Hooked after 1 1/2 pages!
590414
Just reading the 1 1/2 page  prologue hooked me on this book!  As I continued reading, I found it to be my favorite of the Silver Springs Series.

Imagine the shocking surprise of being pregnant after a unique one-night stand. Imagine not having any idea what the father's last name is. Imagine not even knowing where he lives (except that it's in a state clear across the country from you). Then imagine the astonishment of seeing said father on national tv and learning that he's a celebrity! It was a great plot with Brenda Novak's usual great writing!
4005885
I made the mistake of beginning to read this book as soon as I received it-which happened to be before work. It hooked me pretty quick, and I was almost late for work! I finished it as soon as I got home, and I'm definitely left wanting more-in a good way. The writing seems solid, the plot easy to follow but not boring. I'm looking forward to getting my eyes on the continuation.
786759
Downloaded this book from Pixel of Ink and started reading it early the next day.  Literally could not put it down and wish it had been longer!  I am looking forward to the sequel...please tell me there will be one!!
393147
This pretty much lived up to the hype for me and Im really glad I picked it up! I don't remember the last time I lost myself in a book like this, I ended up reading for 3 hours straight to finish it and I literally couldn't put it down. The half star loss was because it took me a bit to get invested in the characters. But once I did, ooooh boy, I was INVESTED. Highly recommend.
1766593
Had me hooked from page 1! One minute you start to fall in love with some of the characters and the next minute you are thinking that same character is a bad guy. Who is the bad guy or gal? I was on the edge of my seat trying to foresee the ending but was completely surprised. A fun quick intriguing read!
4352311
It's been a long time since I was so thoroughly invested in a storyline. I was starving for a great "read". Found this book and author on my Facebook feed and immediately downloaded it and found it a page turner from page 1. Character development and pacing was too notch! Look forward to reading more from the author!
1248325
If a book doesn't interest me within the first or second chapter I'll stop reading right there.  Not the case with The Burden of Desire.  I was hooked right from the start.  I was rooting for Sally and Ben to rekindle what they once had.  If  you read between the lines, you can figure out some of the twist and turns but there are also some surprises that I didn't see coming.  If you haven't read the book yet, I suggest you do and I also suggest that you read the author's first book,  The Seven Day Target,  which is also a fast paced and interesting read.

I received an advance copy from the author in exchange for my honest review, and this has not influenced my opinion.
2364143
I sat down to read for a few minutes...and whipped straight through POISON'S KISS from beginning to end in only a few hours. I couldn't put it down! Just when I thought I had an idea of where the story was headed, Shields included twists that I didn't anticipate at all, which kept the story moving at a rapid clip. I can think of one reveal that was gasp-worthy and broke my heart... but in a good way, because I love being surprised by an author's inventiveness! The descriptive detail and world building elements were lush and highly visual, painting a fascinating (but at times stark) image of these characters' daily lives. I'm quite looking forward to the sequel...I just wish I didn't have to wait so long!
2885373
The Talented Ribkins by Ladee Hubbard is a slow, but very intriguing story about a man on a mission, his niece (whom he just found out existed), and a long family history of "peculiarities".

I absolutely loved all of the characters in this book! Each and every one of them was so complex and I loved that we learned more and more about them as the story progressed.

The storyline itself was short and sweet, as it spanned the course of a week. As I was reading, I couldn't wait to see how the story ended.

I enjoyed the writing style quite a bit and only had one small irk (more on that later).

On numerous occasions, the reader is thrown right into flashbacks and memories without any indication. I usually don't like when authors do that, but this time it worked well! It was all so smooth.

The same was true for scene jumps. For example in one line Johnny was talking to Reg outside, and the next line he was back in the hotel room with Eloise. It was a bit jarring, but it worked! Of course there were also plenty of chapter breaks and section breaks that were clearly marked.

My only complaint about the writing was that it could be a bit repetitive. For example, both the man and the girl talked about not knowing one another various times. Repetition was also a bit of a problem for me in the way that the memories and flashbacks were organized. Of course for many readers this would probably help tie things together, but because I read the book so quickly I didn't need a refresher. Formatting wise, one thing that didn't make sense to me was the clearly marked breaks in a section where it didn't make sense. For example, a break included in the same scene. All super tiny "negatives"!

Overall, I did enjoy this read quite it bit! It was a wonderfully slow book to throw in-between my fast-paced thrillers that I have been reading recently!

I would definitely recommend this to others that don't mind a slow story and love character-driven novels.
2776364
I didn't think I would care for this book before I started, but oh how that changed as I began reading it. It seemed that I became easily hooked and desperate to continue reading just to find out what was going to happen next. It was so good that I will not hesitate to continue on with the series.

I found that the story moved along quite nicely and kept the reader hanging in all the right spots in order to necessitate the desire to never put the book down until it's finished. However, it was a very easy, smooth flowing, read! It was extremely understandable and concise! I thought that Rhys Bowen wrote a beautifully hanging ending that draws the reader in, leaving them with the desperate feeling to continue to the next book. The story is a wonderful historical mystery that gives the reader another look at immigration and Ireland and New York in the early 1900's! It appears that Bowen did her research for writing this book and it shows in her writing!

The characters were well developed, each with their own story. You had your typical protagonists as well as plenty of antagonists to keep the characters interesting.

Overall, this was a very easy, quick read, that leaves you with the feeling like you can't get enough and wanting more! This sounds like a very promising series to continue!
3524440
I picked this up on day one but, as it often does, life got in the way. I'm happy to say I was able to finish it up during a 3 hour flight this past weekend!

The Ducal Detective is a great novella with a strong female lead that readers of any gender can relate to. The story starts a little slower than I would like, but the author does a wonderful job setting up the characters and locale. By the third/fourth chapter, the pace begins to accelerate, making it harder to put the book down. By the end, I was left wanting to learn more about the characters... lucky for me, the next book was just announced today!

I strongly suggest giving this a read - just try to finish it in a single sitting for maximum enjoyment!
3553042
I really enjoyed reading this book! I was skeptical at the start only because I personally was having a hard time feeling a connection to the characters. However somewhere within this first 5-6 chapters I was able to gain intense interest. And by the last 5-6 chapters I was reading as fast as I could! Good book that does progress and draws you into it. The cliff hangers at the end will set up the second book nicely! I'm more than excited to see how the next book progresses! I would definitely recommend this to a friend and to those of you reading reviews trying to decide wether or not to purchase it. Unique story, unlike anything I have ever read or seen before.
146901
You know those kind of books that you pick up when you have a few spare minutes and the next thing you know it's two days later and you realize that all you did was sit and read because you couldn't put the book down? Well, this is one of those books!
Other reviews have already detailed that plot line-so I won't do that.  But I will add that although some of the events in this books are potentially disturbing-that's kind of the point.  This book felt like an invitation to examine and consider the depth of people and their situations, rather than 'buying' that everything that looks great must necessarily be so.
I was hooked from the start and must confess that although I read lots and lots of books (on average 3-4 a week), I wasn't able to predict the twists and turns of this one.
Disclaimer-I did receive a review copy of this book with a few cute post story postcards from a character in the book-but I really, really did love this book and have kept it on my book shelf rather than donating it to the library...
3996296
I bought this book after being hooked from the first chapter. I took a big break after reading <spoiler> the main characters part of the tape though, and have not re-engaged into yet. I look forward to seeing how it ends soon.
4070249
A friend of a friend mentioned this book on a Facebook post and I thought I'd give it a go - not really expecting anything special as Im a bit picky about what I read - if I'm not "into it" after the first chapter, I generally cant be bothered to plough on. But WOW! I enjoyed this book SO MUCH I cannot wait to read book 2! It was so well written and the author has a really unique style of writing. I was gripped from the start and basically read the whole thing in one sitting, in between shooing my husband and toddler away from disturbing me. Its a great book, a great story and its only just beginning. Bring on Book 2! Im SOLD!
33605
I am addicted to dystopia novels, so when I finish my 3rd or 4th series, I decide to give this one a try.  I was NOT disappointed!

To fill in the time on the way to work, I like to listen to the audiobooks, then at night I continue read them on my kindle.  When I started to listen to the book, I was immediately intrigued.  I couldn't wait to get home and read the rest.  What I thought was a great narrator's spin on the characters, turned out to be exactly how the pages were written.  Everything is phonetically written, without any quotation marks.  This made it difficult to read, at the beginning.

Like most things in life, once I adapted, I couldn't put the book down!  I hate to admit that most of the books I "read" are mostly listened to during my commute.  Not this book.  I found myself grabbing the kindle when I'd walk in the door at night, and I'd force myself to put it down after a few hours.  After 2 days, I was done!  That's saying a lot, for me!  (I just started the 2nd book yesterday, and I'm halfway through).

I connected with the characters, immediately.  Saba is a very interesting girl.  A tad self-centered as the story opens, and close-minded, in regards to her sister.  Maybe immature is a better term to describe her, in addition to stubborn.  Throughout the story, she gradually starts to mature as she sees and experiences more of the world that she lived in.

Great character development throughout.  All the named characters in the book had depth, and I was drawn into this desolated society that was brought about by the Wreckers. Her bird... amazing!  I almost felt like a human spirit was trapped in some of the animals.

Once I developed the knack of reading the phonetic writings, I enjoyed the style and found that it landed credibility to the time period and people.  I still wish there were quotation marks for when people were talking, because every once in awhile, I had to backtrack and reread a portion to get the full feeling of the scene/situation.  I wish I could give 4.5 stars for this minor inconvenience.

I highly recommend this book in addition to the audiobook.  The narrator in the audiobook is amazing!  She has really interpreted the book with care and transports the listeners to this desolate land.  Get both... I don't think you'll be sorry!
3952001
I was hooked immediately and couldn't put this one down from the very first page!  Now I can't wait to start book two!