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The Child Left in the Dark
8.0
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PART TWO OF TAKE HER BACK TRILOGY - The Child Left in the Dark is the follow-up to the stunning, The...
ClareR (5950 KP) rated Sun Damage in Books
Jul 4, 2023
Sun Damage is a slow burn of a book, dripping in paranoia!
Ali and Sean are confidence tricksters: they get people to trust them, and then extract large amounts of money from them. Except something goes wrong when they try to con Lulu, and Ali goes on the run - with a large sum of money from Sean’s safe. Ali thinks she has found the perfect hiding place in a gîte in the South of France, but it seems inevitable that her past will catch up with her.
This is all set in the summer, when the heat is as oppressive as Ali’s paranoia. The whole novel feels claustrophobic - will Ali be found out? Will Sean find her? What will her employers do?
We see Ali’s past and childhood in some detail, and I found myself forgiving her for her terrible behaviour - although I doubt I would have been so forgiving if I was the one being swindled!
This is probably the ideal summer holiday read - great for by the pool, somewhere hot. Although you’ll be a lot more suspicious of anyone you don’t know trying to strike up a conversation!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for another great serialisation.
Ali and Sean are confidence tricksters: they get people to trust them, and then extract large amounts of money from them. Except something goes wrong when they try to con Lulu, and Ali goes on the run - with a large sum of money from Sean’s safe. Ali thinks she has found the perfect hiding place in a gîte in the South of France, but it seems inevitable that her past will catch up with her.
This is all set in the summer, when the heat is as oppressive as Ali’s paranoia. The whole novel feels claustrophobic - will Ali be found out? Will Sean find her? What will her employers do?
We see Ali’s past and childhood in some detail, and I found myself forgiving her for her terrible behaviour - although I doubt I would have been so forgiving if I was the one being swindled!
This is probably the ideal summer holiday read - great for by the pool, somewhere hot. Although you’ll be a lot more suspicious of anyone you don’t know trying to strike up a conversation!
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for another great serialisation.
Witchcraft & Incantations For Love & Healing
Book
Tired of Attracting the Wrong Types of Love or Dating the Wrong Person? Learn why your...
Self-Help Relationships Spirituality
Merissa (13176 KP) rated Ever Since the Ball in Books
Jun 19, 2025
EVER SINCE THE BALL tells the story of Miranda, an only child of two artists, the best friend of Peter, and someone who has both more freedom than some and yet is constrained by her people-pleaser personality. It all starts with a false engagement to Peter, a masked ball, and a surprising friendship.
I loved Miranda and George and all the scenes they shared. Neither of these characters was perfect, but they were perfect for each other. I loved seeing the growth and change in their personalities as the pact between them gave much-needed confidence.
It wasn't just Miranda and George's story though. We also had Peter and Ann, Emily and Nathaniel, and even Ebenezer's. They all tied in nicely and led to a very satisfying ending. I thought the epilogue was perfect.
A great story that I thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend.
** 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 19, 2025
I loved Miranda and George and all the scenes they shared. Neither of these characters was perfect, but they were perfect for each other. I loved seeing the growth and change in their personalities as the pact between them gave much-needed confidence.
It wasn't just Miranda and George's story though. We also had Peter and Ann, Emily and Nathaniel, and even Ebenezer's. They all tied in nicely and led to a very satisfying ending. I thought the epilogue was perfect.
A great story that I thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend.
** 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 19, 2025
Let's do pretend!! Hamburger shop! - Work Experience-Based Brain Training App
Education and Games
App
◆◇◆ Learn! Play! An Experience! ◆◇◆ ◇◆Let's do pretend!! Hamburger shop!◇◆ ...
Hospital Medical Coding - RVU,HCPCS,and CPT codes
Medical and Productivity
App
Code inpatient visits with confidence using Hospital Coding. Nearly 20% of office visits to primary...
Theatre in Scotland - A Field of Dreams
Joyce McMillan and Philip Howard
Book
'She has, to my knowledge, an almost unblemished record in never having failed to spot a great new...
Merissa (13176 KP) rated A Touch of Flame (Flame #5) in Books
Jul 31, 2017
A Touch of Flame (Flame #5) by Caris Roane
A Touch of Flame is the fifth book in the Flame series. This one deals with (Mark) Braden and Maeve. He is an alpha wolf, beaten near to death before his attackers were interrupted. Maeve is the one who saves him, and refuses to leave his side until he is well. They are both on a mission - to bring down the dark witch, Veyda. Maeve has been held prisoner by her in the past, but has gaps in her memory. Braden's wife was killed whilst being tortured by Veyda, so both of them have a vested interest.
This is a fast-paced, full of action, book that will hold your interest from beginning to end. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The storyline is smooth and well-rounded, and you definitely have a vested interest in the characters. Seeing Maeve's confidence grow in her own abilities was a great piece of writing. The flame world, with the alters who live there, continues to amaze. Absolutely recommended.
* 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!
This is a fast-paced, full of action, book that will hold your interest from beginning to end. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The storyline is smooth and well-rounded, and you definitely have a vested interest in the characters. Seeing Maeve's confidence grow in her own abilities was a great piece of writing. The flame world, with the alters who live there, continues to amaze. Absolutely recommended.
* 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!
Mariafrancesca (30 KP) rated Skyward in Books
Mar 30, 2019
Funny (2 more)
Character development
Unpredictable twists
It has been a long time since I was captivated by a book so badly I didn’t realised is was 3 am on a week night and I was still reading it. Brandon Sanderson is an amazing writer with a style the flows smoothly. However what I love about this writer is the way he depicts his characters. In a world where bravery is valued over everything (to the point that kids are thaught to blindly sacrifice themselves rather than be marked as a coward), Spensa grew up with the stigma of a coward father. But she is a fighter and she navigates life with the confidence of a hero from the past, only to find out - when faced with reality - that being an hero is not that easy. Skyward is a book about many things: spaceships, alien war, AI and human relations with them, post apocalypse society, and search for the truth. But mostly is the journey of a teenager who though she had everything figured it out only to discover that between black and white there are all the shades of colour and that everything in life comes at a price.
Merissa (13176 KP) rated Through Her Touch (Mind's Eye #5) in Books
Oct 24, 2018
Through Her Touch (Mind's Eye #5) by Deborah Camp
Through Her Touch is the fifth book in the Mind's Eye series, and we continue with Levi and Trudy, now happily married. Levi is working through his issues, with help from his psychiatrist and Trudy. Trudy is also working on her self-confidence, which has been lacking. Together, this pair are simply awesome!
This was once again an intricate and intriguing novel, full of red herrings and suspense. I will say I was able to guess who the killer was, but I was wrong for a long time. The characters, whether you like them or not, are all fully rounded and three-dimensional. The situations they find themselves in are believable, and it doesn't take much to start feeling for them. I love Levi, but I wish he would get over his jealousy as far as Trudy is concerned, especially when she has made every effort to placate him and prove her love.
With no editing or grammatical errors, I was able to lose myself in this story, reading it straight through (with only necessary interruptions) until I reached the conclusion. A magnificent tale and a welcomed addition to the series. Highly recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This was once again an intricate and intriguing novel, full of red herrings and suspense. I will say I was able to guess who the killer was, but I was wrong for a long time. The characters, whether you like them or not, are all fully rounded and three-dimensional. The situations they find themselves in are believable, and it doesn't take much to start feeling for them. I love Levi, but I wish he would get over his jealousy as far as Trudy is concerned, especially when she has made every effort to placate him and prove her love.
With no editing or grammatical errors, I was able to lose myself in this story, reading it straight through (with only necessary interruptions) until I reached the conclusion. A magnificent tale and a welcomed addition to the series. Highly recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!