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Pricked
Pricked
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is my second book by the author, the other being P.S. I Hate You which I read a few months ago and, if I'm honest, I wasn't all that impressed with. I blame it on the written letters in the book. I do like to try an author more than once, though, as it could just be the storyline that I couldn't get into so here's my second try of Winter Renshaw.

So Madden is a tattoo artist who gives Brighton her first very discreet tattoo, hidden so her parents don't give her the third degree/make her get it laser removed for daring to do something like that to herself. They are very...controlling, the type who make it known when they disagree with something you've said or done. Buy clothes for you to wear to outings. Want to know where you are at all times, etc. Anyway, Brighton gets the tattoo and becomes fascinated with the inkless artist, Madden, while Madden becomes obsessed with the pretty rich girl. And so their story begins.

I really liked this book. They try the whole friends-with-benefits-while-pretending-to-be-together thing and it works really well with them. They are actually really great together. But of course, feelings grow and the guy who told her not to fall for him starts to pull away.

I liked these two characters. They have a connected past that makes itself known towards the end and it's a little sad but they make it work--just not without being apart for a while. I actually really liked the fact that her dad got his comeuppance in the end.

I like how he dubbed her "The Girl with the Butterfly Tattoo" in his phone, too. Another plus for Madden.

So it seems that this book hit a lot of the right notes for me and I will be looking out for more books by this author in the future.
  
The Captain and the Theatrical
The Captain and the Theatrical
Catherine Curzon | 2019 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
very enjoyable read
I was gifted my copy of this book, that I write a review was not required.

Ambrose Pendleton is a hero and returns home from war to his father’s meddling into his love life. Or lack thereof. Pen now faces an arranged marriage his father has brokered as part of a business deal. To get out of this marriage, Pen needs a fiancée, and who better than his long-time friend and actor, Orsini, who has a leading lady who might just fit the bill. But Pen has long held feelings for Orsini, feelings a man should not have for another. Then Orsini surprises him and throws his own feelings at Pen. Now they just need to get rid of the dreadful arranged marriage and they can be together.

For the most part, I did enjoy this. It was a little bit different and different is always good in my book, but something didn’t quite work for me, and I cannot figure out what. And I hate that I can’t!

Pen and Orsini are old friends, and Pen has crushed on Orsini for a long time. He did not know that feeling was the same for Orsini, though. With Orsini pretending to be Pen’s new bride, the pair get close, far closer than they should. I loved how it really was a bit of a slow burn for these two. It’s not overly explicit, but it doesn’t need to be for these two.

Both Pen and Orsini have a say, and I didn’t think that was going to be the case for a while, so I am glad they both were given a voice.

There was a little twist, with the missing jewels, that I did not see coming, and I thought Pen’s mother might have given the game away a time or two. I think she had them sussed, I really do!

An enjoyable way to spend and lazy Sunday evening.

3.5 stars (rounded up to four the Amazon and Goodreads)

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Red State (2011)
Red State (2011)
2011 | Action, Horror, Thriller
Kevin Smith cult film
I had always meaned to watch this film since I'm a big Kevin Smith fan, but just had never gotten around to until now. If you go in thinking you will be watching Clerks or Chasing Amy you would be mistaken. Maybe more like his follow up movie, Tusk, than anything else.

It's kind of the story of three high school friends. One of them meets and lines up a "hook up" with a mysterious woman on a dating phone app so the hormone-filled teens race to score. Their initial meeting at the woman's trailer seems to be going well until the boys realize the woman has drugged their beers and the boys drop to the floor.

When they awaken, they realize they have been abducted, bound and gagged and are now going to have something bad happen to them courtesy of a crazy cult-like religious leader in front of his "flock" complete with women and children.

All doesn't go according to plan when the boys try and escape and then the feds show up outside to try and handle the situation. Tensions escalate quickly and the bullets start flying.

The movie started promising with kind of a Hostel meets Wicker Man vibe. I enjoyed the tension built as the teens try and assess their situation and figure a way out. You definitely quickly grow to hate the cult leader and his disciples as they do nasty things to others and blindly follow their leader to carry out his every order. I feel the movie falls apart in the last act.

Without giving anything away, the resolution wasn't satisfactory and a lot of things are explained at the end instead of being shown which was disappointing. Not sure if this was meant to be this way or they ran out of money and/or time so that's the way thing ended up.

Overall, I was entertained, but felt it lacked something to make the experience completely fulfilling.

  
    Cake Doodle

    Cake Doodle

    Games and Entertainment

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BookwormLea (3034 KP) rated Fangirl in Books

Sep 29, 2020  
Fangirl
Fangirl
Rainbow Rowell | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.9 (46 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm glad I finally got round to reading it...
Contains spoilers, click to show
This has been on my list for a long time. And when it came to choosing my books to take on holiday, I decided I should let Rainbow have her shot. Now, I'm glad I finally got round to reading it but thats not to say I loved it. I didn’t hate it, it was actually a rather lovely ending, but the journey to get there was soooooo long. I would classify myself as an introvert most day, at the risk of being stereotypical. But obviously Caths case is far more serious. But because of this, and not knowing anyone as serious as her, I couldn't follow. I don't see how she could have someone as lovely as Levi around her all the time and not be at least a little more accepting of strangers. And why go to college if all you want to do is write? At least she has a path chosen.

But, aside from that, the book is really lovely. You see a more realistic side to teen love. Slowly getting to know each other because quickly falling in love and not even realising it. And as inexperienced as Cath is, she's never forced into anything or made to do something she doesn't want to. And unlike a lot of other similar books, when her poor excuse of a mother comes back, she doesn't go running into her arms and all is forgiven. That just wouldn't happen. Similarly to Wren's alcohol poisoning. In most teen reads, they drink all they want with no consequences but Rainbow explored the apparently unheard of possibility of a teen underage drinking to the point of hospitalisation.

So, because of the realistic aspects, it was a brilliant book. But because I can't relate completely to the FL, or understand her very much, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have.