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Lock Every Door
Lock Every Door
Riley Sager | 2019 | Thriller
10
8.0 (9 Ratings)
Book Rating
I had previously read Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager. I wasn't that impressed with those books, but I feel a loyalty to Riley Sager since I had read his previous books. When I heard about Lock Every Door by Riley Sager, the synopsis sounded interesting enough, so I decided to give it a try. I'm really glad I did because I feel that it's Sager's best book yet, and it was really good!

Jules has just lost her job and walked in on her boyfriend cheating on her. Almost penniless and practically homeless, when she comes across a wanted ad advertising a job for an apartment complex called the Bartholomew, a place for the very rich and wealthy, Jules jumps at the chance. The apartment is lush, and the pay is $1000 a week. Sure, there are some strange rules, but it's easy money. However, when apartment sitters start vanishing in the middle of the night, Jules feels as if something evil is going on at the Bartholomew. Jules decides to find out the truth despite putting herself in danger. Will she succeed or will she become another missing apartment sitter?

I really enjoyed the plot of Lock Every Door, and I found it fairly original. Riley Sager does a fantastic job at making this book feel as if something like this could happen in real life. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to hear about something like this in the news. Even though the action doesn't really take place until almost the end of the book, I still found myself grossly immersed in this book. I also was playing detective alongside Jules the whole time. I did figure out some of what was going on, but there were still some plot twists that I never predicted. The story flows very well and never feels rushed anywhere. At no point did this book lose my attention. I was heavily invested in finishing Lock Every Door as soon as possible. Every question I had was answered by the end of the book although there was one mystery that I would have liked to know more about, but even this mystery is touched upon at the end of the book.

I enjoyed reading about every character in Lock Every Door from even the minor characters to the major ones. Jules was a fantastic main character. She was fairly relatable. Actually, I would go as far as to say that she's the most relatable character in a book that I've read. I could sympathize with her financial struggles and her desperation when it came to making money. It was the same with the character of Ingrid. I could also relate to her struggle for money. My heart went out to all of the apartment sitters because I knew what they were feeling when it came to money. I felt like Nick was a bit predictable and cliched as the hunky neighbor, but he was still written well. Greta was my favorite character. She was definitely interesting, that's for sure! My favorite scenes always involved Greta.

Trigger warnings for Lock Every Door include profanity, sexual references (though not many and not graphic), violence (not graphic), death, kidnapping, murder, drinking, and some drug references.

All in all, Lock Every Door is a thrilling read that ticks all the right boxes to make it fantastic! With such a interesting plot and a fantastic cast of characters, this is one book not to miss. I would definitely recommend Lock Every Door by Riley Sager to those who crave a great mystery as well as those that love thrillers.
  
Lonestar's Lady
Lonestar's Lady
Deborah Camp | 2017 | Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
delightful historical romance
I was gifted my copy of this book, that I write a review was not required.

Gussy travels across the country to find the man she was supposed to marry a liar, and a drunken fellow. Max Lonestar offers Gussy an alternative, one that would get them both what they want. Can Gussy see past Max' history, his prison time, his heritage??

I thoroughly enjoyed this!

Gussy is a bit of a headstrong young lady, and for her time, maybe too much, but she wants what every girl of her age wants: a husband, a permanent home, children. Granted, she went across country as a mail order bride to get what she wants, so maybe not the best way, but Lonestar's alternative is better than a trip home. And let's face it, Lonestar is a much better looking man than her original intended! So she puts her heart and soul, and indeed her body, into making this work, even when Lonestar pushes her away when things get dangerous.

Pulled to Augusta like no woman has ever pulled him, he hopes and prays that this will work, that she will give him what he craves. I liked that he gave her an "out" option should they not be able to work it. I liked that he, and he alone called her Augusta.

It's quite obvious who is causing the trouble to Max and Gussy, to me at least, I just didn't think he would go THAT far! I LOVED that the town pulled together, finally, to help Gussy and Max rebuild.

Not overly explicit, it carries the right amount of steamy stuff that is proper for this book, and for the time this was set. Just enough, I thought! It does carry some prejudices but they were common at that time (some still today!)

Not a difficult read, just one of those books you can fall into and lose a couple hours, I managed to read this in one sitting. But well written, from both Gussy and Max' point of view, so you get to hear from both of them.

Thank you to Ms Camp for my copy, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
The Bright Side Brigade
The Bright Side Brigade
Elaine White | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Bright Side Brigade by Elaine White
The Bright Side Brigade is a set of interconnecting stories, all related to each other, but with different people in the starring roles for each one. What this means is you keep up to date on all of the people here, but not in the way you were expecting.

What was I expecting when I agreed to review this? I'll be honest, not this!!! I read a hard-hitting, emotional, full of impact story that shows you that sometimes, you actually need something you didn't think you did. This school had a Zero Tolerance manifesto in place, and didn't think they needed anything else, but as these stories progress, you see just how much they do!

There is no one couple I loved more than the others, and that is simply amazing. Usually in a box set or anthology, I will ALWAYS have one favourite story/couple. Not here. All of these boys and girls touched my heart. I cheered for their victories, and I wept for their sorrows. Seriously!!! I was astounded by what I read, and I thoroughly enjoyed every word!

Now, onto the technical side. There were no editing or grammatical errors that I noticed. I may have missed one when I was wiping away the tears, but I doubt it. A bunch of short stories, making up an emotional whole. The pacing was perfect for each and every one. I guess if I wanted to nitpick, I would say I'm not entirely sure where it is set. It mentions Glasgow, but then medical bills - which is possible in the UK, but not usual. However, I couldn't care if this was set on Space Planet number 9! I loved this book, and I really, REALLY, hope to see more of The Bright Side Brigade... please?!

In case you haven't realised it yet - I absolutely recommend this book!

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Big Lies in a Small Town
Big Lies in a Small Town
Diane Chamberlain | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Mystery
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Morgan Christopher is shocked when she's plucked from prison and told she will be released early, as long as she perform a certain task: restore an old mural from the 1940s. Morgan, an art school dropout, has no restoration skills, but she is desperate to leave prison, where she is imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit. Once released, she finds herself captivated by the mural and what she finds underneath the layers of grime. Meanwhile, in 1940, young Anna Dale, an artist from New Jersey wins a contest to paint a mural for the post office in Edenton, North Carolina. She travels there to learn more about the town that she needs to capture. But once there, Anna is confronted both by kindness and deep-set prejudice.

I've never read a book by Diane Chamberlain before, and I really enjoyed this one. It's oddly captivating for centering on a painting from the 1940s. The point-of-view switches between Morgan and Anna and each are compelling narrators in their own right. This was one of those books where I found myself desperately wishing I could read faster, as I wanted to find out what happened to Anna (we're told early on she "went crazy").

I applaud Chamberlain for her original plot. It's odd, but not in a bad way, as it had me interested the entire time. She does a wonderful job of creating two completely different worlds: Anna's in the 40s and Morgan's in near present-day. She deftly weaves in art aspects; Morgan's drunk driving conviction and her past in prison; Anna's possible mental illness; and Morgan's benefactor, so to speak, Lisa, who springs her out of prison to fulfill the wishes of her late father, Jesse, a famous artist.

While this novel is mainly fiction, there are some great twists and turns, especially as we learn what happened to Anna. Chamberlain delves into race relations, as Anna confronts the prejudices of the south in the 1940s. Her writing style is easy, making you want to keep reading, and overall, I quite enjoyed this one. 4 stars.
  
Cracking the CRM Code
Cracking the CRM Code
Limesh Parekh | 2021 | Business & Finance
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ancient Indian knowledge and wisdom have been expressed through storytelling for thousands of years. With this in mind, Limesh Parekh wrote his first business book Cracking the CRM Code in fiction format. CRM, which the author fails to define in the book, stands for Customer Relationship Management and is a useful process for businesses to interact with their customers.

Rather than produce a mundane manual about how to purchase and use CRM software, Parekh writes a story about four friends and their journey with CRM. Liladhar Shastri, a successful business owner, is encouraging his friends, Anubhav, Jagdeep and Irshad to consider using CRM to improve their businesses. What follows is a lengthy discussion about buying CRM, using CRM and getting the most out of the software.

As the Indian entrepreneur, Rashmi Bansal writes in the introduction, Limesh Parekh is "not a salesman but a friend." The author gives advice through the voice of Liladhar, and the other three friends express the reader's questions and concerns. The book is written for small business with the potential to grow with the help of CRM. The story analyses what the friends do wrong and what they need to change.

Cracking the CRM Code is written for business-minded people who understand the jargon and acronyms, many of which are unexplained. As a layperson, some of the information went over my head, but the fiction format helped hold my interest. English is presumably not the author's first language, hence the sentences do not always flow, and the punctuation is far from perfect. At times, it is difficult to work out which character is speaking, making it a little confusing to follow.

Many business books and manuals are nondescript and boring, whereas Limesh Parekh keeps the reader engaged with anecdotes, stories and quotes. Rather than learning how to use CRM, the characters show the process of purchasing and using the software, which is far more enlightening than a step-by-step guide. Cracking the CRM Code has the potential to be a big hit with small business owners and business consultants.
  
40x40

Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated Elias in Books

May 12, 2020  
Elias
Elias
Amy Aislin | 2020 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
wonderfully warm and fuzzy and too stinking cute read
Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Elias is plodding along, not particularly happy, as such, but getting by. He has a good job, and will be making VP shortly. Then he meets Ty and all bets are off. Ty brings something out in Elias, and Elias in Ty, and they just have to get past their *initial* thoughts about each others jobs.

SO!

I am ALL about my books feelings and this book right, hits a whole damn lot of them! I have not had such a cute story, that left me with so much warm and fuzzies in a long damn time! And I really REALLY enjoyed it!

Both Elias and Ty have a say, in the third person. So we get all the things Elias was thinking about when he meets Ty and Ty tells him off for putting his rubbish in the wrong bin. We get all of Ty's emotions when he realises how much more than friends he wants to be with Elias. We get it all.

It's not especially explicit, but damn, it's hot! There is chemistry, right from the start, between these two and it burns bright and hot the whole way through.

It's a bit emotional in places, when Elias is talking about his family and his past, and I was tearful at that point. Ty's family is great at taking Elias in as one of there own though.

There is no violence, no nutty ex, no major break up. And THAT, my book friends, is what I LOVED most about this book. The fact that; yes they fall out; but it's such a minor, silly thing, and it's resolved pretty quickly, but it's not relationship-break-up material, you know? It's a falling out over the choice of words one of them used, and everyone is happy after they talked it out.

They get their Happy Ever After in a very, almost fairy-tale like way, and I really REALLY enjoyed it!

4 wonderful stars (Can't quite stretch to 5 and most of the webistes don't do halves!)

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
The Diary: Book One of Cursed
The Diary: Book One of Cursed
S.L. Weiss | 2019 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
So this is a first in an upcoming series. Reading it kind of gave me a Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets vibe - that's my favorite book in the series by the way. Anyway, two girls named Ana and Sophie come across a new shop that has opened. It sells crystals, some dresses, and spell books. Ana comes across this blank book, a diary, and decides to purchase it and record everything going on in her life - like most teenage girls want to do. I certainly did, and I still do to an extent.

It seems like everything Ana writes in this diary seems to come true - for instance, wanting her friend to finally stop whining about a boy she likes and asks him out. It's pointed out quite a few times how 'out of character' it was for Sophie to ask a boy out. She describes it as an out of body experience where she was watching herself just simply go up to the the boy and ask him on a date.

In a sense of 'be careful what you wish for' in this case it's, 'be careful what you write.' The diary, however, has a mind of its own and it slowly starts to take over Ana.

Does anybody else hear Smeegal's voice and wishing that Ana would once say, 'My Precious!'? No? Okay, I'm really that nerdy, but I don't care. I wear it like a badge of honor.

I won't lie it say it wasn't a tad but cheesy. Almost like watching some parts of it as a Disney show, at least the ones that include someone falling from a Ferris wheel or getting an allergic reaction. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, because it's not overpowering like the new Disney shows these days are, gag me.

The writing style was simplistic and it's one that I liked. It wasn't told from Ana's point of view, which is surprising because most of the YA novels I've read are told from the main character's point of view. It's not a terrible thing, but it's not always the best. In this book, you get more than just Ana's views which is important to a story like this.

The ending did, of course, leave a cliffhanger and a small excerpt for the next book in the series.

All in all, the book was a quick read for the most part. I like the three main characters of the story and I enjoyed how it was written. Can you imagine finding a diary and it making things you write in it come true? The good will come with bad.
  
The Runner (2015)
The Runner (2015)
2015 | Action, International, Documentary
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: The Runner starts as Louisiana is dealing with the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, politician Colin Pryce (Cage) wants to supporting his state who are not getting supported after the spill which is take jobs from the good people. His fight gets national attention as he starts to fight for the people whose lives are being destroyed.

When it is made public that Colin has had an affair behind his wife Deborah’s (Nielsen) back the state turns on him forcing him to resign and come back stronger as he continues to fight for the people of Louisiana he could make a comeback unlike anyone in the political world.

 

Thoughts on The Runner

 

Story – This is a very political drama story 101 job we have one man who was great for the people lose his role for affair and goes through tough tests before looking to make the comeback, you have nothing overly interesting going on here in what is a standard political drama.

Thriller – While this is more drama based you are kept wondering how Colin can bring his career back around by continuing to do the right thing.

Characters/Performance – Colin is based on a real person who does want to do the right thing for the people but isn’t the most morale correct when it comes to his personal life, this makes him an easy target in a political story. we do have other characters who are all part of the decision-making process that Colin goes through but none really make an impact. When you look at the performances they are all average without being any of the actor’s high points.

Settings – The settings are all real to the Louisiana as we see the different levels of working classes all dealing with the same problem after the BP oil spill but none of the locations come off feeling memorable.

Final Thoughts – Grab your text books and you will see how to make this movie with ease adding nothing special within the film.

 

Overall: Not the best, not the worst just forgettable.Story: The Runner starts as Louisiana is dealing with the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, politician Colin Pryce (Cage) wants to supporting his state who are not getting supported after the spill which is take jobs from the good people. His fight gets national attention as he starts to fight for the people whose lives are being destroyed.

When it is made public that Colin has had an affair behind his wife Deborah’s (Nielsen) back the state turns on him forcing him to resign and come back stronger as he continues to fight for the people of Louisiana he could make a comeback unlike anyone in the political world.

 

Thoughts on The Runner

 

Story – This is a very political drama story 101 job we have one man who was great for the people lose his role for affair and goes through tough tests before looking to make the comeback, you have nothing overly interesting going on here in what is a standard political drama.

Thriller – While this is more drama based you are kept wondering how Colin can bring his career back around by continuing to do the right thing.

Characters/Performance – Colin is based on a real person who does want to do the right thing for the people but isn’t the most morale correct when it comes to his personal life, this makes him an easy target in a political story. we do have other characters who are all part of the decision-making process that Colin goes through but none really make an impact. When you look at the performances they are all average without being any of the actor’s high points.

Settings – The settings are all real to the Louisiana as we see the different levels of working classes all dealing with the same problem after the BP oil spill but none of the locations come off feeling memorable.

Final Thoughts – Grab your text books and you will see how to make this movie with ease adding nothing special within the film.

 

Overall: Not the best, not the worst just forgettable.