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Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Sweet Haven in Books
Apr 1, 2021
what a DELICIOUS book it was! I swear I put on ten pounds reading this!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
And what a DELICIOUS book it was! I swear I put on ten pounds reading this!
Garrett is a grump and Lee is a clutz. Together they make beautiful chocolate desserts. But the past has a way of catching up with them, and they have to overcome that to be really happy.
Sometimes, my dear book people, your mind reads a blurb and makes a story and then you read the book, and BOOM! this is so NOT where your mind went. And you don't care! Cos what you DO read, where the book DOES go, is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than where your stoopid mind went!
And Ms Sayle has a particular knack of messing with MY brain! She does it all the bloody time, and I love it!
I mean, I have no idea where my mind went when I read the blurb, but all I know is, it was nowhere near as sweet and as sexy and as too-stinking-cute as this is!
I just wanna rant about how sweet and sexy this, but ranting does nota good review make. So lemme try, 'K?? And I apologise if all I do is rant :-)
Garrett is spilt from his ex husband, who by all accounts only used Garrett to get where he wanted to go. Lee is hiding from HIS ex, who by every account here, is a violent man and to be avoided at all costs. Garrett thinks no one will want him, and Lee wants Garrett. Garrett, bless his heart, tries HARD to deny himself the tasty morsel now prancing around his kitchen, but it's a matter of when, not if.
Supported by a huge cast of possible follow up stories: Ollie, Vic, Nese, and everyone else I can't remember, you fall in love with this little town, the people in it and the desserts that are made in these 150 odd pages, and your teeth rot and jeans don't fit anymore, and you really don't care!
Ok, I've written and deleted about 10 versions of this review, and this is the one you're gonna get.
READ
THE
DAMN
BOOK
5 sweet and sexy stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
And what a DELICIOUS book it was! I swear I put on ten pounds reading this!
Garrett is a grump and Lee is a clutz. Together they make beautiful chocolate desserts. But the past has a way of catching up with them, and they have to overcome that to be really happy.
Sometimes, my dear book people, your mind reads a blurb and makes a story and then you read the book, and BOOM! this is so NOT where your mind went. And you don't care! Cos what you DO read, where the book DOES go, is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much better than where your stoopid mind went!
And Ms Sayle has a particular knack of messing with MY brain! She does it all the bloody time, and I love it!
I mean, I have no idea where my mind went when I read the blurb, but all I know is, it was nowhere near as sweet and as sexy and as too-stinking-cute as this is!
I just wanna rant about how sweet and sexy this, but ranting does nota good review make. So lemme try, 'K?? And I apologise if all I do is rant :-)
Garrett is spilt from his ex husband, who by all accounts only used Garrett to get where he wanted to go. Lee is hiding from HIS ex, who by every account here, is a violent man and to be avoided at all costs. Garrett thinks no one will want him, and Lee wants Garrett. Garrett, bless his heart, tries HARD to deny himself the tasty morsel now prancing around his kitchen, but it's a matter of when, not if.
Supported by a huge cast of possible follow up stories: Ollie, Vic, Nese, and everyone else I can't remember, you fall in love with this little town, the people in it and the desserts that are made in these 150 odd pages, and your teeth rot and jeans don't fit anymore, and you really don't care!
Ok, I've written and deleted about 10 versions of this review, and this is the one you're gonna get.
READ
THE
DAMN
BOOK
5 sweet and sexy stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Informer (2019) in Movies
Sep 26, 2019
Joel Kinnaman plays the good bad guy well, the inner battle his character has shows on his face throughout. Once Pete gets to prison and his story becomes one of survival I thought he was even better. Without such a good performance behind Pete I don't think this film would have held together at all.
When Common started appearing in things I was a little dubious but as time has gone on he's really developed and found himself the right little niche. As Grens he shows he's confident with what he's given and I can't wait to see his next role. (As it happens I didn't have to wait long as he was in The Kitchen and I had no idea.)
Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen are both generally solid actors to see on a movie poster but in this instance I found their characters to be frustrating and a little wooden. Pike is potentially part tree as I notice this in a few of her roles but it's usually perfectly suited, in this though, Wilcox's two different personas felt too different to be believable. Owen as her boss was fine but in a film with so many aggressive and combative characters it was just too much.
It was paced quite well and the only reason I felt distracted at times was because of fellow cinemagoers. We were given a nice balance of action broken up by character pieces and there weren't any times that felt unnecessary or over the top. But then we get to the end of the film. I'd put money on the ending of that film being changed to cut the length and keep it under 2 hours. There was a perfect place to end the film, it would have left you with a "well what happened next" moment but I think that would have been preferable to what we got. We still get that "what's next" but it's much more anticlimactic and meant my last feeling wasn't one of anticipation but confusion. It took me a while to write up some note for this because I was pondering that ending, I'm certain that has changed the score this gets.
Read the review extras here: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-informer-movie-review.html
When Common started appearing in things I was a little dubious but as time has gone on he's really developed and found himself the right little niche. As Grens he shows he's confident with what he's given and I can't wait to see his next role. (As it happens I didn't have to wait long as he was in The Kitchen and I had no idea.)
Rosamund Pike and Clive Owen are both generally solid actors to see on a movie poster but in this instance I found their characters to be frustrating and a little wooden. Pike is potentially part tree as I notice this in a few of her roles but it's usually perfectly suited, in this though, Wilcox's two different personas felt too different to be believable. Owen as her boss was fine but in a film with so many aggressive and combative characters it was just too much.
It was paced quite well and the only reason I felt distracted at times was because of fellow cinemagoers. We were given a nice balance of action broken up by character pieces and there weren't any times that felt unnecessary or over the top. But then we get to the end of the film. I'd put money on the ending of that film being changed to cut the length and keep it under 2 hours. There was a perfect place to end the film, it would have left you with a "well what happened next" moment but I think that would have been preferable to what we got. We still get that "what's next" but it's much more anticlimactic and meant my last feeling wasn't one of anticipation but confusion. It took me a while to write up some note for this because I was pondering that ending, I'm certain that has changed the score this gets.
Read the review extras here: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/09/the-informer-movie-review.html
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated Downton Abbey (2019) in Movies
Sep 16, 2019
The King and Queen, His Royal Highness, King George V and Queen Mary are visiting Downton Abbey! This is the premise set for the grand cinematic conclusion of the very popular BBC/PBS series that has told the saga of the Crawley family.
Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) will host the King and Queen for one night as they tour the country. This starts the frenzy of preparation at Downton Abbey. The entire cast from the television series returns to wrap up the epic tale of the family led by the Dowager Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith as the stoic, protective and acid tongued head of the Crawley Family). We get to view the intrigue and subterfuge that has been built upon the ages as the players in the game, maneuver their way through the challenges of royal protocol.
The daily run of Downton has been passed down to Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery), who now needs to insure that the house is in order and passes the inspection of the Royal Servants of the King. The kitchen is all a twitter with plans and preparation for shopping and meals. Come to find that the King and Queen has their own travelling butler and ladies maid that arrive beforehand to establish the household in order to provide the crown with the comforts that they are accustomed.
This film has been eagerly anticipated since the last season had aired. Fans all around the world have been waiting for this to wrap up the loose ends from the closing season of the television series. The film does exactly that. Taking each thread and weaving a complete conclusion of the stories that compelled millions around the world to stay tuned.
For those who have not seen the series but are wrangled to watch the movie, you will find the charm, elegance, humour and wit applied to the story. One is not required to have watched any, if all of the episodes of Downton in order to enjoy the storyline. The film is perfectly entertaining as a standalone film. Each character so well crafted and beautifully acted by the ensemble.
I recommend taking your favorite Downton fan to the cinema for an evening of grand proportions, romantic notions, charm and the glamour of 1927 England. Thoroughly enjoyable with or without previous show knowledge.
5 out of 5 for fans
4 out of 5 for non fans
Robert Crawley, the Earl of Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) will host the King and Queen for one night as they tour the country. This starts the frenzy of preparation at Downton Abbey. The entire cast from the television series returns to wrap up the epic tale of the family led by the Dowager Countess of Grantham (Dame Maggie Smith as the stoic, protective and acid tongued head of the Crawley Family). We get to view the intrigue and subterfuge that has been built upon the ages as the players in the game, maneuver their way through the challenges of royal protocol.
The daily run of Downton has been passed down to Lady Mary Talbot (Michelle Dockery), who now needs to insure that the house is in order and passes the inspection of the Royal Servants of the King. The kitchen is all a twitter with plans and preparation for shopping and meals. Come to find that the King and Queen has their own travelling butler and ladies maid that arrive beforehand to establish the household in order to provide the crown with the comforts that they are accustomed.
This film has been eagerly anticipated since the last season had aired. Fans all around the world have been waiting for this to wrap up the loose ends from the closing season of the television series. The film does exactly that. Taking each thread and weaving a complete conclusion of the stories that compelled millions around the world to stay tuned.
For those who have not seen the series but are wrangled to watch the movie, you will find the charm, elegance, humour and wit applied to the story. One is not required to have watched any, if all of the episodes of Downton in order to enjoy the storyline. The film is perfectly entertaining as a standalone film. Each character so well crafted and beautifully acted by the ensemble.
I recommend taking your favorite Downton fan to the cinema for an evening of grand proportions, romantic notions, charm and the glamour of 1927 England. Thoroughly enjoyable with or without previous show knowledge.
5 out of 5 for fans
4 out of 5 for non fans
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Retreat (Season 8, Volume 6) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
<b>Sorry, this is kinda more ranty then when I started out, and probably not very well-written. You've been warned. Also, no spoilers are revealed in my <s>rant</s> review</b> (though that was hard not to do ;P)<b>.</b>
Why do I keep reading this series? Why do I expect it to get any better? Or even come close to resembling what the show was about in the first place? What in the Sam Hell is wrong with me that I persist in reading this travesty? Ack!
Again, the plot is ludicrous, the characters don't always feel true to form, the witty banter is nearly non-existent, and the illustrations are making the characters indistinguishable from one another, most especially the darker haired girls, such as Faith, Dawn, and Kennedy (Why exactly isn't she gone yet?). The villain, Twilight, isn't very interesting and I wonder how much longer it's going to be before the big reveal. Just get to it already, will ya? Amy and Warren also need to go. Lame is the word that comes to mind when I think of them. Old characters who have long exceeded their welcome, and Amy in particular doesn't add anything anymore; she's run her course, let's move on now. Oz was a mixed bag, I liked some of what happened to him since he left Sunnydale and some...not so much. The interactions between him and Willow were rather weird and didn't seem to fit where they had left off exactly. Willow herself was quite angsty and I don't understand how she got to that place at this time. Perhaps I've forgotten something from a previous entry.
Gone is the show I've known and loved, instead they've decided to pull out all the stops, literally, and we're left with this bizarre mess. I don't know if they made a deal with the devil or what, but everything has been thrown into this story, including the kitchen sink, with no rhyme or reason. Do they know what control is, or careful selection, or do they just not care? I don't expect graphic novels to be as detailed as a TV show, but this whole season has gotten more and more ridiculous as it has went on and I cannot fathom why I'm torturing myself. Oh, I know, it's great entertainment. I want to see how much further they can destroy the memory of a great show. Does this deserve two stars? Probably not, but I can't help myself, apparently. Bah!!
Why do I keep reading this series? Why do I expect it to get any better? Or even come close to resembling what the show was about in the first place? What in the Sam Hell is wrong with me that I persist in reading this travesty? Ack!
Again, the plot is ludicrous, the characters don't always feel true to form, the witty banter is nearly non-existent, and the illustrations are making the characters indistinguishable from one another, most especially the darker haired girls, such as Faith, Dawn, and Kennedy (Why exactly isn't she gone yet?). The villain, Twilight, isn't very interesting and I wonder how much longer it's going to be before the big reveal. Just get to it already, will ya? Amy and Warren also need to go. Lame is the word that comes to mind when I think of them. Old characters who have long exceeded their welcome, and Amy in particular doesn't add anything anymore; she's run her course, let's move on now. Oz was a mixed bag, I liked some of what happened to him since he left Sunnydale and some...not so much. The interactions between him and Willow were rather weird and didn't seem to fit where they had left off exactly. Willow herself was quite angsty and I don't understand how she got to that place at this time. Perhaps I've forgotten something from a previous entry.
Gone is the show I've known and loved, instead they've decided to pull out all the stops, literally, and we're left with this bizarre mess. I don't know if they made a deal with the devil or what, but everything has been thrown into this story, including the kitchen sink, with no rhyme or reason. Do they know what control is, or careful selection, or do they just not care? I don't expect graphic novels to be as detailed as a TV show, but this whole season has gotten more and more ridiculous as it has went on and I cannot fathom why I'm torturing myself. Oh, I know, it's great entertainment. I want to see how much further they can destroy the memory of a great show. Does this deserve two stars? Probably not, but I can't help myself, apparently. Bah!!
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated With the Fire on High in Books
Jul 25, 2019
With this book, Elizabeth Acevedo has solidified her position as one of my must-read authors. The Poet X was EXCELLENT, and this one is every bit as good, which is awesome, considering the wildly different formats of the two books. The Poet X was a novel in poem form, being the collected poems of a teenage girl. This book is a more traditional novel, written in prose. It loses none of the lyrical, enchanting quality of Acevedo's writing, however.
With The Fire On High centers on Emoni Santiago, a teenage mother struggling to graduate from high school on time. When a culinary arts elective is offered during her senior year of school, she takes it despite feeling like she should be spending her energy on her daughter's future instead of realizing her own dreams. The elective opens up an entire world for her, however, taking her from whipping up magic alone in her own kitchen to being recognized by talented chefs as having something special. The added hours spent on cooking begin to affect her other responsibilities, however, and Emoni struggles to balance everything in her life, a fight that is very nearly upended by the new, very cute boy who just transferred to her school.
Emoni deals admirably with the vast responsibilities of being a parent, the complications of her own somewhat unusual home life (she's been raised by her grandmother after her mother's death and her father's absence), and the pressures of high school. Especially a school where she spent freshman year pregnant. Rather luckily, her daughter's father goes to a different school, so at least she doesn't have to deal with him every day.
Similar to The Poet X, the book deals with the intersection of black American culture and Puerto Rican culture, a combination I've been seeing more and more in Young Adult. (Well, The Poet X was Dominican, but they have very similar worries, mostly revolving around feeling "not black enough.")
I loved Emoni, I loved Malachi (the cute transfer student), I loved Abuela and Baby Girl/Emma. I even didn't mind Tyrone too much. For being a player, he was trying to do right by his daughter. Acevedo has such a talent for characters. Angelica (Emoni's best friend) and her girlfriend were a delight, too.
If you see a book by Elizabeth Acevedo, pick it up. You won't be disappointed. I can't wait to pick up her next book, which appears to be another novel in verse called Clap When You Land, due out next year!
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
With The Fire On High centers on Emoni Santiago, a teenage mother struggling to graduate from high school on time. When a culinary arts elective is offered during her senior year of school, she takes it despite feeling like she should be spending her energy on her daughter's future instead of realizing her own dreams. The elective opens up an entire world for her, however, taking her from whipping up magic alone in her own kitchen to being recognized by talented chefs as having something special. The added hours spent on cooking begin to affect her other responsibilities, however, and Emoni struggles to balance everything in her life, a fight that is very nearly upended by the new, very cute boy who just transferred to her school.
Emoni deals admirably with the vast responsibilities of being a parent, the complications of her own somewhat unusual home life (she's been raised by her grandmother after her mother's death and her father's absence), and the pressures of high school. Especially a school where she spent freshman year pregnant. Rather luckily, her daughter's father goes to a different school, so at least she doesn't have to deal with him every day.
Similar to The Poet X, the book deals with the intersection of black American culture and Puerto Rican culture, a combination I've been seeing more and more in Young Adult. (Well, The Poet X was Dominican, but they have very similar worries, mostly revolving around feeling "not black enough.")
I loved Emoni, I loved Malachi (the cute transfer student), I loved Abuela and Baby Girl/Emma. I even didn't mind Tyrone too much. For being a player, he was trying to do right by his daughter. Acevedo has such a talent for characters. Angelica (Emoni's best friend) and her girlfriend were a delight, too.
If you see a book by Elizabeth Acevedo, pick it up. You won't be disappointed. I can't wait to pick up her next book, which appears to be another novel in verse called Clap When You Land, due out next year!
You can find all my reviews and more at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Gaz Coombes recommended Holland by The Beach Boys in Music (curated)
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated A Simple Favor (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Fair warning, if you see this film you will want Blake Lively to be your lover by the end of the it.
There's no denying that this is an entertaining film. There's also no denying that it's predictable. Even without knowing the plot you can basically guess the way it's going to progress.
Blake Lively is amazing though. I honestly thought I'd never seen her in anything, but of course she's been in Green Lantern and Accepted. The latter being a favourite and the former... well, I thought Deadpool had taken care of that one for us... oh well. She does a great job of her role in this one. You can see her devious nature in the way she interacts with everyone and she really does improve the scenes she's in.
I love Anna Kendrick, she's funny and very talented but I wasn't overly keen on her character in this. While I understand that Stephanie takes a major character shift when she realises what has happened, I didn't enjoy the way they did that on the screen. There were some baby steps followed by some huge leaps. At one point I was convinced that they'd gone... "Anna Kendrick always sings... we should get some of that in there." I don't feel like it added anything to the film at all. I'd be interested to see how her character unfolds in the book.
The humour in it is entertaining but the side story of the other "mums" and particularly their inclusion in the summing up of the story feels out of place and more comedy than was right for this film.
Rating this one is tricky. Apart from those odd bits I didn't hate the film and none of it was badly dont... but I don't think I enjoyed it either. I took the evening to think it over and honestly I'm still not sure so therefore it's sitting at the three and a half mark. There's an outside possibility that I'll watch it again to see if I can figure it out, but I don't think it'll be any time soon unless I'm really at a loose end.
Based on the book A Simple Favour by Darcey Bell.
What should you do?
I personally wouldn't recommend watching this until it's streaming. But plenty of other people would disagree with me on that.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Emily and Sean's house. Although I'm baffled as to why the kitchen is so small so I'd probably expand into the living room space.
There's no denying that this is an entertaining film. There's also no denying that it's predictable. Even without knowing the plot you can basically guess the way it's going to progress.
Blake Lively is amazing though. I honestly thought I'd never seen her in anything, but of course she's been in Green Lantern and Accepted. The latter being a favourite and the former... well, I thought Deadpool had taken care of that one for us... oh well. She does a great job of her role in this one. You can see her devious nature in the way she interacts with everyone and she really does improve the scenes she's in.
I love Anna Kendrick, she's funny and very talented but I wasn't overly keen on her character in this. While I understand that Stephanie takes a major character shift when she realises what has happened, I didn't enjoy the way they did that on the screen. There were some baby steps followed by some huge leaps. At one point I was convinced that they'd gone... "Anna Kendrick always sings... we should get some of that in there." I don't feel like it added anything to the film at all. I'd be interested to see how her character unfolds in the book.
The humour in it is entertaining but the side story of the other "mums" and particularly their inclusion in the summing up of the story feels out of place and more comedy than was right for this film.
Rating this one is tricky. Apart from those odd bits I didn't hate the film and none of it was badly dont... but I don't think I enjoyed it either. I took the evening to think it over and honestly I'm still not sure so therefore it's sitting at the three and a half mark. There's an outside possibility that I'll watch it again to see if I can figure it out, but I don't think it'll be any time soon unless I'm really at a loose end.
Based on the book A Simple Favour by Darcey Bell.
What should you do?
I personally wouldn't recommend watching this until it's streaming. But plenty of other people would disagree with me on that.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Emily and Sean's house. Although I'm baffled as to why the kitchen is so small so I'd probably expand into the living room space.
Mothergamer (1521 KP) rated Dragon Quest Builders Day One Edition in Video Games
Apr 3, 2019
I know. How could I have never played Dragon Quest Builders before? There are so many games out there to play that I miss quite a few so I play them when I can. I was intrigued by Dragon Quest Builders because it was clearly not a traditional Dragon Quest game. The plot takes from the original Dragon Quest as a parallel world where the hero accepts the Dragonlord's suggestion of each one ruling half the world which turned out to be a trap. The hero is defeated and the world goes dark and is overrun by monsters. This is where the legendary builder comes in. You can play as a male or female builder. The first chapter introduces you to the game mechanics. Basically this is Dragon Quest meets Minecraft. Your job as the builder is to gather materials and rebuild the land of Alefguard from the ground up and revive it and bring the light back to the world.
The builder starts her journey.
The tutorial is fairly straightforward showing you how to gather materials. Once you have the materials needed, you need to build and craft items. There are various NPC's that give you quests which are things they want you to build ranging from a crafting forge to a kitchen. This is also how you find crafting recipes for things. When you have the right materials you can build all these things and as you do this, your base levels up.
Use recipes to build things and rebuild the world.
When you go out to the world, the game doesn't really show you where to go. This can be good and bad. It's good because it encourages a lot of exploration and finding things on your own, but it is bad because sometimes it can be a bit frustrating trying to find the location of a quest and it can feel like a lot of time is wasted trying to figure out where you are going. You can switch the map to an eagle eye's view with a white flag that shows where your base is and a Q for the quest marker. You have to do your best to follow your compass, but it's not perfect. You just have to try to be patient and do your best to navigate until you get where you need to be.
You can use this view to see where your base is.
There are moments in the game where the monsters will show up and wreck your base. You have to fight the monsters in order to defend your base. Sometimes the fights are intense with four to five waves of monsters with a boss monster at the last wave. Once the battle is won, you can rebuild everything that got destroyed. The game isn't too punishing when this happens making rebuilding pretty easy.
Fighting monsters is rough, but you can rebuild easily.
While I did have fun playing Dragon Quest Builders, there are things I found to be mildly irritating. Sometimes the difficulty spikes in battles could be incredibly frustrating. The solution to this of course is to constantly build and upgrade your base. The other thing is having to constantly watch the hunger meter. This is represented as loaves of bread next to your health meter. If it gets to zero, your health starts dropping. You have to constantly forage for food or fish and use the kitchen to cook meals. Honestly, this broke the game immersion for me. Having to constantly worry about not starving and having to stop building just to go hunting for food was not fun for me at all. It was an annoyance and I wished I didn't have to constantly do that when I wanted to focus on gathering materials and building spiffy things.
Hunger meter is low, time to go fishing!
There are four chapters in Dragon Quest Builders each in a different region. I did find it odd that when you went to each new world you lose everything and have to start over again from scratch with your weapons, tools, and materials. Getting food and healing items first is a priority so you can explore and build without too much hassle. You can re-learn the recipes in each new region and you also get new materials to build with. If you need a break from the main story, there is a free build mode which allows you to build to your heart's content with no monsters anywhere. You have at your disposal all the recipes you learned in the chapters, you can build whatever you like, and you can share it with your friends. Free build is a nice break from the main game and the only limits are your imagination.
Dragon Quest Builders is a fun game, but there are points of frustration in it with the unbalanced level spikes which is why I took breaks from it often. However, the story is interesting and there are some great nods to the Dragon Quest lore itself as well as some reveals about the builder and various characters that add more depth to the story. To me, free build is where the game shines because it was so much fun just running around and creating whatever I wanted. It is a fun game that encourages creativity while enjoying a good story. See you at the next adventure!
The builder starts her journey.
The tutorial is fairly straightforward showing you how to gather materials. Once you have the materials needed, you need to build and craft items. There are various NPC's that give you quests which are things they want you to build ranging from a crafting forge to a kitchen. This is also how you find crafting recipes for things. When you have the right materials you can build all these things and as you do this, your base levels up.
Use recipes to build things and rebuild the world.
When you go out to the world, the game doesn't really show you where to go. This can be good and bad. It's good because it encourages a lot of exploration and finding things on your own, but it is bad because sometimes it can be a bit frustrating trying to find the location of a quest and it can feel like a lot of time is wasted trying to figure out where you are going. You can switch the map to an eagle eye's view with a white flag that shows where your base is and a Q for the quest marker. You have to do your best to follow your compass, but it's not perfect. You just have to try to be patient and do your best to navigate until you get where you need to be.
You can use this view to see where your base is.
There are moments in the game where the monsters will show up and wreck your base. You have to fight the monsters in order to defend your base. Sometimes the fights are intense with four to five waves of monsters with a boss monster at the last wave. Once the battle is won, you can rebuild everything that got destroyed. The game isn't too punishing when this happens making rebuilding pretty easy.
Fighting monsters is rough, but you can rebuild easily.
While I did have fun playing Dragon Quest Builders, there are things I found to be mildly irritating. Sometimes the difficulty spikes in battles could be incredibly frustrating. The solution to this of course is to constantly build and upgrade your base. The other thing is having to constantly watch the hunger meter. This is represented as loaves of bread next to your health meter. If it gets to zero, your health starts dropping. You have to constantly forage for food or fish and use the kitchen to cook meals. Honestly, this broke the game immersion for me. Having to constantly worry about not starving and having to stop building just to go hunting for food was not fun for me at all. It was an annoyance and I wished I didn't have to constantly do that when I wanted to focus on gathering materials and building spiffy things.
Hunger meter is low, time to go fishing!
There are four chapters in Dragon Quest Builders each in a different region. I did find it odd that when you went to each new world you lose everything and have to start over again from scratch with your weapons, tools, and materials. Getting food and healing items first is a priority so you can explore and build without too much hassle. You can re-learn the recipes in each new region and you also get new materials to build with. If you need a break from the main story, there is a free build mode which allows you to build to your heart's content with no monsters anywhere. You have at your disposal all the recipes you learned in the chapters, you can build whatever you like, and you can share it with your friends. Free build is a nice break from the main game and the only limits are your imagination.
Dragon Quest Builders is a fun game, but there are points of frustration in it with the unbalanced level spikes which is why I took breaks from it often. However, the story is interesting and there are some great nods to the Dragon Quest lore itself as well as some reveals about the builder and various characters that add more depth to the story. To me, free build is where the game shines because it was so much fun just running around and creating whatever I wanted. It is a fun game that encourages creativity while enjoying a good story. See you at the next adventure!
Debbiereadsbook (1110 KP) rated Switching Places (Kiss of Leather #8) in Books
May 3, 2018
I don't want this series to end!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 8 in the series, the last one currently available, but for THIS book, you don't NEED to have read the other 7 books, it's far more a stand alone than the others. BUT you SHOULD read them, to get the full picture of what Elliot has been watching happen in Kiss of Leather.
I have been equally looking forward to this book, as much as I have been dreading it. Because THIS is the book that I really REALLY wanted to read, and because this is the last book. After reading the other 7 in a short space of time, I hung onto this one, for as long as I possibly could!
Master Lucas won Tai at the auction, and they've had a good run. They both know that this might not last, not least because Master Lucas does not bottom or sub, and Tai is a switch. But also because Master Lucas needs a TPE sub, and Tai is so not into that! Adding a third to their relationship might be the answer, and Tai knows just the boy.
And Elliot is just the sweetest boy! A sweet young man who just wants to help. A sweet young man who has been majorly crushing on Tai, and Master Lucas to a point, since he started at Kiss of Leather. A sweet young man who makes a dreadful decision that requires help from Master Lucas and Tai and they come through brilliantly!
I loved this , immensely!
Elliot is such a sweetheart; Master Lucas, such a Dom and Tai fits somewhere between the two. Tai isn't bratty like Marshall (book 3) he just isn't totally subby. He and Master Lucas teach Elliot all the things he wanted to know, but never had anyone to do them with. They make it clear, right from the start, that this is not a once in a while thing, this is a permanent arrangement for as long as they all want it.
It's glorious watching Elliot come into his own, both as sub for Masters Lucas and Tai, but also at the club, behind the bar and in the kitchen. His "hobby" for food and drink gives him a great deal of confidence.
Not as emotionally wrecking as some of the other books, nor did I find it as explicit. What I did find, though, is it is a beautifully written tale of 3 men finding what and who is right for them: each other.
If this really is the end?? It's a very fitting end.
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 8 in the series, the last one currently available, but for THIS book, you don't NEED to have read the other 7 books, it's far more a stand alone than the others. BUT you SHOULD read them, to get the full picture of what Elliot has been watching happen in Kiss of Leather.
I have been equally looking forward to this book, as much as I have been dreading it. Because THIS is the book that I really REALLY wanted to read, and because this is the last book. After reading the other 7 in a short space of time, I hung onto this one, for as long as I possibly could!
Master Lucas won Tai at the auction, and they've had a good run. They both know that this might not last, not least because Master Lucas does not bottom or sub, and Tai is a switch. But also because Master Lucas needs a TPE sub, and Tai is so not into that! Adding a third to their relationship might be the answer, and Tai knows just the boy.
And Elliot is just the sweetest boy! A sweet young man who just wants to help. A sweet young man who has been majorly crushing on Tai, and Master Lucas to a point, since he started at Kiss of Leather. A sweet young man who makes a dreadful decision that requires help from Master Lucas and Tai and they come through brilliantly!
I loved this , immensely!
Elliot is such a sweetheart; Master Lucas, such a Dom and Tai fits somewhere between the two. Tai isn't bratty like Marshall (book 3) he just isn't totally subby. He and Master Lucas teach Elliot all the things he wanted to know, but never had anyone to do them with. They make it clear, right from the start, that this is not a once in a while thing, this is a permanent arrangement for as long as they all want it.
It's glorious watching Elliot come into his own, both as sub for Masters Lucas and Tai, but also at the club, behind the bar and in the kitchen. His "hobby" for food and drink gives him a great deal of confidence.
Not as emotionally wrecking as some of the other books, nor did I find it as explicit. What I did find, though, is it is a beautifully written tale of 3 men finding what and who is right for them: each other.
If this really is the end?? It's a very fitting end.
5 stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Midge (525 KP) rated The Winter Mystery in Books
Mar 18, 2019
Great & Humorous Cozy Mystery
Over recent months I've become a great fan of cozy mysteries so, when I saw this second book in the series featuring Jenny Starling being launched, I knew I had to read "The Winter Mystery." Also, it has a culinary theme which I love and a little light humour. The first book ‘The Birthday Mystery’ was so good, I knew it was likely that Faith Martin had written a winner with this book, too, and I was right!
Best-seller author Faith Martin has also written the ‘Detective Hillary Greene’ mysteries.
First, we are introduced to Jenny Starling who is spending Christmas in a snowed-in country house cooking all the traditional food she loves, however, the family she’s working for are not full of the seasonal spirit. On Christmas Eve, someone is found dead on the kitchen table and the head of the family is blaming Jenny! But with an incompetent detective called in, and seemingly no motive for the murder, Jenny will have to turn amateur sleuth again. She will stop at nothing to clear her name and find the perpetrator.
Faith Martin’s writing skills set the scene beautifully for this novel. The house is a large, charming, Cotswold-stone, Georgian farmhouse in rural Oxford, complete with stables, outhouses, a cobbled courtyard and a resident sheepdog.
Faith Martin’s character development is wonderful, particularly that of Jenny who is an impressive woman and in her late twenties. Curvaceous and sexy, she’s a modern single woman, living and loving life as a travelling cook. She is happy travelling the country catering for different events and cooking great food. She doesn’t like having to divert her attention from baking delicious cakes or creating a new sauce recipe by having to solve murders. She is great at reading people and unmasking killers, always with a good dose of humour.
There are many suspects in this mystery, with clues and lots of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. It was a thoroughly satisfying read and I often found myself asking the same questions as Jenny and I was kept in suspense to the end. The pacing in "The Winter Mystery" was very good and I never lost interest, as it wasn't long before something intriguing would happen. Things came together for a fulfilling finish and wrapped everything up very neatly.
I'm definitely looking forward to the next novel featuring Jenny Starling and other books by the author, Faith Martin. "The Winter Mystery" whets your appetite for more to come.
My thanks to #NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author for providing me with a free advanced copy of #TheWinterMystery.
Best-seller author Faith Martin has also written the ‘Detective Hillary Greene’ mysteries.
First, we are introduced to Jenny Starling who is spending Christmas in a snowed-in country house cooking all the traditional food she loves, however, the family she’s working for are not full of the seasonal spirit. On Christmas Eve, someone is found dead on the kitchen table and the head of the family is blaming Jenny! But with an incompetent detective called in, and seemingly no motive for the murder, Jenny will have to turn amateur sleuth again. She will stop at nothing to clear her name and find the perpetrator.
Faith Martin’s writing skills set the scene beautifully for this novel. The house is a large, charming, Cotswold-stone, Georgian farmhouse in rural Oxford, complete with stables, outhouses, a cobbled courtyard and a resident sheepdog.
Faith Martin’s character development is wonderful, particularly that of Jenny who is an impressive woman and in her late twenties. Curvaceous and sexy, she’s a modern single woman, living and loving life as a travelling cook. She is happy travelling the country catering for different events and cooking great food. She doesn’t like having to divert her attention from baking delicious cakes or creating a new sauce recipe by having to solve murders. She is great at reading people and unmasking killers, always with a good dose of humour.
There are many suspects in this mystery, with clues and lots of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. It was a thoroughly satisfying read and I often found myself asking the same questions as Jenny and I was kept in suspense to the end. The pacing in "The Winter Mystery" was very good and I never lost interest, as it wasn't long before something intriguing would happen. Things came together for a fulfilling finish and wrapped everything up very neatly.
I'm definitely looking forward to the next novel featuring Jenny Starling and other books by the author, Faith Martin. "The Winter Mystery" whets your appetite for more to come.
My thanks to #NetGalley, Joffe Books and the author for providing me with a free advanced copy of #TheWinterMystery.