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Merissa (12051 KP) rated Notes of Unspoken Words (Ruined & Relinquished #1) in Books
Oct 26, 2023
NOTES OF UNSPOKEN WORDS is the first book in the Ruined & Relinquished series, although some characters from a different series also have cameos.
In this one, Casper and Reed are step-brothers who are in love with each other, although both will deny it. This leads to a traumatic relationship for both of them. When they're on the way home from a tour, Sunshiney Reed rescues a man from the street. Grumpy Casper decides to stay at Reed's home until he knows the man, Elic, can be trusted. Elic turns out to be the catalyst needed to make Casper and Reed realise just what they've got together, and how Elic can be included in that.
This story was easy to read with wonderful characters. I have to say, Cas and his protective streak was by far my favourite. His grumpiness was for a reason and I loved how he was portrayed.
One thing - if you haven't read the other series (Three Ties) as I haven't, you may get confused about all the different brothers involved and the different triads they're in. There must be something in the water!
All in all, a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and can't wait to continue with this series. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 26, 2023
In this one, Casper and Reed are step-brothers who are in love with each other, although both will deny it. This leads to a traumatic relationship for both of them. When they're on the way home from a tour, Sunshiney Reed rescues a man from the street. Grumpy Casper decides to stay at Reed's home until he knows the man, Elic, can be trusted. Elic turns out to be the catalyst needed to make Casper and Reed realise just what they've got together, and how Elic can be included in that.
This story was easy to read with wonderful characters. I have to say, Cas and his protective streak was by far my favourite. His grumpiness was for a reason and I loved how he was portrayed.
One thing - if you haven't read the other series (Three Ties) as I haven't, you may get confused about all the different brothers involved and the different triads they're in. There must be something in the water!
All in all, a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and can't wait to continue with this series. Definitely recommended by me.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 26, 2023
One Wrong Word
5.0
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A heart-racing new psychological thriller from USA Today bestselling and multiple award-winning...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Bourbon Kings (The Bourbon Kings, #1) in Books
Jan 29, 2024
18 of 220
Book
Reread
The Bourbon Kings (Book1)
By J.R. ward
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege - as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.
For Lizzie King, Easterly's head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted - and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane's beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the iron-fisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets. As family tensions - professional and intimately private - ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.
This is a reread for me and one of my favourites! This gives me Dallas crossed with Jilly Coopers Riders vibes. So much drama and the characters are so much fun!
Book
Reread
The Bourbon Kings (Book1)
By J.R. ward
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege - as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.
For Lizzie King, Easterly's head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted - and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane's beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the iron-fisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets. As family tensions - professional and intimately private - ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.
This is a reread for me and one of my favourites! This gives me Dallas crossed with Jilly Coopers Riders vibes. So much drama and the characters are so much fun!
Darren (1599 KP) rated Aftermath 2017 (2017) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: Aftermath starts as construction worker Roman (Schwarzenegger) is looking forward to the arrival of his wife and pregnant daughter from Kiev for Christmas. Making himself extra smart with flowers at hand he arrives at the airport to find the flight delayed but there is no good news, the plane was involved in a tragic accident killing both his wife and daughter.
On the other side of the story flight controller Jake Bonaos (McNairy) leaves his wife and son to arrive at work that very same day, on a night shift where he finds the himself distracted trying to fix a phoneline as two planes collided mid-air, the same flights that had Roman’s family on.
Both men’s lives are completely shattered, Roman broken, alone and spending days and nights at the cemetery. While Jake is branded a murderer by the public finding it impossible to function or being the husband and father he needs to be.
With the airline company waving money in Roman’s face to stop them being sued and Jake on the verge of suicide brings us to one year later where both are still living in the tragedy but both are attempting to move on.
Thoughts on Aftermath
Characters/Performance – Roman is a hard-working construction worker, he has work long hours to make sure his family can move to live with him in America, when he loses them his life is shattered but all he wants is an apologise not the airlines money. Jake is a flight controller who makes an honest mistake that cost the lives of everyone on the flights, his life is ruined, he loses his family, his job and must change his name and start again, living the rest of his life with regret.
Performance wise, Schwarzenegger is brilliant in this role where is he no action hero, he is an everyday man that loses everything, this is by far one of his best acting performances of his career. Scoot McNairy is also fantastic in this role showing just how capable of an actor he is.
Story – The story is based on a real incident that followed a mid-air collision but turned into an American story for it to unfold in. This story is very powerful because you are now left to wonder just what would happen if you were in either of these men’s shoes. The story also isn’t just a revenge film it follows these two men trying to rebuild their lives after what happened and mostly just wanting a human response from somebody involved.
Thriller – From the moment this film starts you are left to wonder from the edge of your seat to where this film will go.
Settings – The settings used through the film focus on making both our main characters feel like everyday people whose lives have been ruined by the events which is all you need from the film.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the best and most intense slow burning stories you will see this year. The performances are fantastic as well as being one of the most interesting stories out there.
Overall: One of the most powerful stories you will see this year.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/04/10/aftermath-2017/
On the other side of the story flight controller Jake Bonaos (McNairy) leaves his wife and son to arrive at work that very same day, on a night shift where he finds the himself distracted trying to fix a phoneline as two planes collided mid-air, the same flights that had Roman’s family on.
Both men’s lives are completely shattered, Roman broken, alone and spending days and nights at the cemetery. While Jake is branded a murderer by the public finding it impossible to function or being the husband and father he needs to be.
With the airline company waving money in Roman’s face to stop them being sued and Jake on the verge of suicide brings us to one year later where both are still living in the tragedy but both are attempting to move on.
Thoughts on Aftermath
Characters/Performance – Roman is a hard-working construction worker, he has work long hours to make sure his family can move to live with him in America, when he loses them his life is shattered but all he wants is an apologise not the airlines money. Jake is a flight controller who makes an honest mistake that cost the lives of everyone on the flights, his life is ruined, he loses his family, his job and must change his name and start again, living the rest of his life with regret.
Performance wise, Schwarzenegger is brilliant in this role where is he no action hero, he is an everyday man that loses everything, this is by far one of his best acting performances of his career. Scoot McNairy is also fantastic in this role showing just how capable of an actor he is.
Story – The story is based on a real incident that followed a mid-air collision but turned into an American story for it to unfold in. This story is very powerful because you are now left to wonder just what would happen if you were in either of these men’s shoes. The story also isn’t just a revenge film it follows these two men trying to rebuild their lives after what happened and mostly just wanting a human response from somebody involved.
Thriller – From the moment this film starts you are left to wonder from the edge of your seat to where this film will go.
Settings – The settings used through the film focus on making both our main characters feel like everyday people whose lives have been ruined by the events which is all you need from the film.
Final Thoughts – This is one of the best and most intense slow burning stories you will see this year. The performances are fantastic as well as being one of the most interesting stories out there.
Overall: One of the most powerful stories you will see this year.
https://moviesreview101.com/2017/04/10/aftermath-2017/
DeathbyGlitter (2 KP) rated Persona 5 in Video Games
Sep 29, 2017
Amazing JRPG that stole my heart!
I love the Shin Megami games, but as a surprise, I have not beaten many of them. They are these epic undertakings that require many hours per play through. This is the first one that I easily put 150+ hours into through 2 play through and got a platinum trophy, where I still long to play more.
The characters are well developed and amazing, I fell in love with everyone, and even loved to hate the villains. I am normally not a fan of mascots but even Morgana won me over throughout the game. The music is epic and memorable, and really sets the tone no matter what is happening.
No gem is perfect, there are mild problems I had with this;
Time management is not a strong suit I have in real life, so maintaining it on a game (even with the help of knowing what others did) felt overwhelming.
In the same vein of saving time I felt rushed to complete dungeons in one day so I could move onto the grinding of skills and confidants.
I'm not saying these ruined the game, but I felt like I wanted to have a little more time in dungeons sometimes as opposed to the social aspects, which, while fun, seemed very heavy at times.
I always feel every game is worth a certain amount of money, the game retails (at release) for $60 and I honestly think it's a fine price. When a game honestly offers a 100+ campaign on the first play through, that less then a dollar an hour and it was worth the whole ride!
The characters are well developed and amazing, I fell in love with everyone, and even loved to hate the villains. I am normally not a fan of mascots but even Morgana won me over throughout the game. The music is epic and memorable, and really sets the tone no matter what is happening.
No gem is perfect, there are mild problems I had with this;
Time management is not a strong suit I have in real life, so maintaining it on a game (even with the help of knowing what others did) felt overwhelming.
In the same vein of saving time I felt rushed to complete dungeons in one day so I could move onto the grinding of skills and confidants.
I'm not saying these ruined the game, but I felt like I wanted to have a little more time in dungeons sometimes as opposed to the social aspects, which, while fun, seemed very heavy at times.
I always feel every game is worth a certain amount of money, the game retails (at release) for $60 and I honestly think it's a fine price. When a game honestly offers a 100+ campaign on the first play through, that less then a dollar an hour and it was worth the whole ride!
ChinaP (0 KP) rated The Last Hour of Gann in Books
Jan 24, 2018
World building is epic (1 more)
Addictive as all get out
Ruined me for other authors! (1 more)
Some one dimensionality to some of the other background characters
Epic in every waym
I feel I have to add a disclaimer or two everytime I write a review of this book (which is everywhere I encounter it online, because it deserves as much attention as I can give it!)
One: adult, triggering themes. There is sexual violence, violence in general and themes that will not be for everyone. This is an adult book in all senses of the word.
Two: I am biased. I freaking love this author.
Three: if you're not into long books, you're not gonna make it through. I love love love long books. This is a long book! And I still wanted more when I got the end. If 300 pages or less puts you off, then I doubt you'll manage this behemoth. (which is a crying shame, because it's awesome. I wonder if we could get an audio book of it?)
A general Internet search for this book will bring up a good few nuanced reviews, and I have left a longer one of my own on good reads. Mainly, this is a humans-crashland-on-alien-planet story, and it all goes to pieces for them. It's the story of survival, and what that can do to a person. It's a nuanced view of those with faith and those without. It's also some sexy alien romance. It can be all those and more!
Whenever I mention this book, I end up just telling people to read it. Just read it!
One: adult, triggering themes. There is sexual violence, violence in general and themes that will not be for everyone. This is an adult book in all senses of the word.
Two: I am biased. I freaking love this author.
Three: if you're not into long books, you're not gonna make it through. I love love love long books. This is a long book! And I still wanted more when I got the end. If 300 pages or less puts you off, then I doubt you'll manage this behemoth. (which is a crying shame, because it's awesome. I wonder if we could get an audio book of it?)
A general Internet search for this book will bring up a good few nuanced reviews, and I have left a longer one of my own on good reads. Mainly, this is a humans-crashland-on-alien-planet story, and it all goes to pieces for them. It's the story of survival, and what that can do to a person. It's a nuanced view of those with faith and those without. It's also some sexy alien romance. It can be all those and more!
Whenever I mention this book, I end up just telling people to read it. Just read it!
Amanda (30 KP) rated Weekends with Daisy in Books
Jun 21, 2018
This is one of the best books that I've read in a while, to be honest. I was pleased with the lovely Daisy. There's a grouping of pictures in the middle of the book, so I paused to look at them when I came across them and was happy to see that Daisy had been matched with a little boy (their picture was included), but disappointed to have the ending ruined for me because at that point in the book, they were still wondering if Daisy was going to make it through the training.
It's one thing to say to lock a murderer or another inmate up forever and throw away the key, but it's another thing to have a name and a face to that story. Thinking of Keith still in jail for the crime that he committed so long ago really was scary. While obviously he needed to pay for what he had done, it is amazing to think that one decision had so many consequences. Fortunately for Keith, I believe that dogs like Daisy are a great outlet for people in his situation. With their need to pass the time doing something positive, I think training dogs for the disabled is an excellent way to help not only the inmates themselves, but the community around all of us.
I've always said that one day I wanted to train a service dog puppy, however, I will have to keep this in mind when I reach that point in my life. Being a weekend puppy raiser sounds hard as hell, but so fulfilling.
It's one thing to say to lock a murderer or another inmate up forever and throw away the key, but it's another thing to have a name and a face to that story. Thinking of Keith still in jail for the crime that he committed so long ago really was scary. While obviously he needed to pay for what he had done, it is amazing to think that one decision had so many consequences. Fortunately for Keith, I believe that dogs like Daisy are a great outlet for people in his situation. With their need to pass the time doing something positive, I think training dogs for the disabled is an excellent way to help not only the inmates themselves, but the community around all of us.
I've always said that one day I wanted to train a service dog puppy, however, I will have to keep this in mind when I reach that point in my life. Being a weekend puppy raiser sounds hard as hell, but so fulfilling.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! (2018) in Movies
Aug 8, 2018
An entirely unnecessary sequel
I can't for the life of me fathom why they decided to make this film. It is one of the most depressing musicals I've ever seen (and yes I have seen Les Mis). Whilst the first film wasn't great, at least it was happy feel good sing along. This however is for the most part plain old depressing and miserable. If it wasn't for Julie Walters and the young & old Harry, this would also be entirely devoid of any form of humour.
The problem with this sequel is that it ruins the ending of the original and also tells a story that we didn't need to know. The whole flashbacks about how Donna met the guys isn't massively interesting and doesn't turn out as exciting as the first film made it sound. There's also an issue with the music. I'm not the biggest Abba fan, but I know quite a lot of their well known music, however I must have known less than half of the songs in this. I had thought they must have to use different songs, but in all honesty I wished they hadn't and just kept the more popular ones again.
This has a great cast but I think they're ruined by such a poor plot and overall film. Cher has a great voice still, but her acting skills are marred by the inability to move her face because of all the work she's had done. The whole thing is just a bit of a mess, lacks any form of spark or heart and is really just a bit pointless.
The problem with this sequel is that it ruins the ending of the original and also tells a story that we didn't need to know. The whole flashbacks about how Donna met the guys isn't massively interesting and doesn't turn out as exciting as the first film made it sound. There's also an issue with the music. I'm not the biggest Abba fan, but I know quite a lot of their well known music, however I must have known less than half of the songs in this. I had thought they must have to use different songs, but in all honesty I wished they hadn't and just kept the more popular ones again.
This has a great cast but I think they're ruined by such a poor plot and overall film. Cher has a great voice still, but her acting skills are marred by the inability to move her face because of all the work she's had done. The whole thing is just a bit of a mess, lacks any form of spark or heart and is really just a bit pointless.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Watch Me Walk Away (Walking, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
Watch Me Walk Away, is one fabulous love story. It's the story of Lisa and Bobby, two people who fell in love during high school only to be separated by war, and united once again.
Bobby ruined Lisa when he broke her heart and left to go fight in the war. Lisa never stopped loving Bobby, and was just left to pick up the pieces of her life. Lisa has finally moved on to Stuart and now Bobby's back and doing better than ever. Will Bobby win back Lisa's heart or will he watch her walk away with Stuart?
The story was easy to get into and easy to love. Lisa and Bobby were great characters, and Jill Prand brought them to life for me with her wonderful storytelling. I felt bad to Lisa when her heart was breaking (we've all been there right?), and I was rooting for Bobby when he came back into her life. I felt like the character's own personal cheering squad. Brad (Lisa & Bobby's high school friend), is a great character and one I could relate to all too well. Brad is in love with Lisa and they are harboring a dark secret, one that hopefully Bobby never finds out about.
I pretty much devoured this book! It took me 2 days to read, and I wish I had more story to read. I would love to see more of Brad in the future, and it would be awesome if he had a spin-off book of his own. I think he is a character that needs to have his story told. I can't wait for the sequel!
Bobby ruined Lisa when he broke her heart and left to go fight in the war. Lisa never stopped loving Bobby, and was just left to pick up the pieces of her life. Lisa has finally moved on to Stuart and now Bobby's back and doing better than ever. Will Bobby win back Lisa's heart or will he watch her walk away with Stuart?
The story was easy to get into and easy to love. Lisa and Bobby were great characters, and Jill Prand brought them to life for me with her wonderful storytelling. I felt bad to Lisa when her heart was breaking (we've all been there right?), and I was rooting for Bobby when he came back into her life. I felt like the character's own personal cheering squad. Brad (Lisa & Bobby's high school friend), is a great character and one I could relate to all too well. Brad is in love with Lisa and they are harboring a dark secret, one that hopefully Bobby never finds out about.
I pretty much devoured this book! It took me 2 days to read, and I wish I had more story to read. I would love to see more of Brad in the future, and it would be awesome if he had a spin-off book of his own. I think he is a character that needs to have his story told. I can't wait for the sequel!
JT (287 KP) rated The Inbetweeners 2 (2014) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
This is as straightforward as you could possibly want it. Three lads go to meet up with one lad in Australia. It’s the sequel people begged would happen and they got their wish. There is not an ounce of disappointment as banter levels are raised.
Jay is on a gap year down under and catching up with the guys via email he lets them know he’s up to his neck in clunge and making a shit load of cash as a top night club DJ. All complete bullshit of course. But it’s delivered in a brilliant continuous shot that opens the film.
For the others the chance to break the monotony of their current lives could not come soon enough. Will who is decidedly more unpopular than ever, Simon looking to escape his psychotic girlfriend and Neil who is, well, same old Neil all feel that the time is right to go travelling (or on holiday).
It would be hard to review this without going into too much detail and if that were the case some of the best gags and laughs would simply be ruined. So I’m going to keep my mouth shut.
That said Damon Beesley and Iain Morris do their best to make sure this adventure leaves a lasting memory with some exquisite scenes and class gags. The cast all deliver as you would expect and there are a few nice supporting additions (Will’s Mum for one).
Given the success of this a third film would seem likely, but it’s going to take something pretty special to top it on almost every level.
Jay is on a gap year down under and catching up with the guys via email he lets them know he’s up to his neck in clunge and making a shit load of cash as a top night club DJ. All complete bullshit of course. But it’s delivered in a brilliant continuous shot that opens the film.
For the others the chance to break the monotony of their current lives could not come soon enough. Will who is decidedly more unpopular than ever, Simon looking to escape his psychotic girlfriend and Neil who is, well, same old Neil all feel that the time is right to go travelling (or on holiday).
It would be hard to review this without going into too much detail and if that were the case some of the best gags and laughs would simply be ruined. So I’m going to keep my mouth shut.
That said Damon Beesley and Iain Morris do their best to make sure this adventure leaves a lasting memory with some exquisite scenes and class gags. The cast all deliver as you would expect and there are a few nice supporting additions (Will’s Mum for one).
Given the success of this a third film would seem likely, but it’s going to take something pretty special to top it on almost every level.