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R6: SSS Better Read than Dead (3) **Winning Team**
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Jenne
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Apr 26, 2015 03:01PM
Woot woot :)
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Shelby feel better!Ahhhh IDK what I want to read!!!!!
Thanks Jenne. :) I'm attempting to plot out the reads I need to make this week. Hopefully I'll get something picked soon.
Week 6 Thursday Roll Spot 49 
199 Pgs Alternate New York
Week 6 Thursday Roll Spot 49
199 pgs GRAlternate New York
Rating★★★
Finished 27th April 2015
I was looking forward to this book as I love Urban Fantasy. I did like Will the New York radio DJ who hosts a GLBT chat show. He is funny and likeable and I love the interaction between him and his producer Tess. Will is in an abusive relationship with a police officer called Lyle. When Tess gets drunk and wants a tattoo he ends up meeting banished Fae Cobalt who owns an exclusive tattoo parlour. Later after being severally beaten by Lyle he ends up in Cobalt's care. Cobalt has his own problems dealing with other Fae. I liked Will and Cobalt as a couple but thought their relationship was a bit rushed especially considering Will's previous experiences
The whole Unseelie storyline seemed a bit patchy and there were a lot of loose ends in the story so I felt I had missed a lot. I did like the story overall but I'm not sure if I will read on with the series.
Spot 49:Read:
by Kitty ThomasSet in NY
Finished: 4/27/15
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review:
Not that this was one of my favorite KT books but I figured it was worth a reread since it's a relatively short book. I've always been a fan of Kitty Thomas since she has no fear going where others don't lol. This one does push the envelope a bit. My biggest complaint was never really liking the characters a whole lot. Ronnie was a whiny and rude at times and Luke's sadness over losing Trish didn't endear him to me. Still though don't let that cloud your opinion. If you like dark erotica and want a fairly quick read you'd enjoy this.
Woohoo! I'm ahead of the game this week. :DWeek 6.5: The Next - 315pgs/GR
Alternate: Location - New York
Week 6.5 - (49 - Location: New York)The Next by Rafe Haze
Read: 4/27
Rating: ★★
I don't really know how to rate this one. It was a slog. I did not enjoy it. But I can't in good conscious say it wasn't well written. It just wasn't written in a manner for me to enjoy it.
The description to this story is very apt. This is a gay "Rear Window" but the first half of this book is morosely dragged down, by over indulgent prose too caught up in descriptive adjectives and ambiance to really go anywhere. I honestly have no clue as to what Detective Marzoli saw in our MC that drew him into his initial attraction. Our MC was as down on his luck, almost suicidally depressed as you can manage to be. Completely agoraphobic he can't leave his apartment let alone work on the music he's supposed to be selling to support himself. His apartment is a pit and yet when the detective shows up to his door on a routine stop to ask questions about the murder of his neighbor he's suddenly hopeless enamored. It just doesn't work for me.
The details of the plot drag on for ages dropping tiny pieces here and there to keep your interest. All these seemingly innocuous little things that indicate exactly who the murderer is, caught by our peeping Tom as the oddities they are. He hasn't opened his blinds in a year, but he's so observant after having his little cave disturbed that he's noticing the minutia. I just couldn't wait for this book to get done.
Admittedly the last quarter of the book began to move along better as our MC woke more and more from his daze and the connection with Marzoli deepened. Their reveals to each other would have been extremely touching and emotionally disturbing, except by this point I really didn't care about either character and just wanted to get to the end and see how they were going to go about catching the murder. (view spoiler) Yeah, nope don't like it at all!
This story is dark and morose. These characters have been through hell in their past, but I couldn't get past the ineffectiveness to have it touch me. I felt bad for what they'd experienced but cared little for the outcome. I just wanted the story to be over. I think a large part of that is I like my books to be escapism. This isn't that. This isn't even really suspenseful so much as it is dramatic and mood inspired. Not my thing, but again I repeat that doesn't mean it isn't a good book. It's just not my type of book.
by Zack LoveWeek: 6 (Sunday)
Spot: 49
Alternate: New York
Read: 04.28.15
Rating: 4 stars
Honestly this was one of the best Anthology I have read. All the stories were completely different, the characters were strong and I loved the humour. This book really made me stop and think the insightfulness was amazing. This was a first by this author and I certainly will be looking at his other books. Highly Recommend to all reading fans.
Good job ladies! We're done super early :)
I know it is great it is only Tuesday. It is funny we all went with Alternative. I will link up the review post.
Can't wait for the new roll! I'll be done with my current book in a little bit.
We rolled a 5 and we are now on Spot 54 SO No. 54, No. 5, No. 4 or Alternate Cover Item 2 People
Good roll! I'll be going with the alt so I can use it for bingo too. I'll see what'll be my victim in a bit lol.
Ok I'm gonna download the sample of this
we shall see...it's kinda different like a female Wolverine meets the Walking Dead lol!
How's everyone's reads coming along? I'm @ 86% but won't be able to pick it back up till later today.
by TONI ANDERSONWeek: 7 (Thursday)
Spot: 54
Alternate: TWO PEOPLE
Read: 05.01.15
Rating: 4 stars
I jumped right into this book....it grabbed me and would not let me go! The storyline was well executed, with strong main and secondary characters. It had everything mystery...suspense...romance, hot sex scenes and a good ending. I would have given it a 5 but the 4 star rating is because the author did repeat the main character Alex, reasoning for doing what he does 1 to many times. Other than that it was a great read. I will be continuing with this series for sure.
Spot 54:Read:
by [author:Mari Mancusi|21701Finished: 5/2/15
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Review:
3.75
Well this was X-Men meets The Walking Dead with some love thrown in lol. I liked the characters enough and it was an interesting take on the ZA. It's also a standalone even though it's part of a series. The entire book completes the story by the end so I'm assuming the next one is just different MC's in another part of the world. I'd never heard of this until I picked it up and yes I'm shallow enough that the cover is what sold me lol.
Week 7 Thursday Roll Spot 54
5th in Elemental Assassin SeriesRating★★★★
Finished 2nd May 2015
I have been enjoying this series and this one was a fast paced roller coaster ride. Gin finally takes on her nemesis Mab head to head. The gloves are well and truly off and silver stone knives are out.
Gin is more kick ass than ever and I love her family, how those she has helped and care for want to stand for her as she has stood for them. I like her developing relationship with Owen and the one between Bria and Finn. I found Gentry an interesting character. I am looking forward to seeing what happens now without Mab.
Done. :) Working on my review now. Was so exhausted after work last night I just passed out. Sorry!
It is fine Shelby, sorry you are so overworked, getting soe sleep way more important. I hope you get a rest soon ((hugs)) I will get links ready and ready to roll and post.
Week 7: (54 - Cover: 2 people) Color of Grace by A.M. Arthur
Read: 5/3
Rating: ★★★½
It's been awhile since I read the first book in this series, but I was looking forward to reading this one. I'm glad I finally got around to it. This was an enjoyable, if not overly exciting read. I liked the characters and their back-stories. Both men have a troubled past for different reasons and their roads have finally brought them to a place where they can be open to someone coming into their lives. It makes them face their past and decide how they want to move forward.
Barrett hasn't had an easy life and he's hit rock bottom and worked his way back up. His bought with cancer had him leaving everything behind and starting his life anew. Now he's barely begun to get settled in a new town and in the job he's taken as a short order cook when his apartment burns down. Left with nothing but the clothes on his back he's knuckling down and starting his life over for the third time.
Schuyler has had a secret he's kept for most of his life. His guilt over his cousin's death has been a weight around his neck for years and years. His aunt wants him to let it go and move on, she hates seeing him feel so guilty every year especially when his cousins death was an accident. But Schuyler can't let it go. He enjoys his life teaching art at the high school he grew up in, but once a year his spirits plummet and getting a good drunk on seems the only way to handle things.
I like that these two meet at a particularly low point for both of them. It really makes them face their problems and start to deal with them. I think they're a good balance for each other, each able to free the other up to move forward less burdened by their past.
But I really felt like this story was very unfinished. There were a lot of threads left dangling that left me with a lot of questions. I didn't get to feel totally satisfied with where their lives are going because I didn't feel like I got closure on their pasts. (view spoiler) These were just a few of the big unanswered questions I had that left me feeling very unfulfilled. I don't doubt how Schuyler and Barrett feel about each other. I'm happy they're together. But I just felt like the story ended and there was more to be told.
Altogether I enjoy the writing in these stories and as this series goes on I'll probably read the next to see if I get anymore information on my questions. This was a solid case of good, but not great. Ultimately 3.5 stars but I'll round up for GR.
We rolled a 3 now on Spot 57 No.57, No.5, No.7 or Alternate France
I have #7 in the Rylee Adamson series or I might do a reread of #5 in the highlander series. I'll make up my mind tonight.
I forgot I have 7 in the Highlander series as my next to read in that one. I was going to read Gin Blanco 6 then 7 :)
I loved it, I need to get to the next one, I am reading Secret McQueen 3 at the minute, her love life is a giant train wreck.
A King's Ransom by Sharon Kay PenmanWeek: 7 (Sunday)
Spot: 57
Series: #5 Plantagenets Series
Read: 05.05.15
Rating: 5 stars
Always happy to read one of my historical fiction books...and I found sheer pleasure in reading A KING'S RANSOM.
Sharon Penman has written a masterpiece, 685 pages of detail accounts of England's Richard I, she has made history come alive. This is history at it's best, I LOVED IT!!
Week 7 Sunday Roll Spot 57
Elemental Assassain #7Rating ★★★★
Finished 5th May 2015
Another thoroughly enjoyable instalment in this series. This time the trouble Gin faces comes not from our own past but from Owen's. She gets dragged into Owen's ex fiancée Salina's quest for revenge.
She gets to know a bit more about Owen's history and his relationship with Philip Kincaid. I loved how Bria and Roslyn are there for Gin at the end.
Week 7: (57 - Location: France)The Riddle of the Sands by Geoffrey Knight
Read: 5/6
Rating: ★★★½
Ok first of all these stories are absurd. They're Indiana Jones gone overboard with 5 hot gay men running around battling the odds to find crazy treasure lost to the ages. This was no exception. The story is completely unrealistic with asinine stakes, yet if you can ignore all that in favor of the absurd then they're an entertaining read. Though I do still think they'd work better as a film than as a book. In the film you'd get lost in the action and better forget about the absurdity of a lot of the situations.
Here in the Riddle of the Sands our intrepid heroes are forced into trying to discover the location of the Lost Pyramid of Imhotep. His son, the greatest architect of the time, supposedly built the pyramid as a home for himself and his lover to remain together in death despite the Egyptian belief that being gay was "impure." In a rage of her son's predilections and that the son far outstripped the father Imhotep erased all knowledge of his son and his lover from history. Now only myth remains.
In order to force Fathom and his crew to look for the pyramid and its treasures, our bad guy Perron has poisoned Jake's friend Sam, the kid that sometimes stays at his place. The poison will not kill Sam for 5 days, but after that he will die without the antidote which only Perron has. This of course sends our adventures out in all directions to try to find the cure, find the pyramid, and save them all.
This of course results in everyone getting beat up, nearly dying and of course ultimately doing their adventurers best to discover the lost history. There are cockamamie plans, human devouring plants, poisoned darts, crazy deadly Egyptian puzzles to be solved, and lovers to meet. All traveling from Siberia, to France, to Brazil, and to Egypt.
There are of course dangling threads in this one that obviously must lead to something in a future book, the opening sequence had nothing to do with this actual story other than to have them all meet Daniel (our erst wise lover for Shane who is a reporter out of England determined to find his great cover story). I struggle to always remember the professor is blind as he often does things on his own that frankly he shouldn't be able to do (like chuck a book at Sam's head and know who the author of the book is that he's throwing), but all in all I still enjoy the silliness.
The crazy adventure is just that crazy, but fun. I keep waiting to find what the next big huge hurdle is going to be and how they're all going to avoid death one more time. Entertaining to be sure, but not fantastic literature. I'd give this 3.5 stars for pure entertainment purposes.
Hehehe - I'm just happy y'all aren't going to be waiting on me to roll this time.
I'll be done this morning, only 40 pages left :)
Spot 57:Read:
by Shannon MayerFinished: 5/6/15
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review:
4.25
Nice set up for Wounded and now I'm gonna have to read it sooner rather than later! I had a few "I didn't see that coming" moments. And Rylee again learned some new tricks...she's gonna need them pretty soon I fear. I love it when an author can redeem a character you've hated throughout a series. Millie is now no longer on my s*&t list! What I love the most about these besides how fierce Rylee is, is the non stop action. You're on the edge of your seat the entire book and I think I'm glad these books aren't super long. I don't know that my heart could take it lol. I find myself wanting to yell at Riley to watch out or be careful!
We Rolled a 2 so we are now on SPOT 59 No. 59, No. 5, No. 9 or Alternate Published in 2014
Sorry about the late roll but the internet was playing up this morning and I couldn't get a connection. Uggh sorry I was hoping we would break into the 60's this time but at least it is Guaranteed next roll :) I still have quite a few fives and a couple of 9's and there are more of last year's releases I still need to get to than I want to admit. So Secret 5 or more Gin decisions, decisions.
LolYou're storming through Secret and Gin :)
I'm gonna go see what I have. I have a 9 but this is a good alternate to pass up too.
I blame you for both of those :) I am distracted from other things.I know the 9 will be useful later so if the alternative is good maybe pick one of those. I just know I will have finished Gin 9 before the weekend anyway :)
Happy to enable :)Ok Grace what do I want to read?
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