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    Withered

    Amy Miles

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    I always thought when the apocalypse finally began I would be swinging my baseball bat at the...

Comatose (Vixen Bluff #1)
Comatose (Vixen Bluff #1)
Catherine Black | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
128 of 200
Kindle
Comatose (Vixen Bluff book 1)
By Catherine Black

Shaye Robinson never questions her role as the tame, submissive sweetheart of Vixen Bluff's illustrious physician, Dr. Robert Baxter. At least, not until she finds his hands wrapped around her neck at the office Christmas party. Blinded by betrayal and more than ready to bid adieu to their loveless engagement, Shaye makes a devastating mistake that leaves her scarred and broken, and at the mercy of the one man she was trying to escape.
Nurse Alexander Mayes avoids temptation of any kind. Always. No exceptions. Living a mediocre, no-frills life is all that's kept him and his little brother fed, clothed, and off the streets since the untimely death of their parents. So when the blonde in room 301 emerges from a coma and immediately charms her way into Alex's heart, he has no other choice than to keep her at arm's length. Her smile may be as rare as her miraculous circumstances, and her eyes may hint at an uncontrollable fire just waiting to lay waste to those who have wronged her, but crossing that particular line would be career suicide.
As Shaye and Alex navigate the treacherous waters of her recovery, they discover everyone in Vixen Bluff has already deemed them 'meant to be', despite the clear conflict of interest. But just when Shaye thinks a happily-ever-after could be in the cards after all, a threat from her past makes his presence known, jeopardizing everything she's fought so hard to rebuild.




I’ve never read anything by this author and this was recommended. I’m so glad I picked it up it was just brilliant! I love the writing style and the story! What’s not to love? Romance isn’t usually a go to genre for me but I really loved this book.
  
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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Switch in Books

Jan 7, 2021  
The Switch
The Switch
Beth O'Leary | 2020 | Contemporary
9
9.1 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
A touching look at love and loss

Leena Cotton's way to deal with life is losing herself in her work. But when she's forced to take a two-month sabbatical, her usual focal point is gone. So Leena comes up with a plan: she'll escape to her grandmother Eileen's house, a beautiful little cottage in the lovely, quiet village of Hamleigh, and Eileen will come and stay in Leena's flat in London. To Leena, this sounds perfect; her grandmother, after all, though nearly eighty, is newly single and looking for another chance at love. Where better to find it than in bustling London? But switching places isn't as easy as it seems. In Hamleigh, Leena learns her grandmother's shoes are hard to fill, having to plan a local festival and deal with nosy neighbors. Meanwhile, in London, Eileen has to get up-to-speed with online dating and the hustle and bustle of a busy city. But, all may not be lost for the Cotton women.

Oh this book. It's just absolutely lovely. I wasn't sure if the idea of a "swapping places" book would come across as silly or trite, but in O'Leary's deft hands, it's perfect. She gives us a beautiful story about healing after grief (Leena's sabbatical comes because she blows a presentation as she's dealing with the grief of losing her sister; Eileen, obviously, has lost her granddaughter). But it's also funny, sweet, and romantic. The sadness is woven in with hope and beauty. It's one of those rare books that can make you both cry and laugh.

Eileen and Leena--what can I say about these characters? They are so real! I identified, of course, with workaholic Leena, and you just want to go into the book and save her (though she doesn't need it) as she struggles with her sister's death, feeling abandoned by her own grieving mother after the loss, and getting her life back on track. And Eileen? She's a total trip. Finally free to find love again, she's a wonderful and spunky woman that you cannot help but root for. The supporting cast is absolutely excellent--Leena's friends and flatmates, combined with the townspeople of Hamleigh, make for some of the most memorable supporting cast I can remember in quite some time. They all fit together perfectly in the story.

Overall, I defy you not to fall for this tale. Eileen's quest for love. Leena's quest to find herself again. O'Leary gives us a beautiful gift in THE SWITCH. One of my favorite reads of the year. 4.5+ stars.
  
Pumpkinhead (1988)
Pumpkinhead (1988)
1988 | Horror
Characters – Ed Harley is a hardworking shop keeper and single father, he gets on well with the community and enjoys the quiet life. His life is turned upside down when his son is killed in an accident, which pushes him to turn to the dark arts to avenge his son’s death, only he didn’t plan for what would be expected from him. Chris is one of the teenagers that wants to do the right thing after the accident, much like the rest of the teenagers they all blend into one, except for the one that caused the accident, who only wants to look after himself.

Performances – Lance Henriksen is the star of the film, he is easily the best performer as his character goes through the biggest trauma and shows the desperation for revenge and regret for his decision. When it comes to the rest of the cast, they are performed to the level most slasher films reached.

Story – The story here follows a man that will do anything to get vengeance for his son’s death, which sees him summon the evil Pumpkinhead to kill the people that took his son, he soon learns the errors of his choice and must figure out how to stop the killing machine. For a monster creature feature slasher this is a simple story, we don’t get twists, we don’t need much character development as we are more interested in seeing the effects being used. It is nice have a story that remains simple in the horror genre at times too.

Fantasy/Horror – The fantasy elements of this film comes from the figure of Pumpkinhead that gets summoned to do revenge for people that believe they have been wronged, which plays hand in hand with the horror side of the film which is slasher elements which show just how deadly this figure will be.

Settings – The film is set in a small town where we don’t have many people with the ones living their knowing each other and anyone coming from the outside being frowned upon.

Special Effects – The effects are the highlight of the film, Stan Winston was known for his ability to create some of the most memorable creatures in film history and with him directing he brings us another terrifying creation.


Scene of the Movie – The first imagine of Pumpkinhead.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The teenagers are stupid for how they acted for the accident to happen in the first place.

Final Thoughts – This is a slasher that can be enjoyed by the horror community, it offers everything needed to just let us enjoy ourselves without challenging us like other horrors.

 

Overall: Simple, effective and fun horror.