden gay desires. I liked how he'd started to become disillusioned with the job prior to taking in Danny since it gave him a more human side than putting him in the "all cop and no play makes Miller a dull boy" range. I also totally believed how he'd become enamored of Danny after spending months living, breathing, eating, and sleeping this guy to try to close his case on Hinestroza.
Danny was the best character in the book for me because he knew who he was and wasn't ashamed of it. He wasn't a proud man so much as a man willing to own himself. That's something which takes a lot of nerve, especially if your life has more mistakes in it than successes. He still loves and cares for his ex-wife, his former cellmate from prison, and blames himself for the death of a friend when he really shouldn't. The guy takes on way too much guilt for himself. I found it charming he was so awed by the fact that he -just him, Danny Butler- could make Miller happy. It was this miraculous revelation to him.
Brooke McKinley manages to show there are shades of gray to everything even if it's a world which should only seem to exist in black and white -good vs evil, right vs wrong, cops vs drug dealers- and I really applaud her skill at managing a very believable HEA ending for both Danny and Miller. These guys have a lot going on. Their stories shouldn't wrap simply and McKinley doesn't pander to a fast ending. I really loved how the book ends on this hopeful note that they're going to keep evolving together. They make each other better men. That's something special. I'd recommend this read to anyone who likes procedural cop dramas or inappropriate romances or seeing life through different eyes.
Merged review:
Life in Grayscale
Shades of Gray has a great premise -informant and FBI agent who is handling him start an affair while trying to stay alive- and it's a fantastic action story. There's enough crazy killer action for the reader to really worry that Madrigal might catch up to them to hurt Danny or Miller or both of them; Hinestroza is a real threat with a strained sense of humanity to him in spite of the fact he's a ruthless drug lord. I honestly enjoyed the action and espionage side of the story more than the romance.
Miller is the type of straight-laced FBI agent who could be a great addition to the cast of Criminal Minds. The guy's pretty much Hotchner only with hidden gay desires. I liked how he'd started to become disillusioned with the job prior to taking in Danny since it gave him a more human side than putting him in the "all cop and no play makes Miller a dull boy" range. I also totally believed how he'd become enamored of Danny after spending months living, breathing, eating, and sleeping this guy to try to close his case on Hinestroza.
Danny was the best character in the book for me because he knew who he was and wasn't ashamed of it. He wasn't a proud man so much as a man willing to own himself. That's something which takes a lot of nerve, especially if your life has more mistakes in it than successes. He still loves and cares for his ex-wife, his former cellmate from prison, and blames himself for the death of a friend when he really shouldn't. The guy takes on way too much guilt for himself. I found it charming he was so awed by the fact that he -just him, Danny Butler- could make Miller happy. It was this miraculous revelation to him.
Brooke McKinley manages to show there are shades of gray to everything even if it's a world which should only seem to exist in black and white -good vs evil, right vs wrong, cops vs drug dealers- and I really applaud her skill at managing a very believable HEA ending for both Danny and Miller. These guys have a lot going on. Their stories shouldn't wrap simply and McKinley doesn't pander to a fast ending. I really loved how the book ends on this hopeful note that they're going to keep evolving together. They make each other better men. That's something special. I'd recommend this read to anyone who likes procedural cop dramas or inappropriate romances or seeing life through different eyes....more
Cari Z is a fantastic world-builder. I love seeing the way she creates a new world out of the common, ordinary existence we all Original and On Point!
Cari Z is a fantastic world-builder. I love seeing the way she creates a new world out of the common, ordinary existence we all share. Her creativity is without question and I think she's original enough to keep anyone entertained for ages on end. It's not easy to build something new out of a concept which has been a classic for decades already in popular culture. Her werewolf world is uniquely her own as it's presented in Off the Beaten Path.
I loved the idea werewolves were the result of a government experiment gone wrong. There are plenty of stories about supersoldiers, why not werewolves being the result of genetic experimentation to build supersoldiers? It works for me!
There's a lot of politics in play in Off the Beaten Path. Everything comes down to the fact the government has declared werewolves as being noncitizens. They can literally be used like animals without any concern for their health, safety, or well-being. It's no different to the higher-ups than ordering a bomb dog to go sniffing through a mine field. It's horrifying to read about Henry being used as a weapon of war when all he wants is to be a man who cares for his family.
Pack dynamics were fascinating to me in this environment. I'd have expected a lot of resentment or hostility from a people who were isolated and forced to remain reliant on only each other, but pack was pack in Cari Z's world. It was better than family. They literally relied on one another to survive; I loved seeing Henry get to rely on Ward since so many people relied on him. It was nice to see him have someone to care for him first rather than care about him as Alpha.
Off the Beaten Path ends with a positive note which I really enjoyed. I sincerely hope I get to see more of this world in the future.
Merged review:
Original and On Point!
Cari Z is a fantastic world-builder. I love seeing the way she creates a new world out of the common, ordinary existence we all share. Her creativity is without question and I think she's original enough to keep anyone entertained for ages on end. It's not easy to build something new out of a concept which has been a classic for decades already in popular culture. Her werewolf world is uniquely her own as it's presented in Off the Beaten Path.
I loved the idea werewolves were the result of a government experiment gone wrong. There are plenty of stories about supersoldiers, why not werewolves being the result of genetic experimentation to build supersoldiers? It works for me!
There's a lot of politics in play in Off the Beaten Path. Everything comes down to the fact the government has declared werewolves as being noncitizens. They can literally be used like animals without any concern for their health, safety, or well-being. It's no different to the higher-ups than ordering a bomb dog to go sniffing through a mine field. It's horrifying to read about Henry being used as a weapon of war when all he wants is to be a man who cares for his family.
Pack dynamics were fascinating to me in this environment. I'd have expected a lot of resentment or hostility from a people who were isolated and forced to remain reliant on only each other, but pack was pack in Cari Z's world. It was better than family. They literally relied on one another to survive; I loved seeing Henry get to rely on Ward since so many people relied on him. It was nice to see him have someone to care for him first rather than care about him as Alpha.
Off the Beaten Path ends with a positive note which I really enjoyed. I sincerely hope I get to see more of this world in the future....more
'Hawaii Five Uh-Oh' takes place in the same universe as 'Plummet to Soar' and stars our intrepid police officer from that book Officer Theophilus "The'Hawaii Five Uh-Oh' takes place in the same universe as 'Plummet to Soar' and stars our intrepid police officer from that book Officer Theophilus "Theo" Hsu who has returned to his native home in Hawaii after his extended stay on the mainland in Wisconsin. Theo's love interest in this one is a new character who was literally the boy next door, Kekoa 'Koa' Palapiti, when he was growing up.
Frustrating.
Honestly, I found this sequel to be more frustrating than anything else. For a bit over half of the book, the characters are at odds with the 'mystery' focusing on the fact Koa seems to be playing two or three different angles with Theo at all times with zero explanation as to why. I would have been okay with any explanation if it'd been offered sooner or in a less convoluted way than the reveal the author does give over halfway through the book.
Seriously not joking on that one either: I would have been happier with even an absurd explanation like all the characters are actually clones put into place by body snatchers in order to overtake the islands for alien breeding purposes than having to deal with the constant, headache-inducing confusion which was this book's 'mystery' plot.
Theo has a lot going on for him in this book. His father is dead without him managing to impress the old man to his satisfaction. He's just now meeting his mother's new husband and stepchildren even though she's been remarried for a significant period of time; Theo seems to have a large amount of guilt regarding his relationship with his mother as he 'chose' to go live on the mainland with his father when his parents divorced. I liked the focus on family which came from Theo trying to work things out with his mother and her new family. I just got tired of Theo continuously beating himself up about something which legitimately wasn't his fault as he was a child at the time of the divorce.
Koa annoyed me. I get he's supposed to be the hot guy next door. I just found him annoying. He's got this whole secret squirrel thing going on for the majority of the book and his motivations are only cleared up way too late for me to start caring about him. I didn't like how he's basically a constant cliche. I wasn't convinced by him as a BDSM Dom. I just did not like him. I especially did not like the juxtaposition of him as the bad boy versus Theo's mother's 'best boy.'
Overall, the book takes too long to get to a point where both characters are on the same page, has entirely too much going on with secondary characters who I found irritating and unpleasant, and barely manages to come to a sensible conclusion. There is a happy-ever-after. It just isn't worth the effort to get to it in my opinion.
Merged review:
'Hawaii Five Uh-Oh' takes place in the same universe as 'Plummet to Soar' and stars our intrepid police officer from that book Officer Theophilus "Theo" Hsu who has returned to his native home in Hawaii after his extended stay on the mainland in Wisconsin. Theo's love interest in this one is a new character who was literally the boy next door, Kekoa 'Koa' Palapiti, when he was growing up.
Frustrating.
Honestly, I found this sequel to be more frustrating than anything else. For a bit over half of the book, the characters are at odds with the 'mystery' focusing on the fact Koa seems to be playing two or three different angles with Theo at all times with zero explanation as to why. I would have been okay with any explanation if it'd been offered sooner or in a less convoluted way than the reveal the author does give over halfway through the book.
Seriously not joking on that one either: I would have been happier with even an absurd explanation like all the characters are actually clones put into place by body snatchers in order to overtake the islands for alien breeding purposes than having to deal with the constant, headache-inducing confusion which was this book's 'mystery' plot.
Theo has a lot going on for him in this book. His father is dead without him managing to impress the old man to his satisfaction. He's just now meeting his mother's new husband and stepchildren even though she's been remarried for a significant period of time; Theo seems to have a large amount of guilt regarding his relationship with his mother as he 'chose' to go live on the mainland with his father when his parents divorced. I liked the focus on family which came from Theo trying to work things out with his mother and her new family. I just got tired of Theo continuously beating himself up about something which legitimately wasn't his fault as he was a child at the time of the divorce.
Koa annoyed me. I get he's supposed to be the hot guy next door. I just found him annoying. He's got this whole secret squirrel thing going on for the majority of the book and his motivations are only cleared up way too late for me to start caring about him. I didn't like how he's basically a constant cliche. I wasn't convinced by him as a BDSM Dom. I just did not like him. I especially did not like the juxtaposition of him as the bad boy versus Theo's mother's 'best boy.'
Overall, the book takes too long to get to a point where both characters are on the same page, has entirely too much going on with secondary characters who I found irritating and unpleasant, and barely manages to come to a sensible conclusion. There is a happy-ever-after. It just isn't worth the effort to get to it in my opinion. ...more
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