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Showing posts from December, 2019

Review: Esme's Gift

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Esme's Gift by Elizabeth Foster My rating: 5 of 5 stars I really enjoyed Esme’s Wish, so I was excited to get my hands on an ARC of Esme’s Gift. I was not disappointed. This book has all the elements I loved from the first one: the magic, the dragons, the friendship, the complex alternative world. Added to that is a whole new adventure: trying to wake up Esme’s mum. The characters are (again) fully believable. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes magic, great writing and dragons. I was given a free copy of this book. My opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Review: Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Identity

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Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Identity by Lydia Sherrer My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have read and enjoyed all the previous instalments of Love, Lies and Hocus Pocus, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of the 6th: Identity. This is rather longer than the previous books, though it doesn’t feel excessively long. There are all the elements that we love about this series: magic, Sir Kipling (and his snark), a little romance, fighting for good, writing that flows well, is easy to read and so on. There are a number of little references to other books, tv, films - I particularly enjoyed the one about Firefly. I missed Sir Kipling’s snark a bit - to start with he isn’t able to communicate directly with Sebastian. I also missed Lily, though that obviously couldn’t be helped! Most of the book was told from Sebastian’s viewpoint, and it was great to see his character development, to see him starting to fight his feelings of uselessness and find worth in things oth

Review: Wisteria Wonders

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Wisteria Wonders by Angela Pepper My rating: 4 of 5 stars 🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧 Sorry, mild spoilers - I’ve tried to avoid specific plot points, but it’s tricky! I did not enjoy this instalment as much as the others I have listened to. I found the way that Zara and Chet’s relationship went all skewy a bit too weird, and the betrayal of how Zara ended up in Wisteria was a little too upsetting for my taste. It also made me sad that both Zara and Chet were left with feelings for each other at the end. However, all the things I love about this series are still there, the snark (especially between Zara and Zoe), the magic, the mystery, the magical creatures, etc etc. And as usual, Tiffany Williams totally nails the narration and brings the book to life. View all my reviews

Review: Peter Pan [Audible Original]

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Peter Pan [Audible Original] by J.M. Barrie My rating: 2 of 5 stars 🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧 So, I’ve somehow escaped ever seeing, hearing or reading Peter Pan before, so since Audible we’re giving this version away as their Christmas member gift, I thought I’d give it a try. I found it to be a very odd tale, with some very strange ideas. Perhaps I’d have liked it more as a child? The narration is pretty good, though it’s a dramatisation, and consequently read by multiple people. This also means it doesn’t necessarily stick closely to the book (I can’t say as I’ve not read it). I found the music excessive and the sound effects intrusive, though some weren’t too bad. This is why I normally go for single narrator audiobooks, rather than dramatisations. I don’t think I’ll be listening again. However, I imagine this would be a good version for children as it would hold their attention better. And if you love music, dramatisations, sounds effects and the st

Review: Almost Just Friends

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Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis My rating: 3 of 5 stars I have enjoyed a number of other books by Jill Shalvis, so I thought I’d give this one a whirl. It is more emotional than the other Jill Shalvis books I’ve read, and hence is slightly less my cup of tea. There’s still all my favourite things, the romance, the beautiful places, people taking care of each other and so on, but all the characters have been through such a lot that I found it a bit too heavy going, emotionally. However, I did love the way they all came together to make a family, and worked through the issues that they’d been left with. And there are two romances, a bonus. If you don’t mind a few tears, then this is an excellent book. I was given a free copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Review: No 2 Feline Detective Agency

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No 2 Feline Detective Agency by Mandy Morton My rating: 2 of 5 stars DNF - it wasn’t bad or anything, but a world entirely populated with humanoid cats is not for me! View all my reviews

Review: Murder at Enderley Hall

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Murder at Enderley Hall by Helena Dixon My rating: 4 of 5 stars Having read and enjoyed Murder at the Dolphin Hotel so much, I was thrilled to get an ARC of Murder at Enderley Hall via NetGalley. I felt right at home the moment I started reading. Helena Dixon is one of those writers who write so well that I immediately feel comfortable and relaxed, and the story just flows. I was really pleased that Matt is in this adventure as well as Kitty, I like them both so much. They are complex, believable characters who seem very real. The story held my attention throughout, apart from one brief section where there were a lot of “interviewing the suspects/witnesses” scenes in a row. Fortunately, we moved on to other scenes before I got fed up. I was also slightly disappointed that Kitty wasn’t as involved in investigating as much in the first half of the book. This was mostly because she wasn’t in the interview scenes. However, these were both very minor nig

Review: The Tanglewood Wedding Shop

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The Tanglewood Wedding Shop by Lilac Mills My rating: 2 of 5 stars I chose this book because I enjoyed the previous book in the series (The Tanglewood Flower Shop). Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed. Mild spoilers below. The overwhelming problem was that I strongly disliked both of the main characters. Edie was very judgemental, both of James, jumping to the conclusion that he’s rich and doesn’t work, and of people in general. She thinks “you never see a poor farmer”! Most farmers are very poor indeed, they do it for the love of it, not the money. Edie also jabs a pin into a bridesmaid because they were discussing setting her (the bridesmaid) up with James. James is twice emotionally manipulative towards Edie near the beginning of the book, and combined with the way he thinks about her, and treats her generally, makes me think he is very likely a controlling person. He refers to her as a “little seamstress” and “his little doe”. I worry he wou

Review: Queer Heroes: Meet 53 LGBTQ Heroes From Past and Present!

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Queer Heroes: Meet 53 LGBTQ Heroes From Past and Present! by Arabelle Sicardi My rating: 4 of 5 stars I love the artwork in this book, it is bright and colourful, and each page reflects the person on it (as far as I can know without actually knowing them personally). It’s great to read about so many well known LGBTQ+ people, though it is a pity that some members of the community, for example intersex people, have not been included. I think this would be a great introductory book for a child - the joy of the internet is that if they find people they are particularly interested in, they can look up more details. Overall, some interesting information on a number of LGBTQ+ people, but it loses a star for not being quite inclusive enough. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: Temptress

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Temptress by Lola Dodge My rating: 4 of 5 stars I chose this book because I enjoyed the first book of the series (Ivory) so much. Temptress did not disappoint. With all the sassiness, sexiness, superheros, and humour of the first volume, this brings us a brand new story. As expected, this was really easy to read, not a single error (that I noticed), and the story just made me feel happy. I don’t particularly like Steel as a character, but I’m hoping he’ll be redeemed when we get to his story. I do love the way each character has their own symbol at chapter headings (and changes in POV), and the covers of these books are great. If you love superheros written with humour and a little romance, definitely give this series a try. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: Venezia

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Venezia by Lewis Trondheim My rating: 5 of 5 stars This graphic novel was hugely entertaining right from the first frame. The drawings are colourful and delightful. The story is so funny, and the dialogue is snappy. I love the fact that Da Vinci is part of the plot (though making no actual appearance), and that both the male and female lead are equally adventurous and competent at what they do. I’d recommend this to anyone who is a fan of graphic novels, humour and adventure. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: The Human Lie Detector and the Hunkiest Hunk

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The Human Lie Detector and the Hunkiest Hunk by Anna Krolick My rating: 2 of 5 stars This book was not to my taste. I liked the concept, I liked (most of) the characters, but at least 50% of it was sex scenes or discussions about what kind of sex they’re ok with, and it became very tedious. I really don’t want to know every single detail of anyone’s sex life. I liked the way the story took place over several years, and they didn’t just rush into everything. The characters felt real and I enjoyed watching them grow together. Henry seems like a really nice guy, respectful of boundaries, even if a little arrogant at first. However, I really hated Beverley’s father. Who would call their own daughter a slut, or suggest that they might become one if they live on their own? That is wrong on so many levels. I thought it was a shame that Beverley had obviously become a rather overbearing mother, only happy if her children are happy in the way she prescribes.

Review: Winter Takes All

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Winter Takes All by ML Erdahl My rating: 3 of 5 stars I really enjoyed most of this book. The first 90% is a lovely gentle cozy crime, with the beginnings of a promising romance. All just the kind of thing I like. It is mostly well written, with only a few errors - eg site used instead of sight throughout. Although I liked Crystal in general, I found it odd that someone who is a first aider would sneak off after someone has been knocked unconscious by a thrown pan. It also bothers me that Crystal is so concerned about not finishing her meal before Conner - why would that even matter? I found the last 10% was not so much to my taste - the scene where everything is revealed was far too dramatic for me. It was just a huge change from the tone of the rest of the book that it made me feel really tense. Then the results were all crammed into the epilogue more or less as an aside, it seemed very rushed. However, this is a fun murder mystery with the start o

Review: The Telephone Box Library

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The Telephone Box Library by Rachael Lucas My rating: 4 of 5 stars I picked this book because it had such a pretty cover, and I loved the idea of a telephone box being turned into a library. It turned out to be a lovely gentle story about life in a village, with a romance. I immediately loved Bunty as soon as I met her. She says things how they are and doesn’t make pretence about things. It was her that totally hooked me into the book to start with. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about village life, and Lucy and Sam’s romance. It’s great that they don’t immediately fall in love, but get to know each other first. All the characters are well written, having their own stories and motivations. I’ll be on the lookout for other books from this author. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a nice relaxing romance with a community feel. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: A Valentine Proposal

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A Valentine Proposal by Viv Royce My rating: 4 of 5 stars Another fun and lighthearted romance from Viv Royce. I really enjoyed A Family by Christmas (the previous book in this series, though each can be read by itself), so I was pleased to have the opportunity to read this one. I was not disappointed. I love these slightly shorter romances, they are well written and so easy to read. None of the excessive drama that I find in some romances, but still plenty of plot. I’ll certainly be on the lookout for further books in the series. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. View all my reviews

Review: Snoopy: First Beagle in Space (PEANUTS AMP Series Book 14): A PEANUTS Collection

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Snoopy: First Beagle in Space (PEANUTS AMP Series Book 14): A PEANUTS Collection by Charles M. Schulz My rating: 5 of 5 stars A fun collection of Peanuts cartoons, largely themed around space and the moon, this book was great fun to read. I’ve been a Peanuts fan since I was a child, so any collection of the cartoons is a win for me. I really enjoyed reading this book, the pages are colourful and laid out in a way that is easy to read. The book also has a selection of fun space facts at the back, followed by some older Peanuts cartoons that are related to the topic. I’d definitely recommend this book to Peanuts fans, and anyone looking for a fun collection of cartoons. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews

Review: No, We Can't Be Friends

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No, We Can't Be Friends by Sophie Ranald My rating: 2 of 5 stars Some mild spoilers I chose this book because it was described as laugh out loud and hilarious, both on the cover, and in multiple reviews in the description. However, I think they must have read a different book, as the first 90% didn’t have a single moment that even mildly amused me, never mind made me laugh. There are: 2 miscarriages, a cheating husband, a marriage breakdown, an alcoholic mother who dies, she ends up being very briefly homeless. She was unhappy for most of the book, until she finally left her husband two thirds of the way through. The last 10% of the book was good, there was some sass and a bit of amusement, as well as the happy ending. The book is well written, and a good story, it just really doesn’t match up to the laugh out loud description and reviews. I certainly wouldn’t have chosen it if I’d known. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an ho

Review: The Christmas Wish List

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The Christmas Wish List by Heidi Swain My rating: 4 of 5 stars TW: controlling behaviour, domestic violence, cancer. In spite of the trigger warning above, this was actually (for the most part) a lovely Christmassy book, with festiveness, romance and general heart-warming. I found the domestic violence scene made me a little tense, and it felt like it took Hattie too much of the book to finally make up her mind to leave Jonathan. It was also left unresolved that most of Hattie’s possessions were still at his flat, so goodness knows how he’s trashed those. However, other than those little niggles, this is a well written, easy to read book. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who doesn’t find reading about domestic violence too upsetting. View all my reviews

Review: Christmas at the Little Knitting Box

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Christmas at the Little Knitting Box by Helen J. Rolfe My rating: 4 of 5 stars I really enjoyed this Christmassy romance. The ending grated very slightly - I think because he fixed all her problems for her, though he did do it as a suggestion rather than a “this is what’s happening”. I prefer it when the female fixes her own problems, or they fix them together. However, other than that, the book was well written. View all my reviews

Review: Wrapped Up in You

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Wrapped Up in You by Jill Shalvis My rating: 3 of 5 stars This was an enjoyable romance, two people learning to trust each other and get past their pasts. It had slightly more tension than I prefer in a romance, but a good, easy to read book nonetheless. View all my reviews

Review: Last Christmas

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Last Christmas by Greg Wise My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a collection of short pieces of writing about the meaning of Christmas, by many people from diverse walks of life. It is not a religious book (I wasn’t expecting it to be), and in spite of the diversity of people, and their attitudes towards Christmas, one thing shines brightly through - the true meaning of Christmas. The importance of time for family - genetic or found - and kindness towards others. In the world as it is now, these things are so important to remember. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to be reminded of the real meaning of Christmas, in fact of being human. I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. View all my reviews