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Dominic has spent years perfecting his rock-hard shell, keeping his human heart under lock and key, for fear of getting hurt again. His brutal horrible father has tortured him for his softness and lack of black fire magic for years, and Dominic can’t handle any more. So he isn’t prepared for a kind, sweet, tender-hearted wife…

Cassandra has been raised in the catholic school, but trained in to fight in the rebellion as a death-dance assassin. She is sent to marry the son of the Imperial Fire Lord, so that she can get close enough to the Fire Lord to kill him. She knows it’s a death mission, and she’s fully prepared… but she’s not so sure she wants to part with Dominic once she breaks down his hard exterior shell.

As Dominic and Cassandra begin to love each other, Dominic starts to worry about Cassandra’s mission, and Cassandra worries about Dominic’s father trying to kill him. How can two people who love each other protect each other, if protection of the one ends with death for the other? And what of the evil Fire Lord’s hate towards the people and the rebellion against the elves?

I enjoyed The Fire Lord’s Lover from start to finish. The characters were developed quickly and I liked them, the dialogue felt right, and the pacing was great.

The most important thing about The Fire Lord’s Lover, the thing that made it good, was the character’s love for each other. It didn’t feel sappy and fake, centered around physical attraction. It was real and it had reason behind it. Cassandra and Dominic needed each other, and the people needed them together.

At first, I didn’t really like the ending. I almost got a little annoyed at it… but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it—a lot like It’s Not Summer Without You. I didn’t quite like it at first, even though I knew why Kennedy had done what she did… but then I thought back over it again, envisioned in my mind how it would play out, and was very pleased. I won’t spoil it! But I will say that it was surprisingly satisfying.

Content: I thought the love scenes were slightly overkill… I was literally skipping chunks of pages at a time (I don’t read the scenes). There was a little bit of language, but it wasn’t bad and I felt it was appropriate.

Recommendation: Ages 18+

I’ve got a giveaway for 2 copies of The Fire Lord’s Lover up for grabs, and (soon) my ARC will be available for swap at ARC Swap.
  
Pucked Over (Pucked, #3)
Pucked Over (Pucked, #3)
Helena Hunting | 2016 | Erotica, Humor & Comedy, Romance
9
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Hot!
The book in the series following the delectably naughty NHL team follows the dark and mysterious Randy (yes that’s right, his name is Randy, Randy Balls) and Lily the figure skater who didn’t quite hit if off when they met in #2.

Join them as they “just” have fun which becomes more...



I am not sure why I liked this one more than the last, but feel that perhaps the characters in this one are more relatable, and it’s massively heavy with intense energy! You can almost feel the longing between these two characters in the way its worded and their actions throughout! By the end I was almost ready to beg Randy (and Helena if it hadn’t of happened) for a happy ending between the two!
  
Lost Voices (Lost Voices, #1)
Lost Voices (Lost Voices, #1)
Sarah Porter | 2011 | Young Adult (YA)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm not particularly sure what I think about Lost Voices. Here's the basic rundown: Beautiful writing, interesting story, and gripping plot and pacing. Here's the problem: I didn't like most of the characters.

I liked the main character, Luce. She was smart and brave but a little sullen. And I couldn't figure out if I liked the queen of the mermaids. At first I hated her because I didn't trust her, and then at times I did like her, and she seemed bi-polar. Some of the other mermaid girls made me so mad I wanted to hit them. Especially the disloyal ones (There was a section where the girls started following someone else as their queen and she wasn't a good choice). Also on the loyalty aspect: I felt like out of all the girls (there had to be at least thirty by this section of the story) there had to be at least one besides Luce who was loyal to the other queen. It didn't make any sense. Those other mermaids frustrated me beyond all reason.

Back to the great side of the book, the writing was beautiful. It was enchanting and descriptive. There were parts that felt odd or out of place, and it would have been much better if it were from Luce's perspective (it was third person) but it was good and easy to read.

The book was addicting, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. The plot was interesting, the pacing was good, and there was tension all throughout the book. But the characters were frustrating. Maybe it was a good frustration, because I read it pretty quickly.

My only other complaint is the ending: It could have had a little more closure, or a little more promise. It was sort of like "oh, okay, so now it's over. now what? what happens next?" It reminded me a little of Cassandra Clare's endings (only it wasn't as horrible of a cliff-hanger).

Content/Recommendation: Some slightly emotionally disturbing references like rape, abuse, violence etc. but nothing explicit. No language. Ages 14+
  
The Bronze Horseman
The Bronze Horseman
Paullina Simons | 2001 | Fiction & Poetry
6
7.8 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
Well, the Bronze Horseman started off well enough. The love story between Tatiana and Alexander was beautifully written and engaging for the first two parts of the book. Then in the third part, entitled Lazarevo, the book fell apart. Barely any plot, I could have skipped it and not missed much at all. Not to mention Alexander took a turn for the worse. He always was a bit short-tempered before, but he was ten times worse and became way too possessive of Tatiana for me to consider this romantic at all. Truthfully, it didn't feel like it belonged in this book and nearly made me abandon the book altogether. Nevertheless, I trudged through the 157 pages and got to the fourth part. Finally. After reading the first page, the writing and story already appeared better, more like how the book started, but it didn't really catch my interest again until the last sixty pages. That was the turning point and now, after thinking I wouldn't, I probably will pick up the next installment of their story.

As far as the characters and plot, Tatiana will not be for everyone, she's pretty much a saint throughout the whole book. I mostly liked her, and yeah, sure she was a pushover, but hey, different time, different culture, I could accept that. What I had a hard time with was how Alexander kept seeing her (selfish, irredeemable) sister. What the heck? Why couldn't he have just broken it off with her? I never understood that, as it didn't seem to be a cultural thing, and it just ended up being a weak plot device. The war-time scenes were very good though and I could feel their hunger, their numbness, their fear, all of it was well done. So, as I said, I will read the next book and hope it continues with all the good this book had and very little of the bad.
  
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I was offered this it was described as being like 50 Shades of Grey and the Crossfire series. Having liked both of these I thought I’d give it a go. In a way it was like them: young girl meets wealthy business man and can’t deny the sexual attraction. Unfortunately for me, it didn’t quite measure up. It didn’t draw me in straight away.

In fact, it took me a while to get into it. That might have been down to Gustav’s attitude and the fact he wasn’t very good at explaining what he wanted. It put me off a bit, I guess, and I couldn’t always understand the attraction. Serena, too, was a bit of a puzzle. The way she reacted sometimes; though that could probably be put down to her age.

After finishing the story I’ve been left with some questions. Why wouldn’t Gustav kiss her until near the end? Why did he with-hold from having sex with her for so long? What sort of lifestyle were Gustav and his wife involved with before? And why were Serena’s “parents” so horrible to her?

I suppose since this is the first in the trilogy that we will get answers to some of these in the following books. If I’m honest, I’m not sure if I’d be interested in continuing the series, though that ending has most definitely whetted my appetite.

Overall it was a god story that kept me wondering where it was heading but for me, having read 50 Shades and the Crossfire series, it just didn’t quite do it for me.

That being said, don’t dismiss a book without at least trying it for yourself first.
  
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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) in Movies

Jun 28, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)  
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
2017 | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Twenty years after the events of the first film, the infamous board game has evolved into a video game and while cleaning out a school's basement serving detention, four teenagers find it and get sucked into the same jungle setting that Alan Parrish got sucked into all those years ago. Having become their avatars inside the game the only way out is to play along and finish it.



You see Jumanji, and instantly you think "bleurgh, they're not remaking it are they?!"

Having missed the Unlimited Screening because of my work Christmas do, I dragged myself out of bed to see the preview the next morning... and oh my god was it worth the early start. Honestly, I would watch it again in a heartbeat. It is just good old fashioned fun.

I wasn't sure how they were going to turn the board game into a video game, but I really liked the way they did it. From there on I was completely sold on it. I love all four of the main actors, and watching them playing teenagers was so entertaining. Jack Black has to be my hero, diva to a T. Little upsetting to see Bobby Cannavale as the baddie though, that's one fantasy man out of the window, can't go dreaming about him after seeing creepy crawlies all over him.

This one will definitely be in my DVD collection when it comes out, and yes, I will be shouting "Jumanji" out at the end.
  
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
2021 | Animation, Family
Of course I wasn't paying Premier prices for this! (This is how long ago I wrote this review, you can now watch it on your Disney+ subscription for free.) So instead I made it my first film back to the cinema for 7 months.

Kumandra was once a glorious place inhabited by humans and dragons in harmony. But when an enemy comes to ruin that, the dragons sacrifice themselves to save the humans. 500 years later the humans have learnt nothing from the sacrifice, and when greed takes hold of the tribes, the land is once again put in peril.

Essentially we're given a fantasy treasure hunt, that highlights the need for cooperation and community. That is definitely a strong point throughout the film. While it might not be based on something specific, it plays on a lot of different Asian cultures, the accuracy of which I'm afraid I wouldn't know. The different regions all had their own look and feel which I thought was a nice touch, but something felt like it needed more variety, and I'm not sure if that was something more diverse or different animation styles.

Of all the characters I actually found Raya to be the least engaging. Her eventual personality could be put down to how she''d grown up, but the choice to make her like that left me disliking her. Picking between her and Namaari was easy, Namaari's actions were consistent and she evolved in a positive way, and I really didn't feel that about Raya. I found her actions increasingly frustrating as the films went on.

The character that made this whole film for me was ninja baby and trickster, Noi. Plus her troop, The Ongis. I was roaring, and absolutely loved every scene they were in. The animation involved was so smooth and it perfectly fit their antics.

What I struggled with as I watched was the animation of Sisu. I liked the dragon style, and I liked the human style, but I didn't really like them together. Our human contingent seemed to be more traditional, and the dragons appeared to be more cartoonish in comparison. With Sisu, the mane and colours just stuck out and felt unnatural... yes, I know that's a ridiculous thing to say when talking about an animated dragon.

Voice cast in Raya and the Last Dragon was generally good, there wasn't anyone I would highlight over the others, but Sisu was the one that made me pause again. I'm growing to enjoy Awkwafina in films, but I'm not sure the pairing here was quite right.

I wasn't disappointed when I came out of the cinema, but at the same time I wasn't wowed. It didn't feel like a Disney offering, and I don't think I'll need to revisit it. There wasn't enough in it to hook my interest and keep me focused on anything that was happening. Perhaps it might have been different had Raya been a little less frustrating, but I don't think that would have given much of a boost to the film. I think what took me so long to publish this review was that I was having real trouble deciding on a score. I'm still not convinced by my choice, if I could put a shrug, I probably would.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2021/06/raya-and-last-dragon-movie-review.html
  
Winning Her (Perfect Stats #1)
Winning Her (Perfect Stats #1)
Amber Malloy | 2020 | Contemporary, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Winning Her is the first book in the Perfect Stats series and we focus on Bane and Dahl, both African-Americans and successful in their own ways. Bane is frustrated because he is blocked by the owner and the coach at the club he works for and constantly feels like he needs to be prepared for the chop. Dahl is an award-winning chef with plenty of TV shows and books behind her. At this point, she is helping her cousin with her restaurant in a vain attempt to keep it afloat.

Now, hold onto your hats, because there is LOT that goes on in this book. I'm still not actually sure when Bane crosses the line of wanting to get back at his ex-wife and just wanting her. I'm also not sure about a lot of went on in this book simply because there is so much. You have all the intrigue of the sports world, the cooking/baking world, drop-beat cousins, cheating cousins, a stalker nanny, (another) ex-wife and her anchor job, and a custody case - to name just a few 'themes' in this story. Due to this, it took me a while to get into it because I just couldn't figure out what was going on!

Once I got into it, I did enjoy the story but I had to work at it. I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and would love to know more about Warner. As for Bane and Dahl, I liked them but found the whole thing a bit too confusing for my tastes.

* 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!
  
Ryker (Owatonna U Hockey #1)
Ryker (Owatonna U Hockey #1)
RJ Scott, V.L. Locey | 2018 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Not sure I liked Ryker!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

**This review will be short, I really dislike writing the three star reviews!**

Ryker is hockey royalty, coming up as 4th generation championship winning players. Jacob works his family farm with his mum and dad. Both end up at hockey camp for the summer, and are polar opposites in most things. Sharing a room brings them closer, then camp is over and they are on opposite sides of the country. When Ryker switches college to be closer to Jacob, will Jacob let him?

I can't put my finger on why this one didn't work for me, and ya'll know how much that does my head in! So, here's what I DID like.

Both Jacob and Ryker have their say, so we get both sides of the coin. Both voices are clear and very different, and their voice is in the first person. Each change is clearly headed, and comes as the chapter changes.

I saw no spelling or editing errors to spoil my reading.

I tagged it as a short read, because it does NOT seem as long as the billed 196 pages! One sitting read, too.

There are some characters from the series this one spins off, and that makes me want to go back and read THEIR series, or at least, Jared and Ten (Ryker's dad and step dad) stories.

I just . . . .DON'T know what didn't work!

Or at least, that was what I thought when writing this review. Now I'm typing it up, I *think* it might be Ryker himself. I dunno, maybe. Possibly.

So, gonna leave it at that.

3 good solid but maybe not for me, stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
Yesterday (2019)
Yesterday (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Fantasy, Music
A part time musician and shop worker, Jack wants nothing more than to become a successful recording artist. He busks in the street and sings in various small venues with not much of an audience and soon realises he is getting nowhere and decides to quit performing. On his way home from his last gig, there's a blackout and Jack is hit by a bus ending up in hospital. Upon his release, he sings a beatles song for his friends and he comes to the realisation that the beatles have been wiped from existence as his friends had no idea who he was talking about. Jack sees this as the perfect opportunity to sing and perform their songs as if they were his own and he becomes an overnight success.

As someone who wasn't around when the beatles were around, I wasn't sure if I would like this movie, but I actually enjoyed it. I recognised many songs as I grew up with a dad who is a massive fan and even found myself singing along, though there were a few I had never heard of.

Ed sheeran is a surprisingly good actor too and makes a great addition to the cast, I did find it funny when his phones ringtone was one of his own songs.

The movie has a good mixture of drama and comedy, when it first started I expected it to be a slapstick comedy, but thankfully it wasn't that at all.

I quite liked the scene with John lennon, I've seen him in pictures and Documentaries and he looked so much like him. It was lovely to see what could have been.

The ending didn't end how I expected it to end, I won't spoil it but if you think of the ending of every movie where someone or something changes, for example switching bodies and you'll know what I mean.

Overall it was a good movie and I definitely recommend it, even if you're not a beatles fan.