Jenn's Updates

Jenn wants to read 'Terror at the Gates'

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 21:23:46 -0700

Jenn wants to read Terror at the Gates by Scarlett St. Clair

Jenn is currently reading 'Great Big Beautiful Life'

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 11:09:43 -0700

Jenn is currently reading Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Jenn added 'Black Rose'

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 21:59:16 -0700

Jenn gave 3 stars to Black Rose (The Dracula Duet) by Karina Halle
bookshelves: 3-star-reads, adult-fiction, paranormal-supernatural, read-in-2025, romance, vampires
I'm honestly not sure where I expected the second book in this duet to go, but I don't think it was here - with memory wipes and long lost brother's. It definitely kept me on my toes lol.

After the events of Blood Orange, to say Valtu didn't handle the loss of Dahlia well would be an understatement. There were so many times during this book where I just wanted to smack him. I agreed with Rose. He was a coward. Especially after finding out who Rose was to him. It was hard to reconcile him with the Valtu we met in the first book. Even at the end I still felt that the character was completely different and I wasn't sure I liked him.

Then there was the character of Rose. I liked that she was a vampire this time around for sure. But it was weird to me that she was so young compared to him. I think I was just so used to Dahlia that it was hard for me to see him and Rose together.

I did like how Halle began the story with both the past and the present times mixed together. It kept me guessing as to what happened in those 21 years. And it was a cool way to kick off the story. While I wasn't blown away by the duology, I am glad I checked out the story

Jenn liked a review

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 14:39:05 -0700

Jenn liked Krystianna's review of The Seven Year Slip:

Jenn liked a userstatus

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:53:20 -0700

Jenn liked Krystianna's status update

Krystianna is on page 260 of 336 of The Seven Year Slip

Jenn liked a review

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:22:15 -0700

Jenn liked Karen Barber's review of Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #2):

"Things continue in very much the same vein as in book one. Evie and The Villain try to hide their feelings while everyone around them is taking bets on when they’ll admit their feelings.
We know magic is under pressure and it’s becoming even more hard to counter the king’s plans. Evie finds herself more embroiled in the plans to save the kingdom.
There are some steps forward in terms of Evie’s family and it was hard not to be amused by the changes made in the Villain’s home. Kingsley, as ever, appears at key moments with a perfectly placed sign.
Some interesting developments near the end of the book and definitely suggesting we could be in for a treat in part three.
"

Jenn added 'Blood Orange'

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 13:02:53 -0700

Jenn gave 3 stars to Blood Orange (The Dracula Duet, #1) by Karina Halle
bookshelves: 3-star-reads, adult-fiction, paranormal-supernatural, read-in-2025, romance, vampires
An interesting take on the Dracula legend. And also playing around with reincarnation at the same time.

Dahlia and Valtu - fated lovers one would call them. Valtu, cursed to remain the same year after year. As a vampire, he has nothing but time. And he believes that he has one true love - but he's lost her already twice. So when Dahlia shows up, it doesn't even cross his mind that it would be his love once again. It also doesn't help that Dahlia is wearing a glamor since in this life she is a vampire slaying witch and is there on a mission to kill him. Talk about awkward.

I did like the storyline with the reincarnation and how their lives kept intersecting. I wanted to see how this would play out. Who would recognize who? And how would Dahlia reveal to Valtu her true intentions. What I didn't expect was how this went from 0 to 100 on the smut scale. But I guess when your souls know each other it's just right...? I don't know. I did like how Valtu embraced Dahlia's darkness and helped her become more herself, even though she was lying to him the entire time. I did figure out the plot twist very early on, so I'm not actually sure if it was meant to be a huge reveal there at the end. But I will say, I was surprised at how the book ended. I did not see that one coming.

It's a duet, so I will read the second one because I do want to see how this plays out. I did find myself skimming some of the sex scenes because there were quite a few and I was more interested in the plot - I know, gasp. So we shall see what the second one brings us.

Jenn is on page 130 of 372 of Blood Orange

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 09:30:53 -0700

Jenn is on page 130 of 372 of Blood Orange.
Jenn wrote: Who wants to bet it wasn't vampires that killed her parents?

Jenn added 'Pitcher Perfect'

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 17:09:12 -0700

Jenn gave 2 stars to Pitcher Perfect (Big Shots, #4) by Tessa Bailey
bookshelves: 2-star-reads, adult-fiction, contemporary, instalove-alert, read-in-2025, romance, sports
Maybe more like 2.5/2.75? But I just can't give it 3.

I don't think that Tessa Bailey and I are for each other. This is the third book (well, one was a novella) that I've read from her that just rubbed me the wrong way. But I wanted to give this series another chance because I love sports romance and it's HOCKEY. But alas, sports barely features and the romance had red flags everywhere.

I met Robbie for the first time in Dream Girl Drama and all I really remember from him was that he was your typical jock player. Girls were just there for his amusement and he was trying to get through as many as he could. When we meet him again here, he's pretty much that same guy. The beginning of this book almost runs perpendicular to the previous so a few things overlap. I, however, don't remember Skylar even though I remember the situation in which they had first meeting. Robbie was a grade A douche and basically tricked Skylar into a date, all because he thought she was hot.

Meanwhile Skylar is crushing on her brothers best friend HARD. Like for years. She just keeps thinking that this will be the year he notices her. So when an opportunity arises to use Robbie as a fake boyfriend to try to make this guy jealous, Skylar jumps on it. And there's our story. Robbie joins Skylar & her family for a week long competition in the wilderness and chaos ensues.

First issue - Robbie's team just made the NHL playoffs. The Stanley Cup Playoffs. If you know hockey, this is THE finals. What player is just going to leave the week before the series starts to go play games in the woods where he would risk injury? What team would let him? The author tries to get around this with the whole he drives back for practices - there was 1. It's not believable for an NHL team.

Second issue - the instalove. It came from Robbie's side. He went from player to dopey golden retriever is zero seconds. And I'm not even sure how. They haven't known each other long - they literally just met before he comes to her family's house and then this competition thing is only a week long. But he's in love with her by like day 2. While there were parts of his journey that I really liked - him growing up for one and also how he the only one to support Skylar in anything, it just came so quickly that it felt more like infatuation than love.

Third issue - Skylar's feelings for Robbie. For most of this, all we hear from Skylar is how in love with Madden. I honestly don't know why she was because these two never spoke more than 5 words to each other, so it was obviously a school girl crush that she never got over. But nonetheless, we hear nothing but how she loves him the entire book. Then out of nowhere, suddenly she loves Robbie. WHERE DID THIS COME FROM??? I honestly believe it's because he was the first guy to give her an orgasm because seriously, Skylar was all over the place.

Fourth issue - this is a minor spoiler. But I HATED how even though Skylar was the one to fuck everything up at the end, Robbie had to be the one to fix it. Why? Skylar needs to put on her grown up panties and realize her actions have consequences. She hurt someone and she just gets a free pass because of Robbie's past? I didn't like that at all. Robbie was trying to change yet he still had to be the one to grovel or show up. I felt like that was done just for the sake of the classic romance book move and it didn't work in this scenario.

So overall, this book had cute moments that I liked and gave me hope, but ultimately, it once again, feel flat.

Jenn added 'A House with Good Bones'

Sun, 29 Jun 2025 16:47:13 -0700

Jenn gave 3 stars to A House with Good Bones (Hardcover) by T. Kingfisher
bookshelves: 3-star-reads, adult-fiction, ghostly-spirits, paranormal-supernatural, read-in-2025, horror
This wasn't my favorite read from Kingfisher, but it was still a solid, creepy book.

When Sam is furloughed from her job, she decides to go visit her mom - and not just because her brother thinks there's something wrong. But when she gets there, Sam can't deny that something does seem off. Her mother's personality seems to have changed completely. Gone is the whimsical mom who painted each room a different color and covered the walls in fun art. Instead, the house looks just like it did when her grandmother was alive - stark and cold. But when weird things start happening around the house, Sam starts to wonder how much is her mom and how much is something else?

I think this was the first non-retelling from Kingfisher that I've read. It was nice to see what she comes up with for an original story and man it's pretty dang dark. I spent most of the book just trying to figure out what was going on only to realize, I had no clue and to just go with it. By the end, I still was kind of just like, huh? But it worked. Also, who knew I would love a vulture by the end of this? Cause, not me.

Kingfisher is definitely becoming one to look out for for me.