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The Perfect Stranger
The Perfect Stranger
Megan Miranda | 2017 | Mystery
8
7.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh the dreaded second book! I know Miranda has written more than 2 books, but this is her second adult mystery novel, and while it wasn’t perfect (pun intended) it wasn’t bad and I think some people are giving this a bit of a harsh time!

I can understand where people are coming from, in terms of not connecting with the characters. I wasn’t particularly a fan of Leah myself, but I had enough empathy towards her to be interested in her story. Kyle, I had mixed feelings about, I didn’t like the romance element that Miranda fit in with him and Leah and I thought he was trying to play-it-cool too much while still being really clingy.

I’ve seen some people complain about the motives behind Leah’s move and “new life”, saying it was lack lustre and unworthy of all the dramatics, but I thought it was a pretty good, and quite unique, twist to the story and helped explain Leah’s reservedness well. As for the main twist – what happened to Emmy? – I half saw it coming and half didn’t. There was certainly an element of surprise there for me so I was happy with the way the plot went, for the most part. In fact, I was more surprised by this novel than I was with All the Missing Girls, which I guessed the ending of, part way through.

At times, I found my thoughts getting a little bit muddled with all the names and how everyone fit in, but when it’s all “resolved” at the end, things became clearer.

The writing in this is, as always, superbly atmospheric and descriptive. Miranda certainly knows how to write!

Overall, I actually really enjoyed this book, reading it and finishing it in the early hours of the morning. I will definitely keep my eyes open for more of Miranda’s work, clearly, she is a woman of many genres!

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.</i>
  
Fierce Kingdom
Fierce Kingdom
Gin Phillips | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Have you ever read a book that’s brought out emotions in you that you weren’t even aware of? Because that is what happened to me when reading this book. I had no idea that I had innate maternal feelings, I’ve never felt broody or motherly at any point in my life, but something about the writing in this book pulled all the right strings, and I suddenly had “motherly emotions”. Phillip’s writing is superb and if you’re lucky enough to have a day off to read this, you will certainly get through it within a few hours.

This book is definitely a thriller, but because of the topics in it, all the “would I have done that?” questions running through your head, you can get completely lost in the moment of this story, only remembering Joan & Lincoln are hiding from gunmen when it’s mentioned in Joan’s narrative.

The characterisation in this is so good it’s hard to explain how good it is. Phillips is a mother herself so she is clearly writing from her own heart here. Joan is exactly the way I imagine being a mother feels, Lincoln is a little bundle of joy throughout the darkness of the book, and Robby is a tragic and sociopathic killer.

I can’t tell you that this book is perfect, because it’s not. The writing, for me, pretty much was perfect, but the plot lacked a little, especially at the end when I was left wanting more. More explanation, or a more rounded conclusion.

Overall, this was a seriously emotive and beautiful novel. It will bring out some seriously strong emotions in you and it will thrill you. This gets a very strong 4/4.5 stars from me.

<i>Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for sending me an ARC copy of this book. And also to Netgalley for my eARC copy. (I was sent the physical ARC after the Netgalley approval, I wasn’t being greedy!)</i>
  
Worth The |Risk (Infinity #1)
Worth The |Risk (Infinity #1)
C.J. Lynne | 2016 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
5.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
solid four star read
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Tyler and Jax meet in the club that Tyler works in, Infinity. Their reaction to each is is instant and powerful. Then Tyler finds out just who Jax is, and he fights the attraction. And just when they get back on an even keel, something else pushes Tyler to question whether he is really worth the risk to Jax.

For the most part, I enjoyed this. There were a couple a lines, and phrases that kept popping up that kept it from getting the full five stars, though. Not listing them here, either cos they is wude, and some site are a little prudish in what you are allowed to say!

I loved that Jax goes all in, right from the start, making his feelings known, that Ty is really worth his time and effort, and he says those magic words early, with I don't usually like. HOWEVER, Jax makes it clear that while HE said them, Tyler can say them when he is ready, even if Jax knew how Tyler really felt at that point. Cos Jax can read Ty like the books he writes!

Ty takes some time, to word how he feels, though. He isn't sure when Jax will dump him, that's what he expects to happen. It takes time for Ty to really see that maybe, just maybe, Jax will stick around.

I did expect a couple of certain character to make trouble, but they don't. Someone else does that! Loved that Jax' family take on Tyler as a second son.

Apart from the repetitive phrases, it's very well written, from both guys plus another's point of view. These guys are at it like bunnies, and it's very explicit. Very much to my liking after several not so explicit books ?

A solid 4 star read.

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
My Name Is Venus Black
My Name Is Venus Black
Heather Lloyd | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Totally not what I was expecting, but I really enjoyed My Name is Venus Black. I really liked most of the characters, I loved that this was set in the 80s as my childhood was as well, and I'm a big fan of books that show fractured lives can have hope to become whole again.

Venus Black did a bad thing and she's probably going to pay for it, for the rest of her life. The choices she made will interwine, spread, and eventually affect so many other people's lives - including a whole slew of complete strangers. People will talk about her for a long time and she will always have her decisions hanging over her.

I loved how the story unfolded, skipping and summarizing mundane spans of life, and POV from one character to another. I especially loved Leo's point of view, Venus' little brother who is a developmentally disabled child struggling since Venus, his most favorite person, did this bad thing. I enjoyed his descriptive feelings: "The cello makes a yellow sound" - and anger is red. The simplicity in which he views the world is sad, but also a bit refreshing. I thought the space and solar system references throughout were a fun addition to the story as well.

The story proves that being a parent is just as difficult as being a kid in this world, and there is kindness in lots of people that comes out in different ways, and family isn't always who shares your blood, but who shares your love. There is also evil in the world that sometimes isn't always as cut and dry as most believe.

I had some issues with some parts of the story.- they were a bit unbelieveable and I wanted more detail - but I tried to let them go and just enjoy the story and all it's twist and turns. Overall I'm really glad I took a chance and read it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review.
  
An intimate portrayal of Lisa Romeos larger-than-life father, Starting With Goodbye is so raw and emotional it gave me all the feels. All of them. This narrative hits particularly close to home, realizing how hard it is to come to terms with aging parents, and our aging selves.

This is a hard book to rate. You watch Lisa go through these feelings, ups and downs, and roller-coasters of emotions, yet I see the privilege and the money and just can't connect, and in some instances - I can't feel for her. But this is her story - I can't fault her for having what I did not.

Having this intimate look inside of her grief feels almost like spying, like we don't belong here, this isn't our story to read. But it's all part of it. But loss is loss, and it's sad all around and it's so very interesting to see inside someones head at their most painful moments.

I marvel in how she processes the loss of her father. It's brave. It's commendable. The things she does, and admits - I don't know if I could. I feel like I learned a lot, yet I'll still be unprepared as the same moments in life come for myself.

I believe if every person wrote the memoir of a beloved parents passing - they'd all be so different. Different stories and heartfelt memories of the past and completely unalike ways of grieving and how one handles it. But they'd all be the same: raw, sad, and beautiful.

I read this because I was curious... who would write something so personal, and so private? But I didn't find myself all that sad reading this. I was sad FOR her, but mostly I admired Lisa (and her eloquent prose), I adored her "mobster" dad, Tony, and I smiled at her story - because she wrote an ode to her hero and was courageous in doing so. It was like the ultimate love story between a daughter and her father.
  
Dares, Lies &amp; Gemini&#039;s
Dares, Lies & Gemini's
Kat Alexander | 2018 | Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Unpredictable twist (0 more)
This book was incredible
Tristana and Peter live as roommates in a boarding house in Virginia. When they first meet, there is an instant connection between the two. Tristana, though, is too involved in her work and Peter is still working out issues of his own after the death of his brother.

Seraphina is a club girl who likes going out and finding the bad boys. Men that are willing to cheat to have a piece of her. Nathan stand on the sideline and watches her, trying to figure out why she is doing this to herself. But he is always there to step in in case there is a problem.

Will these couples ever get their lives together in order to be much happier as partners instead of singles? Will Tristana be able to break out of her shell around Peter? Will Nathan ever reveal himself to Seraphina and tell her his true feelings?

Thank you to Kat Alexander for the opportunity to read and review this book. She is now on my list of authors whose books I'm going to get without reading the description.

I was hooked on this story from the start. The characters are intriguing and I could totally identify with Seraphina. I was very anxious to find out what was going to happen with these characters. Then about half way through the book BOOM!!! The atomic bomb was dropped on the whole story. Usually when reading book, you know a twist is going to come or you can guess what is going to happen next. I didn't see this coming at all!! From that point on, nothing in life mattered except finding out what was going to happen next.

I can't say much more without giving away spoilers, but if you like a romantic novel with a huge twist, pick up this book today.
  
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T.N. Nova (30 KP) rated Why I Trust You in Books

Jun 24, 2018 (Updated Jun 24, 2018)  
Why I Trust You
Why I Trust You
Colette Davison | 2018 | LGBTQ+, Romance
10
6.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Why I Trust You by Colette Davison is the third book in the Why I series. You can find our reviews for Why I Left You and Why I Need You by following the links. Each one can be read as a stand-alone and is loosely tied together by recurring characters.

I started reading the Why I series from the very beginning and have followed Colette throughout the series. I fell in love with her writing from the first page. Each book is an amazing work of art and her latest release - Why I Trust You - did not disappoint. In fact, while I love the first two books, this book goes above and beyond. It has to be my absolute favorite - and that says quite a bit.

Martin is a computer developer who is on a mission to find the best graphic artist for his latest game that he’s crating. An overachiever who turns everything he makes into gold has quite the high standards for the person he hires. Ryan is an artist who is in an abusive relationship but wants to get out of it. He wows Martin with his art designs for the game that’s being developed. Both men have trust issues from their past.

There is so much I can say about this book. It’s sweet, sexy, hot and loving. So many feelings that this story draws out of you! There are times when I actually found myself laughing out loud and other times when I wanted to beat the living daylights out of Ryan’s ex, Zane. The story grabs you by the arm, draws you right in, and refuses to let you go until the very last sentence.It’s a must-read for anyone who loves a good romance with characters who are working toward bettering themselves and overcoming obstacles.


I’m a complete and total #TeamMartin and #TeamRyan fan! Thank you Colette! (less) [edit]
Mar 31, 2018 [edi
  
Waking to Black (Uninhibited #1)
Waking to Black (Uninhibited #1)
V.H. Luis | 2018 | Erotica, Romance
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
3 good solid stars
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

First person, present tense is the reason why I very nearly didn't finish this one. Not my favourite way for a book to be written, and I make no apologies for having dumped books before upon finding out they are written this way.

But I didn't dump this one. I kept at it, and I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this. I did not love it though.

Evelyn has secrets and has been hiding from the world, existing say to day. Getting held up in a bank, and meeting Adam Black made her start living. But those secrets are hard to share, and she doesn't know if Adam will share his secrets too.

Aside from the present tense thing, I wanted Adam to have a voice, I really did and he doesn't. And because he doesn't, Evelyn began to grate on my nerves. I've no particular idea WHY, she just did. That's what I'm left felling and ya'll know I'm all about sharing my feelings!

This is book one in the Uninhibited trilogy. This is, as far as I can see, also book one for this author. Do I want to read more of the trilogy?? I don't know yet. I'm waiting to find out if Adam gets a say. I'm not sure I can face two more long (400 odd pages) full only of Evelyn.

The book comes with a BDSM tag, but I saw no evidence of that. I've tagged it over 18, and darker/grittier, because of what Evelyn went through and is still dealing with. Some readers may find it difficult reading. I'm not saying here, because that is a HUGE spoiler, but feel free to message me if you wish to know.

BUT!!

For a first time author, something must have clicked because I got past the present tense thing and read it all. So well done for that!

3 solid GOOD stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Untamed (Thoughtless, #4)
Untamed (Thoughtless, #4)
SC Stephens | 2015 | Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh, Griffin... (smh). First off, I am a HUGE fan of the Thoughtless series. This is one of my all-time TOP favorite series. SC Stephens has a way of writing that brings you so close to the characters that you feel as if you know them personally. I was completely caught up emotionally in this series from day one and I still carry it with me. It's almost scary his much this series affected me... I was so overly sensitive to their thoughts and feelings, it was as if I was experiencing it firsthand. This most recent addition was no exception. On a personal note, this was a very tough book for me to read as the overall theme hit very close to home for me. Watching the lies and deceit flow so easily from Griffin was very hard to stomach. His snowball of bad decisions was painful to watch, for him, Anna and the girls and for the rest of the band and family. I love the D-Bags but always saw Griffin as that annoying friend that you just can't help but love and hate. I found him incredibly annoying at times and hearing it all from his POV was interesting as you saw that he did truly justify his actions.. in his own Griffin kinda way. As frustrating as it was at times, making me want to smack the $hit out of him, he was easier to understand. In the end, he rectified himself in a way that I never thought Id seem, nor did anyone else!? We all got to finally see out Hulk grown up. He's still there, just in controlled doses.. ;-) His relationship with Anna and the girls was beautiful to witness.. we really got to see a whole other side to him. This book tore me up, left me hanging at moment, scared to death and made me bawl my eyes out... Yet another masterpiece form SC Stephens.. surely not to be missed!
  
Heartless
Heartless
Marissa Meyer | 2017 | Children
9
8.3 (33 Ratings)
Book Rating
Infuriating
I had such high hopes for this book, everything about it called to me. A re-take on an aspect of the crazy that is Alice in Wonderland that had a fantasy premise, I wanted to like, even love this book. My mind and heart are smashed into smithereens and I don't even feel that I can express my true feelings in this review or else I will spoil for others. There are no spoilers so please forgive any vague statements.

What I like about this book were the two lead characters Jest and Cath. Cath started as a disillusioned young woman, entitled in the true sense but longing to be ordinary and follow her love of baking. Cath evolved into a spirited but whiney woman but towards the end became unrecognisable and I can't even say there was a journey to the change in her. Cath become a bomb.

Jest was absolutely wonderful in every way. He was mysterious but loyal and he fell in love with Cath. I loved his character, his quirkiness, his tricks, his hat. Many of the side characters were enchanting: Cheshire, Raven and Hatter really stick out.

This book was difficult to read and slow in pace until 60% but I powered on. At 60% it got pretty exciting and the pace picked up. Then a bomb was dropped and my investment in this world and book fell apart. Words cannot express my heartache and I am disillusioned with how the author dealt with the events that occurred. The characters had intangible behaviour towards the end and the lack of story once the events occurred was truly disappointing. I could have coped with the events if they were supported by good writing and depth, they were not. I feel let down as a reader and I can't see myself returning to this author again.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.