[MINI-REVIEWS] Bookish Update May 1st-15th } late but here

Hello, lovelies!🌼 May is almost gone, can you all believe it? Time is flying and before we all know it, the year will end. I need to leave procrastination aside because is not helping me at all (ಥ﹏ಥ) these past months I’ve been so unproductive is not even funny.

I’m so proud of how this graphic looks! I think is the prettiest one I’ve made ❤ I didn’t intended to be so Japanese inspired but the flowers and calligraphy were calling my name!

This is how my month is going, I have to admit its been a mediocre month for me in terms of reading and I don’t even mean on how many books I have read so far. I’ve been re-reading a lot: especially Feral and Just a Bit Ruthless both by Alessandra Hazard.

I started the month with 😈

• May 1st: Lightbearer by L.C. Davis
  • Wow! I thought this one was going to be a strong five but it wasn’t. I loved the plot, the whole devil and regular guy is a thing you know! Levi – the human – was so funny and just a ball of energy. I was laughing throughout the first chapters, plus the way the book is written is very interesting – I’ve never read something similar where we go back and forth and it feels like an interview without making you think about it. I loved the demons, especially Maiz who loved Levi in a very quiet way, knowing Levi was in love with someone else – that person being Maiz’ only family. I was rooting for the couple until we have the self-sacrificing s*** and then I’m not a fan after that. The author could’ve made the self-sacrificing a thing, but the way it was executed after that I didn’t like it. By the end I was feeling very ‘meh’. I did gave the book a four because of the characters, and the book started in a good note. It could’ve been a strong five if things would’ve been created different after the whole self-sacrificing part.

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• May 8th: Beyond the Surface by Felice Stevens
  • I had mixed feelings about this book – which is something that happened a lot throughout this month ಠ_ಠ One of the aspects of this book [I believe the main one really], is coming out to family and friends. Nick is a firefighter, as a firefighter he is always surrounded by old generations who think differently so he has been struggling all his life with his sexual identity – especially as his father is a strong role mode who is old-school. But, as much as this is a huge part of the book and the author makes a huge deal about it, yet coming out was so anticlimactic. Nick’s family accepts him right away, there is no drama which I loved, but at the same time I wondered what was the trauma behind the idea of coming out -the author makes it such a huge angsty issue. If he had come out as a teenager it would’ve been the same because the way his parents reacted gives me the impression they will always love him no matter what. That had me a bit like ‘eh’ but the rest was good. I liked Nick and how he was able to find his way as a gay firefighter, plus as someone who loved his family and wanted to always be accepted yet himself. I also liked Julian and his personality, but mostly I enjoyed how he started seeing life differently and find a new way to make clothes and still made people feel beautiful. The romance was good, a bit dramatic in some areas and angsty, yet I wouldn’t say is the main aspect of the book – I think is mostly about acceptance, coming out, standing up for yourself and others, and being a survivor without feeling like you’re betraying anyone. It was a good read, sweet and lovely.

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• May 11th: Black Moon by Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes
  • This was a very interesting take on the omega/beta/alpha universe – which I found refreshing and interesting. In this world, humans know about werewolves and while some packs live in the ‘countryside’ shall we say, they are known to exist and so they live without any issues [which is usually the plot in other books within this genre]. I liked that aspect of the plot, the one where there is no drama between humans and werewolves – it was refreshing. As for the plot, it was good – pretty good actually. I really liked the characters, especially how independent and unapologetic Colt was – so confident and happy on his own skin. Colt was very straightforward, and smart. He is a reporter who comes to Linden’s town and from there we have romance, action, and sexy times. I also liked the side characters, really enjoyed how Linden was a doctor but when he had to, he was an alpha and a protector. I like the side rivalry and how Colt saw right through all the bullshit and no drama there. It was actually low drama with the exception of the kidnapping and Blake’s recovery – plus also the ‘Condition’ which is something that attacks Omegas and has been killing them slowly. I truly enjoyed the relationship – like I said very low drama, very sexy and I loved how Linden was so passive as an alpha while Colt had such a strong personality for an omega. I look forward to reading book two coming soon and book three with Blake who stoled my heart.

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• May 9th: The Right One by Felice Stevens
  • This is a very low two stars for me, I almost thought about giving this book a one-star because it just didn’t spark anything within me. I wasn’t rooting for anyone, and the relationship was so bland I wasn’t even interested in the feelings. I didn’t have any sympathy for Leo. While I understood what the author was trying to convey with his terrible childhood, that didn’t validate how he would treat Morgan – as a child, often with a condescending way that was trying very hard not to sound like a huge jerk. I didn’t like their interactions, how Leo was cold and hot without any reason – like okay, we get it, you had a horrible childhood but Morgan wasn’t at fault, and neither was the ex Diego I believe was his name. I tried liking Morgan too, a bit cute and clumsy with a good heart. But I didn’t understand the attraction towards Leo who was often described as grumpy, a bit of an asshole. Leo, who would call him stupid for things Morgan didn’t know and would tease him in front of others and I just was not comfortable at all. Don’t get me wrong, is not a bad book it was just not for me.

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• May 14th: Gabriel by Taylor Rylan
  • I would understand if people loved this book and gave it five stars, it just wasn’t for me. There was no chemistry, no build up, no angst (which some people may like, I’m not one who looks forward to angsty books but I feel this book needed a push). Everything is so cookie cut, like the money from their grandpa, going back to school (it seems everyone is taking classes), the dogs, the whole cowboy but nothing came from that, the romance felt very plain. It was like a very plain vanilla cake without flavor (and this comes from someone who loves everything vanilla). I don’t even know what the plot was, I think by the end I was skimming. I didn’t even realized the book was over. Best thing in this story: Kitt.

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DNFed 🛑

• A Loving Lie by Crista Crown: My god, the romance was so unrealistic the author didn’t even try. I tried to enjoy it, DNFed at about 50% but I couldn’t!

Currently reading:

• Vespertine by Leta Blake: OH MIXED FEELINGS, HELLO OLD FRIEND! This book, I’m pulling my hair with it and wondering if I should even continue. I think what attract me to it is the forbidden romance aspect but is dragging and I just enjoy quick-paced book a bit more.
• Love is a Stranger by John Wiltshire: Barely in chapter one but the premise and the prologue was wow!

Still reading from last month: SWAT Ed.: Fox & Bull (Nothing Specials #8) by A.E. Via, A Duke in Shining Armor (Difficult Dukes #1) by Loretta Chase and Smoke & Mirrors by Charlie Cochet.

So, this month has been very low – I hope the rest of the month will be a bit different!