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Lighthouses have long been the symbol of salvation, warning sailors away from dangerous rocks and shallow waters. Along the Great Lakes, America’s inland seas, lighthouses played a vital role in the growth of the nation. They shepherded settlers traveling by water to places that had no roads. These beacons of light required constant tending even in remote and often dangerous places. Brave men and women battled the elements and loneliness to keep the lights shining. Their sacrifice kept goods and immigrants moving. Seven romances set between 1883 and 1911 bring hope to these lonely keepers and love to weary hearts. The Last Memory by Kathleen Rouser 1899—Mackinac Point Lighthouse Natalie Brooks loses her past to amnesia, and Cal Waterson, the lighthouse keeper who rescues her, didn’t bargain on risking his heart—when her past might change everything.



My Thoughts: This is a collection of short stories "novellas" about lighthouses and their keepers. The authors have given a precise account of the lives that these people led while helping to save the lives of others. The hardships they faced, loneliness, living in a remote area and dealing with the aftermath of shipwrecks.


The stories will draw the reader in and will fall in love with the heroines in the stories. I think of all the stories my favorites were Rose and Natalie. Rose being strong and independent, Natalie has a wonderful outlook on life after losing her memory. The reader will love all the women in the stories, these are the two that I identified with the most.

Living on a small island has given me a love for the lighthouse, and I have visited many on the Eastern Shore. That's one of the reasons I enjoyed these stories and the characters in them. Whenever you visit a lighthouse you try to envision the people that were once living there, this book gives us a wonderful look into some of those lives.


The readers will also learn how important the lighthouse is to people and the ships. It is fascinating to learn the working day of the lighthouse keepers. It was pleasant reading that the writers did make sure that the word of God was written into the stories. God is our lighthouse and we must always remember to look toward the light.


I think that everyone will enjoy this novella.


⭐⭐⭐⭐
  
Her Lord of Death
Her Lord of Death
Kyla D. Knight | 2019 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved this!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I'm not writing a blurby bit here, gonna jump straight in!

I bloody loved this!

So many layers, so much betrayal and back stabbing. Such pain for Acheron in his past, his present, and as he sees, his future. Kora is a woman he can never have, then he does, but still he can't. Cryptic, I know but I ain't doing spoilers!

And so, so many plot twists, I did not see any of them coming at me!

I loved that Acheron knew he was damaged, possibly beyond repair, but still he tries to make Kora see, to SEE that damage, in the only way he knows how: with violence. But KORA?? Kora SEES Acheron. She sees the man behind the rumours and whispers. She sees the man behind the scars, and finally, she SEES why Acheron does what he does to push her away and it makes her love him even more. She makes Acheron SEE, that there is more to life than pain.

And when WE find out why? Well, lets just say I bawled my eyes out. You get hints and snippets as to why Acheron reacts the way he does, but you don't get the full picture. Oh you put the clues together well enough, but really? Not enough. Nowhere NEAR enough.

After we get the full picture of what Acheron endured while in in Crete at the hands of Minos, it's a wonder the man is even sane! As Oz, Acheron's approximation of a best friend pointed out, he only had two years there, and Acheron had TEN years fighting for his life almost every day.

Suffices to say, this carries some dark story lines, but to say what they are would be spoilers. If you want to know, please message me, I'll tell you. Some readers may have triggers.

There is a little bit at the back of this, about how THIS book was Knight's first book, not Beautiful Beast. About how much of a battle Knight had with it. I'm so bloody glad she won that battle!

It's also billed as A Mythic World Romance. No idea what comes next, but I really wanna read it!

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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Sam (74 KP) rated Perfect in Books

Mar 27, 2019  
Perfect
Perfect
Cecelia Ahern | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
Celestine is Flawed to the very backbone, according to The Guild. She went against society and assisted a Flawed man – going against every value a Perfect citizen should hold. She was branded as flawed, not just the maximum of five times, but a sixth. Now, she finds herself on the run from The Guild and their Whistleblowers, an attempt at freedom that a Flawed citizen should never have.

Perfect is the second and final book in Cecelia Ahern’s Flawed series.

I read Flawed, the first book, a couple of years ago now. It’s the first book I had ever read by Cecelia Ahern, and it’s what made her writing stand out to me. However, for whatever reason (I can’t remember now) I’d put off buying Perfect. And when I did finally buy it, it sat on my bookshelf for ages. That was until the other weekend when I finally made the decision to read it.

I forgot how immersive the world Ahern created was. I was straight into the book as it jumped straight into action, and found it really easy to remember everything that had happened in the previous book.

Perfect is a fast paced novel, that never really slows down for a second. I found myself finishing it in just a couple of days, and really couldn’t put it down. It was addictive and kept me wanting to know what happened next.

I love Celestine as a character. The fact that she points out that she’s Flawed, but likes that part of herself because it makes her real is one of my favourite ideas of the whole book.

Celestine is strong and confident, and doesn’t need to have anyone by her side to help her get her way. She’s the perfect independent protagonist and I love her for that.

The focus on an over-controlling society where if you do the slightest thing wrong, you’re branded for life was really interesting. It makes you question whether a person can really be fully bad, and whether a person’s past is really different to who they are in the present day.

It’s definitely a thrilling book with some of the best characters you’ll find in YA. I would usually comment about how I’m not really into YA or Dystopia, but I’m not because I’m now definitely a convert and really enjoying the genre.
  
Mayhem, Murder and Marijuana
Mayhem, Murder and Marijuana
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Adam Copland is the master when it comes to the legal marijuana business in Los Angeles, California. But not everyone in the business plays nicely. Adam has to deal with the good, the bad and the ugly of this industry. The book focuses on Adam expanding his business to other parts of California as well as other parts of the country. There are a lot of highs and lows he experiences with this expansion. His wife is not happy with the business he is in although it makes him lots of money. Will Adam be able to continue to live and survive being in the marijuana industry?

Thank you to NetGalley and BookBaby/Independent Book Publishers Association for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I was excited to read this book because I have an interest in the marijuana industry and how it has changed so much over the past few years. Being legalized in many states for medical as well as recreational purposes. The overall story was interesting and filled with characters I loved to hate, but there were some issues with the writing that made me give the book three stars.

First off, we're introduced to several characters all at once with similar names(Jamal, Jam) and I had to go back to make sure I was with the right person. Then all throughout the book, the main character would go by different names in the same sentence and paragraph. His name is Adam Copland, sometimes it was just Adam, sometimes Copland and sometimes AC. And there never seemed to be any rhyme or reason as to why it was this way. I'm used to a name shift when a person has a title(eg. Dr. Jones, friends may call him/her by the first name or a detective), but not for an average person. At first this left me very confused because I wasn't sure if they were talking about the same person or different people. Other than that, I had to find out what was going to happen.

This is the first book in the series, I'm not sure how many books there will be all together, but I want to know what is going to happen next, because this book left us with a bit of a cliffhanger.
  
The Neighbour
The Neighbour
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
FOR SALE: A lovely family home with good-sized garden and treehouse occupying a plot close to woodland. Perfect for kids, fitness enthusiasts, dog walkers . . .
And, it seems, the perfect hunting ground for a serial killer.
On a hot July day, Garrick and Olivia Lockwood and their two children move into 25 The Avenue looking for a fresh start. They arrive in the midst of a media frenzy: they’d heard about the local murders in the press, but Garrick was certain the killer would be caught and it would all be over in no time. Besides, they’d got the house at a steal and he was convinced he could flip it for a fortune.
The neighbours seemed to be the very picture of community spirit. But everyone has secrets, and the residents in The Avenue are no exception.
After six months on the case with no real leads, the most recent murder has turned DC Wildeve Stanton’s life upside down, and now she has her own motive for hunting down the killer – quickly.

Loved this book! Once I started reading I was gripped by the story and I just couldn't put it down.
This has to be one of the most cleverly plotted thrillers I've read in years with its twisty reveals, red herrings and ample misdirection, which throws you off the scent many times!
Every time I thought I had it; Bam; hit the floor as the rug was pulled out from under me.
This is a twisty, creepy thriller with a likeable detective in the form of Wildeve Stanton who works hard to find the killer while battling with her own grief.
On The Avenue, behind every door hides a secret, and behind one of these doors is a serial killer that has been living in plain sight. But which door? The chapters give a snapshot view into each of the ongoing lives, into each of their secrets, slowly building up to an emotional terrifying conclusions.
A very chilling enjoyable read that kept from going to bed as I would not stop reading until I got to the end!
Highly Highly Recommend and would give more than 5 stars if I could!

Thank you to the author Fiona Cummins, publishers Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for my digital advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest and independent review.
  
Bite Me  (Kitchen Gods #1)
Bite Me (Kitchen Gods #1)
Beth Bolden | 2018 | Food & Drink, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
a great, easy read, with some food porn thrown in!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is, as far as I can see, the first I've read of Bolden's work, I sure hope it isn't the last! She has a way of not giving you the full picture about something and you aren't quite sure if you missed that bit, or it wasn't mentioned yet, or what?? And I really LOVED that!

Evan and Miles butt heads, right from the start, but equally, they have attraction, powerful attraction. And I loved watching them both ( because we hear from both guys) fight that attraction. Right til they both realize that their jobs are on the line, and they could lose each other too. THEN??? All bets are off and these guys give in to the inevitable.

It's amazing watching Evan come out of himself, watching Miles peel back the layers of Evan's outer casing, to the man inside.

It's not a complicated plot line, nor is it a difficult read. It's very well written and flows beautifully from the butting heads to the but...well....you get the picture. It's not very explicit though, and I really REALLY liked that it wasn't. There is no break up/make up. It's just a really great read!

Back to that not getting the full picture thing. It's about a certain thing that Miles does when he is drunk. Which I found hilarious, but when we get the full story of what was contained within?? You understand why the hints are there, you put the pieces together. Can't say anything else, cos of spoilers, but I really did enjoy not having the full picture thrown at me all at once!

Oh! You'll probably put on about ten pounds just reading this, cos, food porn or what! Miles is, after all, a pastry chef! But, love that the recipes in the book are give as links at the end. Might have to make myself some alcoholic macaroons!

This is billed as book one in the Kitchen Gods series. But some characters pop up who already had their stories written. I'd like to both go back, and forward, with these guys. I love the way Bolden spins her yarns.

so, a perfect Sunday morning read, that kept me fully engaged and I read it in one sitting.

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Finally Letting Go (Infinity #2)
Finally Letting Go (Infinity #2)
C.J. Lynne | 2017 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
much MUCH better read than book one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book two in the Infinity series. I would recommend that you read book one, Worth The Risk, if only to know just how Brandon wrecked Tyler 3 years ago. Not totally necessary, though.

Brandon is so far in the closet, he doesn't even know WHERE he is anymore! Facing up to his father, and NOT going to law school, Brandon now comes face to face with Tyler, and he has to own up to what he did. And he does. Tyler's best friend, Simon, though, won't let Brandon get away with it. But Simon's reaction to meeting Brandon properly again for the first time is MASSIVE and INSTANT, and oh so unexpected. Simon won't, though, be anyone dirty little secret. Brandon has to own up WHO he is before Simon will go down that road.

And my gosh! What a great read! I love characters who, for one reason or another cannot own up to who they really are, who they really want, and Brandon, bless his heart, he fights. He FIGHTS so darn HARD, but Simon will not let up!

And let me tell ya, once Brandon admits to HIMSELF who he is and WHO he wants, that man is all in! And it is spectacular watching both these men fall and fall hard for each other. It is, really, quite beautiful watching these two, it really is.

And I did NOT see that coming at me, no ma'am I did not expect that!! Way to go Brandon!

I said in my review for Worth The Risk that there was some repetition of a couple of phases, and I was worried here, but there was none of that!

I loved that Tyler and Jax play a huge part here, and that Ben, the owner of Infinity plays a part, and his book is laid out, sorta. There is a little bit of a preview for Ben's book, Breaking The Rules, and his book is told in the first person. Now those who follow my reviews will know that's not a great favourite of mine, but because I KNOW this now, it won't be a problem. Can't wait to read it!

A much MUCH better read than book one so...

5 full stars.

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Destiny Collides Past and Present (The Manx Cat Guardians #2)
Destiny Collides Past and Present (The Manx Cat Guardians #2)
JP Sayle | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
much MUCH better read than book one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy if this book.

This is book two in the Manx Cat Guardians series, and I would recommend that you read book one, Seeing Beyond the Scars, first. Brad and Martin play a huge part here, there is some overlap of the two stories and you need to know what Brad suffered.

I enjoyed this far FAR more than book one. The major issue I had with that book was it had not been edited properly and it had a massive impact on my reading experience. I saw no sign of that problem here, and it made for a much more pleasurable read.

Stuart is a work colleague of Martin (although I'm still not entirely sure what ANY of the guys do for work!) and he moves to the island to help Martin while Brad is in hospital. Cat sitting wasn't his best decision. Joe is hiding from his abusive ex, and lodging at Stuart's seemed like a good idea. Falling in love wasn't something either of them had in mind.

I'm still not sure about the cat, Princess! I said in my review for book one that I wanted more of the history of her "people" and I STILL want that, I NEED it, I think, to get the full picture. That Max turns up with Aadan, gives a little bit, but no where near enough for me! I'm just greedy, I know!

I do think again, that Joe would have been a bit more skittish, jumping into something so soon after he managed to get away, but he does push Stuart away when Stuart says something that Joe hated.

I loved Aadan, and the fact that he pushed Joe and Stuart into something they maybe hadn't thought about, but ran with it anyway.

I see book three laid out for me, and I REALLY ant to read that now! Max has upset Aadan, when he saves Princess and Aadan has some paranormal power that isn't fully explained here, it's just hinted at. Something has happened between Aadan and Greg, Stuart's secretary, and I really NEED to know what!

Since this was a much MUCH better read, and I saw no editing errors that plagued book one....

4 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated Shades in Books

Jun 17, 2018  
Shades
Shades
Jaime Reese | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
excellent stand alone for Ms Reese!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

KIllian is a hitman, but lately his mind has been on a certain waiter. Nick is hiding, and when who he is hiding from comes looking for him, Killian goes into major protection mode. But can they find a way out?

I've read all of Ms Reeses's Men of Halfway House series, they are ALL five star reads from me, so I approached this one with a little trepidation. This is a stand alone, totally unrelated to those books, and I wasn't sure how I felt about not reading about characters from a much loved series.

HOWEVER!!!

I LOVED THIS!

There are so many twists and turns, so many things I saw coming and so many I got so very wrong.

I loved that even though it took Killian time to verbalise his emotions, that he FELT them at all, proved he wasn't quite as broken as he thought.

I loved that Nick could read Killian like a bloody book, and loved that it was a constant niggle in the back of Killian's brain "If he can read so well, can others?" that sort of thing.

Loved what Killian was doing on the island, that I did NOT see coming! And I got the original owner of the talisman so very wrong. Another thing I didn't quite put the pieces together in the right order! And I loved that the talisman came full circle, and what Killian did with it after.

It's quite hard to write a gushing review about a book that has so many twists and turns, without giving too much away and spoiling it for everyone who comes after, but I hope I've given you enough hints and clues to pique your interest!

I started this book at 1015pm, after a 12 hour shift, after 4 hours sleep the night before. Come 2am, and I had finished it. So, when you are literally holding your eyes open with matchsticks, and you absolutely NEED to finish this book before you totally collapse, it can only get one rating. When you CANNOT fault it, when youy didn't even expect to get it, and when you simply want more stand alone novels for this author, it can ONLY get.....

5 full stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Edge Jump
Edge Jump
Elizabeth Noble | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
9
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
kinda creeps up on ya!
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book direct from the author, that I write a review was not required.

Brett retired from professional ice hokey and now runs the centre his parents set up, to teach. His sister, Celia and her partner, Rylan, has moved onto ice dancing. But a senseless crime takes Celia away from both Brett and Rylan, and brings them both together at their darkest time. Then Rylan is hit with a far worse tragedy. Can they get through this, together?

You know, sometimes, you read a blurb, and your brain plots away, and that's what you expect from the book?? Then the book actually goes off in a way you did not see coming?? And you loved it for it??

This book, right here!

I have NO idea what I thought would happen here, but I was very surprised with it! It really did kinda-creep-up-on-me!!

Brett and Rylan have chemistry, right from the start. But Brett keeps himself back a bit, and it pulls at you, the way Rylan reacts to that. There is a lot of pulling on the heart strings here! I loved the way Brett gradually introduced Rylan to BDSM, and that Rylan took to it, like a duck to water. I didn't think it overly explicit though and I LIKED that here, but that might just be me!

I did not get how Celia and her fiance's deaths would play out. Did NOT see that one coming at me, not at all!

Rylan's recovery from what happened is long and painful, but you feel it **taps chest* right here. Every time his brain threw self doubt at him. Every time Brett pulled him out of it, and you cheer, when he finally is able to get back on the ice. And when Rylan listens to Brett when he says "I'm not going anywhere!"

I've read a couple of other books by Ms Noble, and I do like how she can switch from paranormal, to contemporary, to more sexy books. High skill of an author, I think!

It crept up on, this book, it really did!

4.5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**