Best Kept Lies (Shadow Play #1) by Helena Maeve
Please, don't take my rating too seriously. I am not sure what is going on myself .. he-he.
I liked it enough to give 4 stars, which is surprising, considering the amount of sex scenes (not a big fan) and the ending (felt kind of unfinished, not a big fan either). But on the whole, I think I liked it enough for 4 stars, so I am sticking with it.
2
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Tired of butchered foreign languages
2 stars off for Russian.
I am so fed up with the authors who can't be bothered to ask for help with the foreign language.
There are so many of us here, from every corner of the world, and we are readers, too! We do get offended when our native language/history is butchered or twisted beyond recognition time after time after time, simply because authors couldn't spare two minutes to reach out and ask for help.
Here is "Ask An Expert" link on GR. There is Regional Experts thread somewhere in there. FIND IT. USE IT.
Maybe I am overreacting right now, but these are my feels.
19 Best LGBTQ Sci-Fi books...
according to the link below. I only read one of them "The Bone Rider", but I have 5 more lined up on my TBR shelf.
https://best-sci-fi-books.com/19-best-lgbtq-science-fiction-books/
Laid to Ruin
I am not a huge fan of sex scenes in every other chapter, but I didn’t mind it in this book. Glad to finally come across a book written by a skillful writer. 5 stars for that.The only reason “Laid to Ruin” got 4 stars from me is the editing. If the author decides to include lube or even spit in the shenanigans, I will then add another star. Claudas repeatedly “almost laughing” was another pet peeve of mine. Other than that, no complaints whatsoever :)
Divide & Conquer
Mild spoilers below. However, I can argue it's abuse with elements of cheating (sucking face with an old friend while in a relationship) and therefore my review is a warning.--------------
I can't help it. The more I read, the more it's bothering me: is Zane in an abusive relationship? I get that Ty, a boy wonder (he sings, he dances, he speaks Farsi, he ...I wouldn't be surprised if he macrames), is unpredictable, but he is very consistent where it comes to punishing Zane for one thing or another. Verbally, physically. Lash out first, think/talk/explain later. Scratch the think part. It never occurs to Ty that holding a drunk person under water may result in serious damage. It also never occurs to Ty that hitting a person with a fresh head injury in the jaw and sending him into a wall may also result in serious damage.
Ty is also needy and selfish. They've been together just a handful of months and Ty is already freaking out because Zane can't say the L word out loud.
- It doesn't matter that Zane loved his wife deeply, had wicked hard time after her death and is still grieving.
- It doesn't matter that every person functions at a different pace.
- It doesn't matter that Zane is more about showing his love rather than telling. Actually Zane did admit to Ty as much, just didn't use the L word itself.
- It doesn't matter that Zane cares and saves Ty's ass over and over again.
None if it apparently counts in Ty's mind.
To me, Ty comes off as a selfish abusive insecure jerk. Who, by the way, was sucking face with Nick right after their conversation about how Ty wasn't sure about Zane being monogamous. He dismisses Zane at almost every turn yet still expects iloveyous from him. The prick. Ty, not Zane.
Maybe it's because I am not into sex scenes. I skip those. And so the rest of it, the out-of-bed relationship, is in. my. face.
I can continue on about this mess of the series, but the list is too long. The bottom line tho, I am now convinced that all the characters in these books are jumping through the hoops to accommodate the authors, although some to lesser degree than others. That's never a good thing and therefore I am done with this series. However, I will re-read [b:Warrior's Cross|6782412|Warrior's Cross|Madeleine Urban|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1355864076s/6782412.jpg|6916543] if only to compare my own notes from 5 years ago.
*
PS I was just cheering for Zane when he slogged Ty, but dammit, what a disappointment it was when he started grovelling right after it.
Like I said, DONE.
Adekan, Volume 2
Creepy at times but also incredibly delicious 😋 The art alone is worth 10 stars 🌟There is an undertone of paranormal in these stories, courtesy of people who crossed the line of being criminals into realm of absolute insanity, hence you keep guessing at the set up until another mystery is sold. However... there is also this mysterious “gang”. Are they demons? aliens? changelings? Anyway, they can treat any kind of injuries in seconds by consuming a drug called "red veil".
Cut & Run
Not as great as the first time I read it. 3.5 stars instead of 5.I remembered very little of this book when starting a reread, yet the serial killer was very obvious to me. That and the MCs talking for chapters on end with nothing else happening brought the stars down.
I wish I had notes from my first read for comparison.
Punishment
WARNING: underage teenagers for slaughter, death of small children and toddlers.Aaaaand just like that, I am DNFing @ 98%.
I get it that somewhere out there in a vast universe vampires feed on little human kids all the time, kill two or twenty without a second thought while at it too. You know, every day occurrence and all. Like dingoes and baby koalas, or my friend’s effing golden retriever and baby rabbits.
There is nothing “sexy” in this “paranormal erotica” when it comes to fucking and giving a “pleasant end” to a manipulated (mind fucked) 15 year old or draining toddlers empty, robbing kids of their lives to teach some bad boy a lesson. At least dingoes eat to survive.
I can take in a lot and of a different variety, I can also read about the death of a child in a concentration camp or at the hands of a serial killer, but that’s history and crime, however gruesome and unpleasant and heartbreaking, not “sexy erotica”. With [b:The Boy in the Striped Pajamas|39999|The Boy in the Striped Pajamas|John Boyne|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1366228171s/39999.jpg|1148702] or [b: The Most Notorious Serial Killers|34225371|TIME-LIFE The Most Notorious Serial Killers Ruthless, Twisted Murderers Whose Crimes Chilled the Nation|The Editors of Time-Life|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1486811426s/34225371.jpg|55277997] I know exactly what I am in for when I open the book.
Speaking of tags, I am not sure this particular book should be tagged "sexy ...paranormal erotica". All sexsinnes died a miserable death along with the kids. I don't see how the author expects readers to form a connection with this particular murderous character later in the series after mass murdering kids.
Bummer. I was enjoying it a lot up to this point :(
Martin and the Wolf
This is not a romance. As a matter of fact, I couldn’t detect any feelings in this book. It’s very flat all around.
Divide by Two
One of the best sci-fi series I've read. There is tons of potential for books 4 and 5. Wish the author continued with it.
Risky Maneuvers
Misha and D’s chapters 5 starsAlien chapters 1 star
There is nothing paranormal or fantasy-like in this story, except for an old Russian folk tale that served as an inspiration for Misha’s tattoo.
Final score: 3 stars
The Glamour Thieves
Many things in this book require additional information, as they are not explained or explored enough. That was the only downfall. However, I am hoping the next installment (or two) will clear up the confusion. 4.5 stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 💫
The Citadel
Warning: ATM, urolagnia, urophagia, scatophilia, coprophagia (in other words, eating poop, drinking urine). Underage(?) dubcon, body modification mutilation, slavery. Torture porn.********
While torture porn doesn't bother me, in fact 5 stars for that,
and I can ignore the gross bits,
the Pearl Boys predicament really disturbs me; I would gladly give it minus 5 if that were an option.
Which in the end makes it easy to rate. It all evens out - no stars.
Mammarella
Currently reading
Cursed: Broken: A M/M Modern Retelling of Beauty & The Beast (Book 1)
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Brethren
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The Virtu
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Orochi no Kishi
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