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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated On the Corner of Love and Hate in Books
Sep 2, 2019
Emma Peroni works in the Community Development Office (CDO) in the small town of Hope Lake. She works with her childhood friend Cooper Campbell-Endicott, who is now running for office as mayor of Hope Lake. Cooper has a political pedigree; his mother is governor. He's the beloved golden boy of Hope Lake. But he also has a playboy reputation, and his opponent, Kirby, is capitalizing on it. If Cooper loses, Kirby will set back all the progress of the CDO in Hope Lake. So the current mayor--who just happens to be Emma's father--devises a plan. Emma will manage Cooper's campaign, and he will pretend to settle down with a former girlfriend. Emma and Cooper haven't gotten along since college, but the more time they spend together now, the more feelings get stirred up: anger, resentment, and... lust.
So I think it does a disservice to bill this book as a Christina Lauren-type romance, as I went in expecting a certain type of story and it just didn't deliver. I believe if I just read it as a romance, I might have enjoyed it more. And, please note, that a 3-star review isn't bad (!), I just didn't 4-star love love it.
The book is set up with the "love/hate" premise. We have hard-working Emma, who is scared of commitment and letting down her guard. Meanwhile, Cooper needs to buckle down and get serious about everything in his life. Emma holds a long-standing grudge against Cooper, but, of course, oh there are feelings, right? The problem is that things get repetitive: so much fighting about his bad behavior and then her thinking over and over about her feelings. (Of course she doesn't have feelings for Cooper, she hates him, etc.). We all know they are going to show some spark together, but good grief, it takes forever.
"He might have been the single most irritating person in the world to me, but still, I could appreciate his appearance."
Also, while I liked that there were political things woven into this novel, my goodness, I've never seen such drama over a mayoral race in my life. Is this a small town thing, or something? I have lived in small towns. The attention and drama focused on this race felt like a senatorial campaign and there was little explanation why Cooper's opponent was so bad, except that he was, indeed, really bad and would ruin the whole town, so this portion felt very two-dimensional. (Oh and if Emma called her father "Mayor Dad" one more time, I was going to scream.)
Still, this is a cute read. There are some really fun scenes with Emma's friends--she, Nick, Henry, and Cooper have been pals since they were kids. There is wit and humor throughout the book. I could certainly identify with Emma, being a closed off workaholic myself! The small town vibe in this book is really adorable--Hope Lake practically flies off the page, and it's a very atmospheric setting.
And, let's be honest: a love/hate dynamic is enjoyable. We pick up a romance knowing exactly what we are getting into. Cooper was a bit irritating at times, but it still boils down that I'm a total sucker for a sappy love story and the chosen two getting together. I was rooting for these two, and I liked the end of the book. This was a sweet, funny read overall. 3 stars.
So I think it does a disservice to bill this book as a Christina Lauren-type romance, as I went in expecting a certain type of story and it just didn't deliver. I believe if I just read it as a romance, I might have enjoyed it more. And, please note, that a 3-star review isn't bad (!), I just didn't 4-star love love it.
The book is set up with the "love/hate" premise. We have hard-working Emma, who is scared of commitment and letting down her guard. Meanwhile, Cooper needs to buckle down and get serious about everything in his life. Emma holds a long-standing grudge against Cooper, but, of course, oh there are feelings, right? The problem is that things get repetitive: so much fighting about his bad behavior and then her thinking over and over about her feelings. (Of course she doesn't have feelings for Cooper, she hates him, etc.). We all know they are going to show some spark together, but good grief, it takes forever.
"He might have been the single most irritating person in the world to me, but still, I could appreciate his appearance."
Also, while I liked that there were political things woven into this novel, my goodness, I've never seen such drama over a mayoral race in my life. Is this a small town thing, or something? I have lived in small towns. The attention and drama focused on this race felt like a senatorial campaign and there was little explanation why Cooper's opponent was so bad, except that he was, indeed, really bad and would ruin the whole town, so this portion felt very two-dimensional. (Oh and if Emma called her father "Mayor Dad" one more time, I was going to scream.)
Still, this is a cute read. There are some really fun scenes with Emma's friends--she, Nick, Henry, and Cooper have been pals since they were kids. There is wit and humor throughout the book. I could certainly identify with Emma, being a closed off workaholic myself! The small town vibe in this book is really adorable--Hope Lake practically flies off the page, and it's a very atmospheric setting.
And, let's be honest: a love/hate dynamic is enjoyable. We pick up a romance knowing exactly what we are getting into. Cooper was a bit irritating at times, but it still boils down that I'm a total sucker for a sappy love story and the chosen two getting together. I was rooting for these two, and I liked the end of the book. This was a sweet, funny read overall. 3 stars.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Grabbers (2012) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Fun Creature Feature
388. Grabbers. Aliens attack Ireland, must be for the women. One night off the coast of Ireland a piece of a meteor comes crashing down into the ocean, and with it, a multi-legged mouth essentially that seems to just eat anything alive that gets in the way, and its making its way to land. Story centers on a small fishing town that's about to be invaded, and the two police taking care of it. As with many stories of small Irish towns, most of the population are drunk, racists, oh wait, it's made by the Irish, so it's ok then. The two officers, O'Shea, an alcoholic, suffering from the past, and Lisa, who is there only temporarily and takes her job seriously... of course. They clash, they flirt, O'Shea gets jealous when investigating the creatures they visit a scientist dude that isn't shy about flirting with Lisa. So after a few attacks, randomly around, they come to the conclusion that they won't attack you if you're intoxicated, tho there is no evidence of this at all, except that the town's biggest drunk has survived, hmm. So the plan is to round up the town folk in the bar, get drunk, and wait for reinforcements. It was an amusing movie, definitely fits into the 'B-Movie' variety. Like I said though, the alcohol thing, only seems to work when the story needed it too, plenty of tipsy people were getting turned into snacks, then again it's not really a movie you have to think all that much about, my bad. Enjoy. Filmbufftim on FB
Call of Mini™ Zombies
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All the Wrong Pages (Collier Creek)
10.0
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High school rivals turned small town enemies, a meddling family, and two stubborn guys who don’t...
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Indianapolis Union and Belt Railroads
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In an era dominated by huge railroad corporations, Indianapolis Union and Belt Railroads reveals the...
A Great Cozy Read!
I have come to adore cozy novels in recent months, so I jumped at the chance to read this delightful little mystery. What could be a better setting than a beautiful, picturesque little town in coastal California with a gorgeous pie shop! This is the third book in the Pie Town Mystery series by Kirsten Weiss, the first book being ‘The Quiche and the Dead’ followed by ‘Bleeding Tarts.’
Valentine (Val) Harris’ pie shop, ‘Pie Town’ is struggling, however, when Val’s quirky business partner and pie crust expert, Charlene, allows a reality television crew from the show 'Pie Hard' to film the shop, it seems that things might be about to change. If Val can tolerate criticism from an abrasive pastry chef during filming, the free publicity might turn the unusual opportunity into the sweetest deal she didn’t know she needed.
When the show’s bossy producer, Regina Katz, gets pushed to her death, Val and Charlene, once again, turn crime-solvers in the hope of finding the killer. Val needs to stay cool long enough to solve the crime and keep ‘Pie Town’ from falling apart, or else she just might go up in smoke before she ever graces the small screen.
For anyone, like me, who hasn’t read the first two books of the series, Kirsten Weiss, without being too overt, provides plenty of back-stories. Written in the first person, the characters in this novel were a scream and I particularly liked Val and Charlene’s interaction. I really enjoyed the easy-to-read writing style, the plot and the pace of the book.
All in all, “Pie Hard” is a lighthearted, lovely read, that combines mystery, thrills and murder and mayhem.
I'm looking forward to reading the first two books of the series with, hopefully, more to come!
[Thanks to #NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC of #PieHard in exchange for an honest review.]
Valentine (Val) Harris’ pie shop, ‘Pie Town’ is struggling, however, when Val’s quirky business partner and pie crust expert, Charlene, allows a reality television crew from the show 'Pie Hard' to film the shop, it seems that things might be about to change. If Val can tolerate criticism from an abrasive pastry chef during filming, the free publicity might turn the unusual opportunity into the sweetest deal she didn’t know she needed.
When the show’s bossy producer, Regina Katz, gets pushed to her death, Val and Charlene, once again, turn crime-solvers in the hope of finding the killer. Val needs to stay cool long enough to solve the crime and keep ‘Pie Town’ from falling apart, or else she just might go up in smoke before she ever graces the small screen.
For anyone, like me, who hasn’t read the first two books of the series, Kirsten Weiss, without being too overt, provides plenty of back-stories. Written in the first person, the characters in this novel were a scream and I particularly liked Val and Charlene’s interaction. I really enjoyed the easy-to-read writing style, the plot and the pace of the book.
All in all, “Pie Hard” is a lighthearted, lovely read, that combines mystery, thrills and murder and mayhem.
I'm looking forward to reading the first two books of the series with, hopefully, more to come!
[Thanks to #NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC of #PieHard in exchange for an honest review.]
Pennine Cycleway North: Sustrans Cycle Map
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The official route map for the 209-mile (336km) northern part of the Pennine Cycleway from Settle to...
The Stolen Marriage
10.0
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The Stolen Marriage is a compelling novel from Diane Chamberlain, the bestselling author of The...
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Parks and Recreation - Season 1 in TV
Sep 25, 2017
Chris Pratt's dorkiness (2 more)
Amy Poehler is hilarious
Aziz Ansari is a D-bag but plays it well
A brilliant, comedic ensemble
There are plenty of well known faces in Parks and Recreation including Hollywood A-Lister Chris Pratt, who plays a lazy slob, and looks surprisingly different from his current heartthrob self.
But Amy Poehler steals the show in this, playing the deputy director of Parks and Recreation for local government in this small town called Pawnee. She's rather sweet and hugely optimistic in the face of everyone saying no to her as she tries to fill in a giant pit and turn it into a park.
It is a hilarious take on local government and all the pitfalls of being a representative.
But Amy Poehler steals the show in this, playing the deputy director of Parks and Recreation for local government in this small town called Pawnee. She's rather sweet and hugely optimistic in the face of everyone saying no to her as she tries to fill in a giant pit and turn it into a park.
It is a hilarious take on local government and all the pitfalls of being a representative.