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The Back-up Plan (2010)
The Back-up Plan (2010)
2010 | Comedy, Romance
5
7.3 (4 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Ah, the story of Mr. Right appearing just in the nick of time, well almost. Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has spent her life looking for the perfect guy but he has never shown up. Now she wants a baby and decides to become pregnant on her own through artificial insemination. It would just figure that right after deciding to use her backup plan a new man enters the picture forcing her life to adjust once again.

The film stars and generally centers around Lopez as the wacky yet likeable Zoe, a character who is not unlike those we have seen in J.Lo’s past. Her co-star, Alex O’Loughlin plays the male lead of Stan, a handsome cheese-maker. Other notable cast members include Micheala Watkins, as the jaded New York mother, Mona, and Melissa McCarthy as Carol the leader of a group of proud single mothers.

The most amusing scenes in “The Back-Up Plan” occurs during moments of the true-to-life internal dialogue by the problem riddled Zoe. Unfortunately the remaining seventy percent of the film is spent bouncing awkwardly between the less than steamy romance and the failed attempts at comedy.

There are a couple of good scenes but are they reason enough to endure the rest of the film? Not unless you have a deep desire to see farmers’ markets in New York and a poorly acted cameo by the Dog Whisperer, Cesar Millan. Still, fans of Lopez’s quirky romantic comedy style will enjoy her, just not as much as her previous roles because of the gnawingly awkward plot that defines this movie.

Too goofy to be romantic and too sappy to be funny, “The Back-Up Plan” continually fails to reach either goal accurately. It almost goes without saying that this film is, excuse the pun, simply too much of a stretch.
  
500 Days of Summer (2009)
500 Days of Summer (2009)
2009 | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The ever-quirky Zooey Deschanel stars alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt reemerging from “10 Things I Hate About You” in the odd tale “(500) Days of Summer”.

This is the story of Tom an unhappy greeting card writer (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who falls for his boss’s personal assistant, Summer (Zooey Deschanel). As the two become friends Summer reveals to the infatuated Tom that she does not believe in love. Dispute her disbelief the two begin spending time together and eventually friendship blossoms into an intimate relationship. This must be love, right?
Summer and Tom begin an on again off again romance, that centers around Tom’s constant optimism that she is indeed the one for him. But Summer’s inconsistent reactions and lack of desire for commitment leave the audience wondering how the scenario is going to work out.

The film uses a five hundred day counter to expose the story in a non-linear fashion, which would have been interesting if it had anything to do with the plot. There was no mystery unearthed or even character traits exposed through the wacky timeline, it simply kept viewers constantly aware of Tom’s unfortunate situation.

Among the film’s highlights are a choreographed dance sequence, interesting split screen photography, and sensational employment of color. Additionally simple yet strong costume choices, artistic use of architecture, fun music and witty interpersonal banter carry this otherwise depressing film.

Creating an overall disenchantment with relationships and a seething dislike for Summer make this film is far from jovial, but it does offer a darker perspective into the realistic nature of relationships.

Both leads deliver strong performances but the film was unexpectedly melancholy. “(500) Days of Summer” is simply trying too hard and making viewers feel bad in the process.
  
ME
Midnight Exposure (Midnight, #1)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Don't you just love it when you read a book and it is so much more than what you expected? This is what happened to me when I read Midnight Exposure. I thought it would the usual story of hero meets heroine, they don't get on, big calamity, insta-love, everything's fine. That is so NOT what you get with this. You get a well thought out, full of plot, suspenseful story. Yes, there are overtures of romance to the book but they are brilliantly done.

Our main female and male leads both come with baggage and flaws. Jayne is no weeping wallflower mind you. One of my favourite parts of the book was when she used her black belt karate on someone. She is not just going to sit there and be a victim. The supporting characters are all well rounded and develop really well throughout the book.

As for the 'occult' side of things - I thought this was remarkably well written and that's coming from a pagan. Too often in books, knowledge is mis-used or only given in part and the result can be something that makes me cringe as it dumps every earth and nature based religion in with satanism. The parts of this book that were revealing more about the villain and his motives etc, never painted the actual symbolism as black, instead just showing how it was being used for his purposes. I know I haven't explained it very well but trust me, Melinda Leigh did a great job. As for the reviewer who said "we get no clue what kind of religion this is", I suggest you take a re-read as it is written plain as day.

Loved this book and have started on book 2, Midnight Sacrifice. Recommended!
  
A Peaceful Coastal Town...Threatened by a Storm of Secrets

It's 1916 when newspaper woman Anna McDowell learns her estranged father has suffered a

stroke. Deciding it's time to repair

bridges, Anna packs up her precocious adolescent daughter

and heads for her hometown in Sunset Cove, Oregon.

Although much has changed since the turn of the century, some things haven’t. Anna finds the

the staff of her father’s paper not exactly eager to welcome a woman into the editor-in-chief role, but

her father insists he wants her at the helm. Anna is quickly pulled into the charming town and

her

new position... but just as quickly learns this seaside getaway harbors some dark and dangerous


secrets.

With Oregon’s new statewide prohibition in effect, crime has crept along the seacoast and

invaded even idyllic Sunset Cove. Anna only meant to get to know her father again over the

summer, but instead she finds herself rooting out the biggest story the town has ever seen

And trying to keep her daughter safe from it all.



My Thoughts: This well-written story takes us to the seashore in Oregon during the prohibition period. Anna returns home to visit her estranged father to make amends for a disagreement that happened years ago. During this visit home, she discovers that something just isn't quite right around town. Using her investigative news reporting skills she intends to find out.


This is a wonderful summertime read! It's always nice to read about the ocean and beaches in the summer, and this one is perfect. It's full of mystery and suspense; it doesn't focus on romance. This is a book about forgiveness, healing relationships and starting over. I enjoyed Melody Carlson's writing and how she developed her characters. It was a very enjoyable read.
  
What could possibly go wrong?



Movie star Ben Prescott arrives back in Hollywood after causing a scandal with his ex-girlfriend in Rome. Chased through the airport by paparazzi, he jumps into a limo hoping for a quick getaway. Instead he finds Lily Shaw, a pastor’s daughter and preschool teacher. When the paparazzi capture a photo of the two of them together, Ben’s agent demands that he do whatever it takes to keep the story from hitting the gossip pages . . . even volunteer to work at Lily’s church.

Sparks fly as the movie star and the pastor’s daughter work side by side. When Lily accompanies Ben to the premiere of his latest movie, Hollywood takes notice. Under intense media scrutiny and pressure from the movie industry, Ben must risk his career to follow his heart, but Lily wants the one thing he doesn’t have, faith.

Mission Hollywood is an inspirational story about love, faith, and second chances.



Click here to get your copy!



My Thoughts: This is a wonderful story of learning to trust God in everything. It's learning to let the past go and learning to lean on God for everything. This is a charming story of how God brings two people from different walks of life together, and in the midst of it all, brings Ben back to trusting in God.


A truly wonderful romance novel with a lesson of truth in it. I found the characters to be believable and easy to identify with. The writer has done an excellent job of bringing the reader into the story and connecting with the characters. The plot is fun and keeps the reader interested. I really enjoyed this novel and will look forward to more from Michelle Keener.
  
The Blake Mistake
The Blake Mistake
I. C. Camilleri | 2013 | Crime, Thriller
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Ben Blake has a talent that can occasionaly help in his job as an intelligence operative. When he forsees a terrorist attack he asks his friend, brother in law and former bad boy Jake Snell to help him prevent it. However Jake is starting to behave oddly, including having periods where he is not aware of what he has done. Could the suppressed memories of his traumatic upbringing be the cause? Meanwhile his wife (and Ben's sister) Emma is delving into Jake's family history. Maybe the secrets of the past are best left alone.

Camilleri aims high with this book - and delivers. It is a complex mix of whodunnit, psychological thriller, paranormal thriller and romance. The plot moves forward dragging the reader with it, the threads and lives of the characters spiralling around the central theme of Jake's past and how it is impacting on the present. There are a number of twists and turns, some as surprising to the reader as to the characters.

The characters themselves are well drawn, benefitting from having developed over previous books (which don't need to have been read to enjoy this). The way the relationships between them change and develop as suspicions arise and certain events occur is excellent, although sometimes frustrating as the reader sees the story from all their viewpoints so can see that sometimes there has just been a misunderstanding or that if something was said everything would be different.

The first third of the book is a little slow as the characters are described and the situation is set up but this allows the rest to move under it's own terrible momentum towards the climax.

Overall a book worth reading and it certainly holds the attention once it gets going.

Caution: Some sex scenes
  
Grey Areas - The Saga (Books 1-4)
Grey Areas - The Saga (Books 1-4)
Brad Carl | 2015 | Crime, Romance, Thriller
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Grey Areas saga encompasses 4 books - each pretty long in themselves - which can be read separately or all in one go, as each follows directly from the last.

It tells the story of a mysterious stranger called Henry Field who arrives in the small town of Gable, Iowa clearly wanting to forget whatever has happened in his recent past. Attempting to lie low proves difficult as he first becomes feted as a hero on the local news, falls in love and manages to become a witness to a drugs deal gone sour.

There is so much in each of the books it is hard to express just how good they are. There is drama, romance, humour, crime, action and police procedural. It is as if Carl wanted to cover as much ground as possible and he doesn't put a foot wrong at any point. Each page leads inevitably to the next as the fallout from Fields' brief stay in Gable causes ripples that put many people in difficult positions, grey areas, where there is no clear black or white, right or wrong.

For such a long story there are of course a large number of characters but every one has been drawn with care and are all distinct, all have depth and all seem very real and very human. Throughout the whole saga there is a thread of realism; this might be fiction but there is no suspension of belief required, no particular heroes, no particular villains. Just people trying to do what they think is best, and sometimes regretting their decisions.

Want a summer read that will genuinely last all summer and leave you thinking about it for months afterwards? This series will definitely fit the bill
  
This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited Library.

I read the first three books in this series a few months ago and got drawn into it quite quickly. The trio of friends grew on me a lot and I liked how they pulled Tori into their ranks and protected her from whatever dangers seem to follow them all around.

This one was no different with all the Guilds being put on a high alert after a warning of a loose demon in the area. Every member is given tasks and go out hunting for the rogue creature. As this one seems to be taking place around Halloween and Tori seems to find herself organising a Halloween Party she needs to head out and pick up some food she's ordered, only to find herself and Ezra being hunted by the demon. Only it seems the demon wants Ezra more than her anyone else...

I won't go into any more detail as that would totally ruin the story but we learn a lot more about Ezra in this. He takes a lot more of the spotlight and I enjoyed seeing more of him. It's definitely a bit of a surprise but he's still the gentle, sweet Ezra unless you royally pee him off

This has got a slight romance arc in it. She got together with Aaron in the second book, I think?, but they went their separate ways in the last one. She's always had a connection with Ezra and that grew in this one with them having a few moments where something flared.

I will definitely be reading the next one to see what other trouble this quartet get up to and to see if anything comes of her growing feelings for Ezra.

P.S. COVER LOVE!!
  
40x40

JT (287 KP) rated Bridesmaids (2011) in Movies

Mar 10, 2020  
Bridesmaids (2011)
Bridesmaids (2011)
2011 | Comedy
This was quite a nice change of pace from the regular rom-coms we have seen. The dull and somewhat boring 27 Dresses, Runaway Bride and Bride Wars as examples all try to leave you feeling fluffy and emotionally satisfied.

Bridesmaids is simply The Hangover for females. With brilliant ad-libbing and standout scenes it only lets itself down by trying to fill the humour gaps with a genuine romance for Kristen Wiig‘s Annie. Beneficial to the film is producer Judd Apatow who has brought us some fantastic comedies such as The 40-Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up to name a few. Each with a collection of colourful and extremely funny characters – Bridesmaids is not a lot different.

Here he almost certainly lends a helping hand in making sure this misfit group of women can cause as much havoc as possible, and they do. Laugh out loud moments such as a trip to the bridal shop after some rather dodgy food is a disgusting but hilarious highlight, as is the plane trip to Vegas in which a nervous Annie mixes pills and scotch and tries to slip into first class.

One of the highlights was the supporting role of Melissa McCarthy as Megan, almost a female version of the loveable Zach Galifianakis‘ character Alan in The Hangover . She nearly steals the show, but if not for a great performance from Wig. Given the film’s high budget it did very well to profit such a huge sum worldwide so it must have hit the right notes with film goers.

Overall I enjoyed Bridesmaids a lot. The actresses not following the the script and add-libbing takes a lot of skill, more so to make the scene funny, so hats off to that.
  
Tonight You're Mine (2012)
Tonight You're Mine (2012)
2012 | Comedy, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Indie music sensation Adam (Luke Treadaway) is interrupted from shooting his band’s new music video by a childish fight with punk rock girl Morello (Natalia Tena). In a moment of binding conflict resolution the two characters are handcuffed together starting a concert-filled night of adventure and romance for the two musicians and their variety of hipster friends.

Like a sharply cut YouTube video, “Tonight You’re Mine” is quick-paced, jostled, and deeply impacted by the music in the background. The film is scattered with songs to represent all musical genres found at the giant Scottish music festival that serves as the film’s sole environment. Moreover, this continual musical metamorphosis helps to skirt the fatigued plot: of a boy who dislikes a girl until they fall in love.

But the film avoids the image of squeaky-clean new lovers by literally marching the leads through the muddy grounds of the festival. The expansive habitat invites the characters to be odd and open to rapidly changing experiences, sounds, and obstacles. The empowered characters take advantage of the freedoms offered by the concerts, filling the scenes with gritty honest language that pokes fun, sling insults, and express emotions directly. The result is a film that is as hip and likeable, just like Adam and Morello.

While you know better than to root for a perfect ending, “Tonight Your Mine” has the draw of an indie “High School Musical”; the love story is so far-fetched that you can’t help but hope it will all turn out in end.
The single night adventure film spun around, “Tonight You’re Mine” provides audiences with characters who are more engaging, slightly darker, and quickly established as too cool to care what their critics think. The result is a film that is honest and very likeable even when the plot is one you already know by heart.