Reviews

Lustlocked by Matt Wallace

isabelisalright's review against another edition

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4.0

A little jumpy as far as hopping to various locations but still really enjoyable and fun read!

hartd's review

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3.0

I had a feeling I would regret my excessive enthusiasm over book one, but oh well, it's nice to get excited about things sometimes. This book is pretty good, just not as good as the first.

Warning for sexual assault used as a plot device, to humorous effect, (sort of) in the manner of the sex pollen trope. It didn't bother me, but it is there, and I feel like it would've been a seriously traumatic thing for the characters to experience, which is not really addressed.

It does have similar over-the-top antics, and some of it was funny to me. Unfortunately, though, a decent amount of the kind of humor I dislike can be found in this book, and (relatedly)
SpoilerLena has sex with the guy she pegged as a douchebag in book one (this is not because of the sex pollen, either).
I understand that having characters make sexist/racist jokes does not mean that the author supports those views, and in fact, the other characters mostly mock the ones who make those remarks. Lena has some thoughts about the topic, too, but I feel she is too forgiving. Anyway, I can definitely imagine readers liking those jokes and those characters, which makes me uncomfortable.

I was glad that some depth was added to the characters and their backstories, especially Nikki, who was a real star. Cindy got some development, as well, and I look forward to learning more about her in future stories. Of course I also really liked the appearance of
SpoilerDavid Bowie and Iman
.

I mostly enjoyed this book, and I'm still curious about where the series will go next.

old_tim's review

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4.0

Fun stuff, but missing a certain joy that I found in the first of these novellas. That being said, I'm still interested in reading more about this world.

anywiebs's review against another edition

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4.0

This was just another fun quick story with interesting food and disaster and we got to know the characters better.

kenchingfox's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

hcramer22's review against another edition

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4.0

I am convinced this series would make an excellent comedy/drama show if Netflix or some other streaming site were to snatch it up.

kaiouelios's review

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

somasis's review

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4.0

I was surprised by how short the main novella was, but I really enjoyed the additional short story at the end. As expected the continued adventures to Sin du Jour are bat-shit crazy and getting to know the various characters who work there is a real treat.

mintrogue's review

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5.0

I judged a book by its cover on this one and chose Lustlocked because the art looked cool. I am so so glad I did. Matt Wallace has created a fantastical world where anything can and usually does happen. Just when you think you are getting a handle on the book's direction, it wooshes off somewhere else. I love that!

This is the second book in the Sin Du Jour series, but I hadn't read the first one prior to picking this one up, and I don't think it mattered. I did go back and read it afterwards and found it equally hysterical.

Honestly, I think my only complaint is it was too short and there isn't another one to read afterwards. And that the food descriptions made me super hungry.

Note: This book was provided to me by the publisher free of charge in exchange for an honest review. Real talk though - I spent the money and bought it and Envy of Angels myself after reading it - it was that good.

cnythia's review

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3.0

I did not enjoy this one as much as Envy of Angels. The language did not seem as careful, and the main conflict reminded me of a horrifying book (Dean Koontz?) I read decades ago and am trying to forget. But I did enjoy everything about the goblin king, and the short story at the end.