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Playback
Raymond Chandler and Kathy Reichs
Book
Playback is a classic novel by Raymond Chandler, the master of hard-boiled crime. Stalking the...
Pretty Policeman
Book
Detective Micah Hart wasn’t sure when his fairly safe, predictable life became something more...
MM Mafia Billionaire Romance
Traitor's Game (Soldier Spy #1)
Book
1808. Captain Will Fraser has just returned from the Front in the Peninsular War. He is disgraced...
Historical Fiction Spies Napoleonic Wars
Carma (21 KP) rated Royally Arranged (Bad Boy Royals #3) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Royally Arranged is the 3rd book in the Bad Boy Royals series. Although Ive enjoyed other Nora Flite books, this one left me a little disappointed. For that reason I can only give 3 ¼ stars.
Nova Valentine was basically a pawn in her own family. They used her when they needed her and she was expected to do whatever they wished of her. Meeting Hawthorne Badd gave her an unexpected dose of freedom.
Thorne Badd was a self made man, helping his father in the business was just expected of him. He couldnt have been more surprised to find his father was a Prince in his old life. After the King dies, the country needs a new leader and turn to Thorne as heir apparent.
Nova and Thorne embark on an arranged marriage to benefit both families and save the country of Torino, or so it seems.
This book flip flopped a lot for me and I actually thought it was a flashback scenario for a while until I got further in and realized it was just a case of mistaken identity. I didnt really enjoy any of the Valentine characters including Nova. She was just too spineless for me to even consider. Thorne and his father were my favorite characters from the book but even they couldnt help me enjoy it more.
I doubt I will pass by another Nora Flite book in the future but this definitely wasnt my cup of tea. I received a copy without expectation for review, any and all opinions expressed are my own.
Nova Valentine was basically a pawn in her own family. They used her when they needed her and she was expected to do whatever they wished of her. Meeting Hawthorne Badd gave her an unexpected dose of freedom.
Thorne Badd was a self made man, helping his father in the business was just expected of him. He couldnt have been more surprised to find his father was a Prince in his old life. After the King dies, the country needs a new leader and turn to Thorne as heir apparent.
Nova and Thorne embark on an arranged marriage to benefit both families and save the country of Torino, or so it seems.
This book flip flopped a lot for me and I actually thought it was a flashback scenario for a while until I got further in and realized it was just a case of mistaken identity. I didnt really enjoy any of the Valentine characters including Nova. She was just too spineless for me to even consider. Thorne and his father were my favorite characters from the book but even they couldnt help me enjoy it more.
I doubt I will pass by another Nora Flite book in the future but this definitely wasnt my cup of tea. I received a copy without expectation for review, any and all opinions expressed are my own.
The Lilac Code: The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series Book 7
Book
Will a case of mistaken identity be the death of her? Madison Reynolds is looking forward to a...
series fiction adult mystery cozy mystery murder
Wisden on the Great War: The Lives of Cricket's Fallen 1914-1918
Book
Readers of the 1917 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack were advised by the editor, Sydney Pardon: "Its...
Jeeves and the Wedding Bells
8.0
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Book
This is a gloriously witty novel from Sebastian Faulks using P.G. Wodehouse's much-loved characters,...
Merissa (12061 KP) rated Elemental Claim (War of the Myth #1) in Books
Feb 27, 2018 (Updated Jul 3, 2023)
Elemental Claim (War of the Myth #1) by Miranda Grant
ELEMENTAL CLAIM is the first book in the War of the Myth series. It starts off action-packed and remains the same throughout. Told from multiple points of view, we gain insights into the human world, the gods, the WALL, elementarists, descendants, angels, hellhounds, you name it and it is probably in here. It starts with a case of mistaken identity, a 'Mission Gemini' if you will. Emma soon realises that she doesn't really know her sister that well after all. Still, her protective instincts as an older sibling remain in full force, so she will do all she can to save her - even if that means allowing Rogan and his friends to kidnap her.
As I said, this book is full of action and doesn't stop. Emma slowly grows into her powers, but there is definitely still room for more. There are other characters in here that I would love to know about. Xeno, for example. She is the angel only a few years from falling. Her health is failing, and her powers waning. And then suddenly, towards the end of the book, she starts healing. What?! I need to know more. What caused her health to degenerate in the first place, and why is she now healing? And will she and Hunter ever get together? Seriously, I need answers!
This was a well-written book, although there were a few spelling errors that jolted me when I read it. Nothing major, just examples like wanning instead of waning, or severe instead of sever. Certainly not enough to spoil the flow of the story, but enough for me to notice. On the whole, this was a brilliant book, with great world-building, and lots of characters to like, love, or loathe. Absolutely recommended by me, and I can't wait to continue with the series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 27, 2018
As I said, this book is full of action and doesn't stop. Emma slowly grows into her powers, but there is definitely still room for more. There are other characters in here that I would love to know about. Xeno, for example. She is the angel only a few years from falling. Her health is failing, and her powers waning. And then suddenly, towards the end of the book, she starts healing. What?! I need to know more. What caused her health to degenerate in the first place, and why is she now healing? And will she and Hunter ever get together? Seriously, I need answers!
This was a well-written book, although there were a few spelling errors that jolted me when I read it. Nothing major, just examples like wanning instead of waning, or severe instead of sever. Certainly not enough to spoil the flow of the story, but enough for me to notice. On the whole, this was a brilliant book, with great world-building, and lots of characters to like, love, or loathe. Absolutely recommended by me, and I can't wait to continue with the series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 27, 2018
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Ugly by Kelly Vincent in Books
May 29, 2022
I was so happy when I read the synopsis for Ugly by Kelly Vincent. This sounded exactly like the kind of book I needed to get me out of my reading slump. I was correct in my assumption. I absolutely loved this book!
Ugly is the story of a teenager named Nicole, or Nic as she goes by since she hates being called Nicole, Nic is 16 years old and lives in Oklahoma. Nic is made fun of at school and everywhere she goes. She's constantly being mistaken for a male everywhere she goes. During her sophomore school year, she starts questioning her sexuality and her gender identity.
It's obvious that the author knew exactly what she was talking about before writing Ugly from being gender non-conforming to even the therapy sessions Nic goes to. Ugly is definitely a well written book for sure. I like how Ugly draws attention to the struggles of not conforming to every day gender and sexual standards. I also want to give a shout out to the author for mentioning asexuality in the book. (I wish more LGBTQ+ books would talk about asexuality.) However, one minor gripe I have is that it mentions a character might be asexual because they didn't want/hadn't been in a relationship. Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction. Asexuals still can want a romantic relationship. Aromanticism is the lack of romantic attraction. (Even then, asexuality and aromanticism have many more identities under their umbrella.) If the character was an aromantic asexual, it would have made more sense why they didn't want a relationship. Other than that, I loved everything about Ugly. My favorite part of the book (although all of it was fantastic) was when Nic goes to Scotland and sees just how different the people over there are compared to the people in the United States. I felt the same way as Nic when I lived in the United Kingdom. It did feel like people in the UK were less judgmental and more accepting than people here in the US.
Reading Ugly was like being in the mind of a teenager throughout a school year in their life. While the book goes through even the mundane day to day life of Nic, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Nic's life. Her struggle of trying to fit in whilst being made fun of and bullied really resonated with me. I felt like I was reading a biography about my life almost. I've never identified more with a book before! I think many teens and adults that were bullied, even those that are secure in their sexuality, will be able to relate to Nic on some level. Nic was the most relatable character I have ever read about. I would have loved to be friends with someone like her back in school (and even today). I also loved Nic's best friend Sam. Sam was just about the opposite of Nic both personality wise and looks wise. I loved how much Sam really cared about Nic.
Trigger warnings for Ugly include profanity, underage drinking, some minor drug use, some talks of politics, child molestation (though the book doesn't go into detail), bullying (including characters telling another character "kill yourself"), and depression.
Overall, Ugly is a book that should be in every school library as well as every public library. I feel like it's such an important book for teens (and adults), especially for those struggling with their sexuality and/or gender identity in this day and age. The research the author has put into the book as well as the author's ability to write a solid novel help to make Ugly such a fantastic read. I would definitely recommend Ugly by Kelly Vincent to everyone aged 14+ whether they are part of the LGBTQ+ community or not. This is a book that everyone should read due to its important topic.
(A special thank you to Goddess Fish Promotions for providing me with an eBook of Ugly by Kelly Vincent in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Ugly is the story of a teenager named Nicole, or Nic as she goes by since she hates being called Nicole, Nic is 16 years old and lives in Oklahoma. Nic is made fun of at school and everywhere she goes. She's constantly being mistaken for a male everywhere she goes. During her sophomore school year, she starts questioning her sexuality and her gender identity.
It's obvious that the author knew exactly what she was talking about before writing Ugly from being gender non-conforming to even the therapy sessions Nic goes to. Ugly is definitely a well written book for sure. I like how Ugly draws attention to the struggles of not conforming to every day gender and sexual standards. I also want to give a shout out to the author for mentioning asexuality in the book. (I wish more LGBTQ+ books would talk about asexuality.) However, one minor gripe I have is that it mentions a character might be asexual because they didn't want/hadn't been in a relationship. Asexuality is the lack of sexual attraction. Asexuals still can want a romantic relationship. Aromanticism is the lack of romantic attraction. (Even then, asexuality and aromanticism have many more identities under their umbrella.) If the character was an aromantic asexual, it would have made more sense why they didn't want a relationship. Other than that, I loved everything about Ugly. My favorite part of the book (although all of it was fantastic) was when Nic goes to Scotland and sees just how different the people over there are compared to the people in the United States. I felt the same way as Nic when I lived in the United Kingdom. It did feel like people in the UK were less judgmental and more accepting than people here in the US.
Reading Ugly was like being in the mind of a teenager throughout a school year in their life. While the book goes through even the mundane day to day life of Nic, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading about Nic's life. Her struggle of trying to fit in whilst being made fun of and bullied really resonated with me. I felt like I was reading a biography about my life almost. I've never identified more with a book before! I think many teens and adults that were bullied, even those that are secure in their sexuality, will be able to relate to Nic on some level. Nic was the most relatable character I have ever read about. I would have loved to be friends with someone like her back in school (and even today). I also loved Nic's best friend Sam. Sam was just about the opposite of Nic both personality wise and looks wise. I loved how much Sam really cared about Nic.
Trigger warnings for Ugly include profanity, underage drinking, some minor drug use, some talks of politics, child molestation (though the book doesn't go into detail), bullying (including characters telling another character "kill yourself"), and depression.
Overall, Ugly is a book that should be in every school library as well as every public library. I feel like it's such an important book for teens (and adults), especially for those struggling with their sexuality and/or gender identity in this day and age. The research the author has put into the book as well as the author's ability to write a solid novel help to make Ugly such a fantastic read. I would definitely recommend Ugly by Kelly Vincent to everyone aged 14+ whether they are part of the LGBTQ+ community or not. This is a book that everyone should read due to its important topic.
(A special thank you to Goddess Fish Promotions for providing me with an eBook of Ugly by Kelly Vincent in exchange for a fair and honest review.)
Janeeny (200 KP) rated The Constant Rabbit in Books
Jul 10, 2020
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I’m a big fan of authors like Terry Pratchet, Robert Rankin, Jasper Fforde, and Tom Holt. Books written within the realms of the ridiculous, that make me smile, definitely get my vote. So when a new book by Jasper fforde comes out, about a society of anthropomorphised rabbits, I’m definitely on board.
The premise is really interesting. Decades ago an unexplained event led to a bunch of rabbits morphing into humanoid form. They’re still rabbits in essence, but just the size of humans and with the ability of human speech. Well these rabbits bred like the proverbial rabbit, and cut to present day where there are millions of anthropomorphised rabbits living in Britain. Still being the ‘sub-species’ though they live and work in a lesser capacity than most humans.
This book is a very intricately woven story about the prejudices that the rabbits face, their efforts to overcome it, and their ultimate acceptance that things are never going to change.
Interspersed with the usual Fforde humour, where Humans are often referred to as ‘Fudds’ (a reference to Elmer Fudd), and a detailed description of the ‘Beatrix potter’ clothing range. There are also some harsh ‘close to the bone’ observations. Our protagonist works for a certain government department as a ‘spotter’, his job is to go through the database and identify certain rabbits. It’s a special skill, as to most humans, ‘All rabbits look the same’.
At a time when the subject of racism is very much in the forefront of everyones minds and in the news every day, this is an interesting book. He’s not making light of the subject of racism, far from it. His jibes are more at the state of the UK and it’s various political and ethical issues.
For example, in the book there is a group called ‘TwoLegsGood’ a supremacist factor. This group, on finding out that a certain rabbit has committed an act that THEY consider a crime, drag him from his house in the middle of the night and ‘jug’ him! This involves upending him in a forty-gallon drum of cheap gravy that had been seasoned with bay leaves, celery, thyme, juniper berries and red wine (I see you smiling there!) It is later discovered to be a case of mistaken identity with TwoLegsGood showing no remorse, under the presumption he’s a rabbit and is bound to be guilty of something.
Funny right?
Now take out the fact the victim is a rabbit and the drum is filled with cheap seasoned gravy, and it’s not so funny anymore, it’s actually a serious and reprehensible crime.
That is the beauty of satire and the genius of this book.
A well thought out piece of satiric writing tackling the ‘hot potato’ subject of race. A light-hearted read with a serious message.
I’m a big fan of authors like Terry Pratchet, Robert Rankin, Jasper Fforde, and Tom Holt. Books written within the realms of the ridiculous, that make me smile, definitely get my vote. So when a new book by Jasper fforde comes out, about a society of anthropomorphised rabbits, I’m definitely on board.
The premise is really interesting. Decades ago an unexplained event led to a bunch of rabbits morphing into humanoid form. They’re still rabbits in essence, but just the size of humans and with the ability of human speech. Well these rabbits bred like the proverbial rabbit, and cut to present day where there are millions of anthropomorphised rabbits living in Britain. Still being the ‘sub-species’ though they live and work in a lesser capacity than most humans.
This book is a very intricately woven story about the prejudices that the rabbits face, their efforts to overcome it, and their ultimate acceptance that things are never going to change.
Interspersed with the usual Fforde humour, where Humans are often referred to as ‘Fudds’ (a reference to Elmer Fudd), and a detailed description of the ‘Beatrix potter’ clothing range. There are also some harsh ‘close to the bone’ observations. Our protagonist works for a certain government department as a ‘spotter’, his job is to go through the database and identify certain rabbits. It’s a special skill, as to most humans, ‘All rabbits look the same’.
At a time when the subject of racism is very much in the forefront of everyones minds and in the news every day, this is an interesting book. He’s not making light of the subject of racism, far from it. His jibes are more at the state of the UK and it’s various political and ethical issues.
For example, in the book there is a group called ‘TwoLegsGood’ a supremacist factor. This group, on finding out that a certain rabbit has committed an act that THEY consider a crime, drag him from his house in the middle of the night and ‘jug’ him! This involves upending him in a forty-gallon drum of cheap gravy that had been seasoned with bay leaves, celery, thyme, juniper berries and red wine (I see you smiling there!) It is later discovered to be a case of mistaken identity with TwoLegsGood showing no remorse, under the presumption he’s a rabbit and is bound to be guilty of something.
Funny right?
Now take out the fact the victim is a rabbit and the drum is filled with cheap seasoned gravy, and it’s not so funny anymore, it’s actually a serious and reprehensible crime.
That is the beauty of satire and the genius of this book.
A well thought out piece of satiric writing tackling the ‘hot potato’ subject of race. A light-hearted read with a serious message.