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The newlyweds window
Unknown | 2022 | Fiction & Poetry
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Will be writing a review for the couple story's I enjoyed in this book:

Gasping for Air
Author: Ogechukwu Emmanuel Samuel

"Humans! They are the worst thing to have happened to Earth since the beginning" I agree with this 100% humans have ruined the earth with their greed.
I liked this story was very interesting. It was scary but caught my attention. The ending was super confusing.

Border Control
Author: Aldine Jojo Elhassan

This story was sad due to this girl's traumatic delivery and mistreatment from the nurses. Scary to read to being pregnant currently it gave me anxiety and almost had me crying.

The Newlyweds' Window
Author: Husnah Mad-hy

"But her fate was like the rest of the unmarried women; marry young, give the husband and their families some children (at least one boy), and subdue her dreams to the more practical and 'real life' expectations of Swahili women- cooking, cleaning, raising, tending to her husband, attending weddings and funerals, and the likes." This is ok if you want this in life but every girl should not be forced into it.

"She watched and could sometimes hear as they made love every night for six months straight." This is majorly creepy.

This story was creepy and confusing the main character gave off stalker vibes and needs to mind their own business and give the people some privacy.

Black Pawpaw
Author: Obinna Ezeodili
This ones really sad how they have to beg for help and than the abuse the main character receives. Also Binye seeing her as mama instead of his mom is sad. The mom should be around more. The sexual assault is sad and screwed up too and very triggering. And the Aunt died from self defense this girl shouldn't have to be punished for it she was defending herself during sexual assault.
  
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Merissa (13840 KP) rated Dream Stalker in Books

Nov 15, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)  
Dream Stalker
Dream Stalker
Nancy Gardner | 2021 | Mystery, Paranormal
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
DREAM STALKER is told from a first-person perspective and we arrive in Salem near Samhain, also known as Halloween. It is a sad time as Lily's friend, Kitty commits suicide in front of her, but not before passing her a box and telling her to find the truth. This leads to a tangled mess of truths and half-truths, with deaths and accusations flying around.

Lily is a Wiccan and her sister was a Catholic nun. There is some sort of family drama with an adopted daughter and a sister. You get the basics but nothing too deep, so there was a feeling of wanting more. You are led from one person to the next, as our heroine is determined to prove her daughter's innocence. The big bad was a bit too obvious for me, but I still enjoyed reading about how it got to the point that Lily knew.

There are many interesting aspects to this story, especially the Wiccan and Herbalist sides of it. I would have preferred more information on the backstories of some of the characters, plus more about why something happened or connections were made or denied.

At the end of the story, it becomes clear there will be a follow-up to this story. I am looking forward to this as I hope it will give me more details about Lily, her family, and her dream walking ability.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 15, 2021
  
Smith's Corner: Delilah & Dallas (The Heartwood Series #1)
Smith's Corner: Delilah & Dallas (The Heartwood Series #1)
Jayne Paton | 2021 | Contemporary, Humor & Comedy, Romance
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
SMITH'S CORNER: DELILAH & DALLAS is the first book in the Heartwood series. Delilah is young but with a mature head on her shoulders. She knows what she wants to do and isn't afraid to work hard to get it. Dallas is older and has played the field, but when Delilah arrives on the scene, his playboy days are over, his eyes and heart are now Delilah's if only he can convince her to take a chance on him.

This was a great story that took the unusual turn of knowing who the stalker was but waiting for him to be caught. I loved that as it didn't detract from the main story, but also kept you on your toes for the next time he would turn up.

There were a couple of minor issues that I didn't understand, but that in no way detracted from the story. It's definitely a case of it's me, not the story! I loved all the brothers and hope we get all of them. Layla and Levi are up next, but I have high hopes for Ash and Alora, Stone and Storm, Holden and Harper, but no idea yet about Fox, and I really REALLY want his story. Of course, these may not be the official couples, but are the ones I have in my head!

With a smooth pace throughout, this story definitely kept my attention. With some steamy moments, along with banter between the brothers, the pages turned themselves.

Absolutely recommended by me, and I can't wait to continue the series.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 17, 2021
  
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Merissa (13840 KP) rated The Selkie's Mate (Waves of Fate #2) in Books

Feb 4, 2026 (Updated Feb 4, 2026)  
The Selkie's Mate (Waves of Fate #2)
The Selkie's Mate (Waves of Fate #2)
Drea Roman | 2026 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE SELKIE'S MATE is the second book in the Waves of Fate series, and I would definitely recommend you read these in order. If you didn't like Cody in Gregory and Daniel's book, I can pretty much guarantee you won't like him in here!

We begin at Gregory and Daniel's wedding, where Winston hears Henri speak for the first time. If you've read book one, you will know that is how Selkies find their mates - through the sound of their mate's voice. In one respect, the courtship between Winston and Henri isn't nearly as complicated as Gregory and Daniel. On the other hand, it's a whole lot more involved and emotional. We're talking a stalker, the loss of an unborn baby, and someone not entirely sane.

I can see it going one of two ways with Cody. Either he will find redemption in the form of his own mate, down a long and rocky road. Or he will become the Big Bad. I am here to find out which way it will go!!!

I loved how the Selkies speak slightly formally, due to their long lives. I also love the relationships between both the main characters and the supporting ones who have either had their story told, or will have it told in the future (fingers crossed!) I did love his Selkie though, so that's one redeeming feature he has.

A great addition to the series that I thoroughly enjoyed. I can't wait to see who comes next. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.

** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 4, 2026
  
The Night Sitter (2019)
The Night Sitter (2019)
2019 |
7
4.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: The Night Sitter starts when a con-artist Amber (Dufour) poses as a babysitter for her latest job, she finds a wealthy occult enthusiast child Kevin (Champion) to babysit for the night, along with his father’s new girlfriend son Ronnie (Campbell).

With Amber setting up her plan with her partners in crime Rod (Rivers), Lindsey (Neukum) and her over-protective stalker who thinks he is her boyfriend Martin (Larmore), the boys enter the relic room and unwittingly release three witches upon the household.

 

Thoughts on The Night Sitter

 

Characters – Amber is a con-artist that poses as a babysitter for her latest job, she has the experience to trick the adult into believing she is qualified for the job and keeps the kids occupied enough to prepare for her robbery. She remains calm however many obstacles get thrown in her way including her partner bring his girlfriend, her stalker boyfriend and obsessed man from across the road. Kevin is the son from the house, he isn’t willing to get overly involved in searching around the house, he doesn’t want to be friends with Ronnie and spends time trying to prove the witches are real. Rod is the criminal partner, he brings his girlfriend on the latest job which shows him being a slacker when it comes to the jobs. Lindsey is the girlfriend of Rod’s she comes dressed like a cat burglar getting into the role of criminal thief, willing to get involved in everything going on.

Performances – Elyse Dufour in the leading role is the strongest of the cast, she shows the calm required while keeping her character in control through the night. Jack Champion is the young actor playing one of the children, he brings the nervous innocence needed for this film. Jermain Rivers does get a lot of the comedy to do with his character being the dumb one in the criminal act. Each actor does give their character enough to be a standout.

Story – The story here follows a con-artist working on her latest job which turns into a nightmare when three witches are released into the house searching for their latest victims. This is a story with plenty going on, in other films this hasn’t worked, for this one it does, the kids are troublesome like you would imagine, the criminal characters bring the laughs, which has moments that feel like we are watching the Home Alone thieves and once we add the witches into the mix, everything ties together effortlessly. If you have seen Annabelle Comes Home, you can see certain similarities, though this movie was made first before anyone thinks I am calling it a copy, having the household needing to deal with hauntings from a secret room, shows that this could be compared.

Comedy/Horror – The comedy in the film comes from criminals for the most part, with them not having everything going to plan, the horror comes from witches that have started to haunt the members of the household for the night.

Settings – The film is set in the one location of the house that has the occult material inside, they become trapped which plays into the idea of what the horror is coming for them.

Special Effects – The effects in the film are great, we get to see the blood covered moments that the witches put on their victims.


Scene of the Movie – Heading down to the basement.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – Martin the character, mostly because he changes through the whole film, starting nervous, turning into the ass by the end.

Final Thoughts – This is a fun horror comedy that will get a couple of laughs, while giving us the blood needing for the witches getting the blood needed.

 

Overall: Three Witches, One Solution, Enjoy.
  
The Unexpected Santa (The Sin Bin #5)
The Unexpected Santa (The Sin Bin #5)
Dahlia Donovan | 2017 | Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Unexpected Santa is the fifth book in The Sin Bin series, and this story focuses on a particular holiday, which you can guess by the title. Scottie is one of the Sin Bin members that I have always had trouble warming up. He is brash, obnoxious, and is more than happy to throw his own pity party - drink included. With stalker tendencies, and an amazing ability to sulk when things don't go his way, I wasn't 100% sure about reading this book. However, after seeing how Gray dealt with him in Akash's book, I was willing to give him a go.

I'm glad I did!

Now, don't get me wrong - Scottie is still a big pain in the posterior! He has a lot of learning to do, and I think that Gray is just the one to help him. In the meantime, Gray has promised that he will look out for the twins, and will protect them from everyone and everything - even Scottie. In turn, the twins help tone down some of Scottie's rough edges, as even he can't be awful all the time. With the twins and Gray on his case, Scottie doesn't stand a chance. He just doesn't realise it yet. He is just what Gray has been looking for, and in return, Gray will give Scottie everything he needs. In turn, I'm hoping that Scottie will become a character I can read about without giving myself eye-strain as they involuntarily roll so much.

With seasonal cheer from two Christmas grumps, this book is an unexpected delight, and a wonderful addition to The Sin Bin series. No editing or grammatical errors disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was smooth throughout. With enough to satisfy and yet still keep you wanting more, I have no hesitation in recommending this book or the series.

* 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!
  
Twisted (2004)
Twisted (2004)
2004 | Drama, Mystery
2
4.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
For newly promoted Homicide Detective Jessica Shepard (Ashley Judd), life is about to take an unexpected twist that will leave the most private aspects of her life on display and her very sanity questioned.

Sheppard has just been promoted to the San Francisco Homicide unit after bringing in suspected serial killer Edmund Cutler (Leland Orser). Sheppard ignored protocol and almost became a victim herself so there are those in the department who resent her promotion and credit it to her gender and the fact that she is sponsored by a high ranking official named John Mills (Samuel L. Jackson) who has raised her since Shepard’s parents were killed years earlier.

Sheppard is soon called in to investigate a body floating in the bay, and is shocked to discover the victim is a man she picked up in a bar previously. When a second body is discovered also with a connection to Shepard, her partner Mike Delmarco (Andy Garcia), thinks that Jessica may have an obsessive stalker following her.

Jessica is soon a suspect in the killings and the fact that she is blacking out at night is causing Jessica to suspect that she may be responsible for the killings.

What should be a tense thriller never emerges as the film plods along never allowing any tension to build. There are attempts to plant a few red-herrings as the film draws to the conclusion but the identity of the killer is so obvious that all that is missing is a neon sign proclaiming the obvious. To further add to the failure of the film, I was able to see events coming far in advance including the events of the final confrontation.

Judd and Garcia do the best they can with the material but Jackson is woefully underused in a story that seems better suited for a movie of the week. It is a shame that an interesting premise such as this is wasted, as “Twisted” is a whodunit that will leave you saying who cares.
  
Investigated (Daywalker Academy #1)
Investigated (Daywalker Academy #1)
Maya Daniels | 2019 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Okay, so if you follow my reviews you will know I am an avid Maya Daniels stalker... ahem, I mean fan! She hasn't written a bad book yet in my opinion, and she remains the Queen of Sass. She's covered many different themes with her books, and then there is this one...

Franky is a hybrid, half vampire-half fae. The life expectancy of hybrids isn't very long, but Franky works for The Agency so hers is a little more 'fraught'. The trouble is, Franky's powers are on the fritz and she has no idea what's going on. She is saved by a stranger and ends up going to the one place in the world where she faces danger like no other.

OH. MY. GOD!!!!! I loved this book so much. I'm also begging for a Zoltan!!! I want one of my own. I'm not even joking. There is drama, kick-ass action, snark by the bucket-load, and plenty of attraction. To put it simply, I NEED ALL THE BOOKS NOW!!! Yes, I know I'm being greedy, but there is a reason for this. Ms. Daniels is also a pain in the ass 😉 with her cliffhanger endings. So I know that even if I get book two tomorrow, I will still be in the same position as I am now.

Investigated is the first book in the Daywalker Academy series, and I really can't recommend it highly enough. We are talking high class, quality writing and editing with nary an error to disrupt me! I read this book in one sitting. I simply couldn't put it down. Who needs food anyway? (Answer - my girls apparently!)

So there you go. If you are looking for an adult paranormal romance, with a Maya Daniels quirk, sass galore, and steaming attraction that is off the charts, then look no further.

* 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!