effy's reviews
1396 reviews

 

I feel as though I have a complicated relationship with this book because I really did not have a good time with this book for the first 250 - 300 pages, finding it confusing to understand the world and some of the naming conventions and choices that Parker makes to be, frankly, annoying. It was like a switch had been flicked beyond that point that as suddenly I was utterly obsessed and sucked into the story.

The romance between Kaan and our FMC was so enjoyable to read.

I am particularly interested to discover how I will feel on re-read because I can imagine the start of this book reads very differently when you know where the story is taking you.

I am particularly excited to read the sequel but we have an annoyingly long wait 😭

 

 

Spoto does an absolutely incredible job in creating a world where Grief Nurses are thoroughly incorporated into the fabric of the society and this is evidenced in a number of ways like the use of “goldware” and that The Grief Nurse appears in the tarot deck.

This is a truly atmospheric book with a mystery that kind of sneaks up on the reader. I really enjoyed just getting to know this world and Lynx as well as exploring the interpersonal dynamics. I could have gladly read multiple books within this world as this is such an incredible concept.

The ending is quite open but all the more satisfying for that fact because this isn’t a story where a neat ending would have necessarily worked well and been fitting. I like the sense that Lynx’s story is only just beginning and that we have only been granted a small window into her life.

 

 

As someone who absolutely loves selkies, there was no way that I wasn’t going to pick up this book. And it’s queer? Definitely my kind of story.

The Bone Diver is a slow and atmospheric story that keeps its secrets very close to its chest. I really enjoyed the fact that we didn’t get answers until much later compared to when other stories might have offered them. I also loved the dark, lush, and gothic tone that Spoto expertly executed in writing this story. This was such a decadently moody read and you could imagine it taking place in any number of coastal Scottish villages that also made it feel like home.

Whilst the slow pacing may not be for all readers, I think it is a story that is well worth being given a chance even if slow stories aren’t for you. Spoto has truly made the legend of the selkie her own whilst also honouring its roots.

 

 

This was one of those books that I didn’t realise was a 5 star read as I was reading it but the more that I thought about it, the more I realised just how smart and unique it was. I was utterly blown away by the attention to detail that Burnham has brought to bringing this story to life as well as crafting believable characters that don’t necessarily fit neatly into genre archetypes. I really appreciated that these characters messed-up and there was no deus ex machina that made things okay, they just had to live with the consequences of those mistakes. Selah likes to believe that she is enlightened and witnessing the injustices that her brother and her childhood crush experienced has changed her but ultimately the place that she is in the start of the book is someone who has a lot of privilege and sees a truth that is convenient and comfortable for her. 

As much as I hated Darius, I recognised how authentic he was in his outlook to the world. Beyond being necessary to the plot as his actions had a direct impact upon the other four POVs, he perspective provided much-needed insight into the thought processes of a pleb who is doing what they can to have the best life for themselves within the restraints of society. Darius is somewhat holier-than-thou and he holds some really disgusting views but he was a fascinating perspective and I kinda hope that his habit of having nine lives continues and this isn’t the last that we see from him.

My jaw was on the floor as we got to the end of the book and the reveals occurred. I was actually astounded at the sleight of hand that Burnham carried-out. Whilst I did get the vibe that the Iveroa Stone was a phone, I thought it was an independently developed technology in this alternative history as opposed to actually being future tech. I loved the fact that Sargassa actually takes place in 2892 A.D. and the Great Quiet was actually a catastrophic event and the society that is Roma is so much more insidious than at first glance.

I am so excited to see where this story goes. Also, Griff is Arran's mother, right?

 

 

A book that stares death right in the face in the way that this book does was always going to be a little bit confronting. I did appreciate the openness and respect around death that this book had however it did feel as little trite in places. The message of this essentially came down to living life to its fullest and basically that death comes for us all and we aren’t going to know when that is so today counts. This is a tricky message to convey without being a bit cheesy and a bit surface-level. It was a somewhat rare occurrence where I felt the need to roll my eyes at the almost Hallmark card moments and as a whole a pragmatic tone was maintained.

The strength of this book came from a focus on Clover being a death doula for one character, Claudia. We see Clover at other deaths however Claudia’s story is central to the plot as she has a beautiful approach to her own impending death as well as the way she approaches her “regret”. I just really enjoyed Claudia.

The main negative aspect of this book for me was the romance. By the end of the book, I understood that the romance felt awkward and forced because that was exactly what it was. Clover and her love interest were never really compatible so any romance overtures were going to feel a bit uncomfortable. 

At times, Clover’s characterisation was a little quirky in just the wrong way and it was hard to tell if it was a product of her nurture or if she was neurodivergent. I suspect it was a combination of both, in which case I would have liked a little bit more time to be spent on showing characters accepting Clover because it just isn’t fun watching neurospicy characters being ostracised.

Ultimately, for a book about death, this story managed to be optimistic, comforting, and encouraging. I had a good time reading and think there were some great lines that I will be sure to return to in the future.

 

 

Firstly, I very passionately disagree with the author’s suggestion that before reading this book, you should read Alpha Inmate. In this book, you are following Bree, a journalist, as she investigates the events that occurred during Alpha Inmate. I would say that the better reading order would be to read Alpha Inmate after reading this book because then you don’t have prior knowledge of what actually happened with Erik and Ellie. I also think that the two books follow somewhat similar formulas so it can feel a bit tedious reading what feels like the same story twice.

Much like with Alpha Inmate, I don’t think that this book was overly bad beyond the spice scenes not being to my tastes and really disliking all of the “slick”. There were several elements that made this a less enjoyable experience; a lot of my issues hinge on the fact that I had Alpha Inmate as a point of contrast. This book is almost a hundred pages longer but there isn’t any more story that it is telling so it just drrrrraaaaaags. It also is following a little too closely for enjoyment the formula established in Alpha Inmate with an “innocent” Omega who is all on her own and what a bad idea that is with an Alpha who is a murderer but it is fine because he is only killing people who really deserve. The fact that Cole is not imprisoned like Erik was means that he crosses a lot more ethical lines that make it harder to get on board with him.

I definitely think there is an audience for this book but I am very much not that person. Also, there was nowhere near enough sneaking in and filling Bree’s fridge with cheese and i just feel cheated.

 

 

This was… not great. It wasn’t necessarily terrible but it wasn’t anything particularly special and at points it was downright challenging to read. I have read a few omegaverse books at this point so a lot of the elements were familiar to me however this was my first time coming across “slick”. At first, I thought the author had just made an interesting choice of words to describe Ellie’s arrival but I think it is actually ✨a thing✨.

I definitely didn’t love the way that the spice was written and the romance stretched my sensibilities at times as at one point Erik ignores Ellie’s wishes and just kidnaps her? And we are meant to root for this couple? I guess it all worked-out for them in the end and the couple that kills together, stays together but it was a little tricky to really get into this story.

I only read this book because the author advises reading it before Alpha Ruined (a book where the MMC breaks into the FMC’s house to leave expensive cheese in her fridge). Honestly, I am not really sure that I would agree but I guess the verdict is out until I finish.

I don’t regret picking up this book but I also don’t think I would be recommending it in a hurry 🤷🏻

 

 

I had such a good time reading this book. Costa does a brilliant job of balancing heavier, emotional moments with brilliant comedy and comic relief. Cyril is a deeply lovable character and he is surrounded by a fantastic cast of characters. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Tigris and him as they really complemented one another. I am not usually a fan of a love triangles however the “love quadrangle” within this book worked really well and I think that was largely due to the fact that, in the moment, I didn’t really get a sense that which characters would end-up together was a foregone conclusion.

The romance was so swoon-worthy in places and I was just absolutely obsessed. This story gives the reader both an established and deeply in love couple whilst also giving all of those delicious falling in love for the first time feelings. I just couldn’t get enough!

Cyril is an absolute dumb bitch in the best possible way.

 

 

The more I read from Gibson, the more I fall in love with their way of writing. I love how character-driven this story is as Moira and Rhys face the challenges that come with married life. It is so rare that readers are treated to stories of domesticity between established couples so it was a real treat to get a whole novella where that is exactly the story that is being told. Gibson writes in a way that makes it clear that these characters have so much love and devotion to one another. I think all alloromantic readers will be able to relate deeply to the big feelings that are being explored with this story and especially will connect with the duality of almost feeling like you love someone too much and that creating a rift in the relationship.

By the end of this story, I found myself a little bit weepy. This was the kind of tears that come from beauty, I just really loved that Moira and Rhys had genuine interest and excitement in the things that brought each other joy. This is a book full of very swoony moments and it just makes me so excited that we have several more books featuring these characters to look forward to in the future.