June was a big reading month for me on Kindle Unlimited. I read a ton of romances recommended by BookTok and, as usual, it was a mixed bag. Now I will say that the books I rated as one or two stars were fun to read and may be five-star reads for other tastes. Books that I recognize as not well-written, lacking in plot or character development and/or just a collection of too many trite romance stereotypes can still be a great way to spend an afternoon. Hell, I may even read more in the series that I ranked as “skips” because sometimes that is just what the brain wants!
So here are the titles I wouldn't necessarily recommend:
Hot Life by Kat Blackthorne ✩✩✩✩✩- Yeah, I kept reading in the series…at least the smut was hot. However, in this continuation not even that could make me like the characters or care about the plot. Oh well.
Dublin Ink by Sienna Blake ✩✩✩✩✩- Listed as a taboo/age-gap romance on BookTok, this one was slow as hell, contained characters that were unlikable and who didn't actually grow. That said, the premise of the next book in the series might be a bit more promising. The author is a pretty solid writer prose-wise, so I may give Ms. Blake another chance.
The Lie by Maggie Cole- ✩✩✩✩✩- A kind of cute “old flames to lovers” trope with a solid attempt at some corporate espionage/family double cross action. The plot was OK, but too much was trying to happen so by the end, as a reader, it was just exhausting. BookTok marketed this as a very sexy (4-5 chili peppers) read, but honestly, each scene amounted to the exact same thing so, I can't even recommend it for filth.
Titles that were OK:
The Last Beginning by Charlie Nottingham- ✩✩✩✩✩- This combination dark romance/Sci-Fi & Fantasy book was a cute read from a romance perspective. Slow burn with a “big flame” (if you get my drift) that was fun to read. The paranormal aspect was also pretty good. However, I found the plot to be repetitive (like all the fights/injuries were identical) and the overarching premise feels a little tedious at this point. I may give one more book in the series a try though.
In Trouble by Hanna Haze- ✩✩✩✩✩- This book has no plot to speak of, the characters are uncreative archetypes and the plot is only OK. However, if you want to read for filth…this is a delightful tale of a young woman who gets railed by four hot/rich guys while the Omega-verse premise hand waves away lots of the ways this idea could be complicated. Good times, great way to spend a morning on the deck with a cup of coffee.
Mistakes not to Make When Avoiding a Rake by Fenna Edgewood- ✩✩✩✩✩- A more classic historical-style romance that blends in some fun tropes. Lots of “bluestocking discovers passion with a gold-hearted rake” vibes. This one hovers around “mild” for its spice and the plot, while well constructed, attempts to do a lot which dilutes the overall quality of the read. Granted, if you want a standard issue historical with a classic HEA, then this is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Since this is getting lengthy, I will share my “read this one!” list next post. Write ya soon!
1 comment:
Nice round up! I like the brief summary of what you liked and didn't like.
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