R21: Team #2 ~ 2 Many Good Books

[Suzanne]

Shelf #7 Swoon-Worthy

Swoon-worthy

[Suzanne]

Week 6 Team Reviews
Shelf #6: Urban Fantasy


Amanda - Rosemary and Rue Read 3/22/22 ★★★★Review
Marisa- Night Season Read 3/18/22 ★★★★½Review
Suzanne- Sharpest Sting Read 3/17/22 ★★★ Review

[Suzanne]

Completion Post
Shelf #6 Urban Fantasy
Book:
Sharpest Sting by Jennifer Estep
Pages: 366
How it Fits: Shelved 77 times as urban-fantasy
Read: 17March2022

Rating: 3 stars
Review:
I think I'm just getting impatient with this series? Or maybe it was a particularly grumpy week. But I'm starting to feel like all the plots of the books are about the same - there is someone Gin needs to fight that is much more powerful than her, friends and family want to help, but she leaves them out of a lot because she wants to protect them, there is a lot of "it's all because of me" angst, Gin gets totally beaten up, and with this book, nothing really resolved (although there was slight progress). I think I won't classify the above as spoilers, because really it could describe most of the first 18 books in the series.

That said - I love the friends and family. I like Gin. And I like the magic system and stories in general. And...I'll read the next book because I own it and it looks as if maybe things from this book will get resolved there.

Like I said - grumpy week!

[Marisa]

Completion Post
Shelf 6: Urban Fantasy
Book: Night Season by Eileen Wilks
Pages: 352
How it fits: Shelved 264 times as Urban Fantasy
Read: 18/03/2022
Rating: ★★★★½



Review

I hadn't read a book in this series for a long time, and it has been how to meet an old friend and find you reconnect easily. Although this book reads more as fantasy than urban (from my POV), as they spend most of the time in The Edge, it's a fast-paced book where you know more the characters... and we have our seers, and so on. There is a parallel story that meets at the end, very small, but important for the plot. I'm glad this bingo has made me being back to this series.

[Suzanne]

I hadn't heard of that series before - I'm looking at it now - sounds interesting!

[Marisa]

I'm totally sure your TBR is jumping with joy now ;)

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Suzanne, its an excellent series :)

[Amanda]

Completion Post
Shelf 6: Urban Fantasy
Book: Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
Read: 3/22/22
Pages: 346
Rating: ★★★★

Review:
I really love October's character! She is at times tough as nails but also kind and loving toward those she thinks deserve it. And I love that she acted as a mentor to some of the teenagers. I was a little frustrated with her for returning to Devlin time after time, but I suppose that's what happens when you've been groomed like she was. I just wanted to shake her.
The creatures and characters were so interesting! Like the little rose goblin or the bridge troll taxi driver. Seanan McGuire put so much creativity into her worldbuilding. I'm really looking forward to the next book!

[Amanda]

Suzanne wrote: "Completion Post
Shelf #6 Urban Fantasy
Book:
Sharpest Sting by Jennifer Estep
Pages: 366
How it Fits: Shelved 77 times as urban-..."

This is why I have a problem reading really long series. After a while they get so repetitive.

[Suzanne]

Completion Post
Shelf #7 Swoon-Worthy
Book:
Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas
Pages: 380
How it Fits: Shelved 7 times as swoon-worthy (p. 3 of shelves)
Read: 21March2022

Rating: ★★★★½
Review:
I haven't read historical romance for a bit, and I think I agree about this tag - this one really was swoon-worthy (although what a silly tag!)
I did not like Winterborne much in the last book, especially the last part, but he certainly redeemed himself here and became my favorite male character of the series. Some of the things he wrote and said to Helen - well ok - the stilly tag fits!

Pretty early on in this book the engagement between him and Helen is reinstated, and watching the courtship deal with obstacles both small and large was great!

I also really liked Helen's character, and especially the difficult decisions she made. And honestly, I fell a little in love with the department store. It was like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory for shoppers!

[Suzanne]

Week 7 Team Reviews
Shelf #7: Swoon-Worthy

Amanda - The Fall Up Read 23March2022 ★★★½ Review
Marisa- Sapphire Flames Read 25March2022 ★★★½ Review
Suzanne- Marrying Winterborne Read 21March2022 ★★★★½ Review

[Suzanne]

Shelf #8 Kindle Freebie

Kindle Freebie
SOS Freebie Discussion thread

[Amanda]

Completion post:
Shelf #7: Swoon-worthy
Book: The Fall Up by Aly Martinez
How it fits: Shelved 10 times as swoon-worthy. (on page 4 of list)
Read: 3/23/22
Pages: 262
Rating: ★★★½

Review:
I went into this book not expecting too much, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I actually did enjoy it. I really liked Levee and Sam's relationship, and how they were supportive of each other while still pushing for the other person to grow and get better. I am so tired of books where the author tries to add drama by writing in huge and bitter fights or having the characters constantly sniping at each other, and this book was almost the opposite of that. Even times when there was a misunderstanding which could lead to a fight, Sam and Levee communicated and avoided all that. It was great.
The writing style was pretty good and the characters were great. Things that kept it from being a four star book were that I thought they fell in love a little too fast (I'm not a fan of insta-love), and that besides the mental health worries there wasn't much in the way of tension or plot.
I really, really loved Henry's character and I was overjoyed to see that he has his very own book. I hit that purchase button so fast....

[Suzanne]

I agree I hate when there is a lot of fighting, meanness. It doesn't give me any feeling that the couple will be ok long term.

[Amanda]

For my kindle freebie book, I'm going to read .

It was shelved as kindle-freebie 10 times, and is on page 12 of the list.
I had a difficult time finding a book because almost every one I picked was under 200 pages. *sigh* But this one sounds good.

Btw, if anyone is undecided on what to read from the list, I really enjoyed , which is on the first page. I would have loved to read it again. It's very spooky and has some romantic tension.

[Suzanne]

Thanks for the recommendation! I think this is my hardest week to find a book!

[Marisa]

Thank you for the recommendation, I'll check it if I finally don't read

[Marisa]

Completion Post
Shelf 7: Swoon-Worthy
Book: Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews
Pages: 400
How it fits: Shelved 1 times as Swoon-Worthy
Read: 25/03/2022
Rating: ★★★½



Review

Too much whining and angst for me, sorry. Good action, good plot (let's see with the cliffhanger and the end), but I cannot like any of the main characters. I'll keep reading it so I can see if I have answers to some of the enigmas, but I like Nevada and Rogan much more than Catalina and Alessandro.

[Suzanne]

I thought that was a tough switch (changing main characters).

[Steph, Serious series addict]

CONGRATULATIONS, 2 Many Good Books!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'UF'. 

[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]

Good Job!! :D

[Suzanne]

Thanks!

I just put in the request for swoon worthy - we have lots of paths to 2 for bingo!

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Congratulations on the stamp Lots of Books!

[Marisa]

Thank you, Steph! Thank you, Sandra!

[Amanda]

Thank you! :)

[Suzanne]

Completion Post
Shelf #8 Kindle Freebie

Book: Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid
Pages: 404
How it fits: On page one of Kindle Freebie books
Read: 27March2022
Rating: ★★★★

Review
Janie's brain is full of random trivia, which she has a hard time filtering. That was actually my favorite part about this book - I usually enjoy things like that which make me laugh. After a very bad day, her life turns around when she gets a new job and a new boyfriend.

This felt like a romantic comedy to me, and I enjoyed it. I liked Janie's group of friends and I liked Quinn "McHotPants". I've since read reviews from friends that did not like Quinn because they felt he was too controlling - I can see that view too, but he didn't raise any alarms with me.

I've read all of the Winston brothers books by this author and this was my first "Knitting" book - I suspect the others follow the Knitting groups, and I'll likely read them, especially because right now they are free on audible.

[Marisa]

Completion Post
Shelf 8: Kindle Freebie
Book: Dragon Precinct by Keith R.A. Decandido
Pages: 262
How it fits: Shelved 1 times as Kindle Freebie
Read: 29/03/2022
Rating: ★★★



Review

This is a curious book, mix between a procedural and a typical fantasy book (the group in a quest guided by a goddess, with a priest, a warrior, an elf.....). A bit slow from my POV, but interesting the mix. It includes a lot of fantasy topics, suspension of credulity... I enjoyed it but I think I would enjoy more the short stories book (that I'm going to get). Glad to have given it an opportunity.

[Marisa]

BTW, if you want to know if a book is in a shelf and there are a lot of pages, you can tell me and I'll look for it almost automatically.

[Suzanne]

Oh thank you Marisa! I may take you up on that because going through shelves one by one is a pain!

[Marisa]

No worries, I've said it sincerely. I've made a script for getting info as, as you say, it's a pain.

[Amanda]

Completion Post:
Shelf #8, Kindle-Freebie
Book: Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid by Maureen Driscoll
How it fits: Shelved as kindle-freebie 10 times, and is on page 12 of the list
Pages: 332
Read: 3/30/22
Rating: ★★★★

Review: I actually ended up enjoying this book quite a bit more than I had expected. It took me a little bit to get into because the writing style wasn't as smooth as I was used to, but the characters more than made up for it.

I loved Ned and how compassionate he was with everyone in Marsten Dale. Although I really wish Ned was more forthright with Miss Merryman and didn't let the misunderstanding go for so long. He could have publicly announced several times that there was no betrothal, but instead he just avoided the situation.

Ned's family was full of interesting characters, and I am really looking forward to reading their stories.

[Amanda]

Marisa wrote: "BTW, if you want to know if a book is in a shelf and there are a lot of pages, you can tell me and I'll look for it almost automatically."

Thank you, Marisa! That would be super helpful. :)

[Suzanne]

Week 8 Team Reviews
Shelf #8: Kindle Freebies


Amanda - Never a Mistress, No Longer a Maid Read 30March2022 ★★★★ Review
Marisa- Dragon Precinct Read 25March2022 ★★★ Review
Suzanne- Neanderthal Seeks Human Read 27March2022 ★★★★ Review

[Suzanne]

Shelf #9: Paranormal Romance
Paranormal Romance
SOS PNR

This one puts us one away from bingo, BUT team 10 and team 4 can get Bingo from this call. So...the game may end this week - we shall see!

[Marisa]

Let's see what happens. And hope for a new week and luck with the theme ;)

[Suzanne]

Yeah! I don't know if they have all their other shelves finished, and that too could make a difference.

We are totally up to date except for yesterday's shelf. How great is that!?

[Amanda]

I hope we get to play a little longer! :)

It was much easier to find books that I want to read this week, but also harder to actually get one! So many books that I wanted to read had holds at the library.
I finally decided on Play of Passion.
It is shelved as paranormal romance 840 times, and is on page 2 of the list

[Marisa]

I liked it quite a lot when I read it. My problem with that series is... that I'm up to date :D

[Suzanne]

Team 4 won!

Do you ladies want to finish the PNR shelf so that we get the "we got all the R21" stamp? I'm good either way.

[Steph, Serious series addict]

CONGRATULATIONS, 2 Many Good Books!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'swoon worthy' and 'kindle freebie'. 

[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]

Good Job!! :D

[Suzanne]

Thanks Steph!

[Marisa]

Thank you, Steph!

[Steph, Serious series addict]

Welcome, sorry for the miss. Y'all requested after I'd had the page open for stamps and missed ya earlier.

[Suzanne]

Oh no problem at all - you do so much work for this challenge and make it so positive and fun! I really never even considered that a "miss!" Seemed awfully prompt to me.

[Steph, Serious series addict]

👍🏼 thanks 😊

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Congratulations on the stamps Lots of Books!

[Amanda]

Oh wow, that was fast!! Lol

I'm up for finishing the round if you ladies are!

[Marisa]

Thank you, Sandra!

[Marisa]

Amanda wrote: "Oh wow, that was fast!! Lol

I'm up for finishing the round if you ladies are!"

For sure

[Marisa]

Completion Post
Shelf 9: Paranormal Romance
Book: Bears Behaving Badly by MaryJanice Davidson
Pages: 320
How it fits: Shelved 40 times as Paranormal Romance
Read: 03/04/2022
Rating: ★★★★



Review

This challenge has been the push I needed to read this book and I've enjoyed it a lot. It's crazy, savage, and funny (for me, that I usually don't ve te same criteria about them). Another point, that another people will hate but I enjoy, is that, being a first book in the series, you don't have big immersions in the series, but it pushes you to the pool and it's swim or dive. I've liked it a lot and I'll read more in the series.

[Marisa]

Well, bingo finished. It has been a great pleasure to play with you, ladies, and I hope we meet again in another bingo (and we'll be luckier 😉).