Genre: Adult


Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Another Worthy Addition to the Series: Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong

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I received this book for free from Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Another Worthy Addition to the Series: Watcher in the Woods by Kelley ArmstrongWatcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong
Series: Rockton #4
Published by Minotaur Books on February 5th, 2018
Genres: Adult, Mystery
Source: Minotaur Books
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In #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's latest thriller, the town of Rockton—and her fans—are in for another hair-raising adventure.

The secret town of Rockton has seen some rocky times lately; understandable considering its mix of criminals and victims fleeing society for refuge within its Yukon borders. Casey Duncan, the town's only detective on a police force of three, has already faced murder, arson and falling in love in less than the year that she's lived there. Yet even she didn't think it would be possible for an outsider to find and cause trouble in the town she's come to call home.

When a US Marshal shows up in town demanding the release of one of the residents, Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Dalton, are skeptical. And yet only hours later, the marshal is shot dead and the only visible suspects are the townspeople and her estranged sister, in town for just the weekend. It's up to Casey to figure out who murdered the marshal, and why they would kill to keep him quiet. 

I have been reading Kelley Armstrong’s books for over half a decade now so it’s safe to say I am a fan. From her YA to her adult, she never fails to deliver a series of characters I find myself immediately invested in and plots I am eager to watch unfold. Watcher in the Woods is the fourth book in a series and usually, by the fourth book of a series, my interest starts to wane but a fourth book in the hands of Kelley Armstrong??? Watcher in the Woods proves that it can be a very powerful thing.

If you haven’t read this series and are a fan of well-written mystery novels that don’t involve annoying dude detectives, you should probably get on it. If you’re already a fan of the Rockton novels, I am here to tell you Watcher in the Woods is just as good if not better than its preceding novels.

We start right where we left out, with Kenny having been shot and Casey having to do the last thing she wants to — call her sister for help. AND WE FINALLY GET TO MEET CASEY’s infamous sister, April (and another new character who I won’t say much about.) Honestly, I cannot believe Armstrong can introduce new characters in book-fucking-four and I somehow end up loving them as much as the main characters by the end of the book. Of course, my review cannot all be about how much I love April and Sebastian so alas, I must move on.

Watcher in the Woods, imo, marks a turning point in this series because so many new secrets about the town come out and it all feels like its building to a bigger confrontation. The council continues to be sketchy as fuck but this time, our crew is faced with an outside intruder, a US Marshall.  With the very future of their safe haven at line, our detectives must get to work figuring out what is going on. Casey and Eric continue to be extremely competent as usual and their relationship is just as amazing as ever. So we can trust they got everyone’s back. Yes, that’s a pretty vague summary of the plot but you know, this is a mystery, I don’t want to give away all the twists!!!

Before wrapping up, I do want to mention that Armstrong uses the word ‘tribal’ to describe the hostiles. Which is especially irksome given that hostiles are constantly regarded as subhuman throughout the books? To elaborate, the hostiles are regarded as animalistic creatures who no longer know how to be human. “They are also ritualistic — painting and scarring themselves and setting out totems to mark territory” (location 466/5405 in the earc.)  There is some backtracking right after this is stated “But in no way should they be confused with tribal societies” (location 466/5405 in the earc.) But perhaps the word tribal shouldn’t have been used at all. Please keep in mind, I have not cross-checked this quote in the finished version so she could have chosen to use a different term.

ANYWAY, Watcher in the Woods proves to be another strong addition to the series and I cannot wait to see where Armstrong will take us from here. Clearly we’re in for a ride.

New Beginnings: Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews

Posted by on 11/23/2018 • 0 Comments

I’ve been obsessed with the Hidden Legacy for years now so I was more than a little sad when it came to an end. OF COURSE, they announced a spin off and we got the first hint of that in this little novella.

Nevada and Rogan are getting married! FINALLY! And of course, given how things just happen around them, the wedding planning isn’t going as smoothly as anticipated. A family heirloom goes missing and there might be someone plotting a wedding murder.  In comes Catalina (also the narrator of the spin-offs I believe) who is put to the task of solving this mystery without alerting Nevada to the on-going shenanigans.

So, I went into Diamond Fire with no idea what the novella was about or that it…

The Best Romance You’ll Read this Year: A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole

Posted by on 08/22/2018 • 1 Comment

Earlier this year, I read and fell head over heels for A Princess in Theory. It was definitely one of my top reads of the year and when I dove into A Duke by Default, I expected to love it but I didn’t think it was even possible for me to love it more than A Princess in Theory.

For someone who has been reviewing for six years, it is quite baffling how easily words can escape me when it comes to a truly good book but you know, there you have it.

A Duke by Default is probably THE romance novel of the year for me. The one that has swept me off my feet and even a month after reading it, I cannot stop thinking…

Amazing Secondary Characters: Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

Posted by on 07/09/2018 • 1 Comment

Sarah MacLean is one of my favorite romance authors and after finishing The Day of the Duchess. I was eagerly anticipating the start of a new series and some new characters to fall in love with. I think the best way to state my relationship to this book is that while I wasn’t as invested in the storyline of the two main characters, I was incredibly invested in the overarching plot of the series and the placement of this book within it. I LOVED the secondary characters and I am eagerly awaiting their stories in the future installments. 

SO. I didn’t love Wicked and the Wallflower but I am in love with the The Bareknuckle Bastards series?? The question marks at the end because I feel like that is a confusing statement and…

In Conversation With Nick: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Posted by on 06/04/2018 • 1 Comment

Nick (The Infinite Limits of Love) is the one who made me read this book so it’s only right that my review of it is actually just me fangirling over it with her. ENJOY!

Rashika: Nick left me here to write a review while she is showering and I don’t know what to say. IT’S HER FAULT I READ THIS BOOK. WHY ISN’T SHE HERE TO TALK? HMPH.

Nick: BACK FROM THE SHOWER! Let me just preface by saying this: Michael Phan is mine. No one is going to steal my book boyfriend from me.

R: Wow. UM. Michael is mine. I am sorry to break it to you. AND EVEN IF YOU READ THE BOOK BEFORE ME, IT DOESN’T COUNT. WE GET TO FIGHT IT OVER NOW. But speaking,…

Great Secondary Characters but Unimpressive Hero: Hot Asset by Lauren Layne

Posted by on 05/24/2018 • 0 Comments

Lauren Layne has slowly become one of those romance authors I can count on to deliver a book that will sweep me up by my feet. Her characters tend to have good chemistry, great banter and just generally good personalities. When I read the premise for Hot Asset, I was immediately intrigued but overall, the book wasn’t what I had come to expect from Lauren Layne.

It started off really rough with me wanting to DNF a chapter or two in but I persisted and slowly became more attached to the secondary characters and the general world Layne had built. I finished the book on a much stronger note than I had begun it although I am still not sure if I even really liked it??

My biggest issue with…

When Will Book 7 Be Out: After the Wedding by Courtney Milan

Posted by on 04/24/2018 • 0 Comments

It is no secret that I have been in a pretty big reading slump this month. I’ve mentioned it in a post or two and if you’re a frequent visitor, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t posted a review in a while. It isn’t that a bad book or a really good one put me in a slump, it is that I haven’t really wanted to pick up a book and just keep on reading it until I finish. When After the Wedding landed in my inbox, I messaged my pal Lisa asking if she wanted to buddy-read since we had both been waiting for this book for what felt like a millenium. We got off to a rough start but soon, I literally couldn’t stop reading and maybe jumped…