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lattes_lipstick_literature's reviews
404 reviews
Blood Ties by Quincy J. Allen
4.0
I found this Blood Ties on my recent trip to Salt Lake City Comic Con. I also got to meet the author a self-described author of crossing genres and I am I so glad I picked this book up. I really like the main character Jake, He a bad ass gunslinger who does not take any crap but knows when he is beaten. Plus there's also Cole who I absolutely adore and Skeeter a young girl who is a genius when it comes to technology.
First of all, this book does not try to be something it's not. By that I mean it is first and foremost a Western with Steampunk technology, it then throws in elements of fantasy and supernatural. This is done in a very balancing way, the book is not so convoluted that I felt Allen did not know what the hell he was doing. In fact, he very much knows what he is doing because he does it well.
Second of all, this is very much a setup book. Considering it is supposed to a six-book series, it is going to need to set up a world that seems like it is going to be epic. Despite this, the story still flows incredibly well. There were no long drawn out explanations that hurt my head, no rushed backstory on all the characters, and no long talks where the characters keep repeating things over and over so you would remember.
Thirdly, Allen does great action scenes. I can sometimes get lost in an action scene because well frankly there is just so much going on that I have to reread it a couple of times. Surprisingly, I had no trouble at all with keeping up with Allen's descriptions. While still fast-paced and very detailed, I was able to fully imagine everything the first time around.
Finally, even though Allen is male, Jake is male and Cole is male, there was no shortage of bad ass women. This is incredibly important to me, as sometimes male authors get lost in the physical of a female character that they tend to forget to add more characterization and they fall flat. I wasn't cringing when a new female character was introduced because Jake didn't focus on her ample bosom, the way she smelled or the softness of her skin. While yes there are a couple of those moments it was not out of context or demeaning (I'm thinking of a certain popular author...).
You must be wondering why only 4 stars and not 5. This is just for the simple fact that it's the first book. Like I said before that Blood Ties had to set up the world, so the story couldn't fully take root like the coming books will be. I have the second book Blood Curse which I will be reading, when I am not sure, but hopefully soon
First of all, this book does not try to be something it's not. By that I mean it is first and foremost a Western with Steampunk technology, it then throws in elements of fantasy and supernatural. This is done in a very balancing way, the book is not so convoluted that I felt Allen did not know what the hell he was doing. In fact, he very much knows what he is doing because he does it well.
Second of all, this is very much a setup book. Considering it is supposed to a six-book series, it is going to need to set up a world that seems like it is going to be epic. Despite this, the story still flows incredibly well. There were no long drawn out explanations that hurt my head, no rushed backstory on all the characters, and no long talks where the characters keep repeating things over and over so you would remember.
Thirdly, Allen does great action scenes. I can sometimes get lost in an action scene because well frankly there is just so much going on that I have to reread it a couple of times. Surprisingly, I had no trouble at all with keeping up with Allen's descriptions. While still fast-paced and very detailed, I was able to fully imagine everything the first time around.
Finally, even though Allen is male, Jake is male and Cole is male, there was no shortage of bad ass women. This is incredibly important to me, as sometimes male authors get lost in the physical of a female character that they tend to forget to add more characterization and they fall flat. I wasn't cringing when a new female character was introduced because Jake didn't focus on her ample bosom, the way she smelled or the softness of her skin. While yes there are a couple of those moments it was not out of context or demeaning (I'm thinking of a certain popular author...).
You must be wondering why only 4 stars and not 5. This is just for the simple fact that it's the first book. Like I said before that Blood Ties had to set up the world, so the story couldn't fully take root like the coming books will be. I have the second book Blood Curse which I will be reading, when I am not sure, but hopefully soon
The Haunted Heist by Angie Fox
3.0
I've decided to do a 31 days of October, in doing so I will be showcasing my love for Supernatural, Horror, Mystery & suspense/thriller. Not sure if I want to keep it limited to books or branch out to other media like Television, Movies and Music. If you want to join in go ahead. The More the Merrier! (or would it be scarier?). Starting off my October 1st is my review for Book 3 of the Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries.
The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries is my go to books for when I am feeling the need for some easy and entertaining reading. While I do still love Verity, Frankie and the gang this book seemed just a tiny bit blah. It follows almost the exact same format and almost the same story. Verity is still broke, Frankie still hasn't been able to move on & her evil almost mother in law is well... Still evil.
There were a couple of things that did sort of made this one stand out. Verity and Ellis finally decided to make things official and try despite everything seemingly being against them. Verity's secret is also now out of the bag which makes me really interested in reading the next book.
The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries is my go to books for when I am feeling the need for some easy and entertaining reading. While I do still love Verity, Frankie and the gang this book seemed just a tiny bit blah. It follows almost the exact same format and almost the same story. Verity is still broke, Frankie still hasn't been able to move on & her evil almost mother in law is well... Still evil.
There were a couple of things that did sort of made this one stand out. Verity and Ellis finally decided to make things official and try despite everything seemingly being against them. Verity's secret is also now out of the bag which makes me really interested in reading the next book.
Not a Creature Was Purring by Krista Davis
4.0
I am a huge fan of Cozy Mysteries, I absolutely love to read them! I will admit that I have not read any of the other Paws and Claws Mystery books but I definitely will now! I wanted to read a Christmas book so bad this year, probably because I have not been in the holiday spirit (I'm pretty much a Grinch!). So when I decided to request this book it was with the sole purpose of just reading a book with Christmas elements. It was an added bonus that it was a cozy mystery and with cats and dogs to boot!
I really like that even though I have not read the other 4 mysteries I did not feel lost or confused on who the other characters were. I did not feel like I was reading the fifth book is a series (is that a bad thing?) but it also was not bogged down by character explanation. I also liked and also disliked the fact that the murder happened toward the middle of the book and sort of took a backseat to the story of the characters. I liked it because it gave me a chance to actually learn the victim and what kind of person he was, it made me sympathize and want to learn who the killer was. I disliked it because this is supposed to be a mystery and well it was missing some of those mystery elements that I felt it needed.
Holly, Trixie, and Twinkletoes are loveable characters that made me wish my animals were as well behaved as them. Holly was not overbearing (just a little too nice for me, but the heroines are always too nice for me) and the side characters did not make me want to strangle them. They had the right amount of nosiness and didn't meddle as much as other side characters usually do, which can annoy me.
The story itself was great and easy to read, definitely would recommend for an in-between epic or dramatic reads. While the story was a bit predictable I will say that the murderer actually didn't turn out to be who I thought, which I loved.
I really like that even though I have not read the other 4 mysteries I did not feel lost or confused on who the other characters were. I did not feel like I was reading the fifth book is a series (is that a bad thing?) but it also was not bogged down by character explanation. I also liked and also disliked the fact that the murder happened toward the middle of the book and sort of took a backseat to the story of the characters. I liked it because it gave me a chance to actually learn the victim and what kind of person he was, it made me sympathize and want to learn who the killer was. I disliked it because this is supposed to be a mystery and well it was missing some of those mystery elements that I felt it needed.
Holly, Trixie, and Twinkletoes are loveable characters that made me wish my animals were as well behaved as them. Holly was not overbearing (just a little too nice for me, but the heroines are always too nice for me) and the side characters did not make me want to strangle them. They had the right amount of nosiness and didn't meddle as much as other side characters usually do, which can annoy me.
The story itself was great and easy to read, definitely would recommend for an in-between epic or dramatic reads. While the story was a bit predictable I will say that the murderer actually didn't turn out to be who I thought, which I loved.
The Minimalist Kitchen: 100 Wholesome Recipes, Essential Tools, and Efficient Techniques by Melissa Coleman
3.0
Trying to do some Spring Cleaning? Need to declutter your kitchen? Tired of having no counter space? Then read this book. I like how Coleman gives you a breakdown of the kitchen items you need, while also explaining what they do. The book was enjoyable and gave me multiple ideas on what to do with my Kitchen and Pantry. Definitely will be working on cooking some of those recipes.
Keto Slow Cooker & One-Pot Meals: Over 100 Simple & Delicious Low-Carb, Paleo and Primal Recipes for Weight Loss and Better Health by Martina Slajerova
4.0
While I don't follow a Keto diet, it's great to have some recipes on hand. I've always found that it's hard to strictly follow a diet especially when you work, blog, and go to school like I do. So having a recipe book that gives you one pot and Slow Cooker meals is exactly what I need. Plus most of these recipes sound so good! I am not kidding either.
The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova
4.0
Hello Fellow Readers,
I am so surprised how much I liked this book considering it took me two times to read it. The first time I was in the middle of my reading slump and I just could not get into the book. The second time, however, was a completely different experience. At First, I thought Arianna was Selfish, Egotists, and Stubborn but as the story progresses you start to see a softer side especially in the interactions with Florence. This made me really endear to the character. I loved Cvareh and Florence as well which made it a breeze when reading their point of view.
The world that Kova built is phenomenal and the way she gives you backstory and exposition so subtle without punching you in the face with blocks of text is great. I enjoyed the different guilds, while also learning about the different Dragon houses. It's also refreshing to read about Dragons rather than other mythical creatures like fae (They are overused in my opinion). The slow build and evolution of Arianna and Cvareh's relationship were fun to read. I am so rooting for them!
Leona was not a hard POV to read despite me not liking her (which you shouldn't do). The sadistic tendencies of dragons towards other really makes you a bigger fan of Arianna and Cvareh. Nova and Loom are so different and Kova did a really good job describing the cities around Loom. Since the next book takes place on Nova it makes me really excited to see how that differs, although I think I already know. Overall, I am really glad I gave this book another shot. Can't wait to read The Dragons of Nova Next.
I am so surprised how much I liked this book considering it took me two times to read it. The first time I was in the middle of my reading slump and I just could not get into the book. The second time, however, was a completely different experience. At First, I thought Arianna was Selfish, Egotists, and Stubborn but as the story progresses you start to see a softer side especially in the interactions with Florence. This made me really endear to the character. I loved Cvareh and Florence as well which made it a breeze when reading their point of view.
The world that Kova built is phenomenal and the way she gives you backstory and exposition so subtle without punching you in the face with blocks of text is great. I enjoyed the different guilds, while also learning about the different Dragon houses. It's also refreshing to read about Dragons rather than other mythical creatures like fae (They are overused in my opinion). The slow build and evolution of Arianna and Cvareh's relationship were fun to read. I am so rooting for them!
Leona was not a hard POV to read despite me not liking her (which you shouldn't do). The sadistic tendencies of dragons towards other really makes you a bigger fan of Arianna and Cvareh. Nova and Loom are so different and Kova did a really good job describing the cities around Loom. Since the next book takes place on Nova it makes me really excited to see how that differs, although I think I already know. Overall, I am really glad I gave this book another shot. Can't wait to read The Dragons of Nova Next.
Secondborn by Amy A. Bartol
3.0
Actual Rating: 3.5
I've read the first book of Bartol's Kricket series, and I got to say I liked this one more. While it does have romance it does not take center stage in this book like it did halfway through Under Different Stars (You can read how I felt about that HERE). First, I found the mix of colors on the cover gorgeous, I know they say don't judge a book by it's cover but sometimes you can't help it. Secondly, the synopsis was pretty interesting, given that technically in my family I would have been a Thirdborn, so shot and killed in this world. Third, I was hoping for a strong female character, being female myself I always lean toward female protagonists (and antagonists as well) in stories.
While yes, Roselle was a strong character she did have inconsistencies in her personality. One minute she was graceful, witty, and powerful, then the next she's a shaky and anxious mess. Plus in the beginning of the book you see she is a most loyal soldier, then suddenly she's this rebellious troublemaker. While I am all for strong characters to have faults, this change in personality had no transition.
The romance was great, since it did not interfere too much in the plot, or create drama just to create drama. I think I know where Bartol is going with it which makes me more optimistic about it. This book did remind me heavily of The Hunger Games series, especially Catching Fire but once again I preferred this book over that one.
I've read the first book of Bartol's Kricket series, and I got to say I liked this one more. While it does have romance it does not take center stage in this book like it did halfway through Under Different Stars (You can read how I felt about that HERE). First, I found the mix of colors on the cover gorgeous, I know they say don't judge a book by it's cover but sometimes you can't help it. Secondly, the synopsis was pretty interesting, given that technically in my family I would have been a Thirdborn, so shot and killed in this world. Third, I was hoping for a strong female character, being female myself I always lean toward female protagonists (and antagonists as well) in stories.
While yes, Roselle was a strong character she did have inconsistencies in her personality. One minute she was graceful, witty, and powerful, then the next she's a shaky and anxious mess. Plus in the beginning of the book you see she is a most loyal soldier, then suddenly she's this rebellious troublemaker. While I am all for strong characters to have faults, this change in personality had no transition.
The romance was great, since it did not interfere too much in the plot, or create drama just to create drama. I think I know where Bartol is going with it which makes me more optimistic about it. This book did remind me heavily of The Hunger Games series, especially Catching Fire but once again I preferred this book over that one.