Search
Search results
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Always Watching (Elite Guardians, #1) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Can I just say...Listening to this was creepier than if I had read it...Especially when I was in the car, alone, at night...in the middle of no where....Maybe not one of my smartest ideas.
That being said...this was a great story. Interesting characters, intense story line, and a healthy dose of creepy-stalkerness. Heart pounding scenes, swoon worthy kisses, and the leading woman is totally my hero! Olivia is a member of a team of body guards. And all the women on the team are incredible. I can't wait to read the rest of their stories now. Olivia's past has things that haunt her, that have changed her, shaped her into the protective, intelligent, woman that she is. I loved watching her grapple with her faith, her feelings for Wade, and letting God heal the broken areas of her life.
If you are looking for a different and unique book, this should hit the mark for you! And don't forget to check out the rest of the series.
I borrowed the audio version of this book from my local library. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
That being said...this was a great story. Interesting characters, intense story line, and a healthy dose of creepy-stalkerness. Heart pounding scenes, swoon worthy kisses, and the leading woman is totally my hero! Olivia is a member of a team of body guards. And all the women on the team are incredible. I can't wait to read the rest of their stories now. Olivia's past has things that haunt her, that have changed her, shaped her into the protective, intelligent, woman that she is. I loved watching her grapple with her faith, her feelings for Wade, and letting God heal the broken areas of her life.
If you are looking for a different and unique book, this should hit the mark for you! And don't forget to check out the rest of the series.
I borrowed the audio version of this book from my local library. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
BookwormLea (3034 KP) rated The Invisible Man (2020) in Movies
Mar 4, 2020
Genuinely terrifying...
Contains spoilers, click to show
I've always thought thrillers were scarier than horrors. They can do anything in a horror movie, making it as fantastical as they want. Killer clowns from space? Check. Mirrors to the other side? Check. They've got it all... but thrillers are so intense and believable that it scares you to your core. For real. This movie was so well made that I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, well except that one bit with the needle but that's because I hate needles... This movie could have been made so badly based on other 'invisible' characters we have seen before. But the acting in this film was just. Perfect *finger kiss*. I can't remember the last time a movie made me jump out my seat, it had the whole cinema audience biting their nails and gripping their seats. I was in awe the whole time. Not once did I think that a part could have been changed. Everything was so well done, I could honestly say, I would be more afraid of an invisible stalker, than a ghost haunting me.
Side note: me and my stepdad who watched it with me both agree that the suit itself, whether Adrian, his brother or anyone else wears it, would make an amazing Super Villain movie!
Side note: me and my stepdad who watched it with me both agree that the suit itself, whether Adrian, his brother or anyone else wears it, would make an amazing Super Villain movie!
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Spider in the Web (2019) in Movies
Jun 15, 2020
Lacking of All Entertainment Value
An aging spy goes on one last mission of redemption. His mission: Make a horrible movie that you watch once and once only.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 1
Characters: 0
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 3
Entertainment Value: 4
Memorability: 1
Pace: 4
Plot: 6
The story is one of the best things about Spider in the Web. However, that’s not saying much. At its base, it still manages to get bogged down with confusion, not just with story but with character motivation as well. I spent just as much time successfully following along as I did scratching my head at some of its more confusing moments.
Resolution: 3
I think a huge part of why I hated the ending was because I was still lost by the time I got to it. What are the stakes? Why should I care? These are two simple questions that can make or break a movie if not answered correctly.
Overall: 40
Don’t let that 75% Rotten Tomatoes score fool you. In fact, you would be better served looking at the audience score. Spider In the Web is bad. Real bad. Not All About Steve bad, but enough for me to say it’s a total waste of almost two hours to sit through it.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 1
Characters: 0
Cinematography/Visuals: 8
Conflict: 3
Entertainment Value: 4
Memorability: 1
Pace: 4
Plot: 6
The story is one of the best things about Spider in the Web. However, that’s not saying much. At its base, it still manages to get bogged down with confusion, not just with story but with character motivation as well. I spent just as much time successfully following along as I did scratching my head at some of its more confusing moments.
Resolution: 3
I think a huge part of why I hated the ending was because I was still lost by the time I got to it. What are the stakes? Why should I care? These are two simple questions that can make or break a movie if not answered correctly.
Overall: 40
Don’t let that 75% Rotten Tomatoes score fool you. In fact, you would be better served looking at the audience score. Spider In the Web is bad. Real bad. Not All About Steve bad, but enough for me to say it’s a total waste of almost two hours to sit through it.
Jeff Nichols recommended Badlands (1973) in Movies (curated)
Merissa (14175 KP) rated The Lost Art of Woodworking and Taking Risks (The Lost Arts #2.5) in Books
Aug 22, 2025
THE LOST ART OF WOODWORKING AND TAKING RISKS is a short side character novella in The Lost Arts series, featuring Chamis and Bennan, who we met in book 2. This delightful addition gives us more details about their romance and how they moved forward in both their lives and the romance.
The thing I loved about this one was that Chamis and Bennan are total opposites from the outside, which they acknowledge in the story. One is a shy introvert, and one is a flirty extrovert. NEITHER of them wanted the other to change. How wonderful is that?! There is no way I can say which character I loved the most, as they were both absolutely gorgeous on the inside.
Definitely less steam in this book, which completely fitted the narrative. I loved seeing their romance through their eyes, but the teasers for book 3 have about killed me. I need it NOW!!! A great addition and definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 22, 2025
The thing I loved about this one was that Chamis and Bennan are total opposites from the outside, which they acknowledge in the story. One is a shy introvert, and one is a flirty extrovert. NEITHER of them wanted the other to change. How wonderful is that?! There is no way I can say which character I loved the most, as they were both absolutely gorgeous on the inside.
Definitely less steam in this book, which completely fitted the narrative. I loved seeing their romance through their eyes, but the teasers for book 3 have about killed me. I need it NOW!!! A great addition and definitely recommended by me.
** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Aug 22, 2025
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2652 KP) rated The Girl with the Dragonfruit Tattoo in Books
Feb 6, 2026 (Updated Feb 6, 2026)
Plum Yacht to Catch Another Killer
Plum Lockhart gets a surprise reunion with a friend she hasn’t seen in years. The friend is traveling with a group on an expensive yacht, and Plum finds herself on board one night catching up. But a couple of days later, one of the servants from the yacht is dead and the police are making an unusual request. Will Plum use her new connections to go on the yacht and investigate the death? Plum agrees just as the yacht takes off for their next destination. But with everyone seeming to have a motive, can she find the killer?
I’d struggled with the first in this series since I didn’t find Plum likable. I’m happy to say that island living has been good for her, and I enjoyed her and the returning characters here. The suspects were also distinct and helped draw me in despite some uneven pacing early on. I get why it happened, however. The ending was a bit less than I like, but I did find my questions answered. Sadly, this appears to be the final book in the series. I’m glad I stuck with it. If you need a tropical getaway, I suggest you give this series a chance.
I’d struggled with the first in this series since I didn’t find Plum likable. I’m happy to say that island living has been good for her, and I enjoyed her and the returning characters here. The suspects were also distinct and helped draw me in despite some uneven pacing early on. I get why it happened, however. The ending was a bit less than I like, but I did find my questions answered. Sadly, this appears to be the final book in the series. I’m glad I stuck with it. If you need a tropical getaway, I suggest you give this series a chance.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated True (True Believers, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I absolutely adored this book! This is the first book of Erin McCarthy's that I've ever read, and I just loved the whole thing. The characters were real, the plot was believable, and it left me with a renewed sense of hope in love and the human race.
The pace of the story seemed right on track; although, I have to say I felt like it ended too quickly. I wasn't ready for the book to be over, and wanted to know more about what happened with Rory & Tyler. I was pleased to see that there will be another book coming out based on the lives of one of the characters featured in this book.
Rory & Tyler's love didn't feel forced or faked at all which I really enjoyed. McCarthy was able to capture the internal frustration that young women feel in relationships, and showed that sometimes if you often just open your mouth and say how you feel things can turn out for the best!
The supporting characters were phenomenal and believable. Jessica & Kylie seemed like your typical party girl college students, and I just loved the way McCarthy managed to poke and have a little fun with them. I hope that McCarthy will take the opportunity to expand on these characters in her upcoming books.
There were three topics that were covered in this book, and I think they are extremely important and deserve mentioning here. The most obvious one would be teen sex. McCarthy did a great job covering this. I feel like she really showed young girls that it was okay to wait until you were ready and you didn't have to do anything you didn't want to do. I think that Tyler was a great advocate and on several occasions it was obvious that he was worried about the affect that his relationship with Rory would have on her life. I have nothing but praise for the way McCarthy handled this topic. She was able to write about it without making the book a list of dos and don'ts for teens. The second big topic that was addressed was drug use. McCarthy addressed this in two ways first with Tyler's family, and secondly with Jessica (Rory's roommate). She was able to show in both these instances how drug use can affect your life, and the lives of those around you. And, finally another topic that was brought up is bullying (I am saying bullying because I feel that this can encompass both the child abuse and the bullying of Tyler's mom on his younger brother for having Down Syndrome). These are some pretty hefty topics that McCarthy chose to tackle in this book and she pulled if off with flying colors. She was able to address them all with a good amount of importance and tie the story up with a pretty bow at the end. My hats off to you Ms. McCarthy!
The pace of the story seemed right on track; although, I have to say I felt like it ended too quickly. I wasn't ready for the book to be over, and wanted to know more about what happened with Rory & Tyler. I was pleased to see that there will be another book coming out based on the lives of one of the characters featured in this book.
Rory & Tyler's love didn't feel forced or faked at all which I really enjoyed. McCarthy was able to capture the internal frustration that young women feel in relationships, and showed that sometimes if you often just open your mouth and say how you feel things can turn out for the best!
The supporting characters were phenomenal and believable. Jessica & Kylie seemed like your typical party girl college students, and I just loved the way McCarthy managed to poke and have a little fun with them. I hope that McCarthy will take the opportunity to expand on these characters in her upcoming books.
There were three topics that were covered in this book, and I think they are extremely important and deserve mentioning here. The most obvious one would be teen sex. McCarthy did a great job covering this. I feel like she really showed young girls that it was okay to wait until you were ready and you didn't have to do anything you didn't want to do. I think that Tyler was a great advocate and on several occasions it was obvious that he was worried about the affect that his relationship with Rory would have on her life. I have nothing but praise for the way McCarthy handled this topic. She was able to write about it without making the book a list of dos and don'ts for teens. The second big topic that was addressed was drug use. McCarthy addressed this in two ways first with Tyler's family, and secondly with Jessica (Rory's roommate). She was able to show in both these instances how drug use can affect your life, and the lives of those around you. And, finally another topic that was brought up is bullying (I am saying bullying because I feel that this can encompass both the child abuse and the bullying of Tyler's mom on his younger brother for having Down Syndrome). These are some pretty hefty topics that McCarthy chose to tackle in this book and she pulled if off with flying colors. She was able to address them all with a good amount of importance and tie the story up with a pretty bow at the end. My hats off to you Ms. McCarthy!
Hannah May (3 KP) rated Eleanor & Park in Books
Mar 8, 2018
Contains spoilers, click to show
It was a strange kind of wonderful, reading this book. It is a romance in its purest form and has been written with so much care and tenderness. Eleanor & Park is unlike any book I have ever read - so far at least. The romantic build is slow, dramatic and captiviting, and it defies the stereotypes of everyday life. Eleanor is not your average teenage girl. She's not popular. She's not blonde. She's not stick thin. Her family is not rich. She is different and Rainbow Rowell reaffirms that idea again and again. She has a big mess of red hair. She's a social outcast. She's bullied. She comes from a broken family. She's anxious and self-conscious. She is so different and so far off the spectrum, that it was a never ending thrill hearing her side of the story, hearing of her struggles and passions. Reading from Eleanor's point of view really brought the whole world into perspective, and made me think in ways I have never done so before. Now. What can I say about Park without repeating myself? What I like most about him is his characterisation. Why? Because it sets him apart from the typical male protagonist you find in most Teen Fiction novels. He's quirky. He's sarcastic. He's a closet romantic. He's Asian. He wears make up. He too is an outcast. This alone makes him different, but no less intriguing or entertaining to read. I truly admire his devotion to Eleanor. Even when she tries to push him away, he's always there for her and he always loves her, despite her taciturn moods and snappy comments. He loves her so deeply and without shame. Needless to say, I wish there were more boys like him. Now, the ending was ambiguous and rather bittersweet. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed, but somehow I found it quite fitting; considering what happened and how far both Eleanor and Park had come, since their first meeting on the school bus. It's not the perfect happily-ever-after, but it was full of potential and hope that it was, in its own little way. It left a smile on my face, at least. Needless to say, I would recommend Eleanor and Park to anyone. From the setting to the characters to the little hidden messages, it is a real story. It is a real romance and it will move you; body and soul.
Dana (24 KP) rated A Gathering of Shadows in Books
Mar 23, 2018
So you all know how I felt about the first book. Yeah, those feeling are continuing over to this one.
I honestly could not put this damn book down if I tried. Which I didn't try because that would have been me depriving myself of something amazing and there is no reason to do that.
If I thought the first book hit my feelings, which it did, this one ran them over with a damn truck.
I loved the addition of Allucard Emery. He was my favorite new character because he is amazing and beautiful and just so great. I love his sass. He is such a great magic mentor for Delilah and I want him to have the world. He deserves to be happy. Anyone who thinks differently can fight me.
I love the idea of this competition. It's cool to see different kinds of magic users with the different elements, but also how they use them. Some are more defensive users, some more attack based. But all of them are really cool. I won't give away too much, but I am happy with the last couple of fights and how they went on. Especially that one. You know which one I'm talking about. Just great stuff there.
I love how Delilah and Kell's relationship is evolving in this book. They don't necessariily see all that much of each other, but when they do, sparks are FLYING. I was listening to the audio book when I was out running errands and in the middle of Michael's, I burst out laughing when they got to the ball part. It was just so cute and fun to see them relaxed for a change. Big fan. I ship them so hard it hurts. So whenever they were cross with each other, in my head, I was pushing them together saying "make up damn it. You will make beautiful children."
Those plot twists though. All of them got me right in the feels.
I will say without shame that I cried in this book. More than once. And almost in public. Those people in Michael's must have thought I was crazy.
The ending was mean. I mean, come on Victoria. That hurt. Why would you put me through that? I mean, yes, it was amazing that you wrote it so well I almost threw the book across the room, but still. My heart. I have to wait a bit until I can read the next one because I don't have any book stores around me to be able to get it and my library doesn't have it in physical copy either. But they do have an audio book version that I am on hold for. So there's that. I cannot wait.
I honestly could not put this damn book down if I tried. Which I didn't try because that would have been me depriving myself of something amazing and there is no reason to do that.
If I thought the first book hit my feelings, which it did, this one ran them over with a damn truck.
I loved the addition of Allucard Emery. He was my favorite new character because he is amazing and beautiful and just so great. I love his sass. He is such a great magic mentor for Delilah and I want him to have the world. He deserves to be happy. Anyone who thinks differently can fight me.
I love the idea of this competition. It's cool to see different kinds of magic users with the different elements, but also how they use them. Some are more defensive users, some more attack based. But all of them are really cool. I won't give away too much, but I am happy with the last couple of fights and how they went on. Especially that one. You know which one I'm talking about. Just great stuff there.
I love how Delilah and Kell's relationship is evolving in this book. They don't necessariily see all that much of each other, but when they do, sparks are FLYING. I was listening to the audio book when I was out running errands and in the middle of Michael's, I burst out laughing when they got to the ball part. It was just so cute and fun to see them relaxed for a change. Big fan. I ship them so hard it hurts. So whenever they were cross with each other, in my head, I was pushing them together saying "make up damn it. You will make beautiful children."
Those plot twists though. All of them got me right in the feels.
I will say without shame that I cried in this book. More than once. And almost in public. Those people in Michael's must have thought I was crazy.
The ending was mean. I mean, come on Victoria. That hurt. Why would you put me through that? I mean, yes, it was amazing that you wrote it so well I almost threw the book across the room, but still. My heart. I have to wait a bit until I can read the next one because I don't have any book stores around me to be able to get it and my library doesn't have it in physical copy either. But they do have an audio book version that I am on hold for. So there's that. I cannot wait.
