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Uptown Oracle (24 KP) rated The House of Mountfathom in Books
Jun 30, 2017
Family, Adventure and Magic
Family, adventure and magic. A perfect combination for this middle grade book. The House of Mountfathom is set in Ireland during times of unrest. The Driochta, always peacekeepers, must choose a side to survive.
My favourite aspect was how alive the house felt as it was so full of magic. The House of Mountfathom seemed like another member of the family almost like it had a mind of it's own. There was so much time given to explaining the house, magic and family though, that it reduced the actual plot to the second half of the book.
The House of Mountfathom has a strong focus on family. The Mountfathom family are the protagonists of the book. The Order of Driochta are another kind of family. There's no romance subplot which was a big plus point for me.
Another thing was that the house was in Ireland. I cant think off the top of my head another book I've read based in Ireland. The introduction of both historical aspects and folklore was great. There's also a distinct discussion about class systems. The 'big houses' aka the upper class in Ireland are in trouble, including the Mountfathom house, even though they're trying to keep the peace.
A problem I had was the format seemed odd, I assume it would be best in a printed book. My kindle seemed to push everything together and it was difficult to discern between chapters. The illustrations would have also worked much better within a book. Since this was an e-ARC though, I wouldn't take that into account.
Another problem is the book doesn't seem quite finished. Understandable as Nigel McDowell passed away in February. Although the ambiguous ending does give something towards the mysterious aspect of the book as a whole.
I really enjoyed how McDowell described the hows of magic. The first part of the book follows Luke as he grows up and learns magic. The five principles are distinct in how Luke learns them. I would compare The House of Mountfathom to Lemony Snicket and Neil Gaiman's Coraline. It was a bit dark and creepy in places. Full of intrigue and magic.
My favourite aspect was how alive the house felt as it was so full of magic. The House of Mountfathom seemed like another member of the family almost like it had a mind of it's own. There was so much time given to explaining the house, magic and family though, that it reduced the actual plot to the second half of the book.
The House of Mountfathom has a strong focus on family. The Mountfathom family are the protagonists of the book. The Order of Driochta are another kind of family. There's no romance subplot which was a big plus point for me.
Another thing was that the house was in Ireland. I cant think off the top of my head another book I've read based in Ireland. The introduction of both historical aspects and folklore was great. There's also a distinct discussion about class systems. The 'big houses' aka the upper class in Ireland are in trouble, including the Mountfathom house, even though they're trying to keep the peace.
A problem I had was the format seemed odd, I assume it would be best in a printed book. My kindle seemed to push everything together and it was difficult to discern between chapters. The illustrations would have also worked much better within a book. Since this was an e-ARC though, I wouldn't take that into account.
Another problem is the book doesn't seem quite finished. Understandable as Nigel McDowell passed away in February. Although the ambiguous ending does give something towards the mysterious aspect of the book as a whole.
I really enjoyed how McDowell described the hows of magic. The first part of the book follows Luke as he grows up and learns magic. The five principles are distinct in how Luke learns them. I would compare The House of Mountfathom to Lemony Snicket and Neil Gaiman's Coraline. It was a bit dark and creepy in places. Full of intrigue and magic.
Jenny Houle (24 KP) rated The Weight of This World in Books
Jan 13, 2018
I received an ARC from FirstToRead for an unbiased review of THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD.
It's particularly hard to explain the details of this book without spoilers, beyond the blurb already posted about it: "A combat veteran returned from war, Thad Broom can’t leave the hardened world of Afghanistan behind, nor can he forgive himself for what he saw there. His mother, April, is haunted by her own demons, a secret trauma she has carried for years. Between them is Aiden McCall, loyal to both but unable to hold them together. Connected by bonds of circumstance and duty, friendship and love, these three lives are blown apart when Aiden and Thad witness the accidental death of their drug dealer and a riot of dope and cash drops in their laps. On a meth-fueled journey to nowhere, they will either find the grit to overcome the darkness or be consumed by it."
I don't entirely think I knew what I was getting myself into reading the book, which was well written but a little too graphic for me. I think in referring others to it, I will consider those who handle certain scenarios well, versus those who do not (for example, I'm not exactly rushing out to recommend this to any of my friends who've returned home from war and are dealing with PTSD).
The development of the three main characters and the intensity of their bonds and loyalty, despite all the ways they continued to fail one another, were a true depiction of human spirit. How we can love someone so much that we never mean to fail them, yet we can never do fully right by them.
I loved the epilogue but not the ending...if that makes sense (I'm afraid to say much for fear of spoilers). Part of me wanted so desperately for Aiden, Thad and April to all find their way away from Little Canada, alone or together, having beaten all their demons. Part of me, though, is realistic enough to know that is not how life works.
I will absolutely be hunting for other books by David Joy having read this one. So glad I took the time and stuck out the scenes that were hard to stomach.
It's particularly hard to explain the details of this book without spoilers, beyond the blurb already posted about it: "A combat veteran returned from war, Thad Broom can’t leave the hardened world of Afghanistan behind, nor can he forgive himself for what he saw there. His mother, April, is haunted by her own demons, a secret trauma she has carried for years. Between them is Aiden McCall, loyal to both but unable to hold them together. Connected by bonds of circumstance and duty, friendship and love, these three lives are blown apart when Aiden and Thad witness the accidental death of their drug dealer and a riot of dope and cash drops in their laps. On a meth-fueled journey to nowhere, they will either find the grit to overcome the darkness or be consumed by it."
I don't entirely think I knew what I was getting myself into reading the book, which was well written but a little too graphic for me. I think in referring others to it, I will consider those who handle certain scenarios well, versus those who do not (for example, I'm not exactly rushing out to recommend this to any of my friends who've returned home from war and are dealing with PTSD).
The development of the three main characters and the intensity of their bonds and loyalty, despite all the ways they continued to fail one another, were a true depiction of human spirit. How we can love someone so much that we never mean to fail them, yet we can never do fully right by them.
I loved the epilogue but not the ending...if that makes sense (I'm afraid to say much for fear of spoilers). Part of me wanted so desperately for Aiden, Thad and April to all find their way away from Little Canada, alone or together, having beaten all their demons. Part of me, though, is realistic enough to know that is not how life works.
I will absolutely be hunting for other books by David Joy having read this one. So glad I took the time and stuck out the scenes that were hard to stomach.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Postmistress in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
Genre: Fiction
Rating: DNF
(No Summary.)
The thing about reading is that you need to pick up the book, and be wrapped up in it. It needs to flow well. It must be readable. It must be understandable. Words create sentences and sentences create paragraphs, etc.
When I started reading The Postmistress, I felt like I’d jumped into the middle of a book, in the middle of a series, with no idea who was who or what was happening or even who the narrator was. The sentences didn’t make any sense. It was like reading sentences backwards. Have you ever tried that? Do it. Ok now that you’ve tried it, you know how I felt. It felt like a bunch of jumbled words.
The style was strange, there was weird punctuation that made what little clear sentences there were choppy and difficult to read. I kept reading the same phrase over and over and eventually giving up.
The point of view isn’t first person, nor is it third. And whatever person it was, it kept switching mid-chapter so I couldn't keep up. The dialogue felt out of place, like people from that time period shouldn’t be speaking like that (Or maybe I’m just not educated on WWII culture, which is more likely than not. I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt).
And by page 15 I still had no clue who was who or what was going on. I felt no desire to continue reading, and trying to decipher the paragraphs felt like a chore.
And honestly, reading should not be a chore. I won’t finish a book if I could be reading better things.
I’m sorry to be so negative, I hate writing negative reviews. But I could not read this book. I couldn’t tell you what the plot was or what the characters were like if I tried.
As always, please remember that this is my personal opinion. Never decide to read or not to read a book based on one person’s views.
This was the second stop for Katrina’s Borrow My ARC Tour at Bloody Bad. Check the other tour stops here for other reviews, or see Amazon.com reviews.
Genre: Fiction
Rating: DNF
(No Summary.)
The thing about reading is that you need to pick up the book, and be wrapped up in it. It needs to flow well. It must be readable. It must be understandable. Words create sentences and sentences create paragraphs, etc.
When I started reading The Postmistress, I felt like I’d jumped into the middle of a book, in the middle of a series, with no idea who was who or what was happening or even who the narrator was. The sentences didn’t make any sense. It was like reading sentences backwards. Have you ever tried that? Do it. Ok now that you’ve tried it, you know how I felt. It felt like a bunch of jumbled words.
The style was strange, there was weird punctuation that made what little clear sentences there were choppy and difficult to read. I kept reading the same phrase over and over and eventually giving up.
The point of view isn’t first person, nor is it third. And whatever person it was, it kept switching mid-chapter so I couldn't keep up. The dialogue felt out of place, like people from that time period shouldn’t be speaking like that (Or maybe I’m just not educated on WWII culture, which is more likely than not. I’ll give the author the benefit of the doubt).
And by page 15 I still had no clue who was who or what was going on. I felt no desire to continue reading, and trying to decipher the paragraphs felt like a chore.
And honestly, reading should not be a chore. I won’t finish a book if I could be reading better things.
I’m sorry to be so negative, I hate writing negative reviews. But I could not read this book. I couldn’t tell you what the plot was or what the characters were like if I tried.
As always, please remember that this is my personal opinion. Never decide to read or not to read a book based on one person’s views.
This was the second stop for Katrina’s Borrow My ARC Tour at Bloody Bad. Check the other tour stops here for other reviews, or see Amazon.com reviews.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Becoming in Books
May 15, 2018
Glenn Rolfe jumps right into action in his novel Becoming which is a nice change of pace from the majority of novels I read. Set in a small town by the name of Avalon, Rolfe introduces readers to an array of characters ranging from despicable to endearing. Some of them you’ll be happy to see go and others you’ll find yourself loathing Rolfe for getting rid off; one thing’s for sure: he has no qualms about killing off anyone in this fast paced book.
As I’ve said before: I don’t make a habit of researching writers before I read their work. In a way, it can be a spoiler as to their style or mannerisms. That said, either Rolfe has done a lot of research or he knows what small town life is like, because Avalon most definitely mimics the intricacies of rural life. Reading Becoming felt very much like being in my hometown. For that, I applaud Rolfe.
Normally I summarize the plot of the book. This time I’ll skip that for the sake of length since it can be read in the synopsis above regardless of whether this is posted on my site, Goodreads, or Amazon. It should be noted that there is no pause in the story for a breather; Rolfe forges onward without a single breather in his story, filling each page with non-stop action. This makes for a great read and a welcome relief from the tedium of many stories.
The downside to this is that some characters are only half finished. For instance, Crowley and the Lady of the Lake have sinister origins. We know they are baddies and the reason for what goes wrong, but we don’t really get any answers. We don’t know why Clint ends up sick and doesn’t function like he should or why a journal somehow ended up in his house or how Avalon came to be, just that it is.
Overall, Becoming is a pretty solid story if you don’t ask too many questions. There are a few typos that made it past final editing as well (I read the Kindle Unlimited versión instead of the ARC sent to me by the author since the file was lost due to technical difficulties).
As I’ve said before: I don’t make a habit of researching writers before I read their work. In a way, it can be a spoiler as to their style or mannerisms. That said, either Rolfe has done a lot of research or he knows what small town life is like, because Avalon most definitely mimics the intricacies of rural life. Reading Becoming felt very much like being in my hometown. For that, I applaud Rolfe.
Normally I summarize the plot of the book. This time I’ll skip that for the sake of length since it can be read in the synopsis above regardless of whether this is posted on my site, Goodreads, or Amazon. It should be noted that there is no pause in the story for a breather; Rolfe forges onward without a single breather in his story, filling each page with non-stop action. This makes for a great read and a welcome relief from the tedium of many stories.
The downside to this is that some characters are only half finished. For instance, Crowley and the Lady of the Lake have sinister origins. We know they are baddies and the reason for what goes wrong, but we don’t really get any answers. We don’t know why Clint ends up sick and doesn’t function like he should or why a journal somehow ended up in his house or how Avalon came to be, just that it is.
Overall, Becoming is a pretty solid story if you don’t ask too many questions. There are a few typos that made it past final editing as well (I read the Kindle Unlimited versión instead of the ARC sent to me by the author since the file was lost due to technical difficulties).
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Troop in Books
May 16, 2018
We all have our own ways of dealing with anxiety and depression. One of mine for the former is to kick back with an audiobook and lose myself in World of Warcraft. This week, my audiobook of choice was Nick Cutter’s The Troop. I first discovered Cutter last year after receiving an arc of Little Heaven, which I enjoyed immensely. Naturally, I was not let down with this title.
It’s a fairly short listen, coming in at just over eleven hours. Narrated by Corey Brill, the book tells the story of a bunch of kids and their mentor after a strange encounter with an emaciated man. From there, things spiral downward in a rather interesting turn of events and readers watch the usual trope that comes into play when the threat of apocalypse hangs over a town – or in this case, island. The fact that the cast is mostly teenage boys? That’s of no consequence.
The Troop is what I call a “last man standing” story. I suppose that’s comparable to “final girls” when you think about it. These kids, because that’s all they are, find themselves facing a horror they cannot truly comprehend, and with the military working in favor of the greater good, are on their own. Naturally, that means we’ve got some deep psychological stuff that’s going to go on, as well as several scenes of last minute survival habits – such as harming animals. And, of course, there’s madness tinting this books periphery.
I really enjoyed this approach to a horror story born of what originally begins as a good deed (though clearly is not toward its end). The characters had their own flaws and represented the different types of kids we’re likely to find in a high school class – only, of course, without the presence of any females.
Once again, Cutter has impressed me with his ability to make me cringe, among other things. I definitely look forward to getting my hands on more of his work in the future. Also, the audiobook is worth it. Corey Brill has a gorgeous voice.
It’s a fairly short listen, coming in at just over eleven hours. Narrated by Corey Brill, the book tells the story of a bunch of kids and their mentor after a strange encounter with an emaciated man. From there, things spiral downward in a rather interesting turn of events and readers watch the usual trope that comes into play when the threat of apocalypse hangs over a town – or in this case, island. The fact that the cast is mostly teenage boys? That’s of no consequence.
The Troop is what I call a “last man standing” story. I suppose that’s comparable to “final girls” when you think about it. These kids, because that’s all they are, find themselves facing a horror they cannot truly comprehend, and with the military working in favor of the greater good, are on their own. Naturally, that means we’ve got some deep psychological stuff that’s going to go on, as well as several scenes of last minute survival habits – such as harming animals. And, of course, there’s madness tinting this books periphery.
I really enjoyed this approach to a horror story born of what originally begins as a good deed (though clearly is not toward its end). The characters had their own flaws and represented the different types of kids we’re likely to find in a high school class – only, of course, without the presence of any females.
Once again, Cutter has impressed me with his ability to make me cringe, among other things. I definitely look forward to getting my hands on more of his work in the future. Also, the audiobook is worth it. Corey Brill has a gorgeous voice.
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Smoke Thieves in Books
May 8, 2018
Review This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
From the author of the popular fantasy trilogy, Half Bad comes a brand new historical-fantasy series: The Smoke Thieves. Featuring a princess, a traitor, a soldier, a hunter and a thief, Sally Green’s fictional world is a dangerous place for these five teenagers. From demons to tyrannical fathers, they must do their best to overcome every obstacle placed in their way to survive a world that is destined for conflict.
The five main characters are a mixed bag of personalities and status. Princess Catherine is preparing for her arranged marriage, which aims to politically unite two nations, or so she believes. Her brutally ambitious father, on the other hand, has other ideas. Ambrose, Catherine’s guard and a traitor to her father, escapes death by chasing after Catherine with news of her father’s real plans.
Meanwhile, March, a soldier whose entire family and heritage were wiped out in a war, aims to get revenge by finding his king’s illegitimate son and only heir, however, he does not anticipate the prince being the naïve thief, Edyon. March and Edyon travel through the country in the company of an elderly man until they are ambushed by a demon hunter and his thirteen-year-old assistant, Tash. All Tash wants to do is hunt demons, collect their drug-like smoke and sell it so she can buy a pair of boots, but fate has other plans, and it is all because of demon smoke.
Coming from all walks of life, the unlikely characters join forces at the conclusion of the book, preparing to face the biggest battle of their young lives. The first book of the series is an exciting introduction to the action promised in the following novels. Slow to start but growing increasingly interesting, The Smoke Thieves is an engaging story with fantastic main characters.
As a work of historical fantasy, The Smoke Thieves is a welcome change from the contemporary fantasy Sally Green has previously written. This book suggests the author has great ideas to come in the near future.
From the author of the popular fantasy trilogy, Half Bad comes a brand new historical-fantasy series: The Smoke Thieves. Featuring a princess, a traitor, a soldier, a hunter and a thief, Sally Green’s fictional world is a dangerous place for these five teenagers. From demons to tyrannical fathers, they must do their best to overcome every obstacle placed in their way to survive a world that is destined for conflict.
The five main characters are a mixed bag of personalities and status. Princess Catherine is preparing for her arranged marriage, which aims to politically unite two nations, or so she believes. Her brutally ambitious father, on the other hand, has other ideas. Ambrose, Catherine’s guard and a traitor to her father, escapes death by chasing after Catherine with news of her father’s real plans.
Meanwhile, March, a soldier whose entire family and heritage were wiped out in a war, aims to get revenge by finding his king’s illegitimate son and only heir, however, he does not anticipate the prince being the naïve thief, Edyon. March and Edyon travel through the country in the company of an elderly man until they are ambushed by a demon hunter and his thirteen-year-old assistant, Tash. All Tash wants to do is hunt demons, collect their drug-like smoke and sell it so she can buy a pair of boots, but fate has other plans, and it is all because of demon smoke.
Coming from all walks of life, the unlikely characters join forces at the conclusion of the book, preparing to face the biggest battle of their young lives. The first book of the series is an exciting introduction to the action promised in the following novels. Slow to start but growing increasingly interesting, The Smoke Thieves is an engaging story with fantastic main characters.
As a work of historical fantasy, The Smoke Thieves is a welcome change from the contemporary fantasy Sally Green has previously written. This book suggests the author has great ideas to come in the near future.
Midge (525 KP) rated If You're Not The One in Books
Feb 25, 2019
A Fun, Fabulous Book All About Friendship And Love!
What a treat this pleasant and delightful romance was, from the best-seller author, Laura Briggs. I have read a couple of Briggs’ novels before, so I knew when I chose to read this that I would be in for a treat.
Although this book is the third in a series of stories about three women running a wedding planning business together, I thought this story worked fine as a standalone. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Wedding Belles - the three friends with their wedding planning business. Tessa is the planner, Natalie the designer, and Ama the caterer. Each have their own, unique voice and different opinions on love.
The protagonist in this third book is Natalie, the wedding dress designer. Natalie isn’t particularly romantic, herself. She doesn’t believe in true love, or destiny and she thinks that people are just plain lucky if they happen to find that certain someone. It’s coincidence and nothing more.
As a wedding dress designer though, she knows she has to keep these feelings under wraps. Even if she’s suspicious that Harper, the bride she’s currently working with, might secretly agree with her. However, Natalie’s own love life is not straight-forward. Her family and friends are so keen for Natalie to ‘settle down’ that she comes to an agreement with her casual boyfriend, Chad, to call a halt on their constant speculation. But what of boy-next-door, Brayden, who has been smitten with Natalie since they were at High School together?
For me, the greatest part of IF YOU’RE NOT THE ONE is the friendship between these three young women. These are girl-friends with whom you want to share your innermost secrets, to be there for you, or to party or have lunch with.
I love that Laura Briggs writes with flair, which helped to make this novel as wonderful as it is. This book will be highly enjoyable for anyone who loves a good romance. Overall, it’s been an incredibly entertaining story and I very much recommend it.
[Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Laura Briggs for my free ARC, in exchange for my voluntary review.]
Although this book is the third in a series of stories about three women running a wedding planning business together, I thought this story worked fine as a standalone. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Wedding Belles - the three friends with their wedding planning business. Tessa is the planner, Natalie the designer, and Ama the caterer. Each have their own, unique voice and different opinions on love.
The protagonist in this third book is Natalie, the wedding dress designer. Natalie isn’t particularly romantic, herself. She doesn’t believe in true love, or destiny and she thinks that people are just plain lucky if they happen to find that certain someone. It’s coincidence and nothing more.
As a wedding dress designer though, she knows she has to keep these feelings under wraps. Even if she’s suspicious that Harper, the bride she’s currently working with, might secretly agree with her. However, Natalie’s own love life is not straight-forward. Her family and friends are so keen for Natalie to ‘settle down’ that she comes to an agreement with her casual boyfriend, Chad, to call a halt on their constant speculation. But what of boy-next-door, Brayden, who has been smitten with Natalie since they were at High School together?
For me, the greatest part of IF YOU’RE NOT THE ONE is the friendship between these three young women. These are girl-friends with whom you want to share your innermost secrets, to be there for you, or to party or have lunch with.
I love that Laura Briggs writes with flair, which helped to make this novel as wonderful as it is. This book will be highly enjoyable for anyone who loves a good romance. Overall, it’s been an incredibly entertaining story and I very much recommend it.
[Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Laura Briggs for my free ARC, in exchange for my voluntary review.]
Midge (525 KP) rated The Shadow Between Us in Books
Mar 23, 2019
A Moving & Poignant Novel
Carol Mason, the best-selling author of ’After You Left’ has written an incredibly moving and poignant novel in this slow-burn, very beautiful work of fiction.
Olivia moves to the pretty coastal town of Port Townsend, with her marriage on-the-rocks, and her life in pieces. She doesn’t know if things with her husband Mark are truly over, or quite why the phone call she longs for on her daughter’s birthday will never come.
After joining a letter-writing club held at her local cafe she meets Ned, an ex-soldier badly wounded in Afghanistan. This chance friendship revives unexpected emotions and memories she’d rather forget.
Can Olivia find the courage to confront what she’s hiding from and finally begin to heal the wounds that have torn her life apart?
Liv, as she is known to her husband, is an extremely intriguing character. Regularly displaying a cocktail of emotions, I could still really empathise with her. She could be caring and thoughtful one minute, but then be frank, blunt and very much to-the-point, the next moment. At times she was positively distant and unkind. She was not alone in her attitude and behaviour as some of the other characters in the story shared similar traits such as cafe owner Beth. For me, this added to and complemented this wonderful character-driven story.
THE SHADOW BETWEEN US was a very insightful and thought-provoking read about reflecting on the mistakes we sometimes make and finding hope in second chances. I
very much liked the emphasis on letter-writing, reading and quotes from favourite books, running throughout the story.
The dialogue between Olivia and Ned was lovely and liked how they had an almost immediate connection. I was very keen to see how their relationship might develop. I found THE SHADOW BETWEEN US a very enjoyable read, helped by Carol Mason’s beautiful writing which has depth and substance. The ending was very fulfilling although with an unexpected twist. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.
[Thanks to #NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Carol Mason for my ARC of #TheShadowBetweenUs in exchange for an honest review.]
Olivia moves to the pretty coastal town of Port Townsend, with her marriage on-the-rocks, and her life in pieces. She doesn’t know if things with her husband Mark are truly over, or quite why the phone call she longs for on her daughter’s birthday will never come.
After joining a letter-writing club held at her local cafe she meets Ned, an ex-soldier badly wounded in Afghanistan. This chance friendship revives unexpected emotions and memories she’d rather forget.
Can Olivia find the courage to confront what she’s hiding from and finally begin to heal the wounds that have torn her life apart?
Liv, as she is known to her husband, is an extremely intriguing character. Regularly displaying a cocktail of emotions, I could still really empathise with her. She could be caring and thoughtful one minute, but then be frank, blunt and very much to-the-point, the next moment. At times she was positively distant and unkind. She was not alone in her attitude and behaviour as some of the other characters in the story shared similar traits such as cafe owner Beth. For me, this added to and complemented this wonderful character-driven story.
THE SHADOW BETWEEN US was a very insightful and thought-provoking read about reflecting on the mistakes we sometimes make and finding hope in second chances. I
very much liked the emphasis on letter-writing, reading and quotes from favourite books, running throughout the story.
The dialogue between Olivia and Ned was lovely and liked how they had an almost immediate connection. I was very keen to see how their relationship might develop. I found THE SHADOW BETWEEN US a very enjoyable read, helped by Carol Mason’s beautiful writing which has depth and substance. The ending was very fulfilling although with an unexpected twist. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.
[Thanks to #NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Carol Mason for my ARC of #TheShadowBetweenUs in exchange for an honest review.]
Midge (525 KP) rated Chocolate a la Murder in Books
Mar 25, 2019
A Delightful Paranormal Mystery!
I jumped at the chance to read this delightful little mystery as I have come to adore cozy novels in recent months. This is the fourth book in the ‘A Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum’ series by Kirsten Weiss, the first book being ‘The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum,’ followed by ‘Pressed to Death’ and ‘Deja Moo.’
The setting for the story is a town called San Benedetto in the California wine country. In “Chocolate a la Murder,” owner, Maddie Kosloski, of the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, is preparing for The Wine and Chocolate Days Festival in San Benedetto. Maddie has sweet dreams about her new Magic of Chocolate exhibit. Her latest attraction is a haunted Mexican whisk called a molinillo that rattles if someone lies.
When Maddie visits the town's new boutique chocolate shop, she finds one of the owners dead and covered in melted cocoa. Maddie's determined to catch the killer, and she soon uncovers deadly dealings in the world of artisan chocolate. But the deception surrounding those dealings are enough to make the molinillo rattle all night. Will Maddie have to temper her passion for sleuthing before a killer makes her their next target?
Although I haven’t any read of the first three books of the series, Kirsten Weiss, provides plenty of back-stories, so “Chocolate a la Murder” works well as a stand-alone novel. Written in the first person, the characters in this novel were a real laugh and I especially liked Maddie’s feistiness. I even found myself asking the same questions and thinking along the same lines as Maddie when trying to work out the identity of the perpetrator. I really enjoyed the easy-to-read writing style, the plot and the pace of the book. The paranormal element helped to add intrigue to the tale, whilst making it a little different to some of the other books in the genre.
All in all, “Chocolate a la Murder” is a lighthearted, lovely read, that combines mystery, thrills and murder and mayhem and I'm looking forward to reading the first three books of the series.
[Thanks to #NetGalley and Midnight Ink Publishing for the free ARC of #ChocolateAlaMurder in exchange for an honest review.]
The setting for the story is a town called San Benedetto in the California wine country. In “Chocolate a la Murder,” owner, Maddie Kosloski, of the Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, is preparing for The Wine and Chocolate Days Festival in San Benedetto. Maddie has sweet dreams about her new Magic of Chocolate exhibit. Her latest attraction is a haunted Mexican whisk called a molinillo that rattles if someone lies.
When Maddie visits the town's new boutique chocolate shop, she finds one of the owners dead and covered in melted cocoa. Maddie's determined to catch the killer, and she soon uncovers deadly dealings in the world of artisan chocolate. But the deception surrounding those dealings are enough to make the molinillo rattle all night. Will Maddie have to temper her passion for sleuthing before a killer makes her their next target?
Although I haven’t any read of the first three books of the series, Kirsten Weiss, provides plenty of back-stories, so “Chocolate a la Murder” works well as a stand-alone novel. Written in the first person, the characters in this novel were a real laugh and I especially liked Maddie’s feistiness. I even found myself asking the same questions and thinking along the same lines as Maddie when trying to work out the identity of the perpetrator. I really enjoyed the easy-to-read writing style, the plot and the pace of the book. The paranormal element helped to add intrigue to the tale, whilst making it a little different to some of the other books in the genre.
All in all, “Chocolate a la Murder” is a lighthearted, lovely read, that combines mystery, thrills and murder and mayhem and I'm looking forward to reading the first three books of the series.
[Thanks to #NetGalley and Midnight Ink Publishing for the free ARC of #ChocolateAlaMurder in exchange for an honest review.]
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Murder Notes (Lilah Love #1) in Books
Apr 15, 2019
Meh.
When I heard that Lisa Renee Jones had written a mystery I have to admit, I was a little confused. I’m not a huge fan of mysteries and I tend to hate how predictable they. With that said, I do love a good suspense thriller every now and then. I was a big fan of Lisa Renee Jones’ romances so I was hoping that this might be a mystery that I loved. I truly had hopes that the author would delve deeper into the thriller aspect of this book. Unfortunately, it seems like this book just fell flat for me.
One thing that seemed off to me was how many redundant phrases there were. The author really seemed to love “Murder Girl,” “Devil in the Details,” and “Otherworld.” These were used constantly and it became annoying after a bit. The writing was not my favorite either. It could be that Lisa was taking on the Mystery genre so she was trying hard to change her voice, unfortunately, it seemed to fall flat to me.
The plot was interesting and it did keep me guessing but though intrigued, I never felt the need to pick up this book. I wouldn’t have read it as fast as I did if it wasn’t for the fact that I was on her ARC team. There were no moments where I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. It’s a little disappointing how slow this story was.
The redeeming part of this book was how intricate the plot line was. Though it was slow, it was elaborate and interesting. I never knew what to expect and I appreciated it. There were, of course, a few no brainers with the book but I enjoyed how thought out the plot was. It kept my attention even though it was a slow read.
All in all, I won’t be continuing on in the series. Though the plot kept my interest I was definitely not impressed.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
One thing that seemed off to me was how many redundant phrases there were. The author really seemed to love “Murder Girl,” “Devil in the Details,” and “Otherworld.” These were used constantly and it became annoying after a bit. The writing was not my favorite either. It could be that Lisa was taking on the Mystery genre so she was trying hard to change her voice, unfortunately, it seemed to fall flat to me.
The plot was interesting and it did keep me guessing but though intrigued, I never felt the need to pick up this book. I wouldn’t have read it as fast as I did if it wasn’t for the fact that I was on her ARC team. There were no moments where I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. It’s a little disappointing how slow this story was.
The redeeming part of this book was how intricate the plot line was. Though it was slow, it was elaborate and interesting. I never knew what to expect and I appreciated it. There were, of course, a few no brainers with the book but I enjoyed how thought out the plot was. It kept my attention even though it was a slow read.
All in all, I won’t be continuing on in the series. Though the plot kept my interest I was definitely not impressed.
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review.