Review: Against the Grain

Against the Grain by Charlie Cochet
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was my least favorite of the series so far. Not because of the story -- the plot progression was actually pretty good -- but because of the annoying repetition of lust, feelings, etc. Over and over and over and over and over and OMG WE GET IT YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH HIM, THINK HE'S HOT, DON'T DESERVE HIM, etc.

The interesting plot twists (while predictable, still fun) are the only reason this got a "meh, not awful" three stars instead of a "seriously, you think this is worthy of an entry in your series?" two stars.

View all my reviews

Review: Web of Death

Web of Death by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

See, you can be an assassin and still be the "good guy," the "hero"... Gin has rules! And those rules include helping people in the clutches of evil, disgusting villains. :)

View all my reviews

Review: Spider's Bargain

Spider's Bargain by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

#byecliff #seeyawouldntwannabeya #karmaisabitchnamedthespider

View all my reviews

Review: Poison

Poison by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Decent little short story from Finn's POV regarding his feelings about Gin joining the family!

View all my reviews

Review: The Fred Factor: How passion in your work and life can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary

The Fred Factor: How passion in your work and life can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary by Mark Sanborn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This simple book really made me think. And it makes me want to be a better Fred!

View all my reviews

Review: Beyond the Ice Limit

Beyond the Ice Limit by Douglas Preston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finally, the sequel we've all been waiting for -- BEYOND THE ICE LIMIT! Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child have already proven repeatedly that they know how to come up with a smart, believable thriller -- just take a look at their long-running Pendergast series and their large library of standalones (even more counting their solo novels!). This one is no exception. While there were a few things that were a little predictable upfront, the resulting chaos caused in the story certainly made that little bit of predictability less noticeable. For example, there's a moment when a lab sample seems to be missing some of the matter, it's pretty obvious what actually happened. And yeah, it turns out that is the case. But then what that leads to is crazy fun story -- I'm just glad I'm not on that ship in the middle of nowhere in that kind of pandemonium!!!

Overall, this was another solid entry into the Gideon Crew storyline, and a decent follow up to Preston & Child's hit The Ice Limit. I love that they even kept the name they gave the sequel in their Pendergast book Still Life with Crows. That being said, there is some predictability, some cheese, and the ending tied things up a little too quickly and without enough explanation for my tastes, so I give it four stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews

Review: The Progeny

The Progeny by Tosca Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tosca Lee's The Progeny started out with a bang. Great hook, really great build up, decent characters, very interesting premise. Around 50-60%, it took a weird turn to some partying, which made me take a pause and struggle to push through. I'm glad I did, because soon the explosive pace returned and raced to the finish. But then it ended. I'm okay with cliffhangers, and I know the author has mentioned this is going to be a duology, but seriously. It just ended. It dropped a few bombshells and then ended, with EVERYTHING up in the air!

I'll definitely read book two, just to tie up the story and figure out where Lee is going with her story. But I had to take off a star for the completely unresolved ending and a little extra for that brief period where the story veered off course and left me fighting to regain interest.

A little less than four stars, rounded up.

Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

View all my reviews