Kelsey Clayton

COVER = 5/5
PACE = 3/5 - fast pace/really slow at the beginning
PLOT = 2/5 - I mean... the secrets and sneaking around were annoying, just your typical best friend/sister romance, honestly nothing really special. ALSO, why are people tagging this as 'hockey romance" literally has NOTHING TO DO WITH HOCKEY, except for that 1 game!
CHARACTERS = 3/5- ehh, they were OK, not really fleshed out well enough for me to love them, MONTY WAS A DUMB CHARACTER (only created for tension) actually DUMB and it was like "ok we need an antagonist lets just INSERT one real quick.. with no character development at all and doesnt make sense)
WORLD BUILDING = 2.5/5 - was ok i guess, seemed to just be set in the same areas
ROMANCE = 3.5/5 - actually wasnt bad, the smut is pretty good
WRITING = 2/5 - didn't really like the writing, needs work/editing, kinda immature tbh

OVERALL =3.5/5 stars… (altro)

why does this have a high rating? idk

best friend/sister romance turned murder/mystery, IM SCREAMING THIS WAS SO predictable

COVER = 5/5
PACE = 3/5 - fast pace
PLOT = 1.5/5 -best friend/sister romance turned murder/mystery, IM SCREAMING THIS WAS SO predictable, nothing makes sense, Laiken leaving was painful to read
CHARACTERS = 2/5- monty jsut doing his monty things ig, riley is interesting.. but also wtf are these characters
WORLD BUILDING = 1/5 - same as other book it was ok, seemed to just be set in the same areas, nothing special tbh
ROMANCE = 2/5 - barely any tbh, things felt.. awkward/forced in a way
WRITING = 2/5 - didn't really like the writing, needs work/editing, kinda immature tbh

OVERALL =2/5 stars… (altro)

is this a best friend/sister romance, a hockey romance (which it clearly isn't), or a murder/mystery? It can't tell... i just keeps getting crazy and nothing makes sense!

COVER = 5/5
PACE = 3/5 - fast pace
PLOT = 2/5 -book took a weird turn, and nothing seemed to make sense
CHARACTERS = 2/5- Laiken and Hayes started to annoy me, and yay monty is back (worst character ever!)
WORLD BUILDING = 2.5/5 - same as other book it was ok, seemed to just be set in the same areas
ROMANCE = 2/5 - the smut was OK
WRITING = 2/5 - didn't really like the writing, needs work/editing, kinda immature tbh

OVERALL =2/5 stars

Merged review:

is this a best friend/sister romance, a hockey romance (which it clearly isn't), or a murder/mystery? It can't tell... i just keeps getting crazy and nothing makes sense!

COVER = 5/5
PACE = 3/5 - fast pace
PLOT = 2/5 -book took a weird turn, and nothing seemed to make sense
CHARACTERS = 2/5- Laiken and Hayes started to annoy me, and yay monty is back (worst character ever!)
WORLD BUILDING = 2.5/5 - same as other book it was ok, seemed to just be set in the same areas
ROMANCE = 2/5 - the smut was OK
WRITING = 2/5 - didn't really like the writing, needs work/editing, kinda immature tbh

OVERALL =2/5 stars

Merged review:

is this a best friend/sister romance, a hockey romance (which it clearly isn't), or a murder/mystery? It can't tell... i just keeps getting crazy and nothing makes sense!

COVER = 5/5
PACE = 3/5 - fast pace
PLOT = 2/5 -book took a weird turn, and nothing seemed to make sense
CHARACTERS = 2/5- Laiken and Hayes started to annoy me, and yay monty is back (worst character ever!)
WORLD BUILDING = 2.5/5 - same as other book it was ok, seemed to just be set in the same areas
ROMANCE = 2/5 - the smut was OK
WRITING = 2/5 - didn't really like the writing, needs work/editing, kinda immature tbh

OVERALL =2/5 stars… (altro)

2 stars, full Review on my blog!

oh my god oooook the ending :000

A Drop of Pretty Poison picks up right where the previous cliffhanger left us, with Hayes confessing his love for Laiken to her brother, Cam. The inevitable tension between Cam and Hayes unfolds, but it's satisfying to witness Laiken and Hayes proudly declare their relationship and watch their connection flourish.

Initially, the book had promise, but as it progressed, it became incredibly bizarre and lacked coherence. The rapid progression of moving in together, getting engaged, and planning a wedding within just five days felt overwhelming and confusing. I was puzzled by the repeated return of Monty and felt that the whole situation could have been avoided if Cam and Hayes had communicated the Monty-related issues to the girls. It seems that Isaac is the one blackmailing Laiken, as we haven't been introduced to anyone else through Monty.

The story lost its appeal for me once Cam got over his initial anger towards Laiken and Hayes' relationship. It felt like half of the book was filled with unimportant details. Monty remained as annoying as ever, and I still held the same sentiments about his character as expressed in my review of the first book. I couldn't understand why Hayes didn't immediately disclose that Monty and Isaac were close friends from boarding school, which could have prompted Laiken to reevaluate Monty's character. The twist involving Monty's return felt unsatisfying and unrealistic, and both Laiken and Hayes started to annoy me. The recurring theme of keeping someone in the dark "for their own good" frustrates me every time I come across it in books. It's a personal pet peeve of mine and highly irritating.

Can we also talk about how confusing it was that Hayes could afford the house after spending $50k on Cam's bail, as it seemed to exceed his budget? I expected a subplot where he would struggle financially and potentially need a loan, but that storyline didn't materialize. Although it was mentioned that Hayes inherited money from his father's passing in this book, the amount wasn't specified, so it's unclear if it was a significant sum or not.

This book is utterly perplexing, and nothing seems to make sense whatsoever. If you're considering reading it, I recommend stopping around chapter 14, or perhaps even earlier, because beyond that point, trust me, nothing makes sense. It feels as if the author randomly introduced the plot and drama without any rhyme or reason. The book struggled to fit numerous genres and plotlines into one, whether it be a best friend/sister romance, a hockey romance (which it clearly isn't), or a murder/mystery? The constant shifting between these different elements felt forced and disjointed. While I genuinely enjoyed the first book, this one simply wasn't to my liking.

This book also concludes with a cliffhanger, although it's quite apparent that Laiken will surrender herself to her blackmailer. However, it seems unnecessary to compel readers to delve into a third 400 page book to uncover the resolution; which was predictable btw.

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A Dose of Pretty Poison | Review
A Drop of Pretty Poison | Review
A Shot of Pretty Poison | Review


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