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The Positive Psychology Podcast - Bringing the Science of Happiness to your Earbuds with Kristen Truempy
Podcast
The science of the good life, huh? Sorry this is not about booze, sex and rock n'roll (or whatever...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Cade (The Society #1) in Books
Jun 9, 2021
83 of 250
Kindle
Cade ( The Society book 1)
By Mason Sabre
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
The first heart-pounding instalment in Mason Sabre's Paranormal and Urban Fantasy, Society Series. What seems like an innocent run in the woods, might just end Cade MacDonald's life...
Cade MacDonald is a man who has always had a sense of right and wrong. He fights for justice and does not back down in the face of danger. As a member of Others, a supernatural race of powerful, fierce shifters, who do not accept or sympathise with any Humans, or any race other than their own, he now finds himself in a battle with the Other Society’s leaders as they oppose his attempt to save the life of a young half-breed.
Fighting to do the right thing, Cade is simultaneously faced with the unexpected attraction he feels for his best friend’s sister. Having grown up with Gemma, he is confused and torn at the strong pull of his wolf towards this beautiful tiger.
Willing to accept any repercussions of his rebellious actions, will he go as far as to lose the love of his life in the process?
While on the whole I did enjoy this and it was better written than most shifters books I’ve read in the past I found it lacking something. The characters felt really stiff and sometimes forced. I do think it shows promise and like I said I did enjoy it overall.
Kindle
Cade ( The Society book 1)
By Mason Sabre
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
The first heart-pounding instalment in Mason Sabre's Paranormal and Urban Fantasy, Society Series. What seems like an innocent run in the woods, might just end Cade MacDonald's life...
Cade MacDonald is a man who has always had a sense of right and wrong. He fights for justice and does not back down in the face of danger. As a member of Others, a supernatural race of powerful, fierce shifters, who do not accept or sympathise with any Humans, or any race other than their own, he now finds himself in a battle with the Other Society’s leaders as they oppose his attempt to save the life of a young half-breed.
Fighting to do the right thing, Cade is simultaneously faced with the unexpected attraction he feels for his best friend’s sister. Having grown up with Gemma, he is confused and torn at the strong pull of his wolf towards this beautiful tiger.
Willing to accept any repercussions of his rebellious actions, will he go as far as to lose the love of his life in the process?
While on the whole I did enjoy this and it was better written than most shifters books I’ve read in the past I found it lacking something. The characters felt really stiff and sometimes forced. I do think it shows promise and like I said I did enjoy it overall.
Merissa (12894 KP) rated Cursed by Fate (Between Ruin and Salvation #1) in Books
Apr 12, 2023
CURSED BY FATE is the first of four books in the Between Ruin and Salvation series and it starts off slow enough that you can figure out just who is who and what is going on, without being thrown in the deep end. It is a start that builds up momentum until you are left gasping at the cliffhanger. And what a cliffhanger it is.
I was thoroughly engrossed with the story, watching how the characters changed and grew as the situation changed. And how much did I curse at my Kindle when Ava and Makaii didn't meet when I wanted them to, or in the circumstances I wanted? One thing I loved was Ava's relationship with Derek. Seeing how it changed between them into something neither of them expected was fantastic. I'm now holding onto hope that Ava and Makaii will get their HEA without too many more horrible decisions and stubbornness getting in their way.
A strong, capable female MC with a ton of bad situations. Two adorable male MCs and a triangle that I've never had before. (And I don't even like triangles but this one had me intrigued!) And kick-ass witches that I want more from. This was an amazing start to a brilliant series and I can't wait to read more. 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
March 7, 2023
I was thoroughly engrossed with the story, watching how the characters changed and grew as the situation changed. And how much did I curse at my Kindle when Ava and Makaii didn't meet when I wanted them to, or in the circumstances I wanted? One thing I loved was Ava's relationship with Derek. Seeing how it changed between them into something neither of them expected was fantastic. I'm now holding onto hope that Ava and Makaii will get their HEA without too many more horrible decisions and stubbornness getting in their way.
A strong, capable female MC with a ton of bad situations. Two adorable male MCs and a triangle that I've never had before. (And I don't even like triangles but this one had me intrigued!) And kick-ass witches that I want more from. This was an amazing start to a brilliant series and I can't wait to read more. 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
March 7, 2023
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2346 KP) rated A Streetcar Named Murder in Books
Dec 15, 2022
Promising First Draft, but Needed Lots of Work
Valerie Cooper is facing changes in her life. A young widow, her twin sons are now off at college, and she struggling to fill her days. An unexpected letter reveals she’s inherited the estate of one of her late husband’s great uncles, a man that Valerie didn’t know existed. The inheritance includes an antique shop. Meanwhile, Valerie attends a Halloween costume ball, but the night ends when she finds a woman she knows stabbed to death outside the dance. What is going on?
I sat down to read this hoping to find a new series I’d enjoy. Sadly, it was very disappointing. The author tried for something different when it came to the plot, which I appreciate, but the result wasn’t plotted well at all but did pick up in the second half. It wasn’t helped by Valerie’s constant reflections on her life before her husband died and questioning why she’d never heard of this great uncle. While this is important for Valerie’s character growth, it got to be a bit much. Unfortunately, the ARC I read was also riddled with errors that should have been caught in editing, some of which made me question if what I saw from the suspects was the suspects hiding something or the sloppy editing. Meanwhile, the author goes too far in making the victim unlikeable, turning her one dimensional. I did like Valerie and her family and friends. But there is not enough good here to recommend the book.
I sat down to read this hoping to find a new series I’d enjoy. Sadly, it was very disappointing. The author tried for something different when it came to the plot, which I appreciate, but the result wasn’t plotted well at all but did pick up in the second half. It wasn’t helped by Valerie’s constant reflections on her life before her husband died and questioning why she’d never heard of this great uncle. While this is important for Valerie’s character growth, it got to be a bit much. Unfortunately, the ARC I read was also riddled with errors that should have been caught in editing, some of which made me question if what I saw from the suspects was the suspects hiding something or the sloppy editing. Meanwhile, the author goes too far in making the victim unlikeable, turning her one dimensional. I did like Valerie and her family and friends. But there is not enough good here to recommend the book.
Debbiereadsbook (1437 KP) rated King of the Mountain (Love at Lake Clyde #1) in Books
Oct 13, 2023
quite the betrayal I saw coming.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I liked this, I liked it a lot.
Clifford is racing in his final Tour de France, he needs total focus on winning. Meeting the lost student in Paris throws him, but Gabe pushes buttons he didn't know needed pushing, at least, not for a long LONG time. Can they see it through, for Clifford to win his final tour and then be with Gabe?
I found this quite an easy read, but I needed that right now. It flows and ebbs, as does the relationship between Clifford and Gabe. The big gap in the time line was necessary, I think, for them to fully recover from France, and be open to moving on.
That things were conspiring against them was obvious, but just how far that conspiracy and plan went was quite the betrayal. I liked that I saw that coming, to be honest. Something was said, and I had alarm bells ringing, much as Clifford did but I put the pieces together faster than he did.
I liked how things sorted themselves out, in the end.
It was, like I said, an easy read. Some steam and smexy times, some drama and some emotional times.
If I reading things correctly, this is the author's first book under this name. I'd like to follow them as they hone their craft.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
I liked this, I liked it a lot.
Clifford is racing in his final Tour de France, he needs total focus on winning. Meeting the lost student in Paris throws him, but Gabe pushes buttons he didn't know needed pushing, at least, not for a long LONG time. Can they see it through, for Clifford to win his final tour and then be with Gabe?
I found this quite an easy read, but I needed that right now. It flows and ebbs, as does the relationship between Clifford and Gabe. The big gap in the time line was necessary, I think, for them to fully recover from France, and be open to moving on.
That things were conspiring against them was obvious, but just how far that conspiracy and plan went was quite the betrayal. I liked that I saw that coming, to be honest. Something was said, and I had alarm bells ringing, much as Clifford did but I put the pieces together faster than he did.
I liked how things sorted themselves out, in the end.
It was, like I said, an easy read. Some steam and smexy times, some drama and some emotional times.
If I reading things correctly, this is the author's first book under this name. I'd like to follow them as they hone their craft.
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated Copycat in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Sometimes you come across a really easy to read and exciting thriller novel, that doesn’t take up too much head space, and is alotta fun… Copycat is exactly that! This one really helped me out of a reading slump, hallelujah!
I can’t turn around to you and say this is the most menacing, gripping and terrific thriller I’ve ever read, but I can say that it’s worth picking up if you’re looking for a non-challenging but exciting read.
The characters in this one are nicely developed, but there was a bit of a lack of connection between me and our main character Sarah. I think if I’d been able to get to know her better, I might have had more sympathy for her in parts, but alas. I found a lot of the family related situations to be very realistic, and liked the dynamic between husband and wife.
As for the rest of the story, the plot wasn’t particularly realistic, but that didn’t ruin the book in any way. Sometimes you just need a story to take you away from real life and give you a fun fictional tale to follow. Now, just because I didn’t feel like this one was extremely realistic, doesn’t mean I didn’t find parts of it creepy! Some of the “stalkers” ploys at getting Sarah nervous and afraid were really creative and menacing!
In the end, I had guessed how the story was going to play out, but I didn’t have a reason as to why it was going to play out that way. Even though I had my theory on the “stalker”, which turned out to be correct, I didn’t find this took away from the excitement of the end of the novel. I still got to enjoy the now knowing of how the book was going to conclude.
Overall, I really enjoyed this thriller and would definitely say it’s one to look out for if you’re looking for something a little less challenging, but still just as exciting to read as some other darker, more meaningful thrillers on the market (like Watching Edie or My Sister’s Bones, for example).
Thanks to HarperCollins for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I can’t turn around to you and say this is the most menacing, gripping and terrific thriller I’ve ever read, but I can say that it’s worth picking up if you’re looking for a non-challenging but exciting read.
The characters in this one are nicely developed, but there was a bit of a lack of connection between me and our main character Sarah. I think if I’d been able to get to know her better, I might have had more sympathy for her in parts, but alas. I found a lot of the family related situations to be very realistic, and liked the dynamic between husband and wife.
As for the rest of the story, the plot wasn’t particularly realistic, but that didn’t ruin the book in any way. Sometimes you just need a story to take you away from real life and give you a fun fictional tale to follow. Now, just because I didn’t feel like this one was extremely realistic, doesn’t mean I didn’t find parts of it creepy! Some of the “stalkers” ploys at getting Sarah nervous and afraid were really creative and menacing!
In the end, I had guessed how the story was going to play out, but I didn’t have a reason as to why it was going to play out that way. Even though I had my theory on the “stalker”, which turned out to be correct, I didn’t find this took away from the excitement of the end of the novel. I still got to enjoy the now knowing of how the book was going to conclude.
Overall, I really enjoyed this thriller and would definitely say it’s one to look out for if you’re looking for something a little less challenging, but still just as exciting to read as some other darker, more meaningful thrillers on the market (like Watching Edie or My Sister’s Bones, for example).
Thanks to HarperCollins for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Debbiereadsbook (1437 KP) rated The Color of Summer in Books
May 30, 2019
bloody loved it!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Max returns home to open his tattoo studio and to be closer to his mum. On the way he gets stopped speeding, by his best friend's older brother, Tyler. While Max has immediate attraction to Tyler, Tyler is straight and tells him so. But there is . .something . . between them, and as the summer begins, the relationship grows. Can Tyler be a cop in a small town, who is gay?
I might gush about this book, just a heads up! Cos I bloody LOVED it!
Max returns to his home town after his mum has a stroke. He wants to be closer while she recovers. And he wants his own tattoo studio so combines the two plans into one. Meeting Tyler throws Max for a loop, cos he never really noticed Tyler before, you know? He was just Shane's big brother, is all. But now, the man did grow up good and proper and he pushes all of Max' buttons.
Tyler is just plodding along, bringing up his daughter with the help of his family. Catching up with Max was fun, and Tyler really needs a friend. But his long suppressed attraction to men, and to Max in particular begins to resurface, Tyler doesn't want Max as a friend, he WANTS Max. He has his daughter the think about, though, and his job as deputy, and his brother's reaction to finding out.
I really LOVED this, it fell on my kindle just when I needed it to and I devoured it. That's the only word I can find: devoured.
I went to bed to read a few chapters and the next thing I know, it was 1am and I had finished. It's not a short book, 230 odd pages, but it felt a lot less. A sign of a good, nay, GREAT book, that; that it doesn't seem as long as it really is!
Both Max and Tyler have a say, in the third. Both voices are clear and different and they tell their story incredibly well.
It has a good deal of angst/drama but they aren't really the right words for it. It's more soul searching, maybe? I dunno, hate not finding the right words. It has a LOT of emotion, both for Max and Tyler, from very different points of view. There is a huge family network too, who see, you know, they SEE what Max feels for Tyler, even if they haven't figured that out themselves yet!
It's not overly explicit, but I don't think it needs to be. It's hot and sexy though! The relationship between Max and Tyler moves along at a steady pace, both the emotional connection adn the physical one. I liked being made to wait a while!
I've only read one other book by Ms Martin, and that book didn't quite work for me but THIS one? I freaking loved it and it just goes to show, you can't love every book and just because one book by an author doesn't work for you, it doesn't mean they ALL won't.
So, because I loved it, because I read it in one sitting, just because its my review and I CAN . . .
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Max returns home to open his tattoo studio and to be closer to his mum. On the way he gets stopped speeding, by his best friend's older brother, Tyler. While Max has immediate attraction to Tyler, Tyler is straight and tells him so. But there is . .something . . between them, and as the summer begins, the relationship grows. Can Tyler be a cop in a small town, who is gay?
I might gush about this book, just a heads up! Cos I bloody LOVED it!
Max returns to his home town after his mum has a stroke. He wants to be closer while she recovers. And he wants his own tattoo studio so combines the two plans into one. Meeting Tyler throws Max for a loop, cos he never really noticed Tyler before, you know? He was just Shane's big brother, is all. But now, the man did grow up good and proper and he pushes all of Max' buttons.
Tyler is just plodding along, bringing up his daughter with the help of his family. Catching up with Max was fun, and Tyler really needs a friend. But his long suppressed attraction to men, and to Max in particular begins to resurface, Tyler doesn't want Max as a friend, he WANTS Max. He has his daughter the think about, though, and his job as deputy, and his brother's reaction to finding out.
I really LOVED this, it fell on my kindle just when I needed it to and I devoured it. That's the only word I can find: devoured.
I went to bed to read a few chapters and the next thing I know, it was 1am and I had finished. It's not a short book, 230 odd pages, but it felt a lot less. A sign of a good, nay, GREAT book, that; that it doesn't seem as long as it really is!
Both Max and Tyler have a say, in the third. Both voices are clear and different and they tell their story incredibly well.
It has a good deal of angst/drama but they aren't really the right words for it. It's more soul searching, maybe? I dunno, hate not finding the right words. It has a LOT of emotion, both for Max and Tyler, from very different points of view. There is a huge family network too, who see, you know, they SEE what Max feels for Tyler, even if they haven't figured that out themselves yet!
It's not overly explicit, but I don't think it needs to be. It's hot and sexy though! The relationship between Max and Tyler moves along at a steady pace, both the emotional connection adn the physical one. I liked being made to wait a while!
I've only read one other book by Ms Martin, and that book didn't quite work for me but THIS one? I freaking loved it and it just goes to show, you can't love every book and just because one book by an author doesn't work for you, it doesn't mean they ALL won't.
So, because I loved it, because I read it in one sitting, just because its my review and I CAN . . .
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Twi & English Bible Offline
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The only Offline Holy Bible in Twi (Ghana) and English that talks to you! Twi Bible is complete with...
Merissa (12894 KP) rated Maxim (Fueled By Lust #6) in Books
Apr 11, 2023
This is the sixth book in the series and by now, Maxim has established himself as the joker of the pack. He really should know, though, that this mating business isn't all about fun and laughter although this does indeed play a big part in Celeste's books. This book actually goes a fair way before Maxim makes an entrance but it is necessary to learn about Skylar, who she is, and how she thinks, but we don't learn all about her right then. We learn snippets along with Maxim as the story progresses. She's had it tough (understatement) but is still surviving. She is comfortable with who she is but is no wilting wallflower. She is feisty, with a wicked sense of humour and prepared to stand up for herself and those under her protection. Basically, a perfect match for Maxim!
This is a fast-paced book (or maybe it was the speed that I was reading as I simply could not put it down!) with an incredible storyline that involves spoilt, little rich men, psychic abilities, and even the gods. There is never a dull moment and plenty of laughter along the way.
I love the relationship that Maxim has with his brothers and this is evident in the book. The relationship between Maxim and Skylar is both fast and slow. The attraction is instant (as Maxim finds out in the airport) but the rest of it, with love and trust being the biggies, takes time to develop. I loved the explanation given by Skylar about insta-love!
This book has it all for me - action, adventure, a hot alpha male, a smart and feisty female, and sex that scorches the pages. The only trouble I have is leaving the Insedi behind. I feel the need to re-read every one of these books again and I don't say that about every book I read!
* 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!
December 19, 2018
This is a fast-paced book (or maybe it was the speed that I was reading as I simply could not put it down!) with an incredible storyline that involves spoilt, little rich men, psychic abilities, and even the gods. There is never a dull moment and plenty of laughter along the way.
I love the relationship that Maxim has with his brothers and this is evident in the book. The relationship between Maxim and Skylar is both fast and slow. The attraction is instant (as Maxim finds out in the airport) but the rest of it, with love and trust being the biggies, takes time to develop. I loved the explanation given by Skylar about insta-love!
This book has it all for me - action, adventure, a hot alpha male, a smart and feisty female, and sex that scorches the pages. The only trouble I have is leaving the Insedi behind. I feel the need to re-read every one of these books again and I don't say that about every book I read!
* 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!
December 19, 2018