Zola has a past – one which involved her having to leave the home that she loved. And be betrayed by those she thought she could trust. But when the past comes calling, she might just realise that things aren’t exactly as she thought they were…
I really, really loved this story. I love that there are lion shapeshifters and they are structured around a matriarchal pride. I love that there is SO much backstory that you kind of want to dive straight into the series to see if it has some more information. And I just thoroughly enjoyed the whole premise.
One of the reasons why I loved this so much may also just be the fact that Zola is a teacher of martial arts and runs a school for it. This has always been my happy place / point of interest. And now that I actually do a martial art… anything that mentions it just draws me straight in. Happily, completely and somewhat stupidly at times.
All in all, this was a good, fun and easy short story. It had that great spark and romance. But, what I found I enjoyed most out of it was all of the backstory and the universe which had been created. It made this incredibly difficult to put down and seriously enjoyable to read!
Title: The House of the Spirits Author: Isabel Allende Rating Out of 5: 1.5 (Couldn’t get past the first chapter) My Bookshelves:Classics Dates read: 27th April – 4th May 2021 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: Vintage Books Year: 1982 5th sentence, 74th page: She was doubled over beneath the weight of a sheaf of hawthorn for the kitchen hearth, barefoot, her head bowed.
As a girl, Clara del Valle can read fortunes, make objects move as if they had lives of their own and predict the future. Following the mysterious death of her sister, Rosa the Beautiful, Clara is mute for nine years. When she breaks her silence, it is to announce that she will be married soon to the stern and volatile landowner Esteban Trueba.
Set in an unnamed Latin American country over three generations, The House of the Spirits is a magnificent tale of a proud and passionate family, secret loves and violent revolution.
I really, really, really wanted to like this… but I just couldn’t. I ended up skim reading the whole story and just feeling really “eh” about the writing. To the point I actually looked up the synopsis to see if I’d missed anything. I hadn’t. I was just “eh”.
I love the premise of this story. And I’m going to keep my copy of the book because I really want to like this. But I’m just not confident in that fact. I don’t know why though. There is nothing seriously wrong with the writing, the story, anything. I just could not get excited.
I’m going to try this book again in a few years time and see if I can get a bit more excited about this… because I really want to!
Angela Knight does it… in the psychic realm of a woman attuned to the touch of strangers – and the powerful temptations of a seductive and mysterious protector.
I really, really loved this concept – that random people get powers and are called hypers. And that the source of these powers is aliens… I love how Knight’s novellas are able to take a concept that you kind of expect… and change it into a really unique SciFi spin!
Arial and Josiah are a great couple. I thought that they were seriously cute from the very beginning. And I definitely was routing for them from the very beginning. I also love the way that Josiah is trying to keep celibate (and the reasons for why). And how Arial just steadily and happily makes him give it all up… it’s a fun storyline. Or at least, my happy little brain finds it fun.
But, mostly I love how these characters with superpowers have managed to find a way to coexist and find their happily ever afters. I can completely imagine Arial and Josiah and Psych running off into the future fighting more bad guys and making more sense of the incredibly unique world that Knight has managed to create.
Hope believed Wolfe was dead, but he was only waiting for the right time to claim her. He is a man whose DNA was altered, infused with the genetic code of the wolf. His unique genetic makeup has created a male unlike any other and will make itself known in the most surprising ways. Now Hope must convince her mate she hasn’t betrayed him, and they must defeat the plans of a scientist gone mad.
This set up the next little patch of Breeds stories really well. The wolf breeds and how they escaped the horrifying and evil labs in which they were created. The fact that it also features an evil scientists daughter… well, that worked quite happily for me. Overall, it was a pretty simple novella that didn’t necessarily have a lot going on adventure wise, but most certainly set up a new Breeds “family”.
I love how some of the Breeds novels have in their name both of the lead characters names. It helps you pick up who you’re routing for from the very beginning. And it just generally creates a fun naming system that I wasn’t quite expecting. But it was most certainly something that I very much enjoyed.
Wolfe is honestly kind of a dick in this story. He’s a bit painful to read for most of it to be honest. But when he has that sense of realisation about just how deeply he messed up… he’s still a dick. But at least he understood just how. And you know, at the end of the story, there was a bit of redemption in the evil bitch getting killed…
Title: Tanner’s Scheme Author: Lora Leigh Series: Breeds #8 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Erotica, Paranormal romance, Romantic suspense Dates read: 28th April – 2nd May 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Berkley Sensation Year: 2007 5th sentence, 74th page: And it wasn’t a comforting sight.
The author of Megan’s Mark and Harmony’s Way delivers a new novel set in an alternate world where genetically altered Breeds and the humans who created them sometimes come together in the fiercest of passions…
A one-time high-ranking member of the Genetics Council, Sceme Tallant’s father will stop at nothing to see the Feline Breeds eradicated. Even if it means killing his own daughter…
After the Breeds’ main base is attacked, Tanner Reynolds desires revenge – and knows just how to get it. In a bold move, he kidnaps Scheme Tallant and takes her deep into the Kentucky mountains. Yet when Tanner discovers that Scheme herself is a target of her father’s ruthless mission, his vengeance must take a backseat to saving the life of the woman he hopes to claim as his mate. But can Scheme trust Tanner – or is she just a pawn of his passion and ploys?
Every time I pick up a Breeds novel, I remember why I love this series so much. Don’t get me wrong, in some moments I’m a bit like… nope. I’m not really into that level of dominance in the bedroom. But it’s definitely fun to read about. The fact that the series has continued to develop into a much greater, more intense storyline… that just makes it even more difficult to put down.
Tanner is a great lead. He is kind of humorous and definitely intriguing from the very beginning. The fact that he kidnaps his mate and doesn’t even realise that he’s managed to find her… that kind of had me grinning multiple times throughout. I mean, some people can be a little dense, but this just takes the cake.
Scheme’s backstory was actually, surprisingly more tragic than that of Tanner. Normally it’s the Breed with the tragic backstory. But that most certainly wasn’t the case in this story. Scheme suffers in a way that made my heart ache and break a little bit throughout. It made me want to reach through the pages and give her a huge hug (although, honestly, when don’t I want to do this for my favourite characters?).
All in all, I seriously enjoyed this story. It was a great look into the politics that are boiling in the Breeds world and the things that are at stake. I love that this romantic suspense series has prejudice and a silent war, but also spies and double agents. That there is so much going on in every moment that you just can’t look away and forget about what is going on! Completely amazing, and a lot of fun.
Title: Harmony’s Way Author: Lora Leigh Series: Breeds #7 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Erotica, Paranormal romance, Romantic suspense Dates read: 27th – 28th April 2021 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Berkley Sensation Year: 2006 5th sentence, 74th page: “Leave.”
Sink your fangs into Lora Leigh’s series about genetically alered humans with feline DNA. When the Breeds desire the passions of the flesh, they can’t help but get frisky…
Harmony Lancaster is of the Lion Breed, created to be a huntress with a thirst to kill. But the way she seeks justice outside of the law makes her a liability to her own kind. Yet she also possesses information that they need on the existence of the first Leo – who holds the precious secrets of desire.
To save her life, Harmony is paired with Sheriff Lance Jacobs, who tries to tame the killer within her, while protecting the gentle woman he longs to possess. But a dangerous cult leader, bent on destroying the Breeds, could change the way Lance looks at Harmony forever…
Each and every time I pick up a Breeds book, I’m completely hooked. Not only is the intense lust and sexuality of it just… spine tingling. But there is also that great character building, functioning of relationships. And, ultimately, the greater conspiracies and plot lines. The one where you are constantly hoping that this minority will find their happily ever after. But not really believing that it’s going to happen…
Megan’s cousin in Megan’s Mark was definitely a guy that I wanted to get to know a little better. Which left me very, ridiculously happy when he came to the forefront in this book. The fact that he can talk to the winds and has Native American ancestry… I just found that all that much more intriguing. I wasn’t really expecting who he ended up partnered with. But I loved her just as much.
Harmony’s journey most definitely made me tear up a little bit and clutch at my heart. It was seriously heartbreaking. But yet, brilliantly done. Maybe not as heartbreaking as Sherra’s story, and I’m sure not as bad as Dawn’s is going to be… but it was still brutal and horrifying. Yet, the way that Lance helps her and brings the beautiful Death into the light… oh, be still my beating heart.
This is that point in the series when things are getting way more complex and intense. That the characters are getting further and further in over their heads and you can’t help but pick up the next book. Which is exactly what I did… I want to know more about what’s going to happen to the Breeds as a whole. Although, unlike other similar series (Psy-Changelingfor example), there is a little less connectivity between the characters. And I’m honestly starting to lose track a little of who’s who and how they all connect… looks like this will be a future reread series…
Title: Devils and Details Author: Devon Monk Series: Ordinary Magic #2 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Magic, Mythology, Urban fantasy Dates read: 26th April 20 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Odd House Press Year: 2016 5th sentence, 74th page: Thank you so much, Thor.
Caught between the devil and the deep blue sea…
Police Chief Delaney Reed is good at keeping secrets for the beach town of Ordinary Oregon – just ask the vacationing gods or supernatural creatures who live there.
But with the first annual Cake and Skate fundraiser coming up, the only secret Delaney really wants to know is how to stop the unseasonable rain storms. When all the god powers are stolen, a vampire is murdered, and her childhood crush turns out to be keeping deadly secrets of his own, rainy days are the least of her worries.
Hunting a murderer, outsmarting a know-it-all-god, and uncovering an ancient vampire’s terrifying past isn’t how she planned to spend her summer. But then again, neither is falling back in love with the one man she should never trust.
I forgot how much I enjoyed the world building in this series. I love the idea of gods on vacation and having a sheriff to try and control the insanity that will surely follow. I mean, after all, gods are known for being unpredictable, and well, frankly, nuts… so it makes sense that they need a sheriff to keep them all under control. The fact that it’s Delaney and her sisters just makes it all that much more likeable.
This story careens from insane moment to insane moment. It left me smiling and giggling all throughout. And, for most of the tale, I wasn’t really sure of where this story was going to take me… I mean, god powers being stolen, vampires being murdered, past loves trying to reconnect… there is a whole lot in this that is fun and sassy. And completely unpredictable. Which I think all stories of gods should be if I’m being honest.
I did kind of predict what Ryder’s secret and reason for breaking up with Delaney were. Even then, the actual explanation was a little more than I had hoped for (yay). I loved their dynamic throughout this. Alongside the protectiveness of Delaney’s two sisters – I mean, what are sisters if not beautifully and ridiculously protective?
This story ends with a war on the horizon, and a missing vampire. I can’t wait to see where they went / what happened and where the story is going to take us from here… bring on the next novel in this series!
Title: Grave Dance Author: Kalayna Price Series: Alex Craft #2 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Fae, Ghosts, Grim reapers, Paranormal romance Dates read: 16th – 26th April 2021 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Roc Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: Small, large, winged, floral, too-many limbed, too-few – they were a dizzying display rarely seen on the streets.
Whoever said dead men tell no tales obviously never met Alex Craft…
After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, grave witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil, thanks to the disappearance of Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews and a shocking “L”-word confession from death himself, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be a deadly challenge.
The police hire Alex to consult on a particularly strange investigation in the nature preserve south of Nekros City. The strange part: There are no corpses – only fragments of them. A serial killer is potentially on the loose, and Alex has no way to raise a shade without a body, so she’ll have to rely on the magic of others to find leads. But as she begins investigating, a creature born of the darkest magic comes after her. Someone very powerful wants to make sure the only thing she finds is a dead end – her own.
It doesn’t matter how many times I read these novels… I love them each and every time. This read through was absolutely no different. It was fun and quirky and just an impossible to put down journal. I love Price’s writing and find myself irrevocably drawn in each and every time. It helps that I notice different parts of the storyline with each reading…
Alex seems to just keep getting herself further and further into trouble everytime I pick up one of her stories. I can’t wait to see what more trouble she gets into (I’ve only ever read up to Grave Memory before). She seems to be one of those characters that blunders into problem after problem, unable to quite stop herself. Which, of course, makes it a fun and entertaining adventure to be on with her. And seriously, very exciting. One of my favourite fast-paced books on my shelves.
I’d like to say that the love triangle in this story is getting far more complex. But, really, it’s not a triangle… it’s some kind of weird, squiggly line. But ultimately, Alex keeps finding herself stuck between two amazing guys. Honestly, I want her to end up with Death. But I’m actually not entirely sure that she will. Some series, it is easy to see who the final love interest will be. But in this one… I have no damn clue. And I love that fact. Aside from the fae politics, her ancestry and all sorts, it’s the love squiggly that makes me want to keep diving headfirst into this series.
Not only is this an amazing, kind of fast-paced story, it’s also one that is perfectly setting up many future battles and complications for the characters. It’s bringing all of the complexities of the fae courts into the complexities of attraction, debts, friendship, cops… there is so much groundwork being laid and it makes this story all that much more intriguing.
Title: First Comes Scandal Author: Julia Quinn Series: Rokesbys #4 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Historical romance, Regency romance Dates read: 25th – 26th April 2021 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Avon Year: 2020 5th sentence, 74th page: “Certainly unethical.”
She was given two choices… Georgiana Bridgerton isn’t against the idea of marriage. She just thought she’d have some say in the matter. But with her reputation hanging by a thread after she’s abducted for her dowry, Georgie is given two options: live out her days as a spinster or marry the rogue who has ruined her life.
Enter Option #3 As the fourth son of an eral, Nicholas Rokesby is prepared to hart his own course. He has established himself in Edinburgh, where he’s close to completing his medical studies, and he has no time – or interest – to find a wife. But when he discovers that Georgie Bridgerton – his literal girl-next-door – is facing ruin, he knows what he must do.
A Marriage of Convenience It might not have been the most romantic of proposals, but Nicholas never thought she’d say II no. II Georgie doesn’t want to be anyone’s sacrifice, and besides, they could never think of each other as anything more than childhood friends… or could they?
But as they embark upon their unorthodox courtship, they discover a new twist to the age-old rhyme. First come scandal, then comes marriage. But after that comes love…
As the final story in the Rokesbys series, I was kind of expecting a little more drama in this story… I was completely floored by the fact that there was pretty much no drama whatsoever in this story. As in. None. At all. Actually, it was one of the most pleasant, happy and drama free stories I’ve read in a long time. And even though it wasn’t fast-paced and there wasn’t much drama… I still couldn’t put this down and forget about it. It was just that amazing!
Nicholas and Georgie work so beautifully together. I love that of the four Rokesby stories, three ended up with Bridgertons. This is also the only one that mentions Violet Bridgerton, along with the three eldest boys from the Bridgerton series – Anthony, Benedict and Colin. It finally made this actually feel like the prequel series that it supposedly is and tied everything in perfectly. I love that there is this constant sense of interconnectedness throughout the series that makes you urgently reaching for the next book.
This was a seriously quick friends to lovers moment. I was expecting a little more resistance to the idea, but I kind of like how quickly Nicholas and Georgie fell for one another. It made me smile frequently and happily throughout. Definitely the kind of quick falling in love that I prefer – one that is built on years of friendship and camaraderie. It also meant that those frequent moments in which Georgie is being independent and pig-headed are totally expected by Nicholas, and kind of endearingly loved.
As with many of Quinn’s books, I loved the epilogue at the end. I love how Georgie’s interest was nurtured by Nicholas and helped them grow into the perfect pair. I kind of want to see them in more Quinn books in the future… they’re just so simply glorious together.
Title: The Little Breton Bistro Author: Nina George Rating Out of 5: 2 (Managed to read it… just) My Bookshelves:Contemporary Dates read: 25th April 2021 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: Abacus Year: 2010 5th sentence, 74th page: In short, despite his testosterone imbalance, our chef is back to top form.
From the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Little Paris Bookshop, an extraordinary novel about self-discovery and new beginnings.
Marianne is stuck in a loveless, unhappy marriage. After forty-one years, she has reached her limit, and one evening in Paris she decides to take action. Following a dramatic moment on the banks of the Seine, Marianne leaves her life behind and sets out for the coast of Brittany, also known as the end of the world.
Here she meets a cast of colorful and unforgettable locals who surprise her with their warm welcome, and the natural ease they all seem to have, taking pleasure in life s small moments. And, as the parts of herself she had long forgotten return to her in this new world, Marianne learns it s never too late to begin the search for what life should have been all along.
With all the buoyant charm that made The Little Paris Bookshop a beloved bestseller, The Little French Bistro is a tale of second chances and a delightful embrace of the joys of life in France.
I seriously struggled trying to read this book. I wanted to love it. I wanted to really enjoy it – the premise was fantastic and I’ve seen so many great reviews of it. But, alas, it didn’t happen.
In fact, I ended up putting this aside after 150 pages (my usual cut off if I can’t get into a book). I couldn’t even skim read this and feel slightly intrigued by what happens next. I very rarely DNF a book because my curiosity tends to make me at least skim through it… but I still didn’t do that.
I may not have loved this book, but ultimately, there was nothing actually wrong with it. The writing was good, the idea had merit. I just couldn’t get excited about the storyline. Or feel connected to the characters… maybe I’ll try again in the future.
![First Comes Scandal [Large Print] :HarperCollins Australia](https://i.harperapps.com/hcanz/covers/9780062979438/x293.jpg)
Earth and Skye 