Category Archives: Review

My thoughts on #theWalkingDead Season 7 Premiere #TWD #AMC

Posted by Yvonne Nicolas on

YN_logo_Whitetwd-comic-con-2016-picThe premiere was hard to digest.

Two days later and I’m still recovering. I’m sure 80% of the TWD fans are still recovering as well. I feel your pain.

**WARNING: Spoilers below**

This will come out as somewhat of a rant. Bear with me, please.

The season 6 finale left us with a chilling cliffhanger—the sounds of a cranium being smashed and Lucille (Negan’s “vampire” bat) covered in blood and brain matter. I had a feeling it was Abraham. I didn’t want any of them to be killed, but I figured Negan would eliminate the one who seemed to be Rick’s right-hand man, which in all rights is Abraham. I don’t think it was a toss of a coin. Negan knew who he was going to kill before the beating began.

Observation: Did you notice Abraham gave Sasha the peace sign before Negan hit him? It was their thing, their way to say goodbye to each other, which makes his brutal death sting even more. *sigh*

My hubby warned me there would be another death, and it will most likely be Glenn, because that’s the way it happened in the graphic novel. He said this after the season 6 finale. I told him he was wrong.

Of course the writers had to go and prove him right. Ugh…

Glenn… *welp*

My heart hurts as I type this. Yes, in the graphic novel, Negan kills Glenn IN THE SAME HORRIFIC WAY IT HAPPENED ON SCREEN, but the show hasn’t been following the exact path of the GN’s storyline. They only took bits and pieces from it. I had hoped they would spare him. Especially considering the outrage fans displayed when they thought Glenn was dead last season. The writers threw us for a loop.

WHY?

I could’ve done without all the gore, the repeated smashing, his twitching fingers… God, it was hard to watch! *sob* I was shocked at first, staring at the screen with my mouth agape, then I was horrified and utterly heartbroken. When he said, “Maggie, I’ll find you.” I almost couldn’t stand it. I cried like a baby, then I went to our bar and poured myself a drink, ‘cause goddammit I needed it. *sigh*

However, the shining beacon in my opinion was Carl. Even in the eyes of death, he stared Negan down like a predator staring down a prey. He wasn’t scared, not even a little bit. When Negan told Rick to cut his arm off, I almost lost it when Carl said, “Do it.” I literally ran out the room! It was too much, too much suspense, too much death.

Why the hell do I watch this show? It’s torture to my eyes and emotions.

Damn you, TWD writers! I almost gave up on you last night. I was prepared to throw my hands in the air and say, “That is it! You will no longer rile my emotions with your gore and death. Assholes!”

But I’m going to give you another chance. Show me there was a purpose to killing our beloved Glenn and Abraham. I hope the remaining characters become stronger as a result, especially Maggie. She has lost everyone. She deserves a “bitch mode” episode. I want to see her GO HAM! And I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Abraham and Glenn, 2 characters who touched my heart. I will miss you both.

 

“Suck my nuts.” ~ Last words of Abraham Ford

“Maggie, I’ll find you.” ~ Last words of Glenn Rhee

Just in case you’ve missed the first 6 seasons of the Walking Dead, below is a recap voiced by John Cleese.

British accents make EVERYTHING sound awesome!

http://nerdist.com/john-cleese-recapping-the-walking-dead-is-simply-delightful/

My Korean Drama Addiction #PlayfulKiss #KDrama #Netflix

Posted by Yvonne Nicolas on

PlayfulKissI started this K-drama with the assumption there would be a whole lot of kissing. I mean, it is titled Playful Kiss. *grin* However, there wasn’t an overabundance of kissing, but that’s not to say it wasn’t enjoyable.

I was drawn to this title, not only because Netflix suggested I watch it, but also because Kim Joong Hyun from “Boys Over Flowers” portrayed the character Beak Seung Jo. That man is so effin’ beautiful, it’s hard to pass up on a show with him starring in it.

His counterpart, Jung So-min, was brilliant as Oh Ha Ni, although majorly annoying at times. She was foolishly smitten with Beak Seung Jo. And this is not a crush that went on for a few months. This was a crush that lasted 4 years! She followed him around like a lost puppy and he didn’t even return her affections. Or better yet, he pretended not to be into her. Unfortunately, this only made her fall deeper in love with him. *rolls eyes* The more he pushed her away, the tighter she clung onto him.playfulkiss3

Get this… In high school, she wrote him a letter professing her love to him. You know what this dude did? He edited the letter, corrected the grammar and the spelling errors, then he gave it back to her with a big fat D on it. And he did it in front of the majority of her peers, totally humiliating her. I was floored! If a guy did that to me in high school, I would’ve slapped the crap out of him. After that, I would never speak or associate with him again, no matter how good looking he is.

Freaking jerk!

playfulkiss7The thing about him though… the moment he thought she would drift away as his personal fan girl, he would do something to keep her hanging on. Like kiss her. The first kiss he gave her was done out of pure malice, but it was enough to leave her speechless and wanting more. He was such an asshole. Although, I have to admit, it was hard to hate him because he was so damn fine.

In the beginning of the show, Oh Ha Ni and her father found themselves homeless after an earthquake destroyed their house. An old friend of her father’s saw the tragedy on the news and reached out to them. He and his wife opened their home to Oh Ha Ni and her father. Well guess who also lived in that house.

Yep, Beak Seung Jo!playfulkiss6

That’s when things got good. I knew it would be awkward for them two to live under the same roof, but I also knew it would get heated somewhere along the line. And it did! When Seung Jo dropped his guard and kissed her in the rain… Ohh, such a hot scene. I don’t know about the characters, but I needed that kiss. It almost made up for all the times he was jerk to her. Almost.

Even though Seung Jo shunned and humiliated Oh Ha Ni every chance he got, he did little things to stay close to her. Like attend the same college. She was accepted at a college by pure luck, because although she’s crafty and a hard worker, she wasn’t that bright. Seung Jo, who was an outright genius, could attend any school he wanted to. He was even courted by a few Ivy League universities, but nope. Once he found out what college Oh Ha Ni was attending, he applied at the same college, which was the first sign that he really liked her.

As far as supporting cast, Seung Jo’s mother was awesome! She fell in love with Oh Ha Ni on sight. In the previous K-dramas I watched, the hero’s mother was always a stone-cold witch. She would do everything in her power to get her son away from the undeserving heroine. But in Playful Kiss, the mother used her tricky ways to get them together.

That was a refreshing change.

playfulkiss4By the end of the series, I too was smitten with Seung Jo. When he admitted his love for Oh Ha Ni, it was the highlight of the series. Of course, he did this when he was on the verge of losing her for good. He still teased her at every turn, but he did it with love.

In short, this was a great series. It was bubbly, fun and even sad at parts. Watching the two characters grow and come closer together made the show extra exciting. I’m glad I watched it.

This was another 5 star journey for me. Thanks again, Netflix.

Next on the list; Coffee Prince.

Vampire Hunter D: The Stuff of Dreams #BookReview #Paranormal #Steampunk

Posted by Yvonne Nicolas on

 

TheStuffofDreamsIn a world where even the smallest and most remote village is being terrorized by the monsters that stalk the night, there is a hamlet, prosperous and peaceful, where mortals and vampires have lived in harmony for years. It is there that seventeen-year-old Sheavil Schmidt has slept, neither waking nor aging, for thirty years since first receiving the vampire’s immortal kiss. The mysterious Vampire Hunter D is lured to the tranquil oasis by recurrent dreams of the beautiful, undying girl bathed in an eerie blue light and dancing in a ghostly chateau.

I’m a HUGE Vampire Hunter D fan, and I love the whole series. However… I feel this one lacked the energy I’m accustomed to. Ugh, it sucked to type that. 😦 Sorry Mr. Kikuchi! *bows*

In this novel, D was still as sexy and mysterious as ever. The main heroine, Nan, was of course smitten by him. What re-blooded woman wouldn’t be smitten by the devilish dhampir? The pace was a bit long-winded, which is not a big problem since it flows nicely with Mr. Kikuchi’s writing style.

Because this story is wrapped around a dream within a dream, certain parts were difficult to follow, but once I caught on, I was engaged.

After she was attacked by a noble, a young girl finds herself suspended in an eternal sleep and trapped within a dream. As a result, she lures others into the dream and the only one who can rescue her is Vampire Hunter D. Only problem is, once she pulls him into the fantasy created in her mind, he can’t escape until he does the one thing she desires.

I enjoyed the premise, even though it dragged along a bit.

I’m excited to read the next installment in the series.

Cuff Me, Santa #BookReview #SexyReads

Posted by Yvonne Nicolas on

CuffMeSantaAlex never could leave her presents alone. Its Christmas time again and her
boyfriend has left her something naughty under the tree. Determined to try her new toy out before everyone wakes up, she makes the couch her sexual playground. Come midnight Alex hears a noise. Before long she’s no longer alone after Santa arrives and together they create a Christmas neither will forget.

Full of sexy Christmas cheer, this is one Christmas you are not soon to forget. Not only will Alex have some Christmas magic, but Santa will get one heck of a gift himself from the sultry Alex.

 

I will start by saying this; I will never look at Christmas the same way again. Better yet, I will never look at Santa the same way again. Oy vey…

This was an erotic ride that will forever be imprinted on my mind.

At first, I was bothered by the lack of plot, but as I read on, I realized it wasn’t meant to be that type of story. It was meant to be a sexual read, literary porn if you will. And I say that in a good way.

I usually write pretty lengthy reviews, but there’s not much to say with this one. The author did what she set out to do, get me hot and bothered. *blush*

If you’re looking for a short holiday read that’s guaranteed to get you hot under the collar and moist between the thighs, Cuff Me Santa should be on your Christmas list.

Salacious Reads Book Review on Shadows & Dust #Gothic #UrbanFantasy

Posted by Yvonne Nicolas on

ShadowsnDust2This was another review that was a pleasure to read. 🙂 It delights me to create tales that the reader can relate to and love.

“Now when this author tells you this story is not for the faint of heart, it isn’t. This is a very graphic novella. As far as the story itself goes, like I said…I love it. I enjoy reading strong independent female characters and Havoc was no exception…”

CLICK HERE to read the full review

Also… check out the review on Silent Screams, Book 1 of the Dragon Queen Series.SilentScreams2

“I really didn’t know what to expect when I powered up my NOOK and started reading this book. But, let me tell you it’s a story that will leave you very very excited and wanting to hurry up and grab the 2nd book…because that’s exactly what I did.”

Salacious Reads Book Review on Silent Screams

Three’s a Party, Baby! #BookReview

Posted by Yvonne Nicolas on

Inhibitions slip away and pent-up desires are explored when a pretty, but shy scientist takes a libido-enhancing trial drug her team has been working on!

A brilliant, driven scientist, Nisa devotes her time to her work in the lab. Frustrated with her inability to orgasm or enjoy sex, Nisa is personally vested in the outcome of her team’s latest case study of Vitamin P, a female libido-enhancing pill. She recklessly takes more than the prescribed dosage of the drug upon overhearing Ryce and Eric, her two closest male friends and fellow scientists joking about her sexless appeal. The pill unleashes powerful, hidden desires within Nisa and she revels in it orgasmic effects. Her insatiable cravings lead her into the arms of both men. However, once the pill wears off Nisa wonders if love and friendship can survive in the aftermath of her relentless passion.

This was a refreshing fast-paced love story with a little added bonus. It was a bit slow at the beginning, but once it got going, I couldn’t put it down. This story is rife with hot sex. If you feel nothing while reading this, you should check your pulse.

In other words, it was fire, baby!

Nisa is a scientist dedicated to her work. She’s so dedicated that she makes no time for anything else. The woman works with 2 super-hot guys and all she can think about is work. Crazy, right?

Well, after overhearing her coworkers describe her as “boring”, she tosses her inhibitions to the wind and swallows not 2, but 4 pills of an experimental libido enhancer, also known as, Vitamin P. The pills send her into overdrive and the only way to douse the fiery desire inside is to yield to her sexual yearning.

*SPOILER ALERT!* 😀

Although, I love Nisa’s character, I was missing some character development from her coworkers Ryce and Eric. I liked their attraction to Nisa, but I wanted to know more about them.

Towards the end, it seemed like Eric was left out of the mix. She was clearly more attracted to Ryce than Eric, which kind of put a damper in my hopefulness toward their three-way love affair, and left me saying, “Awww…” with my pouty face. Even though, she’s in a position to have her cake and eat it too, I wanted her to be head-over-heels in lust with both of them. *grin*

Yeah, I know. I’m twisted like that.

All that aside, if you want a good read with tons of steaming sex, Grab your copy of Vitamin P today!

Crazy and Effin’ Insane 101 #BookReview

Posted by Yvonne Nicolas on

CleanUpWomanWhen Karma Jolley spots the man of her dreams, she sets in motion to have him. The fact that he’s married really isn’t a factor at all. What Karma wants, Karma gets, even if she has to get blood on her hands. Never since the beginning of time has anyone had to deal with so much trash, all brought by The CleanUp Woman.

It’s difficult to sit back and read a book when I’m writing all the time, but I do it when I can. I’ll read articles, blog posts and books for about an hour and half and then get back to my writing.

Well, The CleanUp Woman by Alisha Yvonne kept my eyes glued to my e-reader for more than the allotted time. In short, this book was difficult to put down.

I will admit, it’s incredibly predictable. I’ve seen the movie several times with different characters, different scenes and different titles. You know the tale. There’s a woman who seems sane, when in reality she’s not. She becomes obsessed with a man, sometimes woman, and then her true colors come out. She goes out of her way to have him, whether he wants her or not. This woman, who is severely touched in the head, will remove anyone from his life that interferes with the relationship she has constructed in her mind.

In this book, Karma Jolley was the seemingly sane woman, but she was the star pupil in that class. You know the class. Crazy and effin’ insane 101.

Now, just because I knew what was going to happen before it happened didn’t make the read any less enjoyable.

*SPOILER ALERT!*

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for poor Colby “Cole”. It seemed like this guy couldn’t catch a break. First, his wife repeatedly accused him of being unfaithful, when he was nothing but true to her and their marriage. Then, he lost his wife when a couple of thugs pulled up on them and shot her in cold blood. Afterwards, he became the number one suspect of the crime. It’s always the husband, right?

This tragedy turned his life upside down. He loved his wife dearly, so it was difficult to move on without her.

Cole and his wife had 2 children. He worked a demanding job, and needed help with them.

So, he hired Karma Jolley.

Mind you, he hired her without checking her background or getting referrals. That’s when I stopped feeling sorry for Cole. I found myself talking to the e-reader, which earned me an arched brow from my husband. “Seriously, dude? You couldn’t take a moment out of your busy day to check that woman’s credentials before leaving her alone with your children?” That was a bonehead move if I ever seen one, but there wouldn’t have been a story worth reading if he did what he was supposed to do. 😉

Slowly, but surely Karma charmed her way into his and his kids’ lives. The girl had all the gifts of a perfect homemaker. She could cook, she could clean and she was good with the children. She made Cole’s life much easier, which was her plan. She wanted Cole to see her as a wife replacement.

Although, he thought she was beautiful and appreciated all the help she’d given him with the kids, he couldn’t get over his wife. Understandable. But not to Karma.

And that’s when the crazy came out.

There were so many times I wanted to choke Cole, but not as many times as I wanted to choke Karma. I became emotionally involved in this story, which doesn’t happen very often. Like I said, I knew what was going to happen, but it still got to me.

Even though, she was indeed crazy, she was very smart and resourceful.

Throughout the story, anyone that came in between she and Cole were either hurt or killed. This girl was determined and she didn’t care who she had to eliminate to get “Cole”, which made this an exciting read.

Now the only part that threw me off was the ending.

Cole’s demeanor didn’t quite fit the scene, considering everything that had happened to him. Sure, he was irritated, but I’d image anyone in this situation would not only be enraged, but vengeful as well. I’m almost sure the person wouldn’t strike up a conversation with a woman who not only had their spouse murdered, she almost killed their son, slaughtered her dog and left him in their house for their kids to see, AND she killed their best friend. It wouldn’t matter how touched in the head she is. As soon as she called their house, she’d either get cursed the hell out to the tenth degree or served up a dial tone.

To add insult to injury, she went back to his house, after she’d done all this! The only thing he did was threaten her. OMG, what? She’s in arm’s reach on his property and he just threatens her?

Sorry, there isn’t that much self-control in the world.

*chuckle* All that aside, this was an entertaining read and I’m glad I scooped it up.