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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Death be Hell ( Terra Vane 8) in Books
Oct 11, 2023
149 of 235
Kindle
Death be Hell ( Terra Vane đ
By Katie Everwood/Katie Epstein
âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸
Youâre damned if you do, and youâre damned if you donât. At least thatâs the position Terra and the team are in. One of their own is at risk, and time must be reversed to save them.
How will they do that? With no other option, theyâve got to travel through the Shadow Veil to the Demon Cities. A lust demon will lead the way, but she has a confession. Once her sinister ex finds out sheâs returned, the darkness shadowing one of their own will be the least of their problems.
Itâs time to for the team to go to hell and back.
Literally.
Oh this is so one of my favourite series I love it! I have missed these characters and this was the perfect book to get reacquainted with them. Bernard just breaks my heart and I love seeing a bit more about him and his trauma in this and I know he loves Terra still. Libbey has really changed my opinion of her this book I just loved her!!! I didnât think we could beat the zombies but the trip to hell was just brilliant I loved the costumes so funny. This was a huge bonding instalment and it was really fun! Then the ending smacks you in the face not happy đ
Kindle
Death be Hell ( Terra Vane đ
By Katie Everwood/Katie Epstein
âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸
Youâre damned if you do, and youâre damned if you donât. At least thatâs the position Terra and the team are in. One of their own is at risk, and time must be reversed to save them.
How will they do that? With no other option, theyâve got to travel through the Shadow Veil to the Demon Cities. A lust demon will lead the way, but she has a confession. Once her sinister ex finds out sheâs returned, the darkness shadowing one of their own will be the least of their problems.
Itâs time to for the team to go to hell and back.
Literally.
Oh this is so one of my favourite series I love it! I have missed these characters and this was the perfect book to get reacquainted with them. Bernard just breaks my heart and I love seeing a bit more about him and his trauma in this and I know he loves Terra still. Libbey has really changed my opinion of her this book I just loved her!!! I didnât think we could beat the zombies but the trip to hell was just brilliant I loved the costumes so funny. This was a huge bonding instalment and it was really fun! Then the ending smacks you in the face not happy đ
Mrs March
10.0
Rate It
Book
Shirley Jackson meets Ottessa Moshfegh meets My Sister the Serial Killer in a brilliantly unsettling...
1950âs USA Historical fiction suspense
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Chasing the Dragon in Books
Feb 14, 2024
28 of 220
ARC
Chasing the Dragon
By Mark Towse
âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸
A town on its knees, dread's bony fingers wrapping around its throat and squeezing, death rattles soon to follow.
Drugs, filth, and a lack of human decency are starving it of hope.
Introducing Simon Dooley, our trauma-driven wannabe superhero, the relentless voice of his dead mother pleading with him to "end the chaos." Dressed in a leotard and armed only with a dozen dog poop bags, Simon's plight will find him falling in love and going head to head with the seediest characters walking the streets.
The town needed a hero... it got Reformo.
This was honestly such a fun read. This dude has some parental issues thatâs for certain. So Simon decided on the advice of his dead mother that heâs going to clean house and the neighbourhood. So he invents Reformo the super hero everyone needs. Now all the way through this book I couldnât stop laughing which when youâre on a bus full of people you get crazy looks. You can tell the author has poured everything into this book and it really has paid off. Itâs dark, funny, bloody , violent and even a little emotional at the end there. Please read any trigger warnings as it does touch a few and it is dark and violent with some graphic details.
I was kindly given this to me by the author in return for an honest review.
ARC
Chasing the Dragon
By Mark Towse
âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸âď¸
A town on its knees, dread's bony fingers wrapping around its throat and squeezing, death rattles soon to follow.
Drugs, filth, and a lack of human decency are starving it of hope.
Introducing Simon Dooley, our trauma-driven wannabe superhero, the relentless voice of his dead mother pleading with him to "end the chaos." Dressed in a leotard and armed only with a dozen dog poop bags, Simon's plight will find him falling in love and going head to head with the seediest characters walking the streets.
The town needed a hero... it got Reformo.
This was honestly such a fun read. This dude has some parental issues thatâs for certain. So Simon decided on the advice of his dead mother that heâs going to clean house and the neighbourhood. So he invents Reformo the super hero everyone needs. Now all the way through this book I couldnât stop laughing which when youâre on a bus full of people you get crazy looks. You can tell the author has poured everything into this book and it really has paid off. Itâs dark, funny, bloody , violent and even a little emotional at the end there. Please read any trigger warnings as it does touch a few and it is dark and violent with some graphic details.
I was kindly given this to me by the author in return for an honest review.
Merissa (12580 KP) rated Bella's Countryside Christmas in Books
Oct 4, 2024
BELLA'S COUNTRYSIDE CHRISTMAS is set in Haileybrook. To escape a boring conference, she fakes illness and goes to the church where she should have been married, if she hadn't called it off. While there, she saves a nativity scene from guaranteed disaster, as well as helping a cute man by pretending to be his date. After a better-than-expected day/evening and a moment of connection complete with a kiss, she disappears to help her younger sister, leaving Jack all alone. Fast forward a year (give or take) and Bella is returning to Haileybrook, this time to live and work.
This was such a great story! It is gentle, with no unnecessary angst or drama, with a healthy dose of mystery. Character-led with cameos from characters out of other books, this was a story I didn't want to end. The people here were funny and likeable, especially the ones from the home!
The flow of the story was smooth and left me wanting to continue reading, even when I got to the chapter breaks. It has Christmassy vibes but doesn't rule the whole story. A fantastic read and definitely recommended by me.
** 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!
Sep 25, 2024
This was such a great story! It is gentle, with no unnecessary angst or drama, with a healthy dose of mystery. Character-led with cameos from characters out of other books, this was a story I didn't want to end. The people here were funny and likeable, especially the ones from the home!
The flow of the story was smooth and left me wanting to continue reading, even when I got to the chapter breaks. It has Christmassy vibes but doesn't rule the whole story. A fantastic read and definitely recommended by me.
** 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!
Sep 25, 2024
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2304 KP) rated A Matter of Life and Depths in Books
Nov 7, 2024
Charlotte Must Face Her Pain Head on
Charlotte and her sister, Jane, have settled into their new life as permanent residents on the luxury cruise ship. But as the ship heads to Japan, Charlotte is less than happy to discover that her late husbandâs mistress, Kyrie Dawn, and her toddler son have joined the staff with Kyrie Dawn being the new yoga instructor. Charlotte hasnât even wrapped her head around that when a murder happens. Charlotte finds herself investigating for the last reason she would have expected. Can she figure out what happened?
Iâve read books with similar initial setups before, and I appreciate that this book didnât go for the predictable victim. It allowed for some great character growth in Charlotte and some of the other characters. It may not all be realistic, but I did like it overall. Like the first book, we met the suspects all at once, so it took me a while to get them all straight. The mystery was strong, with some good surprises and a couple red herrings on the way to a logical climax. A minor subplot involving a diary that Charlotte was reading from her great-grandmother seemed a bit confusing to me, although I do understand why it was there thematically. On the other hand, there were some delightfully funny moments, and the setting was great. Overall, I enjoyed this murderous cruise very much.
Iâve read books with similar initial setups before, and I appreciate that this book didnât go for the predictable victim. It allowed for some great character growth in Charlotte and some of the other characters. It may not all be realistic, but I did like it overall. Like the first book, we met the suspects all at once, so it took me a while to get them all straight. The mystery was strong, with some good surprises and a couple red herrings on the way to a logical climax. A minor subplot involving a diary that Charlotte was reading from her great-grandmother seemed a bit confusing to me, although I do understand why it was there thematically. On the other hand, there were some delightfully funny moments, and the setting was great. Overall, I enjoyed this murderous cruise very much.
Flirting With Fire (Charming Butte #1)
Book
A smokinâ hot firefighter. A handsome, lonely rancher. Can these frenemies turn a cosmic...
Contemporary MM Small Town Men in Uniform Series Romance
Midge (525 KP) rated Restaurant Weeks are Murder in Books
Mar 28, 2019
Murder & Mayhem In The Kitchen
âRestaurant Weeks Are Murderâ is Libby Kleinâs very enjoyable third novel, chock full of madness and mayhem in the âPoppy McAllister Mysteryâ series. The first book is âClass Reunions Are Murder,â followed by book two which is âMidnight Snacks Are Murder.â
I havenât read these other books in this series yet, however, I donât think that this spoilt my enjoyment of this novel. That said, there is nothing more exciting than picking up a book which is the first in a new series.
Poppy McAllister is opening a new Bed & Breakfast in Cape May, New Jersey, but working in a professional kitchen has always been her passion. Now sheâs realising her dream, at least briefly, as she is teaming up with her former fiancĂŠe Tim and his partner, Gigi, during a high-profile Restaurant Week challenge. Poppyâs speciality is pastries and if anyone can make glorious gluten-free goodies, itâs Poppy.
As it might be expected, things start to go badly wrong very quickly, especially when some ingredients get switched and Tim is accused of sabotage. Relatively harmless pranks soon escalate into real hazards, including an exploding deep fat fryer. Then one of the judges dies after taking a bite of Poppyâs limoncello cannoli, making her one of the prime suspects . . .
Forty-odd-year-old, pastry chef, Poppy, the protagonist, lives with her elderly Aunt Ginny and Figaro, her mischievous cat. I found Poppy and many of the other characters very funny and likeable, so much so that I felt as though I would like to spend some time in their company myself! As someone who has read several cozies, Poppyâs Aunt Ginny has become one of my favourite cozy characters. She provided plenty of humour in this book from her choice of outlandish outfits to her zaniness and zest for life. I couldnât help but adore her and look forward to her mischievous antics.
I liked that the opening chapters drew me into the story and captured my attention immediately. Although I had to wait a while before an actual murder took place, there was never a dull moment with such a lot going on. The mystery itself was well thought out with plenty of twists and turns as I puzzled over the clues to discover the perpetrator.
The book had a natural, steady pace, and even though the murder occurred towards the end of the first half of the book I was kept guessing until the surprising reveal. Delightful and entertaining âRestaurant Weeks Are Murderâ is a highly recommended, quick, light read for all cozy mystery fans.
{Thank you to #NetGalley and Kensington Books for the free copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
I havenât read these other books in this series yet, however, I donât think that this spoilt my enjoyment of this novel. That said, there is nothing more exciting than picking up a book which is the first in a new series.
Poppy McAllister is opening a new Bed & Breakfast in Cape May, New Jersey, but working in a professional kitchen has always been her passion. Now sheâs realising her dream, at least briefly, as she is teaming up with her former fiancĂŠe Tim and his partner, Gigi, during a high-profile Restaurant Week challenge. Poppyâs speciality is pastries and if anyone can make glorious gluten-free goodies, itâs Poppy.
As it might be expected, things start to go badly wrong very quickly, especially when some ingredients get switched and Tim is accused of sabotage. Relatively harmless pranks soon escalate into real hazards, including an exploding deep fat fryer. Then one of the judges dies after taking a bite of Poppyâs limoncello cannoli, making her one of the prime suspects . . .
Forty-odd-year-old, pastry chef, Poppy, the protagonist, lives with her elderly Aunt Ginny and Figaro, her mischievous cat. I found Poppy and many of the other characters very funny and likeable, so much so that I felt as though I would like to spend some time in their company myself! As someone who has read several cozies, Poppyâs Aunt Ginny has become one of my favourite cozy characters. She provided plenty of humour in this book from her choice of outlandish outfits to her zaniness and zest for life. I couldnât help but adore her and look forward to her mischievous antics.
I liked that the opening chapters drew me into the story and captured my attention immediately. Although I had to wait a while before an actual murder took place, there was never a dull moment with such a lot going on. The mystery itself was well thought out with plenty of twists and turns as I puzzled over the clues to discover the perpetrator.
The book had a natural, steady pace, and even though the murder occurred towards the end of the first half of the book I was kept guessing until the surprising reveal. Delightful and entertaining âRestaurant Weeks Are Murderâ is a highly recommended, quick, light read for all cozy mystery fans.
{Thank you to #NetGalley and Kensington Books for the free copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2304 KP) rated I'll Be There for You: The One about Friends in Books
Oct 16, 2019
The One Where We Look at the Friends Phenomenon
Over the course of the book, we get a well-researched look at the sitcom Friends and the impact it has had on the US and the world in the 25 years since it premiered. We learn about how the creators met and came up with the show, the path the actors took before they landed on the show, and some of the bumps and growing pains that everyone experienced during the 10 years the show was on the air. There is also talk about the impact the show has had on fashion, trends, and overall pop culture the world over.
Author Kelsey Miller starts out by talking about her own connection to the show, and at various times in the book she talks about how she gained insight into the show (and vice versa) while talking to her real-life friends about it. As I said, the book is well-researched, but that is part of the problem â it has too much research, rehashing stories we can find elsewhere with little new insights from the cast and crew. I did find her commentary on a few episodes and arcs to be interesting. I had already thought of some of her comments myself, and the rest make perfect sense to me. My biggest issue with the book is the way she works modern social issues into a look at a comedy from 25 years ago. Now, Iâm not saying that the issues on the show arenât worth talking about. This is the only part of the book where she did her any original research, reaching out to people to get reactions to the showâs handing of diversity, etc. However, her experts all seem to be of the opinion that it would be nice if the show had done a better job, but that was TV in the day, and it is a funny comedy that wasnât trying to push an agenda. It is clear she wasnât happy these people didnât agree with her more since she obvious thinks these are major issues in the show. She even spends much of the last chapter talking about the lawsuit a writerâs assistant brought for a hostile work environment and speculating how it would have been handled in the current environment. These complaints aside, I found the book very readable, and when I picked it up, I was hooked. I was even choking up as I read about the taping of the final episodes. This would probably appeal most to die hard Friends fans, but most of the material here they probably already know.
Author Kelsey Miller starts out by talking about her own connection to the show, and at various times in the book she talks about how she gained insight into the show (and vice versa) while talking to her real-life friends about it. As I said, the book is well-researched, but that is part of the problem â it has too much research, rehashing stories we can find elsewhere with little new insights from the cast and crew. I did find her commentary on a few episodes and arcs to be interesting. I had already thought of some of her comments myself, and the rest make perfect sense to me. My biggest issue with the book is the way she works modern social issues into a look at a comedy from 25 years ago. Now, Iâm not saying that the issues on the show arenât worth talking about. This is the only part of the book where she did her any original research, reaching out to people to get reactions to the showâs handing of diversity, etc. However, her experts all seem to be of the opinion that it would be nice if the show had done a better job, but that was TV in the day, and it is a funny comedy that wasnât trying to push an agenda. It is clear she wasnât happy these people didnât agree with her more since she obvious thinks these are major issues in the show. She even spends much of the last chapter talking about the lawsuit a writerâs assistant brought for a hostile work environment and speculating how it would have been handled in the current environment. These complaints aside, I found the book very readable, and when I picked it up, I was hooked. I was even choking up as I read about the taping of the final episodes. This would probably appeal most to die hard Friends fans, but most of the material here they probably already know.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Eleven in Books
Apr 23, 2020
Fantastic characters and original story
* I received an advance reader copy from the author and netgalley in exchange for an honest review *
Quite simply: this is a fantastic book.
The characters involved are all well-crafted and unique. They have their own back-stories that we learn over time, appreciating who they are, what they have been through and why they are how they are.
The main character is Keira, a human who spent a large part of her late childhood imprisoned, tortured and raped by the upper echelons of the government. She escapes and seeks revenge on her abusers, but needs Courage to achieve this. We first meet her as she begins her attack on the first such abuser.
She teams up with Rowan, an assassin, though the circumstances of their meeting don't become clear until later, and travels to a magical realm to track down more of her tormentors. The details of Rowan's current assignment are somewhat mysterious and only revealed later.
They eventually meet Dess, who we have started to get to know, an elf-like magical scholar who has had his own issues in adolescence and is seeking revenge on the people involved in the murder of the love of his life.
And finally we have Sirris, a funny little slave creature who seeks escape from his life of misery, abuse and servitude.
Those back-stories are gradually woven together over the course of the book in a very ambitious, and flawlessly executed, series of split timelines. Fans of Mark Lawrence's knack for splitting a story into separate timelines will love the way Gaskill has done this and more here. We have the "present" story, told from a number of different viewpoints and places, as well as each of the main characters' backstories. Over time we learn to understand how people met, what tensions there are (or could be lurking under the surface) and what each is trying to achieve. These interactions, conflicts and tensions are masterfully written and revealed.
The action throughout the book is fairly gruesome and gritty, and some of the sexual scenes of torture and rape are a little hard to take. Rather than being gratuitous on the whole though they do serve to give the reader a better appreciation for the terrors the characters have been through.
Over the course of the book we see Keira ticking the names off her list of the eleven, albeit out of sync due to the split timelines.
This really was a wonderful book that got me out of something of a slump, keeping me engaged and guessing the next revelation all the way through.
I sincerely hope Gaskill writes the hinted at follow-up book, as there certainly is scope for it in the world he has masterfully created and the cast of (surviving) characters.
Quite simply: this is a fantastic book.
The characters involved are all well-crafted and unique. They have their own back-stories that we learn over time, appreciating who they are, what they have been through and why they are how they are.
The main character is Keira, a human who spent a large part of her late childhood imprisoned, tortured and raped by the upper echelons of the government. She escapes and seeks revenge on her abusers, but needs Courage to achieve this. We first meet her as she begins her attack on the first such abuser.
She teams up with Rowan, an assassin, though the circumstances of their meeting don't become clear until later, and travels to a magical realm to track down more of her tormentors. The details of Rowan's current assignment are somewhat mysterious and only revealed later.
They eventually meet Dess, who we have started to get to know, an elf-like magical scholar who has had his own issues in adolescence and is seeking revenge on the people involved in the murder of the love of his life.
And finally we have Sirris, a funny little slave creature who seeks escape from his life of misery, abuse and servitude.
Those back-stories are gradually woven together over the course of the book in a very ambitious, and flawlessly executed, series of split timelines. Fans of Mark Lawrence's knack for splitting a story into separate timelines will love the way Gaskill has done this and more here. We have the "present" story, told from a number of different viewpoints and places, as well as each of the main characters' backstories. Over time we learn to understand how people met, what tensions there are (or could be lurking under the surface) and what each is trying to achieve. These interactions, conflicts and tensions are masterfully written and revealed.
The action throughout the book is fairly gruesome and gritty, and some of the sexual scenes of torture and rape are a little hard to take. Rather than being gratuitous on the whole though they do serve to give the reader a better appreciation for the terrors the characters have been through.
Over the course of the book we see Keira ticking the names off her list of the eleven, albeit out of sync due to the split timelines.
This really was a wonderful book that got me out of something of a slump, keeping me engaged and guessing the next revelation all the way through.
I sincerely hope Gaskill writes the hinted at follow-up book, as there certainly is scope for it in the world he has masterfully created and the cast of (surviving) characters.
Furthermore (Furthermore, #1)
7.3
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This captivating and colorful adventure that reads like a modern day fairy tale, from the...