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one dark and froggy night BANNER

Book Review: One Dark and Froggy Night, by Jade Greenberg

I got myself in a little bit of a pickle. I couldn’t remember if I’d promised a review here on See Sadie Read or a promo over on Sadie’s Spotlight of One Dark and Froggy Night, by Jade Greenberg. So, I opted to do both, just in case. You can find more book and author information over on Sadie’s Spotlight.

Danny made the mistake of crossing the wrong witch. Now he’s a warty amphibian. At least until he learns his lesson.

When my witch ex turned me into a frog, I was pissed. But it didn’t take long for me to realize how good I got it. Life as a magic frog is figata, baby. Close to perfecto. But it has its downfalls. One formerly very big downfall to be exact.

Now the King of Atlantis is granting wishes to anyone who can help him find a lost mermaid fairy princess.

A magic wish is just what I need to live the perfect magic froggy life. All I got to do is find her.

If I was a mermaid and wanted to go missing, I’d go somewhere no one would expect to find me. Like the sky. No one would think to look there for a fish. But I’m a frog. How would I get to the sky?

This one’s a corundum, but I’m going to figure it out.

I thought I had it good before, but now that I know the impossible is possible, I got a plan. A big one. If you know what I mean.

my review

This is a truly odd book to review. Danny is both intensely unlikable and adorably himbo at the same time. He is dumb as a box of rocks, but also not the most off-the-wall aspect of the story. Plus, for all his faults, he is actively becoming a better person before the readers’ eyes.

I think for me, I have to admit, though, that even if being ridiculous is the story’s purpose—it is literally the book’s shtick—it was just too much for me. I appreciate the nods to mysticism, mythology, and machismo. But it wasn’t quite the sort of humor I most appreciate. That, however, is wholly subjective, and the right reader will likely find this uproariously funny.

one dark and froggy night photo


Other Reviews:

BEWITCHING A HIGHLANDER

Book Review: Bewitching a Highlander, by Roma Cordon

I accepted a review copy of Roma Cordon‘s Bewitching a Highlander through Rockstar Book Tours. The book has also been featured over on Sadie’s Spotlight. So, you can hop over there for further information, including an excerpt, author bio, the tour schedule, and a chance to win a copy of the book.

 

Defying all for the love of a bewitching lass.

Breena MacRae, a healer from Skye with a touch of witchery in her blood, embarks on a dangerous search for her missing father. She arrives on the Isle of Coll, seat of the vile Campbells. There, she encounters the debonair future chief to the Dunbar Clan, Egan, who rescues her from a Campbell sentry.

Egan Dunbar is on Coll to keep the peace between the feuding Campbells and Dunbars. But when he catches Breena in a lie, he agrees to help her find her father to pay back an old debt and get to the bottom of the secrets she’s hiding.

As their attraction for each ignites like a firestorm, Breena and Egan realize a future together could trigger deadly consequences—a clan war between the Campbells and the Dunbars. Is Egan willing to betray his clan for love, even though he knows Breena is keeping secrets from him? Can Breena trust him with her family secret and put those she loves at risk?

my review

This is one of those books that is really hard to review. Because, objectively, it’s fine. The writing is readable. (I read an ARC, so can’t comment on editing.) The characters seem likeable. The world holds together, etc. For the right reader, this is a guaranteed 5-star read.

But, honestly, it was just a passable read for me for reasons that are almost completely subjective. First, I picked this up for the witchery. Fantasy romance is one of my favorite genres. But the magic part of this book—the fantasy aspect—is very light. VERY LIGHT, practically non-existent. Which makes this much more a historical romance than a historical fantasy romance. Which is fine, obviously, just not what I was looking for.

Second, I’m just not a huge fan of narration that is full of hyperbole, especially when it’s how characters characterize the romance. By which I mean when characters spend the whole book thinking super exaggerated thoughts about the other. Each is ‘the most’ this, or ‘the only’ that, or ‘the first/last’ whatever. I think it lacks nuance and subtlety. But I know some readers love it.

Plus, I think that if you took out all the repetition and that hyperbole, you’d be forced to acknowledge that very little actually happened in the book. And the one big life-threatening thing that did happen was completely random and not particularly well stitched into the rest of the plot. Similarly, the plot twist was super obvious. I predicted it before the 100-page mark.

Lastly, as far as I can tell, this is the author’s first book. (I can’t find any others, anyhow). But I spent this whole time I read Bewitching a Highlander thinking I’d missed the first book in the series. These two characters are meant to have met before, in events that are referenced. I thought they must have been side characters in another couple’s story. (That’s 100% how it read). But then I discovered there isn’t another book and was confused.

All in all, I know this sounds like a negative review. But it just wasn’t the book for me. For those who like this particular sort of book—mildly spicy, Scottish historical romance— this will be a winner. I’m certain of it. For me, it wasn’t what I was hoping for. But I’d read another Cordan book

bewitching a highlander photo


Other Reviews:

Bewitching A Highlander Blog Tour

tourbanner_zeus

Book Review: Zeus, by Carly Spade

I accepted a review copy of Zeus, by Carly Spade, through Literary Bound Tours.
zeus cover

A god-king disguised as a criminal defense lawyer…

Zeus/Zane, King of the Greek gods, holds the world in his palm in both his mortal and godly form… until Hera leaves him, forcing him to uphold Gaea’s clause: There must always be a Queen, or he loses his title and part of his power along with it. Time is short. Too bad the one woman he has his sights on wants nothing to do with him. Or does she?

An empath criminal prosecutor…

There’s nothing Keira Bazin dislikes more than defense lawyers. So when she discovers Zane Vronti, one of New York’s finest, has been brought in on her newest murder case, it’s anything but good news. Tensions flare as the two immediately butt heads, but there’s something about Zane she can’t put her finger on. His emotions are the strongest she’s ever felt–borderline overwhelming. Power. Lust. Command. Can she fight her growing attraction for him? Does she want to?

my review
Meh, this was fine, I suppose. The writing/editing worked. There wasn’t really anything wrong with it. But I find that I didn’t love it. I didn’t particularly enjoy the beginning because Zeus was just so smarmy. I liked the middle well enough, as he dropped some of that act. And then I disliked the end (just about everything after the wedding) because it was just too pat. She suddenly knew how to use her powers with no adjustments. She stepped into her role as goddess and queen (over significantly older, more experienced gods/goddesses) with no notable insecurity of learning curve, etc. And, IDK, I guess it just departed too far from the known Zeus of mythology. All in all, it was fine. I just think maybe I wasn’t quite the right reader for the book. But, hey, if you like the show Lucifer, I bet you’d like this a lot.

zeus photo


Other Reviews:

Elle Cheshire: Zeus, by Carly Spade