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Frozen Flowers Fallen (Gen-Heirs World: Bella and the Beast Master)
Frozen Flowers Fallen (Gen-Heirs World: Bella and the Beast Master)
Sarah Westill | 2022 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
An intense, slow-burn romance with a dash of suspense that is absolutely brilliant!
FROZEN FLOWERS FALLEN is the first book in the Gen-Heirs World: Bella and the Beast Master series. It's a quick read that takes you back to Sziveria where Gen-talents are held so highly.

Now, I'm warning you now, I have loved The Guardians of Sziveria series so this review is probably biased! What can I say? You've already seen it's got 5-stars!

Bella is a clerk with no apparent Gen-talent, thus making her invisible and beneath notice to some of the Guardians around. However, Bella has a brain and isn't afraid to use it - so long as it doesn't put her in the spotlight. When Markus shows up, he is intrigued by this clerk who has put together more of a case than the Guardians he is supposed to be working with.

What follows is an intense, slow-burn romance with a dash of suspense, with the main two characters jumping off the page but fully supported by the other characters. The ending is superb but will definitely leave you wanting more.

I honestly can't wait to continue this series. What an absolutely cracking start! I need more of Bella, Markus, and Lunah in my life. HIGHLY recommended by me.

** 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!
  
Braided Dimensions (Braided Dimensions #1)
Braided Dimensions (Braided Dimensions #1)
Marie Judson | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
BRAIDED DIMENSIONS is the first book in the series of the same name. We meet Kay, an ex-professor now working in a job she dislikes. She is a loner and drifting. One Halloween, she goes out and enjoys herself. When she decides to have her own garden patch, she meets the same people and now has her own little group. On her way home from the Halloween night out, something strange happens to her, leading her down a rabbit hole into ancient Wales.

One thing I need to mention first... it is SO good to read something set in Wales rather than Ireland! I have nothing against Ireland, but there are other Celtic countries out there, although you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

This was an enjoyable story that took place both in the present and the past. I love the group of friends Kay has. It is full of paganism and mysticism, although written as both specialised and general day-to-day knowledge. The blending of the two lives is well-written, giving the reader Kay's sense of confusion as she tries to understand what is happening.

This is definitely a series so be prepared to be left with questions at the end, which will leave you wanting more.

** 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!
Apr 15, 2024
  
Before I Let Go
Before I Let Go
Marieke Nijkamp | 2018 | Mystery, Young Adult (YA)
8
6.7 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp
Before I Let Go is the second book by Marieke Nijkamp I have read, albeit a very different story to the first. In this one, we travel with Corey back to her home village, where she had lived until a few months ago. We find out about her best friend, the one who never quite fitted in, Kyra. Now it is Corey who doesn't fit in, and she works hard to find out what happened to Kyra, who seems to have turned into the town's Oracle.

This is a great story, with an original storyline, and intrigue enough to delight anyone. It is also very sad, as we learn about Kyra, and what happened to her. Corey has to deal with a lot, the least of which knowing that she let her best friend down when she needed her the most. The town is not one that I would want to be visiting!

Well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed, I was nonetheless confused by the script that appeared in the middle for no apparent reason. I couldn't see any reason for needing it like that, unless it was to just discombobulate the reader even more - in which case, it worked.

If you are looking for a mystery, with a hint of the supernatural, then I can definitely recommend this book.

* 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!
  
DL
Dead Letter Office
6
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review

This book started off with great promise, but for me went downhill rather quickly. I love the idea of a young girl dealing with the loss of losing her father, and moving to a new place; however, the story began to seem extremely far fetched when the ghost started coming into play. I had trouble understanding how the person murdered now was related to the past, and that never really seemed to be explained at all. I guess you just have to accept that its paranormal and that's all there is to it.

Celia, is a very well written character, and its really easy to like her and root for her. Regardless of the way she acts, she means well, and cares about others. I even cried when she received closure at the end in regards to her father's death. It was very moving. Donovan and Tilly were very one dimensional and I would have loved to learn more information about these characters.

I think the thing that in essence killed this book for me was that it was a choose your own adventure book. I think if the fates of the characters had been decided and the book written as normal it would have been more exciting for me. I do have to admit that this book did remind me of reading the choose your own adventure books I read as a kid.

I might be inclined to read more books in this series to see how the characters develop. I gave it 3 stars out of 5.
  
To the Boys Who Wear Pink
To the Boys Who Wear Pink
Revan Badingham III | 2020 | LGBTQ+
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
To The Boys Who Wear Pink is a standalone novel that details the lives of seven (sometimes eight) men from individual points of view through current time and flashbacks. Most of them were at the same school and we find out what their lives were like, who they were with etc. And then they grow up and a tragedy occurs. It is only about three-quarters through the book when you actually get the full picture but the hints are definitely enough to keep you turning the pages.

This is a dark story, with many subjects such as being overweight, drug use, excessive drinking, self harm, and rape being covered in personal histories. Although I personally didn't like some of the characters, I thought the way they were written was simply brilliant.

There is no HEA in this book. It would be wrong to have one. I'm not actually sure about the ending. It was right in one way but... I don't know. Some of the characters I was happy with how their story ended (for now) and some I wanted more for them. I'll leave it to you to figure out which was which.

This is a great read, told from many differing perspectives, and no, it doesn't always make sense. What does if you are drunk or on drugs? However, the overall effect was one I thoroughly enjoyed and therefore I have no hesitation in recommending this book.

* 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!
  
Touch of Magic (Charmed Matchmaker #1)
Touch of Magic (Charmed Matchmaker #1)
Jules Featherstone | 2012 | Erotica, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
TOUCH OF MAGIC is the debut novel by Jules Featherstone and features an established Reverse Harem set up with hedgewitch Nya as the main female character. She is trying to reestablish her career after something went horribly wrong but it is harder than she realises.

When I started this book, I ended up looking to see if there was a book (or two) prior to this one that I had missed. Although this is the first book in the series, it doesn't read that way. I do like how they are all set up and happy but I did find myself missing the original romances. I mean, you do find out how each of them met and in what order, etc., but it did make me wonder why?

The world-building is good, with just enough details given so you know that paranormals are now openly living among 'normal' humans but some have a hard time with it. There is some character development for each of the characters but mainly for Logan as he is the main male in this story. The pacing of this story is smooth, with plenty of action taking place in and out of the sheets. Sometimes this helps to move the story along, sometimes it's just for fun.

This is the start of the series and it leaves me intrigued enough to want to carry on with this series. Definitely recommended by me. Sweet, sensual, and steamy - all in one.

* 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!
  
Inconceivable (Little Black Box #1)
Inconceivable (Little Black Box #1)
Cherrie Mack | 2015 | Contemporary, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is Cinderella with a twist. Instead of poor Cinders being all nice, we have one full of attitude and a 'woe is me' attitude. Now, don't get me wrong, Allie has had a rough time of it recently. She has lost her mother and her soon-to-be stepfather. Then along comes the wicked stepmother and the haughty stepsister, so she feels like she's entitled to have her very own pity party. She finally opens up the little black box which is the only thing she inherited and goes off to find out what the address holds. What she finds is a tattooed and pierced fairy god... father who is determined to help her find happiness, even if he has to do it with her kicking and screaming.

I'll be honest, I couldn't understand Allie's opinions about Angelo but understood the reasoning, and the lesson she had to learn, behind them. She has a lot of lessons to learn, not only about who she is, but how she views people, what will really make her happy, how she behaves towards others etc.

This is a simple story, elegantly told, and it was very easy to slip between the pages and get carried away with the story. I'm a sucker for a HEA, but who was it between? Read it and find out for yourself. Definitely recommended and looking forward to the second in the series.

* 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 4, 2015
  
Codename Villanelle (Killing Eve #1)
Codename Villanelle (Killing Eve #1)
Luke Jennings | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.6 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Having read this book previously, I knew that I was going to enjoy it whilst refreshing my memory to continue the series, but I forgot just how much I enjoyed it the first time around.
I love the Killing Eve TV show that is based on the books and that’s what drew me to the books in the first place, but I find that these are so much better (as is usually the way when things are adapted for TV series or films). The book goes into so much more depth about who Villanelle is and who she was before she became the lethal assassin that we now know her as.
Villanelle has quite a few flashbacks of her previous life which gives us the insight into how she came to be and how she came to choose her new name. I find it fascinating reading through her flashbacks as it shows you exactly what shaped her growing up and that becoming an assassin actually saved her from a worse fate.
We also meet Eve and follow her through a number of cases before she settles on a female assassin that is killing people who don’t seem to be connected. Towards the end of the book we meet her full team, who I think will play a prominent part in the sequel book.
I’m so glad that I decided to refresh my memory by reading this book again before starting on the second in the series. Luke Jenning’s writing flows beautifully that I couldn’t put this book down and read it in one sitting.