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Canon’s PIXMA TS9150 is a stylish and feature-packed all-in-one inkjet colour printer, offering...
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Heartbreak for Hire in Books
Aug 19, 2021
A wreck of a romance
Brinkley Saunders tells everyone she works as an administrative assistant. But she really works at
Heartbreak for Hire, an undercover operation that specializes in a variety of revenge schemes for jilted lovers, annoyed coworkers, and more. She dropped out of grad school in the aftermath of a disastrous relationship--much to the despair of her mother--but the job helps Brinkley save for her dream of opening her own art gallery. However, when her boss Margo announces she's hiring male Heartbreakers for the first time, Brinkley starts questioning her purpose, especially when one of the new hires is a target she was paid to take down. Markus Cavanaugh is an adjunct anthropology professor at University of Chicago. He doesn't seem like the backstabbing academic she was told to go after... and as she gets to know Markus more and continues to question her role as a Heartbreaker, Brinkley realizes a lot of things aren't what they seem.
"I had my career, my cat, control. The Three C's of avoiding that hopeless cycle of loving someone who didn't love me back."
I feel awful, but this book just did not work for me at all. I almost didn't finish it, but I really try to complete all my ARCs. Ironically I hated most of it except the end, which was actually pretty good. But most of this one had me cringing. Brinkley's job is terrible and makes no sense--I couldn't even see how Heartbreakers and the division of "Egos, Players, Cheaters, and Grifters" would even possibly translate to the real world. Her boss is absolutely awful.
"If we trained men to break women's hearts, what did that say about our mission? What did that say about us?"
The book is filled with ridiculous contrived fights and plot-lines, and I didn't buy the relationship between her and Markus at all. They like each other, hate each other, rinse and repeat, with a bunch of silly "twists" thrown in over and over to keep them apart. Do something and stop whining (this applies equally to them both). It was just boring and stupid, and I couldn't handle all the bad decisions. If there's going to be conflict, I want it to be realistic, and if there's going to be romance, I want to buy into the couple and feel a genuine affection toward them. But with everyone being so hateful to each other, an entire profession created toward tearing people down, and a bunch of random contrived obstacles thrown up to keep Markus and Brinkley apart... I just couldn't handle it.
A lot of other people enjoyed this one far more than me, so hopefully you will too.
I received a copy of this book from Gallery Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
Heartbreak for Hire, an undercover operation that specializes in a variety of revenge schemes for jilted lovers, annoyed coworkers, and more. She dropped out of grad school in the aftermath of a disastrous relationship--much to the despair of her mother--but the job helps Brinkley save for her dream of opening her own art gallery. However, when her boss Margo announces she's hiring male Heartbreakers for the first time, Brinkley starts questioning her purpose, especially when one of the new hires is a target she was paid to take down. Markus Cavanaugh is an adjunct anthropology professor at University of Chicago. He doesn't seem like the backstabbing academic she was told to go after... and as she gets to know Markus more and continues to question her role as a Heartbreaker, Brinkley realizes a lot of things aren't what they seem.
"I had my career, my cat, control. The Three C's of avoiding that hopeless cycle of loving someone who didn't love me back."
I feel awful, but this book just did not work for me at all. I almost didn't finish it, but I really try to complete all my ARCs. Ironically I hated most of it except the end, which was actually pretty good. But most of this one had me cringing. Brinkley's job is terrible and makes no sense--I couldn't even see how Heartbreakers and the division of "Egos, Players, Cheaters, and Grifters" would even possibly translate to the real world. Her boss is absolutely awful.
"If we trained men to break women's hearts, what did that say about our mission? What did that say about us?"
The book is filled with ridiculous contrived fights and plot-lines, and I didn't buy the relationship between her and Markus at all. They like each other, hate each other, rinse and repeat, with a bunch of silly "twists" thrown in over and over to keep them apart. Do something and stop whining (this applies equally to them both). It was just boring and stupid, and I couldn't handle all the bad decisions. If there's going to be conflict, I want it to be realistic, and if there's going to be romance, I want to buy into the couple and feel a genuine affection toward them. But with everyone being so hateful to each other, an entire profession created toward tearing people down, and a bunch of random contrived obstacles thrown up to keep Markus and Brinkley apart... I just couldn't handle it.
A lot of other people enjoyed this one far more than me, so hopefully you will too.
I received a copy of this book from Gallery Books and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Adam Project (2022) in Movies
Mar 23, 2022
Family Friendly, fun, action/comedy
Ryan Reynolds is making a nice living, not only is he on the “A” list for such films as DEADPOOL and FREE GUY (a wonderful film that you have to check out if you haven’t seen it), He is also popping up in charming action/comedy films that go straight to Streaming on Netflix. Following the fun romp that was RED NOTICE (with Gal Gadot and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson), he is back in the Shawn Levy helmed THE ADAM PROJECT.
And while this film is not doing anything special, nor will it be nominated for any kind of awards, it is a fun, entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.
Family friendly, THE ADAM PROJECT, stars Reynolds as…you got it…Adam. A time traveling pilot who goes back in time to find his father - the inventor of time travel - and stop him. Along the way, her runs into his younger self, his mother and a very important person from Adam’s past…or rather…future…or…
You get the idea, it’s a time travel movie, so I wouldn’t get too caught up in “the rules” or dig too deeply into the plot.
Reynolds, of course, is charming as pilot Adam, ready with a laser gun and a quip. His quick wit and snappy banter is reminiscent of many, many other roles that Reynolds has played…and that is okay. He is joined by his younger self (dubbed Small Adam) who is played as a young Ryan Reynolds mimic very well by newcomer Walker Scobell. To be honest, Scobell is annoying early on in this film - and that is on purpose - for what is charming in the adult Reynolds is really annoying in a 12 year old.
Jennifer Garner (Mom), Mark Ruffalo (Dad) and Zoe Saldana (mysterious person from Adam’s past…I mean…future) are “professional” in their respective roles, bringing the right amount of whatever their character needs at the moment. Finally, surprisingly, indie film icon Catherine Keener is very good as the “bad buy” in this piece.
All of this is handled deftly by Shawn Levy (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM). His track record shows that he knows how to do these family friendly, action/comedy/adventure films and he does not disappoint here. He moves things along at a brisk enough pace to keep all interested while throwing in comedy and snappy banter along the way.
All-in-All, a very fun way to spend a couple of hours - certainly a good way to spend a crisp Spring evening whilst waiting for the warmer weather to arrive.
Letter Grade: B+
7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And while this film is not doing anything special, nor will it be nominated for any kind of awards, it is a fun, entertaining way to spend a couple of hours.
Family friendly, THE ADAM PROJECT, stars Reynolds as…you got it…Adam. A time traveling pilot who goes back in time to find his father - the inventor of time travel - and stop him. Along the way, her runs into his younger self, his mother and a very important person from Adam’s past…or rather…future…or…
You get the idea, it’s a time travel movie, so I wouldn’t get too caught up in “the rules” or dig too deeply into the plot.
Reynolds, of course, is charming as pilot Adam, ready with a laser gun and a quip. His quick wit and snappy banter is reminiscent of many, many other roles that Reynolds has played…and that is okay. He is joined by his younger self (dubbed Small Adam) who is played as a young Ryan Reynolds mimic very well by newcomer Walker Scobell. To be honest, Scobell is annoying early on in this film - and that is on purpose - for what is charming in the adult Reynolds is really annoying in a 12 year old.
Jennifer Garner (Mom), Mark Ruffalo (Dad) and Zoe Saldana (mysterious person from Adam’s past…I mean…future) are “professional” in their respective roles, bringing the right amount of whatever their character needs at the moment. Finally, surprisingly, indie film icon Catherine Keener is very good as the “bad buy” in this piece.
All of this is handled deftly by Shawn Levy (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM). His track record shows that he knows how to do these family friendly, action/comedy/adventure films and he does not disappoint here. He moves things along at a brisk enough pace to keep all interested while throwing in comedy and snappy banter along the way.
All-in-All, a very fun way to spend a couple of hours - certainly a good way to spend a crisp Spring evening whilst waiting for the warmer weather to arrive.
Letter Grade: B+
7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated In a Cottage In a Wood in Books
May 16, 2018
Published first on <a href="http://theghastlygrimoire.com/"; target="_new">The Ghastly Grimoire</a>
In a Cottage in a Wood by Cass Green releases tomorrow and I definitely look forward to seeing what my fellow Littens have to say about the title when they get their hands on it. For myself, I’m still a bit mixed. There are some things that Green does really well in this book and there are others that, quite simply, take far too long to unfold.
The main character in In a Cottage in a Wood is Neve Carey. After her relationship fails, she finds herself in a tenuous relationship with her sister and brother-in-law, who she’s been living with for a bit. Her fairy godmother appears in the form of a woman moments before she commits suicide, which begs the question: why? Thus readers follow Neve along as she stumbles through her sub-par life, whilst wearing her victim name-tag proudly.
Personally, I don’t care for Neve. Everything that has happened to her is a direct consequence of her own actions. In many rays, she reminds of me of The Girl on the Train‘s Rachel. A person cannot make poor life choices and then blame everyone around them for what follows – but Neve appears to do just that. And then, magically, she gets what she needs: a creepy cottage in the middle of nowhere. Because that is totally how life works. (Actually, I guess it kinda is. In many ways, those that need help can’t get it and those that don’t end up with more.) Her neighbors and family aren’t much better, and for that I must applaud Green’s ability to write some absolutely horrid individuals.
If you’re looking for an edge of your seat thriller, In a Cottage in a Wood is not what you want; however, if you want a slow simmer that builds up to an incredibly frustrating, heartrending finale, this is your book. While there are times where it feels as if the plot simply drags on, Green’s command of suspense is just enough to keep a reader hooked until the last page. The final twenty percent of the book flies by incredibly fast, revealing revelation after revelation. When it comes to plot twists, I’m not an easy person to take by surprise and yet Green has done just that.
It’s hard to decide what I want to rate this title. I’ve teeter-tottered between three and four stars, but ultimately I feel there is a lot of potential that isn’t quite met. There are things that I think would have made excellent additions to the story and while I’d love to share them, I can’t unless I want to give out spoilers. Without that, I think I’ll settle on three. It’s definitely a title I’d buy.
Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for providing me with an advance copy of this novel for the purpose of unbiased review.
In a Cottage in a Wood by Cass Green releases tomorrow and I definitely look forward to seeing what my fellow Littens have to say about the title when they get their hands on it. For myself, I’m still a bit mixed. There are some things that Green does really well in this book and there are others that, quite simply, take far too long to unfold.
The main character in In a Cottage in a Wood is Neve Carey. After her relationship fails, she finds herself in a tenuous relationship with her sister and brother-in-law, who she’s been living with for a bit. Her fairy godmother appears in the form of a woman moments before she commits suicide, which begs the question: why? Thus readers follow Neve along as she stumbles through her sub-par life, whilst wearing her victim name-tag proudly.
Personally, I don’t care for Neve. Everything that has happened to her is a direct consequence of her own actions. In many rays, she reminds of me of The Girl on the Train‘s Rachel. A person cannot make poor life choices and then blame everyone around them for what follows – but Neve appears to do just that. And then, magically, she gets what she needs: a creepy cottage in the middle of nowhere. Because that is totally how life works. (Actually, I guess it kinda is. In many ways, those that need help can’t get it and those that don’t end up with more.) Her neighbors and family aren’t much better, and for that I must applaud Green’s ability to write some absolutely horrid individuals.
If you’re looking for an edge of your seat thriller, In a Cottage in a Wood is not what you want; however, if you want a slow simmer that builds up to an incredibly frustrating, heartrending finale, this is your book. While there are times where it feels as if the plot simply drags on, Green’s command of suspense is just enough to keep a reader hooked until the last page. The final twenty percent of the book flies by incredibly fast, revealing revelation after revelation. When it comes to plot twists, I’m not an easy person to take by surprise and yet Green has done just that.
It’s hard to decide what I want to rate this title. I’ve teeter-tottered between three and four stars, but ultimately I feel there is a lot of potential that isn’t quite met. There are things that I think would have made excellent additions to the story and while I’d love to share them, I can’t unless I want to give out spoilers. Without that, I think I’ll settle on three. It’s definitely a title I’d buy.
Thanks to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for providing me with an advance copy of this novel for the purpose of unbiased review.
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated Long Black Veil in Books
May 16, 2018
Last month, I received my first physical review copy of a book: Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan. I heard about the title through a friend of mine and, after I reading its synopsis, I felt excited. Despite the story's label as a thriller, the majority of the story focuses on Judith Carrigan and her secrets. The plot's so-called mystery is a minor detail in this narrative.
I don't do a lot of research before I read a recommended book. For the most part, I look at its genre, the back cover blurb, and its general rating. I don't read other reviews until after I complete the book. By doing this, I avoid pre-conceived notions of a story's characters. With that in mind, there are details of this book I will not discuss. Some of this is due to a desire to keep this spoiler free. Others are not my story to tell. These facts help to define Judith as a character, but they do not exonerate her.
A dark past isn't uncommon. For Judith, there are skeletons in her closet capable of destroying her entire life. She can either sacrifice what she has built and save an innocent man or let things unfold. It is this latter option that she leans toward and, as a result, she strikes me as being nearly as selfish as Flynn's Amy Dunne in Gone Girl. I have mixed feelings about Long Black Veil because of this. Part of me wants to comfort Judith while another part of me wishes to throttle her.
Despite centering around Judith instead of the decades old mystery than haunts her, Boylan excels at creating an intriguing narrative. It's the passion with which she writes Judy that warms my heart to her, that provides me with the ability to feel even a modicum of sympathy for her struggles. Like all of us, Judy has a right to happiness. Boylan pens Judith beautifully as she reaches for that penultimate feeling that eludes many of us.
In stark contrast to my complaint regarding the story centering around Judith, Boylan somehow manages to give readers too many insights into this unraveling mystery. The story beings with six characters. Seven, to be technical. Throughout its pages, we end up with no less than six different perspectives. This makes it a difficult to follow at times, especially in regards to Judith's memories. (Again, this is a detail you will discover by reading the book, so I will not divulge it.)
Boylan succeeds, despite the plethora of perspectives, at keeping the story moving along. The further in you read, the more twists you encounter - some of which threw me off entirely. While this is not one of my favorite titles and likely will not merit a re-read, it was not unpleasant.
I would like to thank Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book for the purpose of unbiased review.
I don't do a lot of research before I read a recommended book. For the most part, I look at its genre, the back cover blurb, and its general rating. I don't read other reviews until after I complete the book. By doing this, I avoid pre-conceived notions of a story's characters. With that in mind, there are details of this book I will not discuss. Some of this is due to a desire to keep this spoiler free. Others are not my story to tell. These facts help to define Judith as a character, but they do not exonerate her.
A dark past isn't uncommon. For Judith, there are skeletons in her closet capable of destroying her entire life. She can either sacrifice what she has built and save an innocent man or let things unfold. It is this latter option that she leans toward and, as a result, she strikes me as being nearly as selfish as Flynn's Amy Dunne in Gone Girl. I have mixed feelings about Long Black Veil because of this. Part of me wants to comfort Judith while another part of me wishes to throttle her.
Despite centering around Judith instead of the decades old mystery than haunts her, Boylan excels at creating an intriguing narrative. It's the passion with which she writes Judy that warms my heart to her, that provides me with the ability to feel even a modicum of sympathy for her struggles. Like all of us, Judy has a right to happiness. Boylan pens Judith beautifully as she reaches for that penultimate feeling that eludes many of us.
In stark contrast to my complaint regarding the story centering around Judith, Boylan somehow manages to give readers too many insights into this unraveling mystery. The story beings with six characters. Seven, to be technical. Throughout its pages, we end up with no less than six different perspectives. This makes it a difficult to follow at times, especially in regards to Judith's memories. (Again, this is a detail you will discover by reading the book, so I will not divulge it.)
Boylan succeeds, despite the plethora of perspectives, at keeping the story moving along. The further in you read, the more twists you encounter - some of which threw me off entirely. While this is not one of my favorite titles and likely will not merit a re-read, it was not unpleasant.
I would like to thank Blogging for Books for providing me with a copy of this book for the purpose of unbiased review.