David

Not Worth the Credit (IMO)

Revisado: 01-20-25

When I heard this was compared to "For the Fans," I was eager to try it, because "For the Fans" was one of my favorite titles from 2024. However, I was disappointed by "Alpha Bait", deeply disappointed. I think one of the reasons was that while "For the Fans" had/has a lot of spice, the spice moved the story forward, showed the connection between Kyran and Avi, and shaped their dynamics. Here, the sex scenes (which are numerous) are little more than poorly written BDSM. Like maybe a little better than "50 Shades" but still VERY poorly written, under-negotiated, and not done in a healthy way, especially for Dylan (who had kink thrust upon him by August).

The characters were also incredibly disappointing. Ryker and August felt like cardboard cutouts, and I never got a sense of who they were to each other. Their relationship felt incredibly flat, and if they are going to be one part of a poly group (and arguably a core part), I should have a better sense of who they are and what they want. I didn't get that (at all). Also, their characterizations felt incredibly inconsistent. Furthermore, one of my issues with A/B/O stuff is that the Alphas in many stories are little more than macho stereotypes. Ryker and August are the worst sort of literary Alphas. I just couldn't with them. Dylan also just felt flat. Yes he smelled good to them and was willing to tolerate their kinks, but that is not enough to build a long term relationship. I thought that August and Dylan might develop more of a relationship, especially because of Dylan's interest in using 3D printing for artificial limbs, but that goes nowhere. And Ryker and Dylan...from their first interaction, where it was just a little short of an assault, I wasn't a fan of their dynamics.

Then there was Steve. Steve was potentially interesting, especially, but what little potential was there was lost. As soon as he joined the relationship, he became just as bad as Ryker and August. It was a let down, at least for me personally.

I made myself power through this one. There were a few good lines, and the story was mostly cohesive. That's the only thing saving it from being a one-star review.

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Felt like I arrived in the middle

Revisado: 01-08-23

Although this book was advertised as the 1st of a series, I felt there were many characters, especially the MCs who were established prior. It may be this is the case, and if so audible and the publisher need to do a better job with their descriptions

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A Chore to Finish

Revisado: 05-19-20

This was, for me, a chore to finish. I don't know what it was about this book that didn't sit well with me, but for whatever reason, I found this a chore. Mantel has an eye for detail, and perhaps all the details slowed down the pace of the story? Slater did the best he could, but after finishing the first part of this series, I have no desire to continue to the next.

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Murder and Its Aftermath

Revisado: 02-11-20

Casey did her homework for this novel. You got to know David and Belinda, got a sense of their life together and the world that they inhabited. Marlo did a very good job in helping humanize the many actors in the story, no matter how small their roles. Casey paints a clear picture of how she understands the story, and through it, you get a very clear impression of what she things of David. Perhaps her brush strokes though at times are too broad. An interesting true crime story, but I don't know if it is the best of the true crime I have listened to or read.

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A Fun Beginning

Revisado: 02-11-20

This was a fun book. Getting to know Mma Ramotswe, the land of Botswana, and the challenges of being the first female private detective in the country was very enjoyable. At first, I had a little bit of trouble understanding some of the names, and not all of the stories in this first book were great, but may of them were amusing. Getting to see Mma Ramotswe grow and develop as a detective was also rewarding. A fun beginning to a series.

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A Promising Beginning

Revisado: 02-11-20

I came to The Last Wish after one of my friends recommended The Netflix series. The Geralt of the books is far more articulate than his screen counterpart (perhaps closer to the games?). The stories in The Last Wish are loosely connected through a framing narrative, but there are times when it is hard to understand the exact chronology of what happens. Sapkowski borrows elements from a lot of well known stories, retells them, and does it quite well. Based off of this first book, I would be interested to see where the series goes and how the characters develop.

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Nothing Like the Musical

Revisado: 02-11-20

As a child, my parents read the Oz books to me. Maguire dives back into the world and makes it his own. He creates a rich landscape, and brings out different aspects of the history of a world I half-remember. This Oz though is not the one seen in the 1939 movie, nor is it the one that is seen on the stage show of the same name. While the stage show uses the names and some of the characters that appear in this book, they tell two very different stories. The Elphaba here is a very complex (and not always sympathetic) character. From time-to-time McDonough's voice struck my ear the wrong way, and his choices for Elphaba made her sound very shrill, adding to a potential distance from the character.

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A Diverting Romance

Revisado: 02-11-20

Full Credit to Shaw for bringing the characters of Eli Easton's book to life. Robby (our Male Mail Order Bride) flees New York after witnessing a murder to take refuge in the territory of New Mexico. He is resourceful, quick-witted, and the way he balances Rowena (the woman whose place he takes) and himself is a lot of fun. Trace, distant from his family, and brother to Rowena's fiancee (and the object of Robby's desire) is another great character. While the romance between Trace and Robby did feel a little rushed in places, it was still enjoyable, and I am a sucker for historical M/M stories. The ending is also incredibly sweet. I was able to finish listening in 3 days or so, and would listen again, especially for Shaw's excellent narration.

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Haunting and Beautiful

Revisado: 02-11-20

Ogawa's at her best in this title. The Memory Police is unsettling, disturbing, and reinforces the power of memory as a personal tool. As one of my relatives is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, this book struck close to home, knowing there was something that was once part of the world and isn't anymore is truly a powerful realization. The ending, when it came was both expected and executed well. For fans of Ogawa, this is a must listen.

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A Moving Love Story

Revisado: 05-23-19

Witt is nothing less than masterful in this piece. Kevin and Casper's romance is intense and inspiring. They are both fully realized characters and help bring this story to life. Kevin especially feels very real, and you can tell Witt drew from life. The details of Kevin's anxiety and eating disorder were so detailed as to leave me uncomfortable at times, which is no easy thing to do. The book is far from the most vivid in terms of the sex scenes, but you get wonderful snapshots that are as erotic as they are moving. I will have to revisit this one in the future.

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