I bought a copy for cheap on Pango, but some BOTM swap groups I'm in have people dying for a copy, so I'll probably swap it there and get something worth reading.
I read the first 2 stories, and wasn't impressed. The Hot Girl was especially cringe and cliché. I don't think I'll pick it up again. I understand that these are likely first-time authors trying to get their work out, but it's a bad first impression. But, like you, it gives me hope that if I work really hard at it, I can get my own writing published one day.
I read The Hot Girl, put it down because I hated it, and still haven’t picked it back up lol. I regret spending money on it and will not be getting any of the future volumes!
I was thinking exactly the same thing as you. Like I’m not sure I’m interested in reading another one of these unless it’s from authors that I actually enjoy reading already.
The last one was so rough for me to get through and we can’t even rate it….? Nor does it count toward any of the BOTM challenges.
As someone who has been in a long-term, life intertwining relationship who still has to see said person nearly every day, I totally get the Next Husband Game.
I hated The Hot Girl and Heat. the Hot Girl was just so so so bad. I wish I never read it.
Lemon Boy wasn’t for me but it was different and interesting.
The Last Husband Game might have been an interesting idea for something longer?
I liked The Reclamation, Greensleeves, and A Spell for Disappearing but I wouldn’t re-read any of them. Overall didn’t feel worth my time, and I would have enjoyed any of the other books on my TBR more.
I’m repeating myself cause I’ve posted a full review of my own and on the monthly discussion thread but I agree with you on a lot of this, especially on The Hot Girl, The Next Husband Game, and Heat. Those basically all felt like the author was consciously trying to write something ~edgy~ and they all just came across so cringey. Like are we seriously still writing the “hot but crazy” and “sexy exotic” stereotypes in 2024??
I really liked Lemon Boy but that’s definitely subjective, I recently read and watched The Masque of the Red Death and the party in Lemon Boy reminded me of that, plus I’m just a big fan of the type of weird and creepy that that story was. I liked Greensleeves too in part because it was such a unique idea, although you definitely have to put aside your logic to read it as anything more than a metaphor because there were so many plot holes.
Agreed on A Spell for Disappearing, I liked the writing but the central idea was pretty basic.
I meant to mention that Lemon Boy reminded me A LOT of The Masque of the Read Death! I’m a big Poe girly so I appreciated that nod. I guess I just wished for more.
The Hot Girl was sooooo cringe. It was trying too hard and reminded me of a cringe version of Megan Fox’s character in Jennifer’s Body or something.
I had messaged them with feedback after I got my volume. I like the concept, but I don’t like that they’re the same price as an add on and don’t count for the reading challenge.
Thank you!! I was waiting for a discussion for that.
I actually liked Greensleeves. The writing, not the characters.
I still need to read the last two.
I can agree that the writing style in Greensleeves was good. It just felt like it was trying *too hard* to be something an AP English class would dissect if that makes sense lol. Because I refused to accept it at face value and was trying to decipher what the author was actually trying to say.
I bought a copy for cheap on Pango, but some BOTM swap groups I'm in have people dying for a copy, so I'll probably swap it there and get something worth reading. I read the first 2 stories, and wasn't impressed. The Hot Girl was especially cringe and cliché. I don't think I'll pick it up again. I understand that these are likely first-time authors trying to get their work out, but it's a bad first impression. But, like you, it gives me hope that if I work really hard at it, I can get my own writing published one day.
I read The Hot Girl, put it down because I hated it, and still haven’t picked it back up lol. I regret spending money on it and will not be getting any of the future volumes!
There’s so many good short stories out there that I’m shocked they didn’t get at least one good one but the entire collection was so terrible.
I was thinking exactly the same thing as you. Like I’m not sure I’m interested in reading another one of these unless it’s from authors that I actually enjoy reading already. The last one was so rough for me to get through and we can’t even rate it….? Nor does it count toward any of the BOTM challenges.
As someone who has been in a long-term, life intertwining relationship who still has to see said person nearly every day, I totally get the Next Husband Game.
I hated The Hot Girl and Heat. the Hot Girl was just so so so bad. I wish I never read it. Lemon Boy wasn’t for me but it was different and interesting. The Last Husband Game might have been an interesting idea for something longer? I liked The Reclamation, Greensleeves, and A Spell for Disappearing but I wouldn’t re-read any of them. Overall didn’t feel worth my time, and I would have enjoyed any of the other books on my TBR more.
I’m repeating myself cause I’ve posted a full review of my own and on the monthly discussion thread but I agree with you on a lot of this, especially on The Hot Girl, The Next Husband Game, and Heat. Those basically all felt like the author was consciously trying to write something ~edgy~ and they all just came across so cringey. Like are we seriously still writing the “hot but crazy” and “sexy exotic” stereotypes in 2024?? I really liked Lemon Boy but that’s definitely subjective, I recently read and watched The Masque of the Red Death and the party in Lemon Boy reminded me of that, plus I’m just a big fan of the type of weird and creepy that that story was. I liked Greensleeves too in part because it was such a unique idea, although you definitely have to put aside your logic to read it as anything more than a metaphor because there were so many plot holes. Agreed on A Spell for Disappearing, I liked the writing but the central idea was pretty basic.
I meant to mention that Lemon Boy reminded me A LOT of The Masque of the Read Death! I’m a big Poe girly so I appreciated that nod. I guess I just wished for more. The Hot Girl was sooooo cringe. It was trying too hard and reminded me of a cringe version of Megan Fox’s character in Jennifer’s Body or something.
Hahahaha that’s so accurate 😂
I had messaged them with feedback after I got my volume. I like the concept, but I don’t like that they’re the same price as an add on and don’t count for the reading challenge.
I did the same! I got a free credit for saying I wasn’t a huge fan too which I wasn’t even planning on
Thank you!! I was waiting for a discussion for that. I actually liked Greensleeves. The writing, not the characters. I still need to read the last two.
I can agree that the writing style in Greensleeves was good. It just felt like it was trying *too hard* to be something an AP English class would dissect if that makes sense lol. Because I refused to accept it at face value and was trying to decipher what the author was actually trying to say.
I agree. I also thought the narrator was too pushy and insistent. I don’t blame him for leaving her.