Vanessa’s Comments (group member since Jun 15, 2017)

Vanessa’s comments from the Read, Reading, Planning to Read and More group.

That sounds like a great series. I tried listening to "Omens", but I couldn't get into it. I should probably give it another try.

You have a point, either the USA or the Canadian military. I'm just not ready to see this series leave. I love all of the main characters, Casey, Eric, her sister, the deputy, even the "butcher". Armstrong has such a wild combo of personalities all churned together, love it.

I really enjoyed this series. I was thinking that maybe they do have the makings for another series because of the person who founded Rockton originally, (grandma). She might be able to gather up support for the new settlement. Also, there is some kind of military connection. Both the granddaughter and the deputy are former military/spy types so they got there somehow. Right?

I have been trying to catch up on my kindle TBR. I just read books in two of my favorite series.
I finished Faith Hunter's True Dead and JR Ward's The Wolf. The first came out some time ago and it still remains my favorite UF series. I know that the next book is probably the series finale and i just wanted to savor these books for a little while longer. Jane Yellowrock is a character who has changed and evolved so much that I will be sad to see her and her "family" go. In True Dead there is still the mystery of what if anything has happened to Leo Pellissier the former Master of the City, (is he true dead?) Jane has assumed the ruling crown, (that's because the crown picked her). The first time that a non-vampire has been chosen to rule. Awkward and at times oblivious, Jane isn't very good at protocol but she is excellent at protecting all of the people who depend on her. There are strange alliances and a few very close calls, but Jane and her crew are pulling out all of the stops to insure that New Orleans, the US and ultimately the world will be safe from the just downright crazies. I loved this book. i would give it a 5* review.
On the other hand, The Wolf was all that I expected it to be. Lucan from the BDB Prison Camp series was such a great character. I knew he would be. His mate is a deep undercover human cop. Rio is strong, street smart, and clever. I liked their banter and the slow burn romance. Ward hit the mark on this one, and the ending leads you to believe that you are going to see much more of these two. Another 5* read.
Now I'm not sure what to read.

The latest Veronica Speedwell book is out. It's called The Impossible Imposter. (Can't do the links on the Goodreads app).
I'm in NYC to visit w/my sister who is there for a conference. It was a spur of the moment thing and it has been bitter cold. I do love to go into city.

I seem to be on a Kelley Armstrong kick lately. I listened to Cursed Luck and rolled right into High Jinx I like the main characters and no one can say that they jumped into a relationship, but it did seem to take a while especially for two people in their twenties.
I know that a few of you folks have read these books so I won't go into a synopsis, but I found them both to be well written and I do like her touch of famous immortals scattered throughout the books. All in all I would give them 4.5-5* ratings.
With well scripted characters who are thoughtful and think things through, the humor is easy and laid back, and the magical representations are fun and imaginative.
I'm not sure what to try next.

HappyBookWorm2020 wrote: "Vanessa wrote: "Kristi... You made me laugh when you said that you have to go through all of your mother's stuff looking or money. My Mom was notorious for hiding money everywhere. (She died of can..."

HappyBookWorm... We ended up with about 23" of snow. Today it is raining and the temperature is dropping. We are hovering on freezing right now. I really hate ice! (And Winter!)

I have been listening to another book by Kate Quinn set in the WWII era and the years after the war. It is The Huntress
This story pings back and forth between the years of the German invasion of Russia and a post war world in the US. At the heart of the story is a tale of a Russian "Night Witch" pilot, Nina Markova whom we watch her progression from a wild child to a night bomber pilot in the Russian Air corps in a Stalin era. After the war she joins up with a journalist turn Nazi hunter looking for the infamous "Huntress" who killed 6 children point blank and in a separate instance killed the journalist's younger brother who had escaped from a Nazi prisoner of war camp.
On the US side we see a 17 year old young woman who wants to be a photographer living with her widower Dad when he meets a younger German woman with a small girl at his antique shop in Boston. He falls for and marries this woman but the daughter has a few doubts. These doubts get explained away but she isn't always convinced. The Nazi hunters gain info about the Huntress' whereabouts and come to Boston to see if they can find her. This woman is very canny, she doesn't let anyone take a photo of her she adopts a reasonable Boston accent, and never lets anyone know anything about her correct background. She also came to the US with a child in tow and the "Huntress" never had a child. I'm probably not doing this story much justice but it is very intricately woven and once it gets going it's a real page turner.

The Immortals After Dark series was such a favorite way back when.

Who are your favorite couples? I think that I loved Cade and Holly in Dark Desires After Dusk the most. Weird thing, the covers are different now. It must be a re-issue.

Kristi... You made me laugh when you said that you have to go through all of your mother's stuff looking or money. My Mom was notorious for hiding money everywhere. (She died of cancer in the early 90's). My Dad was ready to just donate everything when she passed. Luckily my sister was aware that Mom had a habit of leaving money in her pockets. We started with her bathrobe, which is where I always keep my money, right? We found money in it. Why she had the need to pay for something in her bathrobe is bewildering, LOL! We found money in the spice rack, her knick knack cabinet and in various drawers, it was a long and torturous game of hide and seek. Good luck to you, I know how it feels.

TINNGG... The constant talking of your FIL must really be trying. In my limited experience, I've found that many older men start looking for a new companion/housekeeper quite quickly. My own father was awful on his own. He was one of six children with parents that both worked and while he wasn't the oldest he was the most responsible. He is self sufficient and a pretty good cook, but when my Mom died he was constantly finding things to clean or clean out. He threw out some of my things that my Mom had saved and I was unaware of until he told me he had thrown them out. He found another woman to love the year after my Mom died and she was a great wife to him. She died almost exactly a year ago. He's doing pretty good but he has a group of friends that help out. I think that that is key, friends give them something to do.

HappyBookWorm... I love her St Mary's series. I wish that there were more.

I finished the Kelley Armstrong YA series, Darkness Rising. It was ok, I'm not much of a teenage angst reader, but it was tolerable. I had the 2nd book that I got as a freebie a couple of years ago on an Audible sale. They are decent and her descriptions of the Northwest Canadian wilderness is wonderful.

The Gathering

The Calling

The Rising

I am listening to a quirky book that has been in my TBR for years. It is at times a bit slow but nearly always funny. It is about a vampire who is released after being imprisoned under a house for 300 plus years. It was the 1600's in a Puritan village when he was entombed and he is now in a small town in New Jersey not too far from NYC.
I also read a novella by Shelley Laurenston that I had missed in an anthology called, My Kind of Town It was a fun little story about a witch and a panther shifter in Smithville, NC.
I finished up the trio of books by Rosalind James,
Kiwi Rules
Stone Cold Kiwi
Kiwi Strong
I liked them all. The relationships were a fair give and take and the books had adults that actually had conversations instead of jumping to conclusions. I hope that she writes more of these books.
It's been snowing for nearly 20 hours and is supposed to continue for about 12 more. That wouldn't be so bad but the temperature is 14 with a wind that has been gusting up to 60mph. Hate that!



ETA... The link for the vampire book... An Unattractive Vampire oops!

Kristi... My husband's grandmother went to assisted living but really quickly they had to move her to a stricter convalescent home with lock-down capabilities. In the assisted living place we first had to take away her crockpot, then unplug her stove. It went down from there. She accused everyone of not feeding her because she couldn't remember eating, we had to take down her bird feeder outside her window because she thought that someone was looking in the window at her. (Obviously her reflection). We took away her mirror, had to check her stuff for other peoples' things including their dentures, (gross!) She eventually forgot nearly everyone and died as a result of choking because she chipmonked her food in her cheek and no one caught it. She was always a quiet woman and lived with a bully of a husband who had MS. I think that she was bad for many years but no one realized it because her husband always told her what to do.
So after a very long post, I am sending hugs and prayers for you both.It's a really hard road and you both seem to be doing what has to be done with as much respect as you can muster.
Just know that we are here for you all! :-)

DemetraP wrote: "Is anyone going to watch the new Jack Reacher tv show on Amazon Prime? I love the books and this guy is much more like Reacher is described in the books (very tall, 6'5" and muscular)

Demetra... I am going to watch the new Jack Reacher. I was so disappointed that the unwise casting gurus cast Tom Cruise in the movie roIe, I think that I'm taller than he is! Besides, the actor looks a lot more appealing and more like I would have imagined the Reacher character to be.
Thanks for reminding me that the Aveline book is out, I like Fejo.

I have been reading the Rosalind James, (recommended here) New Zealand Ever After series. These are free on KU and I love that the couples hear each other out and there aren't a lot of petty misunderstandings or jumping to conclusions. (And no TSTL moments).

Stone Cold Kiwi
Kiwi Rules
Kiwi Strong

I also read the next book in an alien/human series Alien Enemy: A SciFi Alien Romance
These are a kind of primitive man, vs. young, educated women. Primal and fun.

On audio I am listening to a WWI and post WWII women's spy group. The Alice Network
One of the two women is looking for her much loved cousin in post WWII England and France, and the woman helping her is remembering her spy activity in WWI. The older woman is an alcoholic trying to drink away her memories, but when the young woman comes knocking, she attempts to help her because a name she recognized from her spy days comes up as a possible link. The story bounces back and forth from 1916 and 1947. I've read some of the author, Kate Quinn's previous work and decided to give this a try.

Did someone here write that they had 20 KU books and discovered that they were running 2 concurrent KU memberships? I have 20 listed, I didn't realize that was happening because I usually delete a book to download another and never checked to see how many were on my account. Did you have to call customer service to correct this? (This is me groaning, dreading the customer service call). :-(

HappyBookWorm... I liked your review of the 7th Rockton series book, The Deepest of Secrets What a great series, I am going to really miss this story line and it's wonderful characters. I thought that the publishing date was today, but I am not able to post my review on Amazon, yet.

For those who haven't read this series, it is unlike any other I have read. Rockton is supposed to be a haven for victims and white collar criminals who have enough cash to disappear for a couple of years.
Completely off grid, there is no outside communications except by an in house council rep or by the life-long resident and sheriff, Eric Dalton. There is always a murder and throughout the 7 books there is a mystery about the outlier settlers, some peaceful, some not.
Great characters, with wonderful descriptions of the wild Yukon, there is a presence to these novels. I think that I gave all of the books a 4.5* to 5* reviews.

Shannon, the Guild Codex: Unveiled is a spin off series, or am I mistaking that for another series?

On audio, I finished Make Me No Grave This is a slow moving gradual story with an enemies to companions take, with a small paranormal spin to it. I found that I liked the main characters a lot. Their dance around each other was gradual, no insta-love in this tale. Like many stories, the good guy, U.S. Marshall "Apostle" Richardson isn't all good and the bad guy, Almena Guillory isn't all bad. I gave it 4 stars and look forward to the next book in the series.

I also listened to Fated Blades which I enjoyed thoroughly.
I wish that it was longer, but it was concise and to the point, which is what a novella should be. Great characters, lots of vivid action, and wonderful dialogue is their hallmark and the Andrews delivered this fully.

Now I am suffering from book boredom, nothing seems appealing.

Diane, I might suggest making a separate list of your book covers, you run out of posting characters if you have a lot of a-z categories & book covers. With only one list you should be ok, but who knows you might be better at it this compared to last. We can only hope.
I will delete this post, (if I can), to allow your book covers to follow your list if you would like. If not, it will leave it as a reminder for others who might like to post. :-)

Kristi... Years ago my husband, sister-in-law, and I stayed just outside of Livingston. Loved the area, the people were nice and really cared for their neighbors. It was a drought, (people were having tanks of water shipped in), and there was a massive fire on the mountain behind ours. The road was lined on both sides with people who were going to take the farms and ranches affected by the fire's animals, and possessions to safety. It still brings a tear to my eye when I think about it. I loved that area, and I can see what you mean about your favorite ride, there was just something about that area...

HappyBookWorm... I thought that you retired, I'm sorry if you didn't get a chance to. I hope that work isn't too far away.

Don't you hate when you write a whole post and it disappears into the ether?

HappyBookWorm... Maybe used parts and an independent foreign car repair might be a good route to take? I don't trust the dealership, their aim is to make the most money for the dealership, not repair what is needed on your vehicle.

TINNGG..I hope that the coil packs will do the trick for you. I love to see how many miles that I can get out of a vehicle. I used to ask if I was in contention for highest mileage at the place where I get my oil changed, (not even close). It is frustrating to try and purchase a new vehicle these days. A couple of the guys I work with have been looking recently with a lot of trouble and not a lot of results. One guy who had a tree come down on the back of his car, (while driving down the road in a recent wind storm), had to got to New Hampshire, (from Connecticut), to a private dealership to get something like what he had. Funny story, his last vehicle was purchased on vacation in Louisiana because he hit an alligator on the highway. The guy in front of him hit it and it spun up in the air and hit the front of his vehicle and underneath. Wiped out the motor and undercarriage in one shot. I don't know if he is lucky or unlucky.

Demetra thanks for the rec. I love a funny alien/human romance series.

Kristi... Your job opportunity might be very rewarding. I get that you might not want to work all out for your last year, but I have using the reasoning " to make hay when the sun shines". I have been working 10 hour days for at least 6 days a week for all on 2021 and will continue for 2022, if they let me.
If you do travel near NE, I will come visit if you would like. (My number is the same, has been since my first cell phone. Back then we could pick our cell numbers, it was one of the perks of working for a phone company.) I haven't bought new camping gear in ages. I bet that it can be quite pricey if you had to buy it all at once. Any places on your definite list? I always wanted to ride from Livingston, MT through the Black Hills towards Sturgis,SD. Not necessarily to see Sturgis Bike Week but to see the area.

I'm loving the Innkeeper Sweep of the Heart. I'm so glad that they are working in that universe again.

Happy New Year!!

I added the 2022 A-Z Challenge to our discussion board.

I also forgot to add the last 2 Miss Fortune books which I also listened to, Frightfully Fortune and Swamp Sweets These I enjoy on audio and offer a lighter spin on the murder mystery.

My 2022 Book Covers...

You decide the categories and the way you want to fill them in.
Also, if you want to show this years' book covers make a separate message right after your A-Z challenge.

Copy and paste the following template:

I am doing ......... as my A to Z challenge:

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I am doing Authors as my 1st A to Z challenge:

A- Armstrong, Kelley, The Deepest of Secrets
B- Box, C.J: Out Of Range
C-
D- Dax, Ursa, Alien Tyrant: A SciFi Alien Romance
E- Edgewood, Fenna, The Seafaring Lady's Guide to Love
F-
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H- Harper, Helen, Dark Whispers
I- Ilona Andrews, Fated Blades
J- James, Rosalind, Stone Cold Kiwi
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L- Laurenston, Shelly, My Kind of Town
M- McDoniel, Jim, An Unattractive Vampire
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Q- Quinn, Kate, The Alice Network
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S- Stone, Hayley, Make Me No Grave
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V- Victoria Aveline, Tempting Auzed
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I am doing Titles as my 2nd A to Z challenge:

A- Alien Tyrant: A SciFi Alien Romance by Ursa Dax
B-
C- The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
D- The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong, (ARC)
E-
F- Fated Blades, by Ilona Andrews
G- The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
H- High Jinx by Kelley Armstrong
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K- Kiwi Strong by Rosalind James
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M- Make Me No Grave by Hayley Stone
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O- Out Of Range, (A Joe Pickett novel Book 5) by C.J. Box
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R- The Rising by Kelley Armstrong
S- Stone Cold Kiwi by Rosalind James
T- The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
U- An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel
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I am doing Names as my 3rd A to Z challenge:

A- Almena Guillory, (Make Me No Grave)
B- Bourodei, (Alien Tyrant)
C- Casey Duncan, (The Deepest of Secrets: A Rockton novel Casey Duncan Novels Book 7)
D- Daisy Nabhitha Kittredge, (Kiwi Strong: New Zealand Ever After Book 3)
E- Eric Dalton, (The Deepest of Secrets: A Rockton Novel,Casey Duncan Novels Book 7)
F- Fallo, Alien Enemy: A SciFi Alien Romance
G- Gray Tamatoa, (Kiwi Strong: New Zealand Ever After Book 3)
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I- Ian Graham, The Huntress
J- Joe Pickett, (Out of Range: A Joe Pickett Novel Book 5)
K- Kyle Treharne, (My Kind of Town)
L- Linden Chavalier, Once Upon a Midwinter's Kiss: A Christmas Beauty-and-the-Beast Regency Romance
M- Matias Baena, (Fated Blades: Kinsman #3)
N- Nathaniel "Apostle" Richardson, (Make Me No Grave)
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P- Poppy Caldwell, Stone Cold Kiwi
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R- Ramona Adler, (Fated Blades: Kinsman #3)
S- Simon Linske, (An Unattractive Vampire)
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Y- Yulric Bile, (An Unattractive Vampire)
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I am doing Locations as my 4th A to Z challenge:

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B- Boston, MA, (The Huntress)
C- Cliffs of Uruzai, (Alien Tyrant)
D- Dunedin, NZ, ( Kiwi Strong )
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J- Jackson Hole, Wyoming, (Out of Range)
K- Kansas, (Make Me No Grave)
L- London, England, (The Alice Network)
M-Mount Zion, (Kiwi Strong: New Zealand Ever After Book 3)
N- New York City, NY, (An Unattractive Vampire)
O- Otago,NZ, (Stone Cold Kiwi: New Zealand Ever After Book 2)
P- Planet Rada, (Fated Blades:Kinsman #3)
Q-
R- Rockton, Yukon, Canada, (The Deepest of Secrets)
S- Smithville, NC, (My Kind of Town)
T-
U- Unstable, MA, (High Jinx: Cursed Luck Book 2)
V- Vancouver Island, Canada
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Z- Zaphrinax, (Alien Tyrant)