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Constitution Check (Dungeons and Dating #4) by Katherine McIntyre
10.0
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One night was all Kelly promised. One night was all Tabby offered. And yet one night wasn’t nearly...
Contemporary FF Romance Series
Merissa (14142 KP) rated Beyond the Black Mist (The Familiar Curse #2) in Books
Mar 19, 2021 (Updated Aug 2, 2023)
BEYOND THE BLACK MIST is the second book in The Familiar's Curse series, and we continue with Dante and Juliet's story. Both of them are separated, and in places where they don't want to be. With all the fear and mistrust, how will they ever be together?
You really do need to read book one as this is a series, not a bunch of standalones. We are introduced to new characters, and well as being reunited with old ones. And, I'm afraid to say, Nicholas doesn't get any nicer in this one! Pops, though. Aww, I want one of my own.
Anyway, moving on. For most of the book, Juliet and Dante are working towards being together, and when they do, it's lovely, but not over the top. There is a twist at the end that you may have seen coming. It certainly crossed my mind but then I thought 'no'. LOL Guess I was wrong!
A brilliant continuation of the story, with some major changes in one particular character. I know who I want to end up with her, but I will wait to see. I love being surprised.
Absolutely fantastic, a great addition to the series, and definitely recommended by me.
* 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!
Mar 19, 2021
You really do need to read book one as this is a series, not a bunch of standalones. We are introduced to new characters, and well as being reunited with old ones. And, I'm afraid to say, Nicholas doesn't get any nicer in this one! Pops, though. Aww, I want one of my own.
Anyway, moving on. For most of the book, Juliet and Dante are working towards being together, and when they do, it's lovely, but not over the top. There is a twist at the end that you may have seen coming. It certainly crossed my mind but then I thought 'no'. LOL Guess I was wrong!
A brilliant continuation of the story, with some major changes in one particular character. I know who I want to end up with her, but I will wait to see. I love being surprised.
Absolutely fantastic, a great addition to the series, and definitely recommended by me.
* 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!
Mar 19, 2021
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Night Rainbow in Books
Mar 21, 2022
51 of 230
Book
The Night Rainbow
By Claire King
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It is summer in the south of France, and Pea and her little sister Margot spend their days running free, inventing games in the meadow behind their house. But Pea has worries beyond her five and a half years. Her father has died in an accident, and her mother has just lost a baby. Maman is English, already isolated in this small, foreign village, and in her compounded grief, she has retreated even further. Pea and Margot stay out of her way and try to make things better, but they can't make Maman happy again.
When Pea befriends Claude, a man who seems to love the meadow as she does, she wonders if he could be a new papa. But why do the other villagers view Claude with suspicion, and what secrets does his large empty house hold?
This is absolutely beautiful! Not a book I’d normally pick out myself I received it in a monthly subscription box I have and it was so heartfelt and such a beautiful story. Beautifully written! A quick read but packed with emotion. Really makes you feel like you are there with this beautiful little girl. You get to go on this journey in the mind of a 5 and a half years old as she works her way through grief and friendships. Highly recommend!
Book
The Night Rainbow
By Claire King
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It is summer in the south of France, and Pea and her little sister Margot spend their days running free, inventing games in the meadow behind their house. But Pea has worries beyond her five and a half years. Her father has died in an accident, and her mother has just lost a baby. Maman is English, already isolated in this small, foreign village, and in her compounded grief, she has retreated even further. Pea and Margot stay out of her way and try to make things better, but they can't make Maman happy again.
When Pea befriends Claude, a man who seems to love the meadow as she does, she wonders if he could be a new papa. But why do the other villagers view Claude with suspicion, and what secrets does his large empty house hold?
This is absolutely beautiful! Not a book I’d normally pick out myself I received it in a monthly subscription box I have and it was so heartfelt and such a beautiful story. Beautifully written! A quick read but packed with emotion. Really makes you feel like you are there with this beautiful little girl. You get to go on this journey in the mind of a 5 and a half years old as she works her way through grief and friendships. Highly recommend!
Star-Crossed Negotiations
10.0
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In the Nexxus system, water is a scarce commodity. Vice Ambassador Kieran Phaetal has been given the...
Science Fiction Romance
Merissa (14142 KP) rated Elemental Love (Warlocks #1) in Books
May 31, 2023
This book starts with the birth of Evrain, as Agatha and Gregory speak whilst they are waiting. Immediately you get a rough idea of what is going on, but as the story continues, the gaps are filled and a clear picture is given. As with everything and everyone, there is good and bad, and in this instance, Evrain is basically good, although the Wild Magic can still corrupt him. As a warlock, he needs to find his partner, the one that will steady his power and make him stronger. In Evrain's case, that turns out to be Dominic, the shy gardener that fascinates Evrain. Through circumstances beyond their control, they are forced together (although neither of them fights it much!) and a warlock makes him move against them.
In this book, you are given an excellent viewpoint of how the partnership can work, with loving and strong foundations, as with Gregory and Coryn, or you see how it can be abused, and used without love, as with Symeon and Damon. With plenty of action, romance, and humour, this is a fantastic start to the Warlocks series and one that I will be reading again. Highly recommended
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 29, 2016
In this book, you are given an excellent viewpoint of how the partnership can work, with loving and strong foundations, as with Gregory and Coryn, or you see how it can be abused, and used without love, as with Symeon and Damon. With plenty of action, romance, and humour, this is a fantastic start to the Warlocks series and one that I will be reading again. Highly recommended
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Mar 29, 2016
The Memory of Animals
10.0
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Neffy is a young woman running away from grief and guilt and the one big mistake that has derailed...
Speculative fiction Literary fiction apocalyptic
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Other Words for Smoke in Books
Jun 11, 2023
75 of 235
Kindle
Other Words for Smoke
By Sarah Maria Griffin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Twins Mae and Rossa’s summer away from home becomes life altering when they discover a house full of witches, experience devastating first love, and face a dark power beyond any imagining.
Sarah Maria Griffin’s haunting and literary sophomore novel explores the balance between love and fear, weakness and power, and the lengths one will go to claim one’s freedom. For fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners and Maggie Stiefvater’s All the Crooked Saints.
When the women from the house at the end of the lane went missing, none of the townspeople knew what happened. A tragedy, they called it. Only twins Mae and Rossa know the truth about that fateful summer.
Only they know about the owl in the wall, the uncanny cat, the insidious creatures that devour love and fear. Only they know the trials of loving someone who longs for power, for freedom, for magic. Only they know what brought everything tumbling down around them. And they’ll never, ever breathe a word.
This was the strangest book I think I’ve read in a long time. I really enjoyed it. The story was so strange but had you needing to read more. At first I have to admit I did think of not continuing with it but I’m so glad I did. The talking cat completely through me well worth a read.
Kindle
Other Words for Smoke
By Sarah Maria Griffin
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Twins Mae and Rossa’s summer away from home becomes life altering when they discover a house full of witches, experience devastating first love, and face a dark power beyond any imagining.
Sarah Maria Griffin’s haunting and literary sophomore novel explores the balance between love and fear, weakness and power, and the lengths one will go to claim one’s freedom. For fans of Libba Bray’s The Diviners and Maggie Stiefvater’s All the Crooked Saints.
When the women from the house at the end of the lane went missing, none of the townspeople knew what happened. A tragedy, they called it. Only twins Mae and Rossa know the truth about that fateful summer.
Only they know about the owl in the wall, the uncanny cat, the insidious creatures that devour love and fear. Only they know the trials of loving someone who longs for power, for freedom, for magic. Only they know what brought everything tumbling down around them. And they’ll never, ever breathe a word.
This was the strangest book I think I’ve read in a long time. I really enjoyed it. The story was so strange but had you needing to read more. At first I have to admit I did think of not continuing with it but I’m so glad I did. The talking cat completely through me well worth a read.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Awaken (The A’vean Chronicles 1) in Books
Jun 28, 2023
84 of 235
Kindle
Awaken (The A’vean Chronicles 1)
By G.R. Thomas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SOME PEOPLE AREN'T DESTINED TO BE ORDINARY.
Sophia Woodville holds a secret gift close to her heart.
A 20-year-old nursing grad, she thought she had her future mapped out. However, destiny is about to intervene.
A night out ends in bloodshed with Sophia now hunted by an unspeakable evil. She is whisked away by her family, a family she thought she knew, a family who holds secrets more powerful and darker than her own.
Her secret is not so secret. Her gift just a hint of something far beyond her wildest imagination. Sophia is pulled, kicking and screaming, into an unseen, ancient world of angels and demons. A beautiful and terrifying world that challenges all that she thought to be true of herself, her family and the origins of humanity.
Sophia cannot simply visit this world... she must save it.
Original sin, forbidden love and her life in constant danger...
Will Sophia survive this dark twist of fate?
Will the devil be her saviour?
This was one hell of a book I don’t think I’ve read anything like it the amazing amount of detail gone into it is just extraordinary. Take everything you think you know about how the world was mad, angels and demons then add some. It was just so involved the characters were all so well thought out and intricate. Just loved it.
Kindle
Awaken (The A’vean Chronicles 1)
By G.R. Thomas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SOME PEOPLE AREN'T DESTINED TO BE ORDINARY.
Sophia Woodville holds a secret gift close to her heart.
A 20-year-old nursing grad, she thought she had her future mapped out. However, destiny is about to intervene.
A night out ends in bloodshed with Sophia now hunted by an unspeakable evil. She is whisked away by her family, a family she thought she knew, a family who holds secrets more powerful and darker than her own.
Her secret is not so secret. Her gift just a hint of something far beyond her wildest imagination. Sophia is pulled, kicking and screaming, into an unseen, ancient world of angels and demons. A beautiful and terrifying world that challenges all that she thought to be true of herself, her family and the origins of humanity.
Sophia cannot simply visit this world... she must save it.
Original sin, forbidden love and her life in constant danger...
Will Sophia survive this dark twist of fate?
Will the devil be her saviour?
This was one hell of a book I don’t think I’ve read anything like it the amazing amount of detail gone into it is just extraordinary. Take everything you think you know about how the world was mad, angels and demons then add some. It was just so involved the characters were all so well thought out and intricate. Just loved it.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated It Happened One Night in Books
Apr 27, 2018
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT by Lisa Dale
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.5/5
Summary (From Goodreads): Lana Biel has always wanted to shake the dust of Vermont off her feet and see the world, one exotic country after another. But when a lighthearted spring fling changes her life forever, she turns to the one man whose strong shoulders can lighten any burden: her best friend, Eli Ward.
Eli has always been there for Lana--after all, that's what best friends do. But Lana isn't the only one hiding something. Eli is keeping secrets of his own that threaten their relationship. Yet as summer turns to fall, new desires awaken between them, even as old fears tear them apart. Then, when another Vermont winter fills the valleys with snow, Eli and Lana are given the chance for an adventure greater than they ever dreamed possible...and a love that will last for all time.
Review:
It was really hard for me to give this book time, I felt like putting it down and giving up after the first few chapters. It wasn’t written particularly well, and I didn’t like the characters a whole lot. I still don’t. However, the story ended up being pretty good.
It was hard for me personally to look beyond the bottom line of the story: Lana had sex, got pregnant with a baby from a man she didn’t love, then she fell in love with her best friend. Her sister desperately wanted her to put her baby up for adoption so she could have it, and her father who never fathered them came back in the middle of it all and caused nothing but problems.
There were a few parts that just seemed out of place—Ron (the baby’s father) coming back and proposing, Gene (sister’s husband) walking out, and the apologies from the father. It just didn’t feel realistic. I’m not quite sure why.
But when I did look beyond that, I saw a very realistic story with good strong characters and the choices and words that they make and speak.
I got into the story about a quarter of the way through, and couldn’t put the book down. The events that happened lined up well, the pacing was good, and it was very original.
I really did like this book, I’m just not particularly sure why I liked it. Maybe it was the fact that the characters acted like real people, they weren't just characters. There were no “happily ever after” moments, although the ending was very good. I think, taking into consideration that in real life or fiction, it’s not really going to get better than it did, it was a very good story.
I’ve read a lot of really good reviews for this book, so don’t let my pessimism discourage you. Again, I liked it, but I’m not sure why. I doubt I’ll ever read it again, but then very few books make it to my “repeat” pile.
Content: For a romance book, this was free of details. There were some scenes, but they weren’t described. There was very very little language (I think there was one bad word total).
Recommendation: Ages 15+
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.5/5
Summary (From Goodreads): Lana Biel has always wanted to shake the dust of Vermont off her feet and see the world, one exotic country after another. But when a lighthearted spring fling changes her life forever, she turns to the one man whose strong shoulders can lighten any burden: her best friend, Eli Ward.
Eli has always been there for Lana--after all, that's what best friends do. But Lana isn't the only one hiding something. Eli is keeping secrets of his own that threaten their relationship. Yet as summer turns to fall, new desires awaken between them, even as old fears tear them apart. Then, when another Vermont winter fills the valleys with snow, Eli and Lana are given the chance for an adventure greater than they ever dreamed possible...and a love that will last for all time.
Review:
It was really hard for me to give this book time, I felt like putting it down and giving up after the first few chapters. It wasn’t written particularly well, and I didn’t like the characters a whole lot. I still don’t. However, the story ended up being pretty good.
It was hard for me personally to look beyond the bottom line of the story: Lana had sex, got pregnant with a baby from a man she didn’t love, then she fell in love with her best friend. Her sister desperately wanted her to put her baby up for adoption so she could have it, and her father who never fathered them came back in the middle of it all and caused nothing but problems.
There were a few parts that just seemed out of place—Ron (the baby’s father) coming back and proposing, Gene (sister’s husband) walking out, and the apologies from the father. It just didn’t feel realistic. I’m not quite sure why.
But when I did look beyond that, I saw a very realistic story with good strong characters and the choices and words that they make and speak.
I got into the story about a quarter of the way through, and couldn’t put the book down. The events that happened lined up well, the pacing was good, and it was very original.
I really did like this book, I’m just not particularly sure why I liked it. Maybe it was the fact that the characters acted like real people, they weren't just characters. There were no “happily ever after” moments, although the ending was very good. I think, taking into consideration that in real life or fiction, it’s not really going to get better than it did, it was a very good story.
I’ve read a lot of really good reviews for this book, so don’t let my pessimism discourage you. Again, I liked it, but I’m not sure why. I doubt I’ll ever read it again, but then very few books make it to my “repeat” pile.
Content: For a romance book, this was free of details. There were some scenes, but they weren’t described. There was very very little language (I think there was one bad word total).
Recommendation: Ages 15+
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Ghost in the Shell (2017) in Movies
Jul 12, 2019
Ghost in the Shell is a film adaptation of a 1989 manga and subsequent 1995 anime. Set in the “not so distant future,” Scarlet Johansson plays as Major, the first functioning human brain/consciousness saved from an accident and placed into a full cybernetic body. Effectively, she is the perfect soldier and member of the Section 9 special task-force devoted to counter-terrorism operations.
As an adaptation, fans of the franchise will be pleased to know that Ghost in the shell nails the aesthetic and tone of the source material to provide a stunning, “lived in” future world. The special effects are excellent and really shine to bring this film to life and help us understand the world these characters inhabit.
The characters themselves, while “cool,” lack any real depth. It is not that Scarlet Johansson does an excellent job at being pensive and fits the role fine. It is just that there is no real human quality to her for us to attach to. Instead, everything she does feel “robotic.” Similar to her performance in Lucy with a little bit of Black Widow from the marvel universe crossed in.
Yes, I know she is supposed to be a cyborg. But the film wants us to believe she has actual interest in finding out who she was before the “accident,” but she shows very little human emotion to get us there. Furthermore, if she was the first human mind saved and put into a cyborg body, why doesn’t she show more human emotion when she starts to uncover her past. Meanwhile, her partner, Batou (Pilou Asbaek) showcases just slightly more emotion because he likes to feed stray dogs, however in his case, we at least understand that he is a loyal solder and friend to Major, and thus understand why he is along for the ride.
Additionally (or perhaps as a result) the story suffers from some pacing issues as the film doesn’t always provide clear or strong markers to help the viewer understand what exactly is motivating the characters throughout the film. Rather the film often holds a bit too long on sequences in an attempt to showcase the beautiful world and let the view ponder their own meaning of what they are watching.
This becomes problematic as the characters never really become likeable or establish any depth beyond the paint by numbers plot. Human becomes Cyborg, Cyborg works for a corporation/government, Cyborg figures out they have been lied to, revenge ensues.
In the end, I found myself checking my watch more than I had hoped as the film felt long and tired. If it wasn’t for the stunning world created on screen I would have been completely bored. It’s a shame because I really wanted to like this film. I cannot help but think that if this film had come out in 1999, it would have been amazing!
But in 2017 it feels average at best. Still, Ghost in the Shell is an adequate adaptation that fans of the franchise will enjoy. However I feel this adaptation does not help elevate the franchise beyond what the 1995 Anime has already accomplished.
As an adaptation, fans of the franchise will be pleased to know that Ghost in the shell nails the aesthetic and tone of the source material to provide a stunning, “lived in” future world. The special effects are excellent and really shine to bring this film to life and help us understand the world these characters inhabit.
The characters themselves, while “cool,” lack any real depth. It is not that Scarlet Johansson does an excellent job at being pensive and fits the role fine. It is just that there is no real human quality to her for us to attach to. Instead, everything she does feel “robotic.” Similar to her performance in Lucy with a little bit of Black Widow from the marvel universe crossed in.
Yes, I know she is supposed to be a cyborg. But the film wants us to believe she has actual interest in finding out who she was before the “accident,” but she shows very little human emotion to get us there. Furthermore, if she was the first human mind saved and put into a cyborg body, why doesn’t she show more human emotion when she starts to uncover her past. Meanwhile, her partner, Batou (Pilou Asbaek) showcases just slightly more emotion because he likes to feed stray dogs, however in his case, we at least understand that he is a loyal solder and friend to Major, and thus understand why he is along for the ride.
Additionally (or perhaps as a result) the story suffers from some pacing issues as the film doesn’t always provide clear or strong markers to help the viewer understand what exactly is motivating the characters throughout the film. Rather the film often holds a bit too long on sequences in an attempt to showcase the beautiful world and let the view ponder their own meaning of what they are watching.
This becomes problematic as the characters never really become likeable or establish any depth beyond the paint by numbers plot. Human becomes Cyborg, Cyborg works for a corporation/government, Cyborg figures out they have been lied to, revenge ensues.
In the end, I found myself checking my watch more than I had hoped as the film felt long and tired. If it wasn’t for the stunning world created on screen I would have been completely bored. It’s a shame because I really wanted to like this film. I cannot help but think that if this film had come out in 1999, it would have been amazing!
But in 2017 it feels average at best. Still, Ghost in the Shell is an adequate adaptation that fans of the franchise will enjoy. However I feel this adaptation does not help elevate the franchise beyond what the 1995 Anime has already accomplished.