Search
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Dead Set (Aspen Falls #2) in Books
Nov 20, 2023
Dead Set is the second book in the Aspen Falls series, and we reunite with Lucas, Blaine's friend who is no longer on the Police Force that we met in book one. I like Lucas, but he is a slob where paperwork is concerned. His office makes me cringe, so I was thankful when Alaina got stuck in. They come to an agreement that she will help Lucas if he helps her. Her brother has died, and it has been ruled a suicide. Alaina can't accept that, although that may be her guilt speaking. It seems straightforward to begin with, but it does become apparent that not all is as it seems. And I really did feel for Noah!
It was nice to see the connection between Lucas and Alaina grow as they worked together to find out the mystery behind Noah's death. It is a slow-burn romance, rather than insta-lust, but I think it works here. After all, if someone is working through the grief of a deceased family member, it would be rather strange to fall straight into bed with the P.I. involved.
This book had no editing or grammatical errors that spoilt my reading, and the storyline was easy to follow, even with all the mystery. We have Blaine and Rosie having small cameos in here, so it was nice to see that things are still going well for them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I hope we will see them in future books so we know how they get along. I would recommend this book.
* 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!
Apr 20, 2018
It was nice to see the connection between Lucas and Alaina grow as they worked together to find out the mystery behind Noah's death. It is a slow-burn romance, rather than insta-lust, but I think it works here. After all, if someone is working through the grief of a deceased family member, it would be rather strange to fall straight into bed with the P.I. involved.
This book had no editing or grammatical errors that spoilt my reading, and the storyline was easy to follow, even with all the mystery. We have Blaine and Rosie having small cameos in here, so it was nice to see that things are still going well for them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I hope we will see them in future books so we know how they get along. I would recommend this book.
* 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!
Apr 20, 2018
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Forever Wilde in Aster Valley (Forever Wilde #9) in Books
Nov 19, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)
FOREVER WILDE IN ASTER VALLEY is a crossover from the Marions and the Wildes, giving you a seasonal romance about an introverted only child thrown into a crazy chaotic family situation.
Now, let me say one thing first - I wanted more of Darius and Miller. They seemed to get lost at times amongst all of the others. Saying that!!! Lucy Lennox has managed to perfectly convey all of the differing personalities that come with these two clans.
What I did get of Miller and Darius was superb. I related so much with Miller in so many ways. Maybe that's why I want more, nothing to do with the story itself, just him as a character. Either way, this book gave me laughs and tears, warm fuzzy feelings, and cold hard ones.
Will this put me in the minority if I say I was cheering when Miller let rip with Tilly? Maybe, maybe not. I love her character, but he had valid points, and it made her seem more life-life and not so infallible.
I was convinced this would be a 4-star read even as I got toward the end, but honestly? I can't. Yes, I wanted more, but isn't that a sign of a good book? This is one I read in one sitting, that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending. If for no other reason than that, this is a 5-star book for me. I just hope to see Miller and Darius in the future!
** 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!
Nov 19, 2021
Now, let me say one thing first - I wanted more of Darius and Miller. They seemed to get lost at times amongst all of the others. Saying that!!! Lucy Lennox has managed to perfectly convey all of the differing personalities that come with these two clans.
What I did get of Miller and Darius was superb. I related so much with Miller in so many ways. Maybe that's why I want more, nothing to do with the story itself, just him as a character. Either way, this book gave me laughs and tears, warm fuzzy feelings, and cold hard ones.
Will this put me in the minority if I say I was cheering when Miller let rip with Tilly? Maybe, maybe not. I love her character, but he had valid points, and it made her seem more life-life and not so infallible.
I was convinced this would be a 4-star read even as I got toward the end, but honestly? I can't. Yes, I wanted more, but isn't that a sign of a good book? This is one I read in one sitting, that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending. If for no other reason than that, this is a 5-star book for me. I just hope to see Miller and Darius in the future!
** 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!
Nov 19, 2021
Merissa (12051 KP) rated Mongrel in Books
Nov 24, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)
MONGREL is a standalone story that I really need to be a series! It features Andras, otherwise known by the majority of his pack as Mongrel, and Bowie, a vampire. It also features Erzsébet Báthory, a real-life historical serial killer, who did horrible things to young girls in a possible attempt to stay young (or maybe she was just psycho), and is a vampire of legend second only to Dracula.
Although this involves the kidnapping and torture of young girls, the book doesn't go into too much detail. In fact, hardly any, so don't worry about that. It is more of a slow-burn romance between Andras and Bowie, who are so sweet they should have given me toothache but managed not to.
We are introduced to a host of characters and species in a way that enables the reader to comprehend who they are without being overrun by information. But, for me, the stars were Andras and Bowie. It couldn't be anyone else. They are so protective about each other, jealous and possessive in a somehow good way!
I was wavering between a 4 or 5-star review, simply because there were parts of the story I wanted more of, but then I decided to give it 5-stars simply because of the warm fuzzies I got reading it. This is a standalone but I really hope the author returns to these characters in the future.
Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended.
** 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!
Nov 24, 2021
Although this involves the kidnapping and torture of young girls, the book doesn't go into too much detail. In fact, hardly any, so don't worry about that. It is more of a slow-burn romance between Andras and Bowie, who are so sweet they should have given me toothache but managed not to.
We are introduced to a host of characters and species in a way that enables the reader to comprehend who they are without being overrun by information. But, for me, the stars were Andras and Bowie. It couldn't be anyone else. They are so protective about each other, jealous and possessive in a somehow good way!
I was wavering between a 4 or 5-star review, simply because there were parts of the story I wanted more of, but then I decided to give it 5-stars simply because of the warm fuzzies I got reading it. This is a standalone but I really hope the author returns to these characters in the future.
Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended.
** 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!
Nov 24, 2021
The Captain's Pet (Alien Slave Masters #1)
8.0
Rate It
Book
When a distant planet’s ownership is in dispute, conquering aliens turn defiant human males into...
Science Fiction MM Erotic Romance BDSM
Love's Not Welcome at the Hotel Cairo
Book
Hughie must sell his hotel shares to save his dream. Fabian must persuade him to keep them for same...
Contemporary RomCom MM Romance Slow Burn May to December
The Captain's Woman (The Thompsons of Locust Street #4)
Book
Meet the Thompsons of Locust Street, an unconventional family taking Philadelphia high society by...
American Historical Romance
The Dragon King's Assassin (The Dragons of Serai #1)
Book
Mhavenna is a glorious city but, like every city on the face of Serai, it's run by Dragons. As a...
MM Fantasy Paranormal Romance Shifters Enemies to Lovers
Thicker Than Water (Redwater Demons #1)
10.0
Rate It
Book
“Hate is learned, hunter. And I see you were a very good student.” “Thanks. I try.” ...
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Stork Mountain in Books
May 25, 2017
Captivating
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Bulgarian-born, short storywriter Miroslav Penkov has turned to full-length novels with this captivating book, Stork Mountain. Set in the Bulgarian Strandja Mountains on the border of Turkey, he explores religion, mythology, the past and the present in a society affected by long-term political unrest.
The narrator, a young man who remains nameless throughout, relocated to the United States of America as a child after the fall of Communism. Now he returns to his home country to find his grandfather, an elderly man he lost contact with three years ago. However his real motive is purely for self gain: to sell his section of the family land in order to pay off student loans and his rising debt.
Naturally, things do not go according to plan. The protagonist finds his grandfather hiding in the village of Klisura, a place divided between the Christians and the Muslims. He also discovers that there is no longer any land for him to sell, making his journey fairly pointless. Instead of returning to the Western world, he stays in his grandfather’s house and, very slowly, begins to learn the truth about his family’s past, the man his grandfather once was, and the superstitious pagan activities still affecting some of the village’s inhabitants today.
Stork Mountain is full of the history, folklore and mythology of a little known about European country. Although ultimately a contemporary novel, there is a lot to learn about events that led up to southern Bulgaria’s current condition. As well as being informative, Penkov plays with his readers’ hearts by including a Romeo and Juliet-esque relationship between the narrator and a Muslim girl, and also reveals a similar affair between a younger Grandfather and the girl of his dreams.
Books containing politics are often reserved for those with particular interest in the topic, however Stork Mountain is suitable for a much larger audience. The inclusion of Bulgarian folklore adds a dark fairytale-like quality to the story; and the romance, something for the reader to latch onto.
On reading the blurb I jumped to the conclusion that this book would be boring. I was wrong. Whereas stories with similar themes can be hard going, Stork Mountain was fast paced and easy to read. There were a few confusions about who was talking or whether the narrative was about the past or the future, but these issues may be something that is improved upon as the author finds his groove in full-length novels.
Even if, like me, you have prejudged this book to be boring, I urge you to give it a go. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Miroslav Penkov definitely has a future in the world of literature.
Bulgarian-born, short storywriter Miroslav Penkov has turned to full-length novels with this captivating book, Stork Mountain. Set in the Bulgarian Strandja Mountains on the border of Turkey, he explores religion, mythology, the past and the present in a society affected by long-term political unrest.
The narrator, a young man who remains nameless throughout, relocated to the United States of America as a child after the fall of Communism. Now he returns to his home country to find his grandfather, an elderly man he lost contact with three years ago. However his real motive is purely for self gain: to sell his section of the family land in order to pay off student loans and his rising debt.
Naturally, things do not go according to plan. The protagonist finds his grandfather hiding in the village of Klisura, a place divided between the Christians and the Muslims. He also discovers that there is no longer any land for him to sell, making his journey fairly pointless. Instead of returning to the Western world, he stays in his grandfather’s house and, very slowly, begins to learn the truth about his family’s past, the man his grandfather once was, and the superstitious pagan activities still affecting some of the village’s inhabitants today.
Stork Mountain is full of the history, folklore and mythology of a little known about European country. Although ultimately a contemporary novel, there is a lot to learn about events that led up to southern Bulgaria’s current condition. As well as being informative, Penkov plays with his readers’ hearts by including a Romeo and Juliet-esque relationship between the narrator and a Muslim girl, and also reveals a similar affair between a younger Grandfather and the girl of his dreams.
Books containing politics are often reserved for those with particular interest in the topic, however Stork Mountain is suitable for a much larger audience. The inclusion of Bulgarian folklore adds a dark fairytale-like quality to the story; and the romance, something for the reader to latch onto.
On reading the blurb I jumped to the conclusion that this book would be boring. I was wrong. Whereas stories with similar themes can be hard going, Stork Mountain was fast paced and easy to read. There were a few confusions about who was talking or whether the narrative was about the past or the future, but these issues may be something that is improved upon as the author finds his groove in full-length novels.
Even if, like me, you have prejudged this book to be boring, I urge you to give it a go. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised. Miroslav Penkov definitely has a future in the world of literature.
