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Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Cowboy Christmas Guardian (Gold Country Cowboys #1) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
I have read other books by Ms. Mentink and I have loved them. So, I was excited to read my second book centered around Christmas and that it was hers. Her books instantly grab you, and keep you hooked until the very last page.
Being married to my own cowboy, I tend to fall hard for the books with cowboys in them. Barrett's character was no exception. I loved every bit of his widowed self and found myself wishing I was in Shelby's shoes on more than one instant! Watching him be so protective of Shelby, even after he found the truth out, was absolutely heartwarming.
The circumstances in the book, the intense, breathtaking suspense that Ms. Mentink weaves through out this story really round out this romance novel. Ms. Mentink threads inspirational messages through out the story, showing her characters relying on God and leaving the reader thinking about the story long after the final page is read.
Ms. Mentink is well deserving of 4 stars and hats off. This book is not that long and easily read in one sitting. I definitely recommend it to all who love a twisting, turning, edge of your seat suspense novel. Well done, Ms. Mentink! Can't wait til the next one!
*Cafinated Reads received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Tours and the author and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Being married to my own cowboy, I tend to fall hard for the books with cowboys in them. Barrett's character was no exception. I loved every bit of his widowed self and found myself wishing I was in Shelby's shoes on more than one instant! Watching him be so protective of Shelby, even after he found the truth out, was absolutely heartwarming.
The circumstances in the book, the intense, breathtaking suspense that Ms. Mentink weaves through out this story really round out this romance novel. Ms. Mentink threads inspirational messages through out the story, showing her characters relying on God and leaving the reader thinking about the story long after the final page is read.
Ms. Mentink is well deserving of 4 stars and hats off. This book is not that long and easily read in one sitting. I definitely recommend it to all who love a twisting, turning, edge of your seat suspense novel. Well done, Ms. Mentink! Can't wait til the next one!
*Cafinated Reads received a complimentary copy of this book from Celebrate Lit Tours and the author and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Too Close: A new kind of thriller that will leave you breathless in Books
Mar 15, 2019
How close is too close?
Connie and Ness met in the park while their children played. As they talked, they realised they were neighbours. Perhaps it was only natural that they and their families would become entirely inseparable.
But when Nesss marriage ends in a bitter divorce, she is suddenly at Connies house all the time. Connie doesnt have a moment to herself, no time alone with her husband, not a second to chat to her kids.
Its all too much. Something has to give.
Connie has woken up in a psychiatric hospital. They say she committed a terrible crime but she says she cant remember a thing.
This novel is gripping and absorbing that you won't be able to put this down. I found the pace just right and the dark story well told .
I found myself crying with some of the parts and in others laughing out loud at some of the things said. There are so many emotions covered in this story including mental illness.
I loved the characters development, the plot of the story and oh my that surprising ending you don't see coming.
I don't want to say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for anyone!
I received this debut novel via NetGalley in return for an honest review but I still turned around an purchased this as I truly am astounded with this novel.
Connie and Ness met in the park while their children played. As they talked, they realised they were neighbours. Perhaps it was only natural that they and their families would become entirely inseparable.
But when Nesss marriage ends in a bitter divorce, she is suddenly at Connies house all the time. Connie doesnt have a moment to herself, no time alone with her husband, not a second to chat to her kids.
Its all too much. Something has to give.
Connie has woken up in a psychiatric hospital. They say she committed a terrible crime but she says she cant remember a thing.
This novel is gripping and absorbing that you won't be able to put this down. I found the pace just right and the dark story well told .
I found myself crying with some of the parts and in others laughing out loud at some of the things said. There are so many emotions covered in this story including mental illness.
I loved the characters development, the plot of the story and oh my that surprising ending you don't see coming.
I don't want to say anymore as I don't want to spoil it for anyone!
I received this debut novel via NetGalley in return for an honest review but I still turned around an purchased this as I truly am astounded with this novel.
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Stalker (Joona Linna #5) in Books
Mar 21, 2019
5th novel in the Joona Linna series. Can stand-alone
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Stalker by Lars Kepler is the 5th novel in the Swedish police series involving the main character, Joona Linna. Linna is a detective who is on the hunt of an obsessive, stalking serial killer who secretly video records his victims before brutally murdering them. He taunts police by sending them videos showing the victim alive and clearly unaware they are being recorded.
This novel can stand-alone but, according to reviews on Goodreads, the earlier novels provide information and background stories on characters in the series. I have never read the previous books but have had several of them on my "want to read" list since the 4th book, Sandman, could be found all over social media last year.
I was hesitant to start the series because, I have found when a book has that much hype surrounding it, it feels like a disappointment when reading. I did not feel that when reading Stalker. The novel started off slowly. This may be because I was not familiar with the characters. Familiar or not, after the slow start, I was sucked into the story and will be moving the rest of the series to the top of my "want to read" list.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/21/19.
Stalker by Lars Kepler is the 5th novel in the Swedish police series involving the main character, Joona Linna. Linna is a detective who is on the hunt of an obsessive, stalking serial killer who secretly video records his victims before brutally murdering them. He taunts police by sending them videos showing the victim alive and clearly unaware they are being recorded.
This novel can stand-alone but, according to reviews on Goodreads, the earlier novels provide information and background stories on characters in the series. I have never read the previous books but have had several of them on my "want to read" list since the 4th book, Sandman, could be found all over social media last year.
I was hesitant to start the series because, I have found when a book has that much hype surrounding it, it feels like a disappointment when reading. I did not feel that when reading Stalker. The novel started off slowly. This may be because I was not familiar with the characters. Familiar or not, after the slow start, I was sucked into the story and will be moving the rest of the series to the top of my "want to read" list.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com on 3/21/19.
Sam (74 KP) rated On the Other Side in Books
Mar 27, 2019
I’ll begin by saying something quite controversial here that I know a lot of people won’t like:
If it wasn’t for Carrie Hope Fletcher’s YouTube fame, this wouldn’t have been taken on by a publisher. While reading it, I felt that it was more like a self-published title in quality and plot. It’s become a thing for YouTubers to bring out books and I feel like most of these will almost always lack quality. Publishers just take them on to have a bestseller because of the name on the cover.
I did like the plot, don’t get me wrong. It was interesting enough and kept me hooked all the way through. I quite liked Evie’s character and found her quite genuine. I feel that the plot and the characters could have all done well if it wasn’t for the wishy-washy writing style. The style made it seem more like Disney fan-fiction rather than a contemporary novel.
I did enjoy reading this, which is why it still has three stars from me. I binged it and found it quite a fun read. But I just couldn’t get over the bad writing style. The writing style would be more suitable for a YA audience than adult.
There’s no reason you wouldn’t enjoy it. If you’re a big fan of Disney or Carrie, you’d love this and it’s definitely worth seeing what it’s all about.
If it wasn’t for Carrie Hope Fletcher’s YouTube fame, this wouldn’t have been taken on by a publisher. While reading it, I felt that it was more like a self-published title in quality and plot. It’s become a thing for YouTubers to bring out books and I feel like most of these will almost always lack quality. Publishers just take them on to have a bestseller because of the name on the cover.
I did like the plot, don’t get me wrong. It was interesting enough and kept me hooked all the way through. I quite liked Evie’s character and found her quite genuine. I feel that the plot and the characters could have all done well if it wasn’t for the wishy-washy writing style. The style made it seem more like Disney fan-fiction rather than a contemporary novel.
I did enjoy reading this, which is why it still has three stars from me. I binged it and found it quite a fun read. But I just couldn’t get over the bad writing style. The writing style would be more suitable for a YA audience than adult.
There’s no reason you wouldn’t enjoy it. If you’re a big fan of Disney or Carrie, you’d love this and it’s definitely worth seeing what it’s all about.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Tag (2018) in Movies
May 14, 2019
Lag
#tag is a drag of a movie that takes a cool concept & does nothing exciting with it at all. #tagmovie from the #trailer looked quite a #fun & #original #film so it was to my surprise when I found myself 40 minutes in without #laughing or with a desire to continue watching. My biggest problem with this movie was I found experiencing it boring/bland & ultimately I was confused as to why a film about such a fun & exciting game was failing to hold my attention so much. Maybe it was the unlikable characters, the non believable relationships, the childish repetitive humour & over used weed #jokes, the silly thoughtless set pieces, the constant plot holes & the lack of any omph/urgency or tension (thus not allowing us to feel the excitement we did when playing this game as a kids). They even have a character around that follows the main ones about that just constantly spurts out exposition & gives a reason to explain the games rules which is exhaustingly monotonous. All in all Tag felt like they made it all up as they went along, not much happens & when it does its #dumb/pointless & just a really uninteresting watch & a big missed opportunity. Overall I can't recommend Tag at all & would of rather took my chances with #patrick instead. #odeonlimitless #odeon #sundayfunday #weekend #cinifile #moviecritic #hot #funny #silly #jeremyrenner #edhelms #islafisher #comedy #moviereview #truestory #game #school #review #playground #stupid
Merissa (13942 KP) rated By the Light of Embers in Books
May 14, 2019
By the Light of Embers by Shaylin Gandhi
By the Light of the Embers is a story that enveloped me in a world unknown. Taking me back to 1954 in Louisiana, I found a world where women were expected to be housewives, and people of colour were seen as second-class citizens.
This was an amazing story that gripped me from the very beginning, with descriptions in such perfect detail, you have no trouble seeing what the author saw. Although this book details some harsh realities, there are moments of gentleness, which made it all the more poignant. Once Lucia went to Louisiana, it became obvious that there was a connection between Sebastian and herself. At the same time, it was also obvious that Nicholas and Lucia wouldn't have the happy ending I was hoping for. Although I was sad at their ending, I also found it absolutely perfect, and am glad the author did it that way. It allows me to smile and imagine their HAE for myself.
Exceedingly well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted me, I thought this book was amazing. The characters change throughout the story, as their experiences change them, and yet each remain true to their core. A stunning book that I highly recommend.
* 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!
This was an amazing story that gripped me from the very beginning, with descriptions in such perfect detail, you have no trouble seeing what the author saw. Although this book details some harsh realities, there are moments of gentleness, which made it all the more poignant. Once Lucia went to Louisiana, it became obvious that there was a connection between Sebastian and herself. At the same time, it was also obvious that Nicholas and Lucia wouldn't have the happy ending I was hoping for. Although I was sad at their ending, I also found it absolutely perfect, and am glad the author did it that way. It allows me to smile and imagine their HAE for myself.
Exceedingly well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted me, I thought this book was amazing. The characters change throughout the story, as their experiences change them, and yet each remain true to their core. A stunning book that I highly recommend.
* 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!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Where They Found Her in Books
Feb 13, 2018
The body of a baby is found in a small New Jersey town, close to the town's prominent university. Molly Anderson is asked to cover the story for the local paper -- her first big break since becoming a reporter, but both she and her husband are concerned it will dredge up memories of the loss of her own baby. Meanwhile, across town, teenage Sandy searches for her own missing mother. At the same time, Barbara, the wife of the local police chief who is investigating the baby's death, is busy trying to deal with her young son, who is having trouble in school and acting strangely.
McCreight weaves together the stories of these three very different individuals, as we learn what happened to the baby and more. I confess that I figured a lot of this out early on, but was still intrigued enough to keep reading. It's a very enthralling storyline and I found myself staying up late to find out what happened to the baby and the various women involved.
The story winds up being tied to another death nearly 20 years and it's well done, if not a little easily tied up at the end. The characters were a little flat for me - I had a tough time empathizing with Molly or Barbara, which made it harder to get into their stories, though I did like Sandy. It's still a good page-turner and a quick read.
McCreight weaves together the stories of these three very different individuals, as we learn what happened to the baby and more. I confess that I figured a lot of this out early on, but was still intrigued enough to keep reading. It's a very enthralling storyline and I found myself staying up late to find out what happened to the baby and the various women involved.
The story winds up being tied to another death nearly 20 years and it's well done, if not a little easily tied up at the end. The characters were a little flat for me - I had a tough time empathizing with Molly or Barbara, which made it harder to get into their stories, though I did like Sandy. It's still a good page-turner and a quick read.
Kristin (149 KP) rated Piercing the Fold (Piercing the Fold, #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I was given an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
This storyline is far from the ordinary of what I normally read, but I found myself nodding along with the different theories given, saying, "You know, that makes a little sense." I even found myself sharing a few of them with my husband, who is really into astronomy and the exploration of the cosmos. I liked how everything played out over the course of the plot, and how there were different twists that jumped out for certain characters that I was definitely not expecting. Just the general idea behind what's going on with Earth and what might possibly happen was very intriguing, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
The reason I dropped my review from 5 stars was because of all the grammatical errors. I don't recall ever seeing "you're" used correctly; instead, no matter the context, it was always "your," and that got really aggravating. The same goes for "their/there/they're" and "here/hear," and possibly some others that I'm forgetting. I'm not the type of person to read through a book with a red pen, but there were just so many instances that it was really hard to ignore. However, the story was very good, it definitely pulled me in, and I'll be waiting for the next one (and hoping the editing is better).
This storyline is far from the ordinary of what I normally read, but I found myself nodding along with the different theories given, saying, "You know, that makes a little sense." I even found myself sharing a few of them with my husband, who is really into astronomy and the exploration of the cosmos. I liked how everything played out over the course of the plot, and how there were different twists that jumped out for certain characters that I was definitely not expecting. Just the general idea behind what's going on with Earth and what might possibly happen was very intriguing, and I can't wait to see what happens next.
The reason I dropped my review from 5 stars was because of all the grammatical errors. I don't recall ever seeing "you're" used correctly; instead, no matter the context, it was always "your," and that got really aggravating. The same goes for "their/there/they're" and "here/hear," and possibly some others that I'm forgetting. I'm not the type of person to read through a book with a red pen, but there were just so many instances that it was really hard to ignore. However, the story was very good, it definitely pulled me in, and I'll be waiting for the next one (and hoping the editing is better).
A scarily plausible thriller that immediately made me change by router password!
Stalker is not what you would expect from the title. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, in the UK a stalker is "a person who illegally follows and watches someone, especially a woman, over a period of time" and although this book certainly covers this definition, it does so slightly differently to what you would imagine it would. For one, it isn't primarily about physically following someone around and for another, it's not primarily about a man stalking a woman.
It starts of a little slow but certainly builds to a very satisfying conclusion. The main character, Flint, is a bit weird but, strangely, he grew on me as the story developed and I found myself feeling sorry for him despite the creepy way in which he lives his life watching over other people living theirs.
Once the book got going proper (that's good English!), it never stopped it became a very riveting read that I found difficult to stop ... you know the feeling ... just one more chapter and before you know it, it's way past your bed time! There are twists that you can see coming and there are others that hit you right in the face!
Overall, a very entertaining and captivating read that I would highly recommend and my thanks go to the publisher, Avon Books UK, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and genuine review.
Stalker is not what you would expect from the title. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, in the UK a stalker is "a person who illegally follows and watches someone, especially a woman, over a period of time" and although this book certainly covers this definition, it does so slightly differently to what you would imagine it would. For one, it isn't primarily about physically following someone around and for another, it's not primarily about a man stalking a woman.
It starts of a little slow but certainly builds to a very satisfying conclusion. The main character, Flint, is a bit weird but, strangely, he grew on me as the story developed and I found myself feeling sorry for him despite the creepy way in which he lives his life watching over other people living theirs.
Once the book got going proper (that's good English!), it never stopped it became a very riveting read that I found difficult to stop ... you know the feeling ... just one more chapter and before you know it, it's way past your bed time! There are twists that you can see coming and there are others that hit you right in the face!
Overall, a very entertaining and captivating read that I would highly recommend and my thanks go to the publisher, Avon Books UK, via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and genuine review.
Louise (64 KP) rated The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York: A Yarn for the Strange at Heart in Books
Jul 2, 2018
"When you’re old and gray like me, and someone asks you for your story, what would you rather have – nothing at all or the story you lived through tonight?"
I really enjoyed this book, but found it somewhat predictable as I knew how the book was going to end . The artwork to this book was really good and I felt that it suited the story very well with limited colours being used. I found the font quite spooky but also difficult to see what words were written in parts.
There are 3 separate short stories that were intertwined within the book , two were written in verse and one was silent which I think I understood but it’s just pictures for you to interpret in your own way.
There were important messages throughout the book, such as being out of your comfort zone, bullies,sticking up for yourself and confidence.The different monsters in the book were very creepy and all shapes and sizes. This is definitely targeted for middle graders (8-12yrs), however can be enjoyed by all ages as there were references to Sean Connery and I don’t think there are going to be many kids knowing who he is (I may be worng)
This is the first book by Kory Merritt and would be interested in reading others.
Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5.
For more check out louiselovesbooks.wordpress.com
I really enjoyed this book, but found it somewhat predictable as I knew how the book was going to end . The artwork to this book was really good and I felt that it suited the story very well with limited colours being used. I found the font quite spooky but also difficult to see what words were written in parts.
There are 3 separate short stories that were intertwined within the book , two were written in verse and one was silent which I think I understood but it’s just pictures for you to interpret in your own way.
There were important messages throughout the book, such as being out of your comfort zone, bullies,sticking up for yourself and confidence.The different monsters in the book were very creepy and all shapes and sizes. This is definitely targeted for middle graders (8-12yrs), however can be enjoyed by all ages as there were references to Sean Connery and I don’t think there are going to be many kids knowing who he is (I may be worng)
This is the first book by Kory Merritt and would be interested in reading others.
Overall I rated this 3.5 stars out of 5.
For more check out louiselovesbooks.wordpress.com