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Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Other Mrs. in Books

Mar 19, 2020

The Other Mrs.

Mary Kubica | 2020 | Thriller

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Sadie and her husband inherit a house in Maine after the death of Will's sister, Alice. So they move their two sons from Chicago to chilly Maine, hoping for a fresh start. Moving to Maine means living with Alice's broody sixteen-year-old daughter, Imogen. Will is convinced she's just grieving the loss of her mother, but Sadie isn't so sure. Then their neighbor, Morgan Baines, is found murdered--a death that rocks their small community. Sadie no longer feels safe in her own home, so she starts looking into Morgan's death. But soon she realizes that suspicion is pointed at her own family and that the more she discovers about Morgan's death, the more she has to lose.

This was a great twisty thriller from Kubica. It started off a little confusing, but once it got going, it was completely mesmerizing. It's told from three points of view, and each has you riveted, wondering how they all fit together and what on earth is going on in this small Maine town. Who murdered Morgan Baines--and why?

The gloom of Maine and the creepiness of Sadie's new house comes across quite clear; the book can be downright spooky at times. You're never quite sure who to trust or what to believe, either. I found myself frantically flipping the pages, wanting to find out what was happening. There are a lot of pieces to fit together--angry Imogen, unreliable Sadie, supposedly perfect Will, angsty Otto (Sadie's eldest son), and the Baines and their marriage. I loved trying to piece everything together.

There are a ton of twists and turns and while some seem a little crazy, it made for a wild ride. I guessed a few and gasped at others, so that was fun. I must note, though, that there is a suicide trigger (not a spoiler, as it's Alice's death). There's a lot of detail about her death and as someone who lost someone in that same manner, I found it very hard to read about. So just keep that in mind. However, overall, this was a really captivating and dark thriller. 4 stars.

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Lights Out (2016) in Movies

Aug 6, 2019

Lights Out (2016)

2016 | Horror

6.8

(19 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Growing up, we all had a fear of the dark. Years later, many of us still carry this phobia. It prevents us from going into certain parts of our homes or places we are familiar with unless we have the assistance of light in some form. The darkness symbolizes and encapsulates the unknown. What is it that is hiding in the darkness? Why is it that we cannot trust it? Is there really something lurking in the shadows or is it all in our minds?

In Lights Out audiences bear witness to this fear and are confronted with how this fear becomes a reality for one family. Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) is trying to make a life of her own after becoming estranged from her family. When her brother begins to experience the same problems at home that had plagued her as a child, she is brought back into the center of chaos. All of the fears return and she must save her family from a dark spirit that has attached itself to her mother before it consumes them all.

The film itself offers the ability for audiences to explore some of their earliest fears which had them leaving a light on or plugging in a night light in their rooms in order to feel safe. The film is inventive in its approach and storytelling, but I felt as though there was more to be offered with respect to the villain and relationships between the characters. Greater depth about their backstories would have allowed audiences to feel more invested in the characters and even more interested in the outcome.

For those that are looking forward to a movie that will have them jumping out of their seats, this film delivers. Many of those moments are not as predictable in many other films of the horror genre, nor does it rely on gore in order to shock audiences. Through the direction of David Sandberg, the tension is allowed to build and help carry the story to its culmination. I am looking forward to more adaptations of universal fears and phobias on screen. Lights Out does not disappoint in being a fright-filled popcorn movie.

Kudos

Debbiereadsbook (1444 KP) rated Thief In The Light (Bed, Breakfast and Beyond #1) in Books

Apr 18, 2020

a thoroughly delightful read!

Independent reviewer for Gay Romance Reviews, I was gifted my copy of this book.

I've left with a deep feeling of delightful!

I mean, it comes with a story line that is a bit darker in places, when Lucky is telling what happened to him and the others but it's not delivered in any GREAT detail. You are just given enough for you to add things up, at first, to make a picture. More comes, in more detail, but still not great detail, you know? You don't have to live through everything Lucky and the kids went though.

It is *almost* clean. I expected it to come out totally clean, to be honest, but still I really enjoyed that fact. This is not about the sex between Lucky and Kreed, it's about the LOVE, or rather, about learning to love, to trust and to just be, you know?

I LOVED Mildred, the house! Loved the little noises she makes to express her opinion and thoughts on a matter or person. Loved that she saw the main trouble-causer in this book way before we did. Mildred did make me laugh, with her little noises, she really did.

I loved Lucky, and what he was running from, but more importantly, what he ran TO. He knew Kreed needed him, very quickly and just as quickly, Lucky was staying, even though people thought he had done a runner. I loved Kreed, too. He knew that Mildred wanted Lucky and he knew that HE wanted Lucky, it was just a matter of whether Lucky wanted Kredd enough to stay.

Like i said, a bit darker in places, but it really is the most delightful read I've read in a very long time! From what I can see, I've only read one other by Samms, and that was a long while ago. THIS book is billed as book 1 in the Bed, Breakfast and Beyond series, and I really hope I get to read the future books and that Kreed and Lucky pop up too.

Thank you, Ms Samms, for an enjoyable, delightful read!

4 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**