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Merissa (12861 KP) rated Hunted by a Jaguar (Eternal Mates #4) in Books
Apr 11, 2023
Iolanthe is a 3000-year-old elf with a brother who we know and love. She has escaped from the "confines of home" when told that she would be marrying a male of her parents' choosing after she reached her 1000th birthday but hadn't yet found her fated mate. She frequently goes on treasure hunts and also manages to get herself in - and out - of scrapes.
Kyter is the owner of Underworld, a nightclub in London where fae and 'other' are welcomed. He makes a journey back to the village of his birth due to tragic circumstances and finds himself on a path that will intersect with Iolanthe's. They are both after an artefact and neither of them is in it just for fun.
As this book unfolded, I was convinced it was a solid 4-star. After all, Vail is the one who has stolen my heart and I honestly thought that no one could compare! I have to say that Kyter came close though. He is a flawed male who reacts with instinct instead of sense when he realises that Iolanthe is his fated female. However, he is also man/jaguar enough to realise his mistake and work to put it right, even if it means laying himself on the line. Kyter was sneaky in weaving himself into my affections but I wouldn't want it any other way.
A fast-paced and well-written book that has enough action in it to keep you on the edge of your seat along with passion that flows off the page. Once again, I have no hesitation in recommending this to all fans of Paranormal Romance!
* 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!
September 12, 2016
Kyter is the owner of Underworld, a nightclub in London where fae and 'other' are welcomed. He makes a journey back to the village of his birth due to tragic circumstances and finds himself on a path that will intersect with Iolanthe's. They are both after an artefact and neither of them is in it just for fun.
As this book unfolded, I was convinced it was a solid 4-star. After all, Vail is the one who has stolen my heart and I honestly thought that no one could compare! I have to say that Kyter came close though. He is a flawed male who reacts with instinct instead of sense when he realises that Iolanthe is his fated female. However, he is also man/jaguar enough to realise his mistake and work to put it right, even if it means laying himself on the line. Kyter was sneaky in weaving himself into my affections but I wouldn't want it any other way.
A fast-paced and well-written book that has enough action in it to keep you on the edge of your seat along with passion that flows off the page. Once again, I have no hesitation in recommending this to all fans of Paranormal Romance!
* 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!
September 12, 2016
Merissa (12861 KP) rated Dragonborn in Books
Dec 17, 2018 (Updated Apr 25, 2023)
Prince Ben is beloved by his parents and can do no wrong. Princess Cecily is viewed as a curse and can do no right. The only problem is that they share a body! On even days, Ben is in charge, whilst Cecily 'rests'. On odd days, it is Cecily's turn. They have a bond which is looming on their twentieth birthday and no way of breaking it without dying. The King and Queen don't actually mind if Cecily dies, indeed they are working towards that, but Ben is not happy at all.
I simply loved this book! It is so different and refreshing. Seeing how Ben and Cecily coped with their lives, and how completely different they were from each other, made this a magical read all by itself. But then you have the supporting characters of Alloran, Rowan, Lila, and Rachael, plus the mysterious tutors of Crispin and Jude.
In other countries, multiple bonds are legitimate - romantic, physical, non-physical, and friendship. The King and Queen have outlawed any bonds other than one male and one female. They will also only acknowledge the male or female sexes, anyone who feels differently has to keep it secret upon pain of death.
This is an intricate tale, with layer upon layer of discoveries waiting to be made. I was completely enthralled as the story unfolded, but couldn't wait for the King and Queen to get their comeuppance. I mean, come on - seriously!?!
Absolutely recommended for fans of fairy tales who want something a bit different!!
* 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!
Nov 18, 2015
I simply loved this book! It is so different and refreshing. Seeing how Ben and Cecily coped with their lives, and how completely different they were from each other, made this a magical read all by itself. But then you have the supporting characters of Alloran, Rowan, Lila, and Rachael, plus the mysterious tutors of Crispin and Jude.
In other countries, multiple bonds are legitimate - romantic, physical, non-physical, and friendship. The King and Queen have outlawed any bonds other than one male and one female. They will also only acknowledge the male or female sexes, anyone who feels differently has to keep it secret upon pain of death.
This is an intricate tale, with layer upon layer of discoveries waiting to be made. I was completely enthralled as the story unfolded, but couldn't wait for the King and Queen to get their comeuppance. I mean, come on - seriously!?!
Absolutely recommended for fans of fairy tales who want something a bit different!!
* 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!
Nov 18, 2015
Kym Penny (24 KP) rated Degradation in Books
Jul 23, 2017
Atypical characters (3 more)
Secondary characters were as interesting as the primary characters
Good humor
Empowered lead female
An easy read but a bit of an emotional rollercoaster.
Even though this story contains the overused character Mr. Billionaire Alpha Male, he manages to have a more unique personality. This coupled with a strong, charismatic female lead makes for a great multidimensional relationship. Their unique dynamic made for an interesting story and ,inevitably, an emotional rollercoaster. Although I was irritated and frustrated at some of the idiotic decisions the characters made, they were all very realistic stupid decisions that anyone would and does make. I don't think the main character, Tate, was intended to be a role model but I think she might just be my spirit animal. Let your freak flag fly you fictional character you.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated The Bride Gift in Books
Jan 18, 2018
This novel was a delightful surprise. I really wasnt in the mood for historical romance, but after reading this, I am stuck in historical romance mode trying to recapture the feeling I received from this novel.
The plot isnt anything new to historical romance: heroine is married to hero against her will in order to protect her from someone/something and she eventually falls for him. Definitely not anything new by a long shot, but the characters and writing are what made this story for me.
I love the hero and heroine. They felt unique compared to characters in other historical romance heroes/heroines. They were tangible with realistic thoughts and actions. The male wasnt misogynistic and, while the female was hot headed, she wasnt annoyingly stubborn. They worked well together and I adored them.
The plot isnt anything new to historical romance: heroine is married to hero against her will in order to protect her from someone/something and she eventually falls for him. Definitely not anything new by a long shot, but the characters and writing are what made this story for me.
I love the hero and heroine. They felt unique compared to characters in other historical romance heroes/heroines. They were tangible with realistic thoughts and actions. The male wasnt misogynistic and, while the female was hot headed, she wasnt annoyingly stubborn. They worked well together and I adored them.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Murder at the Male Revue in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Catering a fund raiser for the community center is doing double duty for the Skinny Dipping Grandmas as they can also check “Visit a strip club” off Joy’s bucket list. But when the auction for the men gets started, chaos insures and the town council’s president is murdered. Who could as done it?
As always, Francine is our guide to this third wacky and fun mystery. There are some good secrets, twists, and surprises that come out, although the ending did feel a bit abrupt. The characters are fun and strong. Between a couple of slapstick scenes and the dialogue, we get some great laughs along the way as well.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/07/book-review-murder-at-male-revue-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
As always, Francine is our guide to this third wacky and fun mystery. There are some good secrets, twists, and surprises that come out, although the ending did feel a bit abrupt. The characters are fun and strong. Between a couple of slapstick scenes and the dialogue, we get some great laughs along the way as well.
NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2017/07/book-review-murder-at-male-revue-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Stepford Wives (1975) in Movies
Mar 30, 2018
Bryan Forbes' SF-horror-satire has left a cultural impression out of all proportion to its original box-office success. Nice modern couple leave grimy New York for idyllic small town of Stepford, where everyone seems happy and the women are thoroughly domesticated. What on Earth can the secret of the place be...?
Subtle storytelling and fine performances do a good job of masking the fact that the premise of the story is basically a paranoid fever-dream; oddly, some people interpreted the film as being anti-feminist and actually misogynistic, when it is actually about male objectification of women and fears of the same (maybe also has stuff to say about consumerism too). Perhaps a bit overlong, but the slow aggregation of details adds a lot to a convincingly unsettling atmosphere. An entertaining horror fable.
Subtle storytelling and fine performances do a good job of masking the fact that the premise of the story is basically a paranoid fever-dream; oddly, some people interpreted the film as being anti-feminist and actually misogynistic, when it is actually about male objectification of women and fears of the same (maybe also has stuff to say about consumerism too). Perhaps a bit overlong, but the slow aggregation of details adds a lot to a convincingly unsettling atmosphere. An entertaining horror fable.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Atomic Blonde (2017) in Movies
Feb 11, 2018 (Updated Feb 11, 2018)
Blondes Have More Gratuitous Nudity (Apparently)
Self-consciously stylish action thriller in which Charlize Theron swanks around 1980s Berlin for two hours in a series of thigh-flashing outfits, pausing only to beat the living daylights out of groups of grown men, engage in a little modish girl-on-girl hot action, and interrupt revivals of Andrei Tarkovsky movies (for shame!).
Quite good fun if you like this kind of movie: the plot is rather secondary to the look of the thing, but it has a good cast and the action is very well-staged. Can't help thinking it's just a little bit exploitative - don't imagine the studio would have been quite as keen on the main character being gay, or indeed so frequently naked, were they male - but it doesn't come across as offensively so.
Quite good fun if you like this kind of movie: the plot is rather secondary to the look of the thing, but it has a good cast and the action is very well-staged. Can't help thinking it's just a little bit exploitative - don't imagine the studio would have been quite as keen on the main character being gay, or indeed so frequently naked, were they male - but it doesn't come across as offensively so.
The story follows Paisley Parker in her journey through the lifestyle and blackmail. Paisley was down to earth and raw. She gave zero clucks about what anyone thought of her. She loved women and men.
Calvin was ok he didn’t do anything for me. Don’t get me wrong he was very attractive but he lacked that dominance I love in male characters.
This book wasn’t to my liking but it was a ok read. I learned somethings about myself. I don’t mind reading lifestyle stories because let’s face it w/w is hot. But I could never be in that type of relationship.
Both characters turned out really well and I am glad I had the chance to read this story. The author captured their personalities really well. I look forward to her next book. Because this one was well written and interesting.
Calvin was ok he didn’t do anything for me. Don’t get me wrong he was very attractive but he lacked that dominance I love in male characters.
This book wasn’t to my liking but it was a ok read. I learned somethings about myself. I don’t mind reading lifestyle stories because let’s face it w/w is hot. But I could never be in that type of relationship.
Both characters turned out really well and I am glad I had the chance to read this story. The author captured their personalities really well. I look forward to her next book. Because this one was well written and interesting.
Aasiyah Sidat (34 KP) rated Counting on You in Books
Oct 2, 2018
Counting on You
“She wasn’t the most boring person in the world, but she wasn’t exactly ready to start booking stand up routines at the comedy club either.”
Counting on You begins with our female lead, Hayleigh who is a successful maths teacher in her late twenties but has had some difficulty dating. Scratch that, she hasn’t dated since her high school boyfriend left her with a sour taste in her mouth. After an awkward first date at a dive bar, Amarillo Sour, she meets our male lead Ian; an app developer at Link digital who is Conveniently working on a dating app that is at the pinnacle of his career. This book follows Ian as he helps Hayleigh navigate the murky waters of the online dating world.
Continue reading my review at: https://www.readsandrecipes.co.uk/2018/08/counting-on-you-by-laura-chapman.html
Counting on You begins with our female lead, Hayleigh who is a successful maths teacher in her late twenties but has had some difficulty dating. Scratch that, she hasn’t dated since her high school boyfriend left her with a sour taste in her mouth. After an awkward first date at a dive bar, Amarillo Sour, she meets our male lead Ian; an app developer at Link digital who is Conveniently working on a dating app that is at the pinnacle of his career. This book follows Ian as he helps Hayleigh navigate the murky waters of the online dating world.
Continue reading my review at: https://www.readsandrecipes.co.uk/2018/08/counting-on-you-by-laura-chapman.html
This is not for the feint hearted. Joe Goldberg outwardly seems like an average guy who works in a bookstore but after a visit from a beautiful, aspiring writer, Guinevere Beck, he obsesses about the encounter and starts obsessing over her and trawling through her social media accounts. Written from his point of view, this is a disturbing but totally absorbing insight into the fractured mind of a stalker. The prose is rapid, candid and visceral, so much so that it’s hard to believe it’s a male point of view written by a woman. This was Kepne’s debut novel and released in 2015 but it’s still hovering around the top twenty bestsellers. If you need a reason to cut back on tweets and Facebook updates, this book will make you think twice before you post any updates.