Tag: Romance

Beautiful Darkness

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Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Series Name: The Caster Chronicles
Volume Number: 2
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Witches
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Little, Brown/Hachette
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-316-07705-7
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks has marked Lena’s family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together Ethan and Lena can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan’s eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there’s no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town’s tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

Personal & Info

It’s been about two years since I circled back around to this series. That’s way too long in my opinion, and I never intended it to take that long. I reread the first book before reading this one just to make sure everything would be fresh.

I don’t know what’s been going on with me lately, but I got stuck in a slump with this book. I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood for it or what. When I first started reading it, I got about halfway through, and then I couldn’t make myself read any more for a long time. After I finally got around to finishing it, I couldn’t make myself type the review. It’s been very frustrating.

There’s apparently some kind of inconsistent detail about Ethan and Link’s friendship. I thought I noticed it before, but I told myself I was imagining it. However, I looked back at my notes and review for the first book, and the detail is written different everywhere. Apparently every time the series mentions what school grade they were in when they first became friends due to the floor twinkie, it’s different. The right answer is probably kindergarten, but the spread is so vast. I swear they said sixth grade, third grade, second grade, and kindergarten. I plan to keep an eye out for this if it comes up again, because it’s really bugging me.

Characters

Ethan Lawson Wate is the main character. He’s six foot two, and his mother, Lila Jane Evers Wate, died in an accident about a year ago. Until he met Lena, he looked forward to the day he could leave boring Gatlin, South Carolina. Now he is realizing Gatlin has never been as boring and dull as he thought.

Amarie Treadeau, mostly known as Amma, is the grandmotherly housekeeper of the Wate household. She is barely five feet tall, smart, ornery, and is considered a seer, which is essentially a type of clairvoyant. To use her skills, she calls upon the powers of her ancestors.

Wesley Jefferson Lincoln, who goes by Link, is Ethan’s best friend. He has a car they refer to as the Beater, and he’s always up for helping Ethan, no matter how dangerous the ordeal.

Lena Duchannes (Du-Kane) is the main love interest. She is a powerful caster, yet to be claimed by good or evil.

Ridley Duchannes is Lena’s cousin. She is one year older, and they grew up together like sisters. Their relationship is a bit complicated, because Ridley was claimed by darkness on her sixteenth birthday.

Macon Melchizedek Ravenwood is Lena’s uncle.

Dr. Marian Ashcroft is the head librarian of both the regular library and the caster library. She is like an aunt to Ethan, because she was Lila’s best friend.

Olivia Durand is apprenticing under Marian for the summer. She is from Kings Langley, north of London.

John Breed, without spoiling too much, is a mysterious, powerful, edgy man, who contributes to the teen drama romance aspect of the story.

Sarafine, is Lena’s mother. She is a cataclyst, a powerful type of dark caster. Her specialty is manipulating fire.

Arelia is Macon’s mother. She’s a diviner.

Twyla is Lena’s great aunt. She is Arelia’s sister, and she lives in New Orleans. Her power is necromancy.

Several of Ethan and Lena’s other family members contribute to the story, but I don’t think they are worth listing here without spoilers.

Story & Thoughts

The book picks up a few days after Lena’s birthday, so there isn’t much of a time gap between volumes. I remember liking this book just fine on my first read a long time ago. My struggle to get through it this time might be adding some bias, but there are several things I don’t like about it now.

My general consensus for every volume on my first read was that all of the books drag a bit, so they feel slow. It still feels that way to me, but this one dragged even worse than I remember, because I had such a hard time picking it back up. At this point, I don’t really like Lena, and her drama actually feels detrimental to the story. The story is basically about her, but I can’t say I enjoy any of the parts that actually have her in it.

For the majority of the story, Lena is grieving. She has family around her, but her grief spirals to absolutely toxic and blatantly unhealthy levels. I can’t help wondering if her family is even doing anything to try to help her. It seems like they just leave her alone to process her own feelings, but that’s clearly the last thing she needs. Her behavior is the kind of teen melodrama that I don’t enjoy. I’m sure Lena’s behavior and attitude would make a lot more sense and probably be more entertaining from her perspective.

On the flip side, I love Ethan’s parts. The group of humans going on a dangerous magical adventure is the best part. Link gets way more screen time than he did before, and the love interest introduced to give Ethan internal conflict is actually likable. I swear Ethan has more chemistry with Liv than he does with Lena. Ethan and Lena are kind of boring together, but Ethan and Liv feel like they have some substance.

My original rating for this is a three. I’m keeping that as the final score, because I might not have been in the right headspace for it during a chunk of the reread. I feel like there’s about a fifty-fifty split of things that I like and dislike about it. Overall, it’s fine, but I really don’t like Lena anymore. I’m more of a Ridley fan. Ridley is way more interesting.

The Djinn’s Desire

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The Djinn’s Desire by Tamsin Ley
Series Name: Mates for Monsters
Volume Number: 5
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Psychics, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Twin Leaf
Edition: Kindle
ISBN: 978-1-950027-06-4
Rating: 2/5
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Description

Tanika Skye’s one true wish in life is for a loving mate and happy family. But after the wish results in the loss of her mother and grandmother’s lives as the price, she is adamant that her djinn will never take another human soul. She is willing to live and die alone if it means taking him down with her.

When the Earthbound djinn Ophir drives into town, both of them are in for a surprise. The irresistible attraction they feel is palpable. Will they be able to get rid of Tanika’s djinn forever, or will she insist on being alone and unhappy to ensure the djinn’s eventual demise?

Personal & Info

The Djinn’s Desire is volume five of a series, but it is a stand alone story, so no other Mates for Monsters volumes are necessary.

As much as I don’t like the idea of posting a review of something without all of the previous volumes, I feel like I should, because Mates for Monsters volumes can be read as stand alone stories. Volume four is The Centaur’s Bride. The three first books are about merpeople, two mermen and one mermaid to be exact. Those ones interconnect a little by sharing a continuity, but can still be read as stand-alones. Their titles are The Merman’s Kiss, The Merman’s Quest, and A Mermaid’s Heart.

I did read them a few years ago. I just don’t have enough information to post reviews for them without rereading them. At this moment, I have no plans to reread them any time soon, if at all. I do have ratings for them, though, so I will include them here.

The Merman’s Kiss: 3.5/5

The Merman’s Quest: 3/5

A Mermaid’s heart: 4/5

The links I included for Amazon and Barnes & Noble are for the digital editions, but they do have physical paperbacks available for The Djinn’s Desire.

Characters

Tanika Skye, the main character, is approximately twenty-seven. She is a fortune teller who gives haircuts on the side. Her one wish in life is for a loving mate/husband and a family with a happily ever after.

Birdie is Tanika’s business partner and close friend. She is the primary hairstylist at their salon.

Mr. Gregory Daniels is a nice older man who owns the bakery down the street. He is fond enough of Tanika to give her free pastries.

Ophir, the love interest, is an Earthbound djinn. He is not connected to any physical item, and therefore cannot return to the djinn realm.

Elim, Tanika’s djinn, is sort of a family heirloom. He’s not very nice, and Tanika often calls him a poltergeist, because he terrorizes her like a ghost.

Story & Thoughts

This is pretty short, since it’s a novella. Like some of Ley’s other stories, it’s an instant attraction style. It’s not love at first sight, it’s attraction at first sight. It’s not quite as lusty as The Centaur’s Bride, but the romance moves quickly. There is the whole mate bond after sex thing, too, so if that’s not your kind of story, don’t read it.

The story is simple. It’s technically more fantasy than the previous book. Tanika’s djinn is basically haunting her, because she refuses to allow her childhood wish to be granted. She actively prevents and avoids anything that would contribute to getting the wish fulfilled.

Her djinn, Elim, can’t return to the djinn realm or consume any human souls until his bargain is completed. If the wish is never granted, Elim will die when Tanika does, and that is her goal. Obviously Elim isn’t okay with that, so he throws tantrums and sabotages anything good or nice in Tanika’s life, which is why she refers to him as a poltergeist.

Ophir, the love interest, shows up in town, and almost immediately becomes fascinated by Tanika. This quickly develops into wanting to bed her, and Tanika decides there is no harm in a good time, which is unlike her normal behavior. Lust and sex changes everything about everything. I personally find plots like this dull.

My biggest issue with the book is that, despite the fact immortal magical beings are involved, it just feels…normal. There’s nothing special or exotic, which is the whole point of “monster” romance. It feels even less interesting than the Centaur book, which I thought had the same issue. Sure, there are small uses of magic here and there, but not in any interesting ways. Ophir might as well just be an uninteresting wizard.

The pacing is also so fast it’s crazy. If you like whirlwind romance stories, then it’s probably fine. I think this is the fastest book in the series. It all takes place in a little over a day. I can’t help feeling like it brings Tanika’s resolve into question. I just find her abrupt changes in decisions after an evening of sex to be bafflingly quick.

It’s not the speed of things that ruffles me. My issue is that it’s all because of sex. She hardly knows the guy and hasn’t shared any experiences with him aside from intimacy. There are plenty of other stories that happen in a similar time frame that draw characters together in a much more engaging way.

The sex content doesn’t bother me, but I like a bit more depth to my stories. This one just feels really shallow, even compared to the other novellas by Tamsin Ley. If you are fine with a story that focuses mostly on sex for the plot devices, by all means, but I prefer stories that have both erotic scenes and depth of story. The Djinn’s Desire just does not pass muster for me.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1 (LN)

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The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 1 by Natsu Hyuuga, Touco Shino
Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel)
Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-272-7
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book

Maomao leads an unassuming life with her father, an apothecary, but kidnappers whisk her away to a world of consorts and serving women in the empire’s rear palace. Sold into imperial servitude, the girl keeps her quick wit, sharp mind, and medical knowledge a secret. But the head eunuch, Jinshi, shatters Maomao’s low profile when she catches his eye. He perceives her true skills and makes her a lady-in-waiting to the rear palace’s top consort. Can Maomao quietly pass her term of service as her lady’s food tester, or will observational prowess and curiosity push her into danger as she uncovers turmoil at court?

Personal & Info

I’m going into this having already read the manga and seen the first season of the anime. The manga was my first exposure to the series. The anime came second, so this is the third and final format. It’s a little ironic since this is the core material. The light novel released first, but didn’t get physical releases until recently.

After trying all three formats, I have some advice. If you want to enjoy the light novel to its fullest, read it first. If you want the best possible version, watch the anime (it’s practically a 1:1 adaptation of the light novel with improvements). The manga is good, and the art is beautiful, but they did cut some less important things and change some minor details. This is one of the rare instances in which the light novel is the worst version (in my opinion).

Content Warnings

It’s hard to warn about everything, but I think these are the most important. There are a lot of things that come up briefly to a minor degree and I’m never sure if I should list them.

-Bullying
-Child/Infant Death
-Human Trafficking
-Sexism
-Sexual Assault
-Suicide

Characters

Maomao, the main character, is a trained apothecary. She grew up in the pleasure district, in a house with her adoptive father, along with the assistance of the courtesans at the Verdigris brothel.

Jinshi, a eunuch who appears to be in charge of running the rear palace, seems to be fond of Maomao, or at least intrigued by her. He is androgynously attractive enough that he turns heads wherever he goes, but his looks have no affect on Maomao.

Xiaolan is a maidservant who works with Maomao at the start of the novel. She loves to gossip and eat sweet treats. Xiaolan is probably the closest thing to a friend Maomao has.

Gao Shun is Jinshi’s aide.

Gyokuyou, the Precious Consort, is the Emperor’s favored consort. She resides in the Jade Pavilion of the rear palace, and has four ladies-in-waiting.

Hongniang is Gyokyou’s head lady-in-waiting. The ladies that serve beneath her are Yinghua, Guiyuan, and Ailan.

Lihua, the Wise consort, resides in the Crystal Pavilion of the rear palace. She is the emperor’s second favorite consort. She has several ladies-in-waiting, but they don’t appear to be good at their jobs.

Lishu, the Virtuous consort, resides in the Diamond Pavilion of the rear palace. She is the youngest of the four highest ranking consorts at only fourteen. She has several ladies-in-waiting, but they don’t appear to be nice or good at their jobs.

Ah-Duo, the Pure Consort, resides in the Garnet Pavilion of the rear palace. She is the oldest of the four highest ranking consorts at approximately thirty-five, one year older than the emperor. She has several ladies-in-waiting and they all seem to be well trained hard workers. Ah-Duo also has the added history of being a lifelong childhood friend and confidant to the emperor.

Fengming is Ah-Duo’s humble and capable head lady-in-waiting. Her family business is bee farming.

Lihaku is a young up and coming military man.

Luomen is Maomao’s adoptive father. She often compares him to an old woman due to his personality and hobbled way of walking.

Story & Thoughts

Since I’ve already read the manga and seen the first season of the anime, I went into this knowing it would essentially be nothing new to me. However, due to how much I love the series, an additional format to try is just a bonus. There are always some differences, even if they’re small, and I did learn a few things from this version that I didn’t know before.

The story itself is essentially the same, almost identical to the anime, which is good. Already knowing everything that’s going to happen makes it easier to look for things that stand out as negatives. This might make it seem like I’m dragging the book through the mud, so I’ll say right now that the story being so consistent is grounds enough for a four out of five rating. The only reason I took away half a star is because of personal gripes.

Most of my biggest complaints come down to writing style. I get the feeling, since this started as a web novel, that the author likely isn’t that great at writing. The parts that matter are good. They have a lot of detail and paint a clear picture with words. The problems arise in the parts that seem like they aren’t as important, or feel like maybe the author doesn’t think those parts are.

Dialogue for important explanations and details in the manga and anime are often instead summarized in this version. I can’t tell you how many times the story explains something in a narrator paragraph instead of using the characters to actually portray a discussion. Sometimes they even just say that someone explained something, instead of taking the time to explain it to the reader. It feels like lazy writing and, in my opinion, it takes away from the enjoyment of the story. It breaks the immersion that the better parts of the story have.

In addition to that, there are conversations that seem stiff. You get the occasional clenching of fists or tilting of the head, but there are many times where it seems people are just standing or sitting stiffly for entire conversations. Sometimes the other adaptations add movement in these places. I think that’s an improvement.

There are also some areas that are just confusing to read. A good example of this is early on when Maomao is summoned along with other serving girls to see Jinshi. (These are pages 20-22.) Instead of singling her out just the one time, it somehow singles her out twice. The details in this particular area are extremely lacking. The first time she’s singled out gives no rhyme or reason. Did the girls who arrived before her not have freckles and therefore get dismissed? The second time is the one we all know where she reads the note. I reread this section several times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything, but it must just be poorly written.

I do think it starts to get better toward the later parts of the volume. It’s possible the first chunk might just be a rough start while the author gets comfortable with the style in which they want to write. I won’t know if that’s the case until I read more volumes.

If I had to describe the book, though, I’d say it comes across as more serious than the other versions of the story. The slow burn romance that seems obvious elsewhere seems like it might not even be there at all. It’s hard to explain, but the vibe is just a bit different, even though it’s the same story.

Overall, it’s still good. It does some things better than the other adaptations and others worse. No version is ever going to be perfect. The important thing is that I enjoyed reading it. I plan to keep reading the light novels for the time being, so even though I complain about the writing, it’s not bad enough for me to want to give up on it.

The Magician’s Lie

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The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister
Genres: Abuse, Fantasy, Historical, Magic, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4926-2899-6
Rating: 3.75/5
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Description from the Book

The Amazing Arden saws a man in half every night. The crowds pay good money to watch: she’s perhaps the most notorious illusionist in the country. But when one show goes terribly wrong, she finds herself in a one-room police station with a desperate officer determined to discover the truth. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie, endless night, the magician will need to pull off one final act—this time with her own life at stake.

Personal & Info

My main reason for reading this is that it’s apparently recommended for people who like Water for Elephants and The Night Circus. I like both of those, so I think it’s worth trying. After reading it, I think the recommendation is accurate. The book has similar vibes to both of those novels. It has more magic than Water for Elephants, but less than The Night Circus.

Content Warnings

-Abuse
-Animal Abuse
-Attempted Rape
-Self Harm

Characters

Ada, also known as Vivi, or the Amazing Arden, is the main character. She is a stage magician specializing in illusions. Her most notable feature is her unique eyes. They are blue, but her left eye is half brown as if cut through the middle.

Ray is Ada’s cousin by marriage. He is the son of Ada’s step father’s brother, and he is four years older than her. Ray is effectively the villain of the story.

Clyde is Ada’s first love. He is two years older than Ada and has a talent with plants.

Adelaide is the wife of a recently deceased magician who owns an entire company. She takes it upon herself to complete his obligations and step into the spotlight as a magician herself. Adelaide is also Ada’s mentor and kind of a surrogate mother.

Officer Virgil Holt is a main character in the sense that he is the police officer to whom Ada is telling her story. He is the only officer in a small Iowa town called Janesville, and he doesn’t expect to have his job much longer due to medical reasons.

Story & Thoughts

I think the most important thing to know about this book is the plot has an overarching abuse theme. Spoiler or not, it’s also important to know it has a good ending. So, while the book can be a bit dark, it’s not horribly depressing. The balance between the abuse, romance, and tension is good. No one aspect lingers too long, but they last long enough to keep the story interesting and stir the right feelings

The story covers about thirteen years of Ada’s life, from age twelve to approximately twenty-five. Suspected of murder, her life story is supposed to prove her innocence. Her tale is full of abuse, tragedy, hope, and love. Her life has been both ordinary and anything but.

Normally I don’t resonate well with historical fiction. They’re usually dull and boring. However, I think this is one of the better ones. I tag it loosely as fantasy, because Ada has real magic in a debatable sense. She can heal herself, but it’s not instant. Her injuries heal remarkably faster than the norm, which can only be explained as magic. It adds a tiny fantastical element to the book, but the story and writing themselves are good enough without it. During the long sections when her ability doesn’t come up, it still holds my interest.

I think the only reason I’m not giving this book a four is because there are a few places that montage the passing of time. Those parts are fine, but I find them less interesting. More actual magic would appeal to me more, too. None of the magic in Ada’s show is real. They emphasize many times it’s all an illusion. I like it well enough the way it is, though.

The Centaur’s Bride

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The Centaur’s Bride by Tamsin Ley
Series Name: Mates for Monsters
Volume Number: 4
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Horses, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Shifters
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Twin Leaf
Edition: Kindle
ISBN: 978-1-950027-05-7
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description

Renee’s shunned and recently deceased grandfather left her his ranch in Montana, along with a riddle in the form of a poem. There is treasure to be found at the ranch, but what kind? Renee hopes the sexy farmhand can help her find it, but she wants him to show her a good time, too.

Black Sevens is a defective shifter in the eyes of his herd, and a creature of myth to humans who see him. His incomplete shift has given him nothing but problems. When attraction and the herd’s wishes align, he might be able to earn the acceptance in the herd he’s always wanted.

Personal & Info

The Centaur’s Bride is volume four of a series, but it is a stand alone story, so no other Mates for Monsters volumes are necessary.

As much as I don’t like the idea of posting a review of something without all of the previous volumes, I feel like I should, because Mates for Monsters volumes can be read as stand alone stories. The three books before this one are about merpeople, two mermen and one mermaid to be exact. Those ones interconnect a little by sharing a continuity, but can still be read as stand-alones. Their titles are The Merman’s Kiss, The Merman’s Quest, and A Mermaid’s Heart.

I did read them a few years ago. I just don’t have enough information to post reviews for them without rereading them. At this moment, I have no plans to reread them any time soon, if at all. I do have ratings for them, though, so I will include them here.

The Merman’s Kiss: 3.5/5

The Merman’s Quest: 3/5

A Mermaid’s heart: 4/5

The books for the series seem to be exclusively available as digital books. Some of them have physical paperback copies available. Based on how they are listed, it looks like they might be a print on demand situation through Amazon.

Characters

Renee, the leading lady, is twenty-five and approximately 5’1″. She is estranged from her father, and hasn’t been to her grandfather’s ranch since she was eight. Her life as an adult consists of following her best friend around on expensive adrenaline seeking trips and expeditions.

Steph is Renee’s best friend. She’s some kind of influencer who makes music videos and shares every aspect of her life online. It’s pretty clear she is also an adrenaline junkie.

Black, the leading man, is closer to thirty and 6’3″. He is a trained veterinarian in order to assist the shifter herd in one of the few ways he can as a member who is looked down upon for being different. His inability to fully shift into a horse is what makes him seem to be a centaur.

Lori is the herd’s Lead Mare. Black describes her as a bully. She bosses people around and favors dealing out harsh punishments while tolerating zero resistance.

Millie is a member of the herd who has just recently given birth. She is getting on in years and has a submissive attitude, likely due to Lori’s bullying.

Ivy-Jane is Millie’s newborn foal. She won’t be able to shift into a human form for a few years.

Saul is Black’s uncle and the leader of the Bachelor Herd. They share relation through Black’s grandmother Gloryanna.

Story & Thoughts

This is a novella, so it’s pretty short. I read it leisurely in a single day. I think the first thing I should say is this is an instant attraction story. It’s not love at first sight, more like lust at first sight. However, it becomes a soul bond or mate bond and love after sex. If that’s not the style of erotica you enjoy, then this book might not be for you.

The story itself is simple. Renee goes to the ranch intending to see it one last time before selling it off in order to keep up with Steph’s expensive lifestyle. Various romance and fantastical things happen, and then she must decide if she still wants to sell. As a true romance, there is a happily ever after. I’m leaving out some details to avoid spoiling the whole thing, of course.

As a standard romance novella, I think it’s fine. I probably wouldn’t read it by choice. As a monster themed erotic novella…it’s not great. The story is lacking the most important aspects of the style of story it’s trying to be. If you read other monster novels, you probably know what I’m referring to.

As a whole, the merpeople volumes of this series are far better. I expected more than just falling for a guy who happened to secretly be a centaur. It doesn’t really add anything. He doesn’t even do any cool centaur things or have any special equipment to use while in his centaur form to help protect the herd. I can’t say I recommend this one, but I didn’t hate it.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 13

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The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 13 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino
Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga)
Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-347-2
Rating: 4.25/5
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Description from the Book

Following an uncomfortably close call with both flying bullets and Jinshi while on a hunting trip, Maomao picks up the trail of the would-be assassins with the help of Li Haku and his trusty hound. Up against Maomao’s quick wit and the dog’s sharp nose, the culprits have nowhere to hide! Having deduced the identity and the intent of the schemers, Maomao returns to the Inner Court with an unexpected discovery about Jinshi hanging over her, but there’s no avoiding her heavenly master when he has yet another mystery for her to puzzle out…

Personal & Info

With this volume, I’m now caught up with the current release. Volume fourteen won’t be available until October, so it’ll be a long wait. If I get the itch for more Apothecary Diaries, I have a few of the light novels that I can start reading.

Characters

Maomao’s time after the hunt is pretty chill. She gets to put her hair removal skills from the pleasure district to good use.

Jinshi is a bit more intense and aggressive in this volume.

Gao Shun and Ba Sen don’t get much screen time. After the hunt is over, it’s back to attending Jinshi as usual for Gao Shun.

Li Haku is only briefly in the first chapter to finish up the events regarding the hunt.

Xiaolan’s work contract expires in about six months, so she’s worried about finding a job afterward. A lowly laundry maid doesn’t have any social connections. I think Xiaolan has a good head on her shoulders when it comes to taking care of herself and thinking of the future.

Shisui is as enigmatic as ever. She’s eccentric, but helpful, and seems to be a good friend.

Seki-u is one of the three new ladies-in-waiting working for Consort Gyokuyo. She is the youngest of three sisters, who look like triplets, but are actually a year apart consecutively. Seki-u is the same age as Maomao, and she adorns her hair with a red ribbon to differentiate herself from her sisters, who wear a black or white ribbon. If everything goes well, she might be Maomao’s newest long term friend.

Consort Lishu and her head lady-in-waiting, Kanan, have a mystery for Maomao to solve in the fourth chapter.

Story & Thoughts

The first chapter wraps up the events of the hunting trip. While not action packed, some significant things happen. Most importantly, any mystery that might have been in question about Jinshi is now clear. Anyone who did not catch on sooner should now know Jinshi’s identity and rank.

After returning from the hunting trip, the volume is pretty chill. Due to where the characters live, the series can’t have a stereotypical beach episode. Instead, there’s a bathhouse episode, which focuses on ways maids and ladies-in-waiting can go about trying to make better social connections to plan for the future. This also leads into the main mystery for the volume, which involves Consort Lishu.

I think this is one of the better volumes. There’s a lot I like about it. It’s hilarious that Maomao keeps thinking about Jinshi’s “frog.” I knew she wouldn’t be able to keep that out of her mind. She definitely seems a little traumatized from that revelation. The bathhouse stuff is funny and doesn’t feel pointless.

Most notably, Jinshi’s behavior is different. Maomao is close to the truth, and Jinshi wants very much to bring her into his inner circle. She’s proven herself too useful to keep in the dark, and because of this, Jinshi is much more aggressive. The heavenly eunuch is downright intimidating and menacing in the majority of his appearances. I choose to interpret this as the story building tension, and I’m so sad the next volume is several months away. Thankfully, there isn’t a cliffhanger, but there is a strong implication of important things, that will potentially change Maomao’s life, to come.

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 12

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The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 12 by Natsu Hyuuga, Nekokurage, Itsuki Nanao, Touco Shino
Series Name: The Apothecary Diaries (Manga)
Genres: Drama, Historical, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Square Enix
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 978-1-64609-296-3
Rating: 3.75/5
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Description from the Book

Strong-armed into getting out more, Maomao attends a spooky soiree where court ladies share spine-tingling tales of terror as a diversion from their daily toil. While there are plenty of chills to go around, the thrills are perhaps few for the skeptical Maomao…until the evening takes an eerie turn! And she doesn’t have long to wait for more excitement! Jinshi requests Maomao’s presence on a hunting trip, and as ever, all is not as it seems when court intrigue and subterfuge are in play. When a break from a banquet on the hunt goes awry, master and servant soon find themselves in a very tight spot and uncomfortably close quarters…

Personal & Info

I haven’t been in the mood to read manga for a while, so I’ve been holding onto this volume since I bought it around release. Before reading it, I did a full one through eleven reread. I already have volume thirteen, so a review for that should be up soon, too, if not around the same time as this one.

Characters

Maomao has less opportunity to show off her passions for poison and medicine in this volume due to people dragging her around.

Yinghua and Hongniang are the only of Consort Gyokuyo’s ladies-in-waiting to appear here. We mostly see Yinghua since she participates in the events of the Ghost Stories chapter.

Gyokuyo gets a couple brief appearances in the early parts of the volume, but we don’t see her much.

Shisui, Maomao’s relatively new, bug enthusiast friend, is around for the events of the Ghost Stories chapter. We don’t see her again after that. I’ve seen it said that she works at the laundry, but I’ve also seen it said she is a lady-in-waiting, so I’m not sure which it really is. She’s probably a lady-in-waiting who handles laundry, if I had to guess.

Jinshi is one of the leading characters in this volume. After the first chapter, he takes Maomao away on a summer hunting trip that will take multiple days.

Gao Shun, who is usually Jinshi’s attendant, is not serving that role, this time. He is a guest for the hunt.

Ba Sen, Gao Shun’s son, is serving as Jinshi’s attendant in his father’s place for the duration of the hunting trip.

Li Haku is in charge of dog sitting over the course of the hunting trip.

Story & Thoughts

There are five chapters in this volume, and four of them are relevant to a hunting trip event. The trip does not come to a resolution, so it will continue in the next book. The chapter before the hunting trip is just a quick thing about ladies-in-waiting meeting up at night to tell spooky stories. There isn’t much special there, but it implies a possible real ghost to end the night with a real scare for the characters.

I think the end portion is the best part of the book. Maomao is desperate not to learn anything important that could get her into trouble later or require keeping secrets. So much so, that it leads to a comedic situation.

I think Maomao and Jinshi make some inadvertent progress in their relationship. Not in a healthy way, mind you, but Jinshi’s annoyed assertiveness will probably give Maomao something to think about. Whether she wanted to or not, she learned something she didn’t want to know. Denial won’t change that.

Thankfully, I already have the next volume, so I can continue reading to see what happens next. I’m glad Li Haku is getting some attention. It sounds like he’s steadily moving up in his career, but pairing him with a dog is adorable. Sadly, I don’t think they bothered to name the dog. If they did, they certainly didn’t mention it.

My theory about the plot for the volume is, I think Jinshi was invited on the hunting trip as his actual identity. The identity Maomao is unaware of, but has been revealed to us in a vague fashion by Lakan in another volume. It seems like nobody really knows what his actual identity looks like, since nobody ever sees him, so that would explain the face covering during the trip, and the need for an alias.

Dahlia

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Dahlia by Tabitha Barret
Series Name: Spell Library
Volume Number: 5
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Psychics, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Supernatural, Vampires, Witches, Wolves, zombies
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086GP3XTD
Rating: 3/5
Amazon

Description

Dahlia has just about given up on love. Her psychic powers to see into the lives of those she touches make it nearly impossible to maintain a relationship. However, they do make her a damn good tattoo artist.

When three men suddenly enter her life, she’s in for a world of change. Dahlia is more powerful than she knows, and a recurring nightmare is more than just a dream. Can these three hunks help her learn to use her mysterious powers and track down a hidden villain?

Personal & Info

This book, like many of the others in Spell Library, seems to only be available on Amazon. I read it on kindle, but it looks like paperback is available. If I had to guess, they are probably a print on demand type thing.

Like the previous books in the series, there are sequel volumes to Dahlia’s story. I don’t have those, yet, nor do I plan on getting them any time soon. They all seem to take place a significant amount of time after the initial books, so I’m not worried about reading them immediately after.

Characters

Dahlia, the main character, is a psychic tattoo artist who owns Lady Blue Tattoo. She’s thirty-two, and she is the one who handles the tattoos at the end of Calluna.

Charlie is Dahlia’s best friend. She co-owns O’Malley’s Pub with her twin brother James,

Gray and Milo are siblings who work at Lady Blue Tattoo, and are therefore good friends of Dahlia’s.

Daire is a necromancer. He can see spirits and raise the dead. Daire runs a security business called Charmed Security, which can install security systems that can detect the use of magic in addition to all the usual things.

Doug is Daire’s business partner. We don’t see him much.

Aiden is a newly turned vampire who is new to the Silver Springs area.

Ian is the High Priest of the Black Dawn Conjurers coven. He is going through a divorce.

Story & Thoughts

Dahlia isn’t as explicit as Juniper, but it is one of the more sexual volumes of Spell Library. The story is blatantly lusty. I thought it was overdoing it a bit, until it gave an explanation. Apparently, Dahlia has the ability to amplify people’s feelings and put them in the same mood as herself. So, basically, she wants to get laid so bad, that she amplifies both her own arousal and that of whichever guy is involved. It gives the story a little bit of an erotica feel to it, without it actually being erotica.

The story itself is simple. Three guys crash into Dahlia’s life in unexpected ways and romance ensues. In the background, something more sinister is going on, but that doesn’t get pointed out until later. Her recurring nightmare is relevant to the big problem for the plot. The nightmare’s location isn’t surprising. As soon as it said a wall was made of, I think it was marble, I already knew where the dream setting was.

The climax of the story has a big fight scene in it. Most of the books are like that. They save a mystery until the end, and then there’s a final battle. Honestly, it seems anticlimactic to me. It should be really cool and awesome, but it seems too summarized for me to get any thrill out of it.

I don’t think the ending climax is the point of these books, though. The enjoyable parts are the romance along the way. The issues resolved at the end are all kind of a background setting bonus. They add something to the story for the plot, but they don’t feel necessary. I enjoy these books, but I don’t read them for what happens at the end. I read them for the love story.

Dahlia’s ability to use her psychic powers to come up with amazing tattoo designs for her clients is really cool. She’s obviously a talented artist already, but it’s neat that her powers amplify that and can actually help with her job. There are cool ideas hidden in all of the Spell Library books, and it makes them charming to read.

Unfortunately, I don’t really care much for the love interests this time around. They seem a bit too normal for my tastes. Two of them are wizards, but they come off as basically human. Aside from that, I feel like only one of them has any kind of memorable personality. I still enjoyed the book. It’s just not one of the best in the series.

Black Ice

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Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Survival, Thriller
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7426-0
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin and accept the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. Things get even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that took place on that very mountain—a discovery that may make her the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy or an ally?

Personal & Info

For my first read, I went into this blind. I had read the Hush, Hush Saga, and wanted to try something else by the same author. Honestly, the description kind of spoils chunks of the drama, so I’m glad I did it that way.

At the time I’m typing this review, it’s been approximately ten years since I first read the book. This is my second time reading it. Due to various circumstances, like getting sick for two weeks, it took far longer than I would have liked to get through it. To be fair, I will be using my original rating of four out of five from my first time through. The review itself will be a combination of my original thoughts combined with any new ones.

Content Warnings

-Abuse
-Guns
-Kidnapping
-Murder
-Suicide Attempt
-Violence

Characters

I think learning about the characters naturally throughout the story is the best and least spoilery way to learn who everyone is and what they are like, especially if you don’t read the book description. Because of this, I will keep the character descriptions as vague as possible.

Britt is the main character. The story is in her perspective. She is a senior in high school, and is still hung up on her ex-boyfriend who dumped her eight months ago. Britt has an older brother (Ian) and a single father. At the start of the story, Britt is known for heavily relying on the men in her life.

Korbie is Britt’s best friend. She comes from a rich family due to her mother being a divorce lawyer and her father a CPA.

Calvin is Korbie’s older brother, and Britt’s ex-boyfriend. He is supposed to chaperone their trip to the mountains.

Mason and Shaun are two guys Britt and Korbie encounter in an isolated cabin in the wilderness.

Story & Thoughts

This is a survival kidnapping story with a murder mystery going on in the background. There’s also a focus on romance with a constant debate on whether or not it’s Stockholm syndrome, while also pining after a romanticized ex. All of the characters are far from perfect, so don’t expect them to make the wisest decisions. Everything is overall messy as far as the social interactions and decisions go, but the main characters experience significant growth.

Originally, going into this book completely in the dark, I was hooked at the beginning. I still feel that way. There’s something about the gas station scene that I absolutely love. Maybe it’s the fact a stranger flawlessly plays along with Britt’s shenanigans? I can’t really explain it, but it’s my favorite and most memorable scene in the whole book.

The writing is good. It feels like you’re right there with Britt the whole time. Becca has a way of hiding what is really important until things come together at the end. It leaves me with a smile every time i finish one of her books.

If the book ended on the last numbered chapter, I would have been so sad. I’m glad there is a one year later epilogue. It gives the story the closure it needs.

While I like the journey of the story, there are some things that bug me. The most notable that I remember is the use of the term “Subway sandwich shop.” We all know they are referring to the Subway restaurant chain, and everybody I’ve ever met just says “Subway.” I don’t know if the extra clarification is there to make sure the reader understands it was a restaurant and not a train station or what. That terminology sounds unnatural and rubs me the wrong way.

The other thing, which is very minor, is that someone left Korbie a canteen of water. I swear they said the cabin has running water. Why leave her a canteen if there is running water? I could be misremembering, but that detail bugs me.

Also, Korbie’s boyfriend is supposed to be going on this trip with them. His name is Bear, and he’s supposed to meet them at the family cabin. Nothing about him is ever mentioned after the drive up to the mountains. That feels like a bit of a loose end. I guess we’re supposed to assume he turned around and went home when the snow started.

The book is by no means perfect, but I like it. It’s one of the few non-fantasy books I actually enjoy, and that speaks volumes. It is a rare occurrence for me to read a standard fiction novel and not get bored with it.

Grand Passion

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Grand Passion by Jayne Ann Krentz
Genres: Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Pocket Books/ Simon & Schuster
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-671-77870-6
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Cleopatra Robbins believes she’ll know when she meets the man of her dreams, a man worth the risk of trusting and loving again. She’s imagined the moment: a jolt of emotion, butterflies in her stomach, an intoxicating feeling. She’s even described her fantasy lover—under a pseudonym, of course—in a book of erotica called The Mirror. But when drop-dead handsome Max Fortune strides into the Robbins’ Nest Inn, a devastating sensation sweeps through her. She knows it’s him. And he’s all wrong!

Exuding a ruthlessness barely disguised by his polished manner, Max is a stark contrast to casual, sneaker-clad Cleo. The driving force behind the giant Curzon Hotel chain, a man whose only passion in life—so far—has been for rare works of art, Max is looking for the inheritance left to him by his mentor, Jason Curzon. Jason had bequeathed to Max five priceless paintings, and he made Max promise to go to the Robbins’ Nest Inn to claim the pictures and “everything else with them” that are his legacy—and his secret gift—to the hard-edged young man he viewed as a son.

For openhearted Cleo, nothing is more transparent than Max’s snobbish exterior. He may drive a Jaguar, but she decides that the man is emotionally starved. Max takes one long look at Cleo Robbins and feels desire, fierce and unexpected, sweep through him…a feeling so powerful that he almost forgets his search for the paintings Cleo claims she’s never seen. With his defenses down, Max lends a hand at fixing everything from the plumbing to the fractured lives of the inn’s quirky denizens: helping Trisha, the pregnant and ever-hopeful maid, to search for her errant lover; winning the trust of Daystar and Andromeda, chefs and New Age divorcées; and easing the loneliness of fatherless little Sammy, who idolizes Max on sight.

While Cleo is tempted to confide in Max about the tragedy that led her to seek shelter with this odd surrogate family, even to choose him to make the lush sensual fantasies of The Mirror come true, she senses that he doesn’t quite trust her. Max knows she’s hiding something—and by the time he realizes it’s not the paintings, it’s almost too late to save her form the danger rising out of her past.

Personal & Info

I’m pretty sure I got this book from a second hand sale as part of a large pile of novels. It’s been hard to decide what I’m in the mood to read lately, so I chose this one at random from my shelf of stand alone stories.

Content Warnings

-Death of a parent/family member

-Death

-Guns

Characters

Max Fortune is the male main character. He is about thirty-four, going on thirty-five. Max likes to collect things, such as books and art, and he has a special eye for judging the authenticity and value of paintings. His general background is that he grew up as an orphan since approximately six-years-old.

Cleopatra Robbins is the female main character. She is about twenty-seven, and she runs a hotel that she purchased with her inheritance. Her parents both died horrifically, and she’s been building a new found family for herself ever since.

Sylvia Gordon is part of Cleo’s family residing at the inn. She usually assists with people checking in or out or just watching the counter. Sylvia is also Sammy’s mother.

Sammy Gordon is Sylvia’s five-year-old son. He carries around a rubber duck by the name Lucky Ducky, and he idolizes Max.

Andromeda and Daystar are part of Cleo’s family, and the primary chefs for Robbins’ Nest Inn. Both have been though divorces and are now members of the Cosmic Harmony Women’s Retreat, which is about a mile and a half down the road from the hotel.

Trisha Briggs is part of Cleo’s family. She works as a maid, and she’s in a relationship with Benjy Atkins.

Benjy Atkins is part of Cleo’s family. He is similar in age to Trisha at around twenty-three. He is the general handyman and plumber for Robbin’s Nest Inn.

George is part of Cleo’s family. He works as the night man for Robbin’s Nest Inn, but he is not great at his job. George is usually sleeping whenever anyone checks on him. While he is part of the staff, which makes him part of Cleo’s family, he is never included in any important discussions or activities.

Nolan Hildebrand is the part-time mayor of Harmony Cove. He is casually dating Cleo, and has his eye on a future in higher politics.

Herbert T. Valence is a motivational speaker who frequently hosts his seminars at the Robbin’s Nest Inn. He’s a rather strange and neurotic man, but supposedly his seminars are successful and his methods work.

Jason Curzon is practically part of Cleo’s found family. He was also Max’s employer, and he thought of Max as the son he never had. Before Jason died, he was in charge of running Curzon International, which is a very successful hotel chain.

Dennison Curzon is Jason’s brother. He is less business savvy than Jason, but now that Jason is dead, Dennison is running the company.

Kimberly Curzon-Winston is Max’s ex-fiancee, and Jason Curzon’s niece.

Roark Winston is Kimberly’s husband. He comes from old money and has a successful business empire of his own as well as a seat on the board of Curzon International.

Compton O’Reilly is Max’s private investigator friend.

Adrian Forrester is a local unpublished writer who despises novels with women main characters or romantic themes.

Garrison Spark is a shady art dealer, who formerly employed Max about twelve years ago.

Story & Thoughts

I have to say, this book is a bit of a let down. Compared to the majority of the other books I’ve read by this author, this one is lackluster. I knew where the paintings were the whole time, but that didn’t bother me. I don’t care if parts of a story are predictable, as long as the journey is good. The journey in this case is not great.

My main issue is the writing feels lazy. Max has the right to claim five specific paintings, because they are given to him in a will. Right. Good. But what does he not bring with him at any point? A copy of the will or any physical proof that he has any right to them aside from the words out of his mouth. What kind of successful business person…It just seems like such an idiotic oversight. He would know he should have something to prove his legitimacy.

That’s just what bugs me at the beginning. The biggest problem with the plot is how dramatic information is delivered. People, mostly Kimberly, keep showing up out of the blue, just to drop dramatic info dumps that are supposed to make Cleo gasp and reconsider her interest in Max. There has to be a better way to handle inserting this information. I honestly got sick of it. The characters had basically no real reason to be there. They might have a question for a two second conversation, but they drag it out into what’s supposed to be a, “you should know who you’re getting involved with,” scene that has nothing to do with anything going on.

One more small thing on the negative side, why would Cleo publish a book she claims is so highly personal, even if it’s anonymous, if she didn’t want people to read it? Most pen names get found out eventually, so if she thought nobody would ever know, she is incredibly naive. This is one of the more minor things that bugged me, and might just be one of her character flaws. There are more things I could list, but they’re fairly minor.

Despite the negatives, the overall story itself is not bad. It follows a similar formula to other Castle/Krentz/Quick books. Reading this still feels comforting to me, like it does whenever I read anything by this author. The characters that matter are also enjoyable and engaging. It’s an instant attraction story, so if you don’t like those, it might not be for you.