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Bolder Guilt-Edged (Zack Bolder #3)
Bolder Guilt-Edged (Zack Bolder #3)
Janice Tremayne | 2021 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who doesn't need a strong, sarcastic, gun toting partner to have their back??

Warning: contains suicide and references to baby deaths/abortion.

Although this is third in, what looks to be, an interesting series it can easily be read as a standalone. There's a little back story on Zack Bolder, our main character, which is woven throughout this story.
    I like that we're taken to Australia, it makes a change from the usual backdrops.

    I found Zack Bolder likeable with a well written character.....a good depth to him without feeling as though you might drown. And Wellbeck, the strong, sarcastic detective, is quite an interesting character.
    The working/personal relationship Bolder has with Wellbeck is just as good, they interact well together, bounce ideas off of each other and have each others back.

With adult themes throughout (not to mention creepy demons etc) I would recommend this for a more mature audience.
  
Nowhere to Go and All Day to Get There
Nowhere to Go and All Day to Get There
Gar Anthony Haywood | 2014 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Short Trips with the Loudermilks
This is a collection of two short stories featuring retirees and full time RVers Joe and Dottie Loudermilk. In “A Mother Always Knows,” a quick trip into a convenience store results in the couple being on the scene of an armed robbery. “Better Dead Than Wed” find them getting involved in an abusive relationship during a late-night rest stop.

Both of these stories are fast reads – I finished the collection in about half an hour. But both stories are fun and held my interest the entire way through. I was caught off guard by some of the twists along the way. I laughed along the way, sometimes at Joe and Dottie’s reactions to each other and sometimes at the situations they found themselves in. The characters also appeared in two full length novels. Whether you already know them or are just meeting them here for the first time, you’ll enjoy these two quick road trips.
  
R
Revenge
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
180 of 235
Book
Revenge
By Martina Cole
⭐️⭐️⭐️

He thought he was invincible. He was wrong.

REVENGE by the 'undisputed queen of crime writing' (Guardian) and Sunday Times No.1 bestseller Martina Cole is an unflinching novel that exposes a world that many would rather ignore...

Michael Flynn is untouchable. He's the boss of a dangerous empire, the biggest the criminal world has ever seen. No one crosses him, no one gets in his way, and everyone does what he says - including the law.

But you don't get to where Michael is without making enemies. Someone is out for revenge. And it's best served when least expected.

I liked this but it wasn’t my favourite of hers I found some of it too similar to some of her other stories and yes I know she has a type and way of writing but this wasn’t as good as those she’s written before. Although it was brutal and possibly more so than others.
  
Remembered (Hollow City Coven #5)
Remembered (Hollow City Coven #5)
Hazel Hunter | 2016 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This has been a wonderful series so far, but this instalment blew the others out of the water. In this novella, we get the story of Tenebris and how Galia, Mina, and Strayke end up there, and what becomes of them once they are there. The majority of this story is told about the past, with Gillian, Mathias, and Shayne only making a brief appearance at the end.

This certainly fills in the holes that Gillian has had in her 'memory', whilst giving the reader a front-row seat in their history. Exceedingly well-written, with characters that jump out of the page to you. With no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this is an excellent addition to the Hollow City Coven series, and definitely recommended.

* 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!
Jan 30, 2016
  
40x40

Merissa (13931 KP) rated A Double Sacrifice in Books

Dec 17, 2018 (Updated May 31, 2023)  
A Double Sacrifice
A Double Sacrifice
Jaxx Steele | 2016 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is a novella that tells the story of an African tribe, their origins and traditions, and how that affects the first pair of fraternal twins born to the ruling line. It was always assumed that it would be the princess who would mate and live with the water god. However, this time, it is not the princess who is receiving the dreams, but her brother.

This story is based over a couple of weeks, but you still manage to be given all the information needed in a good way. There is no info dump here. Well written and with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, this was a short but steamy read that came to a satisfying conclusion. Definitely recommended.

* 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!
Mar 22, 2016
  
40x40

Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Zodiac in Books

Mar 15, 2018  
Zodiac
Zodiac
Sam Wilson | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Also find my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/june-29th-2016

Firstly I'd like to thank Netgalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me the opportunity to read this book in an exchange for a review.

<b><i>"How much worse would the world be if everyone was colour-coded? If people thought they could tell someone's essence at a glance, and discrimination became purely thoughtless? … Maybe people wouldn't spend so much time making sure they acted, sounded and thought the same as their neighbours, if they weren't terrified of being mistaken for the wrong sign. Maybe they'd realise how arbitrary it truly was."</b></i>

This was such a tricky debut novel. The premise was incredibly unique and intriguing that it almost became difficult for the author to live up to the expectations of the plot. Not to say that all debut crime novels are crap but this was such a complex story that I think only really experienced writers like Stephen King or even Gillian Flynn could have shaped it into what it was supposed to be.

I was initially attracted to this book because of the front cover and because the idea of a society where you are segregated by your star sign is a really interesting and unique twist on a look at modern society. Plus I love a crime thriller and had read some good things about this already.

To my disappointment, I felt this started off really slow. I almost couldn’t get into it, but I decided to push myself to continue reading. Only at around 30 - 40% did I finally start to enjoy this. I think a big problem for me was the writing. I often found it a bit clunky and overly descriptive, plus a few spelling and grammar mistakes threw me off. <b>(I hope there's a lot of proofreading before this gets published!)</b>

Though the plot got better, more fast paced and more exciting I still found it difficult to like any of the characters. Burton was a little pretentious and overly insecure. Lindi was as useful as a medium. Mendez was a little bitch. Daniel was mopey and selfish. Cray was your typical dislikable teen gangster. Bram was needy and childish. Maria was supposed to be a kind character but all she did was resent her job and her life. Maybe I’m being a little harsh but I found it difficult to like or relate to any of them.

I felt there was a lot left unsaid when it came to the characters too. Like what happened between Burton and his wife? They were completely fine and loved up one minute and then the next he was saying <i>“he knew she was separating from his life”</i>, but why? Also after the whole Bram <i>thing</i>, he said <i>”Justice was coming for them all”</i> but again, when did that happen in the novel?

Unfortunately I predicted the twist before the 50% mark, I don’t think it was that hard to guess, so that took away some of the excitement of finding out what was going on and getting our killers motive. By the time we find out who our killer is and the Aries people are rising up it all got too confusing for me. There was too much going on in each scene that my mind couldn't focus on any of it!

I’ve given this 3 stars because there was a good story line there and at times some quite nice writing but it was a mediocre book in my mind, not particularly memorable.

On another note, the Ram Squad reminded me of the all the different gangs in Saints Row and the entire Ariesville had a very Gotham vibe to it.
  
I was super excited to partake in this blog tour and read this new Amish novel by a new to me author. It sounded like an intriguing read. However, upon receiving it and reading it, I found it to be a little slack in the gripping department. It was a bit of a slow start and took me a few tries to get into the book. But, that said, once I did get past the first several chapters, I was pleased to be able to enjoy the story line and make friends with the characters! 

The characters within this story all look forward to one thing: moving on. This story consists of two widowed souls who, after a time, are ready to seek God's will and new love. I've suffered the loss of my mother so I really felt for Leah! Though I'm older, I still often feel I need my mother here with me, so I can see why a mother was needed for Leah. And as a remarried woman, I can see the struggles that Samuel had with wanting to introduce his new frau to his family.

In the end, I did like the story. The book has some great messages of being patient and accepting what God has planned for you. It's worthy of 3.5 stars and I do recommend this book to those who enjoy Amish. Despite myself not being able to get into the story quickly, perhaps others won't have that trouble. I will also be giving book 2 in the series a try, as not every book by the authors will be the same. <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/sg-publishing-blog-tour-review-a-mother-for-leah-by-rachel-miller/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>