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Merissa (13540 KP) rated Wish (Indigo Dreams #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018 (Updated Jun 7, 2023)
This is the story of Indigo, a sixteen-year-old girl who dreams of being a ballet dancer. Having taken ballet lessons for years, she understands that it isn't something that will just happen without a lot of hard work. However, she is struggling at the present due to family circumstances. Wish tells her story, about the circumstances and decisions made that set her on the path to her future.
This was very well-written with characters that were believable and fully dimensional. The storyline was well-paced and continued to hold my interest throughout. The romance between Jesse and Indigo actually takes a back seat in the story behind the ballet which makes a nice change in a Young Adult book. You never know which way things will go until you get there. This is not just some "everything is peachy" fluffy book, it is a book that deals with a serious subject, alcoholism, in a very realistic way and shows how it impacts not only the drinker but friends and family too.
This is a very different book that is well worth the time it takes to read. I would like to read more about Indigo and her dreams. Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 12, 2015
This was very well-written with characters that were believable and fully dimensional. The storyline was well-paced and continued to hold my interest throughout. The romance between Jesse and Indigo actually takes a back seat in the story behind the ballet which makes a nice change in a Young Adult book. You never know which way things will go until you get there. This is not just some "everything is peachy" fluffy book, it is a book that deals with a serious subject, alcoholism, in a very realistic way and shows how it impacts not only the drinker but friends and family too.
This is a very different book that is well worth the time it takes to read. I would like to read more about Indigo and her dreams. Definitely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 12, 2015
Golden Bond (Pleasure Palace #1)
10.0
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Book
I came to the sacred island to pay my family's debt. I never expected to lose my heart. My name...
Fantasy MM Romance
Seductive Nights (Peaches #2)
8.0
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Book
Jonas Five years ago, after I lost my husband, I barricaded my heart, not strong enough to let...
Contemporary MM Romance
Debbiereadsbook (1588 KP) rated Hallowed & Haunted: A Northbound Novella in Books
Nov 1, 2025
short, but packs a punch!
I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is set in the Northbound universe but you don't need to have read those books, they are all stand alones. This is only a novella, a short step into this world, and it will give you a beautiful step into Nansen's world, and their writing skill and style.
Sander and Niillas are rivals. But when Sander accepts a drunken dare, Niillas knows he can't let Sander into that house alone. Someone, or something, will need to keep him safe from things that go bump in the night.
This is only short, some 120 pages but it packs quite a punch!
Not everything is laid out for you, and I got more than a few surprises along the way and I loved being kept on my toes!
The romance aspect is minimal, it's more about Sander and Niillas learning about each other, and dealing with what's going on in the house. Niillas knows what it is, but letting Sander in on the secret will mean letting Sander in on a whole lot more than he bargained for.
I loved that Sander wasn't fazed by Niillas, once he knows. I'm being vague, I know but I need to be!
It is only short, as I said but it was brilliantly written and told and I loved it! Thank you.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is set in the Northbound universe but you don't need to have read those books, they are all stand alones. This is only a novella, a short step into this world, and it will give you a beautiful step into Nansen's world, and their writing skill and style.
Sander and Niillas are rivals. But when Sander accepts a drunken dare, Niillas knows he can't let Sander into that house alone. Someone, or something, will need to keep him safe from things that go bump in the night.
This is only short, some 120 pages but it packs quite a punch!
Not everything is laid out for you, and I got more than a few surprises along the way and I loved being kept on my toes!
The romance aspect is minimal, it's more about Sander and Niillas learning about each other, and dealing with what's going on in the house. Niillas knows what it is, but letting Sander in on the secret will mean letting Sander in on a whole lot more than he bargained for.
I loved that Sander wasn't fazed by Niillas, once he knows. I'm being vague, I know but I need to be!
It is only short, as I said but it was brilliantly written and told and I loved it! Thank you.
5 full and shiny stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Merissa (13540 KP) rated Sea Glass and Fireflies in Books
Apr 29, 2024
SEA GLASS AND FIREFLIES is an emotional second-chance historical romance.
Elsie and Charles were childhood friends, on the brink of something more, when Charles left, promising to write frequently. This dwindled off and Elsie was courted by Gabriel, also a friend to them both. The story starts on what should have been Elsie and Gabriel's wedding day, as she prepares to live with her uncle for a while, to try and work through her complicated emotions over the loss of Gabriel at sea. Once there, she reconnects with Charles, but is she reading too much into it?
This was a page-turner that kept me gripped from the very beginning. As a reader, you can feel Elsie's emotions and all the confusion she is working through. I do wish I'd have had some from Charles' side, but that made the ending all the more satisfactory.
Well-written, with lovely descriptions throughout, and with a smooth pace, this book was a delight to read. It is the first by this author I have read, and I look forward to reading more by her in the future. HIGHLY 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!
Apr 29, 2024
Elsie and Charles were childhood friends, on the brink of something more, when Charles left, promising to write frequently. This dwindled off and Elsie was courted by Gabriel, also a friend to them both. The story starts on what should have been Elsie and Gabriel's wedding day, as she prepares to live with her uncle for a while, to try and work through her complicated emotions over the loss of Gabriel at sea. Once there, she reconnects with Charles, but is she reading too much into it?
This was a page-turner that kept me gripped from the very beginning. As a reader, you can feel Elsie's emotions and all the confusion she is working through. I do wish I'd have had some from Charles' side, but that made the ending all the more satisfactory.
Well-written, with lovely descriptions throughout, and with a smooth pace, this book was a delight to read. It is the first by this author I have read, and I look forward to reading more by her in the future. HIGHLY 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!
Apr 29, 2024
Daddy Protector (Night Ops Daddies #1)
5.0
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Bound by secrecy, the Night Ops Daddies operate in the darkness of the night. Together, they are...
Daddy / Little Boy Contemporary MM Military Romance Age Play
The Vampire's Delicious Fae (Brinnswick: Tales From Gauhala #2)
8.0
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I hate vampires. Well, just one in particular. But I do kinda love how his eyes follow me whenever...
MM Urban Fantasy Romance
Jordan's Breakthrough (Unexpected Love #3)
10.0
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Book
I never thought I was capable of wanting someone… until Miles made me want it all. Few things...
Contemporary MM Romance Depression
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) in Movies
Oct 11, 2020 (Updated Jan 22, 2021)
I’m sure I wasn’t alone in the Summer of 2019 when Spider-Man: Far From Home was released in just needing a minute or two, maybe a couple of months, longer to catch my breath after Avengers: Engame, and what very much felt like an ending to the MCU plan that had been in motion since 2008. That climax was so satisfying and complete that the thought of any of them donning the costume and fighting bad guys again so soon felt wrong.
I wasn’t against the survivors having continued adventures, of course not. It was more a question of where do we go from here? And how? Well, perhaps Tom Holland as the youngest and most emotionally resilient of the bunch was the right choice to continue the universe, if any at all. Knowing that Jake Gyllenhaal had been brought onboard certainly added to the appeal, being one of my very favourite actors of the last decade (together with Ryan Gosling and Joaquin Phoenix), but I had made up my mind to skip this one at the cinema.
And so, before any of us knew where we were, it was Spring 2020 and we were all in a different place. Needing films, any films, to fill out the days of lockdown and isolation became a case of make a list and tick them off. This was one of those that made the shortlist around June when I began the trial month of Now TV and discovered that this was where all the big films of the last year I had missed were hiding.
I liked Spider-Man: Homecoming very much, after some initial trepidation over who the heck Jon Watts was, and why he had been trusted with such a big job out of seemingly nowhere? I also really like Tom Holland in the role. I think the idea of making him seem like a naive teenager again is a masterstroke, and he fast became The real Spider-Man in my head. His relationship with Robert Downey Jnr across the last handful of MCU films was rich, genuine and fully rounded, and Holland has managed to pitch the balance between nervy teen and likeable hero quite deftly.
The charm of the first film from Watts was how much it felt like a teen film, full of teens that were actual teens, not adults pretending to be teens. And in this second instalment that element is even more to the fore. It is a travelling road movie that keeps everything fresh and energetic, not giving a moment to dwell despondently on previous events, but looking forward to a bright, hopeful world, full of romance and adventure and discovery.
Other than Holland himself, who grows in stature and maturity as an actor every minute, the rising star of Zendaya as MJ fills the screen very pleasantly, she has a great aura about her for one so young. I am expecting great things from her, especially in the upcoming yet delayed Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve. She doesn’t have a lot to do here, but steals enough scenes to hint at a serious talent. In fact, most of his classmates seem beyond their years ability-wise, or do they seem that way because of the skilled direction and bottomless production?
It’s also nice to get more time with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May in this one. You always do wonder what the lesser characters have been up to while everyone else was saving the world. But the backbone of the film as a spectacle is the Peter Parker / Quentin Beck face off. Every moment of Holland and Gyllenhaal together feels like a huge movie treat. And knowing nothing about who Quentin Beck was going in from comic book lore, I got a real thrill out of how it all develops.
I came away from my small screen experience of this movie thinking that I had really enjoyed it, but in a very disposable way, that I was happy to leave behind almost instantly. Nothing about it is especially deep or meaningful, just fun! And that was 100% what Marvel needed at this junction in the pantheon. These guys are pretty smart at knowing when and why and how much with these movies, and I’m pleased to say they did it again!
There is some serious work to be done to ever reach the heights of interest generated by the final pairing of Avengers films, and a lot has changed, as it must, as some actors age, some even pass away (RIP CB) and some call it a day. But if nothing else, there feels like there is plenty of mileage left in this incarnation of the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, and a lot of new fans to be hauled in by the onscreen romance between Tom Holland and Zendaya’s MJ. Older fans, like me, could maybe care less, but I believe that is the hook to ensure a future generation of fans stay loyal to Marvel. Every hero needs someone to save, after all. I’m still watching.
I wasn’t against the survivors having continued adventures, of course not. It was more a question of where do we go from here? And how? Well, perhaps Tom Holland as the youngest and most emotionally resilient of the bunch was the right choice to continue the universe, if any at all. Knowing that Jake Gyllenhaal had been brought onboard certainly added to the appeal, being one of my very favourite actors of the last decade (together with Ryan Gosling and Joaquin Phoenix), but I had made up my mind to skip this one at the cinema.
And so, before any of us knew where we were, it was Spring 2020 and we were all in a different place. Needing films, any films, to fill out the days of lockdown and isolation became a case of make a list and tick them off. This was one of those that made the shortlist around June when I began the trial month of Now TV and discovered that this was where all the big films of the last year I had missed were hiding.
I liked Spider-Man: Homecoming very much, after some initial trepidation over who the heck Jon Watts was, and why he had been trusted with such a big job out of seemingly nowhere? I also really like Tom Holland in the role. I think the idea of making him seem like a naive teenager again is a masterstroke, and he fast became The real Spider-Man in my head. His relationship with Robert Downey Jnr across the last handful of MCU films was rich, genuine and fully rounded, and Holland has managed to pitch the balance between nervy teen and likeable hero quite deftly.
The charm of the first film from Watts was how much it felt like a teen film, full of teens that were actual teens, not adults pretending to be teens. And in this second instalment that element is even more to the fore. It is a travelling road movie that keeps everything fresh and energetic, not giving a moment to dwell despondently on previous events, but looking forward to a bright, hopeful world, full of romance and adventure and discovery.
Other than Holland himself, who grows in stature and maturity as an actor every minute, the rising star of Zendaya as MJ fills the screen very pleasantly, she has a great aura about her for one so young. I am expecting great things from her, especially in the upcoming yet delayed Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve. She doesn’t have a lot to do here, but steals enough scenes to hint at a serious talent. In fact, most of his classmates seem beyond their years ability-wise, or do they seem that way because of the skilled direction and bottomless production?
It’s also nice to get more time with Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May in this one. You always do wonder what the lesser characters have been up to while everyone else was saving the world. But the backbone of the film as a spectacle is the Peter Parker / Quentin Beck face off. Every moment of Holland and Gyllenhaal together feels like a huge movie treat. And knowing nothing about who Quentin Beck was going in from comic book lore, I got a real thrill out of how it all develops.
I came away from my small screen experience of this movie thinking that I had really enjoyed it, but in a very disposable way, that I was happy to leave behind almost instantly. Nothing about it is especially deep or meaningful, just fun! And that was 100% what Marvel needed at this junction in the pantheon. These guys are pretty smart at knowing when and why and how much with these movies, and I’m pleased to say they did it again!
There is some serious work to be done to ever reach the heights of interest generated by the final pairing of Avengers films, and a lot has changed, as it must, as some actors age, some even pass away (RIP CB) and some call it a day. But if nothing else, there feels like there is plenty of mileage left in this incarnation of the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, and a lot of new fans to be hauled in by the onscreen romance between Tom Holland and Zendaya’s MJ. Older fans, like me, could maybe care less, but I believe that is the hook to ensure a future generation of fans stay loyal to Marvel. Every hero needs someone to save, after all. I’m still watching.