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Hazel (2934 KP) rated Silent Victim (DCI Matilda Darke #10) in Books
Oct 23, 2022
... aaaannnnd breathe!!!!
What can I say ... wow ... another absolute belter to add to this truly excellent series with the only complaint I have is that we have to wait until March for the next instalment ... March?!? ... I have to wait until March?!?!? Oh Mr Wood you are wicked đ
I don't even know where to begin on just how good this book, and the rest of series, is but once again, we are treated to outstanding characters, a dark and gritty storyline all wrapped up in an tense plot with twists and turns that had me swiping my Kindle so fast I got friction burns!
Highly recommended book to read as a standalone but, to get the best out of it, I would suggest you read the whole series; you won't be disappointed and DCI Darke, her friends and colleagues will become like old friends you will laugh and cry with.
A huge thanks must go to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of the excellent Silent Victim.
What can I say ... wow ... another absolute belter to add to this truly excellent series with the only complaint I have is that we have to wait until March for the next instalment ... March?!? ... I have to wait until March?!?!? Oh Mr Wood you are wicked đ
I don't even know where to begin on just how good this book, and the rest of series, is but once again, we are treated to outstanding characters, a dark and gritty storyline all wrapped up in an tense plot with twists and turns that had me swiping my Kindle so fast I got friction burns!
Highly recommended book to read as a standalone but, to get the best out of it, I would suggest you read the whole series; you won't be disappointed and DCI Darke, her friends and colleagues will become like old friends you will laugh and cry with.
A huge thanks must go to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of the excellent Silent Victim.
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Georgina DeBurca (2 KP) rated Seducing the Sergeant in Books
Jan 29, 2018
Wow. Just... WOW.
What an amazing read. I was hooked from the first line. This story draws you in and holds you a willing captive until the very end.
So. What can I say to persuade you to buy and read this? Firstly it was well written, Well paced and never boring. Secondly... it was sci-fi. That in itself is more niche. Don't get me wrong, I love paranormal romance but Mina Just took this idea and ran with it. A part of me wished I was in the world of this story.
The lead characters are a joy to get to know. All three of them. ;) Love scenes are steamy as hell and the emotions in it give this whole tale more depth.
I'd definitely suggest this to friends, family... hell. Anyone that will listen to me. Give it a chance, you won't be disappointed.
What an amazing read. I was hooked from the first line. This story draws you in and holds you a willing captive until the very end.
So. What can I say to persuade you to buy and read this? Firstly it was well written, Well paced and never boring. Secondly... it was sci-fi. That in itself is more niche. Don't get me wrong, I love paranormal romance but Mina Just took this idea and ran with it. A part of me wished I was in the world of this story.
The lead characters are a joy to get to know. All three of them. ;) Love scenes are steamy as hell and the emotions in it give this whole tale more depth.
I'd definitely suggest this to friends, family... hell. Anyone that will listen to me. Give it a chance, you won't be disappointed.
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Hard Prejudice (Dan Reno Novel #5) in Books
Jun 10, 2018
Gritty Read
I haven't read any of the other books in this series so started reading worrying whether coming in at book number 5 was a mistake I am happy to say ... it wasn't ... it can easily be read as a standalone.
Well written at great pace with action and intrigue aplenty, this book is great. It does deal with the uncomfortable subject of rape and, I have to warn you, there is a particularly grim and disturbing section but this can't be avoided and helps to put you in the mindset of the main characters of Dan and Cody who go to great lengths to get justice.
This is a gritty read that pulls no punches and I would most definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a a book that has non-stop action.
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
Well written at great pace with action and intrigue aplenty, this book is great. It does deal with the uncomfortable subject of rape and, I have to warn you, there is a particularly grim and disturbing section but this can't be avoided and helps to put you in the mindset of the main characters of Dan and Cody who go to great lengths to get justice.
This is a gritty read that pulls no punches and I would most definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a a book that has non-stop action.
Thank you to Bloodhound Books for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
Billy Gibbons recommended Midnight Highway by Quinn Sullivan in Music (curated)
Xavier Dolan recommended The 400 Blows (1959) in Movies (curated)
David McK (3705 KP) rated A Court of Thorns and Roses in Books
Jun 29, 2025
Romantasy.
A mix of Romance and Fantasy.
Not a genre I'm familiar with, nor one that - to be honest - really holds all that much appeals to me. However, I still thought I would give this a go, mainly out of curiosity.
This is the first in Sarah J Maas's 'Court of Thorns and Roses' series, set in a not-too-dissimilar world to our except where fairies (and not necessarily the Tinkerbell, happy-go-lucky type) are real, and in which - after killing one such who was in shapeshifted wolf form to feed her starving family - Feyre is dragged across the wall (which is the dividing line between their world and ours) to the faerie realm, where things prove not at all to be what she expected.
I can say I've read it now.
I *may* read some more of the series, but not in any rush to do so.
A mix of Romance and Fantasy.
Not a genre I'm familiar with, nor one that - to be honest - really holds all that much appeals to me. However, I still thought I would give this a go, mainly out of curiosity.
This is the first in Sarah J Maas's 'Court of Thorns and Roses' series, set in a not-too-dissimilar world to our except where fairies (and not necessarily the Tinkerbell, happy-go-lucky type) are real, and in which - after killing one such who was in shapeshifted wolf form to feed her starving family - Feyre is dragged across the wall (which is the dividing line between their world and ours) to the faerie realm, where things prove not at all to be what she expected.
I can say I've read it now.
I *may* read some more of the series, but not in any rush to do so.
Debbiereadsbook (1656 KP) rated Escape You (Cole Brothers #3) in Books
Jan 14, 2020
good but myabe not for me
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Tyler finds out his amazing one night stand is the mark for the next ATF raid. Then he finds himself on the opposite side of the fence, as her fiancee. Mia knows she has no choice to this union of Mafia branches, but she doesn't have to like it. Finding out there really IS a way out of it, is great, just not who Tyler really is. Can they really be together when it all goes down?
This is book 3 in the Cole Brothers series, and I have not read the others. I don't feel I missed out on anything by not doing, but this book gives me enough hints to THOSE books, that I would LIKE to go back and read them, because I want to, not because I need to.
And I really am NOT sure how I feel about THIS book! And ya'll know I'm ALL about my book feelings. Its just I don't seem to have any about this book and I cannot for the life of me, figure out what doesn't work for me.
I liked that both Mia and Tyler have a say, it is in the first person, but each change is headed as the chapter changes. I liked that Tyler's deception discovered late in the day, not by Mia, cos Tyler tells her, but by the other major players.
I liked that there is a much bigger picture here, with ALL the Cole brothers involved, and that picture is what makes me want to go back and read the other books. Maybe THIS one will fit in better then, I don't know.
A *for a Mafia book* Nice book, and as much I as hate using that word for a book, it's the ONLY one I can muster.
3 solid GOOD stars, just maybe not for me.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Tyler finds out his amazing one night stand is the mark for the next ATF raid. Then he finds himself on the opposite side of the fence, as her fiancee. Mia knows she has no choice to this union of Mafia branches, but she doesn't have to like it. Finding out there really IS a way out of it, is great, just not who Tyler really is. Can they really be together when it all goes down?
This is book 3 in the Cole Brothers series, and I have not read the others. I don't feel I missed out on anything by not doing, but this book gives me enough hints to THOSE books, that I would LIKE to go back and read them, because I want to, not because I need to.
And I really am NOT sure how I feel about THIS book! And ya'll know I'm ALL about my book feelings. Its just I don't seem to have any about this book and I cannot for the life of me, figure out what doesn't work for me.
I liked that both Mia and Tyler have a say, it is in the first person, but each change is headed as the chapter changes. I liked that Tyler's deception discovered late in the day, not by Mia, cos Tyler tells her, but by the other major players.
I liked that there is a much bigger picture here, with ALL the Cole brothers involved, and that picture is what makes me want to go back and read the other books. Maybe THIS one will fit in better then, I don't know.
A *for a Mafia book* Nice book, and as much I as hate using that word for a book, it's the ONLY one I can muster.
3 solid GOOD stars, just maybe not for me.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Merissa (13770 KP) rated Discordant Cultivation in Books
Jan 2, 2026
DISCORDANT CULTIVATION is a DARK standalone novel about a music producer who sees the potential in a street busker. He kidnaps him and uses 'dubious' methods to teach him how to get the best out of his music.
Vale is the producer, and Kieran is the musician. You read the story from both perspectives, seeing Kieran succumb to Stockholm Syndrome in real time, along with everything else. There isn't a massive supporting cast, but each one plays a part in Vale and Kieran's story.
Now, it says it is "A Dark MM Captive Musician Romance", but I don't know if I would put the word romance anywhere near this. I mean, yes, they fall into something, a dark and twisted version of love, maybe, but romance? Maybe psychological horror fits better? Don't get me wrong, I love a dark romance, but I struggled with this book. It took me over three days to read it, when I can normally finish a book (or more) in a day.
I will say, read the trigger warnings! You will need to, to protect your own mental health. This book pushed boundaries I didn't even know I had. It was an extremely uncomfortable book to read, BUT it was so incredibly well-written!!! Gale Ian Tate has a knack for dark stories, but I think this one might be both the best and the worst! And while I both loved and loathed it, it definitely won't be one I read again!
An amazing, horrible, uncomfortable story that pushed everything I thought I knew. If that sounds like the book for you, then I can definitely recommend it. Just be careful with your own mental health, though!
** 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 2, 2026
Vale is the producer, and Kieran is the musician. You read the story from both perspectives, seeing Kieran succumb to Stockholm Syndrome in real time, along with everything else. There isn't a massive supporting cast, but each one plays a part in Vale and Kieran's story.
Now, it says it is "A Dark MM Captive Musician Romance", but I don't know if I would put the word romance anywhere near this. I mean, yes, they fall into something, a dark and twisted version of love, maybe, but romance? Maybe psychological horror fits better? Don't get me wrong, I love a dark romance, but I struggled with this book. It took me over three days to read it, when I can normally finish a book (or more) in a day.
I will say, read the trigger warnings! You will need to, to protect your own mental health. This book pushed boundaries I didn't even know I had. It was an extremely uncomfortable book to read, BUT it was so incredibly well-written!!! Gale Ian Tate has a knack for dark stories, but I think this one might be both the best and the worst! And while I both loved and loathed it, it definitely won't be one I read again!
An amazing, horrible, uncomfortable story that pushed everything I thought I knew. If that sounds like the book for you, then I can definitely recommend it. Just be careful with your own mental health, though!
** 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 2, 2026
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Depravity (Beastly Tales, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
First off, let me say how furious I am that this is a three part series with each novel ending in a cliff hanger. Each novel has enough meat to it to count as individual novel, but they all end in maddening cliffhangers. I loathe cliff hangers more than I loathe serials.
That being said, this series had me from page one and I couldnÂt put it down until the very last one. I missed a lot of sleep for it I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings, especially if there erotica involved. This is definitely one of the better retellings of Beauty and the Beast, albeit a very dark one. The female lead is almost raped more times than I can count, abused by her obnoxious sisters, manipulated by an arrogant sorceress, and subjected to dealing with a short tempered man child stuck in a beastÂs body. Through it all, Benella stays determined and loved her grit.
There are some themes that may not sit well with some people, especially with the BeastÂs treatment of Benella in the second novel. I think they are missing the point of this story, however. The premise is not just about looking beyond aesthetic value, it is about personal growth. While it is the BeautyÂs purpose to look beyond outer appearances to appreciate what people have on the inside; it is the BeastÂs role to develop from  well a beast to a better person. I feel that most people look past that.
This is a great series for those looking for an adult retelling of Beauty and the Beast and can handle the dark themes and cliff hangers that come with it. If you can accept an anti-hero with faults who falls for a strong woman who can hold her own in a hateful sexist world, then this is definitely the series for you.
That being said, this series had me from page one and I couldnÂt put it down until the very last one. I missed a lot of sleep for it I am a huge fan of fairy tale retellings, especially if there erotica involved. This is definitely one of the better retellings of Beauty and the Beast, albeit a very dark one. The female lead is almost raped more times than I can count, abused by her obnoxious sisters, manipulated by an arrogant sorceress, and subjected to dealing with a short tempered man child stuck in a beastÂs body. Through it all, Benella stays determined and loved her grit.
There are some themes that may not sit well with some people, especially with the BeastÂs treatment of Benella in the second novel. I think they are missing the point of this story, however. The premise is not just about looking beyond aesthetic value, it is about personal growth. While it is the BeautyÂs purpose to look beyond outer appearances to appreciate what people have on the inside; it is the BeastÂs role to develop from  well a beast to a better person. I feel that most people look past that.
This is a great series for those looking for an adult retelling of Beauty and the Beast and can handle the dark themes and cliff hangers that come with it. If you can accept an anti-hero with faults who falls for a strong woman who can hold her own in a hateful sexist world, then this is definitely the series for you.








