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An Unlocked Mind (Secrets #2)
An Unlocked Mind (Secrets #2)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
awesome follow up!
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted the audio file of this book.

Rob is TRYING to be better person than the one who nearly ruined his brother’s life, he really is. But it’s hard when no one will help you. A visit to the opening night of Secrets is just what he needs. Til a demonstration has him running. But he returns the next week, and runs straight into Vic, along with giving Vic attitude. Rescuing the obnoxious little git wasn’t in Vic’s game plan for the evening, but he can’t leave Rob walking in the pouring rain. After depositing Rob at the train station, he never expects to see him again. Although, something about Rob calls to him, it really does. When Rob starts turning up every weekend, Vic begins to look forward to his visits. Then Life throws Rob under a bus and Vic knows this is his chance to get into Rob’s head, and for Rob to get out of it.

This is book 2 in the Secrets series, but you don’t NEED to have read/listened to book one first, but I think you should. It’s bloody good!

As is this one!

Vic isn’t what I would call a Dom Dom, his speciality is getting a sub out of his head, rather than floggers and whips. And he KNOWS something is eating away at Rob’s mind, he just needs to unlock it. But to do THAT, Vic needs to get to know Rob, on his weekly visits to London. When Rob loses his job in Manchester, Vic offers him a lifeline, under strict terms that Vic lays down. And Rob, desperate for help and starved of any real human interaction, jumps at the chance.

Rob did some things as a younger man, that come back to haunt him, that STILL haunt him. A conversation with his mother turns his brother against him, and Rob is suffering that guilt so bad, it’s a dead weight on his shoulders. Meeting Vic, though, lets something free in his soul, something he had been so afraid to admit before. Something his mother would not approve of. Something he so badly needs, it brings him to the brink of his limits and budgets and his money runs out faster than it should. But Vic? Vic gives him a chance, so long as he sticks with the rules, and those RULES are what Rob needs, He needs to find himself again, deep within himself, before he can forgive himself and to make amends with his brother, should his brother want to.

What I particularly loved about this one, was the lack of the physical BDSM stuff that usually comes with these books, I mean I LOVED the lack of it. Oh don’t get me wrong, this is a sexy book, and it has a crazy amount of heat but there is a distinct lack of floggers and paddles. This was very much a MENTAL book, as in Rob needed to get out of his head so bad, and Vic knew just how to do that.
Rob is, quite simply, a wreck at the start of this book, and it’s a long while before Vic can get him to admit what’s eating him the most. That is: what he did to his brother. But when the FULL picture comes clear, I cried for Rob, I really did. He felt so bad for something he did not do, it messed his head.

Vic, being the most laid back Dom I have quite possibly EVER come across, is just the man for Rob, just the Dom to get to the bottom of his pain and release it. Rob calls to his soul, he really does. But not immediately. It takes a little time for Rob to worm his way in, but once he does, Vic is all in.
I NEED to listen Rob’s story now though! I need to know what a little shit Rob was, and how Rob was affected by what happened, I really do. So, books one and two of Collars and Cuffs are nicely lined up for when I’ve got time.

Joel Leslie narrates this one, as he does book one. I cannot, CANNOT fault the narration of these books, this one especially. Leslie pours so MUCH into Rob, and to Vic to, but to a lesser extent. The emotion pouring out of Rob when he finally breaks down and tells Vic all made me cry, great wrecking sobs that I have no doubt might NOT have come had I been reading.

 Leslie is, quite simply a Master at his craft, and coupled with the work of Wells and Williams, I can only give this book. . . .

5 stars for the book
5 stars for the narration
5 stars overall.

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Ghostbusters (2016)
Ghostbusters (2016)
2016 | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
I ain't afraid of no reboot
So it’s here. One of the most reviled films of the decade before it was even released; the Ghostbusters reboot has a tough job persuading fans of the original films and newcomers alike that it’s worth their time.

With director Paul Feig, stars like Melissa McCarthy and Chris Hemsworth and the backing of the series’ previous stars, it’s certainly got a lot going for it, but does the finished product soar or deserve all those dislikes on YouTube? The most disliked film trailer in YouTube history.

Paranormal researcher Abby Yates (Melissa McCarthy) and physicist Erin Gilbert (Kristen Wiig) are trying to prove that ghosts exist in modern society. When strange apparitions appear in Manhattan, Gilbert and Yates turn to engineer Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon) for help. Also joining the team is Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones), a lifelong New Yorker who knows the city inside and out. Armed with proton packs and plenty of attitude, the four women prepare for an epic battle as thousands of ghosts descend on Times Square.

To look at, Ghostbusters is absolutely stunning with breath-taking CGI coupled with sweeping shots of New York’s famous skyline. With the exception of The Jungle Book, there simply hasn’t been a film so far this year that has looked this good. The ghouls are rendered with brilliant special effects that culminate at the finale for a cracking female-led battle and Slimer even makes an appearance – what more could you ask for?

This is also a witty, occasionally hilarious and on the whole reasonably funny film that utilises Paul Feig’s knack at scriptwriting and the talents of its exceptional cast very well. Melissa McCarthy’s presence proves just what a team she and Feig are, with Chris Hemsworth providing some of the film’s best one-liners.

But the true surprise is in Kate McKinnon. Her wacky, over-the-top character has been tremendously well written and is a joy to watch on screen, especially in the film’s final act. Leslie Jones and Kristen Wiig each make an impact with the former in particular being very funny indeed. The cameos are all present and correct too, with the majority of the previous film’s main cast returning in some small way.

There are a couple of flaws. When you think of Paul Feig then Bridesmaids will probably spring to mind. Then perhaps The Heat or Spy? All these films were given a 15 certification by the BBFC and they used that certificate to its full potential. Ghostbusters is given the much-maligned 12A rating meaning it’s not as immediately hilarious as those films.

That’s not to say it isn’t funny, in fact, part of the humour is derived from spotting references to its much-loved predecessors, but it doesn’t have you rolling about the aisles like Feig’s earlier works.

The story does occasionally suffer from the pressures of influence, with the original film’s footprint well and truly stamped throughout. Nevertheless, this isn’t a real drag and the taut 116 minute running time keeps things moving along nicely with the highlights being the group’s inception and interactions.

Ghostbusters fans; you can rest easy. This isn’t meant to step on the toes of its wonderful predecessors at all. What it has achieved however is to provide its audience, new generation or old, with cracking special effects, a decent, well-written script and some dry, subtle humour. It’s one of the best films of the year so far and no publicity is bad publicity.

https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/07/12/i-aint-afraid-of-no-reboot-ghostbusters-review/
  
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation, #1)
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation, #1)
Lauren Willig | 2006 | Fiction & Poetry
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
In the ways of mystery, intrigue, and espionage in both the past and present narrative, I thought that [b:The Intelligencer|1098168|The Intelligencer|Leslie Silbert|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180962888s/1098168.jpg|1135397] was better (only brought up because I read it recently). I am a bit disappointed that there wasn't more of those in it and less romance, but not much. While predictible and not always original, it still has a charm of its own and, at times, was impossible to put down. The characters were great and I enjoyed Amy's spirited ways and the banter between her and Richard. All the secondary characters, epecially Jane and Richard's family and friends, were interesting and added to the story. I really liked Eloise, and even though she's not in it much, I really got a sense of knowing her and I can't wait to find out what happens with her next. That intrigues me as much as finding out what happens next with the Pink Carnation!

I haven't come across many books with the past/present espionage storyline and would be interested in reading more, so I'm glad that the author has decided to write more of these novels. I hope the sequels are equally as engaging and fun! And some more mystery might be nice too.

Mini-kinda-spoiler: <spoiler>
The one thing that kind of bothered me was that the title implies it is about the Pink Carnation when there really isn't much about ol' Pinkie. And the one major mission isn't really described at all! Probably because it didn't really involve the central characters or story, I imagine.</spoiler>
  
Yule Log Murder
Yule Log Murder
8
9.3 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Put on a Yule Log and Curl Up with this Novella Collection
This book contains three Christmas mystery novellas by three different mystery authors featuring their main sleuths. Up first is the title story by Leslie Meier as Lucy Stone tries to figure out how a young woman died on the set of a movie being filmed in town. Next comes "Death by Yule Log" by Lee Hollis. In this story, Hayley Powell meets her daughter's new boyfriend. While she is less than impressed with him, she begins to poke around when he is accused of murder. Finally comes "Logged On" by Barbara Ross. Christmas is approaching, and Julia Snowden is determined to make a great yule log to impress her boyfriend's family. She's so desperate she gets help from Mrs. St. Onge, an unpleasant neighbor everyone agrees makes the best yule log cakes around. Only, something seems off. Can Julia figure out what is going on?

Fans of any of these authors will want to pick up this book. All three feature strong mysteries. Each story is around 100 pages, yet still feature some good twists and surprises that kept the pages flying. I did find the characters in the Lucy Stone story annoying, but that is my only complaint with the book. I don't read Lee Hollis, but I am tempted to with how much I enjoyed the story here. I love Barbara Ross's books, so it was fabulous to get another story with them. You'll get plenty of Christmas spirit while reading this book, and each author includes some recipes you can make after you've finished the book, including three different recipes for yule logs.
  
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JT (287 KP) rated Ca$h (2010) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
Ca$h (2010)
Ca$h (2010)
2010 | Mystery
2
2.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A contender for one of the worst thrillers ever, this is nothing more than a total disaster. And that is being generous!

Director Stephen Milburn Anderson’s last outing was with Dead Men Can’t Dance back in 1997, and after such a long break you wonder why he stepped back behind the camera. The film’s central plot has been graced in Hollywood one way or another, at least in a different guise.

A bag of money from a robbery falls in the lap of Sam (Chris Hemsworth) and Leslie Phelan (Victoria Profeta) and so beings the moral dilemma. It doesn’t take long for the couple to blow and hide most of the money.

Sean Bean complete with trademark Sheffield accent steps in as Pyke Kubic tasked with recovering the half million dollar loot to split between himself and his brother who is in prison (also played by Bean).

For most you’d expect a game of cat and mouse, gripping edge of seat stuff. Forget that, what you are handed is a rather boring plot of Bean meticulously accounting for all the missing cash and spending time with the couple inside their home as some sort of unwanted house guest.

There is no need for violence here, he’s polite and calm but at the same time attempts to be chilling even insulting the couple for their lack of meat in home cooking. Christ, he even goes out to buy them food for their fridge!

It really is embarrassing to watch and sad, as put in the right hands this could have been a real sleeper hit. Two simple words, “don’t bother”!
  
Moon Over Soho: The Second PC Grant Mystery
Moon Over Soho: The Second PC Grant Mystery
Ben Aaronovitch | 2011 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great follow up to the first one
Contains spoilers, click to show
***Spoilers ahead you’ve been warned***

It is advisable to read the first one before you get into Moon Over Soho. You’re pretty much carrying on right after the events in the first book so it’s always better to get the background information before carrying on :)

I was pleased with this one, complete with rather macabre scenes that will stick with me for a while. I still enjoy the way it’s being narrated by Peter Grant. He tells it pretty bluntly and explains well for some of us who don’t live in London which helps understand the setting more. The setting is dark and gritty, just right to complement the mystery that is prevalent to the case. The mix with the supernatural blends quite well with real life London, I believe it’s probably even more enjoyable to read for those that are quite familiar to the city.

Supporting characters and some new ones are featured in the book. It’s nice to see Leslie again despite what happened to her (ahh but the ending though!). Peter takes a lot of beating (both verbal and physical) during the book which is to be expected. He does have a thing with Simone that covers a good latter part of the book which is ok, although I thought it provided a lot of filler and it slowed the pace down considerably. You almost wanted to ask; “Peter, don’t you have a case to work on?”

It proved to be a quick read with a good open cliffhanger ending with the mystery of The ‘Faceless One’ which makes the series even more intriguing at this point. I’ll be definitely be picking up the third one. A great series to read so far!
  
How To Be Single (2016)
How To Be Single (2016)
2016 | Comedy, Romance
7
5.8 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Being a single twenty something in New York City is one of the best and one of the worst things all at the same time. Alice (Dakota Johnson) thinks it is time to see what the single life is all about by take a “break” from her longtime boyfriend Josh (Nicholas Braun). Unfortunately as we all know things don’t always work out the way people want and Alice must figure out who she is. With the help of her friend Robin (Rebel Wilson) and her sister Meg (Leslie Mann), Alice faces the challenges and benefits that come with being single. While Alice is trying to find her way the plot looks into the lives of Tom (Anders Holm) the flirty bartender who would pretty much bang anything that walks, Lucy (Alison Brie) the crazed romantic who believes she can find the one, and Meg, Alice’s doctor sister who find out she wants everything she never wanted. “How to Be Single” shows us that we need to take time to find ourselves and that things do happen in time.

Directed by Christian Ditter and loosely based off of Liz Tuccillo’s novel How to Be Single the film is actually quite relatable. While it is not a necessity to be single, finding yourself is an essential part of life and people should explore new opportunities no matter what others tell them. As far as the acting goes, it was ok but nothing Oscar worthy. Also for a romantic comedy I feel this movie is more relatable then most, it shows that love isn’t perfect and instantaneous. I would recommend this film to people who are going to have a girl’s night, because to its core this movie came down to friendship. Would I see this film again? Sure, Rebel Wilson’s one liners in the film were hilarious and kept me hooked.
  
Prom Night (1980)
Prom Night (1980)
1980 | Horror
Halloween 1.5
Fairly forgettable slasher/horror film with a lot of similarities to the original Halloween which had been released only 2 years earlier also starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Maybe at the time, all the now predictable horror cliches had not been overdone as they have been these days, but it was still mostly a bore.

After several children murder another girl in an abandoned building, they decide to keep their crime as a secret. Years later the children are now in high school when a mysterious stranger now decides to look them up and make them pay for the dastardly deed. They don't notice subtle clues immediately as the stranger starting calling them with his "spooky voice". The night of the prom is different though, as he decides to take his revenge on them one at a time after there is plenty of disco dancing of course.

Were audiences easier to please back in 1980? Clearly this was a cash grab of a film coming right on the heels of a much better ground breaking entry into the horror genre. This killer is pretty boring in comparison to others even of the same time period. No Captain Kirk or hockey masks here. The guy just wears all black with a black ski mask.

The soundtrack of disco tunes and the prom dancing scene with Jamie Lee strutting her stuff with her date was the highlight for me. It was also funny, yet not funny to see Leslie Nielsen in a dramatic role. It's hard to believe his career would change forever the same year when Airplane! was released.

I would pass if I were you.

  
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Dean (6925 KP) Sep 20, 2019

This is one bad film and the update is even worse!

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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2091 KP) rated Molten Death in Books

Apr 3, 2024 (Updated Apr 3, 2024)  
Molten Death
Molten Death
Leslie Karst | 2024 | Mystery
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Valerie Face a Hot Problem on Vacation in Hawaii
Valerie Corbin and her wife, Kristen, are spending a couple of weeks in Hilo, staying with Kristen’s friend Isaac. They have arrived just as a lava flow is really gaining steam, so they decide to go out and see it early their first Saturday morning on the island. When Valerie wanders away from the other two, she sees part of a body being buried in the molten lava. She can’t get anyone to take her seriously, even Kristen and Isaac. Certainly, the police aren’t taking it seriously without any proof. Can Valerie figure out what really happened?

Author Leslie Karst lives part time in Hilo, so I wasn’t surprised that she chose this as the setting for her new series. Her knowledge showed in how she brought the setting to life. And who doesn’t want a Hawaiian vacation? The plot was very inventive, and I appreciated Valerie’s good motive for getting involved. We had some nice twists before a great climax. I did struggle with Valerie’s relationship with Kristen because they were so at odds for much of the book. I think if this hadn’t been my introduction to them, I would have been okay with this sub-plot. Overall, I liked the series regulars by the end, and Valerie’s darker baggage made her an interesting character. We do get some Pigeon and Hawai’ian mixed into the dialogue. A couple times it was a bit overwhelming, but for the most part, I could figure it out from the context. We get six Hawaiian recipes at the end. The inventive plot will make this series debut a winner for mystery fans.
  
Rivers of London: Body Work
Rivers of London: Body Work
Ben Aaronovitch, Lee Sullivan, Andrew Cartmel | 2016 | Fiction & Poetry
7
5.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
Great book for urban fantasy lovers
I enjoyed reading this one as it featured a main character who wasn’t your typical anti-hero - which we seem to have a lot lately. I’m glad to see Peter was just your average good guy who’s doing his best to be a policeman until he comes across supernatural things in which his whole life changes.


Peter’s relationship with Nightingale is pretty much a mentor/student one. Nightingale has his own secrets though and a few are revealed but there’s more to him that you think - I hope there’s more information about him in the later books to come. There are other supporting characters; I do like Leslie because she’s got the wit (possible love interest, maybe) and she’s a perfect sidekick to Peter. Molly is another interesting character that I would love to know more about. Again this is the first book in the series so I’m hoping more character development will eventually come forth in later books.

The world building is pretty good and Peter does a good job also explaining how things are in London (I admit I had to google a couple of things as I didn’t know who or what Punch and Judy were) but it gives you information on the city and events that are common there to actually make you feel as if you are following Peter around as he tries to solve the case and becomes an apprentice.

The plot was well done and I liked how the different story arcs come together in the end into one large circle. It may seem confusing at first but once you have everything laid out and you know who is who everything comes to a close and it’s a great closing. It obviously leaves room for more books coming so one can look forward to what is next for Peter.

(The Riot scene though? Holyyyyy sheeeeeee what the……)

It’s a good read, those who are into urban fantasy mysteries will likely like this type of book. Looking forward to book two!