Evita

We need this to be a series, I know, a very costly series, but non the less, we need to see all of this coming into real characters, real battles!
Now, for me the “Daughter” was a 5++++ this, was beautiful but, in contrary with what others feel, like it lost the plot etc, for me is the opposite, the way the story was going, it needed a third book to wrap everything up. The problem is not that it was too long, its the fact the we missed some very basic elements and battles and we ended up wanting more explaining, more details, more battles.

PS. The ending was the most nice plot twist!

I love the retelling of myths, folklore stories, fairy tales and I love it more when is done with excellence, staying true to the country's culture and allure.

I ll be honest, I never read or knew the Chinese stories and I do know that this book, only takes part of the myth of the moon goddess and creates new stories, however, this is a story that makes you fall in love with the Chinese legends, that creates in you the need to search for more stories and learn more things about the history and legends.

The battles, the romantic essence of it, everything was just perfectly written and it helped create a part of the fantasy world in your mind.

Yes, some parts of it were slow and the thoughts of Xingyin are some times boring, but in a book with so many fight scenes and adventures it needs a few pages of lower pace to keep you going.

I am now eager for the second part!

• I listen to this book, as was read by Saskia Maarleveld, who manages to make a move instead of a simple book in your mind.
  
  The first few chapters needed more of my focus to understand them and place them in the correct order. However, after that it had a really interesting plot and kept my attention constantly. Not as magnificent as the Diamond eye and the Alice Network but it gives you a different way to view history as we know it today.

Please check the TW of this book before reading it.
It's a hard story, a difficult one, a story that will take you through the actual process of realising how victims can be the predators in the eyes of the society, how easily one can be groomed into even believing that its their fault...
What I loved the most is that though the ending is cathartic, it is not magical, and thus, it makes the story so much more real.
There were moments that I wanted to skip the story, that I found it too slow, too much things to say without an actual purpose and the second story, the one of the other girl could have added another layer to the gaslighting the victims go through if the author had given her a few more pages.
Overall it definitely worths your time and attention, but be careful not to drag you to a dark dark place.

I devoured this book.
I was captured by the story and the vibes. I would much prefer if the ending was a bit different. The “sulking” wasn't so long, but I guess it has a meaning to give.

Although I knew from the beginning where the story would lead, based on the tropes and didn't had any surprises or plot twists for me, I was kicking my feet up in the air in some scenes.

Oh and I loved the rep of larger girls, and to those that feel like this isn't representation, let me just tell you that a 12-14 size definitely feels she on the heavy side, especially after putting effort to lose weight and she is still hasled by the people around her for her body image. Body dysphoria doesn't only happen to XL girls, it feels heavy - no pun intended - for the Large girls as well!

Was this book interesting? Yes. Where the plot twists unexpected. Yes. Was I thinking WTF? Yes.
But I found it extremely overhyped, with huge plot holes and not enough of character development.
I mean how exactly does Millie fall in love with a particular person? Where are their meetings, conversations, stories? How do lots and lots of things make sense.
Yes, it's worth the read and it's a nice quick story but it had so much more potential.

Didn't we all wondered at some point, what we would do if we knew what we would do if we knew when our time is up? I am not sure if I want to know when my end day is. But I would love to know that today, tomorrow etc I am safe. And this is what I take more of this book...
What if you knew, today you are not dying!
I really liked this book and the idea behind it, I liked the LGBTQ+ inclusion and the way it was written.

What I didn't not like is the extra POVs which made no sense, took me out of my zone and where to long, to boring.

I was so excited to read The Choice, after loving The Words, but this felt like an unpolished version of the book and the story it could be...
Like the author was in a hurry to put it out there and everything needed to go in flames quickly but mostly by making the plot so obvious it was overwhelming the way you knew what was coming next.
Also, I am sick and tired of books making the protagonists barely 18, so they can write sex scenes with them that will not be controversial.

I struggled to decide whether I should give 3 or 4 stars, so maybe 3.5 ⭐
But here is my issue with many of books in the genre. The protagonists shouldn't be 17 and 18 years old, 2 boys at that age, don't have the maturity this books and this story needs. Make them 20, 22 but not 17... At least make them a legal age to have sex!
I liked the story beginning, the building of the plot and then it just deflates...

I wanted to give this book so much more love and stars. I loved the story, the idea behind the timeloop etc but unfortunately, once I realised that the idea behind the timeloop and the actual timeloop doesn't make sense.
If the reason of the timeloop is indeed because they didn't meet the exact same time they should, then they should have been repeating that day. Not the next one.
So yes even though I liked a lot of things in this book, this has thrown me off the story and has made everything so much more confusing.

I cant even put a normal rating on this book, nor the Hunting Adeline one. I ‘ve been sitting on waiting to write a review for them, for about one week after finishing both... no, after I devour both. But I can't put a simple star rating for neither of them.
This is so dark that it makes the fact that I liked the writing and the storytelling weird. The fact that some people fantasize about Zate, makes everything even more weird and leaves me with a weird feeling about our life choices.
H.D. Carlton writes perfectly, the stories are smart, and the keep you up in night.
Read the TW and please read this with an open mind, without making abuse something romantic.

My first DNF for 2023...
I don't know how you can go through almost 700 pages without a plot. There is literally no interest in this book, no plot. I tried to read it and I also tried the audiobook which was soooo much worse because of Diesel's voice and grunting.

So these men kidnap a woman because her father sold her, the author never explains, why, or even why they choose to do it at that point of time, you would expect this to have something to do at least with birthday etc, but no, they just decide to take her a random night.
I got up to chapter 28, I struggled to get there as there was no plot, nothing to hook on, nothing to wait for.

This can be a 5 stars for the right people and 1 for those that hate slow books, but for most of us I think it's an OK sort of biography that gains more points for the dialect it's written in and the accuracy of the history facts.
It's interesting if you are into history fiction but lacks of an interesting continuing plot. The thing that made me frustrated is that at some points timeline doesn't make any sense and you are left counting months etc to make things fit into place (I don't think they do).

Before reading it, check the TW, it mentions child loss, miscarriage, animal cruelty...

Please go find the audiobook of this one and just enjoy it while doing chores and enjoying a cup of coffee!
Yes the story is so fake it's funny, but this is such a feel good, funny story that just made my day. And Will Watt narrated it soooo good, it cracks me up!
It not a masterpiece that will go into classic, I don't think Alexis Hall is trying that, but this is an excellent written book, with an interesting plot and so many smart phrases!
Enjoy

Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Audio 💗💗💗💗💗 (Lori Prince has been added to my favorite narrators. And she can moan in my ears all day long)

Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

"good things come to those who wait"

Was this a bit too long? Yes, sure. Could it be about 100 pages shorter? Yes. But I would miss the moans, and this 2 beautiful characters sooner. So I don't really mind the 20 hours it took me to listen to this book. Nor I minded the long descriptions and the long conversations.

I loved the way the author touched on the coming out issues, on how this would affect a public person's profile and support. The struggles and how they try to mask or hide their sexuality. BUT! As a Bi person, the fact the Sutton, after realizing she was Bi, went only for women and was locked at home, and didn't know what to do and how to meet someone etc, it was so weird and so out of context... She was bisexual...

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5c/99/39/5c993918849a1858176cc694ee3c354a.gif

Anyhow, chef's kiss to this book and to its author. Off to look out her other books and what I ll read next.

Ps. I am not reading the small novella that came after, I read somewhere it involved kids, and I am sick and tired of the whole "to be a family you need kids" mentality! I' ll leave my Sutton and Charlotte with a romantic love.