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Unbirthday: A Twisted Tale
Unbirthday: A Twisted Tale
Liz Braswell | 2020 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I absolutely adore Alice in Wonderland and this Twisted Tale just made me want more!
This is the second of the Twisted Tale series that I have read and I have not been disappointed so far. I love the retelling of the Disney stories that I grew up watching and adored so much, and these tales take me right back to the excitement I had as a child when first watching these films.
We revisit Alice eleven years after her original adventure in Wonderland just as she is coming to the realisation that maybe Wonderland was a dream that her younger self made up. Just as she comes to this realisation and has started to take photographs of the inhabitants of her town as a hobby, the inhabitants of Wonderland start appearing in her photographs, but not happily… Alice then has to find her way back to Wonderland and a way to save all of the characters that she loved so dearly the first time around.
I enjoyed revisiting the characters and trying to solve the new riddles that were presented through this book, both the actual riddles and trying to decide who was which character in both worlds. This book only strengthened my love for Alice and her Wonderland!
I look forward to reading more of the Twisted Tale series soon!
  
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Merissa (12911 KP) rated Her Druid Desire (The Amber Druid Series #1) in Books

Mar 31, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
Her Druid Desire (The Amber Druid Series #1)
Her Druid Desire (The Amber Druid Series #1)
Trish F. Leger | 2012 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Love it!!! This is the first full-length novel in the Amber Druid series and is a perfect follow-on from the first Novella (Her Druid Temptation). The storyline is very well written, the plot is consistent throughout, and the characters are well-rounded and continue to develop throughout the book.

There is tension and attraction between the two main characters which also develops as the male lead tries to combine the young woman he sees in front of him with his memory of the young girl and daughter of his employee that he remembers. Nadia is a strong female lead who refuses to kowtow to Drake and has no problem with pushing his boundaries and telling him when he's wrong!

This book had me in tears (in a good way), laughing out loud and completely egging on our main two to get it together. I'm hoping that they will continue to make cameo appearances throughout the series as I would love to know how Nadia continues to develop.

Absolutely brilliant and recommended for anyone who likes Paranormal Romance.
 
* 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!
July 30, 2016
  
#TagMe for Murder
#TagMe for Murder
Sarah E. Burr | 2023 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Who Tagged Coco’s Neighbor for Murder?
Coco Cline has a new neighbor, unfortunately. Larry Dunmer is in town to conduct an audit, and he has his wife has proved to be horrible neighbors, complaining about anything and everything. Still, Coco knows he will only be in town a few months. So she is surprised when he is killed on the beach one morning. Worse yet, her friend is accused of the crime. Can Coco wade through the suspects to figure out what is really going on?

This book does include some minor spoilers for the first book (nothing like who the killer is), so keep that in mind. However, I love how part of the character development in this book is watching Coco deal with the aftermath of that first case. The set up for this mystery was familiar, but the book didn’t spend a lot of time dwelling on that, instead moving into a strong mystery that kept me guessing until the end. This was helped by strong suspects. I also love how Coco uses in person interactions and the internet to solve the case. A sub-plot with Coco’s boyfriend also kept me turning pages. If you are looking for a great mystery, you’ll want this book to trend to the top of your to be read pile.
  
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With Dagger and Song (Curse of the Cyren Queen 2)
By Helen Scheuerer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Against all odds, Roh survived the harrowing Queen’s Tournament, but now something far deadlier awaits her: a formidable quest for the three magic birthstones of Saddoriel.

The gems have been scattered across the realms – and only when Roh retrieves them can she take her place as queen. But surrounded by hostile companions and tormented by the dangerous secret she carries, Roh begins to realise that the pursuit of power may prove more destructive than she ever imagined.

Nothing can prepare her for the nightmares that fester in the shadows of Akoris, a fanatical cyren territory, or the twisted games of its cunning leader...

Can Roh win the first birthstone without sacrificing everything she holds dear – and without losing herself?

I honestly love this woman’s work!! This is a dark world and I love it. We continue with Roh and her quest with companions that seem to hate her as she’s going to claim the first gem. The characters are just so well written and so in depth you get involved in each one. There are few reveals and an enemy you don’t really see coming at the end. It’s so hard to hold back as I don’t want to spoil anything but also want to rave about it 😆
  
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Merissa (12911 KP) rated Spanish Siesta (Flying into Love #2) in Books

Aug 2, 2022 (Updated Aug 2, 2023)  
Spanish Siesta (Flying into Love #2)
Spanish Siesta (Flying into Love #2)
C.F. White | 2022 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When rugby players fall, they fall hard!
SPANISH SIESTA is the second book in the Flying Into Love series and, just as with the first book, there was a character I instantly connected with and one I didn't.

Kieran has had a long-term crush on his best mate, Matt, since forever. Matt, on the other hand, is a first-class alpha man-ho, never sticking around and sleeping his way through the female population of London. Although from the outside looking in, you might think Kieran had it tough; compared to Matt's dysfunctional family, Kieran had it incredibly easy as he at least had his mother's love.

You don't actually go too deep with any of the supporting characters, or indeed, with the main ones. Matt's sudden epiphany didn't seem that realistic, although his reaction to people finding out was the opposite.

The pacing was smooth and the writing style was easy. The story flowed, leading you to the conclusion. It was an enjoyable book with no surprises. If you like the friends-to-lovers/bi-awakening tropes, then this is one for you.

** 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!
Aug 1, 2022
  
The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2)
The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2)
Julia Quinn | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Humor & Comedy, Romance
8
7.9 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
I enjoyed this book so much more than the first one but I did find that I could guess what was going to happen from the first few chapters, although I did sometimes second guess myself!
Although it was easy to guess what was going to happen, it did not stop me from frantically reading on and wanting to know what was going to happen next between Anthony and Miss Sheffield. And when things finally slotted into place as much as it was expected it did still make me smile.
This book touches on some slightly more serious issues - the death of a parent and the fears that come with that. But it does deal with them in such a good way, that although it is a focus on a lot of the book, it doesn’t impose on the love story and only adds to your love and admiration of the characters.
I have found Julia Quinn’s writing so easy to read and I can’t help but want more once I have finished a book, and I am glad that there are more to this series. Although the ending wasn’t a surprise, at some points I definitely didn’t see it coming and thought that I must be wrong. Beautifully written, and I’m still guessing at the identity of Lady Whistledown two books in!
  
Deadpool (2016)
Deadpool (2016)
2016 | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
This film broke history with being one of the first superhero movies marketed to adults only. The marketing campaign was one of the best I had ever seen for a movie, it truly made me want to go to the theaters. I was not disappointed once I did! (0 more)
The merc with a mouth!
Deadpool AKA Wade Wilson is one of the best-written antiheroes there is. He is not only comedic, harsh, crude, and suffers from a case of should I do the right thing, but he is also one of those characters you cannot help to love in a dysfunctional manner. The storyline follows pretty close with his original story from the comics. There are plenty of fight scenes, love scenes, and plenty of scenes of Deadpool being his crass, foul mouth self.

Overall the film is great for anyone looking to find a superhero film that is not like any other out there.
  
Wonder Woman (2017)
Wonder Woman (2017)
2017 | Action, Fantasy, War
Formulaic and predictable
Maybe it's just me but every superhero film seems to follow a very similar plot - the discovery of the power, the learning how to use it, the token love interest, the token bad guy, the token big fight scene and the predictable ending.

This film did not disappoint in the predictability sense. It was a bit overblown and looked as though it wanted to yell 'girls can fight too you know'.


Unless I missed it, the was no explanation about how the love interest came into the picture in the first place but from there on in, it stuck to the rigid predictability well! Fight scenes were as you'd expect given the budget but nothing to really write home about and I was left feeling like I hadn't seen anything new.


It's a a bit of fun and it'll please those into the DC and Marvel universes but not really for me thanks.