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Book Review: Veiled in Shadow, by Chloe Parker & Clarissa Bright

I picked up a freebie copy of Veiled in Shadow by Chloe Parker & Clarissa Bright.
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Can one human woman seduce the most powerful males in the galaxy? I’m about to find out.

When the Aelyd mafia took my best friend, I decided to go looking for her. These aliens have been looking for brides – for vessels – and I know she must be in trouble.

Now I’ve found myself entangled with three alien crimelords, all of whom want me as their mate.

Keon, the Deviant Prince of the Ganivet Family.

Atlas, the Ganivet Boss, known as the Untouchable Man.

And Corvus, the stoic, deadly assassin playing them both.

I’ll have to tread carefully to trap these men in my web, but I’ll do it using my wits, my charm, and my body.

And hopefully I won’t get caught myself.

my review

OK, so this was pure smut and ridiculous smut at that. But it was also silly fun. You can’t go in expecting to take it seriously. The idea that any of these characters are actually the dangerous professionals that the authors tell us they are is a joke. As someone smarter than me once said, fiction doesn’t have to be realistic, but it does need to be believable (in the context of the plot). None of these characters are. Nor is the progression of the romantic element of the story believably paced. (Especially in the case of Corvus.) The BDSM aspect feels completely out of place. (Somehow, the aliens don’t know what a boyfriend is, but know what a sub is.) And the plot is paper thin, though not porn-with-plot thin. Just accept all of that in advance.

Because outside of the above, there is some fun banter, sweet moments, sword crossing, and a strong platonic female friendship. The book is fun. Just don’t think too deeply about any single part of it.veiled in shadow photo


Other Reviews:

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Book Review: Choosing Theo, by Victoria Aveline

I purchased a copy of Choosing Theo, by Victoria Aveline.

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Being kidnapped by aliens is only the start of Jade’s problems. Thankfully, her rescuers, an alien race known as the Clecanians, are willing to protect her, but she has to stay on their planet for one year and respect the rules of their culture–including choosing a husband. Jade refuses at first but decides to play along until she can find a way back to Earth.

Theo, a scarred mercenary who prefers a life of solitude, is stunned when Jade selects him as her husband. After years of being passed over, he never imagined he would be chosen and neither did anyone else. Only one explanation makes sense…the curvy enticing female must be a spy, and Theo’s determined to break her cover using any means necessary.

As Jade and Theo are forced to spend time together, their chemistry becomes undeniable. But neither can afford to bring love into the equation, especially since Jade seems determined to go home. After all, she can’t possibly stay here, right?

my review

Meh, this was fine, I suppose. It’s just that I’d seen it recommended SO MANY times, and people rave about it. So, I expected a lot more than it delivered. It’s pretty standard Mars Need Women sci-fi romance. It’s not bad, per se. But it isn’t particularly special either. As fluff, it’s enjoyable; anything more, it is not.

The H/h don’t meet until past the 30% mark. Then there’s a lot of contrived angst based on mistrust anchored in the frankly ridiculous premise that no one in this planet’s administration apparently shares important information. There’s some didactic, moralistic rhetoric and an attempt to be transgressive.

It’s here Aveline really fails, in my opinion. She tries to paint the aliens’ forcing women into procreation as doing their best to save their species and, therefore, not like the patriarchy that similarly pigeon-holes women in the real world. Except that the arguments she presents are the choosing theo photoexact same ones said patriarchy lays out regularly. Maybe she gave it prettier window dressings, but it’s still the exact same thing she tries to pass off as something different (read: excusable). And, hey, I’m not reading Mars Needs Women tropes expecting a bastion of feminism. But when it’s pretty clear that the author is trying to accomplish something she’s not, it’s a bit cringe (as the kids say).

All in all, as long as I didn’t think too deeply about the plot, I enjoyed the characters and story—it gets very sweet—as predictable as it all is.


Other Reviews:

Review: Choosing Theo by Victoria Aveline

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Book Review: Flirting With Monsters series, by Eva Chase

I picked up a copy of Eva Chase‘s Shadow Thief as an Amazon freebie. Then, I purchased the compilation of the whole series (Shadow Thief, Twilight Crook, Dusk Avenger, and Dark Champion).

On a side note: I’ve just spent two and a bit days with no power (so, no internet). This means that it has been a few days since I finished these books, so they’re no longer fresh in my mind. Apologies if the review is a little sparse as a result.

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When a sassy thief sets three demons free during a heist, she doesn’t count on them following her home—or insisting on repaying her with their protection. This gal isn’t looking for an entourage, even if it’s made up of sexy supernatural hunks. But when it turns out the monstrous men have a lead on the creeps who murdered her family, she’s all in.

Track down the baddies, hook up with a demonic hottie or two, and don’t get killed along the way. Piece of cake, right?

my review

Since I read this whole series as a single entity, I’ll review it similarly. I thought that this series started out well. The writing is easy to read, and the plot whizzed alone. I enjoyed the sass and the easy devotion of the romantic partners. However, as time went on, some cliches crept in, characters started getting introduced and then dropped without explanation, and some sections started to drag. Honestly, I think the whole thing jumped the shark by an entire book.

I enjoyed book one, liked book two well enough, started to lose interest in book three, and only bothered to read book four in order to finish the series. None of it is bad. I just think Chase should have wrapped it up sooner than she did. (Plus, the epilogue was pat and predictable.)

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Other Reviews:

Traveling Bookworm: Flirting with Monsters, by Eva Chase