Checked out with kindle unlimited, February 2023. This was my second book by Eva Chase, and the first book in an intriguing ghost series. Lily is a new college student after being held in mental ward for 7 years. She can’t remember what she did in her youth to get landed there. The arrival of ghosts from her past (pun intended) have her questioning her hard won sanity. The premise of this sounded good, but the execution of that idea left a lot to be desired for me. The plot and atmosphere were all right but not what I was expecting for a ghost story. Some of the bullying situations were a bit too extreme to be believable and the MC’s reactions were a frustrating mess. I did enjoy some of our antiheroes and their ability to scheme, even as ghosts. I struggled to rate this book since this was an obvious (it’s me, not you) situation. I’m glad other people could enjoy it; this just wasn’t for me. (2/5 rating)
Tag: Monsters
Book Review – Run & Hide (Myths & Monsters 1) by Beatrix Hollow
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t pick this out for its cover. Ava is the daughter of a famous ghost hunting family but terrified of taking over the family business. She sets out on a cross country photography trip with her childhood friend, Caspian, to escape her family’s grasp. Only to find the family business catch up with them all too soon. I’m grateful I checked this out with Kindle membership first since I had several issues with this story. I liked the first half, but the second half careened into a mess. Ava frustrated me at several turns, including her inconsistencies between Caspian and Mothman interactions. For someone from a paranormal family, I’m not sure I feel like her running from Caspian was a real response, among others: she ran way a lot. Ava ruined a lot of this for me, with dumb decision after dumb decision. I enjoyed the horror aspects of the story, and I did like Caspian as a water shapeshifter character. The Mothman was as inconsistent as Ava, at least with the portion of the plot he was in. I felt like this had potential, but this just wasn’t for me. (2/5 rating)
Book Review – Friends with the Monsters (Friends with the Monsters 1) by Albany Walker
This was my first novel by Albany Walker. Like many of you, I purchased this for the cover alone. This focuses on our main character, Damiana, who feeds off the sins of others. For that reason, she is forced to find sustenance at local clubs on a regular basis. One night, she stumbles into a world of witches, shape shifters, and bigger monsters then the ones that visit her house. There were aspects of this story that were enjoyable, particularly the first third of this story. Once Damiana meets her fated mates, it felt like she grew incredibly childish, and I struggled to connect with her past that point. Her mates, Grim, Calix, and Runmar, and their relationships felt underdeveloped within the time we have with them. The plot was a bit all over the place and it didn’t feel like much was resolved by the end though I don’t think I’ll be reading the next one. (3/5 rating)
Book Review – Love & Monsters by Raven Flanagan
My first of Raven Flanagan was a story of, you guessed it: love and monsters. Mina is a human that falls through a portal into another world. After capture, she is sold at a market to the Lord of the City. She never gets to meet this Lord before she is forced into the dungeons and out of sight. Her only company is the enigmatic prisoner, Vadric, who is more mysterious than her reason for being there. I loved the story and interplay between Mina and Vadric, even if Mina and some off her actions annoyed the hell out of me. The world was compelling, and I enjoyed the beasts that created it. We know we are here for the steamy scenes, and I don’t always need a plot to enjoy a romance book. So, if you need a more complex plot, this likely won’t be for you. (3.5/5 rating)
