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Confined Desires (Rehoboth Pact #1)
Confined Desires (Rehoboth Pact #1)
Katherine McIntyre | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's not especially explicit, but it IS full of love and passion
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

Mia splits with her boyfriend and comes home, to Sky since she has nowhere else to go. Then the world comes crazy and there is stay at home order. Can Sky and Mia manage in a tiny one bed flat, in close proximity, and keep their hands off each other?

I have to commend Ms McIntyre. For a while she only wrote male/female pairings. The last book I read of her's was a M/M pairing, and this is a F/F pairing. And she nailed this, as she did Midnight Heist!

Sky has lusted, LOVED Mia since high school. She's not sure she can cope with them being so close for an extended time. Mia is, quite simply, the only woman for her. Mia, in turn has had feelings for Sky for equally as long. She just wasn't exactly sure WHAT she was feeling then, but she is now.

It's great watching them dance around each other for a while, and then fall headlong over that cliff. Only for Sky to mess it all up by keeping her mouth shut. Oh, I wanted to punch her then, I really did, especially as Mia poured her heart out to her!

It's not especially explicit, but it IS full of love and passion. It's emotional too, with Sky dealing with the loss of her sister, and Mia's female parental unit (I don't like her, can you tell?!?)

It is the first 'virus' book I've read, and I expect there to be more, but every one of those books will have to stand against this one, in that regard, cos it is so well done!

The title of the series is the Rehoboth Pact. I loved the reason for that, and that Aubrey evokes said pact when Sky acts stoopid! There is a third friend, Kyle, in the pact. We didn't meet her yet though. Aubs is here though, and she's a lot of fun! So, I'm assuming that the series will be around these three girls. Can't wait to read them!

It's not a compliacted read, just a story of two girls seeing who is right in front of them, and acting on your feelings.

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
My Sister, the Serial Killer
My Sister, the Serial Killer
Oyinkan Braithwaite | 2018 | Crime, Thriller
8
7.8 (12 Ratings)
Book Rating
This novel is not very long, but every short chapter carries a lot of important information. The protagonist in this novel is Korede, a nurse in a hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. Korede likes everything neat, tidy and according to the rules. Her younger sister Ayoola, on the other hand, is an absolute brat, who has no cares in her life. She is addicted to male attention, good life, and I could not stand her. Ayoola is a horrible person, and I don’t see a justification for any of her actions. :/ I really liked Korede in this book, I think she is kind and strong at the same time, but even her decisions left me confused sometimes.

The narrative is told from a single (Korede’s) perspective, even though it was enough to grasp the storyline, I would’ve loved to read Ayoola’s thoughts as well. The plot is very compressed in this novel, I liked the way Korede talks not only about the present events, but brings the reader back to the past, to show what events shaped her to be the way she is today. This book analyses such topics as beauty and it’s influence, strong sisterly bond, abusive father, etc. This novel takes you on a journey, there is not many twists or turns, but it is a very enjoyable read.

Kudos to the author for her original writing style, I see it as minimalistic, It has the information I needed to fully understand the story, and spared me the details of unimportant things. I really liked the setting of this novel, I have never been to Lagos, so the atmosphere and the language used was very exotic for me. I loved the short chapters, and it was a really quick read for me. I liked the ending of this book, I think it is quite challenging and allows the reader to think of what would they have done in Korede’s situation.

To conclude, it is a very original book about an incredibly strong sisterly bond, which can withstand even murders. It is filled with very believable and interesting characters and a very creatively written plot. I truly enjoyed it, and I do strongly recommend to give this book a try if you looking for something different and fresh. I hope you will like it as much as I did. 🙂
  
Queen & Slim (2019)
Queen & Slim (2019)
2019 | Drama, Romance
Extremely Entertaining
In the first ten minutes, you have a good idea of how Queen & Slim is going to end. Two black people on a first date end up killing a cop during a traffic stop. In spite the dread of knowing where things are heading, the movie is so powerfully done that it gave me a bit of a chill as the credits were rolling.

Acting: 10
Daniel Kaluuya puts on yet another powerful performance, this time playing the role of the male love interest Slim. I love the way he chose to play this role as a man that doesn’t have it all together trying to figure things out on the fly. His counterpart Jodi Turner-Smith playing Queen is so on point as well carrying the strong emotional defensiveness of the lawyer that she is. Their chemistry drives this movie to heights I wasn’t expecting.

Beginning: 10

Characters: 10

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The movie is beautifully shot with a number of strong sequences and setpieces that keep things interesting. Director Melina Matsoukas is a master of capturing emotional moments with well-timed closeups and long pauses. She pushes the emotions out of the viewers with tender scenes and scenes that get your blood boiling.

Conflict: 10

Entertainment Value: 10

Memorability: 9
This movie sticks, it sticks with you. It’s hard to walk away from it and not feel some way or the other. It will challenge you emotionally and mentally. It’s not perfect as it does stick to a pretty linear script, but it’s extremely memorable nonethless.

Pace: 10
Because of the constant danger the two main characters are under, the movie moves quick even when they’re just sitting around awaiting their next piece of the plan. It’s heartpounding like knowing a car crash is coming, but you’re forced to watch it anyway. There is no standing still. They’re always on the run so the pace remains uptempo.

Plot: 8

Resolution: 10

Overall: 97
Yes Queen & Slim is pretty linear, but it works for the building of the relationship within the story. And yes you see the ending coming but there’s a true power that comes from it that makes it worth it. The conflict is great, but the dialogue solidifies it for me as a classic. See this movie.