Book #6 in 2023 3.5 out of 5 (photo from Goodreads)
This book wasn’t what I expected going into it having read the cover but I still enjoyed it. I’m also not sure I’d call it a mystery but more of a drama. Sure, there’s some mystery within the plot but I never really felt like I was trying to figure out who did anything.
Paris is arrested and charged with killing her husband. If this weren’t bad enough, the news could bring up a past life she has been trying to keep hidden. The plot skips around in time as various things are revealed but things come together nicely.
For me the ending was a bit underwhelming, which is why I think of this book as more of a drama vs a mystery/suspense/thriller type of book.
Book #5 in 2023 3.5 out of 5 (photo from Goodreads)
I don’t usually pick up books that are retellings of fairytales but I did enjoy this one. The plot kept me interested, however, I wish the characters were more developed and there was more description throughout the book. Perhaps it’s because the author has a background in reporting that I felt the story was told to me versus being shown to me.
Holly Darling is the granddaughter of Wendy Darling. She has her own cosmetic company and is doing well for herself. She gets word that her sick daughter had suddenly disappeared so she travels to England with her son to try and figure out what happened and who is responsible.
This leads to the telling of how Peter Pan has and has not been involved with the Darling family since the original story surrounding Wendy.
Overall this book is about a mother’s determination to look out for her children. I felt like it flowed nicely but as previously mentioned I think the characters could have been fleshed out more. While it was nice to read a book from just one point of view, I do wonder if it would have been better having been told from Holly and Jane’s point of view. Maybe even flashbacks to Wendy as well.
Book #4 in 2023 3.0 out of 5 (photo from Goodreads)
I enjoyed this fourth installment of the Class Mom series by this author. I think I’ve liked this series more because my oldest son is a year behind the main character’s son so a lot is relatable. Plus I’ve been involved in elementary school PTO in the past (and middle school PTO now).
Jen Dixon’s son is now in 7th grade. And he’s has decided to be part of the middle school wrestling team. Jen’s two older daughters are also in the mix as well.
This is a nice, light, easy read and just what I was looking for after reading two somewhat *heavy* books before it.
Book #3 in 2023 4.0 out of 5 (photo from Goodreads)
The plot of this book was creepy, dark, and even disturbing with characters with the same adjectives. What.The.Heck! If the death of children is triggering you should probably skip this book. Otherwise if you’re into psychological thrillers that could also be considered horror in some aspects pick this up.
The plot is told from the point of view of various characters with media snippets and an unnamed narrator sprinkled throughout. I do feel like you don’t get to dive into some of the main characters as much as I would have liked because of switching points of view.
The characters aren’t really likeable but with what they do and endure I don’t think you’re supposed to like them. Mia and Finn buy a house they’re set to renovate. They discover that horrific things happened in the house in the past. As they look to try and figure out what happened it affects their life in the present.
It’s hard to say more about this book without giving away any spoilers.
Book #2 in 2023 4.0 out of 5 (photo from Goodreads)
I enjoyed this book. In the beginning, it was a little hard to keep track of all of the characters as the plot is revealed from the points of view of three different storylines. And I think the title is a bit misleading.
The story is a bit slow in the beginning but as the different storylines are developed it becomes a bit easier. Some of the characters are really messed up! And you have to suspend expectations of reality and some plot holes at times but neither deterred me from liking the book. There’s a second book that I’ll likely pick up at some point.
Shortly after Libby turns 25 she receives notices that she has inherited a house from her biological parents. She was adopted and knows little about the family that gave her up. Once she inherits the house she decides to try and figure out more about her biological family. Libby was a baby when she was found in the home. Three adults were dead and two children who lived in the house were nowhere to be found.
The story is also told from Lucy’s point of view. She’s a single mom with a connection to Libby. And information about the past and what happened to the family who once lived in the house is a storyline from the point of view of Henry Lamb, one of the children who were not found when the bodies of his parents and a third person were found in the home.
The last quarter of the book really picked up as more things were revealed and discovered. The beginning of the book felt a bit slow and meandered around as the three stories got underway. I think it might have felt faster paced if there wasn’t so much skipping around.
Book #1 in 2023 2.0 out of 5 (photo from Goodreads)
I pushed through this book but I wasn’t that excited about it. When Chloe was 12 her father was sent to prison for being a serial killer, taking the lives of six teenage girls. Now it’s 20 years later and Chloe is a psychologist. Girls start to go missing and she’s forced to remember her childhood trauma.
There are some twists and turns but overall I don’t think I liked this book because I didn’t really care about the main character. And I suspected the big twist early on in the book. I’m in the minority when it comes to ratings for this book (at least on Goodreads). This is the author’s debut book and she has another. I don’t know if I’ll pick it up or not. I see potential with the author but the characters and even some of the plot didn’t deliver for me in this book.
Book #41 in 2022 3.0 out of 5 (photo from Goodreads)
This was a quick read for me. I finished in one day. It’s a mystery/suspense with a supernatural flair incorporated. I was drawn in by the story but felt like some parts were drawn out in getting to the point. The drawings throughout the book really added to the atmosphere and plot though.
I didn’t anticipate the twist at the end even if parts of it felt a bit over the top. I enjoyed this as an easy read that holds your interest and keeps you guessing.
Mallory is recently out of rehab where she has been drug free for 18 months. She finds a job as a nanny to five year old Teddy. The two click quickly and soon Teddy starts drawing pictures for Mallory. They start off innocent but then become disturbing. Mallory tries to figure out why Teddy would be drawing such things.
Book #40 in 2022 2.5 out of 5 (photo from Goodreads)
I read this book in order to be part of a group discussion about it and banning books since it’s a title that has appeared on some lists as being inappropriate for school libraries. If it had not been for this reason I likely wouldn’t have picked up this book. I’m not disappointed that I read it but it also wasn’t a book that will stick with me.
I never really felt like I cared about any of the characters. They moved along the pages but I felt like I was an outsider looking in. The characters weren’t jumping off the pages for me.
While just an okay read for me could be contributed to my being 30 years past high school, I’ve read other books set in high school that I’ve liked better. The plot had potential but because I didn’t feel for the characters, when things were happening to them that were emotional I didn’t necessarily feel those emotions along with the characters.
Miles goes off to Culver Creek Boarding School part way through high school He goes so he can attempt to find “the Great Perhaps”. He trades a boring and uneventful life for one where he meets and befriends kids who take risks and even strive to do things they know they shouldn’t be doing. Miles’ roommate is Colonel and the two hit it off. Miles also meets Alaska who he is taken to from the beginning.
The book is broken into two sections. One is before and the other is after. I figured out what the after would be early on. I also liked the after section more as I felt the characters finally showed some emotion that drew me in.
Book #39 in 2022 3.5 out of 5 (photo from Goodreads)
This is a sequel to It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover. It felt like a typical Hoover read for me where the characters are for the most part likable and enjoyable. They draw you in. It doesn’t necessarily feel like you’re reading a romance novel.
This isn’t my favorite by this author though and I liked the first book better. I felt like in a way not much happened in this book. Much of it was predictable. Yet I still enjoyed it to some extent.
If you don’t want anything spoiled from the first book or the second book stop reading here!
Book #38 in 2022 2.0 out of 5 (photo from Goodreads)
This was just an okay book for me. The first half dragged on for me. The second half was more interesting but I didn’t necessarily find the plot or the characters to be suspenseful or thrilling.
A group of friends go away for a hen’s weekend. But things aren’t as they seem. Each person seems to have some secret. They’re slowly revealed and tension grows between different pairings of the six main characters.
Stop here if you want to avoid spoilers! ********************************************
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