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Alice (12 KP) rated The Suffragette Scandal (Brothers Sinister, #4) in Books
Jul 3, 2018
This is definitely the best book of the series and the only thing that disappointed was that it was the last of the series.
The Suffragette Scandal follows the story of Frederica “Free” Marshall and Edward Clark. Edward is a scoundrel of the highest order and I positively love him. His character is amazing, and he’s got flaws but he admits them – flaunts them even.
“Which of my myriad flaws is making you uneasy, Miss Marshall?” He gave her a long, slow smile. “Is it my arrogant conceit or my wicked sense of humour?”
“I’m Edward Clark. Born Edward Delacey. Now apparently, Viscount Claridge.” He shut his eyes “You can address me by my preferred title: you idiot.”
The thing with Edward is that he isn’t afraid of admitting he’s wrong about something. I like how this book was told from equal POVs and that the whole book was about winning the girl but was instead about saving the day, winning the girl and then trying to save their marriage.
∞
Free’s character was amazingly astute as well and so laid back but also very upfront – “Huzzah! Suffragettes!” – she meshes with Edward right from the beginning which was lovely, there wasn’t a massive overhaul of her principles after the marriage and in fact Edward tries to give her back her life.
The dynamic between them was amazing and Edward says the best thing about Free:
“I married her to unleash her on the world, not to keep her under wraps “
I’m pretty much just rambling about the characters because they were just that good. So well written and the relationship between them was amazing and it flowed expertly.
I’m kind of sad that the series has ended now after reading them all but they were very, very good. Highly recommended.
The Suffragette Scandal follows the story of Frederica “Free” Marshall and Edward Clark. Edward is a scoundrel of the highest order and I positively love him. His character is amazing, and he’s got flaws but he admits them – flaunts them even.
“Which of my myriad flaws is making you uneasy, Miss Marshall?” He gave her a long, slow smile. “Is it my arrogant conceit or my wicked sense of humour?”
“I’m Edward Clark. Born Edward Delacey. Now apparently, Viscount Claridge.” He shut his eyes “You can address me by my preferred title: you idiot.”
The thing with Edward is that he isn’t afraid of admitting he’s wrong about something. I like how this book was told from equal POVs and that the whole book was about winning the girl but was instead about saving the day, winning the girl and then trying to save their marriage.
∞
Free’s character was amazingly astute as well and so laid back but also very upfront – “Huzzah! Suffragettes!” – she meshes with Edward right from the beginning which was lovely, there wasn’t a massive overhaul of her principles after the marriage and in fact Edward tries to give her back her life.
The dynamic between them was amazing and Edward says the best thing about Free:
“I married her to unleash her on the world, not to keep her under wraps “
I’m pretty much just rambling about the characters because they were just that good. So well written and the relationship between them was amazing and it flowed expertly.
I’m kind of sad that the series has ended now after reading them all but they were very, very good. Highly recommended.
The Love Diet: A Personalized, Proven Program That Changes the Way You Feel to Transform the Way You Look
Connie Guttersen and Mark Dedomenico
Book
All You Need is Love: From the New York Times best-selling author of The Sonoma Diet and the...
The Cockpit (Voyagers #3)
8.0
Rate It
Book
Rafe: I’ve given up my modeling career to work on the other side of the lens. And touring the...
Contemporary MM Romance
Jamie (131 KP) rated An Eccentric Engagement in Books
May 24, 2017
Sweet romance (1 more)
Good commentary about social justice
Does more telling than showing (1 more)
Felt more like a lecture than a love story
A sweet regency romance
So this was a bit of a non-traditional romance as it takes place after the courtship. Sorrow and Bertram are engaged to be married and the two return to Sorrow’s country home for the wedding. The two are very clearly in the early stages of excitement over a new relationship, stealing kissing and admiring each other — the “puppy love” stage. Neither of the two truly love each other but are already prepared for marriage. The actual romance was more told than shown and it unfortunately just didn’t work for me. The romantic aspect seemed to take a back seat to the other two major plot lines: Sorrow’s altruistic family and Bert’s difficult relationship with his overbearing father.
Both of these plot lines are actually really good, but I felt that they both needed more time to be developed and would have been better in a full length novel. All of the conflict was resolved in a few pages with barely any resistance and the discussion felt more like a lecture that was repeated multiple times. Not that the message was bad, I appreciated the way they approach discussing the mentally ill and the elderly, and I actually liked the Marchand’s way of life, but I think it could have been delivered better.
It also didn’t help that Sorrow kind of annoyed me. When she talks to other people to try and explain her views it again turns into a mildly pretentious lecture. Her insistence on absolute harmony and willingness to throw everything out of the window if she didn’t get her way was also extremely grating. Creating needless drama for the sake of drama is not a good way of filling up pages.
Overall its not bad, it’s a cute and clean love story that will appeal to folks with a strong sense of social justice. It was a fluffy and pleasant way to pass the time, but I didn’t feel much of anything while reading it.
Both of these plot lines are actually really good, but I felt that they both needed more time to be developed and would have been better in a full length novel. All of the conflict was resolved in a few pages with barely any resistance and the discussion felt more like a lecture that was repeated multiple times. Not that the message was bad, I appreciated the way they approach discussing the mentally ill and the elderly, and I actually liked the Marchand’s way of life, but I think it could have been delivered better.
It also didn’t help that Sorrow kind of annoyed me. When she talks to other people to try and explain her views it again turns into a mildly pretentious lecture. Her insistence on absolute harmony and willingness to throw everything out of the window if she didn’t get her way was also extremely grating. Creating needless drama for the sake of drama is not a good way of filling up pages.
Overall its not bad, it’s a cute and clean love story that will appeal to folks with a strong sense of social justice. It was a fluffy and pleasant way to pass the time, but I didn’t feel much of anything while reading it.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Fourth Kind (2009) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
Based on true events, “The Fourth Kind” is a thriller/semi-documentary covering the seemingly unexplained true events that occurred to psychologist Abigail Turner, portrayed in the film by Milla Jovovich. “The Fourth Kind” presents Abby’s story merging dramatic renditions with actual video and audio footage of the strange occurrences.
It is a creepy film filled with close up shots of spooky owls and the hauntingly foggy skies of Nome, Alaska. All this imagery creates a mystical scene but it left me wondering whether is it the films content or an extremely good knowledge of camera angles that created the lingering possibility of truth?
Furthering my dislike of the film are the unnecessary plot deviations, such as the start and conclusion by Jovovich, and the slow and disjointed family sequences which make the characters hard to relate to. Moreover, it seems as if much of the film’s content could be removed and possibly presented as a stronger case for an encounter of the fourth kind as short film or even television episode.
But the most glaring objection to the film’s premise is that it is built on a very small amount of evidence. Sure, the evidence that is presented is disturbing but the limited actual video and audio clips utilized make the film feel gimmicky. Dr. Turner’s story is intriguing but it does not support a satisfying a full-length film, especially for audiences hoping to see something that will force them to reexamine their stance on alien life forms.
In the end what you probably want to know is if this movie significantly change my views on the possibility of alien life forms or if it scared me to my core. The simple answer is no, but it did make me less enthusiastic about visiting to Nome, Alaska.
It is a creepy film filled with close up shots of spooky owls and the hauntingly foggy skies of Nome, Alaska. All this imagery creates a mystical scene but it left me wondering whether is it the films content or an extremely good knowledge of camera angles that created the lingering possibility of truth?
Furthering my dislike of the film are the unnecessary plot deviations, such as the start and conclusion by Jovovich, and the slow and disjointed family sequences which make the characters hard to relate to. Moreover, it seems as if much of the film’s content could be removed and possibly presented as a stronger case for an encounter of the fourth kind as short film or even television episode.
But the most glaring objection to the film’s premise is that it is built on a very small amount of evidence. Sure, the evidence that is presented is disturbing but the limited actual video and audio clips utilized make the film feel gimmicky. Dr. Turner’s story is intriguing but it does not support a satisfying a full-length film, especially for audiences hoping to see something that will force them to reexamine their stance on alien life forms.
In the end what you probably want to know is if this movie significantly change my views on the possibility of alien life forms or if it scared me to my core. The simple answer is no, but it did make me less enthusiastic about visiting to Nome, Alaska.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Brawl In Cell Block 99 (2017) in Movies
Mar 3, 2018
This ain't no Wedding Crashers
Having just watched Bone Tomahawk (you must watch it) and learning writer/director S. Craig Zahler also helmed this film, I was even more anxious to see.
After Vince Vaughn loses his job, he is forced into a life as a drug runner. His big score goes wrong, he makes some tough decisions and ends up in prison. He is then manipulated and has to make even more intense decisions in order to make events happen in his favor.
Vaughn is believable as a tough, abrasive husband trying to save his family. His morality is questionable and you can't decide whether to root for him pr hate him. Don Johnson is also a standout as the warden.
I found it fascinating and exhilarating at the same time. Some of the fight scenes are maybe a little excessively violent, but that is the nature of prison life I imagine.
Zahler is slowly making a name for himself with these two films. He also has Dragged Across Concrete coming out later this year.
He hasn't reached Tarantino status quite yet, but he is off to a good start.
After Vince Vaughn loses his job, he is forced into a life as a drug runner. His big score goes wrong, he makes some tough decisions and ends up in prison. He is then manipulated and has to make even more intense decisions in order to make events happen in his favor.
Vaughn is believable as a tough, abrasive husband trying to save his family. His morality is questionable and you can't decide whether to root for him pr hate him. Don Johnson is also a standout as the warden.
I found it fascinating and exhilarating at the same time. Some of the fight scenes are maybe a little excessively violent, but that is the nature of prison life I imagine.
Zahler is slowly making a name for himself with these two films. He also has Dragged Across Concrete coming out later this year.
He hasn't reached Tarantino status quite yet, but he is off to a good start.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Love...Under Different Skies in Books
Aug 22, 2018
Another fun instalment
As ive said before, Nick Spalding will never win any literary prizes for this series of books, he really does well to sum up real life situations and emotions. The writing is good but what really makes this story entertaining is the characters. Laura and Jamie are a very relatable couple and their diary/blog entries are so down to earth and realistic. I doubt anyone could read this book (or any others in the series) and not find a handful of comments, thoughts or situations that they’ve experienced in their own life. This story is also pretty funny and I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions.
It may not be the most thought provoking or insightful of reads, but this is a great fun and lighthearted story that is refreshingly short. There are parts in this book that are a little far fetched and scepticism does sink in at times, but I that’s really what you expect from a work of fiction. This kept me highly entertained when I had to get public transport into work this week, although I did have to restrain my laughter at times!
It may not be the most thought provoking or insightful of reads, but this is a great fun and lighthearted story that is refreshingly short. There are parts in this book that are a little far fetched and scepticism does sink in at times, but I that’s really what you expect from a work of fiction. This kept me highly entertained when I had to get public transport into work this week, although I did have to restrain my laughter at times!
When Bad Things Happen in Good Bikinis
Book
A wife at breakfast, a widow by lunch...In 2011, after an unusually difficult year in a relationship...
Debbie (0 KP) rated The Stolen Marriage in Books
Jan 30, 2018
Book Review: The Stolen Marriage
You know a book is good when you contemplate taking the day off just so you can continue reading. Yup. The Stolen Marriage is the real deal! Chamberlain is an exceptional storyteller, who brings the people and town of Hickory, North Carolina to life. The Stolen Marriage is historical fiction at its best and is full of unforgettable characters, secrets, deceptions, racism, and humanity. It is clear Chamberlain did her research. The story deals with the polio epidemic of the 40's and the endless taboos, which was a part of the time (especially in the South). I have no idea why it took me this long to read Chamberlain's work (shame on me)! Nonetheless, I am absolutely a fan and thankfully there are plenty of books to choose from (I already have Necessary Lies on my to be read pile). The polio epidemic was real and sadly individuals suffered and many died, but I am still in awe of how the people of Hickory came together to build a miracle hospital in 54 hours! I would love to see this book adapted into a movie. :-)
Elizabeth Ritchie (17 KP) rated Red Plus Zone in Books
Nov 10, 2018 (Updated Nov 10, 2018)
The characters. (1 more)
The unique storyline.
Hands down, one of the best books I have ever read!
This is the first Crime book I have ever read in my entire life, and I've got to say it will also be the last. The last, due to the fact that no other crime book past, present or future, will ever come anywhere close comparing to the absolutely astounding story of Red Plus Zone.
All I wanted to do with my days was read this book. When I was at work or busy with house chores etc, all I could think of was this book, and what it would be like to live in the post apocalyptic world described by the author, what it would be like being Sam McCall as a post apocalyptic detective. The book is so well written and the story line is so captivating that I connected with all of the characters, I felt their emotions and I felt their pain, and at times I felt like I was actually living in the post-shattered world (which isn't a good thing when you ask a waitress in a cafe what time zone we are in).
All I wanted to do with my days was read this book. When I was at work or busy with house chores etc, all I could think of was this book, and what it would be like to live in the post apocalyptic world described by the author, what it would be like being Sam McCall as a post apocalyptic detective. The book is so well written and the story line is so captivating that I connected with all of the characters, I felt their emotions and I felt their pain, and at times I felt like I was actually living in the post-shattered world (which isn't a good thing when you ask a waitress in a cafe what time zone we are in).