Lately I’ve been trying to devote full review posts, which take more time and energy, to books I really like. So for this quick reviews post, I’ve got a bunch of books I did not like and rated lower than 3 stars. We can’t like every book, right? For the most part, despite having quite a few issues with some of these, they’re “not for me” books, not necessarily bad books. But one was quite misogynistic (and I noticed it has a bunch of fake 5-star reviews on Goodreads—yikes), so. Anyway, here they are!

*Quick Reviews are posts where I share summaries and links for reviews I’ve recently posted to Goodreads and Amazon but don’t plan to make full review posts for here on the blog. Tag links are at the end.*

Docile by K. M. Szpara [Audiobook]

In Docile, an indentured servant refuses the drug that will make him compliant and erase his memory, so his contract holder sets out to make him the perfect Docile through other methods.

This was marketed as commentary on capitalism and consent, but for me, that message was lost in all the disturbingly erotic slave sex.

*Rating: 2 Stars // Read Date: 2020 // Format: Audiobook*

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes slave/master romance and is ok with scenes of rape and dubious consent. Alternately, if you want to check out a book I enjoyed with similar ideas (power, abuse, rape, consent, trauma) but without the erotic rape, here’s my review for The Fever King by Victoria Lee.

Tags:
Science Fiction, Dystopian, LGBTQIA+, Publisher: Tor.com, Standalone, Gay (Main Character), Gay (Love Interest), M/M Feelings or Hint of Romance, M/M Explicit Sex

My Full Review:
Goodreads | Amazon

The Pisces by Melissa Broder [Audiobook]

In The Pisces, a woman struggling with love and sex and self-worth falls in obsessive love with a merman.

I don’t even think I can summarize my thoughts on this one in a sentence or two. It was… There was some weird shit in this book. If you want to read about an unlikeable main character and bad sex and a merman who may or may not be real, it might be for you.

*Rating: 2 Stars // Read Date: 2020 // Format: Audiobook*

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes unlikeable characters, emotional struggles, potentially unreliable narrators, and weird merman sex.

Tags:
Fantasy, Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Magical Realism, Publisher: Hogarth, Standalone, Mermaids/Merman/Merfolk, Mental Illness, Suicide Thoughts/Attempts, Cover Love, M/F Romance, M/F Explicit Sex

My Full Review:
Goodreads | Amazon

My Ex-Wife Said Go to Hell (Immortal Divorce Court Book 1) by Kirk Zurosky [Audiobook]

In Immortal Divorce Court Volume 1, an immortal finds himself repeatedly ending up in divorce court and getting into trouble in the supernatural world.

Misogyny! All the women were either malicious, awful people or just there to be fuckable and/or a mother, and other characters kept saying the main character was a good person, but he was actually a jerk. Fantastic audiobook narration though.

*Rating: 2 Stars // Read Date: 2021 // Format: Audiobook*

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes a light, humorous tone and… I don’t know, misogynistic men? Is that a thing some people like?

Tags:
Fantasy, Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Part of a Series, Vampires, Cover Love, M/F Romance, M/F Explicit Sex, Cover Love

My Full Review:
Goodreads | Amazon

Xom-B by Jeremy Robinson [Audiobook]

In Xom-B, Freeman and his protector, Heap, are out exploring when they stumble upon zombies and find themselves in the middle of a zombie apocalypse.

After reading the description and seeing some reviews, I was all ready for a super unique zombie book, but this was fairly standard zombie fare, aside from one twist.

*Rating: 2.5 Stars // Read Date: 2020 // Format: Audiobook*

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes standard zombie apocalypse fare in terms of plot and action, but with a slight twist.

Tags:
Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, Standalone, Zombies, Androids/Cyborgs/AI, M/F Romance, No Explicit Sex

My Full Review:
Goodreads | Amazon

The Angriest Angel (The Angriest Angel Book 1) by Christopher Holt

In The Angriest Angel, a man with ADHD is immune to the psy powers of the aliens living among them and ends up catching their attention.

I didn’t like the MC, the LI wasn’t very interesting, and I just couldn’t get into the story. A good thing about it though is that is has ADHD rep!

*Rating: 2.5 Stars // Read Date: 2021 // Format: Ebook via TTS*

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes aliens very similar to humans, a bit of danger and action, a bit of romance (I assume, in future books), multiple POVs, and ADHD rep.

Tags:
Science Fiction, Part of a Series, Aliens, Neurodiversity, ADHD, M/F Feelings or Hint of Romance, No Explicit Sex

My Full Review:
Goodreads | Amazon