Review: Beautiful Ugly

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Definitely went in a direction I wasn't expecting.

An author's wife goes missing, and a year later his chronic writer's block sees him retreat to a secluded island to try and finish his book. But not everything on this island is as it seems ...

A fun start but I must confess, I did not like Grady from the beginning. He struck me as arrogant and petulant, but I suppose that was the point. As strange things begin to happen, you kind of feel like he deserves it a bit, so it's an interesting perspective. He definitely rubbed me the wrong way!

The pace is solid, with plenty of strange occurrences and moments that keep you guessing. Characters are unique, though they're relatively familiar.

I think its weakness lies in its conclusion, as it all seemed a little far-fetched to me. I wanted better explanations, and this let me down.

Still, a twisty thriller that will keep you guessing, and an easy read. Crime fans should still enjoy it.

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Review: Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Why, WHY is this terrible book beloved???

Firstly, let me be clear. I perfectly understand that everyone being horrible was the point. I'm not an idiot. I also don't totally hate the notion of a love story between two despicable people (see second star).

For me, my biggest issue was how long and pointless it began to feel.

This book was constantly advertised to me as the pinnacle of gothic romance - an epic love story for the ages. But there was nothing epic here at all - it's two people who love each other but hate everyone around them and make themselves, each other, and everyone else miserable.

It's also twice as long as it needs to be, with the second part really being a sad echo of the first. Again, I can see the intention to have this be a clever redux with small yet significant differences, but that didn't mean I enjoyed reading all the same boring happenings again.

Not to mention that I couldn't understand a damn word out of Joseph's mouth.

There is some small pleasure in loathing these characters, and that also contributes to the second star I offer. I don't believe a book that focuses entirely on despicable people is necessarily bad. For me, the real crime was just in how dull the thing was. It essentially amounts to 300-odd pages of mean name-calling and metaphorical hair-pulling. There are numerous treks back and forth between the properties, wandering the moors, etc. but there's very little to note beyond births, deaths and general horridness.

Credit where credit is due - there are some truly despicable acts that do entertain with their scandalous nature. But on the whole, not nearly enough to make this book stand out for that reason, either.

I don't know how much sense this will make, but if lukewarm dishwater were a book, this would be it.

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Review: Bring Up the Bodies

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Well and truly hooked on this history, now! Brilliant, despite being so intimidating.

This is not an easy series, but it is incredibly rewarding. No matter how much effort I put into this review, it won't do it justice.

Mantel's writing will leave you scratching your head at times, but the richness of this story is, to me, unparalleled.

This second volume in the series sees the fall of Anne Boleyn, heavily instrumented by Thomas Cromwell. The man is a master of manipulation and here we get to see him really shine, with all his scheming and fingers on the pulse of everything.

It was much easier diving into this one, being already familiar with the writing style, but I still found I needed to have a clear head while reading because any word missed obscures any further meanings. Every word of this book seems essential, even when discussing something seemingly trivial.

I'll be real - I couldn't tell you half of the events that transpired in this book. I was swept up in semi-understanding, appreciating all the little moments as they related to the bigger picture. I think this is the kind of series that would be enhanced by a re-read, with more details sinking in on a second pass. As it was, I really enjoyed it but will freely confess that I really only understood about 80% of it. The politics are A LOT.

This is not light fare, but is fascinating both in content and delivery. I'm really enjoying learning about this period of history in such detail, and I'm oblivious of enough of it that I'm curious as to how the series will conclude.

A book for the deep thinkers and great appreciators of historical fiction; for those who love challenging wordplay and richly developed characters. Not one for those who want a fast pace, but absolutely worthwhile for those who don't mind lingering in a particular period and mulling over the intricate details.

Read as part of the Wolf Crawl slow read with Footnotes & Tangents

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Review: The Cinnamon Bun Book Store

The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

THIS IS NOT A COSY BOOKSHOP BOOK!

This is romance 100% and the cover is a CON.

I thought this would be a cute lil mystery about books, with a side of soft romance.

WRONG.

This is explicit and made me more uncomfortable than Sarah J Maas ever did.

Cute loser librarian uses hot playboy for fun summer, explicit sexual activity ensues.

There is no mystery, no clue chasing - no dead bodies or anything! What the heck!

I was fooled by the cover and I've never blushed harder. Goodness.

So yeah I guess if you like romance this'll get your rocks off but if you want a cosy bookish mystery bring some pearls to clutch.

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Review: Days at the Torunka Café

Days at the Torunka Café by Satoshi Yagisawa
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Bit of a nothing book - sweet, simple, but nothing particularly gripping. A cosy little slice-of-life fare.

The story is divided into a few smaller stories, all centred around the titular cafe. They're pieces of lives that allow us to get to know a couple characters for a brief period of time, before moving on.

It was sweet enough a read but mostly forgettable. Moments that mostly make you think about life and whether you're making the most of it.

This is another book that was outside my usual, and I don't think I'd bother with a sequel. It was okay but just not enough to drive interest or stand out as unique.

Perhaps one for readers who want to slow down and remember to not let life pass by too quickly.

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Review: The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol. 1: The Faust Act by Kieron Gillen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fun idea, but disappointingly vague in execution.

From the get-go, this is a confusing mess.

12 gods come back every 90 years, live for 2 years as rock stars, then die and have to wait another 90 years. That's the basic premise.

So we begin with a rock concert, and then next minute people are dying, there is chaos, and our protagonist nobody is suddenly best friends with the gods?

The action is all over the shop, making it way too hard to comprehend what's happening, and there seems to be zero character building at all - we're expected to just know who everyone is, how they relate to one another, and why they're important to the story. I had no clue about most of it.

As pretty as the artwork is, it doesn't really help out at all. There's no cohesion between the art and the dialogue, and no logic to the panels to help fill in the gaps.

I wanted so badly to like this, and even read the next five issues after this book, but it's just too much to wrap my head around. Which is a shame because the premise and the character designs work for me.

Fans of convoluted literature-type graphic novels that you have to unpick a line at a time might appreciate this one more, but you can't take this one at surface value and have it make sense.

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Review: On Mystic Lake

On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A bit cliche and predictable but still an enjoyable read.

I've been trying to broaden my genre horizons this year and read a few more things I wouldn't normally read - this was one of those.

Annie's life comes crashing down around her when her husband of twenty years confesses he's in love with someone else. Devastated, Annie returns to her childhood home of Mystic Lake, where she hopes to find the woman she lost so many years ago.

Everything about the story is predictable, but Annie is a likeable protagonist and a familiar figure as a mum who gives everything to everyone else and loses herself in the process. In Mystic Lake, Annie begins to remember the things she enjoys and it's nice to see her allow for her own growth.

Naturally, there's the local hottie she was in love with as a kid, and he's available but not without his own history and baggage.

There's plenty of character depth, and while there's nothing really original it's still a pleasant enough read. The characters are (mostly) likeable and you do root for Annie and those around her who deserve good things.

The pacing is fine, and while there's nothing too dramatic happening, there's still enough to keep it interesting. It's not my usual fare at all but I did quite enjoy reading it.

A sweet, coming-home kind of story, that will keep you entertained. It's nothing too special, but it also has enough depth to round it out into a solid story.

With thanks to NetGalley for a digital copy

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Review: The Makoto Murders

The Makoto Murders by Richard Jerram
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Narrated by David Lee Huynh
Presented by Dreamscape Media

Odd and uncomfortable, but fun for exactly that reason!

I get the Dexter comparisons - this book is told by a serial killer who just wants to be loved and admired again for his photography. Cannot see anything wrong with that, nor the stalking of a friend's ex-wife. Poor guy.

Obviously, he's a psychopath.

It's an interesting story because it's told from the point of view of this loathsome guy, who clearly can't see anything wrong with his very wrong actions. There's no sympathy, of course - just more this baffling understanding that, wow, this guy really has no idea he's awful??? As the story progresses, we learn more from his unreliable narration and form a better understanding of what drives him.

I liked reading from this perspective - it made things a lot more fun. At the same time, there's nothing to like about this guy and there's no sympathy for the victims by nature of the narration, so it feels a bit disappointing. It's hard to really enjoy a book when you don't like the main character.

The narrator did a great job differentiating between characters, and adding excitement to the delivery. Pace was decent and his voice was entertaining.

It didn't quite live up to my expectations, but it was still a fun crime story from the perspective of a killer, making it different to the normal fare. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't as gripping as I wanted it to be. Still, I'd recommend it for crime fans looking for a fresh perspective, and fans of Dexter in particular should appreciate it.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The Whisper

The Whisper by Chelsea Iversen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Beth Hicks
Presented by Sourcebooks Audio

Wow I actually loved this!

A classic small town mystery - four close friends; one dies, and 15 years later the other three come together to work out what really happened.

But now add a sprinkle of magic witches.

I know that's gonna rub some people the wrong way but I rather enjoyed it - it gave an interesting point of difference to an old, familiar story. This one delves more into the relationships between the girls and the mystery of what happened to Quinn, but the witchy element was a lot of fun and just added a dash of lightness that I felt made the characters more likeable.

The audio was great fun and the narrator was easy to listen to, though the three girls do sound very similar in delivery which can get confusing at times. The pace was perfect and inflection matched the story well. I'd happily listen to this narrator again.

It was exactly the kind of crime dose I needed, and I really enjoyed it. No spacing out on this one at all - I was hanging off every word! Highly recommend for crime fans looking for something a little more special.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Blacktail

Blacktail by Scott Hawkins
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A bizarre sort of story, but no less enjoyable because of it. Violent and intriguing, and certainly not for the squeamish.

Blacktail is a half-breed - a wolf/dog mix of unknown paternity. His journey is one of revenge, after experiencing betrayal at the hands of humans.

I really enjoyed this revenge story, but it is a little strange to adapt to quickly. We get a familiar animal vs human set up, but then the story mixes in the supernatural and we have to adjust our idea of everything. I didn't mind it at all, but I did find it a little jarring.

Blacktail does not hold back, leading to some violent incidents that put this book firmly in the horror category. At the same time, there's not a lot of atmospheric horror to hold the tension throughout, so the nature of the story changes as it goes. It's this that really held me back from embracing it fully. I enjoyed the idea, the incidents, and the gruesome nature of it, but some of the wandering in between left me a little disappointed and honestly? kind of bored.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I found the uniqueness of it to be quite attractive. It's such an unusual story, filled with fresh concepts and a unique breed of horror that has the reader questioning whether they're on the right side of the man vs nature divide. There's something quite special about murderous animals - at least to me, anyway.

So it's definitely worth a shot if you're looking for horror with an animal protagonist, and/or something a little different to the usual fare.

With thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC

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Review: Season of Fear

Season of Fear by Emily Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yes I rather enjoyed this one!

A dark fantasy inspired by Bavarian folklore, the story sees fearless Ilse journeying into the Hexenwald to find her fear, in order to slake the thirst of the Saint of Fear and, in doing so, save her sister, Thea.

Fascinating premise, and a fresh folk tale unlike others I've read. Ilse is an easy protagonist to like, despite her being ostracised by her village - her fearlessness makes her an outcast to them, but more appealing to us.

The concept of having no fear was really interesting to me, and I enjoyed reading about how she experienced situations that would cause most people fear. She still feels deep emotions, but more often its anger.

It did start to feel a little long towards the end, and I was mystified by the days spent in between events sometimes, as the urgency I felt wasn't matched by Ilse's actions. It did drag a little at these times so it did end up feeling a little long to me. Thankfully, though, it seemed to tidy up every loose thread.

There is of course a love story, too, but it's sweet and not explicit so I didn't mind it.

A solid dark fantasy with some fun moments and surprises. A fun story I highly recommend giving a go.

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Review: Riftborne

Riftborne by Bree Grenwich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had a lot of fun with this!

Finally a romantasy that remembered to include an exciting plot.

I really enjoyed the setup - could have done with out the romance (as always) but I liked the story and it's definitely left me wanting to know more. Very pleased the sequel is only a few weeks away!

A young woman with a terrible power she doesn't know how to control must team up with the Captain of the guards who needs her power to fight a terrible war against an enemy they don't understand.

That's the general vibe, and a familiar trope, but it's everything else that makes this more than just a romantasy.

Fia's friendships are a big part of the story and she's a loyal person who doesn't lose that suddenly because she's smitten. The relationships in this book are meaningful, well-founded and add a genuine likability to Fia in the way she treats those she cares for.

Also strong alchemy vibes which is always just fun for me. I love that kinda stuff in fantasy, the whole 'green' element of nature being such a big part of magic. In fact, everything about this book is 'green' in one way or another and it's my favourite colour so it appealed to me a lot in a very random, abstract kind of way. I don't know how to explain it, but 'green' is a word that describes this book. Read it and tell me I'm lying, I dare you. XD

General Ashford is the typical alpha male - in a position of power, best of the best, arrogant, strong and lordly etc with shirts that cling to his chiseled muscles. But again, once you get past the tropes there is an interesting character there - mostly in the way he interacts with others.

I do get bored reading the same romance plot again and again but this added a bunch of extra stuff I really enjoyed - the whole caste system, with Riftbornes being branded and treated as lesser was quite interesting to explore, and Fia's powers are fascinating. I also loved the concept of the Wraiths, and wanted to know so much more about them. I'll be reading the sequel mostly just to know more about this enemy.

This is definitely a book that sets things up for greater things to come, but I really enjoyed it. The characters are fun (though cliche), the setup is solid and the enemy is intriguing. Fans of romance will enjoy the pace of the relationship between Fia and Laryk, and fantasy fans will enjoy the world-building and hint of more to come. Mystery fans will be intrigued by the wraiths, and action fans will enjoy the blend of drama and the general pace of the novel.

A solid fantasy novel that romance fans should thoroughly enjoy. It's got a little bit of everything, and while it still relies on familiar tropes to push things along, it's also unique enough to sate the appetite of those looking for something fresh. Highly enjoyable and a recommendation for fantasy/romantasy fans.

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Review: Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A quirky, original sort of crime thriller.

An enjoyable read, though I did find the narrator insufferable at times and I was frustrated by the constant allusions to things to come. I hate spoilers with a passion so a book that goes out of its way to tell them really bugs me.

Ernest is a mystery writer arriving at something of a family reunion - located this year at an isolated ski resort. But as the title suggests, his is a family of killers, so when a body turns up in the snow, chaos ensues.

What follows is a mess of clues and red herrings, and Ernest is there to steer us wherever he likes as we go along. I didn't mind the humour, and in fact found it a fun, refreshing addition, but it feels almost like he's talking too much for you to be able to think about the mystery yourself. I guess it's not such a bad thing because it doesn't give you a lot of time to guess what will happen, but I did find it to be a little too much at times.

The mystery itself has so many elements to it, it's impossible to know what's relevant and what's not. I enjoyed trying to weed through it all but ultimately it was too much work to try and figure things out.

I enjoyed this enough that I'd happily read the next in the series, and I'd recommend it as a fresh take on the mystery/thriller genre for crime fans.

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Review: Exit Party

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can continue saying I love everything I've read from this author.

This was another beautiful story. Set a small jump into the future, we begin with a party that has too many people and finish once more with a strong desire to know more of this world.

Mandel has a special way of introducing a unique setting then focusing on how her characters interact with this setting. Once again, I loved getting to know these people and was desperate for any further morsels the author was willing to share. The characters intertwine so beautifully, and each story is its own precious moment.

The ideas in this book were beautiful, sad, tragic, heartwarming ... once again, a whole host of emotions that I was forced to feel and to continue mulling over now that the story has concluded.

Like all of Mandel's novels that I've read so far, this has some character overlap, though I didn't spot it so at least one re-read is in order. This overlap is one of my favourite things about her books, because it means when you're left yearning for more there IS more, in her other books.

Her writing style is candid, telling the story easily yet still evoking such incredible scenes. It's easy to digest what's happening and impossible to predict. There's plenty of symbolism, but some of it will really have you puzzling over what it means and if it does indeed mean anything at all.

This author's work is always hard to put into words, and while this story didn't grab me as intensely as some of her other work, I just really enjoyed the whole reading experience and how it made me feel. Definitely a stronger sense of this being a sci-fi story, but as always subtle and more focused on people than technology.

If you're a fan of her other work, this should be no different. Another wonderful story that will make you think and feel and yearn for more.

With thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC

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Review: JLA: A League of One: Deluxe Edition

JLA: A League of One: Deluxe Edition by Christopher Moeller
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fun Wonder Woman story backed up by an interesting yet ultimately confusing sci-fi tale about the JLA piloting mech units. Good bang for your buck if you get the two together in this edition, but the first story is really all you need.

A League of One: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this first story, Wonder Woman knows she's the only one who can save the world from a reawakened dragon, so she's gotta take out the members of the Justice League so they don't get in the way. It's a nice, simple story brought to life by gorgeous paintings. I loved studying these pages and just absorbing all the details. Beautifully rendered in such a way that you get this gorgeous fantasy story while still making it believable that the JLA are involved.

The gnomes are delightful, as are WW's two helpers. The colours are gorgeous, and the story is told well. A fun DC fantasy story.

Cold Steel: ⭐⭐

Generally terrible.

I liked it at first - beautiful artwork, and strange looking alien creatures. But as the story progressed it became increasingly difficult to hold the thread of what was happening and by the end I had no idea what had transpired.

A lot of work put into the mech designs for them to not really see a lot of logical action, and there was no clear reason they played such a role. It felt forced and as a consequence the story suffered.

Still gorgeous art, and I'd happily flick through just to marvel over the colours, but the story leaves a lot to be desired.


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Review: Songs of the Dead

Songs of the Dead by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Narrated by Jack Ayres
Presented by Bolinda Audio

Sanderson's name does more heavy lifting than the exceptionally bland story.

Honestly, I got bored with this at about 30% and the rest was just such a drag. I definitely zoned out a ton, so keep that in mind.

The story follows rocker Jack Solomon as he is introduced into a strange new world of music-magic, light-magic, and a whole bunch of dead people and stuff. *shrugs*

I was actually hooked by the premise - it sounded like a unique idea, and Sanderson is pretty good at creating fascinating magic systems. But this was messy. Music AND light AND dead people ... and a gratuitous amount of musical name drops. Layer upon messy layer of new ideas, new magic, new weapons and new people, and so many info-dumps I'm amazed I took any of it in at all.

This does not read like something from the mind of Sanderson. This reads like a book written by an aging musician who wants to convey the power of music in a new and interesting form while mentally reliving his own glory days. But those who aren't as musically-inclined will likely be alienated by the sheer volume of references, and it makes the book feel a little bit obnoxious. Jack strikes me as the kind of guy that would name an obscure band and then shame you for never having heard of them. Sanderson may have helped develop the magic but this strikes me very much as the pet project of Peter Orullian.

I might have given this an extra star if I'd read a physical copy and therefore followed the action a little better, but it just didn't interest me at all. The narrator does a fantastic job nailing a bunch of different accents but still somehow makes a handful of characters sound the same.

Did not expect him to sing to me, though; that was wild. Especially after every single other 'song' was spoken like bad poetry.

Overall it was an underwhelming urban fantasy that came across as arrogant rather than fun. I think perhaps a physical copy would deliver a little better, but the narrator does well with what he has to work with. If you're a metal head or big on urban fantasy with a musical twist, this might be for you. But don't pick this up based on Sanderson's name alone or you might be disappointed like I was.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: Wish You Were French

Wish You Were French by Elaelah Harley
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Oh dear.

Look, every now and then I take a chance on a genre I don't often read. I thought this might be a cute lil romance that would melt my icy heart a little - especially with my own love of French things - but sadly this was not for me at all.

I appreciate our Australian indie authors. They've got a tough gig, and I honestly really admire anyone who completes a book and then releases it into the wild world. Which makes it so much harder to write a negative review.

But this was just so trite, so full of stereotypes and dull maturity. In the real world, I LIKE when people have mature conversations and understand their own emotions and own up to their faults etc. But in a book it just means zero excitement. Where is the action???

Audrey was a painful character that I disliked from the beginning. She was obnoxious and rude and Theo falling for her instantly felt so forced to me. Theo himself is a little more bearable, but he's still over-the-top smug and annoying.

The writing is awful, with no real major plot points to make things interesting. Nothing of note really happens throughout the story, other than a kiss here and there to add 'spice'. The story is so bland and everything happens so awkwardly. The romance between the two never feels genuine, because there's no time taken to develop the characters before they're thrust together.

Plus the whole 'wish you were French' thing is basically non-existent?! Like she wants to move to France and she wears French-inspired outfits (aka berets) and that's kind of it on the French side? This has very little to do with the French way of life at all. I was very disappointed.

The side characters give some spark, but it's not enough to save this story.

I really wanted to like this, but everything about it was forced and awkward. Not to mention you can see everything coming from a mile away and the French theme is sadly lacking.

Maybe romance fans will appreciate this more than I did but it didn't have anything close to what I hoped for in a sweet lil romantic diversion.

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Review: Bad Influence

Bad Influence by Will Carver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Georgie Sadler and Nezar Alderazi
Presented by Bolinda Audio

Loved it!! An excellent, twisted story.

I loved the drama of this from the get-go, and how Alyssa and Less are always doing things that you want to mildly judge them for but also admire.

The fit-fluencer drama and the social media stuff was a really fun angle, but it also makes valid points about how staged some of these things are. I enjoyed that there was a deeper aspect to make the story important, while maintaining a fun, hectic veneer.

I would like to get a physical copy of the book - I feel like it would probably read better, with the social media posts. But that said, the narrators did a brilliant job and I really enjoyed listening to them tell this story. I'd happily listen to either (and this story!) again.

It was also just FUN. Funny, yes, but also adventurous and risky and a breath of fresh air in the serious world of crime fiction. I really enjoyed the whole VIBE of this book.

Really enjoyed it from start to finish, and I didn't zone out at all! Which is a big thing for me with audiobooks. This one captured and kept my attention throughout.

Highly recommend for fans of dark humour and crime fiction with a twist. This will likely sit better with younger readers who are more social-media savvy and understand some of the ins and outs of 'influencer' behaviour, but it should be a fun read for most.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: WE ARE MERIDIANS: BOOK ONE

WE ARE MERIDIANS: BOOK ONE by S. Ghali
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Could definitely have used a little more work, but it still held my interest. The writing is just kind of terrible.

This is another book that I requested back in 2019 from NetGalley, and never got around to reading. I can't say it was worth the wait, but it wasn't quite as terrible an experience as expected.

The plot is pretty simple - A bunch of Meridians (a technologically advanced offshoot of humans) have to go to earth to recover a weapon but they must do so with the help of an alien prince. Basically.

I'll be real - I don't remember all the random names at all, really. The Prince and our Meridian cadet, Elmyra, have to form an uneasy truce, encouraged by the civilian Effra. There's not a whole lot of characterisation so I was never particularly attached to the characters, though they still have their own individual quirks that will entertain the less picky.

Mercifully, the action rampages on so that the story progresses rapidly and we don't have to flounder in bad writing for too long. Though that's not particularly fair - it's not that the writing is bad, per se, it's more that it feels amateur and under-developed.

Basically, there's a lot of potential here for a great space opera, but it falls short due to the lack of polish.

I didn't totally hate it - I was happy to keep picking it up, and there weren't any dull moments. There are plenty of things that could easily have been expanded on, but as it is the story is not without its moments. Highly predictable, but still fun.

I think with further development this could be a really solid entry into an epic sci-fi series, but as it stands it doesn't quite get there. Still, it's entertaining enough for those who might find themselves with a copy.

With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC

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Review: The Boleyn Secret

The Boleyn Secret by Alison Weir
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Narrated by Rosalyn Landor
Presented by RB Media

DNF @ 66%

Bailing on this one. Just kinda bored with it! The historical stuff is interesting but Kate has become an incredibly dull character and there are exactly zero secrets here.

The story begins with Kate, niece to the queen Anne Boleyn, being sent to her side while Anne awaits death. What follows is an express lesson on the history of Henry VIII's wives and their various endings, with very little of note to report. Then it kind of devolves into Kate's personal life which is dull as dishwater, and by the time I gave up it was starting to veer into the topic of religious unrest.

I just stopped caring for anything, and realised it was not something I was excited to keep listening to. The narrator does a decent job but the content just doesn't have a lot going for it.

With a title suggestive of a big secret, this had nothing that wasn't easily predictable and immediately brushed to the side in favour of other issues. Incredibly disappointing on that front, and a dire lack of secrets anywhere else in the book.

It does give a crash course in history at the time, so fans of historical fiction may get a kick out of that aspect. But the story itself doesn't have enough to draw you in and make you really feel anything for anyone. I don't know that I could recommend it for anything other than the historical points of interest.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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