Ghosts
May contain mild spoilers for Gap Year in Ghost Town. See my review here
Ghost Town Book Two
Written by Michael Pryor
Paranormal, Ghosts, #LoveOZYA
Published July 2019
320 Pages
Thanks to Allen and Unwin Australia
$19.99
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★★★★☆
So, how's my gap year going? Is it giving me a taste of the ghost hunting business or is it just dumping me into situations where I could end up dead, or worse?
Lingerers. Moaners. Thugs. Weepers. So many ghosts. Not enough graveyard shifts in a night.
When an extreme ghost plague descends on the city, Anton and Rani must work overtime to keep the city safe and to find the source of the new aggressive ghost outbreak. And it amps up to another level after ghost hunters become the hunted.
Anton and Rani will need all their wits and wiles about them if they are to manage the ghost influx, get to the truth about the Elsewhere and navigate the night with all their limbs intact.
When eighteen year old Anton Marin decided to spend the year contemplating whether or not to carry the Marin family legacy, meandering the streets of Melbourne at night in an age old tradition of easing the passage of spirits into Elsewhere with his new colleague and friend Rani Cross. A Former Londoner and member of the Company of The Righteous. Weepers, Moaners, Lingerers and ghosts who manifest as Ragers haunt the abandoned streets and landmarks of Melbourne but although of late, have become malevolent and menacing and soon the ghost hunting partnership is overwhelmed by their assignments.
Clearly something is amiss in old Melbourne town but thankfully Anton and Rani are on the case. Their friendship is so incredibly lovely, platonic and it's so refreshing to see a male female friendship with no prospect of romance within young adult literature. Incidentally, Rani and Anton's childhood friend Rebecca are in a relationship, now living together while Rebecca attends university and volunteering in the Marin family archives in her spare time. I loved the gentle female romance, the moments of tenderness were beautiful and although their group dynamic has now changed, they all remain steadfast friends.
As the ghosts become increasingly aggressive, we're introduced to Kirsten and Jamie, hailing from the Ghost Hunting Order of Scotland. With their brogue accents and appreciation for malarkey and mayhem, the sibling ghost hunters are always up for an adventure but what they didn't anticipate was the emergence of the Ragged Sisters, an archaic ritualistic faction capturing ghost hunters to sacrifice. What ensues is a headache of mammoth proportions as the veil between our world and Elsewhere begins to thin.
Darker than its predecessor, Graveyard Shift in Ghost Town amplifies the adventure and upheaval, blended with an intriguing mystery. Spirits are engulfing Melbourne in an epidemic, attaching themselves to their human host and draining their vitality, resulting in a spate of unexplained hospitalisations. The emergence of the Ragged Sisters is disturbing and a subtle warning of scenes that depict torture and death, as some readers may find these distressing.
I absolutely love the Ghost Town series, it's hilariously entertaining and written with an incredible wittiness and charisma. Michael Pryor's writing absolutely shines! From the suburbs to our historical buildings and lane ways of Melbourne, it's a wonderful celebration of Melbourne and all her glory. Simply magnificent.
See my review for Book One here
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Book Two
Written by Paige McKenzie and Alyssa Sheinmel
Paranormal, Supernatural
Published April 26th 2016
320 Pages
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia
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★★★★
Sunshine's Luiseach powers have been fully awakened. For months now, Sunshine has felt spirits everywhere. She hears their voices, feels their emotions... It's intense and sometimes overwhelming. She tries to ignore them, but it's impossible. Hoping to get her powers under control (and hoping for answers to her never ending questions) she agrees to start training with her Luiseach mentor, leaving her family, and her friend Nolan, behind.But Sunshine's mentor doesn't understand her attachment to the humans in her life, and she can't forgive his abandonment of her so many years ago. The only thing getting Sunshine through the terrifying and creepy training is her new, distractingly attractive, friend, another young Luiseach.Though Sunshine's mentor is reluctant to answer her many questions, she finally learns the truth about her lineage, as well as the rift that threatens the future of Luiseach and the human race... And the crucial part she has to play in repairing it.
Only a few months ago, sixteen year old Sunshine and her adoptive mother moved to Ridgemont Washington where Sunshine discovered she is no ordinary teen. She's a Luiseach, guiding spirits onto another realm and the last of her kind. In what is now a sixteen year old war brewing between the segregated Luiseach, believing that while Sunshine lives, another of their kind will never be conceived and restless dark spirits will inherit the earth.
For the first time since learning of their fate, Sunshine and her protector Nolan will be separated and parting on regretful words. Missing Nolan while trying to come to terms with her training is taking it's toll. Battling demon possession and dark spirits plays only a small role in who Sunshine must become but local Lucia, also a fellow Luiseach, isn't making it easy.
Kelly's Thoughts
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl series is a fun, entertaining series that's a breath of fresh air. In a market flooded with true to life contemporaries and heavy fantasy novels, paranormal young adult reads feel as though they are too few and far between and Sunshine Girl brilliantly bridges that gap. In the same vain as Anna Dressed in Blood, The Awakening of Sunshine Girl follows the story of Sunshine who is still coming to terms with being branded a Luiseach, a role in which she sees spirits of those who have passed and has the ability to guide them from our world. But unlike her fellow Luiseach, Sunshine's abilities to feel each spirit and their lives is not only what sets her apart. She is the last Luiseach to have been born, on the day of her birth women miscarried and have been unable to conceive in the past sixteen years, dividing the Luiseach community and igniting a war between the segregated factions.
We also see Sunshine taken away from her mother to be cared for and trained, leaving Nolan behind. I enjoyed the lack of romance, not that Nolan and Sunshine are officially together as she cannot touch him without experiencing excruciating pain. But the separation element allowed Sunshine to grow as a character and also establish why she was abandoned as a newborn child.
Where The Haunting of Sunshine Girl was all about establishing Sunshine as a character and learning about her abilities. Sunshine is a girl who is still unsure of herself, often lacking in confidence but while making her relatable despite her abilities. It also felt like a more mature installment in the series, which I really enjoyed. I missed Nolan's character, as he is absent from the main storyline but readers still see glimpses of their separation through Sunshine's dreamscape, a new development with her abilities.
We also see Sunshine taken away from her mother to be cared for and trained, leaving Nolan behind. I enjoyed the lack of romance, not that Nolan and Sunshine are officially together as she cannot touch him without experiencing excruciating pain. But the separation element allowed Sunshine to grow as a character and also establish why she was abandoned as a newborn child.
Where The Haunting of Sunshine Girl was all about establishing Sunshine as a character and learning about her abilities. Sunshine is a girl who is still unsure of herself, often lacking in confidence but while making her relatable despite her abilities. It also felt like a more mature installment in the series, which I really enjoyed. I missed Nolan's character, as he is absent from the main storyline but readers still see glimpses of their separation through Sunshine's dreamscape, a new development with her abilities.
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl series is captivating, entertaining and has invigorated the young adult paranormal genre. With the emphasis on Sunshine, her place in the world and not reliant on romance, it's a breath of fresh air. The Awakening of Sunshine Girl is often brutal and fierce, introducing a horror type suspense to the young and young at heart. Really enjoyed it.The Final Verdict
May contain spoilers for book one. Check out my review here
Written by Derek Landy
Fantasy, Paranormal
Published April 8th 2016
512 Pages
Thanks to Harper Collins Australia
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★★☆
Reeling from their bloody encounter in New York City, Amber and Milo flee north. On their trail are the Hounds of Hell, five demonic bikers who will stop at nothing to drag their quarries back to their unholy master.Amber and Milo’s only hope lies within Desolation Hill, a small town with a big secret, a town with a darkness to it, where evil seeps through the very floorboards. Until, on one night every year, it spills over onto the streets and all hell breaks loose.And that night is coming.
Amber and Milo are back on the Demon Road and headed for the small country town of Desolation Hill, a town known for hiding from the darkness that spills into our world. After the massacre in New York, The Shining Demon Astaroth has sent his Hounds after the unlikely duo, and the town offers sanctuary against those who seek to hide. But Desolation Hill isn't what it seems.
The town is perfect. Too perfect. The close knit community is friendly, the town is charming but only to those who reside there. To an outsider who is passing through on the Demon Road, the townsfolk are hostile and quick to escort tourists to the boundaries of town especially with the upcoming festival that is quickly approaching. But Amber and Milo aren't the only ones new in town.
A group of amateur investigators have reached Desolation Hill, chasing a local urban myth that sees children being chosen and taken against their will. Meanwhile, a town resident has discovered he has a doppelgänger when his neighbour is murdered and the crime concealed by the local police.
For one night each year, the town celebrates the protective barrier waning and the violence spreading throughout the streets. With no means of escape, Amber will need to fight her way to freedom but only now she has a group of friends willing to die for the cause.
Kelly's Thoughts
Desolation begins shortly after the massacre of New York, with Amber and Milo fleeing the clutches of Astaroth, the Shining Demon Amber's parents entered a pact to sacrifice their daughter. After killing his representative, the unlikely duo are back on the Demon Road, destination Desolation Hill in the hope of seeking refuge from Astaroth's Hounds.
Milo and Amber haven't had the best working relationship, seeing he was firstly employed to ensure her safety. Now the two have fallen into an awkward partnership under the guise of a being on a road trip with her Uncle. But along their journey, their relationship begins to change, the usually gruff and stoic Milo seeming more at ease with his teen companion. And Amber could really use a friend.
The town of Desolation Hill reminds me of Pleasantville, a facade of perfection but under the surface lies a sinister secret and Amber and Milo aren't the only tourists in town on the eve of the pending festival. It was a strange mix of lightheartedness and horror, and while the main storyline kept me intrigued, the new characters introduced were a little too many and left me unable to connect with the storyline. The introduction of Kelly and her group of van driving investigators of the strange and paranormal were akin to the Scooby Gang, dog included. In among the death and destruction, it was a bit too jovial and as a reader, it felt a little awkward and forced.
I can understand why Amber is lacking in self confidence, but the emphasis placed upon how plain and ordinary she is as a human and how extraordinarily beautiful she is in demon form still makes my eye twitch. The romance was welcomed in that regard as Amber's love interest could see her human beauty, but I had wished that she wouldn't have needed that potential romance to feel validated.
There's also a reappearance of a past character that seems to make little sense. Appearing with little fanfare and disappearing just as quickly in a blink and you'll miss it series of moments. I'm hoping readers will learn more about why he's hanging on, in an incredibly creepy form that's at odds with his original character.
Milo and Amber haven't had the best working relationship, seeing he was firstly employed to ensure her safety. Now the two have fallen into an awkward partnership under the guise of a being on a road trip with her Uncle. But along their journey, their relationship begins to change, the usually gruff and stoic Milo seeming more at ease with his teen companion. And Amber could really use a friend.
The town of Desolation Hill reminds me of Pleasantville, a facade of perfection but under the surface lies a sinister secret and Amber and Milo aren't the only tourists in town on the eve of the pending festival. It was a strange mix of lightheartedness and horror, and while the main storyline kept me intrigued, the new characters introduced were a little too many and left me unable to connect with the storyline. The introduction of Kelly and her group of van driving investigators of the strange and paranormal were akin to the Scooby Gang, dog included. In among the death and destruction, it was a bit too jovial and as a reader, it felt a little awkward and forced.
I can understand why Amber is lacking in self confidence, but the emphasis placed upon how plain and ordinary she is as a human and how extraordinarily beautiful she is in demon form still makes my eye twitch. The romance was welcomed in that regard as Amber's love interest could see her human beauty, but I had wished that she wouldn't have needed that potential romance to feel validated.
There's also a reappearance of a past character that seems to make little sense. Appearing with little fanfare and disappearing just as quickly in a blink and you'll miss it series of moments. I'm hoping readers will learn more about why he's hanging on, in an incredibly creepy form that's at odds with his original character.
I loved Demon Road, the humour, the adventure and the horror elements blended seamlessly to create a wonderfully entertaining storyline and although I did enjoy Desolation overall, it felt a little too busy with the introduction of too many new characters. I hope the third series installment will return to the magic that was Demon Road, with Amber's storyline at the forefront once again rather than trying to be a little too funny and falling flat.The Final Verdict
Written by Rebecca Lim
Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense
Expected Publication June 24th 2015
240 Pages
Thank you to Text Publishing
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★★★★
★★★★
Since her parents died in a freak motorbike accident, Sophie Teague’s life has fallen apart. But she’s just enrolled at a new high school, hoping for a fresh start.That’s until Eve, a beautiful ghost in black, starts making terrifying nightly appearances, wanting Sophie to be her hands, eyes and go to girl. There are loose ends that Eve needs Sophie to tie up. But dealing with the dead might just involve the greatest sacrifice of all.Dark, thrilling and unrelentingly eerie, Afterlight will take you deep into the heart of a dangerous love story, revealing the otherworldly, and deadly pull of past wrongs that only the living can put right.
Sophie is coping with the loss of her parents, a motorcycle accident having killed both her mother and father and leaves her living with her grandmother above the family owned pub. After a incident driven by grief, Sophie is about to embark on life at a new school, a fresh start giving her the confidence she needs to go on. But with her unruly red hair and lean appearance, Sophie soon becomes a target of a mean girl clique. But Sophie isn't like other girls. Still grieving and seeking signs from her parents, she's visited by an apparition she's affectionately called Eve. Eve is a ghost, visiting Sophie only to show her a series of images in which she expects the teen to follow. With nothing to lose, Sophie embarks on a series of clues which only leads to disaster, when the media latches onto the story of her heroic deeds, now camping outside the The Star Hotel waiting for an exclusive.
Jordan is the ultra cool and untouchable idol at Ivy Street High School and is inexplicably drawn to Sophie, despite the two teens being worlds apart. Jordan knows about the afterlife, and together they unravel the mystery that is Eve and why she refuses to move on. But the two teens soon find themselves the target of a crime heavyweight... And soon may be joining Eve in the afterlife.
Kelly's Thoughts
Afterlight was a suspenseful and engaging story of grief, playing the reluctant hero and a ghostly apparition that demands attention. Told from Sophie's perspective and set in my hometown of Melbourne, she's the girl next door. Awkward, both socially and physically, still growing into her own body. She's the quiet, grieving teen, having lost her parents in a freak accident that she's slowly coming to terms with. Her guardian is now her tough as boots grandmother, who runs The Star Hotel, Sophie living in her own room upstairs. Eve isn't the first ghost she's seen, but by far the most insistent. Eve has unfinished business, and embroils Sophie into her world via a series of images and cryptic clues. Before long, the cool, untouchable Jordan is drawn into the fray, helping Sophie in her mission and to banish Eve from both their lives.
It was enthralling, engaging and action packed. Although Jordan was far less interesting and felt bland at times, I adored Sophie. Her character was flawed but incredible realistic. She's not all that remarkable or plans to save the world, but the reluctant heroine who up until meeting Eve, wanted to go through high school unnoticed, by everyone but Jordan that is. I felt such affection for Sophie, she's the quiet girl next door and although intelligent, she's so lovely and naive that I felt the need to protect her. Even from Jordan.
The romance was barely there, but would have preferred to have seen a friendship form between the two teens, perhaps with a similar tension as Mycroft and Watts from Ellie Marney's Every Series. It felt more so a romance of convenience and not at all believable sadly. But only a small gripe.
It was enthralling, engaging and action packed. Although Jordan was far less interesting and felt bland at times, I adored Sophie. Her character was flawed but incredible realistic. She's not all that remarkable or plans to save the world, but the reluctant heroine who up until meeting Eve, wanted to go through high school unnoticed, by everyone but Jordan that is. I felt such affection for Sophie, she's the quiet girl next door and although intelligent, she's so lovely and naive that I felt the need to protect her. Even from Jordan.
The romance was barely there, but would have preferred to have seen a friendship form between the two teens, perhaps with a similar tension as Mycroft and Watts from Ellie Marney's Every Series. It felt more so a romance of convenience and not at all believable sadly. But only a small gripe.
The Final Verdict
I loved it. The intensity, especially with the last few chapters was unexpected and had me on the edge of my seat. I adored Sophie's character, who readers will not only find likable but also relatable. Rebecca Lim is a wonderful Aussie author who's taking our own brand of young adult to the world.
The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Book One
Written by Paige McKenzie
Paranormal, Horror
Published April 1st 2015
288 Pages
Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia
Add to Goodreads
★★★★
★★★★
In that place where you're more asleep than awake any more, I hear something else. A phrase uttered in a child's voice, no more than a whisper. Night Night.Something freaky's going on with Sunshine's new house... There's the chill that wraps itself around her bones, the giggling she can hear in the dead of night, and then the strange shadows that lurk in her photographs. But the more weird stuff that happens, the less her mum believes her. Sunshine's always had a quirky affiliation with the past, but this time, history is getting much too close for comfort...If there is something, or someone, haunting her house, what do they want? And what will they do if Sunshine can't help them?As things become more frightening and dangerous, and the giggles she hears turn to sobs and screams, Sunshine has no choice but to accept what she is, face the test before her and save her mother from a fate worse than death.
A Sudden Light
Written by Garth Stein
Historical Fiction, Paranormal
Published October 1st 2014
400 Pages
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia
In the summer of 1990, fourteen year old Trevor Riddell gets his first glimpse of Riddell House. Built from the spoils of a massive timber fortune, the legendary family mansion is constructed of giant, whole trees, and is set on a huge estate overlooking Puget Sound. Trevor’s bankrupt parents have begun a trial separation, and his father, Jones Riddell, has brought Trevor to Riddell House with a goal: to join forces with his sister, Serena, dispatch Grandpa Samuel, who is flickering in and out of dementia, to a graduated living facility, sell off the house and property for development into 'tract housing for millionaires,' divide up the profits, and live happily ever after.But Trevor soon discovers there’s someone else living in Riddell House: A ghost with an agenda of his own. For while the land holds tremendous value, it is also burdened by the final wishes of the family patriarch, Elijah, who mandated it be allowed to return to untamed forestland as a penance for the millions of trees harvested over the decades by the Riddell Timber company. The ghost will not rest until Elijah’s wish is fulfilled, and Trevor’s willingness to face the past holds the key to his family’s future.
The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel (Book One)
Written by Neil Gaiman
Adapted and illustrated by P. Craig Russell
Graphic Novel, Paranormal
Published in Australia August 2014
188 Pages
Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia
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An irresistibly brilliant graphic novel adaptation of The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, adapted by award winning illustrator P. Craig Russell. This is the first of two volumes.
Nobody Owens, known as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the dead. There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard. But it's in the land of the living that the real danger lurks, for it is there that the man Jack lives, and he has already killed Bod's family.
Each chapter is illustrated by a different artist, with contributions from P. Craig Russell, Kevin Nowlan, Tony Harris and Scott Hamptom, Galen Showman, Jill Thompson and Stephen B. Scott.
Afterworlds
Written by Scott Westerfeld
Contemporary, Paranormal
Expected publication September 23rd 2014
608 Pages
Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon Pulse
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Darcy Patel has put college on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. With a contract in hand, she arrives in New York City with no apartment, no friends, and all the wrong clothes. But lucky for Darcy, she’s taken under the wings of other seasoned and fledgling writers who help her navigate the city and the world of writing and publishing. Over the course of a year, Darcy finishes her book, faces critique, and falls in love.
Woven into Darcy's personal story is her novel, Afterworlds, a suspenseful thriller about a teen who slips into the 'Afterworld' to survive a terrorist attack. The Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead, and where many unsolved, and terrifying, stories need to be reconciled. Like Darcy, Lizzie too falls in love… Until a new threat resurfaces, and her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she cares about most.
Written By Kaz Delaney
Published January 2014
424 Pages
Thank you to Allen and Unwin Australia
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★★★★
Macey's life has been turned upside down. Her mother has left, her father is absent and her two best friends, her brother Seth and his girlfriend Willow, are MIA. On top of that Macey is being visited by ghosts who need her help to 'move on'. But as wild as all that sounds, it's all under Macey's control until a rakish, good-looking spirit called Nick turns up... In her bedroom!Nick's a spirit with spirit who insists he's not dead, he's astral travelling and has a message for Macey: someone is out to get her. Macey's biting wit has got her in trouble before, so she's not surprised but when the threatening notes start turning up, she's seriously shaken. Does someone want her dead?It's all rather disturbing but she's finding it hard to focus on who could mean her harm with the annoyingly handsome surf god Finn turning up at the most inopportune times and a father with a rather large surprise of his own.Is it a case of bad timing? Or are these things somehow connected? And if they are, what on earth should she wear when she's solving the mystery?
Macey Pentecost, sassy justice advocate, social commentator and a reluctant medium to the spirits that gather on the Gold Coast. Heiress to a technology empire, Macey has it all. Boutique designer labels, shoes that cost enough to feed a small nation. What Macey doesn't have is her mother, who has left with her new boyfriend and didn't look back, and a father who spends more time overseas tending to his business, than with his own children. With her brother whisking her best friend away overseas, Macey has never felt more alone... Until she finds Nick in her bedroom.
Nick is a ghost who insists he's not really dead, but hanging on by a thread in the local private hospital. With his dazzling smile and intelligent banter, Nick is a breath of fresh air compared to the elderly beings that usually visit Macey before moving on to the afterlife. But Nick has been sent to her for a reason, he just can't remember what that is. Was it to berate her for the scathing attack on his band? But when a self proclaimed psychic warns Macey that she's in danger, she'll soon realise how true that is.
One cute boy is enough to handle, but when Macey meets Nick's cousin Finn, the sparks begin to fly. It isn't love at first sight, it's annoyance and mild irritation at best. Finn is handsomely sun kissed, a junior surf champion and when it seems Macey is being stalked by a crazed fan of Nick's band Pashon, Finn is waiting in the wings to protect her. Macey's knows all too well that her sass and attitude doesn't leave room for many fans, but who would want to hurt her? That seems the least of her problems right now, when her father arrives home with a secret life in tow. Macey's life is becoming a complicated mess. Her mother is gone, her father is home and she now has the family she's always dreamed of, pity it belongs to someone else.
When friends that Macey didn't realise she had rally around her, her stalker is closing in. Notes left in her home, her school locker, car and text messages on her phone are reaching a peak and Macey has no idea who wishes her harm... But she's about to find out. Sometimes the person you least expect, may just be the one who wants to see your downfall.
Kelly's Thoughts
I loved Almost Dead, it was fun, flirty and impossible to put down. Anyone who's been to the Gold Coast in Queensland, will appreciate the beach loving location and Kaz Delaney drops readers right in the middle of the glitz and glamour. Macey is the ultimate rich girl, right down to her designer shoes, but she's clumsy, cute and extremely likable. Not having read the first book Dead Actually, Macey's story picks up with her mother leaving, her best friend and brother off on an adventure romance, and apart from the ghostly vision of Nick, she's all alone. Technically Nick isn't a ghost, he's still very much alive, but his spirit has been sent to find Macey and warn her of the grave danger she faces, but Nick can't remember exactly what that is.
Finn is the vision of Nick, where Nick is cheeky and flirtatious, Finn is the strong silent type. There is definitely a mutual attraction from the beginning between Finn and Macey, but it develops into somewhat of a relationship based on friendship and both being involved with Nick and his recovery. It's not instant love, and apart from the paranormal aspect, these could be two teens dating in any suburb around Australia. It's realistic and kudos to any author who doesn't force relationships upon characters that wouldn't otherwise work.
It was witty, charming and fun. Set on the Gold Coast, reading this on a stinking hot Melbourne summer day was a breath of fresh air. It's the ultimate Aussie summer read. Seeing this is my first Kaz Delaney novel, it certainly won't be my last. The only way I can compare her is to a song, her book starts off with a catchy melody drawing you in, you fall in love with the narrator as soon as she begins her verse. It reaches a crescendo that you won't see coming, and as those last notes fall, you'll sit back with a sigh and a smile and be grateful for the journey she's taken you on.
My, that was poetic. Should rework that for valentines day coming up and pitch it to Hallmark.
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