City of Thorns is dark, fast paced, thrilling and suspenseful. It is sexy, but not overly so. I think the heroine is smart and practical and Orion is dark, broody, arrogant, and comfortable with who he is. Characterization is just enough to get along with the plot. I love the city and his apartment. I want to live there. The magic and the demons are cool and dangerous. Although, it at times it seems they are not very different from us humans. However, in this whole world of demons, I find it incredibly hard to believe Logan would be mistaken for a succubus. But I will let it go. Other characters are diverse, which I appreciate. Different races and also sexual orientations. Book has a lot of sarcasm and insults. Makes for funny commentary. I enjoyed this book and didn't mind the cliffhanger since I am finishing the series.

What I did not like is the women fighting over the man. So tired. Also, book ended 20 pages before the end, so I felt I got cheated out of a story I was expecting.

OK, on the Book 2.

Lord of Embers is a great followup with many surprises. I like how you finally got to some sex (come on, I know we were all waiting for it). Book did seem to drag out, but I understand prep for epic book 3. I liked how you got to know more of Rowan and esp Orion's backstory. Really sad, but I still want more. I'm still questioning Shai and Mr. Esposito? I felt there was still a lot of humor, but some of the "humorous" insults were down right cruel. I like how you learn about Hell, Salem and the idiot fanatics with the witch trials, and more of the danger Orion gets off on. I am still thoroughly intrigued with this series and looking forward to book 3.

A Mirror Mended is a beautifully sympathetic complicated story that felt like the never ending psychological thriller. I was happy to be done with it. I think I would have liked it better if it was shorter. It talks about writing your own story in life (very repetitive throughout the book), how villians can become protagonists, and not running away from your issues. There were many forced pop culture references and lots of fun sarcasm. The unexpected oddball romance with the older lady seemed seemed forced also. I just didn't get it. Overall, OK story, just not for me.

ARC provided by #Netgalley for an honest opinion. #AMirrorMended

Grievers provides a fly on the wall view of Detroit, aka the city of black people. You get a huge amount of history, race relations, and city layout. Almost like walking the streets visiting. Very informative. It is dark, sad and slow with a unique perspective. Very much a psychological novel, but also horror and thriller. Characterization of Dune and others is thorough and you understand loyalties to people and the city. Minimal comedy, but I thought it funny that Dune questioned if she was black enough for the disease. The descriptive poetic writing slows you down so you can appreciate the words. Overall a good story, just a bit slow for me.

Garden of Serpents is a satisfying ending to a quick, entertaining series. Just like book 2, you get a summary of the series thus far at the beginning, so it was nice to get that recap. I loved the opening chapter. It had my heart racing. Then book immediately went into the plot, no filler. Perfect. I enjoyed the story of betrayal, all the sexy temptation, cool magic, action and thrills. But I thought it was way more sad and sentimental than the last 2, by far. You get heightened, then it cools down. Not what I expected.

The transformation of Orion was great. This book told his story of being in the dungeons and was heartbreaking. He seemed completely different in this book, all honest and lovey dovey. Tame, yet dangerous. I didn't like that as much. Where is my bad to the bone dude! I liked him being wild, giving insults and being defiant. I wanted more fighting between him and Rowan, instead of let's work together. Rowan is a bold confident heroine, and I love that about her. She knows her goal and is a ride or die. Love that.

The other characters introduced were OK. You could tell right away they where setup for the plot later down the line. I wanted more from them as they didn't entertain me for the most part. I kept expecting more. I enjoyed the story line with Kas and how he called folk out-I mean he was right. And I'm confused about Shai still.

The ending (last chapter)...I won't spoil it, but it didn't do for me. A complete detraction from Rowan and Owen's story to vie for the throne and it brought me down. I want to be selfish about just them two and I felt some type of way.

Overall, but I did enjoy the series. Fun, entertaining, kinda sexy and informative about magic/demons. You already knew the ending, but getting there was fun.

I will start by saying this book wasn't bad, but it was not for me. I listened as an audible and the narrator did a great job voices the children. That said, with the content, I couldn't get past the juvenile nature of the book. The descriptions were vivid and it was imaginative, but I couldn't get into it. I also kept getting lost with what they were making up vs reality. Maybe that is the point, but I didn't like it. Creative story, just not for me. And it didn't horrify me either.

The Tangled Woods was OK. This very flawed man definitely needs a wake up call and seems like he wants life every which way, then none at all. He irritated me a lot, and really pissed me off when you find out something he been doing. Book does accurately detail many aspects of modern families. Book was slow, but I kept up with it. Then once they got to the water park, it fell off for me and I lost interest. It starting getting abstract and I was lost. Didn't do it for me. The writing was good and suspenseful. I just wasn't feeling this story.

Light Chaser is a quick last minute read that I picked up from the library on a whim. It was good. Lots of sci-fi technology. That first chapter will make your head explode if you are not an avid tech person. I'm a casual lover of it, so I found myself skipping through a lot of it to get to the plot. The Book was creative, with diverse intricate worlds, a smart main character (loved the female lead), and the books moves quickly. The idea of reincarnation is spoken about creatively and leaves you intrigued. This little book packs a lot in its pages.

Open Water is a beautiful story of young love told in a slow burn, friends to lovers style. I could feel and relate to it each phase of their relationship. Not only is it a love story, but it also touches on police brutality, being the check mark for diversity within schools, and putting on a brave face when you don't feel like you fit in or accepted by the world around you. The book shows very tender vulnerability in showing the feeling of defeat and powerlessness in the face of racism that I think many black people will understand. Book was told very poetically and abstract at times, so you definitely need to take your time reading. This is not a quick book to read through even though the book is short. Very emotional book. As for the writing, I am not accustomed to this writing style where the narrator is telling the story to the main character: you did this, you felt this. It threw me off and I did not like that style, but it is not a negative criticism against it. Just not my preference. Overall a good book that you feel as you read.

My Monticello is an eye opener. It is emotional, shocking and at times upsetting. I didn't know what to expect when I got it (book recommendation I didn't read up on much). It is 5 short stories and 1 novella-My Monticello. All about searching for your place in life and belonging to something. I liked the last and the first. The ones in between didn't hold my interest much, too abstract. But I do like the author has several different writing styles showcased amongst the stories.

Control Negro was unique, and artistic and real. The ACM was a hilarious term but so true in what people think. At least for me. It made me think about my own life, trying to live up to the same standards, but always not being good enough (black AA female here).

My Monticello was awesome and the reason I gave this book 5 stars. Amazing portrait of feeling some type of way about your heritage and the modern world you live in. I like the minority bonding. That seems to be when we get it together the most unfortunately. I learned a lot about TJ, his home, and Salley Hemmings. I liked the quote about the house "rooms are kept pristine, while the homes in town are treated like kindling." Yep...people want to preserve historical items and keep the clean/spotless, which the present is dirty and tainted, destructive.

SO definitely worth checking out. Great book