R9: Team #5 ~ Quintessential Readers

[Jenne]

Jen it's odd because it's compelling, it's just so much world building! I need some action to happen ASAP.

[Michelle]

I am so disorganised at the moment and Caleb has taken ill. I am going to change my book to and I am starting it now.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Hope Caleb is feeling better soon, and you don't stress out too much Michelle :)

[Michelle]

Thanks, Sandra! I'm hoping it's just a 24 hour thing.

I have finished my book but I'm not likely to get the review up until tomorrow.

[Jenne]

Red cover shelf :)

I have like 100 pages of my readers choice book :/

[Jennifer H]

I will be reading I got it approved

[Christina T]

OK I know I'm behind with the last two weeks worth of books...still struggling with my readers choice for some reason. I am planning on reading for this week though.

[Thenia]

Shelf #7 ~ 29/6/14: 'Red Cover Colour' ✔


✔ Christina - Scent of Darkness - Christina Dodd - ★★★1/2 Review (7/4/2014)
✔ Jenne - The Elite - Kiera Cass - ★★★★ Review (6/30/2014)
✔ Jennifer - The Constant Princess - Philippa Gregory - ★★★★ Review (7/1/2014)
✔ Michelle - Primal Bonds - Jennifer Ashley - ★★★★★ Review (7/3/2014)
✔ Thenia - Finger Lickin' Fifteen - Janet Evanovich - ★★★★ Review (6/29/2014)

Done: 5/5 ~ stamp received (7/7/2014)

[Thenia]

Quick update:

We have three shelves to get stamps for (including the one announced yesterday):

↪ Green/Teal Cover Colour: 1 book (Christina)
↪ Reader's Choice: 3 books (Christina, Jenne and Michelle)
↪ Red Cover Colour: 5 books

I hope RL calms enough to give you a chance to catch up soon. Enjoy your books!

[Jenne]

I'm done with my readers choice, I feel like I deserve a medal for finishing that one lol. After I have some coffee in my system I'll get my review up.

[Jenne]

For red I'm reading

[Jenne]

Readers choice:
Read by Anne Bishop
Finished:6/28/14
Rating: ★★★
Review:
2.75
I feel like I deserve a medal for finishing this lol. I'm no stranger to UF world building, in fact some of my all time favorites have a rough first book. This one just took soooooo long to get from point a to b. I know many of my friends have loved it and honestly I expect book 2 to be good. I did like the characters, a lot and the world is very unique and refreshing. What killed this for me is that it's almost 500 pages it just took forever. I don't remember me ever spending a week on an ebook. It was compelling enough to keep me from DNF it but sheesh it was a chore to read this!

[Thenia]

Finger Lickin' Fifteen - Janet Evanovich
Red Cover Colour
Read: 6/29/2014
Rating: ★★★★
Review:

Another crazy adventure for Stephanie involving Lula, barbecue sauce, burglaries on Ranger's accounts and an off-again period with Morelli.

This time Lula is the one people are trying to kill, but Stephanie gets her share of damage due as well. Ranger asks her to work for him again and (view spoiler)[while the two spend some time in close proximity, nothing happens between them to my disappointment (hide spoiler)].

She is still a pretty inept bounty-hunter but she keeps at it, with mixed results.

Light, fun, with little forward progress either in Stephanie's character or her life and relationships. The next book in the series is Sizzling Sixteen.

[Thenia]

Jenne I hope you like your next book! I hate feeling like it's a chore to read something...

[Michelle]

Readers Choice



Read: 27/6/14
Rated: 4 Stars

My Review: Nick is a pack Alpha and when he meets his mate Shaya he doesn't immediately claim like, instead he avoids her and refrains from publicly acknowledging her. Of course he has his reasons, some apparent and some we haven't uncovered as yet. Shaya has enough and leaves the Phoenix Pack in order to hopefully move on without Nick being around and constantly reminding her of what she can't have.

From the little glimpses we got of Nick in the previous two books I didn't expect to like Nick, or even enjoy his and Shaya's story. However, I was definitely surprised by this instalment, although not my favourite, it had a solid plot and I am thankful that there was no cliffhanger ending. I think my problem with this book was that I missed the chemistry and humour between the Phoenix Pack characters, it definitely picked up when they joined the story.

[Michelle]

I didn't get anywhere near my laptop yesterday, sorry! I am still undecided of what to read for Red Cover. I will let you know tomorrow and I should start it then also. Happy reading everyone!

[Michelle]

Ok, I'm stuck between and and and lastly, . Help? None of them look as red here as they do on the kindle.

[Jenne]

I've not read any of those Michelle.

[Michelle]

Oh well, thanks Jenne. It was worth a try. I'm in a wee bit of a reading slump just now, I think it's because I am so nervous/excited about meeting loads of authors this weekend and I failed miserably to read at least one book by all 70+ of them. I may just go with as a wee pick me up! In fact, I think I will.

[Ezi]

Michelle wrote: "Ok, I'm stuck
lastly, . ..."

I am spying checking on Jenne, but will throw my 2 cents in.
Michele, Fury of Fire is BDB with dragons. So if you like Wrath and the gang, you will like Dragonfury. Even down to the language "male of worth"..."my female"

Needless to say, I listened to all of them so far, LMAO! but to be honest, the author is no JR Ward so let me say its BDB-ish

[Michelle]

Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Ok, I'm stuck
lastly, . ..."

I am spying checking on Jenne, but will throw my 2 cents in.
Michele, Fury of Fire is BDB with dragons. So if yo..."

LOL! Thank you, I like your 2 cents :)

[Ezi]

Michelle wrote: "Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Michelle wrote: "LOL! Thank you, I like your 2 cents :) ..."

thanks. i do want to read your final choice but can't decide if I want to listen to it or read it.

[Michelle]

Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Michelle wrote: "LOL! Thank you, I like your 2 cents :) ..."

thanks. i do want to read your final choice ..."

I haven't listened to any of the series on audio, so I am no help there. It is one of my favourite books in the series though but then I adore big cat shifters.

[Ezi]

Michelle wrote: "Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Michelle wrote: "LOL! Thank you, I like your 2 cents :) ..."

thanks. i do want to read your final..."

I thought book 1 was just okay but had potential. i will try it and see because Jennifer Ashley's MacKenzie highlander series was a really good one. so I will trust her on this series too.

[Jenne]

I'm done with my red book, I'll have my review up tomorrow :)

[Christina T]

Reader's Choice
by Amanda Quick
Finished 6/29/14
★★1/2 (rounded down to 2)

Very disappointing romance and the mystery kept going and going and going (not in a good way). It was just that there was a string of bad guys who all thought they were the puppet master and there were a couple different mysteries all going on at the same time. I wasn't satisfied with the conclusion of them nor was I satisfied by the romance. And don't get me started about the repetition! After reading a ho-hum historical romance I had been looking forward to this one but was bitterly disappointed. If not for the strong female presence this book would have been one I hated.

[Christina T]

Now to get back to

[Michelle]

Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Michelle wrote: "Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Michelle wrote: "LOL! Thank you, I like your 2 cents :) ..."

thanks. i do want t..."

It definitely gets better with each book.

[Thenia]

Congrats team, our Reader's Choice stamp is on the way!

We're one book away from our Green/Teal Cover Colour stamp and once Jenne posts her review we'll be three books away from our Red Cover Colour stamp. Enjoy your books!

[Jenne]

Red Shelf:
Read: by Kiera Cass
Finished: 6/30/14
Rating: ★★★★
Review:
This was way better than the first! I still wanted to strangle America at times but at least she curbed herself every now and again. This did exceed my expectations though. I'll have to read the last one sometime in the near future to see how it all turns out!

[Jennifer H]

Red Cover


by Phillipa Gregory
Finished: 7/1/14
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

An interesting and entertaining look into Queen Katherine's life. I especially enjoyed the first half of the book detailing her early life and marriage to Arthur. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Christina T]

Shelf: Green/Teal Cover
by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Finished 7/2/14
★★★1/2 (rounded down)(I originally gave this book 3 stars anyway but I bumped it up a half because of Nykyrian)

Boy Howdy was this book long....I really thought it would never end. I enjoyed this book but some things irritated me. Mainly the Heroine was annoying. She likes Nykyrian. She knows he is a paid assassin. She says she knows what he is and understands him. He kills people who are trying to kill her. She wants to know what kind of an animal he is. This happens over and over and over. Ugh! Anyway, my big issues with the book were counteracted with awesome-sauce things (like Nykyrian). I love me a tortured hero and Nykyrian is one of the most tortured heroes ever. He is in my top 5 even. Too bad the rest of the book couldn't keep up with his awesomeness. Oh and on a side note....Ms Kenyon....try coming up with some different names. I believe the name Kyrian has been used/mentioned in 3 different series you've written.

On a second side note I think Syn probably is going to rank right up there with Nykyrian so I'm totally looking forward to his book!

[Thenia]

Congrats team ~ we've now got two stamps on the way (Reader's Choice and Green/Teal Cover Colour) and we're two books away from our Red Cover Colour stamp!

Looking forward to the new shelf...

[Christina T]

Took a break from reading after finishing Born of Night today. Will get back to my Red Book soon though.

[Michelle]

I squeezed half my red book in this morning, hoping to finish it this afternoon!

[Michelle]

Shelf: Red Cover



Read: 3/7/14
Rated: 5 Stars

My Review: When I first started this series I found I was more interested in the secondary characters rather than the main pairing but with this and the subsequent books I became more invested in the pairings and the series on the whole. I love the additions of the Fae angle in this book and I really enjoyed the first glimpse of Eric.

[Jenne]

Maybe we'll have PNR called this week *fingers crossed* Does anyone know if that shelf puts any other team in the running as well?

[Jennifer H]

No, if PNR is called we are the only one in the running

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Happy 4th of July to all the US players :)

[Jenne]

Thanks Sandra!

[Steph, Serious series addict]

CONGRATULATIONS, Quintessential Readers!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'green/teal cover' and 'reader's choice'. 

[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]

Good Job!! :D

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Congrats on the stamps QRs!

[Jenne]

Thanks Sandra and Steph :)

[Christina T]

Thank you ladies!

[Jennifer H]

I'll be reading it has hot air balloons in the upper right hand corner.

[Thenia]

Shelf #8 ~ 6/7/14: 'Hit the Road' ✔


✔ Christina - Vamps and the City - Kerrelyn Sparks - ★★★★ Review (7/10/2014)
✔ Jenne - Ill Wind - Rachel Caine - ★★★★★ Review (7/8/2014)
✔ Jennifer - Timeless - Gail Carriger - ★★★★★ Review (7/8/2014)
✔ Michelle - In Rides Trouble - Julie Ann Walker - ★★★1/2 Review (7/15/2014)
✔ Thenia - Steel's Edge - Ilona Andrews - ★★★★ Review (7/7/2014)

Done: 5/5 ~ stamp received (7/16/2014)

[Christina T]

Shelf: Red Cover
by Christina Dodd
Read 7/4/14
3.5 Stars (rounded down)

My Review: Highlights--points to Dodd for making a tired shifter trope into one of demons and deal making with the devil. A different take and one I found interesting. The clues surrounding Ann and her birthmark were also very compelling which kept me reading late into the night. The Wilders are an interesting bunch...two wolf shifters, a seer, a hawk shifter, a missing brother and an introduction to a man who is nothing more than a mystery...woohooo!

The negative stuff--the first sex scene is practically rape, after which I couldn't see Jasha as a hero. His subsequent seduction attempts toward Ann had me cringing. Ann's reasons for seeking out Jasha at his getaway home felt weak and screamed "I'm a pathetic lonely woman" which made it difficult to see her as a strong woman. Ann's ability to injure an evil shifter towards the end didn't quite seem clear to me and left me scratching my head. And the "Others" and "The Chosen" weren't very well explained in this book. I was thankful I read Dodd's spin off series first because I knew exactly what Ann was saying when she kept thinking that she brings the bad people.

Overall a decent book and I'm definitely going to read the next book. I'm actually more interested in the missing brother's book (#3) as he has essentially been "kicked out" of the family for embracing evil.

[Christina T]

As of right now I'm going to read but I have waiting for me at the library. I won't be able to get it from the library until Wednesday though. So, I may change my mind come Wednesday LOL.

[Christina T]

I waaas going to read a book with a cowboy and his horse on the cover but then noticed the shelf posting thread said this
Any mode of mechanized transport on cover qualifies.
So I gave up on the horse (even though I was actually thinking the whole time "save a horse, ride a cowboy") I think the term "mechanized" rules out a horse (and the cowboy for that matter) LOL. (the rider wasn't on the horse and I couldn't see if the horse had a saddle) Oh well I have a couple good ones to pick from anyway.

[Michelle]

I think I will read