MeowMeow
All the books in this series would have been 5 stars if the endings weren't always so rushed, without much time spent on certain things that would have made the books much more satisfying.
I am done with this series. Annoying characters, yet again “haha let's anger everybody and make bumbling mistakes and just be stupid” ... I think my time is better spent reading other, more deserving books. Reading the reviews for the rest of the books, I'm glad I decided to stop here.
I enjoyed the story. The rise in tension in the first half was great, but the second half was slightly disappointing. Plus I kind of figured Heather's deal really early on, so that was a bit of a bummer. But what I want to know is ... who the hell helps someone cover up a murder when they've been friends with that person for only 2 years? Life-long friends who helped each other through horrible abusive childhoods, maybe. But it doesn't make sense to risk your husband and your children for someone you've known for 2 years! And it's not like they were THAT close, either; they met often to talk, but that's it. A superficial friendship. That's not worth going to prison and losing your family for!
Would have been 5 if not for the romance stuff. Don't get me wrong, love is great and romance is awesome and all, but ... come on now.
First of all, this is NOT a psychological thriller, no matter how hard it tries to sell itself as one. This is a pile of self-indulgent, horrible, whining CRAP that is trying to masquerade as a psychological thriller when in fact it's just ... an account of the marital problems between two couples who happen to be friends. One of the main characters, Finn, needs a giant dose of STFU to stop all the whining he does. This book could have had half its chapters cut (to get rid of the incessant word vomit) and it wouldn't even affect the story. I had to skim/skip chapter upon chapter to just read the last few. Even then I'm so angry at having wasted my time.
Holy shit. What a pile of disappointment.
3.5 stars, almost a 4. The Aeslin mice were the best thing. The heroine's love interest was one of the worst things.
Would've been more stars if the heroine and her family weren't so infuriating.
I loved the best friend, Parker, and am glad she's got her own story.
Poignant, beautiful, sad and tinged with a bit of humor. Heartachingly nostalgic. Loved the main characters
Great story, great tension and suspense throughout.
This is the first of the author's books that I've read, and it won't be the last.
An action-filled romp with some quantum physics lessons thrown in. A fun, light read.
I always find myself misty-eyed while reading this series. The softness and gentleness of the main characters warms my heart.
I thought I was going to like this one, but in the end was pretty disappointed.
The writing is a notch up from the crappy paranormal cozy I read a couple days ago, but that doesn't say much considering the last one's author writes like she barely reads any books. This one is ok. But the book is rambling, there are scenes that suddenly transition into another scene rather suddenly, and it's also repetitive. I feel like she writes scenes in different order or something before stitching them together linearly, because there will be times where a character asks the MC something that the MC has ALREADY TOLD THEM previously. “Why do you care about Talyn so much?” is a question that was asked like twenty freaking times.
Also, I knew who was the killer as soon as the character was introduced.....
Every LitRPG book I've ever read is just a horrible mess, filled with cliche upon cliche and amateur writing, and this is no different.
This novel was quite engaging for the first 75 pages, but then it quickly devolves into a horrifyingly unprofessional shitshow by the main character. Reminded me of [b:Need to Know 40647345 Need to Know Karen Cleveland https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1529995079s/40647345.jpg 55506959], the other novel with an abysmally STUPID main character who is also completely unprofessional. Just once, I'd love to read about a competent woman character who doesn't go around kissing local cops and doing stupid crap like antagonize everyone and being a rebel maverick and all that.It boggled my mind to read all the idiotic, unprofessional things that a supposed FBI agent who “possesses good instincts” like Violet Darger did when she was working this case. Just, wow... The entire book and story is marred by it. And by the seemingly endless amount of pages that rambled on from the killer's perspective, talking about darkness and the abyss and falling into it and darkness and the abyss and falling into it and getting caught in it and being alone and the darkness and the abyss and falling into it and getting caught in it and being alone darkness and ... You get my drift. Like. For goodness sake!
I enjoyed the book. The main character was great. It would have been 5 stars wholeheartedly if not for the rather deflated climax/ending as well as the silly, shoe-horned romance with Kat.
Bleak. Cold. Depressing. Stilted. The way it made me feel: Like finding pieces of glass in your dinner.
The description says it has “a distinctive Russian sensibility” and boy, does it.
The main character is a woman so mind-numbingly STUPID and easily manipulated that she is an incompetent CIA agent who lets her emotions get the better of her. Of course duty and oaths mean nothing, because apparently you just throw all that by the wayside for the sake of a handsome face and to avoid potential hardship. Russia doesn't need all those sleeper cells if the USA is full of emotional, incompetent agents like this.
Before the main character does something stupid yet again, she reminisces about being there for her kids' little moments, like losing their first tooth or soothing them from nightmares. And then she thinks, “this will mean the Bureau won't catch sleepers it otherwise might have. But in the scheme of things, how much does it matter?” ... Really? This is someone who works in counter intelligence, a CIA agent? So willing to throw national security out the window because she wants to hear her kid say “love you mommy.”
That's the sound of my vomit hitting the floor.
Apparently when push comes to shove, women just turn into traitors.
I am so sick of women being shown this way. This is the kind of book that certain jackasses would use as proof that women aren't as good as men, that we can't be trusted to do a good job. That when push comes to shove, we'll just throw country and loyalty and oaths overboard for the husband or kids. WHY WHY WHY do we have to be shown in such a light all the time?!
Can I please for once read a book with a competent, strong woman who doesn't just do idiotic things?
This book has horrible grammar and an extremely amateur writing style. All the high ratings and crazy compliments are leaving me completely baffled.
Was in the mood for a fun, somewhat trashy read (nothing wrong with trashy when you're in the mood for it). This hit the spot in some ways but it was a bit ridiculous in a few others. Sigh.
Way to try to capitalize on other authors' popularity, man. Michael as in Michael Crichton, and Gresham as in John Grisham? Seriously.
Okay this is the end of the line for me. No more. I was binging on these as I was in an urban fantasy nostalgia kick and I'd never tried the ‘grandmother' of urban fantasy, but ... holy crap these have been going downhill. I don't think I can read anymore.
In the book: “Too heads are better than one.” Are you fucking serious???
Edited to add: For the person who messaged me saying I'm lying: This is in Chapter 4, jerkwad, and it's the heroine talking to Sean, saying, “The chief of police is dead and we have no idea what happened. Too heads are better than one.”