Wednesday, January 30

Audiobook Review: The Trouble with Dukes by Grace Burrowes

The Trouble with Dukes (Windham Brides, #1)Author: Grace Burrowes 
Narrator: James Langton
Title: The Trouble with Dukes (Windham Brides #1)
Genre: Historical Romance
Pages: Audiobook
Published: December 20th 2016
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)



The gossips whisper that the new Duke of Murdoch is a brute, a murderer, and even worse—a Scot. They say he should never be trusted alone with a woman. But Megan Windham sees in Hamish something different, someone different.

No one was fiercer at war than Hamish MacHugh, though now the soldier faces a whole new battlefield: a London Season. To make his sisters happy, he'll take on any challenge—even letting their friend Miss Windham teach him to waltz. Megan isn't the least bit intimidated by his dark reputation, but Hamish senses that she's fighting battles of her own. For her, he'll become the warrior once more, and for her, he might just lose his heart.

Finally got to book 1. Thank you Audible!

This one follows Megan and Hamish. Megan is stuck in an impossible position. She had thought she loved a man and wrote so many love letters to him while he was away at war. Like a classic Golddigger/Rogue, he decided to take advantage when he got home and is blackmailing her to marry him. Hamish comes into the picture right after he is given the title of duke. Megan and Hamish become friends and then fall for each. 

Ooooo Megan. Poor foolish girl. That evil man to take advantage of a young girl like that! I wanted someone to beat him. He is not a nice man and no one sees it. They see the golden boy of the ton. Ugh. But luckily Hamish is no fool and decides to help Megan. 

What I really liked was that this is a romance, but it is also a character story. It shows some major development growth with our characters. They talk and become close. There really is no major drama. The only drama is that jerkface and the rude people who keep whispering about Hamish and his reputation during the war. Those people really stink. 

The ending was a little abrupt and too easy to fix our issues. That is my only issue. 

I love this family. I want to read more of the others!

This was a delightful listen. The more I listen to this narrator the more I like him. He really fits the story and the characters. 

Overall, I enjoyed this. I had no real big issues except I felt like the ending was a little abrupt and the solution too easy. The story and characters had me hooked. The other really knows how to present a world and really gets under the skin of the characters. Sure it is a romance and you know they will get their HEA, but they have more than lust. We get to see them fall in love. The narrator is delightful for sure. I'll give this 4 stars. 




Title with DUKE. ^_^



Tuesday, January 29

TMST: What things turn you off in a book blurb


Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where Rainy discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.



What things turn you off in a book blurb

The book blub is really the thing that is supposed to cement your interest. The book cover draws you and the book blub captures your interest. A bad book blurb can really turn a reader away. 

For me...I would have to say if the book blurb is too long or too short. A long-winded one bores me and a short one doesn't give me enough info to really understand the book. Sure, there are exceptions to every rule.


Also, when the book blurb compares it to another book. For example, saying, "IF YOU LIKED TWILIGHT YOU WILL LIKE THIS" will make me drop the book like it was on fire. -_- Please stand on your own merits. Sometimes I may still read it if it captures my attention enough, but usually, I roll my eyes and walk away. I don't have any issues with it being a touch similar, but let your book stand on its own words. Sure it is a marketing skill and it works on some, but someone who did marketing for a while I can see right through it. 

 Mhmmm...what else? 

OH! Not having the book blurb on the back. Sure it is not a huge deal breaker, but it annoys me to no ends. I don't want to have to open the book to read the blurb. 



oooh Mamyia...




Monday, January 28

Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis



Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
Series: Heartbreaker Bay, Book 7
Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
Unabridged Audiobook
Release date: 01-22-19
Publisher: HarperAudio
Contemporary romance

My Thoughts:
These two had their issues, for good and for bad.
Caleb, oh he just wants to take care of everything and I absolutely love him for that. Seriously, loved him. I would let him take care of me any day...ok nothing dirty there, get your minds out of the gutter!

Sadie has her own issues and she really wants to stand on her own two feet. Oh girl, let someone be nice! But her issues lies very deep.

Now what on earth could make these two form a relationship. He is a suit, all money and suave. She is a tattoo artist down on her luck.

A dog! Yes everyone loves a dog and they both fall in love with one. Omg the dog was the sweetest, it even made me want a dog! Schhh, not really though, I am afraid. But hey in theory.

Obviously the issues will bring drama and they have to work through it. And then this family of 3 can live happily ever after.

Oh and yes it is book 7 in a series. There is talk of other couples that they meet on their own, but I did not feel like I had to read those books to get this one. This is their story after all

Conclusion
A sweet tale.


Narration
Good female and male voices. A good range. And her dog voice was the best!

Story
When it comes to the confident, charismatic Caleb Parker, Sadie Lane feels the spark—the kind that comes from rubbing each other the wrong way. She’s a tattoo artist, he’s a straight-laced mogul. But after they accidentally co-rescue an abandoned dog from a storm, Sadie sees a vulnerable side to the seemingly invincible hottie.

you’d better be sure… 

Caleb doesn’t do emotions. Growing up the underdog, he’s learned the hard way to build up an impenetrable wall. Perfect for business. Disastrous for relationships. He’s never worried about it before—not until he finally gets behind Sadie’s armor and begins to fall.

… someone is there to catch you. 

Both guarded and vulnerable, Sadie and Caleb are complete opposites. Or are they? Shocked at their undeniable connection, can they ever admit to wanting more? That all depends on what they’re each willing to risk. 

Sunday, January 27

Joint Review: A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J Maas






Hello all! Blodeuedd and I will be discussing "A Court of Thorns and Roses" by Sarah Maas. Blodeuedd is in pink and I am in red.

*PLEASE NOTE - THERE ARE SOME SPOILERS IN THIS DISCUSSION*





A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)Author: Sarah J. Maas
Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1)
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: ebook
Published: January 30th 2018 
Where I Got It: library 

Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ...

Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why, her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.


This was a disaster. I did not expect much since I found her other series so silly and cheesy, but this was something else. Ok Carole, if you are pretending to not like it it is ok, I will not think too badly of you if you are lying and loved it...too badly.

This was a first for me. I started off thinking “Okay...not horrible” but then things started falling apart. LOL. I wanted to like this. I kept on hoping but……...ya…….no. And I so do apologize. The cover was so pretty and the summary sounded soooo goood. Wah!

I thought, that hey maybe her writing is not as cheesy anymore, but here she tried to be like...older? I have no idea. With awkward sex and instalove and hey that is not even the worst parts. That was like nothing. That I could have forgiven. It just kept on going downhill for me.

Yes, I could’ve forgiven the instalove, but the characters really ruined the book honestly. They were so 2D and their motives made no sense. The main girl KILLED his friend and he kidnapped her and took care of her. WHAT?! No! That makes no sense!!

Omg yes I get that she did not know, but she thought it might be. SO she just killed someone innocent. Then she gets kidnapped and I am all wohoo, make her pay. No, she will live in luxury with servants, clothes and everything she could ever imagine. There I was all what is happening? And later, well it still makes no sense. It was silly. I could have thought a HUNDRED ways for that to go better. I still do not get it. She was a murderer. Tamlin was a murderer. She was perfect, so freaking perfect. And he had zero personality. I do not get it

That one review really marked her perfect. She is Bella Swan who is trying to act like Katniss Everdeen in this terrible world. That was the best description I ever heard and it fits so well!

That did nail it. Honestly everything boggles me now. Like her friends with benefits thing, was that supposed to make her edgy or something? It brought nothing to the story. And then we have her horrible family. They are starving and the first thing they think is that they need new clothes. People who have been starving would not do that. It was like the author made them evil for the sake of being evil and then, omg then there was that 180. SIGH

Nothing made sense. Why was she the only one responsible for getting money and food? Sure the dad is sickly and hurting, but he can try and help. The sisters are old enough to do something. But no...just sit all day at home and waste the money. Sighs. The other part that bugged me was the part with the painting. Wow. Like way to care about what happened to your sister. That is all you take from her story? >_>

Her family made no sense. It seems they will show up in other books. I am sure everyone will be all buddy buddy, I would have told them to f off.
Also, her stupid arrow. You starve and you keep that arrow? Just sell it. But one thing can kill a fairy, of course she had to have one. I mean how many people could possibly have one?

She is a murdering monster so she has to have the arrow just in case she needs to murder another Fairy.

 Horrible girl! Ok so then she comes to fairyland and she tries to escape at every turn. Which yes makes sense, but, she has been told that she could die the moment she steps outside. She does not know the way and omg that girl needed to die. What a mess she was, like some kind of brainless bimbo.

And of course every male is in love with her. Sure some of the females want her too. SMH. I just don’t get it. I wanted to like her, but my goodness. Brainless.

The fae are impossibly beautiful, but of course everyone lusts after the silly human. OF course they will. She IS Mary Sue. And she in turn lusts after the dick that kidnapped her. Because obviously.
Oh and they all wear masks. So they are ugly, no they are beautiful. Make your mind up author. What are we supposed to think?

I have no idea. I was confused and I was going to ask you. Maybe they are so beautiful it will hurt normal human eyes? Who knows. The author was all over the place. I still don’t understand the ending honestly. Sure I skimmed the last couple of chapters to just be done….so maybe I missed something? But yea...I was left shaking my head.

Oh the ending made me furious. First the lie she told even though she knows that the fae are wicked. Torture and death. TORTURE AND DEATH. You selfish little idiot. LIE YOU EFFING IDIOT. And then then more innocents are killed. I seriously think she is a psychopath.

I really do too. So many people died. And I bet a lot will die in the next books. I honestly do not plan on reading any of the next. I barely got through this one.

Oh let’s just put a big spoiler warning os I need to discuss Rhys more. Ok so this guy was evil but I got why he was evil. He was  THE whore. HE was angry. I liked him cos he had personality, but he was evi. The things he made her do! And then it seems that they will end up together? I am not 100 but it seems that way. She was madly in love with Tamlin and did things for him. But I guess she will forget and go for this other guy. He is Mr Grey. Totally. It is not a lovestory. Why is this a lovestory! IF she is gonna change guy in the next book and they are all creepy rapist murders.

The only logical thing I can think of is that Tamlin dies or something. However, with the knowledge that she is a dumb idiot, she prolly is tricked into thinking Tamlin is the evil one and Rhys is the good guy in all of this. Goodness knows. I liked Rhys a lot too, but he was evil. I do not consider this a romance so I’m not even going to call it one. LOL. It was a book about an idiot who likes to kill things and play the innocent.

It’s not like I mind death. But she is a murderer. That is a difference. I can not like her. I can not like Tamlin because of the things he did. I think the best ending would have been the evil person killing everyone and putting me out of my misery.

Same here. But she was made to be the heroine of the story. But she was just as bad as the others.

Yes! What is the difference between her and Main Evil person? They both do bad things. Of course Evil person owns her things. While our dear heroine just kills cos she is stupid. Ugh

I was highly disappointed. There are SO many good reviews out there and I feel like the minority of not liking it. The story wasn’t bad...the characters made it horrible. Rhys was the only decent character and he was the baddie.

Well something would obvi have to change in the story. The silly ones. But the bones were good. The characters were lifeless and made no sense.

Agreed. The idea is good, but everything else fell apart. I think she tried too hard.

So many adore the series and good for you, but every little thing made me cringe. Some reviewers seemed to give up after the “attack”, but hey I felt that was the least of the problem this book had. So many problems

I tried sooo hard to like it and give it a chance. Sure not all characters are going to be perfect, but my goodness.

Even with the rocky start for me I did think that maybe. But that thought was crushed when they reached his lands.

Yeah - the moment they got there and he didn’t punish her AT all put a sour taste in my mouth.

It was all meant to be, and I felt like the author made things up while writing

Probably! Just going along with it and making it up as she went along. Goodness knows what the next books are like.

Someone who liked them left me an ominous message, so I think weird things will happen in the next book that we would not like
Oh my. Yea - no plans on reading book 2

Yes. A big No. on that. I have better books to read and I could never ever forgive her for what she made happen to that other girl

Nope, nope. I wish I had read something else by the author. This was rough start for me.

Do not read more by her. DO not

Eeek!

I do not recommend this book to anyone. That is my last sentence :)

I do not recommend this either. Booo. I am sad.
The end?

ENDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD





About the Authors
Carole and Blodeuedd have been blogging a long while now. The last couple of years the epic duo have been discussing books, watching movies, and even wetting the pen and sharing their stories with the worldwide web. They both love cats, chocolate, and a good story.





Saturday, January 26

Movie Review: Dragon Ball Super - Broly (2018)



Dragon Ball Super: Broly PosterFilm Title: Dragon Ball Super - Broly 
Length: 1h 40 min 
Released: 2018
Genre:  Animation, Action, Fantasy 
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: Theater

SUMMARY:

Goku and Vegeta encounter Broly, a Saiyan warrior unlike any fighter they've faced before.







TRAILER:



REVIEW:
I've always been a fan of DB and DBZ, but mainly just the show. The movies are usually not canon to the story, so I really never cared much. However, this version of Broly is now canon which made me excited to see the movie. 

The story follows mainly Goku, Vegeta, and Broly. All three are connected because of their planet being destroyed. They were babies and were sent away before the destruction of the planet. Things happen. Goku and Vegeta become "friends" of sorts. They went through a lot. Loads of baddies. They feel like they have reached their limits of power. Well...here comes Broly (and his dad) who was sent away to a remote planet because the king was terrified that a mere baby could radiate that much power. Things happen and Broly is now ready to destroy Vegeta and Goku. 

I loved the beginning intro. It really does help those who are dragged along to watch this movie and never seen any of the show. It gives a nice intro to the world and the characters. Even though the last movies are not canon, they do give small nods to previous origin movies. I do feel like they could've snipped a few minutes off. It did drag a little bit. 

The rest of the story was good. I especially loved the little-added humor especially from characters who are not normally funny. The little jokes were good. Honestly? I was surprised I liked the added side characters. They were not just fillers. They actually added to the story instead of hindering it. 

I felt soooo bad for Broly. He really got pooed on. That dad of his. Grr! *shakes fist*

The art was amazing. The effects blew my mind. They really spent a lot of money on this film and you can tell. It was awesome. The fight scenes kicked ass. The blasts dazzled. Beautiful and awesome. 

I really loved the ending. It was good. I hope they expand upon this. There is so much potential. 

Overall, I enjoyed this film and I want to watch it again. The beginning was a little slow for my liking, but I get why they added as much as they did. I'll give this 4 stars. 






Friday, January 25

Blog All About It: FIRST




Yayy! Doing another year of prompts! So fun. 

The first of the year is: FIRST

For this prompt. I'm going to share a few "firsts" of the year. 

Seashells, Spells & Caramels (Spells & Caramels, #1)
First ebook of the year


Once Perfect (Shattered Past, #1)
First Audiobook
Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, #1)
First print book

Mom and Dad Poster
First movie watched of the year


Image result for frontier season 3
First season finished of a show this year


And now the cutest first of the year.....Ralph turned one this month! He's a big boy now! Happy birthday month Ralphie! Thank you Pet Supplies Plus for the awesome puppy birthday cookie. He loved it. 

Image may contain: dog







Thursday, January 24

Book Review: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices, #1)Author: Cassandra Clare
Title: Lady Midnight
(The Dark Artifices #1)
Genre: Fantasy, UF, YA, Romance, Mystery
Pages: 688 
Published: March 8th 2016 
Where I Got It: My shelf (Xmas Gift)



In a kingdom by the sea…

In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.

A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.

Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?

This was a xmas gift from a friend of mine. I was curious about the author since I have heard such good things so this was a pleasant surprise. The cover is super cool so it made me even more intrigued. 

The story follows Emma who is a shadowhunter which is pretty much a warrior and guard against evil things that find themselves in our world. She and her “parabatai”, Julian, fight side-by-side. Things happen and bodies start building up. Not 100% abnormal, but they are too like the murders of Emma’s parents. This sparks some further investigation from Emma and Julian. 

Emma was a fun heroine and I liked Julian too. I don’t 100% understand the parabatai thing. From what I understand it is pretty much a side-kick that you are magically linked too. The closer your relationship, the better your magic is. Except that being TOO close is not good either. It can lead to a stick and rocky road. That is what I get from it…hopefully the next book goes over this concept more. 

This was a long, long book. It took me a while to get through it. Not in a bad way at all, but I felt like this was a strong wine and you took your time with the story. There is a lot of world-building and getting to know our characters. There are a few and I enjoyed getting to know them more. The author is good so I didn’t get annoyed with all the world-building and character development. I enjoyed it. I took my time with this book and I recommend everyone who reads this to do the same. Gobbling this up would lead to miss important elements. At least that is my humble opinion. 

I adored the blending of the famous poem ‘Annabel Lee’ into the story. It fit well and it really did add to the story and to the feel of the book. Even each chapter showcased a couple words from the poem. It worked really, really well. 

Holy cow…that ending. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! I am super curious to see what is going to happen next. I have my theories. But oh dear. I cannot say more without spoiling anything…….but EEEE! 

I worry about our characters for sure. 

Now, I will say the beginning was slow. Yes, I did just say I didn’t mind the world-building, but it took FOREVER for anything to really happen. I wasn’t fully invested until about chapter 3 or 4. After that, I was hooked and invested and the occasional slowness didn’t hinder anything. It helped actually. 

Also, there is a possible love triangle at play here. I am not amused by this. Sure, it hasn’t happened yet. But the signs are there and the author has hinted at it. Maybe it is a tease. People develop crushes. Maybe he just likes her a bit and she doesn’t truly reciprocate the feelings??? We shall see in book 2. *fingers crossed* Hopefully, it isn’t a full out love triangle, because I will be annoyed. 

All-in-all, I did enjoy this big book. There was a lot of story and I enjoyed it. I do worry about book 2, but I am excited about it at the same time. I did buy it since it was on sale so I will eventually read it. I do recommend it. The author is good. The story was good with a couple of hiccups. I’ll give this a 4. 


2019 Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge

Book 3 of 16-25 Books