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Demon's Obsession (Obsessions #1)
Demon's Obsession (Obsessions #1)
JP Sayle, Lisa Oliver | 2024 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Silas' tre makes for some fun times!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is the start of a new series by these 2 authors, and I have to say, very different from the Tangled Tentacles and I loved that it is!

Silas goes to town once a week to sing. He can only manage short times away from his tree and the forest, being a dryad. Dakata is a demon, living in the human world, managing music acts. Dakata's demon reacts to Silas, making Dak aware that his Blissful One is near. But others are against the mating. And danger looms.

I just gotta mention the cover! When I got my copy, it didn't have a cover, and I only saw the cover AFTER I read it. It fits, perfectly! The scene it's taken from? Comes over exactly like the cover! Love it!!

I loved this, I really did. It's a bit different, with Silas being a dryad. He is bonded to a tree, and cannot be far from it. The tree talks to Silas, but also is able to move freely. Which makes for some fun times, especially when Dak is near and they get down and dirty! Phew!! Dak's demon talks to the tree too.

I liked that the danger was simple jealousy. No complicated plot with twist and turns to follow. I even liked the way Dak's demon dealt with that threat.

So, I have a couple of questions!

Will Wanda get a book? I mean, she has three trees she is bonded to, will she get three partners?

Will Dougal and George get stories too?? I loved these two and hope they do.

And just who is the goat, in dak's apartment that kicks Merihem in the nuts??!!

It's a little bit out there, but Sayle is becoming a master at the out there troupe!

Loved it, can't wait for more!

5 full and shiny stars.

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Mayfair Madame (Mayfair heights #1)
Mayfair Madame (Mayfair heights #1)
Alex J Adams | 2025 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ms Adams smashes it, she really does!
Independent reviewer for BookSirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Ok so!

I have followed Ms Adams from the beginning, and her skill as an author continues to grow. THIS book, though, is a step away from her usual fair, and I will be honest, wasn't sure how it was gonna go.

I need NOT have worried! Because Ms Adams smashed it, she really did!

Naomi lives in Mayfair Heights, and runs an escort business. A physical assault (on page, but needed) brings her into contact with Ellie Sharpe, a detective dealing with her case. For both of them, there is powerful attraction, but they cannot act on it, until the case is dropped and Ellie and Naomi are free to do as they wish. But someone doesn't want to let it go. And both women carry some emotional baggage. Can they find the love they both so desperately want and need?

I loved this, I really did.

I loved that both Naomi and Ellie have a say. I loved the way things developed between the two of them. I loved the emotional connection and how Naomi SAW Ellie, even if Ellie didn't want to be seen.

I loved the steam level here. While not especially explicit, the physical connection between Ellie and Naomi is powerful and it shows in the way they are together.

It is a bit darker, Naomi gets assaulted a couple of times, but I think it is needed to get the point across.

I LOVED the whole team who live in Mayfair Heights! Some characters have piqued my interest more than others, but they all pulled a string and I look forward to those strings being unravelled.

Thank you, Ms Adams, for falling in love with the cover, the picture portrays Naomi beautifully and I cannot wait to get to know the others in more detail.

5 full and shiny stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Caressa’s Homecoming (Bonded by Love #1)
Caressa’s Homecoming (Bonded by Love #1)
Gabbi Grey | 2024 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
high seam but low angst between the three of them.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarain, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is a spin off of the Love In Mission City series, but it's not necessary to read those books before this one. I've only read 3, I think.

Caressa returns home after 5 years away. Her 2 best friends are keen for her to stay. Michael and Cole have loved Caressa and each other for a long time, but it takes Caressa leaving for either of them to realise how much. Can they move from friends to lovers, or will it all end in tears?

I liked this, a lot. I enjoyed the books I read of the Mission City series too.

My only complaint, I suppose is the right word to use, is that Caressa jumps into Michael's bed so bloody fast after coming home! I would have liked a more emotional connection . . .but then again, these guys have been friends for so long, that connection has already been established . . . but it felt, to me, a little quick.

I did like that they were conscious of Cole and how he might react, and I was pleasantly surprised by his reaction. But then again! He has lusted over them both for a long time, and now his dreams are coming closer together. I liked that Cole had a secret from his long term friends, and I look forward to that being fully explored!

All three get a say, 1st person, past tense.

Steam level is quite high, but I found the angst fairly low, which felt a bit weird, but like I said, these guys have been through a lot since their childhood together. Each childhood was difficult, for very different reasons, and the angst about THAT subject was quite high, but not between Caressa, Michael or Cole.

Ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I get to read Cole's Reckoning next.

4 very good stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
1968 | Classics, Sci-Fi
The Kubrick (2 more)
The music
The unforgettable
It's not 5 hours long (0 more)
Greatest sci-fi film of all time.
Not too often you can say a film is perfect in every way, but you can with 2001: A Space Odyssey. Screw movies of today which have to explain everything away or the movie itself is just a set up for the never-ending series of films to follow.

You have to appreciate the visuals, music, and unforgettable vagueness of this film and just soak it all in like looking at a beautiful painting by your favorite artist or listening to your favorite song and repeat it over and over again.

After seeing this movie 20+ times, I see new subtleties in it every time and enjoy it completely every time. Probably an acquired taste for today's generation of MCU fans, but certainly worth your time.

  
Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad (2016)
2016 | Action
As far as superhero movies go, you very rarely get to see villians team up to become the good guys. This movie provides us with the chance to see some of our favorite villians turned hero. (0 more)
The only bad thing I can really say about the movie is that the sequence of events kinda gets scrambled at first, bit eventually comes together in the end. (0 more)
Family Fun
All in all the movie wasnt half bad, what with the great all-star casting from Will Smith to Margot Robbie and what not. Our favorite super villians playing at a chance to become the good guys definitely does make an impact on us. We are always assuming that the bad guy HAS to be the bad guy FOREVER, this movie just goea to show that even the "Worst of the Worst" can be good on the inside.
  
The Quiet/Crazy Easter Day
The Quiet/Crazy Easter Day
Jill Roman Lord | 2020 | Children
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Quiet Crazy Easter Day is a really cute book. It will make children understand Easter and the season in why we celebrate it. It really is something lovable and enjoyable. The book is padded and good for little ones.

The pictures are vibrant and tell to story. The words rhyme to make it fun. I enjoyed the rhyming though out the book. It is not all that hard to see what the book is about. How would you celebrate if you were there when the lord was reborn.

There no book so far that does this for little children that make it this easy. Little children as young as 2 can look at the pictures and enjoy it as well as children as for can learn to say some of the words. Read along with a parent there. It that sweet and cute.
  
A Star Is Born (1976)
A Star Is Born (1976)
1976 | Drama, Music, Romance
Decent, But Hoped For More
When a local singer is discovered by a big time star, she finds that her time in the spotlight isn’t all she expected it to be.

Acting: 10
While I wasn’t in love with Barbara Streisand’s lead role of Esther Hoffman, she did alright for the most part. I’ll just say it was a little bit better than bearable. I’m never one to say an actor has to knock it out of the park, but they can’t be so bad as to take me out of the movie. For any of her shortcomings Kris Kristofferson made up for it playing the alcoholic musician John Norman Howard. He definitely carries the chemistry between the two.

Beginning: 10
Solid kickoff as you are immediately engaged with John’s character and his shortcomings as a man. You can see this guy is a trainwreck and anyone that gets close to him will probably be brought down too. While I have seen the previous two versions before this one, it made me interested to see how they would tackle his struggles.

Characters: 8

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
For what it’s worth, I did like what director Frank R. Pierson did in showing Esther’s life at home versus what the glamorous life looked like. Before she makes it big, and even in some of the quieter moments, there is peace, shots of calm and quiet. The road life is an entirely different animal, however, as heaps of fans cheer her on at every turn and you can feel just how overwhelming it is. I appreciated that stark contrast.

Conflict: 7

Entertainment Value: 7
Throughout its 141-minute duration, A Star is Born definitely has its shining spots. Who doesn’t love a good rags to riches story? In a twist you can see coming for some time, this is a rags to riches to mortal endings story. I enjoyed watching her rise to stardom although some parts were truly unbearable with John’s character being such a total anus. It was over-the-top at times and took some of the enjoyment away.

Memorability: 2

Pace: 6

Plot: 8

Resolution: 4

Overall: 72
Of the four versions, this is hands-down the weakest A Star is Born. It’s not a horrible movie and I definitely wouldn’t steer someone away from checking it out at least once. For me, it just doesn’t stand the test of time.
  
Fast & Furious 9 (2021)
Fast & Furious 9 (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Crime
I might not be obsessed with this series but I can't argue with its ridiculous action. I had a catch up on the others as it had been a while, though I discovered I watched them in the wrong order... never mind! Here's a bit of a rundown.

The Fast and the Furious - good
2 Fast 2 Furious - meh
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift - too peoply, not enough cars
Fast & Furious - good
Fast Five - my favourite
Fast & Furious 6 - good
Furious 7 - good
The Fate of the Furious - good
F9...

Who really needs an extended synopsis on this one? Cars, family, Corona, space the final frontier. And does it even need any comments on the plot? At this point it's very much random bits of chaos and ridiculous things with cars. Quite honestly, that's the reason I enjoy the films more now they lean into it. Although this one may have become a little too self-aware... in an amusing way.

It wasn't until I did the rewatch that I noticed how much they ignore the concept of genetics when it comes to adding family members. Here we have John Cena playing Jakob, Dom and Mia's brother. It's not the most unbelievable thing in the movie, but it's well up there. Cena has grown on me as an actor, I enjoyed him in The Marine, Bumblebee, and his comedy stylings in Blockers... but we don't talk about Playing With Fire... we never talk about Playing With Fire. He can do funny and he can do serious, but I'm not convinced he was the best choice to combine the two here. His performance was okay, but his style didn't really fit with any of the others. I don't know who I might have put in this role instead, but I think they could have gone with recognisable but not quite as high profile/

As for the other cast members, well, same sh*t different day as they say! Gibson and Ludacris have the same fun dynamic and bring their comedic element to the proceedings. Vin Diesel says the requisite amount of "family" throughout the films, and everyone else does their thing.

Doing the rewatch made me surprisingly emotional when they did the Paul Walker send-off, and there was a nice out to keep the legacy intact. And while it's nice that they keep him in the films, maybe it should just be something that's accepted and not talked about. There's a moment in the film where they say Dom's son is with Brian, and my first thought was horror because I forgot Brian is alive in the franchise, and the look on Dom's face didn't help in that moment either.

F9 has some even whackier action, and it is entirely satisfying to watch. Though unsurprisingly it doesn't take them long to defy the laws of physics... spectacular destruction nevertheless. We know we're in for a tenth instalment, we can only hope for a musical or LEGO version... that last one would be my approved choice.

(I have so many spoiler comments t make about this, but I don't want to ruin the fun of discovering them all for yourself.)

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/07/f9-fast-saga-movie-review.html
  
Coco (2017)
Coco (2017)
2017 | Adventure, Animation
Amazing
The Book of Life was one of my favorite films of 2014. When I first saw the trailer for Coco, it was hard not for me to draw comparisons. A celebration of the Day of the Dead. Mariachi. Centered around music. Coco brings its own flavor, however, a unique experience all its own. In fact, if it weren't for the god-awful twenty-five-minute Frozen short right before (since removed due to numerous complaints), this would have been close to a perfect moviegoing experience.

Little Miguel loves music. He has to sneak away to watch old recordings of his favorite musician Ernesto de la Cruz because the rest of his family thinks music is a curse. Following a mysterious chain of events (don't want to ruin it for you), Miguel finds himself in the Land of the Dead and must somehow find a way to get home before its too late.

The colors. Oh man, the colors. Vibrant, popping off the screen. It screams life even during the scenes in the Land of the Dead. This is one film I wish I would have seen in IMAX. The colors add an amazing pop, from the spirit animals to the city landscapes at night, making this one of the most beautiful animated films I have seen.

The colors alone are just a small touch to the overall creativity and originality behind Coco. The Land of the Dead is loaded with sights to behold, some you might miss if you blink. The attention to detail is spectacular from the cool bridge that guides the dead to the Land of the Living to the colorful spirit animals. I've seen a lot of movies and I haven't seen anything like this.

Not only are the visuals amazing, but the music holds its own as well, driving the entire story in an entertaining and powerful way. There are a lot of touching moments that revolve around the soundtrack. There will be musical numbers that make you laugh while others leave you with more of a somber feel. Maybe I cried a little. Maybe I didn't. You'll never know for sure. One thing I can say is this movie was about as touching as any I have seen this year.

Disney/Pixar is known for leaving you with a great message and Coco is no exception. Miguel was willing to follow his dreams at all costs, even if it cost him his life. How many of us can say the same? Another phenomenal job by Pixar. I give the film a 96.
  
Sweet Dreams (The Kihn #2)
Sweet Dreams (The Kihn #2)
Rivi Jacks | 2018 | Paranormal, Romance
10
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
read the damn book, but brace yourself!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book direct from the author, that I write a review was not required.

SO!!! Do you know how long I've waited for this book?? do ya, huh, huh?? FOUR YEARS! It's been four years since I read Sweetwater so I was awaiting this one. Oh yes, waiting and waiting!

And it did not disappoint!

It picks up right where Sweetwater left off, so you cannot read this without that one first, so, go back and get it!

Sofie has discovered Lucas' secret, he's a Vampire. Not just any Vampire, either, he is head of the Guard who keep the Kihn at bay. And they are getting restless. The Kihn are pushing as the date for the gate opening gets ever closer, but they still don't know WHERE it will open. Sofie has her own secret, one that might push Lucas away.

I have to say this, being all honest, like, cos that's what this is about: being honest. I don't remember only Sofie having a say in Sweetwater. I mean, 4 years folks! But she does here. AND it's in the first. AND it's in the present tense! So stuff that in your pipe and smoke it! Yes, me! Likes a first person, present tense book! Truthfully, I knew that, cos I mentioned it in my review for Sweetwater, that it's present tense. But yeah. Loved this one!

Of course I would have loved Lucas to have a say, really I would, but I'm just greedy!

Or I was loving it! Til Ms Jacks does her thing and throws you off the bloody cliff hanger of all cliff hangers!

There we were, Lucas and Sofie all loved up, doing their things to keep the Kihn away. Things are moving against the Kihn, the supes have found a way to disrupt their communications, so gaining a upper hand. Plans are a-foot. Great plans, amazing plans.

Then poof! You're off that cliff and hurtling down the ravine and you have no idea, NOT A SINGLE clue, when you can get back up again! Because, while Sweetwater was a great cliff hanger, this one?? OH. DEAR. LORD!!! I did not see that one coming, and my poor kindle, my new-at-Christmas kindle, had it's introduction to the wardrobe door! It's already been introduced to the wall, but the wardrobe was closer!

OH!!! It just occurred to me! While Lucas is a Vampire, and he and Sofie do get lots *fans herself* of sexy time *fans some more* there was no biting! He doesn't bite her, or feed, not once! HUH! A Vampire that doesn't bite! The randomest things come to you when writing reviews!

SO! Summing up?? Read the damn book, but brace yourself folks!

Hurry, Ms Jacks, I NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED book three. I need to know, not only if the Kihn are dealt with, but that things for Lucas and Sofie get sorted too.

5 full stars!

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**