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Light My Pyre (Everwood Falls #1)
8.7
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EVERWOOD FALLS… a small supernatural community tucked up in the Colorado Rockies where witches,...
Paranormal Romance Cozy Mystery
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Jetsetters in Books
Mar 19, 2020
Charlotte Perkins is 71, and her best friend has just died. Long single, she longs to be touched and loved again, so she writes an essay (a rather racy one at that) to the "Become a Jetsetter" contest to win a trip for her entire family (and to perhaps meet someone). Charlotte is shocked and elated when she actually wins, earning the the chance to take her three children to Athens, Greece and on a nine-day cruise to Barcelona, Spain. Lee, a struggling actress who has just returned home on a "break" from acting (and from her famous ex-boyfriend) figures she has nothing better to do. Cord, her son, a wealthy New Yorker, isn't thrilled about being trapped on a ship while he struggles with his sobriety. And Regan, an exhausted mother of two daughters, can't believe it when her irritating husband Matt joins the group. This will be a particularly fun trip since Lee and Regan haven't spoken in ten years. Trapped on this adventure together, secrets come out and the Perkins family suddenly learns more than they ever wanted to know about each one another.
It took me a while to process this one. I really enjoy Amanda Eyre Ward's writing, and I have such a soft spot for her book, The Same Sky, which is one of my absolute favorite novels. This book is very different from that one, and it took me some time to warm to the pacing and the characters. Charlotte turned me off in the beginning, and I was just slow to get into the book. We learn that the Perkins kids had a rough childhood, but one that also bonded them together. Yet when the book opens, none of them are particularly close to each other--or their mother.
"This day, and the two more excruciating days that followed--days of sand and beer-scented misery--would be the last time Lee went on vacation with her mother and siblings. Until thirty-two years later, when they became jetsetters."
The book presents the story from not only Charlotte's point of view, but that of each of her wayward children. None of the kids are easy to like at first, but Ward's prose makes them come to life before our eyes. They are fallible, for sure, and it's hard not to feel a bit sorry for everyone. I for one am not sure I could handle being trapped on a cruise ship with a group of unhappy family members.
"Oh. Charlotte's children. To her great sadness and bewilderment, Charlotte's three adult children were lost to her, and perhaps to themselves."
The novel does an excellent job at portraying all the difficult relationships in the book, giving us an in-depth portrait of a complicated family. While the story is told solely over the span of their trip, we learn all about Charlotte's life--much of it hidden away from her children--and the lives of her three kids, even bits and pieces of their childhood and backstories. No one has had an easy go of it, for sure. How much do parents, and their actions, affect their kids, the book asks. How do families in general influence the people we become. They have so much power: both to help and to hurt.
It's funny, this wasn't always a story I enjoyed, even though there are humorous and touching moments, but I recognized its powerful parts too. Overall, I would rate this at 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4 stars here. It's worth a read.
It took me a while to process this one. I really enjoy Amanda Eyre Ward's writing, and I have such a soft spot for her book, The Same Sky, which is one of my absolute favorite novels. This book is very different from that one, and it took me some time to warm to the pacing and the characters. Charlotte turned me off in the beginning, and I was just slow to get into the book. We learn that the Perkins kids had a rough childhood, but one that also bonded them together. Yet when the book opens, none of them are particularly close to each other--or their mother.
"This day, and the two more excruciating days that followed--days of sand and beer-scented misery--would be the last time Lee went on vacation with her mother and siblings. Until thirty-two years later, when they became jetsetters."
The book presents the story from not only Charlotte's point of view, but that of each of her wayward children. None of the kids are easy to like at first, but Ward's prose makes them come to life before our eyes. They are fallible, for sure, and it's hard not to feel a bit sorry for everyone. I for one am not sure I could handle being trapped on a cruise ship with a group of unhappy family members.
"Oh. Charlotte's children. To her great sadness and bewilderment, Charlotte's three adult children were lost to her, and perhaps to themselves."
The novel does an excellent job at portraying all the difficult relationships in the book, giving us an in-depth portrait of a complicated family. While the story is told solely over the span of their trip, we learn all about Charlotte's life--much of it hidden away from her children--and the lives of her three kids, even bits and pieces of their childhood and backstories. No one has had an easy go of it, for sure. How much do parents, and their actions, affect their kids, the book asks. How do families in general influence the people we become. They have so much power: both to help and to hurt.
It's funny, this wasn't always a story I enjoyed, even though there are humorous and touching moments, but I recognized its powerful parts too. Overall, I would rate this at 3.75 stars, rounded up to 4 stars here. It's worth a read.
Interludes Box Set
10.0
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Temporary Home Sometimes past demons need to be faced before one can embrace what the future...
Contemporary Erotic Romance Men in Uniform MultiCultural
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated A Kiss of Madness in Books
Jan 14, 2019
Too much smut (3 more)
Unbelievable plot
Underdeveloped and unlikable characters
Book is confused about the plot
Reads More Like a Rough Draft
I love reading books about mental illness, and even more so if they take place inside an asylum. When I saw A Kiss of Madness by K.B. Everly and Stacy Jones, it seemed like the perfect read for me. Unfortunately, I was left very disappointed.
The synopsis for A Kiss of Madness sounded very interesting. It could have been a very interesting book except there's too much going on in the story. Lydia gets sent to Brocker's Center for the Criminally Insane after having a vision and throwing a chair through a window as well as attacking an innocent bystander. She could have chose jail time or to voluntarily commit herself to Brocker's. She chose the latter. While there, she gets feelings about people and doesn't feel like she belongs. She meets three guys who are patients with their own issues. However, she ends up thinking they're hot, and they also think she's hot. The guys all agree to be her boyfriends and end up following her everywhere. When one of the other female patients goes missing, Lydia tries to uncover what really happened putting herself in grave danger. I was confused if A Kiss of Madness was trying to be more of a romance novel, a mystery/crime novel, or a paranormal novel. I got the insane asylum vibe for a few chapters, but soon this book lost its whole mental illness vibe. I felt like the insane asylum setting was just thrown in there to make this book sound more interesting than it actually was. It soon turned more into an erotic novel which made me like the book even less. There was just too much pointless fairly graphic sex for my liking. I feel like all the fairly graphic sex and sexual references really took away from the story. I also didn't like the ending. It just felt too rushed. Actually, the whole story just felt really rushed. I also didn't understand how one character who had a violent past could have such a great job. I won't go into further details because it's a spoiler.
I started out liking Lydia and was on her side for the first few chapters or so. However, I found myself losing the connection I felt with her the more I read. She just came across as being very irresponsible and immature. I didn't really care for Pierce, Emmett, or Mason/Jason either. None of the characters in A Kiss of Madness were fleshed out enough to be likable or believable.
The pacing starts out great in A Kiss of Madness. However, it soon slows down once the sex scenes come into play. Then it slows down and becomes more of a smut novel instead of a decent read. Luckily this is a short read or I would have given up on it when I got to the sex parts.
Trigger warnings for A Kiss of Madness include violence, murder, mental illness, attempted sexual assault, fairly graphic sex scenes, sexual references, and profanities.
Overall, A Kiss of Madness started out great. However, it soon went downhill close to halfway through the book. I feel like this book feels more like a rough draft on what could be a decent read. It just needs a lot more work to be good. Get rid of a lot of the pointless sex scenes and references, bulk up the story and characters a bit, decide on what angle to go with, and give this book some guts! At this time, I would not recommend A Kiss of Madness by K.B. Everly and Stacy Jones.
The synopsis for A Kiss of Madness sounded very interesting. It could have been a very interesting book except there's too much going on in the story. Lydia gets sent to Brocker's Center for the Criminally Insane after having a vision and throwing a chair through a window as well as attacking an innocent bystander. She could have chose jail time or to voluntarily commit herself to Brocker's. She chose the latter. While there, she gets feelings about people and doesn't feel like she belongs. She meets three guys who are patients with their own issues. However, she ends up thinking they're hot, and they also think she's hot. The guys all agree to be her boyfriends and end up following her everywhere. When one of the other female patients goes missing, Lydia tries to uncover what really happened putting herself in grave danger. I was confused if A Kiss of Madness was trying to be more of a romance novel, a mystery/crime novel, or a paranormal novel. I got the insane asylum vibe for a few chapters, but soon this book lost its whole mental illness vibe. I felt like the insane asylum setting was just thrown in there to make this book sound more interesting than it actually was. It soon turned more into an erotic novel which made me like the book even less. There was just too much pointless fairly graphic sex for my liking. I feel like all the fairly graphic sex and sexual references really took away from the story. I also didn't like the ending. It just felt too rushed. Actually, the whole story just felt really rushed. I also didn't understand how one character who had a violent past could have such a great job. I won't go into further details because it's a spoiler.
I started out liking Lydia and was on her side for the first few chapters or so. However, I found myself losing the connection I felt with her the more I read. She just came across as being very irresponsible and immature. I didn't really care for Pierce, Emmett, or Mason/Jason either. None of the characters in A Kiss of Madness were fleshed out enough to be likable or believable.
The pacing starts out great in A Kiss of Madness. However, it soon slows down once the sex scenes come into play. Then it slows down and becomes more of a smut novel instead of a decent read. Luckily this is a short read or I would have given up on it when I got to the sex parts.
Trigger warnings for A Kiss of Madness include violence, murder, mental illness, attempted sexual assault, fairly graphic sex scenes, sexual references, and profanities.
Overall, A Kiss of Madness started out great. However, it soon went downhill close to halfway through the book. I feel like this book feels more like a rough draft on what could be a decent read. It just needs a lot more work to be good. Get rid of a lot of the pointless sex scenes and references, bulk up the story and characters a bit, decide on what angle to go with, and give this book some guts! At this time, I would not recommend A Kiss of Madness by K.B. Everly and Stacy Jones.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Detransition, Baby in Books
Jan 28, 2021
A meandering but insightful look into the lives of an interconnected trio
Reese and Amy nearly had it all--a loving relationship, an apartment, and safety in each other: something extremely difficult for trans women to find. But that all changes when Amy decides to detransition and become Ames. Now Reese feels lost and alone, turning to her old patterns of sleeping with men who treat her poorly. And Ames isn't particularly happy either, though he's found a sort of comfort in his relationship with his boss, Katrina. But when Katrina discovers she's pregnant--with Ames' child--Ames is forced to confront a lot of his fears about masculinity and fatherhood. He also wonders if it's a chance for family. Reese has always longed for a baby; could he, Reese, and Katrina raise this child together?
"Somewhere, somehow, Amy did the impossible. She got herself a baby."
I love that this diverse book was my 300th read for Netgalley. I love love love that there is a story about trans women being celebrated and heralded on "must read" lists. I enjoyed so much about this book. Reese and Amy are detailed and realistic characters who--to me at least--did not seem stereotypical or one-dimensional. I felt like I learned so much reading their raw, emotional, and lovely story.
The tale of Ames becoming a parent--and wanting to involve Reese--was an interesting and dynamic one for me. I could completely understand Reese's longing for motherhood and how she felt on the outside looking in. This part of the book was original and fascinating. Pieces of the story were utterly hilarious, despite some of the serious subject matter. There is a chapter where Reese attends an essential oils party with Katrina and other straight/cis women that made me laugh out loud. Peters captures her voice so perfectly. There's a vulnerability and realness to Reese that makes her a captivating character from the start.
"Reese had already diagnosed her own problem. She didn't know how to be alone. She fled from her own company, from her own solitude."
The hardest part for me about this book had nothing to do with its subject matter (if that's a problem for you, you're the problem), but the fact that it veers between the past and the present, going on tangents about Reese and Amy's past. Sometimes it seemed like it just needed a strong edit, with someone willing to strike about half of those passages. Or perhaps I just wanted to get on with the present, the impending baby, and Reese, Katrina, and Ames' story. I'm not sure. But I was nearly compelled to skim some of these long passages. It was just a lot. And then, after all that, the book just sort of ended, to me, without much resolution, and I felt a bit betrayed.
Still, do not get me wrong. This is an excellent and important story, and more such stories like this need to be told. I definitely recommend it, and I bet any forthcoming books from Peters will only get better and better. 3.5
Reese and Amy nearly had it all--a loving relationship, an apartment, and safety in each other: something extremely difficult for trans women to find. But that all changes when Amy decides to detransition and become Ames. Now Reese feels lost and alone, turning to her old patterns of sleeping with men who treat her poorly. And Ames isn't particularly happy either, though he's found a sort of comfort in his relationship with his boss, Katrina. But when Katrina discovers she's pregnant--with Ames' child--Ames is forced to confront a lot of his fears about masculinity and fatherhood. He also wonders if it's a chance for family. Reese has always longed for a baby; could he, Reese, and Katrina raise this child together?
"Somewhere, somehow, Amy did the impossible. She got herself a baby."
I love that this diverse book was my 300th read for Netgalley. I love love love that there is a story about trans women being celebrated and heralded on "must read" lists. I enjoyed so much about this book. Reese and Amy are detailed and realistic characters who--to me at least--did not seem stereotypical or one-dimensional. I felt like I learned so much reading their raw, emotional, and lovely story.
The tale of Ames becoming a parent--and wanting to involve Reese--was an interesting and dynamic one for me. I could completely understand Reese's longing for motherhood and how she felt on the outside looking in. This part of the book was original and fascinating. Pieces of the story were utterly hilarious, despite some of the serious subject matter. There is a chapter where Reese attends an essential oils party with Katrina and other straight/cis women that made me laugh out loud. Peters captures her voice so perfectly. There's a vulnerability and realness to Reese that makes her a captivating character from the start.
"Reese had already diagnosed her own problem. She didn't know how to be alone. She fled from her own company, from her own solitude."
The hardest part for me about this book had nothing to do with its subject matter (if that's a problem for you, you're the problem), but the fact that it veers between the past and the present, going on tangents about Reese and Amy's past. Sometimes it seemed like it just needed a strong edit, with someone willing to strike about half of those passages. Or perhaps I just wanted to get on with the present, the impending baby, and Reese, Katrina, and Ames' story. I'm not sure. But I was nearly compelled to skim some of these long passages. It was just a lot. And then, after all that, the book just sort of ended, to me, without much resolution, and I felt a bit betrayed.
Still, do not get me wrong. This is an excellent and important story, and more such stories like this need to be told. I definitely recommend it, and I bet any forthcoming books from Peters will only get better and better. 3.5
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated The Widows in Books
Jun 5, 2019
The Widows by Jess Montgomery is inspired by the true story of Ohio’s first female sheriff. The plot delves into how two women fought greed and violence while overcoming the loss of a loved one.
The author noted, “This is a darker and deeper style of writing, much more than my other stories. For example, I examine the Pinkerton men and the violence they used. I read multiple books that talked about how these men would shoot up the striking camps. I put in this book quote by one of the Pinkerton men, ‘A real war, and then, rule of law won’t matter. Those miners who resist, why, we’ll put ‘em down like rabid dogs.’”
The protagonists Lily and Marvena are based on the real-life historical figures of Maude Collins, the first female sheriff in Ohio, and Mother Jones, the famous activist and labor organizer. Sheriff Daniel Ross, the husband of Lily is murdered and no one knows by whom. Those powerful in the town want to pin it on a coal miner, Marvena’s brother. She has something in common with Lily since she also lost her husband, but to a coal mining accident. Because the mine owners think she will be easy to control, Lily is appointed sheriff pending the next election. But having a mind of her own and a sense of justice she partners with Marvena to find the elusive murderer and Marvena’s missing daughter.
“I wrote both Lily and Marvena as tough. Lily is sensitive but is also a protector who wants to support her community. She keeps her emotions close to her heart. Marvena is fierce and persistent, but also has a tender streak. Although both women were wary of each other at first, they have a common goal to find out what happened. They end up with a strong friendship and recognize that each is balancing their own demons.”
Readers might be curious as to what is real and what is fiction. Montgomery commented, “In real life Collins had five children, and the person who killed her husband was known. I decided it would be interesting to have Lily take the sheriff position to find out who killed her husband. The similarity is that both women lost their husbands in the line of duty, both were appointed sheriff, and both were elected. The differences: Lily is eight years younger than Maude during that time period and she had only had two children.”
Historical facts are intertwined in this novel that also has strong female characters and an intriguing mystery. Readers get a glimpse into the 1920s-coal mining town in Appalachian Ohio as the author examines women’s rights, prohibition, and the life of a coal miner.
The author noted, “This is a darker and deeper style of writing, much more than my other stories. For example, I examine the Pinkerton men and the violence they used. I read multiple books that talked about how these men would shoot up the striking camps. I put in this book quote by one of the Pinkerton men, ‘A real war, and then, rule of law won’t matter. Those miners who resist, why, we’ll put ‘em down like rabid dogs.’”
The protagonists Lily and Marvena are based on the real-life historical figures of Maude Collins, the first female sheriff in Ohio, and Mother Jones, the famous activist and labor organizer. Sheriff Daniel Ross, the husband of Lily is murdered and no one knows by whom. Those powerful in the town want to pin it on a coal miner, Marvena’s brother. She has something in common with Lily since she also lost her husband, but to a coal mining accident. Because the mine owners think she will be easy to control, Lily is appointed sheriff pending the next election. But having a mind of her own and a sense of justice she partners with Marvena to find the elusive murderer and Marvena’s missing daughter.
“I wrote both Lily and Marvena as tough. Lily is sensitive but is also a protector who wants to support her community. She keeps her emotions close to her heart. Marvena is fierce and persistent, but also has a tender streak. Although both women were wary of each other at first, they have a common goal to find out what happened. They end up with a strong friendship and recognize that each is balancing their own demons.”
Readers might be curious as to what is real and what is fiction. Montgomery commented, “In real life Collins had five children, and the person who killed her husband was known. I decided it would be interesting to have Lily take the sheriff position to find out who killed her husband. The similarity is that both women lost their husbands in the line of duty, both were appointed sheriff, and both were elected. The differences: Lily is eight years younger than Maude during that time period and she had only had two children.”
Historical facts are intertwined in this novel that also has strong female characters and an intriguing mystery. Readers get a glimpse into the 1920s-coal mining town in Appalachian Ohio as the author examines women’s rights, prohibition, and the life of a coal miner.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Eight Perfect Hours in Books
Oct 28, 2021
Noelle Butterby has recently broken up with her boyfriend of twelve years, Ed. Ed found Noelle pathetic for staying home to take care of her ill Mum and therefore being unwilling to travel to the States with him for a new job. But for Noelle, it's more than that. Her family obligations are both confining and all she has--leaving her unable to fulfill her own dreams, including opening her own flower shop. On her way to her university reunion--the first time she's been out in ages--Noelle finds herself trapped on a snowy roadway. With traffic stalled for hours, she meets Sam, the man in the car next to hers. They form a small friendship over the eight hours they're stuck, bonding while she charges her phone and they forage for food. In those few hours, Noelle is truly, actually happy. But the roadway is cleared and Sam drives off. Yet, somehow, after their snowy time together, the universe seems to continue to throw Sam and Noelle together. Each is dealing with their own relationship woes, but they feel drawn to one another. Are Sam and Noelle meant to be? And can Noelle find her own way while dealing with the weight of her family responsibility?
"Eight hours. Eight tiny hours is all they were. And already I miss them. Ridiculous. I am ridiculous."
I fell completely for this charming story. It's completely lovely, with such wonderful characters in Noelle and Sam, whom I found myself rooting for from the beginning. There are enough obstacles that I actually found myself wondering if they would wind up together, yet determined that they were meant to be. The book is so sweet yet has its serious moments as well, and it tackles mental health in a honest way, dealing with depression, agoraphobia, and post-partum issues quite well.
"And I feel--something. I don't know what exactly. Alive. Buzzy. Like my blood is rushing with stars, with electricity."
Both Sam and Noelle lost someone early in their lives, and some parts of this book will hit hard if you lost a loved one in your early twenties--their grief feels so real and raw (also a trigger warning for suicide). Their lives have been changed by these deaths, as well as hanging on to relationships that may not be the best for them. Watching them bond is so heartwarming. This is such a romantic read, with excellent pieces of chemistry and sexual tension--it's so well-done and builds quite excellently. This isn't insta-love, but a good slow burn that feels passionate and honest.
Overall, I really loved this one. The romance is excellent, and the message of finding your way together when it was meant to be is beautiful. 4.5 stars.
"Eight hours. Eight tiny hours is all they were. And already I miss them. Ridiculous. I am ridiculous."
I fell completely for this charming story. It's completely lovely, with such wonderful characters in Noelle and Sam, whom I found myself rooting for from the beginning. There are enough obstacles that I actually found myself wondering if they would wind up together, yet determined that they were meant to be. The book is so sweet yet has its serious moments as well, and it tackles mental health in a honest way, dealing with depression, agoraphobia, and post-partum issues quite well.
"And I feel--something. I don't know what exactly. Alive. Buzzy. Like my blood is rushing with stars, with electricity."
Both Sam and Noelle lost someone early in their lives, and some parts of this book will hit hard if you lost a loved one in your early twenties--their grief feels so real and raw (also a trigger warning for suicide). Their lives have been changed by these deaths, as well as hanging on to relationships that may not be the best for them. Watching them bond is so heartwarming. This is such a romantic read, with excellent pieces of chemistry and sexual tension--it's so well-done and builds quite excellently. This isn't insta-love, but a good slow burn that feels passionate and honest.
Overall, I really loved this one. The romance is excellent, and the message of finding your way together when it was meant to be is beautiful. 4.5 stars.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Pretty Girls: A Novel in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Claire Scott leads a seemingly perfect life - she's beautiful and adored by her wealthy husband, Paul. However, Claire's life is shadowed by the disappearance of her eldest sister, Julia, over twenty years ago. Julia went missing while in college and was never seen again. In the aftermath, Claire lost not only Julia, but her other sister, Lydia, as the sisters have been estranged for years. As a result, Claire has clung to Paul and the comfort and security he provides . However, a new tragic event changes everything for Claire - and will eventually lead her to look at everything in her life differently, including Julia's disappearance and her relationship with Lydia.
I really enjoyed this novel - it's engaging and suspenseful: filled with twists and turns. Sometimes you see them coming and other times you don't. It's a quick read, but not a particularly light one - be prepared for a dark read. The book is raw, violent, and even heartbreaking at points. Most of the story unfolds from Julia and Claire's point of view, but we also hear a little bit from their father between chapters. As the novel progresses, we learn not only about the present day mystery (which is captivating) but what happened to their sister, Julia, so long ago.
The book's strength is that it presents not only a compelling and interesting mystery tale, but a chilling portrait of its characters, as well. You get a good look into the lives of Lydia and Claire and their own psychological motivations. It goes beyond a thriller into a story of parenthood and sisterhood. Frankly, as a parent, there are parts of this book that break my heart and made me want to never let my children out of my sight! But, truly, that was what made it so good - it deftly portrayed the evil that can befall them in the world.
Some of the plot points are a bit fantastical and it suffers from the trope where Claire and Paul Scott just have unlimited financial resources, but overall, I found this one fascinating. Definitely a worthy read.
I really enjoyed this novel - it's engaging and suspenseful: filled with twists and turns. Sometimes you see them coming and other times you don't. It's a quick read, but not a particularly light one - be prepared for a dark read. The book is raw, violent, and even heartbreaking at points. Most of the story unfolds from Julia and Claire's point of view, but we also hear a little bit from their father between chapters. As the novel progresses, we learn not only about the present day mystery (which is captivating) but what happened to their sister, Julia, so long ago.
The book's strength is that it presents not only a compelling and interesting mystery tale, but a chilling portrait of its characters, as well. You get a good look into the lives of Lydia and Claire and their own psychological motivations. It goes beyond a thriller into a story of parenthood and sisterhood. Frankly, as a parent, there are parts of this book that break my heart and made me want to never let my children out of my sight! But, truly, that was what made it so good - it deftly portrayed the evil that can befall them in the world.
Some of the plot points are a bit fantastical and it suffers from the trope where Claire and Paul Scott just have unlimited financial resources, but overall, I found this one fascinating. Definitely a worthy read.
Debbiereadsbook (1454 KP) rated Femme Faux Fatale (Dreamspun Desires #70) in Books
Nov 30, 2018
really rather enjoyed this
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Cain is hired by Ms Astor to find her husband, along with a Rodin statuette. But things don't add up to Cain, and he visits the club she works at to talk to her some more. Lily Lavender is on stage, and she pushes all kinds of buttons that Cain never knew he needed pushing. Riley, the man behind Lily, has a similar reaction to Cain. But Riley is keeping secrets, secrets that have gotten two people killed and Cain needs to know, if they are to get out of this alive.
I really rather enjoyed this!
It's got instant and powerful attraction, it's got steam and passion, it's got a nutty woman, it's got so many levels of secrets! It's deadly too.
Told from both Cain and Riley's point of view, in the third, so we get each and every reaction from both men. Reactions to each other, to the situation around them, to Riley's cross dressing and to Cain very unexpected reaction to that.
Loved Cain's reaction to Riley's cross dressing. It's clear Riley has been treated badly in the past because of that, but Cain is like, AND??? It's part of who Riley is, and Cain just takes it as it is, as Riley is. Cain does, admittedly, rather like Riley in his ladies knickers and stockings, so that helped!
There is a rather long winded conversation between Riley and Cain about pulp fiction and noir films (I think!) bit I got lost with that, mostly because I have no clue what they were talking about, so I glanced over that bit!
I did like the twist as to what was really in the statuettes, and where that led the plot, and just what Ms Astor had, rather that what she THOUGHT she had.
Not quite a one sitting read, but I did stay til after midnight to finish it, when I had a 6am get up!
I've read one other by Ms Laine, I'd like to read some more. She has a way of grabbing you and pulling you in.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Cain is hired by Ms Astor to find her husband, along with a Rodin statuette. But things don't add up to Cain, and he visits the club she works at to talk to her some more. Lily Lavender is on stage, and she pushes all kinds of buttons that Cain never knew he needed pushing. Riley, the man behind Lily, has a similar reaction to Cain. But Riley is keeping secrets, secrets that have gotten two people killed and Cain needs to know, if they are to get out of this alive.
I really rather enjoyed this!
It's got instant and powerful attraction, it's got steam and passion, it's got a nutty woman, it's got so many levels of secrets! It's deadly too.
Told from both Cain and Riley's point of view, in the third, so we get each and every reaction from both men. Reactions to each other, to the situation around them, to Riley's cross dressing and to Cain very unexpected reaction to that.
Loved Cain's reaction to Riley's cross dressing. It's clear Riley has been treated badly in the past because of that, but Cain is like, AND??? It's part of who Riley is, and Cain just takes it as it is, as Riley is. Cain does, admittedly, rather like Riley in his ladies knickers and stockings, so that helped!
There is a rather long winded conversation between Riley and Cain about pulp fiction and noir films (I think!) bit I got lost with that, mostly because I have no clue what they were talking about, so I glanced over that bit!
I did like the twist as to what was really in the statuettes, and where that led the plot, and just what Ms Astor had, rather that what she THOUGHT she had.
Not quite a one sitting read, but I did stay til after midnight to finish it, when I had a 6am get up!
I've read one other by Ms Laine, I'd like to read some more. She has a way of grabbing you and pulling you in.
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Into The Crooked Place (Into The Crooked Place #1) in Books
Nov 13, 2019
I wanted this book to be good, its a bit like when you bake a cake and you have all the finest ingredients and the baker is brilliant as well but just somehow it doesn't quite come out as good as one would hope.
The setting, the characters and the basic plot really does work. This is a book about organised crime in a post war world full of different races of people, some of whom who craft magic who have been all but wiped out, warriors who protected them and ordinary people all of whom sit underneath the organised crime of the kingpin and his underbosses. The story focuses on the underboss Wesley and his crew of strong female characters, the warrior Karam, the secret crafter Saxony and Tavia the busker who sells the boss' magic and all of whom are pretty good in a scrap.
The characters are well created and you can visualise them easily on the pages. The adventure they go on has you rooting for them and the world is an exciting one that does hold enormous potential to be lost in. It is all however a little too dragged out.
As you can see this is the first in the series and the book very much does just tell the first part of the adventure, which is full of magic, betrayal, violence and even some glimmers of romance and yes, it does get very exciting and page turning in some parts, but considering this is only part of the story it could have done with being 150 pages shorter than it was. It just all seemed far more drawn out than it needed to be and let it down slightly. Because of this I was pleased to reach the end instead of being excited to pick up the next part which is a shame because Christo has created characters and a world which deserve to be explored and travelled in. Lets hope Into the Crooked Place number 2 allows this to become the cake it should be.
The setting, the characters and the basic plot really does work. This is a book about organised crime in a post war world full of different races of people, some of whom who craft magic who have been all but wiped out, warriors who protected them and ordinary people all of whom sit underneath the organised crime of the kingpin and his underbosses. The story focuses on the underboss Wesley and his crew of strong female characters, the warrior Karam, the secret crafter Saxony and Tavia the busker who sells the boss' magic and all of whom are pretty good in a scrap.
The characters are well created and you can visualise them easily on the pages. The adventure they go on has you rooting for them and the world is an exciting one that does hold enormous potential to be lost in. It is all however a little too dragged out.
As you can see this is the first in the series and the book very much does just tell the first part of the adventure, which is full of magic, betrayal, violence and even some glimmers of romance and yes, it does get very exciting and page turning in some parts, but considering this is only part of the story it could have done with being 150 pages shorter than it was. It just all seemed far more drawn out than it needed to be and let it down slightly. Because of this I was pleased to reach the end instead of being excited to pick up the next part which is a shame because Christo has created characters and a world which deserve to be explored and travelled in. Lets hope Into the Crooked Place number 2 allows this to become the cake it should be.