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Suvi's Revenge (Dark Warrior Alliance #6)
Suvi's Revenge (Dark Warrior Alliance #6)
Brenda Trim, Tami Julka | 2021 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
152 of 250
Kindle
Suvi’s Revenge ( Dark Warrior Alliance book 6)
By Brenda Trim and Tami Julka

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

Suvi is the youngest of the Rowan triplets and prefers high heels to combat boots and parties to battles. Unfortunately, lately, she finds herself fighting more than she does drinking martinis. If she isn't rebuilding the business she shares with her sisters, she's searching for their archenemy, Cele. The way Suvi sees it, they've done their part and it's time for a celebration, but that isn't in the cards for her. The moment she has dreamt of her entire life happens when she meets her Fated Mate, yet she isn't able to plan the party of the century. Instead, she and her sisters have seventy-two hours to investigate a murder, locate a rogue vampire, stop an evil witch from stealing their powers and save her mate from a death sentence. She wants nothing more than to spend her days and nights in sensual oblivion with her vampire, but the clock is ticking. Caine DuBray's world is upended when he wakes up next to a human female that has been drained dry. As the only vampire on scene, her death is immediately pinned on him. He believes he is innocent, but the problem is that he can't recall the details of their date. Rather than executing him immediately, the Vampire King takes pity on him and gives him three days to prove his innocence. He discovers that one of the witches he is directed to is his Fated Mate. Their passion sets him on fire and leaves him desperate for the chance to spend eternity with the sexy witch.


This was a pretty good short bordering 3.5 stars. It’s good to see the sister are now al mated. I’m a bit unsure the Cele is really dead though as she was planning a clone! I don’t think we’ve seen the last of her it seemed to easy! I do love our little visits to the realm!
  
A Lady to Treasure
A Lady to Treasure
Marianne Ratcliffe | 2023 | Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
very much fade to black and I liked that!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.

This is, I think, the first I've read of this author, and I really enjoyed it.

I'm not afraid to say I like my books on the steamier and smexier side, you know I'm not but what I liked the most about this was the fact that there is NO smexy stuff!

Oh, don't get me wrong, there is love and passion and emotions all over the place but it's very much a fade to black book, and I liked that it was.

Louisa is in a tricky spot, having been sent by her father to secure a husband in England with enough money to save his business. Sarah is just trying to keep a head above herself; her sister; her father and stepmother and the waste of space that is her stepbrother.

Several marriage offers later, and a terrible attack on Louisa and the ladies realise that they need each other. But Sarah has been alone for so long and accepting the help and love that Louisa offers is hard and she pushes her away, often. Tragedy strikes and Sarah knows to where he must go for help.

I think the thing I struggled the most with, was how long this book is. There is a huge amount of back story, that seemed to drag on. Back stories are great, but I found myself skipping huge chunks. I didn't feel I missed anything by doing so, so maybe they didn't need to be there.

I loved the supporting cast. Eleanor especially, was a joy, even if she was shunned by most of "polite society" in those days.

I didn't feel anything from either woman about what might happen if they let themselves love on each other, you know? Neither were bothered by their feelings and what might happen. Found that a bit odd, given the time they lived in. The romance element sort of popped up too, there didn't seem to be any build up!

But all in all, a nice read, with some drama and some passion; some love and some danger.

4 stars

*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2021)
2021 | Biography, Drama, History
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
1/2 of a GREAT Movie
It is a fun surprise to be perusing all the streaming services available and tripping across a very entertaining film that, heretofore, was unknown.

Such was the case with THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN - a biography (of sorts) of the eponymous English painter, known for his fanciful portraits of cats.

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch (in the title role) and Written and Directed by Will Sharpe (BLACK POND) based on a story by Simon Stephenson (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Sharpe), THE ELECTICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN is 1/2 of a very good (maybe even GREAT) film that falls apart in the 2nd half.

The first half of this film finds the eccentric Wain finding love and discovering his artistic talent. It is this 1/2 of the film that draws you in - and must have been what drew the talents of Sharpe, Claire Foy (Queen Elizabeth in the first few seasons of THE CROWN) and Cumberbatch to this film. Cumberbatch, of course, is superb as Wain (especially in this first half) and his chemistry with Foy (who plays his love interest/wife) is tremendous and IS the reason to see this film.

However, the film shifts focus, by necessity, in the 2nd half to the rising stardom of Wain and his descent into madness. Toby Jones (as his benefactor) and the always under-rated Andrea Riseborough (OBLIVION) take center stage with Cumberbatch in this part of the film and the love, fun, whimsey and depth of the first 1/2 of the film disappears. Riseborough, particularly, suffers from a poorly written role where her character - Wain’s disapproving sister - is (in essence) the “bad guy”, so Sharpe and Stephenson replace love, warmth and support with disapproval, anger and madness. While this is true to the life that Wain lived, it didn’t make for a particularly interesting 2nd half of a film.

Come for Benedict’s and Foy’s chemistry and performances, stay for the rest because…well…it’s still pretty good.

Letter Grade: B

7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
  
Kynhaven (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #3)
Kynhaven (Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria #3)
Sarah Westill | 2022 | Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
KYNHAVEN is the third full-length novel in the Gen-Heirs: The Guardians of Sziveria series, and we start off with a tragedy. Cora, Mason's twin sister, who we have met in previous books is viciously murdered. Mason is shattered by this news and, with the help of his team, quickly find the killer. As they deal with him, they find out that he had more than one victim, but only one survivor. This sends Mason off to find them, to learn all he can. This leads him to Jessi. She is broken but living, finding peace in tending to her bees. Mason awakens something in her, and her future looks promising. Things change though, and she can't stay where she is forever. She's survived a sadistic killer but will she survive Sziveria Society?

This story moves along at a steady pace, giving the reader time to take in all the emotions and plots that keep it interesting and intriguing. There are 'guest appearances' from previous couples, which is always nice to see and you get an idea of how their lives are moving along.

Mason is the perfect gentleman in this story. He gives Jessi all the power and moves along at her pace, accepting her rejections with grace and dignity, which is just what she needed. Jessi is stronger than she realises and faces challenge after challenge, some of which come from close to home. Trust me, motherly love isn't really a thing in this book!

The overall story arc is also moving along nicely, giving snippets as necessary, whilst still allowing for the romantic storyline to take shape.

There are some steamy moments that show the growth and level of trust between Mason and Jessi.

This was a brilliant addition to the series and highly recommended by me, so long as you start from the beginning so it all makes sense!

** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

 Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
Changed (Gold Hockey #19)
Changed (Gold Hockey #19)
Elise Faber | 2023 | Contemporary, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
CHANGED is part of the Gold Hockey series and we finally get Mads and Lucas' story. Mads is Ben's sister, and we have met her in previous stories, where we found out she was a drug addict, and then a recovering addict. Now, she is fighting hard to make amends to those she has hurt in the past. Most people accept her recovery and help her make amends. Not Lucas though. Oh, no! He's been a hard-ass from the beginning but we find out why. Lucas has been on the receiving end of addicts who say they are quitting but don't. THAT is why his trust in Mads is non-existent. He is constantly doubting her word and waiting for her to mess up. When he makes the realisation that Mads is trying, and he has been a jerk, he will do anything he can to make up for his past behaviour.

This was an emotional story, with plenty here about how the actions of family can have an effect on a child/young adult/whatever, especially when drugs and abuse are in the mix. Lucas is self-aware enough to realise he is letting his own past affect his current views and tries to amend that.

Along with Mads and Lucas, there is a whole side story going on with Brit and Stefan, although they don't overshadow the main story. And then there is a final moment with Rome that I did not see coming! I knew he was being mentioned but simply thought it was because his was the next book in this series.

This was a great addition to the series, full of emotions and feelings, where life doesn't always run smoothly or as expected, but where family can be found to either make up for the one you have or to enhance the one you already have.

A fantastic read that I definitely recommend.

** 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!
Aug 28, 2023
  
40x40

Merissa (12749 KP) rated Elemental Claim (War of the Myth #1) in Books

Feb 27, 2018 (Updated Jul 3, 2023)  
Elemental Claim (War of the Myth #1)
Elemental Claim (War of the Myth #1)
Miranda Grant | 2017 | Paranormal, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Elemental Claim (War of the Myth #1) by Miranda Grant
ELEMENTAL CLAIM is the first book in the War of the Myth series. It starts off action-packed and remains the same throughout. Told from multiple points of view, we gain insights into the human world, the gods, the WALL, elementarists, descendants, angels, hellhounds, you name it and it is probably in here. It starts with a case of mistaken identity, a 'Mission Gemini' if you will. Emma soon realises that she doesn't really know her sister that well after all. Still, her protective instincts as an older sibling remain in full force, so she will do all she can to save her - even if that means allowing Rogan and his friends to kidnap her.

As I said, this book is full of action and doesn't stop. Emma slowly grows into her powers, but there is definitely still room for more. There are other characters in here that I would love to know about. Xeno, for example. She is the angel only a few years from falling. Her health is failing, and her powers waning. And then suddenly, towards the end of the book, she starts healing. What?! I need to know more. What caused her health to degenerate in the first place, and why is she now healing? And will she and Hunter ever get together? Seriously, I need answers!

This was a well-written book, although there were a few spelling errors that jolted me when I read it. Nothing major, just examples like wanning instead of waning, or severe instead of sever. Certainly not enough to spoil the flow of the story, but enough for me to notice. On the whole, this was a brilliant book, with great world-building, and lots of characters to like, love, or loathe. Absolutely recommended by me, and I can't wait to continue with the series.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Feb 27, 2018
  
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
Lilo & Stitch (2002)
2002 | Action, Animation, Comedy
Lilo & Sitch (2002)
Lilo & Stitch is one of my most favourite Disney films.
It was released in 2002 passed in Hawaii. It tells the story about a girl (Lilo) and her sister (Nani) that fight to stay together as Nani is trying to prove to the social worker Cobra Bubbles that she is fit to take care of her younger sister. In the meawhile Lilo is bullied and feels different so Nani takes her to a dog shelter to adopt a dog. There Lilo meets Stitch, a mutated alien (or more specifically, experiment 626) that is hiding, from the Galactic Police, on Earth, and ends up using Lilo as his shield. But with time Lilo and Stitch become Ohana ( "Ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten)
Its a fun and emotional film that touched a lot of childrens and adults hearts (including mine)



Here are some interesting facts that i found about the film...

- The original story focused solely on an alien living in a forest, trying to overcome his isolation and find out where he came from.
Lilo didn’t become a part of the film until much later during story development.

- Stitch was not originally supposed to talk, but when the filmmakers realized the story hinged on him being able to express himself at the film’s end,
they began developing his voice. Director Chris Sanders provided Stitch’s voice during test animation, and eventually everyone got so used to it that they
 decided to keep it.

- After an early test screening showed that audiences thought Nani was Lilo’s mother, filmmakers reworked some key scenes to make their sisterly relationship clear.

- Lilo & Stitch was the first Disney animated film since Dumbo to use watercolor painted backgrounds.

- While on a tour of Kaua?i, filmmakers noticed that their Hawaiian tour guide seemed to know someone everywhere they went. They were so struck by the guide’s
explanation of the term “‘ohana” as it relates to an extended family, that they made it the central theme of the film.

- In the climax of the movie, Jumba can be seen flying around in a huge red spaceship that looks very similar to an airplane. This is because in the originaL
 edit of the film, it WAS an airplane! In the original edit, the writers and animators had Jumba hijacking a Boeing 747 from the Lihue airport and crashing it
 into buildings throughout Honolulu.

Unfortunately, the movie came out right after 9/11/2001. The animators felt this was much too close to the attacks that happened on September 11th, so they
 remodeled Jumba’s spaceship to look a bit different than a Boeing 747, and also changed the buildings to mountains.

- All of the landscapes in the movie are recognizable locations in Hawaii

- Not only was the setting and plot of the movie unique, Lilo & Stitch was also very unique in the way that Disney promoted the movie. Disney released a set
 of trailers in which they inserted the character of Stitch into some of their more “classic” films.
Some examples of the movies they inserted Stitch into, are as follows: The Little Mermaid; Stitch surfs on a wave that crashes down onto Ariel. Beauty and the
 Beast; Stitch can be seen loosening the chandelier during the ballroom dance scene and it almost lands on Beast and Belle. Aladdin; he steals Jasmine away
during their magic carpet ride. The Lion King; Stitch is on Pride Rock instead of Simba.

- Did you know that the character of Stitch was actually created way back in 1985? Stitch was created by one of the directors of the film named Chris Sanders
 for a children’s book he was writing. The children’s book was never published, and Stitch was made into a movie 17 years later.
Chris Sanders was not only one of the directors of Lilo & Stitch, but he was also a co-screenwriter, a co-character designer, and also provided the voice acting
 for Stitch.

- During the animation stage of Lilo & Stitch, the animators made a conscious effort to design the "alien" aspects of the film a certain way.
 Since the movie was going to take place on the island of Hawaii, they decided to design all of the alien aspects of the movie to resemble marine animals.
This makes sense, since Hawaii is famous for its diverse marine plant and animal life that resides on the island.