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Trust First: A True Story About the Power of Giving People Second Chances
Book
If we choose to trust unconditionally, how many lives could we change? When Pastor Bruce Deel took...
Roadside America
Travel and Navigation
App
The team at RoadsideAmerica.com has spent decades exploring the weird wonders of America’s...
GPS navigation BE-ON-ROAD
Navigation and Travel
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FREE GPS Offline Map & Navigation. FREE updates for both app and maps. FREE license for...
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Gabriel (Legacy Ranch #2) in Books
Aug 17, 2017
Gabriel (Legacy Ranch #2) by R.J. Scott
Gabriel is the second book in the Legacy Ranch series, and we find out a bit more about the young man who cried at the trial that happened in book one. His life hasn't been a good one so far, but he is broken enough that he thinks it is just fine. He lives with his pimp, Stefan, who controls every aspect of his life, and makes Gabriel pay for any misdemeanours that Stefan thinks has happened, or that he has just made up because he's not having a good day. Stefan has managed to get into Gabriel's mind and twist things around so that Gabriel is actually thankful for all that Stefan does for him.
Cam, on the other hand, appears to have it all. He runs a successful hotel, has plenty of money, and even has a bodyguard. Things must be good, right? Wrong! Cam's family, with the odd exception, are a bunch of BEEP, condescending, BEEP, know-it-alls, who think that just because Cam is losing his sight, he must be losing all of his faculties too. His father, well, enough said about him!
Cam and Gabriel end up together on a purely business level. Cam needs someone to pretend to be with him, Gabriel wants the money. However, feelings quickly become involved, and then it's anyone's guess. Six tries to tell Cam not to get involved, but Cam pays no attention. Their road is anything but smooth, but luckily the folks at Legacy Ranch are there to help... once Gabriel lets them in.
This is a dark book, with dark topics and it's not a HEA situation full of rainbows and glitter. This is hard, and horrible, and may be a trigger book for some readers. There is light at the end of the tunnel for Gabriel though, and I really hope that he will feature in the next book, just so I can see what progress he's made.
Gabriel is extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Like I've already said, it's not an easy book to read, but it is definitely worth it. I would also say that it isn't fully necessary to have read book one in this series, or indeed the Texas series which is where we first meet Jack and Riley. This book does stand on it's own merit, but personally I would recommend reading Kyle at the minimum, just to give you a feeling of what the Legacy Ranch series is about.
If you like your M/M Romance with angst, then I can definitely recommend this book/series. Just remember the trigger warnings!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Cam, on the other hand, appears to have it all. He runs a successful hotel, has plenty of money, and even has a bodyguard. Things must be good, right? Wrong! Cam's family, with the odd exception, are a bunch of BEEP, condescending, BEEP, know-it-alls, who think that just because Cam is losing his sight, he must be losing all of his faculties too. His father, well, enough said about him!
Cam and Gabriel end up together on a purely business level. Cam needs someone to pretend to be with him, Gabriel wants the money. However, feelings quickly become involved, and then it's anyone's guess. Six tries to tell Cam not to get involved, but Cam pays no attention. Their road is anything but smooth, but luckily the folks at Legacy Ranch are there to help... once Gabriel lets them in.
This is a dark book, with dark topics and it's not a HEA situation full of rainbows and glitter. This is hard, and horrible, and may be a trigger book for some readers. There is light at the end of the tunnel for Gabriel though, and I really hope that he will feature in the next book, just so I can see what progress he's made.
Gabriel is extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Like I've already said, it's not an easy book to read, but it is definitely worth it. I would also say that it isn't fully necessary to have read book one in this series, or indeed the Texas series which is where we first meet Jack and Riley. This book does stand on it's own merit, but personally I would recommend reading Kyle at the minimum, just to give you a feeling of what the Legacy Ranch series is about.
If you like your M/M Romance with angst, then I can definitely recommend this book/series. Just remember the trigger warnings!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Astronaut Farmer (2006) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Charles Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton) is a man with a dream. Unlike some men, he does not dream of wealth, fame, or material goods, instead he dreams simply of traveling into space. While to most who share Charles’s dream would be resigned to simply leave it at that, Charles is not like most men and is determined to make his dream a reality.
While Charles too many is a simple rancher, his past is anything but simple thanks in part to his past career at N.A.S.A.
While N.A.S.A. has forgotten about Charles, who left to care for his family after the passing of his father, Charles never lost site of his desire to travel into space, and has decided to do something about it.
Towards that end, Charles has decided to use his aerospace training and education to construct his own rocket in his barn.
His family is supportive, especially his loving wife Audrey (Virginia Madsen), who believes that since Jim gave up his dreams for his family when they needed him most, and he should be supported now.
Of course many of the locales in his small Texas town do not share his vision and too many Charles is the locale oddity who is borderline crazy. This fact is also shared by the bank that is close to foreclosing on his ranch.
Despite the skeptics, Charles is close to his dream, but he lacks the needed fuel to power his rocket. While his efforts have largely gone under the radar, the moment Charles attempts to purchase fuel, he lands high on the watch list for the government, who now consider him a threat to national security, as well as N.A.S.A. who are determined to keep him grounded.
In an effort to sound him out, N.A.S.A. sends a Colonel (Bruce Willis), to Charles to inspect his rocket and offer him a chance to ride on a future shuttle mission if he abandons his efforts.
Undaunted, Charles continues to follow his dream and soon finds himself the center of a media circus and under constant surveillance from Government agents.
As the tensions mount so does the pending foreclosure as well as concern in the family that they are possibly going to lose everything they cherish due to Charles determination to see his dream out at all costs.
Billy Bob Thornton and Virginia Madsen are great together and have a real chemistry that not only helps the audience connect to their characters but makes it easy to root for them.
The duo drives this solid and highly entertaining film from the Polish Brothers who are quickly making a name for themselves with their solid body of work. The story could in some hands be dismissed as fluff but under the guidance of the Polish Brothers and the easygoing charm of Thornton and Madsen, the film soars and is a very pleasant and enjoyable surprise.
While Charles too many is a simple rancher, his past is anything but simple thanks in part to his past career at N.A.S.A.
While N.A.S.A. has forgotten about Charles, who left to care for his family after the passing of his father, Charles never lost site of his desire to travel into space, and has decided to do something about it.
Towards that end, Charles has decided to use his aerospace training and education to construct his own rocket in his barn.
His family is supportive, especially his loving wife Audrey (Virginia Madsen), who believes that since Jim gave up his dreams for his family when they needed him most, and he should be supported now.
Of course many of the locales in his small Texas town do not share his vision and too many Charles is the locale oddity who is borderline crazy. This fact is also shared by the bank that is close to foreclosing on his ranch.
Despite the skeptics, Charles is close to his dream, but he lacks the needed fuel to power his rocket. While his efforts have largely gone under the radar, the moment Charles attempts to purchase fuel, he lands high on the watch list for the government, who now consider him a threat to national security, as well as N.A.S.A. who are determined to keep him grounded.
In an effort to sound him out, N.A.S.A. sends a Colonel (Bruce Willis), to Charles to inspect his rocket and offer him a chance to ride on a future shuttle mission if he abandons his efforts.
Undaunted, Charles continues to follow his dream and soon finds himself the center of a media circus and under constant surveillance from Government agents.
As the tensions mount so does the pending foreclosure as well as concern in the family that they are possibly going to lose everything they cherish due to Charles determination to see his dream out at all costs.
Billy Bob Thornton and Virginia Madsen are great together and have a real chemistry that not only helps the audience connect to their characters but makes it easy to root for them.
The duo drives this solid and highly entertaining film from the Polish Brothers who are quickly making a name for themselves with their solid body of work. The story could in some hands be dismissed as fluff but under the guidance of the Polish Brothers and the easygoing charm of Thornton and Madsen, the film soars and is a very pleasant and enjoyable surprise.
Lonely Planet Route 66 Road Trips
Lonely Planet, Amy C. Balfour, Karla Zimmerman and Nate Cavalieri
Book
Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Whether exploring your own backyard or...
Build A BBQ Smoker
Reference and Productivity
App
Learn how to make your own Barbeque Smoker with this series of 75 tuitional video lessons. Lessons...
Los Angeles Stories
Book
A Los Angeles Times's and Southern California Indie Bookseller Association's Bestseller! Los Angeles...
Britt Daniel recommended Parade by Prince and The Revolution in Music (curated)
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Emergency Contact in Books
Oct 8, 2020
This is the fifth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!
Penny Lee is heading to college in Austin, Texas to finally start her life. She's leaving behind her needy Mom, her annoying boyfriend, and everything else. She wants to become a writer and now, she thinks, is when her life will truly begin. For Sam, his life in Austin is at a standstill. He's broken up with his girlfriend and is living above the coffee shop where he works. He has a mattress on the floor, a dying laptop, and a dream of becoming a movie director. When Sam and Penny meet, it's not glamorous or romantic. They know each other, vaguely, via Penny's roommate, Jude. But they soon are texting each other--a lot. Sharing everything about their lives, all the time. But can the two maintain this intimate friendship if they meet again in real life?
I absolutely loved this book. There was just something about it that spoke to me, and I was lost in Sam and Penny's world from practically the first page. I had to laugh, because I read some other reviews that maligned Penny, calling her an unlikable character. However, I felt like Penny was ME--I empathized with her character so much, and found so many good lines in the books that I could relate with. (What that says about me, we won't go into, ha.)
This was such a funny, sweet, and real story. I didn't find Sam and Penny's relationship to be insta-love whatsoever as they bonded over text. As anyone who has met someone and shared things online knows, it can become something so deep and private--offering something about yourself with someone you don't see. I loved the wit and sarcasm in their texts. These are my kind of people--funny, wounded, and just so them.
There's definitely seriousness to this book, and the theme of family runs across the entire novel. Sam and Jude are oddly related in a way I won't unpack here. Sam and Penny both have complicated and difficult relationships with their mothers. Penny's mom is a character unto herself. And we see friendship presented in various ways, including Penny's relationship with Jude, and Jude's best friend, Mallory. I loved all the characters, who are each so individualistic.
Overall, this was just a great book for me. It's funny yet dark at times and the humor was right up my alley. I fell hard for the characters, so everything hit me right in the gut. I can see how it might not be for everyone, but I think it's definitely worth a read. I'm glad my challenge made me finally pick this one up. 4.5 stars.
Penny Lee is heading to college in Austin, Texas to finally start her life. She's leaving behind her needy Mom, her annoying boyfriend, and everything else. She wants to become a writer and now, she thinks, is when her life will truly begin. For Sam, his life in Austin is at a standstill. He's broken up with his girlfriend and is living above the coffee shop where he works. He has a mattress on the floor, a dying laptop, and a dream of becoming a movie director. When Sam and Penny meet, it's not glamorous or romantic. They know each other, vaguely, via Penny's roommate, Jude. But they soon are texting each other--a lot. Sharing everything about their lives, all the time. But can the two maintain this intimate friendship if they meet again in real life?
I absolutely loved this book. There was just something about it that spoke to me, and I was lost in Sam and Penny's world from practically the first page. I had to laugh, because I read some other reviews that maligned Penny, calling her an unlikable character. However, I felt like Penny was ME--I empathized with her character so much, and found so many good lines in the books that I could relate with. (What that says about me, we won't go into, ha.)
This was such a funny, sweet, and real story. I didn't find Sam and Penny's relationship to be insta-love whatsoever as they bonded over text. As anyone who has met someone and shared things online knows, it can become something so deep and private--offering something about yourself with someone you don't see. I loved the wit and sarcasm in their texts. These are my kind of people--funny, wounded, and just so them.
There's definitely seriousness to this book, and the theme of family runs across the entire novel. Sam and Jude are oddly related in a way I won't unpack here. Sam and Penny both have complicated and difficult relationships with their mothers. Penny's mom is a character unto herself. And we see friendship presented in various ways, including Penny's relationship with Jude, and Jude's best friend, Mallory. I loved all the characters, who are each so individualistic.
Overall, this was just a great book for me. It's funny yet dark at times and the humor was right up my alley. I fell hard for the characters, so everything hit me right in the gut. I can see how it might not be for everyone, but I think it's definitely worth a read. I'm glad my challenge made me finally pick this one up. 4.5 stars.