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Kate (493 KP) rated Myra's Dilemma #1 in Books
Jul 27, 2020
The story was short but it is part of a series so it didn't put me off. It was nice to read a book quite relatable in the way that the main character hadn't had much in love and found someone as she felt she was getting older and knew she needed to settle down. I wasn't keen on the way the writer kept mentioning the weight of the main character especially when it was repeatedly mentioned how beautiful she was. I understand the whole 'love yourself whatever your size' motto but I feel it was mentioned too much.
It is my type of book - romance.
I was hooked from the start and found the book really easy to get into.
I understood what the characters were like from the way they spoke.
As the book was so short I didn't connected to the characters and I didn't felt they moved me or grew in the book. This may change through the series.
The story is definitely aimed at women in their late 20s onwards.
I would read the other books in the series and I would recommend to others.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
It is my type of book - romance.
I was hooked from the start and found the book really easy to get into.
I understood what the characters were like from the way they spoke.
As the book was so short I didn't connected to the characters and I didn't felt they moved me or grew in the book. This may change through the series.
The story is definitely aimed at women in their late 20s onwards.
I would read the other books in the series and I would recommend to others.
I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The year’s best Fantasy and Horrror 2006 19th annual collection in Books
Dec 19, 2021
208 of 250
Book
The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 19th annual collection
An anthology of stories edited by Ellen Datlow, Gavin J Grant and Kelly Link
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
The legendary anthology is back, with witches and warlocks, fairy rings and gothic tales. The Years Best Fantasy and Horror 2006 presents the best short stories and poetry published in this genre, and takes readers into the most fantastic realms imaginable. Culled from thousands of annuals, acclaimed writers and genre specialists Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link and Gavin Grant offer a broad range of fantastical and horrific fiction, including work from Jeffery Ford, China Miville, Bruce Sterling, Mark Samuels, Barbara Rhoden and many more. In addition, this critically renowned series offers an extensive overview of the year in fantasy and horror. The Years Best Fantasy and Horror 2006 is the best source for fans or nascent readers of fantasy and horror.
There weren’t many that I actually enjoyed reading if I’m completely honest. Loved Adam Nevill’s short but this is one I’ve read a few times. These are great for finding authors I have a few on my tbr list now. Overall it was very average.
Book
The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 19th annual collection
An anthology of stories edited by Ellen Datlow, Gavin J Grant and Kelly Link
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
The legendary anthology is back, with witches and warlocks, fairy rings and gothic tales. The Years Best Fantasy and Horror 2006 presents the best short stories and poetry published in this genre, and takes readers into the most fantastic realms imaginable. Culled from thousands of annuals, acclaimed writers and genre specialists Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link and Gavin Grant offer a broad range of fantastical and horrific fiction, including work from Jeffery Ford, China Miville, Bruce Sterling, Mark Samuels, Barbara Rhoden and many more. In addition, this critically renowned series offers an extensive overview of the year in fantasy and horror. The Years Best Fantasy and Horror 2006 is the best source for fans or nascent readers of fantasy and horror.
There weren’t many that I actually enjoyed reading if I’m completely honest. Loved Adam Nevill’s short but this is one I’ve read a few times. These are great for finding authors I have a few on my tbr list now. Overall it was very average.
Merissa (13409 KP) rated Bearly There (City Shifters #1) in Books
May 24, 2023
This is a short but sweet shifter book, without much shifting! It is funny and full of quips between the main characters - Jagger and Kevin. I love Jagger's sister, Syn, as she has a warped view and doesn't have any doubts about speaking her mind.
Jagger is stuck in a job he likes but isn't appreciated. Kevin is literally stuck as a human, unable to shift at all, since he has been cursed. Jagger doesn't believe that Kevin has been cursed, but he does believe that Kevin believes it. This is a big distinction to make in a book this short and funny. So many times, things are dismissed just because one person doesn't believe it. That doesn't make it any less real for the person who does believe, so I loved that this had been put there and that Jagger gives Kevin his full support.
Full of warmth, love and laughter, this book was thoroughly enjoyable and I can't wait to read more about the City Shifters. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Mar 1, 2016
Jagger is stuck in a job he likes but isn't appreciated. Kevin is literally stuck as a human, unable to shift at all, since he has been cursed. Jagger doesn't believe that Kevin has been cursed, but he does believe that Kevin believes it. This is a big distinction to make in a book this short and funny. So many times, things are dismissed just because one person doesn't believe it. That doesn't make it any less real for the person who does believe, so I loved that this had been put there and that Jagger gives Kevin his full support.
Full of warmth, love and laughter, this book was thoroughly enjoyable and I can't wait to read more about the City Shifters. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Mar 1, 2016
Debbiereadsbook (1557 KP) rated Forbidden Lust (Sinful Knights) in Books
Jun 16, 2025
too short but steamy!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is the first I've read of Mr Takely and I do think I might read some more. I liked this, a lot.
Written from both Josh (not Joshua!) and Daniel's point of view, it tells of falling in love with quite possibly the most forbidden person: the son of your best friend. Cos that's basically what happens. Josh meets Daniel, they have amazing chemistry. Then Josh finds out Daniel is best friends with his sperm donor, the man who wants nothing to do with Josh.
There was not too much emphasis on the age gap, 20 years. I liked that. Too often it is the whole focus of a book, but not here. I liked that Daniel falls hard and fast, regardless who Josh is.
I hated Josh's sperm donor, and what he does here. He does redeem himself, but only after being put in his place by Daniel and by his wife. Who was wonderful to Josh once she knows who he is!
I do like how it all played out though!
4 very good, but, far too short, stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is the first I've read of Mr Takely and I do think I might read some more. I liked this, a lot.
Written from both Josh (not Joshua!) and Daniel's point of view, it tells of falling in love with quite possibly the most forbidden person: the son of your best friend. Cos that's basically what happens. Josh meets Daniel, they have amazing chemistry. Then Josh finds out Daniel is best friends with his sperm donor, the man who wants nothing to do with Josh.
There was not too much emphasis on the age gap, 20 years. I liked that. Too often it is the whole focus of a book, but not here. I liked that Daniel falls hard and fast, regardless who Josh is.
I hated Josh's sperm donor, and what he does here. He does redeem himself, but only after being put in his place by Daniel and by his wife. Who was wonderful to Josh once she knows who he is!
I do like how it all played out though!
4 very good, but, far too short, stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I read this novel as my BookBum Club book for November! Check out <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/297482-bookbum-book-club">this page</a> to find out more about my very own Book Club!
I decided I wanted to read a seasonal book this year and I found this one lurking on my shelf from last year when I also decided I wanted to read a seasonal book but didnt.
Ive reviewed each of the short stories one-by-one. Theres only 4, so its not a massive review, dont worry!
~
<b>The Mistletoe Murder</b>
I really loved the writing in this one! It hooked me straight away. I instantly connected with our narrator, even though shes a bit of an enigma. With short stories, you rarely get to know the characters very well, but I liked how our narrator was strong willed and sassy.
This story is a classic whodunit murder mystery. Not as complex as Christie, but definitely gives off those vibes. The conclusion to the story was pretty obvious, but the last little paragraph bought a smile to my face!
~
<b>A Commonplace Murder</b>
This one takes on a completely different tone from the story before it. Rather than being a cosy murder mystery, this one is that little bit darker. Youre introduced to a not very likeable narrator who holds an innocent mans freedom in his hands.
The story for this one is grittier and dirtier and comes to a shocking conclusion. When I first finished this one, I was adamant I didnt like it, but after letting it brew for a while, I realised that this one is very clever, and since it was published in 1969, was probably innovative for its time, and I can appreciate that!
~
<b>The Boxdale Inheritance</b>
This one was definitely my least favourite of the batch. It was definitely still a nice old school mystery to read about but it wasnt exactly exciting like the last two. This one took me a little longer to read than the others because I was getting distracted by various bits which didnt happen when I read the other two stories.
It was a nice introduction to Dalgliesh, and I think the conclusion of the crime was actually more intricate than the others, but it didnt gel with me like the others did.
~
<b>The Twelve Clues of Christmas</b>
I really liked this story in the collection! I connected with Dalgliesh in this one much more than I did in the other beforehand. I also liked how the characters in this one were sassy and outright with each other.
Even though the crime in this was easily guessable, I really enjoyed the way it was set out and how we came to know about the 12 clues of who committed murder!
~
Even though I hate a modern cosy mysteries, when it comes to old-school ones, I love them! This short story collection was exactly what I needed to help me on the track to enjoying reading again. I read it one sitting, and even though it is a short book, thats not something I do very often, so it really had me hooked!
I decided I wanted to read a seasonal book this year and I found this one lurking on my shelf from last year when I also decided I wanted to read a seasonal book but didnt.
Ive reviewed each of the short stories one-by-one. Theres only 4, so its not a massive review, dont worry!
~
<b>The Mistletoe Murder</b>
I really loved the writing in this one! It hooked me straight away. I instantly connected with our narrator, even though shes a bit of an enigma. With short stories, you rarely get to know the characters very well, but I liked how our narrator was strong willed and sassy.
This story is a classic whodunit murder mystery. Not as complex as Christie, but definitely gives off those vibes. The conclusion to the story was pretty obvious, but the last little paragraph bought a smile to my face!
~
<b>A Commonplace Murder</b>
This one takes on a completely different tone from the story before it. Rather than being a cosy murder mystery, this one is that little bit darker. Youre introduced to a not very likeable narrator who holds an innocent mans freedom in his hands.
The story for this one is grittier and dirtier and comes to a shocking conclusion. When I first finished this one, I was adamant I didnt like it, but after letting it brew for a while, I realised that this one is very clever, and since it was published in 1969, was probably innovative for its time, and I can appreciate that!
~
<b>The Boxdale Inheritance</b>
This one was definitely my least favourite of the batch. It was definitely still a nice old school mystery to read about but it wasnt exactly exciting like the last two. This one took me a little longer to read than the others because I was getting distracted by various bits which didnt happen when I read the other two stories.
It was a nice introduction to Dalgliesh, and I think the conclusion of the crime was actually more intricate than the others, but it didnt gel with me like the others did.
~
<b>The Twelve Clues of Christmas</b>
I really liked this story in the collection! I connected with Dalgliesh in this one much more than I did in the other beforehand. I also liked how the characters in this one were sassy and outright with each other.
Even though the crime in this was easily guessable, I really enjoyed the way it was set out and how we came to know about the 12 clues of who committed murder!
~
Even though I hate a modern cosy mysteries, when it comes to old-school ones, I love them! This short story collection was exactly what I needed to help me on the track to enjoying reading again. I read it one sitting, and even though it is a short book, thats not something I do very often, so it really had me hooked!
Debbiereadsbook (1557 KP) rated Mr January (Calendar Men #1) in Books
Feb 28, 2018
really great, cute read
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I've read a few of Bailey's shifter books before, they tend to be short and sweet, so this one came out of left field and surprised me! And I've no idea WHY it surprised, just that I'm left feeling that and ya'll know I gotta share!
It's sweet, it's funny, (some proper laugh out loud moments!) it is emotional and it's sexy. And I really enjoyed it!
Albert is a geek and proud of it, and there are a few geeky jokes, and some not so funny comments, but they get shot down, right quick! Gregg is a model helping with a charity calendar and Albert has no illusions that he could ever land a guy such as Gregg, but Albert pushing all of Gregg's buttons, and some he didn't know he had so it's a matter of Gregg chasing Albert.
There is an on-going issues (I've already read book 2 when writing this review) with the photo shoot, and I don't know if it will ever get done, based on these two I've read, it might well be December before it gets done!
A thoroughly enjoyable read, some 180 pages,that fit in well on my list between two heavier reads, hence the hang over tag. I look forward to reading more of this series!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I've read a few of Bailey's shifter books before, they tend to be short and sweet, so this one came out of left field and surprised me! And I've no idea WHY it surprised, just that I'm left feeling that and ya'll know I gotta share!
It's sweet, it's funny, (some proper laugh out loud moments!) it is emotional and it's sexy. And I really enjoyed it!
Albert is a geek and proud of it, and there are a few geeky jokes, and some not so funny comments, but they get shot down, right quick! Gregg is a model helping with a charity calendar and Albert has no illusions that he could ever land a guy such as Gregg, but Albert pushing all of Gregg's buttons, and some he didn't know he had so it's a matter of Gregg chasing Albert.
There is an on-going issues (I've already read book 2 when writing this review) with the photo shoot, and I don't know if it will ever get done, based on these two I've read, it might well be December before it gets done!
A thoroughly enjoyable read, some 180 pages,that fit in well on my list between two heavier reads, hence the hang over tag. I look forward to reading more of this series!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I’m not a huge fan of short stories: I like to really get into the characters lives and the anticipation and the crescendo of a novel. Short stories, to me, feel like I’m thrown into a story, see a snippet of it, and am then jerked out. But one thing that really helped this collection not feel like that was how all the stories were about the same thing. Not the same plot, not the same people… but the same concept. A machine that tells you how you will die, and is absolutely never wrong? That’s a sticky situation. And each person had to figure out how to deal with it and it revealed a lot of humanity.
I was very pleased with this collection as a whole. I didn’t read the first one, and I don’t think you’d need to in order to enjoy it. I definitely liked some stories and some writers better than other, but all in all, it was very satisfying.
I was very pleased with this collection as a whole. I didn’t read the first one, and I don’t think you’d need to in order to enjoy it. I definitely liked some stories and some writers better than other, but all in all, it was very satisfying.
Merissa (13409 KP) rated Cruising in Books
Jan 30, 2018
Cruising by Cate Ashwood
Cruising is a short book, told from dual perspectives, about best friends who are both in love with each, but completely unaware of the other one's feelings. As it is told by both Jake and Dylan, you get the whole picture about why neither of them had made a move before, whilst hoping that they make a move sooner rather than later. Both characters are well rounded, having their own foibles which just makes their cuteness even higher!
This is only a short story, but it is complete in its build up, cruise, and hopefully HEA. The writing was smooth, the pacing perfect, and there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and have no hesitation in recommending it.
* 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!
This is only a short story, but it is complete in its build up, cruise, and hopefully HEA. The writing was smooth, the pacing perfect, and there were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and have no hesitation in recommending it.
* 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!
Wilkie Collins
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Short and oddly built, with a head too big for his body, extremely short-sighted, unable to stay...
A Short Life of Martin Luther
Book
Martin Luther, the Augustinian friar who set the Protestant Reformation in motion with his famous...