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The Plot Thickets

Julia Henry

5.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

Book

The ever-quintessential New England town of Goosebush, Massachusetts truly shines in springtime, but...

A Little Christmas! Matty's Secret

JP Sayle

10.0 (2 Ratings) Rate It

Book

Can a visit to a secret garden in Chicago give two men what they have been seeking—a relationship...

Contemporary MM Romance Age Play

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated The Gardener’s Plot in Books

Nov 9, 2024

Debut Wasn’t Quite Ready to Bloom

Maggie Walker has inherited her grandmother’s house in a small town in the Berkshires. She’s long been a gardener, so when she is asked to help Violet with the new community garden, Maggie jumps in with both feet. But the morning of the grand opening, Violet is nowhere to be found. Then, a member of the community finds a boot in his plot in the community garden. A boot attached to a dead body. With the police thinking Violet might have something to do with it, Maggie’s set out to find her friend and prove she is innocent. But can she do it?

Since this book won a contest to be published, it caught my attention. Sadly, I don’t think it was quite ready for publication. The writing seemed a little vague at times, filling in details later, after we’d already made our impressions of things. The plot bogged down in the middle as Maggie spun her wheels before leading us to a good climax. The main characters were great, but the suspects were a little flat. The setting was charming, and even this non- gardener loved hearing about the plants. I wish I had liked this book better, but I probably won’t be moving on with the series.

Kudos

E Riley (6 KP) rated The Secret Garden in Books

Feb 8, 2019

To really appreciate I believe this must be read or reread, as an adult. Not to or for a child, but to yourself. The descriptions of the garden are beautiful, the change in the children can be felt as well as seen. It really is quite remarkable and I'm sad I never knew how good it really was until now.
If I had a criticism it would be that I would have preferred a fraction longer at the end to really complete the story, even if just a page or two more.
A classic to be owned.

Kudos

The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Castles of Mad King Ludwig in Tabletop Games

Mar 8, 2018

artwork (2 more)

layout design

feels like you are building a castle with blueprints

Incredible balanced, semi puzzle, with competitive aspects, and lots of economic and point scoring strategy.

I love this game, it's so much fun to play, and even has a one player version, my wife and I sometimes play separately and send each other pictures of the final blueprints. it's fun to imagine them actually existing with a bowling alley next to a kitchen and a garden a few feet from a torture chamber. The expansion adds some more fun with new rooms and secret passages.