Short Take Reviews: The Novella Edition

 

Coming Home by Kennedy Ryan

Tropes: second chance, HBCU

Kennedy Ryan is in a league of her own. While this novella didn't necessarily pack the emotional punch of her full-length novels, Ryan still managed to create characters that felt fully-developed and realistic. Touré and Niomi were friends in college but the timing was never right for something more. Years later, reunited for homecoming week, their chemistry is simmering and both are wondering if their time has finally come. With a delicious one-that-got-away vibe, and stellar narration, I listened to this one with a permanent smile on my face.           4 stars

False Start by Piper Rayne

Series: Kingsmen Football #0.5

Tropes: college/new adult, 

When studious Shayna was asked to tutor quarterback Lee, neither of them expected to click. Shayna had long nursed a crush on the college football star, while Lee was drawn to shy, bookish Shayna. It was sweet to watch as their friendship turned into a relationship. Unfortunately, a crass bet made with his friends/teammates backfired spectacularly and ended things almost before they started. It's worth noting that there is no HEA here and this novella is very much a set up for the first full-length novel in the series (You Had Your Chance, Lee Burrows). 3.75 stars 

Out of Sight by Giana Darling

Series: The Fallen Men #0.5

Tropes: motorcycle club, insta-love

Tayline was a free spirit who found herself in a perilous situation. When a biker stepped in to help her, violence erupted and both their lives took a turn into dangerous territory. I picked up this prequel before starting Lessons in Corruption, the first full-length novel in The Fallen Men series. I didn't know what to expect, it being my first by Giana Darling, but what I got was an over-the-top story right out of crazy town. lol I get that it's fiction, but the events were so crazy that I just rolled my eyes and went with it. <highlight to view spoiler> I mean, right after a violent shoot-out, with bodies, blood, and broken glass everywhere, the two main characters were so turned on they stopped to have sex right there amidst all the carnage. As one does. 😉 Still, it was a good time and had me curious enough to pick up the first book in the series.  3.75 stars

Evermore by Corinne Michaels

Series: Salvation #5.5

Tropes: second chance romance, damaged hero

When Gretchen is left at the altar, she makes some drastic changes in her life, including moving to Virginia Beach and accepting a job at Cole Security. She finds herself working side by side with childhood friend/crush, Ben. The former nerdy kid who was bullied is now a broody former Navy SEAL. They both have to overcome past hurts and insecurities to find happiness together. I love a childhood-friends-to-lovers story so this should have been a hit for me. Maybe this would have worked better as a full-length novel, but I didn't feel all that invested in Gretchen and Ben. Overall this novella didn't add much to the series, but it was great to get more time with the whole Cole Security gang. 3.5 stars 

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Short Take Reviews: Point of Origin (Rebecca Yarros) and A Greene Family Summer Bash (Piper Rayne)

POINT OF ORIGIN

by Rebecca Yarros

Legacy series #0.5

Pub date: March 6, 2016

When Rebecca Yarros recently announced a full-length novel in the Legacy series coming in April 2022, I knew immediately I wanted to read the two prequel novellas and introduce myself to the Legacy world and characters.

The town of Legacy was wiped out by a fire that took the lives of 18 of its hotshot firefighting team. Among them, the fathers of Emmerson and Sebastian. Years later, Sebastian has left the town, and Emmerson, without a word, leaving Emmerson hurt, angry, and broken-hearted. When he returns with a plan to put together a new Legacy hotshot team, he faces an uphill battle - with the town, and with Emmerson.

This was an absorbing story of second chances and redemption. I’m always a sucker for characters who don’t deny their feelings but still cannot be together due to other circumstances, which was very much the case with Emmerson and Sebastian (Bash). As interested as I was in their relationship, I think I was even more invested in the overall story of the town, its rise from the ashes (quite literally), and especially the hotshot firefighters. I’m excited to continue the series. 3.5 STARS

A GREENE FAMILY SUMMER BASH

by Piper Rayne

Greene Family series #3.5

Pub date: July 27, 2021

What a great time this was! I love returning to the Greene family and their every-expanding clan. This novella takes place on the day of the Greene’s annual summer get-together and the gang is all there (even pro football player Xavier, in his first appearance in the series). I enjoyed the multiple points of view, the glimpse at characters that I already know and love, and the hints at what’s to come with the other siblings.

While Nikki is still a character that I don’t really warm to (girlfriend is seriously self-absorbed), I loved the chapters for Chevelle, Mandi, Fisher, Cade, and all the others. The set-up for Jed’s story was probably my favorite aspect. He was dealt quite a shock at the end of the last book and it’s obvious he’s not handling the new life changes well. I’m so excited that the next book in the series is his story.

I was hooked on this small-town, big extended family series from the prequel novella and I’ve enjoyed each and every entry since. While each book does focus on one couple, the whole meddling, supportive, loving Greene family is always included. I’m glad there are so many siblings since that means plenty more books to come. 3.5 STARS

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Short Take Reviews: The Novella Edition | Alpha and Omega, The Warlord Wants Forever, Magic in the Wind

  

I was recently in the mood to read some paranormal/urban fantasy and decided to pick up the prequel novellas to several series. All were available though my library's Overdrive app (two on audio and one ebook) so it was easy to give these series a test drive without committing to full-length novels. The results were decidedly mixed. Read on to find out my thoughts.

ALPHA AND OMEGA
Patricia Briggs

Series: Alpha & Omega #0.5

Anna Latham never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the Chicago pack, she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But when she discovers wrongdoing in her pack, she has to go above her Alpha's head to ask for help.

Charles Cornick is the son — and enforcer — of the leader of the North American werewolves. Now his father has sent him to Chicago to clean up a problem there. Charles never expected to find Anna, a rare Omega wolf — and he certainly never expected to recognize her as his mate...

*****

This series was recommended to me when I mentioned I was looking for an urban fantasy series along the lines of The Others by Anne Bishop. I was drawn into this story from the start. Anna is in a precarious position and that’s only exacerbated when she makes a call that brings Charles into her life. It was so interesting to learn about the pack hierarchy and the machinations that were going on behind the scenes. And I'm definitely curious about The Marrock, the leader of all the packs in North America. The instant connection between Charles and Anna was a little hard to go with but I get the feeling that the mated thing is pretty common in shifter stories. At roughly 70 pages, there was only so much that could happen, but I’m curious to see where this story goes. This felt like a really good introduction to a series that could be addictive.

Rating: 3.5

Will I Continue the Series: Definitely

THE WARLORD WANTS FOREVER

Kresley Cole

Series: Immortals After Dark #0.5

The Warlord
Nikolai Wroth, a ruthless vampire general, will stop at nothing to find his Bride, the one woman who can “blood” him, making his heart beat and filling him with strength. Coldly interested only in the power his Bride will bring, he can hardly believe when Myst the Coveted awakens him body—and soul.

The Seductress
Famed throughout the world as the most beautiful Valkyrie, Myst has devoted her life to protecting a magical jewel and to fighting the vampires. Wroth provides her with the perfect opportunity to torment her sworn enemy—for with his new heartbeat comes a consuming sexual desire that can only be slaked by her. Denying him, she flees, struggling to forget his searing, possessive kiss.

The Hunt is on...
She eludes him for five years, but he has finally chased her to ground and stolen her enchanted jewel, giving him absolute power over her. Now that she’s his for the taking, he intends to make her experience first-hand the agonizing, unending lust she subjected him to for half a decade. Yet when Nikolai realizes he wants far more than vengeance from Myst and frees her, will she come back to him?

*****

I was a bit lost at the start of this one and it took me some time to kind of find my bearings in this world. The time period wasn’t made clear and I was certain at first that it was historical. When I finally realized the setting was in modern times I really had to shift my thinking. Beyond the initial confusion, I really enjoyed the world building. There were vampires, Valkyries, demons and more and it was interesting to figure out the specific lore and abilities. Wroth started off as cold and domineering but he came around. Myst was a character I never could get a handle on. I couldn’t figure her out – her motivations, her decisions, her end game - so that was a bit of a struggle. And the sex scenes were a little cringey. I know it’s sounding like I didn’t enjoy this one but overall, I really did. Novellas can be tricky anyway and setting up a new world in under 200 pages is even more so. But I was intrigued and I liked the apparent set-up for the characters featured in the first full-length novel.

Rating: 3

Will I Continue the Series: Maybe at some point

MAGIC IN THE WIND

Christine Feehan

Series: Drake Sisters #0.5

"Sarah's coming home."

Ever since Damon Wilder sought refuge in Sea Haven, he's heard the same breathless rumor pass the lips of nearly every local in the sleepy coastal town. Even the wind seems to whisper her name - a reverie so powerfully suggestive that it carries the curious Damon to Sarah's clifftop home, and seeks to shelter him there.

But Damon has not arrived alone. Two men have tracked him to Sea Haven, and into the shadows of Drake House, where Sarah hides her own secrets. And danger- as well as a desire more urgent than either has ever known- is just a whisper away...

*****

Oof. This just wasn't good. Everything about it felt  surface-level. The plot, the characters, everything. There were no explanations for anything. No background about the sisters, no background about Damon other than an extremely vague mention of a hush-hush government job that "bad guys" were willing to kill him over (which made no sense – since he was no longer working or developing anything what could possibly be accomplished by killing him?), and no explanation of the "magic" the sisters seemed to have.

Worst of all, there was no explanation for the insta-love between Damon and Sarah. I was told constantly about how strong their feelings were, but I couldn't understand why. They were virtual strangers and everything seemed to happen in matter of days. Very little was shared about the time they spent together, how they got to know one another, or where these intense feelings came from. It made no sense.

The big "prophecy" seemed to boil down to this: Sarah would fall in love with Damon because the gate unlocked for him. Yeah, that was it. That was the big prophecy. Pretty freaking weak as far as prophecies go. Having never read anything by Feehan before, I don't know if this was not her best, or if this is just her style. Either way, it really wasn't for me. 

Rating: 2

Will I Continue the Series: Not a chance

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