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Stronger (Breaking Free #3.5)
Stronger (Breaking Free #3.5)
A.M. Arthur | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
so glad Dex and Serge got a book!
**verified purchase Dec 2018**

This is book 3.5 in the Breaking Free series, but you can totally read this one as a stand alone. I would, however, STRONGLY recommend that you read the other books in the series, they are so bloody good, I'm inhaling them! You won't regret it! there is a bit on the listing for this book that says it should be read between 3 and 4, or after 4. The time lines cross some of the end of book 3. I've not yet read book 4, but will be reading that after.

Dex and Serge have been together a while and are awaiting the arrival of the child they have been lucky enough to adopt. And this book takes us back to the beginning of that beautiful relationship that positively GLOWS out of the other books.

I loved this couple inn the other books, and I am so glad we got the story of their mating. But what this book shows is, it's not just the omegas who are classed as second class citizens, but also the betas. Both Dex and Serge suffered at the hands of alphas who *thought* they were better than everyone else. I'm not telling how, cos that's spoilers, but Arthur keeps throwing these things at me, and just when I think it won't get any worse, it does!

It's a truly beautiful thing to watch Dex wait for Serge, it really is. Dex knows Serge is his mate, even if betas don't bond the same way alphas and omegas do. They LOVE far harder, though! Dex just needs to make sure that Serge knows he is safe, and that Dex loves him.

And we get Tarek too. His friendship with Dex is so Deep, that he stands up for Serge when he hears another alpha friend saying what he wanted to do to Serge. It shows that Tarek's soul is good and pure, way before he meets Braun in Saved (book one)

It's a lot shorter than the other books, some 150 pages, but it still packs quite a punch!

5 full stars

**same worded review ill appear elsewhere**
  
Conrad (Assassin's To Order #4)
Conrad (Assassin's To Order #4)
JP Sayle, Lisa Oliver | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
saved the best for last!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.


This is book 4 in the Assassins To Order series, and I strongly recommend you read books 1 to 3 first. OR at least, book 3 Duron. The Devil pops up first in that book.


I think, for me, Sayle and Oliver saved the best for last! I LOVED this, the final book.


Conrad is an assassin, and Kylo a police officer in Paraguay where the lost boys seem to originate from. Kylo has been chasing The Devil for 20 years and calling for an assassin to finally help him seemed like a good idea. Until Conrad gets off the plane and they scent each other: mates!


What I especially liked about this one was that Conrad is fully aware of his sexuality, while his brothers had not been. And Kylo calls to his Dom, much like his lion. And while Kylo is an Alpha male, a panther, he doesn't question Conrad and his connection and what Conrad can do for him, he just goes with it, and accepts what the Fates have planned for him.


Loved that Wyatt pops up, and who with and how THAT all plays out! Kinda saw that coming in the last book, but loved that it gets explained.


The Devil and what happens with all that was a surprise, and I loved the showdown! I'm still not entirely sure how many animals Conrad has, but they range from a blue dragon to a spider and everything inbetween. What happens between them all at the showdown was shocking but Kylo took it all in his stride. Loved that, while Conrad's lion is his most Dominant animal, the dragon has to have the last say!


There is talk of the other assassins, but only Wyatt pops up, The Thalassa guys are mentioned as well, but none appear here. I kinda missed them!


I'll miss ALL these guys, now both series are finished, but I think this really was a fitting end. I do hope we get some follow ups shorts!


I was waiting for this, and it did not disappoint.


5 full and shiny stars


*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Watching You (Berger & Blom #1)
Watching You (Berger & Blom #1)
Arne Dahl | 2016 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This the first book in Berger and Blom series, and it was my first encounter with Swedish noir.

At the beginning of this book, I had no idea what was going on and what are they trying to figure out. There were only little clues, that a 15-year-old girl is missing. As the story progressed, I started to see, that Sam Berger, is the main detective, trying to solve this case. The characters in this book are really entwined with each other and very mysterious at the same time. There is a lot of secret work going on, which is uncovered throughout the book, and it was very pleasantly unexpected for me.

The narrative is told from multiple perspectives, and the events keep traveling to the past, to share some of the secrets with a reader. Even though the beginning of this book is quite dull, once it reaches around 40 % it spikes up drastically. The whole narrative gets a different perspective and is way more interesting, so do not give up on this book, wait for those juicy twists. The main issue discussed in this book is bullying, and how it can scar people for life.

The setting of this book is very dark and gloomy, giving this book this cold and shadowy feeling. The writing style is pleasant to read, however, it has these Swedish place and street names which were kind of hard to read… (So I just skipped them) The chapters are a decent length and did not bore me. I really liked the suspense in this novel and I really loved the culmination as well. Even though there are clues of where it is headed and who the “Bad guy “ is, the reasoning behind it, was what really got my curiosity. So, to conclude, it was a very dark and intriguing read for me, filled with plot changing turns and very unique events. I do recommend to give this book a try if you have enough patience. It’s worth a wait, I think. Enjoy
  
Glass Sword
Glass Sword
Victoria Aveyard | 2016 | Young Adult (YA)
8
7.7 (31 Ratings)
Book Rating
When it comes to book series, there's always a risk of the phenomenon called "second book syndrome." For those who aren't bookwyrms, this term refers most often to books that should have been left alone, rather than followed with a sequel. When I began reading Victoria Aveyard's sequel to Red Queen, Glass Sword, I was wary. A fellow bookwyrm informed me that she had not read the series yet and was largely unsure of whether or not she would because she'd heard quite a bit regarding the second book in the series being a flop. Nonetheless, I charged onward with the audiobook, once again narrated by the lovely voice of Amanda Dolan.

Beginning precisely where Red Queen left off, Glass Sword picks up after Mare and Cal have escaped the Bowl of Bones and Maven's betrayal. Together with Farley, Kilorn, and a few other characters come together in secrecy after relocating to rise against the new Silver King. Along the way, they pick up some allies - both expected and unexpected. Packed with action, it is easy to see why this series is a hit among young adults.

Naturally, I've read a few other reviews to see what the general consensus of this book is and I've discovered that most readers either hate it or love it - there's not a whole lot of in between. Personally, I enjoyed it. I found Glass Sword to be a fairly entertaining read and it served its purpose of keeping me awake on the hour long commute home (with no traffic). A few new characters are introduced, none of which are too memorable.

As far as romantic interests go, I can't really decide one way or another in regards to the three eligible males. I adore Maven's cold, cunning persona, Cal's stoic disposition, and Kilorn's particular shade of envy equally. Given that I don't care much for romantic sub-plots, a large part of me hopes that Mare doesn't choose any of them in the end. I enjoy watching as Mare changes and grows, and I am more vested in the kind of woman she turns out to be than her love life. Will she be the queen that her people need? Or will she become like Elara?

My only gripe with the narration of Glass Sword is the fact that Dolan pronounced Titanos in a completely different manner than she did throughout the entirety of Red Queen.
  
Mercury Striking (Scorpius Syndrome, #1)
Mercury Striking (Scorpius Syndrome, #1)
Rebecca Zanetti | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! After reading the description for this novel, I could not pass Mercury Striking up. I thought it was too much to ask that the story would actually be as great as the description made it out to be, but I was far from disappointed. Thankfully it’s a series because I was blown away by how amazing this novel was. On that note, reading the novella that precedes this may be a good idea. While I felt that I was able to comprehend the story and keep up with it, the novella gives the reader better comprehension of the world/story overall.

I love romance/erotica and I also love post-apocalyptic stories. Going in, I was convinced there was no way someone could write a combination of the two adequately. They are tough genres to combine without one suffering. Zanetti clearly knows what she’s doing. Not only can she write an intriguing dystopian world, she created a love story that grabs at you and won’t let go until you know how it plays out. Her characters are powerful and dynamic, tangible in a world that I had to remember doesn’t actually exist. They captured me heart and soul from the very beginning.

Zanetti’s writing is a triple threat. She knows how to write great characters with engaging dialogue without skimping on plot or romance. If you think this sounds like a story you would like, let me make the decision for: get it. I can’t wait for the nest in the series to come out.
  
The Sieve (Drakon Book 1)
The Sieve (Drakon Book 1)
C A Caskabel | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Very short book 1 of 4
This first instalment in the Drakon book sees a mysterious figure, Da-Ren, appear at a monastery looking for salvation, and then follows his memories of his coming-of-age journey as a 12 year-old boy. Dragged from his bed in the orphans camp of his tribe and thrown into The Sieve - a 6 week long trial to weed out the weakest of the tribe, he and his fellow tribe members are forced to stand barely clothed in the freezing field - if they don't fall they get the luxury of clothes and meat; otherwise its porridge. The story flows really well and only seems to drag in a couple of chapters - quite a feat considering the daily drudge being described!
This first part is very short indeed and I can't help but wonder why. I think the overall page count of the full 4 "book" series is about 1500 - so cutting it in to 4 sections seems a little far. This book is about 250 pages. While it tells the full story of Da-Ren's time in the sieve and concludes with his final rating (the role he will perform for the tribe for the rest of his life) I think more of the present story (the monastery) could have been added on the end. A story featuring flashbacks should absolutely not finish in the flashback - showing that this is not really a standalone book at all.
I will read the rest of the series in due course as I loved the storytelling, the world built and am intrigued as to what is next.
  
40x40

Hazel (2934 KP) rated Queenie in Books

Feb 2, 2020  
Queenie
Queenie
Kimberley Chambers | 2020 | Crime, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Gritty, engrossing and thoroughly entertaining
Kimberley Chambers isn't known as the "Queen of Gangland Crime Fiction" for nothing and here we have yet another masterpiece of story-telling ... the saga that is "Queenie".

This book tells the story of Queenie from her life as a young girl during World War II right up to the early 60's and what a life she leads! She is one heck of a character; one minute you absolutely adore her, the next she disappoints you, then she'll surprise you and then shock ... I felt like I was on a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish and I still don't know how I feel about her even now!

Queenie is not the only character however, this book is absolutely brimmed to the rim with fantastic personalities from the bit players to the main stars; some you'll love and some ... not so much. The setting in the east end of London felt perfect but it could equally have worked in any inner-city borough. For those of us who weren't around during the time span of this book, I felt it captured them well and it felt authentic and believable to me.

"Queenie" is a gritty, engrossing and thoroughly entertaining read and one I would definitely recommend even if you haven't read any of the other books in the "Butler" series; this can easily be read as a standalone as it is the prequel to the first book in the series "The Trap."

Thanks to HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
  
This review and more can be found at my blog https://aromancereadersreviews.blogspot.com

A Romance Reader's Reviews

This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited Library.

Awakened and Betrayed carries on from the previous book, The Lost and the Chosen, with Vinna on her way to a meeting with the Elders. It does not go well and she is separated from her guys and Lachlan's coven and ends up with Enoch and his. Things get a little complicated as Vinna's magic is assessed by the Elders and they realise how strong she is, if not what she is.

I feel like I should point out a LOT happens in this book. The above happens within the first couple of chapters but it sets in motion a series of events that occur throughout the book. She also meets a pack of werewolves, has a meeting with a certain lamia/vampire, makes friends with some people again, gets some new magic etc. It is filled to the brim with stuff.

I liked this but it didn't quite have the same feel to it as the first. It wasn't as smoothly written and if I'm honest, I'm finding it hard to keep up with who everyone is. As I mentioned in a status update on Goodreads: "She could end up with the biggest harem going because it doesn't matter who she meets, they're always drawn to her."

I don't know if I'll be continuing the series. My Kindle Unlimited runs out in less than two weeks and I have a few other books I want to get through before then. I may eventually come back to it.