aly36's reviews
2188 reviews

Midlife Fairy Hunter by Shannon Mayer

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Breena is a fun character in this book.  I enjoy getting to know more about her and her friends.  This book is funny and makes me feel better about my age.  I know how Breena feels! We are not old yet!  I really love this series!  I think someone in TV or movies should grab this series and make a few funny and cute movies or a TV series!  I love how the humor is sprinkled in and to me, it makes the characters more "human" and more likable.  Sometimes books make characters unattainable but this series makes me feel like the characters are people I know and they are my friends too.   Seeing this on TV or on the big screen would be a great way to share with a wider audience that may not have read the series yet.  I say, if you see Shannon Mayer's books buy them; you will be glad you did! This book was a audio book I listen too and I want to say Lauren Fortgang helped bring the story and all the fun charterers to life.

The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I have really enjoyed this author in the past.  I have not read any books from this series but thought I would give this book a try. I really enjoyed it! This book seems to be the end of this series so I guess I started at the end.  Detective Casey Duncan is a great character and I enjoyed the story. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

Trick or Treat by Katerina Diamond

dark mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I have not read any other books in this series.  I wasn't sure how it would work to read book 7.  I really enjoyed this book.  I did not guess the ending and I enjoyed the way the author used the characters to help weave a interesting mystery.  I enjoyed getting to know the characters along the way. *This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*

Lake Cree by Apryl Baker

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

 This book is another great installment from the Reaper Chronicles. I love that Eli was able to tell Ella more about himself in this book. I can't wait to read more about these characters in coming books. I really enjoy these series. I love Mattie/Emma Rose and I am beginning to love Ella as well. Ella is a very sweet character and I hope she stays this way because life has a way of hardening us sometimes. In this book, we follow our friends into a Halloween adventure that is unforgettable! I hope Apryl still loves writing these books as much as I love reading them. 

Look Behind You by Sibel Hodge

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really enjoyed this story.  The narration was wonderful; it was clear and I could imagine myself in the story. Chloe Benson was in the perfect marriage. Or was it?? Is there such a thing as 'perfect'??? Chloe wakes up in a cold, dark place and she doesn't remember what happened or how she got there.  Follow Chloe on a journey through her memories to find out what happened and why. I think this story had a few twists and turns but I knew half way through this book what the ending would be. The ending was not a surprise.  I enjoyed the book either way!

Johnny Creep: Detective Carl Street hunts down a brutal serial killer by Daniel Cane

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

I liked this short story.  It was a shame that many people fell victim to the killer, but  justice was served. I think the end of the book was not a surprise, but I would like to follow and see what happens next.  This short story kept pulling me back in for more. 

Never Kiss the Dead by Kelly Martin

dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next one.  Mercy Manning learns that she can see angels and demons.  What a strange thing! But the real question is who is good and who is bad. I really enjoyed this book and want to know more about the story and the characters.   I really like Mercy but I am still on the fence with Ramsey and Sumner.  Great book, Kelly!

Circus of the Dead by Seth Blackburn

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

This book was a little slow for me.  I wanted to get to the circus a little sooner but I enjoyed the short story.  The ending was not what I expected. 

Become by Ali Archer

challenging dark hopeful inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

So I have started reading some books on my TBR list, and I am glad this was one of them. This author is new to me but I loved this book. Desolation is a good character, I enjoy her humor and how she views hell and her father. This book was capturing from the beginning. I think the relationship between Desolation and Michael is a beautiful romance. As I read this book I could see this great movie being created. This one is another great movie idea.  I think good vs evil always sells and this is a new take on everything.  I enjoyed it and look forward to book 2.

Spells Trouble by Kristin Cast, P.C. Cast

adventurous emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I really love these authors.  I loved the House of Night series so I wanted to give this book a chance. I think the story line has potential but I have to say this book did not keep my interest as I had hoped. I love everything these authors write but I feel this book just needed something more from this book. The enjoyed getting to know the twin sisters, Hunter and Mercy Goode.  I love that this book is based on the Goode witches. Most of the books I read from these author are so good, I can't put them down and this book was not this way. I listened to the audio book more than read the book but I do own both. Cassandra Campbell was a good narrator. I feel there was just something I was missing to make this book as good as I know I usually get from this mother/daughter duo. I have the next book Omens Bite so I hope this was just a slow start on this book to get us invested in the twists and turns with the Goode witches.  P.C. Cast and Kristen Cast, I can't wait to see what else you beautiful ladies can do!