Lisa

I DNF'd this book at the 38% mark (on audio). The person who recommended this said to go in blind and I think that was the issue for me. If I had read a short summary I would have known this book wasn't for me. This is 100% the case of the storyline not being for this reader.

The writing was good, the narration was good, I enjoyed the parts where she talked about her MFA program and I think I would have liked delving deeper into her family life (not sure if this happens in the book or not).

I've also seen the following descriptors of this book that might help you decide if it's for you: dark romance, co-dependency, isolating relationship

Specifically why I DNF'd:
I do not like books about manipulative, jealous, controlling men. I don't like books when women don't listen to their gut instinct, making excuses for obviously erratic behavior, etc. The Charlie red flags were BIG from the beginning - texting incessantly, being caging about who you are with, stalking behavior. And I don't like the, "Well, he makes me feel so special" excuse. This line in particular in the jacket copy would have indicated it wasn't a book for me "When he starts to make Leah feel unsafe, she can't help but feel that what exists between them is destined." NOPE..

I abandoned this book. Got about 50% of the way thru and just couldn't get into it. Oates is one of my favorite authors which is why I stuck thru half of it but had to give in and admit this one just wasn't for me.

I only made it to the second page of Chapter 2 and I had to stop reading - it felt like it was going to be to emotional for me to handle.

I picked this up during my spooking reading and stopped listening for the following reasons:

1. The supernatural piece wasn't what I was expecting and didn't fit into my spooking vibe reading. Basically, the mood of the book didn't match the mood I was in.
2. There is a dual time narrative and I felt like there was too much time spent in the past narrative and the pacing was slow because of that. I typically don't mind a dual time narrative but I think it would have worked better for me if there was a few chapters in present day for every chapter in the past.
3. My notes for why I added to my list were - blood-chilling, supernatural horror, on the reservation. In the first 2 hours of the audio book all I got was the reservation. This was reading much more like crime fiction than horror.

I ended up DNF'ing this book around page 100 because of a plot point that is firmly in my doghouse.

Reason for DNF:
The whole kidnapping is a hoax thought up by the father, I believe the daughter was involved but DNF'd before I could confirm that. Not only is it a hoax the teenage daughter ends up dead. No thank you.

I abandoned this book. I liked the beginning a lot but book tended to keep repeating itself - explaining what margin is and why we need it. after making it almost half way thru I decided to go on to something else.

abandoned book. Made it half way thru but really should be an action book and I'm not doing any of the things in the book. Will probably revisit at another time.

Received as ARC from Edelweiss. I wasn't quite sure how I felt about this book from the beginning but the concept is intriguing so I wanted to give it a try. Ultimately, there was a plot point about 35% of the way in that wasn't for me.

From the beginning, the characters are not likeable - you aren't rooting for anyone. I don't necessarily need to like my characters though and I was curious to dig into the underbelly of influencing. About 10% of the way in “" Julie lies to the police to assume Chloe's life - it's way to easy. I rolled my eyes and was almost out. I could believe that Julie could scam Chloe's "friends" because it's a superficial relationship and her sister just died but when she decides to call her Aunt? It was beyond stupid to me and I couldn't continue. I think the author could have dealt with the Aunt in the plot without the stupidity. It was added drama that wasn't necessary, in my opinion. "“

Rounded up from 3.75

Rounded up from 4.5

I listened to this on audio and really enjoyed that experience. One narrator but she did all the many voices really well (there were one or two that were annoying but fit the characters personality so...) I also liked how when the MC is talking on the phone that comes through in the audio quality (sounds like a phone call).

This is a romance with depth - really explores the hypocrisy in hollywood for women & women of color as opposed to men and white women. And the the hoops one has to jump through just to ensure they have a future in a career they love. Both Win and Leo will drive you crazy at times but their interactions felt very real and I'm really obsessed with the ending of this book (before the epilogue).

There is an epilogue that wraps everything up. I didn't mind it (and usually don't) but warning for those that don't. I like seeing a peak into where the couple is at a future point in time. If you don't like those you can just skip.

This had been on my list for awhile and I'm glad I finally got to it - will be checking out other books written by this author duo!

Rounded up from 3.75

This book is a atmospheric young adult historical fantasy with a romance sub plot. Plot pacing felt very slow to me and a bit repetitive - about 30% in and I was still wondering what the main plot of the book was. The plot picked up until the last 100 pages and I found that to be the best part of the reading experience for me. A slower plot usually doesn't bother me much if I feel the characters are well-developed. To me, both characters felt a bit flat to me which made the slow plot stand out more.

This is part one of a duology. The full story does get told with a small piece at the end that allows a jumping off point for book two. I'm not sure if I will continue with the series or not but I liked my experience. I also had the edition with the sprayed edges of a bookshelf and the beauty of the book did enhance my reading experience.

Rounded up from 3.75

This book is three sections, each told from a different characters point of view. I enjoyed my time inside each section but found the transition jarring and a bit clunky. I did not enjoy that last 50 or so pages and was not here for the ending - it just ended. I don't need everything tied up in a bow but I like some semblance of a conclusion. I felt like this ending just dropped you off a cliff.

This book is about belonging, class, race, immigration and gender with a bit of generational trauma thrown in. Lily's point of view was probably my favorite but I enjoyed Nick's and May's as well. It was interesting to read a bit about life life in China under Mao.

Audio was done well.

Rounded up from 3.75

I had fun with this book and enjoyed the choose your own adventure structure. I had heard a lot of mixed review going into this so my expectations weren't that high which I think aided my enjoyment. If it didn't have the choose your own adventure format I think I would have given this a lower rating but I did have fun making choices in the book so it got a bump for that.

I did find myself getting anxious for a choice if I had to go more than 20 pages without making one. Not sorry I read it.

I loved this book. I have read some of the other reviews giving this 2 stars and saying they were not the target audience and I completely disagree with those reviews. I am a almost 50 year old woman with one child in college and the other in high school. My evenings are quiet and my at home child requires very little of me. I have a husband that is a full participant in household chores and we have a pretty equal division of labor. I still found this book extremely valuable.

1. I loved the feminist / patriarchal talk. We all know that we live in a patriarchal society but not once have a read a time management book that addresses the elephant in the room. This books gives us a time management book through the FEMALE gaze instead of the MALE gaze. Even other books written by women still look at the process through the male gaze. Also, a bonus is that this was the post election book I needed that I didn't know I needed.

2. This books does lead with kindness. Just because she points out that we have been trying to manage our time based on principles that only really work for one gender doesn't make it unkind. She is giving the women reading this book kindness - telling us we don't have to be perfect, we don't have to do everything, we don't have to hustle to be valuable. We are more that! One of the most important things she says is that we are more than the plan we have and more than our to do list.

3. Yeah for bringing in the menstrual cycle and how that affects the energy you have. I follow a nutritionist that also talks about that and it's sad to say that, as a 49 year old woman, I had never heard that men are on a 24 hour energy cycle and women are on a 28 day energy cycle. I obviously knew about the menstrual cycle but never connected it to how much energy I have at a given time (again, it addresses the elephant in the room that men can't even begin to understand)

4. Some reviews said there are a lot of acronyms and it gets confusing. I disagree. Acronyms are helpful for some to remember key points but if that doesn't help you then throw out the acronym and just use key points. At the end of the book she clearly says to start small and don't try to incorporate everything at once and that the most important thing is getting into a rhythm of preparing, adjusting and noticing. Do this daily at first and then look to expand to weekly, monthly, seasonally. My plan going into this book was to read this slowly and finish right before Christmas so I could take everything I learned and start fresh in January. After I closed the book I have a completely different outlook - I'm going to start small. Every year I do the whole “This year is going to be different” and it lasts two weeks and I feel like a failure. If nothing else this book is a big permission slip that says you are not a failure. Life happens, plans change and learning to pivot is much more important than learning to plan.

5. There are chapters that help you build a better To Do List, help you learn how to plan based on different time frames (day, week, month). Understanding that you don't treat each of these the same is valuable.

6. Some of the other negative reviews are that she doesn't focus enough and tries to make it for everyone. I think one of the biggest lies of all other time management books is that there is one way to manage your time and if you use that system you will succeed. If you don't, it's on you. This book follows the key Lazy Genius Principle which is that how you implement anything is unique to you. And it changes as you change. This book is a framework. We have to do the work of figuring our how it works in our life.

7. This isn't just for a woman who manages her home and/or children. These principles can be used with work as well. Preparing your day, adjusting your day and noticing how that day goes at work is also super helpful. Also, looking at the energy required at home or work in different seasons is vital to creating YOUR Plan. Woman often think that we have to do it all and give 100% at work and at home no matter what. That is not possible and this book highlights that and gives you a framework to adjust how you look at things.

Overall, this is about prioritizing what is most important to you, not what should be most important. In putting this rhythm into practice you will be able to see what is most important while getting a handle on your to do's. This book will not fix everything for you but it gives you a compassionate guide live your days instead of just getting through them.

This was a cute, diverse romance set at Christmas. I could have done without the third act breakup - although a standby in the romance genre I don't feel like it was really needed in this story. There was plenty of tension because of the setup of the book (fake dating when in love with fiance's sister). Also, everyone was mad at Elle when the truth came out but not so mad at Andrew who was responsible for the deceit in the first place. I was happy with how they resolved the third act breakup though. All in all, a solid 4 stars.

Rounded down from 3.5

I really liked the setting and narration and the premise of the book. Also, if you read in print she has an anagram in each chapter so readers can play along. I think that if you are really into puzzles and like figuring out clues as you go through a book then you will probably really enjoy this. My biggest issue was that I knew who the murderer was going to be as soon as everyone arrived at the house. Further events in the book just solidified that for me. The other mystery in the book, what happened to Lily's Mom, wasn't clear until about 25% of the way in but I guessed that as well (without trying). My main reason for reading this was that it takes place at Christmas and I was more in the mood for a murder mystery than a romance. From that standpoint it was an enjoyable listen but if you are looking for a complex mystery that keeps you guessing this might not work.

I was really surprised with how moving this story was. I was prepared for a Christmas horror, which this is, but not for the sympathy/empathy I had for Krampus. It really paints a different portrait of other media I've consumed of what Krampus represents.

The middle was a bit mushy for me - started and ended with a good amount of action and the middle slowed way down.

Loves the afterward - kinda wish I had read that first.

“For I clearly see that mankind has not yet forgotten who they are. That deep down thier wild spirit still burns. That they need only a little nudge to be set free.

I have been having trouble with most audio books since the 11/24 election. This was a planned read for December since it takes place at Christmastime and Alexis Hall managed to keep me entertained. I knew that if I couldn't focus on one of his books then I need to take an audio break for awhile. For me, Alexis Hall and Emily Henry are the romance writers to beat. They mix banter and heartfelt stories so well. I give an edge to Alexis Hall for the way he always makes me laugh in his books and then a few pages later I'm crying. The found family in this book (all his books to be honest) is top notch. I have yet to read one of his books that is a miss. The first 50% felt like a solid contemporary book and I wasn't really feeling the romance but then a switch flips and I totally buy them as a couple. It didn't feel like an awkward transition or anything, it just happened. They may be one of my favorite couples of any romance I read this year.

I enjoyed this one - it's a cozy historical mystery set in Regency era England. It was fun and fit my mood and I will definitely continue the series. That being said, I'm writing this review on December 4th and I can't remember who was murdered. So, the details aren't sticking with me but the feelings are - it was light, easy and fun.

This was a me problem. Since the election I'm
Having a really hard time focusing on audio books so I need to be really selective with my genre. This has elements of fantasy/magical realism and you need to pay attention 100% of the time. I will probably revisit in print in the future because I really have enjoyed This authors other books and have heard great things about this one.

Rounded down from 3.5. I dug the beginning of this book but not so much the second half. Part of this was post election depression. The second half had a lot of anxious energy and I needed more confident, vengeful energy. Also more murder on the page would have been appreciated. But that's just my vibe, especially right now.

I have had this book on my TBR since it came out. I purchased it at a bookstore September 2023. I now am I full believer that a book will be there for you when you need it. I was stressing about what to pick up the Sunday before the election in fear that I wouldn't be able to focus on anything. I took this off my shelf and just told myself to see if it was the right time - and it was 100% the best time. If you are looking for a strong female character who doesn't shy away from revenge, if you want to read passages that make you want to shout at the top of your lungs YES!!!!, then read this book now. These are quotes I pulled out of reviews when I originally put it on my list and they are 100% accurate.

“This book is so angry and so ready to crush the patriarchy...”
“a boot on the patriarchy's neck...“
“An angry, bloody, feminist fist straight through the glass of patriarchal bullshit...“

If that is the energy you are looking for, this is the book to read.

I really enjoyed this book. I found it very atmospheric. The house was truely scary. It was well written and I cared about Eric, Dess and Stacey. I also got to see Johnny Compton on a panel at Bookmarks Book festival and he was a delight.

It is really hard to scare me in books and usually supernatural books don't scare me. There were a few times while reading this that I heard a noise in my house and jumped a bit in my chair. I would say that its more spooky than scary unless supernatural books normally scare you - then it might be terrifying. A great haunted house story to add to your TBR.

3.5 starts. The audio was a dramatized full cast which was weird at first but did feel it suited the story. This is a silly, whimsical, magical story with a midlife female MC. I enjoyed the commentary related to living in this world as a midlife women and found myself chuckling a few times. A good palate cleanser between my darker spooky reads. Quick read as well - around 5 hours on audio.

Received digital ARC from Edelweiss

I really enjoyed this book. This is the first I have read of Steve Cavanagh but he has been on my radar. Since it is my first, and number 8 in the series, you can read out of order. I'm sure I would have enjoyed even more if I had read from the beginning of the series but I still enjoyed it and didn't feel like I was missing anything.

The recurring characters are fantastic and have a found family vibe that I adore (this is one of my favorite tropes). Chapters were short and aided the propulsive pace of the plot. The whole time I was intrigued on how he would bring everything together and was satisfied by the ending. This was my first Steve Cavanagh but it won't be my last.

Received digital ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review