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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) created a post

Jun 1, 2023  
My May 2023 reads!

19 this month a bit better than other months for me.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
8 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
0 ⭐️⭐️
0 ⭐️
2 DNFS

My favourite book of the month is The Frangitelli Mirror by G.R. Thomas this was an ARC and Brilliant!
Also Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney was really good too!

My least favourite is The Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski I expected more.


My DNFS were not as high this month I just couldn’t get on with so many and I’m a great believer in not reading something just for the sake of it.
     
Hanging with Daddy (Pride Pet Play 2023)
Hanging with Daddy (Pride Pet Play 2023)
JP Sayle | 2023 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Another brilliant story in the series

J. P. Sayle never lets me down when it comes to a quality story that pulls a reader into a world they wouldn't usually think about. Hanging with Daddy does just that, it's just outside the mainstream, standard kink but man does the koala thing pop it a few steps further on!

Austin and Gaines are adorable and sweet and totally right for each other but it wouldn't be worth reading without lots of thoughts and decisions.

A great afternoon read with a drink and snacks (my favourite way to read) or if you're traveling crack it open and lose yourself in the pages of a delicious story.
  
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
2015 | Mystery
Simply Brilliant
Director Matthew Vaughn has brought some visually striking films to the big screen in his fairly short career, from the brilliant Layer Cake, to the movie which many credit as saving the X-Men franchise, First Class, he certainly knows his way around a camera.

However, Kingsman: The Secret Service is probably his riskiest proposition yet. Can a dark comedy about upper-class British spies with their tailor-made suits compete with the very best films in the genre?

Thankfully the answer is a resounding yes. The spectacular cinematography and fantastic performances in Kingsman ensure it is one of the most memorable and cleverly crafted blockbusters of the last decade.

The film follows the story of underprivileged Eggsy, played wonderfully by Taron Egerton in his first full role, as he does his best to join The Kingsmen, a secret society of spies working to bring down evil in the world.

An absolutely marvellous Colin Firth and a slightly underused Michael Caine also play part of this group – possibly creating the poshest ensemble of characters seen in a film for years.

Naturally a spy flick isn’t complete without a villain and Samuel L Jackson is on course here to become one of the cheesiest megalomaniacs ever put to the big screen. His deliberately camp performance goes well with the dark humour throughout.

Kingsman is also genuinely funny and a real treat to watch with explosive, over-the-top visuals and beautiful scenery which utilises what the world has to offer rather than delving into the CGI drawer many directors employ nowadays.

It all feels decidedly old fashioned and all the better for it with an almost grainy quality to the production – think The Avengers TV series but with a higher budget.

The plot is top notch and whilst it may border on cliché at times, Kingsman manages to steer the story in enough directions to make sure the audience never settles into a rut, the use of our reliance on modern technology being a particular highlight.

Special effects wise, it holds up well with most other blockbusters and has just a few lapses in CGI at the start and towards the riveting finale,Taron_Egerton_SDCC_2014 though these are barely noticeable if you’re not looking hard enough.

Moreover, it is a true pleasure to sit in a film and not wonder what the producers had to cut to achieve a crowd-pleasing 12A certification. Kingsman pulls no punches, this is a violent rollercoaster ride and well deserves the BBFC 15 rating it has been given. Whether or not this hurts its box-office performance remains to be seen.

Overall, Kingsman: The Secret Service is one of the only films which combines the ever-popular spy genre with comedy and manages to keep its dignity in tact as the end credits role.

So many films, Johnny English: Reborn and Get Smart to name a couple, simply delve into slapstick territory once the writers run out of ideas – this isn’t the case here.

From its exciting plot and brutally dark humour, to the engaging performances from every single character, Kingsman: The Secret Service is simply brilliant.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/01/30/simply-brilliant-kingsman-the-secret-service-review/
  
M(
More (The MORE Trilogy, #1)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well yes, you know I am very open with my star ratings and IÕm quite liberal with them at times, but before we go any further, I really want you all to know that this book deserves every damn star a hundred times over. It was, quite frankly, PHENOMENAL and an amazing way to start a series (capitals are totally necessary).

To start, there is a brilliant mythos to the story and the development is this is excellent. I believe this is, in part, due to the fact Franklin builds the story very slowly to begin with, without losing pace. What IÕm trying to say, thereÕs that feeling that you never truly know the full story, but thatÕs a total plus because the characters and the plot keep you truly hooked from the very first page.

Ava, as a lead character is absolutely brilliant. SheÕs a very strong lead, charismatic yet still slightly vulnerable, a different and unique kind of female lead. This all adds up to one truly amazing character to read. Caleb, well, he has starred in many a dream since first reading himÉ.. HeÕs a very brooding kind of guy, with many inner secrets that he tries so desperately to hold close but Ava just chips away. The dynamic between them both is brilliant and makes for very interesting reading, with a great foundation for the rest of the series.

The drama, tension and mystery throughout all build at the perfect pace, pulling you unwittingly towards a truly stunning ending that leaves you needing (IÕm serious, the need was so intense I actually abandoned sleep to carry on reading) the next book ready loaded on your kindle to move straight on. This is a completely fantastic book from start to finish.

Gripping, exciting, amazing, phenomenal, something more than the others of itÕs kind on the market. This is a wonderful start to a series which has firmly wedged itself in my list of favourites. All I can say is that if this is my hangover after finishing book one, with the next one ready to move on to, I dread to think how debilitating it will be when I finish the third installment!

*This book was first reviewed on Lily Loves Indie as part of a blog tour, for which an ARC was received in return for an honest review*
  
A Strange Hymn (The Bargainer #2)
A Strange Hymn (The Bargainer #2)
Laura Thalassa | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Paranormal, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Siren and soulmate to the King of Night, Callypso Lillis survived the clutches of Karnon, the mad king, and his twisted prison. But the nightmare isn't over. Callie wears the physical reminders of her time as a captive, and mounting evidence suggests the Thief of Souls is still out there.

When a fae celebration thrusts Callie and her mate, Desmond Flynn, into the Kingdom of Flora, they take their investigation with them. But under the bright lights and striking blooms of the realm, they find there are more immediate issues to deal with. No place is more uniquely savage than the great fae halls, and no amount of bargains can save Callie from royal intrigues.

Fairies play dangerous games. Some want love, some want vengeance, some want flesh, and some want things too unspeakable to utter. One thing is for sure: no one is who they appear to be. Not even Des, who only grows more enigmatic with every passing secret.

But the Kingdom of Flora has its own secrets, from bleeding trees to branded slaves and missing guards. Something is stirring in the land of all that grows, and if Callie isn't careful, it will claim everything and everyone she loves - and her along with it.




I bloody loved it!! Second One was better than the first! I’ve been waiting for a decent fairy series since Merry Gentry by LkH and this fits it! I adore Des! Love Temperance and Callypso is just brilliant! The fey politics is brilliant and it makes an exciting read!! I’m really enjoying Laura’s writing style.