bandherbooks's Reviews (3.65k)

Sorry book. You were elegantly written and had beautiful prose that I found enchanting (and thus two stars instead of one).

Too bad the story frustrated the hell out of me. I often wanted to fling this book across the room as each highly unlikely event played out, especially Renata and her amazing, judgment free, and oh so helpful Russian family. Good thing Renata was willing to take Victoria on to work at her flower shop under the table JUST as Victoria was most desperate for money. Good thing Renata had a sister with a spare room she was willing to let out to a STRANGER for next to nothing. Good thing Renata had a mother who practices midwifery on the side. I was waiting for a hot Russian brother to come and sweep Victoria off her feet, but instead we had BEST MAN IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD - Grant. Again, I just don't buy it. Victoria sucks. She had a rough go of it, yes, but so many of the things she did were simply unforgivable (to me) or just so bad that I think it would have taken far longer for her to ultimately find salvation. And for all the horrible feelings this book made me go through, that it had a happy ending really ticked me off.

So, again, sorry book. You were not for me.

This was charming, adorable, and sexy. I love a type-A lady who learns to let go and enjoy life, and I love a sexy, honest, and straightforward Army Vet. Lots of fun, and nice to see characters from the first book in the series. Also, Castle does a great job of making the drama that separates the characters before their HEA believable, not annoying (or based on lies), and just long enough to build the tension. I'll continue to read the rest of the books in this series.

I really enjoy slow burning sexual tension romances, and this one hit all of that for me. However, the issues that Gen and Wolfe have to overcome personally to get to their HEA were a bit too intense for my current mood.

Despite the length, 1000+ pages in my UK edition purchased at the Culloden Battlefield Memorial, there was nary a dull moment in the seventh book of the Outlander Series. Usually there are some loooong stretches where I'm all, where is this going Diana, but not here! I did have some trouble with the constant date and POV shifts, having to flip back and forth a few times to realize who was where, when, and I did completely miss one fairly obvious character that caused me to massively spoil this book for a friend also reading it. Oops. Damn you naked

Ben Franklin

!

Also, major questions I've had FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME were addressed! YES! Also, cliffhanger. Holy hell. Glad to know that I can read Book 8, [b:Written in My Own Heart's Blood|11710373|Written in My Own Heart's Blood (Outlander, #8)|Diana Gabaldon|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1365173799s/11710373.jpg|16657990], at any time. However, I am also very sad to that I only have one published book left to go before I enter the waiting game a la GOT.

Spoilers ahead!

**Time Travel and the effects of time travel are discussed, but not answered. I loved how Gabaldon addressed this by having Roger consider his Presbyterian beliefs on predestination versus some knowledge they have that their time traveling MAY actually change somethings. **I swear that mother f'ing Frank is going to have had some knowledge of events, especially for Brianna's sake, but I'm not sure what it is. Just a thought. **I about peed when I learned that Captain Randall's son/nephew (really nephew) is tooling around with William in Canada. He seems OK for now, so I hope the Randall's are going to break free of the Captain's evilness, but we shall see! **Don't fuck with Rollo. I was so worried about his so many times, and as Ian says, "He's a good dog." **I love Friends Rachel and Denzell, new Quaker characters who are both in love with other important characters. I sure hope Ian and Rachel work out, and I'm glad that William put an end to crazy Arch Bug. Phew. **I was so heartbroken every time Brianna, Roger, and the kiddos thought about how much they missed Claire and Jamie. Those damn letters. Sob. **Thanks for ending the book with poor Jemmy lost in a mine/cave shaft in the dark. Also I think Roger has time traveled back with the g-d Nuckalavee, who turns out to be Geillis's spawn, William Buccleigh Mackenzie. Not who I was expecting! **Claire and Jamie. What can I say? Old people sex has never been so hawt - and now they both have spectacles! **OMG and LORD JOHN GREY AND CLAIRE DO IT! Kind of twice, if you count the handy-j. Sweet lord, how many times is Claire going to have to get married for "her protection??" I knew it was no good when Claire and Jamie had to be separated by a freakin' ocean. **Ian the Elder's death broke my heart, especially his last words to Jamie "On your right, man." when he was asked where he would be after his death. **It was so good to be in Scotland again, with both Bree and Roger, and with the Clan Fraser at Lallybroch of old. Jenny's coming to America! **I wasn't too entranced by Young William, but now he knows who his parents are...uh oh.

Rook is a swashbuckling adventure story set in a distant future UK and Paris where all technology is considered "mythical" and the terror of guillotine (now called a razor) is back in full force.

A young girl named Sophia, supported by her family and friends, secretes out prisoners of the repressive Parisian regime under the guise of a man called "The Rook." When she isn't masquerading as the Rook, she is hoping that her arranged marriage to a wealthy Parisian named Rene Hasard will help rescue her family's estate (and continue her secret work).

When Sophia and Rene finally meet, they find themselves both helplessly attracted to one another, yet not able to trust their feelings or each others motives. Neither Sophie or Renee are what they seem, and as they begin a dangerous and exciting dance towards each other this may mean certain death under the Razor's blade, especially when Sophia's brother is arrested as the Rook and they plan to rescue him.

Sort of a blend between The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Tale of Two Cities, and classic YA Dystopia, Rook impressed the hell out of me. Sophia is an excellent female character. She is strong, resourceful, witty, and able to take care of business. Rene is her foil - charming, suave, yet with his own secrets. Their banter and sexual tension is A-MAZ-ING, and I love how the ending played out (no typical YA fare there).

Rook is completely self contained in this one novel, bravo to Cameron who could easily have turned this into a trilogy. Since it is one book, I did find the world building a bit on the light side (I was a little confused about the pseudo religion that came a bit out of nowhere for me), but with everything else being so excellent, I didn't even care while reading. There is a nice author note at the end explaining Cameron's thought and logic on this world and was really appreciated.

Also, this is who I kept picturing as Rene (although a bit less refined):


Highly recommend.

Plum is fat. Always has been. She's done all the diets, all the plans. She's finally scheduled surgery as a last effort to get thin. Before she can go through with the surgery Plum, via the emails she ghost writes for a popular teen magazine letters to the editor column, is drawn into a feminist collective. Her new circle of friends may or may not be involved with another radical group called Jennifer who is executing men around the world for misogynistic crimes.

I agree with reviews comparing this book to Fight Club. It has the same over the top radical-ness, but with super insightful messages. And dammit, someone publish Marlowe's Fuckability IRL!

Let's be honest. We ALL want to travel to the Scottish Highlands and meet our very own "Jamie Fraser" type. This book is blatant wish fulfillment at its finest. I enjoyed every minute that I read it, I found the banter and sexual tension funny and hot, and the sexy stuff didn't disappoint. I was a little annoyed with the constant worrying about how the main character dressed as her major flaw and why she couldn't catch a man, but that aside, this was fun.

Also, this cover is terrible. Boo.

Thank you to www.netgalley.com for the ARC.

I wavered between three and four stars for this book so many times, but just when I rolled my eyes in annoyance something surprising would happen. So true rating is 3.5 stars.

Overall, a slightly uneven sword and magic series that I'm intrigued to continue.

Spoilers ahead.

I'm hoping with the paring down of the HUGE cast of characters with many deaths (way to GRRM it Rhodes) that the next installments will be a bit easier to follow. My biggest annoyances revolved around Cleo's romance with her body guard and Lucia's magic which is just there all of a sudden and not explained.

Thankfully the body guard is dead and hopefully more magic info in the next book. Also, I'm super tired of the "I'm in love with my sibling, gross I feel terrible, but HEY now found out my sibling isn't related to me by blood, so GOING FOR IT!"

I enjoyed the setting (UK) and the characters, especially the banter between Rachel and her friends (more Mindy and Iver please). I will definitely read more of McFarlane, I just didn't really connect with this love story as much as I'd hoped. Personally I don't enjoy love stories that resolve with a

Spoiler

married man finally leaving his wife for his true one and only

, but that's just me.

This story was like fast food to me. I binged it all down because I HAD TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS, then I felt sort of bad after. Rhodes sure likes to shock; I lost count of the number of characters who got sword-ed in the heart. The problem for me it shocked, but then I didn't really care. For my adult brain there just wasn't enough character development for the deaths to matter or make me sad.

Plus, the sheer amount of hormonal longings became a litle overwhelming. The love is very teen, hyperbolic and all consuming until the next pretty face comes around. I also found out the third novel is not the last, so I'm feeling I've read enough until this series is complete.