Tag Archives: Review

Book Review: The Secrets Between Us by Cyan Michaels (ARC)

Posted on September 27, 2025 | Leave a comment
via Netgalley

The Secrets Between Us is a domestic thriller that starts with a seemingly innocent photo that quickly spirals into a suspense-filled unraveling of a series of secrets, lies, and betrayals. It is a fast-paced read that kept me turning page after page until the end.

At the center of the story is Amy Taylor, a meticulous handbag repair shop owner who believes she has the perfect life with a loving husband, a wonderful son, and a comfortable suburban lifestyle. But everything changes when she discovers a school photo in her husband’s dry cleaning of a boy that looks exactly like her son, only it isn’t. What begins as a nagging suspicion turns into a manic 72-hour race to uncover the truth before her husband, Craig, returns from a business trip. And just when you think you’ve figured it out, the author throws in another curveball.

I absolutely love the pacing of the story. The short chapters and countdown structure give it a sense of urgency, and as Amy’s investigation takes some increasingly wild turns, a few plot points stretch believability and some secondary characters feel a little flat, but the central mystery remains compelling throughout. Amy is an easy character to root for even though she loves to jump to conclusions too quickly.

I thought the twists at the latter part of the story verge on the over-the-top; it’s very evident that Michaels knows how to craft suspense. The psychological element is there, especially when it comes to trust and perception.

If you love a good domestic thriller with high stakes, fast pacing, and shocking reveals, The Secrets Between Us is worth your time. It is not perfect, but it’s definitely entertaining—and the ending will leave you questioning how well you really know the people closest to you.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the copy in exchange for an honest and impartial review.

Cyan Michaels’ first psychological thriller with Inkubator Books, The Secrets Between Us, will be published on October 12, 2025.

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Film Review: Haikyuu!! THE MOVIE: Decisive Battle at the Garbage Dump (2024)

Posted on May 19, 2024 | Leave a comment

When the fourth season of Haikyuu!! started in early 2020 and concluded around July of the same year, I was expecting a fifth season. Given the abundance of material in the manga, a couple more seasons seemed likely. However, the decision was made to produce two movies instead. In February this year, the first movie, Haikyuu!! THE MOVIE: Decisive Battle at the Garbage Dump, was released to great success.

We’ve been anticipating this rematch between Karasuno and Nekoma for what feels like forever, and it exceeded all my expectations. Watching the film made me feel nostalgic because Haikyuu!! is one of my favorite anime series of all time. Seeing it on the big screen with fellow fans was an absolutely incredible experience.

While I would still prefer the story to continue as a series, this movie delivered on all fronts, so I have no complaints. I’m quite satisfied with it. It saddens me, however, that after the second film, it will be over, and only the memories of watching this incredible anime will remain—along with rewatching the entire series in the coming years.

Animation-wise, the film is exceptionally well made and a significant improvement over the somewhat comical and butchered animation of the fourth season. Remembering that still makes me chuckle.

The film is packed with flashbacks, funny moments, and exhilarating scenes from the manga. We get different perspectives from various characters, primarily Kenma and Hinata.

My favorite scenes from the movie include Kenma’s POV of the game. Those few minutes of seeing the play through Kenma’s eyes featured fantastic animation. Another highlight is seeing young Kuroo and Kenma. And, of course, Hinata’s resolve as he was challenged by Kenma to play his best, and vice versa.

The story is, as always, top-notch. The humor was spot on, and the characters—what can I say? Haruichi Furudate is a genius for creating these wonderful characters that we fans have come to cherish over the years and will continue to cherish moving forward.

The movie opens in the country on May 15 and should be available in major theaters nationwide. Be sure to catch it while it’s showing!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Director: Susumu Mitsunaka
Based on Haikyu!! by Haruichi Furudate
Cast: Ayumu Murase, Kaito Ishikawa, Yuki Kaji, Yuichi Nakamura

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iWhite Nose Pack Whiteheads And Blackheads Remover Review

Posted on January 22, 2012 | 5 comments

For years now, I’ve been trying different products to eliminate my blackheads that cause me too much discomfort as the years go by. I mean, it’s not really that big of a deal – it’s just annoying at times because I tend to get irritated whenever I see whiteheads / blackheads populating my nose.

I’ve read about iWhite last year and thought that this would be another one of those products I’ve tried before. Then, a friend at my new job told me that she actually tried it and it kinda works for her so that convinced me to try the product myself.

iWhite Nose Pack  is made in Korea that uses ingredients like mulberry root extract, panax ginseng root extract, aloe vera leaf extract, vitamins A,C and E and a lot of other ingredients. I bought mine at Watsons for P189 that according to the sales lady would last for like a month which is not so bad. She’s even trying to sell me the iWhite facial wash and moisturizer (?) but I thought of buying the nose pack first since I’m not even sure if it’s going to work. (and I’m using another brand of facial wash and moisturizer)

When I opened it – it kinda smelled like glue (yeah, like the Elmer’s Glue) – and the texture of the cream was also glue-like although iWhite‘s thicker. It’s tolerable though and when I applied it, it feels kinda weird because the smell became stronger  obviously because of where I’m applying it.

According to the product’s direction, I have to wait 15 minutes for it to dry before peeling it upwards. Peeling it was just okay – very easy and doesn’t cause any pain at all – unless you are really that sensitive. 

The results? I would like to think that it’s one of the better products that I’ve tried in years since I immediately saw some blackheads when I peeled it off  -it won’t remove most of your blackheads at once since you gotta do it 2-4 times for best results. I’ve been using it for like a month now but mostly just about twice a week and it was okay I guess. For 189 pesos, it’s doing its job and I’m pretty satisfied with it. I would still go to facial spa’s but I won’t mind buying iWhite again.

Rating: 3.5/5

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