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kjharrowick's reviews
92 reviews
The Girl In 411: An erotic BDSM romance by Amber Skye
5.0
True rating: 4.5 stars
Why I picked up this book:
One of the challenges I’ve given myself over the next year is to read more books on the vast diversity and styles of relationships heroes and heroines can have. With this story I decided to jump in feet first to a heroine/heroine romance. The sex is dirty and the romance is sweet, plus it gave me a chance to catch up with a new author.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
From the first page in this story, I fell in love with Jennifer’s relationship to the elderly woman she cared for. It rang of a Skeleton Key vibe, but with an old southern charm that didn’t end up in murder. While this piece to the overall tale is more backstory and what influenced Jennifer, it’s still a tale I’d love to see break out from this one into its own novella or short story.
The balcony portrait was probably my other favorite thing in this tale. From the moment Jennifer found it, the tale wove in a beauty and depth I couldn’t shake. But the twist at the end was perfect. Beautiful. I absolutely loved it and the impact really spread through both characters, and me as a reader.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
The only thing that really bugged me was events surrounding the cat. Jennifer is a smart character, so for her to not really catch onto what’s happening with her door felt a bit out of place. I feel like the first time, yes… accident. By the second time she should have already been digesting the idea of an intruder and snooping a bit more.
Overall:
This book was a strong, enjoyable read. The pacing was beautiful, and the love story had a depth that went far beyond the sex. I’d definitely recommend it for any reader who is curious about or comfortable with some dirty BDSM sex between two girls that turns into a sweet, endearing romance. I definitely look forward to picking up other books from this author in the future.
Why I picked up this book:
One of the challenges I’ve given myself over the next year is to read more books on the vast diversity and styles of relationships heroes and heroines can have. With this story I decided to jump in feet first to a heroine/heroine romance. The sex is dirty and the romance is sweet, plus it gave me a chance to catch up with a new author.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
From the first page in this story, I fell in love with Jennifer’s relationship to the elderly woman she cared for. It rang of a Skeleton Key vibe, but with an old southern charm that didn’t end up in murder. While this piece to the overall tale is more backstory and what influenced Jennifer, it’s still a tale I’d love to see break out from this one into its own novella or short story.
The balcony portrait was probably my other favorite thing in this tale. From the moment Jennifer found it, the tale wove in a beauty and depth I couldn’t shake. But the twist at the end was perfect. Beautiful. I absolutely loved it and the impact really spread through both characters, and me as a reader.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
The only thing that really bugged me was events surrounding the cat. Jennifer is a smart character, so for her to not really catch onto what’s happening with her door felt a bit out of place. I feel like the first time, yes… accident. By the second time she should have already been digesting the idea of an intruder and snooping a bit more.
Overall:
This book was a strong, enjoyable read. The pacing was beautiful, and the love story had a depth that went far beyond the sex. I’d definitely recommend it for any reader who is curious about or comfortable with some dirty BDSM sex between two girls that turns into a sweet, endearing romance. I definitely look forward to picking up other books from this author in the future.
The Pirate by E.C. Jarvis
4.0
Why I picked up this book:
I recently read the first book in this series, The Machine, and utterly fell in love with the world, the characters, and everything about it. If you love dark and devious villains as much as I do, it’s a book you don’t want to miss. After a major book hangover recovery, I immediately snagged the second book in the series, ready to dive right into another adventure with Holt and Captain Larissa Markus.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
The Rafirin was a fantastic new spin to this delicious series. While I missed watching the quirky cat Imago padding around, the payoff at the end where readers witness an entirely new style of species is definitely worth it.
I really liked the addition of Kensington’s character as well as the Cleric. They both really brought a rich weave to the fabric of this tale.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
I struggled with Holt’s character this round. He’s still absolutely my favorite, but there were moments where he did things that felt out of character. And the sexual tension between Larissa and Holt took a bit of a nosedive. As a reader, I felt more stranded in -what’s going on- vs any true rooting for the characters.
This is subjective and I say it with both love and hugs but… Do. Not. Stop. The story. Mid-scene. This is a huge pet peeve of mine, so take it with a grain of salt, but this story did not have the rich arc the way the first book did. Then it just stops… mid-scene… with ‘to be continued.’ I was already very invested in this adventure, but a dead stop before the story has any sort of resolution really made the whole thing feel like a bunch of filler chapters between book one and the next true arc. As a reader, this is extremely frustrating.
Overall:
For anyone who is considering this book, here are some things to know:
- It’s not nearly as dark or devious as the first book. This one seems to have lost a lot of the first book’s edge.
- The story drops you off a cliff at the end. There is no end, really. It just stops.
- A lot is left unexplained, and the richness between Larissa and Holt is a bit stilted.
- It does have some fantastic moments that are worth the read, and it is still a good adventure.
So as much as I love this series so far, I’m now very gun-shy about picking up the next book. Does the next book shove readers off a cliff as well, or does it resolve this story’s open threads? I want to see stronger sexual tension again between Larissa and Holt—they are 90% of the reason I love this series. But some of my favorite characters were killed off as well so I’m very hesitant.
For any reader who loves the idea of this series but didn't particularly like the grimdark spin of the first book, you may enjoy this second one more. For me, I'm crossing my fingers that if/when I dive into the next book, all the glorious darkness and edgy characters return to their devious deeds.
I recently read the first book in this series, The Machine, and utterly fell in love with the world, the characters, and everything about it. If you love dark and devious villains as much as I do, it’s a book you don’t want to miss. After a major book hangover recovery, I immediately snagged the second book in the series, ready to dive right into another adventure with Holt and Captain Larissa Markus.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
The Rafirin was a fantastic new spin to this delicious series. While I missed watching the quirky cat Imago padding around, the payoff at the end where readers witness an entirely new style of species is definitely worth it.
I really liked the addition of Kensington’s character as well as the Cleric. They both really brought a rich weave to the fabric of this tale.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
I struggled with Holt’s character this round. He’s still absolutely my favorite, but there were moments where he did things that felt out of character. And the sexual tension between Larissa and Holt took a bit of a nosedive. As a reader, I felt more stranded in -what’s going on- vs any true rooting for the characters.
This is subjective and I say it with both love and hugs but… Do. Not. Stop. The story. Mid-scene. This is a huge pet peeve of mine, so take it with a grain of salt, but this story did not have the rich arc the way the first book did. Then it just stops… mid-scene… with ‘to be continued.’ I was already very invested in this adventure, but a dead stop before the story has any sort of resolution really made the whole thing feel like a bunch of filler chapters between book one and the next true arc. As a reader, this is extremely frustrating.
Overall:
For anyone who is considering this book, here are some things to know:
- It’s not nearly as dark or devious as the first book. This one seems to have lost a lot of the first book’s edge.
- The story drops you off a cliff at the end. There is no end, really. It just stops.
- A lot is left unexplained, and the richness between Larissa and Holt is a bit stilted.
- It does have some fantastic moments that are worth the read, and it is still a good adventure.
So as much as I love this series so far, I’m now very gun-shy about picking up the next book. Does the next book shove readers off a cliff as well, or does it resolve this story’s open threads? I want to see stronger sexual tension again between Larissa and Holt—they are 90% of the reason I love this series. But some of my favorite characters were killed off as well so I’m very hesitant.
For any reader who loves the idea of this series but didn't particularly like the grimdark spin of the first book, you may enjoy this second one more. For me, I'm crossing my fingers that if/when I dive into the next book, all the glorious darkness and edgy characters return to their devious deeds.
Blood of Olthetta by Aaron Volner
2.0
I received an ARC of Blood of Olthetta from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is a purely subjective review, as I'm a reader that needs a bit more of a hook to really sink into a story. After reading the blurb and looking at the pretty cover (it's gorgeous!), I was really excited to dig in.
In the end, I honestly just didn't connect. At about 9% in, much of the story was still in dialogue and I couldn't find any strong anchors to connect to the character or the world. I prefer a little more development to really get immersed. May be great for my readers who prefer stronger dialogue and sparse world-building.
This is a purely subjective review, as I'm a reader that needs a bit more of a hook to really sink into a story. After reading the blurb and looking at the pretty cover (it's gorgeous!), I was really excited to dig in.
In the end, I honestly just didn't connect. At about 9% in, much of the story was still in dialogue and I couldn't find any strong anchors to connect to the character or the world. I prefer a little more development to really get immersed. May be great for my readers who prefer stronger dialogue and sparse world-building.
Tiny Mix Tapes of the Soul by Ken Napzok
5.0
Why I picked up this book:
I was searching for an old friend from my childhood when I stumbled upon Ken's facebook page and discovered he'd written a book. Ken and I grew up together, and while the two of us weren't climbing trees or chucking rocks at cars together (pretty sure it was only me), his family and mine were close and spent a lot of time with dinners, baseball, and of course playing cards. But he and my brother were super close, and when I turned seventeen, my family left California for Colorado.
This is the moment Ken influenced my life.
He made my brother a mix tape for the journey, one filled with his early DJ years, jokes, and tons of music. The song that stood out the most was "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf. It became a cry for freedom from a life where people smiled and waved to my family, then whispered when we left the room how odd we were. The song also became a call to adventure, to a new life where social status, friends and enemies weren't decided during a third-grade fight.
So when I saw Ken's book about mix tapes, my entire Saturday flew right out the window in a cloud of nostalgia. I grabbed the book for my kindle and curled up on the back deck, ready to see how the one tiny mix tape that hooked into my soul influenced his life.
This review may contain spoilers.
First of all . . . I'd give this book 10 stars if I could. It was everything I never knew I needed in my life.
What I loved:
I absolutely devoured this book and couldn't put it down.
From the first page I connected to Ken's voice, probably because I was such a late bloomer in my own life. Ken starts off light-hearted with his opening words, but as I immersed myself into each of his essays, I found them alive with pain, struggle, and a raw depth that can only be found as we step on the ledge of life.
I expected to see bits and pieces of the kid I remember from childhood, and instead found that Ken's journey paralleled my own early adult years in so many ways. The struggle for love, the dark moments where the only lifeline left is a song (or in my case a story), and the duality of a life lived under a family's shadow while you try to forge your own sacred path. It was like watching the core of my soul travel a different route through life filled with music and Hollywoodisms (something I know zero about, BTW).
If you grew up somewhere between the 70s and 90s, this book is ripe with nostalgia. So many of the band names brought me right back to my childhood and the remembered love of anything from Aerosmith to Madonna to Beastie Boys. Unfortunately, my father overplayed the Beatles so I couldn't appreciate their music until well into my thirties. But between the music and utterly hilarious tale about the music snob buying back CDs is a heart-warming journey of dark, raw pain and how one man kept fighting for his place in the world until he held a spark of hope for the future.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
I wish this story had one more pass at an editor. The prose is clean and honestly hooked me from the first line, but there were a few spots here and there where errant apostrophes or commas ran wild. They might even be breeding. It pulled me out of the story a few times, but the voice was strong enough to keep me immersed and racing forward.
Overall:
I'd highly recommend this book for anyone, especially those who love the movie "High Fidelity." Music snobbery is real, but Ken's journey is one any person can identify with. He has a way of digging deep into the reader's soul as if the book itself plays a subtle mix tape in the reader's head, and I hope to see Ken's library of tales grow because I'll probably devour them all.
I was searching for an old friend from my childhood when I stumbled upon Ken's facebook page and discovered he'd written a book. Ken and I grew up together, and while the two of us weren't climbing trees or chucking rocks at cars together (pretty sure it was only me), his family and mine were close and spent a lot of time with dinners, baseball, and of course playing cards. But he and my brother were super close, and when I turned seventeen, my family left California for Colorado.
This is the moment Ken influenced my life.
He made my brother a mix tape for the journey, one filled with his early DJ years, jokes, and tons of music. The song that stood out the most was "Magic Carpet Ride" by Steppenwolf. It became a cry for freedom from a life where people smiled and waved to my family, then whispered when we left the room how odd we were. The song also became a call to adventure, to a new life where social status, friends and enemies weren't decided during a third-grade fight.
So when I saw Ken's book about mix tapes, my entire Saturday flew right out the window in a cloud of nostalgia. I grabbed the book for my kindle and curled up on the back deck, ready to see how the one tiny mix tape that hooked into my soul influenced his life.
This review may contain spoilers.
First of all . . . I'd give this book 10 stars if I could. It was everything I never knew I needed in my life.
What I loved:
I absolutely devoured this book and couldn't put it down.
From the first page I connected to Ken's voice, probably because I was such a late bloomer in my own life. Ken starts off light-hearted with his opening words, but as I immersed myself into each of his essays, I found them alive with pain, struggle, and a raw depth that can only be found as we step on the ledge of life.
I expected to see bits and pieces of the kid I remember from childhood, and instead found that Ken's journey paralleled my own early adult years in so many ways. The struggle for love, the dark moments where the only lifeline left is a song (or in my case a story), and the duality of a life lived under a family's shadow while you try to forge your own sacred path. It was like watching the core of my soul travel a different route through life filled with music and Hollywoodisms (something I know zero about, BTW).
If you grew up somewhere between the 70s and 90s, this book is ripe with nostalgia. So many of the band names brought me right back to my childhood and the remembered love of anything from Aerosmith to Madonna to Beastie Boys. Unfortunately, my father overplayed the Beatles so I couldn't appreciate their music until well into my thirties. But between the music and utterly hilarious tale about the music snob buying back CDs is a heart-warming journey of dark, raw pain and how one man kept fighting for his place in the world until he held a spark of hope for the future.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
I wish this story had one more pass at an editor. The prose is clean and honestly hooked me from the first line, but there were a few spots here and there where errant apostrophes or commas ran wild. They might even be breeding. It pulled me out of the story a few times, but the voice was strong enough to keep me immersed and racing forward.
Overall:
I'd highly recommend this book for anyone, especially those who love the movie "High Fidelity." Music snobbery is real, but Ken's journey is one any person can identify with. He has a way of digging deep into the reader's soul as if the book itself plays a subtle mix tape in the reader's head, and I hope to see Ken's library of tales grow because I'll probably devour them all.
Origo: Son of Darkness by Keri Brown
4.0
I received an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely love the premise of this story. It's really unique and has the potential to be a fantastic series. I also really love the idea of a half-light, half-dark world and all the great word-building details woven into this one. Plus, you can never go wrong with dragon stories. <3
However, I'm going to set this aside to finish at a later date. I'm not sure if it's the headspace I'm in right now or that the story jumps in and out of characters' heads in a more omniscient style. One of the things I've come to love in a story is a clear hero/heroine with a purpose, and this story is so rich with characters that I'm not seeing that singular clarity. Again, it's me as the prose is strong and there is some fantastic conflict from the first page forward.
I'd definitely recommend this story to dragon lovers, high fantasy lovers, or even if you're just fiending for a bit more gore in a story.
I absolutely love the premise of this story. It's really unique and has the potential to be a fantastic series. I also really love the idea of a half-light, half-dark world and all the great word-building details woven into this one. Plus, you can never go wrong with dragon stories. <3
However, I'm going to set this aside to finish at a later date. I'm not sure if it's the headspace I'm in right now or that the story jumps in and out of characters' heads in a more omniscient style. One of the things I've come to love in a story is a clear hero/heroine with a purpose, and this story is so rich with characters that I'm not seeing that singular clarity. Again, it's me as the prose is strong and there is some fantastic conflict from the first page forward.
I'd definitely recommend this story to dragon lovers, high fantasy lovers, or even if you're just fiending for a bit more gore in a story.
Dragon Masters: Fantasy Romance Duet by Tamsin Baker
2.0
Why I picked up this book:
Honestly, I was in the mood for a nice blended fantasy romance that didn't black out the sex, and this duet of stories looked right up my alley. I checked it out on KU.
DNF 12%
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
I really liked the description of the dragon, pertaining more to its wings and how small touches of that seemed to influence the heroine's community. That's the kind of world building I live for.
Why I stopped reading:
I almost stopped reading on the first page to be honest. While I knew going in that the story had some heavy sexual content, it started off with the character dreaming of getting gang-banged and that opener felt more like a shock and awe campaign.
But I decided to keep going and see if somehow this tied in to the story, but unfortunately after a few chapters, the hero/heroine still hadn't met, and I was a bit saddened (as a reader) to see dragons in stalls like cows.
Overall:
I honestly just didn't connect with this story or the characters. It might smooth out and get better deeper into the tale, but from what I read at the beginning, there was a strange imbalance to everything I just couldn't put my finger on. Who knows... maybe I just picked it up at the wrong time. While it looks like it might be a nice sensual read for fantasy romance lovers, this book just didn't quite engage me enough to continue.
Honestly, I was in the mood for a nice blended fantasy romance that didn't black out the sex, and this duet of stories looked right up my alley. I checked it out on KU.
DNF 12%
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
I really liked the description of the dragon, pertaining more to its wings and how small touches of that seemed to influence the heroine's community. That's the kind of world building I live for.
Why I stopped reading:
I almost stopped reading on the first page to be honest. While I knew going in that the story had some heavy sexual content, it started off with the character dreaming of getting gang-banged and that opener felt more like a shock and awe campaign.
But I decided to keep going and see if somehow this tied in to the story, but unfortunately after a few chapters, the hero/heroine still hadn't met, and I was a bit saddened (as a reader) to see dragons in stalls like cows.
Overall:
I honestly just didn't connect with this story or the characters. It might smooth out and get better deeper into the tale, but from what I read at the beginning, there was a strange imbalance to everything I just couldn't put my finger on. Who knows... maybe I just picked it up at the wrong time. While it looks like it might be a nice sensual read for fantasy romance lovers, this book just didn't quite engage me enough to continue.