Wicked Weaves

Review:

Being set at a renaissance fair, this set itself apart from a lot of the other mysteries. Jessie being the name of the main character and I was all set! (Jessie is my youngest sister's name). 
This ended up being disappointing. I really didn't like Jessie and found her to be judgmental and immature. She was "thirty-something" (if my memory is right, she is 32) and an assistant professor, but acted much younger. I couldn't imagine her teaching! The first part of the book was the worst; what came out of her mouth wasn't very thought out or empathetic. It did get better (or I got used to it) as the book went on. This quote sums it up nicely: "I was taking some serious grief over this whole thing, and I wasn't sure why. I'd done all I could to help Mary. It seemed to me she could be a little grateful."
The main male character had an eye-rolling name. Chase Manhattan. "My parents were into banking. You know how it is." Yeah, actually I don't and don't want to. The romance in this was just okay. Again, for people in their thirties I expected more assertiveness. 
I doubt I will read this rest.

Halloween Bingo:  Creepy Carnivals square 

Original post: RachelGoodbyeBorders.booklikes.com/post/1799966/wicked-weaves

Girl in Disguise

Review:

I picked this up because it interested me. A book about the first female Pinkerton detective? A woman that not much is known? (Although much more would have been known had the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 not happened).
I loved this book. Yes, it's based on a real life person. And yes, it's a work of fiction. But, I think the author did the real Kate Warne justice. It showed what a woman had to go through to be able to prove herself, support herself. I found this book uplifting, interesting, and fascinating. What kept this from getting a full-on 5, but I thought too much was packed in the pages. Maybe this would have worked out better had it been 2 or 3 books? I found myself wanting more!
And I will say this- this is what I needed in this day and age of Trump, Kavanaugh, and all that bullshit. A book about a strong, intelligent, and unconventional woman. I'm hoping to enjoy my next read as much as I enjoyed this one. Cheers!

Booklikes Bingo: Terrifying Women

Original post: RachelGoodbyeBorders.booklikes.com/post/1799821/girl-in-disguise

Halloween Bingo Update the Second

 

First Bingo!  On the diagonal.

Called AND Read:

Relics and Curiosities:  Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews 9/10

Cozy Mystery: Truly Madly by Heather Webber 9/16

New Release: I Am Justice by Diana Munoz Stewart 9/18

Diverse Voices: Black Lace by Beverly Jenkins 9/26

Southern Gothic: Dark Cries of Gray Oaks by Lee Karr 9/15

Modern Masters of Horror: Dead Spots by Rhiannon Frater 9/22

Ghost Stories:  The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens 9/29 

Murder Most Foul: Lowcountry Boil by Susan Boyer  10/1

Free Space:  Magic to the Bone by Devon Monk 10/4

Supernatural: Possessing the Witch by Elle James 10/3

13: She Hulk by Marta Acosta 10/7

 

Read, not called:

 

 

Currently reading (called):

Terrifying Women: A Girl in Disguise by Greer MacAllister

 

 

Called and not read:

 

Creepy Carnivals: Wicked Weaves by Joyce and Jim Lavene

Genre: Suspense: 

Cryptozoologist: Shield of Winter by Nalini Singh

Shifters: Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

Doomsday:  Married With Zombies by Jesse Peterson

 

List:

Genre: Horror: Dreadful Skin by Cherie Priest

Spellbound:  A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses by Molly Harper

Baker Street Irregulars: The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

Terror in a Small Town: 

Dead Lands: Once Bitten, Twice Burned by Cynthia Eden

Fear the Drowning Deep: Tsunami Blue by Gayle Ann Williams

Country House Mystery: Ghost of a Chance by Katie MacAllister

Darkest London: Firelight by Kristin Callihan

 

 

 

Original post: RachelGoodbyeBorders.booklikes.com/post/1796100/halloween-bingo-update-the-second

The She-Hulk Diaries

Review:

I'm generally not a reader of comics, but I do enjoy the Marvel and DC properties on the big and small screen.  So, I was interested in this one even though Bruce Banner/the Hulk is a character I'm fairly ambivalent about.  This book is about his cousin, Jennifer Walters.

Jen is good at her job, but also has self-esteem and some anger issues in regards to her alter ego She-Hulk.  At the beginning she was a bit hard to like for me; she was (IMO) shallow, immature.  Her best friend Dahlia was also.  By the end, she was a little better. 

I didn't like the big focus on getting a boyfriend.  There is a bit of a love triangle with Sven and Ellis.  I didn't like that Ellis was engaged to Amber.  Amber, was also a BITCH (because of course she has to be, right?).  

Didn't care for the fashion show fat shaming.  Interesting story-line regarding ReplaceMax with cloned organs.  Just not enough for me and ended up a little disappointed.  

This fits in very well with the "New Adult" genre.  But based on a comic superhero/sci-fi/supernatural elements.  Thus far, I've noted there are very few NA books I've actually liked.  As a result, I generally avoid them.

Booklikes Bingo:  13 square (this book was published in 2013 and it was 13 in the ISBN #!)

Original post: RachelGoodbyeBorders.booklikes.com/post/1798202/the-she-hulk-diaries

Magic to the Bone

Review:

In this world anyone can use magic. Magic was "discovered." However, magic comes with a price that user must pay. And, of course, people being assholes, could choose to not pay the price and "Offload" it someone else. That's where Allie comes in. She is a Hound and finds those that abuse magic.
So, yes! I was excited. This was different! I liked the writing and world building. It was interesting. However, I had Issues with Allie. I thought she was immature, lacked common sense, and was a little TSTL. She couldn't hold on to money to save her life. At the beginning, Allie is Hounding a hit on Boy. The magic signature (magic leaves a traceable signature) points at her father. Allie goes and confronts her father. He denies it and she does a truth spell (also supposed to be infallible) that shows he is telling the truth. Then something happens to her father and Allie is blamed for it. She knows she didn't do it. So, does she question the Hounding result from earlier. Nope. Still believes dear old dad is responsible.
I'm not sure how I feel about magic's effect on Allie either. She gets sick/has pain and also memory loss. She loses random, important memories. One one hand, it's both a different and convenient plot point, and the other hand I thought it was sad. She quotes earlier in the book: "Sometimes I felt like a ghost in my own life."
Zayvion is a mystery. I liked Nola, Cody, and Kitten.
I'm probably not going to read anymore in this series. Allie was an exercise in frustration and also sadness.
Booklikes Halloween Bingo: Free Space!

Original post: RachelGoodbyeBorders.booklikes.com/post/1797531/magic-to-the-bone

Possessing the Witch

Review:

Excellent start from the point of Amanda, the victim. This is the first book I've read in this series, and luckily it stands on it's own. I enjoyed the sisters. I liked the idea of a group of people living in the tunnels under the city- by choice because of they way they were born or by circumstance.
Good heroine that saves the hero. It was nice she didn't need saving. The romance (and sex) is quick to happen, but I thought it worked.
The villain wasn't special and you can guess easily who it is. I'm surprised this person had gotten away with it so long, but then when

[spoiler]

it's your brother, someone you trust, blinders come into play.

[/spoiler]

Lets see if I get this right- Selene gift of spirit, Brigid- fire, Deme- Earth, Aurai- Wind/weather, and Gina- Water. I'd be interested in other books featuring the Chattox sisters.

I'm using this for the Supernatural square

Original post: RachelGoodbyeBorders.booklikes.com/post/1797242/possessing-the-witch

Lowcountry Boil

Review:

This was entertaining. I enjoyed the mystery- there was more than one thing going on and as such more than one mystery! I knew where one was going, but not the other!
I thought most of the characters were likable. Liz was stupid a time or 2 (leaving her purse, keys, gun behind), but hey I understood the rush. I did like adding Colleen to the mix; I love the paranormal, but there really wasn't an explanation why Liz (and only Liz). I would have liked more on Nate. I did like Liz telling Michael no. However, the makings (please no) are there for a love triangle. Michael is a spineless idiot and I absolutely do not want him with Liz!
I think the thing I enjoyed most was the sibling interactions. I also wasn't sure how much Deanna really knew, or if she was an innocent as she seemed.
One thing that really bothered me was I felt at the end Marci (the Schemer) was being forced into a

[spoiler]

pregnancy

[/spoiler]

she didn't want. (She was one of the most unsympathetic, unlikable characters, but I disliked that plot point).

Booklikes Bingo: Murder Most Foul

 

 

 

Original post: RachelGoodbyeBorders.booklikes.com/post/1796682/lowcountry-boil