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Debbiereadsbook (1437 KP) rated A River of Crows in Books
Apr 18, 2023
Being kept on my toes here was a very good thing!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Once in a rare while, I step out of my comfort zone and read something that isn't romance of any description. And once in an even rarer while, that step is a very good thing.
Because THIS surprised me, and I can't pinpoint why!
For a long time, I could not see where this was going, and the path it did take was very much how I did NOT see it going! Being kept on my toes here is a very VERY good thing!
What happened to Slaon's brother all those years ago is made perfectly clear, just not for a time, and something one of the minor characters said pinged my radar. Wrongly, as it turns out, but still.
I can't go into too much detail, because it would spoil this for you and I really don't want to do that!
I really enjoyed the way it all came together, both then and now. I liked hearing from all the important characters, even the bad guys, before, during and after.
I really enjoyed the way this was written, told in 1988 and 2008. Each time change is clearly headed, and titled with the person it is talking about.
This appears to be the author's second book. At some point I'd like to go back and read their first book. I shall certainly read MORE of this author in due course.
4 very VERY good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Once in a rare while, I step out of my comfort zone and read something that isn't romance of any description. And once in an even rarer while, that step is a very good thing.
Because THIS surprised me, and I can't pinpoint why!
For a long time, I could not see where this was going, and the path it did take was very much how I did NOT see it going! Being kept on my toes here is a very VERY good thing!
What happened to Slaon's brother all those years ago is made perfectly clear, just not for a time, and something one of the minor characters said pinged my radar. Wrongly, as it turns out, but still.
I can't go into too much detail, because it would spoil this for you and I really don't want to do that!
I really enjoyed the way it all came together, both then and now. I liked hearing from all the important characters, even the bad guys, before, during and after.
I really enjoyed the way this was written, told in 1988 and 2008. Each time change is clearly headed, and titled with the person it is talking about.
This appears to be the author's second book. At some point I'd like to go back and read their first book. I shall certainly read MORE of this author in due course.
4 very VERY good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Debbiereadsbook (1437 KP) rated Fall to Pieces in Books
Dec 11, 2021
loved the back seat the romance takes!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I liked this book, I liked it a lot!
Xavier is sent to assess Alexandra's mental capacity to do her job, following the suicide of her detective husband. But things are not as they seem and Xavier and Alex are soon fighting her department as well as a child killer hellbent on driving Alex mad.
This is a dark book. Suicide, child murder and abuse. How cops deal with stress. And I liked that. I liked that it made me think about those things. I have no triggers though, and some readers might not like it.
Both Alex and Xavier have a say, and they have a lot to say about a lot of things! Both of them are suffering from things that happened but while Alex' is (mostly) clear from the start, it takes time to get the whole picture. Xavier's pain is far deeper and we don't get the whole picture there til much later. I like being made to wait.
The romance between Alex and Xavier takes a back seat to the crime aspect of the book and I loved the twist that took. I did think Alex would push Xavier away more than once and, Lord she tries! But Xavier is strong and even though the reasons he comes into Alex' life are beyond his control, keeping her safe is within his control and he will do that.
I liked this, a lot. It's the first I've read of this author, I would like to read more.
4 stars
*same worded review ill appear elsewhere
I liked this book, I liked it a lot!
Xavier is sent to assess Alexandra's mental capacity to do her job, following the suicide of her detective husband. But things are not as they seem and Xavier and Alex are soon fighting her department as well as a child killer hellbent on driving Alex mad.
This is a dark book. Suicide, child murder and abuse. How cops deal with stress. And I liked that. I liked that it made me think about those things. I have no triggers though, and some readers might not like it.
Both Alex and Xavier have a say, and they have a lot to say about a lot of things! Both of them are suffering from things that happened but while Alex' is (mostly) clear from the start, it takes time to get the whole picture. Xavier's pain is far deeper and we don't get the whole picture there til much later. I like being made to wait.
The romance between Alex and Xavier takes a back seat to the crime aspect of the book and I loved the twist that took. I did think Alex would push Xavier away more than once and, Lord she tries! But Xavier is strong and even though the reasons he comes into Alex' life are beyond his control, keeping her safe is within his control and he will do that.
I liked this, a lot. It's the first I've read of this author, I would like to read more.
4 stars
*same worded review ill appear elsewhere
Bethr1986 (305 KP) rated Deep Waters (Jagged Shores #3) in Books
Jan 8, 2023
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Harry has a sailing boat that tourists can rent out. He has been hired by writer Christian Costner to help him get a lay of the land and research for a new book the author is planning on writing. However, the weather takes a turn for the worse so they have to cut the trip short and head back to the shore, as they are heading back Christian is adamant he has seen somebody in the swell of the waves so speaks out. Harry, his onboard help and cousin Tom look to discover there is somebody in the water so a daring rescue takes place. They recover the body but that is only the start!
Thom has a very easy style of writing and it captivated me from the get-go. This is the 3rd book in the jagged shores series but can be read as a stand-alone. It has intrigue and mystery that does keep you guessing until it's all out in the open who has committed the crime. It certainly hoodwinked me I normally can be quite good at guessing whodunit but I was completely off the mark.
I was rooting for the relationship between Harry and Christian as it was something they both needed. There are sex scenes but nothing too crass.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the author's writing and look forward to reading more of his books.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Harry has a sailing boat that tourists can rent out. He has been hired by writer Christian Costner to help him get a lay of the land and research for a new book the author is planning on writing. However, the weather takes a turn for the worse so they have to cut the trip short and head back to the shore, as they are heading back Christian is adamant he has seen somebody in the swell of the waves so speaks out. Harry, his onboard help and cousin Tom look to discover there is somebody in the water so a daring rescue takes place. They recover the body but that is only the start!
Thom has a very easy style of writing and it captivated me from the get-go. This is the 3rd book in the jagged shores series but can be read as a stand-alone. It has intrigue and mystery that does keep you guessing until it's all out in the open who has committed the crime. It certainly hoodwinked me I normally can be quite good at guessing whodunit but I was completely off the mark.
I was rooting for the relationship between Harry and Christian as it was something they both needed. There are sex scenes but nothing too crass.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the author's writing and look forward to reading more of his books.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Debbiereadsbook (1437 KP) rated Headshot (Model Love) in Books
Nov 2, 2022
freaking loved it!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This book, right?? I freaking LOVED IT!!
Oh I might gush, so #sorrynotsorry it was so bloody good!
It's part of the Model Love series, a multi author series of stand alone books. But here we get to revisit with some of Sayle's other characters and I loved being able to cath up with Griffin and Charlie and of course, Nana!
Kit saved jack has loved him ever since. He's not quite sure when things changed for him, but they did. Now Kit's lifes work, Garfield House for homeless kids, is threatened and Jack will do anything for Kit.
I loved that while Jack loves Kit, he really does try to keep away. I loved that he decided to go for Kit and he really goes all in. I love that Kit loved Jack but was bound by his own sense of proper, even if Jack had left the house ages ago.
I loved that once they both accepted that they should be together they go all in and fully and totally commit to each other. I'm not usually one for professions of love early on but these two have dacned around each other for years!
It's steamy, and smexy. It's emotional and funny, Nana does her best to wreak her havoc. There isn't much drama, except that about the house, but I think this book didn't need it.
I loved this book, I really did. And I'll leave it at that.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This book, right?? I freaking LOVED IT!!
Oh I might gush, so #sorrynotsorry it was so bloody good!
It's part of the Model Love series, a multi author series of stand alone books. But here we get to revisit with some of Sayle's other characters and I loved being able to cath up with Griffin and Charlie and of course, Nana!
Kit saved jack has loved him ever since. He's not quite sure when things changed for him, but they did. Now Kit's lifes work, Garfield House for homeless kids, is threatened and Jack will do anything for Kit.
I loved that while Jack loves Kit, he really does try to keep away. I loved that he decided to go for Kit and he really goes all in. I love that Kit loved Jack but was bound by his own sense of proper, even if Jack had left the house ages ago.
I loved that once they both accepted that they should be together they go all in and fully and totally commit to each other. I'm not usually one for professions of love early on but these two have dacned around each other for years!
It's steamy, and smexy. It's emotional and funny, Nana does her best to wreak her havoc. There isn't much drama, except that about the house, but I think this book didn't need it.
I loved this book, I really did. And I'll leave it at that.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Debbiereadsbook (1437 KP) rated The Tryst List (Spicy Standalone #3) in Books
Apr 15, 2024
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
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
Debbiereadsbook (1437 KP) rated The Underhanded (William Dresden #1) in Books
May 3, 2024
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
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
Debbiereadsbook (1437 KP) rated Once Upon A Goth Dog Solstice in Books
Dec 13, 2024
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
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
Debbiereadsbook (1437 KP) rated Island Detour (Sunrise Island #1) in Books
Mar 9, 2024
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
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
Debbiereadsbook (1437 KP) rated How To Train Your Human Omega (Coveted Bonds #1) in Books
Mar 24, 2024
very enjoyable read!
Independent reviewer for GRR, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I enjoyed this, a lot!
Clay is human, and Arcay is Aldar. Arcay is Alpha and unmated: he will be lucky to ever be, since omegas are very rare, but steppingon Clay's ship changes all that. He just needs to claim clay, and they can both be happy ever after, right? Oh hell no!
I loved that Clay fought Arcay at every turn, he was not gonna be strongarmed into smething he didn't know! Once he makes that clear to Arcay, though, Arcay does try. It's the other alphas on his ship that are sniffing around Clay, while Clay makes his mind up. Some confrontations occur, which push Clay into making a decision.
Lots of misunderstandings in this book due to the language difference but the best one came right at the end! I loved that, but not saying what it is. Generally they were amusing throughout the whole book though.
Steamy and smexy in places, dark and deadly in others. Some difficult topics hit upon, too. Funny and emotional too.
Some things are a little unfinished, I think. So, I hope things are tidied up in the next book.
From what I can see, this is the author's first book, or the first one under this name. In places that comes across BUT I can see that will change as the author continues to write. There is that book 2 planned, and I hope I can get to read it!
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
I enjoyed this, a lot!
Clay is human, and Arcay is Aldar. Arcay is Alpha and unmated: he will be lucky to ever be, since omegas are very rare, but steppingon Clay's ship changes all that. He just needs to claim clay, and they can both be happy ever after, right? Oh hell no!
I loved that Clay fought Arcay at every turn, he was not gonna be strongarmed into smething he didn't know! Once he makes that clear to Arcay, though, Arcay does try. It's the other alphas on his ship that are sniffing around Clay, while Clay makes his mind up. Some confrontations occur, which push Clay into making a decision.
Lots of misunderstandings in this book due to the language difference but the best one came right at the end! I loved that, but not saying what it is. Generally they were amusing throughout the whole book though.
Steamy and smexy in places, dark and deadly in others. Some difficult topics hit upon, too. Funny and emotional too.
Some things are a little unfinished, I think. So, I hope things are tidied up in the next book.
From what I can see, this is the author's first book, or the first one under this name. In places that comes across BUT I can see that will change as the author continues to write. There is that book 2 planned, and I hope I can get to read it!
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
BookInspector (124 KP) rated Berlin Calling in Books
Sep 24, 2020
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.
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.