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Merissa (13828 KP) rated Hunter's Barbs (Prime Omegaverse #5) in Books
Jun 2, 2025
HUNTER'S BARBS is the fifth book in the Prime Omegaverse series, although it can be read as a standalone. If it's your first foray into this world, take note of the trigger warnings!
Before I start my review, I'm going to be honest here and say that Aria's story isn't my favourite for a number of reasons, which I will explain.
The first four chapters completely threw me off. Two are told by Aria, and two by Fritz. Unfortunately, it seemed like two alternative beginnings, where one needed to be removed before the book went live, as the timeline and descriptions of events made no sense apart from going back in time. Aria is described by Fritz in chapter two as having blonde hair, which matches the book cover. After that, she is described as having auburn hair. There is a lot of talk about their deepening connection, but not wanting to name it. And speaking of naming things and repeats, Aria names Fritz twice, but both are written as the first time. Seeing repeated phrases and descriptions has come up in these books before, but this one seemed as though there was just 'more'.
Saying all that, I did enjoy the story! Especially once Aria stopped going on about the dragons. I can honestly say I didn't like her much to begin with. Fritz was a wonderful character whom I loved learning about. I especially liked it when he thawed out enough to show his caring side. Seeing Aria and Fritz work and love together were the highlights of this story.
I am still thoroughly enjoying the Prime Omegaverse series and definitely want to continue with it. I just don't think this was one of the best, although I am sure it will be loved by many.
** 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!
Jun 2, 2025
Before I start my review, I'm going to be honest here and say that Aria's story isn't my favourite for a number of reasons, which I will explain.
The first four chapters completely threw me off. Two are told by Aria, and two by Fritz. Unfortunately, it seemed like two alternative beginnings, where one needed to be removed before the book went live, as the timeline and descriptions of events made no sense apart from going back in time. Aria is described by Fritz in chapter two as having blonde hair, which matches the book cover. After that, she is described as having auburn hair. There is a lot of talk about their deepening connection, but not wanting to name it. And speaking of naming things and repeats, Aria names Fritz twice, but both are written as the first time. Seeing repeated phrases and descriptions has come up in these books before, but this one seemed as though there was just 'more'.
Saying all that, I did enjoy the story! Especially once Aria stopped going on about the dragons. I can honestly say I didn't like her much to begin with. Fritz was a wonderful character whom I loved learning about. I especially liked it when he thawed out enough to show his caring side. Seeing Aria and Fritz work and love together were the highlights of this story.
I am still thoroughly enjoying the Prime Omegaverse series and definitely want to continue with it. I just don't think this was one of the best, although I am sure it will be loved by many.
** 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!
Jun 2, 2025
Debbiereadsbook (1675 KP) rated A Job Well Done in Books
Dec 22, 2025
a relatively easy read.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Alex is a hit man, sent to eliminate a witness for a crime lord. But meeting Bryce makes Alex question everything. Then the pair of them have a target on their backs, and neither man will walk away unscathed.
I liked this, I liked this A LOT.
It's a little bit steamy, a little bit emotional, full of drama, and intrigue, danger and some funny moments too.
I liked that Bryce didn't really question his attraction to Alex, only the timing. Bryce had not come out as bi, and had not done anything with another man either, and his attraction and growing feelings for Alex were solid and he wasn't questioning them too closely. The situation isn't ideal, though!
I liked the way the story flowed, and I loved that both men had a voice.
I liked how this author tells her tales. I can only see one other, a much older book, than this, so I'm not sure how many books this author has written. It's clear she has skill and I would like to read something else. I would LOVE to read books about Alex' brothers, Michael, Luke and Abe and Bryce's brother, Clay. They all play a part here, even minor, but Abe and Clay piqued my interest!
However.
I did find that there were quite a few points that names were not used in the correct manner. For example, at one point, Bryce is speaking, and he says "Look, Bryce, about that . . " and another point, Alex looks into the water, but can see no sign of Alex. Minor points, but enough to make them stand out and for me to notice them, and make the comment about them.
I did enjoy it, though, apart from this point. It was a relatively easy read, that hit quite a few positive buttons.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Alex is a hit man, sent to eliminate a witness for a crime lord. But meeting Bryce makes Alex question everything. Then the pair of them have a target on their backs, and neither man will walk away unscathed.
I liked this, I liked this A LOT.
It's a little bit steamy, a little bit emotional, full of drama, and intrigue, danger and some funny moments too.
I liked that Bryce didn't really question his attraction to Alex, only the timing. Bryce had not come out as bi, and had not done anything with another man either, and his attraction and growing feelings for Alex were solid and he wasn't questioning them too closely. The situation isn't ideal, though!
I liked the way the story flowed, and I loved that both men had a voice.
I liked how this author tells her tales. I can only see one other, a much older book, than this, so I'm not sure how many books this author has written. It's clear she has skill and I would like to read something else. I would LOVE to read books about Alex' brothers, Michael, Luke and Abe and Bryce's brother, Clay. They all play a part here, even minor, but Abe and Clay piqued my interest!
However.
I did find that there were quite a few points that names were not used in the correct manner. For example, at one point, Bryce is speaking, and he says "Look, Bryce, about that . . " and another point, Alex looks into the water, but can see no sign of Alex. Minor points, but enough to make them stand out and for me to notice them, and make the comment about them.
I did enjoy it, though, apart from this point. It was a relatively easy read, that hit quite a few positive buttons.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
I normally dont reading books like this nor have I read the authors book The Yarn Whisperers, so I wasnt surprised that this wasnt to my taste. I requested it because I am a knitter, but unfortunately, this story had less to do about knitting and more about travel. The writing is simple enough, having the conversationalist tone of a blog writer trying to entice a reader; and I enjoyed her easy style. It did take me a while to power through it, however, as I found I didnt particularly care about the subjects the author chose to write about. The most interesting part of the book, to me, was the opening where she describes her moms car being on fire. I didnt know any of the people the author name dropped so I felt their significance in the story was lost on me.
I really wanted to like this book although I feel I should have known better. I learned my lesson, I guess. Also, my copy randomly had images of As in giant gray boxes periodically throughout the book. I am not sure what they were supposed to be but they were distracting. I imagine they were supposed to be images that just didnt translate in my digital copy. If thats the case, I am deeply sorry I wasnt able to see them.
I normally dont reading books like this nor have I read the authors book The Yarn Whisperers, so I wasnt surprised that this wasnt to my taste. I requested it because I am a knitter, but unfortunately, this story had less to do about knitting and more about travel. The writing is simple enough, having the conversationalist tone of a blog writer trying to entice a reader; and I enjoyed her easy style. It did take me a while to power through it, however, as I found I didnt particularly care about the subjects the author chose to write about. The most interesting part of the book, to me, was the opening where she describes her moms car being on fire. I didnt know any of the people the author name dropped so I felt their significance in the story was lost on me.
I really wanted to like this book although I feel I should have known better. I learned my lesson, I guess. Also, my copy randomly had images of As in giant gray boxes periodically throughout the book. I am not sure what they were supposed to be but they were distracting. I imagine they were supposed to be images that just didnt translate in my digital copy. If thats the case, I am deeply sorry I wasnt able to see them.
Merissa (13828 KP) rated The Beginning in Books
Dec 17, 2018
For a prequel novella, this book packs in a lot of information in a relatively short amount of time. Cecily is a 'royal' Witch but she is royally fed up with her life. She wants to live like a human but is being hassled to be the one who gives birth the one long awaited, the one who will save the witches. Unfortunately, this means that she has suffered through nine miscarriages. I don't mean one or nine relationships though. She is there as a brood mare, along with the other royal witches, until the Tenth is born.
She meets up with her friend, only to find out that the meeting was just a ruse to try and get her to continue. Hurt by the betrayal, she leaves and finds her way to a bar where the music tempts her inside.
Like I said, there is a lot of information in here that will delight and tempt you, and definitely leave you wanting to know more - about Cecily, about James, about the situation they find themselves in, about their world in general.
With no spelling or grammatical errors that I found, this was an enjoyable and quick read, perfectly leading on to the next book in the series - A Late Summer Bloom. Definitely recommended.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
She meets up with her friend, only to find out that the meeting was just a ruse to try and get her to continue. Hurt by the betrayal, she leaves and finds her way to a bar where the music tempts her inside.
Like I said, there is a lot of information in here that will delight and tempt you, and definitely leave you wanting to know more - about Cecily, about James, about the situation they find themselves in, about their world in general.
With no spelling or grammatical errors that I found, this was an enjoyable and quick read, perfectly leading on to the next book in the series - A Late Summer Bloom. Definitely recommended.
* I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated A Monster Calls (2016) in Movies
Dec 30, 2018
Heartwrenching
Anyone who’s read my reviews on here knows I very rarely like film adaptations of books, but for this one I make an exception. The book is excellent, and the film is not only as good as the book, but possibly slightly better.
This is a heartwrenching story about grief, and doesn’t shy away about being stark and honest about a very brutal and difficult subject. And it deals with this subject matter in such an elegant way. The film really surpasses the book when it comes to the visuals. The monster looks and sounds amazing, and is sinister looking without being too scary, and the stories he tells are animated brilliantly - looking very similar to the Deathly Hallows animation. The colours and effects are truly impressive. And it helps that the film sticks very true to the book.
Conor is a relatable young character and is played brilliantly in this. The rest of the supporting cast are also excellent, although one of my few criticisms is that Toby Kebbell is underused. He’s a fantastic actor and I appreciate that there isn’t much room to include his character more, I just always wish to see him more no matter what film he’s in.
This is a beautifully made heartwrenching film, that deals with a very difficult subject in a fitting matter. I can’t find anything bad to say about this Not a dry eye around when it got to the ending.
This is a heartwrenching story about grief, and doesn’t shy away about being stark and honest about a very brutal and difficult subject. And it deals with this subject matter in such an elegant way. The film really surpasses the book when it comes to the visuals. The monster looks and sounds amazing, and is sinister looking without being too scary, and the stories he tells are animated brilliantly - looking very similar to the Deathly Hallows animation. The colours and effects are truly impressive. And it helps that the film sticks very true to the book.
Conor is a relatable young character and is played brilliantly in this. The rest of the supporting cast are also excellent, although one of my few criticisms is that Toby Kebbell is underused. He’s a fantastic actor and I appreciate that there isn’t much room to include his character more, I just always wish to see him more no matter what film he’s in.
This is a beautifully made heartwrenching film, that deals with a very difficult subject in a fitting matter. I can’t find anything bad to say about this Not a dry eye around when it got to the ending.
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