Generally a lot to like about this one. So much good family stuff here. Still feeling the fact that these have gottWell, now what am I supposed to do?
Generally a lot to like about this one. So much good family stuff here. Still feeling the fact that these have gotten shorter, but I can't wait for the next one....more
My least favorite in a while. Good, but just not as good as some of the others! While I liked some aspects of this (the remote location/clo3.5/5 stars
My least favorite in a while. Good, but just not as good as some of the others! While I liked some aspects of this (the remote location/closed universe was fun), I also thought parts of the mystery didn't work as well. (view spoiler)[I also think I'm kind of tired of the wronged wife being the villain. I feel like that's happened in quite a few of the books recently, and I'm ready to mix it up. (hide spoiler)]
I can't believe I only have two more of these left until I'm caught up. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself after....more
This may have been my favorite one so far! I really liked the settling into marriage of it all, and all the ways Anarchy showed up for and supported EThis may have been my favorite one so far! I really liked the settling into marriage of it all, and all the ways Anarchy showed up for and supported Ellison.
Oh, and the swim team stuff in this one was so fun and real for me. It brought back so many memories....more
Okay so my one nitpick with this one was I really didn't love how the Charlie storyline was handled. (view spoiler)[I know that he's clearly sticking Okay so my one nitpick with this one was I really didn't love how the Charlie storyline was handled. (view spoiler)[I know that he's clearly sticking around since I've both read ahead and I know from later book summaries that he and Libba are still together. But his introduction was a bit too much for me. I didn't mind it from Ellison's standpoint because she's clearly not interested in revisiting it, etc., but I kinda want more for Libba than a guy who was this sure he wanted to get back with Ellison almost immediately after ending his marriage. I realize this has completely been forgotten in later books, but unfortunately, I do not forget. (hide spoiler)]
Anyway, other than that I am having a lot of fun in this world!...more
Well, once again I've read these too fast and am struggling to distinguish one from the other. I think this one involved the kid who was sick. I'm glaWell, once again I've read these too fast and am struggling to distinguish one from the other. I think this one involved the kid who was sick. I'm glad she ended up being okay!! (view spoiler)[I never really got why the victim gave her name as Mrs. Anarchy Jones, though. That was odd. (hide spoiler)]...more
Mostly really liked this, as usual. I liked how the body at the gala was handled. I did think (view spoiler)[Anarchy's big secret ended up being too eMostly really liked this, as usual. I liked how the body at the gala was handled. I did think (view spoiler)[Anarchy's big secret ended up being too easy. It was also a bit weird to me that David wasn't mentioned in this at all until his name was listed as one of the family members who attended the wedding. I was legit wondering if he'd been forgotten/written out of the series. (hide spoiler)]
Pansy is great, though. I'm glad she's sticking around....more
It was fun to read something from Frances' POV, although the placement of this in the series was a bit weird to me. I understood it in that Ellison anIt was fun to read something from Frances' POV, although the placement of this in the series was a bit weird to me. I understood it in that Ellison and Grace were in Europe between books 1 and 2, but this also really felt like a book that was written well into the series (as it was). Didn't take away from my enjoyment, but just was definitely evident that it was not written sequentially....more
Two notes on this one: (view spoiler)[(1) I liked Karma and how she was integrated here (I hope we see her more), but I also think the way 3.5/5 stars
Two notes on this one: (view spoiler)[(1) I liked Karma and how she was integrated here (I hope we see her more), but I also think the way the past between her and Anarchy was explained was weird and not handled especially well by Anarchy. I also couldn't tell how well they supposedly knew each other. At times it seemed like they knew each other very well, and it times it seemed like their paths had only crossed briefly. Just seemed odd and at times inconsistent. (2) The resolution of the murder plot here was a bit lacking. (hide spoiler)]
That said, I am already reading the next one so you know... still very fun....more
I finished this a few days ago and can't remember a ton that I wanted to say about it. Generally I liked this. I really liked Seraphina and3.5/5 stars
I finished this a few days ago and can't remember a ton that I wanted to say about it. Generally I liked this. I really liked Seraphina and was glad to see her settle things with her father and get everything she deserves....more
On the one hand, this kind of relationship between two characters who have known each other a long time is exactly the kind of story that can be handlOn the one hand, this kind of relationship between two characters who have known each other a long time is exactly the kind of story that can be handled in a novella. On the other hand, I thought the book needed to do a little bit more with Devin's history with his father, given the seriousness of the subject matter.
I do think something I'm realizing about myself is that right now in general, I don't love reading books about characters who are at this particular early stage of their lives. But still, overall this was a nice, easy read. I'd wanted to give this author another try after the first book in this series wasn't a big hit, and I'm glad I did....more
Very much enjoyed having all my favorites back together in this one. Mystery-wise, (view spoiler)[I can't say I was rooting for Clive and Miss ForrestVery much enjoyed having all my favorites back together in this one. Mystery-wise, (view spoiler)[I can't say I was rooting for Clive and Miss Forrest, but I did enjoy how it all came together. (hide spoiler)]...more
Another really good one in terms of both plot and romance. I loved the found family aspect of Josh, Maddie, and Josh's niece (whose name I unfortunateAnother really good one in terms of both plot and romance. I loved the found family aspect of Josh, Maddie, and Josh's niece (whose name I unfortunately don't remember, which is why I should not wait three plus weeks to write reviews! Bad call @ past me!!)....more
This was another really good one in terms of plot. I liked Sean and Hazel a lot too, and was really interested in Hazel's work and the effect it had oThis was another really good one in terms of plot. I liked Sean and Hazel a lot too, and was really interested in Hazel's work and the effect it had on her was handled....more
Plot-wise this was definitely one of my favorites and I ultimately really liked both characters, but I almost DNFed this given the backstory of the roPlot-wise this was definitely one of my favorites and I ultimately really liked both characters, but I almost DNFed this given the backstory of the romantic relationship. I'm glad I did keep reading because the plot here is so interconnected to future books, but I really couldn't get past the choice for the characters' backstory....more
So here's the thing. This is probably a three star book. It's not my favorite of Callaway's, but it was also fine most of the time. That's how I feel So here's the thing. This is probably a three star book. It's not my favorite of Callaway's, but it was also fine most of the time. That's how I feel about this series in general compared to the rest of this interconnected universe.
But here's the other thing. (view spoiler)[It's 2024, and I just don't have any patience for a man is falsely accused of rape storylines. Now, granted, this was brief and it was easily resolved. The woman who wrote the letter accusing the hero of rape was a woman ~20-ish (more on that in a minute) years older than him, who was the matriarch of the family he worked for. When the hero was about 16, the woman seduced him and blackmailed him into continuing the relationship against his will. That's rape alright, but in the year 2024, that's called statutory rape.
Now, the heroine at first is incredibly betrayed hearing these accusations because she has set up an entire business trying to help women get out from bad or dangerous situations. After she breaks it off with the hero, she and a friend realize that the woman accusing him of this must have been much older than him, his employer, and someone who took advantage of him based on their relative ages and status. So the heroine doesn't think that the hero is a rapist for very long, and at least in this case, there's a very easy way to refute the accusations, which were, of course, made by the actual rapist/abuser in this case.
But, as I said before: it's 2024, and my tolerance for this is less than zero. So my rating is one star.
OH, and about the whole age of the woman in question. When this abuse supposedly started, the hero was 16 and the woman who abused him was 32. But the book also said that the woman had a son, and he was two years older than the hero. Which would make the son 18 at that time, and that means his mother gave birth to him at 14. That seems... like probably not what Callaway intended. Or maybe she did. But I think if she did mean that, she probably should have made it obvious that this was what she meant. The son in question was the legitimate heir to the earldom, so the woman would have had to have been married before he was born, too.
I really liked Isabel and Alec. I think generally this one worked pretty well, but knocking off a little bit for (view spoiler)[them not re3.5/5 stars
I really liked Isabel and Alec. I think generally this one worked pretty well, but knocking off a little bit for (view spoiler)[them not realizing the terrible local cop was in on it and leaving Isabel in the cop's custody when it was obviously going to go very badly. There were also a few plot points that felt like they might have been intentional red herrings, but I wasn't quite sure. Maybe I just think the ultimate motivation for the bad guys was not quite well enough set up. (hide spoiler)]
You can also tell that Night Hawk was written a few years after this, even though it's first in time. ...more
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