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Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Savage Reckoning in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/savage-reckoning-by-c-hoyt-caldwell
AVAILABLE NOW IN THE UK!
Firstly Id like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Alibi for the opportunity to read this in an exchange for an honest review.
<b><i>With a badge pinned to her chest, she didnt give a shit what the town or God thought of her. She was the law.</b></i>
I was not expecting to love this as much as I do! Honestly, I started the first few pages and thought <b>oh God, this is going to be bad,</b> but I persevered because I feel Ive given up on a lot of reads lately and Im so glad I continued with it. As soon as we met Step and Kenny talking about anal sex, I knew I was going to love this novel, <i>(that sounds all kinds of wong).</i>
Step and Kenny are closeout kings in other words theyre hitmen. But theyre not all evil and malicious, they got feelins too, <b><i>"Well, now I'm just all kinds of hurt. Neither girls has plied their horny ways on me."</b></i> No but in all seriousness, theyve got some sort of morals, and these morals are what lead us into the rollercoaster ride of a story this is.
Our MC Dani Savage (ridiculously cheesy cool name) is the only deputy that takes her job seriously around Baptist Flats and so when she hears stories of a bunch of missing girls from in and around her area she cant let it go and has to do something to console the many broken and distraught mothers. A bit of a fuckup closeout jobs leads Dani to Step and Kenny where they enlist each other's help to get to the bottom of the mystery of the missing girls.
This is by no means a sophisticated, thought provoking novel, it's just pure grit, humour with a couple of inciteful anecdotes, <b><i>"Each woman's got a different 'forget-shit' trigger, Kenny. A man's whole goddamn purpose in life is to figure out that trigger and pull it",</b></i> mashed together to make an excellent, fun and exciting read. Each character, no matter how small or large their role in the story, was developed brilliantly and although there were some obvious parts of the plot it didnt even matter because youre having too much fun reading it to care about the fact you can guess what happens next.
Genuinely one of the funniest novels Ive read in such a long time even if it does deal with some pretty gruesome stuff. Anyone bored of meaningful, eye-opening type thrillers? Well pick this one up as your next book to help loosen you up a bit. Im definitely going to be on the lookout for more from Kenny and Step!
AVAILABLE NOW IN THE UK!
Firstly Id like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Alibi for the opportunity to read this in an exchange for an honest review.
<b><i>With a badge pinned to her chest, she didnt give a shit what the town or God thought of her. She was the law.</b></i>
I was not expecting to love this as much as I do! Honestly, I started the first few pages and thought <b>oh God, this is going to be bad,</b> but I persevered because I feel Ive given up on a lot of reads lately and Im so glad I continued with it. As soon as we met Step and Kenny talking about anal sex, I knew I was going to love this novel, <i>(that sounds all kinds of wong).</i>
Step and Kenny are closeout kings in other words theyre hitmen. But theyre not all evil and malicious, they got feelins too, <b><i>"Well, now I'm just all kinds of hurt. Neither girls has plied their horny ways on me."</b></i> No but in all seriousness, theyve got some sort of morals, and these morals are what lead us into the rollercoaster ride of a story this is.
Our MC Dani Savage (ridiculously cheesy cool name) is the only deputy that takes her job seriously around Baptist Flats and so when she hears stories of a bunch of missing girls from in and around her area she cant let it go and has to do something to console the many broken and distraught mothers. A bit of a fuckup closeout jobs leads Dani to Step and Kenny where they enlist each other's help to get to the bottom of the mystery of the missing girls.
This is by no means a sophisticated, thought provoking novel, it's just pure grit, humour with a couple of inciteful anecdotes, <b><i>"Each woman's got a different 'forget-shit' trigger, Kenny. A man's whole goddamn purpose in life is to figure out that trigger and pull it",</b></i> mashed together to make an excellent, fun and exciting read. Each character, no matter how small or large their role in the story, was developed brilliantly and although there were some obvious parts of the plot it didnt even matter because youre having too much fun reading it to care about the fact you can guess what happens next.
Genuinely one of the funniest novels Ive read in such a long time even if it does deal with some pretty gruesome stuff. Anyone bored of meaningful, eye-opening type thrillers? Well pick this one up as your next book to help loosen you up a bit. Im definitely going to be on the lookout for more from Kenny and Step!
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Mentor, The in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Oh, Im so sad I can only give this book a 3 star review. I really wanted to love this one! The synopsis sounds so dark, intense and creepy, but it let me down in that department
almost completely!
The first 40% of this book was definitely enthralling, at times silly and over the top, but still exciting to read. The characters were interesting, the story was moving along nicely and the writing was simple, but not bad. It was about when I got to 50% that I realised I was getting a little bit bored by this novel.
Characters in this one werent so bad. They were well developed and even though there were a fair few number of them, we did get to know them individually, quite well. My problem was that they were pretty unbelievable and I didnt really like any of them. Im not sure if Kyle was meant to come across as an anti-hero, but thats kind of what he felt like although for me, it was mostly anti, less hero. I really didnt like the introduction to the character as being a semi-graphic description of the sex he had with his girlfriend.
The plot for this book sounded amazing! An English professor writes a depraved book that sounds like an unsolved murder case from years ago? Is it just a coincidence or is it something more sinister? Doesnt that sounds amazing? Well, it isnt, I hate to say! Yes, this professor does write a depraved, and terribly written, book about kidnapping a girl but it doesnt allude to the fact it might be about a cold case until around the 60% mark, which is ridiculous!
At 336 pages, this isnt a long novel, but it definitely could have been cut down! Most of this novel was a very repetitive back and forth between Kyle and his mad professor. Repetition like this in books is something I absolutely despise and with each new chapter, I could feel myself losing the will to read this book.
That was my first issue with the writing, and then my annoyance moved on to the number of spelling, grammatical and sentence structure errors. Considering this novel was about an editor, you would have thought the real editor would have caught the vast number of cock ups in this book!
I got very irritated by this novel towards the end. The story was convoluted, silly and unrealistic. I got to the point of skimming pages in the ending chapters, yes, it was that disappointing. Not to mention this wasnt creepy or tense at all. It was pretty predictable all the way through and the ending was a cheap way out.
Overall, I wouldnt recommend this novel. It gets 3 stars because I did enjoy the first 40% or so, but the story became silly and I couldnt get over the number of errors in the writing.
The first 40% of this book was definitely enthralling, at times silly and over the top, but still exciting to read. The characters were interesting, the story was moving along nicely and the writing was simple, but not bad. It was about when I got to 50% that I realised I was getting a little bit bored by this novel.
Characters in this one werent so bad. They were well developed and even though there were a fair few number of them, we did get to know them individually, quite well. My problem was that they were pretty unbelievable and I didnt really like any of them. Im not sure if Kyle was meant to come across as an anti-hero, but thats kind of what he felt like although for me, it was mostly anti, less hero. I really didnt like the introduction to the character as being a semi-graphic description of the sex he had with his girlfriend.
The plot for this book sounded amazing! An English professor writes a depraved book that sounds like an unsolved murder case from years ago? Is it just a coincidence or is it something more sinister? Doesnt that sounds amazing? Well, it isnt, I hate to say! Yes, this professor does write a depraved, and terribly written, book about kidnapping a girl but it doesnt allude to the fact it might be about a cold case until around the 60% mark, which is ridiculous!
At 336 pages, this isnt a long novel, but it definitely could have been cut down! Most of this novel was a very repetitive back and forth between Kyle and his mad professor. Repetition like this in books is something I absolutely despise and with each new chapter, I could feel myself losing the will to read this book.
That was my first issue with the writing, and then my annoyance moved on to the number of spelling, grammatical and sentence structure errors. Considering this novel was about an editor, you would have thought the real editor would have caught the vast number of cock ups in this book!
I got very irritated by this novel towards the end. The story was convoluted, silly and unrealistic. I got to the point of skimming pages in the ending chapters, yes, it was that disappointing. Not to mention this wasnt creepy or tense at all. It was pretty predictable all the way through and the ending was a cheap way out.
Overall, I wouldnt recommend this novel. It gets 3 stars because I did enjoy the first 40% or so, but the story became silly and I couldnt get over the number of errors in the writing.
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Blood Oath (Nathaniel Cade #1) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
Blood Oath is an interesting and fairly refreshing variation on the vampire riff. Most of the current tales give us a suave, sexy predator who mesmerizes his or her prey, leaving humans pining for their presence. They might even fall in love with a human. Nathaniel Cade, however, refers to humans as food, saying, "Would you have sex with a cow?" That makes much more sense to me. It's a good thing he isn't interested, either, as the typical reaction people have to encountering him is utter panic, often involving the loss of bladder control.
Cade is definitely a predator, though - an extremely effective one. Farnsworth attempts to explain his abilities scientifically, rather than mystically (I'd classify this book as science fiction if I had to choose a genre, whereas most books featuring vampires and similar creatures are fantasy or horror). The same is true of the enenies he faces.
While I'm not generally interested in socio-political thrillers (which is what this book was, other than a story about a vampire who works for the president), I did enjoy the fresh take on an old trope. While I normally groan when I see the first book from a new author billed as the beginning of a series (do publishers even buy single books any more?), I'm somewhat pleased this time. I do wish they'd been a little more careful with the name of the series (The President's Vampire), as there's another book with the same name: [b:The President's Vampire: Strange-but-True Tales of the United States of America|690096|The President's Vampire Strange-but-True Tales of the United States of America|Robert Damon Schneck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177264074s/690096.jpg|676444] by [a:Robert Damon Schneck|368998|Robert Damon Schneck|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]. Then again, if Farnsworth's book or series takes off, I suppose there's a chance that sales of Schneck's will as well. I'm sure he wouldn't complain about that at all. I've put it on my to-read list, after all.
I hope to talk my partner, Sam, into reading <i>Blood Oath</i>. If I do, it'll be fairly miraculous, as I don't recall him anything with dragons or werewolves in it other than ([a:Jim Butcher|10746|Jim Butcher|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1205261964p2/10746.jpg]'s Dresden Files) for most of the time that I've known him (12 years as of this writing). After his years at White Wolf, I think many books seem more than slightly derivative. He also did so much research before working on books he wrote for them (like [b:The Book of Nod|416122|The Book of Nod|Sam Chupp|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223664741s/416122.jpg|405290]) that he got a little burned out on certain subjects. Farnsworth's approach really is different enough that I think he might give it a chance. Will you?
Cade is definitely a predator, though - an extremely effective one. Farnsworth attempts to explain his abilities scientifically, rather than mystically (I'd classify this book as science fiction if I had to choose a genre, whereas most books featuring vampires and similar creatures are fantasy or horror). The same is true of the enenies he faces.
While I'm not generally interested in socio-political thrillers (which is what this book was, other than a story about a vampire who works for the president), I did enjoy the fresh take on an old trope. While I normally groan when I see the first book from a new author billed as the beginning of a series (do publishers even buy single books any more?), I'm somewhat pleased this time. I do wish they'd been a little more careful with the name of the series (The President's Vampire), as there's another book with the same name: [b:The President's Vampire: Strange-but-True Tales of the United States of America|690096|The President's Vampire Strange-but-True Tales of the United States of America|Robert Damon Schneck|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1177264074s/690096.jpg|676444] by [a:Robert Damon Schneck|368998|Robert Damon Schneck|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg]. Then again, if Farnsworth's book or series takes off, I suppose there's a chance that sales of Schneck's will as well. I'm sure he wouldn't complain about that at all. I've put it on my to-read list, after all.
I hope to talk my partner, Sam, into reading <i>Blood Oath</i>. If I do, it'll be fairly miraculous, as I don't recall him anything with dragons or werewolves in it other than ([a:Jim Butcher|10746|Jim Butcher|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1205261964p2/10746.jpg]'s Dresden Files) for most of the time that I've known him (12 years as of this writing). After his years at White Wolf, I think many books seem more than slightly derivative. He also did so much research before working on books he wrote for them (like [b:The Book of Nod|416122|The Book of Nod|Sam Chupp|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223664741s/416122.jpg|405290]) that he got a little burned out on certain subjects. Farnsworth's approach really is different enough that I think he might give it a chance. Will you?
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Wrong Stars in Books
Aug 26, 2018 (Updated Aug 26, 2018)
Diversity (2 more)
World-building
Amazing alien species
I've watched my fair share of Space Opera (Firefly, Dark Matter, Farscape, Star Trek, Star Wars - don't try to tell me those last two aren't Space Opera, THEY TOTALLY ARE) - but I haven't read much of it. I picked up The Wrong Stars mostly because reviews said it had a demisexual main character, rather than because it's a Space Opera. Regardless, I am SO GLAD I DID. The book is excellent.
First off, the diversity! Over the course of the story, we meet people who are, in no particular order, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary. The story is set 500 years after Earth sends out its first colony ships, and in that time, culture has evolved. Marriage is not common, but contractually-bound relationships exist. Promiscuity and non-monogamy aren't viewed any different than monogamy, and in the same way, the distinctions between gay, straight, and bi don't carry any negative connotations. It's not a complete utopia - it's still a capitalist society, and there is still scarcity - but socially, at least, it has definitely evolved a lot from the present!
Elena, one of our main characters, was a biologist sent out on one of the first colony ships. Stocked with seeds, crude replicators, and cryo-sleep pods, a small crew was sent out, in stasis, on a five-hundred year journey to a system with probable life-supporting planets. They were called Goldilocks ships, in the hope they'd find a planet that was "just right." What humanity didn't expect was that in the intervening five hundred years, they would make contact with an alien species and be given the means for true space travel via wormholes. Some of the ships arrived at their destinations to find human colonies already thriving on their target planets! Elena, however, found something quite different, and it's a very disconcerting difference. She is rescued by the motley crew of the White Raven, and they quickly get drawn into the mystery.
I really enjoyed the world-building and characterization in The Wrong Stars. The science of it made sense to me, but I'm not very versed in science, so I can't really say how realistic it is. It was at least pretty internally consistent. I'd like to learn more about how the AIs are created, though. Luckily, there is a sequel coming! The Dreaming Stars should be coming out this September, and I'm DEFINITELY going to read it.
If you like Dark Matter, Firefly, or Farscape, you should definitely read The Wrong Stars. There's a little bit of light romance threaded into the larger plot, and one fade-to-black sex scene. It's definitely not the focus of the book. There is some violence, but nothing incredibly graphic. I would put it at about the same maturity level as Star Trek.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
First off, the diversity! Over the course of the story, we meet people who are, in no particular order, gay, bisexual, demisexual, asexual, transgender, and non-binary. The story is set 500 years after Earth sends out its first colony ships, and in that time, culture has evolved. Marriage is not common, but contractually-bound relationships exist. Promiscuity and non-monogamy aren't viewed any different than monogamy, and in the same way, the distinctions between gay, straight, and bi don't carry any negative connotations. It's not a complete utopia - it's still a capitalist society, and there is still scarcity - but socially, at least, it has definitely evolved a lot from the present!
Elena, one of our main characters, was a biologist sent out on one of the first colony ships. Stocked with seeds, crude replicators, and cryo-sleep pods, a small crew was sent out, in stasis, on a five-hundred year journey to a system with probable life-supporting planets. They were called Goldilocks ships, in the hope they'd find a planet that was "just right." What humanity didn't expect was that in the intervening five hundred years, they would make contact with an alien species and be given the means for true space travel via wormholes. Some of the ships arrived at their destinations to find human colonies already thriving on their target planets! Elena, however, found something quite different, and it's a very disconcerting difference. She is rescued by the motley crew of the White Raven, and they quickly get drawn into the mystery.
I really enjoyed the world-building and characterization in The Wrong Stars. The science of it made sense to me, but I'm not very versed in science, so I can't really say how realistic it is. It was at least pretty internally consistent. I'd like to learn more about how the AIs are created, though. Luckily, there is a sequel coming! The Dreaming Stars should be coming out this September, and I'm DEFINITELY going to read it.
If you like Dark Matter, Firefly, or Farscape, you should definitely read The Wrong Stars. There's a little bit of light romance threaded into the larger plot, and one fade-to-black sex scene. It's definitely not the focus of the book. There is some violence, but nothing incredibly graphic. I would put it at about the same maturity level as Star Trek.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Awakened (Vampire Awakenings #1) in Books
Sep 13, 2018
www.diaryofdifference.com
Awakened is the first book from the Vampire Awakening Series and it is written by USA Today bestselling author Brenda K. Davies. This is a book where a guy meets a girl. Girl has a secret and tells it on their first date. Boy is a vampire, but we are 80% in the book until it’s mentioned (even though title clearly states it, and you keep expecting it to happen). When secret is told - boy gives girl a choice to escape. Girls chooses to stay, and boy becomes possessive because he wants her too much. Then he does something to her, kind of against her will. And then they live happily ever after.
If I was a few years younger, I would have loved this book, probably because I wouldn’t have noticed all the glitches in it. But right here, right now - I didn’t enjoy it as much I wanted too.
Strong, sexual language and sex scenes can be found throughout the book. This was a book from my sister Tea’s Wishlist Challenge - and I was embarrassed to tell her I am reading this book - because I knew what kind of scenes she has read…
Apart from that - the characters were unrealistic. And unlikable. I liked their friends and their enemies more than I liked the main characters.
Sera - a girl that doesn’t talk to men, and has her own opinion on things, suddenly meets this guy, and he becomes possessive of her, and her character development stops right here. She keeps nodding at him, and obeys his every command. Not much of a heroine, is she?
Liam - a guy that is actually a vampire, but doesn’t tell Sera until things get really serious. He lies to her, is possessive, wants to kill everyone that touches her, and loves her and wants her so much that he has to turn her into a vampire, otherwise he’ll kill her. Really?
Now, if we take the fact that this is a vampire book - firstly, we don’t get to read about vampires until the book is almost finished. And when we do, it is unfinished, and barely even described. I don’t know anything about the way they become vampires, how they survive in the world, how they feed, how they die, but apparently, they can have children, so I guess the author covered everything. Oh, and, also - vampires can walk into the sun, but the more they kill, the more the sun hurts them. So believable - and FAIR.
The only thing that I liked was the ending - the point about how children are possible seemed to have worked out well. Not believable, but it was nice to see that as a theory. And it was also a great layout for the next story to come - which I will be reading, just to see if this writing will improve.
What is your favorite vampire book?
Awakened is the first book from the Vampire Awakening Series and it is written by USA Today bestselling author Brenda K. Davies. This is a book where a guy meets a girl. Girl has a secret and tells it on their first date. Boy is a vampire, but we are 80% in the book until it’s mentioned (even though title clearly states it, and you keep expecting it to happen). When secret is told - boy gives girl a choice to escape. Girls chooses to stay, and boy becomes possessive because he wants her too much. Then he does something to her, kind of against her will. And then they live happily ever after.
If I was a few years younger, I would have loved this book, probably because I wouldn’t have noticed all the glitches in it. But right here, right now - I didn’t enjoy it as much I wanted too.
Strong, sexual language and sex scenes can be found throughout the book. This was a book from my sister Tea’s Wishlist Challenge - and I was embarrassed to tell her I am reading this book - because I knew what kind of scenes she has read…
Apart from that - the characters were unrealistic. And unlikable. I liked their friends and their enemies more than I liked the main characters.
Sera - a girl that doesn’t talk to men, and has her own opinion on things, suddenly meets this guy, and he becomes possessive of her, and her character development stops right here. She keeps nodding at him, and obeys his every command. Not much of a heroine, is she?
Liam - a guy that is actually a vampire, but doesn’t tell Sera until things get really serious. He lies to her, is possessive, wants to kill everyone that touches her, and loves her and wants her so much that he has to turn her into a vampire, otherwise he’ll kill her. Really?
Now, if we take the fact that this is a vampire book - firstly, we don’t get to read about vampires until the book is almost finished. And when we do, it is unfinished, and barely even described. I don’t know anything about the way they become vampires, how they survive in the world, how they feed, how they die, but apparently, they can have children, so I guess the author covered everything. Oh, and, also - vampires can walk into the sun, but the more they kill, the more the sun hurts them. So believable - and FAIR.
The only thing that I liked was the ending - the point about how children are possible seemed to have worked out well. Not believable, but it was nice to see that as a theory. And it was also a great layout for the next story to come - which I will be reading, just to see if this writing will improve.
What is your favorite vampire book?
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The Lies We Told in Books
Nov 26, 2018
Fantastic Plot Twists (1 more)
Interesting Characters
Plot Twists Abound!
I believe I first heard about The Lies We Told by Camilla Way on Goodreads. When I read the book synopsis, I knew it was a book I had to read. I'm so glad I did because I loved this book.
The pacing in The Lies We Told was brilliant. It is such a fast paced psychological suspense novel! I found myself having a hard time putting this book down. Never once did it slow down to the point of being boring, and it never went too too quickly where I had no clue what was going on.
I really did enjoy the plot and the world building. For the most part, The Lies We Told is written fabulously. The plot is interesting., and I loved how it changed from us reading about Clara to hearing from Beth's point of view throughout the story. Clara's boyfriend Luke goes missing. She knows he had a stalker, but he never took it seriously. Clara becomes even more worried when she finds some worrying emails sent to Luke. As she starts to learn more and more about Luke's past, she puts herself in danger, and she's worried that Luke may be in even more danger. There were so many plot twists and turns in The Lies We Told. I loved it! This book had me guessing, and I was never right! There's even a plot twist towards the very end. All but one of my questions were answered. I won't go too much into it because it would spoil almost all of the book, but I will just say that I was left wondering why the police didn't do one thing once the truth had been revealed. I would have thought it would have been protocol if someone suggests it. Sorry for leaving you hanging, but I can't go into much detail.
The characters in The Lies We Told were so well written and fleshed out. I could relate to Clara a lot. I loved how far she was willing to go to find out about Luke. Hannah was another great character to read about. I found her to be the most interesting character of the story if I'm honest. I also enjoyed reading about Mac. He seemed like a great friend. Luke's parents also seemed very sweet, and I would sympathize with Beth when she would talk about Hannah. However, keep in mind that with this book, some of the characters aren't who and what they seem which was great!
Trigger warnings for The Lies We Told include profanity, cheating, blackmail, lying, kidnapping, mentions of sex, alcohol and some drug use, mental illness, death, murder, and violence.
Overall, The Lies We Told is such a brilliant book. It's got a fascinating plot, very interesting characters, and fantastic plot twists that will leave you scratching your head! I would definitely recommend The Lies We Told by Camilla Way to everyone aged 17+. I really enjoyed it.
The pacing in The Lies We Told was brilliant. It is such a fast paced psychological suspense novel! I found myself having a hard time putting this book down. Never once did it slow down to the point of being boring, and it never went too too quickly where I had no clue what was going on.
I really did enjoy the plot and the world building. For the most part, The Lies We Told is written fabulously. The plot is interesting., and I loved how it changed from us reading about Clara to hearing from Beth's point of view throughout the story. Clara's boyfriend Luke goes missing. She knows he had a stalker, but he never took it seriously. Clara becomes even more worried when she finds some worrying emails sent to Luke. As she starts to learn more and more about Luke's past, she puts herself in danger, and she's worried that Luke may be in even more danger. There were so many plot twists and turns in The Lies We Told. I loved it! This book had me guessing, and I was never right! There's even a plot twist towards the very end. All but one of my questions were answered. I won't go too much into it because it would spoil almost all of the book, but I will just say that I was left wondering why the police didn't do one thing once the truth had been revealed. I would have thought it would have been protocol if someone suggests it. Sorry for leaving you hanging, but I can't go into much detail.
The characters in The Lies We Told were so well written and fleshed out. I could relate to Clara a lot. I loved how far she was willing to go to find out about Luke. Hannah was another great character to read about. I found her to be the most interesting character of the story if I'm honest. I also enjoyed reading about Mac. He seemed like a great friend. Luke's parents also seemed very sweet, and I would sympathize with Beth when she would talk about Hannah. However, keep in mind that with this book, some of the characters aren't who and what they seem which was great!
Trigger warnings for The Lies We Told include profanity, cheating, blackmail, lying, kidnapping, mentions of sex, alcohol and some drug use, mental illness, death, murder, and violence.
Overall, The Lies We Told is such a brilliant book. It's got a fascinating plot, very interesting characters, and fantastic plot twists that will leave you scratching your head! I would definitely recommend The Lies We Told by Camilla Way to everyone aged 17+. I really enjoyed it.
Debbiereadsbook (1303 KP) rated Copping an Attitude (Sin City Uniforms #2) in Books
Jun 18, 2019
a far darker read than book one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Sin City Uniforms series, and while it is not really necessary to read book 1, All Fired Up, for you to follow this one, I think you should read it. If only because I said so! ?
Slade ran away from one kind of hell, straight into another one and has been surviving on the streets, being pimped out or facing the consequences. Till a beat cop spots something in Slade that makes him wish for things that can never really be. Parker knows he shouldn’t get close to the young man, but something about Slade pulls to him. And so, it seems, does Slade’s pimp. Can Parker really keep Slade safe; can he get him FREE, even?
I really enjoyed book one, but this one I LOVED!
It’s a far darker read, dealing with prostitution and drug/alcohol use, trafficking and basically the underbelly of Las Vegas in all its gory detail.
Parker has an immediate pull towards Slade, and he doesn’t know why. His eyes draw Parker in, and Parker cannot keep away. Finding Slade badly beaten sends Parker’s protectiveness into overdrive and neither man can fight the attraction that builds over time.
Slade is surviving, not living. He knows he will never get away from the streets, but a man can hope. And that’s what scares him the most: the fact that Parker gives him so much HOPE I hurts, down to his soul. Slade never really had that before, and Parker gives it to him.
It’s very emotional in places, drawing great wracking sobs out of me when Slade is so desolate and full of despair. It’s super sexy too! I was surprised how good Slade felt with Parker, so quickly. The fact he was CHOOSING to have sex with Parker was what threw him the most, since it had never, EVER happened before.
Trent and Shawn pop up, and I refer back to what I said about not NEEDING to read their book first. There is some recap here on their story, enough, I think, to give you the low down. It’s fabulous that they DO pop up, cos I love to catch up with previous characters in a series.
A certain someone is hard done by here, when Parker does what he really should have done a long time ago, but I’ve read the blurb for some other upcoming books in this series, and he does get his own (hopefully) happy every after.
And after reading all the blurbs, I’m so very hoping I can get my grubby little mitts on them all, I really am!
A far darker read, but I read it in one go, and could not put it down!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 2 in the Sin City Uniforms series, and while it is not really necessary to read book 1, All Fired Up, for you to follow this one, I think you should read it. If only because I said so! ?
Slade ran away from one kind of hell, straight into another one and has been surviving on the streets, being pimped out or facing the consequences. Till a beat cop spots something in Slade that makes him wish for things that can never really be. Parker knows he shouldn’t get close to the young man, but something about Slade pulls to him. And so, it seems, does Slade’s pimp. Can Parker really keep Slade safe; can he get him FREE, even?
I really enjoyed book one, but this one I LOVED!
It’s a far darker read, dealing with prostitution and drug/alcohol use, trafficking and basically the underbelly of Las Vegas in all its gory detail.
Parker has an immediate pull towards Slade, and he doesn’t know why. His eyes draw Parker in, and Parker cannot keep away. Finding Slade badly beaten sends Parker’s protectiveness into overdrive and neither man can fight the attraction that builds over time.
Slade is surviving, not living. He knows he will never get away from the streets, but a man can hope. And that’s what scares him the most: the fact that Parker gives him so much HOPE I hurts, down to his soul. Slade never really had that before, and Parker gives it to him.
It’s very emotional in places, drawing great wracking sobs out of me when Slade is so desolate and full of despair. It’s super sexy too! I was surprised how good Slade felt with Parker, so quickly. The fact he was CHOOSING to have sex with Parker was what threw him the most, since it had never, EVER happened before.
Trent and Shawn pop up, and I refer back to what I said about not NEEDING to read their book first. There is some recap here on their story, enough, I think, to give you the low down. It’s fabulous that they DO pop up, cos I love to catch up with previous characters in a series.
A certain someone is hard done by here, when Parker does what he really should have done a long time ago, but I’ve read the blurb for some other upcoming books in this series, and he does get his own (hopefully) happy every after.
And after reading all the blurbs, I’m so very hoping I can get my grubby little mitts on them all, I really am!
A far darker read, but I read it in one go, and could not put it down!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Debbiereadsbook (1303 KP) rated The Twelve Disasters of Christmas in Books
Jan 7, 2019
really enjoyed this!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book five in the Manx Cat Guardians series, and you probably SHOULD read he other books first. Some things are mentioned here, that happened in those books and not all is fully recapped.
Brad is sex-bribed into giving a Christmas party for Martin and his work colleagues. Brad never had a proper Christmas before and he wants it to be perfect. Things take a turn, and it's one thing after another going wrong. And just what is going on with his cat, Princess??
I really enjoyed this latest book in this series! It's funny and witty; emotional and painful; and sexy and steamy! So bloody sexy and steamy! The guys have a *thing* Brad and Martin, Joe and Stuart, and Greg and Aaden. So freaking hawt but they are spoil sports too! "Look, but not touching!"
But it's Brad and this party that take centre stage. Well, mostly, more on what I mean shortly! The party of the century has to be perfect and things keep going wrong for poor Brad! Greg has a hiccup too! I'm not going into any details, cos of spoilers, but you feel for them, as one thing after another goes wrong!
Poor Max (Aaden's cat) has been given an impossible choice. When it becomes clear just WHY the witchy-woo (I had to laugh at that name given to her!) is doing what she is doing, Max' decision is easy, but the witchy-woo ain't happy. Neither is Princess when she finds out what Max did to save her life so I'm hoping she comes round!
Brad, Greg, Joe and Nick (Aaden's little brother) all have a say, the other guys don't. But when Nick had HIS say, it made me want to hear from Brody (Aaden's best friend) Because of what Nick has to say, because there is something going on with Brody we don't yet know about, because of what happens after Brody picks Nick up after they all get drunk, I NEEDED Brody, and we don't get him.
And this is what I meant earlier. While the party is the main plot line of the book, Nick and Brody's story is being laid out too, and to ME, that is a far more important part of this story, than a party. Nick has a LOT to say about what he feels about Brody, even if he is Aaden's best friend, and I have a feeling Brody isn't as indifferent to the squirt as he makes out.
I don't get Brody here, and I NEEDED him, and that's the ONLY reason I gave it
4 stars
But that's just me, spitting my dummy out and having a hissy fit with these books, AGAIN!! Ms Sayle keeps doing that to me! I very much look forward to seeing what Ms Sayle does to illicit such reactions from me!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book five in the Manx Cat Guardians series, and you probably SHOULD read he other books first. Some things are mentioned here, that happened in those books and not all is fully recapped.
Brad is sex-bribed into giving a Christmas party for Martin and his work colleagues. Brad never had a proper Christmas before and he wants it to be perfect. Things take a turn, and it's one thing after another going wrong. And just what is going on with his cat, Princess??
I really enjoyed this latest book in this series! It's funny and witty; emotional and painful; and sexy and steamy! So bloody sexy and steamy! The guys have a *thing* Brad and Martin, Joe and Stuart, and Greg and Aaden. So freaking hawt but they are spoil sports too! "Look, but not touching!"
But it's Brad and this party that take centre stage. Well, mostly, more on what I mean shortly! The party of the century has to be perfect and things keep going wrong for poor Brad! Greg has a hiccup too! I'm not going into any details, cos of spoilers, but you feel for them, as one thing after another goes wrong!
Poor Max (Aaden's cat) has been given an impossible choice. When it becomes clear just WHY the witchy-woo (I had to laugh at that name given to her!) is doing what she is doing, Max' decision is easy, but the witchy-woo ain't happy. Neither is Princess when she finds out what Max did to save her life so I'm hoping she comes round!
Brad, Greg, Joe and Nick (Aaden's little brother) all have a say, the other guys don't. But when Nick had HIS say, it made me want to hear from Brody (Aaden's best friend) Because of what Nick has to say, because there is something going on with Brody we don't yet know about, because of what happens after Brody picks Nick up after they all get drunk, I NEEDED Brody, and we don't get him.
And this is what I meant earlier. While the party is the main plot line of the book, Nick and Brody's story is being laid out too, and to ME, that is a far more important part of this story, than a party. Nick has a LOT to say about what he feels about Brody, even if he is Aaden's best friend, and I have a feeling Brody isn't as indifferent to the squirt as he makes out.
I don't get Brody here, and I NEEDED him, and that's the ONLY reason I gave it
4 stars
But that's just me, spitting my dummy out and having a hissy fit with these books, AGAIN!! Ms Sayle keeps doing that to me! I very much look forward to seeing what Ms Sayle does to illicit such reactions from me!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Debbiereadsbook (1303 KP) rated Hush (Nights #8) in Books
Dec 10, 2018
i love this series!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
So! This is book 8 in the Nights Series, but this one really can be read as a stand alone. I'm not sure I recall Lana or Tom from any of the previous books, but that might be me. Also, books one through 6 are male/male pairings and book7 and this one are male/female pairings. Again, I'm not picky, especially when the author pulls off the difference incredibly well, but I know some readers are. Books one through 3, and 6 and 7 are all 5 stars reads from me too.
Lana has been the bane of Tom's existence since he fell in love with her at 16. Having worked for her for 4 years, Tom really has reached the end of his tether, and feels he needs to move on. But when Lana turns up at his door, drunk, demanding sex, what's a guy to do, huh?? He does the right thing, and puts her to bed, while sleeping on the sofa. But, things change between Lana and Tom, and Lana begins to feel things more keenly. These feelings she never realised she had. And the feelings that she wants more than the verbal battling they have every day. But Tom runs, and Lana has to face some facts.
A thoroughly enjoyable addition to this series, even if i found it not quite up to par as the rest.
Oh, don't get me wrong! It's a great book, told from both Lana and Tom's point of view. It's sexy and hot, and I did read it in one sitting.
It just doesn't have the heat level the other books have, and I think I missed that! Ya'll know I made a new shelf for these books, "fan yourself, it's a hot one" and this book doesn't get to join the others there, simply because of that fact.
There is, though, more emotions in this one, I think. Having loved Lana for the better part of his life, Tom's feeling are front and centre, right from the beginning, but Lana's take some digging out. I LOVED the scene when she's talking to Eveline and Lincoln from book 7, about just WHY Lana is annoyed with Tom!
I really have enjoyed this series, and there is just one book to go, and I will be so bloody sad to see the end of these books!
I also find myself curious as to what name this author usually writes under, as AM Salinger is a pen name. I'd LOVE to read something written under that name, just to see the differences. But then again, it might be young adult, or zombies and they really don't float my boat. So, on reflection, no, I don't want to know!
4 solid sexy (but not quite as sexy as the rest) stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
So! This is book 8 in the Nights Series, but this one really can be read as a stand alone. I'm not sure I recall Lana or Tom from any of the previous books, but that might be me. Also, books one through 6 are male/male pairings and book7 and this one are male/female pairings. Again, I'm not picky, especially when the author pulls off the difference incredibly well, but I know some readers are. Books one through 3, and 6 and 7 are all 5 stars reads from me too.
Lana has been the bane of Tom's existence since he fell in love with her at 16. Having worked for her for 4 years, Tom really has reached the end of his tether, and feels he needs to move on. But when Lana turns up at his door, drunk, demanding sex, what's a guy to do, huh?? He does the right thing, and puts her to bed, while sleeping on the sofa. But, things change between Lana and Tom, and Lana begins to feel things more keenly. These feelings she never realised she had. And the feelings that she wants more than the verbal battling they have every day. But Tom runs, and Lana has to face some facts.
A thoroughly enjoyable addition to this series, even if i found it not quite up to par as the rest.
Oh, don't get me wrong! It's a great book, told from both Lana and Tom's point of view. It's sexy and hot, and I did read it in one sitting.
It just doesn't have the heat level the other books have, and I think I missed that! Ya'll know I made a new shelf for these books, "fan yourself, it's a hot one" and this book doesn't get to join the others there, simply because of that fact.
There is, though, more emotions in this one, I think. Having loved Lana for the better part of his life, Tom's feeling are front and centre, right from the beginning, but Lana's take some digging out. I LOVED the scene when she's talking to Eveline and Lincoln from book 7, about just WHY Lana is annoyed with Tom!
I really have enjoyed this series, and there is just one book to go, and I will be so bloody sad to see the end of these books!
I also find myself curious as to what name this author usually writes under, as AM Salinger is a pen name. I'd LOVE to read something written under that name, just to see the differences. But then again, it might be young adult, or zombies and they really don't float my boat. So, on reflection, no, I don't want to know!
4 solid sexy (but not quite as sexy as the rest) stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Runaway Girl: A beautiful girl. Trafficked for sex. Is there nowhere to hide? in Books
Dec 14, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
Casey Watson is a specialist foster carer who temporarily houses vulnerable children in emergency situations. Since working in this field for decades, she has been documenting her experiences in a series of books, each one focusing on a different child. Her thirteenth, and most recent book is <i>Runaway Girl</i>, aptly named about a (supposedly) fourteen-year-old girl, running away from several distressing situations.
Adrianna arrives on Casey’s doorstep with no possessions, no English and no passport. Apart from knowing she is Polish, Adrianna is a complete mystery to the Watson family and the services involved. With her sixth sense tingling, Casey is certain there is something important that Adrianna is hiding and, despite all her attempts, it is not until an emergency hospitalization that the frightened Polish girl starts telling the truth.
With a background of abuse, homelessness and sex trafficking, Adrianna’s story will open readers’ eyes to the shocking situations many foreign children find themselves. Unfortunately, Adrianna is only one out of 5,000 girls in the last decade and a half to be brought to England illegally and forced into prostitution.
Fortunately, Adrianna is lucky to have escaped and found a safe place to stay in the Watson household. Without Casey’s care and determination to provide a future for her, Adrianna would have remained one of the “hidden children” that arrive in England every year.
Casey writes in a novel-like format, describing Adrianna’s circumstances from a carer’s point of view. Slowly revealing the secrets of Adrianna’s past, Casey keeps the reader interested in the same way a fiction author would with a clever plot line. Emphasising the difficulties Adrianna has, not only coming to terms with the abuse she has faced, but also worrying about whether authorities will allow her to remain in England, Casey appeals to the readers’ emotions, making it clear that, although here illegally, trafficked children have every right to be protected and looked after by British authorities.
Although Casey writes under a pseudonym, and assumedly alters all names within the book, it is not certain how much of the storyline is true, or whether the situation has been accentuated in order to capture the reader’s attention. This, however, is not important – people will read this for entertainment, therefore the accuracy of the content is not as significant as the way in which it is told. <i>Runaway Girl</i>, whilst shocking, is engaging and easy to read, with a satisfying ending.
<i>Runaway Girl</i> is the only book I have read from Casey Watson, yet I can tell she is a worthy and successful author. Her stories – at least the blurbs – seem similar to other authors, such as Torey Hayden, who also write about their experiences helping vulnerable children. Casey Watson’s book need not be read in any particular order; therefore <i>Runaway Girl</i> is as good a place as any to begin.
Casey Watson is a specialist foster carer who temporarily houses vulnerable children in emergency situations. Since working in this field for decades, she has been documenting her experiences in a series of books, each one focusing on a different child. Her thirteenth, and most recent book is <i>Runaway Girl</i>, aptly named about a (supposedly) fourteen-year-old girl, running away from several distressing situations.
Adrianna arrives on Casey’s doorstep with no possessions, no English and no passport. Apart from knowing she is Polish, Adrianna is a complete mystery to the Watson family and the services involved. With her sixth sense tingling, Casey is certain there is something important that Adrianna is hiding and, despite all her attempts, it is not until an emergency hospitalization that the frightened Polish girl starts telling the truth.
With a background of abuse, homelessness and sex trafficking, Adrianna’s story will open readers’ eyes to the shocking situations many foreign children find themselves. Unfortunately, Adrianna is only one out of 5,000 girls in the last decade and a half to be brought to England illegally and forced into prostitution.
Fortunately, Adrianna is lucky to have escaped and found a safe place to stay in the Watson household. Without Casey’s care and determination to provide a future for her, Adrianna would have remained one of the “hidden children” that arrive in England every year.
Casey writes in a novel-like format, describing Adrianna’s circumstances from a carer’s point of view. Slowly revealing the secrets of Adrianna’s past, Casey keeps the reader interested in the same way a fiction author would with a clever plot line. Emphasising the difficulties Adrianna has, not only coming to terms with the abuse she has faced, but also worrying about whether authorities will allow her to remain in England, Casey appeals to the readers’ emotions, making it clear that, although here illegally, trafficked children have every right to be protected and looked after by British authorities.
Although Casey writes under a pseudonym, and assumedly alters all names within the book, it is not certain how much of the storyline is true, or whether the situation has been accentuated in order to capture the reader’s attention. This, however, is not important – people will read this for entertainment, therefore the accuracy of the content is not as significant as the way in which it is told. <i>Runaway Girl</i>, whilst shocking, is engaging and easy to read, with a satisfying ending.
<i>Runaway Girl</i> is the only book I have read from Casey Watson, yet I can tell she is a worthy and successful author. Her stories – at least the blurbs – seem similar to other authors, such as Torey Hayden, who also write about their experiences helping vulnerable children. Casey Watson’s book need not be read in any particular order; therefore <i>Runaway Girl</i> is as good a place as any to begin.