Ela > Recent Status Updates

To be frank, this feels much more cringey than cute or romantic. Characters are barely characters. So far it feels like a wash-out copycat of Winston Brothers by Penny Reed or Bootleg Springs by Lucy Score (the latter was actually released a year later than Vincent).
I hope the second half is gonna be better :)

Either something is wrong with me or with the novel because I am labouring through this and can't wait to be over with this book *helpless shrug*.

Hmmm, no, so far this feels rather bland. I will definitely finish it, the reviews are great and everything, but I am not sure this is my cup of tea...

Slightly annoyed with the main character and the high-school dynamics that was so far presented in the stereotypical teenage rom-com way (mean girls, cat fights, popular vs unpopular kids) – but it's getting better. I wish there were more chapters from Jake's POV though.

So far so good. I like the main characters a lot and the heroine's friends. The secret villain has evilness written on their forehead. (I hope that the OTP will figure them out). This is my first Lucy Score novel and I like what I've read so far. I hope she doesn't have a fondness for stupid misunderstandings and avoidable crises. (fingers crossed)

So far this has been the most enjoyable Ravenel book for me. So funny too! I hope the last portion won't let me down.

I don't know, so far it feels so very bland and superficial....Also, the banter is good but it's unnecessarily mean sometimes. Hmmm, hopefully the rest will be better.

Wow, this is deliciously sex-positive <3.

Don't read this at work they said. But did I listen? No, of course I didn't. Now I am reading this at work and giggling like crazy.

"But then Susan Elizabeth Phillips's 'The Romance and the Empowerment of Women' in 'Dangerous Men, Adventurous Women' demonstrates just how very subjective the reader experience can be. Phillips argues that Old Skool romance novels portray the heroines giving as good as they get [...] Phillips sees the Old Skool romances as empowering [...]"

Me: Well, that explains a LOT about SEP's writing...

Look, I am all for "friendship turned into love" trope but he kissed her without her permission twice already and it's getting on my nerves.

I am not sure I like Jane but I think I'll like Zachary well enough.

Damaris just gave Freddy's parents dressing-down of a century and it was magnificent. #hatinggamefeels

I originally wanted to start reading Merridew Sisters by the same author but the premise of Chance Sisters sounded more intriguing, so I went with that series first. And I have to say, so far so good, I love the "girls stick together" trope and there's also a charming old unladylike "Aunt" :).

Why can't the two main characters just cooperate in the investigation? Hmmm...

I have a hard time with this writing style and I can't help but feeling that some editing would be advisable, but the set-up is intriguing.

So, I am at 60% and I laughed for the first time. Naturally, at the West's line.

I was really looking forward to this couple, the beginning was great but now I'm getting a bit bored...hopefully the story will pick up.

The Princess Bride reference. Nice.

I always enjoy good family dynamics and this book has it. Cerise's family meddling is to die for!

She liked him. The beautiful girl with eyes like black fire wanted him. [...] She should have never let him know, but now he’d figured it out and it was too late. He’d have to stalk her, he decided. Carefully and patiently. He would bring her flowers, swords, and whatever else she liked, until he was sure when he pounced, she wouldn’t want to run away.

scene from the court room: “...Cerise Mar voiced a polite and a nonviolent request that they get the hell off our land, which was refused.”
Dobe peered at Cerise. “And you let it go why?”
Cerise rose. “We’re a peaceful family, and we let the court handle our disputes.”
The spectators guffawed. Dobe cracked a smile. “Come again?”
“They had rifles and we had riders,” Cerise said.

I am really struggling with this. I have a hard time relating to either Roscoe or Simone and Roscoe's flashbacks are getting on my nerves. But my biggest issue is that it's set 5(!) years after book #4. Which means it contains some spoilers for Cletus and Jenn's series AND Billy and Claire are still not together here!!!

The description says that this short story delivers an "unlikely couple" from the Winston Brothers series. I can now confirm that it fulfills this promise XD.

The boy is so smitteeen XD. I love this.