Ciorraigh

Disappointing

Revisado: 01-28-22

I somehow made it to the end of this book - it was not my favorite.

For one, it definitely felt like m/m written by a woman. I know lots of m/m is, but sometimes the dialogue and interactions sound like how women imagine romantic relationships and then just plug in men as the two main characters, rather than being genuinely relationships between two MEN.

There wasn't much of a story arc either. The ending was predictable and bland. Dialogue felt repetitive. I felt myself zoning out during the dirty scenes, which is never a good sign.

Also, a small detail, but there were some story incongruities - for example, at one point it's remarked that Nate eats simply to survive while declining dessert at a restaurant, and then later Presley laughs at how much Nate loves sweet stuff. These kinds of things added up to create characters I didn't fully believe or understand.

Kale Williams is generally great, but he just didn't have wonderful material to work with here.

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Even the brilliant narrator can't save this story

Revisado: 07-05-15

What does Johanna Parker bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Johanna Parker is one of the best narrators of fantasy stories of all time, and even she can't save this book.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

In theory the plot was interesting. This book received some great reviews and I'm a huge fan of urban supernatural and Johanna Parker, so I thought it was a great pick. But once I was only thirty minutes in, I knew I made a mistake. For example, Kera kicks some serious butt in the very beginning, but then all the Crows act totally unimpressed when they return and even tell her she still needs to "prove herself." The entire thing reeks of a Mary Sue.

Any additional comments?

I thought the main character was completely rude in an unnecessary way. Maybe the author was trying to make her "flawed" or "tough," but instead she just looked like a jerk. (Some fantasy authors do the tough and abrasive heroine well, too, so I know it's possible.) Her personality was all over the place... sometimes she was humorously organized, sometimes she was the tough ex-military soldier, sometimes she was the tender-hearted romantic... but instead of making her seem multi-dimensional, it just made her seem schizophrenic. The Crow women were all stereotypes as well, with a single trait hyped up for each of them instead of real, complex depth of character. The dialogue was also forced, despite Johanna Parker's best efforts to save it.

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esto le resultó útil a 4 personas

A Truly Surprising Delight

Revisado: 06-24-15

What was one of the most memorable moments of Down the Rabbit Hole?

As someone who watched The Girls Next Door, it was most interesting to hear how real life was spun to make the television show. I was always under the impression that Holly really did want to settle down with Hef and that she genuinely cared for him, and while that was true to some degree, it mostly just seemed like that's what the producers decided her role in the show should be. It was disheartening to hear that Holly was basically just in an abusive relationship with Hef for seven years, since their life on the show seemed so magical, but I was delighted to find out that her positive relationships with her costars Bridget and Kendra were the real deal.

What does Holly Madison bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Holly did a shockingly good job reading her own book. The voices she did for the various people in her life were comedic and a bit ridiculous but in a good way. I actually think that some of the awkward phrasing and slightly cheesy lines were more palatable when read by the woman herself, since I could tell that's how she truly talked, and it made it endearing rather than annoying.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I absolutely could not put this book down. I was constantly curious about what the next big drama was going to be and how Holly would handle it. It was like eating potato chips... maybe not the best book in the world for me to be reading to improve myself, but it was definitely addictive and incredibly enjoyable.

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