Tag: review

Book Review: The September House by Carissa Orlando

The perfect book review for the perfect month with the perfect vibe. The September House by Carissa Orlando is my favourite horror thriller and mystery book, and you know why? Because it’s funny as hell, I was laughing rather than creeping out by the book. The book follows the story of Margaret and her husband Hal, who bought a Victorian mansion at a very low price. But then they started discovering haunted things in the house that only happen in September. Margaret is not ready to move as it’s her house; however, after four years, Hal can’t take it anymore and leaves. But he is not returning the calls of their daughter, Katherine, who is unaware of the house, and she has never visited the house. And now she is on the way to the house to find her father, and the worst part September has just begun. How Margaret hides about the house is fun to read.

Let’s start with the main character, Margaret. Only one thing to say about her, she is fantastic. It is so rare to like a character of a thriller book, and I was rooting for her till the end. The woman is so adamant that she won’t leave the house, no matter what. And a lot was happening to her physically as well as emotionally. Her talks are my favourite, she is so sarcastic and knows how to deal with things perfectly. Because of her, I loved the entire book and never got bored with it.

There are other characters as well, but they don’t play much. It’s actually just Margaret and her house, so here the house is another main character. I loved the house and the creepy things it does. I don’t think so, I have never read anything so unusual, but I loved every second of it. The house was definitely creepy, but I didn’t find it much; it depends on the reader. There were many fascinating things about the house. Firstly, it happens only in September, and what it brings is so much fun to read. The house characters were amazing, and the way they all came together in the end was mind-blowing to read.

Talking about the plot, it’s a mixture of horror, comedy and thriller. Nothing is foreshadowing but working together, there is not much thriller, but the plot twist I loved. The plot is engaging and so fast-paced that I couldn’t stop reading it. Actually, I just wanted to read what Margaret has to say.

The author’s writing is so simple, the way she has described the activity happening in the house and the dialogue of Margaret, I loved every second of it. Honestly, I thought the ending would be like that only; however, in the end, the plot twist, wow, it still amazes me when I think about it. I loved that the author decided to end like that rather than how it was going, and I thought it would end. The ending scenes were my favourite; it was like I was watching an action-packed movie, and it really felt like that.

I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4.5/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘The Legend of the Blue Sea’ K-drama (2016)

“The easiest thing in the world is getting disappointed by another person. Even after liking someone after his/her outer appearance, one will quickly be disappointed. That’s how human beings are” – Heo joon Jae

I was in my prime era in 2016, when I watched every single masterpiece K-drama that is still talked about a decade later. I rewatched one of my most favourite K-dramas, “The Legend of the Blue Sea”, to just get the experience of 2016 and write a review for you guys. When I tell you watching this drama truly brought me back to 2016, and I loved every second of it, I wish I had a time machine so I could travel back in time and experience it all over again. The Legend of the Blue Sea is a fantasy drama between a mermaid and a human. A mermaid named Shim Chaeong has to leave her home and survive in the human world, where she knows nothing about humans. She meets a con artist named Heo Joon Jae and it’s group, and then the fun begins.

Let’s start with the mermaid itself. When I say she is one of the iconic characters, I mean it especially since it is played by the queen herself, Jun Ji-Hyun. I think she was born to play this role because she looked like a mermaid. She is so funny, and her expression was everything. She was like a child in the human world who learned everything about humans, and it was so fun to watch. I loved her expression, and when she didn’t know the human language, the way she always ended up doing something stupid made me laugh so hard.

Then we have our Heo Joon-jae, another iconic character played by dashing Lee Min-ho. He looks cold-hearted until he opens his mouth. I absolutely loved his character; he made me laugh more than the mermaid. His expression was top-notch. Especially dealing with a mermaid. The boy was actually suffering throughout the show first; he got stuck with the mermaid and her weird ways, and then he could hear her every thought after she fell in love with him, and he couldn’t sleep, which was hilarious to watch.

Their group, Park Moo and Tae-oh, are freaking hilarious. Nobody can say they are con artists because they are so stupid and funny. I loved every part of the drama, even the emotional part where he always falls in love with her and she almost gives up her life for him.

The chemistry of Lee Min-ho and Jung is iconic. They were truly made for these characters. They were everything but I loved their comedy part the most, even after falling in love, they would do stupid things. Their emotional part and their love were heartwarming to watch.

The plot is so good, in a way, that nothing is overpowering anything. The way she also gets tangled up in their group and becomes a con artist was so much fun to watch. Overall, the plot kept me engaged throughout the entire drama. There was romance, comedy, and an emotional aspect, and for a 2016 drama, it was iconic. The way they added so many mermaid elements was a treat to watch.

There are so many scenes from this drama which have now become memes, which is a treat to watch in today’s time. I loved their umbrella scene; no matter what, K-dramas will always be iconic for their umbrella scenes.

The cinematography is iconic. The blue elements of the water were really foreshadowing, which I absolutely loved.

Overall, I highly recommend this iconic drama.

“Even through the windy rainstorm, even though the sun may be burning down on me, though I am lonely and without anyone by my side and even if it’s somewhere I have never been before, I will endure it all and be sure to go to you. I love you.- Shim Chung

Total Episodes: 20

My Rating: 9/10

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: The Eternity Train by M Ahsan Al-Haadee

First of all, I will start by saying thank you, Ahsan, for sending me the digital copy of the book. So basically, as you all know, I love mysteries and thrillers, but what better could it be when magic is also added to the same? The Eternity Train is a book with everything you would ask for: thriller, mystery and magic, and I don’t think I have ever read such a beautiful description of things. The book is about a fourteen-year-old girl named Daffodil who, after an argument, runs away from home and boards an unsettling train at Moor Street Station. At first she doesn’t notice, however, as the journey goes on, Dafoodil realises that the train doesn’t seem normal and she is stuck. The only way to escape is by solving the puzzle and uncovering the secrets.

First, I need to start with the plot. I have never read anything like this before. I am not going to lie, at first it was hella confusing to wrap my mind around what was going on, but later with Daffodil I was also on the wild ride. The book is a part of a duology, so it is still very much incomplete to see how Daffodil will move forward. The description done by the author was so fantastic because everything about this train and the way it was surrounded was out of this world. I absolutely loved all the descriptions; it made me feel that I was in the book.

Then talking about the Character of Dafoodil for a fourteen-year-old, she is one of the smartest girls who knows how to use her brain. I really like her emotional as well as her intellectual mindset. I liked her interaction with other characters, and the way she started to know how to play this game was amazing to read.

In the book, I found some of the interesting characters with such an amazing plot. My favourite thing was definitely the description of things, and the author’s writing made it easy to understand where the story is heading. I was really looking forward to what unknown land the train would take us to, and each time it didn’t disappoint. The ending shocked me, so all I am going to say is.

I highly recommend this book.

Rating: 4/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘Goblin’ K-drama (2016)

“Every moment I spent with you shines. Because the weather was good, because the weather was bad, and because the weather was good enough. I love every moment of it.” – Goblin

Another classic K-drama that really brought it to the global level, as well as made ‘Globin’ famous. There was definitely something in the air of 2016, because every K-drama of that time was immensely popular as well as different, like ‘Goblin’. I rewatched the drama again so that I can write the review on it. So basically it’s a fantasy drama about an immortal Goblin, Kim Shin, who has a curse that he can’t die unless he finds his bride, who will remove the sword from his chest, and end his life. He waits centuries to find his bride, but can’t find her until a schoolgirl named Ji Eun-Tak confesses that she is the chosen one.

Let’s start with our female lead, Ji Eun-Tak, whose mother dies really early, leaving her with their horrible relatives who abuse her. So she wants to go away from them, and she stumbles upon the Globin. I absolutely loved her character, even though she went through a lot then too; she was so courageous in every situation. I loved how she was so alone in the world like the goblin, but as her destiny intertwined with his, she found her peace. Her funny expression while following the goblin was hilarious, as well as their normal conversation was so funny.

Then we have our goblin, who made the world know what a goblin actually is. At first, he looked so serious, but as he lived for centuries, we could see he started to lose his mind and just wanted to die. He is so funny, let me begin with it, especially his expressions. Even though he lives for centuries, he is unable to talk to humans, and when Eun-Tak entered his life, he just didn’t know how to act, and he just does funny things without even trying. His Goblin side chef kiss, especially his backstory, added so much to his character.

The chemistry between them is so good because they are hilarious together, apart from their sad scene. I didn’t find them boring. I liked that there was not much romance; rather, it focuses on the bond both share. Both of them trying to live with each other and get used to each other was so much fun to watch.

My favourite character of the drama is the Grim Reaper, Wang Yeo. He is an absolute cinema with mind-blowing expression, and his banter with Goblin. I loved his Grim Reaper side so much. Definitely a second lead that I won’t forget. Also, his backstory with Kim Sun is so freaking sad. I loved their chemistry, and Kim Sun’s character is hilarious.

Another one of my all-time favourite side characters is Yoo Deok-hwa. The only human apart from Eun-Tak residing with the Grim Reaper and the Goblin. This comedy timing is so good, whenever he comes on the screen, I can’t control my laughter. He added so much freshness to the drama.

I absolutely loved the plot; it was so interesting. It was not only intense but also had many fun elements added to the drama. I felt that the drama is not boring as we get to see Goblin and Grim Reaper’s bromance, Eun Tak’s cuteness and Kim Sun’s sassiness. The back story is so heartbreaking, especially that of Grim Reaper and Kim Sun.

The best thing in the drama that elevated it was the cinematography, which was absolutely beautiful, and now it has become a tourist spot. The other thing is the OST; no matter how many OSTs come, this one, “Stay With Me”, will always top the chart for me. The rhythm of it is just fantastic; it literally transports you to the goblin world. I think everyone knows Goblin’s Ost. The ending fits so right for a supernatural historical drama.

I highly recommend it as it’s a classic and one should definitely watch it once.

“Someday, we’ll meet again. It’ll be the happiest day. I will go to you like the first snow.” – Goblin

Total Episodes: 16

My Rating: 9/10

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

I am really in my thriller era, and the next on my list was The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf, and it was the first book I picked by this author. I wanted to read a one-room thriller with a mysterious vibe, and I think this one did a great job. The book follows the story of a woman, Wylie Lark, who retreats to a small cottage in the middle of nowhere to write her new novel and gets stuck in a deadly snowstorm. Things turned bad when, in the middle of a snowstorm, she received an unexpected visitor, which left her in shock. But she doesn’t know how that visitor is going to tangle her with her own secrets.

Let’s start with the character of Wylie, a woman who is trying to build a good relationship with her son. At first, I couldn’t guess how she would be connected, but OMG, the plot twist. And she is definitely a hard-core thriller main character who would survive it. I saw the plot twist coming from miles; however, when it got revealed, it was so good. There are many characters in the book, and all of them are just mindblowing and the way they got connected. I think that is what I really loved in this book, and perfectly, all of the timelines and POVs got connected.

The plot is amazing. At first, I felt a little confused keeping up with all the POVs, but the way it all got connected in the end was absolutely mindblowing. The storyline is emotional, I won’t say it’s creepy for me, and definitely the curiosity to learn what happened. It is fast-paced, and the writing is really good.

This thriller is in four POVs, and it narrates the story of three different timelines. It was definitely a task to keep up with three different timelines, but the author’s writing really made it easy to focus. There are many plot twists. I saw some coming while others were different and shocked me, and it was amazing.

The ending is beautiful, especially the last line before the epilogue. I prefer ending where it all makes sense.

I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘Strangers From Hell’ K-drama (2019)

“It’s better to say what you want…and act how you’d like…rather than bottling it all up within yourself. That’s more human, don’t you think?” – Seo Moon-jo

I was looking for a mystery and a crime drama, and I had this drama at the back of my mind, so I decided to watch it, and I literally had no idea what this drama was all about, because based on the description, one can’t say what the drama is about. However, I just finished watching it and let me tell you my mind is not in the right place at the moment. Let’s just begin with the review, and I will explain it. So the drama is about a young man, Yoon Jong-woo, who recently moved to Seoul because of his job. But he has no place to live and finds every dorm room so expensive until he stumbled upon the advertisement of a dorm room available at a cheaper place at Eden Residence. However, the Eden residence is a very creepy place with other residents who are very bizarre and suspicious.

Let’s begin with the character of Yoon Jong-woo, played by Si-wan Yim. At first, when I saw him, I knew he had been dealing with a lot, and the boy was fed up. With such creepy residents he shares the restroom and kitchen with, his girlfriend is not listening to him, and his boss/friend just bragged about how he got him the job. I feel so pitiful for him and only him in the drama; the residents really brought the hell out of him. He also realises that people who are close to him are also not far away from good. But can we really talk about his acting? It’s mind-blowing.

Then we have the main character of the drama, who actually is a psychopath named Seo Moon-jo, played by Lee Dong-wook. The acting of his is incredible, he truly looked like a psychopath even when he pretended not to be. Just his standing brings creepiness to the scene. His laugh and smile are literally enough to show how big a psychopath he is. His talks were like another level of riddles. His and Yoon Jong-woo’s chemistry is incredible. I loved watching them, especially when Seo Moon-jo uses words like “babe” to annoy Yoon Jong-woo. We can actually see he was obsessed with Jong-woo, loved it.

Then we have the other residents, and let me tell you, without them doing any action or saying any dialogue, just them standing brings so much creepiness to the scene. I think when they do actions, it’s like ewww, but when they just stand in the corner of the room and smile, that legit knocks my breath away.

There is no character in the show except the police officer, So Jung-hwa, who is not suspicious or evil. The plot is incredible, it’s basically about a psychopath who unaliving people for fun and doesn’t regret it. The setting is fantastic, the hallway of the residence and the small, cramped room really brought another creepiness to the drama. The cinematography is top-notch, which really hooks me to the screen.

What I didn’t like was that the action was not in-depth, and only in the last three episodes did I feel the intensity of the drama. I felt that something was missing. I loved watching Yoon Jong-woo’s flashbacks and how much he has kept inside him, but still, I felt something was missing.

The ending, if you are a horror watcher, you will see it coming, and it’s so good.

I recommend it if you want to watch a drama with a psychopath vibe.

You don’t think you fit in here, do you?

“I’m Different from these people.”

But you’re also kind of anxious. – Seo Moon Jo to Yoon Jong-woo.

Total Episodes: 10

My Rating: 7/10 (Please check the trigger warnings)

Genre: Horror, Psychological, Thriller

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: The Only One Left by Riley Sager

I think this is my first five-star thriller, and I have been waiting to write this review. The book has been stuck in my mind since last week, and I can’t wait to share it with you all. I never thought I would find a five-star thriller, but here I am. The Only One Left, another book by Riley Sager, I think he has become my favourite thriller writer, because the first book I read, The House Across the Lake, was a 4.5-star for me. This book follows the story of a caregiver, Kit McDeere, who gets an assignment to look after Lenora Hope, who lives at a house situated on a cliff. Lenora Hope is not an ordinary person but someone who has unalived her whole family.

Let’s start with the plot; it is everything I wanted in a thriller. There is a twist at every point, and it’s also horror, which makes this book thrilling and mind-blowing from start to finish. I was unable to get any twists right because when twists happened, I was shaken to the core. The storyline is so twisty, it felt at first that the story was going to be dragged, but what twist upon twist was just pouring. There are not many characters, as well as the setting is just one gothic mansion, but the writer did an incredible job by not just repeating the same thing again and again, but added a twist in almost every chapter.

The setting is definitely creepy, plus the mansion is on the cliff, so it makes the book more intimidating. The character of Kit is one of my favourites; she is actually a mind-blowing person for a thriller. The way she got tangled with Lenora Hope was chilling to watch. Lenora Hope is a character you can’t describe without a spoiler unless you have read the book. The characters are very complex, which made it hard for me to guess the twist, and I didn’t get it at all. I was not thinking about it; it just appeared when Kit found out I was shocked with her.

The ending is so beautiful, it is such an irony to write this about a thriller book, but believe me, when I read the last chapter, I was smiling because it was so heartwarming. I don’t think so, I haven’t read any thriller where the ending is so beautiful.

There is everything that I loved about this book, from its plotline to its characters. If you want to take any suggestion, please take this one.

Rating: 5/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: No Exit by Taylor Adams

Another thriller I picked up was “No Exit” by Taylor Adams. The blurb seemed interesting; however, the book is totally different from what I expected. It’s more intense than a mystery. The book is about Darby Thorne, a college student who gets very badly stranded by a blizzard at a highway rest stop in the middle of nowhere. She is not alone but with four complete strangers, and she has to spend the night with them. Then she discovers that one of the parked cars has a little girl locked inside, and the story gets intense.

OMG, this book is so intense, there is literally no time to breathe in between, nor for Darby, and none for the readers. I felt that this book had a lot of potholes, and the only thing that kept me on the edge was the intensity of Darby running to save her life. Just like any typical thriller character, Darby was an absolute idiot at the beginning. At first, I thought she might be using her brain, but no, my assumption was wrong.

She is with four strangers and she is guessing by their clothes who is good and who is bad, which should never be done because clothes tell nothing, nor do the good behaviour that strangers pretend to have. The second, the stranger started being good with Darby, I knew it was a huge red flag, but Darby didn’t see it. I was so confused throughout the book about whether I should be mad at Darby for sharing everything with the stranger or pray that she survives.

The culprit was revealed very early, according to me, and then the plot twist happened, and I was expecting it after reading so many thrillers. The book is totally about Darby and the girl running away from the culprit and surviving the blizzard. So many times they could have been saved; however, the situation made it worse.

I can guarantee you that throughout the whole book, you are going to scream at Darby to save her life and be out of the situation, as well as pray that she doesn’t get caught. The plot is all about the chase between Darby and the culprit, and it’s too intense; I could feel Darby breathing for her life.

If you are expecting that this thriller is all bout mystery and plot twists, then this book might not be for you, but if you are expecting crazy chase and intense fight, then please go ahead.

Rating: 3/5(please check trigger warnings)

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh

The amount of time I have heard people talk about this book, especially the middle plot twist, is what made me pick this book right away. The thriller book I am talking about is I Let You Go by Clare Mackintosh. This book is about a mother, Jenna Gray, who, in a tragic accident, lost her son, Jacob. She is not able to cope with being in a house filled with memories of her son, so she decided to move to a small cottage on the Welsh coast. At the beginning, she started feeling better; however, suddenly her haunting past secrets seemed to follow her there.

The book is divided into two parts as well as two points of view. One, we have Jenna’s point of view from the first person and then the detective working on the case from the third person. I won’t lie, it took me some time to get the hang of different pov’s. I can’t really talk about the characters as there are spoilers pretty much in it. But the characters are not what we expect them to be, and it’s obvious that it’s a thriller book.

I went into this book thinking something absolutely different, and you might as well, but OMG, the middle plot twist. What was even that? I don’t think anyone could get it because it is so distinct and extraordinary. The plot twist happened so randomly that I read that again and again in order to understand what happened. There are many suspects which make it impossible to guess the plot twist. The plot is definitely confusing as there are two points of view, and the author did a great job of adding elements in a way that we can’t get the plot twist.

The storyline, as I said, is something totally different because I felt it was mostly romance, with thriller being a sub-genre. I think that the book was a little long, as most of the time there was just romance and not any thriller. I had to make sure that I was reading a thriller, not a romance book. Some detective parts felt unnecessary as they mostly focused on romance rather than solving the case.

The plot twists and the story are pretty good for a thriller book, as it gave me a headache, but the romance part killed it for me because I felt that it was unnecessary at some point, which made the book feel long. But the plot twists are really good, so maybe give it a try.

Rating: 3/5(please check trigger warnings)

Side Note: I just want to clarify that this is entirely my opinion; you are free to love this book, and I am free to give my opinion on this book. I would be very happy if you loved this book, but please do not take this review to heart; it is okay to have different tastes. Thank You.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘The Prisoner of Beauty’ C-drama (2025)

“Who says there’s no love between me and Lady Qiao? I admit, I married her for Panyi. But after spending time with her. I saw that she’s not only beautiful but concerned for the people. She has the talent and bearing worthy of my wife.” – Shao Wei

I think every other country’s drama can change, but Chinese drama will always maintain its supremacy. I have never watched any historical Chinese drama, but heard a lot, and finally, The Prisoner of Beauty, the recent Chinese historical drama, caught my eye. The drama follows the story of Xiao Qiao, who gets married to Shao Wei, her kingdom’s rival family, in order to end the hatred between them.

In this drama, there are every kind of trope which had me hooked. There is forbidden romance, arranged marriage, a rival’s daughter, a green flag, a smart, strong and cunning female lead. You know that I am a sucker for the arranged marriage trope, as it gives tension and intensity in a drama that I absolutely love.

Let’s start with our main attraction of the drama, the female lead, Xiao Qiao. I love female leads who are smart, cunning and absolutely hold their ground. Xiao Qiao is a huge green flag because she understands her husband, even though the marriage is all about alliance, she takes the best care of him. She understands him and the situation he went through as a child. I liked that she was shown as a mature female lead rather than stubborn in the wrong ways. She is so manipulative and cunning, OMG I loved that. I loved that even though she married the rival for alliance and even took care of her husband, she still held ground with her principles. She is an absolute drama queen; the acting just to get away with things was mind-blowing.

Then we have our male lead, Shao Wei, who went through a lot, and everything he does makes sense. The boy has a traumatising childhood, obviously, he can’t trust anyone, especially the female lead. However, even though he hated her, he still treated her with utmost importance. His fighting skills are amazing. However, he is absolutely clueless in romance. When Xiao Qiao is flirting with him, he acts so clueless, making me and Xiao Qiao wonder when he will understand. I loved his clueless side. Xiao Qiao helped bring out the child in him that he had lost and was just burdened by responsibility. He is so funny and shy when it comes to romance.

Their chemistry was pure and intense. I liked that their story was relatable, given that they were rivals. Slowly, there was a development rather than just like that. He took his time understanding and trusting her, and she understood that about him. The slow development was everything as they slowly realised that love is greater than hate. The love and respect he shows her, and always stands with her, and she always defends him and takes a stand for him, is so heartwarming to watch; they truly are worthy of each other.

The plot is all about the history between Shao Wei and Xiao Qiao’s family, and to remove the hatred marriage alliance is formed, it is so good and well written. I loved that in historical drama, loyalty is shown as top-notch. Be it Shao Wei’s companion or Xiao Qiao’s companion, the loyalty they have shown was beautiful to watch. The friendship group is amazing and hilarious.

The cinematography is amazing, given that it’s a historical drama, the culture and the costumes are just beautiful. All the side characters were amazing; they made the drama more fun. Shao Wei’s grandmother, a true Queen, knows how to properly give advice, a great woman.

I highly recommend it if you want to watch an arranged marriage between rivals, which includes forbidden romance and captivating leads.

“You’re an exceptional lady. I’ve never admired any woman the way I admire you.” – Shao Wei

Total Episodes: 36

My Rating: 8/10

Genre: Romance, Revenge, Historical Fiction

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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