Surviving Ice (Burying Water, #4)
6.0
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The nationally bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths series and Burying Water—which Kirkus...
A Streetcar Named Murder
3.0
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Blackmail in the Big Easy turns to cold-blooded murder in this debut cozy mystery perfect for fans...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated How Hard Can it Be? ( Handcuffs and Happily Ever After 1) in Books
Jun 21, 2024
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How Hard can it be? ( Handcuffs and Happily ever after 1)
By Robyn Peterman
⭐️⭐️⭐️
What happens when an accountant decides to grab life by the horns and try something new? Apparently a pirate named Dave, a lot of pastel fleece, and blackmail—just to start with . . .
Visualize and succeed, Oprah said. I was sure as hell trying, even if my campaign to score a job as the local weather girl had ended in a restraining order. Okay, TV was not my strength. But a lack of talent has never stopped me before. Which is why I’ve embarked on a writing career. I mean, how hard can it be to come up with a sexy romance?
Leave it to me to wind up in a group of porno writing grannies who discuss sex toys and apple cobbler in the same breath. Also leave it to me to leak an outlandish plot idea to a bestselling author with the morals of a rabid squirrel. And only I could get arrested for a jewelry heist I didn’t commit—by a hunky cop whose handcuffs just might tempt me to sign up for a life of crime. Maybe I’ve found my calling after all . . .
This was actually quite funny as well as being endearing in places. I did laugh while finishing it on the bus as well as getting quite hot under the collar with certain parts while in public 😂😂. I’m really starting to like this author!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Y is for Yesterday (Kinsey Millhone, #25) in Books
Feb 13, 2018
The result is two pronged story--a focus on Kinsey as she tackles the McCabes and their blackmail/extortion plot, delving deeper into the 1979 murder and sexual assault, but also a continuation of the Ned Lowe story and its associated players. <i>There's a lot going on in this book,</i> as Grafton also throws in a plotline involving romantic shenanigans with Kinsey's cousin, Anna, plus Henry's hosting of the homeless Pearl and her pals in his backyard. Grafton is pretty deft at juggling multiple threads, but whew. The one thing I can say, is that both the Ned situation and the teens' videotape allow for some very timely and nuanced thoughts and ruminations on rape, and you sadly realize we haven't made any progress in society on this front since in the 1980s.
Alas, though, for me, <i>this novel gets off to a slow start and never fully recovers.</i> It took a while to keep track of all the teen players from '79 (and present), and the jumps in time in the storytelling don't really help. Even worse, our heroine, Kinsey, is off her game after the attack from Ned. Yes, she is still the Kinsey we know and love, but she's hurting, more cautious, and changed, and well, it's hard to read about sometimes.
The novel just seemed more tedious than usual and bogged down in some unnecessary details. There were definitely moments with Kinsey that made me smile and laugh, but otherwise, we don't have many characters to root for. The entire group originating in 1979 is pretty despicable. Their story picks up a bit at the end, and I was definitely interested in the outcome, but it didn't have the same flair as previous Kinsey novels. Of note, though, despite how different technology was in the late '70s, Grafton did a good job in denoting how teens remain teens, regardless the decade.
Overall, I will always love Kinsey, but the last two in this series have been a bit disappointing. Here's hoping that <i>Z</i> ends on a high note fitting our beloved heroine.
You can read my review of X <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1268956692?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1">here</a>;.
<center><a href="http://justacatandabookatherside.blogspot.com/">Blog</a>; ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/mwcmoto">Twitter</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/justacatandabook/">Facebook</a>; ~ <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KristyHamiltonbooks">Google+</a>; ~ <a href="https://www.instagram.com/justacatandabook/">Instagram</a>; </center>
Blood Ties
9.0
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Blood Ties is the second murder mystery which features Detective Inspector Charlie Moon. Like the...
The Man on the Roof
6.0
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Someone has been creeping in the dark while the others sleep, and they've done terrible, terrible...
Merissa (11825 KP) rated The Deception (The Secret Tales #2) in Books
Jun 21, 2024
This was a great addition to the series, and I loved how Rhys and Rose continued to play their part in the story. There is a lot that happens in this story, with blackmail, kidnapping, and a slavery ring. This definitely impacted the connection between our two characters for me, as the time they spend together didn't seem long enough before they were reacting to one threat or another. One thing I liked, as with Rose, is that Charlotte isn't just a damsel in distress. Yes, she's in a very dodgy situation, but she uses her mind and doesn't just wait to be rescued.
I am thoroughly enjoying these books by Sanna Brand. There is a snippet from Claire's book that had me wanting that immediately! Thoroughly enjoyed and definitely recommended.
** 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!
Jun 14, 2024
Hitchcock's British Films
Barry Keith Grant and Maurice Yacowar
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Originally published in 1977 and long out of print, Maurice Yacowar's Hitchcock's British Films was...
Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power
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From twice-Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Steve Coll comes Private Empire, winner of the FT/GOLDMAN...
The Cardinal's Whores
8.0
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Blackmail. Betrayal. Lust. Just standard fare in the court of Henry the Eighth. Joan Larke...
Historical Romance Suspense