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Heart of the Warrior (All The King's Men, #2)
10.0
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Book
Severin was born to be a warrior. Conceived as a mixed-blood when his vampire father sexually...
Paranormal MM Romance
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Tulle Death Do Us Part in Books
Nov 4, 2023
Can Poly Catch a Killer Before They Dance Away?
Poly Monroe has been asked to close her fabric shop, Material Girl, for a private customer. It makes sense when she realizes that the customer is Beatriz Rosen, a famous ballerina trying to hide from the paparazzi, and she is looking for material for her wedding dress. Even with all the secrecy, a man shows up and picks a fight with Beatriz. That evening, Poly witnesses the two of them fighting on the street. A little while later, Poly finds the man dead. It’s only then she learns her connection to the wedding. Suddenly, Poly wants to figure out what is going on. Can she do it?
It's been seven years since we last visited these characters, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed them until I was reading this book. Yes, there is plenty of context given so if you are new to the series or haven’t read them recently, you’ll be in Poly’s world in no time. While I was happy to see the characters again, I really appreciated the growth that came out of the story. The mystery unfolds a little differently than a typical cozy, but that’s not a complaint since I was hooked the entire way through. There were a couple of small timeline issues, although they were minor overall. The worst made me chuckle. There’s a fun shout out to one of the author’s other series in the pages. Old fans will be happy to be back in Poly’s world, and new fans will be quickly hooked.
It's been seven years since we last visited these characters, and I hadn’t realized how much I missed them until I was reading this book. Yes, there is plenty of context given so if you are new to the series or haven’t read them recently, you’ll be in Poly’s world in no time. While I was happy to see the characters again, I really appreciated the growth that came out of the story. The mystery unfolds a little differently than a typical cozy, but that’s not a complaint since I was hooked the entire way through. There were a couple of small timeline issues, although they were minor overall. The worst made me chuckle. There’s a fun shout out to one of the author’s other series in the pages. Old fans will be happy to be back in Poly’s world, and new fans will be quickly hooked.
Merissa (13169 KP) rated Journey (The Academy #2) in Books
Jan 5, 2022
JOURNEY is the second book in The Academy series and we continue where book one left off. Jamie is still fighting being a wolf and wants Liam as her safety net. Wren is still protecting her and has made it clear he understands how she is feeling and won't pressure her for anything else.
Of course, this would all be over if Jamie chose Liam for real, so we have the story to go through first. There, you will find parts that may or may not surprise you, that help to fill in the story, as well as leave you with more questions that need answering.
The only downside of this -- for me -- is that is now another possible love triangle in the mix. Although Liam is out of the picture, it appears Alex is taking his place. Now, don't get me wrong, Jamie is a lot better in this book than the first, but I don't understand this "undeniable" attraction she seems to hold for everyone. Personally, I feel it takes something away from her character, to be pulled in every direction.
That being said, there is enough intrigue and mystery to keep most people happy. I am enjoying the changes in the characters as the story progresses and I look forward to continuing with the series.
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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Of course, this would all be over if Jamie chose Liam for real, so we have the story to go through first. There, you will find parts that may or may not surprise you, that help to fill in the story, as well as leave you with more questions that need answering.
The only downside of this -- for me -- is that is now another possible love triangle in the mix. Although Liam is out of the picture, it appears Alex is taking his place. Now, don't get me wrong, Jamie is a lot better in this book than the first, but I don't understand this "undeniable" attraction she seems to hold for everyone. Personally, I feel it takes something away from her character, to be pulled in every direction.
That being said, there is enough intrigue and mystery to keep most people happy. I am enjoying the changes in the characters as the story progresses and I look forward to continuing with the series.
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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Chaos & Flame
Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton
7.0
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Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House...
Connected Couples Eight Roadmaps for Mastering Love and Connection in Healthy Relationships
Book
A practical handbook for how to successfully navigate through “Love Land”. Are you still...
Self-help Healthy Relationships Family Health
A Touch of Frost
Book
In a world where magic is outlawed, a shy 20-year-old tavern maid enlists in the military to learn...
fantasy
King (Nobel Reckoning #2)
10.0
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Rue I put up a good fight. Fate dealt me a raw deal, but I escaped it for a while, enjoying a...
Fantasy Romance Omegaverse
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated Arlo: An MM Age Play Daddy Romance in Books
Aug 4, 2024
Loved This!
I was gifted my copy of this book.
Ima gush about this book, k? It's my review and I can do that, right??
Cos what this is, is a whole bunch of sweet and smexy; cute and downright angry enducing; cat rescuing and pirate fighting (not literally, mind) and the cutest Lolo ever!
I mean, come on! Thomas needs a boy of his own, and Arlo just needs someone to love him. His parental units have mapped out a life for Arlo that he does not want, but he cannot fight them. Thomas helps him see, really see himself for the first time in his life. And I loved Thomas for Arlo.
I loved how Thomas was able to interpret Arlo talking about the pirates and what that really meant. Loved that, cos at first, I wasn't getting it, and then I had a lightbulb moment!
Loved how, at first, Arlo was adamant that there would be no grown up feelings/stuff. He soon changed his mind, but it was ARLO who moved the goalposts, and no pressure was put on him, at all.
Hated the parental units and how they made Arlo feel.
Loved what Thomas does for Jolly!
I'm gonna wrap up, or I'll go on and on, and a ranting review does not a good review make!
I
LOVED
THIS!
Every time Ms Welch writes these kinds of books, I think it's the best yet, and here we go again! Her best one yet!!
5 full and shiny stars.
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Ima gush about this book, k? It's my review and I can do that, right??
Cos what this is, is a whole bunch of sweet and smexy; cute and downright angry enducing; cat rescuing and pirate fighting (not literally, mind) and the cutest Lolo ever!
I mean, come on! Thomas needs a boy of his own, and Arlo just needs someone to love him. His parental units have mapped out a life for Arlo that he does not want, but he cannot fight them. Thomas helps him see, really see himself for the first time in his life. And I loved Thomas for Arlo.
I loved how Thomas was able to interpret Arlo talking about the pirates and what that really meant. Loved that, cos at first, I wasn't getting it, and then I had a lightbulb moment!
Loved how, at first, Arlo was adamant that there would be no grown up feelings/stuff. He soon changed his mind, but it was ARLO who moved the goalposts, and no pressure was put on him, at all.
Hated the parental units and how they made Arlo feel.
Loved what Thomas does for Jolly!
I'm gonna wrap up, or I'll go on and on, and a ranting review does not a good review make!
I
LOVED
THIS!
Every time Ms Welch writes these kinds of books, I think it's the best yet, and here we go again! Her best one yet!!
5 full and shiny stars.
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2395 KP) rated Nemesis in Books
Jul 8, 2025 (Updated Jul 8, 2025)
Orphan Versus Friend
One of Evan’s few friends is Tommy, who also happens to be his weapons dealer. But after discovering some of Tommy’s weapons on an assassin that Evan was fighting, he is mad at his friend for not following Evan’s strict code. Their initial conversation doesn’t go well, but things get complicated with other assassins and a young man that Tommy is trying to help. Will the two be able to solve their differences? Or will they wind up killing each other?
This series is a definite break from my cozy diet, but one I usually love despite the rather graphic violence we get. In this case, the book has too many flaws. The entire plot could have been resolved with a couple of conversations. There are great stretches in the middle where nothing really happens – we’re just dealing with repetitive scenes that don’t go anywhere. Evan is more evil than usual. I get that it was supposed to lead to some growth, but it didn’t work for me. And the ending? I really felt like it let me down. We get some ripped from the headline politics in this book, but it leads to cliches and doesn’t feel like there is much point to it. I feel like the series is marking time in some ways since the initial arc was resolved, and this is worse than normal. The writing is still wonderful. Lots of others seem to still love it, but this one is best for only the diehard fans.
This series is a definite break from my cozy diet, but one I usually love despite the rather graphic violence we get. In this case, the book has too many flaws. The entire plot could have been resolved with a couple of conversations. There are great stretches in the middle where nothing really happens – we’re just dealing with repetitive scenes that don’t go anywhere. Evan is more evil than usual. I get that it was supposed to lead to some growth, but it didn’t work for me. And the ending? I really felt like it let me down. We get some ripped from the headline politics in this book, but it leads to cliches and doesn’t feel like there is much point to it. I feel like the series is marking time in some ways since the initial arc was resolved, and this is worse than normal. The writing is still wonderful. Lots of others seem to still love it, but this one is best for only the diehard fans.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Ghoulash in Tabletop Games
Sep 3, 2019
Beef, elbow macaroni, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, many other spices. Combine. This is goulash.
Wait, this is Ghoulash? Ok so ditch the food and add Ghoul meat, dashes of Ghoo, some falling debris, and holes. Also add an opponent to play against and you have a recipe for a really great game. Intrigued by my recipe? Read on. This is Ghoulash.
When you name a game (and game company) using a pun for a delicious meal you just KNOW everyone is going to be making these jokes. I am not below this. However, Ghoulash pits two players against each other in a race to defeat eight Ghouls first – or die trying. This is a pencil and paper game contained on one double-sided sheet of paper (with the rules printed on the other side). With such little in components, this game CAN’T be very good, right?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided with a link to print off the game, so technically it’s a PNP for us. We printed off several copies to play our review games. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
To setup a game of Ghoulash: The Game of Pen and Paper Peril (which I will be calling simply Ghoulash for the remainder of this review) grab two copies of the game sheet and two writing utensils. Though the game’s title suggests using a pen, I recommend a pencil. From here, you will need to decide which map grid you want to use for your play map and which will be your DM map. For those who have not played table top RPG’s before, a DM is a Dungeon Master – the person who ultimately runs the game and is typically in charge of placing and playing the monsters, traps, and NPCs of a game. In this case, each player will be each other’s DM. You will see the number of items that must be placed on the map on the main page. You must place (anywhere you want on the map) eight Ghouls, five Holes, five Debris, and three First-Aid Kits. Seriously. Anywhere you want. These are the items and encounters your opponent will be interacting with as you play. You are now ready to begin!
On your turn you will be moving through the map attempting to encounter and kill Ghouls – blobby monsters that want to eat you. You do this by moving onto a square that your opponent has placed a Ghoul and fighting it. Fighting Ghouls is easy: your DM opponent will circle any number on the Ghoul you are fighting. You need to guess this number in order to exploit its weak spot and vanquish it. For every incorrect guess YOU will take a wound from it bashing you. Mark your wounds on the Wound Meters area below the Ghouls. If you happen to take 12 wounds before finding a First-Aid Kit, then you die and you lose the game. Finding a First-Aid Kit, however, will relieve you of all your wounds you have suffered. In this scenario, you will begin tracking your wounds anew on the next Wound Meter on the tracker.
Like I mentioned earlier, other traps will be awaiting you in your personal hell dungeon. When you fall into a Hole you will forfeit the rest of your turn and you will skip your next turn entirely. Should you move onto a square containing Debris, you will be hit for one wound from falling bits of the rickety dungeon. Or perhaps it’s guano. You never know.
The player to defeat all eight ghouls or remain living the longest will be the winner (unless you play hardcore rules and have to defeat all Ghouls to win)!
Usually at this point in my reviews I evaluate the game components. In this case I am going to evaluate how the game art and graphic design work with and for the game. As the entire game is played on one side of one sheet of paper and everything you really need is located on that page, this is really genius to me. Everything is right there, and it’s very clear what to place on the map, how many of each thing to place, and where you can track the Ghouls, wounds, and your Ghoul trophies. It’s really great! The only negative here is we wished the letters and numbers on the x and y axes were darker. It was a little difficult for some people to read the coordinates. This would be an easy fix for me, but it may not be within the designer’s vision for the layout. Many times we were describing our movement with Battleship coordinates: I am moving south to B-1 then east to P-1 then north to P-2, etc. I didn’t have much difficulty with this, but I did hear that others did.
I believe that the intent of the future of Ghoulash is to offer pre-printed charts for sale and possibly have different themed charts to play. The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that we were playing The City map. I have not seen any other maps, so I cannot comment on them, but even if I only had The City to play forever, I think that I would be happy enough.
That said, I believe this is a really really great game. I enjoyed being able to place out my encounter elements, and being able to freely roam around the map until I ran into something – even if it was a hole in the middle of an intersection that I had to fall through several times (sneaky, sneaky, my brilliant little brother!). The guessing game of fighting Ghouls can be quick and fun, or it can give you five wounds in one encounter. Overall, I think that anyone can enjoy it, but I will give a caveat. Both players MUST be able to read the map and coordinates to follow along with where each player is moving or else you may have some bickering. Oh, just my family? Maybe.
Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a sticky-yet-pleasing 10 / 12. You really should give it a shot. It could work with couples, friends, co-workers, strangers, pets, anyone!
Wait, this is Ghoulash? Ok so ditch the food and add Ghoul meat, dashes of Ghoo, some falling debris, and holes. Also add an opponent to play against and you have a recipe for a really great game. Intrigued by my recipe? Read on. This is Ghoulash.
When you name a game (and game company) using a pun for a delicious meal you just KNOW everyone is going to be making these jokes. I am not below this. However, Ghoulash pits two players against each other in a race to defeat eight Ghouls first – or die trying. This is a pencil and paper game contained on one double-sided sheet of paper (with the rules printed on the other side). With such little in components, this game CAN’T be very good, right?
DISCLAIMER: We were provided with a link to print off the game, so technically it’s a PNP for us. We printed off several copies to play our review games. I do not intend to cover every single rule included in the rule book, but will describe the overall game flow and major rule set so that our readers may get a sense of how the game plays. For more in depth rules, you may purchase a copy from the publisher directly or from your FLGS. -T
To setup a game of Ghoulash: The Game of Pen and Paper Peril (which I will be calling simply Ghoulash for the remainder of this review) grab two copies of the game sheet and two writing utensils. Though the game’s title suggests using a pen, I recommend a pencil. From here, you will need to decide which map grid you want to use for your play map and which will be your DM map. For those who have not played table top RPG’s before, a DM is a Dungeon Master – the person who ultimately runs the game and is typically in charge of placing and playing the monsters, traps, and NPCs of a game. In this case, each player will be each other’s DM. You will see the number of items that must be placed on the map on the main page. You must place (anywhere you want on the map) eight Ghouls, five Holes, five Debris, and three First-Aid Kits. Seriously. Anywhere you want. These are the items and encounters your opponent will be interacting with as you play. You are now ready to begin!
On your turn you will be moving through the map attempting to encounter and kill Ghouls – blobby monsters that want to eat you. You do this by moving onto a square that your opponent has placed a Ghoul and fighting it. Fighting Ghouls is easy: your DM opponent will circle any number on the Ghoul you are fighting. You need to guess this number in order to exploit its weak spot and vanquish it. For every incorrect guess YOU will take a wound from it bashing you. Mark your wounds on the Wound Meters area below the Ghouls. If you happen to take 12 wounds before finding a First-Aid Kit, then you die and you lose the game. Finding a First-Aid Kit, however, will relieve you of all your wounds you have suffered. In this scenario, you will begin tracking your wounds anew on the next Wound Meter on the tracker.
Like I mentioned earlier, other traps will be awaiting you in your personal hell dungeon. When you fall into a Hole you will forfeit the rest of your turn and you will skip your next turn entirely. Should you move onto a square containing Debris, you will be hit for one wound from falling bits of the rickety dungeon. Or perhaps it’s guano. You never know.
The player to defeat all eight ghouls or remain living the longest will be the winner (unless you play hardcore rules and have to defeat all Ghouls to win)!
Usually at this point in my reviews I evaluate the game components. In this case I am going to evaluate how the game art and graphic design work with and for the game. As the entire game is played on one side of one sheet of paper and everything you really need is located on that page, this is really genius to me. Everything is right there, and it’s very clear what to place on the map, how many of each thing to place, and where you can track the Ghouls, wounds, and your Ghoul trophies. It’s really great! The only negative here is we wished the letters and numbers on the x and y axes were darker. It was a little difficult for some people to read the coordinates. This would be an easy fix for me, but it may not be within the designer’s vision for the layout. Many times we were describing our movement with Battleship coordinates: I am moving south to B-1 then east to P-1 then north to P-2, etc. I didn’t have much difficulty with this, but I did hear that others did.
I believe that the intent of the future of Ghoulash is to offer pre-printed charts for sale and possibly have different themed charts to play. The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that we were playing The City map. I have not seen any other maps, so I cannot comment on them, but even if I only had The City to play forever, I think that I would be happy enough.
That said, I believe this is a really really great game. I enjoyed being able to place out my encounter elements, and being able to freely roam around the map until I ran into something – even if it was a hole in the middle of an intersection that I had to fall through several times (sneaky, sneaky, my brilliant little brother!). The guessing game of fighting Ghouls can be quick and fun, or it can give you five wounds in one encounter. Overall, I think that anyone can enjoy it, but I will give a caveat. Both players MUST be able to read the map and coordinates to follow along with where each player is moving or else you may have some bickering. Oh, just my family? Maybe.
Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a sticky-yet-pleasing 10 / 12. You really should give it a shot. It could work with couples, friends, co-workers, strangers, pets, anyone!