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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated Murder on the Iditarod Trail in Books
Aug 8, 2022
Race to Stop a Killer
The Iditarod Race, the 1100 miles dog sled race between Anchorage and Nome, is a hard a grueling endurance event, but it has never been deadly for humans - until now. First, someone falls asleep on his sled and winds up crashing into a tree. State trooper Alex Jensen is brought in to figure out what happened, but before he can make a complete determination, another body turns up dead. He takes the offer of help from musher Jessie Arnold willingly. But will that be enough to keep anyone else from dying?
I read this book on my recent Alaskan cruise, and I think that helped me get into the story. I found all the facts about the race and the various setting fascinating. Outside a couple of characters, I had trouble keeping everyone straight, but I really did care for Jessie and Alex. I did find some of Alex’s behavior unrealistic, but I do get the dramatic tension it was creating. The race takes over from the mystery as the main driver of the plot at times, but I got caught up in the action and the climax was a page turner. Overall, I enjoyed this one, and book two came home from my trip with me as a souvenir. Hopefully, I can get to it soon.
I read this book on my recent Alaskan cruise, and I think that helped me get into the story. I found all the facts about the race and the various setting fascinating. Outside a couple of characters, I had trouble keeping everyone straight, but I really did care for Jessie and Alex. I did find some of Alex’s behavior unrealistic, but I do get the dramatic tension it was creating. The race takes over from the mystery as the main driver of the plot at times, but I got caught up in the action and the climax was a page turner. Overall, I enjoyed this one, and book two came home from my trip with me as a souvenir. Hopefully, I can get to it soon.
Merissa (11669 KP) rated Grayality in Books
Oct 4, 2022
A story full of emotions, both good and bad
GRAYALITY is a book full of emotions, both good and bad. Pate is a trans-man who likes the on-and-off again girlfriend of the local bully, and Oakley, his best friend, thinks he is straight until he meets Sadie at a drag-queen show. Their new start in a small country town just got more complicated.
There are words of wisdom in here, spoken between the two best friends, or their new friends. However, there is also a lot of country stereotypical behaviour that may or may not be exaggerated.
I loved seeing Pate and Oak go through their relationships, although I can honestly say I couldn't stand Maybelle from the beginning. Oak is the one who had to change his thinking the most and is also the one who suffered the most, I would say. Pate is the one who physically paid for being who he is.
This was a great story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is emotional and almost tangible in what our young friends go through. A brilliant read that I highly recommend.
** 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!
There are words of wisdom in here, spoken between the two best friends, or their new friends. However, there is also a lot of country stereotypical behaviour that may or may not be exaggerated.
I loved seeing Pate and Oak go through their relationships, although I can honestly say I couldn't stand Maybelle from the beginning. Oak is the one who had to change his thinking the most and is also the one who suffered the most, I would say. Pate is the one who physically paid for being who he is.
This was a great story that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is emotional and almost tangible in what our young friends go through. A brilliant read that I highly recommend.
** 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!
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Vivid Avowed ( Evelyn Maynard trilogy book 3) in Books
Nov 11, 2022
205 of 230
Kindle
Vivid Avowed ( Evelyn Maynard trilogy book 3)
By kaydence Snow
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
Evelyn's secrets have all been revealed, even questions she never thought to ask. Despite the turmoil surrounding her childhood and true identity, she knows one thing for sure: she belongs with her devoted Bonded Variants - Ethan, Josh, Tyler and Alec.
But the truth hasn't set Evelyn free.
The division between Variants and humans continues to widen. Nowhere is safe. Behind all the chaos is one man - Davis Damari. He's the truth she's been chasing her entire life, and the only one capable of destroying the life she fought to build in Bradford Hills.
Davis will stop at nothing to get Evelyn. Her Bond will stop at nothing to protect her.
Evelyn must find a way to embrace her immense power, or risk losing it all.
I was a little disappointed in this last book I have loved this trilogy up to this point. I found myself skipping through this one getting so bored in parts. The action parts were so good but the rest sort of got lost for me. I’m not sure why but it just didn’t work for me. The first two books were brilliant and the conclusion was a good one which is why it’s a 3⭐️ and not a 2!
Kindle
Vivid Avowed ( Evelyn Maynard trilogy book 3)
By kaydence Snow
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
Evelyn's secrets have all been revealed, even questions she never thought to ask. Despite the turmoil surrounding her childhood and true identity, she knows one thing for sure: she belongs with her devoted Bonded Variants - Ethan, Josh, Tyler and Alec.
But the truth hasn't set Evelyn free.
The division between Variants and humans continues to widen. Nowhere is safe. Behind all the chaos is one man - Davis Damari. He's the truth she's been chasing her entire life, and the only one capable of destroying the life she fought to build in Bradford Hills.
Davis will stop at nothing to get Evelyn. Her Bond will stop at nothing to protect her.
Evelyn must find a way to embrace her immense power, or risk losing it all.
I was a little disappointed in this last book I have loved this trilogy up to this point. I found myself skipping through this one getting so bored in parts. The action parts were so good but the rest sort of got lost for me. I’m not sure why but it just didn’t work for me. The first two books were brilliant and the conclusion was a good one which is why it’s a 3⭐️ and not a 2!
ClareR (5572 KP) rated Remarkably Bright Creatures in Books
Mar 12, 2023
Lovely lovely lovely! A fabulous book! And to think I passed this one by when it was on the Kindle Daily Deal because I thought a book about an octopus sounded ridiculous. Obviously, this was before I had read Laline Paull’s Pod. So I’m pleased that The Pigeonhole drew me in and I got the chance to read about the Giant Pacific Octopus and all-round genius, Marcellus.
Honestly, I lived for the chapters from Marcellus. Wise, intelligent and perceptive, he is instrumental in sorting two of the main characters - Tova and Cameron - out.
I mean, the humans in this novel are lovely too. Tova lives alone since her husband died and cleans at her local aquarium until she has an accident and hurts her ankle. Whilst she is recovering, Cameron takes over. He has arrived in town searching of the father he has never met. His mother abandoned him as a child, and his aunt has always cared for him. Cameron is a lost soul, and he has landed in just the right place. Sowell Bay is full of the kindest people and luckily, Cameron meets them all - including Marcellus.
This is a touching story, and ultimately one of those books that swallows you up in the warmest of hugs.
So do I recommend it? Err, see above! 👆🏼
Honestly, I lived for the chapters from Marcellus. Wise, intelligent and perceptive, he is instrumental in sorting two of the main characters - Tova and Cameron - out.
I mean, the humans in this novel are lovely too. Tova lives alone since her husband died and cleans at her local aquarium until she has an accident and hurts her ankle. Whilst she is recovering, Cameron takes over. He has arrived in town searching of the father he has never met. His mother abandoned him as a child, and his aunt has always cared for him. Cameron is a lost soul, and he has landed in just the right place. Sowell Bay is full of the kindest people and luckily, Cameron meets them all - including Marcellus.
This is a touching story, and ultimately one of those books that swallows you up in the warmest of hugs.
So do I recommend it? Err, see above! 👆🏼
Merissa (11669 KP) rated Dominic and the Dolphin (Land and Sea: A Shifter Series, #3) in Books
Oct 3, 2023
DOMINIC AND THE DOLPHIN is the third book in the Land and Sea: A Shifter Series but the first one I have read. In no way did this affect my enjoyment of the story, apart from now wanting to go back and read the first two as well.
I love Shifter books and if they have Mpreg in there, all the better. But what I got with this was unexpected! And I loved that. You see, usually in Shifter books, if there is a fated mate, it's BOOM, all hands on deck. But not with this one. Oh no! Instead, the author had me laughing out loud as these two have no idea they're fated PLUS they enjoy snarking at each other.
Add to that a hint of danger for both of them (in different ways), friends you can count on, new found family, plus the most amazing pregnancy/nesting/birth scenes I have read.
I loved every word of this story and am so glad I took the chance on it, even knowing it was the third in a series. HIGHLY 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!
Oct 3, 2023
I love Shifter books and if they have Mpreg in there, all the better. But what I got with this was unexpected! And I loved that. You see, usually in Shifter books, if there is a fated mate, it's BOOM, all hands on deck. But not with this one. Oh no! Instead, the author had me laughing out loud as these two have no idea they're fated PLUS they enjoy snarking at each other.
Add to that a hint of danger for both of them (in different ways), friends you can count on, new found family, plus the most amazing pregnancy/nesting/birth scenes I have read.
I loved every word of this story and am so glad I took the chance on it, even knowing it was the third in a series. HIGHLY 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!
Oct 3, 2023
Merissa (11669 KP) rated Wolves Always Bite (Willow Lake Supernaturals #2) in Books
Nov 1, 2023
WOLVES ALWAYS BITE is the second book in the Willow Lake Supernaturals series and I was certainly looking forward to this one.
I got more than I bargained for with Jeremy though, I have to admit. He is a great character but, oh man, it's hard sometimes to keep up with him! His mind goes off in a multitude of tangents at any given time!
Adrian is the grounding he needs. The big bad wolf man (Jeremy's words!) is such a softie, although he does hurt Jeremy at one point. I found it understandable and loved his reaction once he realised what he had done.
There is more to Jeremy than meets the eye and I loved his arc. There are a whole host of repeating characters, as well as new ones. I'm hard-pressed to think of which one I need most. I think I'll just sit back and wait for whoever it is and thoroughly enjoy it no matter what!
A great read but I do recommend you read them in order because of repeating characters.
** 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!
Nov 1, 2023
I got more than I bargained for with Jeremy though, I have to admit. He is a great character but, oh man, it's hard sometimes to keep up with him! His mind goes off in a multitude of tangents at any given time!
Adrian is the grounding he needs. The big bad wolf man (Jeremy's words!) is such a softie, although he does hurt Jeremy at one point. I found it understandable and loved his reaction once he realised what he had done.
There is more to Jeremy than meets the eye and I loved his arc. There are a whole host of repeating characters, as well as new ones. I'm hard-pressed to think of which one I need most. I think I'll just sit back and wait for whoever it is and thoroughly enjoy it no matter what!
A great read but I do recommend you read them in order because of repeating characters.
** 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!
Nov 1, 2023
Merissa (11669 KP) rated Fate and Switch (Weavers Of The Ether #3) in Books
Jul 7, 2023
FATE AND SWITCH is the third book in the Weavers of the Ether series and the second one in Wren's story. I would definitely recommend you read this as a series so you get the full benefit of the story and all the behind-the-scenes machinations.
Wren is doing her best to help people alongside Etienne but she is asked to do something that makes her a little uncomfortable. And throw into the mix the fact she has a new mate - maybe - who doesn't want her, and it gets more complicated than she wants.
Orion, Killan, and Etienne are still brilliant characters, the same as Alaric is - once you get to know him. Unfortunately for me, I didn't see as much of him as I wanted as his story was overshadowed by Madame and her tricks. Their courtship was mentioned over a couple of pages but I would have liked to have seen it.
Still a great story and I'm happy Wren (and her bear) got their HEA. I look forward to seeing more of them in future books, hopefully. 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!
Jul 7, 2023
Wren is doing her best to help people alongside Etienne but she is asked to do something that makes her a little uncomfortable. And throw into the mix the fact she has a new mate - maybe - who doesn't want her, and it gets more complicated than she wants.
Orion, Killan, and Etienne are still brilliant characters, the same as Alaric is - once you get to know him. Unfortunately for me, I didn't see as much of him as I wanted as his story was overshadowed by Madame and her tricks. Their courtship was mentioned over a couple of pages but I would have liked to have seen it.
Still a great story and I'm happy Wren (and her bear) got their HEA. I look forward to seeing more of them in future books, hopefully. 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!
Jul 7, 2023
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Murder by Natural Causes [Audibook] in Books
Jul 9, 2023
![Murder by Natural Causes [Audibook]](/uploads/profile_image/126/7eddbcdb-3834-424b-8ac7-f199c5d3a126.jpg?m=1688908353)
Overall, a pretty successful audiobook which was, for me anyway, mostly down to the narrator who was excellent and really brought the characters to life.
The book is told entirely from Cilla's point of view and tells the story of how she got to be who she is and the now. I wouldn't say it is full of action or thrills and spills which, from the synopsis anyway, I did assume would be the case but rather a detailed look into how a child with certain traits can be shaped and moulded to become a successful killer and the cunning and skills she used when plying her trade and which she is now using to try and change her life.
As I said, it's not full of action and whilst there is some suspense, this mainly comes towards the end and this was, for me, a little disappointing - it's a little too slow and lacking in oomph! I did however like getting to know Cilla and whilst at first I found her hard to 'like', she did grow on me in the end.
Overall, a little underwhelming and although I did finish it, I was left with a sense of "was that it?". My thanks go to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Murder by Natural Causes.
The book is told entirely from Cilla's point of view and tells the story of how she got to be who she is and the now. I wouldn't say it is full of action or thrills and spills which, from the synopsis anyway, I did assume would be the case but rather a detailed look into how a child with certain traits can be shaped and moulded to become a successful killer and the cunning and skills she used when plying her trade and which she is now using to try and change her life.
As I said, it's not full of action and whilst there is some suspense, this mainly comes towards the end and this was, for me, a little disappointing - it's a little too slow and lacking in oomph! I did however like getting to know Cilla and whilst at first I found her hard to 'like', she did grow on me in the end.
Overall, a little underwhelming and although I did finish it, I was left with a sense of "was that it?". My thanks go to Bolinda Audio and NetGalley for enabling me to listen to and share my thoughts of Murder by Natural Causes.
Merissa (11669 KP) rated After the Wanting in Books
Jun 28, 2021 (Updated Jul 18, 2023)
AFTER THE WANTING is a novel about a young woman trying to escape her ex. After feeling unsafe in her apartment, she moves to a friend's house in the middle of nowhere. He'll never find her there, right?
There are many threads that help weave this tale - a husband looking for forgiveness, a daughter lost in her emotions, and a psycho who feels justified in his atrocities. Put them together and you get a tense thriller that will keep you turning the pages until you figure out just who the big bad is. I will say he didn't surprise me when I found out, although I was surprised by how long it had been going on.
The pacing is quite fast and there are a number of supporting characters to help the story move along. Told as a current story, with flashbacks, and also some scenes from the future, it was a little confusing, to begin with, until I got used to the writing style.
This was a quick read that I can recommend.
** 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!
Jun 28, 2021
There are many threads that help weave this tale - a husband looking for forgiveness, a daughter lost in her emotions, and a psycho who feels justified in his atrocities. Put them together and you get a tense thriller that will keep you turning the pages until you figure out just who the big bad is. I will say he didn't surprise me when I found out, although I was surprised by how long it had been going on.
The pacing is quite fast and there are a number of supporting characters to help the story move along. Told as a current story, with flashbacks, and also some scenes from the future, it was a little confusing, to begin with, until I got used to the writing style.
This was a quick read that I can recommend.
** 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!
Jun 28, 2021
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2072 KP) rated A Fatal Groove in Books
Jul 27, 2023
Murder is Anything but Groovy
It’s the weekend of the Bluebonnet Festival in Cedar River, Texas, and Juni Jessup and her sisters are looking forward to fun while also selling coffee and introducing the bands on the main stage. Their first customer of the first day is Mayor Bob. When Juni goes to drop something off at his office a little later, she finds him dead. With their reputations once again on the line, the sisters try to figure out what is happening. Mayor Bob was popular because he didn’t make any waves, so who would want to kill him?
After an initial strong start, the book stalled a bit introducing some sub-plots before it really got started again. I did guess the killer a little early, but I needed Juni to fill in most of the rest. Once again, there are some odd uses of they/them pronouns, and Juni’s first-person narration comes across as judgmental a few times. Overall, I do like her and I love her relationship with her sisters. The love triangle is still in play, although it takes a back seat to the rest of the happenings. There are lots of smiles and some laughs along the way as well. If you enjoy music and are looking for a fun mystery, this is the series for you.
After an initial strong start, the book stalled a bit introducing some sub-plots before it really got started again. I did guess the killer a little early, but I needed Juni to fill in most of the rest. Once again, there are some odd uses of they/them pronouns, and Juni’s first-person narration comes across as judgmental a few times. Overall, I do like her and I love her relationship with her sisters. The love triangle is still in play, although it takes a back seat to the rest of the happenings. There are lots of smiles and some laughs along the way as well. If you enjoy music and are looking for a fun mystery, this is the series for you.