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Beth

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Beth is Currently Reading

Beth is currently reading

Love Is Magic

by Grae Bryan (Goodreads Author)

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— May 08, 2026 08:33PM

May 07, 2026 08:58PM

Beth is currently reading

Police Brutality (Hazard and Somerset: A Union of Swords, #2)

by Gregory Ashe (Goodreads Author)

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Reading for the 2nd time

read in April 2020

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Beth said: " The crime story is great, the relationship? Not so much

3.5 stars...I have to start by saying I have been a big fan of this series, read them all, then listened to them all, and then re-read them. But this one really bothered me a lot.

Starting with t The crime story is great, the relationship? Not so much

3.5 stars...I have to start by saying I have been a big fan of this series, read them all, then listened to them all, and then re-read them. But this one really bothered me a lot.

Starting with the positives, the crime story is great. Suspenseful, twisty-turny, red herrings galore. Certain elements I have no doubt most readers will figure out long before Hazard does, other elements a little before Hazard does. Some of a reader’s ability to figure it out will be based on their own personal experience (no spoilers) and adding things up. But I’d say most readers should have it figured out by the time of the reveal. This is not a critique. I love it when an author doesn’t make it easy but makes sure all the pieces have been revealed. I’m never a fan of those mysteries where key clues were never part of the story. There are pieces of the puzzle that are never explained though which is annoying. And man, this has to be one of the worst police departments ever. Strange that Cravens would still have her job with everything that has happened in the past year! I’d give that part of the story four and a half stars.

However the relationship between the MCs is really problematic for me in this book. I’ve mentioned some of these issues in previous reviews but I thought we’d moved past them. But man, in this book I was practically cheering for them to break up. They do not respect each other, they are mean and intentionally hurtful, they don’t know each other as they claim to. It’s just awful. Plus a lot of it is repetitive from earlier books. They were supposed to have learned and grown. No evidence of it here. Both of them are to blame but Somers ticked me off more than Hazard did. Yes, there are places in the book that we get explanations and rationalizations for their behavior. Yes, we get inner psyche examination. But it just didn’t work for me this time. It’s old, it’s repetitive and it’s seriously unhealthy.

And Somers’ new frat bro partner has the maturity level of a middle schooler. I just wanted to reach into the book and throat punch him. So that whole portion of the book rated two stars.

The crime ending is a bit anti-climactic. The personal relationship element is much better and sweet by the end. A bit of tables turning.

I’m still on the Hazard and Somerset band wagon but I’m really hopeful the interpersonal dynamics improve dramatically in book three because I don’t think I can read any more of the relationship elements that border on abusively dysfunctional. There are only so many times I can read the same fight/insult/maim/makeup sex routine. ...more "

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(89%)
— May 08, 2026 08:33PM

Apr 13, 2020 02:12PM · see review