Week in Review #69

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

Can you believe it's February all ready! It brought along with it some weirdly nice weather and I am so not complaining...lol. It's been in the 50s!

So for February you will see a lot of fun retro romances as I host on Youtube a Retro Romance Readathon. It's fun seeing what everyone is reading for it as I just love retro romances, especially historical romance! The only downfall is that most of them I can't get on audiobook or ebook so lots of eyeball reading as I have a giant collection of them that I need to work on reading. :) I have tubs and tubs of them and hopefully one day I will have some bookshelves in a room to put them out on...lol.

Reading the retros has me watching more retro romance movies on Freevee. It doesn't have to be romance on the movies so I watched Hard Evidence, Charade, The Inheritance, The Proposition and Jane Eyre. :)

Hope you all have had a great start to February! Have a great week and happy reading!

What you might have missed on my blog

Review of Haunted

Review of End of Watch

Books I have added

 Nothing! :)

Books read last week

• A Body on the Doorstop - One of the three books I was racing time in the last couple days of January to finish...lol. I enjoyed it overall but at the same time it wasn't the best start to a series. I did like the characters though so will try book two. This was an eARC.
• The Wandering Hour - Middle Grade Horror, but light on horror, felt more light sci-fi but I enjoyed it and will be curious about the next book in the series. This was an eARC.
• Haunted - In my quest to read anything Heather Graham, I had talked Barb into buddy reading this one and it's the first in a series so I am hoping book two is better as this wasn't a huge hit but mainly because of the male main character. This was a print book I own.
• Key to Deceit - I enjoyed the first book I read in January and so started this one at the end of Jan. and finished it up on February first. Love my historical mysteries and this was another hit. I listened to this one.
• Pecos Bill - Participating in a friends readathon called Folklore February so grabbed three graphic novels for it. These three are my favorite tall tales. I just love Pecos Bill and this was very short only 40 pages.
• Paul Bunyan - Another short one at 40 pages. Who doesn't like the giant of a man and his blue ox!
• John Henry - Again it was 40 pages. The man who was born with a hammer in his hand. :)
• Beneath a Blood Read Moon - This is Heather Graham but under a different name and the first in a paranormal vampire series and I really enjoyed this one!! It's part of my reading for the Retro Romance Readathon as it's from 1999. Reminding me of how much I use to love paranormal romances! I listened to this one and now I am on the hunt for this book in print with this cool retro cover! :)

Currently reading

• Beware the Huntsman - This is a book I own, isn't that just an awesome cover!! I love my retro romances...lol. I am really liking this one so far, I am almost finished. It's from 1975 and a Harlequin Romance.
• Satan's Angel - Another one of my retro romances I own. I just love retro covers! This is the very first Harlequin Historical and from 1988. It's a western romance and I am only one chapter into it so I don't have a clear opinion except I think the female is kind of dumb but hoping it was just the one situation...lol.
• The Outlaw and the Lady - This is a retro romance I have going on audiobook. It's from 2001 (can you believe I can count books up to 2004 as retro!). I liked some of her newer books I read last year so went hunting for an older one to try. I am about 50% into it and it's been interesting. The female main character is blind.
• Fatal First Edition - This is an eARC that I have and a buddy read with Barb. We both love this cozy mystery series. I just started so like about 4% into it and no opinion but I am sure it will be great! It's my break from the retros...lol.

What might be up next

 More retro romances! :)

How was your week? What did you get?

Two Bloggers One Series ~ End of Watch by Stephen King (Bill Hodges #3)

 We are finally finishing of the Bill Hodges series, I do know that Barb is enjoying this more than I am...lol. After you see what I have to say go on over to Booker T's Farm and see what Barb thought.

In Room 217 of the Lakes Region Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, something has awakened. Something evil. Brady Hartsfield, perpetrator of the Mercedes Massacre, where eight people were killed and many more were badly injured, has been in the clinic for five years, in a vegetative state. According to his doctors, anything approaching a complete recovery is unlikely. But behind the drool and stare, Brady is awake, and in possession of deadly new powers that allow him to wreak unimaginable havoc without ever leaving his hospital room.

Retired police detective Bill Hodges, the unlikely hero of Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers, now runs an investigation agency with his partner, Holly Gibney—the woman who delivered the blow to Hartsfield’s head that put him on the brain injury ward. When Bill and Holly are called to a suicide scene with ties to the Mercedes Massacre, they find themselves pulled into their most dangerous case yet, one that will put their lives at risk, as well as those of Bill’s heroic young friend Jerome Robinson and his teenage sister, Barbara. Brady Hartsfield is back, and planning revenge not just on Hodges and his friends, but on an entire city.

In End of Watch, Stephen King brings the Hodges trilogy to a sublimely terrifying conclusion, combining the detective fiction of Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers with the heart-pounding, supernatural suspense that has been his bestselling trademark. The result is an unnerving look at human vulnerability and chilling suspense. No one does it better than King.

So feel like this trilogy comes full circle with this book and it involves the man they dubbed "Mr. Mercedes" and some then Bill and Holly as they are racing against time trying to stop some horrible things from happening. 

It's really hard to talk about this one without spoiling the other book in the trilogy so this will probably be short.  There is a thing with some weird experiments happening at a hospital and there is a game that is making people commit suicide which is why Bill and Holly are racing to figure out what is going on and how it's happening and how to stop the person.

I like the characters in this story, I just think that Stephen Kings writing is boring which is weird because as a teen I loved his books so much, which just shows you taste in reading happens. It does have a bit of a sad ending but I was prepared because I already knew what was going to happen to a character (read Outsider which Barb and I didn't know was part of the Holly books till after). I am curious to see how things progress with the spin off books I haven't read. 

3.25 stars (3 on Goodreads)

Two Bloggers One Series ~ Haunted (Harrison Investigations #1)

So I talked Barb into going back to a prequel series to Krewe of Hunters and well the first one was a bit rough...lol. Once you see what I thought head on over to Booker T's Farm and see what Barb thought.

Love is everywhere. . .

When does a gift become a curse?

Matt Stone doesn't believe in ghosts. But there are those who are convinced his home, a historic Virginia estate that dates back to the Revolutionary War, is haunted. Pressured to get at the truth about some strange happenings at Melody House, he agrees to let Harrison Investigations explore the house. But he isn't ready for beautiful, intriguing Darcy Tremayne.

As a paranormal investigator, Darcy has learned to believe in the unbelievable. And she's given Matt fair warning: sometimes people don't like the skeletons she finds. She never dreamed that the warning would apply to herself. For she's about to discover that Melody House holds much more than a simple mystery form the distant past. What it holds is a very real and lethal danger, one that will cast her into a struggle against the worlds of both the living and the dead.

So this one started out with a very sad prologue where we meet the female main character when she was in high school and an event that was very traumatic for her as something happened to her friend but because of that it gives her the ability to sense ghost and see them at times.

Then we go to present day where we meet Matt the male main character who comes from a legacy family and owns a place called Melody House and a lot of people think that it's haunted but he does not believe one little tiny bit in ghost. Then something happened with some guest and since he has been asked my Adam Harrison to let him come check out the house, he finally breaks down and does but still thinks it's a bunch of hogwash. Adam instead of getting money from Matt is actually paying him and Matt who is the sheriff with a large home could use the money. 

Enters Darcy who works for Adam Harrison and was not what Matt was expecting as he was expecting Adam (who was in London for at least half the book). Not only does Matt not believe in any  sort of paranormal things he right from the start is extremely rude to Darcy.

Darcy is staying in the Lee room as that is where the activity is suppose to happen and there are a few things that happen while in there, one scares her so much  she runs out of the room which of course prompts Matt to mock her for being scared of ghost since that is her job. Like I said a jerk! 

With most of this authors books there is always the paranormal aspects but there is also always a real live person doing some nasty things and that is where the mystery of the story takes off. At times Darcy thinks someone is in the room with her, she was pushed into a grave! 

We do get the ghostly help as we normally do though not as much as with Krewe of Hunters. I enjoyed the mystery aspects of this book but when it came to the romance between Matt and Darcy I didn't get it. He is a total jerk through the whole book that even if he comes to terms with her abilities he still doesn't believe anything and I almost wanted him to be the bad guy but I knew this was suppose to be a romance...lol.  

I did however love all the other characters, like Penny who runs Melody House, Clint who is Matt's cousin and some others from the town. 

So this to me was just an average book as I couldn't get behind the romance but liked the mystery. I also liked knowing more about Adam Harrison because he is the founder of the Krewe of Hunters. I am hoping the next book in this series is better. 

3.5 stars

Week in Review #68

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

This week was dreary and foggy and I felt trapped in a horror story. I need some SUN! Thankfully we will be getting some on Monday hopefully.

So I don't have a whole lot to mention. I did go down a movie rabbit hole, I found the old harlequin movies on Freevee, I loved watching them when I was younger and for the most part I could actually remember bits and pieces of it as I was watching them. My favorite was At the Midnight Hour. :)

Have a great week and happy reading!

Books I have added

• The Mystery of the Locked Rooms - I love this authors middle grade horror so I am sure I will like her mystery.
• The Earl's Cinderella Countess - Harlequin historical and that is pretty much all I know. :)
• Undercover Colorado Conspiracy - Love Inspired Suspense, so an inspirational romantic suspense or more like the harlequin intrigue but Christian fiction.

Books read last week

• End of Watch - It was okay and finishes out a Trilogy so there is that.:)
• The Shuddering - It was okay, had weird creatures but unlikeable people.

Currently reading

• The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels - Mystery told in emails and text, not gotten far.
• The Wandering Hour - I haven't worked on this one so still at 39%.
• Haunted - The main focus as I have 91 pages left and it is a buddy read!
• A Body on the Doorstep - I didn't read much of it so only 57% into it.

I really need to get these all done before January is over as I have a lot of eyeball reading in February and only one on this list is an audiobook.

What might be up next

 Doubt I have any extra reading time but if so I will start on February's Retro Romances!

How was your week? What did you get?

Week in Review #67

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

I don't know about you all but I am so done with winter! This last week we had several days of super cold and our water froze and I am ready for spring. Besides complaining about the weather I don't really have much to say...lol.

Have a great week and happy reading!

Books I have added

 Nothing!

Books read last week

I didn't make a post last week so these books are a combination of two weeks.

• Suburban Hell - This was a decent horror book that reminded me of Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires and mix it with My Best Friends Exorcism.
• Murder at the Piccadilly Playhouse - Second book in the Cleopatra Fox series and better than book one.
• A Trace of Poison - Second book in the Phydilla Bright series and I enjoyed it.
• Second Duke's the Charm - This was a lot of fun.
• Death with a Dark Red Rose - Last book in the Writer's Apprentice series. Glad to get a series finished.
• A Peculiar Combination - First book in the Electra McDonald series and it was good.
• How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire - This was okay but not sure if I will continue the series. I am doing a kindle cleanout challenge so trying some of my kindle books that have been hanging out on there for a long time...lol.
• Hidden Current - This was an okay first book in a series.
• The Seafarer's Secret - I thought this mystery was decent but sort of easy to figure out the killer.

Currently reading

• The Moonstone - Okay this book is about to beat me as it really isn't that interesting...lol.
• A Body of the Doorstep - This one is just okay, it's the first book in a series and I don't think the storyline is good for a first book. I am 44% into it.
• Bloodfire - One of my kindle books and it's an urban fantasy and okay. 27% into it.
• End of Watch - Last book in the Bill Hodges Trilogy and so far it's okay but only 18% into it.
• Haunted - My Print book that I am working on and I am 164 pages of 370.
• Doomsday Archives - eARC that I am working on and so far it's interesting.

What might be up next

 Not sure.

How was your week? What did you get?

Week in Review #66

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

I can't believe we are already one week into January 2024! Hope everyone has had a great start to the new year. My year is starting out decent, nothing much happening. 

 It's starting to get cold and I am not ready. You northerners keep that cold and snow up your way! :) 

Have a great week and happy reading!

Books I have added

 Nothing!

Books read last week

• Mother-Daughter Murder Night - This ended up being better than I thought it would.
• Hidden - My first Fern Michaels book and I enjoyed it.
• Small Town Monsters - So I went into this blind thinking it was about monsters but it was about possession and a YA horror, it was wasn't bad I just wanted monsters...lol.

Currently reading

• The Seafarer's Secret - I am liking this one but just not concentrating on my ebooks. I am 46% into this one. It's pretty much just a straight up mystery.
• Hidden Currents - I am part of a kindle/kobo cleanout challenge on Youtube and this is one of my picks for that. I just started it but so far it's not bad.
• Haunted - Part of my read my own physical books personal challenge and buddy reading this with Barb. So far it's okay but only three chapters in.
• A Body on the Doorstep - I didn't make any progress on this one.

What might be up next

• Second Duke's the Charm - I really want to read this one and I have started it but it's on hold so putting it back on the might be up next.
• Moonstone - I am buddy reading this one with a few friends.

How was your week? What did you get?

Week in Review #65 ~ Happy New Year!

The Week in Review is where I combine Stacking the Shelves, The Sunday Post and It's Monday! What are you reading?  If you have never joined in on these meme's you can check them out by clicking on the meme and it will take you to the host blog.

I can't believe that 2024 is upon us!! Where did 2023 go?! Hope every has had a great holiday season and hope your new year starts off great as well!

Have a great week and happy reading!

What you might have missed on my blog

2024 January Anticipated Reads 

Books I have added

 Nothing

Books read last week

• A Novel Disguise - This started out a bit slow but got a lot better and I enjoyed it. First book in the Lady Librarian series.
• I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died - This wasn't as good as the first one for me. I took way to long reading this and that is a bummer.
• Juniper's Christmas - This one was just okay. It was an interesting middle grade Christmas book but I think I was just in a blah mood when reading it which reflects my feelings for it.

Currently reading

I really didn't want to have to roll over books into the new year but my reading the last couple of weeks haven't been great so I guess I will be rolling these over.

• A Body on the Doorstep - This one is okay so far but only 14% into it so it has potential. :)
• The Seafarer's Secret - 32% into this one and I am enjoying it I just need to stick with it and finish it as I need to get it done soon.
• Second Duke's the Charm - I am only 4% into it but so far it's been kind of fun so I have high hopes for it!
• Mother-Daughter Murder Night - My only audiobook on this list and I am 49% into it and so far I am enjoying it.

What might be up next

 So many things I want to read!! Just don't know what I will pick.

How was your week? What did you get?