The Ranger Courts The Celtic Witch - Nocturne Falls 18 by Kristen Painter - A Spoiler Free Review4/30/2026
The Review
Standalone or series? Book 18 in the Nocturne Falls Series (Can be read as a standalone - more about that in the actual review) How did I get this book? PA Perks lol Why did I choose to read this book: I read EVERYTHING Kristen releases! Genre Paranormal Romance And Now To The Actual Review Part! First Impressions: I can't believe this is the 18th book in the series. Like most of the Nocturne Falls stories you can technically read these as standalones as every book is a new romance with a new couple, but I definitely think you will appreciate this store more if you have read the previous books, in particular one of the Jayne Frost (Nocturne Falls Spin off Cozy Mystery series), as this is where you first meet Blueberry, the imp that causes all the chaos in this one. General Review The Nocturne Falls books are always a fun read, but this one definitely had me laughing a lot more than some of the others did. Most paranormal readers know that anything with wishes is pretty much bound to cause creative chaos, and this is no exception. It was fun learning more about Mattie, who has been a minor character in a few of the books in the series, and we get to meet a bear shifter! (Yes, followers of my reviews will know that shifters of ANY kind rank low on my "Preferred Reading", but Kristen always manages to do it in a way that doesn't annoy me. Maybe because she puts a lot of humor AIMED at the shifters in there, but regardless, the story moves at a great pace and is a fun, easy read. Final Thoughts I really think these need to be movies! (I would say a TV series but I think the movie format here would actually work better). Perfect for when you want a cute romance with a guaranteed happy ending. Rating: 5 Stars From Me! As always let me know what you think in the comments! A Spoiler Free Review of Artificial Truth: A Novel by J.M. Lee- translated by Sean Lin Halbert4/16/2026
REVIEW
Standalone or series? Standalone How did I get this book? It's available in KU Why did I choose to read this book: Kristen Painter actually suggested it, she has it (although she hasn't read it yet) and she thought it might be something I would like. As it was in KU and the description appealed to me I decided to give it a try, Genre Sci/Fi Mystery - Speculative Fiction And Now To The Review! First Impressions: This immediately reminded me of the movie Transcendence (which I also loved). General Review Although I really enjoyed this book I don't think it is going to be for everyone. It definitely leans more to the harder Sci Fi feel of writing (Isaac Asimov springs to mind), and there are definitely places where I felt some things may have been lost a little in the translation from the original Korean. That being said, I read this in just a couple of hours straight through and I find the whole process of AI learning fascinating even though I also find it frightening. There is a lot of layering, and the characters are far more complex than they appear at the start, and it really highlighted the effects that events can have on people. Final Thoughts I consider myself pretty good at spotting twists, and at least the idea of a twist, even if I don't get all the details 100% correct. I did not see the twist in this coming AT ALL and I love that. With everything that is happening with AI at the moment, this story feels particularly relevant. Rating: A Solid 4 stars! If you liked the movie Transcendence then I think you would enjoy this. ** Disclosure** Any Links To Buy On Amazon Is My Amazon Affiliate Link.(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases - Which helps provide for the giveaways!
REVIEW
Standalone or series? Standalone How did I get this book? I was offered an ARC from the Publisher. Why did I choose to read this book: The Tagline - An addictive killer-thriller following an aspiring crime journalist’s investigation into a case that blurs the line between art and life. Genre Listed as YA Thriller/Suspense And Now To The Review! First Impressions: I have read a LOT of YA books over the years and well written YA is still one of my favorite genres, but GOOD YA books do not read like they were written by actual high schoolers. General Review There is SO much "telling versus showing" in this it didn't make for a fun read. Annoyingly the general story idea was a good one and could have been something really great. It is one of those stories that I would almost like to get seen made into a TV Show or movie. The story behind the portraits is macabre and without giving spoilers, some of the information shared about them was a nice touch too, but no where near enough to overcome the other flaws. The pacing is a mess, the first half of the book is slow, and then the ending is rushed, which I had long solved the current crime issue about 1/3 of the way in and was irritated with the protagonist for picking up on the clues. Final Thoughts This had the potential to be a great story, sadly, it didn't work for me on a number of levels. Rating: Overall 2 stars. (Both of which are for the STORY IDEAS!) ** Disclosure** Any Links To Buy On Amazon Is My Amazon Affiliate Link.(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases - Which helps provide for the giveaways! |
About The BlogMelanie's Random Musings About The Entertainment World - From Books to TV and Anything Else That Comes To Mind! Archives
June 2026
Categories |
RSS Feed