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Sweet Obsession (Nights Series #4)
8.0
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He is the one person I love more than life itself. The one person I will do my utmost to protect....
M_M Contemporary Romance
A Terrible Country
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When Andrei Kaplan’s older brother Dima insists that Andrei return to Moscow to care for their...
Benoit (Owatonna U #3)
RJ Scott and V.L. Locey
10.0
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Senior year is here, and everything is on the line. Benoit’s time to shine in the crease is now,...
Contemporary MM Romance Sports
Melting For You (Neighborhood Shindig #1)
8.5
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After his father’s heart attack, Isaiah Morrell gave up cooking in his own high-end Atlanta...
Contemporary MM Romance
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2464 KP) rated With Vics You Get Eggroll in Books
Aug 22, 2021 (Updated Aug 22, 2021)
Will Madison Be the Next Abduction Vic?
Several single women have disappeared around the Dallas suburb where Madison Night lives in recent weeks, so all the women in the area are on high alert. That alert only goes up when the body of one of those women is found. There is evidence next to her body pointing the finger squarely at her abductor – Lt. Tex Allen. Lt. Allen happens to be a friend of Madison’s, and she knows he couldn’t have done it. With Tex suspended from his job at the police department while the investigation is ongoing, Madison finds herself involved in his attempts to clear his name. That’s only made more complicated by the return of Hudson James, the handyman that Madison might have feelings for. Will Madison figure out who the kidnapper is in time? Or will she be the next victim herself?
This book really did grab me from the first page, and it kept me hooked until I reached the final page. There were plenty of twists that surprised me, but the book was perfectly paced, so we had time to digest the new information before everything changed again. The characters are fabulous as well, especially Madison, Tex, and Hudson. I loved the character development all three of them got. This was also perfectly balanced and never slowed down the story. Since Madison Night is a huge Doris Day fan, there are some nods to the actress, and especially With Six You Get Eggroll. If you are familiar with the film, it will be a bonus, but you won’t miss anything if you haven’t seen it. It had been a while since I read the previous book in the series, and I wish I hadn’t let it be so long since I didn’t remember all we’d learned about the characters in the first two books. Still, that’s a very minor complaint and certainly my own fault. This is an outstanding book, and I can’t wait to visit Madison again.
This book really did grab me from the first page, and it kept me hooked until I reached the final page. There were plenty of twists that surprised me, but the book was perfectly paced, so we had time to digest the new information before everything changed again. The characters are fabulous as well, especially Madison, Tex, and Hudson. I loved the character development all three of them got. This was also perfectly balanced and never slowed down the story. Since Madison Night is a huge Doris Day fan, there are some nods to the actress, and especially With Six You Get Eggroll. If you are familiar with the film, it will be a bonus, but you won’t miss anything if you haven’t seen it. It had been a while since I read the previous book in the series, and I wish I hadn’t let it be so long since I didn’t remember all we’d learned about the characters in the first two books. Still, that’s a very minor complaint and certainly my own fault. This is an outstanding book, and I can’t wait to visit Madison again.
I have found the series to be lots of fun. It features a spunky heroine who is at home in all the great cities in Europe, is great at her job, and takes the more than occasional murder in stride.
The thing I find most intriguing and also most inviting about this series is the fact that the murder takes place so late in the story that you almost forget that this is supposed to be a murder mystery. Instead, you get to meet all the characters, learn their secrets and affiliations, begin to develop feelings for them. It is very Agatha Christie like and very cool. The great characters added to the brilliant descriptions of European cities, tour stops, and culture makes the reader feel like they are taking part in the tour and gives them a personal stake in discovering whodunnit.
Death of Leprechaun is no exception. Lana has secured a spot on her current tour for dear friends of hers and she is really looking forward to touring Dublin. Unbeknownst to her, almost every member of the tour has a connection to a corrupt reporter who ends up dead. Everyone he has written about or even for has a motive to want him dead, but only Lana’s tour group had access to the murder weapon.
Beyond the search for the murderer, I have to admit my favorite part of this book is when Dottie and later Lana hang a lantern on the fact that guests in Lana’s tours always seem to turn up dead. Though I will give kudos for the switch up here in that the tour group is still suspect, but the victim, is an outsider.
Readers who enjoy travel fiction, epic character development, and clever mysteries will enjoy this series.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
The thing I find most intriguing and also most inviting about this series is the fact that the murder takes place so late in the story that you almost forget that this is supposed to be a murder mystery. Instead, you get to meet all the characters, learn their secrets and affiliations, begin to develop feelings for them. It is very Agatha Christie like and very cool. The great characters added to the brilliant descriptions of European cities, tour stops, and culture makes the reader feel like they are taking part in the tour and gives them a personal stake in discovering whodunnit.
Death of Leprechaun is no exception. Lana has secured a spot on her current tour for dear friends of hers and she is really looking forward to touring Dublin. Unbeknownst to her, almost every member of the tour has a connection to a corrupt reporter who ends up dead. Everyone he has written about or even for has a motive to want him dead, but only Lana’s tour group had access to the murder weapon.
Beyond the search for the murderer, I have to admit my favorite part of this book is when Dottie and later Lana hang a lantern on the fact that guests in Lana’s tours always seem to turn up dead. Though I will give kudos for the switch up here in that the tour group is still suspect, but the victim, is an outsider.
Readers who enjoy travel fiction, epic character development, and clever mysteries will enjoy this series.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
Merissa (13592 KP) rated Bulletproof (Songbird, #2) in Books
Apr 11, 2023
So Bulletproof is Morgan's story. She is the eldest of the trio and came across in Fever as very much a mother figure. This time, though, we get to see WHY she is the way she is and how she really feels behind the mask that she wears for everyone. She is always the strong one, nothing can hurt her, she's bulletproof... or is she?!
This is an amazing story in its own right and not just as the second book in a series. Morgan is a brilliant character and the way you learn about her - her fears, foibles, hopes and dreams - takes you along for a ride. It's a bumpy one, mind you. Nothing is going quite as she thought it would when she was in college but then nothing usually is!
Sean is the other main character in this book and I have mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, I like that he came from 'humble' beginnings, had an honest outlook and naively thought that everyone else would have the same. He couldn't see it when someone was working against him. However, those same qualities drove me insane throughout the book until I was huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf whenever I felt he was doing something stupid! Thank goodness for his mum who certainly knew how to set him straight! I loved her!!
I'm keeping this review short(ish) because I don't want to give away any of the storyline. You really do need to read this book for yourself to fully appreciate it. What I can do is highly recommend it and say you'd be a fool to miss it. Looking forward to Jodi's story which is due out very soon.
* 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!
August 27, 2016
This is an amazing story in its own right and not just as the second book in a series. Morgan is a brilliant character and the way you learn about her - her fears, foibles, hopes and dreams - takes you along for a ride. It's a bumpy one, mind you. Nothing is going quite as she thought it would when she was in college but then nothing usually is!
Sean is the other main character in this book and I have mixed feelings about him. On the one hand, I like that he came from 'humble' beginnings, had an honest outlook and naively thought that everyone else would have the same. He couldn't see it when someone was working against him. However, those same qualities drove me insane throughout the book until I was huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf whenever I felt he was doing something stupid! Thank goodness for his mum who certainly knew how to set him straight! I loved her!!
I'm keeping this review short(ish) because I don't want to give away any of the storyline. You really do need to read this book for yourself to fully appreciate it. What I can do is highly recommend it and say you'd be a fool to miss it. Looking forward to Jodi's story which is due out very soon.
* 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!
August 27, 2016
ClareR (6054 KP) rated The Ophelia Girls in Books
Jan 18, 2022 (Updated Jan 18, 2022)
There is no denying that The Ophelia Girls is a beautifully written, all-consuming novel. The main characters of Ruth and her daughter Maeve, are similar, in that they are both still searching for their place in the world. Ruth seems to feel uncomfortable back in her childhood home, where memories of the summer of 1973 seem to still consume her. Maeve on the other hand, is at the start of being able to make good memories, after being officially told that she’s in remission from leukaemia. But she still feels like a child - and she doesn’t want to be.
And then along comes Stuart: her mother’s childhood friend, and a friend of her fathers as well. Stuart makes Maeve feel seen. And this is where my internal klaxon went off. Stuart comes across as a predator. He notices Maeve’s infatuation and revels in it, finally taking advantage of her feelings. At least this is how I interpreted it.
Maeve is a girl who has led a sheltered life - a life mainly in hospital. She hasn’t had the opportunity to mix with other children, boys specifically, and has little life experience with the opposite sex. Regardless of that, Stuart’s character truly made me see red. I know, I know, it’s a book, but if I could have reached in, pulled him out and disposed of him (not thought that through properly, obviously), I would have. I will say that the sex scenes between Maeve and Stuart aren’t written in a titillating way. It’s seen through Maeve’s eyes, and she truly believes that he loves her. All the same, if this doesn’t appeal to you, you might want to steer clear.
In contrast to her mother, Maeve does follow her heart, and the reader is left to decide whether she was actually any better off.
Do I recommend it? Yes, of course. It’s written with gorgeous, lyrical prose, and really makes you empathise with the characters. I’m glad I read it.
And then along comes Stuart: her mother’s childhood friend, and a friend of her fathers as well. Stuart makes Maeve feel seen. And this is where my internal klaxon went off. Stuart comes across as a predator. He notices Maeve’s infatuation and revels in it, finally taking advantage of her feelings. At least this is how I interpreted it.
Maeve is a girl who has led a sheltered life - a life mainly in hospital. She hasn’t had the opportunity to mix with other children, boys specifically, and has little life experience with the opposite sex. Regardless of that, Stuart’s character truly made me see red. I know, I know, it’s a book, but if I could have reached in, pulled him out and disposed of him (not thought that through properly, obviously), I would have. I will say that the sex scenes between Maeve and Stuart aren’t written in a titillating way. It’s seen through Maeve’s eyes, and she truly believes that he loves her. All the same, if this doesn’t appeal to you, you might want to steer clear.
In contrast to her mother, Maeve does follow her heart, and the reader is left to decide whether she was actually any better off.
Do I recommend it? Yes, of course. It’s written with gorgeous, lyrical prose, and really makes you empathise with the characters. I’m glad I read it.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Men (2022) (2022) in Movies
Jul 3, 2022
Men... am I right?
Harper takes some time away in the country, following the death of her husband. But the break isn't quite as restful as she'd hoped.
I had a lot of feelings about Men. The trouble was, every time I started thinking about it, my brain spiralled off into many debates.
With Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear, I was fairly certain that the performances would be solid. They didn't disappoint. Kinnear in particular showed immense dedication to his roles, especially considering some of the things he was having to do. But, despite the superb acting, the characters weren't all that easy to get along with... and yes, that's sort of the point, but never mind.
There seems to be a jumble of genres happening, the trailers for the film show some of its creepy horror-esque moments, and the dramatic portion is represented. In the middle of the film, where Harper suffers from phone issues, we get an odd flash of science fiction... it doesn't fit with the rest of the film, it could easily have been removed with no consequences and left us with something much more consistent.
According to writer and director, Alex Garland, the idea of Men is whatever the viewer takes away from it. I've heard plenty of opinions about the meaning behind the film, though mainly from a small demographic.
To me, it felt like a dive into the mind of a woman who had suffered psychological abuse, and how she deals with that trauma. There are certainly a lot of ways this could be taken, and Men could have been a bold statement, but not committing to an explanation was a bit of a cop out.
While I didn't dislike the experience of watching it on the big screen, I don't need to see it again. Ultimately, the inconsistencies left me wanting something more.
Originally posted on: emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2022/07/men-movie-review.html
Harper takes some time away in the country, following the death of her husband. But the break isn't quite as restful as she'd hoped.
I had a lot of feelings about Men. The trouble was, every time I started thinking about it, my brain spiralled off into many debates.
With Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear, I was fairly certain that the performances would be solid. They didn't disappoint. Kinnear in particular showed immense dedication to his roles, especially considering some of the things he was having to do. But, despite the superb acting, the characters weren't all that easy to get along with... and yes, that's sort of the point, but never mind.
There seems to be a jumble of genres happening, the trailers for the film show some of its creepy horror-esque moments, and the dramatic portion is represented. In the middle of the film, where Harper suffers from phone issues, we get an odd flash of science fiction... it doesn't fit with the rest of the film, it could easily have been removed with no consequences and left us with something much more consistent.
According to writer and director, Alex Garland, the idea of Men is whatever the viewer takes away from it. I've heard plenty of opinions about the meaning behind the film, though mainly from a small demographic.
To me, it felt like a dive into the mind of a woman who had suffered psychological abuse, and how she deals with that trauma. There are certainly a lot of ways this could be taken, and Men could have been a bold statement, but not committing to an explanation was a bit of a cop out.
While I didn't dislike the experience of watching it on the big screen, I don't need to see it again. Ultimately, the inconsistencies left me wanting something more.
Originally posted on: emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2022/07/men-movie-review.html