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Book Review of Kick Ass: The Bride Wore a .44 / The Incredible Misadventures of Boo and the Boy Blunder / Warfem / Painkillers

reviewed on + 55 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2


I like to buy anthologies to get a taste of an author's voice before venturing into longer works. Since this one had four authors I've always wanted to try, it was an easy one to pick up. Three of the four stories make me hungry to seek out the author's other work, and for that, it definitely deserves its four stars.

First in line, Shayne's is the easiest to get drawn into, as the heroine is as clueless as the reader at the start of the story. It's action-packed and tightly written, and probably the most accessible of the four stories.

Davidson provides the fastest read, as well as the funniest. Some of the Buffy references started to get a little too much, but I haven't laughed that much at a shorter length work in a long time.

Angela Knight's "Warfem" was the most difficult story for me to get into, as I'm not usually as keen on sci-fi, especially futuristic. However, once I got past the dense world-building of the beginning, I discovered this one had by far the biggest emotional payoff, as well as my favorite hero of the entire anthology.

Ford's story completes the round-up, but for what it's worth, should have been left behind. The supermodel/spy combo was grating, as were a lot of the details. I mean, really, a Secret Agent's Handbook that she carries around like a paperback?

Still, considering I now have proof I absolutely need to read Shayne's, Davidson's, and Knight's longer works, the book is more than worth it.