Gypsy Origins (All The Pretty Monsters Book 3)
That's the first thing that pops into my mind when I try to explain my life. I don't know exactly 'what' I am, but I do know who I am.
At least...I did.
Sometimes life sends things your way that upend everything you thought you knew, and then slings you in another direction without any sort of harness or warning.
Sometimes it drops someone like me off in the path of four wildly different monsters, who all used to be best friends, but now sort of hate each other and compete over absolutely everything, including...me.
Life would be easier if I wasn't already attached to those four monsters, but they occasionally let their guard down around me, and I get a glimpse of what has to stay hidden under all those snowball layers, since they already rolled downhill a long time ago.
I'm tired of losing people I care about. I'm tired of searching aimlessly for answers. I'm tired of not having the right questions to ask.
I'm really tired of feeling like my vagina is cursed, but that's obviously lower on the list of priorities. But in my vagina's defense, it may not do tricks, but I keep it pretty. It shouldn't keep scaring men/monsters off so easily, and it's honestly starting to make me feel a little insecure.
Anyway, I'm finally closer than ever to having all the answers. So long as no new secrets emerge.
**Reverse Harem Romance
**Dark Humor
**Intended for mature audiences.
**Cannot be read as a stand-alone
**Language warning
Previous books in the series:
Gypsy Blood (book 1)
Gypsy Freak (book 2)
Reviews (205)
Book 3 and it just keeps getting better
I love this series more and more with each book I read. Didn't think it was possible, but it's true!! If you can't handle suspense and mystery this is not the right fit for you. Patience while the story unfolds is a major requirement!! The story could come across as slow paced, but it is definitely not drawn out, and the speed matches with the level of information being thrown around while this world is being built. This is not your average run of the mill romance novel. Kristy has built a complex world of mystery and intrigue which pulls you in and leaves you begging for more. The characters in this series are entertaining, from the headliners to the beta and omega ladies playing supporting roles. I love Violets empathic nature, and her ability to befriend those who seem weaker even at risk to her own life. In book 3 we got a WHOLE LOT of answers to the questions we have been asking. There is still so much more of this world for us to get lost in though, and I cannot wait to travel further on this journey with Violet and her merry band of misfits ☺ While not everyone's cup of tea I love 😍😍 😍 the detail and intricacies of the storyline. So, if you looking for a series that is more involved than purely erotica give this a try. Just be prepared to spend hours of your life absorbed in this new world.
A bit irritated with another cliffhanger but still really enjoyed it
I gobbled this book up in 24 hours. I found myself getting a little lost at some parts, especially towards the end. For most of the book getting any information was like pulling teeth. There were these little info drops that were so rapid I had to go back and read them again. I still wasn't able to get their meaning fully. Like THE Marta Portocale. Maybe I missed something along the way. A couple things didn't make sense. Like does Violet want info or not? She walks out and changes the subject when it's offered. And the end. It's another cliffhanger. Violet ends up in a situation that was avoidable. Seemed forced for effect. I hate complaining about books that I really do enjoy though. Being a third book that's not the end of the series, I worried it would be a "filler" book. It was definitely not a "filler" book. It moved the story forward and was filled with as much humor as the first 2 books. I really love all the characters and the omegas have become favorites of mine. I liked the change of scenery and the switch ups of the guys at different times. The reverse harem aspect is one of the best I've come across. It just works so well. Violet isn't whiny and irritating which is important for me in a MC. I had some complaints but not even close to giving up the series worthy complaints. I look forward to the next book.
Waiting Impatiently
The next book in this series can't come out fast enough! Violet is the perfect heroine, balanced in kindness and toughness, but not without her flaws. Her attitude, hilarious lines and just general likability is on point! She really shines in this series and helps make even the terrible cliffhangers bearable. And the monster men? I honestly can't pick a favorite, because they are all so fleshed out (figuratively and literally 😉). Kristy manages to even make characters who should be unlikable into such complex and intriguing people you almost want to forgive...Except the Big Bad we have yet to meet. Idun really better be worth all the hype. At this point, her appearance is going to be hard not to make anticlimactic. And the secrets...they unwrap so slowly but naturally, it's truly beautiful storybuilding. My only complaint is the never ending cliffhangers and the fact this series isn't done yet! Oh, and a good beta reader might be nice. The editing mistakes can be slightly cringe worthy. Honestly though, this series is by far one of the best things I have read in a long time. If you haven't been reading, you're missing out.
Keep those Pretty Monsters coming... 😉
I guess I'm in the mood for a drawn-out series...OR...the author is just that good she's got me wanting more and I don't mind waiting. Ok, I might mind just a smidge but I'm going to pretend that I'm one of those patient kinds of reader. I'm invested in All The Pretty Monsters and I know I will keep coming back for more. Gypsy Origins sucked me in from the very first page to the last. I THINK we've finally got our answer as to what Violet is and what her purpose is. But, to tell you the truth, I wouldn't be surprised if we've all got it wrong and she's a fairy... angel... brownie... or something else that's badass and smells really pretty? This last earth-shattering announcement wasn't entirely convincing. I'm not sure I believe Tom. Or, maybe it's that I don't want to believe him. Now the announcement before the last one, I really could get behind that one. I have to admit a little secret here...Vance is my favourite. Sure, Damien is tempting, Emit is growly sexy and Arion, well, he's just so affectionate. But, Vance is just so tortured, hard-working, put-together, sexy and strong. I can't even pinpoint my favourite bit about him but I just wanted to give him a cuddle and take away his burdens for a little while. Now...HUBBA HUBBA...we get to the "group action". I actually thought it was pretty tastefully done. It doesn't go into overly explicit details but you definitely get the connection between the three involved. I'm not going to tell you who's getting the action, but I will tell you that it was BLOODY HOT!! Violet is getting the ACTION!!! The story is progressing well and I completely understand why Kristy Cunning felt a need to spread it out over numerous books. They are long enough to give you a decent read and don't feel like they're being drawn out for the sake of lining the author's pockets. Which is a BIG CALL for me. I'm not normally a huge fan of a story being drawn out over numerous books, but this one works for me. Probably because it's fairly well priced, a decent length, and each instalment packs a punch. I'm still a fan of All The Pretty Monsters and I wait with bated breath for Gypsy Moon.
A little confusing, but still good
Approximately the first 50% of this book was a confusing mess. It rallied enough after that to receive four stars, but literally almost exactly the first half of this book was disjointed and confusing. It really should have been cut down quite a bit, and even though it still wouldn’t have made any sense it wouldn’t have dragged as much as it did. The dialogue and some of the plot reveals in this book were also a little confusing to me. The dialogue almost felt out of place at times, and sometimes derailed to a side conversation for an extended period of time before returning to the main event. Other times I was confused as to who was speaking or what they were saying meant. Some of the phrases the characters used were ambiguous and out of place. I confess that some parts of her other reverse harem, Four Psychos, were little convoluted, but I just kind of accepted that I wouldn’t understand everything and that I could still enjoy the story anyway. I’m kind of getting to that point with this series too. A good portion of it didn’t make any sense to me, but after I stopped trying to analyze everything I was able to sit back and enjoy it a little more again. I typically like to try and predict where a novel is headed, but with this series it just gives me a headache. In some ways being unpredictable is good. There were a few reveals that I wasn’t expecting and that I thought were pretty cool. But a few others were disorienting and hadn’t really had any ground work laid previously for me to really be able to appreciate them. We do finally get some actual reverse-harem moments in this book (yay!), and the male leads are all still very distinct, which I appreciate. I thought that Violet was missing some of the backbone that she had in previous books, and her father’s addition to the novel was another confusing mess, but I liked the male leads more in this book than I did in the previous novels. I also appreciate the slow burn romance. I know that there have been some complaints regarding this, but I like that her novel has a plot beyond the romance, and that the romance gets to develop along with the story. I think we’re going to see their relationships grow in leaps and bounds in the next novel, so I’m really looking forward to the next book. The cliff hanger at the end of the novel kind of bites, but I did appreciate that the first chapter of the fourth book was added to the end to take some of the sting out of it. It was still a cliff hanger, but not such an ambiguous one. And we don’t have long to wait to find out what happens next as the next book will be released in February. Normally I get a little frustrated with cliffhangers, but with such a short period of time between each successive release in this series I don’t feel like it’s as unforgiveable. Overall, it was still a good novel. I think the lack of time to edit shows more than the previous novels, but I still love the idea behind the plot, and the characters, while eccentric, are interesting to read about. And the slow burn makes me excited to see where this relationship is headed in the next book. So I will anxiously await the new release and see what happens next!
3.5 Stars
This is book 3 of the All the Pretty Monsters series. This has been the best of the series so far. Mostly because there was full train of thought and not as much talking in circles and riddles. The writing is still juvenile though; there is more telling than showing, and this book needs a proofreader and another round of editing. There are a few instances of continuity issues and things that don't really jive but for the most part it can be overlooked. I think the one that bothered me the most was when there was a horde of wolves involved in an attack, they were organizing their attack and meeting places via cell phones. When they switch to wolf, how are they carrying their phones, especially since when they switch back to human to send a message, they are naked. It just doesn't make sense. We don't have much happening with the supposed reverse harem theme. Violet hooks up with a few of the guys and even has one fun scene with two of the guys at once. But even with all of that, no one seems to be catching feelings or developing a relationship. It is more like, oops, she slipped and fell on their man parts. So the romance portion of this series is almost completely non-existent at this point. There are a few sweet words here and there but nothing really significant. I'm still curious so I will continue on with the series. I don't really recommend it yet. I just hate leaving things unfinished and since I started, I want to know how it all works out. I'm enjoying it, but mostly just because I am already invested. The beginning of this series (most specifically book 1) is too much of a cluster and super confusing too read, for me to really recommend it.
Finally, we find out more
While there is still a lot of reference to an unknown past, Book 3 in this series finally reveals a bit more of what that past is. Both Violet and the alphas' history is revealed in dribs and drabs and some aspects of the overarching plot are revealed. It's still not completely clear to me, I'll add, because the telling of past events was a bit all over the place and the choppy back and forth has made it a bit difficult to follow, but at least it was progress. Violet's monster is given a bit more clarification as well and I must admit, I found it a bit of a non-event and anti-climatic after two previous books had built it up. While there are a few typos in this book, the dialogue was entertaining. I really enjoy the arguing and back and forth between the four men. There was still a lot of repetition, particularly the constant smirking and trying to hide smiles from the alphas. They must get a massive amount of facial muscle strain due to the fact that they're constantly trying not to smile or having one side of their mouths quirk up. The reader also gets to find out about the woman that they had all fallen for and what her part was to play in turning them into the monsters they currently are and the curse they carry on their shoulders. There was a good amount of tension in a couple of parts of the book which made a great read. Some of the terms used have become a little slapstick in nature, however. A family called Simpletons? Really? The characters remained solid and I just love the crazy that is Arion. He adds a lot to these books. I'll continue on with the series.
Draws you in, doesn't let you go
It's bittersweet to find a book (or series in this case) that draws you in so strongly that you have a hard time giving it up to live your actual life! I was just finishing book two on Friday night, and was checking to see when book 3 would be out, and BOOM! It had been published a few hours before I had finished the second. Which meant I skipped sleep and half of the next day just to soak up as much of the fun as I could. I wish I had self discipline, and could pace myself, but this series makes it almost impossible. I'm actually glad the 4th book isn't out yet.....as I now have to do all the real life things I shoved to the back-burner to read the first three books in a week. :) If you're looking for a series that pulls you in from the start, gives you humor, intrigue, fun and a whole lot more, then you should pick this series as your next binge worthy read. Looking forward to the next!
Sing, Sweet Gypsies!
Oh my apples and oranges! I love this series so much. The third book is aptly named Gypsy Origins because the guys explain the origins of their monsters and more of their history with Idun (aka the queen of the monsters). This is the book with the most exposition, but it's delivered in such interesting ways. The mystery continues to unravel (heh), the monster alphas and Violet go on a road trip, and we finally get some answers to Violet's questions. Ooh, and the curse breaking! At least, Damien's curse. Violet finally gets to play with a couple of her hot monsters. The slow burn is finally heating up! Anna would be so happy... I also like how the Neopry family is introduced/remembered. There are more monster people that are mistreated than just the omegas. Violet finds out what her ancestral monster is. I like her even more when she finds her heritage and her purpose in life. I adore the way a little bit of Greek mythology and some of my favorite movie monsters are woven into the complex tapestry of the ATPM world. There are some typos and occasional grammatical errors throughout the series. It's sometimes distracting.
GOOD
We learn more things about the guys... uh, I mean the monsters and Violet. Learning along with her about her heritage wasn't easy. Especially, how she reacted to it. I may even cried along with her. And I was not impressed by the guys. The more I learn about them, the more... I didn't feel sorry for them about theirs curse. Much. You do pay for your sins and I don't have a problem with that part. But the more I learn about how they got to the part to get punished, the more I feel like they were a bunch of idiots. I'm just not sure if they hides behind excuses, because they are afraid to fully face it all or they really are dumb by still not seeing that they were an idiots. And they for sure love to hide behing 'it was different times' and that's may be true, but also a lot of things stayed the same to this day. Its kinda ironic, really. They may aren't aware sometimes that they look down on Violet or anyone else for that matter with that 'She's young.' condescending comment, but so far as I saw all these years didn't made them that smart either on some things. She had a good points that she pointed out to them and they really didn't liked it, because, yeah, it's pointed out how everything knowing and smarter they are not.
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