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Merissa (12827 KP) created a post

Mar 3, 2021  
MAYFLY HOLLOW by ANNE LUCY-SHANLEY NOW LIVE with RELEASE DAY GIVEAWAY!
A slow-burn post apocalyptic romance with independent bakery owner Kate, mysterious cowboy Teller, dangerous virus and zombies...
🎉🎉🎉
RELEASE DAY GIVEAWAY: social media wide.
PRIZE: $10 Amazon egift card and signed paperback (in US) OR ebook (outside US)
TO ENTER:
Visit @writer_annelucyshanley on IG and follow the instructions on her post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CL6VvHwAJIh/
Visit Author Anne Lucy-Shanley on FB and follow the instructions on her post here: https://www.facebook.com/anne.lucyshanleywrites/videos/296212195408265
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BLURB:
It began as a typical day…
Fiercely independent bakery owner Kate Halloran likes her life the way it is. Casual sex suits her to a T. Work hard, play hard is Kate’s motto. No strings. No demands. No obligations. The ties that bind chafe. She learned a long time ago that the only person she can depend on is herself—and that’s just fine thank you very much.
Then a fast-acting highly contagious novel virus sweeps the globe, ushering a nationwide lockdown. Violence erupts in the streets. Chaos reigns. With the population decimated, Kate’s self-sufficiency kicks into overdrive as she fears she’s the sole survivor. When the dead awaken, Kate becomes prey. Desperate and hunted, she undertakes a dangerous journey—fleeing to the only refuge she knows.
The sanctuary of Mayfly Hollow isn’t without its perils. Can the other survivors there be trusted? And what about the mysterious cowboy called Teller, who gets under her skin like no man ever has? There’s more to him than meets the eye—she can’t help but wonder how much of his aww shucks routine is genuine.
As threats close in on every side, can Kate set aside her complicated past to navigate the new world order?

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PURCHASE NOW: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08WWM7CGN
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#BOOKSTAGRAMMERS & #BOOKBLOGGERS SIGN UP FOR A BOOK BLITZ (MAR 15-19): https://forms.gle/jQ9fMJ91Q5pyrBNz8
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Pretty Little Wife
Pretty Little Wife
Darby Kane | 2021
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Slow to start, but ultimately an intriguing and unique thriller

Lila Ridgefield's husband is missing. A beloved high school teacher, his boss, colleagues, and brother cannot believe that Aaron Payne would just disappear. He's certainly not the type to simply not show up for work one day. As for his wife, Lila is known more for her cold and quiet demeanor (and, let's be honest, her beauty). She's also pretty confused, because the last time she saw Aaron, she was rather convinced she was looking at his dead body. So where's his car she left behind--and the body? Investigator Ginny Davis is called to look into Aaron's disappearance. At first it seems unrelated to that of a missing local student. But the more Ginny digs, the more she starts to wonder. And the more Lila digs, the more she fears her husband is still alive.

"Despite all her careful planning, he was gone. She had to find Aaron before he found her."

Well, this was quite a book. The beginning was a bit slow for me--it took too long to get to the exciting part, and it was repetitive. It felt like bits and pieces were rehashed over and over. I wanted to shake Lila and tell her to get on with it!

But, once everything gets moving, this is quite an exciting thriller. The last fourth of the story especially is incredibly electrifying and, for the most part, keeps you guessing. (I had a decent idea about whodunnit, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment at all.) I loved the concept of a mystery where the woman kills her husband, yet the main story is, surprise: he disappears anyway. The dynamic between cunning Lila, whom you're never sure you can trust, and Ginny, who is a straightforward and honest investigator, is excellent. I enjoy a book with strong female protagonists and these two are excellent.

Overall, even though this dragged for a bit, it's certainly worth a read. For one thing, it's different, which is so refreshing in the thriller genre. It's also dark, intriguing, and surprising. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 here.

I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins Publishers and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
  
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
1968 | Classics, Horror, Mystery

"“What have you done to its eyes?” How does a movie become a classic? Is it timing? Was it the dream-team collaboration of Paramount, Polanski, and Robert Evans? Was it producer William Castle, the mastermind who purchased the Ira Levin novel with plans to make it himself? Was it Mia Farrow, who had been painted with the brush of scandal after marrying Frank Sinatra? Did the devil himself have a hand in it? Whatever the reasons, my fascination with this film has never waned. There’s an enjoyment in watching Rosemary’s Baby that is similar to another gothic horror film, The Shining. It’s like listening to an album you love. Seeing the repetition of familiar scenes and faces. Shaking your head at Rosemary’s innocence as she tries to convince people that her neighbors might just be in a cult with Satan! Another highlight is the production design and cinematography. Not a frame is out of place, and it’s beautiful to look at. It captures a kind of sixties avant-garde vibe. I get the feeling Warhol would have liked this film. There are all sorts of great exterior location shots of New York, and the Dakota building on Seventy-Second Street adds the right spookiness. Does anyone remember or talk about what an amazing actress Mia Farrow is? Watch Broadway Danny Rose, and then watch Rosemary’s Baby. There’s some range there! Farrow as Rosemary has a beautiful, waifish glamour, enhanced by short dresses that make her seem more fragile and doll-like. John Cassavetes playing the “actor.” I love that he’s an “actor.” I love that his name is Guy! He makes a great prince of darkness. With his dark eyes and leering smile, well, you know he’s guilty of something the minute you see him. Then we have Ruth Gordon, who almost steals the film. Her caftan-wearing, mousse-making devil worshipper is the perfect amount of comic relief. I also love Charles Grodin as the fink doctor who squeals on Rosemary. Ralph Bellamy: terrifying! Every woman’s nightmare! Maybe that’s why I love it: Rosemary’s Baby plays on every woman’s fears. The man I married is different. Oh wait—maybe he’s sold his soul to the devil!"

Source
  
Come Play (2020)
Come Play (2020)
2020 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
One of the more interesting and fresh horror films since “It Follows” has arrived and “Come Play” is a creepy film that captures childhood fears and captivates.

The film follows Oliver (Azhy Robertson); a non-verbal autistic boy living with his mother Sarah (Gillian Jacobs), and his father Marty (John Gallagher Jr.). Oliver communicates via an app on his phone and he awakens one evening to find a story called “Larry the Misunderstood Monster” on his phone. While he attempts to read it, unusual things start to happen such as lights going out on their own and the belief that there is something in the room.

When morning arrives we see that Oliver is picked on at school due to his disability and a past incident where he struck another student. The fact that his parents are strained does not help but Oliver continues to experience unusual events especially in the evening.

Oliver starts to believe that Larry from his story is indeed real and is attempting to enter his world and take him. Unable to communicate this clearly, Oliver soon has his concerns confirmed when students come to his home and he sees Larry via a camera on a found tablet.

As the situation unfolds, the tension mounts Larry begins to manifest himself more and more in our world forcing Oliver and his parents to confront Larry who has become more and bolder in his manifestations.

While the film is shot in darkness for several parts of the movie which makes some things harder to see; it does add to the tension and the story is a nice deviation from the usual killer monster on the loose and provides a more restrained but suspenseful take on the monster on the loose film. The smaller cast works well as it is at the core a story about family and the extent parents will go for their children as well as a look at the problems of loneliness amongst children; especially those with disabilities.

In the end “Come Play” is a creepy, memorable, and refreshing horror /suspense film that stays with you long after the movie ends.

3.5 stars out of 5