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Merissa (13535 KP) rated Matching with Monsters (The Red Agency #1) in Books

Dec 1, 2023 (Updated Dec 1, 2023)  
Matching with Monsters (The Red Agency #1)
Matching with Monsters (The Red Agency #1)
Crystal Lynn | 2023 | Erotica, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
MATCHING WITH MONSTERS is the first book in The Red Agency series and we start with Ari, a mid-twenties young woman who has just quit her job. Life has not taken the path she envisaged but she has the support of two best friends, Cami and Lyssa. When she gets an interview at The Red Agency, she presumes it's for a job, but it turns out to be so much more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and it practically read itself! I loved Ari's open-mindedness (after the initial shock that, let's face it, would shake anyone up!) I loved how she loved her monsters no matter which face they wore. And I loved how each of them was different, with their own personalities and baggage. It was easy to see from the first word which one was speaking.

I thought Cami's boss might be one, but how that all came together was better than I had imagined. I am looking forward to both her and Lyssa's stories. Absolutely recommended for any who like Why Choose Monster Romance!

** 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!
Nov 30, 2023
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2452 KP) rated Case of the Bleus in Books

Nov 16, 2023 (Updated Nov 16, 2023)  
Case of the Bleus
Case of the Bleus
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
You’ll Get the Bleus if You Skip This Book
The Northwest Cheese Invitational has come to Yarrow Glen, and with it, some of Willa Bauer’s coworkers from her previous job. She’s thrilled to show off her new cheese shop to them, but they are focused on the upcoming reading of the will of their boss, Max. Max not only ran a cheese shop in Oregon, but he had developed an award-winning blue cheese. When one of Willa’s former co-workers is killed, Willa wonders if the secret of the blue cheese was the motive. Can she solve the murder and figure out where the cheese is?

Obviously, there is a lot going on here, and the two storylines weave around each other wonderfully. I kept turning pages as quickly as I could to find out what was going to happen next. The climax could have been a little stronger, but my questions were all answered. It was wonderful to see the characters again. I love the community that is building around Willa. We get some updates in ongoing storylines, but if you jumped in here, you wouldn’t be confused. And you’ll be happy to satisfy your cheese cravings with the three recipes at the end of the book. The only reason I’m blue is that I have to wait for the next book in the series now.
  
The Reapers (The Hunted #1)
The Reapers (The Hunted #1)
Ali Winters | 2015 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a fast-paced and enjoyable Young Adult Paranormal, with a splash of Romance in the shape of a love triangle (sort of) thrown in.

Nivian has been doing her job for years with no problems when she suddenly starts noticing a man there each time. What is worse is that he seems to notice her too, which should be impossible. Then Reapers start disappearing, and the common link is that man that Nivian keeps seeing. Following conversations with Caspian (her boss... sort of) she finds out just who and what he is. Things are not always black and white though, and both Kain and Nivian have choices to make.

There were parts to this story that I absolutely loved, and parts not so much. I am not a fan of the triangle, even a version like this one. It builds up to a climactic ending where you will need to keep your wits about you as you move swiftly from one scene to another.

If you want a clean Paranormal that has a brilliant take on reapers, old man time, scythes, etc, then I can recommend this.

* 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!
Feb 15, 2016
  
Oh Buoy (Voyagers #1)
Oh Buoy (Voyagers #1)
Ava Olsen | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
OH BUOY is the first book in the Voyagers series and we start with a really cute couple! Both of them have issues to contend with, but both of them also realise just how special things are between them. It starts with Drew getting soaked by one of the deckhands. Sarcasm abounds before he realises that is actually his billionaire boss.

Drew and Rowan make a fantastic couple, even if they can't actually relax for the majority of the book. The tender moments they share make it sheer bliss for a hopeless romantic like me. They are ably supported by a cast of top-notch characters, some of whom I already know have their own stories to come and I honestly can't wait.

This is a sweet and sexy read with low angst. Absolutely perfect for what I needed right now and would definitely be on my list of summer reads! With plenty of character- and world-building, this book was delightful and I can't wait to continue the series. Definitely 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!
Jun 5, 2023
  
The Darkness
The Darkness
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Darkness by Ragnar Jónasson is an exciting Icelandic crime story, that’s dark, moody and realistic in both setting and characterisation.

The moment Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir of the Reykjavik Police was rudely told to leave her job and take early retirement to make way for a younger replacement I knew I was going to love this book. From there on, I wanted her to succeed in anything she touched, if only to get her own back on her boss.

After negotiating whilst still in shock, the detective was told she could stay on, but only if she worked on one of the cold, unsolved cases during her final two weeks. The fact that her current cases and other work had already been distributed to other staff angered both me and Hulda!

Fortunately, Hulda kept her cool (much better than I did) and immediately decided which case to pick, since it was one she’d felt her colleague Alexander had never dealt with properly in the first place, but at the time she was not in the position to argue with him.

With two weeks in her position left she re-opened the cold case of the Russian girl and asylum seeker, Elena. eager to prove she didn’t kill herself by drowning but was murdered. And in the first 24 hours she knew more than what was put on Alexander’s original report. Go girl!

From here on, we follow Hulda’s investigation, in third person point of view, and we also hear the story of an unknown girl’s own narrative in first person.

Oh, how I loved Alexander’s reaction when he discovered Hulda looking into his closed case. If that’s not the sign of a guilty man then I don’t know what is! Brilliant!

In addition, when Hulda’s two weeks on the case were reduced to only one day by her angry boss, I raced through this book as if reading it faster would help her solve the case even quicker!

Hulda is one of my favourite ‘older’ characters, who has been through a lot, with secrets of her own, and I rooted for her throughout this story. She’s a courageous, hardworking and down-to-earth character who has faced a lot of prejudice during her career in the police force just for being a woman. The fact that Ragnar Jónasson has clearly emphasised this point right up to her last few days on the job, makes the sucker-punch of an ending even harder to deal with.

I loved every minute of this book, and even the sad, disappointing, yet shocking and annoying ending cannot sway me from awarding this book five stars. Confession Time; Want to know something else? I only picked this book up to have a brief look, with the thought of getting to it soon. But once I picked it up I couldn’t put the bloody thing back down again…