 4 stars
I really, really enjoyed this one. Bit of an abrupt ending, but honestly that can be mostly forgiven because of the excellent creeping tension. I've had Dead Water on my radar for quite some time. When it came out, I saw quite a few mutuals online who hyped it up—the title, the cover, the description—and I was so excited. It sounded gothic adjacent, paranormal in a way I always love, and just plain atmospheric. But then the reviews trickled in, and I let them sway me. (Don't let them do that! Learn from me, another random reviewer trying to sway you! Lol.) People said this was boring, too long, not exciting, not horror enough, not interesting enough, not "enough" enough. I'm kind of at the point in my reading lifecycle where those kinds of negative reviews are almost like a siren call to me now. Usually, in my experience this means that a genre purist has found a book to be multi/hybrid genre and boyyy do they not like that. As a multi-genre person myself, I usually go OOooooo, alright, it's time for me. Dead Water is one of those multi-genre feeling stories. A little bit literary, a little bit gothic, a little bit horror, a little bit small-town isolated community diary, and a little bit fable. If you like book journeys where the point of the thing is to get a bone-deep sense of an entire community, this is the novel for you. The multiple POVs, the unflinching depictions of a large handful of flawed characters, their issues and wants and hates convalescing into one tangle with the backdrop of a creeping horror.... Yeah. That's the stuff. This literary-dominant atmospheric neo-Gothic northern island story is delicious if you're in it for the unfolding experience.
0 Comments
 4 stars
I'm convinced Kristen Ashley has found a way to lace her words with addictive something or other's. There's no other explanation for the speed I read these books or the raw joy I get from them every. single. time. I love them all. And it's that time of year again--strap in with me and hear about this latest installment in the River Rain series! Finding the One is the 7th book in the River Rain series, which starts with After the Climb. If you care about order and starting from the top, I recommend you check out that first one! But, if you're a heathen like me who likes to jump into the middle of the fray, feel free to start right here with me at book 7. (I've read the last few River Rains, it's true, but I started with book 5 and I'm doing just fine 😉) Blake Sharp is a woman trying to move on from her past. Raised under the thumb of her mean socialite mother and in the limelight of the wealthy, Blake spent most of her life trying to be her mother and then, recently, trying to change that fact and find her own way. It's been a rough journey. And it wasn't helped by her dramatic--and mean spirited--shunning of her fiance at their altar in reaction to his cheating. Her overnight social media viral fame from that incident also didn't help. So, suffice to say, Blake's been THROUGH IT. And she's convinced that soft things, good things, romantic things, are not for her. Her previous mean-girl, messy-rich persona doesn't help. But then there's Alisdair "Dair" Wallace, her childhood friend-slash-occasional nemesis. Dair's been in Blake's orbit since they were in single digits. He's Scottish, he's a former rugby sports star, and he's always seen Blake for more than what she presents. In traditional Kristen Ashley style, Dair's the kind of man who's going to move in on that action plan because there's no time like the present. Add in a heavy dash of KA's drama and flair, and we're in for a gooooood time. I feel like a broken record when I write these Kristen Ashley reviews, but it's worth repeating each time: I just love her stories. I love them all, even when they're not for me and/or not the same level as other ones. I'm pleased to report that Finding the One is, predictably, just as good as my other KAs. In fact, it had some unique, mature romance themes to it that I really appreciated! To call out one element of this River Rain series in particular--I love this blended family of blood relatives, friends, and found family. They might be richer than God (and with that aristocratic lifestyle to match) but wow do they love and support each other in a way that I just adore every time. Come for the feels, stay for the feels. And pick up another KA the minute to you finish this one because it'll give you that bug like they all do... |
Amy Imogene ReadsJust someone looking for her own door into Wonderland. Categories
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All reviews posted are my own and do not reflect the opinions of any other individual or entity. When applicable, reviewed titles sent to me by the publisher are noted at the bottom of each review.
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