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Lou Grande (148 KP) rated Robbie Riverton: Mail Order Bride in Books
Jun 9, 2018
Dumb title, awful art, but good book
Please don't judge this book by its atrocious cover. As a kid, I read all of my older sister's romance novels--Jude Devereaux, Judith McNaught, et cetera--but as a sentimental gay dude, there was a lot that didn't hit home for me. This is my first gay historical romance, and I really liked it. It has about the same amount of depth you would expect from a heterosexual romance novels (which is to say, not much), but it was no less an enjoyable read. I'm glad that Easton didn't rely on angst to further the story, but actually gave us a story that stands in its own two legs.
I admit that I was nervous going into the more erotic scenes. It's kind of a thorny issue, with Easton being a woman and describing an entirely male act. But they were surprisingly realistic (for a romance novel). That said, they didn't exactly light my fire, but they weren't "boobs feel like bags of sand" either. Nice, middle of the road. It's clear the focus is on the relationship, not sex, though she acknowledges the strong sexual intensity that (sometimes) manifests between men.
Just, please, Easton, if you read these at all, do something about the cover art. The title is a little hokey too. It made me underestimate your talent.
I admit that I was nervous going into the more erotic scenes. It's kind of a thorny issue, with Easton being a woman and describing an entirely male act. But they were surprisingly realistic (for a romance novel). That said, they didn't exactly light my fire, but they weren't "boobs feel like bags of sand" either. Nice, middle of the road. It's clear the focus is on the relationship, not sex, though she acknowledges the strong sexual intensity that (sometimes) manifests between men.
Just, please, Easton, if you read these at all, do something about the cover art. The title is a little hokey too. It made me underestimate your talent.
Gail (4 KP) rated An Exaltation of Larks (Venery, #1) in Books
Jun 4, 2018
What a confusingly beautiful story. The beginning was my favorite. How the Author wrote these characters into life. The characters where given more than just another story. They were given true life. No life is perfect we have ups and downs. We just learn to navigate it better. I wasn’t a fan of how everything went down. But it was beautiful in it’s tragedy. Alex and Val have been destined for each other from the first time they didn’t let language be a problem. I loved reading their story and how they found each other after years of pushed aside affection. You add in Jav and things get really hot. I wasn’t expecting the ending but I am glad it ended the way it did. I would’ve had a hard time accepting their relationship when Jav didn’t want Val too just Alex. I see them as a packaged deal and Jav and Alex broke it. Val was amazing like I couldn’t cope with the thought of someone else loving my man. But she was so understanding and brave to try and make everyone happy. I think if they crossed that line anymore relationships would’ve been lost. Not saying it wouldn’t work just that someone would’ve been hurt and it would be Val. Love is a powerful and painful thing.
Merissa (13100 KP) rated Edge Jump in Books
Jul 7, 2018
Edge Jump by Elizabeth Noble
Edge Jump starts off with the death of Brett's sister, who is also Rylan's skating partner. The police are treating it as an attempted mugging. Brett wants answers, and hopes Rylan can provide at least some of them. When they meet up with each other again, neither of them wants to deny the attraction. Making their relationship work though, proves more difficult due to outside forces than either of them imagined.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and found it to be very well written. Rylan is new to 'the scene', but already knows what he wants. Brett is scared at the thought of having a 'forever' someone, but isn't able to stop moving forward with Rylan. The mystery side of it wasn't that mysterious, but I still enjoyed it. I couldn't quite understand the culmination of the mystery (without giving anything away) as I don't see how they could have got away with it, but nevermind.
With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, this was a great M_M romance, and I would have no hesitation in recommending it.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and found it to be very well written. Rylan is new to 'the scene', but already knows what he wants. Brett is scared at the thought of having a 'forever' someone, but isn't able to stop moving forward with Rylan. The mystery side of it wasn't that mysterious, but I still enjoyed it. I couldn't quite understand the culmination of the mystery (without giving anything away) as I don't see how they could have got away with it, but nevermind.
With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, this was a great M_M romance, and I would have no hesitation in recommending it.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Lindsay (1774 KP) rated The Bridesmaid (Home to Hickory Hollow, #2) in Books
Aug 30, 2018
Note: I won this book Though LibraryThing Early Reviewers for my Honest Review.
This book is about Joanna and her struggles and a bit about Hickory Hallows. I really enjoy this book though the eyes of Joanna. There some so strange about how it starts and ends. She so want to be a wife and mother and waiting for her special someone.
Eben is happens to run into her while they are at the Virginia Beach for Joanna great, great Uncle funeral. Thought Eben has is struggles at home in Indiana. What he has a dilemma and he so love a girl. Will they get what they both want in terms of each other?
They both have their struggles. Joanna struggles with Eben is mean for her or not. Joanna has to work something out while in Hickory Hallow and Eben has to work though his delimma with is family and brother and his family farm.
The book tell you about keeping your faith in the Lord, and teach about separation along with long distance Relationship and that you may need to give a little sometimes. Though I would rather you read this for yourself and decide if this is what you get when you are reading it. I would recommend it folks to read if they enjoy fiction and or Amish. You choose for yourselves.
This book is about Joanna and her struggles and a bit about Hickory Hallows. I really enjoy this book though the eyes of Joanna. There some so strange about how it starts and ends. She so want to be a wife and mother and waiting for her special someone.
Eben is happens to run into her while they are at the Virginia Beach for Joanna great, great Uncle funeral. Thought Eben has is struggles at home in Indiana. What he has a dilemma and he so love a girl. Will they get what they both want in terms of each other?
They both have their struggles. Joanna struggles with Eben is mean for her or not. Joanna has to work something out while in Hickory Hallow and Eben has to work though his delimma with is family and brother and his family farm.
The book tell you about keeping your faith in the Lord, and teach about separation along with long distance Relationship and that you may need to give a little sometimes. Though I would rather you read this for yourself and decide if this is what you get when you are reading it. I would recommend it folks to read if they enjoy fiction and or Amish. You choose for yourselves.
ClareR (5911 KP) rated The Queen Of Bloody Everything in Books
Sep 9, 2018
A challenging mother/ daughter relationship.
This starts in 1976 and really captures the feelings and experiences of someone growing up through the 1970s and 1980s in the UK. There are so many familiar cultural references: from Margaret Thatcher to Mivvi ice lollies.
I listened to this through Audible, and I think the narrator was exactly the right choice. Dido, the main character, starts off as a six year old in 1976. We follow her through a difficult childhood with her single, bohemian, hard and fast living mother, Edie, in a very conservative small town. There are times where I wondered who the adult actually was. There is no doubt that Dido loves her mother no matter how difficult she is, but it's also evident that she is largely responsible for the direction that Dido's life takes. Dido is mainly cared for by the Trevelyans, who she meets on the day she and her mother move in to the house left to Edie in her aunts will. Mrs Trevelyan is clearly disapproving of Edie (as are a lot of people in their small town). Dido attempts to become part of the Trevelyan family, and she does succeed in time.
I loved all of these characters and the way their lives played out, and I think the use of the first person narrative was really effective. A really lovely book.
I listened to this through Audible, and I think the narrator was exactly the right choice. Dido, the main character, starts off as a six year old in 1976. We follow her through a difficult childhood with her single, bohemian, hard and fast living mother, Edie, in a very conservative small town. There are times where I wondered who the adult actually was. There is no doubt that Dido loves her mother no matter how difficult she is, but it's also evident that she is largely responsible for the direction that Dido's life takes. Dido is mainly cared for by the Trevelyans, who she meets on the day she and her mother move in to the house left to Edie in her aunts will. Mrs Trevelyan is clearly disapproving of Edie (as are a lot of people in their small town). Dido attempts to become part of the Trevelyan family, and she does succeed in time.
I loved all of these characters and the way their lives played out, and I think the use of the first person narrative was really effective. A really lovely book.
Joelene Marie (28 KP) rated The Heir and the Spare in Books
Oct 1, 2018
2.5 stars really but had to round up. I had high expectations for this book. It sounded like the royal we, which I loved, with a bit of mystery thrown in. While it was very similar to the royal we the mystery bit was way too easy to figure out very early on. I didn't like how it jumped around with no lead in or anything to let you know. I also thought it was way too short at 242 pages (nook app). The entire story was horribly underdeveloped. The author could have done so much more both with the characters, who were fairly one dimensional and flat with no real development, and the plot. The back and forth between evie and Edmund got old fast, their relationship could have used more challenges besides the same thing over and over. Would have been nice to see some exploration of the other characters, namely the gang of friends evie and Edmund shared as well as her mother and grandmother. The quest to uncover the family mystery/secret was far too simple. The ending felt rushed. It was just a general disappointment that could have been a great story had the author only taken a little more time to flesh it out. Definitely not worth the $10.99 I paid for it :(
Merissa (13100 KP) rated Scion's Redemption (Seven Seals #4) in Books
Oct 19, 2018
Scion's Redemption (Seven Seals #4) by Traci Douglass
Scion's Redemption is the fourth book in the Seven Seals series, and this time we focus on Luther, and his Seal, Thana.
Luther is completely against having a relationship with his Seal, even though he knows others have. He wishes them well, but he doesn't want that for himself. However, this latest incarnation of the Seal is giving him trouble. Keeping a distance is no longer as easy as it once was. Thana is intrigued by Luther, even more so when she has to face up to what he is. She is drawn into a world far beyond her understanding, and yet manages to find her feet.
This was a wonderful addition to the series, and in my opinion, better than book 3. I don't know if this book was longer than the others, but the pacing was perfect, building up to the climax with ease. We get cameo appearances from the other Scions, and find out more about what is happening, or has happened!
I am loving this series, and am looking forward to the next book. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Luther is completely against having a relationship with his Seal, even though he knows others have. He wishes them well, but he doesn't want that for himself. However, this latest incarnation of the Seal is giving him trouble. Keeping a distance is no longer as easy as it once was. Thana is intrigued by Luther, even more so when she has to face up to what he is. She is drawn into a world far beyond her understanding, and yet manages to find her feet.
This was a wonderful addition to the series, and in my opinion, better than book 3. I don't know if this book was longer than the others, but the pacing was perfect, building up to the climax with ease. We get cameo appearances from the other Scions, and find out more about what is happening, or has happened!
I am loving this series, and am looking forward to the next book. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
2 and a half star rating rounded up.
I love reading books about dogs as I just love animals and I find most of the stories heartwarming and inspirational.
This was an ok read, I did enjoy parts of it but in other parts it grated on me...quite a lot.
From reading the book's description you know it's going to be a very emotional read and at the start of the book you are made aware of the death of Muffin. This means that throughout the whole book you are awaiting the inevitable which, for me, left me a bit emotionally detatched as I was continually expecting that bomb to be dropped at any moment.
The constantly shifting timeline made this book somewhat difficult to read as it just made it a bit of a mess, it felt like it wasn't planned or thought out very well and it definitely lacked structure. Another problem for me was the author's relationship to Muffin, I was constantly questioning it. In some parts Muffin is the back bone of the family but in other parts Muffin is referred to as 'The Dog', that, to me, seems a bit cold towards a much loved family pet. I added a star just because I enjoy reading about animals and Muffin sounded like a wonderful companion.
I love reading books about dogs as I just love animals and I find most of the stories heartwarming and inspirational.
This was an ok read, I did enjoy parts of it but in other parts it grated on me...quite a lot.
From reading the book's description you know it's going to be a very emotional read and at the start of the book you are made aware of the death of Muffin. This means that throughout the whole book you are awaiting the inevitable which, for me, left me a bit emotionally detatched as I was continually expecting that bomb to be dropped at any moment.
The constantly shifting timeline made this book somewhat difficult to read as it just made it a bit of a mess, it felt like it wasn't planned or thought out very well and it definitely lacked structure. Another problem for me was the author's relationship to Muffin, I was constantly questioning it. In some parts Muffin is the back bone of the family but in other parts Muffin is referred to as 'The Dog', that, to me, seems a bit cold towards a much loved family pet. I added a star just because I enjoy reading about animals and Muffin sounded like a wonderful companion.
Merissa (13100 KP) rated Picture this (Birds of a Feather #3) in Books
Dec 5, 2018
Picture this (Birds of a Feather #3) by Lena North
Picture This is the third book in the Birds of a Feather series, and we find out more about Mary. At the beginning of the story, she is with Kit, but you can see immediately that it is going nowhere. Mary yearns for that 'catch your breath when you see them' relationship that her friends all have. She knows she won't get that from Kit so she breaks it off with him. On her way home, Mary is kidnapped and held hostage. When she is rescued, feelings begin to show.
I loved how this book was written. Mary may be younger than *** (I won't say who because it doesn't say in the blurb and I don't want to ruin it!), but she certainly isn't immature. I thought how she handled situations that would have been stressful for anyone was brilliant. Mary knows what she is, what she wants, and isn't afraid of hard work to ensure it happens. She also isn't a doormat!
With the full cast of characters, you get more insight into all of them, whilst still maintaining the focus on the main ones. Absolutely brilliant addition to the series. I loved it, and have no hesitation in recommending it!
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I loved how this book was written. Mary may be younger than *** (I won't say who because it doesn't say in the blurb and I don't want to ruin it!), but she certainly isn't immature. I thought how she handled situations that would have been stressful for anyone was brilliant. Mary knows what she is, what she wants, and isn't afraid of hard work to ensure it happens. She also isn't a doormat!
With the full cast of characters, you get more insight into all of them, whilst still maintaining the focus on the main ones. Absolutely brilliant addition to the series. I loved it, and have no hesitation in recommending it!
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Michael Packner (32 KP) rated Jurassic World (2015) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Returns a sense of wonder to the franchise. (5 more)
Brilliantly adresses plotholes and minor issues from previous installments.
Takes the next logical step in the series.
High quality dinosaur action.
New dinosaurs we haven't seen before.
Chris Pratt
This, at least in my opinion, is the second best film in the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World series. Just like the original, this installment returns that sense of wonder to the series by returning to the park setting. The dinosaurs are an attraction again rather than just dinosaurs living in the wild. People come from all over to see them and this time they've created a new species, the Indominus Rex. Sure it's corny, but the film acknowledges that and also plays on the fact that hybrid dinosaurs were the next logical step. I like the fact too that now that dinosaurs are no longer a new novelty in this universe that people have figured out it makes sense to train some of these animals from birth, hence the relationship between Owen and his Raptors. I like that if you're paying attention, you'll notice the film adresses plot holes from the previous films, especially the first one. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it. In my opinion this is the sequel we deserved from the very beginning.