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Bethr1986 (305 KP) rated Deep Waters (Jagged Shores #3) in Books
Jan 8, 2023
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Harry has a sailing boat that tourists can rent out. He has been hired by writer Christian Costner to help him get a lay of the land and research for a new book the author is planning on writing. However, the weather takes a turn for the worse so they have to cut the trip short and head back to the shore, as they are heading back Christian is adamant he has seen somebody in the swell of the waves so speaks out. Harry, his onboard help and cousin Tom look to discover there is somebody in the water so a daring rescue takes place. They recover the body but that is only the start!
Thom has a very easy style of writing and it captivated me from the get-go. This is the 3rd book in the jagged shores series but can be read as a stand-alone. It has intrigue and mystery that does keep you guessing until it's all out in the open who has committed the crime. It certainly hoodwinked me I normally can be quite good at guessing whodunit but I was completely off the mark.
I was rooting for the relationship between Harry and Christian as it was something they both needed. There are sex scenes but nothing too crass.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the author's writing and look forward to reading more of his books.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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. *
Harry has a sailing boat that tourists can rent out. He has been hired by writer Christian Costner to help him get a lay of the land and research for a new book the author is planning on writing. However, the weather takes a turn for the worse so they have to cut the trip short and head back to the shore, as they are heading back Christian is adamant he has seen somebody in the swell of the waves so speaks out. Harry, his onboard help and cousin Tom look to discover there is somebody in the water so a daring rescue takes place. They recover the body but that is only the start!
Thom has a very easy style of writing and it captivated me from the get-go. This is the 3rd book in the jagged shores series but can be read as a stand-alone. It has intrigue and mystery that does keep you guessing until it's all out in the open who has committed the crime. It certainly hoodwinked me I normally can be quite good at guessing whodunit but I was completely off the mark.
I was rooting for the relationship between Harry and Christian as it was something they both needed. There are sex scenes but nothing too crass.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the author's writing and look forward to reading more of his books.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* 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. *
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Precious You in Books
Oct 30, 2023
161 of 235
Book
Precious You
By Helen Monks Takhar
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trusting you was my first mistake. To Katherine, twenty-four-year-old Lily Lunt is a typical “snowflake.” It seems like the privileged, politically correct millennial will do whatever she can to make it big as a writer, including leveraging her family’s connections. To Lily, Katherine Ross, a career woman in her early forties, is a holdover from another era: clueless, old-fashioned, and perfectly happy to build her success on the backs of her unpaid interns.
When Lily is hired as the new intern at the magazine where Katherine is editor in chief, her arrival threatens the very foundation of the self-serving little world that Katherine has built. She finds herself obsessively drawn to Lily, who seems to be a cruel reminder of the beauty and potential she once had—things Lily uses against Katherine as she slowly begins to undermine her, sabotaging her work and turning the magazine’s new publisher against her. Is Katherine being paranoid? Or is Lily seeking to systematically destroy her life? As Katherine tries to fight back, a toxic generational divide turns explosive and long-buried secrets are exposed—with deadly consequences for both. . . .
This was such an intense read. I had so many things going round my head at the end I don’t know how to put them into words without having spoilers. It’s was a tragic end all down to one girl’s psychotic thoughts maybe that’s the wrong way to put it but I’m lost for words I think. It’s a slow start but soon it all becomes clear. Little bit of a twisted ending!
Book
Precious You
By Helen Monks Takhar
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trusting you was my first mistake. To Katherine, twenty-four-year-old Lily Lunt is a typical “snowflake.” It seems like the privileged, politically correct millennial will do whatever she can to make it big as a writer, including leveraging her family’s connections. To Lily, Katherine Ross, a career woman in her early forties, is a holdover from another era: clueless, old-fashioned, and perfectly happy to build her success on the backs of her unpaid interns.
When Lily is hired as the new intern at the magazine where Katherine is editor in chief, her arrival threatens the very foundation of the self-serving little world that Katherine has built. She finds herself obsessively drawn to Lily, who seems to be a cruel reminder of the beauty and potential she once had—things Lily uses against Katherine as she slowly begins to undermine her, sabotaging her work and turning the magazine’s new publisher against her. Is Katherine being paranoid? Or is Lily seeking to systematically destroy her life? As Katherine tries to fight back, a toxic generational divide turns explosive and long-buried secrets are exposed—with deadly consequences for both. . . .
This was such an intense read. I had so many things going round my head at the end I don’t know how to put them into words without having spoilers. It’s was a tragic end all down to one girl’s psychotic thoughts maybe that’s the wrong way to put it but I’m lost for words I think. It’s a slow start but soon it all becomes clear. Little bit of a twisted ending!
ClareR (5674 KP) rated The Mother Fault in Books
Aug 1, 2023
Dystopia is my catnip. I can’t resist it. But as I’ve said before, I have to be careful how much of it I read (overactive imagination alert!). And even more so with these dystopian novels that seem plausible and could actually happen sooner than you think!
The Mother Fault is one of these books. It’s set in the not too distant future in Australia - but a very different Australia. The country seems to be under the control of an organisation called BestLife. They even make sure that babies are implanted with a chip. The adults all have them, and life is made more difficult for those who opt out.
Mim’s husband goes missing whilst working in a mine in Indonesia. But instead of care and support, BestLife respond by asking for Mim’s and her children’s passports, offering to ‘take care’ of the children. It’s a barely veiled threat.
Mim responds by trying to drive away as far and as fast as she can. Everywhere she goes, she’s surveilled, and everyone she sees or visits is in danger.
The descriptions of an Australia ravaged by climate change are haunting. The decisions Mim makes can be questionable, but that just makes it more interesting!
It’s a really tense read, I continually felt that they would be caught, even when they were at sea (especially so really, because who would be there to witness whatever BestLife would do?!).
The part of the book that took place in the boat was so frustrating at times, and really helped to put the reader in Mim’s shoes.
This was a great read, and I’ve added another writer to my watch list!!
The Mother Fault is one of these books. It’s set in the not too distant future in Australia - but a very different Australia. The country seems to be under the control of an organisation called BestLife. They even make sure that babies are implanted with a chip. The adults all have them, and life is made more difficult for those who opt out.
Mim’s husband goes missing whilst working in a mine in Indonesia. But instead of care and support, BestLife respond by asking for Mim’s and her children’s passports, offering to ‘take care’ of the children. It’s a barely veiled threat.
Mim responds by trying to drive away as far and as fast as she can. Everywhere she goes, she’s surveilled, and everyone she sees or visits is in danger.
The descriptions of an Australia ravaged by climate change are haunting. The decisions Mim makes can be questionable, but that just makes it more interesting!
It’s a really tense read, I continually felt that they would be caught, even when they were at sea (especially so really, because who would be there to witness whatever BestLife would do?!).
The part of the book that took place in the boat was so frustrating at times, and really helped to put the reader in Mim’s shoes.
This was a great read, and I’ve added another writer to my watch list!!
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Fly by Night in Books
Jun 17, 2024
116 of 220
Kindle
Fly by Night ( Book 1)
By Frances Hardinge
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A fantastic adventure story set in an alternative historical world that launches the career of a uniquely talented children's writer. In a fractured Realm, struggling to maintain an uneasy peace after years of civil war and religious tyrrany, a 12- year- old orphan and a homicidal goose become the accidental heroes of a revolution. Mosca has spent her life in a miserable hamlet, where her father was banished for writing inflammatory books about tolerance and freedom. Now he is dead, and Mosca is on the run after unintentionally setting fire to a mill. With a delightful swindler named Eponymous Clent, she heads for the city of Mandelion. A born liar, Mosca lives by her wits in a world of highwaymen and smugglers, dangerously insane rulers in ludicrous wigs, secret agents and radical plotters. She is recruited as a spy by the fanatical Mabwick Toke, leader of the Guild of Stationers, who fears losing his control over the publication of every book in the state. Mosca's activities reveal a plot to force a rule of terror on the Realm, and merry mayhem soon leads to murder..
I really enjoyed this. A girl trying to escape her fate she releases a prisoner and becomes his aide this is a full adventure for her and as she goes she learns a lot about herself and who to trust. It’s a hard road for Mosca but she has her pet goose to help her through. It’s a quirky world inspired by English history. Where books are dangerous.
Kindle
Fly by Night ( Book 1)
By Frances Hardinge
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A fantastic adventure story set in an alternative historical world that launches the career of a uniquely talented children's writer. In a fractured Realm, struggling to maintain an uneasy peace after years of civil war and religious tyrrany, a 12- year- old orphan and a homicidal goose become the accidental heroes of a revolution. Mosca has spent her life in a miserable hamlet, where her father was banished for writing inflammatory books about tolerance and freedom. Now he is dead, and Mosca is on the run after unintentionally setting fire to a mill. With a delightful swindler named Eponymous Clent, she heads for the city of Mandelion. A born liar, Mosca lives by her wits in a world of highwaymen and smugglers, dangerously insane rulers in ludicrous wigs, secret agents and radical plotters. She is recruited as a spy by the fanatical Mabwick Toke, leader of the Guild of Stationers, who fears losing his control over the publication of every book in the state. Mosca's activities reveal a plot to force a rule of terror on the Realm, and merry mayhem soon leads to murder..
I really enjoyed this. A girl trying to escape her fate she releases a prisoner and becomes his aide this is a full adventure for her and as she goes she learns a lot about herself and who to trust. It’s a hard road for Mosca but she has her pet goose to help her through. It’s a quirky world inspired by English history. Where books are dangerous.
Stephen O'Connor (8 KP) rated Assassin's Apprentice in Books
May 14, 2017
Easy to read and well writen (3 more)
The story is just a hook that keeps you reading
One of the best first person books I've ever read
The world built by Hobb is beautiful and epic
My number one, but for bias reasons
Now I have to be honest and admit that my feeling for this book/series are slightly Bias, let me give the reason. This is the book that got me into my love of reading Fantasy as a whole and the other reason, when I decided to quite smoking I swapped the cigarette for reading, with this being the book that got me through it 😊 . So moving onto the book itself and how it's just god Damn Awesome. Robin Hobb is just a fantastic writer and this just shows throughout the book, the story telling and writing are second to none. Fitz is a royal bastard that gets dumped at the castle doors and left to the care of his unknowing royal family. His struggle of trying to find a place in court and live with the stigma of being the bastard are his young life. This book will have you falling for the character of Fitz like he's your own blood and you'll care for him like no other book characters. Putting the book down for more than 1 day isn't even possible. I'm pretty terrible at writing anything, never mind trying to sell a good book through a review, so please just take my advice and trust me when I say how bloody awesome this book is.
Merissa (11953 KP) rated Second Drafts (Matchmakers #2) in Books
Sep 1, 2017
Second Drafts (Matchmakers #2) by G.R. Lyons
Second Drafts is the second book in the Matchmakers series - set in a world similar yet different to our own. This book is about Chance's brother, Shain, and his demons, plus Ellidan, and his monster. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! Okay, so I might have said that about book one too, but seriously, this one got to me. I loved the relationship between Shain and Ellidan, although I was all for kicking Shain during most of the story! Ellidan thinks he is so broken, and yet he is so strong. Shain thinks he has everything under control, and yet really doesn't.
You also get the opportunity to catch up with Chance and Remy, which I loved. I didn't love Shain and Chance's father turning up to the wedding, or what happened with Ellidan, but I'll leave that there. You also see Bryan acting out at Matchmakers, and yet still don't know why. Danny is trying to deal with him, and that is such a delightful teaser for the next book.
Still, I'm getting ahead of myself. This book was extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that spoiled my reading flow. I adore how Chance is an editor, and Shain is a writer. Books/writing/editing, set in a fantasy m/m scene? I can't ask for anything else! Ticks all my boxes, that's for sure.
Second Drafts certainly doesn't suffer from being a 'gap' book. I was caught up in every scene, every word, and loved it from beginning to end. Highly 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 comment here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
You also get the opportunity to catch up with Chance and Remy, which I loved. I didn't love Shain and Chance's father turning up to the wedding, or what happened with Ellidan, but I'll leave that there. You also see Bryan acting out at Matchmakers, and yet still don't know why. Danny is trying to deal with him, and that is such a delightful teaser for the next book.
Still, I'm getting ahead of myself. This book was extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that spoiled my reading flow. I adore how Chance is an editor, and Shain is a writer. Books/writing/editing, set in a fantasy m/m scene? I can't ask for anything else! Ticks all my boxes, that's for sure.
Second Drafts certainly doesn't suffer from being a 'gap' book. I was caught up in every scene, every word, and loved it from beginning to end. Highly 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 comment here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
where to start.
I fell in love with J.Pat after reading his Maximum Ride series in about... a week. then i read his other kids book, the dangerous days of Daniel X. very good.
but Along Came a Spider surprised me.
he continued his style that i love-- not being afraid to write from anyone's perspective, good guy, bad guy, minor or random character that he'll never mention again.
his characters, as always, are very defined and specific immediately. i had an understanding of Alex Cross right away. i could see how he thought, how Samson thought, how the other characters thought. except Jezzie.
i didn't expect the twists he put in here. Jezzie being a double agent, Michael Goldberg being killed. and I still don't know for sure about the Soneji/Murphey. multiple personality disorder, or not? idk. but whatever he really was, he was a genius.
at the end of the book, when i found out about Jezzie and when i saw Soneji escape, and when Jezzie died, it left my mind reeling. my heart was beating hard from chapter 80 on up, and i really couldn't stop reading this.
J.Pat is a good writer. not just a creative and fearless genius, but his writing is good. i could associate with the characters, i could see what was happening. his words sounded good (save the occasional foul language, which did tick me off quiet a bit.)
and about that-- honestly, does he have to use so much language? because really it isn't necessary. i took a pen to my copy of the book. good thing i bought it used and i wasn't afraid to mark it up-- because i did a lot of marking. more than i'd have preferred.
I can't wait to see what happens to Alex Cross.
I fell in love with J.Pat after reading his Maximum Ride series in about... a week. then i read his other kids book, the dangerous days of Daniel X. very good.
but Along Came a Spider surprised me.
he continued his style that i love-- not being afraid to write from anyone's perspective, good guy, bad guy, minor or random character that he'll never mention again.
his characters, as always, are very defined and specific immediately. i had an understanding of Alex Cross right away. i could see how he thought, how Samson thought, how the other characters thought. except Jezzie.
i didn't expect the twists he put in here. Jezzie being a double agent, Michael Goldberg being killed. and I still don't know for sure about the Soneji/Murphey. multiple personality disorder, or not? idk. but whatever he really was, he was a genius.
at the end of the book, when i found out about Jezzie and when i saw Soneji escape, and when Jezzie died, it left my mind reeling. my heart was beating hard from chapter 80 on up, and i really couldn't stop reading this.
J.Pat is a good writer. not just a creative and fearless genius, but his writing is good. i could associate with the characters, i could see what was happening. his words sounded good (save the occasional foul language, which did tick me off quiet a bit.)
and about that-- honestly, does he have to use so much language? because really it isn't necessary. i took a pen to my copy of the book. good thing i bought it used and i wasn't afraid to mark it up-- because i did a lot of marking. more than i'd have preferred.
I can't wait to see what happens to Alex Cross.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Daughter of Smoke and Bone in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone was highly addicting. I really should have studied more last week but instead I listened to a riveting audio book.
I'm going to keep this short and sweet. The book pulled me into the story right away and kept me engaged the whole time. The characters were wonderful, real, imperfect, and believable. The plot never stopped and the pacing never slowed and the tension never dissolved. it got more and more interesting and complicated with every chapter, but all the ends were tied up at the end. Every detail mattered. The end was painful but perfect and I will be at the book store the day Book 2 comes out and hand over my hard earned cash to get that book in my hands because I can't wait to figure out what happens next!
This is the second book by Laini Taylor I've read (see my review for Lips Touch Three Times), and she is quickly becoming a favorite writer of mine. Her graceful lyric writing never ceases to impress me.
Audio: I listened to the audio book of DoSaB. I am very picky about audio books because I've listened to a lot of poorly recorded ones, and I've grown up having a very good reader read books out loud to me. But Khristine Hvam did an excellent job, so much so that I would seek out more books read by her. She gave distinct voices to each character, but it didn't feel corny and stupid like some readers do. She breathed and felt the characters and the dialogue, and it worked.
Content/Recommendation: Clean! Ages 14-Adult
*note, I love this book so much I'm currently re-reading(listening) so I can refresh before reading book 2!*
I'm going to keep this short and sweet. The book pulled me into the story right away and kept me engaged the whole time. The characters were wonderful, real, imperfect, and believable. The plot never stopped and the pacing never slowed and the tension never dissolved. it got more and more interesting and complicated with every chapter, but all the ends were tied up at the end. Every detail mattered. The end was painful but perfect and I will be at the book store the day Book 2 comes out and hand over my hard earned cash to get that book in my hands because I can't wait to figure out what happens next!
This is the second book by Laini Taylor I've read (see my review for Lips Touch Three Times), and she is quickly becoming a favorite writer of mine. Her graceful lyric writing never ceases to impress me.
Audio: I listened to the audio book of DoSaB. I am very picky about audio books because I've listened to a lot of poorly recorded ones, and I've grown up having a very good reader read books out loud to me. But Khristine Hvam did an excellent job, so much so that I would seek out more books read by her. She gave distinct voices to each character, but it didn't feel corny and stupid like some readers do. She breathed and felt the characters and the dialogue, and it worked.
Content/Recommendation: Clean! Ages 14-Adult
*note, I love this book so much I'm currently re-reading(listening) so I can refresh before reading book 2!*
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Mass Hysteria in Books
May 16, 2018
As seen on <a href="http://theghastlygrimoire.com/"; target="new">The Ghastly Grimoire</a>.
Wow. Okay, I honestly felt I should have received some sort of warning before I opened this book! That aside, once I swallowed the surprise I received and accepted the book for what it is, I actually enjoyed several it. Mass Hysteria by Michael Patrick Hicks approaches the days after the apocalypse with a complete overhaul of social hierarchy in the most gruesome of ways.
In the wake of a meteor falling and bringing with it a virus appearing as an airborne variety of rabies (which is a much appreciated change from nuclear disaster and zombie outbreaks), several members of a small community in Michigan quickly find themselves fighting for their lives. Hicks’s gorefest begins shortly after and readers quickly discover that this is a writer that doesn’t hold back – my kind of man, honestly.
One of the things that strike me as most disturbing and simultaneously teasing of Hicks’s work is the sheer fact that he introduces us to several characters in intimate ways. Readers are given just enough of a taste of the good guys, too much of the bad, and justice? Well, there sure isn’t enough of that after the world’s ended.
I cannot stress enough how graphic this book is, just as I cannot think of any words devoid of spoilers to prepare readers for what the journey they might embark on when they open Mass Hysteria‘s pages. What I can say is this: under all the horrific elements that bury this book, Hicks explores the most depraved of all: human nature at its worst.
I gladly look forward to reading more of this author’s work. A special thanks to NetGalley and High Fever Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Wow. Okay, I honestly felt I should have received some sort of warning before I opened this book! That aside, once I swallowed the surprise I received and accepted the book for what it is, I actually enjoyed several it. Mass Hysteria by Michael Patrick Hicks approaches the days after the apocalypse with a complete overhaul of social hierarchy in the most gruesome of ways.
In the wake of a meteor falling and bringing with it a virus appearing as an airborne variety of rabies (which is a much appreciated change from nuclear disaster and zombie outbreaks), several members of a small community in Michigan quickly find themselves fighting for their lives. Hicks’s gorefest begins shortly after and readers quickly discover that this is a writer that doesn’t hold back – my kind of man, honestly.
One of the things that strike me as most disturbing and simultaneously teasing of Hicks’s work is the sheer fact that he introduces us to several characters in intimate ways. Readers are given just enough of a taste of the good guys, too much of the bad, and justice? Well, there sure isn’t enough of that after the world’s ended.
I cannot stress enough how graphic this book is, just as I cannot think of any words devoid of spoilers to prepare readers for what the journey they might embark on when they open Mass Hysteria‘s pages. What I can say is this: under all the horrific elements that bury this book, Hicks explores the most depraved of all: human nature at its worst.
I gladly look forward to reading more of this author’s work. A special thanks to NetGalley and High Fever Books for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Two From the Heart in Books
May 10, 2018
This book is divided into two short stories. The first is about Anne McWilliams. She lives on the beach in North Carolina, where she has lived for the past few years following a divorce from her husband. She is an old school photographer, so when a hurricane moves through and takes out half of her house that includes her darkroom, she is beyond devastated. Instead of dealing with the mess, she decides to travel the country and take new pictures and hear the stories of the people that go with those stories. How will this journey change the rest of her life?
In the second story, Tyler Bron is a millionaire, who, on paper, appears to have it all. But in reality, he has never had a life. Always focused on himself and getting to the top of his career field. He has no friends, only work colleagues who he really knows nothing about. So he hires a writer, Damian Crane to write a new life for him. But will Tyler be able to handle all that life has to offer?
This is a newer James Patterson novel released earlier this year. On my quest to read all of his stand alone books, I'm giving this on 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the stories and the one about Tyler was the most interesting to me. Each main character is at a point in their lives, where they need to make some changes in order to continue to live. I think that Tyler makes the most extreme change of all.
Even though James Patterson pumps out several books a year, he is still one of my favorites and I enjoy reading his books. I always know I can finish one of his books in 2-3 days and it will hold my attention.
In the second story, Tyler Bron is a millionaire, who, on paper, appears to have it all. But in reality, he has never had a life. Always focused on himself and getting to the top of his career field. He has no friends, only work colleagues who he really knows nothing about. So he hires a writer, Damian Crane to write a new life for him. But will Tyler be able to handle all that life has to offer?
This is a newer James Patterson novel released earlier this year. On my quest to read all of his stand alone books, I'm giving this on 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the stories and the one about Tyler was the most interesting to me. Each main character is at a point in their lives, where they need to make some changes in order to continue to live. I think that Tyler makes the most extreme change of all.
Even though James Patterson pumps out several books a year, he is still one of my favorites and I enjoy reading his books. I always know I can finish one of his books in 2-3 days and it will hold my attention.