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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Escape Room in Books
Jul 2, 2019
This was a really fun, bizarre read that I very much enjoyed. I had no idea where it was going for much of the book, but that was totally okay. It's told in very short, quick alternating chapters between members of our elevator group and then Sara Hall herself, back when she was alive and well and working at the firm. The result is a fast-paced read, as you wonder what on earth happened to Sara, whom actually seems like a human being compared to the four others. Our four trapped analysts, however, range across various levels of despicable--liars and cheaters all devoted to making money at any cost.
Truth be told, you can only feel so sorry for them to be trapped in this elevator in the dark, at the mercy of a screen doling out clues. Once in the dark, they turn violent at times: empowered against their boss, Vincent. You realize that they've sacrificed so much for their company that they basically have nothing left on the personal front.
It's a fascinating, gripping tale of what people will do to succeed, for revenge, and what they'll do when pushed to the brink. It's a really fast read. Is it a plausible story? Probably not. Is it fun, enjoyable, and full of twists and turns? Oh yeah. I could see this one as a movie, for sure. Definitely just a thrilling read to get lost in a for a couple of hours, especially if you enjoy the dark and twisted world of finance. 4+ stars!
Truth be told, you can only feel so sorry for them to be trapped in this elevator in the dark, at the mercy of a screen doling out clues. Once in the dark, they turn violent at times: empowered against their boss, Vincent. You realize that they've sacrificed so much for their company that they basically have nothing left on the personal front.
It's a fascinating, gripping tale of what people will do to succeed, for revenge, and what they'll do when pushed to the brink. It's a really fast read. Is it a plausible story? Probably not. Is it fun, enjoyable, and full of twists and turns? Oh yeah. I could see this one as a movie, for sure. Definitely just a thrilling read to get lost in a for a couple of hours, especially if you enjoy the dark and twisted world of finance. 4+ stars!
Merissa (13105 KP) rated Darkness Rising (Chateau Seductions 0.5) in Books
Nov 7, 2017
Darkness Rising (Chateau Seductions 0.5) by Lisa Carlisle
Darkness Rising is a short prequel to the Chateau Seductions series. We meet Antoine for the first time, and see how his life changed from being a gargoyle sculpter, to becoming a gargoyle/vampire hybrid recluse, owning a chateau and helping artists.
This isn't a long book, but it definitely helps to give you an insight into the enigmatic owner of the chateau. You are with him through the years as he says goodbye to his family and learns how to cope by himself. Two characters are introduced who will play a big part in the next book, Dark Velvet. We meet Cameron in dire circumstances and see how his friendship with Antoine grows. And we meet Savannah, who Antoine is immediately attracted to, but always want to help with her poetry.
For a quick dip into the Chateau Seductions world, then I can definitely recommend reading this short prequel. Definitely recommended by me.
* 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 isn't a long book, but it definitely helps to give you an insight into the enigmatic owner of the chateau. You are with him through the years as he says goodbye to his family and learns how to cope by himself. Two characters are introduced who will play a big part in the next book, Dark Velvet. We meet Cameron in dire circumstances and see how his friendship with Antoine grows. And we meet Savannah, who Antoine is immediately attracted to, but always want to help with her poetry.
For a quick dip into the Chateau Seductions world, then I can definitely recommend reading this short prequel. Definitely recommended by me.
* 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!
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Sense of an Ending in Books
Apr 12, 2019
A little confused and long winded
This book has a writing style that I'm not 100% keen on. Most of it is fine and easy to write, but then it has this awful habit of the main character going off into rambling musings and monologues that are far too long and pointless. This is a short book as it is, but it's be a short story if all of these ramblings had been removed!
That said, this isn't that bad a read. The plot is simple and straight forward about Tony reminiscing on his past and the death of a friend, and his musings on this in the present day. Tony himself is a strange character. He's actions and interactions with others are highly frustrating, but yet he's still a fairly endearing and intriguing character. I just think the ending was a let down. Mainly because it hasn't quite spelt it out properly, and I had to reread the final paragraphs to get what it was hinting at, and I'm still not absolutely convinced that I've got it right. Theres a big difference between an ambiguous ending and a downright confusing frustrating one, and this is definitely the latter.
That said, this isn't that bad a read. The plot is simple and straight forward about Tony reminiscing on his past and the death of a friend, and his musings on this in the present day. Tony himself is a strange character. He's actions and interactions with others are highly frustrating, but yet he's still a fairly endearing and intriguing character. I just think the ending was a let down. Mainly because it hasn't quite spelt it out properly, and I had to reread the final paragraphs to get what it was hinting at, and I'm still not absolutely convinced that I've got it right. Theres a big difference between an ambiguous ending and a downright confusing frustrating one, and this is definitely the latter.
Too Blessed To Be Stressed. . .Inspiration for Every Day: 365 Devotions for Women by Debora M. Coty is a sweet little devotional book. The devotionals are short, to the point, and easy to digest. This book is perfect for women on the go, fitting easily into a purse or computer bag, and makes a thoughtful gift as well.
Each devotion features the date, a title, Bible verse of inspiration, a short story, and prayer/thought to apply to our lives on that set date. There's a ribbon bookmark bound into the book to keep ones place until the next reading. The back of the book features a scripture index that list scripture used in the devotional alphabetically by each book found in the Bible. I like that the book isn't too big. It fits nicely on my bedside table but also would be a good fit for a bathroom shelf, office desk, or in a living room dedicated space for books to be intended to read daily.
I received this book from Barbour Publishing, Inc. and Shiloh Run Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Each devotion features the date, a title, Bible verse of inspiration, a short story, and prayer/thought to apply to our lives on that set date. There's a ribbon bookmark bound into the book to keep ones place until the next reading. The back of the book features a scripture index that list scripture used in the devotional alphabetically by each book found in the Bible. I like that the book isn't too big. It fits nicely on my bedside table but also would be a good fit for a bathroom shelf, office desk, or in a living room dedicated space for books to be intended to read daily.
I received this book from Barbour Publishing, Inc. and Shiloh Run Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Merissa (13105 KP) rated Safeword in Books
Dec 17, 2018
In Safeword we are immediately immersed into Carter's life, such as it is. He left home and found (or was found by) Winters. Through his time with him, Carter learns the brutal side of BDSM and that a safeword is just a trick. When he is given to Crow, he thinks that his time is up. When it becomes clear that Crow is different, Carter is determined to enjoy his time as a Sub, knowing that Winters won't be happy that he hasn't been hurt and will hurt him when his time with Crow is over.
This is a short novella, and as such I had to go with the flow on some parts although I definitely wanted more information, such as how did Crow and co know about Carter? Although not insta-love, the connection between Carter and Crow happened a bit too quick for me, as well as the fact that Crow was straight.
Although short, this was well-written and fast-paced, a quick 'naughty' thrill of a read.
* I received this book from Pride Publishing in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is a short novella, and as such I had to go with the flow on some parts although I definitely wanted more information, such as how did Crow and co know about Carter? Although not insta-love, the connection between Carter and Crow happened a bit too quick for me, as well as the fact that Crow was straight.
Although short, this was well-written and fast-paced, a quick 'naughty' thrill of a read.
* I received this book from Pride Publishing in return for a fair and honest review. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Ross (3284 KP) rated One Word Kill in Books
Dec 4, 2019
Nothing original but a good read
Mark Lawrence has stepped out of the fantasy bubble into this loosely sci-fi trilogy set in the 1980s. 15 year old Nick is diagnosed with cancer and while undergoing chemotherapy starts to have strange visions and deja vu. A mysterious figure seems to be stalking him and his D&D friends, and he ends up planning a siege to help this person from the future.
The story is very short (a little over 200 pages on kindle), but is quite heavy on the 80s references and D&D gameplay. The story itself is nothing new but with a little more head-scratching time travel/parallel universe pseudo-science crammed in. The twists throughout the story are fairly predictable and cliched.
The dialogue also doesn't feel like authentic 80s teenager speech to me, a few too many Americanisms ("hey" instead of "hi", "do it, already" etc).
A reasonably enjoyable short book, but a little Stranger Things bandwagon-jumping to me. I'm not sure whether the other two books carry on the story or how, so I will be interested to see where they go from here.
The story is very short (a little over 200 pages on kindle), but is quite heavy on the 80s references and D&D gameplay. The story itself is nothing new but with a little more head-scratching time travel/parallel universe pseudo-science crammed in. The twists throughout the story are fairly predictable and cliched.
The dialogue also doesn't feel like authentic 80s teenager speech to me, a few too many Americanisms ("hey" instead of "hi", "do it, already" etc).
A reasonably enjoyable short book, but a little Stranger Things bandwagon-jumping to me. I'm not sure whether the other two books carry on the story or how, so I will be interested to see where they go from here.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2379 KP) rated The Queen of Christmas in Books
Dec 15, 2019
Christmas Trees and Mystery
Dagmar Smith is known for her Christmas tree displays, including a new themed tree each year. This year, she’s asked Allie, a dancer, to help with the unveiling of the tree since the theme is The Nutcracker. Allie, Aunt Gully, and Verity are on hand to help, but when something goes wrong, they find themselves with a mystery on their hands. Can Allie figure out what happened?
This is a short story taking place after the most recent Lobster Shack novel. There’s a strong mystery with a decent twist along the way to the climax. If you aren’t familiar with the series, now’s a great time to jump in since the emphasis is on this story with little backstory. The characters are developed for a short story – there isn’t time to develop them further. Since this takes place at a Christmas party, you’ll find plenty of holiday spirit with something Christmas related even providing a clue. I breezed through it in about 45 minutes, so if you are looking for a festive, fun story to read this month, this is the story for you.
This is a short story taking place after the most recent Lobster Shack novel. There’s a strong mystery with a decent twist along the way to the climax. If you aren’t familiar with the series, now’s a great time to jump in since the emphasis is on this story with little backstory. The characters are developed for a short story – there isn’t time to develop them further. Since this takes place at a Christmas party, you’ll find plenty of holiday spirit with something Christmas related even providing a clue. I breezed through it in about 45 minutes, so if you are looking for a festive, fun story to read this month, this is the story for you.
Honestly, I would have been happy if this short story had been a full novel. It’s full of Adichie’s view of the world and how women live their lives in it.
When Zikora finds out that she is pregnant, she excitedly tells her boyfriend thinking that he’ll be just as excited. He isn’t. He wants nothing to do with the responsibilities of being a father, and shuts Zikora out completely, even threatening her with legal action when she continues to phone him about the progress of her pregnancy.
This story mainly takes place during Zikora’s labour, as it looks back on all the things that happened before. Her mother is a constant presence during her labour, and Zikora is able to look back on their relationship.
I shouldn’t really say any more, because this is only a 35 page short story. I will say that I listened to this on Audible at the same time as reading it, and the narrator, Adepero Oduye, really brought the story to life for me. Adichie’s storytelling is at its usual high standard, and it was a joy to both read and listen to.
When Zikora finds out that she is pregnant, she excitedly tells her boyfriend thinking that he’ll be just as excited. He isn’t. He wants nothing to do with the responsibilities of being a father, and shuts Zikora out completely, even threatening her with legal action when she continues to phone him about the progress of her pregnancy.
This story mainly takes place during Zikora’s labour, as it looks back on all the things that happened before. Her mother is a constant presence during her labour, and Zikora is able to look back on their relationship.
I shouldn’t really say any more, because this is only a 35 page short story. I will say that I listened to this on Audible at the same time as reading it, and the narrator, Adepero Oduye, really brought the story to life for me. Adichie’s storytelling is at its usual high standard, and it was a joy to both read and listen to.
PIPKAT (4 KP) rated Married by Monday (The Weekday Brides #2) in Books
Mar 4, 2022
<b>POV:</b> Multiple. <spoiler>Carter and Eliza (Lisa) are the main POVs, but we also have short passages in the POV of supporting characters. I'm not normally a fan of other POVs, but Bybee did well to keep them short and for plot progression.</spoiler>
<b>Descriptive Sex:</b> Yes. <spoiler>Not super descriptive, but there are steamy scenes.</spoiler>
<b>OW/OM:</b> No.
<b>Separation:</b> No.
<b>Content Warnings:</b> mention of rape and murder.
<b>★★★★</b>
I've been craving a hidden identity / witness protection romance, and this has satisfied that need. It's exactly what I wanted with the added bonus of marriage of convenience. There were one or two parts that I skimmed over because it was not of interest to me <spoiler>(particularly the political speeches and the scene with Agent Anderson, but that's really a me problem not a book one)</spoiler>, but Carter and Eliza are everything I want in a couple. The banter, the reassurances, and the trust. It was a pleasure to read.
This was my first time reading Bybee, but it will not be my last.
<b>Descriptive Sex:</b> Yes. <spoiler>Not super descriptive, but there are steamy scenes.</spoiler>
<b>OW/OM:</b> No.
<b>Separation:</b> No.
<b>Content Warnings:</b> mention of rape and murder.
<b>★★★★</b>
I've been craving a hidden identity / witness protection romance, and this has satisfied that need. It's exactly what I wanted with the added bonus of marriage of convenience. There were one or two parts that I skimmed over because it was not of interest to me <spoiler>(particularly the political speeches and the scene with Agent Anderson, but that's really a me problem not a book one)</spoiler>, but Carter and Eliza are everything I want in a couple. The banter, the reassurances, and the trust. It was a pleasure to read.
This was my first time reading Bybee, but it will not be my last.
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Nothing Short of Wondrous (American Wonders #2) in Books
Feb 24, 2021
<a href="https://travelingwife4life.wordpress.com/2020/10/15/nothing-short-of-wondrous-lone-star-lit/">Travelers Wife 4 Life</a>
Nothing Short of Wondrous by Regina Scott really is nothing short of wondrous! I do not believe I have read anything by Regina Scott before, and now I am wondering how I missed her books! From the very first line:
<b>“What is it about men and danger? Do they all want to die?"</b>
Regina Scott weaves in a humorous sense of warmth and sarcasm that fully engaged my interest. She is one of the very few authors I have found that has a gift with the way they describe the world around them to make you feel like you are right there in the story. There were such vivid descriptions of Yellowstone National Park, from the colors, the landscape, the smells of the different pools… It was breathtaking, and I am sure the actual park is more so!
The characters. Kate is your classic frontier woman: strong and courageous. She is well balanced though, always willing to let others help when she truly needed it. The banter between her and Will, the main male character is a “I don’t want to like you, but I do anyway” type of spark between them. Which is one of my favorites. Also, have you ever heard the saying “women love a man in uniform”? Well, this apply applies to Will in his Cavalry uniform. Talk about tall dark and handsome
Nothing Short of Wondrous by Regina Scott really is nothing short of wondrous! I do not believe I have read anything by Regina Scott before, and now I am wondering how I missed her books! From the very first line:
<b>“What is it about men and danger? Do they all want to die?"</b>
Regina Scott weaves in a humorous sense of warmth and sarcasm that fully engaged my interest. She is one of the very few authors I have found that has a gift with the way they describe the world around them to make you feel like you are right there in the story. There were such vivid descriptions of Yellowstone National Park, from the colors, the landscape, the smells of the different pools… It was breathtaking, and I am sure the actual park is more so!
The characters. Kate is your classic frontier woman: strong and courageous. She is well balanced though, always willing to let others help when she truly needed it. The banter between her and Will, the main male character is a “I don’t want to like you, but I do anyway” type of spark between them. Which is one of my favorites. Also, have you ever heard the saying “women love a man in uniform”? Well, this apply applies to Will in his Cavalry uniform. Talk about tall dark and handsome