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BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated A Noble Masquerade (Hawthorne House, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Living the life of nobility can be oppressive and demanding. There are restrictions for every aspect of life. Lady Miranda longs to be free of the expectations placed on her, but will she have the courage to stand up to her mother and her "lady lessons"?
"A lady never posted letters to an unrelated male. But the very writing of his name made her feel dangerous."
Lady Miranda Hawthorne has been raised to be the epitome of poise and grace, but everything inside of her screams to rebel. She pours her heart out on paper, in letters she never sends, to her brother's childhood friend, the Duke of Marshington. She is approaching her fourth London season when Marlow, the handsome new valet to Lady Miranda's brother, accidentally mails one of these letters. She is mortified, until she receives a reply. Conflicted with her growing attraction for two men, her life is quickly changing in ways she never thought possible. She soon realises however, that there is more at stake than her heart. Miranda has had to hide behind the mask she have been expected to wear for so long. Hiding her true personality and identity. But the time has come for her to become the person she was created to be.
"'A Lady never sits on the floor.' A lady probably wasn't supposed to crawl on her belly through the dirt either."
A Noble Masquerade is a fabulous story from beginning to end! Kristi Ann Hunter has done a marvelous job with her debut novel! I was completely captivated by the intrigue and espionage. I was surprised more than once when the story line went in a different direction than I anticipated. The faith was natural and the romance genuine and clean. Kidnappings, traitors, witty humour and masquerades will keep you turning the pages of this remarkable story. This is a book that I will enjoy reading over and over again. I can not wait for Mrs. Hunter's next book!
I received a free advanced reading copy of A Noble Masquerade from Bethany House Publishers through Library Thing in exchange for my honest review.
"A lady never posted letters to an unrelated male. But the very writing of his name made her feel dangerous."
Lady Miranda Hawthorne has been raised to be the epitome of poise and grace, but everything inside of her screams to rebel. She pours her heart out on paper, in letters she never sends, to her brother's childhood friend, the Duke of Marshington. She is approaching her fourth London season when Marlow, the handsome new valet to Lady Miranda's brother, accidentally mails one of these letters. She is mortified, until she receives a reply. Conflicted with her growing attraction for two men, her life is quickly changing in ways she never thought possible. She soon realises however, that there is more at stake than her heart. Miranda has had to hide behind the mask she have been expected to wear for so long. Hiding her true personality and identity. But the time has come for her to become the person she was created to be.
"'A Lady never sits on the floor.' A lady probably wasn't supposed to crawl on her belly through the dirt either."
A Noble Masquerade is a fabulous story from beginning to end! Kristi Ann Hunter has done a marvelous job with her debut novel! I was completely captivated by the intrigue and espionage. I was surprised more than once when the story line went in a different direction than I anticipated. The faith was natural and the romance genuine and clean. Kidnappings, traitors, witty humour and masquerades will keep you turning the pages of this remarkable story. This is a book that I will enjoy reading over and over again. I can not wait for Mrs. Hunter's next book!
I received a free advanced reading copy of A Noble Masquerade from Bethany House Publishers through Library Thing in exchange for my honest review.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Stranger Things - Season 2 in TV
Jul 6, 2019 (Updated Jul 7, 2019)
Back into the Upside Down
The second season of Stranger Things wisely doesn't steer too far away from what made the first season so great.
We're swiftly re-introduced to all the engaging characters from before, all living a pretty normal life since the events of season one, but of course it doesn't take too long for weird shit to start kicking off.
From the moment poor Will (again) starts having visions in episode 2 - its business as usual, and I was caught up once again in the mystery and intrigue of what was plaguing Hawkins.
We are introduced to several new characters - Max fits in naturally alongside the other younger actors, and her older brother Billy - what a jackass. But one that you love to hate, and on the rare occasion, even feel sympathy towards.
And of course, Sean Astin is a welcome face as Bob (Super Bob to you and me).
The plot itself takes a little while to get going, but once it does, it's a whirlwind. At the end of episode 6, I found myself physically exhaling in exhaustion once the credits started rolling - which brings me to the one big faceplant of season 2.
After the crazy cliffhanger of episode 6, episode 7 takes a real left turn.
A whole episode takes place outside of Hawkins, with a completely different cast (to the point that if you skipped this episode entirely, it wouldn't matter to the rest of the plot)
It's easy to see what the writers we're trying to do here - introducing us to others who have powers not to dissimilar to Eleven, she's not alone in the world.
But the characters are hugely unlikable, and so so cringey, it took a lot of effort to get through the whole episode.
It's plain to see that the writers we're almost testing the waters for a potential spin off, buts it's an idea that I really hope doesn't happen, and I really really hope we don't get more of these characters in future seasons.
The last two episodes are back in Hawkins and are pretty solid!
Overall, another fantastic series, worth your time and attention (just skip episode 7!)
We're swiftly re-introduced to all the engaging characters from before, all living a pretty normal life since the events of season one, but of course it doesn't take too long for weird shit to start kicking off.
From the moment poor Will (again) starts having visions in episode 2 - its business as usual, and I was caught up once again in the mystery and intrigue of what was plaguing Hawkins.
We are introduced to several new characters - Max fits in naturally alongside the other younger actors, and her older brother Billy - what a jackass. But one that you love to hate, and on the rare occasion, even feel sympathy towards.
And of course, Sean Astin is a welcome face as Bob (Super Bob to you and me).
The plot itself takes a little while to get going, but once it does, it's a whirlwind. At the end of episode 6, I found myself physically exhaling in exhaustion once the credits started rolling - which brings me to the one big faceplant of season 2.
After the crazy cliffhanger of episode 6, episode 7 takes a real left turn.
A whole episode takes place outside of Hawkins, with a completely different cast (to the point that if you skipped this episode entirely, it wouldn't matter to the rest of the plot)
It's easy to see what the writers we're trying to do here - introducing us to others who have powers not to dissimilar to Eleven, she's not alone in the world.
But the characters are hugely unlikable, and so so cringey, it took a lot of effort to get through the whole episode.
It's plain to see that the writers we're almost testing the waters for a potential spin off, buts it's an idea that I really hope doesn't happen, and I really really hope we don't get more of these characters in future seasons.
The last two episodes are back in Hawkins and are pretty solid!
Overall, another fantastic series, worth your time and attention (just skip episode 7!)
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Midnight on the River Grey in Books
Nov 4, 2019
Abigail Wilson returns to Regency England with another tale of murder, mystery, and romance.
After her elder brothers mysterious death, Rebecca Hunter vows to expose the man she believes responsible-Mr. Lewis Browning-known by the locals as the Midnight Devil and by Rebecca as her new guardian. He alone was on the bridge that fateful night and openly admits striking her brother with his horse, but he claims he remembers little else. Summoned to his reclusive country estate to await her London season, Rebecca plans her own secret investigation. Yet, Lewis Browning is not as she once imagined, and his motivation is horribly unclear. Recurrent nightmares and Rebeccas restless feelings are further complicated by the shadow of her mothers prior descent into madness and whether she too will follow the same heartbreaking path. Even as midnight rides, strange injuries, and further murders lead back to Lewis, Rebecca cant ignore the subtle turn of her heart. Has she developed feelings for the man she swore to see hanged? And moreover, can she trust him with her uncertain future?
My Thoughts: This was an amazing read; full of plot twists, murder and even a little love involved. Abigail Wilson has spun a tale of intrigue that keeps the readers on the edge of their seat. In this book, you never know who to really trust and just when you think you have it all figured out, the plot twists again!
The characters in this story are intriguing, some are very lovable and some are just mysterious. There is a warm feeling with the Aunt/niece relationship with Rebecca and her aunt. The readers get a true feel for the loving relationship that Rebecca has with her aunt. Since Rebecca has not had a stable family relationship, she is a free-spirited young woman who has a very independent nature for this time period. This is a helpful trait for her, to help her search for her bother's killer. Even though it's a second in a series, this is a stand-alone book. I certainly look forward to reading more from this author.
After her elder brothers mysterious death, Rebecca Hunter vows to expose the man she believes responsible-Mr. Lewis Browning-known by the locals as the Midnight Devil and by Rebecca as her new guardian. He alone was on the bridge that fateful night and openly admits striking her brother with his horse, but he claims he remembers little else. Summoned to his reclusive country estate to await her London season, Rebecca plans her own secret investigation. Yet, Lewis Browning is not as she once imagined, and his motivation is horribly unclear. Recurrent nightmares and Rebeccas restless feelings are further complicated by the shadow of her mothers prior descent into madness and whether she too will follow the same heartbreaking path. Even as midnight rides, strange injuries, and further murders lead back to Lewis, Rebecca cant ignore the subtle turn of her heart. Has she developed feelings for the man she swore to see hanged? And moreover, can she trust him with her uncertain future?
My Thoughts: This was an amazing read; full of plot twists, murder and even a little love involved. Abigail Wilson has spun a tale of intrigue that keeps the readers on the edge of their seat. In this book, you never know who to really trust and just when you think you have it all figured out, the plot twists again!
The characters in this story are intriguing, some are very lovable and some are just mysterious. There is a warm feeling with the Aunt/niece relationship with Rebecca and her aunt. The readers get a true feel for the loving relationship that Rebecca has with her aunt. Since Rebecca has not had a stable family relationship, she is a free-spirited young woman who has a very independent nature for this time period. This is a helpful trait for her, to help her search for her bother's killer. Even though it's a second in a series, this is a stand-alone book. I certainly look forward to reading more from this author.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Havana Storm in Books
Nov 14, 2019
I've been reading some pretty demanding books recently and needed something a bit more lightweight and the Cussler template usually fits the bill. You always know what you are going to get and sometimes that's just what you need. I didn't expect this book to blow me away and it didn't - but it was better than my expectations.
This is another collaboration with Dirk Cussler and as usual it's hard to know how much of the book is down to Clive and how much to Dirk. But that's not the point. In this book you get lots of underwater action, 'bad guys' intent on making money and creating environmental disaster in the process and Cuban political intrigue.
In previous installments the children of Dirk Pitt (called Dirk and Summer) have sometimes appeared to have written in just to make sure they appear in the series leaving the actual meat of the story progression to the familiar team of Pitt and Giordino. But this is quite notable for the ensemble cast that get their hands dirty in the course of the story, especially when the usual pairings are split up and Pitt works with his daughter and Dirk is with Giordino.
There are the usual scrapes and death-defying escapes but again the reader is kept guessing as sometime the escapes leave the heroes free to continue their task of thwarting the bad guys but other times ingenious and risky plans work but end up with their almost immediate recapture.
Overall the book is indeed a little more realistic that previous ones (although still pretty far fetched). The threat is localised rather than global and the motivation of political power and greed seems plausible, as does the way the NUMA team pull the threads together to work out what is going on.
This is never going to be a must read book or on any kind of literary shortlist for me but for pure escapist adventure, it's really hard to beat.
Possibly one for Dirk Pitt fans only as the first few books are far superior, but a lot better than some installments in the series.
Rating: Some violence but not excessive
This is another collaboration with Dirk Cussler and as usual it's hard to know how much of the book is down to Clive and how much to Dirk. But that's not the point. In this book you get lots of underwater action, 'bad guys' intent on making money and creating environmental disaster in the process and Cuban political intrigue.
In previous installments the children of Dirk Pitt (called Dirk and Summer) have sometimes appeared to have written in just to make sure they appear in the series leaving the actual meat of the story progression to the familiar team of Pitt and Giordino. But this is quite notable for the ensemble cast that get their hands dirty in the course of the story, especially when the usual pairings are split up and Pitt works with his daughter and Dirk is with Giordino.
There are the usual scrapes and death-defying escapes but again the reader is kept guessing as sometime the escapes leave the heroes free to continue their task of thwarting the bad guys but other times ingenious and risky plans work but end up with their almost immediate recapture.
Overall the book is indeed a little more realistic that previous ones (although still pretty far fetched). The threat is localised rather than global and the motivation of political power and greed seems plausible, as does the way the NUMA team pull the threads together to work out what is going on.
This is never going to be a must read book or on any kind of literary shortlist for me but for pure escapist adventure, it's really hard to beat.
Possibly one for Dirk Pitt fans only as the first few books are far superior, but a lot better than some installments in the series.
Rating: Some violence but not excessive
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Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Mine to Keep (Mine, #2) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This follows the events of the last one with Skye and Trace on an island as Trace tries to help Skye get over the terrible ordeal she suffered at the hands of her ex. Soon after they arrive back in Chicago, they are met by an old colleague of Trace’s who warns them that someone is coming after them. Then the intrigue begins…
This one focuses more on Trace and things that happened in his past that he wishes he could forget. I was intrigued to find out what he’d done that was so bad that someone was trying to get to him and Skye. To get to him through Skye. And I’ll tell you now I wasn’t quite expecting it to be that.
We see bits from the POV of the person after Trace and it’s slightly creepy how cold the person is at the thought of killing anyone who stood in his way.
Once again the books feature some really intense sex scenes between the two main characters and shows how they struggle to keep their relationship afloat as lies come out of the woodwork that have been buried for years.
I’m lucky that the author goes over a lot of the things that happened in the previous book because I will admit I read a lot of books and it’s sometimes hard to remember what happened in certain ones.
It all came back to me within the first 15% or so and then I could get on with my detective work of trying to figure out who was behind it all. It kept me guessing throughout, just like in the first one and I found myself going “Ooooooh!” as new information was uncovered. I was most definitely intrigued by this. Well done to the author for such brilliant writing!
I really enjoyed this, believe it or not it got better the more I read. That last 15% or so made it 5 star worthy for me!
If you plan on reading this, then read Mine to Take first as this is a continuation. If you enjoyed the first then you should definitely read this one too.
This follows the events of the last one with Skye and Trace on an island as Trace tries to help Skye get over the terrible ordeal she suffered at the hands of her ex. Soon after they arrive back in Chicago, they are met by an old colleague of Trace’s who warns them that someone is coming after them. Then the intrigue begins…
This one focuses more on Trace and things that happened in his past that he wishes he could forget. I was intrigued to find out what he’d done that was so bad that someone was trying to get to him and Skye. To get to him through Skye. And I’ll tell you now I wasn’t quite expecting it to be that.
We see bits from the POV of the person after Trace and it’s slightly creepy how cold the person is at the thought of killing anyone who stood in his way.
Once again the books feature some really intense sex scenes between the two main characters and shows how they struggle to keep their relationship afloat as lies come out of the woodwork that have been buried for years.
I’m lucky that the author goes over a lot of the things that happened in the previous book because I will admit I read a lot of books and it’s sometimes hard to remember what happened in certain ones.
It all came back to me within the first 15% or so and then I could get on with my detective work of trying to figure out who was behind it all. It kept me guessing throughout, just like in the first one and I found myself going “Ooooooh!” as new information was uncovered. I was most definitely intrigued by this. Well done to the author for such brilliant writing!
I really enjoyed this, believe it or not it got better the more I read. That last 15% or so made it 5 star worthy for me!
If you plan on reading this, then read Mine to Take first as this is a continuation. If you enjoyed the first then you should definitely read this one too.
Amy Norman (1042 KP) rated Cursed in TV
Sep 25, 2020
I so wanted to like this! It has exactly all the elements I would look for in a fantasy programme.
Unfortunately, it just felt obscenely average. It was like a low budget Game of Thrones, but without half the intrigue, or interesting characters.
I enjoyed that the majority of the cast were actors I wasn't really familiar with, as it meant I wasn't lead with thinking things like "oh they will be important", or struggled to separate them from a previous role.
However, overall it just didn't work on this occasion. Most of them are forgettable, and no one in particular stood out to me as someone I either liked or hated (apart from one character but I think the audience is suppose to like them, or find them cheeky🤦🏼♀️).
The main antagonist was not imposing, or threatening, in any way. There is a lot of awful stuff that happens but I didn't feel that bothered by it, there was no tension, fear, or worry.
The magical and diverse creatures, looked like humans had covered themselves in glue, and rolled around in whatever environment was relevant to their clan.
The character development was flat, and almost childish for every single character. I'm not sure any of them were any different at the end, but they are supposed to have been on this 'journey'.
There were some gorgeous stylised transitions between scenes but again these feel wasted, as they were occasionally laughable to what they transitioned in to.
A great deal of the story felt very choppy, although oddly the story does flow but scene on scene felt like there was occasionally something missing in between.
The soundtrack was like some angsty young adult was selecting a soundtrack for their current break up, or favourite teen drama.
It is obviously an easy enough watch, and I think some young adults would really enjoy it, as it is uncomplicated, and some of it does look good.
As someone that loves all things fantasy, I just couldn't get on with it myself, which is a shame!
I will however be reading the book, so fingers crossed that is better.
Unfortunately, it just felt obscenely average. It was like a low budget Game of Thrones, but without half the intrigue, or interesting characters.
I enjoyed that the majority of the cast were actors I wasn't really familiar with, as it meant I wasn't lead with thinking things like "oh they will be important", or struggled to separate them from a previous role.
However, overall it just didn't work on this occasion. Most of them are forgettable, and no one in particular stood out to me as someone I either liked or hated (apart from one character but I think the audience is suppose to like them, or find them cheeky🤦🏼♀️).
The main antagonist was not imposing, or threatening, in any way. There is a lot of awful stuff that happens but I didn't feel that bothered by it, there was no tension, fear, or worry.
The magical and diverse creatures, looked like humans had covered themselves in glue, and rolled around in whatever environment was relevant to their clan.
The character development was flat, and almost childish for every single character. I'm not sure any of them were any different at the end, but they are supposed to have been on this 'journey'.
There were some gorgeous stylised transitions between scenes but again these feel wasted, as they were occasionally laughable to what they transitioned in to.
A great deal of the story felt very choppy, although oddly the story does flow but scene on scene felt like there was occasionally something missing in between.
The soundtrack was like some angsty young adult was selecting a soundtrack for their current break up, or favourite teen drama.
It is obviously an easy enough watch, and I think some young adults would really enjoy it, as it is uncomplicated, and some of it does look good.
As someone that loves all things fantasy, I just couldn't get on with it myself, which is a shame!
I will however be reading the book, so fingers crossed that is better.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Legacy of Ash in Books
Dec 21, 2020
Epic but too lengthy
A very ambitious debut novel, epic in scope, cast of characters and plot. However, I found myself struggling to pick it up too often.
The book takes place in an empire with far-from-happy constituent parts and angry neighbours. The heirs of the traitorous Southweald "phoenix" are held captive as figureheads warning off any thoughts of rebellion. Meanwhile, a cliched corrupt council tries to keep the empire safe from impending invasion.
The book is filled with interesting magical creatures and abilities, with a demon, witches, crow-themed goth assassins and ancient spirits. These were at the fore nowhere near often enough, treated as curses and cast aside in favour of political plotting and old fashioned battle.
The first third of the book was awesome: learning about the richness of the world, its history, politics and magic. It really was set up to be an epic story of political intrigue, deception, plotting and underhand nastiness.
Sadly, this all lead to a battle sequence that lasted far too long. It was really like Joe Abercrombie had taken one of the First Law books and shoved The Heroes into the middle of it. I really struggled to get past this long, fairly boring conflict.
The second half of the book then calms down and focuses once again before taking a massive left-turn and changing to something very different.
As with many books of this size, the cast was massive and a number of characters not distinct enough to remember by name. And so many had such promising abilities to offer but were largely absent when they would have been so useful. It was like having a superstar in an amateur dramatic society and leaving them out of most of the script. Having said that, I once saw a pantomime with David Van Day in the cast and it was in everyone's best interests that he was largely absent.
The book finished well, but it was an 800-page book that read like a 1200-page one, taking me 5 weeks to read.
The book takes place in an empire with far-from-happy constituent parts and angry neighbours. The heirs of the traitorous Southweald "phoenix" are held captive as figureheads warning off any thoughts of rebellion. Meanwhile, a cliched corrupt council tries to keep the empire safe from impending invasion.
The book is filled with interesting magical creatures and abilities, with a demon, witches, crow-themed goth assassins and ancient spirits. These were at the fore nowhere near often enough, treated as curses and cast aside in favour of political plotting and old fashioned battle.
The first third of the book was awesome: learning about the richness of the world, its history, politics and magic. It really was set up to be an epic story of political intrigue, deception, plotting and underhand nastiness.
Sadly, this all lead to a battle sequence that lasted far too long. It was really like Joe Abercrombie had taken one of the First Law books and shoved The Heroes into the middle of it. I really struggled to get past this long, fairly boring conflict.
The second half of the book then calms down and focuses once again before taking a massive left-turn and changing to something very different.
As with many books of this size, the cast was massive and a number of characters not distinct enough to remember by name. And so many had such promising abilities to offer but were largely absent when they would have been so useful. It was like having a superstar in an amateur dramatic society and leaving them out of most of the script. Having said that, I once saw a pantomime with David Van Day in the cast and it was in everyone's best interests that he was largely absent.
The book finished well, but it was an 800-page book that read like a 1200-page one, taking me 5 weeks to read.