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I Heart Hawaii (I Heart Series, Book 8)
I Heart Hawaii (I Heart Series, Book 8)
Lindsey Kelk | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The protagonist in this book is Angela, and she is sharing her amusing life story and adventures. I absolutely adored Angela, she is very realistic, down to earth, and the situations she gets herself into made me laugh out loud. I really liked her friends as well. They seem truly one of a kind. The story is told from a single perspective, but it was sufficient for me.

I liked this book from the first chapter, it kept me guessing and intrigued. Even though this book is last in the series, as a first-time reader, I was fully able to understand what was going on and who was who, but I think this book would make more sense for people who read them all and have a better knowledge of all Angela’s adventures in the past. This novel is full of funny situations, and the reader is never left bored. I really liked the research done for this book, as well as a great portrayal of New York. (Do follow Lindsey on Insta, her stories are superb! And she shared her experience from the cat sanctuary in Hawaii, that was mentioned in the book! How awesome is that! ❤ 🐱

I really enjoyed the writing style of this book, it is easy to read, fluffy, and made me happy like a hug after a long day at work. 😀 The chapters are medium length, but divided into smaller parts as well, so it didn’t drag to me. The ending of this book is very well deserved and left me very satisfied with the outcome.

So, to conclude, it was an epic finish of the series. It had the well-loved characters, fast pace and lots of silly and funny situations, that made this book a great read. I am going to get the other books in series now, and if you are looking for something to brighten up your day or just a great summer read, this book is definitely a great pick. Please give it a try and I hope you will like it as much as I did. Enjoy!
  
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JL
Just Like in the Movies (Summer Heat)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This review was originally posted over on Lily Loves Indie here - http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=201

As with 'Right Click, Love', I really don't know where to start showering praise on this story. A happy ever after but with all the integrity and realism of the life of someone who just got lucky. Quirky, easy to relate to, completely believable and just a delight to read. There are so many things I just loved about it that I'm struggling to put them into words. That being said, you might need to wade through some gushing from myself as I try to pin down just a few key features for you....

I guess I'll start with Ava. She is so like me it is unbelievable, down to the relationships and everything (the books, the pets, the house). But I don't think that is the only reason I love her, it's her down to earth attitude to life and her personality as a whole. She's just so likeable! And so utterly believable as well! It's like she just hops out the page and starts talking to you, like a friend we probably all have (or the person we are in my case), she's just a delightful lead character. Her relationship with Morgan, and her friendship with Erica are also incredibly well written, again believable, realistic and enjoyable interactions throughout. They're all characters that we could encounter at work or amongst friends, and as a result of that we can engage with them so much easier, welcoming them into our lives like we would their real life counterparts. I've digressed, and waffled (no change there!) but what I'm getting at is that they are all fabulous characters, but especially Ava, she just has a certain something that makes her that extra bit more wonderful.

Another thing which I loved was the style in which this was written. Feeney includes everything we need to know, yet cleverly leaves little gaps to stimulate our imagination. I love finding this in a book as it gives the reader a little scope to make the characters their own, there's that little bit of wriggle room for interpretation. There's also a wonderfully dry sense of humour to Feeney's writing, a sort of wit and sarcasm that feels so natural and enjoyable to read. It makes it feel familiar, and it's more like chatting with a friend rather than reading a book. It's very well done and is so enjoyable to read, a much needed change from the ooey-gooey romances that line the shelves at the moment!

When you consider the length of the book, and the amount of content included, plus the space for your own ideas, Feeney shows great skill in developing a wonderful plot and cast of characters in such a relatively short amount of pages. This makes it so much easier for you to read because you get all the enjoyment and detail you'd find in a full length novel, yet you could easily read the story in a day without feeling you were being cheated or missing any of the action. I've not encountered many authors who has grasped such a skill for this genre and length, but Feeney is definitely one of them. She pitches it perfectly every time, doesn't miss a beat or opportunity to seize on a plot development point yet still keeps us guessing as to exactly what is going to happen. Even though I had an inkling Ava and Morgan would get it on, I in no way expected the ending that occurred!

In conclusion, I guess what I'm trying to say is that this book is rather amazing. I experienced a wide range of emotions, from warm fuzzies, to anger, laughing and crying, tutting at characters and cheering them on. For such a short story it doesn't half pack a punch, but I'm learning that this is Feeney's style. I cannot recommend this story highly enough, and really, truly, honestly think you should all go add it to Goodreads lists, and one-click it on Amazon UK or Amazon US.
  
Fire (Underground Encounters #2)
Fire (Underground Encounters #2)
Lisa Carlisle | 2012 | Erotica, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fire (Underground Encounters #2) by Lisa Carlisle
Fire is the second book in the Underground Encounters series, and is the first full-length book. This is Maya's story, and we start with her returning to Vamps a year after the explosion. We find out that Nike never returned, and is in Europe somewhere with Michel, leaving Maya with a nugget of resentment towards her friend, and the man who took her away. When she is in Vamps, she catches the eye of the new owner, who appears to have his own gifts that are different to Michel's. The spark quickly turns into flames when these two get together, but they both have secrets that they are hiding.

I think the thing I loved about this book is that Maya still kicks ass, even though she is hurting. Yes, she feels resentment towards her best friend, and yes, I would too. Things burn hot and fast between Tristan and Maya, helping to take her mind off Nike. However, things that burn that hot often burn out, as both Tristan and Maya find out, although in this case, it's because Tristan tries to do Maya's thinking for her, making decisions that affect her without getting her input.

For saying this is a paranormal book, there are many instances that are 'normal' - the lingering resentment (even when Nike turns up), taking the time to get to know someone, opposites attracting, friendship - I could go on. All of the things I have mentioned are completely natural and not covered up in any way.

I would say that you are best to read Nike's story first, as a big part of the storyline involves her and the circumstances around her departure. That is only a short read though, that will leave you wanting more. Fire fulfils that want, giving you more of Nike's story, as well as leaving plenty of Maya. Once again, no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and with a smooth pace, with plenty of heat. This was a great addition, and I look forward to reading more in this series. Definitely recommended by me.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
<u>Arcanum 101</u>
Even though this came out decades after the first Diana Tregarde novel, it's a prequel so I read this first. Having just finished [b:Children of the Night|14012|Children of the Night (Diana Tregarde, #1)|Mercedes Lackey|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1385445746s/14012.jpg|16102], I see a big difference in both Lackey's writing (it's definitely better) and in some continuity holes. Mostly minor, but for one thing, in this she calls her grandmother "Memaw" and in CotN, "Granny." She goes to college in Boston, at Harvard no less, in the short story and Connecticut is the only place mentioned in CotN. With the exception for a minor mention of Itzaak in the full-length book, none of the others featured in Arcanum 101 are in it, so apparently they were just created for the short story, which is a major bummer because I liked them better than the ones in CotN.

Okay onto an actual review...

While there's a bit of a slower start, introducing Diana and the others, I quite liked the pace. It felt natural and didn't bore me, which is a surprise in itself. Diana is much more likable here and has a strength of character and practical nature that appeals to me. The characters and plot kept the momentum going and if this wasn't a series that had already been written, I would have liked to see the universe expanded upon. Some of the characters didn't get fully fleshed out but just enough to make they feel like they were needed in some way. The plot was interesting, though the ending hasty but serviceable. A good story and introduction that also works fine as a standalone.
<i>3.5 stars</i>

<u>Drums</u>
A decent short story with some interesting ideas, especially the American Indian beliefs and mythology. I doubt I'll remember it much in a week, but it was overall enjoyable.
<i>3 stars</i>

<u>Ghost in the Machine</u>
I loved the idea of this story and it was very well-paced and plotted. While this could be dated with computers and gaming, I believe most of it stands up well. In a way Ellen seems to be Diana Tregarde 2.0, she's more believeable and interesting; she doesn't seem perfect. this would be a very cool series, too bad it probably won't happen.
<i>4.25 stars</i>
  
Let the Dead Speak (Maeve Kerrigan, #7)
Let the Dead Speak (Maeve Kerrigan, #7)
Jane Casey | 2017 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
8.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
For more reviews please visit https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com
This book is seventh in Kerrigan series, but it was my first encounter with Jane Casey’s work, and I definitely will be reading some more of her books. The blurb above describes this book quite accurate, Chloe comes back home and finds her home full of blood and her mother missing. DI Maeve starts the investigation, and more she digs in, more loose ends she gets.

This novel offers a wide variety of characters to choose from, but main characters are Maeve and Josh. The whole story was told from DI Maeve Kerrigan’s perspective, maybe that’s why characters felt not fully explored. I would’ve liked to read different perspectives of the investigation, I think that would’ve allowed understanding characters better and would’ve made the whole book more appealing. I really liked Josh Derwent’s character, and I think Maeve was missing some qualities, like the ability to fight well or great insight into the issues, to be the main lead in this book. On the other hand, the lack of those abilities made her more relatable and believable.

What I really enjoyed, was the narrative of this novel. The investigation was riveting, with a steady flow of twists and turns, which kept me intrigued and the suspense going, and I couldn’t wait to find out, what will happen next. I really loved, that almost in every chapter, the author very smartly revealed some new clues, and constantly kept the action going not to bore the reader, and that steady built up suspense was a great transition between the chapters. I really liked the way the author portrayed police work in this book; it was not over the top and was really believable. Being a Londoner, author portrayed the places and atmosphere really accurately, and for me, it was a real pleasure to read it.

The writing style used in this novel is easy to read and the language used was not complicated, with decent chapter length which didn’t make the book boring. The ending of the book had a great new twist, and left me confused and intrigued all over again. So, to conclude, this book had an exciting plot with lots of twists and turns along the way and I quite enjoyed it, I hope you will too.
Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.
  
Conflicted (Secrets and Lies #1)
Conflicted (Secrets and Lies #1)
M.M. Koenig | 2013 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Conflicted is the absolutely perfect title for this book because it not only describes the story but also how the reader will feel after reading it! According to Kindle, it was 385 pages which is a good story length but somehow it felt so much longer. This is probably because of the amount that happens in this story. It is full of twists and turns, characters turn out to be different to what you originally thought and the plot, well, take it from me that the baseline is a simple one but it gets very convoluted with all the goings on.

Mia is the main female and I couldn't quite come to grips with her. I understand that her world imploded and she felt an amazing amount of pain which no one should have to go through. I didn't like her way of 'coping' but also understand that everyone reacts differently. She seems like someone who is ruled by her body, which is completely different to what we were being told about her, which is one of the reasons I literally snorted out loud when Ethan says that he never thought of her as a 'party girl'. I'm sorry but in my book, someone who throws college parties most, if not every, weekend with loads of beer, drinks shots and wakes up with hangovers frequently, makes her quite the party girl!

Ethan is a whole new story. We don't learn much about him but he finds out quite a lot about Mia. Still waters definitely run deep with this one and I can't wait to find out more. I just hope he doesn't turn into a 'Hans' man.

Micah, Jackson, Shane, Bri - these are all secondary characters that still play a huge role in the book but I feel the surface has only been scratched with all of them. I am hoping it becomes clearer because there are still so many questions left unanswered.

This is the first book so there is a cliffhanger warning with this one!

On the whole, this was enjoyable and kept me reading. I am looking forward to reading book 2, Complicated.

* 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!
Jul 23, 2015
  
Once Upon a Dream (Mystic Beach #1) by Aislinn Archer
Once Upon a Dream (Mystic Beach #1) by Aislinn Archer
Aislinn Archer | 2022 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
ONCE UPON A DREAM is the first full-length story in the Mystic Beach series. I first met Ellie and Hunter in their short story - Here Comes the Sun - which takes place when they are six years old. This one takes place over a longer amount of time, and they both grow and change in a number of ways.

Both of them lose their mothers and neither of their fathers will ever win a 'Father of the Year' award! Ellie - who changes her name to Brighid - is hands down my favourite. She deals with what life throws at her, loves her best friend, and does the best she can. Hunter - I love him and hate him at the same time. He's got a long way to go before I'll forgive him for how he treated both Ellie and himself. And those pathetic excuses he makes to himself just aren't going to cut it. Too many excuses and not enough thought. Being completely honest here, the longer the book went on, the more I disliked him!!!

There is enough mysticism here to keep me happy whilst definitely leaving me wanting more. In fact, that's the feeling I've got now that I've finished this story. I want - no, I NEED - more! I want to see how the paranormal becomes normal for Brighid. I want to know more about Mystic Beach. I want to know more about the guys in the band, especially Kieran! And not forgetting Mace.

The world-building - whether in Virginia, Delaware, or New York - is first class. The characters are all different and don't blend into each other. The pacing is perfect. And the part near the end in New York? Had me in tears! Good on Brighid for showing backbone though and doing what was best for her. Still had me in tears though.

A fantastic book that I thoroughly enjoyed and can't wait for the next one. Highly recommended by me.

PS - LOVED the Robin of Sherwood references!!!

** 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!
May 12, 2022