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Gaining Trust (Kiss of Leather #5)
Gaining Trust (Kiss of Leather #5)
Morticia Knight | 2017 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
5.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
straight back up to 5 stars
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

And just like that, back up to 5 stars!

This is book 5 in the Kiss of Leather series, and you really REALLY should read the previous books first. There is an ongoing story arc and you need to be able to follow what's going on with that. And they are 4 and 5 stars reads ?

Chuck has been undercover in another BDSM establishment, and has come to the conclusion he needs to be in this world. A world where these guys are so totally and utterly in love with each other, that he NEEDS that too. Master Jordan has been waiting to get his hands on Chuck, waiting for Chuck to admit what he wants to experience. Master Jordan knows that once he gets his hands on the handsome man, he might never be able to let go.

Master Jordan is, quite possibly, my most favourite of the Doms in this series. He is so laid back, any further and he would be horizontal! While very much a Dom, he is much more relaxed about it, calling Chuck things like babe, and sweetheart. He loves Chuck, right from the start and that shows in his careful handling of Chuck.

Chuck takes to Master Jordan very quickly, and I love watching these guys: Doms and subs alike, fall fast and fall HARD. Loving that it usually takes a major traumatic event to make the Doms see who they really want but not so much here.

I'm loving that each and every one of them from previous books play some part in future books. Loving the gentle introduction of the new guys. Loving the ongoing story arc that seems to be coming to a head. Loving that I have no idea when or where this is going to end!

I said in a previous review, that I'm loving the differences between the subs, but that all the Doms are these big guys and the subs are all younger and smaller. I still AM loving that, but I find myself thinking, what if?? What if there was a brand new Dom, who needs training with an older bigger sub?? Cos, you know, that would just bean amazing addition to this series!

Off to read book 6, trying really hard NOT to read them back to back but it's getting harder!!

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
I think I'm reading books too fast for the following reasons:

~ It was spring break. I probably got cabin fever. 101°F most likely
~ It was short, compared to a lot of other books I typically really, which are usually 350+
~ It really was action-packed and suspenseful

The last part is a fact, and to my embarrassment, I didn't realize April Henry was the exact same author who wrote Girl, Stolen which I actually loved (I forgot if it was Book Battle, Truman Readers Award Nominee, or both). Or maybe I just forgot who the author was. Whoops.

The Body in the Woods follows multiple perspectives – Alexis, Nick, Ruby, and why yes, the murderer on the occasional basis of creepiness. e_e *ominous music* Alexis' is someone who doesn't let others become close to her (sounds like me) and has a delusional mother who hates her medication, Nick had no father figure for most of his life and tries getting attention just to fit in, and Ruby has interests no one else seems to understand. But while all of that is true, there seems to be one thing in common between the three: they're odd and simply want to fit in with the world.

All three are part of Portland's Search and Rescue, which is actually mainly made up of teen volunteers who search for missing people. While on the search for a missing man in Forest Park – no, not the one in Missouri where the Muny is at – they end up finding a girl... dead.

The multiple POVs actually had a handy advantage: it pretty much kept me at the edge of my seat. A chapter ends at a suspenseful part, I turn the page in hopes of finding out what happens and I end up with a different person entirely. Unfortunately though... there were these random POVs from other people that just seem to pop out of nowhere and proved to be a bit of a distraction from the main 4.

Well written and page turning, The Body in the Woods reminded me of CSI from a witnesses' and murderer's point of view instead of law enforcement. Not bad for April Henry's latest novel, even if I only read one other book. It'll be great for mystery peeps though!
-----------------
ARC copy provided by publisher
Original review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/06/arc-review-the-body-in-the-woods-by-april-henry.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
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All-New Wolverine, Volume 5: Orphans of X
All-New Wolverine, Volume 5: Orphans of X
Tom Taylor | 2018 | Comics & Graphic Novels, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b>**</b> <i>Before I begin, I should just like to preface this review with the following disclaimer: any reviews I have written are almost always going to be less than biased, due to the content being related to Laura Kinney (X-23). However, that being said, if the story is rubbish, and Laura is in it, I will still be honest in my review. Now, on to the review.. </i><b>**</b>

ORPHANS OF X was the perfect story arc to wash away the taste from the two previous arcs - "Enemy of the State II" and "Immune". From the beginning to the end, this was a solid story! There was action, there was suspenseful tension, and, of course, there was humor along the way (Thanks in part to Gabby, or as she is known by her new codename: Honey Badger!). A winning recipe for how to write a comic book successfully!

Under writer Tom Taylor's hand, Laura has evolved as a character. Yes, she was a former assassin. Yes, she killed a hell of a lot of people during her time when she was part of the Facility's Weapon X Program. However, that doesn't mean you can't a) move beyond that, nor b) can you just forget that. And that is what Taylor has done.

Laura has grown, taking on the responsibility of looking out for/"raising" her sister/clone Gabby. She displays more emotions, not 100% perfect, but considering her backstory, it makes sense the way she is being written.

No spoilers, promise, but the ending resolution to ORPHANS OF X sets in motion great potential! We know the next arc will be "Old Woman Laura", but after that? Oh, wait 'til you read it, and if you are a fan of the character, you should be as excite as I am!

And, as praiseworthy as Tom Taylor's writing was, I feel I should also gave a more than fair nod to new series artist (I hope!) Juann Cabal. A lot of talent, and definitely someone this book could use! Cabal's pencils are tight, yet fluid. He brings a lot of action to a fight panel, yet also brings a careful attention to facial detail when it is a simpler, not action-y scene.

Oh, of course, there were also some amazing (as always) covers by fan favorite Terry Dodson! Brilliant!!

Many of us, fans of Laura Kinney, have been hankering for a story like this. Everything about it was all aces! But, don't let me be the final word on this. By all means, good folk, read on..
  
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
2018 | Action, Sci-Fi
Story and Acting (0 more)
Han and Chewbacca meeting (0 more)
Another Good Anthology
Contains spoilers, click to show
I must say despite the protest for this movie for the last...well you know; I was pleasantly surprised by this movie. The characters were spot on. Donald Glover did the best job in my opinion. The story was good, Han looking for his lost love may have been a little stretch at that point in his career but it worked. The one thing I didn't like was the way Han and Chewy met. I know they wouldn't do it like the old canon, which would have been hard to do but I wish it could have been done a little different. Aside from the this movie met my expectations, as a Star Wars fan. I even liked the way they incorporated Lando's sidekick droid into the Falcon. We can now understand it's really a she. The part that excited me most was the ending. That was very unexpected for me. One of my favorite Sith Lords of all time made a showing. Darth Maul!! I hope this story arc continues with him in future anthology movies. This movie is a solid 8 for me. We will see what the future holds for more movies like this
  
The Nowhere Child
The Nowhere Child
Christian White | 2019 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
10
8.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Kimberley Leamy lives in Melbourne, Australia is shocked when a man approaches her while at the college where she teaches photography. He claims that she is his sister, Sammy who had been abducted when she was two years old from Manson Kentucky USA. Stuart Went gives her irrefutable evidence as to who she really is.
The Nowhere Child is the first novel by award-winning Australian author, Christian White.

This just an amazing and powerful debut novel. Such an amazing twist on the missing child genre. This is a dark, intense and somewhat chilling psychological thriller. The author has managed to weave a dark, intense and somewhat chilling psychological thriller filled with a number of different emotional themes throughout. With all of this combined it makes for an emotional, suspense filled explosive novel.
This wonderful new author cleverly weaves the past and present so clearly and has packed so much emotion into this novel. I love how the pace of the novel flows and how the characters develop throughout.
The ending of the book is just so unexpected and I can only hope we see more to come from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for an ARC copy of this book
  
Tick Tock (DS Grace Allendale #2)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
TICK…
In the city of Stoke, a teenage girl is murdered in the middle of the day, her lifeless body abandoned in a field behind her school.
TOCK…
Two days later, a young mother is abducted. She’s discovered strangled and dumped in a local park.
TIME’S UP…
DS Grace Allendale and her team are brought in to investigate, but with a bold killer, no leads and nothing to connect the victims, the case seems hopeless. It’s only when a third woman is targeted that a sinister pattern emerges. A dangerous mind is behind these attacks, and Grace realises that the clock is ticking…
Can they catch the killer before another young woman dies?

A solid second book in the DS Grace Allendale series.
This was a tense story with the clock ticking for DS Allendale to solve who is killing apparently random victims.
Absolutely gripping from the start.
I love the plot so very well written and paced.
Lots of action with twists and turns.
I like the development of the characters.
Highly Recommend Reading... I love all Mel Sherratt novels!

Thank you to Net Galley, The Publishers and of course Mel Sherratt for my ARC. This is my own honest voluntary review.
  
Death On The Coast
Death On The Coast
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I thoroughly enjoyed this “West Country Crime Mystery” Death on the Coast by Bernie Steadman, even though it was book 3 and I’d not read the previous two books in this series.

Set in Devon, DCI Dan Hellier and DS Sally Ellis’ crew make a gruesome discovery; someone is burning body parts in a very ritualistic way. Could a cult be responsible for this? What are their motivations? Can his team work out what is happening before another death hits their shores?

I whizzed through this well written story and although the title suggests cosy mystery to me, this is a much darker and more realistic police procedural. It’s got everything I love in a good murder mystery; a great cast of people with their own issues to contend with, interesting plot twists (despite knowing who is responsible all the way through the book) and enough intriguing goings on to keep me reading long well into the night until I finished it. Bernie Steadman is on fire with this book! I must keep up with this series from now on!

Thank you to Bloodhound Books, and #NetGalley for my ARC copy. This is my own opinion and not biased in any way.
  
Class Reunions Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery #1)
Class Reunions Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery #1)
Libby Klein | 2018 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Recent widow Poppy McAllister isn’t planning to go to her 25th high school reunion until some friends talk her into it. She is definitely not excited about seeing popular girl Barbie, who has requested a meeting with Poppy and her friends. Barbie hasn’t changed since high school, and Poppy and her friends have a run in with their former nemesis. A few minutes later, Poppy finds Barbie dead outside Poppy’s old locker. With the police certain that Poppy is the killer, she leaps into action to find the truth.

The pacing of the book is uneven, but it gets better as it goes along. As the mystery build, the suspects keep us guessing until the end. It’s a little hard to keep them straight early on, but that gets better as the mystery progresses as well. Poppy’s great aunt Tilly is a riot. I laughed multiple times while reading this book, and Aunt Tilly was the reason for many of them. This is a promising first mystery in what looks to be a fun series.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-class-reunions-are-murder.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
AC
A Christmas Peril: A Theater Cop Mystery. Book 1
J.A. Hennrikus | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Retired cop turned theater manager Edwina “Sully” Sullivan should be focusing on her theater’s production of A Christmas Carol. After all, the name star they’ve brought in can’t remember his lines, and actors are leaving in frustration. But what has captured her attention is the murder of Peter Whitehall. He’s not only the wealthiest man in town, but also a distant relative and the father of her friend Eric. Thanks to his security system, the police know someone in the family is the killer. Despite her intentions, Sully gets drawn into the puzzle. Can she figure out what happened?

This is a wonderful start to a new series. With my love of A Christmas Carol and live theater, I was looking forward to it, and it didn’t disappoint at all. The mystery is a modern-day twist on the isolated house mystery, and it is strong, with some surprises before we reach the logical end. Sully is already a wonderfully developed main character. There are some strong supporting characters here, and I’m looking forward to seeing the rest grow as the series progresses.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-christmas-peril-by-j.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
GD
Good Day to Buy
Sherry Harris | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sarah is helping the Spencers downsize their possession before a planned move, but things take a tragic turn when Sarah finds them lying on the garage floor in the middle of the sale. Then, that afternoon, Sarah’s estranged brother Luke shows up asking for help is hiding out for a couple of days. Luke disappears just as the police being looking for him on connection with what happened at the Spencer’s. Can Sarah figure out what Luke is doing and clear his name?

Luke adds an interesting element to this addition to the series. The plot is fast paced and kept me so engaged I had a hard time putting the book down. I did have a couple of niggle with the ending, but they are very minor. I love the characters in this series, and it was fantastic to see all of them again. While the love triangle may be over, we did see both of the men in Sarah’s life in this book. Fans will delight in this book and it will hook new readers on the series.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/04/book-review-good-day-to-buy-by-sherry.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.