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"There’s a very Pokemon vibe running through Teeny Titans…The game’s battles are much more...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Resilience ( Rise of Iliri book 6) in Books
Jan 5, 2023
Contains spoilers, click to show
4 of 235
Kindle
Resilience ( Rise of Iliri book 6)
By Auryn Hadley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Auryn Hadley's sixth action-adventure in The Rise of the Iliri fantasy series asks how far mankind will go to protect their pride. Because it seems they'll guard it at the expense of all else. Reminiscent of a futuristic Lord of the Rings, this epic fantasy romance traces not only the personal journey of its heroine and her family - a reverse harem made up of nine indomitable warriors who comprise an elite military force called the Black Blades - but also the liberation of a people and a new way of thinking for the whole world. For the source of iliri power is not domination, but connection. They seek it, cultivate it, and use it to defeat their enemies.
It's the iliri - now a rising, formidable race of underdogs - who must decide whether to risk their lives for the ungracious human race. Unbeknownst to humans, their fate lies in the capable hands of the iliri leader, the powerful Salryc Luxx. And she's no longer willing to be yanked around at any price.
Sal and the Black Blades have been summoned to a meeting with Parliament representatives of the Conglomerate of Free Citizens. But this time, she's not serving as their slave. Nor is she about to be captured and brought to trial again. Now the ruler of all iliri in her adopted country of Anglia - and de facto queen - she knows she has the upper hand.
The enemy Terrans have besieged Eastward, engaging in brutal guerrilla tactics throughout the country - hitting without mercy and killing all in their path. The world of humans is desperate.
"Tell me why I should send my brothers and sisters to die for humans that care so little for us?" Sal asks. The answer she's searching for comes from a frail iliri servant, whose telltale snow-colored skin is almost as light as Sal's: If she leaves the humans to die by the Terrans, war and enslavement will continue. History will repeat itself. But if it's the iliri and their allies who manage to defeat evil, perhaps humans can learn to respect them.
She knows she isn't finished fighting. Iliri warriors haven't yet "done enough." Not while so many of their brothers are still enslaved.
Alongside her faithful friends and leaders--and the tireless Black Blades - Sal must choose whether to surrender to her role as their leader and contend with The Emperor's murderous army - as well as the treacherous pride of the human race.
!!! Has a spoiler for book 5!!!
Every time I pick one of these books up I say it’s the best one yet and yes I’m saying it again! After the tears at the end of Book 5 we catch up with Sal and the blades dealing with the aftermath of losing Blaec and finding her feet with her new role and new male. This is non stop from the first word to the last. Brilliantly written it has to be one of my favourite series. Highly recommended for the fantasy readers!
Kindle
Resilience ( Rise of Iliri book 6)
By Auryn Hadley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Auryn Hadley's sixth action-adventure in The Rise of the Iliri fantasy series asks how far mankind will go to protect their pride. Because it seems they'll guard it at the expense of all else. Reminiscent of a futuristic Lord of the Rings, this epic fantasy romance traces not only the personal journey of its heroine and her family - a reverse harem made up of nine indomitable warriors who comprise an elite military force called the Black Blades - but also the liberation of a people and a new way of thinking for the whole world. For the source of iliri power is not domination, but connection. They seek it, cultivate it, and use it to defeat their enemies.
It's the iliri - now a rising, formidable race of underdogs - who must decide whether to risk their lives for the ungracious human race. Unbeknownst to humans, their fate lies in the capable hands of the iliri leader, the powerful Salryc Luxx. And she's no longer willing to be yanked around at any price.
Sal and the Black Blades have been summoned to a meeting with Parliament representatives of the Conglomerate of Free Citizens. But this time, she's not serving as their slave. Nor is she about to be captured and brought to trial again. Now the ruler of all iliri in her adopted country of Anglia - and de facto queen - she knows she has the upper hand.
The enemy Terrans have besieged Eastward, engaging in brutal guerrilla tactics throughout the country - hitting without mercy and killing all in their path. The world of humans is desperate.
"Tell me why I should send my brothers and sisters to die for humans that care so little for us?" Sal asks. The answer she's searching for comes from a frail iliri servant, whose telltale snow-colored skin is almost as light as Sal's: If she leaves the humans to die by the Terrans, war and enslavement will continue. History will repeat itself. But if it's the iliri and their allies who manage to defeat evil, perhaps humans can learn to respect them.
She knows she isn't finished fighting. Iliri warriors haven't yet "done enough." Not while so many of their brothers are still enslaved.
Alongside her faithful friends and leaders--and the tireless Black Blades - Sal must choose whether to surrender to her role as their leader and contend with The Emperor's murderous army - as well as the treacherous pride of the human race.
!!! Has a spoiler for book 5!!!
Every time I pick one of these books up I say it’s the best one yet and yes I’m saying it again! After the tears at the end of Book 5 we catch up with Sal and the blades dealing with the aftermath of losing Blaec and finding her feet with her new role and new male. This is non stop from the first word to the last. Brilliantly written it has to be one of my favourite series. Highly recommended for the fantasy readers!
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Paul It feels like I’ve been drowning for five years, barely keeping my head above the water. I...
Contemporary MM Romance
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated TEN in Tabletop Games
Nov 28, 2021
When it comes to game mechanics, set collection is my JAM. Auction/bidding and push your luck, not so much….. So when Alderac Entertainment Group brought TEN into my life, I was a bit wary at first. A game of collecting sequences/sets of numbers? Awesome!! Add in bidding for Wildcards or pushing your luck to not Bust each turn? A bit too risky, at least for my gaming tastes. After having had the opportunity to play TEN, were my initial feelings misplaced? Spoiler: Yes. For me, TEN was a prime example of “Don’t judge a game by its mechanics.” Keep reading to find out why.
Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of TEN for the purposes of this review. This is a final production copy, so what you see pictured is what you would receive in a retail copy of the game. -L
TEN is a push-your-luck game of set collection and auction/bidding in which players are trying to amass the most points by the end of the game. Points are earned by collecting sets of numeric sequences in the 4 colors of the game: Blue, Green, Pink, and Orange. Played over a series of turns, players will be drawing/collecting cards from the tableau, buying cards from the Market, or Busting if they push their luck a bit too far. To setup for a game, assemble the deck of cards as dictated by the player count and set it in the play area. Each player gets 5 Currency tokens with which to start the game, and are all dealt a random reference card. The player who was dealt the reference card with the Starting Player symbol will begin the game. Before getting into the actual gameplay, I want to mention the different card types, as to provide a better understanding when reading this review. In each of the 4 colors, there are card values numbered 1-9, with more copies of the lower numbers and fewer of the higher numbers. There are also Wildcards that can be used to represent any #/color, depending on the card. Some cards in the deck are Currency cards and show a value of 1-5 Currency. Should you choose to take these from the tableau, you collect that amount of Currency to be used for auctions or buying cards in later turns.
On your turn, you will perform a series of actions, the first of which is Draw a Card. You will draw a card from the top of the deck and place it in the tableau. If the card is a # card or a Currency card, you will then decide if you wish to continue drawing cards. If you do, draw the next card, and so on, until either you decide to stop or you Bust (more on this in a bit). As long as you do not Bust, you can decide when to stop drawing cards to the tableau. You may then take one of the following rewards: take all the # cards to your play area, or take Currency tokens (equal to the amount shown on the Currency cards in the tableau). When you take the # cards, they go into your play area and all other players will collect Currency tokens. You then have the opportunity to Buy a card from the Market (by paying the numeric value of the card) and add it to your play area. If you instead choose to collect Currency, you will take Currency equal to the total value of Currency in the tableau, and all other players receive nothing from your turn. All # cards are moved to the Market, and your turn ends. In the picture below, if I choose to take the # cards, I would take the Orange 2 and Blue 6 to my play area, and all other players would collect 7 Currency. Conversely, I could choose to take 7 Currency, and the # cards are added to the Market (on the right-hand side of the picture).
So how does Busting work? The tableau may never have a value of more than 10. Every # card you draw adds to your total value, and any Currency card drawn subtracts from the total. If you were to draw a # card that would give you a total value of more than 10, you Bust! OR if you ever have Currency cards that total more than 10, you Bust as well. So there’s a bit of math involved, with addition and subtraction, but you have to make sure you never get more than 10! For example, in the picture below, the net total value of the tableau is 1. (8 from # cards, -7 from Currency cards) If I were to draw a Currency card of 4-5, I would Bust, because that totals more than 10. In this pictured instance, any # card I draw would not make me Bust, as the highest total would only be a 10, given the current cards in play. If you ever push your luck too far and end up Busting, all # cards in the tableau are moved to the Market, and you gain a Bust token (worth 3 Currency). If you Busted with # cards, then all other players will collect Currency tokens, but if you Bust with Currency cards, nobody receives anything. After resolving a Bust, your turn ends and the game continues to the next player.
If, on your turn, you ever draw a Wildcard, your turn pauses and the Wildcard is auctioned. Each player will have one chance to either bid (increasing the bid from the previous) or pass. Whomever wins the auction must pay their bid, and they collect the Wildcard to their play area. Once the auction has been resolved, your turn continues as normal. It is possible to have multiple auctions on your turn – it all depends on the cards. The game continues in this fashion, players taking turns drawing cards, collecting cards/Currency, buying from the Market, bidding in auctions, etc., until the draw deck has been depleted. The active player finishes their turn as normal, but may not draw any more cards. Points are then tallied. All players will arrange their cards to create consecutive sequences of numbers in the 4 different colors. You receive 1 point per card in your longest sequence of each color. If you have a complete set of numbers 1-9 in a color, you get a bonus point. Players count up all their points, and the player with the highest value is the winner!
That kind of seems like a lot, but I promise it’s actually pretty intuitive when you get playing. Also, huge shoutout to AEG for providing such a well-done reference card – it includes a little flowchart to help you with how the turns flow. The gameplay itself is essentially pretty straightforward. You draw a card, and then react based on what it is. Bust? Collect a Bust token and your turn ends. No Bust? Decide if you want to keep drawing. Done pushing your luck? Collect either the # cards or Currency. Try to make sequential runs of numbers in the different colors – the more cards you get in sequence, the more points you’ll get at the end of the game. The thing that elevates TEN beyond a simple push-your-luck game to me is that it requires more strategy than just luck. You can see what cards are available in the Market – is there something you need to buy? You can see everyone else’s playing area – do they need any of the numbers you just revealed? You know how much Currency every player has – do you bid high on this Wildcard because your neighbor can’t outbid you? There is so much more than just luck in this game, and that is what takes it to the next level for me. I know that Travis has reviewed No, Thanks! in the past, and I would say that this gives me similar vibes, but way better in my opinion.
When it comes to playing games, I am generally not a huge risk-taker. I like making logical choices based on known information and end-game strategy. But something about this game just gets me. I think one element that makes me love this game is the different types of cards – # cards and Currency cards. When you’re pushing your luck and drawing cards, there’s an added element of excitement, because the two different types of cards affect the net total differently. It doesn’t all positively add to the net total, which makes me more likely to keep drawing in hopes that things will cancel out and I can maximize the turn. If everything all added together, and you just couldn’t get more than 10, I would probably only ever draw 2 cards per turn, max., just to make sure I didn’t Bust. But the fact that Currency cards subtract from the net total encourages players to keep pushing their luck, and either earning a big payoff or a big Bust. This game is exciting, engaging, and entertaining to play, and that makes it fun!
To touch on components, AEG always hits it out of the park – and TEN is no exception. The game is mostly just a bunch of cards, and some white/black Currency tokens. The tokens themselves are nice plastic, and are smooth and chunky in hand. The cards are thick and sturdy, and hold up to shuffling pretty well. The colors of the game are bright and vibrant, and they are very clear to differentiate between. It’s a nice pop of color on the table, and that adds to the overall enjoyment of the game. Each of the 4 colors, and the Wildcards for that matter, have a unique background design – which can help our colorblind friends who may not necessarily be able to differentiate between the colors. Just an added plus to help the gamers tell what cards belong to what colors! The game box is equally as colorful, and is eye-catching on the shelf. All in all, I’d say AEG gets a 10 for their production quality here. (Get it?)
I spoke earlier about judging a game by its mechanics, and how TEN really challenged me on that. I was expecting a game that I would like, but would be kind of just ok overall for me. What I got is a game that is highly strategic, yet also unpredictable at times. I am definitely a planner when it comes to strategy, but the unpredictability of this game is light, fun, and engaging for all players at all times. It just is fun to play. This is a game that I see staying in my collection for a long time, and hopefully getting to the table quite often when I need a quick filler that isn’t so light that it’s mindless, but not heavy enough that it’s a brain-burner. If you’re in the market for a fun little game that challenges all players, I would definitely recommend checking out TEN. Purple Phoenix Games rates our games on a scale of 1-6 (not 10 unfortunately in this case), and we give this one a solid 5 / 6.
Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of TEN for the purposes of this review. This is a final production copy, so what you see pictured is what you would receive in a retail copy of the game. -L
TEN is a push-your-luck game of set collection and auction/bidding in which players are trying to amass the most points by the end of the game. Points are earned by collecting sets of numeric sequences in the 4 colors of the game: Blue, Green, Pink, and Orange. Played over a series of turns, players will be drawing/collecting cards from the tableau, buying cards from the Market, or Busting if they push their luck a bit too far. To setup for a game, assemble the deck of cards as dictated by the player count and set it in the play area. Each player gets 5 Currency tokens with which to start the game, and are all dealt a random reference card. The player who was dealt the reference card with the Starting Player symbol will begin the game. Before getting into the actual gameplay, I want to mention the different card types, as to provide a better understanding when reading this review. In each of the 4 colors, there are card values numbered 1-9, with more copies of the lower numbers and fewer of the higher numbers. There are also Wildcards that can be used to represent any #/color, depending on the card. Some cards in the deck are Currency cards and show a value of 1-5 Currency. Should you choose to take these from the tableau, you collect that amount of Currency to be used for auctions or buying cards in later turns.
On your turn, you will perform a series of actions, the first of which is Draw a Card. You will draw a card from the top of the deck and place it in the tableau. If the card is a # card or a Currency card, you will then decide if you wish to continue drawing cards. If you do, draw the next card, and so on, until either you decide to stop or you Bust (more on this in a bit). As long as you do not Bust, you can decide when to stop drawing cards to the tableau. You may then take one of the following rewards: take all the # cards to your play area, or take Currency tokens (equal to the amount shown on the Currency cards in the tableau). When you take the # cards, they go into your play area and all other players will collect Currency tokens. You then have the opportunity to Buy a card from the Market (by paying the numeric value of the card) and add it to your play area. If you instead choose to collect Currency, you will take Currency equal to the total value of Currency in the tableau, and all other players receive nothing from your turn. All # cards are moved to the Market, and your turn ends. In the picture below, if I choose to take the # cards, I would take the Orange 2 and Blue 6 to my play area, and all other players would collect 7 Currency. Conversely, I could choose to take 7 Currency, and the # cards are added to the Market (on the right-hand side of the picture).
So how does Busting work? The tableau may never have a value of more than 10. Every # card you draw adds to your total value, and any Currency card drawn subtracts from the total. If you were to draw a # card that would give you a total value of more than 10, you Bust! OR if you ever have Currency cards that total more than 10, you Bust as well. So there’s a bit of math involved, with addition and subtraction, but you have to make sure you never get more than 10! For example, in the picture below, the net total value of the tableau is 1. (8 from # cards, -7 from Currency cards) If I were to draw a Currency card of 4-5, I would Bust, because that totals more than 10. In this pictured instance, any # card I draw would not make me Bust, as the highest total would only be a 10, given the current cards in play. If you ever push your luck too far and end up Busting, all # cards in the tableau are moved to the Market, and you gain a Bust token (worth 3 Currency). If you Busted with # cards, then all other players will collect Currency tokens, but if you Bust with Currency cards, nobody receives anything. After resolving a Bust, your turn ends and the game continues to the next player.
If, on your turn, you ever draw a Wildcard, your turn pauses and the Wildcard is auctioned. Each player will have one chance to either bid (increasing the bid from the previous) or pass. Whomever wins the auction must pay their bid, and they collect the Wildcard to their play area. Once the auction has been resolved, your turn continues as normal. It is possible to have multiple auctions on your turn – it all depends on the cards. The game continues in this fashion, players taking turns drawing cards, collecting cards/Currency, buying from the Market, bidding in auctions, etc., until the draw deck has been depleted. The active player finishes their turn as normal, but may not draw any more cards. Points are then tallied. All players will arrange their cards to create consecutive sequences of numbers in the 4 different colors. You receive 1 point per card in your longest sequence of each color. If you have a complete set of numbers 1-9 in a color, you get a bonus point. Players count up all their points, and the player with the highest value is the winner!
That kind of seems like a lot, but I promise it’s actually pretty intuitive when you get playing. Also, huge shoutout to AEG for providing such a well-done reference card – it includes a little flowchart to help you with how the turns flow. The gameplay itself is essentially pretty straightforward. You draw a card, and then react based on what it is. Bust? Collect a Bust token and your turn ends. No Bust? Decide if you want to keep drawing. Done pushing your luck? Collect either the # cards or Currency. Try to make sequential runs of numbers in the different colors – the more cards you get in sequence, the more points you’ll get at the end of the game. The thing that elevates TEN beyond a simple push-your-luck game to me is that it requires more strategy than just luck. You can see what cards are available in the Market – is there something you need to buy? You can see everyone else’s playing area – do they need any of the numbers you just revealed? You know how much Currency every player has – do you bid high on this Wildcard because your neighbor can’t outbid you? There is so much more than just luck in this game, and that is what takes it to the next level for me. I know that Travis has reviewed No, Thanks! in the past, and I would say that this gives me similar vibes, but way better in my opinion.
When it comes to playing games, I am generally not a huge risk-taker. I like making logical choices based on known information and end-game strategy. But something about this game just gets me. I think one element that makes me love this game is the different types of cards – # cards and Currency cards. When you’re pushing your luck and drawing cards, there’s an added element of excitement, because the two different types of cards affect the net total differently. It doesn’t all positively add to the net total, which makes me more likely to keep drawing in hopes that things will cancel out and I can maximize the turn. If everything all added together, and you just couldn’t get more than 10, I would probably only ever draw 2 cards per turn, max., just to make sure I didn’t Bust. But the fact that Currency cards subtract from the net total encourages players to keep pushing their luck, and either earning a big payoff or a big Bust. This game is exciting, engaging, and entertaining to play, and that makes it fun!
To touch on components, AEG always hits it out of the park – and TEN is no exception. The game is mostly just a bunch of cards, and some white/black Currency tokens. The tokens themselves are nice plastic, and are smooth and chunky in hand. The cards are thick and sturdy, and hold up to shuffling pretty well. The colors of the game are bright and vibrant, and they are very clear to differentiate between. It’s a nice pop of color on the table, and that adds to the overall enjoyment of the game. Each of the 4 colors, and the Wildcards for that matter, have a unique background design – which can help our colorblind friends who may not necessarily be able to differentiate between the colors. Just an added plus to help the gamers tell what cards belong to what colors! The game box is equally as colorful, and is eye-catching on the shelf. All in all, I’d say AEG gets a 10 for their production quality here. (Get it?)
I spoke earlier about judging a game by its mechanics, and how TEN really challenged me on that. I was expecting a game that I would like, but would be kind of just ok overall for me. What I got is a game that is highly strategic, yet also unpredictable at times. I am definitely a planner when it comes to strategy, but the unpredictability of this game is light, fun, and engaging for all players at all times. It just is fun to play. This is a game that I see staying in my collection for a long time, and hopefully getting to the table quite often when I need a quick filler that isn’t so light that it’s mindless, but not heavy enough that it’s a brain-burner. If you’re in the market for a fun little game that challenges all players, I would definitely recommend checking out TEN. Purple Phoenix Games rates our games on a scale of 1-6 (not 10 unfortunately in this case), and we give this one a solid 5 / 6.
Rachel King (13 KP) rated Fantasy (Includes: Leopard People, #0.5; Midnight, #0.5) in Books
Feb 11, 2019
The fantasy theme was heavy with all four of the stories in the book. The first story is The Widow's Auction by Sabrina Jeffries. In this novella, a young widow is convinced that it is in her favor to auction off one night with her in return for a large sum of money that she can use to benefit her work with a all-boys' school. Of course, she secretly just wants to know what it's like to actually enjoy the bedtime act. In the realm of make-believe, this was quite the enjoyable mix of lust and romance with no negative consequences.
The second story is Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly. In this fascinating read, an immortal woman seeks an alternative to her need for blood to survive in a remote lamasery buried in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. While she assumes that the answer is a particular form of meditation, what she instead gets is an aspiring monk who possesses a much more fleshly solution to her problem. Reincarnation takes on a whole new meaning in this short story, and I found the different take on vampires in fiction to be well-written.
The third story is Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger. In this plot, an ambitious young woman decides to make herself over into a man in order to sneak into and cover a male-only conference entirely about getting a woman to go to bed with the man. Her genius plan takes a left-turn when she discovers she is rooming with the city's most eligible bachelor coming off of a horrid divorce - whom she is overwhelmingly attracted to. The irony of this story is that the bachelor becomes increasingly interested in her before he is even aware she is in disguise. The humor of this story made it quite charming in a sexy sort of way.
The final story is The Awakening by Christine Feehan. The story begins her series, the Leopard People, with the tale of a young veterinarian lured deep into the jungle to track down her inheritance. Heavy lust and desire take over quite early in the story as the reader discovers that her presence there has been manipulated by a man of the leopard people who has already claimed her for his mate. The intensity and over-dramatization in the writing made this story less enjoyable for me than the others. I was also put off by the man's extreme obsession with the woman and his reluctance to tell her what was happening to her right from the beginning.
The second story is Luisa's Desire by Emma Holly. In this fascinating read, an immortal woman seeks an alternative to her need for blood to survive in a remote lamasery buried in the Himalayan mountains of Tibet. While she assumes that the answer is a particular form of meditation, what she instead gets is an aspiring monk who possesses a much more fleshly solution to her problem. Reincarnation takes on a whole new meaning in this short story, and I found the different take on vampires in fiction to be well-written.
The third story is Mr. Speedy by Elda Minger. In this plot, an ambitious young woman decides to make herself over into a man in order to sneak into and cover a male-only conference entirely about getting a woman to go to bed with the man. Her genius plan takes a left-turn when she discovers she is rooming with the city's most eligible bachelor coming off of a horrid divorce - whom she is overwhelmingly attracted to. The irony of this story is that the bachelor becomes increasingly interested in her before he is even aware she is in disguise. The humor of this story made it quite charming in a sexy sort of way.
The final story is The Awakening by Christine Feehan. The story begins her series, the Leopard People, with the tale of a young veterinarian lured deep into the jungle to track down her inheritance. Heavy lust and desire take over quite early in the story as the reader discovers that her presence there has been manipulated by a man of the leopard people who has already claimed her for his mate. The intensity and over-dramatization in the writing made this story less enjoyable for me than the others. I was also put off by the man's extreme obsession with the woman and his reluctance to tell her what was happening to her right from the beginning.
The Devotionals (1 more)
The Research
I don’t often review non-fiction books. It’s just not something I like to do. I’m a fiction gal. I love reading a book where I can lost and escape reality for a few hours a day. But, when I have a favorite author, such as Jill Eileen Smith, I will give even a non-fiction book a try. And, I was actually rather excited to read this one, because let me tell you. My life, definitely does not match my dreams. Sure, I have a wonderful husband and two amazing children and a loving father and two gorgeous sisters. But, my health is not great, and my dreams? I dream so much more than this. I fell like I’ll be like this forever and never accomplish anything.
Smith has done a wonderful job with this book. It brings us the stories of 12 women of the Bible and how they dreamed for so much more, but it didn’t match up to what God had in store for them. You see, He is the creator of us all and He is the one that can see our future, know our plans, know what our lives will be like. And, through the tender words that Smith uses, along with the 12 women and phenomenal research she incorporated into the book, we see how life can be when we are disappointed that our dreams are following into line with our life.
Through this devotional, I was able to better understand my own life. I know what I want, I know what I wish I had, I know that I’m going to be disappointed because I’m not fully relying on God to help me with that. If I trust in Him, if I seek out his love and guidance, I won’t be so disappointed when a hope or dream falls short. Smith has once again used her incredible talent to hook me on a book. Her research is exquisite and her writing is filled with emotion and raw feelings.
This is a 5 star devotional book I would recommend to all the women out there. Get lost among the pages, see how these 12 women made mistakes, made choices that effect them and their families and see what God had in store for them. You may find the same hope and encouragement I did. Definitely a book for the keeper shelf and one I’ll share with my family and friends!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Smith has done a wonderful job with this book. It brings us the stories of 12 women of the Bible and how they dreamed for so much more, but it didn’t match up to what God had in store for them. You see, He is the creator of us all and He is the one that can see our future, know our plans, know what our lives will be like. And, through the tender words that Smith uses, along with the 12 women and phenomenal research she incorporated into the book, we see how life can be when we are disappointed that our dreams are following into line with our life.
Through this devotional, I was able to better understand my own life. I know what I want, I know what I wish I had, I know that I’m going to be disappointed because I’m not fully relying on God to help me with that. If I trust in Him, if I seek out his love and guidance, I won’t be so disappointed when a hope or dream falls short. Smith has once again used her incredible talent to hook me on a book. Her research is exquisite and her writing is filled with emotion and raw feelings.
This is a 5 star devotional book I would recommend to all the women out there. Get lost among the pages, see how these 12 women made mistakes, made choices that effect them and their families and see what God had in store for them. You may find the same hope and encouragement I did. Definitely a book for the keeper shelf and one I’ll share with my family and friends!
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Somebody's Daughter in Books
Apr 4, 2019
So this is a very timely book--as it seems like sexting and its repercussions is everywhere right now--and its horrifying to see how quickly one bad decision can affect the course of so many kids' lives. Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. I actually really liked Zoe--and even her twin, though she wasn't as prominently featured--but the book was told from Emma's perspective, and she drove me crazy.
It's made clear from the beginning that Zoe's incident parallels something Emma herself did as a teen or young woman. But, of course, we can't just be told what that is. Heaven forbid. Instead, there are constant allusions to whatever happened, or Emma mentioning it (to herself, since it's a secret) and agonizing whether she should tell Zoe or her husband, or blah blah blah. We go over half the book before finding out what really happened and by then I was way too annoyed to care.
Not to mention, Emma's husband, Bobby, is a total jerk. The guy turns on his teenage daughter when she needs him and then spends the majority of the book being a total a** to his wife and kids. I had zero sympathy for him and honestly wished either Emma or the kids would just kick him to the curb. Most of the book is Bobby sniping at Emma (or his fifteen-year-old daughter, who has just been through a huge trauma!), or Emma endlessly worrying about Bobby and the state of things. Ugh. Rinse and repeat. I found myself sort of skimming waiting to see if more was going to happen. (It really didn't.)
It's a shame, because there was real potential with Zoe's character, and the message of the book--about the dangers of sexting--is a good one, I think.
“There’s a monster out there,” she says. “It can be anyone pushing a button and ruining my life. I can’t see them, but they’re out there, and I’m terrified.”
Alas, the book was just too melodramatic and repetitive for me. I couldn't handle how long it took to reveal Emma's past, especially after all the build-up to said revelation. The rehashed bickering between Emma and Bobby is just way too much (and I couldn't stand Bobby whatsoever). I felt so bad for those poor kids. And, of course, to end it all, we have a predictable ending that you could see coming a mile away. I should have abandoned this one, but I kept holding out hope it would surprise me. It did not. 2 stars.
It's made clear from the beginning that Zoe's incident parallels something Emma herself did as a teen or young woman. But, of course, we can't just be told what that is. Heaven forbid. Instead, there are constant allusions to whatever happened, or Emma mentioning it (to herself, since it's a secret) and agonizing whether she should tell Zoe or her husband, or blah blah blah. We go over half the book before finding out what really happened and by then I was way too annoyed to care.
Not to mention, Emma's husband, Bobby, is a total jerk. The guy turns on his teenage daughter when she needs him and then spends the majority of the book being a total a** to his wife and kids. I had zero sympathy for him and honestly wished either Emma or the kids would just kick him to the curb. Most of the book is Bobby sniping at Emma (or his fifteen-year-old daughter, who has just been through a huge trauma!), or Emma endlessly worrying about Bobby and the state of things. Ugh. Rinse and repeat. I found myself sort of skimming waiting to see if more was going to happen. (It really didn't.)
It's a shame, because there was real potential with Zoe's character, and the message of the book--about the dangers of sexting--is a good one, I think.
“There’s a monster out there,” she says. “It can be anyone pushing a button and ruining my life. I can’t see them, but they’re out there, and I’m terrified.”
Alas, the book was just too melodramatic and repetitive for me. I couldn't handle how long it took to reveal Emma's past, especially after all the build-up to said revelation. The rehashed bickering between Emma and Bobby is just way too much (and I couldn't stand Bobby whatsoever). I felt so bad for those poor kids. And, of course, to end it all, we have a predictable ending that you could see coming a mile away. I should have abandoned this one, but I kept holding out hope it would surprise me. It did not. 2 stars.
Sheridan (209 KP) rated Mindhunter - Season 1 in TV
Apr 28, 2019
The Content (1 more)
The Concept
Slow Yet Twisted
I had a friend recommend this show to me and I thought, alright I'm constantly attempting to figure out why people's minds work the way they do, this could be interesting. Let me tell you right off the bat, push through that first episode, I promise you it gets more interesting. The first episode is a disaster, there's too much shoved in there (one second Ford is an active agent, then suddenly he's teaching, straight after he's at college, then he's working in the BSU) it was dull at best and dead confusing at worst. While the content is interesting, the characters and the relationships are odd and strained. Ford comes across like an actual serial killer (especially when he does that creepy wide-eyed stare *shivers*), he's socially awkward, his mannerisms feel stunted and strange and overall he is not a likeable character. I like to feel connected in some way to the characters I'm watching and at this stage Ed is more relatable than Ford (which is terrifying because - actual murderer there ?). The girlfriend is even worse, they both feel just - forced (and what's with the weirdly placed sex scenes?! They don't add anything to the story at all!) There's oddly placed scenes which are weird and don't make sense (Carr and the tuna/invisible cat - why - just why was that in there? It wasn't necessary and what was the point of that? Was it supposed to be creepy? Unsettling? Because for me it was just random and pointless). Tench is the only consistant, interesting character (who, bless him, smokes waaaay too much). Overall the show is slow, which admittedly can be a good thing, especially because at first they see so much resistance to the idea that people aren't always just 'born bad', but it never really picks up speed (like you're kind of expecting it to). The last episode is very odd, Ford becomes confusing and erratic, which is a complete 360 from his dead-eyed emotionally inept character in the first episodes. Is he having a breakdown? Is he realising he shares traits with the violent killers he's interviewing? The ending didn't make sense to me at all. I give the show an 8 for content because it is super fascinating, and appropriately disturbing but character wise it's definitely a 5, you just never really 'connect' with anyone. That being said, I will watch the next season, because it's still an interesting show, though it will be at the bottom of my 'to watch' list.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Then She Was Gone in Books
Jun 5, 2019
Then She Was Gone by the Sunday Times Bestseller Lisa Jewell, was a super-fast read for me. Several years after her daughter Ellie has gone missing , Laurel meets new man Floyd, who is absolutely smitten with her. When he takes her home to meet his kid Poppy, Laurel is surprised as how much she reminds her of her missing daughter when she was the same age. Coincidence? Or something much more untoward?
I think you can tell where this one is heading…
Admittedly, I guessed pretty early on, what was going to happen and how Noelle was involved in the whole situation. Yes, I’m being cryptic here, trying hard not to reveal spoilers for anyone who has not read this yet. But, even the blurb is an unsubtle clue. What blew me away was what was really going on with Laurel’s new boyfriend, Floyd in the final scenes. The way Lisa Jewell connected everything together and revealed the truth made this a very exciting read.
Was Floyd really as bad as Jake’s girlfriend, Blue had thought? Could he really be blamed for his actions bearing in mind his upbringing and how he came to be with Poppy? Would there ever have been a right time to reveal all? It’s bit like those situations when you mean to call someone up, but forget, and keep forgetting until much later. Only by then, so much time has passed it feels too late to ring at all. But in Floyd’s case, and in this analogy, he doesn’t even own a phone…
I thought the plot was a little bit far fetched, but despite this it worked. In fact, as we hear what really happened to Ellie, I found myself thinking the theme had changed from psychological thriller to borderline horror. By the time I got to the end I was positive this was a four star read, and then the last page did it for me. I shed a tear! Yep, I thought it was sad and unless my hormones are playing up for some odd reason, that last page did it for me. In between howling and sniffing, I moved my 4 stars to a 4.5 star rating! Oh, Lisa Jewell, please promise me you’ll never go back to chicklit! I cannot wait to see what you come up with next in this genre. I await to be dazzled! (And I don’t have to wait long as Watching You is due out in July).
Clever, moving and addictive reading.
I think you can tell where this one is heading…
Admittedly, I guessed pretty early on, what was going to happen and how Noelle was involved in the whole situation. Yes, I’m being cryptic here, trying hard not to reveal spoilers for anyone who has not read this yet. But, even the blurb is an unsubtle clue. What blew me away was what was really going on with Laurel’s new boyfriend, Floyd in the final scenes. The way Lisa Jewell connected everything together and revealed the truth made this a very exciting read.
Was Floyd really as bad as Jake’s girlfriend, Blue had thought? Could he really be blamed for his actions bearing in mind his upbringing and how he came to be with Poppy? Would there ever have been a right time to reveal all? It’s bit like those situations when you mean to call someone up, but forget, and keep forgetting until much later. Only by then, so much time has passed it feels too late to ring at all. But in Floyd’s case, and in this analogy, he doesn’t even own a phone…
I thought the plot was a little bit far fetched, but despite this it worked. In fact, as we hear what really happened to Ellie, I found myself thinking the theme had changed from psychological thriller to borderline horror. By the time I got to the end I was positive this was a four star read, and then the last page did it for me. I shed a tear! Yep, I thought it was sad and unless my hormones are playing up for some odd reason, that last page did it for me. In between howling and sniffing, I moved my 4 stars to a 4.5 star rating! Oh, Lisa Jewell, please promise me you’ll never go back to chicklit! I cannot wait to see what you come up with next in this genre. I await to be dazzled! (And I don’t have to wait long as Watching You is due out in July).
Clever, moving and addictive reading.