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Merissa (12934 KP) rated The Rogue King (Inferno Rising #1) in Books
Jul 30, 2019
The Rogue King by Abigail Owen
The Rogue King is the first book in the Inferno Rising series, and has firmly placed this author on my favourites list, even though this is the first book of hers I have read!
It has quite a sad beginning, which sets the story for the rest of it. You immediately get a feel of who is 'good' and who is 'bad', even if the characters themselves are unsure just where they belong. Speaking of the characters, I loved Brand and Kasia. They are the perfect match, and I loved Kasia's stubborn, feisty, yet at times oh-so-logical attitude. Brand is the possessive alpha who has no idea he's met the woman who is his perfect match.
The story is intriguing from start to finish, and I really want to continue with this series. I need to know more about each of the sisters, and just what their stories will be. The epilogue is intriguing and I can't wait to see the sparks between Skylar and Ladon.
It's not very often I will give out a five-star review for the first of a series, but this one just ticked all of my boxes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
It has quite a sad beginning, which sets the story for the rest of it. You immediately get a feel of who is 'good' and who is 'bad', even if the characters themselves are unsure just where they belong. Speaking of the characters, I loved Brand and Kasia. They are the perfect match, and I loved Kasia's stubborn, feisty, yet at times oh-so-logical attitude. Brand is the possessive alpha who has no idea he's met the woman who is his perfect match.
The story is intriguing from start to finish, and I really want to continue with this series. I need to know more about each of the sisters, and just what their stories will be. The epilogue is intriguing and I can't wait to see the sparks between Skylar and Ladon.
It's not very often I will give out a five-star review for the first of a series, but this one just ticked all of my boxes, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Reckless (Mia Kazmaroff Mystery #1) in Books
Feb 23, 2020
Mia Kazmaroff has a gift nobody wants. She's able to tell the story behind any object simply by touch. It’s a gift that comes in handy when her only brother, a detective with the Atlanta Major Crimes Division, is murdered. Determined to find his killer, Mia reaches out to the one person in Atlanta she believes can help her—Dave’s ex-partner, Jack Burton.
Unfortunately, Burton is also the prime suspect.
Together, Mia and Jack create a partnership that breaks all the rules, skirts every law, and lobs as many sparks and landmines at each other as if they were adversaries–which half the time they are—all while attempting to ignore their undeniable mutual attraction.
Can two people so different—one intuitive and inexperienced, the other cynical and by-the-book—work together to solve the murder?
And can they do it before the killer turns his attention to Mia?
Ok so this book was so frustrating. The characters were good,the storyline was good my issue was in the execution. It wasn't awful but in parts it was so rushed and forced I struggled. I feel Mia's character was so over pushy and a little annoying in places. It's a shame because it shows so much potential (I don't claim to be an expert this is just my opinion). What I did like we're the characters and apart from a few things it had huge potential for me.
Also the killer didn't have the shock value I think it was meant to have.
Unfortunately, Burton is also the prime suspect.
Together, Mia and Jack create a partnership that breaks all the rules, skirts every law, and lobs as many sparks and landmines at each other as if they were adversaries–which half the time they are—all while attempting to ignore their undeniable mutual attraction.
Can two people so different—one intuitive and inexperienced, the other cynical and by-the-book—work together to solve the murder?
And can they do it before the killer turns his attention to Mia?
Ok so this book was so frustrating. The characters were good,the storyline was good my issue was in the execution. It wasn't awful but in parts it was so rushed and forced I struggled. I feel Mia's character was so over pushy and a little annoying in places. It's a shame because it shows so much potential (I don't claim to be an expert this is just my opinion). What I did like we're the characters and apart from a few things it had huge potential for me.
Also the killer didn't have the shock value I think it was meant to have.
Gathering Frost (Once Upon a Curse, #1)
8.0
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Will the prince's kiss be enough to revive her frozen heart? Don't miss GATHERING FROST, a fantasy...
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Fatal Memories in Books
Feb 23, 2021
I think one of my favorite things about this book was the importance of our memories and how they define us. Tanya Stowe painted a vivid picture of what it would be like to wake up and not know who you are or what you believe. Its the first time that I personally stopped and really thought about what it would be like to wake up one morning not knowing who I was or why I was in that particular place. Great thought provoking moment for me.
The characters in this story work well together, they make eachother laugh (and me too). They both are driven, hard working and struggling to do the right things with the problems they’ve been given. Tanya gives good backround on the characters and really helps you feel apart of the characters decisions and lives in general.
I felt that in this book, as with all love inspired suspense books, that I was left with a great HEA, characters that have good moral compasses and a wonderful sense of not having to read another book to find out the ending to the mystery. Tanya Stowe did a great job at keeping me guessing as to what happened and why it happened to her characters. I am thankful I read this book. Tanya Stowes writing style reminds me of Colleen Coble, and Diann Mills in her style and and way with words.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for the creativity, mystery, and overall story premise.
The characters in this story work well together, they make eachother laugh (and me too). They both are driven, hard working and struggling to do the right things with the problems they’ve been given. Tanya gives good backround on the characters and really helps you feel apart of the characters decisions and lives in general.
I felt that in this book, as with all love inspired suspense books, that I was left with a great HEA, characters that have good moral compasses and a wonderful sense of not having to read another book to find out the ending to the mystery. Tanya Stowe did a great job at keeping me guessing as to what happened and why it happened to her characters. I am thankful I read this book. Tanya Stowes writing style reminds me of Colleen Coble, and Diann Mills in her style and and way with words.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for the creativity, mystery, and overall story premise.
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Lake Season (Bluebell Inn Romance, #1) in Books
Feb 24, 2021
This book was a classic feel good, and make you warm inside type of a book. From the first chapter little by little Denise Hunter drew me in, she fed me little nuggets of information about the characters, arousing my curiosity about how the book would end. It was great getting to meet a famous author and a new innkeeper and her family. Plus, Denise Hunter threw in a bit of a mystery with an ending I totally didn’t see coming. All the characters (not just the main ones, as this book is the first in a series) were developed in such a way that I felt personally invested in their lives. By the end of the book I felt like I genuinely knew the characters and their struggles, which doesn’t always happen in books. It was also interesting to see how Denise Hunter weaved in a dual plot-line; I really loved the glimpses into the past. I think I am already looking forward to learning about the rest of the family in Bluebell, NC.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for the hint of mystery, the end I totally did not see coming, and for leaving me in want of the next book in the series. Personally, I think that the best books are about what really happens in life and the ways that God can use anything for His good. In Lake Season, Denise Hunter put this into perspective for her characters and for anyone who reads Lake Season.
I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars for the hint of mystery, the end I totally did not see coming, and for leaving me in want of the next book in the series. Personally, I think that the best books are about what really happens in life and the ways that God can use anything for His good. In Lake Season, Denise Hunter put this into perspective for her characters and for anyone who reads Lake Season.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated My Bloody Valentine (1981) in Movies
Jan 5, 2021
My Bloody Valentine is an entertaining and somewhat charming slasher that released just as the sub genre was really gaining some traction.
Unfortunately, it suffers from a couple of things - a low budget that shows at times, and secondly, cuts made due to the MPAA in order to secure an R Rating. The wide released cut version loses its edge a little, an edge that really makes this movie stick in your brain.
The uncut version has some truly staggering gore effects here and there. All practical of course, and it's the kind of violence that genuinely adds to the overall experience.
MBV has plenty of positives to shout about - the on location shoot in a small mining town in Nova Scotia really adds a lot of personality to the back drop, and the whole second half of the film was filmed in a genuine mine. It feels authentic and genuine as a result.
The characters are all working class regular Joes as well, and feel relatable.
The killer, [spoiler alert] AKA Harry Warden, has of course earned a place in horror history. The gas mask and jumpsuit get up he wears alongside his humble pickaxe makes for a minimalist yet memorable villain.
There are better slashers out there for sure, but My Bloody Valentine is still a pretty damn good watch, especially on Valentine's Day - it works as a film to get cosy too with someone special, whilst simultaneously being a good tonic for someone who fucking hates everything about it. A stroke of genius in that respect!
Unfortunately, it suffers from a couple of things - a low budget that shows at times, and secondly, cuts made due to the MPAA in order to secure an R Rating. The wide released cut version loses its edge a little, an edge that really makes this movie stick in your brain.
The uncut version has some truly staggering gore effects here and there. All practical of course, and it's the kind of violence that genuinely adds to the overall experience.
MBV has plenty of positives to shout about - the on location shoot in a small mining town in Nova Scotia really adds a lot of personality to the back drop, and the whole second half of the film was filmed in a genuine mine. It feels authentic and genuine as a result.
The characters are all working class regular Joes as well, and feel relatable.
The killer, [spoiler alert] AKA Harry Warden, has of course earned a place in horror history. The gas mask and jumpsuit get up he wears alongside his humble pickaxe makes for a minimalist yet memorable villain.
There are better slashers out there for sure, but My Bloody Valentine is still a pretty damn good watch, especially on Valentine's Day - it works as a film to get cosy too with someone special, whilst simultaneously being a good tonic for someone who fucking hates everything about it. A stroke of genius in that respect!
Entry number 9 in Paul Fraser Collard's Jack Lark series, this is an entry which - speaking personally - I very much found could be split into two main parts: the first part of the novel primarily concerns itself with the Victorian pursuit of 'slumming' (where rich toffs paid good money to see how their poorer counterparts lived in the slums and tenements of London), and the second with the Abyssinian campaign against the mad 'Gorilla King' (in modern day Ethiopia, I believe)
I'd heard, and even knew a bit, about the former. The latter? Sad to say, not so much.
So, for my part, a little new knowledge is a good thing!
As the novel begins, Jack Lark is back in England after his exploits in America (during the Civil War) and Mexico of the previous entries; back where - I feel - he belongs (ummm, speaking internationally, that is, rather than his precise circumstances!) and running Victorian slumming 'tours' (for want of a better word) for the rich who have more money than sense!
I don't *think* I'm giving anything away when I say that one such tour inevitably goes wrong, leading Jack - and a few companions - to flee the country, travelling to Ethiopia to join the expedition against the Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, more concerned with what they can purloin along the way than the rights and wrongs of the situation that led to the campaign in the first place!
All in all, another solid entry in the series: I'm looking forward to where Jack ends up next!
I'd heard, and even knew a bit, about the former. The latter? Sad to say, not so much.
So, for my part, a little new knowledge is a good thing!
As the novel begins, Jack Lark is back in England after his exploits in America (during the Civil War) and Mexico of the previous entries; back where - I feel - he belongs (ummm, speaking internationally, that is, rather than his precise circumstances!) and running Victorian slumming 'tours' (for want of a better word) for the rich who have more money than sense!
I don't *think* I'm giving anything away when I say that one such tour inevitably goes wrong, leading Jack - and a few companions - to flee the country, travelling to Ethiopia to join the expedition against the Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia, more concerned with what they can purloin along the way than the rights and wrongs of the situation that led to the campaign in the first place!
All in all, another solid entry in the series: I'm looking forward to where Jack ends up next!
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2357 KP) rated The Plot is Murder in Books
Jul 14, 2021 (Updated Jul 14, 2021)
Interesting Idea, but Doesn’t Quite Work
Samantha Washington is pursuing not one but two lifelong dreams. She’s opening a mystery bookstore in the town of North Harbor, Michigan. But just days before the store is supposed to open, she finds the dead body of Clayton Parker behind the store. Clayton sold her the building, but he almost sabotaged the sale. Meanwhile, she starts writing a mystery of her own set in England in 1938. Will she solve the murder? How will the real-life murder influence the fictional murder?
I’ve been intrigued by this series with the story inside the story idea for a while, and I’ve heard good things about it from many others. Sadly, it didn’t completely work for me. With two stories and two sets of characters to develop, I felt like both were a bit underdeveloped. The ending of the historical mystery was weak, and it featured some abrupt character growth. Meanwhile, the modern mystery featured lots of summaries that were told to us, keeping me outside. On the other hand, I loved both sets of characters, and I did feel the modern mystery came to a good resolution. I had no trouble keeping the different sets of characters straight once I realized how close both murder victims’ names were, and there was also an obvious break between the two stories each time we switched. I can understand why others love this series as much as they do, but I wish it had focused on one story and developed that one story better.
I’ve been intrigued by this series with the story inside the story idea for a while, and I’ve heard good things about it from many others. Sadly, it didn’t completely work for me. With two stories and two sets of characters to develop, I felt like both were a bit underdeveloped. The ending of the historical mystery was weak, and it featured some abrupt character growth. Meanwhile, the modern mystery featured lots of summaries that were told to us, keeping me outside. On the other hand, I loved both sets of characters, and I did feel the modern mystery came to a good resolution. I had no trouble keeping the different sets of characters straight once I realized how close both murder victims’ names were, and there was also an obvious break between the two stories each time we switched. I can understand why others love this series as much as they do, but I wish it had focused on one story and developed that one story better.
ClareR (5885 KP) rated Miss Benson's Beetle in Books
Dec 5, 2020
Miss Benson’s Beetle is an absolute delight, and completely unexpected! I have other Rachel Joyce books on my bookshelf, but I haven’t read them yet (this will be remedied!), so I wasn’t expecting the quirky, moving book that I listened to on Audible.
It must have been very unusual for a woman in 1950 to up sticks and travel to the other side of the world, searching for a beetle that might not even exist. And the fact that she does this with no prior travel experience, not knowing the language at her destination, and with very basic equipment, made me feel that Margery Benson was even more courageous. I loved her companion, Enid Pretty, too - although I think Margery really struggles with her huge personality (despite her diminutive size) for a large part of the book. Enid is confident where Margery is unsure, loud where Margery is quiet - and she teaches Margery the importance of female friendship.
In the wings is an ex-prisoner of war who had been held captive by the Japanese. He suffers from PTSD and a tropical disease, and there is a feeling of constant unease that he will do something to harm Margery or Enid. I felt so sorry for him though. He really wasn’t in a good place mentally or physically throughout.
This book is a story of courage, trials and tribulations, tragedy, and joy in the small things in life (not just beetles!) and I loved it. It’s a book with a lot of laughter and a good helping of tears.
It must have been very unusual for a woman in 1950 to up sticks and travel to the other side of the world, searching for a beetle that might not even exist. And the fact that she does this with no prior travel experience, not knowing the language at her destination, and with very basic equipment, made me feel that Margery Benson was even more courageous. I loved her companion, Enid Pretty, too - although I think Margery really struggles with her huge personality (despite her diminutive size) for a large part of the book. Enid is confident where Margery is unsure, loud where Margery is quiet - and she teaches Margery the importance of female friendship.
In the wings is an ex-prisoner of war who had been held captive by the Japanese. He suffers from PTSD and a tropical disease, and there is a feeling of constant unease that he will do something to harm Margery or Enid. I felt so sorry for him though. He really wasn’t in a good place mentally or physically throughout.
This book is a story of courage, trials and tribulations, tragedy, and joy in the small things in life (not just beetles!) and I loved it. It’s a book with a lot of laughter and a good helping of tears.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Hubie Halloween (2020) in Movies
Oct 9, 2020
I would class Happy Gilmore as a good Adam Sandler comedy. I would class Jack & Jill as a straight up abomination of cinema. Hubie Halloween sits somewhere comfortably in the middle.
It's pretty much follows the formula of what's come before - Adam Sandler portrays a loser that falls over a lot and talks in a silly voice, there's some sort of heart-warming redemption plot that results in him not being a loser and getting the girl. It's ball achingly predictable, but is wrapped up in a very Halloween-y package, so that's nice I guess.
The main issue is that I just didn't laugh. There are a few amusing lines here and there (June Squibb wearing vulgar novelty t-shirts is always a good shour) but most of the humour falls flat. Adam Sandler talking in a silly voice has never been funny, and you can't change my mind.
The supporting cast is a fairly impressive collection of names - Steve Buschemi, Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, Maya Rudolph, Noah Schnapp from Stranger Things, Tim Meadows, Michael Chiklis, Ben Stiller, goddam Shaquille O'Neal (legit probably the best part of the whole movie) - even Kenan Thompson of Kenan & Kel fame. And of course Kevin James, this being a Sandler film and all....
There's not much really to say. The mystery aspect of the plot doesn't really feel intriguing at any part, and it's honestly just another run of the mill Adam Sandler comedy. Relatively entertaing as a seasonal watch, and I'm sure kids will love it, but ultimately, pretty damn average.
It's pretty much follows the formula of what's come before - Adam Sandler portrays a loser that falls over a lot and talks in a silly voice, there's some sort of heart-warming redemption plot that results in him not being a loser and getting the girl. It's ball achingly predictable, but is wrapped up in a very Halloween-y package, so that's nice I guess.
The main issue is that I just didn't laugh. There are a few amusing lines here and there (June Squibb wearing vulgar novelty t-shirts is always a good shour) but most of the humour falls flat. Adam Sandler talking in a silly voice has never been funny, and you can't change my mind.
The supporting cast is a fairly impressive collection of names - Steve Buschemi, Julie Bowen, Ray Liotta, Maya Rudolph, Noah Schnapp from Stranger Things, Tim Meadows, Michael Chiklis, Ben Stiller, goddam Shaquille O'Neal (legit probably the best part of the whole movie) - even Kenan Thompson of Kenan & Kel fame. And of course Kevin James, this being a Sandler film and all....
There's not much really to say. The mystery aspect of the plot doesn't really feel intriguing at any part, and it's honestly just another run of the mill Adam Sandler comedy. Relatively entertaing as a seasonal watch, and I'm sure kids will love it, but ultimately, pretty damn average.