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R15: *** WINNING TEAM *** SS Team 7 - Reading in Seventh Heaven
COMPLETION POST - Week 7Diane - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Jen K - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Karen - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
LaurLa - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Logan - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Sarah - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
1 bonus pt - book over 500 pgs (Jen)
1 bonus pt - 3 or more books in a series (Karen)
1 bonus pt - 2 in 1 - fits series # and alternate (Jen)
Week 7 Completion PostSpot 57
Alternate: Published 2016-2020
Book: Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather
Pages: 176
Qualification: Published 10/29/19
Finished: 3/31/24
Rating: 3 stars
Review:
Nuns in space! This was recommended to me by a friend, and I am so glad they did! My biggest complaint is I needed more! As a novella it couldn't quite pack all the info needed to get that emotional punch. It just needed more words to get there. But the world is incredibly fascinating. Nuns are serving the galaxy with the Vatican's approval to perform marriage and baptismal rites. We meet a group of these nuns who all have some secret or dilemma they are facing. As the government is working in league with the church to build power and control again, the nuns have to make big moral decisions on how to honor their own paths and deal with the injustices of war. The living ships also spark an interesting religious debate that threads throughout the book. Super fun and unique!
Completion Post- Week 7Spot: 57
Book: Timeless by Gail Carriger
Qualification: Parasol Protectorate #5
Finished: 2 April 2024
Rating: ★★★★
Review:
The last in the Parasol Protectorate series and a satisfactory conclusion. Little Prudence is now 2 and quite a handful for her caretakers. It really does take 2 supernatural households to make it work especially for bath night. When Prudence is summoned to Egypt by the oldest vampire, the whole group up and travels under the cover of Ivy and Tunstall's drama group. Alexia learns more about her father and his plans as well as encountering a plague that takes acts as she does, taking away supernatural powers.
As the end of series, there was quite a bit of wrapping up, some storylines had more attention than others but there were some surprises and felt satisfied. It is always a fun romp with vampires, werewolves and steampunk. I love the Victorian attitudes of just so and attention to clothing. I will miss some of the quirky characters and am intrigued to check out Prudence's series. I enjoy Carriger's writing and world.
Completion Post🚦Week 7Spot🚦57
Book🚦Hawke
How it fits🚦#5 Cold Fury Hockey
Date Read🚦04.03 ★★★★
Review
Not a lot of actual hockey playing in this one but we still got to read about the hot hockey players ;-) I mostly loved this, how the MCs worked their way back to each other, but I was kind of disappointed with how they resolved the final misunderstanding. It worked for the story okay but I felt like it gave a free pass to Vale and put too much blame back onto Hawke. Others might not agree, saying he should have been able to let go of all of the hurt but I think that Vale not sharing everything that happened didn't really allow him to understand all that happened. But it all worked out in the end!
Completion Post Roll #7, Spot 57
Book: Barbarian's Heart by Ruby Dixon
How it Fits: Alternate - Published in 2016
Pages: 222 pgs
Read: 4.3.24
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
I won't give too many details as I don't want to spoil anything crucial to the overall plot. This book follows Stacy and Pashov. While the smut is always smutting and Dixon never does that wrong, I found this book to be deeper than that. It wasn't just about creating moments for the characters to have sex. There were moments that were touching, and emotional. Stacy and Pashov struggle from the beginning of the book until almost the end. I feel like as this series progresses Dixon's storytelling and quality of writing also gets better. I will be continuing the series.
COMPLETION POST - Week 7Spot 57
Book/Author: The Dom Who Came in from the Cold Lexi Blake
Date Read: 4/4/24
Pages: 393
How It Fits: #5 in Masters & Mercenaries: Reloaded Series
Rating: 5 stars
Review: This book is one I've been waiting for. We've had some scenes with Kyle and MaeBe in previous books but I couldn't wait to find out how they would finally get together. Kyle faked his death so that Julia, who is deadly, wouldn't go after MaeBe. He comes back at the beginning of this book and tries to convince MaeBe that he was just protecting her. Without giving too much away, the whole team has to get involved to resolve the Julia issue and it was fantastic. I definitely can't wait to read the next book where we now get to see the grown kids and all that happens to them. The epilogue was a great ending to this one.
Week 8Dice Roll: 6+4=10
Previous Space: 57
New Space: 67
Can read Series #6, 7, 67 or Alternate: 67. Africa
1 Point earned for reading a book over 500 pages (Jen)
1 bonus pt - 3 or more books in a series (Karen)
1 bonus pt - 2 in 1 - fits series # and alternate (Jen)
I will be reading Wild Hunger by Suzanne Wright, #7 in the Phoenix Pack series
I'll be reading either Kitty Raises Hell #6 in Kitty Norville or A Farewell to Charms #6 in Mystic Bayou
Completion PostRoll #8, Space 67
Book: Wild Hunger by Suzanne Wright
How it Fits: The Phoenix Pack #7
Pages: 317 pgs
Read: 4.6.24
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
I was a little worried that it had been too long since I had read anything from this series and that I would feel completely lost. But really it was very easy to get back into this world and to understand where I was since it's the 7th book in the series. While I liked the plot and the smutty scenes, and for the most part the characters were enjoyable, I felt like the FMC was a little too agreeable. She didn't challenge Trick in any way, and when it came to looking at her past or herself she got there quickly and accepted it and then moved on. I wanted a little more growth or change in the characters. Something that shows that they are different from the beginning of the book. That didn't really happen. But I did really like it and will continue with the series. I finished it in an afternoon and it wasn't difficult to stay interested.
Completion Post- Week 8Spot: 67
Book: Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire
Qualification: Wayward Children #6
Finished: 7 April 2024
Rating: ★★★
Review:
Regan is a typical horse girl. She loves to ride but realizes it puts her slightly on the outs of her friend group where she knows that her bestie's vision of being a girl is the only path. After finding herself at odds with her best friend, she finds a door asking her to "be sure" and wanders into a land of unicorns, centaurs and other equine creatures. Regan finds acceptance, love and friendship with a herd of centaurs. The only problem is that she is human and expected to save the world.
I enjoy the representation and life lessons of the stories in this series. In this one, sometimes one needs to stop waiting for a hero and be your own hero. Also one of acceptance and finding one's own identify. I really love Hooflands as a world and would love to revisit it. Definitely one of the better worlds created in the series. I did think that the parent talk was, while good intentioned, wholly inadequate their 10 year old daughter. They really could have done better but also it wasn't so bad to cause Regan to dump them so readily. I also felt that the issue wasn't really resolved at all. Regan just moved to another world where she was the only human rather than processing how she was a bit different than others. It is easy to accept something when one can promptly ignore it. I enjoyed but I wish a few gaps were filled.
COMPLETION POST - Week 8Diane - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Jen K - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Karen - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
LaurLa - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Logan - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Sarah - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
1 bonus pt - book over 500 pgs (Jen)
1 bonus pt - 3 or more books in a series (Karen)
1 bonus pt - 2 in 1 - fits series # and alternate (Jen)
Completion Post🚦Week 8Spot🚦67
Book🚦Kitty Raises Hell
How it fits🚦#6 Kitty Norville
Date Read🚦04.10 ★★★★
Review
This was a good next installment. In the previous few books, I wasn't convinced about the romance between Kitty and Ben, her mate. But I liked their dynamic in this book and I can see Ben becoming a more developed character. I hope that continues. As for the story itself, it of course opens more doors than it closes as Kitty and her friends get rid of the demon attacking her and Denver. We get the opening to a mysterious vampire and his "Long game". We shall see what happens next.
Week 8 Completion PostSpot 67
Book: Night Prey by John Sandford
Pages: 450
Qualification: Lucas Davenport #6
Finished: 4/11/24
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
This was a cool entry in this series. I feel like Sandford is hitting his stride with Lucas and his relationships. Lucas showed a lot more caring for tge people in his life and not so cold. I thought the villain was super creepy and well written, and the escalating action was well paced. I also loved the subplot locked room mystery! It was fun to see him mentoring another detective and not just being a dick like in past books. I can see why people say to give this series until this book to get the feel for it. I normally only give a series 3-4 books, and without this challenge I probably would have left it in the dust. This one has me hopeful for future books and I'm glad I read it and stuck it out with the series.
COMPLETION POST - Week 8Spot 67
Book/Author: Chasing Bliss Sophie Oak
Date Read: 4/11/24
Pages: 300
How It Fits: #7 in Nights in Bliss, Colorado Series
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This story has Cade and Jesse, who are the two mechanics from the previous book meeting Gemma, who had recently come to town after seeing her fiance and co-worker in bed with someone else from the firm they work at. Gemma is definitely not wanting a relationship but she definitely is drawn to the guys. And, of course, someone is harrassing her which she assumes from one of her previous cases. I really enjoyed this one and will definitely get to the next one soon.
Completion Post: week 8, spot 67
The Shifter Romances The Writer by Kristen Painter
how it fits: book 6 in Nocturne Falls series
pgs: 364
rating: 3 stars
review: This series has quick, humorous books set in a town that is full of the paranormal and celebrated Halloween every day. Roxy writes supernatural romances and moves to town without knowing the secret (and at the end of a divorce) and immediately falls for her hot, neighbor Alex, who is also a cop.
Roxy is seeing impossible things and seems to have a stalker. Overall I enjoyed the books and characters, but Roxy was a bit annoying (view spoiler)
Week 9 Dice Roll: 4+2=6
Previous Space: 67
New Space: 73
Can read Series #3, 7 or 73 or Alternate: #73. Set sometime before 1600
1 Point earned for reading a book over 500 pages (Jen)
1 bonus pt - 3 or more books in a series (Karen)
1 bonus pt - 2 in 1 - fits series # and alternate (Jen)
Oh, I have lots of 3s! But will probably go with Changing Nature, #3 in Immortal Descendents. I need to read paranormal/fantasy for another group challenge!
Week 9 Completion PostSpot 73
Book: Mind Prey by John Sandford
Pages: 466
Qualification: Lucas Davenport #7
Finished: 4/14/24
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
THIS is where the series should have started! What a ride! Lucas and team were racing against the clock to save a kidnapped mother and her 2 daughters. The kidnapper holds them hostage for days and Sandford paints a very realistic picture of the victims' physical and psychological fight to survive at all costs. Meanwhile, Lucas is doing everything he can to find them, and while he definitely pushes against the law a bit, it's not nearly as egregious as past books. This one had a Bosch feel to it. The pacing was a thrill ride, with the underlying mysteries slowly revealed and the big showdown going right up to the last few chapters. I loved this one, and honestly I'd probably tell people to start with #5 and go from there, as that seems to be where this new arc for Lucas really started.
COMPLETION POST - Week 9Diane - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Jen K - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Karen - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
LaurLa - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Logan - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Sarah - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
1 bonus pt - book over 500 pgs (Jen)
1 bonus pt - 3 or more books in a series (Karen)
1 bonus pt - 2 in 1 - fits series # and alternate (Jen)
COMPLETION POST - Week 9Spot 73
Book/Author: Best Kept Secret Skye Warren
Date Read: 4/14/24
Pages: 248
How It Fits: #3 in Rochester Trilogy Series
Rating: 4 stars
Review: This is the final book in the trilogy and it didn't disappoint. Jane has come back with Emily and together with Beau, they try to sort out the mess they're in. I really enjoyed this book. It was fantastic how Beau and Jane got their HEA and I loved how it ended. The epilogue was great!
Completion Post: Week 9, spot 73
Blood Lines by Eileen Wilks
how it fits: book 3 in World of the Lupi series
pgs: 325
finished: 4/14/24
rating: 4 stars
review: Magic pulses are disrupting things and leads to Rule playing politics with Leidof clan (view spoiler). Cynna and Cullen are working together and (view spoiler). We also get a visit from Toby and learn more about Grandmother (who is amazing). Things settle down a bit once the world realizes (view spoiler)
Completion PostRoll #9, Spot 73
Book: Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas
How it Fits: The Ravenels #3
Pages: 370 pgs
Read: 4.15.24
Rating: 4 stars
Review:
Again, it's been awhile since I've read from this series so I worried about remembering the characters. But honestly, I could have read it by itself without ever having read the other books and it would have been just fine. I found Pandora fascinating, I always enjoy a FMC that is a little quirky and bookish. Of course, Gabriel was a great MMC. I wasn't exactly sure how the plot was going to go given that it felt like it was supposed to be about Gabriel convincing Pandora to marry him, but then there was suddenly a political plot near the end. I'm not sure how those two things go together, and it felt a little disjointed to read which is why it didn't get 5 stars. If I could rate in halves I'd probably give this more of a 3.5 than a 4 all together. But I'm glad I got it off my tbr and can continue with the series.
Completion Post🚦Week 9Spot🚦73
Book🚦Changing Nature
How it fits🚦#3 The Immortal Descendants
Date Read🚦04.17 ★★★★
Review
This is a very interesting series with time travel at it's core. I don't usually like YA fantasy, but I am enjoying Saira, the MC - she is smart and resourceful and doesn't angst over what she can't control. The time travel thing can be a little hard to follow when they are popping back and forth in time, especially only a few months apart. In this book, you can't be in the same time as your historical (or future) self, so when someone who has died shows up in the past, changes things so he doesn't die... what happens to the timeline? That's really what the book is about - how do we know the history we know is the 'real' history? Are we part of an alternative time stream? Interesting questions!
Completion Post- Week 9Spot: 73
Book: The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø
Qualification: Harry Hole #3
Finished: 16 April 2024
Rating: ★★★★
Review: Harry is back in Norway and was brought back to himself, out of the alcoholic stupor and back to being professional by a very patient and caring colleague. When surveillance for a US president visit goes unexpectedly, Hole is moved to a different department and promoted to investigator looking at neo-Nazi activity and a case involving a group of men who chose to join the Nazi army to fight on the Eastern Front after Germany occupied Norway.
I was somewhat reluctant to take on a long book but I was immediately sucked in. Nesbo did such a great job of weaving in a really interesting aspect of Norwegian history with the current case which was a constant nail biter. He also writes Harry so well in all his complexities. He is a scary police officer but also anxious talking to women and tender with those he does love. He is so humane and when he faces loss, it was so sad and beautiful. The most important case is not properly solved so I will need to keep reading.
I don't know if you've noticed, and I'm probably not the only one, but I'm working towards the 'never picking a book from the alternate list' bonus. Just putting it out there.
Thanks, LaurLa. Assume one of us should be able to achieve that one.
Week 10 Dice Roll: 1+5=6
Previous Space: 73
New Space: 79
Can read Series #7, 9, 79 or Alternate: 79. School/College/University setting
1 Point earned for reading a book over 500 pages (Jen)
1 bonus pt - 3 or more books in a series (Karen)
1 bonus pt - 2 in 1 - fits series # and alternate (Jen)
7s and 9s are a little harder. I've got a couple of choices for each but I'll need to see how other challenges go before I decide which one.
LaurLa wrote: "7s and 9s are a little harder. I've got a couple of choices for each but I'll need to see how other challenges go before I decide which one."It is a tough one.
I had a really hard time picking as I didn't have any 7s or 9s that I was up to in a series yet. So I'm going with the alternate choice.Fate of a Royal by Meagan Brandy it is tagged as college 35 times, and mentions a University in the description.
Completion Post: week 10, spot 79
Antique Auctions Are Murder by Libby Klein
how it fits: book 7 of Poppy McAlister Mystery series
pgs: 368
finished: 4/20/24
rating: 4 stars
review: Poppy runs a B&B with her aunt and her staff is kooky and the guests even worse. She is helping her aunt's friend with extended family and gets pulled into the drama and eventual murder.
Two antique shops/families are fighting over who owns a vampire killing kit and it leads to murder. The family is very strange and obsessed with antiques and gardening. Poppy gets involved and threatened which just makes her more determined to find the killer.
On the personal side, Gia finally stands up to his mother and Poppy finally accepts herself as she is. Georgina is visiting and gets roped into taking over as maid for the week which leads to lots of hijinks.
I’m going to go with Fragments of Ash #7 in Modern Fairytales. It will probably be a late completion, just FYI.
COMPLETION POST - Week 10Diane - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Jen K - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Karen - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
LaurLa - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Logan - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Sarah - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
1 bonus pt - book over 500 pgs (Jen)
1 bonus pt - 3 or more books in a series (Karen)
1 bonus pt - 2 in 1 - fits series # and alternate (Jen)
Completion Post🚦Week 10Spot🚦79
Book🚦Fragments of Ash
How it fits🚦#7 A Modern Fairytale
Date Read🚦04.21 ★★★★
Review
There were some definitely darker elements to this book, most of it off page thankfully, but a couple of somewhat graphic scenes were on page, so I was glad there was a trigger and subject matter warning in the blurb. But for all that, the story was sweet. Smexy times, yes, but the love story was sweet - no big misunderstandings or over-angsting over things they should just talk about. That was good because with the love story easy, it allowed us to focus on the female MC's arc of being a scared, sheltered and emotionally, if not physically, abused girl to learning her voice and how to own and overcome her feelings of abandonment and rejection by her family.
LaurLa wrote: "I’m going to go with Fragments of Ash #7 in Modern Fairytales. It will probably be a late completion, just FYI."I lied! I went ahead and read and got it done 😁
The Challenge Factory
Books mentioned in this topic
Lifestyles of the Witch and Ageless (other topics)Resisting the Bad Boy (other topics)
Seducing the Enemy (other topics)
Goddess of Filth (other topics)
All Systems Red (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Shéa MacLeod (other topics)Violet Duke (other topics)
Agatha Christie (other topics)
John Sandford (other topics)
Sophie Oak (other topics)
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Death Over Easy by Maddie Day
pgs: 176
how it fits: book 5 of Country Store Mysteries
rating: 4 stars
review: A musician is killed during the music festival and since Robbie's visiting father is a supect, she looks into it. I really like Robbie, she is very competent and doesn't put herself into dangerous situations. The police know what they are doing as well.
I would have liked a little more wrap up at the end, it was a bit abrupt.
Lot's of description of food, so don't read on an empty stomach.