I liked it, but i didn't like it at the same time
925283
I wanted a lot of in depth information on setting up a homestead in the backyard, housing space and yard spaces for animals, etc. Instead, it gives you the basics of everything. If you have the Storey Guides for the animals you're interested in, it's best to just pass this book up.

"How many animals can you keep" is a grand total of 3 pages. That's it. I wanted a lot more information than that Would of  been lovely if it talked about how to set it up yourself, instead of giving you a couple pictures and sending you on your way.

They then have a paragraph or so on space for each animal. Indoor and outdoor. And little to no pictures. Ex "Goat yard: 200 sq ft per animal and 15 sq ft per animal inside" That's it. It gives you the information, sure. But nothing else.
737014
This book was a bit of a conundrum for me. I like the characters, and I even like them together, but the style of the book was just too over-the-top for me. He was a nice guy, yet it seems like too much effort went into making him seem vulgar and raw. And the step-brother/sister thing wasn't just the back drop to the story, it was the obsession of it. I think had parts of it been panned down somewhat instead of feeling overly exaggerated, I would have liked it a lot more.

Garrett Marsden and Savannah Boudreaux met when they were both teenagers and their parents met and got married. They had instant attraction to each other, but tried to play it off and ignore it for years while only sharing a friendship and trying to go with the flow of their newly merged families. When they all come together for Savannah's graduation from med school, the pretense all blows up when Garrett and Savannah share a drunken romp that changes their lives forever!

Mistakes are made, and Garrett winds up going to prison for a few years, while Savannah goes on to finish her residency and become a doctor, while also becoming a single Mom. When Garrett is released from prison and comes back home, it's hard for him to settle back in to figure out where he belongs in the puzzle now. Danger eventually comes knocking, and secrets come to light. Will Garrett and Savannah get the future they hungered for with each other?
3272513
Hmm.  Liked it but didn't love it.  I enjoyed it, but not my favorite
518097
Like a lot of Rachel Van Dyken books, I both love it and I hate it. I love the story line. I love the interactions between the characters - mostly. And I love the lead character, Will. What I don't like much is the underlying sense of immaturity - sometimes, I had to remind myself that these weren't hormonal teenagers I was reading about, though their behavior sometimes made it seem so - and the way they all ganged up on Will over Angelica, even though she was in the wrong. I don't like the way they immediately took her side against him, even though he'd been nothing but loyal and devoted to them. It kind of seemed like a betrayal to me - and he took it. That's another irritating thing. He let them talk to him like that and kind of agreed with them. That bugged me a bit. But, with many Van Dyken books, what seems light on the surface often proves to have darkness underneath, so it wasn't so cut and dried, after all. And these grievances turned into more of a pet peeve. I really liked Will and I wish they were a little more supportive of him, but that aside, I really did enjoy this book and now have to go back and read about the other characters and how they got together. It was worth it in the end.
1428053
It's not what I expect it, I didn't like it much!
703686
I liked it, but I didn't love it (like I did Lone Wolf).

A few things bugged me.  1.  Too much interaction with Levi's cats.  He prepares dinner with a cat perched on him?  Really?  2.  After their first kiss Carter tells Levi that he doesn't jump into bed with someone he doesn't know well, so he wants to take things slow. But then later on in the book Carter goes to a con convention and things heat up with a voice actor and he didn't hesitate in deciding to jump into bed with him (he did change his mind though).  Where was his conviction in taking things slow? I didn't get that part at all.  3.  I also didn't like that there really was very little time with Carter and Levi as a public couple.  Most of the book was spent with them trying to stay just friends.

I enjoyed their story, the premise was hot, but it didn't reach its potential.  On its own I think I would have like it more ,but after reading Lone Wolf my expectations were higher.
2574740
I have mixed feelings about In All Things. Because I admit that I might be the wrong reader for this type of book, I don't want to judge it too harshly. Reviews on Goodreads are all positive, which makes me think that the problem is me. I prefer books with action, clear objectives for the characters, and easily distinguishable themes and elements.

I don't want to discourage anyone from reading In All Things. Therefore, I am going to give this book a B (4 stars), despite being really a 1 or 2 star book in my mind. I didn't like it, but that doesnt mean that someone else wont.

*A more detailed review can be read on my blog Books That Hook
1073683
I really liked this book.  I read it by the pool.  I just found some things that kept it from being a 4 or 5 star read for me.  I didn't like that we were told in flash backs how the relationship started between Livia and Gray, because when they reconnected, for me it made the relationship seem obsessive and kind of insta-love.  I also really didn't feel anything for the two main characters.  I didn't hate them or dislike them.  I just didn't come to love them.  I also hate when I'm reading a book and every male character that meets the main female character instantly has to have her.  I mean every time Livia is introduced to any male, they want to sleep with her.  I also didn't like at the end of the book when Grant or Luke or what ever his name was came into the picture.  I guess I was uncomfortable with the relationship between him and Livia.  I didn't like how he would lay around holding her in bed or put her in and out of the bath tub.  I guess unless he is your gay best friend, it was just really weird for me.  I don't think if it had happened the other way around she would have been to happy to have Gray holding some girl in bed.  I'm saying girl because they all seemed really young to me.  I did like this book, and I will definitely read the next in the series.  I also loved that it didn't end on a cliff-hanger.
3575940
There were certain things I liked a lot about this book, so I'll start with that. Aspie protagonist Caitlin had a distinct voice and was mostly believable within the story, though I had some trouble with her presentation. I liked that she didn't see herself as autistic and seemed kind of irritated by the idea that others did--it made her more flawed and likeable--and I liked that she had many of her own terms for experiences unique to her, like her "recess feeling" as a bad feeling because she didn't like recess. I liked that traditional dialogue was not used in this book because Caitlin probably doesn't process speech quite the same as other people do; it made the story feel a little more like it was all in her head, which was appropriate. I liked that Caitlin clearly had a connection with her brother that could be felt, even though her emotions don't express like other people's; it didn't feel grafted on that she loved him. I liked that Caitlin wasn't the only person who was suffering because of the death of a loved one--her father's grief, and that of a friend and even a sort-of enemy, was filtered through her viewpoint to show us how others were reacting even though she mostly couldn't empathize or understand why they felt what they did. And I liked the symbolism that sometimes happened when Caitlin would do things like draw a person and leave out the eyes.

I didn't like the following things. I thought Caitlin was sometimes too literal in an exaggerated way; I found her interpretation of "quarter-cut oak" as wood pried from an oak tree with a quarter to be a bit unbelievable (especially since she actually tried it and damaged her hands). This was especially weird since the narration wasn't always overly literal, which probably contributed to my feeling that someone else was showing us Caitlin besides Caitlin. I would have liked to see a little bit less stereotypical Asperger's traits since not everyone on the spectrum is the same; she's pretty much got 'em all if you check off items on a list. Startled by loudness and brightness; super literal; hates eye contact; can't read emotions; hides herself under and inside things; flaps her hands; sucks her sleeve; has weird outbursts; even has a savant-like artistic ability. I didn't like that there were so many references to a movie I hadn't seen, and that they were used to frame the story. I didn't like that sometimes other children who talked to Caitlin were way too mature. I didn't like that certain aspects of Caitlin's Asperger's experience seemed a little phoned in, though that's hard to explain. Not because anything she did wasn't believable for someone of her orientation, but because it . . . sometimes sounded like someone else was talking ABOUT her rather than it being Caitlin talking about herself. Maybe more like the author was sometimes showing me Caitlin while pretending to be thinking as her, but knowing I'm going to "get" a joke that Caitlin doesn't get. And I think most of all I didn't like that certain story-related revelations were very deliberately presented in the right order for the reader so that even when the characters felt real the storytelling felt constructed and "written." (For instance, we begin the story knowing that Caitlin's brother has died in an accident, but we don't know the nature of the accident, and "as you know, Bob" type exposition sometimes filters into the narration.) It also kinda bothered me that there was a school shooting and the only reference to the perpetrator involved a clearly unrepentant ex-student grinning and giving a thumbs up to a camera covering the news story.
63681
I liked this book, but felt that it didn't move quickly enough and I didn't love the ending.
3071881
This is a hard one for me. I liked it enough that I finished it. I am not a person that will spend my time reading something that I don't like. So, I did like it some but not enough. I think if I had been reading the book I would have just skipped to the end. I had it figured out but needed to see how it all came together. I doubt that I will be reading any more books by this author.
704805
On the plus side, Ms. Layne knows how to write sharp, realistic dialog that develops character and moves the story along.  While crisp dialog is difficult to write, it really does make a story much more fun to read and I fond myself more engaged with the characters than I would have been without it.  I liked both Lincoln and Daisy but felt that their characters weren't as strong as they might have been with a few different choices in the plot development.

On the downside, I just couldn't completely 'buy' the complicating issue between the two main protagonists.  Yes, I understood Lincoln's grief over loosing his fianc&eacute; to a for-all-intents-and-purposes fatal car accident two days before their wedding.  What I didn't understand was how strongly he clung to that grief more than two years afterward.  I have known and understood grief.  However, without going into 'spoilery' details, the depth of his ongoing, devastating grief felt like an author's contrivance.  As a consequence I felt his character was weaker than it should have been.

With regard to Daisy, I liked her but felt that she should have been a little stronger.  She put up with entirely too much from Lincoln with his I'm over it/not over it vacillating. Her quiet, ongoing infernal 'acceptance' of his in my mind, illogical-at-this-late-date grief, made her more passive than I would have liked.

Bottom line: Had Lincoln somehow been responsible for his finace's death, his hair shirt would have made more sense.  Instead, it just felt like self-indulgent wallowing.  What gets this three stars is the dialog.
2076035
3.5/5 Stars

This book was complicated for me to rate because my feelings on it were so mixed. First off, even though the version of the book I had was published by Hachette (Forever), it felt pretty unpolished to me and seemed like a self-published book. I wasn't surprised to find that the book was originally self-pubbed when I went back and looked up some info about it. Its not that it was bad  its just that there were definitely a few grammatical things and some odd timeline issues that an editor should have picked up on and clarified. I guess the book did well enough that they figured extensive editing wasn't necessary. Another thing that bothered me a bit was that, especially at first, Andrew was portrayed as having these sort of strangely violent thoughts  but only in defense of a woman, so I was supposed to be okay with it. Honestly it creeped me out a bit, though. But by the end of the book, he had won me over (mostly)  and I liked the overall message of how he helped Camryn feel comfortable with herself. And I was definitely rooting for Camryn and Andrew by the time they got to a (pretty major) bump in the road. The end of the book was really well done. So, again, I was torn, but I settled at 3.5 stars.
2682304
I wanted to like this book  I really did. For some reason, whether it was just timing or my own personal preferences, I had difficulty reading it. Perhaps it was the fact that I felt there were way too many characters  and also too many different situations going on at the same time. Or maybe it was the intensity of the love-at-first-meeting that didn't ring true to me. Whatever it was, I could not bring myself to care about any of the characters. Then there were the random facts inserted haphazardly that did not seem to be at all important to the story.

I do want to make it clear that I really think this is a matter of personal preference NOT anything lacking in the authors talent. Overall I felt that the plot was a good idea and the writing itself was good, if a bit simplistic for my taste. Quite a few  reviewers really loved The Pretender which is why I think its just not my type book.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book provided by Litfuse Publicity. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own.
1948631
There were some questionable parts I wasn't fond of but overall I really enjoyed it.
4762553
When I started this book, I really enjoyed it. It was fun and interesting to read and the story itself kept me hooked. I enjoyed it almost all the way up until the end, too. Even as I write this, Im still torn because the story itself is entertaining and thats typically how I rate a book. If I enjoy it and it entertained me, Ill give it a good rating. But, in this book, there was one major thing that really impeded my giving this book more than three stars. (There were three other things that affected how much I enjoyed it but not as much as one issue in particular.)

That said, these are the three things that didn't work for me in particular:

The descriptions and comparisons. For the most part, the descriptions worked for me. However, there are some throughout the book - this is an issue Ive had with The Mortal Instruments as well - that just don't work for me. They all tend to be in the same format too. [Original description of thing], like [further description that is unnecessary]. I always seem to notice the descriptions like that and not for the right reasons.

Tessas view of love and what is acceptable. At one point in the novel Tessa thinks, more or less since I don't have the book with me at the moment, that its okay for Will to be rude to her because Mr. Darcy was rude and married Elizabeth. I couldn't move past that. That whole idea of, hes mean because he likes me is such a warped idea that needs to be done away with because its not okay. Im all for books addressing that as an issue but pretending that its okay is not okay. (I haven't read further into the trilogy so I don't know how this changes/is addressed but as it stands now, Im sticking with this opinion).

Theres an actual spoiler below this so be wary!

The whole Mortmain is the Magister thing. Mortmain shows up at the house after most of the Shadowhunters have left to warn Jem and Will of what the Dark Sisters are doing and Im just like - HOW ARE YOU GUYS BUYING THIS? HOW DO YOU NOT SEE HES TRYING TO GET YOU TO LEAVE SO HE CAN GET TESSA? On the one hand, I can understand, but only a little. Theyre Shadowhunters and feel they're superior to humans - mundanes- and that mundanes couldn't possibly dupe them. But really? Really?

I feel like Jems character was completely shafted. Maybe that will change in the other books but the only character traits I knew about him was that he was a good Shadowhunter and was nice. Very nice.
3623312
This book had both positives and negatives for me, but overall i ended up liking it. It had a little too much imagery and similes for my taste, like ok the sky is pretty, i get it! Move on! I mean it wouldnt be so bad if the whole thing wasn't like that but it seemed like she over described the same things over and over, how many times do I need to know what the sky or the water looks like? It's almost like a high school student trying to make sure the teacher doesnt give them a bad grade for not adding enough description. I also felt like she spent too much time on that and not enough time developing the actual relationship between the two main characters. I kept waiting for something big to happen, like for them to have a "big" moment, and not necessarily sex or anything like that, but just something that made me believe these two really belonged together. The book had its good moments too, I mean the two main characters are likable enough, i just wish their relationship had developed a bit more. The ending is also slightly cheesy, but it's good anyway...

I realize this review sounds more negative than positive, but despite the negatives for me, i still liked the characters and the actual story. I finished the book in two days, so thats also a good sign that I liked it.