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The Key to Circus-Mom Highway
Book
In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance—and hopefully find a few answers—two estranged...
Contemporary Fiction Family Dramedy
The Lost Ones (Detective Jackie Cooke #1)
9.0
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Book
The young woman was sitting as though she might get up at any minute, her dark brown hair hanging...
ClareR (5950 KP) rated Circus of Wonders in Books
Mar 15, 2022
After reading The Doll Factory, I was on the look out for Elizabeth Macneal’s next book. Circus of Wonders has NOT disappointed me.
Elizabeth Macneal has described what it is like to be on the margins of society - an outcast because you don’t look the same as everyone else. Nell lives in a time where you are shunned for having birthmarks such as hers. She is considered to be bad luck, a curse. Not helped by the fact that her mother had died in childbirth. Her father constantly reinforces this, and won’t even touch her. Nell’s beloved brother is her sole comfort. He cares for her, and promises to take her with him when he marries.
But Nell’s father sells her to Jasper Jupiters Circus of Wonders. Jasper is a man who is hellbent on being a success, and thinks nothing of using Nell and others like her, to achieve greatness. Jasper and his brother Toby, are both survivors of the Crimean war, and clearly carry many secrets.
Themes such as exploitation, ownership, differences, power, sibling love, secrets, love and loss are central to this book.
Nell is a constant surprise. She goes from being a scared, vulnerable girl, to becoming the centre of attention, in control of all those who come to watch her. This is the other side to the P. T. Barnum story. We’ve probably all heard of ‘The Greatest Showman’, but there’s the other exploitative side that seems to have been brushed under the carpet. This book shows that side.
I loved this book, and I wouldn’t hesitate to tell you all to go out and buy it!
Elizabeth Macneal has described what it is like to be on the margins of society - an outcast because you don’t look the same as everyone else. Nell lives in a time where you are shunned for having birthmarks such as hers. She is considered to be bad luck, a curse. Not helped by the fact that her mother had died in childbirth. Her father constantly reinforces this, and won’t even touch her. Nell’s beloved brother is her sole comfort. He cares for her, and promises to take her with him when he marries.
But Nell’s father sells her to Jasper Jupiters Circus of Wonders. Jasper is a man who is hellbent on being a success, and thinks nothing of using Nell and others like her, to achieve greatness. Jasper and his brother Toby, are both survivors of the Crimean war, and clearly carry many secrets.
Themes such as exploitation, ownership, differences, power, sibling love, secrets, love and loss are central to this book.
Nell is a constant surprise. She goes from being a scared, vulnerable girl, to becoming the centre of attention, in control of all those who come to watch her. This is the other side to the P. T. Barnum story. We’ve probably all heard of ‘The Greatest Showman’, but there’s the other exploitative side that seems to have been brushed under the carpet. This book shows that side.
I loved this book, and I wouldn’t hesitate to tell you all to go out and buy it!
Debbiereadsbook (1487 KP) rated Caught Off Guard by Beth Laycock in Books
Jun 20, 2022
I needed Tristan and I don't get him.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I think, this book fell in my queue right at the point I needed it to, and I really REALLY liked! Not quite enough to love it, but I will explain why.
Only Lane gets a voice. Yes, yes YES I know I say it often enough, but I am big enough and ugly enough to admit when I might be wrong about this, but I NEEDED Tristan, and I don't get him.
I needed to hear what he thought of Lane, right at the beginning. I needed to know what he was feeling when he kisses Lane that first time. I needed to know what was going through his head when he blanks Lane and I NEEDED, I really NEEDED to know what he was feeling when things are finally sorted with Lane's brother.
I can't word this bit right, without giving anything away, so if this doesn't make sense, I'm sorry!
Things with Lane's brother don't end how I thought they would and (please don't hate me!) I actually loved that they didn't. It was a twist I did not see coming, and I was reading at work, and I must have made a noise cos a customer asked me if I was ok. So, well played there, Ms Laycock, very well played.
Like I said, only Lane gets a say, and that's the only reason I can't stretch to 5 stars!
4 really REALLY good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
I think, this book fell in my queue right at the point I needed it to, and I really REALLY liked! Not quite enough to love it, but I will explain why.
Only Lane gets a voice. Yes, yes YES I know I say it often enough, but I am big enough and ugly enough to admit when I might be wrong about this, but I NEEDED Tristan, and I don't get him.
I needed to hear what he thought of Lane, right at the beginning. I needed to know what he was feeling when he kisses Lane that first time. I needed to know what was going through his head when he blanks Lane and I NEEDED, I really NEEDED to know what he was feeling when things are finally sorted with Lane's brother.
I can't word this bit right, without giving anything away, so if this doesn't make sense, I'm sorry!
Things with Lane's brother don't end how I thought they would and (please don't hate me!) I actually loved that they didn't. It was a twist I did not see coming, and I was reading at work, and I must have made a noise cos a customer asked me if I was ok. So, well played there, Ms Laycock, very well played.
Like I said, only Lane gets a say, and that's the only reason I can't stretch to 5 stars!
4 really REALLY good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Lustful Nights (Peaches #1)
10.0
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Book
Lennox A string of bad boyfriends has me questioning my taste in men. They’re either jealous of...
Contemporary MM Romance
Merissa (13169 KP) rated Omega Captive of the Golden Dragon (Alpha Dragons #3) in Books
Aug 20, 2025
OMEGA CAPTIVE OF THE GOLDEN DRAGON is the third book in the Alpha Dragons series, but it can easily be read as a standalone.
It is a sweet, slow-burning story that doesn't start off so well for either of our main characters. At nineteen, Caylen finds out he is a set-omega in a wolf pack, which means he will be sold. Varik, however, has it even worse. He is a golden dragon, who are hunted for their scales. Instead of protecting him, his parents keep him in a cage and forcibly take his scales. This goes on for years, until he is rescued by his brother. It is his brother also also rescues/buys Caylen and brings the two of them together.
This is full of emotions, and my heart broke along with Caylen's at one point in the story. Actually, at more than one point, but you get my meaning. It is steamy in places where it needs to be, but mostly it is about the connection between Caylen, Varik, and Varikan.
Smoothly written with a fast-ish pace, this was a brilliant read that I thoroughly enjoyed. The epilogue was perfect, and I enjoyed the snapshot into their later lives. Although dealing with some not-so-nice topics to begin with, this book gave me the warm fuzzies. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** 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!
Aug 20, 2025
It is a sweet, slow-burning story that doesn't start off so well for either of our main characters. At nineteen, Caylen finds out he is a set-omega in a wolf pack, which means he will be sold. Varik, however, has it even worse. He is a golden dragon, who are hunted for their scales. Instead of protecting him, his parents keep him in a cage and forcibly take his scales. This goes on for years, until he is rescued by his brother. It is his brother also also rescues/buys Caylen and brings the two of them together.
This is full of emotions, and my heart broke along with Caylen's at one point in the story. Actually, at more than one point, but you get my meaning. It is steamy in places where it needs to be, but mostly it is about the connection between Caylen, Varik, and Varikan.
Smoothly written with a fast-ish pace, this was a brilliant read that I thoroughly enjoyed. The epilogue was perfect, and I enjoyed the snapshot into their later lives. Although dealing with some not-so-nice topics to begin with, this book gave me the warm fuzzies. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me.
** 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!
Aug 20, 2025
Knowledge Brokerage for Sustainable Development: Innovative Tools for Increasing Research Impact and Evidence-Based Policy Making
Andre Martinuzzi and Michal Sedlacko
Book
The menace of a post-truth era challenges conventional policy-making and science. Instead of...
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated Come In and Cover Me in Books
Jan 15, 2018
This book tells the story of Ren an archeologist who can see ghosts. Her first experience is with her older brother who was killed in a car accident when she was 12. It carries over into her work in the field years later when she sees a young, Native American girl chopping off her hair in a creek. Lynay as the ghost comes to be known leads Ren to various discoveries, both about herself & ancient culture.
The story had absolutely no action to it. It was well written, but I unfortunately found myself getting bored with at multiple points in the plot. The summaries I read prior to reading the book sounded good... an interesting idea, intriguing characters, but the execution was poor. Not worth the time really.
The story had absolutely no action to it. It was well written, but I unfortunately found myself getting bored with at multiple points in the plot. The summaries I read prior to reading the book sounded good... an interesting idea, intriguing characters, but the execution was poor. Not worth the time really.
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated Geostorm (2017) in Movies
Feb 1, 2018
Trying to weather the storms
A Engineer Jake Lawson (Butler) designs a satellite that is able to control the weather by eliminating it before it has a chance to strike and cause many disasters. However it stops working and begins to create even more severe weather events that are 100x worse. His younger brother Max (Sturgess) has been assigned to find out why it has malfunction and tasks it's original designer to use the crew heads on board to find out why it is happening. Meanwhile on earth many sever weather events are happening faster than they can be stopped. Will earth be saved??
Great idea for a story and most effects were pretty good but, the casting needs help and I think with a better cast the movie could have been better.
Great idea for a story and most effects were pretty good but, the casting needs help and I think with a better cast the movie could have been better.
Lindsay (1774 KP) rated Farmer Boy (Little House, #3) in Books
Feb 15, 2018
This book get me and enjoy each and every time I pick it up and read it. This book is about Almanzo Wilder and his family. It about him and his brother, sisters and his mother and father.
It goes though all the seasons. It tell about Almanzo childhood. There time that he grateful to have Eliza Jane as his sister there an accident that happens while his parents are on Vacation for a week. You can tell Almanzo does not want to school and enjoy working on the farm more then going to school.
It tell you in detail about the planting season. It also tell you a lot about his livestyle and the way he was raised. It a good book for young adults and children as well.
It goes though all the seasons. It tell about Almanzo childhood. There time that he grateful to have Eliza Jane as his sister there an accident that happens while his parents are on Vacation for a week. You can tell Almanzo does not want to school and enjoy working on the farm more then going to school.
It tell you in detail about the planting season. It also tell you a lot about his livestyle and the way he was raised. It a good book for young adults and children as well.