en-US Sat, 12 Apr 2025 20:11:23 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Review7285009431 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 20:11:23 -0700 /review/show/7285009431 Hannah gave 3 stars to The Greatest Lie of All (Paperback) by Jillian Cantor
Amelia Grant is asked to play romance author Gloria Diamond in her film biopic. She comes across some discrepancies in Gloria's life as she's getting to know her and wants to dig deeper in Gloria's life. I enjoyed this story but it just wasn't a standout and reads forgettable to me. I never felt too intrigued by the mystery and some parts fell flat.

]]> Review7364181033 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 20:07:24 -0700 /review/show/7364181033 Hannah gave 3 stars to The Love We Found (Hardcover) by Jill Santopolo
I reread The Light We Lost right before reading this book and I'm so glad I did because many storylines continue right after the first one ends. I did enjoy Lucy in the first book but by the second found her insufferable at times. This story has major insta-love between Lucy and Dax and it felt forced. The story felt predictable and I'm just not sure it needed to be told.
]]> Review7321621956 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 19:55:56 -0700 /review/show/7321621956 Hannah gave 4 stars to Trust Issues (Hardcover) by Elizabeth McCullough Keenan
The audiobook is single narrated by Beth Hicks and I loved her narration style to keep me hooked!

This is a conman chase novel featuring two entitled adult siblings who are trying to play nice in hopes of tracking down the man they believed killed their mother and ran off with their inheritance.

The two main characters in this story are morally grey, entitled, unlikable, and make multiple poor choices (especially given their age). But, I was still so drawn to this story and loved their bickering and rivalry with each other! I really love a fun cat and mouse story and this was a very fun popcorn thriller to unpack. The siblings were like a car crash and I couldn't pull myself away from what sort of antics they were up to next and the different characters they met along the way were also really colorful side characters. The ending was quite fun, twisty, and so satisfying!

Recommend if you enjoy:
-Family secrets
-Sibling rivalry
-Inheritance drama stories
-Con artist stories
-Cat and mouse chases
-Popcorn thrillers
]]> Review7412737409 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 19:54:57 -0700 /review/show/7412737409 Hannah gave 4 stars to Broken Country (Hardcover) by Clare Leslie Hall
This book is everywhere right now, and it absolutely lives up to the hype!

Beth and her husband, Frank, have a happy marriage built on the agreement to keep their past secrets buried. However, when Beth's brother-in-law shoots a dog threatening their sheep, the gunshot sets off a series of events that brings Gabriel Wolfe, Beth’s former love, back into their lives. Gabriel returns to the village with his son, Leo, who reminds Beth of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

The story masterfully blends mystery, romance, loss, grief, and historical fiction. The story is told in alternating timelines from 1955 and 1968. There is an infidelity storyline and love triangles play a very heavy role, but this also shows a raw and honest portrayal of how people could cope with grief after devastating loss. The small town drama and the deeply flawed, complex characters are compelling. The choices they make are heartbreaking and will tug at your heartstrings. The final chapters are incredible—emotional, shocking, and I could not put this story down. ]]> Review7449055662 Sat, 12 Apr 2025 19:44:36 -0700 /review/show/7449055662 Hannah gave 3 stars to All Our Beautiful Goodbyes (Kindle Edition) by Julianne MacLean
This is a beautiful historical fiction story, starting in 1946 after WWII. Emma lives on the isolated Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia. She plans on leaving for university, but when she meets a British sea captain, rescued from a nearby shipwreck, her plans are forever changed. This story spans decades and multiple generations looking into Emma's life on the island and beyond. 

Julianne Maclean writes such sweeping historical fiction stories! This is my third book I've read by her and they are all enchanting and I love learning about a different period or place I wasn't previously familiar with. During the 1940s, Sable island was inhabited by about 35 people and it served as a weather station and was a beacon for those shipwrecked in the North Atlantic

This story is quite atmospheric and I loved the island setting, including the wild horses! It was so cool to learn more about the wild horses that still live there wild without intervention, and their origin and influence on the story. The two timelines worked really well together as we followed Emma's journey to see all she overcame. I just would have loved a little more of our two leads at the very end of the story after all they went through. ]]> Review7455105556 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 18:19:31 -0700 /review/show/7455105556 Hannah gave 2 stars to The Book Swap (Hardcover) by Tessa Bickers
]]> Review7449057245 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:47:49 -0700 /review/show/7449057245 Hannah gave 4 stars to All the Other Mothers Hate Me (Hardcover) by Sarah Harman
]]> Review7449074124 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 06:48:54 -0700 /review/show/7449074124 Hannah gave 2 stars to Ruth Run (Hardcover) by Elizabeth Kaufman
Ruth is a 26 year old cybercriminal who has developed a micro chip to rob more than $250 million from banks over the last five years. She is on a cross-country trip to run after she realizes she has been discovered by various government agents who view her as a high-level national security threat and a potential intelligence asset.

This is a solid debut thriller if you enjoy a cat and mouse, high stakes chase story. The chapters are short and just over 300 pages, it's a very easy read to keep you engaged. Ruth is highly intelligent and likable and it's fun to see her escape each of the scenarios she finds herself in. Mike, our second POV is completely delusional and his obsession kept me hooked as well. There were a few unanswered questions and I do wish the ending were a little more neat.

]]> Review7449063573 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 06:48:31 -0700 /review/show/7449063573 Hannah gave 2 stars to The Love Haters (Hardcover) by Katherine Center
I love Katherine Center's storytelling and writing but this was a miss for me. I couldn't get behind the main character, the storyline didn't feel cohesive, it lacked normal KC charm, and there was unnecessary friction that took away from the story itself. The deeper themes were so heavy handed they just didn't land for me and side characters were a miss as well.

But, I can see how others would enjoy this if you are looking for a summer time contemporary romance with themes of adventure, the best sidekick pup, and swimming and the Coast Guard training. ]]> ReadStatus9252041583 Tue, 01 Apr 2025 06:48:00 -0700 /review/show/7449063573 Hannah has read The Love Haters by Katherine Center
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