Dana's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:45:52 -0700 60 Dana's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[The Wealth of Nations, Books 1-3]]> 115596
The publication of The Wealth of Nations in 1776 coincided with America's Declaration of Independence, and with this landmark treatise on political economy, Adam Smith paved the way for modern capitalism, arguing that a truly free market - fired by competition yet guided as if by an 'invisible hand' to ensure justice and equality - was the engine of a fair and productive society. Books I - III of The Wealth of Nations examine the 'division of labour' as the key to economic growth, by ensuring the interdependence of individuals within society. They also cover the origins of money and the importance of wages, profit, rent and stocks; but the real sophistication of his analysis derives from the fact that it encompasses a combination of ethics, philosophy and history to create a vast panorama of society.

This edition contains an analytical introduction offering an in-depth discussion of Smith as an economist and social scientist, as well as a preface, further reading and explanatory notes.]]> 544 Adam Smith 0140432086 Dana 5 3.88 The Wealth of Nations, Books 1-3
author: Adam Smith
name: Dana
average rating: 3.88
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2021/04/01
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: classic-literature, cultural, istorie, history
review:

]]> The Game 63235520
I spent twelve hours writing algorithms for one of the largest companies in the world and then came home to work on a pet project of mine—feeding facts about the men I knew into a formula to find my perfect match before my twenties came barreling to a close.

But then a man knocked on my door and handed me some papers that turned my life upside down.

Apparently, a father I never knew existed had left me something in his will. That something turned out to be part ownership in a professional football team.

Next thing I knew, I was learning a sport I knew nothing about by spending time with the team’s quarterback who was out with an injury, a man who my formula would definitely determine was all wrong for me.

Christian Knox was too handsome and confident for his own good and could have any woman he wanted. Only lately the only woman he seemed to want was me.

But there was no way I was getting involved when I was now his boss, even if he was insanely gorgeous and had the dirtiest mouth I’d ever come across.

It would be wrong, wouldn’t it?

Probably. But you know what they say about things that are wrong...sometimes they feel so right.]]> 359 Vi Keeland 1959827030 Dana 0 to-read 3.99 2023 The Game
author: Vi Keeland
name: Dana
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ingerul Nimicirii (Suflet Letal, #1)]]> 34746945 Cand afla ca parintii ei sunt unii dintre putinii vrajitori de pe acest pamant,este dispusa sa accepte ritualul care ar putea sa-i disipe cosmarurile.

Insa ritualul este mortal,iar tatal ei inverseaza vraja,visele sale prinzand forma materiala.
Un Inger inuman apare in viata ei,schimbandu-i total cursul.Printr-o putere efervescenta,Julia reuseste sa descopere partea intacta a sufletului lui Andre,iar atractia dintre cei doi e mai puternica pe zi ce trece,dand contur unei iubiri periculoase�
Dar intunericul se pogoara asupra lor,iar Andre este amenintat de vampirism.Iubirea e singurul lucru care le da putere in a infrange raul…Si oare vor reusi?Sacrificiul dintre suflete e letal…]]> 466 Florin Buharu Dana 0 to-read 5.00 Ingerul Nimicirii (Suflet Letal, #1)
author: Florin Buharu
name: Dana
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[City of Stairs (The Divine Cities, #1)]]> 21825528
Into this broken city steps Shara Thivani. Officially, the unassuming young woman is just another junior diplomat sent by Bulikov’s oppressors. Unofficially, she is one of her country’s most accomplished spies, dispatched � along with her terrifying “secretary�, Sigrud � to solve a murder.

But as Shara pursues the killer, she starts to suspect that the beings who ruled this terrible place may not be as dead as they seem, and that Bulikov’s cruel reign may not yet be over.

A tale of vast conspiracies, dead gods, and buried histories, City of Stairs is at once a gripping spy novel and a stunningly original work of fantasy.]]> 466 Robert Jackson Bennett 0804137188 Dana 0 to-read 4.21 2014 City of Stairs (The Divine Cities, #1)
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Dana
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Assassin and the Healer (Throne of Glass, #0.2)]]> 18333581 40 Sarah J. Maas Dana 4 fantasy 4.21 2013 The Assassin and the Healer (Throne of Glass, #0.2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2016/01/01
date added: 2024/08/18
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Around the World in Eighty Days]]> 54479 252 Jules Verne 014044906X Dana 5 classic-literature 3.95 1872 Around the World in Eighty Days
author: Jules Verne
name: Dana
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1872
rating: 5
read at: 1988/01/01
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: classic-literature
review:

]]> <![CDATA[World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)]]> 17849112 Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world. When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans, where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

]]> 320 Susan Ee 1477867287 Dana 5 fantasy 4.09 2013 World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)
author: Susan Ee
name: Dana
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2016/01/01
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: fantasy
review:
Foarte bine scrisa cartea . Autoarea are talent cu carul. daca va place Jennifer L. Armentrout atunci o sa va placa si Susane Ee. Ideea cartii m-a dus cu gandul la un serial -Dominion. Genul este Young-adult, o povestire fantasy captivanta si alerta; se citeste dintr-o suflare.
]]> Sans Famille 3773804 95 Christine Ferreira 2011552834 Dana 5 classic-literature 4.26 Sans Famille
author: Christine Ferreira
name: Dana
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 1986/01/01
date added: 2024/03/14
shelves: classic-literature
review:

]]> The Puck Arrangement 203705690
Lane Avery has been avoiding the NHL since he was eighteen, but the star hockey player is running out of time to make a choice. When he convinces his best friend to get a new apartment with him, the last thing he expects is for the leasing office to mess up their arrangement, giving them a four-bedroom instead of a two-bedroom. The worst part? He’s stuck living with the girl he accidentally spilled his beer all over the week prior.

With Bridget’s search for answers and Lane’s impending decision, neither one can afford to get distracted� or hurt. They both try to steer clear of the disaster waiting to happen, but will they be able to maintain a safe distance under the same roof?]]> 438 Trinity Lemm Dana 5 Related to this book I can say that I liked it from the first chapter, I don't want to give spoilers, so I'll talk a bit more generally. I hope you will read the book and only then you will realize how well written it is. It's a romance book, with situational humor, explicit sex scenes and protagonists so well-crafted that you can't help but love them. Congratulations Trinity on another 5 star book!]]> 3.63 2024 The Puck Arrangement
author: Trinity Lemm
name: Dana
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/25
date added: 2024/03/05
shelves: romance, young-adult, advanced-readers-copy, 01-2024
review:
First I want to say that this is the 5th book written by Trinity that I have read. I really like how she writes, how she treats serious topics without being a heavy, gripping, anxiety-inducing read. I am still amazed at the author's talent and potential at such a young age.
Related to this book I can say that I liked it from the first chapter, I don't want to give spoilers, so I'll talk a bit more generally. I hope you will read the book and only then you will realize how well written it is. It's a romance book, with situational humor, explicit sex scenes and protagonists so well-crafted that you can't help but love them. Congratulations Trinity on another 5 star book!
]]> I Went To See My Father 61905969 An instant bestseller in Korea and the follow up to the international bestseller, Please Look After Mom; centering on a woman's efforts to reconnect with her aging father, uncovering long-held family secrets.

Two years after losing her daughter in a tragic accident, Hon finally returns to her home in the countryside to take care of her father. At first, her father only appears withdrawn and fragile, an aging man, awkward but kind around his own daughter. Then, after stumbling upon a chest of letters, Hon discovers the truth of her father's past and reconstructs her own family history.

Consumed with her own grief, Hon had been blind to her father's vulnerability and her family's fragility. Unraveling secret after secret and thanks to conversations with loving family and friends, Hon grows closer to her father, who proves to be more complex than she ever gave him credit for. After living through one of the most tumultuous times in Korean history, her father's life was once vibrant and ambitious, but spiraled during the postwar years. Now, after years of emotional isolation, Hon learns the whole truth, from her father's affair and involvement in a cult, to the dynamic lives of her own siblings, to her family's financial hardships.

What Hon uncovers about her father builds towards her understanding of the great scope of his sacrifice and heroism, and of her country as a whole. More than just the portrait of a single man, I Went to See My Father opens a window onto humankind, family, loss, and war. With this long-awaited follow-up to Please Look After Mom--flawlessly rendered by award-winning translator Anton Hur--Kyung-Sook Shin has crafted an ambitious, global, epic, and lasting novel.]]> 304 Kyung-Sook Shin 1662601379 Dana 0 to-read 3.57 2021 I Went To See My Father
author: Kyung-Sook Shin
name: Dana
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Please Look After Mom 8574333 Please Look After Mom is a stunning, deeply moving story of a family's search for their missing mother - and their discovery of the desires, heartaches and secrets they never realized she harbored within.

When sixty-nine year old So-nyo is separated from her husband among the crowds of the Seoul subway station, and vanishes, their children are consumed with loud recriminations, and are awash in sorrow and guilt. As they argue over the "Missing" flyers they are posting throughout the city - how large of a reward to offer, the best way to phrase the text - they realize that none of them have a recent photograph of Mom. Soon a larger question emerges: do they really know the woman they called Mom?

Told by the alternating voices of Mom's daughter, son, her husband and, in the shattering conclusion, by Mom herself, the novel pieces together, Rashomon-style, a life that appears ordinary but is anything but.

This is a mystery of one mother that reveals itself to be the mystery of all our mothers: about her triumphs and disappointments and about who she is on her own terms, separate from who she is to her family. If you have ever been a daughter, a son, a husband or a mother, Please Look After Mom is a revelation - one that will bring tears to your eyes.]]> 237 Kyung-Sook Shin 0307593916 Dana 0 to-read 3.89 2008 Please Look After Mom
author: Kyung-Sook Shin
name: Dana
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sandkings 769902
Contents:
- The Way of Cross and Dragon (1979)
- Bitterblooms (1977)
- In the House of the Worm (1976)
- Fast-Friend (1976)
- The Stone City (1977)
- Starlady (1976)
- Sandkings (1979)

Cover illustration by Michael Whelan

]]> 254 George R.R. Martin 067165554X Dana 0 to-read 4.31 1981 Sandkings
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Dana
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1981
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Dying of the Light 67956 288 George R.R. Martin 0553383086 Dana 0 to-read 3.60 1977 Dying of the Light
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Dana
average rating: 3.60
book published: 1977
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Flowers for Algernon 18373 Winner of both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, the powerful, classic story about a man who receives an operation that turns him into a genius...and introduces him to heartache.

Charlie Gordon is about to embark upon an unprecedented journey. Born with an unusually low IQ, he has been chosen as the perfect subject for an experimental surgery that researchers hope will increase his intelligence � a procedure that has already been highly successful when tested on a lab mouse named Algernon.

As the treatment takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment appears to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance, until Algernon suddenly deteriorates. Will the same happen to Charlie?]]> 311 Daniel Keyes 015603008X Dana 4 bookclub While this is clearly speculative fiction, the point of Flowers for Algernon isn't the technology that lets Charlie become more intelligent but rather how people react to him, both before and afterwards, as his perceptions of the world change. This is, in part, a sharp rebuke of the way that the mentally retarded are treated, but there are also interesting explorations of identity, friendship, and the results of revisiting one's past. There are several wonderfully memorable characters, particularly the free-living artist living next door.
The journal technique is quite effective in bringing the reader into the story and conveying Charlie's intelligence level, using spelling and grammar as superficial clues and the sophistication of Charlie's observations as a deeper clue to his current intelligence level. Over the course of the book, the writing slowly becomes more sophisticated, in tune with the underlying thoughts. I liked the balance between first-person immediacy and thoughtful retrospective that the format of a journal entry at the end of each day or two provides.
The reader's growing ability to understand Charlie and Charlie's attempts to understand himself touch on the exploration of alienness and human reactions to it that underpin so many great science fiction stories. Highly recommended.

Merged review:

While this is clearly speculative fiction, the point of Flowers for Algernon isn't the technology that lets Charlie become more intelligent but rather how people react to him, both before and afterwards, as his perceptions of the world change. This is, in part, a sharp rebuke of the way that the mentally retarded are treated, but there are also interesting explorations of identity, friendship, and the results of revisiting one's past. There are several wonderfully memorable characters, particularly the free-living artist living next door.
The journal technique is quite effective in bringing the reader into the story and conveying Charlie's intelligence level, using spelling and grammar as superficial clues and the sophistication of Charlie's observations as a deeper clue to his current intelligence level. Over the course of the book, the writing slowly becomes more sophisticated, in tune with the underlying thoughts. I liked the balance between first-person immediacy and thoughtful retrospective that the format of a journal entry at the end of each day or two provides.
The reader's growing ability to understand Charlie and Charlie's attempts to understand himself touch on the exploration of alienness and human reactions to it that underpin so many great science fiction stories. Highly recommended.]]> 4.19 1966 Flowers for Algernon
author: Daniel Keyes
name: Dana
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1966
rating: 4
read at: 2018/08/14
date added: 2023/09/15
shelves: bookclub
review:

While this is clearly speculative fiction, the point of Flowers for Algernon isn't the technology that lets Charlie become more intelligent but rather how people react to him, both before and afterwards, as his perceptions of the world change. This is, in part, a sharp rebuke of the way that the mentally retarded are treated, but there are also interesting explorations of identity, friendship, and the results of revisiting one's past. There are several wonderfully memorable characters, particularly the free-living artist living next door.
The journal technique is quite effective in bringing the reader into the story and conveying Charlie's intelligence level, using spelling and grammar as superficial clues and the sophistication of Charlie's observations as a deeper clue to his current intelligence level. Over the course of the book, the writing slowly becomes more sophisticated, in tune with the underlying thoughts. I liked the balance between first-person immediacy and thoughtful retrospective that the format of a journal entry at the end of each day or two provides.
The reader's growing ability to understand Charlie and Charlie's attempts to understand himself touch on the exploration of alienness and human reactions to it that underpin so many great science fiction stories. Highly recommended.

Merged review:

While this is clearly speculative fiction, the point of Flowers for Algernon isn't the technology that lets Charlie become more intelligent but rather how people react to him, both before and afterwards, as his perceptions of the world change. This is, in part, a sharp rebuke of the way that the mentally retarded are treated, but there are also interesting explorations of identity, friendship, and the results of revisiting one's past. There are several wonderfully memorable characters, particularly the free-living artist living next door.
The journal technique is quite effective in bringing the reader into the story and conveying Charlie's intelligence level, using spelling and grammar as superficial clues and the sophistication of Charlie's observations as a deeper clue to his current intelligence level. Over the course of the book, the writing slowly becomes more sophisticated, in tune with the underlying thoughts. I liked the balance between first-person immediacy and thoughtful retrospective that the format of a journal entry at the end of each day or two provides.
The reader's growing ability to understand Charlie and Charlie's attempts to understand himself touch on the exploration of alienness and human reactions to it that underpin so many great science fiction stories. Highly recommended.
]]> <![CDATA[Sunflower Sisters (Lilac Girls, #3)]]> 54809001
Georgeanne "Georgey" Woolsey isn't meant for the world of lavish parties and demure attitudes of women of her stature. So when the war ignites the nation, Georgey follows her passion for nursing during a time when doctors considered women a bother on the battlefront. In proving them wrong, she and her sister Eliza venture from New York to Washington, D.C., to Gettysburg and witness the unparalleled horrors of slavery as they become involved in the war effort.

In the South, Jemma is enslaved on the Peeler Plantation in Maryland, where she lives with her mother and father. Her sister, Patience, is enslaved on the plantation next door and both live in fear of LeBaron, an abusive overseer who tracks their every move. When Jemma is sold by the cruel plantation mistress Anne-May at the same time the Union army comes through, she sees a chance to finally escape--but only by abandoning the family she loves.

Anne-May is left behind to run Peeler Planation when her husband joins the Union Army and her cherished brother enlists with the Confederates. In charge of the household, she uses the opportunity to follow her own ambitions and is drawn into a secret Southern network of spies, finally exposing herself to the fate she deserves.

Inspired by true accounts, Sunflower Sisters provides a vivid, detailed look at the Civil War experience, from the barbaric and inhumane plantations, to a war-torn New York City to the horrors of the battlefield. It's a sweeping story of women caught in a country on the brink of collapse, in a society grappling with nationalism and unthinkable racial cruelty, a story still so relevant today.]]> 528 Martha Hall Kelly 1524796409 Dana 0 to-read 4.22 2021 Sunflower Sisters (Lilac Girls, #3)
author: Martha Hall Kelly
name: Dana
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Lost Roses (Lilac Girls, #2) 40988979 The runaway bestseller Lilac Girls introduced the real-life heroine Caroline Ferriday. This sweeping new novel, set a generation earlier and also inspired by true events, features Caroline's mother, Eliza, and follows three equally indomitable women from St. Petersburg to Paris under the shadow of World War I.

It is 1914 and the world has been on the brink of war so many times, many New Yorkers treat the subject with only passing interest. Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. Petersburg with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanov's. The two met years ago one summer in Paris and became close confidantes. Now Eliza embarks on the trip of a lifetime, home with Sofya to see the splendors of Russia. But when Austria declares war on Serbia and Russia's Imperial dynasty begins to fall, Eliza escapes back to America, while Sofya and her family flee to their country estate. In need of domestic help, they hire the local fortuneteller's daughter, Varinka, unknowingly bringing intense danger into their household. On the other side of the Atlantic, Eliza is doing her part to help the White Russian families find safety as they escape the revolution. But when Sofya's letters suddenly stop coming she fears the worst for her best friend.

From the turbulent streets of St. Petersburg to the avenues of Paris and the society of fallen Russian emigre's who live there, the lives of Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka will intersect in profound ways, taking readers on a breathtaking ride through a momentous time in history.]]> 432 Martha Hall Kelly 1524796379 Dana 0 to-read 4.01 2019 Lost Roses (Lilac Girls, #2)
author: Martha Hall Kelly
name: Dana
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Elite 38608003 A PRIVILEGED standalone novel, get ready for secret societies, international romance, and college debauchery... If you’re in, you’ll never have to ask. If you ask, you’ll never be in. Eloise Mason knows what it’s like to live among the privileged. Seeking a change from the upper crust society of Europe, she flies halfway across the world for a semester abroad in the one place guaranteed to toss responsibility out the window and provide some good, old-fashioned fun; college in The United States. Except nothing at the picturesque, Ivy-covered university in Vermont appears as it seems. And after a mysterious invitation arrives on her doorstep, curiosity wins over the need to turn her back on games meant for the rich and ruthless. Secret societies, risky tasks, and an inner circle to rival the royals. But it may just be one American boy who threatens to be the most dangerous endeavor of all. Colton Reiter defines the word idolized at Jade Mountain University. In fact, he practically rules the roost from the three point line of the basketball court. The college’s star point guard, he is a god and treated as such; professional scouts at every game, teachers looking the other way when it comes to grades, and girls falling into his lap at the snap of a finger. He wants for nothing, or at least that’s what he wants everyone to believe. But when he meets the sassy girl with the British accent who could care less about his status, her very existence threatens to unveil the skeletons buried deep in the back of his closet. With stakes this high, and hearts on the line, can they turn their backs on power and popularity before the ivory tower comes crashing down on their heads?]]> 242 Carrie Aarons Dana 0 to-read 3.69 2018 Elite
author: Carrie Aarons
name: Dana
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, #6)]]> 59808314 From #1 New York Times bestselling authors Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson comes Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians, the thrilling conclusion to the Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians saga.

As a Knight of Crystallia, I, Bastille, swore to protect the Smedry clan from the Evil Librarians. (And believe me, screwups like them constantly need protecting.) But when Alcatraz Smedry got strapped to an altar of outdated encyclopedias to be sacrificed to the dark gods, I arrived too late―and instead his father took his place.

Now Alcatraz is a blubbering mess, so it’s up to me lead the charge against his father’s killer: Biblioden, founder of the Evil Librarians―I was sure he died centuries ago!―who’s back to complete his goal of world domination. Now he’s going to use the dark powers he gained from that sacrifice against everyone not under Evil Librarian control. Being burned up from the inside is not how I plan to die, so I’d better figure out some way to stop him or we’re toast!

I know Alcatraz is wrong when he swears he’s no hero. But when a hero falls short, that’s the time for everyone else to step up and do what needs to be done.]]> 256 Brandon Sanderson 1250811066 Dana 0 to-read 4.05 2022 Bastille vs. the Evil Librarians (Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians, #6)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Dana
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow]]> 57390604
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.

But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.

Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.]]> 417 Zoulfa Katouh 0316351377 Dana 0 to-read 4.48 2022 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
author: Zoulfa Katouh
name: Dana
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Promise Me Always (Redemption Hills #4)]]> 75448151 I should know better than to let Tessa McDaniels pretend to be my fiancée.
I’m a dark, dangerous disaster who leaves destruction in his wake.
But when she offers to pretend to marry me to help me get my kids back, I can’t refuse. They are the one thing I have left to fight for.

Milo Hendricks found me at my lowest.
Battered and broken by my ex with no place to call home. When he insists I stay at his cabin with him, he sparks the feelings I’ve tried to suppress.
He’s only supposed to be my friend, but every time he comes in the room, he makes my knees weak.
This gorgeous, tatted, mountain-of-a-man who’s riddled with secrets.

Tessa is everything I crave but can’t have.
I shouldn’t touch her.
Shouldn’t make it real.
But she’s a red-headed flame I can’t resist, and I can’t help but take her to my bed.

Now we’re falling into an abyss of passion and need.
Loving her is easy.
Only we’re tied in ways we don’t know.
I’ll do anything to protect her, but it’s my past that might destroy her in the end…]]> 491 A.L. Jackson Dana 4 4.49 2023 Promise Me Always (Redemption Hills #4)
author: A.L. Jackson
name: Dana
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/04/26
shelves: february-2023, my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> Skyward (Skyward, #1) 39353738 A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!From Brandon Sanderson, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Reckoners series, Words of Radiance, and the internationally bestselling Mistborn series, comes the first book in an epic new series about a girl who dreams of becoming a pilot in a dangerous world at war for humanity's future.Spensa's world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes of what's left of the human race, and becoming one has always been Spensa's dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's--a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he abruptly deserted his team, leaving Spensa's chances of attending flight school at slim to none.No one will let Spensa forget what her father did, yet fate works in mysterious ways. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars.Praise for A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year"Startling revelations and stakes-raising implications...Sanderson plainly had a ball with this nonstop, highflying opener, and readers will too."--Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review"With this action-packed trilogy opener, Sanderson offers up a resourceful, fearless heroine and a memorable cast...[and] as the pulse-pounding story intensifies and reveals its secrets, a cliffhanger ending sets things up for the next installment."--Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"It is impossible to turn the pages fast enough."--Booklist"Sanderson delivers a cinematic adventure that explores the defining aspects of the individual versus the society...[and] fans of [his] will not be disappointed."--SLJPraise for Brandon Sanderson's Reckoners #1 New York Times Bestselling Series"Another win for Sanderson . . . he's simply a brilliant writer. Period."--Patrick Rothfuss, author of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller The Name of the Wind"Action-packed."--EW"Compelling. . . . Sanderson uses plot twists that he teases enough for readers to pick up on to distract from the more dramatic reveals he has in store."--AV Club]]> 546 Brandon Sanderson 039955579X Dana 5 fantasy
I won’t say much about him, but I LOVED M-Bot. He’s such an interesting character and honest to god funny. I kept laughing throughout his dialogue, and his obsession with mushrooms cracked me up all the time. That’s all I’m saying! Just trust my vague assurances that you’ll love him.

In addition to some of the themes discussed above, this story also explores the nature of identity, both human and artificial. Identity can be defined by how some human characters act and think, but this also applies to an AI struggling to determine whether it can create new ideas on its own. Following these character arcs helped ground the story between tense scenes of battle training and hidden agendas, and I appreciated how the story sometimes slowed down to concentrate on the consequences of our characters� decisions. And these consequences are often dire: the violence is hardly graphic, but its repercussions are felt heavily throughout the story.
Skyward is an easy book to recommend. It contains all the main characteristics of a Sanderson novel from a writer at the top of his game. Some might consider this book YA, though I was just as engrossed as I would have been with any other of his novels. Above all, this novel is a ton of fun, and it sets up the story for some excellent ideas to explore in the next volume. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long, as Brandon has shared that the sequel was just submitted to the publisher. I’ve grown quite fond of the characters in this story and am curious to unravel its mysteries in the series ahead.]]> 4.55 2018 Skyward (Skyward, #1)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Dana
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2018/11/15
date added: 2023/04/24
shelves: fantasy
review:
Sanderson’s world-building is one of the most interesting aspects to the story. He ekes out information at a steady rate as to not overwhelm the reader with massive info dumps and maintains an air of mystery as to how the circumstances of Spin’s people came to be. Skyward has all the hallmarks of a Sanderson story: mysterious prologue, likeable protagonists, curious past civilizations, new technologies, and the looming threat of a warring race. I was often reminded of Mistborn’s ‘metal burning� magic when Skyward’s new tech abilities were showcased. Sanderson has created a system of rules for a ship’s dogfighting technology, then immediately dives into all the various strategies of how to best employ it, pushing its capabilities ever further and testing the boundaries of how far this tech can function. It’s always a pleasure spending time inside Brandon’s mind as he creates a new playground of rules and takes his characters for a ride through unchartered territories.

I won’t say much about him, but I LOVED M-Bot. He’s such an interesting character and honest to god funny. I kept laughing throughout his dialogue, and his obsession with mushrooms cracked me up all the time. That’s all I’m saying! Just trust my vague assurances that you’ll love him.

In addition to some of the themes discussed above, this story also explores the nature of identity, both human and artificial. Identity can be defined by how some human characters act and think, but this also applies to an AI struggling to determine whether it can create new ideas on its own. Following these character arcs helped ground the story between tense scenes of battle training and hidden agendas, and I appreciated how the story sometimes slowed down to concentrate on the consequences of our characters� decisions. And these consequences are often dire: the violence is hardly graphic, but its repercussions are felt heavily throughout the story.
Skyward is an easy book to recommend. It contains all the main characteristics of a Sanderson novel from a writer at the top of his game. Some might consider this book YA, though I was just as engrossed as I would have been with any other of his novels. Above all, this novel is a ton of fun, and it sets up the story for some excellent ideas to explore in the next volume. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long, as Brandon has shared that the sequel was just submitted to the publisher. I’ve grown quite fond of the characters in this story and am curious to unravel its mysteries in the series ahead.
]]> Punk 57 41021967
Misha

I can’t help but smile at the words in her letter. She misses me.

In fifth grade, my teacher set us up with pen pals from a different school. Thinking I was a girl, with a name like Misha, the other teacher paired me up with her student, Ryen. My teacher, believing Ryen was a boy like me, agreed.

It didn’t take long for us to figure out the mistake. And in no time at all, we were arguing about everything. The best take-out pizza. Android vs. iPhone. Whether or not Eminem is the greatest rapper ever�

And that was the start. For the next seven years, it was us.

Her letters are always on black paper with silver writing. Sometimes there’s one a week or three in a day, but I need them. She’s the only one who keeps me on track, talks me down, and accepts everything I am.

We only had three rules. No social media, no phone numbers, no pictures. We had a good thing going. Why ruin it?

Until I run across a photo of a girl online. Name’s Ryen, loves Gallo’s pizza, and worships her iPhone. What are the chances?

F*ck it. I need to meet her.

I just don’t expect to hate what I find.

Ryen

He hasn’t written in three months. Something’s wrong. Did he die? Get arrested? Knowing Misha, neither would be a stretch.

Without him around, I’m going crazy. I need to know someone is listening. It’s my own fault. I should've gotten his number or picture or something.

He could be gone forever.

Or right under my nose, and I wouldn’t even know it.]]> 343 Penelope Douglas 1952646049 Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure
Merged review:

I love Penelope's books!!! Another book about high school problems but with a very good story-line.]]> 3.76 2016 Punk 57
author: Penelope Douglas
name: Dana
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2017/09/29
date added: 2023/03/25
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure
review:
I love Penelope's books!!! Another book about high school problems but with a very good story-line.

Merged review:

I love Penelope's books!!! Another book about high school problems but with a very good story-line.
]]> <![CDATA[Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle, #2)]]> 45978
Darkness falls…despair abounds…evil reigns�

Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, have just saved the rebel state from destruction by the mighty forces of King Galbatorix, cruel ruler of the Empire. Now Eragon must travel to Ellesmera, land of the elves, for further training in the skills of the Dragon Rider: magic and swordsmanship. Soon he is on the journey of a lifetime, his eyes open to awe-inspring new places and people, his days filled with fresh adventure. But chaos and betrayal plague him at every turn, and nothing is what it seems. Before long, Eragon doesn't know whom he can trust.

Meanwhile, his cousin Roran must fight a new battle–one that might put Eragon in even graver danger.

Will the king's dark hand strangle all resistance? Eragon may not escape with even his life. . . .]]> 704 Christopher Paolini 0375840400 Dana 0 currently-reading, fantasy 4.04 2005 Eldest (The Inheritance Cycle, #2)
author: Christopher Paolini
name: Dana
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: currently-reading, fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1)]]> 113436 An alternate cover edition for ISBN 9780375826696 can be found here.

One boy...
One dragon...
A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.]]> 503 Christopher Paolini 0375826696 Dana 3 martie-2023, fantasy 3.96 2002 Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle #1)
author: Christopher Paolini
name: Dana
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: martie-2023, fantasy
review:

]]> The Surrogate Mother 40893132
But after years of failed infertility treatments and adoptions that have fallen through, it seems like motherhood is not in her future. That is, until her personal assistant Monica makes a generous offer that will make all of Abby's dreams come true.

Or all of her nightmares.

Because it turns out Monica isn't who she says she is. The woman now carrying Abby's child has dark, twisted secrets.

And she will stop at nothing to get what she wants. ]]> 341 Freida McFadden Dana 5 3.94 2018 The Surrogate Mother
author: Freida McFadden
name: Dana
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: martie-2023, mystery-crime, thriller
review:

]]> Never Lie 62080187
But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate� with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end.

In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance.

Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels.

And then Tricia reaches the final cassette.

The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth.]]> 286 Freida McFadden Dana 5 4.09 2022 Never Lie
author: Freida McFadden
name: Dana
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: martie-2023, mystery-crime, thriller
review:

]]> The Perfect Son 52616342
Erika Cass has a perfect family and a perfect life. Until the evening when two detectives show up at her front door.

A high school girl has vanished from Erika's quiet suburban neighborhood. The police suspect the worst--murder. And Erika's teenage son, Liam, was the last person to see the girl alive.

Erika has always sensed something dark and disturbed in her seemingly perfect older child. She wants to believe he's innocent, but as the evidence mounts, she can't deny the truth--Liam may have done the unthinkable.

Now she must ask herself:

How far will she go to protect her son?]]> 373 Freida McFadden Dana 5 4.03 2019 The Perfect Son
author: Freida McFadden
name: Dana
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: martie-2023, mystery-crime, thriller
review:

]]> One by One 54197718
A night spent sleeping on dirt and leaves is not how Claire Matchett expected to spend her vacation.

She thought this would be a break from the stresses of work and raising her young children. A chance to repair her damaged marriage. A week of hiking and hot tubs with two other couple friends. It sounded like heaven.

Then Claire’s minivan breaks down on a lonely dirt road. With no cell reception, the group has no choice but to hike the rest of the way to their hotel. But it turns out the woods aren’t as easy to navigate as they thought.

Hours later, they are lost. Hopelessly lost.

And as they navigate deeper into the woods, the members of their party are struck down mysteriously one by one. Has a wild animal been hunting them? Or is the hunter one of them?

But as more time passes, one thing becomes clear:

Only one of them will return home alive.]]> 295 Freida McFadden Dana 5 3.87 2020 One by One
author: Freida McFadden
name: Dana
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: martie-2023, mystery-crime, thriller
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Listen To Me (Rizzoli & Isles, #13)]]> 58885794
Mothers know best . . . But who will listen?

Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are newly plagued by what seems like a completely senseless murder. Sofia Suarez, a widow and nurse who was universally liked by her neighbors, lies bludgeoned to death in her own home. But anything can happen behind closed doors, and Sofia seemed to have plenty of secrets in her last days, making covert phone calls to traceless burner phones. When Jane finally makes a connection between Sofia and the victim of a hit-and-run from months earlier, the case only grows more blurry. What exactly was Sofia involved in? One thing is clear: The killer will do anything it takes to keep their secret safe.

Meanwhile, Angela Rizzoli hasn't had a decent night's sleep in all the years since her daughter became a homicide detective. Maybe the apple didn't fall too far from the tree: Nothing in Angela's neighborhood gets by her--not the gossip about a runaway teenager down the block and definitely not the strange neighbors who have just moved in across the street. Angela's sure there's no such thing as coincidence in her sleepy suburb. If only Jane would listen--instead she writes off Angela's concerns as the result of an overactive imagination. But Angela's convinced there's a real wolf in her vicinity, and her cries might now fall on deaf ears.

With so much happening on the Sofia case, Jane and Maura already struggle to see the forest for the trees, but will they lose sight of something sinister happening much closer to home?]]> 307 Tess Gerritsen 0593497139 Dana 5 martie-2023, mystery-crime 3.99 2022 Listen To Me (Rizzoli & Isles, #13)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: martie-2023, mystery-crime
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Catch Me When I Fall (Falling Stars #2)]]> 53602172 A close proximity, enemies-to-lovers romance from NYT and USA Today bestselling author A.L. JacksonRoyce Reilly found me at my lowest, drowning myself in a bottle of tequila.Not my best day.I’d never expected to spend the night with a gorgeous, tattooed stranger. When he suddenly walks out and leaves me high and dry, I know it’s best I never see him again.

But I have little choice when I find out he’s the Mylton Records A & R exec going on tour with us.He’s determined to sign our band.It’s the exact opposite of what I want.

Now that dark intensity and seductive manipulation are set on me.I refuse to cave to it.

I knew Emily Ramsey was Carolina George’s lead singer when I took her back to the hotel that night.I never should have touched her.Falling for her will only ruin my carefully laid plans.There’s too much at stake.

The problem is, our chemistry is instant.Combustible.Something neither of us can resist.Before I know it, she’s under my skin. A perfect, seductive itch.

Only she doesn't know who I really am or what I’m really after.And this betrayal might cost us both everything…]]> 375 A.L. Jackson 194642045X Dana 4 4.38 2020 Catch Me When I Fall (Falling Stars #2)
author: A.L. Jackson
name: Dana
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: martie-2023, my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Kiss the Stars (Falling Stars, #1)]]> 48889053
A single mother.
An up-and-coming drummer with a sordid past.
Their paths never should have crossed.
But when a senseless crime rocks Mia West’s entire world, she agrees to spend the summer hiding out at her rock-star brother’s mansion in Savannah until the storm blows over.
What she never expected was the gorgeous, brooding drummer living in the guest house.
His darkness a lure.
His gaze a trap.
She knows better than to go after what will hurt her most.
Leif Godwin has two focuses in his life: his band, Carolina George, and seeking retribution for what was stolen from him.
Mia was never supposed to be a part of the equation.
Her eyes an appeal.
Her body a temptation.
Touching her is nothing but a sin.
But will loving her destroy them all . . .]]> 390 A.L. Jackson 1946420433 Dana 4 3.97 2020 Kiss the Stars (Falling Stars, #1)
author: A.L. Jackson
name: Dana
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: martie-2023, my-guilty-pleasure
review:

]]> <![CDATA[I Know a Secret (Rizzoli & Isles, #12)]]> 33153725 In the twelfth gripping novel featuring Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles, the crime-solving duo—featured in the smash-hit TNT series Rizzoli & Isles—are faced with the gruesomely staged murder of a horror film producer.

The crime scene is unlike any that Detective Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles have ever before encountered. The woman lies in apparently peaceful repose on her bed, and Maura finds no apparent cause of death, but there is no doubt the woman is indeed dead. The victim’s eyes have been removed and placed in the palm of her hand, a gesture that echoes the terrifying films she produces. Is a crazed movie fan reenacting scenes from those disturbing films?

When another victim is found, again with no apparent cause of death, again with a grotesquely staged crime scene, Jane and Maura realize the killer has widened his circle of targets. He’s chosen one particular woman for his next victim, and she knows he’s coming for her next. She’s the only one who can help Jane and Maura catch the killer.

But she knows a secret. And it’s a secret she’ll never tell.]]> 319 Tess Gerritsen 0345543882 Dana 5 4.12 2017 I Know a Secret (Rizzoli & Isles, #12)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: martie-2023, thriller, mystery-crime
review:

]]> The Hunting Party 37642030 Everyone's invited...everyone's a suspect...

For fans of Ruth Ware and Tana French, a shivery, atmospheric, page-turning novel of psychological suspense in the tradition of Agatha Christie, in which a group of old college friends are snowed in at a hunting lodge . . . and murder and mayhem ensue.

All of them are friends. One of them is a killer.

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of thirtysomething friends from Oxford meet to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students ten years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands—the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves.

They arrive on December 30th, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world.

Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead.

The trip began innocently enough: admiring the stunning if foreboding scenery, champagne in front of a crackling fire, and reminiscences about the past. But after a decade, the weight of secret resentments has grown too heavy for the group’s tenuous nostalgia to bear. Amid the boisterous revelry of New Year’s Eve, the cord holding them together snaps.

Now one of them is dead . . . and another of them did it.

Keep your friends close, the old adage goes. But just how close is too close?]]> 406 Lucy Foley 0008297126 Dana 5 3.59 2018 The Hunting Party
author: Lucy Foley
name: Dana
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: martie-2023, mystery-crime, thriller
review:

]]> Tress of the Emerald Sea 60531406 #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson expands his Cosmere universe shared by The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn with a new standalone novel for everyone who loved The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?]]> 443 Brandon Sanderson Dana 5 fantasy, martie-2023 4.35 2023 Tress of the Emerald Sea
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Dana
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: fantasy, martie-2023
review:

]]> Want to Know a Secret? 56047352 Everyone has secrets.

YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April. Secrets she’d rather you didn’t know.

Like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what’s buried in her backyard?

Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. April’s secrets are enough to destroy her.

I’ll make sure of that.]]> 398 Freida McFadden Dana 4 3.94 2021 Want to Know a Secret?
author: Freida McFadden
name: Dana
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: february-2023, mystery-crime, thriller
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)]]> 60556912
Every day I clean the Winchesters� beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out� and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of�

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!]]> 329 Freida McFadden 1803144378 Dana 5 4.31 2022 The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)
author: Freida McFadden
name: Dana
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: february-2023, thriller, mystery-crime
review:

]]> <![CDATA[More of You (Confessions of the Heart, #1)]]> 42082825 The second I saw him walk through the door, I knew he was trouble.
A gorgeous rebel with a bad attitude and a huge chip on his shoulder.

My heart warned me. I didn’t listen.
I fell hard and fast.
He promised we’d be together forever, and then left me with a broken heart.

Now, ten years later, Jace Jacobs is standing at my door.
Sexier than he’s ever been.
Provocative and commanding.
Successful and powerful.
The man I always knew he would become.
But I promised myself I’d never lose my heart to him again.

Even time couldn’t dim our chemistry. One glance of his intense eyes, and I become weak. One brush of his hand, and he brings me to my knees.

Little do I know, Jace holds the key to everything I’ve lost and everything that threatens my future.
Now he will either save me, or he will break me all over again . . .

More of You � a Confessions of the Heart second-chance, stand-alone romance]]> 432 A.L. Jackson Dana 4 3.91 2018 More of You (Confessions of the Heart, #1)
author: A.L. Jackson
name: Dana
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, february-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Die Again (Rizzoli & Isles, #11)]]> 21489683
Boston Detective Jane Rizzoli is on the case of a big game hunter found dead in his apartment, alone with the body of a beautiful white snow leopard he had recently been commissioned to procure and stuff for a high-profile museum in the area.

Medical examiner Maura Isles connects the case to a number of seemingly unrelated deaths where the victims have all been found hanging upside down, the hallmark of a leopard's kill.

Rizzoli follows the puzzling trail of clues all the way to Botswana, where she uncovers the unsolved mystery of a deadly camping safari six years prior. When she realizes the two cases are connected, Rizzoli must track down the sole survivor of the tragic trip to discover who - or what - is behind these gruesome deaths.

Story Locale: Boston, MA]]> 330 Tess Gerritsen 0345543858 Dana 5 february-2023, mystery-crime 4.13 2014 Die Again (Rizzoli & Isles, #11)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/22
date added: 2023/03/24
shelves: february-2023, mystery-crime
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Armour of Light (Kingsbridge, #4)]]> 78089088 The grand master of gripping fiction is back. International No.1 bestseller Ken Follett returns to Kingsbridge with an epic tale of revolution and a cast of unforgettable characters.

Revolution is in the air

1792. A tyrannical government is determined to make England a mighty commercial empire. In France, Napoleon Bonaparte begins his rise to power, and with dissent rife, France’s neighbours are on high alert.

Kingsbridge is on the edge

Unprecedented industrial change sweeps the land, making the lives of the workers in Kingbridge’s prosperous cloth mills a misery. Rampant modernization and dangerous new machinery are rendering jobs obsolete and tearing families apart.

Tyranny is on the horizon

Now, as international conflict nears, a story of a small group of Kingsbridge people - including spinner Sal Clitheroe, weaver David Shoveller and Kit, Sal’s inventive and headstrong son - will come to define the struggle of a generation as they seek enlightenment and fight for a future free from oppression. . .

Taking the reader straight into the heart of history with the fifth novel in the ground-breaking Kingsbridge series, The Armour of Light is master storyteller Ken Follett’s most ambitious novel to date.]]> 752 Ken Follett 1447278836 Dana 0 to-read 4.10 2023 The Armour of Light (Kingsbridge, #4)
author: Ken Follett
name: Dana
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Come Together (The Cityscape, #3)]]> 22925393
With a single decision, Olivia Germaine’s fantasy has become a reality. Now she is faced with two commitments: one she must make and one she must break. But in order to accept a love she never thought possible, Olivia will have to let go of the broken past that defines her - and of deeply-rooted fears that could ruin everything.

Everything is what David Dylan wants to give her, and it’s what he wants in return. He must prove to Olivia that despite his playboy ways, he’s worth leaving behind the stable future her husband can offer her. David is a man who always gets what he wants . . . but this time he may be fighting for something unattainable.

Can Olivia escape the past that threatens to consume her?

And can David break through to her before it does?]]> 475 Jessica Hawkins Dana 4 4.15 2013 Come Together (The Cityscape, #3)
author: Jessica Hawkins
name: Dana
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/02/21
shelves: february-2023, my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Come Alive (The Cityscape, #2)]]> 22925375
But when Olivia realizes what life without David means, she must decide if she is willing to risk everything for him... and if she is ready to reopen the wounds of her past.

Can Olivia move forward with her marriage despite her feelings for David? And can David stay away like he promised?]]> Jessica Hawkins Dana 4 4.22 2013 Come Alive (The Cityscape, #2)
author: Jessica Hawkins
name: Dana
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/02/21
shelves: february-2023, romance, my-guilty-pleasure
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Come Undone (The Cityscape, #1)]]> 22925359 The Cityscape Series tells a compelling story of devotion, deception, and forbidden love. Come Undone is book one of three.

Olivia Germaine has already found love. Devoted wife, loyal friend, determined career woman–she’s created the life she always envisioned. But when Olivia locks eyes with a handsome stranger across a crowded room, he peers a little too closely and sees emotions she thought she’d buried long ago.

David Dylan, alleged playboy and eternal bachelor, challenges Olivia to confront the life she’s built and to make decisions that could either lead to happiness... or regret.

Will Olivia be able to draw the line between lust and love? And can David respect that line?]]> 366 Jessica Hawkins Dana 4 4.07 2013 Come Undone (The Cityscape, #1)
author: Jessica Hawkins
name: Dana
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/02/21
shelves: february-2023, my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> Temptation (Temptation, #1) 17260115 Forbidden love and impossible choices ...

I'm a stay-at-home mum and happily married to my high school sweetheart.
Sound familiar?

Well, my guess is that's where the similarities end, because I've just returned to work, and my new boss is not only one of the wealthiest men in the country, he's also the sexiest man I've ever seen.
Smart.
Powerful.
A gentleman.
Bryce Clark gets everything he wants.
And what he wants is me.

Our chemistry is intense.
Undeniable.
Unavoidable.
Unforgiving.
Perhaps it's fate.

Will I risk everything I've ever known and succumb to temptation?]]> 262 K.M. Golland Dana 1 a waste of time.... 4.15 2012 Temptation (Temptation, #1)
author: K.M. Golland
name: Dana
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2012
rating: 1
read at: 2023/02/21
date added: 2023/02/21
shelves: february-2023, my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:
a waste of time....
]]> <![CDATA[Never Look Back (Redemption Hills, #3)]]> 61852194 From NYT and USA Today bestselling author A.L. Jackson comes an enemies-to-lovers, small-town, second-chance romance�

Logan Lawson won me in a bet.
The second I saw him sitting at the illegal card table, I knew I was in trouble.
Years ago, he sealed my fate and condemned me to a life I didn’t want to lead.
Yet he’s filled with untamed fury and thirsting for vengeance.

Aster Costa is everything I never should have wanted.
The second she showed, I should have gotten up and walked.
But there’s no looking away from the woman who wrecked me.
Worse, I can’t stop myself from plotting to get her back.

I want nothing more than to be free of my chains.
I’m afraid Logan Lawson is the only one who can make that happen.
He might hate me for our past, but now it’s me on my knees begging for help.

Finding each other in the middle of it wasn’t supposed to be part of the bargain.
But once Logan touches me, I’m gone.
A torch is rekindled. A fire is lit.

Aster Costa has always been mine.
And this time, no matter the cost, I won’t give her back…]]> 444 A.L. Jackson 1946420794 Dana 4 4.01 Never Look Back (Redemption Hills, #3)
author: A.L. Jackson
name: Dana
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/02/16
shelves: february-2023, my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Say It's Forever (Redemption Hills #2)]]> 60547645
An obscenely hot, mountain-of-a-man who screams danger .But I have little choice other than climbing onto the back of his bike.

One look at Salem Aguilar, and I'm hooked. The girl is devastation wrapped in a black, seductive bow.

A knockout.
A dream.

Turns out, she needs a job, and I need the help. Now I have a vixen strutting around my shop, and I'm the fool who's itching to reach out and take what he can't have .But neither of us can ignore the burning attraction. The fire that leads to a kiss.
A kiss that has us falling into my bed. The connection that has me wanting the one thing I'd never thought I could have again. Because monsters like me don't deserve love.
Only Salem has a secret, too. She's been running for years, and her past just caught up to us...]]> 414 A.L. Jackson 1946420581 Dana 4 4.21 2022 Say It's Forever (Redemption Hills #2)
author: A.L. Jackson
name: Dana
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/16
date added: 2023/02/16
shelves: february-2023, my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Give Me a Reason (Redemption Hills, #1)]]> 60726527 From NYT and USA Today bestselling author A.L. Jackson comes a single-dad, enemies-to-lovers stand-alone romance about a jaded club owner and his son’s teacher�

Eden Murphy came into my club looking to make some extra cash.
A girl like her didn't belong in a place like this.
She'd get ripped to shreds.
Most likely by me.
There's nothing but sweetness dripping from her sexy little body, and I'm the monster who's salivating to get a taste.

Trent Lawson is the last man I should want.
Dark.
Dangerous.
So wickedly gorgeous he makes my knees weak.
He's also an arrogant jerk who happens to be my new boss.

When I discover his adorable son is also in my kindergarten class, I know I have to keep my distance.

But neither of us can ignore the attraction that flames.
One glance, and our hearts race.
One touch, and we’re aching for what we can’t have.
One night, and we’re falling fast.

Dragging her into my sordid world is wrong.
It doesn’t matter.
Eden Murphy is mine.]]> 424 A.L. Jackson 194642062X Dana 4 3.40 2021 Give Me a Reason (Redemption Hills, #1)
author: A.L. Jackson
name: Dana
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/02/16
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, february-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Last to Die (Rizzoli & Isles, #10)]]> 13272498
Jane spirits Teddy to the exclusive Evensong boarding school, a sanctuary where young victims of violent crime learn the secrets and skills of survival in a dangerous world. But even behind locked gates, and surrounded by acres of sheltering Maine wilderness, Jane fears that Evensong’s mysterious benefactors aren’t the only ones watching. When strange blood-splattered dolls are found dangling from a tree, Jane knows that her instincts are dead on. And when she meets Will Yablonski and Claire Ward, students whose tragic pasts bear a shocking resemblance to Teddy’s, it becomes chillingly clear that a circling predator has more than one victim in mind.

Joining forces with her trusted partner, medical examiner Maura Isles, Jane is determined to keep these orphans safe from harm. But an unspeakable secret dooms the children’s fate—unless Jane and Maura can finally put an end to an obsessed killer’s twisted quest.]]> 338 Tess Gerritsen 0345515633 Dana 5 4.11 2012 Last to Die (Rizzoli & Isles, #10)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/02/16
shelves: february-2023, mystery-crime, thriller
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Silent Girl (Rizzoli & Isles, #9)]]> 9578677
In the murky shadows of an alley lies a female’s severed hand. On the tenement rooftop above is the corpse belonging to that hand, a red-haired woman dressed all in black, her head nearly severed. Two strands of silver hair—not human—cling to her body. They are Rizzoli’s only clues, but they’re enough for her and medical examiner Maura Isles to make the startling discovery: that this violent death had a chilling prequel.

Nineteen years earlier, a horrifying murder-suicide in a Chinatown restaurant left five people dead. But one woman connected to that massacre is still alive: a mysterious martial arts master who knows a secret she dares not tell, a secret that lives and breathes in the shadows of Chinatown. A secret that may not even be human. Now she’s the target of someone, or something, deeply and relentlessly evil.

Cracking a crime resonating with bone-chilling echoes of an ancient Chinese legend, Rizzoli and Isles must outwit an unseen enemy with centuries of cunning—and a swift, avenging blade.]]> 315 Tess Gerritsen 0345515501 Dana 5 4.12 2011 The Silent Girl (Rizzoli & Isles, #9)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/02/16
shelves: february-2023, mystery-crime, thriller
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ice Cold (Rizzoli & Isles, #8)]]> 7202831 As night falls, the group seeks refuge from the blizzard in the remote village of Kingdom Come, where twelve eerily identical houses stand dark and abandoned. Something terrible has happened in Kingdom Come: Meals sit untouched on tables, cars are still parked in garages. The town's previous residents seem to have vanished into thin air, but footprints in the snow betray the presence of someone who still lurks in the cold darkness--someone who is watching Maura and her friends.
Days later, Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli receives the grim news that Maura's charred body has been found in a mountain ravine. Shocked and grieving, Jane is determined to learn what happened to her friend. The investigation plunges Jane into the twisted history of Kingdom Come, where a gruesome discovery lies buried beneath the snow. As horrifying revelations come to light, Jane closes in on an enemy both powerful and merciless--and the chilling truth about Maura's fate.

Published in the UK as THE KILLING PLACE.]]> 322 Tess Gerritsen 034551548X Dana 5 4.16 2010 Ice Cold (Rizzoli & Isles, #8)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/02/16
shelves: february-2023, mystery-crime, thriller
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Keepsake (Rizzoli & Isles, #7)]]> 2653622
For untold years, the perfectly preserved mummy had lain forgotten in the dusty basement of Boston’s Crispin Museum. Now its sudden rediscovery by museum staff is both a major coup and an attention-grabbing mystery. Dubbed “Madam X,� the mummy–to all appearances, an ancient Egyptian artifact� seems a ghoulish godsend for the financially struggling institution. But medical examiner Maura Isles soon discovers a macabre message hidden within the corpse–horrifying proof that this “centuries-old� relic is instead a modern-day murder victim.

To Maura and Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli, the forensic evidence is unmistakable, its implications terrifying. And when the grisly remains of yet another woman are found in the hidden recesses of the museum, it becomes chillingly clear that a maniac is at large–and is now taunting them.
Archaeologist Josephine Pulcillo’s blood runs cold when the killer’s cryptic missives are discovered, and her darkest dread becomes real when the carefully preserved corpse of yet a third victim is left in her car like a gruesome offering–or perhaps a ghastly promise of what’s to come.

The twisted killer’s familiarity with post-mortem rituals suggests to Maura and Jane that he may have scientific expertise in common with Josephine. Only Josephine knows that her stalker shares a knowledge even more personally terrifying: details of a dark secret she had thought forever buried.

Now Maura must summon her own dusty knowledge of ancient death traditions to unravel his twisted endgame. And when Josephine vanishes, Maura and Jane have precious little time to derail the Archaeology Killer before he adds another chilling piece to his monstrous collection.]]> 349 Tess Gerritsen 0345497627 Dana 5 4.10 2008 The Keepsake (Rizzoli & Isles, #7)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/02/16
shelves: mystery-crime, thriller, february-2023
review:

]]> The Mephisto Club 32254
PECCAVI
The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal I HAVE SINNED. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to controversial celebrity psychiatrist Joyce O’Donnell–Jane’s professional nemesis and member of a sinister cabal called the Mephisto Club.

On top of Beacon Hill, the club’s acolytes devote themselves to the analysis of Can it be explained by science? Does it have a physical presence? Do demons walk the earth? Drawing on a wealth of dark historical data and mysterious religious symbolism, the Mephisto scholars aim to prove a startling that Satan himself exists among us.

With the grisly appearance of a corpse on their doorstep, it’s clear that someone–or something–is indeed prowling the city. The members of the club begin to fear the very subject of their study. Could this maniacal killer be one of their own–or have they inadvertently summoned an evil entity from the darkness?

Delving deep into the most baffling and unusual case of their careers, Maura and Jane embark on a terrifying journey to the very heart of evil, where they encounter a malevolent foe more dangerous than any they have ever faced . . . one whose work is only just beginning.]]> 368 Tess Gerritsen 0345476999 Dana 5 4.02 2006 The Mephisto Club
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2006
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/01
date added: 2023/02/16
shelves: january-2023, mystery-crime, thriller
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Intr-o zi, ma voi intoarce la tine]]> 60064798
In timpul peregrinarilor ei prin Franta, Hermine, o tanara dezorientata, obosita de viata, ajunge intamplator in insoritul Provence, unde i se propune sa lucreze la un hotel. Fata accepta fara prea mare tragere de inima si descopera ca hotelul cu pricina este de fapt o proprietate impozanta, plina de viata, ce poarta un nume rusesc: Dacea. Jo si Masa, stapanii acestui loc magic, devin in scurt timp familia pe care Hermine n-a avut-o niciodata, oferindu-i dragostea si sprijinul dupa care a tanjit mereu. Douazeci de ani mai tarziu, Hermine este o femeie implinita, cu doi copii minunati si care s-a dedicat trup si suflet administrarii acestei proprietati de vis. Insa moartea fulgeratoare a lui Jo, devenit o legenda a locului, va zgudui din temelii tot ceea ce Hermine si familia sa adoptiva au construit impreuna. Secrete dureroase ies la iveala si Hermine va fi pusa in fata celei mai dificile alegeri din viata ei...]]> 304 Agnès Martin-Lugand 6064012153 Dana 0 to-read 3.96 2021 Intr-o zi, ma voi intoarce la tine
author: Agnès Martin-Lugand
name: Dana
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Vanish (Rizzoli & Isles, #5) 32255 A blessed event becomes a nightmare for pregnant homicide detective Jane Rizzoli when she finds herself on the wrong side of a hostage crisis in this timely and relentless thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Body Double.

A nameless, beautiful woman appears to be just another corpse in the morgue. An apparent suicide, she lies on a gurney, awaiting the dissecting scalpel of medical examiner Maura Isles. But when Maura unzips the body bag and looks down at the body, she gets the fright of her life. The corpse opens its eyes.

Very much alive, the woman is rushed to the hospital, where with shockingly cool precision, she murders a security guard and seizes hostages . . . one of them a pregnant patient, Jane Rizzoli.

Who is this violent, desperate soul, and what does she want? As the tense hours tick by, Maura joins forces with Jane's husband, FBI agent Gabriel Dean, to track down the mysterious killer's identity. When federal agents suddenly appear on the scene, Maura and Gabriel realize that they are dealing with a case that goes far deeper than just an ordinary hostage crisis.

Only Jane, trapped with the armed madwoman, holds the key to the mystery. And only she can solve it if she survives the night. From the Hardcover edition.]]> 401 Tess Gerritsen 0345476980 Dana 4 mystery-crime, january-2023 4.12 2005 Vanish (Rizzoli & Isles, #5)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2005
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/30
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: mystery-crime, january-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crystal Storm (Falling Kingdoms, #5)]]> 23367261
In Paelsia, Magnus and Cleo reluctantly follow King Gaius to the home of his exiled mother, Selia. Selia is a powerful witch and claims she can help unlock the magic of the Kindred�if the visitors agree to her terms. When Jonas arrives from Kraeshia, he is shocked to find that his rebel army now includes his sworn enemies. Along with Nic, Felix, and the mysteriously resurrected Ashur, the contentious group agrees to cast aside old grudges—for now—and united against their common enemy: Amara.

Meanwhile, bearing the child of a Watcher and feared by all, Princess Lucia travels across Mytica to find her family. But time is running out. The impending storm signals the dark prophecy Timotheus warned her about. Her fate is written, and it includes none other than the rebel Jonas. When their paths collied, Jonas and Lucia must decide between blindly following their destiny or fighting for their own free will.

The battle for power culminates at the Paelsian palace, where Amara resides. Rain pours. Blood spills. And soon all will discover that the darkest magic comes at an even darker price.]]> 379 Morgan Rhodes 1595148221 Dana 5 4.21 2016 Crystal Storm (Falling Kingdoms, #5)
author: Morgan Rhodes
name: Dana
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/01
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: fantasy, young-adult, january-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms, #4)]]> 17342701
CLEO: Reeling after a bloody showdown in Limeros ending with Amara’s abduction of the water crystal, and a vacancy in the Mytican throne, Princess Cleo must cast aside her feelings and look toward her kingdom with the eyes of a Queen.

MAGNUS: With the kingdom in chaos, Princess Lucia still missing and quite possibly in danger, and a shocking realization about Cleo, the steely prince is once again torn between love and duty, leaving him wondering whether he’s strong enough to rule his people.

LUCIA: The young sorcercess has had her vengeance after the cruel death of her first and only love. Heartbroken and unable to trust anyone, she allies with the awoken Fire god, who also seeks revenge.

JONAS: After escaping death by the skin of his teeth, the defeated rebel—along with a mysterious stranger–leader reunites with Princess Cleo, only to find himself a mere pawn in a dangerous hunt for the elusive Kindred.

KING GAIUS: Abandoned by Melenia and betrayed by his own children, Gaius flees Mytica and sails to Kraeshia, where he attempts to ally with the famously brutal emperor across the Silver Sea.]]> 413 Morgan Rhodes 1595147071 Dana 5 4.30 2015 Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms, #4)
author: Morgan Rhodes
name: Dana
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/01
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: fantasy, young-adult, january-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms, #3)]]> 17342700
Prince Magnus has just witnessed torture, death, and miracles during the bloody confrontation that decimated the rebel forces. Now he must choose between family and justice as his father, the cruel King Gaius, sets out to conquer all of Mytica. All Gaius needs now are the Kindred - the four elemental crystals that give godlike powers to their owner. But the King of Blood is not the only one hunting for this ancient, storied magic...

� THE KRAESHIANS join the hunt. Ashur and Amara, the royal siblings from the wealthy kingdom across the Silver Sea, charm and manipulate their way to the Kindred, proving to be more ruthless than perhaps even the King of Blood himself.

� THE REBELS forge ahead. Princess Cleo and vengeful Jonas lead them, slaying with sweetness, skill, and a secret that can control Lucia's overpowering magic - all so they can use the Kindred to win back their fallen kingdoms.

� THE WATCHERS follow Melenia out of the Sanctuary. They ally in the flesh with King Gaius, who vows to use Lucia's powers to unveil the Kindred.

The only certainty in the dark times is that whoever finds the magic first will control the fate of Mytica... but fate can be fickle when magic is involved.]]> 416 Morgan Rhodes 1101623209 Dana 5 4.22 2014 Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms, #3)
author: Morgan Rhodes
name: Dana
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/01
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: fantasy, young-adult, january-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms, #2)]]> 16000044 The road to power... is paved with blood and magic.

Cleo is now a prisoner in her own palace, forced to be an ambassador for Mytica as the evil King Gaius lies to her people.
Magnus stands to eventually inherit the new kingdom but is still obsessed with his feelings for his adopted sister, Lucia.
Lucia is haunted by the outcome of the breathtaking display of magic that allowed her father to capture the kingdoms.
Jonas watched at the palace gates a troop of rebels behind him, waiting for him to tell them how he plans to overtake King Gaius.

After a bloody siege, Auranos has been defeated, its young queen orphaned and dethroned. The three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica. But the allure of ancient, dangerous magic beckons still, and with it the chance to rule not just Mytica, but the whole world over...

At the heart of the fray are four brave young people grappling for that magic and the power it promises. For Cleo, the magic would enable her to reclaim her royal seat. In Jonas's hands, it frees his nation, and in Lucia's, it fulfills the ancient prophecy of her destiny. And if the magic were Magnus's, he would finally prove his worth in the eyes of his cruel and scheming father, King Gaius, who rules Mytica with a punishing hand.

When Gaius begins to build a road into the Forbidden Mountains to physically link all of Mytica, he sparks a long-smoking fire in the hearts of the people that will forever change the face of this land. For Gaius's road is paved with blood, and its construction will have cosmic consequences.]]> 401 Morgan Rhodes 1595145931 Dana 5 4.08 2013 Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms, #2)
author: Morgan Rhodes
name: Dana
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/01
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: fantasy, young-adult, january-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)]]> 12954620
As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....]]> 412 Morgan Rhodes 1595145842 Dana 5 3.78 2012 Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)
author: Morgan Rhodes
name: Dana
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/01
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: fantasy, young-adult, january-2023
review:

]]> The Personal Librarian 55333938 This is a previously-published edition of ISBN 9780593101537.

The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan's personal librarian—who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true, from New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray.

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection.

But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle's complexion isn't dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white—her complexion is dark because she is African American.

The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths to which she must go—for the protection of her family and her legacy—to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.]]> 341 Marie Benedict Dana 5 3.98 2021 The Personal Librarian
author: Marie Benedict
name: Dana
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/03
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, history, istorie, january-2023
review:

]]> Home 59761211
Decker Shepley’s main goal is one thing and one thing only: redemption. On his trek to and from work every day, he can’t help but notice the pretty girl with dirt-ridden skin that’s been staying outside his apartment. Although he has no idea who she is or why she’s there, something strange pulls him towards her, and it’s not long before he takes her in. He knows he can’t change his past, but if loving her with all he has is what it takes to redeem himself, then that’s what he’ll do.

Their inevitable connection grows by the day, but Decker hasn’t told Kamryn the entirety of his past, and by the time they realize they may be more tied together than they originally thought, the damage has already been done. The most unlikely and unfortunate circumstances surround their relationship, and it’s impossible for anyone to come out unscathed. Determined to be happy but destined to be heartbroken, Kamryn is faced with a choice� the past or the future?]]> 333 Trinity Lemm Dana 5
I started the year 2023 in the best way, I couldn't put this book down. A captivating story, with interesting characters, whom you can't help but love. Human characters, with flaws and qualities, who make mistakes and accept their mistakes. I liked the story, the fact that it is dual POV, and the ending. I did not want it to end, as if it ended too quickly...

Please don't stop writing, you're made for that.
Thank you Trinity for trusting me with your work!!
]]> 3.74 2023 Home
author: Trinity Lemm
name: Dana
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/05
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: young-adult, romance, january-2023
review:
Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I started the year 2023 in the best way, I couldn't put this book down. A captivating story, with interesting characters, whom you can't help but love. Human characters, with flaws and qualities, who make mistakes and accept their mistakes. I liked the story, the fact that it is dual POV, and the ending. I did not want it to end, as if it ended too quickly...

Please don't stop writing, you're made for that.
Thank you Trinity for trusting me with your work!!

]]> <![CDATA[The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles, #1)]]> 32263 IN BOSTON, THERE'S A KILLER ON THE LOOSE...

A killer who targets lone women, who breaks into their apartments and performs terrifying ritualistic acts of torture on them before finishing them off. His surgical skills lead police to suspect he is a physician - a physician who, instead of saving lives, takes them.

But as homicide detective Thomas Moore and his partner Jane Rizzoli begin their investigation, they make a startling discovery. Closely linked to these killings is Catherine Cordell, a beautiful doctor with a mysterious past. Two years ago she was subjected to a horrifying rape and shot her attacker dead.

Now the man she believes she killed seems to be stalking her once again, and this time he knows exactly where to find her...]]> 416 Tess Gerritsen Dana 4 4.09 2001 The Surgeon (Rizzoli & Isles, #1)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2001
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/26
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: thriller, mystery-crime, january-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Apprentice (Rizzoli & Isles, #2)]]> 715834 The bestselling author of The Surgeon returns, and so does that chilling novel's diabolical villain. Though held behind bars, Warren Hoyt still haunts a helpless city, seeming to bequeath his evil legacy to a student all-too-diligent . . . and all-too-deadly.

THE APPRENTICE

It is a boiling hot Boston summer. Adding to the city's woes is a series of shocking crimes, in which wealthy men are made to watch while their wives are brutalized. A sadistic demand that ends in abduction and death.

The pattern suggests one man: serial killer Warren Hoyt, recently removed from the city's streets. Police can only assume an acolyte is at large, a maniac basing his attacks on the twisted medical techniques of the madman he so admires. At least that's what Detective Jane Rizzoli thinks. Forced again to confront the killer who scarred her - literally and figuratively - she is determined to finally end Hoyt's awful influence . . . even if it means receiving more resistance from her all-male homicide squad.

But Rizzoli isn't counting on the U.S. government's sudden interest. Or on meeting Special Agent Gabriel Dean, who knows more than he will tell. Most of all, she isn't counting on becoming a target herself, once Hoyt is suddenly free, joining his mysterious blood brother in a vicious vendetta. . . .

Filled with superbly created characters and the medical and police procedural details that are her trademark,The Apprentice is Tess Gerritsen at her brilliant best. Set in a stunning world where evil is easy to learn and hard to end, this is a thriller by a master who could teach other authors a thing or two.


From the Hardcover edition.]]> 376 Tess Gerritsen 0345447867 Dana 5 mystery-crime, january-2023 4.13 2002 The Apprentice (Rizzoli & Isles, #2)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/27
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: mystery-crime, january-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Sinner (Rizzoli & Isles, #3)]]> 32257 419 Tess Gerritsen Dana 5 mystery-crime, january-2023 4.13 2003 The Sinner (Rizzoli & Isles, #3)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2003
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/28
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: mystery-crime, january-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Body Double (Rizzoli & Isles, #4)]]> 32258
Dr. Maura Isles makes her living dealing with death. As a pathologist in a major metropolitan city, she has seen more than her share of corpses every day–many of them victims of violent murder. But never before has her blood run cold, and never has the grim expression “dead ringer� rung so terrifyingly true. Because never before has the lifeless body on the medical examiner’s table been her own.

Yet there can be no denying the mind-reeling evidence before her shocked eyes and those of her colleagues, including Detective Jane the woman found shot to death outside Maura’s home is the mirror image of Maura, down to the most intimate physical nuances. Even more chilling is the discovery that they share the same birth date and blood type. For the stunned Maura, an only child, there can be just one explanation. And when a DNA test confirms that Maura’s mysterious doppelgänger is in fact her twin sister, an already bizarre murder investigation becomes a disturbing and dangerous excursion into a past full of dark secrets.

Searching for answers, Maura is drawn to a seaside town in Maine where other horrifying surprises await. But perhaps more frightening, an unknown murderer is at large on a cross-country killing spree. To stop the massacre and uncover the twisted truth about her own roots, Maura must probe her first living the mother that she never knew . . . an icy and cunning woman who could be responsible for giving Maura life–and who just may have a plan to take it away.]]> 432 Tess Gerritsen 034545894X Dana 5 mystery-crime, january-2023 4.17 2004 Body Double (Rizzoli & Isles, #4)
author: Tess Gerritsen
name: Dana
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/29
date added: 2023/01/30
shelves: mystery-crime, january-2023
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Immortal Reign (Falling Kingdoms, #6)]]> 23367265 As two lethal elemental gods set out to destroy Mytica, sworn enemies must become allies in the final fight to save the kingdoms.

Jonas continues to willfully defy his destiny, but the consequences of plotting his own course are drastic. As the fight for Mytica rages on, he must decide just how much more he's willing to sacrifice.

Lucia knows there's something special about her daughter and she'll do anything to protect her, even if that means facing Kyan alone.

Amara is called back home to Kraeshia. Grandma Cortas has her own plans for Mytica's future. She promises Amara power, revenge, and dominance if she agrees to be part of her scheme.

Magnus and Cleo's love will be put to the ultimate test. Dark magic is causing widespread destruction throughout the kingdom. Enemies across the sea are advancing. And unrest is stirring throughout the land. Is their love strong enough to withstand the outside forces tearing them apart?]]> 391 Morgan Rhodes 1595148248 Dana 5 fantasy, young-adult 4.15 2018 Immortal Reign (Falling Kingdoms, #6)
author: Morgan Rhodes
name: Dana
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/01
date added: 2023/01/26
shelves: fantasy, young-adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)]]> 17167166 "A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.]]> 420 Sarah J. Maas 1619630621 Dana 4 fantasy, young-adult 4.35 2013 Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/01
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: fantasy, young-adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A ​Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4)]]> 53138095
فردی که بیش از دیگران اعصاب او را تحریک می‌کند� کسی نیست جز کاسین، این جنگجوی زخم‌خورد� که موقعیتش در دربار ریسند و فیرا او را مدام در نزدیکی نستا نگه می­دارد؛ اما خشم نستا تنها چیزی نیست که در حضور کاسین تحریک می­‌شو�. آتشی که بین آن­‌ه� شعله می­‌کش� غیرقابل‌انکا� است و وقتی ناچار به زندگی باهم در یک خانه می­شوند، بیش‌ازپی� حرارت می‌گیر�.

دراین‌بین� ملکه‌­ها� انسان خائن نیز که طی جنگ اخیر به قلمرو خود بازگشته‌ان� متحدی جدید و خطرناک یافته‌ان� که حضورش صلح شکننده حاکم بر دیگر قلمروها را تهدید می‌کند� و کلید بازداشتن این تهدید جدید در دست کاسین و نستاست که باید با گذشته­ی شوم خود روبه‌ر� شوند.

نستا و کاسین در دنیایی غرق در جنگ، در دنیایی که عدم اطمینان و بی­ثباتی آن را فراگرفته با هیولاهایی بیرون و درون وجود خود روبه‌ر� شده و به دنبال بهبود و پذیرش در آغوش یکدیگر می‌گردن�.]]> 757 Sarah J. Maas 168119628X Dana 4 fantasy, young-adult 4.44 2021 A ​Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2022/11/03
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: fantasy, young-adult
review:

]]> The Lost Metal (Mistborn, #7) 23947089 Return to #1 New York Times bestseller Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn world of Scadrial as its second era, which began with The Alloy of Law, comes to its earth-shattering conclusion in The Lost Metal.

For years, frontier lawman turned big-city senator Waxillium Ladrian has hunted the shadowy organization the Set—with his late uncle and his sister among their leaders—since they started kidnapping people with the power of Allomancy in their bloodlines. When Detective Marasi Colms and her partner, Wayne, find stockpiled weapons bound for the Outer City of Bilming, this opens a new lead. Conflict between the capital, Elendel, and the Outer Cities only favors the Set, and their tendrils now reach to the Elendel Senate—whose corruption Wax and his wife, Steris, have sought to expose—and Bilming is even more entangled.

After Wax discovers a new type of explosive that can unleash unprecedented destruction and realizes that the Set must already have it, an immortal kandra serving Scadrial's god, Harmony, reveals that Bilming has fallen under the influence of another god: Trell, worshipped by the Set. And Trell isn't the only factor at play from the larger Cosmere—Marasi is recruited by offworlders with strange abilities who claim their goal is to protect Scadrial . . . at any cost.

Wax must choose whether to set aside his rocky relationship with God and once again become the Sword that Harmony has groomed him to be. If no one steps forward to be the hero Scadrial needs, the planet and its millions of people will come to a sudden and calamitous ruin.]]> 507 Brandon Sanderson 0765391198 Dana 5 4.46 2022 The Lost Metal (Mistborn, #7)
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: Dana
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/09
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: fantasy, favorites, young-adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd (One Thousand White Women, #1)]]> 33512 One Thousand White Women is the story of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women who, under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1875 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime. Jim Fergus has so vividly depicted the American West that it is as if these diaries are a capsule in time.]]> 434 Jim Fergus 0312199430 Dana 5 3.89 1998 One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd (One Thousand White Women, #1)
author: Jim Fergus
name: Dana
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1998
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/27
date added: 2023/01/02
shelves: historical-fiction, history, istorie
review:

]]> Wrong Place Wrong Time 59947696
It is midnight on the morning of Halloween, and Jen anxiously waits up for her 18-year-old son, Todd, to return home. But worries about his broken curfew transform into something much more dangerous when Todd finally emerges from the darkness. As Jen watches through the window, she sees her funny, seemingly happy teenage son stab a total stranger.

She doesn’t know who the victim is, or why Todd has committed such a devastating act of violence. All she knows is that her life, and Todd’s, have been shattered.

After her son is taken into custody, Jen falls asleep in despair. But when she wakes up� it is yesterday. The murder has not happened yet—and there may be a chance to stop it. Each morning, when Jen wakes, she is further back in the past, first weeks, then years, before the murder. And Jen realizes that somewhere in the past lies the trigger for Todd’s terrible crime…and it is her mission to find it, and prevent it from taking place.]]> 416 Gillian McAllister 0063252341 Dana 3 mystery-crime 3.95 2022 Wrong Place Wrong Time
author: Gillian McAllister
name: Dana
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/05
date added: 2022/12/05
shelves: mystery-crime
review:
I started this book seeing a lot of posts in which those who read it said that it has an extremely surprising, unexpected ending. From the middle of the book I predicted two of the three big revelations at the end. The book is good, but for me the ending was not wow
]]> Sleeper's Castle 27846288
Sunday Times bestselling author Barbara Erskine returns to Hay in the year that marks the 30th anniversary of her sensational debut bestseller, Lady of Hay.

Hay-On-Wye, 1400 � War is brewing in the Welsh borders, Catrin is on the brink of womanhood and falling in love for the first time. Her father is a soothsayer, playing a dangerous game playing on the mixed loyalties and furious rivalries between welsh princes and English lords. For two hundred years, the Welsh people have lain under the English yoke, dreaming of independence. And finally it looks as though the charismatic Owain Glyndwr may be the man legend tralks of. In the walls of Sleeper’s Castle, Catrin finds herself caught in the middle of a doomed war as she is called upon to foretell Wales’s destiny� And what she sees, is blood and war coming closer�

Hay, 2015. Miranda has moved to Sleeper’s Castle to escape and grieve. Slowly she feels herself coming to life in the solitude of the mountains. But every time she closes her eyes her dreams become more vivid. And she makes a connection with a young girl, who’s screaming, who’s reaching out� who only Miranda can help. Is she losing herself to time?]]> 544 Barbara Erskine 000751316X Dana 0 to-read 4.03 2016 Sleeper's Castle
author: Barbara Erskine
name: Dana
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)]]> 50659471
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, her concern for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated-scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.

Bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin with the later books in the series, A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the far-reaching effects of a devastating war and the fierce love between friends.]]> 272 Sarah J. Maas 1635575621 Dana 4 fantasy, young-adult 3.69 2019 A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/30
date added: 2022/11/01
shelves: fantasy, young-adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Do-Over (Miles High Club, #4)]]> 61051089 In this sexy installment of the Miles High Club series from bestselling author T L Swan, a billionaire playboy goes incognito on a backpacking trip in Europe. But how long can he hide from love?

I'm wealthy, powerful, and able to get any woman I want.

So why do I feel so empty inside?

In search of a deeper me, I take a sabbatical from my privileged life. One year of backpacking around Europe: a new identity, no contacts, and no money. Not a bad plan, I think.

Until I get there.

A crowded hostel room, body odor, and beer bongs—there are no words for the fresh hell I’ve landed in.

But amid the chaos, I meet my new roommate, Hayden Whitmore. She sleeps in the bed opposite me, and I openly admit to staring at her more than I sleep. Beautiful, innocent, and smart. Not my usual type but perhaps the perfect woman.

There’s just one small problem with the divine Miss Hayden. She’s totally unaffected by my charm. Nothing is working, and now, I’ve been friend zoned.

What?

But the good thing about me is that I’m an incredible problem solver, and I’ve come up with a diabolical plan. I’m going to slide right in under her friend zone. Be the best damn friend she ever had, hold her hand, make her laugh, and spoon with her in bed.

But now there’s another problem.

Hayden is the one who is sliding under my skin, and maybe friendship isn’t enough.]]> 553 T.L. Swan 1542034604 Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 4.23 2022 The Do-Over (Miles High Club, #4)
author: T.L. Swan
name: Dana
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/28
date added: 2022/10/28
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Confessions of Catherine de Medici]]> 6801454
So reveals Catherine de Medici in this brilliantly imagined novel about one of history’s most powerful and controversial women. To some she was the ruthless queen who led France into an era of savage violence. To others she was the passionate savior of the French monarchy. Acclaimed author C. W. Gortner brings Catherine to life in her own voice, allowing us to enter into the intimate world of a woman whose determination to protect her family’s throne and realm plunged her into a lethal struggle for power.

The last legitimate descendant of the illustrious Medici line, Catherine suffers the expulsion of her family from her native Florence and narrowly escapes death at the hands of an enraged mob. While still a teenager, she is betrothed to Henri, son of François I of France, and sent from Italy to an unfamiliar realm where she is overshadowed and humiliated by her husband’s lifelong mistress. Ever resilient, Catherine strives to create a role for herself through her patronage of the famous clairvoyant Nostradamus and her own innate gift as a seer. But in her fortieth year, Catherine is widowed, left alone with six young children as regent of a kingdom torn apart by religious discord and the ambitions of a treacherous nobility.

Relying on her tenacity, wit, and uncanny gift for compromise, Catherine seizes power, intent on securing the throne for her sons. She allies herself with the enigmatic Protestant leader Coligny, with whom she shares an intimate secret, and implacably carves a path toward peace, unaware that her own dark fate looms before her—a fate that, if she is to save France, will demand the sacrifice of her ideals, her reputation, and the passion of her embattled heart.

From the fairy-tale châteaux of the Loire Valley to the battlefields of the wars of religion to the mob-filled streets of Paris, The Confessions of Catherine de Medici is the extraordinary untold journey of one of the most maligned and misunderstood women ever to be queen.
]]> 397 C.W. Gortner 0345501861 Dana 0 to-read 3.97 2010 The Confessions of Catherine de Medici
author: C.W. Gortner
name: Dana
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Barefoot Queen 21423574 A historical epic full of bravery and romance that follows two women as they make a life for themselves in 18th-century Spain.

It's January of 1748. Caridad is a recently freed Cuban slave wondering the streets of Seville. Her master is dead and she has nowhere to go. When her path crosses with Milagros Carmona's-a young, rebellious gypsy-the two women are instantly inseparable. Milagros introduces Caridad to the gypsy community, an exotic fringe society that will soon change her life forever. Over time they each fall in love with men who are fiercely loyal and ready to fight to the death for their rights as a free people. When all gypsies are declared outlaws by royal mandate, life in their community becomes perilous. They soon find themselves in Madrid-a city of passion and dancing, but also a treacherous one full of smugglers and thieves. Caridad and Milagros must help in the gypsy's struggle against society and its laws in order to stay together; it's a dangerous battle that cannot, and will not, be easily won. From the tumultuous bustle of Seville to the theatres of Madrid, The Barefoot Queen is a historical fresco filled with charaters that live, love, suffer, and fight for what they believe.]]> 647 Ildefonso Falcones 0804139482 Dana 0 to-read 3.64 2013 The Barefoot Queen
author: Ildefonso Falcones
name: Dana
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Perfect Chaos 51449747 476 Jodi Ellen Malpas 0996781803 Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 3.82 2020 Perfect Chaos
author: Jodi Ellen Malpas
name: Dana
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/01
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> Leave Me Breathless 44220698 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the This Man series comes a sexy and emotional follow up to her wildly popular standalone romance The Protector.

Ryan Willis has spent years in the protection business, a job that requires constant vigilance and quick thinking. His only chance to truly relax is at his secluded cabin in a small town where there are never any surprises. So when Ryan returns after an assignment and encounters a beautiful stranger, he isn't only surprised, he's also instantly intrigued.

Hannah Bright is a breath of fresh air, and Ryan is soon completely consumed, unable to stop from falling for her. As the two grow closer, his instinct tells him something is amiss. Yet nothing could prepare him for what he discovers when he starts digging into her past.

Hannah spends her days painting, running her arts and crafts store...and hiding too many secrets. It's why she won't let the ruggedly handsome bodyguard get too close. But their chemistry is undeniable, and Hannah quickly finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance with Ryan. He is peace personified, a balm to her battered soul. Yet the gorgeous, captivating man who has swept Hannah off her feet doesn't even know who she really is. And the moment he finds out, both their lives are at risk.
]]> 384 Jodi Ellen Malpas 1409176169 Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 4.14 2019 Leave Me Breathless
author: Jodi Ellen Malpas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/01
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[His True Queen (The Smoke & Mirrors Duology, #2)]]> 40104860
A beautiful, defiant princess. A renowned, sinfully gorgeous Hollywood actor.

A love affair that is sure to rock the British Monarchy…and the world.

Their love affair began intensely and passionately. Princess Adeline and Josh Jameson knew any future together was impossible—her status as a princess and his standing as a Hollywood heartthrob dictated that. But the heights of pleasure they could take each other to were wildly unanticipated by them both.Josh’s absolute disregard for Adeline’s status quickly drew her into his hedonistic world. And her perfectly worn mask and false façade captivated Josh to the point of obsession.The boundaries became blurred. The physical became emotional. Their hearts became entwined.

But a cruel turn of events rips their worlds apart and Adeline is more bound than ever by the protocol and expectations her title commands. The army of royal advisors who guard the secrets and scandals of the Monarchy will go to unthinkable lengths to keep the smoke and mirrors in place…and Josh away from Adeline. She knows the power she possesses comes with agonizing sacrifices. Walking away from Josh devastates her…but it keeps him safe from the corrupt institution that has ruled her life.

Yet Josh refuses to lose the woman who has consumed him so completely, distorted his boundaries, and stripped him of all sensibility.

Will the power of the British Monarchy triumph? Or will their fierce love for each other change the course of history?]]> 489 Jodi Ellen Malpas 0996781838 Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 4.41 2018 His True Queen (The Smoke & Mirrors Duology, #2)
author: Jodi Ellen Malpas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/01
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Controversial Princess (The Smoke & Mirrors Duology, #1)]]> 37550331
She is The Controversial Princess.

Regarded as down to earth by the press and rebellious by The King, Princess Adeline refuses to bow to the royal expectations her title carries. She knows better than anyone that the united front of the royal family is nothing but smoke and mirrors - lies and secrets masked by power and privilege. She wants no part of it, and she will never surrender to The King’s demand to marry a man she does not love. But despite Adeline’s determination to retain her free will, she remains deeply unfulfilled, feeling caged and suffocated.

That is until she meets Josh Jameson. Drawn in by his confidence, Adeline is soon captivated by the scandalously sexy American actor. His ability to penetrate her defences overwhelms her - his touch is pure fire, and his allure overpowering. Nothing has ever made her feel so alive in a world where she’s otherwise slowly drowning. However, while Josh may be Hollywood royalty, he’s not actual royalty, and Adeline knows The King and his advisors will do everything in their power to keep them apart.

But Josh Jameson becomes the princess’s ultimate vice.

And although she bows to no one, she bows to him.]]> 400 Jodi Ellen Malpas 0996781811 Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 4.15 2018 The Controversial Princess (The Smoke & Mirrors Duology, #1)
author: Jodi Ellen Malpas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/01
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Casanova (Miles High Club, #3)]]> 57200226
My favorite hobby is infuriating Elliot Miles. Just the sight of my boss’s handsome face triggers my sarcasm. God knows how he earns his Casanova reputation—if a million women want him with his personality, what the heck am I doing wrong?

Disgusted with my love life, I join a dating app under a fake name. I start chatting to a man named Edgar. He’s not my type and lives on the other side of the world, but we hit off a friendship, laugh and confide in each other.

But lately things are getting weird at work. Elliot’s being…attentive. His eyes linger a little longer than they should, and there’s a heat behind them that I haven’t felt before. And then, in the shock of all shocks, he tells me that my vulnerability is appealing. But when was I vulnerable?

Horror dawns…Has my boss been reading my emails to Edgar?

Damn it, why did I use my work email?

Oh no, does he know what I really think of him? I’d rather die than ever admit it.

Or, even worse: is it possible that the man I loathe in real life is the man I’m falling for online?]]> 507 T.L. Swan 154202806X Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 4.31 2021 The Casanova (Miles High Club, #3)
author: T.L. Swan
name: Dana
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/01
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Takeover (Miles High Club, #2)]]> 52276459 In bestselling author T L Swan’s second hot installment to the Miles High Club series, he’s sexy, rich, and her mortal enemy. Hate never felt so good.

I first met Tristan Miles at a meeting where he was trying to take over my late husband’s company.

He was powerful, arrogant, and infuriatingly gorgeous, and I hated him with every cell in my body. In the shock of the century, he called me three days later and asked me on a date.

I would rather die than date a man like him—though I do have to admit it was good for the ego. Turning him down was the highlight of my year.

Six months later, he was the guest speaker at a conference I attended in France.

Still arrogant and infuriating—but this time, surprisingly charming and witty.

When he looked at me, I got butterflies.

But I can’t go there.

He’s just a player in a hot suit, and I’m just a widow with three unruly sons.

I just need this conference to be over.

Because everybody knows that Tristan Miles always gets what he wants…and what he wants is me.]]> 477 T.L. Swan 1542017343 Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 4.40 2020 The Takeover (Miles High Club, #2)
author: T.L. Swan
name: Dana
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/01
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Stopover (Miles High Club, #1)]]> 45156972 A memorable night of passion refuses to stay just a memory in this sizzling and scandalous romance from bestselling author T L Swan.

I was upgraded to first class on a flight from London to New York.

The food, champagne, and service were impeccable.

The blue-eyed man sitting next to me, even better.

He was suave and intelligent.

We talked and laughed, and something clicked.

Fate took over and the plane was grounded, and we had an unexpected stopover for the night.

With no plans, we made our own.

We danced and laughed our way around Boston and had a night of crazy passion that no woman would ever forget.

That was twelve months ago, and I haven’t heard from him—until today.

I started a new job and met the CEO. You can imagine my surprise to see those naughty blue eyes dance with delight when he saw me across the mahogany desk.

But I’m not that carefree girl anymore. My life has changed, I have responsibilities.

I just got an email.

He wants to see me in his office for a private meeting at 8:00 a.m.

Naughty blue eyes have no place in the workplace.

What kind of private meeting does he have in mind?]]> 525 T.L. Swan 1542015863 Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 4.02 2019 The Stopover (Miles High Club, #1)
author: T.L. Swan
name: Dana
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/01
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Making the Match (River Rain, #4)]]> 60149112
Mika fell in love. Tom was already in love with his wife. As badly as Tom wanted Mika as a friend, Mika knew it would hurt too much to be attracted to this amazing man and never be able to have him.

They parted ways for what they thought would be forever, only to reconnect just once, when unspeakable tragedy darkens Mika’s life.

Years later, the impossible happens.

A time comes when they’re both unattached.

But now Tom has made a terrible mistake. A mistake so damaging to the ones he loves, he feels he’ll never be redeemed.

Mika has never forgotten how far and how fast she fell when she met him, but Tom’s transgression is holding her distant from reaching out.

There are matchmakers in their midst, however.

And when the plot has been unleashed to make that match, Tom and Mika are thrown into an international intrigue that pits them against a Goliath of the sports industry.

Now they face a massive battle at the same time they’re navigating friendship, attraction, love, family, grief, redemption, two very different lives lived on two opposite sides of a continent and a box full of kittens]]> 438 Kristen Ashley 1957568003 Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 4.12 2022 Making the Match (River Rain, #4)
author: Kristen Ashley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/26
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Taking the Leap (River Rain, #3)]]> 58328274 From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley comes the new book in her River Rain series, Taking the Leap.

Alexandra Sharp has been crushing on her co-worker, John “Rix� Hendrix for years. He’s her perfect man, she knows it.

She’s just not his perfect woman, and she knows that too.

Then Rix gives Alex a hint that maybe there’s a spark between them that, if she takes the leap, she might be able to fan into a flame. This leads to a crash and burn, and that’s all shy Alex needs to catch the hint never to take the risk again.

However, with undeniable timing, Rix’s ex, who broke his heart, and Alex’s family, who spent her lifetime breaking hers, rear their heads, gearing up to offer more drama. With the help of some matchmaking friends, Rix and Alex decide to face the onslaught together�

As a fake couple.
]]> 490 Kristen Ashley 195245767X Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 4.32 2022 Taking the Leap (River Rain, #3)
author: Kristen Ashley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/24
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Chasing Serenity (River Rain, #2)]]> 52971781 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Ashley brings a new novel in her River Rain series�

From a very young age, Chloe Pierce was trained to look after the ones she loved.

And she was trained by the best.

But when the man who looked after her was no longer there, Chloe is cast adrift—just as the very foundation of her life crumbled to pieces.

Then she runs into tall, lanky, unpretentious Judge Oakley, her exact opposite. She shops. He hikes. She drinks pink ladies. He drinks beer. She’s a city girl. He’s a mountain guy.

Obviously, this means they have a blowout fight upon meeting. Their second encounter doesn’t go a lot better.

Judge is loving the challenge. Chloe is everything he doesn’t want in a woman, but he can’t stop finding ways to spend time with her. He knows she’s dealing with loss and change.

He just doesn’t know how deep that goes. Or how ingrained it is for Chloe to care for those who have a place in her heart, how hard it will be to trust anyone to look after her�

And how much harder it is when it’s his turn.
]]> 450 Kristen Ashley 1952457564 Dana 5 my-guilty-pleasure, romance 3.98 2021 Chasing Serenity (River Rain, #2)
author: Kristen Ashley
name: Dana
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/22
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure, romance
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)]]> 50659472 The epic third novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything-and everyone-she holds dear.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers-both magical and political-and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the fate of Feyre's world is at stake as armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy it.]]> 699 Sarah J. Maas 1635575605 Dana 5 fantasy, young-adult 4.47 2017 A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2022/10/20
date added: 2022/10/27
shelves: fantasy, young-adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)]]> 50659468
Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she's now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre's hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world in turmoil.

Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.]]> 626 Sarah J. Maas 1635575583 Dana 4 fantasy, young-adult 4.65 2016 A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.65
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/18
date added: 2022/10/18
shelves: fantasy, young-adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)]]> 50659467
At least, he’s not a beast all the time.

As she adapts to her new home, her feelings for the faerie, Tamlin, transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But something is not right in the faerie lands. An ancient, wicked shadow is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it, or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

From bestselling author Sarah J. Maas comes a seductive, breathtaking book that blends romance, adventure, and faerie lore into an unforgettable read.]]> 419 Sarah J. Maas 1635575567 Dana 4 fantasy, young-adult 4.16 2015 A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Dana
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/16
date added: 2022/10/18
shelves: fantasy, young-adult
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hannibal: Enemy of Rome (Hannibal, #1)]]> 10439434 The Forgotten Legion Chronicles.

In the First Punic War, the Roman legions defeated and humiliated Carthage, their only serious rival for power in the Mediterranean. Now a brilliant young Carthaginian general, called Hannibal, is out for revenge. Caught up in the maelstrom are two young boys, Hanno, the son of a distinguished soldier and confidant of Hannibal, and Quintus, son of a Roman equestrian and landowner. A disastrous adventure will see Hanno sold into slavery and bought by Quintus's father. Although an unexpected friendship springs up between the two boys -- and with Quintus's sister, Aurelia -- the fortunes of the two warring empires once again separates them. They find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict and an alliance forged through slavery will be played out to its stunning conclusion in battle.


From the Trade Paperback edition.]]> 464 Ben Kane 184809227X Dana 4 A very well written, interesting book, with a captivating story, I liked it a lot, BUT it is not exactly what I thought it would be. The series is called Hannibal, I expected it to be a central character, to find out details about the strategies of the fight, his life, how he became such a respected general with historic results. If this is what you are looking for, you will be disappointed.]]> 4.12 2011 Hannibal: Enemy of Rome (Hannibal, #1)
author: Ben Kane
name: Dana
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2022/10/02
date added: 2022/10/03
shelves: historical-fiction, history, istorie, fiction
review:

A very well written, interesting book, with a captivating story, I liked it a lot, BUT it is not exactly what I thought it would be. The series is called Hannibal, I expected it to be a central character, to find out details about the strategies of the fight, his life, how he became such a respected general with historic results. If this is what you are looking for, you will be disappointed.
]]> <![CDATA[The Missing Sister (The Seven Sisters, #7)]]> 56617254
They only have one clue � an image of a star-shaped emerald ring. The search to find the missing sister will take them across the globe � from New Zealand to Canada, England, France and Ireland � uniting them all in their mission to complete their family at last.

In doing so, they will slowly unearth a story of love, strength and sacrifice that began almost one hundred years ago, as other brave young women risk everything to change the world around them.]]> 805 Lucinda Riley 195245722X Dana 5 4.10 2021 The Missing Sister (The Seven Sisters, #7)
author: Lucinda Riley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/27
date added: 2022/09/27
shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, history, istorie
review:
Leaving us on yet another cliff-hanger, The Missing Sister delivered in more ways than one, and without a shadow of a doubt the anticipation of the final book in the series is motivation enough to read all 7 books again in the event some key clues have been missed. Summarily, I highly recommend The Missing Sister and simply cannot wait for what dramatic twists and romantic turns the 8th book has up its sleeve.
]]> <![CDATA[The Sun Sister (The Seven Sisters, #6)]]> 35148215
To the outside world, Electra d'Apliese seems as though she is the woman who has everything: as one of the world's top models, she is beautiful, rich and famous. But beneath the veneer, and fuelled by the pressure of the life she leads, Electra's already tenuous control over her mental state has been rocked by the death of her father, Pa Salt, the elusive billionaire who adopted his six daughters as babies from around the globe. Struggling to cope, she turns to alcohol and drugs to ease the pain, and as those around her fear for her health, Electra receives a letter from a complete stranger who claims to be her grandmother . . .

In 1939, Cecily Huntley-Morgan arrives in Kenya from New York to nurse a broken heart. Staying with her godmother, a member of the infamous Happy Valley set, on the shores of beautiful Lake Naivasha, she meets Bill Forsythe, a notorious bachelor and cattle farmer with close connections to the proud Maasai tribe. When disaster strikes and war is imminent, Cecily decides she has no choice but to accept Bill’s proposal. Moving up into the Wanjohi Valley, and with Bill away, Cecily finds herself isolated and alone. Until she discovers a new-born baby abandoned in the woods next to her farmhouse...

Sweeping from the frenetic atmosphere of Manhattan to the magnificent wide-open plains of Africa, The Sun Sister is the sixth instalment in Lucinda Riley’s multi-million selling epic series, The Seven Sisters.]]> 848 Lucinda Riley Dana 4 4.27 2019 The Sun Sister (The Seven Sisters, #6)
author: Lucinda Riley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/24
date added: 2022/09/26
shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, history, istorie, romance
review:
The Sun Sister is another epic saga by Riley at just over 800 pages, but with a timely, astute, present tale and a fascinating, immersive, past tale the pages seem to turn themselves. It is truly hard to believe that this series is close to its end, and I think for every reader whether they’ve been a die-hard fan and read them all or merely a part-time connoisseur whose been swept away by only one or two the fact that there is only one more left to come is truly bittersweet.
]]> The Lightning Tree 55262194 The Lightning Tree is a companion short story in The Kingkiller Chronicle series. It was first published on 2014 in the anthology Rogues.]]> 93 Patrick Rothfuss Dana 5 fantasy 3.98 2014 The Lightning Tree
author: Patrick Rothfuss
name: Dana
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/09/25
shelves: fantasy
review:

]]> <![CDATA[When She's Mine (The Forever Collection, #2)]]> 34099066
Leah Morgan grew up cloaked in riches. Only she and her sister were kept locked away until a turn of events thrusts Leah out into the world where she’s a lamb primed for lions to pounce. When Allister saves her from the clutches of those sworn to care for her, she finds herself swept away by this monster of a man who is obsessed with making sure the rest of her life is filled with happiness and a few million orgasms.

Can this brute of a virgin man manage to overcome sweet Leah’s distrust of nearly everyone? When Leah once again disappears, Allister comes to grips with just how far he will go to bring home what is his. Only, will the forces at work to tear Leah from her first glimpse of true happiness be more than Allister can overcome?

Authors Note: Have some virgin fun with Allister and Leah! They were crazy popular supporting characters in Where She Belongs by Dani Wyatt. The Forever Collection is all virgins, love-at-first-sight, indulgent fantasy. Each book a standalone. It’s fall hard, fall fast and get right to the sticky bits. If you want to lose yourself for a while with a happily ever after, no cheating and all wrapped up with an obsessed, alpha hero who will stop at nothing to make babies with his woman, then step inside, it’s steamy.
]]> 151 Dani Wyatt Dana 4 my-guilty-pleasure 3.93 2017 When She's Mine (The Forever Collection, #2)
author: Dani Wyatt
name: Dana
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2017/02/01
date added: 2022/09/22
shelves: my-guilty-pleasure
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Strongholds of the Border Reivers: Fortifications of the Anglo-Scottish Border 1296�1603 (Fortress, 70)]]> 1679840 64 Keith Durham 1846031974 Dana 0 to-read 3.71 2008 Strongholds of the Border Reivers: Fortifications of the Anglo-Scottish Border 1296–1603 (Fortress, 70)
author: Keith Durham
name: Dana
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Moon Sister (The Seven Sisters, #5)]]> 35148164 From New York Times bestselling author Lucinda Riley, The Moon Sister transports you to the grandeur of the remote Scottish Highlands and the gypsy caves of Granada, just as Spain descends into civil war, interweaving the stories of two women searching for their destinies, at the risk of potentially losing their chance at love.

Tiggy D’Aplièse spends her days experiencing the raw beauty of the Scottish Highlands doing a job she loves at a deer sanctuary. But when the sanctuary is forced to close, she is offered a job as a wildlife consultant on the vast and isolated estate of the elusive and troubled laird, Charlie Kinnaird. She has no idea that the move will not only irrevocably alter her future, but also bring her face-to-face with her past.

At the estate, she meets Chilly, a gypsy who fled from Spain seventy years before. He tells her that not only does she possess a sixth sense passed down from her ancestors, but it was foretold long ago that he would be the one to send her back home�

In 1912, in the poor gypsy community outside the city walls of Granada, Lucía Amaya-Albaycin is born. Destined to be the greatest flamenco dancer of her generation—and named La Candela, due to the inner flame that burns through her when she dances� Lucía is whisked away by her ambitious and talented guitarist father at the tender age of ten to dance in the flamenco bars of Barcelona. Her mother is devastated by the loss of her daughter and as civil war threatens in Spain, tragedy strikes the rest of her family. Now in Madrid, Lucía and her troupe of dancers are forced to flee for their lives, their journey taking them far across the water to South America and eventually, to North America and New York—Lucía’s long-held dream. But to pursue it, she must choose between her passion for her career and the man she adores. The Moon Sister follows these two women on their journey to discover their true futures—but at the risk of potentially losing the men they had hoped to build futures with.]]> 742 Lucinda Riley Dana 5 Anyone who knows me knows how much I prefer stories related to Scotland. The charm of this series is of course given by the stories from the past, all full of history, culture and heritage. One of my favorite parts of this series is the cultural education I feel I am getting from each and every one of these books.
This time around we go from the Scottish Highlands to the gypsy caves of Granada and then even into South America. I loved learning about the culture of the flamenco dancers and even the bit about the gypsy community. The book is set against the Spanish Civil War and WWII, and you feel the persecution that this community has felt and dealt with. It definitely has sparked an interest in me and now I want to read more about this culture…this is why I love reading historical fiction � it leads me to learn something new and wanting to read more about it.

Touches of magical realism and musical culture add to the gorgeous descriptions and historical details, which are accurate without extended exposition. The cast of characters is varied in motive and style, if not so much in voice, and the book leaves the reader wanting more.]]> 4.21 2018 The Moon Sister (The Seven Sisters, #5)
author: Lucinda Riley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/19
date added: 2022/09/19
shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, history, istorie, romance
review:
This is my favorite story so far!
Anyone who knows me knows how much I prefer stories related to Scotland. The charm of this series is of course given by the stories from the past, all full of history, culture and heritage. One of my favorite parts of this series is the cultural education I feel I am getting from each and every one of these books.
This time around we go from the Scottish Highlands to the gypsy caves of Granada and then even into South America. I loved learning about the culture of the flamenco dancers and even the bit about the gypsy community. The book is set against the Spanish Civil War and WWII, and you feel the persecution that this community has felt and dealt with. It definitely has sparked an interest in me and now I want to read more about this culture…this is why I love reading historical fiction � it leads me to learn something new and wanting to read more about it.

Touches of magical realism and musical culture add to the gorgeous descriptions and historical details, which are accurate without extended exposition. The cast of characters is varied in motive and style, if not so much in voice, and the book leaves the reader wanting more.
]]> <![CDATA[The Pearl Sister (The Seven Sisters #4)]]> 34401961 CeCe D’Aplièse has never felt she fitted in anywhere. Following the death of her father, the elusive billionaire Pa Salt � so-called by the six daughters he adopted from around the globe and named after the Seven Sisters star cluster � she finds herself at breaking point. Dropping out of art college, CeCe watches as Star, her beloved sister, distances herself to follow her new love, leaving her completely alone.

In desperation, she decides to flee England and discover her past; the only clues she has are a black-and-white photograph and the name of a woman pioneer who lived in Australia over one hundred years ago. En-route to Sydney, CeCe heads to the one place she has ever felt close to being herself: the stunning beaches of Krabi, Thailand. There amongst the backpackers, she meets the mysterious Ace, a man as lonely as she is and whom she subsequently realises has a secret to hide . . .

A hundred years earlier, Kitty McBride, daughter of an Edinburgh clergyman, is given the opportunity to travel to Australia as the companion of the wealthy Mrs McCrombie. In Adelaide, her fate becomes entwined with Mrs McCrombie’s family, including the identical, yet very different, twin brothers: impetuous Drummond, and ambitious Andrew, the heir to a pearling fortune.

When CeCe finally reaches the searing heat and dusty plains of the Red Centre of Australia, she begins the search for her past. As something deep within her responds to the energy of the area and the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people, her creativity reawakens once more. With help from those she meets on her journey, CeCe begins to believe that this wild, vast continent could offer her something she never thought possible: a sense of belonging, and a home . . .

The Pearl Sister is the fourth book in the number one international bestselling Seven Sisters series.

]]> 702 Lucinda Riley Dana 4 4.29 2017 The Pearl Sister (The Seven Sisters #4)
author: Lucinda Riley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/16
date added: 2022/09/19
shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, history, istorie, romance
review:
You know you need to set a significant chunk of time aside so that you can sit and read uninterrupted and soak up the brilliance of the story unfolding before your very eyes. Despite being over 600 pages long, the reader will find themselves rapidly turning the pages, wishing there were 600 more as you become so caught up in the story you never want it to end. Lucinda Riley with The Pearl Sister has once again written another masterpiece of a book that will not in any way disappoint. The weight of expectation grows with each book in this series but not once has she let her loyal readers down.
]]> <![CDATA[The Shadow Sister (The Seven Sisters, #3)]]> 30969271
Star D’Aplièse is at a crossroads in her life after the sudden death of her beloved father—the elusive billionaire, affectionately called Pa Salt by his six daughters, all adopted from across the four corners of the world. He has left each of them a clue to her true heritage, and Star nervously decides to follow hers, which leads her to an antiquarian bookshop in London, and the start of a whole new world.

A hundred years earlier, headstrong and independent Flora MacNichol vows she will never marry. She is happy and secure in her home in England’s picturesque Lake District—just a stone’s throw away from the residence of her childhood idol, Beatrix Potter—when machinations lead her to London, and the home of one of Edwardian society’s most notorious society hostesses, Alice Keppel. Flora is torn between passionate love and her duty to her family, but finds herself a pawn in a larger game. That is, until a meeting with a mysterious gentleman unveils the answers that Flora has been searching for her whole life...

As Star learns more of Flora’s incredible journey, she too goes on a voyage of discovery, finally stepping out of the shadow of her sister and opening herself up to the possibility of love.

The Shadow Sister is the third in the sweeping Seven Sisters series, “soaked in glamour and romance� (Daily Mail) and perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and the novels of Kate Morton.]]> 491 Lucinda Riley Dana 4 4.29 2016 The Shadow Sister (The Seven Sisters, #3)
author: Lucinda Riley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/14
date added: 2022/09/14
shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, history, istorie, romance
review:
Though again it’s not enough to detract from my overall cosy glow that I got when I read this, it was really easy to immerse myself in and I enjoyed it immensely. Would recommend. Though you may not be as enthused if the setting and main character are less appealing to you than they are to me.
]]> <![CDATA[The Storm Sister (The Seven Sisters, #2)]]> 25905342
Ally has also recently embarked on a deeply passionate love affair that will change her destiny forever. But with her life now turned upside down, Ally decides to leave the open seas and follow the trail that her father left her, which leads her to the icy beauty of Norway...

There, Ally begins to discover her roots - and how her story is inextricably bound to that of a young unknown singer, Anna Landvik, who lived there over 100 years before, and sang in the first performance of Grieg's iconic music set to Ibsen's play 'Peer Gynt'. As Ally learns more about Anna, she also begins to question who her father, Pa Salt, really was. And why is the seventh sister missing?

Following the bestselling The Seven Sisters, The Storm Sister is the second book in Lucinda Riley's spellbinding series based loosely on the mythology surrounding the famous star constellation.]]> 513 Lucinda Riley Dana 5
Definitely a worthy follow-up, also giving us more insight into the D’Apliese family. And there’s another supposed Pa Salt sighting � is he really dead? I guess we’ll have to read on to find out what lies at the centre of this tangled web and who the mysterious Pa Salt really is.]]> 4.23 2015 The Storm Sister (The Seven Sisters, #2)
author: Lucinda Riley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/11
date added: 2022/09/11
shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, history, istorie, romance
review:
Overall this was a very engaging read, with two great narratives. And again the amount of research that has gone into it is astounding.

Definitely a worthy follow-up, also giving us more insight into the D’Apliese family. And there’s another supposed Pa Salt sighting � is he really dead? I guess we’ll have to read on to find out what lies at the centre of this tangled web and who the mysterious Pa Salt really is.
]]> Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt 58014401
1928, Paris. A boy is found, moments from death, and taken in by a kindly family. Gentle, precocious, talented, he flourishes in his new home, and the family show him a life he hadn’t dreamed possible. But he refuses to speak a word about who he really is.

As he grows into a young man, falling in love and taking classes at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris, he can almost forget the terrors of his past, or the promise he has vowed to keep. But across Europe an evil is rising, and no-one’s safety is certain. In his heart, he knows the time will come when he must flee once more.

2008, the Aegean. The seven sisters are gathered together for the first time, on board the Titan, to say a final goodbye to the enigmatic father they loved so dearly.

To the surprise of everyone, it is the missing sister who Pa Salt has chosen to entrust with the clue to their pasts. But for every truth revealed, another question emerges. The sisters must confront the idea that their adored father was someone they barely knew. And even more shockingly: that these long-buried secrets may still have consequences for them today.

In this epic conclusion to the Seven Sisters series, everything will be revealed.]]> 784 Lucinda Riley Dana 0 to-read 4.50 2023 Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt
author: Lucinda Riley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters, #1)]]> 22609358
Eighty years earlier in Rio’s Belle Epoque of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio’s father has aspirations for his daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find the right sculptor to complete his vision. Izabela—passionate and longing to see the world—convinces her father to allow her to accompany him and his family to Europe before she is married. There, at Paul Landowski’s studio and in the heady, vibrant cafes of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again.

In this sweeping, epic tale of love and loss—the first in a unique, spellbinding series of seven novels—Lucinda Riley showcases her storytelling talent like never before.]]> 460 Lucinda Riley 1476759901 Dana 5 4.15 2014 The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters, #1)
author: Lucinda Riley
name: Dana
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/07
date added: 2022/09/08
shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, history, istorie, romance
review:
The book definitely has aspects of a romance, but more than that it’s a historical fiction, for which Lucinda Riley has done an astounding amount of research � and it shows. Not only did she live for a month in Rio, next door to the granddaughter of the architect of Christ the Redeemer and read his personal letters and journals, she also did extensive research into both Paris and Rio in the time she was writing about and the historical characters involved
]]>