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Merissa (12401 KP) created a post
Mar 17, 2022
Merissa (12401 KP) created a post
Sep 9, 2020
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2277 KP) rated Hidden Beneath in Books
Jun 29, 2023 (Updated Jun 29, 2023)
What Happened to Ginny?
It’s another busy summer for the Snowden Family Clambake, but Julia quickly agrees when her mother, Jacqueline, asks Julia to join her for a memorial for a friend who vanished five years ago. Since it’s been five years, Ginny has been officially declared dead. Something about her disappearance feels off to Jacqueline, so she asks Julia what she can find out. Will Julia find any answers after all this time?
As a long time reader of the series, I enjoyed that this book continued a couple of ongoing storylines. I was satisfied with how things played out in them. As always, the characters are fantastic. I was smiling within pages of starting the book at getting to spend more time with these old friends. The plot spends a little time laying a foundation before it really takes off, but I was hooked the entire time and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough by the end. We get five recipes at the end as well. This is a favorite series of mine. If you enjoy it, you’ll be thrilled with the latest entry. If you aren’t yet a fan, pick up a book today, and you’ll get hooked.
As a long time reader of the series, I enjoyed that this book continued a couple of ongoing storylines. I was satisfied with how things played out in them. As always, the characters are fantastic. I was smiling within pages of starting the book at getting to spend more time with these old friends. The plot spends a little time laying a foundation before it really takes off, but I was hooked the entire time and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough by the end. We get five recipes at the end as well. This is a favorite series of mine. If you enjoy it, you’ll be thrilled with the latest entry. If you aren’t yet a fan, pick up a book today, and you’ll get hooked.
Great cast including Julia Stiles (1 more)
Amazing Riviera backdrop
Starts with a bang but ends oddly
A good drama with a great cast set against the Riviera backdrop of the super rich. It was very good with some twists and plenty of action. It's only 10 episodes long but it seemed to take a different direction in the last 2 episodes. If you like a lavish crime drama or the Riviera scenery this is for you.
Charlotte (184 KP) rated A Favor For a Favor in Books
Jan 21, 2021
The Mob, romance and favors.....
The Mob, romance and favors
Julia is a young, beautiful widow.....a product of Mob life and misfortune. She has a strong personality and knows that she doesn't want to be part of that life. I like how she's quite relatable, many of us want to avoid taking the same path as our parents in one way or another and that's what Julia is doing.
Domenico is hot! Another child of the Mob but never a made man. He's smart, successful, strong family bonds and bowled over by Julia.
A Favor for a Favor creates an Italian/American world full of intrigue and romance. I couldn't put the book down for long before I was drawn back to it and I'm still thinking about it now. Each time I thought I was nearly done something else happened, another puzzle piece was slipped back in....love it!
So, if you like to have something that keeps you guessing, has murder, romance and surprises then look no further.
Julia is a young, beautiful widow.....a product of Mob life and misfortune. She has a strong personality and knows that she doesn't want to be part of that life. I like how she's quite relatable, many of us want to avoid taking the same path as our parents in one way or another and that's what Julia is doing.
Domenico is hot! Another child of the Mob but never a made man. He's smart, successful, strong family bonds and bowled over by Julia.
A Favor for a Favor creates an Italian/American world full of intrigue and romance. I couldn't put the book down for long before I was drawn back to it and I'm still thinking about it now. Each time I thought I was nearly done something else happened, another puzzle piece was slipped back in....love it!
So, if you like to have something that keeps you guessing, has murder, romance and surprises then look no further.
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated My Best Friend's Wedding (1997) in Movies
Apr 24, 2020
I'm surprised at how unpredictable this movie was. Granted it could really only go one of two ways, it was still kind of shocking that it didn't end the way I was thinking it would - how rude.
Julia Roberts is magnificent in anything and everything she does. She is radiantly beautiful, even when she cries (completely unfair) and she has this camera presence that I find in very few performers. Her filmography is long and glorious and she shines in most everyone. I have yet to see a Julia film that doesn't take me to her world.
I think this is a good film to watch with the girls - drink wine, eat popcorn and candy, pajamas, sleepovers, all that good stuff. It's definitely entertaining and fun, just not a die-hard film which is okay!
Julia Roberts is magnificent in anything and everything she does. She is radiantly beautiful, even when she cries (completely unfair) and she has this camera presence that I find in very few performers. Her filmography is long and glorious and she shines in most everyone. I have yet to see a Julia film that doesn't take me to her world.
I think this is a good film to watch with the girls - drink wine, eat popcorn and candy, pajamas, sleepovers, all that good stuff. It's definitely entertaining and fun, just not a die-hard film which is okay!
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Pretty Girls: A Novel in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Claire Scott leads a seemingly perfect life - she's beautiful and adored by her wealthy husband, Paul. However, Claire's life is shadowed by the disappearance of her eldest sister, Julia, over twenty years ago. Julia went missing while in college and was never seen again. In the aftermath, Claire lost not only Julia, but her other sister, Lydia, as the sisters have been estranged for years. As a result, Claire has clung to Paul and the comfort and security he provides . However, a new tragic event changes everything for Claire - and will eventually lead her to look at everything in her life differently, including Julia's disappearance and her relationship with Lydia.
I really enjoyed this novel - it's engaging and suspenseful: filled with twists and turns. Sometimes you see them coming and other times you don't. It's a quick read, but not a particularly light one - be prepared for a dark read. The book is raw, violent, and even heartbreaking at points. Most of the story unfolds from Julia and Claire's point of view, but we also hear a little bit from their father between chapters. As the novel progresses, we learn not only about the present day mystery (which is captivating) but what happened to their sister, Julia, so long ago.
The book's strength is that it presents not only a compelling and interesting mystery tale, but a chilling portrait of its characters, as well. You get a good look into the lives of Lydia and Claire and their own psychological motivations. It goes beyond a thriller into a story of parenthood and sisterhood. Frankly, as a parent, there are parts of this book that break my heart and made me want to never let my children out of my sight! But, truly, that was what made it so good - it deftly portrayed the evil that can befall them in the world.
Some of the plot points are a bit fantastical and it suffers from the trope where Claire and Paul Scott just have unlimited financial resources, but overall, I found this one fascinating. Definitely a worthy read.
I really enjoyed this novel - it's engaging and suspenseful: filled with twists and turns. Sometimes you see them coming and other times you don't. It's a quick read, but not a particularly light one - be prepared for a dark read. The book is raw, violent, and even heartbreaking at points. Most of the story unfolds from Julia and Claire's point of view, but we also hear a little bit from their father between chapters. As the novel progresses, we learn not only about the present day mystery (which is captivating) but what happened to their sister, Julia, so long ago.
The book's strength is that it presents not only a compelling and interesting mystery tale, but a chilling portrait of its characters, as well. You get a good look into the lives of Lydia and Claire and their own psychological motivations. It goes beyond a thriller into a story of parenthood and sisterhood. Frankly, as a parent, there are parts of this book that break my heart and made me want to never let my children out of my sight! But, truly, that was what made it so good - it deftly portrayed the evil that can befall them in the world.
Some of the plot points are a bit fantastical and it suffers from the trope where Claire and Paul Scott just have unlimited financial resources, but overall, I found this one fascinating. Definitely a worthy read.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated The Very Very Very Long Dog in Books
Jun 16, 2018
The Very Very Very Long Dogby Julia Patton is a cute book about a dogs adventure through town. The story is funny and light hearted. This story teaches to accept everyone no matter their differences.
Bartleby lives in a bookstore and has many friends. The friendly dog makes everyone smile when he goes out with his friends; however, he often has no idea what his back portion is doing since he is so long. His friends usually patch things up when he causes many problems, but one day, he makes a very big mess, and even ends up attacking his own bottom. Thank goodness his friends figure out a solution to the problem so that Bartleby doesn't have to remain in the bookstore.
I enjoyed how loyal this dog's friends remain to him and how they work to come up with a solution to his problem. The illustrations are unique. The book touches on being yourself and embracing your uniqueness.
Bartleby lives in a bookstore and has many friends. The friendly dog makes everyone smile when he goes out with his friends; however, he often has no idea what his back portion is doing since he is so long. His friends usually patch things up when he causes many problems, but one day, he makes a very big mess, and even ends up attacking his own bottom. Thank goodness his friends figure out a solution to the problem so that Bartleby doesn't have to remain in the bookstore.
I enjoyed how loyal this dog's friends remain to him and how they work to come up with a solution to his problem. The illustrations are unique. The book touches on being yourself and embracing your uniqueness.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2277 KP) rated Murder on Bedford Street in Books
Aug 9, 2023 (Updated Aug 9, 2023)
Rescuing a Woman from a Mental Institute
Frank Malloy is hired by Hugh Breedlove who is convinced that his niece, Julia, has been sent to an insane asylum because her husband is abusive and evil. When Frank and his wife Sarah go to visit Julia, she certainly appears sane. But can they prove it to a judge?
It’s always a pleasure to travel back to New York City in 1901 with this series. I thought I knew where this story was going early on, but I turned out to be wrong. Instead, I got a great story that turned into a thriller by the end. It’s always wonderful to spend time with these characters, we even got to see a couple of the recurring characters and some of the regular characters played a different role than normal. The multiple view points are use perfectly to advance the story. I get lost in the time period as I read this story, and that happened here again as well. It’s a little hard to believe I’m caught up on the series, but I’m happy to see the next book in the series will be out in the spring, so I won’t have to wait too long to visit these characters again.
It’s always a pleasure to travel back to New York City in 1901 with this series. I thought I knew where this story was going early on, but I turned out to be wrong. Instead, I got a great story that turned into a thriller by the end. It’s always wonderful to spend time with these characters, we even got to see a couple of the recurring characters and some of the regular characters played a different role than normal. The multiple view points are use perfectly to advance the story. I get lost in the time period as I read this story, and that happened here again as well. It’s a little hard to believe I’m caught up on the series, but I’m happy to see the next book in the series will be out in the spring, so I won’t have to wait too long to visit these characters again.
Gail (4 KP) rated A Sadness Within in Books
Jun 4, 2018
This story is a new beat on an old tune. The story follows Will and Julia and their journey on finding the light in life even when all you hold dear is taken away. Will is living on the dark side. He doesn’t care who he hurts he lives for the next drop of fresh blood. Julia has lost her whole family and everyone is just waiting for her to explode. They meet when Celia Will's sister begs him to come home.
At times this book was very long winded. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. I felt that a lot of the conversations were unnecessary. It was very slow and when the climax happened I wasn’t excited.
With that being said I gave it 4 stars because I liked her characters and how they learned from mistake and forgave each other. The ending was very mysterious hinting at something more. It was a story on how no matter your pain you can always find your way back with the help of love.
At times this book was very long winded. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. I felt that a lot of the conversations were unnecessary. It was very slow and when the climax happened I wasn’t excited.
With that being said I gave it 4 stars because I liked her characters and how they learned from mistake and forgave each other. The ending was very mysterious hinting at something more. It was a story on how no matter your pain you can always find your way back with the help of love.