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Ginger Snapping All The Way (Love In Mission City #1)
Ginger Snapping All The Way (Love In Mission City #1)
Gabbi Grey | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
the connection between Maddox and Ravi is instant and powerful.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarain, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 1 in the Love In Mission City series, but I am reading it AFTER book 3. SO I have spoilers for this book in that book. It did not detract from my enjoyment of this book, though. I will get to read book 2 asap.

Maddox doesn't like Christmas, but a friend asks a favour and he's left with the most gorgeous man he ever saw. Ravi just needs a place to stay til tomorrow to get the plane home to see his god daughter. But Mother Nature has other ideas and the few days they have snowed in make the world of difference to both man. But they live a continent apart, this was only supposed to be fleeting.

I really enjoyed this. Maddox is grumpy and Ravi is a match for that but not as a grump. Ravi is fighting a good deal with himself and his past, and his pain is not immediately clear. I liked that, as I did in book 3, one character's pain is front and centre, but it takes time for the other's to become clear.

The whole book takes place over a couple of days, and the connection between Maddox and Ravi is instant and powerful.

Now I need to read book 2, Stanley's Christmas Redemption. Stanley is Maddox' ex, and he gets a bum wrap here. I have a feeling that there is more to his story than Maddox says.

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Broken Silence (Rock Bottom #1)
Broken Silence (Rock Bottom #1)
Felice Stevens | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
BROKEN SILENCE is the first book in the Rock Bottom series, and features Foster Harding as the forty-two-year-old poetry Professor, and Justin Molina as the 25-year-old prison convict trying to turn his life around. Told from both their perspectives, this is a slow-burn, forbidden (due to the timing) romance between two opposite people.

I enjoyed this story and finding out about Justin's past, what he had done, and why. I also enjoyed learning about Foster. As a couple, though, these two confused me. Yes, they work together, the attraction was instantaneous, as was them both fighting it, BUT I didn't get the constantly changing attitude from Justin about people finding out. He is terrified of Carolyn finding out that he and Foster are together, but when she sees his coat and backpack on the floor, just after she's had a conversation with Foster finally finding someone and moving on with his life, Justin gets all blasé about it, saying there's nothing to be worried about. THEN he gets all nervous again when he sees her in the library. This just didn't work for me, and I hated the back and forth that came about because of it.

With a great cast of supporting characters, I did enjoy this story and look forward to reading more in this series. If you don't mind the changing attitude, then I definitely RECOMMEND this book.

** 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 23, 2025
  
Fighting Fate (Monsters of London #3.5)
Fighting Fate (Monsters of London #3.5)
Alexandra Keillor | 2025 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
FIGHTING FATE is part of the Monsters of London series and I highly recommend you read those first as most of this one takes place after those events.

We have two very different MCs - Vince, who has declared love off limits, and Dax, who is the cutest cinnamon roll who ever rolled! And when I say Vince has declared love off limits, I mean it. This dude has his heart locked away and only allows himself one-and-done's. That is until Dax! Even then, they have time apart.

This was a great read. Not only did I have the chance to see all of my other pairings and how things are for them after the climax of the other three books, but I also got to spend time with Dax and Vince. There are other characters here that I'm hoping will have their story told at some point too.

Told from both Dax and Vince's perspective, you get a nicely rounded story that was perfectly paced. I don't fully understand why Dax's old pack treated him the way they did and I really wanted an explanation for that. However, I did love how protective of him Vince was.

A great addition to the series that still gave me much-wanted time with Kieran's pack while following the MCs too. My rating is 4.5 out of 5 and 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!
Mar 14, 2025
  
Make Them Beg (Pretty Deadly Things #3)
Make Them Beg (Pretty Deadly Things #3)
Logan Chance | 2025 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
keep em coming!
Independent reviewer for BookSirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 3 in the series, but you don't need to have read the other two books. Helpful, to see how this group work as a unit but not necessary, I don't think. I enjoyed those two books.

And I enjoyed this one too, but for a very different reason.

Lark and Knight have been doing the denial tango (stolen straight out the book!) for a long time. Thrown together in close proximity after a job goes wrong and they get a target on their backs, they finally admit to themselves and each other, just what they really think about the other.

And this, is whay I enjoyed it so much. Both have feelings for the other, but they've been fighting it for so long. And ending up in the murder cabin (again, out the book!) with a possibility this could end very badly, gives them the shove to admit those feelings. But not just about the attraction, about what it might mean for them to be together and how they are both scared and worried and ALL IN! Because these two are all in from the start, and I loved that.

Dean Maddox pops up, as Does Ranger Cole (from Maddox Security) but you don't need to read their books before this. Arrow, Gage, Knight and Ozzy have been recruited by Maddox is all.

The book leads nicely into Ozzy's story and I hope I get to read it!

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
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Merissa (14009 KP) rated Against the Darkness (Cimmerian Moon #1) in Books

Apr 7, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
Against the Darkness (Cimmerian Moon #1)
Against the Darkness (Cimmerian Moon #1)
A.M. Griffin | 2014 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This story starts with a grumpy 17-year-old as she is packed off to Band Camp and refuses to kiss her mom goodbye. Fast forward 20 odd days and the world as she knew it has completely changed. You find out what happened from her perspective and how they are trying to make it back 'home,' if the home still even exists.

This story is gripping and fulfilling. They have a hard time as they are trying to survive and you feel the pain and loss that they go through. This is not a smooth journey with a handful of hardships thrown in for good measure. No, this is serious work where they are fighting for survival every day.

Yes, there's a love triangle but thankfully no insta-love. Wade is the once overweight Band member who suddenly, possibly for a long time but we don't know for sure, wants to be with Sinta. Jason is the boy/man who helps to rescue them from a horrifying situation. I felt that this part was exceedingly well written as Sinta is really troubled about what is going on, Wade tries his best and Jason keeps his distance.

This is definitely a page-turner and you will be wanting to start The Ashes That Remain which is book 2 in this series as soon as you finish this one.
 
* 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!
April 8, 2017
  
Fall to Pieces
Fall to Pieces
Becky Flade | 2021 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
loved the back seat the romance takes!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I liked this book, I liked it a lot!

Xavier is sent to assess Alexandra's mental capacity to do her job, following the suicide of her detective husband. But things are not as they seem and Xavier and Alex are soon fighting her department as well as a child killer hellbent on driving Alex mad.

This is a dark book. Suicide, child murder and abuse. How cops deal with stress. And I liked that. I liked that it made me think about those things. I have no triggers though, and some readers might not like it.

Both Alex and Xavier have a say, and they have a lot to say about a lot of things! Both of them are suffering from things that happened but while Alex' is (mostly) clear from the start, it takes time to get the whole picture. Xavier's pain is far deeper and we don't get the whole picture there til much later. I like being made to wait.

The romance between Alex and Xavier takes a back seat to the crime aspect of the book and I loved the twist that took. I did think Alex would push Xavier away more than once and, Lord she tries! But Xavier is strong and even though the reasons he comes into Alex' life are beyond his control, keeping her safe is within his control and he will do that.

I liked this, a lot. It's the first I've read of this author, I would like to read more.

4 stars

*same worded review ill appear elsewhere