SOS: Serious Overload of Series discussion
Archive: Past Team Challenges
>
R27 Team #4 ~ Prose and Cons
Eldarwen wrote: "I think it's safe to say that I will :-)I haven't read a single book in the Guild Hunter and Psy-Changeling series that I did not enjoy :-)"
Ditto :)
Completion Post
O - One & Only / Owned
Book: Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb
Pages: 354
Date Read: 7th April
Rating: 4 stars
How it fits: tagged as "owned" 137x
Review:
Now this was one heck of an installment.
There were a few moments where I wanted to reach into the pages and slap a few people across the face. If there is one thing I really dislike, it's smug and self-righteous bastards, and there was one very prominent in this book.
The premise of the book of a "rare, usually undetectable date-rape drug with a street value of a quarter million dollars" being used as a murder weapon was intriguing, and not just a bit frightening. The entire backstory of this particular drug had my hairs standing on end however. More so than the fact that someone was crazy enough to use it on an actual human being, on a date, which was supposed to be a happy and exciting occasion.
And once again, Eve is faced with her biggest fear ever: Trina. It always makes me laugh when Eve tries to get out of having anything done to her, even if it is just a slight trimming of her hair ends - not that Trina (and Mavis) ever stop at just a slight trimming, but still. For all the over-the-top make-up and enhancement tricks Trina has up her sleeve and constantly tries to get Eve to try out or quite simply forces on her, I really enjoyed a moment towards the end of the book where Trina realised that her work can do some actual good. Going into more detail would be a spoiler but once you get to this part of the series, you'll know what I mean :-)
Oh, and Ian deserves a special mention in this one haha. Silly little boy but such good fun when he tries to measure himself with Charles!
Aaaaand that's another shelf done! :-)We are caught up - with the exception of the most recent call of course.
😊 WTG! Your request to stamp O Shelf has been approved; if you have any issues stamping your card, let me know. Once you’ve stamped your card, go to the Captain’s Log and share a link with us. Thx!
Yay, team! :)I'm skipping your review, Eldarwen, but happy it was a 4-star read for ya and I'm thrilled to see I'm catching up w/ya :D Thanks, BSB!
Loyalty in Death by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death #9
Shelf #6: M (shelved @ GR made me cry)
Read: 5 Apr
Rating: ✮✮✮✮☆
My Review:
We are Cassandra. It has begun.Peabody's brother Zeke comes to NYC for work and a visit. It was sweet seeing them together and heartbreaking seeing his soft nature get used against him. Hopefully he'll be in future installments so we can see how he's making out in the aftermath.
Eve and her team (+ Roarke, of course) race to stop a terrorist group set on retaliation for a long past event. There are a lot of losses, unknown and close to home, while they try to find all responsible.
And, oh man, She-Body and McNab ... finally!
"Having sex would be the mother of all mistakes."
"Agreed." She buttoned her uniform again, then met his eyes dead-on.
"Where?"
Steph wrote: "YAY for the stamp :)Do you read any of Grant's other books? This isn't a spinoff of her Dark series, is it? I have some of her earlier books, but haven't read any. I'll have to check that one out."
I have read one of her other series, The Skye Druids. It's sort of set in the same universe, but it's on Earth, not another planet, and the Dragon Kings are just peripheral characters. But it's super good too. I haven't checked out her Dark series yet, is it good?
I love that your both reading In Death too! I just started Indulgence in Death, so I'm a ways ahead of you, so if I do read one for bingo, I'll be sure to keep the review as general as possible.
Completion PostShelf #6 ~ 2 Apr: M - mate / made me cry
Book: Echoes of Fire by Suzanne Wright
Pages: 348
How it fits: MPG shapeshifters
Date Read: 4/6
Rating: 4.5 stars
Review: Oh boy. It's been a while since I picked up a shifter story, so I was really looking forward to this one. It didn't disappoint, at least for plot and characters. I absolutely adored the two MCs, Madisyn and Bracken. She's a kickass cat shifter who doesn't take crap from anybody, but has the emotional intelligence and compassion to be willing to compromise and understand another person's point of view. I loved that. Bracken was a little harder to empathize with, but that actually made sense for his character since he suffered a horrific trauma that was still affecting him when he and Madisyn got together. The plot was pretty well done as well, my only issue was that the sex scenes really dragged on and on, and felt like they were really slowing down the pacing of the story. I don't mind a few scenes, but when it goes on for pages and pages, it gets old. But that is a minor issue that really didn't detract from the overall greatness of the story. Looking forward to the next one in this series!
AliciaJ wrote: "I love that your both reading In Death too! I just started Indulgence in Death, so I'm a ways ahead of you, so if I do read one for bingo, I'll be sure to keep the review as general as possible."Steph will catch up to you very soon ;-)
For me, it will depend on how many other books distract me hehe. But I am certainly up for another In Death or two at least this year :-)
(I try to keep the reviews general as well, or spoiler free if possible.)
AliciaJ wrote: "I have read one of her other series, The Skye Druids. It's sort of set in the same universe, but it's on Earth, not another planet, and the Dragon Kings are just peripheral characters. But it's super good too. I haven't checked out her Dark series yet, is it good?"I haven't read any of her books, actually. But I have some I bought yrs ago gathering dust. I'll have to check some out ... eventually.
AliciaJ wrote: "I love that your both reading In Death too! I just started Indulgence in Death, so I'm a ways ahead of you, so if I do read one for bingo, I'll be sure to keep the review as general as possible."👍🏼😊 Thx
I love Madisyn 😁
Shelf call sooooon and I am stupidly excited haha.
Shelf’s up 😁Shelf #7 ~ 9 Apr: Q - quirky / queen
Requirement: Choose a book using one of the following options ...
*For Quirky, read a book featuring a quirky or eccentric character (wears unique clothing, having a strange habit or strong sense of humor, etc), a book with non-linear narrative (jumps between timelines or perspectives) or 'Q' in the author's name, title or series
* For queen, read a book on the following shelf: GR queen
And, I’m gonna go with my next-up ID book, celebrating Mavis’ quirkiness 😜 This’ll put me in the double digits! Woohoo!
Mavis and Ian, both have a slightly crazy sense of style for clothes haha. Though Mavis trumps Ian every time ;-)
True. I hadn’t thought about his snazzy duds. Mavis immediately jumped to mind though 😁
I'll have to browse a couple of books to check if they jump between timelines/perspectives or not. And then I'll decide.If none of the ones I want to check for jumps fits the shelf, then it shall be the next In Death for me as well :-)
I have my next In Death for a couple of other challenges, and Mavis is in this book too, so I'm going to use it for this week. Promise no spoilers though Steph! 😄
Oops, that's not going to work, I just realized that I've already done my re-read for the round. Shoot. I'll pick something else.
Selection PostShelf #7 ~ 9 Apr: Q - quirky / queen
Book: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pages: 637
How it fits: shelved on page 2 of GR Queen
Aw well, hope you enjoy that one, too!I'm really enjoying my ID book :)
Selection Post
Q - Quirky / Queen
Book: Wounded by Shannon Mayer
Pages: 288
How it fits: non-linear narrative - switches between two points of view (Rylee and Liam)
It was, my favorite so far. So many LOL moments! I’ll get my review posted before our next shelf. Hope you enjoy yours.
Witness in Death by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death #10
Shelf #7: Q/quirky (Mavis & McNab)
Read: 11 April
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✮
My Review:
Crime and punishment was Lieutenant Eve Dallas's business, and murder was her specialty.The murderer in this installment takes enjoyment from seeing the murder happen on stage during a play. A play where Eve and Roarke are in attendance, in the theater he had renovated following the events of the last installment.
"As far as I'm concerned, there is no you and McNab. It does not exist in my world. My aide is not having some weird-ass sexual fling with the fashion plate from EDD."I don't know if it's because I'm ten books in and now well and truly attached to these characters or what, but this installment was such a fun read. There were so many scenes that had me snickering. Eve's determination to remain out of Peabody and McNab's sex-romping is f*ckin hilarious!
"Watch yourself. They start to multiply when you're not paying attention. It complicates your whole damn life."It's also quite enjoyable watching Eve's personal circle grow and her attempts to adjust to the changes of having others who mean something to her in her life. I just love the addition of Trueheart. Eve may fumble her way through some situations, but whenever anyone points out the why of someone's reaction to her she's quick to correct any misinterpretations so they know she cares. It's endearing.
She stood in the center of her home office, smirking down at her old, despised, computer. "Today," she told it, "death comes to all your circuits. Will it be slow and systematic or fast and brutal?"And, when Roarke denies her the opportunity she's longed for - slowly, painfully destroying her outdated POS computer - it cracked me up.
Two lost souls whose miserable beginnings had forged them into what appeared to be polar opposites. Love had narrowed the distance, then had all but eradicated it.As anyone who reads this series will tell you, the relationship between Eve and Roarke is a major draw. Two people who have lost so much, in opposing occupations when they met, came together to form an unbreakable bond. It's a pleasure to read. Eve's learning how to give, as well as receive; each time she manages to find the words or ways to express herself continues to fully level Roarke.
Completion Post
M - Mate / Made Me Cry
Book: Last Guard by Nalini Singh
Pages: 384
Date Read: 15th April
Rating: 4 stars
How it fits: the book features shapeshifters
Review:
Heavy on the Psy characters, this instalment of the series gave a great insight into the workings of the PsyNet. Payal and Canto, each broken in their own way but survivors and strong fighters, are an interesting pairing. They weren't my favourite couple so far but the story was nonetheless keeping me hooked as Singh's books always do.
I would have enjoyed a few more changeling interactions, though the few times the bears popped up, it was good fun. They are a tad nuts, those bears hehe. And of course my absolute favourite character in that universe was regularly on the pages: Kaleb Krychek. Loved him from day 1, when he was still considered purest evil.
With the last page dropping a massive hint as to what is to come next, I cannot wait to pick up the next book in the series.
Completion PostShelf #7 ~ 9 Apr: Q - quirky / queen
Book: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Pages: 637
How it fits: shelved on page 2 of GR Queen
Date Read: 4/14
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
Holy smokes, this one blew my socks off! Non-stop action from the first moment. It took me just a few pages to remember where I had left off in the first book, but it actually helped that it picked up right where the first book left off. Cliffhangers aren't always a bad thing I guess. Anyway, learning more about these characters and the history between the two kingdoms kept me glued to the pages until the very end. I absolutely love love love the main character, Poppy. She has a smart mouth that gets her in trouble, but she's adventurous, brave, kind, and kickass. What a fantastic heroine. I would say this is probably one of the best books I've read so far this year, and it's mainly because of her and her story. I highly recommend this series if you haven't read it yet. I've no doubt it will knock your socks off too.
😊 WTG! Your request to stamp M Shelf has been approved; if you have any issues stamping your card, let me know. Once you’ve stamped your card, go to the Captain’s Log and share a link with us. Thx!
@Eldarwen - I love the bears. And I’ve really enjoyed Krychek’s character arc. @AliciaJ - I’ve been eyeing book 1 in that series on KU for awhile, but haven’t started it. Glad to hear bk2 is such a good read.
Yay team 😁
New shelf, y’all …Shelf #8 ~ 16 Apr: X/Z - XOXO / eXcited -or- Zealous / Z
Requirement: Choose a book using one of the following options ...
XOXO / eXcited -or- Zealous / Z
*For XOXO, read a book an author or character whose name contains an X or O, series or title containing X or O or a book in a series you love
* For eXcited, read a book on the following shelf: GR excited
*For Zealous, read a book with Z in the title or series name, a character whose name begins with Z or written by an author you zealously follow by buying every book, subscribing to emails, following on socials, etc
* For Z, read a book on the following shelf: GR Z
😊 And, drumroll … I’ll be reading
Aaaand I forgot to log on at home yesterday to stamp our card. Oops. Tonight then :-)
Selection PostShelf #8 ~ 16 Apr: X/Z - XOXO / eXcited -or- Zealous / Z
Book: New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb
Pages: 479
How it fits: Zealous: a book written by an author you zealously follow by buying every book, subscribing to emails, following on socials, etc
Completion PostShelf #8 ~ 16 Apr: X/Z - XOXO / eXcited -or- Zealous / Z
Book: New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb
Pages: 479
How it fits: Zealous: a book written by an author you zealously follow by buying every book, subscribing to emails, following on socials, etc
Date Read: 4/19
Rating: 5 stars
Review:
So I've actually avoided reading this one all the way through until now. I tried reading it several years ago, but had to put it down just because the material was so dark and I wasn't up to it then. So I thought I'd give it another try since I'm in the midst of this massive re-read of the whole series and it didn't seem right to skip this one, especially since it's pretty pivotal in Eve's development.
A serial rapist/pedophile escapes from prison, and he has a mission to capture and torture, then kill Eve because she was the one who put him away. We get to see this guy's evil up close and personal right from the very start and it's pretty bad. Eve is shaken by this guy, but determined to put him back where he belongs. Events happen that lead her to Dallas, where her past basically whaps her in the face. Thankfully Roarke is there to help and keeps her on an even keel, but there is a major whack that nearly knocks her off her game. But as we all know, Eve is nothing if not resilient. I'm not going into any more detail because I promised no spoilers, but suffice to say that I'm glad I read it.
I’m hesitant ‘bout reading your full review, but happy to see you rated it so high when it’d initially been a pause for ya. I’ve finished mine, too, and will get my review up before our next shelf. Another good one. Glad I’ve finally gotten some momentum on this series 😊
I can't decide what to read for this shelf so I've put it off until I'm done with the previous one, which is taking me surprisingly longer than I thought it would.
Selection Post
X/Z - XOXO / eXcited -or- Zealous / Z
Book: Last Strand by Jennifer Estep
Pages: 368
How it fits: character name contains an O - Gin Blanco
===
Figured I might as well finish this series :-)
And since today was a bank holiday, I got a bit of reading in, so half-way done with both books and hopefully done with one, maaaaybe both by the time the next shelf call rolls around.
Judgement in Death by J.D. Robb
Series: In Death# 11
Shelf #8: XOXO/eXcited "book in a series you love"
Read: 19 April
Rating: ✮✮✮✮☆
My Review:
"Funny how we all frown over a dirty cop, but nobody wants to rub elbows with the ones digging them out."In this installment, cops are being murdered. While trying to uncover the murderer, Eve encounters and begins to suspect an old associate of Roarke's and possibly a dirty cop. During the investigation, a former coworker, now IAB officer Webster comes to her with some information. The twists and turns in this one didn't keep me from guessing the bad guy(s), but that didn't make the journey to the reveal any less entertaining.
"How long are you going to be pissed off at me?"Eve and Roarke have their first fight and it's keeps them off balance for a bit. But, when they finally take the time to explain their different perspectives and feelings they realize the reasons for their upsets were the same - fear of losing the other.
"I haven't decided. But I'll be sure to let you know."
"You're making me feel like a jerk."
"Darling, you managed that perfectly well on your own."
"You didn't figure the man factor. They got dicks. You can't ever forget the dick when you're dealing with a man.While Eve was struggling to understand what had upset Roarke so badly, she ends up visiting Mavis who puts it all into a perspective Eve can understand. And, it was hilariously BFF-style chatter that we've yet to see up to this point. Eve's very lucky to have Mavis and Mira in her life. Those two women understand Eve and help her when she cannot make heads or tails of what she's feeling.
The dick's connected to the ego. It's medical fact. Or maybe it's the other way around. It's a mystery to all womankind."
"I think I'm in love with your wife."The exchanges between these two men was a hoot. I really loved his (view spoiler) honesty. I was really hoping and happy things worked out the way they did for him in the end.
"That's indeed a problem. I have to admire your courage in saying that to my face."
As always, delving into the darkness with Eve was an enjoyable ride and one I will be continuing.
Eldarwen wrote: "Selection Post"Hope ya like it. Enjoy your lazy day off :)
Lazy days are the best hehe.And while Elemental Assassin really, really needs to come to an end now, I'm still enjoying the ride.
As for Rylee Adamson, I don't quite know why this one is taking willpower to be picked up and once I read, it's going quickly. It's an odd combination. Maybe it quite simply wasn't the right time for this book, but it's a decent read nonetheless. :-)
😁I’m behind on that one (EA), but making some progress w/it.
I’ve only read bk1 of Rylee, but I did read most of her Elemental series, which I think might be connected.
Hmm, quite possibly? I think the name Larkspur did pop up in the Rylee series at some point. Elementals are part of the world but not much is explained about them.
I asked Google and AI responded: “ Yes, the Rylee Adamson series and the Elemental series by Shannon Mayer are connected, but they can be read independently. The Rylee Adamson series focuses on Rylee, a Tracker who helps find missing children, while the Elemental series centers around Larkspur, a young woman with weak magic who is part of the Elemental community. While the series do overlap, you don't need to read one before the other.” 😊
👍🏼😆New shelf, y’all!
Shelf #9 ~ 23 Apr: A - Anniversary / Alpha Male
Requirement: Choose a book using one of the following options ...
* For Anniversary: Read a book published in your birthday month or featuring a character or written by an author whose name contains 'Ann'
* For alpha male, read a book from either shelf: GR alpha male/SOS alpha male
😉 I’ll be reading the latest in my newest fave alpha-male series:
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
Books mentioned in this topic
Easton (other topics)Easton (other topics)
Easton (other topics)
Portrait in Death (other topics)
Imitation in Death (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
J.D. Robb (other topics)Amanda Bouchet (other topics)
J.D. Robb (other topics)
Amanda Bouchet (other topics)
J.D. Robb (other topics)
More...
Do you read any of Grant's other books? This isn't a spinoff of her Dark series, is it? I have some of her earlier books, but haven't read any. I'll have to check that one out.