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[Last Days of Last Island] by [Bill Dixon] shows that being rich doesn't always come with common sense. In the mid 1800 in America the rich were looking for new ways to enjoy their wealth. In Louisiana the plantation owners found a beautiful island off the coast. It had great views and fishing. Also the breezes were a nice change from the temperatures inland in the South.

The catch is this "island" was little more than a large sandbar. What we know as barrier islands. This did not deter them from building it up as a resort for the well to do. What could go wrong?

There was no weather forecasting as their is today and the Gulf Coast was as prone to hurricanes then as it is now. There also was no easy escape since the only way to the island was by boat.

[Dixon] tell the tragic story of life and death on Last Island during the Hurricane of 1856. The research is well done and the narrative makes the saga of the inhabitants real in this pre Civil War natural disaster. Although he does get quite repetitive with details it was still a very informative read.
  
I'm extremely surprised by how much I enjoyed this anthology! I picked it up intending to just read the stories by authors I know I like—Kelley Armstrong, Ilona Andrews, Carrie Vaughn, Holly Lisle, Jeaniene Frost, Maria V. Snyder. I had never heard of some of the other authors. A few names I remembered seeing in other anthologies and not enjoying their work.

I did, however, deliberately put myself in a tolerant mindset: this is a book of romance stories. It wouldn't be fair to judge them as anything else.

That worked rather better than it has in the past. I still got a little annoyed at having so much of each story dedicated to couples (and all het/mono couples, at that!) rather than some intriguing world ideas, but managed to stay on track.

In the end, I only skipped one story—I just don't like the Weather Wardens stuff at all. I found a couple of others substandard, but all in all, Telep chose very well. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paranormal romance (maybe even those who usually stick to just romance), and most urban fantasy fans.
  
An Unwanted Guest
An Unwanted Guest
Shari Lapena | 2018 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
8
6.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
A complete and utter mystery to me!
A group of people who have no prior knowledge of one another, end up stranded in the middle of nowhere in a hotel when some extreme weather comes in (snow and ice) and cuts them off. It also cuts off the electricity and phone lines (most conveniently!). Then people start dying under suspicious circumstances.
I honestly had no idea whatsoever who the murderer was. The perpetrator covered their tracks really well (although not so well that the crime scene investigators couldn't work it out pretty quickly at the end). I really enjoyed the character descriptions: there were those that were easy to empathise with and those that I thoroughly disliked.
This was very 'Agatha Christie', even down to the part where everyone is gathered in the same room by request of the investigator so that they could go through who they thought had 'dunnit'!
Very entertaining and I had fun trying to work out who the killer was and their reasons why (with no success whatsoever!).
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole, the publisher and the author who read along and commented on our comments!
  
The Cabin (Close Proximity #2)
The Cabin (Close Proximity #2)
Erin M. Leaf | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Cabin (Close Proximity #2) by Erin M. Leaf
The Cabin is the second book in the Close Proximity series, and we meet Flynn who has just been jilted at the altar, and Beau, an artist from LA with a reservation gone wrong. Flynn offers his couch for the night, due to the weather conditions and the mix up, but finds more than he bargained for in Beau.

Whilst not as quick as The Elevator, this story is nevertheless a quick one, fast-paced and punchy, just like I would expect from this author. It is well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. The bulk of the story with Flynn and Beau is set over one night, although there is a time lapse at the end.

I am thoroughly enjoying these books, even if the cynical side of me is snorting at the insta-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 my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Under the Northern Lights
Under the Northern Lights
S.C. Stephens | 2019 | Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Mallory, a professional photographer, is making her annual flight up to Alaska to enjoy the remoteness and the capture images of the wildlife she loves so much. What she didn't expect is for her plane to go down in a remote area after unexpected weather hits her. Left without any supplies, badly injured and surrounded by danger, she assumes this is the end. Seconds away from death, a mysterious man, living alone in the mountains saves her life.

After spending years alone, having given up on society and life in general, Michael can't help but find himself growing more and more appreciative of Mallory's presence as they face the harsh realities of living in remote Alaska together. Stuck until Spring when he can finally fly them out and to safety, they must learn to live together, relying on each other in this remote land.

SC Stephens has an incredible way of writing that completely rips your heart out, yet you just can't turn away. She hooked me years ago with her Thoughtless series (still my all-time favorite) and she has once again created a beautiful story about survival, faith, and love. Highly, highly recommended!
  
    Jasper's Rocket

    Jasper's Rocket

    Games, Entertainment and Stickers

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    This cat's got problems. Marooned on a moon where the currency is bananas, Jasper's rocket wasn't...