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Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, #1) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
<i>The Iron Hunt</i> is a beautifully written book with some interesting twists on established fantasy memes. To some extent, I felt that I'd come in to the world on book 2 or 3, but as far as I know (and from what Amazon says) this is the first book of the Hunter Kiss series. There was a bit of Buffy and a little Witchblade, with other elements I'm sure I'm overlooking.
For once, it's good to see a novel in which an established couple has a seemingly-healthy relationship. Maxine and Grant have very different skills, but they work together well. That said, this is <b>not</b> a romance.
Edited to add: I just learned that there is, in fact, a prequel to this book in <i>The Wild Thing</i> anthology, which I hadn't heard of before. I'll certainly be looking for it.
For once, it's good to see a novel in which an established couple has a seemingly-healthy relationship. Maxine and Grant have very different skills, but they work together well. That said, this is <b>not</b> a romance.
Edited to add: I just learned that there is, in fact, a prequel to this book in <i>The Wild Thing</i> anthology, which I hadn't heard of before. I'll certainly be looking for it.
Carma (21 KP) rated Leather and Lace (Lonesome Point, Texas, #1) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Through a free book of day web page I stumbled upon a new to me author named Jessie Evans. Leather and Lace (Lonesome Point Texas) was the first book I’ve ever read by Jessie and can I just say, I will now be reading the rest of the books in her repertoire.
Leather and Lace is book #1 in the Lonesome Point Texas series. The main characters are Mia Sherman and Sawyer Kane. Mia’s family is one of prominence in the community and she recently returned home after a relationship turned bad and failed. Sawyer Kane was new to town coming for work opportunities, having ended a bad relationship recently. Neither was looking to start a new relationship until when they literally run into each other changes that.
Mia’s family has established themselves as solid settlers of Lonesome Point Texas. Mia’s grandmother runs the historic society old town, trying to keep the sightseers coming back to enjoy the history and ghost stories it provides. Mia runs her own lingerie store trying to shed the old stigma of being the town prankster but failing miserably. She just got out of a failed relationship and is just looking to have a little fun with her friends and family. After a night out with friends she decided to have a little fun with the items from her store and panty up the town. She “decorated” her cousin’s yard and while trying to escape detection, ran full force into Sawyer Kane. With a family curse and haunted house in her life this was not what she was looking for.
Sawyer Kane headed to Lonesome Point in place of his uncle who wanted him to check out a possible refurbish project. Trying to find a place to eat one night let him smack dab into Mia Sherman. He wasn’t looking for a new relationship but after their run in he can’t get her out of his mind. Can he convince her to give a relationship a chance, curse be damned.
Throw in a back story of drama, bad relationships and psychotic exes leads them toward each other and questioning getting involved again. I can’t wait to get further into Lonesome Point and its fun loving residents.
Leather and Lace is book #1 in the Lonesome Point Texas series. The main characters are Mia Sherman and Sawyer Kane. Mia’s family is one of prominence in the community and she recently returned home after a relationship turned bad and failed. Sawyer Kane was new to town coming for work opportunities, having ended a bad relationship recently. Neither was looking to start a new relationship until when they literally run into each other changes that.
Mia’s family has established themselves as solid settlers of Lonesome Point Texas. Mia’s grandmother runs the historic society old town, trying to keep the sightseers coming back to enjoy the history and ghost stories it provides. Mia runs her own lingerie store trying to shed the old stigma of being the town prankster but failing miserably. She just got out of a failed relationship and is just looking to have a little fun with her friends and family. After a night out with friends she decided to have a little fun with the items from her store and panty up the town. She “decorated” her cousin’s yard and while trying to escape detection, ran full force into Sawyer Kane. With a family curse and haunted house in her life this was not what she was looking for.
Sawyer Kane headed to Lonesome Point in place of his uncle who wanted him to check out a possible refurbish project. Trying to find a place to eat one night let him smack dab into Mia Sherman. He wasn’t looking for a new relationship but after their run in he can’t get her out of his mind. Can he convince her to give a relationship a chance, curse be damned.
Throw in a back story of drama, bad relationships and psychotic exes leads them toward each other and questioning getting involved again. I can’t wait to get further into Lonesome Point and its fun loving residents.
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Suite 606 (In Death, #27.5) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I only read the story by [a:J.D. Robb|17065|J.D. Robb|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1202524651p2/17065.jpg]. I glanced at the other three, but they're primarily romance stories, which do NOT interest me.
The whole point of these little anthologies is to introduce readers who enjoy an established author's work to other, similar authors, right?
I know that J.D. Robb is a pen name for [a:Nora Roberts|11139|Mary Shelley|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1205347203p2/11139.jpg]. I know that the stories she publishes as NR are romances. If I saw an anthology anchored by an NR story, I'd expect it to be full of romances.
However, I don't read the NR stuff. I only read her JDR books, which have a little romantic spice about the main character, Eve Dallas, and her husband Roarke, with occasional glimpses into Eve's partner, Peabody's, relationship with her guy, McNab. That's it, though. Neither of those sets of relationships are the focal point of the plots. The mystery/crime is the main thing, and while they're set in the future with the advantages of technology we don't yet have, they're essentially police procedurals. (I don't consider them SF, quite, because all the tech seems to be extrapolated from what we have now, and quite plausible. And, of course, the tech isn't the point of the stories, either.)
So why not put similar stories in an anthology anchored by a JDR story? Why why why? Misleading and disappointing readers is NOT the way to garner any positive buzz for the lesser-known authors, and the backlash can lead to less enthusiasm from established readers (like me) for the established author's work.
The whole point of these little anthologies is to introduce readers who enjoy an established author's work to other, similar authors, right?
I know that J.D. Robb is a pen name for [a:Nora Roberts|11139|Mary Shelley|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1205347203p2/11139.jpg]. I know that the stories she publishes as NR are romances. If I saw an anthology anchored by an NR story, I'd expect it to be full of romances.
However, I don't read the NR stuff. I only read her JDR books, which have a little romantic spice about the main character, Eve Dallas, and her husband Roarke, with occasional glimpses into Eve's partner, Peabody's, relationship with her guy, McNab. That's it, though. Neither of those sets of relationships are the focal point of the plots. The mystery/crime is the main thing, and while they're set in the future with the advantages of technology we don't yet have, they're essentially police procedurals. (I don't consider them SF, quite, because all the tech seems to be extrapolated from what we have now, and quite plausible. And, of course, the tech isn't the point of the stories, either.)
So why not put similar stories in an anthology anchored by a JDR story? Why why why? Misleading and disappointing readers is NOT the way to garner any positive buzz for the lesser-known authors, and the backlash can lead to less enthusiasm from established readers (like me) for the established author's work.
Merissa (12058 KP) rated Alpha (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #4) in Books
Oct 4, 2022
ALPHA is the fourth book in the Blood Moon, Texas Shifters series and London and Brody get their time to shine. I definitely recommend you read this in order as the overall story arc goes from book one and I feel you would miss out on some of the finer details if you don't.
Brody and London are both Alphas of their packs, and an archaic law says two alphas can't be mated. So both of them act as though it's just a bit of fun when everyone else knows it's not. As their relationship as friends and lovers is already long established, you don't get a lot in the way of their relationship changing or growing.
The overall arc moves along at a fair rate of knots in this edition, almost overshadowing the story between Brody and London in places. All of it was important and relevant, mind you. I just felt as though Brody and London's personal connection got lost in the mix even though they were the key players in the story.
A great addition to the series and I definitely recommend it, on the proviso that you read the others first!
** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Brody and London are both Alphas of their packs, and an archaic law says two alphas can't be mated. So both of them act as though it's just a bit of fun when everyone else knows it's not. As their relationship as friends and lovers is already long established, you don't get a lot in the way of their relationship changing or growing.
The overall arc moves along at a fair rate of knots in this edition, almost overshadowing the story between Brody and London in places. All of it was important and relevant, mind you. I just felt as though Brody and London's personal connection got lost in the mix even though they were the key players in the story.
A great addition to the series and I definitely recommend it, on the proviso that you read the others first!
** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Merissa (12058 KP) rated His Rockstar Dom in Books
Nov 14, 2023
HIS ROCKSTAR DOM is a standalone novella that tells of a well-established rock band, Glitter Kinks, and the musicians that make it up. Most of them are okay (or more than okay) but Sal is causing them BIG problems. Braylin was hired as a guitar tech. Also plays guitar and is a lifelong fan of the band and the lead singer, Zen.
What I loved about this was the communication! It's there - on every page! A couple of misunderstandings are quickly dealt with by talking it out. Wow, consider that! Zen knows what he wants out of the relationship, and Braylin is completely innocent but prepared to be guided by Zen. Zen listens and is prepared to take things slowly, going at Bray's pace. Oh, man! Be still, my beating heart. It was just perfect. The relationship between them was natural and unforced and I loved every word.
It wasn't just the dynamics of Zen and Bray though, it was between Bray and the whole band, the whole on-tour group. They melded and made it perfect.
I love Morticia Knight's books and this is no different. If I had one complaint, it would be that I didn't want it to end!
Hot - Innocent - Perfect! HIGHLY 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!
Nov 14, 2023
What I loved about this was the communication! It's there - on every page! A couple of misunderstandings are quickly dealt with by talking it out. Wow, consider that! Zen knows what he wants out of the relationship, and Braylin is completely innocent but prepared to be guided by Zen. Zen listens and is prepared to take things slowly, going at Bray's pace. Oh, man! Be still, my beating heart. It was just perfect. The relationship between them was natural and unforced and I loved every word.
It wasn't just the dynamics of Zen and Bray though, it was between Bray and the whole band, the whole on-tour group. They melded and made it perfect.
I love Morticia Knight's books and this is no different. If I had one complaint, it would be that I didn't want it to end!
Hot - Innocent - Perfect! HIGHLY 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!
Nov 14, 2023
Michael Apted recommended Kes (1969) in Movies (curated)
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Killbox (Sirantha Jax, #4) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
Killbox won't make any sense without reading the previous three books, and I honestly feel that I should have gone back and re-read them before starting it. I was impatient for more fresh Aguirre after finishing [b:Shady Lady|6767883|Shady Lady (Corine Solomon, #3)|Ann Aguirre|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1302689192s/6767883.jpg|6913777], though, and [b:Killbox|7843135|Killbox (Sirantha Jax, #4)|Ann Aguirre|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1282093259s/7843135.jpg|6913748] is what I had on the Nook.
I really love Sirantha Jax's strength and complexity. She has grown and changed a great deal over the four books of the series, and reflects on the changes in herself during this book. Her relationship with March has deepened, as well. The depiction of a mature relationship being tested, rather than one that is fresh and new, is a nice switch from most of the books I've read recently.
The friendship between Velith and Jax is also a treasure. It is rare to see a pure friendship between a male and a female in fiction, without any sexual tension entering the picture. We're reminded that while he is an alien, Velith has had a human lover in the past, so it isn't as if that is impossible between the two — it just doesn't occur.
The book isn't solely about relationships, of course — I just appreciate how well Aguirre depicts relationships in and around the excellent plot. That's the part that you need background to understand.
The Morgut keep coming, a bigger threat than ever: they're colonizing instead of raiding. Jax secured a treaty with the Ithiss-Tor (Velith's people), but there's no help from them coming yet. Humanity's survival is on the line. Aguirre depicts battle believably, giving a sense of the horror without dwelling too much on gore.
Lovers are torn apart, established characters die, new ones come on stage. It's impossible to know at any given moment whether anyone, including Jax, will survive from scene to scene. That certainly kept me reading, and I think it will engage you, as well.
I really love Sirantha Jax's strength and complexity. She has grown and changed a great deal over the four books of the series, and reflects on the changes in herself during this book. Her relationship with March has deepened, as well. The depiction of a mature relationship being tested, rather than one that is fresh and new, is a nice switch from most of the books I've read recently.
The friendship between Velith and Jax is also a treasure. It is rare to see a pure friendship between a male and a female in fiction, without any sexual tension entering the picture. We're reminded that while he is an alien, Velith has had a human lover in the past, so it isn't as if that is impossible between the two — it just doesn't occur.
The book isn't solely about relationships, of course — I just appreciate how well Aguirre depicts relationships in and around the excellent plot. That's the part that you need background to understand.
The Morgut keep coming, a bigger threat than ever: they're colonizing instead of raiding. Jax secured a treaty with the Ithiss-Tor (Velith's people), but there's no help from them coming yet. Humanity's survival is on the line. Aguirre depicts battle believably, giving a sense of the horror without dwelling too much on gore.
Lovers are torn apart, established characters die, new ones come on stage. It's impossible to know at any given moment whether anyone, including Jax, will survive from scene to scene. That certainly kept me reading, and I think it will engage you, as well.
Isabel Smith (34 KP) rated Our Kind of Cruelty: A Novel in Books
Jun 22, 2018
Our Kind of Cruelty is an engrossing, in-depth case study of the weirdly obsessive and detrimental love story between Mike Hayes and Verity Walton. Author Araminta Hall only provides readers with Mike’s point of view, so there are some limitations into what we can glean about Verity’s thoughts, motivations, and behaviors. Nevertheless, seeds of doubt are sown from the beginning of the story about both characters’ integrity and reliability.
Mike and Verity have been inseparable since meeting at university and starting up their one-of-a-kind relationship. During their early years they established a disturbing game which they referred to as the Crave, in which they always benefited at the expense of others. It is unclear who started the game, as Verity will say Mike did and vice versa. Similarly, a number of other relevant events in their tumultuous relationship are clouded with duplicity, right down to the moment when one of their so-called Crave victims ends up dead. What ensues is a riveting trial in which a jury (and readers) must navigate through the he-said/she-said testimonies and decide who the guilty party is.
In the ever-growing mound of psychological thrillers that have skyrocketed since the release of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, Araminta Hall’s latest work really stands out due to the fact that she’s changed up the ever popular unreliable narrator trope. In Our Kind of Cruelty, the central unreliable narrator is a male; typically readers have been treated to unpredictable and untrustworthy females. Needless to say, I really enjoyed this twist. I also really enjoyed the court procedural part of the book; reading the conflicting accounts between Mike and Verity was like watching a riveting tennis match where the ball is whacked mercilessly back and forth between both parties. Check this book out today if you’re in the mood for something dark yet intriguing, something that will leave you thinking and wondering long after you’ve finished the book.
Mike and Verity have been inseparable since meeting at university and starting up their one-of-a-kind relationship. During their early years they established a disturbing game which they referred to as the Crave, in which they always benefited at the expense of others. It is unclear who started the game, as Verity will say Mike did and vice versa. Similarly, a number of other relevant events in their tumultuous relationship are clouded with duplicity, right down to the moment when one of their so-called Crave victims ends up dead. What ensues is a riveting trial in which a jury (and readers) must navigate through the he-said/she-said testimonies and decide who the guilty party is.
In the ever-growing mound of psychological thrillers that have skyrocketed since the release of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, Araminta Hall’s latest work really stands out due to the fact that she’s changed up the ever popular unreliable narrator trope. In Our Kind of Cruelty, the central unreliable narrator is a male; typically readers have been treated to unpredictable and untrustworthy females. Needless to say, I really enjoyed this twist. I also really enjoyed the court procedural part of the book; reading the conflicting accounts between Mike and Verity was like watching a riveting tennis match where the ball is whacked mercilessly back and forth between both parties. Check this book out today if you’re in the mood for something dark yet intriguing, something that will leave you thinking and wondering long after you’ve finished the book.
tapestry100 (306 KP) rated Star Wars: Lords of the Sith in Books
Aug 8, 2017
Contains spoilers, click to show
I've been a huge Star Wars fan since I was a kid (I can remember going to see the very first Star Wars film in the theater), but I have never read one of the novels before. By the time that I realized there were SW novels out there, there were already so many published that I didn't know where to start to get caught up on them, so I just let them slide, and continued on enjoying the movies. With the establishment of the new Lucasfilm official canon, I decided to try giving some of the new books a try, as it seemed much more manageable this way, and Lords of the Sith had recently been released, so it seemed as good a place to start as any.
The planet of Ryloth is integral to the Empire as both a source of slave labor and the substance known as "spice" (this does bug me a little bit - come up with something that a little more original that doesn't sound like you lifted it directly from Dune), but the inhabitants of Ryloth want to be free. The "Free Ryloth" movement is created for that purpose; led by Cham and Isval, the movement has simply been trying to be a thorn in the Empire's side, but when they learn that both the Emperor and Darth Vader are personally coming to the planet, they see an opportunity to assassinate them both and watch the Empire dissolve as a result.
Of course, without even reading the book, you know that the Emperor and Vader are going to survive this story since they appear in Episodes IV-VI, so it's no surprise that they do survive the attack. What makes this book interesting is seeing their relationship and how they deal with being thrust into a situation that neither were anticipating. It's also interesting seeing a book written more from the point of view of the villains that the heroes. Kemp does a great job in fleshing out all of the characters, tho; Cham, Isval, and the other freedom fighters are just as realized as the Emperor and Vader, even tho they are not the main focus of the story. However, it's the relationship between the Emperor and Vader that is the real highlight of the book; seeing their interactions throughout the book and how that relationship is tested, it the real essence of the story, and Kemp does a great job making that relationship feel real.
The only true drawback that I would have to the book is actually getting to the main action of the book. We know that the Emperor and Vader are going to be trying to survive on Ryloth (this isn't spoilers, it's the whole point of the book), but actually getting them to the planet seems to take way too long. Practically half of the book is taken up with explaining aspects of the resistance unit, getting the Emperor and Vader to the planet, and finally the battle that forces them to crash land on the planet. I just kept wanting to jump ahead to when they finally arrive on the planet, as I knew that's when the story would really start moving. Once the action finally got going, however, the book was fantastic. It was interesting to see the Emperor and Vader's relationship in Vader's early days as a Sith.
I know a lot of people are discouraged by the decision to basically do away with the previously established Extended Universe books, but if this is what the future of the Star Wars fictional universe is going to look like, I'm OK with it.
Recommended, especially for Star Wars fans!
The planet of Ryloth is integral to the Empire as both a source of slave labor and the substance known as "spice" (this does bug me a little bit - come up with something that a little more original that doesn't sound like you lifted it directly from Dune), but the inhabitants of Ryloth want to be free. The "Free Ryloth" movement is created for that purpose; led by Cham and Isval, the movement has simply been trying to be a thorn in the Empire's side, but when they learn that both the Emperor and Darth Vader are personally coming to the planet, they see an opportunity to assassinate them both and watch the Empire dissolve as a result.
Of course, without even reading the book, you know that the Emperor and Vader are going to survive this story since they appear in Episodes IV-VI, so it's no surprise that they do survive the attack. What makes this book interesting is seeing their relationship and how they deal with being thrust into a situation that neither were anticipating. It's also interesting seeing a book written more from the point of view of the villains that the heroes. Kemp does a great job in fleshing out all of the characters, tho; Cham, Isval, and the other freedom fighters are just as realized as the Emperor and Vader, even tho they are not the main focus of the story. However, it's the relationship between the Emperor and Vader that is the real highlight of the book; seeing their interactions throughout the book and how that relationship is tested, it the real essence of the story, and Kemp does a great job making that relationship feel real.
The only true drawback that I would have to the book is actually getting to the main action of the book. We know that the Emperor and Vader are going to be trying to survive on Ryloth (this isn't spoilers, it's the whole point of the book), but actually getting them to the planet seems to take way too long. Practically half of the book is taken up with explaining aspects of the resistance unit, getting the Emperor and Vader to the planet, and finally the battle that forces them to crash land on the planet. I just kept wanting to jump ahead to when they finally arrive on the planet, as I knew that's when the story would really start moving. Once the action finally got going, however, the book was fantastic. It was interesting to see the Emperor and Vader's relationship in Vader's early days as a Sith.
I know a lot of people are discouraged by the decision to basically do away with the previously established Extended Universe books, but if this is what the future of the Star Wars fictional universe is going to look like, I'm OK with it.
Recommended, especially for Star Wars fans!
Storyline (1 more)
Characters
Short but Worth the Read!
Being an avid King fan, I could not wait to read his latest novel, Elevation, and was a bit dismayed by the brevity. Upon starting the first chapter, however, I quickly realized that King had once again duped me into thinking he was only capable of writing long, winding novels (I've been duped before by his short story books and by Joyland) and I was pleasantly entertained from the first word to the last.
Elevation is set in a small town, like most of King's stories, one which gives off the air of being both a town to love and one to avoid on a family trip; it has the small town charm we all look for but comes with the small town bigotry as well. Our main character is a long-time resident with an already established problem of which there seems to be no cure and a rocky relationship with his neighbors, one that has a profound effect on his future. King manages to pull his reader in from first page and attach you to his characters, and not just the protagonist but the supporting cast as well, in a way that will leave you desperately wishing there were just a few more pages.
All in all, Elevation is another Stephen King that should not be passed up, filled with a strong central message about how we view the world and the people in it.
Elevation is set in a small town, like most of King's stories, one which gives off the air of being both a town to love and one to avoid on a family trip; it has the small town charm we all look for but comes with the small town bigotry as well. Our main character is a long-time resident with an already established problem of which there seems to be no cure and a rocky relationship with his neighbors, one that has a profound effect on his future. King manages to pull his reader in from first page and attach you to his characters, and not just the protagonist but the supporting cast as well, in a way that will leave you desperately wishing there were just a few more pages.
All in all, Elevation is another Stephen King that should not be passed up, filled with a strong central message about how we view the world and the people in it.