This was a fun surprise! It's an entertaining read with clever wit and wry humor, and the audiobook is fab4 stars - Historical Romantic Comedy/Mystery
This was a fun surprise! It's an entertaining read with clever wit and wry humor, and the audiobook is fabulous! I was hoping for the (view spoiler)[prince to be the actual suitor for Rosie, not Lysander, so I was happy with him finally revealing his interest at the end. I just wish we knew if Rosie will end up with him or not. (hide spoiler)] I hate cliffhanger endings! I'll definitely read the next book when it comes out to find out what happens....more
This gripped me from the very start and kept me interested throughout with it's intriguing mystery, eerie tone, c2.5 stars - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
This gripped me from the very start and kept me interested throughout with it's intriguing mystery, eerie tone, creepy setting, and fantastic audiobook narration by Richard Armitage. Unfortunately, the ending was a big letdown that didn't make any sense, so that lowered my overall rating....more
How is it that this is the 60th book and the series is still so freaking5 stars - Futuristic/Crime/Police Procedural/Mystery/Suspense/Thriller/Romance
How is it that this is the 60th book and the series is still so freaking good and addictive?!?! I don't know how Nora Roberts (J.D. Robb) keeps putting out such great reads, but I'm glad she does....more
This was a nice surprise. It's a good mystery, but it really shines with the complex characters of Maggie, Liz, Helen4 stars - Mystery/Women's Fiction
This was a nice surprise. It's a good mystery, but it really shines with the complex characters of Maggie, Liz, Helena, and Joni and the depiction of their friendship. I've also never read a book with the setting being the wilds of Norway, so that also added a unique element to the story. This is a solid 4 star read....more
This is a very intriguing and creepy mystery/thriller with a sprinkling of chilling horror, and I loved the audiobo4.5 stars - Mystery/Thriller/Horror
This is a very intriguing and creepy mystery/thriller with a sprinkling of chilling horror, and I loved the audiobook narration from Richard Armitage. This book also has an alternative, original title, The Taking of Annie Thorne, and I think that title and cover are more fitting....more
I was very impressed with the first book I read by this author, The Gathering, so I decided to check out her previo4 stars - Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
I was very impressed with the first book I read by this author, The Gathering, so I decided to check out her previous novels. I was confused at the start of this story due to the alternating of past and present and the different point of views. I considered giving up on it, but Gabe's character was so compellingly broken and Richard Armitage's audiobook narration was so good that I kept listening. I'm really glad I did because it's a very unique, complex, and creepy mystery with a hint of supernatural, and everything came together in a surprising, chilling, and fulfilling way.
I wish Richard Armitage narrated a lot more audiobooks!...more
This book is overhyped and overrated in my opinion. I’m glad I listened to the audiobook version because the narration by January L2.5 stars - Mystery
This book is overhyped and overrated in my opinion. I’m glad I listened to the audiobook version because the narration by January LaVoy and Will Damron is fantastic. Their narration made it easier to keep listening, even when I found myself rolling my eyes. The heroine’s grandmother is hilarious, but I hated all the other characters.
Lucy’s snarkasm was entertaining and funny at first, but it grew irritating and overly self-deprecating. And the blood-thirsty voice in her head that ended up being (view spoiler)[her murdered best friend Savvy (hide spoiler)] was excessive, annoying, and distracting. Everyone was sleeping with everyone and cheating around in the small Texas town like some kind of bad soap opera. The characters don’t act their age, the plot is farfetched, and the writing is somewhat simplistic. I wasn’t surprised that the author’s other books are young adult.
My biggest issue with the book is the casual treatment of infidelity, violence, and domestic abuse. I was so angry when Lucy didn’t support Julia when she came forward about (view spoiler)[Matt’s abuse during their marriage (hide spoiler)], and I was frustrated with her for refusing to finally tell the truth about the (view spoiler)[abuse during her own marriage with Matt. (hide spoiler)] Because she was worried people wouldn’t believe her about it? Everyone already considered her a liar and violent murderer, so what freaking difference would that admission have made? Not validating Julia by being honest when she had the chance and continuing to make excuses for her alcoholic, violent, cheating, abusive douchebag ex made me like Lucy even less.
The plot twist and reveal of the “truth� about Savvy’s murder should’ve been satisfying, but it wasn’t. (view spoiler)[I had a slight hunch about Emmett being involved, so him being the one who killed Savvy wasn’t all that surprising and made sense to me. (hide spoiler)] The “flashback� Lucy had regarding what happened that night is really sad. It should’ve at least provided closure, but it doesn’t. (view spoiler)[The fact that Lucy has a brain injury and suffered amnesia and violent thoughts doesn’t give full credibility to her newly remembered recollection of that night. Ben lying about what Emmett said to him to cover for Lucy also leaves the validity of events in question, and Lucy still seems unsure of herself in the end. The book sort of leaves it unclear whether Emmett or Lucy truly killed Savvy. I think Emmett killed her, and Matt could’ve been even more involved than he seemed to be. At the very least, Matt helped cover it all up and lied about it. (hide spoiler)]
And what the f@$% kind of police did this town have? I was baffled the entire book about the inept investigation that was done. (view spoiler)[I found it difficult to believe that Lucy was the prime suspect and that everyone turned against her so quickly considering she had a bash to the back of her head and other significant injuries. It was hard to believe that others weren’t questioned more significantly, especially with everyone cheating on everyone all over town. If Emmett grabbed Savvy's leg and punched her, wouldn’t the medical examiner find evidence of a third person or consider those injuries a different hand size than Lucy’s? They fought back against Emmett, so wouldn't his blood have been found on Savvy or Lucy? Wouldn't he have had blood on him or torn/dirty clothes when he went back to the wedding? Or is the lack of evidence against Emmett because Lucy's memories aren't accurate? (hide spoiler)] Why didn’t Ben question the police for his podcast? I feel like the shoddy, incompetent investigation and the fact that Lucy was never charged due to a lack of evidence should’ve been more of a focus.
Even though this didn’t work for me as a mystery/suspense/thriller, I enjoyed the fabulous audiobook narration. Considering its popularity and hype, I won’t be at all surprised if it gets optioned for a movie or TV series. It might be better in that format, especially given that it reads like a dark comedy melodrama. If it does get made, I’ll probably watch it, especially if there’s a decent cast. I just hope they cast the feisty grandma Beverly well because she was the best thing about the book....more
This is another great read in the series, and I just love all the Will and Sara I can get. Karin Slaughter writes some4 stars - Crime/Mystery/Thriller
This is another great read in the series, and I just love all the Will and Sara I can get. Karin Slaughter writes some very dark books, and this is no exception. It has some seriously disturbing content and characters. I wanted a lot more comeuppance for several of them....more
It's hard to believe that this is the 57th (wow!) In Death book, and I still absolutely love this amazing series. I 4 stars - Futuristic Crime/Mystery
It's hard to believe that this is the 57th (wow!) In Death book, and I still absolutely love this amazing series. I can't imagine ever getting tired of these characters, so I hope Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb never gets tired of writing them! And I'm still holding out hope for a TV series or movie someday....more
Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors, and she deserves praise for writing about the uns4.5+ stars - Vietnam Historical Fiction/Women's Fiction
Kristin Hannah is one of my favorite authors, and she deserves praise for writing about the unsung heroines of the Vietnam war. Yes, there were female Vietnam veterans. During the Vietnam War, more than 265,000 American women served the military and 11,000 women served in Vietnam, with 90% working as nurses. Some women also worked in administrative roles, military intelligence, and air traffic control. These women veterans were ignored, marginalized, dismissed, and denigrated, and many of them suffered PTSD, addiction, and suicidal thoughts without receiving assistance from the VA.
The Women is an emotional and powerful read, and I really enjoyed the story. It's nearly a 5-star read, but part of it felt a bit melodramatic. I admired Frankie, but she also frustrated me toward the latter part of the book. I loved her best friends, Ethel and Barb. Honestly, I found Barb's character even more intriguing than Frankie, and I would love a book about her.
The main reason I didn't rate it full 5-stars is that everything wrapped up at the end much too quickly. (view spoiler)[I was glad for the peace that Frankie found on the Montana ranch and in helping other nurses and women veterans, but I wanted a lot more page time spent on that journey of recovery and healing. And I really wanted Frankie's dad to put a picture of her on their family's wall of heroes! (hide spoiler)]
I listened to the audiobook, and Julia Whelan does a great job with the narration. I highly recommend this! 4.5+ stars! ...more
I love this series. Karin Slaughter has created fantastic characters in Will, Sara, Faith, and Amanda, and she never h5 stars - Crime/Mystery/Thriller
I love this series. Karin Slaughter has created fantastic characters in Will, Sara, Faith, and Amanda, and she never holds back from detailing the evil, ugly aspects of our society. This is another dark, complex thriller, but it's also fucking brutal and deeply disturbing. This book needs a serious trigger warning for rape because it's front and center throughout the entire story, and Ms. Slaughter does not hold back from graphic details.
After That Night made me feel the gamut of emotions...sad, disgusted, heartsick, fearful, and fucking infuriated. It especially made me feel intense anger, deep revulsion, and utter despair for the way women have to constantly deal with the savage and terrifying reality of rape. I had so much rage after reading this book that I asked a friend to go with me to a Krav Maga self-defense class so I could beat the shit out of some strike pads.
The ending felt somewhat rushed to me, and I thought all of the villainous, evil pieces of shit got off way too easy. But the depressing, bitter truth of the world we live in is that people get away with abusing others every second of every minute, every single day, especially rich white men. (view spoiler)[Even though one of the biggest villains in this book is a woman, let's be clear about the fact that the majority of abusers and rapists are men. (hide spoiler)]...more
This was unlike any other WWII fiction that I've read. I've read other books about the siege of Leningrad, 4.5 stars - WWII/Russian/Historical Fiction
This was unlike any other WWII fiction that I've read. I've read other books about the siege of Leningrad, but the author managed to convey the horrors of the war, the harsh winter, and brutal starvation in a compelling, insightful, and unique way.
Benioff takes us on a journey through the cruel landscape of war with Lev and Kolya, and their developing friendship, brotherly humor and banter, and fight for survival is an unforgettable experience. This book made me laugh and cry, and the ending was sad and happy at the same time.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by actor Ron Perlman, and it's so well done. I think City of Thieves would make an excellent movie....more
Wow. What an incredible story of one of the most prominent French resistance leaders and spies of WWII, Nancy Grace A5 stars - WWII Historical Fiction
Wow. What an incredible story of one of the most prominent French resistance leaders and spies of WWII, Nancy Grace Augusta Wake (also known as The White Mouse). She was the Allies most decorated woman during World War II, saving thousands of soldiers and eventually becoming the most wanted person by the German Gestapo in 1943.
Even though this is historical fiction, the author based it on extensive research, biographies written about Nancy Wake, and on Nancy's own autobiography, The White Mouse, and all of the events are real, as are most of the characters in the book.
Ariel Lawhon describes her as "bold, bawdy, and brazen" in the author's note, and Nancy Wake was indeed that. She was also brave, strong, fearless, clever, courageous, compassionate, determined, cunning, stubborn, tough, and fair and had a strong sense of justice. And she risked everything to fight the Germans and to help win the war.
There is a beautiful, romantic, moving, heartbreaking, and tragic love story in this book between Nancy and her French husband, Henri Fiocca. Even already knowing how their story ended, I still wasn't prepared for it.
I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator, Barrie Kreinik, was fantastic and really brought Nancy and the other characters to life.
I highly recommend this to fans of historical fiction and non-fiction, WWII historical fiction and non-fiction, and even to romance fans. If you don't know about Nancy Wake, you really should. What a truly amazing, remarkable woman she was! 5 stars!...more
This is my first time reading this author, and I enjoyed his writing style. All the Sinners Bleed is an intel5 stars - Southern Mystery/Crime/Thriller
This is my first time reading this author, and I enjoyed his writing style. All the Sinners Bleed is an intelligent, gritty, thought-provoking, and dark crime thriller with an authenticity and importance that is often lacking in this genre.
The author handles the serious subject matter of deep-seated, systemic southern racism and violence with the insight and first-hand knowledge of someone who has witnessed and experienced it's ugly underbelly. Cosby depicts the horrific serial killing of black children in such a way that the reader experiences the monstrous brutality and grief through the eyes of protagonist Sheriff Titus Crown. His character is the intelligent, honorable, strong, flawed, brave, respectful, determined, dedicated, insightful, caring, diligent, and compassionate hero we all need, and the reader knows that Titus will not stop until he brings justice to the lost and forgotten.
All the Sinners Bleed gripped me from the start and never let go, and I finished it in just one day. My only quibble is that I wanted more from the ending and perhaps an epilogue as well. But I was thoroughly engrossed in the story and so impressed with the writing and main character, Titus Crown, that I can't give this less than 5 stars. I look forward to reading more from this author, and I hope we get more of Titus Crown in a future book. I highly recommend this!
I listened to the audiobook, and narrator Adam Lazarre-White did a phenomenal job voicing Sheriff Titus Crown and the nuances of the other characters. I think this book would make an excellent movie or TV series....more
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