Been about a month...
Last Finished:
Romancing Miss Right (The Reality Romance series, Book 2, Lizzie Shane, romance, on Kindle): On last season's reality dating show Marrying Mister Perfect, romance novelist Marcy was left "standing at the altar" when the star professed love for another woman - and, in truth, she was a bit relieved. She may write happily-ever-afters, but she's never opened herself to the emotional risk of pursuing one; she went on TV to boost book sales, and now that she's the star of this year's Romancing Miss Right, she might even hit the NYT bestseller list. Meanwhile, radio DJ Craig is looking to move into the more lucrative field of television, and his bad boy persona plus his stunning looks make him an ideal "villain" for the reality dating show. They may both be looking out for their own careers, but they forgot to give that script to their hearts...
Though there were some givens, this being a romance, it presents surprisingly well-rounded characters - even the side characters - creating a story that may hit familiar genre notes, but does so in a way that feels natural, not contrived. Enjoyable, with a well balanced romance and an interesting subplot involving an executive producer's rocky love life and how it affects the show.
Witchvine (The Rhyme of the Willow trilogy, Book 3, The Sullivan Brothers, MG/YA fantasy, on Kindle): The third installment of the trilogy sees brother Axton and sister Aniva further transformed (literally) by the plants of the vast, wild Garden. Aniva's uncontrollable "Blood Demon" infection has turned her into a weapon, used to slaughter half the council of one of the human "Lighthavens," and she's now on the run. Axton, meanwhile, has been infected with "witchvines" by the dreaded witch of the Garden, a mutation that will earn him sudden death if it's discovered, but which may provide him with his only means for saving his sister and finding their still-missing parents in this dangerous world.
This story moves fast, but has some issues. For one, it offers no recap, not even passing lines, to help the reader get back into the world after the gap between it and the previous installment; couple that with the many names and the rapid pace of events, and I was treading water for quite some time as I tried to reorient myself. I also found one of the revelations a bit of an eye-roller, not to mention the solution at the climax being too neat and forced, rendering many issues and potentials instantly moot. The wrap-up felt too quick and clean given the high price paid by many in the Garden during the story, and didn't quite fit the often-dark tone of the trilogy as a whole. While it was nice to have some closure, I felt a little disappointed.
Currently Reading:
Caliban's War (The Expanse series, Book 2, James S. A. Corey, sci-fi, in paperback): With the alien protomolecule weapon doing nobody-knows-what on uninhabited Venus, the solar system still reels from the aftershocks of its discovery and disastrous implementation on Eros station... and, now, it appears that something "escaped," sparking a disaster on Ganymede. Once again, James Holden and his crew find themselves up to their necks (and over their heads) in another interplanetary crisis...
While waiting for Amazon Prime to pick up Season 2 of the TV series (I'm still holding a bit of a grudge against the SyFy channel, plus I kinda like not having to sit through ads), I'm reading onward. It's an entertaining and fast-paced space opera, and if it feels a little forced or clunky here and there, it's enjoyable enough to overlook.