The.ReadingNook
I loved the plot and character development in this book; there was equal development between the two. I liked the twisty-turny angle that the author took amongst the mystery; it was like whiplash - in a good way. As much as I loved the book (I was certain I'd rate it at least 4 stars), I was disappointed with the cliffhanger ending! That bumped it to a 3.5 for me.
Phew now that was a whirlwind of adventure and mystery! One of our FMC was insufferable while the other FMC was so likable - I was rooting for her always. The character Josie was completely unreliable and I continually questioned her motives and her “truth”. As always in Lisa Jewell books, there's tension and mystery and in this case, left the reader to interpret Josie's truth in which way they see fit. I really enjoyed this book, but gave 4 stars as I wasn't blown away by the ending or plot twist. But lemme tell you: I flew through this book and throughly enjoyed it!
I've always had a hunch that I am codependent. This book not only gently guided me through qualifications, but provided suggestions and remedies for relinquishing the codependency. I loved The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie as well, so I trusted that this would be a worthwhile read. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend to anyone that may believe he or she is codependent, or anyone who may be curious about codependency.
I'm a very science-based learner. I always need to know the how's and why's of how things work, so that I grasp a better understanding. I loved this book specifically for that reason. This isn't just an “eat better like this...” and “you can lose weight by....” type of book. It breaks down the metabolism and what to eat to better your overall health. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
Honestly, this was a slow start for me and I wasn't fond of the characters at first. BUT, I ended up enjoying this more than I thought I would!
I really enjoyed this one! Frieda McFadden always hooks me from page #1! This plot follows a new Nurse Practitioner working at a men's penitentiary. Brooke ends up treating her long-ago boyfriend, Shane, who she sent to prison 11 years earlier for attempted murder. As the plot develops, Brooke starts to question Shane and if he was the real perpetrator. Rode this one along for twist after twist, leading up the greater plot twist toward the last few pages. McFadden always brings the reader righhhht to the very last page with her surprises and boy, did she deliver. Again, a very fast-paced thriller that I binged in a day.
Ok, I loved the premise of this book. The story, the development - both characters & plot, and the twists/epilogue. The plot was so different than any other mystery/thriller/suspense book I've read before. BUT my one grievance about the book, which rounded it down to 3 stars, is that there was A LOT of moving parts: a lot of characters, multiple timelines and POVs. It was difficult for me to follow and focus on. Sometimes I'd get confused between which character was in which situation, or what timeline we were in. I enjoyed the book generally but that was definitely one of my obstacles.
Well, I loved this book! Adelaide is such a likable character - as are the other female characters that are developed throughout. Rory and Adelaide's first boyfriend? They suck. BUT, their behaviors and attitudes are what really set the tone for what the main focus of this book is about. We follow Adelaide as she's looking for love, all while navigating toxicity in relationships. There's heartbreak, glimmers of love & hope, and fiercely loyal friends that really make this book shine. This book is incredibly relatable, especially with facing toxic relationships and even more so - the desire to be loved in all the wrong places. This book (and Adelaide herself!) definitely left a mark on my heart.
I would 100% recommend!
I saw this as a must-read recommendation on Bookstagram and was noted as similar to Josie Silver's writing. Now, I enjoy Josie Silver so I had to check this book out, and it definitely did not disappoint! I loved the insta-love trope as well as the main characters. Hannah reminds me of myself in the sense that she's kind-hearted, falls easily, and is willing to go the extra mile for those she loves. Davey is swoon-worthy upon first meeting him, tackles a life-changing illness, and - in complete opposition to Hannah - turns inward, pushing away those he loves. This story was a roller coaster that kept me craving more. I loved Hannah and Davey's initial relationship - until Davey pushed Hannah away. I felt for Hannah - and tried to sympathize with Davey's struggle - mentally and physically. Fortunately, I have not personally gone through this situation, but I have, unfortunately, witnessed someone I love go through that struggle. (I don't want to name exactly what this struggle is, as it's kind of a little bit of a shock to the reader). The one grievance I do have is that Hannah is half-ass-committed to George for a year!! There's severe lack of vulnerability, communication and expression within the relationship, and I literally - the whole span of the relationship - thought we'd discover that George was a big ‘ole cheater. Besides that, I was relieved when the relationship (FINALLY) ends - rightfully so (long-time coming). I overall was settling on a 4-star rating, but after reading the Author's Note at the end, my heart couldn't resist bumping it to a 4.5.
Now this was an interesting premise for a crime novel! We follow three women post-murder as they actively pursue the man who murdered them. The goal is to communicate with the living in order to get him caught. While I enjoyed the idea for this book, it lacked plot development. The plot was more one-note than I would've liked. The character development was better but it still fell short. Overall, this is a paranormal crime read which is cool, but I wanted more.
Brianna Weist never disappoints in the self-reflection department! My favorite is still The Mountain is You
This book definitely took me by surprise in terms of the level of spice!! This book is certainly spicy and also did not disappoint in the cutesy romancey, innocent crush department as well. Anyway, Nolan & Bee's chemistry was spot-on and kept ME wanting more. I love love love that Bee is 1) an adult-film star that tackles a fru fru Christmas movie, and 2) that she is plus-sized! Yas to representation! I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted (and did I mention SPICY) read and would give it a 4/5 star rating!
CHECK TW FOR THIS BOOK!
This was my introduction to John Marrs and it was just ok for me. A bingeable thriller with so-so twists. Nothing that really shocked me. The main focus of the book left me uneasy but I was so curious about the story that I continued reading. The characters were unreliable and not toooo likeable either. I'd try out another John Marrs book, but apprehensively.
This is my very first Jasmine Guillory book and it certainly will not be my last! This is a Beauty & the Beast retelling, spotlighting Izzy who works at Tale as Old as Time Publishing, and Beau, the brawny stubborn celebrity whose memoir has Izzy scratching her head and facing new frustrations daily. To please her boss, Marta, Izzy steps up to personally hunt down Beau to “encourage” him to hand in his memoir. Romance ensues and the rest is history.
Now, the nods to Beauty & the Beast were pretty obvious and more prominent throughout the first couple of chapters or so. Those sort of died down a bit as we progressed through the book. I have nothing to compare it to in terms of comparing Guillory's other romances to this one and how quick/spicy the romance is but, the romance wasn't too spicy, and it was a very slow burn - I was about 65% in when a move was finally made.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I do wish there was more plot development - it was kind of one note - but I loved the characters and the character development. I also enjoyed the Beauty & the Beast take on the story.
I would rate this 4/5 stars, and would recommend to anyone who wants a fun, quick romance read.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This book will be published on July 26, 2022.
So, I loved this book! I thought this was a cute, lighthearted romance that follows childhood friends to lovers, Jack and Lizzy. Lizzy is going above and beyond to please her mother, becoming a lawyer living in LA, and following the standards her mom sets for her. She has a moment where she questions her true happiness and decides to take a break from work, and sets out to Weldon, where her best friend of over a decade, Jack, lives, and works in his family's brewery. Lizzy is on this path to self-discovery in terms of what SHE wants to do in life, all while Jack is internally battling a new career move, putting his family's business behind. While in Weldon, spark fly and the pent up emotions toward one another come to a head. Enter romance. I was not expecting any steam from this book, but it did get a little spicy! I enjoyed the relationship and chemistry between Jack & Lizzy, and loved this trope! This was my first childhood friends to lovers book and I thought it was just adorable!
I rated this book 4 stars - I liked it a lot, but in comparison to other books I've given 5 stars to this one doesn't compare.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for my e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
So I ended up reading this book cover to cover within a day. I wouldn't be too bold as to say I loved this book, but it was a fast-paced thriller (with short chapters! woohoo!) that really kept my attention. I will say there was a ton of suspense - it's hinted right from the rip that there's a murder on the Hen trip, and there's plenty of suspense leading up to the murder. I didn't really find any one of the characters likable, except for Fen and Lexi. Otherwise, the flaws of the characters are front-and-center. I did enjoy that there's a few twists laid out in the book and that each one of these twists had me longing for more.
Overall, I give this book 4 stars!
One of the Girls will be out June 28, 2022.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dude, seriously? Colleen Hoover!!! CoHo my giiiirl. If you're ever in need of a heartwarming but heart-wrenching, yet fulfilling and satisfactory read, turn to Colleen Hoover. Wowzas. This book made me feel ALL of the emotions. I felt anger, heartbreak, satisfaction and love. All within these 320 pages.
This story follows Kenna who has recently been released from prison after a 5-year stint for her connection to Scotty, her former boyfriend's, death. Kenna is mysterious to Ledger, a well-known man candy and bar owner in town. Kenna has one mission - to find and reconnect with - her daughter. Little does she know that this Ledger may be her only hope of reuniting. We go on a roller coaster of legalities, love and frustration as Kenna persists at trying to meet her four-year-old daughter for the first time.
Now like I said earlier, I felt a whirlwind of emotions. Colleen Hoover has a way of doing that in her writings. I felt so connected to both Ledger and Kenna, and I felt so deeply for both of them and the heartache & grief they're feeling as a result of Scotty's death. It is a testament that everyone grieves differently. I loved that this book included Kenna's letters to Scotty. It's such a great way of gaining a deeper perspective on what Kenna has experienced, especially considering her character has a negative reputation. I also just loveddd Ledger I mean COME ON!! New book boyfriend, for sure. He tried so hard to navigate through his feelings and confusion surrounding his feelings & the situation he got himself into. It was heartwarming to see his empathy and care for others; his selflessness. Then, the story ends on a high note. I always adore how CoHo connects the titles of her books to the very last line of the story. It's like such a fulfilling way to bring everything full circle. This is definitely one of the more memorable Colleen Hoover books for me! I'm so glad I got my hands on a copy. I give this baby 5⭐️. And P.S. for those of you who aren't familiar, this is Colleen Hoover's latest book! Pub date January 18, 2022.
So this book took me weeks to read. Not because I didn't enjoy this book, because I DID (I gave it 4.5⭐). I just have so many NetGalley books to get through that I was “multi-tasking” with books LOL. Anyone else relate?
Anyway, this was my first Lisa Barr book and WOW. Just wow. There was a beautiful mix of romance, deceit, mystery and suspense. I haven't picked up a historical fiction in awhile and this piqued my interest in HF again. (Pretty sure the last historical fiction I read was The Nightingale). I went in blind, and was quickly reeled in. I'm not too big into the art scene but this story was so compelling and truly had me in its grips. I adored, yet loathed the characters. The plot development was on point. There is mention of drug/alcohol addiction and murder/violence, which could be triggering to some. If I had to nit-pick, I would say that there are A LOT of characters, which could be a bit confusing at times; and I feel as though the book could have been a wee bit shorter (about 50 pages too long). But overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
So captivating! This story truly has strong character-development and I love the family dynamic. At first, it seemed as though there were too many characters to follow but as the book continued on, you were lead through each and everyone's story. It was really a beautiful book.
Unfortunately for me, this book was a DNF. I loved the premise of the book and the synopsis really drew me in. However, it was difficult to connect to the characters. I appreciate that Winter and Bo both suffered with mental health problems because that is a relevant social topic, however, it became increasingly difficult to connect with the characters. The plot also started to feel immature and overall was a bit flat.
This ARC was provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.