cc's bookshelf: all en-US Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:46:29 -0700 60 cc's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Noite Cega (Dark Iceland #2) 36354439
Com Ari Thór ausente, o polícia que o substitui, e seu único colega, é assassinado à queima-roupa, a meio da noite, numa casa deserta. Cabe agora a Ari Thór deslindar um caso que rapidamente se torna muito mais complicado do que parecia: a comunidade fecha-se, a política local dificulta tudo, e o novo presidente da Câmara envolve-se no caso muito além da sua função.

A investigação vai levar Ari Thór até bem longe da aldeia. O que terá a ala psiquiátrica de um hospital em Reiquiavique a ver com este crime? O que será que todos em Siglufjördur estão a tentar esconder? E conseguirá Ari Thór aguentar uma investigação tão exigente?]]>
262 Ragnar Jónasson 9898869496 cc 0 wishlist 3.78 2014 Noite Cega (Dark Iceland #2)
author: Ragnar Jónasson
name: cc
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: wishlist
review:

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Mexican Gothic 52873094
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.]]>
304 Silvia Moreno-Garcia cc 0 wishlist 3.76 2020 Mexican Gothic
author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
name: cc
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[A Wallflower Christmas (Wallflowers, #4.5)]]> 8528602 A scandalous love under the mistletoe.

It’s Christmas time in London and Rafe Bowman has arrived from America for his arranged meeting with Natalie Blandford, the very proper and beautiful daughter of Lady and Lord Blandford. His chiseled good looks and imposing physique are sure to impress the lady-in-waiting, and if it weren’t for his shocking American ways and wild reputation, her hand would already be guaranteed.

Before the courtship can begin, Rafe realizes he must learn the rules of London society. But when four former Wallfowers try their hand at matchmaking, no one knows what will happen. And winning a bride turns out to be more complicated than Rafe Bowman anticipated, especially for a man accustomed to getting anything he wants. However, Christmas works in the most unexpected ways, changing a cynic to a romantic and inspiring passion in the most timid of hearts.]]>
205 Lisa Kleypas 0312360738 cc 5 3.96 2008 A Wallflower Christmas (Wallflowers, #4.5)
author: Lisa Kleypas
name: cc
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2008
rating: 5
read at: 2011/12/25
date added: 2024/12/12
shelves: historical-romance, favorite-heroines, steamy, 2011-read, favorite-authors
review:

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<![CDATA[Breaking the Story (Scottie's Adventures, #1)]]> 29359089
Scottie Darden’s life is a disaster. Her marriage has become toxic, and her career as a photojournalist has stalled out. To attract the attention of the main players in the news industry, she needs a standout story with a unique perspective. What she finds is a scandal that could turn the 2016 presidential election upside down. But before she can release her damaging images to the media, Scottie must uncover the truth behind the photographs. She turns to handsome mystery man Guy Jordan for help. When they join the campaign trail in search of answers, their investigation quickly becomes deadly.

Hop on board for a wild ride of adventure where desire ignites, lives are threatened, and secrets are revealed.
]]>
250 Ashley Farley 098616724X cc 0 wishlist 4.26 2016 Breaking the Story (Scottie's Adventures, #1)
author: Ashley Farley
name: cc
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/01
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[Rosemary and Rue (October Daye, #1)]]> 8163827
The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening-s dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evening's killer.]]>
368 Seanan McGuire 1101140100 cc 3 3.92 2009 Rosemary and Rue (October Daye, #1)
author: Seanan McGuire
name: cc
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2011/11/02
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: urban-fantasy-challenge, ebook, 2011-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Friday Night Stage Lights (mix)]]> 41859547 The Cutting Edge meets Step Up in this hilarious M!X novel where the worlds of football and ballet collide.Brooklyn Gartner eats, sleeps, and breathes ballet. But after her mom gets remarried and moves them to Texas, everything changes. Thanks to her star football player stepbrother, her family is football obsessed. And thanks to a new conditioning program, the middle school football team starts to take classes at her dance studio—the only place Brooklyn felt like she belonged. She has a chance to escape if she can get into her dream high school, The Texas School of the Arts, where she’ll be able to pursue her passion for dance. Brooklyn just has to get through the big All-City showcase first, where a ton of scouts will be there, including one from TSOTA. But when Brooklyn’s dance partner gets injured, she has to turn to an unexpected ally—Logan, a boy on the middle school football team—to help her get through the showcase. With some fancy footwork, teamwork and a little understanding, can Brooklyn make her mark, and dance her way onto a bigger stage?]]> 353 Rachele Alpine 1534404600 cc 0 to-read 4.58 2018 Friday Night Stage Lights (mix)
author: Rachele Alpine
name: cc
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/29
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder (Countess of Harleigh Mystery, #1)]]> 37648244 In this exciting historical mystery debut set in Victorian England, a wealthy young widow encounters the pleasures—and scandalous pitfalls—of a London social season . . .
Ìý
Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, enjoys more freedom as a widow than she did as a wife. With her young daughter in tow, Frances rents a home in Belgravia and prepares to welcome her sister, Lily, arriving from New York—for her first London season.
Ìý
But no sooner has Frances begun her new life than the Metropolitan police receive an anonymous letter implicating Frances in her husband’s death. Frances assures Inspector Delaney of her innocence, but she’s also keen to keep him from learning the scandalous circumstances of Reggie’s demise. As fate would have it, her dashing new neighbor, George Hazelton, is one of only two other people aware of the full story.
Ìý
While busy with social engagements on Lily’s behalf, and worrying if Reggie really was murdered, Frances rallies her wits, a circle of gossips, and the ever-chivalrous Mr. Hazelton to uncover the truth. A killer is in their midst and Frances must unmask the villain before Lily’s season—and their lives—come to a most unseemly end . . .]]>
281 Dianne Freeman 1496716892 cc 0 wishlist 4.06 2018 A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder (Countess of Harleigh Mystery, #1)
author: Dianne Freeman
name: cc
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[Murder at Morningside (Missy DuBois Mystery #1)]]> 30054033
Hired to craft a veil for a socialite getting married at Morningside Plantation means Missy can bask in the height of antebellum atmosphere. But when the bride is found dead in a women's bathroom, Missy the milliner finds herself entangled in one unfashionable murder. With the list of suspects thicker than the sweltering Louisiana heat, including a gaggle of bridesmaids shedding nary a tear and a family with no shortage of enemies, it seems anyone at the mansion may have done away with the bride-to-be. While Missy has Southern charm to spare, she's going to need more than manners and a manicure to put a hat pin on this murderous affair . . .]]>
204 Sandra Bretting 1601837135 cc 0 wishlist, 2016-published 3.77 2016 Murder at Morningside (Missy DuBois Mystery #1)
author: Sandra Bretting
name: cc
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/28
shelves: wishlist, 2016-published
review:

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<![CDATA[Bone ​Crier’s Moon (Bone Grace, #1)]]> 49565716
Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers, a mysterious famille of women who use strengths drawn from animal bones to ferry dead souls. But first she must complete her rite of passage and kill the boy she’s also destined to love.

Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Yet when he finally captures one, his vengeance will have to wait. Ailesse’s ritual has begun and now their fates are entwined—in life and in death.

Sabine has never had the stomach for the Bone Criers� work. But when her best friend Ailesse is taken captive, Sabine will do whatever it takes to save her, even if it means defying their traditions—and their matriarch—to break the bond between Ailesse and Bastien. Before they all die.]]>
480 Kathryn Purdie 0062798790 cc 0 wishlist, 2020-published 3.63 2020 Bone ​Crier’s Moon (Bone Grace, #1)
author: Kathryn Purdie
name: cc
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: wishlist, 2020-published
review:

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Dangerous Alliance 43895338 The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue meets Jane Austen in this witty, winking historical romance with a dash of mystery!

Lady Victoria Aston has everything she could want: an older sister happily wed, the future of her family estate secure, and ample opportunity to while her time away in the fields around her home.

But now Vicky must marry—or find herself and her family destitute. Armed only with the wisdom she has gained from her beloved novels by Jane Austen, she enters society’s treacherous season.

Sadly, Miss Austen has little to say about Vicky’s exact circumstances: whether the roguish Mr. Carmichael is indeed a scoundrel, if her former best friend, Tom Sherborne, is out for her dowry or for her heart, or even how to fend off the attentions of the foppish Mr. Silby, he of the unfortunate fashion sensibility.

Most unfortunately of all, Vicky’s books are silent on the topic of the mysterious accidents cropping up around her…ones that could prevent her from surviving until her wedding day.]]>
416 Jennieke Cohen 0062857320 cc 0 wishlist, 2019-published 3.70 2019 Dangerous Alliance
author: Jennieke Cohen
name: cc
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: wishlist, 2019-published
review:

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Riders (Riders, #1) 25611217 Riders. A new fantasy adventure from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Veronica Rossi.

For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can't remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen--Conquest, Famine, and Death--are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence.

They fail.

Now--bound, bloodied, and drugged--Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he's fallen for--not to mention all of humankind--he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger.

But will anyone believe him?]]>
384 Veronica Rossi 1466887796 cc 0 wishlist, 2016-published 3.70 2016 Riders (Riders, #1)
author: Veronica Rossi
name: cc
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves: wishlist, 2016-published
review:

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Madly, Deeply 22393976 In a kingdom by the sea...

Annaleigh Wells and William Calloway had a love even the angels envied. It was as if the universe spun them toward one another, like the stars crafted their souls to fit perfectly together.

With a wedding on the horizon, fate had a change of heart. Whispered warnings from phantoms and morbid nightmares darkened every night—but even visions of the future couldn’t save Annaleigh.

Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem Annabel Lee, Crouch’s period romance Madly, Deeply tells the tale of love so great, it cannot be contained in just one life.]]>
216 Erica Crouch 1927940060 cc 0 to-read, ebook 4.50 2014 Madly, Deeply
author: Erica Crouch
name: cc
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves: to-read, ebook
review:

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Play On (Lewis Creek, #1) 21896076 258 Michelle Smith 1939392608 cc 1 DNF

The romance in this one is so cheesy, I was honestly rolling my eyes every single time Austin and Marisa had a scene together.
Also, this guy at some point was very proud to say he knows how to handle guns and that he shot a duck once. A main character that hunts for sport: disgusting.

Merged review:

DNF

The romance in this one is so cheesy, I was honestly rolling my eyes every single time Austin and Marisa had a scene together.
Also, this guy at some point was very proud to say he knows how to handle guns and that he shot a duck once. A main character that hunts for sport: disgusting.]]>
3.70 2015 Play On (Lewis Creek, #1)
author: Michelle Smith
name: cc
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2015
rating: 1
read at: 2015/10/18
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves: ebook, contemporary, young-adult, 2015-published, dnf
review:
DNF

The romance in this one is so cheesy, I was honestly rolling my eyes every single time Austin and Marisa had a scene together.
Also, this guy at some point was very proud to say he knows how to handle guns and that he shot a duck once. A main character that hunts for sport: disgusting.

Merged review:

DNF

The romance in this one is so cheesy, I was honestly rolling my eyes every single time Austin and Marisa had a scene together.
Also, this guy at some point was very proud to say he knows how to handle guns and that he shot a duck once. A main character that hunts for sport: disgusting.
]]>
<![CDATA[Love Charms and Other Catastrophes (Grimbaud, #2)]]> 28444817 was excited to come back to Grimbaud for her sophomore year-until she learns about the upcoming charm making competition. Grimbaud has just started to recover from the tyranny of Zita's love fortunes and it would be too easy for the winning charm maker to take Zita's place. The only solution is for Hijiri, with the support of her friends and fellow rebels, to win the contest herself.

Unfortunately, that's easier said than done, especially when Love itself has decided to meddle in Hijiri's life. Concerned that it's favorite charm maker has given up on finding a boyfriend of her own, Love takes matters into its own hands and delivers the perfect boyfriend to her in a giftwrapped box...literally.]]>
385 Kimberly Karalius 1250084016 cc 0 wishlist, 2016-published 3.92 2016 Love Charms and Other Catastrophes (Grimbaud, #2)
author: Kimberly Karalius
name: cc
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: wishlist, 2016-published
review:

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Moonless (Maiden of Time, #1) 17876692
Among the many things to change for her that evening her physical appearance—from ghastly to breathtaking, an epidemic of night terrors predicting the future, and the blue-eyed man’s unexpected infusion into her life. Not only do his appearances precede tragedies, but they are echoed by the arrival of ravenous, black-robed wraiths on moonless nights.

Unable to decide whether he is one of these monsters or protecting her from them, she uncovers what her father has been truths about her own identity, about the blue-eyed man, and about love. After an attack close to home, Alexia realizes she cannot keep one foot in her old life and one in this new world. To protect her family she must either be sold into a loveless marriage, or escape with the man of her dreams and risk becoming one of the Soulless.]]>
309 Crystal Collier 1629830496 cc 1 DNF.
I read a few pages of this book and then gave up because I was so bored. Sorry.

(I received a copy from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for a honest review.)

Merged review:

DNF.
I read a few pages of this book and then gave up because I was so bored. Sorry.

(I received a copy from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for a honest review.)]]>
3.72 2013 Moonless (Maiden of Time, #1)
author: Crystal Collier
name: cc
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2013
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: ebook, netgalley, started-reading-but-stopped
review:
DNF.
I read a few pages of this book and then gave up because I was so bored. Sorry.

(I received a copy from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for a honest review.)

Merged review:

DNF.
I read a few pages of this book and then gave up because I was so bored. Sorry.

(I received a copy from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for a honest review.)
]]>
Naked Edge (I-Team, #4) 8292478 What do you do when desire drives you to the very brink?

Someone wants the Native Americans off their sacred land. And when Navajo journalist Katherine James and park ranger Gabriel Rossiter team up to investigate why, their passion for the truth-and each other-makes them targets for those desperate enough to kill.]]>
383 Pamela Clare 1101185775 cc 3 4.23 2010 Naked Edge (I-Team, #4)
author: Pamela Clare
name: cc
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2014/07/04
date added: 2024/09/24
shelves: ebook, contemporary, steamy, heroine-v, 2014-read, romance
review:

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Kiss an Angel 6651368
Alex Markov, as humorless as he is deadly handsome, has no intention of playing the loving bridegroom to a spoiled little feather-head with champagne tastes. He drags Daisy from her uptown life to a broken down traveling circus and sets out to tame her to his ways.

But this man without a soul has met his match in a woman who's nothing but heart. Before long, passion will send them flying sky high without a safety net... risking it all in search of a love that will last forever.]]>
384 Susan Elizabeth Phillips 0061794791 cc 4 4.19 1996 Kiss an Angel
author: Susan Elizabeth Phillips
name: cc
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2014/07/02
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves: heroine-v, romance, contemporary, arranged-forced-marriage, 2014-read, steamy, baby-drama, feels, ebook, no-love-triangle, hero-few-words-broody-aloof-type
review:

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<![CDATA[The Duke (Victorian Rebels, #4)]]> 31294262 He is noble, notorious, and takes no prisoners...

Strong as a Viking. Handsome as Adonis. Rich as Midas. Collin "Cole" Talmage, Duke of Trewyth, is the stuff that legends are made of. He's the English Empire's golden son--until fate has its way with him. Cole's family is killed and his closest comrade betrays him on the battlefield, leaving him gravely injured. But Cole is not one to dwell on misfortune. He is a man of duty, honor--and desire. And now he's ready for the fight of his lifetime...

Imogen Pritchard is a beautiful lass who works in a hospital by day and as a serving maid at night. Years ago, when she was young and penniless, she ended up spending a scandalous night with Cole, whose tormented soul was matched only by his earth-shattering passion. Imogen entered a marriage of convenience--one that left her a wealthy widow--but she never forgot Cole. Now that her long-lost lover has turned up in her hospital, injured and with no memory of her, Imogen is torn: Is it a blessing or a curse that their past remains a secret to Cole, even as his new passion for her leaves him wanting to protect and possess her...at all costs?]]>
385 Kerrigan Byrne 1250118255 cc 2 4.23 2017 The Duke (Victorian Rebels, #4)
author: Kerrigan Byrne
name: cc
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2017
rating: 2
read at: 2019/09/10
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves: 2019-read, hero-physically-challenged, hero-jealous-possessive, heroine-v, historical-romance
review:

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<![CDATA[The Scot Beds His Wife (Victorian Rebels, #5)]]> 34688564 They’re rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the women who love them, a hint of danger only makes the heart beat faster.

Gavin St. James, Earl of Thorne, is a notorious Highlander and an unrelenting Lothario who uses his slightly menacing charm to get what he wants—including too many women married to other men. But now, Gavin wants to put his shady past behind him...more or less. When a fiery lass who is the heiress to the land he wishes to possess drops into his lap, he sees a perfectly delicious opportunity...

A marriage most convenient

Samantha Masters has come back to Scotland, in a pair of trousers, and with a whole world of dangerous secrets from her time spent in the Wild West trailing behind her. Her only hope of protection is to marry—and to do so quickly. Gavin is only too willing to provide that service for someone he finds so disturbingly irresistible. But even as danger approaches, what begins as a scandalous proposition slowly turns into an all-consuming passion. And Gavin discovers that he will do whatever is necessary to keep the woman he has claimed as his own...

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411 Kerrigan Byrne 1250122554 cc 0 wishlist 4.17 2017 The Scot Beds His Wife (Victorian Rebels, #5)
author: Kerrigan Byrne
name: cc
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[The Hunter (Victorian Rebels, #2)]]> 26202289 They're rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards-dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the women who love them, a hint of danger only makes the heart beat faster... A scandalous proposal. Christopher Argent lives in the shadows as the empire's most elite assassin. Emotion is something he tossed away years ago, making him one of the most clear-eyed, cold-hearted, wealthiest, and therefore untouchable men in London. But when his latest target turns out to be London's own darling, Millicent LeCour, Christopher's whole world is turned upside down. Overwhelmed by her stunning combination of seduction and innocence, Christopher cannot complete the mission. She has made him feel again. Now, he will do anything to save her life, so that he can claim her as his own... A perilous passion... When Millie learns what Christopher was hired to do, she is torn between the fear in her heart and the fire in her soul. Putting herself in this notorious hunter's arms may be her only path to safety-even if doing so could be the deadliest mistake she's ever made. But how can she resist him? As the heat between her and Christopher burns out of control, danger lurks in the shadows. Is their desire worth the risk? Only the enemy knows what fate has in store...Read the Victorian RebelsThe HighwaymanThe HunterThe HighlanderThe DukeThe Scot Beds His WifeThe Duke With the Dragon TattooA Dark and Stormy Knight]]> 429 Kerrigan Byrne 1466887419 cc 5 4.31 2016 The Hunter (Victorian Rebels, #2)
author: Kerrigan Byrne
name: cc
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2019/07/30
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: 2019-read, hero-jealous-possessive, hero-few-words-broody-aloof-type, hero-scarred, heroine-v, historical-romance, stalkerific-hero, steamy
review:

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Under Rose-Tainted Skies 30938936
For her, the outside is sky glimpsed through glass, or a gauntlet to run between home and car. But a chance encounter on the doorstep changes Luke, her new neighbour. Norah is determined to be the girl she thinks Luke a ‘normal� girl, her skies unfiltered by the lens of mental illness. Instead, her love and bravery opens a window to unexpected truths �

An important and uplifting debut from a British author, which tackles mental health issues such as agoraphobia and OCD.]]>
288 Louise Gornall 1910655872 cc 4 Under Rose-Tainted Skies tells the story of Norah Dean, a girl who suffers from agoraphobia, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and because of that she can’t leave the house, she can’t stand being touched by anyone except her mother, she obsesses over germs and a bunch of other stuff constantly, she has panic/anxiety attacks all the time and this is just the tip of the iceberg. And then the new neighbors arrive and Norah finds herself getting more and more attached to Luke, who keeps saying ‘hi� across the porch and knocking on her door with a smile on his face and sending her cute little written messages through the letter plate.
But like so many other things in life, Norah’s condition is not something that can be magically cured by the sudden interest of a boy, no matter how adorable and kind and considerate he is, still, Norah’s life finally starts to change.

As it happens I share some of Norah’s obsessive-compulsive issues, meaning this story spoke loud and clear to me, I fully understand that she simply *cannot* stop doing this or that, or stop being afraid of something, or just get over it and do the thing because that’s just not how the brain works, and it made me so emotional to think this story was based on the author’s own struggles with mental illness. You genuinely feel like a freak when you OCD on this level, it feels like everyone else around you has life all figured out, everything seems so easy when they do it, and yet there you are, stuck, trapped inside your mind, ruled by fears and anxiety and uncontrolled thoughts and obsessions.

That said, I think the author did a fantastic job putting into words Norah’s feelings regarding her condition and how it clashes with her dreams and just with little things she wishes she could do, after all they’re so contradictory, like, she wants to go study architecture in France but she can’t even step outside to pick up the grocery bags from the porch, she watches videos of people kissing on the internet but takes one look at Luke’s lips and can’t stop thinking of all the germs throwing a party inside, and so on.

Don’t get me wrong though, the romance in this book is very sweet, Luke understands Norah’s limitations, even if sometimes he makes mistakes, but his intentions are so pure and his words so genuine that it was impossible for me to blame him for, let’s say spoilers.

In conclusion, a gripping and moving debut with a heroine who tries her best despite her debilitating condition and that approaches mental illness in a realistic, honest way. (Plus HELLA CUTE romance!)
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3.94 2016 Under Rose-Tainted Skies
author: Louise Gornall
name: cc
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2016/10/17
date added: 2024/09/21
shelves: 2016-published, contemporary, debut, debut-author-challenge-2016, young-adult, ebook, 2016-read, 2016-favorites, no-love-triangle
review:
Under Rose-Tainted Skies tells the story of Norah Dean, a girl who suffers from agoraphobia, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and because of that she can’t leave the house, she can’t stand being touched by anyone except her mother, she obsesses over germs and a bunch of other stuff constantly, she has panic/anxiety attacks all the time and this is just the tip of the iceberg. And then the new neighbors arrive and Norah finds herself getting more and more attached to Luke, who keeps saying ‘hi� across the porch and knocking on her door with a smile on his face and sending her cute little written messages through the letter plate.
But like so many other things in life, Norah’s condition is not something that can be magically cured by the sudden interest of a boy, no matter how adorable and kind and considerate he is, still, Norah’s life finally starts to change.

As it happens I share some of Norah’s obsessive-compulsive issues, meaning this story spoke loud and clear to me, I fully understand that she simply *cannot* stop doing this or that, or stop being afraid of something, or just get over it and do the thing because that’s just not how the brain works, and it made me so emotional to think this story was based on the author’s own struggles with mental illness. You genuinely feel like a freak when you OCD on this level, it feels like everyone else around you has life all figured out, everything seems so easy when they do it, and yet there you are, stuck, trapped inside your mind, ruled by fears and anxiety and uncontrolled thoughts and obsessions.

That said, I think the author did a fantastic job putting into words Norah’s feelings regarding her condition and how it clashes with her dreams and just with little things she wishes she could do, after all they’re so contradictory, like, she wants to go study architecture in France but she can’t even step outside to pick up the grocery bags from the porch, she watches videos of people kissing on the internet but takes one look at Luke’s lips and can’t stop thinking of all the germs throwing a party inside, and so on.

Don’t get me wrong though, the romance in this book is very sweet, Luke understands Norah’s limitations, even if sometimes he makes mistakes, but his intentions are so pure and his words so genuine that it was impossible for me to blame him for, let’s say spoilers.

In conclusion, a gripping and moving debut with a heroine who tries her best despite her debilitating condition and that approaches mental illness in a realistic, honest way. (Plus HELLA CUTE romance!)

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<![CDATA[Wilde in Love (The Wildes of Lindow Castle, #1)]]> 34100505
Willa presents the façade of a serene young lady to the world.ÌýHer love of books and bawdy jokes is purely for the delight of her intimate friends. She wants nothing to do with a man whose private life is splashed over every newspaper.

Alaric has never met a woman he wanted for his own . . . until he meets Willa. He’s never lost a battle.

But a spirited woman like Willa isn’t going to make it easy. . . .]]>
416 Eloisa James 0062389483 cc 0 to-read 4.15 2017 Wilde in Love (The Wildes of Lindow Castle, #1)
author: Eloisa James
name: cc
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Pride, Prejudice, and Curling Rocks]]> 13396592
At seventeen, Darcy still has Olympic dreams, but she has more immediate concerns. Like getting her team to Regionals, making sure she's accepted by the local college, and convincing her best-friend and team skip not to go to a university on the other side of the continent. And, possibly most important of all, resisting the urge to kill Lucas Fitzwilliam. 'Cause he may be really annoying, but Darcy's pretty sure they don't have curling in prison.]]>
224 Andrea Brokaw 0984702113 cc 0 3.72 2011 Pride, Prejudice, and Curling Rocks
author: Andrea Brokaw
name: cc
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves: wishlist, pride-and-prejudice-retold
review:

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<![CDATA[Entice: An Ignite Novella (Ignite, #1.5)]]> 17903116
Suddenly top-tiered demons, they’re tasked with seeing through hell’s new corrupting man. But tarnishing Eden isn’t as simple as they thought it would be, especially when they’re forced to work with another team of demons who are trying to claw their way up the ladder of power.]]>
175 Erica Crouch 0991789768 cc 0 to-read 4.00 2013 Entice: An Ignite Novella (Ignite, #1.5)
author: Erica Crouch
name: cc
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/17
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[A Corner of White (The Colours of Madeleine #1)]]> 17406577
This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).

Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot's dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.

As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds -- through an accidental gap that hasn't appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called "color storms;" a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the "Butterfly Child," whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses...]]>
384 Jaclyn Moriarty 054551021X cc 0 wishlist 3.94 2012 A Corner of White (The Colours of Madeleine #1)
author: Jaclyn Moriarty
name: cc
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/16
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[The Highwayman (Victorian Rebels, #1)]]> 24993219 They’re rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards—dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the women who love them, a hint of danger only makes the heart beat faster�

STEALING BEAUTY
Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of London’s wealthiest, most influential men who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who’ve wronged him…and will fight to the death to seize what he wants. The lovely, still innocent widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception—and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands�

COURTING DESIRE
But Farah is no one’s puppet. She possesses a powerful secret—one that threatens her very life. When being held captive by Dorian proves to be the only way to keep Farah safe from those who would see her dead, Dorian makes Farah a scandalous proposition: marry him for protection in exchange for using her secret to help him exact revenge on his enemies. But what the Blackheart of Ben More never could have imagined is that Farah has terms of her own, igniting a tempestuous desire that consumes them both. Could it be that the woman he captured is the only one who can touch the black heart he’d long thought dead?]]>
379 Kerrigan Byrne 1466887400 cc 5 the steamy scenes.

SO kinky. It's so funny to me how the whole time Dorian is like: oh my god I'm horrible, I'm a monster, what am I doing to her, this is vile!!
Farah:

Dorian: I'll NOT touch you ever
Farah:

Dorian: Let's get married in name only
Farah:

Dorian: Farah, no!
Farah: FARAH YES
Honestly, FARAH YES sums up the whole book. (¬‿�)
]]>
4.25 2015 The Highwayman (Victorian Rebels, #1)
author: Kerrigan Byrne
name: cc
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2019/07/24
date added: 2024/09/12
shelves: 2019-read, historical-romance, hero-scarred, heroine-v, ebook, traumatic-past-rape-violence, steamy, hero-v-celibate, feels, arranged-forced-marriage, hero-jealous-possessive, hero-few-words-broody-aloof-type, no-love-triangle, ive-loved-you-since-4ever, 2015-published
review:
Breaks your heart and then heals it****Jesus I had no idea this was going to be so dark! + oh my god the steamy scenes.

SO kinky. It's so funny to me how the whole time Dorian is like: oh my god I'm horrible, I'm a monster, what am I doing to her, this is vile!!
Farah:

Dorian: I'll NOT touch you ever
Farah:

Dorian: Let's get married in name only
Farah:

Dorian: Farah, no!
Farah: FARAH YES
Honestly, FARAH YES sums up the whole book. (¬‿�)

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<![CDATA[The Shop on Blossom Street (Blossom Street, #1)]]> 8174459 Four lives knit together ...

There's a little shop on Blossom Street in Seattle called A Good Yarn. You go there to buy knitting supplies and patterns -- and now it's offering a knitting class. The first lesson: how to knit a baby blanket.

For owner Lydia Hoffman, the shop represents her dream of beginning a new life free from the cancer that has ravaged her twice. A life that offers a chance at love ... and maybe marriage.

Jacqueline Donovan is stuck in a marriage that has dwindled into an arrangement of separate rooms and separate lives. She disapproves of the woman married to her only son, but if she knits a baby blanket, she can at least pretend to like her pregnant daughter-in-law.

For Carol Girard, the baby blanket brings a message of hope as she and her husband make a final attempt at in vitro pregnancy.

And tense-looking Alix Townsend -- that's Alix with an "i" -- is learning to knit her blanket for her court-ordered community service project.

Brought together by an age-old craft, these four women make unexpected discoveries -- about themselves and each other. Discoveries that lead to love, to friendship and acceptance, to laughter and dreams.

]]>
399 Debbie Macomber 1426854757 cc 0 wishlist 3.87 2003 The Shop on Blossom Street (Blossom Street, #1)
author: Debbie Macomber
name: cc
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[O Fantasma de Canterville e outros contos]]> 8596389
O Fantasma de Canterville (The Canterville Ghost)
Esfinge Sem Segredo (The Sphinx Without a Secret)
O Reizinho (The Young King)
O Aniversáro da Infanta (The Birthday of the Infanta)
O Pescador e a Alma (The Fisherman and his Soul)
O Foguete de Lágrimas (The Remarrkable Rocket)]]>
96 Oscar Wilde 9895547412 cc 0 to-read, pt 3.67 O Fantasma de Canterville e outros contos
author: Oscar Wilde
name: cc
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: to-read, pt
review:

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Grimm's Fairy Tales 13624200
Arthur Rackham's illustrations for the Brothers Grimm brought him lasting fame. From the beautiful to the bizarre, from the weird to the wonderful, his fine line drawings are striking portrayals of the Grimm stories. This beautiful edition presents sixty stories and over sixty-five of Rackham's illustrations, including sixteen full-color plates.

Timeless as entertainment, this is a story-time treasury for young and old alike.

1 The Golden Bird
2 Hans in Luck
3 Jorinda and Joringel
4 The Bremen Town Musicians
5 Old Sultan
6 The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean
7 Briar Rose
8 the Dog and the Sparrow
9 The Twelve Dancing Princesses
10 The Fisherman and His Wife
11 The Wren and the Bear
12 The Frog Prince
13 The Cat and Mouse in Partnership
14 The Goosegirl
15 The Adventures of Chanticleer and Partlet
16 Rapunzel
17 Fundevogel
18 The Valiant Trailor
19 Hansel and Grethel
20 The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage
21 Mother Hulda
22 Red Riding Hood
23 The Robber Bridegroom
24 Tom Thumb
25 Rumpelstiltskin
26 Clever Grethel
27 The Old Man and His Grandson
28 The Little Peasant
29 Fred and Kate
30 Sweetheart Roland
31 Snowdrop
32 The Pink
33 Clever Elsa
34 The Man Among the Thorns
35 Ashenputtel
36 The White Snake
37 The Wolf and the Seven Kids
38 The Queen Bee
39 The Elves and the Shoemaker
40 The Wolf and the Man
41 The Turnip
42 Clever Hans
43 The Three Languages
44 The Fox and the Cat
45 The Four Clever Brothers
46 The Lady and the Lion
47 The Fox and the Horse
48 The Blue Light
49 The Raven
50 The Golden Goose
51 The Water of Life
52 The Twelve Huntsmen
53 The King of the Golden Mountain
54 Doctor Know-All
55 The Seven Ravens
56 The Marriage of Mrs. Reynard
57 The Salad
58 The Youth Who Could Not Shudder
59 King Thrushbeard
60 Iron Hans]]>
392 Jacob Grimm 0141341726 cc 0 wishlist, fairytale-retelling 4.15 1812 Grimm's Fairy Tales
author: Jacob Grimm
name: cc
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1812
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: wishlist, fairytale-retelling
review:

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Steel's Edge (The Edge, #4) 12119496 The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale—and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny�

Charlotte de Ney is as noble as they come, a blueblood straight out of the Weird. But even though she possesses rare magical healing abilities, her life has brought her nothing but pain. After her marriage crumbles, she flees to the Edge to build a new home for herself. Until Richard Mar is brought to her for treatment, and Charlotte’s life is turned upside down once again.

Richard is a swordsman without peer, future head of his large and rambunctious Edger clan—and he’s on a clandestine quest to wipe out slavers trafficking humans in the Weird. So when his presence leads his very dangerous enemies to Charlotte, she vows to help Richard destroy them. The slavers� operation, however, goes deeper than Richard knows, and even working together, Charlotte and Richard may not survive...]]>
388 Ilona Andrews 1937007820 cc 0 wishlist 4.16 2012 Steel's Edge (The Edge, #4)
author: Ilona Andrews
name: cc
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)]]> 18071466 LES ANGES NE SONT PAS CE QUE L'ON CROIT. ILS DÉTRUISENT LE MONDE, ÉRADIQUENT L'ESPÈCE HUMAINE.


Désormais seule, Penryn cherche sans relâche Paige, sa petite soeur, dans les rues vides de San Francisco. Pendant ce temps, Raffe doit impérativement retrouver ses ailes, sans lesquelles il ne pourra revenir parmi les siens. Mais, une fois qu'il sera confronté à l'ultime choix � récupérer ses ailes ou sauver Penryn �, quelle sera sa priorité ?]]>
314 Susan Ee 147781728X cc 5 4.26 2013 World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)
author: Susan Ee
name: cc
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2013/12/03
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves: favorite-heroes, favorite-heroines, angels, paranormal-romance, young-adult, dystopia-reading-challenge-2013, dystopia, favorite-books, 2013-read, no-love-triangle, heroine-kickass
review:

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<![CDATA[The Highlander (Victorian Rebels, #3)]]> 28803826 Can the fiercest master of battle conquer a woman’s heart?

They call him the Demon Highlander. The fearsome Lieutenant Colonel Liam MacKenzie is known for his superhuman strength, towering presence, and fiery passion in the heat of battle. As Laird to the MacKenzie clan, the undefeated Marquess has vanquished his foes with all rage and wrath of his barbaric Highland ancestors. But when an English governess arrives to care for his children, the master of war finds himself up against his greatest opponent... in the game of love.

Defying all expectations, Miss Philomena is no plain-faced spinster but a ravishing beauty with voluptuous curves and haughty full lips that rattle the Laird to his core. Unintimidated by her master’s raw masculinity and savage ways, the headstrong lass manages to tame not only his wild children but the beast in his soul. With each passing day, Liam grows fonder of Miss Mena—and more suspicious. What secret is she hiding behind those emerald eyes? What darkness brought her to his keep? And how can he conquer this magnificent woman’s heart... without surrendering his own?]]>
368 Kerrigan Byrne 1466887427 cc 3 4.29 2016 The Highlander (Victorian Rebels, #3)
author: Kerrigan Byrne
name: cc
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2019/08/06
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: 2019-read, hero-i-wanna-slap, hero-jealous-possessive, hero-scarred, steamy, traumatic-past-rape-violence, historical-romance
review:

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The Kingdom of Little Wounds 15845633 A 2014 Michael L. Printz Honor BookA young seamstress and a royal nursemaid find themselves at the center of an epic power struggle in this stunning young-adult debut.On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion. Here in the palace at Skyggehavn, things are seldom as they seem � and when a single errant prick of a needle sets off a series of events that will alter the course of history, the fates of seamstress Ava Bingen and mute nursemaid Midi Sorte become irrevocably intertwined with that of mad Queen Isabel. As they navigate a tangled web of palace intrigue, power-lust, and deception, Ava and Midi must carve out their own survival any way they can.]]> 557 Susann Cokal 0763669075 cc 0 wishlist 3.47 2013 The Kingdom of Little Wounds
author: Susann Cokal
name: cc
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/23
shelves: wishlist
review:

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Life in Outer Space 18513966 316 Melissa Keil 174273958X cc 5 4.01 2013 Life in Outer Space
author: Melissa Keil
name: cc
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2015/06/15
date added: 2024/07/22
shelves: 2015-read, 2015-favorites, nerdy-hero, nerdy-heroine, young-adult, cutie-pies, romance, contemporary, no-love-triangle
review:

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<![CDATA[Trick of the Light (Trickster, #1)]]> 8133076 354 Rob Thurman 1101136227 cc 1 3.79 2009 Trick of the Light (Trickster, #1)
author: Rob Thurman
name: cc
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2009
rating: 1
read at: 2011/12/26
date added: 2024/07/18
shelves: urban-fantasy-challenge, 2011-read, dnf, didnt-care
review:

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Fortaleza Digital 6026313
Qual será a natureza do terrível código que tomou a NSA como refém? E terá David Becker êxito na sua demanda por um misterioso anel?

Apanhada numa vertiginosa rede de secretismos e mentiras, Susan tenta desesperadamente salvar a agência em que acredita e, mais tarde, a própria vida e a do homem que ama.

Mas será essa a resposta para a segurança universal?
Chegando o momento da verdade , «quem guardará os guardas»?]]>
447 Dan Brown 9722514695 cc 2 pt 3.67 1998 Fortaleza Digital
author: Dan Brown
name: cc
average rating: 3.67
book published: 1998
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/06/29
shelves: pt
review:

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<![CDATA[O símbolo perdido (Robert Langdon, #3)]]> 6800532
Diplômé du Amherst College, Dan Brown y a longtemps enseigné avant de se consacrer à l’écriture. Passionné de codes secrets, il écrit plusieurs thrillers avant de connaître un succès fulgurant avec Da Vinci Code. Traduit dans des dizaines de langues, adapté au cinéma par Ron Howard, ce roman a conquis des millions de personnes dans le monde entier. Aujourd’hui, avec Le Symbole perdu Dan Brown nous livre la suite très attendue des aventures de son héros, Robert Langdon.]]>
571 Dan Brown 9722520148 cc 0 to-read 3.80 2009 O símbolo perdido (Robert Langdon, #3)
author: Dan Brown
name: cc
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/24
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)]]> 85302 here.

World-renowned Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared into the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is unimaginable: a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization--- the Illuminati. Desperate to save the Vatican from a powerful time bomb, Langdon joins forces in Rome with the beautiful and mysterious scientist Vittoria Vetra. Together they embark on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs, deserted cathedrals, and the most secretive vault on the earth... the long-forgotten Illuminati lair.]]>
569 Dan Brown 0671027360 cc 2 pt 3.75 2000 Angels & Demons (Robert Langdon, #1)
author: Dan Brown
name: cc
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2000
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2024/05/31
shelves: pt
review:

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<![CDATA[Homecoming King (Three Kings, #1)]]> 59639228
Bartender Abigail McNerny is the gal-pal, the wing-woman, the she-BFF. She's dated. Once. And once was more than enough. Privy to all the sad stories of her customers, ‘contentment over commitment� is her motto, and Abby is convinced no one on earth could ever entice her into a romantic relationship . . . except that one guy she’s loved since preschool.

The guy who just walked into her bar.

The guy who doesn’t recognize her.

The guy who is drunk and needs a ride home.

The guy who has a proposition she should definitely refuse.]]>
358 Penny Reid 1942874820 cc 0 currently-reading 3.94 2021 Homecoming King (Three Kings, #1)
author: Penny Reid
name: cc
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/29
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[Castle of Dusk and Shadows (Fae of Brytwilde, #1)]]> 63921476
Years ago, Elle Blackford’s parents made a desperate deal with the fae kingdom of Ashwood. While her mother and sisters reconciled themselves to a future among dangerous immortals, Elle and her father studied forbidden magic, hoping to find a loophole.

Until Elle’s father dies, forcing Elle’s sister to marry Prince Fitz, heir of Ashwood.

But Elle has a plan to change their fate. For she knows that ghosts wander Ashwood Forest until the royal family sends them into the afterlife. Ghosts that can be returned to life. And she’s determined to save her father from his premature death.

All she needs is powerful magic—magic Prince Fitz possesses.

Taking her sister’s place, Elle marries Prince Fitz to steal his power. But in a world of bloodthirsty fae and vengeful ghosts, being a mortal comes with constant risks. As Elle navigates a kingdom of monsters and tragic secrets, she realizes she might not survive to save her family.

And the key to her salvation might be her arrogant, cold husband—the one she’d planned to rob and abandon. If only she can trust him.


Pride and Prejudice meets Gothic fae fantasy in this loose retelling, full of plenty of romantic tension (not spice).

Pre-order today and prepare to immerse yourself in Brytwilde, a series of standalone fantasy romance novels all set in the same fae world and loosely inspired by Jane Austen's novels.]]>
294 Rachel L. Schade cc 0 3.89 Castle of Dusk and Shadows (Fae of Brytwilde, #1)
author: Rachel L. Schade
name: cc
average rating: 3.89
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/17
shelves: 2023-read, pride-and-prejudice-retold, started-reading-but-stopped
review:

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<![CDATA[Bonded by Thorns (Beasts of the Briar, #1)]]> 75712384 Four beastly princes. One awkward bookworm. An enchanted world of fae, magic, and danger.

I’ve always loved fairytales. I never imagined I'd actually be in one.

When my father wanders into the enchanted realm of the fae, I know I have to go after him. And when he gets imprisoned, I'll do anything to save him... Even trade my freedom for his. I had no idea I'd end up imprisoned by four sexy fae who turn into beasts at night.

I have to win my freedom, and that means making a bargain with them. They must find their mates in order to break the curse. If I can help them do that, they'll set me free. Sounds simple, right?

It's not. Because against my better judgment, I'm starting to fall for these beastly princes. One is smart and sweet, the other mysterious and deadly, another flirty and confident, and the last prince... He's handsome, strong, has a wicked temper, and is dead-set against breaking the curse. Why does he want to keep me here forever?

But it's not just my freedom on the line. If I don't break the princes' curse soon, all the magic in the Enchanted Vale will be stolen by the evil—and stupidly hot—Prince of Thorns. And I'm not letting my princes stay cursed.

Not after I've fallen in love with them.

BONDED BY THORNS is a steamy adult Beauty and the Beast retelling set in a fantasy fae realm. In this version, our beautiful bookworm doesn't have to choose between the four sexy fae princes. It is a full-length novel that ends on a cliffhanger. It includes MF and MM content. It is intended for mature readers only.]]>
352 Elizabeth Helen 1738827909 cc 0 3.94 2023 Bonded by Thorns (Beasts of the Briar, #1)
author: Elizabeth Helen
name: cc
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/17
shelves: 2023-read, started-reading-but-stopped
review:

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<![CDATA[Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies, #1)]]> 55710822 In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar - and maybe snag him as a prom date - even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love - and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.]]>
356 Lynn Painter 1534467629 cc 0 to-read 4.28 2021 Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies, #1)
author: Lynn Painter
name: cc
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/17
shelves: to-read
review:

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Bananapants 209318939
Ava Archer misses her best childhood friend most especially during the month of April. Ask any tax attorney, it's a lonely, grueling time of year. Luckily, Ava has just received a surprising and delectably absurd offer from her posh doppelgänger at work. She must pretend to be the aforementioned posh co-worker for one night at an extremely fancy party; a party so fancy, there exists absolutely no chance anyone will recognize her or suspect her ruse...

Desmond (Des) Sullivan is a thief. And not the heart-of-gold kind. He’s the steal-from-the-rich-and-give-to-the-also-rich-so-he-can-get-paid kind. He does, however, have one firm rule never steal what the target can’t afford to lose. After a brutal falling out with his father, Desmond hasn’t returned to Chicago in over ten years. But when a good friend is swindled and something priceless is stolen, Desmond must return home, both as himself and his thieving alter ego. Infiltrate a dangerous secret society of the world's most elite billionaires while leveraging his estranged father’s resources and not blowing his cover? Sure. No problem. Or it wouldn’t be a problem if Ava Archer hadn’t just walked into the room, wearing a ridiculous wig, speaking with a preposterous accent, and pretending (badly) to be someone she’s not.

Bananapants is a full-length, contemporary romantic comedy filled with hijinks and shenanigans. It can be read as a standalone, but the parents of the main characters will be familiar to anyone who has read the Knitting in the City series.]]>
392 Penny Reid cc 0 wishlist 4.22 2024 Bananapants
author: Penny Reid
name: cc
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/17
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[A Crafty Crime (A Stoneybrook Mystery, #1)]]> 41734518 Recipes from Marisa McClellan, creator of Food in Jars, included: strawberry rhubarb jam and pickled asparagus!Ìý

Even small towns have secrets...

Hadley James is finally living the life she's always wanted: making jam and selling it at the local farmers market. When a cat-sitting job turns into a murder investigation, life no longer seems so perfect.

Her twin brother, a deputy sheriff, is on the case but they've always done everything together and she can't help but get involved. Following a trail of crafty clues, the James twins learn that their sleepy town might be harboring more darkness than they could've imagined.
]]>
222 Eryn Scott cc 0 to-read 4.09 2018 A Crafty Crime (A Stoneybrook Mystery, #1)
author: Eryn Scott
name: cc
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/04/11
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Princess of the Midnight Ball (The Princesses of Westfalin Trilogy, #1)]]> 3697927 A tale of twelve princesses doomed to dance until dawn�

Galen is a young soldier returning from war; Rose is one of twelve princesses condemned to dance each night for the King Under Stone. Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above.

Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms� tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.]]>
280 Jessica Day George 1599903229 cc 3 3.95 2009 Princess of the Midnight Ball (The Princesses of Westfalin Trilogy, #1)
author: Jessica Day George
name: cc
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2010/05/07
date added: 2024/03/30
shelves: 2010-read, 12-dancing-princesses, fairytale-retelling
review:

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<![CDATA[Morte No Nilo (Hercule Poirot, #18)]]> 6738054
A tranquilidade de um cruzeiro ao longo do Nilo é ensombrada pela descoberta do cadáver de Linnet Ridgeway. Ela era jovem e bela; e tinha tudo� até perder a vida! Hercule Poirot apercebe-se de que, a bordo do navio, todos os passageiros são possíveis assassinos: pelas mais diversas razões, todos tinham algo a apontar a Linnet. Mas quem terá sido levado ao acto extremo de a alvejar? Ainda que tudo aponte para a mesma pessoa, o detective cedo descobre que naquele cenário exótico nada é exactamente o que parece.

"Morte no Nilo" (Death on the Nile) foi originalmente publicado em 1937, na Grã-Bretanha. A edição americana veria a luz do dia em 1938. O filme homónimo, de 1978, conta com um elenco de luxo, de onde se destacam os nomes de Peter Ustinov (naquela que seria a sua primeira interpretação de Hercule Poirot), David Niven, Bette Davis, Angela Lansbury e Maggie Smith. A adaptação para teatro, feita pela própria autora, estreou em Londres em 1946 e subiu aos palcos americanos no mesmo ano, sob o título Hidden Horizon.]]>
270 Agatha Christie 9724141705 cc 0 to-read 4.19 1937 Morte No Nilo (Hercule Poirot, #18)
author: Agatha Christie
name: cc
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1937
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

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The Silent Companions 36434359
Newly married, newly widowed Elsie is sent to see out her pregnancy at her late husband's crumbling country estate, The Bridge. With her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie only has her husband's awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. But inside her new home lies a locked room, and beyond that door lies a two-hundred-year-old diary and a deeply unsettling painted wooden figure � a Silent Companion � that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself..]]>
364 Laura Purcell 1408888033 cc 0 wishlist 3.92 2017 The Silent Companions
author: Laura Purcell
name: cc
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/09
shelves: wishlist
review:

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The Host (The Host #1) 10230779
Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, knew about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of the man Melanie loves -- Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer yearns for a man she's never met. As outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring what may be the first love triangle involving only two bodies, The Host is a riveting and unforgettable novel that will bring a vast new readership to one of the most compelling writers of our time.]]>
829 Stephenie Meyer 0316043044 cc 1

***

In a nutshell:


*PT* ]]>
4.03 2008 The Host (The Host #1)
author: Stephenie Meyer
name: cc
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2008
rating: 1
read at: 2013/04/02
date added: 2023/11/25
shelves: books-to-movies, dystopia, dystopia-reading-challenge-2013, aliens, young-adult, awful, dnf, f-ck-this-sh-t, love-triangle-ugh, annoying-heroine, books-i-regret-buying, never-again
review:


***

In a nutshell:


*PT*
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Rush (The Game, #1) 13571953
Miki Jones's carefully controlled life spins into chaos after she's run down in the street, left broken and bloody. She wakes up fully healed in a place called the lobby - pulled from her life, through time and space into some kind of game in which she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures.

There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Every moment of the game is kill or be killed, and Miki has only the questionable guidance of Jackson Tate, the team's alluring and secretive leader. He evades her questions, holds himself aloof from the others, and claims it's every player for himself. But when he puts himself at risk to watch Miki's back, he leaves her both frustrated and fascinated. Jackson says the game isn't really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival. And the survival of every other person on the planet. She laughs. He doesn't. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.]]>
364 Eve Silver 0062192132 cc 0 wishlist 3.88 2013 Rush (The Game, #1)
author: Eve Silver
name: cc
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/30
shelves: wishlist
review:

]]>
Coraline 5521547
But there's another mother there and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. Coraline will have to fight with all her wit and all the tools she can find if she is to save herself and return to her ordinary life.

This beloved tale has now become a visual feast. Acclaimed artist P. Craig Russell brings Neil Gaiman's enchanting nationally bestselling children's book Coraline to new life in this gorgeously illustrated graphic novel adaptation.]]>
186 Neil Gaiman 0060825456 cc 4
The story was cute, funny and yet so mysterious and spooky. Coraline is a bit annoying in the beginning, but it’s totally understandable, I mean, I remember being a pain in the a$$ when I was a kid and didn’t have anything to do during my summer vacations, and especially if I didn’t have at least a couple of cousins to play with � so yes, it’s kind of Coraline’s right to harass her parents for something to do.

The alternative reality in this story is quite creepy, the buttons in the eyes freaked me out so much that I don’t know how Coraline managed to keep it cool, and I really liked how she beats the villain � clever, clever girl. ;)

The illustrations are really beautiful, and my only wish is that I knew how to draw like that. *dreamy eyes*

*PT*
]]>
3.97 2008 Coraline
author: Neil Gaiman
name: cc
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2008
rating: 4
read at: 2012/02/05
date added: 2023/10/24
shelves: borrowed, graphic-novel, 2012-read
review:
Loved it!

The story was cute, funny and yet so mysterious and spooky. Coraline is a bit annoying in the beginning, but it’s totally understandable, I mean, I remember being a pain in the a$$ when I was a kid and didn’t have anything to do during my summer vacations, and especially if I didn’t have at least a couple of cousins to play with � so yes, it’s kind of Coraline’s right to harass her parents for something to do.

The alternative reality in this story is quite creepy, the buttons in the eyes freaked me out so much that I don’t know how Coraline managed to keep it cool, and I really liked how she beats the villain � clever, clever girl. ;)

The illustrations are really beautiful, and my only wish is that I knew how to draw like that. *dreamy eyes*

*PT*

]]>
<![CDATA[The Dead House (The Dead House, #1)]]> 22396591
Re-opened police records, psychiatric reports, transcripts of video footage and fragments of diary reveal a web of deceit and intrigue, violence and murder, raising a whole lot more questions than it answers.

Who was Kaitlyn and why did she only appear at night? Did she really exist or was she a figment of a disturbed mind? What were the illicit rituals taking place at the school? And just what did happen at Elmbridge in the events leading up to ‘the Johnson Incident�?]]>
440 Dawn Kurtagich 1780622341 cc 0 wishlist 3.68 2015 The Dead House (The Dead House, #1)
author: Dawn Kurtagich
name: cc
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/19
shelves: wishlist
review:

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Red Glove (Curse Workers, #2) 11771994 CURSES AND CONS.
MAGIC AND THE MOB.

In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always though he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth - he's the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything - or anyone - into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion-worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue - crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too - they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone - least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.]]>
325 Holly Black 1442403403 cc 0 to-read 3.89 2011 Red Glove (Curse Workers, #2)
author: Holly Black
name: cc
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/01
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle]]> 41807223 How do you stop a murder that’s already happened?

At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed--again. She's been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden's only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle's murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend--but nothing and no one are quite what they seem.

Deeply atmospheric and ingeniously plotted, The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle is a highly original debut that will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson and Agatha Christie.]]>
528 Stuart Turton cc 0 wishlist 3.92 2018 The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
author: Stuart Turton
name: cc
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/30
shelves: wishlist
review:

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Every Breath (Every, #1) 20300225
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýWhile Watts battles her attraction to bad-boy Mycroft, he's busy getting himself expelled and clashing with the police, becoming murder suspect number one. When Watts and Mycroft unknowingly reveal too much to the cold-blooded killer, they find themselves in the lion's den--literally. A trip to the zoo will never have quite the same meaning to Rachel Watts again...]]>
335 Ellie Marney 1770497722 cc 2 Every Breath with a passion, meanwhile I'm just here like...



But I wanted to love it, damn it, I wanted to love it so much, I mean, it's a YA Sherlock retelling, with "Sherlock" and "Watson" solving a murder mystery while falling in love (kinda maybe?), and dealing with their own problems and personal demons along the way. Sounds really good, right? Yeah, it didn't work for me though, and here's why:

--I couldn't relate to or even like the characters that much. Mycroft (Sherlock) and Watts (Watson) just never grew on me; Mycroft's angry, rebel, genius teenager behavior felt too forced, and honestly half of the time I was just plain grossed out with the idea of being in the same room with him because of all the cigar smoke. Sweet baby Jesus, give it a break, son.
I sympathized with Watts--the narrator--a tiny bit more, she's also angry at the world for a couple of reasons, but I understood her. Sadly, I had to take back the small percentage of affection I had for her after finding out she [spoilers removed]—apparently she had to do it because no one would take them, but honestly I couldn’t care less about the reasons, it made me sick, and I just couldn’t think of her the same way after that.

--The plot is boring, so boring. I had to make myself care about the murder investigation and the puzzle, because I had zero actual interest in finding out what, why, who, how, and that sucks.

--Some scenes are unnecessarily long and detailed. Like, that scene when Mycroft and Watts go to that building to check out the Roof Monkeys artwork, oh my God, I was so so bored with the never-ending story of their climb, so I lift my leg and put my right foot on the plank, and then my left foot, then I try to reach the crack on the right but it’s too high up, so I try the one on the left, but then my right foot slips and I make the mistake of looking down at Mycroft, who is trying to put his own right foot on a too small crevice, and his left foot on the ladder, and that's when I realize that his right hand is touching the inside of my left leg, and that his face is almost smashed against my crotch, as I notice this, my sweaty right hand starts to slide away and my left foot slips and... blablabla right foot blablabla ladder blabla rope blable left hand blablabla...


(please note that that ^ isn't an actual quote of the scene, it's just me ranting)

--The dull and almost non-existing romance. So disappointing. Honestly, I think it didn't work for me mainly because I didn't like the characters to begin with.

What I liked: that Mycroft and Watts are both genuinely good, smart kids that don't care what others think of them, and that they never give up trying to find out who killed their friend. It wasn't enough for me, though.
]]>
4.01 2013 Every Breath (Every, #1)
author: Ellie Marney
name: cc
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at: 2015/02/12
date added: 2023/09/27
shelves: young-adult, mystery-thriller, sherlock-retelling, 2015-read, nerdy-hero, nerdy-heroine, no-love-triangle
review:
Okay, so I feel like the odd man out on this one, because everyone else seems to love Every Breath with a passion, meanwhile I'm just here like...



But I wanted to love it, damn it, I wanted to love it so much, I mean, it's a YA Sherlock retelling, with "Sherlock" and "Watson" solving a murder mystery while falling in love (kinda maybe?), and dealing with their own problems and personal demons along the way. Sounds really good, right? Yeah, it didn't work for me though, and here's why:

--I couldn't relate to or even like the characters that much. Mycroft (Sherlock) and Watts (Watson) just never grew on me; Mycroft's angry, rebel, genius teenager behavior felt too forced, and honestly half of the time I was just plain grossed out with the idea of being in the same room with him because of all the cigar smoke. Sweet baby Jesus, give it a break, son.
I sympathized with Watts--the narrator--a tiny bit more, she's also angry at the world for a couple of reasons, but I understood her. Sadly, I had to take back the small percentage of affection I had for her after finding out she [spoilers removed]—apparently she had to do it because no one would take them, but honestly I couldn’t care less about the reasons, it made me sick, and I just couldn’t think of her the same way after that.

--The plot is boring, so boring. I had to make myself care about the murder investigation and the puzzle, because I had zero actual interest in finding out what, why, who, how, and that sucks.

--Some scenes are unnecessarily long and detailed. Like, that scene when Mycroft and Watts go to that building to check out the Roof Monkeys artwork, oh my God, I was so so bored with the never-ending story of their climb, so I lift my leg and put my right foot on the plank, and then my left foot, then I try to reach the crack on the right but it’s too high up, so I try the one on the left, but then my right foot slips and I make the mistake of looking down at Mycroft, who is trying to put his own right foot on a too small crevice, and his left foot on the ladder, and that's when I realize that his right hand is touching the inside of my left leg, and that his face is almost smashed against my crotch, as I notice this, my sweaty right hand starts to slide away and my left foot slips and... blablabla right foot blablabla ladder blabla rope blable left hand blablabla...


(please note that that ^ isn't an actual quote of the scene, it's just me ranting)

--The dull and almost non-existing romance. So disappointing. Honestly, I think it didn't work for me mainly because I didn't like the characters to begin with.

What I liked: that Mycroft and Watts are both genuinely good, smart kids that don't care what others think of them, and that they never give up trying to find out who killed their friend. It wasn't enough for me, though.

]]>
<![CDATA[A Winter's Promise (The Mirror Visitor Quartet, #1)]]> 39724529
Winner of the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire

Where once there was unity, vastly different worlds now exist. Over each, the spirit of an omnipotent and immortal ancestor abides.

Long ago, following a cataclysm called the Rupture, the world was shattered into many floating celestial islands, known now as arks. Ophelia lives on Anima, where inhabitants can read the pasts of objects. What’s more, she is also a “mirror-traveler,� possessing an ability that has been passed down to her through generations. Her idyllic existence on Anima is disrupted when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, an influential member of a distant clan. Still only a girl, Ophelia must leave her family and follow her fiancé to Citaceleste, the capital of a cold and icy ark called Pole. But there, her future husband seems indifferent to her and she slowly realizes that her presence on Pole is part of a much bigger plot and has far-reaching ramifications not only for her but for her entire world.

An unforgettable heroine, an insightful study of relationships, a rich and bountiful universe, intrigue and suspense, A Winter’s Promise is perfect for readers of Margaret Rogerson, Scott Westerfeld, Melissa Albert, and N.K. Jemisin.]]>
491 Christelle Dabos 1609454839 cc 0 wishlist 3.89 2013 A Winter's Promise (The Mirror Visitor Quartet, #1)
author: Christelle Dabos
name: cc
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/23
shelves: wishlist
review:

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The Time of the Ghost 1018240 I'M ALL RIGHT. I'M HERE. I'M ME. IF I WASN'T, I WOULDN'T EVEN BE FRIGHTENED. I WOULDN'T KNOW. BUT SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED TO ME. I CAN'T SEE MYSELF AT ALL, NOT EVEN A SMEAR OF SHADOW ON THE ROAD. THERE'S BEEN AN ACCIDENT.

STOP THAT!


The ghost turns up one summer day, alone in a world she once knew, among people who were once her family. She knows she is one of four sisters, but which one? She can be sure of only one thing � that there's been an accident.

As she struggles to find her identity, she becomes aware of a malevolent force stirring around her. Something terrible is about to happen. One of the sisters will die � unless the ghost can use the future to reshape the past. But how can she warn them, when they don't even know she exists?]]>
222 Diana Wynne Jones 0007112173 cc 2 2017-read, favorite-authors 3.64 1981 The Time of the Ghost
author: Diana Wynne Jones
name: cc
average rating: 3.64
book published: 1981
rating: 2
read at: 2017/11/17
date added: 2023/09/10
shelves: 2017-read, favorite-authors
review:

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<![CDATA[With a Little Luck (Instant Karma, #2)]]> 63291997 Jude Barnett is determined to fly under the radar. He just wants to draw comics, design D&D campaigns for his friends, work at his parents� vinyl record store, and escape high school as unscathed as possible.

That is, until the night he finds himself inexplicably gifted with a bout of supernatural good luck.

Suddenly, everything Jude has ever wanted is within reach. His art is being published. He helps his friend’s song get to the finals in a competition. And he wins a pair of coveted concert tickets, which he can use to ask out the popular girl he’s been crushing on since elementary school.

But how long can Jude's good fortune last? And why does he find himself thinking about Ari, his best friend since forever?

And if Jude has been dreaming of the wrong girl this whole time, does that mean he's doomed to be unlucky in love forever?]]>
360 Marissa Meyer 1250618932 cc 0 to-read 3.86 2024 With a Little Luck (Instant Karma, #2)
author: Marissa Meyer
name: cc
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/24
shelves: to-read
review:

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Deathless 18231525 352 Catherynne M. Valente 147210868X cc 0 wishlist 3.91 2011 Deathless
author: Catherynne M. Valente
name: cc
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/18
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[Wild Reckless (Harper Boys, #1)]]> 25452125
Instead, a nightmare took over.

It didn’t happen all at once, but her life unraveled quickly—a tiny thread that evil somehow kept pulling until everything precious was taken from her. She was suddenly living miles away from her old life, trapped in an existence she didn’t choose—one determined to destroy her from the inside, leaving only hate and anger behind. It didn’t help that her neighbor, the one whose eyes held danger, was enjoying every second of her fall.

Owen Harper was trouble, his heart wild and his past the kind that’s spoken about in whispers. And somehow, his path was always intertwined with Kensington’s, every interaction crushing her, ruining her hope for any future better than her now. Sometimes, though, what everyone warns is trouble, is exactly what the heart needs. Owen Harper was consumed with darkness, and it held onto his soul for years. When Kensington looked at him, she saw a boy who’d gotten good at taking others down when they threatened his carefully balanced life. But the more she looked, the more she saw other things too—good things…things to admire.

Things…to love. Things that made her want to be reckless.

And those things…they were the scariest of all.]]>
332 Ginger Scott 0692392920 cc 0 wishlist, 2015-published 3.90 2015 Wild Reckless (Harper Boys, #1)
author: Ginger Scott
name: cc
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/13
shelves: wishlist, 2015-published
review:

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Bad Intentions (Bad Love, #2) 39966096 Lo
Moving to River’s Edge was supposed to be a fresh start.
Away from chaos.
Away from bad influences and worse relationships.
All I wanted was to give my little brother more of a chance than I ever had.
It should’ve been simple.
I didn’t count on my transgressions following me.
And I definitely didn’t count on meeting Dare.
Tall, tortured, and tattooed.
A Lost Boy through and through.
Falling for someone like him was asking for heartache.
But I was a sucker for punishment.

Dare
I had a routine.
Eat, work, sleep, repeat, only ever doing the bare minimum to keep up appearances.
I kept my circle small and my guard high.
I spent years making sure I didn’t repeat the mistakes of my past, forming an impenetrable layer of ice around my heart.
Then Logan showed up in my town, in my tattoo shop, testing my patience along with my self-control.
She was fire and I was ice.
I should’ve stayed away.
But I had been cold for far too long.]]>
282 Charleigh Rose cc 0 to-read 4.06 2018 Bad Intentions (Bad Love, #2)
author: Charleigh Rose
name: cc
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/10
shelves: to-read
review:

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The Words 57797137
He was the talented bad boy everyone wanted.
I was the irrelevant geek everyone hated.

He was the sun...drawing all of us in.
I was a black hole...taking up space.

He was destined to be a star.
I was destined to remain an insignificant no one.

Until he made me believe I was special...

And then he destroyed me.

I never thought I'd see Phoenix Walker again after he broke my heart, but fate had other plans.

One tour. Eight weeks. Forty shows.

Countless opportunities to make him pay.

The world thought he was a God...
But I knew the truth.]]>
676 Ashley Jade cc 0 to-read 4.32 2022 The Words
author: Ashley Jade
name: cc
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/18
shelves: to-read
review:

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Book Lovers 58708383 One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming....

Nora Stephens� life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters� trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.]]>
398 Emily Henry cc 0 to-read 4.27 2022 Book Lovers
author: Emily Henry
name: cc
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/17
shelves: to-read
review:

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The Maid (Molly the Maid, #1) 55196813
Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life's complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly's orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happening, Molly's unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it's too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.]]>
304 Nita Prose 0593356152 cc 0 to-read 3.71 2022 The Maid (Molly the Maid, #1)
author: Nita Prose
name: cc
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/17
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (Vera Wong, #1)]]> 61827543 Tea-shop owner. Matchmaker. Detective?

Sixty-year-old self-proclaimed tea expert Vera Wong enjoys nothing more than sipping a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy ‘detective� work on the internet (AKA checking up on her son to see if he’s dating anybody yet).

But when Vera wakes up one morning to find a dead man in the middle of her tea shop, it’s going to take more than a strong Longjing to fix things. Knowing she’ll do a better job than the police possibly could � because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands � Vera decides it’s down to her to catch the killer.

Nobody spills the tea like this amateur sleuth.]]>
339 Jesse Q. Sutanto 0593549228 cc 0 to-read 4.01 2023 Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (Vera Wong, #1)
author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
name: cc
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/16
shelves: to-read
review:

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The 22 Murders of Madison May 55859459 From the critically acclaimed author of Jennifer Government and Lexicon comes mind-bending speculative psychological suspense about a serial killer pursuing his victim across time and space, and the woman who is determined to stop him, even if it upends her own reality.

I love you. In every world.

Young real estate agent Madison May is shocked when a client at an open house says these words to her. The man, a stranger, seems to know far too much about her, and professes his love--shortly before he murders her.

Felicity Staples hates reporting on murders. As a journalist for a midsize New York City paper, she knows she must take on the assignment to research Madison May's shocking murder, but the crime seems random and the suspect is in the wind. That is, until Felicity spots the killer on the subway, right before he vanishes.

Soon, Felicity senses her entire universe has shifted. No one remembers Madison May, or Felicity's encounter with the mysterious man. And her cat is missing. Felicity realizes that in her pursuit of Madison's killer, she followed him into a different dimension--one where everything about her existence is slightly altered. At first, she is determined to return to the reality she knows, but when Madison May--in this world, a struggling actress--is murdered again, Felicity decides she must find the killer--and learns that she is not the only one hunting him.

Traveling through different realities, Felicity uncovers the opportunity--and danger--of living more than one life.]]>
336 Max Barry 0593085205 cc 0 to-read 3.71 2021 The 22 Murders of Madison May
author: Max Barry
name: cc
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/15
shelves: to-read
review:

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Origin (Robert Langdon, #5) 40858486
But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch's precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced to flee. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch. They travel to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch's secret.

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme re-ligion, Langdon and Vidal must evade an enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain's Royal Palace. They uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch's shocking discovery...and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us.]]>
638 Dan Brown cc 0 to-read 3.78 2017 Origin (Robert Langdon, #5)
author: Dan Brown
name: cc
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/15
shelves: to-read
review:

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Hidden Bodies (You, #2) 23492288 YOU, NOW A NETFLIX SERIES

In the compulsively readable sequel to her widely acclaimed debut novel, You, Caroline Kepnes weaves a tale that Booklist calls “the love child of Holden Caulfield and Patrick Bateman.�

Joe Goldberg is no stranger to hiding bodies. In the past ten years, this thirty-something has buried four of them, collateral damage in his quest for love. Now he’s heading west to Los Angeles, the city of second chances, determined to put his past behind him.

In Hollywood, Joe blends in effortlessly with the other young upstarts. He eats guac, works in a bookstore, and flirts with a journalist neighbor. But while others seem fixated on their own reflections, Joe can’t stop looking over his shoulder. The problem with hidden bodies is that they don’t always stay that way. They re-emerge, like dark thoughts, multiplying and threatening to destroy what Joe wants most: true love. And when he finds it in a darkened room in Soho House, he’s more desperate than ever to keep his secrets buried. He doesn’t want to hurt his new girlfriend—he wants to be with her forever. But if she ever finds out what he’s done, he may not have a choice…]]>
448 Caroline Kepnes cc 0 started-reading-but-stopped 3.78 2016 Hidden Bodies (You, #2)
author: Caroline Kepnes
name: cc
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/15
shelves: started-reading-but-stopped
review:

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<![CDATA[Dream by the Shadows (Shadow Weaver Duology #1)]]> 123939653 In dreams he will haunt her. Through shadows she must save him.

Beauty and the Beast meets Labyrinth in this YA gothic fantasy about a deadly dream world and the shadow-cursed girl that must survive it. Perfect for fans of books like Belladonna and One Dark Window, as well as readers who love atmospheric fantasy worlds filled with curses, secrets, and a touch of horror.

In the Kingdom of Noctis, dreams are deadly and darkness reigns. Villages are rife with Corruption, a soul-stealing curse spread by dreaming, and the wicked Shadow Bringer is said to rule from his monstrous castle in the Dream Realm. Only the elixir, an expensive draught taken every night before sleeping, can halt dreams and prevent the curse from taking hold. But it is terribly expensiveÌý—ÌýÌýand cannot cure those already afflicted.Ìý

Esmer Havenfall has only ever wanted to escape her miserable village life. But when her sister dies from Corruption and her elixir-dealing parents are accused of a horrific crime, her life turns from one nightmare to another. And when she begins dreaming of the Shadow Bringer and learns that his monstrous powers might be hers, too, she's wrenched away from everything she's ever known to join him in his castle in the Dream Realm.Ìý

If they wish to earn their freedom, Esmer and the Shadow Bringer must fight to save both their kingdom and their souls. Unfortunately, time is running out; even as they traverse a precarious dreamscape, rushing to unravel the Shadow Bringer's haunted past, more dreamers are falling prey to Corruption and dying. And if they fail, they'll be lost to the Dream Realm forever.]]>
404 Logan Karlie cc 0 wishlist 3.58 2025 Dream by the Shadows (Shadow Weaver Duology #1)
author: Logan Karlie
name: cc
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/15
shelves: wishlist
review:

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Icebreaker (UCMH, #1) 61767292
Nothing will stand in her way, not even the captain of the hockey team, Nate Hawkins.

Nate’s focus as team captain is on keeping his team on the ice. Which is tricky when a facilities mishap means they are forced to share a rink with the figure skating team—including Anastasia, who clearly can’t stand him.

But when Anastasia’s skating partner faces an uncertain future, she may have to look to Nate to take her shot.

Sparks fly, but Anastasia isn’t worried . . . because she could never like a hockey player, right?]]>
447 Hannah Grace cc 0 wishlist 3.76 2022 Icebreaker (UCMH, #1)
author: Hannah Grace
name: cc
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/15
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[Curse of Shadows and Thorns (The Broken Kingdoms, #1)]]> 58988311 A rebellious princess. A cursed rogue. A forbidden love that will bring a kingdom to its knees.

As niece of the king, Elise Lysander cares about two things: sneaking into gambling dens, and avoiding an advantageous marriage at all costs.

When her uncle holds the life of her deathly-ill father over her head, reluctantly, Elise puts her fate into the hands of Legion Grey, the handsome and mysterious dowry negotiator. He may be arrogant and infuriating, but soon Legion incites a blistering, forbidden passion she can’t ignore.

As their attraction grows, so do the dangers: attacks from black-eyed people, a cursed enemy who is more beast than man, and rumors of fae returning for the crown they believe was stolen from them long ago.

After a bloody coup upends the kingdom, Elise flees with Legion, but nothing is as it seems. The man she allowed into her heart reveals his own secret plans with the return of magic—and he has every intention of using Elise to see them through.

With war between magic and mortal on the horizon, Elise must pick a side to protect her kingdom. Does she stand with her people who stole the throne? Or with a man who lied his way into her heart and whose secret past could bring her destruction?

Filled with luscious world building, banter-filled romance, and epic battles, this first book in the dark, fantasy romance series, The Broken Kingdoms, part Viking, part fairy tale. One-click to start reading today.]]>
348 L.J. Andrews cc 0 wishlist 3.87 2021 Curse of Shadows and Thorns (The Broken Kingdoms, #1)
author: L.J. Andrews
name: cc
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/06/09
shelves: wishlist
review:

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Fae's Captive: Books 1-4 45336175 582 Lily Archer 1095158325 cc 0 to-read 3.84 2019 Fae's Captive: Books 1-4
author: Lily Archer
name: cc
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/22
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[A Song of Flight (Warrior Bards, #3)]]> 56987049 464 Juliet Marillier 0451492838 cc 0 wishlist, published-in-dunno 4.23 2021 A Song of Flight (Warrior Bards, #3)
author: Juliet Marillier
name: cc
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/11
shelves: wishlist, published-in-dunno
review:

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<![CDATA[Daughter of the Drowned Empire (Drowned Empire, #1)]]> 59060468
19-year-old mage Lady Lyriana Batavia is third in line to the Seat of Power in Bamaria: a position of wealth and privilege, but not safety. Bamaria falls under the rule of the Lumerian Empire, survivors of a celestial war whose island sank in the Drowning. Now all Lumerians submit to the Emperor and his strict laws about magic. He decides what magic can be practiced and what powers remain forbidden. He decides who will die for possession of forbidden magic.

Lyr’s own cousin was executed for wielding the wrong kind. And for years, Lyr has sworn to protect her older sisters, helping them conceal their own illicit magic.

But when Lyr must participate in the ceremony that reveals her power, she uncovers something else entirely. Something that means banishment from the Empire.

Faced with death in exile, and leaving her sisters behind, Lyr has no choice but to accept a deadly contract. She has seven months to train as a warrior and pass the Emperor’s brutal test of strength—all without magic.

But when she’s forced to train with Lord Rhyan Hart, the man she’s secretly loved since she was a girl—a feared warrior in exile himself, forbidden to her in every way—she’s in danger of losing far more than her family, life, and country.

Rebel forces, and an invading army, are destabilizing Bamaria, just as her family’s secrets threaten to reveal themselves.

Surviving the training, and saving her sisters may mean sacrificing her own heart.]]>
454 Frankie Diane Mallis 1957014016 cc 0 to-read 3.82 2022 Daughter of the Drowned Empire (Drowned Empire, #1)
author: Frankie Diane Mallis
name: cc
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Aaron's Patience (The Townsends of Williamsport, #1)]]> 40078890
Aaron thinks he can have anything—or anyone—he wants, including me. But when I discovered I was the other woman, I vowed never to see him again.

Except he’s not the only one with a secret. When a chance meeting brings us together again, I can no longer hide the truth.

Now he wants what’s his—our six-year-old twins. And he insists I’m part of the deal. If I don’t marry him, I’ll be forced to give up my children.

I’ll do whatever it takes for the twins, only I’m not the innocent girl I once was, and there’s no way I’m giving him a second chance.

But when someone dangerous from my past comes looking for me, I start to see a new side to Aaron that makes me question what’s beneath his need for control.

Now the man I vowed never to trust may be the only person who can protect me . . .

Aaron’s Patience is book 1 in the Townsends of Williamsport series but is a standalone. The book contains graphic language, violence, discussion of assault and mental illness, and very steamy love scenes. Happily ever after is guaranteed in this BWWM romance.]]>
326 Tiffany Patterson cc 0 to-read 3.94 2018 Aaron's Patience (The Townsends of Williamsport, #1)
author: Tiffany Patterson
name: cc
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

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A Rainha Suprema 5983210 Mas maior do que a angústia de uma paixão impossível é o sofrimento em que vive, por não conseguir consumar o seu casamento oferecendo um filho ao rei. Nem os mistérios insondáveis de Deus são conforto suficiente para tanta dor e sofrimento.
E é nesta angústia, ou, quem sabe, na secreta esperança de, sem pecar, poder consumar a sua paixão ardente dando à luz um herdeiro ao reino, que a bela Gwenhwyfar decide entregar-se nas mãos da Deusa. Mas, se são difíceis de compreender os caminhos de Deus, o que poderá acontecer quando se procura modificá-los com encantamentos e magias?
Neste segundo volume da mítica saga As Brumas de Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley continua a maravilhar-nos através de um imaginário ancestral, de uma visão do mágico, do místico, do fantástico, de eras perdidas do mito, só ao alcance dos grandes escritores.]]>
315 Marion Zimmer Bradley 9722900803 cc 5 4.17 1982 A Rainha Suprema
author: Marion Zimmer Bradley
name: cc
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1982
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2022/12/29
shelves: pt, favorite-heroines, fantasy
review:

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<![CDATA[Married to my Boss (Love is a Mystery)]]> 61289704 I signed a contract to be married to my boss for 365 days and it stated there'd be no sex... but then I woke up in Vegas wearing a wedding ring and my boss' shirt...best part? I can't remember what happened.

After agreeing to be my boss' wife, it's been one drama after another. The terms were very specific about keeping things strictly professional, but as the months roll by, that is fast becoming an impossibility.

The thing is, I can't figure this guy out. He's warm and passionate one minute, then quick as a flash, he's back to being my grumpy boss. When he caught me flirting with a guy at a party, I thought he was going to beat the other guy up.

As we play a game of push and pull, I can't help but ask myself two questions:

How long are we going to ignore the ramping-up tension between us and keep all the terms in the contract?
and If one or both of us break the rules... what happens when the year is up?

Married to my Boss is an enemies-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience romantic comedy with outrageous sizzling kisses and heart-pounding surprises. Prepare for a whirlwind of emotions as you laugh, gasp and swoon all on one page and spend hours tearing through the book until its deliciously delightful end.

HEAT LEVEL: This is a steamy closed-door romance.
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306 Laura Burton cc 0 to-read 3.29 2022 Married to my Boss (Love is a Mystery)
author: Laura Burton
name: cc
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/11/01
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Married to a Pirate (Romancing the Seas, #1)]]> 61487421 "Nay, I liberated you, my lady. And there will be more liberating to come if you behave."

Imagine you’re engaged to marry a prince but your father gambles away your dowry and sells you to a pirate captain who you are forced to marry.
He’s cold and ruthless so you run away but then you get captured by more pirates and just as they’re about to hurt you, your pirate husband shows up, with his sword to the captain’s throat as he roars,
â€Touch my wife and I will destroy you all.â€�

Will you read it?

*As seen on TikTok!

Married to a Pirate is a steamy dark fantasy romance with adventure and greek mythology.
TW: Abuse, Sexual Violence, Death and Suicide.]]>
364 Athena Rose cc 0 3.54 2023 Married to a Pirate (Romancing the Seas, #1)
author: Athena Rose
name: cc
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/14
shelves: wishlist, 2023-published, fantasy, romance
review:

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<![CDATA[Cold-Hearted Rake (The Ravenels, #1)]]> 25183451 A twist of fate...

Devon Ravenel, London's most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities . . . and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl's three innocent sisters are still occupying the house . . . along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon's own.

A clash of wills...

Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny—and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:

Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she's ever known?]]>
416 Lisa Kleypas 0062371819 cc 3

Back to the couple, Kathleen looked to be a promising character in her first appearance but *cue Devon* and she immediately became a submissive, annoying, hypocrite damsel in distress. It infuriated me to no end how Devon would order her about and she’d act all offended but ended up obeying anyway. Like, excuse me?? And the way she lectures everyone all the time on propriety but *cue Devon* and yiiss, let’s have wild hardcore sex on the floor of the dining room at breakfast hour.

????
Other thing I disliked immensely: all the talk about Devon's past affairs and how he would deliberately mention them to Kathleen, Gods, at some point he even tells her could get her references of his performance from past lovers.

I mean, I already hate when in romance novels guys even remember past lovers/affairs, but to actually have one launch whole dialogues about it with the heroine makes me exceptionally nauseous.
Honestly, Devon is downright obnoxious. And rude. And domineering. A jackass through and through.

And don't even get me started on the constant offensive bickering, they pretty much do it after kissing or banging or just after trying to have a normal conversation. Exhausting.

Now that I got that off my chest, I can say that I really enjoyed the story that was going around the main romance, the whole thing reminded me a lot of The Hathways, as in, The Ravenels also live in a problematic house in the country and the sisters are all a bunch of lovely misfits who don't really know how to play by the rules of society.
The family ties were my absolute favorite thing about this book, with the twins Cassandra and Pandora winning the cake. I also loved how West quickly became to adore them all, these cousins he had never even seen before. Fraternal love is without a doubt one of LK’s strengths.

And just like in The Hathaways, there’s a secondary romance blossoming in this first book of the series, and just like in The Hathaways, I was WAY more invested in it. Despite Winterborne’s actions in the end, I have high hopes for his story with Helen. Why you ask? Well,
(Reason #0.5. His first name is Rhys. Rhys Winterborne. I love that. Rhys.)

Reason #1. The fact that they met under those specific circumstances. Excuse me but I’m a total sucker for the sick/bedridden/physically-challenged hero trope. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Reason #2. Savage but I’m also a total sucker for arranged-marriages. The most awkward the better.

Reason #3. Even though Rhys behaved dreadfully towards both Helen and Kathleen in the end, he reminded me an awful lot of: Harry Rutledge from Tempt Me At Twilight, Simon Hunt from Secrets of a Summer Night and Sebastian St.Vincent, The Devil in Winter himself, circa It Happened One Autumn.
Seriously, Rhys seems to be the personification of these three when they were still behaving like assholes 24/7. That said, and being that I ended up loving the three aforementioned idiots by the end of their respective books (Sebastian is still my number one *hearteyes*), I can’t help but rooting for Rhys. I mean, yes, at the moment I want to strangle him, but I also want to see him grow and make amends and be the man dear Helen deserves to have by her side.

Reason #4. He took such good care of the orchid!! I was dying of laughter when Helen was listing all the things he had to do so it wouldn’t die and I couldn’t wait to see how the hell he was going to remember all that or if he was going to do it. And yay! It lives! Blue Vanda happy!

Okay, that’s enough, I’ve said too much already.
So yeah, even though the romance didn’t do it for me on this occasion, this book is still necessary because it’s the introduction to a hopefully fantastic HR series, and just because it's Lisa Kleypas. I already love all the other characters and seriously cannot wait to read their stories.
]]>
3.82 2015 Cold-Hearted Rake (The Ravenels, #1)
author: Lisa Kleypas
name: cc
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2016/06/28
date added: 2022/10/07
shelves: 2015-published, favorite-authors, historical-romance, steamy, hero-i-wanna-slap, hero-jealous-possessive, heroine-v, no-love-triangle, 2016-read
review:
Utterly heartbroken to say this but: I DIDN’T LIKE A LISA KLEYPAS COUPLE. They just didn’t do it for me in any way, hence the rating, which only gets to be positive because of everything else going on in this book, mainly the other characters, the Ravenel sisters are awfully adorable and amusing, and West grew so, so much I was constantly surprised and so proud of him, plus the sheer cuteness of the dogs and the pet pig!


Back to the couple, Kathleen looked to be a promising character in her first appearance but *cue Devon* and she immediately became a submissive, annoying, hypocrite damsel in distress. It infuriated me to no end how Devon would order her about and she’d act all offended but ended up obeying anyway. Like, excuse me?? And the way she lectures everyone all the time on propriety but *cue Devon* and yiiss, let’s have wild hardcore sex on the floor of the dining room at breakfast hour.

????
Other thing I disliked immensely: all the talk about Devon's past affairs and how he would deliberately mention them to Kathleen, Gods, at some point he even tells her could get her references of his performance from past lovers.

I mean, I already hate when in romance novels guys even remember past lovers/affairs, but to actually have one launch whole dialogues about it with the heroine makes me exceptionally nauseous.
Honestly, Devon is downright obnoxious. And rude. And domineering. A jackass through and through.

And don't even get me started on the constant offensive bickering, they pretty much do it after kissing or banging or just after trying to have a normal conversation. Exhausting.

Now that I got that off my chest, I can say that I really enjoyed the story that was going around the main romance, the whole thing reminded me a lot of The Hathways, as in, The Ravenels also live in a problematic house in the country and the sisters are all a bunch of lovely misfits who don't really know how to play by the rules of society.
The family ties were my absolute favorite thing about this book, with the twins Cassandra and Pandora winning the cake. I also loved how West quickly became to adore them all, these cousins he had never even seen before. Fraternal love is without a doubt one of LK’s strengths.

And just like in The Hathaways, there’s a secondary romance blossoming in this first book of the series, and just like in The Hathaways, I was WAY more invested in it. Despite Winterborne’s actions in the end, I have high hopes for his story with Helen. Why you ask? Well,
(Reason #0.5. His first name is Rhys. Rhys Winterborne. I love that. Rhys.)

Reason #1. The fact that they met under those specific circumstances. Excuse me but I’m a total sucker for the sick/bedridden/physically-challenged hero trope. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Reason #2. Savage but I’m also a total sucker for arranged-marriages. The most awkward the better.

Reason #3. Even though Rhys behaved dreadfully towards both Helen and Kathleen in the end, he reminded me an awful lot of: Harry Rutledge from Tempt Me At Twilight, Simon Hunt from Secrets of a Summer Night and Sebastian St.Vincent, The Devil in Winter himself, circa It Happened One Autumn.
Seriously, Rhys seems to be the personification of these three when they were still behaving like assholes 24/7. That said, and being that I ended up loving the three aforementioned idiots by the end of their respective books (Sebastian is still my number one *hearteyes*), I can’t help but rooting for Rhys. I mean, yes, at the moment I want to strangle him, but I also want to see him grow and make amends and be the man dear Helen deserves to have by her side.

Reason #4. He took such good care of the orchid!! I was dying of laughter when Helen was listing all the things he had to do so it wouldn’t die and I couldn’t wait to see how the hell he was going to remember all that or if he was going to do it. And yay! It lives! Blue Vanda happy!

Okay, that’s enough, I’ve said too much already.
So yeah, even though the romance didn’t do it for me on this occasion, this book is still necessary because it’s the introduction to a hopefully fantastic HR series, and just because it's Lisa Kleypas. I already love all the other characters and seriously cannot wait to read their stories.

]]>
<![CDATA[Cherry Pie or Die (Baker Street Mysteries #1)]]> 37775961 A traumatic life event sends Georgie Tanner back to her hometown to start over at thirty-one-years-old and a certified hot mess. Gainesville, Pennsylvania is as American as apple pie, steeped in rich Revolutionary history, Amish settlements, ghost stories, and colonial manors, and Georgie’s new job as a historical tour guide gives her a safe, no pressure place to begin again. Nothing could go wrong in such a sleepy, picturesque little town, right?

Her first guided tour of the Three Maidens� Manor battle site and museum proves her deathly wrong. When the power goes out mid-commentary, she has enough to handle keeping everyone calm. Until the power returns and she discovers she now has not only six panicked guests, but a mysterious dead guy to deal with.

Which one of them committed murder? And, more importantly, why is she the next target?

This small town mystery series is also available in large print paperback.]]>
344 CeeCee James cc 0 to-read 4.13 Cherry Pie or Die (Baker Street Mysteries #1)
author: CeeCee James
name: cc
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/20
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Vanishing Act: A Lingering Echoes Novel]]> 25530382
When Ben reappears in Kate's life, she is only pulled deeper into the childhood that she's tried to forget. Driven by the abuse and pain that still lingers within him, Ben seeks Kate's help in making a change. But in this journey for retribution, lines blur between courage, justice, and revenge.

Bound by their shared and damaged youth, Kate is forced to choose sides, and fast. The final act is almost here, and time is running out.]]>
347 Erica Kiefer 163422096X cc 0 wishlist, 2015-published 4.20 2015 Vanishing Act: A Lingering Echoes Novel
author: Erica Kiefer
name: cc
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/29
shelves: wishlist, 2015-published
review:

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<![CDATA[Call Me Crazy (Bellamy Creek, #3)]]> 56916467 It was the perfect plan.
I needed a wife—temporarily—in order to inherit the family business.
And she needed a favor—the kind that takes nine months to deliver.

We had it all worked out, from the no-touching policy on our wedding night (her rule) to the no-falling-in-love decree (mine). She’d marry me, I’d give her the means to have the baby she’d always wanted, and one year later we’d amicably part ways with no hassle, no demands, and certainly no regrets.

After all, Bianca DeRossi and I are experts at infuriating one another—we’ve been doing it since we were kids. Trouble is, she grew up gorgeous and feisty, and she still knows exactly how to get under my skin.

And that wedding night? Well, it doesn’t exactly go down hands-free.

Then she moves in with me, and I really start to lose my mind. From her sexy little pout to her wicked sense of humor to those meatball sandwiches she makes just because she knows they’re my favorite . . . I find myself wanting to break every rule we put in place.

Our story was never supposed to end with happily ever after.
But call me crazy, I just might be in love with my wife.]]>
316 Melanie Harlow cc 1 4.16 2021 Call Me Crazy (Bellamy Creek, #3)
author: Melanie Harlow
name: cc
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2022/07/12
date added: 2022/07/12
shelves: 2022-read, romance, contemporary, fake-relationship, nerdy-heroine, no-love-triangle, arranged-forced-marriage
review:

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<![CDATA[A Deal with the Elf King (Married to Magic, #1)]]> 55626358 The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.

Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella's village to be their Human Queen.

To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she's dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town's only healer.

That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives... for her.

Everything Luella had thought she'd known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.

The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another... but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

A Deal with the Elf King is a complete, stand-alone novel, inspired by the tales of Hades and Persephone, as well as Beauty and the Beast, with a "happily ever after" ending. It's perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon-worthy couple. ]]>
340 Elise Kova 1949694267 cc 0 3.97 2020 A Deal with the Elf King (Married to Magic, #1)
author: Elise Kova
name: cc
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/07/12
shelves: arranged-forced-marriage, beauty-and-the-beast, fairytale-retelling, fantasy, started-reading-but-stopped
review:

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Lock Every Door 42379030
As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story—until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.]]>
381 Riley Sager cc 0 started-reading-but-stopped 4.01 2019 Lock Every Door
author: Riley Sager
name: cc
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/07/12
shelves: started-reading-but-stopped
review:

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The Favor 53608355
Of course, if she’d known he’d request that she be his wife for twelve months, she’d have hesitated in accepting his help. Because what she’d learned from Dane was that the devil wasn’t ugly and terrorising. He was seductive and captivating. He hummed with whispers of temptation � the temptation to sin and surrender, to let him brand and possess you. He awakened every need and fantasy you had.

He could even make you love him.]]>
388 Suzanne Wright cc 0 wishlist 3.97 2020 The Favor
author: Suzanne Wright
name: cc
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/07/08
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[Suburban Dicks (Suburban Dicks, #1)]]> 57620806
Andie Stern thought she’d solved her final homicide. Once a budding FBI profiler, she gave up her career to raise her four (soon to be five) children in West Windsor, New Jersey. But one day, between soccer games, recitals, and trips to the local pool, a very pregnant Andie pulls into a gas station - and stumbles across a murder scene. An attendant has been killed, and the bumbling local cops are in way over their heads. Suddenly, Andie is obsessed with the case, and back on the trail of a killer, this time with kids in tow.

She soon crosses paths with disgraced local journalist Kenneth Lee, who also has everything to prove in solving the case. A string of unusual occurrences - and eventually, body parts - surface around town, and Andie and Kenneth uncover simmering racial tensions and a decades-old conspiracy. Hilarious, insightful, and a killer whodunit, 'SUBURBAN DICKS' is the one-of-a-kind mystery that readers will not be able to stop talking about.]]>
400 Fabian Nicieza 0593191277 cc 0 wishlist 3.92 2021 Suburban Dicks (Suburban Dicks, #1)
author: Fabian Nicieza
name: cc
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/05/18
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaires, #1)]]> 57658071 Rowan
I'm in the business of creating fairy tales.
Theme parks. Production companies. Five-star hotels.
Everything could be all mine if I renovated Dreamland.
My initial idea of hiring Zahra was good in theory, but then I kissed her.
Things spiraled out of control once I texted her using an alias.
By the time I realized where I went wrong, it was too late.
People like me don't get happy endings.
Not when we're destined to ruin them.

Zahra
After submitting a drunk proposal criticizing Dreamland's most expensive ride, I should have been fired.
Instead, Rowan Kane offered me a dream job.
The catch? I had to work for the most difficult boss I'd ever met.
Rowan was rude and completely off-limits, but my heart didn't care.
At least not until I discovered his secret.
It was time to teach the billionaire that money couldn't fix everything.
Especially not us.

The Fine Print is the first book in a series of interconnected standalones following three billionaire brothers.]]>
450 Lauren Asher cc 0 to-read 3.92 2021 The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaires, #1)
author: Lauren Asher
name: cc
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

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Heartborn (Heartborn, #1) 31428522 Keiron was never meant to be anything other than a hero. Born high above in a place of war and deception, he is Heartborn, a being of purity and goodness in a place where there violence and deceit are just around every corner.
His disappearance will spark a war he cannot see, for Keiron has pierced the light of days to save a girl he has never met, for reasons he cannot understand. Livvy Foster is seventeen, brave, and broken. With half a heart, she bears the scars of a lifetime of pain and little hope of survival.
Until Keiron arrives.
In the middle of a brewing war and Livvy’s failing heart, Keiron will risk everything for Livvy, because a Heartborn’s life can only end in one way: Sacrifice.
Fall with Livvy and Keiron as they seek the truth about her heart, and his power, and what it means to love someone who will give their very life to save you.
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241 Terry Maggert cc 0 to-read 3.70 2016 Heartborn (Heartborn, #1)
author: Terry Maggert
name: cc
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[A Cowboy's Christmas Promise (Whisper Creek, #2)]]> 22396054 Ìý
Managing a thriving practice, coping with the loss of his wife, and fighting a custody battle with his in-laws over his twin daughters, Daniel couldn’t be more overwhelmed. Hayley is a godsend, accompanying him in the field and winning over his girls. It doesn’t take Daniel long to realize he’s falling for this woman, hard and fast. So before Hayley returns to Boston, he extracts a promise: that she will return to Whisper Creek for Christmas. It’s the perfect time and place to show Hayley that the promise of a beautiful life together is something she can believe in.
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279 Maggie McGinnis 0553394568 cc 0 wishlist 4.23 2014 A Cowboy's Christmas Promise (Whisper Creek, #2)
author: Maggie McGinnis
name: cc
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/01/29
shelves: wishlist
review:

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Os Crimes da Rua Morgue 9082491 Mãe e filha são encontradas mortas num edifício situado na rua Morgue, uma artéria ficcional parisiense. As vítimas foram brutalmente assassinadas e a sala onde foram descobertos os cadáveres encontra-se trancada por dentro. Para adensar o mistério, os vizinhos alegam ter ouvido o assassino a falar numa língua estranha que ninguém consegue identificar. Quando um homem é acusado do crime, C. Auguste Dupin, um indivíduo solitário e de aguçada inteligência, oferece-se para ajudar a polícia de Paris a resolver este caso aparentemente sem solução e impedir que um homem inocente seja preso por um crime que Dupin acredita que ele não cometeu. Um pêlo encontrado junto dos corpos leva-o a crer que o assassino poderá não ser humano�

Neste volume, está incluído outro caso protagonizados por C. Auguste Dupin, O Mistério de Marie Rogêt.]]>
96 Edgar Allan Poe 9895547633 cc 0 to-read, pt 3.51 Os Crimes da Rua Morgue
author: Edgar Allan Poe
name: cc
average rating: 3.51
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/11/21
shelves: to-read, pt
review:

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<![CDATA[A Dance with the Fae Prince (Married to Magic, #2)]]> 55688537 She knew her hand in marriage would be sold. She had no idea a fae prince was the buyer.

Katria swore she'd never fall in love. She's seen what "love" means through the cruelty of her family. So when she's married off to the mysterious Lord Fenwood for a handsome price, all Katria wants is a better life than the one she's leaving. Feelings are off the table.

But her new husband makes not falling in love difficult.

As their attraction begins to grow, so too do the oddities within her new life: strange rules, screams in the night, and attacks by fae that Katria never thought were real. When she witnesses a ritual not meant for human eyes, Katria finds herself spirited away to the land of Midscape.

Surviving the fae wilds as a human is hard enough. Katria must survive as a human who accidently pilfered the magic of ancient kings - magic a bloodthirsty king is ready to kill her for in order to keep his stolen throne - and her new husband is the rightful heir in hiding.

The power to save the fae is in her hands. But who will save her from a love she vowed never to feel?

A Dance with the Fae Prince is a complete, stand-alone novel, inspired by the tales of Psyche and Eros, as well as Cinderella, with a "happily ever after" ending. It's perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon-worthy couple. ]]>
429 Elise Kova 1949694291 cc 0 3.85 2021 A Dance with the Fae Prince (Married to Magic, #2)
author: Elise Kova
name: cc
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/09/21
shelves: 2021-published, ebook, wishlist, cinderella, fantasy, fairytale-retelling
review:

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A Really Bad Idea 45014323
Everyone has a best friend. Mine just happens to be Dr. Christian Gallagher� the gorgeous, green-eyed heart surgeon who wants to have a baby with me. When my mother approached me on my thirty-third birthday with a brochure for egg freezing, it was a glaring reminder that my biological clock is ticking toward its expiration date.

I’ve always dreamed of being a mom and had a plan � one that was destroyed when I caught my professional hockey player husband in bed with another woman.
Despite my broken heart I still believe in love. I want the happily ever after, but I also want a child desperately and won't settle in order to make it happen.

That’s why when I decided to take my mother’s advice, Christian came up with his own plan: Let’s have a baby together. It’s a bad idea. A really, really bad idea.
And yet...I can’t stop thinking about how great it could be. There’s just one condition. Before we have sex (oh, yes, we’re doing this the old-fashioned way!) Christian is adamant we go on three dates. Sounds easy, but it's not.
I thought sex would be the hard part, but the dates are only making me fall for the man I’ve known almost my entire life.]]>
327 Jeannine Colette 0463682297 cc 0 wishlist 4.16 2019 A Really Bad Idea
author: Jeannine Colette
name: cc
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/09/01
shelves: wishlist
review:

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The Love Hypothesis 56732449
That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.]]>
356 Ali Hazelwood 0593336828 cc 0 wishlist 4.11 2021 The Love Hypothesis
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: cc
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/08/30
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[The Cheat Sheet (The Cheat Sheet, #1)]]> 58100280 Is it ever too late to leave the friend-zone?

Hi, my name is Bree Camden, and I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend and star quarterback Nathan Donelson (so is half of America, judging by the tabloids and how much the guy dates). The first step is admitting, right? Except, I can never admit it to him because he clearly doesn’t see me that way, and the last thing I want is for things to get weird between us.

Nothing but good old-fashioned, no-touching-the-sexiest-man-alive, platonic friendship for us! Everything is exactly how I like it! Yes. Good. (I’m not crying, I’m just peeling an onion.)

Our friendship is going swimmingly until I accidentally spill my beans to a reporter over too much tequila, and now the world seems to think me and Nathan belong together. Oh, and did I mention we have to date publicly for three weeks until after the Super Bowl because we signed a contract with...oops, forgot I can’t tell anyone about that!

Bottom line is, now my best friend is smudging all the lines and acting very un-platonic, and I’m just trying to keep my body from bursting into flames every time he touches me.

How am I going to make it through three weeks of fake dating Nathan without anything changing between us? Especially when it almost-sort-a-kinda seems like he’s fighting for a completely different outcome?

Send help.
XO Bree]]>
306 Sarah Adams cc 0 wishlist 3.71 2021 The Cheat Sheet (The Cheat Sheet, #1)
author: Sarah Adams
name: cc
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/08/30
shelves: wishlist
review:

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Hellfinder 58442721 261 Paula Stokes 1646033590 cc 0 wishlist 3.61 2023 Hellfinder
author: Paula Stokes
name: cc
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/07/11
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[The Wizard of Oz 15 Book Collection]]> 22731743 "Anyone in a fairy country like the Land of Oz can do anything"

Believing that the modern fairy tale no longer required 'a fearsome moral' rendered by 'horrible and blood-curdling incidents', L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) decided to create a world in which 'the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out'. Since the early successes of the Oz series during the author's lifetime, and with the production of numerous stage, film, television and literary adaptations in the years since his death, Baum's magical fairyland of Oz - devised 'solely to please children of today' - has continually delighted and influenced the imaginations of millions across the world for over a century.

Journey through the magical world of Oz with Dorothy and friends in this 15 book collection by L. Frank Baum, redesigned and anglicised. These beloved children's classics will make the perfect gift; timeless and loved by all.

This collection includes the following books: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvellous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, The Patchwork Girl of Oz, Tik Tok of Oz, The Scarecrow of Oz, Rinkitink in Oz, The Lost Princess of Oz, The Tin Woodman of Oz, The Magic of Oz Glinda of Oz, The Royal Book of Oz]]>
3816 L. Frank Baum 1782261680 cc 0 wishlist 4.46 The Wizard of Oz 15 Book Collection
author: L. Frank Baum
name: cc
average rating: 4.46
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/23
shelves: wishlist
review:

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<![CDATA[Marriage of Inconvenience (Knitting in the City, #7)]]> 50745547 There are three things you need to know about Kat Tanner (aka Kathleen Tyson. . . and yes, she is *that* Kathleen Tyson): 1) She’s determined to make good decisions, 2) She must get married ASAP, and 3) She knows how to knit.

Being a billionaire heiress isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Determined to live a quiet life, Kat Tanner changed her identity years ago and eschewed her family’s legacy. But now, Kat’s silver spoon past has finally caught up with her, and so have her youthful mistakes.

To avoid imminent disaster, she must marry immediately; it is essential that the person she chooses have no romantic feelings for her whatsoever and be completely trustworthy. Fortunately, she knows exactly who to ask. Dan O’Malley checks all the boxes: single, romantically indifferent to her, completely trustworthy. Sure, she might have a wee little crush on Dan the Security Man, but with clear rules, expectations, and a legally binding contract, Kat is certain she can make it through this debacle with her sanity—and heart—all in one piece.

Except, what happens when Dan O’Malley isn’t as indifferent—or as trustworthy—as she thought?

★★★★â˜� Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Award Semi-Finalist for Best Romance ★★★★â˜�

Marriage of Inconvenience is book #7 in the Knitting in the City series. Each book is a standalone, full length (110k words), contemporary romantic comedy novel, and follows the misadventures and exploits of seven friends in Chicago, all members of the same knitting group.]]>
506 Penny Reid cc 0 started-reading-but-stopped 4.03 2018 Marriage of Inconvenience (Knitting in the City, #7)
author: Penny Reid
name: cc
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/06/23
shelves: started-reading-but-stopped
review:

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Dawn Girl (Tess Winnett, #1) 30968423
Her blue eyes wide open, glossed over. A few specks of sand clung to her long, dark lashes. Her beautiful face, immobile, covered in sparkling flecks of sand. Her lips slightly parted as if to let a last breath escape.

Who is the beautiful girl found at dawn, on a deserted stretch of white sand beach? What is her secret?

FBI Special Agent Tess Winnett searches for answers relentlessly. With each step, each new finding, she uncovers unsettling facts leading to a single possible conclusion: Dawn Girl is not the only victim. Her killer has killed before.

Hiding a terrible secret of her own, Special Agent Tess Winnett faces her inmost fears, in a heart-stopping race to catch a killer who’s getting ready to end yet another life. Will she find the killer in time? Will she be able to stop him? At what cost?

The rules of the game have changed.
So has the textbook definition of a serial killer.

Special Agent Tess Winnett is the bold, direct, and short-fused heroine of Dawn Girl. Putting her life on the line, she doesn’t pull any punches, searching only for the truth, and for the man who takes lives on her watch. Intelligent, resourceful, and uncompromising, Tess will take readers on a memorable, white-knuckled journey in this suspenseful, gripping serial killer thriller.]]>
277 Leslie Wolfe cc 0 wishlist 4.29 2016 Dawn Girl (Tess Winnett, #1)
author: Leslie Wolfe
name: cc
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/04/05
shelves: wishlist
review:

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Sense and Sensibility 208730
Compelled to leave Norland in Sussex for Barton Cottage in Devonshire, the two sisters are soon accepted into their new society. Marianne, whose sweet radiance and open nature charm the roguish John Willoughby, is soon deeply in love. Elinor, whose disposition is more cautious and considered, who carefully conceals her emotions, is suffering the loss of Edward Ferrars whom she has left behind.

Despite their very different personalities, both sisters experience great sorrows in their affairs of the heart: Marianne demonstrably wretched and Elinor allowing no one to see her private heartache. It is, however, the qualities common to them both - discernment, constancy and integrity in the face of the fecklessness of others - that allow them entry into a new life of peace and contentment.]]>
374 Jane Austen 0140620427 cc 4 borrowed, favorite-authors 3.89 1811 Sense and Sensibility
author: Jane Austen
name: cc
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1811
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/03/28
shelves: borrowed, favorite-authors
review:

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Normal People 40922689
Everything changes when both Connell and Marianne are accepted to Trinity College. Suddenly Marianne is well liked and elegant, holding court with her intellectual friends, while Connell hangs at the sidelines, not quite as fluent in the language of the elite. Throughout their years at university, Marianne and Connell circle each other, falling in and out of romance but never straying far from where they started. And as Marianne experiments with an increasingly dangerous string of boyfriends, Connell must decide how far he is willing to go to save his oldest friend.

Sally Rooney brings her brilliant psychological acuity and perfectly spare prose to a novel that explores the subtleties of class, the electricity of first love, and the inescapable challenges of family and friendships. Normal People is a book that you will read in one sitting, and then immediately jump up to share with your friends.]]>
268 Sally Rooney cc 0 to-read 3.77 2018 Normal People
author: Sally Rooney
name: cc
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/25
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Ten Thousand Doors of January]]> 44158423
In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored and utterly out of place.

But her quiet existence is shattered when she stumbles across a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page reveals more impossible truths about the world, and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.covers a story that might just be the key to unlocking the secrets of her past.]]>
385 Alix E. Harrow cc 0 to-read 4.24 2019 The Ten Thousand Doors of January
author: Alix E. Harrow
name: cc
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/03/25
shelves: to-read
review:

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