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Kynhaven (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #3)
Kynhaven (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #3)
Sarah Westill | 2022 | Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
KYNHAVEN is the third full-length novel in the Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria series, and we start off with a tragedy. Cora, Mason's twin sister, who we have met in previous books is viciously murdered. Mason is shattered by this news and, with the help of his team, quickly find the killer. As they deal with him, they find out that he had more than one victim, but only one survivor. This sends Mason off to find them, to learn all he can. This leads him to Jessi. She is broken but living, finding peace in tending to her bees. Mason awakens something in her, and her future looks promising. Things change though, and she can't stay where she is forever. She's survived a sadistic killer but will she survive Sziveria Society?

This story moves along at a steady pace, giving the reader time to take in all the emotions and plots that keep it interesting and intriguing. There are 'guest appearances' from previous couples, which is always nice to see and you get an idea of how their lives are moving along.

Mason is the perfect gentleman in this story. He gives Jessi all the power and moves along at her pace, accepting her rejections with grace and dignity, which is just what she needed. Jessi is stronger than she realises and faces challenge after challenge, some of which come from close to home. Trust me, motherly love isn't really a thing in this book!

The overall story arc is also moving along nicely, giving snippets as necessary, whilst still allowing for the romantic storyline to take shape.

There are some steamy moments that show the growth and level of trust between Mason and Jessi.

This was a brilliant addition to the series and highly recommended by me, so long as you start from the beginning so it all makes sense!

** 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!
  
Game of War - Fire Age
Game of War - Fire Age
Games, Social Networking
1
5.7 (3 Ratings)
App Rating
Nothing (0 more)
Pay to win (2 more)
Only play if you willing waste cash
Full of people who are willing to destroy what you spend
Only play if you’re willing to waste money
This game is a total waste of money for a fermium game to get anywhere near competitive in it you need to sink hundreds if not thousands of pounds into it only for a bigger player to come and destroy everything you’ve paid for in seconds it also suffers from horrendous lag issues which almost always end in you getting wiped out by rich kids and bored millionaires with a bottomless pit of money to waste game is constantly moving on and always seems to be trying to get you to buy the latest research or gear for £99.99 per pack and there’s no way to stay relevant as old items are not available so you’re always on the back foot so again only use this if you’ve got a bottomless pit of cash and don’t mind wasting it all
  
American Pastoral (2016)
American Pastoral (2016)
2016 | Drama
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Ewan McGregor is brilliant (2 more)
Incredibly sad
Not bad adaptation of Philip Roth's book
There was something missing (0 more)
Harrowing, tragic and moving
Philip Roth's tragic drama about the perfect high school couple and the disintegration of a family has finally made it on to the big screen. Set in the 1960's during massive political upheaval in America, it follows the story of a daughter who disappears after allegedly bombing a store, killing a clerk as part of a 'revolutionary' movement. Her father, played by Ewan McGregor, believes that she has been manipulated and that she is truly innocent throughout, even in the face of all opposing evidence. It's horrific seeing the mother and father's complete breakdown and it seems apparent the daughter Merry is suffering from a mental illness. There's hints of sexual abuse thought to have triggered her stutter, but it is extremely subtle.

It's really quite a sombre watch, especially given that the film begins with the father's funeral. Beautiful acting, but the daughter's character was extremely irritating.
  
The Great Alone
The Great Alone
Kristin Hannah | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance
10
8.5 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
Extremely well written. (1 more)
It's Kristin Hannah
Repetitive (0 more)
Phenomenal
As always Kristin Hannah does it again. I swear I can not read one of her books without becoming a blubbering baby. Ugh Why??????

Anyway. I love The Great Alone. The story of a family moving to rugged Alaska. The father, Ernt, a flakey, unpredictable, POW. The Mother Cora timid, loving, and clueless. Then Lenora. The teenage girl who throughout the story is tried and tested. She has to navigate not only the rugged world of Alaska. Also the tumultuous home and family life. You will love all the character's. Reading this book will have you googling Alaska. Dreaming of trips to the Kenai Peninsula.

You really can't go wrong with anything Kristin Hannah. I can't seem to get enough. The worst part is waiting for the next one. Please not so long this time Ms. Hannah. I know you are busy. But writing like yours doesn't come along very often. Your books transcend time and place. They transport us into the world you create. Please just never stop writing.
  
If I Was Your Girl
If I Was Your Girl
Meredith Russo | 2017 | Children
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. The strange thing is she is really newly a girl as well. Having just left her old life behind and moving in with her father to finish her senior year, Amanda is hoping the school year will go off without any incidents. At her new school, she quickly makes friends and even meets a boy she is really interested in. Will she be able to go through keeping her secret or will her truth be revealed and she will have to relive all the horrible things she had just left behind.

When I first heard about this book, I was very intrigued by the description. When I finally got the book in my hand and read further about the author, I was a little shocked. LGBT books are not usually a genre I choose to read. I enjoyed the book and it helped to increase my awareness about these issues. I commend the author for tackling such a personal issue.
  
Everything, Everything
Everything, Everything
Nicola Yoon | 2015 | Children
10
8.3 (49 Ratings)
Book Rating
Everything Everything will have you fixed from the first page. Following the far from ordinary life of Madeline Whittier. Living her life practically in a bubble, separated from the outside world to keep her alive, she subdues her longing for a normal life by filling her life with books. She reads and rereads them and imagines all the lives that she could lead if she weren't sick. She isn't unhappy but she isn't unhappy, either. The life that she knows is all thrown into chaos when a new family moves in next door and she is almost immediately captivated by Olly, the young boy she sees moving and breathing in the outside air that she wishes she could partake in. Steadily becoming the teenager she should have been, she experiences longing, hope, love, heartbreak, and all the confusing emotions brought on by hormones and life experience. How will their fated story change her life and her world? I almost guarantee you won't be able to put this down.
  
Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck, Susan Shillinglaw | 2013 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.2 (50 Ratings)
Book Rating
Pros:
▪Short story
▪Descriptive writing
▪Strong plot
Cons:
▪Emotional
Moving into March strong, I wanted a quick read last night so picked this one out of my TBR. It took me approx 1 hour to read.
I read this one in school many years ago but hated it, absolutely hated it, the teachers make you judge it and for this reason I think this book is so underrated by many generations! If you previously read this in school and feel you hate it, I really suggest you try read it again, you'll appreciate it so much more.
The narrative is strong and descriptive, yet short and to the point, making it flow really nicely. I feel that this story is about the misunderstood and the unloved, the people who are over looked, judged and forgotten. It ends tragically for a very innocent and naive character. I felt much more of a connection to it this time round and felt the rollercoaster of emotions aswell. Despite this being a marmite book, this is a classic and always will be.
  
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Forced humor, cliches, and way too many jokes about male anatomy.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Okay, I'll start by saying that I did legit chuckle a few times watching Jumanji. I can't even recall why at this point, but there was definitely some laughter involved.

What stands out to me though (I watched the movie a few weeks ago) was all the things that annoyed me.


Like the African American kid from what appeared to be upper middle class whose mother made it seem like the team was his only hope of succeeding.


Also, the fact that it's of course the African American character in the game that is the one who loves alcohol and gets plastered without exercising any common sense.


Or, you know, the fact that it was just so funny to see Jack Black overplaying the 'female trapped in a man's body' thing to limp-wristing levels.


This movie could have been so much better than it was. But it was almost painful to watch. I was hoping we were moving past thinking that laughing at this type of crap was a good thing.
  
Oh man I love me some historical erotica. Something about it makes the sex especially delicious. And make no mistake, this book is HIGHLY erotic. If you don’t like that than you should look elsewhere. It’s not fair to give the book a low rating for being explicit when it is plain and clear in the descriptions just how erotic it is going to be. If sex isn’t your things, that’s fine. But don’t shame being who do enjoy it, however gratuitous it is.

Don’t be fooled though. As insignificant as it is, there is a plot. Enough to keep it the story moving between the erotic scenes. There is also some depth to the characters although it is not anything original as far as historical romances go. There is the hero with a troubled past the woman so deep in love with him, she couldn’t fall for anyone else.

Overall, the plot and characters weren’t spectacular, just interesting enough to keep me invested the HEA.
  
All the Crooked Saints
All the Crooked Saints
Maggie Stiefvater | 2017 | Paranormal, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
7.9 (13 Ratings)
Book Rating
Life changing reflection (0 more)
Slow to gain momentum (0 more)
Slow to suck you in, but then seriously moving
This book was so hard for me to get into. I restarted it four times - I'm confident that was a result of my self inflicted expectations.

The Crooked Saints are not the traditional fictional characters we have grown to expect from Maggie - they are instead a reflection, a little bit from each of us. They are the struggles that we each experience, and for some of us the self-actualization that helps us move successfully through life.

I thought that once I brought it home, I'd read this book in just a few hours. I was so excited by this prospect, that the fiction of my assumption actually shocked me. I was somewhat disappointed in myself for my delay, but as I went on to learn - some miracles take longer than others.

I love this book. I will place it with my favorites and go back whenever I need a reminder about the type of person I'd like to be.