Review: Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Halfway to the Grave
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress, Book 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 30 October 2007

Flirting with the Grave...
Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father - the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.

In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner - are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

This was an attempted re-read. I first read this book years ago. Sometime around when it first came out. I had issues with it then. I had more issues with it now. I look back at years-old reviews and I know that I was incredibly forgiving back then, but I don't think I realized just how forgiving until I read this. Back then, I read everything to the end, no matter what. Now I get bored and will gladly stop in the first few pages. In the interest of nostalgia (and remembering that I enjoyed some of the sequels a lot), I persevered quite far in this book, but still only to 57%.

This book is a strong mix of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. In fact, going by my own rules I can barely decide where I'd classify it. If it weren't for the other books in the series, which I know point more to UF, I'd go PNR. At any rate, plan on sexy times, a lot of innuendo (for the job, of course), and insta-love. Yeah, yeah, it's been a few weeks, but they still both fall in love really quickly. Cat is strong and kick-ass, with a huge chip on her shoulders about vampires. Understandably, but even when evidence clearly points in a different direction, that there could possibly be an exception to the rule. I liked her, but she irritated me at the same time.

Bones, well, I don't know what to say here. I remember loving Bones the first time I read this. He was swoon-worthy. Maybe he still is. He's stronger than Cat, of course, being centuries older, but he'd never really hurt her. And he doesn't want her involved in hunting down these really dangerous vampires - never mind that she seems to keep getting into the middle of it and probably the best way to keep her safe is to keep her close. He trains her, and gives her the tools that she needs to continue doing what she wants to do. I love that. But what I didn't love was how quickly he fell in love with her. Why do so many of the UF heroes like prickly girls. Not just strong-minded, but these women are genuinely mean and jerks to the hero most of the time. They give off mixed signals like they're a strobe lights. They are, in turns, turned-on and disgusted by them. They attack and then kiss. They run away, and then demand. But he fell in love with her the first time she challenged him. That'd intrigue me too, but love? Meh.

The storyline moves at about a snails' pace. It's soooooooo slooooooooooow. My gods, can't it get moving already? For all the tempting and killing of vampires you'd think something more would be happening. But instead I feel like I'm just reading page after page after page of Cat's internal monologuing. Should she or shouldn't she? She's disappointing her mother. She's shaming her grandparents. She's doing everything for someone else's life, instead of her own. I just want her to live for herself (and this is a complaint I remember having throughout the series).

Then there's the corniness. Keep in mind that Bones is basically Spike (as confirmed by the author at one time). There were too many times I rolled my eyes at their interactions. They felt forced instead of organic.

I couldn't do it anymore. So I quit. Even if I do remember the next couple of books getting better, I just finally had to admit defeat and recognize that it was over between us.


Grade: DNF / C

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Review: Dove Arising by Karen Bao

Title: Dove Arising:
Author: Karen Bao
Series: Dove Chronicles, Book 1
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian
Release Date: 24 February 2015

Phaet Theta has lived her whole life in a colony on the Moon. She’s barely spoken since her father died in an accident nine years ago. She cultivates the plants in Greenhouse 22, lets her best friend talk for her, and stays off the government’s radar.

Then her mother is arrested.

The only way to save her younger siblings from the degrading Shelter is by enlisting in the Militia, the faceless army that polices the Lunar bases and protects them from attacks by desperate Earth-dwellers. Training is brutal, but it’s where Phaet forms an uneasy but meaningful alliance with the preternaturally accomplished Wes, a fellow outsider.

Rank high, save her siblings, free her mom: that’s the plan. Until Phaet’s logically ordered world begins to crumble...

Suspenseful, intelligent, and hauntingly prescient, Dove Arising stands on the shoulders of our greatest tales of the future to tell a story that is all too relevant today.

I was so excited and looking forward to reading this book, and was beyond excited when I was approved through the Penguin First to Read program. Ultimately there were a few too many issues for me to enjoy this book.

I really should start re-reading the summary blurbs before starting the book - it might save me a lot of concerns and issues. Instead, I spent the first 15% irritated that the main character, Phaet, hadn't said a single word or responded in any sort of way to anyone that spoke to her. Even so, I'll buy the selective-mute aspect of her personality, especially in a society where the likelihood of someone listening is always high, but there could have been some sort of response. Instead she just internally mused, endlessly. Someone asks a question, she thinks about it. Someone states something, she considers it. Someone requests, she contemplates. Then she randomly starts speaking, still sparsely, but it was already beyond irritating to me. I'm not a huge fan of always being in someone's head, hearing about what things are happening and not feeling like we're participating in the scenes as they're happening. There's also the fact that Phaet prickly personality reminded me a lot of Katniss (The Hunger Games) and it's not the first similarity I noted to other books.

The world-building felt patched together. There's a world where people have given up their essential freedoms in order to be kept "safe" on this Lunar colony. But the liberties that have been supplanted are random and don't make sense for a society that is truly concerned with the number of population. There's no regulation on the number of children, or mating ages/rules. There's rent and Committee fees, food costs, and low paying jobs. There are ridiculous laws against any number of things, and there's Big Brother watching all the time through their handscreens - which also provide convenient information about other characters.

Both characters and world, if not done well, are enough to make it so I don't enjoy a book. However, this book also had the issue of not having an actual plot. Phaet ends up at a Militia training facility, trying to earn enough money to support her family and save her mother, but there's no real inducement to any of her actions. She's kind of just going along, doing the bare minimum that she has to do - until she has to do more. Even so, it never feels really necessary. It's just one girl's struggle, and honestly I kept waiting for the moment when "Phaet's logically ordered world begins to crumble..." But by 41% into the book there was just...nothing.

Back to those similarities that I was mentioning - Phaet's personality reminds me a lot of Katniss, the training reminds me a lot of Tris' in Divergent, the unrequited love interest (as her oldest friend) reminds me a lot of Gale and Katniss' dynamic. Then there's the new boy, who's quiet and mysterious and trying to help Phaet out....and he just might have feelings for her that are a bit more, which - of course - reminds me of Peeta. I could draw comparisons to scenes that I've seen in Ender's Game about the simulations of ship battles.

There's just nothing there to keep me wanting to read on. I do wish I knew what happened, or if there was something worth continuing for, but not enough to keep pushing myself through a book that's doing nothing to hook me.

Grade: DNF

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Review: Queenie's Brigade by Heather Massey

Title: Queenie's Brigade
Author: Heather Massey
Series: Stand-alone
Genre: Science Fiction (Romance)
Release Date: 2 July 2011

Captain Michael Drake desperately needs an army to save Earth after a crushing defeat by alien invaders. When his damaged starship docks at a remote prison colony, he discovers Earth’s last best hope—an army to replace the one he lost.

But, Queenie, the feral goddess ruling the prison, has other plans for the rugged star ship captain. After imprisoning Drake and seizing his ship, she prepares to lead her blood-thirsty band to freedom before the invaders track them down.

Despite her intentions, Queenie secretly falls for the sexy, hotshot captain. Drake makes it plain he wants to win back Earth with her by his side. But is following her heart worth betraying her people?

DNF at 38%

I was going to say that I feel badly for giving this such a low rating, because the writing and the premise is pretty intriguing. Plus there's an interesting dichotomy within Queenie herself. I think if I were reading about her alone, instead of adding in some manufactured love interest, I would be enjoying this more. As it is I find it hard to care what happens to either character.

Captain Michael Drake: Last surviving military captain in a war against the Calinthians - who have invaded Earth. He jumps his battered ship to a prison outpost, proceeds to be captured by the prisoners (who've taken over the prison), and then doesn't act anything like a decorated military captain.

The leader of the prison gang (and I'll get to her in a minute) is, of course, statuesque, beautiful, and has her breasts falling out of her jumpsuit (literally). So, naturally, he's distracted and attracted. He gives himself some grief about this, but in the end he needs her and her army to try and take back Earth. Then she brings out a member of his crew (a doctor), and proceeds to have her fingers broken, threatens to break other things, and this after the crew-member already looks pretty beat to hell. All so she can get the codes to his ship.

Which he then gives up. Seriously? This is the kind of military Earth has? One that caves without a qualm? He gives up his codes, and then he expects her to work with him, team up with him. If I were her, I'd scoff too. What kind of partner would he be? Not a good one, that's for sure.

Queenie: leader of the prison gang. She was brought up, by her mother and others, to unite the prison gangs under one leadership so they could take over, free themselves, and stop being used as cannon-fodder in a losing war. I understand that, and even empathize with it.

So, she rules with an iron fist (sometimes - I'll get to that later), and that's explains the torture of the captured crew (I guess). I have no patience for torture. Like sexual assault, and abuse, it's pretty much a final straw for me. I don't care the circumstances, I'm not really going to be able to root for you once you do something like that.

The problem with Queenie is that she's alternately portrayed as ruthless and smart - which would be awesome - and vulnerable and silly. She rules the gangs, but they're all just waiting for a chance to stab her in the back. She protects and wants to help her people. She demands obedience and that they not do anything to interfere with her mission, but she doesn't concern herself with them doing drugs. Lack of discipline, lack of order, is as much a problem to any real mission as any lack of obedience. And if a leader doesn't realize that, then they don't deserve to be leader any longer.

Every other character is a non-issue. They may as well be placeholders to give the two main characters something to react against.

Manufactured Love Story: Michael can't seem to keep his eyes off Queenie's gorgeous body - even when his crew's being tortured. Nor can he keep his libido under control. Queenie is, of course, drawn to the captain - who is like no other military person she's seen before.

She punches him in the face, several times. During her exertions her (ample) breast falls out of her shirt and all he can think about is taking it in his mouth. She flushes (Ugh. Why the need to be embarrassed. If she's the hardass that she's being portrayed as, why does she have to be virginal too - and I bet she ends up being a virgin). And then what's he do - strokes her thigh. She responds. He thinks that for her to respond like that she must still have a heart.

They're both idiots. And if they're humanity's last hope...well, we're doomed.

Grade: DNF

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Review: Break Out by Nina Croft

Title: Break Out
Author: Nina Croft
Series: Blood Hunter, Book 1
Genre: Paranormal / Science-Fiction Romance
Release Date: 1 July 2011

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they've discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they're called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can't resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective's maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous—or so fun.

I'm so tired of these same, tired, bad tropes being brought out to play.

First - I'm not a fan of deception between my heroes, and the heroine here is hiding something BIG. Ugh. Gross.

Second - We're how many thousands of years in the future, and we're still calling women "whores". Give me a break.

Third - the hero has no common sense and does things that are likely to get him killed, apparently for the story. The heroine is unreliable, and apparently an idiot who doesn't even know what she's doing in her own training simulation.

Fourth - Get the heroine drunk trope, but not too drunk. Have hero check, several times, to be sure he's not taking advantage. Distraction. Heroine gets pissed at hero because she gave into her own desires. And then punch him.

And now - at 27% - I'm done.

Grade: DNF

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Review: Straddling the Line by Jaci Burton

Title: Straddling the Line
Author: Jaci Burton
Series: Play by Play, Book 8
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 1 July 2014

Trevor Shay has it all—a successful football and baseball career, and any woman he wants. But when he finds out his college mentor’s daughter is in trouble, he drops everything to come to her aid.

Haven Briscoe has finally landed a dream job as a sportscaster for a major network. But she hasn’t been able to move past the recent death of her beloved father, and it’s affecting her career. A plum assignment following the daily life of sports superstar Trevor Shay might be just the inspiration she needs…

Trevor will do anything to spark life back into Haven, including letting her into every aspect of his world. The chemistry between them flames higher than one of Trevor’s home runs and faster than his dashes to the end zone. But as they grow closer, Haven stumbles onto Trevor’s closely guarded secret, one he’s hidden his entire life. And despite his protests, now it’s Haven’s turn to put everything on hold to help Trevor. Will he let her in and trust her with a secret that could blow his professional and personal world apart?

I don't even have the inclination to write a real review for this so here's (essentially) a Play-by-Play of my thoughts while reading this book.

I'm a bitch. Chick's grieving her father, who died about a year ago, and all I can think is 'Stop feeling sorry for yourself.' Yes, I know that grief takes its own time. I'm still grieving my aunt (she was more like a sister to me), who passed nearly a decade ago. But I still participated in my life. I didn't just let my career fall by the weigh-side, as Haven seems to be doing.

Oh. He plays two professional sports. Huh. That's pretty rare. I know, I know. I really should pay more attention to those damn blurbs (and in this case, cover art). But who has time. I'm reading here.

Football AND baseball. Wow. Wonder which team is understanding. There's quite a bit of overlap there. Hmm. *goes to look up schedules for baseball season and football season* This is really, really unlikely. He must be amazingly good. Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders are two notable athletes that competed in both baseball and football, showing that it does happen. However, I stick to my assessment that it's incredibly rare.

Boring interview is boring. Thank goodness he cut that short. I know she's supposed to be doing a report piece on him, but blah. What a crappy way to have them get to know each other. His 'Can I interview you, too' line. *rolls eyes*

Oh. Surprise. Vaguely sexual pool play. At least she's not overly virginal or puritanical about her body. I like that. I'm still not sure where any attraction between these two is going to come from.

Ugh. Have I mentioned that I hate baseball? I think it's boring. Watching it is boring. Reading about it? Good god. Kill me now.

Wait. He doesn't seem that good. *frowns* How isn't he better than this? Maybe it's not an awesome game. I do have to hand it to Jaci Burton, she knows her sports (at least I assume she knows baseball, it feels as boring as it is in real life).

O.M.G. I have to read about another frakking game?!

Obligatory catch up with previous novels' characters. Haven't read their books. Don't care about their impending marriages, children, or any other 'Look at how happy and perfect we are' moments. I feel like a romance-scrooge here.

Oh! So he plays the full season of baseball, and then joins his football team. He must be really good at football. Most teams won't be that understanding. Not only is he missing the first several games of the football season, but he misses the entirety of training camp, and pre-season. O___O

He's gotta have one hell of an agent.

Really? A couples wedding party (or was it baby party)? Whatever. It's a time for the 'heroine' to sit down with some other women and talk about the 'hero.' Couldn't they talk about something else? Like, maybe their careers - and not how it led them to getting married? Ugh.

Talk about not-sexy. She watches him jerking off, on the chaise by the pool, from her bedroom window. Then is awkward about it the next morning. Blah. Boring. I don't see why he wants her, and I don't see why she wants him either.

Oh Christ. More boring interview stuff. I'm really not a fan of this method of get-to-know-you.

Says something about how (not) invested I was in the "romance" that I spent nearly the entirety of the time considering how his schedule worked. I think it's better for me to quit while I'm not so far behind.

Grade: DNF

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Review: End Times by Anna Schumacher

Title: End Times
Author: Anna Schumacher
Series: End Times, Book 1
Genre: Young Adult (Post-)Apocalyptic
Release Date: 20 May 2014

Carbon County, Wyoming is like a current running through Daphne’s heart.

When life gets too tough to bear in Detroit, Daphne flees to her Uncle Floyd’s home, where she believes she’ll find solace in the silent hills of her childhood summers. But Daphne’s Greyhound bus pulls over in downtown Carbon County and it’s not silence that welcomes her. It’s trumpets.

Daphne’s desire to start again in simple country comfort is instantly dashed as the townsfolk declare that the End Times are here. And incredible occurrences soon support their belief. Daphne does all she can to keep her head down and ignore the signs. She works a job at the local oil rig, helps around the house, hangs out with her pregnant cousin Janie and gets to know Owen, a mysterious motocross racer and fellow roustabout at the rig. But soon a startling discovery shatters her resolve and calls into question all her doubts and fears.

Daphne landed in Carbon County for a reason. She only has to read the signs—and believe.

Bored. I can sum up my entire reading experience in one word. I gave this book more than enough time, and I just - finally - couldn't take it anymore.

You probably want some more though. Okay. This book is told in alternating third-person POV with three main characters (so far): Daphne, her cousin Janie, and Owen. Owen's the only one that's remotely interesting to me, and that's not saying much because I'm not real interested in him either. Daphne has potential, but she's so busy trying to fade into the background that I'm bored with her. Janie's ... pregnant. Apparently that's the sum of her personality. That and she "loves" her boyfriend who's an obvious asshole.

42% I read, and I didn't even get to the part of the blurb where the "townsfolk declare that the End Times are here." Trumpets are sounding when Daphne gets into town, but after they stop (later that night) they're pretty much forgotten. Life goes on. I get to read about boring day to day life stuff. Then Daphne is apparently Jed Clampett and black gold comes bubbling up out of the ground. More boring day to day stuff. More boring. More. More. More.

The writing feels pretty simplistic, too. That's not always a bad thing, but here there was nothing that made me want to do anything other than skim. The dialogue also felt really forced and not at all like how people actually talk.

Finally, there's shaping up to be some sort of confrontation between the (Christian) God-loving folk of Carbon County (which despite its name is actually a town) and the Earth Children - children of the Earth God apparently. Honestly, I'm just not interested. The Christians in this book felt like caricatures, and then there was the free-loving "hippie" vibe of the main "Earth Child" that we've met so far. Meh. Stereotypes aren't awesome.

The one good thing I can say is that - despite being bored - the book reads fairly quickly. It took me a couple of hour to read nearly half of it, and I kept pausing to do other things.

Grade: DNF

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DNF Review: Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen

Title: Alias Hook
Author: Lisa Jensen
Genre: Fantasy / Fairy-Tale Retelling
Release Date: 8 July 2014
Source: From publisher in exchange for an honest review

The flip-side of Peter Pan, the historical fantasy, Alias Hook, is a time-traveling love story about male and female, love and war, and the delicate art of growing up.

Captain James Benjamin Hook is a grown man stranded in a world run by a capricious 11-year-old boy. Once an embittered warrior with a grudge against the world, now Hook is trapped forever in a pointless war he can never win against the boy tyrant, Pan, and his magical allies.

When a grown woman dreams her way to the Neverland in defiance of all the boy's rules, she may be the key to Hook's redemption—maybe even his release—if they can unravel the curse that binds him there before Pan can capture her and drag Hook back into their neverending game.

But nothing is won in the Neverland without the forfeit of something else. And the price of Hook's freedom may be more than he can bear to pay.

The problem here is two-fold.

Nothing at all happened for the first 20% of the book. So I read, and read, and read about Hook and his past (Oh, woe is me), and how he was wronged by every woman he ever met, or about how he was always about his own image - at the expense of anyone that got in the way.

I should know by now to expect nothing but treachery from a woman.

I've known it all my life. Why should this woman be different than all the others?

Never mind that you left your fiancee to go pirating. Or that after being captured and freed, you found a woman who engaged you mentally and physically and you left her, too, for your bloodlust. But of course, these women betrayed you.

Women are relegated to the Mary or Whore route. He speaks of attempting to pillage the Indians for their women. He talks of the fairies that try to beguile them with their lusty bodies. They're all temptresses out to get him.

Anyway, that's a whole 'nother rant.

My problems were the damn HUGE blocks of text, listing out every single thing in the damn room, or his wardrobe, or whatever. I struggled not to skim, to just to get something going on. I was so BORED.

Then there's Hook himself. There's no hero in Neverland, is what I can take away from this. There's Pan - the tyrant - who won't let Hook die and go to his peace; because afterall, who else would Pan fight? Then there's Hook, who wasn't a much better person in life. And has carried his rage here for over 200 years.

I'm quite sure that the arrival of Parrish, a woman, is supposed to be the catalyst to his change and I'm kind of curious how they're going to defeat (or escape) Pan...but not enough to keep reading.

Unfortunately, this book just didn't work for me. The long passages of introspection by Hook were too much for me to continue to read.

Grade: DNF at 35%

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DNF Review: Reckless by Skye Jordan

Title: Reckless
Author: Skye Jordan
Series: Renegades, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance
Release Date: 23 August 2013
Source: From publisher in exchange for an honest review

A couture wedding dress designer to the rich and famous, Lexi LaCroix's image means everything. Raised on the wrong side of the tracks, her years of polish and hard work are finally about to pay off. But crossing paths with a sexier-than-sin, bad-boy biker who makes her realize how much living she's sacrificed for her success, one touch is all it takes to threaten her carefully choreographed life.

Jax Chamberlin has been screwed over by gorgeous gold-diggers one too many times. Though he runs his own stunt company, all of America knows his Hollywood face even years after he's given up acting. Finding a woman who doesn't plan to use him as a stepping stone to success is virtually impossible, so when the charming and mysterious Lexi offers him a chance at a totally anonymous hook-up during an out of town trip, Jax accepts. Only Lexi is more sextacular than charming, and Jax wants more. Lots more.

But Lexi's got a major hang-up over his renegade lifestyle. And if she finds out his connections could catapult her to the top of her career, he's afraid the fantasy woman he's falling for might just end up like all the rest.

Warning: This novel contains uber-hot sexual encounters. For safety's sake, read along with pitcher of ice-water. Or...wine...

Where to start?

I'm not sure what I went into this expecting. I hadn't even remembered what the blurb was about - my bad for not getting to it sooner - but I went into this completely blind. Unfortunately, that meant that Lexi and Jax had to make me love them on their own, from the start.

We first meet Jax where he's talking to an (apparent) ex, thinking incredibly nasty thoughts of her. We find out that she's screwed him out of a job and that's why he feels so negatively towards her. But when she offers to get him the job back if he'll just get back in her bed and he CONSIDERS it....not a good first impression.

My first impression of Lexi isn't much better. She sees the truck that Jax is in, and immediately thinks of the truck that she knows "exactly what kind of guys drove those trucks." Apparently, only sexy guys can now own big trucks. Mmm-hmm. I'll have to remember that.

For their meet-cute, Lexi uses a beta app that her friend designed to sell to the NSA (don't ask) and gets Jax's phone number. She proceeds to text him, anonymously, making it very clear that she's watching him, can see him, and is paying attention to him but not letting him know who she is. He, apparently, is fine with this because the flirting and sexting begin.

Don't get me wrong, the texts were my favorite part of the book to that point. They were both cute and sexy, and it was clear that they had a lot of chemistry. Their senses of humor worked well off of each other - and they both dropped their emotional baggage to flirt. I really enjoyed it.

Unfortunately, we got back to the emotional baggage. Lexi can't get involved with anyone that could cause a scandal - apparently her Hollywood and/or rich clients won't appreciate her having any scandals....because they never do. Right. Anyway, she's all paranoid about her reputation, but she's attracted to the 'rough' Jax. He's got a leather motorcycle jacket (of a brand I've never heard of...so sue me), and work boots, and a tattoo. He's got to be 'lesser' right? Yep. But she can do a little anonymous sex.

Jax, on the other hand, alternates between 'She doesn't think I'm good enough for her,' and 'She's using me to get to my connections.' I still can't figure out how those two insecurities can coexist in his mind, but there you have it. He floats from one insecure moment to the next and there's nothing less sexy to me than insecurity. As the blurb states Jax is a famous Hollywood actor, retired and now doing stunts. He's easily recognizable - instantly by fans, as proven in one scene. His co-star that he is filming with is of the Brad Pitt type celebrity. Apparently Jax is of the same level.

Want to know where I lost all believability in this book? It wasn't Lexi's friend designing phone apps for the government. It wasn't the harmless hacking, or a top fashion designer taking on two interns that haven't graduated from the fashion design school. It wasn't even the fact that Lexi apparently could design better after Jax gave her an orgasm.

It was the fact that Lexi, who makes her living selling haute couture wedding dresses to the rich and famous in Los Angeles, has NO IDEA who Jax or his co-star are. Even after hearing the co-star's name, even after finally seeing Jax's face. Nothing. No recognition at all. How? How does that happen? You live and work there. You sell expensive dresses and you don't know your (possible) clientele? You've never thought maybe you should know the people you're trying to sell to?

Argh! I'm still so frustrated by this.

Before all that I'd happily been reading for the smexy times. They were pretty good smexy times - with a few things that pulled me out of the moment, but I feel like I've complained enough. Suffice it to say that when the sexy times had me laughing out loud I knew it was time to stop because there was nothing left to keep me invested.

I do have the second book in the series already, and the writing and sexiness were pretty good, so I'm sure I'll try it to see if some different characters work better for me.

Grade: DNF (at 51%)

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Review: One Enchanted Season by C.L. Wilson, Erica Ridley, and Elissa Wilds

Title: One Enchanted Season
Authors: C.L. Wilson, Erica Ridley, and Elissa Wilds
Series: N/A
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Romance, Sci-Fi Romance
Release Date: 5 December 2013

Three bestselling and critically acclaimed authors of paranormal romance weave stories inspired by classic holiday songs.

'tis the season to enchant...

In C.L. Wilson's UPON A MIDNIGHT, an angel helps a troubled woman heal the wounds of her past so her soul can relearn how to sing.

Erica Ridley delivers magic with LET IT SNOW, in which a treasure hunter breaches an enchanted castle only to become trapped inside with a cursed princess and a suspicious tree.

And in SNOWMAN, Elissa Wilds weaves a tale of forbidden love that bridges two very different worlds, when a snowy stranger appears at an isolated mountain cabin seeking much more than shelter from the storm.

Step into a world where the nights are long and dark, snowflakes sparkle like fairy lights, and the hearth fires burn as brightly as the passion of newfound love.

I'll be honest, I only requested this because of C.L. Wilson. I loved her Tarien Soul series and she hasn't released another book since the finale of that series in 2010. I feel like I've been eagerly anticipating her next book forever! Then I saw this, not only a new original short story, but a sneak peak at her full-length novel, The Winter King due out 29 July 2014!! I had to get it.

Thankfully her story was the first one in the anthology, so I didn't have to skip to it. "Upon a Midnight" was a nice, sweet story about a woman finding peace from her past and her guardian angel learning exactly what it means to be made for someone.

Upon a Midnight by C.L. Wilson
Kat has some seriously emotional baggage that's being carried around with her. Though she loved her parents, and was loved in turn by them, her father kept them on the run and her life with them was about upheaval. When they died in an accident, she was sent to live with her horrible grandparents - seriously, these two....I was so mad at them, at what they did to Kat. She bears the scares, deep and painful still, of these experiences and they affect her every day life. On top of all that, Kat worries that she may finally be going crazy - just like her father.

Micah - have I ever mentioned how much I love that name? - is Kat's guardian angel. He was made to protect her, because Kat's so much more than she ever imagined. And it's imperative that she be able to do the task she was destined for. Unfortunately, her history may just make that impossible.

I loved Kat. I loved how, even with her past, she didn't let it ruin her. She forged ahead, determined to still help others. I really admired her. Micah was perfect, but what I loved most about him was his support of Kat. His purpose is to protect her while she completes the task, however when she believes she won't be able to do it, he doesn't demand or insist, he supports. I love that.

My only, tiny, niggle with the story is how quickly Kat was able to deal with her issues. There's so much intense emotional history that it's hard for me to quite believe that she was able to put it all behind her so easily. I was so happy that she was that this didn't bother me a lot, but I think I would have liked more time spent on her healing from the trauma of her past.

Grade: B

Let It Snow by Erica Ridley
Full disclosure - I did not finish this story. In fact I only got about two percent into it. My problems completely stemmed from the world that couldn't decide what it wanted to be. You had characters sending out pleas to gods - plural - and planning to go to midnight mass for Christmas Eve. That made me pause and wonder, but I went with it and kept reading.

You have a main character that carries a sword, talks of magic, and mentions how he purchased a pirate ship - and then you find out a few paragraphs later that airplanes are still flying the friendly skies. Wha--?? M'kay, then. Moving on.

That's when I come to the point where the "hero" of the story is beseiged by six bounty hunters. I'm just going to add the quote and my exact notes from when I read it:

...when a pair of bounty hunters used silver bullets to announce their presence. Four more bounty hunters fell in behind them.

Lance had his sword in hand and through the chest of the closest attacker before the hunter had a chance to pull the trigger a second time. Two razor-edged claymores appeared in Sancho's mitts from out of nowhere, and for several adrenaline-filled minutes, the only sounds were the clang of swords, the sharp report of gunfire, and a series of wet thuds as the bodies of the would-be assassins hit the ground and stayed there.

Bounty-hunters "announcing" their presence by firing a gun - how inept are they that they can't hit an unaware target?

SIX bounty-hunters, presumably with guns, can't take out two lonely guys with only SWORDS?

Sancho (Lance's friend) can apparently wield TWO CLAYMORES at a time - do you have any idea how BIG these freaking swords are? They're HUGE. They're meant to be handled TWO-HANDED.

Then the bounty hunters are apparently still firing their guns and still can't hit our hero.

I'm done.

Grade: DNF

Snowman by Elyssa Wilds
I admit, I had little patience by the time I started this novella. Then it seemed like maybe I'd be in for a treat, because it started off interesting enough - even if I wanted to smack the heroine for idiocy in a snow-storm, at least she recognized that she'd been stupid. But then we get to the part where other female characters can't even be bothered to be given a name. It just rubbed me the wrong way.

After that, I'm not sure if I just lost what little interest I had, or what, but I started skimming and all I saw was 'blah, blah, blah'.

I knew it was time to give up here too.

Grade: DNF

OH! And the preview for The Winter King? LOVE. I'm SOOO excited!!

Amazon | BN | kobo | Sony | Goodreads

2013 DNF Round-Up Post

Just a few years ago, I never would have considered the possibility of not finishing a book. No matter how much it enraged me, how bored I was, how much I hated the characters, I read through to the last page to see if it could possibly redeem itself. All too frequently it didn't. Sometimes, some things made more sense than originally, but 99% of the time I was still too mad, disappointed and just didn't care anymore.

So I started trying to drop the books that weren't working for me. Maybe I'm missing out on some great revelation in some dropped book, but with so many books out there, and the possibility for so many good books, I just can't be bothered to worry about that anymore.

So here are the books that I dropped, and a quick (sometimes more raging than quick) bit of the reasoning on why I did.

Tempestuous Eden by Heather Graham

I made it, barely, through the prologue and a little over a page into Chapter 1.

My problems:
1. In the prologue you're reading a bunch of email exchanges back and forth between a military man and his CO (commanding officer)*. He's whining about his orders - to go to Central America - and protect a US citizen, bringing her home if necessary.

Um, excuse me? WTF? First of all, highly frowned upon (and I use that term as a insane understatement) in the military to argue with your CO in such a manner. Secondly, not very heroic. I was pretty much done with him then.

2. POV shifts. Sentence to sentence we were in someone else's head - with no real clues to tell us whose POV we were looking through. Three times it switched POV inone paragraph.

I was done.** As I only got about 2% in, I can't really recommend or discourage anyone from reading this.

*Disclaimer: I didn't get far enough to know for sure he was military, but by the lack of consultation, options, and general orders I figured there's no other option.

**Addendum: This was originally written in the '80s. It's pretty obvious. And I know things were generally more lax in some of my complaint areas (in books, that is) at that time.

Three - Legends of the Duskwalker, Book 1 - by Jay Posey

DNF at 21%.

I just can't anymore.

Some reasons I quit:

1. I have no idea what's going on. What kind of world this is, how it got this way; what kind of people these are, how they got this way. Where it is, when it is, how it is....I've got nothing. This is best as I can figure it.

We're in some vague science-fiction world; maybe earth, maybe some place else. Weirs populate the outside (and it took until 18%ish to get a name/idea of what they were). FYI: They're zombie like creatures with glowing blue eyes that track based on a multitude of things, including characters 'linking (I'll get to that). I have no idea how they came about though. Because of the weirs, humanity has closed themselves up in cities that are locked up tight after dark - apparently the weirs only come out at night? And it's got to be full dark, none of this partial-dusk, mostly dark crap. Also, they apparently communicate with screams and/or screeches.

The characters have some sort of 'link to a central 'net? They can link and find out their global positioning, have access to internal time, get information, and track based on use of this. I don't know why, or how this came about.

There are weird drugs (chems) that people can take to become super strong/fast/smart - but they become addictive to the point where you need them to function later.

2. Characters act in ways that are inconsistent with the world-building.

Enter Three. He's a mercenary? I guess. That was what I imagined him to be considering he was claiming a bounty on someone when we first meet him (unless that's him in the prologue - but I don't really know who that was to be honest). Then he randomly decides to save this woman and child. Next, he continues to help them for a really long time, protecting them despite the woman being an ungrateful person who berates and yells at him for not doing enough (apparently). Also, I have no idea why the mother was in the bar with her son when she first meets Three, and asks him for help. Obvious authorial hand here.

Additionally, Three can kick weir ass. Yet, the rest of humanity can't band together to find the weir and fight them or eliminate them. They're all weak cowards, I guess.

3. Characters that piss me off.

Enter Cass. Previously mentioned mother. She's a quint (the previously mentioned chem) addict with a special son (you know the type - the ONE). She alternates between helpless, bitchy, ungrateful and downright mean. Not to mention that she apparently can't really do anything for herself, and allowed herself AND HER SON to get into a very shady dealing. Though now she is on the run, so at least I can give her that for getting her kid out of it - though he is SEVEN so it took her long enough.

About the time she slapped her son because he wasn't able to find the way out to save them - yes, she needed her son to save himself and her - I lost all interest in her as a character and pretty much came to hate her.

And that pretty much ended my ability to read this. I was going to keep trying to go, but when my whole weekend went by without me picking up my Kindle because I just couldn't make myself. Time to just stop.

I do think this has potential, and that it's probably going to work great for others. It just isn't working for me.

Perhaps I'll come back to it at some point. Right now I doubt it, though.

Caged Warrior - Dragon Kings, Book 1 - by Lindsey Piper

DNF at 85%.

I dropped this book back in the beginning of August, 2013. I said I was going to write a short review/list as to why I didn't finish it, but I apparently never did. Going from memory here, which is admittedly not that great in regards to this book.

The heroine lusts after the hero while he's abusing her. He's been brainwashed by his captors to think, act, and be a certain way - and I thought the possibilities with this character were absolutely fascinating. Such room for growth and potential for twists and development. Unfortunately I couldn't get past a heroine that was attracted to a guy that was continuously being such an ass to her. I mean, he wasn't just mean, he was seriously injuring her at every other turn. Not okay. That was all in the first 20% of the book.

I'm not sure how I managed to keep reading, but I think it was plain and simple boredom that made me give up. The insta-love and implausible plot turns made me scoff and roll my eyes one too many times.

Crave - The Dining Club, Part 3 - by Marina Anderson

So, this is a serial, and I got the first four parts of it from Net Galley. After reading, and not really enjoying part 1 or part 2 I went into this one with some trepidations.

32% Done.

I just can't continue. I had one moment's hope for David when he turned down sleeping with Amber at the club behind Grace's back....but then he soon pulled out the emotional manipulation: "Darling, I hope you're not going to disappoint me." the moment that Grace shows some reservations, and hesitation to bare her body and soul to two other people that are !SURPRISE! going to be in the room with her during her next 'trial'.

Ugh. Done.

One Hot Winter's Night by Serenity Woods

DNF at 13%

Just can't get into the story, don't really like either of the characters - and then throw in DECEPTION*, and I'm done.

There were also nit-picky things (I studied archaeology and history quite a lot) that bugged me.
1. Archaeologists are not generally the ones selling artefacts from digs - most archaeologists don't fund their own digs, which means what they find isn't theirs.
2. The head of the National Museum of Rome is likely to know Latin, or have a few resources to ensure that his Latin is correct.

*Deception as in: she lies about who she is and seduces him under false pretenses because they have a professional rivalry going and she wants the necklace he'd gotten to first.

Not okay.

Together in Cyn by Jennifer Kacey

Okay, I admit it, I picked up this book thinking I wasn't going to like it - but I was trying to go outside my comfort zone. I thought I'd likely have a problem with the brothers being in a threesome with a girl, but that was the least of my issues.

First person erotica isn't my favorite and it really affects my reading here. There is getting to be more and more telling, instead of showing, and I've lost interest in the characters and where they may be going… Additionally, the writing style just doesn't mesh well with me - the descriptive terms literally make me cringe in sympathetic pain.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

DNF at page 133 (30%).

It's not you, it's me.

Meh. That pretty much sums up my overall feeling about this book. I'm just bored.

The writing is good, the characters are developed, the external plot is non-existent and I forced myself to read each and every one of those pages.

In truth the book is all about Cath's journey - While Cath is much more extreme than I ever was, I understood her. She's very introverted to the point where social interaction literally gives her anxiety and she chooses to be almost a hermit to avoid it; she prefers living and interacting in a fictional world to the real one, and she's incredibly giving to those she loves - even if they don't always appreciate it.

But nothing happens. At all. Cath goes from one encounter to the next, and I felt like I was told more about each one than shown anything. Additionally, I didn't love the fanfic portions that were written - I found myself skimming them and they took me out of the story every single time. And with Simon Snow obviously being a stand-in for Harry Potter, I'm not sure about the weird and random HP reference in the book. It doesn't make logical sense how there can be both of them in this world, and I figured where Simon Snow existed Harry Potter wouldn't - so that kind of threw me too.

I wanted to love this, I really did.

Onio by Linell Jeppsen

Monster-Pron Group-Read, Attempt 1: DNF at 17%. Bored out of my mind. Too many info-dumps, and I just couldn't get behind the sasquatch as beautiful.

Plus, the cover… What the hell kind of bait-and-switch is that??

From what I hear from friends that finished this, I was lucky to have given up as it got crazier and crazier the further into the story they went.

Deadly Game - Follow Me, Part 1 - by Cara Lockwood

With the huge influx of serial novels coming out this last year, I was bound to try more than a few. Unfortunately, most of them didn't end up working for me. This one is no exception - though to be fair, my problems here didn't have anything to do with the serialized format.

Meh. I just don't like the main characters - Cal and Daniel. They're childish, immature, self-centered and completely unsympathetic. They find their roommate dead, in their bed, between them, naked. They have no idea what happened. Do they mourn? Nope. They run - worried about their own skins. I do understand that, but I didn't even realize she was their ROOMMATE until later - when the police showed up there and found pictures/mentioned it. Seriously? How can you not even be concerned that your ROOMMATE, whom you've been living with and presumably know pretty well, is DEAD! Grief? Anything? Bueller?

Then they break into some house to apparently trying to get off the island and back to the US, but then they decide to have sex on the floor (where Daniel gets his choking fantasy on). Maybe it was an affirmation of life, I don't know. By this time I just didn't care. I read the entire sex scene with a look of disbelief on my face.

The other two, apparent, main characters - Nico and Thena - just bore me.

I give up. This might just be me. But I doubt it.

Raw - Torn Between Two Lovers, Book 1 - by Jo Davis

I admit, the unconventional idea of allowing the fans to choose who Anna got her HEA with drew me to request this book. I wanted to see how the author set this up and handled something where both characters would have an equal chance - something that often doesn't happen in love-triangles.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it more than 16% into Raw because of some pretty serious issues that are incredibly personal to me.

At about 9% Anna is walking home after a long night at her new restaurant; she's tired, but alert (supposedly) when she's suddenly grabbed and pulled into an alley and ... saved from being raped by a strong rescuer. Here's my first problem - why do authors feel the need to use rape and near-rape as a plot or character point? It's traumatizing, defeating, and can be so incredibly hard to come back from. Even a rape that you're saved from can have some devastating effects on a person. This portion of the series is only 80 pages, so I didn't have a lot of hope that her recovery from this traumatic experience would be at all realistic, but I pushed on.

So, Grayson turns out to be her rescuer and scares off the would-be rapist. Grayson then offers to walk her the rest of the way home...her response?

"On, that's not necessary."

Really? Not necessary? I don't care if it's just across the street, or down the block, or you're right outside your front door (in fact that all kind of makes it worse). This is independence to the point of idiocy. But fine. I keep going.

Next, Grayson mentions that they should file a report...

"I think that'll be a waste of time...

Look, I do kind of get it, but c'mon! I'm sure as Grayson was fighting him (especially as he's an FBI agent based on the book blurb) he got a decent look at him. It's just a good idea to file a report - it will likely never lead to anything (as most of them don't), it's still something that should be done. But okay, moving on...

Anna finally relents and lets Grayson walk her up to her apartment, and he starts crowding her space, and she starts getting turned on, disappointed when he doesn't kiss her. Look, I also get the whole reaffirmation of something that feels good, I get that not everyone reacts in a horrible way to such an attack, but it's now like it NEVER HAPPENED. In which case I'm left wondering why the hell was it included in the first place?

If this stuff isn't a hot-button issue for you, I freely admit it is for me, then the writing is good and I do think that the story has potential. I can't get past this though.

I quit.

Cum for Bigfoot - Cum for Bigfoot, Book 1 - by Virginia Wade

Monster-Pron Group Read, Attempt 2

I got about halfway through.

Starting with the underage (I got the impression high-schoolers) kids, one girl being screwed by her friend's father (who is married also) in the woods.

Then three of the girls being taken and straight up raped by Big Foot - I couldn't handle it anymore.*

I have a very bit hot-button about rape, I couldn't get past that. I get the rape-fantasy, I do. But this just…No.

*A few more details about the rape: he rapes her two friends - and while he's raping them, his MOTHER is using a vibrator on them and calling them dirty wh*res for enjoying themselves… and then he takes the main character and starts raping her, but, lo and behold! - she begins to enjoy it. She decides she's going to give him a blow job - and I that's where I quit.

My Favorite Mistake - My Favorite Mistake, Book 1 - by Chelsea M. Cameron

DNF at 3% (some quotes from further in the book are at the end - which makes me feel completely justified in stopping this hot mess.)

I just can't do it. I can't handle another 'strong woman' who is actually a bitch and abusive. I don't accept this behavior in men, I won't accept it in women.

The book starts by saying that the MC (Taylor) hits Hunter the first time she meets him...

The first time I met Hunter Zaccadelli, I punched him in the face. Granted, he completely and totally deserved it. He also asked for it, in so many ways.

I decided right then and there that when I saw what precipitated the punch in the face would be the thing that determined if I kept reading.

Taylor and 2 friends are moving into their dorm - which is coed. They're waiting on their fourth roommate, who is being assigned by housing. Hunter shows up. A guy.

Taylor, in her strong, bitchy ways, immediately goes on the defensive; telling Hunter he can't live there. She immediately categorized him as a 'douche' - all because he's good looking, has a tattoo, flirts, and is cocky.

I get she's uncomfortable, but she doesn't have to take it all out on him. Throwing her phone when she can't get ahold of housing. Throwing a fit in general.

Hunter, despite Taylor's insane 'welcome', seems determined to continue to be nice, try to start conversations, and flirty - shamelessly. He offers to buy them lunch even. Obviously he's attracted to bratty women.

Now, for the punch to the face. He invades her space. Purposefully, flirting, crowding her. She, in response, immediately punches him in the face and knees him in the groin.

I'm guessing there's some sort of assault in her past, and I get the instinct, but you can't go around hitting people just because they get in your space. Telling him to back off would be a good first option.

She then storms out of the apartment.

I was surprised no one chase after me, but Darah and Renee [her friends/roommates] knew about my freak outs. They knew to leave me alone and give me my space. It hadn't been the first time they'd seen me like that.

Healthy. You regularly freak out and hit people and no one thinks this is a problem? Just let her walk it off. This all just screams abusive personality to me. If it's not her way, then she's liable to freak out - and you should just get out of her path.

She calls her sister to talk it through, tells her that she punched Hunter.

"Aw, Kid, why did you do that?"

"He cornered me, what was I supposed to do?" My hand was red and starting to turn a lovely purple shade.

"You could have told him to back off. That would have been the logical thing to do."

"You know I'm not a logical person."

O-Kay then.

"Don't you think you should talk to someone again?"

"Because that worked so well before. No thank you."

It didn't work that one time, so we will never, ever again seek help for our issues. I'm done.

My friend Sarah managed to finish this book - so here are some quotes that she shared from further in...I'm so glad I quit this because these quotes put me straight into rage-territory.

"I’m not coping with it, according to my therapists. There have been many."

"Fuck them. If breaking things and punching people every now and then helps you, I’ll be your punching bag and we can get you some stuff to throw off the roof. Deal?"

Are you fucking kidding me? Imagine if we read about a girl offering this deal to a guy? Why is this in anyway acceptable??

"I’m still sorry I beat you," I said, touching his perfect face.

"How’s my face looking?"

I glanced up. He was going to look quite pretty tomorrow. "A little battered."

"That’s okay. I’ll just tell everyone I was in a bar fight."

"What, you’re ashamed to say you were hit by a girl?"

"No, but I’m worried you’ll get hauled in for domestic
violence," he said with a smile.

"Okay, fine."

Seriously?!?! SHE SHOULD BE HAULED IN FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE!!!!!!

DNF Review: Raw by Jo Davis

Title: Raw
Author: Jo Davis
Series: Torn Between Two Lovers, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 15 October 2013

TORN BETWEEN TWO LOVERS is a gripping and sexy romance trilogy with a unique twist: Our heroine needs your help to decide who wins her heart… RAW introduces this sizzling new series, in which two enticing men will vie for Anna’s heart—culminating in a choice that will be determined by reader vote!

Anna Claire is a prominent restaurateur, the toast of New York. She’s not one to let down her guard, but her new prep chef is gorgeous enough to cause her to break her own rules, and soon she’s tearing up the sheets with Grayson James. More than that, she’s falling in love.

Until she discovers that Grayson is no chef. He’s an FBI agent investigating a drug ring he suspects is using her restaurant. Anna is shattered to learn she was just part of his cover.

The case means everything to Gray, right until the moment he loses what matters the most—not his intended target, but Anna. Gray is devastated when the woman he loves learns of his betrayal. Especially with his greatest enemy all too eager to take advantage of her…

So, will you join #TeamGrayson or #TeamJoaquin? Make the informed choice: Don’t miss RISKY, available in November 2013.

I admit, the unconventional idea of allowing the fans to choose who Anna got her HEA with drew me to request this book. I wanted to see how the author set this up and handled something where both characters would have an equal chance - something that often doesn't happen in love-triangles.

Unfortunately, I didn't make it more than 16% into Raw because of some pretty serious issues that are incredibly personal to me.

At about 9% Anna is walking home after a long night at her new restaurant; she's tired, but alert (supposedly) when she's suddenly grabbed and pulled into an alley and ... saved from being raped by a strong rescuer. Here's my first problem - why do authors feel the need to use rape and near-rape as a plot or character point? It's traumatizing, defeating, and can be so incredibly hard to come back from. Even a rape that you're saved from can have some devastating effects on a person. This portion of the series is only 80 pages, so I didn't have a lot of hope that her recovery from this traumatic experience would be at all realistic, but I pushed on.

So, Grayson turns out to be her rescuer and scares off the would-be rapist. Grayson then offers to walk her the rest of the way home...her response?

"On, that's not necessary."

Really? Not necessary? I don't care if it's just across the street, or down the block, or you're right outside your front door (in fact that all kind of makes it worse). This is independence to the point of idiocy. But fine. I keep going.

Next, Grayson mentions that they should file a report...

"I think that'll be a waste of time...

Look, I do kind of get it, but c'mon! I'm sure as Grayson was fighting him (especially as he's an FBI agent based on the book blurb) he got a decent look at him. It's just a good idea to file a report - it will likely never lead to anything (as most of them don't), it's still something that should be done. But okay, moving on...

Anna finally relents and lets Grayson walk her up to her apartment, and he starts crowding her space, and she starts getting turned on, disappointed when he doesn't kiss her. Look, I also get the whole reaffirmation of something that feels good, I get that not everyone reacts in a horrible way to such an attack, but it's now like it NEVER HAPPENED. In which case I'm left wondering why the hell was it included in the first place?

If this stuff isn't a hot-button issue for you, I freely admit it is for me, then the writing is good and I do think that the story has potential. I can't get past this though.

I quit.

Grade: DNF (at 16%) = F

Amazon | BN | kobo | Sony | Goodreads

Review: Three by Jay Posey

Title: Three
Author: Jay Posey
Series: N/A
Genre: Post Apocalyptic?
Release Date: 30 July 2013

The world has collapsed, and there are no heroes any more.

But when a lone gunman reluctantly accepts the mantel of protector to a young boy and his dying mother against the forces that pursue them, a hero may yet arise.

DNF at 21%.

I just can't anymore.

Some reasons I quit:

1. I have no idea what's going on. What kind of world this is, how it got this way; what kind of people these are, how they got this way. Where it is, when it is, how it is....I've got nothing. This is best as I can figure it.

We're in some vague science-fiction world; maybe earth, maybe some place else. Weirs populate the outside (and it took until 18%ish to get a name/idea of what they were). FYI: They're zombie like creatures with glowing blue eyes that track based on a multitude of things, including characters 'linking (I'll get to that). I have no idea how they came about though. Because of the weirs, humanity has closed themselves up in cities that are locked up tight after dark - apparently the weirs only come out at night? And it's got to be full dark, none of this partial-dusk, mostly dark crap. Also, they apparently communicate with screams and/or screeches.

The characters have some sort of 'link to a central 'net? They can link and find out their global positioning, have access to internal time, get information, and track based on use of this. I don't know why, or how this came about.

There are weird drugs (chems) that people can take to become super strong/fast/smart - but they become addictive to the point where you need them to function later.

2. Characters act in ways that are inconsistent with the world-building.

Enter Three. He's a mercenary? I guess. That was what I imagined him to be considering he was claiming a bounty on someone when we first meet him (unless that's him in the prologue - but I don't really know who that was to be honest). Then he randomly decides to save this woman and child. Next, he continues to help them for a really long time, protecting them despite the woman being an ungrateful person who berates and yells at him for not doing enough (apparently). Also, I have no idea why the mother was in the bar with her son when she first meets Three, and asks him for help. Obvious authorial hand here.

Additionally, Three can kick weir ass. Yet, the rest of humanity can't band together to find the weir and fight them or eliminate them. They're all weak cowards, I guess.

3. Characters that piss me off.

Enter Cass. Previously mentioned mother. She's a quint (the previously mentioned chem) addict with a special son (you know the type - the ONE). She alternates between helpless, bitchy, ungrateful and downright mean. Not to mention that she apparently can't really do anything for herself, and allowed herself AND HER SON to get into a very shady dealing. Though now she is on the run, so at least I can give her that for getting her kid out of it - though he is SEVEN so it took her long enough.

About the time she slapped her son because he wasn't able to find the way out to save them, yes, she needed her son to save himself and her, I lost all interest in her as a character and pretty much came to hate her.

And that pretty much ended my ability to read this. I was going to keep trying to go, but when my whole weekend went by without me picking up my Kindle because I just couldn't make myself. Time to just stop.

I do think this has potential, and that it's probably going to work great for others. It just isn't working for me.

Perhaps I'll come back to it at some point. Right now I doubt it, though.



Grade: DNF