Quick Reads and Quick Reviews 20

  

• The Contingency Plan, Addison Albright
• A Wealth of Secrets: The Shale River Series Book 3, Mackenzie Wilde
• Save a Horse, Dive a Cowboy, Kayla Jameth

This had a really interesting premise.  I was interested in a dual POV but with how incredibly short this story was it wouldn't have worked.  There was quite a bit of information subtly and fluidly given despite the lack of pages that impressed me.  I felt like I knew Prince Marcelo and was genuinely happy that things worked out for him the way they did.  He was introspective, intelligent, kind, eager, and curious.  His intended, however, remains a relative mystery.  We get to know his politics, his kingdom's dynamics, his genuine interest in Marcelo, but that's it.  Knowing practically nothing about him makes this a generally nice story that didn't have quite the punch I was hoping for.  2.5 stars.

I had high hopes for this story because of the synopsis but was quite disappointed at what I read.  The ending was tender and sweet and showed so much growth.  What we didn't get was the growth process.  What we also didn't get was a real beginning of a turnaround.  Doug's introduction was horrible.  Not only did he come across as a vacuous, selfish, self-absorbed rich boy, his growth and evolution was big and yet felt off-page.  Chris is definitely just as uptight as he's described, but he's so much more.  The way he cares for everyone in his family, his town, and everyone else is admirable and makes my heart ache.  But the rest of him leaves something to be desired.  It felt like there was a disconnect between what I was reading and what I was feeling and it left me unclear about how to process where he and Doug ended up and their roles.  Overall there was a feeling of lacking.  The characters lacked oomph, the plot lacked a consistent incline, the relationship lacked balance and foundation and transparency, the whole story lacked a depth and sincerity that would have made it as attention-grabbing as the synopsis.  2 stars.

I honestly thought this would be campy, hokey, and an eye-rollingly tolerable read that I was hoping to enjoy.  Imagine my surprise when I genuinely liked the story!  The two main characters in the romantic relationship were good men who truly loved one another.  Their willingness to do whatever it took to fix the situation was admirable as well as sweet.  I will say that I enjoyed Charlie a bit more than Shep.  While Shep's determination was a star attribute, his obliviousness and attitude of avoidance concerning Coyote's human deception was a bit more than annoying.  Charlie had every right to be upset and I'm not a fan of hiding events just to save a partner's feelings.  Transparency is a huge deal for me.  Watching Charlie slowly go feral was incredibly interesting.  I've never read about a horse shifter before so the way the author brought that element into the story was both effective and disturbing.  Disturbing because it was so logical, so believable the way he was descending into the way a horse would really act.  Such a brilliant part of the book despite the implications for him and Shep.  Charlie was also incredibly smart.  The way he knew who the culprit was and his treatment of him in the end spoke to both his intelligence and his upbringing.  I really enjoyed the way it came together.  Though I would have liked a bit more harshness for Coyote's consequences.  Overall, this was a surprisingly great story that I was happy to have taken a chance on.  3.5 stars.