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Merissa (13840 KP) rated Hers, Unleashed (Hers #3) in Books

Jun 15, 2021 (Updated Jul 18, 2023)  
Hers, Unleashed (Hers #3)
Hers, Unleashed (Hers #3)
Anna Adler | 2020 | Dystopia, Erotica, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
HERS, UNLEASHED is the third book in the Hers series and follows on from Hers, Unbroken, with situations arising following actions and situations in that book, so I would definitely recommend you read at least that one first. Of course, my full recommendation would be to read both, but that's because they're both brilliant.

Roth has escaped one prison in exchange for a voluntary one of three months. He knows Selenia has no interest in his past, so if he can just disappear, he'll be fine. His mistress, Kaitlyn, is a Security Office who lives in one of the underground domes, so he figures he'll be even safer. But what happens when convenience turns into something else?

Oh, I do love these books!!! Anna Adler gives you a nicely rounded story with plenty of steamy moments plus action on the streets. Holly and Chase have a small cameo here, which was great to see. Selenia has changed since Book 2, and Kaitlyn hasn't really questioned any of it too deeply. Meeting Roth, and eventually hearing some of his back story, well, it all changed for her and they both realised the world wasn't perfect.

I read this book in one sitting, one sunny afternoon, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single word and scene. I really can't wait to return to Selenia and see what happens next. Absolutely 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 15, 2021
  
Guarding What's Mine (Men of Maddox Security #3)
Guarding What's Mine (Men of Maddox Security #3)
Logan Chance | 2025 | Contemporary, Crime, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
a bit slower burn, but very good!
Independent reviewer for BookSirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 3 in the Men of Maddox Security series, but I am reading it after book 4. It doesn't matter though, they kind of run concurrently.

Aubree is happy, running her pizza place. But someone is not happy with her. Enter Boone, close protection specialist. Removing Aubree from the danger was always the plan: falling for her was not.

Like I say, book 3 but reading out of order and I am really REALLY enjoying these! Yes, they follow the same vague plot line. Yes there is immediate attraction on both parts. Yes it's got danger and steam and I really don not care. I'm really emjoying BECAUSE I know what's coming, I can see what's coming at me, and ain't a damn thing I can do about it!

There was a duel threat to Aubree, and while I saw one, I did not see the other, so well played there.

I thought this a bit more of a slower burn, than the others but that's not a bad thing, it just makes them different enough to be interesting.

I liked what Dean does for Boone and Aubree! He can really see what's happening between them, as with all his men and I liked that he isn't punishing his men for falling for their charges!

We catch up with all the guys and there is an introduction to a couple more. Whether they will get books or not, remains to be seen but I liked them!

4 very good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Make Them Beg (Pretty Deadly Things #3)
Make Them Beg (Pretty Deadly Things #3)
Logan Chance | 2025 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
keep em coming!
Independent reviewer for BookSirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 3 in the series, but you don't need to have read the other two books. Helpful, to see how this group work as a unit but not necessary, I don't think. I enjoyed those two books.

And I enjoyed this one too, but for a very different reason.

Lark and Knight have been doing the denial tango (stolen straight out the book!) for a long time. Thrown together in close proximity after a job goes wrong and they get a target on their backs, they finally admit to themselves and each other, just what they really think about the other.

And this, is whay I enjoyed it so much. Both have feelings for the other, but they've been fighting it for so long. And ending up in the murder cabin (again, out the book!) with a possibility this could end very badly, gives them the shove to admit those feelings. But not just about the attraction, about what it might mean for them to be together and how they are both scared and worried and ALL IN! Because these two are all in from the start, and I loved that.

Dean Maddox pops up, as Does Ranger Cole (from Maddox Security) but you don't need to read their books before this. Arrow, Gage, Knight and Ozzy have been recruited by Maddox is all.

The book leads nicely into Ozzy's story and I hope I get to read it!

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Hide and Seek
Hide and Seek
Desiree Holt | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hide and Seek (Vigilance #1) by Desiree Holt
Hide and Seek is the first book by Desiree Holt that I have read, but it won't be the last. We start off with Graham, who has somehow been in bed with a drugs cartel, but didn't realise it. He decides that he needs to escape from it, meticulously planning everything. However, best laid plans and all that... it doesn't quite go according to how he thought it would.

His daughter ends up being smack-dab in the middle of everything, with the drug cartel goonies coming at her from all sides. The only help she has is the town sheriff and her sister who runs a security agency. Luckily for her, that is all the help she needs.

The attraction between Logan and Devon is instantaneous, with some inopportune and poorly timed reactions thrown in for good measure. Devon is a strong character, and doesn't do anything ridiculous because 'she knows best'. Logan has his own secrets, but finds the attraction for Devon to be stronger than his hesitations.

On the whole, I enjoyed this book. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The pace was smooth and the transition from one scene to the next flowed. I think the only thing for me would be the timing of certain things, but then there is no 'ruling' of when the time is right.

I hope this is the first in a series, and if so, I look forward to reading further along. Definitely recommended by me.

* 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!
  
40x40

Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Serial in Podcasts

Jan 4, 2018 (Updated Jan 4, 2018)  
Serial
Serial
News & Politics
8
8.5 (42 Ratings)
Podcast Rating
Gripping first series, second underwhelming
Serial is one of those high-trending true crime phenomena, gripping a nation similar to the likes of @Making A Murderer - Season 1. The first series follows the murder case of a young student Hae Min Lee, allegedly killed by her former boyfriend Adnan Syed and the apparent failings in the investigation. Is he guilty or innocent? Journalist Sarah Koenig tries to retrace the steps of both Adnan and other suspects to get to the bottom of this disturbing story in 12 episodes.

The first series is well-made, each episode carefully crafted to leave you on a cliffhanger. It is easy to binge-listen, but like MAM, there are parts that have been omitted from the case, so not all is what it actually seems. Either way, I fell for it hook, line and sinker.

The second series, unfortunately, is an entirely different ballgame. Unlike its true crime predecessor, Koenig looks at the infamous case of Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl, a US soldier who allegedly defected and was subsequently captured by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. The series focuses on his perception and experiences, and eventual vilification, as his release caused much political controversy over whether a deal should have been negotiated or not. The price of his freedom was an exchange for five Taliban-linked inmates held at maximum security prison Guantanamo Bay. The reason he says, for his defection, was that he attempted to become a whistleblower for the apparently mismanaged unit he belonged to.

Sadly, as with most popular media, the change in direction with the podcast came at a price, as many felt the subject was too dry and too heavy. With dense military language, it seem to become too bogged down with the details, losing its edge.

It's not a perfect podcast, but the first series is still worth the listen.
  
Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History
Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History
Katy Tur | 2017 | Biography, History & Politics
9
8.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Clear Voice (1 more)
Easy to follow
Trump (0 more)
A fantastic report of a crazy event
This was my pick for the "song lyrics in the title" prompt for the PopSugar 2018 Reading Challenge. I feel a little like "Unbelievable" is a bit of a cop-out for the prompt, but it was already on my to be read list, and it works. And the book is fantastic.

This is the story of Katy Tur's time on the campaign trail as one of the journalists covering Donald Trump's campaign. It is, as she says, unbelievable. When it begins, she thinks it will be very short - as most of the American public thought. No one thought Trump would wind up being the Republican nominee. But as she attends rallies, and watches the vitriol of his supporters - which occasionally gets turned on her, as a member of the "lying, fake media," she begins to realize he could, in fact, win this thing.

We experience Tur's shock as he calls her out by name multiple times, leading to death threats by Trump supporters, and security being assigned to her specifically. Through all of this, Tur continues to do her job as a journalist, reporting on the travel, the rallies, the information from sources within the campaign as they criss-cross the country and promise ridiculous things.

I was worried at first that the book would be a dry rehash of the events, but it is far from it. Tur speaks with a refreshing, absorbing voice. Even knowing the outcome - that Trump is elected president - it's a page-turner that didn't let me go until the last page. Unbelievable is a fast-paced, fascinating book by a first-class journalist.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
Millie Sullivan plays a 1920s-era guest during tours of a palatial estate on the shore of St. Simons Island, Georgia, where her great-grandmother was a real guest ninety years ago. When Millie learns of a lost diary that may contain the location of a hidden treasure on the estate and reveal the identity of her great-grandfather, she sets out to find the truth of her heritage--and the fortune she desperately needs. But it won't be easy.

When security guard Ben Thornton discovers her snooping in the estate's private library, he threatens to have her fired. Still, her story seems too ludicrous to be fiction, and her offer to split the treasure is too tempting to pass up.

Get ready for a romantic escapade through dark halls and dusty corners that will have you holding your breath and sighing with delight.

"A mystery, a treasure hunt, and a split-time romance--all set within a beautiful chateau.

My Thoughts: This is a wonderful romance mystery that keeps the readers' attention from the beginning. You can't help but love Millie, who is taking care of her grandmother diagnosed with dementia. When Milie has to find another home for her grandmother, with little money to do it with, her grandmother tells her of a journal of her great grandmother's that has a treasure map. Who doesn't like a good treasure hunt? And so begins our story of intrigue and romance.

This is a story of a lost romance and a new romance brought together by a unique situation. I believe that readers will enjoy this story as much as I did. It's not only about mystery and love, in this story we find two people trying their best to do right. Millie taking care of her grandmother and Ben trying to right his mother's wrong.
  
Shazam! (2019)
Shazam! (2019)
2019 | Action, Sci-Fi
Pow right in the kisser
#shazam is DC's answer to #deadpool its witty, dark & stylish but also feels a tad 'weve seen all this before'. Shazam always looked to me like a film nobody asked for or a straight to #netflix film so when it started I was actually very surprised with what I was watching. Its an extremely well shot film with seemingly high production values, stylish cinematography & a pretty neat soundtrack too. I was also pleasantly surprised at the dark tone/atmosphere the film decided to go for & considering the trailers suggest this was to be a comedy for a younger audience there are some quite horrific deaths, adult #humour, nasty enemies & also some very dark subject matter. All this darkness however is balanced out quite nicely with goofy humour & some genuinely #funny gags & some brilliant references to films like #tomhanks #Big & the #terminator. Theres a running theme throughout about #family/sticking together & another about there being #heroes inside all of us be it from security guards that keep our schools safe, #mums raising #kids, people who adopt & even people who dress up as #santa can help #inspire our kids to do good. Shazam does alot right & at times its a spellbinding film full of #charm but sadly I found it to fall apart in the final act where it loses its #freakazoid mixed with #hancock & #batman the #animated series vibe in favour for a more generic & forgettable conclusion with a main #villain who came across more pedestrian than menacing which is a shame. Shazam is generally a really great #popcorn flick & crowed pleaser, its got #heart & #laughs but I can see it being forgotten about in a few years but for now its well worth your time. #odeon #odronlimitles #dc #dcuniverse #superhero #geek #comic