Elisa - My reviews and Ramblings

 And the Rainbow Award goes to:

The Dancer's Dilemma (Campus Connections #3) by CJane Elliott:
- This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I was pulled in by the main character, Tyrone, who is well drawn and quite engaging as he goes about his life. The secondary characters are also fully realized, and the story flows well. This book is the third in a series, and these characters' lives were explored in previous books. However, the careful writing here makes it easy to fully enjoy this novel as a standalone.
- Sweet, and at times heartwrenching second chance romance. The idea of knowing that the man who gave you a do-over is leaving the country to pursue a dancing career is heartbreaking for Nat. Luckily, dancer Tyrone is told that choreographer Arnaud is not only proposing romance exclusively for him but has done so with other dancers allowing Tyrone to drop the idea of leaving for France. I enjoyed reading this story.

Runners Up:
Revenge of the Brobot (A Steam Room Story) by JC Calciano
The Thomas Flair (A M/M Summer Games Romance) by E.J. Russell
The Experiment by Rebecca Raine tied with #20DaysToLA by Tanya Chris
Starting From The Top by Lane Hayes tied with Keeping Kellan (Keeping Him #2) by Amy Aislin tied with Gingerbread Mistletoe (Lighthouse Bay #2) by Amy Aislin
Open Hearts (Stealing Hearts #3) by K. Evan Coles

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 And the Rainbow Award goes to:

Weekend at Bigfoot’s by Addison Albright:
- A photographer for a sleezy tabloid is sent to take a photo of Bigfoot and delve into why an older woman was killed after being caught in a bear trap. He finds Bigfoot—a village of bigfoots/bigfeet?—and falls in love with one of them. The underlying question/theme is if you know something about someone that could turn people prejudged against that person but isn’t hurting anyone (like if the person is gay or Bigfoot, for example), should you make the information public?
- Another great read from Addison. I don’t think I’ve read a bad story yet.
- Amazingly beautiful and a fun tale to read. This was quite entertaining and endearing. The writing was spot on with amicable and very much likeable characters, even the grumpy ones. I was surprised to find out who Bigfoot was. Indeed a fun story to read. 
- A gentle comedic take on an old story. Lovely.

Runners Up:
Conned (The Bureau #6) by Kim Fielding
Forsaken Fae (The Complete Series, Books 1-3) by R.A. Steffan
Smash & Grab (RELIC #1) by Maz Maddox
The Called (The Calling #2) by M.D. Neu tied with Summoned (Magus Malefica #1) by J.P. Jackson tied with The Dandy Medium by Dez Schwartz
The Blood Boss (Black Veil Series #1) by Davidson King
The Demon’s in the Details by Meghan Maslow tied with The Fantastic Fluke by Sam Burns tied with Wildfire (Sons of Olympus #1) by W.M. Fawkes & Sam Burns

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 And the Rainbow Award goes to:

The Silver Medalist by T.J. Blackley:
- I liked the evolving relationship between the characters. It was a good read.
- I enjoyed this alot. I give it full marks.

Runners Up:
Until the World Stops by L.A. Witt
Bent Not Broken by Z. Allora
Barely Regal by E. Davies
Shot on Goal (Pucks & Rainbows #3) by L.A. Witt
Soft Limits (A Deviations Novel) by Jodi Payne

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 And the Rainbow Award goes to:

The Eighth Key by Laura Weyr:
- Laura Weyr creates an original and imaginative fantasy world where Lucien and Corwin meet, share their mystical powers, fall in love, and discover self-worth. With a minimalistic plot, The Eighth Key’s descriptive settings, realistic character development, and impressive writing style weave a captivating fantasy romance story.
- I loved the world building in this story, with its twists and turns, magic and mages. I liked the mystery behind who Lucian really is, and how he and Corwin complement each other in more ways than one.  The characters pulled me in, and I thought the plot was an interesting take and weaving in of several genre tropes.
- I loved the world building and plot development, but thought the developing relationship between the two main characters was outstanding.

tied with Geoffrey the Very Strange by Angel Martinez:
- I enjoyed this story very much. A smartly written story about finding out who you are by having others believe in you.  
- Apsic and Geoffrey are perfect for each other. Geoffrey, his family, and the town, give a place of acceptance that Aspic has been searching for and needs. Aspic gives Geoffrey the confidence to be who is and love himself and open himself back to others after shutting himself off for so long. The world and town are a joy and expertly built to enhance the reader experience. The secondary characters are rich and add to the appeal of the story and we get some trademark Martinez uniqueness to problem-solving and using things in unexpected ways. Martinez understands fantasy, and she developed a great fantasy world, but she also turned expected tropes on their heads and made it even better.

Runners Up:
Must Love Demons (Magic Emporium #6) by Meghan Maslow
Farview (Greynox to the Sea) by Kim Fielding tied with Better Red (Ever After, New York #1) by Tara Lain
Witch Under Wraps  (Mythmatched) by E.J. Russell

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 And the Rainbow Award goes to:

You Had One Job by L.A. Witt & Cari Z.:
- I have enjoyed books by both these authors so was curious as to how this one would play out. Needless to say i should not have worried. Pulled in from the beginning this book with its wonderful characters, as well as twists and turns really kept me reading. I would love to see more stories set in this world and hope the authors will have a follow up to it soon.
- Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of mob-related stories--that is, I don't seek them out. However, this one was so well written, fast-paced, and engaging that I was able to fall into the story anyway.

tied with Hitman vs Hitman by L.A. Witt & Cari Z.:
- I really enjoyed the action, snarky humour, the slow-burn to fast-ride, and the intelligence of both men!  I have a feeling Ricardo & August are just getting started!  I hope more of Ricardo's character comes to the fore in any upcoming novels.
- This is a dark story with characters that are a little on the rough side so if that is a problem for you, you may want to skip this book.  On the other hand if you love characters that make no excuses for who they are and a mystery that will keep you guessing then i recommend you pick this book up.  I already have book two on my reader and can't wait to start it.

Runners Up:
Benediction (Diversion #9) by Eden Winters tied with Decision (Diversion #8) by Eden Winters

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 And the Rainbow Award goes to:

The Man from Milwaukee by Rick R. Reed:
- This enthralling book exemplifies the best of fiction, combining compelling characters, an intricate plot, exhilarating twists and turns, and finally the perfect ending. Reed exhibits his mastery at storytelling through this memorable and moving book.
- I thought this was a very powerful story about loneliness, not fitting in, obsession, and fantasy. It’s not an easy read and is a very real journey into the dark side of human nature.  The characters are layered, and the setting atmospheric, and although I was nervous about what might happen next, I had to keep reading.
- Brilliantly written, suspenseful, chilling. Reed has an amazing ability to bring a story to full living and breathing life. This book is a must-read for fans of horror and psychological thrillers.
- Superb depiction of time and place – can almost smell the bus exhaust. Skillful tie-in to real-life events. Excellent depiction of one man's obsession and the damage his mental imbalance does to friends and family – but without losing the sense of his own humanity. Top-notch!
- Amazing blend of fact and fiction, delusion and reality. 
- One of the first thoughts to cross my mind on how to describe Mr. Reed's story is Mastermind, genius. Makes me wonder the amount of research the author has to do to be able to put on 'paper' the wonderful, derange, creepy, horrific stories he puts out. I'd go crazy! LOL This story in particular was done to perfection. If Mr. Reed's goal was to creep me out, Mission accomplished, Mr. Reed. Mission accomplished for this story really creep me out. The twists, especially toward the end, I wasn't expecting, and that is part of the 'mastermind' mentioned above. To have the reader believe in one thing to then learn that no, it's not what you've thought all along, is genius! For anyone who likes horror, intrigue, and the feeling of 'creeped out', this is for you. Highly recommended.

Runners Up:
Hallelujah by Kim Fielding & F.E. Feeley Jr.
Fade Out (Boystown #13) by Marshall Thornton
Year of the Rat (Dom Reilly Mysteries #1) by Marshall Thornton

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 And the Rainbow Award goes to:

The Anti-Quest (The Pudding Protocol Universe) by Angel Martinez:
- I love this story so much. Whether or not you are a DND fan, it has creative world development from the type of aliens to the dragons. It has enjoyable characters to root for along the way. If you are a DND fan, the story has easter eggs for the reader to enjoy and laugh along with. 
- Once again this author delivers a mind-bending array of fantasy worlds in a way that pleases, teases and rewards the reader with laugh-out-loud humor. As the third increment in The Pudding Protocol Universe series, characters are well-developed and dialog is sparkling. The plot is good but would have benefited with a tad less complexity. But this book, and the entire series, is well written and outrageously creative.
- The perfect mix of imagination, subversiveness, and humour. A delight from the first word to the last.

Runners Up:
Remember Me, Synthetica by K. Aten
Eye of the Damned (Terran-Novan Universe Series #3) by Sandra Barret
Lucky 8 (Lucky Breaks #2) by Rae D. Magdon

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 And the Rainbow Award goes to:

A Fine Mess (Brimstone #7) by Angel Martinez:
- I loved the mix of humour and seriousness in this story. The world building is fabulous and detailed, and the characters all feel very real, and quirky. I enjoyed the relationships and strong found family vibe, and the twists in the plot. There’s a lot going on, yet this was a fast read as once I started I didn’t want to put it down. Although I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series, but now want to, I didn’t have any problems following. 
- The finish to the Brimstone series is excellent. All the loose storylines come together and get a payout. We get the answers we've wanted for this found family and they get the ending they deserve. This is a strong ending to a fun and wild series, with laughs and serious moments for us to enjoy this crew.

Runners Up:
Entity (A StarStation Novel) by Toshi Drake
Consorts of the Red King by Eden Winters tied with Penumbra by Dan Ackerman

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 And the Rainbow Award goes to:

A Leap of Faith by Mel Gough:
- Different setting, well researched, well written
- A well-written and engrossing tale of forbidden love set against the restrictive 1950’s with an international backdrop, great historical details, and intriguing characters — well done!
- For me, LEAP OF FAITH is another winner = 10 all around.

Runners Up:
Silent Sin (A 1920s Hollywood Gay Romance) by E.J. Russell
The God's Eye (Lancaster's Luck #3) by Anna Butler

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 And the Rainbow Award goes to:

Where The Hell Is Tessa Ryker? (Rachel Cord Confidential Investigations) by R.E. Conary:
- Well written well paced, a somewhat cozy (except for the very start), but nonetheless gripping thriller-mystery. Although part of a series this book can be read as a stand-alone. The characters are well fleshed out and likable. The conflicts are well developed. 

Runners Up:
The Crystal’s Curse by Jane Alden
Stone's Mistake (Agent Morgan Stone #1) by Adrian J. Smith

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