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A review by kelreadsbooks_
How does it feel? by Jeneane O'Riley
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book has a lot of potential...a lot. The premise was intriguing, a young woman thrust into the unseelie court with a relentlessly cruel prince who is dark and ruthless. I was expecting a slow burn to end all slow burns, a rich exploration of their complex relationship. But unfortunately that's not what this book gave me.
The insta-lust fell flat against the way the prince treated her, there was no getting to know the other, no moments of soft tension that stretched into deep feelings. It felt forced, and we were told, not shown a lot of the story.
But my biggest annoyance, and I have this issue with any story that ends this way - was the last minute secret reveal. It felt lazy and for shock value. We had been in her head the whole time and suddenly she'd kept this huge secret from the reader... that her mind never once turned to think of her biggest secret is unbelievable and didn't fit her voice for the rest of the narrative. And as a reader you felt cheated, that her growth throughout the rest of the book was a lie.
That being said, there were definitely moments of excitement and some plot points worked really well, enough to keep me reading to the end. It also kept me guessing in parts and I can see why a lot of people enjoyed this book. It's not awful, but probably not for me - that being said I'll be checking out book 2 just to see how the author ties it all together.
The insta-lust fell flat against the way the prince treated her, there was no getting to know the other, no moments of soft tension that stretched into deep feelings. It felt forced, and we were told, not shown a lot of the story.
But my biggest annoyance, and I have this issue with any story that ends this way - was the last minute secret reveal. It felt lazy and for shock value. We had been in her head the whole time and suddenly she'd kept this huge secret from the reader... that her mind never once turned to think of her biggest secret is unbelievable and didn't fit her voice for the rest of the narrative. And as a reader you felt cheated, that her growth throughout the rest of the book was a lie.
That being said, there were definitely moments of excitement and some plot points worked really well, enough to keep me reading to the end. It also kept me guessing in parts and I can see why a lot of people enjoyed this book. It's not awful, but probably not for me - that being said I'll be checking out book 2 just to see how the author ties it all together.