The Night Agent is a crime/thriller series on Netflix that was released this month and has gripped many viewers. TV is a dangerous thing for many reasons. The most common reason, however, is probably the way that it produces movies and TV series that hook you as a viewer, causing you to binge-watch them. I'm currently studying screenwriting for uni and writing my own script, so I find it fascinating how programmes and films grab a viewer's attention and keep you wanting to watch more. And most recently, my parents and I were binge-watchers ourselves. We have the streaming service Netflix, which has a whole multitude of things to watch. One of the most popular TV shows on Netflix at the moment is the new series The Night Agent. This 10-episode show is the one my parents and I watched in three nights because once we'd watched one episode, we needed to watch the next one and the next one and so on. The Night Agent is a crime/thriller series that follows FBI Agent Peter Sutherland as he becomes involved in a deadly conspiracy that threatens those who know too much. Now, before I give my full review, I just want to warn you that there will be some spoilers from here, so if you haven't watched The Night Agent and/or are planning to, stop reading here. However, if you have watched it, feel free to continue and see if you agree with me. My review of The Night Agent I'm a big fan of action movies and crime shows. So it was no surprise when I wanted to watch The Night Agent when it was released. Season one of the show is a 10-episode season, which in my opinion actually tied together all the narrative strands quite nicely by the end. The series follows the story of Peter Sutherland, an FBI agent who mans the phone that Night Agents ring when they're in trouble. It hardly ever rings, but one night it does. Rose Larkin was the CEO of her own tech company before losing her job. She stays with her aunt and uncle, who unknown to her are night agents. One night, they're murdered and Rose is forced to call Peter. From there, Rose and Peter are drawn into a conspiracy theory and threats against the US government. They're forced to go on the run as traitors are uncovered and the closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes for them. Each episode begins with a flashback. As a budding screenwriter myself, this was interesting to see. The general progression of the storyline throughout the episodes flows nicely and is natural. Each event and each action has a reaction and the flashbacks at the beginning provide us with the exposition (background information) that we need to make sense of everything that is going on. The Night Agent lives up to the genre of action. There is so much going on in each episode, I'm glad I binge-watched it because it made it easier to keep up with everything. The drama and multiple conflicts throughout will grab your attention and make you question things as you try to figure out along with Peter and Rose who the good guys are and who the traitors are. The show is action-packed, expertly created and written, funny (there is humour throughout it as well) and gripping. Once you start watching it, you'll definitely want to continue and watch it all till the end. The final episode wraps up the narrative strands and it ends in a way that makes way for season two of The Night Agent. If you haven't watched The Night Agent yet, you most definitely should. Until next time...

There are lots of different genres of books and even more sub-genres, but one particular genre that has grown in popularity since the rise of Bookstagram and BookTok is romance. Romance has always been a popular genre of fiction with classics such as Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice featuring love stories. But since social media and the rise of indie authors, romance has grown immensely in recent years. As a creative writing student, it fascinates me how fiction is written and why readers get hooked on different stories. With romance, there's the element of fantasy and the escapism that comes when reading a love story. It's hard to date in the modern world and find romance when dating apps take away in-person interactions and more and more people are seeking 'short-term fun'. That's where romance books fill the void because they provide that connection as readers get hooked on to the characters. Trust me, I know - my list of book boyfriends and empowering female protagonists is rather long! But when it comes to romance books, there are many sub-genres involved, which creates a deeper focus within the plot. Some of the sub-genres include sports romances, small-town romances, dark romances, and mafia romances. Today, because I've read a few this month, I'm going to give you some of my favourite mafia romances. Sinners Anonymous by Somme Sketcher Somme Sketcher was actually a new author to me this year. I'm attending the RARE23London event at the Excel later this year; Somme is one of the authors going and one of the ones I want to meet, so I thought I should read her books. And I'm so glad I did. Her Sinners Anonymous series currently consists of three books available to read (the fourth is coming out later in 2023). It centres around the Visconti brothers, who are part of the Cosa Nostra in Devil's Dip. The eldest brother, Angelo, is the Capo whilst Rafe and Gabe are his consigliere and underboss. Book 1, Sinners Anonymous, follows Angelo and Rory's story, whilst books two and three (Sinners Condemned and Sinners Consumed) follow Rafe and Penny's story. Gabe's story will be the fourth book, Sinners Atone. It's a mafia series with six central characters, lots of tropes including enemies to lovers and forbidden romance. If you haven't read Somme's books, I definitely recommend this series as a good introduction not only to her as an author but to mafia romance as well. Dark Verse series by Runyx The Dark Verse series by Runyx is probably one of the first mafia romance series I ever read thanks to my friends on bookstagram. It consists of five different books: The Predator, The Reaper, The Emperor, The Finisher and The Annihilator. The first two books are about Tristan Caine and Morana Vitalio, both involved with the mafia but are from rival families. Their story is a duet as history resurfaces bringing the two together to face truths that have been kept hidden for years. The third book tells the tale of Dante Maroni, the heir to the Tenebrae Outfit, as he tries to infiltrate the group called the Syndicate whilst uncovering truths he didn't want to know and navigating a relationship with his childhood friend, Amara after tragedy strikes. The Finisher follows Alessandro Villanova and Zephyr de la Vega as they fall in love turning Zephyr's quiet life and Alessandro's lonely one upside down. These are two side characters with the whole Dark Verse world, in my opinion, but their story is still enjoyable to read. The Annihilator is the fifth book in the series and it ties the mafia world together, bringing together all the different characters and narratives. It focuses on Tristan's sister, Luna, and the Shadowman, both of whom have been at the centre of the mysteries throughout the series. The Dark Verse series is a really enjoyable mafia read and once you start reading, you'll get hooked! Rina Kent's Monster Trilogy and Throne Duet Rina Kent is one of those authors who gets you hooked immediately. Once you've read one book by her, you'll want to read the others and both these series are no exception. First up, the Throne Duet. This duet is a two-parter story that follows Kyle Hunter, an assassin, and Rai Sokolov, the daughter of a member of the Brotherhood, the Russian mafia in the States. The duet follows the two of them as they navigate an arranged marriage and the restrictions of the mafia. Kyle begins the series as Rai's enemy but the dynamics soon change with Rai taking the position of power, which is rather unusual in the mafia. There are ups and downs, lots of chemistry, sweet moments, and angst. The Throne Duet is in my opinion some of the best work of Rina's. As for the Monster Trilogy, I must admit at the time of writing this blog, I haven't actually read the trilogy in full. However, that being said, I know Rina's writing and I've already met Sasha and Kirill (funnily enough, they're in Rai's story)! The Monster Trilogy, as I understand it, follows Sasha as she enters the military and masquerades as a male with Kirill as her superior. The whole trilogy has Mulan vibes with major slow burn but the first book begins by showing the first time Sasha and Kirill meet, giving us their backgrounds. Book two picks up straight after book one and it continues to explore Sasha and Kirill's relationship right into the third and final instalment of their story. I can't wait to read the whole trilogy and get up to date with Rina's books! Question: Have you ever read a mafia romance book? If you haven't, give the ones above a try but if you have, let me know in the comments what books you've read. Until next time...

There are many types of people in today's world but generally we can all fall into one of three categories: Introverts, Ambiverts and Extroverts. Recently, I attended the Quietly Influential Summit for Introverts online. The summit occurred over five days and involved seminars run by different people talking all about introverts and being introverted entrepreneurs. The seminars covered a variety of different topics from what an introvert actually is to how to communicate in the best way whilst networking. My sister and I both attended the summit and I must say, it was a fascinating way to spend my afternoons. We both class ourselves as introverts - although sometimes I feel a bit like an ambivert - so learning how to utilise our introversion as best we can to maximise our performance whilst working was incredibly helpful. After learning a lot from the summit, I thought I'd share some of my key takeaways on WriteWatchWork in case there are fellow introverts out there. One thing that piqued my interest was knowing the many types of introverts - there isn't just one. In fact, there are four. They are the: Thinking Introvert, Restrained Introvert, Social Introvert and the Anxious Introvert. Now, before I share what the different types are, let's take a look at the definition of an introvert. Oxford Dictionary defines an introvert as: "A shy, reticent person" Or the psychological definition which is: "A person predominantly concerned with their own thoughts and feelings rather than with external things." And whilst these may be true, I prefer my definition: 'An introvert is someone who thrives on being in solitude and having an inner focus.' From the summit, I learnt that one key difference between introverts and extroverts is the effect of social interactions. Extroverts are more outgoing people who thrive on socialising, whereas introverts, as above, are the opposite. During the summit, we were given a metaphor to help convey this difference. For example, imagine having five spoons. Each day an introvert would wake up with those five spoons, fully energised. As the day goes on, with each social interaction a spoon is used up so that by the time the day ends, an introvert has no spoons left. For extroverts, they would wake up with zero spoons. For them, as they go about their day, each social interaction would provide them with a spoon because they get energy from interacting with others. With that in mind, let's take a look at the different kinds of introverts. Thinking Introvert: The thinking introvert is someone with high levels of thinking introversion. What that means is generally during social interaction, they're the quieter ones. They like to think and ponder and process. Thinking introverts also tend to be good strategists, making it easier for them to analyse and communicate their personal brand. Restrained Introvert: Now a restrained introvert is probably what you think it is. These people are not very good at being spontaneous - they're restrained. Restrained introverts like to have a plan and prepare themselves for the day ahead and for every eventuality. Social Introvert: Typically, people think all introverts are very shy and rather anti-social and whilst some may prefer to not socialise, it's not a definite trait of introverts. Social introverts are those that find socialising easier, compared to the other types. They are also the ones who find themselves happy in small groups as well as in their solitude. Anxious Introvert: The anxious introvert is the type of introvert that can be misconstrued because of its name. In truth, the anxious introvert isn't always a sufferer of anxiety. Instead, they're introverts who seek more solitude and try to take the focus off of themselves and place it on someone else. For example, in the business world, an anxious introvert would focus more on their clients and spotlighting them. What type am I? Now you know the main four types of introverts, do you see yourself in them? I took a quiz and it revealed that I'm a social introvert. My results said: This actually suits me as I do express myself as an extrovert sometimes but do find being on my own refreshing and recharging. Also I am a bit of a people pleaser so the final sentence about not overloading myself and accepting that I can't make everyone happy is something I should probably take onboard a lot more. If you think you're an introvert, let me know what type. It's not something to be ashamed of, no matter what society may convey. Over the next couple of weeks, I'll be writing more blogs about introversion and things I learnt from the Quietly Influential Summit, so if you enjoyed this post, stay tuned. Until next time...

Stacey Solomon has a TV show called Sort Your Life Out and it's one of the more motivating and inspiring television shows. Have you ever watched a TV series, a non-fiction one at that, and felt as though you've learnt something or have been inspired to do something? Well, watching Sort Your Life Out by Stacey Solomon did that for me. I've written a post before about the American show Get Organised: The Home Edit and whilst this show is similar to Sort Your Life Out, it's also very different. In Stacey Solomon's show, you see Stacey and her team help out UK families by sorting through every single item in their house, cleaning the house and repurposing each space. Whilst watching it, you do pick up tips and tricks as well as feel inspired to get off the sofa and work on the space around you. In the TV show, Stacey and her team go through steps with each family to ultimately give them the best home possible. To start they sort everything inside the house - and I mean everything - into boxes, which are then taken to a warehouse. There, the family has to sort through each item deciding whether to keep it or get rid of it. As the family is doing the sorting, the rest of the team is cleaning the house and building different bits of furniture to utilise the rooms as best they can. Once everything has been completed for the family, they then have a house that is tidy, organised and practical for them to live an easy, stress-free life. The effect of Sort Your Life Out My family and I watched an episode of the show the other evening after dinner, which was lovely. However, once I'd watched the episode I had a new spurt of energy and motivation to begin sorting through our house and organising things. I'm writing this post because it's incredible how watching one thing can alter your mindset and perspective on life. One thing I want to do this year is to sort through one room in our house and reorganise and restructure it so it becomes a sort of 'hobby room'. What I mean by that is a room that's part library and part art studio. My sister and I would love a library in our house - when we get our own, that's a must-have - and so when we reorganise the spare room, we want to have a big bookcase and a comfy chair to be able to sit and read in. For our parents, our mum is amazing at cross-stitch and our dad is an incredible artist so having a space to do cross-stitch and draw would be great. Watching Sort Your Life Out has made me realise that a) I need to start actually doing, not just thinking/talking, and b) we need to go through the essentials for what we want to include in the spare room and section off an area for each aspect. The only problem I had watching the show was that it was in the evening. Usually, watching a TV show in the evening is fine, it can be relaxing; however, Stacey Solomon motivated me to start sorting but because it was before going to bed that I watched it, I couldn't start sorting. However, I have since begun making plans and lists of how to tackle creating my own episode of Sort Your Life Out. If you have never seen the programme before or if you have a space in your home that you want to spruce up and repurpose, give it a watch. Once you do, you'll (hopefully) feel the same as I did and be inspired and motivated to get up and start doing because after you've transformed a space into its best possible version of itself, you'll feel calmer and happier. Let me know if you've watched the show before or if you haven't and if you end up doing a bit of your own Sort Your Life Out episode. Until next time...

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is a timeless novel that has some of the best prose I've read. Despite being an avid bookworm, I must admit I am a bit behind the times with reading Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It grew in popularity last year on social media and I kept seeing it recommended on TikTok, but I never actually got around to reading it. It's been on my bookshelf for a while but after reading lots of hockey romances (which are amazing by the way), I decided to read Seven Husbands to make my brain work a bit more. And boy do I regret not reading it earlier. This year I'm trying to review every book I've read and because I loved Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo so much and think it's a novel everyone should read, I thought I'd do a blog post of my review. Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid Interview/biographical novel: 10/10 Historical romance: 9/10 Forbidden romance: 9/10 Tragedy: 9.5/10 Taylor Jenkins Reid is a one-of-a-kind author, who captivates you like no other and leaves you reeling from her work days after. That is how I felt reading Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It was my first book by Taylor and I’ve never read anything like it. It is a truly unique novel that not only demonstrates the highest quality of prose and characterisation but essential lessons in life everyone should be aware of and learn. Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo tells the tale of Evelyn Hugo, a Hollywood icon from the 50s to the 80s, who is ready to tell the world her truth. Evelyn hires Monique from the magazine Vivant under false pretences and persuades her to write her biography. The novel itself is split into parts focusing on the development of Evelyn’s life, detailing how she came to Hollywood and her career right up till the point she decides to leave. Each part focuses on a different marriage as well, detailing the seven husbands of Evelyn and also the impact the this interview has on Monique. It's written in an interview/biographical style, which Taylor has mastered. This novel is the first I've read written in this style and I wasn't quite sure about it at the beginning. However, once you start reading you honestly get hooked and you won't be able to put it down. The changes between the interview and Evelyn's telling of her life are not perplexing or difficult to understand - it is seamless. Taylor's portrayal of Evelyn’s story makes each and every character and the entire narrative feel real. It almost felt as if Evelyn Hugo was an actual part of our history. Taylor executed it beautifully. Evelyn is a character you grow to love but also dislike at points, but that is what makes her human. As a reader, we see where she excels but also her flaws. Evelyn is ruthlessly ambitious, going after what she wants no matter what. She's not afraid to use her assets to her advantage and can be mean sometimes, but Evelyn is also fearless, loyal till the end and a survivor. Monique is completely different to Evelyn at the beginning of the novel. She is quite timid and not as fearless to go after her ambitions, unlike Evelyn. However, throughout the novel we see the path Monique is on alter and her character arc begin to take place. Monique learns a lot from the interview and by the end of the novel, she is her own person, taking her life into her own hands and not letting anyone get in her way. Not only is Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo a novel detailing Evelyn’s glamorous and scandalous life, but it also features everything you need from a romance novel: soulmates, die-hard love, passionate love, forbidden romance, heartbreak and tragedy, and scandal. It has everything. The emotions dropped off the page and the way each character’s emotions are conveyed is exquisite. None of the characters felt superfluous or unrealistic. They could all be very real celebrities and I wouldn’t bat an eyelid. It honestly felt like a true celebrity story. The writing of each relationship, the depth and detail of the characters, the plot twists, the pacing, and the seamless flow of it all were perfect. Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a classic and literary perfection. If the plot and characters don’t captivate you, the prose will. It’s not only a novel to indulge in and enjoy, but it’s also one to learn from and I for one, will continue to love and reread this novel. If you've read Seven Husbands, let me what you thought of it. If you haven't read it, give it a go because you won't be disappointed. Until next time... (Click the cover to buy the book from Amazon UK)

Teen Wolf: The Movie premiered on Paramount+ at the end of January and it raised some mixed responses. As a Creative Writing student, currently studying scriptwriting, I have an excuse to watch lots of movies. One of the movies I've watched this year, for research but mainly because I was dying to see it was Teen Wolf: The Movie. In case you didn't know, I absolutely love the TV series, Teen Wolf. I love it so much I have a Stiles Stilinski lacrosse sweatshirt and Stydia are one of my favourite on-screen couples. So to learn that Jeff Davies was working on a feature-length film based on the TV series made me really happy. However, I wasn't 100% sure about it because I knew that Dylan O'Brien, who played Stiles, wasn't going to be in the film. But, I watched the film anyway, despite missing Stiles, and thought I'd share my review. My review of Teen Wolf: The Movie The movie is set several years after the season six finale. The characters are now all grown up, and living their adult lives after college. But, strange things keep happening and they're all forced to return to Beacon Hills once again. The IMDB description of the film says: "A terrifying evil has emerged. The wolves howl once again, but only a Werewolf like Scott McCall, can gather both new allies and reunite trusted friends to fight back against what could be the most powerful and deadliest enemy." Whilst there is a dangerous enemy, I feel as though the phrase "most powerful and deadliest enemy" is a bit of hyperbole. *incoming spoilers* In the movie, the enemy is the nogitsune, the villain that we saw in season three. This time, however, it links itself to Allison, after she's resurrected through a ritual Scott, Lydia and Malia perform. Yes, the nogitsune isn't harmless. It is a very powerful, supernatural creature, but I can think of many other enemies that Scott and the gang have faced. For instance, La Bête du Gévaudan, and even Gerard and the hunters, despite them being human. Throughout the movie, we see Allison go after the Scooby gang. Towards the beginning she even tries to kill Eli, Derek's son, who in the movie is 15, meaning he was born around the time Allison died in season three - but no one really knows who his mother is at the moment. With Allison trying to kill the wolves, there's also another person in play and under the influence of the nogitsune. Adrian Harris. The chemistry teacher. If you're an avid fan of the series, you'll remember that Adrian Harris was a character from the earlier seasons. He didn't really get involved much in the supernatural aspects of Beacon Hills, until a druid in disguise as a fellow teacher, Jennifer, sacrificed him as part of her ceremony. Seeing Adrian come back and be the main villain was a bit of a shock. I wasn't expecting his character to ever return, so that was a good plot twist. In the movie, you see his character at the beginning, without knowing who he is, as he steals the nogitsune from Liam and Hikari, the new kitsune, who kind of took Kira's place within the Teen Wolf world. I did like seeing the characters' lives as adults, and how they all went on their own paths. I also enjoyed having a previous villain come back rather than a brand-new one. However, there were parts of the film that I wasn't too keen on and I felt they kind of let down the enjoyment of it. To start with, they broke Stydia up. Now I know that logically, this is a good way to deflect against Dylan O'Brien not being in the film because if they'd kept Stydia together, it would be difficult to explain how they were together but why Stiles, the one who always loves a good mystery, wasn't returning to Beacon Hills. This part is purely selfish of me because I wanted Stiles and Lydia to get together for sooooooo long! And they did and it was amazing, but then they broke up. But to be fair, I actually felt that the reason the writers gave for the break-up was true to Stiles and Lydia's characters. So, I can overlook the Stydia break up but there was another couple, who was completely unexpected and who I don't think really go together. Malia and Parrish. At the end of season six, Malia was dating Scott and I actually really liked Scalia and thought the characters were good for each other. But in the movie, Malia is seeing Parrish and it sort of came out of nowhere. Then we had the return of characters such as Jackson, who provided a bit of comic relief in the movie, but mainly I thought Eli was the character closest to Stiles humour. Jackson is half-werewolf and half-kanima. In other words, he's pretty powerful. Lydia, a banshee, is also powerful if not one of the most powerful creatures in Beacon Hills. For me, I didn't really feel as though a lot of the characters actually fought or had a purpose in the movie. Jackson and Lydia did some sleuthing, but never actually got in on the action until Lydia screamed, breaking the barrier into the world of the nogitsune where Allison, Scott and all the others were. Liam, Scott's beta, didn't really do much in the movie either, which for me was a bit of a letdown as I really liked his character in the series. Mason, Liam's best friend, was very much the same. Once he'd been taken by the nogitsune, his role wasn't very active. I did, however, like Derek and Eli in the movie. I enjoyed the father-son relationship and seeing them both fight and deal with Eli transforming. But, if you've seen the movie you know that it's not all happy things for the Hales as Derek sacrificed himself to save the others. I actually watched the movie with my sister and my mum and I can tell you, my sister really doesn't like it purely because they killed off Derek. And she also wasn't a massive fan of Allison either. My Rating I do agree with my sister that it was very sad to see a favourite of the show be killed off, but at the same time the writer in me understands why it happened. So overall, I did enjoy the movie; there were aspects I really liked but there were aspects that I wasn't too keen on. For me, I feel as though the movie wasn't actually necessary and that ending at season six was a great way to round off the characters' stories. Therefore, I'm giving Teen Wolf: The Movie 3.5/5 stars. Have you seen Teen Wolf: The Movie? If so, what did you think? Until next time...

It can be hard to motivate yourself, especially when you're working (or studying) from home, but it's important to reflect on your achievements no matter how big or small. January wasn't a great month for me after being unwell, so February was the first month this year in which I actually got things done and was productive. As someone who is not only completing a university degree online but also working from home, I know how difficult it can be to motivate yourself and set yourself up for a proper day's work. My job as a motorsport journalist doesn't follow the typical nine-to-five hours of other jobs. Formula 1, and its feeder series, always occur on the weekends so those days are my busiest time of the week. But in the build-up, there are also Virtual Media Roundtables with the teams and drivers of F2 and F3. On top of working three-day weekends, I have my part-time university degree to complete. However, because my weekends are motorsport-based, I fill my weekdays with university work, as well as an article here and there. This month I worked on getting back on track and catching up with things I missed in January, not only in terms of my career and studies but also with life in general. It can be difficult to reflect on achievements and actually take a moment to acknowledge what you've done recently. This blog is to allow me to reflect on what I've achieved but also to maybe inspire you as well. My February Round-Up: February has been quite a busy month and it feels like it's flown by. I've achieved and done a lot in different aspects of my life from professional aspects to social aspects as well. Career and University Achievements: Interviewing Bruno Michel: I was lucky enough to partake in a Virtual Media Roundtable with the CEO of Formula 2 and Formula 3, Bruno Michel, as a journalist for FormulaNerds. It was great speaking to Bruno again ahead of the upcoming seasons. Interviewing Formula 2 and Formula 3 Team Principals: As well as speaking to Bruno Michel, I was fortunate to interview the team principals of the feeder series in another Virtual Media Roundtable, including the lovely Stephanie Carlin. Recording podcasts for FormulaNerds: As a regular panellist on the Cut to the Race podcast by FormulaNerds, I recorded a couple of news shows with my friends and colleagues as well as our livery ratings of the 2023 season, which if I do say so myself, is a particularly entertaining episode. Writing articles for FormulaNerds: Throughout the month of February, I've written 12 articles covering lots of different topics in motorsport from McLaren's launch of the MCL60 to the confirmed details and calendar of the F1 Academy. Freelance Journalism Diploma: To add to my qualifications, I bought a journalism course where I will receive a diploma if I pass all the assessments. So far, I have completed module one and passed the assessment with distinction. Completed my third assignment: January put me behind schedule with my uni work and I, unfortunately, missed a deadline due to illness, however, this month I was able to complete my third assignment and submit it only a few days later. Completed the fourth module of my course: As a result of being behind schedule, I started the next module of my degree later than I expected. But, last week I managed to finish all the work for it and begin crafting my next assignment. Attended a university workshop: My degree is all online so I don't have the typical lectures, instead, there are occasional workshops for us to attend. In early February, I attended a workshop on structure, which was actually really interesting as it helped me develop a character for my novel. Personal and Social Achievements: Dublin: My sister and I travelled to Dublin for a few days this month with our cousins, which was lovely because we rarely see them in person due to distance and busy schedules. So, it was nice to spend some time with them, explore the city of Dublin and enjoy a few days from our normal realities. Caught up with my friends: Having not seen my friends in person since the beginning of January, I finally got round to seeing them all and catching up with them, which I really enjoyed. Super Bowl LVII: February was the month of the Super Bowl and if you've read any of my posts before, you know I love NFL. My dad is my NFL buddy and so we watched the Super Bowl together, celebrating the Chiefs' victory, which I loved. My dad's birthday: Also this month, it was my dad's birthday and celebrating that with him and my family was a highlight of the month because I got to spend uninterrupted time with my family, who I could not live without. Everything I've achieved this month has made me proud of myself. 2023 is the year where I'm trying to take life by the horns and go after every opportunity I can. Hopefully, this post has inspired you to be proud of yourself for what you have achieved, whether it's big or small. If it hasn't, next month record everything you do and when it comes to the end of March, you can look back and reflect on all your achievements. Until next time...

The 2023 Super Bowl saw the Kansas City Chiefs go against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona as they fought for the win. The 2022-23 NFL season has seen some great games and surprise victories. With the 18-week regular season, including a bye-week, done and dusted at the beginning of January, it left seven teams from each conference in contention for the Super Bowl. In the AFC, the teams that got through to the playoffs were: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers and the Miami Dolphins. In the NFC, the teams that got through to the playoffs were: Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After the wildcard round, the Ravens, the Dolphins, the Buccaneers and the Seahawks were all out of the playoffs. Next came the divisional round, which saw the Chiefs, the Eagles, the Bengals and 49ers take victory. It was then down to the final two games: San Francisco 49ers vs Philadelphia Eagles. Cincinnati Bengals vs Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles beat the 49ers with a final score of 31-7. It was an unfortunate game for the 49ers after their quarterbacks suffered some injuries. The Eagles took the victory meaning they had made it through to the Super Bowl. In the AFC, it was the Chiefs who were victorious as they outscored the Bengals by only three points. The Bengals made it to the Super Bowl last year against the Rams, but this year they lost out against the Chiefs. So for Super Bowl LVII, the two teams were: Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. Super Bowl LVII I am a Dallas Cowboys fan, so it was only right for me to support the Chiefs given the rivalry between the Cowboys and Eagles. However, it makes me proud that the NFC East had three teams in the playoffs and one in the Super Bowl. Heading into the Super Bowl, the Eagles' regular season saw them win 14 games and lose three. The Chiefs had the same record making a level playing field in terms of stats. Both quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs) and Jalen Hurts (Eagles) were suffering from injuries. However, they were both cleared to play and so the Super Bowl began. As all NFL games do, the Super Bowl began with the coin toss. It was the Chiefs who won the toss, but they deferred until the second half, meaning the Eagles started with the ball. It was an exciting game straight from kick-off as the Eagles scored a touchdown in just under the first five minutes. However, it was recalled but that didn't stop them as on the next play, Hurts took the ball into the end-zone. From there, the Chiefs were eager to even the score. But, unfortunately for the Chiefs they missed a field goal. This Super Bowl was not only Chiefs vs Eagles but Kelce vs Kelce as Travis Kelce was playing for the Chiefs against his brother, Jason, who plays for the Eagles. Once the Chiefs had the ball, Travis Kelce levelled the score by achieving a touchdown. Having kicked the extra point, it was then 7-7. The first quarter remained 7-7 and ended with a first down for the Eagles after the Chiefs were penalised for a false start. Eagles dominance Throughout this season, the Eagles have outscored their opponents by 116 points in the second quarter. And this proved to continue as Hurts found AJ Brown in the end-zone for a 45-yard touchdown. Despite things looking bleak for a bit for the Chiefs, they were able to come back with a scoop and score. The Eagles had the ball and were on a 3rd and 5, but Hurts dropped the ball. The Chiefs were quick to pick it up and Nick Bolton carried it to the end-zone, making it 14-14. This was the Eagles' first turnover of the post-season. Soon after a neutral zone infraction by the Chiefs, the Eagles got a first down and Hurt slipped through the defence and got another touchdown. With two minutes left of the quarter, and the Eagles up by seven, it wasn't looking good for the Chiefs. On a 3rd and 15 at the Chiefs' 31, Mahomes got taken down by the Eagles' defence. He was then seen hobbling away off the field as his already-present ankle injury just got worse. At the end of the first half, it's 14-24 to the Eagles after a 35-yard field goal attempt. Then it was time for the half-time show! The second half saw a resurgence of the Chiefs. Many questioned whether Mahomes would be back on the field due to his injury, but the break whilst Rihanna performed was just what he needed. On the opening possession, the Chiefs' Isiah Pacheco scored a touchdown. But they were still three points behind the Eagles. The Eagles attempted to respond with Hurts passing to Sanders, but it was a catch and fumble by Philadelphia. The Chiefs picked up the ball and the ruling on the field deemed it a touchdown. However, after review, it was confirmed as an incomplete pass. With the time ticking, it was at 2:36 that Hurts got sacked by the Chiefs' defence. But he gets back up again and the Eagles score a field goal taking it to 21-27. Tables have turned Once the third quarter had ended, the tension ramped up. The Chiefs began the final quarter of the game. 2 minutes into the quarter and the Chiefs scored a touchdown! The touchdown and extra point put them one ahead of the Eagles - the tables had officially turned. After several plays, the Chiefs were at it again as Moore ran it in for a touchdown with just under 10 minutes to go. However, the Eagles didn't give up. Hurts completed his fourth touchdown of the night and with the two-point conversion, it was 35-35. At the two-minute warning, the Chiefs received an automatic first down after a penalty by the Eagles for defensive holding. Kansas City, then, instead of scoring another touchdown, kept possession of the ball stopping at the two-yard line, to use up time on the clock. After a field goal pushed them up to 38-35, the Eagles only had four seconds left for the final play of the game. And that is that. The Super Bowl LVII ended with the Kansas City Chiefs being victorious, beating the Philadelphia Eagles in what could only be described as an epic game! Both teams played fantastically; Mahomes and Hurts are incredible quarterbacks. Either one of them deserved to win! Who were you supporting in Super Bowl LVII? Are you happy with who won? Until next time...

If you know me, you know that one of my favourite things in life is books. I always have a book on the go, and more often than not I have two. So it was only right for me to receive some books for Christmas. For Christmas, I received six books in total. They all fit the same genre of romance but their sub-genres differ. I'm quite picky when it comes to getting books in paperback; mainly because I only want physical copies of books I love and know that I will reread. With these six new books, I had to rearrange my bookshelves (for the second time in two months), and because I love them so much, I thought it only fair to recommend them to you. Legacy of Gods Series Book #1 by Rina Kent God of Malice is the first book in the Legacy of Gods series, which follows the second generation of Rina's Royal Elite series and her mafia world. There will be six books in total in the LoG series and the first three have already been published. I enjoyed reading all of them but God of Malice, the introductory book into the new series, was my favourite. It's a dark romance mixing old money with mafia money. Glyndon King is the daughter of Levi and Astrid King, from the Royal Elite Series, and she captures the eye of Killian Carson, son of Reina and Asher Carson from the Lies and Truth Duet. God of Malice was such a good book that had many unique characters and I enjoyed reading about different stories. If you like dark romance with enemies-to-lovers vibes then God of Malice is for you. Kings of Sin Series Book #1 by Ana Huang After reading Ana Huang's Twisted series and being introduced to Dante and Vivian, I knew I had to read the book solely about them. King of Wrath, the first book in the series, follows Dante and Vivian as they're forced into an arranged marriage despite not knowing or liking each other very much. But eventually, things turn around and the two turn an arranged marriage into a proper marriage. King of Wrath kicks off Ana's new series and it was the perfect first book. I've always liked Ana's ability to create diverse characters and hook you with her writing and King of Wrath was so good I needed the paperback. If you've read any of Ana's previous works, or like the tropes of arranged marriage and forced proximity, this is for you. Also, can I just say, how pretty is this cover?! Everything But You Duet by Eliah Greenwood The Everything But You duet consists of the two books: Dear Heart, I Hate You and Dear Heart, I Miss You. This duet follows the characters Diamond and Finn. The duet are the second and third books in the Easton Boys series. You meet Dia and Finn in the first Easton Boys book as they're the best friends of those protagonists. I was so intrigued by their relationship that I knew immediately I had to read their book. It's an emotional rollercoaster of a duet with all the feels. Dear Heart, I Hate You ends on a cliff-hanger, so if you read the first book, you'll definitely want to read the second. Dia and Finn's story was full of plot twists and it's incredibly well-written. If you like emotional reads about college romance then you'll like Eliah's books. Chestnut Springs Series Books #1 and #2 by Elsie Silver The Chestnut Springs series is the first of Elsie Silver's work that I've read. I must say, I wasn't quite sure what to expect but now, Elsie is one of my favourite authors. The first book in this series is Flawless and it follows Summer and Rhett. Rhett's a bull rider and Summer is working for Rhett in a PR capacity, helping keep him out of trouble. Flawless is a bull rider/cowboy, small town romance. The next book is Heartless, which follows Rhett's brother Cade, who's a single father and needs help looking after his son during the summer. Willa, Summer's best friend, takes the job and with forced proximity and one the cutest little boy I've read. Flawless and Heartless are two amazing books and if you like small town, heart-warming romance then this series is for you. The third book, Powerless, is being released next month, which I'll definitely be buying because one: Jasper!! and two: the cover is so so pretty!! ..... All of these books are amazing in their own way. As an aspiring author, I can only dream of writing books this good! If you fancy reading any of them and you do, let me know what you think about them in the comments. Until next time...

Happy New Year! We're officially two weeks into 2023 and Christmas feels like ages ago. Now, I have a confession to make. This post was originally going to be published last week after the first week of 2023. However, life got in the way and things took a turn, so instead, I'm posting it about halfway into January. This post was going to be 'My Firsts of 2023' and while it will include some of these, it's more of a round-up of my year so far and lessons I've already learnt. So, let's get into it. 2023 Firsts For every New Year in my life, I've celebrated with my family. If we went to friends, it was together but since Covid, my family and I tended to stay in the comfort of our own home. But the 2022 celebrations were a little different. New Year in 2022 was the first time my sister and I actually celebrated the New Year without our parents. We decided to go to our local pub with some friends, which turned out to be a very fun night. The pub had a section of it that turned into a mini nightclub, so we were dancing the night away. That meant that the first person I spoke to in 2023 was my sister. Once midnight had arrived and we were officially into 2023, my text went to my parents to say we were leaving the pub, my first drink was my pink gin and lemonade that I had for the countdown and the first lesson of 2023 that I learnt was: Never wear heels to go to the pub/club if you're going to be standing all night. I made that mistake at my sister's graduation, but clearly, I hadn't fully learnt the lesson yet. But now I have so remember flats are the way to go! My first song of the year was technically Auld Lang Syne, but if I go with the first song I chose and the first music artist I listened to, it would be Olly Murs' Best Night of my Life. Heading on over to movies, I've managed to watch a fair few this year. The first film I watched, however, was Disney's Up as I needed to watch it for uni to compare it to Pulp Fiction, which was my second movie of 2023. My list of movies in 2023 then managed to increase when I found myself with spare time on my hands... January Blues are real After New Year, I had a plan of being the most productive person I could be. I was going to religiously do a morning routine, a night-time routine, workout four/five times a week etc. And for the first week, that happened. I went for walks, powered through my university studies, wrote my first article of the year for FormulaNerds and was pleased. But by the end of the first week, my sister had fallen ill and I was feeling the effects with a sore throat. We powered through so we could go to my friend's 21st party, but that's when the January Blues became tangible. The second week of 2023, only seven days into the year, I tested positive for Covid. My plan of productivity went out the window and I was bedridden, isolating in my room, sleeping. Having Covid for the third time at the beginning of the New Year wasn't how I envisioned my 2023 starting - hence why this blog post is later than planned. But, having now tested negative, I'm slowly recovering and actually looking back on the past couple of weeks, I've learnt some valuable life lessons. Lessons of 2023 Despite only being a fortnight into the new year, I feel as if I've learnt a lot of lessons already. As well as learning the lesson of shoes above, I've learnt not to feel guilty when you're ill. When I had Covid and was isolating from my family, it was hard not to feel guilty because I wasn't able to help them. I was resting in bed but things took a turn for the worse one evening and I kept everybody up late. I found it difficult to not keep apologising even though I knew I couldn't help being ill. From that, I learnt it's okay to be ill sometimes and not be able to do everything. This leads me to my next lesson relating to work. Whenever I'm not doing work, I feel bad for not doing it. I feel that if there's work to be done, I should do it. However, not being well meant that I slept and watched films for several days - this did mean I'd watched 10 films already in 2023. Lesson number two is that it's okay to take time for yourself and have some time off from work. Yes, things need to happen, but if the world isn't going to end if they're incomplete, you can have time for yourself. The third and final lesson (other than Top Gun: Maverick is the best film of all time) is to always appreciate your family. My family is the most important thing in the world to me and without them, I wouldn't be who I am and would also struggle a hell of a lot more in life. So to them, thank you! With that concluding this post, what are some of your firsts of 2023? And have you learnt any life lessons yet? Until next time...

It only takes one person to start a chain of events, so what would you do? I just want to start this post by saying I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas spent with their loved ones, eating lots of food, opening presents and maybe watching some Christmas TV. And speaking of Christmas TV, my family and I watched a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve, like always. This year, however, we decided to watch a new festive film that we hadn't seen before. The film we chose was This Is Christmas, which premiered on Sky Cinema. This Is Christmas is a kind of Love Actually type movie in that it follows the stories of many different characters, rather than focusing solely on a couple. It's about a group of train commuters, who go into Liverpool Street Station every day for work. In one particular carriage there is the same group of people nearly every day. One of them, Adam, works in advertising and he comes up with the idea of hosting a Christmas party for that group of commuters. It started because Adam wondered why this group of people, who see each other every day, never really speak and don't know much about each other after they all help a young lad who lost his ticket. So, he invites them all to a Christmas party to get to know each other and actually acknowledge them. At first, some of the commuters are hesitant and ignored the invite. But over time, when plans start coming together, people begin to join in, offering help and talking to the other commuters. You see friendships blossom and soon enough everyone is chatting and talking about their families and lives. The whole film is centred around the idea that it only takes one person to start a chain of events and create something good. In This Is Christmas it only took one person, Adam, to bring together a whole group of people from different backgrounds, who then by the end are spending Christmas together, dating, visiting each other's families and more. So my question to you is, what would you do? If you saw a group of people, the same people, every single day, but didn't know anything about them. And you were suddenly given the opportunity to get to know them and become friends with them, what would you do? Would you accept the party invite? Or would you go back to your life as if nothing happened, giving them a slight nod of the head or ignoring them completely? It only takes one person to create something, to take action, and that person can be you. I know, I've done it before - not quite the Christmas party for commuters kind of action, but an action nonetheless. As we head into 2023, ask yourself the question and see if there's any opportunities like the one Adam had but for you. Would you take the jump? Until next time...

At the end of every year, Spotify does a summary of your year in music, so I was inspired to make my own in different categories. For my 2022 Wrapped, I've made a few editions with my favourite things in life included and a summary of my year. But as it's the final day of 2022, I thought it was only appropriate to share my 2022 Wrapped: Life Edition looking back on the past year. 2022 has been a year of highs and lows but mainly highs. If someone would have told me at the end of 2021 what my life would look like and what I have achieved, I wouldn't have believed them. But here I am, having achieved and done so much both personally and professionally. The only word to sum up how 2022 has been for me is proud. I feel like I've grown a lot as a person and developed myself, doing things I never thought I'd do. I'm proud of everything I've achieved this year and when I look back I can't help but smile. Some of my top achievements are: Senior Editor for FormulaNerds Writing over 10,000 words of my novel Passing my university assessment Attending the British Grand Prix as a professional motorsport journalist Interviewing Mario Andretti All these moments are from my professional life, mostly related to my work as a journalist and my dream to be an author. Looking back over 2022, I never thought I would have had the opportunity to attend the British Grand Prix as a journalist or speak to Mario Andretti on Zoom. But I am so glad I have. Attending Silverstone was of my best memories this year, both when I attended the Grand Prix but also when I first went there for the SuperKarts. My other top memories from 2022 include: Benalmádena - My sister and I went on our first holiday abroad without our parents to Spain back in October so we could practise our Spanish. It was by far one of the best holidays I've ever been on. Mary Poppins - Just before Christmas, my mum and I went to see Mary Poppins in the West End before it leaves theatres in January. Between us, we've seen quite a few shows in the West End, but for me, Mary Poppins was by far the best - it was Fab-u-lous! Harry Potter Studio Tour - I love Harry Potter and I've been to the Studio Tour in Leavesden a few times but when my family and I went during the summer, it was like seeing it all again for the first time with the new additions being available. If you're a Harry Potter fan and haven't been to the Studio Tour, I definitely recommend it. 21st Birthday - 2022 was also the year that I turned 21 and the celebrations my family organised for me were amazing. I love taking photos and I'm pretty sure I have over 300 from my birthday alone! Benalmádena isn't just number one on my best memories list of 2022, it's also my favourite place I've been this year. The hotel, the town, the restaurants (best Carbonara I've ever had!) and the views - it was all so perfect! As well as making lots of memories and visiting lots of places throughout the past year, I've also learnt a lot of lessons. One thing about me is that I'm a people pleaser. I hate when I upset or disappoint others so I rarely say no, even if things don't suit me or are inconvenient. But this year I've learnt to say no and actually be a bit selfish sometimes. For me that's the most important lesson I'll be taking into 2023 as well as the others listed above. Life is full of lessons and sometimes things can get in our way or we conform to others expectations. But we need to take care of ourselves, live life to the fullest for ourselves and just be ourselves. Finally, to round out my 2022 Wrapped Life Edition, I wanted to reflect on the people and things I'm grateful for. I couldn't live without my family and I wouldn't change them for the world. They are everything to me and my life wouldn't be the same without them. My friends have also made this year special and I'm grateful to the friends I have for being there for me. FormulaNerds, whilst I joined a little over a year ago, feels like a family for me. I have met amazing people working in the team and have had out-of-this-world opportunities. I am grateful to everything FormulaNerds have done for me and the close friends I've made from working alongside the team. Authors and music artists aren't exactly in close relationships with me, however, I couldn't go through without books or music. If you speak to my family, they'll tell you how obsessed I am with both these things - I listen to New Music Friday every week and have just had to rearrange my entire room to fit in the new books I got for Christmas, haha! 2022 has been an amazing year that I have enjoyed so much, experiencing everything I've experienced. As we head into 2023, I can only wish that the new year brings the same happiness as the last. One last thing, I just wanted to wish all my readers a Happy New Year and hope you had lovely Christmases! Until 2023...