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Never Date a Doctor: A Life Lessons Novel
Never Date a Doctor: A Life Lessons Novel
Melanie A. Smith | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I didn't like Sasha!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

*insert sigh*

*insert another sigh*

I wanted to love, to even LIKE this book but I struggled, to be honest.

Mostly, because of two things.

Only Sasha has a say, and she grated on me, she really did. I can't say WHY, and I'm more annoyed that I cannot voice WHY she got my back up and got on my nerves, but she did. And because Caleb isn't given a voice, I very nearly dumped it, because she drove me nuts at points!

AND

First person/present tense. Even if caleb had been given a voice, with the book written this way, I would have enjoyed it a bit more, I think.

You could see the "situation" developing at the hospital, with the other nurse, coming at ay like a train wreck, and you can't stop, but it is nice for everything to be laid out for you once in a while. There were SOME surprises though, so i enjoyed that.

I'm sorry, a short review, but I really am struggling to make sense.

I finished it, though, and I promised myself that I would give a book 3 stars if I finished it, even if I didn't really like so.

Will I read other books in the series? Probably not, no. By this author? I'll give Ms Smith another try, certainly.

3 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
A is for Aftercare (The Alphabet of Desire #1)
A is for Aftercare (The Alphabet of Desire #1)
Colette Davison | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
focuses more on the care a Daddy gives
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarain, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Archie gets a job as PA for his favourite author and finds himself wanting to do so much than manage his diary. Hamish is is a grumpy so and so, but the young Archie becomes his muse very quickly. When one of Archie's brothers gets an invite to an adult party, both Archie and Hamish see the other in a different way.

I really really enjoyed this! It focuses more on the CARE a Daddy gives, in all ways, rather than the sex part, and I loved that I found it equally warm and fuzzies/too stinking cute and smexy!

It's not especially taxing on the brain, no complicated plot line or too much trauma to either of them, and I appreciated that right about now.

I loved that Archie and Hamish get on well together, as boss/employee, as friends, and then as Daddy/boy. They really are perfect for each other, they fit so well together. I loved Hamish's friends, and seeing how they might fit into future books. I loved the ABC triplets and I really look forward to reading Blake and Corey's tales!

It says 230 odd pages, but I didn't think it was that long. I really got sucked in with these two and time flew.

4 good solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Tangled In Tinsel
Tangled In Tinsel
Ellen Mint | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
the letter made me cry!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Taken straight from the blurb, this best describes this book! This gay, Hallmark-influenced romance is a heart-warming, hilarious, steamy mug of Christmas cocoa.

And it really is a wonderful read! I have a lot of holiday stories in my review list this year and this is the most fun read, I think, of the lot.

Dean is chasing that elusive find, the one that would save his business and make his name in the antiques world. Finding it is Tinsel, and meeting Levi again, was fate. Then the snow comes, Dean's nemesis also arrives and Dean is faced with making the decision of his life.

There follows an hilarious tale of two men falling in love, over a cradle; a lot of interruptions to their moments and a horse ride from hell and I really can't go into too much more, save for spoilers!

But it really is a wonderful read. And I loved the connection that Levi had to the cradle, and just what else Levi has to give to Dean.

The letter though, made me cry!

Oh, and the epilogue did too!

I can't see that I've read anything else by this author, and I think I need to correct that, right quick (just as soon as my review list lets me!)

4 wonderful stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Secret Admirer Pact
Secret Admirer Pact
Bernadette Marie | 2024 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
kinda cute
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarain, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I liked this book, but I didn't love it. Why?? I dunno, but book feelings are strong about this and ya'll know I need to share the book feelings!

It's a fun read, about friends who never really saw each other as anything other than best friends, until the thought of losing each other looms. And it's all laid out for you!

While there is romance here, there is no smexy times. I think that might be my biggest issue. I like my books smexy and I wanted Monique and Will to get their freak on, and they don't. At least, not on page. There's just some kissing.

It's painfully obvious who the secret admirers are, other than Will and Monique, but I didn't see the twist to Monique's boss' situation! So that was a great twist.

It's billed as a comedy romance. Now, I dunno if it was me, but I didn't get much comedy, at all!

It was a nice read (you know I don't like to use that word, but I can't find another one to fit!) one you can just fall into and wile away a couple hours, or less. Took me 90 mins.

I'd like to read something esle by this author, I haven't read her work before, but a longer work.

3 good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
The Hot Mess Prince
The Hot Mess Prince
Emily Spady | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's sweet and snarky, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.


I found this a refreshing change, I really did!


I loved that Thibault loved to rattle Neel, and Neel knew he was doing it all on purpose, but he let him, mostly. I loved that the two of them grew close when Thibault set out to do a bit of an image reboot, given his recent behaviour.


I loved the layers of Thibault! Oh and I love love LOVED the fact that Neel was not allowed to call him Tibs, everyone else did that and he wanted something special in his life that was just his. Neel was his, they just didn't quite see it fast enough!


It's sweet and snarky, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


This appears to be the author's first book, or it's the only one I can see under this name. In some places, that does show. It's written in third person, and a couple of places flips from one to the other and back again, in the space of a paragraph. Not a massive issue, just enough times for me to notice it and for it needing to be mentioned.


That said, I look forward to reading more work b this author, as they develop their craft.


A very good 4 star read


*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
The Roots Run Deep
The Roots Run Deep
C.M. Forest | 2024 | Horror
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
These are short, sharp shocks into the mind of Foster, and how they tell their stories!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is a collection of stories, billed as horror.

Now, pre-kindle days, I was a horror reader, and it's been some time since I delved into the genre. And while these are mind-provoking, I wouldn't quite class them as horror, as such.

That said, they are all short, sharp shocks into the mind of Foster and how they tell their tales. I've not read any of their work before, though, and I really enjoyed this little peek into their mind.

Some stories were grabbing, and didn't let go. Some were just good. I got lost in the space story, to be honest but I did read them all.

I will never look at a glazed doughnut in the same way, ever again! Moths are definitely on my nope list, and the beach after a storm will be a bit dicey!

So, scary? Yes. Make you think? Yes. But for me, not quite what I would call horror but still an extremely good set of shorts, that make me want to read something longer and more in depth by this author.

4 very good stars across the set, but stand out for the beach story, the doughnut one and the tree.

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Homecoming (Men of Devotion #1)
Homecoming (Men of Devotion #1)
Meredith Daniels | 2019 | Contemporary, Erotica, LGBTQ+
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
great read, loved it!
Homecoming, arch, 4 stars, male/male, romance, friends to lovers, military dudes, first time author
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Jack returns home, after a botched mission leaves him 5 days in hell. He is bruised and broken. But coming home be the hardest thing he has done, especially when it brings him face to face with the only man he ever loved. The man who hates him for breaking his sister’s heart. The man in question, Dillon, doesn’t hate Jack as much as Jack thinks. When Dillon helps Jack with his PTSD, when Dillon’s touch makes Jack feel like he really DID come home, both men need to own their feelings for each other. But it takes Dillon’s sister to make Jack see.
I love reading about broken soldiers coming home, and this was no exception!
Jack is broken, inside and out, bones and mind. Five days in hell and he has been given six weeks of mandatory leave and for the first time in ten years, he goes home. Home to his mum and dying father. Home to the memories that are burned on his mind from the last time he was here. Home to where Dillon might be. He doesn’t know which is worse: facing Dillon, or NOT. I loved that Jack didn’t know! Dillon, though. He knows. He knows he wants to see Jack. Seeing the man who has held his heart for long in so much pain calls to him. He wants Jack, but he wants Jack to come to him. And when they do? It was beautiful! But Jack spoils it by running! Stoopid man thinks now he’s “got Dillon out his system” he’ll be able to lay it to rest. But Dillon is far more than a “get out of my system” kinda man, and it takes Dillon’s sister, and Jack’s mum, to make Jack see, to really SEE how much he cannot let Dillon go!
It’s only short, some 90 pages, but packs quite a punch. Both Jack and Dillon have their say, and in the third person. Each voice is clear and defined.
I read some reviews AFTER I read this, I don’t do it before. I made that mistake once and never again. Most of the reviews I found were from 2014, and not very good. I wonder has this been revised since. I found none of the problems that are mentioned! Also, I can’t find anything else by this author. So, given this is a FIRST-time author, I’ll say this is a very VERY good start.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Rowan & Aldred (Ambrosia #2)
Rowan & Aldred (Ambrosia #2)
Lucie Fleury | 2024 | LGBTQ+, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
HEED the triggers, I have none but this really pushed my boundaries!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2in the Ambrosia series, and I have not read book one. I want to, though. Oh how I WANT!

I wasn't sure how this was gonna go, since it came with a stern, VERY STERN warning to note the triggers. I, after reading, STRESS that point.

Rowan is a bully and Aldred the God of Justice and Retribution. Who better to meek out the punishment the boy deserves. But something is off with Rowan and it takes a bit of time for Aldred to get deep into Rowan's reasons for being a bully. What he discovers shocks him, and makes him oddly protective of the boy. There is also the issue of the god going around, giving ambrosia out to humans, which is deadly if not managed correctly.

So, triggers:

Explicit smex: Oh yes, once Aldred decides he's keeping Rowan, the God loves his boy, and he loves him HARD.

Torture: Aldred, in the beginning, is brutal to Rowan. It was painful, reading about it, and it goes way darker than anything I've read before. I will admit, I came close to stopping, but something begged me to continue and I am so glad I did.

Mention of past abuse: Rowan's reasons for being a bully aren't immediately clear, and it does take some time for Aldred to get to the bottom of them.

Sexual assault: If it's the scen I'm thinking of, it's not a full on page assault, just the threat is there, and but for a kitty cat, there would have been.

It's a very different read than my usual fare, and I'm not tagging it as romance, because, let's be honest, I'm not sure Aldred could love in the hearts and flowers sense, but he cares, DEEPLY for Rowan, and I think, in time, his hearts and flowers will come.

Told from both Rowan and Aldred's point of view, this book is powerful in it's intensity; dark in it's violence; and in the end, the reason's for Rowan being a bully is paid back a hundred fold.

I've had a look, and can only see two books by this author name, and I question that! Why?? Cos if this is book 2 by this author, what is Lucie Fleury gonna be like at book 4, 6 or ten?? Sign me up, mate, I'm-a following this author!

Again though, HEED the triggers, I have none but this really pushed my boundaries!

But dear lord I cannot give it anything other than. . . .

5 full and shiny stars! (but more if I could!)

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Thicker Than Water (Redwater Demons #1)
Thicker Than Water (Redwater Demons #1)
Ellie Roth | 2024 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
freaking loved this book!
Independent reviewer for GRR, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This book, right here, is what I love MOST about reviewing. I come across a blurb that I love the sound of, by an author that is new to me, and the book blows me away! I freaking LOVED this book!

Julian is a demon hunter. His latest job finds himself adopted by the demon he was sent to kill. But she's just a little girl, and he cannot. He then finds said toddler kidnapped from him, and a demon contacts him, to share custody! (I'm sorry, but that really did make me chuckle!) But as Cassius and JJ bond over Desi, pieces are being moved on the cheesboard, and it's not very clear who will come out on top.

Like I said, freaking loved this book!

I loved the jump straight in for JJ and Desi. I loved the gentle way we are told about this world and the people and demons in it. The world building is excellent, and I could keep up and follow what was being thrown at me at all times. Cass and JJ have redefined the SLOW BUILD! I love the gradual way the attraction builds between these two. It's slow and subtle, and one of them thinks/says something and its "say what now??" SOme funny moments, too.

It's violent in places. JJ bears the brunt of that but not all is on page. MUCH is implied. I liked that we don't get it all, but we get some clues as to how bad it really was.

While JJ and Cass have a slow build, when we get to the main event?? Totally fade to grey and I freaking LOVED THAT TOO!! I'm big enough to admit, I like my books on the steamy side, and I'm also big enough to admit that not all books nned to be explicit. I loved that this one was not.

Betrayal of the highest order is painful for JJ, but Cass comes to the rescue, in his true form. And I loved that there was no indication that demons in this world had another form! There is some indication who might be next, at the end of this one with a bit of the next book. Actually, it gives you the next TWO books, I hope!

This is a new to me author, at the start of a new series. Two questions I ask myself when I read new authors and starts of series: will I read more by this author?? And will I continue the series. My answers to both questions is a HELL FREAKING YES!!

I can't fault this, I really cannot.

5 full and oh-so shiny stars!

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Mute (Dragon Runners #1)
Mute (Dragon Runners #1)
ML Nystrom | 2018 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Good, but not great
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Katrina lands a job in the local biker bar while she finishes up her final semester at nursing school. Club enforcer Mute props himself up at the end of the bar for most of the night and watches. Kat's life is threatened, along with that of the club. Mute digs deep to overcome his fear of falling in love again, and pulls out all the stops to save both Kat and his beloved club.

Ok! SO!

I liked this, mostly. I think.

Not a particularly original story line, but it is told in a slightly different way. Kat has her say for the bigger part of the book in the first person. Then Mute has a say, for a little bit, in the third person. Until Mute has his say, I wasn't sure I was enjoying it, and maybe I wasn't even going to finish it. But Mute having his say made the book a little more enjoyable and I did finish it.

I liked that there was a slow build between Kat and Mute. I did not like that the love word was bandied about very early on.

From what I can see, this is a first time author and in places, it does show. It's a little . . . clunky . . . . .at points and some things don't flow too well.

A good start, not a great one.

3 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**