Mini Thoughts
Hello, all!
Reputation- Lex Croucher: After her parent's leave for the seaside, Georgina Ellers is left in the care of her aunt and uncle. Georgiana is resigned to spending her time going from one dull party to the next, but then she meets Francis Campbell. Francis is everything that Georgiana isn't: she's wealthy, has a gaggle of friends, and isn't afraid to participate in things that would make other ladies of their standing blush. Desperate for any kind of companionship, Georgiana latches onto Francis, and soon her life is turned upside down. She's introduced to a world of debauchery where the drinks and hands flow freely. Georgiana is willing to do whatever it takes to stay in Francis's good graces, but can't stop embarrassing herself. Especially in front of Thomas, who is quickly taking up residence in Georgiana's mind. But Georgiana learns that in their social circle, reputations are everything-- but at what cost?
If you were to take Mean Girls mix it with Gossip Girl and set it in Victorian London, you would get this book. Croucher's writing style is very cheeky and easy to read. I went into this thinking it would be a breezy read and was surprised when it was a bit darker than I anticipated. Character-wise, I thought Georgiana came across as very young and impressionable. She was so willing to go along with whatever Francis did, even if that meant being rude or mean towards those who didn't deserve it. Due to this, I had a hard time warming up to her and didn't feel much of a connection. Despite that, I did still enjoy this. It didn't blow me away, but it was a fun time.
A Brush With Love- Mazey Eddings: Harper is a driven dental school student anxiously awaiting a spot in a top residency program when she (literally) stumbles into Dan. Harper offers to help Dan fix the model she broke, and the pair strike up a friendship. Unlike Harper, Dan isn't as enthusiastic about dentistry and is only going to school to appease his family. As the pair spend more time together, sparks start to fly. The last thing Harper needs is a distraction, but can't deny that Dan checks all her boxes when it comes to a romantic partner. When it comes to fillings, Harper is a pro, but feelings? Not so much. Is it possible Harper can have the residency and the man of her dreams?
I'm a bit torn on this one. On one hand, there were a lot of cute moments I liked, but on the other, there were just as many things I didn't like. For starters, I enjoyed the dental school setting and appreciated the representation of women in the medical field. I thought the way that Harper was treated just because she was a female in the field was, sadly, very realistic, but she handled all the comments with grace. I also appreciated the mental health representation, how it affects everyone differently, and the different forms of help that are out there. That said, my issues were with the pacing and the characters. It felt very long and a bit repetitive. I also didn't feel any connection to Harper or Dan. I did like Dan a smidge more, but only because there were times Harper frustrated me. Overall, it was cute but didn't leave much of an impact on me.
The War of Two Queens- Jennifer L. Armentrout: After a run-in with the Blood Queen leaves Casteel a prisoner, Poppy vows to stop at nothing to get her King back. With the power of the Primals flowing in her blood, Poppy convinces the Atlantian armies that the time for war is now. Poppy isn't thrilled about the idea of a war with her mother, but she knows the only way to ensure the peace the land deserves is to fight for it. After a daring rescue, Poppy and Casteel must embrace old traditions to ensure the safety of all they hold dear. But the pair and their allies quickly learn they have much bigger problems than the threat of war. When ancient primal magic begins to stir, uncovering a horror from eons before, it leaves Poppy with no choice but to face her biggest fear-- become the Harbinger of Death and Destruction or let everything she knows slip away.
I hate to say it, but I feel like I'm being punked with this series. I thought the first two books were solid, but I feel like somewhere along the way the plot has been thrown out the window. To be fair, the entire series as a whole hasn't been the best-- the writing isn't great, there's been little to no world-building, poor character development, and smut just for the sake of it-- but at least I've always been entertained. With this, I couldn't wait for it to end. Again, it was unnecessarily long (seriously, you could've chopped it in half and told the same story), and it felt like there were moments thrown in to appease fans rather than help move the plot along. And the plot! It just keeps getting more and more convoluted. I shouldn't be this confused as to what's going on when we're four books in. All that said, I'm apparently a glutton for punishment because I'll still pick up the next book despite not enjoying this one. I've invested too much time into this series already that I may as well ride it out, but yeah, this was not my favorite.
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| Pub Date: 4-5-22 Adult - Historical Romance |
Reputation- Lex Croucher: After her parent's leave for the seaside, Georgina Ellers is left in the care of her aunt and uncle. Georgiana is resigned to spending her time going from one dull party to the next, but then she meets Francis Campbell. Francis is everything that Georgiana isn't: she's wealthy, has a gaggle of friends, and isn't afraid to participate in things that would make other ladies of their standing blush. Desperate for any kind of companionship, Georgiana latches onto Francis, and soon her life is turned upside down. She's introduced to a world of debauchery where the drinks and hands flow freely. Georgiana is willing to do whatever it takes to stay in Francis's good graces, but can't stop embarrassing herself. Especially in front of Thomas, who is quickly taking up residence in Georgiana's mind. But Georgiana learns that in their social circle, reputations are everything-- but at what cost?
If you were to take Mean Girls mix it with Gossip Girl and set it in Victorian London, you would get this book. Croucher's writing style is very cheeky and easy to read. I went into this thinking it would be a breezy read and was surprised when it was a bit darker than I anticipated. Character-wise, I thought Georgiana came across as very young and impressionable. She was so willing to go along with whatever Francis did, even if that meant being rude or mean towards those who didn't deserve it. Due to this, I had a hard time warming up to her and didn't feel much of a connection. Despite that, I did still enjoy this. It didn't blow me away, but it was a fun time.
Rating: 3/5
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| Pub Date: 3-1-22 Adult - Contemporary |
A Brush With Love- Mazey Eddings: Harper is a driven dental school student anxiously awaiting a spot in a top residency program when she (literally) stumbles into Dan. Harper offers to help Dan fix the model she broke, and the pair strike up a friendship. Unlike Harper, Dan isn't as enthusiastic about dentistry and is only going to school to appease his family. As the pair spend more time together, sparks start to fly. The last thing Harper needs is a distraction, but can't deny that Dan checks all her boxes when it comes to a romantic partner. When it comes to fillings, Harper is a pro, but feelings? Not so much. Is it possible Harper can have the residency and the man of her dreams?
I'm a bit torn on this one. On one hand, there were a lot of cute moments I liked, but on the other, there were just as many things I didn't like. For starters, I enjoyed the dental school setting and appreciated the representation of women in the medical field. I thought the way that Harper was treated just because she was a female in the field was, sadly, very realistic, but she handled all the comments with grace. I also appreciated the mental health representation, how it affects everyone differently, and the different forms of help that are out there. That said, my issues were with the pacing and the characters. It felt very long and a bit repetitive. I also didn't feel any connection to Harper or Dan. I did like Dan a smidge more, but only because there were times Harper frustrated me. Overall, it was cute but didn't leave much of an impact on me.
Rating: 3/5
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| Pub Date: 3-15-22 New Adult - Fantasy |
The War of Two Queens- Jennifer L. Armentrout: After a run-in with the Blood Queen leaves Casteel a prisoner, Poppy vows to stop at nothing to get her King back. With the power of the Primals flowing in her blood, Poppy convinces the Atlantian armies that the time for war is now. Poppy isn't thrilled about the idea of a war with her mother, but she knows the only way to ensure the peace the land deserves is to fight for it. After a daring rescue, Poppy and Casteel must embrace old traditions to ensure the safety of all they hold dear. But the pair and their allies quickly learn they have much bigger problems than the threat of war. When ancient primal magic begins to stir, uncovering a horror from eons before, it leaves Poppy with no choice but to face her biggest fear-- become the Harbinger of Death and Destruction or let everything she knows slip away.
I hate to say it, but I feel like I'm being punked with this series. I thought the first two books were solid, but I feel like somewhere along the way the plot has been thrown out the window. To be fair, the entire series as a whole hasn't been the best-- the writing isn't great, there's been little to no world-building, poor character development, and smut just for the sake of it-- but at least I've always been entertained. With this, I couldn't wait for it to end. Again, it was unnecessarily long (seriously, you could've chopped it in half and told the same story), and it felt like there were moments thrown in to appease fans rather than help move the plot along. And the plot! It just keeps getting more and more convoluted. I shouldn't be this confused as to what's going on when we're four books in. All that said, I'm apparently a glutton for punishment because I'll still pick up the next book despite not enjoying this one. I've invested too much time into this series already that I may as well ride it out, but yeah, this was not my favorite.
Rating: 2/5
Sorry that all of these seemed to be very middle of the road for you. I've been curious about A Brush with Love (one of my best friends in high school wanted to be a dentist forever and did become one so the premise reminds me of her). And I've said it before, but I'm so cautious about the next JLA book now! I don't think anyone liked it!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever seen a book with more divided reviews than TWOTQ!
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