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Merissa (11961 KP) rated The Royal Marine (The Sin Bin #4) in Books
Nov 17, 2017
The Royal Marine (The Sin Bin #4) by Dahlia Donovan
The Royal Marine is the fourth book in The Sin Bin series, and it's time for Hamish's story. He has worked with Earp for a while now, and get set up on a blind date with Akash. Luckily (or unluckily) Akash is set up with Scottie on the same evening. Now we all know that Scottie is having major issues at the moment and, to be fair, acting like a jerk. So it comes as no surprise when Akash chooses to be with Hamish. Scottie is none too pleased about this, and continues to pop up throughout the book, with pleas and demands for Akash to go for a drink with him. During this time, Akash and Hamish are slowly getting to know each other. The spark is there, but it needs to be more than just sex. In between Akash's bakery and Hamish's work overseas, their relationship continues to move forward.
Now, I'm stopping right there, because I could go on. I could tell you about what a first class prize prat Scottie is, and how I think (hope) that I know who his match is. I could tell you how amazingly written the twins are, and how brilliant Akash is with them. I could tell you about the constant wit and banter, in amongst the danger, from Hamish, Earp, and the rest of the team. But seriously? Why would I do that? Why would I HAVE to do that? This is the fourth book in the series, and I would recommend that you read them in order for total enjoyment. So therefore, you know about Dahlia Donovan's writing style, her quick wit and sense of humour that comes across loud and clear in her writing. You know some of the previous characters and like/love the updates on their lives. So really, I don't have to tell you ANYTHING about this book, series, or author!
In case you haven't realised yet, I love Dahlia Donovan's books, her writing style, her characters, her charm. What I don't like is not having a mascara warning, and sobbing into my breakfast as I desperately try to finish The Royal Marine before I start work. Oh my, this book ripped my heart out. Did I get a happy ending? I'll leave that to you to read and find out.
I absolutely recommend this book, and the series, so GO READ IT! Now!
(And, no, I wasn't serious about the mascara warning before someone says it should be written on the cover somewhere!)
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Now, I'm stopping right there, because I could go on. I could tell you about what a first class prize prat Scottie is, and how I think (hope) that I know who his match is. I could tell you how amazingly written the twins are, and how brilliant Akash is with them. I could tell you about the constant wit and banter, in amongst the danger, from Hamish, Earp, and the rest of the team. But seriously? Why would I do that? Why would I HAVE to do that? This is the fourth book in the series, and I would recommend that you read them in order for total enjoyment. So therefore, you know about Dahlia Donovan's writing style, her quick wit and sense of humour that comes across loud and clear in her writing. You know some of the previous characters and like/love the updates on their lives. So really, I don't have to tell you ANYTHING about this book, series, or author!
In case you haven't realised yet, I love Dahlia Donovan's books, her writing style, her characters, her charm. What I don't like is not having a mascara warning, and sobbing into my breakfast as I desperately try to finish The Royal Marine before I start work. Oh my, this book ripped my heart out. Did I get a happy ending? I'll leave that to you to read and find out.
I absolutely recommend this book, and the series, so GO READ IT! Now!
(And, no, I wasn't serious about the mascara warning before someone says it should be written on the cover somewhere!)
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Before We Were Wicked in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Ken Swift is a young college kid, just trying to pay his way through school and life without having enormous debt. His job isn't exactly on the legal side, but it helps him to survive and once he's done with school, this job will be done too. When he is working one night at Club Fetish, reminding the owner that he still owes for his thriving club, he meets Jimi Lee. Jimi Lee is a beautiful Ethiopian woman who he can't keep his eyes off of. She feels the connection too and before long they are at his apartment dancing in other ways. Even though Ken is forbidden fruit in the eyes of Jimi's strick Ethiopian family, she can't stay away from him and soon enough, she'll be joined to him forever.
Thank you to NetGalley & Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is Book 2 in the Ken Swift series by Eric Jerome Dickey, but it's a prequel to Book 1, so I think it's fine to read this one before. It's been a while since I've read an EJD book, but I was looking forward to this one. I will soon be reading the first book because I'm very curious to know what is going to happen next.
I learned a lot about Ethiopian culture in this book and talking with those in my community, I can see that what I read is accurate. I also learned about colorism within the black community. This is something I wasn't expecting. I was taught to love all people regardless of the color of their skin.
There were several times in this book where I wanted to jump in and smack Jimi Lee. She was really an evil woman. While Ken's job wasn't the most upstanding, he himself was a very good man and in my opinion he didn't deserve to be treated the way he was treated by Jimi Lee.
I look forward to reading book 1 and any other books in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley & Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This is Book 2 in the Ken Swift series by Eric Jerome Dickey, but it's a prequel to Book 1, so I think it's fine to read this one before. It's been a while since I've read an EJD book, but I was looking forward to this one. I will soon be reading the first book because I'm very curious to know what is going to happen next.
I learned a lot about Ethiopian culture in this book and talking with those in my community, I can see that what I read is accurate. I also learned about colorism within the black community. This is something I wasn't expecting. I was taught to love all people regardless of the color of their skin.
There were several times in this book where I wanted to jump in and smack Jimi Lee. She was really an evil woman. While Ken's job wasn't the most upstanding, he himself was a very good man and in my opinion he didn't deserve to be treated the way he was treated by Jimi Lee.
I look forward to reading book 1 and any other books in this series.
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Music Box (Dark Carousel #4) in Books
Nov 23, 2020
I've loved the Dark Carousel series by Anya Allyn. I couldn't wait to dive into Music Box, the last book in the series, but at the same time, I was saddened that it was coming to an end. Music Box was definitely a thrilling read!
Cassie has given up hope of not being Balthazar's bride. She's about to just give in to it when she finds a way to the tower where the spooky figure she has seen lives. Scared as she is of the figure, she decides to investigate and is shocked to discover who the figure is. Cassie, with the help of her friends, must find some way to defeat the serpent shadows before they take over the Earth all while battling the humans and spirits of the castle. While she and her friends put their lives in great peril, they never give up hope of returning the Earth to its former glory.
The plot of Music Box did a fantastic job of holding my attention throughout. While there are some parts of this novel that are a bit too fast paced like in previous books in the series, for the most part, the pacing is easy to follow along with. There are a few plot twists that I wasn't able to predict. There was so much action going on in Music Box, and I loved it. It wasn't overwhelming, and it was underwhelming. Anya Allyn did a fantastic job with getting the ratio of action to narrative perfect! I did have a feeling that one of the characters in the Dollhouse would make an appearance, and I wasn't wrong. I liked the way all the loose ends from the previous books in the series were all tied up nicely. While I wasn't really a fan of how the book ended, I will say that it didn't have a rushed ending feel. I just wish things would have turned out a bit differently. However, I did love how the author explains more of the ending and what she believes happened to all the other characters in the afterword, so definitely don't skip out on reading the afterword!
As always, Anya Allyn was amazing at making her characters come alive. It was so easy to relate to all of them (bad guys and girls aside). Cassie was even more hardcore in this book! I loved how Cassie was willing to sacrifice everything to protect her friends and others. Ethan was the same as Cassie. He tried to protect innocents from the bad guys. While I liked Molly, I still don't think her character was needed, same with Frances. Don't get me wrong, they are great characters and written really well, but they seemed a bit pointless. I was happy about Aisha in this book. (I won't go into greater detail due to minor spoilers.) I absolutely loved Zack, and I was always secretly hoping that Cassie would end up with him. Zack turned out to be such a gentlemen from the second book. I loved how he was willing to cut ties from his family to help Cassie even though he knew it was an unrequited love. Henry was another character that I really loved. I felt that he wasn't all bad and that there was some good in him. The book he was seeking in the novel was what brought out the bad. He did have a bunch of redeeming qualities though. I was overjoyed that Jessamine was finally featured a bit more in this book! Jessamine has been my favorite character throughout this series. I was thrilled with how her story ended. I always knew she'd turn out to be awesome!
Trigger warnings for Music Box include violence, death, murder, suicide, attempted rape, minor swearing, the occult, and imprisonment.
While I'm devastated that the Dark Carousel series has come to an end, I am so grateful that Music Box was a great read. All of the characters were still so amazing, the story was thrilling, and everything was so nicely explained. I would definitely recommend Music Box (and all of the Dark Carousel series) by Anya Allyn. If you want a book with lots of action and a great cast of characters, this is your book. Do be prepared to suffer from a book hangover when you're done reading it though!
Cassie has given up hope of not being Balthazar's bride. She's about to just give in to it when she finds a way to the tower where the spooky figure she has seen lives. Scared as she is of the figure, she decides to investigate and is shocked to discover who the figure is. Cassie, with the help of her friends, must find some way to defeat the serpent shadows before they take over the Earth all while battling the humans and spirits of the castle. While she and her friends put their lives in great peril, they never give up hope of returning the Earth to its former glory.
The plot of Music Box did a fantastic job of holding my attention throughout. While there are some parts of this novel that are a bit too fast paced like in previous books in the series, for the most part, the pacing is easy to follow along with. There are a few plot twists that I wasn't able to predict. There was so much action going on in Music Box, and I loved it. It wasn't overwhelming, and it was underwhelming. Anya Allyn did a fantastic job with getting the ratio of action to narrative perfect! I did have a feeling that one of the characters in the Dollhouse would make an appearance, and I wasn't wrong. I liked the way all the loose ends from the previous books in the series were all tied up nicely. While I wasn't really a fan of how the book ended, I will say that it didn't have a rushed ending feel. I just wish things would have turned out a bit differently. However, I did love how the author explains more of the ending and what she believes happened to all the other characters in the afterword, so definitely don't skip out on reading the afterword!
As always, Anya Allyn was amazing at making her characters come alive. It was so easy to relate to all of them (bad guys and girls aside). Cassie was even more hardcore in this book! I loved how Cassie was willing to sacrifice everything to protect her friends and others. Ethan was the same as Cassie. He tried to protect innocents from the bad guys. While I liked Molly, I still don't think her character was needed, same with Frances. Don't get me wrong, they are great characters and written really well, but they seemed a bit pointless. I was happy about Aisha in this book. (I won't go into greater detail due to minor spoilers.) I absolutely loved Zack, and I was always secretly hoping that Cassie would end up with him. Zack turned out to be such a gentlemen from the second book. I loved how he was willing to cut ties from his family to help Cassie even though he knew it was an unrequited love. Henry was another character that I really loved. I felt that he wasn't all bad and that there was some good in him. The book he was seeking in the novel was what brought out the bad. He did have a bunch of redeeming qualities though. I was overjoyed that Jessamine was finally featured a bit more in this book! Jessamine has been my favorite character throughout this series. I was thrilled with how her story ended. I always knew she'd turn out to be awesome!
Trigger warnings for Music Box include violence, death, murder, suicide, attempted rape, minor swearing, the occult, and imprisonment.
While I'm devastated that the Dark Carousel series has come to an end, I am so grateful that Music Box was a great read. All of the characters were still so amazing, the story was thrilling, and everything was so nicely explained. I would definitely recommend Music Box (and all of the Dark Carousel series) by Anya Allyn. If you want a book with lots of action and a great cast of characters, this is your book. Do be prepared to suffer from a book hangover when you're done reading it though!
Leah (: (569 KP) rated Love (Keatyn Chronicles book 12) in Books
Aug 2, 2018
This is the final book in the series. As such it wraps up all of the storylines that have been running through the last 5 books.
It is nice to see the conclusion of all of the stories for the characters after their struggles instead of just being left with the idealistic hope that everything they planned at 18 has now happened.
Personally I really disliked the ending, this is because it was written as a series of news updates from an unknown narrator every time a big event happened. For me having spent 12 books getting to know these characters I wanted these events from their perspective so we could know their thoughts and feelings. It just felt a bit impersonal after all the emotional investment up to that point.
That being said I would completely recommend this series abs I totally love it and am contemplating a third read of it which is incredibly rare for me, I am not a re reader.
It is nice to see the conclusion of all of the stories for the characters after their struggles instead of just being left with the idealistic hope that everything they planned at 18 has now happened.
Personally I really disliked the ending, this is because it was written as a series of news updates from an unknown narrator every time a big event happened. For me having spent 12 books getting to know these characters I wanted these events from their perspective so we could know their thoughts and feelings. It just felt a bit impersonal after all the emotional investment up to that point.
That being said I would completely recommend this series abs I totally love it and am contemplating a third read of it which is incredibly rare for me, I am not a re reader.
Dork_knight74 (881 KP) rated The Haunting of Hill House in TV
Oct 14, 2018
Not too bad
This Netflix original series turned out better than I expected. I started it with a hesitation... How could they make a series about a haunted house? I was sort of right in that it played out like one long movie and I don't see it being something that will carry on for more seasons. The acting wasn't bad-the characters well played. The effects and cinematography were pretty cool. The story was slow moving but interesting enough to keep me watching and the creep factor was definitely there. I never read the book but, as with most books-made-into-shows/movies, I'm sure it doesn't do it justice(they never do). However, I did enjoy it enough simply for what it was-an interesting haunted house story-to want to see it through to the end. While not the greatest series ever, it was definitely entertaining. Worth a watch.
David McK (3372 KP) rated Solo Command (Star Wars: X-Wing, #7) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Released pre Episode I, the Star Wars: X-Wing books are, I believe, amongst the first EU ('Extended Universe') novels that do not focus on the main protaganists of the films as their central characters, taking instead LucasArts X-Wing/TIE fighter games of the 90s (as an aside - somebody really REALLY needs to re-make those for modern machines) as their inspiration.
This is the 7th book in the X-Wing series, and the 3rd to focus primarily on the activities of Wraith squadron, after both <i>Wraith Squadron</i> and <i>Iron Fist</i>. Unlike the previous novels in the series, this also includes a larger role for some of the characters from the original film series - the 'Solo' of the title actually refers to Han Solo, and not to Solo as in 'single'. As well, this also includes members of the first 4 X-Wings books (i.e. Rogue Squadron) in the story.
Blasted through this one in about 2 days flat.
This is the 7th book in the X-Wing series, and the 3rd to focus primarily on the activities of Wraith squadron, after both <i>Wraith Squadron</i> and <i>Iron Fist</i>. Unlike the previous novels in the series, this also includes a larger role for some of the characters from the original film series - the 'Solo' of the title actually refers to Han Solo, and not to Solo as in 'single'. As well, this also includes members of the first 4 X-Wings books (i.e. Rogue Squadron) in the story.
Blasted through this one in about 2 days flat.
David McK (3372 KP) rated Guardian (The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier, #3) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
3rd entry in Jack Campbell's (or John G Hemry) <i>The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier</i> series, so really 9th(!) book overall in </i>The Lost Fleet</i> series.
Having successfully found the frontiers of 'Enigma' alien space and started his journey back home in the previous 2 novels, this novel finishes off that journey, with 'Black Jack' Geary's First Fleet finally making its way back to Alliance Space, accompanied by the allied alien 'Dancers' they had previously encountered along the way, and with the captured 'Kick' super battle cruiser in tow.
The bulk of the novel deals with the final leg of the journey back home, with a section at the very end where Geary's flagship is sent back Home (with a capital 'H') back to the Sol system, where human life originated ...
In short, more of the same, with scope left open for even more entries in the series!
Having successfully found the frontiers of 'Enigma' alien space and started his journey back home in the previous 2 novels, this novel finishes off that journey, with 'Black Jack' Geary's First Fleet finally making its way back to Alliance Space, accompanied by the allied alien 'Dancers' they had previously encountered along the way, and with the captured 'Kick' super battle cruiser in tow.
The bulk of the novel deals with the final leg of the journey back home, with a section at the very end where Geary's flagship is sent back Home (with a capital 'H') back to the Sol system, where human life originated ...
In short, more of the same, with scope left open for even more entries in the series!
Originally published as a series of five novellas, this - as such, and very much like the previous collaboration of these two authors (Invader - is a distinct multi-part book, made up of the following five parts:
Pirata: The Black Flag
Pirata: The Gates of Stone
Pirata: Hunters of the Sea
Pirata: Sea of Blood
Pirata: The Pirate Chief
As such, each of the five parts have their own distinct start, middle and end, with the series - as a whole -following the orphan Telemachus as he initially joins a merchant vessel before becoming a pirate and (perhaps too) swiftly rising through the ranks - I say perhaps too swiftly as that is my main criticism of the novel, with Telemachus - despite having lived his life on the streets of Piraeus - suddenly, and in a very short time, taking to the life of a pirate at sea.
An enjoyable enough diversion, but not as good - IMO - as Scarrow's Macro and Cato series of novels
Pirata: The Black Flag
Pirata: The Gates of Stone
Pirata: Hunters of the Sea
Pirata: Sea of Blood
Pirata: The Pirate Chief
As such, each of the five parts have their own distinct start, middle and end, with the series - as a whole -following the orphan Telemachus as he initially joins a merchant vessel before becoming a pirate and (perhaps too) swiftly rising through the ranks - I say perhaps too swiftly as that is my main criticism of the novel, with Telemachus - despite having lived his life on the streets of Piraeus - suddenly, and in a very short time, taking to the life of a pirate at sea.
An enjoyable enough diversion, but not as good - IMO - as Scarrow's Macro and Cato series of novels
Conducting Case Study Research for Business and Management Students
Bill Lee and Mark N. K. Saunders
Book
Part of SAGE's Mastering Business Research Methods Series, conceived and edited by Bill Lee, Mark N....
Mastering Orthopedic Techniques: Knee Reconstruction
Rajesh Malhotra, Sunil Apsingi and Krishna Kiran Eachempati
Book
Part of the highly successful Mastering Orthopedic Techniques series, this book is a comprehensive...