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Survaine (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #6)
8.0
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He made her promise to wait for him… Years after convincing a mysterious young woman not to...
Romantic Suspense Paranormal
Merissa (13852 KP) rated Oh Buoy (Voyagers #1) in Books
Jun 5, 2023
OH BUOY is the first book in the Voyagers series and we start with a really cute couple! Both of them have issues to contend with, but both of them also realise just how special things are between them. It starts with Drew getting soaked by one of the deckhands. Sarcasm abounds before he realises that is actually his billionaire boss.
Drew and Rowan make a fantastic couple, even if they can't actually relax for the majority of the book. The tender moments they share make it sheer bliss for a hopeless romantic like me. They are ably supported by a cast of top-notch characters, some of whom I already know have their own stories to come and I honestly can't wait.
This is a sweet and sexy read with low angst. Absolutely perfect for what I needed right now and would definitely be on my list of summer reads! With plenty of character- and world-building, this book was delightful and I can't wait to continue the series. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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!
Jun 5, 2023
Drew and Rowan make a fantastic couple, even if they can't actually relax for the majority of the book. The tender moments they share make it sheer bliss for a hopeless romantic like me. They are ably supported by a cast of top-notch characters, some of whom I already know have their own stories to come and I honestly can't wait.
This is a sweet and sexy read with low angst. Absolutely perfect for what I needed right now and would definitely be on my list of summer reads! With plenty of character- and world-building, this book was delightful and I can't wait to continue the series. Definitely recommended by me.
** 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!
Jun 5, 2023
Comforting the Grump (Forestville Silver Foxes #5)
8.0
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I don’t do emotions or romantic entanglements. My life is simple: I work hard and I play hard,...
Contemporary MM Romance Series
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2506 KP) rated Locked in Pursuit in Books
Feb 26, 2026 (Updated Feb 26, 2026)
You’ll be Locked into These Pages
It’s been three months since Ellie McDonnell’s last mission with the Major Ramsey, a mission that turned dark. It’s now January of 1941, and Ellie sees an article in the paper about a robbery that feels wrong to her. Something is off, especially when none of her contacts have heard anything about it. Ramsey takes her concern seriously enough to uncover two other odd robberies. The connection? The victims were on a recent flight from Lisbon. What or who was on that plane? Can Ellie and Ramsey get the prize first?
This series has some strong ongoing storylines, so you’ll want to be up to date before you pick up this book. Especially since the early part of the novel spends time on those storylines. That part was a little contemplative for my taste, but things do pick up as the new adventure kicks into high gear. I’m still not a fan of the romantic triangle, but I did enjoy the new story and a character we met along the way. The regulars were charming, too. This book sets up the final book with a couple of cliffhangers, and I really can’t wait to find out what is going to happen next. Fans will enjoy this next chapter in Ellie’s life.
This series has some strong ongoing storylines, so you’ll want to be up to date before you pick up this book. Especially since the early part of the novel spends time on those storylines. That part was a little contemplative for my taste, but things do pick up as the new adventure kicks into high gear. I’m still not a fan of the romantic triangle, but I did enjoy the new story and a character we met along the way. The regulars were charming, too. This book sets up the final book with a couple of cliffhangers, and I really can’t wait to find out what is going to happen next. Fans will enjoy this next chapter in Ellie’s life.
Merissa (13852 KP) rated His Marked Omega (Beguiled Omegas) in Books
Feb 23, 2026
HIS MARKED OMEGA is the fourth book in the Beguiled Omegas series, although you can read it as a standalone.
Oberon King is known as the Purse of the White Frost, while Fenrir is simply known as Wolf. Fen has lived for many years as a Product of The Wardrobe, and has one final mission before his mistress, Michelle, says he will be claimed as Pack. Of course, you know it's not going to be straightforward!
I loved the back and forth between our two MCs, complete with their cheesy romantic one-liners and the dad jokes. That was balanced by Fenrir's heartbreaking backstory that came out in dribs and drabs. They are ably supported by a host of characters, some of whom I've heard of or met in previous books.
This is a dark romance, so it does come with trigger warnings. Please read to ensure it's safe for you. I personally didn't think it was too bad, but that's me. Use your judgment for your own mental health.
A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
** 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!
Feb 23, 2026
Oberon King is known as the Purse of the White Frost, while Fenrir is simply known as Wolf. Fen has lived for many years as a Product of The Wardrobe, and has one final mission before his mistress, Michelle, says he will be claimed as Pack. Of course, you know it's not going to be straightforward!
I loved the back and forth between our two MCs, complete with their cheesy romantic one-liners and the dad jokes. That was balanced by Fenrir's heartbreaking backstory that came out in dribs and drabs. They are ably supported by a host of characters, some of whom I've heard of or met in previous books.
This is a dark romance, so it does come with trigger warnings. Please read to ensure it's safe for you. I personally didn't think it was too bad, but that's me. Use your judgment for your own mental health.
A great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.
** 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!
Feb 23, 2026
The Beauty and His Beast
10.0
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Everild, known far and wide as the Beast, is a warrior of unparalleled ferocity, revered by the king...
Fairytale Retelling MM Fantasy Romance
Merissa (13852 KP) rated Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions in Books
May 28, 2025
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF BAD DECISIONS is a long-a$$ contemporary story that will have you rooting for the MCs from the get-go. Alex is an incorrigible flirt who hides behind a multitude of masks, while George is the one who has perfected a blank mask.
Their romance takes place during just over a week, but trust me, your emotions will go up hill and down dale as their story sweeps you along. These two are perfect in every way for each other. There are HOT and spicy moments, romantic moments, snarky moments, and then my-eyes-are-leaking moments. Plus, there is lots of caretaking, which is one of my not-so-guilty pleasures. And it is so well written, you won't even notice how long it is!
With a whole host of supporting characters, I was ecstatic to find out Joe will have his own story. I'm hoping to meet up again with the characters here, especially George and Alex, to find out if all their dreams are coming true. Absolutely fantastic and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY ME.
** 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!
May 28, 2025
Their romance takes place during just over a week, but trust me, your emotions will go up hill and down dale as their story sweeps you along. These two are perfect in every way for each other. There are HOT and spicy moments, romantic moments, snarky moments, and then my-eyes-are-leaking moments. Plus, there is lots of caretaking, which is one of my not-so-guilty pleasures. And it is so well written, you won't even notice how long it is!
With a whole host of supporting characters, I was ecstatic to find out Joe will have his own story. I'm hoping to meet up again with the characters here, especially George and Alex, to find out if all their dreams are coming true. Absolutely fantastic and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY ME.
** 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!
May 28, 2025
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink (Pilgrims, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
I liked Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink. For the most part, it was a good read. There was only one thing that I didn't particularly like, but it was a pretty large part.
The good:
-The plot was fun. I enjoyed the storyline, the twists and turns, and the ending. Some of it I saw coming, some of it I didn't—but even when I expected it, I enjoyed seeing it work out.
-The characters: Dev (Libby's extremely gay friend) was fabulous in every sense of the word. If he were real, he'd be my buddy, even though he'd be constantly criticizing my shoes. Garrett, the reporter, is so nerd-tastic that I literally geeked out when he was introduced. Cam's romantic side was the hero every girl dreams about.
-The relationship progression: I knew from the get-go that Cam was going to be the greasy sleazy character that charms the girls but is really a jerk, and that Garrett was going to be the awesome-sauce hero. But when Libby first meets the characters, the reader perceives them just like she does: that Cam was a Shakespeare-quoting flower-throwing romantic, and Garrett was a nerd (again, I liked him more from the beginning anyway). The transition happened so slowly and flawlessly that I didn't see it happen, it just did.
-I've lead camps before. They're so much fun. Strohm nailed it! I loved the little girls! Ah for those scenes I totally wanted to be Libby.
-The writing was totally great. It felt like a teen's interior monologue, it was witty, fun, clear, and easy to read. It was perfect for the genre.
-The ending was pretty darn perfect. I liked what Libby learned, and how she changed. If the character hasn't changed from the beginning of the book to the end, nothing happened! The change was good. All in all the whole book was pretty cute.
The only not-so-good thing:
-I couldn't figure Libby out. Why doesn't she watch Battlestar Galactica or play Assassin's Creed? (That would totally be her thing. I bet after this story ends she turns into a total geek.) Libby was somewhat contradictory. She seemed to have a pretty clear view of right and wrong, and she was smart, but she didn't pick up on things that were blatantly obvious (trying to keep it spoiler-free here).
When there is only one not-so-good thing in the whole book, usually I'll rate it pretty high. But when the only not-so-good thing in the whole book is the main character? The whole way through reading this I kept thinking "Libby, what the heck are you thinking?" and she kind of annoyed me. I liked her, but again, her character seemed conflicting.
All in all, I enjoyed Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink, and would still recommend it for a fun quick light read.
Content/Recommendation: Little language, few references to sex. Ages 14+
The good:
-The plot was fun. I enjoyed the storyline, the twists and turns, and the ending. Some of it I saw coming, some of it I didn't—but even when I expected it, I enjoyed seeing it work out.
-The characters: Dev (Libby's extremely gay friend) was fabulous in every sense of the word. If he were real, he'd be my buddy, even though he'd be constantly criticizing my shoes. Garrett, the reporter, is so nerd-tastic that I literally geeked out when he was introduced. Cam's romantic side was the hero every girl dreams about.
-The relationship progression: I knew from the get-go that Cam was going to be the greasy sleazy character that charms the girls but is really a jerk, and that Garrett was going to be the awesome-sauce hero. But when Libby first meets the characters, the reader perceives them just like she does: that Cam was a Shakespeare-quoting flower-throwing romantic, and Garrett was a nerd (again, I liked him more from the beginning anyway). The transition happened so slowly and flawlessly that I didn't see it happen, it just did.
-I've lead camps before. They're so much fun. Strohm nailed it! I loved the little girls! Ah for those scenes I totally wanted to be Libby.
-The writing was totally great. It felt like a teen's interior monologue, it was witty, fun, clear, and easy to read. It was perfect for the genre.
-The ending was pretty darn perfect. I liked what Libby learned, and how she changed. If the character hasn't changed from the beginning of the book to the end, nothing happened! The change was good. All in all the whole book was pretty cute.
The only not-so-good thing:
-I couldn't figure Libby out. Why doesn't she watch Battlestar Galactica or play Assassin's Creed? (That would totally be her thing. I bet after this story ends she turns into a total geek.) Libby was somewhat contradictory. She seemed to have a pretty clear view of right and wrong, and she was smart, but she didn't pick up on things that were blatantly obvious (trying to keep it spoiler-free here).
When there is only one not-so-good thing in the whole book, usually I'll rate it pretty high. But when the only not-so-good thing in the whole book is the main character? The whole way through reading this I kept thinking "Libby, what the heck are you thinking?" and she kind of annoyed me. I liked her, but again, her character seemed conflicting.
All in all, I enjoyed Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink, and would still recommend it for a fun quick light read.
Content/Recommendation: Little language, few references to sex. Ages 14+
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated All Is Fair in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<h2><em><strong>All is Fair</strong></em><strong> by Dee Garretson promises an adventure.</strong></h2>
The beginning of <em>All is Fair</em> promises a fun, action-packed adventure, set in World War I with badass females being involved in espionage. After Mina receives a telegram from her father at her boarding school and decrypts the message, she heads home to find her friend Andrew with an American named Lucas.
<h2><strong>It's a little predictable, but also fun.</strong></h2>
<em>All is Fair</em> starts off great and I loved seeing Mina decrypting her father's message at school. I also loved seeing this play a role later on when Mina has to join Lucas on his mission so he could succeed.
But Garretson's novel is relatively predictable as I called some of the twists before they happened. While this may suck out of the fun for some people, I found myself letting the easy predictions slide as I enjoyed other aspects of the story.
<h2><strong>Slow at the beginning.</strong></h2>
After the promising intro and beginning when we are introduced to Mina and learn a little about her, the story dies down. <em>All is Fair</em> becomes slow and we focus a lot on the aristocratic life in the early 20th century before we get to the action-packed part of the story. I found myself stepping away frequently until then because I was just <em>bored</em> despite the character interactions.
<h2><strong>Characters and interactions are great, romance unnecessary</strong></h2>
I'm a huge character person - if there's a character or two that I enjoy reading, I'll likely let other problems (if any) I have slide. And I adored Mina. From the beginning, she's wanted to go on an adventure but rarely gets the opportunity until something happens and she takes the chance. Her interactions with Lucas are amusing and there is <em>quite</em> the shade being thrown between the two (I love me some good shade).
But the romance wasn't necessary to the story. It felt suddenly thrown in near the end just to have a romantic aspect of sorts. <em>All is Fair</em> would have been perfectly fine with the friendship and occasional shade being thrown about.
<h2><strong>We have an open ending.</strong></h2>
<em>All is Fair</em> leaves an open ending that promises of a possible sequel that could potentially happen. Even if there is no sequel, though, the story wrapped up nicely. My only issue aside from the unnecessary romantic aspect is the boring beginning readers will have to drag themselves through to get to the action-packed adventure.
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/all-is-fair-by-dee-garretson/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<h2><em><strong>All is Fair</strong></em><strong> by Dee Garretson promises an adventure.</strong></h2>
The beginning of <em>All is Fair</em> promises a fun, action-packed adventure, set in World War I with badass females being involved in espionage. After Mina receives a telegram from her father at her boarding school and decrypts the message, she heads home to find her friend Andrew with an American named Lucas.
<h2><strong>It's a little predictable, but also fun.</strong></h2>
<em>All is Fair</em> starts off great and I loved seeing Mina decrypting her father's message at school. I also loved seeing this play a role later on when Mina has to join Lucas on his mission so he could succeed.
But Garretson's novel is relatively predictable as I called some of the twists before they happened. While this may suck out of the fun for some people, I found myself letting the easy predictions slide as I enjoyed other aspects of the story.
<h2><strong>Slow at the beginning.</strong></h2>
After the promising intro and beginning when we are introduced to Mina and learn a little about her, the story dies down. <em>All is Fair</em> becomes slow and we focus a lot on the aristocratic life in the early 20th century before we get to the action-packed part of the story. I found myself stepping away frequently until then because I was just <em>bored</em> despite the character interactions.
<h2><strong>Characters and interactions are great, romance unnecessary</strong></h2>
I'm a huge character person - if there's a character or two that I enjoy reading, I'll likely let other problems (if any) I have slide. And I adored Mina. From the beginning, she's wanted to go on an adventure but rarely gets the opportunity until something happens and she takes the chance. Her interactions with Lucas are amusing and there is <em>quite</em> the shade being thrown between the two (I love me some good shade).
But the romance wasn't necessary to the story. It felt suddenly thrown in near the end just to have a romantic aspect of sorts. <em>All is Fair</em> would have been perfectly fine with the friendship and occasional shade being thrown about.
<h2><strong>We have an open ending.</strong></h2>
<em>All is Fair</em> leaves an open ending that promises of a possible sequel that could potentially happen. Even if there is no sequel, though, the story wrapped up nicely. My only issue aside from the unnecessary romantic aspect is the boring beginning readers will have to drag themselves through to get to the action-packed adventure.
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/all-is-fair-by-dee-garretson/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
As a fan of the Pride and Prejudice book by Jane Austen, I thought it was all kinds of wrong when I came across the parody novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Seth Grahame-Smith, that essentially Austen’s classic novel with elements of modern zombie fiction. Mainly because I’m not a fan of horror movies. So as we approached the theater where we were screening Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, I told my husband, “I really don’t want to watch this. I hate zombies.” He just laughed. “You hate zombies, but you watch Walking Dead. Just pretend it’s an episode of Walking dead. Just set near the Victorian era.” I admit, I do watch the Walking Dead but it’s the most stressful hour of television for me, and there are commercial breaks. This movie has a running time for this move was almost 2 hrs with no commercials.
But the movie got a giggle out of me in the first 5 minutes. And of course it made me gasp not long after. But Walking Dead has trained me well, and it wasn’t too long ago that I watched Hateful Eight, so I think I’m quite desensitized to blood and gore now, and in comparison, PPZ was relatively mild in that regard. It also had enough of the elements of the original story that fighting zombies actually became an entertaining digression. You know – beautiful young ladies, dashing young men, ballroom dancing, budding romance, zombie attack.
“To succeed in polite society, a young woman must be many things. Kind… well-read… and accomplished. But to survive in the world as WE know it, you’ll need… other qualities.” Those qualities include being skilled in the martial arts and weapons training, while wearing a corset –essentially making them Regency era bad-asses.
Because I don’t watch Downton Abbey, the last time I saw Lily James, who plays Elizabeth Bennett, she was brilliantly blond and sweetly keeping her promise to her mother to “have courage and be kind.” as Cinderella. In PPZ, she’s a fierce brunette who doesn’t take too kindly to Fitzwilliam Darcy, played by a sullen and haughty Sam Riley – another Disney alum, last seen as Diaval, Maleficent’s companion raven.
Where the Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy is won over by Elizbeth’s charm and wit, PPZ’s Darcy is slowly won over by Elizabeth’s aggressive and bold battle skills. Adding the alternate history of how zombies came to be a part of Regency era England hurried the story along, so the romantic developments felt a bit rushed, but Riley’s Darcy was quite believable in his reluctant but growing admiration of Elizabeth.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie, zombies and all. When you can get guys to cheer for some undead’s head getting blown off, and still make the ladies sigh for the romance, you have a pretty perfect date movie. It may very well be my favorite period costume romantic zombie action film.
But the movie got a giggle out of me in the first 5 minutes. And of course it made me gasp not long after. But Walking Dead has trained me well, and it wasn’t too long ago that I watched Hateful Eight, so I think I’m quite desensitized to blood and gore now, and in comparison, PPZ was relatively mild in that regard. It also had enough of the elements of the original story that fighting zombies actually became an entertaining digression. You know – beautiful young ladies, dashing young men, ballroom dancing, budding romance, zombie attack.
“To succeed in polite society, a young woman must be many things. Kind… well-read… and accomplished. But to survive in the world as WE know it, you’ll need… other qualities.” Those qualities include being skilled in the martial arts and weapons training, while wearing a corset –essentially making them Regency era bad-asses.
Because I don’t watch Downton Abbey, the last time I saw Lily James, who plays Elizabeth Bennett, she was brilliantly blond and sweetly keeping her promise to her mother to “have courage and be kind.” as Cinderella. In PPZ, she’s a fierce brunette who doesn’t take too kindly to Fitzwilliam Darcy, played by a sullen and haughty Sam Riley – another Disney alum, last seen as Diaval, Maleficent’s companion raven.
Where the Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy is won over by Elizbeth’s charm and wit, PPZ’s Darcy is slowly won over by Elizabeth’s aggressive and bold battle skills. Adding the alternate history of how zombies came to be a part of Regency era England hurried the story along, so the romantic developments felt a bit rushed, but Riley’s Darcy was quite believable in his reluctant but growing admiration of Elizabeth.
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie, zombies and all. When you can get guys to cheer for some undead’s head getting blown off, and still make the ladies sigh for the romance, you have a pretty perfect date movie. It may very well be my favorite period costume romantic zombie action film.