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Lyric (Love Sync Mates, Season Two)
Lyric (Love Sync Mates, Season Two)
Wendy Rathbone | 2025 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
LYRIC is part of the Love Sync Mates Season Two series. Lyric/Lyrican is an athlete, the best of the best, but he's in pain and Lyrican has had enough. Jinn has his drink spiked and is left with a feral alpha intent on claiming him, even though he doesn't want it. These two meet when Jinn is fleeing in terror and Lyrican is there to protect him.

This is well-paced but fast and, considering Jinn has a feral stalker, is very low angst. I loved how the dragons and the people were distinctly separate beings while still being one and the same. This is the first book in this series (or the first) that I have read and I definitely enjoyed it.

If I had a 'light and fuzzy' shelf, it would take pride of place. A great read that I absolutely recommend.

** 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!
Feb 22, 2025
  
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/his-guilt-shelley-shepard-gray"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://bit.ly/2uuHGUa"; alt="Shelley1" width="235" height="319" /></a>
<span style="color: #993300;"><strong>My Thoughts</strong></span>
<span style="color: #993300;"><strong> Ms. Gray is back with another hit in the Amish Of Hart County series! She never fails to grip me wholly and keep me in the center of the story. This book, just like <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/pict-review-her-secret-by-shelley-shepard-gray/">Her Secret</a>, was an instant gripper for me.</strong></span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;"><strong>Once again, the characters were captivating for me. I loved Mark and Waneta both. Mark's character really tugged at me the most. I can't imagine the pain that he endured through life. The things he dealt with in life, you don't imagine being a part of an Amish novel, but it was and it really made it that much more gripping. Oh to be there! I would go in mama mode on him and hug him big! Waneta's character, well, she was a little too judgy at times, but seeing God work on her, really made me love her that much more.</strong></span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;"><strong>This book is intriguing, emotional, and gripping. It is not a sweet Amish romance, but it is a wonderful Amish novel in a series that will steal your heart, just the same. You will go through the roller coaster ride of ups and downs as you fall in love with each character, as you feel each characters emotions,as they seek forgiveness,and the pain that they go through of letting go of the past. Anything less than a 4.5 star review will not do this book justice.</strong></span>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #993300;"><strong>I definitely recommend this book to all Amish fiction lovers, but be warned. It is not a light hearted read. And, I recommend reading book 1 first as it will make the experience of this series more fulfulling. I can't wait to read the next book Ms. Gray has for us!</strong></span>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/his-guilt-shelley-shepard-gray"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://bit.ly/2tlxNcS"; alt="Shelley2" width="235" height="320" /></a><a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/litfuse-blog-tour-review-his-guilt-by-shelley-shepard-gray/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
  
AU
After Us (Before & After, #2)
Amber Hart | 2014
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review

After Us is the second book in the Before and After series by Amber Heart. The story follows on from the events in the first book, Before You, and how the characters are coping in the aftermath. I have not read the first book however that was not a problem as After Us was written in such a way that made it easy to understand what had happened previously.

The story alternates between 18 year old Melissa and Javier's point of views. Melissa is hiding her scars from the operation to remove the cancer cells from her body and living with the fear that it may not have been successful. Since her best friend Faith has moved away she has kept this to herself, worrying that other people would be repulsed by her. Javier, on the other hand, is wearing a metaphorical mask to hide the pain he feels at the loss of his cousin and best friend Diego. Instead of laying the past to rest he is determined to avenge Diego's death.

After Us is essentially a love story about characters who hide the raw pain they feel from everyone, including those closest to each other. As well as these problems they also have to deal with racial discrimination. Javier's family originate from Cuba and only moved to the US for a better life. Javier's mother, however, has a "only-date-Latinas" rule as she believes American girls are not good enough for her sons. This is somewhat like the famous story of Romeo and Juliet where the families want nothing to do with each other.

As well as a love story, After Us deals with other themes from medical problems to drug dealing. Heart, rather than writing about the affects of taking drugs, concentrates on the people behind the dealing. Drug Gangs can be just as dangerous as the substances as they involve violence that often result on fatal injuries.

On the whole the storyline could have delved deeper into the characters individual stories and the ending could have been stronger. Although there was a surprise plot twist, the book finished rather quickly with everything suddenly being resolved and no repercussions.

As already mentioned it is not vital to read the previous book in order to understand After Us however, from what I understand, Before You is written from Faith and Diego's points of views. Overall this book was ok for a quick read but I would not label it as anything special.
  
After He Died
After He Died
Michael J. Malone | 2018 | Crime, Fiction & Poetry, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
The main protagonist in this novel is Paula, a middle-class housewife, who just became a widow. A young woman – Cara, is trying to shine a different light on Paula’s deceased husband Thomas. This novel is told from two different perspectives – Paula’s and Cara’s. This book is soaked with grief, both of these characters lost people in their past, and they are still dealing with their grief. I really liked Paula in this book. I could feel her pain and her confusion, and to be honest, I was confused with her because all those little clues and words left me as much baffled as Paula herself. I really wanted to like Cara in this novel, but I couldn’t bond with her. I did like what she represented and I did like her attitude, but I couldn’t warm up to her.

The narrative of this novel is very masterfully delivered. It covers a really wide spectrum of events: we have a domestic noir, filled with family relationships and grief, and at the same time we have murders and mystery which are unfolding very slowly. I really liked the topics M. Malone discussed in this book, such as poverty and homelessness; how people deal with grief and what death brings to the families; drugs and how it influences people and their future, etc. I think this novel is more character driven than the investigation itself, but all these talks about feelings and sadness were too much for me at times, I wanted more pace and more unexpected findings. &#x1f642; Don’t get me wrong, there were plenty of surprises and twists, but I needed more. &#x1f600;

I really enjoyed M. Malone’s writing style, it is a very well crafted novel, and his way of sharing Scottish lingual nuances was absolutely adorable and I really liked them. &#x1f642; This book has a very strong “rich vs. poor” accent, and the setting is changing between luxury, wellness, and shady areas with homeless people, and I found it very well balanced in this book. The chapters were pretty short, and the whole novel was quick and easy to read. The ending of this book rounded this novel very well and it did leave me satisfied. So, to conclude, this is a very sensitive novel, where the pain after someone’s death is very raw and haunting, but at the same time, it is a great thriller filled with very realistic and casual characters and a very unexpected plot. I really liked this novel, and I hope you will give this book a try and enjoy as much as I did.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Regarding the Pain of Others in Books

Nov 8, 2017 (Updated Nov 8, 2017)  
Regarding the Pain of Others
Regarding the Pain of Others
Susan Sontag | 2004 | Essays, Philosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not what I expected but powerful nevertheless
Acclaimed American writer Susan Sontag returns with an extended essay about photographing war and inhumane circumstances, an extension of her 1977 work "On Photography". I had expected a philosophical take on pain but this was still important nevertheless.

Sontag's earlier "On Photography" is justifiably regarded as a classic. This book is promoted as revising some of its more important arguments. Like the earlier book this is mainly a summary of points with which most teachers, and students, in this area are likely to be familiar. It is useful to have the arguments drawn together. Without doubt, Sontag's words exude intelligence, exploring how we look at painful images from photojournalists, our reaction to mass media, and how we interpret terrible news about war, even how we look at religious paintings.

She takes us on an argumental debate that covers all aspects of visual imagery through descriptive text. Shes talks of the shock and horror seen by some in photography, to how others see it as political leverage. What this book does, is to make us understand that one photographic image can have a double purpose, and that not all in a war image is truth. A good essay for the Sontag collection.
  
I am, I am, I am: Seventeen Brushes with Death
I am, I am, I am: Seventeen Brushes with Death
Maggie O'Farrell | 2017 | Biography
9
7.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Moving, harrowing, well-written
I Am, I Am, I Am is a memoir by award-winning British author, Maggie O'Farrell. It is subtitled Seventeen Brushes With Death, and in describing these (mostly, but not exclusively, her own) experiences, O'Farrell also, of course, shares many other important moments of her life. As well as describing the situation that led to them, the physical effects they had on her and those close to her, she also notes the change in attitude they caused.

There is a deep sense of violence faced by a woman's body, which is apparent in her experiences. She describes near misses with vehicles, a mugging, juvenile encephalitis, the birth of her first child, near drownings, a knife-throwing act, dysentery-induced dehydration, and an encounter with a murderer.

The section about her miscarriages is deeply moving. She questions why it isn't discussed and why it is given little exposure. She explains how mothers end up feeling isolated because of the little care given to those who have experienced it. Her voice and pain shines through at this particular point.

As with her fiction, O'Farrell’s prose is often exquisite. This is a privileged peek into the life of an amazing author, a moving and fascinating read.
  
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Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Peach in Books

Jan 15, 2018  
Peach
Peach
Emma Glass | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Dark, harrowing but poetic - requires a trigger warning
This is a debut novel by author Emma Glass and she has produced something extraordinary. Her writing is confident and bridges any gap between prose and poetry, with emotion portrayed often through alliteration and repetition of key phrases.

The story follows Peach, who has been brutally battered and left bruised one night, though it is never clear what has happened. Her thoughts meander over the incident and the consequences in which at one point she believes she may be pregnant.

The remainder of the book paints a graphic picture of the effect the trauma has had on Peach and how this is expressed by her in changes to her body shape, and in her perception of the ordinary things of life.

There are mythical and superstitious elements to Peach's damaged psyche, which you will need to experience yourself. I must admit that some of it escaped me, but this thin volume has such power and leaves the reader in no doubt of Peach's pain and the ultimate consequences.

It is quite unlike anything I have read before, and whilst I cannot claim to have fully understood it, it definitely is unique. Unfortunately it is an acquired taste so not everyone will appreciate the style.