"Star Wars The Force Awakens" Movie Review

Alright let me just starts this off by saying that I'm not a very big Star Wars fan. My step-mom and brother are obsessed with the movies, so I have seen them plenty of times and my husband made me go and see this new movie. Please keep this in mind as you read my thoughts on it.

This movie was very action packed and it seemed as though something crazy was always happening. It starts off with a bang and just continues the whole way through. I won't give any spoilers so this review will be short. In the past movies, I never had a character that I cared enough about to identify with. Luke Skywalker was cool, but I couldn't identify him. Han Solo was cute but that's about it. Princess Leia was cool and pretty bad ass, but I still couldn't identify with her. I liked them all enough not to want anything bad to happen to them, but at the same time if something had happened to them...I don't think I would have been too upset. Does that make sense? In this film, we meet Rey. She's a scavenger living a very rough life on the planet of Jakku. She saves BB-8 and he basically becomes her sidekick. She finds out that he is on a mission and she reluctantly helps him. I like Rey a lot. I think she is a great heroine and an excellent role model for young girls. She's a Star Wars Katniss Everdeen.

Anyways, Finn, a former stormtrooper, drops in after his escape with Poe Dameron (BB-8's master and an excellent pilot) to the planet Jakku. Finn believe's Poe is dead so he continues on without him. He comes upon Rey's town and while he is getting water, he sees people hassling Rey and trying to take BB-8. He goes to help her, but like the bad-ass she is Rey takes care of it herself. He lies to her and tells her he is with the Resistance and she tells him that they have to get BB-8 to his headquarters because he is on a classified mission. Finn decides to help and as this happens, Kylo Ren (the new baddie) has drones (or whatever they're called) do an airstrike in an attempt to get BB-8. Rey, Finn, and BB run for their lives and Rey leads them to a "piece of junk that hasn't flown in years" and she successfully gets it to fly. As it takes off, we see that it is none other than the Millennium Falcon. We learn Rey is quite the pilot, for having never flown before, and she is great with mechanical/electrical issues.

The Falcon ends up getting sucked on board a freighter ship and they are convinced that they are about to be swarmed with Stormtroopers. However, a very different crew boards the Falcon. Han Solo and Chewbacca themselves board their former ship and discover Rey, Finn, and BB-8. They run into an issue and once they get out of it, Rey serves as Han's co-pilot. Han is impressed by her skills. (sidenote: this lead me to believe she is his daughter...that theory has yet to be disproven, but I have another more likely theory that I will discuss at another time because it will give away a major spoiler).

Han takes them to a different planet to speak to a creater named Maz (i think that's how you spell it). She sheds some light on some issues, but their location is given to Kylo Ren and then First Order (the Sith, The Empire...) descends on them and attacks. Rey discovers something about herself and is also terrified in the process. Finn confesses that he was a Storm Trooper and says he's not part of the Resistance and wants to get as far away from the First Order as possible. He asks Rey to come with him and she refuses. She wants to finish the task at hand and then work with Han Solo. Finn is ready to leave when they're attacked. Rey runs off into the woods and is followed by BB-8. Resistance pilots come and fight off the First Order. Rey runs into Kylo Ren who renders her unconscious using the Force. He realizes she has seen the information he is trying to get from BB-8 so he can take her instead of the droid. He takes her on his ship as Finn and Han Solo helplessly watch. Princess Leia comes off of a ship, she's now General and no longer Princess. I have no idea why, but it is what it is I guess. It's clear something happened between her and Han, as there is tension but clearly still love.

They return to Resistance headquarters and devise a plan that includes saving Rey. Rey is meanwhile being interrogated by Kylo Ren who takes his mask off and reveals his actual face to her.

Basically this is where I have to stop, as everything that happens past this point contains major spoilers.

Overall, I have to say this is a (pretty) good movie. If you love Star Wars, you're obviously going to love it. However, if you're like me and you've never really cared one way or another, then I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with this movie. Don't let the prequels scare you, this one is actually good.

Book Review - "The Elite" by Kiera Cass

Wowwww. That's all I can say after reading this book. Never have I been so elated, nervous, excited, and embarrassed by a book before. I think that's one of my favorite things about Cass' writing is she has the ability to make you feel exactly what America feels, including being embarrassed for her.

In this book things start of going well between Maxon and America. So well in fact that he throws a Halloween ball for her. He plans on proposing to her and ending the Selection, but things never go quite so easily. Marlee has a major secret revealed which comes between America and Maxon. Maxon is driven to another one of the Elite which only drives the wedge further between our estranged couple. Of course America turns to Aspen in secret which drives me crazy. Things with the rebels only worsen as does the stress of the competition.

The girls are assigned a project which they will present to all of Illea on the Report and in anger, America chooses abolishing the caste system. Needless to say this does not sit well with the King and Maxon ends up taking a beating for her. It is made very clear that the King does not approve of America and she is nearly sent home for her choice.


I love this book and this series for that matter. I can't wait to keep reading to find out what happens between Maxon and America.



Overall, I give this book 5 stars and say it is a MUST READ!

Pretty Little Liars - Hours before coming fAce to face

So we're a few hours away from the summer finale of Pretty Little Liars and tonight is the night, after 6 LONG years- we finally are going to see A/Charles and find out everything we've wanted to know- mainly why A has targeted Alison and the girls and who the heck is Red Coat. I have so many fixed feelings about tonight. On the one hand I am way excited about all of the answers, but on the other hand I feel kind of...sad. It's like the end of an era. I mean for the last 6 years, every Tuesday I have watched as 4 young girls who have become my best friends be tortured and put through hell by some mystery person and now we'll finally know who is responsible. After years of guessing (Ian, Toby, Ezra, Melissa, Ali, Noel...to name a few), we'll know and that's crazy. I'm excited, but a little sad because it's very possible that the greatest TV mystery of our time (and in a LONG time) is coming to an end. I mean PLL has kept a very steady following and intense popularity for 6 years without giving much away. We have gone through so many twists and turns in finding out who A is, that the fact that the audience still cares and is still interested in the day and age of instant gratification is astounding. PLL is an excellent show on every level. They have nailed it in every way.

Ulta Haul

These Urban Decay lip sets are amazing. I'm obsessed with them! The pencils go on so well and so do the lipsticks. I love how they feel and the colors are gorgeous. I wore the red for the entire weekend when I first got it and I got 4 compliments from strangers on it. Everyone seems to agree that it is like the perfect red.

• Revolution Lipstick in "Naked" (nude pink)
• 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in "Naked" (nude pink)
• Revolution Lipstick in "F-Bomb" (classic red)
• 24/7 Glide-On Lip Pencil in "69" (classic red) 

Get the lipstick here and the lip liner here.

 

The Semi-Sweet palette from Too Faced is so pretty and of course it smells delicious! I wasn't too sure about it, because of the blue shadow. It just seems really random and I'm not a fan of bright blue eye shadows, but it goes on surprisingly pretty. It's also not as vibrant on as it is in the palette, but that will change depending on the amount you put on and if you use primer or not. The colors are:

• Pink Sugar
• Blueberry Swirl
• Bon Bon
• Butter Pecan
• Caramel
• Frosting
• Rum Raisin
• Hot Fudge
• Cocoa Chili
• Coconut Crème
• Licorice
• Mousse
• Nougat
• Peanut Butter
• Puddin'
• Truffled

Get it here.

 

Another item from Too Faced, the Selfie Powder. It's made to give you a photo finish look like the filters on Instagram. I like them a lot, but I'm a little disappointed. I was hoping for more of a dramatic effect, but there really isn't one. I like the sunrise (the yellow-ish one) because I feel like it evens your skin tone a little. However, they are just finishing powders so with that in mind, they do work pretty well. Just don't try to use them for more than that. 

• Sunrise: Instantly brightens with diffused warmth
• Totally Toasted: Bronzes with a smoothing glow
• Moon River: Adds a cool ethereal light to the skin

Get it here.

I also got these Rimmel London Scandal Eyes eye shadow sticks in "Bulletproof Beige" and "Witness White" and they're great. I love just swiping the Beige one on in the morning for a gold shimmer on my eyes- it is just a natural pretty color and I don't have a problem with them creasing. I like to use the white one for my inner rim or the inner corners of my eyes. I want to go back and get a few more colors.

Get them here.

Pretty Little Liars Recap - "She's No Angel" (S06E05)

 Spencer has a very very freaky nightmare about a girl who is like an exorcist ballerina in a creepy room. She wakes up trying to remember the room and asks Aria who refuses to think about their time in the dollhouse. Spencer continues eating her pot cookie, before heading to school.

Hanna finds Mona in her kitchen and is concerned about her fragile state. Mona is afraid that Ali is going to go after her and she's afraid of what is going to happen with the police as she committed a crime by faking her death. The girls stop at the New Brew where they run into Lesli, who completely freaks out on Mona and threatens her. Hanna meets up with Spencer at school and realizes she's high and calls her out on it.

Aria is at her dad' office at Hollis when Clark, the guy from the photo lab, came by and invited her to go to a junk yard and take pictures with him. After a little convincing, Aria agrees to go. At the junk yard she's arranging dolls for pictures and Clark comments on the creepiness of them. He takes her picture and she freaks out a little. He reveals that he knows who she is and what happened to her as he recognized her from the news, but he didn't want to say anything when they first met because he didn't want to freak her out. Aria keeps arranging dolls and he takes pictures somewhere else, and in a mirror Aria sees a hooded figure walking by. She freaks out and goes after it, but it disappears and knocks over a shelf. Clark comes running and Aria laughs it off saying it was her fault.

Ali won't leave her house. She steps outside and complains to her dad that one of the officers who is out there watching over the house was trash talking her. Her dad rebuffs her and says she should come to the office with him, she refuses and he says she needs to own up to what she's done and leaves. Lorenzo comes to talk to Ali about being a youth leader for the church and tells her he recommended her for the job and the other members didn't really fight him on it. They grow closer until her dad walks in, and accuses Ali of having him over because she thinks one of the other officers were talking bad about her. Lorenzo is confused and then her dad makes him leave. Ali is mortified.

Emily witnesses the end of a phone call between Sara and her mom where it's infered that her mom is drunk. She's trying to make Sara come back home and she doesn't want to. Emily suggests looking into being emancipated. Em takes her to see Caleb so they can find out more about the process and Caleb says Sara needs a job so she can prove to the courts that she can support herself. He then offers her a job working minimum wage for his web design company. The girls go out and see a Social Worker who tells Sara that they'll start the process and she can stay with the Fields'. Em goes with Sara to get a tattoo to celebrate her new found freedom.

Spencer ends up going to an addiction meeting high and her former sober coach Dean is there. He winds up bringing her home and reminding her to call him if she can't fall asleep or if she needs to talk. After their heart to heart, she gives him her pot cookie and she gets out of the car. She sees Mona and goes to talk to her, and asks if she remembers the room from her dream in the dollhouse. Mona has no idea or so she says.

Lorenzo returns and talks with Ali on the porch. He defends her dad and reminds her that he is just worried about her. He also tells her that he asked the officers to switch shifts and a woman is out there now who he insists is nice and Ali will like more. Ali is very touched and the two share their first kiss. Mr. D interupts and Lorenzo leaves. Ali is mad at her dad and leaves to see her friends.

Aria checks over the negatives of Clark's photos and sees he got a shot of A's figure walking by. She freaks out and calls Emily who says to get a copy. Aria lies a little and steals the negatives of his photos. At home she examines them further and realizes something shocking- A is a woman. She sends a copy of the pic of a hooded figure with a woman's figure to her friends. Sara convinces Emily to get a tattoo and sees the text from Aria while Em is under the needle.

Hanna meets Lesli at the Brew and she apologizes for her earlier outburst. She also suggests that Hanna and the girls let the police do their jobs and not get involved. 

Spencer and Hanna break into Radley to look for Charles' file. Spencer is annoyed that Mona bailed after promising to be their tour guide. She freezes when she sees the creepy ballerina's face on an old poster. As the girls walk down the hall, Spencer realizes they're walking into the room from her nightmare and she realizes she saw it at Radley and not in the dollhouse. They search and finally find Charles' file which confirms that he is actually dead and he was an organ donor. They find a creepy doll that looks like a person in the dirty bathtub which was really freaky and as they're leaving they hear something. They find Mona who is trying to sneak away with a file. They grab it and find out it's Lesli's file. She and Mona met in Radley! They find out that Lesli was also Bethany's roommate  and she was there long enough to know Charles.

Sara confronts Emily about hiding this from her and Emily comes clean that A is still out there and threatened to hurt Sara if the girls told anyone. She shared that they didn't tell Sara, because they didn't want to scare her. A hooded figure comes towards them in the alley and the girls run.

All of the Liars meet up and discuss that A is a woman and Lesli was in Radley. They know think that Lesli is A and they start devising a plan to catch her in the act.

Mona, meanwhile, calls Lesli and tells her that the girls know that she was in Radley and Lesli completely flips out on Mona. Uh-oh.








//Original air date 6/30/15

Pretty Little Liars Recap - "Game On, Charles " (S06E01)

This episode was insane.

It begins by showing an unknown blonde girl drawing with chalk on the wall of what looks like a dungeon in the doll house wearing the infamous yellow tank top. She hears the Liars making their escape and we find them outside. A/Charles leaves them outside for days without food or water and even in the pouring rain. The girls are doing everything they can to stay positive and support one another, but it's clear they are afraid.

The girls are finally invited back inside. In the hallway they are all knocked out. Aria and the other girls awake on tables in what looks like a morgue. They are all naked and covered only by a sheet. They fear that Charles is making them appear dead to send a message to their families so they stop looking for them. Mona comes in dressed as a candy striper and acting like Ali again. She gives each of the girls something to take for their headaches. She shares that she is scared Charles will throw her in the hole for trying to escape. A message plays asking them to return to their rooms and Mona refuses. A bell dings 3 times and she folds saying they have to go "or else." They stand outside of their rooms and enter one by one- each one screaming when they enter. They don't come out for 3 weeks and when they do they are visibly shaken. Aria even has the pink stripes in her hair like she had when Ali went missing. They wonder where Mona is.  We find out she is in the hole and terrified.

Ali holds a press conference and we find out that all charges against her for Mona's murder have been dropped and Andrew is the prime suspect but he has vanished. Ali begs for Andrew to come forward and for her friends to be freed.When she returns to the house, we find out she is working with the police in hopes of drawing Andrew out of hiding.She gets a call from an unknown number and it's playing a song. They track the call and find out the caller is in the house so the police go to find them. They return and Ali is gone, and there is a broken wine bottle. We find out that Caleb and Ezra called, and she is working with them and Toby to find the girls. Toby distracts the police by leading them too the Campbell Apple Farm.

Ali is contacted by A so the guys let her go into the woods after Caleb gives her a pair of boots with a tracker in them. Ali is lead to a car, she gets in it and the GPS tells her where to go. The guys follow and aren't far behind. She is told to pull over on the side of the road and to check the trunk. She finds a card telling her to change clothes or the girls will die. When Caleb and Ezra arrive, they find the car and Ali's clothes along with her boots pointing them in the right direction. Ali wanders through the woods in the infamous yellow top.

The girls are finally out of their rooms and are clearly very shaken but they band together. They are taken to Ali's room and they realize that Ali A is probably bringing the real Alison. They are putting away things in Ali's room and see news articles in the box and wonder if they are even real. Hanna finds out her mom was hospitalized because she was so worried about Hanna. Aria is putting clothes away and at the back of the closet she sees a message from Mona carved into the wall saying A is going to kill her. Aria gets Spencer to help her and shows her the message. They start plotting to get out.

The night when the generator switches off the girls all run to Charles' secret room and Spencer shows them the video. The girls look around and end up setting the room on fire. Charles is watching and sees Ali in the woods and the fire in the room. He panics. They pull the curtains down and see A/Charles standing behind a plexi-glass wall watching (he's of course in a mask still). They run and find Mona in the hole and work together to get her out.

The boys find Ali in the woods and get ready to leave until Ali hears something. She turns around and they see smoke coming from the ground which leads them to the door. They call the police and break into the dollhouse as the girls are running out. Everyone embraces and it is a tearjerker. Haleb, Ezria, Spoby, and Emison are so sweet. The police explore the dollhouse and find the girl we see at the beginning of the episode and find out she is Sarah Harvey, the girl who went missing around the same time Ali did and Emily met with her friends. She had been there this entire time.

"Pitch Perfect 2" Movie Review

This movie was hilarious. I was laughing so hard (and so was my husband surprisingly).

We catch up with the Bellas in their senior year of college when they are performing for President Obama on his birthday. The set they put on is very theatrical and overdone, and Fat Amy accidentally flashes her vagina to the entire crowd. This causes the Bellas to be kicked out of Collegiate Acapella and they will have to give up their championship tour (FYI they've won the Nation Championships 3 years in a row) and they will not be allowed to defend their title. In an attempt to get them re-instated (if they aren't re-instated then the Barden Bellas will cease to exist for future generations) Beca makes a deal: if they win the World Championships then they get re-instated. Gail and John think it's hilarious and they are doomed to fail because "everyone hates America."

We meet a new freshman, Emily Junk, whose mother was a Bella back in the 80s. She is ecstatic to try out and she's so cute. Hailee Steinfeld did a great job. We find out that Chloe has intentionally failed Russian Literature 3 times so she can remain a Bella and as the girls try to figure out their next move, Beca gets a phone call offering her an internship at a record label. She accepts but declines to tell the Bellas. Jesse takes her to her first day of work and while she's gone, Emily shows up at the Bella house. She asks to join the Bellas' and after an awkward audition where she sings a song she is writing, they ultimately decide to let her join. They head over to the Treblemakers home for an acapella only party where Emily runs into Benji (again) and he is hilariously awkward (again). Beca sneaks in and joins the party where she meets Emily.

The girls work on their choreography and decide to check out the German group who got to take over their victory tour Das Sound Machine or DSM. They watch their performance and are blown away even though none of them want to admit it. The Germans see them there and talk to them after the show- thanking them for screwing up so they could have all of this practice before Worlds. The girls try to trash talk back, but Beca is hilariously pathetic at it with this woman.

They end up against DSM, the Treblemakers, the Tone Hangers (whom Bumper is now a member of), and the Green Bay Packers- yes the Green Bay Packers (a few of the football players sing Bootylicious and it is freaking hilarious) in an updated version of a riff-off where there is $42,000 giftcard for Dave & Busters on the line. The Bellas lose to DSM and are very very angry.

Beca continues at work where she impresses her boss by doing a mash-up while Snoop Dogg is in the recording booth singing one song, and she sings outside. He offers to listen to her demo. She asks him about them later and finds out he isn't a fan of mash-ups, he wants to know what she has to say. She's devastated and takes it like she failed.

Amy and Bumper have a date although Amy was unaware of what he was planning. He asks her to be his girlfriend and she freaks out and refuses and goes back home where she finds an upset Beca.

Chloe freaks out about them not being in synch so she says they're all going on a retreat. They go to a bootcamp where Aubrey is in charge and she attempts to whip the Bella's back into shape. It's hilarious. The girls finally come out with what is bothering them and they bond in typical Bella fashion. Beca takes Emily to the recording studio and produces a demo of her song "Flashlight" and her boss is very impressed with both of them.

The girls graduate and head to Copenhagen for the competition and everything about it is awesome. Everything everything is awesome. Their final song- was perfect. Even DSM's final song was great, but really the ending was flawless.

I loved this movie so much! I give it 5 stars.

"Maleficent" Movie Review

Alright I know this movie is like a year old, but whatever. I'm still obsessed with it. I think this is my favorite movie Angelina Jolie has ever done.

I'll be honest- when I first heard they were making a movie from Maleficent's point of view, I was nervous. I love Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and I love her story. I always have and I always will (here's to hoping I get to name my daughter Aurora). I was afraid her story would be ruined by Maleficent, but I was pleasantly surprised. 

I fully understand know why Mal was pissed at the king. King Stefan stole her wings while claiming to love her. Mal was a kind fairy (something I didn't see coming) and she showed Stefan kindness when he was just a nobody. They fell in love but his greed came first. It's so sad. Mal took her frustrations out on his daughter, Aurora. 

She was always there watching over Aurora, waiting until her 16th birthday when she would fall into a sleep she would never wake from since there is no such thing as true loves first kiss. The three flood fairies: Flora, Fauna, and Merrywether, were idiots and basically Aurora would have died many times has Mal and her bird/human sidekick Diabold not been watching over her. I didn't like that part very much, but I get why they did it. 

It was kind of funny watching Mal toy with the fairies while Aurora showed no fear of her. King Stefan was losing his mind which was weird and the Queen dies. When Aurora is older, she believes Mal is her fairy godmother and isn't afraid of her. 

They grow closer, although Mal clearly tries to keep her feelings at a distance. Aurora meets Prince Phillip in the woods and its hits as sweet and awkward as in the cartoon. She finds out Mal cursed her and she is taken by the fairies to her father's castle. She is heartbroken about Mak and Diabold and she is upset she can't see Phillip ever again. Of course she pricks her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and goes into her sleep. The fairies find Phillip and have him kiss her, but it doesn't work. Mal isn't surprised as she knows true loves first kiss is a lie. I didn't like that as it was one of the most iconic scenes in the cartoon, but the part that followed made up for it 

Mal tearfully apologized to Aurora as she realized that she couldn't save her "Beastie". She kisses Aurora's forehead and Lo and behold, the princess awakens! This was true loves first kiss. It was like the love of a mother for her child. 

The sweet moment doesn't last however when Mal is discovered by the kings men and captured. He knows (thanks to a young Mal) that iron burns fairies, so he has her chained with iron shackles. Aurora is locked in an attic like Rome where she finds Mal's wings. She grabs them and breaks out, getting them to Mal who takes over. She turns Diabold into a dragon and eventually they win. 

She crowns Aurora the queen of the Moors (the magical land where all the fairies and other creatures live). She, Diabold, and Phillip stand at Aurora's side and it's beautiful. 

I love that Aurora is just as kind and innocent as she is in the cartoon. I love the relationship between Mal and Aurora. They really are like mother and daughter by the end. Mal's emotional and mental journey throughout the movie is so intense and Jolie did a great job with her. Also. I totally ship Mal and Diabold! 

This was a great movie and will basically be the Sleeping Beauty live action movie, but it was so good that I might actually be ok with that. (Although I'm a little disappointed that thee was no iconic blue/pink dress).

I give this movie 5 stars.

Where's Natasha & Wanda? (and Clint & Pietro)

Dear Disney/Marvel/Whoever Is In Charge:

I'm writing this post in the futile hopes that someone- ANYONE from Disney or Marvel sees it. It is really depressing that there is no merchandise for the female characters. I don't understand why. Of course they want to go after the male audience, but what about the women? Yes we have a long line of Disney Princess and they're all great- I love them, but they aren't anything close to the Black Widow or the Scarlet Witch or even Princess Leia. Why can't there be Barbie dolls of the ladies? Why don't they get their own action figures. You want to go after the male demographic, but you could double your money by including the women. Little girls are just as persuasive, if not more persuasive, at getting their parents to buy them toys. Aside from the little kids, what about the grown women who would like some merchandise? A t-shirt, a collectable doll...whatever. Why don't we get any options. We have the Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Peggy Carter, Captain Marvel, Jane Foster (eventually), Maria Hill....and who else? There are a few others, but the pales in comparison to the list of male superheros.

Furthermore, why are Hawkeye and Quicksilver exiled from your merchandise along with the ladies? The biggest reason Hawkeye had such a large role in the latest Avengers is because of fan demand (unless that was another pretty lie from the studio). Think Quicksilver merch won't sell? Then I invite you to check your Twitter and Tumblr feeds. He is beloved. Hawkeye is beloved. Of course we love Thor, Iron Man, Captain America, and the Hulk- but we love other characters too. There are more than 4 Avengers. Why not include the others? It can't be because they lack superpowers i.e. Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. The Black Widow is a badass to the extreme and Hawkeye is really talented. Why can't we include all of them? I want to buy their merchandise items more than the main 4.

It's just not fair and it honestly breaks my heart.

Sidenote: please bring Quicksilver back. He is a valuable asset to the team and we love him/Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Seriously. Don't toy with us like this.


Sincerely,

Basically Every Woman on the Planet.

Book Review - "The Selection" by Kiera Cass

This book was so crazy. I mean nothing too crazy happens, but the love story is just-ah! It gave me so much anxiety and so many knots in my stomach (the good kind). I love America Singer and I would love to be her best friend. I also love her relationship with her younger sister May and how much she cares for her family (even when they're annoying).

I feel like America is kind of awkward. She's also blunt and wears her heart on her sleeve, but she's still a spitfire. She's so relatable. Another thing I love about her is how close she is with her maids. They are there to serve her but she is always looking out for them and when the palace is under attack, she is concerned for their safety. It's something both Maxon and I love about her.

I am team Maxon and not team Aspen. America deserves better. She deserves to be treated like a lady and taken care of. Plus, Maxon was willing to implement a system of getting food to the lower castes simply because America shared her opinion about their struggles. They are so cute together. The fact that he tells her he'd send everyone home if he knew she loved him, I just- I can't. I was squealing like a 13 year old girl. 

Overall, I love this book and can't wait to continue along with the series. I hope to see America's relationship with Prince Maxon grow and I want him to pick her. 

5 stars for America Singer!! (and May, Marlee, Prince Maxon, Lucy, Anne, and Mary)

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" Movie Review

Oh. My. God.


This movie was everything it was hyped up to be and more.

As a fan of Hawkeye (and Jeremy Renner) I was really really happy to see that he was in this movie a lot more, and you humorously see what an important part of the team he actually is.

You finally learn about the Black Widow (Natasha Romanoff)'s past and wow- I understand her a lot more now. I have always loved her, but this movie brings her to a whole new level.

The Maximoff twins, Pietro and Wanda (Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch), are a great addition to this movie. I didn't think I'd end up caring much about them, but holy crap did that change by the end of the movie.

We finally get a better glimpse into the Hulk (Bruce Banner)'s life. It's not much of a surprise that he views himself as a monster, but it's nice to begin to see the man behind the monster.

Thor doesn't have a whole lot of character development- he just seems to be in a good place and in a good place with the team (until Tony Stark screws things up).

Iron Man (Tony Stark) is his typical self in this movie, but we get a good glimpse at his non-egotistical side. He loves the team and will do anything to protect them.

Captain America (Steve Rogers) has his own growth through the movie. I think he is finally getting a handle on being a man out of his time.

We start right in on the action as the Avengers take down a Hydra base while looking for Loki's scepter and thinks take off from there. Everything about this movie was flawless, I'm not even kidding. There was plenty of humor and one-liners (from more than just Tony Stark) and a lot of running jokes (good job Cap). There were a lot of fight scenes which I thought would get old, but it didn't. Each fight had a purpose- there was no fighting just to fight or blow things up just because. Also, we meet The Vision and he is awesome. Tony messes up by creating Ultron it somewhat rectified by creating The Vision.

I want to say more, but I don't want to give things away so I'm going to do another post on this movie in a few weeks when more people will have had the chance to see it.

All in all, SEE THIS MOVIE - YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!

Once Upon A Time Recap - "Sympathy of the De Vil" (S04E19)

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor.

This episode was insane. We meet a young Cruella as she runs through the woods while being chased by two Dalmatians (clever). She is stopped by her mother who is totally giving off cold hearted and evil vibes. We find out that Cruella's father has died and her mother won't let her leave. She takes her to the attic and tells Cruella that will be her new room. Cruella accuses her of hiding her away like one of her dogs. Her mother locks her in.

Present day Cruella nearly runs Maleficent over. They talk and Mal is seriously pissed off and wants to know why Cruella lied about her baby being dead. Cruella taunts her by saying they left the baby to die in the woods and Mal promises to kill her as she turns into a dragon. Cruella puts her under her spell and makes Mal take a nap in the middle of the road before driving off.

Gold leaves the Author in his cabin and meets with Belle at the wishing well. She apologizes and he tells her that he still loves her and shows her his heart which is all black except for one spot. He says when that spot is darkened, he will lose the ability to love. They cry and kiss until Belle pulls back and coldly tells him that Will is a better kisser. Regina appears holding Belle's heart in her hand and tells Belle to leave and forget what happened. She looks at Gold and tells him that he won't warn Zelena that she is coming or she will crush Belle's heart.

Cruella finds the Author in the cabin and threatens to kill him, but he's not afraid. It's clear they know one another. She leaves and he is clearly a little shaken. In another part of town, Henry gets off the bus and finds Pongo (yes the dalmation) and wonders why he is out there all alone. Pongo leads him to an alley where Cruella is waiting and she makes him get in the car with her.

Regina warns the Charmings and Emma that Zelena is alive and has been pretending to be Marian. She is planning on leaving for New York to rescue him and Roland. Regina and Emma both get video messages from Henry and watch it together. Henry tells them he has been kidnapped by Cruella and she appears on the message telling them to bring her the Author's dead body or she'll kill Henry. Needless to say, both mothers are PISSED.

When Gold returns he is angry that the Author didn't tell him about his past with Cruella and he's even more pissed that she's taunting the Savior by kidnapping Henry and threatening his life. The Author down plays it and hands Gold a napkin which he reads and suddenly he doesn't seem to care as much.

Young adult Cruella is listening to a radio in her attic until her mother comes in and takes the radio and scolds her daughter for stealing it. They hear a knock on the door and she leaves, locking Cruella up again. The Author, who goes by Isaac, is at her door and says he works for the newspaper and would like to interview her because of her highly renowned dog training. She begrudgingly accepts and he starts asking her questions, hinting at magic. He sees the portraits on the wall and assumes they are relatives but she coldly informs him they're husbands. He makes a callous remark and she kicks him out even though he apologizes and says he is just looking for a good story. She throws him out on the lawn and Cruella gets his attention from the attic. She tells him she has stories to tell, but he has to get her down from there- which he does. He offers to take her somewhere quiet, but she wants to go somewhere loud because she's been living in an attic. He takes her to a club in his car (which later becomes hers) and it appears they are in the 1920s...kind of. He orders her a gin (ha ha).

The heroes plot on how to get Henry back. Emma, Regina, and Hook leave to search for him and Emma makes another cold remark to her parents about not trusting them. On their walk, Regina tells Emma she's acting like a petulant child and her parents were only trying to do what was best for her. She points out that both her and Hook have done bad things and she argues that while that is true, neither of them have ever tried to sell their lives as people who only did the right thing. Hook offers that even Heroes make mistakes but then they hear Henry calling for help. They can't agree on which direction it's coming from so they split up. Regina and Hook find conch shells in the directions they go and realize they've been tricked.

We flash back to Cruella and Isaac and they talk. Cruella shares that her mother poisoned all of her husbands and ripped the trumpet flowers out of the garden because they are Cruella's favorite. Isaac feels bad for her and they realize their night is coming to an end. Isaac insists it doesn't have to and he shows Cruella is magic pen and magic ink. He explains that he records stories and they are in one of many dimensions. He asks her what year it is when she scoffs at him and she doesn't know. He proves it to her by writing that she's wearing a diamond necklace and earrings, and when it appears she believes him. He writes that she has control over animals and she says she has to go confront her mother alone and she'll meet him back at his hotel room.

Her mother goes to his hotel room and asks where Cruella is. He says he doesn't know and she warns him not to trust her. She says that Cruella poisoned her own father and smiled about it. She also killed her mother's other husbands. She ripped up the trumpet flowers because they're poisonous. She warns him that Cruella will take what he loves most and destroy it. When she leaves, he looks and finds his pen is gone. When she arrives home, Cruella is waiting for her. She takes control of the dogs and makes them kill her mother.

When Isaac arrives at the house, Cruella is sewing in the attic. He asks where her mother is and she replies that she is gone. She holds up a coat made of Dalmatian fur and adds that her precious dogs are with her now. That was so creepy. He is confused and she laughs simply saying that most people try to hide their darkness or fight it, but ever since she was little she has always wanted to splash around in the darkness- it was more fun that way. They fight over the ink and pen and ink is spilled on Cruella, causing her pretty blonde hair to become white and black. He writes something down before Cruella tries to shoot him. The gun doesn't work and she demands to know what he did. He said he took a page from her playbook and walks away.

Charming and Snow go to the cabin and the Author is afraid. He reveals Cruella's secret to them. SHe can't kill anyone. They realize that she is going to push Emma and darken her heart. They race to get to her.

Emma comes face to face with Cruella who is ready to push Henry off a cliff. She keeps threatening Emma until Emma uses her magic to push Cruella off. She and Henry hold each other as Killian, Regina, and her parents arrive on the scene. Emma peaks over the cliff and sees Cruella's body and looks at it coldly. Uh-oh.


Original air date 4/19/15

Game of Thrones Recap - "The Wars to Come" (S05E01)

 We start off with a young Cersei and her friend seeking out a witch who lives on "her" lands. She threatens the witch to make her tell her her future and the witch tastes her blood before informing her that she won't marry the prince, but she will marry the king. She also tells Cersei that the king will have20 children, but she will only have 3 and "gold will be their crowns, and gold will be their shrouds (a shroud is like a burial cloth)" and Cersei is visible upset about this. Cersei arrives at her father's funeral, and makes everyone who has shown up wait even longer while she mourns him with Jaime. Later at the party, she sees her cousin Lancel, whom she slept with and who poisoned the late King Robert Baratheon's wine which caused him to get injured and die on his hunting trip. He is now apart of a religious coven and he apologizes to Cersei for their "unnatural relations" and his part in the King's death. She laughs it off but he threatens to reveal her secrets.

 Tyrion and Varys arrive in Pentos where Tyrion tries to drown his sorrows. Varys tries to convince him that he has a part to play in settling the conflict in Westros. Tyrion doesn't want any part of it or any of the so called kings. Varys says that he's not talking about a man, but a woman. He wants to take Tyrion to meet Daenerys Targaryen.

Littlefinger and Sansa Stark watch Robyn in his fighting lessons (poor kid) and he receives a note. He says they are returning to the castle, but Sansa points out they're going the wrong way. He says he trusts no one and he is getting her far out of Cersei's reach. In a cruel twist of fate, they pass Brienne and Pod.

Brienne is feeling a bit hopeless and Pod sticks by her, even though she is pretty mean to him. I like this duo.

Margaery walks in on her brother and his lover and she urges him to be more careful as he is betrothed to Cersei. He believes that since Tywin is dead, no one can make him marry Cersei and he is free.

Jon Snow meets with Stannis Baratheon who wants him to convince Mance Raydor to have his wildling army fight for him. He warns Jon that he has until sundown to convince him or the wildling king will be burned at the stake. Jon talks with him and Mance refuses. He is burned at the stake in front of his wildlings, the Night's Watch, Stannis, his men, and his family. Jon shoots him with an arrow to put him out of his misery. (That's not going to go over well next week).









Original air date 4/12/15

Flashback Friday - Gel Pens

Remember gel pens!? If you were born in the 90s then of course you do!! They were a staple in every girls (and some boys) lives. I had so many, it was kind of ridiculous. I loved drawing on black paper with them. My friends and I used to draw 'tattoos' on one another coloring them in with the gel pens. We would go to school and sit and show each other our new gel pens in the mornings like they were prizes. It's so funny to think about now, but I remember begging my mom in basically every store we went to to let me get a new gel pen pack.

I had this exact notepad. I loved drawing on it so much!!

I remember these multicolor pens, I was obsessed with them. Until I got to the pink (my favorite color), I didn't want to use the pink all up.

Once Upon A Time Recap - "Heart of Gold" (S04E18)

Holy plot twist batman!!!! I don't think anyone saw that one coming.

This episode was pretty Robin Hood centric so we finally got to see what has become of him, Marian, and Roland after leaving Storybrooke.

Emma, Snow, and Charming chase the Author, but fail to catch him. Snow confesses that they know the Author and he is the one who put them on the path to what they did. Emma is still furious and exclaims that it isn't an excuse for what they did and lying about it. They swear they didn't know exactly what would happen, but Emma doesn't want to hear it- she just wants to find the Author before Gold does. The Author snaps a tree branch and tries to make a pen, but Rumple appears and informs him that he knows he needs enchanted wood to make the pen, and he won't find any of that in Storybrooke. The Author panics and Rumple shows him a pen he can use and tells him that he can only have it if he writes a few happy endings. The Author clearly doesn't want to work with Rumple as he says he had the displeasure of writing him. He ultimately agrees and goes along with it and the two disappear.

Regina awakens after Rumple knocked her out, only to find that she has been handcuffed. Naturally she is furious at Gold and they argue. He shows a piece of paper that he found in her pocket and he knows it is Robin Hoods. He wonders if they've talked and he can tell they haven't, so he releases her hands and gives her the paper and his phone telling her to call.

We flash back to Robin, Marian, and Roland crossing the town line and going to New York. When they arrive in New York, things are quite a shock for them. Roland complains about the noise and Robin struggles to decipher the map to Neal's old apartment. Apparently Regina gave him the key and said he could stay there. Marian goes to pick Roland up and sets her purse down, and it is stolen by a thief of a bike. Not one to let him woman be robbed, Robin Hood (aka the greatest thief ever) chases down the robber and even jumps a horse to do so. He tackles him in a park and nearly punches him before yelling at him that he has no honor. Eventually they find the apartment and get another surprise- Mr. Gold walking through the front door and wondering what they're doing there. Naturally an argument over the apartment ensues until Gold collapses while grabbing his chest.

Back in the Sherwood Forest we find Robin and Marian working at their own tavern. Apparently he has given up being a thief, even though he is the best at it, until the sheriff comes and tells him his taxes are overdue. Robin has 2 days to pay or he'll lose the tavern. Rumple comes to him and says he has been looking for the best thief in the land and everyone has pointed him to Robin. He offers him a deal: if Robin steals a potion for the heart from Oz for Rumple, then Rumple will give him gold straw. Robin accepts and is sent to Oz where he runs into Will the Knave of Hearts.

Robin waits in the hospital until Gold wakes up. He tells him that the doctors say he has had a heart attack but he knows it's because his heart is so dark. He says that even though there is no magic in this world, but if there is a magical item in the world they can use it. He asks Robin to get him the heart potion from Walt's shop (Walt was a flying monkey that Zelena sent into this world to keep tabs on Emma). Robin goes to Walt's old furniture shop, Wizard of Oak, and breaks in accidentally setting off the alarm. He searches and finds the potion, and breaks out as the cops arrive. He tells Marian what he did and she is furious that he is risking everything for Gold. Robin says he has to because it's his code.

Will helps Robin disguise himself as a guard and he sneaks into the palace in Emerald City. He finds the potion and steals some until the Wicked Witch catches him. She wants to know why Rumple sent him. He aims a bow at her and she scoffs at him. He shoots and hits one of the towers, filling the room with smoke before escaping. He meets up with Will and he apologizes saying that he didn't get the potion- he has assumed Will was going to steal it from him. Will says it's ok and that he had wanted to take it so he could move past his sister's death. Robin feels guilty and slips him the potion when they hug goodbye.

Robin gives Rumple the potion and demands he leave them alone and let them have the apartment which he agrees to. Robin leaves and Rumple takes the potion and is angry when it doesn't work. Marian shows up and reveals that she switched the potion and what he took wouldn't do anything. Rumple is confused and Marian shows a necklace she wears and it glows green and she turns into Zelena. Rumple (and I) were in pure shock! He killed her!! She reveals that her spirit left her body right before he shattered it, and when Marian nearly died she actually did die and Zelena took over her body, enchanting the necklace so her true identity would be hidden. She says how bored she has been playing Marian, but she loves how much it's hurting Regina to not be with Robin. She is keeping Regina from getting her happily ever after. She demands that Rumple force the Author to give her a happy ending as well or she'd let him die right there. He reluctantly agrees and she gives him the real potion and resumes her charade as Marian.

Robin tells Marian that he wants to steal from the rich and give to the poor. He robs the sheriff and gives the money to the townsfolk. He said he learned on his trip that when you steal for yourself you're a thief, but when you steal for others you're a hero. He wants to be a hero and she wants to join him. He gives her a necklace that he stole from Oz, the 6 leaf clover, and she promises to always wear it.

"Marian" finds Regina's contact info on Robin's cell phone and tells him he should go be with her. He said he chose Marian and their family and he is going to honor that and they're going to get back to being each other's happy endings. They kiss and in the mirror the audience sees Zelena.

In present day, Regina calls Robin's phone and is utterly shocked when Zelena answers. Zelena is delighted by this and shares how much she's enjoying being Robin's wife and that she'll see Regina soon. They hang up and Regina is furious with Gold. He admits that he does have affections for her but even they have limits. He comes first. Gold asks her who she is going to pick, and Regina furiously tells him that he turned her into a monster and she won't let him do the same thing to Emma. He coldly asks her, so you chose the Savior over Robin Hood, to which she gives a smirk.

Well there you have it folks, we have not seen the last of the Wicked Witch of the West aka Zelena!!








Original air date 4/12/14

Once Upon A Time Recap - "Best Laid Plans" (S01E17)

Well now we know exactly what Snow and Charming did to Maleficient's baby. They track down a unicorn and touch it's horn, because according to legend it will give you a vision. They both see their baby's future but they see it differently. Charming sees a sweet little baby. Snow however sees a teenage Emma who rips her heart out and when Snow says "I'm you're mother, 'Emma' responds with "I don't care." Of course Snow is terrified and they decide they need to do something. On their way home, Snow and Charming cross paths with a peddler who needs some help with his wagon. Charming helps him and gives him some brandy because he is cold. The peddler asks which way they are going and when they say west he tells them that Maleficent has taken over and made a nest in a cave where she has laid an egg. He advises they go east and follow the path to an old man's cottage. The Charmings take his advice.

Regina, Henry, and Emma take August to the Blue Fairy when he passes out. They are all worried for him. Regina says she needs to get back to Gold with the page, so Emma makes a replica. Regina says he'll see right through that so she takes a picture of the page because the villains are only looking for the door- they don't know the Author is inside the page. Regina takes a picture and returns to Gold, Cruella, and Maleficent. She claims Emma put a protection spell on the page and she was almost caught trying to break it so she took a picture. The glare in the picture tells Rumple that the Author is in the page. He tells Regina she has to get it.

Emma and Killian talk and he is jealous of her relationship with August. She insists that they're just friends. She brings up Lily, the friend in the video she showed him, and tells him that she was her first friend and after she shut Lily out, August was the first person to get back in as a friend. She's not very good at making them. They look out the window and are put under a sleeping curse. The entire town is in fact. The only people who aren't affected are Gold, Mal, Cruella, Regina, Henry, Snow, and Charming- the latter 3 because they have been under sleeping curses before so they're immune (in that case, where the hell was Aurora?!). Henry flees to the Sorcerer's mansion while the Villains search the Charming's apartment for the book. As they walk, Mal tells Gold they are going to make a new deal. She knows he needs her, and Cruella and Ursala were just a means to bringing her back. She demands to know what happened to her child and Gold agrees if she gets the page. Regina scolds Cruella for remarking that she'd like to wring Emma's neck which causes Gold to doubt her. He tells her the book isn't there and to get it from Henry.

Snow and Charming come across the cottage where the old man (the Sorcerer) is waiting for them. He knows of their troubles and invites them in to have tea. They tell him about their different visions and he tells them it's because a child is a blank slate and can go either way based on how they are guided. Snow doesn't think this is enough and wants to make sure their child is good. The Sorcerer says there is a spell that he can do, but it is very costly and can never be undone. He could take their child's evil and put it into an empty vessel making the child pure of intent and good. Snow and Charming talk it over and decide they couldn't do that to a child, but they could do it to Mal's egg who would probably turn out just like her (sidenote-  if that were true then they shouldn't have had anything to worry about with their own baby). They find Mal's cave and steal her egg while Mal begs and pleads with them not to. Snow promises to bring the egg back.

Henry calls Snow and Charming and tells them where he is going. They tell him not to worry and they're on their way. David tells Mary Margaret that it would solve their problems if they destroy the page, even though the Author is inside. Mary Margaret worries about what would happen to Regina's happy ending. Henry hides in the mansion and a light shines out from the door on the page. The light shines on a desk drawer so Henry opens it and finds a key. He stuffs it in his pocket as Regina walks in. She tells him she needs the page as Mal and Cruella walk in as well. She warns them not to lay a hand on her son and they insist they won't if he cooperates. Regina tells him to give her the page and she gives him a look. Henry reluctantly hands it over and watches as they leave.

Snow and Charming bring Mal's egg to the Sorcerer. He makes sure they're ready and then performs the spell. When the spell is being done, they realize that the egg will be sent somewhere else. When they confront the Sorcerer, he tells them that it has to be sent to a place where it can't hurt people. As this is happen, the egg begins to crack and a baby's hand reaches out. Snow is horrified as they realize that there is a baby in the egg. Cruella and Ursala show up and try to get the egg for Mal, but they fall through the portal followed by the egg.

Gold goes into his shop and moves a passed out Belle to a bed. He tells her he loves her and he is trying to change the rules so he can repay the debt he racked up with all of his magic. He tells her he'll be back for her if he can. The Queens arrive outside of the shop and Regina gives Gold the page. He instantly knows it's fake and rips it up. He says he has been waiting for this time to come. Mal puts her under the sleeping spell. When David and Mary Margaret arrive, Henry tells his grandparents what happened and that he gave his mom the forged page. They are proud of him. He shows them the key, and goes to unlock the door but David makes him stop. He lies and says they will take care of it and it's too dangerous for Henry. After yelling at Henry, the boy leaves and David prepares to burn the page until Mary Margaret stops him. She reminds him that they are heroes and they have to do what is right, not what is easy. They have to tell Emma the truth so they don't let their lies push her to the dark side.

Snow watches Sneezy put up a beautiful glass mobile of unicorns over Emma's crib and she is upset. Charming comforts her and reminds her that they have to accept what they did and move past it so they can raise Emma to be good- which is the whole reason they've done all of this. Snow agrees and they embrace.

After finding out the truth from her parents, Emma is furious. She tries to leave and Snow tries to stop her saying "I'm your mother!" and Emma looks at her coldly and replies, "I don't care." She sits by the water until Killian finds her. She knows her parents sent him, but she doesn't care. He holds her and comforts her before telling her that her friend August is awake. She goes to see him.

Gold and the Queens take Regina to her lair and Mal insists he tells her what happened to her child- that she has earned the right to know. Gold agrees that she has, but warns her it could cause her more pain. She says she needs to know anyways. He warns her that what he is going to show her was from 30 years ago, so things have changed. He shows her an image of an infant baby girl as she's being adopted. Her father names her Lily. Mal is over joyed and teary eyes as she exclaims that she had a daughter who is alive and in this world. She swears she will find her. (notice this is the Lily that Emma met as a teenager and who was her only best friend).

Emma rushes in to see August and finds her parents there as well. August senses the tension but no one talks about it. She tells him that they can free the Author and August warns her that it might not be a good idea. He says that the Sorcerer and his Apprentice have always chosen the Author to watch and record the greatest stories that have ever happened, but this Author began manipulating the stories (it's cut to the Sorcerer scolding the Author from behind about making him perform the spell on that poor baby. The Author calmly replies that it makes for a better story and the Sorcerer says he isn't fit to do this job and responsibility) so the Sorcerer imprisoned him in the page. Emma decides to let him out so she unlocks the door and out comes the peddler. It takes a minute but Snow and Charming recognize him. Emma tells him she has questions and he says she probably does before he runs off leaving them confused.

**sidenote: when August was explaining to Emma that Authors have been recording stories for eons and it's a very important job. He goes through a quick timeline of stories/authors and mentions Walt aka Walt Disney.

Original air date 3/29/15

Red Lip Inspiration

When you think of red lips, who do you think of? For me it's Taylor Swift followed by Gwen Stefani. They both rock the cherry lip and make it look effortless and chic no matter what the occasion. I love the look.


Then I started thinking about other women who rock the style and two brunettes came to mind: Agent Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Nikki Bella. They make it look so sexy and sophisticated.

So now I am just going to post some pictures of some hot red lipstick wearing ladies who totally rock this trend.

Book Review - "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard

Red blooded thief, Mare Barrow, is a 17 year old girl living amongst the other red blooded people in a destitute village called The Stilts while the silver blooded people live a life of luxury. A person with red blood is ordinary and boring, but a person with silver blood is like a god. Silver blooded people have powers and ability like manipulating water, great strength, multiplying...etc. It is with these powers that they can keep the Reds in line, and everyone knows it. 

As a result the Reds are forced to fight the Silvers war for absolutely nothing. Mare's 3 older brothers are all off in the war and she and her best friend Kilorn are next. In a desperate attempt to escape conscription, Mare is involved in accident that ruins her family's future plans. She ends up getting a job working at the King's summer palace and during a twist of fate Mare's entire world changes. She is a Red with Silver powers. How is this possible?! 

To save face, the King and Queen announce that Mare is actually a long lost Silver from a noble house and she is Lady Mareena Titanos. She is betrothed to the King's second son, Prince Maven. She is a sheep thrown into a wolves world and she must act like she is one of them- her life and her family's lives depend on it. Her only allies in this new life are the Princes, Cal and Maven. 

This book is full of little twists leading up to one big one. It's crazy. The book is we written and flows well. The characters are both intriguing and confusing,but I love it. After all, can you really trust a Silver?

I really liked this book a lot. Once I started reading it, it was hard to put it down. Between the romance aspect, the secrets aspect, and the fact that Mare is kind of a tough cookie- it has a little bit of everything.

I give it 4.5 stars and look forward to more from Victoria Aveyard.

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