Unpopular Opinion: ARCs [5]

I’ve noticed recently that this month is considered ARC August. In preparation I decided to try using NetGalley for the first time. I have to say I don’t think ARCs are for me.

For those that don’t know, ARC stands for Advanced Reader Copy. It’s basically a chance for readers to read and review a book before it’s actually published. NetGalley is a new (I think) website that allows publishers to get ARCs to a lot of people via ebook. In the past, ARCs were sent in physical form by the publisher (and sometimes still are).

Onto why I don’t think ARCs are for me. The biggest reason is that I mostly read my Kindle books on the browser version. (read.amazon.com in case any were curious) and much to my dismay I’ve found that ARCs from NetGalley can’t be read in the browser version.You can only read NetGalley ARCs through actually apps like the phone app or on the Kindle itself. I just don’t have time for that.

The other thing, is I HATE having pressure to read. It’s the surest way to get me into a reading slump. The few ARCs I decided to try for from NetGalley have been putting pressure on me like no other. I feel like I have to read the ARCs ASAP so I don’t end up missing the publish date.

I think I might like physical copy ARCs better than ebook copies but I’m not sure I’ll find that out any time soon.

Do you like ARCs? Do you enjoy Netgalley? Start a discussion below. I want to know your thoughts on the matter. Am I the only one who has this opinion?

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ARC Review: Arrhythmia by Johanna Danninger Translated by Christiane Galvani

Title: Arrhythmia
Author: Johanna Danniger
Translator: Christiane Galvani
Publisher: Amazon Crossing
Length: 374, Kindle Book
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3 Folded Pages

Note: I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Warning: Attempted rape scene.

Blurb:
If Nurse Lena has learned one thing from her past, it’s that handsome, charismatic men are just no good.

So when she meets the exceedingly attractive resident Dr. Desiderio DiCastello—who, it seems, is willing to use every trick in the book to seduce her—Lena assumes he’s no different from the rest. But despite her efforts to stay away from him, with so few places to hide in the halls of the hospital, the two can’t help but cross paths. And to Lena’s chagrin, it turns out that she’s not completely immune to his charms. It doesn’t take long before his persistence starts to have a serious effect on her, and soon Lena is questioning herself: Is Desiderio just trying to get her out of her scrubs, or is he for real? And can she trust her fluttering heart?

Review:
I am a sucker for romances where a guy persistently pursues the girl despite her saying no. I know how unfeminist that sounds but as long as the main female doesn’t find it creepy I tend not to either and Arrhythmia delivers on the relentless and heartfelt pursuit.

I absolutely loved the first 150 pages or so. The banter between Desiderio and Lena was hilarious and had me grinning like a fool half the time. I enjoyed Lena trying her hardest to make herself as unlikable to Desiderio as possible and him being able to turn the tables on her. It was enjoyable and they make a good pair.

As much as I enjoyed them together, I tended to get annoyed with Lena when she wasn’t with Desiderio. She was extremely immature and at times almost too annoying to deal with. I also didn’t enjoy how her personality seemed to completely change as soon as she decided to admit that she fell for him. I wanted more of her strong, fierce personality but what I got was whiny, I can’t live without him personality.

I did really appreciate this book and the translation was really well done. I think the original was in German. I also thought that certain aspects of the book were really well handled for such sensitive topics. I just wish Lena didn’t read like she was 15 when she’s supposed to be somewhere in the 20s.