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Under the Mistle-tome (Christmas Falls #5)
Under the Mistle-tome (Christmas Falls #5)
Sammi Cee | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
UNDER THE MISTLE-TOME is the fifth book in the Christmas Falls series. In it, we meet Trey, owner of Seasons Readings, and Trevor, who moved away and has now returned with his daughter. This is First Love/Second Chance at its finest!

First thing I need to say though is Holly-Berry. She is a delight and steals every scene she's in. I loved how her wisdom came across, and how she easily accepted Mr T! I won't tell you how I snorted when I read that! I loved the A-Team when I was younger, so that was just perfect.

As for Trey and Trevor, well, they had a rock-solid friendship to fall back on, so it was no stretch of the imagination that things would go in the direction they did. What I loved was how it was written, with both of them wanting to connect as friends first, and not wanting to mess Miss Holly about.

One came I thought was great was that of Arlo and Emerson. It was so good to see it from a different perspective.

All in all, a great addition to the series, and a story I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending.

** 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!
Dec 1, 2023
  
Wow, another great book by Ms. Harrison! I loved <i>The Good, the Bad, and the Undead</i> and had a hard time putting it down. The only reason I'm not giving it a ten is for editing; there were mistakes using tenses (or it just could be possible missing letters) and a major forgotten character (not a major character, just part of this particular plot) that may be missing/dead/or who knows what. Also, since it has been awhile since I read <i>Dead Witch Walking</i>, I don't remember who Francis is and there's no mini-recap for him. Oh well, now I need to get the first book so I can re-read it! :)

As for the rest of the story, I really like Rachel, although I don't know about the direction the author is taking (or had taken) with Ivy; it just seems too much like the Anita Blake thing with what's-his-name, at least a tad bit. The way Nick was written in this book detracted from the little bit readers got out of the first book, and frankly, he could be a major pain-in-the-@$$! I'm a bit disappointed in how he's portrayed, but the other two males in this series are way more exciting and intriguing than he is. I'm sorry to say that, but it's the truth, and maybe Kim Harrison plans on phasing him out of future books. Luckily I have the next two books handy!
4.5 stars
  
Seduced by Shark Shifters III: Tom&#039;s Turn
Seduced by Shark Shifters III: Tom's Turn
Rafe Jadison | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tom's Turn is the third book in this series, but for me, I would say it is the second part to Logan's Tail. You can't read this story without reading that one first, and expect it to make sense. Tom has always let Logan take the lead with their friendship, even though he wants more. However, now he has had a 'taste' of what he has been missing, and will do whatever it takes to keep Logan for himself. Of course, there is the slight problem of Stefano being not only Logan's husband, but also a nice guy. Tom won't give up though, even when Stefano's twin sister steps in to cause untold trouble.

I LOVED THIS! The drama between Logan, Stefano, and Tom was there. If anything, it was Logan who was blasé about it, whereas Tom and Stefano understood and tried to work with it. Logan's dad turns up with secrets of his own which completely turn this tale around! I am hoping to see something go on there, but I won't say anymore as I don't do spoilers.

Once again, this book had no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. I was thoroughly engrossed and loved every word from start to finish. Absolutely recommended by me, and I can't wait for this series to continue.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Dime Store Magic (Women of the Otherworld, #3)
Dime Store Magic (Women of the Otherworld, #3)
Kelley Armstrong | 2004 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.1 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have to admit, I was felt some trepidation going into this book. Not because I didn't like Ms. Armstrong's earlier books, I did, but for other reasons. First off, the feel of the first two books was serious and melancholy, and I wanted something lighter. Secondly, I didn't care for Paige in the last book. And lastly, I haven't been able to read a book for over a year now, with brief spurts and I was afraid I'd be the same way. Luckily, all my fears proved to be futile. The book was lighter, Paige was very relatable and likable, and I was able to read all through. The storyline kept my interest, the characters were interesting, and I look forward to the next book. :D All in all, I think I like it better than the previous two, especially after my initial excitement died down.
  
TS
The Star Wars
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Based on George Lucas' original rough-draft for 'Star Wars', this is an interesting read not so much for the (somewhat disconnected) story, but to see how the movies grew out of the original rough draft: this is very different from those movie(s), albeit with some of the characters and place names still showing up but in a different manner - most noticeable, perhaps, in the characters of Han Solo and Darth Vader (and 'May the Force of Others be with you' just doesn't sound right, does it?).

Having read this, it's also now VERY clear that Lucas was to re-use elements of his original rough draft in the Prequel trilogy, particularly in the whole Princess-in-hiding section(s) that are included in both The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.

The art is impressive, but the dialogue/story? Not so much.
  
A Court of Thorns and Roses
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas | 2015 | Young Adult (YA)
5
8.7 (108 Ratings)
Book Rating
Romantasy.

A mix of Romance and Fantasy.

Not a genre I'm familiar with, nor one that - to be honest - really holds all that much appeals to me. However, I still thought I would give this a go, mainly out of curiosity.

This is the first in Sarah J Maas's 'Court of Thorns and Roses' series, set in a not-too-dissimilar world to our except where fairies (and not necessarily the Tinkerbell, happy-go-lucky type) are real, and in which - after killing one such who was in shapeshifted wolf form to feed her starving family - Feyre is dragged across the wall (which is the dividing line between their world and ours) to the faerie realm, where things prove not at all to be what she expected.

I can say I've read it now.

I *may* read some more of the series, but not in any rush to do so.
  
40x40

Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Hook in Books

Nov 11, 2019  
Hook
Hook
Gina L. Maxwell | 2019 | Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Characters (1 more)
Action Packed
Heartbreaking & beautiful.
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault, Child Abuse, Murder, Abuse, Angst, Drug Use

As many of you know, I've been waiting anxiously for Hook to come out! I was one of the lucky bloggers that Gina gave a copy to in exchange for an honest review. I read Pan earlier this year and fell completely head over heels for Gina's writing, and I've been shoving Pan down everyone's throats because it is that amazing! Now, full disclosure, I have only read one other M/M romance, so I wasn't sure what to expect. All I knew was that I couldn't wait to fly into Neverland again.

I built Hook up in my head so much that at times I was worried it wouldn't live up to the hype. Luckily, Hook was everything I wanted and more. This book follows Hook & John's story. The chemistry between them was out of this world. It was fun to see the anger, the angst, and the fire between the two of them. The characters as always were well written and thoroughly entertaining. I laughed, I cried, and I had to put my book down a few times, so I didn't throw my kindle.

The plotline was one of the shining stars of this book. It was action-packed, intense, and extremely engaging. I never wanted to put the book down, yet I enjoyed it so much I never wanted it to end. I loved the undercover aspect of the book, and it makes me want to reread some of my favorite romantic suspense. I was always on the edge of my seat and couldn't wait to see how everything unfolded.

All in all, I LOVED this book. It lived up to the hype that I had in my head, and I cannot wait to read the next book in this series when it comes out. If you enjoy angst-filled bad boys with a heart of gold, this is the book for you. Gina truly knows how to write angst in a way that everyone can enjoy.
  
Devotion of a Wolf (Viking Wolves #3)
Devotion of a Wolf (Viking Wolves #3)
CJ Ravenna | 2026 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
second chance romance, loved it!
Independent reviewer for GRR I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 3 in the Viking Wolves series, and while it can be read as a stand alone, I personally recommend you read books one and two first. There were hints along the way about Lyall, and I had a story in my head, but it was totally wrong and I loved being made wrong. I loved both those books, too.

Book 1 was a slow burn, book 2 was an insta-burn, and this one is a second chance romance, and I am loving the marked differences between the three (so far) books.

Lyall and Soren were mated right before it all went to hell, and Soren took the blame. Exiled to another time, Lyall has to bide his time, because he told Soren he would find him, if it took him forever.

I loved how out of step Lyall felt being in the now time line. He made some funny comments about things and it gave the story a lighter lift, in places that it could have become really heavy.

I hated that Soren "forgot" Lyall, but found a connection to him, that he had been lacking in all other relationships. Lyall felt like home to Soren, and it takes time for them to fully appreciate why he feels that way.

Hated what was done to Soren by a vengeful witch. But loved that Lyall went over said witch's head and broke all her rules to show Soren about what happened. That he could be permenantly seperated from Soren was worth the risk, he loves him that much.

Loved that Wulf and Anders come round to Soren, and that even Gunnar seems to be thawing.

Speaking of Gunnar: he is next, the last brother to fall. He has already met his mate, Arlo, but rejected him. But there is a revelation in this book, that really REALLY makes me need to read that book!

I am loving this series and I do not want it to end!

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Endosymbiont (The Vampire Guard #3)
Endosymbiont (The Vampire Guard #3)
Elizabeth Noble | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
great to catch up with these guys!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 3 in The Vampire Guard series, and I STRONGLY recommend you read Codename Jack Rabbit, and Quarry before this one. It will give you a better view of this group and who they are and what they do.

It's been a long time since I read the first 2 books, 6 years and 3 years and it took me a little bit of time to get back into this group, their dynamics and what they do, and what they are, but once I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

It gets a bit complicated, when they are talking about the endosymbiont and what it does and what it was meant for, but I kinda glazed over that bit. In all honesty, my mind wasn't comprehending it, so I didn't try to hard to understand the technical stuff!

The story flips from various times in the past, 1929/1940s and now, giving you a picture of things that have happened to get to this point, at the bottom of the ocean where they are fighting for their lives and I loved that. It gives us Kai and Ori in all their glory, who (but feel free to correct, it has been YEARS!) are a new introduction to the Guard (in terms of these books) and some Sohpia and Porter too, along with Jonas, Lucas, Declan and Blair.

It's quite violent, but dealing with mutated beings would be. And again, it's clean and I'm finding I like that about these books. There is love and feelings, cos you get that through the various bonded pairings as things move along but no actual smexy times and its not needed at all.

There is an epilogue. Said epilogue ends rather abruptly. Leading me to believe that not only will there be another book, but the endosymbiont will pop up again.

A thoroughly enjoyable read, a great catch up with these guys.

4 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere