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elisabethei85's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
katyanaish's review
4.0
****3.5****
I wanted to like this more than I did. I think... the whole book was running, and focused on this singular encounter with the big bad... which actually made it feel much flatter than these books usually are.
And then I ended up feeling confused and unsatisfied.
I wanted to like this more than I did. I think... the whole book was running, and focused on this singular encounter with the big bad... which actually made it feel much flatter than these books usually are.
And then
Spoiler
despite being the sole focus of this book, that encounter didn't actually have a payoff.kk7's review
5.0
This was much more action and less fluff. Jade's evil ex is in town and things spin out of control rapidly.....
kim_brockway_gatehouse's review
4.0
Heartache, Desperation, Frustration, oh my!
I'm already a fan of Annie's writing style and this urban fantasy series. Heartache is the 5th book and aptly titled. I should stress that the books in this series need to be read in order to understand the plotline.
I downloaded the narration by Folly Blaine for my Kindle. However, I ended up listening to most of the story through Audible rather than reading it. I like the way Folly reads the narrative, it's good. The story is told from Jade Crow's perspective and Folly's performance mirrors our protagonist's personality. However, Folly has a very limited number of accents or voices. Many of the characters sounded the same, making scenes with more dialogue than narrative harder to follow.
The plot in this book felt less full of hope and lighter moments. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the tension of waiting for Samir to strike or the feeling of "out of the frying pan and into the fire." Plus of course Annie is really good at writing dynamic fight scenes, especially those with magic. I was definitely holding my breath a lot. However, I missed being uplifted. Plus it ends on a rather depressing cliffhanger which is why I've sulkily rated Heartache 4-stars not 5. However, there are still geeky references and nerdish quotes sprinkled throughout this book that warmed my heart and put a smile on my face.
I'm already a fan of Annie's writing style and this urban fantasy series. Heartache is the 5th book and aptly titled. I should stress that the books in this series need to be read in order to understand the plotline.
I downloaded the narration by Folly Blaine for my Kindle. However, I ended up listening to most of the story through Audible rather than reading it. I like the way Folly reads the narrative, it's good. The story is told from Jade Crow's perspective and Folly's performance mirrors our protagonist's personality. However, Folly has a very limited number of accents or voices. Many of the characters sounded the same, making scenes with more dialogue than narrative harder to follow.
The plot in this book felt less full of hope and lighter moments. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the tension of waiting for Samir to strike or the feeling of "out of the frying pan and into the fire." Plus of course Annie is really good at writing dynamic fight scenes, especially those with magic. I was definitely holding my breath a lot. However, I missed being uplifted. Plus it ends on a rather depressing cliffhanger which is why I've sulkily rated Heartache 4-stars not 5. However, there are still geeky references and nerdish quotes sprinkled throughout this book that warmed my heart and put a smile on my face.
books4biana's review
3.0
I don't know why I like these books so much...it's a quick read? So many pop culture references? A sassy main character?
I will say...for anyone about to read this book...it's a cliffhanger. Just like a season finale on tv. I doubt that would have distracted me if I had known beforehand.
I will say...for anyone about to read this book...it's a cliffhanger. Just like a season finale on tv. I doubt that would have distracted me if I had known beforehand.
starlitbooknerd's review
Speechless
This book is so amazing and riveting it has made me speechless. Jade is an awesome character and I can't wait to see what happens.
This book is so amazing and riveting it has made me speechless. Jade is an awesome character and I can't wait to see what happens.
hollydoesstuff's review
4.0
Why did this book feel so short? And like, did anything even happen? And then a cliffhanger ending? These things would normally make me really angry and give a lower rating. But! I still really like these characters and maybe it's just because there was so much action it really wasn't that short. And now that I'm done I just really really want to read the next one. That tells me I really enjoyed this book because I'm left wanting MORE!
bunnerz's review
4.0
Ratings - completed series:
#1 Justice Calling: ★★★★☆
#2 Murder of Crows: ★★★★☆
#3 Pack of Lies: ★★★★☆
#4 Hunting Season: ★★★★☆
#5 Heartache (this book): ★★★★☆
#6 Thicker Than Blood: ★★★★☆
#7 Magic to the Bone: ★★★☆☆
#8 Dungeon Crawl: ★★★★☆
#9 River of No Return: ★★★★☆
#10 Balancing the Scales: ★★★★☆
#1 Justice Calling: ★★★★☆
#2 Murder of Crows: ★★★★☆
#3 Pack of Lies: ★★★★☆
#4 Hunting Season: ★★★★☆
#5 Heartache (this book): ★★★★☆
#6 Thicker Than Blood: ★★★★☆
#7 Magic to the Bone: ★★★☆☆
#8 Dungeon Crawl: ★★★★☆
#9 River of No Return: ★★★★☆
#10 Balancing the Scales: ★★★★☆
heyt's review
3.0
And the boss fight begins. In this installment we see Samir in action as he has finally come to Wylde. As villains go he is pretty mean and nasty but there are no nuances to him. He's just evil. At least Tess had more depth to her rather than being an evil minion. I liked this one because we see a confrontation between Jade and Samir finally but the ending is slightly abrupt and not definitive which can be a little frustrating. Overall, I still love the world and the characters and look forward to what comes next.