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Merissa (13950 KP) rated Where There's a Will (Dads & Adages #1) in Books
Aug 3, 2023
WHERE THERE'S A WILL is the first book in the Dads & Adages series, and it's definitely one I'll be reading more in. It is also the first book by this author I have read.
This deals with some heavy subjects, so please take note of the trigger warnings. For myself, I thought they were incredibly well handled, providing depth and detail to the story.
Con is thirty-two, with a sister, Daisy, who is twenty-two and pregnant when we first meet them. Con is in a relationship but the cracks are showing and you know it won't last. Will is his sexy silver fox fireman neighbour who lives upstairs. Tragedy strikes early on and Daisy is killed, leaving Con in charge of her newborn baby.
Considering the topics, I found this book to be fairly low-angst. If Con and Will have a problem, they talk it through. Of course, this doesn't work out in every situation, but it was nice to see it happen. What was also nice was the support system both Con and Will had, both together and separately. Having Will's adult sons in here in a supportive role, rather than antagonistic, made it a great read.
If I had anything negative to say, it would be that I was left wondering about Daisy's accident. Why did she get in the car? Was it to see Con? What happened? Small things, I know.
Full of real-life problems with no magic answers, I was completely involved with this story. 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!
Aug 3, 2023
This deals with some heavy subjects, so please take note of the trigger warnings. For myself, I thought they were incredibly well handled, providing depth and detail to the story.
Con is thirty-two, with a sister, Daisy, who is twenty-two and pregnant when we first meet them. Con is in a relationship but the cracks are showing and you know it won't last. Will is his sexy silver fox fireman neighbour who lives upstairs. Tragedy strikes early on and Daisy is killed, leaving Con in charge of her newborn baby.
Considering the topics, I found this book to be fairly low-angst. If Con and Will have a problem, they talk it through. Of course, this doesn't work out in every situation, but it was nice to see it happen. What was also nice was the support system both Con and Will had, both together and separately. Having Will's adult sons in here in a supportive role, rather than antagonistic, made it a great read.
If I had anything negative to say, it would be that I was left wondering about Daisy's accident. Why did she get in the car? Was it to see Con? What happened? Small things, I know.
Full of real-life problems with no magic answers, I was completely involved with this story. 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!
Aug 3, 2023
Merissa (13950 KP) rated Loveborne in Books
May 30, 2023
LOVEBORNE is a brilliant story set in a post-apocalyptic world where a virus has wiped out half of the population. Sound familiar? Well, this one is worse than Covid because what triggers it is love! People are now touch-starved, working and living in solitude, apart from a few risk-seekers (riskeers) who are prepared to take that chance.
I loved the twists and turns this story took, with Alias discovering his own feelings and sorting out what to do with them. Everything about it was unexpected and nothing went the way I thought it would - which is a very good thing! The one big surprise didn't really come as a surprise as I had figured that out but I still thoroughly enjoyed how it was written and the character's development. There is lots of action in this that is completely relevant to the storyline, along with some tender and steamy moments between the two MCs.
The one thing I wanted more from was Deon. He was very much a closed book, not giving much away at all. And I really wanted more from him. Every other character was brilliant, moving the story along in their own way, but with Deon, it just felt a little flat. And I hate writing that, I really do!
This is the first novel by this author I have read and, based on this, I would definitely read more of her work. 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!
May 30, 2023
I loved the twists and turns this story took, with Alias discovering his own feelings and sorting out what to do with them. Everything about it was unexpected and nothing went the way I thought it would - which is a very good thing! The one big surprise didn't really come as a surprise as I had figured that out but I still thoroughly enjoyed how it was written and the character's development. There is lots of action in this that is completely relevant to the storyline, along with some tender and steamy moments between the two MCs.
The one thing I wanted more from was Deon. He was very much a closed book, not giving much away at all. And I really wanted more from him. Every other character was brilliant, moving the story along in their own way, but with Deon, it just felt a little flat. And I hate writing that, I really do!
This is the first novel by this author I have read and, based on this, I would definitely read more of her work. 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!
May 30, 2023
Merissa (13950 KP) rated Festive Fugitive (Murder and Mistletoe #3) in Books
Oct 31, 2025
FESTIVE FUGITIVE is the third book in the Murder and Mistletoe series, but you can read it as a standalone, as I have. It is listed as a dark romance, so please take note of that if you have any triggers.
The story begins with Cesar asking his 'boss' for a final tattoo - that sounds okay, right? Well, it turns out, he gets a tattoo to celebrate the best job of the year, and his boss has been delaying it for two years. Oh, and I guess I should mention that his boss is also his sort-of adopted father, who has trained and tortured him to become a sociopathic assassin! When said boss is killed by someone pushed to their very limits, Cesar decides that the skinny, surely-soon-to-be-captured killer is his new boss, and helps him out every way he can. Let the fun begin.
This was a quick and easy read, surprisingly cute and fluffy in amidst all the murder and violence, with s3x on pretty much every page once Cesar and Eli get together. They become each other's safe space in a world where they haven't had that in far too long. Now, if I'm talking reality (which I'm not!), then their relationship is probably toxic as hell, but they are so happy in their little murder bubble, so why not!
My first festive book of the year, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 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 31, 2025
The story begins with Cesar asking his 'boss' for a final tattoo - that sounds okay, right? Well, it turns out, he gets a tattoo to celebrate the best job of the year, and his boss has been delaying it for two years. Oh, and I guess I should mention that his boss is also his sort-of adopted father, who has trained and tortured him to become a sociopathic assassin! When said boss is killed by someone pushed to their very limits, Cesar decides that the skinny, surely-soon-to-be-captured killer is his new boss, and helps him out every way he can. Let the fun begin.
This was a quick and easy read, surprisingly cute and fluffy in amidst all the murder and violence, with s3x on pretty much every page once Cesar and Eli get together. They become each other's safe space in a world where they haven't had that in far too long. Now, if I'm talking reality (which I'm not!), then their relationship is probably toxic as hell, but they are so happy in their little murder bubble, so why not!
My first festive book of the year, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 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 31, 2025
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Shining Resonance Refrain in Video Games
Aug 14, 2019
I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of JRPG’s, but I really don’t have any reasons why. Growing up I loved watching the Shogun Warrior feature length cartoons and I’m a huge fan of RPG’s in general, so you’d think they’d be right up my alley. I’ve tried and tried to figure out why I have such a hard time sinking into them, and while I have never completed a Final Fantasy game, I continue to buy them in the hopes that one of these days I’ll just get it. So, I’m probably not the first person that would come to mind to review a game like Shining Resonance Refrain, a game that was released exclusively in Japan on PS3 back in 2014. Yet here we are, 4 years later, with a version released for the PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch, with updated graphics and English voice acting.
Shining Resonance Refrain has you take on the role of a young man named Yuma who has been held captive and experimented on by the main antagonists of the game, the Lombardian Empire. Yuma possesses the soul of the Shining Dragon, the most powerful dragon in the land of Alfheim. The Lombardian Empire is attempting to gather all the souls of the long-forgotten dragons in an effort to break a stalemate between the waring countries of Astoria and the Lombardian Empire. The only thing standing in their way are Yuma, his dragon soul and a powerful set of weapons known as the Armonics.
Quests and exploration are key to moving the story along, with the main quests involving attempts to hinder the Lombardian Empire’s search for the remaining dragon souls. There are also side quests that help you earn money and experience for your characters. The quests are either your typical fetch type quests or the type where you go to this area, fight this major boss, and then return to the castle. The world is broken up into much smaller zones, representing numerous landmarks on the map. Traveling to a particular spot on the map means going from zone to zone until you reach your final destination. The zones are very small, so traveling between them isn’t a huge problem, but not being able to use fast-travel between the zones you have already explored means you will spend a lot of time going back and forth between your castle and your next quest. It isn’t a huge deal breaker in the game, but the areas aren’t always very interesting, and going back and forth amongst the same areas over and over can get old the further you get in the game.
Combat is a mixed bag as well. During your quests, you will encounter various creatures wandering the zones. The battles take place in real time and each character has a set of action points that are used for physical attacks and magic points used for your special abilities and “breaker” moves. As your character levels up, you gain access to different magical attacks, which you can swap out as you choose, but most of the time your battles are simply button mashing your way through them with little strategy involved. The battles are also extremely inconsistent, as battling the various creatures is almost too easy (even at standard difficulty) but battling the boss monsters is almost entirely too hard. There is a HUGE difficulty curve when fighting the boss monsters, to a point where I sometimes had to drop the difficulty to casual and still had to fight a boss 3-4 times to beat them. On standard difficulty, I’d typically give up after succumbing to the same boss repeatedly. Even in the later stages of the games the boss battles do not let up, but the normal battles are practically a cake walk.
In addition to your standard and magical attacks there is also a B.A.N.D special attack where you get additional powers depending on the character who initiates it. Some B.A.N.D attacks provide guaranteed hits, while others increase the damage of your magical attacks. On the left-hand side of the screen there is a bar with three levels that fills while you battle your way through the enemies. Each level increases the longevity that the B.A.N.D lasts, so it’s almost always preferable to save these special attacks for the boss battles. Yuma also has the ability to turn into the Shining Dragon who can release devastating attacks, however if your magic points drop too low the dragon goes into a berserker attack and will throw damage at friends and enemies alike. This is never good, so when playing as the Shining Dragon it’s key to turn back into Yuma before losing control.
Graphically the game is beautiful, and if anime or JRPG’s are your thing you will definitely appreciate the update to the original graphics. The graphics do stick closely to the standard JRPG tropes of ridiculously large weapons and warriors in short skirts, etc. so it looks like many of the other JRPGs on the market today. That’s not necessarily bad, it has just worn out its originality over the years. The sound can get extremely repetitive as well, especially in battle where your characters repeat the same catch phrases over and over again. Once again, that’s not to say that the sound is bad, but it gets old quickly. There are some other technical idiosyncrasies that were also particularly jarring. For example, if Yuma is killed in combat, you can run back to town with whichever character has taken over the “leader” role, but the minute you enter town, Yuma reappears as the controlling character. I get that he’s the main character and it doesn’t make much sense for the other characters to run around asking for quests, but his sudden reappearance even though you know he’s dead takes some getting used to.
So, is Shining Resonance Refrain a game that made me take another look at JRPGs? Well, yes and no if I’m being completely honest. It’s around 30+ hours for the main story and side quests and I’ll admit that the more time I spent with the game the more I enjoyed it. After about an hour of my mental block on JRPG games in general, I was able to get into the groove of things and power my way through it. That being said, I still felt the story was a little bit ridiculous and some of the characters really started to grate on my nerves. Even the main character Yuma tended to be a bit too wimpy for me. He can turn himself into the mightiest of dragons but doesn’t know if he can handle it, I often had the feeling that he should get over himself and embrace this incredible power. In the end, I really did enjoy it, once I overlooked a lot of it, and it actually did put me in the mood to go back and try one of the Final Fantasy games. I can’t say that Shining Resonance Refrain converted me to a diehard JRPG fan, but it certainly made me want to give them another try and that is a win in my book.
What I liked: Unique Characters, General feel of combat
What I liked less: Inconsistent difficulty, Repetitive phrases and sound effects
Shining Resonance Refrain has you take on the role of a young man named Yuma who has been held captive and experimented on by the main antagonists of the game, the Lombardian Empire. Yuma possesses the soul of the Shining Dragon, the most powerful dragon in the land of Alfheim. The Lombardian Empire is attempting to gather all the souls of the long-forgotten dragons in an effort to break a stalemate between the waring countries of Astoria and the Lombardian Empire. The only thing standing in their way are Yuma, his dragon soul and a powerful set of weapons known as the Armonics.
Quests and exploration are key to moving the story along, with the main quests involving attempts to hinder the Lombardian Empire’s search for the remaining dragon souls. There are also side quests that help you earn money and experience for your characters. The quests are either your typical fetch type quests or the type where you go to this area, fight this major boss, and then return to the castle. The world is broken up into much smaller zones, representing numerous landmarks on the map. Traveling to a particular spot on the map means going from zone to zone until you reach your final destination. The zones are very small, so traveling between them isn’t a huge problem, but not being able to use fast-travel between the zones you have already explored means you will spend a lot of time going back and forth between your castle and your next quest. It isn’t a huge deal breaker in the game, but the areas aren’t always very interesting, and going back and forth amongst the same areas over and over can get old the further you get in the game.
Combat is a mixed bag as well. During your quests, you will encounter various creatures wandering the zones. The battles take place in real time and each character has a set of action points that are used for physical attacks and magic points used for your special abilities and “breaker” moves. As your character levels up, you gain access to different magical attacks, which you can swap out as you choose, but most of the time your battles are simply button mashing your way through them with little strategy involved. The battles are also extremely inconsistent, as battling the various creatures is almost too easy (even at standard difficulty) but battling the boss monsters is almost entirely too hard. There is a HUGE difficulty curve when fighting the boss monsters, to a point where I sometimes had to drop the difficulty to casual and still had to fight a boss 3-4 times to beat them. On standard difficulty, I’d typically give up after succumbing to the same boss repeatedly. Even in the later stages of the games the boss battles do not let up, but the normal battles are practically a cake walk.
In addition to your standard and magical attacks there is also a B.A.N.D special attack where you get additional powers depending on the character who initiates it. Some B.A.N.D attacks provide guaranteed hits, while others increase the damage of your magical attacks. On the left-hand side of the screen there is a bar with three levels that fills while you battle your way through the enemies. Each level increases the longevity that the B.A.N.D lasts, so it’s almost always preferable to save these special attacks for the boss battles. Yuma also has the ability to turn into the Shining Dragon who can release devastating attacks, however if your magic points drop too low the dragon goes into a berserker attack and will throw damage at friends and enemies alike. This is never good, so when playing as the Shining Dragon it’s key to turn back into Yuma before losing control.
Graphically the game is beautiful, and if anime or JRPG’s are your thing you will definitely appreciate the update to the original graphics. The graphics do stick closely to the standard JRPG tropes of ridiculously large weapons and warriors in short skirts, etc. so it looks like many of the other JRPGs on the market today. That’s not necessarily bad, it has just worn out its originality over the years. The sound can get extremely repetitive as well, especially in battle where your characters repeat the same catch phrases over and over again. Once again, that’s not to say that the sound is bad, but it gets old quickly. There are some other technical idiosyncrasies that were also particularly jarring. For example, if Yuma is killed in combat, you can run back to town with whichever character has taken over the “leader” role, but the minute you enter town, Yuma reappears as the controlling character. I get that he’s the main character and it doesn’t make much sense for the other characters to run around asking for quests, but his sudden reappearance even though you know he’s dead takes some getting used to.
So, is Shining Resonance Refrain a game that made me take another look at JRPGs? Well, yes and no if I’m being completely honest. It’s around 30+ hours for the main story and side quests and I’ll admit that the more time I spent with the game the more I enjoyed it. After about an hour of my mental block on JRPG games in general, I was able to get into the groove of things and power my way through it. That being said, I still felt the story was a little bit ridiculous and some of the characters really started to grate on my nerves. Even the main character Yuma tended to be a bit too wimpy for me. He can turn himself into the mightiest of dragons but doesn’t know if he can handle it, I often had the feeling that he should get over himself and embrace this incredible power. In the end, I really did enjoy it, once I overlooked a lot of it, and it actually did put me in the mood to go back and try one of the Final Fantasy games. I can’t say that Shining Resonance Refrain converted me to a diehard JRPG fan, but it certainly made me want to give them another try and that is a win in my book.
What I liked: Unique Characters, General feel of combat
What I liked less: Inconsistent difficulty, Repetitive phrases and sound effects
Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated Indulgence in Death (In Death, #31) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I quite enjoyed this one. There was less gratuitous bitching between Roarke and Eve - perhaps they're learning to work together as a couple better, as most people do if they're going to make it in the long run. That's good to see depicted realistically, for a change.
The plot itself was a bit of a puzzle, and has been adequately described in the book description. I honestly can't say much more without spoilers.
One of the things I really enjoy about this series is that Eve is shown to be growing as an individual, and not just in her relationship with Roarke. She has relaxed in her interactions with her partner, Peabody. She thinks about how the current murder spree might affect her friends, and reaches out to warn some of her friends not to take any private appointments until the case is over. The Eve we met in the earliest books wouldn't have done that - for one thing, she had very few connections to other people. When she realizes that one of her friends is still grieving deeply for a loved one who was murdered in an earlier novel, she invites him over for a gathering of friends the following weekend - despite the fact that she really doesn't like socializing at all (and follows through by making that weekend happen and inviting the rest of their circle of friends).
As usual, I enjoyed the depiction of a society that has largely gotten past the need to worry about criminalizing what goes on between consenting adults or the genders of adults persons engaged in a relationship. It's still a bit silly about permitting some drugs while criminalizing others - there's no explanation of why are alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and "boosters" and "focus" permissible while "whore," "rabbit," "zeus," "zoner," and others are illegal - but I suppose that's one of those areas where Robb/Roberts and I just don't see eye to eye.
I can't think of many authors who can take a series to 31 volumes and keep me interested. I'm not going to claim that these books are deathless prose, but they're fun, and they keep me interested. I haven't been driven to pick up anything she's published as Nora Roberts, but I'll keep reading this series for a while yet, and I might even go back someday and read this series over again from the beginning.
The plot itself was a bit of a puzzle, and has been adequately described in the book description. I honestly can't say much more without spoilers.
One of the things I really enjoy about this series is that Eve is shown to be growing as an individual, and not just in her relationship with Roarke. She has relaxed in her interactions with her partner, Peabody. She thinks about how the current murder spree might affect her friends, and reaches out to warn some of her friends not to take any private appointments until the case is over. The Eve we met in the earliest books wouldn't have done that - for one thing, she had very few connections to other people. When she realizes that one of her friends is still grieving deeply for a loved one who was murdered in an earlier novel, she invites him over for a gathering of friends the following weekend - despite the fact that she really doesn't like socializing at all (and follows through by making that weekend happen and inviting the rest of their circle of friends).
As usual, I enjoyed the depiction of a society that has largely gotten past the need to worry about criminalizing what goes on between consenting adults or the genders of adults persons engaged in a relationship. It's still a bit silly about permitting some drugs while criminalizing others - there's no explanation of why are alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, and "boosters" and "focus" permissible while "whore," "rabbit," "zeus," "zoner," and others are illegal - but I suppose that's one of those areas where Robb/Roberts and I just don't see eye to eye.
I can't think of many authors who can take a series to 31 volumes and keep me interested. I'm not going to claim that these books are deathless prose, but they're fun, and they keep me interested. I haven't been driven to pick up anything she's published as Nora Roberts, but I'll keep reading this series for a while yet, and I might even go back someday and read this series over again from the beginning.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Deadpool (2016) in Movies
Feb 13, 2018 (Updated Feb 14, 2018)
My inner 17 year old self loved DEADPOOL. It had everything that any 17 year old boy would want in a movie - sex, violence and a smart-alec attitude, all wrapped up in an unapologetic package that reveled in - and did not shy away from - these traits.
At this point in the review, you are either saying "f#*$ yeah! this movie is for me!" or you have stopped reading, will never see this movie, so it doesn't really matter what I write.
For the rest of you still reading, grab your raunchy comedy sense of humor and head to the theaters to see DEADPOOL, you won't be sorry. DP pokes fun at itself and the genre it represents right from the get-go. Get there early for the opening credits, they aren't quite like any opening credits you have seen before.
First time director Tim Miller cut his teeth on animated short films (most notably, the Oscar nominated animated short, GOPHER BROKE) and it shows in this film. DEADPOOL plays like a 100 minute Road Runner cartoon with star Ryan Reynolds constant patter sounding more and more like the RoadRunner's "Beep, Beep" as the film progresses.
Don't get me wrong, Reynolds does a nice job as the lead and brings humor and charm to the character, but after awhile it just didn't matter as it was just an excuse for fights, car chases, mayhem, violence and explosions - and I didn't mind one bit.
There are some interesting characters in this film, most notably played by Morena Baccarin and T.J. MIller - two actors who I felt FINALLY got decent roles to play, but they, too, take a back seat to the action and smart-assery in this film Even the great Leslie Uggams is brought in as an old, blind, smartass, and she acquits herself quite well.
The smartest things the filmmakers did with this movie is that they did not back away from what they were trying to do - make a superhero movie that was a mash-up of THE AVENGERS and DIRTY GRANDPA, they didn't flinch from this mission, which is why it is successful. They accomplished what the set out to accomplish - make a Superhero movie that any teenage boy would love.
7 (out of 10) stars - 10 out of 10, if you listen to my inner 17 year old - and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)
At this point in the review, you are either saying "f#*$ yeah! this movie is for me!" or you have stopped reading, will never see this movie, so it doesn't really matter what I write.
For the rest of you still reading, grab your raunchy comedy sense of humor and head to the theaters to see DEADPOOL, you won't be sorry. DP pokes fun at itself and the genre it represents right from the get-go. Get there early for the opening credits, they aren't quite like any opening credits you have seen before.
First time director Tim Miller cut his teeth on animated short films (most notably, the Oscar nominated animated short, GOPHER BROKE) and it shows in this film. DEADPOOL plays like a 100 minute Road Runner cartoon with star Ryan Reynolds constant patter sounding more and more like the RoadRunner's "Beep, Beep" as the film progresses.
Don't get me wrong, Reynolds does a nice job as the lead and brings humor and charm to the character, but after awhile it just didn't matter as it was just an excuse for fights, car chases, mayhem, violence and explosions - and I didn't mind one bit.
There are some interesting characters in this film, most notably played by Morena Baccarin and T.J. MIller - two actors who I felt FINALLY got decent roles to play, but they, too, take a back seat to the action and smart-assery in this film Even the great Leslie Uggams is brought in as an old, blind, smartass, and she acquits herself quite well.
The smartest things the filmmakers did with this movie is that they did not back away from what they were trying to do - make a superhero movie that was a mash-up of THE AVENGERS and DIRTY GRANDPA, they didn't flinch from this mission, which is why it is successful. They accomplished what the set out to accomplish - make a Superhero movie that any teenage boy would love.
7 (out of 10) stars - 10 out of 10, if you listen to my inner 17 year old - and you can take that to the Bank (of Marquis)
TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated The Heart of a Hero (Global Search and Rescue, #2) in Books
Feb 24, 2021
Can I just gush for a moment?
I have followed Susan May Warren since she first started writing and her books continue to amaze me with the depth and faith her characters display! This new series Global Search and Rescue is so much adventure, suspense, and faith packed into just a bit over 300 pages. IT IS AWESOME. Okay, gush over. The Heart of a Hero is book two in the series and can be read as a standalone, I do think however that by reading the first book your experience will be enhanced.
Let us start with the setting of this book, shall we?
Susan May Warren takes us from a hospital to a tropical paradise in the Florida Keys. The descriptions of the weather and the hurricane are so vivid; It was like I was the one standing in water and running for cover. I enjoyed her take on what might happen (Or probably does happen) when a hurricane comes through the Keys. Her mental picture of the hospital made me feel like I could walk into that hospital and find my way around just by the way the characters talked about it. A lot of details went into this book without making you realize they are there until you go back over the book in your mind.
The characters were some of my favorites from Susan May Warren.
I loved Aria’s spunky and sarcastic personality mixed with her shy insecurities. I think it made her even more of a believable character as we see those traits in ourselves and those around us. Aria had such passion for helping others as well, her take-charge attitude in dangerous situations is something I would hope to have in those situations. Jake. Jake. Jake. I feel like I have been rooting for him since the beginning when he was mentioned in The Way of the Brave. He has such an adventurous and protective spirit to him that is captivating. He knows what he wants in life and goes boldly after it. Basically, the definition of a SEAL. He will go down as one of my favorite characters ever; and Aria and Jake will go down as one of my favorite couples.
There are so many secondary characters that helped make this story complete, but I will let you read about them and see why I liked them just as much as the primary characters!
I have followed Susan May Warren since she first started writing and her books continue to amaze me with the depth and faith her characters display! This new series Global Search and Rescue is so much adventure, suspense, and faith packed into just a bit over 300 pages. IT IS AWESOME. Okay, gush over. The Heart of a Hero is book two in the series and can be read as a standalone, I do think however that by reading the first book your experience will be enhanced.
Let us start with the setting of this book, shall we?
Susan May Warren takes us from a hospital to a tropical paradise in the Florida Keys. The descriptions of the weather and the hurricane are so vivid; It was like I was the one standing in water and running for cover. I enjoyed her take on what might happen (Or probably does happen) when a hurricane comes through the Keys. Her mental picture of the hospital made me feel like I could walk into that hospital and find my way around just by the way the characters talked about it. A lot of details went into this book without making you realize they are there until you go back over the book in your mind.
The characters were some of my favorites from Susan May Warren.
I loved Aria’s spunky and sarcastic personality mixed with her shy insecurities. I think it made her even more of a believable character as we see those traits in ourselves and those around us. Aria had such passion for helping others as well, her take-charge attitude in dangerous situations is something I would hope to have in those situations. Jake. Jake. Jake. I feel like I have been rooting for him since the beginning when he was mentioned in The Way of the Brave. He has such an adventurous and protective spirit to him that is captivating. He knows what he wants in life and goes boldly after it. Basically, the definition of a SEAL. He will go down as one of my favorite characters ever; and Aria and Jake will go down as one of my favorite couples.
There are so many secondary characters that helped make this story complete, but I will let you read about them and see why I liked them just as much as the primary characters!
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Long Shot (2019) in Movies
May 4, 2019 (Updated May 4, 2019)
Surprisingly Strong Chemistry Between The Leads
Quite a few people that I have spoken with don't like either Charlize Theron or Seth Rogan as performers, so the idea of a pairing of the straight-laced, uptight politician played by Theron and the shlubby, weed-smoking slacker played by Rogan was like "nails on a chalkboard" to them.
And these people would be wrong, for LONG SHOT is a very entertaining, heartfelt romantic comedy that has one big surprise - the strong chemistry between the two leads.
Kind of the "anti-AMERICAN PRESIDENT" (the 1995 Michael Douglas/Annette Benning RomCom written by Aaron Sorkin), LONG SHOT tells the tale of Secretary of State, Charlotte Field (Theron) who embarks on a Presidential bid. When she polls low in "sense of humor" she decides to add a comedy writer to her staff to punch up her speeches. A chance encounter with her childhood next door neighbor leads Field to hire Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogan). Will sparks fly? Can Fred remind Charlotte of why she chose politics in the first place?
What do you think? It's a RomCom afterall, but it's the journey and not the destination that is important.
And...his is a fun journey...mostly because of the performances of Theron and Rogan. Over the years, I have grown to really appreciate Theron - from dramas like NORTH COUNTRY and her Oscar-winning turn in MONSTER, to action flicks like MAD MAX:FURY ROAD and FATE OF THE FURIOUS, to comedies like A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST and this film - there is nothing (apparently) that she can't do. She is really good in all of these - even if the material is not the greatest.
The surprise to me here was the performance of Rogan - it was "wacky", "stoner-ish" and "out there", but toned down and tempered - probably the sign of a good, strong Director at the helm. I bought Flarsky's journey in this story and the relationship between these two characters was believable because Rogan was able to match Theron's energy and show real chemistry between the two.
Other fine turns are given by O'Shea Jackson, Jr (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON), as Rogan's buddy, Ravi Patel (TV's MASTER OF NONE) as one of Theron's support staff and (especially) June Diane Rapheal (TV's GRACE AND FRANKIE) who really shines in the unenviable role of the Theron's Chief of Staff who doesn't approve of putting Rogan's character on the team, but she plays the role with layers - not one-note - and so we get a real person, with conflicted feelings at time, and she rises above the typical type of character in this type of role.
The only disappointment for me was Bob Odenkirk's President (who is stepping down for - he hopes - a much bigger job, MOVIE STAR) and not because of Odenkirk's performance, he was fine with what he was given, but there wasn't much nuance written in this part and (compared to the layers shown/written by others) the one-note-ness of Odenkirk's character was noticeable. As was Andy Serkis as a heavily-made up, older media mogul who is trying to use his wealth to manipulate the events from behind the scene - this character (and make-up) was a "swing and a miss" for me. But, fortunately, neither Serkis nor Odenkirk have much screen time, so it was more of a "distraction" than an "annoyance" for me.
I mention the Director - so I better give credit to Jonathan Levine (the awful SNATCHED with Amy Shumer and Goldie Hawn) - I have not really enjoyed anything else he has Directed, but I have to give him credit for this one - he brings "the funny and the crude" without going overboard, driving the story efficiently while putting in enough yuks and (surprisingly) heart in this movie along the way.
Now...don't be fooled here...there is quite a bit of "crude, lewd and rude" behavior and jokes (a crucial plot point hangs on a "sex act"), so don't expect a gentile, Cary Grant/Katherine Hepburn battle of the sexes. Expect a funny (crude), sexy (lewd) and opinionated (rude) take on the modern political system and how a person can lose their soul if they choose to play the game.
With a large amount of heart - and strong performances/chemistry between the two leads - I was pleasantly surprised by LONG SHOT - and, if you can handle the crude, lude and rude, then you will have a good time at this film.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
And these people would be wrong, for LONG SHOT is a very entertaining, heartfelt romantic comedy that has one big surprise - the strong chemistry between the two leads.
Kind of the "anti-AMERICAN PRESIDENT" (the 1995 Michael Douglas/Annette Benning RomCom written by Aaron Sorkin), LONG SHOT tells the tale of Secretary of State, Charlotte Field (Theron) who embarks on a Presidential bid. When she polls low in "sense of humor" she decides to add a comedy writer to her staff to punch up her speeches. A chance encounter with her childhood next door neighbor leads Field to hire Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogan). Will sparks fly? Can Fred remind Charlotte of why she chose politics in the first place?
What do you think? It's a RomCom afterall, but it's the journey and not the destination that is important.
And...his is a fun journey...mostly because of the performances of Theron and Rogan. Over the years, I have grown to really appreciate Theron - from dramas like NORTH COUNTRY and her Oscar-winning turn in MONSTER, to action flicks like MAD MAX:FURY ROAD and FATE OF THE FURIOUS, to comedies like A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST and this film - there is nothing (apparently) that she can't do. She is really good in all of these - even if the material is not the greatest.
The surprise to me here was the performance of Rogan - it was "wacky", "stoner-ish" and "out there", but toned down and tempered - probably the sign of a good, strong Director at the helm. I bought Flarsky's journey in this story and the relationship between these two characters was believable because Rogan was able to match Theron's energy and show real chemistry between the two.
Other fine turns are given by O'Shea Jackson, Jr (STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON), as Rogan's buddy, Ravi Patel (TV's MASTER OF NONE) as one of Theron's support staff and (especially) June Diane Rapheal (TV's GRACE AND FRANKIE) who really shines in the unenviable role of the Theron's Chief of Staff who doesn't approve of putting Rogan's character on the team, but she plays the role with layers - not one-note - and so we get a real person, with conflicted feelings at time, and she rises above the typical type of character in this type of role.
The only disappointment for me was Bob Odenkirk's President (who is stepping down for - he hopes - a much bigger job, MOVIE STAR) and not because of Odenkirk's performance, he was fine with what he was given, but there wasn't much nuance written in this part and (compared to the layers shown/written by others) the one-note-ness of Odenkirk's character was noticeable. As was Andy Serkis as a heavily-made up, older media mogul who is trying to use his wealth to manipulate the events from behind the scene - this character (and make-up) was a "swing and a miss" for me. But, fortunately, neither Serkis nor Odenkirk have much screen time, so it was more of a "distraction" than an "annoyance" for me.
I mention the Director - so I better give credit to Jonathan Levine (the awful SNATCHED with Amy Shumer and Goldie Hawn) - I have not really enjoyed anything else he has Directed, but I have to give him credit for this one - he brings "the funny and the crude" without going overboard, driving the story efficiently while putting in enough yuks and (surprisingly) heart in this movie along the way.
Now...don't be fooled here...there is quite a bit of "crude, lewd and rude" behavior and jokes (a crucial plot point hangs on a "sex act"), so don't expect a gentile, Cary Grant/Katherine Hepburn battle of the sexes. Expect a funny (crude), sexy (lewd) and opinionated (rude) take on the modern political system and how a person can lose their soul if they choose to play the game.
With a large amount of heart - and strong performances/chemistry between the two leads - I was pleasantly surprised by LONG SHOT - and, if you can handle the crude, lude and rude, then you will have a good time at this film.
Letter Grade: A-
8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(OfMarquis)
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated the PC version of Battlefield V in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
The latest chapter in the long-running Battlefield series has arrived with the release of Battlefield V. The game looks to follow up the success of Battlefield 1 with a World War 2 based game that puts players directly into the action with large and highly-detailed maps.
The solo portion of the game has players battle in some diverse locales and focuses on situations form history where the participants were not well known and did not receive much glory or attention for their deeds.
After the introduction, players have the following options as described by E.A.
The stories were very enjoyable and thought provoking though I did get a few bugs while playing like a cut-scene lock up and some clipping issues where enemy characters were lodged in walls. Thankfully issues like this were few and I was able to complete the missions as they were engrossing and kept me riveted throughout.
I especially liked the Nordlys mission where I was able to don Skis and made my way around the frozen landscapes to complete my mission.
The missions were a mix of stealth, surviving waves of enemies, and capturing objectives which is what you would expect for a game of this type. The game does allow players to have a more diverse approach to completing missions as you can use vehicles and other objects found in the game to be creative. I was able to “borrow” a plane in Under No Flag to strafe the enemy locales. When my piloting skills were not up to snuff and I crashed in a lake; I redid the mission from a direct assault approach and things went much better for me.
The game uses a regenerative health system so should you take too much damage, simply take cover until you heal up and battle on. There is also an option to heal from time to time when battling online. Players will be able to pick up new weapons and ammunition off fallen enemies as well as at various points throughout the game.
Visually the game is very appealing from the open desert to the raging blizzard in the campaigns; there is plenty of eye candy to enjoy along with the action.
The online modes were very enjoyable as there were a variety of modes for players to enjoy.
The multiplay was good and what impressed me was how fair the hit detection was. You did not have to empty an entire clip into an enemy to take them down nor did glancing shots also produce a fatal result. The maps were large and highly detailed which allowed players to try a mixture of gameplay styles to best suit their needs.
It should be noted that additional content for the game will be coming as the menus made mention of solo missions and other features that were listed as “coming soon” and we know that the Battle Royale mode for the game is not due until 2019 as an example.
It should also be noted that I did not see the Female fighter with the prosthetic arm that was featured in the announcement trailers for the game and caused division amongst fans upon the reveal for the game. If she was edited out, planned for a later date, or simply included for demonstration purposes remains to be seen. What is clear is that although fans may expect more content and be disappointed in having to wait for parts of the game to release at a later date, the game is enjoyable for fans of the series and after my experiences with the Beta; even better than expected. I look forward to seeing what the game will look like in the future once the coming updates and patches are applied, but for now; Battlefield V is a solid WW2 game with solid visuals and sound and is a worthy entry into the series.
http://sknr.net/2018/11/12/battlefield-v/
The solo portion of the game has players battle in some diverse locales and focuses on situations form history where the participants were not well known and did not receive much glory or attention for their deeds.
After the introduction, players have the following options as described by E.A.
The stories were very enjoyable and thought provoking though I did get a few bugs while playing like a cut-scene lock up and some clipping issues where enemy characters were lodged in walls. Thankfully issues like this were few and I was able to complete the missions as they were engrossing and kept me riveted throughout.
I especially liked the Nordlys mission where I was able to don Skis and made my way around the frozen landscapes to complete my mission.
The missions were a mix of stealth, surviving waves of enemies, and capturing objectives which is what you would expect for a game of this type. The game does allow players to have a more diverse approach to completing missions as you can use vehicles and other objects found in the game to be creative. I was able to “borrow” a plane in Under No Flag to strafe the enemy locales. When my piloting skills were not up to snuff and I crashed in a lake; I redid the mission from a direct assault approach and things went much better for me.
The game uses a regenerative health system so should you take too much damage, simply take cover until you heal up and battle on. There is also an option to heal from time to time when battling online. Players will be able to pick up new weapons and ammunition off fallen enemies as well as at various points throughout the game.
Visually the game is very appealing from the open desert to the raging blizzard in the campaigns; there is plenty of eye candy to enjoy along with the action.
The online modes were very enjoyable as there were a variety of modes for players to enjoy.
The multiplay was good and what impressed me was how fair the hit detection was. You did not have to empty an entire clip into an enemy to take them down nor did glancing shots also produce a fatal result. The maps were large and highly detailed which allowed players to try a mixture of gameplay styles to best suit their needs.
It should be noted that additional content for the game will be coming as the menus made mention of solo missions and other features that were listed as “coming soon” and we know that the Battle Royale mode for the game is not due until 2019 as an example.
It should also be noted that I did not see the Female fighter with the prosthetic arm that was featured in the announcement trailers for the game and caused division amongst fans upon the reveal for the game. If she was edited out, planned for a later date, or simply included for demonstration purposes remains to be seen. What is clear is that although fans may expect more content and be disappointed in having to wait for parts of the game to release at a later date, the game is enjoyable for fans of the series and after my experiences with the Beta; even better than expected. I look forward to seeing what the game will look like in the future once the coming updates and patches are applied, but for now; Battlefield V is a solid WW2 game with solid visuals and sound and is a worthy entry into the series.
http://sknr.net/2018/11/12/battlefield-v/