Boompi - Meet people & gossip with friends
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Boompi is a new fun way to discover interesting people nearby together with your friends’ opinion...
HDFC Bank MobileBanking (New)
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Life can be stressful, but banking doesn’t have to be! That’s why we have made it really simple...
Environmental Pollution and the Media: Political Discourses of Risk and Responsibility in Australia, China and Japan
Libby Lester, Meng Ji, Glenn D. Hook and Kingsley Edney
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This book offers a theoretically informed empirical investigation of national media reporting and...
Lottie disney bookworm (1056 KP) rated Before the Crown in Books
Jun 14, 2020
Before the Crown is a beautiful historical novel which delves deep into the romance between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Greece, perhaps better known as Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
However, this is not a traditional romance and Harding does not hold back in laying out all the struggles Elizabeth and Philip faced. From the King and Queen's disapproval of the match for their daughter to the effects of public opinion on the relationship, Flora Harding covers it all.
Nor does this novel present the engagement as all hearts and flowers. Despite Elizabeth being attracted to Philip from a young age, this is initially a one-sided crush and a political arrangement for the couple. However, due to Flora Harding presenting her novel from the perspective of both Elizabeth and Philip, the reader is able to experience first hand the doubts, worries, longing and evolution of this infamous relationship.
I will be honest it is hard not to envision the Netflix series when you read this novel but it is by no means a copy cat situation. Harding provides such interesting insights into Philip's lifestyle and his family that it is hard not to pity the sacrifices that he makes in order to be with Elizabeth.
In 'The Crown' young Philip was a bit of a dirt bag and, although Harding's Prince is no angel, he is clearly fighting an uphill battle against the aristocracy's view of him. It is difficult not to sympathise.
I would have liked an author's note to know how much of the story is fact and how much is fiction or speculation. However, given the privacy of the Royal Family I imagine any factual insights are rare.
In summary, 'Before the Crown' is a captivating read, exploring the sacrifices and struggles where we often blindly see prejudice, all against the backdrop of WWII Europe.
Wamba - meet new people
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Wamba is your chance to find your love! It unites flirty beautiful men and women looking to meet...
Written in the Stars
7.0
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"I was hooked from the very first page!” – Christina Lauren, New York Times bestselling author...
Assume Nothing: A Story of Intimate Violence
4.0
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Award-winning filmmaker Tanya Selvaratnam bravely recounts the intimate abuse she suffered from...
Coming Back To Cornwall (#1 Second Chance Summer)
10.0
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Alice knows that coming back to Cornwall means she will have to see Sam, the man she fell in love...
Debbiereadsbook (1772 KP) rated Ollie (A Little Christmas #3) in Books
Dec 23, 2024
Sometimes, Ms Sayle writes dark and deadly, sometimes things are just plain weird (rhubarb!) and sometimes, they are so delightfully cute and warm and fuzzies that the world is a brighter place.
This book falls into the last category, and I bloody loved it!
Ollie and Beckett meet online, and their relationship blooms over time. But Ollie will not let Beckett see him properly. Ollie is scared that Beckett will catch one look at him and run far away. But Beckett is far deeper than Ollie thnks, and the boy just needs to give Beckett a chance to prove that. Leeson's wedding cruise is that time.
I loved that Ollie and Beck got to know each other over time, their feelings brewing for the better part of a year. It meant that when they did meet, it was more about getting Ollie to see just how much he meant to Beckett, and how much Beckett wanted to be Ollie's Daddy, if only he'd let him.
I loved that there was overlap with Denton and Vic's book, Cruising Right Into Love. This book takes place alongside that one, on the cruise.
I loved how the focus of this book was NOT about the physical side of their relationship, but more about the emotional one. There is smexy times, but I found them very much low key and fade to grey, rather than up-in-yer-face type scenes. Loved it, to be honest.
This is part of the 3rd A Little Christmas series, a multi author series. I haven't read the others, but it's not necessary to really enjoy this one.
So much love in this book, and it hits all the warm and fuzzies and too stinking cute and low angst spots and I bloody loved it!
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Nightcrawler (Trackers #1)
8.0
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I’ve always been a sucker for a guy with muscles and a handsome face. If that makes me sound...
Contemporary MM Mystery Suspense Series