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    MORDHAU

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    MORDHAU is a medieval first & third person multiplayer slasher. Enter a hectic battlefield of up to...

The Dragon’s Fake Mate (Bad Dragon's Bride, #4)
The Dragon’s Fake Mate (Bad Dragon's Bride, #4)
Harlow Blaze | 2023 | Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE DRAGON'S FAKE MATE is the fourth book in the Bad Dragon's Bride series and features Starla, the bad-ass witch who looks after her girls, and Mars, her emotionless, psychopathic stalker. We've met both of these characters before and it's hard to say which one is scarier!

I loved how both of them had a story to tell, with both of them having a rough go of it and both coming out the other side. Okay, so they're both damaged too, but when they realise that together they make a whole, it was brilliant.

For me, this book is easily the best of the series. I have thoroughly enjoyed the previous books but this one blew them out of the water. The pacing is perfect and the story flows without any wasted words. The way the trust these two find in each other was shown was sheer perfection.

I'm really REALLY hoping Diesel gets his HEA though. He's one dragon who has stolen my heart!

All in all, the jewel in the crown (so far, for me) in this series and HIGHLY 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
The Spaceman's Omega
The Spaceman's Omega
Tabatha Austin | 2022 | LGBTQ+, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE SPACEMAN'S OMEGA is the first book in what appears will be a series. It tells of Alen, a Volardi, coming to Earth for various reasons. One of which is to resuscitate Omega One - a science fiction TV show that bombed due to Brandon being pushed out of the closet.

Although enjoyable, I found the interaction between Alen and Brandon quite forced in places, and their relationship was full of exceedingly swift about-turns. It made for some disjointed reading. I found descriptions of events and people were repeated constantly, along with other smaller details that weren't really necessary to the general story arc.

There is a lot going on in this book - US government, Volardi secrets and plans, male pregnancy, not forgetting Alen and Brandon themselves.

This was a good way to start the series but it didn't push every button for me as I found myself distracted between one or the other things mentioned above. It seems as though Thomas' story is next which I look forward to reading, to see if things have smoothed out.

** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Mistletoe and Murder
Mistletoe and Murder
Connie Berry | 2023 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Christmas Wedding Faces Criminal Complications
It’s five days before Kate Hamilton is set to marry Detective Inspector Tom Mallory on Christmas Eve, and the complications are starting to come, like travel delays for Kate’s family and friends coming from the states. But the bigger complication comes from Sheila Parker, an acquaintance who comes looking for an appraisal of her coin collection. That night, Sheila’s house is searched. The next day, Sheila vanishes. Can Kate figure out what happened to Sheila before her wedding?

I find missing person mysteries to be that much more compelling, so I was hooked on this one quickly. I did figure a couple of things out early, but there were still plenty of surprised on the way to the climax. Meanwhile, I loved spending time with the characters old and new. We get some good updates on ongoing storylines, and the ending sets up the next full length book. I am a bit surprised that the wedding came in an ebook only novella, and there isn’t a lot of time for Christmas trappings, but both of these are minor issues. Fans will be happy to get a chance to visit the characters again. While this might not be the best place to start if you are new to the series, I definitely recommend you start the series soon.
  
Parasite (2019)
Parasite (2019)
2019 | Drama
All I'd been hearing about Parasite was that it was a masterpiece and amazing, so many people were getting to see previews but of course they were all in London. Then Odeon came to the rescue with their Screen Unseen program so I defected from Cineworld for an evening.

The Kim family are desperately trying to make ends meet, their cramped home is uncomfortable and located in one of the shabbiest districts of Seoul. Things take a turn when the son's friend suggests that he takes over his tutoring job for the daughter of a well off family. Ki-woo doesn't have the qualifications but all he needs is to show confidence, he decides to take the job.

Once he gets to the upscale house opportunities start to present themselves and he sees a chance to set his family up with jobs too. Bringing their mother onboard sets in motion something that no one could have seen coming.

I seriously considered not writing a review for this, please excuse me if it seems a little disjointed but I'm still not entirely convinced that I have a proper conclusion.

Coming out of the film I was a little confused, mainly because apart from hearing about it being a masterpiece I had seen people saying it was a horror... IMDb lists it as "comedy, crime, drama", at least I agree with one of those.

The contrast between rich and poor is shown perfectly throughout, from their homes to the human senses expressed, the way it's all represented on screen solidifies the differences between the two families.

In each home environment we also see it, the sleek versus the chaotic, the clean versus the dirty. The Park's designer home is white, open and ordered, the Kim's is claustrophobic, cluttered and busy. The two are illustrated perfectly on each end of the spectrum and the two overlap briefly when the Kim's briefly take over the Park's home.

I thought the acting was good but I wasn't blown away by anything, potentially more of an issue with the script for me as I wasn't keen on some of the character traits that came out. The divide between the two families is obviously something that carries through to their members, but whereas we might expect the rich to be the villains in a story (and yes, they aren't necessarily the best people in the world) it is in fact the poor that are verging on the bad side of things. It does appear that in this instance money is the corrupting influence on the Kims and they get the taste for the high life. All the actors involved are very strong in helping this come across to the audience.

Beyond this set up I wasn't left with the gushing feeling that many, MANY others were. Maybe this just went over my head, I'm the first to admit that when I go to a movie I turn my brain down. Maybe it was more thinking than I'm willing to put into a film. When films touch a lot of different genres I feel like I have some trouble with then so this could also contribute to my underwhelmed feeling. My instinct coming out was that I wanted it to be a little darker and closer to a thriller than just drama.


After one viewing I would say I wouldn't have chosen to see it again but there's an Unlimited Screening coming I feel like it's worth giving it a second viewing in case I see something I didn't see before, but I'm not sure how much it will change things.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/parasite-movie-review.html
  
40x40

Lee (2222 KP) Jan 23, 2020

I’m heading to the Cineworld screening tomorrow but you’re right, the hype surrounding this has been crazy. I’m worried that I’m going to end up feeling exactly the same as you though.

40x40

Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) Jan 23, 2020

Several times recently I've been for repeat viewings and come out with a different opinion/feeling so I'm hoping tomorrow might give me some clarity.

All Between Us (2018)
All Between Us (2018)
2018 | Comedy
7
4.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: All Between Us starts as engaged couple Clara (Lawton) and Ray (Hooks) are hosting a diner party for family and friends to make their big announcement. Clara’s parents will be meeting Ray for the first time and Clara’s best friend Mishawn (Haddish) has started to settle down with Ty (Levatino).

As the night unfolds secrets have been coming out and now the mistakes of the past will come to life and will need to be worked through for the happiness of the people involved.

 

Thoughts on All Between Us

 

Characters – Clara is one of the hosts for the party, it is her family that will be attending the party with her big announcement, she must bring out the best in Ray for the first-time meeting, knowing her love can make him stronger. Ray is the fiancée of Clara a writer for profession that is nervous to meet his future parents-in-law knowing they are judgemental and already don’t approve of him. He spends the night getting verbal abuses from the family. Mishawn is Clara’s best friend, the one that knows the news she wants to tell and has turned her party ways into a more stable relationship with Ty. We have plenty of other characters are this party with Clara’s loud brother who has always been against most people and her judgemental father that spends the night putting Ray down. They all work for different moments in the film.

Performances – This is a great ensembled cast giving us strong performances throughout, the biggest known star is Tiffany Haddish after last years ‘Girls Trip’ who only gives us glimpses of the pure energy she bought to that film, she must take the back burner at times in this film. Denyce Lawton and Brian Hooks are great too, while Esau McGraw gives us a character we grow to dislike early.

Story – The story brings friends and family together for a couple’s announcement, with the whole story taking place over this one evening. This does give us a real-time feel with the story and the secrets coming out push relationships to limits. The story does keep things simple and each character does fit into a group even being individual enough. This is a story that could easily be a play too which is something I like to point out with this style of storytelling.

Comedy – The comedy in the film does work for the most part, the funniest moments do hit well, it is the small jokes that can sometimes miss. Freddy does get the most laughs, mostly for the wrong reasons because of his characters race related opinions.

Settings – The film takes place in one location, the apartment which plays out well because this is the only place we need to be for the events unfolding.


Scene of the Movie – Standing up to Mr Tillman.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The over use of the N-word.

Final Thoughts – This is a wonderful ensembled cast performance, the solo night gives us the laughs we need and the truths show us how lives can be hiding something from everyone.

 

Overall: Enjoyable comedy.

https://moviesreview101.com/2018/05/14/all-between-us-2018/
  
Dumplin' (2018)
Dumplin' (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Drama
Good On So Many Levels
High school student Willowdean (Danielle MacDonald) decides to enter a beauty pageant to spite her mom Rosie (Jennifer Aniston), a former pageant queen.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10
The characters in this story are not just unique and enjoyable. They also represent the melting pot of what this world should be. Willowdean feels out of place because she is heavyset so she tries to attack herself before others do. Her Aunt Lucy (Hilliary Begley) tried to teach her to do the opposite before she passed away, but Willowdean didn’t grasp her aunt’s confidence unfortunately. Through her journey of pageant life, she makes two good friends: Hannah (Bex Taylor-Klaus) who is anti-establishment (or anti-everything, rather) and Millie (Maddie Baillio) a ball of happiness with an overprotective mom. They are at the core of a slew of good characters that brighten the story. And did I mention the drag queens? Phe-no-men-al.

Cinematography/Visuals: 10

Conflict: 10
The conflict here is less about outward confrontation and more about inner discovery. Willowdean’s greatest enemy is herself, something most of us can probably relate to. It is refreshing to watching her battle old demons while coming to terms with who she is and who she can be. Destroying yourself is toxic and Dumplin’ shows how a negative view of one’s self can damage and destroy the relationships around us.

Genre: 10

Memorability: 8
The story as a whole has a magical feeling to it that’s centered in realism, almost like a trailer park Cinderella. I thought of all the 201 movies I watched in 2018. Few touched me quite like this one. A really memorable movie can make you laugh, maybe cry a little, and reflect. Dumplin’ gets the job done. It teaches you never to underestimate yourself and to go all out even when you don’t think you have a shot.

Pace: 10
I love when storytelling is consistent and blends seamlessly from one scene to the next. You get that here. There’s not a whole lot of pointless dialogue that takes you nowhere or random scenes that forces relationship-building. It moves consistently like a batch of waves. Before you know it, it’s over and you’ve had a great ride.

Plot: 10
The story isn’t just original but heartfelt. Something we can all get behind. I can honestly say that I’ve never seen anything like it. You can see the ending coming a mile away, but you’re having so much of a good time you don’t care!

Resolution: 10
Just as with the plot, you definitely see the ending coming a mile away. Doesn’t make it any less awesome or touching. Mum’s the word, but it ties on a nice little bow on the movie as a whole.

Overall: 98
I’m always wary of Netflix originals. Not because they can’t be good, I’ve seen plenty of amazing things on Netflix. Rather I understand that there’s a pressure for them to keep putting out original content at a fast pace because the market is catching up. This could mean more swings-and-misses. Dumplin’ is not a casualty of that in the least. Quality movie.
  
Midnight Heist (Outlaws #1)
Midnight Heist (Outlaws #1)
Katherine McIntyre | 2021 | Crime, LGBTQ+, Romance, Thriller
10
10.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Fabulous start to this series, and to Ms McIntyre's MM path. Keep em coming!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Grif needs to infiltrate Dan Torres' company to ruin it. But one look at Dan and Grif knows he's all kinds of innocent, but equally dangerous. Dan knows there's something bad going on in his company, now he's taken over from his father, but the Board is all old men stuck with old opinions and old ways. When Dan finds out what Grif has planned, he sees it as a perfect way to get what he wants. But what happens after?

So! Ms McIntyre is a firm favourite with me, her paranormal books have been mostly 4 and 5 stars but I didn't much care for her Discord series. This one, though??

Brilliant! It really does hit THAT spot, you know? The one that you don't know needs hitting but when it does, it goes BOOM and you start to lose track of the time and the next thing you know, you've done sod all this afternoon but read a brilliant book!

The attraction between Grif and Dan is instant and powerful and burns bright and so freaking hawt throughout the book. They both they should NOT be doing this, but neither can stay away. They KNOW that this will lead them down a dangerous and, quite probably, deadly path but both of them are prepared to risk it. And they DO risk it, once it all comes out and everyone knows what's going on.

It's quite clear who the bad guy is at the company, what's not so clear is how far up it goes, how far it's spread and who else is involved. It's STILL not clear, to be honest!

I loved the team of Outlaws! Scarlet, especially. Sometimes, Scarlet is a she, and sometimes Scarlet is a he. I got a little confused at first, and thought it a typo, but when it happens a couple of times, I figured that's just Scarlet, you know? I loved how Dan and Leo, his best friend, slot so beautifully into the team. And maybe, just maybe, there are a few clues to whose story might be next. These guys are deadly, and they make no apologises for that, but what they do is get the bad guys and they do it the best way they how, from the inside out. Anyone who gets in their way, well, silly of them really!

I found myself waiting for the L word. I kept thinking, its-a-coming, any mintue now, and it doesn't and I LOVED that it doesn't! Grif and Dan aren't really the lovey-dovey sort. Oh, there is love here, it's quite clear from the things they feel for each other, don't get me wrong, but it's not VOICED and I think when they DO voice that word, its gonna be spectacular!

Fabulous start to this series, and to Ms McIntyre's MM path. Keep em coming!

5 full and shiny stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Rise (Spelldrift: Coven of Fire #1)
Rise (Spelldrift: Coven of Fire #1)
Sierra Cross | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
not one for me
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

*insert big sigh*

I ....struggled with this book, for a couple of reasons, and it was very touch and go as to whether I would finish it.

First person, single point of view is not one of my favourite ways for a book to be written and only Alix has a here. Matt really should have been given a voice, I think, even if he had been given a first person voice, I would have enjoyed it more.

It could do with a thorough edit. Not enough minor things to put you off reading, but enough of them for me to note they were there and they needed commenting on.

Somewhat predictable plot. I saw it all coming at me. Every twist and turn. Maybe I read too much, but there were no surprises in this book for me.

BUT!!!

Even though only Alix gets a voice, I did like her. Because only she speaks we get up front and personal with her every step of the way. I really felt for her in places. She is very witty and there are a couple of laugh out loud moments.

And BECAUSE I saw it all coming at me like a freight train, I liked watching it all unfold.

I just. . . . . I dunno!

I'm sorry I can't word better what I think about this book, you know it pains me so when I can't say what I need to!

Will I read book 2? Possibly. The blurb will have to really REALLY grab me.

3 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Final Girls
Final Girls
Riley Sager | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.0 (26 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ten years ago, Quincy Carpenter was the sole survivor of a killing of her closest friends. She joined a small group of women the media has dubbed as the Final Girls. But Quincy doesn't want to be a Final Girl, she just wants to move on with her life and forget about the events that took place at Pine Cottage. When the original Final Girl is found dead in her apartment of an apparent suicide, and another Final Girl is brought into her life, Quincy must decide how she is going to live the rest of her life.

I loved this book. I couldn't put it down, it kept me up past my bedtime each night.

Imagine if you were the sole survivor of a mass murder. How do you think that would change your life? Would you become a recluse or would you try to live your life to the fullest? Quincy has tried to forget what happened to her best friend, boyfriend and other close friends that weekend at Pine Cottage. It was supposed to be a fun weekend to celebrate a birthday, but that quickly changed. When Lisa, the original Final Girl is found dead and Sam, the other Final Girl, shows up at Quincy's apartment, she is forced to take a look at her life and decide what to do next. Full of twists and turns, the end was something I didn't see coming.

This was a great debut novel. This author has another book coming out in July called The Last Time I Lied, I already have a copy of this book from NetGalley and I can't wait to read it.