which i'm sure isn't what they were going for when they decided to write this romance. it just wasn't anythithe word that comes to mind is serviceable
which i'm sure isn't what they were going for when they decided to write this romance. it just wasn't anything special. i appreciated the warm christmas setting & the traditions that our characters have. but the romance didn't blow me away.
i don't like when our heroine has been pining for the hero and when she admits her feelings he's like "oh wow i didn't even realize you were an option. but a ha ha you're so sexy." i don't mean that just for this book, i mean generally speaking. it's a trope and it's not a good one. i get that not every book can be a perfectly crafted mutual pining masterpiece, but this kind of thing is kind of... ick? for me at least.
idk this isn't one of their worse books but it's not a favorite of mine either. andrew was at least nice & the sexual tension was decent....more
this book is genuinely bizarre. i'm still struck by how it was written like a thriller. but i also didn't hate it. more thoughts later.this book is genuinely bizarre. i'm still struck by how it was written like a thriller. but i also didn't hate it. more thoughts later....more
ngl, i enjoyed this. i wish it had leaned more into the messiness but overall this was solid. mostly bc i have pretty specific taste in tropes (mutualngl, i enjoyed this. i wish it had leaned more into the messiness but overall this was solid. mostly bc i have pretty specific taste in tropes (mutual pining jazzes the hell out of my jollies) and this worked for me....more
i really loved mad rogan & nevada's story so i really didn't expect to love catalina & alessandro. but ilona aconsistently impressed with this series!
i really loved mad rogan & nevada's story so i really didn't expect to love catalina & alessandro. but ilona andrews has done a fantastic job crafting a romance and a plot that feels familiar while being distinctly unique. i especially love how different catalina is from nevada. she makes a lot of choices that nevada wouldn't have, and it's interesting to see how that plays out in a world with magic.
also, something that i didn't fully appreciate in the first 3 books that has really shone in the most recent 2: how bad ass the women are. i mean i've come to expect levels of this in paranormal/urban fantasies, but i think these books take it to the next level. especially when it comes to age. i literally can't think of a single fantasy style book i've come across that values women in their 40s+ beyond mothering. both the mom & grandmothers in this book were KICK ASS and incredibly valuable players and i really fcking appreciate that.
i think that honestly just speaks to the level of detail and thought that is clearly going into this series. as a native houstonian, these books feel like home and i'm HYPED for the 6th installment....more
rereading so i can read the final book in catalina's trilogy.
i enjoyed this but i think i missed some of the slightly less fast paced moments of nevadrereading so i can read the final book in catalina's trilogy.
i enjoyed this but i think i missed some of the slightly less fast paced moments of nevada's trilogy. i'm also just... confused by alessandro. i don't dislike him or catalina but it's hard to totally love him when the introduction of his character is so bizarre. he shows up with no context, and i get that's part of the plot but it makes it a little confusing when we're expected to trust him for virtually no reason.
if you get easily bored by fantasy romance or think they're too slow paced/the plots are typically shitty you will NOT be disappointed by this series tho....more
honestly though, this was fantastic. very glad i gave these books a second chance because they're the perfect blend of plot & ro i want a mad rogan :(
honestly though, this was fantastic. very glad i gave these books a second chance because they're the perfect blend of plot & romance that i need in my life. also love that i have another great series to recommend people that are looking to transition from YA fantasy romance to something more adult but not too smutty.
i also immediately started the third book in the series, so you know the series has to be good....more
so i actually finished it this time around. and wow do i not get the hype.
i'm reading some popular books for a video project and so i wanted to pickso i actually finished it this time around. and wow do i not get the hype.
i'm reading some popular books for a video project and so i wanted to pick this back up after not finishing it my first go round. it's one of those books that is perfectly fine to listen to, if a little lengthy. you've got bitchy moms, relationship antics, and some more serious issues like domestic violence and sexual assault.
but i guess i'm not really sure what the point of it all was. it wasn't gripping enough or twisty enough to be a thriller. not insightful enough to feel literary. not romance centered enough to weasel its way into the category of women's fic.
maybe when this was published it was earth shattering? that's really all i can figure lol. it was fine but ultimately kinda meh....more
i really did like this one, but it definitely wouldn't be in my top 3 winston brothers romances if i had to rank them. the manother great installment!
i really did like this one, but it definitely wouldn't be in my top 3 winston brothers romances if i had to rank them. the main characters were fine enough, but their lack of communication was IRRITATING. i think this was penny's attempt to make their romance a little different and maybe a little angstier than your typical childhood friends to lovers story but it really just frustrated me.
i think things got much better from the 50% and beyond. the plot was pretty fun and was the most interesting of all of the books thus far. and it set up the next 2 books in the series VERY well. but overall... just wasn't the perfect romance for me....more
reading this for a project so i won't be too verbose here. but... this wasn't great. wasn't the worst thing i've his name is horse... for.. reasons...
reading this for a project so i won't be too verbose here. but... this wasn't great. wasn't the worst thing i've ever read and for an MC hero, Horse was actually pretty decent if a little immature. but that's about all i can say for it. it was basic, the characters had little in the way of personality, and the main connection between the two characters was sex. which at least was well written... but i really do need an emotional and intellectual connection between the characters in my romances for me to care about what happens.
there's much better MC books out there if that's your thing. i'd say skip this one....more
