Based on the title of this book, I thought it was going to be a light, silly romance novel. I could not have been more wrong. This book dealt with manBased on the title of this book, I thought it was going to be a light, silly romance novel. I could not have been more wrong. This book dealt with many real, heavy, and also beautiful situations.
Truly, I cannot say enough good things about this book. What a story. It rips your heart open, mends it, and rends it again a hundred times.
The story flips between 1952 in Cairo, 2008 in a little island in New York, and 2022 in New England and that same little island in New York. This book weaves together three stories that are all part of one larger story.
It’s a bit historical fiction, a bit drama, a bit of family drama, and, yes, a bit romance. Altogether it makes a compelling book that you just don’t want to put down. The emotions felt so real, the characters were well crafted and multidimensional, the very many storylines going on at once didn’t feel overwhelming—rather it felt like a beautiful, rich tapestry. The overall ending of the story was definitely a smidge predictable.
But, that last line…what an unbelievable cliffhanger. I hope there’s a sequel, but am assuming there won’t be. I do, however, plan to read more books by this author. This was my first by her. Won’t be my last....more
This book is a fun, easy read. I loved the premise, that the main character’s kids get to pick out men for her to date. That part of the book works weThis book is a fun, easy read. I loved the premise, that the main character’s kids get to pick out men for her to date. That part of the book works well. It’s funny, she learns about the people around her, has some good dates, and some awful dates. But, although this is billed as a story based around her dates, it’s actually not that at all.
It’s a romance that is related to this premise. It’s got enemies to lovers, and “we can’t ever make this work,� but like every good romance, it, of course, works out in the end.
Although I knew how it would end, I loved the story itself. It was fun witnessing Anna’s character changing and growing. It was also enjoyable meeting the characters she encountered along the way. Some I loved (like Lottie, Loretta, and Mike), others I loathed (like Dan, Sylvie, and Richard). Some I wish were fleshed out more (like her kids and Noah), but this was an enjoyable, easy read.
This might be my favorite Sophie Cousens book…although I really did enjoy “The Good Part.� Let’s call them a tie. ...more
I had heard about this book many times over the years and it never really spoke to me. When I visited Japan in summer 2024, a friend asked me if I’d rI had heard about this book many times over the years and it never really spoke to me. When I visited Japan in summer 2024, a friend asked me if I’d read Pachinko when I was speaking to him about my travels, and he suggested I should. Another friend, a few months later and unconnected to the other friend, told me she loved this book and could not put it down. So, I finally decided to read it.
In all honesty, I did not love it. It felt tedious to me, like wading through mud. There were some parts I enjoyed, which kept me engaged, and I liked learning about the Korean/Japanese history, but all in all it was just ok for me.
The book is told through different viewpoints in each generation, and it really felt as if the elder characters just faded away, rather than actually had their stories wrapped up. The ending, as well, just faded off into nothingness.
The story felt like it just meandered and never really took the reader anywhere, and despite being told from multiple perspectives, I didn’t feel like I really got to know any of the characters well at all.
I truly loved this book. The story begins on the one year anniversary of the death of one of four sisters. The chapters alternate between the three reI truly loved this book. The story begins on the one year anniversary of the death of one of four sisters. The chapters alternate between the three remaining sisters, taking the reader through their grief, reckoning, and lives.
I loved all three of the sisters at different moments and for different reasons. Each time I thought one was my favorite, another would come along to take her place.
This book is not a light read, and it deals with a lot of heavy subjects. But it is engaging and compelling. I highly recommend this book!...more
I loved Victoria Laurie’s Ghost Hunters and Psychic Eye series, so I was so excited to see she has a new series out. But, it definitely didn’t live upI loved Victoria Laurie’s Ghost Hunters and Psychic Eye series, so I was so excited to see she has a new series out. But, it definitely didn’t live up to the other two series by her. (I don’t even put the Cat life coach mysteries in the same universe. I read them all, but they were just ok.)
I liked this book. It held my attention and I was invested in the characters and story. However, I didn’t love it. It fell flat in a few ways—it needed more world building. Yes, I know it takes place in our world, but I felt like I needed to know more about the world of the mystics. I also felt like other than Dovey and Gib, the characters were not very well developed.
I will say, though, I did not see that ending coming. I honestly had someone else pegged for the murders the whole time. And, I’ll definitely read the next book in the series. It’s a 3.5 for me, but not rounded up....more
This book is an equal mix of mystery and historical fiction with a little romance smattered in. I enjoyed reading Hazel’s story in dual timelines, andThis book is an equal mix of mystery and historical fiction with a little romance smattered in. I enjoyed reading Hazel’s story in dual timelines, and seeing how all of the disparate pieces finally fit together. (And the last chapter was definitely an epilogue, which we all know I love in a book!)
There were characters I love and characters I hated, characters I didn’t trust, and ones I just wanted to read about forever. There were characters that I wished were more developed, but they served their purpose in moving the story along.
This book is a 4.5 for me. Rounded down because there were many moments where I felt the story had slowed too far down or stagnated. It got the .5 because the last 30% or so of the book was unputdownable for me!...more
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