kewlkat70's Reviews (250)

This reworked fairytale was such a treat.  I had just DNF Uprooted because it was disappointing when I wanted a story steeped in Ashkenazi lore.  This was suggested to try and I am so glad my experience of Uprooted did not keep me from this book. 

A full 5⭐ for the story of Miriam and her parents, her mother's name so close to my own mothers who would have loved this book. 

The portrayal of Jewish culture and love and hospitality is so heartwarming and fills me with pride. Especially in a time where it's difficult to remember what we have to give to the world. 

The narration is superb. 

I wanted to like this book because I love Ironside Academy.  I thought I was just in a rut so I put the book down and read a few other things but when I picked it up I just felt meh about the story. 

Maybe I will pick it up later but i don't know 

It seemed like a cool and fast read.  Something different as it takes place in Paris.  Characters are born and bred Parisians.  So..cool perspective and some interesting metaphors.

Starts with a wild one night stand in the first chapter so great if you like spicy bits. 

But then it turned to some weird Parisian crime bit with a secret extra judiciary government group obsessed with Napoleon and it was just too much.  

Decided to stop while I was ahead and read something i know I will enjoy

Squeeeeeeeeee!

5⭐ for the entire series!  I don't want to give up The Witchwood Boys.   

CM Stunich just hasn't disappointed me with any of her books and they keep getting better.. I love when she breaks the 4th wall and I swear to God she must be reading some of our posts on Reddit because jokes.  

I don't have any critical review items to share because if you are reading this you have read the first 3 books. 

The ending is fine , the jokes are all on point and the boys are hot.   

The narration is terrible and the story is slow. 

I really enjoy Lawrence's work but this book is missing his sly wit that makes Broken Empire and the library books such a delight to read. 

I found that parts of the book were slow going but that may be more of a reflection of where my brain was when reading.   

I'm on the fence should I give this book a full 5⭐ but there is just something missing that gives it that full rating.  The writing is fantastic and the story is unique.  The characters are lovable.  The romance is heartfelt. I think it's the YA feel to the book that will keep me from a perfect rating.  Which isn't a knock on the author or the book but I just don't come away with a true sense of fulfillment. 

I love the regency / Jane Austen feel to the writing.   

The horse riding parts are authentic which is important to me.  

I love the feminist theme although it can feel overwhelming at times.   I know it's a fantasy but the YA theme is always the young person is the first person to fight against the system.  

These books are so patchy!  The pacing goes in spurts with long periods of inner monologuing and angsty worrying between sudden action.   
The good: the spicy scenes are written well.  There is a large number of side character which I love to see.

The bad: the author spends a lot of time with one particular storyline and it doesn't change.  The author is trying to stretch that particular story out but instead it is limping along with each "shocking" turn is telegraphed ages ahead. So when it happens and is supposed to be a surprise cliffhanger it's not very surprising. 

The mates are all too similar.  When I read a RH I want each mate to be a different personality.  She has 3 meatheads and one tall guy with a swimmers physique but again, all meatheads. Where is my raistlin-esque wizard? My barely has a grasp on sanity psycho dude?  

I will give props for the variety in dick shapes.  I may not be able to get a good mental picture of their faces but their cocks are unique 

An improvement over the first book in the series.   I still like the "Misfits" vibe and the mind control aspects.   This time there is more personality being written into the characters however several of the characters don't quite seem complete. 

The music choices still suck. 

In the trauma dark romance sub genre the Royals of Forsythe is the pinnacle of these novels.   So the bar was raised quite high and it will be hard to find novels that compare in their darkness or their depth of characters 

The audiobook narration is a real treat to listen to and I highly recommend doing the audio if you love to listen to various London accents.  If your ear is not attuned to the accent it may have the opposite effect and make it difficult 

London is as much a character as our main protagonist. I love the bits of anglophilia dropped in here and there, always with a bit of sarcasm.  As anyone who has lived in a city that has gone through gentrification over the last 50 years will understand many of the references even if you've never been to London 

The story is technically a standalone but there are threads that connect to the first novel that are built upon and will be carried forward.  

Overall an enjoyable read for anyone who loves their English detective stories with a little bit of magic thrown in for good measure