ClareR (6253 KP) rated Love Forms in Books
Mar 8, 2026
She seems to have given up many things in her life all for the benefit of others. Giving up her daughter was to stop the scandal for her family; she gave up her career for the benefit of her marriage (it didn’t work) and her children. Being a doctor at the time was incompatible with motherhood for her.
This is a very melancholic read: Dawn appears to be lonely now her children have grown up and moved away. Her time is taken up with thoughts of her past, missed opportunities, and the search for her daughter. She has had failed attempts to find her daughter, and it sounds as though there were financial repercussions as well. There’s no mention of friends, as far as I can remember, just one male friend with benefits.
Should this have been on the Booker long list 2025 and now on the Women’s Prize long list? Why not, it’s an enjoyable, if rather sombre read.
Inji works for a secret branch of a well-known matchmaking agency. Men who would like a wife without the long term commitment, hire a Field Wife. She fulfils their every wish, be it domestic or sexual. Inji’s current husband is a repeat contract. He’s not very good at being a husband, and reinforces Inji’s opinions on marriage: unnecessary and unfulfilling. And then there’s the possibility of domestic violence and exploitation.
To be fair, this doesn’t paint a great picture of marriage in (this case) Korea. Inji doesn’t even refer to her husband by name. He’s just “husband”, which makes him almost incidental to the story.
There’s a lot going on in this novel: family dynamics, exploitation, modern slavery, death (by suicide?), prostitution.
And what is the trunk in the title? I personally think it’s Inji’s personal baggage: the emotions, feelings and responsibilities that she carries around with her all the time. This trunk goes with her between field husband, her family and her flat. She’s never without it.
Is it the thriller that it’s sold as? I don’t think so, but it is a very interesting glance into life in Korea, and I really enjoyed it.
Hooked On You (EMS Station 1 #1)
9.0
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Warrick (Rocky Mountain Pack #2)
7.0
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ClareR (6253 KP) rated The Surf House in Books
Feb 22, 2026
Bea is invited to The Surf House to hide out and gather her thoughts, and it seems idyllic. The descriptions of the sea, surfers and the beach almost made me want to learn how to surf somewhere hot (almost). But at the same time, it’s clear that there’s something else going on. Something rotten. When Bea finds out that a young woman went missing a year ago, she starts to notice more things that don’t seem right.
There are so many twists, turns and dead ends that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I did find myself wanting to shout at her to just leave - I was so frustrated! She is pretty naive. But this is so well written and evocative of the setting and Bea’s feelings when she feels trapped and scared (and she feels those things a lot!), that I can forgive her naivety!
Ideal for those who enjoy a good thriller!
Lindsay (1812 KP) rated Olive and the Valentine's Spell in Books
Feb 14, 2022
Will Olive overcome his fears and enjoy the holiday. Will he see this holiday like any other day and there will be no love. Then maybe love comes in many different forms. Will Olive realizes that and wants this memorable holiday to stick around.
Olive seems confused at the beginning and will let his fears run wild. Children will learn that Valentine's day is a special day for couples. But it also showed what love is and how it can be. It also teaches about overcoming your fear. A parent can help children with reading this book. This book shows that love is essential, which is why we celebrate it.
Forsaken (Reflections, #7)
10.0
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The power he needs to protect his friends and family is just outside of Alec Graves' reach. The...
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Her Guardian Angel (Her Angel: Eternal Warriors #1)
8.0
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A love so strong it will shake Heaven and Hell. A guardian angel dedicated to his duty, Marcus...
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Merissa (14068 KP) rated Darksider (Reveler #3) in Books
May 8, 2021 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
This story focuses on Harlen and Sera (short for Serafina). Sera has been having trouble sleeping for over a year as a stalker has been entering her dreams. She has been able to deal with it for so long but now exhaustion is catching up with her and she also sees her stalker in 'real' life. So she decides to call in Harlen, a man from her past who she used to travel in the Darkside with. Harlen still has feelings for her and is not impressed with her stubbornness in not contacting him straight away but puts that aside as he tries to help her.
Rook and Jordan, Coll and Maisie all make an appearance here as the overall story arc continues. Erin Kellison has managed to give Harlen and Sera a story as well as continuing with the others.
This is part of a series and as such, you will need to read the other books in order to get the benefit from them. However, this series is just getting better and better so I can definitely recommend you give them a try.
August 11, 2016
Craved by an Alpha (Eternal Mates #5)
8.0
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Having turned his back on his snow leopard pride, Cavanaugh has been counting the days until he’s...
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