Well, actually it's 11:13pm on my side now but anyway, it is time for a book review today!
*rubs hands together with glee*
While cracking my head with what to write for my latest book review, I realized I had a number of (well, let's say, eight?) books rotting in my e-book, so I just grabbed this one to re-read. Besides, since I'd finished A Hunger Like No Other just recently, why not welcome another werewolf-related book?
Like I have reiterated again and again, there are just some covers that should not see the light of day.
This is one of them.
I would have understood if they were trying to be subtle. But what's up with the jeans, man!? Were you taking it off, then decided to stop in the middle? (now I can't even type this with my brother around!) AND WHY DID YOU CUT OFF HIS FACE!?
[Synopsis]
Spice Monroe has nothing except the clothes on her back when she returns to Chicago in an attempt to reunite with her twin sister, Sugar. (We need to deal with this name thing.) She's not exactly excited about the fact that her sister has been banging a vampire, despite the fact that vamps are 'legal citizens' in the country. Then, she meets Eric, once the nerd-next-door, now all grown up into a man she'd simply love to snuggle with in bed -- and all it takes to get her flustered is a smile of his.
Eric Turner is still a nerd at heart, just that he's become much, much hotter than he previously was. He's given up hope of ever seeing Spice, the girl he was in love with when they were younger, again. And yet, when she returns, all his feelings he had now come rushing back... lust included. But the road to true love was never easy, and reality will rear its ugly head yet again -- he's actually a werewolf looking for his mate, and he thinks he's found her.
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Overall rating: 2 / 5
Well, for starters, when I first saw the page count of 79 on my e-book screen, I was a little taken aback. I thought I had been cheated or something. I'm usually accustomed to novels of about 300-400 pages long, so this is was a breeze to read. That being said, when a story is this short, there isn't much room for character development or lots of interesting things to happen to keep my attention whatsoever. I only took an hour or so to finish this book, and it didn't exactly satisfy me. It was too predictable and cliched -- I knew what was going to happen one way or another. Humans will grow old; werewolves don't. (Actually, I can't tell from this book either, because it was never fully explained). Of course we all know that romance novels are 99% happy endings, but come on! At least make us guess!
Oh, even though this is the second book in the Vanguards series, the first being The Omegas, it can be read as a stand-alone book, no problem. I didn't read The Omegas myself (and I don't plan to). However it would provide some background knowledge for the character of Eric Turner and how he came to be the Alpha of the pack.
The book claimed at the very beginning that there would be graphical sexual content. YAY was my first reaction of course. However, as the book progressed, I found myself getting less and less enthusiastic. I've read my fair share of romance books, and the sex and sexual tension particularly fell below my expectations. I would probably have been okay with it if the claim had been absent, but they just had to put it there! The sex was mediocre at best -- it was more like a process I had to endure. (sorry. ><)
I couldn't very well relate to the characters (again, due to the fact that the book was too short). I didn't like Spice a lot. Maybe it's just me, but she just came off to me as slutty. The romance between Spice and Eric was extremely superficial to me. The only reason she was attracted to him in the first place was due to the fact that he was mouth-wateringly hot -- and the very next day, she offers herself up to him for sex. How about no?
As for Eric, he wasn't a bad character, but he was boring. The typical hero who is oh so easily forgotten. There was basically nothing, and I mean nothing, that made him stand out from the avalanche of male characters in romance books. To be honest, i couldn't decipher any particular trait/characteristic that made him a good alpha either. However, I did like that he was a nerd and wasn't the alpha male type -- you're mine, and I will have you no matter what -- when it came to Spice (oh, how IRONIC.)
The supporting characters were the one that impressed me the best in this book. I liked how the author brought out their personalities quite well, even if only perfunctory at best. Their conversations were also really humorous at times and I would randomly laugh out loud (I have a great sense of humour, if that matters any) The antagonist wasn't introduced until near the end of the book, and it was simple characterization -- no big secrets or goals like Bane from The Dark Knight Rises.
There is really not much for me to talk about. There are no major revelations. There are no interesting events. Even the climax was... anticlimactic. To put it crudely, when conventions in the world of romance are adhered to so closely, THERE IS ACTUALLY NOTHING INTERESTING AT ALL. I would have ended up skimming through the pages of the book if I actually had it in my hands, but I was reading an e-book (too much hassle.)
All in all, I wouldn't say this book was AWFUL, but it just didn't make the cut for me, and it won't leave a lasting impression either. Hopefully the books in the series will get better after this, though I won't be reading them -- but hey, you never know...
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