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ClareR (6106 KP) rated Sixteen Horses in Books
Oct 30, 2021
Sixteen Horses was a pretty gruesome thriller about a Forensic Veterinarian who is called in to investigate the discovery of sixteen horses heads, buried in a circle on farmland. If you find dismembered animals upsetting, then this won’t be the book for you, but I found the way that Cooper Allen undertook her investigation fascinating.
There is a really bleak, moody atmosphere throughout this book, that brought The Smiths song ‘Everyday is like Sunday’ to mind: this IS the coastal town that they forgot to close down, and everyday does seem to be grey - if not silent!
Ilmarsh is a town that has seen far better days, full of the unemployed and displaced, and even though it’s not a pleasant thought, it’s no surprise that it should be the setting for a series of disappearances, arson and mutilations. There is someone in this town with a lot of time on their hands. And no better way to spend it.
The writing is mesmerising - I found it hard to drag myself away, even though I found it profoundly unsettling. And that’s the big thing about this novel: I’m still not 100% sure who the culprit was, but I found myself not too upset by that. It was such a breathtaking journey (however, if anyone would like to message me with the answer to that, I wouldn’t be at all put out!)
Many thanks to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of the book through both NetGalley and Jellybooks (because I forgot I already had it from NetGalley 🤦🏼♀️).
There is a really bleak, moody atmosphere throughout this book, that brought The Smiths song ‘Everyday is like Sunday’ to mind: this IS the coastal town that they forgot to close down, and everyday does seem to be grey - if not silent!
Ilmarsh is a town that has seen far better days, full of the unemployed and displaced, and even though it’s not a pleasant thought, it’s no surprise that it should be the setting for a series of disappearances, arson and mutilations. There is someone in this town with a lot of time on their hands. And no better way to spend it.
The writing is mesmerising - I found it hard to drag myself away, even though I found it profoundly unsettling. And that’s the big thing about this novel: I’m still not 100% sure who the culprit was, but I found myself not too upset by that. It was such a breathtaking journey (however, if anyone would like to message me with the answer to that, I wouldn’t be at all put out!)
Many thanks to the publisher who provided me with an e-copy of the book through both NetGalley and Jellybooks (because I forgot I already had it from NetGalley 🤦🏼♀️).
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Heartbreak Bay ( Stillhouse Lake 5) in Books
Nov 1, 2023
162 of 235
Kindle
Heartbreak Bay ( Stillhouse Lake 5)
By Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
They’re hunting a killer so silent, so invisible, that his unspeakable crimes are the only proof he exists.
A car submerged in a remote pond. The bodies of two girls strapped into their seats. The mystery of their mother, vanished without a trace, leads Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont into dangerous territory.
On the surface, Gwen’s life is good—two children approaching adulthood, a committed partner, and a harrowing past dead and gone. But that past is attracting the attention of someone invisible…and unstoppable. Trouble’s just beginning. So is the body count in this backwoods Tennessee town.
As threats mount and Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable crimes will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.
Loved this kinda had to take a breath after Keiza finds those poor babies I even put it down for a few to just breathe. It was full of tension and I really liked that it was the two kick ass females taking the lead. I did want to shake Sam and say well that was a bit obvious mate!!! Really good ending! This is such a sad place to be knowing this was the last book Rachel Caine sent to be published and I can’t thank her enough for getting me through some hard times. Thank you..
Kindle
Heartbreak Bay ( Stillhouse Lake 5)
By Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
They’re hunting a killer so silent, so invisible, that his unspeakable crimes are the only proof he exists.
A car submerged in a remote pond. The bodies of two girls strapped into their seats. The mystery of their mother, vanished without a trace, leads Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont into dangerous territory.
On the surface, Gwen’s life is good—two children approaching adulthood, a committed partner, and a harrowing past dead and gone. But that past is attracting the attention of someone invisible…and unstoppable. Trouble’s just beginning. So is the body count in this backwoods Tennessee town.
As threats mount and Gwen’s hunted by an enemy who pulls all the strings, Kezia has her back. But working to solve these vicious and unreasonable crimes will expose them both to a killer they can’t for the life of them see coming.
Loved this kinda had to take a breath after Keiza finds those poor babies I even put it down for a few to just breathe. It was full of tension and I really liked that it was the two kick ass females taking the lead. I did want to shake Sam and say well that was a bit obvious mate!!! Really good ending! This is such a sad place to be knowing this was the last book Rachel Caine sent to be published and I can’t thank her enough for getting me through some hard times. Thank you..
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The First Satan ( The A’Vean Chronicles 0.5) in Books
Nov 21, 2023
174 of 235
Kindle
The First Satan ( The A’vean Chronicles 0.5)
By G.R. Thomas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
At the dawn of civilisation, angels roamed the Earth.
Within shadows and dreams, these great warriors of A’vean were the silent caretakers of humanity, watching the first civilisations pull themselves from the cesspit of evolution.
I’el, the creator of all things, set one directive… Do not interfere.
Yeqon, sentenced to Earth as punishment for his misdeeds elsewhere, resented this deployment. Mindless eons of gently nudging humanity in the right direction set his mind to wander on the past and future glory, of war and power. Cowering in the shadows at the behest of I'el set a flame of resentment alight within him.
Yet, a loyal warrior, Yeqon remained committed to the task when he yearned to travel the universe, to fight, to love... until I'el pushed that loyalty too far.
A cord was struck against Yeqon and the Watchers he commanded, an event so devastating that it cleaved a wedge through them and stoked that fire. This upheaval stirred the beginnings of the greatest of wars...
and birthed the First Satan.
I can’t fault this book! I loved it! Yeqon is such a complex character and I really enjoyed finding out more about him. This is such a fascinating world and this author creates really in-depth characters.
I was lucky to have this gifted to me from the author and I’m so glad to have been chosen. Definitely read this if you love the series.
Kindle
The First Satan ( The A’vean Chronicles 0.5)
By G.R. Thomas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
At the dawn of civilisation, angels roamed the Earth.
Within shadows and dreams, these great warriors of A’vean were the silent caretakers of humanity, watching the first civilisations pull themselves from the cesspit of evolution.
I’el, the creator of all things, set one directive… Do not interfere.
Yeqon, sentenced to Earth as punishment for his misdeeds elsewhere, resented this deployment. Mindless eons of gently nudging humanity in the right direction set his mind to wander on the past and future glory, of war and power. Cowering in the shadows at the behest of I'el set a flame of resentment alight within him.
Yet, a loyal warrior, Yeqon remained committed to the task when he yearned to travel the universe, to fight, to love... until I'el pushed that loyalty too far.
A cord was struck against Yeqon and the Watchers he commanded, an event so devastating that it cleaved a wedge through them and stoked that fire. This upheaval stirred the beginnings of the greatest of wars...
and birthed the First Satan.
I can’t fault this book! I loved it! Yeqon is such a complex character and I really enjoyed finding out more about him. This is such a fascinating world and this author creates really in-depth characters.
I was lucky to have this gifted to me from the author and I’m so glad to have been chosen. Definitely read this if you love the series.
Merissa (13860 KP) rated Haven's Flame (Fires of Cricket Bend #1) in Books
May 17, 2023
As this book started, I will admit to being worried! It appeared that it was going the way of a love triangle which, although I don't hate, I do tend to dislike. However, I stayed with it and I'm glad that I did. This is an interesting and fast-paced tale, set when the West was Wild and women were buttoned up, unless you were a scarlet woman!
Haven is a strong female lead, although sometimes she does come across as a bit naive. She is only twenty years old though, so cut her some slack. Matthew, I loved. He is the strong, silent type that would probably drive me insane in real life. Because you could 'hear' his thoughts though, his reasons for behaving how he did made it understandable, even noble. Hank is someone that I didn't trust from the get-go, and I was glad when this book changed from a love triangle into something else!
Very well-written and with no grammatical or editing issues that I could see, this story flowed well and with plenty of details. Enough build-up to make the ending breathtaking. It was nice to see the main female being honest with the main male too!
I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to all fans of Historical Western Romance.
* 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!
Jan 9, 2016
Haven is a strong female lead, although sometimes she does come across as a bit naive. She is only twenty years old though, so cut her some slack. Matthew, I loved. He is the strong, silent type that would probably drive me insane in real life. Because you could 'hear' his thoughts though, his reasons for behaving how he did made it understandable, even noble. Hank is someone that I didn't trust from the get-go, and I was glad when this book changed from a love triangle into something else!
Very well-written and with no grammatical or editing issues that I could see, this story flowed well and with plenty of details. Enough build-up to make the ending breathtaking. It was nice to see the main female being honest with the main male too!
I would have no hesitation in recommending this book to all fans of Historical Western Romance.
* 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!
Jan 9, 2016
Make Them Cry (Pretty Deadly Things #2)
8.0
Rate It
Book
They called her curvy. They called her worthless. They never expected her to fight back. ...
Epic of Helinthia
8.0
Rate It
Book
When a madman seized the throne, the gods on Olympus fell silent, and the island of Helinthia...
Greek myth
Quotes Alarm -Quote of the Day
Health & Fitness and Photo & Video
App
Would you like to wake up, every day, inspired and motivated? This app is serious about happiness,...
Potty Time with Elmo
Education and Book
App
Elmo reads this animated storybook and song app that will help teach your child about potty training...
Merissa (13860 KP) rated Secrets In Shadows (Shadow Creek #1) in Books
Aug 11, 2017
Secrets In Shadows (Shadow Creek #1) by Leah Blake
Secrets in Shadows is the first book in the Shadow Creek series, and it starts with a bang! Rex is held within what could be a vicious circle - his father didn't want to be a wolf, so concentrated on fitting in with the human world and passed no information onto his family. Unfortunately, that meant that Rex and his brother grew up knowing very little about what it means, and how to survive. When they are attacked, they head for the only sanctuary they know. It is here that Rex learns just how bratty he has been, and figures out what he must do to change. I'm glad he figured it out, because he was a pain to begin with! Devon is the strong, silent type, and doesn't want a mate, let alone someone like Rex. However, that doesn't stop him from helping Rex when some hyenas get out of hand.
Being the first book, there is a lot to take in as you figure out a new world, new rules, new wars. It never feels like an info-dump though, and is spread out throughout the book. With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I was engrossed with the story and found the pacing to be just right for me. I have no hesitation in recommending this book for all fans of #M_M #PNR.
* 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!
Being the first book, there is a lot to take in as you figure out a new world, new rules, new wars. It never feels like an info-dump though, and is spread out throughout the book. With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I was engrossed with the story and found the pacing to be just right for me. I have no hesitation in recommending this book for all fans of #M_M #PNR.
* 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!
Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine in Books
Mar 21, 2019
Pros: ▪ Character is relatable ▪ Laugh out loud moments ▪ unpredictable storyline (although I did catch on pretty quick)
▪ Realistic mental health
No cons today!
Oh Eleanor! What an absolute incredible story. She is the most relatable character I have read about so far in any book.
Like many others this book isnt what I had expected, I'm not really sure what I was expecting but this certainly wasn't it, I avoided reading this for so long because it had been hyped up so much I didn't want to be disappointed. I was not disappointed, actually pleasantly surprised!
I have to admit, I did catch on to the plot twist that is revealed at the end, quite quickly, but even so once I had read it I put it down and thought wow, such clever writing!
This is the first 10 rating I've given since Alex Michaelides, The Silent Patient, after reading that I didn't expect to find another 10 rating so soon.
Gail Honeyman has such a unique yet genuine way of writing, she perfects the descriptive writing concerning mental health and loneliness and keeps it extremely realistic and relatable. I have read many books now where the main character has complex mental health issues but usually the authors get a bit too unrealistic with it, however, Honeyman keeps it realistic, so much so it almost feels like reading a memoir. I wish it was a memoir because I'd love to meet Eleanor in real life and just give her a big hug!
Nobody should ever feel lonely, even more so whilst dealing with mental health, unfortunately that is reality for too many people nowa days.
▪ Realistic mental health
No cons today!
Oh Eleanor! What an absolute incredible story. She is the most relatable character I have read about so far in any book.
Like many others this book isnt what I had expected, I'm not really sure what I was expecting but this certainly wasn't it, I avoided reading this for so long because it had been hyped up so much I didn't want to be disappointed. I was not disappointed, actually pleasantly surprised!
I have to admit, I did catch on to the plot twist that is revealed at the end, quite quickly, but even so once I had read it I put it down and thought wow, such clever writing!
This is the first 10 rating I've given since Alex Michaelides, The Silent Patient, after reading that I didn't expect to find another 10 rating so soon.
Gail Honeyman has such a unique yet genuine way of writing, she perfects the descriptive writing concerning mental health and loneliness and keeps it extremely realistic and relatable. I have read many books now where the main character has complex mental health issues but usually the authors get a bit too unrealistic with it, however, Honeyman keeps it realistic, so much so it almost feels like reading a memoir. I wish it was a memoir because I'd love to meet Eleanor in real life and just give her a big hug!
Nobody should ever feel lonely, even more so whilst dealing with mental health, unfortunately that is reality for too many people nowa days.