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R11: Team SMMACKLe (8)
Completion PostWeek 5; Spot 38
Book: Raising Innocence by Shannon Mayer 9/28/19
Pages: 266
How it Fits: Rylee Adamson, #3
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
Rylee is finally approached by FBI which has been trying to get her to work for them for a while. The Job: a list full of missing children across the ocean, most likely dead. The Bait: there's another Tracker.
I am loving how this series is picking up. O'Shea is still missing but I feel he will pop back up next book and that's going to bring some exciting Alpha Male into the story. Rylee has learned a crap ton about why the vampire, Farisis, is obsessed with her. We also leave off with her learning more about her abilities. Milly has gone to the dark side. Giselle gets a moment of lucidity and then... nope. I can't tell you. Bring on Book 4!
COMPLETION POSTWeek 5
Spot 38
The Billionaire Falls Melody Anne
Pages: 302
Read: 10/3
Rating: 4 stars
How It Qualifies: #3 in the Billionaire Bachelors series
Review: Joseph is trying to find his 3 sons wives. His youngest son, Mark, runs the family ranch. Joseph hires Emily to be the ranch's cook. She has a 5 year old son, Trevor, who is a delight throughout the story. Emily is running from her ex-in laws who want to take Trevor away from her. I really love these romances with a bit of suspense. This one was really good and I look forward to the next one.
Completion Post:Week 5
Spot: 38
Book:
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
Pages: 541
How it fits: Book 3
Read: Oct 3
Rating: 5 stars
Review: What did I think goodreads? Well let me tell you, I thought that this was fan-frickin'-tasic!
Twists and turns
Secrets and lies.
Angels and demons
Brothers and Sisters.
Death and rebirth
We are finally in Alicante, and boy does shit go down in this one.
And now to figure out which book is suppose to go next with out spoiling anything for myself.
Week #5 - Roll #5Number Rolled: 38
Book Read: Until You | T.J. Klune
Date Read: 02-Oct-2019
How it Fits: At First Sight #3
Rating: ★★★.5
Review
Okay. I'm mildly disappointed - not because the book was bad. It wasn't. Not because the story was blah. It wasn't (for the most part), just that it seemed half baked. This is a hilariously quirky series and TJ has created some of the craziest characters in literature world. And after 2 stunning books, this tiny book just didn't seem to be able to carry that weight.
The story is at a point where the leads are at a certain time in their life which was inevitable after the first book. So, the narrative was simple - but every act in the book, or every scene in the book seemed like it was cut short abruptly. The jokes didn't linger, neither the buildups to something hilariously nightmarish were justified. It all just seemed rushed, and I sure as hell wanted more.
Slightly disappointed - but I sure laughed my ass off in certain moments and welled up in others. Just like TJ likes his readers to do. That wicked hottie! :P
COMPLETION POSTWeek 5, Spot 38
Paternity Case by Gregory Ashe
Page Count: 465/GR
How it Qualifies: #3 of Hazard & Somerset series
BONUS: Three or more books in a series
Date Completed: 02Oct2019
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: Another great installment of this addictive series.
Still so much UST, so much left unsaid. It almost breaks my heart.
And I know I mentioned back in my review for book 1 how hard the flashbacks are to read/listen to and here we have a couple more; I can't even begin to express how happy I am that all of those assholes are getting their comeuppance, that karma is coming back to them with a vengeance. And it's positively delicious.
Also, I just have to say how ridiculously good (and convoluted) the cases are. With many whodunits I'm relatively sure of the "bad guy" by at least 1/3 of the way into the story. That doesn't happen here. I never see the resolution coming. That thrills me to no end.
Can't wait for the next category in one of my challenges so I can go on to Book 4. I love Nico, and it pains me to know he's gonna get his heart broken, but he's gotta go so Hazard and Somerset can be together. (Whenever that might be!)
Week 6 - Roll 6
Number Rolled: 4+3 = 7
Post Your Roll - Post
----------------------------------------
Spot: 45
Book Choice:
Read 4th book in a seriesAlternate Choice:
Read 5th book in a series.
Read 45th book in a series
Read a book published in 2011-2012.Note the bonus points!
-----------------------------------------
Books Read (Alphabetically)
Apoorv | War Storm | Red Queen #4 | Review | 11-Oct-2019
Carrie | Silver Borne | Mercy Thompson #5 | Review | 11-Oct-2019
Karen | Bound by Temptation | Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles #4 | Review | 08-Oct-2019
Lanelle | Aunt Bessie Decides | Isle of Man #4 | Review | 05-Oct-2019
Melissa | Fatal Voyage | Temperance Brennan #4 | Review | 06-Oct-2019
Michaelle | Guilt by Association | Hazard & Somerset #4 | Review | 08-Oct-2019
Sunshine | Shadowed Threads | Rylee Adamson #4 | Review | 09-Oct-2019
Selection PostWeek 6; Spot 45
Book: Shadowed Threads by Shannon Mayer
Pages: 270
How it Fits: Rylee Adamson, #4
Selection PostWeek 6, Spot 45
Guilt by Association by Gregory Ashe
Page Count: 401/GR
How it Qualifies: Book 4 of Hazard and Somerset series
SELECTION POSTWeek 6
Spot 45
Bound by Temptation Cora Reilly
Pages: 212
How It Qualifies: #4 in the Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles series
Mod
Week: 6
Spot: 43
Book: Aunt Bessie Decides
Qualification: Isle of Man #4
Pages: 278
Rating: 3 stars
Review: This story involves a Shakespearean acting troupe visiting from America, which makes too many new characters to remember. I got confused easily. And since these new characters are actors, their lying was superior. But of course Aunt Bessie solves the mystery in the end :)
Selection Post:Week 6 - Roll 6
Number Rolled: 4+3 = 7
Spot: 45
Book:
Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
Pages: 342
How it fits: Book 5 in a series
Selection PostWeek: 6 Spot: 45
Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs
448 pgs
Qualifies: book #4 Temperance Brennan series
[ book:Fatal Voyage|128759]
Carrie wrote: "Selection Post:Week 6 - Roll 6
Number Rolled: 4+3 = 7
Spot: 45
Book:
Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
Pages: 342
How it fits: Book 5 ..."
Love this series - enjoy!!
Completion PostWeek: 6 Spot: 45
Fatal Voyage by Kathy Reichs
448 pgs
Qualifies: book #4 Temperance Brennan series
Finished 10/6/19
Rating 3.5 stars
Review: Tempe is asked to go to a plane crash site in the Smoky Mountains to lend her services with the remains. She ends up finding a coyote chewed leg that does not belong to anyone who was on the plane. Things are afoot and out of her control as she is accused on tampering with evidence and asked to remove herself from the team. Of course, Tempe can't stand down when she knows she's right. She ends up uncovering more than she bargained for and in the process almost loses her life (again). I'm liking this series more and more with each one I listen to.
COMPLETION POSTWeek 6
Spot 45
Bound by Temptation Cora Reilly
Finished: 10/8
Pages: 212
Rating: 5 stars
How It Qualifies: #4 in the Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles series
Review: Lily has had a crush on Romero since she was a teenager. She now is 18 and her father who is a Consiglieri for the Mafia will marry her off soon. She wants to be with Romero, who is a soldier in the NY Mafia, but he has always rebuffed her advances. When she comes to New York to visit her sisters, she and Romero finally get together. This story is non stop action. Her father causes major problems for her and Romero and her sisters and their husbands. Loved it!
COMPLETION POSTWeek 6, Spot 45
Guilt by Association by Gregory Ashe
Page Count: 401/GR
How it Qualifies: Book 4 of Hazard and Somerset series
Date Completed: 08Oct2019
Rating: 5 Stars
Review: HALLELUJAH!
Hazard and Somerset get their shit together, finally, and it was totally worth the wait.
Once again the writing is so vivid, so engrossing...this town is practically a side-character on its own. I love that the case was a little less convoluted than the previous ones (or maybe I'm just getting better at the clues Gregory Ashe is peppering throughout the story!) with enough twists and turns to keep it interesting.
I can't wait to get to the next one - I only wish it were on audio already!! Tristan does a great job with the narration and I've gotten used to hearing the MCs "voices" this way...actually reading book 5 is gonna be a whole different experience.
Completion PostWeek 6; Spot 45
Book: Shadowed Threads by Shannon Mayer 10 10/9/19
Pages: 270
How it Fits: Rylee Adamson, #4
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
Picking up where we left off... So Much Is Happening! Ahhh!
Rylee has finally found Liam but he's stuck in wolf form. She has discovered prophecies about herself and that doesn't bode well. She made an oath to Faris to help him kill the Child Empress (but she isn't who you think she is). She has added a dragon to her motley pack she calls family. And she's still dealing with that wretch of a "sister," Milly. With Witches, Druids, Vampires, and Bespelled Guardians after her, believe it or not, but even the strongest of ladies have a breaking point and Rylee has hit hers.
To quote Eminem: "Why do I hear the sound of toilets flushing? Some shit is going down."
(Sorry y'all. It just popped in my head as I wrote this. :-D)
Week #6 - Roll #6Number Rolled: 45
Book Read: War Storm | Victoria Aveyard
Date Read: 11-Oct-2019
How it Fits: Red Queen #4
Rating: ★★★.5
Review
Hmm! I don't know what I feel! To say that I expected a humdinger of a finale to a rather lukewarm series would be to expect too much - to expect a tame finale to a series that flickered in quality like a candle in a storm is underplaying the role of this final book in the whole scheme of things in the Red Queen world. It just was!
I'm certainly glad I read the series - it started off with crackling intensity only to be followed up with two absolutely lackluster books. The finale definitely fares better than its immediate predecessors, but there is so much more left wanting.
At 662 pages, the book is rather too long for the amount of plot dynamism that actually happened. After a point it felt like the cat and mouse game between the two brothers and their respective fleets was just a revolving turnstile of events. I'm all for character development, but it was way to late for adding finesse to the characters that were established 3 books ago!
This has been one series that is easily going to go in my "series I wanted to love desperately but just couldn't" list.
Just waiting on Carrie to get her review in.I'm going to be out for a few hours - if Carrie get's her review in time, I would appreciate if someone could roll. If not, I can do so when I get back home.
I will also get our roll post and other things in place as soon as I'm back. Thanks! :D
Nevermind!
Completion PostWeek 6; Spot 45
Book:
Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs
Pages: 342
Read: Oct 11
Rating: 4.5 stars
Review: I've missed Mercy. It's been a while. But it was just as great as I remembered. Mercy like always has crap going down around her. Samuel is in a dark place, things are going on in the pack and the Fae are involved. Loved it. I miss Stefan?
How it fits: Book 5
Week 7 - Roll 7
Number Rolled: 3+6 = 9
Post Your Roll - Post
----------------------------------------
Spot: 54
Book Choice:
Read 4th book in a seriesAlternate Choice:
Read 5th book in a series.
Read 54th book in a series
Read a book published before 1950.Note the bonus points!
-----------------------------------------
Books Read (Alphabetically)
Apoorv | The Murder of Roger Ackroyd | Hercule Poirot #4 | Review | 17-Oct-2019
Carrie | Hunted | House of Night #5 | Review | 18-Oct-2019
Karen | The Billionaire's Marriage Proposal | Billionaire Bachelors #4 | Review | 15-Oct-2019
Lanelle | Chaos | Greystone #5 | Review | 14-Oct-2019
Melissa | Ceremony in Death | In Death #5 | Review | 16-Oct-2019
Michaelle | Reasonable Doubt | Hazard & Somerset #5 | Review | 15-Oct-2019
Sunshine | Blind Salvage | Rylee Adamson #5 | Review | 14-Oct-2019
Eh! That was sort of a moot roll. We just had 45, now 54!
Selection PostWeek 7, Spot 54
Reasonable Doubt by Gregory Ashe
Page Count: 458/GR
How it Qualifies: #5 of Hazard and Somerset Series
Selection PostWeek 7, Spot 54
Ceremony In Death by J.D. Robb
336 pgs/GR
How it qualifies: #5 In Death Series
[ book:Ceremony In Death|6664131]
Sorry for the late posting, 5 weeks ago my grandmother passed, she was like a second mom. I lived with my grandparents from the 4 to 21. Then less then 5 weeks later my pop passed, the funeral was Tuesday so my reading wasn't the first thing on my mind and but it has been one of the few things that has helped me try to get through this.
SELECTION POSTWeek 7
Spot 54
The Billionaire's Marriage Proposal Melody Anne
Pages: 181
How It Qualifies: #4 in Billionaire Bachelors series
Mod
So sorry for your double loss, Carrie! Keeping you and your family in my thoughts and prayers. I agree with Lanelle - find some good books to read!
Thank you for your kind words.
SELECTION POSTWeek 7
Spot 54
Book:
Pages: 323
How it fits: book 5
Oh my! I'm so sorry for your losses, Carrie.This definitely blows but you are such a strong person to keep going and respecting your commitment here. We, as a team, appreciate that. If you ever need some time off or just need to take a step back - please feel free to drop in a message here. :)
Sending all the positive vibes and loads of happy book wishes your way! :)
So sorry to hear of your losses Carrie!
I just finished my book and realized I never posted my pick. :-)Selection Post
Week 7; Spot 54
Book: Blind Salvage by Shannon Mayer
Pages: 240
How it Fits: Rylee Adamson, #5
Completion PostWeek 7; Spot 54
Book: Blind Salvage by Shannon Mayer 10/14/19
Pages: 240
How it Fits: Rylee Adamson, #5
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
What a ride! Rylee's shit creek is getting wider and her paddle is straight up broke.
Rylee has enemies coming from everywhere. On one side, she has the vampire Child Empress wanting her to do her bidding and on the other side, the vampire Faris is forcing her into an impossible situation so she can do his bidding. Her loved ones keep being held hostage and we almost loose more than one of them. Rylee herself is mortally wounded and has to call in a few favors owed. Good thing she actually gained some allies in the Unicorns and the Ogres. Just in time for the demon Orion to start rearing his head.
Thank you everyone. It's hard but I'm glad I'm a reader because it helps. Yes there are moments when I just want to do nothing and just close my eyes but there are other's when escaping into someone else's life and world is a great distraction. I have a kid I need do what I can to be strong for her. She's seen me cry but I can't give up.
Mod
Week: 7
Spot: 54
Book: Chaos
Qualification: Greystone #5
Pages: 150
Rating: 3 stars
Review: This story is a lot more about insecurity and feelings of self worth than about the action the happens. I like how the author delves into main characters and how they are similar and how they help each other. There's quite a bit packed into the 150 pages :)
COMPLETION POSTWeek 7
Spot 54
The Billionaire's Marriage Proposal Melody Anne
Pages: 181
Read: 10/15
Rating: 3.5 stars
How It Qualifies: #4 in Billionaire Bachelors series
Review: Joseph is now helping his brother George make matches for his kids. They hire Jennifer to be Trenton's executive assistant and, of course, the sparks fly. Jennifer wants nothing to do with Trenton as she is busy trying to get custody of her niece after her sister and brother in law were killed in a car accident. But slowly but surely, Trenton wears her down. This was a cute story with very little angst.
Completion Post: Week 7Spot 54
Ceremony In Death by J.D. Robb
336 pgs/GR
How it qualifies: #5 In Death Series
Finished 10/16/19
Rating 4 stars
Review: I'm loving my re -read of this series doing the audio this time around. This one was perfect for October as the mystery revolves around witches - white and black. Eve must determine who killed a fellow cop that was partnered with her mentor Feeney before her time. IAD is breathing down her bosses back for answers. Eve has to pull off getting those answers with just herself, Peabody and some help from Roarke. As always, Eve gets the perp in the end all while seeing her friend circle increase slowly.
Susan Ericksen is a fantastic narrator for the ID series, Melissa!
Karen ♐ wrote: "Susan Ericksen is a fantastic narrator for the ID series, Melissa!"Yes, she is - she is awesome!! I'm loving doing it this time in audio. My daughter likes it as well :)
COMPLETION POSTWeek 7, Spot 54
Reasonable Doubt by Gregory Ashe
Page Count: 458/GR
How it Qualifies: #5 of Hazard and Somerset Series
Date Completed: 15Oct2019
Rating: 5 Stars
Review: Ah-MAY-zing.
I think my ovaries went boom every time Hazard was with Evie.
But I needed that sweetness, that loving care and dedication because OMFG the plot of this one was almost as infuriating as the White Supremacist militia one. All the scheming and money-grubbing of the cult leaders as well as dubious morality or adherence to Scripture (what? I'm not religious but I HAVE read the Bible!) was just so infuriating. Too often the truly devout get sucked into these kinds of schemes and that breaks my heart. And my brain a little because I don't think I will ever understand that kind of blind faith.
Hazard's repetitive insecurity in his relation with Somerset got a little annoying, but given his relationship track-record I can cut him some slack. And I ADORED how Frank was dropped into the story. Not the circumstances of why he resumed contact with Hazard because that's just so sad, but that he did at all...and apologized (a heart-felt, authentic, completely frank - HA! - discussion of his failings. My face may have leaked a little.
Oh, and once again I was back to feeling completely out of my depth with the case. Had no idea who was responsible for the murder, nor the reason why. Not until probably a few minutes before the characters' put it together. I LOVE that; predictable is so boring!
Really hoping I can jump into the next one in the challenge I'm reading this series for.
@ Michaelle - I skipped your review to not see 'spoilers' but thanks for the audio update - I caught that :) Happy early birthday to you!!
~Melissa~ wrote: "Completion Post: Week 7Spot 54
Ceremony In Death by J.D. Robb
336 pgs/GR
How it qualifies: #5 In Death Series
Finished 10/..."
I've been listening to this in audio when I can too. Gotta love libraries :)
Week #7 - Roll #7Number Rolled: 54
Book Read: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd | Agatha Christie
Date Read: 17-Oct-2019
How it Fits: Hercule Poirot #5
Rating: ★★★★
Review
Well, when Her Highness Queen of Mystery writes something, mere mortals like myself could do only one thing and that is to quietly bow down in reverence. The way she weaves her characters in her mysteries, and the extreme cognizance with which she moves them around like pieces on a chess board is nothing short of magical.
Here, her fond ally Hercule Poirot is back with his snarky, quirky self and he for sure is in full form. It's an absolute joy to read the chaste British English in Dame Christie's words as her characters communicate excessively with each other. Had that not been the case, this book would have dragged. But, Dame Christie keeps the conversation flowing and the narrative fluid. The murder itself is very sneakily weaved. It definitely took me a while to pin point on the killer - but when you do, you can't help admire her wicked sense of mystery mongering.
It is also so evidently obvious how a lot of today's mystery writers are influenced by her style of narrative. The way she keeps the mystery floating while subtly un-spooling the murderer is a lesson in writing. While, I did feel the story a little drab at many instances, my adoration for the Queen is seldom going to fade.
Karen ♐ wrote: "Susan Ericksen is a fantastic narrator for the ID series, Melissa!"Susan Ericksen IS Eve Dallas!
I cannot imagine another voice for her.
She embodies the character in her voice.
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Spot 38
Zack by Sawyer Bennett
295 pgs/GR
How it qualifies: #3 Cold Fury Hockey
Finished 9/29/19
Rating 3 to 3.5 stars
Review: hmmmm I'm not sure what to say about this one. I really liked Kate - she made me laugh with her dorky ways. Sweetest withZack's son Ben. She was way too willing to let Zack get away with shit though, IMO. I know, Zack was still getting over the loss of Gina, Ben's mom from book 2. Which sucks. Totally not fair what happened to Gina and Zack has a lot of guilt. I guess I wished that this book would have taken place a little further into the future. That he would have taken the time to process some stuff before he attempted to have a friends with benefits type of thing with his employee and basically using her to deal with his guilt. Maybe she lets him as she is working on her Master's in Psychology. In all honestly I also felt bad for Gina as it all boils down to (view spoiler)[ Zack never married Gina as it just didn't 'feel right' in his gut is what Ms Bennett sold us. So in my eyes Gina wasted her time with Zack who was never going to marry her and ended up dying without finding the love of her life because it seems they never discussed again her desire to get married after Zack said he didn't want to or wasn't ready. Don't remember how he phrased it. So you kept Gina ~ even though you really never planned to marry her as she wasn't the right girl. Shitty thing to do to someone you 'supposedly love'. Not surprising as Zack repeatedly tell us he's selfish as he has no plans to let Kate go as long as she is ok with the plan to just be a 'fuck' and that's all it is. Kudos to Kate for walking away when she realizes he won't change - granted it took her overhearing him tell Ryker she was just a 'fuck'. IMO - he didn't have to work or grovel nearly enough to get her back for treating her the way he did. She held her head high and agreed that it was her fault as she agreed to the terms of their (non) relationship at the get go and said as soon as she wasn't ok she would let him know - now she was letting him know. Basically, Gina wasn't the right person because she wasn't Kate. (hide spoiler)] I'll get to Ryker's (next) book at some point.