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Curiosity Killed Shaney
Shaney's curiosity is always getting him into trouble, including stumbling into a ritualistic circle and being imbued with an energy that will eventually tear him apart. He soon finds that Hudson, a man he cares for deeply, might be responsible for his misfortune. Add in the betrayal of his best friend Todd and the desire of a demented occultist named Silas determined to control the energy inside of him and there seems to be no way out. Can Shaney find a way to rid his body of the nefarious energy before he dies a horrible death?
238 pages, ebook
First published October 30, 2013
81 people want to read
About the author
Jake C. Wallace
16 books225 followersJake C. Wallace (JC) started writing from a young age, but took a break for marriage, kids, and college (in that order). He started writing again and publishing three years ago. At night and on the weekends, Jake writes about all things men, believing there is nothing hotter than two men finding and loving one another, whether for a night or forever. An avid reader of M/M romance, Jake loves a good twist of a plot, HEA, HFN, or tragic ending. He also writes what his bestie calls HUNK (Happy Until the Next Kidnapping). In his daytime hours, Jake works with individuals with autism and behavior problems. He is owned by a beautiful partner, three kids, two grandchildren. He lives in the beautiful Northern VT.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 1, 2014
**2.5 stars**
This book was really, really strange.
First of all, I want to say that I could tell from the blurb that this one would be a little... off beat. Was I willing to try it anyway? Hell yeah! I love oddball romances so I wanted to see where this author would take this one. However, the result ended up being a bit of a let down.
Where do I start?
So If I had to describe this book in three words they would be occult soap opera. It is a book that is very difficult to describe, partly because there is so much going on that it is too confusing to condense into a few sentences. I would say it was a zany romance with themes of black magic, which is an interesting premise to be sure.
I had a few issues with this book that I'll attempt to simplify for everyone. For starters, I felt like the romance between Shaney and Hudson was too fast, too insta-lovey for my tastes. I really didn't feel the chemistry until they started calling each other baby and were all hot and heavy. It was too little relationship development for a romance. I also think that Shaney should have thought it was really odd that the guy he ran into in the thrift store kept circling back into his life. Shaney was too dense for my liking, and I know he is supposed to be a spastic character, but it was too much.
Another issue that I had was with the plot itself. I felt like the author had all of these great ideas with power circles, sacred geometry, and occult symbols that it was all shoved into the book in a way that wasn't easily digestible for the reader. I felt frustrated because I really wanted to enjoy the story but the strange cast of characters, the soap-opera-like way that they were all interconnected, and the world-building info dump prevented me for getting immersed in the story. I had trouble getting into the groove with this book, and I ended up having to force myself to finish it.
That being said, I really enjoyed the main sex scene in this book. I happen to LOVE it when and I was pleasantly surprised by how hot it was. I think if the author had pared down the story to a less convoluted plot line and focused more on the dynamics between Shaney and Hudson I would have really liked this story.
All in all, a read that I would classify as "okay" edging on "I liked it". Not a bad read for someone looking for something light, a bit silly, and with out-of-the-box concepts.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Find this review and other like it at My Fiction Nook
This book was really, really strange.
First of all, I want to say that I could tell from the blurb that this one would be a little... off beat. Was I willing to try it anyway? Hell yeah! I love oddball romances so I wanted to see where this author would take this one. However, the result ended up being a bit of a let down.
Where do I start?
So If I had to describe this book in three words they would be occult soap opera. It is a book that is very difficult to describe, partly because there is so much going on that it is too confusing to condense into a few sentences. I would say it was a zany romance with themes of black magic, which is an interesting premise to be sure.
I had a few issues with this book that I'll attempt to simplify for everyone. For starters, I felt like the romance between Shaney and Hudson was too fast, too insta-lovey for my tastes. I really didn't feel the chemistry until they started calling each other baby and were all hot and heavy. It was too little relationship development for a romance. I also think that Shaney should have thought it was really odd that the guy he ran into in the thrift store kept circling back into his life. Shaney was too dense for my liking, and I know he is supposed to be a spastic character, but it was too much.
Another issue that I had was with the plot itself. I felt like the author had all of these great ideas with power circles, sacred geometry, and occult symbols that it was all shoved into the book in a way that wasn't easily digestible for the reader. I felt frustrated because I really wanted to enjoy the story but the strange cast of characters, the soap-opera-like way that they were all interconnected, and the world-building info dump prevented me for getting immersed in the story. I had trouble getting into the groove with this book, and I ended up having to force myself to finish it.
That being said, I really enjoyed the main sex scene in this book. I happen to LOVE it when and I was pleasantly surprised by how hot it was. I think if the author had pared down the story to a less convoluted plot line and focused more on the dynamics between Shaney and Hudson I would have really liked this story.
All in all, a read that I would classify as "okay" edging on "I liked it". Not a bad read for someone looking for something light, a bit silly, and with out-of-the-box concepts.
**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**
Find this review and other like it at My Fiction Nook
April 6, 2014
I don’t normally read paranormal fiction. This is J.C. Wallace’s first full-length novel and my own curiosity got the best of me, causing me to step outside my little box and try something different for a change. I’m really glad I did. The only thing keeping Curiosity Killed Shaney from earning a five star rating from me is the editing. It is a delicate balance for me as to whether or not a story is good enough to overcome less than stellar editing. In this case, the story was excellent. There were just too many editing errors for me, personally to overlook.
Shaney is a clumsy, curious little man. He is infinitely lovable. He is also on probation, assigned to community service, for a reason I will let you find out on your own. Just know that the reason for the probation clearly illustrates Shaney’s loving and kind soul.
Shaney’s current community service assignment is in the morgue. Not the actual morgue. That is what he calls the thrift store he is presently assigned to. He has had some trouble with previous placements because his curiosity always leads to disaster. Well, the pattern continues at the morgue. It all seems to be going well until HE walks in. Hudson is tall, dark and handsome, Shaney’s dream man, and Shaney can’t help but try to get a closer look at him. Disaster immediately follows.
Shaney’s probe officer (I mean probation) has one final assignment for Shaney and then he is out of options. It seems that Hudson is a handy man and does a lot of work for people who can’t afford to pay. For some reason to be determined later, the probe officer thinks putting Shaney together with an excruciatingly hot man to whom he is seriously attracted and adding power tools to the mix is a good idea.
All kinds of strange things start to happen to Shaney when he starts spending time with Hudson. Poor Todd, Shaney’s best friend and roommate gets dragged into the craziness. There are funny symbols and electrical charges and explosive orgasms and a bad guy with a huge body guard. Or is he a good guy? And a really, most definitely bad guy. And Hudson is gay, too!
All I can really do in this review is use all those disjointed sentences and hope they make you curious (HAHA) enough to want to read the book. J.C. Wallace has a great sense of humor that flows right through Shaney. Curiosity Killed Shaney is original, funny, sexy and sometimes a little scary. All together that makes it a good read. There were some loose ends that need tying up and thankfully J.C. will be doing that with a sequel. I am looking forward to it. I really wish I felt I could give Shaney five stars, but while I can’t do that, I can highly recommend that you read his story. You’ll love it.
Shaney is a clumsy, curious little man. He is infinitely lovable. He is also on probation, assigned to community service, for a reason I will let you find out on your own. Just know that the reason for the probation clearly illustrates Shaney’s loving and kind soul.
Shaney’s current community service assignment is in the morgue. Not the actual morgue. That is what he calls the thrift store he is presently assigned to. He has had some trouble with previous placements because his curiosity always leads to disaster. Well, the pattern continues at the morgue. It all seems to be going well until HE walks in. Hudson is tall, dark and handsome, Shaney’s dream man, and Shaney can’t help but try to get a closer look at him. Disaster immediately follows.
Shaney’s probe officer (I mean probation) has one final assignment for Shaney and then he is out of options. It seems that Hudson is a handy man and does a lot of work for people who can’t afford to pay. For some reason to be determined later, the probe officer thinks putting Shaney together with an excruciatingly hot man to whom he is seriously attracted and adding power tools to the mix is a good idea.
All kinds of strange things start to happen to Shaney when he starts spending time with Hudson. Poor Todd, Shaney’s best friend and roommate gets dragged into the craziness. There are funny symbols and electrical charges and explosive orgasms and a bad guy with a huge body guard. Or is he a good guy? And a really, most definitely bad guy. And Hudson is gay, too!
All I can really do in this review is use all those disjointed sentences and hope they make you curious (HAHA) enough to want to read the book. J.C. Wallace has a great sense of humor that flows right through Shaney. Curiosity Killed Shaney is original, funny, sexy and sometimes a little scary. All together that makes it a good read. There were some loose ends that need tying up and thankfully J.C. will be doing that with a sequel. I am looking forward to it. I really wish I felt I could give Shaney five stars, but while I can’t do that, I can highly recommend that you read his story. You’ll love it.
March 21, 2014
As a new reader to the genre, I had not yet encountered a plot with anything dealing with the occult, or Sacred Geometry. I am normally a paranormal junkie! I've been in this genre for about 4 months now, and I am enjoying the stories I have read.
J.C. Wallace weaves such a great tale with Shaney. He is funny and quirky and that never waivers in the book. Hudson is a charmer for sure, and it's easy to see why Shaney is drawn to him. The additional characters, Mr. Anderson, Todd, Caleb And Max all add layers to the story without muddying it up or going off target. (Oh how I LOVE Max!!)
I was most shocked that this was J.C. Wallace's first novel. If you have this good of a first story I certainly can't wait to see if more of these folks get a story too. I will need more Shaney, his curiosity cracked me up to the point I was laughing and my kids kept asking what was so funny!
Would I recommend this to people? Heck yes! I am going to do just that now!
J.C. Wallace weaves such a great tale with Shaney. He is funny and quirky and that never waivers in the book. Hudson is a charmer for sure, and it's easy to see why Shaney is drawn to him. The additional characters, Mr. Anderson, Todd, Caleb And Max all add layers to the story without muddying it up or going off target. (Oh how I LOVE Max!!)
I was most shocked that this was J.C. Wallace's first novel. If you have this good of a first story I certainly can't wait to see if more of these folks get a story too. I will need more Shaney, his curiosity cracked me up to the point I was laughing and my kids kept asking what was so funny!
Would I recommend this to people? Heck yes! I am going to do just that now!
March 26, 2014
Shaney is a screw-up, in his job, in his love life, and if it weren't for his friends he'd be a complete mess, and in jail, too. Except for the inescapable truth is that he is loved. And not human. Or at least in the more traditional definition. Using a brew of emotions, black magic, occult scientific practices interleaved with lovable characters and some sizzling hot love scenes, J. C. Wallace tells a ripping good tale. The occult stuff is right on target and played very well, in fact, just as well as some of the greats in the business. The lovemaking is sometimes unintentionally humorous, but then the main character, Shaney, can be pretty damn funny himself. The entire novel succeeds in part because of the way it infuses humor along with outright scary and somewhat terrifying sequences. Well paced and edited, it is a great entry in this genre. A really enjoyable book. RECOMMEND THIS HIGHLY!
March 28, 2014
A very good book with great characters if you haven't read it you really should
June 1, 2016
A good paranormal read. Shaney seems like a real space cadet but Hudson grounds him. There is a good amount of occult symbolism but it keeps the story moving. The story made a jump in the middle that threw me out of the story but once I got passed that the story flowed well again. The story could have used some good editing. Words were missing or misused which was aggravating but if you can get past that, this unusual paranormal romance is definitely worth the read.
July 13, 2014
This was so, so, so, so good! I loved and adored both Shaney and Hudson as well as the rest of the cast, well, the good guys anyway. Great read! Hope there is more to come!
March 25, 2014
REVIEWED FOR PRISM BOOK ALLIANCE
3.25 Stars
This is one of the prettiest book covers I have come across in a while! Drew me right in.
Where to start! Shaney is either a character you will love or hate. I will admit for the first part of the book I hated him! His mind is all over the place and he can’t stay focused for more than 10 seconds most of the time. I found myself wanting to sit him down and shout at him....sorry Shaney.
As his story evolves you come to realise what a vulnerable young man he is and that his actions and the subsequent results are not necessarily his fault. He is so used to people putting him down or casting his opinions aside that it left me feeling a bit sad for him.
In a rescue mission that could only happen to Shaney he has ended up having to serve community service. Each placement ends in disaster until he finds himself with sexy carpenter and odd job man Hudson who ironically is the person responsible for the last disaster.
Without giving too much away the story is about good versus evil with a lot of magic thrown in. After Shaney stands in a symbolic circle strange things start to happen and it becomes a race to save his life. He becomes unsure of who to trust and is totally terrified of what is happening to him and the harm it could cause to those he loves.
With everything he has ever believed to be true now in question Shaney has to first work out who is really on his side then find a way to hang onto those he loves. He is more than happy to make the ultimate sacrifice as long as his friends are safe.
There are a lot of characters in this book and it can sometimes become a little confusing. There are also some unique twists to the story but I will let you find those out for yourself. The ultimate show down at the end was great and when Shaney jumped into the ambulance I was cheering him on. It will be very interesting to see where Todds story goes.
3.25 Stars
This is one of the prettiest book covers I have come across in a while! Drew me right in.
Where to start! Shaney is either a character you will love or hate. I will admit for the first part of the book I hated him! His mind is all over the place and he can’t stay focused for more than 10 seconds most of the time. I found myself wanting to sit him down and shout at him....sorry Shaney.
As his story evolves you come to realise what a vulnerable young man he is and that his actions and the subsequent results are not necessarily his fault. He is so used to people putting him down or casting his opinions aside that it left me feeling a bit sad for him.
In a rescue mission that could only happen to Shaney he has ended up having to serve community service. Each placement ends in disaster until he finds himself with sexy carpenter and odd job man Hudson who ironically is the person responsible for the last disaster.
Without giving too much away the story is about good versus evil with a lot of magic thrown in. After Shaney stands in a symbolic circle strange things start to happen and it becomes a race to save his life. He becomes unsure of who to trust and is totally terrified of what is happening to him and the harm it could cause to those he loves.
With everything he has ever believed to be true now in question Shaney has to first work out who is really on his side then find a way to hang onto those he loves. He is more than happy to make the ultimate sacrifice as long as his friends are safe.
There are a lot of characters in this book and it can sometimes become a little confusing. There are also some unique twists to the story but I will let you find those out for yourself. The ultimate show down at the end was great and when Shaney jumped into the ambulance I was cheering him on. It will be very interesting to see where Todds story goes.
August 3, 2016
“Curiosity Killed Shaney” was a book outside of my typical comfort zone of reading, being I have never been one to enjoy a occult story. Shaney from the moment I started reading was a realistic character who though humor and cynicism is making the best of out of how his life has ended up. I was amused with his descriptions of the trouble he found himself in because of his curiosity and was laughing out loud with each predicament he found himself in. Though the storyline got a bit out there for me, as a story of this type should, Shaney’s narration kept reading and me drawn in.
JC Wallace has created a realistic character with Shaney who has a personality both genuine and comical, which I built a connection with this reader. I also enjoyed the supporting characters, such as Todd, Shaney’s best friend and though everything was there for a potential romance, the author refrained from being cliché. The twists and turns that take place in the story kept me wondering if I should like or trust Shaney’s love interest Hudson, always coming to the conclusion that above all he cared for Shaney. I hated Caleb and Silas from the moment they entered the picture and continued to cringe each time either of their names came up.
Summing up, though an occult story, Shaney was a character I took an immediate liking to and continued to have an interest in seeing what was going to happen next to him. The storyline kept my interest and I was not sure what to expect next. This is a very well written book and I would suggest to both those who enjoy occult and paranormal types of stories as well as to anyone who is looking for an original themed book. I look forward to reading future books by JC Wallace!
JC Wallace has created a realistic character with Shaney who has a personality both genuine and comical, which I built a connection with this reader. I also enjoyed the supporting characters, such as Todd, Shaney’s best friend and though everything was there for a potential romance, the author refrained from being cliché. The twists and turns that take place in the story kept me wondering if I should like or trust Shaney’s love interest Hudson, always coming to the conclusion that above all he cared for Shaney. I hated Caleb and Silas from the moment they entered the picture and continued to cringe each time either of their names came up.
Summing up, though an occult story, Shaney was a character I took an immediate liking to and continued to have an interest in seeing what was going to happen next to him. The storyline kept my interest and I was not sure what to expect next. This is a very well written book and I would suggest to both those who enjoy occult and paranormal types of stories as well as to anyone who is looking for an original themed book. I look forward to reading future books by JC Wallace!
April 8, 2014
I haven’t read that many occult M/M books, so I was curious (!) about this one, but I liked it.
We have Shaney, a sweet, kind-hearted but accident prone, goofy hero. Love him a lot ;)
His best friend Todd, that looks after Shaney now matter trouble he brings.
Then there are Hudson, the guy that have to get Shaney through his last 200 hours of community service, with Shaney ogling him and falling for him hard and fast.(And vice versa)
Add some really bad guys, some unknown helpers, a lot of occultism, some really hot sex, a load of paranormal rituals and a lot of fun...then you have a really nice and pleasant read.
April 4, 2014
This is a wonderful story. Would recommend it. Shaney is a very unusual person who gets himself & his best friend, Todd in continual trouble. Shaney gets fired from his current position when he see Hudson. Hudson has Shaney to work for him currently doing odd jobs for everyone. Shaney & Todd take off to Hudson cabin & all the troubles in the world come down them in the form of paranormal. This is a good read and you will meet some very interesting people. I will now await the next story of Todd & his love.
April 15, 2014
I thought it was a good read...not read many paranormal but it was interesting and I loved the characters...
March 23, 2015
4.5 star review by Dan
I loved Shaney, Hudson, Todd and the rest of the cast of Curiosity Killed Shaney. When we meet Shaney, he is doing his court ordered community service hours in a thrift shop. I was instantly hooked, because up until recently I worked at an agency that used a lot of community service people, and his antics reminded me of some of the people I saw pass through my office.
I would love to have had Shaney pass through. The balls stuck to the ceiling with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff was hilarious. I also knew instantly that the author was from the Northeast. Only those of us growing up in that region grew up with Marshmallow Fluff and the famous Fluffernutter (the rest of you were sooooo deprived). Thanks Mr. Wallace for making me have to add Fluff to my grocery list this week, LOL.
Enough nostalgia. Back to the story. One day while in the thrift shop wasting time and not doing much, Shaney notices a guy who he refers to as Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky. While spying on him and drooling, the man notices Shaney and comes towards him, saying “Hey You” and “Stop”. Shaney panics, backs into a display case, and a George Foreman grill comes flying off a shelf and lands on his head, knocking him unconscious! After a brief scene with mouth to mouth, a wild rollercoaster ride in an ambulance and having his hairy bits on display at the hospital, Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky walks in just in time to have Shaney vomit all over his tight black jeans and immaculate black work boots.
Imagine Shaney’s surprise when his probation officer, Mr. Anderson (AKA The Antichrist), tells him he has used up the last available community service location and no one will take him, except one person….Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky, who it turns out is actually named Hudson.
Within a couple days, Shaney is hopelessly in love with Hudson, but Shaney’s roommate and best friend of his whole life, Todd, who claims to have the best gaydar on Earth, says Hudson is straight. While helping Hudson investigate a noise/possible break-in at a remote cabin on a local lake, Shaney gets odd feelings, and thoughts that someone is telling him to run away from the cabin. Kind of a “here there be danger” type message. Of course, Shaney, being Shaney, goes back that night, dragging Todd along.
When they get to the cabin, Shaney rushes in before noticing the arcane shapes and circles that are all over the walls and floor. He steps into a circle, is frozen in place, and is zapped by some sort of power that feels like it is going to blow him to pieces. Luckily Hudson arrives in time to push him out of the circle.
There begins the arcane, occult tale that is Curiosity Killed Shaney. Will Shaney be able to get rid of all the power that flowed into him from the circle? Will anything happen with his feelings for Hudson? What will happen when Todd betrays him and turns him over to some occult bad guys?
I decided to rate this book purely on the story, characters, paranormal aspects, etc. If I had rated it on the editing, it would have scored lower. It really needs to be re-edited. There were a lot of places where I stumbled while reading. Little things, like “all of his uncle’s book” instead of “books” but enough to make me pause in reading.
That said, I really, really enjoyed this story. I am so hoping that at some point the author will revisit these characters. I want to know what happens next. There is also a load of info I want on the Todd and Dan story! I recommend you grab this book and give it a read. It isn’t your typical m/m romance, but has such interesting characters and enough hot sex to make anyone happy. I was particularly happy to learn that Maximus was a big old bottom! LOL
Throw in some bad-ass occult characters and some strange Sacred Geometry stuff taking place, and you’ve got an entertaining read!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
I loved Shaney, Hudson, Todd and the rest of the cast of Curiosity Killed Shaney. When we meet Shaney, he is doing his court ordered community service hours in a thrift shop. I was instantly hooked, because up until recently I worked at an agency that used a lot of community service people, and his antics reminded me of some of the people I saw pass through my office.
I would love to have had Shaney pass through. The balls stuck to the ceiling with peanut butter and marshmallow fluff was hilarious. I also knew instantly that the author was from the Northeast. Only those of us growing up in that region grew up with Marshmallow Fluff and the famous Fluffernutter (the rest of you were sooooo deprived). Thanks Mr. Wallace for making me have to add Fluff to my grocery list this week, LOL.
Enough nostalgia. Back to the story. One day while in the thrift shop wasting time and not doing much, Shaney notices a guy who he refers to as Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky. While spying on him and drooling, the man notices Shaney and comes towards him, saying “Hey You” and “Stop”. Shaney panics, backs into a display case, and a George Foreman grill comes flying off a shelf and lands on his head, knocking him unconscious! After a brief scene with mouth to mouth, a wild rollercoaster ride in an ambulance and having his hairy bits on display at the hospital, Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky walks in just in time to have Shaney vomit all over his tight black jeans and immaculate black work boots.
Imagine Shaney’s surprise when his probation officer, Mr. Anderson (AKA The Antichrist), tells him he has used up the last available community service location and no one will take him, except one person….Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky, who it turns out is actually named Hudson.
Within a couple days, Shaney is hopelessly in love with Hudson, but Shaney’s roommate and best friend of his whole life, Todd, who claims to have the best gaydar on Earth, says Hudson is straight. While helping Hudson investigate a noise/possible break-in at a remote cabin on a local lake, Shaney gets odd feelings, and thoughts that someone is telling him to run away from the cabin. Kind of a “here there be danger” type message. Of course, Shaney, being Shaney, goes back that night, dragging Todd along.
When they get to the cabin, Shaney rushes in before noticing the arcane shapes and circles that are all over the walls and floor. He steps into a circle, is frozen in place, and is zapped by some sort of power that feels like it is going to blow him to pieces. Luckily Hudson arrives in time to push him out of the circle.
There begins the arcane, occult tale that is Curiosity Killed Shaney. Will Shaney be able to get rid of all the power that flowed into him from the circle? Will anything happen with his feelings for Hudson? What will happen when Todd betrays him and turns him over to some occult bad guys?
I decided to rate this book purely on the story, characters, paranormal aspects, etc. If I had rated it on the editing, it would have scored lower. It really needs to be re-edited. There were a lot of places where I stumbled while reading. Little things, like “all of his uncle’s book” instead of “books” but enough to make me pause in reading.
That said, I really, really enjoyed this story. I am so hoping that at some point the author will revisit these characters. I want to know what happens next. There is also a load of info I want on the Todd and Dan story! I recommend you grab this book and give it a read. It isn’t your typical m/m romance, but has such interesting characters and enough hot sex to make anyone happy. I was particularly happy to learn that Maximus was a big old bottom! LOL
Throw in some bad-ass occult characters and some strange Sacred Geometry stuff taking place, and you’ve got an entertaining read!
A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review. Please visit www.lovebytesreviews.com to see this and many more reviews, author interviews, guestposts and giveaways!
August 29, 2014
Huh! Definitely not your average MM story. A lot of paranormal stuff and stuff from left field. There were some interesting twists and turns. However, if you aren't a fan of instalove, then you might not want to read this book. The story takes place in a few days time and we have declarations of love within a few short days of meeting.
Well I liked it overall, but there were some pacing issues for me. Also towards the end, there were some editing problems. This was my first book from this author and I'll definitely try something else.
Well I liked it overall, but there were some pacing issues for me. Also towards the end, there were some editing problems. This was my first book from this author and I'll definitely try something else.
August 15, 2014
3.5 stars. Overall I enjoyed the story and characters. It was a fun and light read, BUT the editors really needed to spend a little more time on the spelling and grammar check. There were way to many errors to excuse and they were all ones that a basic spell/grammar check run by the computer could have caught. So because of that I lowered my rating to 3.5 instead of 4. Other than that I enjoyed the story and will probable read it again someday. I'll just have to put up with the mistakes :/
July 27, 2014
Wow. Villains you love to hate. Good guys you love to love.
And then there's the ambiguity of a kind of bad guy who has a reason behind his betrayal. And damn, I hope J.C. Wallace writes a sequel where Todd gets his happy ending.
And then there's the ambiguity of a kind of bad guy who has a reason behind his betrayal. And damn, I hope J.C. Wallace writes a sequel where Todd gets his happy ending.
December 10, 2022
3.5*
Reviewed for Rainbow Gold Reviews here
Reviewed for Rainbow Gold Reviews here
February 6, 2015
3.75 stars
July 9, 2017
There are so many reasons to love J.C. Wallace’s book, Curiosity Killed Shaney. The first and foremost is Shaney himself. A total screw-up in every sense of the word, Shaney is about as ADHD as you can get and still survive. His sincerity and downright sweet heart make him one of the most huggable characters to have come along in some time. Couple him with a mountain of a man, Hudson, who wants nothing more than to ground and protect dear Shaney and you have this wonderful match seemingly made in heaven.
The only problem is that these two men are trapped in some weird electrical fifth dimension of hell. You see Shaney is not what he appears and Hudson’s own father had a hand in creating the man Shaney is today. One false move on Shaney’s part into an occult chalk circle and the power that has lain dormant in him for so many years is suddenly unleashed and nearly killing him to boot. Now there is a mad dash to save Shaney from the clutches of a truly evil mastermind who is intent on coupling his own powers to Shaney’s and have them rule the world together.
Curiosity Killed Shaney was part supernatural thriller and part romance. This story catapults onto the page and its relentless pace never slacks off, leaving you gasping at times at the crazy turn of events and twists that lead to a whole new realm of problems poor Shaney and Hudson must combat. Thank fully they are surrounded by a fun set of secondary characters who alternately seem intent on killing poor Shaney and saving him. But it is Hudson who is the real hero in this relationship for it is he who will help keep Shaney not only alive but focused on the task at hand—destroying a witch/mad scientist who can literally destroy the world if he has the least amount of access to Shaney’s considerable powers.
To be honest, there was so very little not to like—no, love about this novel. The feelings between Hudson and Shaney were spot on and so beautifully developed. The friends that came to help alternated between crazy and crazier and they kept this story and Shaney from becoming a whiny mess. Author J C Wallace used a clever premise concerning electrical power, that admittedly got a bit involved at times when being explained, in order to give Shaney his extraordinary power boost. As each little secret was revealed concerning Shaney’s origins the story just continued to become more intricate and fascinating. The plot never faltered, the pacing was excellent and I never felt lost or confused despite the growing side cast and the varied story line. This was one of the best sci-fi/supernatural novels I have read to date. Fast paced, funny and just terribly sweet to the end, I fell in love with dear Shaney and his band of merry men.
The only problem is that these two men are trapped in some weird electrical fifth dimension of hell. You see Shaney is not what he appears and Hudson’s own father had a hand in creating the man Shaney is today. One false move on Shaney’s part into an occult chalk circle and the power that has lain dormant in him for so many years is suddenly unleashed and nearly killing him to boot. Now there is a mad dash to save Shaney from the clutches of a truly evil mastermind who is intent on coupling his own powers to Shaney’s and have them rule the world together.
Curiosity Killed Shaney was part supernatural thriller and part romance. This story catapults onto the page and its relentless pace never slacks off, leaving you gasping at times at the crazy turn of events and twists that lead to a whole new realm of problems poor Shaney and Hudson must combat. Thank fully they are surrounded by a fun set of secondary characters who alternately seem intent on killing poor Shaney and saving him. But it is Hudson who is the real hero in this relationship for it is he who will help keep Shaney not only alive but focused on the task at hand—destroying a witch/mad scientist who can literally destroy the world if he has the least amount of access to Shaney’s considerable powers.
To be honest, there was so very little not to like—no, love about this novel. The feelings between Hudson and Shaney were spot on and so beautifully developed. The friends that came to help alternated between crazy and crazier and they kept this story and Shaney from becoming a whiny mess. Author J C Wallace used a clever premise concerning electrical power, that admittedly got a bit involved at times when being explained, in order to give Shaney his extraordinary power boost. As each little secret was revealed concerning Shaney’s origins the story just continued to become more intricate and fascinating. The plot never faltered, the pacing was excellent and I never felt lost or confused despite the growing side cast and the varied story line. This was one of the best sci-fi/supernatural novels I have read to date. Fast paced, funny and just terribly sweet to the end, I fell in love with dear Shaney and his band of merry men.
September 24, 2014
3.5 marbles
This was a wild, crazy ride of a story. The title character, Shaney, is a walking disaster zone. Inanimate objects suicide in his presence, humans find their minds leaking out through their ears, and reality bends in odd directions, leaving bystanders agog. Shaney’s a very strange, sweet, manic trouble magnet, whose good heart doesn’t keep peculiar things from happening.
So if anyone’s going to get zapped by occult energy, it’s him. Ditto barfing on the hottest guy in town. Hudson has his own reasons for keeping such a lunatic around. Shaney being Shaney, all these things are related.
There’s a good reason for all of the above, which is the devil’s own tangle to unravel. The poor guy doesn’t know who to trust, when everyone claims to know what’s best for him and they can’t all be right.
This is an often fun, sometimes gag-worthy romp through the supernatural, where Shaney’s at the center of plots and spells. Everyone wants something from him, all in such dizzying succession that the reader’s head spins as much as Shaney’s. Lost in this maelstrom is all the relationship development between Shaney and Hudson, who go directly from let’s fix this pipe to love you baby. I flinch when grown men call each other baby. Shaney’s name at least keeps him from presenting as wholly adult. This isn’t a good thing when combined with sex.
The book seems to be two different stories cobbled together. The beginning is romantic comedy: how can I attract this wonderful guy (or avoid repelling him before lunch), which morphs into supernatural danger and how to resolve it. The pace becomes so frantic that it obscures whether or not the supernatural aspects make sense, or whether antagonists Caleb and Silas intend anything fundamentally different. The Sacred Geometry is an interesting take on the workings of power, but the total insufferability of two of the major occult players plus various hangers on diluted the effect, and no one person actually looked like “the good guy,” aside from Shaney. This is excellent in plain horror, but goes against the lighthearted initial tone and actively works against the love story. Everything did eventually twine together, though sometimes in ways that left me squinting. The end came together well. I didn’t think humorous paranormal horror was a thing, but here it is.
Readers who like or accept instalove will enjoy this story, believing Hudson’s devotion. I had some issues with his backstory and methods, though not with his character. Shaney’s amusing, which makes it tough to watch what he goes through, which is entirely serious and intermittently gory. They’re good together, so maybe now that the active zapping is over and love has been pledged, they can get to know one another.
This was a wild, crazy ride of a story. The title character, Shaney, is a walking disaster zone. Inanimate objects suicide in his presence, humans find their minds leaking out through their ears, and reality bends in odd directions, leaving bystanders agog. Shaney’s a very strange, sweet, manic trouble magnet, whose good heart doesn’t keep peculiar things from happening.
So if anyone’s going to get zapped by occult energy, it’s him. Ditto barfing on the hottest guy in town. Hudson has his own reasons for keeping such a lunatic around. Shaney being Shaney, all these things are related.
There’s a good reason for all of the above, which is the devil’s own tangle to unravel. The poor guy doesn’t know who to trust, when everyone claims to know what’s best for him and they can’t all be right.
This is an often fun, sometimes gag-worthy romp through the supernatural, where Shaney’s at the center of plots and spells. Everyone wants something from him, all in such dizzying succession that the reader’s head spins as much as Shaney’s. Lost in this maelstrom is all the relationship development between Shaney and Hudson, who go directly from let’s fix this pipe to love you baby. I flinch when grown men call each other baby. Shaney’s name at least keeps him from presenting as wholly adult. This isn’t a good thing when combined with sex.
The book seems to be two different stories cobbled together. The beginning is romantic comedy: how can I attract this wonderful guy (or avoid repelling him before lunch), which morphs into supernatural danger and how to resolve it. The pace becomes so frantic that it obscures whether or not the supernatural aspects make sense, or whether antagonists Caleb and Silas intend anything fundamentally different. The Sacred Geometry is an interesting take on the workings of power, but the total insufferability of two of the major occult players plus various hangers on diluted the effect, and no one person actually looked like “the good guy,” aside from Shaney. This is excellent in plain horror, but goes against the lighthearted initial tone and actively works against the love story. Everything did eventually twine together, though sometimes in ways that left me squinting. The end came together well. I didn’t think humorous paranormal horror was a thing, but here it is.
Readers who like or accept instalove will enjoy this story, believing Hudson’s devotion. I had some issues with his backstory and methods, though not with his character. Shaney’s amusing, which makes it tough to watch what he goes through, which is entirely serious and intermittently gory. They’re good together, so maybe now that the active zapping is over and love has been pledged, they can get to know one another.
July 13, 2014
Review by Tanja
3.5*
Shaney, one of the MCs, is a troublemaker; well at least it seems so. He has not filter between his brain and mouth, in short he doesn´t know when to shut up. Furthermore he just can´t stay focused, his mind jumps from point to point and he is overly curious. This curiosity lands him in one disaster after another. It´s not a character everybody will love, but me, I really liked him. The situations he was caught in, due to his curiosity, made me repeatedly laugh out loud and yeah sometimes there were just*roll my eyes* worthy.
Anyway he is on probation, for what I will not reveal, only it´s just so Shaney. To avoid prison he had to do community service. Of course, because it´s Shaney, he did get fired repeatedly from those jobs. Enter Mr. Dark, Tall and Gorgeous/Angry, or whatever Shaney called him, aka Hudson, the carpenter. He was more or less responsible of Shaney´s latest incident and in the end his last hope to avoid prison. Hudson has a quiet personality but it´s obviously that he likes Shaney a lot.
Thrown into it were a lot of other likable characters and magic. After Shaney stepped into a circle of some strange symbols, he is charged with energy, which could kill him. From that moment on, he has to figure out, how not to die, whom to trust and above all else how to keep his friends safe.
I never read about Sacred Geometry before but it was interesting and generally well explained. However, when Shaney met Caleb for the first time, a few things happened regarding these Symbols that were confusing for me. Furthermore, some things were done to Shaney, but you never get told the whole story and this left me with some questions unanswered. The second thing which bothered me a little was Shaney´s character development. It was a necessity for the story but felt a little too spontaneous, like out of the blue. And let´s not he forget the betrayal, mentioned in the blurb, was not really one. What Todd did was not nice, but for the situation they were in, it was kind of understandable.
But beside that I liked this story, it has an interesting storyline with a few twists and great secondary characters. The ending left some questions open regarding Shaney´s best friend, so I hope there will be a sequel.
A copy of the ebook was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
3.5*
Shaney, one of the MCs, is a troublemaker; well at least it seems so. He has not filter between his brain and mouth, in short he doesn´t know when to shut up. Furthermore he just can´t stay focused, his mind jumps from point to point and he is overly curious. This curiosity lands him in one disaster after another. It´s not a character everybody will love, but me, I really liked him. The situations he was caught in, due to his curiosity, made me repeatedly laugh out loud and yeah sometimes there were just*roll my eyes* worthy.
Anyway he is on probation, for what I will not reveal, only it´s just so Shaney. To avoid prison he had to do community service. Of course, because it´s Shaney, he did get fired repeatedly from those jobs. Enter Mr. Dark, Tall and Gorgeous/Angry, or whatever Shaney called him, aka Hudson, the carpenter. He was more or less responsible of Shaney´s latest incident and in the end his last hope to avoid prison. Hudson has a quiet personality but it´s obviously that he likes Shaney a lot.
Thrown into it were a lot of other likable characters and magic. After Shaney stepped into a circle of some strange symbols, he is charged with energy, which could kill him. From that moment on, he has to figure out, how not to die, whom to trust and above all else how to keep his friends safe.
I never read about Sacred Geometry before but it was interesting and generally well explained. However, when Shaney met Caleb for the first time, a few things happened regarding these Symbols that were confusing for me. Furthermore, some things were done to Shaney, but you never get told the whole story and this left me with some questions unanswered. The second thing which bothered me a little was Shaney´s character development. It was a necessity for the story but felt a little too spontaneous, like out of the blue. And let´s not he forget the betrayal, mentioned in the blurb, was not really one. What Todd did was not nice, but for the situation they were in, it was kind of understandable.
But beside that I liked this story, it has an interesting storyline with a few twists and great secondary characters. The ending left some questions open regarding Shaney´s best friend, so I hope there will be a sequel.
A copy of the ebook was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2014
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
Curiosity Killed Shaney was part supernatural thriller and part romance. This story catapults onto the page and its relentless pace never slacks off, leaving you gasping at times at the crazy turn of events and twists that lead to a whole new realm of problems poor Shaney and Hudson must combat. Thankfully they are surrounded by a fun set of secondary characters who alternately seem intent on killing poor Shaney and saving him. But it is Hudson who is the real hero in this relationship for it is he who will help keep Shaney not only alive but focused on the task at hand—destroying a witch/mad scientist who can literally destroy the world if he has the least amount of access to Shaney’s considerable powers.
To be honest, there was so very little not to like—no, love about this novel. The feelings between Hudson and Shaney were spot on and so beautifully developed. The friends that came to help alternated between crazy and crazier and they kept this story and Shaney from becoming a whiny mess. Author J.C. Wallace used a clever premise concerning electrical power, that admittedly got a bit involved at times when being explained, in order to give Shaney his extraordinary power boost. As each little secret was revealed concerning Shaney’s origins the story just continued to become more intricate and fascinating. The plot never faltered, the pacing was excellent and I never felt lost or confused despite the growing side cast and the varied story line. This was one of the best sci-fi/supernatural novels I have read to date. Fast paced, funny and just terribly sweet to the end, I fell in love with dear Shaney and his band of merry men. I cannot say enough good about this novel so I leave it with just this: I highly recommend Curiosity Killed Shaney to you! It was an outstanding novel and one well worth the read!
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
Curiosity Killed Shaney was part supernatural thriller and part romance. This story catapults onto the page and its relentless pace never slacks off, leaving you gasping at times at the crazy turn of events and twists that lead to a whole new realm of problems poor Shaney and Hudson must combat. Thankfully they are surrounded by a fun set of secondary characters who alternately seem intent on killing poor Shaney and saving him. But it is Hudson who is the real hero in this relationship for it is he who will help keep Shaney not only alive but focused on the task at hand—destroying a witch/mad scientist who can literally destroy the world if he has the least amount of access to Shaney’s considerable powers.
To be honest, there was so very little not to like—no, love about this novel. The feelings between Hudson and Shaney were spot on and so beautifully developed. The friends that came to help alternated between crazy and crazier and they kept this story and Shaney from becoming a whiny mess. Author J.C. Wallace used a clever premise concerning electrical power, that admittedly got a bit involved at times when being explained, in order to give Shaney his extraordinary power boost. As each little secret was revealed concerning Shaney’s origins the story just continued to become more intricate and fascinating. The plot never faltered, the pacing was excellent and I never felt lost or confused despite the growing side cast and the varied story line. This was one of the best sci-fi/supernatural novels I have read to date. Fast paced, funny and just terribly sweet to the end, I fell in love with dear Shaney and his band of merry men. I cannot say enough good about this novel so I leave it with just this: I highly recommend Curiosity Killed Shaney to you! It was an outstanding novel and one well worth the read!
Read Sammy’s review in its entirety here.
April 1, 2014
Peculiar. That.
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