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Eleanor (1463 KP) rated Gone / Mind Games in Books

Nov 19, 2019 (Updated Nov 19, 2019)  
Gone / Mind Games
Gone / Mind Games
Leona Deakin | 2019 | Thriller
7
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Get your psychopath fix here!!
The premise for this book was very ambitious and it started with a gripping bang. Following the exploits of psychologist and private detective Dr. Augusta Bloom as she and her partner Marcus Jameson are drawn into a dangerous game when they investigate a number of people who have gone missing. The only obvious connection they all disappeared on their Birthdays following receiving a mysterious card asking “Dare To Play?”

Both Augusta and Marcus are interesting characters with a good bit of chemistry and the book is undoubtedly a fast-paced page-turner that I raced through. We get a lot of psychologist talk looking at psychopaths (who doesn’t’ love a good psychopath tale!?!) and a very tangled web is weaved. The investigation is interesting and doesn’t let up however the book doesn’t quite reach the full promise of the early and middle sections and did end up being very obvious in its main twists.

A dark world was set up but not looked at in any depth and I wanted to know more. I understand there will be more adventures in the future with Dr. Bloom and I hope they touch on some of the world investigated in this book. I’m certainly keen to take another outing with Augusta, I see a lot of potential.


I read the book under the title Gone but I believe it has also been published as "Mind Games"

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
  
TE
The Everlasting Circle (Everlast #3)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b><i>I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
Well, it’s about bleeping time – okay, that probably sounds a tad bit rude (my language was totally in check).

Anyways, it’s been two – two! – years since the second book came out, and I’m kind of over the top excited to return to the world Juliana Haygert built several years ago.

The greatest thing Haygert provides at the very beginning of bringing us back to the world of Everlast is a recap of the first two books up to the point of preparing for war with Imha and Omi (among others). There’s also a lot of tension between Micah and Nadine from the second book carrying over to the final book, and I have to say… I don’t really mind the tension. After Micah got his own novella back in the Cup of Life, I kind of have a fondness for him and it was an absolute delight to take some peeks into Micah’s mind in The Everlasting Circle.

The last book in the Everlast trilogy brings a nice close to the entire series with a HEA and many, if not all, questions from the prior books answered.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/mini-reviews-part-1-emily-skrutskie-marie-lu-and-others/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
HA
How A Good Person Can Really Win
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have received ‘’How A Good Person Can Really Win’’ through Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review. I will honestly have to say that I had a very hard time finishing this book, and even that took me months, while I was reading other books inbetween. My full rating is 3 out of 5 stars and here is why:

About the book:

How a Good Person Can Really Win is a self-help book that is supposed to help the good people to win in life. It is a book that is designed to show you how you can be one of those people that isn’t bad, but still be successful and prosper in life. The book is split into three parts, and it focused on both the bad and the good persona, comparing both sides and pointing out the differences between them.

The Good and the Bad

The thing that put me off this book a lot was the focus of the bad person. Yes – I do realise that the book is split into a half bad / half good part, and yes – I do realise that we need to see the difference. But when you consider yourself a good person, and have this book in your hands, that is supposedly made to make you realise how you can win, all you read is about how bad the bad person is, and the response (solution) to this is an advice for the bad man to change.

This has occurred on so many occasions, that made the book feel useless for me.

Even though I have to agree that the ending is focused on the good persona and there are actually a few tips on how you can win over the bad guys – most of the advices were for the bad people to not do those nasty things they keep doing.

So my question to the author here is: Who would be the target audience in the book? The logic answer is – the people that claim themselves as good-makers and believe in a better tomorrow. But what the book says is – a book that tells bad people what they are doing and how that is wrong in 100 different ways. Too bad that those people are not the ones reading the book.

On the other side though, I have to admit that there were many excellent examples of real life, and many situations that were realistic and relatable. There were a few very excellent advice as well, and I am sure that I have learned a few things from this book.
  
Awaken
Awaken
K.S. Marsden | 2018 | Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Awaken
Awaken is book 2 from the Northern Witch Series. Read my review for Winter Trials, book one in the series.

I have enjoyed reading the first book, and I was so eager to get to the second one. This is a story about a young boy Mark and his grandma, who is a witch. This is also a story about Damien, a new guy in town, in which Mark falls in love with.

The second book starts where the first book left off. Mark and Damien have feelings for each other, but Damien is a danger to himself and others, and grandma will try to fix this with her power.

The book is a short and fast read. It is fast-paced, and I kept spinning the pages intensely. It brings you the feelings of home, and winter times, and family moments, and high-school memories. It has all the good vibes put together neatly.

The high-school romance was an addition to the book, and it was a pleasure to read. I enjoyed it a lot, even though we didn’t see as much romance in this book as we do in book one.

And then, there is the word ‘’Dunno.’’ A word that I don’t really mind, unless it’s used too often. And it bothered me, I will admit it.

But then, there was Nanna – a character full of light and power that pierces through. A character full of wittiness, giving life to each scene unlike any character can. A woman I so greatly admire, for her love and dedication to the family, and unconditional love and teaching towards her grandchild.

I read about magic, and high-school, more about high-school than magic. I wish there were more romance scenes, and was terrified when the book finished the way it did. I was afraid, and happy, and excited and sad, and not to forget, annoyed, but this book gave me all the right feels at times, and all the wrong ones too.

It has never been harder to judge a book in-between this space of annoyance and love, and I am struggling. But I love Nanna too much.

I would recommend you to read this (or the first book in the series, if you haven’t yet). If you enjoy LGBT high-school romance and witchcraft adventures, this one will be a pleasurable read for you.

Thank you to the author, K.S. Marsden, for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
  
SB
Silver Bells Collection
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received an ebook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a romance anthology consisting of six novellas by various authors with a christmas theme.
I don't normally read short stories but was tempted by the festive setting which i do love.All of the stories were well written and engaged me keeping my interest throughout.They showed a snapshot of a time gone by and i found them very endearing.
If your looking for a light, clean, nostalgic read this anthology is for you. The six stories are all very different so there should be a tale to suit everyone, give it a try you wont be dissapointed.
  
What a great cozy – even thought this book (#5) was the first I had read in this series, by chapter three the main characters all felt like old friends. The story is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing right up to the end, and the author’s smooth writing style kept the story flowing. If you’ve read any of the Soup Lover’s Mysteries, you should love this one. If not, now’s as good a time as any to start – you don’t need to have read the previous books to enjoy this story, and I did enjoy it!

NOTE: I received a free copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.
  
Who wouldn't love to visit a cafe that hosts several book club meetings per day? And sells books to boot? This is such a great location, it's a little disappointing to realize that it is only fiction.

In this story, Sassy finds her best friends and room mate the only convenient suspect for murder, and decides to snoop around on her own to clear her pal's name. Throw in a little family drama at home and a business to run, and she has her hands full! This was a fun story, and I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.

<i>I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.</i>
  
TM
Tell Me a Mitzi
Lore Segal | 2017
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tell Me a Mitzi by Lore Segal has three stories within one about Mitzi and her younger brother and their daily tales. The tales are a little slices of life with whimsy, a touch of fantasy, and a lot of repetition. The stories were a little long, my mind wandered, and I suspect that would be true with some children too. Mitzi was clever, independent, sneaky, and demanding. She and her brother kept their poor mother hopping! Children will relate to her and enjoy her antics, even if the telling of those antics is less than inspiring.

I received this book from NetGalley via Dover Publications in exchange for an honest review.