Jessica

I was drawn to the premise and the combination of Mexican folklore and horror. I think the opening was strong. I really empathized with Alejandra and her struggle to navigate a broken marriage, motherhood, and depression. The glimpses of the creature haunting her were frightening. Unfortunately, I found the writing repetitive, and the dialogue felt stilted or oddly worded in the context of the conversation. The chapters alternated between Alejandra and her ancestors who have been victim to La Llorona. A lot of what they experienced and thought was repeated and written using the same phrases. I don't think these duplicates added anything to the story. I definitely didn't care about all of the characters the same way I started out caring for Alejandra. Some of the conversations sounded like a lecture on feminism rather than authentic discussions about frustrations or struggles the characters deal with. I really wanted to like this a lot more but I don't think it reached its potential.

The premise of Say You're Sorry was so intriguing. It had so much potential and fell flat at every turn. I read it because the reviews here were so good. I don't understand how.

I love a tortured hero/heroine. Mysterious, brooding, closed off from the love that we all know is coming. Give it to me. I thought I was getting that with Gideon, but he is brooding for about 5 minutes. Once he meets Daisy, the build-up is destroyed. Secrets he's kept for 17 years? Unlocked. Brooding? He's making heart eyes at her. Closed off heart? He's half-way to in love with her in minutes. How does a man who can't trust the closest thing he has to family for 17 years trust a stranger in less than 24 hours? I thought I misunderstood the timeline, but no. He unloads his trauma on Daisy less than a day after meeting her.

Daisy should be badass, but she isn't. She's definitely a “not like other girls” girl. She's just so special and likeable to everyone. Where would Gideon be without her? She's just so awesome at everything she does.

The killer could have been so terrifying, but he's just too much. He was 10 steps ahead of the FBI and SacPD until the very end. When his crimes come to light and his connection to people surrounding Daisy and Gideon are discovered, he's still able to go about his business in the same way he always has. Security is useless against his big brain. His inner monologue is so annoying. He doesn't come across as that smart, but he thinks he's a genius.

There's a lot of repetition. Things that have already been explained to the reader through inner thoughts or private conversations are repeated again when the information is shared with other people. The author could have said that the information was shared, but we get full scenes of dialogue that go on for too long. Why do we need the information 2 or 3 times?

Karen Rose seems to be well liked, but I don't think I'd read anything else by her after this book. What a disappointment.

I don't know how I'll recover from this book. I was enthralled and enraptured by Noah and Charlotte and their journey to find themselves and each other. The pain and vulnerability is exquisite. I felt it deep in my soul and could match up their road to healing with my own so perfectly. Absolutely beautiful.

3.5.

3.5⭐️ I love the world building. I love Iktan. I'm interested in seeing more of Xiala. I didn't love that nothing really happened. There are a lot of moving parts, and they're getting into position, but I was kind of bored. I zoned out a lot and feel like I didn't miss anything. I'm sticking around for Iktan and Serapio but I hope there's more to enjoy in the next book.