Search
Search results
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2103 KP) rated The Twelve Jays of Christmas in Books
Jan 2, 2022 (Updated Jan 2, 2022)
Demanding Artist Underfoot at Christmas
It’s a few days before Christmas, and Meg Langslow is ready for the holiday and the invasion of family that it brings. What she isn’t dealing with well is Roderick Castlemayne. Roderick is a wildlife artist in town to paint birds for Meg’s grandfather’s newest book. Roderick has taken over the library in Meg’s house and is acting like a jerk in every way imaginable. Meg has finally had enough and is ready to kick him out, but someone takes care of the problem for her when they kill him. Once again, Meg finds herself involved in the investigation. Will she find the killer before Christmas?
It’s almost become tradition to drop in on Meg and company during Christmas, and I always enjoy these seasonal visits. The Christmas spirit is strong in this entry, although we did miss a few of the regular traditions around town. The plot had several fun complications, but I did figure out what was going on a little early. A few of my favorite supporting characters weren’t in town when most of the action took place (although I think they got the same amount of page time as they normally would), but the rest of the cast more than made up for it. Between these characters and the animal antics, I was smiling if not laughing as I read. Fans of the series will delight in this newest Christmas visit with old friends.
It’s almost become tradition to drop in on Meg and company during Christmas, and I always enjoy these seasonal visits. The Christmas spirit is strong in this entry, although we did miss a few of the regular traditions around town. The plot had several fun complications, but I did figure out what was going on a little early. A few of my favorite supporting characters weren’t in town when most of the action took place (although I think they got the same amount of page time as they normally would), but the rest of the cast more than made up for it. Between these characters and the animal antics, I was smiling if not laughing as I read. Fans of the series will delight in this newest Christmas visit with old friends.
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Infiltrated (Daywalker Academy #2) in Books
Jan 6, 2020
Aaaand, she's done it again. Ms. Daniels has provided me with an exceptional follow up to book one, and leaves me wanting book three, erm, like NOW!!!
Infiltrated in the second book in the Daywalker Academy series, and it does continue on from book one, so you should really read them in order. Besides, if you don't, you miss out on a whole book of Zoltan, and no one wants that, trust me!
Franky starts off by trying to get to grips with what has happened and by pushing everyone away. Astara refuses to let her, and sneaks under Franky's guard when she's not looking. Fenrir still makes me smile whenever he's on the page, although Leo is sneaking up there too. As for Zoltan, yep, I'm a goner. I adore him "even" when he's being a jerk to Franky (which is most of the time!)
I won't say any more about the story as I really don't want to ruin it for anyone. What I will say is Franky's sass is still there for all to see, even considering what she's been/going through. The plot thickens and deepens, and you will find yourself rooting for our crew as they battle only knows what!
A fantastic second book that I definitely, highly recommend. Just, no Zoltan, okay? He's mine!
* 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!
Infiltrated in the second book in the Daywalker Academy series, and it does continue on from book one, so you should really read them in order. Besides, if you don't, you miss out on a whole book of Zoltan, and no one wants that, trust me!
Franky starts off by trying to get to grips with what has happened and by pushing everyone away. Astara refuses to let her, and sneaks under Franky's guard when she's not looking. Fenrir still makes me smile whenever he's on the page, although Leo is sneaking up there too. As for Zoltan, yep, I'm a goner. I adore him "even" when he's being a jerk to Franky (which is most of the time!)
I won't say any more about the story as I really don't want to ruin it for anyone. What I will say is Franky's sass is still there for all to see, even considering what she's been/going through. The plot thickens and deepens, and you will find yourself rooting for our crew as they battle only knows what!
A fantastic second book that I definitely, highly recommend. Just, no Zoltan, okay? He's mine!
* 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!
Betwixt (Betwixt and Between #1)
7.0
Rate It
Book
A Paranormal Women's Fiction with a bit of class, and a lot of sass, for anyone who feels like age...
Cayman Visitor
Travel and Navigation
App
Cayman Visitor is the Official App of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA). All of the best...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Soulmate Equation in Books
May 27, 2021
A witty & wonderful romance!!
Jess Davis is a single mom who loves crunching numbers almost as much as she loves her daughter Juno and her grandparents. They are her entire world and honestly, she doesn't have a lot of desire to step back into the dating world. It's just so much work. Then Jess and her best friend, Fizzy, hear about GenticAlly, a new dating site that predicts love through your DNA. Matchmaking through genetics and numbers? Jess could get behind that. But it's not until she's had a particularly bad, lonely day that she agrees to send in a sample. Suddenly she finds out she's matched with GeneticAlly's founder, Dr. River Pena at an unheard sky-high percentage of 98% compatibility. However, Jess is immediately skeptical because she knows River. And he's a pompous jerk. But River and GeneticAlly have a proposition for Jess. Go out with River, get to know him, and they'll pay her for her time. For struggling Jess, this is something she has to consider. As the two go to dinner and do press for GeneticAlly, Jess starts to see a different side of River--one that makes her wonder if there's something to this DNA matching idea after all.
"Her life, which essentially existed in a four-block radius, was exceedingly manageable as it was."
Oh this book was so good!! I love Christina Lauren's books, and I was already intrigued by the idea of a DNA matchmaking book. Well, THE SOULMATE EQUATION did not disappoint! It's sweet and funny and interesting--I loved it!
SOULMATE has wonderful banter--that patented CLo banter--between River and Jess, but also Jess and Fizzy. Jess is a statistician and Fizzy a romance writer and they spend many of their days in a coffee shop, "working." Their friendship is next level good and freaking hilarious. Honestly, it's one of the best parts of the book. So is Jess' relationship with her grandparents, who basically raised her after her mom, who struggled with addiction, left. And then there's Juno, the cute precocious kid, who shows up asking funny questions and making you chuckle. The cast of characters is top notch, for sure. I loved how well Jess' family was woven into the story.
As for River and Jess, their chemistry is superb. They start off on the wrong foot, with River coming across as a jerk, but it's not anything too terrible, which is good, because I can't handle the "hate to love" scenarios when the "hate" seems impossible for anyone to actually overcome. Instead, River is a nuanced character with his own backstory and personality. He's consumed by the science of relationships but too busy being a genius doctor workaholic to have one. And sweet Jess, you can't help but root for her: the tired mom who lacks the energy to even try to date anymore. There's lots of science and numbers, but nothing crazy for us non-mathematicians, and honestly, the genetics aspect is pretty fascinating. (Is this really possible, world?) I saw a bit of the big twist plot point coming, but it in no way diminished my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, this was a great read. Funny, witty, and heartfelt. Great couple with awesome chemistry. Wonderful cast of characters (Fizzy needs her own book!). The entire book made me smile--definitely recommend! 4.5 stars.
"Her life, which essentially existed in a four-block radius, was exceedingly manageable as it was."
Oh this book was so good!! I love Christina Lauren's books, and I was already intrigued by the idea of a DNA matchmaking book. Well, THE SOULMATE EQUATION did not disappoint! It's sweet and funny and interesting--I loved it!
SOULMATE has wonderful banter--that patented CLo banter--between River and Jess, but also Jess and Fizzy. Jess is a statistician and Fizzy a romance writer and they spend many of their days in a coffee shop, "working." Their friendship is next level good and freaking hilarious. Honestly, it's one of the best parts of the book. So is Jess' relationship with her grandparents, who basically raised her after her mom, who struggled with addiction, left. And then there's Juno, the cute precocious kid, who shows up asking funny questions and making you chuckle. The cast of characters is top notch, for sure. I loved how well Jess' family was woven into the story.
As for River and Jess, their chemistry is superb. They start off on the wrong foot, with River coming across as a jerk, but it's not anything too terrible, which is good, because I can't handle the "hate to love" scenarios when the "hate" seems impossible for anyone to actually overcome. Instead, River is a nuanced character with his own backstory and personality. He's consumed by the science of relationships but too busy being a genius doctor workaholic to have one. And sweet Jess, you can't help but root for her: the tired mom who lacks the energy to even try to date anymore. There's lots of science and numbers, but nothing crazy for us non-mathematicians, and honestly, the genetics aspect is pretty fascinating. (Is this really possible, world?) I saw a bit of the big twist plot point coming, but it in no way diminished my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, this was a great read. Funny, witty, and heartfelt. Great couple with awesome chemistry. Wonderful cast of characters (Fizzy needs her own book!). The entire book made me smile--definitely recommend! 4.5 stars.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Hello, Sunshine in Books
Apr 9, 2019
Sunshine McKenzie is a the top of her game. Her YouTube show, "A Little Sunshine" has milions of subscribers, The Food Network wants her to host a new show, and she's about to put out a series of cookbooks. But when her Twitter account is hacked an her entire world comes crashing down, she must evaluate what is truly important in her personal and professional life.
I read Eight Hundred Grapes a couple of years ago and I really enjoyed Laura Dave's writing. I've heard mixed reviews on this book, for me it was alright.
Sunshine Stephens grew up in Montauk, NY Even though the town was full of people with wealthy backgrounds, Sunshine was not a part of those people. She didn't come from a wealthy family, but she escaped the first chance she got. When she met Ryan, he promised her fame and fortune. All she had to do was tell a little lie about who she was and her abilities as a chef. But after a few years like this it's hard to separate fact from fiction. So some jerk has decided to knock Sunshine off of her pedestal and bring her back to reality. All of this was to remind her who she was and where she came from and the life she was currently living was not hers at all.
Overall, this book was pretty good. I liked Sunshine as a character. It sucks that her life had to come down to this life and career destroying conclusion. Will she be able to bounce back and continue to live her life?
I read Eight Hundred Grapes a couple of years ago and I really enjoyed Laura Dave's writing. I've heard mixed reviews on this book, for me it was alright.
Sunshine Stephens grew up in Montauk, NY Even though the town was full of people with wealthy backgrounds, Sunshine was not a part of those people. She didn't come from a wealthy family, but she escaped the first chance she got. When she met Ryan, he promised her fame and fortune. All she had to do was tell a little lie about who she was and her abilities as a chef. But after a few years like this it's hard to separate fact from fiction. So some jerk has decided to knock Sunshine off of her pedestal and bring her back to reality. All of this was to remind her who she was and where she came from and the life she was currently living was not hers at all.
Overall, this book was pretty good. I liked Sunshine as a character. It sucks that her life had to come down to this life and career destroying conclusion. Will she be able to bounce back and continue to live her life?
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Marabel and the Book of Fate in Books
Jul 12, 2018
This was the first Tracy Barrett novel that I have read and I have to say I'm really impressed. This book has all of the elements I love mashed into one story. On this middle grade adventure book you get to explore the kingdom of Magikos. Magikos is a magic free kingdom. The only magic that is allowed are the "Evils" (AKA magical creatures) that are kept in Zoos, and stables. If you want to experience magic you have to go to the Barrens. The Barrens are where you'll find all sorts of fantastical creatures including but not limited to faeries, ogres, dragons, and giants.
The plot was well thought out and developed and it was fun to join Marabel on her journey through the Barrens. I could go into more depth but I fear that it might contain spoilers so I will just say, that I enjoyed the girl power nature of this book.
Something else that I liked were the characters. Many times an author will make the rightful heir hated and a jerk, what I liked is that Marco was lovable. He seemed to truly care about Marabel and was a good brother. I loved it. Marabel was lovable as well and though there were times where she could have been self pitting she never once stopped with her adventure. My only issue was that the characters didn't have much depth to them. I would have loved to see more growth in all of the characters.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'm giving it 4 stars because I loved the fast paced nature of the book but I also wanted a little more depth.
The plot was well thought out and developed and it was fun to join Marabel on her journey through the Barrens. I could go into more depth but I fear that it might contain spoilers so I will just say, that I enjoyed the girl power nature of this book.
Something else that I liked were the characters. Many times an author will make the rightful heir hated and a jerk, what I liked is that Marco was lovable. He seemed to truly care about Marabel and was a good brother. I loved it. Marabel was lovable as well and though there were times where she could have been self pitting she never once stopped with her adventure. My only issue was that the characters didn't have much depth to them. I would have loved to see more growth in all of the characters.
All in all, I enjoyed this book. I'm giving it 4 stars because I loved the fast paced nature of the book but I also wanted a little more depth.
Merissa (11805 KP) rated Bite of Darkness (Shadow Creek #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
Bite of Darkness is the second book in the Shadow Creek series. This time we focus on Vuk, who helped Devon out with a few choice words in book one. In his own story though, it's Vuk who is on the receiving end of advice as he turns into a bit of a jerk when he meets his mate. Now, to be fair, I couldn't exactly blame him. His alpha is ill, receiving a mystery transfusion, vampires are involved, the fae are involve, and no one (including Vuk) just exactly who to trust. Now, as it turns out, the vampires have their own reasons for helping out, which Vuk and Ashly get dragged into the middle of.
There is more mystery in this book, in my opinion. You know in book one that the fae wards are failing, but you're not 100% sure why. In this book, you find out more about that, and the politics of the paranormal world, but you are still left with questions unanswered. Apart from Vuk and Ashly, there is something going down with another wolf/vampire pair, but I'm hoping that will be a different story all of their own, and not just snippets given as the overall story arc progresses.
This is part of a series so I would recommend you read it in order for full enjoyment. With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I have no hesitation in recommending 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!
There is more mystery in this book, in my opinion. You know in book one that the fae wards are failing, but you're not 100% sure why. In this book, you find out more about that, and the politics of the paranormal world, but you are still left with questions unanswered. Apart from Vuk and Ashly, there is something going down with another wolf/vampire pair, but I'm hoping that will be a different story all of their own, and not just snippets given as the overall story arc progresses.
This is part of a series so I would recommend you read it in order for full enjoyment. With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I have no hesitation in recommending 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!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2103 KP) rated Framed and Frosted in Books
Jun 29, 2021
Murder Causes Fireworks
Emory Martinez is helping her sister cater an elaborate Fourth of July dinner. But the event is proving to be anything but pleasant thanks to the host, who is being obnoxious when he is not being a total jerk – and worse. The evening is supposed to end with the guests enjoying some of Emory’s cupcakes as the fireworks go off, but instead it ends when the host dies. The guests are happy to point suspicion at Sal, the other waiter working the event, but Emory is sure that Sal is innocent. Can she prove it?
I was happy to be able to catch up with Emory. For those reading the series, you’ll be glad to find out that the threads introduced in the early books are expanded on here. If you are new to the series, know that some events from earlier books are spoiled by necessity if you jump in here. We get to see some interesting developments in Emory’s life, and I enjoyed the growth that brought about for her and some other regulars. The mystery itself was strong and kept me engaged the entire time, although I did feel the climax was a bit abrupt. I love the Orange County, California, setting since it is different from so many of the cozies I read. We get ten new recipes at the end of the book, most of them inspired by the dinner that starts the book, although we do get three cupcake recipes. If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery, you’ll be glad you picked up this series.
I was happy to be able to catch up with Emory. For those reading the series, you’ll be glad to find out that the threads introduced in the early books are expanded on here. If you are new to the series, know that some events from earlier books are spoiled by necessity if you jump in here. We get to see some interesting developments in Emory’s life, and I enjoyed the growth that brought about for her and some other regulars. The mystery itself was strong and kept me engaged the entire time, although I did feel the climax was a bit abrupt. I love the Orange County, California, setting since it is different from so many of the cozies I read. We get ten new recipes at the end of the book, most of them inspired by the dinner that starts the book, although we do get three cupcake recipes. If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery, you’ll be glad you picked up this series.