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OUT OF THE DARK by N R Walker

3* Some interesting aspects to it, but way more of the crying and emoting that book 2 was full of. Tbf, it's kind of understandable why, but this required a huge amount of suspension of disbelief. But, it has kittens in it, which are sort of a redemption.  There's, and there's not really, a lot happening here. Salem and Aurin are a couple, with Aurin fretting over the extent of Salem's injuries, and them having travelled deep into Cern's mountain to heal. That aspect was quite interesting, with explanations of who and what Cern is, who Fyn is, and what really goes on in the woods. There's partying, rejoicing, a rebirth ceremony and there's honey mead and lots of sex, thankfully not on screen, as the previous books had far too much of it. There's far too much mushy, lovey dovey stuff, and it's as if love's young dream has just descended on them. There's a lot of pronouncements, too. There's also a definite feel of one masculine character i...
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HER LAST CHRISTMAS by Claire McGowan

2.5* Not believable at all, sadly. Not a single really likeable character, including Emma. The characters in this book lie, set others up, betray each other, cheat, hold back details, plot, use people and are hateful to domestic and wait staff, even though one of them started off as the same. Not a single one gad any redeeming qualities. Unless you count Emma's memory for details and spin, which serve her well in her profession. Sadly, the tale was poor and the killer was very obvious. Emma had no backbone, which didn't really tie in with her alleged barrister self. Her shameful secret wasn't shameful or secret - it was just bigged up to add faux intrigue and make her a bit less bland and boring. Not a good read.  ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for my reading pleasure. 
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THEN SHE LIED by Alice Leigh

5* Not what I was expecting. Very, very well done, and sad, too. This is a complicated tale, with someone who's not intentionally lying, who I think is inherently decent as her current-day persona, yet traumatised, going to the police when she thinks she's remembered things from her past, needing to set the record right. And that opens several cans of worms.  The intertwining of past and present is well done. There are conflicting eye-witness accounts of a guy that's maybe good in some ways, not good in others. There's money talking, past and present, yet not future. The cycle has been broken. There's trauma and there's mental health issues. There's characters you feel sorry for and some you think should know better. There's some you want to hug, some you want incarcerated, some you feel sorry for, because they've lost  loved, lost again, were about to love again, but have lost yet again. And yet, maybe there's a different kind of love in store f...
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UNDER THE SURFACE by N R Walker

3* Interesting premise, but spoilt by too much faux angst, faux hating, faux roaring, too much sex, and too little storyline.  This had the potential to be a decent book in a PNR world where so far, the octo guys' lives have been low-key and like they like it. At times it sounded as if they lived in the back of beyond, but all had travelled, had mingled with humans in every way, but almost never had sex with their own kind, and all seemed content with life as it was, with maybe just one having a case of unrequited love.  Then came Sawyer, a cop that the octo guys might not be able to run off, unlike his predecessors that couldn't cope with the boring life and the PNR aspects. What got me was the immature posturing and faux anger and roaring from Ciaran. Didn't 'roaring' and 'mine' and the sex fest the book turned into. Yes, they found they were mates, but the instalove didn't feel believable. Everything felt a bit cartoon-like and immature. BUT, there wa...
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IN TOO DEEP by N R Walker

3* A decent follow-up to book 1 spoilt by too many sobbing leads, à la Tal Bauer; too many matings - 3 in this alone, plus one existing one that gets revealed - and a baddie taken care of far too easily.  I was mainly reading this for the siren follow-up that book 1 made clear would be the crux of this one. Sadly, that wasn't the case. This was matings galore, plus sobbing Dylan, sobbing Fray and sobbing Tobin. I mean, seriously, it's a miracle these guys weren't dehydrated from all the tears shed. Far too much sex in this, too, to mask the too little, too late, unexplained plot. Yes, the siren makes an appearance, but is there more than meets the eye and is she in collusion with a character that Sawyer was warned about in the notes from his predecessor? Not sure I care enough to read book 3, unless it comes up in my freebie KU period. Sawyer's boss has a low-key reveal in this, but no one asked questions, nothing got revealed and it could've been the end of the se...
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PERFECT STRANGER by Greg Dunnett

2.5* Sadly, quite boring in parts; with a mismatched couple of leads who're not honest with each other; with a storyline that feels 'plonked in', i.e. doesn't feel organic. So, you'll get that I didn't love this book. James and Emily aren't likeable. He's lied to her by omission about their shared past, about not being sure he fancies or wants to be with her. She lies to him about her reasons for a road trip, and little things, but the bottom line is that they're not honest with each other. His mother and her parents are brought into the tale organically enough. No one else is. Not Midge nor Brandon, nor anyone else. Flashbacks to Brandon when he was going by a different name didn't feel believable. Nor did the other character and his M.O. The killer felt absolutely non-beliebable. I felt I'd wasted my time on this, unfortunately.  ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure.
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WATCHING ALICE by Sue Watson

3* Got a bit bogged down in the middle with 2 characters who really obfuscated things, but overall, pretty readable. This has been done before  - gaslighting, some naivety, some feeling sorry/guilty, etc. but there was no sense of true suspense or danger or creepiness. It had me skipping parts, especially when a pretty stupid character revealed their part in things,  because of immaturity and petulance and gaslighting.  The Fiat character had their part to play but it was with a bit too much gloss when their identity got revealed. The ending wasn't brilliant but it was a better life for Alice et al, as long as no one spills the beans or gets an attack of conscience. ARC courtesy of Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for my reading pleasure. 
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