Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Since Kristen Ashley appears to be a huge fan of lists, let's explore this review with a list of my own: Reasons Why I Did Not Like This Book. 1. Even better than a list? A list within a list. Let's just keep adding lists for the heck of it. People love reading lists! Let's make a book composed mostly of lists! I'm sorry, Miss Ashley, but enough is enough. There were so many lists in this book (both from Finnie's and Frey's perspectives) that every time I saw the word "first" or "firstly" I would audibly groan. It didn't matter where the characters were or what the topic was about, Kristen Ashley was determined to give us their thoughts in list form, particularly when it came to a character's thoughts or feelings on a particular idea. This consistent habit stems from one overarching problem of this book: telling vs. SHOWING. Don't have the characters list out a set of reasons why they feel about something. SHOW us. Give more credit to your readers and yourself by describing facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, conversation etc. to describe how a character feels about something. "I did this because, first, my dad in this world sounded a lot like my dad in my world...Second, I did this because I was super happy he was already considering taking me with him." 2. Telling is not only saved for characters; however, as their clothing is written out in such excruciating detail that your mind wanders off and prays that no one changes clothes ever again. We learn more about her outfits than we do any characters' emotions, feelings, and mannerisms. "An ice-blue velvet gown that had this kick-freaking-ass sheen at the tip of the pile that looked iridescent white, like the shimmer on top of new snow. The neckline was square, had thick, braided embroidery around the edge and it shoved my breasts up so I was giving some serious cleavage. The sleeves of the dress hugged my body from shoulder to wrist, a sharp point of embroidered-edged material coming down my hand that hooked at the end around my middle finger. The top of the dress, from bosoms to hips, skimmed my body to perfection. The skirt had a slight flare and when I tested it by kicking out at the back, a slight train too." I'll stop there, but there are a good three additional paragraphs about this particular dress that she barely wears. If only this time and attention could have been given to character development. In a way, this is the same as a list—the author is simply listing off features of the dress. This again presents a lack of SHOWING vs. telling. Don't tell us that the dress has a long train: maybe she tries to walk away but keeps tripping on it, or her fingers keep getting caught in the sleeve, or she feels the fabric cling to her as she grazes her hands along her waist and hips. Despite the long list of descriptions, the book also consistently uses the word "so" to describe something when it could, again, very easily be described by ACTION. "I stared into his eyes, so beautiful, so close and felt his arms, so strong, so tight, and his body, so big, so powerful, all of it making me feel so...very...safe..." 3. This book tries to come off as modern, but ends up as annoying as that annoying friend who taps you on the shoulder constantly on a 10-hour car ride. Even if the lists were taken out, I would still rather hear a neutral third-person narrator than the constant catch phrases and blurps from Finnie. I used to use words like "freaking" and "crap" all the time, but now they are ruined for me. Freaking appears 80 times. S*** appears 129 times. Oh God appears 28 times. (and not even in a sexual way) Oh My God appears 37 times. Uh appears 87 times. Cool appears 83 times. Fantastic appears 22 times. Holy Moly appears 18 times. Wow appears 14 times. Crap appears 11 times. The last two don't seem too bad, but it was used enough that I felt the need to include it here. It doesn't help that Ashley prefers to use some of these in a single paragraph or line for emphasis, but this just kept happening and happening and happening. Finnie's mind was made up of these phrases and lists, and that was about it. I understand that Finnie is from today's world and maybe Ashley wanted to portray her in a stereotype or thought that people would connect with her, but it was too heavy-handed and became annoying. It also seemed to offer another way for Ashley to dodge showing us how Finnie felt and just saying OhshitohGodohshit instead of showing Finnie with shaking hands or even a trail of nervous thoughts. I mean, sure, sometimes I might think like that, but it was too stream of consciousness and again, just came off as annoying. 4. Perhaps if Finnie were given an altered internal monologue, I would like her character more, but her voice, acceptance of everything, and lack of struggle throughout most of the book were too much. Despite Finnie moving to an alternate universe, everything still came off as incredibly easy for her. Random, scary-looking guy who is your husband drops you off at a remote cabin after hours of driving a sleigh? No problem. Just sweep, clean, put some flowers in a vase, and you're all set. Nothing made her question her choices or made her struggle. Sure, her character prided herself on handling any adventure, but there are many basic things that should have made her stumble a little bit. One simple thing: the clothes. I don't care how many adventures she's been on, that doesn't mean she could figure out the dresses and hairdos that are complicated enough to require four maidservants. Or how she was easily able to intermingle with the townspeople without having to change whatsoever? In a place full of magic, dragons, and elves, they would still be flabbergasted by someone who says "cool" all the time. She's lucky that the land is full of magic so that they would believe her when she said she's from an alternate universe. The Sjofn in modern world is lucky she isn't put in jail if she doesn't alter or hide any part of her past life. "...as princess of this country, I should know. It didn't occur to me once that this was weird. Not once. In fact, that thought didn't enter my mind." Of course it didn't, because Finnie does not need to think or barely work to get anything done. It's all just incredibly easy and no one thinks it's weird. Last word on this (maybe), but everyone conveniently finds out that she's from an alternate universe and is completely fine with it. "By the way, Kell, like all of Frey's closest men, knew who I was and where I'd come from." That is all we are given about Frey telling his closest allies about Finnie, but it's fine, because everyone is totally fine with it and everything is fine and freaking fantastic. 5. Lastly, and most importantly, there are some uncomfortable plot lines in Ashley's books that should not be treated as lightly or sensitively as they are by the characters, writing, and readers; mainly, the matter of female consent. Female consent and control of her own body are major issues in both worlds, but it is given a simple standard and the heroine comes to accept/ignore it because of her grief. A petty apology for a horrendous assault on the woman he supposedly loves. No. That is not okay. Yet, just as the characters brush it aside, we are expected to as well. Based on the description and preview for the second book, it is obvious that Ashley uses female consent again as a tool for initial conflict that is quickly pushed aside and forgotten. The female character is apparently raped and falls in love with the guy, but we as readers are expected to just accept it because it's completely normal in their world. I don't care what world you are from or trying to create as a writer, but loving relationships with someone's rapist should not be encouraged or romanticized in any shape or form. The idea makes me nauseous. I've seen some reviewers compare these two to Game of Thrones, but there is a huge difference. George R. R. Martin is not someone trying to write love stories or characters that other people should want to be or have in their life, yet people are drinking it in like nothing is wrong, and that frightens me. This book left me completely and utterly disappointed. I was extremely excited by the concept and the number of rave reviews, but I finished the book feeling cheated and wanting my money back. The only thing that kept me reading this book was that I loved the concept so much—right up my alley of new adult fantasy. However, this book lacks consistent writing, descriptions that SHOW us what is happening or what is there, character development, and a lack of struggle that didn't make it worth its 500 pages.