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Merissa (14013 KP) rated Collision at Roosevelt Ranch (Roosevelt Ranch #3) in Books
Nov 21, 2019
Collision at Roosevelt Ranch is the third book in the Roosevelt Ranch series, and we see Haley and Sam in more detail. Although they have both played parts in the two prior books, I don't think it is absolutely necessary to have read those two. I would still recommend it, just so you get the most out of each story, but they also standalone.
Haley has just finished her shift at the hospital, and is exhausted. Sam has just finished his day, and is exhausted. Are you seeing a link here yet? Due to wildlife, they have an accident and Sam realises just how much of a woman Haley now is. For her part, Haley has always crushed on Sam, but he was involved with her sister, so there's no way anything can happen... is there?
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of emotion, of taking the blame for something you haven't done just because it's easier, for always feeling second-best but then realising that the other person has the same doubts as you.
This story is an excellent addition to the series, and if I was allowed half stars, it would be four and a half. Best one of the series so far and highly recommended by me.
* 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!
Haley has just finished her shift at the hospital, and is exhausted. Sam has just finished his day, and is exhausted. Are you seeing a link here yet? Due to wildlife, they have an accident and Sam realises just how much of a woman Haley now is. For her part, Haley has always crushed on Sam, but he was involved with her sister, so there's no way anything can happen... is there?
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of emotion, of taking the blame for something you haven't done just because it's easier, for always feeling second-best but then realising that the other person has the same doubts as you.
This story is an excellent addition to the series, and if I was allowed half stars, it would be four and a half. Best one of the series so far and highly recommended by me.
* 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!
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Beneath the Attic in Books
Jan 14, 2020
Prequel to Flowers in the Attic
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Beneath the Attic is the prequel to the wildly popular Dollangager family series by V.C. Andrews. The most well known is the first in the series, Flowers in the Attic which was published in 1979. Beneath the Attic is the 6th book published.
Beneath the Attic tells the story of Corrine Dixon, the grandmother of Corrine Foxworth, the main character in Flowers in the Attic. I felt its description is misleading. It does not discuss the early parts of the book and focuses on the later parts. However, the story offers a close look at the family. The story ends as if the story was divided into 2 and the rest would be left to the sequel. A continuation of Beneath the Attic, Out of the Attic, is scheduled to be published in 2020.
The original author of the Dollangager series, V.C. Andrews died in 1986. Since then, numerous books published under the name V.C. Andrews have been ghostwritten by Andrew Neiderman. Many reviews have written harshly about the later books. It might be because they know they are written by a different author. Neiderman captures V.C.Andrews' writing style accurately.
I preordered Beneath the Attic's continuation, Out of the Attic.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/13/20.
Beneath the Attic is the prequel to the wildly popular Dollangager family series by V.C. Andrews. The most well known is the first in the series, Flowers in the Attic which was published in 1979. Beneath the Attic is the 6th book published.
Beneath the Attic tells the story of Corrine Dixon, the grandmother of Corrine Foxworth, the main character in Flowers in the Attic. I felt its description is misleading. It does not discuss the early parts of the book and focuses on the later parts. However, the story offers a close look at the family. The story ends as if the story was divided into 2 and the rest would be left to the sequel. A continuation of Beneath the Attic, Out of the Attic, is scheduled to be published in 2020.
The original author of the Dollangager series, V.C. Andrews died in 1986. Since then, numerous books published under the name V.C. Andrews have been ghostwritten by Andrew Neiderman. Many reviews have written harshly about the later books. It might be because they know they are written by a different author. Neiderman captures V.C.Andrews' writing style accurately.
I preordered Beneath the Attic's continuation, Out of the Attic.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 1/13/20.
Write a Bestselling Thriller: Teach Yourself Strategies to Get Your Book Published
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LEARN HOW TO WRITE A BESTSELLING BOOK THAT STANDS OUT - AND GET IT PUBLISHED. Write a Bestselling...
Get Started in Writing Erotic Fiction: Teach Yourself
Judith Watts and Mirren Baxter
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LEARN HOW TO WRITE EROTIC FICTION THAT'S HOT UNDER THE COLLAR. Smart, sassy and full of everything...
Christine A. (965 KP) rated The Heatwave in Books
Jun 25, 2020
Stand-alone novel by the author of the D.S. Imogen Grey series
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Katerina Diamond, the author of the D.S. Imogen Grey series, is back with a new stand-alone novel, The Heatwave. I read Truth or Die, book #5 of her series, and was looking forward to reading The Heatwave as soon as I read the description
"The heatwave is back. And so is the killer."
Felicity fled her town and her life, determined not to return. That is until sixteen years later, and a second girl went missing. She holds the answers to what happened to the first girl and is determined to find the second before it is too late.
Diamond hooked me from the beginning. The book is 400 pages, but it was such a page-turner it felt much shorter.
As with all thrillers, there are twists, turns, and surprise reveals. The Heatwave kept me guessing until the very end. I thought I had figured everything out, but I was so wrong. After going back over the story, I realized I picked up on many of them but could not piece them all together correctly.
Goodreads does not list any other upcoming books of Katerina Diamond but added her to my "authors to read" list to keep watch for them.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/25/20.
Katerina Diamond, the author of the D.S. Imogen Grey series, is back with a new stand-alone novel, The Heatwave. I read Truth or Die, book #5 of her series, and was looking forward to reading The Heatwave as soon as I read the description
"The heatwave is back. And so is the killer."
Felicity fled her town and her life, determined not to return. That is until sixteen years later, and a second girl went missing. She holds the answers to what happened to the first girl and is determined to find the second before it is too late.
Diamond hooked me from the beginning. The book is 400 pages, but it was such a page-turner it felt much shorter.
As with all thrillers, there are twists, turns, and surprise reveals. The Heatwave kept me guessing until the very end. I thought I had figured everything out, but I was so wrong. After going back over the story, I realized I picked up on many of them but could not piece them all together correctly.
Goodreads does not list any other upcoming books of Katerina Diamond but added her to my "authors to read" list to keep watch for them.
This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 6/25/20.
Merissa (14013 KP) rated Cradled (Beholder #5) in Books
May 14, 2021
Cradled is the last novella in the Beholder series. We already know the majority of the characters, but it's always good to reunite with them! Rowan and Elea are more than happy together, just with minor problems caused by their families. However, trouble comes there way in the shape of Kronos, who is the ruler of the planet Elea's parents were exiled to. They need the help of the Lightning Goddess and her Consort to save Jicho, and bring back the peaceful times to their rule.
Although this is only a novella, there is still plenty of action. The Lightning Goddess and her Consort are crossover characters from another series, but you don't need to know as that it doesn't really impact this story. I loved their attitudes however, and I loved how Elea and Rowan were with them.
With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, this felt like the perfect ending to Rowan and Elea's story. With all characters playing a part, it felt like the ending. I finished this book feeling completely satisfied, with a happy smile on my face.
If you like this series, then you definitely need to read this one! It's just not complete without it!
* 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!
Although this is only a novella, there is still plenty of action. The Lightning Goddess and her Consort are crossover characters from another series, but you don't need to know as that it doesn't really impact this story. I loved their attitudes however, and I loved how Elea and Rowan were with them.
With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, this felt like the perfect ending to Rowan and Elea's story. With all characters playing a part, it felt like the ending. I finished this book feeling completely satisfied, with a happy smile on my face.
If you like this series, then you definitely need to read this one! It's just not complete without it!
* 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!
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated The Outlaw's Daughter (The Haywire Brides, #3) in Books
Feb 24, 2021
The Outlaws Daughter is the third book in the Haywire Brides Series by Margaret Brownley. It can be read as a standalone (I haven’t read the other in this series yet and got along just fine), I will be going back and reading the rest of the books in this series though.
I loved Texas Ranger Matt Taggert in this book! His balance between doing his job and his feelings for Ellie-May was interesting to see. I thought that there was good chemistry between the two main characters and that Matt showed respect for everyone involved. Ellie-May is a great southern Momma (at night when she hears a noise, her first thought is to reach for her shotgun under her pillow!), she is a well-behaved lady who takes care of those around her, and she loves her kids. She is someone I would love to meet in real life. The plot of this story was interesting, it had fast-paced scenes and slower-paced scenes, and I liked the western feel to the town. It kept me engaged throughout the story. I liked the small town where everyone knew everyone, which is not always a good thing, but it was cool to see the town interact with the characters.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the fun characters, the cool western town, and the storyline
I loved Texas Ranger Matt Taggert in this book! His balance between doing his job and his feelings for Ellie-May was interesting to see. I thought that there was good chemistry between the two main characters and that Matt showed respect for everyone involved. Ellie-May is a great southern Momma (at night when she hears a noise, her first thought is to reach for her shotgun under her pillow!), she is a well-behaved lady who takes care of those around her, and she loves her kids. She is someone I would love to meet in real life. The plot of this story was interesting, it had fast-paced scenes and slower-paced scenes, and I liked the western feel to the town. It kept me engaged throughout the story. I liked the small town where everyone knew everyone, which is not always a good thing, but it was cool to see the town interact with the characters.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the fun characters, the cool western town, and the storyline
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2572 KP) rated Murder in Chelsea in Books
Mar 3, 2021 (Updated Mar 3, 2021)
The Mystery of Catherine
Sarah Brandt is devastated to learn someone is trying to locate Catherine, the little girl she’s taken in. When Sarah goes to meet this woman, her story seems genuine, but it could mean that Catherine is in danger, so Sarah asks Frank Malloy to help her figure out what is truly going on. However, Frank goes to meet the woman who is asking after Catherine only to find her dead. Is Catherine in danger, too?
The mystery of Catherine’s past has been brewing for several books now, and I was thrilled to see it finally fully explored. While you could jump in here, you’ll enjoy it more if you are already familiar with the characters. That includes some humor coming from how the regular characters interact with each other – I am loving how these relationships are developing. The plot is compelling and drew me in. These books always transport me to the world of New York City in the 1890’s, and I love visiting. I did have to question the series’ timeline as I read this book since it suddenly seemed to be compressed, but maybe that’s just me. I’m also very happy with some of the events that happened in the main character’s lives in this book. The series gets better with each book, and I can’t wait to get to the next entry in the series.
The mystery of Catherine’s past has been brewing for several books now, and I was thrilled to see it finally fully explored. While you could jump in here, you’ll enjoy it more if you are already familiar with the characters. That includes some humor coming from how the regular characters interact with each other – I am loving how these relationships are developing. The plot is compelling and drew me in. These books always transport me to the world of New York City in the 1890’s, and I love visiting. I did have to question the series’ timeline as I read this book since it suddenly seemed to be compressed, but maybe that’s just me. I’m also very happy with some of the events that happened in the main character’s lives in this book. The series gets better with each book, and I can’t wait to get to the next entry in the series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2572 KP) rated A Summit in Shadow in Books
Dec 7, 2024
Duchess Jacqueline Graduates to Full Novel Length
Duchess Jacqueline and her closest friends and advisors are traveling to the kingdom of Lysandeir. A summit of other rulers is meeting to decide the fate of a region that has been lawless for as long as anyone can remember. Jacqueline is hoping to lead the others to reach a decision that will most benefit her kingdom. But when a young woman dies before the talks even get started, everything is thrown into chaos. Are the rest of the attendees in danger? Can Jacqueline figure out what is going on?
This book marks the transition in the series from novella to novel length story. Unfortunately, there are some pacing issues in the book near the beginning. Yes, it is setting up some things, but I do wish we had gotten to the mystery faster. It’s hard to complain, however, since I love spending time with these characters, and I enjoyed meeting the new ones. We also got some nice growth in several of the characters. Once the mystery began in earnest, it was strong with some nice twists and red herrings on the way to the logical solution. A word of warning: there are major spoilers (by necessity) in this book if you haven’t read the earlier books in the series. Fans of the series will enjoy this entry overall. If that isn’t you, yet, fix that today.
This book marks the transition in the series from novella to novel length story. Unfortunately, there are some pacing issues in the book near the beginning. Yes, it is setting up some things, but I do wish we had gotten to the mystery faster. It’s hard to complain, however, since I love spending time with these characters, and I enjoyed meeting the new ones. We also got some nice growth in several of the characters. Once the mystery began in earnest, it was strong with some nice twists and red herrings on the way to the logical solution. A word of warning: there are major spoilers (by necessity) in this book if you haven’t read the earlier books in the series. Fans of the series will enjoy this entry overall. If that isn’t you, yet, fix that today.
Merissa (14013 KP) rated Limerence (The Limerent Series #5) in Books
Jan 19, 2026
LIMERENCE is the fifth book in The Limerent Series, and we finally get to spend some quality time with Kara and Dante. This story also seems to run concurrently with Ghosting Academy, time-wise, at least.
The first three books in this series, I would have said you could read as a standalone, with crossover characters either turning up or being mentioned. Now, I would definitely recommend you read the previous books, as there is a whole lot going on that you need to know about.
This is a cross-genre story, so don't expect it to fit neatly inside one little box, black or otherwise, as you will be disappointed if you do. Instead, you get a story with a multitude of twists and turns, with amazing characters that you meet for the first time, but want to hear so much more from (Abi and Liz to name just two), and also catching up with old characters. The overall story moves along in leaps and bounds, giving the connection between Kara, Dante, and the Director ever clearer.
This series is fresh and fabulous, and I honestly can't wait to continue with it. HIGHLY 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 19, 2026
The first three books in this series, I would have said you could read as a standalone, with crossover characters either turning up or being mentioned. Now, I would definitely recommend you read the previous books, as there is a whole lot going on that you need to know about.
This is a cross-genre story, so don't expect it to fit neatly inside one little box, black or otherwise, as you will be disappointed if you do. Instead, you get a story with a multitude of twists and turns, with amazing characters that you meet for the first time, but want to hear so much more from (Abi and Liz to name just two), and also catching up with old characters. The overall story moves along in leaps and bounds, giving the connection between Kara, Dante, and the Director ever clearer.
This series is fresh and fabulous, and I honestly can't wait to continue with it. HIGHLY 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 19, 2026