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ClareR (5603 KP) rated Fair Rosaline in Books
Aug 26, 2023
Fair Rosaline is a sublime retelling of Romeo and Juliet - or, I should say, Romeo and Rosaline.
At the start of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and his friends are seen laughing and joking about Rosaline who has been sent to a nunnery. Here, Rosaline gets a chance to tell her side of the story, and she isn’t the silly girl that the Montagues would have us believe. She’s passionate, intelligent, musical, literate, and she absolutely doesn’t want to spend her life in a convent. So she manages to extract 10 days of freedom from her grieving father (her mother has died in the recent plague) and she intends to live them to the max.
Her first, and probably most life-changing act, is to go to a big masked ball held at the Montagues home. There she meets a very charming Romeo. But he’s not like the young boy we meet in Shakespeare’s play. This Romeo is much older and knows exactly what he’s doing. This Romeo is a serial womaniser who likes his women to be girls.
I hated him quite early on, he’s so well written. Romeo is manipulative, charming and a thief of both material goods and young girls’ innocence.
The way this is all written is frankly gorgeous. The language is reminiscent of Shakespeare (except more accessible!) with a fair few phrases borrowed from his original prose.
I could’ve read this all day. Absolutely beautiful. And yes, highly recommended, even if you just want to see Romeo get his comeuppance.
At the start of Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and his friends are seen laughing and joking about Rosaline who has been sent to a nunnery. Here, Rosaline gets a chance to tell her side of the story, and she isn’t the silly girl that the Montagues would have us believe. She’s passionate, intelligent, musical, literate, and she absolutely doesn’t want to spend her life in a convent. So she manages to extract 10 days of freedom from her grieving father (her mother has died in the recent plague) and she intends to live them to the max.
Her first, and probably most life-changing act, is to go to a big masked ball held at the Montagues home. There she meets a very charming Romeo. But he’s not like the young boy we meet in Shakespeare’s play. This Romeo is much older and knows exactly what he’s doing. This Romeo is a serial womaniser who likes his women to be girls.
I hated him quite early on, he’s so well written. Romeo is manipulative, charming and a thief of both material goods and young girls’ innocence.
The way this is all written is frankly gorgeous. The language is reminiscent of Shakespeare (except more accessible!) with a fair few phrases borrowed from his original prose.
I could’ve read this all day. Absolutely beautiful. And yes, highly recommended, even if you just want to see Romeo get his comeuppance.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated In Debt to the Enemy Lord in Books
Jun 11, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.62 out of 5 stars
Genre: Historical
Page Count: 288 pages
Anwen, bastard of Brynmor, has fought hard to find her place in the world. But she’s forced to rethink everything when she’s saved from death by her enemy Teague, Lord of Gwalchdu. Instead of releasing her, he holds her captive.
Teague trusts no one. So, which ominous messages threatening his life, he must keep Anwen under his watch, no matter how much her presence drives him wild.
And when passionate arguments turn to passionate encounters, Teague must believe that the strength of their bond will conquer all!
Anwen, the main character, was really cool. She was very strong, sarcastic, and always pushes Teague for answers about why he’s keeping her captive. She also keeps trying to escape so she can go back home and protect her sister from her abusive father.
However, after she falls in love with Teague, her reservations about him were a little frustrating. Even after finding out that he wasn’t the Great Traitor everyone thought he was, she still didn’t want him to be part of her life. Her only reason was that she didn’t want take orders from a domineering tyrant, but Teague was never tyrannical to her. He only held her captive to make sure she wasn’t the person attacking his home. After that, the only demands he ever made of her were for her own protection. She grew up under a tyrant, so it’s understandable that she would be a little wary, but he was never the villain she kept making him out to be.
Teague was pretty cool overall. He definitely has issues, but they’re understandable considering his rough childhood, including having his mother dying at an early age and having everyone think he’s the devil because he has an epileptic aunt. He has a lot of trust issues and really doesn’t trust anyone except his brother.
As much as I liked both Anwen and Teague, I didn’t like them together. They had a little actual sexual tension at first, but their love story is really forced. Teague is complete anti-love at the beginning and then falls head over ass for Anwen for no real reason. And sure, she still has some baggage holding her back, so they’re not both completely hypnotized but for fuck’s sake did he drink a love potion?
I was so disappointed by the two of them together. It’s Harlequin, so I wasn’t expecting an epic love story or anything, but I was expecting a love story.
On top of that, the sex scenes were pretty weird. I kept getting pulled out of the story because I couldn’t figure out the logistics of the positions or even picture what was happening. The dialogue during the sex scenes was delightfully cringy, like a romance novel parody.
I liked Teague’s brother, Rain, more than Teague. He had a lot less baggage and I would have found it much more believable if he was the one who fell in love with Anwen instead of Teague because Rain trusts people.
This book wasn’t horrible, and it’s certainly not the worst romance I’ve ever read, but it wasn’t great. However, I really didn’t see the ending coming, so I give Nicole Locke huge props for that.
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.62 out of 5 stars
Genre: Historical
Page Count: 288 pages
Anwen, bastard of Brynmor, has fought hard to find her place in the world. But she’s forced to rethink everything when she’s saved from death by her enemy Teague, Lord of Gwalchdu. Instead of releasing her, he holds her captive.
Teague trusts no one. So, which ominous messages threatening his life, he must keep Anwen under his watch, no matter how much her presence drives him wild.
And when passionate arguments turn to passionate encounters, Teague must believe that the strength of their bond will conquer all!
Anwen, the main character, was really cool. She was very strong, sarcastic, and always pushes Teague for answers about why he’s keeping her captive. She also keeps trying to escape so she can go back home and protect her sister from her abusive father.
However, after she falls in love with Teague, her reservations about him were a little frustrating. Even after finding out that he wasn’t the Great Traitor everyone thought he was, she still didn’t want him to be part of her life. Her only reason was that she didn’t want take orders from a domineering tyrant, but Teague was never tyrannical to her. He only held her captive to make sure she wasn’t the person attacking his home. After that, the only demands he ever made of her were for her own protection. She grew up under a tyrant, so it’s understandable that she would be a little wary, but he was never the villain she kept making him out to be.
Teague was pretty cool overall. He definitely has issues, but they’re understandable considering his rough childhood, including having his mother dying at an early age and having everyone think he’s the devil because he has an epileptic aunt. He has a lot of trust issues and really doesn’t trust anyone except his brother.
As much as I liked both Anwen and Teague, I didn’t like them together. They had a little actual sexual tension at first, but their love story is really forced. Teague is complete anti-love at the beginning and then falls head over ass for Anwen for no real reason. And sure, she still has some baggage holding her back, so they’re not both completely hypnotized but for fuck’s sake did he drink a love potion?
I was so disappointed by the two of them together. It’s Harlequin, so I wasn’t expecting an epic love story or anything, but I was expecting a love story.
On top of that, the sex scenes were pretty weird. I kept getting pulled out of the story because I couldn’t figure out the logistics of the positions or even picture what was happening. The dialogue during the sex scenes was delightfully cringy, like a romance novel parody.
I liked Teague’s brother, Rain, more than Teague. He had a lot less baggage and I would have found it much more believable if he was the one who fell in love with Anwen instead of Teague because Rain trusts people.
This book wasn’t horrible, and it’s certainly not the worst romance I’ve ever read, but it wasn’t great. However, I really didn’t see the ending coming, so I give Nicole Locke huge props for that.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Giver in Books
Sep 7, 2017
A strange book.
So, I know The Giver has been out for a long time, and I know they made a movie, but somehow I’d never read or watched it. But on the recommendation of a friend, I finally have. What a strange little book! It definitely belongs in the same realm as Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, 1984, and The Handmaid’s Tale – which are among my favorite books – but the ending was tremendously unsatisfying. It’s the first book in a quartet, though, so I’m hoping the other three, which I have requested from the library, will tie up the loose ends. It definitely feels like it’s only the first installment of a story.
The dystopian society in this book has effectively banished most feelings. But to get rid of hate and war and prejudice, they also had to banish the memories and feelings of individuality and difference. With everyone and everything the same, they’re mostly incapable of feeling true love or happiness. So they all live in peace – but it’s a complacent, uncaring peace. It’s not peace because of love, it’s peace because of the absence of passionate feelings. Whether this is good or not, well, that’s up to the reader to decide for themselves. The actions of the main character, who aims to disrupt that peace, could be seen as good or bad.
I’m not actually entirely sure how I feel about this book. After reading the next three – Gathering Blue (2000), Messenger (2004), and Son (2012), I'm still at a bit of a loss. These were just...odd.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
The dystopian society in this book has effectively banished most feelings. But to get rid of hate and war and prejudice, they also had to banish the memories and feelings of individuality and difference. With everyone and everything the same, they’re mostly incapable of feeling true love or happiness. So they all live in peace – but it’s a complacent, uncaring peace. It’s not peace because of love, it’s peace because of the absence of passionate feelings. Whether this is good or not, well, that’s up to the reader to decide for themselves. The actions of the main character, who aims to disrupt that peace, could be seen as good or bad.
I’m not actually entirely sure how I feel about this book. After reading the next three – Gathering Blue (2000), Messenger (2004), and Son (2012), I'm still at a bit of a loss. These were just...odd.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Chloe (514 KP) rated The Walking Dead in TV
Mar 7, 2019
honestly have never really been a huge fan of gore and then … I watched this.
it is honestly amazing how they managed to have a great cast of so many people and even though they keep killing people of I still end up falling in love with the new characters.
I will be honest though the later seasons are no where near as good as the earlier ones. the whole negan plotline was just way to drawn out although now that the arc has finished its really picking up again and im really enjoying the new season at the moment.
I do think the director had a stroke of genius this season bringing in characters that remind me of the old ones in the first series as the best part of the walking dead was watching the characters develop into people and now I get to see that all over again.
honestly if they decide to kill of Daryl I will not be impressed as it seems to me that he hasn't really found his place in the world and the director has kind of ignored him.
also if they decide to use these new characters as throwaways as has been done in the past I think that the series would be lacking.
I suppose we will just have to see...….
as you can tell I'm quite passionate about this so if you do get the chance to watch it let me know I would love to have a good chat about this. ?
it is honestly amazing how they managed to have a great cast of so many people and even though they keep killing people of I still end up falling in love with the new characters.
I will be honest though the later seasons are no where near as good as the earlier ones. the whole negan plotline was just way to drawn out although now that the arc has finished its really picking up again and im really enjoying the new season at the moment.
I do think the director had a stroke of genius this season bringing in characters that remind me of the old ones in the first series as the best part of the walking dead was watching the characters develop into people and now I get to see that all over again.
honestly if they decide to kill of Daryl I will not be impressed as it seems to me that he hasn't really found his place in the world and the director has kind of ignored him.
also if they decide to use these new characters as throwaways as has been done in the past I think that the series would be lacking.
I suppose we will just have to see...….
as you can tell I'm quite passionate about this so if you do get the chance to watch it let me know I would love to have a good chat about this. ?
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated Together Forever (Orphan Train, #2) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
Any time I pick up a Jody Hedlund book, I wish I could just cancel the day and binge read. Alas, life happens and children must be fed...However, there is a point in each of her books that demands that you read past your bedtime in order to finish (and that happened to me last night).
Filled with rich detail and engaging history, Together Forever will whisk you away to another era. A heartbreaking time in our history, I have learned a lot about The Children's Aid Society and the orphan trains through this series.
Marianne Neumann is a young woman riddled with guilt from past decisions. She is in a place that I am sure many of us have been. Thinking that God no longer cares, or would even bother with the likes of her. Her journey of acceptance, truth, and love is one to cherish. I LOVE the tender, fun, and passionate Andrew Brady. He too battles with forgiving himself for past mistakes...but his faith and character make him stand out among heroes.
Jody Hedlund never ceases to capture my heart and soul with her stories and Together Forever, is no exception. Faith, family, and romance are at the heart of this story. Let it sweep you away and get lost in a good book today! Together Forever is Book TWO in the Orphan Train Series, make sure to check out the prequel (An Awakened Heart) and Book One (With You Always) first.
I received a complimentary copy of Together Forever from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Filled with rich detail and engaging history, Together Forever will whisk you away to another era. A heartbreaking time in our history, I have learned a lot about The Children's Aid Society and the orphan trains through this series.
Marianne Neumann is a young woman riddled with guilt from past decisions. She is in a place that I am sure many of us have been. Thinking that God no longer cares, or would even bother with the likes of her. Her journey of acceptance, truth, and love is one to cherish. I LOVE the tender, fun, and passionate Andrew Brady. He too battles with forgiving himself for past mistakes...but his faith and character make him stand out among heroes.
Jody Hedlund never ceases to capture my heart and soul with her stories and Together Forever, is no exception. Faith, family, and romance are at the heart of this story. Let it sweep you away and get lost in a good book today! Together Forever is Book TWO in the Orphan Train Series, make sure to check out the prequel (An Awakened Heart) and Book One (With You Always) first.
I received a complimentary copy of Together Forever from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
BookwormMama14 (18 KP) rated The Innkeeper's Daughter (The Bow Street Runners #2) in Books
Jan 2, 2019
A story filled with intrigue, smugglers, ventriloquist, spies, romance, heartbreak, and a traitor. Travel back in time to 1808 in The Innkeepers Daughter.
This story has so many moving parts that you just want to keep reading to figure out WHAT IS GOING ON??? Also, there were several times our hero needed a good purse whomping. I absolutely LOVED this story. The romantic tension between Alex and Johanna...*whew*...And the climax of that tension in their kiss(es)...Make sure you keep a fainting couch nearby...and possible smelling salts.
The common thread throughout this story is all about giving over the control of our lives to God. It is easy to SAY that we trust God to see us through things...And yet we can still be found trying to fix all the little things that go wrong on our own...Trying to make it all better...in our own power. Instead of trusting for a door to open from God...we pry open the cellar door into destruction and chaos and say, "LOOK! I found a way!!! It isn't a GOOD way...but I did it ALL ON MY OWN!" Michelle Griep addresses the need to trust in our Lord so well. And it really rings true.
If you love a good romance that is clean and passionate, sprinkled with mystery and intrigue, this is definitely a book that you will enjoy!
I received a complimentary copy of The Innkeeper's Daughter from the publishers through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
This story has so many moving parts that you just want to keep reading to figure out WHAT IS GOING ON??? Also, there were several times our hero needed a good purse whomping. I absolutely LOVED this story. The romantic tension between Alex and Johanna...*whew*...And the climax of that tension in their kiss(es)...Make sure you keep a fainting couch nearby...and possible smelling salts.
The common thread throughout this story is all about giving over the control of our lives to God. It is easy to SAY that we trust God to see us through things...And yet we can still be found trying to fix all the little things that go wrong on our own...Trying to make it all better...in our own power. Instead of trusting for a door to open from God...we pry open the cellar door into destruction and chaos and say, "LOOK! I found a way!!! It isn't a GOOD way...but I did it ALL ON MY OWN!" Michelle Griep addresses the need to trust in our Lord so well. And it really rings true.
If you love a good romance that is clean and passionate, sprinkled with mystery and intrigue, this is definitely a book that you will enjoy!
I received a complimentary copy of The Innkeeper's Daughter from the publishers through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to write an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Party for Two: Fun, Fancy & Easy Romantic Recipes from the Date Night Chef in Books
Apr 27, 2018
Party for Two was a really neat recipe book designed to help you plan a great date night for you and your spouse. Cadle's date nights are regular occurrences: he says when people get married they stop "dating" their spouse, and although the love doesn't go away, it changes and fades into something less passionate than it was when they got married. But Cadle says his regular date nights with his wife have made a huge difference in their marriage.
The book is divided into two parts: the first part consists of reasons why you should schedule a regular date night with your spouse, how to do it for a reasonable cost, what to do with the kids, and even how to present and arrange the food. Part two has recipes ranging from sauces and dressings, appetizers, entrees, and more.
The recipes are easy and affordable, and Cadle gives tips and advice on how to find them for an even lower price than normal, how to plan the food ahead of time to save money, and how to use purposeful leftovers in meals for the next few days. These recipes could be used for nice dinner parties, potlucks, or dinner guests as well.
My only complaint about the book is that there are no photographs of the recipes in the book. The recipes sound very complicated (Grilled Brie, Conch Fritters, Gorgonzola Bruschetta) even though after reading them I can tell that they're not, but I'd still like to see what it looked like. On a very minor note, there was some weird formatting and type face stuff going on, but I'm not sure if the untrained eye would notice it or not. It took me a few times looking at it to notice.
The book is divided into two parts: the first part consists of reasons why you should schedule a regular date night with your spouse, how to do it for a reasonable cost, what to do with the kids, and even how to present and arrange the food. Part two has recipes ranging from sauces and dressings, appetizers, entrees, and more.
The recipes are easy and affordable, and Cadle gives tips and advice on how to find them for an even lower price than normal, how to plan the food ahead of time to save money, and how to use purposeful leftovers in meals for the next few days. These recipes could be used for nice dinner parties, potlucks, or dinner guests as well.
My only complaint about the book is that there are no photographs of the recipes in the book. The recipes sound very complicated (Grilled Brie, Conch Fritters, Gorgonzola Bruschetta) even though after reading them I can tell that they're not, but I'd still like to see what it looked like. On a very minor note, there was some weird formatting and type face stuff going on, but I'm not sure if the untrained eye would notice it or not. It took me a few times looking at it to notice.
Simon Theo Cutter (2 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
Feb 10, 2019
Amazing world building (1 more)
Jaw dropping special effects
A master class in science fiction
So I saw this movie Friday and I loved it ,this is the kind of movie you have to see on the biggest screen possible ,and beautiful to look at ,I completely forgot that the character of ALITA is completely rendered in I computer there are times where you swear that ALITA is a real human being ,the action is top notch it has some of the most exciting action set pieces I've seen in a movie period especially the motor ball scene ,it was a joy to watch that entire scene play out and my mouth was on the floor the entire time ,that scene alone is worth the ticket admission,the acting is great across the board you could tell that everyone involved was passionate about this project and they wanted to make the best movie possible ,there is however an aspect of this movie I thought didn't work and that was the love story it felt it was unnecessary but it did pay off in the end ,I'm not going to go into spoilers because I believe the best way to see this spectacular movie is to go in knowing next to nothing and just experience it ,I will say this Alita battle angel is a fast paced ,epic ,science fiction adventure and I came out of the screening wanting more ,this movie is a passion project for James Cameron and you can really tell ,after seeing this I can't wait to see what he brings to the table with his avatar sequels..I loved this movie !!!!
Rachel King (13 KP) rated A Midnight Dance (Fiery Tales, #1) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
I love a good fairy tale re-telling, especially when it is retold specifically for adults, as this book is. Right from the beginning, the romance and chemistry between Sabine and Jules is steamy and passionate, and I had a hard time putting the book down at all. The Cinderella references are vague and somewhat after-the-fact. The glass slipper scene takes place at the beginning of the book when Sabine is young, and the stepmother and two stepdaughters look to Sabine as the head of the household, instead of placing her in the role of a servant. This book seems to take the original tale and turn it upside down, with Sabine forging her own destiny - with or without Prince Charming - and refusing to bend to misfortune.
Sabine's character is both headstrong and naive. A large part of her successes in the plot seem to be born out of pure luck, as she lacks any real skill at either deception or thievery. Jules strong attraction to her gives her the freedom to get as far as she does in her plans, even as she falls for him in return.
While the romance and eroticism takes center stage in the novel, there is a secondary element to the book that comes in subtly as Jules takes a more permanent role in Sabine's life. Jules is intent on a restoration of his honor and wealth, and the discover the truth about his father's accusations. Neither Jules nor Sabine suspect the guilty party until Sabine's life is in danger. Suspense and unpredictability pull me right to the end pages, and just enough is left hanging to lead into a sequel. I look forward to discovering what happens next!
Sabine's character is both headstrong and naive. A large part of her successes in the plot seem to be born out of pure luck, as she lacks any real skill at either deception or thievery. Jules strong attraction to her gives her the freedom to get as far as she does in her plans, even as she falls for him in return.
While the romance and eroticism takes center stage in the novel, there is a secondary element to the book that comes in subtly as Jules takes a more permanent role in Sabine's life. Jules is intent on a restoration of his honor and wealth, and the discover the truth about his father's accusations. Neither Jules nor Sabine suspect the guilty party until Sabine's life is in danger. Suspense and unpredictability pull me right to the end pages, and just enough is left hanging to lead into a sequel. I look forward to discovering what happens next!
Kaz (232 KP) rated The Night Circus in Books
May 16, 2019
When I started reading -The Night Circus-, Erin Morgenstein's writing got my attention, from the very first paragraph:
'The Circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.'
This sense of mystery and intrigue is the thing I liked the most about 'The Night Circus', along with the vivid and beautiful descriptions throughout the book.
I'm not usually the type of reader who enjoys a lot of descriptive prose, but the way in which Morgenstein describes the circus and its inhabitants was sensual, magical and totally swept me away with the story.
I'm also not a fan of romance in novels. Most of the romantic writing I have ever read, has either been slushy, boarding on nauseating, or devoid of any chemistry whatsoever. However, the romantic elements within this novel were passionate and believable.
The characters within this novel were believable too, even though most of them were rather quirky. The atmosphere within this novel reminds me of those mysterious classics such as 'Around the World in 80 days' or 'The Invisible Man', not so much in the way of plot, but in essence. There is a old fashioned quality to 'The Night Circus' which I thought was endearing and also, a refreshing change from more modern stories.
The only observation I could make about this novel, is that I felt that the conclusion to the novel was slightly rushed. Although, maybe I felt this because I didn't want to 'The Night Circus' to end.
If you enjoy a story with magic, beautiful description and a plot which unfolds slowly, then this is the novel for you.
I already can't wait to re-read 'The Night Circus'.
My Rating: *****
'The Circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices on downtown posts and billboards, no mentions or advertisements in local newspapers. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.'
This sense of mystery and intrigue is the thing I liked the most about 'The Night Circus', along with the vivid and beautiful descriptions throughout the book.
I'm not usually the type of reader who enjoys a lot of descriptive prose, but the way in which Morgenstein describes the circus and its inhabitants was sensual, magical and totally swept me away with the story.
I'm also not a fan of romance in novels. Most of the romantic writing I have ever read, has either been slushy, boarding on nauseating, or devoid of any chemistry whatsoever. However, the romantic elements within this novel were passionate and believable.
The characters within this novel were believable too, even though most of them were rather quirky. The atmosphere within this novel reminds me of those mysterious classics such as 'Around the World in 80 days' or 'The Invisible Man', not so much in the way of plot, but in essence. There is a old fashioned quality to 'The Night Circus' which I thought was endearing and also, a refreshing change from more modern stories.
The only observation I could make about this novel, is that I felt that the conclusion to the novel was slightly rushed. Although, maybe I felt this because I didn't want to 'The Night Circus' to end.
If you enjoy a story with magic, beautiful description and a plot which unfolds slowly, then this is the novel for you.
I already can't wait to re-read 'The Night Circus'.
My Rating: *****