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Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Dead of Winter in Books
Feb 13, 2023
I have enjoyed a number of Stuart MacBride's books before; I enjoy his writing style, his dark sense of humour, twisty plots and excellent characters - The Dead of Winter is no different and I loved it.
DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter (also known as Bigtoria but don't let her hear you call her that!) and her underling, DC Edward Reekie are tasked with transporting a dying prisoner to spend his final days in the village of Glenfarach a 'special' village where ex-prisoners live when they can't be released back into full freedom. A straight-forward job I hear you say however it turns into anything but when a resident is found tortured to death and no one can get in or out as the weather closes in.
Full of dark humour, violence, gore and unsavoury characters along with a fast paced plot full of twists and turns, this was a book I really enjoyed. There are many laugh-out-loud moments, moments that make you wince and several "no way" moments that had me swiping my screen at a great rate of knots desperate to find out how it was all going to end but also not wanting it to.
It's all a bit crackers and not particularly plausible but I loved it from start to finish and I must thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Dead of Winter.
DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter (also known as Bigtoria but don't let her hear you call her that!) and her underling, DC Edward Reekie are tasked with transporting a dying prisoner to spend his final days in the village of Glenfarach a 'special' village where ex-prisoners live when they can't be released back into full freedom. A straight-forward job I hear you say however it turns into anything but when a resident is found tortured to death and no one can get in or out as the weather closes in.
Full of dark humour, violence, gore and unsavoury characters along with a fast paced plot full of twists and turns, this was a book I really enjoyed. There are many laugh-out-loud moments, moments that make you wince and several "no way" moments that had me swiping my screen at a great rate of knots desperate to find out how it was all going to end but also not wanting it to.
It's all a bit crackers and not particularly plausible but I loved it from start to finish and I must thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Dead of Winter.
Merissa (13481 KP) rated The Dragon Berserker's Mate (Bad Dragon's Bride, #2) in Books
Jan 10, 2023
THE DRAGON BERSERKER'S MATE is the second book in the Bad Dragon's Bride series and it can be read as a standalone. I haven't read book one but found I could easily follow this story. And what a story it was!
Hazel is down on her luck, at home with her stepdad, and needs to escape before things get even worse. She will agree to anything if it means she is free of him and debt-free - even if it means marrying a dragon. The only trouble is, the one she wants is not the one she is expected to marry.
Jay is slowly killing himself as he tries to lock down his dragon. But once he meets Hazel, he realises he will do anything for her, just to see her smile or hear her laugh. And maybe, just maybe, his dragon feels the same.
This was a tale of epic proportions and I loved every word. The writing is so descriptive, every scene was clear to see. There are lots of one-liners in here that just made it even better. The pacing is fast but you never feel as though you are being rushed.
An excellent story with amazing characters that I definitely recommend!
** 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!
Hazel is down on her luck, at home with her stepdad, and needs to escape before things get even worse. She will agree to anything if it means she is free of him and debt-free - even if it means marrying a dragon. The only trouble is, the one she wants is not the one she is expected to marry.
Jay is slowly killing himself as he tries to lock down his dragon. But once he meets Hazel, he realises he will do anything for her, just to see her smile or hear her laugh. And maybe, just maybe, his dragon feels the same.
This was a tale of epic proportions and I loved every word. The writing is so descriptive, every scene was clear to see. There are lots of one-liners in here that just made it even better. The pacing is fast but you never feel as though you are being rushed.
An excellent story with amazing characters that I definitely recommend!
** 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!
Merissa (13481 KP) rated Guarding Reese in Books
Oct 3, 2023
Guarding Reese is a story by R.S. McCoy, in the Wings of the Wicked anthology. In it, we meet Cass, a guardian angel who has had to spend nine years away from his charge. Reese has worked his way through five other guardians, but no one seems to work. Cass is given the chance to work with Reese again, and he follows his heart to the one who has held it since the first moment they met.
This book is a paradox - it is both steamy and sexy, whilst also fading to black. The passion between Reese and Cass is full-on and full of emotion. I was hoping for that ending, but I wasn't sure I would get it. R.S. McCoy managed to keep me on tenterhooks throughout.
This is an excellent story, being well written, and with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. The pacing is smooth, and the characters well rounded. I would love to know if this is part of a series, as I would love for Vin and Alexander to have their stories too!
If you like reading about hot and sexy angels or ripped musicians who know what they want, then I can definitely recommend this book.
* 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!
Jan 8, 2019
This book is a paradox - it is both steamy and sexy, whilst also fading to black. The passion between Reese and Cass is full-on and full of emotion. I was hoping for that ending, but I wasn't sure I would get it. R.S. McCoy managed to keep me on tenterhooks throughout.
This is an excellent story, being well written, and with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. The pacing is smooth, and the characters well rounded. I would love to know if this is part of a series, as I would love for Vin and Alexander to have their stories too!
If you like reading about hot and sexy angels or ripped musicians who know what they want, then I can definitely recommend this book.
* 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!
Jan 8, 2019
ClareR (6037 KP) rated Double Blind in Books
Jul 28, 2023
I really enjoyed Double Blind, not least because of Benedict Cumberbatch’s excellent narration on the audiobook!
There’s a lot packed in to this book: mental health, love, bravery, illness, fear, adoption, climate change, genetics, inheritance and technology (there might be more, but this is off the top of my head!). These are all pretty meaty themes, but I think they were all addressed with sensitivity, and nothing seemed contrived - even though one of the characters was ridiculously rich!
There’s a fair bit of internal dialogue going on, but it’s all relevant to the story itself, and I feel it was easier to listen to than it might have been to read. In fact, this book seemed to go by really quickly - I thoroughly enjoyed it, and listened to it whenever I could.
The characters were all very likeable: Lucy has a brain tumour, and after the initial shock she takes the news very well. She works for an American called Hunter Sterling, a tycoon and hedonist. He takes a lot of drugs.
Francis is a conservationist on an estate, and he meets Olivia, a biologist. Her father is a psychoanalyst who works with schizophrenics (amongst others), in particular a man called Sebastian. His deeper connections emerge in the story.
All of these people and themes are woven into a beautifully written book. I loved it, and it looks as though I have another authors backlist to investigate!
There’s a lot packed in to this book: mental health, love, bravery, illness, fear, adoption, climate change, genetics, inheritance and technology (there might be more, but this is off the top of my head!). These are all pretty meaty themes, but I think they were all addressed with sensitivity, and nothing seemed contrived - even though one of the characters was ridiculously rich!
There’s a fair bit of internal dialogue going on, but it’s all relevant to the story itself, and I feel it was easier to listen to than it might have been to read. In fact, this book seemed to go by really quickly - I thoroughly enjoyed it, and listened to it whenever I could.
The characters were all very likeable: Lucy has a brain tumour, and after the initial shock she takes the news very well. She works for an American called Hunter Sterling, a tycoon and hedonist. He takes a lot of drugs.
Francis is a conservationist on an estate, and he meets Olivia, a biologist. Her father is a psychoanalyst who works with schizophrenics (amongst others), in particular a man called Sebastian. His deeper connections emerge in the story.
All of these people and themes are woven into a beautifully written book. I loved it, and it looks as though I have another authors backlist to investigate!
Lindsay (1779 KP) rated A Christmas in the Alps in Books
Jan 2, 2022
A Christmas in the Alps is a lovely and enjoyable story set for Christmas. You will find yourself wanting to find out more about the two main characters exploring France. This book is set during and takes place mainly in France around Christmas.
We meet Simone while she is cleaning out her great grandma's house. Her friend found a letter and read it to Simone. The letter starts Simone on her journey to discover her great-grandma's treasure and heritage. Will she find more than that? Will she overcome her flying fear? She meets Kyle during her flight from Seattle to France.
This story is doing a bit of genealogy and a bit of romance. So far, it is excellent. It looks like Simone has made at least two friends. There seems to be a mystery going on as well at this point. Is Leon's Aunt related to Simone's Great-grandma, or does she know anything about her Great Grandpa rescued during WW2?
Will Kyle and Simone find love with each other? Will Simone find the true treasure and family? There seems to be a family feud or a rift in a relationship. Can Simone find a solution and fix the relationship with her great aunt? To this end, you will want to read more from this author. Melody Carlson will bring you in to enjoy the culture of her lovely books and Christmas books. This one is no different.
We meet Simone while she is cleaning out her great grandma's house. Her friend found a letter and read it to Simone. The letter starts Simone on her journey to discover her great-grandma's treasure and heritage. Will she find more than that? Will she overcome her flying fear? She meets Kyle during her flight from Seattle to France.
This story is doing a bit of genealogy and a bit of romance. So far, it is excellent. It looks like Simone has made at least two friends. There seems to be a mystery going on as well at this point. Is Leon's Aunt related to Simone's Great-grandma, or does she know anything about her Great Grandpa rescued during WW2?
Will Kyle and Simone find love with each other? Will Simone find the true treasure and family? There seems to be a family feud or a rift in a relationship. Can Simone find a solution and fix the relationship with her great aunt? To this end, you will want to read more from this author. Melody Carlson will bring you in to enjoy the culture of her lovely books and Christmas books. This one is no different.
ClareR (6037 KP) rated The Beautiful Ones: A Novel in Books
Jul 22, 2022
How could I not enjoy The Beautiful Ones? It’s basically Jane Austen with added magic!
Nina has been sent to Losail for her debut into fashionable society - and more importantly, to find a husband. But the chances of her becoming one of the Beautiful Ones is remote. She has the reputation of being the Witch of Oldhouse, and struggles to control her telekinesis. Beautiful ones do not show off any gifts they might have in public.
However when Nina meets the mysterious entertainer Hector Auvray, she falls for him: his life experience and his ability to control his telekinesis. What’s more, he starts to help Nina control her own talents.
Nina is sheltered and naive. Everything she has learnt about romance has come from the pages of a book, and life just isn’t like that, especially for socialites who must marry for advantage and connections.
I could feel Nina’s frustration at her limitations (and agreed with her), and wanted so much to warn her. SO MANY TIMES!
Nina’s cousins wife is awful. Shes a sad, vindictive woman that I loved to hate.
The descriptions of clothing and etiquette were both captivating and frankly, mind blowing. I would most certainly have been a peasant- there’s no way I could have lived like that! The attention to ‘historical’ detail made me believe this could have genuinely happened. Just excellent world building!
I loved this book ❤️
Nina has been sent to Losail for her debut into fashionable society - and more importantly, to find a husband. But the chances of her becoming one of the Beautiful Ones is remote. She has the reputation of being the Witch of Oldhouse, and struggles to control her telekinesis. Beautiful ones do not show off any gifts they might have in public.
However when Nina meets the mysterious entertainer Hector Auvray, she falls for him: his life experience and his ability to control his telekinesis. What’s more, he starts to help Nina control her own talents.
Nina is sheltered and naive. Everything she has learnt about romance has come from the pages of a book, and life just isn’t like that, especially for socialites who must marry for advantage and connections.
I could feel Nina’s frustration at her limitations (and agreed with her), and wanted so much to warn her. SO MANY TIMES!
Nina’s cousins wife is awful. Shes a sad, vindictive woman that I loved to hate.
The descriptions of clothing and etiquette were both captivating and frankly, mind blowing. I would most certainly have been a peasant- there’s no way I could have lived like that! The attention to ‘historical’ detail made me believe this could have genuinely happened. Just excellent world building!
I loved this book ❤️
Merissa (13481 KP) rated My Soul Immortal (Fated Eternals #1) in Books
May 17, 2023
Don't you just love it when you get a book that is completely different from anything you have read before? I know I do, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed this story by Jen Printy. She has set up a world completely different from anything I have read before, with not a vampire or werewolf in sight. Instead, it is a whole new world, most of which you learn from Jack's point of view. This, as well, makes a nice change, to read it mainly from the male's perspective.
The writing and editing were fantastic and I didn't spot any errors in here at all. There is a lot that goes on, from how we first meet Jack, to his moving to Portland, to meeting Leah and so on. That being said, I did feel that certain parts of the book could have done with being tightened up somehow. It just felt a bit 'slow' in places, which is not a bad thing!
For a fresh and new story with excellent world-building and characters, then I can definitely recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading more in this series, as I certainly want to know how the new trainee copes!!
* 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!
Jan 16, 2016
The writing and editing were fantastic and I didn't spot any errors in here at all. There is a lot that goes on, from how we first meet Jack, to his moving to Portland, to meeting Leah and so on. That being said, I did feel that certain parts of the book could have done with being tightened up somehow. It just felt a bit 'slow' in places, which is not a bad thing!
For a fresh and new story with excellent world-building and characters, then I can definitely recommend this book. I am looking forward to reading more in this series, as I certainly want to know how the new trainee copes!!
* 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!
Jan 16, 2016
Merissa (13481 KP) rated In a New York Minute in Books
May 22, 2023
IN A NEW YORK MINUTE is a standalone with a couple of cameos but nothing that would confuse you. It is a sweet and tender story of grown-up problems and mature responses. I simply adored this story from start to finish.
Both Garrett and Remi have their own baggage but they don't just jump off the deep end when something happens they didn't expect. They pass the time until they are able to speak privately and then work it out. I'm not saying it's all easy but communication does make things easier.
Bubbe and Grandpa Sol are both outstanding characters and I would love to see more of them. Pringle was an excellent example of prejudice that is still around today, even if the bloody Pringles catchphrase leapt into my head every time I saw his name. For him, it was certainly a case of "once you pop, you just can't stop." I really hope he got his comeuppance. Jeffrey stole my heart and I honestly NEED for them to get their story. All of the other characters are fantastic though, whether you like them or not.
A fantastic addition to Felice Steven's repertoire that I have no hesitation in recommending. Absolutely brilliant!
** 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!
May 22, 2023
Both Garrett and Remi have their own baggage but they don't just jump off the deep end when something happens they didn't expect. They pass the time until they are able to speak privately and then work it out. I'm not saying it's all easy but communication does make things easier.
Bubbe and Grandpa Sol are both outstanding characters and I would love to see more of them. Pringle was an excellent example of prejudice that is still around today, even if the bloody Pringles catchphrase leapt into my head every time I saw his name. For him, it was certainly a case of "once you pop, you just can't stop." I really hope he got his comeuppance. Jeffrey stole my heart and I honestly NEED for them to get their story. All of the other characters are fantastic though, whether you like them or not.
A fantastic addition to Felice Steven's repertoire that I have no hesitation in recommending. Absolutely brilliant!
** 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!
May 22, 2023
Merissa (13481 KP) rated Elemental Love (Warlocks #1) in Books
May 31, 2023
This book starts with the birth of Evrain, as Agatha and Gregory speak whilst they are waiting. Immediately you get a rough idea of what is going on, but as the story continues, the gaps are filled and a clear picture is given. As with everything and everyone, there is good and bad, and in this instance, Evrain is basically good, although the Wild Magic can still corrupt him. As a warlock, he needs to find his partner, the one that will steady his power and make him stronger. In Evrain's case, that turns out to be Dominic, the shy gardener that fascinates Evrain. Through circumstances beyond their control, they are forced together (although neither of them fights it much!) and a warlock makes him move against them.
In this book, you are given an excellent viewpoint of how the partnership can work, with loving and strong foundations, as with Gregory and Coryn, or you see how it can be abused, and used without love, as with Symeon and Damon. With plenty of action, romance, and humour, this is a fantastic start to the Warlocks series and one that I will be reading again. Highly recommended
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 29, 2016
In this book, you are given an excellent viewpoint of how the partnership can work, with loving and strong foundations, as with Gregory and Coryn, or you see how it can be abused, and used without love, as with Symeon and Damon. With plenty of action, romance, and humour, this is a fantastic start to the Warlocks series and one that I will be reading again. Highly recommended
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 29, 2016
ClareR (6037 KP) rated The Beholders in Books
Jan 19, 2024
This was such a good book. I felt thoroughly ill at ease throughout, and the excellent narration by Ashley Tucker, Harriet Carmichael and Elliot Fitzgerald added to that. Victorian society is always portrayed as being very primitive and proper and on the surface, the Gethins are. But dig a little deeper and there are a lot of frightening things going on in this house.
Ralph Gethin MP, owner of the house, isn’t at all what he seems, and there’s a simple explanation why all of the staff are so attractive.
Clara Gethin’s attitude towards her baby did puzzle me, though. It’s understandable that she doesn’t like her husband and what he and his friends get up to, but why she should distance herself from her baby seemed to be out of character. There would (to me) always be the hope that Clara could influence her sons attitudes towards the staff and those less fortunate and make him less swayed by his father.
Harriet’s diary entries are a really good way of showing just how claustrophobic life as a servant could be: in one house all day, every day, not even able to get fresh air in the grounds, not really able to form friendships. It sounds awful.
This was a gripping listen, made more impactful by the different narrators. I didn’t want to stop listening!
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Ralph Gethin MP, owner of the house, isn’t at all what he seems, and there’s a simple explanation why all of the staff are so attractive.
Clara Gethin’s attitude towards her baby did puzzle me, though. It’s understandable that she doesn’t like her husband and what he and his friends get up to, but why she should distance herself from her baby seemed to be out of character. There would (to me) always be the hope that Clara could influence her sons attitudes towards the staff and those less fortunate and make him less swayed by his father.
Harriet’s diary entries are a really good way of showing just how claustrophobic life as a servant could be: in one house all day, every day, not even able to get fresh air in the grounds, not really able to form friendships. It sounds awful.
This was a gripping listen, made more impactful by the different narrators. I didn’t want to stop listening!
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.