Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Tough Luxe in Books
May 27, 2023
I was immediately intrigued by the premise, and I enjoyed watching Samantha try to piece things together. However, when we hit the end, I was found I was left with too many questions – one I’d had since the beginning and a couple more than came up from the climax. I also found a sub-plot involving Samantha and her husband to be cringe inducing. At least that sub-plot led to some great character growth in Samantha. On the plus side, it is always great to hang out with these characters, and I loved the humor of the book. If you are already a fan, you’ll want to see what Samantha gets up to here. If you are new to the series, you should pick up an earlier book first before you see what happens here.
Sloth (Seven Princes of Sin #3)
10.0
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Love is the purest of all emotions. It's sacred... Torn away from everything she has ever known,...
Dark Contemporary Fantasy Erotica Romance TRIGGER WARNINGS: Profanity
Brie Careful What You Wish For
8.0
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When a mean and quarrelsome woman is found murdered in her own home, most of the residents of Balsam...
Merissa (13382 KP) rated Immersion Play (Leather and Lattes #1) in Books
May 30, 2024
Micah, vanilla as they come, broke off his so-called relationship and disappeared to San Francisco in the middle of the night. Parker is the Daddy Dom who is determined to never fall in love, due to the heartbreak that follows when one of them inevitably dies. The connection between these two is electric from the beginning, as Parker realises he may have found the boy perfect for him, and Micah realises he isn't as vanilla as he always thought.
Not only do you get a great story between Micah and Parker, but you also get a Found Family, with snippets of their backstories. It looks like this series is going to be another winner for this author, and I can't wait to read them!
Full of connections, love, s3x, and steam aplenty, this was a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommend.
** 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!
May 23, 2024
Diva
10.0
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In the glittering and ruthlessly competitive world of opera, Maria Callas is known simply as la...
Historical fiction Opera
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Crime and Parchment in Books
Oct 3, 2024 (Updated Oct 3, 2024)
This book received lots of praise when it came out, and I can see why. There’s a lot packed into the beginning, but I was able to follow it, and it pulled me into the story. It did make the book feel a little slower later, but maybe that was just my expectations. I was definitely intrigued the entire way through, and the ending answered my questions. I also appreciated that the author did a good job of making us believe that the treasure hunt Juniper found herself on was believable. The characters were good, and the subplot involving Juniper and her family felt realistic. I liked how that played out. I’m looking forward to seeing what is next for these characters soon.
Treasure and Tarot (Echoes of Secret Springs #1)
8.0
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It's been five years since Colton Maxwell left Sebastian behind to go on a quick adventure. He was a...
MM Romance Mpreg Supernatural
Merissa (13382 KP) rated White Roses : A Fairytale Retold in Books
Oct 16, 2025
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I love omegaverse stories and fantasy, so combining the two sounded perfect. In reality, I can't say as I did. Let me explain...
I found both characters to be rather bland, apart from Landon's alphahole qualities, which were there in abundance. If this is how mates are treated in this world, I'd sooner stay in mine. Prepare yourself for whiplash as the two of them go back and forth between s3x and not talking. I found the writing style to be quite disjointed and chunky, making my reading experience jarring. The best character in here was Elias, an 800-year-old fae, but he's only a supporting character. While the curse, the witch, and the dragons were all easily sorted.
The thought of putting Sleeping Beauty in a fantasy omegaverse is a good one, but for this book to shine, I think a lot more work needs to go into character development.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Oct 16, 2025
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated Three Strikes – You're Dead! in Books
Jun 28, 2024
With all the stories, this is definitely long enough to be a full-length book, so you are getting your money's worth. The twists on a couple of the stories didn't quite work for me, but most of the stories held together very well. Likewise, the characters are all real. Considering the shorter space that the writers had to work with, I am always impressed when they can pull both of those things off. I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world, but I still found myself being pulled into these stories. Whether you are a diehard sports fanatic or have a casual interest at best, you'll enjoy this collection.
Murder at Marble House
8.0
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For fans of HBO’s The Gilded Age, explore the dark side of the alluring world of America’s 19th...