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We've Got Balls (2013)
We've Got Balls (2013)
2013 | Comedy
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I tend to go out of my way to enjoy movies that might not have too many redeeming qualities, just because I don't want to walk away feeling like I have wasted my time or energy on something and not gotten anything in return. As a result, I've found redeeming qualities in some pretty poor films in the past.

Finding that type of quality in this movie proved to be very difficult.

The first thing that I noticed was the production quality. Now, I completely understand that everybody has to start somewhere. I can overlook poor production quality when warranted. In order to do that though, there has to be exceptional praise elsewhere. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case here.

The premise seemed alright, if not generic. A small town (population 52, which is mentioned several times) bowling alley is at risk of closing down to make room for a new casino that the land owner wants to put in that location. The city bonds together to prevent this from happening. And that's where things start to go off the rails.

I try not to include spoilers as a rule, so I will abide by that here. But I will say that the story doesn't improve from there. It's about as generic as they come with very little exception. One interesting element is the tournament that takes place in an effort to save the building. It starts as a humorous prospect but fails to launch from there.

I appreciate the film makers efforts here, which is why I have this as a four star rating. I hope that they learned from making this movie and can apply that to other projects going forward.

This film is currently available as part of Amazon Prime Video or for purchase. Clocks in around an hour and a half, but frankly, it's a VERY LONG hour and a half.
  
I was once again trying to do my A-Z of paranormal books and saw this on Amazon and it just sounded good, so I added it to my wish-list and a few days ago it was free, so I bought it.

I'm glad I did.

This starts with Mika waking up in a storm drain at some point in the night and wandering into a small town called Dark River, which is home to vampires. It turns out that one of the inhabitants killed her and turned her and local sheriff Walker Walton tries to find out who as Mika settles into the town she can never really leave again. Add in drifter Judge, and shape shifter Brody, and Mika finds herself caught in a little reverse harem that she grows to love.

I was intrigued over who Mika/Raine's creator was. It seemed like everyone was really welcoming and showed her no ill will so to find out who it was did come as a bit of a shock but they did have a bit of a good reason for it.

I actually enjoyed the reverse harem side of this one. Some just seem to instantly happen whereas this one, each guy came about in their own time. It wasn't all at once. Some tried to fight it, some gave in straight away. There were some really sizzling scenes of threesomes with the guys having a little fun with each other too.

One thing I do have a little complaint about is the editing. It has a handful of errors throughout with words repeated or sentences that appear to have been changed slightly but left the previous word in there, too. It doesn't take away from the story but it just niggles me a little.

The story was well written and had been thought out. I am very intrigued by this group of lovers and the town of Dark River and can't help wondering what is next in store for them, so I will be buying book 2 soon.
  
No Weddings
No Weddings
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I first saw this book as a giveaway on Goodreads and entered to win it. Unfortunately I wasn’t a lucky winner and after re-reading the synopsis I decided I wanted to read it anyway, which isn’t always the case with the books I enter to win on Goodreads. So off I went to Amazon to search it out and I was surprised by the price (77p) so I pre-ordered it and two days later it was delivered.

Let me say this now; I'm not a big contemporary romance reader any more. I tend to stick to paranormal/urban fantasy/suspense books with romance in them for an added element.

But I have to say that I really liked this!

It was told from Cade's POV, a proper ladies man, who sets up a party planning company with his three older sisters and decides they won't do any weddings as Cade seems to always end up sleeping with a guest (or two). But then he meets Hannah, an amazing baker/cook who they want to hire to make the cakes for whatever events they're organizing for, and as he gets to know her he begins to really like her.

Let me tell you this book is full of sexual tension; they flirt, they touch...it was really kinda cute watching how he softened and changed.

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Another thing I liked was the banter between almost everyone. The siblings reminded me a bit of me and my brother; Cade and Hannah; Cade and his room mates.

Let me say that there is no sex in this book—plenty of romance!—and their relationship is going to continue into the next one, One Funeral, which I believe is going to be from Hannah's POV. And let me tell you I will most definitely be continuing this series.
  
A Love Song for Liars (Rivals, #1)
A Love Song for Liars (Rivals, #1)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
3.5 stars.

I picked this up free a few months ago after reading another of the authors works and enjoying it.

This one follows Annie who is playing lead in her schools musical of The Little Mermaid. She wants to prove to her rock star father that she can cut it in the music industry while he doesn't want her anywhere near it, unlike his protégé Tyler. He was her best friend for a long time, the boy from the wrong side of the tracks who she fell for, before her dad offered to send him to the same prestigious private school as her and show him how to make his music better. Then he went from her best friend to they boys she hated in the span of a few weeks. It's hard to stay hating him when he lives in your pool house and keeps coming to your rescue, though.

I found this a quick easy read. I got drawn into the angst that was Annie and Tyler's relationship really quickly. There's an element of love/hate but you quickly see the hate is hiding a hurt from several months ago when Tyler said something she was never meant to hear. They have a rather interesting back story that we learn as the story progresses and I was willing them to just go for it, despite all the things that could go wrong or spoil it for them. They just had a deep connection that I felt deserved to explored.

Unfortunately, it seems their story is spread over three books with a fourth addition as a bonus and I will be reading them at some point in the future but my reading list is almost 100 books long right now - though I have been steamrolling through them lately - so it's on my wish list on Amazon.

It also appears I should have read the Wicked series by this author first as that is Annie's dad Jax's romance but, oh well. I'll read it at a later date, too.
  
I read the first six or so of these books back to back years ago and got to really like this group of friends. I've read the odd book in the series since then and this has been on my shelf for over a year now.

This one starts with Torin accidentally killing a fellow prisoner, Mari, after she touched him and him trying to bring her back. Keeleycael, a fellow prisoner and the Red Queen, was Mari's friend and tells Torin she will kill him for taking her friends life after she escapes. They both manage to escape the prison not long after and the ruthlessness they both show in killing the evil creatures that roam outside the castle helps the burning desire they feel for each other flare to life.

Can I say I really enjoyed this!

I'd forgotten a lot of the banter between the Lords and Torin was equal parts fun and tortured. I loved his attitude when they were going through the different realms. He was protective, sarcastic and permanently turned on. Add in that he's the Keeper of Disease and can't keep his hands off Keeley half the time and, well, you can imagine what ends up happening.
Keeley was a little unhinged at the start of this having been locked up in her prison for centuries as she plotted her escape but after they escape she chilled out a lot and I loved her - sort of - one track mind in regards to Torin. She wanted him and was determined to seduce him.

I was also really into a side story in this: Cameo and Lazarus! And of course William (the ever randy) and his thing for Gilly. I am so interested in seeing where those go - so I went straight off to Amazon and ordered paperbacks of books 12-14!

Reading this has made me remember how much I enjoy these books an I cannot wait to read more them.
  
The Captain and the Theatrical
The Captain and the Theatrical
Catherine Curzon | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
very enjoyable read
I was gifted my copy of this book, that I write a review was not required.

Ambrose Pendleton is a hero and returns home from war to his father’s meddling into his love life. Or lack thereof. Pen now faces an arranged marriage his father has brokered as part of a business deal. To get out of this marriage, Pen needs a fiancée, and who better than his long-time friend and actor, Orsini, who has a leading lady who might just fit the bill. But Pen has long held feelings for Orsini, feelings a man should not have for another. Then Orsini surprises him and throws his own feelings at Pen. Now they just need to get rid of the dreadful arranged marriage and they can be together.

For the most part, I did enjoy this. It was a little bit different and different is always good in my book, but something didn’t quite work for me, and I cannot figure out what. And I hate that I can’t!

Pen and Orsini are old friends, and Pen has crushed on Orsini for a long time. He did not know that feeling was the same for Orsini, though. With Orsini pretending to be Pen’s new bride, the pair get close, far closer than they should. I loved how it really was a bit of a slow burn for these two. It’s not overly explicit, but it doesn’t need to be for these two.

Both Pen and Orsini have a say, and I didn’t think that was going to be the case for a while, so I am glad they both were given a voice.

There was a little twist, with the missing jewels, that I did not see coming, and I thought Pen’s mother might have given the game away a time or two. I think she had them sussed, I really do!

An enjoyable way to spend and lazy Sunday evening.

3.5 stars (rounded up to four the Amazon and Goodreads)

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Aug 15, 2020 (Updated Aug 15, 2020)  
Sneak a peek at THE BLACK MIDNIGHT, a historical mystery, by Kathleen Y'Barbo on my blog. Enter the giveaway to win a $20 Amazon gift card and/or a signed copy of the book!

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-black.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Two killers, two detectives, and a menace called The Black Midnight may be the death of both of them.

Three years before Jack the Ripper began his murderous spree on the streets of London, a killer struck fear into the hearts of the citizens of Austin, Texas. Some believe one man is responsible for both, while others lay the blame at the feet of someone close to the queen herself. With suspicion falling on Her Majesty’s family and Scotland Yard at a loss as to who the Ripper might be, Queen Victoria summons her great-granddaughter, Alice Anne von Wettin, a former Pinkerton agent who worked the unsolved Austin murders case, and orders her to discreetly form a team to look into the London matter. One man is essential to her team, and she doesn’t want to consider taking on this challenge without his expertise. Unfortunately, he’s back in Texas, with a bad attitude and a new profession.

The prospect of a second chance at catching the man who terrorized Austin three years ago just might entice Isaiah Joplin out of his comfortable life as an Austin lawyer, even if it does mean working with the Queen’s great-granddaughter again. If his theories are right, they’ll find the Midnight Assassin and, by default, the Ripper. If they’re wrong, he and Annie are in a bigger mess than the one the lady detective left behind when she departed Austin under cover of darkness three years ago.

Can the unlikely pair find the truth of who is behind the murders before they are drawn into the killer’s deadly game? From Texas to London, the story navigates the fine line between truth and fiction as Annie and Isaiah ultimately find the hunters have become the hunted.