Camila, the Opinionated Catruler

“They can keep their heaven. When I die, I'd sooner go to middle Earth.” ― George R. R. Martin

I like things. Sometimes they are the same kind of things. Sometimes I'm in a mood and like things I don't usually like. Sometimes I hate things. Sometimes I'm not sure how I feel about things. But, no matter what, I'm always honest about it.

0% - 26% - 52%

Catching Jordan - Miranda Kenneally

 

0% - I'm sick and not looking forward to think. Let's hope I like this even though I have a legendary hate for sports.

 

26% - Please, please tell me her best friend from childhood is not unrequitedly in love with her. This book is so full of stereotypes, and that would be one too many.

 

52% - Is Ty the love interest? Or is it Henry? Who the fuck knows.

I liked the previous ones better.

Crash into You - Katie McGarry

In spite of the facts that it was insta-love; Isaiah not only wasn't my type of guy, he also didn't bring anything new to the table; Rachel's unwillingness to stand up for herself made me want to punch things sometimes; they were cheesy as fuck from the moment they laid eyes on each other; and the petname 'angel' is tacky, I (mostly) got only enjoyment out of this. Katie McGarry somehow made me end up liking cars talk, corny banter, and an extremely overprotective love interest.

My best guess on why I didn't hate this is that I love the development every single character in the book goes through. That's what makes McGarry one of my favorite authors. Things never end the way the started. It all gradually changes, morphs into something new and, sometimes, better.

One complaint I do have is how things always seem to solve themselves with a trip to the hospital. While I'm not above some accidents or eventful disasters to make the plot move, I do love to see the characters I've been rooting for a whole book stand up and fight for their happily ever after, not just come to an understatement in scrubs or a wheelchair. With all do respect for all the enjoyment is brings me, it makes it feel cheap.

Overall, your usual Katie McGarry in which middle upper class person, who somehow feels out of place in her/his world, meets orphan or someone who wished they were orphans, and they fall madly in love while they become who they truly were meant to be. And Mrs Collins helps one or both of them somehow along the way, because she's cool and disturbingly helpful like that.

I love Katie McGarry, alright.

Red at Night - Katie McGarry

 

 Typical Katie McGarry. Absolutely loved it. I mean, the character development she managed in 84 pages was just, wow. And I think I'm in love with Stella's hair.

I wanted more.

Fifty First Times: A New Adult Anthology - Julie Cross, J Lynn, Molly McAdams, Sophie Jordan

 

 I read only J. Lynn's story from her Wait for You series. To be honest, I think Ollie and Brit could (and should) have had a full novella. A book would have made it too dramatic, but some more chapters would have made it much better and less abrupt.

It just felt fake.

The Viscount Who Loved Me - Julia Quinn

So... The Viscount Who Loved Me. The name itself is a spoiler, I believe. Because Anthony is so fucking sure he can control whether he falls in love or not, and Kate just bloody knows no man, especially a handsome and rakish Viscount, could ever fall in love with her. And so it begins, as I eye roll for the first but not last time.

But let's be fair. I have never and probably never will claim not to be able to enjoy a cheesy, stereotypical and predictable romance. Sometimes I just do, and that's more than fine by me. I really do like liking things, whether or not they're "good quality". There are many things I don't particularly like feeling, but if a book gets me involved, even if that means hating with a fierce passion, it's doing its job.

Now, in my humble opinion, there are two things one should not feel while reading a book, novella, short story or any written work meant to entertain in any way, rather than strictly inform. Those two things are nothing or disbelief.

Feeling nothing is simply boring and forgettable. I used to think this was the worst imaginable thing that could happen to me while reading a book, but it's actually the worst for the author. If I'm completely underwhelmed by something, I put it aside and go on with my life.

The real problem is when I don't believe something, when I can practically see the author writing it. The story doesn't have to be realistic, it has to feel real. Even if you couldn't care less about it, a story you can picture is better than one that feels forced. And here I found my issue(s) with The Viscount Who Loved Me, which I'll address in five sections.

KATE

I can understand Kate's personality. I can understand, even if it is annoying, how unimpressive Kate feels next to her outstanding sister. Her self-pity, her necessity to be strong, her alleged selflessness. What I can't bring myself to understand, least of all believe, is her prejudice.

Kate hates Anthony Bridgerton before even meeting him. She hates him for his rakish ways, which she knows about because Lady Whistledown writes about them. She literally doesn't know anything else about him because she lives in the countryside and meets him at her first season.

All I'm saying is that Lizzie at least confused Darcy's inability to talk to new people and shyness for snobbishness (more than the average Darcy snobbishness, that is). Kate doesn't even get one look at Anthony and she's already making plans to avoid him and get him away from her sister. And, while I do love Kate's protectiveness towards Edwina and their relationship in general, here it went to a stupid level I could not possibly get.

Overall, Kate's feelings towards Anthony felt forced. Even when she does realize she's in love, I just wasn't convinced. Yes, I had the reasons why she supposedly has found her other half, but it felt like a bad acting with a poor screenplay.

ANTHONY

To be honest, I'm fairly new to the HR genre. I'm not an expert by any means, so all my judgment comes from my little experience, but for a rake, Anthony was rather unoriginal and boring. Plus, his humor was as amusing and natural as Patch Cipriano's one-liners. (If you don't know who he is, lucky you.)

Alright. It also didn't help that I read Kleypas' Wallflowers series right before this and I kept comparing Anthony to Lord Westcliff and St. Vincent. Because somehow Anthony Bridgerton manages to be the worst mix of those two amazing characters.

THE TRAUMAS

Yes, this has its own section. Why? Because Anthony and Kate's daddy and mommy issues (respectively) took up half of the book. Anthony was all like, "BEES! MORTALITY! I WILL NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH! AHHHHHHHHHH!" And then Kate went something like, "RAIN! THUNDERS! LIGHTNING! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Julia Quinn told me about their pain ALL THE TIME, but I never once felt it. Maybe it could have made a good argument, but the execution wasn't believable.

THE ROMANCE, THE SEX

Both were dull and seemed rehearsed. Since I'm not into erotica and I wasn't attached to the characters, the smut was utterly boring. I literally fell asleep during a sex scene and skimmed through the rest.

Although, it was kind of funny when they fought. Before they became pussies and regretted it, that is.

THE WRITING

Here I declare myself completely inexperienced and uninformed for a lot of people's standards, yet this is how it felt for me.

There is nothing wrong with Quinn's writing. For a contemporary or futuristic story it would be more than decent. But for a story set in the 19th century, it was distracting. It is clear that this is a contemporary writer writing a historical book. Usually I wouldn't particularly mind (I didn't in The Duke and I), but I was honestly, truthfully, intensely taken aback by it. I'm not sure how to describe it. All I know is that I didn't feel like I was in the English Regency. It was more like 21st century, possibly in the USA.


Having said all that, I did give the book two and a half stars, didn't I? I attribute that to the Bridgerton family, the Bridgerton Pall Mall and the mystery of Lady Whistledown*. For all those reasons I will continue with the series since most of my friends didn't really love this installment either. The next one promises to be way better, even though the Cinderella trope tends to get on my nerves, in a bad way.

DNF AT 31%

Flirting with Disaster  - Ruthie Knox

 

 There's nothing I actually dislike, it's just that I don't give a shit what happens next. Maybe I'd have ended up liking it, but right now it feels like a complete waste of time. It's just too small town for my personal taste.

12% - 33%

Devil in Winter - Lisa Kleypas

 

12% - “It’s not a love match. It’s a marriage of convenience, and there’s not enough warmth between us to light a birthday candle. Get on with it, if you please. Neither of us has had a proper sleep in two days.”
“I don’t like ye,” the blacksmith announced.
St. Vincent regarded him with exasperation. “Neither does my bride-to-be. But since that’s not going to stop her from marrying me, it shouldn’t stop you either.”

 

33% - "Morality is only for the middle classes, sweet. The lower class can’t afford it, and the upper classes have entirely too much leisure time to fill."

How to offend four fandoms with one photo.

Reblogged from Derrolyn Anderson:

Reblogged from Derrolyn Anderson:

86%

The Deep End of the Sea - Heather Lyons

 

 Did he just say... daughter?

True story.

Reblogged from Derrolyn Anderson:

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Halfway to the Grave - Jeaniene Frost

 

 “Why does your mom hate foreigners so much?”

 How to explain?

 “My father was... English. He date-raped my mother so... she's hated Englishmen ever since. You know my boyfriend's English, and I'm, uh, I'm half English, which she's never been real happy about. If she finds out I'm dating someone English, she'll, ah, think I' turning my back on her and becoming... a foreigner.”

236 of 358

Halfway to the Grave - Jeaniene Frost

 

I have never read about a character that embarrassed her/himself as much as Cat. I swear, it's killing me.


216 of 358

Halfway to the Grave - Jeaniene Frost

 

 Spade straightened and smiled. "Baron Charles DeMortimer. At your service."

 

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Halfway to the Grave - Jeaniene Frost

 

"Don't kiss me like a woman if you're going to treat me like a child."


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Halfway to the Grave - Jeaniene Frost

 

 Cat's mother telling her that she has a monster inside herself.