Elements of Mischief (Hijinks Harem, #1) in Reverse Harem Readers

Feb 25, 2018 Silvia Andrito rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Honestly I tried. I wanted to like this series because it was written by the same author as Spirited (which is an amazing book) so I picked this one since her other series did not appeal as much to me. I finished the first book and half of the second one, not because it was good just because I was hoping it would get better given Spirited was so great. But no, it did not happen so I just gave up.

First: There is no real story in the first half of book one. Just this lady gets forced into a marri Honestly I tried. I wanted to like this series because it was written by the same author as Spirited (which is an amazing book) so I picked this one since her other series did not appeal as much to me. I finished the first book and half of the second one, not because it was good just because I was hoping it would get better given Spirited was so great. But no, it did not happen so I just gave up.

First: There is no real story in the first half of book one. Just this lady gets forced into a marriage with 4 dudes in the most stupid way ever. Then she is with them but is mostly whining that she doesn’t want to be married but wants to have sex all the time. Doesn’t want a relationship, but wants sex until she can leave. Never does she really protest what’s happening too hard because the sex is too good. Like literally whenever something important or dangerous is happening this idiot is thinking about sex, she can’t focus on saving her life long enough. A bit of a story starts being developed in the second half but it is more of an afterthought.

Second: PLUMBER PUNS. I read the reviews and someone said it wasn’t too much, that it was funny and appropriate. It was not! At no point was it funny, they were mostly cringeworthy. This lady acts like a twelve year old that can not think about sex unless it is in plumber puns or euphemism. I swear there is at least one plumber pun every page and I was reading this in my phone where pages are shortened. It was ridiculous! This writer had to go out of her way and go down the aisle of a repair store and find out all the different tools a plumber uses so that she could do this. Sometimes it didn’t even make sense since as a layman we wouldn’t know the lingo. Just assume she is talking sex. It was just too much, not funny, mostly cringeworthy, so I just started skipping all the parts she was describing a plumber pun when I could.

Third: So many inconsistencies! Keeps saying not to slut shame her very slutty friends but then on the other hand she pretends she is not slutty at first with the guys because she is embarrassed (everyone in this book is very slutty). Blames all her shortcomings on being a barista, can’t quote poetry because I am a barista, don’t understand this because I am a barista, etc. Honestly your profession doesn’t necessarily dictate your intellect, this was just a cop out. She does the same thing with the guys, because they are plumbers. Another big one, her grandmother continuously helps her throughout the books but the lady ignores her EVERY TIME the grandma gives a warning cus she rather have sex/drink/talk to others than to this person who is literally trying to warn her about imminent danger against her life. Also this lady is an alcoholic, in the first book it takes about 3 days before she eats anything all she does is drink and throw up, and you can’t even suspend your disbelief because the characters tell you that she hasn’t eaten and is just drinking. Everyone thinks she has a drinking problem but the lady treats it as a joke and just drinks more as her husbands enable her. It’s pretty sad.

All around stick to Spirited hopefully the second book is as good as the first and just stay away from this one. I honestly feel like I just wasted all this time.

Edit: 6/2020 - the second book of the Spirited series wasn’t great, so disregard above recommendation. Instead pick up one of the better series by either of these two authors. They have a lot of them that are worth reading over this.

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