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Dawn French, number one bestselling author of A Tiny Bit Marvellous and Oh Dear Silvia, returns with...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Lothaire (Immortals After Dark #12) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
4.5 stars
Lothaire The Enemy of Old's book had been brewing for a really long time and I couldn't wait to start it to see what kind of woman it would take to bring Lothaire to his knees. And the answer is one tough chick in the form of Ellie Peirce.
It started with a flashback to Lothaire's childhood and I almost wanted to throw my book when I saw what kind of a man he had for a father and what happened to his poor mother. It helped us to understand him a little more.
Then we forwarded to "5 years ago" and we met Elizabeth Peirce, a poor girl sharing a body with an evil deity who enjoyed killing people while Ellie slept. It was really gruesome reading as Saroya killed the people who had come to try and exercise her from Ellie.
And that is the three main characters met. Saroya, I did not like at all, she was manipulative and just plain evil. Lothaire, after the beginning, I could understand him more and though he's a bit arrogant in the things he says and does I did grow to like him. Ellie was just awesome, she didn't take none of Lothaire's crap and liked to wind him up. It was quite fun reading.
One thing I did enjoy was Lothaire being brought to his knees by a human. He needed a woman exactly like Ellie and she was a force to be reckoned with at times.
The only thing I didn't like, and what lost it half a star for me, was their split. It all seemed to be going so well for them and then Lothaire did something against her will and then for like the next 60 pages they're not together. I was like WTF?
In the end it all worked out and apart from that one thing mentioned above, I really liked it. This is probably one of my favourite books in the series!
Lothaire The Enemy of Old's book had been brewing for a really long time and I couldn't wait to start it to see what kind of woman it would take to bring Lothaire to his knees. And the answer is one tough chick in the form of Ellie Peirce.
It started with a flashback to Lothaire's childhood and I almost wanted to throw my book when I saw what kind of a man he had for a father and what happened to his poor mother. It helped us to understand him a little more.
Then we forwarded to "5 years ago" and we met Elizabeth Peirce, a poor girl sharing a body with an evil deity who enjoyed killing people while Ellie slept. It was really gruesome reading as Saroya killed the people who had come to try and exercise her from Ellie.
And that is the three main characters met. Saroya, I did not like at all, she was manipulative and just plain evil. Lothaire, after the beginning, I could understand him more and though he's a bit arrogant in the things he says and does I did grow to like him. Ellie was just awesome, she didn't take none of Lothaire's crap and liked to wind him up. It was quite fun reading.
One thing I did enjoy was Lothaire being brought to his knees by a human. He needed a woman exactly like Ellie and she was a force to be reckoned with at times.
The only thing I didn't like, and what lost it half a star for me, was their split. It all seemed to be going so well for them and then Lothaire did something against her will and then for like the next 60 pages they're not together. I was like WTF?
In the end it all worked out and apart from that one thing mentioned above, I really liked it. This is probably one of my favourite books in the series!
BookInspector (124 KP) rated All This Has Nothing to Do with Me in Books
Sep 24, 2020
Well this one was weird… This book has a stunning cover, it is a tiny book, and I knew that this is going to be a quick read, and I bought it for only 10p when a couple of my nearby Poundlands were closing down. I thought it has a fun chick lit story for me, but I was very wrong… I kept reading it because I don’t like to DNF books, but till the last page, I have no idea what was it about.
The main character in this book is MS, and sometimes referred to as Monica, so it gives me a very strong feeling that this is some sort of memoir maybe? The one thing I could grasp was that MS is kind of psychologically unstable, she writes letters to the dead author, her relationship with XX is an absolute mess, but she kind of tries to explain her behaviour, by going back to the past and talking about her mother and stepdad. Yes, she had a difficult childhood, and if the story and format (it is a mash of letters, SMS, pictures, normal text etc.) would’ve been differently presented, it could’ve been an awesome memoir.
The writing style of this book was very unique and original, and it should’ve been really hard to write this book because it is filled with a huge amount of pictures. No, not some nice pictures, but pictures of random things e.g. a lighter taken from XX; sweaters worn on dates; 4pages of scooter pictures which might belong to XX, and many more. I think it took years to collect this amount of pictures, so props to the author for the patience and detail.
So, let me just jump to the conclusions here. This book won France’s Prix de Flore 2013 award, so it has to have something that I am not seeing, right? One thing I know, it wasn’t for me, but if you like award-winning books, which are different and really original, give this book a go, and you might enjoy it.
The main character in this book is MS, and sometimes referred to as Monica, so it gives me a very strong feeling that this is some sort of memoir maybe? The one thing I could grasp was that MS is kind of psychologically unstable, she writes letters to the dead author, her relationship with XX is an absolute mess, but she kind of tries to explain her behaviour, by going back to the past and talking about her mother and stepdad. Yes, she had a difficult childhood, and if the story and format (it is a mash of letters, SMS, pictures, normal text etc.) would’ve been differently presented, it could’ve been an awesome memoir.
The writing style of this book was very unique and original, and it should’ve been really hard to write this book because it is filled with a huge amount of pictures. No, not some nice pictures, but pictures of random things e.g. a lighter taken from XX; sweaters worn on dates; 4pages of scooter pictures which might belong to XX, and many more. I think it took years to collect this amount of pictures, so props to the author for the patience and detail.
So, let me just jump to the conclusions here. This book won France’s Prix de Flore 2013 award, so it has to have something that I am not seeing, right? One thing I know, it wasn’t for me, but if you like award-winning books, which are different and really original, give this book a go, and you might enjoy it.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated When Polly Met Olly in Books
Sep 3, 2019
I've seen this book on Goodreads quite often with friends rating and reviewing it so when I saw it on Netgalley as a "Read Now" and with me looking for good chick-lit writers that I'm going to buy again and again, I thought I'd give this a try.
So we meet Polly--a British ex-pat--who is being interviewed for a job at a successful dating agency. It turns out that Polly isn't so good at the dating thing in real life though, as shown in these quotes:
"Didn't you send him a peach and aubergine emoji with a question mark and a winky face when you were drunk?"
"What about that guy you called Mike for four dates then it turned out his name was Matt."
She gets the job and, quite quickly, she's asked to check out a rival firm who is stealing some of their clients. So Polly goes to the other firm as a possible client and meets Olly, the owner. They seem to have an instant connection, a spark, but Olly turns a little cold and clinical towards the end of her interview. They meet by accident a few more times as Polly explores the area surrounding her new office. We don't see him all that often in the book until near the end, to be honest. She's too busy trying to find the perfect partner and setting up dates for her clients.
As the books name suggests, they do end up together but not before hitting a few bumps along the way. It's on a really slow burn and does come a little out of left field when they finally admit they have feelings for each other but after that, the happiness they feel when they're together was really cute.
I loved the camaraderie between Polly and her friend Gabe, he teases her terribly at times but I had to smile. And her friendship with her boss, too, was pretty cool. They made quite a good team at the whole dating agency thing.
I think this was quite enjoyable and will look out for further releases to see if they're as cute as this one was.
So we meet Polly--a British ex-pat--who is being interviewed for a job at a successful dating agency. It turns out that Polly isn't so good at the dating thing in real life though, as shown in these quotes:
"Didn't you send him a peach and aubergine emoji with a question mark and a winky face when you were drunk?"
"What about that guy you called Mike for four dates then it turned out his name was Matt."
She gets the job and, quite quickly, she's asked to check out a rival firm who is stealing some of their clients. So Polly goes to the other firm as a possible client and meets Olly, the owner. They seem to have an instant connection, a spark, but Olly turns a little cold and clinical towards the end of her interview. They meet by accident a few more times as Polly explores the area surrounding her new office. We don't see him all that often in the book until near the end, to be honest. She's too busy trying to find the perfect partner and setting up dates for her clients.
As the books name suggests, they do end up together but not before hitting a few bumps along the way. It's on a really slow burn and does come a little out of left field when they finally admit they have feelings for each other but after that, the happiness they feel when they're together was really cute.
I loved the camaraderie between Polly and her friend Gabe, he teases her terribly at times but I had to smile. And her friendship with her boss, too, was pretty cool. They made quite a good team at the whole dating agency thing.
I think this was quite enjoyable and will look out for further releases to see if they're as cute as this one was.
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated Read and Gone (The Haunted Library Mysteries, #2) in Books
Oct 2, 2020
This is the second book of the series, and even though I haven’t read the first part, I was able to follow this book quite easily. There are a few references to the past and you can quickly realise what happened. Though, if you wish to read the series, don’t start with #2, because there are a few spoilers here that you wish you hadn’t read if you read book #1. I won’t be reading #1 because the spoilers in this book ruined it for me. But I am sure it’s an amazing story as well.
Carrie works in a library and has a cat that brings with her at work. Her father is a famous bad guy, that spent all her childhood in jails. One day, he returns to town, trying to get his share of a box of jewellery that he stole with another man. But a murder changes everyone’s plans, and Carrie has to make some dangerous decisions. It is a wonderful story about family, love, Christmas and tragedy that ends well.
This is a book full of mystery and crime, but it also is warm and family-oriented. I loved the mystery - crime part of it, I loved the scenes where everyone, mostly Carrie plays out to be a detective, but there were also scenes where things were so obvious, and she made terrible choices that made me cringe.
I struggled a lot to understand and like Carrie - I didn’t like the way how she gets quiet and doesn’t talk and just cries, and suddenly when she leaves the situation, she bitches about everything and how things should've been done differently. WELL WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHING WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE, THEN? But then, there were also moments when she would come up with some interesting hypothesis and actually succeed into making a right choice, and I would think - YEAH, that’s my girl.
All in all, definitely a beautiful read, with a few tweaks here and there. I would love to read something similar to this, and for you that love chick-lit and detective stories, you would most probably enjoy this read :)
Carrie works in a library and has a cat that brings with her at work. Her father is a famous bad guy, that spent all her childhood in jails. One day, he returns to town, trying to get his share of a box of jewellery that he stole with another man. But a murder changes everyone’s plans, and Carrie has to make some dangerous decisions. It is a wonderful story about family, love, Christmas and tragedy that ends well.
This is a book full of mystery and crime, but it also is warm and family-oriented. I loved the mystery - crime part of it, I loved the scenes where everyone, mostly Carrie plays out to be a detective, but there were also scenes where things were so obvious, and she made terrible choices that made me cringe.
I struggled a lot to understand and like Carrie - I didn’t like the way how she gets quiet and doesn’t talk and just cries, and suddenly when she leaves the situation, she bitches about everything and how things should've been done differently. WELL WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY SOMETHING WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE, THEN? But then, there were also moments when she would come up with some interesting hypothesis and actually succeed into making a right choice, and I would think - YEAH, that’s my girl.
All in all, definitely a beautiful read, with a few tweaks here and there. I would love to read something similar to this, and for you that love chick-lit and detective stories, you would most probably enjoy this read :)
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Fade Out (Morganville Vampires #7) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
Yet another good addition to the Morganville Vampires series, Fade Out is all about entertainment, but with a sinister twist. Eve wins a major part in the town's production of Tennessee Williams' A Street Car Named Desire and Claire's quirky boss, Myrnin, seems to have gained his sanity. But underneath this calm surface, rebellion is simmering while Amelie grieves, Ada-the-computer has it in for Claire, and the other goth chick in town, Kim, has less-than-honest designs for Morganville with a suspicious film project in the works.
Claire seems to have worked out a truce with her parents, which I liked since they just seem to get in the way. Her relationship with Shane is adorable and sweet, and I love their loyalty to each other even as they navigate the familiar territory of new romance. In contrast, Eve and Michael have hit a major bump in the road that I saw coming several books back - and I'm still a little annoyed that we don't get more details from Eve's perspective.
Myrnin has to be my favorite character in the series. Even as a sane individual, he is still incredibly unique - from his fashion sense, to the unexpected things he randomly spouts, to his mercurial behavior and unpredictable loyalties among the town's inhabitants. What develops with Ada's subplot in the book shows that beneath the vampire still lurks some humanity, and he obviously has many more secrets that have yet to be revealed.
Amelie grieves for the loss of Sam, and the way she randomly appears in Claire's day-to-day life during this period of stark vulnerability is equal parts mystifying and encouraging. While the downside of this is that the rebellious factions feel stronger, the upside is that the readers gets to see some of the characteristics typical only to humans show themselves in Amelie.
As for Claire herself, Shane makes an observation about her that I think sums her up quite nicely. Some people come to Morganville and disappear, but when Claire came to Morganville, she began to thrive.
Every time I pick up one of the books in this series, I simply can not stop reading until I've finished it - always the perfect blend of suspense, mystery, and supernatural elements to keep me hooked.
Claire seems to have worked out a truce with her parents, which I liked since they just seem to get in the way. Her relationship with Shane is adorable and sweet, and I love their loyalty to each other even as they navigate the familiar territory of new romance. In contrast, Eve and Michael have hit a major bump in the road that I saw coming several books back - and I'm still a little annoyed that we don't get more details from Eve's perspective.
Myrnin has to be my favorite character in the series. Even as a sane individual, he is still incredibly unique - from his fashion sense, to the unexpected things he randomly spouts, to his mercurial behavior and unpredictable loyalties among the town's inhabitants. What develops with Ada's subplot in the book shows that beneath the vampire still lurks some humanity, and he obviously has many more secrets that have yet to be revealed.
Amelie grieves for the loss of Sam, and the way she randomly appears in Claire's day-to-day life during this period of stark vulnerability is equal parts mystifying and encouraging. While the downside of this is that the rebellious factions feel stronger, the upside is that the readers gets to see some of the characteristics typical only to humans show themselves in Amelie.
As for Claire herself, Shane makes an observation about her that I think sums her up quite nicely. Some people come to Morganville and disappear, but when Claire came to Morganville, she began to thrive.
Every time I pick up one of the books in this series, I simply can not stop reading until I've finished it - always the perfect blend of suspense, mystery, and supernatural elements to keep me hooked.
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated Ghosted in Books
Jun 27, 2018
Great Story - Awesome Blindsides
This book had some serious 'holy-crap' shockers! I was riveted from start to finish, gobbled up every word, and felt like I got smacked in the face several times with total blindsiding plot twists!
Sarah's been ghosted. If you don't know what that means - well... she literally fell in love with Eddie after ONE WEEK. They meet, by chance, spend an entire week with no-one but each other, the connection is insane, they are meant for each other, they both seem to be in love - it's that much of a connection. He leaves to go on an already planned holiday, with promises to call, to stay in touch, to possibly start lives together afterwards... aaaaaaand GHOSTED. Eddie is gone. He doesn't call or email, he hasn't been on Facebook, her texts go unanswered. He's just GONE.
Weeks go by and Sarah is a HOT MESS. She knows Eddie was THE ONE. She knows he felt the same, but Where. The heck. Did he go?
Her friends think she's losing her mind. It was one week! You are barely divorced! Guys suck! Get over it! But Sarah knows in her bones that something is wrong. Something happened to Eddie and she won't give up until he is back in her life and found safe and sound.
But seriously Sarah, Get a grip. This chick is going looney tunes. She's obsessed with this guy and it's getting a bit weird. It's just about the only problem I had with the book. Tone it down Sarah! For goodness sake - it was a WEEK! The obsession and neurosis she goes through is a bit embarrassing! Yikes!
But then, things start happening: Clues. Messages. Strange people watching her. And really old wounds are opened. Who is Eddie and why did he disappear??
I really really really enjoyed this (as much as I wanted to smack the living daylights out of Sarah and tell her to "stop it! he's just a dude! dudes do this sort of thing ALL the time!) but I really did have a great time with this book! It's interspersed with texts, and letters and flips between characters really seamlessly and it's worth a read just for the really shocking and fun blindsides. Definitely recommend!!
Thanks to Penguin Random House for the advanced copy to read and review!
Sarah's been ghosted. If you don't know what that means - well... she literally fell in love with Eddie after ONE WEEK. They meet, by chance, spend an entire week with no-one but each other, the connection is insane, they are meant for each other, they both seem to be in love - it's that much of a connection. He leaves to go on an already planned holiday, with promises to call, to stay in touch, to possibly start lives together afterwards... aaaaaaand GHOSTED. Eddie is gone. He doesn't call or email, he hasn't been on Facebook, her texts go unanswered. He's just GONE.
Weeks go by and Sarah is a HOT MESS. She knows Eddie was THE ONE. She knows he felt the same, but Where. The heck. Did he go?
Her friends think she's losing her mind. It was one week! You are barely divorced! Guys suck! Get over it! But Sarah knows in her bones that something is wrong. Something happened to Eddie and she won't give up until he is back in her life and found safe and sound.
But seriously Sarah, Get a grip. This chick is going looney tunes. She's obsessed with this guy and it's getting a bit weird. It's just about the only problem I had with the book. Tone it down Sarah! For goodness sake - it was a WEEK! The obsession and neurosis she goes through is a bit embarrassing! Yikes!
But then, things start happening: Clues. Messages. Strange people watching her. And really old wounds are opened. Who is Eddie and why did he disappear??
I really really really enjoyed this (as much as I wanted to smack the living daylights out of Sarah and tell her to "stop it! he's just a dude! dudes do this sort of thing ALL the time!) but I really did have a great time with this book! It's interspersed with texts, and letters and flips between characters really seamlessly and it's worth a read just for the really shocking and fun blindsides. Definitely recommend!!
Thanks to Penguin Random House for the advanced copy to read and review!
Amy Curtis (49 KP) rated Christmas at Tiffany's in Books
Dec 31, 2018
Light hearted (1 more)
Easy Read
Power to the women!
Contains spoilers, click to show
This book was recommended to me by a friend and I wasn’t sure what to expect. The whole time I was reading it, anyone that saw the book in my hands would ask ‘is that similar to ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s?’ The short answer to that is no, not even close.
I must admit that I was quite confused by the start of the book and the prologue could have been explained a bit better. The story is focalised through Cassie who is celebrating 10 years of marriage with her husband. 3 of her friends have come to visit her in order to celebrate this ‘achievement’. However, things quickly turn sour and it’s revealed that her husband has been having an affair with her best friend and they even have a child together. Her 3 visitors whisk her away and it is agreed that she will spend 4 months with each of them in order to find herself again. She will have to find her feet in New York, Paris and then London (it can’t be all bad!).
This novel shows you a journey of a woman who has always depended on her relationship and who gains her independence and finds what she truly wants. Granted, there are parts that are incredibly cheesy but I think that is part of the beauty of it. It’s a predictable feel-good book but there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
As a woman, it has inspired and reminded me that relationships aren’t everything and a happily ever after can come at any moment. The novel excites you as the prospect of a new and better relationship unfolds for Cassie. Swan takes you into this world where anything is possible even for a woman with a broken heart.
This book doesn’t just appeal to women that have had their heart broken but also those that love to travel. It highlights different things to do in the three locations and makes you feel inspired to go and see these for yourself. It is a bitter sweet romance novel and I’m just waiting to find my own version of Henry.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and something that I could happily pick up again. I must admit, I’m surprised that they have made an adaptation of this novel. It would be an ultimate chick flick!
I must admit that I was quite confused by the start of the book and the prologue could have been explained a bit better. The story is focalised through Cassie who is celebrating 10 years of marriage with her husband. 3 of her friends have come to visit her in order to celebrate this ‘achievement’. However, things quickly turn sour and it’s revealed that her husband has been having an affair with her best friend and they even have a child together. Her 3 visitors whisk her away and it is agreed that she will spend 4 months with each of them in order to find herself again. She will have to find her feet in New York, Paris and then London (it can’t be all bad!).
This novel shows you a journey of a woman who has always depended on her relationship and who gains her independence and finds what she truly wants. Granted, there are parts that are incredibly cheesy but I think that is part of the beauty of it. It’s a predictable feel-good book but there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
As a woman, it has inspired and reminded me that relationships aren’t everything and a happily ever after can come at any moment. The novel excites you as the prospect of a new and better relationship unfolds for Cassie. Swan takes you into this world where anything is possible even for a woman with a broken heart.
This book doesn’t just appeal to women that have had their heart broken but also those that love to travel. It highlights different things to do in the three locations and makes you feel inspired to go and see these for yourself. It is a bitter sweet romance novel and I’m just waiting to find my own version of Henry.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read and something that I could happily pick up again. I must admit, I’m surprised that they have made an adaptation of this novel. It would be an ultimate chick flick!
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated See No Evil (The Faded Trilogy, Book 2) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
See No Evil is the second novel in Chloe Miles' Faded trilogy, with the Chosen Ones trying to get Logan back after the events near the end of Faded. Logan, on the other hand, is trying to get Abigail to leave the Chosen Ones and join the Forces.
The story starts out with a few scenes from later in the book, and Miles blends the scenes together well enough that they flow smoothly they go together really well despite the fact between the few, snippets are taken out so as not to give away in spoilers. Unfortunately, while the prologue is written really well, this simply gives away the answer to Savannah's visions quickly, and possibly the entire plot as well.
See No Evil isn't too action-packed, but it's more than Faded and enough so it's enough so it's not too much (like Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. That was WAY too much action). Savannah is stronger heroine than when we first met her back in the first novel, Faded. She's supportive while Abigail is grieving, even though Abigail is completely oblivious whose side Logan is on. In fact, Logan even gives himself away by accident! Yet while she's confused, she later brushes it aside.
The attacks have also gotten more creative in a way, though not by much. There are less doors shutting by themselves, no more windows being involved, but there are still just as much storms, winds, lightning, and flying furniture. The endings for those attacks tends to be the same as well the Forces run away. For a name like the Forces, you would have thought they were a force to be reckoned with. Legit name for a group who run away like cowards. :p
While I really enjoyed See No Evil, I feel as though something is missing. I feel very much as though Miles' writing is more for... middle grade due to the life lesson like writing. Something bad happens, the thing gets resolved, then the characters come together and talk about it.
-----------------------
Review copy provided by the author for review
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-see-no-evil-by-chloe-miles.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
The story starts out with a few scenes from later in the book, and Miles blends the scenes together well enough that they flow smoothly they go together really well despite the fact between the few, snippets are taken out so as not to give away in spoilers. Unfortunately, while the prologue is written really well, this simply gives away the answer to Savannah's visions quickly, and possibly the entire plot as well.
See No Evil isn't too action-packed, but it's more than Faded and enough so it's enough so it's not too much (like Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick. That was WAY too much action). Savannah is stronger heroine than when we first met her back in the first novel, Faded. She's supportive while Abigail is grieving, even though Abigail is completely oblivious whose side Logan is on. In fact, Logan even gives himself away by accident! Yet while she's confused, she later brushes it aside.
The attacks have also gotten more creative in a way, though not by much. There are less doors shutting by themselves, no more windows being involved, but there are still just as much storms, winds, lightning, and flying furniture. The endings for those attacks tends to be the same as well the Forces run away. For a name like the Forces, you would have thought they were a force to be reckoned with. Legit name for a group who run away like cowards. :p
While I really enjoyed See No Evil, I feel as though something is missing. I feel very much as though Miles' writing is more for... middle grade due to the life lesson like writing. Something bad happens, the thing gets resolved, then the characters come together and talk about it.
-----------------------
Review copy provided by the author for review
Original Review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/review-see-no-evil-by-chloe-miles.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cG5gfBqJVzk/VA5BIojjZ9I/AAAAAAAAD1g/7srLUfpAGEU/s1600/banner.png"; /></a>
Musical Maryland: A History of Song and Performance from the Colonial Period to the Age of Radio
David K. Hildebrand and Elizabeth M. Schaaf
Book
In Musical Maryland, the first comprehensive survey of the music emanating from the Old Line State,...