For some reason I never read this series by Kristen Ashley, despite loving her and rereading her other books multiple times. Som 3.5 stars rounded up
For some reason I never read this series by Kristen Ashley, despite loving her and rereading her other books multiple times. Sometimes it's nice to save an unread book by a favorite author so you don't have to wait for another one.
Sommersgate House is about Julia, a young woman who goes from Aunt to guardian when her brother and his wife are killed in an accident. She moves to England where they lived to raise their children, but she's also raising them with Douglas, her brother in law. From the beginning the two aren't sure how to operate around each other, but it becomes clear to Douglas that he intends to make Julia his wife.
This is good old fashioned fun KA, 500+ pages, room and outfit descriptions, an alpha male, and a smidge of suspense. Plus, add in the ghosts haunting the manor and it all makes for a fun story. One of those where it's not my favorite by her, but it's still a great time. Hence the rounded up 3.5 stars and not rounded down.
2025 Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo categories hit: Haunted House, They Were Roommates, Grand Gesture ...more
Started out having a good time reading this and at about the 40% mark is when it went downhill. This book is too damn long! The ebook formatDNF at 71%
Started out having a good time reading this and at about the 40% mark is when it went downhill. This book is too damn long! The ebook format is 650 pages!
I found out the author never intended for this to be a book about Greek mythology and the publisher had her add it in which makes SOOOOO much sense as this didn't feel like Greek mythology at all and is very obviously self-insert fan fiction. Tournament style was interesting at first, but then there was too much lag time between the trials, no chemistry between Lyra and Hades, and I lost interest.
Not willing to read the rest of this series, but willing to give Owens another chance with something different....more
Rules for Ghosting is about Ezra, a young Jewish man who's life is thrown into chaos when he is furloughed from his job and family drama hits the fan Rules for Ghosting is about Ezra, a young Jewish man who's life is thrown into chaos when he is furloughed from his job and family drama hits the fan at the same time. On top of that, Ezra can see ghosts and none of his family or friends know this. Working at his family business (a funeral home) to make ends meet, Ezra meets someone unexpected.
I will start off by saying this is one of the worse marketed books I've ever seen because the cover really does not match the more serious tone to this book. And honestly, this book falls under general fiction more than romance and yet that's what we are led to expect. I really did like this book, the first 50-60% it was more like a 4 star read for me and I was really connecting with the characters and the family dynamics. Also, I am a sucker for any kind of book that involves someone seeing ghosts (thank you Meg Cabot for hitting me with that at a young age) and I was really just vibing. The climax of this book hits at 70%, and it really didn't need to be 100 pages after that point, the story really could have been cut down. I think this is a solid debut by Shelly Jay Shore....more
Did I understand the worldbuilding? Not really. Did I have fun reading this book? YES.
In a fantasy world where the inhabitants are ruled by magic cardDid I understand the worldbuilding? Not really. Did I have fun reading this book? YES.
In a fantasy world where the inhabitants are ruled by magic cards, one woman works hard to keep her forbidden magic hidden. After becoming infected at a young age, Elspeth has the power to absorb the magic of the cards when she touches them. Because of this, she has a Nightmare living inside her. When she meets Rayvn, the captain of the guard, the two have more in common than they think and work together to take down the unjust system in their world.
This book right from the beginning was a lot of fun. I really liked the characters and the setting and tone of the book, even if worldbuilding was a bit heavy handed. Gillig's writing also flowed across the page and it wasn't a struggle to read this book which was beyond refreshing. Did I remember what each card did? No. But honestly I just was reading based on vibes at that point and I was having a great time. I am very excited to dive into book 2.
One note, my pet peeve: this is not YA. This is adult fiction fantasy with adult characters (20+) and written with an adult audience intention. Please stop calling it YA. Just because it's fantasy written by a woman does not make it YA....more
Boneyard Key is haunted, or at least that's what everyone says. Cassie left Orlando to move to Boneyard Key and doesn't believe in ghosts. But a peskyBoneyard Key is haunted, or at least that's what everyone says. Cassie left Orlando to move to Boneyard Key and doesn't believe in ghosts. But a pesky electricity problem makes it unable for her to work from home and she heads to her local coffee shop to use the free wifi. There she meets the owner Nick and while the two don't hit it off at first, constant interfering ghosts may change that.
I really liked Jen DeLuca's renaissance faire romance series and definitely wanted to give her cozy ghost romance series a try. This was really cute and I had fun following along on Cassie and Nick's romance. It reminded me almost of a haunted Hallmark kind of love story minus any cheesiness and I really grew to love all the characters, alive or dead. This book was also like a love letter to Florida from the author which I think Floridians might love.
An ALC was provided by Libro.fm as a part of the Librarian ALC program ...more
In a way, this book kind of broke me. I wasn't necessarily excited to read this but was hoping it would at least be good. This felt like a 1.5 stars
In a way, this book kind of broke me. I wasn't necessarily excited to read this but was hoping it would at least be good. This felt like a book that wasn't fully fleshed out nor did it have a strong plot. None of the characters were likable and all of the twists were obvious. That and some weird inconsistencies plus some cringe moments were a recipe for disaster and I hated this book....more
Well that was a wild ride!! Not sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but in a good way, it wasn't any of that.
Kenetria has a diagnosiWell that was a wild ride!! Not sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book, but in a good way, it wasn't any of that.
Kenetria has a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder in which multiple personalities live in her mind. After being dormant for six years, she wakes up to find she has a job on a remote island, and no memory of the events that led her there. Soon, she realizes there isn't something right about the island, and Ken must work with her alters to make it out safely.
Definitely a new and unique twist on the thriller/mystery genre with a whole new kind of unreliable narrator. I really like Alyssa Cole's thrillers, she's really great with characters and tone. And while I really enjoyed this book, the plot and pacing were off a bit for me. All of the characters had a really prevalent voice and you could easily distinguish between all the alters which I appreciated. And it got a bit wild there at the end. This book should really have a higher average rating on Goodreads, it's weird it's so low....more
The story of a con-artist fake medium Gretchen who is paid to go and complete an exorcism for a farmer named Charlie on his land. Once there, 4 stars
The story of a con-artist fake medium Gretchen who is paid to go and complete an exorcism for a farmer named Charlie on his land. Once there, Charlie rejects Gretchen as a fraud, but a funny thing happens: Gretchen sees her first ghost. Everett is Charlie's distant relative and warns Gretchen that if Charlie sells and leaves the farm he will die and be stuck in the afterlife. So now, Gretchen has to save the farmer who hates her and think's she's full of it.
I picked up this book as it fits the bingo square for Diners, Drive Ins and Dives for the 2024 Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo challenge, and I am very glad I did. I never would have picked up this book otherwise and it was so good!! I loved the whole story with Everett the ghost and Gretchen's romance with Charlie which was slightly angsty and the perfect amount of sweet. As strong as the romance was with Charlie, I thought the friendship between Gretchen and Everett was the best part of the book. There was a really good amount of character development for all of the characters which I really appreciated as often that seems to be left out of romance. Also Mara Wilson was a great narrator, she really made the book and characters come to life....more
When Mercy's brother Gary shows up at her house incoherent and affected by magic, Mercy and Adam head to Montana to see if they can break the 4 stars
When Mercy's brother Gary shows up at her house incoherent and affected by magic, Mercy and Adam head to Montana to see if they can break the spell. There they find themselves trapped in a resort in the midst of a snowstorm with other guests of the lodge. But not everything is as it seems and Mercy and Adam must find a magical artifact before even worse things begin to happen.
Let me start this with I am being very kind with my 4 star rating. Any other author or series I probably would have rated much lower, but I absolutely love this series and Mercy. But this book really was not up to the standards of the other books in this series. It was very disjointed with bad pacing and took me a very long time to read. But it's like pizza, even when it's bad, it's good. And I'll always welcome more of these characters and this world into my life. I just hope the next installment in the series is more plot forward than this book. This book felt a lot like a side quest.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. This did not affect my opinions, thoughts, rating, review. ...more
What would you do if you traveled through time, only to return years later with no explanation of why you left? Four years ago Rosalind tra 4.5 stars
What would you do if you traveled through time, only to return years later with no explanation of why you left? Four years ago Rosalind traveled from the 19th century to present day, leaving behind her beloved husband and infant son. Now, she has found a way back and yet she does not know how to explain her absence in a way that will be believed. Disguising herself as a governess, she returns to her husband and son (without them knowing it's her). But someone doesn't want Rosalind there and will do anything to keep her away.
Kelley Armstrong is a favorite of mine, and lately she seems to really love writing time travel books set in Victorian times (I don't mind, they are highly entertaining). This is the second in a series and can be read as a standalone, but I think it would be less confusing if one read A Stitch in Time first. I listened to the audiobook and found I didn't want to stop listening, I loved following along with Rosalind as she reacquainted herself with her family and how she navigated a very complicated situation. The mystery thrown in was a tad bit predictable but I enjoyed it all the same....more
Florence is the ghost writer for one of the most famous romance authors to present, but since a bad break up she’s been suffering from write 5 stars!
Florence is the ghost writer for one of the most famous romance authors to present, but since a bad break up she’s been suffering from writer’s block. When she gets word that a family member has passed away, she travels home to be with family. Florence and her dad share a similar ability: they can see and speak with the dead. After having been shunned by her community for it, she’s hesitant to return home. Once she is home, she encounters a ghost she wasn’t expecting: her book editor, who wasn’t dead when she left NYC…
I absolutely loved this book. Where some plot points predictable? Yes, but also it worked with the story really well so I am happy to overlook. I love books where the characters feel real (all of them, main and side) and this was one of those. I loved following along with Florence, her past and present and how everything meshed together. This book gave me Six Feet Under/The Sixth Sense vibes and a book from the 90’s called If Only It Were True (that I read when I was a teen). And also massive bonus points to the author for the Meet Joe Black reference in the book because it made me way too happy to hear.
A little bit cheesy, but in a way that works. I loved this love story with a hint of the supernatural, it was exactly what I needed to read during “spooky” season this year....more
In the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, Beatriz finds herself the daughter of a disgraced general and relying on the charity of 4 stars!
In the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, Beatriz finds herself the daughter of a disgraced general and relying on the charity of her relatives to survive. When Don Rodolfo offers to marry her, she takes it right away even with the rumors surrounding the death of his first wife. But when Beatriz arrives at Hacienda San Isidro she can tell right away there is something rotten inside the house. And that dark something in the house, doesn’t want her in it.
I really enjoyed this book which is funny because I almost quit when I began listening. But after an hour or two of the audiobook it took a turn for the better and I became enthralled by the story. It’s marketed as Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca and that’s pretty accurate, it’s less gory than Mexican Gothic (thank god because I am a wimp) and it’s similar to Rebecca but with more supernatural involved. The story was the perfect amount of creepy to listen to at the start of spooky season and I could still sleep at night so there’s a bonus.
I really liked the main character Beatriz, even though I think she made some stupid decisions (I understand why, but horror genre is filled with people making dumb choices) and I really loved the character of Andres, the priest who helps her. Both characters had great chemistry and motivations to drive the story and it all came together really well.
This is a book worth reading and I will be recommending it a lot....more
When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace must accept that he is dead. Wallace is brought to a place called Char 3.5 stars
When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace must accept that he is dead. Wallace is brought to a place called Charon’s Crossing where he meets the ferryman, Hugo, and his afterlife is changed forever. Wallace gets the opportunity to reflect on his life and the choices he’s made while helping the Reaper and the Ferryman with their work. But then Wallace is given a deadline on this little slice of afterlife, and he must decide what comes next.
TJ Klune is one of my all time favorite authors and I love watching his rise to success. So many of his previous romance novels are some of my favorites, but this book and the book before it (THITCS) fell flat for me. They’re both too long and the pacing too slow. There’s still a beautiful story and wonderfully written characters, but I was reading this book for over a month and it dragged. It honestly put me into a reading slump while reading it.
Overall I enjoyed this book, but it’s lacking the magic I come to expect from a Klune novel where I devour the book as fast as I can because I have to know what happens. That aspect was missing and it took away from my reading experience.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley ...more
The vampire Wulfe has been stalking Mercy, seemingly harmless, for months. But when Wulfe goes missing, the Tri-Cities Pack is blam 4.5 stars!
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The vampire Wulfe has been stalking Mercy, seemingly harmless, for months. But when Wulfe goes missing, the Tri-Cities Pack is blamed. The mistress of the local vampire seethe calls on Mercy and the Pack to find Wulfe or the alliance between them will be broken. The more Mercy and the Pack investigate, they realize that all the vampires in the local area have gone missing along with a few white witches.
The Mercy Thompson series has been one of my favorites for years and I love every single installment. This one took me longer to read but mostly because life got busy and I didn’t have much time for it. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all, but I do feel it was slower paced than the last book. Still, it has a good mystery, ghosts, fae, werewolves, witches and vampires so my urban fantasy cravings were satisfied.
I loved revisiting with characters that feel like family, I could easily get lost in this world that Briggs has created. I just wish I wasn’t caught up on this series and Alpha and Omega, I want to spend more time in this world! Maybe a reread is sooner in my future than I figured…
If you haven’t read this series yet, please do. You are missing out on something special!
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley. This did not influence my thoughts or feelings on this book. ...more
Wow, Riley Sager has really bombed with these last two releases. This is possibly one of the worst suspense novels I have read in a while.
Th 2 stars
Wow, Riley Sager has really bombed with these last two releases. This is possibly one of the worst suspense novels I have read in a while.
The House Across the Lake has the most interesting premise, a nosy neighbor who spies on her neighbors across the lake and thinks a husband has murdered his wife. But in reality, it was beyond boring and the twists were completely unbelievable and laughable. I found myself muttering “what the fuck” to myself while reading this book and not in a good way.
Not sure if Sager has lost his touch/giving into pressure and demand for more books, but this one and Survive the Night were not it. I’m mad I wasted a libro.fm credit on this one. I think I’ll never get that reading high like I did for Home Before Dark and Last Time I Lied ever again…
Side note: I thought the main character of the book was an old woman because that’s what the narrator of the audiobook sounds like. Imagine my surprise when halfway through I figured out she was 35. Publishers, can we not do this? It made things confusing for me as a reader since I didn’t have the physical copy of the book on hand. ...more
Shea Collins is a receptionist who also runs a true crime website called The Book of Cold Cases. One day a patient comes into the office where she worShea Collins is a receptionist who also runs a true crime website called The Book of Cold Cases. One day a patient comes into the office where she works and Shea knows she looks familiar, until she releases it’s Beth Greer, the woman acquitted of The Lady Killer murders in the 70’s. Shea asks Beth to interview her for the website, and to Shea’s shock, Beth agrees. They meet at Beth’s mansion which is like a time capsule from the 70’s, and Shea senses very quickly that something there isn’t right.
I absolutely loved The Sun Down Motel and Broken Girls by this author, so when this book released I used one of my credits on libro fm to get the audiobook right away. I’ve only ever listened to this authors books and I’m going to stick with that format because I’ve seen reviews say it works better in audio versus hard copy written format. This book had everything, a true crime blogger not knowing what she was getting into, a cold case with someone you don’t know is the murderer or not, interviews, interesting love interest and childhood trauma. There were some genuinely spooky parts to this book and I couldn’t listen to it at nighttime.
This was exactly what I wanted from this book and author and I’m already itching for her next one. I’ve officially found a new auto-buy author....more
This book is why I adore middle grade horror novels. Scary, but not enough to traumatize me for the rest of my life. A very well done, classic hauntinThis book is why I adore middle grade horror novels. Scary, but not enough to traumatize me for the rest of my life. A very well done, classic haunting story. Loved it!...more