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The Buried Girl
Book
'Glittering and sharp, an ice pick of a novel. An astounding talent' AJ Finn, author of The Woman...
Crime Thriller Mystery Suspense Psychological
Ali A (82 KP) rated Hello (from Here) in Books
Sep 14, 2021
Trigger Warnings: Covid-19, death of a parent, AIDS, generalized anxiety disorder, panic attacks,
Max and Jonah bump into each over at the grocery store right when the Covid-19 lockdown was beginning in California. Max's part-time job as a personal shopper begins to transform into a bit of a nightmare and Jonah's pre-existing anxiety disorder is becoming a daily struggle. Can the two come together even though they must stay apart? Hello (from Here) jumps into the first two months of the quarantine and the love lives and two teenagers trying to figure out this new world.
This wasn't my favorite book on the planet, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I will also keep it on my shelves and possibly come back to it another time (when the Corona Virus isn't still running wild). Like most who have reviewed this book, I feel like it may have been too soon.
The main characters were okay, but not amazing, I did find them a little whiny towards the end... Olivia, Jonah's sister, was probably my favorite out of everybody and I'd kind of like to hear some more of her story! Also Arlo and his story! Kate and Jonah's "step-parent replacing late parent" trope was shown well in the novel. I thought the development of their relationship was well handled and realistic. I was happy with the end result for them.
I also thought the anxiety disorder representation was handled well in this novel too. As someone with anxiety who has had panic attacks (though not quite like Jonah's), I felt like one could still understand what he was going through, especially in his current situation.
I feel like this novel fell short - mostly by tackling too much all at once. I felt a little anticlimactic by the time I closed it. So many things were brought up: important issues and themes, but then were finished limply in the end. (view spoiler).
The cheating storyline was just - bleh. It wasn't needed and was more of a distraction. I also felt like it didn't make much sense for how the character had been acting throughout the whole storyline.
Overall, I feel like this was just too soon. I'm sure it will be good in a few years time though, when we weren't all still going through the same pandemic.
Max and Jonah bump into each over at the grocery store right when the Covid-19 lockdown was beginning in California. Max's part-time job as a personal shopper begins to transform into a bit of a nightmare and Jonah's pre-existing anxiety disorder is becoming a daily struggle. Can the two come together even though they must stay apart? Hello (from Here) jumps into the first two months of the quarantine and the love lives and two teenagers trying to figure out this new world.
This wasn't my favorite book on the planet, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I will also keep it on my shelves and possibly come back to it another time (when the Corona Virus isn't still running wild). Like most who have reviewed this book, I feel like it may have been too soon.
The main characters were okay, but not amazing, I did find them a little whiny towards the end... Olivia, Jonah's sister, was probably my favorite out of everybody and I'd kind of like to hear some more of her story! Also Arlo and his story! Kate and Jonah's "step-parent replacing late parent" trope was shown well in the novel. I thought the development of their relationship was well handled and realistic. I was happy with the end result for them.
I also thought the anxiety disorder representation was handled well in this novel too. As someone with anxiety who has had panic attacks (though not quite like Jonah's), I felt like one could still understand what he was going through, especially in his current situation.
I feel like this novel fell short - mostly by tackling too much all at once. I felt a little anticlimactic by the time I closed it. So many things were brought up: important issues and themes, but then were finished limply in the end. (view spoiler).
The cheating storyline was just - bleh. It wasn't needed and was more of a distraction. I also felt like it didn't make much sense for how the character had been acting throughout the whole storyline.
Overall, I feel like this was just too soon. I'm sure it will be good in a few years time though, when we weren't all still going through the same pandemic.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Her Perfect Life in Books
Oct 14, 2021
A twisty and personal thriller
Lily Atwood is a famous television reporter known for being perfect. She has a gorgeous young daughter, Rowen, a lovely home, and multiple Emmys. But when Lily was young, her college-age sister, Cassie, just vanished. Then their grieving mother died, leaving Lily alone. Lily and her producer, Greer, have an anonymous source who has been feeding them tips that only increase Lily's popularity. But when the tips start getting personal, Lily begins to panic. Someone is ready to uncover her past and destroy all she holds dear--but why?
"At some point you have to stop looking, I told myself. But still. If she did something truly bad, how much did I want to know? How would that knowledge change my life? My career? Maybe it's better for me to pretend she never existed. But I know she did exist."
This is crazy page-turner with lots of wild plot twists. It certainly keeps you guessing. Lily has the "perfect" life and she and her producer are determined to keep it that way, so that Lily (and Greer) stay on top. It seemed a bit much that Lily's fans would drop her at the sign of one mistake, but I suppose we all understand cancel culture these days...
Neither Lily nor Greer seem particularly likable, with their desire to win at all costs, so I wasn't particularly attached to their characters. I did like Lily's young daughter Rowen. The format of the book, however, is very easy-to-read, with flashbacks to Cassie's life in college interspersed with Greer and Lily's present day narrative. Honestly, college-age Cassie may be the easiest character to root for! Ryan certainly weaves a compelling mystery.
There's a lot going on in LIFE... I can't go into all the threads due to spoilers, but there are a lot of various plot points and sometimes it all seemed like a bit much. The book ended a tad fast, too, considering all those different narratives.
Still, this is a gripping thriller that keeps you on your toes. It illustrates how life is not always perfect... but maybe it does not need to be? 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this book from the author's Super Reader club and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in return for an unbiased review.
"At some point you have to stop looking, I told myself. But still. If she did something truly bad, how much did I want to know? How would that knowledge change my life? My career? Maybe it's better for me to pretend she never existed. But I know she did exist."
This is crazy page-turner with lots of wild plot twists. It certainly keeps you guessing. Lily has the "perfect" life and she and her producer are determined to keep it that way, so that Lily (and Greer) stay on top. It seemed a bit much that Lily's fans would drop her at the sign of one mistake, but I suppose we all understand cancel culture these days...
Neither Lily nor Greer seem particularly likable, with their desire to win at all costs, so I wasn't particularly attached to their characters. I did like Lily's young daughter Rowen. The format of the book, however, is very easy-to-read, with flashbacks to Cassie's life in college interspersed with Greer and Lily's present day narrative. Honestly, college-age Cassie may be the easiest character to root for! Ryan certainly weaves a compelling mystery.
There's a lot going on in LIFE... I can't go into all the threads due to spoilers, but there are a lot of various plot points and sometimes it all seemed like a bit much. The book ended a tad fast, too, considering all those different narratives.
Still, this is a gripping thriller that keeps you on your toes. It illustrates how life is not always perfect... but maybe it does not need to be? 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this book from the author's Super Reader club and Macmillan-Tor/Forge in return for an unbiased review.
Debbiereadsbook (1772 KP) rated Midnight Fear (The Bloodline Chronicles #2) in Books
Mar 21, 2024
did not see that coming, not at all!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Thi is book 2 in the Bloodline Chronicles, and it cannot be read as a stand alone. You NEED to read Witch's Knight before this one, to get the full story, much is not recapped and you will need it all.
I loved this one, more so than Witch's Knight, because it took a turn I did NOT see coming and it kinda threw me for a loop, in the best way. And there is one niggle at the back of my mind I need to talk about.
Marcelle is NOT fine, at all. After being tortured in the first book, she really is suffering emotionally, and it takes a session with Setanta, in which she does something that she never did before, to make her see that she needs help. Sarai makes her see too, and it's the love Marcelle has for Sarai that tips her over the edge and she gets some help.
Setanta plays a huge part here, but we don't hear very much from him. And I missed him at key points along the way. Hearing MORE from him would have, probably, negated my niggle, but that is not my niggle. I'll come back to that.
It's dark and deadly, steamy and smexy! Oh so smexy, and I did not, never in a million years, see that coming at me! It really threw me, and I wasn't sure it was gonna work, but boy, oh boy, does it ever! And when Sarai gets to meet some of her mother's family, THAT surprise too, what was said then, I did not see coming and I loved that this book surprised me at every turn.
So, my niggle?? This is billed as the conclusion to the duet of books. BUT I feel it's unfinished. I found the ending kinda rushed, and while Sarai, Marcelle and Setanta are happy for now, I wouldn't give them a happy ever after. They need another book, to tell what happens when Giovanni gets her comeuppance, along with Sarai's sister, when she wakes. There is much unfinished and I need it, Goddammit!!
So, because of the unfinished feeling, I gave this book...
4 very VERY VERY good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Thi is book 2 in the Bloodline Chronicles, and it cannot be read as a stand alone. You NEED to read Witch's Knight before this one, to get the full story, much is not recapped and you will need it all.
I loved this one, more so than Witch's Knight, because it took a turn I did NOT see coming and it kinda threw me for a loop, in the best way. And there is one niggle at the back of my mind I need to talk about.
Marcelle is NOT fine, at all. After being tortured in the first book, she really is suffering emotionally, and it takes a session with Setanta, in which she does something that she never did before, to make her see that she needs help. Sarai makes her see too, and it's the love Marcelle has for Sarai that tips her over the edge and she gets some help.
Setanta plays a huge part here, but we don't hear very much from him. And I missed him at key points along the way. Hearing MORE from him would have, probably, negated my niggle, but that is not my niggle. I'll come back to that.
It's dark and deadly, steamy and smexy! Oh so smexy, and I did not, never in a million years, see that coming at me! It really threw me, and I wasn't sure it was gonna work, but boy, oh boy, does it ever! And when Sarai gets to meet some of her mother's family, THAT surprise too, what was said then, I did not see coming and I loved that this book surprised me at every turn.
So, my niggle?? This is billed as the conclusion to the duet of books. BUT I feel it's unfinished. I found the ending kinda rushed, and while Sarai, Marcelle and Setanta are happy for now, I wouldn't give them a happy ever after. They need another book, to tell what happens when Giovanni gets her comeuppance, along with Sarai's sister, when she wakes. There is much unfinished and I need it, Goddammit!!
So, because of the unfinished feeling, I gave this book...
4 very VERY VERY good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Ali A (82 KP) rated The Bletchley Riddle in Books
Oct 14, 2024
Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his fourteen-year-old sister, Lizzie, share a love of riddles and puzzles. As WWII gets closer and closer to Britain, the siblings find themselves amongst the greatest secrets of all - Britain’s codebreaking facility at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins the country’s top minds to crack Nazi’s Enigma cipher, Lizzie transfers notes between departments in the park and tries to solve the mysterious disappearance of their mother in her off time.
While the Novis siblings work hard on their tasks, messages and codes begin to arrive under their doorstep. It doesn’t help that while they try to figure out if the messages are truly for them (and possibly from their mother), that there is an inspector lurking outside the gates of the park, watching Jakob and Lizzie’s every move. They must figure out a way to put their bickering aside and work together to decipher the clues if they want to uncover the answers to the puzzle.
As usual, I will pick up anything Ruta Sepetys touches and learn about a part of history I hadn’t known about before I read the book. This book is no exception as we take a deeper dive into the codebreakers Bletchley Park during WWII. I knew there were codebreakers during WWII, but what I didn’t realize is that they consisted of mathematicians, chess champions, and librarians (which, as a librarian, this absolutely makes sense why they were needed!).
Though this book is aimed at middle grade, I will say it felt like it would be more for upper middle grade / younger high school age. Lizzie is fourteen and Jakob is nineteen so their voices were a little older, but nothing major or graphic happened that would make the novel need to be young adult.
Even as an adult, when it came to the description of the codes’ breakthroughs or the ins and outs of the Enigma machines, I would get lost, but overall I just assumed the characters knew what they were talking about and trusted them.
Overall, I loved the twists and turns that kept the pages moving for me. I know I had a hard time as an adult solving the clues, so young readers who like spies and code cracking, are sure to love this too.
*Thank you Viking Books for Young Readers and BookishFirst for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
While the Novis siblings work hard on their tasks, messages and codes begin to arrive under their doorstep. It doesn’t help that while they try to figure out if the messages are truly for them (and possibly from their mother), that there is an inspector lurking outside the gates of the park, watching Jakob and Lizzie’s every move. They must figure out a way to put their bickering aside and work together to decipher the clues if they want to uncover the answers to the puzzle.
As usual, I will pick up anything Ruta Sepetys touches and learn about a part of history I hadn’t known about before I read the book. This book is no exception as we take a deeper dive into the codebreakers Bletchley Park during WWII. I knew there were codebreakers during WWII, but what I didn’t realize is that they consisted of mathematicians, chess champions, and librarians (which, as a librarian, this absolutely makes sense why they were needed!).
Though this book is aimed at middle grade, I will say it felt like it would be more for upper middle grade / younger high school age. Lizzie is fourteen and Jakob is nineteen so their voices were a little older, but nothing major or graphic happened that would make the novel need to be young adult.
Even as an adult, when it came to the description of the codes’ breakthroughs or the ins and outs of the Enigma machines, I would get lost, but overall I just assumed the characters knew what they were talking about and trusted them.
Overall, I loved the twists and turns that kept the pages moving for me. I know I had a hard time as an adult solving the clues, so young readers who like spies and code cracking, are sure to love this too.
*Thank you Viking Books for Young Readers and BookishFirst for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Cloudy With a Chance of Bad Decisions
Book
If “bad decision” had a photo next to it in the dictionary, it would be of Alex James. ...
Contemporary MM Rom-Com Romance
Debbiereadsbook (1772 KP) rated Christa's Obsession (Obsession #3) in Books
Feb 5, 2025
I really loved watching Wanda give herself to Christa, emotionally more than physically, to be honest.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 3 in the Obsessions series, and there is some overlap between this and the previous two books. I think you *SHOULD* read them before this one. Silas is Wanda's brother and it will give you a better picture of the dryad/tree relationship. Wanda's is quite different.
After being kidnapped by demons and rescued, Wanda wants nothing to do with the entire demonkind. But her brother is mated to one, and Dakata saved her life, along with a couple of others. But why, at the back of her mind, is Christa lurking? She is Dakata's sister but Wnada cannot remember her being at her rescue. And then, they touch, and both ladies know the other is their Blissful One. But Wanda hates demons? How can she be mated to one??
Ms Sayle writes MM books, has done for a while and I have followed her from the beginning. THIS is her first foray into FF books, and I was mighty, MIGHTY curious about Wanda and her trees in both previous books, so pairing those two things together, made me fully immerse myself into this book.
I was NOT disappointed! I loved how it all played out between Christa and Wanda, I really did!
Oh, and the trees?? All FEMALE trees, which I don't believe was mentioned in earlier books. And those trees know just how to please their dryad, and her demon mate! I will never look at a peach in the same way :-) Steamy and smexy, that's what these two ladies are, along with the peach trees and I really thought Sayle nailed those scenes.
This book is mostly about Wanda letting go of her fears and fully committing to Christa. The visit from the Demon King, Asmodeus, helps a great deal, and the family dinner with Christa's siblings does too. I really loved watching Wanda give herself to Christa, emotionally more than physically, to be honest.
Given the epilogue, and what I've seen about the next two books, they all overlap somewhat. I actually liked that. It's a bit different, is all, and gives spoilers for future books.
I absolutely cannot fault this, I really can't!
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 3 in the Obsessions series, and there is some overlap between this and the previous two books. I think you *SHOULD* read them before this one. Silas is Wanda's brother and it will give you a better picture of the dryad/tree relationship. Wanda's is quite different.
After being kidnapped by demons and rescued, Wanda wants nothing to do with the entire demonkind. But her brother is mated to one, and Dakata saved her life, along with a couple of others. But why, at the back of her mind, is Christa lurking? She is Dakata's sister but Wnada cannot remember her being at her rescue. And then, they touch, and both ladies know the other is their Blissful One. But Wanda hates demons? How can she be mated to one??
Ms Sayle writes MM books, has done for a while and I have followed her from the beginning. THIS is her first foray into FF books, and I was mighty, MIGHTY curious about Wanda and her trees in both previous books, so pairing those two things together, made me fully immerse myself into this book.
I was NOT disappointed! I loved how it all played out between Christa and Wanda, I really did!
Oh, and the trees?? All FEMALE trees, which I don't believe was mentioned in earlier books. And those trees know just how to please their dryad, and her demon mate! I will never look at a peach in the same way :-) Steamy and smexy, that's what these two ladies are, along with the peach trees and I really thought Sayle nailed those scenes.
This book is mostly about Wanda letting go of her fears and fully committing to Christa. The visit from the Demon King, Asmodeus, helps a great deal, and the family dinner with Christa's siblings does too. I really loved watching Wanda give herself to Christa, emotionally more than physically, to be honest.
Given the epilogue, and what I've seen about the next two books, they all overlap somewhat. I actually liked that. It's a bit different, is all, and gives spoilers for future books.
I absolutely cannot fault this, I really can't!
5 full and shiny stars!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Debbiereadsbook (1772 KP) rated Pomegranate Kiss (Charmed In Charleston #2) in Books
Feb 8, 2025
so sweet, how Lex fell first!
I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Charmed In Charleston series and I have not read book 1, Taking Root. My only thing to say would be, other than massive spoilers for THAT book you don't need to have read it before THIS book. I want to, though. Lex is Adrian's sister, and Cam is Danny's best friend.
Lex and Cam hook up, and neither can forget the event. When thrown together for Adriana dn Danny's wedding as maid of honour and bridesmaid, they quickly set a time line for the interlude. More pressing, Cam is in the closet and her parents want her to marry a nice man of their chosing. Returning to college looks better and better for Cam. But how can she tell lex, when this was only supposed to be a fling?
I liked this, I liked this A LOT. I couldn't quite love it though, but I haven't been able to love anything at the moment due to ill health, so take this review as a very good one, please!
I loved that Lex, the love em and leave queen, falls first. She knew Cam was special after that one time, and having tasted her once, she wants more. Far more than she ever wanted before, with anyone. Cam has more pressing issues. Her parents wants her to marry a nice man of their chosing and their faith is very against same sex relationships. She doesn't want to lose them, but things move at a pace she doesn't see coming and flips.
But I loved that the flip comes AFTER she returns to college, after she and Lex break up. And I loved that Cam didn't immediately run to Lex. Oh she wanted to, she really did. But she waits for Lex to come to her and that scene, on the harbour, where it all began, was amazing.
It's steamy, and smexy. Some drama and full of the found and realted families that McIntyre is so good at! I did find it kinda sweet, too, how Lex fell. She really did NOT see that coming!
4 very VERY good stars (my apologises!)
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Charmed In Charleston series and I have not read book 1, Taking Root. My only thing to say would be, other than massive spoilers for THAT book you don't need to have read it before THIS book. I want to, though. Lex is Adrian's sister, and Cam is Danny's best friend.
Lex and Cam hook up, and neither can forget the event. When thrown together for Adriana dn Danny's wedding as maid of honour and bridesmaid, they quickly set a time line for the interlude. More pressing, Cam is in the closet and her parents want her to marry a nice man of their chosing. Returning to college looks better and better for Cam. But how can she tell lex, when this was only supposed to be a fling?
I liked this, I liked this A LOT. I couldn't quite love it though, but I haven't been able to love anything at the moment due to ill health, so take this review as a very good one, please!
I loved that Lex, the love em and leave queen, falls first. She knew Cam was special after that one time, and having tasted her once, she wants more. Far more than she ever wanted before, with anyone. Cam has more pressing issues. Her parents wants her to marry a nice man of their chosing and their faith is very against same sex relationships. She doesn't want to lose them, but things move at a pace she doesn't see coming and flips.
But I loved that the flip comes AFTER she returns to college, after she and Lex break up. And I loved that Cam didn't immediately run to Lex. Oh she wanted to, she really did. But she waits for Lex to come to her and that scene, on the harbour, where it all began, was amazing.
It's steamy, and smexy. Some drama and full of the found and realted families that McIntyre is so good at! I did find it kinda sweet, too, how Lex fell. She really did NOT see that coming!
4 very VERY good stars (my apologises!)
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Debbiereadsbook (1772 KP) rated Taking What's Mine (Men of Maddox Security #4) in Books
Apr 24, 2025
super steamy!
Independent reviewer for BookSirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 4 in the Men of Maddox Security series, I've managed to read it before book 3, but I don't think it matters. They kinda/sorta run along side each other.
Lincoln is tasked with keeping Isabel, Dean's sister, safe. Her stalker is getting close. She is quite capable, thank you very much, and takes great offense at Dean for making her do this. But for the fact it is Lincoln, she might have pulled a hissy fit. Finding themselves in the middle of an adult club, when looking for leads, was not what they expected. But it gives them both a roundabout way to get what they want: each other. They just gotta keep Isabel safe til the threat is gone.
So! Reading out of order, but not really missing anything for doing that. But I do like these books, and I have book 3 to read after this one.
We had a 4 star, a 4.5 star and now we hit the ding, ding, ding, jackpot with a 5 star read!
I think what did it for me here was, Lincoln and Isabel have known each other for some time, worked together daily. And while each has attraction to the other, neither admitted it out loud. This close protection for Isabel brings brings them closer, and I loved the way it evolved.
Steamy, oh yes! Given the situation they find themselves in, and I did NOT see that one coming at me! Loved that!
Book 2 got a higher rating than book 1 for the emotional connection and we get that here, mostly because of the previous attraction, but I still think the emotional connection is far deeper than the pairings in previous books. Might be me, but still, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it!
There is some reference to Dean's story here, and I've not read that, but I didn't feel I missed anything. I WANT to read it, but I don't feel I NEED to, you know?? Dean's wife Sophia pops up here and I liked her for what little I know of Dean so far. At some point, I will read their story!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 4 in the Men of Maddox Security series, I've managed to read it before book 3, but I don't think it matters. They kinda/sorta run along side each other.
Lincoln is tasked with keeping Isabel, Dean's sister, safe. Her stalker is getting close. She is quite capable, thank you very much, and takes great offense at Dean for making her do this. But for the fact it is Lincoln, she might have pulled a hissy fit. Finding themselves in the middle of an adult club, when looking for leads, was not what they expected. But it gives them both a roundabout way to get what they want: each other. They just gotta keep Isabel safe til the threat is gone.
So! Reading out of order, but not really missing anything for doing that. But I do like these books, and I have book 3 to read after this one.
We had a 4 star, a 4.5 star and now we hit the ding, ding, ding, jackpot with a 5 star read!
I think what did it for me here was, Lincoln and Isabel have known each other for some time, worked together daily. And while each has attraction to the other, neither admitted it out loud. This close protection for Isabel brings brings them closer, and I loved the way it evolved.
Steamy, oh yes! Given the situation they find themselves in, and I did NOT see that one coming at me! Loved that!
Book 2 got a higher rating than book 1 for the emotional connection and we get that here, mostly because of the previous attraction, but I still think the emotional connection is far deeper than the pairings in previous books. Might be me, but still, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it!
There is some reference to Dean's story here, and I've not read that, but I didn't feel I missed anything. I WANT to read it, but I don't feel I NEED to, you know?? Dean's wife Sophia pops up here and I liked her for what little I know of Dean so far. At some point, I will read their story!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Debbiereadsbook (1772 KP) rated For the Murder (The Murder #1) in Books
Mar 2, 2022
different but very good!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
Diana needs a murder; a lone crow is a dead one. But to be accepted back into the murder that banished her, she needs to steal a very powerful blade. But others want it too, and Diana isn't too sure what's going on with her magic. Sasha isn't sure what these feelings are he has for Diana, but he also needs that blade to free himself from the demon who bound him. One of them will not be happy with the outcome.
This is different, and I do like me some different!
Diana is a crow shifter, with 3 legs (who knew?) but she isn't in a murder because her father is a bit of a con man (a LOT, really, by the time we get all the gory details!) and Diana, her mother and father were banished from the murder, but not her younger sister whose magic had been accepted by the murder. Dad wants Diana to steal this blade to get them back into the murder's good graces.
But, seriously, things are NOT as they seem. And Sasha wants that blade to free him from the demon who bound him to a lifetime of servitude. Something though, goes ping in both Diana and Sasha and instead Nobu, a cat shifter who really isn't, and they end up fighting together, rather than against each other.
I liked this, a lot. Like I said different. Humans with angel blood who are bound to demons. Shifters of all manner of being. There was a LOT going on, and at times I did struggle to keep up.
And I think this is the only reason I can't stretch to 5 stars, cos I did feel a little bit overwhelmed at points. Oh don't get me wrong, its a bloody good book, it really was, especially as this appears to be only the third book written by this author, and it is not short book, some 350 pages.
It's violent, some graphic scenes but I think they really are needed. Not explicit in any way, but there is romance, of a fashion, between Diana and Sasha, as their magic combines.
I really hope there are more books about the people in this book, a follow up for Diana and Sasha would be great!
4 good solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Diana needs a murder; a lone crow is a dead one. But to be accepted back into the murder that banished her, she needs to steal a very powerful blade. But others want it too, and Diana isn't too sure what's going on with her magic. Sasha isn't sure what these feelings are he has for Diana, but he also needs that blade to free himself from the demon who bound him. One of them will not be happy with the outcome.
This is different, and I do like me some different!
Diana is a crow shifter, with 3 legs (who knew?) but she isn't in a murder because her father is a bit of a con man (a LOT, really, by the time we get all the gory details!) and Diana, her mother and father were banished from the murder, but not her younger sister whose magic had been accepted by the murder. Dad wants Diana to steal this blade to get them back into the murder's good graces.
But, seriously, things are NOT as they seem. And Sasha wants that blade to free him from the demon who bound him to a lifetime of servitude. Something though, goes ping in both Diana and Sasha and instead Nobu, a cat shifter who really isn't, and they end up fighting together, rather than against each other.
I liked this, a lot. Like I said different. Humans with angel blood who are bound to demons. Shifters of all manner of being. There was a LOT going on, and at times I did struggle to keep up.
And I think this is the only reason I can't stretch to 5 stars, cos I did feel a little bit overwhelmed at points. Oh don't get me wrong, its a bloody good book, it really was, especially as this appears to be only the third book written by this author, and it is not short book, some 350 pages.
It's violent, some graphic scenes but I think they really are needed. Not explicit in any way, but there is romance, of a fashion, between Diana and Sasha, as their magic combines.
I really hope there are more books about the people in this book, a follow up for Diana and Sasha would be great!
4 good solid stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere







