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Merissa (11622 KP) rated Changed (Gold Hockey #19) in Books
Aug 28, 2023
CHANGED is part of the Gold Hockey series and we finally get Mads and Lucas' story. Mads is Ben's sister, and we have met her in previous stories, where we found out she was a drug addict, and then a recovering addict. Now, she is fighting hard to make amends to those she has hurt in the past. Most people accept her recovery and help her make amends. Not Lucas though. Oh, no! He's been a hard-ass from the beginning but we find out why. Lucas has been on the receiving end of addicts who say they are quitting but don't. THAT is why his trust in Mads is non-existent. He is constantly doubting her word and waiting for her to mess up. When he makes the realisation that Mads is trying, and he has been a jerk, he will do anything he can to make up for his past behaviour.
This was an emotional story, with plenty here about how the actions of family can have an effect on a child/young adult/whatever, especially when drugs and abuse are in the mix. Lucas is self-aware enough to realise he is letting his own past affect his current views and tries to amend that.
Along with Mads and Lucas, there is a whole side story going on with Brit and Stefan, although they don't overshadow the main story. And then there is a final moment with Rome that I did not see coming! I knew he was being mentioned but simply thought it was because his was the next book in this series.
This was a great addition to the series, full of emotions and feelings, where life doesn't always run smoothly or as expected, but where family can be found to either make up for the one you have or to enhance the one you already have.
A fantastic read that I definitely recommend.
** 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 28, 2023
This was an emotional story, with plenty here about how the actions of family can have an effect on a child/young adult/whatever, especially when drugs and abuse are in the mix. Lucas is self-aware enough to realise he is letting his own past affect his current views and tries to amend that.
Along with Mads and Lucas, there is a whole side story going on with Brit and Stefan, although they don't overshadow the main story. And then there is a final moment with Rome that I did not see coming! I knew he was being mentioned but simply thought it was because his was the next book in this series.
This was a great addition to the series, full of emotions and feelings, where life doesn't always run smoothly or as expected, but where family can be found to either make up for the one you have or to enhance the one you already have.
A fantastic read that I definitely recommend.
** 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 28, 2023
Gaspar Noe recommended Jason and the Argonauts (1963) in Movies (curated)
Darren (1599 KP) rated For Love or Money (2019) in Movies
Jun 25, 2019
Story: For Love or Money starts when former bullied school kid Mark (Kazinsky) meets the former love of his life Connie (Barks) at her boyfriend’s funeral, when Connie and her business partner Johnny (Speleers) learn Mark might become mega rich, Connie gets involved in dating Mark hoping to get half his money once he gets it.
When Mark learns about Connie’s plan, he decides to go on his own mission to make her life a living hell until he can finally break her giving away her plan.
Thoughts on For Love or Money
Characters – Mark is the average joe, he has worked hard to get where he is, he doesn’t have much luck with the women though, he finds a way to be awkward around them, he thinks his life has turned around when he meets an old school friend, only to learn the truth about her intentions, forcing him to go out to get revenge with on her. Connie is the gold digger that is using Mark for a big payday, she is pretending to love Mark and even agrees to marry him, only she finds herself being put through the ringer, once he learns the truth. Kendra was once Connie’s best friend who was left embarrassed by Connie, she is willing to help with the revenge as she wants to be involved too, only she starts to question just how far they are going. Johnny is the business partner of Connie, he gives her the idea to use Mark for money, he is the kind of guy that you just look at and go, what an asshole, calling every single woman sugar tits. Tim is the best friend to Mark, that gets laughs of plenty through the film, along with his dog Ducky, he is dry to everything that happens in the film.
Performances – Robert Kazinsky is great in the leading role, he gets to show comic timing and enjoyment for what his character puts Connie through, in a way where we support him. Samantha Barks is great in this role, she manages to give us a character that we hate, but also sympathise for. Rachel Hurd-Wood does get plenty of strong moments in the film, with her character getting the important moments in the film. Ed Speleers does seem to have a lot of fun with his role in the film where he gets to play a complete asshole, it could be argued the Tony Way is a scene stealer in this film nailing the comedy every time in the film.
Story – The story here follows a man that starts dating his school crush, only to learn that she is only dating him to get to his money, where he decides to use this against her to get revenge. This story does put everything on the table early on which does give the story a nice spin on what we are used to seeing. It is nice to see a story where the victim gets to turn the tables, having fun knowing that the truth is only going to hurt them, seeing how far he can push things before breaking her. It would be fair the story doesn’t paint love in a very god way, though it does show how difficult it can be to move on with life when you believe somebody is perfect for you.
Comedy – The comedy in the film will give you plenty of laughs, Tim gets most of the laughs, while Johnny is the one you laugh at the most.
Settings – The film gives us an everyday setting which shows how life can keep on going even if the big plan is going on in the background, no location is used for an iconic moment.
Scene of the Movie – Camping.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The final moments.
Final Thoughts – This is a funny romantic comedy that gets to show just how life can go in different directions, it turns a gold digger character on its head too.
Overall: Funny comedy that will leave you laughing most of the time.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/24/for-love-or-money-2019/
When Mark learns about Connie’s plan, he decides to go on his own mission to make her life a living hell until he can finally break her giving away her plan.
Thoughts on For Love or Money
Characters – Mark is the average joe, he has worked hard to get where he is, he doesn’t have much luck with the women though, he finds a way to be awkward around them, he thinks his life has turned around when he meets an old school friend, only to learn the truth about her intentions, forcing him to go out to get revenge with on her. Connie is the gold digger that is using Mark for a big payday, she is pretending to love Mark and even agrees to marry him, only she finds herself being put through the ringer, once he learns the truth. Kendra was once Connie’s best friend who was left embarrassed by Connie, she is willing to help with the revenge as she wants to be involved too, only she starts to question just how far they are going. Johnny is the business partner of Connie, he gives her the idea to use Mark for money, he is the kind of guy that you just look at and go, what an asshole, calling every single woman sugar tits. Tim is the best friend to Mark, that gets laughs of plenty through the film, along with his dog Ducky, he is dry to everything that happens in the film.
Performances – Robert Kazinsky is great in the leading role, he gets to show comic timing and enjoyment for what his character puts Connie through, in a way where we support him. Samantha Barks is great in this role, she manages to give us a character that we hate, but also sympathise for. Rachel Hurd-Wood does get plenty of strong moments in the film, with her character getting the important moments in the film. Ed Speleers does seem to have a lot of fun with his role in the film where he gets to play a complete asshole, it could be argued the Tony Way is a scene stealer in this film nailing the comedy every time in the film.
Story – The story here follows a man that starts dating his school crush, only to learn that she is only dating him to get to his money, where he decides to use this against her to get revenge. This story does put everything on the table early on which does give the story a nice spin on what we are used to seeing. It is nice to see a story where the victim gets to turn the tables, having fun knowing that the truth is only going to hurt them, seeing how far he can push things before breaking her. It would be fair the story doesn’t paint love in a very god way, though it does show how difficult it can be to move on with life when you believe somebody is perfect for you.
Comedy – The comedy in the film will give you plenty of laughs, Tim gets most of the laughs, while Johnny is the one you laugh at the most.
Settings – The film gives us an everyday setting which shows how life can keep on going even if the big plan is going on in the background, no location is used for an iconic moment.
Scene of the Movie – Camping.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The final moments.
Final Thoughts – This is a funny romantic comedy that gets to show just how life can go in different directions, it turns a gold digger character on its head too.
Overall: Funny comedy that will leave you laughing most of the time.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/24/for-love-or-money-2019/
Merissa (11622 KP) rated Healing Him (Bromley Brothers #2) in Books
Dec 12, 2018
Healing Him (Bromley Brothers #2) by Laura N. Andrews
Healing Him is the second book in the Bromley Brothers series, and I was thoroughly looking forward to delving into their world once more, and I have to say I was not disappointed!
This time we concentrate on Henry. He is a Dom who has just agreed with his submissive they will not make a new contract. After seeing how happy his younger brother, Trey, is, Henry knows he wants more. What he wasn't expecting was the lightening bolt he got the first time he met Ryan. Ryan has issues, and with good reason. He is hurt and wounded, emotionally as well as physically, and it takes Henry time and patience to get through to him.
I really loved Henry in this book, and he could be a model boy for how to be a Dom. He was kind, caring, and patient, but he also let Ryan know when he had overstepped. He understood what Ryan was going through, and helped him in every way he could, which did NOT mean Ryan kowtowing down to Henry at every moment.
This was sensitively written in a way that in no way lessened the impact of what Ryan went through. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I read it through from start to finish in one sitting. Who needs to eat, after all? An amazing continuation to the series, and now I'm waiting oh so patiently for Trav's story. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
This time we concentrate on Henry. He is a Dom who has just agreed with his submissive they will not make a new contract. After seeing how happy his younger brother, Trey, is, Henry knows he wants more. What he wasn't expecting was the lightening bolt he got the first time he met Ryan. Ryan has issues, and with good reason. He is hurt and wounded, emotionally as well as physically, and it takes Henry time and patience to get through to him.
I really loved Henry in this book, and he could be a model boy for how to be a Dom. He was kind, caring, and patient, but he also let Ryan know when he had overstepped. He understood what Ryan was going through, and helped him in every way he could, which did NOT mean Ryan kowtowing down to Henry at every moment.
This was sensitively written in a way that in no way lessened the impact of what Ryan went through. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I read it through from start to finish in one sitting. Who needs to eat, after all? An amazing continuation to the series, and now I'm waiting oh so patiently for Trav's story. Absolutely recommended by me.
* 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!
Debbiereadsbook (1069 KP) rated Shadow Seer (Blood Shadows #2) in Books
Nov 29, 2022
you must read book one first!
Independent reviewer for Book Sirens, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 2 in the Blood Shadows trilogy, and you really must: MUST read book one, Shadow Guardian bfore you read this. That book sets the scene and tone for this book. And cos, you know, I said so!
Zach needs to trust Emma, but given who her father is, he's not sure he can. But his Shadows? They know. They know that Emma can be trusted. They know that Emma is Zach's. He just needs to get with their programme, which is difficult, since he can see her Shadows, and how damaged they are. Emma can't see they Shadows, but she knows hers are broken. She wants nothing to do with her father. But Zach and the others need her help. She's just not sure she has the skills they need.
What I'm especially enjoying about these books is this: I cannot see where it's going! I really can't see how they are gonna get out of this mess that Gordon has created, without some major damage to both the Shadow Weavers and the norms of this world. It's frustrating, in the best way!
Zach, bless him, he was hurt bad by James' betrayal in the first book and he takes a lot of it out on Emma in the beginning. But once he sees Emma, really SEES her, he can see he is hurting her too. And then what does he do?? Breaks her freaking heart by hurting her some more! Oh he does come good, in the best way, he really does, but he still hurt Emma.
Emma is hurting for a whole other reason. He father is hell bent on world domination, and she wants nothing to do with him, but it might be the only way they can stop him. While there, Emma discovers some truths, some SPOILERS that will not be discussed!
I loved the description of the colours of Zach and Emma's Shadows. They make you look at the shadow on the wall behind the lamp, at the shadow the cat makes when she walks past the sun, and think. It makes you see if you can see the colours in those shadows.
We get a bit of Gordon here, too. He is the one bent on world domination and his plan is coming together. Until Emma and Zach mess that up, but he can still make it work. (I love hearing from the bad guy!)
James, oh James! He is in a world of hurt, he really is. He knows that he was used by Gordon, he knows that he caused a good deal of pain to those he loves, but he can't see his way out this mess. Until Riley turns up, and then James goes and does something incredibly stoopid and now we need his story, like yesterday!!
So, yeah, loved it, as much as book one!
5 stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is book 2 in the Blood Shadows trilogy, and you really must: MUST read book one, Shadow Guardian bfore you read this. That book sets the scene and tone for this book. And cos, you know, I said so!
Zach needs to trust Emma, but given who her father is, he's not sure he can. But his Shadows? They know. They know that Emma can be trusted. They know that Emma is Zach's. He just needs to get with their programme, which is difficult, since he can see her Shadows, and how damaged they are. Emma can't see they Shadows, but she knows hers are broken. She wants nothing to do with her father. But Zach and the others need her help. She's just not sure she has the skills they need.
What I'm especially enjoying about these books is this: I cannot see where it's going! I really can't see how they are gonna get out of this mess that Gordon has created, without some major damage to both the Shadow Weavers and the norms of this world. It's frustrating, in the best way!
Zach, bless him, he was hurt bad by James' betrayal in the first book and he takes a lot of it out on Emma in the beginning. But once he sees Emma, really SEES her, he can see he is hurting her too. And then what does he do?? Breaks her freaking heart by hurting her some more! Oh he does come good, in the best way, he really does, but he still hurt Emma.
Emma is hurting for a whole other reason. He father is hell bent on world domination, and she wants nothing to do with him, but it might be the only way they can stop him. While there, Emma discovers some truths, some SPOILERS that will not be discussed!
I loved the description of the colours of Zach and Emma's Shadows. They make you look at the shadow on the wall behind the lamp, at the shadow the cat makes when she walks past the sun, and think. It makes you see if you can see the colours in those shadows.
We get a bit of Gordon here, too. He is the one bent on world domination and his plan is coming together. Until Emma and Zach mess that up, but he can still make it work. (I love hearing from the bad guy!)
James, oh James! He is in a world of hurt, he really is. He knows that he was used by Gordon, he knows that he caused a good deal of pain to those he loves, but he can't see his way out this mess. Until Riley turns up, and then James goes and does something incredibly stoopid and now we need his story, like yesterday!!
So, yeah, loved it, as much as book one!
5 stars
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
Louise (64 KP) rated Our Chemical Hearts in Books
Jul 2, 2018
*I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
So this is another book that was on my #Beatthebacklist TBR for 2017 and I don’t really know how I feel about this book!
Henry Page has always seen his friends fall in out of relationships so many times but that has never appealed to him before, he is more interested in his studies and becoming editor for the school newspaper. This all changes when Grace Town starts at Henry’s school and is offered co-editor. Grace is not like normal girls, she wears boys clothes, walks with a limp and her eyes constantly look pained. Whilst Henry gets to know Grace, he discovers the dark truths and how broken Grace Town really is.
My feelings on this book can be summed up in one word….MEH! I wasn’t blown away but I didn’t hate it either. I liked that this was told from a male perspective although written by a female author. I loved that there were references to fandom in the book.
At times this book was frustrating to read just because Henry knew that Grace was a broken soul and she had been telling him that and he just kept going back for more and get hurt over and over again. The problem is he see’s a picture of Grace on Facebook before all her troubles began and he wanted her to be like she was and he felt like he saw glimpses of that person break through when he was with her sometimes,however she was never going to be the same again and Henry just didn’t seem to realise this.
The characters were a bit hit and miss with this book, I really didn’t like his best friends. One was just portrayed as a stereotypical Australian with bad jokes and Lola just didn’t seem realistic. Henry was frustrating and a bit stalkerish. Grace was actually the only character that I thought felt genuine, she had flaws, she was grieving and very secretive about her past and she was a really fleshed out, three-dimensional character.
This is a short review as I don’t really know what to say. This book deals with grief, self harm and first loves. This has been compared as a hybrid between John Green and Rainbow Rowell. I can tell you now that the characters in this book are not as pretentious as the ones in TFIOS(sorry fans of John Green), but the book doesn’t have the same emotion and connection as Rainbow Rowell’s books.
I rated this book 2 out of 5 stars
So this is another book that was on my #Beatthebacklist TBR for 2017 and I don’t really know how I feel about this book!
Henry Page has always seen his friends fall in out of relationships so many times but that has never appealed to him before, he is more interested in his studies and becoming editor for the school newspaper. This all changes when Grace Town starts at Henry’s school and is offered co-editor. Grace is not like normal girls, she wears boys clothes, walks with a limp and her eyes constantly look pained. Whilst Henry gets to know Grace, he discovers the dark truths and how broken Grace Town really is.
My feelings on this book can be summed up in one word….MEH! I wasn’t blown away but I didn’t hate it either. I liked that this was told from a male perspective although written by a female author. I loved that there were references to fandom in the book.
At times this book was frustrating to read just because Henry knew that Grace was a broken soul and she had been telling him that and he just kept going back for more and get hurt over and over again. The problem is he see’s a picture of Grace on Facebook before all her troubles began and he wanted her to be like she was and he felt like he saw glimpses of that person break through when he was with her sometimes,however she was never going to be the same again and Henry just didn’t seem to realise this.
The characters were a bit hit and miss with this book, I really didn’t like his best friends. One was just portrayed as a stereotypical Australian with bad jokes and Lola just didn’t seem realistic. Henry was frustrating and a bit stalkerish. Grace was actually the only character that I thought felt genuine, she had flaws, she was grieving and very secretive about her past and she was a really fleshed out, three-dimensional character.
This is a short review as I don’t really know what to say. This book deals with grief, self harm and first loves. This has been compared as a hybrid between John Green and Rainbow Rowell. I can tell you now that the characters in this book are not as pretentious as the ones in TFIOS(sorry fans of John Green), but the book doesn’t have the same emotion and connection as Rainbow Rowell’s books.
I rated this book 2 out of 5 stars
Whatchareadin (174 KP) rated Look For Me in Books
Apr 9, 2019
DD Warren is trying to find out who has killed the Baez family. Mother, Justine; her boyfriend, Charlie; her youngest daughter, Lola; and her only son, Manny. But there is another child, Roxanna, as well as two dogs, Rosie and Blaze. Where are they? Did Roxanna do this to her family? If so, why? But Roxy was the protector of the family. Her mom is a recovering alcoholic and when she was drinking Roxy made sure her siblings ate and made it to school. When the state took the kids away from Justine for a year, this role for Roxy became more prominent. After that year, the girls were never the same. Did something happen during their year in foster care that could have warranted this kind of violence? Will DD be able to find the person or people responsible for this before more people are killed? Will her new CI, Flora Dane prove to be helpful or detrimental to this case?
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When I made the request from NetGalley for this book, I was intrigued by the description and didn't know that this was the 9th book in the series. I don't think that I needed to read the entire series to get into this book, but I'm sure the background on some of the characters would have been helpful. So, I'm definitely going to go back now and read the rest of the series.
Can you imagine coming home and finding your whole family dead? Your younger sister clutching your brother in order to protect him from a crazy killer? How do you come back from that? Over the course of a few days Detective DD Warren is trying to find out who could do such a thing to this family. With the help of confidential informant, Flora Dane, will they be able to find the killer as well as find Roxana before it's too late. Who would want to hurt these people? What did they do? So many questions and the answers can't come fast enough, until they all do come crashing into one another in one fell swoop.
I can't wait to read more books in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When I made the request from NetGalley for this book, I was intrigued by the description and didn't know that this was the 9th book in the series. I don't think that I needed to read the entire series to get into this book, but I'm sure the background on some of the characters would have been helpful. So, I'm definitely going to go back now and read the rest of the series.
Can you imagine coming home and finding your whole family dead? Your younger sister clutching your brother in order to protect him from a crazy killer? How do you come back from that? Over the course of a few days Detective DD Warren is trying to find out who could do such a thing to this family. With the help of confidential informant, Flora Dane, will they be able to find the killer as well as find Roxana before it's too late. Who would want to hurt these people? What did they do? So many questions and the answers can't come fast enough, until they all do come crashing into one another in one fell swoop.
I can't wait to read more books in this series.
Christina Haynes (148 KP) rated A Court of Frost and Starlight: Court of Thorns and Roses in Books
May 16, 2018 (Updated May 16, 2018)
A Court of Frost and Starlight ✨
A Court of Frost and Starlight is a book that is the in-between of what happened after a Court of Mist and Fury and what’s going to happen in the next books.
It talks about the gap in between of how the inner circle, Feyre and her sisters and also Lucien are coping with the aftermath of the war. We even see how Tamlin is getting along and I might add it’s not very well.
This book discovers the emotions that the characters are facing and how they are recovering. Some of the characters are not quite over what’s happened, where is the others keep quiet about it or are just getting on with.
We have Nester who is pretty much exactly the same, whereas Elaine is slowly embracing what is around her – although she still doesn’t seem too keen on Lucien. Azriel is still the silent type, Cassian is still boyish but with feelings, Amren is still Amren. Mor is still hurt from the decisions that were made in the war. Tamlin like I said is not coping, Feyre and Rhys are trying.
Although Feyre and Rhys have got close to being over the aftermath of the war, they’re still trying to make sure that their friends and families are coping. Along with their people… As they have lost a lot as well.
This book is very different to the previous three, not just because it’s short but because of what’s in it. This is the first time that Feyre really is apart of the Night Court.
Although she was the High Lady in the previous books and played a big role, this is the first time that she can walk around and actually have duties that she needs to fulfill. She sees the effect of the war on her people and what has happened and how they are brave and they continue to live their lives. She realises the Winter Solstice is not just a festive time with presents, it’s something that is normal for their people, a tradition, a way to be with their loved ones and their families and have a day or so where they can forget all they have been through and be normal.
I really enjoyed this book because I was so desperate to get back into the world of a Court of Thorns and Roses and not having to worry about any enemies, about what characters are going to appear next. Just being able to be apart of that family again it was truly lovely to get back into it.
There was spoilers for the next books, there was a few questions that were answered from the previous ones. But there was still a lot that needs to be explained, which I hope will be explained in the next books that Sarah J Mass will hopefully released soon.
5 ☕ – AMAZING / ? – LOVED IT
Love, Christina ?
It talks about the gap in between of how the inner circle, Feyre and her sisters and also Lucien are coping with the aftermath of the war. We even see how Tamlin is getting along and I might add it’s not very well.
This book discovers the emotions that the characters are facing and how they are recovering. Some of the characters are not quite over what’s happened, where is the others keep quiet about it or are just getting on with.
We have Nester who is pretty much exactly the same, whereas Elaine is slowly embracing what is around her – although she still doesn’t seem too keen on Lucien. Azriel is still the silent type, Cassian is still boyish but with feelings, Amren is still Amren. Mor is still hurt from the decisions that were made in the war. Tamlin like I said is not coping, Feyre and Rhys are trying.
Although Feyre and Rhys have got close to being over the aftermath of the war, they’re still trying to make sure that their friends and families are coping. Along with their people… As they have lost a lot as well.
This book is very different to the previous three, not just because it’s short but because of what’s in it. This is the first time that Feyre really is apart of the Night Court.
Although she was the High Lady in the previous books and played a big role, this is the first time that she can walk around and actually have duties that she needs to fulfill. She sees the effect of the war on her people and what has happened and how they are brave and they continue to live their lives. She realises the Winter Solstice is not just a festive time with presents, it’s something that is normal for their people, a tradition, a way to be with their loved ones and their families and have a day or so where they can forget all they have been through and be normal.
I really enjoyed this book because I was so desperate to get back into the world of a Court of Thorns and Roses and not having to worry about any enemies, about what characters are going to appear next. Just being able to be apart of that family again it was truly lovely to get back into it.
There was spoilers for the next books, there was a few questions that were answered from the previous ones. But there was still a lot that needs to be explained, which I hope will be explained in the next books that Sarah J Mass will hopefully released soon.
5 ☕ – AMAZING / ? – LOVED IT
Love, Christina ?
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Someone Is Watching in Books
Feb 13, 2018
Bailey Carpenter is a successful private investigator for a large law firm in Miami. While still reeling from the deaths of both of her parents, her life is fairly benign, until she is attacked one night while investigating a client.
Suddenly, Bailey's life is turned upside down. She's unable to sleep, eat, or work. She spends her days (and nights) trapped inside her condo, suffering from crippling anxiety and nightmares, and wracked with guilt from the attack. She starts watching her neighbor in the building across the street using binoculars, but things get even more out of control when she realizes he may be watching her, too.
First of all, a definite trigger warning that this book depicts a pretty brutal rape. It's tough to read about, and I would hate for anyone to pick up this novel without realizing its subject. I do applaud Fielding for trying to cover such a hard subject, though I'm not sure it's always accurately portrayed.
The book gets off to a slow start - I almost put it down. It's a hard subject to read about, and Bailey is a little hard to like and understand at first. The storyline gets a bit incredulous, but it certainly picked up, and I tore through the second half of the book. It ties up a little easily - and I'm not sure I buy Bailey going from completely devastated to seemingly okay, but I appreciate Fielding trying to show how much rape can hurt and leave its victims feeling powerless.
Overall, it's an interesting read and Bailey's niece, Jade, is a fun character. It would be great to see the two of them appear together again.
<i>Note: I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.</i>
Suddenly, Bailey's life is turned upside down. She's unable to sleep, eat, or work. She spends her days (and nights) trapped inside her condo, suffering from crippling anxiety and nightmares, and wracked with guilt from the attack. She starts watching her neighbor in the building across the street using binoculars, but things get even more out of control when she realizes he may be watching her, too.
First of all, a definite trigger warning that this book depicts a pretty brutal rape. It's tough to read about, and I would hate for anyone to pick up this novel without realizing its subject. I do applaud Fielding for trying to cover such a hard subject, though I'm not sure it's always accurately portrayed.
The book gets off to a slow start - I almost put it down. It's a hard subject to read about, and Bailey is a little hard to like and understand at first. The storyline gets a bit incredulous, but it certainly picked up, and I tore through the second half of the book. It ties up a little easily - and I'm not sure I buy Bailey going from completely devastated to seemingly okay, but I appreciate Fielding trying to show how much rape can hurt and leave its victims feeling powerless.
Overall, it's an interesting read and Bailey's niece, Jade, is a fun character. It would be great to see the two of them appear together again.
<i>Note: I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.</i>
AJaneClark (3962 KP) rated The Prison Doctor in Books
Apr 19, 2020
A quick and interesting read
From the back of the book: Dr Amanda Brown treats inmates in the U.K.’s most infamous prisons. From miraculous pregnancies to dirty protests, and from violent attacks on prisoners to heartbreaking attacks of self harm, she has witnessed it all from her patients. In this eye-opening, inspirational memoir, Amanda reveal stories, the patients and the cases that have shaped a career spent helping those in need. Despite their crimes, she is still their doctor.
I am not a regular non-fiction reader, but reading Adam Kay’s: This is Going to Hurt, inspired me to find and read further uniquely real life stories.
Dr Amanda Brown does not disappoint when recalling her departure from medicine in a general practice to handling very different and sometimes scary situations working as a doctor in prisons. We follow the doc on her journey from a boys youth prison, through Wormwood Scrubs and finally HMP Bronzfield. Dr Amanda Brown shares with the readers some of the highs and lows she faced when working with prisoners and briefly recounts the battles she faced with herself and with the politics of working in an institute with rules and regulations. For anyone that likes this genre I would definitely suggest giving this one a read.
I am not a regular non-fiction reader, but reading Adam Kay’s: This is Going to Hurt, inspired me to find and read further uniquely real life stories.
Dr Amanda Brown does not disappoint when recalling her departure from medicine in a general practice to handling very different and sometimes scary situations working as a doctor in prisons. We follow the doc on her journey from a boys youth prison, through Wormwood Scrubs and finally HMP Bronzfield. Dr Amanda Brown shares with the readers some of the highs and lows she faced when working with prisoners and briefly recounts the battles she faced with herself and with the politics of working in an institute with rules and regulations. For anyone that likes this genre I would definitely suggest giving this one a read.