Search
Search results
Merissa (13961 KP) rated The Executioner in Books
Dec 17, 2018 (Updated May 26, 2023)
This short story briefly mentions a local myth and legend about The Executioner, but apart from that, the story is mainly a second-chance romance. On a team-building weekend, something goes wrong and they end up with two dead bodies. Maddie needs to keep it together as Team Leader to assist the police, whilst also figuring out if she will forgive her ex, Nick.
This is a fast-paced story that nevertheless manages to tell the complete story and give you a hint of the mysterious too. Well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this makes a perfect coffee break book. Recommended.
* 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!
Mar 8, 2016
This is a fast-paced story that nevertheless manages to tell the complete story and give you a hint of the mysterious too. Well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this makes a perfect coffee break book. Recommended.
* 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!
Mar 8, 2016
Merissa (13961 KP) rated A Reaper of Stone (A Reaper of Stone #1) in Books
May 26, 2023
This is a novella that comes with an epic story! With an excellent storyline, world continuation, and fantastic characters, you enter the world of Razors, the Academy and those people who believe in the dream. Friendships are forged but will they survive the fires?
Elinor is a feisty woman, sworn to uphold her duty to the King. It comes out in the story that she can't be bribed and she won't look the other way. But being such a character in a field of deception and intrigue is not so good for your health, as Elinor finds out.
Fast-paced, with plenty of action, and a storyline to thrill, this is a novella to read and enjoy. A perfect coffee break book.
* I received this book from the authors in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 12, 2016
Elinor is a feisty woman, sworn to uphold her duty to the King. It comes out in the story that she can't be bribed and she won't look the other way. But being such a character in a field of deception and intrigue is not so good for your health, as Elinor finds out.
Fast-paced, with plenty of action, and a storyline to thrill, this is a novella to read and enjoy. A perfect coffee break book.
* I received this book from the authors in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 12, 2016
Debbiereadsbook (1738 KP) rated Disjointed Lives in Books
Apr 3, 2018
tearjerker!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I purchased my copy of this book.
Imagine meeting your best friend for coffee and telling her something that happened ten years before, something that could possibly cost you her friendship.
Because, at it's most basic, that's what this is : two old friends, best friends, meeting for coffee and Ava has to tell Paige something that happened ten years ago, when they were estranged, something that she NEEDS to say, but knows that Paige might not, hell, she WON'T like it, but she needs to know.
At it's most complex?? It's the story of a woman who falls in love with an abusive partner and her fight to get out and away from that partner. The abuse is not physical, it's emotional, it's mental, it is total in it's destruction of Ava of old. It is total in cutting Ava off from everything and everyone she knows. It reduces her to a woman who, while maybe at the back of her mind knows that what is happening to her is not right, this marriage is not how it should be, she cannot be anything else but his wife. She knows no one will want her, because James tells her so.
But Ava finds a friend at work who is not letting her wallow, is not letting go, and Jacob helps Ava. And Ava has been dreaming about Jacob, which is what prompted this coffee shop meeting, and it all coming tumbling out of Ava.
It is beautifully written, painful reading though. While not told in great detail, there is some reference to Ava's abuse, to what James did, what he made her do. I had to keep putting it down, it made me cry in many places. It's not very long, but because I had to keep putting it down, it took me all day to read the 67 pages here. But so beautifully written!
Cutting extremely close to home on two fronts.
Because someone close to me went through what Ava did, but her abuse was physical, as well as mental. I watched her cutting us off, one by one, those closest to her first, and then spreading out, just as his tentacles spread out. And there was nothing we could do to stop it. We tried, oh Lord we tried, but she was in love. We had to wait til she came to the same conclusion, and wait for her to act on her own. She did. It just took a bit of time.
And because I know Ava, because I AM Paige. Finding out a wonderful day spent in amazing company last October was the inspiration for this book made me cry. Made me feel incredibly proud to be part of this book, made me feel incredibly proud of Ms Sheppard.
I cannot express, not really, how much this book affected me. But you should know that...
IT
IS
AMAZING!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Imagine meeting your best friend for coffee and telling her something that happened ten years before, something that could possibly cost you her friendship.
Because, at it's most basic, that's what this is : two old friends, best friends, meeting for coffee and Ava has to tell Paige something that happened ten years ago, when they were estranged, something that she NEEDS to say, but knows that Paige might not, hell, she WON'T like it, but she needs to know.
At it's most complex?? It's the story of a woman who falls in love with an abusive partner and her fight to get out and away from that partner. The abuse is not physical, it's emotional, it's mental, it is total in it's destruction of Ava of old. It is total in cutting Ava off from everything and everyone she knows. It reduces her to a woman who, while maybe at the back of her mind knows that what is happening to her is not right, this marriage is not how it should be, she cannot be anything else but his wife. She knows no one will want her, because James tells her so.
But Ava finds a friend at work who is not letting her wallow, is not letting go, and Jacob helps Ava. And Ava has been dreaming about Jacob, which is what prompted this coffee shop meeting, and it all coming tumbling out of Ava.
It is beautifully written, painful reading though. While not told in great detail, there is some reference to Ava's abuse, to what James did, what he made her do. I had to keep putting it down, it made me cry in many places. It's not very long, but because I had to keep putting it down, it took me all day to read the 67 pages here. But so beautifully written!
Cutting extremely close to home on two fronts.
Because someone close to me went through what Ava did, but her abuse was physical, as well as mental. I watched her cutting us off, one by one, those closest to her first, and then spreading out, just as his tentacles spread out. And there was nothing we could do to stop it. We tried, oh Lord we tried, but she was in love. We had to wait til she came to the same conclusion, and wait for her to act on her own. She did. It just took a bit of time.
And because I know Ava, because I AM Paige. Finding out a wonderful day spent in amazing company last October was the inspiration for this book made me cry. Made me feel incredibly proud to be part of this book, made me feel incredibly proud of Ms Sheppard.
I cannot express, not really, how much this book affected me. But you should know that...
IT
IS
AMAZING!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated A Song Unheard (Shadows Over England, #2) in Books
Feb 25, 2019
Another winner from the uberly talented Roseanna M. White. I sat down to read this book, coffee in hand (singing 'the' coffee jingle.....perhaps someday you blog readers will know just what that means!) to myself, and relaxing into my recliner. I was so reading to dive into this book. It was long awaited after reading A NAME UNKNOWN and falling in love. This book couldn't come fast enough for me. Did it disappoint? Oh no. No it did not. It gripped me, sent me spinning like I was on a tiltawhirl, and left me feeling breathless by the last page.
Willa and Lukas....oh Willa and Lukas. What can I say about this tenderly created characters? They are real to me. They came alive with each page turn. Their story, their music, flowing together, each strand of their being becoming mine. I loved that feeling! Their feelings wrapped me up, making me a part of their lives.
The faith and hope that is woven among these pages is beautifully done. I could heard the strands of the music coming from Willa's violin. I could feel the harmony of the love blending perfectly. Oh what a feeling that was! God's unending grace and mercy were the cords to this fantabulously written story.
I absolutely recommend that you stop what you are doing right now, find a retailer and click on the "buy now" option. While it could be read as a stand alone, I still recommend you read book 1, A Name Unknown, to feel the depth, the fullness that these books can leave you with. This 5 stars times 50 worthy. This is two thumbs up, hats off, mountain top shouting worthy. Ms. White has once again fulfilled her duties of bringing forth a novel that her fans, old and new alike, will forever talk about. Well done, Ms. White! Well done!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from CelebrateLit/Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Willa and Lukas....oh Willa and Lukas. What can I say about this tenderly created characters? They are real to me. They came alive with each page turn. Their story, their music, flowing together, each strand of their being becoming mine. I loved that feeling! Their feelings wrapped me up, making me a part of their lives.
The faith and hope that is woven among these pages is beautifully done. I could heard the strands of the music coming from Willa's violin. I could feel the harmony of the love blending perfectly. Oh what a feeling that was! God's unending grace and mercy were the cords to this fantabulously written story.
I absolutely recommend that you stop what you are doing right now, find a retailer and click on the "buy now" option. While it could be read as a stand alone, I still recommend you read book 1, A Name Unknown, to feel the depth, the fullness that these books can leave you with. This 5 stars times 50 worthy. This is two thumbs up, hats off, mountain top shouting worthy. Ms. White has once again fulfilled her duties of bringing forth a novel that her fans, old and new alike, will forever talk about. Well done, Ms. White! Well done!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from CelebrateLit/Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Gelato Messina: The Creative Department
Book
Since opening in Sydney in 2002 Gelato Messina has set the benchmark for gelato in Australia. Their...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Office Grump in Books
Jan 6, 2021
This one starts with Sabrina late for work after missing her bus only to be told they're letting her go from her position due to "right-sizing" - her bosses term for down sizing - and she heads to her favourite coffee shop for a commiseration bear claw and cinnamon coffee that she consumes on her favourite park bench. Only she gets interrupted by the attractive but grumpy Magnus Heron who wants the bench for his work. Neither leaves the best impression on the other but it does linger and Magnus decides the feisty girl may just be the perfect person for his EA position. Sabrina grudgingly takes the job but as they get to know each other feelings begin to emerge between them.
This was a long book but I didn't mind that most of the time because I was enjoying reading Brina and Mag's romance slowly blossom. It did take a while for anything to happen - somewhere around the 35% mark - and then it was kicked to the background again for quite a while and i honestly do not blame Brina for telling him where to go several times for the way he treats her sometimes.
I did like this. It took a long time to get to that HEA but it was good reading - if i little too long in my opinion. It did make me cry towards the end, though, because i had come to care for these people and i wanted them to work out. I even grew to like teenage Jordan, whose emotions were up in the air like nobodies business after his mums mugging - which was understandable. He didn't know Magnus so to suddenly find yourself living with a billionaire you've never really met had to be hard.
I'm also intrigued by Brina's best friend and roommate - Paige, I think it was. Is she going to be getting her own book? She had about as much spark in her as Brina so it would be fun to see what guy ends up taming her.
This was a long book but I didn't mind that most of the time because I was enjoying reading Brina and Mag's romance slowly blossom. It did take a while for anything to happen - somewhere around the 35% mark - and then it was kicked to the background again for quite a while and i honestly do not blame Brina for telling him where to go several times for the way he treats her sometimes.
I did like this. It took a long time to get to that HEA but it was good reading - if i little too long in my opinion. It did make me cry towards the end, though, because i had come to care for these people and i wanted them to work out. I even grew to like teenage Jordan, whose emotions were up in the air like nobodies business after his mums mugging - which was understandable. He didn't know Magnus so to suddenly find yourself living with a billionaire you've never really met had to be hard.
I'm also intrigued by Brina's best friend and roommate - Paige, I think it was. Is she going to be getting her own book? She had about as much spark in her as Brina so it would be fun to see what guy ends up taming her.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Stolen: A Letter to My Captor in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This book tells the story of Gemma, a 16 year old girl who is taken from a coffee shop in Bangkok airport by a mysterious guy. Part of her recognizes him which is why she agrees to approach him in the first place. That's when the horror & beauty of her captivity begins.
The book is written as a letter to Ty which the reader is not really, entirely able to tell until the very last pages. It is an interesting concept and a very easy read. There is wonderful description throughout the book. The author does a great job getting Gemma's emotions across... emotions that are all over the place. Sometimes they have you feeling awful for her & sometimes even for Ty.
My biggest issue with this book was the ending. It just leaves you hanging & I hate that!! I don't want to say much more & ruin it because it is worth the read.
The book is written as a letter to Ty which the reader is not really, entirely able to tell until the very last pages. It is an interesting concept and a very easy read. There is wonderful description throughout the book. The author does a great job getting Gemma's emotions across... emotions that are all over the place. Sometimes they have you feeling awful for her & sometimes even for Ty.
My biggest issue with this book was the ending. It just leaves you hanging & I hate that!! I don't want to say much more & ruin it because it is worth the read.
Merissa (13961 KP) rated Disjointed Lives in Books
Mar 30, 2018
Disjointed Lives by Morgan Sheppard
Disjointed Lives is the first non-fantasy story from Morgan Sheppard. It is only a short story, based around two friends meeting for coffee, and one of them needing help. It does mention gas lighting and mental/emotional abuse, but without going into too much detail.
One of the things that is becoming clear is that Morgan Sheppard writes character based stories. The world building is very good, but what gives these stories the emotion behind them, is the characters. They are completely relate-able, with foibles and quirks that readers will recognise in themselves and those they know.
Whether you like fantasy or contemporary/women's fiction, I would definitely recommend this book, and others by this author.
* 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!
One of the things that is becoming clear is that Morgan Sheppard writes character based stories. The world building is very good, but what gives these stories the emotion behind them, is the characters. They are completely relate-able, with foibles and quirks that readers will recognise in themselves and those they know.
Whether you like fantasy or contemporary/women's fiction, I would definitely recommend this book, and others by this author.
* 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!
Alicia S (193 KP) rated Dirty Girl (Dirty Girl Duet, #1) in Books
Sep 28, 2018
Fabulous story with a killer cliffhanger ending!?
Fabulous story with a killer cliffhanger ending!? My first book by this author and I will SURELY be back for more! Greer is the sister of well-known millionaire and has never quite gotten over the "on who got away," Cav. Stood up by him three years ago, she has yet to let it go and after a huge drunken mistake that went viral, he shows up on her doorstep. No longer the maintenance man she met years ago in a coffee shot, he's one of the hottest and newest upcoming actors, feeling much more worthy of a woman like her. But there is something more.... something that he is keeping from her, the very reason he walked away from the one woman who he never forgot... Absolutely LOVED this book and will be impatiently waiting for the conclusion in Dirty Love!! HIGHLY recommended! one day read- didn't want to put it down!?
Merissa (13961 KP) rated Ruby in the Dust in Books
Dec 17, 2018
What a wonderful, heart-warming and realistic (in the best way) book! It takes place in Maidenhead, UK and some of the descriptions just of that had me sniggering to myself.
This is a romance book, a self-help book, full of humour, situations, trials and tribulations and friendship. And don't forget tea or coffee with cake! This book will make you laugh and will also make you cry. There was one bit (that I won't ruin) that came as a shock to me and what followed had me snuffling into my tissues. The very human characters in this book face their inner (and sometimes outer) demons and do it with the love and friendship of others and their own strengths that they don't even realise that they have.
Wonderful writing, with a twist, that completely drew me in. Made me laugh, made me cry and gave me more than a few good self-help quotes.
This is a romance book, a self-help book, full of humour, situations, trials and tribulations and friendship. And don't forget tea or coffee with cake! This book will make you laugh and will also make you cry. There was one bit (that I won't ruin) that came as a shock to me and what followed had me snuffling into my tissues. The very human characters in this book face their inner (and sometimes outer) demons and do it with the love and friendship of others and their own strengths that they don't even realise that they have.
Wonderful writing, with a twist, that completely drew me in. Made me laugh, made me cry and gave me more than a few good self-help quotes.