Off the Ice

I thought I would love this book. Mostly because sports jock M/M romance is my favourite trope. It had all the makings of a good novel. Teacher lusting after a student, student lusting after a teacher. Tension and angst. Basically all the components of the formula for this type of novel. Yet it didn't jump of the page for me.

Warning this contains one plot point that happens early in the story..

I pretty much skimmed through the first parts. I didn't really get into it. Once I did start paying attention there were too many things that didn't make sense. For instance, when Sebastian assumed the non-jock looking kid would be the one to write a paper about, well, hockey. With such effortless detail thus going against type but then on the flip side assume the jock, Tristan, was the one who stole ta later paper thus going with type. It didn't fit his character on so many levels to choose the exact road of the type of thing he was trying to teach his students not to do.

Stay

When I read the blurb to this I thought I was getting something entirely different. To be fair I can't really remember what that was but I enjoyed what I did get. This book was a nice dark gritty story. It was relatable on a few levels. Mostly it was just nice in the big sea of M/M romance to read something with more than surface value and steamy sex. Which I love, but sometimes It's nice to have something more solid and this story provided that.

The struggle of being afraid to let anyone in because that has brought you nothing but pain was believable. The questioning of anything good because of said fear was relatable. And the certain level of irrationality to it fit the main character, Joe, quite well. It made sense. The story between him and the other main Madden progressed at a good pace and I didn't feel bogged down or rushed at any point in the story.

DEMIGODS

BR:7

PER:7

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This was an interesting read and a difficult review to write. This story had the action, had the good versus bad and the naivety of the reluctant hero. A perfectly laid out villainous plan that magically fails in the end and even a sick child to empathise with. It honestly should've been amazing. However, with all that going for it I still wanted more.

This book hits that old adage of show don't tell in a way that created good well-written scenes but not much connection for me. The whole back story of how Steve the human became a supernatural took up a few chapters. I don't even remember the scientist's name. I was so focused on what happened in the chapter before these scenes and where they would lead I skimmed them.

The Gate

The premise of the gate is a good one. I started off following along with the lead character Kiva fully invested in the story. A woman stuck on a planet ruined by humans failed attempt to fix climate change. The only viable option to live in a world where simple pleasures like the sun can be is to go through the mysterious gate to another planet. The survival rate is low at best.

It tackles tough ideas like climate change, politics, the difference between being alive and living in an effortless and intriguing way. When I started I was loving the book. Somewhere in the middle, even though the story itself was still good it stalled. Like it was set up to go somewhere but then floated at the point just before it went.

The Auctorati

This story was a great read. Great enough to read more than once. It starts right of in the action pulling introducing the characters all at once leaving come things shrouded in mystery and others clearly defined. The type of chapter that makes you want to keep on reading. The characters are well developed and all have different motivations for doing what they do but all these motives bring them towards the same end goal. Destroying the Villian Talon.

What I like about Talon is as a villain he makes sense. He's just a man trying to come out from the hand life dealt him by whatever means necessary. Evil though he may be it's not hard at all to sympathise with his reasoning. That and he gets some of the best one-liners. Comedy gold.

Eve'n Steven

 Author: Suzie Jay

Genre: ChickLit/Comedy/Romance

Book Rating: 5

Personal Rating: 4

After such an amazing first book I was shooting through the moon to read this book and... disappointment.  I couldn't finish it unfortunately.  Eve just displayed so many juvenile antics but I was committed to finishing until about 33 percent then that was a wrap.

Firstly being upset that your soon to be husband got called in last minute for a high profile case is fine.  But this is his job.  Shit happens.  You went from single woman to woman on the verge of family bliss in on one fate full Christmas eve.  Surely in a year throwing a tantrum as an adult woman is not something you're still doing. And this man got you a trip to a tropical island with your single bestie, um can you say massage, beach, half naked men.  Chick take that ticket and run run run. Kick up your feet relax and have some quality girl time.

Merry Christmas Eve

Author: Suzie Jay

Genre: ChickLit/Comedy/Romance

Book Rating: 8

Personal Rating: 9

This book was amazing, no stupendously amazing.  It started off well.  The setting was clearly given: women obsessed with Christmas trapped in an airport lusting after the hot guy who set of the detectors.  All the makings of greatness.  I was hooked right from the beginning.