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Merissa (13169 KP) rated Where Love Grows in Books

Sep 26, 2019

Where Love Grows

Jay Northcote | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Where Love Grows is a beautiful story between two men who have struggled with hard times, set in the gorgeous backdrop of Wales. Stephen has been seriously ill and is struggling to get his life back on track. It appears hopeless and he feels helpless. Luke is suffering from depression and has no idea on how to make his life better OR be able to move forward. Together, these two are amazing.

Oh my, I loved this story. I am not a gardener although my heart is in the right place. Unfortunately, my brown thumb doesn't cooperate! So I was immediately sympathising with Luke as he struggled to understand the difference between a weed and a flower. Stephen is a prickly character that endears himself to you as you learn more about his story. Yes, I wanted to slap him upside the head a couple of times, but I want to do that to my husband at times too, so count it as a compliment 😉

The writing is excellent, with clear descriptions of places, weather, emotions, you name it. The pacing is smooth, with the ending sneaking up on me. I was so engrossed in the story, I didn't realise I was nearing the end. I could have carried on reading! There is only a small cast of characters but this works so well. The storyline is superbly simple, focusing on the important things between our two characters rather than unnecessary drama.

This is a book to enjoy all year long, no matter what the season, or what is growing in your garden. Absolutely fantastic, and highly 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!

Kudos

Fayce McRobbie (19 KP) rated Player's Handbook (Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition) in Tabletop Games

Oct 14, 2019 (Updated Oct 14, 2019)

Player's Handbook (Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition)

2014 | Adventure, Book, Fantasy, Game System, Roleplaying

8.7

(37 Ratings)

Tabletop Game Rating

Everything you need to get started (2 more)

Plenty of information

Great for people who haven't played before

Can be a little difficult to sift through and find the information you want (0 more)

Makes the whole thing a little less daunting

I first tried playing dungeons and dragons years and years ago with a small group and it was a complete disaster. Only one member of the group had played before and their knowledge was limited, at best. We didn't have access to any books or character sheets and the entire session turned in to a frustrating stream of questions which led to more confusion.
I started playing again recently with another small group, all of us complete beginners, and owning the books made all the difference. There are a LOT of books available but this is the best starting point if you're new to the game or want to get the basics covered. Of course a lot of the information is also available online but the dungeons and dragons official site doesn't include everything and if you go looking elsewhere you have to trawl through different sites to find everything.
The book lays things out fairly clearly and though there's a lot to get through, it does break things down quite nicely.
It includes character sheets (though you can also find apps for these on your mobile) and covers all of the basics that you need to get started; character creation, dice rolling, battles, equipment, NPCs, spells, animals and so on. It also includes a 'quick build' box for characters to get you started if you're in a hurry.
I'd recommend the book to anyone looking to get started on a campaign, especially if you're without a seasoned player / dungeon master. It was a life saver to our group of newbies and we still refer back to it even now.