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Merissa (11800 KP) rated Carnal Secrets Box Set in Books
Mar 18, 2019
Carnal Secrets Box Set by Vonna Harper
This box set comprises the first three stories in the Carnal Secrets series. All of the stories are very #DARK, with non-con sex, kidnap, abuse, to name just three. This is not a box set for the faint-hearted.
Out of the three, I thought Naked Nights was the strongest, with Taking Her Down as the weakest. All of the stories had mixed elements to them, some which I thought were well done, others, not so much. Taking Her Down though was too confusing from the start. There was no clear clarification about the whole story/role-play - with hints given about a possible supernatural element to the island and how it affects the characters, but nothing ever being said out loud or being made clear. Other characters definitely need more to them as they seem to play a big role, but then fade into the distance.
A box set to pass the time if you fancy something dark, but that won't make you think too deeply.
* 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!
Out of the three, I thought Naked Nights was the strongest, with Taking Her Down as the weakest. All of the stories had mixed elements to them, some which I thought were well done, others, not so much. Taking Her Down though was too confusing from the start. There was no clear clarification about the whole story/role-play - with hints given about a possible supernatural element to the island and how it affects the characters, but nothing ever being said out loud or being made clear. Other characters definitely need more to them as they seem to play a big role, but then fade into the distance.
A box set to pass the time if you fancy something dark, but that won't make you think too deeply.
* 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!
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981) in Movies
Sep 30, 2019
Overrated
Out of all of the old school horror films, Friday the 13th is probably the one I like the least. Whilst it’s a great concept being set in a camp by a lake, I think it’s rather poorly and cheesily executed. I’ve seen the original many times, but this is the first time I’ve seen any of the ‘original’ sequels and I’m afraid I didn’t think much of this either.
The main problem with this is that i found Jason to be rather disappointing. Admittedly I’ve grown up with the later version of Jason (hockey mask and machete), and whilst the machete makes an appearance, I don’t find this version of Jason very scary at all. He isn’t helped by the cheesy scenes, poor script and rather bizarre fade to white scenes. It’s a shame, as the deaths are actually rather inventive but as with all 80s horrors, they’re not nearly as gruesome as they could be. Either that or I’ve become numb to the deaths after the extreme and gory modern horrors that have been out since.
Despite all of the negatives, it is still a rather silly yet enjoyable film. Just not quite the classic it’s made out to be.
The main problem with this is that i found Jason to be rather disappointing. Admittedly I’ve grown up with the later version of Jason (hockey mask and machete), and whilst the machete makes an appearance, I don’t find this version of Jason very scary at all. He isn’t helped by the cheesy scenes, poor script and rather bizarre fade to white scenes. It’s a shame, as the deaths are actually rather inventive but as with all 80s horrors, they’re not nearly as gruesome as they could be. Either that or I’ve become numb to the deaths after the extreme and gory modern horrors that have been out since.
Despite all of the negatives, it is still a rather silly yet enjoyable film. Just not quite the classic it’s made out to be.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Open Your Heart ( Chosen by Fate 2) in Books
Oct 9, 2023
148 of 235
Kindle
Open your Heart ( Chosen by Fate 2)
By Aspen Winters
⭐️⭐️
My name is Clara Daniels, and I used to be normal.
All I wanted was to get my business degree and live my life on my own terms, with my sister by my side and away from my two-face mother and her nosy husband who refuses to stay out of my business. But Fate had a different plan. Not just Fate, but The Fate, as in one of the three sisters with the golden scissors that decides everything.
Currently, I am fully Bonded to Ra, an Egyptian god, and nearly Bonded to four others. They call me their Balance. Without me, they would fade away. Die. Now, the Titans are after us, and all hell is breaking loose.
Fate has disappeared and the gods will stop at nothing to be sure I am kept out of harm’s way. But a war is coming.
I can feel it.
I did like this more than book 1 and I love the gods and most books centred round them but this was so repetitive and yes I know she has 5 of them to contend with but still everything was repeated 5 times and then some.
Kindle
Open your Heart ( Chosen by Fate 2)
By Aspen Winters
⭐️⭐️
My name is Clara Daniels, and I used to be normal.
All I wanted was to get my business degree and live my life on my own terms, with my sister by my side and away from my two-face mother and her nosy husband who refuses to stay out of my business. But Fate had a different plan. Not just Fate, but The Fate, as in one of the three sisters with the golden scissors that decides everything.
Currently, I am fully Bonded to Ra, an Egyptian god, and nearly Bonded to four others. They call me their Balance. Without me, they would fade away. Die. Now, the Titans are after us, and all hell is breaking loose.
Fate has disappeared and the gods will stop at nothing to be sure I am kept out of harm’s way. But a war is coming.
I can feel it.
I did like this more than book 1 and I love the gods and most books centred round them but this was so repetitive and yes I know she has 5 of them to contend with but still everything was repeated 5 times and then some.
Merissa (11800 KP) rated Dead of Winter (Aspen Falls #1) in Books
Mar 21, 2018
Dead of Winter (Aspen Falls #1) by Melissa Pearl & Anna Cruise
Dead of Winter is the first book in a new series called Aspen Falls, which is the name of the town Rosie Sweet returns to, even though she swore she never would. Life hasn't turned out how Rosie thought it would, and she seems to have an amazing knack of choosing the wrong men. When this lands her in deep water, she retreats to Aspen Falls, hoping that she will never be found. However, Aspen Falls is suffering a major drugs problem, and the two things just may be connected.
This is an easy-to-read romance suspense, with fade-to-black romance. Written with the combined talents of Melissa Pearl and Anna Cruise, I found their writing styles merged and complemented each other. I don't know who wrote what bit, and that doesn't bother me in the slightest. With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I enjoyed the pacing of this book. It felt very smooth as one scene transitioned to another. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is an easy-to-read romance suspense, with fade-to-black romance. Written with the combined talents of Melissa Pearl and Anna Cruise, I found their writing styles merged and complemented each other. I don't know who wrote what bit, and that doesn't bother me in the slightest. With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I enjoyed the pacing of this book. It felt very smooth as one scene transitioned to another. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Vegas (725 KP) rated Bad Times at the El Royale (2018) in Movies
Jan 8, 2019 (Updated Jan 8, 2019)
All of the cast (2 more)
The Direction
Beautifully Filmed
An instant classic...
There are very few films that grab my interest as much as this one did. I knew nothing about it at all when I sat down to watch it, I was just intrigued by the title...
A fantastic opening scene is one of the best I’ve seen for a long time and sets up the movie a treat.
The cast of characters are played perfectly, are very well cast and compliment each other as if they have all worked together before.
A special mention should go to Cynthia Erivo for her vocal performance that was stunning and captivating.
The film takes place at the El Royale a hotel/motel straddling the border over two states, that has seen its busy days fade away to the point of only having one member of staff working, and tends to attract the more seedy members of society.
The flash backs, and back tracks in the narrative which explain the story, work in a non complicated way and are interspaced at just the right times.
On top of this, the soundtrack should be one on anybody’s playlist...
I actually can't say too many good thing about this film, it is one of the best new films I have seen for many years...
A fantastic opening scene is one of the best I’ve seen for a long time and sets up the movie a treat.
The cast of characters are played perfectly, are very well cast and compliment each other as if they have all worked together before.
A special mention should go to Cynthia Erivo for her vocal performance that was stunning and captivating.
The film takes place at the El Royale a hotel/motel straddling the border over two states, that has seen its busy days fade away to the point of only having one member of staff working, and tends to attract the more seedy members of society.
The flash backs, and back tracks in the narrative which explain the story, work in a non complicated way and are interspaced at just the right times.
On top of this, the soundtrack should be one on anybody’s playlist...
I actually can't say too many good thing about this film, it is one of the best new films I have seen for many years...
Perfect Finish to a Trilogy
Contains spoilers, click to show
Wow what a brilliant piece of work! This was an incredible end for this brilliant series. Just a warning though if you are reading this series don't read the blurb for this book huge spoilers which kind of wrecked the suspense for me. Overall it was amazing and blew my freaking mind. *Spoiler Alert* I cried several times and when Stalker was killed I almost put it down I couldn't stand it I wanted so desperately for him to find a happy ending. Fade becomes a little less like a wet rag in this one which improved my opinion of him. I became attached to many characters that didn't survive the final battle but in the end it's war and I respect the fact that some of them died because it would've been completely unrealistic if they had all survived and that would have lowered my opinion of the book. I loved how the freaks evolved and came into play at the end it shows real research into realisitic war situations. finally I was shocked and amazed that Stone and Thimble survived and were on the island, great plot twist I was like "get the f**k out!" so that was a fun moment because many books are very predictable and that threw me for six. Amazing amazing work! Read it it'll change the way you see the world. :-)
Merissa (11800 KP) rated Atlantis Rising (Atlantis Rising, #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from Young Adult Bound Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review.
If you like stories based on Atlantis then I'm sure that you will enjoy this. It is a light, young adult book that incorporates a sideline of romance but it doesn't overpower the story.
Allison had a hard start in life. She was left in foster care at age 3 but she can't remember anything from before that. She was in the system for a while before being fostered and adopted by the McKyes. Three years ago though, she is approached by a man in the park who was there with his family and told that her abilities (that she knew about... sort of) were wanted by a 'bad man' who wouldn't hesitate to hurt her family to get to her. So Allison tries to fade into the background. She thinks she's doing okay until Ian and Brandy come along and shake things up.
This is a well-written story that moves along at a steady pace. Ian and Brandy are brilliant characters and really help this story to come alive. There are lots of other great supporting characters though, not just including the family and Lillian (who rocks!).
The ending is bittersweet and I am hoping that this will be part of a series. There are unanswered questions left over and I really want to see more of Allison and Ian. Definitely recommended!
If you like stories based on Atlantis then I'm sure that you will enjoy this. It is a light, young adult book that incorporates a sideline of romance but it doesn't overpower the story.
Allison had a hard start in life. She was left in foster care at age 3 but she can't remember anything from before that. She was in the system for a while before being fostered and adopted by the McKyes. Three years ago though, she is approached by a man in the park who was there with his family and told that her abilities (that she knew about... sort of) were wanted by a 'bad man' who wouldn't hesitate to hurt her family to get to her. So Allison tries to fade into the background. She thinks she's doing okay until Ian and Brandy come along and shake things up.
This is a well-written story that moves along at a steady pace. Ian and Brandy are brilliant characters and really help this story to come alive. There are lots of other great supporting characters though, not just including the family and Lillian (who rocks!).
The ending is bittersweet and I am hoping that this will be part of a series. There are unanswered questions left over and I really want to see more of Allison and Ian. Definitely recommended!
Rosealinea (589 KP) rated Stephen Laws Spectre in Books
Jul 14, 2019
Great storyline (2 more)
Lots of twists & turns
Supernatural theme
Twists & turns galore! I couldn't put this book down!!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Blurb:The inseparable Byker Chapter: six boys, one girl, growing up together in the back streets of Newcastle. Now memories are all that Richard Eden has left and one treasured photograph. But suddenly, inexplicably, the images of his companions start to fade, and as they vanish, so his friends are found dead and mutilated. Something is stalking the Chapter, picking them off one by one, something connected with their past, and with the girl they used to know.
Review:
So I got this book after going to a Sci-Fi convention, I met the author who was wonderful!
This book is divided into different parts, which I think helps as it is a lot to take in and can be quite heavy going. When I started to read this, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not. The first part is pretty heavy going (the build-up) and there is a lot of information to take in and remember but once you get past this part, it then blossoms into a fabulous book with so many supernaturally frightening twists and turns, you never know which direction it is going to go in next!
Overall, I thoroughly loved this book and if you fancy something different to read then definitely read this!!
Review:
So I got this book after going to a Sci-Fi convention, I met the author who was wonderful!
This book is divided into different parts, which I think helps as it is a lot to take in and can be quite heavy going. When I started to read this, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not. The first part is pretty heavy going (the build-up) and there is a lot of information to take in and remember but once you get past this part, it then blossoms into a fabulous book with so many supernaturally frightening twists and turns, you never know which direction it is going to go in next!
Overall, I thoroughly loved this book and if you fancy something different to read then definitely read this!!
Merissa (11800 KP) rated Surfacing in Books
Nov 28, 2017
Surfacing by Daniel Stephens
Surfacing is the engrossing story of a young man, hurt beyond belief and grieving, lost to his world but desperately trying to reconnect. Everywhere he turns, he drowns in memories of the life and loves that have been taken from him. So he returns to his roots, to the cabin where he spent the summers with his grandparents, hoping to find some solace. What he finds is a family - a group of people where many of them remember him from his youth. Where he can find out just who he is, and learn to deal with the grief, and maybe even move forwards and find love again.
The descriptions in this book are second to none - whether it is the characters, the wolf, or even the cabin. They will pull you in and keep you reading. It is a story of pain, of loss, of heartbreak. And yet there is also the glimmer of hope, of the future, if only you feed the right wolf! There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was smooth throughout. Whilst this book is also about love, the only thing that is 'shown' is kissing - the rest is fade to black.
This is a poignant story that I thoroughly enjoyed, and would highly recommend to all.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
The descriptions in this book are second to none - whether it is the characters, the wolf, or even the cabin. They will pull you in and keep you reading. It is a story of pain, of loss, of heartbreak. And yet there is also the glimmer of hope, of the future, if only you feed the right wolf! There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and the pacing was smooth throughout. Whilst this book is also about love, the only thing that is 'shown' is kissing - the rest is fade to black.
This is a poignant story that I thoroughly enjoyed, and would highly recommend to all.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jenny Houle (24 KP) rated Beasts Made of Night in Books
Jan 13, 2018
I received a free ARC of this book from FirstToRead.com for an unbiased opinion.
Tochi Onyebuchi's debut novel definitely shows a balance of light and dark in all it's themes.
The story is of a city ruled by a royal family, their top advisers called Mages. The Mages use children called "aki" to literally eat the sins of others, the sins branding their skin like tattoos after they've consumed them. The main character, Taj, is a cocky teenage aki who is desperate to provide for the family he was forced to leave behind. After defeating a sin-beast of the King's, he finds himself in the employment of the royal family. Unlike most aki, his tattoos never fade and almost all of his skin is branded from one sin or the next.
I felt like the story was very interesting. The different classes within the city, as well as the different characters within each class were well developed. Around half way through the book, the ability to put it down went out the window...I had to see how things ended...
And then they didn't.
I'm not sure if Onyebuchi's plan is to write a second book, or if we, as readers, are meant to decide for ourselves what the future of Kos is. What still lies ahead for the city, the palace, the aki, Taj. I suppose either is an option. But I, personally, like a strong ending, and leaving off where it did left me feeling wronged as a reader. I really enjoyed the book until that.
Tochi Onyebuchi's debut novel definitely shows a balance of light and dark in all it's themes.
The story is of a city ruled by a royal family, their top advisers called Mages. The Mages use children called "aki" to literally eat the sins of others, the sins branding their skin like tattoos after they've consumed them. The main character, Taj, is a cocky teenage aki who is desperate to provide for the family he was forced to leave behind. After defeating a sin-beast of the King's, he finds himself in the employment of the royal family. Unlike most aki, his tattoos never fade and almost all of his skin is branded from one sin or the next.
I felt like the story was very interesting. The different classes within the city, as well as the different characters within each class were well developed. Around half way through the book, the ability to put it down went out the window...I had to see how things ended...
And then they didn't.
I'm not sure if Onyebuchi's plan is to write a second book, or if we, as readers, are meant to decide for ourselves what the future of Kos is. What still lies ahead for the city, the palace, the aki, Taj. I suppose either is an option. But I, personally, like a strong ending, and leaving off where it did left me feeling wronged as a reader. I really enjoyed the book until that.