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Bonita Avenue
Book
A darkly hilarious tale of a model family's disintegration. Professor Siem Sigerius - maths genius,...
The Heart Knows What the Mind Cannot See
Book
This is a thought-provoking and enlightening exploration of spirituality and perception. The text...
Self Help Mind-Body-Spirit
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated A Matcha Made in Hell (Boyfriend Café #1) in Books
Sep 15, 2023
really rather good!
Independent reviewer for GRR, I was gifted my copy of this book.
For a long time, I've avoided bully romances. I've no idea why; I did the same wth the step brother romances a while back. But something about THIS book piqued my interest. And I jumped straight in.
Much like I'm gonna do with my review.
I liked this, a lot. I can't quite love though, simply because it's FIRST person, PRESENT tense AND multi point of view. Many kudos to the author for me not realising that til a way in, though, it's just not a preference of mine.
I loved the idea of the Boyfriend Cafe, not so much the reason for it, but I could see this taking off in some places. I loved Albert, in turn, the new hires to the cafe. Rhett is the driving force behind the cafe, which kinda makes his own love life a mockery: there simply isn't one.
Until Spencer Marsh turns up in teh cafe with his girlfriend. Then, things kinda take a kookie turn and one thing leads to another.
But what I especially liked about that meeting, was Rhett was strong against Spencer. Rhett knew he wasn't the same boy he was in high school, and Rhett stood up to Spencer. Not quite in the way I think he was expecting to, but still!
Spencer, in turn, knows he did Rhett wrong at school, and coming to this college was supposed to be his fresh start. His feelings for Rhett whoop him upside the head a little bit out of nowhere, and when Rhett does that thing where he tells Spencer what to do?? Spencer cannot deny Rhett anything.
The feelings kinda creep up and both Rhett AND Spencer, but I loved that. Yes there is early chemistry, that spark burns right through the book, but the FEELINGS creep up on them. Why Spencer was the way he was in school was hardly surprising but that Spencer still tries to impress his dad was. Dad kinda comes good, but not until the epilogue and only on Spencer's terms.
I like this group of people, they all have tales to tell, I hope!
This is, as far as I can see, the first that I have read by this author. I like the way they tell their tales. I love this about reviewing: you come across authors all the time with backlists, that then grace you to read shelf!
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
For a long time, I've avoided bully romances. I've no idea why; I did the same wth the step brother romances a while back. But something about THIS book piqued my interest. And I jumped straight in.
Much like I'm gonna do with my review.
I liked this, a lot. I can't quite love though, simply because it's FIRST person, PRESENT tense AND multi point of view. Many kudos to the author for me not realising that til a way in, though, it's just not a preference of mine.
I loved the idea of the Boyfriend Cafe, not so much the reason for it, but I could see this taking off in some places. I loved Albert, in turn, the new hires to the cafe. Rhett is the driving force behind the cafe, which kinda makes his own love life a mockery: there simply isn't one.
Until Spencer Marsh turns up in teh cafe with his girlfriend. Then, things kinda take a kookie turn and one thing leads to another.
But what I especially liked about that meeting, was Rhett was strong against Spencer. Rhett knew he wasn't the same boy he was in high school, and Rhett stood up to Spencer. Not quite in the way I think he was expecting to, but still!
Spencer, in turn, knows he did Rhett wrong at school, and coming to this college was supposed to be his fresh start. His feelings for Rhett whoop him upside the head a little bit out of nowhere, and when Rhett does that thing where he tells Spencer what to do?? Spencer cannot deny Rhett anything.
The feelings kinda creep up and both Rhett AND Spencer, but I loved that. Yes there is early chemistry, that spark burns right through the book, but the FEELINGS creep up on them. Why Spencer was the way he was in school was hardly surprising but that Spencer still tries to impress his dad was. Dad kinda comes good, but not until the epilogue and only on Spencer's terms.
I like this group of people, they all have tales to tell, I hope!
This is, as far as I can see, the first that I have read by this author. I like the way they tell their tales. I love this about reviewing: you come across authors all the time with backlists, that then grace you to read shelf!
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Black-Eyed Susans
8.6
Rate It
Book
**THE TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER** 'My book of the year so far. Breathtakingly, heart-stoppingly...
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated Lost in Indigo (Colors of Love #1) in Books
Mar 7, 2019
loved this!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Faced with the end of his hockey career, Mathieu goes home to heal. His long time friend brings his 20 year old son to help Matt around. But Matt is not prepared fro how he feels about Indigo, especially as he has managed to keep his sexuality a secret. But Indigo is a unique young man, genderflux, out and proud. Can Matt recover enough to play again, can he and Indigo be happy in secret?
Ordinarily, I would say here that I wanted to hear from both main characters. Indigo does not have a voice here, and ORDINARILY that would be a major gripe of mine.
BUT!!
I actually rather enjoyed this, with only Matt having a say! I made a new shelf for it and everything!
Matt is deep in the closet, he knows it, and up to now, has just made do. Breaking his leg, and going back to Canada and meeting the now grown up Indigo again makes Matt question a lot of things. And as time goes on, he realises that maybe being in the closet is not a good thing, especially when he wants Indigo in his life, and Indigo wants to be in that life, but Indigo will NOT be a dirty secret.
I loved that Matt has a dawning revelation about Indigo. His feelings grow, over time, but Indigo was all in, right from the start! Loved that his NEIGHBOUR, of all people, had Matt sussed, right from way back when they first met, but his AGENT, who knew him so much longer, had not a clue! I loved that Indigo's dad, Matt long time friend, was, while not totally against Matt and Indigo being together, he was "don't hurt my boy, or I'll break the other leg" on Matt. Papa Bear at his very best!
I loved that, when called on it, Indigo gives Matt a deadline, and Matt delivers! Loved the way he does that!
I read another series by this author, The Point Shot trilogy, and I said in that review, that I loved it because it was single person point of view, so Ms Vocey has a way of negating my dislike of single person points of view, with strong minded, loud voiced characters! I need MORE of this author, I really do!
There are a few pages of hockey commentary, I skipped those, I'm not any kinds of sports fan, at all, but I didn't feel I missed anything by doing so. Just don't hate me!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Faced with the end of his hockey career, Mathieu goes home to heal. His long time friend brings his 20 year old son to help Matt around. But Matt is not prepared fro how he feels about Indigo, especially as he has managed to keep his sexuality a secret. But Indigo is a unique young man, genderflux, out and proud. Can Matt recover enough to play again, can he and Indigo be happy in secret?
Ordinarily, I would say here that I wanted to hear from both main characters. Indigo does not have a voice here, and ORDINARILY that would be a major gripe of mine.
BUT!!
I actually rather enjoyed this, with only Matt having a say! I made a new shelf for it and everything!
Matt is deep in the closet, he knows it, and up to now, has just made do. Breaking his leg, and going back to Canada and meeting the now grown up Indigo again makes Matt question a lot of things. And as time goes on, he realises that maybe being in the closet is not a good thing, especially when he wants Indigo in his life, and Indigo wants to be in that life, but Indigo will NOT be a dirty secret.
I loved that Matt has a dawning revelation about Indigo. His feelings grow, over time, but Indigo was all in, right from the start! Loved that his NEIGHBOUR, of all people, had Matt sussed, right from way back when they first met, but his AGENT, who knew him so much longer, had not a clue! I loved that Indigo's dad, Matt long time friend, was, while not totally against Matt and Indigo being together, he was "don't hurt my boy, or I'll break the other leg" on Matt. Papa Bear at his very best!
I loved that, when called on it, Indigo gives Matt a deadline, and Matt delivers! Loved the way he does that!
I read another series by this author, The Point Shot trilogy, and I said in that review, that I loved it because it was single person point of view, so Ms Vocey has a way of negating my dislike of single person points of view, with strong minded, loud voiced characters! I need MORE of this author, I really do!
There are a few pages of hockey commentary, I skipped those, I'm not any kinds of sports fan, at all, but I didn't feel I missed anything by doing so. Just don't hate me!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Chambers Dictionary of Great Quotations
Book
With over 25,000 quotations from over 4,000 sources, The Chambers Dictionary of Great Quotations is...
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated To Love and To Cherish (Vows #3) in Books
Dec 13, 2017
4 solid stars for the book and narration
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted the AUDIO file of this book.
Nash needs a new job, and Emmett (apologies if I've spelt it wrong, I listened! ) needs a live nurse for his grandfather. But Emmett also heard Nash say he wants love, a partner in life. Nash agrees to Emmett suggestion, and then is involved in a accident that causes him to lose the last four months. Nash falls in love with Emmett, and then his memories return.
I listened to this, David Gilmore narrates. He is a new to me narrator. Overall, I found him a easy to listen to narrator, his reading voice is deep and clear, and I had no trouble following what was going on with multiple character conversations. I DID find his voice for Nash came across a little too young sounding, and Harley and Oliver too, they came across too young, for me anyway. This is the only reason I gave the NARRATION 4 stars.
I liked the book, it was an easy listen. I liked that, while not telling Nash the whole truth about how they came together, Emmett did not LIE to Nash, when he couldn't remember.
I gave the book 4 stars because of one reason only. Only Nash has a say. Yes, yes yes I know I say it often enough, but I think if Emmett had been given a say, this would have been a 5 star read! Because, let's face it: Emmett is asking Nash to marry him, then Nash has his accident and Nash can SEE the love in Emmett's eyes when he looks at him. So Emmett MUST have had such deep feelings for Nash waaaaaaaaaaaaaay before this. And I NEEDED to hear from him, I really did.
New to me author and narrator, will certainly look for more.
4 stars for the book
4 stars for the narration
4 stars overall
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Nash needs a new job, and Emmett (apologies if I've spelt it wrong, I listened! ) needs a live nurse for his grandfather. But Emmett also heard Nash say he wants love, a partner in life. Nash agrees to Emmett suggestion, and then is involved in a accident that causes him to lose the last four months. Nash falls in love with Emmett, and then his memories return.
I listened to this, David Gilmore narrates. He is a new to me narrator. Overall, I found him a easy to listen to narrator, his reading voice is deep and clear, and I had no trouble following what was going on with multiple character conversations. I DID find his voice for Nash came across a little too young sounding, and Harley and Oliver too, they came across too young, for me anyway. This is the only reason I gave the NARRATION 4 stars.
I liked the book, it was an easy listen. I liked that, while not telling Nash the whole truth about how they came together, Emmett did not LIE to Nash, when he couldn't remember.
I gave the book 4 stars because of one reason only. Only Nash has a say. Yes, yes yes I know I say it often enough, but I think if Emmett had been given a say, this would have been a 5 star read! Because, let's face it: Emmett is asking Nash to marry him, then Nash has his accident and Nash can SEE the love in Emmett's eyes when he looks at him. So Emmett MUST have had such deep feelings for Nash waaaaaaaaaaaaaay before this. And I NEEDED to hear from him, I really did.
New to me author and narrator, will certainly look for more.
4 stars for the book
4 stars for the narration
4 stars overall
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic in Books
Jan 12, 2018
This book is FANTASTIC. I was enthralled from start to finish, and frantically looked up the author to make sure she is writing a sequel. (She is, thank goodness!) I absolutely loved the main character, Nora, and the acerbic magician Aruendiel. Even while cheering for the opposite side, I even enjoyed reading about Raclin and Ilissa, the villains of the novel.
In Nora Fischer, we have a modern, independent, feminist woman transported to a place and time where women are inferior (by nature, most think.) There are even linguistic influences that make them inferior; women speak with a lot of "um" and "well" type words in their speech, while men don't. When Nora protests that this makes women's speech sound weaker, she's told that that's "just how women speak." Seeing her confronted with the sexism ingrained within the medieval style culture, and seeing her confront Aruendiel with how sexist it actually is, was a wonderful sub-plot of the book.
The main plot was well-paced and interesting - after being kidnapped by Ilissa at the beginning of the book, and enchanted into being a beautiful, love-struck little ninny, Nora recovers herself with the help of Aruendiel, and spends the rest of the book evading re-capture and finding her place in this new world. The descriptions are colorful, the characters are deep and fascinating, and the land and culture itself shows just how much thought went into creating this world. This is an absolutely spectacular debut novel, in my opinion, and I cannot WAIT for the sequel, since Barker did leave a few questions unanswered at the end of the book. I really can't rave about this book enough. If you like fantasy, (or Pride and Prejudice, since this book, while not attempting to be a retelling or anything, had a lot of the same feel) you should really pick this one up.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
In Nora Fischer, we have a modern, independent, feminist woman transported to a place and time where women are inferior (by nature, most think.) There are even linguistic influences that make them inferior; women speak with a lot of "um" and "well" type words in their speech, while men don't. When Nora protests that this makes women's speech sound weaker, she's told that that's "just how women speak." Seeing her confronted with the sexism ingrained within the medieval style culture, and seeing her confront Aruendiel with how sexist it actually is, was a wonderful sub-plot of the book.
The main plot was well-paced and interesting - after being kidnapped by Ilissa at the beginning of the book, and enchanted into being a beautiful, love-struck little ninny, Nora recovers herself with the help of Aruendiel, and spends the rest of the book evading re-capture and finding her place in this new world. The descriptions are colorful, the characters are deep and fascinating, and the land and culture itself shows just how much thought went into creating this world. This is an absolutely spectacular debut novel, in my opinion, and I cannot WAIT for the sequel, since Barker did leave a few questions unanswered at the end of the book. I really can't rave about this book enough. If you like fantasy, (or Pride and Prejudice, since this book, while not attempting to be a retelling or anything, had a lot of the same feel) you should really pick this one up.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated Snowed In: Dane and Heath in Books
Mar 14, 2019
Dane needed a say!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Dane is a good boss, until he makes Heath stay late and they get caught in a snow storm of epic proportions. But after a few beers and some secrets, Dane and Heath find they have more in common that they thought, and neither can deny it any longer.
CUTE!! My first thoughts on finishing this book was, needs to go on the "too stinking cute" shelf!
It's rather sweet, with a little bit of sexy time, some secrets exposed, not overly emotional, but enough emotion comes across in the right places. All the descriptions of the weather, what's happening outside, when the car nearly crashes into the tree, they all came across beautifully, and I reacted verbally to some parts. I don't usually, when reading, but do when listening. But when the car went skidding?? I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Phew, when it stopped!
Only Heath has a say, though, and I think that's why I gave it 4 stars and not 5. Even for such a short book, some 48 pages, if Dane had had a say, if we had gotten into his mind, I think this might have been a 5 star read. Dane has a lot to say here, and not all of it is voiced.
I have one teeny tiny comment about the editing though. In one particular place, Dane's is transposed for Heath's name. I carried on reading, not really noticing UNTIL something happen that DANE did to HEATH, which had happened where the names got mixed up. Just a comment, is all.
Really REALLY cute read, and the first I have read of this author. I'd like to read more, something longer with more bite, a bit more in depth.
4 solid stars (but really only cos Dane doesn't have his say)
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Dane is a good boss, until he makes Heath stay late and they get caught in a snow storm of epic proportions. But after a few beers and some secrets, Dane and Heath find they have more in common that they thought, and neither can deny it any longer.
CUTE!! My first thoughts on finishing this book was, needs to go on the "too stinking cute" shelf!
It's rather sweet, with a little bit of sexy time, some secrets exposed, not overly emotional, but enough emotion comes across in the right places. All the descriptions of the weather, what's happening outside, when the car nearly crashes into the tree, they all came across beautifully, and I reacted verbally to some parts. I don't usually, when reading, but do when listening. But when the car went skidding?? I was like NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Phew, when it stopped!
Only Heath has a say, though, and I think that's why I gave it 4 stars and not 5. Even for such a short book, some 48 pages, if Dane had had a say, if we had gotten into his mind, I think this might have been a 5 star read. Dane has a lot to say here, and not all of it is voiced.
I have one teeny tiny comment about the editing though. In one particular place, Dane's is transposed for Heath's name. I carried on reading, not really noticing UNTIL something happen that DANE did to HEATH, which had happened where the names got mixed up. Just a comment, is all.
Really REALLY cute read, and the first I have read of this author. I'd like to read more, something longer with more bite, a bit more in depth.
4 solid stars (but really only cos Dane doesn't have his say)
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated Hers, Unbroken (Hers #2) in Books
Jul 21, 2018
I need more of this author!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
As head of the pet training centre, Holly knows exactly what that training involves. Chase deliberately gets himself caught to be taken to the training centre, because that is what he really wants! To be a sex slave. Holly though, wants to set him and all the other pets free. But Holly only has Chase for 48 hours before they come for him. Can they work together to get what they BOTH want??
This is book 2 in the Her series but you don't NEED to have read book one, Hers Untamed, for this one to make sense. However, personally, I think you SHOULD read it before this one. It will give you a better picture of the people of Silenia, and just what having a pet means to them. It will also give you a better picture of just how different Holly is from the rest of her people.
Also, I said in my review for that book, I wanted Jax, the 'pet', to have a say, because he didn't. Chase DOES have a say here, and it does creep my star rating up a fraction but I still can't stretch to the full 5 stars.
And I think that's mostly because the rebellion happens almost overnight! One day, they all want to keep their pets under lock and key, and the next, everyone is free!! Felt really kinda rushed to me.
It's still a really great read, and I loved that Chase refuses to perform for anyone but Holly. Loved that she couldn't quite get her head round the fact he wanted to be a sex slave.
And I did read it in one sitting!
Are there more planned?? I hope so. Even with the rushed rebellion, I think these people have more to say.
4.5 stars, rounded up for the blog.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
As head of the pet training centre, Holly knows exactly what that training involves. Chase deliberately gets himself caught to be taken to the training centre, because that is what he really wants! To be a sex slave. Holly though, wants to set him and all the other pets free. But Holly only has Chase for 48 hours before they come for him. Can they work together to get what they BOTH want??
This is book 2 in the Her series but you don't NEED to have read book one, Hers Untamed, for this one to make sense. However, personally, I think you SHOULD read it before this one. It will give you a better picture of the people of Silenia, and just what having a pet means to them. It will also give you a better picture of just how different Holly is from the rest of her people.
Also, I said in my review for that book, I wanted Jax, the 'pet', to have a say, because he didn't. Chase DOES have a say here, and it does creep my star rating up a fraction but I still can't stretch to the full 5 stars.
And I think that's mostly because the rebellion happens almost overnight! One day, they all want to keep their pets under lock and key, and the next, everyone is free!! Felt really kinda rushed to me.
It's still a really great read, and I loved that Chase refuses to perform for anyone but Holly. Loved that she couldn't quite get her head round the fact he wanted to be a sex slave.
And I did read it in one sitting!
Are there more planned?? I hope so. Even with the rushed rebellion, I think these people have more to say.
4.5 stars, rounded up for the blog.
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**