I did really want to like this story. In fact, it was well written and I actually loved the characters from the very beginning. The only thing is that I really can’t get into BDSM. I’ve tried multiple times, and I can flirt with certain aspects of it, but ultimately, I just couldn’t quite get into this. Having said that, if Lexi Blake writes something that isn’t BDSM, I’ll probably dive straight into it.
I actually really, really enjoyed this short story. It took a little bit to get into. And I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting, but I actually found this incredibly enjoyable. Which of course is exactly what you want when you read a short story.
From the moment that Jonas found solace in Betsy, I was expecting them to get a happily ever after. It didn’t quite go the way that I anticipated, but it was still an interesting adventure. Plus, there was a whole lot of mystical stuff in there that gives them an unexpected happily ever after. I’m still not quite sure how it all worked out – but I felt happy at the completion of the story.
This short story was a really cute and easy read. I love that the woman rescues the man, not the other way around. And that they get to have a happily ever after that was both unexpected and well appreciated.
This was an absolutely brilliant spin on the Emperor’s New Clothes. Honestly, there was a little surprise around every corner, and I was never completely sure of what to expect from one moment to the next. Yet, it still kind of captured the themes of the original, exactly what I tend to enjoy within a retelling.
I love that the Prince in this tried to upstage and destroy his brother, and in doing so, managed to destroy himself. Again, I was constantly surprised about what was going to happen next and how it was going to work out. But, mostly I just really enjoyed that the more you got to know and dislike the prince, the more you realised what a hole he was potentially digging himself.
There were so many layers to this short story, and I love that no matter how many times you read it, you’re going to find an extra moment to notice and interpret. I particularly loved how perceptions and interpretations can be so wrong. Specifically the Prince’s misunderstanding of the women within this story and how their actions were so seriously misunderstood.
I absolutely adored this short story, and thought that it was brilliantly executed. Definitely one that I’ll read again in the future.
Title: Crave This! Author: Tasha Black Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this) My Bookshelves:Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters Pace: Slow Format: eBook, Novel Year: 2018
This was one of those books that I really enjoyed, but I have no urge to dive further into the series. It’s a very sweet one-night-stand / fated mates / secret baby kind of story. And, although I didn’t necessarily agree with some of Sarah’s decisions, ultimately everyone got out of this story with a lovely little happily ever after. I also liked the idea of 300 moons before the shifters were able to greet their animal. But, it was a little bit simplistic as well. I need a little more character growth to my characters. Thus, as much as I enjoyed this, I don’t have much to say, nor will I read anymore Tasha Black.
I really loved this poem, and thought that it was a great way to start off the The Faery Reel collection. It was a wonderfully lyrical poem which focused on the more traditional views of the fae. And not the kind, generous ones. The ones that make you know that you should never invite the fae into your home and lives.
One of my favourite things about reading poetry is the beautiful cadence and lilt that some poems have to them. De Lint manages to create a beautiful flow to this story that made me read this poem about three times before turning to the next piece of prose in this collection.
This was an incredibly fun and enjoyable read. One that I will most definitely read again in the future.
This short story was incredibly dark and uncomfortable. Which is honestly a bit of why I like Isobelle Carmody, and I’m finding that within the Green Monkey Dreams collection, the stories are particularly dark and uncomfortable. The reason that they strike this tone with me – because, they make me think about the current state of the world and just completely freak me out.
I love that this short story focuses on the darkness that seems to be inherent in humanity. And how our very actions are a form of cannibalisation. Or at least, that’s what I got out of this story. It might be the scary times that we currently find ourselves in, but there is something just… self-destructive about our actions, and this story of The Beast focuses on this.
At first, I thought that the beast within this story was going to be an external creature. One that is preying upon those left behind after the apocalypse. Instead, it’s the beast within the narrator. Which, somehow was all that much more terrifying. It made me incredibly uncomfortable as I realised just how… beastly the beast was. Which is sometimes, honestly, why I read short stories.
Throughout all of the darkness in this story, I like that there was the underlying thread of hope throughout. It might have been a dark story overall, but there is that sense of hope. Hope for the future and redemption, even when everything is dark.
Title: Any Way the Wind Blows Author: Seanan McGuire Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Science fiction Pace: Fast Format: eBook, Novella Year: 2019
This is a fun short story – it’s a bit of a departure from the ordinary world into something that’s a little extraordinary. And, as with all McGuire books on my shelves, I enjoyed this thoroughly. Particularly as it packs a whole lot of information into very few pages – I mean, there’s literally a whole world created in about 50 pages. That takes a lot of talent, and makes it very interesting.
I love the idea of an airbus transporting between layers of reality. Layers which are overlapping, mostly I just loved the idea of reality as a baklava. And now, everytime I think of this story, I think of food. And reality. And time travel…
It’s been a bit of a few months, new baby, the Terrible Twos and a sick father. But, it’s meant a fair bit of reading and some really enjoyable, light reads. There’s nothing like a good book at the end of a hard day to help you drift off. And the fact that even a lot of these ‘light reads’ talked about some serious issues… bloody brilliant!
I honestly just read this because I’m going through the alphabet when I’m picking books at the moment (I have no idea why). So, of the “U” books, this one looked like the most fun (and I’ve enjoyed my forays into Tape’s writingbefore). And wow, am I glad that I picked this story. It was a great read, and the premise of being a keeper at a paranormal zoo – I seriously need more! I honestly couldn’t put this down, not just for the joy of meeting the different characters, but I loved the day to day reality of being an apprentice zookeeper.
As I was reading this, I was really worried that this was going to be a series that follows a different couple each book – I hadn’t really read much about the series overall. And, I’m glad to say that that’s not the case. Rather, at the conclusion of this, Charlotte is poised to continue her awesome work and continuing to make the relationships that I really enjoyed throughout. Plus, there are more animals to discover and fall in love with.
Although I primarily fixated on the animals in this story, because I’m animal obsessed, I also loved the development of the characters. I love that when Charlotte’s love interest reveals that she is interested, she reminds Charlotte to not just make assumptions. We’re all guilty of it, and I loved that gentle way that Charlotte is reminded to stop and think about what she is assuming. And how both the women are able to build themselves up together, even if they have a bit of a rougher start to their relationship.
The Unicorn Herd was a beautiful story and one that left me feeling content and happy after I finished the final page. It was a fairly quick and easy read, but that’s sometimes all that you need. And I’m glad that I had the privilege of diving into this world. Being swept away in the fantastic world building of Tape and just finding yet another enjoyable series to leave on my TBR.
This was a very short and easy read, one that told the tale of how the Griffin Sanctuary came about. The founders, Ella and Starlise were introduced to my knowledge in The Unicorn Herd (because I read this first), so it was fun to see how they fell for each other and created the sanctuary. Plus, there is some massive fangirling about the couple and their dedication to animals in The Unicorn Herd, so I kind of liked reading about the very beginning of all of this.
The Griffin Mission also gave more context to the world building of the Griffin Sanctuary. I thought it was a world that was nestled just beneath our own and existed side by side – because most of the fantasy genred books I read tend to do this. Instead, it’s actually based in a parallel world. One that works much like ours, but with some differences. I actually quite enjoyed the way in which this worked. Plus, the idea of portals between worlds and the fact that there are those who just stumble onto them sometimes.
Alongside the cute little romance and world building, I mostly just loved the idea of griffins. I love how Tape has taken a paranormal creature that pops up into a lot of stories and just kind of expanded on them. Like all animals, she’s given them different species and subspecies. Each with their own unique challenges and needs. Something that was ridiculously cute and adorable, plus, it made the whole idea of a paranormal sanctuary even more appealing. And now I can’t wait to read more of this series again.
Earth and Skye 