Search

Search only in certain items:

Summoned (Summoned, #1)
Summoned (Summoned, #1)
Rainy Kaye | 2014 | Erotica
8
6.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
<em>Summoned</em> follows a 23-year-old genie named Dimitri - who, in typical genie fashion - is bound by his master to fulfill wishes. The twist is that Dimitri's master isn't limited to just 3 but has no limit.

The story opens with Dimitri fulfilling a kidnapping request followed by his inevitable rest period directly after - where he meets Syd in a dive bar. From there the story just gets a little weird - Dimitri takes Syd home and they end up having sex literally right away (nothing against it cause whatever floats your boat right?) But it was practically as soon as they got in Dimitri's house.

For a book that generally is considered fantasy with a bit of romance thrown in there's an awful lot of sex and it's rushed sex - almost as if the author felt a little weird writing the scenes - Syd is all kinds of crazy stalker as well, like she steals his number from his phone, turns up on his doorstep unannounced and threatens to slash his tires kinda crazy.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6c7b7;">∞</span></h2>
The master - Karl - is an millionaire arse. I have nothing good to say about him whatsoever. Generally, Dimitri can rest for a day or two before Karl makes another wish but Karl starts to make make a new wish every day - Silvia is Karl's daughter and she screams spoiled rich girl who wants to breed with Dimitri - her inheritance.

It's all kinds of messed up.

Dimitri does a job for Karl and goes home to rest only to get a call from Stalker Syd going a little crazy on him for abandoning her - I forgot to mention that when Karl wants a wish he summons Dimitri to a chamber - the following day after yet more rushed sex Karl has another wish for Dimitri where he has to steal a safe - only he <em>fails</em>.

When Dimitri fails to fulfill a wish the buzz in his head grows and he ends up getting a really bad migraine until he fulfills his wish or pigs fly and Karl recant the wish.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6c7b7;">∞</span></h2>
Syd is all kinds of crazy. I don't think much of her character at all, it's like she's got her heart invested after a one night stand and then goes crazy everyone Dimitri doesn't do what she expects him to do.
<blockquote>"You're just gone so much." Syd's voice sounds so empty and hollow. "I never really know when you'll be back, what you're doing, or anything at all. I don't want to be that needy girlfriend, but it's so frustrating. I know it was meant to be casual, but I thought it could be... more. I just wanted some way to know you were thinking of me."</blockquote>
They've been having sex - not even dating - for what feels like 2 days but is more like 3 weeks or so. Little cray cray.

Silvia Walker is also all kinds of crazy - she wants to breed with Dimitri even if it's against his wishes, she murders small furry animals and she smokes like a chimney.  She's got it into her head that Dimitri is the love of her life even though he makes it abundantly clear that he can't stand the sight of her. To make matters worse, she finds out that her daddy is trying to sire a son to make sure she doesn't receive her inheritance.
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #f6c7b7;">∞</span></h2>
Although it's a very good concept - a power hungry, slightly crazy millionaire with his own personal genie to fulfill any and every wish he wants - there was just something missing. I don't know maybe the book was too short and the story was a little rushed for me, the insta-love between Dimitri and Syd bugged the ever-loving crap out of me.

The story as a whole was just too rushed for my tastes and at times I didn't get why something was happening or why Dimitri sounded like a stupid teenager, or why for an "all-powerful" master Karl was an absolute douchebag about a lot of stuff.Like wishing Dimitri kills Syd for one - what's his deal?

It had one <em>hell</em> of a twist at the end though. I didn't expect that all which is what pushed this review up from a 3 to a 3.5.
<blockquote>I'm no longer Leo, or Alan, or Alex.
I'm Dimitri.
And I'm free.</blockquote>
&nbsp;
  
This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited Library.

In this one Morgan has just buried his older brother, Jake, who was part of an MC. He was the only family that Morgan had left in the world and now so he focuses on his ballet with the help of his best friend, Nikki. Only Morgan arrives home to someone in his apartment and he struggles against the man. It turns out the man, Zeke, is from Jake's MC and is there to protect him from a rival biker club after Jake died with a female from the other MC. Zeke is drawn to Morgan and vice versa so it's not long before sparks are flying, though Zeke is adamant he's straight.

This definitely felt like a gay-for-you story. Zeke wasn't attracted to any other guys really, though in the end he settled on himself being bisexual. He's the strong silent type and completely opposite to ballerino - Italian for male ballerina - Morgan. They do have an intense attraction for each other and it takes a while for anything to happen but once it does, it quickly turns into more than physical attraction. Opposites attract and all that.

I'm intrigued by some of the other MC members like Blaze and what's going to happen between Dante and Swish.

Speaking of the MC, we didn't really see much of that side of the story. Most of the time Zeke was working on cars in the garage or the guys were settling down to meals together. We know the MC run a business out back that films their own pornography but that's about it. And we had that short bit at the start involving the Hedonist's rivals wanting to hurt Morgan in retaliation for the death of one of theirs but that was it.

That end bit with Morgan's stalker was a bit strange, if you ask me. I wasn't expecting it to take that turn or be that person and it threw me a little but it all worked out in the end due to Morgan's quick thinking

As mentioned above I do think I'll look up this series in the future to see what happens with Dante and Swish and Blaze with his questions on gay sex etc.
  
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
A Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
2017 | Comedy
Christmas is the happiest time of the year. At least it’s supposed to be, Moms are expected to work tirelessly throughout the Christmas season to ensure that the holiday is absolute perfection for their families. The gifts are to be wrapped with precision, decorations hanging from every available bough, food that could be lifted from the pages of Bon Appétit magazine, all done without breaking a sweat. Tis the season for family and frolic, yet our Bad Moms are stressed beyond their imagination this holiday season. Why? Because their mothers have arrived.

This Christmas, Amy (Mila Kunis), Kiki (Kristen Bell) and Carla (Kathryn Hahn) are enter the holiday season feeling the pressure of Christmas present. With all that need to be done, they agree that this is the Christmas where they make the rules. Amy decides that they are going to have a low key holiday. However, that goes against the everything Ruth (Christine Baranski), Amy’s mom believes and expects as she arrives in a tornado of holiday perfection, trailed by her blissfully oblivious husband Hank (Peter Gallagher). Ruth is a perfectionist, a task master extraordinaire who expects no less from her child. Amy, tired of trying to get her mother’s approval, decides to change the traditions.

 Kiki’s Mom Sandy (Cheryl Hines) is the clinging, overbearing type who’s behavior could be classified as stalker; if she were not Kiki’s mom. Sandy’s need to be close to her daughter crosses the comfort zone in so many ways. Kiki decides to see Dr. Karl (Wanda Sykes), the family therapist, who explains the maternal process of insanity in hilariously truthful detail.

Isis (Susan Sarandon) shows up at Carla’s house unexpectedly. She seems to only show up at Carla’s door when she has run out of money. She is on the other side of the maternal spectrum, the hands off type. Carla has had to fend for herself for years and expects her mother to take off without a moment’s notice.

I enjoyed the first Bad Moms, but I was hesitant to watch the sequel because there was a chance that it would not be as good as the first. I quite surprised by how much I enjoyed the movie. It made me snort laugh more than once. This is the perfect movie for a Girls Night Out. Grab your BFFs and head to the theater to take a break this holiday season!
  
Taking What&#039;s Mine (Men of Maddox Security #4)
Taking What's Mine (Men of Maddox Security #4)
Logan Chance | 2025 | Contemporary, Crime, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
super steamy!
Independent reviewer for BookSirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 4 in the Men of Maddox Security series, I've managed to read it before book 3, but I don't think it matters. They kinda/sorta run along side each other.

Lincoln is tasked with keeping Isabel, Dean's sister, safe. Her stalker is getting close. She is quite capable, thank you very much, and takes great offense at Dean for making her do this. But for the fact it is Lincoln, she might have pulled a hissy fit. Finding themselves in the middle of an adult club, when looking for leads, was not what they expected. But it gives them both a roundabout way to get what they want: each other. They just gotta keep Isabel safe til the threat is gone.

So! Reading out of order, but not really missing anything for doing that. But I do like these books, and I have book 3 to read after this one.

We had a 4 star, a 4.5 star and now we hit the ding, ding, ding, jackpot with a 5 star read!

I think what did it for me here was, Lincoln and Isabel have known each other for some time, worked together daily. And while each has attraction to the other, neither admitted it out loud. This close protection for Isabel brings brings them closer, and I loved the way it evolved.

Steamy, oh yes! Given the situation they find themselves in, and I did NOT see that one coming at me! Loved that!

Book 2 got a higher rating than book 1 for the emotional connection and we get that here, mostly because of the previous attraction, but I still think the emotional connection is far deeper than the pairings in previous books. Might be me, but still, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it!

There is some reference to Dean's story here, and I've not read that, but I didn't feel I missed anything. I WANT to read it, but I don't feel I NEED to, you know?? Dean's wife Sophia pops up here and I liked her for what little I know of Dean so far. At some point, I will read their story!

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Tortured Dreams (Dreams &amp; Reality Series #1)
Tortured Dreams (Dreams & Reality Series #1)
Hadena James, Christy Lynn | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
1
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Managed 17%
*Spoiler Alert*
It's really uncommon for me to start a book and just give up on it. I always endeavor to finish everything but this time I just couldn't!

I found everything about this story excruciating. The writing is all over the place, pretty much 0 description of anything. None of the characters were sympathetic in any way, I really could not have cared less about the lead character. Dialogue is stilted, not natural in any way and the actions of people were as natural as Dolly the cloned sheep.
Even though I only read 17% of the story certain thoughts, and even whole sentences, had already been repeated.

The main character is a sociopath, something that is hammered at over and over again, yet the author presents her in a totally unrealistic way.
"She couldn't have PTSD because she had no feelings for others". That is utterly wrong. PTSD has nothing to do with empathy or feelings for others - the clue is in the name.
I have a friend who is diagnosed with sociopathic personality disorder and it is a fallacy that sociopath's have no apparentlysympathy nor empathy for anyone. The way they process it is just different. They can be very dampened down, yes, but they exist!
Apparently another character - who is a psychopath - managed to somehow beat all of the psychological testing and is part of the FBI! This character apparently secretly gives the sociopathic character money to live on. Why would a fully blown psychopath do that? There is nothing in it for him and it wouldn't even feed his narcissism as it's not a public spectacle.

Now our 'sociopath' character somehow manages to recognise serial killers/rapists from across crowded bars, they are magically drawn only to her, so she let's them follow her home and she kills them. Isn't that convenient?! Oh - she also has a serial killer stalker who writes her letters detailing all 200 of his murders.......

Then homeland security turn up - they somehow know all about her and her magical murdering skills - and need her to help in a case that involves mediaeval torture. Luckily she owns an extremely rare book that answers their most burning question's so she is asked to join a taskforce. Which just happens to be made up entirely of emotionally and psychologically damaged men.
Because that is what every law service desperately wants.

I could go on but I'm just getting annoyed again as I write about it! Honestly, save your time and money and get something more realistic. A comic book of Tom and Jerry perhaps
  
PA
Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I said yes to reviewing this book because even though I have not yet read the Jane Austen classic that this book is based on, I was curious about the Mormon aspect of the book and how the author would modernize it. I know some about Mormon customs and traditions, but it was still interesting to read the book from the perspective of a practicing Mormon and see how this specific religious sect influenced the main character in her daily life.
I am sure other reviews will compare and contrast in detail this book with the original Persuasion, but I will write about this book from the perspective of someone who has not read Persuasion by Jane Austen, though I have read some of her other works and I am a fan.
The book as a whole was an enjoyable romantic read with a bit of suspense and drama thrown in to create conflict. While I was reading some of the situations, I did often wonder how Jane Austen would have written them were she still alive today, such as Lily's jellyfish sting or Anne's stalker. The use of modern technology, such as computers and cell phones, also contributed to the modernization quite obviously.
The characterization that Jamison employs closely resembles Austen's skill, with personality traits that translate across any era, such as the ones' whose main concern was about money and what it can buy. There were the females whose only concern was obtaining a husband, as well as the mother who had little regard for disciplining her children. Matchmakers also abounded and many of the characters were related - either by blood or marriage.
The Mormon influences are easy to pick out, such as Anne's avoidance of alcohol and caffeine, and sometimes these little changes did not blend well with the plot, likely because I did not always understand what the terminology referred to, such as references to a "Fireside." I believe the book would have benefited from more explanation of the Mormon practices woven into the background details.
Ironically, my favorite characters were not the main characters, Anne and Neil. I had more interest in the ones that seemed to have a smaller part, such as Jay, who lost his wife after only 8 months of marriage. Anne's character seemed to fall a bit flat, and even when she was supposed to be in a highly emotional state, such as when she gets angry at Will, I had a hard time believing it. I also would have liked more emotion from Neil, as he always seemed to be too cool and collected for the events that were unfolding.
I did enjoy the book, though, and any fan of Jane Austen would enjoy this modernized tale, as well.
  
The Silent Patient
The Silent Patient
Alex Michaelides | 2019 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
8.3 (39 Ratings)
Book Rating
Twisty and captivating!
My rating: ☆☆☆☆

TRIGGER WARNINGS: talk of suicide, mental illness, depression, stalking, cheating, loss of a parent, and child abuse.

The Silent Patient is told through two different point of views: Theo's, who narrates majority of the novel and Alicia's diary entries. It starts with talking about Alicia and her husband, the life they had, and that one fateful night that changed multiple of lives.

Alicia was seeing things, a man who watched her but she could never see his face clearly. She tried talking to her husband and a therapist about the stalker, but they didn't help one bit. They put her on medications for hallucinations, Alicia didn't take them because she didn't believe that they were hallucinations she was seeing. Then one fateful night, the police barged into the apartment to see Alicia standing standing over her now dead husband. He had been shot five times in the face by Alicia.

Alicia went to court and was charged guilty with her husband's murder but did not speak at all. She became a mute and instead of being sent to prison, she was assigned to a psychiatric unit called The Grove. This is where Theo comes in.

Theo is absolutely obsessed with Alicia Berenson and is determined to get Alicia to talk as nobody else has been able too. But he soon realizes that it isn't what he wants to hear. This is the big twist and I can't tell you cause that would be a spoiler and I don't want to spoil you. *insert winky kissy face*

“That's how therapy works. A patient delegates his unacceptable feelings to his therapist; and she holds everything he is afraid to feel, and she feels it for him. Then, ever so slowly, she feeds his feelings back to him.”

Reasons why I rated it 4 stars:
1. The plot:
The Silent Patient was not only compelling, but captivating as well. It did start a tad slow but soon became unputdownable!

2. My enjoyment:
I really enjoyed the twists, turns, Greek stylized tragedy, and the mysteriousness of both the main characters' stories.

3. Character and story development:
Wow! The development in The Silent Patient was really amazing. Background was given for both characters and story. There was development, even with the switching of POV's. I was not expecting to be enthralled with both Theo and Alicia's stories.

4. Grammar and spelling:
This is a freebie star as I listened via audiobook. But everything sounded grammatically correct!

5. The overall story:
At first, The Silent Patient was slow and I was pushing myself to just get it finished. But it eventually picked up and I was blown away with the mysteriousness and enthrallment of the story.

“We're all crazy, I believe, just in different ways.”
  
40x40

BookInspector (124 KP) rated Aaru in Books

Sep 24, 2020  
Aaru
Aaru
David Meredith | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
For more reviews please visit https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com

I do like to read YA books, so when I was offered this book by the author, I didn’t need time to think about it. This book is FREE, for Kindle Unlimited members, so grab it while you can !!!

The blurb above is quite accurate, Rose is dying, and after scan of her brain, followed by her death, she wakes up in this wonderful place, called Aaru. It is a system, which allows the essence of people to carry on living. After seeing Aaru for herself, Rose’s sister Koren, agrees to represent Elysian Industries as their spokes person. All this ground breaking discovery makes Koren an overnight celebrity and attracts a crazy stalker, who starts messing up Koren’s life and Aaru.

I really liked the characters chosen for this book. I think they were very interesting, complex, believable and really entertaining. The whole book was told from Rose’s, Koren’s and Magic Man’s perspectives, and it helped to understand the characters really well. It was very interesting for me, to read the parts, where Rose was describing Aaru, it was so magical. However, Koren was my favourite in this book. I loved her intelligence, strength, and strong sisterly love and bonding.

I liked the plot of this book, I think that different perspectives keeps the reader interested and turns in the narrative created more intrigue. However I was missing the power in this book. There was plenty of things happening in real and Aaru’s worlds, but I needed more heroism, challenge and suspense. I really enjoyed the topics, which David Meredith was discussing in this book: death and afterlife; how death influence different people; fame and it’s dangers; strange and disturbed people on the Internet.

The writing style of this book was creative and pleasant to read. However, I received a file of the book, where one paragraph was stretched out into one page by large gaps between the sentences, that made my reading experience really difficult. For this reason I can not comment on the length of the chapters as for me it dragged sometimes, and I truly hope it won't happen in the next books. The ending of the book rounded up the first part really nicely and left me intrigued and curious, of what author will bring in part 2. So to conclude, this book is a really interesting and amusing read if you are interested in YA books and computers. It has great variety of diverse, riveting characters and great plot, and I hope you will give this book a go and will enjoy this wonderful system called Aaru.

Was given this book by author for honest review.