It Takes Two to Tumble

It Takes Two to Tumble (Seducing the Sedgwicks #1)

By  Cat Sebastian

ISBN: 9780062821577

304 Pages

Available in Paperback, Audible, and on Kindle

Synopsis:

Some of Ben Sedgwick’s favorite things:

• Helping his poor parishioners
• Baby animals
• Shamelessly flirting with the handsome Captain Phillip Dacre

After an unconventional upbringing, Ben is perfectly content with the quiet, predictable life of a country vicar, free of strife or turmoil. When he’s asked to look after an absent naval captain’s three wild children, he reluctantly agrees, but instantly falls for the hellions. And when their stern but gloriously handsome father arrives, Ben is tempted in ways that make him doubt everything.

Some of Phillip Dacre’s favorite things:

• His ship
• People doing precisely as they're told
• Touching the irresistible vicar at every opportunity

Phillip can’t wait to leave England’s shores and be back on his ship, away from the grief that haunts him. But his children have driven off a succession of governesses and tutors and he must set things right. The unexpected presence of the cheerful, adorable vicar sets his world on its head and now he can’t seem to live without Ben’s winning smiles or devastating kisses.

In the midst of runaway children, a plot to blackmail Ben’s family, and torturous nights of pleasure, Ben and Phillip must decide if a safe life is worth losing the one thing that makes them come alive.  

My Thoughts:

It Takes Two to Tumble is the first installment in Cat Sebastian's second M/M historical romance series, Seducing the Sedgwicks. It tells a sweet love story between a stern ship captain and a reserved yet not-so-naïve vicar - it's all very Maria von Trapp. Maria in this case being the lead character Benedict Sedgwick, eldest of the series' titular Sedgwick brothers, who had a very unique upbringing for that time, having been raised in a household with their father, his wife, and his mistress - as well as various other interlopers and stragglers. After he is granted the vicarship of the parish of St. Aelred's, Benedict is happy to have a chance at normalcy in his life and looks forward to a most mundane future, including a marriage with his best friend Alice Crawford. That is, until the arrival of Captain Philip Dacre, the absent master of Barton Hall, a large estate within his parish. 

Captain Dacre is distant and abrasive, tormented by his own difficult childhood, but also by several recent losses: that of his wife, who he didn't so much love as appreciate for her capability at raising their children and keeping order of the household, and more importantly that of a fellow sailor on his ship. who he DID love despite not being willing to admit as much. When he arrives home from sea, his children are completely out of control, having not had a firm hand to guide them in the four years since their mother passed. He finds them in the temporary care of Benedict Sedgwick, who has been roped in to keep them out of serious trouble until a more permanent situation can be managed. He has no idea how to interact with the children, as he had almost always been at sea and had rarely seen them.

Of all the Cat Sebastian books I have read up to this point, the pair in It Takes Two to Tumble undeniably have the best chemistry. The relationship develops slowly at first, with innocent glances and touches, but by the book's halfway point they have moved beyond thoughts and to actions. To some, it may seem as though they moved too fast, but I feel like this just emphasizes the loneliness that the two have been suffering. Philip has been at sea for a year grieving the loss of a loved one that he could share with no other person and Benedict, in trying to keep his feelings in alignment with the teachings of the church, has been denying his true self for much longer than that. They are both burdened with a deep seated need for true companionship and understanding, and as soon as the realization hits that the other person may be the one to fulfill that, the door opens. The turning point in their relationship, when Phillip confessed his preferences by drunkenly telling Benedict about his feelings for his lieutenant, was a straightforward, calculated act of a man who is always in control - who was at that point desperate for a clear answer. He chose to reveal something in a manner that would be received compassionately yet could be explained away if it was not accepted as he hoped it would be.

As I have mentioned previously, I am usually hesitant about romance books that involve children. But of course, for the whole Sound of Music theme to work, children have to be present. I did appreciate the way they were handled in this book. The children were pivotal to the story, in that they initially brought Benedict to the home, and also in how they helped Philip open up and accept his own flaws - some in return gave him the ability to better bond with the children. But the children were somewhat independent and not so heavily present as to make the development of the romance awkward.

It Takes Two to Tumble did have a lot going on in the sidelines. Aside from the parent child relationships, there was plenty of Sedgwick family drama and landowner drama, plus the whole thing where Benedict had Alice the fiancée and that had to be resolved. The writer did manage to wrap that up quite conveniently in a way that may be seen as a little contrived, though no more so than a million other drama tales out there. I liked the Alice character quite a bit - she was well developed and had a strong background. I appreciated the way her storyline was resolved and would consider reading a novella about her were it not for the fact that I believe most of what could be told has been summed up in these pages already.

Overall, I quite enjoyed reading It Takes Two to Tumble. I think that of all the Cat Sebastian books I have read so far, The Lawrence Brown Affair is still my favorite, but this one comes as a close second.

Parent's Guide:

100% not for the kids! This book is adult in nature, with graphic sexual situations. Absolutely 18+

Damn Good Chinese Food

 

Damn Good Chinese Food
By  Chris Cheung

ISBN: 9781510758124
208 Pages
Available in Hardcover and on Kindle

Synopsis:

From acclaimed chef Chris Cheung comes a cookbook inspired by growing up in New York's Chinatown—with a foreword by Maneet Chauhan, celebrity chef, author, and judge on The Food Network's Chopped

There is a particular region in today's renaissance of Chinese cooking that is often overlooked: the food of Chinatown.

Like many of his predecessors, chef Chris Cheung was inspired by the place where he grew up, lived, worked, and ate. From take-out orders at tiny hole-in-the wall teahouses to the lush green vegetables piled high at the markets, celebration dinners at colossal banquet halls to authentic home-cooked meals, Chinatown’s culinary treasures and culture laid the groundwork for his career as a chef and serve as the creative force behind this book.

In addition to learning the technique to make his widely revered dumplings, this cookbook includes fifty mouth-watering dishes that pay homage to the cooking traditions of Chinatown and celebrate this remarkable, resilient neighborhood. Cheung shares his thoughtful tour de force takes on timeless Chinese classics like potstickers, spring rolls, wonton soup, General Tso's chicken, beef and broccoli, scallion pancakes, har gow (shrimp dumplings), chicken chow mein, salt-and-pepper shrimp, lobster Cantonese, egg cakes, congee, and dozens of other delicious, authentic recipes perfect for cooks of all skill levels.

Through personal insights, stories, and recipes, the author walks you through the markets, restaurants, and streets, providing a stunning portrait of this important cuisine and its countless contributions to American culture.

My Thoughts:

Damn Good Chinese Food is a fountain of knowledge about the history of Chinese food and Chinatowns as a cultural phenomenon. If you want to know how your favorite Chinese dishes came to be, this book may teach you that. The book is split into chapters in a way that feels more like a literature book than the standard "chapter is a food category" cookbook format. The entire first two chapters are dedicated to covering and Chinese cooking tools and techniques. You don't even get to a recipe until chapter three. 

Once you do get to the recipes you will see that there are several familiar recipes to be found in this book, as well as some new ones. If you can find them. The book reads like a food/recipe blog, where there is all this exposition and background, and then a recipe thrown in the middle of it all, or at the end of it all. This is great if you really love all that history and exposition, but I know very few people who go out and buy a recipe book for the history - or who think fondly of the food blog format. Personally, I love learning history and interesting facts about foods I like, though I would prefer it much more if that information came as a footnote, or after the recipe. Because when I am looking for a recipe, usually that is because I am on a mission to cook and want it to be easy to find. And in this book (at least in the Kindle format that I was provided) the recipes are NOT easy to find. They are in the middle of walls of text and there is nothing to warn you that the recipe is about to start. It is not on a fresh page. The dish title is not repeated. It just jumps into it. And then you are back to another wall of text about the next dish. Except when you aren't. Some of the dishes get the elaborate treatment, and then some don't. Instead they fall back to back with another recipe. It feels very off balance.

The writer also covers cultural issues. He touches on the recent wave of xenophobia and Asian hate that has sprung up as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. This is nice because it is something that people should be having a conversation about. He also accuses all anti-MSG people of being xenophobic. This is not so nice because it is massive generalization. Sure, just like with everything, there are people out there who probably fit into this description, however there are also people who do not. Lumping all those people together is irresponsible, because it causes people to not take others seriously when they walk into a restaurant and say that they cannot have something with MSG for very valid health reasons. This puts those people at risk. You may not believe it, but it happens all the time. People with food allergies often don't get taken seriously because servers and cooks will take it upon themselves to believe that diners are just "following fads" and they will put things in their food that can poison them. In some cases it's gluten. For me it's nuts. For my mother it's MSG. I remember all through my time in middle school and most of high school, her getting headaches so bad that she had to lay in her room in complete darkness for 6-8 hours, crying in pain. Until the doctor told her that she had an allergy to MSG. We started checking every label and cut out all food with that and the headaches went away. For some people, MSG toxicity is very real.

There was one other thing that I can only assume is a result of awareness of or concern for cultural differences. Scattered throughout the book are occasional pop culture and American culture references. Sometimes they make sense, but sometimes they don't work at all. For example, at one point the writer refers to his Old School Chinatown Vegetables dish as the "Bionic Man" of vegetable dishes, and that is a concept that (at least the older readers) can relate to. Then at another point he refers to Joong as "wraps of Khan" and says they "may allow you to live long and prosper." Which, as an offhanded comment in a non-geek themed book, is a stretch. Phrases like that always remind me of the scene from 30 Rock where Steve Buscemi is trying to blend in with the high schoolers.

Which is to say that it comes across as trying too hard. And really, it takes something away from the experience. Not a lot of kitchen cooks are going to know what a DK Milly Maker is, or understand how it could have anything to do with cooking. Because it doesn't - it's a sports reference. Of which there are a few of in this book. The author makes claims like "Like Barry Bonds, a fish on tofu can hit seventy-three home runs a year." Which, again, seems like a grasp at relevance. One recipe actually ends with the final instruction line "Watch some baseball." We get it, you want Americans to relate to your recipes. Alongside the sports references are a scattering of tv references (like the Bionic Man and Trek mentions) but the one that caught my eye and gave me the most pause was where, in regards to lychees, the author said "blessed be the fruit." Ummmm, that's a big no. Not only does that not make sense in the context as a pop culture reference but it is not really something any man should be writing into his work considering the source of the quote. It made me uncomfortable about the whole thing and, rather than making the whole book more relatable as intended, it just widened the disconnect. My advice is to skip the random references and let your recipes speak for themselves. Americans love food. That's all they need to relate to you.

Overall, the book is... ehhh. The history is cool, but misplaced. As a cookbook it is disorganized but the recipes are sound. However it's hard to read it as a cookbook when it reads more like a food blog. Or a high school essay, complete with the last chapter being a textbook perfect essay summary, recapping every little thing previously mentioned.

I received a complimentary preview copy of Damn Good Chinese Food via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Parent's Guide:

I mean, it's a cookbook. 😅 But if they are interested in food, it does teach a lot of great things.

Josefine: Shadows of the Witch

Josefine: Shadows of the Witch
By  Denise Daye

ISBN: 9781737856900
336 Pages
Available in Paperback and on Kindle

Synopsis:

My grandma is one of the last true masters of witchcraft. I'm nothing. Yet someone thinks I'm too dangerous to live…

Josefine comes from a line of witches as prestigious as royalty, but she's never possessed so much as a lick of magic herself. She’s okay with that, and life in her sleepy German town is peaceful for her— until a deadly vampire attack leaves her powerless to defend her loved ones.

Heartbroken, Josefine must flee from a darkness she can barely understand. Each day is a battle to outrun the demonic forces that, for some unknown reason, want her dead. Her only hope is to seek shelter with a mysterious organization her grandmother spoke of.

But the pack is relentless in their pursuit, so when one of the most powerful and dangerous vampires alive unexpectedly offers his help, a skeptical Josefine is left with no choice but to accept. Even if that cagey and devilish handsome pureblood might be hiding secrets that will not only alter the course of Josefine's life forever, but the future of every soul on earth…

Is there more to the witch with no magic? Or will the tricky bonds of desire and betrayal break her?

My Thoughts:

Josefine: Shadows of the Witch is an exciting tale of magic and intrigue. The main character Josefine finds herself lost within the magical world that she thought that she knew, when an event turns her life upside down and she discovers that people have been keeping secrets all around her. She finds herself on the run with a small band of misfits who slowly become friends.

The lead character, Josefine, has a run of misfortunes, yet she remains a strong person. Sure, sometimes she starts to fall apart and be self pitying, but in the circumstances that is to be expected. For the most part, she is courageous and driven, and you become invested in her journey. The secondary protagonist characters in this story are all extremely likeable as well. Even Luna, the witch who starts off just a bit abrasive, and the slightly arrogant vampire Lucius. Though I think my favorite character is probably Bertram.

Josefine: Shadows of the Witch takes place in modern day Germany (and a touch of France), yet the world is one of old gods, witches, and vampires. The settings are colorfully described and very detailed. Most of the story happens within the confines of the fantastical and more ethereal settings, so you sometimes forget that it is supposed to be modern, until out of nowhere you get hit with a reference to a cell phone or an automobile. The mythology concepts may be familiar to fantasy readers, but many of the common tropes are missing and that is refreshing. 

One of the things I always look at is "how predictable is the story?" I enjoy being surprised - which happens less often than I would like. Well Josefine: Shadows of the Witch definitely had me guessing. Some things I had figured out early on, like the relationship between the First Vampire and his witch . But other things completely caught me off guard. I have an inkling of an idea about Josefine's big secret , as well as her relationship to Lucius , but those questions are not answered in this book, so I will have to read further on in the series to see if I am right or way off base.

Overall, Josefine: Shadows of the Witch is an action packed story with plenty of magic and mystery. From beginning to end, it is a very fascinating read that will keep you on your toes.

I received a complimentary preview copy of Josefine: Shadows of the Witch from Booksprout and Denise Daye in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Parent's Guide:

Josefine: Shadows of the Witch has a lot of violence. Not that this is a bad thing, but the book is about a war between witches and vampires, and the violence is present and sometimes described in detail. There are also some occasions of swearing. Despite this, I still think that it is a great option for the older teens who enjoy high fantasy. But probably not the best for younger, more sensitive readers.

Learn French With Alice In Wonderland

Learn French With Alice In Wonderland
By  French Hacking

ISBN: 9798480774283
173 Pages
Available in Paperback and Hardcover

Synopsis:

Do you want to learn French without it feeling like studying? Do you want to learn French with a fun, familiar, and nostalgic story from your childhood?

Enjoy this timeless classic full of fantastical tales and ridiculous riddles. Originally published in 1865 by Lewis Caroll, this magical story is about a young girl who disappears down a rabbit hole into a whimsical world of nonsense and mockery.

This is a bilingual French/English book. On the left side of the page is the text in French and beside it on the right is the English translation. This allows you to read more and waste less time flicking the pages of a dictionary. As well as learning new words and broadening your vocabulary, you’ll learn phrases in context that you can use in real life.

French Hacking has translated, uniquely formatted and re-created the images of Alice in Wonderland to give French learners the most enjoyable experience.

Relive the story of little Alice and the fantastic creatures she encounters along her epic journey down the rabbit hole, this time in French! Meet unforgettable characters like the White Rabbit (le Lapin Blanc), the Cheshire Cat (le Chat du Cheshire), the Mad Hatter (le Chapelier), and the Queen of Hearts (la Reine de Cœur).

Learning French doesn't only have to be about grammar and verb tenses. Take your French to the next level by reading. Reading books in French is proven to be one of the fastest ways to reach fluency. It actively involves the visual cortex in the learning process that makes vocabulary more memorable, as well as being a lot more fun!

My Thoughts:

Learn French With Alice in Wonderland is a cute way to learn French with a story that most the world is familiar with. On some of the pages there is original artwork, which is colorful and fits the feel of the book. The format of the book itself is not intimidating, which is a plus in books designed to help you learn/ The text in the book is broken up into clear paragraphs so that one can read a little at a time, and the translations are right next to the story for the reader to compare or reference.

The French translations are accurate and easy to follow. Some bits have translations that don't match up because instead of doing a literal translation, they added a traditional French rhyme. I wish that, for the sake of learning the language, they would have chosen to use a literal translation in these spots - or at the least would have added notes with an English translation of the French rhyme used - seeing as the point of the book is to use the two sets of text to learn the opposite language. It seems pointless if the words on one side of the page don't mean the words on the other side.

That being said, books like this are a clever idea and this one is really well done. I have actually never once read Alice in Wonderland, so I wish that I had been given access to the full story, rather than a three chapter preview - but what I read was great. If you are learning French (or English as a native French speaker) then this book is definitely worth checking out.

I received a complimentary preview copy of the first 3 chapters of Learn French With Alice in Wonderland via Booksprout in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Parent's Guide:

This is a great option for kids! Alice in Wonderland has long been considered a kid's book, and immersion is a great way for kids to learn foreign languages, so Learn French With Alice in Wonderland is a great option for teaching your children a second language.

Don't Hex with Texas

 

Don't Hex With Texas (Enchanted, Inc. #4)
By  Shanna Swendson

ISBN: 9780345492937
292 Pages
Available in Paperback, Audiobook, and on Kindle

Synopsis:

Everything’s bigger in Texas—including romance, magic, and danger!

Katie Chandler has fled fast-paced Manhattan and returned home to a simpler life, working at her family’s feed-and-seed store in Cobb, Texas. In a painfully selfless gesture, Katie had left the sexy wizard Owen Palmer to battle his demons in the magical realm–after all, Katie just seemed to attract evil, which only made Owen’s job a lot harder. But now it seems that trouble has followed her home: Despite the fact that Merlin, Katie’s old boss at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., has assured her that Cobb is free of enchantment, (magically speaking), Katie begins to notice curious phenomena.

Cobb is being plagued by a series of inexplicable petty crimes and other devilish mischief, and after her experiences in Manhattan, Katie knows “unauthorized magic” when she sees it. As this new darkness strikes deep in the heart of Texas, Owen appears (literally) to investigate. Now Katie’s friends and family must show the bad guys why it’s bad luck to hex with Texas, while Katie and Owen combine their strengths like never before to uncover a sinister plot before evil takes root in the Lone Star State.

My Thoughts:

Book four of the Enchanted, Inc. series opens on Katie back with family in her hometown of Cobb, Texas, where she fled to at the end of Damsel Under Stress. Which was super cruel, after we spent 2 books waiting for Katie and Owen to finally get together.

If I'm being totally honest, I was really nervous going into this volume from the Enchanted, Inc. series. I have lived in Texas almost all of my life and I tend to find that when it is mentioned in books - especially as a focal point - that stereotypes abound. Which gets old pretty fast. So I approached Don't Hex With Texas with a fair degree of trepidation. There are definitely a few stereotypes, but it does not fall victim to a lot of the tropes that plague books written by authors who "did research" and do not live in the area.

The change of scene gave an opportunity for fresh story with new faces. But it also meant that we did not get to see faces that we have all come to love, like Rod, Sam, and Merlin. Most interestingly, it gave us the opportunity to meet the rest of Katie's family (having already met mom and dad in Once Upon Stilettos), all of which were unique and likeable - with the possible exception of one sister in law. Isn't that always the case? 😅 The best character out of this bunch had to be Katie's grandmother, who believed in "the old ways" and was thought to be a total lunatic by most of the family. Knowing what we, the reader, know about their world? The joke's on them.

The plot centralizes around magic starting to appear in their very nonmagical town and Katie, as the only local who should know about magic, being forced to investigate. When she discovers the root of the problem, a particular shady wizard who I didn't really expect to pop up in this volume and reports back to NYC, the decision is made to bring in the big guns and Owen shows up on her doorstep.

The story in Don't Hex With Texas seems to move slow, even when compared to other volumes in this series. Despite this, the plot is not lacking. There are plenty of twists and turns and keeps you interested. There are also some really funny parts, like Owen running around in a borrowed LARP costume cloak and literally every interaction with Katie's grandmother. There are some pretty predictable moments like when it is revealed that Katie's older brother is the wizard causing chaos all over town. Also plenty of surprising moments like the fact that his wife was not involved and put him in his place for it. Also, that one of the other brothers is immune too and knew something was going on and just never bothered to say anything.

Don't Hex With Texas wasn't my favorite book in the series, but it still ranked slightly above Damsel Under Stress. It was funny and interesting, but I missed the fast paced NYC scene and this one was just too slow paced for me. Not enough to deter me from continuing with the series though.

Parent's Guide:

As with the other books in the Enchanted, Inc. series, Don't Hex with Texas is relatively safe in themes, with little more than some fantasy violence. This book does contain a few criminal acts (thefts) but the error of ways is seen and attempts at reparation are made. The themes may be too much for the youngest readers, but in general this book is teen friendly and entertaining.

The Oz Counter:

NONE! And again I have to say that I was shocked. This series is so centralized to magic. And this time they were in the South, closer to Kansas. Home of scarecrows and farms. I mean come on, she went home. There totally could have been a "no place like home" joke! But nope. I fully expected at least one reference. I was failed.

(The Oz Counter is explained in the "Anatomy of a PBG Review" link at the top of the page.)

A Little Light Mischief

A Little Light Mischief (The Turners #3.5)
By  Cat Sebastian

ISBN: 9780062951045
144 Pages
Available in Paperback, Audiobook, and on Kindle

Synopsis:

A seductive thief

Lady’s maid Molly Wilkins is done with thieving—and cheating and stabbing and all the rest of it. She’s determined to keep her hands to herself, so she really shouldn’t be tempted to seduce her employer’s prim and proper companion, Alice. But how can she resist when Alice can’t seem to keep her eyes off Molly?

Finds her own heart

For the first time in her life, Alice Stapleton has absolutely nothing to do. The only thing that seems to occupy her thoughts is a lady’s maid with a sharp tongue and a beautiful mouth. Her determination to know Molly’s secrets has her behaving in ways she never imagined as she begins to fall for the impertinent woman.

Has been stolen

When an unwelcome specter from Alice’s past shows up unexpectedly at a house party, Molly volunteers to help the only way she knows how: with a little bit of mischief.

My Thoughts:

A Little Light Mischief is a much shorter addition to Cat Sebastian's The Turner's book series. Often referred to as book 3.5 in the series, this novella is the first to feature a F/F relationship, focusing on the previously introduced Molly Wilkins and her current mistress' young charge Alice Stapleton. This is the first F/F historical romance that I have read and it was interesting to see the differences in how these characters were handled.

The main character in A Little Light Mischief is Molly Wilkins, acquaintance of Jack and Georgie Turner from A Soldier's Scoundrel and The Lawrence Brown Affair. Like Georgie, Molly is a morally ambiguous, chaotic bi confidence artist. Or rather, a former confidence artist. Due to some life changing circumstances, Molly has secured legitimate work and is trying to live an honest life. Which most recently has brought her into the household of  Mrs. Wraxhall and into the life of Alice Stapleton, Wraxhall's ward.

Both Molly and Alice are depicted as feminine and innocent, each in their own way, and they are both likeable characters. Molly has had a rough life, has been taken advantage of, and came out of it more worldly, while Alice is more demure and naïve. Her naivete causes her to be slow to outwardly admit to her feelings for the ladies maid. Thus their relationship is very slow to develop. The couple only get physically intimate once in the entire book, and it does not go into the same illicit amount of detail as most of Sebastian's novels. This seems fitting given Alice's inexperience and upbringing, not to mention her trauma.

As typical with Sebastian's books, A Little Light Mischief offers a well thought out and developed non-romance side plot. For Molly, this revolves around a little secret that is kept in a house across town, and in the case of Alice, this involves family drama and betrayal. The story is surprisingly detailed for how short the book is overall. All in all, A Little Light Mischief was a good story and I found it to be a pleasant quick read, and a nice addition to the Turner-verse. 

Parent's Guide:

Probably not appropriate for any degree of youths. While being pretty vanilla when compared to the writer's other books, A Little Light Mischief is still adult in nature, with clear sexual situations. Definitely should be  18+

Scared Shiftless

   

Scared Shiftless
By  Theophilus Monroe

ISBN : 9798749348521
363 Pages
Available in Paperback, on Audible, and on Kindle

Synopsis:

A stiletto heel through a vampire’s heart…

Who ever said you had to sacrifice fabulous for functional?

Eventually I’d find her, the one who stole my abilities.

Now I was stuck like this…

As a water elemental, everything about me before was fluid…

My shape, my gender…

Hell, I didn’t even have a gender before…

Whatever form was most appealing to my human prey… that’s the shape I’d take.

Luring my prey to my watery lair through sex appeal and alluring song…

I didn’t even know that vampires were real…

How was I supposed to know that I’d chosen a vampire as an entree?

When I was bit that damned bloodsucker stole my shape-shifting ability…

I was scared shiftless.

I'm out for more than vengeance. I want my life back. But even if I catch her, even if I kill the vampire who ruined my life… can I even take my abilities back? Or, am I destined to stay like this…forever.

My Thoughts:

Scared Shiftless is the tale of Nyx, aka Nicky, I was surprised to see it spelled that way in the publisher's literature - in my head she was a fabulous Nikki <3 a vampire hunter with a unique background - she is a water elemental. Nicky was bitten by a vampire who stole her ability to shapeshift, an elemental necessity, which has kept her from being able to return to her watery home and has trapped her into a seemingly human existence - in a seemingly human male body.  

A pivotal element of Nicky's character is that she identifies as a trans woman. In reality, previous to her humanlike existence, Nicky did not have a concept of gender at all. However, after being trapped in a gendered human body, she had to start living like a human - eating human food and wearing clothing - and discovered that the clothing that spoke to her heart was that which was traditionally designated for human females. This causes difficulties and judgements against her that she does not understand until she is befriended by Donnie, a trans woman who at first assumes that Nicky is like her. She explains to Nicky what it is to be trans and the two become roommates and look out for one another.

The writer appears to have a good grasp of the struggles and realities that occur within the trans community and this book goes a long way in explaining those struggles to outsiders. If I had one complaint about this book, it is that occasionally these explanations become like lectures, going off on wild tangents and diverting too far from the core story for too long. The most notable case of this is in chapter two. But eventually the story gets reigned back in and on its path, and the reader has a better understanding of the character for it. 

The world presented in Scared Shiftless is a recognizable one, the American Midwest, but is also presented to the reader as a new place, full of magic and creatures of the night. There are very real locations, that most everybody has heard of, as well as whimsical imaginary ones. This pseudo-real world is wonderfully developed and the history of the vampires and other mystical beings is explored in length, leaving the reader with a solid grasp of who everyone is and what they can do. 

The story has plenty of familiar vampire concepts, with some new ones thrown in for good measure. A lot of the "vampire rules" reminded me of the world from the shows The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. It you like those, you will definitely enjoy this book. Best of all, the book was not predictable. I mean sure, there may have been a thing or two along the way, and I kinda guessed the endgame outcome with Wolfgang, and even had an inkling as to the outcome with Alice. But that surprise twist at the end where  Devin turned out to be a warlock and had been working for Alice all along really caught me off guard.

The audiobook is narrated by Kasey Logan. The narrator has an emotive, lively voice, and is capable of keeping the listener interested. Her character voices are top notch and she has energy to give both Donnie and Nicky just the right amount of fabulous sass.

Scared Shiftless is the first audiobook in a while that I can truly say I thoroughly enjoyed listening to from beginning to end. I was engaged throughout the whole thing and did not have to rewind and replay bits because I got bored and tuned out. Rather, I was eager to hear more, and I cannot wait for the following volumes.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of Scared Shiftless from StoryOrigin,  in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions stated are mine. The book is currently available available on Amazon at the links I have shared above.

Parent's Guide:

Scared Shiftless is your standard sci-fi fantasy fare - a bit of violence and a minor touch of swearing. It also touches quite a bit on personal development and discovering one's true self. and  For younger readers, it may be a bit heavy. But for the older teens, this is an excellent fantasy read, especially if they like vampires.

Persephone Plus

Persephone Plus
By  Stevie Rae Causey

ISBN: 9798742133803
67 Pages
Available in Paperback, on Audible, and on Kindle

Synopsis:

After a year of banishment in the modern world Persephone must convince Olympus that love comes in many forms.

Persephone and Aphrodite must settle an old rivalry regarding their shared lover, or forfeit them to the mortal realm forever in this LGBTQ+ romantic fantasy short story. As their time runs out and the Goddess of Love shows no sign of wavering, it is up to Persephone to find a way to save the mortal she loves, without hurting the immortal she married.

If you like old myths with modern twists and complicated romance, you'll love Persephone Plus.

My Thoughts:

Persephone Plus is a short story adaptation of the tale of the relationship dispute between Persephone, Adonis, and Aphrodite that is told in a modern high school setting. I listened to the audiobook version, which was just under 37 minutes long. It's definitely a quickie read, but I think it could have benefitted with a little more time to flesh out the story more.

The story is full of imagery and emotion, but lacking in exposition in some key areas. For starters, it felt like you jumped in mid-narrative. The way the characters are talking, you feel like you should know what is going on, but you don't. There is backstory about the characters being banished from Olympus that is never properly covered or elaborated on. As you listen, you start to figure out some of the intricacies of the existing relationships, but other parts remain unclear if you do not know the mythological history behind the characters.

Persephone Plus is marketed as a LGBTQ+ romantic fantasy, but I find that label to be slightly misleading. The main theme of the story is that of polyamorous relationships, which typically do not by default fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella. The only LGBTQ+ aspect occurs in the form where, for whatever reason, the writer chose to have Adonis identify as they/them. Historically, there is no case for this. In fact, Adonis was very much male - so much that "adonis" has long been used as a term for extremely handsome men. It feels more like an attempt to emphasize the "wokeness" of the writer and shoehorn the book into a LGBTQ+ classification. If it was an original story with original characters, it would be less questionable, but to take well established characters and change something so drastic just makes little sense. 

If you are a mythology lover like me and are familiar with the lore behind the Adonis & Persephone story and maybe I am more critical because of this, then you will notice several other changes. Persephone Plus is clearly written to make Persephone out to be the champion, solver of problems, and a caring person, while painting Aphrodite as your typical vapid "mean girl". Whereas, in the mythos, Persephone was the one who stole Adonis. Aligning with this noticeable change in narrative is the fact that when the contract is settled Adonis chooses to split his year equally between Persephone and Aphrodite, whereas in the original story he chose Aphrodite and spent his remaining 4 months that were previously unallocated with her. 

It also seems like the story is written to lift up the concept of polyamorous relationships, when in truth it is a really bad example of polyamorous relationships because Persephone's decision is forced on Hades rather than being made with his consent. It also appears that Adonis has been trapped into making a decision and Aphrodite is being coerced to agree to something they clearly do not want. The reality is that Persephone Plus is trying to romanticize a toxic situation, but is not really succeeding. Overall, the substance is lacking, but the storytelling is creative. It makes for a okay short read if you want a fluff tale to waste some time. 

In regards to the narration: The audiobook is narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo. The narrator has a nice clear voice and she was capable at distinguishing between the characters and portraying believable emotion in the characters. The reading pace was decent and the storytelling was engaging enough to keep you interested in listening.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of Persephone Plus from StoryOrigin in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions stated are mine. The book is currently available available on Amazon.

Parent's Guide:

Persephone Plus is a tame tale and set in a relatable high school setting. There isn't a lot of exposition, so if the reader isn't familiar with Greek mythology they may get confused, but overall there isn't anything that is really inappropriate for pre-teen or teen readers. If your child likes mythology, they will probably enjoy this fresh and relatable perspective on an old tale.

Deep Space

  

Deep Space
By  Milo James Fowler

ASIN : B01N18E63I
83 Pages
Available on Audible and on Kindle

Synopsis:

Deep Space collects 7 short stories from the outer rim:

Live by the Ten, Die by the Gun
From Gaia to Proxima Centauri
Resurrection of the Hornet
Autonomic Zen and the Art of Destruction
From Scheol My Soulfire Burns
Dance by the Light of the Moon
Tomorrow’s Dawn

My Thoughts:

Deep Space is a collection of science fiction short stories that take place in space (obviously), exploring life on futuristic colonies and spacecrafts of all sorts. The seven stories range in length, with the first entry being the longest one, clocking in at just under an hour. Two other stories come close to thirty minutes each, and the remaining four are super short ~5 minute pieces. The entire book is only about two and a half hours long, so it is a good quick listen.

The stories in Deep Space are much more serious than those found in the Bartholomew Quasar title from Milo James Fowler, which I reviewed a couple of weeks ago. Those stories centered around more lighthearted events and the humorous actions of the crew, whereas the stories in Deep Space are more technical and the outcomes somewhat more severe. If you are a fan of Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, or Defiance, then this is your kind of book.

As previously mentioned, the first selection in the book, Live by the Ten, Die by the Gun, is the feature of the collection. This hour long tale has a touch of space western and focuses on life on a post-apocalyptical style earth colony space station. Every colony has rule keepers, in the form of a judge and a sheriff, and a spiritual guardian in the form of a priest. This story has strong religious undertones -  their societal rules are formed by an adherence to "the ten", presumably a reference to the Christian concept of the ten commandments. The priest character had an air of mystery to him and possessed the potential to be very interesting and I would have loved to see his back story explored more, as well as the working/personal relationship between the Sherriff and the Judge. That is merely the failing of the short story format - sometimes there is more story to be told. This entry was my favorite in the set and I would happily read a more extended story in this universe.

The remaining stories were equally engaging. The second story, From Gaia to Proxima Centauri, is another long-ish one, clocking in at just over 26 minutes. Another tale of post-societal Earth, this story follows a robot whose sole mission is to direct a ship containing all the knowledge and history of Earth to a designated destination in space, and what happens along the way. The sixth entry (and the final lengthy one, at 34+ minutes), Dance by the Light of the Moon, caught me off guard with an elaborate tale of universe hopping and an ending that I did not expect at all.

In regards to the narration:  The audiobook is narrated by Don Wang. He has a good clear voice, but the reading occasionally seemed detached to me - at points flat and devoid of emotion, almost robotic. At other points it was perfectly fine, and even engaging, but to me it just lacked something sometimes. His reading pace was also a little slow, which added to the monotony. About half way into the first story I sped up the pace to 1.15 and it helped.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of Deep Space from the author, Milo James Fowler, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions stated are mine. The book is currently available available on Amazon.

Parent's Guide:

Deep Space doesn't have any bad language or adult themes. For younger readers, the primary shortcomings would be a lot of technical words and a touch of violence. Despite that, this book should be an acceptable read for advanced literacy teens who like things about space adventuring.

October Reading List

My October reading list is going to be an undertaking! September got away from me a little bit, so some books got bumped ahead. I tried to add some fun Halloween-y reads as well. I have a lot going on this time of year, so posting may only be on Monday and Friday for the next month or three, but I will try for Wednesdays too. We'll see.

This is currently my October reading list:

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
Out of Body Universe by Martin Chu Shui
Damn Good Chinese Food by Chris Cheung
Witchy Coffee by Erin Ritch
Jazz Age Cocktails by Cecelia Tichi
The Undoing of Lord Saville by Maria Green
Josefine: Shadows of the Witch by Denise Daye
Scared Shiftless (audiobook) by Theophilus Monroe *
Persephone Plus (audiobook) by Stevie Rae Causey *
Embracing Darkness by Tina Moss and Yelena Casale
Reading 5X5 X2: Duets by B. Morris Allen

Is anyone interested in a giveaway? In the near future I am going to do either a "Book I have reviewed" giveaway or a "My favorite book" giveaway. Which would you prefer?

Damsel Under Stress

 

Damsel Under Stress (Enchanted, Inc. #3)
By  Shanna Swendson

ISBN: 9780345492920
320 Pages
Available in Paperback, Audiobook, and on Kindle

Synopsis:

To-do: Stop the bad guys. Rescue the wizard. Find the perfect outfit for New Year's Eve.

At last, Owen Palmer, the dreamboat wizard at Magic, Spells, and Illusions, Inc., has conjured up the courage to get Katie Chandler under the mistletoe at the office holiday party. But just when it looks like Katie has found her prince, in pops her inept fairy godmother, Ethelinda, to throw a wand into the works. Ethelinda's timing couldn’t be worse. A plot hatched by MSI's rogue ex-employees, Idris and his evil fairy gal pal Ari, threatens to expose the company's secrets - and the very existence of magic itself. Even worse, it could also mean the end of Katie's happily-ever-after. Now Katie and Owen must work side by side (but alas, not cheek to cheek) to thwart the villains' plans. Braving black-magic-wielding sorceresses, subway-dwelling dragons, lovelorn frog princes, and even the dreaded trip to meet Owen's parents at Christmas, Katie and her beau are in a battle to beat Idris at his own sinister game. All mischief and matters of the heart will come to a head at a big New Year's Eve gala, when the crystal ball will drop, champagne will pour, and Katie will find herself truly spellbound.

My Thoughts:

Katie and Owen are finally together, and it only took 3 books to get there! I wanted to be excited for them, but every turn in Damsel Under Stress felt like it was trying to make a point that they should not be together after all. It was all so confusing, and frustrating. But I still rooted for them. And wanted to absolutely strangle Ethelinda. 

Ethelinda. Let's talk about Ethelinda. Damsel Under Stress introduces Ethelinda as Katie's wayward, well-intentioned but utterly inept fairy godmother. She walks around looking like an absolute disaster, yet carries a chip on her shoulder thanks to her most successful mentee/charge - the actual Cinderella. Riding on the memory of this career high, she thinks that she knows what is best for everyone and she causes a lot of trouble because of it - trouble for others that Katie finds herself having to fix, and quite serious trouble for Katie herself. I feel like her description is supposed to endear her to the reader, but she just annoyed me.

Another new face, or rather a set of new faces, introduced in Damsel Under Stress is that of Owen's foster parents. In contrast to that of the fairy godmother, these interactions are truly charming. His parents have distinct personalities and give you a bit more insight on why Owen is how he is. James and Gloria are extremely likeable characters. Even when Gloria is being harsh, you can tell it is coming from a place of love. You also get to meet Owen's cat Loony, who is just the most precious thing ever and makes you love Owen that much more.

Plot wise, this one has a bit more going on than the last two. Idris and Ari are up to their usual shenanigans, but no longer coordinated, which causes even more chaos. Especially when Ari's interference causes Katie to start to exhibit magical abilities (which she doesn't tell people about in a timely fashion because she obviously didn't learn her lesson the last time around...). Then things get crazy with the addition of a couple of frog princes, some (sometimes froggy) corporate intrigue, a subway tunnel full of dragons - which of course Owen tames and starts treating like they are no different than his cat Loony, because he is just that precious - and a life altering interaction with Katie's roommates. Inexplicably, even with all of this going on, the pace seems slow at times - but that is probably for the best so you can take it all in. 

Of all of the Enchanted, Inc. books that I have read so far, Damsel Under Stress is probably my least favorite. It's not a bad book, and it is funny. I just didn't like it as much as the previous ones - mostly because Ethelinda just annoyed me that much. Also, the ending will just gut you. I was glad that I had immediate access to the next book. I can't imagine what it was like for those who read this book before book four was published.

Parent's Guide:

Like it's predecessors, Damsel Under Stress is relatively easy to read and the story is fun. There is romance but no sex. A little cussing. As always. there is fighting, but it is almost all of the magical variety. This book is decently teen friendly in complexity and entertainment value.

The Oz Counter:

 Two. And they were solid, aware, and intentional ones too.

(The Oz Counter is explained in the "Anatomy of a PBG Review" link at the top of the page.)

The Ruin of a Rake

 

The Ruin of a Rake (The Turners #3)
By  Cat Sebastian

ISBN: 9780062642530
336 Pages
Available in Paperback, Audible, and on Kindle

Synopsis:

Rogue. Libertine. Rake. Lord Courtenay has been called many things and has never much cared. But after the publication of a salacious novel supposedly based on his exploits, he finds himself shunned from society. Unable to see his nephew, he is willing to do anything to improve his reputation, even if that means spending time with the most proper man in London.

Julian Medlock has spent years becoming the epitome of correct behavior. As far as he cares, if Courtenay finds himself in hot water, it’s his own fault for behaving so badly—and being so blasted irresistible. But when Julian’s sister asks him to rehabilitate Courtenay’s image, Julian is forced to spend time with the man he loathes—and lusts after—most.

As Courtenay begins to yearn for a love he fears he doesn’t deserve, Julian starts to understand how desire can drive a man to abandon all sense of propriety. But he has secrets he’s determined to keep, because if the truth came out, it would ruin everyone he loves. Together, they must decide what they’re willing to risk for love.

My Thoughts:

The Ruin of a Rake, the third installment in The Turner's series, is your standard love/hate relationship. The lead characters start out with a severe dislike for each other and slowly fall in love despite every effort made not to. They eventually come around, after a good amount of "why do I like this person, it's so infuriating" moments.

The physically intimate scenes in The Ruin of a Rake are more scandalous and more frequent, similar to the style of A Soldier's Scoundrel. As a result of the seething dislike between the characters at the beginning, some of the intimate scenes are very one sided and have a strong sense of shame associated with them, but nothing happens that is against anyone's will.

While the first 2 books in the series are pretty much capable of being read as standalone stories, I feel like the reader needs to know what happened in The Lawrence Brown Affair to fully understand and appreciate the events of The Ruin of a Rake. A significant portion of Lord Courtenay's personality hinges on his relationship with the Earl of Radnor's son and a lot of groundwork into the two leads' interactions is set up in the previous book. You could read this one without reading the previous story and eventually get the main idea of what all has transpired, but for the full experience, I recommend reading The Lawrence Brown Affair first.

The side plot in The Ruin of a Rake is less memorable than that of it's predecessors, centering mostly on dealings with Lord Courtenay's finances and diminished reputation. The best part of it is the mysteriousness behind The Brigand Prince, the scandalous novel that is the primary source of Lord Courtenay's reputation woes. But even then, there is a degree of predictability. Overall, I felt like this book was the weakest of the trio, plot wise, but it was still a decent read.

Parent's Guide:

100% not for the kids! This book is adult in nature, with graphic sexual situations. Absolutely 18+