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Shifter Woods: Claw (Esposito County Shifters #4)
Shifter Woods: Claw (Esposito County Shifters #4)
Nicola M. Cameron | 2023 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
blinder of a plot twist!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is book 4 in the Esposito County Shifters series, but I have not read them all. They can all be read as stand alones.

Angela runs after discovering her abusive boyfriend sells her out to the mob. Something guides her to Esposito County and Matt saves her. There is a familiar scent to Angela that Matt can't place, but he knows one thing: he will do anything to keep her safe, and make her his.

I liked this a lot. It takes a darker edge than Growl (book 3) but plays another blinder of a plot twist for Matt and Angela that I did not see coming!

It's steamy and smexy, yes but this had less of a *MINE* moment that some shifter books have and more of an *I know you, but can't place you* and the feelings for both Matt and Angela creep up on them. Oh, don't get me wrong, Matt has that drive to protect Angela right from the start, but he wasn't sure what it meant. I loved that it takes time, you know? The rapid fall-in-loves books are all well and good, but I especially liked that particular book isn't like that.

I loved that the other shifters in town pulled together to sort out Angela's problem, and I love that Matt asked if he could deal with it personally.

A thoroughly enjoyable 4 star read.

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Wolf Hunter (Arctic Brotherhood #5)
Wolf Hunter (Arctic Brotherhood #5)
Jane Godman | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Wolf Hunter (Arctic Brotherhood #5) by Jane Godman
Wolf Hunter is the fifth book in the Arctic Brotherhood series, and we finally have Sebastian and Cindy's story. The hints were there for these two, but we have had to wait until now to read all about them. Cindy has no idea how to tell the people that she regards as family that she was Hendrick's best friend, not lover. They all assume she has taken his bite, become his mate, and is now a werewolf. Even Sebastian, although the thought of that gives him feelings that he is not prepared to deal with. Too soon though, he realises he doesn't have a choice, when a story he is chasing ties up with the Brotherhood once more. Past links come to life, showing the Brotherhood that there has been more to this than meets the eye.

This story is very nicely written, and flows smoothly from one scene to the next. The ties that bind this book to the previous ones are all obvious, once you find them out! The characters all remain as brilliant as ever, completely different to each other, and yet wholly complementary. I can't wait to read the next book as this one has done a grand job of building up to the climax. With steamy scenes as a bonus, this is a wonderful story that will keep you turning the pages. Absolutely 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!
  
Caressed by the Edge of Darkness (Rulers of Darkness #5)
Caressed by the Edge of Darkness (Rulers of Darkness #5)
Amanda J. Greene | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance
8
6.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Caressed by the Edge of Darkness (Rulers of Darkness #5) by Amanda J. Greene
Caressed by the Edge of Darkness is the fifth book in the Rulers of Darkness series, and it is time for Gabriel's story. He became obsessed by Jordan when he first saw her, and tried to preempt her abduction by Boras. When he failed at that, he was desperate to find her. Now Jordan is not your typical wilting wallflower. She was raised as a hunter and is capable of protecting herself. However, her abductors decide to drug her to keep her pliant, and even she can't fight that.

I love a tortured hero, and you don't get more tortured than Gabriel. Once you read about his past, you understand why he is the way he is. Jordan is his perfect match, if he would just trust himself. These two constantly spark off each other, making this a fun read. It is also sexy, with plenty of steamy times. We also get cameo appearances from Dimitri and Kerstyn, and hints towards Gannon and Silvie.

This book is an amazing read, but the one thing that detracts from it is the editing and grammatical errors. Spelling errors are sprinkled throughout, which is a shame because the story itself is wonderful. I would recommend this book, and series, but only if you can skim over errors without them affecting your enjoyment of the story.

* 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!
  
A Vampire's Embrace (Blood Rose Time Travel #2)
A Vampire's Embrace (Blood Rose Time Travel #2)
Caris Roane | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A Vampire's Embrace (Blood Rose Time Travel #2) by Caris Roane
A Vampire's Embrace is the second book in the Blood Rose Time Travel series, and we meet up with Rez and Holly as they become the latest pair that the Invictus target. This world is firmly established, and yet Caris Roane has managed to introduce a new set of rules to their world - that of time-pathing. Only a certain few have this talent, and Holly is one of them. She has been pushed hard by Vojalie but still has things to learn. One thing she doesn't need to learn about though, is Rez. Holly thinks that she knows him, the same as he thinks that he knows her. Both of these are in for the shock of their lives as they realise that the real them is very different from what the other thought.

With a fast pace and steamy situations, it was with delight that I found the softer, more gentle, side of Rez and his quest to find his missing daughter. This was exceedingly well written, with enough angst to make it real, rather than overly dramatic. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. I would totally recommend not only this book, and the first one is this series, but the whole Blood Rose set. With characters mentioned from previous stories, you will definitely be in for a treat as you enter their world.

* 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!
  
Knights of Stone: Bryce (Highland Gargoyles #3)
Knights of Stone: Bryce (Highland Gargoyles #3)
Lisa Carlisle | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Knights of Stone: Bryce (Highland Gargoyles #3)
Knights of Stone: Bryce is the third book in the Highland Gargoyles series. It features the second oldest of the brothers, who is also second in command. On a return trip from the Highlands, Bryce feels like he is being watched. With strange rumours of people being attacked, he is on his guard. What he finds though, was not what he expected. He finds a young Gargoyle woman, alone and traumatised, although still feisty as hell! When she tells him her story, he knows that the clan his mother and father belong to must be informed, otherwise all Gargoyles are in danger. He tries to ignore his protective instinct, which is going off the charts since he met Mairi.

Well, Bryce may have tried, but we all know how these things work. He didn't have a cat in hell's chance of withstanding the pull of Mairi, even if she wasn't actually doing anything! This book is full of action, although only one 'steamy' scene Bryce and Mairi. With demons to fight, brothers to contend with, and a protective instinct to overcome, Bryce has his hands full. This book felt very balanced, with equal time being given to Mairi and Bryce. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and one scene flowed into the other. This is turning out to be a wonderful series, with excellent world building and characters. 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!
  
A Court of Wings and Ruin
A Court of Wings and Ruin
Sarah J. Maas | 2017 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
8.8 (113 Ratings)
Book Rating
My review: "Okay, so I have some major mixed feelings about this lovely book. If you read my reviews for A Court of Thorns and Roses and A Court of Mist and Fury, then you’ll know that I loved both; especially ACoMaF. For some reason though, I had a hard time getting through this book.

Don’t get me wrong, I did like it. But let me explain some things I did not like. The beginning was slow and honestly, I was a bit bored. Eventually it picked up, but if I hadn’t been so invested in the series, I might have stopped reading. (And I’m glad I continued, btw) Though the pace picked up, I still found myself forcing myself to push through the story. That’s my biggest reason for maybe, kinda, just a little bit- not liking it. The end also seemed a bit rushed. Maybe that’s just me. But I felt like maybe there should be… MORE.

In the first book, I was very much into Tamlin and Feyre. The second book I was drooling over Rhys and totally shipped him and Feyre. Yes, they have a couple steamy scenes in this book, but it didn’t do much for me like the previous book. This time, I was hooked on Cassian. I don’t know what it was, but he stole the show for me. I also thought Lucien and Elaine were super cute, despite things being so strained. But really, can I just have Rhys and Cassian for myself? Please, please, please." Read my entire review here: https://thenerdybookwormsite.wordpress.com/2017/09/16/a-court-of-wings-and-ruin-by-sarah-j-maas/
  
Finding Home
Finding Home
Meg Harding | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Finding Home by Meg Harding
Finding Home starts off with Jared. He has lost his job, is living back with his mother as his husband cheated with someone else, and now he finds out that his grandma has died. His mother wants him out of the house so she sends him off to hell (Florida in May) where he finds more than he bargained for, and learns about just who he is and what he wants.

This is a sweet and steamy, low angst, story full of feel-good factors. Jared's brothers are all brilliant, and Chase is... well, Chase is Chase and I wouldn't change a thing. Jared's neuroses were a tad annoying to start with, but as his story became clear, all was forgiven as I literally couldn't see him growing up any differently given the circumstances.

One thing I loved in particular (without giving away any spoilers) is when Jared does something that others might not agree with, but he does it for himself, for his own reasons, and to find things out about himself. I LOVED THAT!!! He is aware of what jumping into something might be like, but he is prepared to work with himself to ensure that everything goes the way it should.

With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, this was a page-turner that had humour, family, hotness, and love. 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 the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa

Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
I ended up having a love-hate relationship with this novel that leaned more towards hate than love. I was excited for this story because the story of the Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorite fairytales, and I love erotic fairytales. However, the story was off-putting from the very beginning.

I am very much against slut-shaming, but Danya was obnoxious. Even as someone who enjoys sex, I found her character unbelievable, unrelatable, and extremely childish. I thought she made poor decisions and her sex drive bordered on ridiculous. I couldn't force myself to like her, or her sister for that matter who fell in love after being ravaged by a man she didn't even know.

This story had a lot of potential, but somewhere early in the beginning, the train jumped the track and never seemed to get back on. I almost did not finish it. I reached the sex scene where the Beast was shoving Danya's chest onto a steak she was eating as he took her savagely from behind and just had to set the book down. I could not even pretend to find this erotic. Most of the erotic scenes were not horrible, some were actually very steamy, but some reached a point of absurd.

I did pick it back up at a later date to finish it. It never became any better, but it also did not get worse. What I did appreciate about this book was the author's courage to write erotic scenes that differed from the cliche and overused mainstream formula you can find in pretty much any novel you pick up.