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sarah smedley (301 KP) rated Nellie (The Brides of San Francisco Book 1) in Books
Oct 4, 2018
Nellie Wallace is a young widow with two children. In post civil-war New York, the men are scarce and none want the burden of a wife with children. Her dead husband's family is wealthy, and cruel. Desperate to escape their influence, and eager for a home, a husband, and a stable life for her children, Nellie decides to make a new life in San Francisco as a mail order bride.
Saloon owner Blake Malone is a bachelor and likes it that way. He worked hard for everything he has, but the San Francisco City Council won’t approve his plans to build a family emporium unless he is a family man himself. The solution? A mail order bride from New York who will bring him a ready-made family, stability, and the council's approval.
Blake expects his future wife to care for his home and, other than helping him impress the city council, to stay out of his business. He expects life as usual. What he gets is an unexpected desire to win Nellie's heart, a dangerous threat to his new bride, and a rich benefactor determined to steal his new family out from under him. Blake believed his battle for success a hard one. But he will discover that the battle to win Nellie's heart and keep his family safe is going to take everything he's got.
Saloon owner Blake Malone is a bachelor and likes it that way. He worked hard for everything he has, but the San Francisco City Council won’t approve his plans to build a family emporium unless he is a family man himself. The solution? A mail order bride from New York who will bring him a ready-made family, stability, and the council's approval.
Blake expects his future wife to care for his home and, other than helping him impress the city council, to stay out of his business. He expects life as usual. What he gets is an unexpected desire to win Nellie's heart, a dangerous threat to his new bride, and a rich benefactor determined to steal his new family out from under him. Blake believed his battle for success a hard one. But he will discover that the battle to win Nellie's heart and keep his family safe is going to take everything he's got.
4.5 Rating.
I must admit that I got swept along with the hype when it came to this book. I read many glowing reviews and many one star reviews so I went in with an unbiased, open mind. I don't usually go for these types of books but because this book just seemed to be everywhere I decided to take it out from the library (obviously in a big queue due to the popularity of this book) instead of buying it. I was actually very surprised that I loved this book! Everyone knows the murder mystery structure to these types of books, they are always so predictable which is the reason why I usually stay away from them, however, this was very unpredictable. I was surprised by the amount of twists and turns and the characters were mind-bending. I do not like to put spoilers in my reviews and so I have to keep it pretty vague...but these characters...goodness me! How twisted, how cunning, how incredibly smart. The only reason why I knocked some points off was because it became a bit longwinded in places, I felt my interest slowly slipping away and parts became repetitive. This means I believe it would of worked just as well if it was a bit shorter.
Overall, I enjoyed this very much!
I must admit that I got swept along with the hype when it came to this book. I read many glowing reviews and many one star reviews so I went in with an unbiased, open mind. I don't usually go for these types of books but because this book just seemed to be everywhere I decided to take it out from the library (obviously in a big queue due to the popularity of this book) instead of buying it. I was actually very surprised that I loved this book! Everyone knows the murder mystery structure to these types of books, they are always so predictable which is the reason why I usually stay away from them, however, this was very unpredictable. I was surprised by the amount of twists and turns and the characters were mind-bending. I do not like to put spoilers in my reviews and so I have to keep it pretty vague...but these characters...goodness me! How twisted, how cunning, how incredibly smart. The only reason why I knocked some points off was because it became a bit longwinded in places, I felt my interest slowly slipping away and parts became repetitive. This means I believe it would of worked just as well if it was a bit shorter.
Overall, I enjoyed this very much!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated Reason to Doubt in Books
Nov 14, 2018
Plenty of Reasons to Read This Book
Radio reporter Carol Childs's daughter, Cate, is home for the summer, and she's brought a boyfriend with her. Pete makes his living as a photographer, and the police begin to suspect him of being the Model Slayer, a serial killer who has been claiming victims in the Los Angeles area for the past several months. Cate insists that Pete is innocent, and Carol doesn't find him a compelling suspect either, but then a phone call at the station sheds new light on the case. Is Pete innocent? Can Carol figure out who the killer really is?
The premise of this entry in the series intrigued me, and it didn't disappoint at all. This case becomes very personal for Carol for a couple of reasons, and that helped drive the plot. We got plenty of twists before reaching a page turning climax. The plot also brings out a different side of Carol, which I enjoyed seeing. The characters are all strong, and I loved seeing how Carol's love life progressed. The series straddles the line between cozy and traditional, and the subject matter here makes this book no exception. Just know that going in, and you'll be fine. Once you start, you'll definitely be hooked and turning pages as quickly as you can.
The premise of this entry in the series intrigued me, and it didn't disappoint at all. This case becomes very personal for Carol for a couple of reasons, and that helped drive the plot. We got plenty of twists before reaching a page turning climax. The plot also brings out a different side of Carol, which I enjoyed seeing. The characters are all strong, and I loved seeing how Carol's love life progressed. The series straddles the line between cozy and traditional, and the subject matter here makes this book no exception. Just know that going in, and you'll be fine. Once you start, you'll definitely be hooked and turning pages as quickly as you can.
Merissa (12894 KP) rated The Flight (Close Proximity #4) in Books
Nov 27, 2018
The Flight (Close Proximity #4) by Erin M. Leaf
The Flight is the fourth novella in the Close Proximity series. This time we meet up with Sebastian, a flight attendant, and Ethan, a musician. Now, you may think this is the normal rockstar romance, but it's not. This story is intricate in a way novellas rarely are. Not only do we see Sebastian as a flight attendant, but also as a young man who has lost his mum. A young man who writes music. And yet we still find out more about him as the story progresses. As for Ethan, tired musician, songwriter, travelling to a charity concert. When these two meet, sparks fly.
I loved this book! It's a novella, and I really wish it wasn't! I could have sat down with this one and read happily for much longer. Instead, I got all the good bits in one easy read, including a perfect HEA for our guys. There is plenty going on, but the pacing is smooth. With good supporting characters, a great storyline, and a couple of smoking hot MCs, this is a story I highly recommend.
* 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!
I loved this book! It's a novella, and I really wish it wasn't! I could have sat down with this one and read happily for much longer. Instead, I got all the good bits in one easy read, including a perfect HEA for our guys. There is plenty going on, but the pacing is smooth. With good supporting characters, a great storyline, and a couple of smoking hot MCs, this is a story I highly recommend.
* 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!
Jamie (57 KP) rated The Agency (Tess Drake, #1) in Books
Nov 28, 2018
Strong characters’, language, easy to read. Though Tess seemed to be a selfish woman at the beginning of the book, I believe she started seeing herself in the eyes of the people around her, especially her ex-best friend Saleema and her soon to be ex-boss Cosima. What struck me most about the story, though I never been in any of the awkward, sexual exploits , or even in the publishing world she wove her life in, I still could identify with her candor, her evaluation of her choices, and even with some of her weakness’. The end of the story, happy, still left me wondering what would have happened to her if that big movie star didn’t call about Oliver’s wonderfully written book, that no one seemed to think had potential but Tess Drake, or weather or not that Cosima got her just deserts or even Sally, a so called friend who betrayed her in the end, or if Dorothy settled that claim that was made against her . Hopefully, there will be a second book, where things are bright for Tess, Emma, Oliver, Dorothy, and Saleema, but doomed to hell for Cosima, Sally, and Jack. All together, a great read that I would recommend, especially for people who enjoy fast paced stories about glitz, glamour, and karma.
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness in Books
Dec 2, 2018
Not so much murder, magic, and madness
I'm a true crime junkie, aka murderino, so of course, I looked forward to reading this book. The title and description sounded great and I previously read another book, Isaac's Storm, about the 1900 Galveston hurricane, by Eric Larson, which was fascinating as he did a ton of research and brought that book to life. Though it's been 8 years since I've read Isaac's storm, I remember the stories he told as he narrative made you feel you were there. I expected the same with this book, but alas, that was not the case. Instead, I got pages upon pages of details about rivets and the meetings between city councilmen and architects and city permits needed to build everything. OMG, seriously? Why? There are a few stories in the book that are interesting such as the creation of the first Ferris wheel, some of the exhibits and entertainers and drama of the World's Fair. There is a little information about H.H. Holmes, his murder castle, and crimes but not as much detail as any true crime buff has already read someplace else. And what there is about Holmes is a dry recitation of facts, nothing intriguing at all. I was extremely disappointed in his coverage of the events in this book. The title made it sound exciting but it was mostly just drudgery.
Irene M (130 KP) rated Swat!: A Fly's Guide to Staying Alive in Books
Dec 7, 2018
I received this book from Toppsta to review
It took me a while to review this book because my 8 year old got to it first and I had to pry it out of his sleeping hands to get the chance to read it myself ... I HAD to find out what had him so engrossed and giggling away.
Swat! by Mike Barfield is an educational story about Buzzter, a newly hatched fly, and Professor Hector Halfbottle teaching Buzzter about all the things that he has to avoid because basically everything out there will attempt to kill or eat him.
The book is packed full of wonderfully bright and detailed drawings and information showing the dangers to flies. The Venus Flytrap page has been sponged into the 8yr olds brain as he has gleefully spouted the information to everyone he meets about the small plant we have on the windowsill. Jumping Spiders and Archerfish have also been inspiring (Muuuummm, can you find me a video of a spitting fish?).
I would highly recommend this book for any budding young entomologist, and also to those who are teensy bit scared of spiders to show them what good things spiders can do.
You should also check out his website for extra things like printable colouring pages and fly jokes
It took me a while to review this book because my 8 year old got to it first and I had to pry it out of his sleeping hands to get the chance to read it myself ... I HAD to find out what had him so engrossed and giggling away.
Swat! by Mike Barfield is an educational story about Buzzter, a newly hatched fly, and Professor Hector Halfbottle teaching Buzzter about all the things that he has to avoid because basically everything out there will attempt to kill or eat him.
The book is packed full of wonderfully bright and detailed drawings and information showing the dangers to flies. The Venus Flytrap page has been sponged into the 8yr olds brain as he has gleefully spouted the information to everyone he meets about the small plant we have on the windowsill. Jumping Spiders and Archerfish have also been inspiring (Muuuummm, can you find me a video of a spitting fish?).
I would highly recommend this book for any budding young entomologist, and also to those who are teensy bit scared of spiders to show them what good things spiders can do.
You should also check out his website for extra things like printable colouring pages and fly jokes
Merissa (12894 KP) rated Riptide (Boys of Summer) in Books
Jun 18, 2019
Riptide (Boys of Summer) by Jordan Ford
Jace - or Bass as he is known throughout most of this book - is a thrill-seeker. He is the ultimate paradox - a bad boy who doesn't actually try to be bad, and has a heart. He makes stupid decisions based on hurt feelings. His story is completely understandable and heartbreaking with how he feels. Ms. Ford has done a magnificent job of bringing him to life, to make his quandary completely relate-able.
And that's the thing with this book. As a reader, I got it. I could see where Bass was coming from, and why he behaved the way he did. Would I make the same decisions? No, but then I'm not a sixteen-year-old boy with the same experiences as him.
With no editing or grammatical errors that jolted me, I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, and can't wait to see what happens when he goes to Ryder Bay and meets up with SnapDragon.
As a standalone, this is a great read. As a prequel to the next Ryder Bay story, it's fantastic! Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
And that's the thing with this book. As a reader, I got it. I could see where Bass was coming from, and why he behaved the way he did. Would I make the same decisions? No, but then I'm not a sixteen-year-old boy with the same experiences as him.
With no editing or grammatical errors that jolted me, I thoroughly enjoyed this novella, and can't wait to see what happens when he goes to Ryder Bay and meets up with SnapDragon.
As a standalone, this is a great read. As a prequel to the next Ryder Bay story, it's fantastic! Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
LettieDC (17 KP) rated Dinosaur Island in Tabletop Games
Jan 2, 2019
Totally worth it!
I bought this game for my fiance after much deliberation due to the price. I got this and the expansion. I was a bit sceptical to start off with as it looked over complicated however once I started playing, it all made sense and now I love this game! It flows brilliantly and the goal is well established.
It has 3 game stages you can choose depending on the amount of time you want to be playing.. short, medium and long game play which is great for when you can't be stuck playing for hours.
The aim of the game is to build a dinosaur island park with different dinosaurs and attractions within it. You gain excitement points for each dinosaur you add which increases the amount of visitors you can have per round. You also gain Victory points for every visitor who you manage not to get eaten!
The game pieces are all really well made and easy to use. It is difficult to fit back into the box but I see it as a mini tetris bonus game each time!
Well worth investing in this game as it can and will bring hours of fun and excitement.
It has 3 game stages you can choose depending on the amount of time you want to be playing.. short, medium and long game play which is great for when you can't be stuck playing for hours.
The aim of the game is to build a dinosaur island park with different dinosaurs and attractions within it. You gain excitement points for each dinosaur you add which increases the amount of visitors you can have per round. You also gain Victory points for every visitor who you manage not to get eaten!
The game pieces are all really well made and easy to use. It is difficult to fit back into the box but I see it as a mini tetris bonus game each time!
Well worth investing in this game as it can and will bring hours of fun and excitement.
Merissa (12894 KP) rated Frostfire (Kyndred, #3) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
This is, for me, by far the weakest book of the 3. I'm glad I've got it but it will be a while before I read this one again.
Lilah can 'speak' to the animals but suddenly, she can understand human thoughts too. Their powers were also unexplained, the descriptions between them often refers to heat and then his ice cold (the Frostfire of the title presumably) but this is again, never explained. Why can she do things with him and not by herself? The connection is never explained and so lost in the story. Her counterpart in this is a question mark in himself. Who is he? What's his past? Why are the Darkyn after him? Who the hero turns out to be is meaningless if you have not read Darkyn books and even then, as he is so characterless, it does not tie in at all with the earlier story. And how he is turned/not turned is not revealed at all.
There is a lot in this relatively small book but too confusing to be enjoyed. Maybe it will make more sense of a second reading but a really good book should pull the reader back a second time to appreciate the layers, not to simply understand what went on in the first place.
Lilah can 'speak' to the animals but suddenly, she can understand human thoughts too. Their powers were also unexplained, the descriptions between them often refers to heat and then his ice cold (the Frostfire of the title presumably) but this is again, never explained. Why can she do things with him and not by herself? The connection is never explained and so lost in the story. Her counterpart in this is a question mark in himself. Who is he? What's his past? Why are the Darkyn after him? Who the hero turns out to be is meaningless if you have not read Darkyn books and even then, as he is so characterless, it does not tie in at all with the earlier story. And how he is turned/not turned is not revealed at all.
There is a lot in this relatively small book but too confusing to be enjoyed. Maybe it will make more sense of a second reading but a really good book should pull the reader back a second time to appreciate the layers, not to simply understand what went on in the first place.