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This was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed some of the parts of it and thought other parts dragged a bit more than I preferred. The premise was interesting and felt similar to Ready Player One a little bit and at parts it was fun like that book. I liked the idea more than the execution at times.
I love love loved Loren’s previous book in this series and could not wait to get my hands on the second one. I had adored Hollyn and Jasper both and really loved the writing. I didn’t realize this book was going to be about two different characters but I quickly grew to love Andi and Hill as well and found myself rooting for them. I felt like there was less up-front character development in this story so I didn’t find myself as attached to the characters as I had in the previous book and the attraction and steam showed up more quickly in this book. But my favorite part of the first book in the series was how the characters are flawed and real in their own ways and how they are struggling with who they are and how worthy that makes them in a romance. And then they find each other and are so open and kind to these insecurities. This is just as true in this novel with Andi and her anxiety and need to go slow due to her own past experiences and Hill and his grappling with having lost one of his legs. Here are two people struggling with life and trying to navigate their way and they find each other, honor each other’s flaws and love each other because of it all. And there are some steamy steamy scenes in this book! I loved the sneak peek of Hollyn and Jasper, too! I really hope there are more books to come in this series! with gratitude to Dreamscape Media and netgalley for an advanced audio in exchange for an honest review
I have read and enjoyed Gelman’s previous books in this series so I knew I was going to love this one as well and it did not disappoint. Jen Dixon and her sense of humor juxtaposed with serious and real struggles of juggling midlife with kids, school obligations, career, and parents allows you to laugh at the absurdity of life while bringing a lot of heart to it. This short book covers marriage and exes, navigating custody, taking care of aging parents, trying to get a new career off the ground, finding ways to raise money for a school auction and more. Gelman’s ability to blend heart and humor into these otherwise serious and complicated issues makes it a joy to read and laugh as you shake your head and cheer for her and her characters as they navigate life and its complexities. full of heart, full of laughter. with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio in exchange for an honest review
I’ve read Alexandra Franzen’s blog for many, many years and I enjoy her style of storytelling with heart and her ability to get to the heart of the matter and both make you think and make you feel . She can instill courage while making sure you feel held. Many of the stories in this collection are of people who have had major setbacks in their lives and have found ways to move past them and many have found ways to create very powerful outcomes as a direct result of the setback. (So examples of not just “you’re going to survive” but “you’re going to thrive.”) There are a wide range of examples in the book and a wide range of stories. If you’re struggling or in the middle of a setback, this is a good reminder, a good pep talk, and some good advice to help shift that perspective. A reminder that life is long and we are resilient. with gratitude to netgalley and OrangeSky Audio for an advanced audio in exchange for an honest review
This story has so many layers of content and context that giving a simple review of the plot doesn’t do it justice. On the surface it’s a gritty mystery about two dads whose married sons are murdered and when the police seemingly lose interest in digging deep, the dads decide to take matters into their own hands and find out what happened. And yet there’s so much more. One of the dads is white and the other is black and there are a lot of statements, observations and nuance around race and racism in this story. Neither of the dads was ok with their children being gay and it tackles homophobia and more. It tackles incarceration and the aftermath of what it does to a family. It tackles trust, revenge, family, and of course love. This is a fast paced novel with a lot happening, the setting and mood are a part of the story, the characters are complex and jump off the page with their aliveness. The story tackles complicated and nuanced issues and pulls all these elements together with grace and ease. You will remember this story long after you finish the book. with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced audio in exchange for an honest review.
I have been thinking about this book ever since I read the first one over a year ago. I loved Sunshine Vikram then and I love her now. This book has a lot going on. It’s romance, mystery, and comedy all rolled into one. And just to keep it even more fun, in this one, there are several romances, several mysterious plots, and the comedy is just oozing from every dialogue. I totally understand that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. but it’s totally mine. I love every one of the characters in this book. I love that there are like 5 mysteries that come together and get solved and I just love this author’s voice. I love the way the characters love each other and tease each other. I love the nonstop commentary. I even love the absurd scenes. I was waiting for this book for over a year and it absolutely did not disappoint. I know it looks like many of the subplots from book one are tied up in this one but I really do hope there are more in the series. These characters are too good to not have more books written about them! with gratitude to macmillan audio and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
4.5 stars, rounded up for incredible creativity. I will remember this novel for a long, long time. I don’t want to write too much about it because I think the best thing about this story is how it unravels and how you as a reader are constantly trying to figure out what’s going on and each time you think you have it, you realize you don’t. And it keeps going again and again. This is not a story with a twist, it’s a story with a million little turns. It’s like each time a layer of the onion gets peeled your perspective of the onion’s actual shape changes. And in the end, the book leaves you devastated. I almost didn’t request this book because it said it was horror and while I think the atmosphere and mood of the story definitely feels like horror, I don’t think calling this horror is the right fit. It’s a very atmospheric mystery maybe but really at its heart it’s a character study. It’s absolutely phenomenal. with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
What an unusual novel. I think this one will have polarizing views. One will either enjoy the gimmick and laugh the whole time or will get stuck in it and feel it’s too absurd. I think as a short story this might have been cute, especially in a year when many of us lived on chat since we couldn’t have face to face conversations at work. But alas, for me, it was too absurd. It got long and weird and not super funny. I also didn’t like some of the consent related issues that were glossed over as a joke. No need for those to be in the book but if they are, they should be handled not as a joke. I did like the idea of this book and I did think it was cute and funny and even hilarious at parts. I think as a short story with a much tighter plot, it would have hit the mark more. with gratitude to edelweis and doubleday for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
2.5 stars, rounded up. I have a lot of thoughts about this story. On the one hand, I will say that it was a quick and light read in that I read it in one sitting, and enjoyed the time I spent with it. On the other hand, I felt like most of the characters were not as layered as actual people are and this left the novel feeling not as enjoyable because everyone was playing a part in some ways. The really cold and distant mom (though she has a reason she’s that way, don’t we all?) to the point of cruelty. The really nice man, Mark, Brinkley meets that starts changing everything and he is just so nice again and again (even though he messes up once.) The weird closed-off boss who’s doing it all for your own good…. The other women who work with Brinkley were some of my favorites in the book. The side characters were fun, light, interesting and added the color the story enjoyed. But the way women and men are treated like single dimensional beings in this story both makes it light and frustrating and frivolous. If you don’t spend too much time on it, you can enjoy the story and see it as a journey Brinkley is experiencing during what’s a low time in her life and how she’s building it back up. But if it’s hard to get past it, it will shadow too much of this story for you. with gratitude to netgalley and Gallery Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
My favorite mystery novels are character-driven stories where there happens to be a mystery in the novel. This story by Belinda Bauer accomplishes the rare feat of being an interesting plot and character driven story. There’s a reasonably convoluted plot that unravels in pieces but there’s also deep and interesting character studies in this story. It’s also really fast paced. Accomplishing all that in a single novel is quite hard. I really enjoyed this one.
I am a big fan of Peter Heller and have read and enjoyed every one of his stories. Even though his settings and characters are very far from my day to day life, I enjoy the depth of character exploration and the atmosphere each of his novels has. “The virus had mostly burned itself out and been vaccinated against, and other novel viruses had moved over the world and hit different countries more or less hard, and economies had convulsed and adjusted, those who could afford it spent more and more time on retreat in the remotest places. Like these mountains. The densest cities were still the most dangerous. And vacationing deep in the mountains when possible had become a cultural habit more than anything.” This is the first novel I’ve read that takes place “after” covid and has incorporated one version of what the world might look like into the novel. I loved that it was part of the story but not the point of the story. The way it was woven in made it feel natural. This is the story of a guide who takes a job at this elite fishing lodge and is paired with a famous singer who is there to fish. Even though the story contains both of them and you hear bits and pieces about the singer to pull together somewhat of an image of who she is, the story is really about the guide. We don’t really hear her innermost thoughts or her motivations much of the time. The guide, like many of Heller’s characters, is rugged and layered and no-nonsense with a deep and abiding sense of justice. So when he realizes something fishy is going on at this lodge, he can’t not do something about it. This book is both quiet and fast. It’s both a mystery and a bit of a character study. The atmosphere is strong both in the wilderness and in the lodge itself. I loved every minute I spent with it. With gratitude to Knopf and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Nicola Yoon does not disappoint. This story is lovely and sweet and also profound of course. I enjoy reading her books and this was no exception. |
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