Toni Collette is excellent, fully inhabiting all her roles in a believable ...
930921
Really interesting show. Toni Collette is excellent, fully inhabiting all her roles in a believable manner. I only wish Prime offered free access to the next season. By the time it's offered, I'll have forgotten all the interesting plot twists from the earlier season.
562618
A special thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. "Stunning front cover!"

A long-time fan of Barbara Delinsky, once again delivers a winning women's fiction drama with BLUEPRINTS. A realistic contemporary portrayal of the many challenges and complexities, faced by women of ages from 20s to 60s; of todays modern world relationships--from professional, personal, family, and motherhood mixed with humor and some tantalizing sexy distractions.

Gut it! A local television production, a home renovation series headlined by womenspecifically the women of MacAfee Homes. The show was not touted by high drama nor celebrity antics, just real work by real people with whom an audience of real women identified.

However, when the director decides the program needs a facelift to attract a younger demographic, family allegiances are put to the test. Caroline MacAfee is a skilled carpenter, her daughter Jamie, a talented architect and together they have been the faces of Gut It.

Jamie MacAfee is twenty-nine and pretty much financially independent. Her parents are divorced and Caroline was not just her mother, but her best friends. Roy, her dad had moved on not once more, but twice. Jamie did not care for his second wife and his third wife, Jessica was close to Jamies age with a young son, and she had become a friend. All the family happened to be employed by MacAfee homes (so a lot of input).

Caroline age fifty-six had always taken pride in her work and the audience loved her. However, when she is told the network wants her daughter to replace her as host, the day after her birthday, she is devastated. Can you imagine what this does to your ego? The show wants to target a younger demographic, aiming for the twenty-five to forty-year old range.

This news places Jamie in an awkward situation, since her mom built the show, and now they think her mom is too old. She was simply being rewarded for her age at the expense of her mother, who was being punished for hers. At age fifty-six she looks great; however, for television, it means over-the-hill. She is allowed to stay on the show, just not in the limelight.

The fallout causes a strain between mother and daughter, and soon after comes the accident of Roy MacAfee, CEO of MacAfee Homes, and his young wife (father and ex-husband). Now Jamie is confronted with the role as guardian of her two year old half-brother, Tad and her fianc, Brad is less than thrilled with the news. So there is drama all the way around for these two women with much more . . .

As Caroline is four years away from age sixty (been there, not a pretty thought);however, not everyone thinks she is over-the-hill, and may be time for "Stella to get her groove back". :) Carolina has always felt passion for work and her daughter, but a man, like Deancould be the worst or possibly the best! Loved this part...

I really enjoyed the story, from the stunning front cover, which grabbed me, as well as the design concept, and the older woman--a fantastic topic as many of us baby boomers are facing this today with our careers, as opportunities do not come along for the over 55-65 age range as often as in our younger years.

Fans of highly-charged womens topics, womens fiction, family dynamics, romance, chick-lit and lovers of HGTV, home remodeling, architecture, design, Wendy Waxs Ten Beach Road home renovation series, and Mary Kay Andrews books will enjoy Barbaras storytelling with her in depth research into the architecture and design business. An engaging and fun beach read of love, life, aging, motherhood and reinvention.
3216760
This is Lauri Robinson at her best.  The characters are well-drawn and engaging not for their perfection, but because they are human.  The historical authenticity makes the story that much more immersive.  While the cover is a bit off-putting, I blame Harlequin for that, and it does not detract from the story, at all.
3555396
An excellent film, albeit a very realistic, stark reminder of the horror of Nazi Germany and the misery endured by innocent people.  Very well-written and excellent casting.  Ending made me sit up in disbelief, will leave it at that.  Engaging historical fiction, definitely recommend,
3606961
The small, sleepy town of Amaryllis, MS, suddenly has some action and secrets that terrify the townspeople. Over the course of three years, six women have all been killed with the same modus operandi. All but the last are older, single or widowed women.
With the last murder, the evidence clearly points to the guilty suspect. The problem is, three different women are positive three different men are guilty-- and all have "proof" for a cynical police chief.

I had forgotten why I liked Brandilyn Collins's books so much. Her stories fly swiftly along, as I hang on for dear life at the twists and turns that occur in the already unnerving journey. I love how Collins switches effortlessly between three very different, very complex protagonists to narrate the story. I especially loved her rendition of Cherrie Mae. Although Cherrie Mae doesn't sound well-educated, life with her husband produces literary quotes for any occasion, not to mention the calming influence and faith that wonderful lady possesses. Everyone should be so fortunate to have a Cherrie Mae in his/her life!!

A quotable to live by(and not a literary quote). "You can hold your head high after going on from your mistakes. But you can't hold your head high if you live with those mistakes and never do anything to correct them." (Deena to Tully)

I gratefully received this fast moving page - turner from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review.
4109604
Putting aside that I know the neighborhoods the novel is set in very well and have walked, sailed, and researched them myself for many years. The way Ellen Horan weaves the time line of her book back and forth with an easy flow, satisfying my curiosity as if she could read my mind as I read her book, was an extremely enjoyable experience.  The fact that I am so familiar with the setting only served to enhance the read, as I envisioned the scenes in the Village and NY harbor described so accurately as to not challenge my own sense of local geography.  As for the characters, both real and fictional created to serve the plot, with all the complexity of real people who are a mix of naivete and ambition or charm and cunning.  I found them all to be as believable in their innocence and wickedness as any mature individual would have learned about in a lifetime.  This book is a really good story told in a thoughtful way.  I like historical novels when they don't defy my knowledge of the person, past or place and "31 Bond street" is just such a book.  I haven't enjoyed one this much since "Burr" by Vidal.  You should buy and read "31 Bond street". I really loved it and I think you will too.
1670940
Author Collett makes each scene of this book come alive with her well-researched storyline and her ability to then write a story that is so realistic that you feel like you are with Phoebe every step of the book.
2888729
What I liked most about this film is that it very accurately portrays the small mindedness that is too prevalent in much of our society today.  Of particular note are the local bar scenes and the dialogue that occurs  there.  Those scenes really underscore the fear of change and progression  that are keeping us from collectively becoming a more enlightened,  inclusive, and productive nation.
Along the way we are privy to watch the  characters motivations, hopes, perceptions, virtues, and limitations  unfold.  And they are a pleasure to watch.  I thought all the actors were  outstanding and that they really brought small town reality to  life.
Although I would not laud the beautiful Miss Holly as a great  actress, she has pretty consistently chosen to appear in particularly  relevant material and managed to give life to her characters.  Nonetheless  she delivers a very believable performance as a small town girl with big  dreams who has settled for a safe albeit unsatisfying existence.
Burns,  as always is comic, charming, and immature.  On the surface that is.  But  in some of his orations he displays a wisdom and logic that is undeniable.  It's a compelling mix.  But most noteworthy however are that his skills as  a director have grown leaps and bounds with this picture (in my opinion).  And that's not to say that I disliked any of his previous films.  Quite the  contrary.
His use of lighting.  His pacing.  The stills and the motion  shots.  Bravo.
In short, it's got a little of everything.  Drama, comedy,  some great music and perhaps most importantly this film really makes you  feel for the characters and it makes you think about your own  life.
Highly recommended.
962262
I'm always a sucker for stories about rich and fabulous fashionistas, especially set in Manhatten.

"Wraith" delivers in spades, with a sympathetic story narrated by a personal assistant to a young model.  When the model is found dead in Manhatten of a heroin overdose, the PA is of course suspected of the crime.  When the model appears in ghostly form, we start to suspect everyone and everything in this fascinating story.

While the solution to the mystery is worth the wait, the journey provides a lot of joy, with shady personal histories, a Cole-Porter-esque husband, a charismatic rock star, several murders and a surprising, and satisfactory, ending.

This novel is far richer than those fluffy Lauren Weisberger stories, and, despite the oddness of the characters, they are also more real, and more loveable.
2244637
I am not a person who watches TV... Except for United States of Tara and Breaking Bad.  TARA is time I consider well spent.  It is more than just a thing to watch or something to zone out on.  It is a show that can bring a new understanding about people and families.  A way to see things in a different light.  If you are a fan of Toni Collette then you probably already watch UST.  I am so happy that she is finally getting the attention an actress with her talents should be getting.  I have been a fan of hers since the movie Muriels Wedding came out years ago. Since then I have watched many of her movies and wondered why this amazing woman was not yet a household name.  I think Tara has changed that and I am glad it is this particular show that has made it so.  I find myself laughing out loud as well as in tears in many different episodes.  All the acting is top notch and the writing is so real.  I know some will be offended by the "vocabulary" used by those terrible teens! Ha It is exactly one of the reasons I love this show. For a program with such original subject matter, it would be an easy mistake to turn it into melodrama or worse, some kind of crazy comedy - but what I watch feels REAL to me.  A real family struggling with real problems. Even teenagers who use fowl language as most teens do.  They are good kids and they love their messed up family as most do.  I love this show and it can be a great way to learn tolerance and if nothing else you can access amazing performances with each episode by the whole cast... But if for no other reason, watch it to see one of the best actresses of our time...Toni Collette.
4162313
Elaine needs peace and quiet and rest after a brain injury. So her family moves to the small sleepy town of Veil, Texas, just for a while until she recovers. They're a nice family, kind to each other, teasing, helpful, and very real. The dialog's perfect and makes them seem just like the family next door. But it's the families next door to them that might be the problem. When Elaine learns that a young girl, just the same age as her daughter, once vanished from this very house, the knowledge really isn't conducive to peace and a quiet and rest.

Elaine's problems separating dream from reality leave her unsure of what she's seen. But gradually the clues add up and soon she's seeking allies in a seriously unrestful game. After all, who could rest, knowing a possible murderer's gone free? And how can Elaine feel at home while a child from the past remains missing?

Come Home to Me Child introduces a feisty wounded heroine in a pleasing short detective novel with interesting characters, great dialog, convincing locations, and an all too plausible crime. It's just as well the novel doesn't run to thousands of pages, as I couldn't put it down.

Disclosure: I was lucky enough to get a free ecopy, with no estrings attached.
475294
This is one of the better movies I have seen in a long time! It is a real tear jerker so have your Kleenex ready. Toni Collette and Drew Barrymore are fantastic in it!
3927502
Love this "coming of age" movie that is so much more than that. Great performance by Toni Collette, as usual. The movie is funny, poignant, and light-spirited. Deals with allowing youth to embrace their differences, allow them responsibility in order to grow, and sometimes they surprise you by having more insight than the adults do.
2565895
Seems very real to me, the characters are completely believable.  The pacing is great, the jokes are outstanding, the story lines are interesting.  Amazing what you can do with a "low budget" when you have a great story and fine actors!
1872354
Monique follows the story of a young woman who is victimised by manipulative people. A shocking, and somewhat heinous account of a mother trapped in an abusive world of drugs and the sexual trade. The book switches between various key points in Kelly-Annes life, this added a somewhat Pulp Fictionsque vibe to the overall story. I enjoyed this aesthetic and commend the authors creative approach to the plot structure. There were points in the novel where I was extremely frustrated with Kelly-Annes choices, however I believe this accurately depicted the psyche of a person in a vulnerable state. The characters are dynamic and relatable, throughout several moments of reading about Kelly-Annes family I envisioned characteristics of my own parents and siblings.

I thoroughly enjoyed the ending of the book and would highly recommend this novel to any drama enthusiast.
4688470
Dame Maggie Smith is always a joy to watch and Kevin Kline plays his role very believably. Yes, no car chases. No one is murdered or brutalized. Just a well told story of believable characters.
543168
I missed this show when it was originally telecast. I got it because I am interested in history in general, and the 1920s in particular. Everything works! The staging, costumes and sets, as well as the cars and music are 100% authentic. The development of organized crime in this country is particularly well depicted, from the suave Arnold Rothstein to Luciano and Lansky. One thing I really liked was the development of the characters of Lansky and Luciano from young and brash to older, colder and more lethal.

Acting is so good that it is easy to forget that this is a fictionalized version of history However, this is not for the sensitive or squeamish: the violence is graphic and so is the sex. These things don't trouble me, because they are part of human nature and part of the "Roaring Twenties".

Disc quality is perfect; sound is crisp and clear.

Perfect for binge watching. I suspect a second watching is in the near future, because it is that good!