Baking with A Ghost, R.M. Neill

I really wanted to round down from 2.5 stars, but 2 stars means I really didn't like it and this didn't quite meet that criteria.

There was just no connection between the characters, between me as a reader and the characters, and nothing compelling about the writing. I can't believe this is indicative of the author's other works because I've enjoyed others from them. It was just so...so...boring. I struggled so hard to finish this book, to get into it enough to want to finish it.

At so many moments I thought, "this has to get better. It just has to." Only...it didn't. It was just as dry and uninspiring at the end as it was in the middle as it was in the beginning. The conflict with the ex fell flat because it seemed like a huge escape from abuse in the beginning only to be watered down so much that it seemed that all the drama in the beginning was unfounded. The seance moment was awkward for sure too.

I think the most interesting thing was the medium themselves. I'm interested in them, but only in a mildly intrigued way. The weird and overacted references to his mystery and the what-if part from the news article was inelegant. And Simon's connection to him was awkwardly shocking and the unexplained emotionalness was unsatisfying.

So it's not like I majorly disliked the book, there were just so many little moments that I totally didn't care about. Moments that led to a whole story that I kind of wish I hadn't felt so committed to finishing. This is not like what the author can usually produce, it's a frustrating anomaly.

*$2.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU!

The Roommate Proposal: Perfect Opposites Book 2, Jace Hadley

Aleksei and Logan seemed very much on the opposite of everything and maybe that's why they fit together so well. I was drawn to both men, but for very different reasons. With Aleksei it was his struggle. His struggle to accept himself openly, while not always necessary for everyone, it was vastly important for him. Mainly because he had all his true acceptance buried beneath the weight of blackmail, control, close-mindedness, fear, and familial piety. Through his determination to be with Logan he found his strength to live his truth.

But it wasn't as simple as just wanting to be with Logan, it was a taste of freedom, love, passion, and happiness that opened to door to his own transformation. And without their brief separation he wouldn't have been able to see what he wanted for himself for the long term and not just until he could graduate.

Logan's charm was in his earnestness and his lack of guile. I can't say that his initial "invitation" to change their dynamic made me feel really comfortable, but with Aleksei's eager acceptance and initiation later on it got a little better. But Logan's general demeanor, honesty, and encouragement felt sweet and not manipulative and predatory. When we get to see Logan's heart, his way with family, and his understanding of Aleksei's personality quirks I really fell for him and new he was right for Aleksei.

Sometimes when the hurtful break comes each MC spend their time unequally feeling the hurt, realizing where they went wrong, and then planning or hinting at the grand gesture...nothing wrong with that, but it's predictable. What I really enjoy is when they use the time away to see, really and truly see, what they are and what they want to become and then go about making the changes necessary to enact their own transformation. When Logan and Aleksei came back together they had each found the thing inside them that would compel them to find and move toward their best selves so that when they reconciled they could really make the best foundation for a happy future together.

So it's pretty clear that I enjoyed the book. There were definitely a couple things, a few moments that had me nervous or frustrated about what might happen next, but I found that there were quite a few moments that overrode them and won me over. I want to read more in the series right away, especially our lovely misunderstood jock's story...

*$4.99 on Amazon or FREE on KU!

Stone Wings: The Gargoyles of Arrington Book 1, Jenn Burke

There was something full of yearning in this story underneath the denial, the fake situation, the danger, and the reconciliation of curses, pasts, and hearts.  I truly enjoyed the book and am eagerly jumping into book two, quite glad it's on KU.

Drew and Josh had a slow, nice road to travel romantically and I can't say it was riveting, incredibly spicy, or even all that captivating.  It slowly swelled and filled my mind until I couldn't imagine they had any other option than to fall in love and make everything work.

There are other reviewers that have feelings about what happens when the curse breaks but I honestly don't have an issue with that.  I read so often when the temporarily supernatural being retains certain supernatural traits rather than the author letting the curse just break.  To me it seems that letting the curse break and return them to their original state prior to the curse is more believable than trying to come up with a reason as to why they should keep part of their cursed state merely because it would be helpful in the issues they were going to face, you know?

The drama surrounding the pride in their area and their distant past was interesting and a little too simplistic in their connection, but the biggest piece of interest was the element of their past.  When the story of their curse was related to Josh it was pretty obvious to me that there was going to be a piece of it that would return and despite being right I didn't predict the reason for all the turmoil.  I appreciated that.

Overall I thought the story was very sweet and I admired the person who initiated the reconciliation, feeling that the appropriate person stood up to the other to call them out for their choice made out of fear.  And ending the story with the lead-in to the next book in the series felt right as well, that it wasn't just a HEA for the couple and a vague forboding for what's coming, it was something concrete, something that was a bit more believable as what could happen next.

And, side note, the wolf pack being involved really added something intriguing to the story and has me all kinds of curious.  It answered some questions, raised some interest, and brought a lot of elements of the story to life.  I'm eager to see where Rian's story takes us and how things will evolve around their clan.

*$4.99 on Amazon or FREEon KU!

The Raven & His Selkie, Amelia Bishop

It actually took me a few tries to sink into the idea of finishing the book.  Not because it was bad or disappointing, but because it wasn't captivating for me at all.  I liked it by the time I finished it, but it didn't grab me at the start or hold my attention in the middle either.  It was a truly interesting start to a series and I will be continuing with it if more books in the world are written, it's just that it'll probably be a case of me being willing to wait for it to be on KU instead of requesting an ARC of it.

Murdoch was playing the game of the Selkie Prince and playing it well despite his intense desire to not come into the ruling leader's seat.  His reluctance was intriguing to me and I wanted to see how that played out.  It went fine enough, but the moment of challenge seemed so forced and far-fetched with characters playing a role instead of being something organic.  Forcing Murdoch to make a choice between blood and heart was one thing, but the way it played out was unnecessary and it felt overly dramatic.

The bonding issues between Murdoch and Grigory were far more intriguing because of the species difference and the lack of knowledge of fated mates.  I was constantly being disappointed in Murdoch's impatience and Grigory's inconsistency.  The misunderstandings were believable though juvenile and when Murdoch was finally educated about Grigory by another source things started really coming together.  I liked their journey from that point.  Though I actually dislike how the dominance switch thing played out...it just felt kind of icky and more forced than accepted and given.  I had to start skimming because it made me uncomfortable.

Grigory was actually my favorite of the two men because he was written in a way that actually made me feel both for and about him.  His upbringing, his longing, his control, his care...all of it made him far more real and complex than Murdoch and he was why I finished the story.  Seeing his evolution was worth it.

The overall story and plot and complications in their world are why I want to continue the series, if it becomes one.  I'll be back for more...eventually.

*$3.99 or FREE on KU!

Murdoch, a Selkie, joins the Immortal Alliance of Six, an otherworlder task force. There he meets Grigori, and the two soon realize they are fated mates. As they fight threats to the otherworlder population, they also fight to come to terms with their unexpected mate bond.

Omega Alone, S. Rodman

I very much wanted to like this book. The premise grabbed my attention and I was curious about how the rescue would become love, how Luca would find his strength, and how Erik would find his softness. While those three things happened, I found far too much that bothered me deeply to truly enjoy the story and the outcome.

Trigger warnings not mentioned in the synopsis:

Dubious consent during matings, yes, on more than one occasion and each time it bothers

Attempted rape

Stockholm syndrome

Administration of drugs without consent

Forcible invasion of memories through magical means

Physical abuse

Trafficking of a person

Uninformed consent at every freaking turn

Just with that list alone this book should be a one star review. There were huge issues with how Luca was sold in the first place, bound to a vampire, then sold again to the wolf shifter who becomes his mate, beginning with Luca's time with the vampire, not dealing with Luca's fear, obvious distress, lack of knowledge, his reaction to Erik's pack, and his silence in reaction to virtually everything if he's not either crying or trying to escape, seeing nothing of his own innate magic or talents in general, getting virtually no dynamics of Erik's pack...

The thing is though, I didn't hate the story. It's a long list of what was missing and inadequate, but there are moments of sweetness and hope and one tiny bit of humor after Luca does a really cool thing near the end and other characters that managed to grab my interest insomuch as to make me actually consider continuing with this world if there is to be a series to follow.

...yeah, I know.

So yeah, huge red flags, incredibly disturbing scenes that are not addressed constructively or satisfyingly, and a lack of character depth or growth that really doesn't inspire me to recommend this story at all. But...I might actually read more from the world at some point, so there is that.

*$4.99 on Amazon