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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Invisible Girl in Books
Oct 29, 2020
A dark, creepy read full of surprises
Owen Pick, a teacher in his thirties, has never had a relationship with a women. He's barely even had a successful date. He's teased by the young female students at the college where he works. He lives in a flat owned by his elderly aunt and recently has found solace on incel forums. Across the street from Owen lives the Fours family. They, frankly, find Owen creepy, especially mom Cate and her teenage daughter. Dad, Roan, a child psychologist, is too busy with work to care that much, while their teenage son is basically the only one Cate doesn't need to worry about. And then there's Saffyre Maddox. Now seventeen, Saffyre, was once a patient of Roan's. She misses their connection and seeks to maintain it by following him. Then, one night, Saffyre disappears, and it seems like Owen was the last person to see her. What truly happened to Saffyre?
After a bit of a slump with thrillers, I'm on a roll (though what's with ambiguous endings lately?). This was a creepy and ominous read! There is a lot going on here--Saffyre and her childhood issues; Owen and his many problems with women; and the complete dysfunction of the Fours family--but Jewell does a good job weaving them all together. The result is a tense and dark novel that keeps you guessing the entire time.
"I have a dark past, and I have dark thoughts." ~Saffyre
This is an engaging read, with Saffyre, Cate, and Owen turning into dynamic and unique voices. It's also ominous, with the overriding sense that something bad is going to happen. Secrets are the name of the game here, and Jewell turns the sexual predator theme on its head a bit. There's also plenty of revenge and strong women, which is great.
I wasn't a fan of the ending, which leaves things up in the end, but this is still a twisty ride with interesting characters and a different plot. 4 stars.
After a bit of a slump with thrillers, I'm on a roll (though what's with ambiguous endings lately?). This was a creepy and ominous read! There is a lot going on here--Saffyre and her childhood issues; Owen and his many problems with women; and the complete dysfunction of the Fours family--but Jewell does a good job weaving them all together. The result is a tense and dark novel that keeps you guessing the entire time.
"I have a dark past, and I have dark thoughts." ~Saffyre
This is an engaging read, with Saffyre, Cate, and Owen turning into dynamic and unique voices. It's also ominous, with the overriding sense that something bad is going to happen. Secrets are the name of the game here, and Jewell turns the sexual predator theme on its head a bit. There's also plenty of revenge and strong women, which is great.
I wasn't a fan of the ending, which leaves things up in the end, but this is still a twisty ride with interesting characters and a different plot. 4 stars.
Boom Id Nederland - identificatie gids voor bomen
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A stunning visual guide to identifying trees of the Netherlands. No connection to the internet or...
Tree Id - British Tree Identification Guide
Reference and Education
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A stunning visual guide to identifying trees of the British Isles. All native and naturalised...
ClareR (6054 KP) rated The Saint of Lost Things in Books
Apr 12, 2023
The Saint of Lost Things by Tish Delaney was read wonderfully by Bronagh Waugh on the audiobook. Not just the accent - she gave the characters in the book their personalities, bringing them off the page and into my ears!
This isn’t a happy family by any means. Lindy’s Catholic-when-it-suits-him grandfather makes it clear that he only tolerates her. He punishes her for every minor infraction because she is “the wrong child”. He punishes her because she’s illegitimate and female, and what’s more, her mother is no longer alive to take her share of the punishment. Lindy is, of course, responsible for her fathers existence - he’s a gypsy, a tinker and a whole host of other unpleasant names that I could have done without learning. In fact, Lindy is responsible for a great many things that she doesn’t know about.
The writing makes this abusive family seem almost acceptable, and at the same time, shows it up for the horror show that it is. Bronagh Waugh’s narration adds more of a wry, dark humour to what would be a relentlessly sombre story otherwise.
I felt sorry for Auntie Bell, also held in low esteem by her own father and given no option but to look after her niece. To be fair, she’s not very nice about it, and is all too keen to tell Lindy that she was forced to look after her and in doing so, Lindy ruined her life.
Lindy’s life isn’t much better. She tries to have her own life away in London, but ends up returning to the farm and her awful grandfather.
Her life changes forever when the parish priest comes to her with news she never thought she’d have. This news changes everything. And what an earth shattering piece of news it is!!
I really enjoyed this, even though it wasn’t the happiest of books. I found myself thinking about it, even when I wasn’t listening. These are all fascinating characters and brought to life so well by the narrator.
Recommended.
This isn’t a happy family by any means. Lindy’s Catholic-when-it-suits-him grandfather makes it clear that he only tolerates her. He punishes her for every minor infraction because she is “the wrong child”. He punishes her because she’s illegitimate and female, and what’s more, her mother is no longer alive to take her share of the punishment. Lindy is, of course, responsible for her fathers existence - he’s a gypsy, a tinker and a whole host of other unpleasant names that I could have done without learning. In fact, Lindy is responsible for a great many things that she doesn’t know about.
The writing makes this abusive family seem almost acceptable, and at the same time, shows it up for the horror show that it is. Bronagh Waugh’s narration adds more of a wry, dark humour to what would be a relentlessly sombre story otherwise.
I felt sorry for Auntie Bell, also held in low esteem by her own father and given no option but to look after her niece. To be fair, she’s not very nice about it, and is all too keen to tell Lindy that she was forced to look after her and in doing so, Lindy ruined her life.
Lindy’s life isn’t much better. She tries to have her own life away in London, but ends up returning to the farm and her awful grandfather.
Her life changes forever when the parish priest comes to her with news she never thought she’d have. This news changes everything. And what an earth shattering piece of news it is!!
I really enjoyed this, even though it wasn’t the happiest of books. I found myself thinking about it, even when I wasn’t listening. These are all fascinating characters and brought to life so well by the narrator.
Recommended.
Where You Are
8.0
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Former model and B-list actor (B meaning really bad) Isaac Seidel is now a NYC firefighter on...
MM Contemporary Romance
Fate in Suspension (Horn & Haven #1)
8.0
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Quiet. That's how he likes life, no drama to clean up... Tai Xen-Vorsy leads a straightforward...
Adult Fantasy LGBTQIA+ Paranormal Romance
Merissa (13600 KP) rated The Bookshop of Secrets in Books
Feb 13, 2025
THE BOOKSHOP OF SECRETS is the latest book by Kerry Barrett and is set in Lisbon, Portugal, during the early 1940's. Lara has travelled there from London following the death of her father, in search of family on her dead mother's side. She finds a family of friends, but not the one she thought she would. A series of events leads her into staying there and there she is when war breaks out.
I loved this story! It is the third or fourth book by this author I have read and, just like the others, I was gripped by the story and the characters. The descriptions of the world Lara lives in are crisp and clear, defining the current state of affairs for her without hitting the reader over the head!
Fleming is a name that is dropped (which I loved!) as well as Edward and Wallis. There was also a hint about Sandra's background which was perfect and I would love the know who the inspiration was for her part. How the story was woven around these characters and situations astounds me. I found it to be phenomenally written and perfectly paced.
If I had one bad thing to say it would be that my romantic little heart was desperate for an official, rock-solid HEA for Lara. Don't get me wrong, it was alluded to, but I want to know for sure. In fact, not just for Lara, but for Bill, Phil, Miguel, Bea, Hector, Sandra... do you want me to continue? Suffice it to say, this book was outstanding but I'm not ready to let go of these characters yet. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me and I can't wait for the next book by this amazing author.
** 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!
Feb 5, 2025
I loved this story! It is the third or fourth book by this author I have read and, just like the others, I was gripped by the story and the characters. The descriptions of the world Lara lives in are crisp and clear, defining the current state of affairs for her without hitting the reader over the head!
Fleming is a name that is dropped (which I loved!) as well as Edward and Wallis. There was also a hint about Sandra's background which was perfect and I would love the know who the inspiration was for her part. How the story was woven around these characters and situations astounds me. I found it to be phenomenally written and perfectly paced.
If I had one bad thing to say it would be that my romantic little heart was desperate for an official, rock-solid HEA for Lara. Don't get me wrong, it was alluded to, but I want to know for sure. In fact, not just for Lara, but for Bill, Phil, Miguel, Bea, Hector, Sandra... do you want me to continue? Suffice it to say, this book was outstanding but I'm not ready to let go of these characters yet. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me and I can't wait for the next book by this amazing author.
** 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!
Feb 5, 2025
Igniting His Flame (Redwood Bay Fire #1)
10.0
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Love makes us all brave DARIO After escaping my controlling ex-boyfriend and moving to...
Striking The Match (Redwood Bay #3)
10.0
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Love will save the day TEDDY Everybody has celebrity crushes, right? You just don’t expect...
ClareR (6054 KP) rated Jewels of the Crown in Books
Nov 23, 2025 (Updated Nov 23, 2025)
Jewels of the Crown is the fourth and final novelette in the After the Storm quartet, and it sets things up very nicely for what is to come!
Each novelette has centred around one of the four main characters, and Jewels is all about Lawrence, the King of the werewolves, and a rather large secret that he has been keeping form his mates.
I loved finding out about how the mates are settling in to parenthood and their new lives - and the children seemed to be as mischievous as many children are! One or two also seem to have a trick or two tucked up their sleeves - which I’m sure will come out further in subsequent novels (I hope!).
I’ve been trying to work out why I like these books by Dianna Hardy so much, and I think I’ve come up with one or two reasons. I really enjoy the writing style and how we get to see what the characters are thinking “in their own words”; of course, there’s the fantastical element of werewolves and magic that relates back to my love of fairy tales, myth and legend; and then there’s the found family. This theme has snuck up on me over the years, but I seem to read a lot of books where the main characters find the people that they want to call their family, and these aren’t the people that they necessarily grew up with. And Dianna’s books do this so well.
If this sounds like something you’d like to read, I should say that there’s a touch of spice in these books, too, but if that’s likely to be a deal breaker, I wouldn’t let it put you off. There’s so much going on in such a short space of a novelette besides the sex (and it’s all in context - not gratuitous).
I look forward to every book that Dianna publishes, and I feel very lucky to have received the ARC of this book.
All opinions are, of course, my own.
Each novelette has centred around one of the four main characters, and Jewels is all about Lawrence, the King of the werewolves, and a rather large secret that he has been keeping form his mates.
I loved finding out about how the mates are settling in to parenthood and their new lives - and the children seemed to be as mischievous as many children are! One or two also seem to have a trick or two tucked up their sleeves - which I’m sure will come out further in subsequent novels (I hope!).
I’ve been trying to work out why I like these books by Dianna Hardy so much, and I think I’ve come up with one or two reasons. I really enjoy the writing style and how we get to see what the characters are thinking “in their own words”; of course, there’s the fantastical element of werewolves and magic that relates back to my love of fairy tales, myth and legend; and then there’s the found family. This theme has snuck up on me over the years, but I seem to read a lot of books where the main characters find the people that they want to call their family, and these aren’t the people that they necessarily grew up with. And Dianna’s books do this so well.
If this sounds like something you’d like to read, I should say that there’s a touch of spice in these books, too, but if that’s likely to be a deal breaker, I wouldn’t let it put you off. There’s so much going on in such a short space of a novelette besides the sex (and it’s all in context - not gratuitous).
I look forward to every book that Dianna publishes, and I feel very lucky to have received the ARC of this book.
All opinions are, of course, my own.