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Never Hollowed By The Stare
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  • Home
  • REVIEWS+RECS
    • MANGA
    • BOOK REVIEW
    • SOUNDTRACK
    • QUOTE
    • TRAILER
    • DESERT ISLAND CASTAWAYS
    • BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS
    • Reviews A-Z
    • MINI MOVIE REVIEWS
  • MEMES+TAGS
    • MUSIC MONDAY
    • LAST YEAR I WAS READING
    • FLICKer FADE SUNDAY
    • TAGS
    • MISC POSTS
    • PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
    • FIRST LINES FRIDAY 56
  • TOURS & BLITZES
    • COVER REVEAL
    • GIVEAWAYS
  • About + Ratings
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    • ADVERTISE WITH US
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  • manga,  Uncategorized

    MANGA: Mimitabu no Riyuu

    June 5, 2020 / No Comments
    耳たぶの理由』|感想・レビュー - 読書メーター

    Mimitabu no Riyuu – Kunieda Saika

    1) Mimitabu no Riyuu (A Reason for Earlobes)
    Yamaguchi is a notorious womanizer. Some men admire him; others can’t stand him. Ishikawa is definitely one of the latter. Nevertheless, when Yamaguchi’s latest girlfriend dumps him, Ishikawa jokingly offers to comfort him with his own body. Unfortunately for Ishikawa, Yamaguchi takes the offer seriously. And, to make matters worse, Ishikawa discovers that he can’t say no!

    2) Yubisaki no Biyaku (Love Potion Fingertips)
    Ishikawa and Yamaguchi are dating, but Yamaguchi’s lovey-dovey behavior makes Ishikawa sick. Hoping to put Yamaguchi in his place, Ishikawa suggests that they “see other people.” But things take a turn for the worse when each one catches the other with a beautiful woman.

    3) Kuchibiru no Teppen (The Top of the Lip)
    Ishikawa usually wears an irritable scowl. So why is he laughing and smiling so happily? Is it because he likes homemade sweets… or the cute girl who made them? Consumed with jealousy, Yamaguchi’s patience is pushed to the limit.

    4) Tsumuji no Mannaka (The Center of the Hair Whorl)
    Ishikawa’s nightmare is in danger of become reality. His boyfriend, Yamaguchi, is trying to win over his family! Fearing for his future, Ishikawa forbids Yamaguchi to visit his home, but Yamaguchi is determined to get close to the Ishikawas, one way or another. If Ishikawa won’t accept him, then maybe Ishikawa’s sister, Hitomi, will…

    These two are idiots. Never change!

    Read More
    neverhollowed

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  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: A New Empire by Layla Reyne

    June 5, 2020 / No Comments
    48496567. sy475

    Fog City: A New Empire – Layla Reyne

    Legacies were made to be rewritten.

    Assassin Hawes Madigan wants to do right—by his family, his organization, his city, and the man he’s falling for, ATF agent Christopher Perri. But Hawes’s rules are being challenged by someone willing to kill for the old ways. To save his soul and his empire, Hawes must make an impossible decision: fight from the outside or bend the knee to win back his throne from within.

    Chris is used to being the inside man, the one undercover. Now, he’s on the outside marshaling forces in support of the man and the ring of assassins he was supposed to take down. His mission shifted when he found something that’s been missing for ten long years—a home, with Hawes.

    As Hawes and Chris make a dangerous play for control, the lines between allies and traitors blur. Trusting the wrong person could destroy the legacy Hawes envisions for the Madigans. But not trusting anyone, or each other, could mean lights out on their love and lives forever.

    The King and King Slayer fight together in this thrilling conclusion to the Fog City Trilogy!


    Maybe it was those suspenseful build ups. And those heart-stopping cliffhangers. But my expectations of this final Fog City book was sky high.

    I was, sadly, underwhelmed.

    A New Empire was not a bad book. In fact, we get all the twisty, action-suspense thrills we want. However, none of the surprises shocked me greatly. They were almost to be expected, except for Vivienne Tran’s bombshell.

    I had correctly guessed the mastermind behind Hawe’s downfall in book two, King Slayer. Who else would it be? I also expected this person to have a stronger presence in book 3. They were there, but I didn’t feel the powerful aura of somebody who can take down the king.

    This series is known for being fast and tight. The plot was a somewhat convoluted but with the way it was paced, it certainly kept things from being boring. I enjoyed going from one twist to another with hardly any lull.

    Even the climax was rushed. This part I would have liked to be more impactful given how much time they spent plotting and strategizing. I almost didn’t realize that it was happening because it was over way too soon. Maybe it was respect to the mastermind’s age and status but it wasn’t a comeuppance where the antagonist suffered a slow, painful death,

    As with most Layla Reyne books, the characters are what we are here for. I love that they make me feel like part of their group. Family is the heart of it all. My love for the Madigan siblings and their friends is what kept me coming back to this series despite my mixed feelings about it as a whole. Hawes, Holt and Helena are a solid, unified team even as Hawes played his dangerous game of bending the knee. Aidan, Mel, and Jamie, from the Agents Irish and Whiskey series, dropping by for a visit was a delightful bonus.

    Romance-wise, I wouldn’t say I warmed up to Chris/Dante but he got Hawes’ back so he’s alright, I suppose. The more interesting angle here is Holt and Kane. They’re getting their own book so YAY! Even Hena will get some action because there’s definitely something going on between her and Chris’ sister.

    The best book in the trilogy for me is the second book. However, this finale did a great job finally giving Hawes closure and the rest of the Madigans some peace. More, importantly, it was a really effective set-up for more stories to come. I am definitely here for the spin-offs.

    Time to give Little H some love!

    P.S.

    Review of book 1, Prince of Killer, here
    Review of book 2, King Slayer, here
    Reviews of Agents Irish and Whiskey, here
    Layla Reyne books here

    Rating:
    3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked it

    Soundtrack: The Perfect Symmetry
    Artist: Demians
    Album: Building An Empire

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    neverhollowed

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  • song,  Uncategorized

    SOUNDTRACK: The Perfect Symmetry by Demians

    June 5, 2020 / 2 Comments

    Soundtrack to Fog City: A New Empire by Layla Reyne

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  • Uncategorized
    June 5, 2020 / No Comments

    I won’t laugh now that your precious sun has gone
    I won’t pray for the rain to come
    Words make me feel like a newborn
    A new time has come, I will live it on my own

    But how did it all come down?

    Keep your head up now, your precious sun has grown
    You’ll have to wait for the rain to come
    A blank page’s worth a thousand words
    When only one song could destroy them all

    And why couldn’t it be this one?
    I wrote it on my own before the dawn

    I won’t cry now, the insiders are free to leave
    And I feel at peace with the flood still waiting
    I created these worlds, one by one, word by word
    If there was a song that could destroy them all
    Why should I sing it now that I feel all alone?

    And why couldn’t it be this one?
    I wrote it on my own before the dawn

    I was warned but now that my time has come
    Please let me drown just one more time
    Before the dawn

    I was strong but now my kingdom’s come down
    I’ll wear my crown just one more time
    Before the dawn

    How did it all come down? why am I the only one?
    Leave the dark and see the light
    There is no need to look back
    Leave the dark, life seems so bright
    We’ll free yourself from your thoughts
    Now that it’s time to grow up
    Don’t tell me so when no one’s around
    Leave the dark, life seems so bright
    We won’t stab you in the back
    But how did it all come down?

    I was warned but now that my time has come
    Please let me drown just one more time
    Before the dawn

    I was strong but now my kingdom’s come down
    I’ll wear my crown just one more time
    Before the dawnBut how did it all come down?

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  • trailer,  Uncategorized

    MOVIE FEATURE: Wonderkid

    June 5, 2020 / No Comments
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  • Uncategorized

    RELEASE BLITZ: When I First Saw Red by Kasia Bacon (Excerpt & Giveaway)

    June 5, 2020 / No Comments
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  • Uncategorized

    BLOG TOUR: Surviving the Merge by C.P.Harris (Excerpt & Giveaway)

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