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Behind the Iron Cross
Behind the Iron Cross
Nicola M. Cameron | 2018 | History & Politics, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
love love LOVED this one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

A sensual heiress, a wounded playboy and the soldier who will serve them both.

Oh I liked this one, I liked it a LOT!!!

Meet Kat, a wealthy business woman trying to help expand her company and repair a very damaged Germany after WW1. Meet Sam, Kat's best friend, fiancee, and her dead brother's lover. And Friedrich, a decommissioned soldier forced to sell his body to keep his widowed sister-in-law and her baby fed.

Like I said, liked it A LOT!

The scene is set with Friedrich going to the club Kat and Sam frequent for the first time. There is am immediate connection between the three, and it burns bright through the whole book. I didn't find it as explicit as some BDSM or menage books, but that might be just me. It IS sexy, oh yes, don't think that it isn't, and what is here is very well written. Maybe it's because a lot of words used were from that time, and not today's words for things. I didn't mind that I didn't find it as explicit, I just needed to mention it!

I LOVED how it all worked though! Kat is a Dom; Sam, a confirmed homosexual (but he can be with women, should he and Kat actually get married and need to produce an heir!) and Friedrich is the glue that binds all three of them together. Kat shows him all kinds of things that he didn't even know existed and Sam shows him just how good it is to be with a man.

I liked the business espionage line, wasn't sure how that was gonna go and I do so love being kept on my toes!

And I absolutely LOVED the solution that Sam comes up with to get Friedrich, Elise and Rudi out of Germany; to give Kat a husband; to give Sam a wife AND heir and for the three of them to be together back in the States. I was reading when Sam was talking and I'm thinking "What the bloody hell is he going on about?" And then, ping! Light bulb moment just a fraction of a sentence before Sam laid it out! Loved it!

First I've read of this author, unless there is something tucked away in a bo x set I might have read. I'd like to read more!

You know what?? I wrote 4.5 stars at the top pf the page when I sat down to write this up, but now? I can't think why I did that, or what to take the half star off for, so . . . .

5 full stars!

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Part of Her Plan (Cupid's Cafe #5)
Part of Her Plan (Cupid's Cafe #5)
Catherine Peace | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
not an easy read, but a bloody good one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I have no idea what I expected from this book, but it certainly wasn't this!

Jenny and Lydia have real life problems. Both are recovering from their respective addictions (or not, as the case may be) and this book focuses on that, more than the romance, and I really LOVED that. All too often these topics get brushed under the carpet and here, they are front and centre.

Lydia has a plan, to get her own apartment, and then be on her own. Meeting with Jenny again should not waver her from her plan. She's doing well, and is committed to get to the end. Jenny, on the other hand, isn't doing so well and the place in the sober living house SHOULD be her ticket to get to be with her brother again. But Jenny's recovery isn't going to plan, and one single mistake might ruin them both.

At one point, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book. I started it, and it took a downward turn (I thought) and I contemplated leaving it. But something made me carry on and I am so bloody glad I did!

Yes, it's not an easy read. it certainly isn't a fluffy romance that you can breeze through, but it IS a bloody good book! It shows the struggles, the real life struggles that people face. How people spiral downwards, how they hit the bottom and try to get back up. How the deal with their addiction (in this case drugs and alcohol) and what they do when faced with what might possibly be their last chance.

Jenny and Lydia are not perfect, but they are perfect for each other, and other than the issues with their addictions, the romance side of things moves along slow, at first, but then speeds up, and slows down again. I loved that it wasn't explicit. There is steam and passion a-plenty, but the detailed sex scenes are not here, and I truly think had they been, I would not have liked this book as much!

I've not read anything by this author before, nor any of the previous books in this series, I don't think you need to, to enjoy this one. I might go back and read them!

But please, be aware of the subject matter: drug abuse and alcohol abuse mostly. Some people might not be able to read this because of triggers.

4 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Oleander (Poison Garden #1)
Oleander (Poison Garden #1)
Jennifer Allis Provost | 2022 | Paranormal, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
OLEANDER is the first book in the new Poison Garden series. I did have to double-check it was the first book though, as I kept feeling as though I had missed something. Saying that, the concept of the world - with witches, seers, and shepherds - was explained brilliantly, giving me the hierarchies of said sections without giving it as an info dump.

This is first and foremost a mystery that just happens to be set in a world where magic exists and the main culprits somehow happen to be connected to magic. I won't say anymore as I don't give out spoilers.

Eli is not only confused about her role in the seer community but also about which man she likes. Obviously, as a reader, I had my own preference but it took her quite some time to figure out which one she liked and, even then, it was because of someone else telling her who he was.

If you like character-led paranormal mystery, with a slow-burn romance simmering in the background, then this may be the book for you! I enjoyed it; I'm just not sure if I will continue with the series.

** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
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ArecRain (8 KP) rated Night Sins in Books

Jan 18, 2018  
NS
Night Sins
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.


I read this novel after reading another title by the same author called Amber Fire. Even though both stories are shorter (<100 pages), that the writing in Night Sins felt more skilled and refined. The author said a lot with a little and set the tone for the rest of the novel within the first few pages.

There is a little blurb in the beginning describing Watchers, and it threw me off. The blurb makes the Watchers out to be more than the author made the heroine out to be. I got the feeling the Watchers were suppose to be powerful female defenders, yet right off the bat, I felt the heroine needed protecting. I am not sure if this was intentional for the purpose of adding that element to the hero and heroine’s dynamic.

Unlike the other novel I read, I felt that this heroine was stubborn. While I enjoyed the story overall, I felt it was the stereotypical story of a powerful male vampire protecting his intended mate. The alpha vampire and “one true mate” tropes really don’t do it for me, but I found the novel an enjoyable quick read filled with steamy scenes. While the story was nothing new, it’s been awhile since I have read a vampire romance, and I liked it.
  
The Sky Is Everywhere
The Sky Is Everywhere
Jandy Nelson | 2010 | Young Adult (YA)
4
7.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
So I finally knuckled down to finish this since it's been two weeks since I started it...and I wasn't all that impressed.

The writing was so...poetically pretty? It wasn't how I'd have expected a 16/17 year old girl to think, although now that I think about it Wuthering Heights is her favourite book and her family life seems a little boho-y/care free. And her vocabulary? Stultifyingly? Dildonic? Ornery? Messessentialist? I think she must eat a dictionary for breakfast or something because I had no idea what any of those words meant at that age, and I'm still not sure about three of them now.

Getting the writing out of the way, I wanted her to be happy with Joe but I didn't understand the whole Toby thing either. And I kind of agree with Grams that Lennie was a little selfish. You'd all lost Bailey, it wasn't just you and Toby.

The bit I liked most was probably the bit near the middle where she described herself/her love as being like a flower that bloomed in 15 seconds, and then a few paragraphs later in 3 seconds. It was a really nice picture and I can imagine Lennon doing that.<br/><br/>I don't think I'll be reading more of this authors books.
  
Juliet, Naked (2018)
Juliet, Naked (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Not up to Nick Hornby’s usual standards
Nick Hornby’s books are marvellous, so adapting them into films is an obvious choice for getting a sure fire hit (a la About a Boy). However sadly this doesn’t quite work for Juliet, Naked.

The plot itself is fine, fairly interesting yet doesn’t appears to be very in depth and i feel like there’s probably a lot missing in this that was in the book. It’s a good idea, just not very well executed and a little dull. It tries for humour but isn’t particularly funny and the romance side is a little lacking too sadly. I’ve always liked Ethan Hawke and he’s good in this but perhaps a little underused, and Rose Byrne is good but her accent is definitely a bit dodgy! Not too sure what was going on with Chris O’Dowd though, I’m not his biggest fan anyway but I found him particularly irritating in this but that may have just been his character. It’s a shame really that this film appears to be lacking all of the usual magic you’d see with Nick Hornby. Think I’ll just go read the book.
  
Queen of Hearts
Queen of Hearts
Colleen Oakes | 2016 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's dark, twisty, and sure to keep you entertained.
I have wanted to read Queen of Hearts ever since I knew of its existence. When I saw that Colleen Oakes was going to be at Denver Pop Culture Con, I knew now was the time to finally pick up my dusty book and give it a read. I was already reading a physical book, so I opted to listen to the book instead and spent an audible credit on Queen of Hearts. The narrator was genuinely excellent and brought the book to life.

Something that I loved about this book was that we got to read an origin story for the Queen of Hearts. I liked that I sympathized with her and genuinely cared about her as well. It was a strange experience to care for the villain of Alice in Wonderland. The characters were well done though at times I found Dinah a little too whiney. I would have loved for her to pick up on some of the clues she received as well.

Something else that didn't sit right with me was how dark the book was. I knew that this was going to be dark, but I didn't expect it to be so dark that it would make me shudder at moments. Queen of Hearts is not for the faint of heart, and at times it verged into more of the horror genre.

Even though it was a little too horror-y to me, I enjoyed the book. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat. This will be the perfect book for teens and adults who want to get a feel for the horror genre without jumping into the pool. It's dark, twisty, and sure to keep you entertained.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Sorority in Books

Mar 20, 2019  
Sorority
Sorority
Genevieve Sly Crane | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
5
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Too weird for me
The girls of the sorority house are a close-knit--if not particularly happy--group. That is until Margot's death. When she's found dead in the house, it changes things, and each girl must deal with Margot's passing and its aftermath in her own way.

Well, this was a weird one. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. We are introduced to the sorority girls in the first chapter by a "chorus," who tells us who lives in each room and a small bit about each one. Except for Margot's room, we're told; Margot is dead.

Then the following chapters detail a snippet of time in each girls' life. Some chapters may take place before Margot's death; others take place after. I was really glad I was reading a hardcopy, because at the start of each chapter, I had to flip back to that first chapter about all of the girls and find that girl's little paragraph or so blurb that introduced them. I could never keep any of them straight--perhaps because there was so many or maybe because most them didn't really stand out to me.

Because yes: I didn't really love this one. The short bits of time spent with each character make it hard to get attached to anyone. While we are technically following the thread of Margot's death, there's really no arc to the story. The book probably speaks to some higher meaning that I just didn't get. Instead it's a bit disturbing (some of the chapters are really awful), and no one is happy at all, which was really depressing. Sure, some of these dark glimpses into people's lives can be a little oddly fascinating, but honestly, it was often horrifying too. For me, it felt like the book was trying to be literary and clever and it just didn't work for me (or, more likely, I'm just not a good candidate for literary, smart books, ha).

For instance, was this one praising or mocking sororities? I really don't know. Margot's death seemed so pointless, so it certainly didn't seem to be doing the idea of sororities any favors. A lot of the book didn't seem to show the sisterhood in a good light. Yeah, I just didn't get it. I'm not sure exactly why I slogged through it, except that the full details of Margot's death aren't completely revealed until the end. I actually liked Margot the best, but she was dead, and yes, that probably sums up this book the best for me.

Overall, this one was too weird for me. I can do dark, but dark, strange, no real plot, and few characters with any redeemable value--it just didn't work for me. I'm sure it is enjoyable for others, especially those that don't need a real plot arc. And I do feel the need to point out that there's a trigger for self-harm, suicide, and eating disorders in this novel.
  
AB
Annihilation, Book Three
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Again, this review will probably be quite short because I have already stated a lot of my thoughts on these characters.

I really enjoyed what they did what this series. The story line was well thought out, though there were a few moments that were a bit slow for me.

SPOILERS FOR THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH:

I loved Cammi's story arc in this series. She starts off a very strong character, so sassy and full of spunk, but in this book, she isn't allowed to have a lot of those moments as much. She is, quite literally, left behind when she is trying to have her heroic moment. I completely understand why they left her. Not only would Drax would have killed all of them for putting her in any amount of danger, she also would not have been able to survive. Not necessarily because she would not be able to hold her own, because I am completely convinced that she can and would kick some mega alien ass, but in an emotional aspect, I'm not quite sure she would have been able to come back from seeing what happened. All the death and carnage and hopelessness would have taken a toll on her, so, overall, I am glad she did not go along.

I also loved seeing Galactus' Heralds again. It's always great to see more of the characters who are seen as evil but are able to redeem themselves.

The wrap up of the series was a bit predictable for me, but there were some surprises. There will be some spoilers in this next part, if you don't want to read them, skip to the next paragraph. I knew from the beginning that the Annihilation virus was going to fail, ultimately, but I was okay with it. I liked seeing that not all of the characters made it. Though I didn't like seeing them gone, because I really liked some of those characters, but it was good to see there wasn't predictability.

The last section of this book is just the records from the Nova Corps index that had been shown throughout the previous three books. I didn't really see the need for that, but it's there and there's nothing I can do about that.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this series. I believe there may be one more small comic to read from this series, so I'll have to read that soon.
  
Three Black Boys: The Hotep Brother Manuscript
Three Black Boys: The Hotep Brother Manuscript
Zangba Thomson | 2019 | Dystopia, Science Fiction/Fantasy
What I liked best about this book was the ending. This is not because the book was over (I for one wanted more) but because of the feelings, the book left me with. (0 more)
If anything it was Barnes’ ring that felt off to me. (0 more)
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Three Black Boys: The Hotep Brother Manuscript Volume 2 by Zangba Thomson is a wonderful continuation of the Three Black Boys series and I truly hope to see at least one more book in the future. It has elements that reminded me of the movie The Mummy Returns with its reanimated corpses.

 Ego is back only this time he is calling himself Egor and has partnered up with Deadra whom he brought back from the dead, and her ‘pet’ Crow. The two of them along with Egor’s mindlessly enslaved Egomaniacs are have murdered the king of Monomotapa and are taking it over. Their goal is to stop the gold shipments to Planet Black, home of Father Time and Mother Nature. These gold shipments provide Planet Black with the necessary materials to protect it from asteroids and other dangers. Sadly a bunch of asteroids are headed straight for the planet and they do not have enough supplies to defend themselves.

 With the looming threat of destruction Father Time and Mother Nature call on the Three Black Boys; Barnes, Demus, and Baker for help once again. The three boys are sent down to Monomotapa to discover what Egor and Deadra are up to and to put a stop to it before Planet Black is destroyed.

 What I liked best about this book was the ending. This is not because the book was over (I for one wanted more) but because of the feelings, the book left me with. I was both happy and excited for the Three Black Boys as well as filled with hope that they can make better choices this time around. I can not say much else about what I liked without giving away some major spoilers. It was hard to choose something that I did not like about this book. If anything it was Barnes’ ring that felt off to me. The ring was supposed to give Barnes the ability to make any sound he wanted but it also gave him the ability to shoot laser beams out of it, though I am not sure why.

 This book is ideal for adults and those mature enough to handle sex as it is not quite as family-friendly as the first volume. It is ideal for those who like dystopian fantasy with a bit of science fiction mixed in. I rate this book 3 out 4, just like volume one. It kept the style of the first book and had a nice flow to it that allowed me to read it in just two days. The symbolic theme of the destructive Ego carried over nicely as well, though I wish I could figure out what (if anything) Deadra symbolized. The idea of redemption and starting over after a troubled time was well depicted also. If it wasn’t for the ring’s unexplained power this book would have gotten a perfect score.

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