Velvet Was the Night

I can't really put into words what exactly I thought about this book. On one hand, I didn't hate and it kept me entertained at certain points but on the other, I also found it to be extremely hard for me to get through. This isn't my usual thriller genre and I initially requested this arc from Netgalley because I have read Mexican Gothic by the same author in the past and liked that one. Well, let me just tell you, this one is nothing like Mexican Gothic was and I realize it's not the same genre but personally for me, this one was just really not my cup of tea. Like at all.

First of all, Velvet Was the Night is about a woman, named Maite, who gets tangled up with some dangerous groups of people when she agrees to housesit for her neighbor, Leonora. This plot really was not my thing and I found all the political talk to be very tedious and boring to me. I enjoyed the romantic aspects of the plot but that's about it. There was definitely enough excitement but it was more on the action side of things and it was just too much for me. I prefer suspense and thrills in my books leading up to the climactic buildup over nonstop action and violence. Definitely will not be reading any books based heavily in the political sphere ever again.

Secondly, the characters were okay. They were not jumping out of the book at me and yet they also weren't the most boring characters I have come across in books. We definitely got to know Maite well but not as in-depth as I would have preferred. Maybe the whole plot was so far out of any realm of reality for me that it made the characters harder to relate to. This is the reason domestic thrillers are my absolute favorite trop probably. The relations between the characters in this novel was the strongest part of the characterization in my opinion.

Finally, the writing style was done well enough. It was easy to read and understand what was happening as it occurred but at the same time it didn't flow effortlessly either. It was just okay. I do appreciate it for not being too choppy, that would have made it getting through the book that much harder.

In conclusion, while this book didn't blow me away, it didn't completely disappoint me either. I have ventured out of my comfort zone and have understood that books based heavily in politics and the government are just not for me. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys action and adventure over personal development of characters. This book definitely felt a lot like watching an action film and for this reason I can definitely appreciate it for what it is.