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robin_is_me's reviews
96 reviews
Disorderly Lady by Claudy Conn
He pulled back from his kiss and licked her upper lip even as nibbled with his teeth at her bottom lip...
I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to imagine how he could do both at the same time.
I did like the characters, though Shaun was a bit dense in persisting in believing that Bella was another man's mistress, or a "lightskirt", even as he marveled at how refined she was. And I did manage to get caught up in the story enough that I never considered not finishing it.
And then. The entire book was narrated in third person POV. Until the epilogue, which was narrated by Bella in first person POV. Why? I was so confused. At first I thought maybe she was writing a letter to someone while on her honeymoon, but no. It was just an arbitrary switch.
2.5
When I left my book at home one day and had nothing to read on my lunch hour, I opened the Kindle app on my phone and went to the book that had been sitting there the longest, which turned out to be this one (since 2015!).
I've struggled with whether to give it 2 or 3 stars. The writing isn't great and didn't really flow smoothly, and there were soooo many words, and strings of words, italicized, for no reason that I could discern. I mean, italics are meant to add emphasis, but if you read the italicized words with emphasis...well, it rarely worked. I did like this line:
She hadn’t meant to lose her heart, but if she looked for it now, she would find it in his hands.
But then there was this:
I've struggled with whether to give it 2 or 3 stars. The writing isn't great and didn't really flow smoothly, and there were soooo many words, and strings of words, italicized, for no reason that I could discern. I mean, italics are meant to add emphasis, but if you read the italicized words with emphasis...well, it rarely worked. I did like this line:
She hadn’t meant to lose her heart, but if she looked for it now, she would find it in his hands.
But then there was this:
I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to imagine how he could do both at the same time.
I did like the characters, though Shaun was a bit dense in persisting in believing that Bella was another man's mistress, or a "lightskirt", even as he marveled at how refined she was. And I did manage to get caught up in the story enough that I never considered not finishing it.
And then. The entire book was narrated in third person POV. Until the epilogue, which was narrated by Bella in first person POV. Why? I was so confused. At first I thought maybe she was writing a letter to someone while on her honeymoon, but no. It was just an arbitrary switch.
A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell
4.0
I saw the movie adaptation a long time ago, so when I came across the book recently I snatched it up. It started out a bit slow for me, I'm not a fan of blog posts being inserted throughout a narrative, but I got quite caught up in it, and since it's been so long since I saw the movie I didn't see the ending coming. Now I want to watch the movie again.
Dakota! by Dana Fuller Ross
2.0
This is probably my least favorite of the series so far. I knew early on I was likely not going to enjoy it as much just because I have no interest in reading about wars between the white men and the Indians cuz, yeah, the white men invaded and treated the Indians like shit so it's hard to root for the settlers.
And then I was irritated at one character for being such a naive fool. I was mad at another for cheating on his wife and then rationalizing "she was a woman who made herself available to me, and I was a man".
And then I was irritated at one character for being such a naive fool. I was mad at another for cheating on his wife and then rationalizing "she was a woman who made herself available to me, and I was a man".
The Journalist by David Gardner, David Gardner
Some quirky characters, which the author does well, never going overboard. He also presents us with a nice twist on the whole seeing dead people/talks to ghosts trope. And then the mission had me riveted to the page.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
After I finished it, I watched the movie trailer on IMDb, and based on that and all the low starred reviews, I have no interest at all in watching the movie. Which is unusual for me.
3.0
I had a little trouble getting into this as I found Artemis to be such an unlikable character. But as soon as Holly made her entrance I was more interested, and in fact started thinking I'd be happy to just read about her only. And despite getting more invested in the story, I would have been very happy if Artemis had died in the end, though I knew that was unlikely since there is a second book in this series bearing his name.
After I finished it, I watched the movie trailer on IMDb, and based on that and all the low starred reviews, I have no interest at all in watching the movie. Which is unusual for me.
Never Fall Again by Lynn H. Blackburn
I liked that they built a solid friendship first, as I do love a slow burn. The author does a wonderful job filling out their characters, letting us inside their heads so we get to know them and understand their actions and motivations. This is a romantic suspense, but other than a major incident and mention of a smaller one, there’s not much suspense or action for the first half of the book. Not that I’m complaining – as much as I love adrenaline rush action I’m drawn in more by character driven stories over plot driven. I really liked Landry, who is brave and strong and determined to give Eliza a happy life. And I absolutely loved Cal, who often made me laugh. Another thing I’m very drawn to is humor in a romance. The narrative breezes along, often with light moments but still touching on some darker ones. Just like real life. And when the suspense portion of the story suddenly accelerated I was glued to the pages.
I loved how Cal’s family and friends kept referring to Landry and Eliza as “your girls”, to which he responded with quick denials. I think my favorite scene in the whole book was when Cal finally admitted it to himself. But truthfully, I loved the whole book. I’m very much looking forward to the next one.
*Received via the Revell Reads Blogger Program and voluntarily reviewed*
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I have a new favorite author! I was literally laughing out loud at the banter between the characters less than ten pages in, so I knew I was going to enjoy this. Although I will admit that the huge family tree at the front of the book gave me a little trepidation about keeping all the characters straight. However, the main characters are the ones who count, and I didn’t actually have any issues after all.
Landry has isolated herself and her daughter, Eliza, at The Haven, the resort where she lives and works, selling her pottery and giving pottery lessons to the affluent guests. It’s been three years since she was widowed and fled to Gossamer Falls to get away from her inlaws, at the invitation of her best friend, Bronwyn. She’s starting to feel safe and settled, and with the purchase of a small plot of land, ready to have a real home for herself and Eliza. Enter Cal, who runs a construction company with his brothers. When Landry comes to Cal about building her home, he’s intrigued by her, but he’s vowed to never date a single mother due to an issue in his past. And since Landry isn’t interested in a relationship either, they agree that they are going to be good friends. Little do they know!
I liked that they built a solid friendship first, as I do love a slow burn. The author does a wonderful job filling out their characters, letting us inside their heads so we get to know them and understand their actions and motivations. This is a romantic suspense, but other than a major incident and mention of a smaller one, there’s not much suspense or action for the first half of the book. Not that I’m complaining – as much as I love adrenaline rush action I’m drawn in more by character driven stories over plot driven. I really liked Landry, who is brave and strong and determined to give Eliza a happy life. And I absolutely loved Cal, who often made me laugh. Another thing I’m very drawn to is humor in a romance. The narrative breezes along, often with light moments but still touching on some darker ones. Just like real life. And when the suspense portion of the story suddenly accelerated I was glued to the pages.
I loved how Cal’s family and friends kept referring to Landry and Eliza as “your girls”, to which he responded with quick denials. I think my favorite scene in the whole book was when Cal finally admitted it to himself. But truthfully, I loved the whole book. I’m very much looking forward to the next one.
*Received via the Revell Reads Blogger Program and voluntarily reviewed*
The Pilot's Secret by Allison Leigh
I very much enjoyed this and am already eagerly waiting for the next book in the series.
The Early Family Home by Bobbie Kalman
informative
slow-paced
4.0
Interesting and easy to read book for kids about how settlers and pioneers created their homes, made candles and clothing, and much more. With lots of illustrations, some that would make really nice prints!
Lessons From the Rancher by Anna Grace
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Shadows at Dusk by Elizabeth Goddard
5.0
Another wonderfully written, action packed romantic suspense from Ms. Goddard! In this second book in the Missing in Alaska series, Carrie is a pilot in Shadow Gap, ferrying passengers around Alaska, delivering supplies to residents living in remote areas, and whatever else is needed of her. When Trevor arrives in Alaska looking for answers to his sister’s disappearance, Chief Autumn Long, the heroine of the first book, recommends Carrie as a guide. Carrie is reluctant, as she’s about to leave for a long awaited vacation, and despite being intrigued by Trevor, she refers him to another local pilot. But when Carrie’s business partner, mentor, and best friend is murdered, her whole life is turned upside down, for the second time.
I really liked and admired Carrie. Ten years ago she miraculously survived an attack on her life, and still carries the emotional and physical scars. She’s worked hard to overcome adversity, and flying brings her peace and comfort. I loved Trevor. He uprooted his own life to help his sister escape an abusive marriage, and thought she’d created a good life for herself, only to have her disappear without a trace on a vacation to Alaska, leaving only a handful of photos for Trevor to decipher.
So we have two mysteries running concurrently as it becomes clear that someone does not want Trevor investigating his sister’s disappearance, and it becomes clear that someone is trying to kill Carrie. I love an Alaskan setting. The wild land, the mountains, the seclusion, all lend themselves to the perfect backdrop for mystery, suspense, action, danger, and survival. But we also get an engaging story and great character studies of Carrie and Trevor and what drives them. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
*Received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*
I really liked and admired Carrie. Ten years ago she miraculously survived an attack on her life, and still carries the emotional and physical scars. She’s worked hard to overcome adversity, and flying brings her peace and comfort. I loved Trevor. He uprooted his own life to help his sister escape an abusive marriage, and thought she’d created a good life for herself, only to have her disappear without a trace on a vacation to Alaska, leaving only a handful of photos for Trevor to decipher.
So we have two mysteries running concurrently as it becomes clear that someone does not want Trevor investigating his sister’s disappearance, and it becomes clear that someone is trying to kill Carrie. I love an Alaskan setting. The wild land, the mountains, the seclusion, all lend themselves to the perfect backdrop for mystery, suspense, action, danger, and survival. But we also get an engaging story and great character studies of Carrie and Trevor and what drives them. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
*Received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*