R16: Team #9 ~ Dressed to the Nines

[Marisa]

Sandra wrote: "Hahaha I'm just past the conga line :D"

Me too. I'm quite tired because I was reading till very late and now at work...

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Well you've not got a lot to go then. You'll definitely be finished today :)

I'm just deciding what to say in my review :D

[Marisa]

Yes, I'm sure I'll finish it today :D

[Moondance]

Sandra wrote: "Cheryl, its much more fun if you've read the other books first, even though this is a first in series, its a spin-off. You could just read this one, but there are a lot of characters from the Pride..."

I do have a 4 day weekend coming up...

[Marisa]

😂😂😂 Pride series is one of my comfort reading, and I read some of them almost every year (you can see it because of the read count :D )

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Shelf: Part of a Series
Date: 28/3/18
Rating: ★★★★★

This was great fun. Bears, bears & hybrid honey badgers. Also with lots of friends from previous Pride series books.

Three crazed half sister hybrid honey badgers, the eldest Charlie, a killer with a gun who likes to bake, the middle one, Max a psychopathic killing machine with a blade & the youngest Stevie, a genius in both music & science (view spoiler)[also turns into a 20 foot long tiger striped honey badger, (hide spoiler)] who plays with her food and has panic attacks.

So, we have honey badgers, and we have unknown persons trying to kill them or kidnap Stevie, plus an asshole father who in the past has sold them into domestic duty, stolen Stevie's music & sold it for a pittance, stolen all their money, stolen others money & lost it all just as quick, as Charlie says he's the "stupidest" honey badger, who slips away without being caught, time & time again. A bad news bear! And the girls would be happy if he's dead. Unfortunately its not his body in the morgue.

Family is a strong theme in these books, and its triple family here with our H, Berg being a triplet bear, with his brother Dag & sister Britta. Berg is quite taken with Charlie and moves them into Bear street in Queens for their protection.

Lots of funny moments, bears in a conga-line, the shifter doctor freaking out when bullets work themselves out of Charlie, Stevie jumping and hanging from the ceiling with her claws, Max and the porcupine quills, and Charlie having to bake lots of treats for hungry bears cause her bear landlord bought her a new oven. (view spoiler)[And the biggest shock when Dee-Ann Smith & Marcella Malone both get their asses handed to them when they attempt to offer a job to the girls. (hide spoiler)]

The slippery villains escape and so the next book is all set up for our reading pleasure, can't wait.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Moondance wrote: "I do have a 4 day weekend coming up ....."


Definitely read the Pride series, Cheryl!!!! Lots of fun to be had along the way :)

[Marisa]

Sandra wrote: "
Shelf: Part of a Series
Date: 28/3/18
Rating: ★★★★★

This was great fun. Bears, bears & hybrid honey badgers. Also with lots of friends from previous Pride ser..."

And the Blayne moment at the coffee shop 😂

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

And Stevie not remembering people & offering them autographs, especially Coop!!!!! And only remembering the sibs from Kyle's perspective. LOL.

[Natalie]

Week 0 Completion Post: Free Space
Book: Feversong
How it fits: Listed on top Urban Fantasy series
Rating: 4/5
Date read: 3/28
Review:

Writing about this book is difficult. I adored the first five and especially Shadowfever. I've kept reading the series and likely still will. But part of me wishes she had just ended it.

I give this four stars, so some part of me still enjoys the series or at least refuses to allow me to give less. But it still took me 20 days to get through. Part of that was I just didn't have a lot of driving time, but I just wasn't looking forward to listening most of the time.

The book did a good job of finally finishing up a few loose ends and storylines. From what I understand, this is the end of Mac and Barrons and I am fine with where they are left. But...that was the case at the end of Shadowfever and did not end up happening.

The two of them are to me the best parts of the book and I would have been happy with more. Dani, I'm on the fence about. I am happy we got her background and her time in the silvers. While she has matured from the 14-year-old we started with, she can still be incredibly immature and I still find myself rolling my eyes at her inner dialogue.

(view spoiler)[I also could not get on board concerning her with Dancer. I understood it. I understood Ryoden "allowing" it to happen, though I was annoyed by his know it all attitude about how it would go down, even as I agreed with him.

To me, it's the Buffy being with Angel v. Riley (disclaimer, am Spike fan). I can't pair a non-powered person with a powered one. At least not a female powered with male non powered. It just doesn't work for me. I've shipped Dani with Ryoden for a while and though I do agree about her being with Dancer first, it always felt temporary for me and not fun to read. And I feel slightly bad about rejoicing he is dead, but at the same time I am always happy to have a love triangle die. (hide spoiler)]

The last book I didn't listen to as an audiobook, but Iced and Burned were listened to as read by the previous narrators. I did read somewhere about why they had to recast the male narrator, but I don't know why the female was recast. I did not like the male narrator. It always sounded like his narrations were slightly quieter so I had trouble finding a good volume level and I did not enjoy any of his accents. Again, I understand they had to recast, but this guy can not be the next best person. There have to be better narrators.

Unfortunately I apparently preordered High Voltage as an audiobook. After that I think I'm going back to written books :P

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Shelf #4 ~ 28/3/18: Detective
DIRECT LINK - https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

That's a real bummer Natalie, ordering the next book then deciding you don't like the narrator, or you don't want to read anymore (that's me on occasion) of the series.

Not sure what I want to read, but probably an In Death book.

[Natalie]

Ongoing Tracking

Team 9: Dressed to the Nines

Free Space - 4/4
Tracked Here

Week 1: Futuristic Romance - 4/4 - STAMPED!
Tracked Here

Week 2: Immortals - 4/4 - STAMPED!
Tracked Here

Week 3: Part of a Series - 2/4
Tracked Here

Week 4: Detective - 4/4
Laura - Rapture in Death by JD Robb - ★★★★☆ - 4/6/2018 - review
Marisa - Witness in Death by JD Robb- ★★★★☆ - 4/1/2018- review
Sandra - Dark in Death by JD Robb - ★★★★★ - 4/2/2018 - review
Natalie - Blood & Thunder by Charlie Cochet- ★★★★☆ - 4/4/2018 - review

[Natalie]

Sandra wrote: "That's a real bummer Natalie, ordering the next book then deciding you don't like the narrator, or you don't want to read anymore (that's me on occasion) of the series.

Not sure what I want to rea..."

It happens. I have been listening to less audiobooks and my credits kept building up so I was trying to find things to preorder. I've since canceled my audible account so hopefully I won't be having that problem anymore. At least High Voltage is 4 hours less.

I'm still deciding on a book for this week. I don't think the two books I need to read this month fit :P

[Laura]

I got 10 minutes into a Dresden audio this morning. If I restart it, can I use it? It is a re-read, though.

I've had this picked for me in another challenge for April, so I'll be reading , which does work. I've also got waiting for me at the library. Sorry to mess up your tracking Natalie. It will probably be The Spellman Files, though. :)

[Steph, Serious series addict]

CONGRATULATIONS, Dressed to the Nines!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'free space'. 

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

Good Job!! :D

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Thanks Missy Steph :)

[Marisa]

Thank you, miss

[Marisa]

I guess that, for detective, a mystery book is valid 😉

[Marisa]

For Detective, I'm going to read Witness in Death. It's marked as "Non read" in goodreads, but it's not true. I have the original paperback edition of the book and I think I read it in my binge reading of Dallas in 2002. But my English knowledge at that moment was really limited in vocabulary, so I think I'm going to enjoy it more now.

[Marisa]

I've already finished the book, but I'm not going to be able to write the review till Friday or Saturday (long weekend in Spain, sorry).

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Its a 4 day weekend here, we get Easter Monday as well as Good Friday. :D The shops don't even open Good Friday & Easter Sunday, including the supermarkets. Almost unheard of here :)

[Natalie]

Week 3 Completion Post: Part of a Series
Book: Shades of Milk and Honey
How it fits: Shelved as part of a series
Rating: 3/5
Date read: 3/28
Review:

Shades of Milk and Honey is described as an austenesque historical novel with magic. And I would say it succeeds. Jane is the plain older sister rapidly approaching spinster-hood. Melody is her beautiful younger sister. The rest of the cast includes parents trying to marry them off, new neighbors, a rich family with a handsome visiting nephew, and an extraordinary but unfriendly glamourist that they recently hired.

The magic in this book is the use of glamours and it's never really explained. It's said that women are expected to be accomplished in glamours, but men can and also do practice the art.

Overall, I did enjoy the book for the most part. I felt the ending got a bit convoluted and crazy. I may continue the series, but it's not a priority.

[Moondance]

Sandra wrote: "Moondance wrote: "I do have a 4 day weekend coming up ....."


Definitely read the Pride series, Cheryl!!!! Lots of fun to be had along the way :)"

Marisa wrote: "😂😂😂 Pride series is one of my comfort reading, and I read some of them almost every year (you can see it because of the read count :D )"

So, do I need to read the Magnus Pack series first? You know with my OCD I had to print out a list. Also, Howl For It is listed as book #0.5 but on the reading list it is after Bear Meets Girl. Should I start with it or The Mane Event? I actually may have a copy of that on my shelves somewhere.

[Marisa]

I would begin with The Mane Event. Howl for it is a story you would enjoy more if you know some of the Smiths.

[Marisa]

And The Magnus Pack is loosely related, so you don't need to read it. But it is savage fun.

[Moondance]

Marisa wrote: "And The Magnus Pack is loosely related, so you don't need to read it. But it is savage fun."

Thanks, Marisa. I will look to see if I have it at home. Have a great weekend! Enjoy your time away. Have a nice glass of wine for me.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Yep, what Marisa said. If you'd read Miss Congeniality from When He Was Bad, you'd already know the h from the middle book in the Magnus Pack series.

But the main story line is definitely the Pride series beginning with Mane Event.

Howl For It must be #0.5 because the main characters are a generation before, but I agree that it should be read later.

[Marisa]

Shelf 3: Part of a Series
Book: Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston
Pages: 433
Read: 28/03/2018
Rating: ★★★★★



Review

This is a new series... and the same series. Your usual suspects are here, new and old: Bo, Blayne, Mitch, Sissy Mae, Dee Ann... Your small details that you would miss if you hadn't read the Pride series (bear mouth...), the speciesist, and the crazy women, specially the crazy women.
It's a Shelly Laurenston's book, so no much more to add to this.

The new characters are, in some ways, quite similar to other in the series: the glue for the family (Toni?), the psychopath one (Dee Ann?), the genius (Irene?), but they have their own personalities and you laugh loud with their antics. In summary, if you like the Pride series, this will be your book, if you don't... skip it.

[Marisa]

Moondance wrote: "Thanks, Marisa. I will look to see if I have it at home. Have a great weekend! Enjoy you..."

Thank you, I enjoyed it a lot, and it was relaxing when your only worry was where to have lunch, dinner or a coffee.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Reading for Detective. Picked it up from the library the other day :)

[Moondance]

Sandra wrote: "Reading for Detective. Picked it up from the library the other day :)"

Yay!!

[Marisa]

I hope you enjoy it, Sandra, I did it (I read it when it was published, of course....)

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Shelf: Detective
Date: 2/4/18
Rating: ★★★★★

Another exceptional addition to the In Death series.

The murderer is recreating murder scenes from a popular crime series and that affords our clever author an easy way to poke fun at her genre.

Our murder plot is inventive or should I say Blaine DeLano, the author of the Dark series is inventive ~ new prostitute strangled by a white sash; B grade actress stabbed in the neck by an ice pick while watching Psycho in a movie theatre; skanky reality star poisoned with cyanide in a pomegranate cocktail at a bar. Once again NYPSD is on the case & tracking down this weirdo.

What is exceptional after 46 books is the genuine warmth & love between Eve & Roarke, and also between Eve & all her friends & colleagues. Almost subconsciously she's looking for ways to help or reward her detectives. There is no need for artificial conflict so we don't have it and despite the love it isn't cloying or ridiculous.

And Eve is so happy because Sommerset is away on his annual winter holiday. And Eve & Roarke are checking off some rooms in the mansion. While the butlers away, the couple will play :)

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Marisa wrote: "I hope you enjoy it, Sandra, I did it (I read it when it was published, of course....)"

Moondance wrote: "Sandra wrote: "Reading for Detective. Picked it up from the library the other day :)"

Yay!!"


Loved it Marisa :)

No spoilers in my review Cheryl :)

[Marisa]

Sandra wrote: "What is exceptional after 46 books is the genuine warmth & love between Eve & Roarke, and also between Eve & all her friends & colleagues. Almost subconsciously she's looking for ways to help or reward her detectives. There is no need for artificial conflict so we don't have it and despite the love it isn't cloying or ridiculous.
"

I totally agree with this. You see the difference between the books I've read (10 in the series) and this one (46), all the characters, but mainly Eve and Roarke, have grown up.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

I've probably read about 30 or 35 and I totally agree. Which is good, we want our characters to grow otherwise it would be boring :)

[Moondance]

Sandra wrote: "I've probably read about 30 or 35 and I totally agree. Which is good, we want our characters to grow otherwise it would be boring :)"

I finished #12 today and have already started re-reading it. I love watching Eve and Roarke grow. It just makes me happy.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

:D

Some books you just feel like re-reading, especially when you don't want it to end. I may have skimmed ie read the good bits again in Dark in Death yesterday :)

[Moondance]

Sandra wrote: ":D

Some books you just feel like re-reading, especially when you don't want it to end. I may have skimmed ie read the good bits again in Dark in Death yesterday :)"

😝

[Laura]

I’m only up to #4. I’m so happy these aren’t like the Stephanie Plum books, where no matter what happens in one book we’re back to the stupid status quo in the next book.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Definitely not like those Laura. I've only read #3 of Stephanie Plum and I was underwhelmed.

[Laura]

I read the Plum books when I need something for a challenge and want something I can get through in a few hours. I can’t read more than 1 every few months, though. I get headaches from all the eye rolling. And whiplash from the back and forth between the 2 guys. :)

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

LOL

[Marisa]

Sandra wrote: ":D

Some books you just feel like re-reading, especially when you don't want it to end. I may have skimmed ie read the good bits again in Dark in Death yesterday :)"

:D I have all the novellas in the series, that I read when they appear in the anthologies, and I think this summer is a good moment to revisit then ;)

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Yeah, I've started collecting the books when I see them cheapish & I've got quite a few, even some I haven't read yet, but of course all the newer ones I try borrowing from the library cause they're pretty pricey.

[Natalie]

Laura wrote: "I read the Plum books when I need something for a challenge and want something I can get through in a few hours. I can’t read more than 1 every few months, though. I get headaches from all the eye ..."

Ugh, I read some of those for I think Quidditch. I ended up reading ahead in summaries to see who she ended up with, only to find out she is still going back and forth. I had the same issue with the Hannah Swenson series. I don't think I could force myself to pick up either series again. Quick reads, but ultimately not worth it.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

LOL One was enough for me. I don't know the Hannah Swenson series and it sounds like I'm lucky there too :)

[Moondance]

Sandra wrote: "Yeah, I've started collecting the books when I see them cheapish & I've got quite a few, even some I haven't read yet, but of course all the newer ones I try borrowing from the library cause they'r..."

I picked up 14 or 15 hardcovers last year at a thrift store for about a $1.25USD each. They looked like they had never been read. I was so excited that I think I squealed!

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Oh wow!!!! That is amazing, lucky you Cheryl :D