Friday, May 9, 2025

Do You Feel Out of Touch or Old? [Book Blogger Hop]

book blogger hop ,
Do You Feel Out of Touch or Old? [Book Blogger Hop]

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop! 


To prepare for next week’s post, check out the upcoming prompts. If you'd like to submit a prompt, fill out this form. Join our Facebook group to connect with other book bloggers and get updates. 


Here’s what to do: 
  1. Share your response to this week’s prompt.
  2. In the linky list, enter your name or nickname followed by your blog name and the URL to your post (e.g., Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer). 
  3. Visit others on the list and leave comments. 
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Tuesday, May 6, 2025

★★½☆☆ Ted Bell's MONARCH [Review]

books , Ryan Steck
★★½☆☆ Ted Bell's MONARCH [Review]

Following a successful but costly mission to destroy an enemy outpost in Antarctica, Alex Hawke is looking forward to some quiet time at Teakettle Cottage, his home in Bermuda, along with his family. But he's not a man who can avoid trouble.

Former Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard Ambrose Congreve calls him with stunning news. Just days away from a controversial vote threatening to tear the United Kingdom apart at the seams, King Charles has disappeared while vacationing at Balmoral Castle. The prime minister believes she can keep the news quiet for no more than 72 hours. After that, Britain will be plunged into chaos.

With the fate of the kingdom hanging in the balance, it's up to Lord Hawke to find and rescue the missing monarch before it's too late.

Ted Bell's
MONARCH
Alex Hawke, #13
by Ryan Steck
Berkley, 2025
★★½☆☆

Monarch, the newest Alex Hawke spy thriller, has left me feeling ambivalent. On one hand, I'm excited to see the series continue with its thirteenth installment. Then on the other hand, it appears to have strayed off course in ways that are difficult to ignore. This uneasiness has a tragic explanation: Ted Bell, the creative force behind the series, sadly passed away in 2023. However, his legacy will continue on with author Ryan Steck. It isn't exactly ghostwriting, as Steck's name is prominently featured on the cover. However, I must mention that the cover image is strikingly generic—what happened there, Berkley? 

I've never read any of Ryan Steck's work before. I cannot tell you he has the talent to write an engaging story. His pacing is efficient; however, he struggles to convey Alex Hawke's personality effectively. Hawke feels slightly off—the character's usual nuance and sharpness are nowhere to be seen. Some scenes are superfluous, adding little more than filler to the plot. It’s tough to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. The characters are unconvincing, and the absurd plot often overshadows the thrilling potential of a classic spy story. 

Don't get me wrong—Monarch isn't completely terrible. I've read significantly worse thrillers. I just had high hopes for this book and was inevitably disappointed with the execution. Even the most loyal Alex Hawke fans are unlikely to be pleased with it.

⁓B.J. Burgess


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Sunday, May 4, 2025

THE SUNDAY POST, Issue #269

Sunday Post ,
THE SUNDAY POST, Issue #269

Happy Sunday, Everyone!

Spring has sprung, and with it comes a breath of fresh air—especially for my Sunday Post, which I’m giving a little makeover in hopes of attracting more of you lovely readers! Let’s be honest: my Sunday Posts deserve a bigger audience. I adore writing them, but the process can be quite the time commitment—thinking, writing, curating photos, and editing. So today, I’m keeping it straightforward and to the point!

Just a quick note: I’ll also have a seperate Sunday Post on my Gunsmoke & Grit blog —be sure to hop over there and check it out!
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Friday, May 2, 2025

What's Your Review Writing Process? {Book Blogger Hop}

book blogger hop ,
What's Your Review Writing Process? {Book Blogger Hop}

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop! 


To prepare for next week’s post, check out the upcoming prompts. If you'd like to submit a prompt, fill out this form. Join our Facebook group to connect with other book bloggers and get updates. 


Here’s what to do: 
  1. Share your response to this week’s prompt.
  2. In the linky list, enter your name or nickname followed by your blog name and the URL to your post (e.g., Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer). 
  3. Visit others on the list and leave comments. 
Read More »
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Thursday, May 1, 2025

★★★✰✰ Blumhouse's DROP (2025) [Review]

giveaway , Hitchcockian
★★★✰✰ Blumhouse's DROP (2025) [Review]

From the minds behind classics like A Quiet Place, Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes bring you DROP, an electrifying thriller that will make you think twice about your dating choices. Dubbed a “tightly plotted thrill ride” by IGN, this nail-biting film is now available exclusively on digital platforms for rent or purchase, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. And if you’re a fan of physical media, mark your calendars for June 10, 2025, when DROP hits 4K UHD and Blu-ray! Don't miss out on exclusive bonus content featuring insights from the filmmakers and cast that dive deep into the film's production, available at select retailers like Apple TV, Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu), Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Microsoft Movies & TV, and Movies Anywhere.
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Sunday, April 27, 2025

The Sunday Post, Issue #268

Sunday Post ,
The Sunday Post, Issue #268

**April 26, 2025** - Guess who’s back! I’m hoping to hit publish at the stroke of midnight this week—let’s keep our fingers crossed that technology is on my side! This past week hasn’t been a whirlwind of excitement, but hey, the Kansas City Royals have been on a winning streak, so that’s something! As a proud cord-cutter, I’ve found myself tuning into baseball games through an app. Currently, the Royals are sitting at a decent 13-14, not too shabby, right?

Now for some thrilling news—I’ve launched a new blog, Gunsmoke & Grit (https://gunsmokeandgrit.blogspot.com/)! I wanted to dive into the Western genre, knowing that many of my readers might not share that interest, so I created a space dedicated solely to Western Fiction. I’m starting from scratch on a free Blogger site, and while it’s a work in progress, it just went live yesterday with my review of Hanging Justice by Jake Logan, the old paperback I mentioned in last week's post. It’s a bit lonely there with zero followers, so if you’re intrigued, I’d love your support!
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Friday, April 25, 2025

Do You Have Enough Shelf Space? {Book Blogger Hop}

book blogger hop ,
Do You Have Enough Shelf Space? {Book Blogger Hop}

Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop! 


To prepare for next week’s post, check out the upcoming prompts. If you'd like to submit a prompt, fill out this form. Join our Facebook group to connect with other book bloggers and get updates. 


Here’s what to do: 
  1. Share your response to this week’s prompt.
  2. In the linky list, enter your name or nickname followed by your blog name and the URL to your post (e.g., Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer). 
  3. Visit others on the list and leave comments. 
Read More »
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Navigating the Digital Landscape: How Modern Browsers Enhance Efficiency and Productivity

Navigating the Digital Landscape: How Modern Browsers Enhance Efficiency and Productivity


Key Takeaways 

  • Modern browsers are equipped with features that significantly boost efficiency and productivity. 
  • Advanced tab management and customizable tools enhance user experience. 
  • Security and privacy remain top priorities in the current browsing environment. 
  • Cross-platform syncing ensures seamless transitions between devices. 
  • A user-friendly interface is crucial for an optimized browsing experience. 
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Wednesday, April 23, 2025

★★★✰✰ BELLEVUE [Review]

books , horror fiction
★★★✰✰ BELLEVUE [Review]

Twenty-three-year-old Michael “Mitt” Fuller starts his surgical residency with great anticipation at the nearly three-hundred-year-old, iconic Bellevue Hospital, following in the footsteps of four previous, celebrated Fuller generations. The pressure is on for this newly minted doctor, and to his advantage he’s always had a secret sixth sense, a sensitivity to the nonphysical. But quickly, one patient after another assigned to his care begin to die from mysterious causes. As he tries to juggle these inexplicable deaths with the demands of being a first-year resident, things rapidly spiral out of control. 

Visions begin to plague Mitt—visions of a little girl in a bloodstained dress, bloodcurdling screams in the distance, and worse. As bodies mount and Mitt’s stress level rises, he finds himself drawn to the monumental, abandoned Bellevue Psychopathic Hospital building, which to his astonishment has somehow defied the wrecking ball and still stands a few doors north of the modern Bellevue Hospital high-rise. Forcing an unauthorized entry into this storied but foreboding structure, Mitt discovers he’s more closely tied to the sins of the past than he ever thought possible.
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Tuesday, April 22, 2025

★★★★✰ INTO THE GRAY ZONE [Review]

adventure fiction , books
★★★★✰ INTO THE GRAY ZONE [Review]

While on a routine security assessment in India, Taskforce operator Pike Logan foils an attempted attack on a meeting between the CIA and India’s intelligence service. Both government agencies believe it’s nothing more than a minor terrorist attack, but Pike suspects that something much more sinister is at play. After another terrorist operation at the Taj Mahal, he begins to believe that outside powers are attacking India in the gray zone between peace and war, leveraging terrorist groups for nothing more than economic gain. But the separatists conducting the operations have their own agenda. 
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