Driven ( Otherworld Stories 13.6) by Kelley Armstrong and Xaviere Daumarie

                                     Arc provided by Subterranean Press through Netgalley

                                                    Release Date: January 31rt 2016

Continuing my Kelley Armstrong phase _ fifth book in a row but who is counting?_ I was more than willing to start reading this arc.
I don't know what I was expecting _ probably just another short that took place in the Otherworld series _, but I definitely got more than I was expecting...
Let me explain: I've read all the books in the "Women of the Otherworld" series and I've mourned its end, so I wasn't expecting to find out that "the thing"  has actually carried on since I've stopped reading it.
 This time directed at a more exclusive number of readers...
Yes, from the novels that I've read in the latest Armstrong anthology_some of them also previously edited by Subterranean Press_, it means that this story will probably ONE DAY also be edited in a more generalized way, but until then most Kelley Armstrong fans will probably be stuck waiting.

So, this story, was it worth the read?
Most definitely yes.
Elena and Clay's twins are now nine years old. Karl and Hope are on kid number two. Jeremy and Jaime continue together...
...oh and Malcolm is back. -_-

Okay, and this is where things get tricky, because most events in this book would make much more sense if I had read the previous Subterranean Press volume untitled Brazen _ which I didn't, because TIME is scarce, also because I didn't know that the time-line in these stories was that strict!
So reading this, I found out that a certain womaniser character has actually settled down, and that Malcolm _ yes, the big Bad Wolf _ is trying to get back in the Pack.

The story?
Gruesome as it can get: this time a certain clan of werewolf's is being targeted, and Elena faces one of her biggest challenges as alpha.
It was also nice to see that fatherhood has been good to Clayton: he definitely feels more humane that he did in the initial volumes of the series.
The writing is fluid and to the point as ever, so if you're a fan of the series you're probably going to love this as well.

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Deceptions ( Cainsville # 3) by Kelley Armstrong

Actual rating.... 2,75 -_-

Okay, there isn't much more I can say about this series without going into full spoiler mode.
I've already mentioned more than once how I love the story: the mystery of it, the creepiness in it, both of them are winners.

The characters as per usual KA are also extremely well developed: as such, if I could, I would goble the entire series _ five volumes? _ in a row. Unfortunately, the last volumes have not yet been released. Bummer. -__-

So why this rating?
The romance thing, you guys!! It is frustrating and it should be irrelevant to the story, but it isn't, because of course the whole thing is completely entangled!
As such, we have two amazing guys: Gabriel who most times ends up being a twat but whose background has made it impossible for us not to root for him, and Rick (y), who despite the juvenile name is everything Olivia could ask for and more.
As if that wasn't already problematic, there's also the small issue of a pre-ordained fate for those three.
Yes, this means PARANORMAL ROMANCE ISSUES, you guys.
So on one side there's this creepy mystery related with Olivia's parent's, aka the mass murder killers... maybe... and then on the other side we have elements of the Great Hunt. The way they're intertwined is pretty great, but the love triangle, or better yet, the possibility for a love triangle is just tainting everything!

p.s- Yes, I may be a little dramatic
p.s1- Deal with it.
p.s2- This cover. This cover. Argh!! My eyes.

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Visions (Cainsville #2) by Kelley Armstrong

Okay, here's the thing: I'll probably read anything that the author writes.

Kelley Armstrong definitely knows how to tell a tale, and the mystery behind this series is addictive as hell.
~FYI, I had forgotten what it felt to want to binge read a series this much. Cainsville brought that feeling back.~

Then I freaking love the characters...
Okay, I may have a soft spot for Gabriel, due to the shorts stories that I read in Led Astray

I loved Olivia in the first book: she was resourceful and just a strong character all around. Now, I am not saying that that changes in this book.
It doesn't.
What does change, is that, while Omens is a thriller with bits of paranormal in it, Visions enters the paranormal romance department and I kind of hated that. -_-
While it can be debatable the presence or not of a love triangle we know that the thing is there!
Sure, Olivia should go on with her live. It isn't as if she's cheating on anyone since that person has a lot of intimacy issues and may need a bat to the head to figure out what is happening with his own heart, but it still felt strange especially due to the paranormal aspect of the relationship.
Was I the only one who felt that they were behaving like a pair of werewolf's?
________

What can I say?
Maybe I am biased because I really couldn't care less about those two as as couple, and as such the whole thing was just boring for me to read.
I would have liked more focus on the mystery and less frolicking by the end of the road with Rick.
Even if Rick is a great guy. He is. He really is. 
The thing is that the author has made it impossible to not prefer Gabriel over Rick!
So annoying.

p.s- You know what is also extremely anoying?
The change in the covers design. -_-
The third one seems like it belongs in a completely different "family". o_O


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Omens ( Cainsville #1) by Kelley Armstrong

As sure as the sun eventually rises, I knew that I would read this book one of these days.
When?
Not sure, but I would get to it. After all, it was written by one of my favourite authors.

Strangely _or maybe nor_, it was while I was reading Kelley Armstrong's anthology "Led Astray" that I saw what I was missing out on not having started this series way sooner...although, now, I have the benefit of being able to read three books all in one row. Ahah! :D

So, let's start by calling things by their actual names. Is this an urban fantasy dash paranormal romance novel?
Humm, not really. In fact, if I hadn't read Led Astray that shone some light on what is happening in Cainsville, I would probably be suffering from "what the hell is going in here, people?"
This means that in the end I read this as your "basic" psychological suspense thriller with bits of the odd thrown in, once in awhile.

I love it that the author knows how to keep a story flowing. You don't have to give the reader an info dump once every minute, if you just knew how to do things. And the author sure knows how to.
That way, I was finally able to finish a story in a little over one day: huge thing for me, guys.

Also, I remember that I went to sleep thinking about what was going to happen in the story.
It got me invested in it. What more can I ask?

The characters, as usual, are well developed and interesting. I liked how in this one, they feel more raw. I liked how there wasn't the typical and immediate romance... between certain characters...

Having read "Led Astray" I was really curious about Gabriel and Patrick, so it was "nice" to seem them once again. As well as all the other folks in Cainville.
Definitely recommended to all of you who like a good mystery and who like to be kept on the edge of their seat.

On to the second one! :D

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The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher

Another day, another retelling. This one vaguely based on the Bluebeard tale...
It has a miller's daughter as the main character and a resourceful hedgehog as the cute sidekick.

Thing is, despite my attempt at lightness, this story couldn't be further away from it.
The writing may feel a little too plain at times _ for which reason I took a star from the final rating _ and the character may feel a little too young, but once again _ read my review of Bryony and Roses _ I feel that this book should be directed at an older crowd.

There's scenes in this that could make it a home in a horror tale.

However despite praising the story's worth, I just couldn't connect with the characters.
Yes, at first glance everything seems to be there: the main characters are a group of very different women. Yes, they form a friendship of a kind to escape their captor, but, I don't know... I guess they felt very one dimensional.
The focus of the tale, it is on the story, and as such, I was left feeling as if any character could represent the roles that needed to be played.
The characters are not that memorable.

On the positive side, I liked how there wasn't any stupid new adult vibe of "oh, let's try to romanticize to bastard who has all of us captives".
 -____________-
Unfortunately it bears saying, since there appears to be a current trend to brainwash girls/woman's brains into seeing abusive jackasses as romantic types.

Bottom line, it was a good story, but if I had to chose between this one and T. Kingfisher's other book that I've recently read, I would still go with "Bryony and Roses".

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The Legend of Lyon Redmond ( Pennyroyal Green #11) by Julie Anne Long

Warning: Some mild spoilers ahead.

Although I've read almost all the books in this series _ that's right, I still haven't read the famous book about Violet _, only a small number of them are actually favourites.
Normally the more recent ones... but as you can see it isn't a done deal.

My indisputable favourite still is, What I did For a Duke. Compared with Genevieve and Falconbridge's romance, Lyon and Olivia are just forgettable secondary characters.

As much as I wanted, I just couldn't care about them.
Their insta love and all that follows felt very immature, so I really couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. But I am a grumpy old cat lady ;)

I didn't like the format in which the story was told, because in the first half we get to see Lyon and Olivia falling in love, and like I already mentioned it was very insta...everything. I didn't get that sense of... FATE.
Then they fight as couples do, and he decides to go away, and she to pine over him... until she agrees to marry someone else, in which moment Lyon decides to come back.
Frankly my favourite character ended up the jilted groom.
So Lyon comes back and he decides to put Olivia to a test...
Thing is still couldn't feel their connection. There wasn't enough romance for it.

I know which test I would put him through, but that wouldn't be polite to write in here. o_O

So, sorry, but this definitely didn't work out for me... unless we're talking about "are you fuc***g kidding me?" moments, in which case I experienced a lot of those.
Oh, well, maybe the next book will be of the poor guy who was _______ __ __A____.
Really mature of you, ___. *eye roll*

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Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher

So, this book, this story, it was one of a very small number of books that I was able to read this month. But more than having read it, what is more important about it, is that I actually loved reading it.

As you well know, I am partial to retellings.
This one, not only fits that bill, but it also had the advantage of having been approved by most of my book...ish friends.
So, one of these days in which I was reading _ and still am _ a particularly boring story, I decided to just start with this one. Just give it a go.

Bryony, who most of us would see as a Belle _ honestly, don't _ is a very sensible gardener, who lives with her two sisters: One of them, a very practical don't mess with me kind of girl about whom I would love to read more about. The other... well, she's most of a ninny.

One day, due to fate also known as rutabagas issues Bryony gets lost during a blizzard. After contemplating the eventual loss of multiple fingers and toes, Bryony gets to this mysterious where the hell did you come from? mansion.
Accompanied by her not very smart, but faithfully donkey _don't ask_ Bryony enters the mysterious and magical house...

Okay, so you see where this is going, right?
(..)
Okay, I don't want to reveal much more of the plot, so I just want to say that the characters are really well done. They may act true to their roles, but they are also quite modern in their view of those actual roles, like when the Beast recognizes that Bryony is in fact somewhat his hostage.

The romance is there, but it is not the vital part of the story.

Also, I think that this story would be better received by an adult crowd than an ya one.
This may be a retelling, but it is one with thorny spikes. At times it crosses the horror and more sexual line.
What I am trying to say with this, is that purists of the retelling may have some issues with it.
As for me, I like being surprised, so yes, definitely recommended.

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Cold Hearted Rake ( The Ravenels #1) by Lisa Kleypas

After much okay a little analysis I've decided to remove a star to this book.
Here's the thing: did the romance swept me of my feet?
Hmmmmmm... No, it did not.

As other reviewers have mentioned, for me the weakest part of this book was also the romance.
Or romances, as in plural. Because there's another one to which we readers are presented to, and it honestly left me scrunching my face in distaste.

Here's the thing, in a general perspective I actually liked the characters.
maybe because they reminded me a little too much of the Hathaways... o_O
And if I want to read about a dysfunctional family I rather re-read the Hathaways, and not some distorted version of them.

In this one, our main characters are Devon Cam and Katherine Amelia... only in this one Devon is a cad with a sharp tongue, and Katherine could use a little more of Amelia's strength (See Mine Till Midnight). Or age.

As secondary characters there's West _ Devon's brother_ here a "little" of Leo Hathaway( See Married by Morning). He drinks, he doesn't care about anything else... until the moment he starts caring about everything.

Helen is Katherine's sister in law, and here a little of Winnifred (See Seduced At Sunrise). Or Poppy.(See Tempt Me At Twilight)
 Unfortunately she doesn't get to have a Merripen, but an ill mannered idiot who is supposed to be some sort of Harry Rutledge.
Then there's also a pair of twins, and one of them just reminds me of Beatrix (See Love in The Afternoon).
Do you see where this is going? -_-

Thing is, I actually loved the setting. I loved the fact that this story takes place in a time when the old traditions are being challenged by a new age.
I loved the relationships between sisters and brothers.
Katherine and West's friendship was a blast to read.
...
But the two romances weren't that great.
Even so I preferred reading Katherine's and Devon relationship to Helen's and Winterborne's. At least with the first ones there isn't a nasty shade of abuse surrounding the thing.

We don't get to see it, but we are told that Winterborne's forces his kisses on Helen leaving her distressed about it.
And I am already seeing how things are going to work out for those two. She's probably going to apologize to the idiot. Arghg.
I don't like bullies.
I don't care if he has had a difficult background: I don't like him, and I wish that Devon had let him drown.
But, and this was worth less a half a star, I also had a hard time with Devon's attitude towards the end!
Hey, jackass, if you want a dog, you should get a four legged one. Guys, who give commands by pointing fingers should have their hands broken.

On the positives, I think I may like West's book when it comes out.

If only this book had been shorter, and more focused on Kathleen and Devon's romance _ I understand why it wasn't, with Kathleen being a widow _ I think I would have found less things to bother me.
Like Winterborne not being in it.

p.s- I better finish this review or by the time I'm done with it, this rating will be reduced to a one star rating. -_-

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Guide to the Crystal Gems by Rebecca Sugar

It's no secret that I'm a rabid fan of Steven Universe - I really think it's the best kids' show (and not just for kids!). I love how it addresses familial relationships, friendship, abusive relationships, loss, lgbta+ issues, and FEELS so many feels!

Even if, like me, you're obsessed with Steven Universe you'll still find new information about the Crystal Gems and the Steven Universe world. And if you're not familiar with Steven Universe this is an excellent starting point!

It even includes Lion!!!

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When the Duke Was Wicked (Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James #1) by Lorraine Heath

The story itself was absolutely fine, as was the writing, but I never felt any chemistry between Grace and Henry - which is a pity because I had high hopes after having read about them in Falling Into Bed With A Duke.

I knew it was hopeless, but I thought Grace would be better off really moving on from her childhood crush on Henry, plus I found it more than a little creepy how much older he was, and how they knew each other when she was a little girl. 

Besides, I really disliked how Henry kept compromising her while being so strict when it came to his own sister. That hypocritical attitude never was to my taste, it seems as if a woman is only truly worth protecting and honouring if she is somehow yours in some way, be it as a mother, sister, daughter or wife. It's just... gross. 

And the comparisons between lively Grace and the wishy-washy dead wife were... troubling.

Which leads to the dilemma: this is a really well written story, but I hated the romance and how the characters were portrayed. Henry, for all his heartache, should have been less of a creep, and Grace should have been less naïve, considering all she went through.

Regarding what Grace went through: I REALLY LOVED that such a subject (can't say what it is, since it's a spoiler!) was addressed in HR and involving such a young girl as well, to help dispel the notion that it'll only happen in your later years. And I truly did love how the whole subject was handled. 

I just couldn't get into the rest...

So read it and see for yourself because, as always, what doesn't work for me will work for other readers!

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