Search

Search only in certain items:

Ricki’s Past, Family, and a Christmas Murder
Ricki James-Diaz is thrilled her parents are in town for Christmas. She’s hoping that she and her mom and use the time to track down more of Ricki’s birth family. But when one of her mom’s former co-workers is killed right after Ricki meets her, murder takes center stage. As more of Ricki’s family and friends come under suspicious, she can’t help but jump in. Will she find the killer?

It was great to be back with Ricki and her family and friends. They are a fun bunch, and we met some new characters I hope we see again. There are some spoilers for previous books’ ongoing storylines, but they are minor. There are several subplots in addition to the main mystery, so I was never bored. Yet everything was balanced well and we reached a satisfying climax. I did find a couple of small things that should have been caught by an edit, but they are minor. I loved the Christmas setting of the book for both the humor and the coziness it brought. And we get some appropriate recipes at the end of the book. Whether you read this book now or save it for December, you’ll be glad you read it.
  
Zombie (The Cursed Manuscripts)
Zombie (The Cursed Manuscripts)
Iain Rob Wright | 2022 | Horror, Thriller
7
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have loved reading horror books since I was a wee teenager and whilst I don't read as many nowadays, I do enjoy a Zombie-fest every now and again and here we have yet another cracker from Iain Rob Wright, who is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors to satisfy my horror fix.

What I like about Iain's books is that it's not just about the blood and gore, there is a good story behind it and interesting and believable characters and although they may not always react logically, it does make things interesting.

Zombie is a quick read but there's a lot packed into it. It's full of tension and heart-in-the-mouth moments as you would expect in this genre and if you don't like violence, I would give this a miss but for me, I am looking forward to more instalments in this story to see where it goes.

Well written and a great pace, this is a book that will appeal to lovers of the Zombie stories and horror books in general.

My thanks must go to Iain for accepting me into his "street team" and for providing me with an advance copy in return for comments and an honest, unbiased and unedited review.
  
A Cure For Everything: A Vampire Novella
A Cure For Everything: A Vampire Novella
Steven Jenkins | 2022 | Paranormal
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I don't usually read vampire books, I love a good horror book every now and again but I've never really got into vampire books so wasn't sure if this was something I would enjoy but I thought, what the heck, why not? And, I was pleasantly surprised because it wasn't what I expected at all - it was so much more.

The premise is quite simple really, Millie is happily married with 2 young children when she receives a devastating diagnosis meaning she has but months left to live. However, there is a cure ... become a vampire! Seems like a simple decision doesn't it? Not so for Millie - her mum was a vampire and it didn't end well so what will she do? And when you think you know what's going to happen, Mr Jenkins throws in a great twist which left me wanting more.

A great, quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed and that cover, wow ... eye-catching and creepy.

I am looking forward to reading more of Mr Jenkins work if this short story if anything to go by and I must thank him for making me a part of his Advance Reader Team but this in no way influenced my thoughts on this novella which I thoroughly enjoyed.
  
TW
The World of Downton Abbey
10
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
I admit that I have a slight obsession with Downton Abbey. It sucked me in from the start. And now my curiosity as piqued as to what life was really like in the early 1900s. Therefore, I am branching out a bit in the books that I am reading.

The World of Downton Abbey is a companion guide to the second season of the beloved BBC Masterpiece show Downton Abbey. Not only does it outline the lives of the Crawley family during the first World War, but also gives us a peek at the lives of the real aristocracy of England. Family life, style, life in service, romance and war are a few of the topics covered in Jessica Fellowes book.

I greatly enjoyed reading and learning more about British culture. It helps me to understand the characters in the show better, as well as characters in the books I read. There is a lot of history to be found in period dramas and I do love learning about it. I was happy to learn that the show has a historical advisor Alastair Bruce (known as The Oracle) that does not hide in the shadows. He makes certain that everything is proper and accurate. Any Downton enthusiast would enjoy this book, but it is also a great read for learning more about the era.
  
40x40

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2579 KP) rated One Final Turn in Books

Jun 9, 2026 (Updated Jun 9, 2026)  
One Final Turn
One Final Turn
Ashley Weaver | 2025 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I Expected This Ending. But It Still Disappointed
Ellie McDonnell is getting ready to head to Portugal. The country is neutral, and it is where people are expecting her cousin to head now that he’s rumored to have escaped. The hope is that they can rescue these escapees and gain information on the route they took to escape, keeping it open for others. While Major Ramsey is also on the mission, he isn’t in charge, which is a good thing since he has recently fired Ellie. But once they’ve arrived, will they be able to get beyond the tension between them to complete their mission?

I was anxious to read this book after the cliffhangers we got at the end of book four. The mission of this book gets off to a slow start with some repetitive action due to the focus on Ellie and Ramsey’s romance. Sadly, I found it even more toxic than it had been previously. When the mission picks up in the second half, I was hooked. Fans will be satisfied with the resolution we get in this final book in the series. I know I was. That includes the storyline about Ellie’s parents. I’m not sorry I read the series, I just wish I could have gotten behind the romance.
  
At the Table of Wolves (Dark Talents #1)
At the Table of Wolves (Dark Talents #1)
Kay Kenyon | 2017 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I've had this book on my nook e-reader since it was released, but I just never had the itch to read it.
I'm glad I finally did. This is the first of a trilogy that's an alt-history in the 1930s. After the Great War, there's an event called 'the bloom' and individuals begin to have 'talents' or powers manifest. It's definitely a riff off of the X-Men, but it really worked for me in this novel. The lead character, Kim, is a 30-something who has the talent of 'spill', which is essentially compelling people to spill various secrets, though she can't exactly control it. I liked Kim because she was completely relatable and made mistakes.
I wish that the book had been longer, but now I'm anxiously awaiting for the 2nd book from the library. Luckily, the final book in the trilogy is coming out in March, so I won't have long to wait for book 3.
  
Chocolat (Chocolat #1)
Chocolat (Chocolat #1)
Joanne Harris | 1999 | Fiction & Poetry
Sweet and satisfying
I need to be honest; I’ve never seen the film that is based on this book and never really been particularly interested in watching it either. However having now read the book, I could be tempted as the book is rather wonderful.

This is a rather strange novel - a character based drama set in a mysterious small French village with some very small magical undertones. It sounds weird, but it actually really works. All of the characters, from Vianne herself to the rest of the villagers are likeable or at the very least relatable with all of their various personalities. The fact that this is based around a chocolate shop makes it a charming and rather tempting setting and the story has a fair number of outcomes that you wouldn’t expect although there are still some that are rather predictable. Overall this is just a rather charming and sweet character driven story.
  
40x40

ClareR (6238 KP) Jun 17, 2019

I want to reread this so that I can read the others! I read it years ago when it first came out, and I have no chance of remembering enough of what happened to read the other 3 books sat on my kindle! Trip to the library for me, I think!!

SO
Summer on Blossom Street (Blossom Street, #6)
Debbie Macomber | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
My thought were sweet. I really enjoyed this book. I love how it ends and I am really glad for what happens to some of the woman in the book. You get see how the friendship develop and Relationships are tested though out the book. How friends can help and see the understanding. You get to see how part of the adoption take place and how thing can be tested with out knowing can happen unexpected. Love can happen though strange whys. Never did I expect what would happen at the end of the book.

The Author did a wonderful job with the character and matching them up but doing in a way that would happen natural to find out how it all happen. It was nice reading about them all and not confuse me while reading it. I will want to read books 1-5 understand completely soon though. I am going to be reading 5 "Twenty Wishes now."