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Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Captivated by You (Crossfire, #4) in Books
Apr 9, 2019
The story of Gideon Cross and Eva Tramell continues in #4 of the Crossfire series, Captivated By You. In this edition, we find that Eva and Gideon have married, but keeping it a secret from most of the people in their lives. They both still have a lot of issues going on in their lives and they continue to fight over the same issue. Gideon desperately wants to protect Eva, no matter what and Eva wants to be able to be her own person as well as being the most important in Gideon's life. Will they both be able to make the compromises and sacrifices necessary to make their relationship work.
This book was a quick read (2 days). Sylvia Day always provides an interesting story to keep the reader from putting the book down. The scenes in this book are enough to get you hot and bothered. I'm not sure if there are going to be anymore Crossfire books, but I do want to know what is going to happen with Eva and Gideon. Will they be able to make their relationship work and have the future they both want to have with each other. Or will they continue to get in their own way and ruin what they want more than anything; each other.
This book was a quick read (2 days). Sylvia Day always provides an interesting story to keep the reader from putting the book down. The scenes in this book are enough to get you hot and bothered. I'm not sure if there are going to be anymore Crossfire books, but I do want to know what is going to happen with Eva and Gideon. Will they be able to make their relationship work and have the future they both want to have with each other. Or will they continue to get in their own way and ruin what they want more than anything; each other.
IA: The Origin Novels (Books 1-3)
10.0
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This compilation contains all three three IA novels as well as the new novella Invincible Assassin...
The Quick Six Fix: 100 No-Fuss, Full-Flavor Recipes - Six Ingredients, Six Minutes Prep, Six Minutes Cleanup
Book
Save time and simplify with 100 fabulous quick-and-easy recipes-using 6 ingredients, 6 minutes of...
Perfect on Paper
8.0
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A bisexual girl who gives anonymous love advice to her school friends is hired by the hot new kid to...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2086 KP) rated Southern Ghost in Books
May 25, 2023
Ghosts of the Past Haunt the Present
Max Darling has taken on a new client he’s been keeping secret from his wife, Annie, owner of the mystery bookstore Death on Demand. However, that changes when the client, a beautiful young woman, disappears and Max is arrested for the crime. Annie doesn’t believe it, and together, the two of them work to figure out what really happened. The key appears to be tied to something that happened twenty years ago, the case that Max was hired to investigate. Is there more to figure out than the official story? If so, can Annie and Max figure out what happened then and find his client in time?
The plot really does focus on the mystery from the past, but I’m not complaining. It was a strong mystery with lots of motives and twists to keep me engaged. The suspects are all strong, and I appreciated that we got to know them a bit before we got their full backgrounds. Annie’s temper wasn’t as strong as in other books, and it had more of a comedic effect here. Speaking of comedy, the sub-plot with Max’s mom and her research project on ghosts of the south was wonderful. The references to other mystery books are still here but are more subdued, making them a fun bonus. If you want to see why this series is so beloved, this is a good one to pick up.
The plot really does focus on the mystery from the past, but I’m not complaining. It was a strong mystery with lots of motives and twists to keep me engaged. The suspects are all strong, and I appreciated that we got to know them a bit before we got their full backgrounds. Annie’s temper wasn’t as strong as in other books, and it had more of a comedic effect here. Speaking of comedy, the sub-plot with Max’s mom and her research project on ghosts of the south was wonderful. The references to other mystery books are still here but are more subdued, making them a fun bonus. If you want to see why this series is so beloved, this is a good one to pick up.
Soul of Discretion
8.0
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CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET Simon Bridgeworth believes in loyalty, and keeping things in-house. When he...
M_M Contemporary Romance Suspense
The Dragon’s Fake Mate (Bad Dragon's Bride, #4)
10.0
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Marrying her brutal dragon-shifter nemesis is the only way to save her friend. Starla ...
Paranormal Romance Dragons
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Terror in Meeple City in Tabletop Games
Aug 6, 2019 (Updated Sep 23, 2021)
I don’t know about you, but one of my guilty pleasures is monster movies. Godzilla, King Kong, even the Jurassic Park franchise – if there are giant creatures terrorizing the world, chances are I’m going to love it. So when I heard of Terror in Meeple City (formerly known as Rampage, RIP), I knew I had to give it a try. Is the chance to embody one of these great monsters and wreak havoc on an innocent city as exciting as it seems? Or will your lack of dexterous ability result in a rampage? (See what I did there?)
Terror in Meeple City is a dexterity game of area movement and set collection in which players are trying to amass the most end-game Victory Points by devouring meeples, collecting building tiles, teeth, and by successfully completing their Character cards. To begin, setup the board as described in the rulebook, constructing buildings and placing meeples and vehicles accordingly. Each player receives a screen, Body (monster), and Paws (disc) in their chosen color, placing the Paws on the starting area closest to them. Players receive 4 Teeth tokens and are dealt a Character card, Power card, and Secret Superpower card. The Character and Power cards are visible to all players, and are permanent throughout the game – providing special abilities or scoring conditions for the end of the game. The Secret Superpower card is secret (duh) and revealed only when you are ready to use it – it is a one-time use in the game, and then discarded. Select a starting player, and the game is ready to begin!
On your turn, you will perform 2 of the following actions: Move, Demolish, Toss a Vehicle, or Breathe. You can perform the same action twice on your turn if you want! To Move, you will first take the Body of your monster off of the Paws disc. Using your finger, you will flick the Paws disc on the board, hopefully to end up where you wanted it! After a successful flick, put your Body back on the Paws. To Demolish, your Paws must be touching the sidewalk surrounding one of the buildings in the city. If that is the case, you can try to demolish that building – by picking up your Body, holding it over the appropriate building, and dropping it! In order to Toss a Vehicle, your monster must be located in the same neighborhood (area of the board) as a vehicle. Pick up the chosen vehicle, place it on top of your monster, and flick it! And finally, you can Breathe – place your chin on top of your monster, inhale, and then blow as hard as you can. While performing these actions, there may be some collateral damage, that could be beneficial or detrimental to you! If you knock down another monster on your turn, collect one of their Teeth and put it behind your screen. If after your action, there is a building tile with nothing on it (meeples, monsters, etc.) then you collect that tile behind your screen as well.
Once you have taken your 2 actions, it is time to Chow Down – eat as many accessible meeples in your same neighborhood as you have Teeth tokens left. Devoured meeples go into your stomach (behind the player screen). If at any point during your turn, any meeples end up fleeing the city (knocked off the board), they will be added, in order, to the Runaway Meeple board. Once a line on this board is filled, the active player suffers the negative consequence – so be careful not to scare off too many yummy meeple morsels! The game continues in this fashion until it ends in one of two ways. Either the last building tile is collected, everyone takes one last turn, and then VP are tallied. Or the final line of the Runaway Meeple board is filled, causing the player who filled it to lose, while everyone else counts up their VP. VP are earned for any Teeth collected, building tiles consumed, sets of meeples devoured, and any points earned from your Character card. The player with the most VP is the winner and is the greatest monster of the game!
So I know that sounds kind of chaotic – and at times it can be. But it is a light-hearted and silly game that engages all involved. The simplicity of the mechanics (flicking/blowing) are countered by the strategy required for success. Yes, by all means, go on a crazy rampage – but the goal is end-game VP, so how can you use all these moving components to your advantage? The strategy is there, with enough luck/randomness from a dexterity stand-point that it keeps the gameplay interesting. And it is just plain fun to play! Getting up to move around the board for a better angle, knocking over opponents accidentally (or on purpose!), and sending components flying across the board makes for an entertaining and engaging game. That being said, unless you are incredibly dextrous and can perfectly execute your desired actions, be prepared for some frustration when you whiff big on a flick.
Let’s talk components for a minute. They are pretty good in this game! The board and cardboard building tiles are all pretty sturdy, which is really necessary in a game where the components can take quite a beating. The wooden meeples and monster parts are thick and high quality as well! I take great pride in keeping my games in good condition, and even this one has withstood the test of time and plays. So, good production quality all around, if you ask me!
Is Terror in Meeple City my favorite game? No. But it’s one that I’m glad to have in my collection. It works well in so many situations – a gateway game, a light-hearted filler game, a game to get everyone up and moving, and a game that can be played with younger gamers as well. Although it’s not really a brain-burner or a game of high-level strategy, it’s one that still makes for a good time. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a 7 / 12. Give it a try if you’re itching to smash some stuff!
Terror in Meeple City is a dexterity game of area movement and set collection in which players are trying to amass the most end-game Victory Points by devouring meeples, collecting building tiles, teeth, and by successfully completing their Character cards. To begin, setup the board as described in the rulebook, constructing buildings and placing meeples and vehicles accordingly. Each player receives a screen, Body (monster), and Paws (disc) in their chosen color, placing the Paws on the starting area closest to them. Players receive 4 Teeth tokens and are dealt a Character card, Power card, and Secret Superpower card. The Character and Power cards are visible to all players, and are permanent throughout the game – providing special abilities or scoring conditions for the end of the game. The Secret Superpower card is secret (duh) and revealed only when you are ready to use it – it is a one-time use in the game, and then discarded. Select a starting player, and the game is ready to begin!
On your turn, you will perform 2 of the following actions: Move, Demolish, Toss a Vehicle, or Breathe. You can perform the same action twice on your turn if you want! To Move, you will first take the Body of your monster off of the Paws disc. Using your finger, you will flick the Paws disc on the board, hopefully to end up where you wanted it! After a successful flick, put your Body back on the Paws. To Demolish, your Paws must be touching the sidewalk surrounding one of the buildings in the city. If that is the case, you can try to demolish that building – by picking up your Body, holding it over the appropriate building, and dropping it! In order to Toss a Vehicle, your monster must be located in the same neighborhood (area of the board) as a vehicle. Pick up the chosen vehicle, place it on top of your monster, and flick it! And finally, you can Breathe – place your chin on top of your monster, inhale, and then blow as hard as you can. While performing these actions, there may be some collateral damage, that could be beneficial or detrimental to you! If you knock down another monster on your turn, collect one of their Teeth and put it behind your screen. If after your action, there is a building tile with nothing on it (meeples, monsters, etc.) then you collect that tile behind your screen as well.
Once you have taken your 2 actions, it is time to Chow Down – eat as many accessible meeples in your same neighborhood as you have Teeth tokens left. Devoured meeples go into your stomach (behind the player screen). If at any point during your turn, any meeples end up fleeing the city (knocked off the board), they will be added, in order, to the Runaway Meeple board. Once a line on this board is filled, the active player suffers the negative consequence – so be careful not to scare off too many yummy meeple morsels! The game continues in this fashion until it ends in one of two ways. Either the last building tile is collected, everyone takes one last turn, and then VP are tallied. Or the final line of the Runaway Meeple board is filled, causing the player who filled it to lose, while everyone else counts up their VP. VP are earned for any Teeth collected, building tiles consumed, sets of meeples devoured, and any points earned from your Character card. The player with the most VP is the winner and is the greatest monster of the game!
So I know that sounds kind of chaotic – and at times it can be. But it is a light-hearted and silly game that engages all involved. The simplicity of the mechanics (flicking/blowing) are countered by the strategy required for success. Yes, by all means, go on a crazy rampage – but the goal is end-game VP, so how can you use all these moving components to your advantage? The strategy is there, with enough luck/randomness from a dexterity stand-point that it keeps the gameplay interesting. And it is just plain fun to play! Getting up to move around the board for a better angle, knocking over opponents accidentally (or on purpose!), and sending components flying across the board makes for an entertaining and engaging game. That being said, unless you are incredibly dextrous and can perfectly execute your desired actions, be prepared for some frustration when you whiff big on a flick.
Let’s talk components for a minute. They are pretty good in this game! The board and cardboard building tiles are all pretty sturdy, which is really necessary in a game where the components can take quite a beating. The wooden meeples and monster parts are thick and high quality as well! I take great pride in keeping my games in good condition, and even this one has withstood the test of time and plays. So, good production quality all around, if you ask me!
Is Terror in Meeple City my favorite game? No. But it’s one that I’m glad to have in my collection. It works well in so many situations – a gateway game, a light-hearted filler game, a game to get everyone up and moving, and a game that can be played with younger gamers as well. Although it’s not really a brain-burner or a game of high-level strategy, it’s one that still makes for a good time. Purple Phoenix Games gives it a 7 / 12. Give it a try if you’re itching to smash some stuff!
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Crown of Midnight in Books
Aug 25, 2019 (Updated Apr 21, 2024)
73 of 220
Book
Reread
Crown of Midnight ( Throne of Glass 2)
By Sarah J Maas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Never trust an assassin.
Celaena's story continues in this second book in the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become the King's Champion. But she is far from loyal to the crown. Though she goes to great lengths to hide her secret, her deadly charade becomes more difficult when she realises she is not the only one seeking justice. Her search for answers ensnares those closest to her, and no one is safe from suspicion - not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a princess with a rebel heart.
Then, one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie ... and what she is willing to fight for.
This is a reread for me and I loved it more the second time round if that’s at all possible. When rereading a book you see all the bits and think well crap I missed that the first time, also this time despite knowing a certain part was coming it was still emotional. Absolutely love this series.
Book
Reread
Crown of Midnight ( Throne of Glass 2)
By Sarah J Maas
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Never trust an assassin.
Celaena's story continues in this second book in the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.
Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become the King's Champion. But she is far from loyal to the crown. Though she goes to great lengths to hide her secret, her deadly charade becomes more difficult when she realises she is not the only one seeking justice. Her search for answers ensnares those closest to her, and no one is safe from suspicion - not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a princess with a rebel heart.
Then, one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie ... and what she is willing to fight for.
This is a reread for me and I loved it more the second time round if that’s at all possible. When rereading a book you see all the bits and think well crap I missed that the first time, also this time despite knowing a certain part was coming it was still emotional. Absolutely love this series.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated The Secret Keepers in Books
Jun 18, 2018
he Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Steward is an adventure that focuses on 11-year-old boy named Reuben who lives in Lower Downs which, is one of the poorer areas of the city of New Umbra. Reuben's father died when he was a baby and his mother works two jobs to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. Reuben spends his days exploring the city, keeping watch on various inhabitants of the neighborhood while his mother is at work.
While Reuben wanders around the city the reader learns about the politics of the city. The reader learns about a mystery man known as "The Smoke" who keeps the city under his thumb. As years pass "The Smoke" has reached a level of influence of those who have control. "The Smoke" has a spies that are referred to as "The Directions" by Reuben and others in the neighborhood. The spies go out in groups of your and have a specific direction in which they go in order to keep watch. One of Reuben's many games is to from "The Directions" where he is still able to observe them.
Reuben discovered an alley with two buildings. He climbs the buildings he discovers a small box engraved with a name and containing an intriguing watch. He looks at the watch and thinks perhaps he could sell it to help his family. As he tries to find a potential buyer, Reuben learns that "The Smoke" has been searching for a similar watch for many years. Reuben begins messing with the watch and finds an unexpected secret. The watch has a temporary but amazing power. "The Smoke" learns that a boy has found the watch and sends "The Directions" to find Reuben .
Reuben sets out to find the history of the watch and see what he can learn about its previous owners. His search leads him to the Meyer family who has a multi-generation secret story around the watch. The youngest member of the family, Penny, becomes a good friend to Reuben and he convinces him to bring her along. Her older brother Jack finds out about their plans and attaches himself to the adventure to try and undermine "The Smoke" and his hold on the city.
The pacing of the story is methodical and builds on itself as the story progresses. The book is split into three parts. The first part focuses on Reuben in the Lower Downs and his search through New Umbra to learn more about the watch. The second involves his trip where he meets the Meyer family and learns the history of the watch and then formulates his plan to take on the Smoke. The final part involves his plans and the confrontation with the Smoke. The characters and story is interesting and engaging.
I recommend this book to middle grade or YA readers. Be prepared for intriguing and engaging twists and turns to take you down both predictable and unpredictable roads and leaving you with a number of thoughtful questions to consider.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
I received this books from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
While Reuben wanders around the city the reader learns about the politics of the city. The reader learns about a mystery man known as "The Smoke" who keeps the city under his thumb. As years pass "The Smoke" has reached a level of influence of those who have control. "The Smoke" has a spies that are referred to as "The Directions" by Reuben and others in the neighborhood. The spies go out in groups of your and have a specific direction in which they go in order to keep watch. One of Reuben's many games is to from "The Directions" where he is still able to observe them.
Reuben discovered an alley with two buildings. He climbs the buildings he discovers a small box engraved with a name and containing an intriguing watch. He looks at the watch and thinks perhaps he could sell it to help his family. As he tries to find a potential buyer, Reuben learns that "The Smoke" has been searching for a similar watch for many years. Reuben begins messing with the watch and finds an unexpected secret. The watch has a temporary but amazing power. "The Smoke" learns that a boy has found the watch and sends "The Directions" to find Reuben .
Reuben sets out to find the history of the watch and see what he can learn about its previous owners. His search leads him to the Meyer family who has a multi-generation secret story around the watch. The youngest member of the family, Penny, becomes a good friend to Reuben and he convinces him to bring her along. Her older brother Jack finds out about their plans and attaches himself to the adventure to try and undermine "The Smoke" and his hold on the city.
The pacing of the story is methodical and builds on itself as the story progresses. The book is split into three parts. The first part focuses on Reuben in the Lower Downs and his search through New Umbra to learn more about the watch. The second involves his trip where he meets the Meyer family and learns the history of the watch and then formulates his plan to take on the Smoke. The final part involves his plans and the confrontation with the Smoke. The characters and story is interesting and engaging.
I recommend this book to middle grade or YA readers. Be prepared for intriguing and engaging twists and turns to take you down both predictable and unpredictable roads and leaving you with a number of thoughtful questions to consider.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
I received this books from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.