loishojmark's review
3.0
I don't really know about this.
It felt a bit rushed at the end. As if the author needed to close some loose ends before closing the series before. planned. I don't know if I would have read the two books is the series, if I had known it had been discontinued.
It felt a bit rushed at the end. As if the author needed to close some loose ends before closing the series before. planned. I don't know if I would have read the two books is the series, if I had known it had been discontinued.
spookshow's review
4.0
Actual rating of 3.5.
I really enjoyed this, not as much as the first one possibly, but pretty damn close. Once again Annabelle is getting into ridiculous amounts of trouble, and it runs on from exactly where the first book left off, which I find brilliant. I love being able to pick up the next installment of a series and having had next to no time pass.
I found Annabelle had grown up a bit as a character, she starts on her way to stop being as angry as in the first one, and works towards her way to better her life, and her outlook on it.
I love the world that Stacey Jay has created and the twist that has been put on the faeries, it gives a different idea that I haven't seen explored in urban fantasy before.
I truly hope that we see more of Annabelle in the future, I want to see where the story goes, and I also want to know what happens to Gimpy!
I really enjoyed this, not as much as the first one possibly, but pretty damn close. Once again Annabelle is getting into ridiculous amounts of trouble, and it runs on from exactly where the first book left off, which I find brilliant. I love being able to pick up the next installment of a series and having had next to no time pass.
I found Annabelle had grown up a bit as a character, she starts on her way to stop being as angry as in the first one, and works towards her way to better her life, and her outlook on it.
I love the world that Stacey Jay has created and the twist that has been put on the faeries, it gives a different idea that I haven't seen explored in urban fantasy before.
I truly hope that we see more of Annabelle in the future, I want to see where the story goes, and I also want to know what happens to Gimpy!
taylorfennerwrites's review
5.0
Annabelle Lee is back in “Blood on the Bayou”; the sequel to “Dead on the Delta”. When her ex-boyfriend Hitch asks her to help him solve the mysterious death of his friend and colleague Steven Annabelle reluctantly agrees. She knows it isn’t the best idea to work that close to the man she still loves, especially when things with her current boyfriend Cane are still rocky.
Then there’s Tucker and the “Big Man” the invisible people she’s not sure are trustworthy yet. When weird things start happening out in the bayou that intertwine the lives of Annabelle and all of her friends Annabelle finds out that sometimes the people she’s trusted above all else are keeping some pretty big secrets.
As the investigation deepens Annabelle faces a new breed of fairies, biochemical weapons, overlapping love triangles, and scorching betrayal. Will she and Hitch be able to figure things out before the bloodthirsty fairies take over the city of Donaldson?
I liked the first book, but I like this one even better. I really like that the character seems to be getting her act together and I love how the plot works itself out at the end. It sort of leaves you hanging at the end, but I’m assuming there’ll be more books in this series. Right?!?!?! You can’t just leave me not knowing what happens next!
Then there’s Tucker and the “Big Man” the invisible people she’s not sure are trustworthy yet. When weird things start happening out in the bayou that intertwine the lives of Annabelle and all of her friends Annabelle finds out that sometimes the people she’s trusted above all else are keeping some pretty big secrets.
As the investigation deepens Annabelle faces a new breed of fairies, biochemical weapons, overlapping love triangles, and scorching betrayal. Will she and Hitch be able to figure things out before the bloodthirsty fairies take over the city of Donaldson?
I liked the first book, but I like this one even better. I really like that the character seems to be getting her act together and I love how the plot works itself out at the end. It sort of leaves you hanging at the end, but I’m assuming there’ll be more books in this series. Right?!?!?! You can’t just leave me not knowing what happens next!
monicabhills's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this two book series. I wish the author had written more. This was another great book in this urban fantasy series I only wish there had been more. I love that Annabelle is not perfect. She is trying to figure out her life and only finds out that there is more going on than she thought. I love the characters and not knowing who to trust. Please Stacey Jay, return to this series and write more.
mercyblue's review against another edition
4.0
While a really quick and easy read, I feel like this book had a few plot holes that caused me to downgrade it from 5 stars to 4. Annabelle is a fun, quirky character but has a LOT of growing up to do and it shows in everything she does. There is a certain amount of character growing on her part in this novel, I just don't think it's physically possible (or should I say mentally?) for her to do that much growing in only 3-4 days. My other biggest annoyance with this book was the introduction of a third, yes a third romantic interest! And all three are men are characters you want to root for! It's frustrating as heck! For the most part she settles on one man in particular by the end of the novel but in the meantime she has you scrambling trying to figure out who you/she likes best. I really wish there was another book in this series to help clear things up, but I have a feeling this is the last in this series. Le sigh...
book_grinch's review against another edition
4.0
I think that i would really like to have the next book to read, right about now....where is my third "Annabelle Lee" book?
Annabelle, nicknamed by her "friends", as "slut" and "mess" doesn't have an easy task in this book.
Introducing a new geometrical figure to the world of romance:
THE LOVE QUADRANGLE/RECTANGLE :
Yes, you know how in some books there's the love triangle scene?( like the first one in this series??)
Well in this one we have, a quadrangle or rectangle, whatever you want!
Annabelle plus Cane _ the current boyfriend for about two years now _ plus Hitch, the ex-boyfriend, plus Tucker the mysterious and at times invisible men, equals, a big interesting mess. :)
That's right! I liked it....if the four star rating isn't obvious enough...
And Annabelle do loves a "mess" _ you have to read it to figure this out :)
So in this book Annabelle gets caught in a difficult situation.
Cane has called a time out on their relationship.
Hitch asks for her help.
And Tucker....well, Tucker is Tucker.
So in the previous book i was a little divided between Cane and Hitch.
I'm happy to say....not anymore!
I've developed a real strong dislike for Hitch. He's got a fiancée _ who he at times calls wife _ who's pregnant with his child, but that doesn't stop him from telling Annabelle that he still loves her.
In various moments!! You scoundrel!!
And Annabelle being the soft-hearted "mess" that she is, can't help be affected.
Because she still likes him. Or better yet, the girl that she used to be, is still in love with the boy that he used to be...
Then Cane, who in this book just isn't that strong of a character for me to root for also loses his vantage points.
Positives:
He's honest _ maybe _ wants to get married to Annabelle and having kids with that one.
Whom he calls Lee Lee (lol). Can i just say that i hate nicknames?
He'll do anything for his family, but he doesn't seem to truly trust in Annabelle. And i can't help feeling that he wishes to transform her into someone she isn't. Bottom line, he needs to have his umbilical chord cutted!
And then there's Tucker.....i love Tucker!
He's mysterious (i know it's a cliché, but he wears it so well!) he's charming and strangely enough he's there for Annabelle when she needs help.
Even when she can't see him....yes,he has a tinny little bit of a stalker in him...STOP THAT!
Even so, he's leading the show.
Then we have Annabelle's friends. You poor girl! You really need some new ones!! I can be your friend!! We can email each other! ;)
In this book, there's the very desired character development. A new Annabelle starts to surface. Less pills, less alcohol.
Approaching the end she ends up recognizing how some relationships aren't healthy, or just not what she really needs. So she doesn't take the easy way out.
Her fight with the fairies takes a whole new level.
Her magical powers have painted a target on her head.
And she is being stalked by one strong fairy who's determined in having her killed.
A new sub-species may also be on the horizon, and the Big Man continues a danger...
A great book, with a great heroine, and a really compelling story.
Can't wait to read the next one.
But can i just say, how much i wished to have read a certain scene????
Really?? That was just mean!!
Honestly, i would totally trade the one scene we got with Cane for the one we didn't see with Tucker!!
For those that have absolutely no idea of what i'm babbling about...go read the book!! ;)
And where is the third book???
Annabelle, nicknamed by her "friends", as "slut" and "mess" doesn't have an easy task in this book.
Introducing a new geometrical figure to the world of romance:
THE LOVE QUADRANGLE/RECTANGLE :
Yes, you know how in some books there's the love triangle scene?( like the first one in this series??)
Well in this one we have, a quadrangle or rectangle, whatever you want!
Annabelle plus Cane _ the current boyfriend for about two years now _ plus Hitch, the ex-boyfriend, plus Tucker the mysterious and at times invisible men, equals, a big interesting mess. :)
That's right! I liked it....if the four star rating isn't obvious enough...
And Annabelle do loves a "mess" _ you have to read it to figure this out :)
So in this book Annabelle gets caught in a difficult situation.
Cane has called a time out on their relationship.
Hitch asks for her help.
And Tucker....well, Tucker is Tucker.
So in the previous book i was a little divided between Cane and Hitch.
I'm happy to say....not anymore!
I've developed a real strong dislike for Hitch. He's got a fiancée _ who he at times calls wife _ who's pregnant with his child, but that doesn't stop him from telling Annabelle that he still loves her.
In various moments!! You scoundrel!!
And Annabelle being the soft-hearted "mess" that she is, can't help be affected.
Because she still likes him. Or better yet, the girl that she used to be, is still in love with the boy that he used to be...
Then Cane, who in this book just isn't that strong of a character for me to root for also loses his vantage points.
Positives:
He's honest _ maybe _ wants to get married to Annabelle and having kids with that one.
Whom he calls Lee Lee (lol). Can i just say that i hate nicknames?
He'll do anything for his family, but he doesn't seem to truly trust in Annabelle. And i can't help feeling that he wishes to transform her into someone she isn't. Bottom line, he needs to have his umbilical chord cutted!
And then there's Tucker.....i love Tucker!
He's mysterious (i know it's a cliché, but he wears it so well!) he's charming and strangely enough he's there for Annabelle when she needs help.
Even when she can't see him....yes,he has a tinny little bit of a stalker in him...STOP THAT!
Even so, he's leading the show.
Then we have Annabelle's friends. You poor girl! You really need some new ones!! I can be your friend!! We can email each other! ;)
In this book, there's the very desired character development. A new Annabelle starts to surface. Less pills, less alcohol.
Approaching the end she ends up recognizing how some relationships aren't healthy, or just not what she really needs. So she doesn't take the easy way out.
Her fight with the fairies takes a whole new level.
Her magical powers have painted a target on her head.
And she is being stalked by one strong fairy who's determined in having her killed.
A new sub-species may also be on the horizon, and the Big Man continues a danger...
A great book, with a great heroine, and a really compelling story.
Can't wait to read the next one.
But can i just say, how much i wished to have read a certain scene????
Really?? That was just mean!!
Honestly, i would totally trade the one scene we got with Cane for the one we didn't see with Tucker!!
For those that have absolutely no idea of what i'm babbling about...go read the book!! ;)
And where is the third book???
mcummings's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this second installment in the Annabelle Lee series. Annabelle's personal life continues to be messed up, but I am actually seeing some growth in her choices. We now have 3 potential suitors, but I think she is figuring out what she needs, and what the men need, and whether or not she can provide it.
What kept this from being 5 stars was two things. There is a mystery lab, in the caves below the swamps, which may have had something to do with the mutations that occurred in the faeries in the past. I thought this storyline was fine, but by the end, I still had no real clue who was in the cave and what was going on there (who are really the bad guys). Also, at the very end, we jump 6 weeks into the future, and I didn't like missing what happened during those six weeks. But other than that, it was a great read.
What kept this from being 5 stars was two things. There is a mystery lab, in the caves below the swamps, which may have had something to do with the mutations that occurred in the faeries in the past. I thought this storyline was fine, but by the end, I still had no real clue who was in the cave and what was going on there (who are really the bad guys). Also, at the very end, we jump 6 weeks into the future, and I didn't like missing what happened during those six weeks. But other than that, it was a great read.
adubrow's review
2.0
(Originally posted @ CSI:Librarian.)
(Please Note: This review contains several spoilers relating to characters, but not to the overall plot.)
While Blood on the Bayou had a really neat plot and some engaging minor characters, it really, really let me down in terms of its main character, Annabelle Lee.
I am a very character-driven reader. Plots and world-building are awesome, but even then, unless I'm reading a book about the exciting adventures of a planet or plot-point, I need something else to go on. I need a character to connect to. That doesn't mean I have to become BFFs with the character. I'm not saying need to see their resume nor require them to adhere to a strict moral code, but I do prefer protagonists that have something --anything-- going for them. This is particularly true of Urban Fantasy where so many heroines are presented as absolute messes in terms of their personal life and emotional state.
I can understand the appeal of a messy character. I can also appreciate fictional private investigator or magic user types who come across as both sarcastic and self-deprecating while masking some kind of secret hurt that gets slowly revealed over the course of their series. Having low self-esteem, being an addict of some kind, or having a dark past isn't going to keep me from liking a character. I think having issues like that can be compelling. Successful examples for me would be Stacia Kane's Chess, Putnam, Lauren Beukes' Zinzi December, Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels, and Diana Rowland's Angel Crawford. They don't all have the same range of problems by any stretch of the imagination, but their books/series are all focused on the ways they change and become more comfortable in their roles as well as with themselves. Yes, men become a part of all of their lives, but that isn't the end all be all of their existence.
In approaching Blood on the Bayou, I was aware that Annabelle was still quite a mess and not likely to make any improvements at a rapid pace because honestly she doesn't care enough about herself. Even knowing that, I figured something ultimately would change given that this is the second book in an on-going series. Therefore I was very disappointed when, just like in the first book, Annabelle didn't seem to care about herself on any level, constantly was looking for conflict to have with someone else, took very little responsibility for her actions, took advantage of various emotional attachments, and was apparently quite content cultivating a nice little garden of problems for herself.
With a character like Annabelle, my hope is usually a) that she or he will either be such an awesome force that I won't care about their personal hang-ups or shortcomings, b) I will be given insight that will allow me to have more empathy for him or her, or c) he or she will decide to possibly change their life for the better in some small, organic way over the course of several books.
Maybe this is expecting too much from a book or maybe it's expecting just the right amount from a novel. Jury's still out. Either way, character development would be sort of pivotal for a fictional someone with more issues than actual friends. The last thing I am interested in is how many guys or gals said heroine or hero can hook up with while ignoring their issues or so much as sorting out a single, solitary mess facing them outside of the main plot.
So imagine my horror when Annabelle went from having maybe one guy to having three guys that were into her because... Well, that's the problem. I think I'm as likely to figure out the answer to that question as I am to figure out while every female character in Norway was in love with Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole.
What was also problematic for me in terms of Annabelle and her love interests was that one of the guys into Annabelle has a pregnant fiancée who was in a hospital and in danger of losing their baby. Until the plot got a move on, he spent a lot of time trying to get Annabelle to take him back because of their epic misunderstanding a long time ago. And he also thought her craziness is sexy. Another one of the guys was so in love with her that it is really depressing to read about. The right thing to do would have been to tell him it's over at some point, but instead Annabelle accidentally sort of intentionally strung him along for just about the entire book. And the third just was sort of there for most part but they have witty exchanges and he was hot and was also into her being a hot mess for no real reason.
I realize these issues won't trouble every reader and to many it will seem like I read this book the wrong way. But I can only speak to my experience which was full of frustration, bafflement, and disappointment. I got really sick and tired of the plot having to get put on pause for Annabelle and her love square, which really didn't hold my interest or make me feel all that emotionally invested. More importantly, I didn't feel like the characters were all that genuinely invested or that they would have been pursuing Annabelle had she not been the main character. Along those lines, I also got really fed up by how nothing seemed to get resolved with any of the three men for far too long. And I really just found myself fundamentally disliking all the decisions Annabelle made and all the approaches she took to any given situation.
Things got slightly better as the plot continued, and I did like the way the novel ended in terms of the plot as well as the minor characters especially Fern and Deedee. Along the way, there were a lot of quirky moments and the some of the humor worked for me. And, yes, Annabelle ultimately made some good decisions... but by then I felt like the only reason Annabelle was important to anyone in the book was because she was the main character and everything was from her point of view. The ways in which Annabelle seemed to be growing and changing didn't do much for me anymore than her love life did.
In conclusion, not for me. I have no desire to only read and review books where the main character has a clean bill of mental health, but I'm not a fan of stories where female characters are messes in need of unconditional support and a good therapist but instead have 3+ guys trying to hook up with them.
Related Review:
Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay
(Please Note: This review contains several spoilers relating to characters, but not to the overall plot.)
While Blood on the Bayou had a really neat plot and some engaging minor characters, it really, really let me down in terms of its main character, Annabelle Lee.
I am a very character-driven reader. Plots and world-building are awesome, but even then, unless I'm reading a book about the exciting adventures of a planet or plot-point, I need something else to go on. I need a character to connect to. That doesn't mean I have to become BFFs with the character. I'm not saying need to see their resume nor require them to adhere to a strict moral code, but I do prefer protagonists that have something --anything-- going for them. This is particularly true of Urban Fantasy where so many heroines are presented as absolute messes in terms of their personal life and emotional state.
I can understand the appeal of a messy character. I can also appreciate fictional private investigator or magic user types who come across as both sarcastic and self-deprecating while masking some kind of secret hurt that gets slowly revealed over the course of their series. Having low self-esteem, being an addict of some kind, or having a dark past isn't going to keep me from liking a character. I think having issues like that can be compelling. Successful examples for me would be Stacia Kane's Chess, Putnam, Lauren Beukes' Zinzi December, Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels, and Diana Rowland's Angel Crawford. They don't all have the same range of problems by any stretch of the imagination, but their books/series are all focused on the ways they change and become more comfortable in their roles as well as with themselves. Yes, men become a part of all of their lives, but that isn't the end all be all of their existence.
In approaching Blood on the Bayou, I was aware that Annabelle was still quite a mess and not likely to make any improvements at a rapid pace because honestly she doesn't care enough about herself. Even knowing that, I figured something ultimately would change given that this is the second book in an on-going series. Therefore I was very disappointed when, just like in the first book, Annabelle didn't seem to care about herself on any level, constantly was looking for conflict to have with someone else, took very little responsibility for her actions, took advantage of various emotional attachments, and was apparently quite content cultivating a nice little garden of problems for herself.
With a character like Annabelle, my hope is usually a) that she or he will either be such an awesome force that I won't care about their personal hang-ups or shortcomings, b) I will be given insight that will allow me to have more empathy for him or her, or c) he or she will decide to possibly change their life for the better in some small, organic way over the course of several books.
Maybe this is expecting too much from a book or maybe it's expecting just the right amount from a novel. Jury's still out. Either way, character development would be sort of pivotal for a fictional someone with more issues than actual friends. The last thing I am interested in is how many guys or gals said heroine or hero can hook up with while ignoring their issues or so much as sorting out a single, solitary mess facing them outside of the main plot.
So imagine my horror when Annabelle went from having maybe one guy to having three guys that were into her because... Well, that's the problem. I think I'm as likely to figure out the answer to that question as I am to figure out while every female character in Norway was in love with Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole.
What was also problematic for me in terms of Annabelle and her love interests was that one of the guys into Annabelle has a pregnant fiancée who was in a hospital and in danger of losing their baby. Until the plot got a move on, he spent a lot of time trying to get Annabelle to take him back because of their epic misunderstanding a long time ago. And he also thought her craziness is sexy. Another one of the guys was so in love with her that it is really depressing to read about. The right thing to do would have been to tell him it's over at some point, but instead Annabelle accidentally sort of intentionally strung him along for just about the entire book. And the third just was sort of there for most part but they have witty exchanges and he was hot and was also into her being a hot mess for no real reason.
I realize these issues won't trouble every reader and to many it will seem like I read this book the wrong way. But I can only speak to my experience which was full of frustration, bafflement, and disappointment. I got really sick and tired of the plot having to get put on pause for Annabelle and her love square, which really didn't hold my interest or make me feel all that emotionally invested. More importantly, I didn't feel like the characters were all that genuinely invested or that they would have been pursuing Annabelle had she not been the main character. Along those lines, I also got really fed up by how nothing seemed to get resolved with any of the three men for far too long. And I really just found myself fundamentally disliking all the decisions Annabelle made and all the approaches she took to any given situation.
Things got slightly better as the plot continued, and I did like the way the novel ended in terms of the plot as well as the minor characters especially Fern and Deedee. Along the way, there were a lot of quirky moments and the some of the humor worked for me. And, yes, Annabelle ultimately made some good decisions... but by then I felt like the only reason Annabelle was important to anyone in the book was because she was the main character and everything was from her point of view. The ways in which Annabelle seemed to be growing and changing didn't do much for me anymore than her love life did.
In conclusion, not for me. I have no desire to only read and review books where the main character has a clean bill of mental health, but I'm not a fan of stories where female characters are messes in need of unconditional support and a good therapist but instead have 3+ guys trying to hook up with them.
Related Review:
Dead on the Delta by Stacey Jay
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