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Merissa (12660 KP) rated Forgiven (Forgiven #1) in Books

Jan 26, 2021 (Updated Aug 7, 2023)  
Forgiven (Forgiven #1)
Forgiven (Forgiven #1)
Garrett Leigh | 2021 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
FORGIVEN is the first book in the Forgiven series, and we meet Luke and Mia. These two had an on-again/off-again relationship when they were younger until Luke left to join the Navy. Mia was upset and didn't forgive him... ever! She eventually left the village and moved to France. Now, she is back home for reasons explained and finds out Luke is also back in the village.

I have to say, this is not one of the best books by Garrett Leigh I have read. Although I enjoyed the storyline, especially the side story of who the stalker was, the relationship between Luke and Mia seemed just as messed up now they're adults as it was when they were teenagers. I know emotions are messy, but surely just one civil conversation wouldn't hurt?

Anyway, moving on. The story is well-written, and the pacing is smooth. I look forward to the next book in the series.

* 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!
Jan 26, 2021
  
Navy Seals vs. Zombies (2015)
Navy Seals vs. Zombies (2015)
2015 |
3
3.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Characters – LT Pete Cunningham is leading the Navy SEALS, he must put his trust in the newest member of the team in AJ, while trying to get the team through the hordes of zombies to prove once again that his team in the elite military team. Commander Sheer is running the operations from the military base, he doesn’t want to see his men take any unnecessary risks. VP Bentley is the man the team are sent to rescue, he is in the running for the next presidential race. AJ is he newest member of the SEALS team, he is about to become a father and this is his first mission as part of the team, where he must prove himself to the rest of the unit.

Performances – The performances in the film suffer because of the lack of interesting non-generic characters. none of the actors get a chance to show their skills as performers, with large parts of the film just being headless running around.

Story – The story here follows a Navy SEALS unit that must go into Baton Rouge to rescue the Vice president and the scientists behind the outbreak. This is everything a zombie story has given us before, we have a group of people running around a city trying to elude the zombies that outnumber them. We know the team will dwindle down as the film unfolds which is the normal. The starting point for the weaknesses comes from that fact this story is set in a world where zombie film don’t exist, which is clear by all the behaviour through the film. Most of the actual storytelling is saved for the closing of the film which fills in most of the blanks we don’t mention until then.

Action/Horror – The action in the film is just shooting zombies, it is nothing new and becomes overly repetitive after a while. The horror side of the film gives us zombies that run, they never feel like a threat to the anybody.

Settings – The film is set in Baton Rouge, which is considered a military area, I think, the truth is, it could have been any city without any major locations being shown.

Special Effects – The effects in the film are weak with even basic door explosion looking weak, the zombie look is acceptable for a low budget film.


Scene of the Movie – The explaining.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – The stupid decisions.

Final Thoughts – This is a basic zombie film that offers nothing new to the genre, it I filled with stupid decisions and generic action.

 

Overall: Basic zombie nonsense.
  
The Sea Before Us (Sunrise at Normandy, #1)
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
No matter how many books I read (Fiction and Non Fiction), there is always an aspect of WWII that I have yet to discover. The Sea Before Us is the perfect example. While I KNEW the Navy was heavily involved in D-Day, I have never thought about them doing much more than ferrying the men across the channel to Normandy. Sarah Sundin approaches D-Day from a new perspective.

It was fascinating and intense to read about this historic invasion of WWII form the sea. I stayed up waaaaay too late and at one point had to put the book down because my eyes would NOT stay open any longer...RIGHT in the middle of D-Day! I told the husband, "You KNOW I am tired when I put a book down in the middle of D-Day!"

If you have read any of Sarah's novels, you know that her research, quality, and characters are exceptional! You won't want to miss out on this brand new series centered around D-Day.

I received a complimentary copy of The Sea Before Us from the publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, #1)
Dauntless (The Lost Fleet, #1)
Jack Campbell | 2006 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
While I doubt this novel is going to win any awards for literature, I have to say that it is a good enough read: not brilliant, but not terrible either.

Written by a ex-navy man, it's easy to see the influnece of his career in the pages: this is 'real' science-fiction, not science-fantasy, with the space battles obeying the laws of physics as we know them. The plot outline is also somewhat remniscient of the new series of BattleStar Galactica, with a smaller rag-tag force being chased by a numerically superior foe. Ironically, this book was first released at around the same time as that series came on TV, with (in this edition) the author claiming that that WAS NOT an inspiration (in the interview at the end), as if he'd been thinking of BSG it woud've been the older series.

With the way the book opens I must also admit that, at first, I thought I'd missed something: the best corollary I can think of is as if the film Aliens (that's the one with the 'S') had started without the whole prologue of them finding Ripleys life pod: you'd be able to infer what had happened, but would be feeling a bit lost at first.
  
Lone Survivor (2014)
Lone Survivor (2014)
2014 | Action, Drama
Gripping and intense
Based on a true story, a team of American Navy SEALS is sent to Afghanistan in pursuit of a Taliban leader they must take out by any means necessary. They must make there way to the remote village where they discover their mission will be more difficult than expected due to the surprising number of enemy soldiers.

Once the firefight begins, the SEALS band together, use their wits, cunning and brute force to try and stay alive while waiting for pick up.

I was unaware of this story before seeing the film. You are enthralled and immersed in the characters almost immediately and become quickly invested in their fate. Their heroism is incredible and we should all be proud such remarkable human being exist and that they are sworn to protect the rest of us.

The gunfire action sequences are extremely intense. I'm not usually a jumper during movies, but this one made me quiver from a sudden gunshot or explosion several times. I believe this was the first Mark Wahlberg/director Peter Berg collaboration and it was a good one. Also check out Patriot's Day and Deepwater Horizon if you are in the mood for similar quality.