Mindy L. KlaskyCritiques

To be honest, this book snagged my attention purely from the striking/pretty cover as I was walking past the YA section at my local library. It sounded intriguing, so I packed it in my bag with about twenty pounds of other books that caught my eye similarly.

I was really intrigued especially by the worldbuilding, though I was left curious about some of the history and things - I am hoping that since this book has a sequel, I will find some of the further information I expected/wanted in that book. At first I was rather disappointed, because I was unaware there was a sequel . . . and even knowing there is, I would still have rather a little more of an ending, even with leading into the next book.

However I still enjoyed the story, and Keara managed to balance between sympathy and irritation for me - I find first-person narratives very tricky to read oftentimes, yet never was I tempted to put down this book. Keara's feelings towards Caw were her strongest driving trait and also the strongest draw of her - and her confusion, hesitance, and her ultimate surprise towards the end were all perfectly understandable and well-represented.

Some of the novel's twists legitimately surprised me pretty strongly, and again, I was left curious about further information in characters' pasts, or the religion of Keara's world, or the history of the country she lives in. (I also think this set-up is really . . . well, it's quite a dystopia, even if it isn't expressly shown in that specific light. Keara's world is creepily terrifying under the surface, even if often she doesn't realise it, as that is just 'how things are'.) I'd also love to hear more from Caw himself (through Keara's perspective, of course) going forwards, which I'm hopeful will happen with the slant of the ending of this book and the implications of what to expect in the next one.

full review can be found here:

https://nordie.wordpress.com/2016/04/25/bookreview-just-one-of-those-things-by-m...

Cute but based on reviews of nxt in series skipping

A quick, light read. As a person who works in a library, I feel a bit closer to the main character than some may. I can definitely relate. Though, they have never made us wear costumes, which could be a good thing. I found most of the characters in the book likeable. I want Melissa to be real, so I can try her scrumptous desserts! I love Neko, and David, and Gran so much. Mojito therapy is especially great. Ha, anyway, like I said, a quick, light read. Nothing too challenging, which is great for this time of year (nearly Christmas). Though, the main character has a way with picking the wrong men, she isn't unintelligent. I will definitely be reading the rest in the series.

Law and Murder by Mindy Klasky was a fun read and the main character was entertaining. This is a great vacation read as there's nothing strenuous to think about.

Cute read!

The idea of this book was great. Since it is the first in a series I'm hoping the second is better written as this one had many flaws that failed the general idea of the story.

The main character deserved the hand she was dealt, as she was a over dramatic moron for someone that works in a library. All of her problems were "me" centered, but if it would have been written in the sense that she was attacking her life woes, instead of freaking out about them it would have been a better book.

Every plot point in this story was a great idea, and I was constantly thinking "oh this is going to be good!" but was let down by it not be flushed out right. If that makes sense. It's worth the read if you have some down time, I laughed out loud at many points but over all I was disappointed.

Really not s Gan of the ending, but the second book might fix that.

I enjoyed the variety of stories in this book. It was lovely to see couples if different ages, experiences, and encounters.

Very spicy read, but quick I finished it in one day!

I thought this book was a formulaic sports romance. Then I found out partway through that it was about covid, something I've been avoiding in my media because I wanted escape. But neither of those things define this book. Yes it's got the sports romance and yes it does take place during a pandemic. But it also is funny, steamy, has a great plot, and brought me to tears many times. I read it in one go for hours straight. It really captures how the pandemic, social unrest after the tragic murder of George Floyd, unfolded through the lens of the closure of sports and the kindling of a romance 6 ft apart.

Jane has been neglecting her talents and discovers that what isn't used can be taken away. I disliked David and his unwillingness to be honest about the growing feelings Jane and David have for each other. I feel like he was responsible at least in part for the trouble Jane gets into. But the magical crisis brings Jane closer to her mother and grandmother in important ways and she is able to claim her power and love in lasting ways.½

Jane is back and fighting for the right to retain her magical legacy. She's also struggling with those deep down insecurities that she felt in high school in connection with the popular crowd. I really disliked the way Jane was taken advantage of because of those insecurities - and I wish there had been better communication between Jane and her warder. But Jane kicks butt in the end and it was awesome!½

Jane Madison, librarian and surprise! witch. This is a humorous romp through the paranormal - Jane copes with discovering her powers, dealing with a pushy familiar, and a brooding and demanding warder. Jane's bestie is diligently attempting to meet her true love, and Jane is half in love with her imaginary boyfriend (who turns out to be a jerk). Against her inclinations, this book explores Jane having to take a realistic look at herself, her relationships, and the hidden power she holds.½

WOW, I WAS INTRIGUED BY THE FIRST CHAPTER! I loved that Sarah decided to take a clerk position with the night court in D.C. as she was forever hopping from one job to another and she liked clerking as it soothe her soul, of course James was easy on the eyes too, but on her first day a deranged man attacked her and almost ripped out her throat! James suspected that Sarah was an unknown creature as she could not be enfolded with a vampire as old as he was and he quietly tested her, as her boss, he started training her to fight as she constantly walked alone in the dead of night. I loved that James fought his desire for her, especially when he made the mistake of allowing a reporter close to her. I CAN'T WAIT TO READ BOOK TWO TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!

This is the second in the series. Klasky is builds a believable world where vampires, sphinxes and other creatures exist along side regular reality. I'm curious how the main character's relationship with her human best friend will grow and change as the main character gets more immersed in the vampire/Sphinx world.

I enjoyed this book so much! I liked the majority of the characters a lot. Jane is a favorite and I am so invested in what happens to her. I want to begin reading the next book now. I like that no one is perfect in the story. I love all the emotions that Jane went through. Nothing was glossed over. It is one of the most honest, true to life paranormal story I have read in awhile. I love being taken away by fantasy and had forgotten how good it can feel to meet a character you can relate so well to. At times this book had the feel of Practical Magic for me. (That is good as that book is a favorite with my girls and me.) I'm not big on books I love being made for the screen. It is so iffy on how they will turn out that it scares me. However this is a series that I think would be truly fun to see made for the screen. I laughed way too often reading this book. It has definitely made my list of favorite reads for this year.

There are mature scenes though nothing explicit in this book for those who want that information.

I requested this collection of short stories by and about women and our issues because I like some of the contributing authors and because of the title and what was going on at the time. I really wanted to like it, though I expected to like some more than others, which is the way with collections like this. I got through the first five or six but just could not continue. The premise was good, but it seemed rushed and thrown together. I may go back and read more stories, but I'm in no hurry.

What a fun and enjoyable book. It was so great to be back in the world of Jane Madison and her cohorts.

Ok, so I'm married to the author, just to get that out of the way. This was exactly the book I needed to read right now. I love the voice and attitude of Sarah, our main character, and everyone around her is fleshed out enough (pun somewhat intended) that things feel real even when they are decidedly unreal. I found myself engrossed in both the plot and the character arcs which always makes for a good read. LAW AND MURDER is a fun and rewarding read.

I really liked this.I wanted a fun, fluff sort of read and that is exactly what this was. I am looking forward to reading the next few installments.

"Before you start to criticize me, let's get a couple of things straight. First, I take it you're a familiar?"
"And I take it you're a witch."
"No, I'm a librarian."

An interesting account of life during Covid in America.
This is set at the start of Covid and starts off showing what we all experienced at the start and the changes in information given out at that time.
I love the building of the relationship between Jason and Katie.

There was a lot of soul searching from several of the characters in the book. Heartache, hope, love.

Like many others I did wonder if this was too soon to write a book set in Covid times, but I am glad I read this book.

The C Word by Mindy Klasky is a lighthearted, extremely fluffy rom-com about the beginning of an unorthodox love story between two strangers during a global pandemic.

I had no idea what I was going into when I first received my email informing me that I had won.
I entered partly because I was curious to see if I would be lucky enough to be picked and partly out of sheer curiosity after having read the brief synopsis of the book. So, I am extremely honored and pleased to have been chosen to receive an ARC, courtesy of Peabridge Press, LibraryThing, and Mindy Klasky.

From the moment I started reading, I found myself invested in the story of sports journalist, Katie McIntyre, and star pitcher, Jason Price. This is ironic given what the whole premise of the book is all about. This wasn't exactly a genre I usually gravitated towards. Moreover, this was the first time I had ever picked up a book written by this author. A disclosure I am more than glad to have remedied this year.

I enjoyed the witty, and oftentimes extremely heartwarming banter between the two main characters. I loved that this wasn't an insta-love kind of book because I feel it wouldn't have been very realistic. Instead, Klasky uses the romantic fake-real turn trope to tell her story. I love the idea of characters getting to know each other while fake dating - being friends before lover kind of thing. Besides, the notion seems more realistic and possibly the safest (health-wise) way to start a relationship in real life as well. This book is by no means perfect as there are some scenes and characters that I found that I did not care for. In a way, this book resonates with me. Last year, I was curious about how dating would have worked out during the coronavirus pandemic. Klasky provided an answer and delivered it much like how soft news is reported.

Overall, an interesting commentary on finding and navigating love while surviving job loss, lockdown, grandmother, and a vicious devil-cat. I surprisingly could not put this down. There was something about reading Katie & Jason's story...it gives you hope that even amidst a worldwide health crisis, love can survive.

I really liked this book!! It reads like almost any other romance i would read, and getting my baseball fix in during January didn't hurt either. It was definitely weird to see COVID-19 and the pandemic in fiction. Seeing things like "flatten the curve" and stocking up on toilet paper... it almost felt like a joke as we approach the year mark of the pandemic. It wasn't an inaccurate representation of the early days, but there were moments where it was like "wow we really didn't know what was coming." It was very clear what would be the big topic of the inevitable fight between the two main characters would be, so building up to that fight and then the resolution of it was satisfying. Overall, I would recommend the book, and I'm definitely going to check out Klasky's other works!½

It's weird to read a book that starts before COVID because it simultaneously feels like COVID has been happening forever and COVID just started. It's unbelievable that there has been time to write a whole book!

That being said - 'The C Word' was a beautiful romance consist with the times. It was hilarious and realistic to read about the restlessness of a fourteen day quarantine and creativity of a virtual date. This was an easy romance with well developed characters and interesting subplots.

I gave this a three stars (three and a half in my personal journal) because although I loved diving into the characters, it felt like a lot of unresolved issues were resolved quickly off book without giving us any insight. It seems liked when we finally were getting into the meat of the character's issues, they were brushed off with a "we talked about this."

All in all though, it was a well written, quick romance. I can't wait to see what Mindy Klasky writes next!