In a Nutshell: A Few Mini Book Reviews
My favorite time of year is upon us and I am really looking forward to fall weather and events. While I hate to lose the daylight hours, fall is my favorite season and I love the cooling crispness in the air. California hasn’t had the best luck this year with the super hot weather and the fires, so the cooling weather is a welcome respite. The world has gotten really crazy in the last few months and, while I try to help where I can, it can be pretty overwhelming. Reading is great escape for me and a good way to cope with the madness around me.
Today I am introducing a new review format for the blog – mini reviews! You’ve probably noticed that I haven’t posted much lately. I just don’t have a ton of time to blog anymore. I still plan on doing full length reviews when I can but I thought it might be fun to have some mini reviews now and then if I just want to put down some quick thoughts. Without further delay, here are a few thoughts on some of the books I’ve finished recently.
Title: Into The Fire (Night Prince #4)
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Publication Date: February 28, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Find It: Goodreads
Source: Purchased
Rating: 2 stars – you are getting very sleepy
Sadly I was disappointed in this one. I normally love Frost’s writing and am a huge fan of the Night Prince series. Into The Fire fell short for me though and I found myself really bored during most of it. There was a lot of brooding on Vlad’s part and a lot of angst on Leila’s part knowing that she’s Vlad’s “greatest weakness.” It’s a point that is made over and over again and I just got sick of it. I didn’t feel the spark of chemistry that I usually feel between Vlad and Leila. The search for the big bad from the last book was also unsatisfying and I didn’t really care about any of it.
I am bummed that I didn’t love this book but that’s just how it goes sometimes. The bright spot is that it seems to be leading up to Ian’s story, which I can’t wait for.
Title: Silver Silence (Psy-Changeling Trinity #1)
Author: Nalini Singh
Publication Date: June 13, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Find It: Goodreads
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4 stars – stay up late
Bears.
Charming, stubborn, loyal, and mad enough to drive you a little crazy. I had so much fun getting to know the bear clan. They have very different personalities than the cats and wolves we are used to in this series. I loved seeing the straight laced Silver take a stubborn bear head on. She and Valentin had great energy and chemistry together and balanced each other well.
The only thing I can really criticize is that the pacing did feel a little slow in regards to the larger plot with the threats to the Alliance. The book was more focused on Silver and Valentin’s relationship, which I really enjoyed. Just don’t expect a whole of action.
Super fun overall and I can’t wait for the next book!
Title: The Sumage Solution (San Andreas Shifters #1)
Author: G.L. Carriger/Gail Carriger
Publication Date: July 18, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Find It: Goodreads
Source: Purchased
Rating: 3 stars – stick to your bedtime
The Sumange Solution is a highly enjoyable read that involves shifters, mages, magic, and the witty banter that I’ve come to expect out of Gail Carriger novels. I’ve read a few interviews with Gail in regards to this new series and, though it’s still a little hazy, I believe that it’s set in the same world as the Parasol Protectorate series but fast forwarded to current times. As such, a lot of the terms that she previously used in the PP series are missing here. Instead we find a whole new vocabulary and new types of beings which I did find to be a little confusing at times. I’ve read plenty of Gail’s books so I am pretty familiar with her writing. But I did feel that information was being thrown at me at a rate that I almost couldn’t keep up with. It was hard to keep track of the different magical beings and their powers. I also had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters in the beginning. She introduces us to a whole new back of werewolves right off the bat and it took me awhile to figure out who was who. The world building felt a little rushed and I wish there had been a slightly gentler entry into the world instead of being hurled right into it. However, I still really enjoyed Max and Biff’s romance. Both of them are sort of new to the relationship thing and it’s really cute to watch them fumble and navigate their way through it. This book is much smuttier than Carriger’s previous books, and so much fun.
It took me a little while to get my footing in this new world but I was all in by the end of it. I was totally rooting for Biff and Max and their HEA. I am looking forward to future books in the series. We have a whole new pack of werewolves to get through!
That’s it! Hope you guys enjoyed these quick reviews and I hope to be back soon with some more fun content. :)
