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The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water
10.0
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The best fiction simply tells the truth. But the truth is never simple. When novelist Kendra...
contemporary fiction friendship fiction coming of age tragedy
Merissa (13911 KP) rated Estranged in Books
Jun 8, 2023
Set in dystopian/post-apocalyptic urban surroundings, Kalei is a police officer who keeps trying to gain entrance into SWORDE - a crack team who deals with Estranged. Kalei lost her parents and sister to the Estranged, and so she wants nothing more. This all changes one evening when her home is attacked and she becomes Estranged too. Now she not only has to deal with losing her family but becoming the very person she has sworn to kill.
This is an enjoyable story that is full of action. It became a bit difficult to read halfway through, simply due to the amount of action that was taking place, plus the 'street talk' that was prevalent. It did even itself out though, and once again, became a thrilling read. With plenty of twists and turns, you don't ever see what is coming before the author wants you to.
This story is all wrapped up in this book, but it has been left open for a sequel. I hope that the story does continue as I would love to carry on with Kalei's story. Definitely recommended.
* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 2, 2016
This is an enjoyable story that is full of action. It became a bit difficult to read halfway through, simply due to the amount of action that was taking place, plus the 'street talk' that was prevalent. It did even itself out though, and once again, became a thrilling read. With plenty of twists and turns, you don't ever see what is coming before the author wants you to.
This story is all wrapped up in this book, but it has been left open for a sequel. I hope that the story does continue as I would love to carry on with Kalei's story. Definitely recommended.
* Verified Purchase on Amazon *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 2, 2016
Until Depths Do Us Part
9.0
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Sudden riches lead to a world of trouble... Newly widowed Charlotte McLaughlin is adrift...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2518 KP) rated We Three Queens in Books
Nov 20, 2024
An Invasion of Guests
Lady Georgiana is enjoying her new life as a mother, but she is about to be besieged by guests. First comes Wallis Simpson at the request of King Edward while he tries to figure out how he can marry her. Then comes Georgie’s brother and sister-in-law as they look for a school for their son. Finally, Sir Hubert returns home with a film crew in tow. They want to feature the estate in a film about Henry the VIII. Unfortunately, not long after the film crew arrives someone vanishes. Can Georgie figure out what is happening?
Over the course of this series (hard to believe we are on book 18), I’ve enjoyed watching real history unfold, and I liked that again here. Unfortunately, the story started slowly and was uneven. Still, the ending did tie things up logically. Fortunately, the regular characters are their normal charming shelves, and the new characters fit into Georgie’s world. Fans will enjoy catching up with Georgie and the gang. If that’s not you, head back to the beginning to get to know the characters before you pick up this book.
Over the course of this series (hard to believe we are on book 18), I’ve enjoyed watching real history unfold, and I liked that again here. Unfortunately, the story started slowly and was uneven. Still, the ending did tie things up logically. Fortunately, the regular characters are their normal charming shelves, and the new characters fit into Georgie’s world. Fans will enjoy catching up with Georgie and the gang. If that’s not you, head back to the beginning to get to know the characters before you pick up this book.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2518 KP) rated Dead and Gondola in Books
Jan 5, 2024
Dead Stranger in a Gondola
Ellie Christie (no relation to the famous author) has returned to help run the family's bookstore in a Colorado resort town. One day, a stranger comes into the store, hangs out for several hours, then takes off, leaving behind some belongings. The next time Ellie and her sister see the stranger, he is getting on the gondola that separates the two parts of town. But when they reach the bottom, he is dead. What happened to him? Who was he?
The premise of the setting and the mystery itself both intrigued me, so I was hoping to like this one. While the mystery started out strongly, it became uneven as the book went along. There are some good surprises along the way, and I was happy with the solution. It took a while for me to get to truly know the characters and setting. By the end, I felt at home, however. The result was a mixed debut. I'm not sorry I read the book, but I felt like I had to work at it a little more than I should have.
The premise of the setting and the mystery itself both intrigued me, so I was hoping to like this one. While the mystery started out strongly, it became uneven as the book went along. There are some good surprises along the way, and I was happy with the solution. It took a while for me to get to truly know the characters and setting. By the end, I felt at home, however. The result was a mixed debut. I'm not sorry I read the book, but I felt like I had to work at it a little more than I should have.
Merissa (13911 KP) rated The Healer: Tales of Pern Coen (Bloodlines #0.5) in Books
Jul 28, 2024
THE HEALER is a prequel novella to Conor and Rhiannon's story in the Bloodlines series. It features Conor's sister, Brynn, as one of the main characters, plus Macsen, who works with the blacksmith and bowyer. It tells how Kelnore first arrives on Pern Coen and what happens when they do.
What a fantastic prequel this was! Brynn was a fascinating supporting character in Conor's books, and I'm so happy to have this one from her perspective. It explains so much about the following books that you won't even be aware of - unless you've already read them, as I have. What it did for me was to make me want to read Bloodlines all over again!
I loved returning to Pern Coen and can't wait to see what happens next. I would love more from this timeline as I'm very greedy!
Absolutely unputdownable and 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!
Jul 19, 2024
What a fantastic prequel this was! Brynn was a fascinating supporting character in Conor's books, and I'm so happy to have this one from her perspective. It explains so much about the following books that you won't even be aware of - unless you've already read them, as I have. What it did for me was to make me want to read Bloodlines all over again!
I loved returning to Pern Coen and can't wait to see what happens next. I would love more from this timeline as I'm very greedy!
Absolutely unputdownable and 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!
Jul 19, 2024
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Kingdom of The Wicked in Books
Apr 18, 2024
73 of 220
Kindle
Kingdom of the Wicked ( Book 1)
By Kerri Maniscalco
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two sisters.One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself... And an intoxicating romance. Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe -- witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin...desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden. Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems...
This was very good I really enjoyed it. The characters were so well done and I loved the beasts (demons) of hell. The story is really interesting and I’m looking forward to getting more of these sinfully wicked brothers.
Kindle
Kingdom of the Wicked ( Book 1)
By Kerri Maniscalco
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Two sisters.One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself... And an intoxicating romance. Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe -- witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin...desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden. Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems...
This was very good I really enjoyed it. The characters were so well done and I loved the beasts (demons) of hell. The story is really interesting and I’m looking forward to getting more of these sinfully wicked brothers.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Windfall (Weather Warden, #4) in Books
Jun 6, 2024
112 of 220
Book
windfall ( Weather Wardens 4)
By Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Joanne is all-out exhausted. When not donning a rain slicker and camping it up for the camera as a TV weather girl, she has to contend with a vengeful cop on her tail, her newly divorced sister moving in—with a charming but mysterious British beau in tow—and getting caught in the middle of a supernatural civil war. Worst of all, her boyfriend in a bottle can't stop draining her powers and is fast morphing from the Djinn of her dreams to the Ifrit of her nightmares.
As the agreement between the Wardens and the Djinn starts to self-destruct, Joanne finds herself forced to choose between saving her lover, saving her Warden abilities...and saving humanity.
For anyone following this series I think this is so heartbreaking for Jo. She is back to being human and fighting to keep David while the wardens and Djinn are on the verge of war. She’s being pulled in all directions. It took me a while to go back to this series but I’m so glad I did. I miss Rachel Caine.
Book
windfall ( Weather Wardens 4)
By Rachel Caine
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Joanne is all-out exhausted. When not donning a rain slicker and camping it up for the camera as a TV weather girl, she has to contend with a vengeful cop on her tail, her newly divorced sister moving in—with a charming but mysterious British beau in tow—and getting caught in the middle of a supernatural civil war. Worst of all, her boyfriend in a bottle can't stop draining her powers and is fast morphing from the Djinn of her dreams to the Ifrit of her nightmares.
As the agreement between the Wardens and the Djinn starts to self-destruct, Joanne finds herself forced to choose between saving her lover, saving her Warden abilities...and saving humanity.
For anyone following this series I think this is so heartbreaking for Jo. She is back to being human and fighting to keep David while the wardens and Djinn are on the verge of war. She’s being pulled in all directions. It took me a while to go back to this series but I’m so glad I did. I miss Rachel Caine.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2518 KP) rated I’ll Bee Home for Christmas in Books
Dec 24, 2024
Murder is Never Sweet, Especially at Christmas
It’s the second week of December, and former celebrity chef Jackie Norwood is heading to Oklahoma to be a judge at a honey festival. Her camera man’s sister, Emily, is organizing it. Jackie arrives a little early and is helping Emily tend to her bee hives when they stumble on the body of Emily’s ex-husband. While the police are quick to look at Emily as their prime suspect, Jackie uncovers plenty of others with motive. Can she figure out what really happened?
It was fun to get a Christmas themed entry in this series, and the nods to the season were fun. I did feel like the food themed got in the way of the mystery a bit, leading to some rushed elements in the book. However, there are still some interesting twists and a logical climax. We also get some great development for the characters and the arcs that we’ve been following. The fun and laughs from the earlier books are present again here. And we have lots of honey themed recipes at the end to make your moth water. Fans will enjoy this sweet entry in the series.
It was fun to get a Christmas themed entry in this series, and the nods to the season were fun. I did feel like the food themed got in the way of the mystery a bit, leading to some rushed elements in the book. However, there are still some interesting twists and a logical climax. We also get some great development for the characters and the arcs that we’ve been following. The fun and laughs from the earlier books are present again here. And we have lots of honey themed recipes at the end to make your moth water. Fans will enjoy this sweet entry in the series.
Frightened to Depths
10.0
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Murder is never smooth sailing... Charlotte McLaughlin assumes she's finally shed all her tears on...