The Sassy Bookworm
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I've read nothing from this author before, but I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for any upcoming books he releases. Nine Lives was just such an entertaining, unputdownable, fun, and fast-paced read. I loved how the author payed homage to Agatha Christie's “And Then There Were None”. I found the characters intriguing. The plot kept me guessing. The twist caught me off guard...this was just an excellent read and gets two solid thumbs up from yours truly!
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Honestly, these types of books (secret society, have to decipher clues as they run around famous places) are like crack for me. So it was a good bet I was going to enjoy this one, and I did. Was it perfect? No. I think we needed a couple more chapters from Marduk's POV in the second half of the book. He pretty much disappears for the last 30 or 40% of the book. I also thought the ending was quite rushed. Overall, though, this was just an entertaining read and I look forward to seeing what these characters get up to in the next book!
ARC Nia NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Cute cover on this one!
So...I have kind of been putting reading this book off for a while now. The romance gene just holds zero interest for me at the moment and this one sounded very “romance like”. However, I needed something light after my last book, so I dived in. I ended up enjoying it quite a lot. Probably because, in fact, it is fairly low in the romance department. It was more a story about a group of siblings and the shenanigans they get up to when their (forbidden to use) magic makes itself known. It was cute. The characters were likable, and I hope the author plans on making it into a series!
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This series is just so utterly addictive (the tag line is not lying). Well written. Wonderful setting. Intelligent and engaging plot. Wonderful characters. Plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing. I am not a HUGE fan with the direction the romance is going (#teamHack), but Rhys is a likable guy, still #TEAMHACK...
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really enjoyed Behind the Lie by Emilya Naymark. It wasn't the fastest paced book, but the story slowly reveals itself like peeling layers of an onion. The writing was excellent. The plot was compelling. It held up well as a standalone. Laney, a former NYPD detective, turned small town private investigator, was a likable lead. I really have little more to say. This was a very solid read, and I can't wait to see what Laney (and company) get up to in upcoming books.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐
It is an unfortunate fact of life that not all “cozies” are created equal, and such was the case with this one. Generally cozy mysteries are just that...cozy. Small, quaint towns with tons of character. Quirky, but lovable side characters. A slightly annoying lead character that you can't help but love. A good mystery, a dash of humor, all wrapped up with a few recipes (the shining star of this book. I can't wait to try making them). Apart from the aforementioned recipes, this book had none of those elements. The setting was boring. The mystery was slow. Samantha's two friends were okay. However, Samantha herself was just unlikable. So “whoa is me” and unsympathetic. And to top it all off, this was once again an ARC that was missing letters, making it very annoying to read. Overall, A Dash Of Death was a “meh” book and I don't think I will continue with this series.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was an entertaining read! At first it reminded me of a book I read recently...deserted island, a group of friends, lighthouse. However, it turned out to be completely different. Very atmospheric setting. A little spooky. A touch of the paranormal. A mystery that kept me engaged throughout. That said, I had a couple of niggles. One, I could not stand Kira and really wished someone had drop kicked her off a cliff. And second, the ending was super rushed and needed a few more pages to properly flesh it out. Overall though, this was a really enjoyable read and gets two thumbs up from yours truly!
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Love the cover on this one!
If I am not mistaken, this was M.H. Eccleston's debut novel, and it was a very impressive one indeed! It was well written and well paced. I loved the English countryside setting. The plot was cozy and entertaining and kept me guessing until the end. The book was packed full of quirky side characters. Astrid...was complicated. That's to say, I found her a bit annoying at the start of the book. I mean, who finds a dead body and right away without having met any of the local police, decides they will probably bungle it so she might as well investigate herself??!! That said, she quickly becomes a lot more likeable and by the end of the book I loved her character. Overall, this was a solid read and an entertaining first book in an ongoing series. I am looking forward to diving into book two!
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the second book in an ongoing series based on the seasons. I loved the winter volume, and again, this was another adorable book full of fun, colorful and festive illustrations. Tidbits of information (edible flowers, wonderful weeds). Recipes (green smoothie, kale chips, and more) and crafts (how to press flowers, blossom bath salts, and more) that will keep everyone busy all Spring long!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I LOVED this book! I don't think I have ever read a book about a “death cleaner” before. Such a unique and morbid profession, it had me hooked from page one. The writing was phenomenal. Intelligent. Disturbing. Twisted (oh, what a twist there was). Grace was quirky, shy, strange. And that ending...let's just say everything about this book was brilliant and if I could give it over 5 stars, I would. Run (don't walk) and pick this one up today!
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐⭐ – The cover on this one is fabulous!
This is my second foray into this series and I really wish I had time to go back and read all the previous books. I am enjoying them so much. This was another solid read. Well written and well paced. I loved the historical tie ins with Walter Sickert and Jack The Ripper. The plot was engaging and kept me guessing until the end. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton remain solid and likable lead characters with great on page chemistry. Honestly, not much more to say about this one. This series is shaping up to definitely be one of my favorites, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book “Murder at the Victoria and Albert Museum.”
ARV Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐
I've been trying to get my thoughts in order to write a review for this one for a couple of days. I SO wanted to like this one more than I did. Props definitely go to the (debut) author for her writing ability. This book was often raw, vivid, and violent. You can tell the author did her research to make this book as historically accurate as possible. Ruth was a strong female protagonist, and I loved that. I also loved the use of local dialects and Native American languages. All that being said, this book was so bogged down with details and descriptions at times I struggled to stay engaged. The pacing was all over the place as well, and because of these issues, I had a difficult time connecting with any of these characters.
ARC Via NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐.5
Honestly, this one started off a little iffy for me. The first 30%(ish) was kind of slow and I wasn't sure I was going to keep going with it. However, since my previous two reads weren't great, I decided to give this one a few more chapters and I am glad that I did. The pace picked up, and I found myself thoroughly invested in this story! Bonus points to the author for the plot twist I did not see coming, and I am usually aces at Sherlocking these things out! Sp yeah, a solid thumbs up for this one from yours truly.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This was a fantastic start to a new series by this author. I loved the small lake town setting. It was well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and pretty straightforward. There weren't a lot of twists and turns or red herrings, but I think that worked well in this story. I found Lew to be a strong female lead. That said, I found it a little odd how detached she seemed to her brother's death. Which made her come across as wooden and cold when talking about it.
⭐⭐⭐ – LOVE the cover on this one!
I wanted to love this one more than I did. I find Yoko Ono to be such a fascinating woman and was looking forward to diving deeper into her life. Unfortunately, I didn't get the “intimate” feeling I wanted from this story. I found it to be dry and it very much felt like the author was just skimming her life story. It wasn't a terrible book by any means, and there is a lot of history of the times included I found interesting. Perhaps I was a victim of my own expectations.
⭐⭐
This one was just okay for me. I didn't realize it was the last book in the series. It held up well as a standalone, but if I had been waiting 5 books for this couple to get married and that was the wedding the author gave them, I would be big time annoyed.. It was like an afterthought. The same with the fact it was Christmas, and there was nothing festive about this book. I also found it predictable and figured out the “baddie” right from the start. Perhaps this was just one of those books that works better if you've read the prior books in the series.