Stolen ReRead by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Stolen ReRead
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Otherworld #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2002

Thoughts

It’s been a long while since I’ve read the Otherworld series, and I quite honestly forgot how dark this whole series is. Not only does Elena get kidnapped to be tested upon, but she also gets tortured. And then, because it’s Elena, it ends up in some very seriously twisted violence. There’s a reason why I love this series so much, but yeah, I’ve been on a major contemporary romance kick for a while now, and it’s definitely a whole lot darker than a lot of the books that I’ve been reading lately.

Where Bitten was all about the world of werewolves and Elena finding her way back to the world that she has tried to leave behind, Stolen opens up the whole world of the paranormal. This isn’t a series that is just about the werewolves anymore, but it is about a whole slew of paranormal couples. All of whom are dark and twisty in their own rights and have their own battles to fight. Plus, and I know this as it’s a reread, Savannah’s importance and story really starts in Stolen. I love that this was a second story about Elena and gives her the centre stage. But it is also a great start to Piper’s story which really kicks off in Dime Store Magic.

In Bitten, Elena chooses to return to the paranormal world and finally embrace some of her more violent and rougher edges. I love that in Stolen, she’s fully embracing this aspect of herself and her relationship with Clay. They are definitely not the traditional couple, and it’s not a relationship that would ever help me to thrive. But reading about how two imperfect beings manage to make all of their history and nonsense fit is a whole lot of fun. I also love that Elena’s acceptance of herself also means acceptance of her love for Clay. It’s a great reminder that she is steadily growing into her strength, place and powers.

Stolen is all about “othering” the paranormal community. It uses the idea of being “other” as a justification to kidnap, torture and kill some of the poor victims throughout this story. I love that this is all about witches versus warlocks. The power structures within the paranormal community and how each type of paranormal has a different level of “badassery”. A great story filled with the darkness and violence that I really love this series for. And now I can’t wait to dive back into Dime Store Magic again and see what I pick up on this read through.

<- Bitten ReReadDime Store Magic ReRead ->

Image source: Hachette

Magic Burns ReRead by Ilona Andrews

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: Magic Burns ReRead
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy, Vampires
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2008

Thoughts

It doesn’t matter how many times I read through Magic Burns, or really, any of the Kate Daniels series, I absolutely love it. There’s a reason why it’s my favourite series and I love to reread it again and again and again. Ilona Andrews is able to brilliantly craft a world that is impossible to get away from. It doesn’t matter how many times I read this series, I absolutely love it. And although I enjoyed Magic Bites, it’s in Magic Burns that I feel like the Kate Daniels series really starts to find its pace.

The many different mythologies that inform the world of Kate Daniels draw me in beautifully. In Magic Burns, it’s the Celtic gods that take the fore front of the story. I love the tales of the Morrighan, from the little bits that I know. And I love that it is her hound and her mythos that takes centre stage. The variety of well-researched mythologies in this series is brilliant. It’s reminded me how much I love the Celtic folklore and I want to dive into my own research again. The focus on war, through the Morrighan, and how Kate deals with it is brilliant. She doesn’t glorify war and wants to stay away from the fight, but is willing to engage to protect those she cares about.

Magic Burns also introduces Kate’s relationship with Julie. This is such a cornerstone for the series in that Kate takes on a parental role. It’s the first step in Kate growing up and taking on the world for those that she loves. And honestly, Julie is the first emotional connection that Kate willingly makes. I loved reading about the beginnings of this connection with the knowledge of what actually happens in the future. How this beautiful relationship manages to open the flood gates to so much more.

Kate’s secrets come a whole lot closer to coming out during Magic Burns. It’s been a while since I’ve read this series, so I can’t remember when the actual facts start to leak out. Though, I love that Curran has obviously started to guess bits and pieces of her enigmas. And, rather than making him feel that she is a threat, he actually chooses to start his courtship of her. I find this to be truly hilarious and, again, I can’t wait to reread this series with the knowledge of how things will eventually unfold.

<- Magic Bites ReReadMagic Strikes ReRead ->

Image source: Shakespeare and Company

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: The Woman in Me
Author: Britney Spears
Rating Out of 5:  (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Celebrity, Mental health
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2023

Thoughts

Sometimes I read biographies to feel good about life, sometimes I read them to learn something new. And then there are times when I read them because I’m very familiar with the person and I’m absolutely fascinated about the nonsense in their lives. I knew that this wasn’t going to be one of those biographies that was ultimately feel good and made me have faith in humanity. But, I also wasn’t wrong when I thought that this was going to be seriously fascinating. There were moments throughout that were kind of hard to read, but overall, I had a lot of joy in learning more about Britney Spears’ viewpoint of her life and rise to fame. But, more importantly, there is so much hope there for the future too.

One of the parts of The Woman in Me that I found most difficult was Britney’s recollection of the early days of her career. She is adamant that many of the highly sexualised aspects of her career were her own choices. That she always wanted to dance and sing in that way. And even though this is probably true to a degree, I found it horrifying that her parents decided to, at the very least, passively stand by and let her be sexualised in such a way when she was a fifteen year old child. There was something horrifying and icky about it before (when I found out just how old she was), but now, as an adult, and reading about it. Yeah, it just becomes a hell of a lot more Nope.

Something I seriously loved about The Woman in Me is how honest Spears is about not only her depression, but also her many challenges and mental health issues. Her love for her children just jumps off the page. And honestly, all things aside, if I was threatened with never seeing my children again on a frequent basis, I would’ve done a whole lot worse than shaving my damn head. Throughout all of the battles that she faces, it’s really heartwarming to see that she places her love of her children above all else. I know that the use of children against a spouse is not an unknown story, but it’s still absolutely heart wrenching to read about children being used as pawns. No matter what the circumstances, it’s just unfathomable to me. But I guess when there is untold amounts of money to be made or had…

I’m not going to lie, when I heard bits in the media about #FreeBritney and the conservatorships, I really didn’t think much of it. I tend to find the media and all of the nonsense that surrounds celebrities to be a bit much at times. And I tend to ignore it. But, this is one of those few instances that I wish I had been more aware and alert. All I can hope is that in telling her story, Spears is able to not only set the record straight, but also that the legalities of conservatorships will be seriously overhauled. In telling such a disgusting narrative, hopefully there will be some positives and joy for others in the future.

<- WillThis Is Me ->

Image source: eBay

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn

Book Review
Overview

Title: The Rose Code
Author: Kate Quinn
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Historical fiction
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

This is one of those books that I really, really wanted to like. It gets a lot of positive feedback and the concept is absolutely brilliant. And, to be honest, I did really enjoy it for the first third, and then I started to get a bit bogged down in it. Quinn is an amazing writer, but I just couldn’t fall in love with The Rose Code like I wanted to.

For me, the biggest issue with The Rose Code was that it really dragged on. For the first third, I was absolutely obsessed with the story. But then, by the time I got halfway through, I kind of didn’t care anymore. The women were fun characters and kind of kick ass, all in their own way, shape and form. But I felt like a large chunk of the story and the descriptors could have been removed. The story kind of stagnated in the everyday, rather than leading forward into the drama.

Another reason I probably didn’t fall head over heels for this story was that I’m honestly not a huge fan of this form of historical fiction. Quinn’s writing is very factual, and as mentioned, bogged down in the minutiae of the daily. For some, this is probably the exact format they like to consume their historical fiction in, but I personally prefer a lot more character growth and drama.

I probably won’t read anymore books by Quinn, but I did enjoy trying this book. Not one of those books that I felt was a waste of time. But definitely one that I won’t be rereading anytime soon. Maybe at another stage in life, this will be a more suited story to my tastes. All around, I found this disappointing – I wanted to love this and I loved the entire premise. But I just couldn’t get into it.

<- More historical fictionMore historical fiction ->

Image source: Kate Quinn

Roar by Dr. Stacy T. Sims

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Roar
Author: Dr. Stacy T. Sims
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Non-fiction, Sport, Women’s health
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Non-fictional text
Year: 2016

Thoughts

I bought this book because I really loved a podcast that Dr. Stacy Sims spoke in. Plus, I love my sport and I’ve been wanting to train with my cycles and hormones for a long time. I’m normally a big fan of non-fictional texts that partake wisdom to me. And I’m normally happy to read them over a period of months. But I found Roar just a little bit difficult to get through.

I was hoping for a much broader focus of how women can work with their hormones and cycles to optimise their training. However, I found that Sims really focused in on a very small niche of individuals. In fact, even as someone who spends a ridiculous amount of time training, and training intensely, I found that a lot of this information was for those athletes who are full-time athletes. Not people who just want to harness their biology to improve their skills and fitness.

Reading Roar at a time when I was recovering from having two children in two years, and the whole body-image issues that come along with it, may not have been the best of ideas. I actually found that I had to put this to the side for a little while just because I found it to be a little triggering. Primarily because I can’t actually choose to eat healthy some days, it can often be a choice of eating or not due to exhaustion and the insanity of having young children.

<- More women’s healthMore sport ->

Image source: Amazon

Reading Update as of Early May 2025

Book Review

Things have been difficult lately, so I’ve been majorly buried in my books… here is the joyful parts of that not so joyful timing.

Non-fiction

Series

Standalones – Novels

Standalones – Novellas

Standalones – Short stories

Royal Valentine by Jenn McKinlay

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Royal Valentine
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Series: A Museum of Literature Romance #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2022

Thoughts

This is a short and cute novella. It is filled with fun little twists and turns without being too angsty. I love that Molly and Albert have this great little whirlwind romance. And then he just disappears. Because this is a contemporary romance, I knew that he would have a good excuse. And I knew that there would be a happy ending. But I loved how Molly has to come to terms with this nonsense. And there’s the whole re-meeting moment that was all kinds of awkward and delicious at the same time.

I really enjoyed that for the first half of this novella, you get to follow Molly and Albert along as they fall for one another. But then, the second half is all about them reconnecting after Albert disappears. It means that, in following them fall for one another, I was so much more emotionally invested than I would have otherwise been. Anything that can get me this emotionally invested in such a short amount of time writes a wonderful romance, and the fact that I was completely rooting for these two from the beginning, right up until the end makes me feel ridiculously happy to read more of McKinlay’s books in the future.

This was a fairly normal Prince and Pauper kind of trope. But, rather than feeling privileged to be with a man who is so far out of her financial league, Molly is seriously suspicious. I love her level of cynicism, this is coming from a reader who would seriously freak out if her husband bought flowers. So I understand that level of cynicism. Plus, it made her more realistic. No one I know ever believes in the happily ever after with no strings attached. It’s the strings we choose to take on that make our happily ever afters perfect.

<- More Jenn McKinlayThe Attraction Distraction ->

Image source: Goodreads

Here Kitty, Kitty! by Shelly Laurenston

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Here Kitty Kitty
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Series: Magnus Pack #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2007

Thoughts

I knew that Nik was going to be Angelica’s love interest from their little Meet Cute in Go Fetch!, I did not expect how good their romance was going to be. I thought that I enjoyed reading about Miki falling and dealing with all of her issues. That had nothing on Angie’s drama. Not only did I seriously love this story, but I also found Angie’s tendency towards violence for the sake of violence so much more entertaining and humorous. It concerns me how much I loved Angie’s tendency to just beat the crap out of others, but also, so very enjoyable.

Angie’s rage issues are a well-known fact from the beginning of the Magnus Pack series. What is not so obvious is the reasons behind her rage. I absolutely adored the reasons why she feels such rage (even if it is a little bit heartbreaking). Yet, even though she is actively working on not being completely unhinged in her rage… she still manages to absolutely kick butt whenever she needs to. I love that she’s the one who helps to ultimately control the hyenas and their evil ways… not just through her own violent tendencies, but also her willingness to create a previously unprecedented truce.

Having read enough of the shapeshifter world which Laurenston has beautifully constructed, I really admire how she differentiates between the different breeds / species of shapeshifter. In the case of tigers, the majority of them are still the type to eschew monogamy. However, I love Nik’s journey to coming to terms with his monogamous ways. And the fact that he takes after his father – who has harassed, tortured and loved the same woman his entire life. Whilst there is a bit of a battle at the beginning, he ultimately embraces this new sense of reality and just, doubles down on his commitment. The whole internal journey that Nik is forced to face was something that left me giggling and smiling throughout.

Here Kitty Kitty was filled with so much yummy, yummy adult scenes. Alongside all of the violence and banter. I absolutely adored this. Plus, I love how it rounds out the Magnus Pack trilogy in a way that felt like the end of one story, but the beginning of another. In this case, Sara’s rise to power is complete, the truce that they manage to have the cats, wolves and so many others push upon the hyenas is also completed. But the start of the next war is just on the horizon. Which is why it’s worth jumping into the Pride series next.

<- Go Fetch!Miss Congeniality ReRead ->

Image source: Shelly Laurenston

Go Fetch! by Shelly Laurenston

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Go Fetch!
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Series: Magnus Pack #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2007

Thoughts

I’ve been wanting to read Miki’s story since her cameo in Like a Wolf with a Bone. She’s very obviously a handful and kind of unhinged. And that’s why I read Laurenston’s books – they feature women who are intense, unhinged and absolutely hilarious. Plus, as you read Go Fetch! you realise that Miki is absolutely chaos personified. Not only with constantly running her mouth, but her willingness to commit violence and set others on fire. And then, I love that Conall is just happy to calmly follow her around without judgement or insanity. He just… deals with all of it with a great big smile on his face.

As someone who can’t switch off their own brain, I really loved reading about a character who is also unable to do so. Miki never lets her plotting, scheming thoughts pause, and I relate to this 100%. However, Miki’s determination of what and who will make her happy is a bit difficult at times. She might be wrong, but I also love that she does eventually realise this and just go with the flow. Plus, even amongst all of her misinformed romantic ideals, she is completely able to handle herself in every other way – often in a completely hilarious fashion. One that involves a whole lot of mayhem.

As a contrast to Miki, Conall is incredibly quiet and incredibly calm. There are one or two moments when he does react, and the rareness of these and the overwhelmingly ridiculous circumstances in which he finds himself frustrated are absolutely hilarious. In particular, I couldn’t stop laughing when Miki tries to test him the first time, with drugs. And then finds out that maybe she’s finally bitten off more than she can chew. Plus, it gives them a great turning point in their relationship. Conall might finally realise what he’s up against, but then, so does Miki.

Reading this after I’ve read all of the published Pride and Honey Badger Chronicles books, helped me to see all of the ridiculous connections that take place throughout this world. I loved going back to the beginning to see just how much this world has expanded and grown. Plus, it just makes me laugh throughout the entire read through. Miki and Angelina may be placed in danger because of Sara ascension to Alpha. But it also opens up the world to them. I can’t wait to continue rereading and reading this series for the first time. The insanity is brilliant, and I get to spend the whole violence-riddled story smiling and laughing.

<- Pack ChallengeHere Kitty Kitty ->

Image source: Shelly Laurenston

Pack Challenge by Shelly Laurenston

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Pack Challenge
Author: Shelly Laurenston
Series: Magnus Pack #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Urban fantasy
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2006

Thoughts

Ever since I picked up Hot and Badgered, I’ve wanted to go back to where it all started. But, sadly for me, some of these first stories aren’t actually on Kobo (because Kindle Unlimited and such nonsense). I’m so glad that I finally got around to reading this. It wasn’t quite the story I was expecting, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I love being surprised, and the way that Sara’s story unfolded, and introduced her little trio was fantastic. Now I can’t wait for Miki and Angela’s stories to grace my brain waves.

I kind of found Sara’s plight with her aggressiveness to be kind of hilarious. I’m not sure what it was, but the fact that she didn’t turn as a child leading to being an aggressive angry bitch sat really well with me. And the nonsense that she ends up formulating / the way she decides to take her new aggressive tendency by the horns… it just worked really well for me. Plus, I love how she uses this aggression to control her friends when they continuously try and get them all in trouble. Not to mention the sexual aggression and frustration which just jumps off the page as you watch her relationship with Zach unfold.

Although Sara and her two girlfriends aren’t quite as aggressively psychotic as Laurenston’s later characters, I still absolutely loved them. I mean, one of the reasons I absolutely demolish Laurenston books is that they are filled with aggressive, mouthy, take-no-prisoners types of women. Those who know what they want and who they are, and don’t necessarily apologise for it. Don’t get me wrong, there are moments of emotional scarring that they have to get past, but every single woman in these universe is strong willed and independent. Sara is a fantastic way to start off this world and show you what Laurenston’s women are made of.

I read Pack Challenge right after my Hot and Badgered ReRead, and I loved how you could tell how much Laurenston has grown over the years. Whilst I loved both of the stories, it was fun to see the sophistication and creativity that she is able to bring to her later works. Whilst I thoroughly enjoyed Pack Challenge, I definitely appreciated the growth that has gone into this world throughout the past few decades. Now onto the next phenomenal story created from this unique and fun mind.

<- More Shelly LaurenstonGo Fetch! ->

Image source: Shelly Laurenston