Tag Archives: romance

Book Review: The Witch and the Dreamwalker, by Victoria Rogers

I accepted a copy of Victoria Rogers’ The Witch and the Dreamwalker for review, as part of its book tour with Rockstar Book Tours. The book and it’s prequel were also featured over on Sadie’s Spotlight. Over there you can find author details and the tour schedule.

It’s 1982, and rising star Vivian McKinley is determined to climb the corporate ladder of a growing paranormal security firm. With the help of Xavier Prince, President and CEO of Prince Charms, Vivian uncovers a plot to take over the business. The pair navigate office politics and machinations to prove a psychic vampire’s treachery.

I have several things to say about this book, some good some bad, some fairly neutral. More than I’d expect for something so short.

First, I’m agnostic on the cover, but I will say it has nothing—tone, topic, content, etc—to do with the story inside it. It’s a pretty picture, but it hardly feels like the power suits, big hair, and machismo of 1982! Also neutral is that the magic aspects of the plot are extraneous. They could have been removed and the story and events could have occurred unchanged, just had non-magical explanations.

Second, on the positive front, the writing is perfectly readable, without feeling too cheesy. Even though I read an ARC, I don’t recall many editing mishaps. The early 80s is not a time period you see used in romance/erotic books too often and Rogers incorporated several period specific elements into the story, which was fun. I also appreciated seeing Vivian in boss-mode, taking no prisoners when she stands up for herself against the sexism of the time.

Third, on the negative front. Any impactful-ness Rogers might have built into the story by incorporating the sexism Vivian faced when everyone treated her as if she only got her position by sleeping with the boss was wholly undermined when she immediately started sleeping with the boss. Also, as I said, the magical elements weren’t pertinent enough to the plot to feel necessary, but similarly, the book’s unexpected swerve into Shibari/Kinbaku was sudden and not at all incorporated into the plot.

All in all, this wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t particularly memorable either.

Book Review: Dragon Mate, by Jen L. Grey

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While Jen L. Grey‘s The Hidden King wasn’t featured over on Sadie’s Spotlight, I did post it on Sadie’s Spotlight’s Instagram page and ended up with a free ecopy of the books. I read book one, Dragon Mate last night.

Sometimes, survival depends on not being seen.

I should know. That’s the only way I’ve survived. Getting accepted into a prestigious university was my chance at freedom; to escape and live without fear and resentment.

And with no emotional attachments–or at least that was the plan.

Until I see Egan.

He’s sexy, mysterious, and has muscles in all the right places. He invokes feelings I don’t want or understand.

The more he shows up, the harder of a time I have remembering why staying away from him was a good idea. But he brings deep, dark secrets that alter my entire world.

Monsters exist. Witches cast spells. And animals may be human after all.

I either embrace fate and enter a strange new world full of risks like never before or walk away.

Maybe, I’m destined for heartache because sometimes, love isn’t worth what it costs to fall.

I wouldn’t go so far as to call this bad. Certainly, the mechanical writing is perfectly competent. I don’t remember any big editing foul-ups and I do always appreciate a big ol’ cinnamon roll hero. So, I really liked Egan. (I’m fairly sick of all the alpha a-holes. So, a softer kinder hero is nice to see.) But I would call the book super inelegant. There just isn’t any subtly in the plotting, emotional arc, mystery, or romance. It’s all just splashed harshly and half-haphazardly on the page.

The book would have been vastly improved with the addition of Egan’s POV. Jade’s traumatic past didn’t feel real or pertinent (though maybe it’ll be more relevant in future books). I didn’t believe she’d be such a mouse if she’d also spent years being taught to defend and respect herself. And “I can’t allow myself any friends” seems an illogical response to it. Her diarrhea of the mouth wasn’t cute, it was just annoying. I think I got whiplash with all the emotional yes-no-yes-go away-come back etc. The villain was painfully obvious. And I’m hoping this is a spin-off of another series, otherwise there is just a lot of history referenced but never explained. (Edit: It turns out to be a spin-off of The Wolfborn Trilogy). Then, it ends on a cliffhanger with nothing concluded. So, I didn’t finish it feeling particularly charitable.

I do actually have books two and three. Who knows, maybe I’ll be in the mood to read it some time. But I’m not betting on it.