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caitybell's reviews
529 reviews
Iced by Karen Marie Moning
4.0
True rating: 3.5 stars
I am so conflicted.
On one hand, I desperately wanted to love this book. I wanted to enjoy reading from a new POV. I wanted to get to know Dani. I wanted to love Ryoden as much as I loved Barrons.
On the other hand, there’s some really weird stuff going on here that I just don’t know how to like.
Let’s just say from the gitgo, Dani is 14. It is not okay for any MAN to be lusting after her. Ryoden’s attention I could live with. He has a bit more...decorum when it comes to his obvious...attraction—see I can’t even write this without cringing—for Dani. Christian, however, has his character completely butchered in this book by turning him into some creep pedophile, woman killer. I don’t understand what Moning was thinking or what she was planing on doing...
Most of the characters in this book acted so out of character based off the past books that I was utterly frustrated at some times to the point of growling at the book. Ryoden makes no sense in this book. Christian is a creep. Dani is beyond annoying, and yeah again she’s 14, but after about the sixth stupid decision the girl makes I could barely stand it anymore.
The plot...well there was sort of one...I think. I believe it’s leading up to a bigger plot in the next couple books? Probably. Hopefully.
Jo is the absolute worst character ever.
I’m realizing that all of the issues in this book could have easily been solved if Dani was stuck in a Silver for 5 years or something. I realize THATS the book I wanted to love so much, an older more mature Dani. Obviously, that’s what ends up happening in the future, but it should have been done before this book.
Either way, I liked the last 100 or so pages. So at least it ended on a good note with me.
I am so conflicted.
On one hand, I desperately wanted to love this book. I wanted to enjoy reading from a new POV. I wanted to get to know Dani. I wanted to love Ryoden as much as I loved Barrons.
On the other hand, there’s some really weird stuff going on here that I just don’t know how to like.
Let’s just say from the gitgo, Dani is 14. It is not okay for any MAN to be lusting after her. Ryoden’s attention I could live with. He has a bit more...decorum when it comes to his obvious...attraction—see I can’t even write this without cringing—for Dani. Christian, however, has his character completely butchered in this book by turning him into some creep pedophile, woman killer. I don’t understand what Moning was thinking or what she was planing on doing...
Most of the characters in this book acted so out of character based off the past books that I was utterly frustrated at some times to the point of growling at the book. Ryoden makes no sense in this book. Christian is a creep. Dani is beyond annoying, and yeah again she’s 14, but after about the sixth stupid decision the girl makes I could barely stand it anymore.
The plot...well there was sort of one...I think. I believe it’s leading up to a bigger plot in the next couple books? Probably. Hopefully.
Jo is the absolute worst character ever.
I’m realizing that all of the issues in this book could have easily been solved if Dani was stuck in a Silver for 5 years or something. I realize THATS the book I wanted to love so much, an older more mature Dani. Obviously, that’s what ends up happening in the future, but it should have been done before this book.
Either way, I liked the last 100 or so pages. So at least it ended on a good note with me.
Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout
3.0
Though her Warden books remain my favorite, Wicked is a classic JLA story. Fast paced, fun, and sexy. I love anything set in New Orleans as well as anything involving the Fae, so Wicked promised to be something I would like. Ivy and Ren made for a great team and a lot of angst. While Ivy was a bit naive for my tastes, I have no doubt she will develop into even more of a capable character in the next books. Lots of action coupled with smoldering romance, I enjoyed the first book in this series and am especially looking forward to its film adaptation.
Overture by Skye Warren
3.0
ARC received in return for honest review!
I was beyond stoked to receive this ARC! I’ve been a fan of Sky Warren since I first read The Pawn years ago, and have since read almost every one of her books.
Overture is the first in a new duology, featuring two POV: Samantha and Liam. At age 12 and after the death of her diplomat father, Samantha’s custody falls to Liam—a rugged and brooding ex-military man with a dark past, and many secrets. 16 years her senior, he takes her in and sees to her wellbeing. Now, on the cusp of her 18th birthday, Samantha is set to go on a lengthy world tour as a feature violinist. She’s a prodigy, and Liam has no intentions of stopping her from leaving, even though he wants to. Tension is high between the two, and they both realize rather quickly that something rather taboo has formed between them.
Overture fits in nicely with Warren’s other “Tanglewood Universe” installments, meaning this book is set in the same universe that the fictitious Tanglewood does. However, I was super pleased to read that it is in fact set in Texas Hill Country, Austin to be more exact. Which is where I live! It made the book have a stronger sense of realism for me I could easily imagine these characters traversing the Austin nightlife, because I do. I was also happy to read the return of Beatrix, who we were first introduced to in Escort. She is Samantha’s connection to Tanglewood, which makes since—what with the musical themes throughout this book and Bea’s being a famous pianist.
Samantha was a descent heroine, a bit bland by all accounts and most of her reasoning really has no reasoning at all. Everything she does, she kind of just...does. Liam is your classic “I can never feel love” brooding hunk. He cares for Samantha, but refuses to let himself give into those feelings.
Skye Warren has a particular skill at writing taboo, mildly dark romances that always makes the reader read faster, as if that absolves then from weirdly being okay with certain themes—such as a virginity auction in her amazing Endgame trilogy. While I enjoyed Overture, I must say it didn’t feel like it had that classic Warren spark I’ve come to expect and desire. There were times that I was confused with timelines and ages. Some characters I still don’t know what they look like, and a couple of the more intimate moments were borderline laughable for me. I’ve never laughed at the sex in any of her books, but some of the “foreplay” scenes in this one just didn’t do it for me. There was a kind of choppy/rushed feel to the plot of this book. I questioned the whole time why suddenly, within a day, the two MCs seemed to realize they lusted for one another. It felt sudden and random, not a natural progression. The overall plot was also a bit weak, nothing truly happens in this first book and it leaves me kind of hollow after finishing it.
I will definitley be reading the next one, though this was not my favorite Skye Warren book I still enjoyed it and simply must know how Samantha and Liam’s story ends. Warren manages to hold my attention and keep me reading late into the night with every book she writes. Overture was no exception, I read it in a day and I regret nothing! There is so much beautiful prose about music and fun facts before every chapter I simply adored reading. Warren is able to make classical music sensual and a living thing—a kind of secret language for her main characters. As a classical music lover, this was my favorite thing about the book. Those of you who have already been introduced to Tanglewood should pick this one up ASAP!
I was beyond stoked to receive this ARC! I’ve been a fan of Sky Warren since I first read The Pawn years ago, and have since read almost every one of her books.
Overture is the first in a new duology, featuring two POV: Samantha and Liam. At age 12 and after the death of her diplomat father, Samantha’s custody falls to Liam—a rugged and brooding ex-military man with a dark past, and many secrets. 16 years her senior, he takes her in and sees to her wellbeing. Now, on the cusp of her 18th birthday, Samantha is set to go on a lengthy world tour as a feature violinist. She’s a prodigy, and Liam has no intentions of stopping her from leaving, even though he wants to. Tension is high between the two, and they both realize rather quickly that something rather taboo has formed between them.
Overture fits in nicely with Warren’s other “Tanglewood Universe” installments, meaning this book is set in the same universe that the fictitious Tanglewood does. However, I was super pleased to read that it is in fact set in Texas Hill Country, Austin to be more exact. Which is where I live! It made the book have a stronger sense of realism for me I could easily imagine these characters traversing the Austin nightlife, because I do. I was also happy to read the return of Beatrix, who we were first introduced to in Escort. She is Samantha’s connection to Tanglewood, which makes since—what with the musical themes throughout this book and Bea’s being a famous pianist.
Samantha was a descent heroine, a bit bland by all accounts and most of her reasoning really has no reasoning at all. Everything she does, she kind of just...does. Liam is your classic “I can never feel love” brooding hunk. He cares for Samantha, but refuses to let himself give into those feelings.
Skye Warren has a particular skill at writing taboo, mildly dark romances that always makes the reader read faster, as if that absolves then from weirdly being okay with certain themes—such as a virginity auction in her amazing Endgame trilogy. While I enjoyed Overture, I must say it didn’t feel like it had that classic Warren spark I’ve come to expect and desire. There were times that I was confused with timelines and ages. Some characters I still don’t know what they look like, and a couple of the more intimate moments were borderline laughable for me. I’ve never laughed at the sex in any of her books, but some of the “foreplay” scenes in this one just didn’t do it for me. There was a kind of choppy/rushed feel to the plot of this book. I questioned the whole time why suddenly, within a day, the two MCs seemed to realize they lusted for one another. It felt sudden and random, not a natural progression. The overall plot was also a bit weak, nothing truly happens in this first book and it leaves me kind of hollow after finishing it.
I will definitley be reading the next one, though this was not my favorite Skye Warren book I still enjoyed it and simply must know how Samantha and Liam’s story ends. Warren manages to hold my attention and keep me reading late into the night with every book she writes. Overture was no exception, I read it in a day and I regret nothing! There is so much beautiful prose about music and fun facts before every chapter I simply adored reading. Warren is able to make classical music sensual and a living thing—a kind of secret language for her main characters. As a classical music lover, this was my favorite thing about the book. Those of you who have already been introduced to Tanglewood should pick this one up ASAP!
Heavy Equipment by Skye Warren
3.0
A quick and to-the-point romp. And a nice Segway into the Overture duology.