Search
Search results
Merissa (13681 KP) rated Brooklyn Rockstar (Kendalls #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018 (Updated May 31, 2023)
Charlie is trying to sort out his solo career, whilst the rest of the band do their own thing, as they all wonder where Danny the drummer disappeared to. Evelyn is a city girl stuck in the country until she just ups and moves to New York, to live with a friend she met online. Now I have to say, I can't figure out if Evelyn is either brave or stupid! To move somewhere, with no job lined up, with someone you've never actually met in person? As I say, brave or stupid.
The connection between these two is instantaneous and hot. The best bit for me is that Evelyn doesn't just jump when Charlie says so. She is naive to his world and admits that from the start. This is part of her charm for Charlie, as she has no false airs and graces.
This is a well-written book, with plenty of action, paparazzi, mystery, suspense and romance. I did feel for Charlie as he tried to figure out what to do and was glad when it all became clear at the end. I am not usually a fan of rockstar romances, but this one ticked most boxes for me. The inner dialogue from Danny started to annoy me though, I know he's a jerk, you don't have to keep telling me. Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to read more by this author. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Mar 30, 2016
The connection between these two is instantaneous and hot. The best bit for me is that Evelyn doesn't just jump when Charlie says so. She is naive to his world and admits that from the start. This is part of her charm for Charlie, as she has no false airs and graces.
This is a well-written book, with plenty of action, paparazzi, mystery, suspense and romance. I did feel for Charlie as he tried to figure out what to do and was glad when it all became clear at the end. I am not usually a fan of rockstar romances, but this one ticked most boxes for me. The inner dialogue from Danny started to annoy me though, I know he's a jerk, you don't have to keep telling me. Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed it and would love to read more by this author. Definitely recommended.
* 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!
Mar 30, 2016
Debbiereadsbook (1633 KP) rated Hidden Rooms in Books
May 3, 2024
4 very VERY good stars
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian via BookSirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is the author's debut novel, and I reckon she nailed it!
Riley's sister-in-law to be, Beth, is murdered, and her brother Ethan, is the prime suspect. Riley knows he's innocent, and sets about to prove it.
What I particularly liked about this, was being kept on my toes! Until it all came out, I didn't know whether Ethan did it or not!
Beth is keeping secrets, and those secrets cost her, but again, it takes time for things to come out.
Everything does take a time to come out, and I suggest, if like me, you weren't liking the slow pace, KEEP AT IT! It does speed up and move at pace. I am glad I kept with it.
Riley tells a great tale, even with this illness that rocks her through much of the book. I enjoyed her, especially as she is the only voice in the book. I liked the way the illness was dealt with, or not for much of the time!
I think I might not have enjoyed this so much had someone else had a say, which is contrary to my usual "I wanted to hear from everyone" thing, I know, but I really did like Riley.
It's well written, and well delivered. There is just enough suspense, once it kicks off, to keep you fully engaged and invested with this group of people.
As an ARC reader of many years, my primary genre is romance. Once in a while something different will come through and my interest is piqued. I am certainly glad I took this one on, and will absolutely read more by this author as and when.
4 very VERY good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is the author's debut novel, and I reckon she nailed it!
Riley's sister-in-law to be, Beth, is murdered, and her brother Ethan, is the prime suspect. Riley knows he's innocent, and sets about to prove it.
What I particularly liked about this, was being kept on my toes! Until it all came out, I didn't know whether Ethan did it or not!
Beth is keeping secrets, and those secrets cost her, but again, it takes time for things to come out.
Everything does take a time to come out, and I suggest, if like me, you weren't liking the slow pace, KEEP AT IT! It does speed up and move at pace. I am glad I kept with it.
Riley tells a great tale, even with this illness that rocks her through much of the book. I enjoyed her, especially as she is the only voice in the book. I liked the way the illness was dealt with, or not for much of the time!
I think I might not have enjoyed this so much had someone else had a say, which is contrary to my usual "I wanted to hear from everyone" thing, I know, but I really did like Riley.
It's well written, and well delivered. There is just enough suspense, once it kicks off, to keep you fully engaged and invested with this group of people.
As an ARC reader of many years, my primary genre is romance. Once in a while something different will come through and my interest is piqued. I am certainly glad I took this one on, and will absolutely read more by this author as and when.
4 very VERY good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Debbiereadsbook (1633 KP) rated Matching with Monsters (The Red Agency #1) in Books
Dec 26, 2023
so close to 5 stars but I needed the guys too!
Independent reviewer for BookSirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.
One thing, and one thing alone stopped this book getting 5 stars. Well, maybe 2, but the second thing is just me being greedy, but I'm allowed, right??
So that thing? Single person point of view. Only Ari has a say, in the first person. Now, I always want to hear from everyone, but I think HERE, in this case, I am fully justified in wanting to hear from Magnus, the vampire; Gareth, the yeti; Gabe and Lucien, the gargoyles and Rivak, but I'm not telling you what he is, it takes time for the full reveal and you do need that suspense! But it was Rivak that I needed to hear from the most. When he tells of why he holds himself back, you understand but I needed to hear from HIM, you know?
There are other points that I need to make, but I don't think these affect my star rating. The rival clan thing was never fully explained. And I would have loved more about that way this clan of 5 came to be, their history.
It's clear that Ari's two friends, Cami and Lyssa, have a story with their own clan. I hope I get to read them!
So, the other thing that's just me being greedy?? It's very much Ari and HER mates. I would have loved that they were ALL mates, you know?? Obviously, not Gabe and Lucien, since they are twins, but I would have loved some contact between the monsters as well as Ari, you know?? Greedy, like I said!
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
One thing, and one thing alone stopped this book getting 5 stars. Well, maybe 2, but the second thing is just me being greedy, but I'm allowed, right??
So that thing? Single person point of view. Only Ari has a say, in the first person. Now, I always want to hear from everyone, but I think HERE, in this case, I am fully justified in wanting to hear from Magnus, the vampire; Gareth, the yeti; Gabe and Lucien, the gargoyles and Rivak, but I'm not telling you what he is, it takes time for the full reveal and you do need that suspense! But it was Rivak that I needed to hear from the most. When he tells of why he holds himself back, you understand but I needed to hear from HIM, you know?
There are other points that I need to make, but I don't think these affect my star rating. The rival clan thing was never fully explained. And I would have loved more about that way this clan of 5 came to be, their history.
It's clear that Ari's two friends, Cami and Lyssa, have a story with their own clan. I hope I get to read them!
So, the other thing that's just me being greedy?? It's very much Ari and HER mates. I would have loved that they were ALL mates, you know?? Obviously, not Gabe and Lucien, since they are twins, but I would have loved some contact between the monsters as well as Ari, you know?? Greedy, like I said!
4 very good stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
The Way Alex Sees Me (Aphrodite in Disguise #2)
Book
High school senior Rusty Finch is in a pickle. His grades are plummeting even though everyone...
Dark MM Contemporary Historical Paranormal Romance
Heart of Hope (Hooves & Hearts #2)
8.0
Rate It
Book
If she isn't the top rider at River Green farm, who is she? Horses have been Isabel Martin's...
Contemporary Romance
Dream a Little Dream (To Love a Psycho #1)
9.0
Rate It
Book
His student. His obsession. His undoing. “Aaron Jones was a spark in the dark. Beautiful....
Dark MM Romance Contemporary Psychological Thriller
Claimed by the Bear (Mokoaroa Shifters #2)
6.0
Rate It
Book
I was just trying to solve a murder. I didn’t expect my past—and a world I didn’t know...
Paranormal Romance Shifter Suspense
Worth the Fight (Worth It #2)
9.0
Rate It
Book
It was never going to be just one night. Not when it burned this hot. Firefighter Reece Morgan is...
Contemporary MM Romance Hurt/Comfort Romantic Suspense
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Three Heart Echo in Books
May 16, 2018
Three Heart Echo by Keary Taylor ended up on my reading list by yet another mislabeling on NetGalley, I must admit. As seen in the title image above, the book is a paranormal suspense. If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you’ll no doubt guess that I grabbed it from the horror genre titles. Fortunately, after revisiting its cover I can at least say that its actual genre is the right one. While Three Heart Echo does have some elements of horror, it reads more like a paranormal-themed Lifetime movie.
Taking place soon after the death of Jack Caraway, Three Heart Echo tells the story of two vastly different people meeting and, you guessed it, falling in love. It’s not that simple though, and several of the more twisted things that one might expect from a horror novel surface throughout the plot. Iona Faye, a frail woman mourning the death of her fiance, seeks out Sully Whitmore, a man rumored to be able to speak to the dead. Together, the two unravel the darkness of Jack’s past while racing against time to unravel not one, but two curses.
The plot is fairly linear, with only one unexpected twist at the end. That twist defines much of the book though, and I have to admit that I actually felt anger flare up within me. I’ve gotta give Taylor kudos for that one. What I don’t like, besides the heavily romantic subplot, is the fact that, as readers see in many romance books, we’re dealing with two Mary Sue characters. Iona is described as a beautiful fawn whilst Sully is a giant Viking of a man. Catch my drift? Oh, and poor dead Jack? Apparently, he’s a stunner too.
While the plot is straightforward, Taylor also alternates between perspectives on chapters. Now, as a reader, you may think I mean she goes back and forth between past and present. It’s common enough when we read books, after all. Unfortunately, what I mean is that Taylor switches between perspectives of Sully and Iona. For the most part, the switches follow a pattern. There is some story overlap/repetition within those shifts, but it isn’t terrible. What perturbs me about these perspectives is that every now and then, there’s a break to the pattern where it may take some readers a moment to realize that the book has suddenly shifted to the past without warning.
Back to the romance side of things, there are far too many cliches. Poor, helpless main character gets an indescribable pain in their chest and they can’t fathom why it feels like their heart races when they look upon their love interest. As if that’s not bad enough, you know from the get-go that there’s going to be a love story involved. It’s not well enough to leave it a paranormal suspense, we might as well make it a romance too. Because y’know, two attractive people can’t simply be friends!
Speaking of chest pain, there’s another thing about this book that absolutely irked me. I could understand if one character had an odd need to count things. It happens and OCD is a real thing; but, what I’m referring to, is the need by both characters to take exactly five steps, to blink four times, to wait for three heartbeats before they do something so much as take a breath.
Finally, what the hell is a grand opus? The actual term is magnum opus. I’lll hope it was just a typo that was fixed in the final, published copy of the Three Heart Echo. Overall, the story itself is engaging to a degree, but it definitely wasn’t my style. I think it belongs more in the paranormal romance genre than it does horror.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free copy for the purpose of review.
Taking place soon after the death of Jack Caraway, Three Heart Echo tells the story of two vastly different people meeting and, you guessed it, falling in love. It’s not that simple though, and several of the more twisted things that one might expect from a horror novel surface throughout the plot. Iona Faye, a frail woman mourning the death of her fiance, seeks out Sully Whitmore, a man rumored to be able to speak to the dead. Together, the two unravel the darkness of Jack’s past while racing against time to unravel not one, but two curses.
The plot is fairly linear, with only one unexpected twist at the end. That twist defines much of the book though, and I have to admit that I actually felt anger flare up within me. I’ve gotta give Taylor kudos for that one. What I don’t like, besides the heavily romantic subplot, is the fact that, as readers see in many romance books, we’re dealing with two Mary Sue characters. Iona is described as a beautiful fawn whilst Sully is a giant Viking of a man. Catch my drift? Oh, and poor dead Jack? Apparently, he’s a stunner too.
While the plot is straightforward, Taylor also alternates between perspectives on chapters. Now, as a reader, you may think I mean she goes back and forth between past and present. It’s common enough when we read books, after all. Unfortunately, what I mean is that Taylor switches between perspectives of Sully and Iona. For the most part, the switches follow a pattern. There is some story overlap/repetition within those shifts, but it isn’t terrible. What perturbs me about these perspectives is that every now and then, there’s a break to the pattern where it may take some readers a moment to realize that the book has suddenly shifted to the past without warning.
Back to the romance side of things, there are far too many cliches. Poor, helpless main character gets an indescribable pain in their chest and they can’t fathom why it feels like their heart races when they look upon their love interest. As if that’s not bad enough, you know from the get-go that there’s going to be a love story involved. It’s not well enough to leave it a paranormal suspense, we might as well make it a romance too. Because y’know, two attractive people can’t simply be friends!
Speaking of chest pain, there’s another thing about this book that absolutely irked me. I could understand if one character had an odd need to count things. It happens and OCD is a real thing; but, what I’m referring to, is the need by both characters to take exactly five steps, to blink four times, to wait for three heartbeats before they do something so much as take a breath.
Finally, what the hell is a grand opus? The actual term is magnum opus. I’lll hope it was just a typo that was fixed in the final, published copy of the Three Heart Echo. Overall, the story itself is engaging to a degree, but it definitely wasn’t my style. I think it belongs more in the paranormal romance genre than it does horror.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and the author for providing me with a free copy for the purpose of review.
Sign Off, a murder mystery by Patricia McLinn, is a marvelous book about a woman named Elizabeth who works for a news station when a little girl asks her to look into a murder case that has been unsolved. At first Elizabeth wasn’t sure if she could solve it, but as she looks at the news from the case, she finds herself curious about all parties involved and begins asking questions. Along the way, she start to find herself after having had a rough past that left her in a small town, as well as finding someone who might be interested in her. With her small team of colleagues, they all work to try to solve the case and find out what really happened.
At first, I was worried the book would leave out details about the main character that could help fill in her background, but upon reading further I was pleasantly surprised with hoe they would tie in the information that was left out in the beginning, using the case to help introduce the said information. I enjoy the suspense and the way the book was written so that you were trying to solve the murder mystery alongside Elizabeth and Mike. The details McLinn used to describe different scenes and things in the book was chilling to think about. Even though it would be accurate in the way she was suing them, it still makes me shiver at the thought of such descriptions used.
I enjoyed the different characters and their personalities which made you want to suspect someone over another person and even take notes mentally in hopes to figure it out before the murderer was revealed. Though, your thoughts may be wrong. I also enjoyed the underlying tone of romance in the brewing. It made it so that it was realistic and made it able to give reasons for Mike to want to spend time with Elizabeth other than helping solve the case. I would have loved to see that develop more, but was pleasantly surprised with everything that was said about such a development between the characters and seeing them be mature about it.
Though they were mature about most things, it was clear not everything earned such merit. While the characters seemed to be able to handle themselves, you couldn’t help but wonder why in some instances where they so brave and in others seemed slightly cowardly or lost for words. There were also a few things that had confused me on the approach the characters took to certain problems but wasn’t like confused in the way that left you unhappy, but more like “why would they do that instead of this”? While I believe even though the characters made some slight error in my own opinion of what should be done, I found that these small errors made the story feel more well-rounded, unlike some story-lines that can make their characters seem like a god in their area of expertise. I quite enjoyed the reality feel for this murder mystery.
Sign Off was a real page turned that kept me wanting more, and even though it is book one of the Caught Dead in Wyoming series, I will have to say I was pleasantly surprised that it could easily stand alone. I will be looking forward to the rest of the series, as there are currently seven books in total. Patricia McLinn has given us a fabulous product that can satisfy just about any need you may have. It you want action, mystery, suspense, and a tad bit of romance mixed in with some comedy, this is a book for you. I would rate this book 4 star out of 4 stars. It was just a truly amazing tale that kept me wanting more.
At first, I was worried the book would leave out details about the main character that could help fill in her background, but upon reading further I was pleasantly surprised with hoe they would tie in the information that was left out in the beginning, using the case to help introduce the said information. I enjoy the suspense and the way the book was written so that you were trying to solve the murder mystery alongside Elizabeth and Mike. The details McLinn used to describe different scenes and things in the book was chilling to think about. Even though it would be accurate in the way she was suing them, it still makes me shiver at the thought of such descriptions used.
I enjoyed the different characters and their personalities which made you want to suspect someone over another person and even take notes mentally in hopes to figure it out before the murderer was revealed. Though, your thoughts may be wrong. I also enjoyed the underlying tone of romance in the brewing. It made it so that it was realistic and made it able to give reasons for Mike to want to spend time with Elizabeth other than helping solve the case. I would have loved to see that develop more, but was pleasantly surprised with everything that was said about such a development between the characters and seeing them be mature about it.
Though they were mature about most things, it was clear not everything earned such merit. While the characters seemed to be able to handle themselves, you couldn’t help but wonder why in some instances where they so brave and in others seemed slightly cowardly or lost for words. There were also a few things that had confused me on the approach the characters took to certain problems but wasn’t like confused in the way that left you unhappy, but more like “why would they do that instead of this”? While I believe even though the characters made some slight error in my own opinion of what should be done, I found that these small errors made the story feel more well-rounded, unlike some story-lines that can make their characters seem like a god in their area of expertise. I quite enjoyed the reality feel for this murder mystery.
Sign Off was a real page turned that kept me wanting more, and even though it is book one of the Caught Dead in Wyoming series, I will have to say I was pleasantly surprised that it could easily stand alone. I will be looking forward to the rest of the series, as there are currently seven books in total. Patricia McLinn has given us a fabulous product that can satisfy just about any need you may have. It you want action, mystery, suspense, and a tad bit of romance mixed in with some comedy, this is a book for you. I would rate this book 4 star out of 4 stars. It was just a truly amazing tale that kept me wanting more.