multicoloredbookreviews's reviews
1023 reviews

 I made a commitment to have this review out before the book releases, so if this is a bit subpar, the blame rests on my brain currently working at about half of it's usual power.

I'm currently battling unending sneezing, a runny nose and one of those headaches that make the back of your eyes burn and yet, Falling Like Stars was almost enough to make me forget all of my annoying cold symptoms.

There's something about the way Emma Scott writes angst, it's understated and yet raw and powerful. And there's always something so hopeful and uplifting about two battered souls finding peace and joy together.

Both Rowan and Zach were battling their own demons: guilt, regret, grief. They were struggling to keep their heads above water, but a chance meeting at a filming set and a frank conversation in a hot tub under a blanket of stars was enough to ignite a flame of hope in both of them that would help lead them out of the darkness that'd taken over their lives—looks like my brain is feeling poetic today LOL

This was an emotional book, with sadness permeating through each page and evoking this feeling of having a constant weight pressing down for an important part of it. Losing loves ones in never easy, letting go of dreams even when they turn to nightmares can also sometimes be unexpectantly challenging, and I really appreciated how Emma decided to portray a male character having a hard time getting out of an emotionally and physically violent relationship in this novel.

Healing from trauma is a journey, not a destination. And much like you can lead a horse to water but not force it to drink, you can accompany and support someone on their journey, but you can't push them down the path or walk it for them, and that was also a great message Falling Like Stars presented.

Be kind to yourself, seek help if you need it and don't be afraid to love. And give this book a chance! I'm sure you'll fall in love with Rowan and Zach just like I did. 

 **I received a ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ** 

 If this book were a dish, it'd be white rice with plain chicken breast. Healthy, nutritious, but profoundly bland and unexciting. No salt, no seasonings, no flavor. Food but not a meal.

The book was structed in alternating POVs between Eden and Alexander, our two main characters, and written in 3rd person in such a way that I could hear Sir David Attenborough in my mind narrating everything in his world-famous nature documentary style. Needless to say, I struggled to get into this book.

And going back to my culinary analogy, just like chicken and rice can be plain and tasteless or insanely flavorful and mouthwatering depending on how they're prepared, this book too had the ingredients for a delicious meal but failed on the execution of the dish.

First, it went too hard on the insta-love. Second, it presented serious issues that were barely explored—just exploited as plot devices and promptly swept under the rug once they'd served their purpose. Third, it was simply not properly set up to provide the emotional journey it intended to deliver. And fourth, and least important, there were some seriously outdated pop culture references (which could have been fun in the right context, but felt cringe here).

Eden had some abandonment trauma that was seriously deep seated but conspicuously ignored. Alexander had his own emotional issues that got barely acknowledged until it was needed for the plot to move forward. They both had significant baggage and needed some real help from a therapist, but their struggles came and went and never got properly addressed.

I like lighthearted books, I like angsty books, but they're distinct and separate for a reason. You can't make light of emotionally heavy experiences that leave behind deep wounds just as you can't cheapen serious experiences just to throw in a little drama into an otherwise cheery and cute story. You end up with something weird and unpleasant, like adding salt instead of sugar to a cup of coffee.

More time should have been dedicated to explore and delve into the events that'd scarred our protagonists and how it'd affected their adult lives, since their own personal struggles were the one thing that negatively affected and almost ended their relationship. I needed more insight into their psyches, so that when it finally came time for them to confront and overcome their issues, there would have been a sense of victory and accomplishment. Either that, or a lighter obstacle should have been picked for them to conquer if it wasn't going to be developed properly.

In the end, there were knives, there was love, but the seasoning was sadly missing.

**I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ** 

 The last book, Allison Shatters the Looking Glass, went back to the adventure of travelling around Underland. But at this point, something that had been whispering at the back of my mind for the last two books, loudly made it's way to the forefront: there should have been less love interests, 9 was too many.

These were short-ish books, so I don't know that it was a smart decision to have such a big harem for Allison. It's not easy to connect emotionally when there's that many, or to allocate enough time to each of them to properly build the romantic bonds, so the story suffered.

During the first book, I'd been worried the guys would all blend into each other, but while they all ended up sufficiently developed and distinct from one another—which was a feat in and of itself—I wasn't able to become emotionally invested in them because there simply wasn't enough time to give each the time the deserved and needed.

Also, the tension in this last book was so inconsistent. One minute Allison and her men were fighting for their lives against seemingly unbeatable villains and the next they were merrily strolling through a bustling, quirky market and taking the time to watch a circus-esque performance. Either the fate of the land is on the line or we're casually chilling with the love interests. Tense and relaxed are mutually exclusive. It just doesn't work.

And the cherry on top of this disappointing sundae was an underwhelming ending consisting of a last battle that was abrupt and poorly paced.

It deserves to be said, though, that I firmly believe there's lots of potential for sequels building on the future of Underland and the relationships already established not only between Allison and her guys, but some of the secondary characters and her own family, too. I think with enough time dedicated to beefing up the romantic relationships, coupled with other fun adventures and challenges, future books could be great. 

 This second book in the Harem of Hearts trilogy was significantly slower paced and, unlike the first one which unraveled over a variety of settings and circumstances, mostly took place within the King of Heart's castle, which gave the story this slightly stale feeling.

I also noticed how it had more and more opinions that felt like they came straight from the author—and were not organic to Allison's character—about politics, birth control, the patriarchy, etc. No other of C.M. Stunich's female characters of any of her stories that I've read gave me such strong "self-insert" vibes. Didn't like that. Fiction is not the place for an author to voice their opinions on social and political topics.

Still, the events taking place were during this second installment were interesting, there was some serious enemies-to-lovers going on between Allison and the King (which we always love to see!) and the stakes seemed awfully high given how powerful and undefeatable the villains appeared to be—a good villain always makes for a good story. And the cliffy ending was evil! LOL Thank goodness the trilogy was already complete. Having to wait after that would have been awful.

Full review for the trilogy available on my blog. 

 I liked this Alice in Wonderland re-imagining. but I didn't love it. Of all the works I've read from C. M. Stunich, this one was the one I've liked the least. Then again, I was in a bit of a funk while making my way through it, so that may have played a role.

Weird tangent, but this series marked my fourth read this month (July 2024) where the FL got (or almost got) sexually assaulted while underage—with that not being the main theme of the book. That's the weirdest streak I've ever unintentionally encountered.

This first book, Allison's Adventures in Underland, was full of adventure, and began the introduction of some extra lore that exceeded the OG story, like angels and full-on magic (not just edibles that shrink or enlarge you). It was a fun read, quick paced, with exposition done incrementally, so it wasn't boring.

As for the love interests, they were all a bit same-y. Nine whole dudes made up the harem for this trilogy: Dee & Tee (Tweedledee & Tweedledum), Rab (the White Rabbit), Chesh (the Cheshire Cat), Lar (the Caterpillar), North (the Duke of Northumbria—I think he was an original character), March (the March Hare), The King—of Hearts—and the mad Hatter. They were all arrogant assholes— personality-wise, they were either charming, tortured, psychotic or a combination of those traits.

Still, personally, this book was my favorite of the three. While the building of sexual tension was slow-ish, it had enough adventure to make it entertaining and enough emotion to make it engaging.

Full review for the trilogy available on my blog.

 It is my very personal opinion that this author should have stuck to her original plan of this series being a duology.

Book one, Frozen Hearts, was already unnecessarily long, this one was even longer and the story is not even complete yet.

This’ll be where I’m getting off. I have no more patience to be dealing with this story and characters, and no desire whatsoever to have to fight my way through 600 more pages of the same feelings being brought up over and over and over again, with the possibility that, perhaps, the next book also won’t be the last one. No, thank you. I don’t hate myself that much.

But if I were allowed to make a single suggestion, it’d be to get a good editor and cut the whole thing down to maybe two books, 400-page each, maybe even less. Get rid of all the extra weight. The idea for a great story is there, but it’s completely buried under a insurmountable pile of boring over-explaining and endless repetition.

 

 Double Twist by Stephanie Rowe is a congenial and intriguing murder-mystery that will ensnare readers who crave a lighthearted, feel-good, quick and easy read.

Featuring a strong, sassy, slightly kooky heroine with a glass-half-full personality, her amazingly unusual Maine Coon kitty and a host of quirky, likable characters; all against the backdrop of a small-town in Maine full, in equal parts, of both charm and secrets, this book is a great option for readers looking for a cozy, fun, page-turning mystery with heartwarming representations of female friendship and themes of resilience and not letting your past define you.

However, for me, the ending was very abrupt, unsatisfying and lacked a proper sense of closure. One of the main plot points was resolved, second one was presented and hinted at being resolved all within half a chapter and Mia's apparently newly blooming relationship with hot Lake Patrol officer, Devlin, lives only in my imagination as far as I can tell.

Ending really brought down the whole thing for me (dropping my rating from 4 to 3⭐). Cliffhangers are ok—even if, personally, they feel like cash grabs more often than not—but here it wasn't like that. Rather, it was like the last chapter of the book was missing. Maybe that should be the next mystery Mia tackles LOL

Thank you NetGalley and Authenticity Playground Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. 

R. A. Smyth's "Frozen Hearts" is a story of resilience and dark secrets. However, the excessive "showing" and repetition hinder the reader's enjoyment. Despite the respectful handling of SA trauma, the lengthy narrative dilutes emotional impact. The characters' idiotic behavior and the book's excessive length overshadow its potential. With better editing and some good chopping of surplus fluff to make the story more concise, it could have been a 5-star read.

 I know there's that thing that's been going around social media about how teenagers and people in their early 20s look like they're at least ten years older than their actual age, but for real, who picked that whole ass man as the cover model for a story set in high school? Not that he's not handsome, but he looks closer to 28 than he does 18 LOL

I've been on a kick of bully college sports romances lately and the ups and downs have been real. I like dark romance and have virtually no triggers, but some of them have been a little more abusive than I think is justifiable, so when I stumbled across this one, featuring younger characters and boasting a very high rating, I thought I'd give it a shot.

And honestly? I think it turned out to be the most wholesome bully romance I may have ever read.

Bad Intentions was the story of a deeply hurt boy whose pain, fear and hopelessness had turned into poisoned anger, and a girl smothered under the pressure of trying to be the perfect daughter to make up for her loving parents having had to give up their youthful dreams to raise her. Her caring nature soothed his raw, wounded edges, and his recklessness and forcefulness breathed much needed freedom into her structured, suffocating life.

It was cute. They got to explore, and learn and grown together, and it was unexpectedly sweet.

The writing was a little repetitive and could have used a little polishing—especially towards the beginning—to switch all the telling that was going on for a little showing. During the first few chapters, and until I got more used to the prose style, Cayden came across like he was trying way too hard to convince me he was dangerous and badass. Because all his feelings were explained instead of described, it felt like he was putting on a front, playing a character. It came across as fake and forced. As I sunk deeper into the story, that impression lessened and the dialogue became less weird and forced, so my reading experience improved vastly, thankfully. Otherwise, I'm not sure I would have been able to finish this novel.

All in all, it had it's rough edges, but it was still an entertaining read. If you're looking for a bully romance with some angst, a generous level of spice, and that will have you rooting for the hero instead of hoping someone beats his ass and he ends up in prison, I think you'll like this one. Just remember to hold on through the rocky beginning 

 This book was waaaaaay too long and lacked any sort of chemistry, character development or plot to justify the insane page count.

I liked the previous book, but this one was a huge disappointment.

If you like abusive relationships that center around little else than sex, you might still enjoy it. But if you feel any type of negative way about CSA victims being callously re-victimized, I'd stay far, far away from it.

A more thorough review will be available on my blog: https://multicoloredbookreviews.home.blog/