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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2402 KP) rated Clouds in My Coffee in Books
Jun 1, 2022
Who Wants to Kill Ellison?
The benefit that Ellison Russell’s mother has been working on for months is about to happen, and Ellison finds herself as a last-minute host for her aunt and sister, both of whom are in town to show their support. However, it is Ellison who might in danger when someone tries to drop a statue on her. Then they firebomb her house. Ellison doesn’t think anyone is after her, but can she figure out what is going on before she is killed?
It has been far too long since I read the first two books in the series, but that wasn’t an issue when I picked this book up. I was quickly back in Ellison’s world and enjoying every second of it. Between the conversations between the characters and a few incidents, I laughed quite a few times. The plot was a bit more focused on the family drama, which made the mystery weaker than I would normally like, but I was still hooked the entire time, so I didn’t really mind. The characters are strong, and I enjoyed reuniting with them and watching their relationships develop, although I did get annoyed with Ellison’s insistence that she didn’t need protection when she clearly did. The story wanders into some more mature topics – I’d rate this book as PG-13 as a result. The 70’s setting comes to life and adds to the fun. If you are looking for a pleasant trip back to the 70’s, this is the book and series for you.
It has been far too long since I read the first two books in the series, but that wasn’t an issue when I picked this book up. I was quickly back in Ellison’s world and enjoying every second of it. Between the conversations between the characters and a few incidents, I laughed quite a few times. The plot was a bit more focused on the family drama, which made the mystery weaker than I would normally like, but I was still hooked the entire time, so I didn’t really mind. The characters are strong, and I enjoyed reuniting with them and watching their relationships develop, although I did get annoyed with Ellison’s insistence that she didn’t need protection when she clearly did. The story wanders into some more mature topics – I’d rate this book as PG-13 as a result. The 70’s setting comes to life and adds to the fun. If you are looking for a pleasant trip back to the 70’s, this is the book and series for you.
Merissa (13219 KP) rated A Vampire Possessed (Deathless Night #3) in Books
Jun 8, 2023
This is the third book in the series (although I was unaware of that originally) and as such, I do feel like I have missed out on a big chunk of the story. Although this story was pretty much self-contained, there were references made, situations alluded to, and definitely relationships that have happened previously that I had no knowledge of. So, in my opinion, yes - this book could be read as a standalone, but you will benefit more from having read the first two.
Saying that, this is a fast-paced and enjoyable paranormal romance. You have Grace - a witch without seemingly much power, on the run for most of her life. Then you have Aiden - philanderer vampire, happy to go from one to the next without a thought. They are thrown together in unusual circumstances which just take them deeper into demons possessing vampires.
With a supporting cast of wonderful characters, some with their stories already told, some that I would hope still have theirs to come, this story doesn't slack off on its pace, keeping you entertained throughout.
Well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, I would definitely recommend this book, with the proviso that it might be best to read books one and two first.
* 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!
May 7, 2016
Saying that, this is a fast-paced and enjoyable paranormal romance. You have Grace - a witch without seemingly much power, on the run for most of her life. Then you have Aiden - philanderer vampire, happy to go from one to the next without a thought. They are thrown together in unusual circumstances which just take them deeper into demons possessing vampires.
With a supporting cast of wonderful characters, some with their stories already told, some that I would hope still have theirs to come, this story doesn't slack off on its pace, keeping you entertained throughout.
Well-written, with no editing or grammatical errors that I found, I would definitely recommend this book, with the proviso that it might be best to read books one and two first.
* 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!
May 7, 2016
ClareR (5955 KP) rated Thirsty Animals in Books
Jun 25, 2023
I’m really going to have to start rationing my exposure to dystopian fiction. Although to be fair, after reading Thirsty Animals I did try to cut down the time spent in the shower (although I’m pretty sure that’s cancelled out by the marathon-length showers taken by the 19 year old). This is one of those books that is so plausible that you will be thinking about your own impact on the environment. It’s not ‘preachy’ though. It’s just the rather disturbing story of Aida’s life after she is forced to return to her home on a livestock farm (cows and sheep) when water starts to become really scarce - even in Scotland.
Until the point at which Aida goes home, Scotland is one of the last places with running water. But that is about to change.
This isn’t quite Mad Max, although when the water is switched off and people aren’t allowed to move about within Scotland, it does become pretty lawless - as Aida and her family soon find out.
Thirsty Animals is highly likely to be amongst my favourite books this year. Nothing seemed far-fetched, and the relationships were entirely believable. These were people in extremis, and no matter their behaviour, who knows how we would behave in a similar situation in order to keep ourselves and our families alive?
This is certainly a book that has kept me thinking about it for a while after having finished it.
I’m so intrigued where Rachelle Atalla will go next - I’ll certainly be reading it!
Until the point at which Aida goes home, Scotland is one of the last places with running water. But that is about to change.
This isn’t quite Mad Max, although when the water is switched off and people aren’t allowed to move about within Scotland, it does become pretty lawless - as Aida and her family soon find out.
Thirsty Animals is highly likely to be amongst my favourite books this year. Nothing seemed far-fetched, and the relationships were entirely believable. These were people in extremis, and no matter their behaviour, who knows how we would behave in a similar situation in order to keep ourselves and our families alive?
This is certainly a book that has kept me thinking about it for a while after having finished it.
I’m so intrigued where Rachelle Atalla will go next - I’ll certainly be reading it!
Men of Khyber
Book
Jawar Dil is the influential and charismatic leader of a powerful Hindu clan in Khyber. His skill in...
historical fiction
Jasmine's Journey to Jesus
Book
Jasmine’s Journey to Jesus is a powerful and inspirational story of survival, hope, growth and...
Fiction Coming of Age Christian Fiction
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2402 KP) rated Kill or Bee Killed in Books
Jun 5, 2024
Bailey Must Bee Careful
It’s time for the annual Bee Festival in Humble Hills, Colorado. Since Bailey’s Granny Bee is in charge, that means that Bailey will be busy with the week-long festival helping make sure that it runs smoothly. One of the events is a local-restaurant cooking contest, and morning show host Rex Rafferty is coming to town, with a film crew, to host the event. However, Rex is a horrible man, and it isn’t long before Bailey and her best friend, Evie, who is a contestant, are doing all they can to avoid him. Before the contest is over, he’s been murdered. The crew he brought with him seem like obvious suspects, but the evidence seems to point to the event’s contestants. Can Bailey free her friend?
The book starts out a bit slowly, but with a very funny scene. It isn’t long before the plot kicks in and we are meeting the victim and prime suspects. I enjoyed following Bailey as she looked for the killer. The ending was a bit abrupt, but it did answer all of my questions and kept me turning pages. Over the course of the book, we get laughs from characters and other slapstick situations. A few of the characters still don’t get enough page time to develop, but I enjoyed seeing the series regulars again and watching their relationships grow. The suspects are good, but a couple could have used a little more page time. Overall, this is a fun second entry in what is quickly becoming a sweet series.
The book starts out a bit slowly, but with a very funny scene. It isn’t long before the plot kicks in and we are meeting the victim and prime suspects. I enjoyed following Bailey as she looked for the killer. The ending was a bit abrupt, but it did answer all of my questions and kept me turning pages. Over the course of the book, we get laughs from characters and other slapstick situations. A few of the characters still don’t get enough page time to develop, but I enjoyed seeing the series regulars again and watching their relationships grow. The suspects are good, but a couple could have used a little more page time. Overall, this is a fun second entry in what is quickly becoming a sweet series.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2402 KP) rated Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies in Books
Aug 15, 2024
Don’t Bother Booking This Vacation
Eleanor Dash’s first book was an instant best seller. It was inspired by a trip she took to Rome, and she fictionalized parts of it. She just didn’t change the hero’s name, and ever since, her ex, Connor Smith, has been worming his way into her life. Ten years later, Eleanor is planning to kill him off – at least in her next book. However, someone seems determined to do it in real life on a trip they are both on to celebrate ten years of her series. Can she figure out what is going on?
The premise of this one sounded fun, and I was intrigued when I heard that there are footnotes in the book. Sadly, the footnotes didn’t add anything; in fact, they came across as self-indulgent at times and lazy at others, like when the author put character descriptions in them. And I’ll call out the foul language, which was especially excessive at the beginning. (See your footnote complaining about calling out foul language didn’t work.) The characters were shallow, and some of their relationships and issues seems like issues that could have been resolved quickly. Eleanor herself doesn’t seem to fit her backstory. Yes, the characters grew, but it wasn’t quite enough for me. The pacing in the book was off as well, although there were some good twists. I did enjoy the virtual trip to Italy. In the end, this book wasn’t nearly as clever as it thought it was, so the result wasn’t as entertaining as I hoped it would be.
The premise of this one sounded fun, and I was intrigued when I heard that there are footnotes in the book. Sadly, the footnotes didn’t add anything; in fact, they came across as self-indulgent at times and lazy at others, like when the author put character descriptions in them. And I’ll call out the foul language, which was especially excessive at the beginning. (See your footnote complaining about calling out foul language didn’t work.) The characters were shallow, and some of their relationships and issues seems like issues that could have been resolved quickly. Eleanor herself doesn’t seem to fit her backstory. Yes, the characters grew, but it wasn’t quite enough for me. The pacing in the book was off as well, although there were some good twists. I did enjoy the virtual trip to Italy. In the end, this book wasn’t nearly as clever as it thought it was, so the result wasn’t as entertaining as I hoped it would be.
Merissa (13219 KP) rated Lustful Nights (Peaches #1) in Books
Apr 14, 2025
LUSTFUL NIGHTS is the first book in the Peaches series and features Lennox and Jensen, plus a whole host of other brilliant characters.
Lennox has gone back to school to get his nursing degree. To support that, he works at Peaches as a dancer a few nights a week. Jensen is Lennox's big brother, Nick's, best friend who gets the shock of a lifetime when he sees Lennox dance, especially because it wakes something up inside him.
This is a fun and sassy low angst story between the two of them. The angst comes into how they tell Nick about their relationship. Lennox has had a bad run of relationships in the past, so his friends are concerned when they find out he's dating someone secretly. Jensen, however, is a cutie-patootie who goes full steam ahead for what, or who, he wants. The thing I loved the most is that although the steam comes off the page for these two, you also get the emotional connection. Jensen is everything Lennox needs, and vice versa.
The pacing is very smooth and all the characters are brilliantly written. It is Preston's turn next and I can't wait to see what happens with him. I really hope Jonas plays a part. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me and I can't wait to read 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 4, 2025
Lennox has gone back to school to get his nursing degree. To support that, he works at Peaches as a dancer a few nights a week. Jensen is Lennox's big brother, Nick's, best friend who gets the shock of a lifetime when he sees Lennox dance, especially because it wakes something up inside him.
This is a fun and sassy low angst story between the two of them. The angst comes into how they tell Nick about their relationship. Lennox has had a bad run of relationships in the past, so his friends are concerned when they find out he's dating someone secretly. Jensen, however, is a cutie-patootie who goes full steam ahead for what, or who, he wants. The thing I loved the most is that although the steam comes off the page for these two, you also get the emotional connection. Jensen is everything Lennox needs, and vice versa.
The pacing is very smooth and all the characters are brilliantly written. It is Preston's turn next and I can't wait to see what happens with him. I really hope Jonas plays a part. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me and I can't wait to read 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 4, 2025
Nine-Tenths
8.0
Rate It
Book
Colin Levesque is at loose ends. He's finished university, but has no career; he adores romance...
MM Urban Fantasy Romance
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2402 KP) rated Throne of Threats in Books
Jun 13, 2025
You Are Cordially Invited to a … Kidnapping
Jax is just days away from the event we’ve been waiting for almost as much as she has – her wedding to the youngest son of a ruler of a neighboring kingdom. With friends and family coming in a couple of days before the big event, and a couple of days before the rest of the guests, Jax is hoping for some relaxing before she has to play hostess and politics with her guests. But when Uma, her lady in waiting, goes to pick up the flowers a couple of days before, she is kidnapped. With only a cryptic clue to guide her, can Jax find Uma and rescue her? And will this latest case hurt her relationships with those she loves most?
Any fan of the series has been looking forward to the events of this book. The beginning takes a bit of time getting to the story. Part of that is set up, but some is just general updates on the characters and the realm. Once the kidnapping happens, the pace doesn’t let up. I loved how things came together. I also loved getting to spend time with these characters again. They truly are fun. Reactions to the events of the story felt realistic, and part of that is because of elements from the past books that are mentioned in passing. It feels like we’ve turned a page in the series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Any fan of the series has been looking forward to the events of this book. The beginning takes a bit of time getting to the story. Part of that is set up, but some is just general updates on the characters and the realm. Once the kidnapping happens, the pace doesn’t let up. I loved how things came together. I also loved getting to spend time with these characters again. They truly are fun. Reactions to the events of the story felt realistic, and part of that is because of elements from the past books that are mentioned in passing. It feels like we’ve turned a page in the series, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.