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Merissa (13856 KP) rated Christmas Wish List (Hartbridge Christmas #2) in Books

Nov 24, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)  
Christmas Wish List (Hartbridge Christmas #2)
Christmas Wish List (Hartbridge Christmas #2)
N.R. Walker | 2021 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
CHRISTMAS WISH LIST is the second book in the Hartbridge Christmas series, and we land right back in the Hallmark Town, complete with previously known characters, as well as new ones.

Jayden has become a drifter, always working but living temporarily, and is looking for somewhere to call home. Cass has returned home and is determined to make his new business venture a success. The sparks are there, but will Jayden stay?

If book one was low angst, then this one is medium. Jayden doesn't automatically make the leap as Hamish did, and the idea of falling in love terrifies him. But Cass has a sweetness about him that is hard to resist. I loved how this was a slow burn, but high on the romance and the getting-to-know-you parts. Jayden made no attempt to hide his attraction, and seeing Cass react was the best part.

Another Christmas story, full of warm fuzzies, that makes you want to visit. The Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony sounded wonderful, and I wanted to be there, especially for some of that brisket!

A great addition to the series that made me smile and fill up in equal measure. The only downside is I have to wait a year for the next one. Absolutely brilliant and recommended by me.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* 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!
Nov 24, 2021
  
Mysterium
Mysterium
2015 | Deduction, Murder & Mystery, Party Game
Murder! A poor soul has been murdered in this house, and the homeowner has hired a group of mediums to solve the crime and give the spirit peace. One problem – the ghost can’t remember for sure who did it! Through a seance, the ghost sends visions to the mediums to lead them to potential suspects, crime scenes, and murder weapons. It is up to the mediums to work together and decipher the visions, narrow down the field, and find the criminal! Time is limited however – unless the culprit is caught in 7 hours, the magic of the seance will run out and the crime will remain a mystery!

DISCLAIMER: There are several expansions to this game, but we are not reviewing them at this time. Should we review them in the future we will either update this review or post a link to the new material here. -T

Mysterium is a cooperative game of deduction in which players take on the roles of mediums trying to solve the murder, and one player takes on the role of the ghost who is haunting the estate. Every turn, the ghost sends Visions (in the form of illustrated cards) to each medium in an attempt to guide them to investigate different suspects, locations, and potential murder weapons. The visions are not always clear, however, so the mediums must use their imaginations and deduction skills to decipher any hidden hints or clues contained in the visions. If all mediums are able to identify their suspects/locations/weapons before the 7th hour has passed, the ghost then sends one final Vision to all mediums to guide them to the true culprit. After receiving and deciphering this final Vision, the mediums must all vote on whom they believe the culprit to be. If the majority of the mediums select the correct culprit, the mystery has been solved and the ghost can be laid to rest! If not, however, the mystery remains and the ghost must wait an entire year before the magic ritual can be performed again…

I love Mysterium. I seriously think it’s a great game. One reason why I love it is because it’s a deduction game that is cooperative. Most of the deduction games I’ve played before are competitive or involve some form of bluffing. And I’m pretty terrible at lying, so I never really do well in those. What I like about Mysterium is that you’re still trying to figure out your own cards, but you’re allowed (and encouraged!) to ask your fellow mediums for their thoughts. It’s cool to see how everyone interprets the Vision cards because someone might notice or see something on your Vision card in a way you didn’t think of on your own. Your friends may be able to provide insight to help you through the game, just as you can help them decipher their clues. Especially since the game can’t be won unless everyone has found their cards, it really is in your best interest to cooperate and help everyone out.

Another thing I love about Mysterium is that it can be played with up to 7 players. I’ve probably mentioned this before, but I have 4 siblings, and sometimes finding engaging games for 5+ people can be pretty hard. Not an issue at all with Mysterium. It’s actually a favorite of my siblings to play, so I always bring it with me for holidays and family gatherings! I personally think Mysterium works better at higher player counts, so that really bodes well for me and my family!

One final thing I really like about Mysterium is the dynamic created between the mediums and the ghost player. The ghost is allowed to communicate with the mediums through visions only – no verbal communication at all! That means that as the ghost player, you’re trying to anticipate how each medium will interpret different visions so you can give them the one that will guide them to their specific card. When you’re a medium, you’re trying to think how the ghost player thinks – why did they give me this card and what did they want me to notice? In either role, you’re trying to get in the mind of your counterpart, and that just adds a fun little bonus twist for me.

I think Mysterium is a great game. Deduction drives the game and it keeps you constantly engaged, questioning every card you see. It’s an entertaining and lighthearted cooperative game for any player count, and it thrives with great non-confrontational player interaction. Mysterium was one of the first games in my collection – I was in my FLGS, picked it up off the shelf, and having done no research on it at all, I bought it. And boy oh boy am I glad I did. Definitely give Mysterium a try – it’s a good blend of mystery and fun! Purple Phoenix Games gives it an ethereal 11 / 12.
  
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
2011 | Role-Playing
Gameplay (4 more)
Size of the map
Sheer amount to do
Replayability
Decent main story with tonnes of minor story missions
Glitches inherent to Bethesda games (1 more)
Some of the NPC's are very vanilla and interchangeable
Too good to miss out on!
A massive game that is awesome fun from the moment you turn it on to when you finally put it down tens of not hundreds of hours later! This game is a true masterpiece by Bethesda having already provided an incredible game earlier in the series with Oblivion.

The main storyline is engaging and takes a fair amount of time to accomplish however it is the build quests, the minor missions and the sheer number of caves, buildings, dungeons and so forth that can be found all across the map which is where this game truly shines.


The combat mechanics are great, not overly simplistic and not too challenging but a decent happy medium. The graphics for the game, for the time, were about as good as they get.


True to Bethesda the game is not without its issues, bizarre graphical glitches, dragons flying backwards in game breaking mechanics can sometimes lead to frustration especially if you've played for several hours without saving!


The skill tree has also been completely altered from Oblivions game and whilst some may feel it is overly simplistic it does allow newbies to get to grips with the game much easier than its predecessor.


All in all its a game that is hard to put down once you start and with dlc that provides additional content, including a whole new island, this is one of those games worth every single penny.
  
The After Wife
The After Wife
Gigi Levangie Grazer | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
6
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
It's a typical Saturday morning in the Bernal home. After some early morning love making, Hannah returns to sleep as her husband, John heads off to the farmer's market. Since John is a chef, he does all of the cooking. Hannah is awakened shortly after by the phone ringing. The person on the other end is saying words, but Hannah can not believe the words that she is saying. Her husband is dead. She can still she the indent from his head on the pillow, this can't be true. But it is, and as Hannah comes to grip with this, her life gets turned upside down. Left to raise their three year old daughter, Ellie, which was also John's job since he was home during the day, Hannah is unsure of how to take the next steps. When she looses her job, her house and her mind, it all her friends can do to keep her together.

This was a cute story about a widow who turns into a medium. After the death of her husband,Hannah starts to see dead people showing up around every corner. Because of this, she puts her job in jeopardy. But with her job is also the job of her best friend Jay. They are producers for a reality show, and without this job, Hannah will not make it. Then she finds out that John had not kept up on his life insurance payments, another blow. And the dead people who won't go away.

All in all, this story was good. A bit long, but otherwise I enjoyed it.