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A River of Crows
A River of Crows
Shanessa Gluhm | 2023 | Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Being kept on my toes here was a very good thing!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Once in a rare while, I step out of my comfort zone and read something that isn't romance of any description. And once in an even rarer while, that step is a very good thing.

Because THIS surprised me, and I can't pinpoint why!

For a long time, I could not see where this was going, and the path it did take was very much how I did NOT see it going! Being kept on my toes here is a very VERY good thing!

What happened to Slaon's brother all those years ago is made perfectly clear, just not for a time, and something one of the minor characters said pinged my radar. Wrongly, as it turns out, but still.

I can't go into too much detail, because it would spoil this for you and I really don't want to do that!

I really enjoyed the way it all came together, both then and now. I liked hearing from all the important characters, even the bad guys, before, during and after.
I really enjoyed the way this was written, told in 1988 and 2008. Each time change is clearly headed, and titled with the person it is talking about.

This appears to be the author's second book. At some point I'd like to go back and read their first book. I shall certainly read MORE of this author in due course.

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
All He Wants For Christmas is a Fingerling (The Weird & Wacky World of Shifters #1)
All He Wants For Christmas is a Fingerling (The Weird & Wacky World of Shifters #1)
JP Sayle | 2021 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
weird and wacky but so bloody good!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Did you ever read a book and think "what the actual f88k did I just read?"

Cos let me tell ya, this book is such a book! But I mean this in the BEST way!

Frenchie is a potato shifter. Yes, you read that right, a POTATO. Tala is a wolf. And it makes for quite an interesting read, it really does!

It's quite hard, I think, to come up with a really NEW idea, but Ms Sayle proper nailed it here!

It's proper weird and wacky as the series title suggests, but it's also a lot of fun, with some sass and some smex and some danger and a whole sack full of hints and clues about this world that I want more, and I want it yesterday!

As well as feeling pleasantly buzzed and left warm and fuzzy by this book, I'm also left with a lot of questions (which Ms Sayle will know, for me, is dangerous ground!) I'm hoping they get answered in future books. I can't really voice them, for spoilers, but I know what they are, so that's good!

Frenchie's brother and Tala's twin need their story. There is a lot of hurt between those two right now!

Or maybe a broccoli shifter? Or even a bean cos, apparently, beans are dull!

Please, though, read this. It really is a whole lot of fun, and a great start to what I can see being an fantastic series!

4 weird and wacky stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Fall to Pieces
Fall to Pieces
Becky Flade | 2021 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved the back seat the romance takes!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I liked this book, I liked it a lot!

Xavier is sent to assess Alexandra's mental capacity to do her job, following the suicide of her detective husband. But things are not as they seem and Xavier and Alex are soon fighting her department as well as a child killer hellbent on driving Alex mad.

This is a dark book. Suicide, child murder and abuse. How cops deal with stress. And I liked that. I liked that it made me think about those things. I have no triggers though, and some readers might not like it.

Both Alex and Xavier have a say, and they have a lot to say about a lot of things! Both of them are suffering from things that happened but while Alex' is (mostly) clear from the start, it takes time to get the whole picture. Xavier's pain is far deeper and we don't get the whole picture there til much later. I like being made to wait.

The romance between Alex and Xavier takes a back seat to the crime aspect of the book and I loved the twist that took. I did think Alex would push Xavier away more than once and, Lord she tries! But Xavier is strong and even though the reasons he comes into Alex' life are beyond his control, keeping her safe is within his control and he will do that.

I liked this, a lot. It's the first I've read of this author, I would like to read more.

4 stars

*same worded review ill appear elsewhere
  
Blaine's Beast
Blaine's Beast
Joel Abernathy | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Needed Rohan and Beast
Independent reviewer for GRR, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is a retelling of a fairy tale, but please shove your knowledge of that fairy tale aside, cos this was brilliant! Bar one teeny tiny thing!

Blaine finds himself caught out in a storm, and then surrounded by wolves and then looked after by some lovely, if slightly odd, people. But nothing is as it seems and when Blaine finds out the truth, he vows to help fix things.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, I really did.

While, to me, it was very obvious who Rohan was, I liked that THAT fact wasn't dragged out for too long.

What surprised me was how things went down at the end. I was happily reading away, there was an ending of sorts and I was expecting that to be it. But I still had 25% to read! And then things happened and I loved being surprised!

It's steamy, and smexy and dark and gritty. It has a few sweeter moments too.

BUT!

And this is the only reason I can't stretch to 5 stars. It pains me, but its my review.

We ONLY get Blaine. And I wanted Rohan and Beast, I really did. I needed them to tell their story. And I don't get them. So, I was not very happy about that. I wanted in their head, you know? How they felt about Blaine arriving, then leaving, then things happening at the end. I needed that, and I don't get it.

so, 4 very good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Deep Waters (Jagged Shores #3)
Deep Waters (Jagged Shores #3)
Thom Collins | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!


Harry has a sailing boat that tourists can rent out. He has been hired by writer Christian Costner to help him get a lay of the land and research for a new book the author is planning on writing. However, the weather takes a turn for the worse so they have to cut the trip short and head back to the shore, as they are heading back Christian is adamant he has seen somebody in the swell of the waves so speaks out. Harry, his onboard help and cousin Tom look to discover there is somebody in the water so a daring rescue takes place. They recover the body but that is only the start!


Thom has a very easy style of writing and it captivated me from the get-go. This is the 3rd book in the jagged shores series but can be read as a stand-alone. It has intrigue and mystery that does keep you guessing until it's all out in the open who has committed the crime. It certainly hoodwinked me I normally can be quite good at guessing whodunit but I was completely off the mark.

I was rooting for the relationship between Harry and Christian as it was something they both needed. There are sex scenes but nothing too crass.


I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the author's writing and look forward to reading more of his books.


** 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. *
  
Headshot (Model Love)
Headshot (Model Love)
JP Sayle | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
freaking loved it!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This book, right?? I freaking LOVED IT!!

Oh I might gush, so #sorrynotsorry it was so bloody good!

It's part of the Model Love series, a multi author series of stand alone books. But here we get to revisit with some of Sayle's other characters and I loved being able to cath up with Griffin and Charlie and of course, Nana!

Kit saved jack has loved him ever since. He's not quite sure when things changed for him, but they did. Now Kit's lifes work, Garfield House for homeless kids, is threatened and Jack will do anything for Kit.

I loved that while Jack loves Kit, he really does try to keep away. I loved that he decided to go for Kit and he really goes all in. I love that Kit loved Jack but was bound by his own sense of proper, even if Jack had left the house ages ago.

I loved that once they both accepted that they should be together they go all in and fully and totally commit to each other. I'm not usually one for professions of love early on but these two have dacned around each other for years!

It's steamy, and smexy. It's emotional and funny, Nana does her best to wreak her havoc. There isn't much drama, except that about the house, but I think this book didn't need it.

I loved this book, I really did. And I'll leave it at that.

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere