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Merissa (13162 KP) rated Check Out in Books

Oct 30, 2023  
Check Out
Check Out
Debra Parmley | 2016 | Contemporary, Romance, Thriller
6
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
CHECK OUT tells the story of a shy librarian and an injured marine. Betsy is happy working at the library all her life. That is all shaken up when Nash brings his books back to the library, and her sister turns up for a stay, bringing baggage with her.

This had the potential for a great story. Instead, I read a good one. I don't know if it's the author's writing style or just how I was reading it, but I never once was drugged within the story, as I love. It was always very clear that I was reading a story. The characters were likeable but I couldn't really feel the chemistry between them. The dialogues were somewhat stilted at times which didn't help.

On the whole, this was a quick read that holds the potential for so much more. Still, it was enjoyable, and a good coffee break 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!
Jun 2, 2018
  
Wayward Stripper
Wayward Stripper
J.B. Buell | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A great story that left me wanting more!
WAYWARD STRIPPER is a short novella about a trans man on the run from his abusive ex, who lands a trial run at an Omega (Ladies) Club. The Head Dancer, Tristan, is on hand to help in any way and the sparks are instantaneous.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but I wanted so much more! I would love for this to be a full-length novel, so I can get all the background information I want - the ex-relationship, Jake's escape, and more between Jake and Tristan. As a novella, it is fast-paced, but I would have loved more of the nitty-gritty that gives the story some depth. For me, it was a little too fast, with chunks either missed out or skipped over.

A great story that left me wanting! I would still recommend it though!

** 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!
Aug 30, 2023
  
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Merissa (13162 KP) rated Estranged in Books

Jun 8, 2023  
Estranged
Estranged
Alex Fedyr | 2015 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Set in dystopian/post-apocalyptic urban surroundings, Kalei is a police officer who keeps trying to gain entrance into SWORDE - a crack team who deals with Estranged. Kalei lost her parents and sister to the Estranged, and so she wants nothing more. This all changes one evening when her home is attacked and she becomes Estranged too. Now she not only has to deal with losing her family but becoming the very person she has sworn to kill.

This is an enjoyable story that is full of action. It became a bit difficult to read halfway through, simply due to the amount of action that was taking place, plus the 'street talk' that was prevalent. It did even itself out though, and once again, became a thrilling read. With plenty of twists and turns, you don't ever see what is coming before the author wants you to.

This story is all wrapped up in this book, but it has been left open for a sequel. I hope that the story does continue as I would love to carry on with Kalei's story. Definitely recommended.

* Verified Purchase on Amazon *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 2, 2016
  
Goodnight Nobody
Goodnight Nobody
Jennifer Weiner | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.3 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
Sometimes flashbacks are useful, helpful even, and contribute to the story. I find myself having a lot of "Ah-ha!" moments when presented with a flashback scenario in a book. Not the case here. They bored me. I came thisclose to skipping ahead to the present-day chapters. But I didn't.

Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the story, it dragged a bit in those parts, they could have been shorter and more condensed. The story was in most parts about the balance between being a woman and being a mother. Which, maybe since I'm not a mother, I didn't connect as much, and at times felt like screaming "Get it together lady!" Obviously we all know that these "supermoms" are never whom they appear to be on the outside. Everyone has their issues.

There are some good twists and turns of this story of a woman named Kate, former writer/investigator turned stay at home "surburban supermom wannabe" who uses her past to help "find" her future when a mystery presents itself. Who better than Kate to solve the crime?! There is wit and charm in the writing as we all know and love from Jennifer Weiner, and the plot is well-developed, but the story didn't grab me all the way throughout, with an ending that just wasn't very convincing.
  
Winter Moon (Walker Papers, #1.5)
Winter Moon (Walker Papers, #1.5)
Mercedes Lackey | 2005 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I've only read the second story by Tanith Lee so far because I wanted to read at least one of the books in Lackey's Five Hundred Kingdom series before I got to that one. For the first fifty pages, The Heart of the Moon was slow going, but after that it got progressively better and interesting. I think it would be nice to read about Cliro's burgeoning powers. I'd give it a four out of five.

Moontide by Mercedes Lackey was an absolutely wonderful story! After reading The Fairy Godmother, I went on to read this short story before I read the next two in the series. Moira was a great character, as was Kedric in as much as he could be with his small role. I was very sorry after I finished it and would have loved to read more with these characters. A great short story! 5/5

I was a little disappointed in C.E. Murphy's story, Banshee Cries, but it did have it's moments. Joanne is a great character who I can't help but to relate to - she's so realistic - and I love Gary, he's priceless. The plot was fairly interesting but it faltered and could be a bit slow at times. It was still good though and I can't wait to read the others in the series. 4/5
  
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Dutch (59 KP) rated Experimemtal Film in Books

Mar 11, 2019  
Experimemtal Film
Experimemtal Film
Gemma Files | 2015 | Horror
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Experiments in film
When Lois Cairns stumbles upon a mystery that points towards a lost chapter in Canadian film history she jumps at the chance to make a name for herself and revive a career as a film critic that has long been on the slide.
Enlisting the help of a former student she becomes embroiled in the tale of Lady Midday and the tragic Whitcombe family.
The first part of the book very much focuses on Lois, her husband Simon, their autistic son Clark and her mother Lee with whom she has a strained relationship. Lois has seen her career fail, her health is not far behind and she feels guilty at the inability to love her son the way she feels she should.
As the story of Lady Midday unfolds she finds herself sucked into a story much darker and terrifying than she ever could have imagined.
Experimental Film is what I would call a gentle ghost story with the majority of the book focussed on Lois and her family and the struggles she must overcome to maintain her health, her project and ultimately her son.
I enjoyed the story but would not call it a horror story but rather a character focused tale with a subtle dash of the supernatural and a book worth seeking out.
  
The Secretary
The Secretary
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Day after day, year after year, Christine has been there, invisible—watching, listening, absorbing all the secrets floating around her. Keeping them safe.
Christine is trusted. But those years of loyalty and discretion come with a high price. And eventually Christina will pay.
Yet, it would be a mistake to underestimate such a steadfast woman. Because as everyone is about to discover, there’s a dangerous line between obedience and obsession...

"The Secretary" is Renee Knight's second novel. This story has an explosive plot and a very surprising twist at the end.
This story revolves and explores the relationship between the employer and the employee. The author has done a fabulous job of exploring the loyalty of an employee to her employer. The story is completely gripping and I was glued to it.
The characters are completely and utterly convincing and I developed a love/hate relationship with them.
The underlying tension is apparent from the start and it just adds to the suspense going forward.
Some may call this a slow burn but I felt the pace of the story is just perfect. This is an intelligent, twisted, psychological thriller.
Very believable characters and brilliant plot! Perfect story in my opinion.
Highly Recommend!

My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
  
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TerraBlizzard (18 KP) rated the Xbox One version of Assassin's Creed: Odyssey in Video Games

May 24, 2019  
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
2018 | Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Little buggy for such a big game. (2 more)
Depth of character customization.
Replay value is high. Multiple endings that can be hard to achieve for certain ones.
Voice acting at times seemed forced. (0 more)
The game that brought the franchise back into good light.
A beautifull addition to the AC collection, taking the parts that worked in previous titles and combining them to a solid core story.
If you haven't played this yet, do. But bare in mind the story can take abit of getting into the first 3 hours of gameplay can be tedious to get through but once you put on the "mask" that's when the story starts to grip you so keep playing.
The story of these games have been the key to their success and this game keeps it going but love it or hate it the game is based 95% in history more than present day. With short bits of modern day play which I personally would of like to seen more of building upon the modern day creed and it's standing against the Templars. With that said Odysseus breaks the one main story line up into parts of 4 each driving you to a different goal.

Graphics are great on HD, so this gives me hope for those with 4k screens and High spec consoles/PC set ups to enjoy a beautifully crafted world.
  
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Maris (8 KP) rated Heartless in Books

Jun 10, 2019  
Heartless
Heartless
Marissa Meyer | 2017 | Children
10
8.3 (33 Ratings)
Book Rating
What a marvelous gem to read. I enjoy every bit of this story. I could not put this book down, I had to know what was going to happen. Who was the Queen of Hearts before she became who she was? Marissa Meyer did exactly that to explain the story.

"Three luscious lemon tarts glistened up at Catherine". Cath the main character of the story absolutely loves baking goods. Her dream is to start her very own bakery one day right in the kingdom of Hearts. What can possibly go wrong with starting your own bakery? Her heart is sought out from the King of Hearts and her heart also falls in love with the kings joker Jest.

The journey between Cath and where her heart truly goes on this journey to her happiness will just make you curiouser and curiouser on where the story will go and how she became what we all know her as the Queen Of Hearts.


Tea parties, Pastry goods, and white rabbits big announcements to the balls! Ohh lets not forget the jabberwocky!

I gave it a five star out of five stars cause its truly a wonderful heart warming story of one of the most notorious villains we all know. It became one of my new favorite stories and Marissa Meyer became one of my top favorite authors of all time.
  
The Nightingale
The Nightingale
Kristin Hannah | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.9 (61 Ratings)
Book Rating
I had never heard of Kristin Hannah before, but will be looking for other books by her. Her writing is seamless and vivid and realistic. The Nightingale is a wonderful story of two sisters, far apart in body and mind, but still connected. They lose their mother and then experience the abandonment of their father. Both women are torn, but in their own way. The story takes place in France, in a small village until the women who realize they need something different, separate, with one sister in Paris and the other in the country, during WWII. The story is a bit dramatic, but I think it is fitting. Their feelings and emotions and experiences are so real and authentic. It is definitely an emotionally engaging read. Not only is the characters so vivid but it combines their story with an accuracy of the world history around them during that period and is interesting for people like myself, who are history buffs. Both women learn to live and learn to love. It is romantic and not just in a sexually intimate way. This story is complex, passionate, engaging and captivating and will make you think and feel along with them.
I received this book for free from SheSpeaks as part of the book club program, but the above review is based on my own opinions and thoughts.