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Unforgivable Lover (Warriors of Lemuria #5)
Unforgivable Lover (Warriors of Lemuria #5)
Rosalie Redd | 2018 | Paranormal, Romance
8
6.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
sad to say goodbye!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 5 in the series, and you really SHOULD read books 1 through 4 first. The prequel short isn't really necessary though.

Gaetan is the Healer at the Keep. When Noeh's son takes himself through the portal, Gaetan sets out to find him, and ends up saving Nikki from a Gossum attack. But in doing so, sets off a chain of events that will lead to the end of this war.

I have enjoyed this series, and it's always sad to see the end come but I find myself a little disappointed and I have no idea why!

Oh, don't get me wrong, Gaetan and Nikki's story is a good one, and we get why his leg is injured and just why his sister Ginnia, is how she is. Heartbreaking, when Gaetan tells Nikki that. And the Gods on Lemuria play their final pieces, and everything becomes, mostly anyway, clear.

I just ...UGH!!! I just felt, good as it was, it all came to a head far too quickly, and without all the drama I was expecting! Please don't hate me, ya'll know I have to tell you how I FEEL about my books, and this one left me a little wanting. Of WHAT exactly, I've no bloody idea!!

BUT!!!

Besides from the fact this book brings the series to an end, I did enjoy it, and I would still highly recommend this series for those who like paranormal, or fantasy romances.

Always sad to see a series come to an end.

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Home For Christmas (Texas #9)
Home For Christmas (Texas #9)
RJ Scott | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Home For Christmas (Texas #9) by R.J. Scott
Home for Christmas is the ninth book in the Texas series, and we reunite with the Campbell-Hayes clan. It starts with Christmas (obviously) and Connor ready to make his way home. Before he goes though, he has to rescue a friend from a roof. River is blind drunk and speaks about things he had wanted to keep from Connor. Connor decides to throw an intervention, and the story starts.

Connor admits to being a fixer, and he thinks River needs fixing. The only trouble is, he doesn't really know River that well, and therefore has no idea on what to fix.

It was good catching up with the clan again, and I love how Jack and Riley still have their say, and insights, in their children's lives. Personally, I would have liked a bit more about River and his past, his condition, and what it took to move him forward, but this is only a short novel so I guess I can't have everything.

As with all of R.J. Scott's books, this was smoothly written, with some angst, and definitely some sexy times. The characters are wonderful to return to, and the scenery is breathtaking, making me want to see their ranch in real life.

Another winner for this author, and the series. I know this is supposed to be the final book, but is it really...? I hope not! Definitely recommended by me.

* I received a copy of this book 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!
  
Mortal Engines (2018)
Mortal Engines (2018)
2018 | Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Pretty good, but with a few issues
I've been wanting to see this since the first trailer was released, and I'm pleased to say it's actually quite good.

The visuals and CGI are very good, the traction cities and towns look fantastic and they're impressively done. Shouldn't be a surprise considering these have been done by Weta. The plot itself is intriguing and fairly unique as far as apocalyptic futures go, although there are a few plot points that are a bit cliched and reminiscent of other sci-fi/fantasy films - the whole final act/ending being the main example.

Hester Shaw is a very strong heroine and a good lead character, although i think she suffers from some bad scripting. Hugo Weaving is doing his Agent Smith best as the villainous Thaddeus Valentine, he really does know how to play a good bad guy. I'm most impressed however with Robert Sheehan. He's a very underrated actor yet seems to have such range and versatility, from his start in the series Misfits to the creepy Vladek in Fortitude, and then his turn as the dashing hero in this, he really made this film worth watching even if the script wasn't always in his favour. The romance aspect of this film too is also a little too forced and not very subtle, and a little bit predictable.

In short this is an interesting story with a great cast and special effects, that is let down by a patchy script and a few cliches. The next book I have to read is this one, so I'm interested to see how the two compare.
  
Roar: A Story for Every Woman
Roar: A Story for Every Woman
Cecelia Ahearn | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Humor & Comedy
7
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
On the whole, I enjoyed this book of short stories. They’re all stories about women who are unhappy about some aspect of their lives, have lost their way and are working out how to get back. They’re all a bit magical realism, and just plain fantasy sometimes (this is not a bad thing for me, by the way!), and ‘Feminist Aesop’s Fables’ kept popping in to my head. It’s definitely a book to dip in to, and I did so whilst reading other books - I could see that reading all of these in one go could be overwhelming.

I think that these stories have a bit of something for everyone. I didn’t enjoy all of them, but I did have my favourites: The Woman Who Grew Wings is about a woman who flees her country with her family to live in the West, and the negative attitudes of the other mothers at the school gates (they’re not nice people) - this brought me to tears actually. The Woman Who Was Swallowed Up by the Floor and Who Met Lots of Other Women Down There Too - because who HASN’T had this happen to them at least once in their lives?! The Woman Who Ate Photographs was another tear jerker about how visual prompts (the photos) can bring back feelings connected to smell, touch, and the memories of our children before they grew into hairy teenagers (this one did for me, I’m afraid!).

I think all of these stories will resonate with someone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book to read and review.
  
Show all 3 comments.
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ClareR (6062 KP) Nov 13, 2019

@James Koppert now THERE’S an idea!!🤣

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Sarah (7800 KP) Nov 13, 2019

I'm in a phase of reading motivational books at the moment so will have to give this one a go!

Dakota and the American Dream
Dakota and the American Dream
Sameer Garach | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
"Dakota was tired of playing catch with his mother at the park," so he rested on a bench but was soon distracted by a peculiar talking squirrel. Chasing after the strange creature, Dakota finds himself in a fantasy world full of anthropomorphic animals. Before he knows what is happening, Dakota finds himself working for Corporate America with its odd rules and unhappy employees.

The fantasy world of Sameer Garach's Dakota and the American Dream is a satire of modern-day America. From a ten year old's perspective, the short story covers the corporate ladder, hierarchy, racism, discrimination, career success and an extreme love of coffee. Whilst all this is humorous to the adult mind, there is an alarming amount of truth that paints the "American Dream" as a corrupt society.

From the very start, Dakota's experience feels remarkably like Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and could almost be said to be a 21st-century version of the classic children's book. Most of Dakota's story will go over the heads of young readers, however, adults will enjoy the humour and childhood innocence as well as appreciate the connection with their favourite books as a child.

As a parody of both real life and fiction, Dakota and the American Dream is a clever story that entertains and makes you think. Although sometimes extreme, it is amusing to read about everyday life being acted out by squirrels, mice, rats, a cowardly lion, an 800-pound Gorilla and many more bizarre creatures. If the humour and satire was stripped away, we would be left with a child's confusion about the way America works with many things appearing stupid or unfair.