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kmthomas06's review against another edition
4.0
As always, really enjoy Quick's romantic mysteries. This one is set in 1930s California with a perfect dash of the Hollywood glamour of the time (the fictional version anyway). I have not read the first book of the series and this is fine as a standalone. I didn't feel like I was missing anything by reading the second book first.
Her heroines are always well written and well rounded and Adelaide is a great person to cheer for through the course of the book. I also like Quick uses many perspectives, including the villains, for her storytelling. The reader always has a better idea of what's going on that the characters so it's fun to watch them figure out what we already *think* we know.
Her heroines are always well written and well rounded and Adelaide is a great person to cheer for through the course of the book. I also like Quick uses many perspectives, including the villains, for her storytelling. The reader always has a better idea of what's going on that the characters so it's fun to watch them figure out what we already *think* we know.
mastersal's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars.
This month has been very slow and distracted for me reading (and life)-wise therefore I picked this up as an undemanding romantic thriller / mystery. I was hoping for a quick, easy mystery which didn’t tax the brain too much. And, for the most part, the book delivered.
The book follows our heroine as she escapes from a mental asylum. She finds herself in Burning Cove making a living as a tea room waitress. She has found a new job, a place to rent, and friends all in a few months without much issue. And despite having gone through objectively awful things, being wrongly institutionalized, it hardly registered in her daily life.
Yes there is someone looking for her and there is murder but none of it particularly difficult or dark. This is the hallmark for Ms. Quick and I find it soothing.
The non-impression that the characters left on me could have been possibly because I was tired and grumpy
This month has been very slow and distracted for me reading (and life)-wise therefore I picked this up as an undemanding romantic thriller / mystery. I was hoping for a quick, easy mystery which didn’t tax the brain too much. And, for the most part, the book delivered.
The book follows our heroine as she escapes from a mental asylum. She finds herself in Burning Cove making a living as a tea room waitress. She has found a new job, a place to rent, and friends all in a few months without much issue. And despite having gone through objectively awful things, being wrongly institutionalized, it hardly registered in her daily life.
Yes there is someone looking for her and there is murder but none of it particularly difficult or dark. This is the hallmark for Ms. Quick and I find it soothing.
The non-impression that the characters left on me could have been possibly because I was tired and grumpy
max_pink's review against another edition
4.25
4.25 Stars
Yet another super fun historical romance/mystery from the Burning Cove series. There are some really cool points of view in this one do to the overarching plot involving a hallucinogen, and I did not see the final plot twist coming. A great time from start to finish.
Shoutout to Nina Alvamar for excellent audio narration
Yet another super fun historical romance/mystery from the Burning Cove series. There are some really cool points of view in this one do to the overarching plot involving a hallucinogen, and I did not see the final plot twist coming. A great time from start to finish.
Shoutout to Nina Alvamar for excellent audio narration
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Rape
puzzlegirl30's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
lilly_springer's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
acesarrows's review against another edition
3.0
An intriguing mystery novel, with a touch of romance thrown in. The mystery had plenty of twists and turns, and the bodies sure did pile up. The romance seemed a bit tacked on, and both Adelaide and Jake were very interesting characters that we didn't really learn enough about. Although the setting of the 1920's was great, it didn't seem to feature all that much here - you could have easily set this story in the 1800's or the modern day and it wouldn't have changed all that much.
For anyone who has read other novels by this author you might find some similarities from a number of her previous books - the basic plot of escaping from an insane asylum and starting over was very reminiscent of [b:Light in Shadow|1144084|Light in Shadow (Whispering Springs, #1)|Jayne Ann Krentz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388176330s/1144084.jpg|2512201] by Jayne Ann Krentz.
An enjoyable, yet light, read - good for fans of Amanda Quick.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
For anyone who has read other novels by this author you might find some similarities from a number of her previous books - the basic plot of escaping from an insane asylum and starting over was very reminiscent of [b:Light in Shadow|1144084|Light in Shadow (Whispering Springs, #1)|Jayne Ann Krentz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388176330s/1144084.jpg|2512201] by Jayne Ann Krentz.
An enjoyable, yet light, read - good for fans of Amanda Quick.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
jmodef's review
2.0
This story started out with a lot of action and the setting was around early 30's but somewhere along the author convolutes the time period with her language that takes a Harlequin turn. I enjoyed the first 2/3 that had a film noir feel.
bookwyrm76's review against another edition
4.0
If you are a law and order type, you will have problems with this book from start to finish. If you are more of a justice in the end, then you'll have found your book soul mate. It's important when reading this book that it is a period piece, that means that many of the views expressed are a product of the time while others are very modern. Some of the twists and turns are easy to spot in this mystery thriller, but others will take most readers by surprise. As always Amanda Quick by any name she wishes to write, delivers a fun escape from reality.
fraise's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Car accident
wonder_in's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0