SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion
Archive: Past Team Challenges
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R12: Team #5 ~ Ravishing Tarts
No idea what I am choosing yet, I will have a look once I get upstairs. Happy reading all :)Bank holiday weekend here this week so kids are off Friday-Tuesday, just in case I am late posting - you know why.
Shelf #11 ~ 23 Sept: Cover Love ✔✔ Christina -
✔ Karen F -
✔ Michelle -
✔ Thenia -
Done: 4/4 ~ stamp received (Oct 1st 2015)
I'm reading
I can't find a PNR/UF cover that's calling to me so I'm going historical and reading:
Shelf: Cover LoveBook: How to Ditch Your Fairy
Rating: *** (2.5 really but I’ll round up)
Read: 09/24/2015
Review: First of all... Just look at that cover. It’s adorable.
Okay, the book itself was a amusing little YA tale about a girl who hates her Parking Fairy. She would rather have something more useful to herself, like her friends do. Shopping fairies get awesome deals, great hair fairies, good skin fairies, loose change fairies... There is apparently a fairy for everything.
Our MC, Charlie lives in a weird (to me) city named New Avalon and everyone there seems to be obsessed with the City and its residents to the point of being nearly ignorant of anything outside of it. Then there was the slang was just strange (reminiscent of Clockwork Orange). First page and there’s a few terms that I’d never seen before. Context clues helped some but not much until further into the story. The school was OMG maximum security prison like with its rules and infractions and all that. Nearly dystopian in its severity but everyone just kinda rolled with it and no one seemed to be all that upset about it either. It was crazy. Also outside of the realm of believability was the fact that Charlie’s parents didn’t seem to care, or notice, that their 14 year old daughter was out all night (or being kidnapped by the neanderthal for her parking fairy abilities.) I mean, seriously? My mom would freak if I stayed out all night without calling and checking in and I’m grown and have teenagers of my own.
All said, there are major downsides to this book but if you can just roll with it, its entertaining enough and you find out just how Charlie ditches her fairy.
is my choice for cover love. I think it's self explanatory :)
Michelle wrote: " is my choice for cover love. I think it's self explanatory :)"Oh hi there... :)
Had to click on that bad boy Michelle, just to make sure ....... LOL.
Hi team, how are your books?RL has been mistreating me lately and I seem to be falling a bit behind, but I'm still around and will hopefully catch up soon...
I have finished my book, however I broke my phone and the kindle fire doesn't really play nice when I attempt to type up a review. So, I will post it in the morning once I have the kids off to school. The cover is even yummier now i have spent time getting to know that bad boy ;)
Book: Secrets of a Scandalous Heiress by Theresa Romain
Shelf: Cover Love
Date Finished: 9/29/15
Rating: 5 stars
I really did love this one. Although I'm as much a sucker for the dukes in historical romance as anyone I love to step away from that at times as well. Neither Joss nor Augusta are titled and the action takes place in Bath rather than London. To be fair Augusta is an heiress but she's the first generation to grow up with money so she doesn't really fit in. Joss is related to a title but he is kept at arms length due to his mixed race heritage.
Whenever Joss & Augusta are together the sparks (and the pages) fly. I loved Joss's dry wit. And I love the way August uses her wiles with the trustees of her business since they won't listen to her if she doesn't present herself as a silly woman. I had a smile on my face through a lot of this book. There's a lot of charm and wit, which are things that are important to me in a romance. I read this one out of order (which I don't usually do) so I'm looking forward to the first two in the series and maybe get a glimpse of Augusta before she goes to Bath.
Shelf: Cover Love
Read: 29/9/15
Rated: 5 Stars
My Review - Book 2 in the Realm Enforcers series, which is a spin-off from the Dark Protectors series. There are major spoilers in this book for the Dark Protector books but they can be read and enjoyed without reading the original series.
Daire Dunne is a Coven Nine Enforcer, currently undercover with Titan's of Fire to try and uncover everything they can about Apollo and who is distributing and supplying the deadly drug which is killing more people by the day.
CeeCee is finally discovering who she can be without the ties of family and responsibility holding her back, she has set her mind on completing a task she has set herself but her goal finds her crossing paths with Daire and their interactions are explosive!
A thoroughly enjoyable tale, I swithered between giving it 4 or 5 stars but I gave it 5 because I had a wide smile on my face by the end. I can't wait to see what the next instalment brings!
Shelf #12 ~ 30 Sept: Itchy WitchRead a book: featuring a witch/warlock or any form of magic
Guys! We're getting closer to BINGO!
I'll be reading Clean Sweep for this shelf
Shelf #12 ~ 30 Sept: Itchy Witch✔ Christina -
✔ Karen F -
✔ Michelle -
✔ Thenia -
Done: 4/4 [image error]
Shelf #11 ~ 23 Sept: Cover Love The Last Victim - Karen Robards ~ ★★★★ (9/24/2015)Review:
A romantic suspense story, light on romance, with a paranormal twist.
Having survived a serial killer's attack on her best friend's family when she was a teenager, Dr. Charlotte "Charlie" Stone turned to science and psychology in an effort to figure out what makes serial killers tick.
She is studying death-row inmates and specifically an extremely charismatic serial killer named Michael Garland, when the FBI, who have been investigating a series of murders eerily similar to the one Charlie survived, come to ask for her help.
Determined to stay far away from anything relating to the nightmares of her past, Charlie initially refuses, but a girl's life is on the line and she realizes that she must do her part in bringing her home safe.
To her dismay, (view spoiler).
The story continues in The Last Kiss Goodbye, where we'll see how things turn out for Charlie after this case.
you guys all rock :DHooray for another finished shelf!
I think I will go with
for Itchy Witch.
CONGRATULATIONS, Ravishing Tarts!You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'cover love'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D
Congrats on the stamp Ravening Tartlets!
Shelf: itchy witchClean Sweep
Date read: 10-2-2015
Rating: ****
Review:
I love Ilona Andrews books. They always have a great tale to tell with engaging characters that feel real.
This one branches out of the usual UF realm with aliens, some of whom are also werewolves and vampires. That's right... Aliens. Our witch, whose official title is Innkeeper, was down to earth but not a doormat. The supporting characters were fun as well.
Anyway, a good time was had by all and I'll l happily read the next in this world when it's released.
Book: A Cast-Off Coven by Juliet Blackwell
Shelf: Itchy Witch
Date Finished: 10/4/15
Rating: 4 Stars
This is an enjoyable cozy mystery series with a paranormal twist. Lily is settling into San Francisco and enjoying her new friends in this second installment. The action this time centers around a haunted art school, only Lily doesn't think it's ghosts that are the killers.
Like most cozy mysteries, you need to suspend a bit of disbelief about a citizen getting so involved in murder investigations. But I think that true of an series featuring an amateur sleuth. For me, cozies are about the setting and the characters. San Fransisco is a great setting, there's more than enough colorful history to make hauntings reasonable. Lily's friends are a little less involved in this mystery than in the first one but there are some new players introduced. Special mention for Oscar, Lily's familiar who is most usually in his pot bellied pig form.
I think that the mystery, setting and paranormal elements are all blended together well. There's also interesting information about vintage clothes and history. As Lily is drawn deeper into this investigation she learns more about her powers as well. Her background is still a little mysterious but it never seems held back artificially,and you get some more information about her father here. Overall this is a great series for when you're in the mood for a mystery with a paranormal element, some fun characters and a bit of romance.
Wow! We're two away after Itchy Witch. I better go figure out a dragon book.
Shelf #13 ~ 7 Oct: New2You SeriesRead: the first book in a new2you series
Hey girls, i have broken my phone so i am not online anywhere near as much. It was also my birthday this weekend so we have been really busy. I will let you know my book choice tomorrow and hopefully i will get at least one review up by Friday. Happy reading!
I'm going to start
today for this shelf
Just so everyone knows, if you've never played bingo with me before, in October I watch 100 horror movies so I won't be reading quite as much as I do the rest of the year. I will still be able to do my book each week though so no worries there :-)
Enjoy your movies Christina! I used to love horror movies & books but I've gotten wimpy since moving to my new place and can't sleep. :(For the shelf I'm going to read
Shelf #13 ~ 7 Oct: New2You Series✔ Christina -
✔ Karen F -
✔ Michelle -
✔ Thenia -
Done: 4/4
I still haven't made my mind up yet on the new series.
I finished my books for both shelves but I'm behind on reviews... Will try to write them and update soon.In the meantime, I hope you're enjoying your books!
Shelf: New2You SeriesNerd in Shining Armor
Read: 10/13/2015
Rating: 3*
Review: So this was cute but not as good as I had hoped. It had all sorts of potential to be great. Beautiful girl, geeky guy, stranded on a deserted island, good not quite sex scenes, dangerous situations, bad guys, mostly good dialogue. Coming from the south myself, I've used and heard all the "hick" colloquialisms our heroine, and her mama, use so that wasn't the issue. Something about it just didn't click for me though. I'll probably read another in the series and I'll definitely read another of this authors works since I also have A Werewolf in Manhattan sitting on Mt. TBR.
KarenF wrote: "Enjoy your movies Christina! I used to love horror movies & books but I've gotten wimpy since moving to my new place and can't sleep. :(For the shelf I'm going to read [bookcover:Darkness Dawns|8..."
I really enjoy that series KarenF
Shelf #12 ~ 30 Sept: Itchy Witch M&K Tracking - Kate Danley ~ ★★★★ (10/05/2015)Review:
Another fun addition to the series!
This time, the appearance of an uncommonly high number of gargoyles on earth tips Maggie and Killian off to a disaster looming and they find themselves the lucky duo that has to save the world. Again.
Nefarious plots to open a hellhole to the Dark Dimension, werepires and vampweres following an unknown mastermind, a jaunt in the elf forest and a battle with a dragon or two, make this a less than restful time for the new partners, who, despite the difficulties, manage to save the day once again.
A very enjoyable book with the trademark humor of the series that never fails to amuse me.
I look forward to the next book, The M-Team, which I'm hoping won't be the last.
Previous book reviews:
✦ Maggie for Hire (Maggie MacKay, Magical Tracker #1)
✦ Maggie Get Your Gun (Maggie MacKay, Magical Tracker #2)
✦ Maggie on the Bounty (Maggie MacKay, Magical Tracker #3)
Shelf #14 ~ 14 Oct: Reader's ChoiceRead a book: of your choice (over 200 pages)
Sorry for the delay. The kids are home this week, it's the holiday break . My oldest isn't coping to well at the moment. I haven't had much chance to read. I am hoping to catch up by the time they are back at school on Monday.
Shelf #14 ~ 14 Oct: Reader's Choice✔ Christina -
✔ Karen F -
✔ Michelle -
✔ Thenia -
Done: 4/4 [image error]
I should have my book choices up by tomorrow. I have them narrowed down but I am honestly too tired to think right now.
Book:
by Dianne DuvallShelf: New2You Series
Date Finished: 10/11/15
Rating: 4 stars
I really liked this despite some eye rolling moments. It had a tone that I've come to miss in PNR lately in that there's a serious enemy and situation that the hero & heroine must face but there's also a lot of nice banter. It reminded me a bit of Alexandra Ivy's Guardians of Eternity series in that tone. A lot of my former favorite series have gotten way too invested in torturing their characters too literally for my taste so I was glad to discover this series. Sarah and Roland are likable characters and I really enjoyed the progression of their relationship. There's a lot of good banter both between them and with the other Immortal Guardians. The world building didn't feel like an infodump and the other characters and points of view added to the story rather than just feeling like a set up for later books.
The eyerolling was saved for all the organic food talk. I'm cool with organics and local food and environmentalism. My issues (and it is totally my issue) is with people who make a big deal about "eating clean" and then eat poultry and dairy. Full disclosure, vegan here, so go research how poultry and dairy are farmed in the US currently and tell me how smug you feel about what you're putting in your body now. And the whole "chicken doesn't have blood in it" conversation. Eyeroll. What exactly do you think the "juices" are?
So, like I said, completely my issue. It didn't really detract too much from the story for me. Not so much as to lessen my enjoyment at all. I'm short on PNR series at the moment so I'm happy to add one that I'm enjoying.
Hmm, I'm not sure what I'll read for Reader's Choice. Too many choices! I'll see what I'm up for when I'm done my current book.
Karen, I'm a vegan too so I completely empathize with the issues you had. I had the same ones when I first started reading the series. It took me years before I picked up the next but then I read the rest practically back to back.
Shelf: Reader's ChoiceFrom Russia With Claws
Read: 10/16/2015
Rating: ****
Review:
If I was going to be a Russian werewolf in a mafia-type crime family, I'd almost like it to be this one. :)
I love the characters, the sex scenes were steamy and occasionally amusing, and the plot was never dull.
Nitpicky complaints; the Russian text threw me off (and out of the story briefly) each time the words came up and I knew who the bad guy was super early in the story.
Still I will definitely read the next in the series when it comes out.
Shelf #13 ~ 7 Oct: New2You Series Somewhere I'll Find You - Lisa Kleypas ~ ★★★ (10/10/2015)Review:
A story with a theater as a background and a main heroine that's an actress of uncommon talent.
Julia, having fled her home in rebellion against the marriage her father arranged for her when she was a child, is a successful actress when she meets her "husband" for the first time. She has no intention of revealing her identity to him and tries her best to avoid him, but he has other plans.
Damon has been searching for his wife for years, hoping to get her consent to dissolve the marriage, but she's nowhere to be found. Little does he know that she's actually the attractive actress that fascinates him.
The two are very strong willed, both determined to get their way after the truth comes out, with Damon wanting her to leave the stage and take her proper place as his wife and Julia unwilling to even consider leaving acting behind.
Unfortunately, while the first part was engaging and had me curious to see how things would be resolved, out of the blue (view spoiler).
My annoyance with her and the needless drama she caused was so great that the rating would be even lower if I hadn't enjoyed the originality of the first part as much.
The series has another book, Because You're Mine, where cold and calculating Logan Scott's story will attempt to redeem him.
Shelf #14 ~ 14 Oct: Reader's Choice The Secret Mistress - Mary Balogh ~ ★★★★ (10/16/2015)Review:
The story of Angeline Dudley, the sister of the heroes of the two previous books.
Angeline is a bubbly, happy young lady on the way to her delayed first season in London. She doesn't really follow all of society's rules and her first meeting with the hero, proper Edward Ailsbury, the Earl of Heyward, happens when she's stepped out of the lines of propriety.
Edward is both intrigued and appalled when he discovers her alone in an inn's public room, but his gentleman's honor compels him to protect her from a scoundrel's advances.
His gentlemanly actions are enough for Angeline to become infatuated with him, but it is quite some time before the two meet again, in a similarly improper situation.
Despite his disapproval, Edward can't help but be attracted to her and despite her silly facade, Angeline is pretty steadfast and knows what she wants, and that's Edward as a husband, since he's the exact opposite of her rake brothers and what she'd always hoped her own husband would be.
A sweet story that's not nearly as dark as the first two in the series, but suits Angeline and rounds up the three siblings' stories nicely.
Previous book reviews:
✦ More Than a Mistress (Mistress #1)
✦ No Man's Mistress (Mistress #2)
Hi team, quick update:We seem to be a bit behind, with 3 stamps pending.
We're one book away from our Itchy Witch and New2You Series stamps and two books away from our Reader's Choice stamp - Michelle that's 3 books for you and one for Karen. Please try to post your review for at least one of them before Wednesday's new shelf if possible.
According to Sandra's helpful spreadsheet, if Dragons is called, it might be the last shelf of the game with Team #2 the winners.
Ah, its Judithe's helpful spreadsheet, I just get to comment. LOL.But I definitely recommend posting reviews for outstanding shelves & grabbing as many stamps as you can get Ravishing Tartlets :)
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
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