samhain

Review: Caught!

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Caught!
Caught! by J.L. Merrow

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I generally like Merrow’s work and this is no exception. In fact I found myself enjoying this so much that I wanted to read it again when I was done. The story is definitely a gentle romance with barely any sex scenes but I liked that choice. This allowed the author’s great writing and excellent dialogue to shine. The tension in the story is easily resolved and relies heavily on connecting with the main character and believing his reasoning. I found myself swept up in the protagonist’s quirks and behavior and would have happily read about his antics for much longer. He’s definitely one of my favorite characters I’ve read in fiction and I’m not a Dr. Who fan. Anyway I think this will definitely go over well for those readers that enjoy gentle romances with a distinctly British flair. Continue reading →

Review: Hell on Earth

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Hell on Earth
Hell on Earth by Ally Blue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I eagerly got Ally Blue’s second book in her Hellscape series but then realized how little I remembered of the first book a year ago. I re-read my review so I would have some idea of who the characters were though I remembered the concept surprisingly well. I commented in my review of the first book that I would love to see books about the secondary characters such as Sandman. Well apparently I got my wish because the second book is all about Sandman, a character I literally did not (and still don’t) remember from the first book. That didn’t really phase me and the second book in the series is actually much stronger than the first. It also can easily be read as a stand alone, a fact that I am extremely grateful for as I was not going to re-read the first one. So dystopian fans – check this one out, it’s really good and can be read on its own. Continue reading →

Review: A Case of Possession

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A Case of Possession
A Case of Possession by K.J. Charles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

While Case of Possession, the second book in the Magpie series by KJ Charles, feels like a filler book, it’s still exceptionally entertaining and well written. The characters are wonderful with incredibly clean, evocative writing and the plot is absorbing. I do feel as though the mystery was a bit rushed and not as thorough as the previous book. Perhaps that’s because this particular outing offered more focus on Lucien and Stephen’s deepening relationship so time on the who-dun-it had to be sacrificed. It’s a minor compliant though and I’m more convinced than ever this author is a really stunning writer. I’m going to look for everything she’s written and dive in happily. Continue reading →

Review: From the Ashes

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From the Ashes
From the Ashes by Daisy Harris
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Daisy Harris is a new author for me and I was happy to try out her upcoming book from Samhain. Usually Samhain has good instincts and solid editing and I certainly can’t resist firefighters. I had high hopes when I opened this to read and I was happy by the time I got to the end. I enjoyed reading for the most part and although I didn’t always like the main characters, I did appreciate their complexity and ability to grow. This is a nice novel with a few roadblocks to love, but honestly very few. Instead it focuses on sweet romance and a happy ending. Continue reading →

Review: Hell’s End

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Hell's End
Hell’s End by Ally Blue
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hell’s End is a roller coaster and one that I can only imagine is the start of a series. The majority of loose ends, plot wise, are wrapped up but there feels like so much more story left to tell that I’d be surprised if it’s a one-off. In any case the writing is fresh, the science fiction brutal and gritty, and the characters intriguing. I liked reading this quite a bit, but at the same time I never forget the story’s limitations. I never fully bought into the main couple, they’re well matched but instead of being invested in their romance I was often distracted by supporting cast members. I liked the two main protagonists on their own and even together during action scenes but their true love felt more forced than natural to me. Continue reading →

Review: Heir of Starlight

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Heir of Starlight
Heir of Starlight by Nicole Kimberling
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

I honestly can’t think of a better treat than a Nicole Kimberling sci-fi book. I was of two minds to read this because it’s a sequel to a book that was published four years ago so although I read that book I can’t remember a single detail about it sadly. While I was really excited to delve into this, I worried that I’d be lost since I couldn’t remember anything from the previous book. Thankfully I don’t think you need to since the story flows easily enough without encountering any big gaps. No doubt reading and remembering the previous book will enhance enjoyment and understanding of this one, I think anyone new to the series can read it just fine. I certainly enjoyed it immensely despite my lack of remembered knowledge. Continue reading →

Review: Family Man

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Family Man
Family Man by Heidi Cullinan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’d sum up Family Man as a feel good story. The two men have obstacles in their lives but really the power of family and acceptance makes everything ok. It doesn’t matter that one of the men was married three times before or the other is ten years younger and has an alcoholic mother, family will get you through anything seems to be the moral of the story. It’s a nice moral definitely and the couple is sweet with a nice combination of personalities. The relationship and especially the physical side are well developed and very genuine. It’s a well-written story with a ton of romance that makes you happy you read it. Continue reading →

Review: Screwing the System

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Screwing the System
Screwing the System by Josephine Myles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like Josephine Myles’ work quite a bit and Screwing the System is easily one of my favorites from her. The writing is clean, crisp, and evocative and the characters are engaging from the start. The sex is incredibly hot and the relationship is pretty low key. I found a few easy coincidences that I could have done without but beyond these there are very few, if any, missteps. Instead it’s a fun and interesting story to read without a lot of drama or problems. There’s no big drama and end scene, which is actually nice, and maturity wins the day. Continue reading →

Review: Hard Tail

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Hard Tail
Hard Tail by J.L. Merrow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

JL Merrow usually works pretty well for me with her smooth writing, great wit, and adorable characters. Hard Tail is no departure from that and feels like a solid comfort read that fits well with the author’s backlist. The situation is interesting with some good and obvious research thrown in. I think the external tension drew out a bit too long and in a very predictable way. Due to this some sections of the book seem to drone on while others flew by easily giving an uneven pace. Despite this the nice guy characters and cute chemistry should be enough to win over fans of the author. Continue reading →

Review: Muscling Through

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Muscling ThroughMuscling Through by J.L. Merrow
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Let me just say I adore everything about this story. The first person narrator is charming, lovely, heart warming and it would take a real hard hearted person not to appreciate his genuine personality. The story isn’t perfect and the narrator tells you the story as if this had happened a long time ago and he’s telling the reader how things came to be. The tense also changes sometimes from present to past but honestly these are all incredibly minor qualms that don’t stand a chance against such a truly wonderful story. I recommend this easily and think fans and readers will love this story. Continue reading →