An interesting and new take on the teen vampire genre, this follows Kidan as she searches for her missing twin sister. To find her, she must enroll atAn interesting and new take on the teen vampire genre, this follows Kidan as she searches for her missing twin sister. To find her, she must enroll at Uxley University where students study to ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and vampires and inherit their family legacies. But she has to share her house with Susenyos, an evil vampire she wants to kill.
I liked this book, but I think it had some bad pacing issues. Unlike most readers (from their reviews here) I liked the first 40% and the last 20% with the percentage in the middle falling flat for me. I listed to the audiobook which was well done but sometimes I felt like I missed some things. It took me a while to figure out the romance part of the book was between Kidan and Susenyos because this is a true enemies to lovers, but they stay enemies! Some great tension in their relationship. I wish the worldbuilding had been a bit more in depth, but for a book this long I can see why more was not added. Overall, liked it but not my favorite book ever. ...more
The Turn of the Key is about live in nanny Rowan who is left alone with 3-4 children to care for, ranging from toddler to teen. But as she watches theThe Turn of the Key is about live in nanny Rowan who is left alone with 3-4 children to care for, ranging from toddler to teen. But as she watches the children (who don't always behave very well) strange things begin to happen. Strange noises, lights going out, speakers turning on. But all of this is leading to a malicious ending.
Ruth Ware is master of tone and suspense... she just can't write a book ending well to save her life. I love the journey of Ware's mystery stories but almost never the endings. You as the reader get sucked into the atmosphere and setting of her books and it's so fun to follow along. I liked Rowan as a narrator, not sure if she is reliable or even the best person. The kids were also done very well. I do think all the suspense led to a very lackluster ending that was rushed. Maybe one day I will love more than one Ware book! (And I'll just keep being toxic and continuing to read her books anyways!)...more
This somehow wasn't as bad as I thought, but also not great at the same time.
The Nightmare Before Kissmas follows the romance between Coal, the PrinceThis somehow wasn't as bad as I thought, but also not great at the same time.
The Nightmare Before Kissmas follows the romance between Coal, the Prince of Christmas and Hex, the Prince of Halloween. Coal is set to marry Iris, the Princess of Easter in an arranged marriage, but after a surprise hookup with Hex, Coal finds himself re-evaluating things.
This book had a few quirky and fun moments which is why I didn't give up on it early on. While this book is technically a romance for adults, they are in their early twenties and very much read like young adult characters. There was also a lot of world-building, but somehow not enough? And I felt the plot actually took away from the romance to the point that when we got to spicy parts I was like, oh yeah this is a romance!
I think this is a fun book if you don't take it seriously and just read along for the ride. For me, it was solidly okay and just not something I can even say I liked but I can see why it would appeal to other readers....more
A cute little holiday mystery following Molly the maid as her boyfriend Juan Manual begins to act strangely around Christmastime. 3.5 stars rounded up
A cute little holiday mystery following Molly the maid as her boyfriend Juan Manual begins to act strangely around Christmastime. A nice little extension of the series, this was a lot of fun to listen to....more
The Omegaverse romance between two shifters who work in a hospital that decide to fake date to solve their problems. Noah needs to hide he' 2.5 stars
The Omegaverse romance between two shifters who work in a hospital that decide to fake date to solve their problems. Noah needs to hide he's an alpha and Mackenzie wants to avoid dates her grandmother set up and the two decide to be fake mates to make all of their problems go away.
When you take away all of the spicy parts of this book, what are you left with? A tissue paper thin plot and not much else. I don't read any Omegaverse so there were things I was confused on; friends who do read that genre told me there was a lot in this book that didn't match the genre at all. I didn't understand why the characters needed to be doctors as their issues could have been transplanted into any workplace (we never saw them doctoring like ever). And there was a lot of repetitive language used throughout the book....more
Sometimes I read a popular book and wonder if I am going crazy because everyone else loved this, so why don't I? What I am about to say is not a spoilSometimes I read a popular book and wonder if I am going crazy because everyone else loved this, so why don't I? What I am about to say is not a spoiler, it's in chapter one. The premise of this book is about Helen, whose sister completed suicide at a young age by jumping in front of a car. The romance is between Helen and the man who killed her sister, Grant. A man she blamed for years for killing her sister, is her love interest. I went into this book blind and was taken aback when I realized this was the romance. And maybe it's me, but I was never super able to get past that fact while reading this book. Sure it's a book about forgiveness and healing, but it did not resonate well with me the foundation of their relationship being something this horrible.
Lots of people loved this book, and it was not bad by any point. I would absolutely read more by Kuang in the future. But she didn't sell me on the romance in this one....more
The Night We Lost Him is about an adult daughter who was slightly estranged from her father at the time of his death. Not handling it well, her world The Night We Lost Him is about an adult daughter who was slightly estranged from her father at the time of his death. Not handling it well, her world is rocked when her younger half brother approaches her about their father's death not being an accident. The two decide to investigate, and uncover more about their father than they expected.
This one was... a tad bit disappointing. I gave this author's other book The Last Thing He Told Me a 5 star rating because it really packed an emotional punch for me along with a great mystery. This book lacked both of those things. Did I like it? Mostly yes. But I never felt attached to the characters or the story the way I should be and in a way I know this author is more than capable of writing....more
My toxic trait is reading Ruth Ware novels and then almost never rating them above three stars. Glad to see I am still toxic. Why do I read her books?My toxic trait is reading Ruth Ware novels and then almost never rating them above three stars. Glad to see I am still toxic. Why do I read her books? She is excellent at concept and tone, just never the execution.
One Perfect Couple follows Lyla, a scientist whose actor boyfriend convinces her to join a couples reality tv show. Whisked away to a tropical island in the middle of nowhere, things go wrong when a tropical storm devastates their resort and the boat that brought them there is missing. With four other couples there, tensions are high and things begin to get grim.
This is not really a mystery so much as a thriller. There's no whodoneit, you pretty much know what's happening as you read along. I kind of thought the characters were a bit dumb, but maybe that was the point? Some reality tv aspects are obvious if you watch and productions usually have great safeguards in place. By the middle of the book I honestly forgot the fact that this started as reality tv. I enjoyed this book for the most part but it's one of those thrillers that made me feel sick at times and I don't enjoy that with my mystery novels. But that's just personal preference. And you best believe I will keep reading Ms. Ware going forward....more
First things first, I read this book based on a 3 star review I read here on Goodreads, so don't say "less then 4 star reviews prevent people from picFirst things first, I read this book based on a 3 star review I read here on Goodreads, so don't say "less then 4 star reviews prevent people from picking up a book" because they don't!
Listen for the Lie is about Lucy, a young woman who is assumed to be the murderer of her best friend. Except Lucy doesn't remember the night Savvy was murdered, and there was never enough evidence to convict her. Now five years later, her entire life is disrupted when a famous podcast begins covering her case. Traveling back to Texas at her grandmother's request, she faces her small town for the first time since Savvy's death.
I really enjoyed this book a lot. There seems to be a pipeline of former YA authors now writing adult mysteries/thrillers and I am all for it because most of the time they end up great! I've seen a lot of reviews bashing the main character for being annoying... I actually really liked her spunk. Everyone's all for an interesting female lead until we actually get one and they condemn her (much like the message in this book). I did guess the killer pretty early on, but I've read a lot of mysteries and rarely get shocked anymore. But it was nice having my suspicions confirmed. Overall a great mystery with a podcast feel and interesting characters....more
A teen slasher novel where a group of camp counselors are terrorized by a killer. A new take on an old horror trope, these camp counselors run a summeA teen slasher novel where a group of camp counselors are terrorized by a killer. A new take on an old horror trope, these camp counselors run a summer camp where they pretend a killer is out to get them and the guests play along. That is until some of the staff bail and with a crazy neighbor they have to close up the camp early. But that's when weird things begin to happen...
This book had a really slow start but was still a lot of fun to listen along to. I really liked all of the characters and even though I knew this as a horror/slasher novel I was sad when some of them began to die. The ending was... interesting. I almost took another star off my rating but then it redeemed itself in a way. Kalynn Bayron is a great writer and I would be more than happy to read more books by her....more
The second book in the Emily Wilde series, Map of the Otherlands follows Emily and Wendall with new acquiantences as they escape faery assassins sent The second book in the Emily Wilde series, Map of the Otherlands follows Emily and Wendall with new acquiantences as they escape faery assassins sent by Wendell's stepmother. Ending up in the Austrian Alps, Emily hopes to find a door to the faery realm and to help save Wendell.
I really like this series a lot, Emily and Wendell are such wonderful characters. I love that the series is from Emily's perspective, it's so unique and I love her way of seeing the world. I love all the adventures she goes on and all of the creatures she meets along the way. (view spoiler)[ I was also so glad we got to see Poe again, he's my favorite! (hide spoiler)] It's honestly just a heartwarming and fun fae series, which is so refreshing with all of the darker fae stories out right now. It's a perfect escape from reality....more
Cambridge profesor Emily Wilde travels to the small village of Hrafnsvik so she can study and write the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. AtCambridge profesor Emily Wilde travels to the small village of Hrafnsvik so she can study and write the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. At first she is an outcast among the locals, her academic rival Wendell Bambleby turns up and everything begins to change.
A colleague of mine recommended this book to me 9 months ago and I finally got to it! And I shouldn't have pushed this down the to be read list because it was wonderful! I loved all the interactions Emily had with the townspeople, the faeries and all of the lore that came along with it. I was perfectly content listening along and happily got lost in this world. Some of it is predictable, yes, but nevertheless still enjoyable. I checked out the second book immediately after finishing this one....more
Taking place in 1986 and 2017, this book follows Cassie a true crime writer as she interviews and covers the case of Lore who was the center 3 stars
Taking place in 1986 and 2017, this book follows Cassie a true crime writer as she interviews and covers the case of Lore who was the center of a murder. Lore married two men without their knowledge, and when one found out he murdered the other. Fascinated by this story, Cassie interviews Lore for a book even as her own life falls apart.
While I really liked this book, this is definitely a case where less is more. There was a really great mystery in here, but I feel like the author got wrapped up in things that I think she felt were interesting (historical wise) and this book could have been pared down a bit. An interesting story filled with lies and double lives, Katie Gutierrez is a great writer and someone to watch....more
The love story between Ricki and Ezra, a florist and a man with a big secret. I really loved Seven Days in June so I was excited for this book. And whThe love story between Ricki and Ezra, a florist and a man with a big secret. I really loved Seven Days in June so I was excited for this book. And while it was written beautifully with interesting characters, I found I didn't love the pacing or the story that much. Tia Williams is a great author, very talented. I am certain many people will love this book, but magical realism is not for me a lot of the time....more
Kennedy Ryan always delivers gut punching romance stories and this one hits you right in the feels. Following a couple that divorced two years ago aftKennedy Ryan always delivers gut punching romance stories and this one hits you right in the feels. Following a couple that divorced two years ago after a family tragedy, Yasmen and Josiah are doing their best co-parenting while running a business together. The two loved each other very much, and maybe some of that love is still there.
This is more of a vibes book than a plot heavy one which usually isn't my reading preference but this was done very well. Kennedy Ryan does mostly write really intense, heavy romance and not the light kind so be sure to read trigger warnings before diving into this book. My favorite parts of this book were all the interactions with the kids, good and bad. Ryan did a really great job fleshing out complicated family dynamics while delivering an emotional love story....more
A lightly witchy romance about Sage a young woman who returns to her hometown after many years of being gone after a tragedy. Tr 3.5 stars rounded up
A lightly witchy romance about Sage a young woman who returns to her hometown after many years of being gone after a tragedy. Trying to navigate her relationship with her sister and aunt, Sage begins working for the Cranberry Rose Company and is assigned a partner Tennesee. He unknowingly broke her heart in high school and Sage is not interested in being involved again.
I listened to the audiobook and was very much just along for the ride on this one. Yes there's one too many plots in this book but it didn't bother me. My favorite aspects of the book were the magic systems in place and Sage's relationships with her family and how all of that played out. I usually don't connect well with the magic realism genre but this book worked because it wasn't very much a magic realism book. Definitely want to read the next book and see how everything works out with the family....more
Evie Porter has the perfect life but the catch is: Evie Porter doesn't exist. Evie works for a man named Mr. Smith whom she's never met but talks to hEvie Porter has the perfect life but the catch is: Evie Porter doesn't exist. Evie works for a man named Mr. Smith whom she's never met but talks to her on the phone as he tells her where her next job is. But Evie's current mark Ryan is getting under her skin, and as soon as she thinks she can dream up a good life with him, her past comes right back to haunt her.
I really enjoyed this book, I've seen so many positive reviews raving about it and I had to give it a try. It's nice when books live up to the hype. Lots of twists and turns in this one, some predictable, some not. It grabbed my attention and kept it until the very end. I could see this book being a great miniseries or movie, it was a lot of fun....more
Let me start by saying the entire premise of this book is completely bonkers but I enjoyed it anyways.
After having just signed her divorce 3.75 stars
Let me start by saying the entire premise of this book is completely bonkers but I enjoyed it anyways.
After having just signed her divorce papers, Daphne attends a baseball game and gets drunk with her friend and ends up heckling a baseball player... to the point where he begins to cry. Feeling horrible, Daphne sends an apology to him on instagram, but the part where she admitted she was the heckler was omitted and Chris has been replying not knowing who she is. As time goes by she wants to admit to him who she is, but doesn't want to ruin a good thing.
Insane. Insane I tell you! This premise, if anyone did this in real life it wouldn't be a romance it would be a true crime documentary. But somehow, it works! I had a lot of fun listening to this weird little book, knowing Daphne was making every single wrong decision but still somewhat rooting for her and Chris anyway. It was actually a really fun baseball romance and just a fun sports romance all around. This is the second book I've read by this author and I'm glad I gave her a second chance because this book was a good time....more