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Vanished
Vanished
Gillian Alice Lock | 2018 | Mystery, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I enjoyed how both positive and negative aspects of the 17th century are addressed. (0 more)
There was inconsistency with the names of the characters in a few places. (0 more)
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
In Vanished by Gillian Alice Lock time travel is not a scientific discovery but a natural phenomenon. This book also falls in a gray area between science fiction, historical fiction, and romance.

 Andrea lives with her little dog, Muff, out in the country. She tries to live a structured life but since she works from home she finds herself giving in to cravings more often. Luckily Muff is extremely high energy for a little dog and requires Andrea to take her for long walks. One day Andrea makes plans with the neighbor guy for a date after Muff’s walk. The neighbor waits for her but she doesn't show up, for years.

 During their walk Andrea and Muff finds themselves pulled into a dense yellow mist and when it dissipates things have changed. The area they are in looks familiar yet it is not the home they are used to, but instead, it looks more like pictures from a history book. Andrea draws a lot of attention to herself from the way she talks and dresses and soon finds herself with Father Jones. Through the Father, Andrea learns of Robert who also seems to have come from the future. Andrea manages to secure work along with room and board for herself and Robert at the home of William Farthing, a Lord. Sadly Andrea knows of the fate that is going to befall William and wars with herself about intervening. She also must come up with a decision if she wishes to return to her old life in the 21st century or try to keep her new one int the 17th.

 I enjoyed how both positive and negative aspects of the 17th century are addressed. The dirty and poor living conditions are clearly depicted, as are the differences in food compared to what we are used to today. The lifestyle of those in the 17th century is very different from modern times but slower and calmer as well. There was inconsistency with the names of the characters in a few places. At times it was as if the reader is expected to recognize the name of a character that is only mentioned once. I can only guess that this is in error. The back of the book also says that it takes place in 2015 but in the actual story it is (to start out with) 2019. Without going into a lot of details as to why the wedding is also in the wrong year.

 There is nothing in this book the I noticed that would make it inappropriate in any way. The topic and writing style might make it quite a bit boring for even middle school-aged readers. Those who like historical fiction and romance will probably enjoy this book. I rate this book 2 out of 4. Besides the inconsistencies and other issues, I mentioned earlier the book also had multiple typos and grammar errors. While I myself am not good in that area of writing the errors in this book were glaringly obvious even to me. The book needs to be closely edited and this seriously lowered the score.

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Rockin’ Around the Chickadee
Rockin’ Around the Chickadee
Donna Andrews | 2024 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who Should Be Presumed Guilty?
It’s the weekend before Christmas, but Meg isn’t basking in the season. Instead, she’s helping her grandmother, who is putting on a conference in town. The theme is about helping the wrongfully convicted, and many of Meg’s friends and family are presenting. Not everyone is on board with the topic, however. In fact, one of the attendees is known to be extremely vocal that all those convicted are guilty. So it’s not too surprising when he turns up dead. Can Meg help figure out what happened?

Yes, this is a Christmas entry in the series. And we get plenty of Christmas spirit as we read the book, even if the plot doesn’t tie into the season. But, at this point, I’m not sure what else the author could do with the season plot wise. I do wish the choir had sung some religious carols in one of the scenes, but that’s a minor complaint. The plot itself was well done with plenty of suspects to keep us guessing. And Meg and the rest were great to be around as always. In fact, I was impressed by just how many of the regulars got to play a part in what was happening. We also got some laughs along the way. Meg’s many fans will be happy to sit down with this book.
  
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Merissa (12707 KP) rated Ballsy (Breakers Hockey #4) by Elise Faber in Books

Apr 26, 2022 (Updated Jun 24, 2023)  
Ballsy (Breakers Hockey #4) by Elise Faber
Ballsy (Breakers Hockey #4) by Elise Faber
Elise Faber | 2022 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
BALLSY is the fourth book in the Breakers Hockey series and we meet Kailey and Connor (Smitty). One is an anxiety-ridden introvert; one is loud and brash. These two will never get on, right?

Wrong! They are two halves of a perfect jigsaw. Both of them need the other, giving them the strength to deal with whatever is going on in their lives. And I loved that. I really did! Because it wasn't all one-sided. Smitty had his issues to deal with, the same as Kailey did. And together, they dealt with it all. Just proving that everyone has something to cope with, even those that are loud and ballsy!

Perfectly paced, Kailey and Smitty's story moves fast. He knows what he wants but won't walk all over Kailey to get it. Once she gets on board - that's it. Game over. Except it's not because there is so much going on. All of which is designed to keep me engrossed and turning the pages.

The storyline with Monica I could see happening, like a train wreck in front of me. Raph's story is next though and I can't wait to read it! I also hope Brandon gets a story though. He may not be part of the Breakers family, but he's had his heart broken too.

A brilliant addition to the series and definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 22, 2022