Stephanie Harper

So much potential, but I just couldn’t finish

Reviewed: 01-06-25

This was a great idea. I just kept slamming into issues with story points and plot issues.
I get it is fantasy, but when you make auto mechanics and medical issues as major plot points then getting those correct becomes very important. Having someone who knows about engine mechanics and medicine is vital. Having the doctor quote Wikipedia is not the same as understanding differential diagnosis. The non fantasy aspects of the story were where the issues lay.
Ultimately the good performance, nice spice and interesting premise could not survive the repeated WTF full stop moments when I had to just hit pause and come back later.

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Unfinished series

Reviewed: 11-27-24

This is a very well done second book in an incomplete series that does not apparently have a finish planned. It still works, just leaves many hanging plot lines.

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Book 1 of a 9 book series.

Reviewed: 11-14-24

Review is for the series, since that is the total story arc.
This series is a reverse harem/why choose with protagonists all high school students start to finish.
I normally avoid series set in schools and certainly teen aged, but this was recommended to me so I listened to all 9 books.
The writing was very well done by and large. Several of the protagonists read as closer to 30 than 17, but overall not badly done.
My biggest gripe here is one that is pretty common when you have a storyline that has stretched over nine books. The final book falls really flat. The MMCs were quite poorly served by the ending after such extensive character development.
I would say that if you enjoy the YA PNR genre, you will probably be fine.
For me, it was a ling investment with a poor payoff, and reinforced why I avoid YA in this genre.

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Great Listen

Reviewed: 05-15-24

Well written, compelling story with great narration. Unique world is very well done. Excellent first book in the series, eager to read the next.

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Excellent series start with good narration

Reviewed: 10-31-23

First, be warned! Only the first three books of the series are on audiobooks with no plans announced to record the rest of them. As a vision impaired reader this is an issue since book three does end in a cliffhanger.
The books themselves are wonderful and highly recommended. I hope that the remainder are made available in audio format someday.

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1 person found this helpful

Excellent storytelling

Reviewed: 09-17-23

First, I really love the worldbuilding in all these novels. Characters are nuanced and well developed, storylines are compelling and satisfactorily resolved. Highly recommended.
The only worm in my apple is that I listened to this series up to this point via the BARD books for the blind service, and the narrator was phenomenal. Most importantly, her voice for bones was a lovely deep London accent that would drop panties in a 100m circumference. Hearing Tavia Gilberts Dickensian newsboy Bones was nearly unbearable. Sadly, these books are only available here right now so I must endure. I strongly suggest anyone with access listen to the alternate version!

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Compelling read

Reviewed: 06-15-23

Unique storyline, well developed characters. Eldritch horror romance with mystery as well. Onwards to the second book!

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Good value for a credit

Reviewed: 06-09-23

Always happy to see series packaged like this.
As always the narration was excellent.
All that said, this is not a particularly strong story overall. Granted, these are erotic romance stories, so standards may not be as high. Eva Chase does a really good job developing characters and does so here. My primary criticism is that she was really obviously addressing a lot of subjects she has little familiarity with in this story. The cumulative effect made my investment in the characters pretty low since their actions snd interactions made little sense. Most of these stories have some aspects of this, unfortunately this one seemed to be a perfect storm. I did give an extra star for the author’s backing off on her usual abuse of “warble”!!
Overall, worth the credit, but not the strongest of her works. I suggest her Flirting with Monsters series and the others set in that universe including her latest Shadowblood Souls series as stronger examples of her skills.

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Overall not bad, but not grest

Reviewed: 04-24-23

Just finished the series, and final impression was… okay.
Ambitious story with a lot going on. Plot was engaging enough to keep me coming back despite frequent cringes. Prose became quite florid and overblown too frequently, even outside the sex descriptions. One issue that may not be the author’s fault is the use of British english and idiom by a very American accent. Result comes off as awkward Anglophile.
Kiera Stevens did a great job, Troy Duran was fine. His challenge was one that plagues a lot of “why choose” RH narration - how to uniquely voice many multiple male voices.
Overall, the result is an adequate escapist romance series, and hopefully an author who will develop more skills at writing over time.

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Darkly well done

Reviewed: 04-11-23

If you are looking for the hilarious Ivy Asher writing, this ain’t it.
If you like your fantasy very dark, your sex explicit, and your worldbuilding well done then welcome.
Great story arc and character development. Explicit and plentiful grim content is actually integral to the full story line and not just torture porn.
This is fantasy for survivors.

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5 people found this helpful