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A review by bookswithbuns
Bad Luck Charm by Julie Johnson
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher(s) for the eARC in exchange for an honest review and/or promotion.
First & foremost, I didn't hate or even fully dislike this book. The overarching mystery and elements of witchcraft woven in were intriguing enough to hold most of my attention (as opposed to DNF'ing). And yes, it had some cute moments...., but there were also just as many moments that had me scratching my head and cringing (like how law enforcement worked in this world.... hm. lol.) Graham was too much of an Alpha A—hole™ MMC for me at times, with some of his behavior and actions just— *screaming* "red flags" all around. While I love a good dominant man, he has to be written both well AND consistently for him to succeed (at least, in my eyes). Similar to another romance/drama book I read earlier this year (which..... was honestly way worse), I just don't understand why we had to have *whole scenes* of Graham & Gwendolyn crossing paths earlier in their lives as children (in one, he's 15, she's 10; in another, he's 18 and she's 13). These scenes are played off as Gwendolyn having a childhood crush on Graham, which isn't an uncommon thing— but that's not what bothers me. The 5-year age difference isn't what bothers me either, but rather the HOW and the WHY behind it all (or lack thereof). If the characters were just a bit older, their age gap and supposed meet-cutes wouldn't give me The Ick™ as much as it does/did. Not only that, but readers are reminded of how young she was when they first met MULTIPLE TIMES and it made me feel even ickier. I just.... that whole section could have been taken out (or, if it "must" be left in, reframed to be less... creepy), because honestly I doubt it would even affect the story much. This book also definitely does not need to be as long as it is (500+ pages?? like— *phew*, WHY); it just felt super bloated at times, and that's coming from someone who typically loves very descriptive prose in relation to creating an atmospheric vibe. While this one wasn't a winner for me, I'd still be open to trying out more of the author's work in the future!
First & foremost, I didn't hate or even fully dislike this book. The overarching mystery and elements of witchcraft woven in were intriguing enough to hold most of my attention (as opposed to DNF'ing). And yes, it had some cute moments...., but there were also just as many moments that had me scratching my head and cringing (like how law enforcement worked in this world.... hm. lol.) Graham was too much of an Alpha A—hole™ MMC for me at times, with some of his behavior and actions just— *screaming* "red flags" all around. While I love a good dominant man, he has to be written both well AND consistently for him to succeed (at least, in my eyes). Similar to another romance/drama book I read earlier this year (which..... was honestly way worse), I just don't understand why we had to have *whole scenes* of Graham & Gwendolyn crossing paths earlier in their lives as children (in one, he's 15, she's 10; in another, he's 18 and she's 13). These scenes are played off as Gwendolyn having a childhood crush on Graham, which isn't an uncommon thing— but that's not what bothers me. The 5-year age difference isn't what bothers me either, but rather the HOW and the WHY behind it all (or lack thereof). If the characters were just a bit older, their age gap and supposed meet-cutes wouldn't give me The Ick™ as much as it does/did. Not only that, but readers are reminded of how young she was when they first met MULTIPLE TIMES and it made me feel even ickier. I just.... that whole section could have been taken out (or, if it "must" be left in, reframed to be less... creepy), because honestly I doubt it would even affect the story much. This book also definitely does not need to be as long as it is (500+ pages?? like— *phew*, WHY); it just felt super bloated at times, and that's coming from someone who typically loves very descriptive prose in relation to creating an atmospheric vibe. While this one wasn't a winner for me, I'd still be open to trying out more of the author's work in the future!