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Shelle Perry (66 KP) rated The House on Crow Mountain in Books
Sep 1, 2021
Mystery Thriller, Cozy Rules
The House on Crow Mountain is probably the most uncozy-like cozy I have ever read. Don’t get me wrong it totally adheres to all the cozy rules; no graphic language, sex, or violence. It also follows the popular cozy tropes; a small town, a broken-hearted woman who returns home to make a new start, clever pets, etc. It is just I consider cozy to be a light afternoon read. More fluff than serious. I mean no disrespect to the books and authors I have read to date, some are among my all-time favorites.
This book from the first sentence to the last pulled me into a hard mystery thriller that just happened to follow cozy rules. It has everything; gripping suspense, a leading lady wracked with grief and guilt, and a possible love interest trying to redeem himself from a tragic mistake, or was it? There are far-reaching family secrets, menacing red herrings, and a sinister plot. There was no guessing whodunnit before the reveal. I really (I mean really) did not like the person, but there were so many other people to not like, to suspect, to think about that it barely registered. I could not put this book down as the story unfolded and the floating, maybe relevant plotlines merged bringing the story to its climax.
I seriously hope for this to be a series as there are characters that I would love to learn more about, but I tell you, I would be okay with this being a one-off. The story as it stands has mostly been told and it is that good.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
This book from the first sentence to the last pulled me into a hard mystery thriller that just happened to follow cozy rules. It has everything; gripping suspense, a leading lady wracked with grief and guilt, and a possible love interest trying to redeem himself from a tragic mistake, or was it? There are far-reaching family secrets, menacing red herrings, and a sinister plot. There was no guessing whodunnit before the reveal. I really (I mean really) did not like the person, but there were so many other people to not like, to suspect, to think about that it barely registered. I could not put this book down as the story unfolded and the floating, maybe relevant plotlines merged bringing the story to its climax.
I seriously hope for this to be a series as there are characters that I would love to learn more about, but I tell you, I would be okay with this being a one-off. The story as it stands has mostly been told and it is that good.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I received an advance review copy for free through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
The Woman Outside the Walls
7.0
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Book
I always knew it would come out one day. They are finding everyone who has stayed hidden. They would...
Merissa (13792 KP) rated Dead Set (Aspen Falls #2) in Books
Nov 20, 2023
Dead Set is the second book in the Aspen Falls series, and we reunite with Lucas, Blaine's friend who is no longer on the Police Force that we met in book one. I like Lucas, but he is a slob where paperwork is concerned. His office makes me cringe, so I was thankful when Alaina got stuck in. They come to an agreement that she will help Lucas if he helps her. Her brother has died, and it has been ruled a suicide. Alaina can't accept that, although that may be her guilt speaking. It seems straightforward to begin with, but it does become apparent that not all is as it seems. And I really did feel for Noah!
It was nice to see the connection between Lucas and Alaina grow as they worked together to find out the mystery behind Noah's death. It is a slow-burn romance, rather than insta-lust, but I think it works here. After all, if someone is working through the grief of a deceased family member, it would be rather strange to fall straight into bed with the P.I. involved.
This book had no editing or grammatical errors that spoilt my reading, and the storyline was easy to follow, even with all the mystery. We have Blaine and Rosie having small cameos in here, so it was nice to see that things are still going well for them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I hope we will see them in future books so we know how they get along. I would recommend this book.
* 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!
Apr 20, 2018
It was nice to see the connection between Lucas and Alaina grow as they worked together to find out the mystery behind Noah's death. It is a slow-burn romance, rather than insta-lust, but I think it works here. After all, if someone is working through the grief of a deceased family member, it would be rather strange to fall straight into bed with the P.I. involved.
This book had no editing or grammatical errors that spoilt my reading, and the storyline was easy to follow, even with all the mystery. We have Blaine and Rosie having small cameos in here, so it was nice to see that things are still going well for them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I hope we will see them in future books so we know how they get along. I would recommend this book.
* 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!
Apr 20, 2018
Lindsay (1796 KP) rated Saving Mrs. Roosevelt in Books
Sep 10, 2022
Saving Mrs. Roosevelt is a good book about some actual historical events. It deals with someone that needs to be a spy to help keep the first lady safe. But this also has some fiction in it as it is historical fiction. Some actual historical events do take place. This book is about Shirley Davenport and a few SPARS that help on the home front.
The author does a beautiful job of telling the story and adventures that Shirley Davenport goes through. She goes through some training and trials as she is on a mission but can not tell her family. The way she comes home and has to deal with losing her brother on the same day she comes home from training.
You will be surprised as to who it is in the end. Shirley and her friend Joan sign up to be SPARS. Will Joan be loyal to her country, or will she not be? Things do not all seem as they are when Shirley gets home. She must lie to protect herself and her family. Will she be found out?
She seems to be charming a young man who is a Captain. Will the Captain fall for Miss Davenport, or will he wall in his grief for his two young brothers? They have stood paired up to capture the person trying to kill the Roosevelts. Will Shirley be successful in finding out about the conspiracy against the first lady?
Suppose you are looking for an excellent book to read about history and the woman that help during world war two on the homefront. This book does tell a story about a few heroes of ww2. With a little bit of romance as well.
The author does a beautiful job of telling the story and adventures that Shirley Davenport goes through. She goes through some training and trials as she is on a mission but can not tell her family. The way she comes home and has to deal with losing her brother on the same day she comes home from training.
You will be surprised as to who it is in the end. Shirley and her friend Joan sign up to be SPARS. Will Joan be loyal to her country, or will she not be? Things do not all seem as they are when Shirley gets home. She must lie to protect herself and her family. Will she be found out?
She seems to be charming a young man who is a Captain. Will the Captain fall for Miss Davenport, or will he wall in his grief for his two young brothers? They have stood paired up to capture the person trying to kill the Roosevelts. Will Shirley be successful in finding out about the conspiracy against the first lady?
Suppose you are looking for an excellent book to read about history and the woman that help during world war two on the homefront. This book does tell a story about a few heroes of ww2. With a little bit of romance as well.
Downriver (Poison River #1)
Book
A sulfur sky poisoned her family and her heart. Now revenge tastes sweeter than justice. It’s...
Revenge Historical Fiction
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated So Close ( Blacklist 1) in Books
Apr 26, 2024
77 of 220
Book
So close ( Blacklist 1)
By Sylvia Day
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The one you believe isn't always the one you can trust...
Widower Kane Black is still ruinously married to his late wife, Lily. Grief has hollowed him… until he sees a woman with his wife’s inimitable beauty on the streets of Manhattan. He whisks her up to his towering penthouse, protectively under guard, nestling her in dark opulence where Lily’s memory is a possessive beguiling force.
Aliyah, Kane’s mother, deals in science. There are too many questions, too few answers, and too much at stake. “Lily” has dangerous control over Kane and there can be only one queen on the throne.
Amy, Kane’s sister-in-law, has been bloodied by deceit and betrayal, and she’s devolving into murderous rage. She’s paid too high a price and now intends to claim what she’s owed.
Three women, linked by buried secrets, circle the man who unquestioningly accepts the return of his beloved long-dead wife. Kane is happier than he’s ever been, and he’ll do anything to stay that way.
This was different to what I expected. First of all I think I’ve been starved of news from the Crosses and it was nice to catch up on them a little. This is was messed up family all being played by a devious mother trying to control her sons. Amy is completely vindictive and horrid but is it a product of what these men and the mother in law from hell have done or is she naturally that way? When you read this and learn about Lily I wasn’t expecting the answer and yes I had a WTF moment! The book was good and I did enjoy it but I think the last 10 chapters are what made me give it 4⭐️ instead of 3.
Book
So close ( Blacklist 1)
By Sylvia Day
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The one you believe isn't always the one you can trust...
Widower Kane Black is still ruinously married to his late wife, Lily. Grief has hollowed him… until he sees a woman with his wife’s inimitable beauty on the streets of Manhattan. He whisks her up to his towering penthouse, protectively under guard, nestling her in dark opulence where Lily’s memory is a possessive beguiling force.
Aliyah, Kane’s mother, deals in science. There are too many questions, too few answers, and too much at stake. “Lily” has dangerous control over Kane and there can be only one queen on the throne.
Amy, Kane’s sister-in-law, has been bloodied by deceit and betrayal, and she’s devolving into murderous rage. She’s paid too high a price and now intends to claim what she’s owed.
Three women, linked by buried secrets, circle the man who unquestioningly accepts the return of his beloved long-dead wife. Kane is happier than he’s ever been, and he’ll do anything to stay that way.
This was different to what I expected. First of all I think I’ve been starved of news from the Crosses and it was nice to catch up on them a little. This is was messed up family all being played by a devious mother trying to control her sons. Amy is completely vindictive and horrid but is it a product of what these men and the mother in law from hell have done or is she naturally that way? When you read this and learn about Lily I wasn’t expecting the answer and yes I had a WTF moment! The book was good and I did enjoy it but I think the last 10 chapters are what made me give it 4⭐️ instead of 3.
The Enemy to the Living (The Wild Hunt #2)
8.0
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Book
I serve the Wild Hunt. I cannot disobey. I fear the consequences if I do. Joining the Wild Hunt...
MM Urban Fantasy Romance
Broken Silence (Rock Bottom #1)
8.0
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Book
Justin Molina has secrets. He’s served his time but remains a prisoner of his past, unable to...
Contemporary MM Romance
The Traitor's Son
Book
Caught between a king and a kingmaker, young Richard Plantagenet knows he’ll have to choose... ...
Medieval Historical Fiction Richard III Wars of the Roses House of York
Hazel (1853 KP) rated The Inexplicable Logic of My Life in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
Over the past couple of years, social media, particularly Tumblr, has been raving over Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s multi-award winning novel, <i>Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe</i>. As a result, I have wanted to read this book to see what the fuss is about. Unfortunately, libraries and bookstores in the UK do not appear to stock any of Sáenz’s novels.
When I saw an ARC of <i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> was available for request on NetGalley, I took the risk, having not read any of Sáenz’s work, and requested a copy. And I am truly glad I did. What, from the blurb and book cover, could result in a mundane Young Adult novel, turned out to be a thing of true beauty. The prose is almost poetic and full of emotion; it not only tells the story, it makes you feel it too.
The narrator, Salvador “Sal”, is beginning his final year at El Paso High School with his best friend Sam. Normally, the first day of school is something he looks forward to, however he feels differently this year. Something within Sal has changed, something indescribable but there all the same. Something that makes punching someone in the face an automatic reaction.
Sal’s dad is gay. Although not his real dad, Vicente adopted Sal into his extended Mexican American family after the death of his mother when he was three years old. He could not have asked for a better parent, but something is niggling in the back of his mind: who is his birth father?
Whilst Sal soliloquizes about his feelings, the reader is introduced to best friend Sam – a girl who, despite an erudite vocabulary, is not afraid to cuss and swear. Sam also understands what it is like to not truly know who you are, as does Fito, another friend, with terrible relations. Tragic events pull the three together, giving them a new chance at being part of a family despite not being blood related.
Sal, Sam and Fito try to help each other through their problems, ruminating together over their pasts and contemplating the unpredictable future. Despite each character suffering from grief, their friendship gives them a purpose and the encouragement to carry on.
<i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> covers so many themes it is impossible to categorize. Sam, Fito and Vicente are all encumbered with something that could ostracize them from society – their sexuality, race, drug addict parents – but they never let this get in their way. Sal, on the other hand, struggles somewhat, believing he no longer knows who he really is. He questions everything: how does he fit into the world around him? What right does he have to graduate and go to college?
With great efficacy, Sáenz explains through Sal’s voice, the importance of believing in yourself, letting yourself be loved, and accepting things for what they really are. All the main characters are trying so hard to belong; they do not realize that they always have belonged.
<i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> is a story of grief, death, family, friendship, fathers and words; a graceful, almost lyrical, narrative that gets to the heart of human existence and uplifts the spirit. The expressive language has a great emotional impact on the reader – have your tissues at the ready – and resonates within the soul. With quotable lines that you will wish you had written yourself, I guarantee you will love this book.
Over the past couple of years, social media, particularly Tumblr, has been raving over Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s multi-award winning novel, <i>Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe</i>. As a result, I have wanted to read this book to see what the fuss is about. Unfortunately, libraries and bookstores in the UK do not appear to stock any of Sáenz’s novels.
When I saw an ARC of <i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> was available for request on NetGalley, I took the risk, having not read any of Sáenz’s work, and requested a copy. And I am truly glad I did. What, from the blurb and book cover, could result in a mundane Young Adult novel, turned out to be a thing of true beauty. The prose is almost poetic and full of emotion; it not only tells the story, it makes you feel it too.
The narrator, Salvador “Sal”, is beginning his final year at El Paso High School with his best friend Sam. Normally, the first day of school is something he looks forward to, however he feels differently this year. Something within Sal has changed, something indescribable but there all the same. Something that makes punching someone in the face an automatic reaction.
Sal’s dad is gay. Although not his real dad, Vicente adopted Sal into his extended Mexican American family after the death of his mother when he was three years old. He could not have asked for a better parent, but something is niggling in the back of his mind: who is his birth father?
Whilst Sal soliloquizes about his feelings, the reader is introduced to best friend Sam – a girl who, despite an erudite vocabulary, is not afraid to cuss and swear. Sam also understands what it is like to not truly know who you are, as does Fito, another friend, with terrible relations. Tragic events pull the three together, giving them a new chance at being part of a family despite not being blood related.
Sal, Sam and Fito try to help each other through their problems, ruminating together over their pasts and contemplating the unpredictable future. Despite each character suffering from grief, their friendship gives them a purpose and the encouragement to carry on.
<i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> covers so many themes it is impossible to categorize. Sam, Fito and Vicente are all encumbered with something that could ostracize them from society – their sexuality, race, drug addict parents – but they never let this get in their way. Sal, on the other hand, struggles somewhat, believing he no longer knows who he really is. He questions everything: how does he fit into the world around him? What right does he have to graduate and go to college?
With great efficacy, Sáenz explains through Sal’s voice, the importance of believing in yourself, letting yourself be loved, and accepting things for what they really are. All the main characters are trying so hard to belong; they do not realize that they always have belonged.
<i>The Inexplicable Logic of My Life</i> is a story of grief, death, family, friendship, fathers and words; a graceful, almost lyrical, narrative that gets to the heart of human existence and uplifts the spirit. The expressive language has a great emotional impact on the reader – have your tissues at the ready – and resonates within the soul. With quotable lines that you will wish you had written yourself, I guarantee you will love this book.