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Cutting Cords (Kiss of Leather #6)
Cutting Cords (Kiss of Leather #6)
Morticia Knight | 2017 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
6.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
love this one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Book 6 in the series, and blah blah blah, READ the others first! Cos I SAID so!!

I don't recall if we met Liam in previous, or he was just mentioned as a friend of the other subs, but we certainly don't meet Master Neal til this book.

Liam is traumatized by the death of his previous Master, and is skittish, and very socially awkward. Watching Master Neal doing a flogging at Kiss Of leather as part of his being accepted into the club, Liam is all kinds of torn up. For his love for Master Mark, but his need to move on. Being introduced to the painfully shy Liam, Master Neal's protectiveness goes into overdrive. He never wanted anyone like he wants Liam, and if he can be who and what Liam wants and needs, he will bide his time, treat Liam with the kid gloves he needs.

I said in my review of Gaining trust that I thought Master Jordan was my most favourite, but now I have a dilemma! Because I LOVED Master Neal! And Liam, so painfully socially awkward! oh! Loved them both!

Master Neal never wanted to do the TPE thing, but for Liam, he might just be able to do it. Liam needs that, and Master Neal needs Liam. He just didn't know he did, til he met Liam.

I can't express how much Liam's story affected me, he had a painful upbringing and then meeting Master Mark, a much MUCH older guy, he was very sheltered. Watching him come out of himself, and become the young man who helps Master Neal at his tattoo and piercing shop was great fun. Master Neal is very playful with Liam, and while Liam needs the TPE, he also learns there are other things he needs.

While the on going story arc is somewhat finished, it goes into different, more deadly direction. Spoilers I ain't giving!

We are introduced to Tobey and Master Hunter, and also a couple of very interesting characters at Master Neal's tattoo shop! A story for Ray and Cruella would make a very welcome addition to this series!!

5 full stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
<i>Night Play</i> is one of my favorites in this series so far - it's right up there with <i>Fantasy Lover</i> and <i>Dance with the Devil</i>, although I think DwtD might come out ahead. I love, love, loved it! It was one of those books that just got better. The plot was slightly different than the previous books in the series and focused more on the love story. Bride was a wonderful, size eighteen human heroine, who knows (or knew anyway) nothing about what goes bump in the night, while Vane is a to-die-for hunky hero. Need I say more? Everyone would love a guy like him - I know I would! This was one of those books that a few times at the end I had that big, goofy, dumb smile on my face, and don't pretend I'm the only one! ;P

Valerius makes another appearance as a slightly more likable character and he looks to be a very interesting and intriguing hero in his installment. Actually, a lot of the characters who make appearances sound like they'd be great heroes/heroines. Too bad Sherrilyn can't turn them out faster and most likely won't have time for all of them! :P

This was a nice review:
From Booklist
Bride McTierney has just been dumped via FedEx. There's not much that could ease such a broken heart until Vane Kattalakis wanders into her shop and her life. Their whirlwind affair feels too good to be true. After all, her ex-beau proved men are dogs, which turns out to be a more appropriate figure of speech than Bride could ever imagine. More character driven than her previous Dark-Hunter novels, Kenyon's latest is a nice change of pace yet still chock-full of the quirky humor, complex fantasy, and searing passion that her readers love. This book's success, however, appropriately lies with Bride and Vane. It's been said of Kenyon that she knows men, but she really knows women and all our secret fears and hidden desires. She has distilled those into Bride, who is both our sister and ourselves. Then she made a man who understands and loves her, insecurities and all. Every woman should have a Vane Kattalakis in her life. Thanks to Kenyon, every woman can.
  
The Skull Throne
The Skull Throne
Peter V. Brett | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The fourth installment of Brett's impressive Demonwar books takes up exactly where the last book, The Daylight War, finished. With Jardir and Arlen last seen falling from a high cliff during a fight to the death, each side must manage without their Deliverer to battle the threat from the demons - and each other.

With Jardir gone, Inevera and Abban face a struggle for survival as his sons try to position themselves so they can take the Skull Throne and continue the daylight war against the Thesans seeking to unite all of mankind against the demon threat by force and subjugation.

Meanwhile the leaders of Hollow County are embroiled in political intrigue over the failure of the Duke of Angiers to produce an heir and questions about the rise of the Hollow as a power that could rival the Duke. Any actions by either side now could put the whole fate of the world at risk.

This is undoubtedly the best in the series to so far. All the characters and plot strands from the previous books are woven into a taut tale that drives forward with each page. Where previous installments have been mostly dialogue, this book moves neatly from one set piece to another, from battles against demons to assassination attempts stirred by old rivalries this books has it all.

Once again it is the characters that drive the book; without Brett's fine eye for detail the reader wouldn't care so much about the characters and it's a rare trick that the reader is able to support characters on both sides of the conflicts and arguments.

The momentum builds throughout to a final few chapters that are simply jaw dropping in terms of storyline, pace and scope. The next installment simply cannot come fast enough.

I'm also glad I read the UK hardback edition with the fantastic picture of Rojer looking very mean on the cover. From being my least favourite character he is definitely the stand out in this book.

Entirely recommended. It's a big book (the story ended on page 737) but well worth the read. However if you have not read the previous books in the series you will need to start at The Painted Man as previous knowledge of the characters and situations is assumed. But you will not regret it, Brett's world of demons is one of the best fantasy concepts out there.

Rated: Violent scenes and some sexual references
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Long Call in Books

Sep 13, 2019  
The Long Call
The Long Call
8
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, this was an excellent police procedural; one of those mysteries that you get caught up in from the start. I'll be honest that I've never heard of Ann Cleeves or any of her previous series. That's clearly my loss, and I'm definitely interested in her other works now.

I won't go into too many details here and spoil the plot, but I'll say that this is a great read, filled with all the little details and nuances that you get from a strong writer. I was heartened from the beginning to find our protagonist, DI Venn, to be gay. You don't get a lot of that in the mystery world. His sexuality is a part of the book, but not the focus, and it was just really nice to read about a gay detective. Matthew is a fascinating character, who is grappling with facing members of the Barum Brethren, a religious sect that he grew up in, but of whom he is no longer a member. He is also a straight-laced policeman, and a strong leader who can admit his faults. It will be nice to follow him in a new series.

His team is interesting as well--quirky Jen and annoying Ross are the main two--and I hope they come along in the second book. Cleeves is quite adept at creating her characters, and all are easy to imagine. There's a wide cast of characters in this one, and plenty of suspects, but not so many as to get confused or lost. There's a main plotline (murdered man) and a secondary one--that may be related--and both are intriguing and keep you guessing. We learn things along with the team, as they investigate, which is always a favorite of mine. It's a small-town setting, and many folks are complicated, many have secrets, and it's difficult to work out which secret may have led to murder! (Though I'm proud that I had an inkling about some things!)

In the end, this was a really strong mystery. It quietly keeps you guessing and invested in the story. The characters are excellent, and I'm just so heartened to find a gay lead! It's thoughtful and smart, without any gimmicks. Definitely recommend. 4+ stars.
  
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Merissa (13427 KP) rated The Cryptic Prophecy (Etherya's Earth #6) in Books

Apr 7, 2022 (Updated Jun 26, 2023)  
The Cryptic Prophecy (Etherya&#039;s Earth #6)
The Cryptic Prophecy (Etherya's Earth #6)
Rebecca Hefner | 2021 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE CRYPTIC PROPHECY is the sixth book in the Etherya's Earth series, but the first one that follows the children of our favourite characters! This time, it's Callie -- the daughter of Arderin and Darkrip, who is also the starring character in an Elven Prophecy that alienates her from her peers, leaving her wide open for being used by others.

Although other characters are in here, the focus is on Callie and Brecken, plus their families. No worries though, because that also includes Callie's parents (in case you were having Darkrip withdrawals!). He's a bit of a one here when he goes in 'I'm your father and I know what's best for you' mode, but Arderin and Callie soon shake that notion from him. Those scenes were so much fun to read!

Brecken is the sole male in his family, his father having died years before. He adores his mum and will do anything for his sisters, including writing the most beautiful love letters to Callie, on behalf of someone else! I don't want to talk about 'the other man' though - he doesn't deserve the page space!! Brecken is well-deserving of his nickname Shakespeare and made my heart melt with every letter!

Tatiana plays a bigger role and finally picks a side, which opens up the way the following books will go. I did wonder where we'd be going next, but now, I'm fully on board and (once again) can't wait to read more.

Callie and Brecken are steaming-hot, whilst also being caring, loving, and romantic enough to make anyone's cold, dead heart beat again. I have absolutely adored this series but I think Callie and Brecken are my new favourites.

Oh, and that prophecy? It's fulfilled but not in the way you suspect, and that's ALL I'm going to say. If you want to know more - read the book!!! Just remember to start at book one though, so you get the full experience. Trust me, you won't regret it.

** 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!
Apr 5, 2022
  
Bratva&#039;s Intern (Bratva&#039;s Undoing #1)
Bratva's Intern (Bratva's Undoing #1)
Gianni Holmes | 2025 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
BRATVA'S INTERN is the first in the Bratva's Undoing series and the first of two that has Maxim and Wren as the main characters.

So, firstly, as you may have gathered from the title, this has to do with the Russian mob. Maxim travelled to America when he was young and built up from there. Wren is a (in his own words) completely average and unremarkable student, who suffered the disappearance of his father when he was twelve. He doesn't mention his mother much, so I'm not sure if she's still alive or not. Anyway, these two meet in a coffee shop, and it all goes from there, but I won't say too much as I don't want to give any spoilers.

This was a one-sitting read for me. I simply couldn't put it down once I'd started it. The back-and-forth between them, the confusion, the jealousy, the 'what the hell is going on here?' moments; they all add up to a fantastic story. Maxim is possessive of Wren and makes no bones about telling him, which is just what Wren needs to hear. I loved how Wren showed his backbone to stick up for others, and yet failed to stand up for himself. I shouted out when Maxim helped give him more confidence, and the backing and support Wren hasn't had for far too many years. Maxim tries to keep Wren out of it for the most part, but Wren is a stubborn and independent man who just didn't see the danger (because he's been kept out of it!) until it was too late.

I loved the ending of this book. It ties some things up nicely, giving a HFN ending for Maxim and Wren, while leaving me with answers I still need! What happened to Wren's dad? What is going on with Archie? Who applied on Wren's behalf for the internship?

Honestly, I loved Maxim and Wren so much. They are ably supported by other characters, some of whom I adored (Nik, Jess, Darius), and some of whom gave me an itchy feeling, where it feels as though more is going on, but I won't know until the author shares. And, no, I don't need to name them because anyone who's read the book knows d@mn well who I'm on about!

Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me. I can't wait for the second book in this 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 1, 2025
  
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)
2021 | Horror
Well then, colour me surprised because I didn't absolutely hate this.
I'm a big fan of the Resident Evil games. So much so that the entirety of the original movie franchise actively annoyed me with every passing entry. This reboot makes a decent effort to stay faithful to the source material, and that alone commands some semblance of respect. The general atmosphere is very Resident Evil, many of the set pieces seem familiar, but there's just something missing. The cast boasts some great talent - Donal Logue, Hannah John-Kamen, and Neal McDonough are amongst the ranks - but all of them seem to be doing the best they can with a poor script, a script which is pretty much all the characters saying their names to eachother, and spouting exposition like there's no tomorrow. There's also the issue of the narrative content. Honestly, I'm just longing for a straight up adaption of the first game, a minimilast tense-as-hell thriller set in the original mansion. Welcome to Raccoon City sort of delivers in that respect, but also opts to cram in the plot of the second game, and even smatterings of the third. For a film that seems to be setting up a new series, that's a whole lot of content to burn through in one film. It results in a narrative that comes across as choppy. There's a little too much going on for it to flow properly. I also hated how Leon Kennedy was portrayed as a big dumb fuck. Show the man some respect! On top of this, the CGI is pretty damn atrocious throughout. The practical effects here and there look genuinely great, but there's a lot of undercooked effects work that managed to pull me out proceedings, especially in the final set piece.

Despite its shortcomings however, WTRC is a pretty entertaining video game adaption. It can be underwhelming at times, but it's aesthetic is pretty spot on, and it's so far removed from the initial film series that I can't help but kind of dig it, and I'll happily take it over any of those movies. Genuinely hoping a sequel happens.
  
Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
Conversations With A Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes
2019 | Crime, Documentary
The third of these was the most powerful for me. It was Confessions of a killer: the Ted Bundy tapes. I mean… I had no idea. His name was in my imagination somewhere as a candidate for pure evil, but I had no notion of the level of media hype and drama behind and before this. Which is why I recommend this absolutely comprehensive 4 part series as the best in this dubious category I have yet to see.

With the benefit of at least some hindsight, we can see in this case the epitome of such terms as “serial killer” and “sociopath”. Looking at it in pure terms of an idea worthy of dramatic exploration, then this is it! And, interestingly, to this date, besides the Zac Efron misfire, it is a story beyond worthy of correct telling, the basis of which should be the real footage. Because nothing is more bizarre than the real man and what he not only attempted to do, but actually did.

Take the basic idea that one individual is capable of murdering 30 plus women and girls over a period of two decades… then accept that he systematically went back to the corpses and committed acts of necropholia and decapitation without ever skipping a beat in what he perceived as his true persona as a competent lawyer in his own right, and you have the stuff of true nightmare. Add to that the fact that he escaped custody twice, and defended himself in court to such a charming extent that the judge himself admitted an affinity with him, and you have the recipe for something that transcends fact and becomes myth. Don’t believe me? Watch for yourself.

Do I agree with these cases being shown as entertainment? No, I don’t. Essentially. Because they are rarely told from the victim’s point of view. We have a fascination with an unsolved mystery and grim death that is undeniably curious. The cult of personality pervades, and we should be wary of why we get involved with this stuff. As addictive TV it is undeniably going to continue. Please be careful of the line between understanding and entertainment. God forbid I would give these shows a rating, as if it were a thing worthy of encouragement. It is the most undeniable yet horrific side effect of our media growth imaginable. Watch at your peril. But watch discerningly with interest.