tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4927630864286273492024-02-06T18:10:57.901-08:00Desert Rose: UnPlugged!Desert Rose Reviews Version 2.0
Candid, Raw, & RandomDesert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.comBlogger27125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-12030104989399205012017-11-12T15:57:00.003-08:002017-11-12T15:57:45.469-08:00The Thing About NaNo is...It's a blast, but it's also time consuming. If you have other stuff to do, or are busy, finding time can be a challenge, at best.<div>
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Hiya peeps. I'm going to vent for a minute. </div>
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Most of you know, I'm an author as well as a reviewer. I've done NaNo two years previously, and this is my third. I love doing it! The rush from doing month-long writing sprints is fantastic, and a great way to end the year.</div>
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Thing is, November is also spectacularly busy. All the best books from the year get promoted, and review requests come out of every crack and corner. Of course, being a book lover, I do enjoy the reading and reviewing aspect of my book life. There are too many good books offered, I just can't say no!</div>
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It's difficult. And frustrating.</div>
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This month, I'm struggling with a schedule where I have two hours free to get both writing and reading/reviewing done, as well as making blog posts. Two. Hours. A day.</div>
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It takes time to get into the book I'm writing, mentally. I have to get my head into it, and can't write when other people are around. I have an office, yes, but my family is loud, to say the least. It's not fair to ask them to leave or stop having their own lives because of my writing - I'm not a selfish person, I just can't do that.</div>
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So, what's a girl to do? At the moment, I am somehow cramming everything my schedule demands me to get done, into that two hours a day. Ten hours a week, to get everything done.</div>
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If I hit the 50K word count and keep up with reviews, I will be amazed.</div>
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Okay, rant over. NaNo rocks, but oh my gosh, why does everything that happens, all happen at once? It's like crickets through October, then *bam* shit-storm in November. *sigh*</div>
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Anyone else doing NaNo this year? How do you find writing time? Let me know, because I could use some ideas!</div>
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-42276919497569382602017-09-21T13:56:00.000-07:002017-09-21T13:57:04.528-07:00Blog UpdateHiya peeps! I wanted to share a quick post, just to update ya'll.<br />
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In case you don't follow <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my PluggedIn blog</a>, I've made some changes over there. Instead of being a book-focused blog, which it was never intended to be, I've decided to stick to just reviews there. Hence why I named it "Desert Rose Reviews" to begin with.<br />
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I want to share far more reviews than just my book reviews though. I actually critique things in several areas, and want to be able to share them somewhere, and am excited to finally get DRR back to it's roots! I do love books though, and always have. So, I did create a new book-focused blog - <a href="http://desertrosewordcandy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Desert Rose Word Candy</a>, and I'm so glad to have that space available as well!<br />
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So, what does that mean for the UnPlugged blog? Well, basically the same thing. It's still going to be unplugged reviews, of whatever I want. I've always had this blog set up that way, and I'm going to be expanding beyond book reviews here, as well.<br />
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I will be posting more reviews once October comes around, and I'm able to focus on them. The next few weeks are majorly booked for me - family reunion of sorts, and all that fun.<br />
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Be sure to check out my book blog though, if you want a book-focused blog, and check back here for new reviews soon!<br />
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<br />Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-14223451925863829912017-07-06T04:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:41:43.643-08:00"The Girl's Guide to the Apocalypse" by Daphne Lamb!Wazup guys? Happy July! Can you believe July is already here? I can't. Good grief, this year is flying by!<br />
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Today on <a href="http://desertroseunplugged.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">UnPlugged</a>, I've got a Book Review. I read this book for a Book Tour last year, and luckily I liked it enough to give it 3 Roses, and post the review for the tour. It always sucks when I sign up to review a book for a tour, and end up not liking it. Oh well, what can ya do?<br />
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This book is called <i>The Girl's Guide to the Apocalypse</i> - sounds like it could be cool, right? Kind of a modern, possibly satirical comedy, common with any "guide" that is fictional and not actually a guide for anything.<br />
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Well, that's where my amusement with this book ended. If you're unfamiliar with this blog, it is an UnPlugged space, more like a book group than a professional review arena. This post will have spoilers, and will be a more honest, laid back look at my opinion of this book. If you'd like to see my "official, professional" PluggedIn review, see my original blog post <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-girls-guide-to-apocalypse-by-daphne.html">here</a>.<br />
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You've been warned.<br />
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Ok, so here we go.<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26148254-the-girl-s-guide-to-the-apocalypse?ac=1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" The Girl's Guide to the Apocalypse" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwi27Lu9gVagMm2yuVb5Mgl5X61CknadcXoScVajKtrUf6MNMtO2jGoindN2BdHn-wqTi_uJjleb6dkgCs6TcQSvoGnD3b3-ppVIAsRw2O8uRzPAi5G5Jrqk-EcTpRvZDXaqCh89ccefM/s640/GirlsGuide.jpg" width="414" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">~<u>Released</u>:</span><span style="color: #0c343d;"> <b>August 11th, 2015</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">~<u>Length</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">218 Pages</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">~<u>Publisher</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Booktrope Publishing</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26148254-the-girl-s-guide-to-the-apocalypse?ac=1"><b>Goodreads</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1513701185"><b>Amazon</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-girls-guide-to-the-apocalypse-daphne-lamb/1122532764?ean=9781513701189&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10:1"><b>Barnes & Noble</b></a></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Welcome to the Apocalypse. Your forecast includes acid rain, roving gangs and misplaced priorities, in this comedic take on the end of the world as we know it, from debut author Daphne Lamb. As a self-entitled, self-involved, and ill equipped millennial, Verdell probably wouldn’t have ranked very high on the list of those most likely to survive the end of the world, but here she is anyway. Add in travelling with her work addicted boss, her boyfriend who she has “meh” feelings for, and a handful of others who had no businesses surviving as long as they have, and things aren’t exactly going as planned. But despite threats of cannibalism, infected water supplies, and possibly even mutants, Verdell is willing to put in as little effort as she can get away with to survive.</span><br />
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(2 1/2 Roses if I'm being completely honest, but I always round up if I can, so we'll settle on three)</div>
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The start was rocky, at best. I could tell the author was going for the kind of humor you'd find in a modern chick-flick comedy. Problem is, she went a little too far with it, and didn't fill in the slightly immature writing with substance. It wasn't put together well, and seemed disjointed. My mind felt whip-lashed every few paragraphs, making the story difficult to follow. Perhaps that was part of the point, being a story focusing on the topic of the end of civilization as we know it.<br />
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The first few chapters, after the main chick and her ass-hole boyfriend are put on buses headed for quarantine, things seemed to get a little better. There were colored bracelets, talk of relevant T.V. shows, and A-list celebrities to add some thin modern relatability to the story.<br />
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Then came the bathroom. The damn bathroom. What. The. Frick.<br />
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I read pages upon pages about the main chick obsessing with the bathroom, all the sudden. All I could think was "why are we still reading about the bathroom, everyone is obsessed!" Even the security people, for goodness sake!<br />
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Now, don't get me wrong - having to go when you're not able to sucks, no doubt. Nothing else seems to matter much, when you're in "I've gotta go" mode.<br />
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Her obsession was out of no where though. Like, chilling chilling chilling BAM! Bathroom Drama!<br />
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With everything else going on, it just seemed odd. As in, the world has flipped upside down, there are tons of things to explain to the reader and explore about this world you've created, and we've spent several pages, obsessing over a bathroom...distract the character or something! I just kept waiting for it to end, and it took me out of the story completely. There didn't seem to be a point, and the motion of the story slowed to a grinding, painful halt. It fit with the rest of the disjointed, random story thus far, but that's not really a good thing.<br />
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Okay, now, her boyfriend. I mentioned before that he's an ass-hole. Well, he is. Disrespectful, piggish, and a complete dick. Can we smack him, please? Anyone? I'll volunteer. Yuck.<br />
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I honestly don't want to talk much more about him, because I detested his character with a passion. So much so, that it made me want to stop reading entirely.<br />
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The rest of the book was just as random, awkward and fumbled multiple times. It felt like a train being derailed every few chapters.<br />
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Basically, the writing very much felt like someone in a creative writing class, who hadn't really ever written anything seriously before. It wasn't completely terrible or anything, but it wasn't "wow" by any means. With more work, she has the potential to be a decent writer.<br />
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This particular story could be really entertaining with some work to smooth out the wrinkles, and pull it all together. Perhaps it was a first draft, and she was excited to publish? I'm not sure. Either way, it has potential, which is why I don't entirely detest it (except the boyfriend...he needs to get hit by a bus...), and still am comfortable with three roses.<br />
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If it sounds interesting, I wouldn't say stay away, but be warned - it needs work.<br />
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<i>*I received a complimentary eCopy of this book, from the author via Xpresso Book Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.</i><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><b>Have you read any good post-apocalyptic books lately? Let me know in the comments below!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><b>Thanks for visiting! Have a wonderful day! =D</b></span></div>
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<br />Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-61866044778014389232017-06-29T04:30:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:40:32.010-08:00Review for "The Lucky One" by Sylvie Stewart!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Hiya peeps! I'm sharing a review today, for an adult romantic comedy. I signed up for the promo tour for this book, and selected to review - my post for that tour is up <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/06/review-of-lucky-one-by-sylvie-stewart.html">today on my PluggedIn blog</a>, so the "official, professional" review is over there, sans spoilers.</div>
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If you want to check out the UnPlugged review, keep reading!</div>
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<i><b><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;">The Lucky One</span></b></i></h3>
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<i><b><span style="color: #274e13;">Carolina Connections</span></b></i></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34567721-the-lucky-one" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" The Lucky One" border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="296" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY6XlpbnVgWM-gg9pA4nt-emx0P4pu1ywa_NVzB6ct6kzi9Gz7xJi_jwn4K6W7_kS8CtXTRKpF8PZRdHYPzM2oAG4KDKoqsMfDWZsdu4QxIKSBS0i5c8Qh-O8J9CA-vDgGSvv_5nbl8Sez/s640/TLO.jpg" width="398" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">~<u>Published</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #783f04;">May 11th 2017</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #783f04;">Adult, Comedy, Romance</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span><span style="color: #274e13;">~<u>Parent's Guide</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #783f04;">PG-17/R</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34567721-the-lucky-one"><b>Goodreads</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://a.co/bFn0mHe"><b>Amazon</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://bit.ly/2pz66Jg"><b>B&N</b></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://bit.ly/2lYekbX">Kobo</a> ~ <a href="http://apple.co/2lEclxt">iTunes</a></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">When your luck runs out, do you run away—or do you stay and fight?</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Bailey:</span></b></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;">Let’s get one thing straight. I am not your typical girl. Sure I’ve got all the parts, but I’ve been a stubborn, irreverent tomboy since the womb, as my Irish father would proudly attest. Despite my Irish blood, I’ve had a bit of bad luck here and there—I recently trusted the wrong guy and got derailed in my professional pursuits. But I’ve bounced back. With my shields firmly in place, I thought nothing, or no one, could touch me again. Until he did. And he just might make this tomboy do the girliest thing in the world—fall head over heels in love. Of all the damn luck…</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Jake:</span></b></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;">I’m a pretty lucky guy. I have a phenomenal family, a career I love, and I’m building a brand-new life back in my hometown. And, not to be a jerk about it, but I do more than all right with the ladies. Everything’s been going according to plan—like I said, I’m a lucky guy.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span><span style="color: #274e13;">That was, until my luck ran out.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span><span style="color: #274e13;">Until I met the girl I call “Irish.”</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span><span style="color: #274e13;">Irony can go kiss my a$$.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><u>Extras</u>:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">-The first two chapters of <i>The Lucky One</i> are available for free download <a href="https://www.instafreebie.com/free/WQd7N">on Instafreebie</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">-Sylvie just won the National Indie Excellence Award for Romantic Comedy!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDWLmw8Tu2Apgc9e7w9Wzv3G581uR1x_dGi2n4rQJywFMT7toG6IfC1kMwr-Pf6riirLAmr2tkNtZTWRtUwNV7_Fh0d_hX-sQKyvQjrWwIUWqci_dwl6cWR6SUiTHGWC1SWgp29tLM6Xe/s1600/About+the+Author+dark+green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="900" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRDWLmw8Tu2Apgc9e7w9Wzv3G581uR1x_dGi2n4rQJywFMT7toG6IfC1kMwr-Pf6riirLAmr2tkNtZTWRtUwNV7_Fh0d_hX-sQKyvQjrWwIUWqci_dwl6cWR6SUiTHGWC1SWgp29tLM6Xe/s640/About+the+Author+dark+green.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15303783.Sylvie_Stewart" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt=" Sylvie Stewart" border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlxjoNqfvyJ-kLJ0YB4HslrbBkAZHK6vcQTJ-3Vc0QmNinLr2LHN3BhwtYBkkv56Bu31WEPI9d7IFDLNwr7gxdnryzC9kAxVF-rBSIJWDWdTrEBBL8l8E7qKV5LdsB7R8jMBFCD-vBrdFU/s1600/Sylvie_.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Sylvie Stewart is an author of Romance and Romantic Comedy. Like the characters in her books, North Carolina is where Sylvie calls home these days, and she can’t get enough of the great weather and fun adventures NC offers. She and her husband love arguing over which of them is the funniest. Sometimes, she lets him win because she’s cool like that. When she’s not writing, she is hanging out with her husband and kids or reading, Romance being her favorite genre, of course. And she knows that life wouldn’t be worth living without a lot of laughter, friends, and wine! You can always find out what Sylvie’s up to <a href="http://www.sylviestewartauthor.com/">at her website</a>!</span></div>
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<b><a href="http://bit.ly/2fIuOV6"><span style="color: #783f04;">Want free books? Join Sylvie’s Review Team!</span></a></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">~ <u>Connect with Sylvie Online</u> ~</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15303783.Sylvie_Stewart">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="http://sylviestewartromance.webs.com/">Website</a> ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/sylvie_stewart_">Twitter</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SylvieStewartAuthor/">Facebook</a></span></div>
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Please keep in mind, the reviews on this site <i>do</i> contain spoilers. This is a setting similar to a book club or book discussion, and contains my raw, candid reactions. If you want a review that's more traditional and "polished" please check out <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/06/review-of-lucky-one-by-sylvie-stewart.html" target="_blank">my official review on my PluggedIn blog</a>.</div>
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PG-17 / R</div>
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Okay, so you know how sometimes you read a book, and the main character could be you in another life? I love finding that, although it doesn't happen often, because I'm...odd.</div>
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Luckily, so is Bailey! She could be me in another life!</div>
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Basically, she's more of a tom-boy, never wears dresses, doesn't really act like a typical "girl" in how she dresses, acts, or even thinks. *raises hand* Das me.</div>
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It was so freaky, because the more I read, the more I was able to guess what she'd do...and I was always right. I kept anticipating her moves, because she just made sense to me! </div>
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It wasn't something I've encountered before. Normally, if I can guess what's coming, it's because the author was generic or the plot was predictable. Not with this - my accurate guesses were completely different from that, and it was awesome!</div>
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Because of this connection to her, I was <i>intensely</i> curious to read more about Jack, and see what would happen between them. I did like him quite a bit, although he isn't anything like my hubby, which was interesting. It made the story fun, and gave it an added aspect I hadn't been expecting, but had fun with.</div>
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I loved how the author kept flashing back to the day they got together, while keeping it almost a secret both characters had, keeping the reader in the dark the same way their friends were. We really didn't find out any true details until the family did as well, and by then, shit was hitting the fan.</div>
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I kind of wondered whether she was preggers for the same reason's Jake's mom suspected, and was a tiny bit disappointed at the twist, tbh. I don't think there is any other way they would have ended up together (more because of her, than him), but that's not necessarily a good thing. I have so many doubts about them now, which is a slight bummer.</div>
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Still! They did end up together, they're cute, and she finally gets to be happy. After duchy ex boyfriend, she really deserves it.</div>
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I did have a slight *hu* moment with that, too, though. With how traumatized she seemed to be, it made it seem like he had done far worse than what he did. Don't get me wrong, using someone and cheating on them is an ass-hat move, no doubt. Still, it nearly wrecked her entire life, which seemed like she isn't actually as strong as the rest of her character traits portray. </div>
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Perhaps she's a bit more sensitive than I am?</div>
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My confusion with that could be because of the connection I feel to her, therefore I may be comparing her actions and reactions to my own a little too much. I'm also an artist, and I've had a similar experience with an ex, and it didn't tear me apart that much. Really though, that is probably the only reason I thought she was being a little dramatic with it all, and it was still an excellent backstory and experience to help her grow.</div>
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What I really adored about this book, were all the Irish references and themes. If anything, there weren't nearly enough! It was awesome, as my family is very Irish as well, and it's a favorite theme of mine. The dad was awesome, and her family cracked me up.</div>
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I enjoyed all the side characters far more than I'm used to. Most books simply have them as minor supporting roles, whereas in this book, they were all minor main characters. We got to know several of them, their backstories, and deeper personality traits. It added a whole extra layer to the story, making it simply yummy.</div>
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So why the four roses, instead of five? Well, the sex scenes, mainly. Now, to be fair, the author did have a disclaimer in the description on Goodreads. I didn't see that though, as I read the description the tour company had on the invite email, which didn't include that disclaimer. I didn't check the Goodreads blurb until I'd reached the first sex scene, and realized I'd missed that.</div>
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Normally, I don't finish a book at all if it has a sex scene. The only reason I will, is if the scene is short enough to skip, and the rest of the book is worth it. Obviously, this one had me pretty gripped, so I decided to compromise, and finish reading while only taking off a rose. A good review is better than no review.</div>
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I could easily see this book becoming a movie, and that's definitely one I would love to see. If nothing else, we have a great book to enjoy! If this sounds good to you, definitely check it out. The humor alone is worth it.</div>
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<i>*I received a complimentary eCopy of this book, from the author via Xpresso Book Tours, to read in exchange for an honest review.</i></div>
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<b>Thanks for visiting! Have a wonderful day! =D</b></div>
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-29275668830125542492017-06-29T04:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:39:05.011-08:00*Book Review* "Cossacks In Paris" by Jeffrey Perren!Hiya guys! I'm excited to share a review with you today. It's for an awesome historical fiction novel, set around the time of Napoleon's rise to power. I actually read and reviewed this book several years back, but wanted to add an UnPlugged review for this one, so here it is!<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<b style="color: #783f04; font-size: x-large;"><i>Cossacks In Paris</i></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Author</u>: </span><span style="text-align: start;"><b><span style="color: #783f04;">Jeffrey Perren</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Published</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #783f04;">November 25th, 2012</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Publisher</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #783f04;">ClioStory Publishing</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Length</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #783f04;">389 Pages</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #783f04;">Historical Fiction, Adult, Cultural</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Parent's Rating</u>: </span><b><span style="color: #783f04;">PG-17</span></b><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17131898-cossacks-in-paris" target="_blank"><b>Goodreads</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cossacks-Paris-Napoleonic-era-novel-ebook/dp/B00ADRAQJK/ref=la_B00B7PTTKO_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1396638732&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><b>Kindle</b></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cossacks-In-Paris-Jeffrey-Perren/dp/1484835107/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1396638732&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon Paperback</a></b></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Rebellious Breutier Armande, a rising young civil engineer in Paris, is drafted into the Grande Armeé on the eve of Napoleon's 1812 Russian campaign.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">On a scouting mission in St. Petersburg he meets Kaarina, a Finnish mathematician and daughter of the counselor to Tsar Alexander I. The pair soon fall in love. But Kaarina is betrothed to Agripin, a vicious Cossack and a favorite of the Tsar.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">When she refuses him, Agripin kidnaps her, aided by Kaarina's envious twin sister, Kaisa. At a time of Europe's brief, uneasy truce Breutier deserts Napoleon's army and the Tsar's employ to reclaim Kaarina. Dodging the vengeance of the world's most powerful rulers sends Breutier on a perilous quest to hunt down the era's most ruthless Cossack.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Interweaving the characters' personal dramas with the epochal events of the following two years forms the core of the story. Historically accurate, the novel climaxes at the moment when, for the first time in 400 years, foreign armies invaded France, leaving behind Cossacks in Paris.</span></div>
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*Please keep in mind this is an UnPlugged review, meaning it is candid, my raw reactions, and contains spoilers. If you'd like to read my "official, professional" PluggedIn Review, sans spoilers, check that out <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2014/04/two-reviews-cossacks-in-paris-clonmacs.html">here</a>!<br />
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With many historical novels, they can be a bit dull. For a lot of us, it takes an author with the ability to tell a story in an interesting way, to make a good historical novel. Jeffrey Perren did this for the story of Napoleon's 1812 Russian campaign. I love reading about history, and this book gave me a whole new way of looking at this event.<br />
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The characters are all fantastic - Breutier is awesome, and totally relatable. He needs Napoleon's support for his projects, so he <i>has </i>to go along with helping in the military campaign against Russia. Even though he doesn't agree, he's stuck, and it bites. <br />
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Also, like in most political wars, there are relatable people on both sides. Agripin is one of those, and while I hate the way he treats and thinks of Kaarina, I like him as a character. He's strong, resourceful, and goes after what he wants. I can understand his perspective, and it makes for some fantastic tension between the two men!<br />
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I also really love Kaarina! She is awesome, and I'd like to think (imagine...dream...whatever) that I would have been like her, had I lived in that time period. She has a love for reading and learning, and has no desire to simply be a trophy wife to a politician buttering up to her father. I wouldn't either, really. <br />
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When both men decide they want her, all hell breaks loose!<br />
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I love the fact there is a small, personal war between these three and their families, amid the big war Napoleon is waging on Russia. It's amazing how much these three affect the grand war, and how much influence one person can have on a world-changing event. <br />
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Their personal conflict, though, was incredibly entertaining! So much excitement and suspense, I loved the back-and-forth. Oh my goodness, it was like Popeye and Bluto fighting over Olive Oyle!! Especially when Breutier finally got Kaarina back in Moscow, only to have Agripin hit him in the head with a rock, and ride off with the girl, again! Poor chick was just tug-a-wared back and forth all over Russia!<br />
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This is truly a fantastic story, and from everything I could tell, pretty darn accurate, as far as the historical dates and areas are concerned. The take on Napoleon as a person was awesome, and the possibilities of there being something like this happening in their personal lives was really interesting to read about. </div>
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I could tell the author disliked Czar Alexander, but it made for an interesting read. He wasn't the outright "bad guy" of the story, although that was the general tone that seemed to surround the Czar. I liked his character as well, and could easily picture him having been quite similar to his portrayal in this book.</div>
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The mix of historical and fictional characters really was amazing, and for me, completely mesmerizing. </div>
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This is definitely a book I'd recommend, especially to fans of historical fiction. The romance is very light and modest, which is really nice. The main story is about the war, and how all these different people were effected by it, and in turn affected the war itself.</div>
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Very good book, great read, and a new author for me to keep an eye on.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">What do you guys think of this book? Do you enjoy historical novels? Let me know in the comments below!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Thanks for reading! Have a great day! =D</span></b></div>
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-24347777312409777332017-06-22T04:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:35:05.566-08:00"The Bad Boy's Girl" - Rant ReviewHiya guys. I've got a review today, and be warned - it's a doozy. I do rant a bit, but I'm so torn up about this book, I just can't help it! Writing <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/06/review-for-bad-boys-girl-by-blair-holden.html">the professional version</a> was damn near impossible, because holding my tongue on this one takes physical effort.<br />
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I don't intend to hurt the author or the book, but I do talk openly on this site about my reactions to books, good and bad. I respect the author's efforts to write and publish her book, and as an author myself, know the bummer of having someone not like it. Still, not everyone will like a book, and for me, I am torn up about this one.<br />
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Check it out, and lemme know what you think in the comments below.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: x-large;">The Bad Boy's Girl</span></i></b></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33788075-the-bad-boy-s-girl" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" The Bad Boy's Girl" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfomrpUpdgNhxHV4krh75SNSl8qX3As4KX1ro0SVwnfCVSiIKXovYmXahDqAeoxQreUuyhixTINdhdnjp5wPpowMW6E1-WnAtbAkmDt7n3z7d0sHjIS6MQfoYjLyTihBR_FXO5aE9NMRZ/s640/The+Bad+Boy%2527s+Girl+cover.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Author</u>: <b>Blair Holden</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Released</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #073763;">February 21st 2017</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Length</u>:</span><span style="color: #073763;"> <b>395 Pages</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #073763;">Young Adult, Romance</span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33788075-the-bad-boy-s-girl" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Boys-Girl-Book-ebook/dp/B01N47IPE4" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-bad-boys-girl-blair-holden/1125248071?ean=2940157053864" target="_blank">Barnes &amp; Noble</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-bad-boy-s-girl" target="_blank">Kobo</a> <span style="color: #073763;">~</span></b><span style="color: #073763;"> </span><b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-bad-boys-girl/id1180781043?mt=11" target="_blank">iTunes</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://badboysgirl.pagedemo.co/" target="_blank">Website</a></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">Tessa O’Connell is a girl as ordinary as they come-or so she thinks. Her aim for senior year is to keep her head down yet somehow manage to convince her childhood love Jay Stone to love her back. What she isn’t prepared for is for Jay’s brother, Cole to return to town and change the life she’s always been seemingly content to live. Tall, gorgeous as all hell and a bad boy with ocean blue eyes and the perfect edge of adorability, he was her greatest tormentor, her number one enemy.But the guy that’s come back is like no one Tessa’s ever come across. He challenges her, he tests her limits, he forces her to bring out the girl she’s long ago buried under a veil of mediocrity and most of all he compels her to consider that perhaps the boy that infuriates her to the point of no return might just her guardian angel. This new edition contains never before seen, exclusive content!</span></div>
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*Please remember, this is an UnPlugged review, meaning there <i>are</i> spoilers, and this is a candid review with raw, honest reactions. </div>
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For a professional PluggedIn review, sans spoilers, see my official blog post <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/06/review-for-bad-boys-girl-by-blair-holden.html" target="_blank">here</a>!</div>
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Okay, let's start with the beginning.</div>
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The first three quarters of the book, I loved! The characters, the plot, the twists - agh! I was so into this book, it was primed to be one of my favorites. The real-life events like being attacked, the trauma of that, her raw emotions...I loved it all. It was fantastic.</div>
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Maybe that's why the last quarter of the book pissed me off so much?</div>
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Basically, the whole book went nuts in the last quarter, and it didn't make any sense. I swear the author said, "Well, this is all going so smoothly, it's such a good story...let's fuck it all up. Where's my hack-saw?"</div>
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My reaction?</div>
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Why? Just, why??! Why end it that way?! That's a TERRIBLE ending!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcBQREr7gMaHJhxmSG5NaCeZIdH3QpJtoz7XQCZyKm0efmVCJgNhX5a_N_AG0pfan2egGPbhR1F0LQSiK6wRyM6JBg4mpqAWThUoSNCZyF4lqH_I6yo8kmr8Xq6Oj15JuAbds8NSxX53E/s1600/giphy+%252818%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="326" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcBQREr7gMaHJhxmSG5NaCeZIdH3QpJtoz7XQCZyKm0efmVCJgNhX5a_N_AG0pfan2egGPbhR1F0LQSiK6wRyM6JBg4mpqAWThUoSNCZyF4lqH_I6yo8kmr8Xq6Oj15JuAbds8NSxX53E/s400/giphy+%252818%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Let me prep this, for just a sec. Cole loves the bejeezus out of Tessa. He's obsessed with her, and has been since they were kids. He did so many things to win her over, earn her trust, and was passionately stubborn about getting her to open up to him, and be with him.</div>
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It worked! They were together. They were perfect, and adorable, and it was just magic.</div>
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Then, it all goes to hell, and he turns into the devil.</div>
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He does all that crap to win her, and on top of that, it turns out all the pranks and nasty stuff he did to her growing up, was because he liked her. He's been in love with her for like a decade. That's amazing!!! That is deep! A person doesn't just abandon that overnight!</div>
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So, they have a fight, as all couples do. They have had a volatile relationship their whole lives, and neither are new to tension in the relationship. The fight shouldn't have pushed him or changed much at all. You spend that long working to win the girl of your dreams, you don't do something stupid and burn the whole thing to the ground. Especially Cole - he just didn't have that personality. He was one-track minded to get and keep what he wants, and he wouldn't let go like that.</div>
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What exactly happens?</div>
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Some chick comes out of no where, who was not in the rest of the story, and was barely introduced when she did randomly appear. He apparently knew her though, and he had always thought of as a little sister, while she was secretly in love with him. </div>
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I get the irony - she was him and he was Tessa, and yada yada yada, dramatic irony. The circle is complete, he was secretly in love with Tessa, while random chick was secretly in love with him. Gotta have that cliche triangle, right?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38rVTsUUapA-lURa64Dxr8ZyG7RLkNcTiHncHcSECop2XklI4V_yXE5zq1y2d5f5TrKI9yo1T3VEyyecFtyN3JtLHxOCH1bNxqCPdJ-UsO09iMOEnVd4XDhrMecK9NW4rWNDWA2Xj8QJ-/s1600/tear+book+page+out+angry.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="340" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38rVTsUUapA-lURa64Dxr8ZyG7RLkNcTiHncHcSECop2XklI4V_yXE5zq1y2d5f5TrKI9yo1T3VEyyecFtyN3JtLHxOCH1bNxqCPdJ-UsO09iMOEnVd4XDhrMecK9NW4rWNDWA2Xj8QJ-/s400/tear+book+page+out+angry.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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So, this chick proclaims her love for him, right after his fight with Tessa, where he had stormed out and to cool off.</div>
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He's shocked by the admission, and apparently it's enough to get him to basically loose his mind long enough to <b>cheat </b>with her! He then instantly regrets it and blows <i>her</i> off, to go back to Tessa, admitting what he'd done, and looses her completely?!!<br />
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WTF??!</div>
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He cheats on her. He fracking cheats on her!! Are you kidding me? I still can't believe that's the direction the author took. The entire buildup where they actually get together and it's all good, then that. Completely random shocker, and for what? To surprise people? To avoid one cliche by tossing in another? Seriously, what was the point of that? It added nothing to the story, and didn't even make sense! Character development is important, and keeping them on tracks that make sense is vital. A guy doesn't throw away decades of feelings over one of hundreds of fights.</div>
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Not only did it turn Cole into the biggest ass-hat ever, but it made him seem like a creepy perv - seriously, who cheats with someone who's been basically a little sister in his mind? That's just messed up! Sisters don't become lovers, especially in literally a matter of minutes. Who jumps their littler sister's bones?!<br />
Unless he was harboring feelings as well, people don't just change years upon years of feeling a certain way with the snap of a finger.</div>
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The whole thing made me angry, not only for Tessa, but to the poor girl who was in love with him and got tossed away after he anger-banged her. She finally works up the courage to tell the man she loves how she feels, he has a passionate few minutes with her, getting her hopes up, then basically tells her it will never work out, that he's in love with someone else, sorry, bye. Runs off, leaving her shattered and broken, only to go break the heart of the other woman as well.</div>
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The whole situation totally felt like she was just thrown in last minute to make some half-ass cliff-hanger ending, or if nothing else, end it with something other than a happy ending.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_T-Dmazn9B-cY0LMz7dGY9lFLS0ixSppa24dXHrn-MewoG5zi1fO0ocmMinWIdH7QCaQuzeUKarxvjqsYcXTsaBWRZbKQ1H1GrVDRFLLzys7t5kZm5IoGso35zPMnDHpGsrgE7_l7m3r/s1600/giphy+%252814%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="213" data-original-width="500" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL_T-Dmazn9B-cY0LMz7dGY9lFLS0ixSppa24dXHrn-MewoG5zi1fO0ocmMinWIdH7QCaQuzeUKarxvjqsYcXTsaBWRZbKQ1H1GrVDRFLLzys7t5kZm5IoGso35zPMnDHpGsrgE7_l7m3r/s400/giphy+%252814%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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I get not wanting to be cliche. I do. But that just seemed so far past drastic, it's painful. Not only that, the cliche of a triangle didn't really fit, especially throwing it in last minute. The entire book was spent convincing not only Tessa, but the reader, that Cole was a good guy. The moral seemed to be find strength in yourself, and follow your heart, even if that means trusting this guy. That love <i>can</i> exist, even if it's in the most unlikely of places.<br />
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Instead, it basically made it a "What was the point of that. Gimme my two hours back, cuz you ruined your whole argument in the last half hour."</div>
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It didn't feel at all in line with the rest of the book, Cole as a character, and even Tessa didn't even seem like herself! The fight they had in the first place was odd, didn't make sense at all, and I felt like I missed something entirely. It was like invasion of the body snatchers!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAKNpZSNkgRVH_C8foAoLa0X_LjNJajDPdgHkuHSzDsM3H2-tXtYpMJSLW_sMf6rW527dPQfSaO7c1KFew9NWzSySxJHQfWtkyD2AhWsOc_CO1sqWEWDrfHLfbxrtWtmrk_w-fd8Zyd9U/s1600/invasion+of+the+body+snatchers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="358" data-original-width="480" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAKNpZSNkgRVH_C8foAoLa0X_LjNJajDPdgHkuHSzDsM3H2-tXtYpMJSLW_sMf6rW527dPQfSaO7c1KFew9NWzSySxJHQfWtkyD2AhWsOc_CO1sqWEWDrfHLfbxrtWtmrk_w-fd8Zyd9U/s400/invasion+of+the+body+snatchers.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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The whole first part of the book had a particular voice, flow, and style. Then all the sudden, the author decided to completely switch gears, without warning, and turn it into some sort of soap opera that did not belong.<br />
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What's even more annoying, is this: had the entire last section been part of it's own story, it would have actually been interesting - it wasn't a bad plot.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2z-X1jsV2sI_E1MlqWWPjmCOYVcTxe-osowf0NByUG78wZT_zuwL9plHWALnve1zNOG2OXduXCzlyAI69UvxnGpBW3nnB2d8kAkTAXvO-0pSHdbMaPZbgjH7t_1YgxhSQ1XoF5hyoJl3b/s1600/giphy+%252838%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="118" data-original-width="210" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2z-X1jsV2sI_E1MlqWWPjmCOYVcTxe-osowf0NByUG78wZT_zuwL9plHWALnve1zNOG2OXduXCzlyAI69UvxnGpBW3nnB2d8kAkTAXvO-0pSHdbMaPZbgjH7t_1YgxhSQ1XoF5hyoJl3b/s400/giphy+%252838%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Thrown onto the end of this story though, just didn't fit. The characters' personalities and character traits completely changed, and the whole voice and flow was so different, it made no sense.</div>
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On top of that, the whole story had amateur mistakes, and obviously wasn't edited, or if it was, the editor wasn't very good. The grammar mistakes were glaringly obvious, the overall format and layout was unpolished and unfinished. The whole thing just seemed typed up from a notebook, and then immediately published. Being a Wattpad story, it probably was something along those lines, but I digress.<br />
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Normally, that doesn't bother me too badly on it's own, but when thrown in with everything else, it ends up being the gravy on a crap-tastic plate of disappointment.</div>
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Personally, the story just completely tanked in the second half. There were other parts leading up to the final chapters of insanity that I didn't care for either, which made it a whole second half of "well, that sucked."<br />
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I really loved the first half, and I did fall in love with Cole a bit - he's awesome. Tessa seemed like someone I'd be friends with in real life, if not simply a similar version of myself at her age.<br />
That all ended, and died a horrible death in the second half. It was painful. I was physically cringing and wanting to punch my pillow.<br />
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This is definitely not a book I'd recommend, unless you're prepared for the whiplash ending. I'd say read until they get together, then stop, drop the book, and walk away. Had it ended there, it would have been awesome, and would have had some sort of point, as any book should.<br />
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As it is, I read three quarters of a book where the point was fighting for love, confidence, and trust. The last quarter killed Tessa's idea that love was real, that trusting was safe, or that she was good enough. He killed her inside, and that's just not something I enjoy reading, after they'd actually managed to heal her and make her into something wonderful.<br />
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This sucks.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Have you read a book like this, where the ending just ruins you? Lemme know in the comments below - I'm going to go get some ice cream, and snuggle with my cat.</span></b><br />
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-45070514181935683962017-05-15T04:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:32:14.818-08:00"Chasing the Dollar" UnPlugged Review!Hiya guys! Hope you've all been doing amazing!<br />
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I've got a pretty awesome series to review this week, and it's an audiobook series! I'm actually really loving the whole audiobook thing, because I can multi-task and keep working. Perfect!! I'm sooooo glad Jess at Audiobookworm Promotions reached out to Desert Rose Reviews for event invites, because it's been such a blessing. I honestly wouldn't have ever looked into audiobooks otherwise, I don't think.<br />
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Anyway, I signed up for a tour for them, for a whole trilogy! It's a cozy mystery, comedy series, and I had so much fun with it! Check out my UnPlugged review for the first book in the series below, and be sure to keep an eye out for my review of the other two books coming soon!<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Chasing the Dollar</span></i></b></h3>
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<b><i><span style="color: #073763;">(Miranda Vaughn Mysteries #1)</span></i></b></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25939544-chasing-the-dollar" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Chasing the Dollar" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvpzVQAFsHMD3jRdj052n60UYMTLprahhxjyBgQpNlHvtlWLXlAub4RW2NQKst5ZBT6FFWKaPItdps_EatITglcYDcLU5DiYhmr8wGwnPOhzRASSvLtRTKGW1hqdbpKtOLk6ARhmNG8V6-/s640/Chasing+the+Dollar+3D.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">~<u>Narrator</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #741b47;">Teri Schnaubelt</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">~<u>Released</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #741b47;">July 15, 2015</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">~<u>Length</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #741b47;">7 hours 23 minutes</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">~<u>Publisher</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #741b47;">Ellie Ashe</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #741b47;">Mystery, Thriller</span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25939544-chasing-the-dollar" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Dollar-Miranda-Vaughn-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B00NS6MHBS/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> ~ </b><b><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/Chasing-the-Dollar-Audiobook/B011MM122Y/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1454476593&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Audible</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/chasing-dollar-miranda-vaughn-mysteries-volume-1-unabridged/id1019757861?mt=3&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank">iTunes</a></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Miranda Vaughn has spent the last year and a half fighting for her freedom. Arrested for a fraud scheme involving her supervisors, she's lost her job at a prestigious investment firm, her fiancé, and her reputation. She walks out of the courtroom a free woman, only to find that life has a few more curve balls to throw her way. The jury may have found her not guilty, but Miranda is broke, in debt to her beloved aunt, and can't find a job because of the cloud of suspicion still swirling around her. She's not going to be able to move forward with her life until she finds out who set her up.</span></div>
<span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span><span style="color: #073763;">Buried in the evidence against her, Miranda finds a larger scheme, one involving far more money than the $37 million her boss fleeced from unsuspecting investors. Determined to uncover the truth, Miranda begins her own investigation - leading her to Macau and Belize, and into the arms of one sexy FBI agent, who may or may not prove to be trustworthy. When the danger heats up, Miranda finds herself in a race against time to find the person behind it all. Before he finds her....</span><br />
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<b><u><span style="color: #741b47; font-size: large;">Ellie Ashe</span></u></b></h3>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">USA Today best-selling author Ellie Ashe has always been drawn to jobs where she can tell stories—journalist, lawyer, and now writer. Writing quirky romantic mysteries is how she gets the "happily ever after" that so often is lacking in her day job. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">When not writing, you can find her with her nose in a good book, watching far too much TV, or trying out new recipes on unsuspecting friends and family. She lives in Northern California with her husband and three cats, all of whom worry when she starts browsing the puppy listings on petfinder.com.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8432160.Ellie_Ashe" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="https://ellieashe.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> ~ <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ellie-Ashe/e/B00NRB3SCG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=sl2&tag=ellieashecom-20&linkId=9e25edbe14f9eb04c27e43b7d453f8db" target="_blank">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/EllieAsheBooks" target="_blank">Facebook</a> ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/ellieashe" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.terischnaubelt.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Teri Schnaubelt" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIxMMojbol5ehhSP-92kDEUpY5f83d45V5id75GdQALqNGhFTgVahsOhjeklzFFahtmDsTbcbavS5hjL7tGHML4ltDVAvmSK-bASJ0vuq88Jx19bi7lL2qLynydTjx5uS6UUIz-PrqxGs7/s1600/terri.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Teri Schnaubelt is a Chicago-based actor, voice actor and audiobook narrator with over 100 titles, including NY Times Bestsellers. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="https://www.terischnaubelt.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/TeriSchnaubelt" target="_blank">Twitter</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/terischnaubeltactor" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">*Please remember, the reviews on this site <i>do</i> contain spoilers. This is an open space, like you would find in a book club or just friends talking about books. It is not an official review, and is just for fun. For my official review sans spoilers, check out my PluggedIn review <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/04/chasing-dollar-mystery-comedy-adventure_19.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
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We all love conspiracies, right? I know I do! A book set in the middle of a conspiracy, surrounded by danger and mystery just sounds fantastic! Miranda's story wasn't disappointing, that's for sure.</div>
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The whole book was so smooth, and flowed perfectly. I got swept up immediately, and literally didn't want to stop listening. It was about 7 1/2 hours, and I listened to most of it in one sitting. I needed sleep though, and at two in the morning, decided to finish the last few chapters the next day. Sacrifices, right? #bookwormlife</div>
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Okay, SPOILERS!</div>
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The action - ooooooh mama, the action. It's amazing! I'm a girl who loves action and adventure, and this one had plenty of both!</div>
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Between the car chases, gun fights, fist fights, running from would-be killers, and danger at every turn, I was completely enthralled.</div>
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I loved the way the action scenes were portrayed, too. They weren't over the top, simply realistic, with a hint of flare and drama for the sake of story progression. Really though, anyone taking on drug cartels and drug lords, is bound to have some gun fights and a few explosions, right?</div>
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The side/alternate story line - the romance.</div>
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I'm not a major fan of romance in novels, and I don't like reading about in-the-bedroom stuff. That's just my preference.</div>
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This book bordered on tmi for me, and a few times I nearly stopped listening because of it. Especially when they were in their own room together, pretending to be a couple on their honeymoon, and things got a bit hotter than steamy.</div>
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Now, realistically, this book is part romance - that is a major aspect of it. Her hot/cold relationship with guys is an important part of not only the story, but the character herself. It's also a big part of life, and I get that.</div>
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So, for that sake, I didn't knock it, because the author did keep it PG-13, luckily.</div>
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That being said, I can't just <i>not</i> talk about that part of the story, since it's so important. So, here we go.</div>
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Jake. Is. Hot.</div>
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At least to Miranda. He sounds okay to me, but nothing special. Generic in looks, typical independent bachelor guy, and FBI agent. I wouldn't swoon, at least not from what was in the story. She, however, is putty around him.</div>
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Whatever, it's the typical attraction thing.</div>
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What I did enjoy about their relationship, was the fact that even when he saved her, she wasn't some helpless dimwit damsel. She only needed his help because it was the two of them against an international drug ring - who <i>wouldn't</i> need help?!</div>
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She saved him a couple of times too, which was awesome. They needed each other, helped each other, and respected each other, as equals.</div>
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It wasn't either extreme, with one of them superior, and that was delicious. </div>
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Miranda isn't a mega-feminist who's totally against men, waving her "Girl Power" flag at every chance. Jake also isn't some ass-butt chauvinist who thinks women are incompetent without male assistance. He wants to protect her, but doesn't try to control her, and vice versa.</div>
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It was a refreshing dynamic to encounter, and probably what made me enjoy the story overall. The mystery and action was excellent, but I've been craving a dynamic that is actually balanced and respectful, and finally found it here.</div>
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Miranda is tough. She's capable of taking care of herself in most situations, and brave enough to take on drug lords, simply because it's the right thing to do. That is bad ass.</div>
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She is blonde, but isn't a bimbo. She's attractive, but doesn't slut herself out to get her way, or act like a major B to anyone who doesn't give her what she wants. She isn't spoiled, is down to Earth, and knows her limits. What I respected about her most, is she isn't afraid of accepting help when she needs it, and doesn't let herself feel somehow weaker because of it. I love that.</div>
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Jake is tough, and definitely has a macho streak in him, but isn't an ass about it. Most of his macho-ness comes out when he is afraid for Miranda's safety, because, in all honesty, she did get herself into some pretty dangerous situations. He's worried about her, and it shows - nothing wrong with that.</div>
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He isn't afraid to take care of her, even if he gets nothing in return. He is also completely fine with letting her lead, when he knows she should be leading. He knows when to step up, and when to back off, which is awesome. Especially for a fed.</div>
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I was afraid that the story would be generic, and I'm glad it wasn't. It was entirely enjoyable, and a story I would recommend.</div>
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<b>Wait!</b></div>
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You may be thinking "Alright, if you loved it so much, why only four roses instead of five?"</div>
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Good question!</div>
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Because I'm being honest, and while I loved this story, it isn't one I see myself craving to read again later. It is polished, smooth, and entertaining. It's also fairly simple, in the aspect that I wouldn't get much out of it, if I read it or listened to it again down the road.</div>
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For me, a five-rose rating means I know I'll want to read it again. It's one that will pop up in my brain later, and I'll have a craving for it. This one isn't in that category, and there's nothing wrong with that - it's still an awesome story!<br />
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For me though, I can't honestly give it a five rose rating, so it's a four. Personal preference, but it's my rating, so whatevs. </div>
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I've finished the trilogy, and will have reviews for the other two books up soon!</div>
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Keep an eye out for those, and be sure to let me know what you think of this book in the comments below!</div>
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Thanks for stopping by! =D</div>
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-51444661167487988912017-04-22T04:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:31:00.340-08:00"Wickedly They Come" Audiobook Review!Hiya peeps! I've got another audiobook review to share with you today!<br />
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I've been looking forward to posting about this book on my UnPlugged blog, because this one was just...ugh...*facepalm*<br />
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Just, check it out below...</div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: large;">Wickedly They Come</span></i></b></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18369807-wickedly-they-come" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Wickedly They Come" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufRWtwZDPVO9fDWxoD84tEPRJ8lqeOHZY91USq_0V0hM0L9hSCIj0dFr0VYgnlmtwWUrIdEpb2bsJqPnkSXuPt-k2etBc4p0cvU6kGE-pVxlANwHZFtfyidsBSKkeb68QNNSQuqZ0XLrT/s640/wickedly+they+come+cover.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Released</u>: </span><b><span style="color: #274e13;">January 22nd, 2017</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">(Audiobook Edition)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Length</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #274e13;">7 hours and 46 minutes</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Parent's Guide</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #274e13;">PG-13</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Genres</u>: </span><b><span style="color: #274e13;">Young Adult, Paranormal, Dark Fantasy</span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18369807-wickedly-they-come" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wickedly-They-Come-Book-ebook/dp/B019EP36G6/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> <span style="color: #274e13;">~ </span><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Teens/Wickedly-They-Come-Audiobook/B01MCZIHFQ" target="_blank">Audible</a></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">A gripping, dark fantasy!</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">A Destined Prophecy: “The White Warrior will be one with Lucifer and God will weep.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Haunting visions and supernatural talents are the norm for the sixteen-year-old warrior, Jordan and her mother Seeley. Together with their formidable angels they find themselves in peril when a wicked sorcerer is determined to fulfill the prophecy to his lord, Lucifer.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">After an ominous vision of spirits inhabiting teenagers in a local school, Jordan enrolls in the social culture of teendom at Elma High to combat soulless demons. She encounters Mark, a mysterious new classmate, who is hell bent on keeping her unscathed from the forces of evil.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">The battle between Heaven and Hell is escalating—and Earth is their battleground.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7179953.Cathrina_Constantine" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #274e13;"><img alt=" C. Constantine" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhC7moYHCh8NavLryK7q_aWhuT8zrVP9SgsPz9BE0f2ucW9SD5OZOiuEWMlBdVLRUXCXkTbI0Q-tsMRrf8VC4XtpD9DHWj0-LVxsNxXfEYXEBDn0nt5KCXJt0pa9NOwIx9cNn0TrjyUhep/s320/C.+Constantine.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Cathrina Constantine resides in Western New York with her husband, five <span style="text-align: center;">children, two happy-go-lucky Labrador Retrievers and two cats. After a long hiatus while raising her family, Constantine finally picked up pen and paper and began to hone her craft of writing, then eventually confiscated her son’s computer. She is excited to have her debut novel, <i>Wickedly They Come</i> published by Black Opal Books, and has a signed for her second novel, </span><i style="text-align: center;">Tallas</i><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="text-align: center;">Cathrina is represented by The Belcastro Literary Agency, and </span><span style="text-align: center;">is extremely happy to be working with Sharon Belcastro and Ella Marie Mohan Shupe.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13;">When not with her family, baking, crafting, reading, or stationed at the computer writing, you will find her walking in the backwoods with her dogs, daydreaming.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7179953.Cathrina_Constantine" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="http://cathrinaconstantine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/cathconstantine" target="_blank">Twitter</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wickedly333/" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">*Please remember, the reviews on this blog are UnPlugged, meaning they are just for fun, they <b>do</b> contain spoilers, and are set as if in a book club or friends discussing a book. Not for official use or promotion.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #444444; font-size: x-small;">If you would like to see my PluggedIn official review, please check that out <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/04/wickedly-they-come-audiobook-review.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></i></div>
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Lots of demons, lots of supernatural lore, lots of Catholicism.</div>
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If you know me, you may know I am very much into demonology, studying legends and folklore, and figuring out the the supernatural. If you don't know me, well, now you know more than you did a minute ago.</div>
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Lucky you.</div>
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I enjoy all that stuff though, in my real life, and in fiction. Books, movies, television, comics...pretty much anything with a supernatural flare, or featuring demons/angels, and I'm interested.</div>
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So, reading the synopsis for this novel easily peaked my interest. Chick labeled a "white warrior" who's destined to be entwined with Lucifer, upping the stakes in the seemingly never-ending battle between God and His rebellions kids - that's right up my alley!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KolKyFeCz29fRP6kQwzI6lQjby-HPwdeJ7O7_I3gn6X0WjIc9UNJsCfEX_iRYIALW-yEm9WIIMjDylmHCKYq6GpnhKYXcZF_nXvNIf0MM2Cq1g7-NRA6v9J3iJsGLBODO0FtWiiuc1K0/s1600/minions+whoo+hoo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2KolKyFeCz29fRP6kQwzI6lQjby-HPwdeJ7O7_I3gn6X0WjIc9UNJsCfEX_iRYIALW-yEm9WIIMjDylmHCKYq6GpnhKYXcZF_nXvNIf0MM2Cq1g7-NRA6v9J3iJsGLBODO0FtWiiuc1K0/s400/minions+whoo+hoo.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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For the most part, this book was. Mostly. Kinda...sorta.</div>
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Let's start with the parts I liked, shall we?</div>
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The generic teen girl, lost one parent at a young age, and the remaining parent is limping along in life, trying to do the best she can. </div>
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Relatable, easy to picture, strums the heart-strings.</div>
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Protective grandparents helping out, lending that "elderly wisdom" aspect. Also gives a few more adults to the story, so it's not solely hormone-filled drama.</div>
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Looking better now.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTTSBrQ_HQfjsDEx68QRv3lOcM9-qwkngi8g76VX1USJ2M34XkwtuUvK81XDCQt4jmb_B8d86UF5AbfnK3yKBTyP4xb6pixHXRI2sOHT4oELCvsC-EGl7iU8hai0FuXQt6brw8zACx6dx/s1600/emma+stone+smile+two+thumbs+up.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUTTSBrQ_HQfjsDEx68QRv3lOcM9-qwkngi8g76VX1USJ2M34XkwtuUvK81XDCQt4jmb_B8d86UF5AbfnK3yKBTyP4xb6pixHXRI2sOHT4oELCvsC-EGl7iU8hai0FuXQt6brw8zACx6dx/s400/emma+stone+smile+two+thumbs+up.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Teen was home-schooled, recently started a public school to attempt being more social and "normal" at some point in her life. </div>
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Cool. Lots of potential there, even if it is somewhat generic.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDjxpcKIwQiYmibu-O8J1EpjXRgjD515TjX4AfLDWe8ofW3usuW1TBgMaPnNbpkePIqGCgRfwCKk-d67-Z9cJiE1yzRB8KQULSTQJGsfE-wPweTghq97uMC7xXa-hfmhOI3yzEeNUeYcM/s1600/giphy+%25282%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDjxpcKIwQiYmibu-O8J1EpjXRgjD515TjX4AfLDWe8ofW3usuW1TBgMaPnNbpkePIqGCgRfwCKk-d67-Z9cJiE1yzRB8KQULSTQJGsfE-wPweTghq97uMC7xXa-hfmhOI3yzEeNUeYcM/s400/giphy+%25282%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finds some friends who are pushy, but assumingly well-meaning in their adoption of the new girl into their odd little group. </div>
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Good, getting interesting. Always love me a few weirdos.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIK-CzB92eVd8UzpQTpN_cVmw_qhDbyEPJbOlzQ9Ai7dxGJA0BAJD1fa7e9AUMosr_yRVSs98R5dIh_dRlQU4fmG0VUmcyFEy7TcSJq8Rp8Hr2Z0qJ2rpBtI8Qb9iFALEU_ChXGPxBM6g/s1600/minions+waving+hello.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIK-CzB92eVd8UzpQTpN_cVmw_qhDbyEPJbOlzQ9Ai7dxGJA0BAJD1fa7e9AUMosr_yRVSs98R5dIh_dRlQU4fmG0VUmcyFEy7TcSJq8Rp8Hr2Z0qJ2rpBtI8Qb9iFALEU_ChXGPxBM6g/s400/minions+waving+hello.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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A second new kid - a guy, who the new girl ends up knowing...</div>
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Because he's her guardian angel who's taken human form, as a teenage boy, and enrolled in the same school.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoykGr0advVH-fthy9H7m4AF59W-7TBMytqfnbodUlIHl2ioYmqZNhvo73xM_3WRgl5p1SQZGl5nLNyKlykp2S60M_P55hgLsMkdOjU0rij0OmrgyUxy_blJnvTs0pGE8NQnljb3HVLHva/s1600/giphy+%252812%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoykGr0advVH-fthy9H7m4AF59W-7TBMytqfnbodUlIHl2ioYmqZNhvo73xM_3WRgl5p1SQZGl5nLNyKlykp2S60M_P55hgLsMkdOjU0rij0OmrgyUxy_blJnvTs0pGE8NQnljb3HVLHva/s400/giphy+%252812%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Oh, and there's a possessive chick on his arm, as though they are a couple, and he's just "playing a part" he's apparently been putting together for a while. You know, better to lead some random teen girl who already doesn't like the human he's supposed to be guarding, into believing she's got a shot with him, instead of, oh, I don't know...sticking with the human he's supposed to be there for?</div>
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Man-hoe much?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC371IRmw8sAa918lxy527xZtU3VXSTPwDGam00FIp5K8jLdGZFP9Xj-wHf4ZApXvRELGovdVKPjvoX0SXyMz6zKrCj75gy-qiQFLThvBF7f5Q93LWxah_81kErpmaFxZQIpw6gLRL6fA/s1600/giphy+%252831%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC371IRmw8sAa918lxy527xZtU3VXSTPwDGam00FIp5K8jLdGZFP9Xj-wHf4ZApXvRELGovdVKPjvoX0SXyMz6zKrCj75gy-qiQFLThvBF7f5Q93LWxah_81kErpmaFxZQIpw6gLRL6fA/s400/giphy+%252831%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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That was the first part that <i>really</i> started ticking me off. Like, alright, we're making the angel human, so Jordan (the main chick in the story) is the only one who knows what he really is. He can appear out of thin air in his angelic splendor when she calls him to her, but she has to pretend he's just another student any other time. Because her life isn't already difficult.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIblIRK_LAH8rQEnPhyphenhyphenaCCs5O6NycHuANVSKaGdDKQ3bfct40xbZCF1lJ3k0CTzCT4fLnEg75f6u-2rW85EwL8pcs1MXPIF16lu_9-b_ZbSPemzFevMGDFWyXgVuYxPQrPdn1Zz7uUkDFx/s1600/giphy+%252816%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIblIRK_LAH8rQEnPhyphenhyphenaCCs5O6NycHuANVSKaGdDKQ3bfct40xbZCF1lJ3k0CTzCT4fLnEg75f6u-2rW85EwL8pcs1MXPIF16lu_9-b_ZbSPemzFevMGDFWyXgVuYxPQrPdn1Zz7uUkDFx/s400/giphy+%252816%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Seemed like a shallow attempt to add more drama than was really necessary. The whole concept was already stretching it a bit, but having him in a different circle than her was just confusing, and made him seem like an ass who was trying to kill two birds with one stone, in technically protecting her, while living a human teenage boy's life, playing it up and having fun along the way.</div>
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Not very angelic, tbh.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnecrkDXtXI1ZTGDIRLOCIuJ09pmvIr0BZbvfPnCfavWGFJA92x81TBbj2fceqjkQ3k5-c5Nc-DyoRkQ-q7cd_iBsCYZq5DbHtJZwgnuvBhJhwAwCPwEZlq6hs6aMfFGCUXyUm-Fm_vO7X/s1600/giphy+%252850%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnecrkDXtXI1ZTGDIRLOCIuJ09pmvIr0BZbvfPnCfavWGFJA92x81TBbj2fceqjkQ3k5-c5Nc-DyoRkQ-q7cd_iBsCYZq5DbHtJZwgnuvBhJhwAwCPwEZlq6hs6aMfFGCUXyUm-Fm_vO7X/s400/giphy+%252850%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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To make it even more awkward, she's attracted to him...I hate that story line. With a passion. No, I loathe it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueCY4Q0sUyAwFz1c9J6HPyL9EFmTNbT9oAfOOoQYxqZGP6P2T-Q2IKdeNxL0zdxj4jA5q8FAiFsXHDuvEOhja4WllMxJ5fbgOJgJtQEx_rF2ZAjmLPPa_5gHlMmbRGmhz5kd63DGVVzt9/s1600/giphy+%252830%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjueCY4Q0sUyAwFz1c9J6HPyL9EFmTNbT9oAfOOoQYxqZGP6P2T-Q2IKdeNxL0zdxj4jA5q8FAiFsXHDuvEOhja4WllMxJ5fbgOJgJtQEx_rF2ZAjmLPPa_5gHlMmbRGmhz5kd63DGVVzt9/s400/giphy+%252830%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Apparently we are now into negatives, because really, there are a lot.</div>
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First off, I <i>hate</i> the name Jordan for a girl. My brother is named Jordan, and it's just an automatic masculine name to me, constantly throwing me off any time I encounter it on a female character.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxIFG2QtiaX7J0RQxSoN8HpaNA7TwcjjUXimWosxtxeDcZLIZQ736_JnIeI02lk4qXO79D1qTaWjZ6E6UGqABetNvJ3roPtW8PtlKuj0upC9I7_TJYNtKitkN6_okbOyRd2moGKW1hhsC/s1600/giphy+%252810%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCxIFG2QtiaX7J0RQxSoN8HpaNA7TwcjjUXimWosxtxeDcZLIZQ736_JnIeI02lk4qXO79D1qTaWjZ6E6UGqABetNvJ3roPtW8PtlKuj0upC9I7_TJYNtKitkN6_okbOyRd2moGKW1hhsC/s400/giphy+%252810%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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As the story progressed, it became more and more apparent that Jordan was not, in fact, some warrior chick.</div>
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Sure, she's strong, she's got powers, and she's talented. That's about it.</div>
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Everything around her and about her simply fell into her lap. Her entire situation has happened because she's the "White Warrior" with a devilish destiny. I was hoping it would be because she was actually impressive. Its not. </div>
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Not because of who she actually is, or anything she's done to earn it. In fact, it's really not clear at all as to why she's destined to be linked with Lucifer, or why <i>she</i> is the person from the "prophecy" stating the destiny of the "white warrior" she's supposed to be.</div>
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If anything, she just messes everything up more. Any situation she was in, she made worse, by being an idiot. Age wasn't really a factor in that, either - it wasn't immature stupidity, it was she's just not that person, stupidity. She's supposed to be this super-warrior mega-chick, who would make Lucifer stronger. If anything, she'd just end up killing him in some stupid accident.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKdUlufcNIyQC2lfsjNFUWSj1HjohSWRV1zmLxBIJIZMhWcrCTdPfdSWHVU-AywOYbW8fFLWLBXcVxJ1M2hWgT_GwXlz5Kf2dnSONLc9ogcEJj7LWdiBPaP6KHXk0tuwE8AmCAtI3WZlw/s1600/giphy+%252825%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyKdUlufcNIyQC2lfsjNFUWSj1HjohSWRV1zmLxBIJIZMhWcrCTdPfdSWHVU-AywOYbW8fFLWLBXcVxJ1M2hWgT_GwXlz5Kf2dnSONLc9ogcEJj7LWdiBPaP6KHXk0tuwE8AmCAtI3WZlw/s400/giphy+%252825%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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She's meant to be epic, but just doesn't fit it. I think they got her wrong, and she isn't actually the person in the prophecy. That would make more sense to me - if the whole thing is a "whoops! Wrong chick, never mind."</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYJvRQlJCGjdkdQnv59WWUE7vsMHuXDAMxhs-sDBFqG-5I-cLD3PbiJvkKOojJ-6XczLeHy6m730YTSEB68_lZdNi3IgiNCN4Z80Ge4UcesNcJOHfhaWMYK3vvrfqAgWE-2apyLd-5BEr/s1600/jennifer+aniston+rachel+dramatic+winking.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOYJvRQlJCGjdkdQnv59WWUE7vsMHuXDAMxhs-sDBFqG-5I-cLD3PbiJvkKOojJ-6XczLeHy6m730YTSEB68_lZdNi3IgiNCN4Z80Ge4UcesNcJOHfhaWMYK3vvrfqAgWE-2apyLd-5BEr/s400/jennifer+aniston+rachel+dramatic+winking.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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To end the negatives, because I don't want to list every little thing, was the entire scope of Catholicism saturating the details, and the Catholic traditions.</div>
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I'm not Catholic, and I don't agree with Catholic traditions. We are all entitled to our opinions, but that's mine, and there's nothing wrong with it. I don't have to agree with them, and I don't agree with them. Others do, and I balance them out.</div>
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Having a book so intensely saturated with talking everything through with a Priest, relying on angels to protect the main character, and the Catholic twists on supernatural lore was just a bit much for me. It not only made her seem weak and even less like some bad-ass warrior chick, it made it seem as though she was either being set up, or just plain pathetic.</div>
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Alright! Back to the good stuff!</div>
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We'll just sandwich all the negative stuff with good on either end.</div>
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Angels vs demons = always good fun. If you're at all interested in supernatural genres, you'll know this is an age old classic. You really can't go wrong, basing the foundation of your story on that classic setup.</div>
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It's in the details, that you screw it up.</div>
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But, I digress.</div>
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The details I <i>did</i> enjoy circled around the demons and ghouls. They were described well, and had the most realistic personalities. I thought they were done the best of all the characters, and enjoyed that aspect quite a bit.</div>
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The overall story, as a whole, wasn't bad. I, personally, had issues with the details, and the character development for several of them was off a bit.</div>
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Still, I do think it deserves a three rose rating.</div>
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Obviously, cuz I rated it three roses...</div>
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To be completely honest though, I am positive that had I read the text edition, I wouldn't have gotten past chapter three. The only thing that made me actually want to keep going with this story, is the fact I had an audiobook edition, and it was narrated. Very little effort went into it on my part, and it wouldn't have been worth actually putting the effort into physically reading the words.</div>
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I would have chucked it through a wall...</div>
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And really, even that had a negative. The narrator's voice, for whatever reason, gave me a headache. It's not her fault, but as the listener and honest reviewer, it's something I encountered, making the task of listening to 7 1/2 hours of narration rather challenging.</div>
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So, what now? Good question!</div>
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Personally, I was probably just a very wrong fit with this book completely. While it sounds like something I'd adore, there was just no good way to fit us together. It happens, and that's why I'm not rating it lower or completely tearing it apart. Most of my negatives are personal, and unless you hold the same views I do, probably wouldn't care much yourself.</div>
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If you don't mind Catholic traditions and the negatives I listed above, and the synopsis sounds interesting, you'd probably really like this book. Plenty of people rave about it, and it's not a bad story - in fact, as a student of supernatural studies, it's a pretty good find. If I didn't have the background I have, I wouldn't have nearly as much of a problem with the details, and it would only be minor stuff that bothered me.</div>
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As it is though, I am who I am, and that's my opinion. It was a book I wanted to chuck, but was a good enough overall story to make me want to keep going with it.</div>
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I was given a complimentary audiobook copy of this novel, from the author via Audiobookworm Promotions, to listen to in exchange for an honest review. I want to thank both the promotion company and the author for the opportunity.</div>
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If you do pick up this book, be sure to let me know what you think of it!</div>
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Thanks for reading! =D</div>
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<br />Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-9096059902038326642017-03-24T03:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:28:45.577-08:00The Secret Life of Anna Blanc<span style="text-align: left;">Hiya guys! I've got a fun one for you today!</span>
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I recently participated in an audiobook tour, and now that it's ended and some time has passed, I wanted to share a more candid review of this story! My official review is up and posted, and is super long! This story is just so deep, I couldn't help myself - I've gotta go deeper!</div>
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As a reminder, this blog is set up as more of a candid, unofficial place for me to share reviews that I don't want to use as promotional or official material. It's a place for my thoughts, free from the restraints of my otherwise "professional" reviewer badge. I'm not getting anything for the content on this blog, simply sharing my thoughts as I would in a book club or discussion forum.</div>
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If you want to avoid spoilers, or want a more "traditional" review, you can check that out on my official review blog <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/03/audiobook-review-dream-cast-secret-life.html" target="_blank"><b>here</b></a>. Otherwise, check out the book, author & narrator, and see what I thought of this story!</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25241954-the-secret-life-of-anna-blanc" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" The Secret Life of Anna Blanc" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKj0P80Fs914d2kVZwMraJmG0pzh4oq061DYTxTRqaBecVkrQan_Z63zeB-U1pYNL3-nuHRd_PZ178MpYXXUxQslaweM6F7ZK9qqX5OKImf7v2OEZ43svb6IMZeUiSxvCLAMBCKNlDqyf/s640/book+cover+150+dpi.jpeg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">~<u>Released</u>:</span><b> <span style="color: #20124d;">Nov. 14, 2016</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">~<u>Author</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #20124d;">Jennifer Kincheloe</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">~<u>Narrator</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #20124d;">Moira Quirk</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">~<u>Length</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #20124d;">12h 44m</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">~<u>Publisher</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #20124d;">Jennifer R. Kincheloe, Ltd 2016</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span><span style="color: #20124d;"> <b>Historical, Mystery, Thriller</b></span></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25241954-the-secret-life-of-anna-blanc" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Secret-Life-of-Anna-Blanc-Audiobook/B01N03DY2N" target="_blank">Audible</a> <span style="color: #20124d;">~ </span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/163388080X/" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;">It's 1907 Los Angeles. Mischievous socialite Anna Blanc could match wits with Sherlock Holmes, but in her world women are not allowed to hunt criminals. Determined to break free of the era's rigid social roles, she buys off the chaperone assigned by her domineering father and, using an alias, takes a job as a police matron with the Los Angeles Police Department. There she discovers a string of brothel murders, which the cops are covering up. Seizing her one chance to solve a crime, she takes on the investigation herself. </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;">If the police find out, she'll get fired; if her father finds out, he'll disown her; and if her fiancé finds out, he'll cancel the wedding.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #741b47;">Anna must choose--either hunt the villain and risk losing her father, fiancé, and wealth, or abandon her dream and leave the killer on the loose.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7341219.Jennifer_Kincheloe" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Jennifer Kincheloe" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzicNBfB8yRi9Uy4ZJZa7dBiFyYzSTaDTo125-Tipaeg19alcUNvz6ToTUnOu-VQ22p4LIg-rQNEJuk44qv0pDB0xdO6swNKfNAucuGpEW4gJ0UPF52aioV3XS6v_PrZNjjkGeIRy0nPy/s320/portraitjk2+copy.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">Jennifer has been a block layer, a nurse's aid, a fragrance model, and on the research faculty at UCLA, where she spent 11 years conducting studies to inform health policy. A native of Southern California, she now lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and two teenagers. She's currently writing book three in the Anna Blanc Mystery series. Book two,<i> The Woman in the Camphor Trunk</i>, is coming out in Fall of 2017 from Seventh Street Books.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7341219.Jennifer_Kincheloe" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="http://www.jenniferkincheloe.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/jenkincheloe" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; text-align: left;">Moira grew up in teeny-tiny Rutland, England’s smallest county, which is fitting as she never managed to make it past five feet herself. Moira’s work spans the pantheon of the voiceover world: plays for BBC radio, plays for NPR, video games, commercials, television promos, podcasts, cartoons, movies and award winning audiobooks. She's won Multiple Audie Awards, Earphone Awards, as well as Audible's prestigious Book-of-the-Year Award. She has lately set foot in front of the camera again, appearing in “Pretty: the Series” and the Emmy-winning “Dirty Work.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="http://moiraquirk.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/moiraquirkable" target="_blank">Twitter</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/moira.quirk" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></div>
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<b>*This review contains spoilers! To see a plugged in (official) review, visit my professional review blog <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/03/audiobook-review-dream-cast-secret-life.html" target="_blank">here</a>!</b></div>
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Ok, so let's just dive right into this sucker, shall we?</div>
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Anna Blanc is the daughter of a wealthy French bank owner, who moved to to California when Anna was young. I honestly can't remember what happened to her mother, but whether she's dead or took off, she isn't in the picture at all, and only mentioned in passing.</div>
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Anna has had the traditional spoiled brat upbringing. Fancy clothes with corsets so tight she can barely breath, men fawning over her constantly, never denied having someone buy her something, or attend to her needs. Her childhood was full of cooks, maids and servants. She even calls the cook "cook" instead of using his/her name!</div>
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Luckily, she isn't overly snobby, as women tend to be in those rolls. If I'm being truly honest (as I always am), she has quite a compassionate heart, and cares a ton about other people, even if she doesn't respect their choices. She respects life and isn't afraid to change her mind about a person, which I really loved.</div>
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Her main flaw, wasn't really something she could have avoided. She was naive.</div>
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From her sheltered upbringing, not being allowed to do anything to expand her mind or world, you really can't be surprised. She wasn't allowed to read books that would help her learn something, <i>especially</i> if she enjoyed them. She wasn't allowed to interact with people of a lower class, if her father was around. She was basically forced into a box of snobbishness and hoity-toityness.</div>
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Luckily, she hated it, and had an incredible rebellious streak.</div>
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Anna had hilarious systems for rebelling against her father's rules, and it made my rebellious heart proud. In this way, I really connected and identified with her, even with the extreme time period differences. </div>
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With everything she did to be her own woman, it showed her character and guts. She had spunk, and wasn't afraid to do something dangerous or dirty in order to do the right thing. She had the whole world against her, with only her own gut to keep her going. Even by today's standards, she was a bad ass, and ended up finding that she was a total bad girl.</div>
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The feminism theme was quite strong throughout the story. Several men were portrayed as "piggish" and stupid for not taking the word of a woman. When seen from Anna's point of view, it gave the reader the chance to experience the frustrations of having your instincts and gut feelings ignored, simply because you have a vagina and breasts instead of a penis. Especially when your instincts are right, and people are dying because of the ridiculous bias against women having a brain.</div>
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Her time period is when the women's movement for the right to be seen as more than property and play-things really took off, and is the time period I can really stand behind. She handled the boorish behavior with grace and pride...most of the time.</div>
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When she wasn't graceful, she was downright hil-friggin'-larious!</div>
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I really felt for her when the reporters got involved though. Just as the paparazzi and tabloids try their best to make papers sell with scandalous headlines, Anna's antics became headline fodder several times. If it hadn't been for that stupid reporter, her life wouldn't have fallen apart.</div>
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As it is, the reporter did his slimy job, and Anna's life was ruined. She was even disowned by her father! For a socialite, with no husband, money, or ability for a career to support herself, that's a tough spot to be in.</div>
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What I didn't expect, was the sympathy for prostitution.</div>
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Wait, before your jaw drops, hear me out.</div>
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Anna was prejudice about prostitution, and brothels in general. To her, any man who went in one was tainted for life, and she would rather be a beggar on the street than marry a cad who visited the sin-houses (her way of describing them). A woman who worked there was simply a whore, with no self respect, voluntarily living a life of sin, damned for hell.</div>
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As the story progressed, and she actually had to meet and deal with the brothel girls, she started to see them as people. Women who had no other way to realistically support their children when their husbands died, or kicked them out for a "better model" of woman. Women who couldn't make enough to feed themselves <i>and</i> have a roof over her head working in factories, or working as teachers. Kids made it even worse, and for many of them, it was a choice made of desperation and pure survival, to avoid being continually raped on the streets. If you're going to have your body violated, you should at least make money for it, right?</div>
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That was the idea back then, for many of the brothel girls. For the madams who ran the brothels, it was a way to help girls who had no where else to go, make good money, and have a beat on the entire city. They know everything!</div>
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It was an interesting twist to add to the story, and made the reader take a deeper look at an issue that even today, is looked at with stuck-up noses, automatically judging anyone involved. It put a touch of humanity into the seedier sides of life, all while dealing with religion and wrestling with moral obligations.</div>
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One aspect of that I really didn't enjoy, was the constant prayers to patron saints. I'm not Catholic, at all, and the whole praying to saints thing goes against my religion and beliefs. I'm all for you do you, let me do me, but it did get irritating all the time, as she constantly prayed to some patron saint of whatever situation she found herself struggling in, as opposed to just dealing with herself like an adult.</div>
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Personal annoyance, but as this is a personal review, I get to add it in!</div>
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Anyway, back to Anna.</div>
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A huge, massive, main aspect of the story was, the men. The circling men. The vulture men, who seemed to see Anna as a piece of meat. It was a little disturbing, actually.</div>
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What was even more disturbing, was her casual disregard for the fact she had men falling at her feet, or the significance of it. What's more, she seemed to have very little issue manipulating the men she was surrounded by, doing just about anything - and I do mean <i>anything - </i>to get what she wanted. </div>
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I found it ironic that she had such a prejudice against whores who worked in brothels, while she acted very much like one with several different men, in order to get what she wanted. It wasn't money she was using her body to get, but the act is the same - she used her body as payment to get something from a man.</div>
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Whore.</div>
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J/k....kinda....</div>
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One guy in the story did point out the fact that she had three different aliases, and seemed to have a different lover for each. She did have two distinct personas she lived by, with her double life, and a lover for each. The third alias, was as a brothel girl, where she, in the public's eye, had many lovers. Whoever would pay the right price, really.</div>
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However you spin it, that's a bit much. I don't tend to enjoy strong sexual themes in a book, so that part of it was unappealing to listen to. I tend to hear that stuff, and just put a book down. If I get a review request for a book like that, I politely decline. Had I known it was as sexual as it was, I wouldn't have signed up for the tour. I just don't enjoy that stuff. It's a hard no for me.</div>
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As it is, I did sign up for a review, and since I left it til the day before my post went up, I didn't have time to switch it for a promo post. My own honor trumps my discomfort, so I put up with it.</div>
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I know a lot of people enjoy that kind of stuff in their books, and if you're one of them, you probably think I'm stupid. Really though, everyone has their own preferences, and that happens to be one of mine.</div>
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Anywho, that's about it. I loved some parts, hated others, and the rest fell somewhere in the middle. Overall, it was an entertaining story. I was surprised by the killer's identity, and that doesn't happen often for me. It was a nice surprise, and probably my favorite part about the book. I don't get mysteries wrong often - usually my theory is formed quickly, and is correct. I love books that can prove me wrong! It's a nice feeling!</div>
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If this book sounds appealing to you, it is definitely worth the read or listen.</div>
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I did only experience the audiobook, so I'm not sure how the actual words-on-paper writing is. The audiobook, however, is incredible! The narrator was amazing, and probably the main reason I put up with the stuff I didn't enjoy - I wanted to keep listening to her tell the story!</div>
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Links are with the description up top, so be sure to grab a copy and check it out!</div>
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If you do, be sure to let us know what you think of it, or that you're adding it to your TBR list!</div>
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I do also have a playlist created by the author, and my dream casting for this book, if it were to become a movie! I love the cast I came up with, and would love if you checked it out, and let me know what you think of it! It's on my other blog post <b><a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/03/audiobook-review-dream-cast-secret-life.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>!</div>
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I'd also love to know what you think of my review! Be sure to leave a comment below, and share your thoughts!</div>
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Thanks for visiting! =D</div>
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-39325517111340388882017-03-17T06:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:26:18.692-08:00"Mindspeak" Review ~ Friday Fun!Hiya guys! TGIF! Anyone else loving today? Happy St. Patrick's Day!! Are you wearing green? I know I am!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1XuuoqLpaCp0pRgYi6sLSjrcnnD8guVgqBBaTb6TAOLXFTcjUXy0VHIz-yx3uAeubJeCqqkYvcGKG_4ZgPPFCeKW57lU_oXlT4lnp5TwJHFoD0DxYRnbJxPTZfUxRymprUlm6ZVpWZ-9/s1600/st.+patricks+day+spirit+funny.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1XuuoqLpaCp0pRgYi6sLSjrcnnD8guVgqBBaTb6TAOLXFTcjUXy0VHIz-yx3uAeubJeCqqkYvcGKG_4ZgPPFCeKW57lU_oXlT4lnp5TwJHFoD0DxYRnbJxPTZfUxRymprUlm6ZVpWZ-9/s400/st.+patricks+day+spirit+funny.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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I've got a new review to share with you today! It's one I actually read for fun, instead of for a tour or R4R request.<br />
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That's probably part of what disappointed me so much. =/<br />
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Check it out, and see what I thought! This review is an UnPlugged review, which does have spoilers, and a bit deeper look into my thoughts and reactions for the book. It's not meant for professional use or opinions, simply coffee-shop discussing. The one I'm posting on Goodreads & Amazon, is my "plugged in" (professional) review, sans spoilers. You can find that one <b><a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/03/mindspeak-review-friday-fun.html" target="_blank">here</a></b>.<br />
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It is a slightly bummed review, just a heads up. If you'd rather skip this post, please feel free! =)<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Mindspeak</span></i></b></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><i><span style="font-size: large;">(Mindspeak #1)</span></i></b></span></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18067887-mindspeak" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Mindspeak" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0S9PbHZH5s_QBCbJAFojo4WVoyX3C5DyDuzzzIWY9YFjFCplpp6nIKiBVxwt68gTcPnzeu-O3ks0NotTat7tvspQwiyvVbvChpq3K-68fPmshqeZA5sg0GNEVctJD9fHZXId2CNVz9A4p/s640/mindspeak.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">~<u>Released</u>:</span><b><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span><span style="color: #b45f06;">June 6th, 2013</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">~<u>Publisher</u>:</span><span style="color: #b45f06;"> <b>Sun Publishing</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">~<u>Length</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">396 Pages</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Romance</span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18067887-mindspeak" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mindspeak-Book-1-Heather-Sunseri-ebook/dp/B00B5N9SZ4/" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">(FREE!)</span></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13;">She was created for a purpose so revolutionary, someone was willing to kill for it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Seventeen-year-old Lexi Matthews keeps two secrets from her elite boarding school classmates—she’s the daughter of a famous and controversial geneticist, and she can influence people’s thoughts.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13;">But after new student Jack DeWeese heals her broken arm with an anything-but-simple touch, he forces Lexi to face a new reality—her abilities reach much further than speaking to the minds of others.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13;">After Lexi’s father goes missing and she receives threatening emails, she can’t decide whether to fall into Jack’s arms or run and hide.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13;">As Lexi seeks answers to what she and Jack are, she discovers a truth more unsettling than anything her science books can teach. And letting Jack into her life of secrets is not only a threat to her very existence, but it just might break her heart wide open.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6591948.Heather_Sunseri" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Heather Sunseri" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbLeKr2zYoQo-9wwCEJBobvqcDUj-uMLoaCRhwGKv_1KXOisRU7tnnAGwePLeSmEbcYta1HFWVm98NqstNKJb0BTtQjK1lRBUR2KtsH1mbuPJ-jsiEGGj_xOkjLpr_sHctn-LI4T6gEKK/s1600/heather.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Heather Sunseri is a recovering CPA who began writing novels in order to escape the mundane life as a muggle. After twenty years in the corporate world, Heather decided to use her business savvy and curious mind to start a publishing business anchored by fictional stories. She is proof that one can be a numbers person and a creative… And that it’s never too late (or too early) to get a do over. She’s married to the love of her life, mom to two amazing kids, and caregiver to the best golden retriever and one very, needy cat. When she’s not writing, she’s making homemade pizza and drinking Kentucky bourbon.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><a href="http://heathersunseri.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> ~ <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6591948.Heather_Sunseri" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="https://twitter.com/heathersunseri" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></div>
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You know how you start a book, and it's like "I"m gonna love this so much!! Eeek!" I love that feeling.<br />
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Then, you know how it ends up being a book you want to use to prop up your end table, and your stomach just sinks a bit? That's how <i>Mindspeak</i> ended up for me, and I'm so bummed!<br />
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I first noticed this book when I saw it in a newsletter, promoting it's Freebie-ness. The cover caught my eye, even if that chick is waaaaay overused in YA fiction. (Seriously, that model must be making some serious bank, because I see that exact picture used everywhere!!) The synopsis sounded epic though, so I picked it up, adding it to my TBR list. I've seen other books and series from this author, and made sure to keep this book high up on my TBR list. I've been wanting to read it for several months, and when I finally got a break in my R4R schedule, I was excited to finally start on it!<br />
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The first few chapters had me intrigued, and just so sure it would be an awesome book.<br />
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Then the drama between Lexi and Jack intensified, and her back and forth between liking him and not trusting him became the main focus.<br />
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That horse was beaten to death after a few chapters. Sheer stubbornness and the thought "this has to get better, right? Just one more chapter..." kept me going. I was wrong. By the time I'd reached the 50% mark, I'd had beyond enough. I'd yelled at the book, said several curse words in frustration with the constant dramatic tension that made no sense with the rest of the book, and just wanted to be done.<br />
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I decided to stop, and blow it off as a DNF, not sure if I'd put up a review or not. I don't generally enjoy reviewing a book if I didn't finish it, unless there was some glaring reason I didn't finish, like there were graphic materials the author didn't make clear to potential readers.<br />
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There was some of that in this book, but not enough for me to feel the need to warn other readers. I began searching for another book to read, so I'd have a review to put up this week. Every synopsis I read just made me more frustrated, until I realized it was because I needed to finish the book. My mind <i>needed</i> to see how it ended, and that's generally what always happens. I can't move on from a story, even if I hate it, until I get to the end. My brain just doesn't let go. I hate that about my mind.<br />
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So, with many curse words and an air of just wanting to get it over with, still holding out a smidgen of hope that it might actually get better, I kept reading.<br />
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In some ways, it didn't get any worse. The tension, however, got far, far worse. If Lexi was a real person, I would slap her, and tell her to get a friggin' backbone to match the rest of her actions. She's a reckless rebel who doesn't listen in any other aspect of her life, why not with Jack?! It just doesn't make any sense! When a person is that insecure about someone, and they have Lexi's personality, they don't act like she did, unless they have some serious mental issues. I don't believe she does, which just makes it even worse!<br />
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She's supposed to be this strong, tough little thing, and yet, was that pathetic with a guy. I know they were literally "made for each other" in the lab, and they have a "special connection" blah blah blah. Yet another dead horse beaten beyond recognition. Adding the sci-fi twist of them being a lab-created match doesn't matter - it was annoying, and pathetic.<br />
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I 100% believe the story would have been better, had the author taken Lexi in one direction or another. Either she didn't trust him, and was a strong chick kicking ass and taking names, or she fell into her feelings for him, and they became a kick-ass team. The back and forth "I don't trust you!" "Kiss me!" "I don't trust you!" "Kiss me!" was just embarrassing.<br />
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She was, and is, more mature than that, even if he was her "first crush." She had the balls to turn down what seemed like many admirers, and not be swayed by a pretty face - that was her personality. If Jack was her other half, he should have made her stronger, not turned her into a pathetic mess. It just didn't fit either of them, their creation purpose, or any other part of the story. Either they're strong and epic super-humans, or they are pathetic teenagers in a generic rom-com mess of hormones. Not a good mix to mash them together though - it was just painful.<br />
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The second part that killed this story for me...oh, you thought I only had one issue with this book? No. I have two main complaints, and the idiocy of Lexi is only one.<br />
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The second part, was the flow, which was ruined by the redundancy of the conversations. Several times throughout the book, the characters literally had the same friggin' conversations, paired with several cookie-cutter situations. The story took so many u-turns, it gave me a headache. It felt like I was trying to follow the track of a toddler's doddle - impossible!<br />
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This story could have been cut in half, and not have lost anything significant. A lot of books are like that (dare I say, so is mine, if I had to bet), and it's not entirely a book-killer, on it's own. Still, it is something that, when you're already struggling to get through it, adds to the frustration. I wouldn't normally have that much of an issue with it, but when mixed with my growing desire to punch Lexi in the face with every chapter, it made my quest to just end the book even more frustrating.<br />
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*deep breath*</div>
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Ok, so it may seem like I actually hated this book. I didn't. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but I didn't hate it. I was intensely frustrated with Lexi's character, but the story overall was actually quite interesting. The mystery thrown in was fun to follow, and the suspense was well-placed.<br />
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Had it not been for my issues with Lexi, it would have been a solid three roses. The flow is a huge aspect of the reading enjoyment though, so that did pull it down another rose. In reality, it probably would have been one rose for me, had it not been for the fact I couldn't just move on. I did want to see how it ended, even though at the half-way mark where I had to decide what to do with it, I genuinely hated the story.<br />
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It does say something, that in the second half of the book, there were enough interesting plot twists to bump it up two roses.<br />
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The story idea itself was interesting, and the gifts the kids all have were fun to read about. I just wish the story flowed smoother.<br />
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Anyway, all that to say - I didn't enjoy this story nearly as much as I hoped to. I'd probably read the sequel, if it wasn't for Lexi. If her issues don't sound like they would bother you, and the story sounds interesting, definitely pick this book up, and give it a try! It does have plenty of rave reviews, and hopefully you'll enjoy it more than I did!<br />
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><i>This was a candid, UnPlugged review, not meant for anything other than personal expression. If you want to see my official review of this book, check out my PluggedIn review <b><a href="http://the%20story%20idea%20itself%20was%20interesting%2C%20and%20the%20gifts%20the%20kids%20all%20have%20were%20fun%20to%20read%20about.%20i%20just%20wish%20the%20story%20flowed%20smoother.%20%20anyway%2C%20all%20that%20to%20say%20-%20i%20didn%27t%20enjoy%20this%20story%20nearly%20as%20much%20as%20i%20hoped%20to.%20i%27d%20probably%20read%20the%20sequel%2C%20if%20it%20wasn%27t%20for%20lexi.%20if%20her%20issues%20don%27t%20sound%20like%20they%20would%20bother%20you%2C%20and%20the%20story%20sounds%20interesting%2C%20definitely%20pick%20this%20book%20up%2C%20and%20give%20it%20a%20try%21%20it%20does%20have%20plenty%20of%20rave%20reviews%2C%20and%20hopefully%20you%27ll%20enjoy%20it%20more%20than%20i%20did%21/" target="_blank">here</a></b>.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #45818e;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>Thanks for visiting, and have a fantastic weekend! =D</b></span></span></div>
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-56303358463272822582017-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:002017-11-12T16:24:17.100-08:00Why All the High School Drama?? *Review of "The Mind Readers"*Hiya guys! Been a while since I've posted anything, but I'm starting this blog back up!<br />
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As you may or may not know, one of my goals this year is to read a book a week, and get myself back into the habit of reading. Part of that means I am hoping to have a review a week to post here!<br />
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Anyway, the book I read last week was one I've been wanting to read for a couple of years, and I love the cover! I just wish I would have enjoyed it as much as I enjoy the cover. =/<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #0c343d; font-size: x-large;">The Mind Readers</span></i></b></h3>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18306038-the-mind-readers" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" The Mind Readers" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GarjMkwDXhelVGQhg-XZPpk5v52hjZ9fr-7iJWGCrcANNoRAT8s4HBSYoBP9KcHp7gAxPQJ173qBbGHtcJJVD-2Qm0D5zRA1mWvOgZtp2iRl8u-y2W9Vkj-rGKJ7ujcgafNowsSvrluW/s640/mind+readers+cover.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Released</u>: </span><b><span style="color: #20124d;">December 7th, 2010</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Length</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #20124d;">238 Pages</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #20124d;">Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Supernatural, Romance</span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18306038-the-mind-readers" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mind-Readers-Lori-Brighton-ebook/dp/B004FN1P1Q/" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Cameron Winters is a freak. Fortunately, no one but her family knows the truth …that Cameron can read minds. For years Cameron has hidden behind a facade of normalcy, warned that there are those who would do her harm. When gorgeous and mysterious Lewis Douglas arrives he destroys everything Cameron has ever believed and tempts her with possibilities of freedom. Determined to embrace her hidden talents, Cameron heads to a secret haven with Lewis; a place where she meets others like her, Mind Readers.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">But as Cameron soon finds out some things are too good to be true. When the Mind Readers realize the extent of Cameron’s abilities, they want to use her powers for their own needs. Cameron suddenly finds herself involved in a war in which her idea of what is right and wrong is greatly tested. In the end she’ll be forced to make a choice that will not only threaten her relationship with Lewis, but her very life.</span></span></div>
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<b>Check out my review below! </b></div>
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<a name='more'></a>For a more professional review, check out <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2017/01/ya-paranormal-adventure-review.html" target="_blank">my post for it on my PluggedIn blog</a>! This review does have spoilers, but on my other blog, there is a spoiler-free review, if you prefer that.<br />
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Be sure to let me know what you think of this book in the comments below before you go!<br />
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"<i>This isn’t some high school drama bullshit.</i>" Logan, Mind Readers</div>
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My thoughts exactly, Logan! It's like he could read my mind!</div>
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Ok, so let's just get right into this thing. The first half of the book was just ok. Had that been the entire book, I'd have given it two stars, probably. Actually, if I'm being completely honest, 90% of this book was a 2 star for me. The only things that bumped it up to 3, was the last quarter of the book, minus a few cringe-worthy parts.</div>
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Let's start with the veggies first, shall we? Harder to get down, but if we keep in mind the good stuff is coming afterward, it'll go down easier.</div>
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My number one issue with this book, was the DRAMA!! So much drama!!</div>
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Not only does the main character, Cameron, act like a spoiled brat, she acts like a teenie bopper who's never heard the word "no" before. Why is that such a bad thing? Because she's 17, has heard nothing but the word no from her overbearing Grandmother, and can read minds, meaning she knows every little dark, nasty thing people think.</div>
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A girl like that would be tough. She wouldn't be surprised by the dirty side of people. She wouldn't trust people easily, and she'd also know how to handle herself in awkward situations.</div>
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Include the fact that she's moved more times than she can count on one hand, this chick should be bad ass and rough around the edges, able to adapt and handle situations exceptionally well.</div>
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No.</div>
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She's not. She can't. She's pathetic.</div>
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She whines all the time, can't handle it when people don't hold her hand through something, and is constantly expecting someone to save her. Then when they try, and give her advice, she basically says "screw you, I'm doing what I want!" and makes a mess of everything, followed by another large dose of whining and expecting everyone else to clean up her mess.</div>
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Irritated yet?</div>
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Yeah, so was I!</div>
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A lot of characters are like that these days, and it's incredibly irritating!</div>
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Granted, sometimes the story calls for it, and I get that! If the shoe fits, fine.</div>
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My issue with Cameron, is that shoe doesn't fit her. At all. The psychology behind the character and her situations just doesn't fit! For a character like that, she'd have to have come out of a different pot - a different set of circumstances.</div>
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Ironically, her "friend" in the first quarter of the book had the perfect upbringing and history to produce the kind of person Cameron was. What's more ironic, is that "friend" drove Cameron nut, and she couldn't stand the little brat. Not even <i>she </i>can stand herself...</div>
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For the circumstances presented in her history - moving a ton, over-bearing guardian, dead/dead-beat parents, etc. - humans as a species tend to react the same way - they toughen up, and don't rely on anyone, for anything. Given the added supernatural ability she readily used to ace tests and spy on people, it's safe to assume she'd be a bit thicker-skinned, and smarter than she is.</div>
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Nope. She's a weak, stupid little girl.</div>
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Her tendency to be overly emotional and dramatic was the worst part. She blew every single situation out of proportion, as though she'd learned of her ability all the sudden, and had never dealt with the kind of stuff she was encountering. The whole thing had a feeling of "Is anyone <i>really </i>this stupid?"</div>
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What's worse is, it felt as though the author panicked at the end, and had to figure out why her character was such a wimp. Instead of re-writing it, she simply chalked the stupidity up to a revealed-late-in-the-game, super-secret hidden super-power Logan had. Namely, his ability to mess with emotions, rendering Cameron "helpless" to his whims. Honestly, that felt like crap. </div>
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When I got to that part, I literally dropped my Kindle on my lap, rolled my eyes, and said "Are you friggin' kidding me?!" I didn't even want to finish after that, with it being my fourth time having that reaction. However, as my goal for this year is to read a book a week, and it was Saturday night, my determination to reach my goal was bigger than my desire to chuck the book in the bin.</div>
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Personally, I don't enjoy stupid characters. I don't enjoy reading about someone who is simply a moron. If I am sitting there yelling at the character, explaining what feels like an obvious situation, that's not entertainment, and there is no point. That's not good storytelling.</div>
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I'm not saying every character has to be a genius, but come on! When you've got a 17 year old girl who should be awesome because she can read minds, turning her into a whiny, pathetic toddler of a human being is just cruel!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKqjXKNOeDf913QnuIf5zRXFyHgJbCP23C7REgYkqNH1EunrkU0BiVcQ7fDPkiov-FdOOYmLq3N8YtBVG0pp1Jn9tXl3wO4j9RimT4jn6SeH_piEyJc6BcPKFZXpX307_NZdPQ-RxTmhm/s1600/giphy+%252818%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKqjXKNOeDf913QnuIf5zRXFyHgJbCP23C7REgYkqNH1EunrkU0BiVcQ7fDPkiov-FdOOYmLq3N8YtBVG0pp1Jn9tXl3wO4j9RimT4jn6SeH_piEyJc6BcPKFZXpX307_NZdPQ-RxTmhm/s400/giphy+%252818%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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I kept reading, hoping it would get better, and not wanting to find another book to read for that week. It took until the last quarter of the book for me to actually have my interest peaked past my irritation.</div>
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By then, she was hip-deep in self-made shit, and no one was going to help her, and I thought "good, maybe she will finally show some sort of strength here."</div>
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NOPE!!</div>
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The bit of glimmering hope I had at her redeeming herself at the end, flickered out when she chose to trust Maddox just a <i>little</i> too much.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC371IRmw8sAa918lxy527xZtU3VXSTPwDGam00FIp5K8jLdGZFP9Xj-wHf4ZApXvRELGovdVKPjvoX0SXyMz6zKrCj75gy-qiQFLThvBF7f5Q93LWxah_81kErpmaFxZQIpw6gLRL6fA/s1600/giphy+%252831%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOC371IRmw8sAa918lxy527xZtU3VXSTPwDGam00FIp5K8jLdGZFP9Xj-wHf4ZApXvRELGovdVKPjvoX0SXyMz6zKrCj75gy-qiQFLThvBF7f5Q93LWxah_81kErpmaFxZQIpw6gLRL6fA/s400/giphy+%252831%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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SPOILER!!</div>
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I really did hope that she'd make it away from the creepster before he whiped her memory. It seemed promising, and that was really the best part of the book - her finally growing a brain, and doing something on her own.</div>
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Her decision to help the kids was really her downfall. Had she gotten herself out, she could have gotten someone who could help them. If nothing else, raise some sort of awareness that they were there. She knew she couldn't save them on her own, and taking the time to get Maddox to help is what killed her. Bit off more than she could chew, and it was such a disappointment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2C-6-z_kjwa-yuNMCd04CTiXjWlATjRdvomIR9iXqDpfu-UoOO-fk0aT46I9naEtnX76HoHX2yolJ8ny4qxpWHFYa5NFIpXWp1p_mjnnStBYOz-y8PlfcWJrkWq-VXnaDxE847wFrAwKZ/s1600/giphy+%252832%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2C-6-z_kjwa-yuNMCd04CTiXjWlATjRdvomIR9iXqDpfu-UoOO-fk0aT46I9naEtnX76HoHX2yolJ8ny4qxpWHFYa5NFIpXWp1p_mjnnStBYOz-y8PlfcWJrkWq-VXnaDxE847wFrAwKZ/s400/giphy+%252832%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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The last chapter pissed me off the most though, because it peaked my interest. I actually want to read the second book!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgYpfCHzcHfP5kLYp-ipe-t8Hd5S8yjql17WOqIPparEJ_-FdlsN_slxWwx2WScTyj4qTdmb9FiJOaC4J60HHp12XoBgKtn9XazA6G48pEHyvzsdrtlXSItV0i2vOQupSBONTEB6ZwM1V/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqgYpfCHzcHfP5kLYp-ipe-t8Hd5S8yjql17WOqIPparEJ_-FdlsN_slxWwx2WScTyj4qTdmb9FiJOaC4J60HHp12XoBgKtn9XazA6G48pEHyvzsdrtlXSItV0i2vOQupSBONTEB6ZwM1V/s400/giphy.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Why? Because now she's 18, and she's actually grown up a bit. The "six months later" seemed to have done a world of good, and she did seem different in those final pages - a figure I could actually follow, without wanting to throat-punch.</div>
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SPOILER!!</div>
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Maddox showing back up in the very end was intriguing, and I had hoped the author would go somewhere with the griffin tattoo he shared with Cameron's father.<br />
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Seems like that's a possibility for an interesting set of developments, and if Cameron is out of the forced high school drama crap, this could develop into an interesting story.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYI0SKy8eCEWbQcsCS3iwU4tp11zgvgTqGU463wogHmFG_DFkfytELZrzUGJh1_DWY41yiiXP4lqHg2qwo7zPsNKS3f9ZQKc_GWp_RWXarCV8osNs7JbscX9F815QW-CQ5ekXmXjkVmDu/s1600/lizzyshocked.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYI0SKy8eCEWbQcsCS3iwU4tp11zgvgTqGU463wogHmFG_DFkfytELZrzUGJh1_DWY41yiiXP4lqHg2qwo7zPsNKS3f9ZQKc_GWp_RWXarCV8osNs7JbscX9F815QW-CQ5ekXmXjkVmDu/s400/lizzyshocked.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Some other good points, now that we've gotten the rotten veggies down.</div>
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The author is a good writer. Her story flowed, and I didn't have an issue with that. My issues were definitely limited to content, and not in the writing itself. With a story I can actually enjoy, I think this author would definitely be an automatic "read her stuff" entertainer. I'm hoping to enjoy the second book in the series better than the first, and if so, I'm sure I'd finish the trilogy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNksJo527P0clG5WuznR7RY7zPte-qrvyGPWslaLaEJFvqPt2_UXhISejMFVJYDY3T1cZ-4k1I11MMeQC9Qtcim5SnufxlpbN0TNP25g1eAfGQyv5lELHbnnuQRvT4py3qDvgcV2oNyYnO/s1600/giphy+%252839%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNksJo527P0clG5WuznR7RY7zPte-qrvyGPWslaLaEJFvqPt2_UXhISejMFVJYDY3T1cZ-4k1I11MMeQC9Qtcim5SnufxlpbN0TNP25g1eAfGQyv5lELHbnnuQRvT4py3qDvgcV2oNyYnO/s400/giphy+%252839%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you can deal with major drama queen attitude and seeing the obvious plot several chapters before the character, I'd say give this book a try. The overall story may be worth it, and the eye-rolling could be worth it.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Do you enjoy books with characters who have supernatural gifts? Let me know in the comments below!</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Thanks for visiting! =D</span></b></div>
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-86786740746667191812016-02-18T01:30:00.000-08:002017-11-12T16:22:25.704-08:00"Desi Pere" Tour Spotlight!!I'm so excited, this tour is so much fun! Check out the awesome start to an exciting trilogy, and be sure to comment before you leave! Thank you!! =D<br />
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<a href="http://rozewallin.blogspot.com/2016/02/desi-pere-tour-kickoff.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" Desi Pere Tour Kickoff!" border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4bnt4AV8FsTNALwAxYed6aoE51bI81YLmYIrROCKuuFnr_AlynwE2OuNkKhjqom0Kn8Mr8O_4yZp0E9BA5kr0_R-1GhMk_AlXDwqqWL1522lGQUaCf-ZRkl9XNjoYjO7xUsknhOm0Kjz/s640/feb+2016+release+tour+banner.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000; font-size: x-large;">Swirling Secrets, #1</span></b></h3>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BBMXJBM/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Desi Pere" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGx5IcMnQYDbZTiRSgmSzqcJliBQY8qEtaHCzGTeEXYMomboAKXvjJh-Nj05WYlkDwl9mwmfc5nsKDuRxacCtvf7cjmZiNTzJaf12wnCDrMWgbiCT5ySSIM_B1F8VsOYEPseI3kGfXgDc/s640/DP+KDP.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="color: #660000;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><span style="color: #660000;">~<u>Released</u>: </span><b><span style="color: #274e13;">February 1st, 2016</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>Length</u>: </span><b><span style="color: #274e13;">444 Pages</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #274e13;">Young Adult, Paranormal</span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28191478-desi-pere" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BBMXJBM/ref=x_gr_w_visstd_sin_t1_test_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_visstd_sin_t1_test_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01BBMXJBM&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">Magnhild, is a freak. From her name, right down to the naturally bizarre visage she can't seem to get rid of- she's an odd duck. </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">Her life has taken a swirling plunge into the drain the past few months, but it's nothing compared to what's coming. All she wants is to finish school, and start over somewhere fun. Fate, has other plans. </span></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #660000;">Enter the Desi Pere underground organization, and three of it's loyal members: They've enlisted Magnhild's cooperation, whether she likes it or not. They mean to exploit her superhuman gifts, ones she didn't think anyone knew about. Overnight, she's dragged into a world, and a war, the normal world doesn't even know exist. The bait: reuniting her with her mother, who's supposed to be dead. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; text-align: center;">Danger, confusion, deception, and self-loathing fog each decision Magnhild faces. She desperately hopes to find her mother, and bring meaning to her past of abuse and isolation. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #660000; text-align: center;">Will she see through the web society has spun around her, or fall captive to century-old lies? In her search for the truth, she discovers she cannot find what she seeks, without first becoming herself, accepting her inner strength, and embracing her bizarre life...</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;">Tour Schedule</span></b></h2>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~</span><u style="color: #660000;">Februrary 2nd</u><span style="color: #660000;">: </span><b><span style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://rozewallin.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Roze Wallin</a>, Tour Kickoff</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 5th</u>:</span> <b style="color: #0c343d;">Author <a href="http://heidiangell.com/" target="_blank">Heidi Angell</a>, Interview</b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 8th</u>:</span> <b style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://bobbikinion.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bobbi Kinion</a>, Excerpt & Playlist</b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 10th</u>:</span> <b style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://www.skanthony.com/" target="_blank">S. Katherine Anthony</a>, Guest Post</b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 13th</u>:</span> <b style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://indierosereviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Indie Rose Reviews</a>, Promo</b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 15th</u>:</span> <b style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://rosaliaisabella.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Rosalia Isabella</a>, Promo</b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 18th</u>:</span> <b style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Desert Rose Reviews</a>, Promo</b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 20th</u>:</span> <b style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://desertroselifestyles.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Desert Rose Lifestyles</a>, Promo</b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 22nd</u>:</span> <b style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://desertrosetours.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Desert Rose Tours</a>, Promo</b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 24th</u>:</span> <b style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://flutteringrosepetals.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Fluttering Rose Petals</a>, Promo</b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 26th</u>:</span><span style="color: #0c343d;"> </span><b style="color: #0c343d;">Author <a href="http://heidiangell.com/" target="_blank">Heidi Angell</a>, Review</b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>February 29th</u>:</span> <b style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://rozewallin.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Roze Wallin</a>, Tour Close</b></div>
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<b>If you'd like to join the tour, it's not too late! Feel free to sign up for a promo, or even a review if you read quickly!</b></div>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="500" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1CtSYFNajw75g2_XE5cOJSU6KTS3chFo5IUX-M18cPeM/viewform?embedded=true" width="640"></iframe></div>
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<b>Be sure to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28191478-desi-pere" target="_blank">add <i>Desi Pere</i> to your Goodreads shelf</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Desi-Pere-Swirling-Secrets-Book-ebook/dp/B01BBMXJBM/" target="_blank">get it on Amazon</a>!!</b></div>
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<b>Thank you! =D</b></div>
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<b>P.S. Sharing is caring! Please share this post - your friends may enjoy this book too! ;)</b><br />
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-57277720575649250162015-12-18T02:00:00.000-08:002017-11-12T16:20:39.779-08:00"Home Alone 4" *Movie Review*Hiya guys! Hope your December is going well so far =)<br />
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I have some spare time today, so I thought I'd write a review! I won't be doing a book review though, because I really haven't had a ton of time to read, especially holiday books. I'm going to be doing a movie review instead, cuz that's what we're watching in our house.<br />
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We spent last week watching the Home Alone series, and while I haven't reviewed the first three films yet, this one is just too goofy to not review!<br />
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As always, this review will have spoilers, including spoilers of the first three films, cuz yeah, gonna have to mention those as well :P<br />
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So, here we go!<br />
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<i><span style="color: #660000;">Home Alone 4: Taking Back the House</span></i></h2>
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329200/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Home Alone 4" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUk_hFn8EKCKsYAJJ86VxKbwzxtCKCl7yqOj7xxi2hyphenhyphenkpTd8Z-aVTmamnJtuKKpMxznq1PCBvm4xdhzey-CbKURCl-MUvYYLJs1kbQy0vX1FcfSsrDVo-QZr-TjaftJWCVjcT4d5HfOq1w/s640/home+alone+4.jpg" width="370" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>Released</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">November 3rd, 2002</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>Length</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">89 Minutes</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>Director</u>:</span> <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0199722/?ref_=tt_ov_dr" target="_blank"><b>Rod Daniel</b></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>Lead Actors</u>:</span> <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0829390/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">French Stewart</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0042805/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Erick Avari</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0701512/?ref_=tt_cl_t7" target="_blank">Missi Pyle</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000892/?ref_=tt_cl_t4" target="_blank">Jason Beghe</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0136922/?ref_=tt_cl_t5" target="_blank">Clare Carey</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0324790/?ref_=tt_cl_t6" target="_blank">Joanna Going</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0044823/?ref_=tt_ov_st" target="_blank">Barbara Babcock</a></b></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Crime, Comedy, Family</span></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Kevin McCallister's parents have split up. Now living with his mom, he decides to spend Christmas with his dad at the mansion of his father's rich girlfriend, Natalie. Meanwhile robber Marv Merchants, one of the villains from the first two movies, partners up with a new criminal named Vera to hit Natalie's mansion.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The first <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099785/?ref_=tt_rec_tt" target="_blank">Home Alone</a> film seems to be impossible to match. As legendary as it seemed to be, this one tanked. The only good thing that comes to mind, is the fact that it balances out the first one - the bad balances out the good. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The main thing that irritated me about this film, is the fact they used all the same characters, with completely different actors. That's a pet peeve of mine - I can't stand replacement actors! Kevin's story ended a while ago, after the first two films. The third film had a whole new kid, new family, new city, new everything. <i>That's</i> how you keep a series like this going. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The thing that makes it so irritating, is the fact that the characters from the first film came back for the second, and were all so memorable. They've become nearly iconic for the holiday season, and replacing them with new actors is nearly impossible. We hear the same names, but the people don't match. It's just insulting.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The second thing that irritated me, was the fact it just wasn't all that funny. It's a dumbed down kid's movie, which is insulting, considering the first two weren't. If they're going to start up Kevin's story again, they should keep the humor and intellect on the same level. The immature, ridiculous jokes are almost more insulting than the replacement actors.</span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">The only reason I gave it two roses instead of one, is the fact the new character of Prescott was played by the amazing Erick Avari. It wasn't a character pulled from the original plot or cast, and was therefore, new and fresh. Mr. Avari did a wonderful job, as he always seems to, and succeeded in making me laugh. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">I was truly glad when the movie ended, and don't plan to watch it again. If you're a die-hard fan of the series, or have young children who aren't capable of hoping for or expecting actual good entertainment, this film would be a decent choice. Hopefully this will be the last film in the series, because they just keep getting worse, and I fear what they'd come up with for a fifth.</span></div>
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Please feel free to let me know what you think of this review, film, or anything else!</div>
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Thanks for visiting ~ please be sure to share this post & review with your friends! =D</div>
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-15311118623940459512015-11-26T03:00:00.000-08:002015-11-26T14:01:32.884-08:00Happy Thanksgiving!Hiya everybody! Happy Thanksgiving!<br />
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I know this blog has been slightly boring for a while, which I hate, and makes me cringe. I have definite plans to get back to blogging, on all my blogs, asap. <br />
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I wanted to take time out today though, to say thank you.<br />
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I don't know what you're doing today, or what your outlook on this holiday is, or if you even celebrate it. What I do know, is that you're awesome, and I'm thankful for YOU. When I say my prayers today, I'll be including you in there.<br />
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Thank you all for following us, for reading our goofy posts, and for always inspiring us to do better. <br />
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Have a wonderful day, no matter what you're doing, and we'll talk to you all soon! :D<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jFVK_l6Mv4IdnVi4UhxUWyR9gCyIhXVlMmXQdoA-3FOxicTm1dYKQixDgRi0_GTyNFYe6Pb4BydHnRgTQAED1mSC0caxWc4uw2KEhfLOr9tqRcZJpiG32iA0c_vxlv3oN7kaiw1umq67/s1600/happy+thanxgvng+2015+dr+1_edited-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8jFVK_l6Mv4IdnVi4UhxUWyR9gCyIhXVlMmXQdoA-3FOxicTm1dYKQixDgRi0_GTyNFYe6Pb4BydHnRgTQAED1mSC0caxWc4uw2KEhfLOr9tqRcZJpiG32iA0c_vxlv3oN7kaiw1umq67/s400/happy+thanxgvng+2015+dr+1_edited-2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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~Rose & Ken<br />
@Desert Rose<br />
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-4708989405252286882015-10-27T02:00:00.000-07:002015-10-27T02:00:07.453-07:00Good Grief, This Blog Is So Neglected! I feel terrible! This poor blog has been sitting here patiently waiting for some attention.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8U7_ZrZrVfs/VQ3_G9TA7YI/AAAAAAAAIPU/XaHi9t1gdmg/s1600/sad%2Bbunny%2Bb%2526w.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8U7_ZrZrVfs/VQ3_G9TA7YI/AAAAAAAAIPU/XaHi9t1gdmg/s320/sad%2Bbunny%2Bb%2526w.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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In my busy schedule this year, I haven't been reading much, at all. Which is a depressing admission in and of itself. What that means though, is that I'm not reviewing much either. I've got a bunch of drafts of really fun post ideas, and no time to actually write them.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRQ_ViXWROY/VdzAg1TJWpI/AAAAAAAAKFM/FwxhKzsJx0E/s1600/frustrated%2Btina%2Bfey.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LRQ_ViXWROY/VdzAg1TJWpI/AAAAAAAAKFM/FwxhKzsJx0E/s400/frustrated%2Btina%2Bfey.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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See, hubster and I are currently building a few (yes, few, as in, more than one) home businesses. Not to mention the fact I've been spending just about every spare moment writing a book, and dealing with some medical issues that are stubbornly determined to overstay their welcome. Our time seems stretched even thinner than normal, and fun blogs have been suffering because of it.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5q5gHio2fp0/Vi3Rd3E76kI/AAAAAAAAKoE/Nic4ZVJn7Aw/s1600/bubbles%2Bpower%2Bpuff%2Bgirls%2Bcrying%2Btears.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5q5gHio2fp0/Vi3Rd3E76kI/AAAAAAAAKoE/Nic4ZVJn7Aw/s400/bubbles%2Bpower%2Bpuff%2Bgirls%2Bcrying%2Btears.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not making excuses. Just explaining what's up, so you all (and this poor, lonely blog) know that I'm not done with my blogging fun. No way! We have so much to do, and, obviously, so little time to do it all. I doubt the load will diminish much, we just have to get better at juggling...<br />
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I do plan to get back to my fun blogging as soon as I can. This Winter should, fingers crossed, free up some of our time. I hope. I pray. <br />
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Thanks to everyone still holding a flickering ember of interest, and I promise, it won't be for naught. I'll be back with awesome posts, as soon as I possibly can. Big plans ahead guys and dolls, and I can't wait!!<br />
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Thank you for your continued support - you guys rock! =D<br />
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Ciao for now,<br />
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~Rose<br />
@Desert Rose & Fluttering Rose Petals.<br />
<br />Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-15421025283845897132015-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:002015-06-02T11:11:37.173-07:00It's Ken's Birthday!!<div style="text-align: center;">
Ken.</div>
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K. E. N.</div>
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Kind. Eccentric. Noble.</div>
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So many words fit to describe Ken, but those three seem to jump out at me today. <br />
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For those who don't know it, Ken is my hubby, best friend, and one of the most epically amazing people I've ever known. He is a blessing to me and the world, and I just love him to pieces!! <br />
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Today is his birthday, and I'm so glad - I love celebrating Ken!! :D <br />
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Across my blogs and our Lifestyle blogs, I'm going to have a myriad of posts all dedicated to, focused on, or gushing about the awesomeness that is Ken. I can't get enough of him, and I want the whole world to know it, and to know how amazing he is!<br />
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If nothing else, I'll get to gush about him. <br />
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I hope you have an amazing birthday hun, and enjoy all the surprises Ethan and I have for you over the next few weeks :) <br />
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Lots of love,<br />
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~Rose<br />
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-13489121685721552612015-05-07T02:00:00.000-07:002017-03-14T15:54:51.178-07:00Pet Peeves: Blog Tours EditionOk, so I've been participating in book tour hosting for several years now, and I've just about had it with some of the things I've seen. I need an outlet, so today I'm going to have a bit of a ranting post. <br />
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I'm not going to name specific people, services, or tours, because I don't want to get into it with people. Maybe though, those people will know who they are, and realize they're pissing people off (because I can't be the only one, can I?). <br />
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If you know who I'm talking about with a specific peeve, hurrah for you- please don't name names. Again, I don't want fights, I just want to vent and have a rant. Thanks :)<br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Pet Peeve #1</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #0c343d;"><u>Lazy, Inconsiderate Tour Coordinators</u>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Recently, I've had to deal with, possibly, the laziest tour coordinator I've met so far. I've signed up for several tours with her, and each one has the same issues. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">1) Her materials are in ALL CAPS!! Everything! Synopsis, author info, links, all of it! When I asked her why, and expressed my frustration with having to re-type everything, or go find all the materials on my own, she simply said something to the effect of: "<i><u>My</u></i> blog is in all caps, and since I just copy and paste from my own post, the materials are in all caps."</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">. . .</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Really? Wow. Could you BE more lazy? (Channeling Chandler there...). </span><br />
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<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/girl-boy-gaf-c72MamejVBqNO" target="_blank"><img alt=" Chandler Bing Confused" border="0" height="300" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hyq4jSplNNE/VTVrvwoTceI/AAAAAAAAIvI/Fa4fAPI7VII/s1600/chandler%2Bconfused%2Bwith%2Bdoor.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Seriously, as someone who's recently started her own tour service, this is definitely a W.T.F. thing for me. It's NOT that difficult to put together the packet materials for your hosts. Simply copying and pasting from your own post would be fine, if your post wasn't all caps!! Does she realize, the majority of blogs DON'T use all caps?? Apparently not, nor does she seem to care. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">As a tour coordinator, you're supposed to take the stress off not only the author, but your bloggers as well. It's incredibly inconsiderate to act that way, and I was quite shocked by her attitude about it. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">2) The same tour service just made another point of pissing me off with the latest (and now, last) tour I've done with her. She had me scheduled to post materials that aren't even part of that tour!! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">How can you put me down as posting a Book Playlist, if there isn't a playlist with this tour!? I mean, come on! I'm looking at my line on the schedule (which, side note: a spreadsheet? Really? Thank you, for making yet another aspect of your service difficult and unpleasant) and you have me, and a ton of other hosts, scheduled to post something that's not even a part of the tour? Are you TRYING to cause mass confusion and frustration? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">When I emailed her about it, I got a "Oh, there's no playlist for this tour :)" reply. Smiley face? Really? I'm not smiling. In fact, that was the cherry on top of why I'll no longer be working with you. Congrats! Your laziness just cost you a tour host, and gave me several more reasons to be a better coordinator than you. Thanks.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">~*~*~</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Pet Peeve #2</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><u>Grumpy, Unpleasant Tour Coordinators</u>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">A different service has lost me as a host because of this. They are unpleasant to work with, and everything they do is very cold and unfriendly. They seem super stiff, and make me feel like I'm an ant in a very strict company. Not fun!! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Can you not be a little more pleasant? Must you be so serious with everything? Does every email you send have to be dull, monotone, or simply listing all the ways you're disappointed with your hosts? Apparently, because for the past 6 months, you've been a big dull dud. Luckily for me, I can unsubscribe, and no longer hear from you! :D</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">~*~*~</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Pet Peeve #3</span></b></div>
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<u><span style="color: #660000;">Guilt Trips</span></u></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;"><u>Tip</u>: if I'm signing up as a tour host for you, allowing you to take up space on my blog, and trying to be pleasant for you to work with, don't guilt trip me into feeling like I'm not doing enough for you. You're the coordinator. You're getting paid - I'm volunteering. Don't send me several emails guilt-tripping me into doing your job for you, and/or doing more for you than I want to. I'm working with you voluntarily - don't push it, or I'm gone. I don't need stress, so either be polite and step up your own game, or don't be a tour coordinator. </span></div>
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<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/lana-del-rey-yes-127JeHZl15PRII" target="_blank"><img alt=" Lana Del Rey "Obviously" " border="0" height="225" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ofv0Vhzid4o/VQilh7IkiYI/AAAAAAAAIEI/0ZZORrmFRRw/s1600/giphy%2B(34).gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Pet Peeve #4</span></b></div>
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<u><span style="color: #20124d;">Unprofessional Behavior</span></u></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">You know those people who are really unprofessional? The ones who create a lot of drama? They love to be spazzy, and make everyone feel really, really sorry for them? When you put that into your professional work, it's not fun to deal with. Don't put drama in your tour invites, it's just not necessary! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Basically, be professional, people. I don't need a request for more help on a tour, with your sob story about your kids being sick, your dog getting fixed, your cat running away, your husband on a business trip, your mom has rabies, and your sister turned green. </span></div>
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<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/demi-lovato-kANGXN2RoQ6Uo" target="_blank"><img alt=" Demi Lovato wtf wide-eyed" border="0" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jM27H0FWG4U/VQimyV7n7rI/AAAAAAAAIGc/8Vab_bvmqPU/s1600/giphy%2B(51).gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Hire an assistant. Get a partner. Or <b>simply ask for help without the drama. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d;">You're a manager, at the core of your job, and you need to learn to manage properly and professionally. Don't be a dull dud, but don't be drama-central, either.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">~*~*~</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Pet Peeve #5</span></b></div>
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<u><span style="color: #073763;">Review-Only tours, that last WAY too long...</span></u></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Why does this bother me? Because it's incredibly difficult to fill a really long review-only tour. At least, when you want every day filled. What does that mean for hosts? Lots, and lots of "HELP!! WE NEED THIS TOUR FILLED!!" emails. Ugh. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Basically, what I'm reading with those: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">"I made a review-only tour for a book NO ONE wants to read, so I'm going to spam the hell out of your inbox, yell at you repeatedly, make you feel bad for not signing up in the first place, and try to get you to read this book, even though you probably won't like it. Thanks! :D xoxoxo hugs, you rock, thanks for bailing me out of my own stupidity! :D"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Yeeeeah, nope. Delete. Not interested. Perhaps if you'd had fewer caps, guilt trips, and fake thanks, I'd have considered it. Even more, if you'd actual promote books that aren't trash, <i>then</i> I'd consider it even more! </span></div>
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<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/no-twilight-100KE3jcx3ZKM" target="_blank"><img alt=" Kristen Stewart "no" " border="0" height="180" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q9Z6yL0tqNo/VQiksT3RCrI/AAAAAAAAICU/S7yGD30oDAM/s1600/giphy%2B(22).gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ok, those 5 are my biggest irritants. There are more, but those are the ones bugging me enough to cause a rant post. </div>
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If you're a tour host, you probably know some of what I'm talking about with those, and *high-five* to those who deal with the coordinators like that, because it takes patience! :) </div>
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If you're a tour coordinator, and you think you may be the source of a pet peeve, well, that's entirely possible. If so, please consider altering your behavior, because I've listed legitimate problems with these irritations. Your service will run better if you're more professional, and not lazy. </div>
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To those who aren't either of those mentioned above: thanks for reading!! I hope you're not deterred by tours, tour services, or being a tour host, because really, it is a blast. You just have to work with services that know what they're doing, and how to communicate ;) </div>
<br />Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-41701419665032898342015-05-03T02:00:00.000-07:002017-06-29T10:22:04.797-07:00The iPersonic Personality TestSo, I was browsing around Facebook recently, getting my daily updates on friends and people I follow. My friend shared a post about her results of <a href="http://www.ipersonic.com/test.html" target="_blank">The iPersonic Personality Test</a>. I love taking personality test and quizzes- anyone else do that? Well, I do, and I kind of loved the results I got back! Over the past few years, I've had a bit of a traumatizing identity crisis, and personality tests seem to help guide me in my quest to find myself. I know...deep ;)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3TZEOVrZwBKXn8aUaXMCdEgKvRX1Id-mLq06doZzUou7oosqnkPt2lA5OSO87D2e92g7i5RonRbUWT6qHf7mKzD5whbHzLgkN46PlszRtkSzsrCvVP0ih8G_rCl8XysGOxLU5u23vFr3/s1600/giphy+%252839%2529.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="245" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF3TZEOVrZwBKXn8aUaXMCdEgKvRX1Id-mLq06doZzUou7oosqnkPt2lA5OSO87D2e92g7i5RonRbUWT6qHf7mKzD5whbHzLgkN46PlszRtkSzsrCvVP0ih8G_rCl8XysGOxLU5u23vFr3/s400/giphy+%252839%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was stuck in what to post today, so I figured I'd share my results! I always like reading other people's results for these kinds of things, so in case you're bored today, or simply enjoy reading this sort of thing, here ya go!<br />
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<b><u>My Results</u>:</b></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>The Laid-Back Doer</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">Laid-back Doers are friendly, happy persons. They enjoy being together with other people. Smart, eloquent, witty and charming, they like to be the centre of attraction. They do not like to be alone. Their zest for life ensures that others feel well in their company and that they quickly get to know people.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Laid-back Doers get the best out of every moment - many people of this type have a gift for making their whole life one big party. Boredom is unknown in their presence because they are very good at carrying others away with their enthusiasm, their good mood and their optimism.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Abstract thinking and profound philosophizing about the meaning of life appeal less to Laid-back Doers. They are pragmatic, realistic and live completely in the here and now. At work too, they prefer it when it’s all go and they can act out their purposeful manner to the full. They have no problem handling several tasks at once and they blossom out in crisis situations! A varied field of activity with a lot of social contacts is just the right thing for them. One will also seldom find them inactive in their spare time; due to their open, curious nature, they mostly have many hobbies and interests. They are not afraid of the unknown: as they are flexible and creative, they quickly adjust to new situations and make the best of them. They sometimes come into conflict with strict rules or hierarchies by which they quickly feel constrained and against which they rebel.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0c343d;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #0c343d;">As friends, Laid-back Doers are generous, helpful persons who attach great importance to harmonious relationships and a good atmosphere. Their sociable manner means that they have a large circle of friends and they love having the house full of many different types of guests. They are happy to give in to their spontaneous moods and fancies in the just one or two important things. This makes them appear somewhat unpredictable to those with a quieter nature. When it really matters, you can rely on them one hundred percent. As partners, they are creative, impetuous and imaginative - as long as their partner knows how to fascinate them. They can hardly stand boredom or routine in a relationship. They do not like conflicts at all; if a relationship becomes too strenuous or involves too much effort, they tend to withdraw from the partnership and start to look for a new partner. However, if one manages to keep their curiosity alive in the long term and surprise them again and again, one has a loyal and loving partner.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f;">Adjectives that describe your type:</span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f;">extroverted, practical, emotional, spontaneous, enthusiastic, friendly, playful, lively, talkative, nonchalant, tolerant, happy, pleasant, generous, flexible, wily, attractive, relationship-oriented, generous, adventurous, fun-loving, creative, helpful, action-loving, casual, sociable, open, sensitive, touchy, erratic, curious, noncommittal, action-loving</span><br />
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If you take the test, let me know what you get! I'd love to hear from you :)<br />
<br />Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-61521273294097840462015-04-30T02:00:00.000-07:002015-04-30T02:00:04.583-07:00We Won a Liebster Award!<span style="color: #6aa84f;">*This is an old post - we are re-publishing it as our domain has changed. The blog is the same, and the award still applies to our blog, it's simply an updated post. Our nominees have already accepted or rejected their nominations, and aren't being re-nominated. Originally posted on April 16th, 2014.</span><br />
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Wow, so this week, our blog was nominated for a Liebster award, by the adorable Elle on <a href="http://ya411.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Elle's 411 on YA Books</a>! Lots of thanks to her for the nomination - yay! :D<br />
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We've won a few of these on our "<a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Plugged In</a>" blog, so this is exciting for our UnPlugged blog! :D<br />
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The Liebster Award's purpose is to get recognition to blogs with less than 200 followers, and promote mutual notice and blog love between new blogs.<br />
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There are some rules:</div>
1) Thank and link back the person who nominated you<br />
2) List eleven facts about yourself<br />
3) Answer the eleven questions asked by the blogger who nominated you<br />
4) Nominate 9 bloggers, who have less than 200 followers (you can't nominate the blog that nominated you)<br />
5) Ask them eleven questions<br />
6) Let them know of their nomination!<br />
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Since Ken hates answering questions, and I (Rose) love this sort of thing, I will be accepting and fulfilling the Award :)<br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;"><u><b>Eleven Facts About Me</b></u><b>:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">1. I've been reading since I was 2.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">2. I adore reading, as well as writing.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">3. I have a ton of different hobbies besides reading.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">4. I love music more than anything else, and will listen to anything.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">5. I play the piano, am teaching myself guitar and base, and hope to start learning drums soon.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">6. I'm incredibly eccentric and goofy, and a total bohemian. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">7. I spent most of my life acting and performing, and hope to resume theatre work soon.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">8. I've moved more times than the number of years I've been alive.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">9. I love animals.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">10. I'm writing several books at the moment.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">11. I have violet eyes.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">Elle's Questions</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">1) <u>If you could have any job in the world, what would it be</u>?</span></div>
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Probably to be a successful enough author to actually earn a living (working on that one). Otherwise, anything with traveling, art, acting or music would suit me just fine.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">2) <u>If you could choose any age to be forever, what would it be</u>?</span></div>
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No idea. I'm way to young to be able to answer that - the best years of my life could be ahead of me, and if I choose any specific time, I'd loose out on a ton of fun :)</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">3) <u>What is your favorite musical</u>? <u>Why</u>?</span></div>
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Probably <i>The Phantom of the Opera</i>. I saw it on Broadway in NYC in High School, and haven't seen a musical that's given me chills the same way. It's a fantastic story, and I would adore being cast for that production! :D</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">4) <u>What is your favorite book</u>? <u>How did you come across it</u>?</span></div>
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Ugh, this question always makes me cringe. I don't have a favorite book - I love books way too much to have just one favorite, and I think most book lovers are the same way. We don't have one favorite book, we have one list of favorite books ;) </div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">5) <u>What is your favorite color</u>? <u>Why</u>?</span></div>
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Purple - at the moment. It changes frequently lol </div>
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At the moment, purple, because I'm adoring the purple in my eyes lately, and it just seems to be speaking to me at this stage in my life.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">6) <u>Who is your favorite youtuber</u>?</span></div>
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I don't have one. I don't spend a whole lot of time on YouTube, so I'm not really up on that sort of thing. </div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">7) <u>Who is your idol</u>? <u>Why do you look up to them</u>?</span></div>
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I don't really believe in idols. If I have an idol at all, it would be God/Jesus. I don't necessarily look up to Him, as much as I simply follow Him and trust him with my life. </div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">8) <u>What are favorite and least favorite book to movie adaptations</u>?</span></div>
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-Favorite: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1170358/?ref_=nv_sr_2" target="_blank">The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug </a>, probably. </div>
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-Least Favorite: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363771/" target="_blank">The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe</a>.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">9) <u>If you could travel back in time to any historical period, which would it be</u>?</span></div>
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Probably the Victorian Era. I've always wanted to see how people lived in that time period, and how they truly acted with each other. </div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">10) <u>Sunrise or Sunset</u>?</span></div>
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Both. Probably sunrise though, if I <i>have</i> to choose one :P</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">11) <u>What color socks are you wearing right now</u>?</span></div>
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I'm not wearing socks at the moment. Later tonight, I'll be wearing fuzzy pink ones with multi-colored polka-dots. </div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">My Questions for My Nominees</span></u></b></div>
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1) What do you do when you're not blogging?</div>
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2) What is your favorite food?</div>
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3) What is your dream job?</div>
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4) What is your favorite genre of books?</div>
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5) What is your favorite genre of movies?</div>
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6) What is your favorite genre of music?</div>
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7) What historical figure would you enjoy meeting?</div>
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8) What is your favorite animal?</div>
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9) Day or night?</div>
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10) Paperback, or eBook?</div>
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11) What book would you like to see turned into a movie?</div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #073763; font-size: large;">My Nominees</span></u></b></div>
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1) Angel @ <a href="http://www.sparereads.com/" target="_blank">-Spare Reads-</a></div>
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2) Eva @ <a href="http://booksconsidered.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">All Books Considered</a></div>
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3) Paige @ <a href="http://electivelypaige.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Electively Paige</a></div>
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4) Miss Perfection @ <a href="http://aperfectioncalledbooks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Perfection Called Books</a></div>
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5) Tanya @ <a href="http://abookparadise.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Book Paradise</a></div>
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6) Lauren @ <a href="http://pinkavengerprime.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Pink Avenger Prime</a></div>
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7) Missie @ <a href="http://aflurryofponderings.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Flurry of Ponderings</a></div>
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8) Keeley @ <a href="http://keeleyreads.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lost In The Pages Of A Book...</a></div>
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9) Georgia May @ <a href="http://teenbookhoots.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">TeenBookHoots</a></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Congrats to the nominees - I hope you have fun answering my questions!! :D </span> </div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">Good luck to everyone with their awesome blogs! Thanks for reading, and as always: </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;">Keep Creating!</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></b></div>
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-61184890571577153042015-04-26T02:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:18:28.055-08:00*Book Review* "The Best Kind of Trouble" by Courtney B. Jones<span style="color: #741b47;">A few months ago, I participated in a book tour hosted by Itching For Books, for the first book in the "Trouble" series, by author Courtney B. Jones. From the synopsis and cover, I figured it would be a book I'd really enjoy. Since it ended up being a not-so-good rating and review, I waited to post my review until the tour ended. As the tour ended several months ago, I'm posting my UnPlugged review today, and my official review will be up on our other book blog later this week. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">*As always, I'd like to remind my readers that the reviews here all have spoilers, however I have a spoiler-free, official (plugged in) review you can read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/815810041" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5349716.Courtney_B_Jones" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSbTJupnANbBO4NCcJ9ywg_q2Ap5GqaQsJa82opiEC61A5vdNS5NOQhfg-a3cKwRbCtBdxJHId3f5HeiSlad29Vx1OX7ctxMIjGAEG4WGaYCK0mG2Xypx5EdyZRO31lWNsMGUGW8AKijA/s1600/5349716.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">I grew up in Texas where I still live with my husband, our two kids, and two dogs. I'm a recent college grad and an elementary school teacher.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">I love to read and write love stories. I have an obsession with books. I own far far too many!</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #7f6000;">~ <u>Connect with Courtney Online</u> ~</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5349716.Courtney_B_Jones" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> ~ <a href="http://www.twitter.com/courtneysaurus_" target="_blank">Twitter</a> ~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Courtney-B-Jones/270082103021983" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">The Best Kind of Trouble</span></i></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #351c75; font-size: x-large;">(Trouble, #1)</span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20571371-the-best-kind-of-trouble" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVEelurHX5Rw8HOcWKIvJF-uhqg-ysVleFTk7sC6wo7CI4oP-0K6UEs6Ewezq3C2p0KcvvhnqU976QB97M6tdXTKV2MjhvqnZ0tGpVka0s7WGsMzEJYiQ7SX4idtJ5gF4wBONUgpbC7eQ/s1600/20571371.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">~<u>By</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #351c75;">Courtney B. Jones</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">~<u>Published</u>: </span><b><span style="color: #351c75;">January 17th, 2014</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">~<u>Length</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #351c75;">191 Pages</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">~<u>Genres</u>:</span> <b><span style="color: #351c75;">New Adult, Contemporary, Romance</span></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20571371-the-best-kind-of-trouble" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Best-Kind-Trouble-Volume/dp/1494410796/ref=tmm_pap_title_0" target="_blank">Amazon</a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-best-kind-of-trouble-courtney-b-jones/1119172732?ean=9781494410797" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></b></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75; text-align: center;">Ashley Parker knows trouble. And Nathan Williams--star quarterback and charming ladies man—is trouble. She knows he'll only break her heart. But that doesn't stop her from jumping in feet first. When her whole world is flipped upside down, her guitar and her lyrics become her only solace. Along with sexy guitar player Caleb Mathews. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Fueled by heartache, love, and lust, Ashley finds herself in the best kind of trouble. Boy trouble.</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #e06666;">~ <i>2/5 Roses</i> ~</span></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #660000;">*I was given an eCopy of the book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;">I'm honestly quite conflicted about my opinion of this book. Being a musician myself, I was really looking forward to reading a book featuring a girl who writes and makes music. I adore the fact that music is a main aspect of this story, and enjoyed the lyrics that were included in the story. That's the good - now for the not-so-good...</span></div>
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The main character is, unfortunately, infuriating. The entire story is kind of odd, and throughout the whole thing, I kept thinking: “Ok, I guess technically that <i>could </i>happen, given the <i><b>exact </b></i>right circumstances and an <b>insane </b>amount of luck...or in a fantasy...but things don't really happen like that.” <br />
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It was very much a contemporary urban fantasy, with a classic “Two guys and a girl” kinda twist.<br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">Secondary characters: Ashley's best friend got on my nerves quite a bit. She wasn't much of a friend, and just kept making things worse. Her and her boyfriend were really random, and the drama that centered on the two of them toward the end was odd, and seemed out of place.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">The guys: Nathan is your typical jock guy. Masculine, possessive to a point, competitive and very testosterone-driven. Caleb is an artist – a musician, to be exact – complete with the mysterious bad guy image, exuding a cool and confident vibe. Exact opposites, except for one thing: Ashley turns into a hot mess when either of them look at her.</span><br />
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<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/eye-roll-pretty-little-liars-lucy-hale-hvRGLokb64ec0" target="_blank"><img alt=" Pretty Little LIars Eye Roll " border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlN5e5px4MWUhIc4fY7s5XE0dcvBDMRjWcFLW2hKiv35NIm4l7gicj3ehwPsnUVCc8I99vADV29vq7xDHE-TCxccdgWQR9p8BOrQhqoiG2LlDLOOzjNDn_tWtYwBLD11pEDInTBINKH64/s1600/giphy+(9).gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47;">The girl: oy. Ashley is, well, very slap-able. Meaning, I really want to slap her, basically every time she does something new. She is simply a ball of irrational emotions she can't seem to control, and while there probably are people out there like that, I don't think it's entirely realistic. I mean, do most women really become balls of burning lust because a guy smiles at them? Even after they break the girl's heart? I don't think so, and while I could be wrong, it was a bit pathetic. Having that type of character in the lead, made it an annoying read.</span><br />
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Most of the time, it was a redundant “I know he could hurt me...I need to be careful...he's dangerous...but I just want him so bad!” It was simply exasperating, and I wanted to tell her: either give in, or move on already, no grown woman is that irritating!<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">Mainly, I just didn't like all the drama. I knew going in that it would be an emotionally driven story, but there was so much unnecessary melodrama, it made me want to stop reading. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Young college girls can be dramatic, but she wasn't a teenager, and the things she went through seemed very high school. I couldn't help thinking “Where the hell was she during high school, because she's acting like she's 15 and just discovered wild hormones for the first time.” </span><br />
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I simply couldn't picture her as a 20 something college student in her 3rd year - I saw her as a high school student with a bunch of college friends. This probably would have been a bit more believable had it been in a high school setting instead of a college.<br />
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<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/dancing-30-rock-tina-fey-hmx5PZTHfm6QM" target="_blank"><img alt=" Dancing Thumbs Up - Tina Fey from 30 Rock" border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpD96yjm3wwRhKbLTXoYofGlFU8T3GyCtqinaQPiTUHPeMnTFvnV5g9ibIxgFfuoiFYU1NW95R5DoF_mrok2Td32kMuOr1mtOBBA_Yb3HOqOTKeHaeKLZ9blS7NvFRbo1bPVOuGNhhPxM/s1600/giphy+%252839%2529.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #660000;">Then we get to the music career. I'm all for life experiences and past pain being turned into music and art – that's fantastic! However, a full touring music career simply doesn't happen like it happened to her. She sings in a local bar for a couple of weeks, and all the sudden gets signed with a record label? Then goes on a <b>country-wide tour</b> <i>two weeks after signing with them</i>?? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;">Yeeeah, no. It doesn't happen like that. In order to headline a sold-out tour, you have to have fans, and in order to acquire fans, you have to have your music out there for longer than a month. </span><br />
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Again, it's one of those things that you could argue <i>may </i>happen to someone with incredible luck and connections, but given that this is supposed to be a realistic, contemporary story, it's simply not believable. I couldn't help thinking "Yeah, in your dreams! Is that what this is? Is she dreaming? This is ridiculous..."<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Basically, that's my biggest gripe with this book: it's not believable! On top of that, the copy I had was filled with far too many mistakes to be acceptable. Misused words, incorrect forms of words, missing words, and mistakes that simple Google searches would have fixed, made reading this even more infuriating. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">If these issues were corrected, I suppose this book would earn 3 Roses from me.</span><br />
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Bottom line: this book needs to be re-edited (if it was ever edited at all); since some people like drama, and would enjoy this book, I wouldn't say “stay away” from it, but also would not be surprised if people don't like it. While I don't think I'll ever read it again, I would be willing to read the sequel, because it did end on a cliffhanger, and one that made me go “wait, what??” <br />
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<a href="http://giphy.com/gifs/reaction-what-despicable-me-SqmkZ5IdwzTP2" target="_blank"><img alt=" Reaction What Minion from Despicable Me" border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPv7EzDZiOU2u4x1SPutFQLjp0wFjPO1bO4aGPGM79DsjKwWWbKnEMNI6WB0UdhRuAMsYHIsDJMN5vuWhbzW6Tqrh_4gczQYExVb8ZsnuYn98HvUb3pjUCwiIFtXXNsoQ1gpXIDMU2HM/s1600/giphy+(43).gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">It is an interesting story overall, and for people who like a ton of drama and who aren't looking for realistic characters or situations, this book may appeal to them.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">What do you guys think about books like this one? Stories that are driven purely on intense, irrational emotions and drama? Does there need to be more realistic details for you to enjoy the story? Also, what do you guys think about spelling/grammar mistakes? Do they bug you (if you even notice them at all lol)? Let me know in the comments below!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">Thanks for reading, and as always:</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #e06666;">Keep Creating!!</span></b><br />
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-85012079893280256982015-04-23T02:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:15:11.589-08:00*Movie Review* Stick It!Whoot!! First movie review on DRR: UnPlugged people! I'm excited! Who's excited? Anyone? *crickets* M'kay, well, here we go anyway, cuz really, I just want to gush about one of my absolute favorite movies of all time. <br />
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This movie is basically the quintessential "If you wanna know Rose, here's an example" film. <br />
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The character Haley Graham, played by one of my all-time favorite actresses Missy Peregrym, is basically the kinda girl I was growing up. Stubborn, rebellious, athletic (seriously, I looked a lot like her when I was in High School, and she and I look a lot alike!!), and I have her kind of personality. I was into gymnastics when I was younger, and even though I didn't stick it* out, this movie brings back memories for me, especially of the bars and balance-beam (my two fav areas). If I could pick an actress to play me in a film (like that would ever happen :P) it would be Missy Peregrym.<br />
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*I know, it's a really, really bad pun, but how could I not? *Cheshire cat grin*<br />
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Ok, back to gushing. Wait, first, I must give you the deets of this amazingly fantastic movie!!! Without further adieu, drum-roll please!<br />
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<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430634/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt=" Stick It (IMDb)" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim55q-SSpRYXrq2WH85gXFmSCyM6p4LLVIawpa7FXBDBeBQuwOZeYCdJVgdm7wkTjR0RsjzSzWMkhntw5W7QTSatjQxFR8kHdl2-D7LOESZT2qyovdQDQpmf1Bvjj-R5SqWN5dBJ52yas/s1600/MV5BMTI1MDAzMDgzMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzc1ODQzMQ@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg" width="432" /></a><i><b><span style="color: #274e13;">Stick It</span></b></i></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">~<u>Starring</u>: </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1335291/" target="_blank">Missy Peregrym</a>, </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000313/" target="_blank">Jeff Bridges</a>, </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0501837/" target="_blank">Vanessa Lengies</a>, </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><b>& *squeek* </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1553725/" target="_blank">Kellan Lutz</a>!</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">~<u>Released</u>: <b>April 28th, 2006</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">~<u>Written & Directed by</u>: <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0070566/" target="_blank">Jessica Bendinger</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">~<u>Genres</u>: <b>Comedy, Drama, Sport</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #073763;">~<u>Plot (from IMDb)</u>:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">After a run-in with the law, Haley Graham (Missy Peregrym) is forced to return to the world from which she fled some years ago. Enrolled in an elite gymnastics program run by the legendary Burt Vickerman (Jeff Bridges), Haley's rebellious attitude gives way to something that just might be called team spirit.</span></div>
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Okay peeps, basically, this is one of my favorite films EVER!! I'm totally bummed, because I didn't find it until I was like 19 or 20 (4 years after it's release), but ever since then, I've been in love with it. It's my inspiration, and I adore watching a character so close to my own. At least, one big side of me. </div>
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OKAY! Onto the "review" portion of our post. Ahem! Herewego!</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Obviously, this movie gets my 5 Rose rating, cuz it's just </span><i style="text-align: left;">that</i><span style="text-align: left;"> awesome!</span></div>
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~<u>Plot</u>: <span style="color: #741b47;">Jaded young chick, pissed at life and parental mistakes (who isn't?), has a run-in with the law (again) and is forced, by her father and a very wise old judge, </span><span style="color: #741b47;">to face her past</span><span style="color: #741b47;">. How can this NOT be interesting?! Add in fantastic gymnastics, bmx stunts, some snarky humor, laugh-out-loud </span><span style="color: #a64d79;"><i>(what, she spelled it out? Laaaame. Doesn't she know she can use the ridiculously overused "lol" catch-all thingy??)</i></span><span style="color: #741b47;"> humor, and Jeff Bridges on a trampoline. Ooops! Gave that away. Shoot! Now you really wanna see it, donchya? *grins* I know, it's epic.</span></div>
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~<u>Character/Actors</u>: <span style="color: #351c75;">Aaaaawe-some!! I don't think they could have done any better with casting. Missy is, just, superbly fantastic. She nailed Haley's character, and gave an awesome performance. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Jeff Bridges is, well, a legend, and his films are generally always entertaining. His portrayal of Burt Vickerman was awesome, and really entertaining. He was also really believable, and I found myself wondering once "Did he used to be into gymnastics, because he seems like a natural with it all!"</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1840748/" target="_blank">Nikki SooHoo</a> (who plays Wei Wei) is just phenomenal! She's hilarious, and I LOOOOOVE her dancing! She's an inspiration in herself, and her character could have it's own film. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">Joanne Charis (played by Vanessa Lengies) is an awesome character! I love the changes she goes through, and how much she grows up throughout the film. All the girls do, really, but she grows more than most. Overcoming petty jealousy, and getting over being an immature brat is always something to applaud ;)</span></div>
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~<u>Ending</u>: <span style="color: #990000;">*cries* It. Was. Awesome!! Such a great ending- I always get chills, butterflies, and tear up. I love when they all pull out their bra straps, and support their fellow gymnast. </span><span style="color: #e06666;"><i>(What, did she say bra straps? WTF?!)</i></span><span style="color: #990000;"><i> </i> YES! It's epic, and you must watch the film to find out what I'm talking about. It's awesome, trust me :)</span></div>
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Ok, do you need more reasons to watch this movie? You shouldn't but if you need even more convincing, here's something...</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">For all you <i>Twilight</i> lovers out there!! Did you miss it? Up in the film info ^^ there's an actor there you may want to see. Yes peeps, that's Kellan Lutz, the actor made famous by his muscles and "monkey-man" moves in the <i>Twilight</i> franchise, playing Emmett Cullen. </span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;">Well, in <i>this </i>film, you see him several years younger than the first <i>Twilight</i> film (2008), and he's just adorable!!! He skateboards, does some awesome stuff on a bmx bike, and is hilarious around the gymnast chicks. He's a total bad-ass, and I adore his character. He rocks, his character rocks, just go watch it now.</span></div>
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If you're still here, well, there's not much else I can say to convince you...</div>
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Ok, some fun facts, several of which make <i><b>me</b></i> love this movie even more! *Warning! You may learn more about me as a person through these, so if you don't want to read about the gushing fangirl behind this post, you probably should stop, and just go watch the movie now ;)</div>
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If you're still reading- wow! You're either <i>really </i>bored, or you're kinda curious about me. If it's the latter, then I'm flattered! :D </div>
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OK! Fun facts:</div>
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<span style="color: purple;">~This movie came out on my 16th birthday!! I didn't know that at the time, but I do now, and it could be a freaky reason I love this movie so much. There's a connection there, I swear! :D</span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;">~(This is a fun fact associated with me- if you don't wanna know about my personal fun-fact, skip to the next one, please). I mentioned it a little bit at the top of the post, but Missy and I look a lot a like. I looked sooo much like her when I was in HS...you know, before crap-life happened. *sigh* If I was able to work out the way I want to, I'd look almost exactly like her. Same kinda face, similar hair, skinny & toned, etc. Except she's like 3-4 inches taller than me (5'6 1/2 vs 5'2), and I've got a few more curves that no amount of exercising is ever going to remove ;). Ok, enough with me, onto more about her!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">~Missy Peregrym <i>did</i> have a stunt-double for some of the more dangerous tricks in the movie. Yes people, gymnastics can become life-threateningly dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. Yet another reason to watch <i>Stick It</i>- you'll see some awesome stunts! Aaaanyway, her stunt double was beyond fantastic, and I wish they'd do something official on her, because she's very difficult to find info on. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">~While Missy Peregrym had a stunt double, she still trained for 4 months, just to learn the <i>basics</i> of gymnastics, and build up strength enough to be able to do the stunts she <i>did</i> perform- did I mention it's a difficult sport? It is. This movie will show you why. (Tired of my gushing yet? Don't care! I warned you at the beginning this is a gushing fangirl post.) <a href="http://movies.about.com/od/stickit/a/stickitmp042106.htm" target="_blank">This article</a> has an awesome interview with Missy, where she talks about her stunt double, and training for the film.</span></div>
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Ok, so I'm outa fun facts, for now. I'm going to go watch this movie, and if you watch it too, let me know what you think! </div>
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Thanks for reading! I'm off to conquer the world, and as Haley would say, "Bring It On!"</div>
<br />Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-79098409254769326232015-04-21T02:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:10:43.340-08:00*Book Review* "The Memory Game" by Sharon Sant!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i><span style="color: #134f5c; font-size: x-large;">The Memory Game</span></i></b></div>
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~<u>By</u>:<span style="color: #134f5c;"> <b><a href="http://sharonsant.com/" target="_blank">Sharon Sant</a></b></span></div>
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~<u>Published</u>: <span style="color: #134f5c;"><b>September 1st, 2013</b></span></div>
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~<u>Length</u>: <b><span style="color: #134f5c;">133 Pages</span></b></div>
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~<u>Genres</u>: <b><span style="color: #134f5c;">Young Adult, Paranormal, Light Romance, Contemporary, Fantasy</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17927258-the-memory-game" target="_blank"><b>Goodreads</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Memory-Game-Sharon-Sant-ebook/dp/B00EU7R1GA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393120243&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Memory+Game" target="_blank"><b>Kindle</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://sharonsant.com/the-memory-game/" target="_blank"><b>Official Website</b></a></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">'If there is a hell, I think maybe this is it.' </span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Three weeks after fifteen-year-old David died, he’s still hanging around and he doesn’t know why. The only person who can see and hear him is the girl he spent his school days bullying.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Bethany is the most hated girl at school. She hides away, alone with her secrets until, one day, the ghost of a boy killed in a hit-and-run starts to haunt her.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">Together, they find that the end is only the beginning…</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #e06666;">~ 4/5 Roses ~</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">*Spoiler Alert!*</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #990000;">This UnPlugged Review contains spoilers of the book. If you don't want to read spoilers, please see my "Official Review" on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/824107810" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.</span><br />
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Guy meets girl. Guy is mean to girl. Guy dies, and comes back to haunt girl...tell me more!</div>
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So, the synopsis sounds pretty interesting. I like the fact it's short- great teaser with just enough to hook you, but not spoil the surprises inside. </div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">~<u>Cover</u>:</span> <span style="color: #274e13;">I really like this cover!! The guy is edgy, and definitely looks like the kinda guy that could come back and haunt people. He also fits the character of David perfectly, to me. I can really see him as that person, and I love that! The title is cool too, with the silhouette of a girl inside the 'o' in "Memory." Did you see that? I didn't the first time.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">~<u>David</u>:</span> Really cool character. I love the fact that he changes so much. Granted, that could be because he's only 15 when he gets hit by a truck, which then takes off and leaves him to die in a ditch...that really sucks. But, he's not really gone, so it's okay, right?</div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">~<u>Bethany</u>:</span> <span style="color: #741b47;">I really, really liked Bethany's character. She's quiet and shy, but she's not weak, contrary to what most of the town thinks. She deals with people taking out frustrations on her from every place in her life, and then deals with David following her around in ghost form. Really, he's doing the same thing, following her to ease his frustration and boredom. She's a tough cookie, and I love how she helps David grow up.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">~<u>The Ending</u>:</span> Omg, I couldn't believe the way Sharon ended this book! Bethany <i>dies</i>!?! </div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I love and hate it at the same time. It's somewhat sweet that she dies in the same place as David did, and they are together in their afterlife, to face whatever comes next together. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">But still, she has to die?? And because her father killed her? Just, wow. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">It was so suspenseful, and there were so many ups and downs with her health until then, that I really thought she'd make it. Buried in the snow all night though, you just know she didn't. Then she takes David's hand, and he can finally feel her, and she's warm to him... ugh, I totally wanted to start balling.</span><br />
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After I finished the last page, I had a serious Beca moment, from <i>Pitch Perfect</i>, when she finally watches <i>The Breakfast Club</i>. I was totally there, having to catch my breath, happy for them, but sad from the emotional suspense too.</div>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">~<u>Overall</u>:</span> <span style="color: #990000;">This is a really good book. It surprises you with the light romance that buds between David and Bethany, but it's so sweet. It's awesome to see him get over the other girl he liked when he was alive, because she so wasn't good for him. </span></div>
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Hopefully, David and Bethany will have a happily ever after-life! :)</div>
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<a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-events-of-harpers-ferry-tickets-517955218" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYP6SgD8KXiioA5MxMACwMz4SGTyhB1jWx-TQ0VOl8eWdXfOALZ8n7CxIN6GhAprIOfkl_vvpAGWYxc0_fYLPDqUViRnEXQckb7BsE1NbsNN3-NBI_46JFdaflAzOAzKsC_cAMLXvwzDU/s1600/ghost_couple.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-78143476380564251362015-04-08T02:00:00.000-07:002015-04-09T11:29:30.718-07:00Cover Love for "Full Contact" Book!!Ok, since this is the first of these posts, lemme explain. I'm going to do "Cover Love" posts. Basically, gushing over covers!! <br />
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To kick it off, here's a good one!! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21991208-full-contact?ac=1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiPQQUmlEGDjAHIIxTZpmIVZ1zlRMquorepq43CMin4vZin7uzpjZj9-6ZUxeEnH8pEMlZiLpEY_AGoZJ2EFM8rxmM8gIsRd_LcPjA2W61StOEeKfHOiIHcLLE3DY9AwMGmuZQRS6USQif/s1600/FullContact.jpg" height="640" width="416" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://goodreads.com/"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">goodreads.com</span></i></a></td></tr>
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WoW!! Between the look on the guy's face, and his tattoos, just, wow. <br />
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Note for authors here, this cover seems to be generating a ton of buzz - I've seen a bunch of people posting about it!<br />
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For me, it's more than the guy though. I adore the dynamics going on here - the color contrasts, the natural feel of it, and the intensity of it all. <br />
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Overall, awesome cover!! <br />
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Ok, back to your lives, people.<br />
<br />Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-58149459686417493062015-04-06T02:00:00.000-07:002017-11-12T16:12:47.204-08:00*Book Review* "Royal Pain" by Danielle Doolittle!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #073763;"><i><b>Royal Pain</b></i>, by Danielle Doolittle</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Published January 5th, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">by Entranced Publishing</span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763;">Find it on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20456731-royal-pain?ac=1" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #274e13;">Falling in love can be a royal pain.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">A cocktail of sex, booze and breakneck speeds is what sends Prince Henry of Benignus into rehab. He’s expecting to skip out on lectures and smoke behind the shed.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">He’s not expecting Carleigh.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Carleigh Phillips knows Henry is trouble. His bad boy attitude reeks of self-importance and over-indulgence. She’s not expecting him to lift a royal finger during his time at the ranch.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">She’s not expecting him to be a threat to her heart.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">When Carleigh’s life is on the line, will Prince Henry step up to the plate? Or will he prove he really is nothing but a phony royal pain?</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #351c75;"><i>~ 5/5 Roses! ~</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">*<i>I was given an eARC copy of this book, from the author's publisher (Entranced Publishing), to read in exchange for an honest review.</i></span><br />
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I signed up to do a book tour for Entranced Publishing. The tour is for "Royal Pain" by author and cupcake-wars-wannabe Danielle Doolittle. My first thoughts about reading and reviewing this book were "K, romantic comedy, sweet cover, could be good. I always like a book with a bad-boy prince." I had to prepare the author's dream cast and extra materials before reading the ARC, so I had more info to go on than a book I'd normally read. I don't usually like doing that, but eh, that's what comes with book tours, right?<br />
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Ok, so here are my thoughts on this book:<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">~<u>Cover</u>:</span></b> <span style="color: #274e13;">Cute! I love horses, and the couple hiding behind flowers is really cute. It's definitely one that draws me in, and makes me want to know who the people hiding behind the petals are (curiosity, lol, gotta love it).</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">~<u>Characters</u>:</span></b> <span style="color: #351c75;">Oh my gosh I love these characters! Carleigh is so funny, I love her red-head personality! She's feisty, strong, has a wicked tongue on her, and isn't afraid to be blunt and honest (even to a Prince). Ah, the prince. *sigh* Does anyone else love stories with a Prince? I do...I grew up with Disney Princesses though, so it makes sense :) Henry is a fun Prince character to follow. I found myself reacting to him quite similarly to Carleigh- wanting to both laugh and smack him at the same time. His quips were funny, but his denial about his own issues was frustrating. Luckily for them both, Carleigh snaps him out of it with her honesty and bravery.</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>~<u>The ending</u>:</b> </span><span style="color: #741b47;">Oh wow, the ending!! What an ending!! It's like, emotional drama all the way through the first 3/4 of the book. Then the last few chapters hit, and it's like "Adrenaline rush!!" Ryan being psychotic was so scary, esp when he was in the barn with Carleigh. I was mentally screaming for her to knee him in the nads and get out of there. I totally had to stop and remind my self to breath again when Henry saved her- that was totally awesome!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">Then of course, the "I'm gonna kill you" scene with Ryan and Henry...O.M.G.!!! Psychopath with TWO guns, oh my gosh! I had no idea how Henry would get away from Ryan, when he was all</span><br />
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Such a great ending though, and they had an eventual happily ever after, which every good romance needs.<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">~<u>Writing/Author</u>:</span></b> Danielle Doolittle is a very good writer, and I really enjoyed her style. She had lots of humor, angst, suspense, and twists that made me want to keep flipping pages to see what would happen next.<br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">~<u>Disliked</u>:</span></b> <span style="color: #20124d;">My only complaint really, would be the back and forth between both Henry and Carleigh, with their "I love you, but I can't have you!" It was ok for at first, but after while I found myself thinking "Oh my gosh, just get together already!" In the end though, it really did show the self growth of the two characters, and made it so that their relationship was strong. They were both sure of not only their love for each other, but the fact that the other one did indeed love them. Necessary for the plot, so I didn't take off roses for it, although that was one thing that I disliked.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: purple;">~<u>Overall</u>:</span></b> <span style="color: #134f5c;">I really enjoyed this book. I was only at 4 star level of entertained, until the last 3 or 4 chapters. Those though, they kicked it on up to 5 stars, and made it a book I want to read again.</span><br />
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What do you guys think about this book? Does it sound like something you'd want to read?<br />
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If you want to check out the book playlist, excerpt (which is funny), detailed character info, and the author's dream cast, head on over to <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/2014/01/royal-pain-book-tour-stop-review.html" target="_blank">my post on Desert Rose Reviews PluggedIn</a>.<br />
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Thanks for reading!<br />
<br />Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-492763086428627349.post-54828980918660807612015-03-31T12:00:00.000-07:002015-04-01T20:09:51.152-07:00Ok, let's try this again!Hi Everybody!<br />
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So, I tried this before, with the first UnPlugged blog. I loved blogging on it, but I ran into a ton of technical glitches. I still haven't quite figured out what happened, but without completely deleting it and remaking it, I was stuck with a glitchy, temperamental blog. <br />
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So I decided to simply start over. <br />
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This is going to be the same blog as before, the only difference is in the web address - I removed the "review" part, which actually kind of fits, because this blog isn't going to be all reviews anyway. <br />
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So, to refresh and introduce this blog, I think I'll explain again what's gonna go on here, and what I'm going to be doing with this blog.<br />
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As you may or may not know, I have my original review blog, <a href="http://desertrosereviews.blogspot.com/">Desert Rose Reviews</a>. I love that blog, I love what I've set up there, and I'm not going to stop working with that one.<br />
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But!<br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;">One of my 2014 New Year's Resolutions, was to try and have more fun. That worked ok, but I'm extending that to this year as well. I tend to be too serious, especially with reviews. I'm very serious and professional, and while there's nothing wrong with that, I miss being goofy, and showing my silly side. My original DRR site is awesome for my professional side- we do editing, professional reviews, literary services, and blog tours- lots of fun!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><i>This</i> blog though, is Desert Rose Reviews: UnPlugged, Version 2.0. Here, I'm going to be goofy. I'm going to be fun. I'm going to break out of my ridiculously thick shell if it kills me!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130;">Like two sides to a coin, Original = professional, UnPlugged = fun. Put them together, and I'll have a balanced world of reviews.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000;">I started the original <i>Desert Rose Reviews</i> as a resolution for 2013- to battle my intense and paralyzing shy streak, by putting myself out there on a blog...to stop hiding. Well, I think I did that. Side effect: seriousness took over to compensate for me ignoring the shyness, which was trying to make me remain under the rock I've spent most of my life hiding under.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/461196818061186668/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLekJBNtKYApyuoI0ua0lCYGs1SzElfdUYlFArP1QTudnBAkHBSGbsqnNkDdUGRcqASamBK43QfUuxQTri06DYtyhVjD1DS5DvyqDMnYdFej1SCLdtsdSjMV1R_gf-8mX-qR9ylds7XYc/s1600/8907920a4a4106b53a408e4f3ff25f18.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://giphy.com/">giphy.com</a></span></td></tr>
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So, long story short: I'm going to be posting reviews, but also random stuff here as well. The difference in these reviews, is they won't be professional. They won't be the same ones I share on Goodreads and Amazon. The reviews here, on my goofy site, will be just for fun. They may be for the same books I review on GR and my other review blog, and I'll write two different reviews, but I'm good with that.<br />
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We'll have pictures, jokes, memes, random thoughts, spoilers (maybe, if I need to rant about something) and fun discussions (hopefully). I'm going to try and be more open about things, share thoughts and opinions like a normal person (not a stuffy robot) and attempt to create a fun place for me to express myself. Not difficult for most people, but for someone with chronic social phobias (like me) it's a big step.<br />
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For a while, I'll re-post some of my popular posts from the original UnPlugged blog, so you all can find them again if need be. <br />
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In a way though, this kind of fits! This is the 2.0 version of the 2.0!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bX7g7ncOnGg/VRoV7y2DD5I/AAAAAAAAIck/rlF-8vUvc_Q/s1600/peterpan%2Blaughing%2Bfunny.gif" height="524" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://giphy.com/">giphy.com</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #134f5c;">I hope you enjoy this side of me!</span><br />
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~Rose<br />
<span style="color: purple;">@Desert Rose</span><br />
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Desert Rosehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02095098854552687110noreply@blogger.com0