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Merissa (13878 KP) rated Fated Mates: an MM Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology in Books
Aug 23, 2023
Part of Fated Mates: an MM Paranormal Romance Charity Anthology!
One thing I love about J.P. Sayle stories is that she comes up with different shifters and problems. For instance, in A SCENT LIKE NO OTHER, Pierre is a skunk shifter and has faulty anal glands. Now, hand on heart, I can honestly say I've never read about either of those before. I'm just glad he wasn't called Pepé! 😁
Along with Pierre, we have Eliphas, a mage who works well with his ancestors' crystals, as well as being an amazing tattoo artist, specialising in protection. Pierre knows they are a triad, but it comes as a shock to Eli. This leads to cross-purposes, as Eli isn't sure he'd be happy with a third, not when he has Pierre. But Pierre has always known and, now he's got Eli, he wants to know when they'll meet their third. This leads to Pierre doing a spell without Eli's knowledge, which opens a whole can of worms he wasn't expecting.
A great introduction to these two characters, and I look forward to reading more.
** 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 23, 2023
One thing I love about J.P. Sayle stories is that she comes up with different shifters and problems. For instance, in A SCENT LIKE NO OTHER, Pierre is a skunk shifter and has faulty anal glands. Now, hand on heart, I can honestly say I've never read about either of those before. I'm just glad he wasn't called Pepé! 😁
Along with Pierre, we have Eliphas, a mage who works well with his ancestors' crystals, as well as being an amazing tattoo artist, specialising in protection. Pierre knows they are a triad, but it comes as a shock to Eli. This leads to cross-purposes, as Eli isn't sure he'd be happy with a third, not when he has Pierre. But Pierre has always known and, now he's got Eli, he wants to know when they'll meet their third. This leads to Pierre doing a spell without Eli's knowledge, which opens a whole can of worms he wasn't expecting.
A great introduction to these two characters, and I look forward to reading more.
** 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 23, 2023
Merissa (13878 KP) rated Refuge (Relentless, #2) in Books
Jun 8, 2023
O.M.G.!!! It's been a while since I read Relentless and now I've got a major urge to read it again, just so I can immerse myself in Sara's story right from the word go.
This is one of those books that I bought immediately after I finished Relentless, but just never got the chance to read before life got in the way. Let me just say, that since I've finished this, life isn't going to get a chance to get in the way as I am starting Rogue straight away!!
In Refuge, Sara is living in a 'military-style compound' where she was dumped by Nikolas. Let's just leave it at he is not her favourite person right now. She is struggling in training as she fears losing control of her Mori demon. She hasn't really made new friends, instead stays in phone contact with Roland, Peter, and of course, Uncle Nate.
There is too much to give you a rundown of this book, and seriously, why on earth would I do that? That's what the synopsis is for!! Suffice it to say, Sara has a big learning curve in front of her. With her magic, she is learning new 'tricks', as well as receiving her very own early warning vampire radar.
So many bits made me smile, so many bits made me frustrated for Sara, but most of all, I can't wait to see where it will go next. With one heckuva cliffhanger that really Nikolas should have seen coming a mile off knowing Sara (remember, I'm writing this before reading Rogue so I have no idea if he realises or not!)
If you want a paranormal romance that is full of Mori demons, the fae, griffins, Alex the wyvern (love him!), hellhounds, vampires, shifters, absolutely gripping, full of action and adventure, romance, and 'real-life' reactions, then look no further. I really can't recommend this highly enough!!!
* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 7, 2016
This is one of those books that I bought immediately after I finished Relentless, but just never got the chance to read before life got in the way. Let me just say, that since I've finished this, life isn't going to get a chance to get in the way as I am starting Rogue straight away!!
In Refuge, Sara is living in a 'military-style compound' where she was dumped by Nikolas. Let's just leave it at he is not her favourite person right now. She is struggling in training as she fears losing control of her Mori demon. She hasn't really made new friends, instead stays in phone contact with Roland, Peter, and of course, Uncle Nate.
There is too much to give you a rundown of this book, and seriously, why on earth would I do that? That's what the synopsis is for!! Suffice it to say, Sara has a big learning curve in front of her. With her magic, she is learning new 'tricks', as well as receiving her very own early warning vampire radar.
So many bits made me smile, so many bits made me frustrated for Sara, but most of all, I can't wait to see where it will go next. With one heckuva cliffhanger that really Nikolas should have seen coming a mile off knowing Sara (remember, I'm writing this before reading Rogue so I have no idea if he realises or not!)
If you want a paranormal romance that is full of Mori demons, the fae, griffins, Alex the wyvern (love him!), hellhounds, vampires, shifters, absolutely gripping, full of action and adventure, romance, and 'real-life' reactions, then look no further. I really can't recommend this highly enough!!!
* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 7, 2016
Merissa (13878 KP) rated The Ice Queen (The Ice Queen #1) in Books
Jul 21, 2017
The Ice Queen (The Ice Queen #1) by Rebecca Bauer
The Ice Queen is the first book in The Ice Queen series, and we meet Aria for the first time when she is in 'training' in the courtesan area of the Temple of the Moon. Immediately, you are drawn into a world of intrigue, where someone may be completely different to who you thought they were, and their actions are different to what you supposed.
Aria is a fantastic female lead - she is strong, authoritative, caring, wilful, and determined. She has a reason for everything she does, even if she doesn't realise it until that light bulb moment. And then you have her 'advisors' - Casimir, Valtteri, and Seb. All three of these characters are amazing and well rounded, and yet they too have their own advisors. It is layer upon layer of support and intrigue, and it makes for one heck of a ride!
With plenty of battle action, some love action, oodles of political manoeuvrings, and an outstanding amount of honesty, I can easily say that I loved every word and I can't wait to read book two - The Mage King. For all fans of fantasy, I can highly recommend it.
* 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!
Aria is a fantastic female lead - she is strong, authoritative, caring, wilful, and determined. She has a reason for everything she does, even if she doesn't realise it until that light bulb moment. And then you have her 'advisors' - Casimir, Valtteri, and Seb. All three of these characters are amazing and well rounded, and yet they too have their own advisors. It is layer upon layer of support and intrigue, and it makes for one heck of a ride!
With plenty of battle action, some love action, oodles of political manoeuvrings, and an outstanding amount of honesty, I can easily say that I loved every word and I can't wait to read book two - The Mage King. For all fans of fantasy, I can highly recommend it.
* 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!
Fred (860 KP) rated Glass (2019) in Movies
Apr 16, 2019
It's an origin story
Can we just talk about James McAvoy for a minute here. We've already seen his performance in "Split", so we already knew what we were getting here. Or were we? He is off the hook here! Just plain amazing. Every second of him on the screen is pure magic. His ability to switch between personalities is amazing & shows he's one of the greatest actors out there.
For those who didn't know, "Glass" is a sequel to both "Unbreakable" & "Split", two films by M. Night Shyamalan . Famous for his twist endings (both good & bad), this film has another, which you won't see coming, but it's not a huge twist. I've heard people say they didn't like the ending, but I found it really good & satisfying.
The story is kind of slow moving, but it keeps you interested. Returning characters from both movies, not including the 3 main stars, are a welcome surprise. I don't want to give too much away, but let's say most of the movie takes place inside an Asylum where a doctor is trying to convince the 3 they don't have superpowers. Yeah, doesn't sound too interesting, but it is. I enjoyed it very much
For those who didn't know, "Glass" is a sequel to both "Unbreakable" & "Split", two films by M. Night Shyamalan . Famous for his twist endings (both good & bad), this film has another, which you won't see coming, but it's not a huge twist. I've heard people say they didn't like the ending, but I found it really good & satisfying.
The story is kind of slow moving, but it keeps you interested. Returning characters from both movies, not including the 3 main stars, are a welcome surprise. I don't want to give too much away, but let's say most of the movie takes place inside an Asylum where a doctor is trying to convince the 3 they don't have superpowers. Yeah, doesn't sound too interesting, but it is. I enjoyed it very much
Things Can Only Get Worse
Book
'...as the Labour candidate I prepared for every possible question on the local radio Election...
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Love's Allegiance in Books
Feb 24, 2021
This story really took me to the WWII era!
Linda Shenton Matchet really got her characters into the WWII era, by the ways in which they conversed, the clothes described, really everything matched the era of WWI. It was as if Linda Shenton Matchet transported me there. I thought that the characters had great interactions, most of the reactions to things were believable, and they were overall well-developed characters. Personally, I liked how the story was loosely based on the Biblical story of Isaac and Rachel, I thought it was a unique premise for a WWII era novel to have. This book is technically the fourth book in Linda Shenton Matchet’s Wartime Brides series, however, it can be read as a stand-alone without you getting lost or confused (I have not read the previous books in the series yet).
I believe that Linda Shenton Matchet did a good job conveying an often-controversial topic; the role Conscious Objectors (CO) played during WWII. She made me look at it in a way I had not previously done, which I appreciated, (Not to say that I fully understand that point of view, but I think I have a better picture of it now). I did think that the book moved a little fast and I wished I could have known the characters better. However, this is part of a series so maybe the next book will continue to grow the characters more.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for the great characters, the full immersion into the WWII era, and for making me see a different side of a Conscious Objector (CO). I did receive this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Linda Shenton Matchet really got her characters into the WWII era, by the ways in which they conversed, the clothes described, really everything matched the era of WWI. It was as if Linda Shenton Matchet transported me there. I thought that the characters had great interactions, most of the reactions to things were believable, and they were overall well-developed characters. Personally, I liked how the story was loosely based on the Biblical story of Isaac and Rachel, I thought it was a unique premise for a WWII era novel to have. This book is technically the fourth book in Linda Shenton Matchet’s Wartime Brides series, however, it can be read as a stand-alone without you getting lost or confused (I have not read the previous books in the series yet).
I believe that Linda Shenton Matchet did a good job conveying an often-controversial topic; the role Conscious Objectors (CO) played during WWII. She made me look at it in a way I had not previously done, which I appreciated, (Not to say that I fully understand that point of view, but I think I have a better picture of it now). I did think that the book moved a little fast and I wished I could have known the characters better. However, this is part of a series so maybe the next book will continue to grow the characters more.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for the great characters, the full immersion into the WWII era, and for making me see a different side of a Conscious Objector (CO). I did receive this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Anti-Romance (Anti-Romance #1) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
Huh... 2.5 stars
This was a freebie I downloaded about four years ago and I've put it off for a while because of it's rather bad rating on Goodreads of 3.64. I feel I should point out that most books I read have a rating of between 3.9 and 4.5 stars, so I was wary that I wouldn't like it.
We follow Laney, who writes a blog about her exploits with different men and it's very anti-romance/romance is dead - hence the name of the book. She's currently seeing someone in politics but he gives her an STI and it turns out he is married so she's ready to write her post about him. Then she meets her neighbour Kade, a hot musician who really likes her. And then there's her best friend of years, George, who's been in love with her for years.
I had nothing against Laney spreading the love, really, but I generally prefer to focus on one guy and she was changing between Kade and George rather quickly and easily.
And then the book ended at 49%, mid chapter, mid crisis. It felt too abrupt. Just cut off without some sort of proper ending. I'm understanding it's low rating.
I feel I should also point out that this book is no longer available on Amazon unless you want it as an audiobook and the second part Pro-Love isn't anywhere I can see so I will never know how this story ends. I have to say I was pro Kade since I like the kind of bad boy he seemed to be.
P.S. The best bit for me was probably the four pictures that had hidden penises in them.
This was a freebie I downloaded about four years ago and I've put it off for a while because of it's rather bad rating on Goodreads of 3.64. I feel I should point out that most books I read have a rating of between 3.9 and 4.5 stars, so I was wary that I wouldn't like it.
We follow Laney, who writes a blog about her exploits with different men and it's very anti-romance/romance is dead - hence the name of the book. She's currently seeing someone in politics but he gives her an STI and it turns out he is married so she's ready to write her post about him. Then she meets her neighbour Kade, a hot musician who really likes her. And then there's her best friend of years, George, who's been in love with her for years.
I had nothing against Laney spreading the love, really, but I generally prefer to focus on one guy and she was changing between Kade and George rather quickly and easily.
And then the book ended at 49%, mid chapter, mid crisis. It felt too abrupt. Just cut off without some sort of proper ending. I'm understanding it's low rating.
I feel I should also point out that this book is no longer available on Amazon unless you want it as an audiobook and the second part Pro-Love isn't anywhere I can see so I will never know how this story ends. I have to say I was pro Kade since I like the kind of bad boy he seemed to be.
P.S. The best bit for me was probably the four pictures that had hidden penises in them.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pas in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Id been wanting to read this nonfiction for ages but never really felt in the mood for it. Just before Christmas I picked it up, and it did take me a couple of weeks to read, but it was worth it! An emotional and insightful look at the mysterious Dyatlov Pass Incident.
Ive always been interested in mysterious happenings, at the ripe old age of 10 I was receiving books about poltergeists, spontaneous combustion, missing people cases and so on, so when I first heard about the Dyatlov Pass Incident, of course my interest was piqued! Then, when I found out there was actually a novel solving the case, I was even more interested in it.
I havent read any other novels on the case, but I can imagine most of them get straight to the nitty-gritty of what they think happened to the unfortunate hikers, Eichar, however, builds his conclusions very slowly. At times, I felt a little bit annoyed about this I really would just love to know what the hell you think happened! but on the other hand I loved the way he made the hikers more than just an unfortunate accident. He breathes life back into them. Eichar takes diary entries, photographs, and interviews to build an intricate and honest look into each of the hikers days that lead up to their deaths.
As for Eichars theories on what really happened to the Dyatlov hikers, I dont want to give too much away, but its a sad story, rather than a spooky serial-killer-ghost one. While I love mysteries of the unknown, when it comes to something as tragic as this incident, its nice to have an answer to what happened? I think Eichars theories seem legitimate and well researched, so when the book claims to have the true story I can believe it.
I dont want to say too much about this novel because its the sort of book that needs to be read to be appreciated, hence my almost mini review, but I think this was a very good and well written nonfiction novel. At times I found some of the goings-on a little tedious, but overall it was an interesting read.
Ive always been interested in mysterious happenings, at the ripe old age of 10 I was receiving books about poltergeists, spontaneous combustion, missing people cases and so on, so when I first heard about the Dyatlov Pass Incident, of course my interest was piqued! Then, when I found out there was actually a novel solving the case, I was even more interested in it.
I havent read any other novels on the case, but I can imagine most of them get straight to the nitty-gritty of what they think happened to the unfortunate hikers, Eichar, however, builds his conclusions very slowly. At times, I felt a little bit annoyed about this I really would just love to know what the hell you think happened! but on the other hand I loved the way he made the hikers more than just an unfortunate accident. He breathes life back into them. Eichar takes diary entries, photographs, and interviews to build an intricate and honest look into each of the hikers days that lead up to their deaths.
As for Eichars theories on what really happened to the Dyatlov hikers, I dont want to give too much away, but its a sad story, rather than a spooky serial-killer-ghost one. While I love mysteries of the unknown, when it comes to something as tragic as this incident, its nice to have an answer to what happened? I think Eichars theories seem legitimate and well researched, so when the book claims to have the true story I can believe it.
I dont want to say too much about this novel because its the sort of book that needs to be read to be appreciated, hence my almost mini review, but I think this was a very good and well written nonfiction novel. At times I found some of the goings-on a little tedious, but overall it was an interesting read.
Debbiereadsbook (1691 KP) rated I've Got This (Joy Universe #1) in Books
Feb 24, 2020
too stinking cute and warm and fuzzies!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This book has been edited and tightened up, following being released from the previous publisher.
I enjoyed this, I really did!
I will admit, I had an old copy that I started to read ages ago, but never finished it. Something IS different about this copy to that, but I have no idea what!
It’s a warm and fuzzies, too stinking cute kinda book that just wiles away a couple hours, and you can forget about the laundry and the cleaning, and just fall into the Joy Universe!
I must admit, at first, for some reason, I thought that the Joy Universe was an ADULT place to be, you know? And I couldn’t place dancers in that world, not for the life of me! But all becomes clear when Derek starts to do his thing, dealing with a murder on site and an attack of food poisoning that decimates his dance troop!
Derek is a big ole teddy bear, that has a work smile I would be so proud of, but I loved that Trav can see right through that false smile, that work face Derek puts on. Loved that Trav could bring a real smile out of him, just by looking his way.
I understood Trav’s. . .not hatred, more a strong dislike of the image Derek puts across. When explained why he has that reaction, it makes a lot more sense.
The murder thing takes a twist, and I didn’t see it going that way. So I liked that.
Some sexy on screen time, some not. Some deep emotional bits, some a much lighter feeling comes at you. Just enough of everything, to make it interesting.
I liked this book, a LOT. But for one thing.
First person, present tense AND both Derek and Trav have a say. Maybe that’s why I didn’t finish it before, but I’ve made a decision to give a book a couple of chapters, even if it IS written in my least favourite way, and I’m glad I did.
Not a difficult or hard read, just what I needed at this point in time 😊
4 good solid stars
**same worded will appear elsewhere**
This book has been edited and tightened up, following being released from the previous publisher.
I enjoyed this, I really did!
I will admit, I had an old copy that I started to read ages ago, but never finished it. Something IS different about this copy to that, but I have no idea what!
It’s a warm and fuzzies, too stinking cute kinda book that just wiles away a couple hours, and you can forget about the laundry and the cleaning, and just fall into the Joy Universe!
I must admit, at first, for some reason, I thought that the Joy Universe was an ADULT place to be, you know? And I couldn’t place dancers in that world, not for the life of me! But all becomes clear when Derek starts to do his thing, dealing with a murder on site and an attack of food poisoning that decimates his dance troop!
Derek is a big ole teddy bear, that has a work smile I would be so proud of, but I loved that Trav can see right through that false smile, that work face Derek puts on. Loved that Trav could bring a real smile out of him, just by looking his way.
I understood Trav’s. . .not hatred, more a strong dislike of the image Derek puts across. When explained why he has that reaction, it makes a lot more sense.
The murder thing takes a twist, and I didn’t see it going that way. So I liked that.
Some sexy on screen time, some not. Some deep emotional bits, some a much lighter feeling comes at you. Just enough of everything, to make it interesting.
I liked this book, a LOT. But for one thing.
First person, present tense AND both Derek and Trav have a say. Maybe that’s why I didn’t finish it before, but I’ve made a decision to give a book a couple of chapters, even if it IS written in my least favourite way, and I’m glad I did.
Not a difficult or hard read, just what I needed at this point in time 😊
4 good solid stars
**same worded will appear elsewhere**
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Prom Night (2008) in Movies
Aug 10, 2018
Boring plot (2 more)
Characters were not well developed
Tried to rely on bad jump scares
All the clichés, none of the fun
So this was a pretty bad movie and I quite like this genre mostly.
The plot was way too boring and predictable. It's something you have seen hundreds of movies like this. It's a typical slasher movie. You knew everything that was gonna happen pretty much.
Too bad they try to move things along way too quickly so no characters were fleshed out. They just ended up boring but given enough time they could have gone into backstory about why this is happening and it would have made the characters a lot more interesting. Don't get me wrong I did like the cast, they had good actors. It was just the writing that was not good.
It was not at all scary and tried to rely on jump scares alone which were not actually scary. The deaths could have been entertaining but were just boring and the ending was expected.
I cannot recommend this. It's not a good movie. Not sure what else I can say but if you read the plot, it's basically what it says it is. You can guess the rest.
The plot was way too boring and predictable. It's something you have seen hundreds of movies like this. It's a typical slasher movie. You knew everything that was gonna happen pretty much.
Too bad they try to move things along way too quickly so no characters were fleshed out. They just ended up boring but given enough time they could have gone into backstory about why this is happening and it would have made the characters a lot more interesting. Don't get me wrong I did like the cast, they had good actors. It was just the writing that was not good.
It was not at all scary and tried to rely on jump scares alone which were not actually scary. The deaths could have been entertaining but were just boring and the ending was expected.
I cannot recommend this. It's not a good movie. Not sure what else I can say but if you read the plot, it's basically what it says it is. You can guess the rest.