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Debbiereadsbook (1533 KP) rated Taming of a Wolf (Viking Wolves #2) in Books
Jun 19, 2025
Bites differently to book 1 but no less powerfully!
Independent reviewer for GRR, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Viking Wolves series, and I do recommend you read book 1, Heart of a Wolf before this one. It will give you a better picture of what Anders does to warrant his exiling. You do get a recap here, but I think you need it from Kieran's point of view to get the full effect.And, cos I bloody said so!
I loved book 1, I really did. And I loved this one too. It doesn't bite the same way as book 1, but it's bite is different and just as powerful!
While book 1 is a slow burn, this is full on INSTA for Anders and Jamie and I loved the marked differences in the two tales. I'm gonna be doing a lot of comparisons but I will try to keep them to a minimum!
What I particularly loved, and this probably makes me a bit weird, was the pain these two carried. Anders, for what he did, what he thought he was doing for the better of the pack, but deep down?? He was hurting just as much as Wulfric was at the death of his parents. But he wasn't any better able to stop that than Wulfric was. And Jamie, at the death of HIS parents, that he believes was his fault. I cried when they both told the other their deepest pain.
I loved that Anders was able to get some sort of closure with his brothers. I expect there is more pain to come from the other brothers though, about their parents death.
Loved the introduction of Gunnar's mate, and the revelation that Lyall's is still alive. I hope I get a chance to read their books!
Loving this series, and I highly recommend them!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Viking Wolves series, and I do recommend you read book 1, Heart of a Wolf before this one. It will give you a better picture of what Anders does to warrant his exiling. You do get a recap here, but I think you need it from Kieran's point of view to get the full effect.And, cos I bloody said so!
I loved book 1, I really did. And I loved this one too. It doesn't bite the same way as book 1, but it's bite is different and just as powerful!
While book 1 is a slow burn, this is full on INSTA for Anders and Jamie and I loved the marked differences in the two tales. I'm gonna be doing a lot of comparisons but I will try to keep them to a minimum!
What I particularly loved, and this probably makes me a bit weird, was the pain these two carried. Anders, for what he did, what he thought he was doing for the better of the pack, but deep down?? He was hurting just as much as Wulfric was at the death of his parents. But he wasn't any better able to stop that than Wulfric was. And Jamie, at the death of HIS parents, that he believes was his fault. I cried when they both told the other their deepest pain.
I loved that Anders was able to get some sort of closure with his brothers. I expect there is more pain to come from the other brothers though, about their parents death.
Loved the introduction of Gunnar's mate, and the revelation that Lyall's is still alive. I hope I get a chance to read their books!
Loving this series, and I highly recommend them!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Merissa (13288 KP) rated Booker's Bliss (Divergent Omegaverse #3) in Books
Aug 12, 2025
BOOKER'S BLISS is the third story in the Divergent Omegaverse series, and for part of the story, we get the same events that happened in Taylin's Temptation. This doesn't happen for long, but just so you're aware.
Frey is the flirty fox, the one everyone thinks is the Omega version of Jupiter. Booker is the big bear who growls all the time. What would these two have in common? Well, a lot of things, as it happens. Not only that, but there's also that thing called attraction, although neither of them will admit to it...
These two are sweet, and both have their own baggage. Booker helps Frey work through his trauma, but deals with his own by himself. Well, with Derick by his side. Due to said trauma, this is more of a slow burn than other books by this author, but it fits. And while I liked that they didn't do anything until Frey's heat, I also sort of wish they had. So Booker would have known that it was just heat madness talking. And Frey, too, now I'm thinking about it. That's shown afterwards, but yeah, I'd have liked to have seen a bit more beforehand.
I will give a Kleenex warning, though. If you've read Taylin's Temptation, you'll remember the incredibly sad circumstances of a certain factory. Well, not only do we revisit that particular moment, but we also go past it, with some tragic and happy events. My eyes were leaking, but as Frey says, blame it on the hormones.
I loved returning to this world and look forward to seeing them on the ranch for the next book, which is Silas and Ziggy's.
** 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!
Aug 12, 2025
Frey is the flirty fox, the one everyone thinks is the Omega version of Jupiter. Booker is the big bear who growls all the time. What would these two have in common? Well, a lot of things, as it happens. Not only that, but there's also that thing called attraction, although neither of them will admit to it...
These two are sweet, and both have their own baggage. Booker helps Frey work through his trauma, but deals with his own by himself. Well, with Derick by his side. Due to said trauma, this is more of a slow burn than other books by this author, but it fits. And while I liked that they didn't do anything until Frey's heat, I also sort of wish they had. So Booker would have known that it was just heat madness talking. And Frey, too, now I'm thinking about it. That's shown afterwards, but yeah, I'd have liked to have seen a bit more beforehand.
I will give a Kleenex warning, though. If you've read Taylin's Temptation, you'll remember the incredibly sad circumstances of a certain factory. Well, not only do we revisit that particular moment, but we also go past it, with some tragic and happy events. My eyes were leaking, but as Frey says, blame it on the hormones.
I loved returning to this world and look forward to seeing them on the ranch for the next book, which is Silas and Ziggy's.
** 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!
Aug 12, 2025
North is the Night
8.0
Rate It
Book
With the dark, mythical magic of the Winternight trilogy, and the slow-burn romance of Spinning...
Historical fiction
Dana (24 KP) rated Flame in the Mist in Books
Sep 8, 2017
Enjoyed from beginning to end
Overall, I freaking loved this novel. It's set in feudal Japan and follows a young woman as she is being married off the the emperor's second son. Mariko is a badass, There's no other way to put it. She will take no shit from others which gets her into a lot of trouble. She's also flawed in that aspect too; she's so blinded by her stubbornness to see the actual world around her sometimes. But she's not the only character who gets depth. Her brother, who we see in almost alternating viewpoints in the story, is a character filled with flaws and pride. But that's not all. Several characters get fleshed out back stories (some more in depth than others) and seeing them all grow was a delight to read.
Let's move on to the rich details of the setting. Feudal Japan can be tricky and Renee Ahdieh did it so much justice. It's described so well, I could easily put myself into Mariko's shoes and lose myself in the story. It's so nice to have that level of detail paid attention to in novels set in a different time and place.
And that romance.... oh boy, it was steamy. I must admit my weakness for slow burn romances (especially ones that are hate-to-love) and this did not disappoint. It was a bit awkward; at first I wasn't sure who she was going to get together with, but when it hit it's stride, I was in love. I really don't want to give much away, but it was fantastic to read and fall in love with them.
I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series!
Let's move on to the rich details of the setting. Feudal Japan can be tricky and Renee Ahdieh did it so much justice. It's described so well, I could easily put myself into Mariko's shoes and lose myself in the story. It's so nice to have that level of detail paid attention to in novels set in a different time and place.
And that romance.... oh boy, it was steamy. I must admit my weakness for slow burn romances (especially ones that are hate-to-love) and this did not disappoint. It was a bit awkward; at first I wasn't sure who she was going to get together with, but when it hit it's stride, I was in love. I really don't want to give much away, but it was fantastic to read and fall in love with them.
I am eagerly awaiting the next in the series!
Merissa (13288 KP) rated Prophecy (Prophecy #1) in Books
Aug 8, 2017
Prophecy (Prophecy #1) by Lea Kirk
Prophecy is the first book in the Prophecy series, and we start off with Alex as she is thrown into a cell after aliens have invaded earth. She has no idea what has happened to her family or friends, but is determined to do what she can. The first time she meets Gryf, she lays one on him and gives him a black eye. Gryf takes it, not only because it goes against in him to 'attack' a woman, but also because he believes it is deserved. He feels an immense amount of guilt in allowing the earth to be attacked. These two have to work together if there is to be any chance of survival.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Alex and Gryf are fantastic together. They have a slow-burn romance with some steamy moments, but not too many. As Alex rightly says 'it can be hard getting private time in a refugee camp'. Okay, so I'm paraphrasing, but you know what I mean! Alex is a straight-talking, no-nonsense character who does her best no matter what the situation. Gryf is the honourable Captain who will do anything to protect those who can't protect themselves. He even lumps Alex into that category until she proves otherwise. So many characters in this book, and I loved all of them! Well, apart from the baddies ;) Graig has to be a favourite of mine, and Dante, and Nick, and Ora, and... oh you get the idea! Really pleased to hear that Nick will be getting his own book, and the extra chapter with Graig was sheer perfection.
This story was very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The pace was smooth, the action was exciting, and the romance was wonderful. I have no hesitation in recommending this book, and I look forward to reading more in this series, and by this author.
* 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!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Alex and Gryf are fantastic together. They have a slow-burn romance with some steamy moments, but not too many. As Alex rightly says 'it can be hard getting private time in a refugee camp'. Okay, so I'm paraphrasing, but you know what I mean! Alex is a straight-talking, no-nonsense character who does her best no matter what the situation. Gryf is the honourable Captain who will do anything to protect those who can't protect themselves. He even lumps Alex into that category until she proves otherwise. So many characters in this book, and I loved all of them! Well, apart from the baddies ;) Graig has to be a favourite of mine, and Dante, and Nick, and Ora, and... oh you get the idea! Really pleased to hear that Nick will be getting his own book, and the extra chapter with Graig was sheer perfection.
This story was very well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The pace was smooth, the action was exciting, and the romance was wonderful. I have no hesitation in recommending this book, and I look forward to reading more in this series, and by this author.
* 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!
Midge (525 KP) rated The Shadow Between Us in Books
Mar 23, 2019
A Moving & Poignant Novel
Carol Mason, the best-selling author of ’After You Left’ has written an incredibly moving and poignant novel in this slow-burn, very beautiful work of fiction.
Olivia moves to the pretty coastal town of Port Townsend, with her marriage on-the-rocks, and her life in pieces. She doesn’t know if things with her husband Mark are truly over, or quite why the phone call she longs for on her daughter’s birthday will never come.
After joining a letter-writing club held at her local cafe she meets Ned, an ex-soldier badly wounded in Afghanistan. This chance friendship revives unexpected emotions and memories she’d rather forget.
Can Olivia find the courage to confront what she’s hiding from and finally begin to heal the wounds that have torn her life apart?
Liv, as she is known to her husband, is an extremely intriguing character. Regularly displaying a cocktail of emotions, I could still really empathise with her. She could be caring and thoughtful one minute, but then be frank, blunt and very much to-the-point, the next moment. At times she was positively distant and unkind. She was not alone in her attitude and behaviour as some of the other characters in the story shared similar traits such as cafe owner Beth. For me, this added to and complemented this wonderful character-driven story.
THE SHADOW BETWEEN US was a very insightful and thought-provoking read about reflecting on the mistakes we sometimes make and finding hope in second chances. I
very much liked the emphasis on letter-writing, reading and quotes from favourite books, running throughout the story.
The dialogue between Olivia and Ned was lovely and liked how they had an almost immediate connection. I was very keen to see how their relationship might develop. I found THE SHADOW BETWEEN US a very enjoyable read, helped by Carol Mason’s beautiful writing which has depth and substance. The ending was very fulfilling although with an unexpected twist. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.
[Thanks to #NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Carol Mason for my ARC of #TheShadowBetweenUs in exchange for an honest review.]
Olivia moves to the pretty coastal town of Port Townsend, with her marriage on-the-rocks, and her life in pieces. She doesn’t know if things with her husband Mark are truly over, or quite why the phone call she longs for on her daughter’s birthday will never come.
After joining a letter-writing club held at her local cafe she meets Ned, an ex-soldier badly wounded in Afghanistan. This chance friendship revives unexpected emotions and memories she’d rather forget.
Can Olivia find the courage to confront what she’s hiding from and finally begin to heal the wounds that have torn her life apart?
Liv, as she is known to her husband, is an extremely intriguing character. Regularly displaying a cocktail of emotions, I could still really empathise with her. She could be caring and thoughtful one minute, but then be frank, blunt and very much to-the-point, the next moment. At times she was positively distant and unkind. She was not alone in her attitude and behaviour as some of the other characters in the story shared similar traits such as cafe owner Beth. For me, this added to and complemented this wonderful character-driven story.
THE SHADOW BETWEEN US was a very insightful and thought-provoking read about reflecting on the mistakes we sometimes make and finding hope in second chances. I
very much liked the emphasis on letter-writing, reading and quotes from favourite books, running throughout the story.
The dialogue between Olivia and Ned was lovely and liked how they had an almost immediate connection. I was very keen to see how their relationship might develop. I found THE SHADOW BETWEEN US a very enjoyable read, helped by Carol Mason’s beautiful writing which has depth and substance. The ending was very fulfilling although with an unexpected twist. I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future.
[Thanks to #NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Carol Mason for my ARC of #TheShadowBetweenUs in exchange for an honest review.]
Kyera (8 KP) rated A Darker Shade of Magic in Books
Feb 1, 2018
The first book set up the idea of the different Londons: magic-less grey London, vibrant red London, starving and desperate white London, and decimated, dead black London. Each built upon a foundation of London but developed in completely different fashions. Their cultures, religion, speech, manner and being is so unique in each world.
It was a really intriguing way to build the world and immediately fascinated me. Good world building is so important to books because it is immersive, it pulls you in and makes you forget that its not real. You are living the story with the characters. She even created languages that were utilized by characters from different places, from the magic language of the Antari to the flowing words or harsh tones of the neighboring lands. It shows a passion for authenticity and true love of what she has created.
I love the characters. Rhy with his charm always brightens the room (or a scene). Lila is cunning, ruthless, ambitious and a thief. She doesn't need anyone and she would never admit to needing anything. She takes or does what she wants, no matter the cost with no regrets. She is tough as nails and her grit is inspiring. Her first instinct is to protect herself above all.
Many people may not agree with me, but Lila was probably my least favourite of our main characters. She was smart and tough, but a little too ruthless for my taste. Kell was the character that I liked/related to the most, even though he was a powerful magic user he seemed the most down to earth.
Not only does she introduce us to unique main characters, but she brilliantly gives depths to those in the background. There are some supporting characters that at times I liked even more than some of our leads.
Overall the story is more of a slow-burn/build rather than quick action packed scenes. I think that it worked really well for this story and have no complaints. Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fantasy or magic books with characters that have very diverse personalities/outlooks on life and great world-building.
It was a really intriguing way to build the world and immediately fascinated me. Good world building is so important to books because it is immersive, it pulls you in and makes you forget that its not real. You are living the story with the characters. She even created languages that were utilized by characters from different places, from the magic language of the Antari to the flowing words or harsh tones of the neighboring lands. It shows a passion for authenticity and true love of what she has created.
I love the characters. Rhy with his charm always brightens the room (or a scene). Lila is cunning, ruthless, ambitious and a thief. She doesn't need anyone and she would never admit to needing anything. She takes or does what she wants, no matter the cost with no regrets. She is tough as nails and her grit is inspiring. Her first instinct is to protect herself above all.
Many people may not agree with me, but Lila was probably my least favourite of our main characters. She was smart and tough, but a little too ruthless for my taste. Kell was the character that I liked/related to the most, even though he was a powerful magic user he seemed the most down to earth.
Not only does she introduce us to unique main characters, but she brilliantly gives depths to those in the background. There are some supporting characters that at times I liked even more than some of our leads.
Overall the story is more of a slow-burn/build rather than quick action packed scenes. I think that it worked really well for this story and have no complaints. Highly recommended to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fantasy or magic books with characters that have very diverse personalities/outlooks on life and great world-building.
Eleanor (1463 KP) rated The Turn of The Key in Books
Dec 16, 2019
An Interesting Twist to a Familiar Tale
This suspense thriller was a close one for me but ultimately it just didn’t totally click. I listened to the audio version narrated by Inogen Church, who seemed to be a talented narrator just unfortunate that the person she was narrating was so irritating to me. The writing was of a high standard and I’ll certainly be looking at more of Ruth Ware’s work.
When Rowan takes a live-in nanny position in a remote Scottish she is soon faced with more than just the usual new nanny woes. The house has been converted into a modern all bells and whistles smart home, but it’s not exactly making life easier for Rowan. The book is told via the correspondence between Rowan and a solicitor from her prison cell following her arrest for the death of one of her charges. The result is a slow build of difficult circumstances from her perspective and a strong denial of any responsibility…. but what did happen?
This is a solid suspense thriller with plenty of creepy atmosphere in it and I can imagine some people will really love this book. For me, though I just kept getting a bit irritated. I’m not a big fan of kids (I know - burn the witch!!) and there are some prime examples of why that is in this book from the brats. Why someone would want to be a nanny is beyond me so Rowan is very hard to relate to. I really couldn’t care less about the routines of children. I’m also not a fan of having a narrator who constantly hints towards things not being as they seem but not clarifying until the “big reveal” troupe. So maybe just not the best book for me, in particular, to pick up.
Smart home things like speakers, voice-activated lights, fridges curtains, etc don’t do anything for me and the fact they added to the creepiness of Rowan’s situation was an interesting approach. Ultimately a book that many will love but just not my kinda story, so can’t get too pumped for it.
When Rowan takes a live-in nanny position in a remote Scottish she is soon faced with more than just the usual new nanny woes. The house has been converted into a modern all bells and whistles smart home, but it’s not exactly making life easier for Rowan. The book is told via the correspondence between Rowan and a solicitor from her prison cell following her arrest for the death of one of her charges. The result is a slow build of difficult circumstances from her perspective and a strong denial of any responsibility…. but what did happen?
This is a solid suspense thriller with plenty of creepy atmosphere in it and I can imagine some people will really love this book. For me, though I just kept getting a bit irritated. I’m not a big fan of kids (I know - burn the witch!!) and there are some prime examples of why that is in this book from the brats. Why someone would want to be a nanny is beyond me so Rowan is very hard to relate to. I really couldn’t care less about the routines of children. I’m also not a fan of having a narrator who constantly hints towards things not being as they seem but not clarifying until the “big reveal” troupe. So maybe just not the best book for me, in particular, to pick up.
Smart home things like speakers, voice-activated lights, fridges curtains, etc don’t do anything for me and the fact they added to the creepiness of Rowan’s situation was an interesting approach. Ultimately a book that many will love but just not my kinda story, so can’t get too pumped for it.
Merissa (13288 KP) created a post
Mar 3, 2021
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Emerald Blaze in Books
Jan 7, 2021
4.5 stars.
I do really enjoy this series.
This one starts with Catalina and her team trying to coax a "helper" monkey down off a lamppost while fellow PI firm, MII, do the same - both working for separate clients who claim to own the monkey. After sorting that little issue out they sense an unusual force coming from the water and are attacked by a horde of strange creatures. Afterwards she is summoned to her boss' house where she learns of a new job. A man has been found dead in what's known as the Pit and his father wants his murderer found and killed. Catalina has to figure out who did it and Alessandro - her teenage crush and the man who broke her heart when he left six months ago - is there to do the killing.
A lot more than just the above happened but it would be a spoiler to share that with others so I'll let you figure out the fun that is this book.
I really love House Baylor. They are all really protective of each other and have some of the handiest powers going for a PI firm: precision shooting, ability to sniff out lies, the ability to build armoured cars. I feel they've grown a lot over the last four books and in this one, they really are top of their game.
The romance between Catalina and Alessandro was definitely on a slow burn in this. We knew they cared about each other after the previous book but when he left, he really hurt her. It was like the pink elephant in the room. They didn't really acknowledge it but it was there, floating around, knocking into them occasionally to make them remember. It took a while but they did - eventually - talk to each other about it and finally resolved the issues they'd put between them
'm assuming that this isn't the last we'll see of these two since one arc of the storyline did not get resolved fully and the next book they'll be fighting the threat side by side to the death. I can't wait!
I do really enjoy this series.
This one starts with Catalina and her team trying to coax a "helper" monkey down off a lamppost while fellow PI firm, MII, do the same - both working for separate clients who claim to own the monkey. After sorting that little issue out they sense an unusual force coming from the water and are attacked by a horde of strange creatures. Afterwards she is summoned to her boss' house where she learns of a new job. A man has been found dead in what's known as the Pit and his father wants his murderer found and killed. Catalina has to figure out who did it and Alessandro - her teenage crush and the man who broke her heart when he left six months ago - is there to do the killing.
A lot more than just the above happened but it would be a spoiler to share that with others so I'll let you figure out the fun that is this book.
I really love House Baylor. They are all really protective of each other and have some of the handiest powers going for a PI firm: precision shooting, ability to sniff out lies, the ability to build armoured cars. I feel they've grown a lot over the last four books and in this one, they really are top of their game.
The romance between Catalina and Alessandro was definitely on a slow burn in this. We knew they cared about each other after the previous book but when he left, he really hurt her. It was like the pink elephant in the room. They didn't really acknowledge it but it was there, floating around, knocking into them occasionally to make them remember. It took a while but they did - eventually - talk to each other about it and finally resolved the issues they'd put between them
'm assuming that this isn't the last we'll see of these two since one arc of the storyline did not get resolved fully and the next book they'll be fighting the threat side by side to the death. I can't wait!