To say I was
disappointed in this collaboration between Lindsey Hall and Veronica
Douglas would be an understatement. I was only a third of the way
through when I threw up my hands and gave up.
The following excerpt from Wicked Wish by Lindsey Hall and Veronica Douglas is one example of why I did.
"We
dined with the crew on a substantial meal consisting of steamed rice
and some type of delicious spiced meat. The sailors were much more
interested in me than in Damian, naturally. We shared stories of demons
and devils, and they asked me about my life. Clearly, being a half djinn
made me a curiosity. I had spent my life hiding my ancestry, yet these
sailors knew just by looking at me—and revered me for it. It was
liberating to let my guard down, if only in the realm, if only for a
meal. My cheeks flushed. Was I glowing?"
Now, I
have read several urban fantasies written by Lindsey, and I enjoyed
them. She writes the type of character that I like—snarky and slightly
irreverent.
So, what went wrong with this offering? Succinctly? I found it vapid and sophomoric.
I could drill down and describe the lack of chemistry between the
characters. I could also point out how the story bumped along using
wordy filler, just like the example above.
Need word count? Going on and on with inane descriptions of food and drink doesn't work for me.
I've come to expect better from Lindsey, and I hope she finds her way back to her winning formula.
Hey, Lindsey, give me a call if you're looking for another collaboration. I am just kidding. No, I'm not.
Take care and thanks for reading,
Shelley Lee Riley