By While I do some additional editing and wait for some reader feedback on my manuscript I thought I’d bring my current readers some additional reviews. So I have read a lot of books this year and I have read a lot by the same authors so I thought I’d do some author reviews. Here is the first.
Ali Hazelwood is a romance writer. Most of her books are contemporary adult romances with the exception of two. Bride is an adult paranormal romance and Check & Mate is young adult. All her books with the exception of the one YA are open door romances. Note on Check & Mate, while it is closed door the book does discuss sex.
The first Ali Hazelwood book I read was Bride and I have a love-annoyance relationship with paranormal romances. This is because romances are typically pretty short reads and if a book is standalone then a lot of the already short novel goes into world building for the paranormal details and not building of the relationship. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the book, I did, but I’m really excited for the second one because much of the world building has already been done.
Warning for possible spoilers – commonly used tropes discussed:
I really enjoyed Hazelwood’s science romances but while her female characters do come into their own there are some consistent power imbalances. Honestly though those imbalances could be worse. The Love Hypothesis, Love on the Brain, and Love Theoretically do have third act breakups. Tropes aside they are all different stores and hey, we all have tropes that we love. Over all, these are fun reads. Not in Love does use a similar formula but it is a much heavier story and the book starts with a trigger warning. These characters have unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Check & Mate I started reading and then set down for months and when I actually finished the book it took a day but in the end it is a good read. I love specific nerdy things and chess qualifies even if it is something I don’t play, plus this book was well written. I think my issue is not with the book, it’s with YA characters in general. I’m an adult and sometimes the emotional immaturity of YA characters annoys me. That being said, they are supposed to be immature and in a well written story they grow into themselves and mature, like they do in this one.
Are Ali Hazelwood’s book’s perfect, no, but they are fun reads. I do suggest her books for fans of adult romance. Happy reading!
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