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All of the Voices (Southern Spirits #3)
All of the Voices (Southern Spirits #3)
Bailey Bradford | 2015 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The third in the Southern Spirits series concentrates on Deputy Matt from McKinton and Nephew Carlin from New York. Matt has his roots firmly entrenched in McKinton and, even though he's not had much luck so far, is content within his own skin. Carlin has been openly out of the closet for years and doesn't want to like McKinton after witnessing the hate attack against Zeke years previously.

The story blossoms between these two as they come to terms with grief and responsibility, knowing that a future between them just isn't possible right now. This is a sweet and hot story that is well-told and smoothly paced. I'll admit to being surprised at reading the synopsis and seeing Carlin's name. I was sure that it would be Matt and Rich. However, after reading this, I can't imagine it any other way. Loved it and definitely recommended.

* 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!
Oct 19, 2015
  
Hello (from Here)
Hello (from Here)
Chandler Baker, Wesley King | 2021 | Young Adult (YA)
8
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Pandemic Romance
The toilet paper incident got me into this book, what crazy times?! His poor sister had to suffer and get her revenge. I don't know how I feel about them getting kinda stalkerish but it worked out and they make a pretty cute couple. I LOVE the cover to this and I think a lot of teens can identify because they have been unable to meet people at school or basically anywhere and as and adult that has already gotten my masters with no worries about a crush... I could never imagine what it is is like for this youngsters.

My coworker read this book as well but didn't like how whiney the boy was but i think they are like a ying and yang couple where she is confident and aggressive while he is sweet and meek. In fact they would have never seen each other again if it wasn't for his sister needing more tp because of her Crohn's disease. Its funnier now that we are not actually going through a tp pandemic :/
  
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Merissa (12363 KP) rated Reece (The Hawks #5) in Books

Aug 15, 2022 (Updated Aug 15, 2023)  
Reece (The Hawks #5)
Reece (The Hawks #5)
Jennie Lynn Roberts | 2022 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm just not ready for it to be over. It's not, is it? Please tell me there's more to come!
REECE is the fifth and final book in The Hawks series, and I'm not emotionally ready for this series to be over. It just can't be! 😭 There is still so much I want to know. And I love the world they have built/are building. It simply can't be over!!!

Okay, so moving past my emotional breakdown, what can I say about this book? Reece has been a character that has tugged on my heartstrings from the very beginning, but I only knew part of his story. Now I know it all and yep, it broke my heart. Ms Roberts has a way of transferring emotions onto the page (or screen) that is second-to-none. I love how she draws me into the characters, learning what makes them tick, their foibles, and their quirks. Daena is strong, certainly stronger than she thought she was. She had a harsh lesson to learn, but learn it she did, and she won't make the same mistakes twice.

This book is full of action and suspense. Andred is clever, but will Daena and Reece figure out his game plan before hundreds die? I won't say as I don't want to inadvertently give anything away. I will say I couldn't put the book down, completely hooked on the story.

This whole series has been a fantastic world to visit, full of love, loyalty, and found family. I'm just not ready for it to be over. It's not, is it? Please tell me there's more to come! I may just have to return to the beginning and read it all again, just to tide me over.

Do I recommend it? Oh, hell yes!!! But do yourself a favour, and start at the beginning! Tristan will thank you for it! Or maybe Kaden will if you go right back. Personally, I'd start with Kaden to get the full experience.

** 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!
Aug 12, 2022
  
It takes Two is the first book I’ve read by Erin Nicholas. It was also the first I read in the Counting on Love series, and I hate when I read a series out of order. The good news is that these books can stand on their own with minimal carrying over and lots of explanation to previous happenings.

Isabelle Dixon thought she could have a wild and crazy night before she has to settle herself into a new lifestyle because of a medical issue. She thinks Shane Kelley is the perfect candidate for the job. 6 months later she can’t believe she is still seeking him out and can’t seem to let go.

Shane Kelley has fallen fast and hard for Isabelle Dixon. He has asked her to move in with him multiple times and won’t take no for an answer. He thought their biggest obstacle was her brother Connor but it seems like they can’t get past something bigger. He won’t give up even when she seems to be keeping something really big from him.

Isabelle and Shane take a humorous road trip to find out if they can truly make it work between them. Each stop, on their way to a vacation house, has humor, angst, trials and truths. There may also be a little fun game included in their adventure, not known to all the parties involved.
 
I love the dynamic between the Dixon sisters, each with their own strengths and issues. Isabelle seems like a good mix of a party girl with a stay at home girl. She has to make some big choices with an unexpected health issue that hits her. She wants to hide herself away from the world but also loves being with Shane. Can she have it both ways and have them both happy?

Shane is the over the top, romantic boyfriend we all crave in life. Well maybe. He does go a little over the top sometimes but hey props for creativity. He loves Isabelle and wants to be with her all day every day. He knows she is hiding something from him but can he overcome the issues to make her happy for forever?

If you haven’t read anything by Erin Nicholas, what are you thinking? The Counting on Love series, which apparently is a semi continuation of the Bradfords series with brief appearances by some Bradford characters, is the perfect place to start. I haven’t read the Bradford series yet but I’m anxious to now since completing the Counting on Love series.
  
Me Before You
Me Before You
Jojo Moyes | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
6
8.3 (59 Ratings)
Book Rating
Louisa Clark leads a calm and simple (perhaps even boring) life in her village. She has a job in a cafe, she lives with her parents, and she has a boyfriend, Patrick, who is predictable, even if she might not actually love him. But one day, Louisa's life is turned upside down when she arrives at work and finds out the cafe is closing. Forced into the world of unemployment, Lou eventually ends up as a caregiver for the Traynor family -- specifically Will, a quadriplegic, a once active and passionate man whose life was changed irrevocably by an accident. Confined to a wheelchair, unable to move most of his limbs, and in great pain many days, Will's life is nothing like it was before. However, when Lou arrives in his world, she brings a bit of joy and fun to his otherwise bland days. However, neither of them realize how much they will change and affect each others' lives.

This was an interesting book, for sure. I'd avoided it for a while, hearing how sad it was, and frankly, I have enough of that in my life. But it eventually came up in my library queue, and I decided to give it a shot, basically because I'd read Moye's "One Plus One" and really loved it. I will try not to reveal much of the plot, for those who may not have read anything about it. However, I'll say the book touches on timely topics such as assisted suicide. Should Will be confined to his chair for the rest of life, living half a life, much of it in pain? What role should his family play in his life, and in his decisions? And how much responsibility does he owe his family and those who care for him? All deep questions, for sure.

The book is enjoyable purely on the strength of Lou's character. Just like "One Plus One," Moyes has an uncanny ability to create a main character whom you start to inhabit, love, and root for - quirks, frustrations, and flaws included. Lou is real and you can't help but like her. It's a fast read, as well - I tore through it in less than two days. There's a sequel out now, and I'm a little sad that I just put it on hold at the library, and I'll have to wait a while to find out what happens - but perhaps that's for the best.

Anyway, I was definitely drawn in by Lou's voice. A lot of her character and situation hit home, in a weird sort of way - her being trapped in her life by fear and an inability to get out beyond the confines of the life she'd created for herself. Her relationship with Will is a fascinating one, for sure. The ending of the book is tough, and without spoiling anything, leaves you feeling a bit deflated. I felt a lot of complicated emotions about it all, which I suppose is the sign of a good book, but kept me from pushing it up to a full 4-star review. Still, a mesmerizing read.
  
NC
Nightmare City
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


When I read the blurb to Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan, I knew it was a book I had to read! While it wasn't a fantastic read, it was still decent enough.

I think the title of this book suits it quite well. What the main character is in is a city made from his nightmares!

At first I wasn't sure if I liked the cover, but it's kind of grown on me. Now I do like it. I like how we see the monsters coming out of the fog. Definitely creepy!

I thought the world building was done really well. It has a super creepy and sinister feel about it. In fact, the world felt so real at times, it was like I was Tom.

The pacing does let the book down somewhat, I felt. For the first three quarters of the book, I felt that the pacing was a bit slow. In fact, there were times when I would just skim paragraphs as I became bored. However, the pacing did pick up in the last quarter of the book, of which I was thankful. From there until the end, I couldn't put the book down!

I thought the whole idea for the plot was interesting. It's not an original idea, but Klavan put his own spin on it making it a bit different. I'd go into more detail, but I don't want to give any spoilers away. Oh, and as for the mystery part of the book, I would've never guessed who the culprit was! There's no cliff hangers, so I believe this book may just be a stand alone.

I thought all the characters were written superbly! Though most of the book, the only character featured is Tom. Tom seemed to me like a typical 17 year old male. He likes cars and girls, but he also quests for the truth which puts his life in jeopardy. I liked how down to Earth Tom was and how he couldn't be intimidated when it came to letting the truth be known. Even though she isn't featured very much, I did like the character of Lisa. I liked how friendly she was, and I felt like she was just a very warm person. There's also the character of Marie, Tom's crush, which I liked to begin with, but I'm not going to say anything due to spoilers.

The dialogue flowed very well, as did the character interactions. Nothing felt disjointed or awkward at all. There's no swearing in this book and only mild violence.

Overall, Nightmare City is a decent read. The pacing does let it down a bit, but I think most people would like the book.

I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who are fans of horror or those who want to be a bit creeped out.

I'd give Nightmare City by Andrew Klavan a 3.5 out of 5.


(I received a hardback copy of this book for free from booksneeze.com in exchange for a a fair and honest review).
  
Keeping a Warrior (Loving a Warrior #2)
Keeping a Warrior (Loving a Warrior #2)
Melanie Hansen | 2019 | Contemporary, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
stunning foloow up!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 2 in the Loving a Warrior series, but you don’t NEED to have read book one, Loving a Warrior, for this to make sense. But personally, I would recommend you do. Cos I loved that book, and Matt and Shane play a huge part here.

Devon is trailing a path through a man’s world, a path she will not be veered from. But meeting Rhys, and how she connects with him on a very primal level, scares her a bit. When Devon’s full history comes clear, and Rhys’ too, their relationship takes the next step. Temporary, but NOT casual, right?

I loved this book, but equally I struggled with it. I shall attempt to voice why!

At times, I wanted to slap Rhys, I really did! He KNEW he was stringing his ex along, deep down he knew it, but he did nothing to stop it. He answered her calls, her messages, her crying down the phone, and pulled the string along a bit more. He KNEW he had to let her go. But then Devon comes into his life again. They met some 4 years before during an op. And here they are, working together again. And he doesn’t shut Lani down IMMEDIATELY! And I wanted to slap him some more.

He DOES care for Devon, right from the start though, and that makes him really question what he had been doing.

Devon’s trauma doesn’t come clear immediately, it kinda creeps out along the way. And it’s shocking, the level of betrayal she suffered, and it appears MANY women in the armed forces suffer. And I think this is what I found most difficult to deal with. How high up the food chain the covering up goes.

Oh, no, this bit, THIS is what I struggled with the most! Matt and Shane play a HUGE part here. Granted, they spend most of the book either fighting or ignoring each other, trying to find what they really feel for each other but failing miserably. Matt, apparently, said something to Shane. WHAT was said was never explained, and I’ve been trying to recall if this happened in their book, but short of going back to reread (I don’t, nor do I have the time!) I will never know, and I wanted to!

I loved the way Hanssen melds Loving a Warrior into Keeping a Warrior, not just because of Shane and Matt’s part here, but because of that other thing, the thing that I did NOT see coming! Had I read the two books back to back, I might have picked it up way WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY right back at the beginning of the book, but I didn’t, and I was blown away by that little revelation!

Both Devon and Rhys have a say, in the third person. I did not see any spelling or editing to spoil my reading, and I read this book in one sitting, not an easy or short read, but I could NOT put it down!

Who is next? I dunno. Are there more in this series? I hope so! Oh please tell me there will be! It would be great if Matt, Shane, Devon and Rhys all take part too!

Ms Hansen has 9 books (according to Goodreads) and now I’ve read 3. 3 very different, but still amazing books. I want to read the rest of them. I want to start at the beginning and work my way through. I want to follow the path of this author, cos she is on my hit list now!!

5 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**