Smashbomb

Search

Search results

All (586)

Content

Violet's Mail Order Husband

Kate Whitsby

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

A historical western cowboy romance about a mail order bride. This first episode of The Montana...

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2200 KP) rated A Christmas Candy Killing in Books

Oct 19, 2022

Sweetly Festive Debut

Identical twins Alex and Hanna have made a life for themselves in a small Montana town, where they have opened Murder and Mayhem, a combination mystery bookstore and chocolate shop. In the time they’ve been here, Alex has become friends with Jane, one of their neighbors. Jane invites Alex over to view a true crime show because she believes that one of their neighbors is the killer still at large at the end of the episode. But when Alex arrives, she finds Jane’s dead body. The police think it was a robbery gone wrong, but Alex wonders if Jane was really onto something. Can she find the killer?

Between the culinary cozy theme and the Christmas setting, I have to give this debut a chance. I’m glad I did. The first couple of chapters had a bit too much background on Alex and Hanna, but once the murder happened, things picked up. I appreciated how the clues were folded into the story. Not that I figured out the killer using them. The characters are good, but they could be a little stronger. Likewise, the setting is good, but could be a little stronger. Both of these are minor complaints since I am definitely ready to visit my new friends and this location again soon. I enjoyed the Christmas timing as well. This is a delicious debut.

Kudos

Their Kidnapped Bride (Bridgewater Ménage #1)

Vanessa Vale

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

If you love the Wild Wild West, you'll love this steamy hot historical series set in the Montana...

Adult Historical Romance Western BDSM Ménage

A Home for Christmas

MK McClintock

(0 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Will six strangers find hope, love, and family at Christmas? A collection of three historical...

Christmas Romance Historical Western Romance Christmas Special Seasonal

Andrea (28 KP) rated Vampire Academy in Books

Aug 18, 2017

Vampire Academy

Richelle Mead | 2007 | Fiction & Poetry

8.5

(48 Ratings)

Book Rating

Passes the Bechdel test on the first page. (2 more)

Primary relationship is a friendship

Strong female protagonist

Other books in the series are stronger, so keep reading (1 more)

Don't judge a book by its movie

Not about vampires, and that's a good thing.

This series represents some of Mead's strongest writing. While this isn't the best book in the series (I save that distinction for #2, #3, and especially #6) it does give the necessary set up for everything.

The primary relationship with the friendship and devotion between Rose and Lissa. Both women have their own stories through the series and the book easily passes the bechdel test and many others. That isn't to say that the male lead isn't worthwhile; he will most likely become one of your fav "book boyfriends" but his role become bigger later in the books.

While the series contains vampires and is set in a vampiric world (practically no humans in the series) I wouldn't call it a typical vampire book. The vampire setting serves more as a way to introduce a discussion on class structure and politics. We seem more and more of this later in the series.

One thing of note: the primary romantics relationship in this book is between a student and her mentor/instructor. Also, while she is above the age of consent in Montana (where this is set) she is under 18 for half the series.