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Kiss and ’Telle?
Kiss and ’Telle?
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book has so many uplifting and funny moments!

I enjoyed this short story about Chantelle and Dennis, the characters were described quickly but enough that you felt engaged with the characters. I enjoyed their banter back and forth with each other, and I liked what Chantelle said:

 “I figure, if folks could spend less time just waiting for love and more time finding ways to give love, it would help”- Chapter 3.

That is one of the underlying themes in this book that I think needs to be broadcasted far and wide. Others include the younger generation needing to step up and show the world what they do and leaning on God for our ups, and downs in life. Chantelle and Dennis have so much laughter together and they learn about each other over time the way good friends and life-long partners do.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the creativity in creating a great story in a short story, for the inspirational quotes throughout this book (I had a hard time choosing just one to include!), and for the message of speaking up and not being afraid.

*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
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Merissa (13162 KP) rated Enchanted Ink in Books

May 24, 2023  
Enchanted Ink
Enchanted Ink
Robin Lynn | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I would love more from this world!
ENCHANTED INK is the first book by this author I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The idea of charmed tattoos is amazing and I loved the originality of them.

Told in the present tense, I found it a little hard to get into but, once I did, I was lost in the story. Ash and Link are both carrying baggage, although Ash's is more obvious at the beginning. Considering the lives these two have lived, I found them both naive in places, which made the story even sweeter. I thought the slow build of their relationship was perfect. And Ash's time to shine was absolutely perfect and Sam called it brilliantly. *Chef's kiss* Although, Whittaker's cheek made my jaw drop!

I would love more from this world! Sam definitely needs a story. Plus, I need to know how Link and Ash are getting on. And I will definitely be reading more by this author. Definitely recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* 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!
May 23, 2023
  
Death Wish (Ceruleans #1)
Death Wish (Ceruleans #1)
Megan Tayte | 2015 | Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is the first book of the Cerulean series, and as such, it pulls you in gently, giving lots of information and a back story without just being an info dump.

Scarlett's character was immediately likeable, as were Cara and Luke. Jude, you are left questioning - which is the whole purpose of his character! Scarlett is dealing with a personal tragedy, leaving her with unanswered questions that she needs answers to. She decides to spend the summer in her grandparents' old home, trying to give herself both some space and also the answers she wants.

This is a book that definitely builds up, and there is no insta-love or love triangles, which I will be forever grateful for! The story is intriguing and smoothly paced, and the contemporary world setting is both complex and carefree.

Fair warning - this story comes to a close with one major cliffhanger!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading more about the Ceruleans. Definitely recommended.

* 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!
Mar 5, 2016
  
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Gail (4 KP) rated Seventeen Days in Books

Jun 4, 2018  
SD
Seventeen Days
D.B. James | 2016
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Seventeen days to fall in love. To give your everything to one person and hope for forever. Morgan is spoiled but not in the traditional way. Her mother wants nothing to do with her. She just wants her to stay out the light and press. She has no father either. So after a trip to Paris where she ends up in jail. She has been sent to live with her aunt.
Harrison is pretty awesome. Morgan has been through so much and yet she keeps moving. Nothing prepared her for Harrison and definitely wasn’t ready for his love or the consequences of that love. Harrison has overcome hardships and is a great catch for any girl. The love is instant and some what believable but I enjoyed it anyway.
This is a great book for an debut. I was amazed at home put together it was. No grammatical errors that I noticed. The plot and character growth were great. I can’t wait to see what she has in story for us next.
  
TT
Threads That Bind
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Title: Threads That Bind
Author: Kika Hatzopoulou

Io Ora is a decendant of the Greek Fates and she is able to cut apart the threads that tie/bind people to things they love and the thread that binds their life too. In the book a women who has had her life thread severed but is still living commits murder and Io sees this happen. She can also see threads that bind soul mates together and in the book Io meets hers.

I love the cover on The Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou it pulled me in. I really love the illustration and the color palette that was used very pretty colors. I really enjoyed the plot of this story it grabs the attention of the reader and pull you in pretty fast. I loved the part where Io meets her soul mate and sees the thread binding them together it was very cute. I reccomend reading this book if you love Young Adult or Middle Grade novels that deal with the Greeks.
  
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Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Stray Magic in Books

Jun 5, 2019  
Stray Magic
Stray Magic
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Stray Magic is a fun, spirited second chance story that comes with a supernatural twist – in the shape of a two-foot tall, wish-granting leprechaun called Vincent.

You’d think with a wish-granting leprechaun rooting for the man of your dreams to walk into your life, there’d be no hitches, right?

But when the and get all muddled up, poor Cara doesn’t know whether to believe this cheeky little imp, or send him packing. But when he keeps magically appearing in Cara’s bathroom and taking her dog for a ride, (as Leprecahaun’s do) she decides to believe in his power and wait for the magic to happen – just in case it works and her dream guy walks into her place of work and whisks her off her feet – as promised by the little green fella.

Behind this doggy story, which is suitable for listeners of all ages, is a really entertaining plot. We hear not only about Cara’s love-life woes, but we are also privy to her relationship with her grownup daughter, and how she gets on in her job working for a horrible boss of whom takes all the credit for her hard work without any thanks. Even Cara’s beloved Corgi has something to say, and in no way did I think I’d enjoy a talking dog story. If you’d asked me before, I’d have said that sounded silly. Talking animals never go as planned in books, but this was heaps of fun.

Alongside this, we discover even Vincent has a heartbreaking story to tell. I mean, how can he have the love of his life, if he keeps botching up his magic for others. By his own omission he turned up at Cara’s house twelve years late. Just think about that? If he’d turned up on time Cara’s true love would have been with her for twelve years already. ?

The narrator of this story, Aisling Gray, has a great voice, and could really do the different characters well. Originally from Texas (I think) she has a whole array of accents, and they all sounded spot on, making a great story even better to listen to. In addition, there were quite a few funny, laugh out loud moments, during which I literally laughed out loud unexpectedly. Wherever I was. Yep, embarrassing at times! But well worth it.

This easily listening, magical story was a lighthearted treat for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed all the hours I was plugged in listening to this.

Disclosure: I listened to this story via a free audible token, so thank you to the author, narrator and publisher for this opportunity. This is my own opinion and not biased in any way.
  
Ghost stories (1 more)
Well-written
Only a few stories (0 more)
This collection of tales will transport you to a time when staircases creaked in old manor houses, and a candle could be blown out by a gust of wind, or by a passing ghost. Penned by some of the greatest Victorian novelists and masters of the ghost story genre, these stories come alive alongside exquisitely eerie art in this special illustrated edition.

Since this is a short story collection, I will list the stories with a short synopsis and what I liked and disliked about them.

"Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad" by M.R. James
A professor decides to go on vacation to work on his golf game while doing a little side work in the town's archaeology, but when he digs up an old whistle and blows into it, he instantly regrets what the whistle brings.
Liked: the buildup to the climax was done masterfully, and the superstition that was used as the premise of the story
Disliked: that the ending is never explained

"The Old Nurse's Story" by Elizabeth Gaskell
When a governess and her ward are taken to a haunted house, they found out that everyone has to pay for their misdeeds.
Liked: the perfect example of what Victorian ghost stories were
Disliked: Nothing; I really enjoyed this one

"The Signalman" by Charles Dickens
A railroad signalman tells a co-worker that he is seeing a ghost that warns him of future accidents, but his co-worker can't tell if he's telling the truth or losing his mind.
Liked: an excellent ghost story; I wish it were an entire novel
Disliked: nothing

"The Body-Snatcher" by Robert Louis Stevenson
When a medical student realizes that the 'donated' bodies are murder victims, he's not so sure he can live with the consequences.
Liked: the ending wasn't predictable
Disliked: at the start, there's a little confusion among who is who

" The Captain of the Pole-Star" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A group of whalers are stuck in the middle of the ocean because of ice burgs, but the ice is the least of their problems when they begin to hear and see supernatural things out on the ice.
Liked: the plot of the story was really good
Disliked: the run-on sentences, some of the accents were hard to decipher, and the ending wasn't explained

"The Phantom Coach" by Amelia B. Edwards
A young man loses his way while on a hunt, but soon finds help with an old man that is convinced the supernatural is real, and when he senses the young man does not, he puts him up against forces from the other side.
Liked: the story never lulled, and the descriptions of the undead were amazing
Disliked: nothing, I thought the story was really good

"The Screaming Skull" by F. Marion Crawford
When the friend of a family finds a skull in the latter's home, he begins to question whether or not the husband murdered his wife.
Liked: I love that this story is actually based off an urban legend
Disliked: the way the author kept breaking away from the story to talk to the audience; it caused the flow of the story to stop

Overall, the Victorian-era authors knew how to write a ghost story. I absolutely loved this collection of short stories. I highly recommend this book to people who love a good 'ol fashioned ghost story (not the gory ones we have today).