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298 reviews by:
expertbooksmuggler
challenging
emotional
funny
fast-paced
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Up to Snow Good was marketed as a fluffy/cozy story with no trigger warnings necessary. The book’s description states that it contains affirming descriptions of sex and sex work, so don’t read it if that offends you! This is, unfortunately, another book that is mis marketed. As such consider the following content warnings that are not exhaustive:
Stalking and obsessive behavior, false stereotypes of sex workers, and nonconsensual somnophilia (he likes it when he wakes up but it wasn’t discussed prior). Please also be aware that this review will contain spoilers.
The beginning of this book felt like a satirical horror or horror comedy. The MMC, Jack, is incredibly off-putting, entirely obsessed, and perverted. He’s a professor who spends most of his time spying on his neighbor, Ripley, while she parades around in very little clothing in the cold Alaskan snow. He knows minute details of her life and has prepared for the eventual day Ripley will visit his home. As such, he has a selection of seven different teas! He still can’t read the label on her teabags so it's best to be prepared.
Jack Calloway was aware that, as far as holiday traditions went, watching your neighbor make snow angels in their underwear wasn't a normal one.
This character is written in a way that would have worked SO WELL for a horror. Truly, if I didn’t know I was supposed to be reading a cozy romance I would’ve been excited to see where this story goes. Jack is so awful to such a high degree and so quickly, but it’s written in this mild and slightly off-putting way that felt like it was soon to build up to a scene of him opening a drawer with duct tape and gloves inside.
The first two chapters have this sinister feel to them until an abrupt tonal shift around chapter three where that sinister edge goes away and it becomes just… something.
We get to know Ripley as more than just the woman who thinks tanks and panties are appropriate snow attire. She’s a baker, friendly, and confident. When we are quickly rushed through the situation that causes Jack to seek refuge with Ripley she is quick to invite him in and warm him up.
His cock was happily warming up, though, already pressing against the zipper of his jeans. Thank god for the blanket covering him.
The situation quickly becomes steamy with Ripley admitting that she knew he was spying on her and played into it as she thought he was one of her subscribers. Jack askes what she does and she hands him her phone to show him her OnlyFans account. Yes, the first time this man is in her home she shows him nude photos of herself.
I didn't know," she said quietly. "I mean, obviously you liked to watch, which was why I thought you might be subscribing to my page." She gave an apologetic little shrug, her oversized sweater slipping down one shoulder. "And I got off on it a little. I mean, obviously I get off on it if I'm putting out content for people all over the world to watch. But I liked the idea that you were over there, lusting after me.
I have some MAJOR gripes with the portrayal of Ripley as hypersexual to the point of pandering to her stalker and peeping tom because she is a sex worker. The myth that sex workers are nymphos, hypersexual, ready to pander to the male gaze is not only one that they are tired of hearing, but dangerous. Sex workers face regular dehumanization and violence for the work they do and creating this idea that a man can commit crimes and she will enjoy it? That is NOT sex worker-affirming.
Moving on, the smut between these two is not necessarily bad (though I do have complaints). However, I wouldn’t call it trigger-free free as there is the case where Ripley wakes Jack up with a blow job that was not discussed prior. That is definitely worth a content warning!
I think that if this book had actually leaned into the dark elements, accurately provided content warnings, and avoided the sex worker stereotype it would have been a lot better. There was so much potential in the off putting beginning of the book (I truly feel like I missed out on a very interesting horror book), but with the tonal shift that didn’t quite make it to cozy? I don’t think it quite set out to do what it wanted to do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Light Me Up is a short story centered around Chase and Jess. Jess is the lighting designer for Chase’s band and damn good at what she does. She’s obsessed with perfection, bossy, and no-nonsense when it comes to her work. Unfortunately for her, Chase is determined to harass her sexually despite her lack of interest. It’s a feigned lack of interest, but he doesn’t know that and therefore we cannot say that it excuses his behavior. She is his “tiny Chinese firecracker” and he WILL have her.
Damn, the man was persistent, and the moment she went down to the stage, he’d be all over her again, just like he was every time they were in the same room. His behavior hadn’t changed since she first met him a year ago. He’d decided he wanted her as another notch on the neck of his guitar, and he wasn’t giving up, no matter how uninterested she tried to appear.
Jess as a character is… interesting. We learn this fun little tidbit about Jess (TW: rape?)
She’d been bossing boys around in the bedroom ever since her very first time. She chuckled, recalling the look on Fred Kaminski’s face when she pushed him down on the bunk bed in her dorm room, freshman year, and told him she was going to use him to get rid of her virginity. He’d lain there, in shock and confusion, for the entirety of the short act, and then called her a creepy little Asian nympho at a party the next weekend, but she hadn’t cared. She’d laughed in his face. A man who couldn’t handle her bossy-ness was a man she didn’t need.
Jess may stage lighting by day, but she’s also dominant and loves to take control of men. That is fine… as long as all parties are consenting. That scene above? Does NOT seem very consenting. Men can be raped too, and men can be sexually assaulted, and I’m not sure we want to make that scene seem like a positive attribute of Jess. Let us not forget to highlight the Asian nympho stereotype. We’re up to “Chinese firecracker” and “Asian nympho” oh but wait- Chase’s friend referred to his obsession with Jess as Asian fever on page 10.
Please note that the firecracker reference is in the description and the words ‘Chinese’ and ‘China’ do not appear in the book. The word ‘Asian’ appears in the book twice when racist stereotypes are being used against Jess.
There are also issues with inaccurate BDSM practices. Jess asks the concierge of her hotel to find her a BDSM club (wut) and then off she goes! Lo and behold, Chase is there. He followed her cab and is there to confess his feelings. So Jess sets a challenge for him! He isn’t experienced in BDSM, so the obvious first test is to yank off her heels and have him carry her to the hotel on his back. Chase heads off to the hotel with Jess grinding her p*ssy against his back because why not potentially include strangers in your BDSM test?
Jess, who admits that she’s been told she is distant with her submissives, also inflicts pain upon Chase in order to determine his limits. No, she did not get consent for that either!
There was not a content warnings page within this book, but I guess one thing I can say is that I think the graphics that were used to promote this book aren’t as heavy on the mismarketing of the book and aligned more with the contents inside.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcohol
