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Bleed In The Night (Blood and Bonds #2)
Bleed In The Night (Blood and Bonds #2)
S.J. Coles | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
these books are keeping me on my toes!
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2 in the Blood and Bonds series, and I STRONGLY recommend you read book one, Touch In The Night, before this one. It will givev you Tyler and Lucien's meeting, but it will also give you the background you need about the haemophiles and how they live in this world. It will, as well, give you what the rest of the haemophiles think of Lucien, that's very important.

Because when we get to hear why Lucien does what he does, I was surprised! He's not quite the bad guy he's portrayed to be.

I loved how Tyler flips his opinion of Lucien, when faced with the consequences of his actions, it made for a speedy turnaround, butit alos made Tyler see, really see Lucien, and what he has been doing, and why. The history of the vampire of this world is different to anthing I've read before and I love that.

Again, only Tyler gets a say. And again, I wish we had heard from Lucien. I really think this would be a 5 star if he had.

Somethinghappens right near the end of thisbook that has thrown me for a loop, and this book ends on a bit of a cliff hanger and it makes me think if Lucien and Tyler will appear again. Emory and Jesse appear here, from book one.

Again, 4 very VERY good stars.

These books are keeping me on my toes and making my bok brain whir! Keep em coming, please!

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Unfettered Fey (Found & Freed: The Unfettered #7)
Unfettered Fey (Found & Freed: The Unfettered #7)
S. Rodman | 2025 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
UNFETTERED FEY is the seventh and final book in the Found & Freed series. I haven't read any of the others, but thought I would try this one after the author said they could be enjoyed as standalones.

Jade is the last of the paranormal boys to find love, and to be honest, he doesn't believe he deserves it anyway, not after nearly opening a Fey portal. That changes when he runs into Flyn, an old work colleague he had a crush on. It turns out that the crush was reciprocated, and they reconnect, albeit only as friends(!!!) We all know how that's going to turn out!

Jade and Flyn are total opposites but complement each other in pretty much every way. Although they try to take it slowly, events happen that speed things up. I loved that Flyn searched for Jade, not happy until he knew he was safe.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend this book as a standalone, as I feel there were events mentioned in here that I knew nothing about. I also found it a little difficult to fully grasp the connection between the boys, as I wasn't 'there' for anything they went through. And trying to remember who was with whom was just too much, and I stopped trying.

Saying that, I still enjoyed this story and would definitely read this series from the beginning. Recommended for those who have read the previous books.

** 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
  
Game On (Vancouver Orcas #3)
Game On (Vancouver Orcas #3)
Amy Aislin | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
GAME ON is the third and final book in the Vancouver Orcas series, but you don't need to have read the first two to get this one.

Jamie has joined the Orcas and hopes to start afresh. He is understandably wary about his new team, thinking it almost too good to be true. He lives with Dorian until he can find his own place. Dorian doesn't need to work, but does. He also has a secret project going on that he believes in, even if no one else does. Of course, others might believe in it too, if he'd only let them in. But Dorian has baggage of his own...

I loved this story! Jamie is just a big ole teddy bear, whilst Dorian is more of a hedgehog - prickly on the outside, squidgy on the inside. They are both attracted to each other, but neither of them wants to act on it. It is a slow-burn that builds up the tension. They are absolutely perfect for each other, and they both need the love and reassurance the other one gives.

I haven't read Books 1 and 2, but I've just gone and one-clicked both of them. You may not need to read them, but after seeing the characters in this book, I want to!

Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

** 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 30, 2024
  
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Merissa (13123 KP) rated Overeager (Extra Credit #1) in Books

Aug 28, 2025 - 7:26 AM  
Overeager (Extra Credit #1)
Overeager (Extra Credit #1)
Grae Bryan | 2025 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
OVEREAGER is the first book in the Extra Credit series and follows the story of Eli, the professor omega, and Noah, his alpha student. To be fair to both of them, neither of them were aware of that when they first met.

Eli was celebrating the finalisation of his divorce, and Noah was enjoying a quiet night away. When they meet, the attraction is instantaneous. Noah is not backwards in coming forward, even if he is a virgin. He is the opposite of what Eli was used to, with a strong caretaking gene that made me all kinds of gooey when I read about it. These two were just so good together, even if they did have to keep it a secret. Of course, it didn't remain that way, but I won't give out any spoilers.

Richard, Eli's ex, is a first-class d!ck - just saying. I was glad when Eli stood up to him, although he shouldn't have had to do that at all anyway. Here's hoping he doesn't show up in future books, unless it's to watch his downfall, in which case, I'll bring popcorn.

I can't wait to read more in this series and really can't recommend this book highly enough. A great read that had me hooked from the very beginning, a one-sit read for 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!
Aug 28, 2025
  
One Pink Line
One Pink Line
Dina Silver | 2013 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Feels! (0 more)
A Feel Good Kind of Story
Normally, I'm not a women's fiction kind of person. However, I have been pleasantly surprised with the books I've read in this genre, so I decided to give One Pink Line by Dina Silver a go.

I found the plot and world building of One Pink Line to be very well written and enjoyable. As you can already guess from the title, this book deals with pregnancy and is a very straight forward but sweet story. This also wasn't a very long novel. It was enjoyable to read about Sydney's ups and downs with her pregnancy, and it was interesting to read about how Grace felt about everything from her perspective as well. There weren't any plot twists that I can remember, but this book didn't need any to be good. There also weren't any cliff hangers at the end of the book, and all of my questions were answered.

The characters in One Pink Line were all very enjoyable to read about. As I've said before, I enjoyed reading about how Sydney dealt with her pregnancy as well as her feelings with her life, the pregnancy, and her love life. Grace struggled with learning that the dad she had come to know wasn't actually her biological dad. It was interesting to read things from her point of view as show grows up from a 5th grader to a 22 year old woman. I admired Ethan and how loving he was throughout everything. I also loved Ethan's mom and how doting she was.

I enjoyed the pacing very much in One Pink Line. The story flowed very well, and not once did I find myself becoming bored. In fact, I looked forward to each time I could read more about Sydney's and Grace's life.

Trigger warnings for One Pink Line include some profanity, alcohol use, implied sex, and an unwed pregnancy.

All in all, One Pink Line is a feel good kind of story. It is such a sweet book that will definitely leave you with happy feelings long after you've finished it. I would definitely recommend One Pink Line by Dina Silver to all women aged 16+.
  
Four Days of You and Me
Four Days of You and Me
Miranda Kenneally | 2020 | Humor & Comedy, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I hate writing less-than-positive reviews, especially for authors I typically enjoy, but this book was not a favorite of mine. It's told across Lulu and Alex's four class trips (one per year) with flashbacks to other times. I simply could not warm up to Lulu or Alex. Honestly, of the two, I probably liked him better, but we don't hear his side. It took nearly half the book for the story to engage me even a little bit, and I thought about giving up, but for some reason, I have a tough time just stopping a book.

Now, I read YA a ton, so it's not that I don't enjoy YA novels. I read one right after this and *loved* it. But I found this story way too simplistic, and I feel like teens would too. There is so much better YA out there--for all of us. The book just felt simplistic in its writing and the "will they / won't they" storyline was boring. I did not care if they did or not. Honestly, there was a side plot about Lulu's gay best friend Max that was much more interesting--I would have rather read about him!

Supposedly Lulu is an artist/writer and that's her thing, but that felt forced. Mostly, the book felt about a girl (and her friends) all trying to find boys to like (and like them back). That's what they cared about and talked about. I felt no huge connection between Alex and Lulu and hence no reason to root for them to choose each other. They didn't feel destined for one other, as most couples do in a good romance. The story does pick up a bit near the end, but by then, I just felt burned out.

So maybe this story would resonate a bit more with a teen set (and it should be an older teen set, due to language and themes), but there are a lot of other better books out there. Now, others seem to enjoy this more than me, so maybe I just got caught in a bad mood. 2.5 stars for me, though.
  
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Merissa (13123 KP) rated The Nines in Books

Apr 11, 2023  
The Nines
The Nines
Karen M. Bryson | 2015 | Contemporary, Romance, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This story has two damaged characters for the main leads - Roxie and Alexander. They are both mysterious in their own ways but are drawn together by fate/circumstances/online forum - you take your pick. Roxie is carrying a bucket load of guilt from the past and Alexander is carrying a whole load of anger from the past. However, their pasts and their presents collide so will they have a future together?

After I had finished this book, I messaged a friend of mine who had also read it and I said to her "What a horrible, fantastic book." And that is how I feel about this story. It is gripping and enthralling, you won't want to stop reading it but at the same time, it will make your stomach clench and your heartbeat race - and not always in a good way. You will become so engrossed with the characters that you will speed up your reading until this particular scene is finished. Your heartbeat will slow down... until the next scene.

This book deals with an issue that I have only ever seen on TV or read about in the news. I simply cannot imagine how it goes on in real life but unfortunately, it is too often an occurrence it seems.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book although it was different from what I expected when I read the synopsis - there was less about the bomber and Alex's revenge, less about Roxie's past and more about what was happening now. This is not a bad thing, just different to what I was expecting.

This is the first book in the series which can be read as a standalone but I will be reading the next in the series when it comes out, which is Blood Sings (Hector's Story). I need to know more about these anti-heroes! Highly recommended but be warned - it's not all nice!
 
* 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!
August 10, 2016
  
Destiny (The Academy #1)
Destiny (The Academy #1)
D.D. Larsen | 2021 | Paranormal, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
DESTINY is the first book in The Academy series, and we start off with Jamie leaving her job and life in the city to return to the town she left so abruptly several years earlier. You find out about her feeling trapped and the circumstances behind that, as well as about the situation with her job and boss. Upon her return to town, she tries to mend fences with her ex-boyfriend and ex-best-friend, and there is also Wren to contend with.

Whilst I enjoyed the story, I can't say as I was enthralled by it. Jamie seems like she runs on something other than logic or feelings. I don't even know what. She makes major, life-changing, decisions without thinking them through, as well as ghosting people because she can't deal. Then she swings like a pendulum from Liam, the ex-boss/boyfriend, to Wren. She sleeps with both and yet says she is taking things slowly.

Apart from Jamie (which admittedly is a big part of the book!) I enjoyed the story. I liked the back story of the Lady in the Woods and the Wolf Spirits. I want to know more about the prophecy, about Wren, even more about Jamie's mum and Edward. But most of all, what I really want, is for Jamie to choose Wren and leave Liam behind. Although he's done 'nothing' wrong, the author has written this to make you have doubts about him. He's simply too good, considering how he was before. I don't like him, so there! LOL

As the first book in a series, I expect to have questions left unanswered, and I am looking forward to continuing with this series to find them out. I really hope Jamie makes her mind up soon. I do recommend this book but will also give a love-triangle warning if that's not your thing.

** 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!
  
Scrappy Little Nobody
Scrappy Little Nobody
Anna Kendrick | 2016 | Biography
6
8.0 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
Anna Kendrick has been acting (and singing) since childhood, and her autobiography chronicles her growth as an actress and person, as told in little snippets and essays. Grouped in assorted themes, we hear from various stages of Anna's life, spanning her childhood to present day, and learn how Anna, a tiny scrappy kid, became a famous, Oscar-nominated actress. The book touches on her fame, as well as her personal thoughts and feelings.

I've always enjoyed Kendrick and have seen several of her films (and heard her sing about a million times, thanks to my young children and the popularity of the film, <i>Trolls</i>) but didn't know a lot about her early career. Her autobiography does a good job of filling in some of the gaps of Anna's childhood career (working on Broadway at twelve - who knew?!), but isn't told in any chronological order, so we don't get a sense of any real span of her career from Point A to B. Most of the book is told in short little bits. Many of them are quite funny stories, and there are some truly laugh out loud moments. In many cases, Kendrick is a very relatable person, who seems like the type of friend you'd like to hang out with. At other points, she seemed a bit whiny, and for me, the book spent too much time with her protesting about some of the travails of being in the celebrity industry. I can only take so much "woe is me" from famous people who write books about their lives.

The book is on more solid ground when we're reading about Anna's early life, where you gain a true admiration for her talent, and with her silly and snarky stories about her misanthropic personality (misanthropes unite!). Still, the jumping back and forth in time makes it hard to get a true trace on the arc of her life at times, and beyond some of the complaining and expounding on the travails of award shows, press junkets, and the like, there wasn't as much about her post-fame life as I was interested in.

If you like Kendrick's films, or her twitter feed, you'll probably enjoy the book and its organization, even if you find yourself wishing for a little more at the end. She's led an interesting life so far, and I'm sure another autobiography down the road would be quite intriguing.
  
Old Loves Die Hard ( Mac Faraday Mystery #2)
Old Loves Die Hard ( Mac Faraday Mystery #2)
Lauren Carr | 2011 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Old Love, Die Hard is done well. You get to meet up with Mac’s Ex Wife. The mystery starts once she is in town. There are two murders once Mac takes his ex-wife to this penthouse in Spencer Inn.
 
Did Mac do the murders? Did his ex-wife go and killed her lover? There is not much going on. Who is behind all the murders. We meet or at least learn about his two children. Who would murder Mac two children mother?

Lauren Carr is one talented writer. She brings you along to find out who the killer is. One thing I love about her mysteries is that you never know who the murderer is? I have read a few of her books already and reviewed a few of them. You are welcome to read my reviews that are part of this audio book palooza. My reviews are Cancelled Vows, A Fine Year for Murder, Killer in the Band, The Murders at Astaire Castle, Candidate for Murder, 3 Days to Forever, Kill and Run. We do see what Mac is up to and we also got David O'Callaghan in being the chief of police. Lauren Carr series are all interconnected which is cool. You can read them as stand alone as well.