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: The Perfect Home & The Three Lives of Cate Kay
Today we are recommending The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz. As the stars of the home renovation series, The Perfect Home, Dawn & Wyatt Decker seem to have it all except for a family of their own. Desperate Wyatt begins taking illegal drugs to increase his fertility. Dawn quickly becomes pregnant with twins, and everything seems perfect. However, Wyatt's behavior becomes increasingly erratic, and Dawn becomes concerned that he hasn't properly weaned himself off the drug as he promised. When she finds evidence that he intends to harm the twins, she desperately takes off with them, but Wyatt, ever the charming guy that everyone knows from TV while Dawn never seems quite as comfortable on the air. somehow manages to turn things around and convince everyone that Dawn is the one who is the danger.
This is a quite gripping and original fast-paced thriller. The plot is intriguing and unpredictable and makes perfect sense in terms of the story. Unlike in many mysteries and thrillers, nothing is pulled out of left field rather everything that happens in the story makes sense in light of what has been revealed and happened before. Even so, there are still several exciting plot twists that the reader will not see coming.
The ending post-epilogue is quite a satisfactory catharsis based on what has happened in the story up to that point. While the epilogue is necessary to update the reader on what happened to Dawn and her family afterward, it may also make some readers angry. It is hard to believe that after everything that happened Dawn would react how she does toward someone who has clearly betrayed her. She must be a better person than most of us, but in a way that makes her slightly less likable.
Today we are talking about The Three Lives Of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan. Annie and her best friend, Amanda were inseparable. The talented thespians had big plans to move to California together after graduation and become famous actors. Then, after a tragic incident. Annie takes on the new identity of Cass and later takes on a third identity when she begins writing under the pseudonym of Cate Kay. When her trilogy, becomes a bestseller everyone is desperate to find out who she is, however, the reclusive author, who doesn't do any press or interviews of any kind, is just as desperate to keep her anonymity lest anyone find out about her past.
This is a hard book to like given that the heroine makes an unforgivable choice very early on in the novel especially because she and Amanda are allegedly such good friends and care about each other so much. After that, it is hard to care about her that much. Amanda and Ryan, an actress with whom Cass has an affair and who is allegedly her true love, both deserve so much better. It is almost fitting that Cass spends so long with Sydney, who is clearly manipulative and like Annie also cares more about herself and her own needs than other people's.
The ending of the story is quite unsatisfactory. Given what Annie has done, it should not be so easy for others particularly Amanda to forgive. Also, it's too rushed. Too much of the conclusion occurs off the page leaving the reader out.
Movies: Agents
Today we are talking about Agents. This is a film about a pair of agents working together to recover a priceless artifact. This is yet another movie that is light on plot and character development and heavy on action sequences particularly gun violence and hand-to-hand combat. It does have several female characters who are as kickass as the men which is refreshing, however.
Agents is available now on DVD or digitally for purchase or rental.
And that's our view. Where-To-Go Wednesday will be closed tomorrow Tune in Thursday for Theater Thursday.
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
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