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Book Review: Vanished, by Nicole McKeon

I picked up a copy of Nicole McKeon‘s cozy gaslamp fantasy, Vanished.

vanished coverEccentric social outcast Lady Gwenevere St. James knows many secret things: magic, alchemy, artifice, and even the truth about the long-forgotten faeries. But she does not know why common criminals are using rare and dangerous magic to kidnap orphans from the streets of New London.

After rescuing one young girl, Gwen vows to save the rest, no matter the cost. But the handsome Scotland Yard inspector is also investigating the case, and he thinks Gwen knows far too much about the kidnappings to be innocent.

To save the children, Gwen must dodge the Inspector, bully a coven of witches, and outsmart her marriage-minded mama, all while managing a wily young pickpocket and a headstrong raven. But an unexpected secret hides at the center of the mystery, one that will force her to confront the most painful event from her past, and possibly sacrifice her future.

my review

I enjoyed this but wasn’t blown away by it. I liked Gwen well enough, but she’s no Alexia Tarabotti (though she is trying very hard to be). The plot kept me interested, but there were no big surprises. Even the villain is fairly obvious. I liked the world, but it’s slapdash and thin in places. For example, almost everyone in a world of humans, witches, elves, and dwarves—all of whom use magic of sorts—doesn’t believe in fae magic despite knowing fae existed. Like, why not? That makes no sense to me. The children were cute but didn’t seem to be a necessary component of the story. The hero was noble and appreciateable but kind of bland. All in all, I don’t regret reading it, and I would read another in the series. But I’m not rushing out to buy the next book, either.

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Review: Vanished by Nicole McKeon

Vanished: Book One of the Gwen St. James Affair by Nicole Mckeon

 

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Book Review: No Man Left Behind, by W.R. Gingell

I pre-ordered a copy of W.R. Gingell‘s No Man Left Behind. Reviews for the previous books in the series can be found here and here.
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Revenge. Restoration. Romance. A few deadly wishes.

The Glass Elder wants wishes. Three, to be exact. Athelas wants a way in, and those wishes may well be that way—but giving the Elder what he wants means putting Camellia in harm’s way. It also means that YeoWoo will have to choose between trusting Athelas one last time, and taking a bite at suddenly hot revenge that could swiftly go cold if she misses her chance.

Now that revenge is within reach of her teeth, will YeoWoo manage to tear out one last, bloody heart? Can Athelas put aside his own ends for long enough to protect all those dearest to him from threats outside—and from himself?

Can a family that began in blood survive one too many wishes and a far-too-wily Elder, or will the world as they know it fall apart into the chaos of wishes-gone-wrong?

my review

This was a full, fabulous five stars. The whole series is a redemption arc, picking up from the end of The City Between series’ ending. You see it coming and anticipate it. But getting to see it all finally coming together with everyone who needs closure, revenge, forgiveness, or acceptance receiving it is wonderful. The character growth! The found family! The banter! All of it, *Chef’s Kiss* I will legitimately miss these characters now that the series is over. Gingell has quickly become a favorite auto-buy author. I cannot wait to see what she does next.

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Book Review: Enticed by the Orc, by Tabitha Black

I picked up a copy of Tabitha Black‘s Enticed by the Orc as an Amazon freebie.

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Are you feeling lost? Lonely? Disenchanted?

In my case, it was yes to all of the above. So when I saw the ad promising to fulfill my biggest wish, I chugged the rest of my wine… and said the I deserve happiness. Love. Belonging.

I should’ve read the fine print.

Now I’m in another world, filled with Fae folk. There are witches, minotaurs, and trolls. The dark elf king has put a bounty on my head. And the only protector I have is a huge, grumpy orc who loathes humankind – including me. But his brusque commands and intense stare make my belly flip and my breath catch. And when he touches me… oh, my heart…

Despite our undeniable chemistry, the orc is determined to help me get home. Problem is, I’m not sure I want to go.

I kinda want to stay here…

With him.

my review

This started out really well. Throughout, I appreciated the DV rep and the way that the author handled a woman leaving an abusive relationship with a narcissist. Plus, the heroine had some characteristics you don’t too often see in romance characters (having gotten a boob job, for example), which was fun.

Unfortunately, the whole thing fell apart pretty quickly. It became predictable and dull. The transition from barely tolerating each other to falling in bed and love was too abrupt and without any reasoning behind it. Just one minute, they dislike one another; the next, they can’t keep their hands off one another.

I had two main issues that kept me from liking the book, though. One, Orakh (yeah, the orc is basically named Orc), never solidified himself as a male lead worth my time. He was dismissive of her (and just about anything feminine) from the start and then abandoned her in her time of need. Second, the kink felt unbelievably out of place. I know BDSM was all the rage for a while, and some authors try to write for the market. But to say it didn’t fit in this story would be a vast understatement.

All in all, I’m just glad to have finished it, which is a shame because it started out well.

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