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Passion Awakened (The Hush #1)
Passion Awakened (The Hush #1)
Katherine Diane | 2020 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
thoroughly enjoyable 4 star read!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Kyr, leader of the Hush, races a psych test, along with the others in his group. Their supervisor thinks they are hiding something. He was, but not quite what the boss thought. Mira is Awakened, a half breed vampire and trained psychotherapist. She is tasked with assessing The Hush members. All the while, those members are trying to find the missing vampire females who keep disappearing.

While not a particularly original theme, I really REALLY enjoyed this!

The vampires are fighting demons. The vampires are alien to earth. they are big, bulky guys that are drop dead gorgeous. But still!

There is enough variation to the theme to make it sufficently interesting, and engaging. Its dark and deadly in places, and sweet and sexy in others.

Both Mira and Kyr have a say, but also a good deal of the other characters do too, and I loved that we get more from them. The bad guy too! I LOVE when the bad guy gets a say!

There is a MUCH bigger picture going on, which I assume will unfold as future books come out, but I'm not getting a clue as to what that is yet. So that will keep me engaged for the next book at least!

The author has published under another name, Kyla D Knight, but this work doesn't really show the work under that name, if you see what I mean? Very different.

A thoroughly enjoyable 4 star read.

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
The Tryst List (Spicy Standalone #3)
The Tryst List (Spicy Standalone #3)
Kaylene Winter | 2024 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
3 good, but not for me, stars
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This book seems to be a spin-off form the author's series Less Than Zero. Those guys pop up here, but I didn't think I missed anything by not reading them before this one.

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book, and you all know I'm all about sharing the book feelings. So, I'm gonna say what I liked, and maybe what didn't work will wing it's way out.

I liked that both Jordan and Peter are given a voice, although that first meeting was all from Jordan. I loved that we did NOT get that first meeting, in all its glory, right as it happened. I loved that it comes in memories from both of them. I think had we had it all at the beginning, I might have dumped this one, so well played to the author for not doing that. I loved the way it all comes out along the way.

It's steamy and smexy, oh yes but I found the emotional connection a little lacking in the beginning. But then again, 10 years since their first encounter would stunt anyone's connection.

There was a lot of misunderstanding and miscommunication between these two. I'm not sure whether that worked for me or not, to be honest!

I'm gonna wrap up: I liked this book, I finished it. Will I go back and read the series this spins off? Not at this time.

3 good, but maybe not for me, stars

*same worded review will appear elsewher
  
The Underhanded (William Dresden #1)
The Underhanded (William Dresden #1)
Adam Sikes | 2024 | Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
takes time to come together
Independent reviewer for Arachaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

William is a professor of history, and he gets dragged into the world of espionage, full of secrets about him and his family, and an attempt to destabilize Europe. Followed by an attempt on his life, and William is running for that life, while trying to get the truth.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book, but a couple things, for me, knocked that 4th star off.

The book is full of long dialogues, explaining things in minute detail. I got bogged down reading those pages, and in some places, I skipped ahead.

And it takes a long LONG time for the plot to come together. I very much wanted to dump it in places, I was so freaking confused. It made for a hard-work read, and I'm not sure this book was for me.

It's well written, though, and I didn't see any editing or spelling errors to spoil my reading. It really was the long winded plotting out loud, and the long plot line.

Some twists, and they were not seen coming, so well played there! And once things start coming together, it moves fast, so you gotta hang on there!

Many bonus points for not, not once, calling William, Bill. Big thumbs up from me for that!

First I've read of this author, and I think I'd like to try a shorter book, if there are any. I just struggled a bit with this one.

3 good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Once Upon A Goth Dog Solstice
Once Upon A Goth Dog Solstice
RL Merrill | 2024 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's cute and sweet and warm and fuzzies!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 8 in the Once Upon A Holiday series, a multi author series joined ony by the Hook's Book Nook Travelling Library, which pops up in all the books. I have not read any of those, and they can all be read as stand alone books.

Luther is suffering after being medically discharged from the Marines, fostering his daughter and trying to make ends meet. Meeting Doug at the local craft market, and the pair embark on a tentative relationship, that sees Doug away from long periods. Can they make it work?

I liked this, a good deal.

It's sweet and cute, its warm and fuzzies and low angst. Not ever so explicit, but I didn't miss that. It's more about the budding relationship between these two, than the smex. I liked that it was low steam, to be honest.

I kinda didn't feel their connection at the beginning though. I felt they met, met again and then jumped into bed together. It just felt a little off, to ME, that's all. The connection DOES build, just that intial bit didn't quite work for me.

LOVED the way Luther introduces Mila and Doug, and how they all get along with Violet, Luther's sister. She has a story to tell, I'm sure! Oh and Oscar! Children and dogs for the win!

A good read, one that passed a very dull shift at work. One that made me smile.

4 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Island Detour (Sunrise Island #1)
Island Detour (Sunrise Island #1)
Maria Imbalzano | 2024 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
throughly enjoyable 4 star read
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarain, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Sophie is accused of doing something she knew she did not do, and is suspended from her teaching post. Taking a job in Florida, helping out a friend, seemed the best thing to do during that time. But she was unprepared for taking a lead role in the school and she was totally unprepared for Max, another teacher at the school, trying to get his environmental institute off the ground. They both have demons to fight, but will they be stronger together?

What I especially liked about this book was the slow burn between Sophie and Max. There was immediate attraction, sure, but Max thinks Sophie has ulterior motives for being at the school and he trusts so rarely. It takes him time to see that Sophie can calm his demons, and he, hers. They both just need to admit, trust and give in to each other.

Both Max and Sophie get a say, and I'm glad they did.

There is passion, heat and love here, but I found the smexy times were very much faded to black and I liked that. I do like the smexy books, sure, but I can also appreciate a fade to black book, if the story is a good one.

And this is a good book! It's a great book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, my first by this author. I'd like to read something else, something with a bit more bite.

A thoroughly enjoyable 4 star read.

*same worded review will appear elsewhere