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ClareR (6238 KP) rated The Sin Eater in Books
Oct 5, 2021
The Sin Eater is set in an alternative Elizabethan England, with so much attention to detail that it could be true! I mean, there WERE Sin Eaters, but in reality I don’t think their diets were as varied and rich-sounding. I had a google, and it seems as though some bread was left on a coffin for a Sin Eater to eat. Until, that is, the Church got involved. Sin Eating had to many Pagan connotations.
Each sin in this book has a different food, which is how 14yr old May Owens learns that something sinister is going on in the Queen’s court.
May can’t tell anyone what she knows. It’s a terrible punishment for a young girl: sentenced to a life of silence and ostracised by everyone - all because she stole bread to eat. Ok, she’ll never go hungry, but some of the combinations are pretty grim!
I really enjoyed reading about the travelling entertainers, and the homeless people who decide that living with a walking, breathing curse (May) is worth the risk when it’s cold outside.
This is a really atmospheric book, steeped in the sights, sounds and smells of a 16th Century England-type-place, and it ticked a lot of boxes for me as a historical fiction, occasional fantasy fan (amongst the other types of fiction!!)
Each sin in this book has a different food, which is how 14yr old May Owens learns that something sinister is going on in the Queen’s court.
May can’t tell anyone what she knows. It’s a terrible punishment for a young girl: sentenced to a life of silence and ostracised by everyone - all because she stole bread to eat. Ok, she’ll never go hungry, but some of the combinations are pretty grim!
I really enjoyed reading about the travelling entertainers, and the homeless people who decide that living with a walking, breathing curse (May) is worth the risk when it’s cold outside.
This is a really atmospheric book, steeped in the sights, sounds and smells of a 16th Century England-type-place, and it ticked a lot of boxes for me as a historical fiction, occasional fantasy fan (amongst the other types of fiction!!)
Opposed Desires (Rehoboth Pact #2)
9.0
Rate It
Book
Closet Romantic falling for the Hookup Queen? Never gonna happen… until one memorable vacation...
FF Contemporary Romance
Home of the Strange (Worldwalkers 1)
Book
Maddox is just trying to get by. Navigating a world that’s not built for people like him—people...
MM Near Future Semi-Apocalyptic Urban Fantasy Romance
ClareR (6238 KP) rated Hold Back the Night in Books
Jul 7, 2024
I’m still reeling from this book, and I read it about a month ago.
Hold Back the Night is set in 3 timelines:
1959, Annie and Ruth are training to be psychiatric nurses in an institution that believes they’re at the forefront of treatment. They learn to speed-shave and dress male patients, hold down women receiving ECT, and take part in conversion therapy for some male patients. “Conversion therapy” sounds pretty harmless, doesn’t it? In reality it wasn’t.
1983, Annie is widowed and bringing up her daughter, Rosie, alone. She meets a young man who is ill, and his friend. She learns that he has been evicted because he has HIV. Annie offers them a home and nursing care. Soon her home becomes a haven for infected, homeless, shunned boys. I think in the back of her mind, she knows she’s trying to make amends for her part in the conversion therapies she took part in.
Which brings us to the third timeline in 2020, and Covid.
There are some parallels to be drawn (uncertainty, fear), but this timeline wraps everything up together, and Annie faces up to her part in 1959.
I loved this book, and the way the timelines wove together really helped me to understand Annie and her reasons for doing just what she did - rightly or wrongly.
Definitely one of my books of the year.
Hold Back the Night is set in 3 timelines:
1959, Annie and Ruth are training to be psychiatric nurses in an institution that believes they’re at the forefront of treatment. They learn to speed-shave and dress male patients, hold down women receiving ECT, and take part in conversion therapy for some male patients. “Conversion therapy” sounds pretty harmless, doesn’t it? In reality it wasn’t.
1983, Annie is widowed and bringing up her daughter, Rosie, alone. She meets a young man who is ill, and his friend. She learns that he has been evicted because he has HIV. Annie offers them a home and nursing care. Soon her home becomes a haven for infected, homeless, shunned boys. I think in the back of her mind, she knows she’s trying to make amends for her part in the conversion therapies she took part in.
Which brings us to the third timeline in 2020, and Covid.
There are some parallels to be drawn (uncertainty, fear), but this timeline wraps everything up together, and Annie faces up to her part in 1959.
I loved this book, and the way the timelines wove together really helped me to understand Annie and her reasons for doing just what she did - rightly or wrongly.
Definitely one of my books of the year.
The Fugitive's Sword (Lord's Learning #1)
Book
Autumn 1624 Europe is deeply embroiled in what will become the Thirty Years' War. A young Philip...
Historical Adventure Series
Secrets of a Scottish Isle
8.0
Rate It
Book
Spirited American Jane Wunderly must investigate a secret society on an isolated isle off the...
Merissa (14027 KP) rated White Roses : A Fairytale Retold in Books
Oct 16, 2025
WHITE ROSES is a fairytale retelling set in a fantasy omegaverse. Briar is the omega, cursed to sleep for 5,000 years. Landon is the alpha who wakes her. Briar finds the world has changed just a little in the time she's been asleep.
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I love omegaverse stories and fantasy, so combining the two sounded perfect. In reality, I can't say as I did. Let me explain...
I found both characters to be rather bland, apart from Landon's alphahole qualities, which were there in abundance. If this is how mates are treated in this world, I'd sooner stay in mine. Prepare yourself for whiplash as the two of them go back and forth between s3x and not talking. I found the writing style to be quite disjointed and chunky, making my reading experience jarring. The best character in here was Elias, an 800-year-old fae, but he's only a supporting character. While the curse, the witch, and the dragons were all easily sorted.
The thought of putting Sleeping Beauty in a fantasy omegaverse is a good one, but for this book to shine, I think a lot more work needs to go into character development.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Oct 16, 2025
I really wanted to enjoy this book. I love omegaverse stories and fantasy, so combining the two sounded perfect. In reality, I can't say as I did. Let me explain...
I found both characters to be rather bland, apart from Landon's alphahole qualities, which were there in abundance. If this is how mates are treated in this world, I'd sooner stay in mine. Prepare yourself for whiplash as the two of them go back and forth between s3x and not talking. I found the writing style to be quite disjointed and chunky, making my reading experience jarring. The best character in here was Elias, an 800-year-old fae, but he's only a supporting character. While the curse, the witch, and the dragons were all easily sorted.
The thought of putting Sleeping Beauty in a fantasy omegaverse is a good one, but for this book to shine, I think a lot more work needs to go into character development.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Oct 16, 2025
ClareR (6238 KP) rated The Water Dancer in Books
Feb 9, 2023
The Water Dancer byTa-Nehisi Coates is a book of contradictions: a book beautifully written about a shameful time in history.
Hiram is taken away from his mother as a child when she is sold to another owner. When his feats of memory are recognised by his owner/ father, he is taken in to the big house and educated. As he gets older, all Hiram wants is to be free to choose his own life and to have his own family.
When Hiram runs away, he eventually finds himself involved with the Underground Railway. And that is where he learns to control his ability to “conduct” himself to different places to help people.
I love magical realism and the way it makes us think about the way the world works in reality, as opposed to how we’d all like it to work. Hiram’s ability to conduct himself immediately to another place takes all the risk out of capture, the miles of struggle and needing to stay hidden. Of course, Hiram only gets to this stage after he experiences the trauma and inhumanity of being caught by the slave catchers himself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this - I listened on audiobook, and the narrator Joe Morton was amazing. Especially his singing - his voice just brought the characters to life.
A fabulous novel.
Hiram is taken away from his mother as a child when she is sold to another owner. When his feats of memory are recognised by his owner/ father, he is taken in to the big house and educated. As he gets older, all Hiram wants is to be free to choose his own life and to have his own family.
When Hiram runs away, he eventually finds himself involved with the Underground Railway. And that is where he learns to control his ability to “conduct” himself to different places to help people.
I love magical realism and the way it makes us think about the way the world works in reality, as opposed to how we’d all like it to work. Hiram’s ability to conduct himself immediately to another place takes all the risk out of capture, the miles of struggle and needing to stay hidden. Of course, Hiram only gets to this stage after he experiences the trauma and inhumanity of being caught by the slave catchers himself.
I thoroughly enjoyed this - I listened on audiobook, and the narrator Joe Morton was amazing. Especially his singing - his voice just brought the characters to life.
A fabulous novel.
Merissa (14027 KP) rated Delirium (Reveler #6) in Books
May 8, 2021 (Updated Apr 12, 2023)
This series just keeps on getting better and better. It is intricate, involved, unique from my perspective and absolutely gripping. The concept behind these books is a fantasy, some might say, but Erin Kellison has made it a reality within her stories. They are all incredibly well-written with a smooth story and no plot holes.
Delirium is mainly about Harlen's new job in the Darkside Division which will mean absolutely nothing to you unless you've read the previous books in this series. You NEED to read these in order for it to make sense and to gain the most enjoyment out of them. There is major intrigue in this as no one is who they appear to be and you can't trust anyone.
This is gripping stuff and it does come complete with a cliffhanger ending so fair warning. If you want a short read that is paranormal but not full of vampires or shifters, then I can highly recommend this to you. Start at book 1 and gain the maximum enjoyment out of this magnificent series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 13, 2015
Delirium is mainly about Harlen's new job in the Darkside Division which will mean absolutely nothing to you unless you've read the previous books in this series. You NEED to read these in order for it to make sense and to gain the most enjoyment out of them. There is major intrigue in this as no one is who they appear to be and you can't trust anyone.
This is gripping stuff and it does come complete with a cliffhanger ending so fair warning. If you want a short read that is paranormal but not full of vampires or shifters, then I can highly recommend this to you. Start at book 1 and gain the maximum enjoyment out of this magnificent series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 13, 2015
Merissa (14027 KP) rated His Holiday Fate (Christmas Omegas) in Books
Dec 10, 2023
HIS HOLIDAY FATE is part of the Christmas Omegas series and features Andrew and Dylan. Andrew has been hurt on Christmas Day in the past. To heal himself, he threw himself into work. Dylan is an omega with alpha traits. He is a businessman and an extrovert, he doesn't want to be a house-husband. No, he has his own things to do. It was so much fun when these two met!
This is a low angst, funny, warm, and spicy story about two people who, at first glance, may seem opposites, but in reality, have more in common than they realise. The biggest thing they have in common is that they both want the other to be happy and are willing to do things that might not necessarily be high on their list of things to do. I loved both of these characters equally, as well as the nicknames they had for each other!
This was a great seasonal read where I was rooting for the two from the get-go and loved being a part of their courtship/relationship. A brilliant read that I definitely recommend.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 9, 2023
This is a low angst, funny, warm, and spicy story about two people who, at first glance, may seem opposites, but in reality, have more in common than they realise. The biggest thing they have in common is that they both want the other to be happy and are willing to do things that might not necessarily be high on their list of things to do. I loved both of these characters equally, as well as the nicknames they had for each other!
This was a great seasonal read where I was rooting for the two from the get-go and loved being a part of their courtship/relationship. A brilliant read that I definitely recommend.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 9, 2023