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Deb (14 KP) rated Part of the Bargain in Books
Jun 11, 2018
Disappointing
I hardly ever NOT finish a book but this was one of the times that I just couldn't get through it. I got to chapter 3 before I gave up but I couldn't take it any further. The leading lady, Libby, from the beginning, was being portrayed as being weak minded. It was as if the story picked up in the middle of another which threw everything off. Jamie, the leading man, within the story didn't do anything but yell at her one moment and the next was trying to get her undressed within the first two chapters. It just wasn't what I expected it to be.
David McK (3188 KP) rated The Magnificent Seven (2016) in Movies
Mar 15, 2020
2016 remake of an 1960 Western (which I haven't seen), with that original often held up as one of the best Westerns out there and with it itself a remake (of sorts) of an earlier Seven Samurai's film (also haven't seen).
As such, I can't say how closely this compares to either of those two earlier films.
this one, however, has the always reliable Denzel Washington leading a disparate group of cowboys and Indians that includes man-of-the-(then)-moment Chris Pratt alongside a pre-Daredevil (TV version, that is) Vincent D'Onofrio against Ethan Hawke's ruthless gold miner, who is terrorising a small village.
As such, I can't say how closely this compares to either of those two earlier films.
this one, however, has the always reliable Denzel Washington leading a disparate group of cowboys and Indians that includes man-of-the-(then)-moment Chris Pratt alongside a pre-Daredevil (TV version, that is) Vincent D'Onofrio against Ethan Hawke's ruthless gold miner, who is terrorising a small village.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated A Wild Ride (The Bullriders, #1) in Books
Sep 6, 2019
DNF @ 65%.
If I'm going to be brutally honest, I'll say my enjoyment of this book ended about a third of the way through. I don't know if it was the bull riding--though considering I like to read about cowboys that seems unlikely--or the money worries that bored me but after the first sex scene and the subsequent meeting I just lost interest in it all.
I wanted more of the attraction and relationship between the two main characters and I felt it was lacking in some parts. I felt the book concentrated more on the ranch and money.
Not for me.
If I'm going to be brutally honest, I'll say my enjoyment of this book ended about a third of the way through. I don't know if it was the bull riding--though considering I like to read about cowboys that seems unlikely--or the money worries that bored me but after the first sex scene and the subsequent meeting I just lost interest in it all.
I wanted more of the attraction and relationship between the two main characters and I felt it was lacking in some parts. I felt the book concentrated more on the ranch and money.
Not for me.
MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Cowboy Bodyguard (Gold Country Cowboys #3) in Books
Mar 5, 2019
In this Gold Country Cowboys novel, Jack Thorn gets a surprise call from the woman he married in secret years ago. Shannon Livingston needs his protection for herself and the baby she’s hiding from a biker gang targeting the mother. Now Jack must help Shannon, even if shielding her means pretending to be a true husband to the only woman he’s ever loved.
My Thoughts: It's difficult enough being an ER doctor, but when your patient happens to be part of the most notorious biker gangs, you have to have nerves of steel. That's what Shannon Livingston was made of. That's how her past shaped her... to be the best no matter what or at what cost.
This novel will take you on a roller coaster ride, it's full of suspense, mystery and with cowboys, lots of shooting! The plot of this story is fantastic. Who would have thought cowboys and biker gangs? It works so well and keeps the reader guessing with all the turns and twists in the plot.
The reader will fall in love with the Thorn family, not to mention the Thorn brothers, but then who can resist a cowboy?
As I was reading, I was getting annoyed with Shannon, when she was putting her career ahead of her marriage and denying her feelings for her husband. Who doesn't want to be loved by someone like Jake Thorn? Why does she keep holding back? Why couldn't she compromise?
The author is an excellent writer and she brings you into the story; the reader truly feels like they are a part of the Thorn family. The reader can feel the suspense and action that is happening.
What I took away from this novel is the theme of God's love; His love for us, and how we should love others. It's about putting our full faith in Him and letting Him direct our paths. Not taking each hurt we have, holding on to it, but giving everything to God and letting go. That means letting the past be in the past and moving on to the future. It means forgiving.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I look forward to reading more from Dana Mentink.
My Thoughts: It's difficult enough being an ER doctor, but when your patient happens to be part of the most notorious biker gangs, you have to have nerves of steel. That's what Shannon Livingston was made of. That's how her past shaped her... to be the best no matter what or at what cost.
This novel will take you on a roller coaster ride, it's full of suspense, mystery and with cowboys, lots of shooting! The plot of this story is fantastic. Who would have thought cowboys and biker gangs? It works so well and keeps the reader guessing with all the turns and twists in the plot.
The reader will fall in love with the Thorn family, not to mention the Thorn brothers, but then who can resist a cowboy?
As I was reading, I was getting annoyed with Shannon, when she was putting her career ahead of her marriage and denying her feelings for her husband. Who doesn't want to be loved by someone like Jake Thorn? Why does she keep holding back? Why couldn't she compromise?
The author is an excellent writer and she brings you into the story; the reader truly feels like they are a part of the Thorn family. The reader can feel the suspense and action that is happening.
What I took away from this novel is the theme of God's love; His love for us, and how we should love others. It's about putting our full faith in Him and letting Him direct our paths. Not taking each hurt we have, holding on to it, but giving everything to God and letting go. That means letting the past be in the past and moving on to the future. It means forgiving.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and I look forward to reading more from Dana Mentink.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The Texas Cowboy in Books
Jan 8, 2021
3.5 stars.
Once again I was attracted to the cover. Attractive guy. Cowboy hat. (I seem to like cowboys in stories, so I was sorted!)
The thing I feel I have to mention first is Laura. She is so annoying! She’s so reliant on image, it’s unbelievable. I wanted to smack her several times throughout the book.
Then I’ll mention Jack. That first meeting of eyes across the street, the wink and his words: “I’ve never been to England, but they say it’s real pretty. Welcome to Texas, Vicky. Give me a call sometime and I’ll show you the sights. I might even be able to show you a few things that your cousin doesn’t know about.” He gave he another broad wink and tipped his hat.” I liked him right then.
And as for Vicky. Good for her for wanting to go out with Jack, even while her cousin disapproves! As an English girl myself, I was cheering her on. Who doesn’t think about cowboys wanting to sweep you off your feet? Okay, probably not everyone but I like the idea.
The storyline seems to follow a series of unfortunate events between Jack and Vicky where they miss each others calls or see the other with someone else and jump to the wrong conclusions. When it all got resolved it was all very sweet and romantic.
It was a short read, just over 100 pages, but it was quite romantic when they finally got together and I liked it. If you’re looking for a short romance or a nice cowboy read then you should give this a try.
Once again I was attracted to the cover. Attractive guy. Cowboy hat. (I seem to like cowboys in stories, so I was sorted!)
The thing I feel I have to mention first is Laura. She is so annoying! She’s so reliant on image, it’s unbelievable. I wanted to smack her several times throughout the book.
Then I’ll mention Jack. That first meeting of eyes across the street, the wink and his words: “I’ve never been to England, but they say it’s real pretty. Welcome to Texas, Vicky. Give me a call sometime and I’ll show you the sights. I might even be able to show you a few things that your cousin doesn’t know about.” He gave he another broad wink and tipped his hat.” I liked him right then.
And as for Vicky. Good for her for wanting to go out with Jack, even while her cousin disapproves! As an English girl myself, I was cheering her on. Who doesn’t think about cowboys wanting to sweep you off your feet? Okay, probably not everyone but I like the idea.
The storyline seems to follow a series of unfortunate events between Jack and Vicky where they miss each others calls or see the other with someone else and jump to the wrong conclusions. When it all got resolved it was all very sweet and romantic.
It was a short read, just over 100 pages, but it was quite romantic when they finally got together and I liked it. If you’re looking for a short romance or a nice cowboy read then you should give this a try.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Red Dirt Heart (Red Dirt Heart, #1) in Books
Jan 11, 2021
4.5 stars.
I'm ashamed to say that this is my first N.R. Walker. I need more of her work if they're all like this! (And the fact that in her author info bit she put that she likes it when "they do naughty things together...but she likes it even more when they fall in love.) My type of author!
I loved the setting. I seem to have quite a thing for cowboys! I loved how she went about writing their slow progression into a relationship. I loved how she evolved her characters.
I just need more Charlie and Travis full stop.
My only complaint was the editing. A slight thing, I know, but words were missing and some were added that weren't needed. Other than that I loved it :)
I'm ashamed to say that this is my first N.R. Walker. I need more of her work if they're all like this! (And the fact that in her author info bit she put that she likes it when "they do naughty things together...but she likes it even more when they fall in love.) My type of author!
I loved the setting. I seem to have quite a thing for cowboys! I loved how she went about writing their slow progression into a relationship. I loved how she evolved her characters.
I just need more Charlie and Travis full stop.
My only complaint was the editing. A slight thing, I know, but words were missing and some were added that weren't needed. Other than that I loved it :)
LeftSideCut (3778 KP) rated Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) in Movies
Jan 6, 2022
There's a point in TGC where the two main characters are storming an enemy base, stylishly dispatching, blowing up and shooting all manners of henchman, robots, robot dogs, and cowboys with electric whips, all whilst Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright" blasts out in the background, and then the actual Elton John fly-kicks some poor fucker in the face, and everything is so off-the-rails bat-shit that it all clicks into place.
Sadly, it's takes two hours of often fun, but definitely bloated runtime to get there.
It lacks the finesse and hard hitting impact of the first entry and it's memorable set pieces and doesn't feel as tight.
It's still entertaining mind, but the finished product comes across as a little wayward in it's pursuit of non-stop absurdity, and no amount of spy-fingering at Glastonbury Festival can mask that.
Sadly, it's takes two hours of often fun, but definitely bloated runtime to get there.
It lacks the finesse and hard hitting impact of the first entry and it's memorable set pieces and doesn't feel as tight.
It's still entertaining mind, but the finished product comes across as a little wayward in it's pursuit of non-stop absurdity, and no amount of spy-fingering at Glastonbury Festival can mask that.
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated The Cowboy's Holiday Bride: A Clean Romance in Books
Feb 24, 2021
Can you say The Cowboys Holiday Bride three times fast? Well, I tried and failed. But I so enjoyed this rendition of A Christmas Carol themed story! Cathy McDavid has always been a favorite author from the Harlequin publishers as she has consistently good and relaxing stories.
This book was sweet, a little sassy, and made me smile. I so enjoyed getting to read and learn about Cash and Phoebe. I thought that their story was well laid out, had good character arcs, and I loved (have I said I loved the interesting take on A Christmas Carol?) Cathy McDavid’s unique and fun take on this classic story. It was just what I needed in the midst of this season. I recommend it to anyone wanting a feelgood story that will make you warm and fuzzy inside.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the well-done plot, the fun characters, and for making me smile & relax.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
This book was sweet, a little sassy, and made me smile. I so enjoyed getting to read and learn about Cash and Phoebe. I thought that their story was well laid out, had good character arcs, and I loved (have I said I loved the interesting take on A Christmas Carol?) Cathy McDavid’s unique and fun take on this classic story. It was just what I needed in the midst of this season. I recommend it to anyone wanting a feelgood story that will make you warm and fuzzy inside.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the well-done plot, the fun characters, and for making me smile & relax.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Apaches (1977) in Movies
Jan 21, 2021
Nerve-manglingly bleak and grim public information film. Six young children play cowboys and indians, cops and robbers, etc, on a (seemingly quite badly managed) farm and are one-by-one crushed under trailers, drowned in slurry pits, poisoned by weedkiller, etc, etc. All the time the adults are preparing for a mysterious party...
Pretty much guaranteed to traumatise most young viewers, I would have thought, and quite a tough watch for anyone else: you *know* that something horrifically fatal is going to befall one of the young cast every few minutes. In this respect it's written and paced exactly like a horror movie, the kind of thing children would never be allowed to watch - but this is supposed to be educational, see, so they can do things you'd never be allowed to show in an actual commercial movie. Director Mackenzie would go on to make The Long Good Friday and The Fourth Protocol (amongst other things) and brings a mixture of gritty naturalism and an eerie, dream-like quality to the film. Nastily effective: enough to put anyone off a trip to the countryside.
Pretty much guaranteed to traumatise most young viewers, I would have thought, and quite a tough watch for anyone else: you *know* that something horrifically fatal is going to befall one of the young cast every few minutes. In this respect it's written and paced exactly like a horror movie, the kind of thing children would never be allowed to watch - but this is supposed to be educational, see, so they can do things you'd never be allowed to show in an actual commercial movie. Director Mackenzie would go on to make The Long Good Friday and The Fourth Protocol (amongst other things) and brings a mixture of gritty naturalism and an eerie, dream-like quality to the film. Nastily effective: enough to put anyone off a trip to the countryside.
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Dice Town: Cowboys in Tabletop Games
Jun 25, 2021
In the expansion review series, we take a look at a game expansion to discuss whether it is a necessary purchase/addition to one’s collection.
This breakdown is for the push-your-luck dice and take-that game Dice Town’s expansion Cowboys.
This expansion adds a new board overlay to placed between Town Hall and Doc Badluck, 21 cow minis, some General Store cards to be shuffled with the base game, 12 Cowboy card, and four Rodeo cards. The Rodeo cards are 10 VP cards that are earned once a player owns a Cowboy card in each suit. Cowboy cards are recruited by the player who rolls the most Aces. They have the choice of recruiting a Cowboy or Stealing Cows (first from the new Prairie Board overlay, but if empty, then from other players). Cowboy cards can offer various abilities to be used or can be saved to earn a Rodeo VP card. Cow minis can be kept in a loose herd in front of the player or can be added on top of a Deed card in order to keep the Deed card and cows from being stolen by other players. If a Deed card shows, for example, a value of 4 then four cows will need to be added to the Deed card. Once the Deed card has its herd of cows upon it, the card is now worth an extra VP. Also at game end the player with the largest herd of cows will earn 10 additional bonus VP. Yee haw!
So here’s the thing: I love Dice Town as is. But adding in this expansion just adds another layer of strategic complexity and increases the enjoyment for me by tons. Having little cows in my play area and using them to graze upon my land deeds is quite satisfying. Being able to sprinkle in some of the Cowboy cards and hopefully earn a Rodeo card as well just boosts the ol’ final score by a significant amount. So the addition of this expansion is all about those VP gainz.
Official recommendation: I think any gamer who owns and enjoys Dice Town should definitely pick up the Cowboys expansion. It adds very important components to the base game and offers more choices for great rolls. And what gamer doesn’t appreciate more choices? This is a definite must-buy for me, but I wouldn’t turn down a chance to play just the base game either.
This breakdown is for the push-your-luck dice and take-that game Dice Town’s expansion Cowboys.
This expansion adds a new board overlay to placed between Town Hall and Doc Badluck, 21 cow minis, some General Store cards to be shuffled with the base game, 12 Cowboy card, and four Rodeo cards. The Rodeo cards are 10 VP cards that are earned once a player owns a Cowboy card in each suit. Cowboy cards are recruited by the player who rolls the most Aces. They have the choice of recruiting a Cowboy or Stealing Cows (first from the new Prairie Board overlay, but if empty, then from other players). Cowboy cards can offer various abilities to be used or can be saved to earn a Rodeo VP card. Cow minis can be kept in a loose herd in front of the player or can be added on top of a Deed card in order to keep the Deed card and cows from being stolen by other players. If a Deed card shows, for example, a value of 4 then four cows will need to be added to the Deed card. Once the Deed card has its herd of cows upon it, the card is now worth an extra VP. Also at game end the player with the largest herd of cows will earn 10 additional bonus VP. Yee haw!
So here’s the thing: I love Dice Town as is. But adding in this expansion just adds another layer of strategic complexity and increases the enjoyment for me by tons. Having little cows in my play area and using them to graze upon my land deeds is quite satisfying. Being able to sprinkle in some of the Cowboy cards and hopefully earn a Rodeo card as well just boosts the ol’ final score by a significant amount. So the addition of this expansion is all about those VP gainz.
Official recommendation: I think any gamer who owns and enjoys Dice Town should definitely pick up the Cowboys expansion. It adds very important components to the base game and offers more choices for great rolls. And what gamer doesn’t appreciate more choices? This is a definite must-buy for me, but I wouldn’t turn down a chance to play just the base game either.
