[image] This is me after finishing Southern Spirits
Angie Fox is a new to me author, so I was a bit sceptical starting Southern Spirits, but couple of p[image] This is me after finishing Southern Spirits
Angie Fox is a new to me author, so I was a bit sceptical starting Southern Spirits, but couple of pages in, my scepticism was forgotten and now, I can't wait for the sequel to come out.
The story is easy to read and follow, and quite addictive. From the first page on, it gripped my attention, I had to see what would happen next and I kept thinking just one more page or just this chapter. I ended up reading till the wee hours.
We see everything with Verity's eyes and she's such a lovable heroine. She accidentally finds herself in a strange situation, but she takes it all in stride, never allowing anyone or anything to hold her down. She kept her wits about her at all times and she saved herself out of lot of dangerous situations. Of course, she did kinda put herself in danger in the first place, but I chose not to hold that against her. Verity is also the first character I've read about that had a skunk for a pet. I wonder how that works. Can they really be domesticated? I'll have to google it later.
Frankie, Verity's friendly ghost was a blast! I adore him. They had a rocky start, but they quickly overcame their differences and became sort of partners in crime, but also friends who cared and looked after each other. And can I just say how cool it is that he's 1920s gangster! The scene where he starts shooting his ghostly revolver trying to cover for Verity was epic!
I have absolutely no complaints about the plot or the characters (which is a rare thing), but what this book could use is some editing.
Southern Spirits was such an enjoyable read. Entertaining, funny and fast paced, with characters you can't but love, it's just a perfect read when you're feeling down or just want to forget about the outside world. It's my definition of a feel good book.
Thanks to Season Publishing for providing me with a copy via NetGalley.
Read first: January 9 to 10, 2015
Merged review:
[image] This is me after finishing Southern Spirits
Angie Fox is a new to me author, so I was a bit sceptical starting Southern Spirits, but couple of pages in, my scepticism was forgotten and now, I can't wait for the sequel to come out.
The story is easy to read and follow, and quite addictive. From the first page on, it gripped my attention, I had to see what would happen next and I kept thinking just one more page or just this chapter. I ended up reading till the wee hours.
We see everything with Verity's eyes and she's such a lovable heroine. She accidentally finds herself in a strange situation, but she takes it all in stride, never allowing anyone or anything to hold her down. She kept her wits about her at all times and she saved herself out of lot of dangerous situations. Of course, she did kinda put herself in danger in the first place, but I chose not to hold that against her. Verity is also the first character I've read about that had a skunk for a pet. I wonder how that works. Can they really be domesticated? I'll have to google it later.
Frankie, Verity's friendly ghost was a blast! I adore him. They had a rocky start, but they quickly overcame their differences and became sort of partners in crime, but also friends who cared and looked after each other. And can I just say how cool it is that he's 1920s gangster! The scene where he starts shooting his ghostly revolver trying to cover for Verity was epic!
I have absolutely no complaints about the plot or the characters (which is a rare thing), but what this book could use is some editing.
Southern Spirits was such an enjoyable read. Entertaining, funny and fast paced, with characters you can't but love, it's just a perfect read when you're feeling down or just want to forget about the outside world. It's my definition of a feel good book.
Thanks to Season Publishing for providing me with a copy via NetGalley.
All the while I was reading, I was thinking just one more page, just until I complete this chapter, just until this scene is over and then it was 3am.All the while I was reading, I was thinking just one more page, just until I complete this chapter, just until this scene is over and then it was 3am. I loved it. Thank god it's Saturday, tho.
Merged review:
All the while I was reading, I was thinking just one more page, just until I complete this chapter, just until this scene is over and then it was 3am. I loved it. Thank god it's Saturday, tho.
Merged review:
All the while I was reading, I was thinking just one more page, just until I complete this chapter, just until this scene is over and then it was 3am. I loved it. Thank god it's Saturday, tho.
Merged review:
All the while I was reading, I was thinking just one more page, just until I complete this chapter, just until this scene is over and then it was 3am. I loved it. Thank god it's Saturday, tho....more
I have to admit I was unfairly prejudiced against this book for several reasons: I came upon this book on reddiOkay, Roxie Noir, I see you. I see you.
I have to admit I was unfairly prejudiced against this book for several reasons: I came upon this book on reddit (I had awful experiences with book recs that don't come from GR), the author was new to me, and to be honest, most books promoted as enemies to lovers romances usually are a very poor attempt at that.
I am happy to say I was wrong.
This is such a good quality love story. Really, the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced of it. Eli and Violet have a great dynamic, their interactions are filled with just the right amount of snark, and their conversations are never boring. Honestly, their banter is A+.
The book is not in your face funny, generally it has a serious tone, but it had some elements of comedy that were quite surprising, and truthfully, hilarious. The whole cake thing, man, I was laughing my ass off. A little bit of it was incredulity, but that was just because I was caught off-guard. The funny stuff doesn't dominate, it complements the story.
The biggest reason this was not a five star read for me was the amount of in-detail sex scenes. The first sex scene, holy shit that was hot. It wasn't obscene, it was very sensual and tasteful. But there were too many for my taste, and I found myself skimming those to get to the rest of the story.
Sometimes I was annoyed at some character's thought processes, I won't name names, but Violet, girl, are you dense. I appreciate it though that it wasn't drawn out.
So today's lesson is don't judge a book by how you found it because you could miss out on a wonderful gem. Unless it's Pinterest. Just don't read books Pinterest recommends, trust me. And also, Enemies With Benefits is great.
Merged review:
Okay, Roxie Noir, I see you. I see you.
I have to admit I was unfairly prejudiced against this book for several reasons: I came upon this book on reddit (I had awful experiences with book recs that don't come from GR), the author was new to me, and to be honest, most books promoted as enemies to lovers romances usually are a very poor attempt at that.
I am happy to say I was wrong.
This is such a good quality love story. Really, the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced of it. Eli and Violet have a great dynamic, their interactions are filled with just the right amount of snark, and their conversations are never boring. Honestly, their banter is A+.
The book is not in your face funny, generally it has a serious tone, but it had some elements of comedy that were quite surprising, and truthfully, hilarious. The whole cake thing, man, I was laughing my ass off. A little bit of it was incredulity, but that was just because I was caught off-guard. The funny stuff doesn't dominate, it complements the story.
The biggest reason this was not a five star read for me was the amount of in-detail sex scenes. The first sex scene, holy shit that was hot. It wasn't obscene, it was very sensual and tasteful. But there were too many for my taste, and I found myself skimming those to get to the rest of the story.
Sometimes I was annoyed at some character's thought processes, I won't name names, but Violet, girl, are you dense. I appreciate it though that it wasn't drawn out.
So today's lesson is don't judge a book by how you found it because you could miss out on a wonderful gem. Unless it's Pinterest. Just don't read books Pinterest recommends, trust me. And also, Enemies With Benefits is great....more
Just wow! I'm not one for fanfics, but this blew my socks off. I have only words of praise for this. It's so well-written, funny, charming, steamy and Just wow! I'm not one for fanfics, but this blew my socks off. I have only words of praise for this. It's so well-written, funny, charming, steamy and it pulled me in from the first moment. Seriously, I couldn't do anything else, focus on anything else but reading this book and finding out what happens next. And I have the biggest book hangover now, I don't know what I'm going to do with myself.
Just read it, I highly HIGHLY recommend it....more
To say I devoured this book would be an understatement. I was into it from the first sentence. I loved the characters, their chemistry, their dynamic,To say I devoured this book would be an understatement. I was into it from the first sentence. I loved the characters, their chemistry, their dynamic, the angst and the sweet resolution in the end, just it's a book according to my taste. The one thing I really could've gone without is (view spoiler)[ when Drew decides it's a splendid idea to surprise Josh, in a war torn country, without giving him any notice, without consulting him at all. She doesn't do any research before, she has absolutely no idea what she's getting herself into. She lands in Somalia, she has to go through all the security measures, she has armed bodyguards and an armed guide, she needs a bulletproof vest and there is a commotion on every checkpoint on the road to the refugee camp where Josh works. And when he is understably not impressed with her presence, in A REFUGEE CAMP IN A WAR TPRN COUNTRY WHERE TERRORIST ATTACKS HAPPEN REGULARLY she is hurt and devastated and all like woe is me Josh doesn't like me and all I could think is how can you be so self-centered? How can you be so blind and selfish? And just plain stupid? And then when he arranges her way out of the country she has the gal to comment that it's not that bad?!?! I mean she made up for it a little by the end, but that was just incredibly stupid and I sort of lost a lot appreciation for Drew because of that. (hide spoiler)]...more
WOW. I cannot decide on the words to describe this absolutely amazing book. Seriously, I'm sitting here thinking of how to start this review and I'm jWOW. I cannot decide on the words to describe this absolutely amazing book. Seriously, I'm sitting here thinking of how to start this review and I'm just missing the words to describe everything I'm feeling right now. It's beautiful, heart-breaking, lovely, real, impactful just everything. Jules's struggle, physical and mental, was so fleshed out, I thought wow the author did a really thorough job researching this subject and then reading the author's note I realized what a dummy I am, because the amount of detail, the nuance of all the emotions caused by surviving something like a life-changing organ transplantation can be really described only by someone speaking from experience. This book just moved me in so many ways....more
Aww this was adorable too. Chase's reason that he could not commit to other people and his ward always utter rubbish and just obviously manufacturered.Aww this was adorable too. Chase's reason that he could not commit to other people and his ward always utter rubbish and just obviously manufacturered. I loved how Alex handled it, but generally speaking it was really difficult to buy....more
A sign of a great book: when you keep checking the progress bar, fearing when there's no more book to read. I was captivated by this book! I loved it! A sign of a great book: when you keep checking the progress bar, fearing when there's no more book to read. I was captivated by this book! I loved it! Had to endure some pretty mediocre books in the series to get to this one, and it was (almost) worth it....more
Oh wow!! I absolutely adored it! It was so much fun and I couldn't put it down! Highly recommended!!Oh wow!! I absolutely adored it! It was so much fun and I couldn't put it down! Highly recommended!!...more
I quite enjoyed the book, I literally read it in one sitting. It was definitely entertaining and funny, but it had This review is spoilerish, beware.
I quite enjoyed the book, I literally read it in one sitting. It was definitely entertaining and funny, but it had some issues that made the last quarter quite messy.
I'm a fan of the hero-misjudges-the-heroine trope, it leads to some pretty great angst if executed well. This book tackles this trope, but instead of resolving it quickly (the way I'm used to tbh), it reappears throughout the book. You can easily understand why Will would have trust issues, what happened with his ex-fiance would mess with everyone, I'm positive. I wasn't even surprised that even after their honeymoon phase (which was incredibly sweet!), his insecurities would cause what is ultimately the biggest conflict in the story. But his change of heart, how he finally saw the light about Hadley's character and intentions didn't ring true to me. He had to be actively talked into changing his opinion, which is why I simply wasn't convinced that just like that he overcame some pretty big hang-ups. Will, in his bullheadedness, hurt Hadley badly and I felt he got off the hook too easily. This book needed a LOT more groveling, that's for sure.
Hadley was a delight. She had fire and backbone, she stood up for herself, she didn't engage in foolish discussions with a certain stubborn idiot, but let her actions speak for her. I really liked her character and it was really easy to connect with her.
Another thing that I really enjoyed is the chemistry and tension between Will and Hadley. Even though they get physical very early in the story, there is still some intense will-they-won't-they scenes and when they finally gave up fighting their attraction to each other, it was so satisfying.
So despite the fact that the conflict and resolution were quite messy, it was a fun read. I definitely recommend giving it a go, but arm yourself with patience, as the hero is a handful....more
This was pretty sweet. No drama, no ridiculous conflicts, just straight up friends to lovers romance. On a different note, I realized I loved the name This was pretty sweet. No drama, no ridiculous conflicts, just straight up friends to lovers romance. On a different note, I realized I loved the name Sterling. Such a romance-novel-hero name. I would also like to say that I share Scarlett's lady boner when boys use proper grammar in texting and speaking....more
This is the kind of stuff I crave, such a perfect enemies-to-lovers tale. Oooooh boy, the chemistry between Lex and Gabi was off the charts. That kissThis is the kind of stuff I crave, such a perfect enemies-to-lovers tale. Oooooh boy, the chemistry between Lex and Gabi was off the charts. That kiss in the beginning, damn what a good kissing scene. Sometimes a kiss can be 10 times hotter than any sex scene. I was glued to the pages the entire day and I couldn't put it down. At first it was really challenging to like Lex, as his behavior left a lot to be desired, but he really grew as a person and his transformation was a wonderful thing. The way he stood up for what he wanted, which is Gabi, the way he was ready to weather everything for her, oh man, my heart sighed. Gabi is my kind of heroine, never taking any crap from anyone and standing up for herself, but not afraid to seek comfort or too proud to accept help when she needs it. I liked how there wasn't any drama between the main characters, there weren't any stupid conflicts and every misunderstanding was immediately cleared up. Just a very enjoyable all around.
I saw that there was a movie adaption of this book in the works, but I'm not sure whether it'll translate well to a movie screen, especially considering the prequel was INCREDIBLY cringey. Although the book is cringey as well. Hmm. Oh who am I kidding, I'll probably watch it, but I'll love the book more....more
Instead of writing a review for each book individually, I decided to review this as a series. This would've been so much better if it were just a singInstead of writing a review for each book individually, I decided to review this as a series. This would've been so much better if it were just a single book.
Also this review is slightly spoilerish.
This is a hot mess, let me tell you. For almost the entire series there is barely any progress whatsoever, the story is stuck in the same place and there is zero character growth in any of the main or side characters.
For four books they have no idea how to kill Baleros, when just out of a sudden, Liora/Arianna just kills him forever.
For four books, she seems to be obsessed with Ruadan and apparently he returns the sentiment??? There are some big feelings involved, big words, but I wasn't convinced at all. For four books, Ruadan has the charisma of a used kitchen cloth and he and Liora have ZERO (in numbers: 0) chemistry. Liora has such an energetic presence on the pages, she really has more chemistry with everyone, with literally every villain she came across, than she has with Ruadan. I fully blame Ruadan. Honestly, Ruadan as the main love interest and as a person sucked. Lack of charisma aside (although for someone so full of life as Liora, it's definitely a crime to have such a bland love interest), he's a sociopath. (view spoiler)[For the life of me, I can't really understand how Liora just overlooked the fact that he was the one indirectly responsible for the attack that lead to the death of her mother and AN ENTIRE SMALL VILLAGE. (hide spoiler)] That his general aloof behavior, his douchy "YoU sHoUlD hAvE TrUstEd mE" helps literally no one, and his (view spoiler)[fucking vow of silence was stupidest shit I have heard in a long time. Because he didn't kill Baleros and he should've been mute for the entire series. (hide spoiler)] I mean I'm totally with her parents on this one, Ruadan is definitely not good enough for Liora.
Moreover, whenever they go on an "adventure" together, Liora somehow always ends up seriously hurt. I'm talking broken ribs pearcing her lungs, I'm talking severe burns, I'm talking wounds from knives, swords, arrows, I'm talking a death wound through the heart, I'm talking shreaded wings and other body parts, and so on.
I want to rant a little about the Institute. The real purpose of the Institute was never really revealed throughout the series, but if it's just hunting down and killing paranormal creatures that mean no harm, then that's shady. And wrong. I am so confused about the purpose and the laws of this Institute. Vampires and demons are bad, they hunt them down and kill them (and that seemed extra cold-blooded because they hunt the vamps down in a bar and they were there for an open mic event, just like, having a fun night out. It only turned to slaughter when Liora intentionally provoked them by cutting her hands. Even the demons they hunted down were participating in an orgy, but as far as I could understand, everyone in that orgy was a consenting adult, so again, just demons going on about their lives being hunted for they are.), but then some kind of Fae that tortures you with your worst fears is allowed to own and operate a store? How does this make sense? Is it cause she's Fae, and they are vampires and demons? Seems awfully discriminatory to me.
I also want to rant about the continuity. At the end of the third book, Ruadan finds out who Liora's parents are. He gives her a wreath and walks away. But then at the start of the fourth book Liora is expelled from the Institute. I checked several times on GR to see whether I missed a novella or book or something like that, because there was never a word of Liora leaving the Institute before.
Lots of things I was unhappy with, but ultimately though, I read the entire series. It's fast-paced and funny, and Liora is definitely a great main character. Her friends are a delight, so that made the story at least tolerable. Wouldn't recommend it, to be honest. CN Crawford's other series, The Court of Sea Fae, which features Aenor from the fourth book, is far superior to this one....more
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