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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
  
Berlin Calling
Berlin Calling
Kelly Durham | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Thriller
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I am quite a bit of a fan, when it comes to books about World War II, add women in it, and I’m intrigued. That was what drew me to this book, a woman figure in the context of war and not just woman, a foreigner. The description above, describes this novel quite well. It started with very romantic notes, how Maggie met Kurt, and how she ended up in Berlin, landing a job in Propaganda House. Maggie is very interesting character in this book, and I really loved her in this novel. She is beautiful, pleasant to be around, incredibly hard working and independent. I’m kind of used to these disturbed characters which are used in most of the books, and it was very refreshing to read about one, who is not mentally or emotionally messed up. Other characters were interesting to read about as well, and all of them where quite the personalities. I really enjoyed, that author did not make this book from one characters perspective, and included most of the characters by allowing them to speak. This made the book more pleasant to read, and more interesting.

The plot of this book was really absorbing, and different from most of the WWII books I read. Normally, I encountered the books, which used to describe the tragedy of war, such as concentration camps or Jew’s killings, and their fighting for survival. This book was softer on that part, it mentioned the cruelties’ which happened during the war, but never in so much detail to make it stomach turning. It was written more about the political aspects of it, and how German propaganda was used to influence people from other countries. It’s been a while since I studied history of WWII, and I studied from different countries’ perspective, so to see how it looked from Germany's perspective was quite appealing. I think that author was trying to show, how Germans thought about this war and why most of them supported what Hitler was doing.

I am a big fan of short chapters, and this book didn’t disappoint me with that. The chapters were divided into smaller parts, which made it more pleasant to read. Every chapter was quite detailed, but the meaning and the point of that chapter was very lovely opened, and concluded for the reader. The story was flowing nicely and smoothly. I believe Author has a great personal knowledge about war, and used it greatly in this book. There was a little bit of monotony while reading this book, and lack of twists and turns, that would’ve make it more exciting. The language used was not difficult and easy to read, but I had to look up some German terms used in this book, as I’m not familiar with the language. The ending of the book was really entertaining but not complete. I wished more conclusions, and to know what happened to Dieter. To conclude, it is a great book if you looking for World War II stories of war from German perspective, love, and survival.
  
That's My Ethan
That's My Ethan
Tarian P.S. | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
really REALLY enjoyed this!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Damir met Ethan at a college coffee and was SMITTEN. It's the only word to describe how he felt about Ethan. And this is their story: the true story of love at first sight.

I liked this one! I LIKED it a LOT!!!

Damir is in a frat house, and is, by his own admission, a bit of a man-whore. Ethan is. . . not. And like a moth to a flame, Ethan pulls Damir in, and keeps him close by throwing that 6 months wait time him! Loved that! Loved that it was ETHAN who called time, so close to the end and finally gave in!

But what I particularly liked about this one, was the development of the D/s relationship between Damir and Ethan. That Damir didn't know he was a Dom till his friend, Lance, pointed it out. That Ethan didn't know what he needed, til Damir gave it to him.

I loved that Lance taught Damir how to wield a flogger correctly, how to restrain and how to push Ethan way more than Damir could have on his own. All too often, these books have experienced Dom and newbie subs, and we don't get HOW the Doms are taught.

While I am aware this is based around a true story, I didn't read it as such.

It is written in the first person, from both Damir and Ethan's point of view, and there are a lot of flipping from one to the other inside of the chapters, sometimes from page to page BUT each change is clearly headed. So you know who is talking to you.

First I've read of this author, I'd like to read more!

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Better Together (One Fond Embrace #1)
Better Together (One Fond Embrace #1)
Crista McHugh | 2018 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
a great lazy afternoon read!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Britney and Alex had a week in Vegas, a whirlwind romance, followed by a wedding. But Britney runs from Alex on their wedding night and ahs been pushing for a divorce ever since. Alex needs a wife to secure his family ranch's future. So, Alex will give Britney her divorce, if she will give him two weeks. Will that be enough for them both to get what they want? Who they want?

This review will be short, and I apologise for that!

I liked this. It was a n..n..n...n......it was an easy read, perfect way to pass a rainy afternoon, a perfect hangover cure, both book and alcohol induced!

I just can't get passed that N word for this book, and ya'll know how much it pains me to use that word, and how much it pains me not to be able to say what I want!

It's not overly complicated, nor is it explicit, but it is sexy. It's full of Hawaiian (sorry if this is spelt wrong!) words, with translations both in the main body of the text, and a glossary at the front of the book. I didn't look at the glossary; I had all the information given to me as the words popped up. Lots of beautiful scenery described too.

I saw no editing or spelling errors to spoil my reading enjoyment, and I read it in one sitting.

This is the first I've read of this author. Will I read more? Possibly. I really did LIKE this book.

3 good solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Becoming Magic (Sleight of Hand #5)
Becoming Magic (Sleight of Hand #5)
Michelle Garren Flye | 2018 | Contemporary, Romance
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not really one for me :-(
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I'm jumping straight in here, because this is one of those reviews that is going to be difficult to write!

Overall, I liked this book. Mostly.

It's reasonably well written, from both Carole and Connor's points of view, so that was good. I didn't see any spelling or editing errors to spoil my reading.

It just didn't grab me! I found myself wanting more, from Connor, about that break up with his ex-co-star. From Carole about what happened all those years ago in Hollywood. From them both, about each other, their feelings. . . . I. . . . just . . . .

Wanted MORE!!!! And I can't word just WHAT I wanted, and that's why this is a hard review to write, cos I cannot, for the life of me, find the right words, and you know how much that PAINS me!

It does deal with some difficult topics: being drugged and a sexual assault. It deals with these in a sensitive manner, but needs to be mentioned. I also found the assault story arc a little bit too much like what's going in the the REAL Hollywood right now, with the growing list of high powered Hollywood men being accused of various assaults. Maybe that's where the author got the inspiration from, I dunno, but I found it a little too much like it, you know??

This is book 5 in the Sleight of Hand series, and I have not read the others. I did not feel I was missing anything, by not reading them And although Sabrina and Walter (book4) play a huge part here, I didn't feel I HAD to have read their story before this one.

So, I'm sorry, but not one for me.

3 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Poisoned Pawn
Poisoned Pawn
David Siegel Bernstein | 2020 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
not one for me
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I am struggling with my review for this one, and I have no idea if any of this will make sense you, since I'm struggling to make sense of the book.

Positives:

It's well written. I saw no spelling or editing errors. It plays well with the Sherlock Holmes and the characters all to do with him, the good and the bad. There is a huge supporting cast of well rounded and developed characters, that fit in, in all the right places. It's very different to my usual reads. I DID like the twist that I did not see coming, not in the slightest!

And I finished it!

Negatives (for me):

Single person point of view, in the first person.

And I have not a single clue about what was the point of the whole book! I kept on reading, since I thought *something* will make sense soon. Something will give me a sign what the whole point of this tale is. And I got nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Zero clue. There is an EXTREMELY tangled web within the book, and I tried to keep up, I really did, but I got lost somewhere around a key player's murder. I can see HOW everything came together, I just can't see WHY, you know?

Maybe it was just a little TOO far out of my corfort zone, although, pre-kindle days, crime/thriller/police books were my main stay, so I don't know!

Will I read anything else by this author? Probably not, no. Someone will be fully engrossed in the book and it will make total sense to them, but for me? Sorry.

3 stars, since what I read WAS well written, and I DID finish it.

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
40x40

ClareR (5589 KP) rated Mayflies in Books

Jul 4, 2021  
Mayflies
Mayflies
Andrew O'Hagan | 2021 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mayflies is a book of two halves, and I really enjoyed both.
The first half, set in 1986, follows a group of friends who travel down to Manchester from their small Scottish town. Manchester is the epicentre of everything they believe to be cool. Best friends James and Tully decide that weekend to make something of their lives, and not to compromise. This part of the novel is full of nostalgia - even for me, and I was 13 in 1986, so nowhere near as independent as Tully, Jimmy and their friends. But I could empathise with their new-found freedom, their enthusiasm of good music, films and books, and their feelings about politics.

2017, and Jimmy gets a phone call from Tully asking him to come home from London and see him. Tully has terminal cancer and needs Jimmy to help him - this is the true test of their friendship.

I loved how this was written, and how it really brought home the power of friendship and the memories that you share with those friends. Tully and Jimmy are more brothers than friends, and this felt like a really genuine relationship. So much so, that I was close to tears on several occasions. This is NOT a book to read in your lunch break (I did - but just the once!), because once I started reading it, half an hour wasn’t enough. And walking in to a room full of three year olds after a particularly emotional part wasn’t my finest moment!

So would I recommend this? Yes, I most certainly would. And I listened to parts of this on Audible, read so well by the author, so I’d recommend this too!
  
Dark (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #1)
Dark (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #1)
Kat Kinney | 2019 | Paranormal, Romance
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
something not quite right, but not sure what!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I finished this book, so that's a good thing!

I can't say what didn't quite work for me, I hate that I can't, you all know it annoys me so!

The world building is good, with werewolves and vampires exposed to the world a short time ago, in a thoroughly modern way!

Hayden and Ethan have history, I was expecting that history to be a bit more than it appeared to be. Ethan's personal history is bad, as is Hayden's, both of them having difficult childhoods. There is much angst about their childhoods.

Or there SHOULD have been. While Ethan regularly comments on what his childhood did to him, how he closed off from everyone, Hayden does not. I wanted MORE from Hayden about her childhood!

Ethan brothers held more interest to me, than Etahn himself, I'm afraid and I would like to have had a bit more about them. I can see a pairing between one of his brothers and Hayden's sister, Ellie. Who, in my humble opinion, needed a slap a time or two!

There is a back story that kinda got lost on me, and I wasn't sure what the whole point of the kidnappings was, to be honest. It tells you, in the book, but the penny did not drop for me, I'm afraid.

Some sexy bits, although much of those are glanced over, off screen as it were. Some violent bits too.

Still, as the first by this author AND a first in series, not a bad read, just not one that really pushed any of my buttons, I'm sorry to say!

3 good stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain
Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain
Lindy Miller | 2021 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
cute and sweet!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

If you follow my reviews, you'll know I'm all about the book feelings and how much I hate using the word NICE to describe a book. But sometimes, that word sticks at the tip of my fingers and I can't shift it no matter what.

So, this is a nice book.

Roxy goes home for Christmas for the first time in several years, at the request of her aging grandmother. Her (currently) off-again boyfriend is in Milan. A conversation between them sets Roxy off in a bad mood and things go downhill from there. Or rather, Roxy goes uphill but the weather turns for the worse and Roxy runs off the road in a blizzard and she only packed her good clothes. Ranger Mark finds her, and there follows a lovely tale of finding your true self.

I liked it. It's relatively clean, just some kissing. Low angst, although Roxy does have to dig deep to make the decision she does. Just Roxy has a say though, and maybe if Mark had been given a voice, I might have enjoyed it more.

I refer back to the book feelings. My first and most lasting feeling about this book is that it's a Hallmark Christmas movie, wrapped up in some 178 pages. It didn't seem that long though.

It's incredibly sweet, and I think, for ME, just a bit too much.

But! This is the first I've read of this author, under either name she uses, and I'd certainly give her another go. A book with a bit more bite might be more for me.

3 good, twinkly stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Heartbeat Girl
Heartbeat Girl
Michelle Gross | 2021 | Paranormal, Romance
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fabulous vampire read!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarain, I was gifted my copy of this book.

When Jayne's boss disappears, the band she was working with hires her as their PA. But something is off about The Oppressors and Jayne can't figure it out. She also can't keep her attraction to one of them hidden if she's sharing their bus.

It's been a while since I had a good vampire read, and I have to say, this proper hit the spot!

I loved that there was history between Jayne and Liam, but we don't get the full story till much later in the story. And indeed, that it was well past half way before they give into their desires for each other. Loved the sire aspect of this vampire lore.

Liam knew all that time ago, that Jayne was special to him, but it wasn't til he fully opened his soul to her, that he realised just HOW special she was.

I loved all the guys, but now I think Pete has a place in my heart. He does something here that was incredibly brave, and could have cost him his life, but his love for Jayne, even if she wasn't his, pulled him through. Steve too, but to a lesser extent. I want them both to have a story, they need one!

There's a bit on the blurb that says this can be read as a standalone, but that characters from Soul Food are mentioned. And it can, it is totally stand alone, BUT now I WANT to go back and read that book, I really do. Ruth is Jayne's boss and where she ends up? I need to know what happened to her.

First I've read of this author too, I need more!

A very, very enjoyable 4 star read

*same worded review will appear elsewhere