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The House on Crow Mountain
The House on Crow Mountain
Rebecca Lee Smith | 2021 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
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
  
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Merissa (12720 KP) rated The Ashes That Remain (Cimmerian Moon #2) in Books

Apr 7, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)  
The Ashes That Remain (Cimmerian Moon #2)
The Ashes That Remain (Cimmerian Moon #2)
A.M. Griffin | 2014 | Dystopia, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book continues with Sinta's tale - Jason is still in DC as far as she knows, Wade still wants to be with her, and she is still trying to leave Jason behind emotionally and find something more than brotherly love for Wade. Throw in the lizards, trying to find out information, surviving plus the general angst of living underground in conditions as best as can be made for weeks on end. Sinta's mum doesn't want her to become one of the 'hunters' but wants her to remain in the enclosure where she is safe. Sinta doesn't want that as she knows that she is good at what she can do.

Sinta has grown up a lot in the time gone by since the first book. She doesn't hesitate to put her hand up to go 'outside' to find other survivors although Wade has a few words to say about this. The action that continues in this book is gripping and full on - you never feel that anything isn't happening for a reason though which makes it wonderful to read.

I won't give any of the story away except to say that it had me holding my breath in places as I read as fast as I could to find out what the result was. An absolutely brilliant, breathtaking venture into Sinta's dystopian world. This is a five-star series and I can't wait for In Danger's Embrace, book 3, to be released hopefully in October.
 
* 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!
August 3, 2016
  
Redesigning Fate (The Revive Series, #1)
Redesigning Fate (The Revive Series, #1)
A.M. Wilson | 2015 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book will take you on a stellar journey, not all of it nice, but all of it completely gripping. Marlena left her boyfriend three months ago after things made a turn for the worse. She has made the decision to get her life back under her own control, no one else's. One of the ways in which she does this is to make a major move to a new home, new city, new job. She starts her new job and literally falls for Elias, after she has walked into him! Marlena has a journey of discovery to embark upon as she has to learn to trust herself, and others, which trying to avoid getting hurt, if at all possible.

I loved this book! You get it from the points of view of Marlena and Travis, who, I have to say, is an incredibly well-written villain. I don't like him, not one bit, but he is completely three-dimensional. He is a true brute and I can't abide him. Elias, Sin and Shelby are all intriguing characters and let me just say, I nearly threw my kindle at the wall!! To get so close to finding out their story and then for the book to finish... well, yes!

For those of you that like your stories with a darker edge (like abuse or stalking for example), then I can highly recommend this story. A.M. Wilson reminds me of Alex Grayson for some reason, although I don't know why. Perhaps it is because they've both written exceptional stories in a hard-hitting genre. Whatever the reason, this book rocks!

* 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!
Oct 8, 2015