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R14: *** WINNING TEAM *** SSS Team 2 - 2 for the Show

Week 4, Roll 1, Spot 24
Jackie: A Stab in the Dark by Lawrence Block - 2/17/23 - 4 stars - Review
Krissy: Turn Me On by Lauren Blakely - 2/17/23 - 3 stars - Review
Roger: Face Offs & Cheap Shots by Eden Finley - 2/17/23 - 5 stars - Review
Kirsten: A Deeper Blue by S.E. Harmon - 2/17/23 - 3.5 stars - Review

The Rancher's Son by R.J. Scott
251 pages Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Ranchers-Son-M...
How it fits: #2 Montana Series and Set in USA (North America)
Date read: 2/19/2023
Ratings: 5 stars
Review: Ethan is a police detective. His younger brother (Justin) and the younger brother's best friend (Adam) disappeared at the age of 15, over 12 years ago. Ethan get a call from Chicago. An unknown amnesiatic patient with the only two clue about his identity being Ethan and Crooked tree. Ethan goes to Chicago hoping it is his brother but it turns out to be Adam. They take a road trip back to Montana. Adam slowly start getting memories back but is insistent that Justin is still alive.Ethan and Adam were starting to fall in love before the disappearance, do fall in love in present time.
[*book:The Rancher's Son|29607186]

Week 4, Roll 2, Spot 26

Book: Angels Flight
Author: Michael Connelly
Pages: 454
How it fits: Harry Bosch #6
[*book:Angels Flight|32502]

Completion Post
Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey
Pages: 452
Completed: 20 February
2.5 rounded down, because nostalgia only gets you so far
Got a sick feeling
that the gender politics
only get worse. Squick.
The dragons are great, but the Madonna/whore split between Brekke and Kylara plus F’nor’s desire to bang or bang up all women is just too 1970s for me.


I read it as a tween and then again in grad school. It was insanely comforting to me then—I bought like 15 of her books used. I can’t figure out why I loved them 20 years ago! They are working for multiple challenges, so I’ll probably do White Dragon. I feel sort of queasy reading them, but they still scratch an itch.

Week 4, Roll 2, Spot 26

Book: Angels Flight
Author: Michael Connelly
Pages: 454
How it fits: Harry Bosch #6
Date read: 2/21/23
Rating: 4 stars
Review: The MC Harry Bosch is a homicide detective in Los Angeles. In this book a lawyer who has made a career of representing clients who were suing the police is murdered. And of course, the police are considered responsible by many people. Centered around racial tensions and hatred for the police, Harry is pulled in to head up the investigation. At the same time his marriage is going downhill fast. This is my favorite in the series so far. Looking forward to the next.
[*book:Angels Flight|32502]

Week 4, Roll 2, Spot 26

My Choice: GhosTV byJordan Castillo Price
Pages: 379
How it Fits: PsyCop #6
[*book:GhosTV|9688919]

Week 4, Roll 2, Spot 26

My Choice: GhosTV byJordan Castillo Price
Pages: 379
How it Fits: PsyCop #6
Date Finished: 2/22
Rating: ★★★★★
Review: One of my favorite series of all time. In this book I liked the change in setting from Illinois to California. Even tho that meant less Crash cause I love Crash ❤️. The whole Astral thing was really cool. Gomez Pugh did amazing as usual with the narration.
[*book:GhosTV|9688919]

I might just barely make it under the buzzer but I promise I'll always make it! 🤣

Week 4, Roll 2, Spot 26
Jackie: Angels Flight by Michael Connelly - 2/21/23 - 4 stars - Review
Krissy: GhosTV by Jordan Castillo Price - 2/22/23 - 5 stars - Review
Roger: The Rancher's Son by R.J. Scott - 2/19/23 - 5 stars - Review
Kirsten: Dragonquest by Anne McCaffrey - 2/20/23 - 2.5 stars - Review





Die roll: 4 Timestamp: 2023-02-23 06:06:58 UTC
New Spot: 30
Required: Standalone, #3, #30 or alternate: title M

Goal Lines & First Times by Eden Finley and Saxon James
316 pages
How it fits: #3 in CU Hockey
[*book:Goal Lines & First Times|56225260]

Week 5, Roll 1, Spot 30

Book: Tangled Truths
Author: Lindsay Buroker
Pages: 266
How it fits: Death Before Dragons #3
[*book:Tangled Truths|52373926]

Week 5, Roll 1, Spot 30
The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey (because I'm a sucker for punishment and a completist)
Pages: 497
How it fits: 3rd in series

Goal Lines & First Times by Eden Finley and Saxon James
316 pages
How it fits: #3 in CU Hockey
Date read: 2/23/2023
Ratings: 3 stars
[*book:Goal Lines & First Times|56225260]
Review: This book was meh, good enough without being great. I think the book spent too much time on Ace education and not enough on the budding romance. Richard and Seth had great texting rapport, but real conversation was awkward and stilted. The hockey player and the anti-hockey bias of the other was pushed too hard.

Goal Lines & First Times by Eden Finley and Saxon James
316 pages
How it fits: #3 in CU Hockey
Date read: 2/23/2023
Ra..."
Agreed!

Week 5, Roll 4, Spot 30

My Choice: Thrown to the Wolves by Charlie Adhara
Pages: 263
How it Fits: Big Bad Wolf #3
[*book:Thrown to the Wolves|42282304]

Week 5, Roll 1, Spot 30
The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey
Pages: 497
How it fits: 3rd in series
Completed: 24 February
2 stars, and please stop me before I decide the Harper Hall books are next on my list
I'll read anything
for a challenge, like sexist
crap I used to love.
Okay, seriously, this is a trip down memory lane not for the faint of heart. And why aren't they queer?!!?

Week 5, Roll 1, Spot 30

Book: Tangled Truths
Author: Lindsay Buroker
Pages: 266
How it fits: Death Before Dragons #3
Date read: 2/24/23
Rating: 4 stars
Review: MC Val works for the federal government hunting down and assassinating rogue magical beings. Being half-elf herself, she has the ability to see and track anyone with magical blood. In this book, she learns that there is trouble in Northern Idaho, just where her ex-husband and 14-year-old daughter are vacationing. Val has not seen either of them since she abandoned them ten years ago in order to protect them from the consequences of her dangerous job. She is sent to investigate the happenings in Idaho and finds there have been Sasquatch sightings as well as goblins stirring up trouble. And she finds she is in trouble with the Dragon Justice Court for killing a dragon. Love interest is Zav, a dragon himself. She has contact with her ex and daughter who wants nothing to do with her. All in all, a lot of action and an enjoyable read.
[*book:Tangled Truths|52373926]

Week 5, Roll 4, Spot 30

My Choice: Thrown to the Wolves by Charlie Adhara
Pages: 263
How it Fits: Big Bad Wolf #3
Date Read: 2/25
Rating: ★★★★★
Review: I am really loving this series so far. Though it's taking me a while to get used to the narrator. He will never be in my top favorites but at least I'm used to him now that it doesn't bother me as much. I liked getting to know Parks family even tho they were complete assholes to Cooper. And the scene at the end when Park called Cooper his alpha? Swoon. I'm so glad I finally got around to listening to this series.
[*book:Thrown to the Wolves|42282304]

Current spot: 30
Die roll: 6 Timestamp: 2023-02-26 07:07:22 UTC
New spot: 36
What fits: #3, #6, #36 or Alternate cover item hat Helmet or other head cover

Week 5, Roll 1, Spot 30
Jackie: Tangled Truths by Lindsay Buroker - 2/24/23 - 4 stars - Review
Krissy: Thrown to the Wolves by Charlie Adhara - 2/25/23 - 5 stars - Review
Roger: Goal Lines & First Times by Eden Finley and Saxon James - 2/23/23 - 3 stars - Review
Kirsten: The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey - 2/24/23 - 2 stars - Review

Week 5, Roll 2, Spot 36

Book: Fugitive Telemetry
Author: Martha Wells
Pages: 168
How it fits: The Murderbot Diaries #6
[*book:Fugitive Telemetry|53205854]

Week 5, Roll 2, Spot 36
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Pages: 1104
Completed:
How it fits: 3rd in the series

Gideon by Lily Morton
268 pages
How it fits: #3 in Finding Home series
[*book:Gideon|45691552]

Week 5, Roll 6, Spot 36

My Choice: Down Low by Parker St. John
Pages: 240
How it Fits: Alt - hat on cover
[*book:Down Low|55506379]

Week 5, Roll 2, Spot 36
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
Pages: 1104
Completed: 27 February
Rating: 3 stars
How it fits: 3rd in the series
More action than romance,
but somehow dull. C&J
are just too perfect.
So much happens--they cross time and oceans, are in battles, kidnapped, betrayed--but this is one of my least favorite of the whole series. I think that when the story starts to shift to other couples--Jamie and Claire's kids finding love--I lost some interest.
Also, I never would have read this so fast if not for another challenge.

Gideon by Lily Morton
268 pages
Date read: 2/28/2023
Ratings: 5 stars
Review: Gideon is a closeted gay actor, whose life get to wild and he is hospitalized with a near fatal case of pneumonia. Eli is the nurse hired by Gideon's agent to look after him, misreading Eli as Ellie, the homophobic agent thinks he is hiring a woman. When Frankie, tries to fire him neither Gideon nor his brother Milo, from book 2, is going to allow it. Because of the collapsed lung, Gideon has to get back from Italy to Cornwall.
Eli and Gideon grow close during the cruise. And when the cruise is over, Eli put a four month break in place so the relationship will be what Gideon really wants and not forced due to gratitude for the care giving Eli provided. It was so gratifying to see Gideon come out as a Gay man in a television interview. Then fire Frankie as his agent.
How it fits: #3 in Finding Home series
[*book:Gideon|45691552]

Week 5, Roll 4, Spot 30

My Choice: Thrown to the Wolves by Charlie Adhara
Pages: 263
How it Fits: Big Bad Wolf #3
Date Rea..."
This is one of my favorite series, and I don't do the shifter/alpha/pnr thing much. I'm doing a challenge with a bunch of shifter prompts (re-reads allowed) and I'm looking forward to revisiting it.

Week 5, Roll 2, Spot 36

Book: Fugitive Telemetry
Author: Martha Wells
Pages: 168
How it fits: The Murderbot Diaries #6
Date read: 3/1/23
Rating: 4.5 stars
Review: Love this series! The MC is Murderbot, a security android who just wants to watch video feed of his favorite shows but keeps getting pulled in to interact with humans and help them. This time a man is found murdered so Murderbot is enlisted, although warily by some, to find out who the man is and why he was murdered. Murderbot is grumpy, sarcastic, and witty. The only thing missing in this book is ART, the AI from a research transport ship. The interaction between ART and Murderbot is priceless so I hope he will be back in the next book.
[*book:Fugitive Telemetry|53205854]

Do you read the ebook or listen to the audiobooks?

Week 5, Roll 6, Spot 36

My Choice: Down Low by Parker St. John
Pages: 240
How it Fits: Alt - hat on cover
Date Read: 2/28
Rating: ★★★
Review: I liked it okay but I really struggle with stories with flashbacks when it's a romance. Once you know they used to be a couple but they broke up because of xyz then I don't need random flashbacks from when they were together. But the narrator did a good job and I enjoyed it despite the flashbacks. I haven't decided if I'll continue the series or not.
[*book:Down Low|55506379]

Do you read the ebook or listen to the audiobooks?"
Read it—I don’t really like audiobooks.

Current spot: 36
Die Roll: 3 Timestamp: 2023-03-02 06:01:10 UTC
New spot: 39
I would like to suggest using one of our bonus points to get to 40 not only does it give series #4 which I could use but has a better alternative for me. 39 is Asia while 40 is published in 2022. But Willing to let team decide.
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Week 4, Roll 1, Spot 24
Book: A Stab in the Dark
Author: Lawrence Block
Pages: 180
How it fits: Matthew Scudder #4
Date read: 2/17/23
Rating: 4 stars
Review: MC Matthew Scudder is a functioning alcoholic ex-cop who although doesn't have a private investigator license, he still takes on cases that appeal to him. Not sure how that is supposed to work but his cop friends recommend him. This is what happens when a man comes to Scudder asking him to investigate the murder of his daughter nine years before. The murder was thought to be committed by a serial killer but when the killer was eventually caught, it was proven that he didn't kill the man's daughter. So Scudder takes on the investigation into a nine-year-old murder. I enjoyed the story and like Scudder but he is a sad character haunted by the accidental killing of a little girl in the line of duty. Thus the alcoholism. I will definitely continue the series.
[*book:A Stab in the Dark|76765]