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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated Murder Most Sweet in Books
Sep 11, 2020
Sweet and Light, but Could be Stronger
After surviving breast cancer five years ago, Teddie St. John starting writing culinary cozies, combining her love and baking and mysteries. She’s moderately successful, and looking forward to meeting the highly successful Tavish Bentley when he comes to her small Wisconsin town for a book signing. However, the event ends early when Teddie finds Tavish’s fiancée dead in the ally next to the bookstore. The murder weapon was one of Teddie’s scarfs. Teddie needs to clear her name, but can she do it?
Since I love both culinary and booked themed cozies, I was looking forward to digging into this debut. Unfortunately, I found the mystery to be weak. It started well, but it wasn’t strong enough overall. On the other hand, Teddie does lead a cast of fun characters that I enjoyed meeting. I did find Teddie’s mother a bit much, but hopefully that relationship will grow as the series goes on. The suspects are just as strong and memorable as the main characters. As a man, I was a bit uncomfortable with some of the talk about Teddie’s breast cancer, but I am sure most people who pick up the book will be fine with that. If the book leaves you craving some Wisconsin sweets, you’ll be thrilled to find the six recipes at the back of the book. Hopefully, the mysteries will grow as the series progresses.
Since I love both culinary and booked themed cozies, I was looking forward to digging into this debut. Unfortunately, I found the mystery to be weak. It started well, but it wasn’t strong enough overall. On the other hand, Teddie does lead a cast of fun characters that I enjoyed meeting. I did find Teddie’s mother a bit much, but hopefully that relationship will grow as the series goes on. The suspects are just as strong and memorable as the main characters. As a man, I was a bit uncomfortable with some of the talk about Teddie’s breast cancer, but I am sure most people who pick up the book will be fine with that. If the book leaves you craving some Wisconsin sweets, you’ll be thrilled to find the six recipes at the back of the book. Hopefully, the mysteries will grow as the series progresses.
Merissa (11958 KP) rated Capture (Torsere #1) in Books
Aug 24, 2020
Capture is the first book in the Torsere series and we drop into a world where kingdoms are small but the dragons are great!!!
Ryneq is the King of Torsere, his sister is about to enter a marriage to the Elves, and he doesn't have time for a dalliance of any kind other than the odd night or two. Nykin is a young dragon rider, partnered with Fimor, and doesn't think he would be satisfied with just a night or two so is prepared to admire from a distance. Circumstances throw these two together to begin with but bravery and loyalty make it a long-term affair.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The twist with the timing of the bond with dragons was a new one on me. Nykin and Ryneq are wonderful characters that I want to know more about. The world-building is done so you get bits and pieces where relevant rather than an info dump. The descriptions of people and places make them all easy to see. There are a couple of steamy scenes but nothing too in-depth.
All in all, a brilliant start to a new series and I really can't wait to continue. Absolutely 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!
Ryneq is the King of Torsere, his sister is about to enter a marriage to the Elves, and he doesn't have time for a dalliance of any kind other than the odd night or two. Nykin is a young dragon rider, partnered with Fimor, and doesn't think he would be satisfied with just a night or two so is prepared to admire from a distance. Circumstances throw these two together to begin with but bravery and loyalty make it a long-term affair.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The twist with the timing of the bond with dragons was a new one on me. Nykin and Ryneq are wonderful characters that I want to know more about. The world-building is done so you get bits and pieces where relevant rather than an info dump. The descriptions of people and places make them all easy to see. There are a couple of steamy scenes but nothing too in-depth.
All in all, a brilliant start to a new series and I really can't wait to continue. Absolutely 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!
Merissa (11958 KP) rated Crave (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #2) in Books
Oct 1, 2020
Crave is the second book in the Blood Moon, Texas Shifters series and we continue with Dallas and Lacey. They were teenage sweethearts but when Dallas managed to 'infect' Lacey with the werewolf gene, even on a time when it should have been impossible, both of their lives changed.
Lacey's mother had her memory taken, just like Ellie in the last book, but it has left her with paranoia and memory loss. Some of the things she finds on the internet made me chuckle! Because of this, Lacey and Dallas can't be 'together' even though they are still best friends. Both of them suffered during their separation and, really, it's hard to say who had it worst!
In this one, you get a great insight into the family dynamics as well the relationship between Ethan and Dallas. I found those scenes incredibly well-written and it made my heart hurt for both of them.
Told from the first perspective from both Dallas and Lacey, this was just as fast-paced as Dark, with some serious fang-head action going on. I am loving the overall story arc and can't wait to continue with the series. Absolutely 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!
Lacey's mother had her memory taken, just like Ellie in the last book, but it has left her with paranoia and memory loss. Some of the things she finds on the internet made me chuckle! Because of this, Lacey and Dallas can't be 'together' even though they are still best friends. Both of them suffered during their separation and, really, it's hard to say who had it worst!
In this one, you get a great insight into the family dynamics as well the relationship between Ethan and Dallas. I found those scenes incredibly well-written and it made my heart hurt for both of them.
Told from the first perspective from both Dallas and Lacey, this was just as fast-paced as Dark, with some serious fang-head action going on. I am loving the overall story arc and can't wait to continue with the series. Absolutely 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!
Dishonour and Obey
10.0
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Mercurius is back — and this time in England! Perfect for fans of Andrew Taylor, C J Sansom, S J...
Historical Fiction
Death Comes to Call (A Tara Thorpe Mystery Book 3)
9.0
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Tara Thorpe may be Cambridge Police’s youngest detective, but that doesn’t stop her from...
Fiction Mystery Thriller Police Procedural Series
Merissa (11958 KP) rated Marked (Populations Crumble: Resurgence #1) in Books
Mar 29, 2023
MARKED is the first book in a spin-off series called Populations Crumble: Resurgence. I haven't read the first series but now I really want to. Not because something is missing from this book - oh, no. I want to read that because this one was SO good!
Demy is a likeable character from the start, running from danger, looking for safety. She joins the program not really knowing what she's doing, just hoping she will be safe. What she gets is so much more than she expected.
I loved this world. Okay, there are parts of it that aren't so good, but on the whole, I was taken with Demy and saw what she saw. There is lots of action and it's also very emotional. The choice Demy has to make is incredibly tough. I know which way I'd go, as it stands right now, but I'm hedging my bets because I have no idea which way this story is going to go. And I love that!
The cliffhanger is a killer and I honestly can't wait to see what happens next. An incredible story with amazing characters that I have no hesitation in HIGHLY RECOMMENDING.
** 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!
Demy is a likeable character from the start, running from danger, looking for safety. She joins the program not really knowing what she's doing, just hoping she will be safe. What she gets is so much more than she expected.
I loved this world. Okay, there are parts of it that aren't so good, but on the whole, I was taken with Demy and saw what she saw. There is lots of action and it's also very emotional. The choice Demy has to make is incredibly tough. I know which way I'd go, as it stands right now, but I'm hedging my bets because I have no idea which way this story is going to go. And I love that!
The cliffhanger is a killer and I honestly can't wait to see what happens next. An incredible story with amazing characters that I have no hesitation in HIGHLY RECOMMENDING.
** 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!
Merissa (11958 KP) rated Fractured Energy (Energy Series #3) in Books
Apr 14, 2023
The third instalment of the Energy series starts off with Lena still desperately trying to cope without Wilma and pushing everyone away, including Tarek. They are still fighting the good fight and their numbers on Arcus are growing but they find out that things aren't always as they seem which starts the ball rolling on a whole new adventure.
This book simply blew me away. There is every emotion you could possibly think of, including guilt, shame, love and bravery, to name just a few. It has had me laughing out loud on one page, whilst crying on the next. The characters have all gotten under my skin until I actually care about each of them.
This is writing at its best. When an author can make the characters real and make the reader care about what happens to them, I have nothing else to say! The plot is as well-structured as ever and if there were any grammatical errors, I'm afraid I was too engrossed with the story to notice.
This series gets better and better and I can't wait for book 4 to find out if my beaten-up, wreck of a heart will beat again. Highly recommended!
* 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!
Jul 30, 2015
This book simply blew me away. There is every emotion you could possibly think of, including guilt, shame, love and bravery, to name just a few. It has had me laughing out loud on one page, whilst crying on the next. The characters have all gotten under my skin until I actually care about each of them.
This is writing at its best. When an author can make the characters real and make the reader care about what happens to them, I have nothing else to say! The plot is as well-structured as ever and if there were any grammatical errors, I'm afraid I was too engrossed with the story to notice.
This series gets better and better and I can't wait for book 4 to find out if my beaten-up, wreck of a heart will beat again. Highly recommended!
* 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!
Jul 30, 2015
Merissa (11958 KP) rated Searching (Dragons of New York, #1) in Books
Nov 4, 2022
SEARCHING is the first book in the Dragons of New York series and is first and foremost a mystery. Bloodless bodies are showing up and Ravenna Drake is linked to each scene by a piece of thread, an email, her name. Ian Chen wants to trust her but until he knows she's not a suspect, he won't do anything.
Told from both Ian and Ravenna's perspectives, it takes you into the story, giving you details about both their lives prior to them meeting. It also tells you how the case is moving along, what they have found, and what still needs answering. Whether you get those answers is another story.
The world-building was descriptive, giving clear examples of prejudice and how living in a world where magic exists might not be accepted by everyone. The pacing is smooth, and the story flows to its natural conclusion. There is a HFN ending with the case unsolved so I am presuming their story will continue on in the next book.
A good start to a series that will leave you with questions unanswered. If you like paranormal mysteries, then I can definitely recommend this one.
** 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!
Told from both Ian and Ravenna's perspectives, it takes you into the story, giving you details about both their lives prior to them meeting. It also tells you how the case is moving along, what they have found, and what still needs answering. Whether you get those answers is another story.
The world-building was descriptive, giving clear examples of prejudice and how living in a world where magic exists might not be accepted by everyone. The pacing is smooth, and the story flows to its natural conclusion. There is a HFN ending with the case unsolved so I am presuming their story will continue on in the next book.
A good start to a series that will leave you with questions unanswered. If you like paranormal mysteries, then I can definitely recommend this one.
** 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!
Merissa (11958 KP) rated Hers, United (Hers, #5) in Books
Sep 16, 2022
Sometimes work can be fun and H.O.T!
HERS, UNITED is the fifth book in this series and can be read as a standalone, although there is an overall story arc that develops through this novel.
Riley is a Selenian psychologist, one who has been on the dull end of jobs ever since it came out she was an alien sympathiser before the revolution. This leads to her being called to work when everyone else is indulging in 'fun.' What she finds is Talon and Dagger, angry with each other, and she is determined to get to the bottom of it.
Riley, Talon, and Dagger are H.O.T. together when they're having fun, but when Dagger is kidnapped by Traditionalists, they have to learn to work together too. This also leads to some deep thinking about just what they mean to each other. It was brilliant seeing Kaitlyn and Roth again, and I'm happy with how they were able to help Riley.
I thought the pacing of this book was perfect, and the story arc just helped move their personal stories along. This is a series that I am thoroughly enjoying and I can't wait to see what happens next. 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Riley is a Selenian psychologist, one who has been on the dull end of jobs ever since it came out she was an alien sympathiser before the revolution. This leads to her being called to work when everyone else is indulging in 'fun.' What she finds is Talon and Dagger, angry with each other, and she is determined to get to the bottom of it.
Riley, Talon, and Dagger are H.O.T. together when they're having fun, but when Dagger is kidnapped by Traditionalists, they have to learn to work together too. This also leads to some deep thinking about just what they mean to each other. It was brilliant seeing Kaitlyn and Roth again, and I'm happy with how they were able to help Riley.
I thought the pacing of this book was perfect, and the story arc just helped move their personal stories along. This is a series that I am thoroughly enjoying and I can't wait to see what happens next. 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Merissa (11958 KP) rated Alpha (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #4) in Books
Oct 4, 2022
ALPHA is the fourth book in the Blood Moon, Texas Shifters series and London and Brody get their time to shine. I definitely recommend you read this in order as the overall story arc goes from book one and I feel you would miss out on some of the finer details if you don't.
Brody and London are both Alphas of their packs, and an archaic law says two alphas can't be mated. So both of them act as though it's just a bit of fun when everyone else knows it's not. As their relationship as friends and lovers is already long established, you don't get a lot in the way of their relationship changing or growing.
The overall arc moves along at a fair rate of knots in this edition, almost overshadowing the story between Brody and London in places. All of it was important and relevant, mind you. I just felt as though Brody and London's personal connection got lost in the mix even though they were the key players in the story.
A great addition to the series and I definitely recommend it, on the proviso that you read the others first!
** 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!
Brody and London are both Alphas of their packs, and an archaic law says two alphas can't be mated. So both of them act as though it's just a bit of fun when everyone else knows it's not. As their relationship as friends and lovers is already long established, you don't get a lot in the way of their relationship changing or growing.
The overall arc moves along at a fair rate of knots in this edition, almost overshadowing the story between Brody and London in places. All of it was important and relevant, mind you. I just felt as though Brody and London's personal connection got lost in the mix even though they were the key players in the story.
A great addition to the series and I definitely recommend it, on the proviso that you read the others first!
** 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!