We may have been given complimentary copies and/or access for review purposes to any books, products, and/or any other visual or audio media mentioned below. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.
Books: Well, Actually & The Witch's Orchard
Today, we are talking about Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings. Despite her real journalism ambitions, Eva Kitt finds herself interviewing B-Celebrities while shoving hot dogs down her throat as the host of Sausage Talk. Meanwhile, her ex, Riley Cooper, is a legitimate internet sensation. When an angry rant Eva posts about him goes viral, she is forced to host him on her show, where he convinces her to go on a series of dates and then debrief them on his channel to show that he truly has changed. Eva agrees, but she is only in it because she is hoping it will help her career, or so she thinks. Eva is another of Mazey Eddings' typical heroines struggling with serious mental health issues, which Eddings writes so well. However, in this case, Eva's struggles are not always internal. She deals not only with a serious fear of abandonment as well as severe feelings of inaddequacy, which she masks with a false sense of bravado, but also is subject to a toxic work environment wherein she is harassed and treated extremely misogynistically. Every single interaction she has with her bosses is both distressing and cringeworthy, and her family background is just as heartbreaking.
Although Riley is sweet and good to Eva, and seems to be exactly what she needs, he is not a believable character. Despite his sad backstory, he is still one of those too-perfect book boyfriends that don't exist in real life. They only give real women impossible ideals and real men impossible standards to live up to.
He does have one flaw, however, his nickname for Eva.. His calling her "kitten" even though it is clearly based on her last name of Kitt still sounds diminutive. Because of her already overwhelming feelings of inadequacy, that is the last thing Eva needs. This one factor is not enough to make him feel real, though, and because he doesn't feel like a real person, it's hard to believe in the romance. Real people have flaws; they are not perfect.
Today, we recommend The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan. This is a completely engrossing thriller about a detective hired to unravel the mystery of what happened to three little girls who disappeared years ago. The author does a great job of invoking a sense of place clearly because she is so familiar with the Appalachian setting she is writing about. The characters are interesting. The mystery is engaging. The repeated retellings of the witch legend in slightly different versions throughout the story really ramps up the tension and intrigue. The story is full of enough unique twists and turns to keep it exciting. All in all, it is a very satisfying read.
Movie: Sisters of Ukraine
Today, we recommend Sisters of Ukraine. This documentary about a group of nuns transporting a group of mothers and child refugees from war-torn Ukraine to safety in Spain is both heartbreaking and inspiring. It reminds us of both the human capacity for evil and to do harm to one another, and the human capacity for good and to uplift one another.
And that's our view. Well, Actually was published last Tuesday, August 5. The Witch's Orchard was published today. Sisters of Ukraine is now available for purchase on DVD as well as to purchase or rent on VOD.
Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.
Book images used in this post are our own. All other photos have been sent to us by publicists, artists, and/or PR firms and are used with permission. If there is a problem with the rights to any image, contact us here, and we will look into the matter
Posts
ExperienceFirst - Make the Most of Your Visit