by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 16, 2023 | Book Reviews
I don’t know how it happened but Rise to Ultimate Power: The Great Awesome Power System by Strange Pen was recommended to me by Goodnovel and out of curiosity I opened it and started reading. It isn’t the usual kind of story I read on Goodnovel but when I checked “About the Book” I saw that it was just 74 chapters (so far) so decided to give it a shot.
Quick backgrounder, Harvey is poor and because of it, his peers ridicule him and his girlfriend dumped him for her ex who had more money than he. Not too long after he hears a voice in his head that tells him he has a windfall of several million and it tells him to complete tasks to receive rewards.
This voice in his head is called The System. How it got in his head is not explained. The way The System seems to work is through a rewards system where he does tasks and is given different things. Sometimes it is more money, company shares, and even skills he never had before. It almost gives me that Matrix feel, without having to choose between the red or blue pill.
So far I am 19 chapters in and all he has done is good. He helped his family and the police. I’m invested in the story because I’m curious about just how much he will level up. A love interest would be incidental, as far as I am concerned.
It is not a romance. At least, it hasn’t been 19 chapters in. I would probably classify it as a “coming of age” kinda story even though Goodnovel classified it as “system”.
Here I am posting this review and, of course, I intend to share the link to the story on Goodnovel where I am reading it. The funny thing is … when I try to search for the book using the search feature it says the book does not exist! It is already in my library but it is not searchable. Also, for some reason, the book is currently being promoted.
This does not compute. How am I reading the book and where is my payment going if it does not exist?
If you are unable to find the book on Goodnovel, you can also read it on Meganovel. Interestingly, when I opened the book cover on Meganovel on another tab, the favicon indicates that it is pointing to an image hosted in the Goodnovel server. Are Goodnovel and Meganovel related perhaps? Curiouser and curiouser!
Side comment/s:
- I find the title very juvenile. the first part made sense, but the second part … it made me think that the author is probably a teenager
- The book cover is also very juvenile and does not really match the way the character is portrayed in the story. It is hard to believe that that boy on the cover is 19.
- The author cannot make up his/her/their mind if the main character’s name is Harvey or Melvin. Sometimes his last name is Weinstein and other times it is Reed.
- The author keeps messing up his/her/their pronouns.
- Often the author uses a term that does not make sense, but probably closely resembles the word he/she/they want to use. As the reader, you should be able to grasp it in context.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 14, 2023 | Book Reviews
I have read my share of age-gap romances and Bossy Silverfox by Ruby Wilde is probably the first one I have read where I really saw/felt the age gap. It isn’t just the vague notion of their actual age. There are also all the references in the story that gives us the reader, and Maggie, a hint of the 20-year gap.
Maggie is possibly around 25 and an editor for Wrought Iron Publishing. While many people her age are still unsure of what they want to do Maggie is already at her dream job.
Leo is possibly in his mid-40s, like 45. He is the boss at Wrought Iron and has secretly had a crush on Maggie from the moment she joined the company years ago. Instead of showing his affection like a grown-up, he acts like a child and bullies her, lol!
It takes a weekend conference out of town to get these two on the road to romance which does not develop as fast as I initially thought. There were a few obstacles that were not easy to overcome and in the end, they did get their happily ever after.
If there was one thing specifically that bothered me it was their love scenes. Very little happened in the way of foreplay and before even two paragraphs end he’s inside her. After they climax instead of spending time cuddling in the aftermath, Leo and Maggie immediately stand and get dressed then do other stuff like cook or read. I can only speak for myself but I think foreplay, cuddles, and aftercare are important.
Bossy Silverfox by Ruby Wilde is not a bad story, mind you. It just left me wanting more. Some parts were slow and at times it felt like the story jumped drastically or there was a story arc that could have been worked more. And, definitely, I think their sex life leaves much to be desired as it was like it was simply sex and nothing else.
You can find this book on Amazon for $0.99 but if you have Kindle Unlimited, it’s free. I would recommend using KU to read it first then if you like it, you can opt to buy it.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 11, 2023 | Book Reviews
Have you ever read a story that was so hot it gave you cramps? That’s what I got from reading Sold to the Bikers by Stephanie Brother. I eagerly awaited its release when it was announced that this was the next installment of the Screaming Eagles MC series and it did not disappoint. If you haven’t read any of the books in this series this one will make you want to go back and read the rest.
The Screaming Eagles MC is turning into a reverse harem haven with several of their members ending up with one woman for every group of three (or four)! The same happens here with Quickshot, Badass, and Animal when they meet Natalie. To save her sister Natalie ends up being auctioned off to the highest bidder. Luckily for her, Quickshot, Badass, and Animal were there and decided to buy her to save her.
Natalie is a shy, quiet girl … a virgin to boot. But she was willing to do anything to save her sister, even if it meant having sex with the three men who bought her. While reluctant at first because of her inexperience, she couldn’t deny the fact that she was curious and intrigued and really did find all three men attractive.
Thankfully, for her Quickshot, Badass, and Animal are not degenerates and they sat her down to have her agree to pretend they were having sex for appearance’s sake while they try to figure out what is going on with the Unwanted. Agreement leads to exploration which leads to Natalie’s discovery and sexual awakening. She discovered kinks that she never knew she had.
Sold to the Bikers by Stephanie Brother is sizzling hot so I would caution you about reading it in public. #smutty I swear my eyes were glazed for most of the really hot scenes. Intrigued yet? Check out this book on Amazon for $2.99 and free with Kindle Unlimited! I just finished it but I’m reading it again, tee hee.
Click here to read the bonus chapter.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 5, 2023 | Book Reviews
As romance novels go Claimed by My Brother’s Best Friend by Ella Sloane starts a little differently as our opening perspective is from the POV of Chris, the male lead character. I actually found it a little weird at first because I felt like I was reading from the middle of the story … until I read it as a flashback, then it made sense.
Reading on I was exasperated with Chris (short for Christopher) and Sav (short for Savannah) because it was obvious (to us) that they were totally into each other. Which begs the question … what is getting in the way of their being in a relationship? The obvious answer would be Sean, Sav’s brother and Chris’ best friend. While Sean has not expressed anything against their getting together, they just assumed it would be taboo.
But there is a bigger reason than that which stems from Chris’ past. Poor Sav!
This story is a slow-burn HEA so while their recovering friendship happens within the first few chapters, the romance takes a while to develop and titillating enough to get us hooked to keep reading. Promise, they get there! Another good reason to read Claimed by My Brother’s Best Friend by Ella Sloane … it is only $0.99 on Amazon! If you have Kindle Unlimited, it is free.
If you like a slow-burn HEA, go ahead and pick up a copy of this book. I had fun reading it and, yes, I am a victim of Chris’ smiles.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 3, 2023 | Book Reviews
I have not given up hope on The Revenge of a Rejected Mate by Pure Ink because the story has a lot of potential. However, 48 chapters in, and, as a copy editor, I am getting more and more frustrated as I read on because it does not seem as though the author is keeping track of what he/she/they have previously said. At times, in the middle of the chapter, character names change or the story goes in a different direction.
Sometimes it takes too long to get to a critical point and other times it feels like we are suddenly just there and the journey was skipped and the characters moved forward several chapters without letting us know. In addition, there are just too many antagonists and the characters are weak.
Kaden, the Lycan King, is indecisive when it comes to Audrey and he seems to have difficulty compartmentalizing. Despite being supposedly mated and in love with Audrey, he still has a mistress, Shantel, who he supposedly got pregnant with. He is also constantly seeking advice from his Beta, Adler, about all things, including his love life.
Audrey is an Alpha’s daughter and an Omega who became a slave. For most of the book starting from chapter 1, she has suffered many hardships, both physical and emotional. As we progress we see her manifesting un-wolflike abilities such as telekinesis, prophetic dreams, and her hands glow. Every time something unusual happens to her she runs to Kaden to tell him about it and something unforeseen always happens.
The Revenge of a Rejected Mate by Pure Ink is on Goodnovel so it is pay-per-chapter. I have to ask myself, if I am wasting my money or if I should read on and give this a chance since, with editing, it has the potential to be really good. If the author gets a chance to read this review, I hope they consider asking me to be their copy editor. Together we can make this better.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 2, 2023 | Book Reviews
If watching reality TV shows is one of your guilty pleasures then you will likely enjoy reading Bachelor and the Geek by Sofia Aves. The main characters are contestants in a reality TV show called Geekily Yours where the men are “The Beauties” and the women are “The Geeks”.
Sirius Weston is a retired military man with a business providing security to celebrities, rich folk, and politicians. With a name like Sirius, you can expect a lot of puns that play with his name. Joining the show/competition was not his choice. His brother, Mitch, submitted his entry and then blackmailed coerced him into pushing through with it when he got accepted with the promise of a possible national security contract if he makes it to the end. He is older than the other men in the competition so is often the recipient of the dad/grandpa jokes.
Annie Pillingston is an astrophysicist (you can’t geekier than that!) and spends her days looking at photos of outer space. She is also the daughter of a senator and does not fit into the mold her family wants to put her in. She ended up in this competition because of her boss. She isn’t involved with him so to be honest I’m not sure how he could have forced her to join.
As I was reading, the mechanics of the show was not clear to me. Are they supposed to create a love connection? The show begins with the men being paired with a permanent geek partner and the challenges they work through are not even done together. Meaning the men have challenges and the women have challenges and when they occur, their opposite is just the audience. There are no challenges that require them to work together and it appears that any connection made is organic. At the end of the show, 5 couples will remain and 1 couple will be declared a winner where they win a cash prize and the man gives the girl a ring that implies romance.
But let’s skip past that and focus on Sirius and Annie. Their first meeting was not what they expected! Tiny spoiler, Annie faceplants on Sirius’ crotch while trying to hide from him. What follows is us following their budding attraction and romance that is rife with funny moments and lots of heat!
I almost forgot to tell you about Sirius’ roommate who puts some glitter on this whole thing. Leon is a yummy-looking engineer but also a drag queen. How the production didn’t know that is still a mystery.
Bachelor and the Geek by Sofia Aves is fun to read! You should really check it out. It is available on Amazon for $2.99 or free with Kindle Unlimited.
Here I am posting this review and, of course, I intend to share the link to the story on Goodnovel where I am reading it. The funny thing is … when I try to search for the book using the search feature it says the book does not exist! It is already in my library but it is not searchable. Also, for some reason, the book is currently being promoted.
I have read my share of age-gap romances and Bossy Silverfox by Ruby Wilde is probably the first one I have read where I really saw/felt the age gap. It isn’t just the vague notion of their actual age. There are also all the references in the story that gives us the reader, and Maggie, a hint of the 20-year gap.
Have you ever read a story that was so hot it gave you cramps? That’s what I got from reading Sold to the Bikers by Stephanie Brother. I eagerly awaited its release when it was announced that this was the next installment of the Screaming Eagles MC series and it did not disappoint. If you haven’t read any of the books in this series this one will make you want to go back and read the rest.
As romance novels go Claimed by My Brother’s Best Friend by Ella Sloane starts a little differently as our opening perspective is from the POV of Chris, the male lead character. I actually found it a little weird at first because I felt like I was reading from the middle of the story … until I read it as a flashback, then it made sense.
Sometimes it takes too long to get to a critical point and other times it feels like we are suddenly just there and the journey was skipped and the characters moved forward several chapters without letting us know. In addition, there are just too many antagonists and the characters are weak.
If watching reality TV shows is one of your guilty pleasures then you will likely enjoy reading Bachelor and the Geek by Sofia Aves. The main characters are contestants in a reality TV show called Geekily Yours where the men are “The Beauties” and the women are “The Geeks”.
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