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Return of the Assassin (All The King's Men #5)
10.0
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Assassin Gina Carano doesn't have time for love. In fact, the last thing she wants is a mate, but...
Paranormal Romance Vampires
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Carpe Corpus (The Morganville Vampires, #6) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
These book just keep getting better and better. With book six, the series ventures into the world of steampunk with a special Morganville twist. With the very little I have actually read in the genre of Steampunk, I had a hard time visualizing what Ada looks like, but I am hoping these eventually become movies and someone creates this fascinating machine for the movies! Ada's quirkiness and creepiness fit right in with the rest of the Morganville residents, though, so I know that she/it will grow on me, too.
With this book, it is also a relief that Claire has finally turned seventeen. The build-up between her and Shane was driving me crazy. I also like how the author was much more realistic about her first time with Shane than many romance novelists, with much awkwardness and naivety. Her parents' response to the knowledge of this was quite humorous and charming and lent some much-needed humor to the extent of fear with which Morganville is saturated.
Even though these books have much fantasy, they still move along with a certain believability. The one major exception that I found in this book - that I simply had a hard time believing possible - was when Claire almost dies at the end. With the amount of blood loss she suffered from, there is simply no way she could stay conscious for the amount of that she did or stay alive as she did. When books are as entertaining as these are though, I don't mind a little "writer's license" to keep the main character alive and resolve the loose thread of who is responsible for the random murders of girls in the previous books. I am surprised, though, that Claire never made the connection to who Dean is, since I saw it coming quite easily.
Mynin gets more and more entertaining and fascinating from book to book - he is probably one of my favorite characters for his unpredictability. I am thrilled that the disease can no longer get the best of him - it means he could play a more central role in future books. Many of the characters are easy to like, even if their morals often verge into gray area, such as Amelie.
Even though the "book" has suffered its final demise, the bookworm in me still wonders what else was in that book, so I hope future books can tell me more about it.
With this book, it is also a relief that Claire has finally turned seventeen. The build-up between her and Shane was driving me crazy. I also like how the author was much more realistic about her first time with Shane than many romance novelists, with much awkwardness and naivety. Her parents' response to the knowledge of this was quite humorous and charming and lent some much-needed humor to the extent of fear with which Morganville is saturated.
Even though these books have much fantasy, they still move along with a certain believability. The one major exception that I found in this book - that I simply had a hard time believing possible - was when Claire almost dies at the end. With the amount of blood loss she suffered from, there is simply no way she could stay conscious for the amount of that she did or stay alive as she did. When books are as entertaining as these are though, I don't mind a little "writer's license" to keep the main character alive and resolve the loose thread of who is responsible for the random murders of girls in the previous books. I am surprised, though, that Claire never made the connection to who Dean is, since I saw it coming quite easily.
Mynin gets more and more entertaining and fascinating from book to book - he is probably one of my favorite characters for his unpredictability. I am thrilled that the disease can no longer get the best of him - it means he could play a more central role in future books. Many of the characters are easy to like, even if their morals often verge into gray area, such as Amelie.
Even though the "book" has suffered its final demise, the bookworm in me still wonders what else was in that book, so I hope future books can tell me more about it.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Daughter of Isis (Descendants of Isis #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
The first book in Kelsey Ketch's <em>Descendants of Isis</em> series is a book with very heavy romance.
Of course, I was highly aware of that upon reading the synopsis.
But I'm an absolute sucker for mythology of all kinds (This is why I am highly interested in debut author Heidi Helig's <em>The Girl From Everywhere</em>. I mean, <em>Hawaiian</em>. Saucer eyes RIGHT here! I intend on waiting until the book is published, though.) and I simply couldn't resist myself. So instead of moping about the possibility of a heavy romance, I replaced my "NUUU ROMANCE" hat with my "TOLERABLE ROMANTIC" hat (the caps are intentional), sat back with my tablet (after transferring the review copy from the computer), and just hoped Ketch would take me on an unforgettable journey.
Natti has just moved from London to a small town in California after her Grandmother's death, with her only clue in a necklace she inherited. Since the first day Natti starts at her new school, Seth O'Keefe starts pursuing her in the hopes of seducing her.
Plus, Tolerable Romantic (I'll stop capping my hats now) hat says it's not exactly love at first sight Natti is completely resistant to Seth's attempts at charming her from the beginning, even though she sort of succumbs to his charms eventually. At that point in time, however, I know each of the characters well enough and have a particular fondness for each of them (for the first in a series) that it isn't awkward at all.
Ketch writes the book in two views: Natti's and Seth's. Natti's comparison of British life to American life and big city to a small town is mildly hilarious (we totally do everything backward). Even though she would rather remain in England, she smoothly transitions into her new life after meeting Wanda, Kevin, and Jen and being tucked under their wings.
Also, she has a fire in her I kind of like.
I honestly feel having Seth's view works out in the book's favor; hearing from his point of view makes him a lot more human than he comes out as with the other Sons of Set: someone who worships the Egyptian god Set and spreads chaos in the world on his behalf, hoping to eventually come across a secret from the past. They also sound insane and just want to take over the world one woman at a time.
It basically puts him in an entirely different perspective for readers than simply reading what Natti thinks of him.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFwoMM-NvD4/VodHIVFyhoI/AAAAAAAAFqQ/y-lTjSgr4j0/s1600/perspective.gif"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2016/01/perspective.gif"; width="320" height="240" border="0" /></a></div>
<em>Daughter of Isis</em> is one of those books where I'll probably keep my Tolerable Romantic hat on for the entire series because the romance between Seth and Natti fits the story really well. The world Kelsey builds in a small town California where nearly everyone is under the thumb of the Sons of Set captivated me by the end of the book I can't wait to see what trials the couple will face in the future of the series.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-daughter-of-isis-by-kelsey-ketc/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
The first book in Kelsey Ketch's <em>Descendants of Isis</em> series is a book with very heavy romance.
Of course, I was highly aware of that upon reading the synopsis.
But I'm an absolute sucker for mythology of all kinds (This is why I am highly interested in debut author Heidi Helig's <em>The Girl From Everywhere</em>. I mean, <em>Hawaiian</em>. Saucer eyes RIGHT here! I intend on waiting until the book is published, though.) and I simply couldn't resist myself. So instead of moping about the possibility of a heavy romance, I replaced my "NUUU ROMANCE" hat with my "TOLERABLE ROMANTIC" hat (the caps are intentional), sat back with my tablet (after transferring the review copy from the computer), and just hoped Ketch would take me on an unforgettable journey.
Natti has just moved from London to a small town in California after her Grandmother's death, with her only clue in a necklace she inherited. Since the first day Natti starts at her new school, Seth O'Keefe starts pursuing her in the hopes of seducing her.
Plus, Tolerable Romantic (I'll stop capping my hats now) hat says it's not exactly love at first sight Natti is completely resistant to Seth's attempts at charming her from the beginning, even though she sort of succumbs to his charms eventually. At that point in time, however, I know each of the characters well enough and have a particular fondness for each of them (for the first in a series) that it isn't awkward at all.
Ketch writes the book in two views: Natti's and Seth's. Natti's comparison of British life to American life and big city to a small town is mildly hilarious (we totally do everything backward). Even though she would rather remain in England, she smoothly transitions into her new life after meeting Wanda, Kevin, and Jen and being tucked under their wings.
Also, she has a fire in her I kind of like.
I honestly feel having Seth's view works out in the book's favor; hearing from his point of view makes him a lot more human than he comes out as with the other Sons of Set: someone who worships the Egyptian god Set and spreads chaos in the world on his behalf, hoping to eventually come across a secret from the past. They also sound insane and just want to take over the world one woman at a time.
It basically puts him in an entirely different perspective for readers than simply reading what Natti thinks of him.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFwoMM-NvD4/VodHIVFyhoI/AAAAAAAAFqQ/y-lTjSgr4j0/s1600/perspective.gif"><img src="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.bookblog.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2016/01/perspective.gif"; width="320" height="240" border="0" /></a></div>
<em>Daughter of Isis</em> is one of those books where I'll probably keep my Tolerable Romantic hat on for the entire series because the romance between Seth and Natti fits the story really well. The world Kelsey builds in a small town California where nearly everyone is under the thumb of the Sons of Set captivated me by the end of the book I can't wait to see what trials the couple will face in the future of the series.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-daughter-of-isis-by-kelsey-ketc/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated E.R.A (HayleAnna Rising, #1) in Books
Jan 11, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
DNF @ 61% - REVIEW DOES CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS (AND A BIT OF A RANT)
This sounded rather good so I downloaded it but the more I read, the more I disliked it. That sounds bad but when I generally enjoy almost 95% of books I read, I think it's fair. It might be because it was self published and needed a really, really good proof read and edit as the amount of misspellings and simple errors drove me mad.
So this starts with HayleAnna waking up for her first day of training to join E.R.A - America's army of the future - so she can follow in her dads footsteps. She meets the trainers, a group of five, and makes friends with her roomie, AZ, before embarking on her schedule of training throughout the days and weeks so she can help stop the crazy madman who is trying to rule America after the government collapsed a handful of decades ago.
I had a couple of other issues with this book, just simple things I didn't understand.
One: Her name is HayleAnna but everyone calls her Anna. Surely Hayle with it coming first would be her shortened form?
Two: The romance. I didn't buy it. One minute they're sharing looks and winks and then the next they're pretty much dating and getting married?
Three: The continual use of the word "setting" instead of "sitting". "Setting up in the bed..." Maybe it's because I'm British but that made no sense to me. I set an object down but I sit down.
And four: I felt like I missed something in that 61%. She leaves the training completely to go see her mum amid a possible threat, but when her birthday rolls around everyone from the training is there wishing her well, including the instructors who told her she would be kicked from the program if she left? And then she actually gets a place with E.R.A?
WTF?
That was about the point where I gave up with the story. It wasn't making sense to me anymore. None of it was. I didn't buy the romance between the characters, either, and I wasn't a fan of the explained conversations without having it written in full.
It did have a promising storyline and I'm sure if the authors gave it a full proper once over that it has the potential to be a good book but currently I really wasn't feeling it at all.
This sounded rather good so I downloaded it but the more I read, the more I disliked it. That sounds bad but when I generally enjoy almost 95% of books I read, I think it's fair. It might be because it was self published and needed a really, really good proof read and edit as the amount of misspellings and simple errors drove me mad.
So this starts with HayleAnna waking up for her first day of training to join E.R.A - America's army of the future - so she can follow in her dads footsteps. She meets the trainers, a group of five, and makes friends with her roomie, AZ, before embarking on her schedule of training throughout the days and weeks so she can help stop the crazy madman who is trying to rule America after the government collapsed a handful of decades ago.
I had a couple of other issues with this book, just simple things I didn't understand.
One: Her name is HayleAnna but everyone calls her Anna. Surely Hayle with it coming first would be her shortened form?
Two: The romance. I didn't buy it. One minute they're sharing looks and winks and then the next they're pretty much dating and getting married?
Three: The continual use of the word "setting" instead of "sitting". "Setting up in the bed..." Maybe it's because I'm British but that made no sense to me. I set an object down but I sit down.
And four: I felt like I missed something in that 61%. She leaves the training completely to go see her mum amid a possible threat, but when her birthday rolls around everyone from the training is there wishing her well, including the instructors who told her she would be kicked from the program if she left? And then she actually gets a place with E.R.A?
WTF?
That was about the point where I gave up with the story. It wasn't making sense to me anymore. None of it was. I didn't buy the romance between the characters, either, and I wasn't a fan of the explained conversations without having it written in full.
It did have a promising storyline and I'm sure if the authors gave it a full proper once over that it has the potential to be a good book but currently I really wasn't feeling it at all.
Pieces of Eight (Lost Souls' Treasure #1)
8.0
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From the author who whisked you away on a wild escapade in the Key West Escape series comes a sexy,...
Adult Adventure Romance
Gareth von Kallenbach (974 KP) rated Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
How many times have you seen this premise played out in film or other forms of entertainment: The world is going to end and there’s one last ditch plan or effort to save it (It inevitably succeeds, of course!); alternatively, the world has ended already and we’re left with post-apocalyptic society picking up the pieces. The premise is everywhere; the fascination with the end of days has been evident throughout our popular culture for decades. Yet, the thing about these two premises is that it avoids a (quite large) important question about the nature of the situation. What if our last ditch effort doesn’t succeed? What if there is no post-apocalyptic setting giving us hope for a re-built future. “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World”, a brand new film directed and written by Lorene Scafaria (“Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist”) attempts to focus on that gap often glossed over by apocalyptic fiction. It assumes there is no hope, there is a conclusion, and how do we deal with that?
It’s a comedy drama that pokes fun of the absurdity of a monotonous society coping with the conclusion of all civilization, while interweaving a touching romance between two people with broken pasts and deep regrets. Yet, it is a movie with some notable flaws, mainly in how it focuses its attention.
The premise is fairly simple, and rightly so. There is a large asteroid named “Matilda” barreling towards Earth and its impact will wipe out all life on our beloved planet. The film starts with the announcement that the last chance for Earth’s survival, a space mission to destroy the asteroid, has failed due to a fire on board the vessel. With only three weeks left to live, insurance salesman Dodge Peterson (Steve Carell) must decide how to spend the rest of his life. He decides to chase down an old highschool sweetheart and is accompanied by his neighbor, Penny (Keira Knightley) who wishes to return home to see her family one last time. They meet several characters in their roadtrip journey through pre-apocalyptica, including characters played by Rob Corddry and Martin Sheen.
The simple premise seems familiar due to its subject matter (C’mon, it’s 2012. I’m surprised there hasn’t been even more apocalypse movies flooding the theaters). Yet, strangely it feels fresh simply in how it handles itself. As said, most movies focus on the last daring mission to save mankind from certain destruction, or assumes that certain destruction really isn’t the end. People like to see hope, they don’t want to be confined by fate. This movie takes a different approach. Right off the bat it basically tells you there is zero hope, zero chance of getting out of this mess. Now what do you do? This particular premise lets comedy shine for the first two acts of the movie. There are subtle jokes, like the absurdity of naming a rock about to destroy all of mankind “Matilda”.
There are more traditional joke set-ups, favoring quick joke-punchline material that is mostly laugh-out-loud funny. And there is a fair amount of dark humor, simple funniness in the absurdity of how people treat the end of days. People mowing their lawns, still cleaning houses, even cops who continue to pull people over all poke fun of how people cannot let go of even the most monotonous of tasks that define their lift – regardless of how pointless they are due to the situation. Or the people who just let go and want to spend their last days without care, throwing themselves into orgies, drugs or riots. However, the tone of the drama limits the humor of the movie, favoring those kinds of moderate laughs over hysterical or hilarious moments. That’s the underlying issue of the film: that it feels like the humor is constrained due to fear of it undermining its drama.
Those who expect a comedy movie will only get two-thirds of one. And those who expect a drama movie will get mostly one. By no means does it fail at comedy or drama, but it just does not strike that delicate balance to be both in the same setting. The last act of the movie almost completely drops the comedy in favor of a dramatic and romantic conclusion. It’s not a huge fault, because the writing, and well-paced relationship development between the two main protagonists (Dodge and Penny), means that their inevitable romance seems natural, honest, and believable. The comedy is really only around in the first two thirds of the movie to try and keep your attention away from the obvious conclusion to their story – the fact that they end up together (and, perhaps, another conclusion entirely). So, when it does eventually happen, even though it was obvious from the start that it would, it does feel very endearing. The natural chemistry between Steve Carell and Keira Knightley is quite good, so buying their romance is not difficult in the slightest.
Yet, even still, that underlying issue keeps coming back. The fact that the comedy feels like a tool to facilitate a good dramatic ending ,instead of natural focus of the movie, undermines the experience for those who want to get some laughs. If there was a more natural balance between the romantic elements and comedy elements throughout the whole movie and not just the first two thirds, it could bring forth much more powerful comedy and/or drama. That way those who desire comedy or romance would be delighted to get a good deal of both intertwined.
I commend the film for how it handles the subject matter of inevitability. Even though it pokes fun at absurdity and really garners good laughs, it always has this underlying sense of regret, sadness and dread. You’re always reminded in the back of your mind that the world is going to end, but it does a good enough job pulling you into the characters’ last struggle to piece together their lives after decades of failure and regret that you end up really wanting to see them pull through somehow. Its last act is especially poignant, and definitely emotionally strong. Even though the themes of throwing away your past in favor of a happier future (despite it being such a short future) are not well concealed, they still end up being particularly strong. A film that can really make you appreciate what you have outside the film and the limited time you have left to enjoy it has to be commended for making you think.
“Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” is a fairly powerful romance drama that focuses on how people deal with loss, regret and the prospect of inevitable fate. More importantly, though, is that it focuses on how people can build something profoundly beautiful even in the last moments of their lives – regardless of their pasts or (lack) of future prospects. It has comedy in the movie, but it never really shines nor intertwines with the drama. They almost feel like two separate elements that struggle to mix together. Yet, the comedy is mostly laugh-out-loud funny and the drama is quite poignant and endearing. It definitely had the potential to make us laugh to tears or even bring us to tears through drama, but instead it settles for simply making us laugh and reflect.
It’s a comedy drama that pokes fun of the absurdity of a monotonous society coping with the conclusion of all civilization, while interweaving a touching romance between two people with broken pasts and deep regrets. Yet, it is a movie with some notable flaws, mainly in how it focuses its attention.
The premise is fairly simple, and rightly so. There is a large asteroid named “Matilda” barreling towards Earth and its impact will wipe out all life on our beloved planet. The film starts with the announcement that the last chance for Earth’s survival, a space mission to destroy the asteroid, has failed due to a fire on board the vessel. With only three weeks left to live, insurance salesman Dodge Peterson (Steve Carell) must decide how to spend the rest of his life. He decides to chase down an old highschool sweetheart and is accompanied by his neighbor, Penny (Keira Knightley) who wishes to return home to see her family one last time. They meet several characters in their roadtrip journey through pre-apocalyptica, including characters played by Rob Corddry and Martin Sheen.
The simple premise seems familiar due to its subject matter (C’mon, it’s 2012. I’m surprised there hasn’t been even more apocalypse movies flooding the theaters). Yet, strangely it feels fresh simply in how it handles itself. As said, most movies focus on the last daring mission to save mankind from certain destruction, or assumes that certain destruction really isn’t the end. People like to see hope, they don’t want to be confined by fate. This movie takes a different approach. Right off the bat it basically tells you there is zero hope, zero chance of getting out of this mess. Now what do you do? This particular premise lets comedy shine for the first two acts of the movie. There are subtle jokes, like the absurdity of naming a rock about to destroy all of mankind “Matilda”.
There are more traditional joke set-ups, favoring quick joke-punchline material that is mostly laugh-out-loud funny. And there is a fair amount of dark humor, simple funniness in the absurdity of how people treat the end of days. People mowing their lawns, still cleaning houses, even cops who continue to pull people over all poke fun of how people cannot let go of even the most monotonous of tasks that define their lift – regardless of how pointless they are due to the situation. Or the people who just let go and want to spend their last days without care, throwing themselves into orgies, drugs or riots. However, the tone of the drama limits the humor of the movie, favoring those kinds of moderate laughs over hysterical or hilarious moments. That’s the underlying issue of the film: that it feels like the humor is constrained due to fear of it undermining its drama.
Those who expect a comedy movie will only get two-thirds of one. And those who expect a drama movie will get mostly one. By no means does it fail at comedy or drama, but it just does not strike that delicate balance to be both in the same setting. The last act of the movie almost completely drops the comedy in favor of a dramatic and romantic conclusion. It’s not a huge fault, because the writing, and well-paced relationship development between the two main protagonists (Dodge and Penny), means that their inevitable romance seems natural, honest, and believable. The comedy is really only around in the first two thirds of the movie to try and keep your attention away from the obvious conclusion to their story – the fact that they end up together (and, perhaps, another conclusion entirely). So, when it does eventually happen, even though it was obvious from the start that it would, it does feel very endearing. The natural chemistry between Steve Carell and Keira Knightley is quite good, so buying their romance is not difficult in the slightest.
Yet, even still, that underlying issue keeps coming back. The fact that the comedy feels like a tool to facilitate a good dramatic ending ,instead of natural focus of the movie, undermines the experience for those who want to get some laughs. If there was a more natural balance between the romantic elements and comedy elements throughout the whole movie and not just the first two thirds, it could bring forth much more powerful comedy and/or drama. That way those who desire comedy or romance would be delighted to get a good deal of both intertwined.
I commend the film for how it handles the subject matter of inevitability. Even though it pokes fun at absurdity and really garners good laughs, it always has this underlying sense of regret, sadness and dread. You’re always reminded in the back of your mind that the world is going to end, but it does a good enough job pulling you into the characters’ last struggle to piece together their lives after decades of failure and regret that you end up really wanting to see them pull through somehow. Its last act is especially poignant, and definitely emotionally strong. Even though the themes of throwing away your past in favor of a happier future (despite it being such a short future) are not well concealed, they still end up being particularly strong. A film that can really make you appreciate what you have outside the film and the limited time you have left to enjoy it has to be commended for making you think.
“Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” is a fairly powerful romance drama that focuses on how people deal with loss, regret and the prospect of inevitable fate. More importantly, though, is that it focuses on how people can build something profoundly beautiful even in the last moments of their lives – regardless of their pasts or (lack) of future prospects. It has comedy in the movie, but it never really shines nor intertwines with the drama. They almost feel like two separate elements that struggle to mix together. Yet, the comedy is mostly laugh-out-loud funny and the drama is quite poignant and endearing. It definitely had the potential to make us laugh to tears or even bring us to tears through drama, but instead it settles for simply making us laugh and reflect.
Merissa (11928 KP) rated Buzz Blow (Sangre Trilogy #1) in Books
Mar 22, 2018
Buzz & Blow: A M/M Vampire Romance (Sangre Trilogy #1) by Alex Carreras
Buzz & Blow is the first novella in the Sangre Trilogy, and we start off with Niko, a rough and ready type, and Asher, a primpy "ponce" (as described by one the characters). Niko works at Killer Kuts, the barber shop which is situated across the street from Everlasting, where Asher works. The attraction has been between these two for a while, but they have never spoken to each other. Once they do, the ball starts rolling, quickly gathering momentum.
This is a fast-paced novella, with the situation between Asher and Niko happening over a very short amount of time. Of course, when you're a vampire, you kind of know what you want ;) Still, these guys worked pretty fast! Not only do they have time together, but they need to help clear Niko's cousin, Mario, from murder charges. He didn't murder anyone, but he was stupid. He had played close to the fire a few too many times, and this time ended up being burnt. I would love to know if Mario is one of the future couples in this series.
On the whole, it was written well, so long as you can keep up with the speedy pace and plot line. This was a good short story, and I look forward to reading more in this series.
* 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!
http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=26514
This is a fast-paced novella, with the situation between Asher and Niko happening over a very short amount of time. Of course, when you're a vampire, you kind of know what you want ;) Still, these guys worked pretty fast! Not only do they have time together, but they need to help clear Niko's cousin, Mario, from murder charges. He didn't murder anyone, but he was stupid. He had played close to the fire a few too many times, and this time ended up being burnt. I would love to know if Mario is one of the future couples in this series.
On the whole, it was written well, so long as you can keep up with the speedy pace and plot line. This was a good short story, and I look forward to reading more in this series.
* 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!
http://glbt.theromancereviews.com/viewbooks.php?bookid=26514
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Suite 606 (In Death, #27.5) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I only read the story by [a:J.D. Robb|17065|J.D. Robb|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1202524651p2/17065.jpg]. I glanced at the other three, but they're primarily romance stories, which do NOT interest me.
The whole point of these little anthologies is to introduce readers who enjoy an established author's work to other, similar authors, right?
I know that J.D. Robb is a pen name for [a:Nora Roberts|11139|Mary Shelley|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1205347203p2/11139.jpg]. I know that the stories she publishes as NR are romances. If I saw an anthology anchored by an NR story, I'd expect it to be full of romances.
However, I don't read the NR stuff. I only read her JDR books, which have a little romantic spice about the main character, Eve Dallas, and her husband Roarke, with occasional glimpses into Eve's partner, Peabody's, relationship with her guy, McNab. That's it, though. Neither of those sets of relationships are the focal point of the plots. The mystery/crime is the main thing, and while they're set in the future with the advantages of technology we don't yet have, they're essentially police procedurals. (I don't consider them SF, quite, because all the tech seems to be extrapolated from what we have now, and quite plausible. And, of course, the tech isn't the point of the stories, either.)
So why not put similar stories in an anthology anchored by a JDR story? Why why why? Misleading and disappointing readers is NOT the way to garner any positive buzz for the lesser-known authors, and the backlash can lead to less enthusiasm from established readers (like me) for the established author's work.
The whole point of these little anthologies is to introduce readers who enjoy an established author's work to other, similar authors, right?
I know that J.D. Robb is a pen name for [a:Nora Roberts|11139|Mary Shelley|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1205347203p2/11139.jpg]. I know that the stories she publishes as NR are romances. If I saw an anthology anchored by an NR story, I'd expect it to be full of romances.
However, I don't read the NR stuff. I only read her JDR books, which have a little romantic spice about the main character, Eve Dallas, and her husband Roarke, with occasional glimpses into Eve's partner, Peabody's, relationship with her guy, McNab. That's it, though. Neither of those sets of relationships are the focal point of the plots. The mystery/crime is the main thing, and while they're set in the future with the advantages of technology we don't yet have, they're essentially police procedurals. (I don't consider them SF, quite, because all the tech seems to be extrapolated from what we have now, and quite plausible. And, of course, the tech isn't the point of the stories, either.)
So why not put similar stories in an anthology anchored by a JDR story? Why why why? Misleading and disappointing readers is NOT the way to garner any positive buzz for the lesser-known authors, and the backlash can lead to less enthusiasm from established readers (like me) for the established author's work.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated The Yellow Lantern in Books
Nov 4, 2019
osephine Is Forced to Spy for Grave Robbers
Step into True Colorsa new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime
In Massachusetts in 1824, Josephine Clayton awakes on the table of the doctor shes assisted all these months. She was presumed dead by all and has become the doctors next corpse for his medical research. Frightened, the doctor tries to kill her, but Josephine begs to be spared. A deal is struckJosie will leave her village and work at a distant cotton mill. All the while, shell await her true missionposing as a mourner to help his body snatcher procure her replacement. At the mill though, Josie is praised for her medical remedies among the mill girls, gaining attention from the handsome factory manager Braham Taylor. Yet, when Brahams own loved one becomes the prey for the next grave robbing, Josie must make a choice that could put her dark past behind her or steal away the promise of any future at all. What price will Josie pay for love when her secrets begin to unravel
My Thoughts: This is a very unique mystery that will captivate readers from the beginning. A fictional novel based on true facts, this story gives the reader an insight to the horrific things that happened at the turn of the century.
This story will certainly keep the readers' attention. The author has created very believable characters. The readers will either like them or hate them.
This is a wonderful story for those who like a good mystery. This one has many twists in the plot to keep the readers on their toes.
Step into True Colorsa new series of Historical Stories of Romance and American Crime
In Massachusetts in 1824, Josephine Clayton awakes on the table of the doctor shes assisted all these months. She was presumed dead by all and has become the doctors next corpse for his medical research. Frightened, the doctor tries to kill her, but Josephine begs to be spared. A deal is struckJosie will leave her village and work at a distant cotton mill. All the while, shell await her true missionposing as a mourner to help his body snatcher procure her replacement. At the mill though, Josie is praised for her medical remedies among the mill girls, gaining attention from the handsome factory manager Braham Taylor. Yet, when Brahams own loved one becomes the prey for the next grave robbing, Josie must make a choice that could put her dark past behind her or steal away the promise of any future at all. What price will Josie pay for love when her secrets begin to unravel
My Thoughts: This is a very unique mystery that will captivate readers from the beginning. A fictional novel based on true facts, this story gives the reader an insight to the horrific things that happened at the turn of the century.
This story will certainly keep the readers' attention. The author has created very believable characters. The readers will either like them or hate them.
This is a wonderful story for those who like a good mystery. This one has many twists in the plot to keep the readers on their toes.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Unearthly (The Unearthly #1) in Books
Feb 16, 2020
From Book 1: The first time I was declared dead, I lost my past. The second time, I lost my humanity. Now I’m being hunted, and if I die again, my soul is up for forfeit.
After enrolling in Peel Academy, an elite supernatural boarding school on the British Isles, the last of the sirens, Gabrielle Fiori, only wants to fit in. Instead, the elixir meant to awaken her supernatural abilities kills her.
When Gabrielle wakes up in the morgue twelve hours later, something wicked is awakened in her, something even the supernatural community has never seen before. Now the only person who can help her is Andre de Leon, the community's infamous bad boy and the king of vampires.
Yet even his help can’t prevent the repeated attempts on Gabrielle’s life. Someone is after her, and they will stop at nothing to end her short existence. Only Gabrielle cannot let that happen now that her soul hangs in the balance, because she may have met the devil. And he wants her. Bad.
The Unearthly is a YA novel that will appeal to fans of paranormal romance and those who love vampire novels.
A new author for me!
Very good! Gabrielle is definitely unique and her love life is super complicated. The man in the shadows is Lucifer and I'm excited to see what part he plays in the future. I felt a few areas were rushed but I'm liking the character profiles in the world Laura has built! It's very much Hogwarts crossed with a version of vampire academy! I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes!
After enrolling in Peel Academy, an elite supernatural boarding school on the British Isles, the last of the sirens, Gabrielle Fiori, only wants to fit in. Instead, the elixir meant to awaken her supernatural abilities kills her.
When Gabrielle wakes up in the morgue twelve hours later, something wicked is awakened in her, something even the supernatural community has never seen before. Now the only person who can help her is Andre de Leon, the community's infamous bad boy and the king of vampires.
Yet even his help can’t prevent the repeated attempts on Gabrielle’s life. Someone is after her, and they will stop at nothing to end her short existence. Only Gabrielle cannot let that happen now that her soul hangs in the balance, because she may have met the devil. And he wants her. Bad.
The Unearthly is a YA novel that will appeal to fans of paranormal romance and those who love vampire novels.
A new author for me!
Very good! Gabrielle is definitely unique and her love life is super complicated. The man in the shadows is Lucifer and I'm excited to see what part he plays in the future. I felt a few areas were rushed but I'm liking the character profiles in the world Laura has built! It's very much Hogwarts crossed with a version of vampire academy! I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes!