Tag Archives: romance

Book Review of The Wedding Vow, by Cara Connelly

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I won a signed copy of Cara Connelly‘s The Wedding Vow through Goodreads.

Description:
I have to give this at least three stars for being well enough written, even if the story itself drove me batty. This is one of those contemporary romances that is all fantasy. By which I mean that the events, if they happened in real life, would be traumatizing and love would NOT be the outcome. NOT. AT. ALL. But as a fantasy, where all the trauma of being forced into situations (especially for someone with a history of being controlled) is removed—along with any fear, realistic staying power of anger and lingering resentment—it’s an amusing enough read.

If the book had been a hundred pages shorter, I’d have liked it more. By the last hundred pages I was tired of having the same themes harped on about. It became pedantic and repetitive. I was just ready for it to be over.

In the end, I suppose if you like this sort of book, this will be a good one to pick up. If, like me, this isn’t really your jam, it’s not likely to be the one that changes your mind. It didn’t change mine.

Review:
I have to give this at least three stars for being well enough written, even if the story itself drove me batty. This is one of those contemporary romances that is all fantasy. By which I mean that the events, if they happened in real life, would be traumatizing and love would NOT be the outcome. NOT. AT. ALL. But as a fantasy, where all the trauma of being forced into situations (especially for someone with a history of being controlled) is removed—along with any fear, realistic staying power of anger and lingering resentment—it’s an amusing enough read.

If the book had been a hundred pages shorter, I’d have liked it more. By the last hundred pages I was tired of having the same themes harped on about. It became pedantic and repetitive. I was just ready for it to be over.

In the end, I suppose if you like this sort of book, this will be a good one to pick up. If, like me, this isn’t really your jam, it’s not likely to be the one that changes your mind. It didn’t change mine.

Demon Ember

Book Review of Demon Ember (Resurrection Chronicles #1), by M.J. Haag & Becca Vincenza

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I won a signed copy of Demon Ember, by M.J. Hagg and Becca Vincenza, through Goodreads.

Description:
Mya’s world is falling apart. After a series of earthquakes, deadly animals with glowing red eyes begin attacking people and start the spread of a zombie-like plague. Safety is just a memory as she tries to make her way home. When a different creature attacks the people helping her reach Oklahoma City, Mya is sure she’ll never see the light of another day. Despite his eerie green eyes and very sharp teeth, the grey-skinned creature is more intelligent and humanlike than he first appears. He’s determined to keep Mya by his side and protect her from the new world’s dangers. When his path starts taking her further away from home, she must choose between safety and her family.

Review with a slight spoiler:
Basically entertaining, but not much more. So, Mya decides to cross the zombie and hellhound infested state to get home to her family (without verifying they’ll be there). Along the way she runs into Drav, a large, human-like creature who decides he’s going to protect the female at all costs (without asking if she’s interested in this). That’s the plot…all of it. The book is basically just them running from one place to another and Drove defeating anything that threatens Mya. There really isn’t a lot to it in terms of development or explanations. You are left with a lot of questions in the end (which is a cliffhanger).

Drav can conveniently learn a language by hearing a word once, so the whole communication thing is easily dismissed. And he’s sweet. I liked Drav. Once he could understand her instructions, he was scrupulously attentive to Mya’s demands not to touch her (consent, basically). I liked that. Mya wasn’t particularly adept at survival, but not too stupid to live either. So, I was fine with Mya.

My issue arrises from the fact that he decides to protect her because he’s never seen a female before. There’s nothing inherently special about Mya herself that makes him take interest in her. He’s pretty much just protecting the pussy or womb. He of course falls in love and I imagine Mya will in future books, but when you get right down to it, this isn’t about Mya as a person.

All in all, I enjoyed the book. There were some funny bits. Like the meta scene where the large, fanged, grey-skinned man with pointed ears getting his hands on a Ruby Dixon novel. I’d be more than willing to read the rest of the series.

The Inheritance

Book Review of The Inheritance, by Jacqueline Seewald

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I won a copy of The Inheritance, by Jacqueline Seewald, through Goodreads.

Description:
Jennifer Stoddard is a 35-year-old widow who has just found out she is the sole heir of her grandmother’s estate, located in the midwest town she grew up in. But there is a catch; she must live in the house for two years before she can claim the estate and someone doesn’t want her there. The threats begin soon after her return. A rifle shot whizzes through her car window, her brakes are tampered with, and her tires are slashed. Police Chief, Grant Coleman, is called upon to investigate. Unfortunately, the history between Jen and Grant from high school causes them to mistrust each other. However, Grant is a professional and intends to do his job. Together they explore who might want to drive Jen out of the house, while trying to understand their feelings of anger, mistrust and desire for each other. With Jen’s life on the line, will they be able to put the past behind them to work together and save her and her son’s lives?

Review:
Not particularly original or well done. Characterization depends far too heavily on stereotypes. Names are used far too often in dialogue to feel natural, and names in the narrative are often first and last throughout the book, also not feeling natural.

There are two romances, where only one is needed. The first progresses only in that they clear up a misunderstanding from high school (one that was very obvious and persisted because they never spoke to one another again, despite being in the same class), but suddenly they’re all marriage and babies. The second, which is unneeded, seems to exist only to put the woman in the far too overused position of choosing between her successful and hard earned career and the love of a good man. Nope, I’ve neeevvvvveeerrr seen that used in a book before. Nope, it’s not trite and patriarchal. Nope, it doesn’t piss me off every time I see it. Oh wait, yes it does.

I figured the villain out literally the first time they showed up in the novel. Literally the first time, it’s that obvious.

All and all, a flop for me. The book does have a pretty cover though.