kjharrowick's reviews
92 reviews
Unanchored by Stephanie Eding
5.0
Why I picked up this book:
When I saw Ms. Stephanie put out the call for ARC reviews on her debut, I jumped at the chance to get a first read. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure what to expect as I had to wait a few extra days before the blurbs went up. All I can say is I’m so very happy I jumped at the chance.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
The story as a whole is fantastic. What really jumped off the page right away is the voice of this tale and how easy it was to immerse completely into Cecily’s story. While the heroine wasn’t any sort of a special snowflake, she was real and had a simple complexity that made her stand out as unique among a horde of brutish men.
I adored Captain Whorley’s character. Probably because I have an unnatural love of roguish protectors. His character was fun and spirited, wrapped inside a darker, enigmatic persona trying to keep himself and the people he cared about alive.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
Trying to keep away from spoiling too much, the end didn’t really feel like the ending. There’s still something left to accomplish, and yet the small band of heroes go in the other direction. It sort of left me scratching my head as to why they wouldn’t go toward danger one more time.
During the second dinner the pacing was a bit off. The scene seemed stilted, so I wasn’t really sure what was happening. Fighting foreplay? It was the only scene that didn’t feel fully fleshed out though, and not enough to deter me.
The deity talk felt out of place in this story. I know it was part of the time period, and there was very little said, but the few lines it came up felt out of left field. Purely subjective, but I’d have been happier without it.
Overall:
This was a super fun adventure story, and I do hope the author will take us back into the next chapter of this tale in the future. The story was fun, the characters were engaging, and there’s still parts of the tale we didn’t get to explore. Hint hint… I can’t wait for the next installment!
When I saw Ms. Stephanie put out the call for ARC reviews on her debut, I jumped at the chance to get a first read. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure what to expect as I had to wait a few extra days before the blurbs went up. All I can say is I’m so very happy I jumped at the chance.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
The story as a whole is fantastic. What really jumped off the page right away is the voice of this tale and how easy it was to immerse completely into Cecily’s story. While the heroine wasn’t any sort of a special snowflake, she was real and had a simple complexity that made her stand out as unique among a horde of brutish men.
I adored Captain Whorley’s character. Probably because I have an unnatural love of roguish protectors. His character was fun and spirited, wrapped inside a darker, enigmatic persona trying to keep himself and the people he cared about alive.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
Trying to keep away from spoiling too much, the end didn’t really feel like the ending. There’s still something left to accomplish, and yet the small band of heroes go in the other direction. It sort of left me scratching my head as to why they wouldn’t go toward danger one more time.
During the second dinner the pacing was a bit off. The scene seemed stilted, so I wasn’t really sure what was happening. Fighting foreplay? It was the only scene that didn’t feel fully fleshed out though, and not enough to deter me.
The deity talk felt out of place in this story. I know it was part of the time period, and there was very little said, but the few lines it came up felt out of left field. Purely subjective, but I’d have been happier without it.
Overall:
This was a super fun adventure story, and I do hope the author will take us back into the next chapter of this tale in the future. The story was fun, the characters were engaging, and there’s still parts of the tale we didn’t get to explore. Hint hint… I can’t wait for the next installment!
Fall Into Fantasy: 2017 Edition by Molly Neely, Andrew M. Ferrell, Jack E. Mohr, Andrew Sweetapple, David Pauly, Anne Johnson, Tony Conaway, Mark Easterday, Sandra Unerman, Art Lasky, Shane Porteous, Frank Roger, Susan Marcus, Linda M. Crate
2.0
I was really excited when I found this book, and hoped to uncover a nice little collection of quick-read fantasy stories. It was a great idea to bring different fantasy takes together and I absolutely love the cover. Unfortunately, none of these stories held my attention. I read the first one and it was cute, but it had some grammar errors and filler words that kept yanking me out of the story. I tried the others, but they didn't engage and move forward the way I'd hoped, instead offering a lot of backstory before any character movement started, and I lost interest pretty quick. I have no doubt that readers out there will love these, but they didn't hold my attention enough to finish. Purely subjective to my tastes.
Frostgrave: Second Chances: A Tale of the Frozen City by Matthew Ward
3.0
I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I adore the cover for this book, and the blurb. At the beginning, the story starts right in the inciting event with action and purpose. It snared me right into the story.
However, the initial event lasted for nearly the first 10% of the book, so after awhile it began to drag, despite the action. I wanted to get there and get out of the cave to explore the rest of Frostgrave. When it finally happened, the characters stopped and entered a long segment of sitting and talking and reminiscing. It stalled the story, and thus my interest.
I tried every few days to pick it back up as I really wanted to continue this tale, but unfortunately by the time anything happened again I'd lost the connection. This is purely subjective on my part as characters sitting and talking in long droves loses me in any story. DNF at 16%
While continuing this story isn't for me, I'd probably recommend it to readers who love fantasy and stories that focus on sister relationships.
I adore the cover for this book, and the blurb. At the beginning, the story starts right in the inciting event with action and purpose. It snared me right into the story.
However, the initial event lasted for nearly the first 10% of the book, so after awhile it began to drag, despite the action. I wanted to get there and get out of the cave to explore the rest of Frostgrave. When it finally happened, the characters stopped and entered a long segment of sitting and talking and reminiscing. It stalled the story, and thus my interest.
I tried every few days to pick it back up as I really wanted to continue this tale, but unfortunately by the time anything happened again I'd lost the connection. This is purely subjective on my part as characters sitting and talking in long droves loses me in any story. DNF at 16%
While continuing this story isn't for me, I'd probably recommend it to readers who love fantasy and stories that focus on sister relationships.
Carnally Ever After by Jackie Barbosa
2.0
Why I picked up this book:
All right, so I picked this book up after seeing a twitter post about a review that led the author/publisher to set the price as free. I'd just read a dark fantasy and needed a bit of a palate cleanser a la dirty romance.
What I liked:
The author's writing and voice is stellar.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
This should be a dirty romance, but right off the bat there's nothing that smacks of romance or love, only lust. Both the hero/heroine are already engaged to other people, and their first intimate encounter reads as a one-night stand for nothing but sex. I would have loved to see a more organic progression of intimacy from a-to-z.
I didn't really connect with the story. It was vague at best around the affair. One thing that bummed me out was a setup in chapter 4 that really opened a portal for fun romantic hijinks between the affair couple and their betrothed partners, but it never played out.
Overall:
If you're looking for a quick read that's more dirty sex in an affair-like setting, definitely pick this up. I may check out other tales by the author as I do like her writing voice, but this story had me suspending too much disbelief for the hero/heroine love story to feel authentic.
All right, so I picked this book up after seeing a twitter post about a review that led the author/publisher to set the price as free. I'd just read a dark fantasy and needed a bit of a palate cleanser a la dirty romance.
What I liked:
The author's writing and voice is stellar.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
This should be a dirty romance, but right off the bat there's nothing that smacks of romance or love, only lust. Both the hero/heroine are already engaged to other people, and their first intimate encounter reads as a one-night stand for nothing but sex. I would have loved to see a more organic progression of intimacy from a-to-z.
I didn't really connect with the story. It was vague at best around the affair. One thing that bummed me out was a setup in chapter 4 that really opened a portal for fun romantic hijinks between the affair couple and their betrothed partners, but it never played out.
Overall:
If you're looking for a quick read that's more dirty sex in an affair-like setting, definitely pick this up. I may check out other tales by the author as I do like her writing voice, but this story had me suspending too much disbelief for the hero/heroine love story to feel authentic.
Craving His Best Friend's Ex by Katherine Garbera
3.0
First off, I love the premise of this story - aching for a relationship with someone that by all societal standards you can't have. It's one of my favorite romantic tropes.
While the writing was decent, I struggled to connect with this story. This is subjective, but I like really, really broken characters, and these two weren't. They each had a few personal struggles, but nothing that felt really deep or immersive.
I also (again subjective) really struggled with the world-building. i.e. There just wasn't any, so each scene felt very general, not unique to the story.
I made it as far as 60% before I wasn't really enjoying it. This is simply my personal tastes as I need more complexity, mystery and immersion from a story. But for readers who like really simple, sweet romances without a lot of complex issues, you'll probably love this. :)
While the writing was decent, I struggled to connect with this story. This is subjective, but I like really, really broken characters, and these two weren't. They each had a few personal struggles, but nothing that felt really deep or immersive.
I also (again subjective) really struggled with the world-building. i.e. There just wasn't any, so each scene felt very general, not unique to the story.
I made it as far as 60% before I wasn't really enjoying it. This is simply my personal tastes as I need more complexity, mystery and immersion from a story. But for readers who like really simple, sweet romances without a lot of complex issues, you'll probably love this. :)
INKarnate by Mara Malins
5.0
Why I picked up this book:
This is another one of those books where I was strolling around Twitter and saw a shout out for ARC readers. Dark, sex and stabby things? Why yes… please sign me up right now. I received a free copy of this story from Pen and Kink Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
True rating: 4.75 Stars
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
I honestly enjoyed the heck out of this short story. It’s a fast read, the pacing is strong, and from the first page I connected right to Emily’s plight. She’s a fish out of water in a strange, new world, but when survival’s on the line, you’ll do anything to keep going.
Matt’s character was wonderful! I’m a fan of brooding men, and he came right off the page as "I want you, don’t look at me". His strong, protective persona clashed perfectly with Emily’s sass, and I’d love to see another story of this world through his eyes.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
The sex scene was fun and steamy, but it felt a tiny bit rushed. There’s some sporadic words missing here and there, and I didn’t get a lot of sensory detail from Emily. I would have loved to feel more of what the experience was like inside her body, how her mind moved through the space from good girl to "I need more" while Matt teased her with his touch. I wanted more fleshing out (pun!) and immersion into their intimacy.
Overall:
I read this story in a few hours and enjoyed the heck out of it. If you’re searching for a quick pick-me-up for the afternoon, or a nice palate cleanser book, this is definitely the one. It should be noted there’s some mild kink, so this is definitely for readers who don’t mind some dirty belting. As for me, I can’t wait to dig in to the rest of the series. 🙂
This is another one of those books where I was strolling around Twitter and saw a shout out for ARC readers. Dark, sex and stabby things? Why yes… please sign me up right now. I received a free copy of this story from Pen and Kink Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
True rating: 4.75 Stars
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
I honestly enjoyed the heck out of this short story. It’s a fast read, the pacing is strong, and from the first page I connected right to Emily’s plight. She’s a fish out of water in a strange, new world, but when survival’s on the line, you’ll do anything to keep going.
Matt’s character was wonderful! I’m a fan of brooding men, and he came right off the page as "I want you, don’t look at me". His strong, protective persona clashed perfectly with Emily’s sass, and I’d love to see another story of this world through his eyes.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
The sex scene was fun and steamy, but it felt a tiny bit rushed. There’s some sporadic words missing here and there, and I didn’t get a lot of sensory detail from Emily. I would have loved to feel more of what the experience was like inside her body, how her mind moved through the space from good girl to "I need more" while Matt teased her with his touch. I wanted more fleshing out (pun!) and immersion into their intimacy.
Overall:
I read this story in a few hours and enjoyed the heck out of it. If you’re searching for a quick pick-me-up for the afternoon, or a nice palate cleanser book, this is definitely the one. It should be noted there’s some mild kink, so this is definitely for readers who don’t mind some dirty belting. As for me, I can’t wait to dig in to the rest of the series. 🙂
INKapable by Mara Malins
4.0
Why I picked up this book:
I received a free copy of this story from Pen and Kink Publishing in exchange for an honest review. After reading the first book (which I thoroughly enjoyed) I was definitely excited to read the next installment.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
Just like the first book, this is a fast-paced read that steps outside of Matt & Emily’s story and takes readers back to the INKomplete tattoo parlor through the eyes of Josephina, a single mother determined to avoid heartbreak at any cost. I identified with Joe’s journey on the struggle of a single mother who wants love and a partner in life, but has accepted her fate of a solo parent. She is a mom every day and keeps her life clean and structured to give a happy, carefree life to her young daughter. Any dating is done on her own time and heavily split away from her home life. This rang so authentic to me because I’ve been there… I’ve been that mom struggling to be a good parent but also steal a moment here and there to feel a little more human again. This story brings that clash of mom and self together in a strong, independent woman you can’t help but root for from the opening pages.
I adored Nathan’s character. He had a great blend of a gentle personality and a strong alpha side he could pull out when he needed to. It’s easy to see why Joe would have fallen for him, because he sees all sides of her and just loves who she is.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
The biggest struggle I had with this story was the first 20% was all about Joe & her daughter. While this is great setup and deep immersion into her plight, if it had been a larger book I probably would have set it aside, because where’s the romance? I would have really liked to see Nathan’s appearance much sooner because I did question whether he was a part of the story or not, and it took a long time for him to feel important.
Overall:
As with the first book, I really enjoyed this short story. It gives readers a reason to root for Nathan and Joe, and explores another method of kink in sex that readers didn’t get to see in the first story. Plus there’s a glimpse of some progression with Matt & Emily in their happily ever after while the core focus still remains on Joe and her struggle.
I received a free copy of this story from Pen and Kink Publishing in exchange for an honest review. After reading the first book (which I thoroughly enjoyed) I was definitely excited to read the next installment.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
Just like the first book, this is a fast-paced read that steps outside of Matt & Emily’s story and takes readers back to the INKomplete tattoo parlor through the eyes of Josephina, a single mother determined to avoid heartbreak at any cost. I identified with Joe’s journey on the struggle of a single mother who wants love and a partner in life, but has accepted her fate of a solo parent. She is a mom every day and keeps her life clean and structured to give a happy, carefree life to her young daughter. Any dating is done on her own time and heavily split away from her home life. This rang so authentic to me because I’ve been there… I’ve been that mom struggling to be a good parent but also steal a moment here and there to feel a little more human again. This story brings that clash of mom and self together in a strong, independent woman you can’t help but root for from the opening pages.
I adored Nathan’s character. He had a great blend of a gentle personality and a strong alpha side he could pull out when he needed to. It’s easy to see why Joe would have fallen for him, because he sees all sides of her and just loves who she is.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
The biggest struggle I had with this story was the first 20% was all about Joe & her daughter. While this is great setup and deep immersion into her plight, if it had been a larger book I probably would have set it aside, because where’s the romance? I would have really liked to see Nathan’s appearance much sooner because I did question whether he was a part of the story or not, and it took a long time for him to feel important.
Overall:
As with the first book, I really enjoyed this short story. It gives readers a reason to root for Nathan and Joe, and explores another method of kink in sex that readers didn’t get to see in the first story. Plus there’s a glimpse of some progression with Matt & Emily in their happily ever after while the core focus still remains on Joe and her struggle.
INKurable by Mara Malins
4.0
Why I picked up this book:
INKurable is the third book in the INKomplete series. You can read my reviews of INKarnate and INKapable here, both excellent little novellas for a rainy afternoon read. I received a free copy of this story from Pen and Kink Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
I really liked Pete’s struggle and would have loved to see more of his character. The few glimpses we got showed us a man who had a history with Phee and battled between reconnecting with a lost love and keeping their relationship professional. This tension had the chance to cause a deeper connection and rift between the characters, and I would have loved to see more of him.
I love that Joe was so present in this tale. After getting to know her in INKapable, this story showed her going beyond motherhood into the sister and friend role. You can tell that Joe reads her friend well and knows when just be present and when to step away and let her be.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
This book really stepped away from the sexual tension and focused more on Phee and her journey with cancer. While the struggle was real and authentic, it meant that her screen time opposite Pete felt like a secondary storyline. I would have loved more of Pete and Phee to really flesh out their history and his desire for her, and to put Phee’s struggle with cancer more as the secondary line. I get that for people who are in this fight, it becomes the waking moment of every part of their world, and we really felt that. But for a romantic tale this short, I personally wanted more of Pete and the sexual tension between the two characters.
Overall:
Once again this is a cute rainy day read. One thing to note for readers, this tale steps a tiny bit away from the kink found in the first two tales. It’s still present, but the romance and sex have a stronger core focus on reforging a relationship. Overall I enjoyed this one and it was great to see hints of progression with the other characters in the story.
INKurable is the third book in the INKomplete series. You can read my reviews of INKarnate and INKapable here, both excellent little novellas for a rainy afternoon read. I received a free copy of this story from Pen and Kink Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
I really liked Pete’s struggle and would have loved to see more of his character. The few glimpses we got showed us a man who had a history with Phee and battled between reconnecting with a lost love and keeping their relationship professional. This tension had the chance to cause a deeper connection and rift between the characters, and I would have loved to see more of him.
I love that Joe was so present in this tale. After getting to know her in INKapable, this story showed her going beyond motherhood into the sister and friend role. You can tell that Joe reads her friend well and knows when just be present and when to step away and let her be.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
This book really stepped away from the sexual tension and focused more on Phee and her journey with cancer. While the struggle was real and authentic, it meant that her screen time opposite Pete felt like a secondary storyline. I would have loved more of Pete and Phee to really flesh out their history and his desire for her, and to put Phee’s struggle with cancer more as the secondary line. I get that for people who are in this fight, it becomes the waking moment of every part of their world, and we really felt that. But for a romantic tale this short, I personally wanted more of Pete and the sexual tension between the two characters.
Overall:
Once again this is a cute rainy day read. One thing to note for readers, this tale steps a tiny bit away from the kink found in the first two tales. It’s still present, but the romance and sex have a stronger core focus on reforging a relationship. Overall I enjoyed this one and it was great to see hints of progression with the other characters in the story.
INKonsolable by Mara Malins
4.0
3.5 stars
Why I picked up this book:
INKonsolable is the fourth and final (to this date) book in the INKomplete series. You can read my reviews of INKarnate, INKapable and INKurable (http://blog.halon-chronicles.com) for information on this cute little novella series. I received a free copy of this story from Pen and Kink Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
I love that our hero in this book is an older guy, someone who’s already lived a full life, lost pieces of it, and he’s not at a ripe young age to turn heads from all the girls. Blakey’s struggle is real, and something a lot of people can identify with. He’s got a poor self image, wants to be loved, and yet this gorgeous life he had with his wife and all his happiness is lost. And the people around him are so happy and in love you can see the hole it’s burning in his heart. From the first page you ache for his grief.
Aisleyne is utterly fantastic. She’s a strong-minded woman who takes no shit from anyone. Yet what really gave a strong depth to her personality was that after Blakey really hurt her feelings, she discovers he needs a little extra help and boom… there she is. You get a chance to see the gentle nurse and caretaker who sets aside her own insecurities to help others. She’s a wonderful character who is the perfect opposing love force for Blakey.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
Blakey’s loss is hard, and it’s consumed every corner of his life. But for this short novel, I think personally I would have liked to see the self-loathing toned down a bit in favor of more time with Aisleyne. The book didn’t have a lot of sexual tension, and I would have liked to feel more of the fireworks between the two lovers.
It also toned down some of the sensory detail. This was the first book in the series where it felt like I was reading the story instead of immersed in the trauma and heartache. Blakey’s a wonderful character, but feelings were more identified than felt. Especially with the sex scene I felt a bit like a third party in the room watching as opposed to in the action.
Overall:
Another great read. Mara Malins has me as a reader for life. I loved this tale and the series as a whole, and I adore the fact that the characters were older with deeper, more well-established lives in this book.
Why I picked up this book:
INKonsolable is the fourth and final (to this date) book in the INKomplete series. You can read my reviews of INKarnate, INKapable and INKurable (http://blog.halon-chronicles.com) for information on this cute little novella series. I received a free copy of this story from Pen and Kink Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
This review may contain spoilers.
What I loved:
I love that our hero in this book is an older guy, someone who’s already lived a full life, lost pieces of it, and he’s not at a ripe young age to turn heads from all the girls. Blakey’s struggle is real, and something a lot of people can identify with. He’s got a poor self image, wants to be loved, and yet this gorgeous life he had with his wife and all his happiness is lost. And the people around him are so happy and in love you can see the hole it’s burning in his heart. From the first page you ache for his grief.
Aisleyne is utterly fantastic. She’s a strong-minded woman who takes no shit from anyone. Yet what really gave a strong depth to her personality was that after Blakey really hurt her feelings, she discovers he needs a little extra help and boom… there she is. You get a chance to see the gentle nurse and caretaker who sets aside her own insecurities to help others. She’s a wonderful character who is the perfect opposing love force for Blakey.
Areas needing a touch of refinement:
Blakey’s loss is hard, and it’s consumed every corner of his life. But for this short novel, I think personally I would have liked to see the self-loathing toned down a bit in favor of more time with Aisleyne. The book didn’t have a lot of sexual tension, and I would have liked to feel more of the fireworks between the two lovers.
It also toned down some of the sensory detail. This was the first book in the series where it felt like I was reading the story instead of immersed in the trauma and heartache. Blakey’s a wonderful character, but feelings were more identified than felt. Especially with the sex scene I felt a bit like a third party in the room watching as opposed to in the action.
Overall:
Another great read. Mara Malins has me as a reader for life. I loved this tale and the series as a whole, and I adore the fact that the characters were older with deeper, more well-established lives in this book.