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Merissa (12841 KP) rated Speechless in Books

Oct 11, 2023  
Speechless
Speechless
Rachel Grey | 2023 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
SPEECHLESS - that's what I am after reading this story! For any Release, let alone a debut, this was absolutely fantastic. However, do take notice of the TW as there is a part that some readers may not be comfortable with.

Jade has lived through hell, and now her abusive father is dead, she thinks she's finally free. Having been kept on the farm with no one else, not even her mother, and no education to speak of, Jade is both innocent and wise to the world. When her home is found by two Alphas, she tries to hide, unsuccessfully. They take her back to their Pack and proceed to claim her - for her own safety, of course. But Jade doesn't want to be claimed and has no knowledge of what is expected from her in their eyes. She can't fight back physically so she shuts them out instead.

What follows is an intricate layering of expectations and reality. Told from multiple perspectives, you get to see the inner workings of all of them. I loved Jade's strength in adversity and the size of her heart when she forgives. I loved all the Alphas (although it was definitely in question for a time!) and Brody was just a cinnamon roll to give you cavities! This little family won me over with their recognition of doing wrong and their attempts to make amends.

One thing to mention - 'that' non-con scene. It's not gratuitous. It's there for a reason, and it's not shock value. It plays an integral part in the story, showing how the Alphas believe they are doing the right thing, but also showing how terrifying it is for Jade, who has absolutely no knowledge of the human body. No, it's not comfortable reading. There's no way in hell it should be. But it is so extremely well-written. If you can, read it, don't skip it.

The ending was simply superb. I adored the last sentence! I really hope we return to this world. I would love to know how they are all getting along, or maybe have cameos from them as we find a new family to tag along with.

Absolutely brilliant and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me. Just remember the TWs.

** 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; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Oct 3, 2023
  
S(
Steel ( Bracken Ridge Rebels MC book 1)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
120 of 230
Kindle
Steel ( Bracken Ridge Rebels MC book 1)
By Mackenzy Fox
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

Bracken Ridge Arizona, where the Rebels M.C. rule and the only thing they ride or die for more than their club is their women, this is Steel’s story

Steel: I’m not meaning to get involved, really it’s not my fault. I’m the Sergeant at Arms of Bracken Ridge Rebels M.C. and it’s my job to look out for the club, ensure ongoing safety and above all else refrain from violence, where absolutely necessary. I don’t do anything by halves. But that’s before Sienna Morgan waltzed into town acting like she owns the place, and now she does, well the clubhouse at least. One minute I’m sent to extract an offer to give us back what’s rightfully ours, the next she’s on the back of my sled and I’m about to lose my mind. I don’t do romance and I’m not looking for an ol’ lady, but that’s all about to change. I don’t mean to make her mine, but then again, rules are meant to be broken and I’m on the right side of wrong.

Sienna: He’s bad. He’s mean. He’s kind of hot in a 'don’t mess with me' kind of way. But I’m no fool, I know this town’s run by bikers and I have something they want, something they need. I just never thought it would come to this and I’d be in the middle of a mess I may not be able to get out of. The more I try to run the closer he gets. I don’t know if I can keep resisting but my own haunted past lurks in the shadows, ready to pounce if I let it. I fear Steel may become an addiction but I can’t let that happen, I can’t let him get too close because if I do, he may just break me in half for good.

I really enjoyed this it’s exactly as you expect it too be! I did fall in love with Steel from the start he’s definitely a character you’d want to find down a dark alley. The balance of story and spice was well written and you actually got brought into the world. I’m not used to MC books that don’t involve a supernatural element so this was a new one for me and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m already looking forward to finding out more about these men.
  
Legends Untold: The Weeping Caves Novice Set
Legends Untold: The Weeping Caves Novice Set
2019 | Adventure, Card Game, Exploration, Fantasy, Roleplaying
Small box, big on content (3 more)
Short playtime
Well written, easy to follow rules
Good replayability
Roll to resolve can be harsh (0 more)
A Deep, Strategic Exploration Adventure
Played my first game of Legends Untold, a superb RPG card game with a focus on skill checks and exploration rather than combat.

There are two different games in this series - The Weeping Caves and The Great Sewers. Both play the same but come with different characters, events and locations.

The promise is simple - choose a single scenario (8 available in each set) or play the story campaign (one 8 episode campaign in each set) and set off exploring. You control 1-4 characters who are normal villagers that have taken up arms and gone adventuring (the campaign has you leading the rest of your village to a new place of safety).

As you make your way through the caves (or sewers), you have to decide which path to take and whether you will be stealthy. Different paths have different levels of light which can affect whether you spot traps or gain surprise on enemies or they see you first. When you enter a new location you roll 3d6 and check your awareness against the light level on the new location. If you pass, you are aware and gain bonuses but if you fail you will get negative modifiers to some tests and could trigger traps.

The location cards have great artwork and can be laid out in any position (lining up exits) which makes the map look great and very different from the regimented layout of other games.

Once you've dealt with any goes, you can explore your surroundings and hopefully gain some loot to help you deal with things.

Everything is resolved with skill tests, rolling 3d6 and adding your characters attribute in a relevant skill plus any modifiers (pluses for being aware, minuses for being careless, etc) from equipment or talents.

There are 4 characters to choose from and an array of weapons, items and talents. The rules give you recommended setups for each character or you can create your own. As you play through, you will level up, gaining upgraded weapons and more talents to help you along. This makes for a great deal of replayability.

The mechanisms while seem daunting at first are intuitive and mesh together really well. The rule book is fantastic and written in such a way that you can start setting up the game and start aging while reading along. Everything is clearly laid out with an index and glossary as well as some handy refer me cards so checking a rule is quick and easy.

If you want a great, quick adventure game, Legends Untold is well worth a look.
  
IB
I'll Be Home for Christmas
Tom Becker | 2016
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
<i>This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>

Christmas can be a very difficult time for many people, especially if they are homeless. A selection of well known YA authors including Holly Bourne, Melvin Burgess and Marcus Sedgwick, have come together to produce an anthology of short stories that explore the idea of “home” during this festive period. Only a couple of the tales are about people living on the streets, however that does not mean those with a roof over their head necessarily have a home.

Once published, £1 of every copy of<i> I’ll Be Home for Christmas </i>sold will be donated to the British charity Crisis, an organization that offer their services to individual homeless citizens. They work all year round but advertise more heavily at Christmas. It is their hope that this book will increase awareness of homelessness and result in an increase of generosities this winter.

The fourteen short stories in this anthology all provide a different meaning of the word “home.” For some it is about having somewhere to live, for others it is about family, love and safety. The key connection between each author’s interpretations is the main character is unhappy or worried and does not feel a sense of home. A few tales result in a happy ending; unfortunately others are not fully resolved. Apart from a couple that take a sci-fi/fantasy direction, the authors have tried to keep their narratives as true to life in order to emphasise the problems many people in the UK, if not the world, face at Christmas and the year in general.

Being targeted at a young adult audience, most of the characters are in their late teens, dealing with issues that sadly many teenagers and children are faced with today. The same themes crop up in many of the stories, such as homosexuality, divorce, family or lack of, and the feeling of loneliness.

As stories go, the individual tales are nothing special. They are not exciting or gripping, as you would expect a novel to be, however some of the scenarios will stick with you long after turning the final page. Although set at Christmas time, these stories are not overly festive, largely due to the negativity the characters are facing. Even if you do not particularly enjoy the tales, it will not be a waste of time reading them. They will leave you with a greater awareness to the struggles of others during a time when “home” plays a vital part in people’s lives. Crisis hopes that the general public will become more mindful and willing to help out in the near future.
  
London Has Fallen (2016)
London Has Fallen (2016)
2016 | Action
8
6.1 (22 Ratings)
Movie Rating
A Few years after saving the President in “Olympus Has Fallen”; Mike Banning (Gerard Butler), returns to save the day in “London Has Fallen”. When the Prime Minister of England dies unexpectedly, the leaders of the world gather in London to attend the funeral. The lack of advance preparations necessitated by the sudden passing makes security teams very nervous as several of the most prominent Western leaders are going to be gathered in one place. Banning is waiting for the birth of his first child and is contemplating resigning from the Secret Service despite his long-standing friendship with President Asher (Aaron Eckhart). Despite this, Banning nonetheless agrees to accompany the president to London to provide his security detail with his leadership and experience.

Banning decides to shake things up a bit and deviate from their posted itinerary which keeps their exact travel schedule known only to himself and a couple others. Things seem to be going as planned when a series of devastating attacks erupt all over London. Not knowing who can be trusted and where the enemy will strike next, Banning and the President are forced to battle an enemy that seems to be everywhere and always anticipating their plans as they attempt to reach safety.

from an action film. There are plenty of solid car chases, firefights, explosions, intrigue, and of course an abundance of bad guys for the hero to dispatch. The film works well as Banning is not afraid to let his emotions show but is also steadfast in his duty to protect the President no matter the cost. Banning is not an unstoppable killing machine or the one man army that is so common amongst action films as he is a dangerous and skilled person who is still able to admit he cannot do this alone and seeks help when it is needed.

Eckhart is given more to do this time out than simply play hostage and it is great to see him getting down and dirty at times when the action heats up. The film does take some moments to indulge in what many might call flag-waving jingoism with its over-the-top patriotic message which considering Butler’s Scottish heritage does seem a bit out of place at times. That being said, “London Has Fallen”, is a rare sequel that is as good if not better than the original and Director Babak Najafi keeps the film moving at a breakneck pace yet keeps the film a character driven story that never lets up once the action revs up.

Here is hoping that Banner and Asher have another outing in the near future as “London Has Fallen” is a real surprise and a great thrill ride from start to finish.

http://sknr.net/2016/03/04/london-has-fallen/
  
Abduction (2011)
Abduction (2011)
2011 | Action, Mystery
6
5.4 (5 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: Abduction starts as we meet rebellious high school student Nathan (Lautner) that is under strict training from his parents Kevin (Isaacs) and Mara (Bello) as well as his therapist Dr Bennet (Weaver) helping him control his anger problems. Nathan gets assigned to work with his high school crush Karen (Collins) in the latest project, which involved looking at missing children’s websites only to discover one of the kids looks just like him.

When Nathan learns the truth, he finds himself getting targeted and Nathan is wondering just who to trust with Dr Bennett, Agent Burton (Molina) or Kozlow (Nyqvist) in what will turn into a race against time to find safety.

 

Thoughts on Abduction

 

Characters/Performance – Nathan is a rebellious high school student, struggling with girls, studying and generally fitting in. he learns that he is in fact adopted but this opens the doors for people coming to capture him leaving him one option, running. Karen is the crush of Nathan and ends up in the middle of the chase also running for her life. Burton is the CIA operative trying to bring Nathan in before Kozlow can get his hands on him. Kozlow is a European enemy that came to America in search for Nathan for bargaining, nothing overly fancy about this character. Dr Bennett, Mara and Kevin all have a secret about what is going on with Nathan.

Performance wise, we all know Taylor Lautner isn’t known for his acting and it does clearly show here. Lily Collins is similar, while she has come a long way now back here she struggles. When we look at the older respected actors we get good supporting performances without shinning on any levels.

Story – The story follows the idea of a teenager learning his parents are not his parents leaving him on the run from enemies he doesn’t know who to trust. Having two teenagers outsmart CIA, international enemies and normal cops does come off rather farfetched which in places does nothing but disappoint in this film. as for entertainment value, this is simple enough for the fans of the genre.

Action/Mystery – The action is everything you expect with no extra special moments but the mystery about Nathan’s true identity is what is the only interesting part of the film.

Settings – Being on the run leaves us going through a string of generic settings for this type of film.

Special Effects – All the effects are fine without being anything special.

Final Thoughts – This is a film that has its flaws sure, but once it gets going it can become an edge of your seat thriller.

 

Overall: Simple, average and forgettable action film.

https://moviesreview101.com/2018/01/23/abduction-2011/
  
40x40

Darren (1599 KP) rated Air (2015) in Movies

Jun 20, 2019  
Air (2015)
Air (2015)
2015 | Mystery, Sci-Fi
5
5.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Story: Air starts in the future when the world has gone through a war, the remaining people live in a bunker in sleep chambers, engineers Bauer (Reedus) and Cartwright (Hounsou) both awaken on a routine cycle to check the equipment before returning to their chambers, but when a fire causes them to lose one of their chambers, they must work together with the resources they have because in 2 hours their air supply runs out.

As the clock ticks down the two must face moral decisions which involve risks to the fellow the sleepers in their bunker but finding a way for them both to get back to sleep is the most important part and any means necessary.

 

Thoughts on Air

 

Characters – Bauer seems to be the most resourceful of the two technicians in the chamber, he plays things safe and makes sure he knows the damage of any effect the men do. Cartwright seems to be the one who is about to lose his mind, he has visions of his wife who makes him make the decisions he does. While it could be argued these two men are meant to be considered the lower lives of the selected neither of them is made out to be the good guy while both find themselves making bad decisions through the film.

Performance – Both Norman Reedus and Djimon Hounsou are great actors but in this role the two just don’t give their best performances and end up not helping us care about either character.

Story – The story should work, we have the world ending with the only survivors in sleeping pods with two technicians watching over them every so many months or years. The problems here are clear, we have two unlikable characters who while they do take a step back to solve the problem it does just turn into a mindless battle of who will get the upper hand.

Sci-Fi/Thriller – The sci-fi side of the film comes from idea the world has ended and now the few survivors are underground, we are left wondering how the two men could survive with the only one chamber.

Settings – The film is set within the chamber, it shows the unclear feeling of what is outside and the fear of what is happening with no safety in the chamber.

Special Effects – The effects are used well with most being practical until we see the outside world which is as bleak as we are expecting.

That Moment That Annoyed Me – I just didn’t care about the two characters.

Final Thoughts – This is a sci-fi film that we have seen before, we have seen better before but we have seen worse too and lacks the pace we need in the film.

 

Overall: Disappointing thriller.

https://moviesreview101.com/2018/06/01/air-2015/
  
PT
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
When an aggressive admirer pursues Lucetta Plum, she must flee for her own safety. You will find danger, mystery and love in Playing the Part. Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?

About the Book

In 1884, Lucetta Plum is a well known actress on the stage in New York City. Despite her many attempts to discourage
the ever persistent Silas Ruff, he is determined to make Lucetta his. Being the strong-willed, independent woman that she is, Lucetta wishes for no man to be infatuated with her. With a new drive to possess the beautifully unique Miss Plum, Silas arrives back in New York unexpectedly. Lucetta must escape the city with none other than Mrs. Abigail Hart, the scheming matchmaker who took Harriet, Millie and Lucetta into her care. Determined to see Lucetta settled with her own grandson, Mr. Bram Haverstein, Mrs. Hart suggests they flee to his castle of Ravenwood. Surprisingly, upon their arrival Lucetta finds that Mr. Haverstein holds a particular actress in high regard. But is Lucetta really the person he believes her to be? With an unconventional staff and secretive habits, Lucetta is unsure what to make of Bram. When there appears to be some strange goings on at Ravenwood, Lucetta is convinced that the castle and it's owner are of a peculiar nature. Will their pasts and their secrets be enough to keep them apart? Or will she allow God to heal her pain, allowing her to trust again?

My Thoughts

Jen's books are always an absolute delight to read! I have never laughed so much while reading a single book (except maybe Jen's other books). Playing the Part is not only full of witty dialogue, it is also full of truth. It is so easy for us to think that we know someone. To judge by appearances or by profession. But do we see the heart? Do we really know the person who is just playing a part that they think is required of them? God created each and every one of us individually and uniquely. We should never hide our true self, but proudly play the part that God has given us! I found every chapter full of surprises and mystery. A continuous page turner and a thrilling adventure. All the time, rooting for Lucetta and that she would find the freedom to truly be the person God created her to be. Although this book can stand alone, I strongly suggest starting at the beginning of the series with After a Fashion, followed by the second book In Good Company I highly recommend this book (and series) to anyone who loves a witty adventure!

I received a free copy of Playing the Part from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review for Celebrate Lit blog tour.