2 Bloggers 1 Series - Sacred Evil (Krewe of Hunters)

 

  

So this book was a pretty spur of the moment read for me and Stormi.  We had already finished our planned buddy reads for June and I was trying to decide what to read next as I had kind of stalled out, and Stormi suggested we read the next book in this series.  BEST. DECISION. EVER!  Read on to see my thoughts and then and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads to see her's. 

TITLE:Sacred Evil (Krewe of Hunter #3))

AUTHOR: Heather Graham

PUBLISHER: Mira

PUBLISHING DATE: July 26, 2011

PAGES: 382   

SOURCE: Hoopla

FROM GOODREADS: 

The details of the crime scene are no coincidence. The body—a promising starlet—has been battered, bloodied and then discarded between two of Manhattan's oldest graveyards. 

One look and Detective Jude Crosby recognizes the tableau: a re-creation of Jack the Ripper's gruesome work. But he also sees something beyond the actions of a mere copycat. Something more dangerous…and unexplainable. 

As the city seethes with suspicion, Jude calls on Whitney Tremont, a member of the country's preeminent paranormal investigating team, to put the speculation to rest. Yet when Whitney and Jude delve deeper, what they discover is more shocking than either could have predicted, and twice as sinister… 

MY THOUGHTS: So I will say these books are setting themselves up to be pretty formulaic in that each book focuses primarily on a different member of the task force and sets them up to meet their future partner in the midst of solving some kind of crime.  That being said, I don't mind that formula as all the tales are different and they have just enough supernatural elements thrown in to really catch my attention.

I should have known I would love this one as it features as Jack the Ripper type killer and includes a lot of historical information about the "real" Jack the Ripper.  Detective Jude Crosby finds himself in the middle of some truly gruesome murders happening in New York and needing all the help they can get, his bosses call in the Krewe to assist.  Whitney arrives early which give her and Jude some time to interact while laying the groundwork for the mystery to unfold.  Eventually the rest of the task force arrives in town which allows us to revisit some of our other favorite characters while still focusing on the building chemistry between Jude and Whitney.

I don't want to give anything away but let's just say that the mystery part of Sacred Evil really kept me guessing.  I had my suspicions on the culprit and was pleased to eventually learn I was wrong.  I also think that Jude and Whitney are a wonderful match for each other physically and intellectually and I loved seeing their bond intensify. 

If you love mysteries with a hint of supernatural then you should really give this older mystery a try.  It is rather lengthy but so far, I am enjoying it and this is my favorite installment to date.  And I will close on this - GHOST DOG!  Need I really say more?  

RATING: 5 PAWS

Feed Your TBR - The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

September 19, 2023

FROM GOODREADS: For fans of Practical Magic and Gilmore Girls, The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic is a debut novel that explores the shields we build around our hearts to retain our own magic.

Sadie Revelare has always believed that the curse of four heartbreaks that accompanies her magic would be worth the price. But when her grandmother is diagnosed with cancer with only weeks to live, and her first heartbreak, Jake McNealy, returns to town after a decade, her carefully structured life begins to unravel.

With the news of their grandmother's impending death, Sadie's estranged twin brother Seth returns to town, bringing with him deeply buried family secrets that threaten to tear Sadie's world apart. Their grandmother has been the backbone of the family for generations, and with her death, Sadie isn't sure she'll have the strength to keep the family, and her magic, together.

As feelings for Jake begin to rekindle, and her grandmother growing sicker by the day, Sadie faces the last of her heartbreaks, and she has to decide: is love more important than magic?

WHY I CAN'T WAIT: I love witchy novels and let's be honest, this one had me at Gilmore Girls.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK?

Never Going Camping With These Idiots

 

TITLE: The Camp

AUTHOR: Nancy Bush

PUBLISHER: Zebra

PUBLISHING DATE: June 27, 2023

PAGES: 384   

SOURCE:ARC

FROM GOODREADS: 

There are always stories told around the fire at summer camp—tall tales about gruesome murders and unhinged killers, concocted to scare new arrivals and lend an extra jolt of excitement to those hormone-charged nights. At Camp Luft-Shawk, nicknamed Camp Love Shack, there are stories about a creeping fog that brings death with it. But here, they’re not just campfire tales. Here, the stories are real. 

Twenty years ago, a girl’s body was found on a ledge above the lake, arms crossed over her heart. Some said it was part of a suicide pact, connected to the nearby Haven Commune. Brooke, Rona, and Wendy were among the teenagers at camp that summer, looking for fun and sun, sex and adventure. They’ve never breathed a word about what really happened—or about the night their friendship shattered. 

Now the camp, renamed Camp Fog Lake, has reopened for a new generation, and many of those who were there on that long-ago night are returning for an alumni weekend. But something is stirring at the lake again. As the fog rolls in, evil comes with it. Those stories were a warning, and they didn’t listen. And the only question is, who will live long enough to regret it? 

MY THOUGHTS: I really hope this review doesn't turn into a rant but I'm not going to lie, the potential is there.  Let's start with something easy.  I like reading YA books and I like reading adult books, but I honestly can't tell you the targeted age for this novel because it goes back and forth so much between adult issues and teenage angst that I'm actually curious about the author's intentions.

So basically, Harley has just graduated high school and decides to sign up to work at Camp Fog Lake because she knows her ex and his girlfriend are also working there this summer and she wants to get him back.  It may not come across as that at first, but that's the gist of it.  She drags her friend Marissa, who doesn't want to leave her boyfriend but apparently has to because Harley wants her to.  That's plotline #1.  Plotline #2 is that 20 years ago, Harley's Aunt was at this camp with a bunch of mean girls and something horrible happened and the camp was closed.  But Emma, who apparently suffering a severe TBI in a different book by this author, can only recall cryptic bits and pieces.  The camp has a reunion over the July 4th weekend so the campers from 20 years ago reunite and learn what awful people they really are.  Oh, and plotline #3 involves a surrogacy and a religious cult.  

This book was just all too much.  I hated all of the characters, except maybe Emma, and they weren't' even the fun-to-hate type of characters. The "mystery/suspense" element was kind of weak and the ending was not worth the 384 pages it took to get there.  My favorite buddy reader Stormi was SUPPOSED to be reading this with me but she bailed at 20% and DNF'ed the thing.  I should have taken her lead.  I will say I do plan on reading The Babysitter by this author as it explains what happened to Emma and I'm remotely curious but if it doesn't work out better for me, this is an author I will probably avoid from here on out. 

RATING: 2 PAWS

Farm News - June 25, 2023

 

So it's been a pretty uneventful week here at the farm and I'm grateful.  Both Mr. Barb and I were off Monday and Tuesday due to state holidays so lots of relaxing and reading were done on my part.  Apollo enjoyed having his dad home because even though he has really softened up and become much more affectionate with Mom, deep down he is still Daddy's boy.

I was able to pick up a new flowerpot for the puppy garden and a pair of pigeons have moved into the eaves next door so Apollo now has to check on them each night.  They must be expecting baby birds soon and even though I am not a pigeon fan, it's cute to see Apollo so attentive to them.  Also, Cassius used to love bandanas and often wore them until Apollo came along as a puppy and loved to pull them off. Over the years, Cassius accumulated a BUNCH and toward the end got to actually start wearing them again!  So, in honor of Cass, Apollo is doing "Bandana Summer" to honor his brother.  He is wearing a different one each day of summer and we will see how long he can go without repeating.  Here's is Friday's choice. My little boy is so grown up now.

I finished three books this week and the latest comic issue of Saga, which is pretty good and I hope to have a couple of new reviews up next week.  I had a short work meeting Saturday morning which just means I get to leave 2 hours early on Friday which is all pretty irrelevant considering I work from home anyway.  But I do have 9 days off starting July 1st.  We also started watching The Walking Dead: Dead City and two episodes in and it's already better than the last few years of The Walking Dead.  Negan is a jerk and a villain but he can be rather likable at times and the writer's give him so great lines.  

And finally I received some arcs from Netgalley and the publishers which I am really excited about.

Where You End is a thriller which comes out in January 2024 and is another book hopping on the rabbits on the cover trend.  Good Girls Don't Die is Christina Henry's newest book publishing mid November.  This is supposed to be a horror/thriller novel and as Henry is a hit and miss author for me, I'll admit I'm a tad nervous.  And finally, is the horror novel Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig. Releasing at the end of September and clocking in at well over 500 pages, this book features a town where trees start producing deep red apples which have serious side effects once eaten. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful week.  Have you read any good books or watched any good TV or movies which I need to add to my lists?

2 Bloggers 1 Series - Virgin River

 

So Stormi and I are almost there.  We are almost finished with our series read of Virgin River.  And if you'd have told me that when we started 16 books ago, I would have never believed you.  So you know the drill, read on to see my thoughts and then and then hop over to Stormi's at Storm Reads to see her's.

TITLE: Redwood Bend (Virgin River #16))

AUTHOR: Robyn Carr

PUBLISHER: Mira

PUBLISHING DATE: February 28, 2012

PAGES: 377   

SOURCE: Hoopla

FROM GOODREADS: 

Former actor Dylan Childress left the L.A. scene behind years ago for a quiet life running an aviation company in Montana. But with business slowing down, Dylan is starting to wonder whether he should take one of the offers Hollywood keeps sending his way. He figures a motorcycle trip to Virgin River with his buddies might help him decide what path to take. But his own troubles are left at the side of the road when he spots a woman stranded on the way into town.

Katie Malone and her twin boys' trip to Virgin River is stopped short by a tire as flat as her failed romance. To make matters worse, it's raining, the boys are hungry and Katie is having trouble putting on the spare. So when some bikers pull up beside them, offering to help, all Katie feels is relief. Then she sees sexy, leather-clad Dylan Childress, and in one brief moment the world turns on its axis.

Katie's a sensible single mother and Dylan's a die-hard commitment-phobe. Neither one is looking for long-term romance. But sometimes it takes only a moment to know you've found something that could change your life forever.

MY THOUGHTS:  I knew after the last book that this one would probably focus on Conner's sister Katie.  Carr makes it pretty obvious where the next book is headed and I've come to love guessing and seeing if I am right. 

After the events of the last book and Katie and Conner no longer having to hide their whereabouts, Katie packs up her twin boys and heads to Virgin River to be closer to the only family she has left.  On her way into town, he tire blows and she ends up receiving help from a group of guys out riding their motorcycles in the rain.  Little does she know how much her life is about to change.  Dylan is riding with his friends on a guy's trip, all the time trying to figure out how to save his aviation business.  But Dylan has a bigger secret, he used to be a famous child star.  He basically believes he is cursed and unable to for a lasting relationship and settle down.  But sometimes life has other plans.

I really enjoyed this book, and I will say it again, these books are such comfort reads. I'm always able to pick them up and crank them out in about a day and this one was no exception.  In fact, Redwood Bend was a great way to spend a rainy Sunday. I basically have only one complaint about this book, which is rare. In the beginning, one of Dylan's buddies is named Walt.  Walt is an out of towner who loves visiting Virgin River and eating Preacher's food. But there is a major problem, we already have a Walt.  If anyone knows, Walt has played a big role in a few books and finally settled down with Muriel, the actress who moved to the area several books ago.  Why did we need two Walt's?  It made it rather confusing for me at the beginning and I'm really curious why the author decided to use this name again.  Did she forget?  Does it serve a purpose moving forward?  Is he some lost son to Original Walt?  I guess time will tell but the whole situation was enough to know off one star which is a rarity with this series.

RATING: 4 PAWS

Feed Your TBR - Manrattan

 

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

July 11, 2023

A long-awaited sequel to Shea's Rattus New Yorkus.

Exterminator duo Chris and Benita Jackson are sucked into the madness once again as the underground denizens of the big city are transformed by generations of Degenesis and something new (and more hideous) into your worst nightmare. New York is the city that never sleeps – because the streets will run red with blood, filled with the cries of chaos.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT: Anyone who has visited the blog long enough knows how much I love Hunter Shea and his books.  Stormi and I read Rattus New Yorkus together when it was released years ago and it seems like we've been waiting for another great creature feature.  This one even releases on her birthday so it seems like fate that we once again plan a Shea buddy read.

In case you're curious, here's our review for Rattus New Yorkus and here's a link to the post where we were able to interview Hunter for the blog: Shea Interview

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU WAITING FOR THIS WEEK?

Farm News - June 18, 2023

 

So this week has been a pretty good one.  Rather non-eventful but I'll take it.  Mr. Barb returned back to work after being off 3 1/2 weeks due to some back issues.  He is still in physical therapy and having some pains here and there but is better than he was.  Since I work from home, him being off was like a little taste of retirement and I will say overall I enjoyed it but there might be a few kinks to work out.  I'm sure it was "worse" because he was laid up and couldn't do much.  

Working from home has made Apollo's transition to being an only pup easier.  I'm able to walk him before work and during lunch and there is an older lady down the street, he feels he must check on each day.  Plus he likes her dog Winkle even if all she ever does is bark at him. 

This week is a 4-day weekend for me.  Monday is Juneteenth and Tuesday is WV Day so two paid holidays in a row!  I hope to get some reading done and may try to work in some gaming as well.  Tonight is the mid-season finale of Fear the Walking Dead and being the last season, I am enjoying this one more than the last few.  We are also watching From on MGM.  Season 2 is definitely an improvement over last season and I actually look forward to tuning in each Sunday for the newest episode.  I highly recommend it if you haven't given it a shot.

And these are the books I received for review this week.  I really am starting to love supernatural rom-coms so I'll definitely be reading Do Your Worst sooner than later.  And The Horror at Pleasant Brook not only releases at Halloween, but it's also set at Halloween.

What books did you get this week and are you reading anything good?  Also, thanks so much to everybody for stopping by this week after a long absence and for all the kind words.  You guys are the best!