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Dark (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #1)
Dark (Blood Moon, Texas Shifters #1)
Kat Kinney | 2019 | Paranormal, Romance
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
something not quite right, but not sure what!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I finished this book, so that's a good thing!

I can't say what didn't quite work for me, I hate that I can't, you all know it annoys me so!

The world building is good, with werewolves and vampires exposed to the world a short time ago, in a thoroughly modern way!

Hayden and Ethan have history, I was expecting that history to be a bit more than it appeared to be. Ethan's personal history is bad, as is Hayden's, both of them having difficult childhoods. There is much angst about their childhoods.

Or there SHOULD have been. While Ethan regularly comments on what his childhood did to him, how he closed off from everyone, Hayden does not. I wanted MORE from Hayden about her childhood!

Ethan brothers held more interest to me, than Etahn himself, I'm afraid and I would like to have had a bit more about them. I can see a pairing between one of his brothers and Hayden's sister, Ellie. Who, in my humble opinion, needed a slap a time or two!

There is a back story that kinda got lost on me, and I wasn't sure what the whole point of the kidnappings was, to be honest. It tells you, in the book, but the penny did not drop for me, I'm afraid.

Some sexy bits, although much of those are glanced over, off screen as it were. Some violent bits too.

Still, as the first by this author AND a first in series, not a bad read, just not one that really pushed any of my buttons, I'm sorry to say!

3 good stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
A River of Crows
A River of Crows
Shanessa Gluhm | 2023 | Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Being kept on my toes here was a very good thing!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Once in a rare while, I step out of my comfort zone and read something that isn't romance of any description. And once in an even rarer while, that step is a very good thing.

Because THIS surprised me, and I can't pinpoint why!

For a long time, I could not see where this was going, and the path it did take was very much how I did NOT see it going! Being kept on my toes here is a very VERY good thing!

What happened to Slaon's brother all those years ago is made perfectly clear, just not for a time, and something one of the minor characters said pinged my radar. Wrongly, as it turns out, but still.

I can't go into too much detail, because it would spoil this for you and I really don't want to do that!

I really enjoyed the way it all came together, both then and now. I liked hearing from all the important characters, even the bad guys, before, during and after.
I really enjoyed the way this was written, told in 1988 and 2008. Each time change is clearly headed, and titled with the person it is talking about.

This appears to be the author's second book. At some point I'd like to go back and read their first book. I shall certainly read MORE of this author in due course.

4 very VERY good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1)
Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse, #1)
Charlaine Harris | 2001 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.1 (36 Ratings)
Book Rating
I first read this in 2006 and never got to another Sookie book. Since I want to see <i>True Blood</i> whenever it comes out on DVD, and I don't quite remember too much of the book to get to the rest of the series, I decided to re-read it.

I really don't have anything additional to say to my first review, other than I'm not as picky about the romance this time around. So here's my original review from June 24, 2006:

I've been in a paranormal mood lately so figured I'd pick this one up and see what's different here. While there's nothing original in the vampire front, the story was nonetheless told in a new and fresh way. Although the start seemed slow, I quickly immersed myself into the pace of the book and thought it was quite fitting to it being a southern book. I enjoyed reading about the courtship between a vampire and human, although a slightly different human. It was kind of sweet and though I thought they professed their love to each other too soon, it was still quite lovely in a strange way. The mystery was nice in that I didn't necessarily know who the culprit was. I did have a niggling of who it was a few times but wasn't quite sure. The book also had some interesting characters and I am curious to what direction(s) the author decides to go next.
  
Best Lesbian Erotica: From Sweet to Spicy
Best Lesbian Erotica: From Sweet to Spicy
Janelle Reston | 2018 | Erotica, LGBTQ+
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
great box set!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

These stories are only short, 9 stories across 164 pages, but they are so delicious!

I can't say there was a stand out MOST favourite, because they are all really good. Very well written, in a variety of tenses, in the first and third, from lots of different characters. There is no connection between the stories, save the same author and they are lesbian erotica.

Some are really sweet, some more hard core. Some are just about the sex, and some have a more romantic feel to them.

I read them all, which for a box set, is unusual for me!

But there was one that stood out as my LEAST favourite. It's written from the main character's point of view in the first person. But when she talks about her partner, she uses YOU. So it's written using the second person. I find it a really difficult way to read a book, sorry! It doesn't affect my rating, but I felt the need to mention it, and you know I'm all about the feelings!

Apart from that one, they are all really good. I find myself wanting to read more by Ms Reston, something longer, with more pages to lose myself into!

Having had a run of male/male romances, this landed right in the queue at just the right time!

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**