Review: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Started this on the same day as Warcross, so I could read what fancies my mood. The last few days it was like rainy Sunday, so great time for reading. Only, it is Monday now, and the rain is still drizzeling. Typical autumn in Hamburg, Germany... Feels a bit like London, UK. Sometime it is even foggy in the morning.
This book is just the right kind of mood for that, but not really my type of book, just drama and romance, no crime, not enough twists (one near the end, although I did not guess it, it was also not totally a surprise) and little to no sex.
Recommended 3star and I will surly watch the movie which is supposed to be made. Had this on my wantlist for quite some time, and the news about the movie tipped me into buying it.

But, this the first part of a trilogy, and while it has short chapters (I think) and was a reasonable fast read, it did not gripp me and I would have liked a more nerdy / geek kind of girl as the MC. So I am not anticipating the next books, and last I checked, they cost me too much (9 Eur for an ebook, srsly?).

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Review: Warcross

Warcross by Marie Lu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Pre-ordered Kindle Edition (eBook), this is supposed to be published October 3d, 2017. This is in Germany a national Holiday, celebrating the Fall of the Berlin Wall (was seperating East-from-West-Berlin) in 1989. Instead I received this early, on September 12, 2017 (the day of the Apple Keynote for iPhone X).
Read the review from "Reading after Midnight" - the drawing of Emika Chen, the MC, is great, really beautiful!
Cannot totally agree with the analysis of the romance, though, I thought it was a mixture of fandom, Stockholm-Syndrome, and real love, until near the twist near the end. And I think it is totally believable and was very well written.

The world-building (inside Warcross) was great, with learning how it works not forced in one big massive boulder on the reader, then also the MC learning what she doe not know. With the review from "Reading after midnight" I agree, there could have been more hacking, but at least it was shown that there is some team-spirit, others helping and also near the end, the MC asking for help, which is always a good thing and well explained with the example of helping other but not daring to ask for help. As someone who spent his whole, short work-life helping others as a former Helpdesk-Slave, I can totally relate to that, but I am used to asking for help, also as I am sitting in wheelchair and some things I just cannot do on my own.
That was also a part I really liked, that it was subtly introduced that one of the other warcross players was part of the Paralympics-Team, (disqualified for getting into a fight with a teammate) and then switched to Warcross.
And then one of the main players, the Captain of Emika's Team is sitting in a big, expensive wheel-chair. Even that we do not get much details about that was very good, felt naturally integrated, as if it is not a big deal - which it should not be, but would be nowadays.

Not a lot of twists, until near the end, and I guessed the real name of Zero quite early, felt obvious to me. No sex, just kisses and a little romance, felt a bit juvenile to me, as they are all at least 18, most older, I am not convinced, there should have been sex, even if happening off-page.

Regret mostly that I have to wait for the next book, but will definitely read her other Trilogy (Legend), which I have already marked as "reading" some time ago, but have not really started. Also my "currently reading" list is way too long, I will try to FastForward/DNF a few books to make this list shorter and more realistic.

As far as I have gathered from comments, the next book will offer the POV from ZERO.
Highly recommended, but as it is supposed to be a Trilogy, the whole will decide for me wether it was worthwhile. Like the style of writing though, chapter-lenth is good, so I hope book #02 and #03 do not disappoint. Ah, the long wait for not-yet-published-book...

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Review: Descent

Descent by Kristina Stanley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rating rounded up, more like 3.5 stars, a bit long, and while I did not guess the killer, the suspense came sometimes from information which was introduced late when needed, not real twists. Short chapters, fast read, romance, no sex-scenes, most sex happening off-page.
Expected more thrill and twists, so maybe 4 stars is a bit much, but this is the first book, and I am willing to hope it might get better. Like the setting in British Columbia (Canada) with snow and mountains, better than every other book in LA/NYC/Washington DC.

Recommended as a fast mystery-romance, have bought this together with Stone Mountain Mysteries #2 and #3 and will read them, then I feel like a it. Good read for a rainy weekend.

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Review: The Bride Collector

The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not enough suspense nor action. A good book to read about the inner musings of a serial-killer (and a few inmates in a mental health institution). That part was well done, but with the romance and missing suspense, the long chapters and the rather long book, it was boring, topped with an ending I guessed nearly from the get-go.

Stumbled on this through a thread in my favourite Goodreads-Group What's the name of that book? The other book was the solution and way better (and shorter): The Dollmaker (Forgotten Files #02) - Mary Burton (Insert book/author is not working? So no link, will correct that later).

Three stars, and not recommended, there are better and way faster serial-killer books out there.

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Review: The Dollmaker

The Dollmaker by Mary Burton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lot of what I wrote in the review of the first book from the Forgotten Files I could repeat here.
Look into that short review.
This gets solid 4stars for few more (straight, non-kinky) sex-scenes, and this time I did not guess the killer at any point until the big reveal. Could have done with a little less romance, at times the thoughts of the couple where repeating too much.
Still, recommended fast read for a great sick twisted killer.

This was also the book, that drew me to this series.

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Review: Moon Called

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

KickAss start for a series.
Bought this ebook cheap, probably for a promo price, not so long ago, had this on my wishlist rather long. Currently going without rhyme or reason through my TBR. This has Vampires and Werewolves, which after Twilight and other series I wanted to stay away from.

Mercy alone is interesting enough to make want to read the second book, although probably not so soon (and it is not really cheap, even as an ebook). She stands on her own and is rather headstrong, and so far she is single, although that may change. With this book she is my kind of heroine: strong, independent, submissive when needed, but so far her head is screwed right on.

World building rather well integrated during the story with flashbacks and learning by the MC (Mercy) on the job. Better than Magic Bites (link to my review), where I decided not to read more than this first book

Skimmed a few reviews of the second book and am not so sure wether I will like it or not (but will buy it and begin reading it), what with the religion etc. .

This book is a recommended 5stars, strong beginning of a series, lots of action, suspense and well done fight scenes.



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Review: Daisy in Chains

Daisy in Chains by Sharon Bolton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! Twisted and I almost never guessed what will happen next.
Also a different style of writing with presenting handwritten letters, emails, newspaper cuts. Only the handwritten letters are graphics and cannot be zoomed so I had a hard time reading them. Short chapters and a lot of them help this to be a fast page-turner.
Also I did not see plot-holes, but maybe that is just me.
Good use of social media, Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, email, well integrated but not too much.
Really liked the heroine.
Some may view the past when Hamish Wolf and his fellow students and what happened then, toned down and more or less excused as normal Student-Behaviour near the ending. This was not punishable (too long ago), but still Hamish Wolfe gets painted in a wrong light, imho, he is a bad guy, no matter what they say in the end.

Highly recommended fast read, and I for one really liked the ending, others did not.
Also not too bloody or brutal, some abuse, for a long time you did not know how the victims where killed. Hints of darker deeds, which never where described in detail and did not surface in the plot.

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