SERIES REVIEW : ALL THE PRETTY MONSTERS (#1-4)

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You should know that I’m pretty indiscriminate about the books and genres I read. But there are genres even I’m on the fence about. Incest, for example. Nobody can ever convince me to read that. Reverse Harem was also in that group. I find that idea so icky.

I got to know about the genre of Reverse Harem first when I saw a lot of people on my Goodreads rave about the series Curse of the Goddess. I was not intrigued. Slightly disturbed? Yes.

So when a friend whose recommendations I trust in told me to read this series, I was not on board. But she said something that intrigued me – This series is not an erotica. There isn’t even one sex scene in the first book. It focuses mostly on its paranormal plot. I was on a book slump and I’ve read my share of screwed up books. Why not add to it? So I read the first one. I ended up reading all 4 of the books released. This is supposed to be a 6-book series and I’m now waiting for the last 2.

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The first book was wacky and weird as hell. And the weirdness was what kept me hooked. This is a world of alphas, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, van helsings, gypsys. Our heroine has no idea what’s in store for her when she moves to a town where her mother died and left a voicemail right before she was killed to take over her business in the town. Both of them are gypsy who make potions and spells. Also, there’s a cult who wants to kill these gypsy.

Violet, the heroine is oblivious because she was taught all her life to not admit to her identity as a gypsy. Little does she know, her mother got her to move to a town where there are 4 alphas who know she’s a gypsy the moment they lay their eyes on. 4 alphas who hate each other and were once deceived to love the same woman and get cursed to immortality as a result.

Violet is as clueless as the readers at the beginning, but she has her own secrets about her identity. As we go ahead, the mystery is slowly unraveled, and she keeps surprising the 4 guys and the readers.

Sounds confusing, right? That’s because the plot really is confusing. Especially at the beginning. The author takes some time to build the world and the plot. So I won’t even attempt at going into details about the story.

I’ll just list out the things I liked about this book –

• Violet – The most fascinating female protagonist I’ve come across in the recent times. She’s sweet and badass at the same time. She’s a monster with a great heart.
• Lots and lots of sexual tension with very little sex scenes. In fact, I can probably count the number of explicit sex scenes in the series in one hand.
• The 4 guys. They all have their own traits and quirks. They’re flawed as hell. They also drive me insane with their lack of tack more often than not! I love it when Violet puts them all in their places when they least expect it.
• Violet never lets these guys get away with treating her anything less than the respect she deserves.
• This is probably the most hilarious series I’ve read in a long time. I laughed out loud at so many points of the books!
• The pot and pacing is amazing. The romance never overshadows the actual plot and I really liked that. The balance of horror, drama, romance and humor is great!
• The plot only gets thicker with every book and Violet even more awesome. I just can’t stop raving about her!
• Did I mention how much I love Violet?
• Violet actually says this to the one of the guys at one point – “Fix your fucking selves! I’m sure as hell not asking any of you to fix me!”
• She also says this – “I feel like the conduit for your feelings for them because you have heterosexual body parts with a homosexual mentality. I’m not sure I’m okay with simply being a conduit”

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Gypsy Blood: ★★★★☆
Gypsy Freak: ★★★★★
Gypsy Origins: ★★★★★
Gypsy Moon: ★★★★☆

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Verdict :

I honestly don’t see myself reading more Reverse Harem, because that’s not what drew me in about this series. It’s the characters, plot, creativity and humor of this series that’s got me hooked. It’s the most addictive (and weirdest) series I’ve read in a while.

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ARC Review: A GUARDED HEART

Three years after a shocking scandal destroyed her family and forced her into isolation, Eleanor Hayward finally has an opportunity to put her painful history and dashed hopes behind her. But reentering society is no simple task. In her cousin’s glittering ballroom, Eleanor is stunned when she comes face-to-face with the man who broke her heart those years before.

Edmund Fletcher thought he had laid the past to rest until he unexpectedly encounters the woman who so nearly became his wife. Soon to be engaged to another, Edmund knows he must let go of the complicated feelings he harbors for Eleanor. However, when the Hayward scandal resurfaces and the truth behind their parting is revealed, Eleanor and Edmund are left reeling. Tormented by thoughts of what could have been, they realize it is impossible to rewrite history. But is there a future in which they might both find happiness—and true love?

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I was hoping for something like ‘Persuasion’, one of my favorite love stories by Jane Austen. But A Guarded Heart was more about cliched misunderstandings rather than the complexities of human nature which I’d been expecting.

Edmund is a noble gentleman. He is good at heart and what you’d expect from a standard hero in regency novels. Eleanor was spunky and full of life until her brother has to be on run after supposedly killing his superior in army, and turning Eleanor and their family into social outcast.

The story plays with alternate timelines – past and present. We see Eleanor and Edmund fall in love in the past timeline and deal with the shock of meeting each other again in the present timeline. Their love story was sweet enough. I was just not overly invested. The big reveal of why the couple parted ways, had me feeling apathetic.

In the end, this felt a lot like a formulaic regency romance which is enjoyable but hardly unique.

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★★★☆☆

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Publication Date: 1st March, 2019.
Source: ARC from Publisher (via Netgalley)

Links –  Amazon| Goodreads

TOP TEN TUESDAY : Places Mentioned In Books That I’d Like to Visit

Hello, all! Doing TTT after 2 weeks. Life just won’t gimme a break. Anyways, I’ll just keep this short and sweet.

For all those who don’t know, Top Ten Tuesday is currently being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

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• Hogwarts (Harry Potter) : I know it’s fictional, but one can hope, right?
• Hogsmeade Village (Harry Potter) : What can I say? I’m a Potterhead.
• Manderley (Rebecca) : Manderley is a place that I always imagined as scary beautiful. I wish it was real.
• Neverland (Peter Pan) : An island where you don’t age? Sign me in.
• Willy Wonka’s Factory (Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory) : Quite an obvious choice considering I love chocolates and I love this factory. To be honest, though, I never read the book. Watched the movies only.
• King’s Cross Station (Harry Potter) : Are you kidding me? The place where my favorite fictional universe was first imagined? Definitely wanna visit.
• Alaska (The Simple Wild) : Although, the town of Bangor where the story takes place is made-up, she does admit to bringing to life the wilderness of Alaska. I’d love to visit the place.
• London (Sherlock Holmes) : I’ve never been to London but reading Sherlock Holmes in my childhood made it a country I always wanted to visit.
• Swiss Alps (Heidi) : Another place that made it to my bucket list when I was a child.
• Scotland (Outlander) : Now, the series makes Scotland out to be a dangerous place. But there are no revolutions or wars there right now. Now it’s just so beautiful with all those old castles that I want to visit.

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TAG : POWER COUPLES BOOK TAG

I’m so glad that Sara @ bibliophagist tagged me in this post. Power couples are my weakness. But I forgot that the problem with having read a lot of romances is a lot of couples fit the bill. So I’m just gonna go with my instinct here and choose the first couple that comes to mind.

Fan Arts not mine.

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A COUPLE THAT SHARES BIG PASSIONS AND GOALS

Rhys & Feyre ( A Court Of Thorns and Roses Series)

What can be a bigger passion and goal than establishing peace and all that jazz?

 

 

 

 

 

A COUPLE THAT LOVE AND RESPECT EACH OTHER

Kate & Curran (Kate Daniels Series)

Seeing Kate and Curran’s relationship start and evolve throughout six books into the a strong one where they share so much mutual love and respect for each other was very rewarding.

 

 

 

 

A COUPLE THAT IS STRONGER TOGETHER THAN APART

Rose & Connor (Calloway Sisters Series)

These two are the definition of a power couple. They are strong on their own but when they are together, they are simply indomitable.

 

 

 

 

 

A COUPLE THAT WHOLLY SUPPORT EACH OTHER

Sarai & Lazlo (Strange the Dreamer Duology)

I love how Sarai and Lazlo are such pillars of strength for each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A COUPLE THAT IS GENUINELY CUTE TOGETHER

Lily & James (Harry Potter)

I’ve always found the idea of Lily and James so cute! Let’s just ignore the end but their whole love story is adorable. I really wish we could see more of their story in Hogwarts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I’m not gonna tag anyone this time. If you feel like doing this too, consider yourself tagged!

 

ARC REVIEW: TO BEST THE BOYS

Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port receive a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. Every year, the poorer residents look to see that their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.

In the province of Caldon, where women are trained in wifely duties and men are encouraged into collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her Mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.

With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone’s ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the maze.

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When I read the summary, I thought this would be Hunger Games-esque.

I wasn’t completely wrong. But this was a lot more than the competition itself.

A lot of issues are portrayed in this fantasy novel – bigotry, patriarchy, disparity. You name it. There are two sections of the society, aptly named Upper and Lower. Rhen’s frustration in being unable to convince her uncle and his Upper politician peers about the seriousness of her mother’s disease was palpable. So was her helplessness in not being able to make use of her talent in a society which refused to appreciate it.

My favorite part of the book was probably when Rhen’s cousin Seleni acknowledges that she wants Rhen to get what she desires – a chance to prove herself, but she herself only dreamed of marriage and children, and she says that both of their dreams, although opposite matter equally. That was such a poignant moment which acknowledges the importance of choices. Rhen and Seleni’s relation was probably my favorite thing about this book. Their loyalty and devotion for each other spoke of a bond far meaningful than mere cousins.

I liked Lute too but his romance with Rhen didn’t draw me in. Other supporting characters were well-developed too. But it was only the issues explored in this book that made me give it 4-stars because they spoke to me more than anything else. The story was alright with some predictable plot points. Also, the magic bits were a bit confusing.

Everything seemed to come together too conveniently at the end and I was unconvinced. It was an enjoyable read but I think a lot more could’ve been done with the story.

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★★★★☆

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Publication Date: 5th March, 2019.
Source: ARC from Publisher (via Netgalley)

Links –  Amazon| Goodreads |Barnes & Noble

BOOK REVIEW : HUGE DEAL (21 Wall Street #3)

An alpha among the wolves of Wall Street, Kennedy Dawson rose to the top of the pack by striking the right contracts at the right times. But there’s one deal that’s been giving him a run for his money—a pact to never again let his assistant, Kate, get under his skin. She may be smart, gorgeous, and sharp as a whip, but she’s definitely off-limits.
Kate Henley isn’t a banker, but she knows a thing or two about risk management—specifically, about managing her attraction to her smolderingly sexy boss. She already fell once, and Kennedy showed no sign of paying a return on her investment. So when Kennedy’s brother starts pursuing her, Kate figures she has the best of both worlds. Jack is charming, rich, very attentive, and the spitting image of his older brother.

It’s also making Kennedy think twice. But to win Kate’s heart, he’ll have to broker the deal of a lifetime…and prove he’s worth the risk.

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So I haven’t been able to read the first installment of this trilogy yet, but I think this book will still be my favorite of the trilogy after I read that.

I really loved this one. I liked the idea of the rational and overthinking hero with a romantic heroine. I loved both Kennedy and Kate. Kennedy is my favorite kind of brooding, quiet and serious hero. Kate is the smart and witty heroine who won’t let anyone put her down. She did not let Kennedy intimidate her. There were a lot of layers to their characters that I enjoyed.

Kate believes in love at first sight. The cupid hit her the moment she laid her eyes on Kennedy. But she tried her hardest to keep her feelings in check. And when she overheard Kennedy saying something unpleasant, those feelings took a backseat and she took the conscious decision to move on. I appreciate that she did not deny that she was still attracted to Kennedy.

The development of the romance was nice to see. Although the use of jealousy as a device was kinda cliched but I think the author handled it quite well so as not to make that the main motivation behind the change in Kennedy but rather a catalyst helping him realize his feelings. I also love how Kennedy was almost too mature and did not just make grand declarations when he realized his feelings for Kate, and then took a step back when Kate asked him to. It’s always good to see such realistic takes on relationships in a book. I also liked the friendships and Kennedy’s family.

The ending was alright but I guess I had higher expectations as I went ahead in the book because I thought it could be better. But it was definitely a good read.

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★★★★☆

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TAG: TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE

What a fun and mischievous tag! Thanks @Sara for tagging me in this.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

• Create a post with your two bookish truths and one bookish lie – but be sure to keep it a secret so your readers can guess!
• Reveal the lie in a spoiler at the bottom of your post (you can use this HTML code! Just change the “S” in Summary to a lowercase)

<details><Summary>Reveal the Lie</Summary>Lie Revealed</details>

• Tag 8 friends to play along.
• Link back to the original post so Kaleena can see all your secrets!

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TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE

• I am a regular bookstagrammer.
• I tried a Reverse Harem book for the first time and loved it.
• I have never read any other book in the Harry Potter Universe other than the original 7.

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I TAG AND

Hâf @librarylooter | Debjani @debjanisthoughts | Alyssa @alovelybookaffair| Brianna @briannathebookwork | Fictionnochaser @fictionnochaser |Darina @ Facing the story| Kayla @ Books and Blends | Lindsey @Lindseyreads

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THE LIE IS… DUN DUN DUN…

I am a regular bookstagrammer.

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Did you guess it right? Hit in the comments below!

BOOK REVIEW : TRULY DEVIOUS

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. “A place” he said, “where learning is a game.”

Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym, Truly Devious. It became one of the great unsolved crimes of American history.

True-crime aficionado Stevie Bell is set to begin her first year at Ellingham Academy, and she has an ambitious plan: She will solve this cold case. That is, she will solve the case when she gets a grip on her demanding new school life and her housemates: the inventor, the novelist, the actor, the artist, and the jokester. But something strange is happening. Truly Devious makes a surprise return, and death revisits Ellingham Academy. The past has crawled out of its grave. Someone has gotten away with murder.

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Good News – I finally read Truly Devious.

Bad News – I am disappointed.

I liked the beginning and the first-half well enough. Especially the past timeline parts. But for the present timeline, I feel like I kept waiting for the story to take off the whole time but it never did. I also could not connect to many of the characters. Stevie was an interesting protagonist, if frustrating at times. I think I liked Nate the best. I also liked the friendship between Nate and Stevie. I found Janelle to be a promising character at the beginning but by the end, she felt so under-utilized. In fact, all the supporting cast felt under-utilized and wasted.

The character that I found the most annoying was David. I still don’t know what was the deal with him and am not the least interested to find out. I’m not sure I like whatever romance we saw between David and Stevie. I’d rather Nate was her romantic interest.

It was the pacing and the plot that disappointed me the most. Especially the ending. What was that, really? That was so anti-climactic. The whole later half itself felt very cluttered as if the author was unsure which direction to take the story to. I get that the author wanted us to read the sequel to get the answers, but that doesn’t mean that you leave the first book so unstructured. There was not one complete story in the book that was explored fully. And I can’t say I was too impressed by that cliffhanger.

I think this is more of a case of “It’s me, not you”, because almost everyone loved Truly Devious. This narrative in this one failed to deliver what I want from my murder mystery series. But I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and give The Vanishing Stair a try before having a final say.

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★★★☆☆

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BOOK REVIEW : TANGLED LIKE US (LIKE US #4)

How to protect your heart:
Let your bodyguard have it.

Jane Cobalt is an American princess. The loyal and painfully curious twenty-three-year-old has inherited immense pressure to preserve the Cobalt legacy. But for Jane — sex, love, and life have been a series of royal failures.

After a friends-with-benefits ended in disaster, she’s sworn to a “no sex” hiatus for, well, eternity — and she has no intention of letting anyone in her bed and definitely not her heart.

Twenty-eight-year-old Thatcher Moretti is painfully professional. As the stern 24/7 bodyguard to Jane, thinking about unbridled sex with his sweet client is a sin. One that he keeps committing. But the real act is a hard line he’d never cross.
When a family member betrays Jane’s trust, the media becomes obsessed with matchmaking the perpetually “single” Jane Cobalt and unwanted attention suddenly compromises her safety.
Thatcher would do anything to protect her, and one solution may level the threats:
Become the fake boyfriend to an American princess.
Entwined together with boiling chemistry, new “professional” parameters, and an oath, unsaid feelings threaten to rise and change everything.

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The first question that came to my mind after reading the book –

“Why did this book get so many good reviews?”

It feels like the authors ran out of ideas and recycled a lot of their previous characters and plots here. And I’m fine with that. But what I’m not fine with is them butchering already established characters just to create some new conflict for the new book.

Connor and Rose were my absolute favorite characters from Calloway Sisters. And weren’t Rose and Connor initially written as characters who would go to any lengths to protect their family – even to the extent that it could be called interference? Their daughter is going through a disastrous security situation because of her grandmother, and her parents don’t make a single appearance to help her? No. I just can’t buy that.

Jane’s relationship with Rose was another thing that I just couldn’t digest. The way they interpret Rose’s character here just rubbed me the wrong way. I waited all book for their appearance and when they did appear in the end, it was really underwhelming.

Okay, on to the main characters. I found Jane and Thatcher to be boring. Jane seems to be a recycled version of Lily. I was annoyed with her thought process regarding her weight. I just could not bring myself to care or feel interested in these two. And their connection felt very underdeveloped, with the focus on only the physical attraction which came off as too exaggerated and unrealistic.

You know what else is unrealistic? The hints of more of the bodyguards and the cousins hooking up. There was a certain reveal of a hookup and the other characters’ reactions to it that left me a little disturbed. But the general direction this series is taking is completely unoriginal and repetitious. I’m not even the slightest bit interested in how the other stories will pan out. This is so not the way I wanted to say goodbye to this world of characters, but I just don’t think that I can take any more of this.

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★★☆☆☆

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Jumping out of January ’19

Books I read:

The Next To Last Mistake | Amelie Jahn
★★★☆☆

Sourpuss | Merricat Mulwray
★★☆☆☆

The Kiss Thief | L J Shen
★★★☆☆

The Wicked King | Holly Black
★★★★☆

Beantown Girls | Jane Healey
★★★★★

Miracle Creek | Angie Kim
★★★★☆

Tangled Like Us | Krista Ritchie
★★☆☆☆

Be The Girl | K. A. Tucker
★★★★☆

It Only Happens in Movies | Holly Bourne
★★★★☆

 

I recommend :

 

Pick of the Month:

Beantown Girls – A historical fiction that did not quite feel like one. It felt like I was living the lives of these three girls. If you like stories with friendships, self-discovery, journey to growth, romance, and the backdrop of world war II, you won’t be disappointed.

 

 

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I’m happy with my January reads. Some of the books disappointed while some exceeded my expectations. But I can say that I read a couple of books that are going to stay with me for the rest of the year and even longer.

Hope January was a good reading month for you guys too. Happy reading for February!