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Merissa (13358 KP) rated Human Again: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling (End of Ever After #4) in Books
Feb 27, 2020
Human Again is the fourth book in the End of Ever After series of fairy tale retellings. This one is told from the Beast's perspective and is in past tense, almost as if he reminisces about his past.
This is also the hardest review of the four books I've yet had to write! Why? Because there are so many parts of this that I loved and yet other parts just didn't tick the boxes for me. The 'Beast' himself? I loved him. You got an in-depth view on his childhood and just what made him into a 'Beast'. For myself, it was never quite clear if he did indeed change into something else or if he just was a human man enraged.
I think it was his family that annoyed me more than anything. Yes, I know that's how you're supposed to feel but it was more along the lines of Amelia. She was old enough to understand how her father was with Azahr but was content to just go along and believe what she is told without actually finding out if it was true or not.
I'm very pleased this was told by Azahr. Too many times, this story is from Belle's, or Kiara as she is here, point of view.
This isn't my favourite of the series but I am certainly happy to have read it. I have no hesitation in recommending either this book or the series but I would recommend you read them in order. Although these are companion books, it will definitely make more sense that was.
* 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!
This is also the hardest review of the four books I've yet had to write! Why? Because there are so many parts of this that I loved and yet other parts just didn't tick the boxes for me. The 'Beast' himself? I loved him. You got an in-depth view on his childhood and just what made him into a 'Beast'. For myself, it was never quite clear if he did indeed change into something else or if he just was a human man enraged.
I think it was his family that annoyed me more than anything. Yes, I know that's how you're supposed to feel but it was more along the lines of Amelia. She was old enough to understand how her father was with Azahr but was content to just go along and believe what she is told without actually finding out if it was true or not.
I'm very pleased this was told by Azahr. Too many times, this story is from Belle's, or Kiara as she is here, point of view.
This isn't my favourite of the series but I am certainly happy to have read it. I have no hesitation in recommending either this book or the series but I would recommend you read them in order. Although these are companion books, it will definitely make more sense that was.
* 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!
Doctor Who - The Novel Adaptations: Original Sin
Ken Bentley, Andy Lane, John Dorney and Tom Newsom
Book
On 30th Century Earth, the Doctor and Bernice Summerfield encounter the Adjudicator Roz Forrester...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2434 KP) rated The Murder Pit in Books
Apr 22, 2020
Body in the Coal Chute
Life is going well for Daisy Savage. Recently remarried, she, her husband, and their blended family are settling into the old fixer upper they just bought. While her husband, Jake, bemoans the work, Daisy fell in love with the place despite the work. The house seems to have quite a few secrets, and Daisy finds one in their basement’s crawl space – an old coal chute. Unfortunately, that discovery also comes with a dead body, and the victim is someone that Daisy recognizes. With the small-town rumor mill kicking in, Daisy finds herself as a suspect. Can she figure out who really killed the victim and why he was dumped in their basement?
The plot started out well, and I enjoyed the added puzzle about why the victim was left in Daisy’s basement. There were some good twists before we reached the end. Sadly, I did have some issues with the book. The characters are a bit thin. I get that some of them were supposed to be comedic, but they still could have been stronger. Daisy’s kids seemed to act younger than they were supposed to be. She homeschools most of the kids, but she seems to justify letting them play and not actually doing any work with them. (Yes, I get that in a cozy, the main character spends all their time on the case instead of their job, but that’s not the case here.) There were some timelines issues as well, nothing that affected the plot, but the author clearly lost track of time. On the other hand, I loved Daisy and Jake’s relationship, and I laughed quite a bit at the character’s interactions. I’ve read other books from Jeff Shelby in the past and enjoyed them, so I will read one of his books again. Hopefully, this was just an off book. Overall, I enjoyed it, but there are some issues that need to be resolved.
The plot started out well, and I enjoyed the added puzzle about why the victim was left in Daisy’s basement. There were some good twists before we reached the end. Sadly, I did have some issues with the book. The characters are a bit thin. I get that some of them were supposed to be comedic, but they still could have been stronger. Daisy’s kids seemed to act younger than they were supposed to be. She homeschools most of the kids, but she seems to justify letting them play and not actually doing any work with them. (Yes, I get that in a cozy, the main character spends all their time on the case instead of their job, but that’s not the case here.) There were some timelines issues as well, nothing that affected the plot, but the author clearly lost track of time. On the other hand, I loved Daisy and Jake’s relationship, and I laughed quite a bit at the character’s interactions. I’ve read other books from Jeff Shelby in the past and enjoyed them, so I will read one of his books again. Hopefully, this was just an off book. Overall, I enjoyed it, but there are some issues that need to be resolved.
Once Upon a Wardrobe
5.0
Rate It
Book
Now available in trade paper with an eye-catching new cover from the bestselling author of Becoming...
Merissa (13358 KP) rated Second Chances (Matchmakers #1) in Books
Sep 1, 2017
Second Chances (Matchmakers #1) by G.R. Lyons
Second Chances is the first book in the Matchmakers series - set in a world similar yet different to our own. Chance is an old man (his words, not mine), but he likes a younger man. He is understandably wary though, after being burnt by his last partner. This happened about three years ago, and he hasn't really had anyone since. Remy is a nineteen-year-old with an old man's soul. He has lived and experienced more in his nineteen years than some will throughout their whole lifetime. Due to Chance's preconceptions of Remy, they get off to a rough start, and it is constantly bumpy for them.
I loved this story! Every time that Remy challenged (and won) one of Chance's judgements had me cheering. Now, this isn't all light and laughter, people, so don't think that it is. There is one scene that is horrible, as is the aftermath. There is also Remy's job and how Chance has to deal with it, come to terms with it, if he can.
NO SPOILERS - but I was surprised with how Danny dealt with 'the situation', especially as it is revealed that he has also been in the same situation with the same person! My jaw dropped then, I can tell you. That was one character that I disliked from the beginning (not Danny), and Remy is definitely a better person than I am, because I don't think I would be that forgiving!!!!
This is exceedingly well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The characters are all well-rounded, with their own quirks and foibles. The pacing is smooth, the story gripping. Seriously, for me, this book has it all. Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comment here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I loved this story! Every time that Remy challenged (and won) one of Chance's judgements had me cheering. Now, this isn't all light and laughter, people, so don't think that it is. There is one scene that is horrible, as is the aftermath. There is also Remy's job and how Chance has to deal with it, come to terms with it, if he can.
NO SPOILERS - but I was surprised with how Danny dealt with 'the situation', especially as it is revealed that he has also been in the same situation with the same person! My jaw dropped then, I can tell you. That was one character that I disliked from the beginning (not Danny), and Remy is definitely a better person than I am, because I don't think I would be that forgiving!!!!
This is exceedingly well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The characters are all well-rounded, with their own quirks and foibles. The pacing is smooth, the story gripping. Seriously, for me, this book has it all. Highly recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comment here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Twenty-Two on Peleliu: Four Pacific Campaigns with the Corps: The Memoirs of an Old Breed Marine
George Peto and Peter Margaritis
Book
On September 15, 1944, the U.S. First Marine Division landed on a small island in the Central...
The World-Ending Fire: The Essential Wendell Berry
Book
'He is unlike anybody else writing today ...After Donald Trump's election, we urgently need to...
Lamentation
Book
Matthew Shardlake is back in Lamentation, from the number one bestselling author C. J. Sansom....
Debbiereadsbook (1551 KP) rated Alexi (Tangled Tentacles #1) in Books
Mar 24, 2022
loved the water cuddles, and the whole tentacle thing!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my coy of this book.
I read a lot, like a LOT of shifter books, and the more obscure the better. So a Kraken was always gonna hit the spot for me! Add in a bear who doesn't like water, a family of brothers who proper take the mickie out of each other, and a whole big mystery of missing shifters, this was a sure-fire hit.
BAR one thing.
Questions! I'm left with a whole gaggle of questions!
And I can voice a couple of them, which for a Sayle book and me? Makes a change!
How old is Alexi? Or indeed Danik? It's clear they are old, comments made attest to that, but it wasn't revealed just HOW old they are.
And just what is it that Todd smirked about, that Alexi should have talked to Danik about, huh?
There are a couple more lurking at the back of my book mind, but I can't dig them out just yet!
BUT!!
Questions aside, I loved this. It's different, so works for me. I loved the easy acceptance of Danik and Alexi's bond with each other, and Alexi's brothers taking Danik in. Loved the water cuddles, and the tentacle thing! It is heavy on the smexy times, but I think they actually fit in well with the overall story line, rather than being chucked in for the sake of it! Loved Alexi's brothers teasing!
I enjoyed the missing shifter plot, and the way it leads into the next book, with Alexi's brother Victor. And there is clearly something going on between another brother and the guys that turned up to help find the other shifters!
Can't wait to read them!
Also, gonna check out Oliver's work, not sure I've read any!
So, because of those pesky questions that Sayle always leaves me with,
4 stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
I read a lot, like a LOT of shifter books, and the more obscure the better. So a Kraken was always gonna hit the spot for me! Add in a bear who doesn't like water, a family of brothers who proper take the mickie out of each other, and a whole big mystery of missing shifters, this was a sure-fire hit.
BAR one thing.
Questions! I'm left with a whole gaggle of questions!
And I can voice a couple of them, which for a Sayle book and me? Makes a change!
How old is Alexi? Or indeed Danik? It's clear they are old, comments made attest to that, but it wasn't revealed just HOW old they are.
And just what is it that Todd smirked about, that Alexi should have talked to Danik about, huh?
There are a couple more lurking at the back of my book mind, but I can't dig them out just yet!
BUT!!
Questions aside, I loved this. It's different, so works for me. I loved the easy acceptance of Danik and Alexi's bond with each other, and Alexi's brothers taking Danik in. Loved the water cuddles, and the tentacle thing! It is heavy on the smexy times, but I think they actually fit in well with the overall story line, rather than being chucked in for the sake of it! Loved Alexi's brothers teasing!
I enjoyed the missing shifter plot, and the way it leads into the next book, with Alexi's brother Victor. And there is clearly something going on between another brother and the guys that turned up to help find the other shifters!
Can't wait to read them!
Also, gonna check out Oliver's work, not sure I've read any!
So, because of those pesky questions that Sayle always leaves me with,
4 stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Ross (3284 KP) rated Captain Underpants (2017) in Movies
Oct 9, 2017
This rating is based on the general consensus of my family (me, my wife and my three children).
We were already somewhat aware of Captain Underpants before we saw the movie - I bought my eldest the boxset of books which are admittedly still in their shrinkwrap.
The film is obviously aimed at children, probably aged 3 to 7. The potty humour got a bit stale for my 9 year old, but the 3 and 6 year olds were still amused throughout. I normally expect a few more clever jokes for the parents from a film like this, but was sadly disappointed that there weren't any. The humour really is restricted to a man in his pants and the name Professor Poopypants. There really isn't much more to it than that.
I liked the idea of the storyline, but would have liked more levels of humour.
I think we were all a bit bored of it by the end.
We were already somewhat aware of Captain Underpants before we saw the movie - I bought my eldest the boxset of books which are admittedly still in their shrinkwrap.
The film is obviously aimed at children, probably aged 3 to 7. The potty humour got a bit stale for my 9 year old, but the 3 and 6 year olds were still amused throughout. I normally expect a few more clever jokes for the parents from a film like this, but was sadly disappointed that there weren't any. The humour really is restricted to a man in his pants and the name Professor Poopypants. There really isn't much more to it than that.
I liked the idea of the storyline, but would have liked more levels of humour.
I think we were all a bit bored of it by the end.