A-Tac reviews

For the past month, I've been reading this suspense romance series by Dee Davis. It follows a group of CIA operatives that fight terrorism while pretending to be college professors in New York. I had the fourth book on my to-read list from 5 years ago, not realizing that it was part of a series. So obviously I had to start from the beginning. So here it is, my thoughts on all 7 books in the A-Tac series.

Dark Deceptions #1

I finished this in a few hours and it was fine. I got romance, sex, action, and a happy ending. Nothing more or less than what I expected. It was good enough for me to want to read the rest of the series. Here's hoping they're just as acceptable.


Dark Desires #2

This one was okay but I heavily skimmed it. I was so bored and had no real interest with the characters or plot. Madeline and Drake were a decent couple but I didn't buy into their relationship. It felt forced and didn't have a lot of time to grow before the I love yous and happy endings. Also, the secret double agent within the team is getting old. I hope they figure out who it is in the next book.


Desperate Deeds #3

This book is so far the best one of the series. The best romance still goes to Nash and Annie from the first book. But the action and suspense were amazing in this one. I honestly had no idea who the mole was, and was genuinely surprised at the reveal. This book also didn't shy away from having a hefty body count. It seemed like everyone involved with the plot who we'd secondary characters bit the dust. I'm just happy Tyler and Owen got their happy ending.


Daring #3.5

It was so weird to read about Lara moving on with Rafe when Jason was just killed in the last book. But a year had went past and she doesn't have to grieve forever. She's not my favorite character in the series but I liked her as the star of a short story. Her journey of moving on would have worked better in a full length novel but since she's not a member of the team (at the moment), a novella makes sense. I wonder if she'll pop up in a later book.


Deep Disclosure #4

Compared to the last book, this was definitely weaker. I actually found myself skimming the sex scenes so I could get back to the plot. That's not a good thing when it comes to romance. You want it all, story and smut. I did like seeing Tucker get his own book though. He's a great character who can carry his own. His love interest, who's name I've already forgotten, was kinda annoying. But they compliment each other and I'm happy with their happy ending.


Deadly Dance #5

General murder and torture don't really bother me that much. But rape specific crimes make me uneasy and uncomfortable. Which means that I skimmed a lot of this book. I just couldn't bring myself to read each abduction and the aftermath. I did like the chemistry between Hannah and Harrison. They've been flirting with each other since he was introduced in book 3 (I think). It's about time they got together. I just wish it wasn't through the most tragic book of the series.


Double Danger #6

Did I actually read this book? No. Did I enjoy the parts I paid attention to? Not really. This entry in the series was more thriller than romance. I didn't feel a connection to Simon or Jillian. They didn't grab my interest like other couples in the series have. At this point, I'm just ready for this series to wrap up.


Dire Distraction #7

This was a nice conclusion to the series. After that disaster of the previous book, I held out no hope for this one. But I liked Avery, the head of A-Tac, as a romantic lead. Even though he suffered from insta-love, I didn't mind it. I was happy to see him move on from his dead wife and find happiness with someone new. Sydney was no one special but I liked her all the same. They worked well off of each other. I felt like the take down of the Consortium was rushed and didn't leave me satisfied after all of the horrible stuff the terrorist group had done. But I get that the author had to wrap this up with every single team member paired off.

Catching Up

No real introduction this time around. I'm just trying to get caught up on everything I haven't posted on here as of late. I'm in the process of reading and reviewing a suspense thriller romance series and I hope to be finished with those soon.

Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis
The first book of the Heartbreaker Bay series
2 STAR RATING

I really liked this book in the beginning but then it turned on me. I kept waiting and waiting for Pru to come clean with Finn but she put it off. She put it off so far that the book was damn near over before she came clean. And by then, the reconciliation felt forced. Finn had every right to feel betrayed and lied to but his friends made it seem like he was being unreasonable. Bullshit on that. I'm not gonna read any more from this series, since I can't trust that the other characters won't be as stupid as these two were.








Assassination Classroom Vol. 11 by Yusei Matsui
3 STAR RATING


This isn't one of the better volumes of the series. It's a little too heavy handed with lessons and not enough action. But seeing Koro Sensei bitch slap some of the kids was hilarious. I think it's the first time he's been violent towards his students. I actually loved it; it shows a darker side to him that is not always shown.





Zodiac Starforce: By the Power of Astra by Kevin Panetta
A graphic novel about a group of young girls with magical powers
3 STAR RATING


This was such a cute book. The colors, the characters, the plot. It was all bubble gum sweet. With this book only containing four chapters, the flow felt a little rushed and underdeveloped. As interested as I was, I noticed I wasn't connected to what the girls had to overcome. I barely grasped how and why they got their powers. 


It was still a nice quick read though. There are worse ways to spend an afternoon. And if I'm being honest, the promise of an interracial lesbian couple was the only reason I borrowed my friend's copy of the book.




Sunstone Vol 1 by Stjepan Sejic
An erotic and humorous graphic novel about two women exploring their kinks
4 STAR RATING


Well, hello there gorgeous. How did I not know about you? This is unlike any graphic novel I've ever read before. The erotic ones I have read were manga, only in black and white. This is an American comic so nothing is lost in translation. And the color of the art is amazing.


I'm not ashamed to admit that the sex scenes left me panting. Lisa and Ally are both beautiful women and they're great together. I can't wait to read more about their budding romance.













Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs
A companion novel for Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children series
4 STAR RATING


It's been years since I read the first book in the series so I was hesitant to pick this book up. But since it's short stories and a prequel of sorts, I felt like I could just enjoy the book without worrying about if I was missing anything. It's written like a companion book for peculiars who want to brush up on some legendary peculiars while also learning life lessons. The lessons were simple and easy to figure out. I would actually argue that this book could be classified as juvenile fiction instead of young adult. It's simplistic style can be appreciated at a younger age.





Futhermore by Tahereh Mafi
A children's fiction book following Alice's magical quest trying to find her father
2 STAR RATING

I was hoping for this book to be amazing; I judged it by its cover. But all I got was a huge pile of disappointment. I think this will be the last I read from this author, at least for a while. I was let down with her Shatter Me series and this stand alone novel did nothing to amuse me. It was a bunch of pretty words that meant nothing. I felt like it was trying too hard to be whimsical and charming which turned me off from the book. And what was with that ending?!?!? It made absolutely no sense and was rushed for no good reason. The author had over 400 pages to set up a finale and she failed miserably.

Graphic Attack

I feel like every other post I make states how behind I always am. But it's true. I just realized I have about a month (and some change) worth of books to post on here. Goodreads is the only platform that I keep up to date. But since it's also the only platform I use to keep track of my books, that makes sense. Any ways, I'll try and be better...Really, I mean it...Like seriously though.

The Curse of Camp Cold Lake by R.L. Stine

The 56th book of the original Goosebumps series

3 STAR RATING

The ending was a bit unexpected. I liked the ghost twist. I just couldn't stand the very last line. It's like, we get it. Just let the story be over with.

Afterschool Charisma Vol 1 by Kumiko Suekane

High school students deal with the fact that they are clones of famous influential people of history

3 STAR RATING

Here I am, yet again. I keep telling myself not to read new manga series that I stumble upon but I can't help myself. The cover and premise were too good to pass up. And I'm glad I picked it up because I enjoyed it. 
It definitely could have been a more engaging beginning but it laid some solid ground work for the convoluted story to come. The famous clones are mostly likable and kinda funny. The reveal of Hitler took me a bit by surprise. I didn't think this story would go dark and with a clone of Hitler, it will definitely go there. This volume is so vague that I don't have any clue as to the real plot and I like that. I'm looking forward to being genuinely shocked with where the story takes me.

Spider-Gwen, Vol 0: Most Wanted? by Jason Latour

The introduction volume to an alternative universe where Gwen Stacy is Spiderman

4 STAR RATING

I know nothing about the Spider-Man universe that doesn't go beyond what I've seen in movies. I have a small understanding of who Gwen Stacy is and her relationship to Peter Parker. So reading this comic collection really confused me lol
Frank Castle is still a cop and not a vigilante, Daredevil works for the King Pin, and Gwen Stacy is Spider-Woman. I just kept saying, "Huh, that's interesting", the entire time I was reading this. Maybe it's for the best that I'm not too sure what the actual backstory is in other spider-verses. I was able to allow myself to sit back and enjoy the ride. I hope my interest doesn't wane with the next volume.

Spider-Gwen, Vol 1: Greater Power by Jason Latour

3 STAR RATING

I liked the first volume better but this is a great series. It momentarily filled the Ms. Marvel hole in my life. But now I have to wait for the next collection of comics from Spider-Gwen. I hope the guilt angle is over for her, since she's made peace with herself and Osborn. I'd like to see her just concentrate on kicking ass and being an awesome superhero.

Gangsta Vol 3 by Kohske

4 STAR RATING

I've finally gotten back into reading this series and I came back on a great volume. It's mostly back story which was beautifully done and I wish there was more of it. You get a pretty grim glimpse behind the curtain of Nic and Worick's past. It's dark and depressing. But it has to be told for their current relationship to make sense. And that little tease of the upcoming threat at the end gave me goosebumps.

Zom-B Bride by Darren Shan

The 10th book of the horror series

4 STAR RATING

This series is just as crazy as I remember it to be. B is such a force of nature, even Dowling can't help but be swayed by her bravado. That's why this book is called Bride, since he wants to marry her. The build up to the wedding really made me think twice about how I felt towards the mad clown. His insanity doesn't excuse his evilness but learning a bit about him has opened my eyes. Even B saw a different side of him and hated what she had to do in the ending SPOILER which was betray him and steal the virus that will kill off the remaining humans SPOILER. It's getting close to the end of the series and I have absolutely no idea how this could end. But I'm excited to find out.

Reading Challenge 2016 # 10

I had a totally different book in mind for completing this challenge. But by the time I got around to looking for the book, it had been checked out from my library. I was happy that some small child was reading on of my favorite picture books (The Day the Crayons Quit), but also screwed with finding a replacement read. So I quickly went through my mental Rolodex of picture books that I always recommend to parents and my problem was solved.






This is a picture book that I think just about everyone has read. So when I realized I had one day left to complete this month's challenge (read a childhood favorite), I knew exactly which book I wanted to read. Luckily, my library had multiple copies available to be checked out. This is a great book for small children. It's repetitive, attention grabbing, and simple. I would definitely have this in any child's library.