Tag: 2 stars

Books I didn’t particularly like. These books were fine enough to finish, but something was lacking or bothered me. Not recommended unless what bothered me is a plus for you.

Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

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Title: Sword Catcher
Author: Cassandra Clare
Format: ebook
Genre(s): Fantasy
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I picked up Sword Catcher hoping to be immersed in an intriguing fantasy world, but unfortunately it didn’t deliver for me on the fantasy, the characters, or (even knowing that this was likely just the first of a new series) a satisfying plot arc.

Instead of layering fantasy over the real world (as Clare has done in her young adult fiction), she sets the story in an entirely fictional world — but one that is a mish-mash of real-world people and places with just a thin veneer of fictional names: for example, a philosopher-king Markus Aurelian (Marcus Aurelius) who rules a city-state on the Gold (Silk) Road which has a population of Ashkars (Ashkenazis) confined to the Sault (Ghetto); the Ashkars have a history involving the Makabi (Maccabees) who used to be able to do magic but now can only do a limited form called gematry (gematria). I found myself distracted by those similarities and also overwhelmed by excessive detail (despite usually loving intricate fantasy worlds and magic systems), due to the world-building being presented in ways and at times that weren’t always relevant to the plot.

The plot and characters were also underwhelming as the book didn’t finish a complete story or character development arc, instead feeling like a giant “Part 1” for a longer story with the feel of New Adult rather than adult fiction. And while the world was full of detail, the characters and their actions felt half-finished; I struggled to believe some of their motivations and actions, and so much of the “web of corruption and intrigue” happened only in hints or off the page that by the time it all came to a head near the end I felt like I’d been reading a story about the wrong characters.

One Moment by Becky Hunter

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Title: One Moment
Author: Becky Hunter
Format: ebook (ARC)
Genre(s): Fiction, Magical realism, Romance
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This debut novel is a bittersweet story about the value of friendship and the power of individual moments to change our lives, with a key feature: it begins after Scarlett’s death and is told from the perspective of her best friend and roommate Evie — but also by Scarlett herself, narrating as she watches over the aftermath and remembers her past.

The premise of this story is compelling, but I found myself frustrated as (especially during Scarlett’s narration) the message was spelled out repeatedly for me rather than trusting me to figure it out for myself. The dual perspective, although valuable for showing the backstory and full picture, also gave away so much that I never really got to feel surprised; the events played out just as I expected they would.

I wish Hunter had held back a bit more, but I do tend to prefer stories that leave more open to interpretation (and, in that vein, would have loved a more open-ended conclusion). This is a sweet story exploring how sadness and happiness can be intertwined, and if you’re looking for a straightforward celebration of friendship and love, this might be the right book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Corvus (Altantic Books) for providing an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. One Moment comes out on March 2, 2023.

Seven Exes by Lucy Vine

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Title: Seven Exes
Author: Lucy Vine
Format: ebook (ARC)
Genre(s): Fiction
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This book’s synopsis set me up for a fun premise: a possible second-chance romance, but with seven exes and not knowing which might be The One for Esther. But although it was interesting to revisit their relationships with a combination of flashbacks and present day reunions, and there was an attempt to balance these stories with her friendships, Esther spent most of the book far too self-centered and insufferable for me to find her or her personal journey relatable.

If we could have seen Esther being really great in some parts of her life — say, rocking it at work and getting on with her coworkers — while struggling with personal relationships, it could have made her more likeable. And if we saw her growing slowly and incrementally improving things as she reconnected with each ex and worked through the conflicts with her friends, maybe I could believe in her growth and great connections at the end. But everything seemed to come together at the eleventh hour, with a romance that didn’t feel supported by enough on the page and a lesson that was both far too on the nose and didn’t feel entirely earned.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing an advanced reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Seven Exes comes out on 25 May 2023.

Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews

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Title: Gentleman Jim
Author: Mimi Matthews
Format: Audiobook (library)
Genre(s): Romance, Historical
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

This book was a disappointment, which surprised me given that I’ve found several of Matthews’ other books very pleasant (The Matrimonial Advertisement, The Siren of Sussex, and The Work of Art).

The blurb promised some amount of mystery, danger, and revenge; however, I found the whole thing so predictable that I was just waiting for each plot point to arrive so I could get through the story. The biggest mystery ended up being why this version of the cover featured a dark-haired man!

I don’t want to share spoilers, so I’ll avoid specifics and just note that in addition to a dull plot I found the characters incredibly flat and cookie-cutter: an earnest, loyal woman; a mysterious, ambitious viscount; a nasty rival; a grandfather with questionable motives; a friend with zero personality; and so on. I can generally forgive a predictable plot if it has interesting characters, and I can forgive shallow or Pollyanna-ish characters if they’re thrown into an intriguing plot, but this really let me down with nothing to dig into.

Audiobook Review

I’m adding a separate note about the audiobook format — in part because I wonder if the format skewed my experience of the book, but also because there were some elements I specifically wanted to mention. I was pleased with Alex Wyndham’s work on the dialogue and character voices. That said, the rest of the narration was really tedious, with repetitive prosody for almost every single sentence. It kind of killed my interest by the end and had the tendency to make me zone out while listening. If you’re still interested in this story, I’d recommend picking up the book version.

Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey

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Title: Love Her or Lose Her
Author: Tessa Bailey
Format: eBook (library)
Genre(s): Romance
Rating: ★★☆☆☆

I picked this up as an easy travel read (for the plane/train) after seeing a friend enjoy a number of Tessa Bailey’s books; sadly, I think her writing isn’t for me.

The book centers on Rosie and Dominic Vega, a married couple that has drifted apart after Dominic returns home from active military duty. I was really excited to see a romance about an established, married couple — I’m always interested in exploring realistic challenges that arise in long-term relationships. But we’re mostly told about their individual backstories and issues rather than shown them, and although they don’t resolve their problems instantly there’s a sense that the only real challenge is to identify what’s wrong in their relationship (as if it doesn’t take time and practice to work through insecurities and communication issues after they’ve been identified). Add to that a fairly plain, repetitive writing style, magically perfect sexual chemistry, and flat supporting characters, and I just couldn’t stay engaged in the story.