Ria
This had such a fascinating concept but poor execution. A few things I liked, a whole lot I didn't. For example, why was Marisol automatically given to a society that was most definitely not her pick and heavily male dominated? This was very sexist and scream inducing rage at times with how Marisol is treated. I get this is sci-fi, but I expected her to put up far more resistance than she did. Yes humanity needs to be repopulated but that means she has the power to choose for herself who gets to be her mate, because if she says no then too bad humanity is doomed.
A lot of this seemed just an excuse to be abusive towards women. Yes I know this is smut in a futuristic setting but I just wished Marisol had a little more backbone. She just essentially rolled over and went “okay beat me I like it”.
Maybe it's just me, but this book wasn't to my taste. The writing was good and the plot was intriguing but the relationship just wasn't for me at all.
Rated: 2.5 ⭐ rounded up
TW: spankings, sexism, and a worm got murdered by ants
At first I thought this would be five stars, but it steadily grew a lot more ridiculous and the fact that Anna is six years old and constantly asking Dirk who is thirteen to pray with her? Most six year olds I know of, barely understand what praying and god is.
The writing was good, but it felt as though the characters had no depth. It was action after action, and while historically important it was very vague about why the Germans were attacking and barely explained in later chapters. It felt more like “Germans bad! We good!” But it is a children's novel, but I figured that it would have at least a little more detailed historical notes.
I might try this author again, but at the moment I'm going to give this a 3.5 ⭐ rating. It was good but it wasn't an absolute favorite.
Recommended for fans of ya historical fiction with lots of action.
Good, a bit rambling and well researched. I can see why some didn't like it and some did, it all boils down to what your taste is and what your mood is. I went for vibes and a historical murder mystery with a women physician was a good point.
Further RTC
TW: mutilation, death, murder, mention of rape, swearing,
Cinnamon doesn't want to go on adventures. She just wants to stay home and enjoy good food, the company of her family, and not be the chosen hero by the goddess. Thank goodness she's not picked and she can drink as much alcohol as she likes, gets drunk, and saves a demon.
This was a cute, fun adventure fantasy in a d&d kind of way. The humor was great and the spice minimal which was bummer but otherwise zero complaints on this fun fantasy story. The characters were believable and likeable.
It's a short novella, and from Orbit so you know I'll enjoy it as Orbit rarely does me wrong. This wasn't quite my usual cup of tea but still a fun time overall. My thanks to the publisher for a copy of the book, and I highly recommend this for people who liked Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree.
TW: death of a sister, light implied sexual assault, mentions of death and gore
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This was fun, quirky, and delightfully entertaining. Granted you need to suspend belief in that some of the modern slang is a bit um. Odd for a fantasy story, but otherwise I enjoyed this. 3.5 ⭐ rounded up.
A brilliant middle grade book tackling war, starvation and ptsd. I enjoyed Natty and the other children, but be prepared for heavy topics covered throughout the book. The author does a tremendous job tackling all this and making it believable.
Rated: 5 ⭐
TW: children being caned/paddled, children going hungry, potential homelessness, sexism, child abuse, light language, amnesia, and bullying
I picked this up because it sat in my kindle for two years and it's less than three hundred pages, but also it's set in a favorite setting of mine-the sea.
It skips around a little here and there but the atmosphere is rich, even if I was unimpressed at the hysteria and religion within. Based on a true story however; the author definitely did her research.
A dead ship washes up, a woman rescues a man on board, and spooky things happen. It was a good time but I wasn't fully invested with the story. Not sure why maybe it was just my mood.
Rated: 3.5 ⭐
Recommended: for those who like historical fiction with a dark atmosphere
The main heroine is a whiny, rude and ignorant girl-a classic for how noblewomen were raised back then. She's spoiled, and she's also very unlikable.
Then there's Cain. He's patient with her in a way I definitely wouldn't be. He teaches her cooking, he helps her figure out how to do things she otherwise wouldn't be allowed to do due to her being simply a female.
The two of them work out their differences. Cain attempts to get her to agree to marriage. The romance is a slow burn. But with her engaged to an earl, there's obviously problems ahead.
Rated: 3.5
Actual rating 3.5 ⭐. It was nothing but drama, angst, abuse and attempted rape suggested rape and light language. I was enthralled for the first half then the constant abuse towards women just kept pissing me off. Excellent writing and detailed realistic characters. Please do pay attention to trigger warnings however!
This was a fun middle grade! I love survival stories though some of this seemed a bit far fetched and Adults Making Stupid Decisions (such as blindly trusting gps) however the characters were believable and likeable with a satisfying ending though I would have liked it expanded a little with Coopers story. 4.5 ⭐
