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Debbiereadsbook (1650 KP) rated Wild as the West Texas Wind (Love Across Time #3) in Books
May 16, 2019
my fav of the three
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book three in the Love Across Time series. You don’t NEED to have read the others before this one, but PERSONALLY, I think you should read book 2, Honey From The Lion before this one. There are things that happen in that book that lead up to this one. And you, know, they are really rather good!
This one, I think, is my favourite of the three!
Zach is looking for his friend, Laurie (Honey From The Lion) and gets caught in a freak rain storm. Waking up in 1892 and then crossing the Ketchum Gang, Zach finds himself on the way to be sold. Layton is part of the gang, but he doesn’t want to be anymore. When Zach comes along, those feelings intensify, to a point that Layton will go against the gang leader, Tom, and maybe cost him his life, along with Zach’s. But Zach makes Layton want other things, things that require them both to be alive. Can he get away, saving himself AND Zach?
Like I said, my favourite of the three!
What I particularly loved about this one, was the SLOW burn between Zach and Layton! I mean, I'm all for insta-love and masses of naughtiness but HERE?? I LOVED that it wasn’t like that! It creeps up on both Layton AND Zach, the feelings, the attraction (although Zach does have that instant attraction feeling) the wanting MORE than being on the run. It’s really fabulous reading, watching these two fall for each other. It’s on the less explicit side, but very proper for this book that it is.
Layton, especially, surprised me! Don’t ask me WHY he did, I can’t say exactly, but that’s' how I feel and you know I like to share those book feelings. He doesn’t really question what he starts to feel for Zach, at all, and being of a begone age, I would have thought that he might. I’m not complaining, . . . .oh! THIS is why he surprised me! The fact he doesn’t question, he just lets himself begin to fall, and fall hard.
I loved that, right from the start, Layton wanted away from the gang, from the leader, Tom. Tom has a vicious streak a mile wide, and both Zach and Layton fall foul of his wrath. Not nice reading, but I think, it really is needed. This is why I tagged it darker, cos Tom is not a very nice person, but then again, stagecoach hijackers and robbers don’t tend to be! He really is a nasty piece of work.
I love love LOVE the way Honey from The Lion melds itself into this one! Trying NOT for spoilers, so other than that, I’m not saying how, but very well played there, Ms North, VERY well played!
I want to tag this book warm and fuzzies and too stinking, but not sure how I can with the darker tag! Such decisions! Ah stuff it, tagging it as so!
Are there more? I don’t know, I want to read them, regardless. Loving them!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book three in the Love Across Time series. You don’t NEED to have read the others before this one, but PERSONALLY, I think you should read book 2, Honey From The Lion before this one. There are things that happen in that book that lead up to this one. And you, know, they are really rather good!
This one, I think, is my favourite of the three!
Zach is looking for his friend, Laurie (Honey From The Lion) and gets caught in a freak rain storm. Waking up in 1892 and then crossing the Ketchum Gang, Zach finds himself on the way to be sold. Layton is part of the gang, but he doesn’t want to be anymore. When Zach comes along, those feelings intensify, to a point that Layton will go against the gang leader, Tom, and maybe cost him his life, along with Zach’s. But Zach makes Layton want other things, things that require them both to be alive. Can he get away, saving himself AND Zach?
Like I said, my favourite of the three!
What I particularly loved about this one, was the SLOW burn between Zach and Layton! I mean, I'm all for insta-love and masses of naughtiness but HERE?? I LOVED that it wasn’t like that! It creeps up on both Layton AND Zach, the feelings, the attraction (although Zach does have that instant attraction feeling) the wanting MORE than being on the run. It’s really fabulous reading, watching these two fall for each other. It’s on the less explicit side, but very proper for this book that it is.
Layton, especially, surprised me! Don’t ask me WHY he did, I can’t say exactly, but that’s' how I feel and you know I like to share those book feelings. He doesn’t really question what he starts to feel for Zach, at all, and being of a begone age, I would have thought that he might. I’m not complaining, . . . .oh! THIS is why he surprised me! The fact he doesn’t question, he just lets himself begin to fall, and fall hard.
I loved that, right from the start, Layton wanted away from the gang, from the leader, Tom. Tom has a vicious streak a mile wide, and both Zach and Layton fall foul of his wrath. Not nice reading, but I think, it really is needed. This is why I tagged it darker, cos Tom is not a very nice person, but then again, stagecoach hijackers and robbers don’t tend to be! He really is a nasty piece of work.
I love love LOVE the way Honey from The Lion melds itself into this one! Trying NOT for spoilers, so other than that, I’m not saying how, but very well played there, Ms North, VERY well played!
I want to tag this book warm and fuzzies and too stinking, but not sure how I can with the darker tag! Such decisions! Ah stuff it, tagging it as so!
Are there more? I don’t know, I want to read them, regardless. Loving them!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Paper Dolls (Dark Carousel #2) in Books
Nov 7, 2020
I really loved Dollhouse, the first book in the Dark Carousel series by Anya Allyn. I couldn't wait to dive into the next book in the series, Paper Dolls. I wanted to love Paper Dolls as much as Dollhouse, but it just wasn't as great.
Paper Dolls takes place right after Dollhouse although Paper Dolls also goes back to 1920 to focus more on Jessamine's back story and to thicken the modern day plot. While I loved Jessamine's story, Cassie's narrative is a bit lackluster. The pacing for Cassie's plot feels very slow moving. While there were a few plot twists regarding Cassie's story, the main one was the most predictable from early on. Don't get me wrong, Allyn's writing is fantastic, but Cassie's plotline just didn't wow me as before. Jessamine's, on the other hand, was fantastic! I loved learning more about Jessamine and how she become like she was in Dollhouse. Jessamine's narrative moved at a great pace, and I would get so excited when her chapters would come up. I also loved how Jessamine's chapters involved more backstory for Henry and Audette and explains how they became ghosts. It also talks more about the mysterious Donovan Fiveash. Many of the other characters, even characters with small parts, from Dollhouse are mentioned again in Paper Dolls. We get a bit more of their back story as well which was nice. There is a big cliffhanger at the end of this book which will lead into the next book in the series, Marionette. Although this book is intended for young adults, I would say it's more aimed towards a mature young adult audience as it's a lot more dark compared to Dollhouse.
As with the first book in the series, Anya Allyn did a fantastic job keeping her characters realistic relatable. Even though I found Cassie's story a little boring, I still enjoyed Cassie's character. I did find her a bit naïve in this book, but she is a teenager, so I could understand why she'd trust the first boy that showed her attention. I felt like I was Cassie's babysitter and was mentally urging her not to trust anyone! Jessamine was my obviously my favorite character. I just wanted to hug her as she had such a sad life for the most part. After reading her story, I understood why she was the way she was in Dollhouse. I really wanted to protect Jessamine throughout the whole book especially when she was still alive although I already knew she'd end up as a ghost. Henry was a character I didn't think I'd end up liking since he seemed like a bad guy in the first book. However, the audience is shown a whole different side of Henry in Paper Dolls. I just wanted Audette to disappear though. Not because she was written poorly but just because how vile and horrible she was to Jessamine. Although they were nice, I had a hard time trusting the Batiste family. They just seemed a little too nice for my liking.
Trigger warnings for Paper Dolls include death, murder, attempted rape, violence, occult activity, and mentions of sex (though not graphic).
Despite being a bit of a slow read, I still enjoyed Paper Dolls. Learning more about many of the ghosts' backstory was extremely interesting, and I loved all the characters. I would recommend Paper Dolls by Anya Allyn to those aged 16+ who love supernatural horror. I have already started reading Marionette, the next book in the Dark Carousel series, since I'm loving this series!
Paper Dolls takes place right after Dollhouse although Paper Dolls also goes back to 1920 to focus more on Jessamine's back story and to thicken the modern day plot. While I loved Jessamine's story, Cassie's narrative is a bit lackluster. The pacing for Cassie's plot feels very slow moving. While there were a few plot twists regarding Cassie's story, the main one was the most predictable from early on. Don't get me wrong, Allyn's writing is fantastic, but Cassie's plotline just didn't wow me as before. Jessamine's, on the other hand, was fantastic! I loved learning more about Jessamine and how she become like she was in Dollhouse. Jessamine's narrative moved at a great pace, and I would get so excited when her chapters would come up. I also loved how Jessamine's chapters involved more backstory for Henry and Audette and explains how they became ghosts. It also talks more about the mysterious Donovan Fiveash. Many of the other characters, even characters with small parts, from Dollhouse are mentioned again in Paper Dolls. We get a bit more of their back story as well which was nice. There is a big cliffhanger at the end of this book which will lead into the next book in the series, Marionette. Although this book is intended for young adults, I would say it's more aimed towards a mature young adult audience as it's a lot more dark compared to Dollhouse.
As with the first book in the series, Anya Allyn did a fantastic job keeping her characters realistic relatable. Even though I found Cassie's story a little boring, I still enjoyed Cassie's character. I did find her a bit naïve in this book, but she is a teenager, so I could understand why she'd trust the first boy that showed her attention. I felt like I was Cassie's babysitter and was mentally urging her not to trust anyone! Jessamine was my obviously my favorite character. I just wanted to hug her as she had such a sad life for the most part. After reading her story, I understood why she was the way she was in Dollhouse. I really wanted to protect Jessamine throughout the whole book especially when she was still alive although I already knew she'd end up as a ghost. Henry was a character I didn't think I'd end up liking since he seemed like a bad guy in the first book. However, the audience is shown a whole different side of Henry in Paper Dolls. I just wanted Audette to disappear though. Not because she was written poorly but just because how vile and horrible she was to Jessamine. Although they were nice, I had a hard time trusting the Batiste family. They just seemed a little too nice for my liking.
Trigger warnings for Paper Dolls include death, murder, attempted rape, violence, occult activity, and mentions of sex (though not graphic).
Despite being a bit of a slow read, I still enjoyed Paper Dolls. Learning more about many of the ghosts' backstory was extremely interesting, and I loved all the characters. I would recommend Paper Dolls by Anya Allyn to those aged 16+ who love supernatural horror. I have already started reading Marionette, the next book in the Dark Carousel series, since I'm loving this series!
Lee Ann (116 KP) rated This Fallen Prey (Casey Duncan, #3) in Books
May 24, 2018
Kelley Armstrong is a cruel, evil woman.
This Fallen Prey takes you on a rollercoaster as Casey tells you all about the day the Council drops a dangerous serial killer into Rockton without any advance warning.
What you get from that point on is a crazy edge of the seat ride as you try and figure out whether he's really what the council have claimed, or if there's something deeper and more complex going on. With betrayals and deaths and twists that just keep you turning the pages, the third book of the Casey Duncan series does not disappoint.
It does leave us with a minor cliffhanger.. and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
This Fallen Prey takes you on a rollercoaster as Casey tells you all about the day the Council drops a dangerous serial killer into Rockton without any advance warning.
What you get from that point on is a crazy edge of the seat ride as you try and figure out whether he's really what the council have claimed, or if there's something deeper and more complex going on. With betrayals and deaths and twists that just keep you turning the pages, the third book of the Casey Duncan series does not disappoint.
It does leave us with a minor cliffhanger.. and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
Auburn (57 KP) rated Seventh Born (The Witchling Academy #1) in Books
Apr 10, 2019
Let me start out with saying that this was not what I was expecting in the least. It felt like a mash up of Harry Potter and The Black Mage series. Wands, magic, a school for such things and a hierarchy just waiting for someone to come and break it.
While I enjoyed the main character and her traits. She knew what she was as a seventhborn but rebelled against just blending in. Wanting to find her family and learn magic. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the romance. A teacher/student romance just puts me off and while it is well done I didnt particularly like the way it all panned out.
While I enjoyed the main character and her traits. She knew what she was as a seventhborn but rebelled against just blending in. Wanting to find her family and learn magic. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the romance. A teacher/student romance just puts me off and while it is well done I didnt particularly like the way it all panned out.
Elizabeth (1521 KP) rated Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1) in Books
Apr 24, 2019
I received a free copy of this book after winning a goodreads contest. It was a decent book; interesting enough to keep me reading, but not enough to have me hooked and reading through the night to find out what happened next.
I am left with a lot of questions at the end. What is Kate? What's up with her blood? If it's so sacred, why did she perform a blood ritual in front of a virtual stranger in her apartment? Why did she leave said stranger in her apartment with access to her bloody clothes while she went to take a shower?
Hopefully the other books in the series will answer some of my questions.
I am left with a lot of questions at the end. What is Kate? What's up with her blood? If it's so sacred, why did she perform a blood ritual in front of a virtual stranger in her apartment? Why did she leave said stranger in her apartment with access to her bloody clothes while she went to take a shower?
Hopefully the other books in the series will answer some of my questions.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2478 KP) rated Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle (Mrs Pollifax #8) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Mrs. Pollifax and her husband Cyrus are hours away from a vacation to Thailand when Bishop shows up asking if they could possibly make one small detour for the CIA. Of course, things go wildly wrong when Cyrus is kidnapped and Mrs. Pollifax has to hunt for him with a man she doesn't trust. The plot to this one is a little different. The scenes with Bishop and Carstairs drive it more than Mrs. Pollifax's action does. As a result, it's not as good as the classic books in the series, but it's still fun.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-review-mrs-pollifax-and-golden.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/07/book-review-mrs-pollifax-and-golden.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Lee Ann (116 KP) rated This Fallen Prey (Casey Duncan, #3) in Books
Mar 13, 2018
Kelley Armstrong is a cruel, evil woman.
This Fallen Prey takes you on a rollercoaster as Casey tells you all about the day the Council drops a dangerous serial killer into Rockton without any advance warning.
What you get from that point on is a crazy edge of the seat ride as you try and figure out whether he's really what the council have claimed, or if there's something deeper and more complex going on. With betrayals and deaths and twists that just keep you turning the pages, the third book of the Casey Duncan series does not disappoint.
It does leave us with a minor cliffhanger.. and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
This Fallen Prey takes you on a rollercoaster as Casey tells you all about the day the Council drops a dangerous serial killer into Rockton without any advance warning.
What you get from that point on is a crazy edge of the seat ride as you try and figure out whether he's really what the council have claimed, or if there's something deeper and more complex going on. With betrayals and deaths and twists that just keep you turning the pages, the third book of the Casey Duncan series does not disappoint.
It does leave us with a minor cliffhanger.. and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!
Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated The Becoming (Anna Strong Chronicles, #1) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I can't remember reading any other book that focuses on a main character's transition from human to vampire. I suppose we'll see more of them, now that Stein has done so. The book is a fairly good read, but you should definitely ignore the text on the back, as it's misleading. I assume <i>Becoming</i> is the first of a series, as there was a major issue left unresolved at the end.
This is definitely <b>not</b> a book for romance fans. While there are some explicit sex scenes, there isn't much real romance. I rather liked the omission, but some folks might assume that it is a paranormal romance.
This is definitely <b>not</b> a book for romance fans. While there are some explicit sex scenes, there isn't much real romance. I rather liked the omission, but some folks might assume that it is a paranormal romance.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Highlander 2: The Quickening (1991) in Movies
Feb 22, 2018
Which part of 'there can be only one' did the film-makers not get? Baffling sequel doesn't bother with an actual plot, settles for a succession of disjointed ideas and set pieces; barely makes sense on its own terms, is utterly incoherent if you consider the backstory established by the original movie.
Sean Connery chewing the scenery gives the film a certain appeal to lovers of ham acting; same is true of Michael Ironside. Christopher Lambert is still quite painful to listen to. Quite how the Highlander series managed to continue on for umpty-tump more sequels and TV episodes is a mystery: it is notable that this movie was quietly forgotten about and never mentioned again.
Sean Connery chewing the scenery gives the film a certain appeal to lovers of ham acting; same is true of Michael Ironside. Christopher Lambert is still quite painful to listen to. Quite how the Highlander series managed to continue on for umpty-tump more sequels and TV episodes is a mystery: it is notable that this movie was quietly forgotten about and never mentioned again.
Clare Parrott (294 KP) rated Passion Ignites (Dark Kings, #7) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Lexi won't stop until she finds the Red Eye that killed her friend but in her search she comes to the attention of not only the Red Eyed, evil Dark Fae but also bad boy Dragon King, Thorn.
When the Dark Fea realise she is immune to their powers they know she is a Dragon King mate and to catch a dragon they must trap Lexi.
I don't read much fantasy but I do love this series. The Dragon Kings are brave and sexy and will do anything to protect their mate while also protecting their secret from the Humans.
I do love Donna Grants writing, she makes her books easy to read and difficult to put down.
When the Dark Fea realise she is immune to their powers they know she is a Dragon King mate and to catch a dragon they must trap Lexi.
I don't read much fantasy but I do love this series. The Dragon Kings are brave and sexy and will do anything to protect their mate while also protecting their secret from the Humans.
I do love Donna Grants writing, she makes her books easy to read and difficult to put down.