nerdyprettythings's Reviews (515)

Honestly, I was really disappointed with this one. It reads a little bit like a device for using all the metaphors the author liked. The book finally decided what the main plot was at the 80% or so mark? Imagine if “yer a wizard Harry” had happened after 3/4 of the book was about all the weird stuff happening around him. I also disliked the audio, so I’m sure that colored the experience. The book is split between a mother and daughter’s perspective (which I was expecting to like). But the narrator for the mom whispers and the narrator for the daughter does this loud “I have an annoying voice because I’m a kid” thing.

I really enjoyed this book, and the story and writing kept getting better throughout. A translator for an alien species finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery. Could it possibly have been uninteresting with that setup? No! Still, I loved the MC, especially after she started coming into her own after the first third or so of the book. You really care about her boss, an ambassador to earth, and the pieces of the mystery unfold really well, I never guessed what the next page would involve. 

I really enjoyed this! I loved Meryl Wilsner's first book, and it was fun to read this one that brought the SPICE. I didn't realize how much I'd be into a MILF book until I read it but here I am and yes! I wish there had been more of the friendship/family relationship with Acacia and her family. I think a lot of people's cringe over the mommy issue feels would be resolved if we'd spent a little more time seeing how close Cassie was with them. The characters spent so much time avoiding their feelings that the conflict which really resolved that issue for me happened pretty late in the book. In general I would have loved to see more of the side characters and the MCs talking it out/interacting with other people rather than spending so much time in their own heads. All that said, I really enjoyed the book, the sex scenes were top notch, and I loved the ending.