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Merissa (14003 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.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Pelican Point (Hope Harbor #4) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
Pelican Point is the fourth novel in the Hope Harbor series. In this intriguing novel, we are introduced to Army doctor Ben Garrison who has arrived back to Hope Harbor for his grandfather's funeral.
Ben, being sole heir is left everything, including the run-down lighthouse at Pelican Point. Ben wants to settle his grandfather's affairs and move on to his new practice in Ohio and that means selling an old lighthouse no one wants to buy; until a developer puts in a bid to buy it and the whole town comes together thanks to Marci, the local newspaper editor to save the landmark.
Can Ben who wants nothing more to settle the estate can't push past the feelings he has for Marci, the strong-willed red headed newspaper editor. Both Ben and Marci are dealing with past issues that have made them skittish about forming relationships. Will they be able to move past these issues and yield to their feelings?
The writer has done a great job of bringing you into the small town of Hope Harbor and into the lives of the characters she has created. I especially appreciated the way all the characters in Hope Harbor revolved around the lighthouse and Charly the taco king.
I like the way she artfully interweaves the characters in this story and creates a subplot.
Although this novel is the fourth in a series, it can stand alone without reading the first three, but once you've read this one you will want to read the rest.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Ben, being sole heir is left everything, including the run-down lighthouse at Pelican Point. Ben wants to settle his grandfather's affairs and move on to his new practice in Ohio and that means selling an old lighthouse no one wants to buy; until a developer puts in a bid to buy it and the whole town comes together thanks to Marci, the local newspaper editor to save the landmark.
Can Ben who wants nothing more to settle the estate can't push past the feelings he has for Marci, the strong-willed red headed newspaper editor. Both Ben and Marci are dealing with past issues that have made them skittish about forming relationships. Will they be able to move past these issues and yield to their feelings?
The writer has done a great job of bringing you into the small town of Hope Harbor and into the lives of the characters she has created. I especially appreciated the way all the characters in Hope Harbor revolved around the lighthouse and Charly the taco king.
I like the way she artfully interweaves the characters in this story and creates a subplot.
Although this novel is the fourth in a series, it can stand alone without reading the first three, but once you've read this one you will want to read the rest.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Merissa (14003 KP) rated Sleep in Books
Mar 25, 2019
Sleep by C.L. Taylor
Sleep is the second book by C.L. Taylor I have read, and my opinion of her as a first class thriller writer has been solidified. This one was very different to The Fear, but just as good.
We start off with Anna driving home after a team-building weekend in Wales. Everyone else is asleep, and the weather is bad. Through no fault of her own, there is an accident. Two are killed, one is left unable to walk, and Anna walks away from hospital. Not uninjured, not at all, but still walks away. She suffers from survivor's guilt, and it isn't helped by the fact she is convinced she is being stalked. Taking matters into her own hand, she splits with her boyfriend, and takes a job on the remote isle of Rum. Seven guests arrive the same time as a storm. Everyone is hiding something, and Anna doesn't know if she will survive.
This was an intriguing story, full of twists, turns, and red herrings. I'm never one to try and figure out 'whodunnit' as I prefer to let the story take me where it will. I will say in this instance, it became clear who it was, and I was lucky enough to guess correctly as to the reasons why. However, this didn't detract from the story itself in any way.
With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, and have no hesitation in recommending it to all #Thriller fans out there.
* 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!
We start off with Anna driving home after a team-building weekend in Wales. Everyone else is asleep, and the weather is bad. Through no fault of her own, there is an accident. Two are killed, one is left unable to walk, and Anna walks away from hospital. Not uninjured, not at all, but still walks away. She suffers from survivor's guilt, and it isn't helped by the fact she is convinced she is being stalked. Taking matters into her own hand, she splits with her boyfriend, and takes a job on the remote isle of Rum. Seven guests arrive the same time as a storm. Everyone is hiding something, and Anna doesn't know if she will survive.
This was an intriguing story, full of twists, turns, and red herrings. I'm never one to try and figure out 'whodunnit' as I prefer to let the story take me where it will. I will say in this instance, it became clear who it was, and I was lucky enough to guess correctly as to the reasons why. However, this didn't detract from the story itself in any way.
With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, and have no hesitation in recommending it to all #Thriller fans out there.
* 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!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Royals in Books
May 3, 2019
Delightful romance.
So I’ll admit. The only reason I picked this book up is because the second book in the series, Her Royal Highness, looks like an adorable lesbian romance and I thought I should start at the beginning of the series. I’m glad I did, because Royals is a delight. Daisy is a spirited, no-nonsense teenager who doesn’t get the appeal of all this “royal” stuff, and she’s not one to mince words for the sake of appearances. As you can imagine, that ruffles a LOT of royal feathers! Add in a posse of noble ne’er-do-wells trying to get in trouble, and you’re in for some fun.
Interestingly, I’m torn now on whether to read the second book! Rachel Hawkins is a fantastic writer, so I have no doubt she’ll write a great second book, but the love interest in the next book, Princess Flora, did not make a great impression on me in this book. I was glad she only made a short appearance. It doesn’t sound like the next book is told from her point of view, though, so maybe it will be okay. The series definitely has a lot of potential, as there’s still several members of the Prince’s posse to tell stories about!
I do enjoy a good royal romance, and these are interesting in that they’re contemporary, so the royals are concerned with their reputation, and treated like massive celebrities, but have lost a lot of their intimidation factor and power when it comes to normal people. Daisy sees it more as an inconvenience than anything else, it seems.
One content warning – there was a scene with an unasked-for kiss that could have been called sexual assault if Daisy had been less charitable about it. It wasn’t malicious. But it was questionable. So beware if that’s something you want to avoid.
Interestingly, I’m torn now on whether to read the second book! Rachel Hawkins is a fantastic writer, so I have no doubt she’ll write a great second book, but the love interest in the next book, Princess Flora, did not make a great impression on me in this book. I was glad she only made a short appearance. It doesn’t sound like the next book is told from her point of view, though, so maybe it will be okay. The series definitely has a lot of potential, as there’s still several members of the Prince’s posse to tell stories about!
I do enjoy a good royal romance, and these are interesting in that they’re contemporary, so the royals are concerned with their reputation, and treated like massive celebrities, but have lost a lot of their intimidation factor and power when it comes to normal people. Daisy sees it more as an inconvenience than anything else, it seems.
One content warning – there was a scene with an unasked-for kiss that could have been called sexual assault if Daisy had been less charitable about it. It wasn’t malicious. But it was questionable. So beware if that’s something you want to avoid.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2568 KP) rated The Narrows (Harry Bosch, #10; Harry Bosch Universe, #13) in Books
May 22, 2019
Harry Bosch Vs. The Poet
The Poet is back, and he is calling out FBI agent Rachel Walling. She has been summoned from a field office in South Dakota to a burial scene in Las Vegas to help the FBI track down this serial killer once and for all. Meanwhile, retired LAPD detective Harry Bosch has been asked to investigate the death of a friend by his widow. Everyone thought this death was natural causes, but Bosch begins to agree that there was something suspicious about his death. Where will the investigation lead?
While The Poet wasn’t originally part of the Harry Bosch series, this is a direct sequel to that Michael Connelly book. If you haven’t read it, you’ll definitely want to since it spoils twists in that book, and the story here will mean more to you as well. It is obvious to us that these two investigations are going to come together, and Connelly does a great job of keeping us entertained as he lays that ground work. We get plenty of twists as we go along, and the book kept me engrossed until we reached the very end. We get some follow up on the twist in Bosch’s personal life from the end of the previous book, and I enjoyed seeing his character grow as a result. The rest of the cast is just as strong, which is no surprise. We get the story from Bosch’s first-person point of view as well as the third-person point of view of other characters; these switches are never confusing and really enhance the story. Obviously, this is a darker book than my normal cozies, but I knew that going in and that didn’t bother me. This is another masterpiece from a wonderful writer.
While The Poet wasn’t originally part of the Harry Bosch series, this is a direct sequel to that Michael Connelly book. If you haven’t read it, you’ll definitely want to since it spoils twists in that book, and the story here will mean more to you as well. It is obvious to us that these two investigations are going to come together, and Connelly does a great job of keeping us entertained as he lays that ground work. We get plenty of twists as we go along, and the book kept me engrossed until we reached the very end. We get some follow up on the twist in Bosch’s personal life from the end of the previous book, and I enjoyed seeing his character grow as a result. The rest of the cast is just as strong, which is no surprise. We get the story from Bosch’s first-person point of view as well as the third-person point of view of other characters; these switches are never confusing and really enhance the story. Obviously, this is a darker book than my normal cozies, but I knew that going in and that didn’t bother me. This is another masterpiece from a wonderful writer.
Ambitious twisty thriller
With a satire type feel to the plot, we have a tale about a super famous thriller writer called J.T LeBeau who is only known by their pen name (and it’s not J.K Rowling for sure….) They are well known for their killer (pardon the pun) twists. So this book sets itself up to some high expectations with a title like Twisted about an author who writes awesome twists you better have some darn good twists!
It’s one of those books you are better off not having to much plot detail on and just going with, so I’ll save on the details. I found it to be a well written book, I liked the style and it moved along at a good pace. I think the plot would have benefited from a few more characters but on the whole I like the ones we had (even if I didn’t necessarily like the person.) In particular the cops were interesting, for a book that does not focus on them, rather than just the standard insert cardboard cutout type cops.
For all the hype of twists it did deliver to some extent but for me it just fell short of having a real stunner twist(s.) Maybe not helped with the whole premise putting you on high alert for them. I do read a lot in this genre so I think it takes quite a bit these days to really get my jaw to drop and this didn’t quite get me to that point but still some enjoyable curves.
This was the first book by Steve Cavanagh that I have read and I think the premise of the book was very interesting it just set its sights a little higher than it managed to reach. Still it was an enjoyable ride and I’m looking forward to reading more by him.
It’s one of those books you are better off not having to much plot detail on and just going with, so I’ll save on the details. I found it to be a well written book, I liked the style and it moved along at a good pace. I think the plot would have benefited from a few more characters but on the whole I like the ones we had (even if I didn’t necessarily like the person.) In particular the cops were interesting, for a book that does not focus on them, rather than just the standard insert cardboard cutout type cops.
For all the hype of twists it did deliver to some extent but for me it just fell short of having a real stunner twist(s.) Maybe not helped with the whole premise putting you on high alert for them. I do read a lot in this genre so I think it takes quite a bit these days to really get my jaw to drop and this didn’t quite get me to that point but still some enjoyable curves.
This was the first book by Steve Cavanagh that I have read and I think the premise of the book was very interesting it just set its sights a little higher than it managed to reach. Still it was an enjoyable ride and I’m looking forward to reading more by him.