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Merissa (11704 KP) rated Wildfire in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book free from StoryCartel in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I love books about shifters and if you throw in a bit of romance as well then I'm happy. I wasn't too sure about the mystery part of this book but I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did. This is a fast paced, funny, action packed book.
Lynn is a wonderful main female who is trying to figure out how to go one when the one rock in her life has been killed and she was accused of killing her. Then she gets a feeling that her best friend is in danger so of she goes. Lynn spends a lot of time second-guessing herself, both as human and as dragon, but seriously, if you've been through what she has, I think you'd take a step backwards too.
I loved the "tempting firefighter" and hated the "flirty city developer" so it didn't really come as a surprise that he was the bad guy. However, how it was wrapped into the story was wonderful and a delight to read.
If you want to read about dragons, firefighters, hormones, mystery then give this one a go!
http://archaeolibrarianologist.blogspot.de/2014/02/wildfire-paranormal-mystery-with.html
I love books about shifters and if you throw in a bit of romance as well then I'm happy. I wasn't too sure about the mystery part of this book but I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did. This is a fast paced, funny, action packed book.
Lynn is a wonderful main female who is trying to figure out how to go one when the one rock in her life has been killed and she was accused of killing her. Then she gets a feeling that her best friend is in danger so of she goes. Lynn spends a lot of time second-guessing herself, both as human and as dragon, but seriously, if you've been through what she has, I think you'd take a step backwards too.
I loved the "tempting firefighter" and hated the "flirty city developer" so it didn't really come as a surprise that he was the bad guy. However, how it was wrapped into the story was wonderful and a delight to read.
If you want to read about dragons, firefighters, hormones, mystery then give this one a go!
http://archaeolibrarianologist.blogspot.de/2014/02/wildfire-paranormal-mystery-with.html
Charlotte (184 KP) rated The We and the They in Books
Apr 30, 2021
Dystopian horror.......
I say dystopian horror as it's set after Mother Nature has gone on a wild rampage across the earth. The horror part......that comes from something else, although not in a slasher style.
Kara Ann Dawkins has done well with presenting, on the whole, a written monologue of community history. As with most things after a traumatic event (in this case the re-ordering of nature) it's not always possible to get things in the correct order, especially if pen and paper isn't readily available. So, it's kind of like, two steps forward (general telling of events) and one step back (as we learn of certain character's fates).
I like it though, it creates a bond to a character before hearing their history.
I found The We and the They to be quite thought provoking, I was asking myself how I would cope, what would I do in their situation.
I'd recommend as a young adult read as the themes could be upsetting for a younger audience. Settle in with a nice cuppa, a blanket and read about a world that we could easily find ourselves in......though when you learn more about the They you'll understand I don't mean their physicality.
I say dystopian horror as it's set after Mother Nature has gone on a wild rampage across the earth. The horror part......that comes from something else, although not in a slasher style.
Kara Ann Dawkins has done well with presenting, on the whole, a written monologue of community history. As with most things after a traumatic event (in this case the re-ordering of nature) it's not always possible to get things in the correct order, especially if pen and paper isn't readily available. So, it's kind of like, two steps forward (general telling of events) and one step back (as we learn of certain character's fates).
I like it though, it creates a bond to a character before hearing their history.
I found The We and the They to be quite thought provoking, I was asking myself how I would cope, what would I do in their situation.
I'd recommend as a young adult read as the themes could be upsetting for a younger audience. Settle in with a nice cuppa, a blanket and read about a world that we could easily find ourselves in......though when you learn more about the They you'll understand I don't mean their physicality.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Firebird in Books
Sep 5, 2022
159 of 230
Kindle
Firebird
By Alice La Roux
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
Being a King isn't easy.
When a rebel group threatens the family business, Golden Apple Incorporated, Seraphina King must step up to the plate. Her father keeps her on a tight leash, a prized possession locked away in a gilded cage. In desperation he grants her the freedom to find those who want to harm them, but nothing is as it seems. People are going missing, women are turning up dead and then there’s her renegade stalker. The maverick with the emerald green eyes who always seems to be in the middle of things. Sera doesn’t know who to trust or what to believe.
What happens when the golden apple is rotten?
This was a decent read although I was seriously frustrated at how short it is which gave it a little bit of a rushed feel. Although I have to say I really really enjoyed it. I liked the story and the characters I just wish we had more I know this was extended from a novella but it just still wasn’t long or feels enough! I’ve gone between a 3 and 4 but it could have been a 5 with more depth. I do like her writing style.
Kindle
Firebird
By Alice La Roux
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶
Being a King isn't easy.
When a rebel group threatens the family business, Golden Apple Incorporated, Seraphina King must step up to the plate. Her father keeps her on a tight leash, a prized possession locked away in a gilded cage. In desperation he grants her the freedom to find those who want to harm them, but nothing is as it seems. People are going missing, women are turning up dead and then there’s her renegade stalker. The maverick with the emerald green eyes who always seems to be in the middle of things. Sera doesn’t know who to trust or what to believe.
What happens when the golden apple is rotten?
This was a decent read although I was seriously frustrated at how short it is which gave it a little bit of a rushed feel. Although I have to say I really really enjoyed it. I liked the story and the characters I just wish we had more I know this was extended from a novella but it just still wasn’t long or feels enough! I’ve gone between a 3 and 4 but it could have been a 5 with more depth. I do like her writing style.
Dana (24 KP) rated Rebel Mechanics (Rebel Mechanics, #1) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I got this book from the Uppercase book box for the August book box. I am slowly getting out of a reading slump, so this was a really good book to help out with that.
This review actually is a 4.5/5 stars!!
I was a bit hesitant about this book because I don't read steampunk/historical fiction books that often. As you can see from my rating, I really enjoyed it! It was a good balance of drama, intrigue, and magical steampunkiness.
I liked how the characters were developed throughout the story and were not left to have one flat characteristic that I have seen happen a lot before. I absolutely loved the main character, Henry and the children. They were by far the best parts of the book for me solely based on their fun familial energy and retorts.
The plot went by pretty fast as well and I didn't feel like there was much left out of the story.
I did, however, want there to be more information on certain backgrounds of characters (if you have read this, you will understand what I mean). Some parts of it felt stiff for me. The bit about the dangerous secret felt like it was put in as an afterthought at parts. It didn’t really flow that well with the rest of the story. They could have been fleshed out in a more organic manner, in my opinion. (This is the reason for the 1 star off, even though it should only be 1/2 a star, but I can't do that on here.)
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a great, fun read!
I would definitely recommend this to people who haven't read a lot of steampunk, but want to get into it. This is a great introductory book for that because it isn't a slap in the face with so much steampunk. Also, anyone who wants to be really entertained by a headstrong, sassy female lead who will make you laugh out loud at parts, this is a great book for you!!
This review actually is a 4.5/5 stars!!
I was a bit hesitant about this book because I don't read steampunk/historical fiction books that often. As you can see from my rating, I really enjoyed it! It was a good balance of drama, intrigue, and magical steampunkiness.
I liked how the characters were developed throughout the story and were not left to have one flat characteristic that I have seen happen a lot before. I absolutely loved the main character, Henry and the children. They were by far the best parts of the book for me solely based on their fun familial energy and retorts.
The plot went by pretty fast as well and I didn't feel like there was much left out of the story.
I did, however, want there to be more information on certain backgrounds of characters (if you have read this, you will understand what I mean). Some parts of it felt stiff for me. The bit about the dangerous secret felt like it was put in as an afterthought at parts. It didn’t really flow that well with the rest of the story. They could have been fleshed out in a more organic manner, in my opinion. (This is the reason for the 1 star off, even though it should only be 1/2 a star, but I can't do that on here.)
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a great, fun read!
I would definitely recommend this to people who haven't read a lot of steampunk, but want to get into it. This is a great introductory book for that because it isn't a slap in the face with so much steampunk. Also, anyone who wants to be really entertained by a headstrong, sassy female lead who will make you laugh out loud at parts, this is a great book for you!!
Debbiereadsbook (1087 KP) rated The Right Fit in Books
Aug 9, 2018
a nice easy read
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
If you follow my reviews, you'll know I have a particular hatred of using the word NICE to describe a book. But sometimes, it's the only word my brain will use for a book and I can't spit any other word out.
So, this is a NICE book. A GOOD book.
Maxine sees Anthony when she's waiting for a blind date, who turns up but pretends he's not her date. They *literally* dump into each at a night club, when Maxine was dragged out by her sisters for some rebound sex. Anthony is a professional ice hockey player but Maxine doesn't have a clue who he is, so when she assumes he's a mechanic, he runs with it. When She finds out the truth, ALL the truth, can Maxine forgive him? Can she really allow herself to be happy??
This is, from what I can see, the first book by Dubois I've read; indeed, I *think* this is her first novel. And for the most part, I did enjoy it. And I'm stuck with that N word a the back of my throat!
I don't mean this in a negative way, not at all, it's just I can't find any other word that projects my feelings bout this book and you all know, I'm all about sharing my book feelings!
I liked the way the story flowed. We don't get all of Anthony's history in one go, you get hints and clues, and I put them altogether so wrong. You don't get all of Maxine's pain at her break up, the whole story comes in snippets along the way.
Some of the dialogue is amusing, with Anthony's English not quite up to speed yet, but I liked that he flipped between English and French, and his English is portrayed in a way I remember the French students from school speaking.
So, for the most part, I DID enjoy it, but I can't get past the *Nice Book* title.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for the blog
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
If you follow my reviews, you'll know I have a particular hatred of using the word NICE to describe a book. But sometimes, it's the only word my brain will use for a book and I can't spit any other word out.
So, this is a NICE book. A GOOD book.
Maxine sees Anthony when she's waiting for a blind date, who turns up but pretends he's not her date. They *literally* dump into each at a night club, when Maxine was dragged out by her sisters for some rebound sex. Anthony is a professional ice hockey player but Maxine doesn't have a clue who he is, so when she assumes he's a mechanic, he runs with it. When She finds out the truth, ALL the truth, can Maxine forgive him? Can she really allow herself to be happy??
This is, from what I can see, the first book by Dubois I've read; indeed, I *think* this is her first novel. And for the most part, I did enjoy it. And I'm stuck with that N word a the back of my throat!
I don't mean this in a negative way, not at all, it's just I can't find any other word that projects my feelings bout this book and you all know, I'm all about sharing my book feelings!
I liked the way the story flowed. We don't get all of Anthony's history in one go, you get hints and clues, and I put them altogether so wrong. You don't get all of Maxine's pain at her break up, the whole story comes in snippets along the way.
Some of the dialogue is amusing, with Anthony's English not quite up to speed yet, but I liked that he flipped between English and French, and his English is portrayed in a way I remember the French students from school speaking.
So, for the most part, I DID enjoy it, but I can't get past the *Nice Book* title.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 for the blog
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Book of Cold Cases in Books
May 5, 2022
I love a thriller that involves a chilling ghost story, so when I heard about The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James, I knew I had to read it. (Plus, I loved her other book The Broken Girls.) I was heavily immersed in this novel from the beginning!
I was sucked into the plot of The Book of Cold Cases right away. St. James gets right down to the nitty-gritty in the very first chapter. This book instantly grabs you and doesn't let go until the very last page. I was instantly transported to this small town in Oregon where I was right with the characters. As with her previous books, Simone St. James tells the story from more than one characters' point of view. We are told the story from Beth's, Shea's, and Lily's viewpoint. There was plenty of action and mystery to keep me intrigued throughout my reading journey. My favorite scenes in the book were the ones that involved the supernatural. I loved reading about how Greer mansion was haunted and about what supernatural activities were happening there. I also enjoyed the semi-big plot twist towards the middle of the book. However, I kept expecting an even bigger plot twist towards the end that never came which left me feeling a bit disappointed. However, this didn't really take away from the overall story that much. Something I could have done without was the romance in the book. It wasn't a major thing, but I just felt like there wasn't really a need for it. Other than that, I truly enjoyed this novel. Everything fit together really well (minus the romance), and the story was all tied together by the very end.
I felt that all the characters in The Book of Cold Cases were fleshed out enough to feel realistic whilst reading. I really liked Shea's interest in true crime since I can relate to that. I admired Shea's thirst for knowledge and how far she'd go to find out the truth of things she wanted to know. (I guess we both need closure!) I did feel like she got over her phobia a little too conveniently and quickly though. Beth was a wildcard for me throughout the book. I couldn't tell if she was guilty like many people believed or if she actually was a guilty party. I did like Beth though, and I loved her attitude she had when accused of murder. Lily was fabulously written, and I enjoyed reading about her too. I won't go into much more detail about her due to spoilers, but her part in The Book of Cold Cases was written well. The only character that kind of bothered me was Michael. I just felt like he was thrown in there as an easy way out. We're introduced to him from the beginning, and I kept waiting for some plot twist to happen involving him, but I was sadly disappointed. I just felt as if the book could have done without him.
Trigger warnings for The Book of Cold Cases include violence, murder, profanity, sexual abuse of a minor (not graphic), and kidnapping.
Overall, The Book of Cold Cases is a thrilling read with a fantastically chilling plot. With a spooky ghost story and an intriguing mystery, St. James has a real winner on her hands. I would definitely recommend The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James to those aged 17+ who love being scared and intrigued at the same time. You won't be disappointed.
I was sucked into the plot of The Book of Cold Cases right away. St. James gets right down to the nitty-gritty in the very first chapter. This book instantly grabs you and doesn't let go until the very last page. I was instantly transported to this small town in Oregon where I was right with the characters. As with her previous books, Simone St. James tells the story from more than one characters' point of view. We are told the story from Beth's, Shea's, and Lily's viewpoint. There was plenty of action and mystery to keep me intrigued throughout my reading journey. My favorite scenes in the book were the ones that involved the supernatural. I loved reading about how Greer mansion was haunted and about what supernatural activities were happening there. I also enjoyed the semi-big plot twist towards the middle of the book. However, I kept expecting an even bigger plot twist towards the end that never came which left me feeling a bit disappointed. However, this didn't really take away from the overall story that much. Something I could have done without was the romance in the book. It wasn't a major thing, but I just felt like there wasn't really a need for it. Other than that, I truly enjoyed this novel. Everything fit together really well (minus the romance), and the story was all tied together by the very end.
I felt that all the characters in The Book of Cold Cases were fleshed out enough to feel realistic whilst reading. I really liked Shea's interest in true crime since I can relate to that. I admired Shea's thirst for knowledge and how far she'd go to find out the truth of things she wanted to know. (I guess we both need closure!) I did feel like she got over her phobia a little too conveniently and quickly though. Beth was a wildcard for me throughout the book. I couldn't tell if she was guilty like many people believed or if she actually was a guilty party. I did like Beth though, and I loved her attitude she had when accused of murder. Lily was fabulously written, and I enjoyed reading about her too. I won't go into much more detail about her due to spoilers, but her part in The Book of Cold Cases was written well. The only character that kind of bothered me was Michael. I just felt like he was thrown in there as an easy way out. We're introduced to him from the beginning, and I kept waiting for some plot twist to happen involving him, but I was sadly disappointed. I just felt as if the book could have done without him.
Trigger warnings for The Book of Cold Cases include violence, murder, profanity, sexual abuse of a minor (not graphic), and kidnapping.
Overall, The Book of Cold Cases is a thrilling read with a fantastically chilling plot. With a spooky ghost story and an intriguing mystery, St. James has a real winner on her hands. I would definitely recommend The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James to those aged 17+ who love being scared and intrigued at the same time. You won't be disappointed.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Fall of Lisa Bellow in Books
Mar 15, 2018
This novel was one I had been highly anticipating since late last year, and unfortunately, it just wasnt for me. Ive read a number of character driven novels in the past couple of months and I think Im just getting a bit sick of them. Because of this, my review is going to be skewed, theres no way around that, it just wasnt the kind of novel I was hoping to read at this point in my reading journey.
The novel was very well put together. The writing was wonderful and the characters were incredibly well developed, but my problem was the plot. As a lot of others have said, this promised suspense and a bit of action, but it was instead a slow moving, poetic family drama.
The characters, I didnt care enough about to really get invested in their stories. Meredith was fine, and like I previously said, often funny, but I had no empathy for her, so her story meant very little to me. Claire I didnt like, not even a little bit. Ive never experienced motherhood, but there was something so immature about her when it came to certain situations with her kids, that I ended up hating her for her behaviour and thoughts.
I hate that I didnt like this novel, but there we are.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
The novel was very well put together. The writing was wonderful and the characters were incredibly well developed, but my problem was the plot. As a lot of others have said, this promised suspense and a bit of action, but it was instead a slow moving, poetic family drama.
The characters, I didnt care enough about to really get invested in their stories. Meredith was fine, and like I previously said, often funny, but I had no empathy for her, so her story meant very little to me. Claire I didnt like, not even a little bit. Ive never experienced motherhood, but there was something so immature about her when it came to certain situations with her kids, that I ended up hating her for her behaviour and thoughts.
I hate that I didnt like this novel, but there we are.
<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
Cate Le Bon recommended Jardin Au Fou by Roedelius in Music (curated)
Alison Brie recommended Alien (1979) in Movies (curated)
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Briar Rose in Books
Sep 6, 2019
I received this book as a first reads copy via GoodReads and My Kinda Book.
I'll start by saying I love the cover of this book.
Then: I'm a big Jana Oliver fan, having loved her Demon Trappers series so when I saw the First Reads giveaway on Goodreads for this I just had to enter and luckily for me, I was picked as one of the winners.
I have to admit that I, too have always liked the idea of Princes and Princess' and fairy tale endings and this was a unique take on it, with the twisted fairy tale one that is almost of Briar Rose's own making.
I kinda wish I could say more but I don't want to ruin it for those who are going to read this...sorry ;D
Saying that, it was very unique to me, as I have never seen or heard of anything like this before, and I really enjoyed it. Maybe it was the authors style which I can easily fall into or maybe it was the idea of the story but I was captivated by it from early on.
I also really liked all the major characters though it took a while for Pat to grow on me. The rest; Briar, Joshua, Reena and Ruric were all pretty cool from the start.
If you're a fan of the author then you should give this a try, as well as those who like fantasy books as this is no ordinary fairy tale.
I'll start by saying I love the cover of this book.
Then: I'm a big Jana Oliver fan, having loved her Demon Trappers series so when I saw the First Reads giveaway on Goodreads for this I just had to enter and luckily for me, I was picked as one of the winners.
I have to admit that I, too have always liked the idea of Princes and Princess' and fairy tale endings and this was a unique take on it, with the twisted fairy tale one that is almost of Briar Rose's own making.
I kinda wish I could say more but I don't want to ruin it for those who are going to read this...sorry ;D
Saying that, it was very unique to me, as I have never seen or heard of anything like this before, and I really enjoyed it. Maybe it was the authors style which I can easily fall into or maybe it was the idea of the story but I was captivated by it from early on.
I also really liked all the major characters though it took a while for Pat to grow on me. The rest; Briar, Joshua, Reena and Ruric were all pretty cool from the start.
If you're a fan of the author then you should give this a try, as well as those who like fantasy books as this is no ordinary fairy tale.