Adored The First Half Of The Book
357683
I wasn't too sure what I was getting into when I started Indulge.  I mean a guy and girl meet on an anything goes hedonistic experience how can this get turned into a relationship especially if they are total opposites.  Anna James is vanilla.  Beau is definitely not preferring polyamory.  Anna James is sassy, funny, confident, and definitely knows her boundaries.  Beau is charming, sexy, a little cocky, but sweet.  The first half of the book I adored. I enjoyed the banter between Beau and Anna James. It was interesting to see how their relationship developed in their brief 9 day encounter.  But somewhere after the half way point of the book, honestly Anna James began to grate on my last nerve.  I don't want to give too much away, but after mistakes and misgivings by both characters Anna James's stubbornness just went on too long for me.  Beau wasn't perfect, but I don't know what else the man could have done to convince her of his love.  I also felt that Anna James's actions were out of character for this brilliant, young woman I had met earlier in the book.  Before anyone hates on me, I completely understood any doubts she had, but drag it out for 20% of the end of the book was too much for me.  Ms. Cates does bring it home in the end.  Overall, good read and I will continue to look forward to more from Ms. Cates.
2189794
I see why it had to be that way, but the first half of the book is very slow and you only get a good picture of the world she lives in past the 50% mark. So at first the main character seems decontextualized and it was hard for me to get into. But persisting past the beginning, the conflict, her relationships, and her world as a whole become quite interesting. I'm now well into Magic Study and I'm hooked. I really enjoy the author's writing style and her character development. She allows her characters to learn from their mistakes at a normal pace; I haven't noticed any complete out-of-character actions made, nor have the characters obstinately made the same mistakes over and over. Really love it all. Only giving it 4 stars because of how I was continuing to say "still not quite hooked yet" in the first 50% of the book.
1884586
So, the first half of this book was like a 2 star for me and the second half was closer to a four star. I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this book and I didn't really prefer either of Callas suitors. I felt like both the connection between the characters and the dialogue was forced. It didn't flow for me and I felt like in trying to be sexy, the dialogue came off cheesy and forced. I found myself rolling my eyes at all the sexual innuendos, there were just so many of them. Thankfully, this seemed to cool off after about the half-way mark of the book.
Usually I have a good idea early on which guy I will want to win but that was not the case with this book, I didn't feel particularly attached to Kyan or Hunter. Kyan definitely seemed to be the more stable of the two choices but he so clearly had some past trauma that was still affecting him. Kyan also had this obsession with pleasuring Calla, which normally is all great but it was mentioned repeatedly and seemed unrealistic to me. Hunter definitely came across as more of the good time boy. Calla seemed pretty conflicted about her casual arrangement with these men which caused me to dislike her, if she was having doubts about the arrangements she shouldnt have continued with them. Both Kyan and Calla had past relationship traumas which weren't revealed until later on in the book, I feel like this also prevented me from empathizing with the characters. I felt like they annoyed me more than anything before I found out about what happened to them.
Onto the good. The sexy times in this book were very hot, and quite plentiful, there was definitely a lot of thrusting :) Both Hunter and Kyan knew what they were doing in the bedroom and the scenes were well written. Once we got a hint about Callas past relationship problems I was really interested in finding out more, I almost wished there had been a flashback scene.
This book wouldnt prevent me from reading anything else by this author, but I would definitely be very cautious and maybe research more before picking up another of her books.
3715930
3.5 stars
Guest Review by Tammy Cole
I read the first book in this series ,Fighting Envy and I really loved tha,t book so I was really excited to read about Tyson. I love MMA books and I enjoyed the first half of the book. There were some sweet parts. But by the middle of the book, I was really struggling to stay connected with the characters. I thought that the situations that Tyson and Sydney found themselves in were interesting, but I just felt that the way they dealt with each other was sometimes kind of childish. I did finish the book and I was very happy with the ending.
3038420
The second half of this book is 5 stars.  I don't read depressing fiction (plenty of non-fiction out there if I want to read something sad), so when I read the description of this book I was afraid it would be depressing in parts, but I put it on my wish list to consider later; when it was on sale I read some of the reviews trying to decide whether to buy it and one of the reviews mentioned that the first half of the book was about Dylan and Shane (his lost love) and I knew I wouldn't read that part of the book, but I figured for 99 cents, and with how long the book was, it was worth it and I loved the second half of the book (I read a few pages in the first half just to find out what happened to Shane and it was even more heartbreaking than I expected. -- just those few pages had me crying).  I was afraid that half of it would be Dylan not wanting to move on, determined to remain in the past, but by the time the second half of the book started Dylan recognized that he needed to move on and that he needed help, so the part of the book I read was a charming, sweet romance that I thoroughly enjoyed (part 2 was about 2300 locations, so it was the length of a lot of M/M romances, so I felt I got my monies worth even though I skipped half the book).
2879637
There are already lots of reviews for this book, so I won't rehash the whole plot.  I loved the first 90% of the book.  Loved Bree and Archer together, the way they communicated, the way they fell for each other.

The ending made this book a four star instead of a five star.  How many times can one person be shot in their lives?  It was overly dramatic, and the aftermath felt cheesy compared with how beautifully done the rest of the book was.

Still, I loved the Bree/Archer story and I'd definitely recommend it.
2760665
I actually loved the beginning of the book. I felt a strong build toward the center of the story, and enjoyed the different tales as they webbed together. As the author mentioned in the endnotes, it was nice to read something supernatural that didn't involve werewolves or vampires.  However, the ending of the book, while leading into the second unwritten book, didn't leave me wanting more. The last chapters were a jumble of thoughts, and it almost felt like as a reader I was pushed to finish before an invisible timeline ran out, which is maybe the battle the author was going through when finishing the book.
4387076
I loved the first half of this book. However, being hearing impaired myself, I found a couple of things really interesting.  It seemed like a lot of attention was paid to his job (with the exception of the repeated comment that he was neutering dogs and spaying cats, implying that there were only male dogs and female cats in town), but there were at least five different situations where she was able to perceive sound that were not picked up on.  If she was profoundly, completely deaf, and her own senses had compensated for it, she would have noticed other things.  For example, there is a scene where the hero says he heard the daughter's music from outside the house.  Music that loud would vibrate the walls.  Most deaf people listen to music, enjoying the thumping beat because they can feel it.  One situation was where the heroine's daughter spent the night in the heroine's bed and the heroine mentally noted the next morning that the daughter snored and talked in her sleep, thus disrupting it.
She could hear a door close when her mother left one scene. She also determined that the hero's voice was hoarse in a scene.

I was quite disappointed with the lack of care in regards to the descriptions of her hearing problems.  I know the book came out in 2002 originally, but there were more options out there for her that would have improved her hearing and I felt that it wasn't fully explored.

It was a sweet story but the end just dragged on, like the author had a word count to meet and added filler to the last 1/3 of the book.  That being said, it was a sweet story with a full cast of characters and a very satisfying ending.
827671
The first half was boring, the second part was good. I didn't get a feel for the characters at first, because most of the first half dealt with Warren's desire to take Camilla to bed, and her reluctance to sleep with him. Both had family issues and trust issues, but they're not revealed until later on. I was bored, but forged on because if the book had so many raving reviews, something had to turn good. And it did, approximately half way through. Warren is a hot, successful and rich soccer player. He was very centered around the material things and the women that his career brought to him. Camilla is poor, lives in a derelict building that is about to be condemned. They meet at the neighborhood meeting about the Belmonte plans for the neighborhood, and she speaks out for the group. They feel an instant attraction but she feels the difference in status very keenly and is not impressed with his  fame. Warren is the one who does most of the growing up in the book, but Camilla also deals and resolves issues. The last part was a great read, not at all boring. So, great half book!
4570132
3.5 stars

I wanted to love this book, and at first I really did. It started off great. The narrative of the book is shared between Abel and Pru, letting us see 2 sides of the story. And both characters I really loved. For me, the ability to connect with the characters is huge, and I found both of the narrators to be genuine and easy to connect to. The first quarter of the book I couldn't put down. It started to slow towards the middle, and then I felt the pace totally changed.

I'm going to do this review a little different. I want to break this up into what I liked and didn't like about the book. The story just started off so well that I was completely surprised when things started to unravel a little for me.

Pros:

Like I said, I loved the characters. I found them to be believable and easy to root for. A little immature at times, but I could totally see them being average teenagers.

The book started off fast paced and was easy to get sucked into. In fact I did. I breezed through the first half of the book, unable to put it down.

The dialogue was great. I admire a book that can make a conversation sound like a real conversation.

The story was original. I liked the idea of a Great Wolf and am curious too see where that goes in the second book.

Cons:

I thought that some parts of the story felt rushed. We were introduced to a lot of new characters and side plots in the second half of the book so quickly that it was hard to distinguish who/what was important and what needed to be paid attention to. I felt that there was a lot of detail in parts that didn't need it, and a lot of rushing through new points that could have warranted more attention.

I mentioned that I loved the dialogue, and I did, but at the same time, sometimes it went a little over board. There were points where I really want the story to show me what was happening and what the characters were feeling. Instead, there were certain points that felt so rushed that dialogue was used to tell you the important stuff, instead of showing it to you. It left me a little disconnected from the plot.

This is a totally personal preference, but I wasn't in love with the vampire portion of the story. I thought the new vamp rules that this book introduced seemed a little... for lack of a better word, convenient. They dragged out how long it took to become a vampire, but now there might be a cure? I just wasn't feeling the explanations behind the vampire things, and it distracted me from the rest of the book. Additionally, I wasn't really sure why the vampires would want to go after Abel's sister without them knowing that he was the Great Wolf. Because she was a friend? There were other "friends" they could have gone after. It wasn't believable. I would have rather the story focused on the Great Wolf and left the vampires out completely.

Frankly, I didn't like the ending. I thought this book lacked a built up climax, and then it kind of just ended. I know it was a set up for book 2, but it didn't feel like a natural ending. It felt like the pages just stopped having words on them. In the end the story got rushed all of a sudden, with no clear ending, and no real "OMG!" cliffhanger moment.

Final thoughts: I liked the way the book started. There was a clear path and the first half the story stayed on task. But the second half started to unravel a little with new characters and plots, and I couldn't focus on what the main parts of the book were supposed to be. It ended up being a little confusing. I still think I want to read the second book, hoping it'll go back to the basics, or at least stick with a clear story.

For more reviews check out: [...]
4380094
For the most part, I love this book; I thought the writing style was different as was the plot line.  It was refreshing to read what would traditionally be chick-lit or romance from a male perspective.  At first, I liked that the characters (meaning Beth and Lincoln) didn't interact with each other, yet still seemed intrigued and interested by the other.  Those two "twists" kept me interested for exactly 1/2 of the book.  After a while, I found myself craving Beth's perspective outside her emails with Jennifer.

Then I started needing more.  More information on why Lincoln's mom is trying to hold on so tight, why Lincoln hasn't been in a relationship since his first year of college (though, the fact that he plays D&D is probably the reason), why Beth stays with Chris even when she doesn't seem to love him anymore.

I finished this book yesterday and as I read the final chapter, I thought "this story was one of the best I've read this year, even if the end seems really rushed and disjointed from the rest of the book."  As I write this review, I'm getting angry with the end, the way the two meet `in real life' seems so far-fetched and unlikely.  I think the book could have spent the final 5-10 chapters on Beth and Lincoln's relationship, rather than just the final few pages.
2241236
I have to give this book mixed starts,  the first 70% of the book is Slate/Andy's life growing up from age 15 through current time. Plus a short recap of his time that was told during book 1 "Mica".  I almost put it down twice but ws so caught up in the story i wanted to know more.  The first 70% was semi dry but it showed how Slate became the man he is.  at the 72% of the book is when the best part of the story actually started.  Even though this book was 500 pages, I felt like I wanted more of the story and less of his life growing up.  I loved the final 28% of the book the best part.  How he joined with the RW MC and Mason, and then went on to grow in the MC.  I liked him from the book 1 when he helped take care of Mica and was very happy to see he found his "forever".  I am looking forward to the next books in the series but sure hope each one won't have 70% of the book the past growing up stage of each person.
3259008
I am still wrestling with my feelings about this book. I loved the first half. Obviously the premise is disturbing and twisted but Dunn somehow managed to make it feel realistic and natural in context. She is an exceptional writer when she wants to be. The description of the Fabulon and the Binewski silbings' childhood is the highlight because it was wonderfully imaginative and it had heart.

I cannot pinpoint exactly where in the story my feelings about the book changed although it was somewhere after the halfway mark. I know when I realized it though. My boyfriend asked me a question while I was reading and I nearly bit his head off. I apologized and said, "This book is just such so toxic it is putting me in an awful mood."

Bascially the book lost its heart. The author kept piling on one cruel and disgusting event on top of another. It did not feel natural, it did not feel like it had a greater purpose it just felt very pushed. I couldn't shake the feeling that the author was more interested in demonstrating her daring and how far she was willing to go rather than writing a good story. Pushing the envelope can be great if it is done in a thought-provoking and carefully crafted manner. However, it is a fine line and if you go too far too often the shock value is gone, the goodwill is gone and you are just left with a huge pile of garbage. I think the book reached this point and it made me angry because after the first half of the book I had high expectations. Pain is a major theme through the book but any higher point Dunn was trying to make about the nature of pain the second half (if there was one) got lost in the muck.

Towards the end my bad feelings began to soften a bit. I don't know if it is because the author managed to bring back some of what made the first half of the book great or because the second half of the book desensitized me so much that I didn't care what happened to any of the characters any more.

I suppose I would recommend this book to people with strong stomachs only because very few books have caused such a strong reaction and internal struggle in me and that has got to be worth something. Plus I have never read anything like it before and there is definitely value in originality.
742606
The Dancing Master is a book about which I had such mixed feelings! In some ways, the beginning 50%-75% of the book was boring me, though there were some things and scenes that I really liked. It just seemed like the story dragged a bit (at least to me), until the last quarter or so - that's when I started to love the story and wanted to keep reading.

I didn't like Julia, one of the main characters, all that much until the end. The way she acted (like a flirt) and some of the things she did, just annoyed me. Towards the end, though, I started to like her character more and I loved the story of grace in The Dancing Master. I did like Alec - he was probably my favorite character. I thought the whole dancing aspect was very neat. I also liked how, even though I thought I had everything figured out early on, I ended up being wrong with some of my guesses.

Overall, The Dancing Master was a good read. It started off slow, but the last quarter of the book redeemed the story for me and I really loved the ending! While this isn't my favorite of Julie Klassen's novels (that is The Maid of Fairbourne Hall), I did like the book and look forward to reading more of her novels. :)

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*
2338085
The first couple chapters from Four's PoV almost ruined this for me. I feel like it took a quarter of the book before the author really conquered making him sound like his own character, rather than a teenage girl (which he shouldn't have, based on observing him in the first two books). She finally found her rhythm, though, and I really enjoyed the rest of the story and the ending of the trilogy. I have heard not all liked it, but I found it fitting, in terms of character and story.
1600446
I enjoyed this but I wish it had been longer. The start felt a bit rushed and I think the author could have spent a little more time on the relationship, as a reader I didn't feel the connection between them as strongly as I'd like to. It started off in quite a negative light. Michaelia was so self critical and depressed. I get why, and I know that this does happen in the real world, but I'd have liked to see less focus on this and more emphasis on them as a couple. The second half of the story was great though, I love that he was willing to fight, and I loved the addition of Stephan to the mix.
3505360
I enjoyed the main character Abigail; her attitude and description of foster care was spot on. Author FitzGerald really nails that. The emotional changes that Abigail goes through feel real and are well written.

The second half of the book turns into a murder mystery with a different tone , pace and feel to it. I found that aspect far less engaging and was somewhat let down after a very good beginning.

Teen readers might well enjoy the alienation and helplessness experienced by some characters. That aspect rang true. I'm afraid it is a very mixed recommendation from me.