Being Kalli By Rebecca Berto

It's very rare that I read books that I don't like because if I read the blurb and it doesn't interest me then I move along. I don't go out of my way to give bad reviews and bash authors because I can't imagine ever writing a full length novel so I won't hate on someone who tries. With that being said though, I still didn't like this novel and I am kicking myself and my OCD tendencies because it took me one full week to read a book that is 257 pages. I have read 500 page novels in a day.

I couldn't connect to the story, characters or their issues. I have even struggled with a few of these issues myself but I felt nothing! I got the gist and the aim but I was unable to relate and unwilling to make an attempt. Their issues didn't move or inspire and I blame that on the delivery. I felt nothing for any one and that made it hard to develop connections with the characters or their stories.

Nate is a sweetheart but that does nothing for me. I find that I preferred him when he's hurt and hurting Kalli, as oppose to his insecure, sensitive and shy side. I have never read about old friends becoming lovers but I hope they aren't all like this.

There is an influx of different issues but only a few make sense. Every single character has a heavy issue to resolve but none resonated with me; They were too fleeting for their importance and I spent most of the time trying to remember what I read 6 pages before. After fighting my way through this story, I came out with nothing but fatigue from staying up to complete it before Wednesday and I could really use some sleep now.

Kalli is talkative but it eludes you because you are bored and I would never want to spend that much time in her head. We hardly have the courtesy of being apart of important conversations about the past and the different elements to her personality weren't cohesive. I felt like there were gaps, when in fact, it was the presentation.

We have a public sex fiend who only has "sex" in public twice and they were more appetizers than main course, not to say that the main course was better.

This story had an overwhelming amount of controversial issues that could have made for a really good story but the delivery was weak and didn't help me to understand or empathize. I was over it from I made it to 5% and if not for willpower and 3 hours in the early morning, I'd have my first DNF.

I have never read a book from this author before and I am now skeptic about reading another. I was bored, uninterested and had to claw my way to the end. The fact that the end was abrupt, unrealistic and unimaginative didn't help either. I just didn't like or understand this story at all.

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22061681-being-kalli

The Fall By Sienna Lane & Amelia Rivers

I always joke about having a DNF list but I came really close this time. I wanted to give up after the first 5% but that was mostly because I have never read angels and demons before and the beginning didn't captivate me enough to wanna stay. Once again, my need to not have a DNF made me persevere. However, I literally had to force my way through to the end because this was cheesy, anticlimactic and felt more like a parody than a paranormal. The thing that surprised me also was that it had a lot of real religious elements that were manipulated in the most understated and uninspiring way.

This could have been an opportunity to learn about ancient religious prophecies regarding the Grigori and their offspring's the Nephilim, as they try to keep Addison a descendant of Enoch safe, while hoping to stop another Nephilim from releasing their fathers from Tartarus. Normally, I don't recall story lines because that's what blurbs are for but this one I think I had to for the rest of us who are not that religiously inclined and had to learn of this from a paranormal novel.

First of all, I thought this was going to be another vampire novel, so I had to recalibrate my expectations and I was even excited for a while to read my first angels and demons novel based off real historical events B.C. Imagine my disappointment :(

 The moment Archer and Addison met and start to keep company this story fizzles to YA romance. At one point, I wondered if we weren't going to bother with hell on earth. Literally. I think that if you are going to tackle a story of this caliber then the delivery has to be better than the equivalent of a teen movie. They were so modern to the point where it was unbelievable. I understand change but this was too much.

An example you say? ... here goes ... so this creature is suppose to be locked away for a millennia as pointed out by our "fierce" leader and somehow, his "spirit" has been floating around the atmosphere. Guess what his visual entertainment of choice was? ... Yup! You guessed it, 'Twilight'! Now c'mon ... is this a serious paranormal novel or just fun and laughs? I can't see not one but two authors agreeing on this point among others.

Addison is no virgin. All I want to ask her is why she was still a virgin because she could deep throat like no ones business and don't get me started on her constant need to lose said virginity after it being her BFF for more than 20 years. Still, separate her untimely love, instant training as an Eros and reaction to angel babies, I like Addison. She had fire, spunk and quite the personality to match her never ending stomach.

Archer is good at brooding and while I liked his character in the beginning, I am not a fan of him in love. I could spend this novel focused on the "fight" more than I could the romance. The fate of the world is in their hands and their busy fighting over guys who flirt with her in a bar -_-

All the other male characters had my interest, apart from Archer, unless he was stretching his powers. I would have loved to get to know them and their powers more intimately because this intrigued me more than the story line itself.

I expect angles and demons to have a fight that rival all others, but instead I was left bored and wanting it to end as it began. I keep putting "fight" in quotations because the big reveal and climax was very flat and I am assuming this story is all wrapped up based on their very HEA despite God's supposed dislike for this species. I haven't done more research to see if this particularly claim is true so I am gonna take this novel and Wikipedia's information at face value.

Also, the names, what's up with those? Lazarus and Archius? C'mon now! You can do better. The sex was also rather basic too. The man can probably bench press the Hulk and that's the best you can do? He even has telekinesis on his side! I don't know man, this novel just lacked inspiration, conviction and details. I am actually shocked that this was the effort of two authors because it was very unimaginative and uninspiring for a story that already had it's base in religious history.

Though I was able to get through this novel after almost 2 days it was a task. I was bored, unimpressed and all round annoyed that something that could and should be epic was so lackluster. Their powers and back stories alone could have made for an epic tale but all this reminded me of was a teen movie with a mix of the 'Supernatural' TV series.

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18940798-the-fall

A Debt Repaid By N. Isabelle Blanco

The premise was different. Silly really and I could surely think of another way to recover what was stolen but I still wanted to read this novel. Surprise, surprise, I was bored and Chase is an idiot who is giving away millions for a woman who I don't think is worth it.

We spent more time in the mind of Aria than we did having conversations, learning about the main characters and sifting through the deeds of Douglas. This novel was shallow but packed more intensity than it's topics warranted. Unfortunately, the intensity and feelings didn't match the actual content. Also, someone please give the VP/best friend a name because his name couldn't decide if it was Marcus or Matthew. Depends on the day.

Drop every romance novel cliche with the intensity of every book ever read and you have this story. I don't really know or understand these characters even with it being a dual POV novel. Every one is either angry, really intense or bred from so many cliches that it's impossible to know who they are out of their molds. My favourite character is Adam and the kid is 5 with like 5 minutes of shine.

I understand Aria's reservations but I  don't sympathize or connect with her on any other level than she is the one who narrates most of this story. Hilary's character comes in like a tornado and then exit just as fast. As a female, I  know that their is that one friend in your life, sometimes more, that you lean on when it all goes belly up. Hilary is suppose to be that friend but she came off more as an alien beamed down to retrieve something and then return to the mother ship. Weird analogy? Possibly, but as I said before, development was not he author's top priority. I know nothing about this woman other than she must be rich, been around a while and she is apparently beautiful and hates Douglas for years. Guess that's all we need.

I honestly believed this story would be memorable and left me reeling needing to read the next but I am pretty sure that I can wait. Obviously, I am gonna wanna know what's next but I am in no rush. It's just plain human curiosity.

I like Chase and I could love his character. We got the most back story about him and got personal with his past and present life. However, there is still a level of indifference to him but I have no deep interest to claw at those barriers to get to the man within. I could however read the entire story from his POV and maybe with another woman. I don't know about him but I am tired of Aria's indecision and uncertainty.

Aria's character is annoying and everything that is wrong with cliched insta-lust, love, regret female heroine's. No one is forcing her to do anything, no one is even in her way. People get separated and date all the time and some even commit crimes and get married while still married. Get off your horse Aria because it doesn't even fit you.

I can see them having that one sex scene but I just can't see them as a couple. I think he can do better and Aria is just plain annoying so I just don't really wanna have to interact with her. I seem to tolerate her more from Chase's POV.

Also, not to be outdone, this story added another cliched couple into the mix with Lori and Brent and while I wasn't rolling my eyes, about 30% into this novel I was over this story. I only continued because I really don't wanna have a DNF. I suspect one day a book will be bad enough to make me finally have that shelf but for now, I powered through to a not as intense as the author thinks sex scene and the blatant irresponsibility didn't even do anything for me. The whole story did nothing for me. I literally wanna pick some characters and points and make a whole new story. I am  actually hoping that someone has written a story with this premise but a better delivery.

I wasn't impressed but I wasn't disgusted either. I was just indifferent. I won't even disrespect debut authors by saying that this was debut work. This was just flat, uninspiring, annoying and over before it even began. There was no real direction, chemistry, development or stability. There are sweet touches and a few comedic moments but for the most part I just wanted it to end.

- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20802451-a-debt-repaid