Sunday, 25 August 2019

Saturday, 24 August 2019

Sunday, 4 August 2019

Review: Real Murders

Real Murders Real Murders by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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This totally surprised me! I usually feel a bit meh about cosy mysteries but this was great. I guess I just found the one that works for me. This was originally published in 1990 and you can definitely tell. Woman are portrayed quite differently now as opposed to back then in genre fiction but the book is still very enjoyable.

“I gripped the stapler even harder and felt like a fool planning to battle a crazy man with a stapler that even, I suddenly remembered, contained no staples. Well, strike that line of defense.”

Format: audiobook

Ownership: Scribd

Tags: Murder Mystery, Cosy Mystery, Small Town

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Review: Fate's Edge

Fate's Edge Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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The Edge series started out very much paranormal romance but with this book it feels more urban fantasy. The story is great but it takes over the romance which feels a little out of place when it pops up because it is heavier than expected.

Two younger characters that were introduced in the first book and appear in the second book as well are in this one. They are young teenagers and we actually follow their point of view for awhile which is strange for a romance novel.

Basically the only thing holding this back from being a 5 star read is that it felt like urban fantasy and paranormal romance fighting for attention. I loved everything about it otherwise.

Format: ebook

Ownership: own

Tags: Urban Fantasy

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Review: The Kiss Quotient

The Kiss Quotient The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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“All the things that make you different make you perfect.”

It definitely lived up to the hype, I loved this! Pure bliss to read and much steamier than I was expecting.

Stella is a very refreshing leading lady that brought a new angle to this genre. She behaves in a way you wouldn’t expect and is still so relatable.

Format: audiobook

Ownership: Scribd

Tags: Sex Work, Disabilities, Steamy

Themes: Fake Dating

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Review: The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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So, this is a classic. Something a lot of people will have studied in school and analysed with getting a grade in mind which have taken away from their enjoyment of the story a bit.

I read this for myself and I can honestly say I enjoyed it but wouldn’t consider it a favourite. It’s a very interesting story though none of the characters are particularly likable. Flawed characters make for the most interesting stories though.

Format: print

Ownership: own

Tags: 1920’s, Jazz, Classics

Themes: Infidelity, Love Triangle

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Review: Clockwork Prince

Clockwork Prince Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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The story really kicks into high gear in this one. The relationships between characters get pretty complicated and intense while the suspense plot gets pretty freaking suspenseful!

It’s an unputdownable book.

“Ah,” said a voice from the doorway, “having your annual ‘everyone thinks Will is a lunatic’ meeting, are you?

“It’s biannual,” said Jem. “And no, this is not that meeting.”


Format: print

Ownership: own

Tags: Steampunk, Victorian

Themes: Love triangle

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Review: Reap the Wind

Reap the Wind Reap the Wind by Karen Chance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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OK, there is a lot going on this one. A lot of GO GO GO action and pacing. I occasionally felt like I couldn’t keep up with the book but I still absolutely loved it!

There is a lot of development though we still don’t get far with a certain plot-line. We get a lot of understanding about some of the background characters who get more firmly placed in the world and I got some new favourites from it.

My only problem with this book is how dragged out that certain story-line gets but from reading later books in the series I understand that it’s worth the wait and pretty necessary.

Format: ebook

Ownership: own

Tags: Time Travel

Themes: Love Triangle, Slow Burn

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Review: Halfway to the Grave

Halfway to the Grave Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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I have now read this book three times. First time I hated it. Second time I enjoyed it. Third time I loved it! I have no idea what’s going on with me and this book but I’m really happy I gave it another try.

During my first reading, I couldn’t get past the fact that Bones was basically a copy of Spike but on my reread I could see him as his own character. It probably helped that I rewatched Buffy between my rereads which highlighted how different the characters actually are. Bones just dresses like Spike and has a similar accent and bone structure.

Overall this is a great book. It’s urban fantasy with a heavy romance plot but never suffers from lack of action and suspense.

Format: audiobook (previously read ebook)

Ownership: own

Tags: Paranormal Romance, Vampires, Ghouls

Themes: Buffy & Spike, Enemies to Lovers

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Review: A Ghost in the Glamour: A Linx & Bogie story

A Ghost in the Glamour: A Linx & Bogie story A Ghost in the Glamour: A Linx & Bogie story by Elizabeth Hunter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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This is a very short collection of stories about Linx and her ghost Bogie. Despite the short length, their relationship and our understanding of the world comes across really well. They’re a great duo that I would love to read more stories about.

Format: audiobook

Ownership: Scribd

Tags: Ghosts, Dectective, Psychics

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