Tag: D.I. Jolly

Bait by D.I. Jolly

Publisher: Galatea

Date of publication: July 19th, 2022

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, New Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy

Trigger Warnings: Physical Child Abuse, Emotional Child Abuse, Verbal Child Abuse, Child Abandonment, Cheating, Sexual Assualt, Murder, Gore

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:

Amber thought her life was perfect.

She was in love with her boyfriend Frankie, had a nice summer job at Taylor’s Book and was enrolled at Marshall University to become a teacher.

Everything was on track for the perfect life.

And then Bastian walked in. Not only was he the most handsome man Amber had ever seen, but she felt a pull that she’d never felt before.

From the very first moment she saw him he filled her every thought and made her body want things it had never had before.

First Line:

You know, working at Taylor’s Books wasn’t a bad way to spend the summer. The drive was a bit far, but the people were nice, the hours weren’t bad, and it was more money than not working.

Bait by D.I. Jolly

Amber was living the perfect life, or so she thought. She had a wonderful boyfriend and a great job and was looking forward to attending college in the fall. Then Bastian walked into the cafe/bookstore she worked in, and everything disappeared. The connection to him was instantaneous. For Bastian, the connection with Amber was more profound and meaningful. Amber was Bastian’s soulmate. But Bastian has secrets that could threaten his and Amber’s happiness. What are Bastian’s secrets? And how will they threaten his and Amber’s happiness?

Bait is a fast-paced book that takes place mainly in Huntington, West Virginia (where Amber lives). There are visits to Bastian’s pack lands on the outskirts of Crown City, Ohio.

Surprisingly, there are quite a few trigger/content warnings in Bait. I say surprisingly because I wasn’t expecting these triggers to be a central part of the storyline. They are:

  1. Child Abuse (Physical, Emotional, Verbal): Bastian is horrifically abused by his father, the Alpha of his pack. The author only goes into a small portion of what he had to endure, but what was outlined brought tears to my eyes. No child should have to go through that.
  2. Child Abandonment: Bastian’s mother left him with his monster of a father when Bastian was a baby.
  3. Cheating: Amber cheated on her boyfriend, Frankie, with Bastian.
  4. Sexual Assault: One of the characters is sexually assaulted at a college party by another partygoer. After going to the police, several other women make similar allegations.
  5. Murder: Bastian and his father murder his uncle at the beginning of the book. Bastian kills his father in self-defense. Another character kills the person who sexually assaulted another character (see above)
  6. Gore: There are several vivid descriptions of murder and assault.

If these trigger you, then I suggest not reading this book.

The main storyline of Bait is Amber and Bastian’s love story; they overcome the odds to be together, and Bastian overcomes his abusive past to become the Alpha of his pack. The storyline is told in first-person POV and split between Amber and Bastian, with an occasional third-person appearance. I liked that the author did this. I got to see how affected Amber was by Bastian. On the other hand, I enjoyed seeing Bastian throwing off the chains his father had metaphorically wound around him.

There is an Instalove element of Bait. While I am not a fan of Instalove, I did like how the author spun this. It was the fated mate angle. Instead of having the female run scared of the male, I liked that the author had Amber accept everything (after an adjustment period).

I liked that the main characters, at least Amber and her best friend, acted like your typical late teenager at the beginning of the book. I am not that old where I can remember my head being turned by every good-looking guy that came into my work (granted, I worked at a gas station/convenience store but still). I also remember my best friend at the time being just like Amber’s best friend and urging me to let loose and have fun. So, I related to that part. Now, saying that, after Amber and Bastian got together and the whole werewolf secret came out, I didn’t quite connect anymore. But it still made it fun to read.

Several secondary storylines and characters add much-needed depth to this story. These secondary storylines explained so much about Bastian’s past (because his father wasn’t/couldn’t tell him). I will admit I wanted to smack the crap out of Bastian’s mother, but I understood that she made a very tough choice and didn’t make it lightly.

The paranormal angle was terrific. I loved the vampire angle. Several twists to that angle made me shake my head. As for the werewolf angle, I liked that the author took a common theme from werewolf romances and ran with it. He created the Elders and added a neat twist to their storyline. Of course, what it meant wasn’t lost on me, and I wonder how Bastian would deal with it in later books.

The end of the book was interesting. I liked how the author wrapped up the storylines and teased another story (and I hope it will be about who was mentioned at the end).

I recommend Bait for anyone over 21. There are language, violence, and sexual situations. Also, see my trigger/content warnings above.

Many thanks to D.I. Jolly for allowing me to read and review Bait. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Bait, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by D.I. Jolly

Mostly Human 2 by D.I. Jolly

Publisher: Tinpot Publishing

Date of publication: November 21st, 2020

Genre: Shapeshifters, Werewolves, Paranormal

Series: Mostly Human

Mostly Human—Book 1 (review here)

Mostly Human 2—Book 2

Purchase Links: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis:

I, Alex Harris, have run away from home.

I’m running from my problems, from my mistakes, and from myself.

I killed some people and I don’t think anyone is chasing me, but I can’t stop running, and as much as I miss the people I love. I feel like if I go home now, I’ll be going back empty-handed.

I have to find out more about this curse, where it comes from and what it really means to be a werewolf.

Because the truth is…

The truth is that when I stop and really look at myself. I’ve been running my whole life.

Maybe it’s time to stop.

First Line:

Well, I spent two weeks on that ship before it docked again in Bergen on the west coast of Norway – turns out that’s where Syn gets most of its milk.

Mostly Human 2 by D.I. Jolly

I was surprised when I got an email from the author asking me if I would like to read/review Mostly Human 2. It had been some time since I had reviewed Mostly Human (to be precise, May 01, 2017). He had emailed me during the pandemic’s beginning, but I didn’t answer the email. I was busy teaching three upset and confused kids (at the time: 14, 12, and 6). When I decided to start reviewing, I had forgotten about the email (sorry, D.I.!!). I went on my merry way, reviewing books. So, it was a given that I would accept the email. I enjoyed reading Mostly Human and wanted to know where Alex’s journey would take him. I wasn’t disappointed.

Mostly Human 2 starts two weeks after the events of the previous book. Looking for solace, Alex finds himself in Norway and soon makes his way to a wolf sanctuary. For six months, Alex lives in solitude, trying to heal from the events that made him leave Syn Island. But things change when a group of veterinary students arrives, and Alex finds himself falling for Cassandra, the only girl in the group. But secrets have a habit of not staying secrets. Alex soon finds his deepest secrets exposed when his sister shows up, and a group of werewolf hunters hones in on him. Those events send Alex on a journey to find the werewolf who bit him so he can understand why it happened. But Alex isn’t prepared for what he finds. What does Alex find? And more importantly, can Alex come to terms with the new information he learns?

Mostly Human 2 is the 2nd book in the Mostly Human duology. I do recommend reading Mostly Human first and then reading this book. Many of the backstories and characters are explained in Book 1. They will help understand the dynamics and relationships in book 2.

Mostly Human 2 had a medium pace to it. For me, it worked. I could digest some of the information thrown at me before moving on. This book also took place in various areas of Europe, Canada, and Russia. I loved seeing the international flavor of the book.

The characters in Mostly Human 2 were complex. They were well-fleshed-out individuals that kept my attention focused on the book. Of course, there were some that I was not too fond of more than others.

  • Alex—I found him just as intriguing as I did in the first book. I understood why he disappeared. At the end of book one, bad things happen to him, and he feels awful. Plus, Syn Island wasn’t a great place to hide being a werewolf (but honestly, neither was the sanctuary). I understood why he wanted answers and his despair when he found out what he found out. I would have reacted the same way.
  • Cassandra—I couldn’t stand her. I have never reacted so severely to a fictional character as I did with her. She came across as an immature twatwaffle who couldn’t handle anything. Her fits of screaming at Alex were awful. I did understand why, at first, who likes to be lied to? But she just kept going on and on. I was glad when she broke it off with him. I got a headache reading her scenes.
  • Annabel—I loved her. She was a steadfast supporter of Alex (along with his father). She was very supportive of everything Alex did but didn’t hesitate to tell him when he was wrong. Their relationship was unique.

There are way too many secondary characters for me to name in this review. They all added extra depth to the plotline.

Mostly Human 2 fits perfectly into the paranormal genre. The author did a great twist on the werewolf subgenre, and I loved it.

The author amazingly wrote the main storyline with Alex, his family, and the other werewolves. One werewolf was a little suspect to me (the torture scene with Alex and the fact that he founded the hunters). But everything washed out in the end.

There are several (and I stress several) secondary storylines that tie into the main one. Again, as with the characters, these storylines added extra depth to scenes that needed it.

I went back and forth about adding content/trigger warnings to this review. I decided that I would because of what happened to Alex (the torture scene) towards the end of the book. So, yes, there is a trigger warning. If you are triggered by torture, cheating, or drinking alcohol, I recommend not reading this book.

The end of Mostly Human 2 made me wonder if there would be a book 3. I will not go into it, but I can’t accept that Alex would do what he did. That’s all I will say.

Three things I liked about Mostly Human 2:

  1. A different take on a werewolf story
  2. The various locations Alex went to
  3. Alex’s relationship with his family, found family, and friends.

Three things I didn’t like about Mostly Human 2:

  1. Cassandra. Her tantrums were epic, and she constantly screamed, “you lied to me.” She grated on my one last nerve during all of her scenes.
  2. The torture scene. I felt awful for Alex. What a way to learn something significant about yourself.
  3. His best friend’s wife. I remember her from the previous book and didn’t like her. I must say that she got what was coming to her.

I would recommend Mostly Human 2 to anyone over 21. There is language, nongraphic sexual situations, and violence. Also, see my trigger/content warning.

If you enjoyed reading Mostly Human 2, you will enjoy reading these books:

Counting Sheep & Other Stories by D.I. Jolly

Counting Sheep & Other Stories by [Jolly, D.I.]

Title: Counting Sheep and Other Stories

Author: D.I. Jolly

Publisher: Tinpot Publishing

Date of publication: July 3rd, 2015

Genre: Science Fiction, Short Stories, Thriller

Number of pages: 295

POV: 1st person and 3rd person

Where you can find Counting Sheep and Other Stories: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Counting Sheep is a thriller by author D.I Jolly set in an alternative reality where sleep can be stored in batteries and used when required. There is also a small collection of short stories ranging from twisted romance to horror and the first chapter of his up and coming Novel Mostly Human.

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “Counting Sheep & Other Stories by D.I. Jolly” →

A Guy, a Girl and a Voodoo Monkey Hand by D.I. Jolly

A Guy, a Girl and a Voodoo Monkey Hand by [Jolly, D.I.]

Title: A Guy, a Girl and a Voodoo Monkey Hand

Author: D.I. Jolly

Publisher: Raider Publishing International

Date of publication: August 20th, 2010

Genre: Mystery, Humor

Number of pages: 260

POV: 1st person

Where you can find A Guy, a Girl and a Voodoo Monkey Hand: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A quirky tongue-in-cheek story about a detective with a difference, and it’s not his caffeine addiction or his strange collection of friends. Through the course of three cases, Jones P.I. starts to discover that maybe he doesn’t know everything about life, love, and everything. Syn Island a man-made island created as a maximum security prison when left for a few generations becomes one of the world’s strongest economies, exporting brainpower and work ethic. Now, it’s a city like any other filled with jazz, crime mobsters, and dark alleyways, and it lends itself to a few night-time adventures. Like all good detective stories, this one starts with a woman in a red dress, and as we follow our hero through a strange maze of misunderstandings, mistresses, and bars we start to learn that a little bit of crazy is what will keep you sane on the streets of Syn Island. And then, of course, there’s Jeff…

Continue reading “A Guy, a Girl and a Voodoo Monkey Hand by D.I. Jolly” →

Mostly Human by D.I. Jolly

Mostly Human: Young Adult Werewolf Rockstar Fantasy Novel by [Jolly, D.I.]

Title: Mostly Human

Author: D.I. Jolly

Publisher: Tinpot Publishing

Date of publication: July 4th, 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

Number of pages: 494

POV: 3rd person

Where you can find Mostly Human: Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

Alex Harris is a world-famous rock star, lead singer of the Internationally acclaimed band The Waterdogs. But Alex is no ordinary rocker, he has a secret that he and his family have painstakingly kept since Alex was ten years old.

This is the story of him, and his life, growing up with his parents and his elder sister Annabel whilst coming to grips with a strange condition.

Follow them as this Journey twists and turns its’ way through tragedies, heartbreak, intrigue and into the clutches of organized crime.

My review:

I am going to be blunt. The cover of Mostly Human does not show the awesome story that is beyond the cover. If I were browsing on Amazon and saw this, I would pass on by. My suggestion to the author would be a new cover that reflects the story. Because Alex looks like he’s part zombie and the picture of Annabel in the background doesn’t do her justice….at all.

I really liked that the book was told in 3 parts. Alex as a child, Alex as a teen and Alex as an adult. I think that it fully showed how being a werewolf affected Alex at each stage of his life. As a child, he couldn’t do sports anymore (because of his strength and speed) and he had to adjust to being a werewolf. He couldn’t get his heartbeat up, get upset in public or do anything that a normal tween that age would do. He had to learn to live with his wolf which was achieved through breathing exercises, meditation, and Tai Chi.

As a teenager, Alex had to learn to deal with typical and atypical situations as both a teenage boy and as a teenage werewolf. While he was dealing with changes, an awful thing happens and Alex blames himself. Actually, blames himself to the point where he starts looking for a cure so he could be normal again. I wanted to cry during his scenes with his grandfather and grandmother when he went to live with them to get over what happened. That was the saddest part of the entire book. The guilt he had was very overwhelming.

As an adult, Alex was successful, a great brother/son/uncle and still was a werewolf. He explained his absences during the full moon as a “medical condition”. I do think that he still struggled with being a werewolf at times but it came across that he accepted it. He also came across as a bit of a player. His relationships didn’t last beyond 3 months and when he wasn’t exclusive with a girl, he was sleeping with a different one each night. That was probably the only thing I didn’t like about the book.

The end of the book ended with a cliffhanger and it made me scream. If you have followed my blog for any time, you know that I don’t care for cliffhangers. While I see their purpose, they annoy the ever-living out of me. Saying that this cliffhanger does make me want to read book 2 when it comes out. I need to find out what happens to Alex!!

How many stars will I give Mostly Human: 4

Why: Mostly Human was a different take on the typical werewolf story and it definitely appealed to me. The plot was fast and engaging, the characters were 3 dimensional and there was plenty of action.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Older Teen

Why: Sexual situations, language, and some violence

**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**