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Beast: The Beginning (Hate Story, #1)
Beast: The Beginning (Hate Story, #1)
Mary Catherine Gebhard | 2017 | Erotica, Romance
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I loved Beast: The Beginning (Hate Story, #1). From the minute I started reading This I was lost in another world, one of blood, hate and organised crime.
Where being bad was good and innocence is soon corrupted and lost forever.
So beast is about Frankie Notte and Anteros Drago a boss in the Pavoni family.
Frankie trades herself for her Papas life accompanying the beast to a fate unknown.
The Beast himself has every intention of selling Frankie to the Institute to be sold to the highest bidder.
But sometimes the best-laid plans can go awry, as is what happens here, leaving the beast with a slave that he's not quite sure what to do with.
Now, this was described as a dark read, and there is plenty of evidence of that darkness scattered throughout Beast, but behind closed doors, the Beast becomes increasingly fascinated with his new toy and there is at times a surprising gentleness to some of his interactions with Frankie.
He continues to try and keep up a front in front of his wolves as they start to lose confidence in their leader, questioning his actions towards an inconsequential Slave.
There is also a lot of secrets and intrigue running beneath the surface and rumours running amok concerning the Pavoni Princess, even Beast himself starts to listen and doubt what is real.
So dissecting our two main honchos here.
Anteros Drago/ Beast first, he's Ruthless, cruel, seemingly without mercy, he wants to break Frankie reducing her to nothing, he even initially tells her she is nothing.
His Black-heart is dark to the core, he lives for the job having spent years planning, with his wolves there rise to the top of the family from mere foot soldiers.
He appears to have no weaknesses. that is until Frankie slowly starts to thaw his ice-cold heart, not that you would major notice this as he's still a complete bastard to Frankie subjecting her to awful situations to teach her her place and generally playing mind games, belittling her at every turn while fighting his growing affections and deceiving himself regarding his feelings towards her.
Now Frankie herself, she is multi-faceted in regards to what she portrays outwardly.
Shes, not a worldly girl having been ill much of her teenage years, but From day one despite her apprehension, Frankie refuses to back down, sometimes even stupidly goading Beast, She grows so much in character throughout this story, seeming to get stronger with each new trial experienced, she also tries daily to fight her strange attraction towards the Beast that she swears she hates.
When we get the final satisfying reveal, setting us up for book two all players have been moved around into their new places almost like a chess match.
Or maybe even a new blood war.
You can see straight off that the next instalment is going to be very different in regards to changing tides.
So Really well done to the author I can't wait to get stuck into Beauty: The End (Hate Story, #2).
This may have been my first Mary Catherine Gebhard book, but definitely won't be my last.
It's been quite a while since I indulged myself in a good Dark romance and though this was not as dark as some I have read I found this a great addition to its genre.
So Give this a go if you like a good anti-hero romance, happy reading.


Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
  
If You Dare (The Lightkeepers, #2)
If You Dare (The Lightkeepers, #2)
Erica Spindler | 2017 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Thriller
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
🌟🌟🌟🌟 Fabulous Stars.
<a href="http://s1376.photobucket.com/user/rosella1974/media/one-way-or-an-author-review_zpsphyl14uy.png.html"; target="_blank"><img src="http://i1376.photobucket.com/albums/ah5/rosella1974/one-way-or-an-author-review_zpsphyl14uy.png~original"; border="0" alt=" photo one-way-or-an-author-review_zpsphyl14uy.png"/></a>

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com

I didn't realise If You Dare (The Lightkeepers #2) By Erica Splinder was the second book in this series.
It probably would have been better to read book one first despite this "If You Dare" was very easy to interpret and told the back-story of this series splendidly.
Now You could technically read this as a standalone, but my recommendation would be start at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start usually ha ha.
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Now after playing some catch up I quickly fell into the story of dark and light bearers and the age old battle of good versus evil.
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Erica Spindler has really managed to create a vivid world that was so easy to get absorbed into, immersing myself fully into this other domain.
The book picks up where the previous one leaves us.
we have Our two detectives, Mikki, who has recovered from her injuries but is feeling that a lot is being kept from her, she feels on the outside partially, out in the cold, but not understanding exactly why.
Then there's her partner Zach who is half/ half lighter but is much more in the picture regarding information sharing and has been ordered to keep stum. keeping his partner in the dark is something he struggles with as well as certain feelings towards Mikki he so shouldn't be entertaining.
There's also Angel eighteen and struggling with her independence and Mikki's set boundaries, A Rebellious teenager in love for the first time with the mysterious Seth who comes with a very creepy but rich uncle.
This whole story is a puzzle with the pieces just waiting to be slotted together and everybody has a part to play in the bigger picture.
There are so many interesting and diverse secondary character's in this tale as well as the three main players Mikki, Zach and Angel. I love that we get to crawl inside this trios heads seeing different interpretations of events as they unfolded.
All the characters here were fleshed out well and the story just flowed for me effortlessly, keeping my attention throughout.
I found reading If You Dare an enjoyable experience and I would be happy to recommend it to others, my only advice would be Start at book one first before proceeding to the Finish line makes things a whole lot easier overall.
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Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc of If You Dare, this is my own honest and unbiased opinion.

Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
  
The Longest Yard (2005)
The Longest Yard (2005)
2005 | Comedy, Drama
8
5.5 (12 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Continuing the current trend of remakes, Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison production company set their sights on remaking the classic prison football film The Longest Yard. Like most projects that Sandler puts his Midas touch upon, this too has some moments of true gold.

The film stars Adam Sandler as Paul Crewe, a former NFL star quarterback who was banned from the league after allegedly throwing a game. As the film opens, Crewe is spending his time as a boy toy for a snobby socialite who is happy to capitalize on being seen with him, and parading Paul through various promotional ventures.

After reaching his breaking point, Paul lashes back by “borrowing” her car and leading several police officers on a high speed, and drunken chase through the streets. The resulting carnage is not only captured on live television, but awards Paul a three year prison term.

Upon arriving in the remote prison location, Crewe is introduced to Warden Hazen (James Cromwell), who attempts to recruit Crewe to help him with his semi-pro team. Crewe declines as he was urged to forcibly by Captain of the Guards Captain Knauer (William Fitchtner).

Paul eventually meets a helpful inmate known as Caretaker (Chris Rock), who shows him the ropes of prison life, and becomes a good friend for Crewe, who certainly needs friends, as there are more than a few guards and prisoners who lost money on the game he through years ago.

In time, Crew is forced by the Warden to organize a team of prisoners for a tune up game with the guards. In a series of comedic moments, Paul and Caretaker have to take drastic measures in order to organize a team from the prisoners including a game of basketball that is rougher than most games Paul had to face on the playing fields of the NFL.

Onboard to assist Paul is Coach Nate Scarborough (Burt Reynolds), who provides a much needed spark and wisdom to the team and as a former football great, allows Paul to unload some of the burden of getting the team and himself ready to play.

Of course there will be some subterfuge afoot, and the guards are not about to allow the prisoners any sense of hope, which all leads to a very funny series of point/counterpoint moves on the part of both teams to undermine the other.

When news of the game gets out, it is not long before ESPN 2 wants to televise the return of Paul Crewe, and the game soon becomes a national showcase. Since Warden Hazen has political aspirations, the outcome of the game in his favor becomes paramount forcing him to increase the pressure, and forces Paul to make a very important choice.

While the film follows the basic premise of the original, it has been updated to take advantage of modern humor and fine supporting cast. Many ex-NFL players ranging from Brian Bosworth, Michael Irvin, Bill Romanowski, and Bill Goldberg are in the film as well as wrestlers Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, and rapper Nelly.

While some may say the film is predictable, Sandler and the supporting cast do a great job in mixing humor with some of the more serious issues of prison life which results in a film that masterfully mixes humor, sports action, and human drama to create one of the better sports films in recent memory.
  
The Sky Throne
The Sky Throne
Chris Ledbetter | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
8
9.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
<b><i>The author/publisher provided a free copy of the book for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a review copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore do not affect the opinion or content of the review.</i></b>
I haven't been on a blog tour in so long, it's weirddd. How do I format things again?

Honestly, I'm starting to trust Chris Ledbetter's ideas because all of the books I've come across/read that are by him all have one thing in common: they're different, they're unique and they refreshing take on something. <b>Please don't ever let me down with bookish concepts. I'm picky now, and I'd probably cry.</b>

Ledbetter doesn't disappoint, of course. Well before the demigods of Mount Olympus and Percy Jackson existed, there were the Titans and the Olympians. "<b>WAIT, you ask. DOES THIS MEAN IF I LIKE RICK RIORDAN'S BOOKS, I MIGHT LIKE <i>THE SKY THRONE</i>."</b>

And let's be honest: the Olympians probably didn't spring into adulthood straight from birth, so they have to start somewhere, even if it starts with Hyperion attacking young Zeus and killing his best friend in the process. <b>This would be a highly tragic way for Lupe to die because she IS my best friend.</b> He is then sent to Mount Olympus Preparatory, which if we're putting two things together, all of the students who go there will later be known as the Olympians.

Considering the fact Greek mythology is vast, there is a large cast of characters - anyone who knows little to nothing about Greek mythology might end up lost keeping track of all the characters and who they are. We've got the major players: Chronos/Kronos, Rhea, Zeus, the rest of the Olympians, the Titans, etc. - most of them have nicknames that are remotely similar to their original name, but it may be difficult to keep track regardless. <b>Or maybe I'm very strange and have a shabby memory. My brain cries when I try to remember too hard.</b>

"Okay, but the Olympians and Titans usually bicker like nobody's business. Is that included and will it give me headache (aka make me want to throw the book against the wall)?" Despite the somewhat large cast of characters, Ledbetter has a great balance between what <i style="font-weight: bold;">we</i> as readers know about Greek figures depicted in media and a personality each character has of their own. The Olympians have their bickering and putting each other down sometimes, but it's a lot less bickering and more familial than what I know of, which is 10 tablespoons of bickering and 1/2 teaspoon of actually getting along. <b>Yes, Percy Jackson. I'm eyeballing you, even if I loved you in my middle school days.</b>

<i>The Sky Throne</i> brings back great middle school reading memories without trying to replace them - fans of Rick Riordan's <i>Percy Jackson and the Olympians</i> and <i>The Heroes of Olympus</i> will most likely find themselves enjoying the first book in Ledbetter's new series.
<b>
</b> And lo and behold, Ledbetter has confirmed! There is a sequel in the works! Secretly I'm dancing around. Shh.

<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/blog-tour-sky-throne-by-chris-ledbetter/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
  
40x40

Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Coup in Tabletop Games

Jul 17, 2020 (Updated Jul 18, 2020)  
Coup
Coup
2012 | Bluff, Card Game, Deduction, Party Game, Political
Easy to Learn (3 more)
Lying about who you are
Quick Rounds
High replayablity
Hard to Master (1 more)
Don't know who's who and who's lying
Lie, Deceit and Protray
Coup- is one of the two games i bought at this years Pax East. It is also one of the first board games that i bought. The second being Coup. Now since then I have like 25 board games. I love collecting board games cause i can either play them with my family or go solo. Personality i love going solo in board games.

I learn about this game through the Funhaus Channel. And personality wanted to buy it after watching it. It looked easy, fun and entertaining. So when i saw it at Pax i knew i had to by it. If you dont know what Coup is or never heard of it. Let me explain.

Coup came out in 2012 was published by Indie Boards & Cards for 2-6 players.

In Coup you are head of a family in an Italian city-state, a city run by a weak and corrupt court. You need to manipulate, bluff and bribe your way to power. Your object is to destroy the influence of all the other families, forcing them into exile. Only one family will survive...

Gameplay:

In Coup, you want to be the last player with influence in the game, with influence being represented by face-down character cards in your playing area.

Each player starts the game with two coins and two influence – i.e., two face-down character cards; the fifteen card deck consists of three copies of five different characters, each with a unique set of powers:

Duke: Take three coins from the treasury. Block someone from taking foreign aid.

Assassin: Pay three coins and try to assassinate another player's character.

Contessa: Block an assassination attempt against yourself.

Captain: Take two coins from another player, or block someone from stealing coins from you.

Ambassador: Draw two character cards from the Court (the deck), choose which (if any) to exchange with your face-down characters, then return two. Block someone from stealing coins from you.

On your turn, you can take any of the actions listed above, regardless of which characters you actually have in front of you, or you can take one of three other actions:

Income: Take one coin from the treasury.
Foreign aid: Take two coins from the treasury.

Coup: Pay seven coins and launch a coup against an opponent, forcing that player to lose an influence. (If you have ten coins or more, you must take this action.)

When you take one of the character actions – whether actively on your turn, or defensively in response to someone else's action – that character's action automatically succeeds unless an opponent challenges you. In this case, if you can't (or don't) reveal the appropriate character, you lose an influence, turning one of your characters face-up. Face-up characters cannot be used, and if both of your characters are face-up, you're out of the game.

If you do have the character in question and choose to reveal it, the opponent loses an influence, then you shuffle that character into the deck and draw a new one, perhaps getting the same character again and perhaps not.

The last player to still have influence – that is, a face-down character – wins the game!

Its a fun entertaining deduction party card game and a must play if you havent played it yet.
  
    Wild Animals Online(WAO)

    Wild Animals Online(WAO)

    Games and Entertainment

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    Welcome to the best animal game, Wild Animals Online (WAO) "Go fight! If you don’t fight,...