This book had such a cute setting that I simply couldn't resist. Our FMC uses her grandma’s cookbook for a dinner she invited her friends and coworkerThis book had such a cute setting that I simply couldn't resist. Our FMC uses her grandma’s cookbook for a dinner she invited her friends and coworkers, including her boss, for and once everything … somewhat goes to hell (pun absolutely intended), she somehow, accidentally summons a demon. Luckily, the demon she summons can cook and saves the day – for now, because his payment is still up in the air.
The main character and her love interest have such a cute dynamic, the wholesome moments truly made up the book for me and I could have just lived with that, to be honest, because it was just such a home-y feeling following them both through the early stages of what started as a deal with a demon and somehow turned into something else entirely.
There were a few moments that had me go “what now?” and not in a plot-twisty kind of way but in a “huh, what did I miss now” kind of way. I’m not entirely sure if I just overread some things or if they were not as clear as the author maybe had hoped, but it didn’t really sour the enjoyment of the read for me so I didn’t mind to much.
Coming to an end, with this review and the book simultaneously, the vibes were a lot more hectic and I would have wished for some scenes to go a little deeper.
All in all, I had fun reading this and what more could you want from a cozy demon cookbook disaster? Clear recommendation for the fall days to cuddle up with this and have a good time.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
First of all, thank you to NetGalley, KC Mills and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book. Secondly, sometimes there also are ARCs yoFirst of all, thank you to NetGalley, KC Mills and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book. Secondly, sometimes there also are ARCs you end up not liking – this unfortunately was the case for me. As I promised an honest review in exchange for receiving a copy of this book, I’ll leave my thoughts below and I will not soften them, just because it was an ARC. This book looks promising at first, with a Forced Proximity/Arranged Marriage scenario between the two main characters set in a loosely hinted at Mafia/Made Men setting. While we meet both characters very early on, it takes quite a few chapters to pick up the pace. When it does, it moves too fast for my taste. The characters themselves unfortunately lack depth. After reading a whole book about them, I can’t tell you anything more personal about either than their drink preferences and their issues, which tend to be a tad bit repetitive. Their only role seems to be the one of husband and wife, briefly interrupted only by interludes of “imposing Mafia Boss” and “Poor, poor (in both senses) Wife”. What I usually enjoy in these types of books, was nowhere to be found. The effortless way of commanding a room, the subtle self-assured way of holding himself and the easy-going, decidedly unforced masculinity these Mafia-type men usually are described with fell flat for me in this one. Kincaid is not effortlessly masculine in any cute way, but incredibly insecure, toxic and controlling. That’s not a cute look. Speaking of cute – that seems to be the only personality trait the female main character possesses she’s hot, she’s cute and kind of awkward, at least according to silver-spoon-Romeo. This even is a claim the narrator makes in a chapter of Nari’s POV, because it’s said: “The issue with that seemed to be I never truly had an identity before he shook up my world.” Wow! This sadly didn’t change throughout the entirety of the book. Kincaid, the male love interest, also seems like he mostly speaks in “half truths” as he claims, while to an attentive reader these usually are closer to “full lies”. Also, sprinkle on a bit of homophobic commentary here and there alongside the toxic masculinity and you do end up giving the MCs some sort of … character. And by character I mean a very bitter aftertaste. The plotline did not feel consistent, as there are multiple opponents introduced and by the time one of the main twists happens, we never get to know who was behind it, before another adversary is introduced. The main thing happening here is one on one scenes with the main characters, possessive, jealous behaviour of the male main character after an outing with his wife (multiple), and ominous “business meetings” the male lead has to go to. Repeat. For the entirety of the book, I felt like I was scratching on surfaces while my resolve to find out more about these characters was whittled down by every chapter. The final straw for this rating were the innumerable grammatical errors and spelling mistakes this book surprises you with. I’m really sorry, but this is my honest opinion and that’s what I have promised to give: I can’t really recommend reading this book. ...more
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Riders Block.
Riders Block hooked me with the setup already – combineThank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Riders Block.
Riders Block hooked me with the setup already – combine two of my favourite things, literature and country life, and that might just make me want to read your book. Sometimes there also is a little bit of curiosity in it, if the life in rural areas is portrayed in a believable manner and this book definitely put gasoline on this little fire burning in me, by presenting me with a female main character whose book just got denied by every publisher because it clearly showed she had no clue of life in the countryside. Call me curious! We follow Amelia, an accomplished author who is trying out new styles and genres to write, descend into the ranch life in Colorado including living on a farm with a friend’s family. Found family, a ton of new friends on two and four legs later, she does find a little more than she bargained for. The male love interest is of the grumpy, silent sort, who has some hilarious slip ups and weaseled his way into my heart a lot faster than into Amelia’s, that’s for sure. The reader gets a glimpse into the country way of life, including rodeos, the work and perils around a farm and of course the absolutely over-romanticised version of everything. Granted, I’m not an American country gal, but having grown up on farms, around every barn animal you can think of and riding more than walking, there were some things I found to be a little too over the top, even for a romance that is just trying to get you to feel that cosy, home-y feeling. One of those things is claiming that sharing a saddle with two grown ass adults is any sort of comfortable. Let me tell you, it is not and that’s a hill I’ll gladly die on. Ditch the saddle and we’re talking, but no one in their right mind and over the age of … let’s say, 8 years old, will ever say this is a comfortable thing. Another thing a little too on the nose for me personally was the avoidant behavior of the female main character, as, granted, she did struggle with a lot of past experiences and while I do get the hesitancy she showed towards the love interest, the back and forth of her mind gave me whiplash: Either the MMC was doing way too much for her liking or a few seconds later, did not even show difficulty saying goodbye, which subsequently was not enough for her taste. The repetition of the same struggles over and over again without resolving any of this got a little bit on my nerves. Repetition is a good keyword, as some of the phrases the author (the real one, not the fictional one) used, were a little to frequent for my taste. At times scenes I would have loved to experience with the characters were just skimmed over by giving a tiny summary within an internal monologue or just in a paragraph instead of actually taking the reader there. Furthermore, the parts where the female main characters just voiced her thoughts in an internal monologue but just putting a ton of short sentences into a paragraph did hinder my immersion at times. This is, overall, a very cute country romance without spice but with a ton of lovable characters that will take your heart with ease. The author wants to provide a safe space with her books, where you get exactly what you expect and for me, she nailed that home-y, found family feeling, even if some parts did not work out for me perfectly, I would pick up another book of hers, anytime. ...more
A short, surprisingly eerie audio telling of the Ballad of Old Joe Booth with a stunning narrator who really manages to draw the audience into this stA short, surprisingly eerie audio telling of the Ballad of Old Joe Booth with a stunning narrator who really manages to draw the audience into this story. Dipping a little bit into horror, this entertained me for the short span it holds and I'm sure I will revisit this shortstory again for the vibes and the storytelling. Would recommend!...more
„How Not To Kill Yourself“ is a memoir meeting a non-fiction book about several topics surrounding the main theme of suicide halfway, presenting itsel„How Not To Kill Yourself“ is a memoir meeting a non-fiction book about several topics surrounding the main theme of suicide halfway, presenting itself in a very frank, direct way and choice of words. I’m convinced there needs to be a more open conversation surrounding suicide, the various forms of it and the extremely varying life situations that make people feel the need to commit to it, thus I think this can be a very discourse opening book. However, for me personally, I struggled a lot while reading this, maybe due to my own life situation, maybe because some passages felt like they were dragging over a lot more pages than they might have needed to. This book presents a different outlook onto the immense topic of suicide: various forms people choose, the author’s personal experience with different methods, the aftermath of possibly failed suicidal attempts and also surprising examples of people that have committed, where the general public would never have expected them to and a lot more connected topics. Mr. Martin chooses a very forward style to tackling these themes and sometimes I noticed myself needing breaks from this book, because I came close to drifting into a non-healthy spiral of thoughts myself. I would be very careful to whom I recommend this book and as a resume myself I would probably state that I was not in the right place to tackle it. Thus, it is very hard for me to find an appropriate rating for How Not To Kill Yourself, but I’ll go with a neutral 3 star rating.
I received an arc in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Barry Eisler managed to grow into one of those authors who induce an “I need to get my hands on this – yesterday!!” urge in me as soon as I see anotheBarry Eisler managed to grow into one of those authors who induce an “I need to get my hands on this – yesterday!!” urge in me as soon as I see another new publication of his and that is a status he deservedly continues to hold. His literary universe is one I grew very fond of and meeting his characters again, even in a prequel while I’m not a fan of going back in timelines, is a prospect that always elicits excitement in me. The exact same reaction had the future publication of “AMOK” on me which is why I was over the moon to receive an ARC for this – thank you Netgalley and Mr Eisler. With Amok we join a young Dox in a prequel to his later appearances in the different series of Eisler (Dox appears in a few of the John Rain books, as well as the Livia Lone series and those where all those threads come together). While already showing his trademark charm, the unmistakeable humour, and his massive empathy, we truly get a glimpse in the life “before” a big change happens to Dox. Him being my favourite character of the bunch made me fall back into routine quickly with his jokes, the easy way he charms everyone just by being himself and showing a solid range of emotion not often portrayed in novels with espionage, mercenaries and hired guns as key topics. I enjoyed the way the reader gets to glimpse a truly younger, less experienced, and not as developed version of Dox, as the “same old, same old” would probably have left a lot of questions unanswered. Joining a favourite character on his journey to growth, facing struggles, careerwise as well as in the shape of family discordance, and finding unlikely allies guarantees a good time and that was the case here, too. As usual, the massive library on two legs that is Barry Eisler eases the reader into knowledge that is important for the progression of the story and the way he does it is so incredibly effortless that you get to take away a lot of new information while still reading for entertainment only. As a reader, I never had the feeling of an author not knowing what he is talking about, which is especially noteworthy considering the setting of the novel in Southeast Asia. That being said, this installment, or rather this prequel, had a bit of a rushed feeling for me. At some points I would have wished for more time with the characters to be able to develop them a little further, sculpt them with more details and fall even more in love with them than I already had – or grow wearier of or develop more angst and fear of some. A tad less adrenaline in exchange for more soft and slow moments, while still feeling the rush of the action-packed chapters would have reached a reading experience close to perfection for me. I have to admit I truly missed Dox and that is massive praise in itself because it needs an exceptionally remarkable character shaped in previous publications to accomplish this for me. He is, and will stay, one of my favourites and I cannot wait to join him on more current adventures, while being thankful for this glance in his past and how he grew to be the character I so desperately crave in more books.
One last comment I would like to make on the placing in a possible reading order for Dox’ part in Eisler’s series: I would probably advise to get to know the more grown-up version of Dox first to be able to truly appreciate this glimpse in his past and his growth. I would possibly recommend it to reader’s either just starting out on the journey that is reading all of Mr Eisler’s series or those who have finished at least a few books containing appearances of Dox. In general, people who enjoy espionage, covert missions and likeable characters with human traits as well as full ranges of emotion shown in those characters will probably enjoy AMOK, too. A very good 4 star read and a great way to start a new series! ...more
When I first came across A Lust For Blood, I was immediately on board, as the premise managed to catch me right from the start. I was lucky to have beWhen I first came across A Lust For Blood, I was immediately on board, as the premise managed to catch me right from the start. I was lucky to have been granted an ARC of this by Booksirens and my excitement only grew. I am afraid this might be a case of “It’s not you, it’s me” – unfortunately.
A Lust For Blood tells the story of Oriana, a mythical being with magical abilities and monstrous traits at the same time. Fighting for the good in herself, she builds a trap to cage the monster in her she is not able to control and still wants to limit it in its bloodshed. One of her means to achieve this is the magical Phantom Forest – impenetrable, in theory. Of course there is young Garren, a demon slayer who followed the tale of a Demon right through Oriana’s forest. We accompany Oriana and Garren in their journey of covering and discovering, of getting to know each other and facing the challenges their nature brings.
While I started this book with fairly high expectations, I am sad to say it did not exactly meet those. I was looking forward to a long journey of hide and seek, of close calls and forbidden attraction, of slow, slow build-up to the plotline and the character’s relationship. The world building could have used more detail for my taste, as well as the timeline might have profited of a less rapid development in terms of plot and character entanglement. Also, I would have loved to see more depth to the characters themselves, as I tend to “bond” over small things with my fictional companions – finishing the book I knew nothing about them, that was not inextricably connected to the plotline. Giving them edges, irks, conventional and unconventional things they love or enjoy, that would form the characters in more detail and would probably allow the reader to develop a certain kind of affection to them more easily. I felt like I had a bigger distance to both Oriana and Garren, which does affect my being invested in their story a lot. In general, I think this book could have used more detail: Descriptions of places, people with actual names even if they are just some villager (in moderate amounts), slower development of attraction or affection as well as other emotions, the previously mentioned more finely crafted mold for the characters would probably have helped ascending A Lust For Blood to a different level. After stating what I missed, I will also have to say what a reader can expect before diving into A Lust for Blood: The characters do stay true to themselves, we experience a rapid development of plot and attraction, there is room for so many more stories and we do progress really fast in the story. If someone prefers a quick read without having to dive through 300 pages of worldbuilding prior to plot unravelling, this might be the right book for you. It also might be the right fit for readers who think lengthy fight scenes to be rather dull. It is an enjoyable read and in no way or shape a bad read – it just was not that memorable to me due to the points I have listed before.
As I did miss some loose ends to be tied up towards the end of the story and there are still quite a few mysteries unsolved I imagine there might be more to tell of Garren’s and Oriana’s story, so maybe this was the beginning to a far bigger story.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
Reforged takes the reader to the fictional kingdom of Usleth to join a young king who never wanted a crown and his Prime Paladin, who once chose his pReforged takes the reader to the fictional kingdom of Usleth to join a young king who never wanted a crown and his Prime Paladin, who once chose his position over love on their journey through treacherous courts, a country that is as divided as the nobles are, where friends are found in least expected ways and betrayal runs deep. This book provides it all: a magical system, political intrigues, and characters you want to protect at all costs. Seth Haddon managed to craft his characters so well, you cannot help but suffer with them when they are being particularly stubborn, laugh wholeheartedly over their antics and swoon over the flirts and banter they cannot seem to live without. Balen and Zav are just delightful, so very different from each other and still perfectly made for each other. Their love is so strong right from the start but there are obstacles that need to be overcome and battles to be fought. Zav is a flirt through and through and I absolutely loved that. Any time he made Balen blush, it had me giggling like a schoolgirl. I did not only enjoy our main characters, but also their sidekicks who were pure comedy and still felt like people you would enjoy being on the road with. At some points I would have wished to see more of the group’s journey and maybe more of the adventures they faced, which only proves that I really enjoyed their story. I will definitely keep an eye out for future publications of Seth Haddon’s, and I would recommend this to everyone who enjoys a finely crafted fantasy novel, with great character depth, the odd chuckle and two main characters you simply want to see happy.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily....more
The Call of Jonas Creed is a novella set in a fantastical world, where only a select few are able to cross between realms of the mortals and those of The Call of Jonas Creed is a novella set in a fantastical world, where only a select few are able to cross between realms of the mortals and those of the gods and demons. Our male main character is one of those few, called Voidwalker, but chose to leave his past behind to instead become a doting husband and father.
His peaceful existence isn't of lasting nature, as a unknown force is looking for him and takes what is most precious to lure him out. Jonas sets out on a journey to find what was taken and avenge what was lost.
The pace of this novella is set high so the reader has to adjust to the world quite quickly, but as the world building is done well, it reads a little bit like really good, a little bit oldschool (but in the best possible interpretation of the word) fantasy novel. The ending felt a teeny tiny bit rushed to me but it does leave me very curious to what the story of Jonas Creed has in store for the reader.
All in all, a very quick read that draws you in and gets you hooked to read more of this series. I would recommend to anyone who misses the feeling of the classic fantasy read and enjoys the tales of revenge sought out.
[I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.]...more
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Starting from the blurb only, I went into this book with expectatI received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Starting from the blurb only, I went into this book with expectations, that weren't met but it's not entirely the book's fault. Is it a good book, that's very entertaining if you head into it with different expectations than the ones I had? Probably, it is. Was I a little bit disappointed nonetheless? Unfortunately.
To prevent anyone heading into this with the same expectations as I did: if you expect a book set in anything else than modern times, think again. This is set in a timeframe where cellphones exist, modern technology exists and part of the plot includes the struggle of a being getting to know these times and gadgets and means of transportation/communication/you get where I'm heading. My wish would have been for this to be clear by reading the blurb only. I know I'm not the only one who expected this to be set in a different timeframe than it actually was and I'd like to know where I'm headed timewise when starting a book. Maybe choose a blurb next time that better represents the basics of the world and time it is in. Having said this, I probably would have enjoyed the struggles of coming to terms with modern technology more, if I had been in the mood for it and chose this book based on that. This way, it was a mildly entertaining subplot, that didn't add to the story for me so it, at times, even became little frustrating. Some parts of the dialogues felt pretty repetitive and I felt like 'I have read this exact dialogue before', which is okay once or twice but not for every banter-y situation between the two MCs. There also were a few unnecessary typos which stopped the flow of reading for me. The world building was a massive project and at times I would have wished for more insight into the different parties, deities and other creatures that made an appearance but weren't that thoroughly described for me to become truly involved in the plot. The two main characters were mildly annoying through parts of the book and I had a hard time connecting with both of them.
I might just need to say I wasn't involved enough in their story to truly care about that massive cliffhanger at the end, which is a little disappointing. I will add that they absolutely had their moments, I loved some of the quotes of this book especially targeting the feeling of depression and helplessness toward it in Liam's POV, but it wasn't enough to truly "catch me".
Read this if you are a fan of urban fantasy, the clash of the modern times and technologies with someone from a different timeframe, and adventurous plot that felt like a mashup of Indiana Jones and the later Supernatural episodes and a ton of beings across realms to be discovered - also, if you are fine with waiting for the next book in the series as this does end on a cliffhanger....more
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