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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated There’s Something Wrong with Aunt Beth in Books
Feb 20, 2024
32 of 220
Kindle
Book sirens review
There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Beth
By Mark Towse
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There's Something Wrong with Aunty Beth' is a collection of my favourite horror journeys, the best of the best I've taken to date. Twenty terrifying tales with something to suit all horror fans, from straight-up dread to signature Towsey weird. You'll never be the same again, and that's a Towsey guarantee. Within these haunted pages, you'll also find my new novella, 'Mother Dearest.'
Mother: A word that should summon trust, loyalty, love, and protection. But what if something begins eating away at such security, slowly transforming said Mother into something else entirely?
This is a compilation of short stories and everyone of them is dark, haunting, frightening and fun to read if you love horror. I always manage to find stories in these kind of books that I don’t like and end up skipping through but NOT this one! I recently discovered this author and I’m so glad I did his work is just brilliant. Do as Aunt Beth tells you!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Kindle
Book sirens review
There’s Something Wrong With Aunt Beth
By Mark Towse
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There's Something Wrong with Aunty Beth' is a collection of my favourite horror journeys, the best of the best I've taken to date. Twenty terrifying tales with something to suit all horror fans, from straight-up dread to signature Towsey weird. You'll never be the same again, and that's a Towsey guarantee. Within these haunted pages, you'll also find my new novella, 'Mother Dearest.'
Mother: A word that should summon trust, loyalty, love, and protection. But what if something begins eating away at such security, slowly transforming said Mother into something else entirely?
This is a compilation of short stories and everyone of them is dark, haunting, frightening and fun to read if you love horror. I always manage to find stories in these kind of books that I don’t like and end up skipping through but NOT this one! I recently discovered this author and I’m so glad I did his work is just brilliant. Do as Aunt Beth tells you!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Rumpelstiltskin (Timeless Fairytales 4) in Books
Apr 12, 2024
70 of 220
Kindle
Rumpelstiltskin ( Timeless Fairytales 4)
By K.M. Shea
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Things look grim for Gemma, a seamstress, when she is ordered under the threat of death by the insane King Torgen to spin straw into gold. Unwilling to forfeit her life, Gemma tries to escape her royal prison, earning her the respect of the mysterious mage, Stil. Stil offers to complete the impossible task... for a price.
Greedy and unsatisfied, King Torgen demands more and more straw to be spun into gold, and decrees that he will "reward" Gemma by marrying her. With death or marriage to a crazed king clouding her future, Stil offers Gemma a bargain that seems too good to be true.
Will Gemma's trust in Stil be her downfall, or will he defy the entire country to save her?
This was a really lovely retelling of Rumplestiltskin. It’s not a story I’ve really read much of which is why I really enjoy this series and KM Sheas work she tends to go a little puts the box. It’s a quick fun read especially if you like a retelling!
Kindle
Rumpelstiltskin ( Timeless Fairytales 4)
By K.M. Shea
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Things look grim for Gemma, a seamstress, when she is ordered under the threat of death by the insane King Torgen to spin straw into gold. Unwilling to forfeit her life, Gemma tries to escape her royal prison, earning her the respect of the mysterious mage, Stil. Stil offers to complete the impossible task... for a price.
Greedy and unsatisfied, King Torgen demands more and more straw to be spun into gold, and decrees that he will "reward" Gemma by marrying her. With death or marriage to a crazed king clouding her future, Stil offers Gemma a bargain that seems too good to be true.
Will Gemma's trust in Stil be her downfall, or will he defy the entire country to save her?
This was a really lovely retelling of Rumplestiltskin. It’s not a story I’ve really read much of which is why I really enjoy this series and KM Sheas work she tends to go a little puts the box. It’s a quick fun read especially if you like a retelling!
First, the obvious question: if this novel was only released in 2024, and Michael Crichton died in 2008ish, how can he possibly be the author?
The answer is he left notes for a project he had been working on, which his wife held in trust until she could find another author to take forward the story (enter, James Patterson).
While I've only read a few Patterson novels before, I have read more of Crichton works (Jurassic Park , The Lost World, Sphere, Timeline, Congo, Next, Micro, Eaters of the Dead, Prey and Pirate Latitudes all come to mind).
And, unfortunately, I have to say I was a little bit disappointed in this one.
I don't know why: maybe because I didn't really find any of the characters all that fleshed out, the set-up didn't grab me nor did the exotic location (Hawaii) but, for me, this was just one of the weaker entries in the afore-mentioned list of Crichton novels I've read: definitely not up there with the pinnacle of Jurassic Park or Prey; maybe more in line with (IMO) the weaker Pirate Latitudes or Next.
Your mileage, of course, may vary.
The answer is he left notes for a project he had been working on, which his wife held in trust until she could find another author to take forward the story (enter, James Patterson).
While I've only read a few Patterson novels before, I have read more of Crichton works (Jurassic Park , The Lost World, Sphere, Timeline, Congo, Next, Micro, Eaters of the Dead, Prey and Pirate Latitudes all come to mind).
And, unfortunately, I have to say I was a little bit disappointed in this one.
I don't know why: maybe because I didn't really find any of the characters all that fleshed out, the set-up didn't grab me nor did the exotic location (Hawaii) but, for me, this was just one of the weaker entries in the afore-mentioned list of Crichton novels I've read: definitely not up there with the pinnacle of Jurassic Park or Prey; maybe more in line with (IMO) the weaker Pirate Latitudes or Next.
Your mileage, of course, may vary.
Uncovering Love
Book
At forty, Scarlet Black had made more mistakes than she could count. Her bad boy had turned into a...
romantic suspense billionaire romance bookbuzz
Rise of The Unicorn
Book
Augustus 'Gus' Martin is an embattled LAPD negotiator. Months after suffering a significant blow to...
Mystery Suspense Thriller Psychological Fiction African-American Mystery
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated No Mercy in Books
Jan 7, 2024
5 of 220
Book
No Mercy
By Martina Cole
⭐️⭐️
Diana Davis has been head of the family business since the death of her husband, an infamous bank robber. She's a woman in a man's world, but no one messes with her.
Her only son, Angus, is a natural born villain, but he needs to earn Diana's trust before she'll allow him into the business.
Once he's proved he has the brains to run their clubs in Marbella, he is given what he's always wanted. It's the beginning of a reign of terror that knows no bounds.
But Angus has a blind spot: his wife, Lorna, and their three kids, Angus Junior, Sean and Eilish. And as the next generation enters the business, Angus has a painful truth to learn. Even when it comes to family, he must show no mercy...
I honestly normally really enjoy a Martina Cole but this was just lacking that bite you normally get. It was nowhere near as brutal as you expect. Something was definitely off for me with this one. Saying that I still finished it so something kept me reading.
Book
No Mercy
By Martina Cole
⭐️⭐️
Diana Davis has been head of the family business since the death of her husband, an infamous bank robber. She's a woman in a man's world, but no one messes with her.
Her only son, Angus, is a natural born villain, but he needs to earn Diana's trust before she'll allow him into the business.
Once he's proved he has the brains to run their clubs in Marbella, he is given what he's always wanted. It's the beginning of a reign of terror that knows no bounds.
But Angus has a blind spot: his wife, Lorna, and their three kids, Angus Junior, Sean and Eilish. And as the next generation enters the business, Angus has a painful truth to learn. Even when it comes to family, he must show no mercy...
I honestly normally really enjoy a Martina Cole but this was just lacking that bite you normally get. It was nowhere near as brutal as you expect. Something was definitely off for me with this one. Saying that I still finished it so something kept me reading.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2400 KP) rated The Ducal Detective in Books
Apr 25, 2024
Jacqueline Starts Her Reign Solving a Murder
Jacqueline Arienta Xavier has just been crowned Duchess of Saphire after the death of her parents in an accident. Since she is still mourning them, she is struggling to adjust to her new duties. Then she gets word that her parents’ death may have been murder. Not knowing who to trust, can she figure out what happened to them?
This is a fun novella that introduces a mystery series with a light fantasy setting. Considering all that the novella has to do, it’s impressive how it balances it in the short length it has. I was immediately drawn to Jacqueline, and I loved what we saw of her here. I also really liked the rest of the characters. The world was fun, and I hope we get to explore it further as the series goes along. For the length of the story, the mystery was good with enough twists to keep us engaged on the way to a logical climax. I appreciated the balance we got in tone between the sadness Jacqueline is experiencing and the lighter scenes. I can’t wait to make a return visit to this series.
This is a fun novella that introduces a mystery series with a light fantasy setting. Considering all that the novella has to do, it’s impressive how it balances it in the short length it has. I was immediately drawn to Jacqueline, and I loved what we saw of her here. I also really liked the rest of the characters. The world was fun, and I hope we get to explore it further as the series goes along. For the length of the story, the mystery was good with enough twists to keep us engaged on the way to a logical climax. I appreciated the balance we got in tone between the sadness Jacqueline is experiencing and the lighter scenes. I can’t wait to make a return visit to this series.
Lindsay (1774 KP) rated The Song of Sourwood Mountain in Books
May 16, 2025
The Song of Sourwood Mountain is really good. I was captured by a woman named Mira, and I felt transported back to this little town in Eastern Kentucky. However, we saw she ran into a young man with whom she had gone to school as a boy. His name is Gordon.
We see it mostly through Mira's eyes but also through Gordon's, who happens to be a preacher for the Sourwood children. This little village and the folks who live in Sourwood are the best part.
The children of Sourwood are really sweet and loving. We meet a few of the children, but it seems that we also get a new story about a little girl and how she is feeling. Will this little girl get the family she always wanted? Will Mira be a good teacher and wife to Gordon? Will Mira learn to trust, love, and lean on the Lord? Maybe she will do her Lord's calling.
Can they bring education and reading to children? Will the folks welcome a new teacher and preacher's wife? Will Mira fit in and find a sense of community and family?
We see it mostly through Mira's eyes but also through Gordon's, who happens to be a preacher for the Sourwood children. This little village and the folks who live in Sourwood are the best part.
The children of Sourwood are really sweet and loving. We meet a few of the children, but it seems that we also get a new story about a little girl and how she is feeling. Will this little girl get the family she always wanted? Will Mira be a good teacher and wife to Gordon? Will Mira learn to trust, love, and lean on the Lord? Maybe she will do her Lord's calling.
Can they bring education and reading to children? Will the folks welcome a new teacher and preacher's wife? Will Mira fit in and find a sense of community and family?
Nothing But the Night (Basic Instincts #2)
10.0
Rate It
Book
Be careful what you look for in the night. Three months after the death of his brother, Marc...
Contemporary MM Romance Mystery Thriller Suspense
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated Incinerate in Books
Feb 4, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Motives and trust are put to question in the short book Incinerate by R. L. Green. However, it is not just the trust of others that is questioned but trust in oneself when emotions are involved.
Ted was raised by his Uncle Will who is, unfortunately, laying in the ICU on life support. While he is not bad off, Ted is very money conscious and is fairly sure he is his Uncle’s heir but has yet to see a copy of the will. He fears that this situation is going to bring distant relatives, especially those on his dad’s side who ran off when he was a baby, out of the woodwork looking for money. He is not completely wrong. His half-sister, Tamsyn, decides to take this opportunity to connect with family. Much to Ted’s surprise and suspicion Tam shows up in a wheelchair with a traveling companion tagging along by the name of Jazz.
Although Jazz comes off as harsh and cold towards Ted to begin with it appears this is only because she is trying to look out for Tam. After a little bit, Ted and Jazz begin to build a relationship or so Ted thinks, while Tam and Ben, Ted’s best friend seem to hit it off as well. Unfortunately, there is more to Jazz than meets the eye as Ted soon finds out. Ted and Ben make it their goal to help Tam get out of Tazz’s manipulative clutches, but it proves difficult. Ted must keep his feelings for Jazz from interfering with the plan yet keep Jazz from knowing he is aware of the truth. Jazz, however, doesn't want to give up her grip on Tam that easily and is willing to go to extreme lengths to keep ahold of her.
I enjoyed Ted’s personality quite a bit. He is questioning and careful of new people and situations until he understands what is going on. Once he understands, Ted seems to have very little trouble deciding to take sides, even if it means he has to fight himself in the process. I was unhappy with the ending of this book. It was a cliffhanger (which I have no problem with) but it just left way too much hanging. The situation with Uncle Will is never resolved, though it's not hard to guess what happened to him, but the will in another unanswered factor. Mor importantly even though there are plans to go ahead and start the business nothing is said about how it works out. I am also extremely interested to know if Jazz ever comes back and if the accident she had was an accident. Then there is also the fact that Ted said “hey” way too much and at times when it felt wrong.
This book deals with tough subjects best suited for adult and high school students. Subjects include rape, manipulation, sex, and death. Other than that the writing style itself is not that difficult. I would also classify this book as a drama from those that are interested. I rate this book 2 out of 4. It is a quick read for those that do not have a lot of free time. While the book itself lacks depth the characters seem to have quite a bit to them. For everything that I find fault for in this book, it is balanced with a positive aspect as well. This might not be a book that I would highly recommend, yet I would not discourage anyone from giving it a shot.
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Ted was raised by his Uncle Will who is, unfortunately, laying in the ICU on life support. While he is not bad off, Ted is very money conscious and is fairly sure he is his Uncle’s heir but has yet to see a copy of the will. He fears that this situation is going to bring distant relatives, especially those on his dad’s side who ran off when he was a baby, out of the woodwork looking for money. He is not completely wrong. His half-sister, Tamsyn, decides to take this opportunity to connect with family. Much to Ted’s surprise and suspicion Tam shows up in a wheelchair with a traveling companion tagging along by the name of Jazz.
Although Jazz comes off as harsh and cold towards Ted to begin with it appears this is only because she is trying to look out for Tam. After a little bit, Ted and Jazz begin to build a relationship or so Ted thinks, while Tam and Ben, Ted’s best friend seem to hit it off as well. Unfortunately, there is more to Jazz than meets the eye as Ted soon finds out. Ted and Ben make it their goal to help Tam get out of Tazz’s manipulative clutches, but it proves difficult. Ted must keep his feelings for Jazz from interfering with the plan yet keep Jazz from knowing he is aware of the truth. Jazz, however, doesn't want to give up her grip on Tam that easily and is willing to go to extreme lengths to keep ahold of her.
I enjoyed Ted’s personality quite a bit. He is questioning and careful of new people and situations until he understands what is going on. Once he understands, Ted seems to have very little trouble deciding to take sides, even if it means he has to fight himself in the process. I was unhappy with the ending of this book. It was a cliffhanger (which I have no problem with) but it just left way too much hanging. The situation with Uncle Will is never resolved, though it's not hard to guess what happened to him, but the will in another unanswered factor. Mor importantly even though there are plans to go ahead and start the business nothing is said about how it works out. I am also extremely interested to know if Jazz ever comes back and if the accident she had was an accident. Then there is also the fact that Ted said “hey” way too much and at times when it felt wrong.
This book deals with tough subjects best suited for adult and high school students. Subjects include rape, manipulation, sex, and death. Other than that the writing style itself is not that difficult. I would also classify this book as a drama from those that are interested. I rate this book 2 out of 4. It is a quick read for those that do not have a lot of free time. While the book itself lacks depth the characters seem to have quite a bit to them. For everything that I find fault for in this book, it is balanced with a positive aspect as well. This might not be a book that I would highly recommend, yet I would not discourage anyone from giving it a shot.
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https://smashbomb.com/nightreader