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The House of Da Vinci

Games and Entertainment

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Enter The House of Da Vinci, a new must-try 3D puzzle adventure game. Solve mechanical puzzles,...

Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated Surreal Estate in Books

Nov 5, 2018

Surreal Estate

Jesi Lea Ryan | 2018 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance

10.0

(3 Ratings)

Book Rating

love love LOVED this one!

Sasha can't live at home, so he's on the streets. He finds an empty home that calls to his 6th sense and moves in. Then Nick buys the house. The house reacts badly to Nick wanting to sell it, and makes Nick's already tight budget and time frame almost impossible. Sasha doesn't want Nick to end up in the hospital, or worse, so he has to come up with something quick, while clearly out and healing his grandfather's house.

I won a copy of this book, and I am so bloody glad I did! Ms Ryan usually writes Young Adult and had this book came with that tag, I would not have entered, cos I'm not a YA fan. This is Ms Ryan's first foray into a much more adult setting, and into the male/male genre, and BOY does she smash it out the park!

Sasha can read houses, they call to him. His skill isn't made immediately clear, and we have to wait for the full picture. I think it really hit me, just what this meant for Sasha, when he was healing his grandfather's house.

I loved we got all of Nick's internal wrangling with himself over his growing feelings and attraction to Sasha. Loved that he was like, "okay then, must be bi" Loved the interaction between Nick and his brothers! His older brother needs a story now, needs to find his happy ever after, especially after what happened here. Well both brothers should have a story, I think!

It's not overly explicit, I thought, but it wans't lacking in any thing regards to the heat and steam level between these two! Not at all! It does carry a violence and drug use warning. These ARE needed and are an integral part of the story, but they are all off screen. We know Sasha's mum does drugs, but we don't see it. We know WHAT happened to Nick, cos we deal with the fall out, but not HOW. It also comes with a non-con warning. It's mostly touching, and doesn't develop into a full blown attack, but could very well have. It needs mentioning though.

It's told from both Sasha and Nick's point of view, in the first person. Each change occurs as a a chapter changes and is clearly headed. I didn't quite manage to read it in one sitting, but very nearly!

I can't wait to see what Ms Ryan comes up with next. I love finding new to me authors, especially ones who step outside their comfort zone! She impressed me here, greatly, and, apparently, I'm a tough critic! I'm not sure that's true, but I LOVED this book.

so,

5 full and shiny stars!

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**

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Krueck + Sexton

Krueck and Sexton Architects and John Morris Dixon

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Chicago firm Krueck + Sexton Architects has made its mark with designs that draw from classic...

A Peculiar Combination

Ashley Weaver

10.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

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The first in the Electra McDonnell series from Edgar-nominated author Ashley Weaver, set in England...

Photo Measures Lite

Productivity and Utilities

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Photo Measures is the most elegant and the easiest way to save measures on your own photos on...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Cat About Town (Cat Cafe Mystery, #1) in Books

Mar 9, 2018

Maddie James has returned to Daybreak Island as a result of her grandmother’s death. While there, she learns that Frank O’Malley, head of the local chamber of commerce, wants to buy her grandfather’s house, a house that has been in the family for generations. Frank is used to getting his way and is trying to scare Maddie’s grandfather into selling. So when Frank turns up dead, Maddie and her grandfather find themselves as suspects. Can Maddie clear their name?

I’ve been looking forward to this debut ever since I heard about it, and I wasn’t disappointed. The tension starts early, and once Frank’s body is found, we are off and running. I didn’t have things figured out until Maddie then, but then everything fell into place. The characters, including Maddie’s new cat, are completely charming. And the setting, a resort island off the coast of Massachusetts, is absolutely wonderful. I can’t wait for the next in the series.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-review-cat-about-town-by-cate.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.

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ClareR (5726 KP) rated The Death of Mrs Westaway in Books

Jul 6, 2018

The Death of Mrs Westaway

Ruth Ware | 2018 | Mystery, Thriller

7.0

(7 Ratings)

Book Rating

You'll be on the edge of your seat!

Suspenseful. This is my first Ruth Ware novel, and it was definitely suspenseful. It reminded me a lot of the Agatha Christie films - a family shut away in a big old house with a mystery to solve. But this has a very modern edge to it. The house is still spooky though: I expected it to go full on James Herbert (it didn't)!
Hal gets a letter to tell her that she has come in to some money, after the death of a rich grandmother she has never known about. Up to this point, she has been living hand to mouth with loan sharks after her. She reads tarot cards on Brighton pier (not the good one). She goes to her grandmothers funeral and decides that she is going to try and 'blag' the money out of the will. She can't possibly be related to these people! This is where it gets very interesting and all twisty-turny.
Great characters and a great story. I didn't see the end coming at all!
Thanks to The Pigeonhole and the author for my copy of this book.