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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Fearless (Scarlet Suffragette #1) in Books
Apr 21, 2021
54 of 250
Kindle
Fearless ( Scarlet suffragette book 1)
By Nicola Claire
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Nicola Claire's captivating new Gothic romance series introduces a dark and sinister early settler New Zealand at the end of the nineteenth century - brightened by a fearless and talented heroine and a loyal and secretive police inspector...
Free spirit. Brilliant. A Liability?
Doctor Anna Cassidy has been trained by the best; the former Chief Surgeon for the Auckland Police Force. She knows how to dissect a body. She knows how to treat any ailment. And she knows how to find a cause of death.
But society is not ready for a female surgeon.
Fighting for what she believes in has been ingrained in Anna since she was a young child. But the battles she faces now are not all based on equality. A murderer stalks her fellow Suffragettes and the police inspector in charge of the case could be Anna's downfall.
Experienced. Dedicated. Something to hide?
Inspector Andrew Kelly holds duty and honour in the highest regard. His role as a detective proves just that; he never stops until justice is served. Love is something he has forsaken, for reasons he'd rather you didn't know.
But Anna is not a woman a man can ignore.
Fighting his instincts with cold determination is something Kelly has become accustomed to. But a murderer is loose in his adopted city, bringing memories to the fore of a killer who walked in the shadows of Whitechapel, and shining light on a dark past the Inspector is trying hard to forget.
A gritty, twisted, and authentic Victorian romantic suspense, sure to rip you apart... just like old Jack.
This had all of my favourite things! Gruesome murders linked to Jack the Ripper, historical romance , strong female lead and a very good story. Although the murderer was quite clear to me from the beginning I absolutely loved reading it play out! Definitely worth a try if you like any of the things I mentioned!
Kindle
Fearless ( Scarlet suffragette book 1)
By Nicola Claire
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
Nicola Claire's captivating new Gothic romance series introduces a dark and sinister early settler New Zealand at the end of the nineteenth century - brightened by a fearless and talented heroine and a loyal and secretive police inspector...
Free spirit. Brilliant. A Liability?
Doctor Anna Cassidy has been trained by the best; the former Chief Surgeon for the Auckland Police Force. She knows how to dissect a body. She knows how to treat any ailment. And she knows how to find a cause of death.
But society is not ready for a female surgeon.
Fighting for what she believes in has been ingrained in Anna since she was a young child. But the battles she faces now are not all based on equality. A murderer stalks her fellow Suffragettes and the police inspector in charge of the case could be Anna's downfall.
Experienced. Dedicated. Something to hide?
Inspector Andrew Kelly holds duty and honour in the highest regard. His role as a detective proves just that; he never stops until justice is served. Love is something he has forsaken, for reasons he'd rather you didn't know.
But Anna is not a woman a man can ignore.
Fighting his instincts with cold determination is something Kelly has become accustomed to. But a murderer is loose in his adopted city, bringing memories to the fore of a killer who walked in the shadows of Whitechapel, and shining light on a dark past the Inspector is trying hard to forget.
A gritty, twisted, and authentic Victorian romantic suspense, sure to rip you apart... just like old Jack.
This had all of my favourite things! Gruesome murders linked to Jack the Ripper, historical romance , strong female lead and a very good story. Although the murderer was quite clear to me from the beginning I absolutely loved reading it play out! Definitely worth a try if you like any of the things I mentioned!
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated The Curse of Crow Hollow in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Read the original review on my blog: https://bookmarkedreading.wordpress.com/2015/10/05/book-review-the-curse-of-crow-hollow/
The Curse of Crow Hollow is a story of a town fighting for survival, trying so desperately to maintain their perfect society while tearing it apart themselves. It's written to sound as though you are being spoken to (and I can't help but wonder how anyone would have the time to tell a story this long) and in a rather unique way, as well. The writing style made me think of old-fashioned towns or something, at least until phones and flat-screen TVs are mentioned.
Crow Hollow is home to a witch. Yep, a witch. After her husband was found dead at the roadside, Alvaretta Graves shut herself away in a tiny little cabin in the woods. No one dared to go up there; the whole town knew to stay away from Alvaretta.
But the reader is told of a story that begins with a group of teenagers - Cordelia, Scarlett, Naomi and Hays - who go where nobody has gone for a long, long time. And when an incident involving Cordelia's mother's bracelet, the kids are led right to clearing where Alvaretta settled all those years ago.
After meeting the witch, those kids' lives will never be the same. Nor will any of the lives of their friends, families and neighbours. The witches curse spreads through the town, leaving everyone in panic.
Will they be able to fix their mistakes? Rid the town of evil and return to their normal lives? The chances are slim at best. Despite this, they are determined to try their hardest. The plot was definitely exciting, and there were more than a few elements of surprise in this book. Nothing better than a good old plot twist. But I did find it a little hard to follow, as I got caught up in the details and numerous characters a fair few times. (Who's Landis again? Which one is the doctor?) But like I said, I loved the whole idea of the book and the writing style, despite it being rather different for me. So I'm going to give The Curse of Crow Hollow 3.5 stars out of 5.
The Curse of Crow Hollow is a story of a town fighting for survival, trying so desperately to maintain their perfect society while tearing it apart themselves. It's written to sound as though you are being spoken to (and I can't help but wonder how anyone would have the time to tell a story this long) and in a rather unique way, as well. The writing style made me think of old-fashioned towns or something, at least until phones and flat-screen TVs are mentioned.
Crow Hollow is home to a witch. Yep, a witch. After her husband was found dead at the roadside, Alvaretta Graves shut herself away in a tiny little cabin in the woods. No one dared to go up there; the whole town knew to stay away from Alvaretta.
But the reader is told of a story that begins with a group of teenagers - Cordelia, Scarlett, Naomi and Hays - who go where nobody has gone for a long, long time. And when an incident involving Cordelia's mother's bracelet, the kids are led right to clearing where Alvaretta settled all those years ago.
After meeting the witch, those kids' lives will never be the same. Nor will any of the lives of their friends, families and neighbours. The witches curse spreads through the town, leaving everyone in panic.
Will they be able to fix their mistakes? Rid the town of evil and return to their normal lives? The chances are slim at best. Despite this, they are determined to try their hardest. The plot was definitely exciting, and there were more than a few elements of surprise in this book. Nothing better than a good old plot twist. But I did find it a little hard to follow, as I got caught up in the details and numerous characters a fair few times. (Who's Landis again? Which one is the doctor?) But like I said, I loved the whole idea of the book and the writing style, despite it being rather different for me. So I'm going to give The Curse of Crow Hollow 3.5 stars out of 5.
The Last Express
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Step aboard the 1914 Orient Express in this award-winning mystery adventure from Prince of Persia...
Fearless (Scarlet Suffragette #1)
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Nicola Claire's captivating new Gothic romance series introduces a dark and sinister early settler...
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Dear Sister (Sweet Valley High, #7) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Warning: This is more book report than review but I just couldn't help myself. :P
In a fit of nostalgia I decided to pick up a Sweet Valley High book. I used to read these nonstop starting when I was eleven or so. Part of the reason I decided to read this particular one is of a supposedly risque scene between Liz and Bruce Patman, and even though I know I had read this exact book before, I had no recollection of this event.
So even though this is really an immediate sequel to number six in the series (confusing much), it's easy to pick up where the plot left off (aren't they always?). Elizabeth, part of the all-American, blonde, perfect size-six figure (in the newest books they're size four), sunny personality, Californian duo that make up the Wakefield twins, along with sister Jessica, lies in a coma. She got that way by riding on the back of her boyfriend Todd's new motorcycle and getting hit by a drunk driver. Jessica was partially at fault because she was supposed to pick her up at a party but never showed up. First evidence of Jessica's self-absorbed nature. So Liz miraculously recovers from her coma after the doctor tells Jessica that she could help Liz by talking to her because she has the strongest link or some other malarkey. During her supposedly heartfelt talks, she inadvertently calls Liz a jerk ("Only a jerk would count on me." pg. 5), once again showing what a b*tch Jessica really is. So when Liz wakes up at the end of the chapter, she immediately only cares with how she looks, Jess is only slightly off-put by this turn of events.
So the rest of the book is Liz forgoing her usual nature of sweet, responsible, older sis-type and instead out-Jessica-ing-Jessica, which I think was actually used in the book. That ain't good, two Jessica's? Could there be anything worse? Yeah, so Jessica is forced to turn more into what Elizabeth is usually like in this book, but we all know that won't last and she won't learn any lessons either. Liz proceeds to make excuses to get out of doing any kind of work, sneaking off, wearing next to nothing, including a barely there bikini, and basically acting like an irresponsible 16-year-old. Sweet Valley is full of obtuse people who don't realize Liz is any different than usual (uh, hello?), even her own parents stay astonishingly dimwitted, which I guess isn't really all that surprising. I won't give anything away to anyone who wants to read the outcome, but at the end all's well that ends well as usual in the soap opera town of Sweet Valley, California.
And yes, the scene was racy for its time and series.
In a fit of nostalgia I decided to pick up a Sweet Valley High book. I used to read these nonstop starting when I was eleven or so. Part of the reason I decided to read this particular one is of a supposedly risque scene between Liz and Bruce Patman, and even though I know I had read this exact book before, I had no recollection of this event.
So even though this is really an immediate sequel to number six in the series (confusing much), it's easy to pick up where the plot left off (aren't they always?). Elizabeth, part of the all-American, blonde, perfect size-six figure (in the newest books they're size four), sunny personality, Californian duo that make up the Wakefield twins, along with sister Jessica, lies in a coma. She got that way by riding on the back of her boyfriend Todd's new motorcycle and getting hit by a drunk driver. Jessica was partially at fault because she was supposed to pick her up at a party but never showed up. First evidence of Jessica's self-absorbed nature. So Liz miraculously recovers from her coma after the doctor tells Jessica that she could help Liz by talking to her because she has the strongest link or some other malarkey. During her supposedly heartfelt talks, she inadvertently calls Liz a jerk ("Only a jerk would count on me." pg. 5), once again showing what a b*tch Jessica really is. So when Liz wakes up at the end of the chapter, she immediately only cares with how she looks, Jess is only slightly off-put by this turn of events.
So the rest of the book is Liz forgoing her usual nature of sweet, responsible, older sis-type and instead out-Jessica-ing-Jessica, which I think was actually used in the book. That ain't good, two Jessica's? Could there be anything worse? Yeah, so Jessica is forced to turn more into what Elizabeth is usually like in this book, but we all know that won't last and she won't learn any lessons either. Liz proceeds to make excuses to get out of doing any kind of work, sneaking off, wearing next to nothing, including a barely there bikini, and basically acting like an irresponsible 16-year-old. Sweet Valley is full of obtuse people who don't realize Liz is any different than usual (uh, hello?), even her own parents stay astonishingly dimwitted, which I guess isn't really all that surprising. I won't give anything away to anyone who wants to read the outcome, but at the end all's well that ends well as usual in the soap opera town of Sweet Valley, California.
And yes, the scene was racy for its time and series.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Halloween (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
“Halloween” has long been considered by many to have been the film that started the “Slasher” subculture. The independent movie became a box office smash and made Michael Myers a cultural icon ever since its debut in 1978.
Although multiple sequels and a reboot followed over the years; they did not match the intensity of the original as they opted for higher body counts and gore versus suspense and story and in many ways became almost a parody of themselves as Michael would cut down cast after cast of teens and anyone else in his way.
The new film takes the approach that none of the films after the first ever happened so instead of Michael stalking Lorrie in a hospital in “Halloween 2”; he was captured and incarcerated in an mental institute for the last forty years where he has remained silent despite his Doctor (Haluk Bilginer) best efforts to get him to speak as he attempts to understand what motivates a person described as pure evil.
The forty years since “The Night He Came Home” has not been kind to Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis); as since her encounter with Michael: she has become a hard drinking isolationist who suffers from severe Post Traumatic Syndrome. Laurie has become obsessed with guns, weapons, and protection to the point that it has cost her two marriages and even had her only child Karen (Judy Greer) taken from her by the state which has resulted in her having a fractured relationship with her and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak).
When a pair of journalists attempt to interview Laurie to try to get her to agree to a face to face with Michael; it sets a chain of events into motion which leads to Michael escaping during a prison transfer.
Michael wastes no time in returning home leaving a trail of death in his path and sets him on a collision course with Laurie who has spent the last forty years preparing for his return.
The film is a true sequel to the original as aside from the second film; it is the closest in tone and theme to the original. While it does have more gore and a higher body count in keeping with the modern expectations of a film of this type, writers David Gordon Green and Danny McBride clearly understand the source material and have crafted an extension of the original versus a continuation refurbished. The fact that John Carpenter has returned as an Executive Producer also helps.
The film wisely sets the focus on the characters which makes the horror aspects more compelling as this is not a bunch of anonymous victims we are watching.
A sequel is reportedly in development and I hope this creative team returns as this was a truly worthy sequel to the classic original that was long overdue.
http://sknr.net/2018/10/17/halloween/
Although multiple sequels and a reboot followed over the years; they did not match the intensity of the original as they opted for higher body counts and gore versus suspense and story and in many ways became almost a parody of themselves as Michael would cut down cast after cast of teens and anyone else in his way.
The new film takes the approach that none of the films after the first ever happened so instead of Michael stalking Lorrie in a hospital in “Halloween 2”; he was captured and incarcerated in an mental institute for the last forty years where he has remained silent despite his Doctor (Haluk Bilginer) best efforts to get him to speak as he attempts to understand what motivates a person described as pure evil.
The forty years since “The Night He Came Home” has not been kind to Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis); as since her encounter with Michael: she has become a hard drinking isolationist who suffers from severe Post Traumatic Syndrome. Laurie has become obsessed with guns, weapons, and protection to the point that it has cost her two marriages and even had her only child Karen (Judy Greer) taken from her by the state which has resulted in her having a fractured relationship with her and her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak).
When a pair of journalists attempt to interview Laurie to try to get her to agree to a face to face with Michael; it sets a chain of events into motion which leads to Michael escaping during a prison transfer.
Michael wastes no time in returning home leaving a trail of death in his path and sets him on a collision course with Laurie who has spent the last forty years preparing for his return.
The film is a true sequel to the original as aside from the second film; it is the closest in tone and theme to the original. While it does have more gore and a higher body count in keeping with the modern expectations of a film of this type, writers David Gordon Green and Danny McBride clearly understand the source material and have crafted an extension of the original versus a continuation refurbished. The fact that John Carpenter has returned as an Executive Producer also helps.
The film wisely sets the focus on the characters which makes the horror aspects more compelling as this is not a bunch of anonymous victims we are watching.
A sequel is reportedly in development and I hope this creative team returns as this was a truly worthy sequel to the classic original that was long overdue.
http://sknr.net/2018/10/17/halloween/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Operation Finale (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Fifteen years after the end of World War II there are still high ranking Nazi officials who have not been brought to justice. One of the biggest names to yet be captured is Adolph Eichmann (Ben Kingsley), the so called Architect of the Final Solution. Then in May 1960 someone in Argentina tips off the Israeli government that Eichmann may be hiding out in near Buenos Ares, Argentina. When the leader of an Israeli special unit finds out he sends an agent, Zvi Aharoni (Michael Aronov), to confirm the identity of the war criminal. When they determine that this has to be their man, a unit of operatives led by Peter Malkin (Oscar Isaac) set out to bring Eichmann to justice. In the past the unit has been able to deliver swift justice and in most cases there was no trial. But for a man that brought so much pain to so many Jewish people they must bring him to justice in the newly established state of Israel for all the world to see. Unfortunately the Argentine government would object to such an operation on its soil. So risky and daring plan for Peter to grab Eichmann near his home and get him to a safe house nearby. The would then have disguise him and Doctor Hanna Elian (Melanie Laurent) would have to keep him drugged all the way to the airport and on to awaiting plane out of the country. All of this will dodging Nazi sympathizers both in the police and roaming the streets. But for the 6 million of their people who died at the hands of men like Eichmann they must try.
This is the incredible true story of the capture of one of the top Nazi officials. The story is set up well by Director Chris Weitz (About a Boy, The Golden Compass). Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac give outstanding performances. Kingsley’s character and how his story develops is interesting. The entire supporting cast does well and Nick Kroll (Sing, The House) brings a surprising bit of fun to a heavy story line. Some may say the bits of humor might be a little odd given the subject matter but I thought it brought a realness and humanity to the film. The balance between the humor and showing the horror of World War II was really well done. At a little over two hours it does run a little long and there are flashback scenes that are at inconsistent times.
I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Not having heard this story before I enjoyed how this film was laid out for the audience. It definitely made me want to learn more about this unique true story. I think this is a film that shows the importance of people fighting to bring truth and justice to the world regardless of the odds.
This is the incredible true story of the capture of one of the top Nazi officials. The story is set up well by Director Chris Weitz (About a Boy, The Golden Compass). Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac give outstanding performances. Kingsley’s character and how his story develops is interesting. The entire supporting cast does well and Nick Kroll (Sing, The House) brings a surprising bit of fun to a heavy story line. Some may say the bits of humor might be a little odd given the subject matter but I thought it brought a realness and humanity to the film. The balance between the humor and showing the horror of World War II was really well done. At a little over two hours it does run a little long and there are flashback scenes that are at inconsistent times.
I was pleasantly surprised by this film. Not having heard this story before I enjoyed how this film was laid out for the audience. It definitely made me want to learn more about this unique true story. I think this is a film that shows the importance of people fighting to bring truth and justice to the world regardless of the odds.
SnoreMonitorSleepLab
Medical and Health & Fitness
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App Name SnoreMonitor SleepLab Two years as top paid Medical App in Sweden. Most downloaded in...
Fairy Sisters 2 - Magical Forest Adventures & Animal Care
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Welcome to the magical forest! Meet the adorable Fairy Sisters to play ant learn in their enchanted...
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Trust Me, I'm a Superhero in Tabletop Games
Oct 8, 2020
You know when you’re fortunate enough to be given superpowers but they are super lame? Yeah me neither, but I still think it would be awesome to have even the lamest superpower. Well, if you’re like me, you will relish the opportunity to play Trust Me, I’m a Superhero where you can try out different superhero combinations and aid the citizens of our fair city!
Trust Me, I’m a Superhero is a negotiation-style party card game in the vein of Apples to Apples. In it players are bogus superheros answering the Call for Help and attempting to convince the Director to send them out as the city’s hero.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I know for sure that the final components will be different from these shown. I usually include a messy photo as my last of the review, but in this case I captured the art style that will be used in the final version. You are invited to back the game through the Kickstarter campaign launching October 27, 2020, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, shuffle the Super deck and Power deck separately. Deal each player five cards from each deck and the game may begin!
Playing Trust Me, I’m a Superhero is incredibly simple. From the hand of 10 cards dealt players will choose one Super card and one Power card to mash together creating a lame superhero. Players will display their superhero face-up in front of them. The player who is the current Director will flip over the top Call for Help card, read it aloud, and then players will initiate discussion with the Director to convince them that their hero should be sent to answer the call. The Director then chooses the best superhero by awarding the Call for Help card to the winning player. The next player in clock-wise order is the next Director. Play continues in this fashion until a player has won three Call for Help cards or some other determined time limit.
Components. Well, I cannot really comment on the components too much as again, I am using a prototype copy with prototype non-final artwork. From the photo below of the art style the final game will be using I can see that the art is whimsical and cartoony, which is perfect for this game. I am also sure that components will probably be upgraded as a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign with crushed stretch goals.
I have also played and reviewed Trust Me, I’m a Doctor and I said that I liked it, and I do. But if I like Trust Me, I’m a Doctor then I love Trust Me, I’m a Superhero. Just the added little twist of choosing your Super and Power cards BEFORE you see what the Call for Help will be is excellent. This game would be so different if you saw the Help card prior to assembling your Super Power. It would be too easy and not at all hilarious. I am so glad this twist exists and helps to elevate this from a good game to a great little A2A spin-off that CAN get NSFW with the right (or wrong?) people, and will feature some fun art. If you are interested in this little title, please consider backing it on Kickstarter on October 27, 2020! Tell them Purple Phoenix Games sent ya or I’ll send over Solar-Powered Punch or Seductive Corpse to rough you up a bit.
Trust Me, I’m a Superhero is a negotiation-style party card game in the vein of Apples to Apples. In it players are bogus superheros answering the Call for Help and attempting to convince the Director to send them out as the city’s hero.
DISCLAIMER: We were provided a prototype copy of this game for the purposes of this review. These are preview copy components, and I know for sure that the final components will be different from these shown. I usually include a messy photo as my last of the review, but in this case I captured the art style that will be used in the final version. You are invited to back the game through the Kickstarter campaign launching October 27, 2020, or purchase through any retailers stocking it after fulfillment. -T
To setup, shuffle the Super deck and Power deck separately. Deal each player five cards from each deck and the game may begin!
Playing Trust Me, I’m a Superhero is incredibly simple. From the hand of 10 cards dealt players will choose one Super card and one Power card to mash together creating a lame superhero. Players will display their superhero face-up in front of them. The player who is the current Director will flip over the top Call for Help card, read it aloud, and then players will initiate discussion with the Director to convince them that their hero should be sent to answer the call. The Director then chooses the best superhero by awarding the Call for Help card to the winning player. The next player in clock-wise order is the next Director. Play continues in this fashion until a player has won three Call for Help cards or some other determined time limit.
Components. Well, I cannot really comment on the components too much as again, I am using a prototype copy with prototype non-final artwork. From the photo below of the art style the final game will be using I can see that the art is whimsical and cartoony, which is perfect for this game. I am also sure that components will probably be upgraded as a result of a successful Kickstarter campaign with crushed stretch goals.
I have also played and reviewed Trust Me, I’m a Doctor and I said that I liked it, and I do. But if I like Trust Me, I’m a Doctor then I love Trust Me, I’m a Superhero. Just the added little twist of choosing your Super and Power cards BEFORE you see what the Call for Help will be is excellent. This game would be so different if you saw the Help card prior to assembling your Super Power. It would be too easy and not at all hilarious. I am so glad this twist exists and helps to elevate this from a good game to a great little A2A spin-off that CAN get NSFW with the right (or wrong?) people, and will feature some fun art. If you are interested in this little title, please consider backing it on Kickstarter on October 27, 2020! Tell them Purple Phoenix Games sent ya or I’ll send over Solar-Powered Punch or Seductive Corpse to rough you up a bit.
