I liked this better than the last Lucy Foley novel that I read, The Paris Apartment, but I felt sFull review:
I liked this better than the last Lucy Foley novel that I read, The Paris Apartment, but I felt similarly about it � that the books try create a creepy atmosphere, but then it tries to ride that for an entire half of a book instead of moving the plot along.
I do think this one played out in a more interesting and comprehensible way than her previous offering, and I ended up mostly enjoying the mystery, but it’s a hard book to recommend whole-heartedly since the first half dragged so much for me.
I’d say if you’re a Lucy Foley fan and don’t mind her slow-burn writing style, you will probably enjoy this book. If you’re not and are interested in checking out her work, The Guest List, is probably still her strongest mystery-thriller....more
I found this book a little different than the other McFadden mysteries that I’ve read. There’s a Full review:
I found this book a little different than the other McFadden mysteries that I’ve read. There’s a little more meat to the story, little less non-stop plot. It also has a more coherent story than just a collection of plot twists, which a few of her books tend to be.
For Freida McFadden fans, this book moves fairly quickly and is definitely still a murder mystery, though it reads a little differently than her other books. In a good way, though. I liked it, I thought it was a nice change.
This is definitely genre novel, a book really only meant for people who read a lot of books in this genre. But it’s a good one for McFadden fans, and for people who like quick and easy mystery thrillers in general.
I think the book is perfectly readable and reasonably paced for the most part. The storyline justFull review:
I think the book is perfectly readable and reasonably paced for the most part. The storyline just didn’t particularly interest me, but if the idea of a boy’s disappearance that's tied to some type of mysterious privately-owned research institution sounds intriguing to you, plus delving a little into childhood friendships, maybe you’ll like this book more than I did.
There are some twists and turns at the end, but I thought they were a little underwhelming.
I’ve liked Riley Sager’s mysteries in the past, though this one was a miss for me. I’ll still be looking forward to what he comes up with next!...more
This book takes soooo long to really get started. The first half of the book I really struggled to get through and the second half gets somewhat more This book takes soooo long to really get started. The first half of the book I really struggled to get through and the second half gets somewhat more interesting, but it takes a really long time to get there. But then the ending was a letdown.
I wasn't a huge fan of Kubica's most well-known book, Local Woman Missing, and I have to say I didn't love She's Not Sorry either. There's a decent plot twist, but the build up is so slow and I was underwhelmed by the conclusion of the book. Sadly, I don't know if I see myself revisiting this author anytime soon. I know she has a certain set of fans, so clearly some people enjoy her books, but there's so many solid mystery-thriller writers nowadays, I just think there's better stuff out there....more
If you’re looking for a book that’s fun and has a classic rom-com-type feel, the Seven Year SlipsFull review:
If you’re looking for a book that’s fun and has a classic rom-com-type feel, the Seven Year Slips serves it up in a bright, time-traveling package. It’s a little predictable in the way that rom-coms can be fairly predictable, but it’s also enjoyable and delivers on its entertaining and slightly magical premise.
I’d easily recommend this book to anyone looking for some rom-com goodness....more
Darling Girls is a slow burn of a story as the horrors of Wild Meadows unfold. It’s also depicts Full review:
Darling Girls is a slow burn of a story as the horrors of Wild Meadows unfold. It’s also depicts three very different girls and the ways they were affected by their upbringings, their time in the foster system and their experiences with Miss Fairchild.
Hepworth’s newest psychological thriller is engrossing and well-written. I’ve only read one other book by Sally Hepworth, The Good Sister, and I’m reminded of how Hepworth also managed to intertwine a legitimately interesting and thought out story into that mystery as well.
Darling Girls is less twisty than some mystery-thriller novels you’ll find on the shelves, but some of those novels end up feeling like just a collection of plot twists wrapped up in some semblance of a premise. Here, Hepworth has written a solid story that stands on its own and draws you in slowly, with a few twists at the very end.
If you like slow burn mystery thriller novels, Sally Hepworth’s newest book has a lot to offer. I thought the premise was compelling. The mystery itself and twists aren’t too terribly surprising, but I continued to be interested to see where the story was going.
I’d say this wasn’t amazing, but it was an above average mystery thriller and one I’m sure plenty of mystery-thriller fans would enjoy, especially if you don’t mind a slow burn....more
It’s a sweet, upbeat romance about two people being there for each Full review:
I thought this was really cute.
It’s a sweet, upbeat romance about two people being there for each other and figuring out how to accommodate one another and how to show up for each other based on their respective needs, personalities and experiences. The story also deals with each of their relationship fears and explores how it affects them and they overcome those fears.
There are a few cliched aspects of the story � it’s a hardcore fake relationship story � but it’s such a tender, warm-hearted and cute romance, I think you’d have to be a little dead inside not to want to cheer for this couple....more
This was the only Freida McFadden mystery-thriller where I managed to mostly guess what the big pFull review:
This was the only Freida McFadden mystery-thriller where I managed to mostly guess what the big plot twist was going to be, but I still enjoyed the book. I thought the storyline was good. The ending is a little dark. This book is a little less twisty than some of McFadden’s other offerings, but it’s still a fast and fun read.
The Coworker is one of Freida McFadden’s lower-rated books, I think probably because it’s less twisty and the big plot twist is less of a huge surprise since she drops some pretty big hints. But I still liked it. Probably one to read after you’ve run through some of her other stuff, but still worth a read if you’re looking for some quick and easy mystery-thriller fodder....more
Just for the Summer is a bright, fun, sweep-you-off-your feet romance with adorable dates and sweFull review:
Just for the Summer is a bright, fun, sweep-you-off-your feet romance with adorable dates and sweet moments. Our protagonists also tackle some big, real issues between them in a way that feels authentic and meaningful, but without making the book too heavy. This is my first time reading a book by Abby Jimenez, and she’s an author I’d happily revisit.
It’s just a sweet and substantive romance about two people who like each other who are trying to make it work despite the complications in their lives and whatever personal stuff they have to work through. It’s also a leisurely and easy read, definitely good beach read material.
Very easy to recommend this book for anyone looking for a delightful summer romance....more
This is probably more of a 3.5 for me, but I rounded up.
The Familiar is a captivating and intrigFull review:
This is probably more of a 3.5 for me, but I rounded up.
The Familiar is a captivating and intriguing story. There are dark secrets, seers, fraudsters, and it loops in bits of Spanish history and cloaks itself in a mixture of magic and political maneuvering. The story itself is a little more simplistic than I was expecting given all the moving parts, but it still makes for an entertaining read.
No doubt Leigh Bargudo fans will be pleased with this offering, especially since there is of course a substantial romantic storyline that runs throughout the book.
I think for anyone else, if the premise sounds interesting to you, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy it. I wasn’t wowed by it, but I thought it was a engrossing story to sink into for a while....more
James is a book that packs a punch. Everett retains a lot of the sense of the adventure from Jim and HucFull review:
James is a book that packs a punch. Everett retains a lot of the sense of the adventure from Jim and Huck’s tale of traveling down the Mississippi while incorporating a lot of cutting commentary and very bold plot choices. This is a decidedly heavier novel, despite its quick pace and short length, but there’s an effortlessness to Everett’s writing that makes it a frictionless read.
It’s undoubtably a literary fiction title for when you’re in the mood for something serious and somewhat academic, but not unaccessible. I imagine this book will find itself in many classrooms to be read alongside or replacing the book it retells.
If you do find yourself in the mood for it, it’s a sharply written, powerful, emotional, fine read. I love when I read a book that I can recommend without reservations, and this is one of them....more
The Inmate is about as bare-bones as it gets if you just want something that’s all plot and plot twFull review:
The Inmate is about as bare-bones as it gets if you just want something that’s all plot and plot twists. This is definitely a book only for people who read a bunch of mystery-thrillers, as the writing is pretty questionable, as is the plausibility of basically everything.
Add to that a weak premise and less compelling story, it’s definitely in the B-tier of McFadden’s thrillers that I’ve read. That said, the ending is a little all over the place, but has a lot of reveals which some people will enjoy. It’s a little zany, but there are definitely those who will get a kick out of it, I think.
For most people, this book is probably a skip. But if you’re out of stuff to read and you’re just looking for something that’ll go by really, really fast with some zany surprises in store, then this’ll do it....more
The narrative is a little all over the place and probably could've been edited more, but overall stFull review:
The narrative is a little all over the place and probably could've been edited more, but overall still enjoying this story and where it's going. Will be reading the next one for sure....more
Patchett’s capable and insightful writing as well as Meryl Streep’s fantastic narration carried me thFull review:
Patchett’s capable and insightful writing as well as Meryl Streep’s fantastic narration carried me through large swaths of this book, but to be totally honest there were a few stretches where I got a little bored reading this low-stakes story. Especially when the romance with Peter Duke hits its stride, my mind kept wandering off.
There are a few mildly unexpected things mixed in there, but overall there just wasn’t always enough drama or real tension in the book to propel the story forward. I think if you’re looking for a quaint and unassuming story, this might still appeal to you, but I think I was hoping for something a little more.
Oh, one last thing is that I found the last chapter and essentially the ending of the book to be extremely bizarre. I kind of hated it. It doesn’t really change anything, so it doesn’t matter, but it felt totally out of place to me. It seemed like Patchett was searching for some way to end the story and landed on � whatever that was....more
A ended up with lukewarm feelings about this book. Nothing horribly wrong about it and actually kiFull review:
A ended up with lukewarm feelings about this book. Nothing horribly wrong about it and actually kind of a pleasant read, but there wasn't much tension or suspense in the story. It kind of had the vibe of a family drama, but didn't have enough emotion depth or interpersonal insight to succeed as that type of book.
Instead, the story basically made sense and worked, but the plot twists and revelations were just okay, a little ho-hum.
Like I said, not a bad book, but hard to recommend to others just cause I think there's better stuff out there. ...more
As I was reading this, I could tell how hard Michaelides tried to make his layered five-act book workFull review:
As I was reading this, I could tell how hard Michaelides tried to make his layered five-act book work, and I wanted very badly to enjoy this book more than I did.
But the story and these characters really weren’t compelling enough to withstand all these layers of complexity. At some point the book became complexity for complexity’s sake and the thin storyline breaks down under its weight.
Every time I read a novel from Alex Michaelides, I end up feeling like the book is imperfect in different ways but there’s hints of cleverness that are so satisfying that it really makes it worth it to me. I felt the same way about this book, and I am still glad I read it. I just wanted for the sake of the effort that clearly went into this for the story to be more enjoyable than it was....more
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a quick read, but I would have been happy to spend more time with Full review:
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a quick read, but I would have been happy to spend more time with these characters, listening to this story.
If you’re looking for a feel-good, life-affirming read, this one is a pretty sure bet, and an easy book to recommend. I think this would be a wonderful book club pick if your group is in the mood for something light and bright....more
Not my favorite McFadden mystery-thriller. I loved the premise and had high hopes for this book, butFull Review:
Not my favorite McFadden mystery-thriller. I loved the premise and had high hopes for this book, but the story unravels a bit and requires a fair amount of suspension of disbelief to enjoy.
I still liked it and it's a very fast read, I just wish the actions of some of the characters were a little more reasonable....more
Honestly pretty entertaining. The writing is whatever, but the storyline is fun. I found the setupFull review:
Honestly pretty entertaining. The writing is whatever, but the storyline is fun. I found the setup of the political situation that of this world to be intriguing and found myself pretty curious about what happens next.
There's definitely a lot of repeated tropes in here and familiar aspects of the story. I also thought some of the rules around various aspects of the world didn't feel entirely thought out but if you're not trying too hard to dissect it and to just let yourself enjoy the story, I think it makes for an exciting and fun read....more
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