NetGalley Reviewer nix21230

What an absolutely amazing book! Catherine Ryan Hyde must have had great fun writing this one, sharing  her longterm interest in astrophotography (I LOVE the cover!) and her exceptional research skills (and possibly personal experience?). With Ru only being 13 years old and having lived a rather sheltered life where everyone focused on how "freakishly smart" she was, she had done very few things girls her age would have done - making friends, finding hobbies, etc. When she's sent off to collage she befriends Gabriel (17 years old), who just like her has trouble making friends. they develop a solid sibling-like bond. Gabriel doesn't seem bothered by her intelligence but instead focuses on being her support, on teaching her about "normal" life. To escape being forced to live with her Aunt, Ru convinces Gabriel that they should take off on a road trip. Together they try to tick off as many items as possible from Ru's bucket list, including to see the Aureli...

Labelled as an erotical thriller, this book (and soon film apparently) is so, so much more!  It will play with your emotions, your sense of logic and what's right and wrong - when a game is just a game and shouldn't have real life consequences, or should it? How far would YOU go? For many who downloaded the Sugar and Spice app, they went all the way - all in an effort to win the ultimate prize. The tasks given out by the Sugar and Spice are carefully orchestrated so the players get roped in and are prepared to complete tasks which are subtly getting more and more borderline to what's allowed in the eye of the law - until it's waaaay past. Psychology and human greed at their best! Behind a closed door by J.D. Barker i scheduled to be released on 13 May 2024.  #BehindAClosedDoor #NetGalley

Looks like boys will be boys, and to help a group of them create a no-strings hook-up app aptly named Hooked. Usage if free for a limited period after which users have to provide their personal details including payment details. Drake creates a profile and finds a 100% match - something noone expected! Unknown to her, her 100% match Easton is one of the founders of the app. Their chemistry if off the charts. Hot. Hot. Hot. After the free period on the app, "Love" (her profile name) stops using it. As she never provided her personal details, there is no way for Easton, even as the founder, to find out who she is. Roll forward five years and they meet again. Somewhat predictable, but still an enjoyable a read!! #MrHookup #NetGalley

Shadow State is the first book with Nathan Pike as the lead character. Pike is a cryptography and cyber weapons specialist for hire, balancing the fine line between what's right and wrong. I have alway enjoyed McNab's books so when this one popped up in the lists on Netgalley, I immediately downloaded it.  McNab brings the modern world of crypto currencies and computer experts to the war between good and bad; and to wars without military weapons between countries and financial corporations. In a world where governments are no longer in full control, crypto is king. Also, to win, you no longer need muscles or traditional weapons, but instead a brain and a PADD (I'd love one of those!). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and especially the long term game played by Pike; bring on the next one! Thank you to Welbeck Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with a digital review copy.  Shadow State will be released on January 5 and can be pre-ordered now via your usual sources.  #...

When Scott's new-found twin asks him to swap places with him for a few hours (well, at least that's what he said...) so he can sort out your farm business - something which you didn't even know was needed - Scott agrees.  Scott is told to stay put in his brother's home, but he gets bored and gets dressed in one of Jesse's suits before heading off to his office. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot, actually! Ruth Cardello has created a highly entertaining story with a few twists, some STEM content and likeable characters.  This is the second book in the The Switch series and follows Strictly Business . I hadn't read the first book, but reading the synopsis on Amazon for the first book and reviews, the first book seems to be Jesse's story, whereas in this one we get Scott's story. If I had known, I would have read the first book before starting on this. Still, it's a great book, but I do feel like a missed some of the back story. This book will b...

The Unbalanced Equation is the first book in the Hot Mess Trilogy, an enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy, written by H. L. Macfarlane. Fun, fast-paced and enjoyable read in an academic STEM setting! Writing your PhD is no easy feat, especially not when your assigned assessor is doing his best to make your life a misery; challenging everything you do and forcing you to redo research to the Nth degree. Thomas F*cking Henderson is your man and he made Liz' life a complete hell for four years.  With her PhD behind her, she has successfully secured a research post, but to her horror she ends up having Professor Henderson as her a bench partner, thanks to ever so slightly meddling Professor Ito, the best friend of Professor Henderson's.  The next shock for Liz, is that her father and Professor Henderson's mother have decided to get married. Add in an eviction, a meddling ex, some partying and you have a fantastic hard-to-put-down story. Tom is frustratingly stupid at times, and so...

I've previously read the Stag Brothers series by Lainey Davis, and was intrigued to see her works in a different genre.  I picked this particular book as I'm usually drawn to books set in STEM areas, especially when strong females are included.  The author beautifully mixes different upbringings, social classes, religions and also provides a nod to the LGBTQI+ community with the inclusion of the non-binary character Shane; let's hope this becomes mainstream so I don't even feel the need to mention it in a review!  I thoroughly enjoyed the way Sam and AJ were portrayed as well as the other characters, especially Sam's diverse group of FOOF* friends. AJ's friends were more in the background in this story, but I'm hoping they'll all get their own books going forward. A great first book in the series! The second book in the Bridges and Bitter series, Liquid Courage, is already available and I'm guessing there're a few more to come covering Sam's ...