Search
What Beauty There Is
10.0
Rate It
Book
Perfect for fans of Patrick Ness, Meg Rosoff and Daniel Woodrell, What Beauty There Is is an...
Suspense Coming of age
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Irish Milkshake Murder in Books
Jan 4, 2024 (Updated Jan 4, 2024)
Three Tales of Unlucky Milkshakes
Get ready for murder and mayhem around St. Patrick’s Day with these three fun novellas. Up first, we get “Irish Milkshake Murder” from Carlene O’Connor, which finds Tara Meehan and Danny O’Donnell’s pre-wedding party running into a storm that traps them on an island with a killer. Next up, Peggy Ehrhart takes us to New Jersey in “Murder Most Irish.” Her series characters Pamela Paterson and Bettina Fraser are on hand when a man collapses in his lunch at a local diner. But was it murder? Finally, we travel to the north pole with Liz Ireland’s “Mrs. Claus and the Luckless Leprechaun.” Spring is iceball season at the North Pole, but late after a game one night, the injured star of the local team is attacked. Can Mrs. Claus figure out who did it and why?
Since this is a novella collection, all three of these stories are fast reads. But the authors still pack in plenty of twists. They also do a good job of introducing their characters and the worlds they inhabit, so it is easy to jump in if you aren’t familiar with them. The St. Patrick’s Day theme is strong in each story as well. This is a book you’ll be happy to pull out in March and enjoy with your favorite minty milkshake. Who knows, you might even find a new series to read.
Since this is a novella collection, all three of these stories are fast reads. But the authors still pack in plenty of twists. They also do a good job of introducing their characters and the worlds they inhabit, so it is easy to jump in if you aren’t familiar with them. The St. Patrick’s Day theme is strong in each story as well. This is a book you’ll be happy to pull out in March and enjoy with your favorite minty milkshake. Who knows, you might even find a new series to read.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Ivan (Her Russian Protector, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I should start by saying that I dont usually read this
these tropes. I am not into the whole mobster idea or the female lead running to some "dangerous" man for protection because hes the only one who can help her.
I made an exception in this case and I was not disappointed. The only negative comment I can make about this novel was that it felt like the couple had instalove. This is a trope I have always disliked. I am not saying I dont believe people can have an immediate connection. I just dont like when from the moment they meet, the couple knows that the other person is the one for them.
That being said, I felt that the author did a pretty good job for such a short story. I wish there had been more character development and build up to their relationship but it didn't detract from the story. Ivan was so sweet to Erin. He seemed to genuinely care about her and was honest with her the entire time. Don't get me wrong, in some places, it was super cheesy and some of the dialogue during the sex scenes should have been left out. Everything he seemed to do centered around making her happy and protecting her. And she appreciated it! She wasn't some spoiled feale either. She can take care of herself if need be.
What I really appreciated, however, smart Erin acted. She realized that she was delving into a world where she was at a disadvantage so when Ivan asked her to do something, she did it. She knew that when he was instructing her to do something, it was because it was the best route. She didnt just do whatever she wanted and make the situation worse. I am not saying a woman has to blindly follow what their man tells them to do. I just loath when the female lead does whatever she wants because, in reality, had shethought about her actions a little longer, she would realize it probably wasnt the best to take.
What I am trying to say, is that Ivan and Erin were a team that listened and talked to each other. They genuinely cared about each other and worked together towards a common goal. They spent the entire novel loving each other instead of fighting. I just dont understand those novels..
I made an exception in this case and I was not disappointed. The only negative comment I can make about this novel was that it felt like the couple had instalove. This is a trope I have always disliked. I am not saying I dont believe people can have an immediate connection. I just dont like when from the moment they meet, the couple knows that the other person is the one for them.
That being said, I felt that the author did a pretty good job for such a short story. I wish there had been more character development and build up to their relationship but it didn't detract from the story. Ivan was so sweet to Erin. He seemed to genuinely care about her and was honest with her the entire time. Don't get me wrong, in some places, it was super cheesy and some of the dialogue during the sex scenes should have been left out. Everything he seemed to do centered around making her happy and protecting her. And she appreciated it! She wasn't some spoiled feale either. She can take care of herself if need be.
What I really appreciated, however, smart Erin acted. She realized that she was delving into a world where she was at a disadvantage so when Ivan asked her to do something, she did it. She knew that when he was instructing her to do something, it was because it was the best route. She didnt just do whatever she wanted and make the situation worse. I am not saying a woman has to blindly follow what their man tells them to do. I just loath when the female lead does whatever she wants because, in reality, had shethought about her actions a little longer, she would realize it probably wasnt the best to take.
What I am trying to say, is that Ivan and Erin were a team that listened and talked to each other. They genuinely cared about each other and worked together towards a common goal. They spent the entire novel loving each other instead of fighting. I just dont understand those novels..
Asiza Tait (139 KP) rated Child 44 in Books
Feb 1, 2018
We all agreed that it was a very intense book and for those of us who weren’t fully aware of what it was like to live in Stalinist Russia during that time our eyes were surely opened!
This book takes you through the transformation of Leo Demidov from a complete ‘company man’ of the Russian State to a real person listening to his own sense of right and wrong. We meet him as a no nonsense officer of the MGB willing and able to follow through on his orders and completely committed to succeeding. We also get glimpses of his insecurity because no one is safe under the scrutiny of the State. He is very aware of this and the long running jealousy of Vasily is a constant reminder of how much someone hates him and desperately wishes and works towards his downfall. From the beginning the life of Leo is shown for the stark reality it is. There is no happy family man here, or even a happy career man, it is purely survival in a very structured and dangerous place.
The relationship between Leo and his wife Raisa is another that is deep, raw and completely honest. Their relationship ebbs and flows according to the State plan, but the book takes a serious turn when Leo is faced with the decision of denouncing his wife. Seeing into their marriage is like facing a needed surgery, the inevitable pain is necessary to start the way to healing. Raisa is the stronger character in my view, never losing her sense of humanity but knowing how to hide herself in order to survive.
Leo’s decision starts a chain of events that leads to him discovering that murders are occurring the breadth of Russia, and since there is no crime in Russia he is the only one trying to convince anyone of the scary reality that a serial child killer/s is on the loose. His commitment to this brings further scrutiny on him and he feels the full force of the authorities and experiences a complete reversal of circumstances. Where he was the one arresting people and transporting them to the most notorious prison Lubyanka, he is now the one in the prisoners' seat.
There are twists and turns in this book that will knock the breath out of you. A seriously brilliant book.
On a personal note I found this book hit too close to home in regards to my own upbringing in the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Where Leo is hitting his head against a stone wall in trying to convince people of the danger they are ignoring, it reminded me very strongly of how difficult it is to convince or motivate the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Congregation Elders that the right thing to do when an accusation of child abuse comes to them is to immediately call the authorities. They instead stick to their own procedures in the face of irrefutable evidence and demonstrated experience that their procedures are dead wrong and need to be changed, they still refuse to listen and insist that their way of doing things is right and everyone else must be wrong. They desperately work to keep their image clean just like the Russian Government insists that the State is always right. Thankfully there is an army of people worldwide working incredibly hard to expose there hurtful practices and in so doing protect the public from being sucked into this so called religion.
This book takes you through the transformation of Leo Demidov from a complete ‘company man’ of the Russian State to a real person listening to his own sense of right and wrong. We meet him as a no nonsense officer of the MGB willing and able to follow through on his orders and completely committed to succeeding. We also get glimpses of his insecurity because no one is safe under the scrutiny of the State. He is very aware of this and the long running jealousy of Vasily is a constant reminder of how much someone hates him and desperately wishes and works towards his downfall. From the beginning the life of Leo is shown for the stark reality it is. There is no happy family man here, or even a happy career man, it is purely survival in a very structured and dangerous place.
The relationship between Leo and his wife Raisa is another that is deep, raw and completely honest. Their relationship ebbs and flows according to the State plan, but the book takes a serious turn when Leo is faced with the decision of denouncing his wife. Seeing into their marriage is like facing a needed surgery, the inevitable pain is necessary to start the way to healing. Raisa is the stronger character in my view, never losing her sense of humanity but knowing how to hide herself in order to survive.
Leo’s decision starts a chain of events that leads to him discovering that murders are occurring the breadth of Russia, and since there is no crime in Russia he is the only one trying to convince anyone of the scary reality that a serial child killer/s is on the loose. His commitment to this brings further scrutiny on him and he feels the full force of the authorities and experiences a complete reversal of circumstances. Where he was the one arresting people and transporting them to the most notorious prison Lubyanka, he is now the one in the prisoners' seat.
There are twists and turns in this book that will knock the breath out of you. A seriously brilliant book.
On a personal note I found this book hit too close to home in regards to my own upbringing in the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Where Leo is hitting his head against a stone wall in trying to convince people of the danger they are ignoring, it reminded me very strongly of how difficult it is to convince or motivate the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Congregation Elders that the right thing to do when an accusation of child abuse comes to them is to immediately call the authorities. They instead stick to their own procedures in the face of irrefutable evidence and demonstrated experience that their procedures are dead wrong and need to be changed, they still refuse to listen and insist that their way of doing things is right and everyone else must be wrong. They desperately work to keep their image clean just like the Russian Government insists that the State is always right. Thankfully there is an army of people worldwide working incredibly hard to expose there hurtful practices and in so doing protect the public from being sucked into this so called religion.
Eniro på sjön
Navigation and Utilities
App
Eniro nautical app is highly recommended by På Kryss (2015), was awarded "Guldmobilen" 2012 and has...
![The Girls on Chalk Hill (Detective Lexi Bennett #1) [Audiobook]](/uploads/profile_image/741/d09ec1cd-9c4a-4cea-9388-9df13c5e0741.jpg?m=1685882567)
The Girls on Chalk Hill (Detective Lexi Bennett #1) [Audiobook]
9.0
Rate It
Book
They lie on the hillside, wearing matching white dresses, tiaras in their blonde hair. Each of them...
Debbiereadsbook (1202 KP) rated Common Powers Box Set in Books
Aug 14, 2019
good, but not great.
Indepedent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this box set.
Four stories, of men coming together when they need each other the most.
Sammi is running away from being a sex slave, can Mitchell keep him safe?
Brian and Rush have chemistry, and they haven't even touched, but can Rush step out of the dark for Brian?
Edward is in town to visit his grandmother. The Chief of Police, Jack, is so NOT his type. So why is he drawn so badly to the man?
After a homophobic attack, Phillip finds himself taken in by Brian and Rush, and Phillip can only hope to have the kind of relationship they do.
For the most part, I did enjoy these four books, but maybe reading them back to back wasn't the best idea.
The general plot lines are very similar, and some dialogue is repaeted, particularly in the final book, when ALL four guys have a say, and it is especially when the guys are getting down and dirty! And they get down and dirty a LOT in that last book! And I'm not usually one to bawk at a lot of down and dirty but I did feel that it overshadowed Phillip's story.
I did enjoy the paranormal aspect: Sammi can read minds, Brian has premonitions, Rush can see in the dark, Edward can heal by touch and Phillip can influence by touch.
I liked that all the guys in the pairings have a say, so we hear from everyone and you know that makes me happy.
I did not like the SPEED at which things moved for the first three couples. Phillip's tale was a good deal slower, with everyone else having some thing to say. The previous three though?? Very quickly it went from attraction to love, for Sammi and Mitchell, it was the first chapter! I'm all for insta-love in places, but I did not like here, especailly for Sammi because of what he was running from. But equally, Jack and Rush are hiding, deep in their only personal hall closets, and you have expected there to be a bit more reluctancy to fall in love from those two (although they DID fight it, tooth and nail!) It was just too mcuh too soon.
It is explicit, heavily so; it also carries references to murder, rape and stalking and deals with the sex industry and being held against their will.
Still, a good read, just not a brilliant one.
3 GOOD stars
**same worded review will appear elewhere**
Four stories, of men coming together when they need each other the most.
Sammi is running away from being a sex slave, can Mitchell keep him safe?
Brian and Rush have chemistry, and they haven't even touched, but can Rush step out of the dark for Brian?
Edward is in town to visit his grandmother. The Chief of Police, Jack, is so NOT his type. So why is he drawn so badly to the man?
After a homophobic attack, Phillip finds himself taken in by Brian and Rush, and Phillip can only hope to have the kind of relationship they do.
For the most part, I did enjoy these four books, but maybe reading them back to back wasn't the best idea.
The general plot lines are very similar, and some dialogue is repaeted, particularly in the final book, when ALL four guys have a say, and it is especially when the guys are getting down and dirty! And they get down and dirty a LOT in that last book! And I'm not usually one to bawk at a lot of down and dirty but I did feel that it overshadowed Phillip's story.
I did enjoy the paranormal aspect: Sammi can read minds, Brian has premonitions, Rush can see in the dark, Edward can heal by touch and Phillip can influence by touch.
I liked that all the guys in the pairings have a say, so we hear from everyone and you know that makes me happy.
I did not like the SPEED at which things moved for the first three couples. Phillip's tale was a good deal slower, with everyone else having some thing to say. The previous three though?? Very quickly it went from attraction to love, for Sammi and Mitchell, it was the first chapter! I'm all for insta-love in places, but I did not like here, especailly for Sammi because of what he was running from. But equally, Jack and Rush are hiding, deep in their only personal hall closets, and you have expected there to be a bit more reluctancy to fall in love from those two (although they DID fight it, tooth and nail!) It was just too mcuh too soon.
It is explicit, heavily so; it also carries references to murder, rape and stalking and deals with the sex industry and being held against their will.
Still, a good read, just not a brilliant one.
3 GOOD stars
**same worded review will appear elewhere**
Christina Haynes (148 KP) rated The Hazel Wood in Books
Feb 24, 2018 (Updated Feb 24, 2018)
The Hazel Wood
The Hazel Wood
By Melissa Albert
Review: Christina Haynes
Have you ever wanted to go into the world of fairytales. To see their stories unfold, to learn more about them and not just through the pages of a book?
Alice used to want to know more about them. When your Grandmother is the famous author of the ‘Hinterland’. A world where Fairytales are dark like the story of ‘Alice three times’ of course you would want to know more. Especially when you haven’t met the woman and your mother never talks about her.
But when you do finally enter the Hinderland you see that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Alice and her mother Ella have been on the run all of Alice’s life. Ella grew up on fairytales and Alice grew up on highways. They have both been running from this bad luck that always seems to follow them wherever they go. Which Ella believes comes from her mother, Althea.
Althea Properpine was traveling with a man and when their affair ended she vanished. Alike with Agatha Christie, she returned and no one knew where she had been. Unlike Agatha she remembered – she was in the Hinterland. A place where her stories began.
Althea’s books cannot be found anywhere, she has a huge fan base who never reveal the pages of her book. Everything about her is a mystery, even her home, The Hazel Wood.
Her only known interview was with Vanity Fair and even then no one could say where she lived. Her first husband Ella’s father died when she was young, she then married Greek royalty and then vanished to her home at The Hazel Wood. At eighteen Ella left home with her baby Alice and never stopped running.
One day Ella receives a letter in the post informing her of Althea’s death. To which Ella believes is a miracle, because now her bad luck won’t exist. So she marries and settles down, creates a home they both longed for. Until one day, the bad luck finds them and Ella is taken away, by the Hinterland. Ella leaves Alice a message “STAY AWAY FROM THE HAZEL WOOD” This is the start of the Fairytale that Alice joins.
Alice seeks the help of a boy at school, Ellery Finch who is a super fan of Althea and her stories. Together they travel to where The Hazel Wood is. But is Ellery a friend or just a super fan.
“Look until the leaves turn red, sew the worlds up with thread. If your journey’s left undone, fear the rising of the sun.”
4 ☕ – I REALLY LIKED IT
Love, Christina ?
By Melissa Albert
Review: Christina Haynes
Have you ever wanted to go into the world of fairytales. To see their stories unfold, to learn more about them and not just through the pages of a book?
Alice used to want to know more about them. When your Grandmother is the famous author of the ‘Hinterland’. A world where Fairytales are dark like the story of ‘Alice three times’ of course you would want to know more. Especially when you haven’t met the woman and your mother never talks about her.
But when you do finally enter the Hinderland you see that it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.
Alice and her mother Ella have been on the run all of Alice’s life. Ella grew up on fairytales and Alice grew up on highways. They have both been running from this bad luck that always seems to follow them wherever they go. Which Ella believes comes from her mother, Althea.
Althea Properpine was traveling with a man and when their affair ended she vanished. Alike with Agatha Christie, she returned and no one knew where she had been. Unlike Agatha she remembered – she was in the Hinterland. A place where her stories began.
Althea’s books cannot be found anywhere, she has a huge fan base who never reveal the pages of her book. Everything about her is a mystery, even her home, The Hazel Wood.
Her only known interview was with Vanity Fair and even then no one could say where she lived. Her first husband Ella’s father died when she was young, she then married Greek royalty and then vanished to her home at The Hazel Wood. At eighteen Ella left home with her baby Alice and never stopped running.
One day Ella receives a letter in the post informing her of Althea’s death. To which Ella believes is a miracle, because now her bad luck won’t exist. So she marries and settles down, creates a home they both longed for. Until one day, the bad luck finds them and Ella is taken away, by the Hinterland. Ella leaves Alice a message “STAY AWAY FROM THE HAZEL WOOD” This is the start of the Fairytale that Alice joins.
Alice seeks the help of a boy at school, Ellery Finch who is a super fan of Althea and her stories. Together they travel to where The Hazel Wood is. But is Ellery a friend or just a super fan.
“Look until the leaves turn red, sew the worlds up with thread. If your journey’s left undone, fear the rising of the sun.”
4 ☕ – I REALLY LIKED IT
Love, Christina ?
The Paris Mistress
9.0
Rate It
Book
Summer 1781. Passy, France. George Washington's two least likely spies for liberty, Rebecca Parcell...
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
8.3
Rate It
Movie Watch
The film opens by revealing that a cemetery in rural Texas has been vandalized; several gravesites...
horror