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The Victorian (Lavender Shores #9)
The Victorian (Lavender Shores #9)
Rosalind Abel | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
totally surprised by this one! Loved it!
This is book 9 in the Lavender Shores series and I *think* Seth pops up in every one! You don't need to have read the other books, before this one, but I think you should. They are all 4 and 5 star reads from me, bar one.

We met Seth right at the beginning of book one, The Palisade. I thought it was chapter one, but it is in chapter two he makes his first appearance. I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO glad he got his own story, he deserved it!

Seth runs the B and B and Charley has a restaurant in town. They have history, a deep sated hatred of each other that Seth knows not from whence it came. Charley does though. When they are thrown together for a food and drink festival, sparks fly. But sparks is far too tame a word for what Seth and Charley begin to feel for each other. Each man has his demons, and those demons need banishing before they can admit who they really want.

There is an . . . incident . . . at the beginning, though, before all of this and I'm not saying what. It's kinda thrown at them by someone else and I think it was a bit unfair. It does, however, give Seth and Charley a taste of what could be between them, should they want. And they DO want, that much is obvious, even with the tempers between them!

So much passion between these two, it jumps off the page right from that incident (but again, far too tame a word for what happens!) Not just the anger between, or rather from Charley, but the connection that keeps pulling them together. And when Seth sees Charley, I mean really SEES why Charley is so angry all the time? Oh! Seth is just . . ..oh!

I cried a lot for these two. I wasn't expecting any of this, because there was no indication that this was coming! Or at least, I never picked up on it! There was not a single point along the way, in any of the other 8 books, that I can pick up and say ""oh yeah, that story is gonna be good!" And I was going to comment that this was a negative, but actually, I'm GLAD I did not see this one coming, I really am. I'm GLAD I did not see Seth's story unfolding because it might have taken away the surprise out of this story and it's the SURPRISE part that MAKES this book!

So many surprises, and I'm not pointing them out cos of spoilers, but I did NOT see any of them coming at me, and I am so freaking glad I didn't!

There is another story planned, I believe, about the instigator of that *Incident * I don't want to be too hard on him, because he really did think he was helping, but I truly hope he is sorry for the way he went about it, rather than what he did.

This book carries some darker moments, both for Seth and Charley and some readers may find it difficult. I did, because they both have difficult pasts.

But so bloody good! I read it in one sitting, after 6 days straight at work, two back to back 14 hour shifts, starting it at 10pm and did not stop til I ran out of book! And it ain't a short one either, some 330 pages!

So, 5 bloody amazing stars!

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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Escaping Mortality (Escape Trilogy #3)
Escaping Mortality (Escape Trilogy #3)
Sara Dobie Bauer | 2019 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
a very fitting end!!
I was gifted my copy of this book, direct from the author, that I write a review was not required. But since I read and reviewed the other two parts, it's only fitting I review this one, too, don't you think??

This is the third and final book in the Escape trilogy and you rally MUST read the other two books first. You need to know how Edmund and Andrew found themselves in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, looking for an Elder!

Only Andrew has a say in these books, and THIS one, more than the other two, I NEEDED Edmund I really did! Some things happen here, that made me want to hear what he had to say, so bloody bad and he doesn't. I KNEW that he probably would not have a say, but a girl can hope, right?

Edmund and Andrew and their friends are on a boat to England and to find the Elder. Once the Elder has located and Edmund turned, they continue on to visit Edmund's sick mother. The "friend" looking after her is vile and dealing with her and the gifts the Elder has bestowed upon him, pushes Edmund to his limits. Then WHY the Elder gave Edmund these gifts becomes clear and Edmund has a choice: Andrew or the Elder.

I found this one a little less sexy than the others, but a whole lot more bloody! The way Edmund deals with the friend was scary, but needed I think. The Elder? Well he choose his path, once it became clear that there is, and there will only ever be, ONE person for Edmund.

I did not see what the "friend" was up to, looking after Edmund's mother, nor did I see what the Elder had planned fro Edmund, so it was nice to be surprised by those things.

I LOVED the epilogue! Seriously well played with that one!

I have enjoyed these three short bursts of Andrew and Edmund, but I really think had Edmund been given a voice too, these would have been all 5 star reads.

Thank you, for letting me read your books, Ms Dobie Bauer!

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Crystal Witness
Crystal Witness
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
What is the best way to get lost in a book you may ask? Well, Kathy Tyers certainly will help you find the answer to that question in Crystal Witness. From what I can find, Crystal Witness is a standalone book and not part of a series.

The Setting/Storyline

The best way I know how to describe the experience of this book is by likening it to a dream that you do not want to wake up from. Kathy Tyers managed to make me feel as if I were immersed in a very different world, from her detailed descriptions of everyday life to the way people looked and dressed. It was fascinating. I liked how she gave just enough background at the beginning to get you curious, without feeling lost, and make you very involved in the outcome of the character's lives and that of the world they live in. One of the best total immersions I have read in a long time. At some points in the story, I did feel a little lost as I was not quite sure how the beginning of the story connected, but it did make sense by the end.

The Characters

Kathy Tyers brought to life some great characters. I enjoyed Ming’s artistic talent and how Kathy Tyers described the 3D and calligraphy aspects of it. Ming’s reactions to waking up after 20-year imprisonment were very realistic (not that I know what it would really be like), and I enjoyed seeing her come out of her shell; I think Ming showed a very intelligent and sweet nature. Tieg her male counterpart was a cross between a bad boy spy and an emotional musician, he was a well brought to life character that I could envision in my mind while reading. Both Ming and Tieg learned different aspects of trust and doing what is right no matter the cost. The secondary characters were great additions to round out the rest of the story and I sincerely enjoyed their interactions with the main characters, each one displayed growth throughout the story and by the end, I was wishing they had their own stories too! (Hint, hint
  
The Magic Square
The Magic Square
John Gaspard | 2020 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who Made the Body Appear at the Magic Convention?
Eli Marks and his uncle, Harry, are out of town at a magic convention. They’ll be spending a lot of time in the dealer’s room so they can sell Harry’s new two-volume book about his time as a magician, but they are hoping to catch a few of the panels, and the evening sessions. The entire convention is surprised when famed mentalist Gerhardt performs the first night. However, Harry’s friend Abe is less than happy since he’s had a running feud with Gerhardt for years. That feud is public knowledge, so when Abe returns to his hotel room that night to find Gerhardt’s body in the bathroom, the police consider him a strong suspect. Can Eli figure out what is really going on?

I always forget how much I enjoy these books until I am sitting down reading a new one. It was great to slip back into Eli’s world. Since we are out of town, I did miss some of the series regulars, but it did give us more time to get to know the new characters, who are quite strong. The story moves forward at a steady pace, with clues sprinkled into the talk of magic. I did finger the culprit a little early, but I wasn’t completely certain until we reached the suspenseful climax, and I was having such a good time I didn’t really care. While there is talk about magic, we don’t get any illusions spoiled here, but it might inspire you to try to learn a little on your own. If you are a fan of these books, you’ll be glad you picked up this volume. If you haven’t met Eli yet, you’ll be hooked faster than you can say “Abracadabra.”
  
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Lindsay (1717 KP) rated Bloodmark (Bloodmark Saga, #1) in Books

Aug 30, 2018 (Updated Apr 9, 2019)  
B(
Bloodmark (Bloodmark Saga, #1)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Aurora Whittet is a new author to me. She did a wonderful job describing this lifeform that Ashing Boru is. We meet Ashing Boru, and she is to go to meet her father. Her father tries to marry her off. This gets a little more complicated.

Ashing needs protecting and she does not know why or even understand. But has she goes about her life and taken away from her family. She starts to grow and once her brothers Mund and Quinn and family show up. She wonders why. They have come to protect Ashing.

There are some really surprise and twist that come about. We meet Grey. We do not know if he is or what he becomes. He seems to love Ashing Boru. Ashing Boru seems to love Grey. Who is he, and what will happen and will Grey protect Ashing? What has happened to Grey’s mother, and who is Grey’s father.
The story gets even more interesting has you turn the page. Aurora has made it so suspenseful that it hard to put down. It pulls at you. Who could be after Ashing Boru?
  
The Night Circus
The Night Circus
Erin Morgenstern | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.1 (106 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Night Circus is a book I have been intending to read for quite some time. I will start by saying the book is not quite what I expected. Actually I know don’t really know what I expected from this book. I will start by saying I found the first 30-40% of the book quite confusing, dull and at times I contemplated giving up on it completely. The time changes for each chapter whilst confusing at first did become easier to decipher as I learnt the time sequences I was switching between.

This book is worth persevering with as once the dull start is past what you’re left with is actually a beautifully enchanting story. Love and magic in its most subtle forms developing gradually. I fell in love with the elements of the circus and the way they were described, it is almost sad that the place does not exist, that there is no possibility of attending.

This is a book, I think you will come to love if you get past the rocky beginning. Would recommend to people who like me don’t give up on books and read them until they are finished.
  
The Godfather: Part II  (1974)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
1974 | Crime, Drama

"I’d say Godfather 2 was up there. (And I did a movie for Francis…) After Godfather 1, I wouldn’t know how he would make a Godfather 2, but he did it. Because of the time span and what it covered, it’s an opera. I mean, there are acts, and it just worked, and I hadn’t seen that done really well. I’ll go see a movie because of moments, and I’ll go to see that movie again. I mean, like The Killing, the movie that Kubrick made when he began. Sterling Hayden is in it, where they robbed the racetrack, you know? And Sterling Hayden is in the locker room getting ready, putting the mask on, and realizing they’re not flowers in the box but a machine gun. It’s just before kick-off and he takes a long deep breath, and Stanley Kubrick was there for him."

Source
  
The Great Ex-Scape
The Great Ex-Scape
Jo Watson | 2019 | Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
So this is my third book by the author and joint favourite with Love to Hate You and my second read in the Destination Love series. I liked this one more than After the Rain because they got up to so much stuff and the romance was pretty cute. Slow going but inevitable because they were so great for each other. I absolutely loved the journey around Reunion Island--it sounds like an amazing place and I could easily imagine the characters getting up to the mischief they did on such a lovely setting.

I also loved the bits of humour that were thrown in here and there and I did have to bite back laughter a few times at the craziness of what was going on.

I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for more of this authors books in the future.