Wulf's Book Reviews

Failure to Match by Kyra Parsi My rating: 3 of 5 stars After the police procedural version of a “grimdark” novel , I needed “light” - and quickly! “ Failure to Match ” by Kyra Parsi got the job done. Of course, everything was highly predictable and, yet, I enjoyed reading how Jamie fell in love with Jackson. In the beginning, I was highly sceptical considering character descriptions like these: » Minerva Sinclair was a tall, willowy woman with stark white hair and cutting features, and her signature “look” consisted of cherry-red pantsuits, vintage cat-eye sunglasses, and knife-sharp stilettos. Per our client paperwork, she had her personal tarot reader (Imogen) on speed dial and kept her wrinkly sphynx cat (Harry) cradled against her bony chest everywhere she went, as per the guidance of her spiritual advisor (Velma). « Or eye-roll inducing humour like this: » Also, she’d literally named her hairless cat Harry, and I didn’t think she’d intended the pun. « (Since it’s so bad: It...

Lost Girls by Angela Marsons My rating: 3 of 5 stars I read " Lost Girls " by Angela Marsons because I really like Kim Stone as an investigator . Stone is often harsh at least, sometimes to the point of callously offending anyone who hasn’t earned her respect. She is also desperately compartmentalising her gruesome childhood and youth to be able to merely “function”. I simply cannot help but root for such a person. As for the three novels I’ve read by now, I’ve generally found Marsons’ books to be a reasonably decent way to pass the time, offering a reliable dose of police procedural with Kim Stone at the helm. However, this one felt a bit of a misstep, venturing into territory that, for me at least, felt unnecessarily grim. Marsons herself states, » Each story is intended to entertain and take the reader on an exciting, interesting journey. There are some subjects in the books that are difficult to stomach but I aim to treat each situation with respect and sensitivity and...

Die Einsamkeit der Seevögel von Gøhril Gabrielsen Meine Bewertung: 1 von 5 Sternen Gøhril Gabrielsens “ Die Einsamkeit der Seevögel ” verspricht in Titel und Klapptentext eine eindrucksvolle metaphorische Verbindung zwischen Natur und menschlicher Isolation, vermag diese jedoch kaum einzulösen. Der Roman greift mehrere gewichtige Themen auf, darunter sexualisierte Gewalt, Manipulation, die fragile Mutter-Kind-Beziehung, sowie ökologische Zerbrechlichkeit sowie diejenige der neuen Beziehung – und bleibt dabei doch oberflächlich und zerfahren. Bereits die Erzählweise ist teils überbordend und schwer zugänglich. Ein Eindruck, der durch Passagen wie die folgende verstärkt wird: » Die Nachricht verschwindet. Ich sehe die Wörter vor mir: Zerstückelt, in unkenntliche Ziffern und Zeichen zerlegt, steigen sie zwischen den Schneeflocken auf, gleiten durch eine Wolkenlücke und weiter in den Satellitenhimmel, finden ihren Stern, der die Nachricht mit einem Blinken wieder zur Erde sendet. ...

Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey My rating: 2 of 5 stars I decided to put in another festive romance reading “sprint” and, regrettably, I settled on Tessa Bailey's “ Window Shopping ”. It endeavours to offer a festive romance wrapped in themes of redemption and self-discovery but, for me, falls short of expectations. While I anticipated a heartwarming holiday tale filled with charm, I instead found a collection of hurried resolutions, clichéd characterisations, and strained dynamics. Stella’s characterisation was one of the main frustrations. She veers wildly between crippling insecurity and unconvincing strength, making her emotional journey feel inconsistent and unrelatable. Her conflict with her parents, which could have provided a rich emotional arc, is resolved almost instantly and without any meaningful dialogue or exploration. This lack of depth extended to Aiden as well. While he’s positioned as the quintessential romantic hero, his internal monologues hint at self-...

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren My rating: 3 of 5 stars On a mere whim, on 24 December, I decided I wanted to read a holiday romance during the holiday it depicts. Consulting my library, I quickly settled upon “ In a Holidaze ” by Christina Lauren which turned out to be a mixed bag but still effectively did the job. Between holiday chores (when my wife asked me to do something “steamy”, I didn’t expect it to involve the steam cleaner!). Late at night today, I finished it (the novel, not the cleaner). Mission accomplished. “Holidaze” started exactly as I hoped it would: Two families coming together in a cabin to celebrate Christmas, lots of holiday cheer, endearing characters—it was fun! The “Groundhog Day” style time loop device was, thankfully, used sparingly, but this still was the first minor gripe of mine: » I believe now that the universe delivers random acts of kindness, and it’s on us to decide what to do with them. « Attributing intention, kindness, or actually anyth...

Dashing All the Way by Chelsea Curto My rating: 5 of 5 stars I don’t like novellas. They’re mostly too short to make any kind of impact and simply aren’t enough of a “bite”. At best, they’re like chewing gum. So it was out of pure curiosity that I decided to read “ Dashing All the Way ”, a novella by Chelsea Curto , after it got heartily endorsed by Samantha Brinn (whom you should know as an author for her great “ When I'm With You ”). The story is simple: Being told what she cannot do by her now-ex-boyfriend, Jeremy, Margo moves to accomplish just that, and, in the process, falls for his father, Finn—just in time for Christmas. What follows is the warm-hearted, sometimes raw, and always honest tale of how a one-night stand evolves into something very different over the course of two weeks. It is nicely told, well-paced, and very, very steamy. Nothing feels out of place, everything makes sense, there’s just enough story to satisfy my reading needs, and an amusing inevitab...

Evil Games by Angela Marsons My rating: 3 of 5 stars I was very much looking forward to reading “ Evil Games ” by Angela Marsons , having just discovered what an interesting detective Kim Stone is. Sadly, this second instalment in Marsons’ long-running series didn’t hold up the promise of its predecessor. There are actually two mysteries in “Evil Games” and both are completely unrelated, making the novel feel somewhat disjointed. While in the first storyline, Kim and her team have just apprehended a child molester, in the titular storyline Kim is going solo after a rogue psychiatrist. Both storylines leave much to be desired: The case of the child molester is pretty much solved from the beginning and the team is trying to find a secondary perpetrator. There is no suspense in that part, especially since very basic procedures, e. g. comparing DNA found at the crime scene against easily accessible samples, are not even thought of. The solution pretty much occurs to Kim at the las...

Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez My rating: 4 of 5 stars If you came here looking for the third instalment of Abby Jimenez' “ Part of Your World” funny and fluffy romance series, you’d be both right and wrong. While starting out on a fun premise, “ Just for the Summer ” evolves into areas that are anything but fun and light, and—for me—Jimenez pulled it off really well. Justin and Emma both feel “cursed” - they date someone and once it’s over, their respective ex meets their “soulmate”. When they realise they share this, any romance’s direction is clear: they have to date each other to “break” the “curse”, and, afterwards, meet their respective soulmate. During the early parts of the novel, they meet, they like each other, and proceed to date—it’s all nice, light, and (mostly) easy… » I dropped to one knee. She sucked in air. “Uh, what are you doing?” she said, her eyes darting around. “Romance.” “Justin, stop it,” she whispered. “Get up! Get up!” I took her hand and d...

The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’ve been in need of some light reading entertainment lately and “ The Paradise Problem ” by Christina Lauren certainly fits that bill. Due to Anna, its strong, independent, smart, self-confident, and down-to-earth female lead, it felt surprisingly fresh and real. At its core, “The Paradise Problem” is a delightful blend of wit, charm, and a touch of the absurd, anchored by an emotional resonance that feels authentically raw. While it veers slightly from their earlier works, such as “ The Unhoneymooners ” ( which I also enjoyed ), it still boasts that inimitable Christina Lauren spark, albeit with a stronger focus on individuality and the intricacies of self-discovery. The setting—a tension-filled reunion with Liam’s dysfunctional family—only heightens the stakes, making me appreciate the story even more. Centred on Anna, our brilliant and self-possessed protagonist, the novel immediately strikes a balance b...

A Very London Christmas by Sara Madderson My rating: 2 of 5 stars Sara Madderson's “ A Very London Christmas ” certainly attempts to wrap readers in a festive embrace, complete with sparkling lights and — sometimes — cosy corners of London. However, as enchanting as the premise might sound, the execution left me cold. While marketed as a heartwarming seasonal read, it’s more akin to a tin of biscuits that looks promising but offers only the plainest, already-crumbling, and dry selection once opened. The most glaring issue is the utter superficiality of the characters and plot. Operating on a schematic level, the people populating Madderson’s London feel less like real individuals and more like archetypes hastily thrown together. Additionally, there’s a complete lack of innovation here. Every twist, from misunderstandings to the eventual conclusion, feels plucked from genre clichés. That said, I reluctantly admit a few redeeming qualities. I appreciated the absence of ...