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The Beach House: A Shimmer Pointe Romance (Book 1)
The Beach House: A Shimmer Pointe Romance (Book 1)
Sterling Keyes | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance
8
9.2 (6 Ratings)
Book Rating
When Charlotte Winters returns to Shimmer Pointe Beach to settle her father's affairs, she's not sure what she is going to do next. Not only with the stuff in his house, but also with the rest of her life. She has just filed for divorce from her husband of 10 years after she caught him cheating. She's not sure if she will stay in the family beach house or return to life in Seattle. But when Charlotte meets Theo, things get even more confusing. She's not ready to start another relationship, but she also can't imagine her life without Theo in it.

Thank you to Sterling Keyes for the opportunity to read and review her book.

This book was a short romance that had me hooked from the start. Immediately I wanted to be Charlotte's friend and help her through her difficult time. Imagine living on the other side of the country from your family and slowly losing the closeness you once had. Losing them would be a tragic event, but even more tragic is deciding what to do with all of the things they have left behind. Finding a man while completing this task was the last thing on Charlotte's mind, but Theo was a good friend and companion to her father, so they couldn't help coming together.

Theo is not looking for a relationship either, but when he meets Charlotte Winters, things are very different. Not only is she the daughter of his friend who is now gone, but there is something about her that he just can't seem to resist.

These two were brought together for a reason. Love is the reason.

I highly recommend this short love story to all my romance lovers!!
  
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
2018 | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
When I was younger, my mom and I would get all dressed up and we would take a special holiday trip up to Seattle to see The Nutcracker. I was captivated by the costumes, dancing and the story. When I found out that a film was being made based off of the famed ballet I was very excited especially with Disney behind it.

Clara is given a gift for Christmas that requires a one of a kind key. To find this key she must follow a piece of string that leads her into a world full of magic and mystery but is in a state of disrepair. Along the way she meets many different characters who want to help her find the key and restore harmony within the lands.

The film in its entirety is visually stunning and equally entertaining. In a way, the film sort of reminds me of Alice In Wonderland as it has a very Tim Burtone-sque feel to it. The star studded cast made the film that much better. It was lovely seeing Mackenzie Foy all grown up, the beautiful Keira Knightly with her somewhat annoying high pitched character voice, Morgan Freeman and Dame Helen Mirren’s amazing acting and Misty Copeland’s beautiful dancing just to name a few.

It is certainly refreshing to see a new twist on a classic story. I am pleased that they didn’t do away with the dancing along with the most familiar score listened to during the holidays. The CG sets were amazing with bold colors that made the film very visually appealing. It encapsulates an entertaining and adventurous story along with humor and excellent acting. In my book, that is the perfect recipe for a great film. I look forward to adding this one to my ever growing movie collection.
  
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Ross (3284 KP) rated Tell Me Lies in Books

Jan 28, 2020  
Tell Me Lies
Tell Me Lies
Ed James | 2020 | Crime
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A change in style for James
I received a free advance copy of this book from the publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ed James' new series takes place in Seattle rather than the UK-based series he has penned to date. There is also a change in subject, focusing on child abductions rather than the standard "murrdurr" fayre.
Special Agent Max Carter is tasked with tracking down a senator's abducted children. With the clock ticking, we see the action from the abductor's PoV as well as Carter's and the father's. The senator finds himself trying to help the abductor of his children to uncover a government conspiracy in which he may have been involved. The mix of different perspectives allows the story to flow with a good pace, with different angles of the emerging story adding up for the reader in way they wouldn't yet do for the characters. In the middle of the book the investigation did start to feel a little samey (both the FBI agents and the abductor/senator teams going through the same leads one after the other), but this didn't last long.
The change in location sadly comes with a change in writing style and this was a downside for me. I like James' flowing narrative and the American tone and style were quite jarring. I would say more American than genuine American authors. However once I accepted this it did not spoil my enjoyment of the book as a whole.
The ending of the story was mostly satisfying but with some loose ends that I hope to see addressed in subsequent books.
A departure for James' readers but worth the trip, and a good book for fans of Harlan Coben and David Baldacci.