Natalina Reis's Blog

A Study in Drowning – Book Review

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Five VERY enthusiastic stars!

What a fabulous read. After all the hype I was ready to be disappointed, but the opposite was true.
Very well-written, extremely atmospheric, spooky and with a definite feminist aura.

Yes, I kind of knew (or thought I knew) one of the big reveals (who the real writer was) but other than that it was all surprising (in a good way) and well crafted into the whole plot.

Can’t wait to read the sequel.

Well done Ms. Reid. Thank you for a wonderful trip into another world.

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Problematic Summer Romance – Book Review

Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great Hazelwood romance. Ali Hazelwood has quickly become a favorite rom com writer of mine because of how she balances humor with the more serious side of life in a quirky but very intelligent and feministic way. This book is no different.

I loved almost everything about it. The setting, the banter, the extended family and friends, the dog (OMG, the dog), the slow-burn romance… I can’t tell you how much this book made me smile in almost every page. It’s as close to perfection as you can get.

There were a couple things that I didn’t like, both very personal so don’t let that stop you from reading the book.

One was the fact that I wasn’t quite sold on the “I-can’t-touch-her-or-let-her-touch-me” age gap thingy. Their age difference wasn’t really that wide for such a fuss and Conor’s weird “policy” of “no-touching” didn’t sit down well with me. That said, the story flows so well and the characters are so likable that in the end it didn’t really matter that much.

The other thing was the use of a certain 4-letter word (that rhymes with punt) that has a very crass and honestly, disrespectful connotation for me. The fact that the FMC used it frequently to describe her own female parts really rubbed me the wrong way. Every time she’d say that, it made me feel that Maya really hated herself or thought of herself as filth, unworthy of respect. Hazelwood writes some seriously hot sex scenes with a lot of feeling mixed in (one of the reasons I love her books so much) but when Maya would use the C-word it just kind of ruined it for me.

Again, personal opinions.

In brief: the book is awesome, it will have you both laughing out loud and swooning, and both Maya and Conor are amazing together. Highly recommend it.

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A Holy Pot Hole

Ever since I became a published author, I began not only reading but also watching shows and movies with a much more critical eye. Not to find flaws, but to learn and identify both what worked and what didn’t so I could hopefully apply it or not to my own writing.

I’ve been a fan of the British series Grantchester since day one and loved each of the three vicars the series paired Geordie, the detective, with. The writing is always fabulous, the mysteries interesting, the found family tropes (one of my personal favorites) evident in almost every episode and the way the show tackled some not-so-comfortable cultural and societal issues such as it concerns women, the LGBT community, racial problems (normally done with grace and insight while staying truth to the historical times the show is set in) make this show one well worth watching.

But, like everyone else, they made a terrible mistake toward the end of season 9, after they introduced the new, handsome vicar, Alphy. And it didn’t have anything to do with race, religion, or whatever other prejudice, but with a serious plot hole.

**Warning** spoilers ahead. Don’t read if you haven’t watched and hope to do so in the future.

Episode 8 of season 9 is the culmination of a mystery that has been deliciously breadcrumbed throughout the season, starting with the arrival of Alphy in the vicarage, a very different type of man the village is used to. As expected, the appointment of a man of color as a vicar causes quite a stir in that provincial vicarage and Alphy has to deal with the unfairness and cruelty of discrimination even as he is quickly “adopted” by the Grantchester main cast of characters.

At a point in the season, a preacher (not associated with any organized religion) called Sam enters the scene. At first, his message of tolerance and love for oneself hits a nerve with everyone, especially with Lenard’s halfway house residents, who are seeking to forgive themselves and be forgiven by society. However, as time (and episodes) progresses, Sam becomes more and more radical under the guise of a benefactor and eventually creates a cult, with followers who are willing to do whatever he asks them to, including giving him all they material possessions, giving up on family and friends, and even kill for him.

Daniel is among his followers, getting so involved in this man’s cultish philosophy that he ends up forsaking the love of his life, Lenard and putting his own house for sale to finance Sam’s preaching. Just like in so many cults, those who want to leave find that it’s not that simple and two of them meet their deaths trying.

So far, other than Daniel’s flip as a character–which I personally thought it was too extreme–nothing is out of whack. We all know terrifying stories of cult leaders who convinced their followers to commit heinous actions against others and even themselves.

It’s not until we reach the last episode of the season that the inconsistency happens.

Things have taken a turn to the worse and the cult members now all live in a type of commune, including Daniel who blindly believes everything Sam tells him and has left his lover behind.

But our friend Geordie and the new vicar are on to him, knowing he is to blame–directly or indirectly–for two murders they’ve been investigating. They both come to the commune and so does Lenard who is trying to rescue his lover from this cult. Lenard is taken prisoner and locked in a room to be “dealt with later” while Geordie arrives at the scene with his deputy, only to be fired at by Sam who also shoots Lenard through a window.

Nobody witnesses this scene and Sam goes back inside and begins locking all the doors and shuttering all the windows, ordering every one to hide inside the house. Which of course, as brain-washed cult members, they all do without question. However, Daniel hears Lenard calling for help and finds him bleeding inside the room. Here, Daniel does another flip: he still doesn’t quite believe Sam is doing anything wrong, but the love he has for Lenard resurfaces.

In comes Sam himself, holding Alphy at the end of a rifle and the truth about what the preacher has done is revealed in front of Lenard and Daniel. While he is boasting and trying to justify the horrible things he has done, Geordie sneaks through the door and manages to unarm him.

Here comes the inconsistency or plot hole. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, in come a couple of members of this cult rushing through the door, looking totally disgusted at their leader, and turning their backs on him, not a word exchanged.

Why?

They weren’t witnesses to the conversation–at least that we know of. A couple of them come rushing around the corner as he is being handcuffed. All they see is their beloved leader being accused of murder by a policeman. It stands to reason that being such faithful followers, they would at least try to defend Sam. Maybe the writers had them overhearing the conversation, but the viewer doesn’t know that. If they were in the hallway, why didn’t they try to stop Geordie who was unarmed?

Not sure if the film makers were rushed, but there was something important missing there. People who blindly follow cult leaders will not just casually decide to not follow them anymore. There has to be a very strong valid reason. In fact, earlier in the series, two cult members were murdered because they had discovered that their leader was stealing and lying to them.

This of course reminded me as a writer to always make sure my content makes sense. It’s important for the reader to know why things happened in any genre. Even though Grantchester is still one of my favorite shows, this episode left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. We, the viewers, deserve a more satisfying resolution, not just a casual “by your leave” with no rhyme or reason.

Have you read or watched something that made zero sense and left you wanting some kind of explanation? I’d love to hear it.

A River Enchanted – Book Review

A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I fell in love with Rebecca Ross’ stories after reading The Divine Rivals duology which I found to be fabulous: well written and so full of surprises it left constantly wondering what would happen next. So I was very excited to read her previous work, A River Enchanted duology.

The positives first: again, she writes a beautiful, lyrical world well-developed and magical. The characters are also well developed and likable. The fact that Cadence mirrored the lands of bygone Scotland made me swoon. I also liked the fact that almost all her characters have flaws which makes them very human and therefore more relatable.

Now the negatives: I got engaged pretty early on (this is a good thing) but after a few chapters I began to feel that something was off and I couldn’t figure out exactly what. Then I realized that there was a lot of passive voice throughout the story and frequent head-hopping. A lot of “she realized”, “he noticed”, that kind of thing. The dialogue was a bit stilted as well and at times it didn’t ring authentic to me. Now, my guess is that Ross did this to give the story a more “vintage” (for lack of a better word) feel to the story but for me it didn’t work very well.

Don’t get me wrong I still enjoyed the story and will be reading the conclusion to the duology, but I was a bit disappointed after reading her amazing “Divine Rivals” which read so much smoother. Still a fan, Ms Ross.

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Buffy and Me

If you’re an author I’m sure you’re used to people asking you what writer has inspired you the most and/or which author do you compare to. The last one is rumored to be very important because it basically dictates who your potential audience is.

I could never answer that question (which most likely explains my very low readership). There are so many writers that have inspired, entertained, and wowed me throughout the years. Some are still very much alive while others have died many years ago.

The problem is that none of the writers that I have read or read currently–no matter how much I absolutely love their books–write along the same lines as I do. I’ve always been sure that it’s not because I am particularly talented or original, so why have I never been able to find my comp authors?

I think I have finally solved the mystery–or at least I have a possible explanation. TikTok, of all places, was where I found the clues to solve this conundrum.

Let me explain.

Apparently there is talk–rumors–of a Buffy, the Vampire Slayer reboot and with it there has been a flooding of posts from Buffy’s fans discussing all kinds of things from certain episodes to character arcs and everything in between. I am a huge Buffy groupie. Unlike some of you who might have been about the same age as Buffy at the time of the series, I was already a mature woman in my early 30s, a mother of two boys and an aspiring writer.

After watching many interesting discussions about the series, it hit me; that’s my comp. And yes, it’s not a book but that’s where I get my style of writing and even many of my tropes.

I’m not comparing myself to the screenwriters who were absolute geniuses. I have always been in awe of the writing behind Buffy’s episodes. It was a perfect blend of drama, humor, romance, and even social commentary. At least in my eyes.

Without even realizing, almost every story I have written since my first book was published in 2016, has a definite “Buffy” imprint in them. If you’ve read a few of my books you know that the large majority of them are peppered with humor even sometimes amidst serious drama. Another thing I write into pretty much all my books is a scooby gang, a group of friends that are so much more than just company, they’re your anchor, a shoulder to cry on, your cheerleaders, your second brain. And most of all, just like in Buffy’s stories, in mine the underdog, the misfit, the rebel always wins at the end.

I never wrote vampires into my stories though. But it so could happen…

Now, the question is, how do I market my stories to those of you who, just like myself, fell in love with Buffy and her crew and that even after all these years still remember each detail of each episode with a fondness that very much resembles a bookish hangover?

Dreadful- A Review

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had stumbled on Rozakis second novel and bought it on impulse (such an amazingly fun title and cover) only to find out that it was a great book. I was so impressed in fact that I immediately bought her debut novel, Dreadful, and started reading it.

The cover is equally awesome, the title appealing, and can I say, those sprayed edges on a softcover really “talk” to me.

I really enjoyed the story and the wonderful message within all the comical (mis)adventures of Dread Lord Gavrax and his retinue of misfits. It’s a story of outcasts and underdogs doing their best to rise to the “expected” standards only to find out that they were better off accepting who and what they were and be proud of it. After all perfection does not exist. Just my type of story indeed.

Good writing, lots of humor laced with great messages and heart, a totally insane world that strangely enough in many ways reflects our reality these days. Great and well-developed characters (OMG the chicken, sorry, the rooster!), unexpected plot twists, and a lot of heart makes this story an awesome one to read (and even reflect on).

That said, the narrative was at times a bit winded. I found myself skimming through some parts when Gav is thinking things through as the ideas kept being rehashed with more words than were truly necessary. It took me out of the story sometimes (which otherwise has an excellent rhythm and flow).

All in all a great book that I recommend to anyone who loves fantasy and humor, but not as good as her second novel. I guess that’s a good thing. As a writer, Rozakis is improving and I can’t wait to read her next book. I’m a fan for sure.

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The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association- Review

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was at Barnes & Noble shopping for another book (or two. Or three) and I saw this one. I was immediately attracted to the cover and title (it’s a paperback with an amazing cover and spray-painted edges). Then I read the back blurb and couldn’t resist. I bought it.

I had just started reading another book (an overly hyped cozy fantasy) and listening to another one a friend recommended, so I started reading this book when I had a moment or two (I call this my waiting-rooms book), but as I got more and more disappointed with the hyped-up book and more and more in love with this one, it became my main read. I finished it in record time.

This is such a fun read. A rather sarcastic view of what it’s like to be a parent of a school age child who doesn’t quite fit in with the other kids. Rozakis totally demolishes all the preconceived ideas readers may have about magic and magical creatures by setting them in situations very familiar to anyone who has a child in today’s schools. Except with magic.

There are hilarious moments, heartbreaking ones, and others that will make the reader (specially female readers) go, “I totally get that” or “I know how that feels”.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to make fun of life in general as an armor against–well, everything that is wrong in the world.

I liked it so much, I immediately bought her other book and began reading it. I have high hopes…

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The Love Haters – Book Review

The Love Haters by Katherine Center
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great book by Katherine Center.

The humor mixes with the seriousness of the themes perfectly. I loved the characters (including the side characters like The Gals, clueless Cole, and Beanie) and who wouldn’t love an overly friendly and rumbustious Great Dane?

I devoured the book (audio) and I only have one complaint which is the same I had with Center’s last book I read: she has the tendency to overextend the ending.

She has a great ending–or what I think should be the ending–and then she goes on with more stuff that however interesting is kind of superfluous to the plot or enjoyment of the story. Just my opinion and the only reason I am giving the book four stars instead of five.

Really enjoyed it and can’t wait for more books by Center.

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The Ragpicker King – Book Review

The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to admit that I am upset. I was convinced this was a duology, so when I got toward the end of the book and things were looking pretty unresolved, I googled it. It’s a trilogy!!!!!

This series is so good. Definitely a departure from what we were used to from Cassandra Clare, but just as brilliant in a more mature way.

The world building is fantastic with all its parallels with reality and all the lore that goes with it. The characters have been developed in true Clare’s fashion, tridimensional and complex and the relationships between several of her characters are believable and often heart wrenching.

There were a few totally unexpected plot twists at the end and I am now left with the awful knowledge that it will be a long while until I can read the conclusion to this fabulous story.

Highly, highly recommend it.

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In Memoriam

In the last week I lost two important pieces of my childhood, two cousins who, each in their own way, carved a niche in my memory and heart.

One passed away on June 1st after years of fighting against a rare and terrible brain condition that robbed him of movement, balance, speech and mostly other bodily functions while keeping him cruelly aware.

But this blog is about his sister, who passed away four days later and lived an ocean away in Canada.

Even though I only had contact with her through her adult daughter–she was not good at keeping in touch with her family outside Canada–she was and always will be a cherished memory of mine.

She was seventeen years older than me, the only girl in a household of males but led and taken care of by two amazing women (my namesake aunt and my grandma, Alice). Her brothers and her were taken in by their paternal aunt after misfortune hit their family. My aunt brought them up along with my dad and his brother who had also moved in after my grandfather’s death.

As a kid, I used to spend weekends with my cousin in my aunt’s big house while she spent her weekends in a vacation rental up north.

My cousin was the coolest and I was her biggest groupie. She wore mini-skirts and knee-high boots. She knew all the popular tunes and dances. I remember dancing with her in front of my aunt’s big radio, doing the Mashed Potato, the Twist, the Swim, and the Locomotion. She was dating a soldier who was fighting a war in what was then a Portuguese colony in Africa. I was privy to a lot of her love letters (never anything inappropriate). She was a working woman at a time when most women were still expected to “settle down” and be home bound.

People whispered about her sometimes–even as a child I was aware of that–because she referred to conform and I LOVED that part of her personality and admired her for it.

Gina on her wedding day with me (hanging on to her arm for dear life. I told you I was a groupie), my sister and my parents. She was a beautiful bride.

I may have given her an unrealistic halo of coolness but that’s how my childhood mind and heart painted her then and still does. She will always be my rebellious cousin whom I looked up to and, even though I hadn’t seen her or spoke to her in years, I will miss her.

Gina, you’ll live forever in my heart.

Photo of Gina dancing with me and my cousin, Alice in my aunt Natalina’s yard.