Welcome to Castle Cove by Kory M. Shrum

Welcome to Castle Cove by Kory M. Shrum

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a very thin book, story-wise. And all the pathways, even the one that actually leads to full on lesbian love, is filled with enough hints, glances, etc. etc. indicating that the main female character is quite happy with gazing upon the male physique (and not really that interested in gazing upon the female form, even when you 'force' the character in that direction the lead just goes through the motions - as in, she drools over men, pictures a man when the magic 'creates your perfect mate' (or however that siren section was worded), etc. etc. while just causally writing a phone number on a bar napkin and or bluntly asked if you want a lesbian lover - never does the female lead, even in the lesbian love story section, seem that desirous of being near a woman . . . even when she bloody well has a female lover).

There's no sex in this story. At least I didn't see any.

There's no real happy ending. No matter what road you go down. (view spoiler)[Unless 'fled and didn't die' is a happy ending. (hide spoiler)]

This is not a you book, you are not in the book, a female lead character with an actual name and stuff is in the book. Which, actually, makes things easier for me. As I'm just like a person on her shoulder nudging her one way or another but with no real control. A you book with this story line? The no real control part would have me rating this book much worse than I did.

Rating: 3

July 12 2018



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Soulshift (Twin Souls #2) by Arizona Tape and Laura Greenwood

Soulshift by Arizona Tape

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This would probably a great overall book if one specific thing was changed - book 1 and 2 were to be merged. That's my greatest problem with this specific book here - I've already read it. Or, I should say, I've already learned everything that happens in this book by reading book one in this series.

Why and or how did I learn everything about this book from book 1? Because the events in this book take place at the exact same time as the events in book 1 and even involve the same people. The only difference between book 1 and 2 is who the point of view character is in the books - book 1 follows Tate; book 2 follows Ayra.

Tate & Ayra, you see, spend the entirety of the book switching bodies - by accident. One is a vampire who hates the taste of blood (Ayra), the other is a dragon who can't shift (Tate); one has a male mate while the other has a female mate.

Second biggest problem with this book? It's a combo of not really liking Ayra's character, to a certain extent, but mostly the part where I learned her character and . . . she kept drifting into acting more like Tate at times. I'm not exactly sure what was going on there, is it some kind of 'the two women, who look like twins, are more similar than they think' or if it's some kind of mistake in the plotting/characteriztion/etc.

Again, though, the main problem I have with this book is that this book really should have been merged with book 1. I was kind of bored while I read this book here. I know what's going to happen, when it's going to happen, and how people will react when those events unfold . . . because I'd read book 1.

Rating: 2

July 12 2018



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All Things Rise (Return to Earth #1) by Missouri Vaun

All Things Rise by Missouri Vaun

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There’s something about the book description, not that I could point at what I mean, that always both drew me to the book and kept me from actually starting it. I did previously read the prequel to the series, though, a good long while ago. It’s more of a vague memory at this point, though.

So – as the book description notes, this book is a two person point of view book that involves something of a clash of cultures, cultures that haven’t really interacted with each other in about a hundred years. The culture of the sky cities and the culture of the ‘groundlings’ (when oil began to reach critical low levels, the rich 1% blinked, realized they needed to do something, created an alternate energy source, used it to float cities up in the sky and abandoned the ground to the 99% rest of humanity and cut off connections to those people; naturally, then, the two culture’s languages diverged to the point wherein . . . okay, no, both can understand the other without any problem what-so-ever beyond finding the other’s ‘accent’ and ‘way of talking’ to be . . . ‘cute’; oh and I lied about the two person point of view thing).

Ava, sky-person – citizen of Easton, is a pilot. After almost fucking her best friend, she flees as she always does to avoid conflict and possible conflict. She ‘needs some time to think’. She hadn’t intended that time to involve being on the ground – because earth bound people are scary and everything down there can and will kill her (at least that’s what she’s been told since birth)), but she also probably was not in the correct state of mind to be flying. Or trying to fly. The book starts with her crashing . . . gently into the earth. Near where the . . . another point of view character was fishing.

Cole . . . well, fishes. Works on a farm, does earth based stuff like that. While finishing up fishing she notices a red glow in the sky. That’s the sun setting, though the way things were worded, I expected it to turn out to be Ava’s ship, but whatever. Eventually she notices ‘lights’ nearby and investigates. Whereupon she finds a downed cruiser. And someone inside. Glancing briefly at the thing, she instantly knows how to open the hatch, and does so.

Ava, naturally, flies out of the hatch and pummels Cole’s nose to the point of blood flowing. Eventually Ava realizes that, despite what she was taught, Cole doesn’t actually wish to eat her or do evil to her. After wiping her nose, Cole invites Ava back to her place to spend the night, since its dark and stuff and they need the light to fix the ship.

Ava and Cole give flirty kind of looks to each other. Me being me, I didn’t actually read the full book description (or any, I mean, I had already read the prequel and had an idea what the book should be about) so I overlooked the part where the book description openly and bluntly notes that it isn’t a romance about Ava and Cole. Oops?

I knew ‘something’ was up when Ava rushes a dying Cole (there’s a lot of that kind of thing going on in this book; I mean one or another character in extreme danger; and/or dying) back to the sky-city and . . . . well, was it before there that the third point of view suddenly started? Crap, I think it was before there. I didn’t need to mention dying Cole. Ah, whatever.

So yes there are actually three points of views in this book. Groundling Cole, sky-city citizen and pilot Ava (and native of Easton), and medical doctor Audrey (and citizen, I think, of Easton, though she’s from the sky city of London).

Despite my rough shod review, the book was actually quite interesting. There was a weird mix of chemistry – not-chemistry going on though (I don’t mean between Audrey and Cole, I mean between everyone and everyone; it’s like every character’s chemistry level with each other character – at least in terms of the main characters needed to be mentioned – like how Jess is probably ‘okay’ but she hangs out with Margaret, who Cole finds creepy, though Margaret keeps throwing herself at Cole anyway (that’s part of the chemistry etc. As in, Jess and Cole have a certain amount of chemistry but . . . not the right kind? Margaret fancies Cole but Cole doesn’t; everyone assumes Audrey and Ava will eventually hook up but . . .etcetc)).

I lost track of what I was attempting to say. *glances at clock, sees ‘8:37 pm’, grunts at not being to blame time*

Book was interesting. There’s a lot of sex in it. Somewhat more in the thinking about it way, though plenty of the action kind as well.

This is more of a romance book set in a future science-fictiony world, than a science fiction book with a thin romance plot.

Rating: 3.75

July 10 2018



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This Wicked Gift (Carhart 0.5) by Courtney Milan

This Wicked Gift by Courtney Milan

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I loathed the main male character from beginning to end. LOATHED. He was described in such a way that in any other book he’d be a villain or a source of . . . satiric humor. Satire-ic. Bah.

The woman? The main quality about her that I disliked was . . . that she was interested in this jackass. Otherwise she was a great character. That’s a massive thing to overcome, though, liking this miserable piece of shit – that male lead character.

Right, so, this is a 100 something prequel to a series I’ve not read yet. It stars people that made me add a shelf – though I’d thought I already had that one. Instead of the normal ‘rich-rich’ that most English historical fiction feature (or, at least, ‘titled-titled’), this book actually featured two people who can be called poor (or working class; technically the lead male character talked about himself in such a way that he sounded like he had the worst lowest of the low jobs on earth and was in hell – except the job in actuality was more middle class – professional class, but whatever, didn’t pay a lot and didn’t require an advanced degree. Jackass McJackass (his name is not in the book description; it’s not, but it is something like ‘Jonathan Q. Smith’) works as a finance guy for a titled person – one of whom will feature in the series proper (Carhart).

Jackass fancies a particular woman – that woman is the female lead in this book. Figuring he’s a piece of shit, working a hell job, and has no future, he mostly ignores her when he’s in her store (she runs a bookstore/lending library for her ailing father). Also because of the aforementioned believe that he, himself, is shit, he decided to ‘take advantage’ of the woman because obviously she’d not want anything to do with him otherwise. So he blackmails her/coerces her. She . . . has lusted after him for a long time, finds his methods and actions pathetic, in a sad way, and . . . fucks him (not because of being blackmailed, but because she’s horny – this is part of what I meant in my status updates that the man was melodramatically doom and gloom and had a virgin fetish (more in the ‘oh god I’ve ruined her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ way, than in a ‘must fuck all virgins’ way); while she’s all ‘I was horny, I wanted to fuck, fuck you and your virgin fetish/ruined what’s-so-call-it, I’m no lady looking to land a titled man; nor am I servant whose reputation can be blackened to the point of being unable to secure work; etc. etc.etc.’).

I fear I’ve gone too far down a particular path. I just found the lead male character so loathsome that he is overwhelming my ability to think in a rational and coherent manner. Not loathsome in a ‘bad boys are hot’ way, but loathsome in ‘I’m a shit, a large turd, I know this, my life will always be like this, so I’ll act like it . . . poorly’* way.

‘*’ – even when he tries to act poorly, he is loathsomely rotten at it. The guy is a massive loser . . . who is handsome . . . enough for the lead female character to become tongue tied around him. At least until he opened his mouth and revealed he’s a jackass mcjackass. Whereupon she handily handled him. Handily.

Right, so, horrible loathsome book.

Rating: oh. I did not remember I rated this 1.75 stars until just now. So, apparently that’s the rating I gave. 1.75 stars.

June 10 2018




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Witchful Thinking (The Happily Everlasting Series #4) by Kristen Painter

Witchful Thinking by Kristen Painter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I’ve read two works since I read this one, and no review (not that I’ve written any reviews since July 7th). I mention that only to note that it will be more difficult for me to say what I think about this specific book now.

This is the fourth book in a series, a series I’ve only read this specific book in. I was given the understanding that the books were stand-alones so . . . I entered with that in mind. Mostly because this would be the 15th book I’ve read by this author and all the other books were by different authors, none of whom I’d ever read before.

So, what’s going on here in this book? A novice witch, Charlotte Fenchurch, is working in the library when two events occur at near-about the same time that change her life course -> 1) the head librarian grunts at finding a donation in the book return slot, says the book looks like crap, and throws it away – Charlotte loves books to the point she’d rather see one be used to form the base of a table than to see one tossed in the garbage, so she takes the book and brings it home with her; 2) a super-hot man, and I mean, really gaggingly gorgeous man (is gaggingly a word? I think that might not be a word, it should be) begins to outrageously flirt with her – which tells her two things: a) the man is up to no good because no man that looks like him would spend to seconds with a woman like her; b) he’s hot, let’s play with him anyway.

The book, the one the main female character saved, turns out to be ‘a very special book of magic’, ‘a grimoire’ – an ancient book of spells. The type of book that bonds to a witch and then will be . . . something something evil . . something something… whatever.

The man turns out to be a leopard. Heh. Okay, a leopard shifter who works for the ladies of light. No wait, the lords of leaping. Hmm, WTF was the organization again? Oh, something involving FoL, friends of light? Well the L is light. Oh, it’s also in the book description: ‘Freaking Orange Lizards’ (hmm, no that’s not it, dang I’m not funny, it’s ‘Fraternal Order of Light’). Basically the FOL’s mission in life is to be, at least based on this book, to hunt down and kill bad witches (or put them into prison) and take magic items (I think the bad kind not just all kinds) into storage to save the world. More on that . . .

Now. Bloody freaking hell that got annoying. Every other thing out of that male lead character was about how something or other was bound to ‘destroy all mankind’ or some shit like that if the FOL didn’t step in front and save everyone. And, sure, there’s probably some truth about it but you can only read about yet another apocalyptic level event being blocked before you fall asleep at the mere words.

Right, sorry.

So, right, the other thing that impacted Charlotte’s life was this dude, Walker Black. Who says he is into antiquing, which he is in a minor way – as a side kind of cover way, while mostly being an agent of FOL . .. since birth (seriously).

Walker spends the majority of the book finding Charlotte gorgeous, wanting to be with her, doubting himself and assuming she’s the most powerful witch he’s ever, and I mean ever, encountered because . . . he lusts for her and obviously that means that she put a spell on him. (seriously, this is one fucked up book). Right, so Walker is there in town to find and store, or I mean put into storage, that same book previously mentioned as being found by Charlotte.

The two leads flirt and stuff. Everyone and the cat turn out to have a secret identity (the cat is also secretly able to shed really well, okay, I could have gone with ‘witch familiar’ but that was only assumed without being confirmed). And the book ends. Yay. Book ended.

The man was a condescending jackass with a few redeeming qualities. The woman was borderline TSTL, though mostly due to circumstances out of her control and not her actual normal personality.

Rating: 2.88

July 10 2018



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