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mxhermit's reviews
949 reviews
His Work Of Art by Shannyn Schroeder
4.0
I accidentally started reading this series in reverse order, having started with His Dream Role, but luckily that doesn't seem to matter. I thought that Free from His Dream Role would have been my favorite character, what with his fascination with pop culture and the constant costumes that he wore. However, having since read His Work of Art, I think that Adam and Reese are a more interesting couple to read.
Adam had relationship issues from the start because he was attracted to Reese, a problem for him because she was white. He wasn't prejudiced himself, but rather his father had abandoned the family because he couldn't take the constant comments and insults that he got because his wife was white and he was black. Being a mixed race child, this made Adam particularly sensitive to what it might be like if he were openly involved with Reese. He's genuinely interested in her, but even before they begin dating they meet up for coffee and he hears a racial insult directed toward Reese. He becomes protective of her, but he goes about it in all the wrong ways, figuring that distancing himself from her without really telling her why is the right way to go.
Reese, now that I think back on it, was slightly underdeveloped. We get her basic history: she and her mom are living on their own because her mom left her dad due to his abuse. This sets up her distrust of men, but it's a very bare bones backstory. It isn't fleshed out much, which is more annoying after the fact than a real problem during the course of reading the story.
I would like to have heard more about Adam and Reese's stories, particularly since what happened to them as children has such a huge impact on them as adults. I did enjoy their interactions and their resolution though, as well as the interaction with the other men from the Hot & Nerdy series.
Adam had relationship issues from the start because he was attracted to Reese, a problem for him because she was white. He wasn't prejudiced himself, but rather his father had abandoned the family because he couldn't take the constant comments and insults that he got because his wife was white and he was black. Being a mixed race child, this made Adam particularly sensitive to what it might be like if he were openly involved with Reese. He's genuinely interested in her, but even before they begin dating they meet up for coffee and he hears a racial insult directed toward Reese. He becomes protective of her, but he goes about it in all the wrong ways, figuring that distancing himself from her without really telling her why is the right way to go.
Reese, now that I think back on it, was slightly underdeveloped. We get her basic history: she and her mom are living on their own because her mom left her dad due to his abuse. This sets up her distrust of men, but it's a very bare bones backstory. It isn't fleshed out much, which is more annoying after the fact than a real problem during the course of reading the story.
I would like to have heard more about Adam and Reese's stories, particularly since what happened to them as children has such a huge impact on them as adults. I did enjoy their interactions and their resolution though, as well as the interaction with the other men from the Hot & Nerdy series.
His Dream Role by Shannyn Schroeder
4.0
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Rating: 4 Stars
I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel, as it was a new author to me. Having read it, I would now say that I would be more than happy to read more books by Shannyn Schroeder, especially if they're a part of of Hot & Nerdy series.
One of the first things that I liked were the pop culture references. There were a lot of them, some of them favorites of mine, but I never felt like they were overpowering or just thrown in there to keep the book relevant. Free, for example, cosplays as a way to help draw attention from his self conscious brother while he exercises.
The family dynamics in this book could easily have gone over the top and become cliches of problem families: rich parents that think they know what's best for their kids, pressuring them into the parents plans, etc. While the narrative easily could have gone that way, the author chose to humanize Free's parents as well as Samantha's (the female MC). It was refreshing to see that happen, for the parents to be overbearing as parents can be, but to not spiral into these awful people that care more about image and status than the happiness of their children.
Which leads me to the main characters, Free and Samantha. They were each a joy to read, together and on their own. Usually I'd expect a character like Free (an actor in his spare time) to rebel against his investment banker dad and say how his acting was his art, man! In this, however, while he loved acting, it didn't have to be everything to him. He was getting the best of both worlds: his acting which was a break from the real world, and the banking job which he liked and was very good at.
Samantha was a good person, studying to be a social worker. She did have a few of the rich girl trying to make it on her own traits (refusing Daddy's car, dating boys that she knew would annoy her dad), but I didn't think that they overpowered her personality. She genuinely wants to help her "clients", the women and children at the domestic abuse center she volunteers at. You could feel it through her involvement with projects for them, reading through practice case studies, and so on.
I liked how the problem of the story, the thing that might break them up, wasn't ludicrous as I see in romance novels sometimes. It was believable and while, yes, I think Sam bore rather more responsibility in it even becoming a thing, it wasn't something that they let blind them to the power of owning up to your mistakes and pursuing a future together.
Rating: 4 Stars
I wasn't sure what to expect from this novel, as it was a new author to me. Having read it, I would now say that I would be more than happy to read more books by Shannyn Schroeder, especially if they're a part of of Hot & Nerdy series.
One of the first things that I liked were the pop culture references. There were a lot of them, some of them favorites of mine, but I never felt like they were overpowering or just thrown in there to keep the book relevant. Free, for example, cosplays as a way to help draw attention from his self conscious brother while he exercises.
The family dynamics in this book could easily have gone over the top and become cliches of problem families: rich parents that think they know what's best for their kids, pressuring them into the parents plans, etc. While the narrative easily could have gone that way, the author chose to humanize Free's parents as well as Samantha's (the female MC). It was refreshing to see that happen, for the parents to be overbearing as parents can be, but to not spiral into these awful people that care more about image and status than the happiness of their children.
Which leads me to the main characters, Free and Samantha. They were each a joy to read, together and on their own. Usually I'd expect a character like Free (an actor in his spare time) to rebel against his investment banker dad and say how his acting was his art, man! In this, however, while he loved acting, it didn't have to be everything to him. He was getting the best of both worlds: his acting which was a break from the real world, and the banking job which he liked and was very good at.
Samantha was a good person, studying to be a social worker. She did have a few of the rich girl trying to make it on her own traits (refusing Daddy's car, dating boys that she knew would annoy her dad), but I didn't think that they overpowered her personality. She genuinely wants to help her "clients", the women and children at the domestic abuse center she volunteers at. You could feel it through her involvement with projects for them, reading through practice case studies, and so on.
I liked how the problem of the story, the thing that might break them up, wasn't ludicrous as I see in romance novels sometimes. It was believable and while, yes, I think Sam bore rather more responsibility in it even becoming a thing, it wasn't something that they let blind them to the power of owning up to your mistakes and pursuing a future together.
Winter's Fairytale by Maxine Morrey
3.0
Note: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was simple and sweet, which is needed sometimes.
When the main even from the synopsis, that epic snow storm that strands them at Rob's for the weekend, happened within the first short bit of the book, I was worried that the rest of the novel would drag on needlessly.
While there were one or two slow bits, it was actually a good story to settle down with and enjoy the silliness of the holiday.
The plot was a little overdone, but I think that helped with the relaxed nature one could get when reading it, You know what to expect. It's like relaxing in a hot bath and enjoying a cup of tea.
This book was simple and sweet, which is needed sometimes.
When the main even from the synopsis, that epic snow storm that strands them at Rob's for the weekend, happened within the first short bit of the book, I was worried that the rest of the novel would drag on needlessly.
While there were one or two slow bits, it was actually a good story to settle down with and enjoy the silliness of the holiday.
The plot was a little overdone, but I think that helped with the relaxed nature one could get when reading it, You know what to expect. It's like relaxing in a hot bath and enjoying a cup of tea.