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Merissa (12957 KP) rated Smith's Corner: Alora & Ash (The Heartwood Series #3) in Books
Sep 29, 2021 (Updated Jul 14, 2023)
SMITH'S CORNER: ASH & ALORA is the third book in the Heartwood series. Ash has served time for a crime he did commit and made the decision to walk that path alone. Although Alora wanted to be there for him, he made sure she wasn't allowed to see him, and that set her on her own path of going through a pregnancy and raising their child by herself.
There is a slight overlap with the other books that Alora made an appearance in, but this time it's all from her and Ash's perspectives. Ash and Alora have a bumpy road together as trust has been lost. It is understandable how Ash felt, but he made the decisions for Alora without discussing them together first. And, to be fair, for some of the book, he does the same thing. It is really important when raising a child that you are a united front. This is something Ash has to learn for himself.
This was an easy-to-read steamy second-chance romance, with a host of supporting characters. Somehow, Jayne Paton manages to give me a great story each time, whilst still leaving me wanting the next one along.
This is a great addition to the series and one I definitely recommend. Do read all of them though, as it makes more sense that way!
** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 28, 2021
There is a slight overlap with the other books that Alora made an appearance in, but this time it's all from her and Ash's perspectives. Ash and Alora have a bumpy road together as trust has been lost. It is understandable how Ash felt, but he made the decisions for Alora without discussing them together first. And, to be fair, for some of the book, he does the same thing. It is really important when raising a child that you are a united front. This is something Ash has to learn for himself.
This was an easy-to-read steamy second-chance romance, with a host of supporting characters. Somehow, Jayne Paton manages to give me a great story each time, whilst still leaving me wanting the next one along.
This is a great addition to the series and one I definitely recommend. Do read all of them though, as it makes more sense that way!
** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 28, 2021
The Party Plot
Book
A chaotic good boy and a sexy con man clash in this m/m romantic comedy about small-town drama,...
Contemporary MM Romance Enemies to Lovers Small Town Forced Proximity
Merissa (12957 KP) rated Treasure and Tarot (Echoes of Secret Springs #1) in Books
Jun 24, 2025
TREASURE AND TAROT is the first book in the Echoes of Secret Springs series, and we begin with Sebastian and Colton. Sebastian is the omega who was left holding the baby, seemingly abandoned; Colton is the alpha who walked away, intending to return, but never did - and you find out why on both sides of the story!
This is a spin-off from Minerva Howe's Secret Springs series, which I haven't read. I get the feeling I might have enjoyed this book more if I had, but I was still able to read their story without too much trouble. My biggest problem was figuring out which town they were speaking about.
Colton and Sebastian's second-chance romance was a wonderful story, with plenty of ghostly action, romance, and cuteness to spare. Their daughter, Abby, wins everyone's hearts, and I loved the big group of supporting characters. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place over which one I want a story for first.
Just as an aside, for some reason, I thought Tarot might play a bigger part than it did. I'm not saying it's bad the way it is, just that I thought there'd be more. đ
Anyway, I read this in one sitting and hope to return to this ghostly town, whatever it's called. 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 23, 2025
This is a spin-off from Minerva Howe's Secret Springs series, which I haven't read. I get the feeling I might have enjoyed this book more if I had, but I was still able to read their story without too much trouble. My biggest problem was figuring out which town they were speaking about.
Colton and Sebastian's second-chance romance was a wonderful story, with plenty of ghostly action, romance, and cuteness to spare. Their daughter, Abby, wins everyone's hearts, and I loved the big group of supporting characters. I am stuck between a rock and a hard place over which one I want a story for first.
Just as an aside, for some reason, I thought Tarot might play a bigger part than it did. I'm not saying it's bad the way it is, just that I thought there'd be more. đ
Anyway, I read this in one sitting and hope to return to this ghostly town, whatever it's called. 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 23, 2025
Merissa (12957 KP) rated A Vision of Lights (The Elemental Realm Duology #2) in Books
May 28, 2025
A VISION OF LIGHTS is the second part of the Elemental Realm Duology and gives you Enzo's story after the events of The Grey Prophecy. We have all the same characters, so I absolutely recommend you read Cori's story first, otherwise it won't make much sense!
Prudence and Enzo both care for Cori, but with the events of the first book plus a misunderstanding, they are off to a rocky... start? Continuation? Whatever! Enzo wants to make up for all the wrongs he has done, and does that by avoiding magic. When Zion comes up with a plan to return magic to the Charms covens in a ritual involving Enzo, he takes some time to think about it before agreeing. Prudence, in the meantime, is in a never-ending situation of no communication with her father, even though she is supposed to take over from him.
This book is all about the connections between all of them in Maine. There is no big bad, just a big task that needs doing. New characters are also introduced, and Gertie got under my skin. I loved her character!!!
The story has come to a very satisfactory ending, but I would absolutely go back to this world given the chance. I should mention that it should have a Kleenex warning! I needed one anyway. Thoroughly enjoyable and 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!
Apr 1, 2025
Prudence and Enzo both care for Cori, but with the events of the first book plus a misunderstanding, they are off to a rocky... start? Continuation? Whatever! Enzo wants to make up for all the wrongs he has done, and does that by avoiding magic. When Zion comes up with a plan to return magic to the Charms covens in a ritual involving Enzo, he takes some time to think about it before agreeing. Prudence, in the meantime, is in a never-ending situation of no communication with her father, even though she is supposed to take over from him.
This book is all about the connections between all of them in Maine. There is no big bad, just a big task that needs doing. New characters are also introduced, and Gertie got under my skin. I loved her character!!!
The story has come to a very satisfactory ending, but I would absolutely go back to this world given the chance. I should mention that it should have a Kleenex warning! I needed one anyway. Thoroughly enjoyable and 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!
Apr 1, 2025
Spotted - meet, chat, date
Social Networking and Lifestyle
App
With over 3 million crossed paths every day, Spotted is YOUR app to connect with people you...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Pocket Pixel Artist in Tabletop Games
Feb 5, 2021
Ahh good olâ NES. How I miss thee. My very first video game console, and still I remember it fondly. Somewhat recently a revival of 8-bit art has flown around various mediums and board games were also infused with this love of the pixelated art style. But how well can YOU create 8-bit art? Do you think you are able to create a masterpiece with pixel cubes in, say, 60 seconds? Letâs find out.
Pocket Pixel Artist is a cube-artistry game for teams of any number of players. In it players will be assuming the roles of the next great 8-bit artist and creating magnum opuses of block art for the enjoyment of all.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign launching March 9, 2021, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup separate the players into teams of at least two players. Shuffle the deck of prompt cards and keep the colored cubes handy for the artists. The game will last four rounds and the winning team will be they who finishes with the most Victory Points from correctly guessing assembled art pieces. Choose a team to create first and the game may begin!
On a turn one player from the active team will draw a card from the stack, choose one of the eight words on the card, and be ready to begin building the word once a 60 second timer begins. The goal of each round is to have the current artistâs team guess the word being built for a VP, but each round has slightly different rules to follow.
In the first round, âHead to Head,â each team will nominate an artist to begin. Each artist will then draw a card, choose a word to create, and then begin building their words simultaneously against the other artists. The team that guesses the word correctly first will receive more VP than the teams that follow.
The second round, âPixel Boogaloo,â has artists choosing a word and building their art in secret. Once the 60 second timer is up the artist will then uncover their creation. The artistâs teammate(s) then have 30 seconds to guess the word. If they cannot, the next team in table order will have 30 seconds to earn a VP with a successful guess. This round is played until all players have had a chance to be both artist and guesser.
The third round, âPalette Crash,â the team to the left of the active artistâs team will choose a color from green, yellow, blue, and red to shout to the active artist. The artist will then be forced to choose one of the words on the card matching that color as well as being limited to using only cubes of the matching color (players can agree to use black and white cubes as well for an easier challenge). This word building is also done in secret and then revealed after the 60 second timer for their teammates to guess within 30 seconds. Should the teammates guess correctly the team will be awarded with 2 VP. If they fail to guess correctly, the next team in table order automatically receives 1 VP. This round is played until all players have had a chance to be both artist and guesser.
The final round, âFinal Render,â the artist will draw a card, choose a word, and begin building in full view of all players. For each correct guess the guessing team will earn 1 VP toward their total. Once all players have had a chance to build in this round the game ends and VPs are tallied.
Components. This is another mint tin game of cards and colored cubes. The cards are all fine and the cubes as well. There is some art on the cards, and it is also fine 8-bit renders. I have no complaints other than the rulesheet does not fit in the tin along with the components â the tin will not shut.
Gameplay is easy for some and not so easy for others (like me). As you can see in the image above, that is my lame attempt at a rainbow. When you only have 60 seconds to create something that actually looks like what is on the card, the stress and lack of actual art talent can certainly play tricks on you (me). But that is also part of the fun. In my head I can see exactly what I want to build, but getting all the cubes in the right order and correct colors causes my hand-eye coordination to fly out the window. Others must have been better at putting the square peg in the square hole when they were babies because I just canât do it very well as an adult.
Now, again, I am in the minority of people who just arenât that great at this game. At least in my experience. Having the game follow different rules each round is a refreshing spin on the Pictionary style of creating something for others to guess. I do enjoy fiddling with the cubes and at least attempting to make something recognizable. I enjoy seeing many different choices on each card and not being limited to just one word on a turn. Obviously these do nothing for my artistry, but they are appreciated.
Should you be in need of a small game that gives the feel of Pictionary without being pen and paper, I urge you to check out Pocket Pixel Artist. I can see it working in many scenarios, just like its cousin from the same publisher Swearmints. At the end of the game players typically did not seem to care much about which team won, but always had a great time playing and remembering the ridiculous monstrosities that were constructed.
Pocket Pixel Artist is a cube-artistry game for teams of any number of players. In it players will be assuming the roles of the next great 8-bit artist and creating magnum opuses of block art for the enjoyment of all.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I do not know for sure if the final components will be any different from these shown. Also, it is not my intention to detail every rule in the game. You are invited to download the rulebook, back the game through the Kickstarter campaign launching March 9, 2021, or through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup separate the players into teams of at least two players. Shuffle the deck of prompt cards and keep the colored cubes handy for the artists. The game will last four rounds and the winning team will be they who finishes with the most Victory Points from correctly guessing assembled art pieces. Choose a team to create first and the game may begin!
On a turn one player from the active team will draw a card from the stack, choose one of the eight words on the card, and be ready to begin building the word once a 60 second timer begins. The goal of each round is to have the current artistâs team guess the word being built for a VP, but each round has slightly different rules to follow.
In the first round, âHead to Head,â each team will nominate an artist to begin. Each artist will then draw a card, choose a word to create, and then begin building their words simultaneously against the other artists. The team that guesses the word correctly first will receive more VP than the teams that follow.
The second round, âPixel Boogaloo,â has artists choosing a word and building their art in secret. Once the 60 second timer is up the artist will then uncover their creation. The artistâs teammate(s) then have 30 seconds to guess the word. If they cannot, the next team in table order will have 30 seconds to earn a VP with a successful guess. This round is played until all players have had a chance to be both artist and guesser.
The third round, âPalette Crash,â the team to the left of the active artistâs team will choose a color from green, yellow, blue, and red to shout to the active artist. The artist will then be forced to choose one of the words on the card matching that color as well as being limited to using only cubes of the matching color (players can agree to use black and white cubes as well for an easier challenge). This word building is also done in secret and then revealed after the 60 second timer for their teammates to guess within 30 seconds. Should the teammates guess correctly the team will be awarded with 2 VP. If they fail to guess correctly, the next team in table order automatically receives 1 VP. This round is played until all players have had a chance to be both artist and guesser.
The final round, âFinal Render,â the artist will draw a card, choose a word, and begin building in full view of all players. For each correct guess the guessing team will earn 1 VP toward their total. Once all players have had a chance to build in this round the game ends and VPs are tallied.
Components. This is another mint tin game of cards and colored cubes. The cards are all fine and the cubes as well. There is some art on the cards, and it is also fine 8-bit renders. I have no complaints other than the rulesheet does not fit in the tin along with the components â the tin will not shut.
Gameplay is easy for some and not so easy for others (like me). As you can see in the image above, that is my lame attempt at a rainbow. When you only have 60 seconds to create something that actually looks like what is on the card, the stress and lack of actual art talent can certainly play tricks on you (me). But that is also part of the fun. In my head I can see exactly what I want to build, but getting all the cubes in the right order and correct colors causes my hand-eye coordination to fly out the window. Others must have been better at putting the square peg in the square hole when they were babies because I just canât do it very well as an adult.
Now, again, I am in the minority of people who just arenât that great at this game. At least in my experience. Having the game follow different rules each round is a refreshing spin on the Pictionary style of creating something for others to guess. I do enjoy fiddling with the cubes and at least attempting to make something recognizable. I enjoy seeing many different choices on each card and not being limited to just one word on a turn. Obviously these do nothing for my artistry, but they are appreciated.
Should you be in need of a small game that gives the feel of Pictionary without being pen and paper, I urge you to check out Pocket Pixel Artist. I can see it working in many scenarios, just like its cousin from the same publisher Swearmints. At the end of the game players typically did not seem to care much about which team won, but always had a great time playing and remembering the ridiculous monstrosities that were constructed.
Debbiereadsbook (1454 KP) rated Sol (Learning to Love #2) in Books
Apr 1, 2022
There is a LOT of love in this book, and it shines from the very first page.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Learning To Love series, but I am reading it out of order. I already read book 3, Luke. I loved book 1, Charles, and I loved Luke. They can be read as stand alones, though.
But I didn't love this one and it pains me so!
Because I got a taste of Sol and Jace in book 3, I think I spoiled this one for myself and I'm sorry about that!
I mean, it's good, it's a great second chance romance, that really isn't. Cos while Sol and Jace have history, that history is nowhere near as in depth as I thought. Waiting 15 years for a second kiss, is a long time.
Sol struggles with his nephew, and now their safe place is threatened with closure. Jace could help save it, but reconnecting with Jace brings out all sorts of feelings in Sol, feelings he thought long dead.
I liked this; I really did. I just think it doesn't carry the emotional punch to the gut that Charles and Luke do, you know? it's all here, don't get me wrong, it just doesn't whoop you up-side the head quite so much!
But then again, maybe that's a GOOD thing! Because the love that Jace clearly still has for Sol, right from their reconnection, is powerful. Sol's takes time to become apparent, but it is there, it just needs Sol to see it! There is a LOT of love in this book, and it shines from the very first page.
Cameron, Sol's nephew, has a sort of lightbulb moment, and it was a joy to see him reconnecting with his mum.
Again, only the title character has a say. I knew that going in, so it wasn't a surprise. What was a surprise to ME and for ME was that I didn't miss Jace not being given a voice.
What this book DOES give me, though, is an insight into Austin. Austin plays a huge part in book 3, and this gave me a better idea of him and what happened between him and Sol that was referenced in Luke but not fully explained.
I enjoyed Sol, I'm glad I read it, but if you come across this review, please try to read the series in order!
4 solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Learning To Love series, but I am reading it out of order. I already read book 3, Luke. I loved book 1, Charles, and I loved Luke. They can be read as stand alones, though.
But I didn't love this one and it pains me so!
Because I got a taste of Sol and Jace in book 3, I think I spoiled this one for myself and I'm sorry about that!
I mean, it's good, it's a great second chance romance, that really isn't. Cos while Sol and Jace have history, that history is nowhere near as in depth as I thought. Waiting 15 years for a second kiss, is a long time.
Sol struggles with his nephew, and now their safe place is threatened with closure. Jace could help save it, but reconnecting with Jace brings out all sorts of feelings in Sol, feelings he thought long dead.
I liked this; I really did. I just think it doesn't carry the emotional punch to the gut that Charles and Luke do, you know? it's all here, don't get me wrong, it just doesn't whoop you up-side the head quite so much!
But then again, maybe that's a GOOD thing! Because the love that Jace clearly still has for Sol, right from their reconnection, is powerful. Sol's takes time to become apparent, but it is there, it just needs Sol to see it! There is a LOT of love in this book, and it shines from the very first page.
Cameron, Sol's nephew, has a sort of lightbulb moment, and it was a joy to see him reconnecting with his mum.
Again, only the title character has a say. I knew that going in, so it wasn't a surprise. What was a surprise to ME and for ME was that I didn't miss Jace not being given a voice.
What this book DOES give me, though, is an insight into Austin. Austin plays a huge part in book 3, and this gave me a better idea of him and what happened between him and Sol that was referenced in Luke but not fully explained.
I enjoyed Sol, I'm glad I read it, but if you come across this review, please try to read the series in order!
4 solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Dragon's Mate Volume One: Books 1-3
8.0
Rate It
Book
Enjoy the Dragonâs Mate series in this convenient bundle. Volume One contains the first 3 books...
Paranormal MM Romance Dragons
Merissa (12957 KP) rated Earning His Trust in Books
Sep 28, 2017
Earning His Trust by Alicia Nordwell
Earning His Trust tells the story of Evin. He is a single dad due to his partner being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is having a hard time of it, and just does his best to get by from day to day. Things go wrong when he severely burns his hand, and has to go to the hospital. There he receives another shock when he is treated by his ex-boyfriend, quite literally the one who got away. Ben is also shocked when he sees Evin, and wonders what has happened in his life to make him change from how Ben remembered him. So Ben makes it his mission to reunite with Evin, only as friends if need by, but hopefully more as Ben has never stopped loving him.
This was a great second chance novel that gives a lot detail in some area, but not so much in others. There is no explanation of why Ben disappeared without a trace, apart from he didn't think it would work. There's no explanation of how Daniel died, apart from he go shot. And Evin quickly decides to let Ben in, which came as a bit of a surprise given how much he had been hurt in the past.
Still, overall, this was a very good story, that kept my attention throughout. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. I would recommend this book.
* 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!
This was a great second chance novel that gives a lot detail in some area, but not so much in others. There is no explanation of why Ben disappeared without a trace, apart from he didn't think it would work. There's no explanation of how Daniel died, apart from he go shot. And Evin quickly decides to let Ben in, which came as a bit of a surprise given how much he had been hurt in the past.
Still, overall, this was a very good story, that kept my attention throughout. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. I would recommend this book.
* 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!