Book Review: How Does it Feel? by Jeneane O’Riley

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Fantasy Romance, Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark, Fiction
Pages: 355
Format: Ebook | Kindle Unlimited
Rating:

Initial Thoughts

I decided to use this book to make my return to the romantasy genre for no specific reason other than it was on my physical TBR. It was even better that it was on KU because sometimes I find reading on my iPad easier. There was a long list of trigger warnings at the beginning of the book and I remember thinking wow if all that is in here then it must be good. In addition to that, O’Riley also writes “My hope is not that you finish this book but that this book finishes you.” So between the author’s warning and that opening quote, I was bracing for emotional destruction, but it didn’t quite deliver that.

The Plot (Spoiler-Free!)

Callie is a scientist with an affinity for animals on the hunt for a rare mushroom. When she finally finds the mushroom, it ends up being a portal to a fae realm. Once in the realm, the Unseelie Fae are convinced she was sent as an assassin sent to murder the prince. All Callie wants to do is return home, but all Prince Mendax wants to do is have Callie killed. Somehow, Callie keeps escaping death and Prince Mendax’s final solution is to put Callie through three unbeatable trials and if she manages to make it through that, then he will let Callie return home. But Mendax starts to feel an inexplicable pull to Callie and doesn’t want to let her go.

What I Liked

I did enjoy the idea of the plot: a scientist stumbling into a fae realm and being mistaken for an assassin is actually a fun premise. The inner fae conflict was intriguing too. I also appreciated the horticultural and scientific elements woven throughout the book. Even if I didn’t always follow the terminology, I liked how Callie’s knowledge came into play during the trials. If the ending didn’t have a plot twist just for the sake of the plot twist, my mind would’ve been blown. But alas, the execution was just not done well. More on that later.

I will say I did laugh a lot while reading this. But I don’t think this was supposed to be a funny book though. These just made me giggle:

What Didn’t Work for Me (some spoilers)

I don’t want to go on a whole rant, but there are many things that didn’t work for me.

1. Callie is a 29-year-old who makes a big deal about not cursing. So she’ll say things like “tuna-teeth,” “what the fork?,” and “holy esophagus” just to name a few. But then all of a sudden she just starts cursing. And then it doesn’t even sound right it sounds very forced and unnatural.
2. Callie’s decision making is also very questionable. She’s obviously book smart since she’s a scientist, but I am not sure about her intelligence levels. So she goes back into the woods, alone, in the dark, because she left her very fancy and expensive telescope there. She leaves her phone which is an odd decision considering it’s pitch black and she has no way of seeing so you would assume she needs a flashlight of some sort.She randomly takes her clothes off after she falls into the fae realm leaving her completely naked, but then puts them back on literally on the same page.In the span of five pages she describes Mendax is a Roman god, Greek god, and evil Calvin Klein model. I mean which one is it.
3. Callie also has no real reactions to getting tortured. Here’s an example:
   The forest bog suddenly froze and transformed, shaping itself into a boulder the size of a large watermelon. The brown boulder dropped from the air and landed on my lower leg, crushing it painfully with the weight of…well, a boulder. It thudded to the ground next to me as I whined in pain.
   She essentially gets her leg broken, because that’s what would’ve happened if a boulder just drops on your leg. And she just…..whines in pain.
4. Some things just didn’t make sense to me. Ahem:
   Walking in high heels was much harder than I had remembered, having been without shoes for so long.
   It’s literally been 19 days. You don’t forget how to walk in heels after 19 days. It hasn’t even been 3 weeks.
5. Last, but not least, the insta-love drove me CRAZY. Mendax hates humans, despises them, and it only takes 150ish pages for him to make these strong declarations of love about Callie.
   I felt unhinged with fury at the realization that I was falling in love with her.
   She had ruined me, and I would make sure I ruined her.
   I would destroy anyone for you…anyone including myself
   Before I realized I can’t live without you,” he insistedAnd then, worst of all, we learn very early on once Callie is in the fae realm to never share her real name with anyone. And that some spouses don’t even share their real names with each other. So tell me how Mendax reveals his full name to Callie. This is supposed to be SACRED!!!.

Final Thoughts

If you’re just looking for a fun, light, slightly chaotic fantasy romance and don’t mind some plot holes, this one could be for you. But for me, the writing and inconsistencies made it hard to take seriously. The ending twist was mildly intriguing, but not enough to tempt me into book two anytime soon. If I am bored with nothing to do, and want to read something silly, I can see myself picking up the sequel. But that won’t be happening for a long, long, time.