The book had a strong start, the main characters are fun and engaging. But just 2 chapters from the finish, I lost interest. I cared about the main character, but I found that I didn‘t care much about how magic was shaped going forward.

Do you yearn to feast your eyes upon rich satire and nearly limitless dick jokes? Look no farther. For those who enjoyed/endured the previous book, “kill the farm boy.” This sequel is sure to please.

What little excitement there was petered out in early chapters, I DNF‘d halfway. The heroine is virtuous, the hero is immature, and both are dull.

I could hardly put this down. There aren‘t many historical romances with modern twists. The couple is non-binary, but this is still a m/f romance. I think this book appeals to me because they love one another as people, irrespective of background, class, gender, etc.

This is an excellent historical account. The author strikes a nice balance of science and humanity. He also shows how the accident affected the world.

I think some of these are getting better as the series develops. A whacked sense of humor is a must. This is what makes this series so fun.

I loved the historical detail, the romance, and the side characters (previous leads). But the ending didn‘t hold my interest.

I found the first 3/4th of the book to be riveting. The book has Russian folk tale elements that are terrific. But then our heroine leaves for the capital without the hero. After that, the plot slows down, and the chemistry between them fizzles. Heroine sort of outgrows him, I wasn‘t convinced it was true love.

I DNF‘d this one pretty hard. Right up front, the author tries to show us just how tough and unhappy the heroine is. We barely meet the hero before they‘re having sexy times, so as a reader there‘s no feels, just two characters we barely know doing the deed. I like some tension, some build up. So this was a pass for me.

Almost as good as the original series, the author has undeniable talent. Most of the plot involves set-up, so I expect more from the rest of the series. I‘m never a fan of the hero who used to be into casual hookups with lots of partners, meets a virginal heroine, now he‘s only into her...ugh...just stop.

To me, this felt like one stereotyped character after another shaken and stirred into the semblance of a plot. No thanks.

The heroine makes the same mistake multiple times. It was sweet and well written. The ending was rushed. I had mixed feelings about this one, and a little more side plot could‘ve helped it.

My mistake for picking up the last in the series without reading the rest. Even so, there was some clumsy writing and plotting going on. Props to the heroine for being imperfect, and assertive. Our hero is 12 years her senior, which was not my jam in fantasy land. He doesn‘t have so much as a grey hair, and he‘s very fit. Very mysterious as I don‘t recall him working out or having a profession.

A great, captivating introduction to an interesting period in history. If you‘ve never read about the Crusades before, start here.

Props to the author for the gilded age setting, brought to life with historical details not usually included in romance. I wanted to love it. But instead of romantic tension and/or discovery, we get angst created by the heroine‘s father who decides they have to ‘work for it,‘ to be a couple. No thanks.

Even stuck on an airplane, I couldn‘t finish. Don‘t bother.

The graphic art is great, and I don‘t mind the open narrative typical of graphic novels. But, I‘ve enjoyed other fantasy tales more. This is very, very dark, my friends. Toxic masculinity reeks from every page like odor from a confined animal feeding operation. Like a car wreck, it‘s hard to look away, I did finish the book. But no more, I read for enjoyment and this is not it.

After the disappointing end to her Divergent series, I‘d forgotten all about this author. A snow day prompted me to pick up this one. The quality of the writing is perfect. The romantic elements are light (kissing). The plot is heavy with suffering and difficult choices. I liked it, but as with her other books, I found myself wishing for just a touch of comic relief. Alas, I knew up front there would be none forthcoming.

I DNF‘d after about 6 chapters. I just could not wade through the confusing fantasy elements. There‘s so many different tribes, and they all have different gods, cultures, and rules. It‘s exhausting. This book is long, folks, and so much world building slows the plot down.

An exciting read, with fun and well paced plot. Prepare to suspend disbelief in the name of fun...the scene at Newgate prison is both improbable and naive.

Gets off to a nice start, but the plot lags in the middle. Also, I‘ve read other books in this series, and earlier books had me convinced the gentlemen‘s club was beyond reform. Now the hero is trying to reform it, and I‘m a little uncertain about that.

This is a thoughtful book. If you‘re a feminist and a Catholic like me, you might especially connect with Melinda‘s perspective. The best part about this book is hearing someone raised more conservatively than myself talk compassionately about birth control.

The 2nd installment in the series. Just as good as the first, but with the world-building already done. Now we just get more of the the action, adventure, and style we loved. Plus, the stakes go up, heroine‘s brother is in mortal danger. Heroine is more reserved than her sister (1st book) which makes each book a unique treasure rather than a rinse and repeat.

This book is so interesting. The author shows us the disparity between conservative arguments and the reality she has personally witnessed as a philanthropist. The importance of the message outstrips her skill as a writer, and she doggedly forged ahead anyway. I think she succeeded in making her point. I recommend you judge for yourself.

Good, but a bit of a slog. You have to be well rested and ready for a lot of historical detail. Nobody brings history to like with the great humor of Mr. Bryson.

This classic can‘t be missed. It‘s still fun, still relevant, still a great read. Even if you never intend to hike the AT, it‘s a thoughtful read about nature and the humans within.

I loved learning more about the Mars rovers. It gets bogged down a bit in the middle with design alternative descriptions. But hey, that‘s science, baby!

This book is fun, irreverent, and hilarious. I loved the heroine, she was joyous and passionate about her chosen life. One quibble, I would have liked to know more about the hero. He was nice, but just sort of there. Maybe that‘s what the author intended. Still, I‘d have liked to known more of his thoughts.

I knew I was in iffy territory with a time-travel romance. This was better than any time-travel romance I have read previously. Still pretty terrible.

This is a great book! When paired with a free phone app like Starchart, you and your kid will have tons of fun with your small telescope. Great STEM activity!

This is a rich fantasy novel with very light, chaste romantic elements. I felt like the love triangle was not fully explored. Also, plot points are too easily resolved, robbing the book of literary tension.

Bland, meandering plot. Barely adequate writing.

Fans of the series will appreciate this latest release. As always, I found the characters entertaining and the plot light, predictable, and fun.

I‘d have to be terminally bored to read this unimaginative drivel.

This YA was fun and original. The story improves after the first few chapters. Good chemistry between the main characters makes up for the tame romantic parts. I intend to read the next in the series, as there were many loose ends.

The beginning was exciting, the middle was interesting and fleshed out the cast of characters. I felt the ending was rushed. I also expected more backlash from her family when the heroine returns home.

I enjoyed this light reading, it has all the charm of a typical regency romance. This is a quiet romance, with the primary conflict being the ups and downs of a new relationship. Fans of the series will enjoy reconnecting with previous characters.

This is another good one from this author. I nearly put it down about halfway, because there is a lot going on in this plot. Suffrage, murder, domestic violence, corruption, class strife. The author handled it well, even placing the story later in time than most Victorian historicals. This time adjustment does help explain the modern thought injected into the story.

I never expected a return to this series, but I really enjoyed it. It expands and enriches the previous world-building. I do wish I‘d re-read the preceding book to remind myself of previous plot points. This book brings back all my favorite characters, but never detracts from the main.
Throughout this series, I‘ve had some doubts about how purity/souls/auras are presented. But I think there might be a more satisfying reveal coming in future books.

Pros: This re-written fairytale gives a role to everyone, not just the heroine. Also, friendship is valued as much as romantic love.
Cons: I almost DNF‘d early on, because it‘s not an enjoyable tale at the beginning. I almost quit again, because the author hits you over the head repeatedly with the moral of the story. I kept going because the feminist themes warmed the cockles of my heart.

I DNF‘d this so hard. The opening chapters are violent an confusing, the author is driving the plot so hard, she forgets to set the scene. No thanks.

I didn‘t quite buy the romance, the hero wasn‘t very compelling. The mystery/intrigue parts got dull towards the climax rather than building up. I imagine a kid between 12-15 would like this a lot better than I did.

I DNF‘d midway. Stereotypes abound in this one. I maybe could have lived with that. But the heroine‘s dad is a jerk, and the hero stuck his nose into that. Not cool. Also, as soon as they get to the hero‘s house, all plot excitement just putters out. That‘s premature death to an action/romance.

Who is more interesting than the lead couple? Almost everyone else in this insipid tale. The debutante heroine‘s reputation is ruined by a lie. The hero slut-shames her for almost the entire book. He was a prize jackass for so long, no amount of apology could redeem him.

This book is an excellent example of everything a regency romance should be. A self made hero and an enterprising heroine. This book is older, but you‘d never know it wasn‘t written last year. Kleypas does a great job.

This is a surprisingly thoughtful tale masquerading as ‘just another cheap romance.‘ I loved how thoughtful our characters are, and how they interact with the world around them. The book felt authentic in a way that Victorian era historicals seldom do. One small quibble: the Yellow House plot line was resolved too quickly, and I suspect this is just to move the plot along. Still, I will likely read other books by this author.

I liked the heroine, but the hero was such a jerk. I believe the author was trying to keep the suspense going and show us a resourceful heroine. I enjoyed cameos from other characters in this highly enjoyable series. Actually, this is the only book in the series I would pass on.

I didn‘t make it past the first few pages...it was a hard no for me.

The plot is rushed like all novellas, indeed this one is shockingly short. I found the quality of the writing to be acceptable if you‘re in the mood for something predictable and sweet. There is very little drama or angst. If you like historical accuracy and detail in regency novels, look elsewhere.

This book is an interesting treatise on healthy eating. It‘s a classic, I may consider re-reading. Sad times we live in when it takes a journalist and not a dietician to show us how to eat healthy.