Some quick reviews of Advance Reader Copies (ARC) I was provided for free in exchange for an honest review. We have a mix of hits and misses in this bunch.
When We’re Thirty by Casey Dembowski
Release date: April 27, 2021
Verdict: DNF. Might be fun for someone? But I can’t recommend.
Interesting concept but I had a hard time buying the character’s actions. Marrying for health insurance is a total American thing, I get it, but it didn’t seem like quite enough of a reason. Especially if Will was so wealthy. Couldn’t he just pay for her surgery if he wanted to help her out? Why is it so certain that he has to get married to be seen seriously in his family’s company? And why did they have to get married so quickly? I just couldn’t suspend my disbelief any longer.
Writing is pretty good, there were some cute scenes, but I wanted more. I wish I had more time of them on the honeymoon, for example.
The Second Blind Son by Amy Harmon
Release date: July 20, 2021
Verdict: Loved it, and I think even non-fantasy lovers will like it too.
I loved this one. It’s dark, moody, and intense, and I was totally sucked in. This takes place at the same time as the first book, but through different characters’ eyes (pun intended). There was more romance than I expected, which pleasantly surprised me. The characters were relatable and tragic, and I was rooting for them the whole time.
My only critique is that it maybe overlapped too much with the first book.
CW: sexual assault, violence
She Lost Her Muse by June Rollins
Release date: March 31, 2021
Verdict: DNF. Not for me.
I struggled to get a sense of who the characters were, and why they were doing anything. Too much dialogue, plot moved along too quickly. The prose that was included was too complicated and long-winded, and was about real estate and business dealings, which I as the reader had no reason to care about.
The premise was intriguing, but not executed well.
The Lady Gets Lucky by Joanna Shupe
Release date: October 26, 2021
Verdict: If you like historical romance, you’ll like this book. I loved it.
I did not like the first book in this series AT ALL. But this one was fantastic. I love the “Teach me to Seduce” trope. This book was so sexy and I blew through it because it was so fun.
Usually “meek” characters like Alice annoy me, but I thought she was sweet and generous. I also found myself rooting for Kit, who was so charming.
The book was fast-paced and sexy. Interesting to note that the first half of the story takes place at the same time as the first book in the series, but is told from a different characters’ perspective.
It’s Raining Men
Release date: July 27, 2021
Verdict: Liked but not loved. I can see the right person really liking this.
Overall, this book was fun. It’s a romcom through and through, but it does some surprising things. It’s like an adult version of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” crossed with “One to Watch.” I liked that it’s not obvious who the final man is going to be. But the trade off for that is valuable page time is spread out between three “candidates,” and we don’t get as much time with the final guy, which I would have liked. I did like that the heroine is child-free, and it’s not a huge deal. This book seemed really self-aware, and I liked the details and care taken with inclusivity.
The pacing was slow for me; it felt like it took much too long to get through for a romance. The chapter titles were also annoying, obscure, and distracting.
Meg Loves Words 