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Debbiereadsbook (1166 KP) rated Part of Her Plan (Cupid's Cafe #5) in Books
Jul 21, 2021
not an easy read, but a bloody good one!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I have no idea what I expected from this book, but it certainly wasn't this!
Jenny and Lydia have real life problems. Both are recovering from their respective addictions (or not, as the case may be) and this book focuses on that, more than the romance, and I really LOVED that. All too often these topics get brushed under the carpet and here, they are front and centre.
Lydia has a plan, to get her own apartment, and then be on her own. Meeting with Jenny again should not waver her from her plan. She's doing well, and is committed to get to the end. Jenny, on the other hand, isn't doing so well and the place in the sober living house SHOULD be her ticket to get to be with her brother again. But Jenny's recovery isn't going to plan, and one single mistake might ruin them both.
At one point, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book. I started it, and it took a downward turn (I thought) and I contemplated leaving it. But something made me carry on and I am so bloody glad I did!
Yes, it's not an easy read. it certainly isn't a fluffy romance that you can breeze through, but it IS a bloody good book! It shows the struggles, the real life struggles that people face. How people spiral downwards, how they hit the bottom and try to get back up. How the deal with their addiction (in this case drugs and alcohol) and what they do when faced with what might possibly be their last chance.
Jenny and Lydia are not perfect, but they are perfect for each other, and other than the issues with their addictions, the romance side of things moves along slow, at first, but then speeds up, and slows down again. I loved that it wasn't explicit. There is steam and passion a-plenty, but the detailed sex scenes are not here, and I truly think had they been, I would not have liked this book as much!
I've not read anything by this author before, nor any of the previous books in this series, I don't think you need to, to enjoy this one. I might go back and read them!
But please, be aware of the subject matter: drug abuse and alcohol abuse mostly. Some people might not be able to read this because of triggers.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I have no idea what I expected from this book, but it certainly wasn't this!
Jenny and Lydia have real life problems. Both are recovering from their respective addictions (or not, as the case may be) and this book focuses on that, more than the romance, and I really LOVED that. All too often these topics get brushed under the carpet and here, they are front and centre.
Lydia has a plan, to get her own apartment, and then be on her own. Meeting with Jenny again should not waver her from her plan. She's doing well, and is committed to get to the end. Jenny, on the other hand, isn't doing so well and the place in the sober living house SHOULD be her ticket to get to be with her brother again. But Jenny's recovery isn't going to plan, and one single mistake might ruin them both.
At one point, I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book. I started it, and it took a downward turn (I thought) and I contemplated leaving it. But something made me carry on and I am so bloody glad I did!
Yes, it's not an easy read. it certainly isn't a fluffy romance that you can breeze through, but it IS a bloody good book! It shows the struggles, the real life struggles that people face. How people spiral downwards, how they hit the bottom and try to get back up. How the deal with their addiction (in this case drugs and alcohol) and what they do when faced with what might possibly be their last chance.
Jenny and Lydia are not perfect, but they are perfect for each other, and other than the issues with their addictions, the romance side of things moves along slow, at first, but then speeds up, and slows down again. I loved that it wasn't explicit. There is steam and passion a-plenty, but the detailed sex scenes are not here, and I truly think had they been, I would not have liked this book as much!
I've not read anything by this author before, nor any of the previous books in this series, I don't think you need to, to enjoy this one. I might go back and read them!
But please, be aware of the subject matter: drug abuse and alcohol abuse mostly. Some people might not be able to read this because of triggers.
4 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Amber Tucker (13 KP) rated Of Dreams And Dragons in Books
Jan 9, 2018
An amazing new world!
I have veen sitting on pins and needles waiting for this book to be released. This story surpassed all of my expectations. There us magic, dragons, action, love, tears, anger, a new world, and twists and turns I didn't expect.
Sky is trying to survive , taking care of children who are not hers but who she loves as her own. Suffering abuse in silence so they don't have to. Until one of them is taken. Sky is more than she seems., and we get to go with her on her journey to a new world with rules that must be followed to turn her into an Ashknight, to save the child she loves, before vengeance is all she has. I really enjoyed this book as we were able to learn more than just about the main character. The authors also delved into those she counts as family, and we see what drives each of them. It is not just a quick ending that comes in a few weeks or months, there is an actual story that builds up to a great ending. I promise you won't be able to put this book down.
I hope there is a book 2 in the making.
I have veen sitting on pins and needles waiting for this book to be released. This story surpassed all of my expectations. There us magic, dragons, action, love, tears, anger, a new world, and twists and turns I didn't expect.
Sky is trying to survive , taking care of children who are not hers but who she loves as her own. Suffering abuse in silence so they don't have to. Until one of them is taken. Sky is more than she seems., and we get to go with her on her journey to a new world with rules that must be followed to turn her into an Ashknight, to save the child she loves, before vengeance is all she has. I really enjoyed this book as we were able to learn more than just about the main character. The authors also delved into those she counts as family, and we see what drives each of them. It is not just a quick ending that comes in a few weeks or months, there is an actual story that builds up to a great ending. I promise you won't be able to put this book down.
I hope there is a book 2 in the making.
Catherine (40 KP) rated 13 Reasons Why in TV
Aug 29, 2017
Poor Portrayal
To be honest, I didn't finish this series. It was THAT bad. I personally struggle with clinical depression and have some friends who have considered and/or attempted suicide. To me, it was a poor representation of what I have experiences. Suicide is a personal decision, chosen by people who don't feel as though their life is worth living anymore. Oftentimes, this decision IS reached after a person has been a victim of bullying and/or abuse. However, these events lead to a person devaluing his/her life and suffering so much they just want to end it. In the series, the girl seems confident in her analysis of each event and tells them how they should have acted differently in certain situations. It has been a while since I watched it, so I don't remember specific details that bothered me, but I don't remember her holding herself accountable for anything. There was no self deprecation or even much introspection. Perhaps others' experiences are different, but this series was so different from what I have experienced; it really didn't strike a chord with me as it seems to have other viewers.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Carnal Secrets Box Set in Books
Mar 18, 2019
Carnal Secrets Box Set by Vonna Harper
This box set comprises the first three stories in the Carnal Secrets series. All of the stories are very #DARK, with non-con sex, kidnap, abuse, to name just three. This is not a box set for the faint-hearted.
Out of the three, I thought Naked Nights was the strongest, with Taking Her Down as the weakest. All of the stories had mixed elements to them, some which I thought were well done, others, not so much. Taking Her Down though was too confusing from the start. There was no clear clarification about the whole story/role-play - with hints given about a possible supernatural element to the island and how it affects the characters, but nothing ever being said out loud or being made clear. Other characters definitely need more to them as they seem to play a big role, but then fade into the distance.
A box set to pass the time if you fancy something dark, but that won't make you think too deeply.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Out of the three, I thought Naked Nights was the strongest, with Taking Her Down as the weakest. All of the stories had mixed elements to them, some which I thought were well done, others, not so much. Taking Her Down though was too confusing from the start. There was no clear clarification about the whole story/role-play - with hints given about a possible supernatural element to the island and how it affects the characters, but nothing ever being said out loud or being made clear. Other characters definitely need more to them as they seem to play a big role, but then fade into the distance.
A box set to pass the time if you fancy something dark, but that won't make you think too deeply.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Joe Julians (221 KP) rated Suburbicon (2017) in Movies
Jan 30, 2018
Good performances (1 more)
Well shot
Muddled story (1 more)
Messy narrative
Despite a promising and fun fist couple of minutes, it quickly becomes clear that Suburbicon is both a missed opportunity and a jumbled attempt at constructing a story.
On the one hand, we have a black family moving into the area and being subjected to abuse and extreme prejudice, and on the other, a family hiding a dirty secret about a home invasion that led to the death of the mother. The problem is, neither of these plots is given the right amount of attention. The racial story is by far the most interesting here, yet it's relegated to a side plot and, with the exception of the young boy, none of the family get a chance to develop into actual characters. Then you have the murder story which takes up the bulk of the running time, but it's neither fresh nor original- it's actually rather dull.
Despite being beautifully shot and occasionally amusing (Matt Damon on a kid's bike), Suburbicon ends up being a bit of a slog. It's a mish mash of ideas and tones that don't come close to forming a coherent story. There's decent performances to be found, but beyond that- don't expect much.
On the one hand, we have a black family moving into the area and being subjected to abuse and extreme prejudice, and on the other, a family hiding a dirty secret about a home invasion that led to the death of the mother. The problem is, neither of these plots is given the right amount of attention. The racial story is by far the most interesting here, yet it's relegated to a side plot and, with the exception of the young boy, none of the family get a chance to develop into actual characters. Then you have the murder story which takes up the bulk of the running time, but it's neither fresh nor original- it's actually rather dull.
Despite being beautifully shot and occasionally amusing (Matt Damon on a kid's bike), Suburbicon ends up being a bit of a slog. It's a mish mash of ideas and tones that don't come close to forming a coherent story. There's decent performances to be found, but beyond that- don't expect much.
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Child's Play 3 (1991) in Movies
Oct 22, 2019 (Updated Nov 8, 2019)
The third outing for Chucky unfortunately offers nothing new.
It's simply a less fun re tread of the first two.
The setting for Child's Play 3 mainly takes place at a military academy for young people, with typical character cliches thrown in - the nerdy coward type who will clearly redeem himself by the end of the movie, the harsh drill sergeant, the jock type bullies, the badass female, and of course a whole host of people who (for the third time!) don't believe a now teenage Andy Barcley, that there's a killer doll on the loose.
It's all pretty tiresome, and tied together by a poor script.
Chucky himself is the same old, shooting off sweary one liners and being a general prick to everyone he comes across (not necessarily a bad thing).
The finale is pretty lackluster, and not a patch on the seemingly never ending abuse parade against Chucky from Child's Play 2, but it does boast some nice animatronic work and some nasty practical effects.
Child's Play 3 is ultimately a thoroughly underwhelming sequel, sat in a weird purgatory between the more horror themed elements of the first movie, and the schlockier elements of the later films.
It's simply a less fun re tread of the first two.
The setting for Child's Play 3 mainly takes place at a military academy for young people, with typical character cliches thrown in - the nerdy coward type who will clearly redeem himself by the end of the movie, the harsh drill sergeant, the jock type bullies, the badass female, and of course a whole host of people who (for the third time!) don't believe a now teenage Andy Barcley, that there's a killer doll on the loose.
It's all pretty tiresome, and tied together by a poor script.
Chucky himself is the same old, shooting off sweary one liners and being a general prick to everyone he comes across (not necessarily a bad thing).
The finale is pretty lackluster, and not a patch on the seemingly never ending abuse parade against Chucky from Child's Play 2, but it does boast some nice animatronic work and some nasty practical effects.
Child's Play 3 is ultimately a thoroughly underwhelming sequel, sat in a weird purgatory between the more horror themed elements of the first movie, and the schlockier elements of the later films.
Merissa (11950 KP) rated Sebastian's Wolves (Among Wolves #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
*Disclaimer* I received this book from Reading Alley in return for a fair and honest review.
The title of this book tells you the start of the tale. Sebastian is a wolf who leaves his pack to be with his mate, Tim. 8 years down the line and tragedy happens, Tim dies. Sebastian has to deal with this and, for me, this is where the story picked up.
I have to say that the relationship between Tim and Sebastian didn't really do much for me. It seemed too inbalanced with Sebastian doing most of the loving. This didn't really sit well with me as I already viewed Sebastian as an alpha male. Once he meets up with his new pack then he really starts to come into his own. And then Eshan is the cherry on the icing on the cake.
This book has nice parts and not so nice parts - so don't read this if you're expecting or wanting something that is light and fluffy. We're talking murder, abuse and rape (although not in graphic detail).
Sebastian's Wolves is a well-written, steady-paced novel full of action that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who enjoys some M/M action with a paranormal twist.
The title of this book tells you the start of the tale. Sebastian is a wolf who leaves his pack to be with his mate, Tim. 8 years down the line and tragedy happens, Tim dies. Sebastian has to deal with this and, for me, this is where the story picked up.
I have to say that the relationship between Tim and Sebastian didn't really do much for me. It seemed too inbalanced with Sebastian doing most of the loving. This didn't really sit well with me as I already viewed Sebastian as an alpha male. Once he meets up with his new pack then he really starts to come into his own. And then Eshan is the cherry on the icing on the cake.
This book has nice parts and not so nice parts - so don't read this if you're expecting or wanting something that is light and fluffy. We're talking murder, abuse and rape (although not in graphic detail).
Sebastian's Wolves is a well-written, steady-paced novel full of action that I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend to anyone who enjoys some M/M action with a paranormal twist.
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