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imskylow's reviews
262 reviews
The Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 13%.
I guess I’m not the same person I was when I read the first book. Also the joking and innuendos without showing the romance was getting on my nerves a bit. 😅 Give me everything or give me nothing but don’t just skip over the kissing and romantic moments. Maybe it gets better later but I was a bit too bored to wait around
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I absolutely love each of these characters and their distinct personalities. They really carry the mystery of the story. Without them, I feel like the plot would be somewhat bland. I’m especially glad Adam is finally growing up and realizing that his pride was keeping him from deeper relationships with his friends. My favorite character is Ronan. One squash. Two squash.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Protégé King by Lisa Renee Jones
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.75
The Protégé King is a childhood friends to enemies to lovers romance while also a fake dating (engagement) story. The main character, Alana, is a real estate reality TV show host who is trying to navigate a fake relationship with a man she used to love but had left her emotionally scarred. He, Damion, will be the next leading man if the business world once he can finally dismantle his father.
This book was just okay for me. It wasn’t the worst but it also wasn’t mind-blowing or even all that good in my opinion. It is also only part of a story arc as the author decides to end the book at an ill-placed cliff hanger before the story had gone anywhere at all. I realize she wants this to be a series but I believe that every book in a series should have some semblance of a climax and resolution. Instead, The Protege King is ended before a climactic point is even reached. And that, among other reason is why I wouldn’t recommend this book.
The story itself is a little murky. Damion needs Alana to pretend with him that they’re engaged solely to get on the good side of a business owner so that he can successfully complete a company merger. Alana only considers this due to some familial debts. She agrees even though she feels it’s a bad idea because of her and Damion’s dangerous lust for one another. I didn’t feel at all compelled by their need for a fake relationship. It felt like a very strange solution for the problem and was more to Damio’ns benefit to be around her than to help the merger at all.
The characters themselves were also very confusing, though I suppose real humans are confusing as well. They would seem resolved and determined about a decision in one moment a completely the opposite the next chapter. Alana promised herself she’d put up boundaries but then did nothing of the sort and let Damion walk right over her like he always has. Additionally, supporting characters were non-existant or not compelling. They filled a slot but didn’t add personality to the story. Alana’s friend, Sally, especially felt like a prop as she’s discarded close the beginning of the book. She was also made out to be the bad friend the one time she had the realistic emotions of disappointment and envy even though she was still supportive of Alana.
-some mild spoilers ahead-
Damion felt a bit annoying of a character for me. I’m not a huge fan of the “I’m not good for you” trope unless the guy is legitimately doing horrible things— which Damion wasn’t. He was trying to help and protect Alana while also unseating his tyrant father. The only negative things he had done was kiss Alana while dating someone else when he was a teenager. He’s also not very good at communication even when Alana asks him direct questions.
The sex in the book left much to be desired for an erotica novel. It felt more mechanical than anything and at any given point, the sex scenes lasted a mere paragraphs. It wasn’t descriptive or drawn out with tension. They just had sex and moved on. Also, it felt a bit strange that Damion’s go to move was immediately shoving his tongue in her mouth every time. Additionally, Alana mentioned her nipples puckering with the slightest arousal too much in her day to day dealings with Damion to be taken seriously. But who know, maybe that’s how the author generally feels arousal.
Overall, this book was 2.5 stars for me. I definitely would have preferred a longer and complete story arc, better sex, and stronger willed, more dynamic characters.
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce
1.0
I’m probably not the recommended demographic for this book. I’m assuming it’s meant for a younger audience. Was recommended to me (a young adult) who has never read anything by Tamora Pierce. I’m gonna guess that this is meant for 10-12 year old girls.
That being said, this book was incredibly low stakes to the point that it was boring. The prose felt monotonous and only meant to be functional and nothing more. The battles were fought too easily. Because there were so many character (who I’m assuming are from a different series in the same world) the author couldn’t very well kill or maim them to give some level of risk. Everything felt too untouchable and organized perfectly. You can tell the author cares about her characters and abhors the idea of giving them real trauma or hardship but it made it feel way too easy and clean. The climax didn’t feel like a climax because the plot structure wasn’t a mountain it was more like a flat road with a few easy speed bumps. Was honestly shocked when the book ended because it felt like it hadn’t gone anywhere.
That being said, this book was incredibly low stakes to the point that it was boring. The prose felt monotonous and only meant to be functional and nothing more. The battles were fought too easily. Because there were so many character (who I’m assuming are from a different series in the same world) the author couldn’t very well kill or maim them to give some level of risk. Everything felt too untouchable and organized perfectly. You can tell the author cares about her characters and abhors the idea of giving them real trauma or hardship but it made it feel way too easy and clean. The climax didn’t feel like a climax because the plot structure wasn’t a mountain it was more like a flat road with a few easy speed bumps. Was honestly shocked when the book ended because it felt like it hadn’t gone anywhere.