[b:Signs of Cupidity|41451010|Signs of Cupidity (Heart Hassle, #1)|Raven Kennedy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1535146741s/41451010.jpg|64704568] by [a:Raven Kennedy|18343962|Raven Kennedy|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1551118362p2/18343962.jpg]

This book started off slow. To be honest, I listened to the first 30% on audible (and the narrator did not do Emmel justice at all). However, either because the book picked up, or because I was reading it, I got pulled in and loved it. Happy to know that book two is out if I need a quick cute read I will be picking up book two. I read another book by Raven Kennedy and have decided I like the writing style. ( )

This is a review about the series up to 80% of the third book which is where I abandoned it.
I can see why this first book was so much more successful than most other RH.
It's not because it's much better than the average but because it got a few very important things right in the beginning.
This first book is not at all a reflection of the quality of the overall series, not because it is intrinsically better, but because the stuff that shows the authors hand isn't brought up yet.
The entire book is just an intro to the actual story. The series doesn't use up all it's fuel immediately like 95% of the bunch.
The pacing is even and the romance develops naturally. There is some instant attraction as well as very obvious pointers for the reader in regards to the RH, but it seemed mostly believable to me nonetheless.
The writing style is really easy and pleasant to read and hits a sweet spot between floury and utilitarian for me. It's not very sophisticated but I didn't mind that.
Sadly, as soon as the author goes into the actual plot in later books things don't hold up so well anymore.
The plot couldn't be more stereotypical and clichée. The plot development is the most artless thing I've read in a long time. There is so much wrong around plot convenience and plot devices I don't even know where to start. We have all the classics. Not listening, not saying things for no good reason, misunderstandings, blatant stupidity and many many more. But my biggest frustration with this series is characters not using the most obvious and irrefutable retorts in conversations which would end lots of conflicts and discussions immediately just for the sake of extra drama. I expect that one is just a personal pet peeve of mine though.
The plot, in general, is entirely two-dimensional and doesn't gain any depth over time either. All parties involved act incredibly stupid for the entire plot to even progress as it does. There is no finesse anywhere.
The plot is more than a backdrop judging by the page-time it has but it's nonetheless all just a stage for the MC to interact with others, fool around, be badass or blunder around for general amusement.
I enjoyed the abundant humour most of the time but it became a bit much in places.
The smut goes from 0 to 100 somewhere in the second book and stays there for the rest of the series afaict. So don't expect any action in this first one. It's really just an introduction and all the juicy bits only come in later. No pun intended, but the author would've intended that pun. That's the kind of humour you can expect.
The smut is almost exclusively trying to do the steaming hot dominant male thing but it felt off at times. I can usually dig that stuff but in this case, they seemed too much like plain assholes sometimes to be sexy which was weird because I was totally on board with their loving banter and squabbling outside the bedroom. It just went a tad too far for me I guess. Probably just a taste thing.
I have to repeat myself one more time here because I really can't express how incredibly lame the entire plot really is. The plot is stupid and lame. It seems to me like the entire thing is lazy in the extreme. There you go. Now I feel better.

An honourable mention goes to the incredible variety of words and euphemisms in the smut department. I sometimes laughed out loud when she managed to surprise me with yet another one and at least to me they didn't feel weird or forced either which is something I experienced in other books.

There was no specific point that frustrated me so badly I dropped the book which is usually how it happens with me. I just gradually lost interest and at some point thought to myself I don't really care enough anymore and just stopped.

If you don't care much about plot and are willing and able to turn off your analytical mind for the time being you might be able to have a grand time with this series. If not, you will probably be more and more disappointed as you progress through the volumes as I was. ( )

This book and series is very similar to the Four Psychos series by Krity Cunning. If you like that series, then you will like this one. It is the same. Almost to a tee. Same sassy heroine, same mistrusting heroes, same special snowflake abilities, same group challenge they guys face, same banter. There is a difference that the heroes are three guys in a "covey" or a group, and another guy who turns out to be the fated mate. ( )

meh, wasn't feeling it. ( )

Okay, so first off I only read this because I agreed to buddy-read it with my sister and her best friend. This is not something I ever would have even glanced at let alone picked up and read start to finish. So my enjoyment (or lack thereof) probably reflects that experience.

My biggest problem is the writing itself.

Some of the minor details that bugged me about the writing: 1.) the stupid nicknames that the characters have for each other, especially Emelle's ranking of the guys. I was tired of that shit by its first appearance in the book and then she continues to refer to them as 'Not-First' 'Second' and 'Third' for the remainder of the book. As well as their real names. And then there are places where she and one of the guys refer to each other as 'Scritch' and 'Scratch' which I found equally as annoying as the number nicknames. Honestly, it was overkill and should have been edited out. Their names will suffice, thanks. 2.) The constant referring to 'females.' Even Emelle did this. It grossed me out. No thanks.

Throughout the whole book, the writing style was just not good. This is written in first-person POV and that was a poor choice. It was not executed well at all, and if anything it just made my grievances with everything else more obvious. Things are mostly told rather than shown. I had a hard time really feeling immersed in the world or anything going on in the story because of the writing style, and how it was very much trying to make Emelle #relatable or something. I get the feeling this wasn't thoroughly edited and the first draft was just proof-read (though, not perfectly) and then published.

As for the characters, I didn't feel attached to a single one. I didn't feel the chemistry between her and any of the three whole men she finds herself stuck with. And I straight up just didn't care about any of them. Part of this is definitely the writing style, but writing style aside I also felt like there wasn't any depth to the characters. Even Emelle didn't feel like she had a lot of substance, despite being stuck in her head the whole book.

The worldbuilding obviously was not the focal point of this book, but I wish there had been more of that as well. There were mentions of things that caught my interest here and there throughout the book but then, instead of learning about it, the story just ignores it in favor of paying attention to why the guys have tails.

Overall the whole thing just felt very superficial. Not the worst thing I've ever read, but I wouldn't recommend it. ( )