Joan Kessler
"The Secret Dead Club" is a well-paced story of friendship, acceptance, and found family. The ghostly scene is set in the opening pages, and stays with you. This is a properly spooky story, and it kept me reading 'just one more chapter' before going to bed. It probably would have scared me silly when I was ten, but I truly enjoyed this read.
"The Secret Dead Club" is a well-paced story of friendship, acceptance, and found family. The ghostly scene is set in the opening pages, and stays with you. This is a properly spooky story, and it kept me reading 'just one more chapter' before going to bed. It probably would have scared me silly when I was ten, but I truly enjoyed this read.
I do like quick-witted, flamboyant, quirky Jacqueline Kirby, and this story has plenty of wit and fluff, taking place at a romance writer's convention.
I do like quick-witted, flamboyant, quirky Jacqueline Kirby, and this story has plenty of wit and fluff, taking place at a romance writer's convention.
An abundance of humorous asides, moral musings, and gentle wisdom make this a delightful read. A protagonist who finds herself following quiet streams of thought and who considers all sides of a situation equally is a mental refresher. There is quiet relief in having the space to think, and especially so when that space is in Scotland.
An abundance of humorous asides, moral musings, and gentle wisdom make this a delightful read. A protagonist who finds herself following quiet streams of thought and who considers all sides of a situation equally is a mental refresher. There is quiet relief in having the space to think, and especially so when that space is in Scotland.
I borrowed this book because I liked what it promised: ghosts & witch magic, small-town island gothic, a spooky house, & found family. Add to that a light romance and the suggestion from the cover blurb of laugh-out-loud humor, and I was looking forward to a fun read.
It had much potential, but didn't quite get there. Character development and relationships felt forced and rushed, and it made it difficult to connect with them. The Edison POV seemed...unnecessary, not really adding to the story. I expected the focus to be on Riley and her relationship with her new friends-slash-coven-slash-sisterhood, but it seemed like there were too many (fun) ideas fighting for page time.
The humor and the writing style were just not my cup of tea (in particular, scenes of descriptive vomiting). There was much explaining of things, and recapping of events. Time passage was often jumpy and confusing.
The shining point in the book was Plover. His dialogue alone told me everything I needed to know about him. He was the most rounded character, the most sensible, and my favorite. There were other nice touches, like Natalie, small-town quirks, and haunted antiques. But this book just didn't get it done for me.
I borrowed this book because I liked what it promised: ghosts & witch magic, small-town island gothic, a spooky house, & found family. Add to that a light romance and the suggestion from the cover blurb of laugh-out-loud humor, and I was looking forward to a fun read.
It had much potential, but didn't quite get there. Character development and relationships felt forced and rushed, and it made it difficult to connect with them. The Edison POV seemed...unnecessary, not really adding to the story. I expected the focus to be on Riley and her relationship with her new friends-slash-coven-slash-sisterhood, but it seemed like there were too many (fun) ideas fighting for page time.
The humor and the writing style were just not my cup of tea (in particular, scenes of descriptive vomiting). There was much explaining of things, and recapping of events. Time passage was often jumpy and confusing.
The shining point in the book was Plover. His dialogue alone told me everything I needed to know about him. He was the most rounded character, the most sensible, and my favorite. There were other nice touches, like Natalie, small-town quirks, and haunted antiques. But this book just didn't get it done for me.
I borrowed this book because I liked what it promised: ghosts & witch magic, small-town island gothic, a spooky house, & found family. Add to that a light romance and the suggestion from the cover blurb of laugh-out-loud humor, and I was looking forward to a fun read.
It had much potential, but didn't quite get there. Character development and relationships felt rushed and forced. The Edison POV seemed...unnecessary, not really adding to the story. I expected the focus to be on Riley and her relationship with her new friends-slash-coven-slash-sisterhood, but it seemed like there were too many (fun) ideas fighting for page time.
The humor and the writing style were just not my cup of tea (in particular, scenes of descriptive vomiting). There was much explaining of things, and recapping of events. Time passage was often jumpy and confusing.
The shining point in the book was Plover. His dialogue alone told me everything I needed to know about him. He was the most rounded character, the most sensible, and my favorite. There were other nice touches, like Natalie, small town quirks, and haunted antiques. But this book just didn't get it done for me.
I borrowed this book because I liked what it promised: ghosts & witch magic, small-town island gothic, a spooky house, & found family. Add to that a light romance and the suggestion from the cover blurb of laugh-out-loud humor, and I was looking forward to a fun read.
It had much potential, but didn't quite get there. Character development and relationships felt rushed and forced. The Edison POV seemed...unnecessary, not really adding to the story. I expected the focus to be on Riley and her relationship with her new friends-slash-coven-slash-sisterhood, but it seemed like there were too many (fun) ideas fighting for page time.
The humor and the writing style were just not my cup of tea (in particular, scenes of descriptive vomiting). There was much explaining of things, and recapping of events. Time passage was often jumpy and confusing.
The shining point in the book was Plover. His dialogue alone told me everything I needed to know about him. He was the most rounded character, the most sensible, and my favorite. There were other nice touches, like Natalie, small town quirks, and haunted antiques. But this book just didn't get it done for me.
Answered a promptWhat are your favorite books of all time?
