Review: With Visions of Red by Trisha Wolfe

Title: With Visions of Red

Author: Trisha Wolfe

Genre: New Adult, romance, mystery, crime

Reviewed by: Cassie

Summary (from goodreads.com)

Criminal profiler Sadie Bonds knows blood. Her affair with the gruesome, dark world of killers began long before she started applying her analytical skills to investigate gory crime scenes. She gets inside the killers' heads, breaks them down, relates to them on an arcane level. She prefers it this way- because it's safer to ally herself with the villain than the victim. At least, that's how she's coped ever since she was abducted and tortured as a teen.

She will never be a victim again.

Now, she's honed her skills in order to bring justice to these ritualistic offenders. Working alongside her colleagues, armed with sharp wit and a SIG, Sadie always catches her sadist. Until one ruthless serial killer gets inside Sadie's head, turning the tables. He knows her secrets. Her obsessions. The darkest, most deviant part of her soul.

When she meets Colton Reed, dangerous stakes are raised as he threatens to unravel her control and reveal her darkest fantasies. The sexy-as-sin bondage rigger at an exclusive BDSM club pushes her boundaries, forcing her to acknowledge that side of herself she fears. Plunged into a realm of torture and suffering, pain and pleasure, Sadie balances on the razor-sharp edge of two intersecting worlds threatening to swallow her.

Passion and lust ignite. Dark and light battle. This explosive first installment of the Broken Bonds series sets the exhilarating pace for a cat and mouse game where no one knows who's really pulling the strings.

Greetings, readers! Thanks for stopping by Fiction Fairies - hopefully you don't get scared off by our blunt nature and ever present sarcasm!

(Can you deny Ryan Gosling????)

Anyways.

Some of you may be wondering why there's a blank book cover for this book, and the reason is pretty simple: I felt the real cover is way too inappropriate to put on this site. Sorry everyone, but I try to keep it PG-13 around here. If you're feeling adventurous, go right ahead and look it up, but I honestly think it would deter a number of readers from reading the book. It gives off a completely different, bad impression of what the book is, so I didn't want the cover to taint anyone's first impression.

Let's begin!

With Visions of Red immediately reminded me of this show I watch: Hannibal. Anyone else a fan? It's extremely well done and fascinating . . . Well, never mind that.

When I read about Sadie "becoming" the killer, and envisioning herself as this person, I INSTANTLY thought of Will Graham. Adorable, haunted, damaged, and incomprehensible Will Graham.

(Played by the delightful Hugh Dancy)

So I was a bit skeptic when beginning the book. Was this going to have tons of parallels to the TV show? Yet I was also anticipating the possibilities; what if there was a Hannibal in this book? A truly repulsive yet magnetic killer, whose mind is a mystery to most of us mere mortals.

With Visions of Red was a bit too short for me to answer these questions. There are definitely similarities between the two works, but not so much that I question the author's originality. As for the evil mastermind figure? Well, there's hope. All I can say.

The characters

Sadie was interesting. I say that with caution, mind you. On one hand, she never became Will Graham - complex, haunted, paradoxically innocent/pure. But on the other hand, she did step out of normal NA heroine boundaries. She's not lust-driven, needy, suspicious, petty, etc. She is damaged, but she's also a fighter and wants to overcome her issues. She also has a unique job most NA main characters don't have. I'm not sure how I felt about her; it's too early to tell.

Colton was a strange one. For the longest time ever, I giddily thought he was the killer, until I dejectedly decided he wasn't. He's oddly obsessed with Sadie and it's kind of creepy, but I mean, who am I to judge? For some people, this works. I don't know, the two have a weird relationship. They secretly watched each other for 3 months, and suddenly they're romantically involved and shedding secrets left and right. Insta-lust? Perhaps.

Ah, but what of the killer?!?

"Unsub", he is called. 

. . . My opinion of him is neutral right now. I can't tell if I'm interested by him or not. He may turn into a cliche serial killer, ya know? 

The plot

Relatively compelling. I read it in one go, so that must say something, right?

The writing

Most of the time, it was really well done. It flowed nicely, drew the reader in, and had a decent contrast between the different POV's. At times, Wolfe's writing was a bit melodramatic and cliched. You know, those times when characters say something really deep and meaningful, but it just ends up sounding lame and unrealistic? Yeah, there were some of those in there. Sometimes Sadie would mention the "darkness inside her" or whatever, while she's doing scandalous things with Colton, and I would just go

Other than those fleeting moments of disbelief and scorn, I enjoyed the writing.

The verdict?

Try it out! I liked it for the most part. If you're looking for an entertaining read to kill time, or maybe you're craving a crime romance, go for it.

Hugs and kisses~~

Cassie

Review: Truth or Beard by Penny Reid

Title: Truth or Beard

Author: Penny Reid

Reviewed by: Cassie

Genre: new adult, contemporary, romance

Summary (from goodreads.com)

Beards, brothers, and bikers! Oh my!

Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level headed good girl, has been in naive and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life. His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she's never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can't stand him, and she's pretty sure he can't stand the sight of her . . .

But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle, Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane's disdain; therefore she's unprepared for the reality that is Duane's insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica's muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang, the Iron Order.

Certainly, Beau's magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-headed heart is she willing to risk?

Hello there! Thanks for stopping by Fiction Fairies- hopefully you don't get scared off by our blunt nature and ever present sarcasm.

Before we get started, I have a confession to make.

I have issues with redheaded men.

There. I said it.

I can't put my finger on why I don't find them attractive, but I just don't! I find redheaded women beautiful, but the men? 

Well.

So when the love interest of any story, even Penny Reid's, is a redhead, I encounter problems.

The Characters:

As aforementioned, Duane is a bearded, redheaded Southern gentleman who checks all the boxes of an ISTP. Basically that means he's introverted, reserved, sweet, likes danger, and is kind of moody and rebellious. Oh, and broody.

Yeah, if that's your thing, you'll eat him up. Unfortunately, it's not mine.

Jessica was also a problem. I expected quirky (because, hello! Penny Reid wrote this) and kind of awkward or maybe adorable. Instead I got mainstream heroine

 I like unconventional, slightly strange characters (who doesn't?), so when you give me someone who self identifies as nutty and weird, but is thoroughly not kooky . . . Well, I get upset and annoyed. It's not to say Jessica isn't enjoyable- certainly, there were aspects I liked and scenes she made me laugh at.
But she was like diet ice cream. It has so much potential to blow your mind, and instead is limited by low-fat and "healthy" ingredients.

Ah, but Cletus. One of Duane's older brothers.

You see, Cletus was my man. He's strange and confusing, and he likes to feed people his sausage. Literally. He spear-hunts wild boar with Native Americans, and makes bacon and sausage out of it! Why? Because hiding and using firemarms would be unfair and deceptive to the boar he's hunting.

He makes moments awkward and he's unrepentant of his odd ways.

Go Cletus!

As for the plot, it wasn't my cup of tea. I think it works, but I'm kind of sick of biker stories or drama. Plus there was the whole hot and cold relationship drama- where Duane was moody and couldn't make a decision regarding Jessica. So that bugged me.

I don't know . . . I think it's a well-written book but it just wasn't for me. And that makes me sad because I haven't truly devoured a book in WEEKS.

Cheers!

Xoxo

Cassie

P.S. - be on the lookout! Rafia and I are launching a new blog on called "The Caterwauls" sometime soon. We plan on blogging about casual, day-to-day things. Things like TV episode reviews, college application strugs, people/clothes/songs/things that catch our attention; you get what I mean. 

We'll love you unconditionally for eternity if you check it out. (Not that we don't already . . .)

Review: The Ground Rules by Roya Carmen

Title: The Ground Rules

Author: Roya Carmen

Reviewed by: Cassie

Genre: romance

Summary (from Goodreads.com)

1. Don't sleep around.

2. Don't kiss and tell.

3. Be nice.

4. Don't text or call.

5. Don't fall in love.

The rules are simple . . . until they aren't.

I have everything I ever thought I could want: a nice home, a job I love, two beautiful girls, and my husband, Gabe - my high school sweetheart who still rocks my world. If you ask anyone to describe me they would say, "Oh, Mirella? She's such a nice girl." And I was . . . until a mysterious, peculiar man and his beautiful wife enter our lives.

Weston and Bridget Hanson are no ordinary couple - they're stunning, enigmatic, and sexy as hell. During the course of one unexpected evening, my ordinary world is turned upside down. How could it not be when Weston and Bridget propose the unthinkable? And when the unthinkable is so very tempting, giving in becomes inevitable.

It sounds so logical and simple. Just five rules and we can all have what we desire. But the heart doesn't follow rules, and now passion, jealousy, and confusion threaten to tear everything apart.

Two beautiful couples. Five simple rules. One hot mess.

Hello there! Thanks for stopping by Fiction Fairies- hopefully you don't get scared off by our blunt nature and ever present sarcasm.

I was a bit hesitant to try this. Don't get me wrong - I love controversial topics and I think when done right, it can make for a fabulous book. But something about extramarital affairs (even whilst consensual) makes me really, REALLY wary.

But like many others, I was tempted. Forbidden pleasures galore, scandalous escapades, the works . . . It was too much to resist!

Tangent aside, let's get down to it.

The biggest draw, personally, was the anticipation. You know, that sort of morbid fascination? The one where you can't tear your eyes from something horrible, even though you know you should.

That's what it was like for me to read this book.

And to be honest, I wanted that train wreck to happen. Goodness, I couldn't stand the characters and I hoped something incredibly horrible slapped some reality into them.

Ella (or Mirella) is our main character.
I didn't like her.
She annoyed me to no end . . . She's a people-pleaser, whiny, neurotic, obsessive, indecisive, and uptight- though she claims to be extremely laid back. Say what???

She knew from the start she wouldn't be able to close off her heart (because she's a romantic . . . Really???) yet still continued her extramarital affair. Multiple times she wonders if what she's doing is wrong, and will ruin her marriage and wreck her kids' lives, then shrugs and says to herself, "what the heck!"

Let's not forget our romantic interest. You know, the one who's not her husband. Ah, Weston. See, I really wanted to like him. But then the story progressed, and he got more and more boring. He wasn't horrible, but he was just so AVERAGE. There was absolutely nothing about him that made me go "wow" or swoon or anything! He was quiet, "deep", and model hot. He's also somewhat shy, a genius, and very methodical. Yawn.

Gabe, Ella's dear hubby, is woefully underrepresented. He's got the bad boy image nailed down, but is secretly a teddy bear. The type of guy who loves his wife and spoils his daughters rotten. Unfortunately, he gets sidelined and is painted as kind of a jerk at times, and insensitive.

Bridget is Weston's wife, and the stereotypical blonde super model wifey that powerful men have. (Besides her lawyer boss lady status) Personally, I thought she was super chill, but Ella seemed to consistently view her as a threat and remained bitter towards her to the end. 

As far as plot goes, it's not much. It's really just focused on the romance (though I hesitate to use that word) and never really delves into the psychological aspects of the situation. It never twisted to become dark, never inspired lighthearted laughter, and never made my mind race with questions.

The romance felt flat. I didn't enjoy it, nor did I feel like there was a spark between Ella and Weston. From my point of view, it seemed like they were identical almost- Ella was the female version of Weston (though less logical, rich, and organized) and they bonded over their shared quirky nature (though really, I didn't find them quirky. Seriously. I know quirky and weird, and they didn't even come close to it.).

I can't really put into words their romance because I didn't get it.

As for the ending.

MAJOR CLIFFHANGER. And it was so not cool.

Cheers!

Xoxo

Cassie

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Fantasy,

Reviewed by: Cassie

Summary (from Goodreads.com)

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

Hmm.
Hmm.
Well, I have to first state that I was very confused and misinformed when I read this, so perhaps my review is flawed.
Nevertheless, I shall march on!
To elaborate, I thought this was like the prequel series to Throne of Glass. So, um. Yeah. I thought Feyre was like the mom or something. I also thought it was Young Adult, so I was raising my eyebrows at the bedroom scenes, thinking to myself, "My my, how YA has progressed!"

WEIRD. Messed with my mind.


Despite this, A Court of Thorns and Roses was still entertaining. Steamy, too, if you didn't already guess. I like to categorize this kind of book as guilty pleasure reading. The kind you blaze through (somewhat skimming), enjoying like you would a delicious cookie, and in the end kind of forgetting it.

Because, while it was enjoyable, in no way was it fantastic or extraordinary.

Characters:
Woefully underdeveloped. And Feyre had some kind of personality disorder, I might add. She went from strong/icy/hateful to playful/light/happy to confused/weak/sad. Alright, yes you can have mood swings. But you can't just change personalities for weeks at a time! I understand some people have a cold exterior that melts as you get to know them (seeing as I am one of those dastardly people) but you don't just LOSE it! You don't! It goes right back up when you're thrust into a new situation and even if you have a moment of weakness, it still lingers in the recesses of your mind, waiting for the right time to rise.
Trust me. I KNOW THIS. Therefore, Feyre has a serious personality issue, seeing as she kept morphing from person to person.
Tamlin was boring. Too pretty and good. Not even a hint of malice or ill-will. Let me shudder for us all, because that's just disturbing.
Even the one promising character, Rhysand, turned out to be disappointing. He was first portrayed as evil and shadowy and deliciously despicable and awesome, and THEN. And then he turned out to be "deep" and sorrowful and not even a proper villain/tyrant. Because obviously, no one can be evil just because he feels like it. He has to have a "reason".
Blegh.
Ridiculous.

Plot:
Despicable.
No, that's rather extreme. But it was predictable and somewhat boring. Also, that riddle?

The one that lamely determines the fate of basically the entire world? EASY. GOD. I figured it out within a minute of reading it, because it was so obvious. It was in no way difficult, and it made me roll my eyes (while one of them twitched in annoyance).


Romance:
Questionable? Indeed.
Hot? Indeed.
Some scenes actually made me put down my phone and take a little breather, because the writing was chock full of STEAM. Like, wowzers. And it was a nice, seductive steam.
But as for the romance behind it?

Uhhhh. I didn't feel the spark.
It wasn't instalove or that disgusting mess, but I couldn't get in the groove of Feyre/Tamlin.

Writing:
As many already know, Maas has fantastic writing skills that draw you in. Yet even the most gifted writer will struggle to keep her audience ensnared when she writes scenes that aren't her strong-suit or have a weak plot. This book is a prime example of that: Maas, as other readers have pointed out, excels in constructing action scenes and fierce, breathtaking battles/fights. A Court of Thorns and Roses has a glaring lack of these instances; most of the narrative is wasted describing the beauty of the fae, their courts, or the terror of it all.
Meh. Boring. Please.

Read at your own peril. (Although, it is fun, so . . . )

Hugs and kisses~
Cassie