Unfortunately, I seem to have enjoyed this read a lot less than the rest of my MacHalo buddies. I really wanted to like *Just One Damned Thing After Another* by Jodi Taylor, based on trusted buddy reviews, but nope.The premise: fascinating. Especially the part about history fighting to preserve itself, like a living entity.The characters: a brilliant variety of realistic freaks.The storyline: fast-paced and creative. So what's the problem? The writing. If I had to describe it in one word (and th...

Loved it even more the second time around!Second Rating: *** 4.44 ***The ultimate example of rapid-cycling manic storytelling! 😃👍“Thinking carefully is something that happens to other people.”First Rating: *** 4 ***A buddy read with the MacHalo Freaks :) We believe that discovering history is the new sex!!!At least, that's what Max, Madeleine Maxwell, the young historian from the St. Mary’s Institute of Historical Research, would have us believe :) I kind of agree with her – history is almost ...

Sometime last year, I went on a Goodreads giveaway spree, hoping to snag some free books. In that moment of overzealous clicking, I entered to win Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor. I usually get lucky and win one giveaway a month, and earlier this year, I won this one. When I got the email, I looked it up because I couldn't remember anything about it... and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I'd chosen it, seeing as it's science fiction and fantasy. I figured it had ...

The title, unfortunately, perfectly describes the way *Just One Damned Thing After Another* is plotted. Things just… happen, strung together loosely, with little sense of time passing. At one point, Max notes she's known another character for five years, and I genuinely thought only a year had passed since their meeting at the beginning! And there's absolutely no character development. No characters at all, really. Jodi Taylor's creations change on a dime, depending on whatever the plot (and I u...

What a surprisingly delightful time travel novel! I mean, if it wasn't for the great characters—and there are a ton of them—Just One Damned Thing After Another was still full of snark right down to the foundations (and even sometimes under the foundations!). But even so, no one holds a candle to Maxwell. I've never read a character so simultaneously dense about sex and love, and so very, very brilliant and adaptable, while also being brainy, clumsy, and eventually able to go out and kick ass wit...

A light, fun, and adventurous time travel romp. Just don't think too hard about it, and you'll have a great time! :)3.5 stars. Final review, first posted on Fantasy Literature:Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor was a wild roller coaster ride! It’s a time travel tale, but it doesn’t care to get hung up on the theory or mechanics of it. The plot careens wildly from place to place and event to event, and I just raced around with it. Mostly, it’s about the adventures ― explosions! di...

Madeleine Maxwell's life has been defined by two significant moments so far. The second arrived when a former teacher suggested she apply for a Historian position at St. Mary’s Institute of Historical Research. During the interview, St. Mary’s is deliberately vague about the precise nature of their work. However, once Maxwell accepts the job, she discovers they're historians who use time travel to correct historical inaccuracies. St. Mary’s possesses a certain eccentricity that resonates with he...

Rating: 4* out of five starsThe Publisher Says: “History is just one damned thing after another” - Arnold Toynbee A madcap new take on history that seems to be everyone's cup of tea... Behind the seemingly innocuous façade of St Mary's, a different kind of historical research is taking place. They don't do 'time-travel' - they 'investigate major historical events in contemporary time'. Maintaining the appearance of harmless eccentrics isn't always within their power - especially given their prop...

I'm seriously ticked off with this book. I *really* wanted to love it. This isn't one of those one-star reads where you just can't get into the story and give up after 30 pages. It actually started out promisingly. But there are plot holes you could drive a truck through, the characters are underdeveloped at best, and sometimes they do things that are totally out of character. The plot spans five years, but no one seems to grow or change. And you never get a satisfying explanation for *why* some...

💀 DNF at 6%. Because no. Just no.

If you want the real thing, get yourself a copy of To Say Nothing of the Dog. Because this book right here?