Shannon O'Connor's Blog, page 3

Flesh Fiction

Flesh Fiction Anthology by Collected Authors

5/5 Stars

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

Direct Me by Jon Andrew 3/5 Stars

I honestly didn't like this one. It just wasn’t it for me, they talked too often about how sweaty they are and it just felt awkward.

Love Me Free by Willow Aster 4/5 Stars

This one was more sweet than sexy! Loved the anticipation.

Goodbye by Cynthia A. Rodriguez 5/5 Stars

This was hot and then heartbreaking.

Room 917 by Kat Savage 5/5 Stars

As always Savage delivers an extremely sexy story that leaves you wanting more.

Breath Work by Jen Rogue 5/5 Stars

That ending!! Ugh I had no idea and now I want more.

September 2021 Wrap-Up

5/5 Stars

My first thoughts when reading Lincoln and Cassidy’s story was that they heavily reminded me of Maliki and Sierra, in the best of ways. Their love story was unique and I loved the outside aspects helping them grow together. It definitely did not go in the direction I expected it to, but I loved it. Cassidy has Sierra’s spunky personality, telling her mind and teasing her crush. It was nice to get to see more about Lincoln after hearing about him from everyone else’s perspectives.

5/5 Stars

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

“my tears, i will use them as weapons, and show the strength, in vulnerability”

A lovely collection of poetry depicting imagery of growth and self love. I related to this collection personally. I loved the way Jean talks about self love after a heartbreak and describes instead the strength she chose to have as she picked up the pieces. She uses the imagery of flowers in the garden to represent growth, but in new and unique ways. I particularly enjoyed “Mortal Clocks, Shards of Glass, Soft Glass, and Set Free.”

5/5 Stars

Basically Victoria Ellis is one of my FAVORITE authors and I’ve sadly already read everything she’s written. So today when I realized I never read her short story that was published LAST YEAR in this anthology I clearly needed to read it right away. It was amazing, it was something I wish she’d turn into a novel or a longer story someday. It had a lot going on but she tied it all together perfectly and I loved it. If you haven’t read anything she’s written then you need to reevaluate your life.

3/5 Stars

***I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts my own***

I will start off by saying, I have always been a fan of Amanda’s work. Her poetry collections are part of what inspired me to write my own. But I am honestly disappointed in this collection. It seems so much like her others, no original thoughts except maybe a few referencing the pandemic. The images inside were beautiful but in no way did they need to be repeated after every poem. It made the book about double the size with only half the poetry. I would read her next collection, but I would skip buying this one.

5/5 Stars

I CANT WAIT for this to be full length. Isla is such a badass with honest sass and is such a mood. I can’t wait to find out what happens next!

***This is part of the Evil Queen: A Charity Anthology***

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5/5 Stars

I almost didn’t review this because what would I saw about something like this but then I realized, if you are a writer; GET THIS BOOK. I was so incredibly blocked, having ideas but unsure how to write them and no way of putting words to paper. I was recommended this book and in the past two days I’ve written almost 7k towards my project. I 100% suggest it.

5/5 Stars

I loved this! Such a great taste of what’s to come. I loved seeing Isaac and Zoe from According to Plan, and getting a sneak peek of Birdie! I was already impatiently waiting for Dee’s next novel but now I’m even more excited!

***This is part of the Evil Queen: A Charity Anthology***

5/5 Stars

I LOVED this story! Darce is SUCH a badass! An MMA fighter main character that literally packs a punch. I would love to see this extended and see her romance with Trayne grow.

***This is part of the Evil Queen: A Charity Anthology***

4/5 Stars

This book was good. This was my most anticipated, after finding Charity’s tik toks and getting invested in the storyline. I have to say this one fell flat for me. Grace was just meh. Finn was actually who carried the story in my opinion. I would’ve liked to see his struggles with his dad a bit more. I also suspect that the next spin off will have a storyline of what Grace and Finn decided in terms of the baby. It was good but definitely can’t wait to read Lola and Silas’ story next.

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5/5 Stars

This makes me even more impatient for Avery's book! I love the men of bird's eye world and I loved this short story. Blythe and Monroe deserve their own series, I love love love them.

***This is part of the Evil Queen: A Charity Anthology***

4/5 Stars

I liked this book, I do felt I learned a bit from it but I wasn't a fan of the actual writing. The author tended to repeat themself quite a bit. It seemed like the same idea stated over and over toward the end which kind of annoyed me. But it was an easy read, gave examples of how to effectively set healthy boundaries and a quiz at the end which I enjoyed. I'd recommend it if you're looking to set healthy boundaries and you don't know where to start.

5/5 Stars

I really loved this collection, the feelings of young love and lust were prominent throughout. I especially loved Rose, Fragile, Ashes, Deathly Love, & The Past Cannot Lie. “It’s hardest when they used to be the one that helped pick up the pieces but they aren’t here.”

5/5 Stars

this was SO incredibly helpful to me as an author. Sometimes I struggle to write outside of what I know and this is the perfect guide to help you over that bump.

3/5 Stars

So this took me longer than expected to get through, mainly because I have come to love this series and seeing it end (at least Twisted Fox) was sad. That being said, Last Round fell a little flat for me. I was really looking forward to Silas and Lola's story but it seemed like the first 40% was rehashing the past we've read about them in other books. I understand seeing it from their point of view but I felt like it then rushed and we didn't get to see much of them actually being together. The writing was fantastic, the character's amazing as always. I'd say read it if you read all the others but not necessarily as a stand alone.

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

4/5 Stars

I was a little confused as to where this was going. I felt torn about rooting for the couple, I loved the writing but it felt almost unfinished. Like I definitely need to get a full length of this to see this play out.

***This is part of the Evil Queen: A Charity Anthology***

4/5 Stars

I liked this story a lot. The chemistry was there and the writing was amazing, it honestly reminded me of a Tarryn Fisher novel. The female MC was hard to root for, troubled in her own ways. I look forward to checking out the series this short story is written about.

***This is part of the Evil Queen: A Charity Anthology***

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5/5 Stars

“Wait On Me, Okay?” by K. Leigh

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

This collection, although short was absolutely heartbreaking. If you’ve lost anyone too soon these poems are all too relatable. Leigh puts her grief into beautiful words that let you glimpse into the emotions she’s feeling.

Last Round

Last Round by Charity Ferrell

3/5 Stars

So this took me longer than expected to get through, mainly because I have come to love this series and seeing it end (at least Twisted Fox) was sad. That being said, Last Round fell a little flat for me. I was really looking forward to Silas and Lola's story but it seemed like the first 40% was rehashing the past we've read about them in other books. I understand seeing it from their point of view but I felt like it then rushed and we didn't get to see much of them actually being together. The writing was fantastic, the character's amazing as always. I'd say read it if you read all the others but not necessarily as a stand alone.

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review***

Memories of the Broken & Damned

Memories of the Broken & Damned

/5 Stars

Synthetic Love

Synthetic Love by Christina Hart

5/5 Stars

I have to be honest, I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. I was highly skeptical, but I went into it with an open mind because Christina Hart is one of my favorite poets. It starts off pretty normal, and you automatically feel bad for the main character Alan. He’s going through stuff and clearly looking for comfort and love in the wrong places. Hart keeps your interest because every time you think it’ll work out for him, he gets to be happy, a wrench is thrown into the plans. Plus you’re constantly on the edge of your seat wondering if and when anyone will learn about his secret. His back story was perfect to explain why he is who he is, it left me feeling so bad for him and honestly I just wanted to give him a hug. I read this book so quick because it’s really hard to put down, there’s no dull moment or lull for you to stop and take a break. It’s a different kind of love story which is amazing because Hart stayed away from so many cliches making it all her own. Definitely don’t let the context scare you away, this book deserves a chance to be read.

Flower Crowns & Fearsome Things

Flower Crowns & Fearsome Things by Amanda Lovelace

3/5 Stars

***I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts my own***

I will start off by saying, I have always been a fan of Amanda’s work. Her poetry collections are part of what inspired me to write my own. But I am honestly disappointed in this collection. It seems so much like her others, no original thoughts except maybe a few referencing the pandemic. The images inside were beautiful but in no way did they need to be repeated after every poem. It made the book about double the size with only half the poetry. I would read her next collection, but I would skip buying this one.

Chaser

Chaser by Charity Ferrell

4/5 Stars

This book was good. This was my most anticipated, after finding Charity’s tik toks and getting invested in the storyline. I have to say this one fell flat for me. Grace was just meh. Finn was actually who carried the story in my opinion. I would’ve liked to see his struggles with his dad a bit more. I also suspect that the next spin off will have a storyline of what Grace and Finn decided in terms of the baby. It was good but definitely can’t wait to read Lola and Silas’ story next.

Straight Up

Straight Up by Charity Ferrell

5/5 Stars

My first thoughts when reading Lincoln and Cassidy’s story was that they heavily reminded me of Maliki and Sierra, in the best of ways. Their love story was unique and I loved the outside aspects helping them grow together. It definitely did not go in the direction I expected it to, but I loved it. Cassidy has Sierra’s spunky personality, telling her mind and teasing her crush. It was nice to get to see more about Lincoln after hearing about him from everyone else’s perspectives.

Nights in the Snow Garden

Nights in the Snow Garden by Lotté Jean

5/5 Stars

***I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts my own***

“my tears, i will use them as weapons, and show the strength, in vulnerability”

A lovely collection of poetry depicting imagery of growth and self love. I related to this collection personally. I loved the way Jean talks about self love after a heartbreak and describes instead the strength she chose to have as she picked up the pieces. She uses the imagery of flowers in the garden to represent growth, but in new and unique ways. I particularly enjoyed “Mortal Clocks, Shards of Glass, Soft Glass, and Set Free.”

Just Friends

Just Friends by Charity Ferrell

5/5 Stars

This book was personally hard for me to get through because I too had a gamer best friend that I loved. This book was almost like the what if had happened so it was bittersweet for me to read. Getting past my own emotional connection, I loved Charity's writing and the story. It is starting to bother me the constant theme I'm seeing of "I have a secret that can break everything, I'm not going to just tell the person, no wait I am, just kidding they found out already". I'm someone who values honesty so this triggers me a bit, but the rest of the story is amazing enough for me to overlook this. I loved Rex and Carolina, they deserve the love they got and I loved watching their relationship unfold. A great ending to this series.