Review: The Breakaway

The Breakaway
The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Weiner is always a steady read for me. I know what to expect and she delivers. I’ve been having such a hard time finding things to read that I wanted something I can count on and she delivered.

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Review: Gone for Good

Gone for Good
Gone for Good by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I went on a Coben journey after watching some of his Netflix movies. I think the books are good but I don’t seem to enjoy the narrator and I like these more as miniseries. They are still great for twisty stories if you enjoy those!

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Review: Tell No One

Tell No One
Tell No One by Harlan Coben
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I went on a Coben journey after watching some of his Netflix movies. I think the books are good but I don’t seem to enjoy the narrator and I like these more as miniseries. They are still great for twisty stories if you enjoy those!

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Review: Margo’s Got Money Troubles

Margo's Got Money Troubles
Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, what an unusual story. I don’t even know where to begin with this one.

The truth is that it took me a while to get into this story. Margot made so many poor decisions, one after the other that I wasn’t sure I wanted to keep going because I was frustrated. But then I slowly started to fall in love with her tenacity. I fell in love with her ability to forgive and her willingness to give others chances and her demands that she, too, be given chances.

This book full of oddball characters and collection of poor choices and misfortune will fill your heart when you’re not paying attention and leave you in tears, proud of these characters for all the growth and tenacity they experience over the course of the story.

I started on the fence and ended up loving it.

with gratitude to netgalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: The Rom-Commers

The Rom-Commers
The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Here’s the thing about Katherine Center, her stories always make you feel happier in the end. She knows how to fill your heart, how to make you hopeful about the world, and how to smile. They are like a warm, cozy blanket on a cold day or a delicious cup of iced lemonade on a warm day. It’s balm for your soul.

And this one is no exception. It’s sad, it’s funny, it’s witty but most of all it’s overflowing with heart. You will not regret reading her stories.

with gratitude to netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Bride

Bride
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoy Ali Hazelwood. Vampires are not my thing but I still liked this because I enjoy her stories and this was still signature Hazelwood even if a bit different.

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Review: Some of It Was Real

Some of It Was Real
Some of It Was Real by Nan Fischer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this sweet story. It was an unusual plot and done well. It was really sweet. If sweet romance is your thing, it’s recommended 🙂

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Review: Stillhouse Lake

Stillhouse Lake
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’ve been struggling finding books that I am interested in reading. This was an easy, interesting read. Enough that I am considering reading the next ones in the series 🙂

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Review: The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World’s Most Coveted Fish

The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World's Most Coveted Fish
The Dragon Behind the Glass: A True Story of Power, Obsession, and the World’s Most Coveted Fish by Emily Voigt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was having dinner with my workmates a week ago and as I always do, I asked folks to tell me their favorite books. I love reading other people’s favorite books. This time, there was mostly silence except for my colleague, Jeff, who told me to read this book. Narrative non-fiction is a genre I love so I was excited to read it, and then when he said his wife wrote it, I decided I had to read it.

I am so glad I did!

Before this book, the only time I had heard of Arowana was because of Animal Crossing. A fish worth a lot of bells. As it turns out, it’s worth a lot in the real world, too! In this journey that takes the author to unexpected destinations and heights of adventure, Emily Voigt explores the bizarre realm of ornamental fish hobbyists and those who journey far and wide to discover new fish species.

If you didn’t think the world of fish could be that interesting, think again. This book will have you turning the pages and shaking your head in wonder and amazement at what people will do and how far they will go. I loved every moment of following the crazy journey from the safety of my home!

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Review: The Teacher

The Teacher
The Teacher by Freida McFadden
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Nope I am sorry I am going to have to stop reading McFadden. Yes her books are a fast read and yes you’re always wanting to know what happens next. But her characters are vile. The material is always triggering. And I am just done reading these.

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Review: Interesting Facts about Space

Interesting Facts about Space
Interesting Facts about Space by Emily R. Austin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book in the beginning but somewhere in the middle it lost me. For some reason I didn’t find myself wanting to come back to it. But I stuck it out and was grateful to have done so by the end. Many many others loved this much more than I did so I would urge you to read their reviews 🙂

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Review: Middletide

Middletide
Middletide by Sarah Crouch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This slow-burn novel is about a mystery. A woman is found dead. Is it a suicide or is it a murder? If it’s a murder, who did it? How come the details seem to match a novel that was written a long time ago?

But really, at its heart, it’s not about the mystery. Sure there’s some of that.

What there’s much more of is the story of coming back home, the story of regret and trying to make amends. The story of loss and grief and deep sadness. The story of small towns vs big cities. The story of how we can lose ourselves and how we can find ourselves. And the story of what it means to be believed.

If you come into this story for the mystery, you will not like it. It’s a slow slow slow burn. But if you come into it to enjoy the characters, the beautiful setting and the humanity, you will love it.

with gratitude to Atria and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

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