cluckieduck's reviews
295 reviews

This really dragged, and while I appreciate all the extra time we got to spend with Dom Daddy Slade (and his dirty, dirty mouth), most of the extra content didn’t add anything beneficial to the plot. For example, the secondary, out of the blue, romance plot - totally unnecessary filler. On the other hand, I appreciate the growth that Auren is getting to experience through this series.

Like the previous books, this too ends on a cliffhanger, but I feel I won’t be waiting with bated breath for its release. Will I read book 5? Probably. But I won’t be itching for it. 

Absolutely delightful & charming story. The two mains are just as sweet as can be in their own ways and I loved reading how their relationship grew. It was great to read that, after the initial hookup, time actually progressed at a normal pace! This was no whirlwind romance which I really appreciated. 

In one word: forgettable.

Something about this just didn't quite connect for me. It was a cute, quick read in a lovely small-town setting gearing up for Valentine's Day celebrations, but it just sort of...fell flat. Nothing of substance there for you to grab hold of.

The first two paragraphs are almost a prologue, setting up the sparks between "Hot Bartender" Trig and "Sexy Bar Babe" Kissie. Yes, that is what they call each other at first and it's just, blech. It comes across as corny and desperate, rather than fun and flirty. Anyways, they share a steamy kiss and then Kissie goes home, leaving her Hot Bartender to pine for two years thinking about her until she returns to get over being dumped. I didn't mind the time-jump. It made it seem less insta-lovey than it actually was.

The sparks are still there between the two after their separation, and when Kissie's wingwoman falls ill, Trig steps up to be the wingman while Kissie looks to "hook up and get messed up." Being a novella, it felt a bit rushed and over-complicated with juvenile conflicts all in the span of their 3-4 days together. I didn't quite believe that their connection was more fulsome than just a lusting romp.

I received a free copy of this book from BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily. 

In an effort to work my way through Ilona Andrews' back catalogue, I started my journey to the Edge. While it was enjoyable enough, it doesn't hold a candle to their Hidden Legacy series, which is top-tier Urban Fantasy for me (honestly, I may be hard pressed to find anything that tops it, but feel free to send recs!).

I'd put it on par with the first couple of Kate Daniels books - interesting premise & magical world-building, but a little rough around the edges. I'm interested to see how the rest of the series goes, with each book following a different couple. While I liked Rose & Declan overall, that bond you build up over 3+ books with a character was lacking and I didn't find their chemistry believable. ]

Love, love, loved Georgie & Jack, so I'm excited to see that they pop up again in the Innkeeper Chronicles. 

 Oh man, I am having a hard time reviewing this one because it is so obviously fan-service - filled with soooo much Rozander smut, but also touching on some really heavy issues surrounding depression, trauma, and stress which would have been better handled (I think) if there was more focus on the plot > porn. So, on the one hand I loved it - inject as much Ilya ❤ Shane content into my veins as possible, please. On the other hand, the writing felt a bit rushed with all the forced conflict to progress the story, which I felt was a disservice.

I loved how the story overlapped with some of the timeline in Role Model, especially surrounding a particular incident.

This go-round is very Ilya-centric and he does a lot of the heavy lifting plot-wise. A lot of the reviews shit on Shane, and yeah, he was a bit oblivious, but stress manifests differently in every one. Shane very obviously exhibited signs of disordered eating, but it was only brought up in a joking manner with an eye-roll at his expense. He also, IMO, showed signs of dissociation. Neither of these were really dealt/written about beyond the surface. Perhaps if he was given as much depth as Ilya was, maybe he could have been a bit more sympathetic of a character.

Before Ilya sought out his therapy, Shane directly asked him if he was ok, and that he would be there for him whether Ilya wanted to talk to him or not. Being in a relationship is hard enough (not even counting the fact that it's a secret one), but being in a relationship with a depressed partner presents it's own challenges. Especially when said partner keeps trying to push you away because they don't think they're good enough and deserving of happiness.

On a lighter note, there were so many cute moments in this one - I mean...Uncle Ilya & painting nails!?! Major swoon. And their talks about a future with children?? I just can't. I feel greedy in saying this, but I think they need another book (at least a novella) without any angst where they can just be settled, grounded, and happy in their relationship.

I have an idea about who the next book will be about (perhaps a certain Centaur rookie), so I look forward to seeing more of our past couples pop up in the future! 

Don't be fooled by the cute blurb - this deals with some pretty heavy stuff.

I had originally rated this as 3⭐ but think it deserves to be rounded up to 4⭐ because as I've had some time to collect my thoughts, I have to say, it's been niggling at me for a couple of weeks now. Something Wild & Wonderful is the loveliest of slow burns as you journey with Alexei as he trek along the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). For Alexei, this is "a chance to say good-bye to his old life...to find a bit of peace before he started over." Unfortunately (or not), a chance encounter with the enigmatic Ben throws his plans off the cliff and Alexei finds much more than peace during his months-long journey on the PCT.

While the narrative shifts POVs between the two male leads, this is very much Alexei's story, and it is a story fraught with homophobia, abandonment, grief, & insecurities. I found the trauma of his religious upbringing was handled exceedingly well and it was heartbreaking.

"You raised me to believe that family and faith were everything. How can you take that away from me and not expect me to crumble?

[Y]ou might have been the one to bring me to church, Dad. But I got to know faith on my own. And your interpretation of God is a tragedy."

Each mile gained along the PCT expands Alexei's character and it was lovely to journey alongside him as he developed a tender, sweet relationship with Ben. "Alexei was a butterfly, just emerging from his chrysalis, and he was showing Ben his wings. Ben couldn't turn away from that." That's not to say that Ben is overlooked - he's also on the PCT for personal reasons as he closes in on 30 and is looking to become a more grounded, responsible person.

The setting itself is like another character and I loved the details about the PCT, the hiking community, and birding - things I'm completely unaware of but found really interesting based on the level of detail and care as they were presented with. It was a perfect backdrop to the tumultuous lived experiences & growth that both Alexei & Ben go through.

The last 20% was really unique for a romance novel. It's not a typical third-act conflict, but I don't want to get too spoilery in my review, so I'll just say that it's a heartbreaking and realistic turn of events and adding the epistolary choice of narrative was a deft touch.

All in all, if you love a slow-burn, feelings-filled romance with found family elements - this is the book for you.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 

Cute overall but a tad dull. Also, the non-linear narrative style was…a choice.

It’s a good palate cleanser - quick, light & fluffy. 

Ay yi yi, what has this series turned into?!?

Many will agree that there's been an obvious dip in quality from the OG group of 6, but I've enjoyed a number of the in-between books with the ever-expanding cast of characters and, yes, I did enjoy a handful of snippets from this latest one but it's just becoming too much - too many pop culture references, too many POVs (seriously, there were 9 here), too much exposition (and non-pertinent stuff - where was the backstory on Balthazar? We learn absolutely nothing about him), too many CW: 

rape scenes

  rather than love scenes.

I'm really only sticking this out for Lassiter's book, because he's been done dirty at this point and deserves a character resuscitation from what he's been made into.

Disappointingly, it's just a whole lot of nothing.