🥲

 I'm on the precipice of a slump and unfortunately not sold on this. I cannot bring myself to pick it back up at the moment. There are a lot of things that are just feeling really disjointed to me.

I am not buying the 1920s Harlem setting (and that was a HUGE selling point for me). Something feels off about the way the time period is being used. It's so surface level? Like this book could have been set in any decade with some minor wording adjustments.

The characters are not really grabbing me either. And usually I can forgive some wonky world-building if the characters are engaging but neither are doing it for me.

And it might be knit-picky but I was reading via audio and with this being dual POV, they should have had two narrators because right now the single narrator is doing NOTHING to differentiate between the two FMCs. And with the POV switches mid-chapter, I cannot follow along very easily.

IDK. I may come back to this at a later time. But consider this a soft DNF for now. 

Just.... No.

I told myself I'd give it until she met the LI and I technically did that so I'm going to go ahead and tap out here.

There are too many inconsistencies- in the exposition, the dialogue, the characterization. The MC is trying my patience. She's just not like other girls. She's tough (but still the MOST gorgeous) and she drinks whiskey like a MAN (literally took a "manful gulp" at some point) and don't you dare think to put her in a DRESS- pants and boots only because she's dangerous. Ughh.

Also, I saw someone describe the LI as a grumpy shadow daddy and I- cannot do it anymore.

Boring. It's been done. Me 4 years ago after just getting back into reading probably would have liked this.

Also I'm not about to read 500+ more pages of book ONE to somehow find out that she is mysteriously part Fae and her LI is secretly royalty (or she is) because I just have a feeling that is where this is going and I don't care enough to find out.

DNF @ 42% 
 

I lost interest. I don't think it had anything to do with the book itself but more to do with me not feeling inclined to read anymore of their sex scenes- and they had TWO more nights of their 5 day affair to go before the real drama unfolded. So yeah. Not a bad book. It's very decadent and erotic, actually. I may come back to this series eventually if the mood strikes.

 There's nothing wrong with this one (and I'll probably revisit it later). I just set it down and had no desire to pick it back up before it needed to be returned to the library. 

 

I may come back to this, I may not. The writing is not giving what I need it to give and I refuse to force myself through a novella that is not grabbing my attention.

 

I've decided that I can't stand it when Cornell Collins tries to do accents. 

(I also didn't love how descriptive the one characters recollections of a horse dick were.)

 Please, if you ever hear me mention that a Red Tower book sounds interesting and that I think I want to buy it because the first edition is beautiful, kindly tell me to shut the fuck up.

... I made it to page 12 (and that was with using the audiobook.)

I started with the physical book but the writing choices immediately made me switch to the audio (I can be more forgiving of sentence structure when I'm listening rather than looking at it with my eyes.) But despite the audiobook being full cast, it was also really grating because the narrators over enunciated every single pause and short choppy sentence.

Disappointing but I knew that was a possibility when I went into it. Can someone tell me what happens? I liked the concept of the plot. 

DNF @36%
I'm all good, thanks ✌🏻

(It's fine. I just don't need 260+ more pages of smut and reading about how everyone tastes like cookies & tea or some never before heard of combination of the two.) 

More like a "DNF for now" I just wasn't drawn into the story in the first few chapters and I've been struggling too hard with this slump to try and push through.