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ahomelibrary's review against another edition
Book Review — “Regrets Only: A Novel” by Kieran Scott (2023) published by @gallerybooks
Categories — Thriller/Suspense, Mystery, Mom-Daughter/Parenting, Domestic Drama, Crime, Contemporary
Currently has a 3.64 rating average and a little over 1,000 reviews on Goodreads. It’s been compared to the hit “Big Little Lies.”
Quick Summary — A single mom, Paige, in loses her job and moves back home to the East Coast. She enrolls her grade school daughter in a local school with an extravagant Parent Booster Association led by a group of rich, beautiful, and “mean girl esque” clique. The leader, Ainsley, is the most beautiful and rich, plus she is the wife of Paige’s ex boyfriend. After a party at her mansion, Ainsley is found deceased… possibly murdered.
Paige works with local police to infiltrate the PBA to see if their antics could reveal things like bribery, fraud, adultery, and now murder.
My Thoughts ⤵️
I don’t know anything about Big
Little Lies, so I’m approaching it without comparison.
TLDR — 3.5 stars. Really interesting premise. I only knocked off stars for the ending which I felt took away from the believability and didn’t really fit with the rest of the story.
Anyway, here’s what I liked:
☘️ Interesting premise of Parent Booster Association drama + crimes
☘️ Quick paced when it mattered, made it easy to finish in a few hours
☘️ I didn’t anticipate the ending, and while I thought it detracted from the realistic story, I still liked not really knowing who did the crimes
☘️ Unlikable but realistic characters, again, I know some readers don’t like this, but I did. Paige makes horrible decisions I disagree with entirely; one POV character is a paranoid anxious wreck. I love that, it really makes it more engaging and realistic to me when characters represent a spectrum of traits and aren’t just perfect omniscient Mary Sues
Categories — Thriller/Suspense, Mystery, Mom-Daughter/Parenting, Domestic Drama, Crime, Contemporary
Currently has a 3.64 rating average and a little over 1,000 reviews on Goodreads. It’s been compared to the hit “Big Little Lies.”
Quick Summary — A single mom, Paige, in loses her job and moves back home to the East Coast. She enrolls her grade school daughter in a local school with an extravagant Parent Booster Association led by a group of rich, beautiful, and “mean girl esque” clique. The leader, Ainsley, is the most beautiful and rich, plus she is the wife of Paige’s ex boyfriend. After a party at her mansion, Ainsley is found deceased… possibly murdered.
Paige works with local police to infiltrate the PBA to see if their antics could reveal things like bribery, fraud, adultery, and now murder.
My Thoughts ⤵️
I don’t know anything about Big
Little Lies, so I’m approaching it without comparison.
TLDR — 3.5 stars. Really interesting premise. I only knocked off stars for the ending which I felt took away from the believability and didn’t really fit with the rest of the story.
Anyway, here’s what I liked:
☘️ Interesting premise of Parent Booster Association drama + crimes
☘️ Quick paced when it mattered, made it easy to finish in a few hours
☘️ I didn’t anticipate the ending, and while I thought it detracted from the realistic story, I still liked not really knowing who did the crimes
☘️ Unlikable but realistic characters, again, I know some readers don’t like this, but I did. Paige makes horrible decisions I disagree with entirely; one POV character is a paranoid anxious wreck. I love that, it really makes it more engaging and realistic to me when characters represent a spectrum of traits and aren’t just perfect omniscient Mary Sues
tatterededges's review against another edition
2.0
Too many tedious descriptions of what people wore.
Everybody in the book was described as hot/good looking/handsome… well except for plain Jane the super-brain but she was married to a really hot guy who was in a band so you know…
These people have the mentality of toddlers yet somehow are all rich and successful and manage to hold down jobs and navigate life, even though they can’t manage a single conversation without throwing something or self harming.
I’m supposed to believe that the main mean girl was running a gambling ring complete with a goon squad, racketeering and money laundering, to the point that most of the town was in hoc to her and nobody was talking about it?
Everybody in the book was described as hot/good looking/handsome… well except for plain Jane the super-brain but she was married to a really hot guy who was in a band so you know…
These people have the mentality of toddlers yet somehow are all rich and successful and manage to hold down jobs and navigate life, even though they can’t manage a single conversation without throwing something or self harming.
I’m supposed to believe that the main mean girl was running a gambling ring complete with a goon squad, racketeering and money laundering, to the point that most of the town was in hoc to her and nobody was talking about it?
runnergirl6's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
amanders's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
staystitchy's review against another edition
4.0
If you're missing Big Little Lies, Desperate Housewives, and other entertainment with rich housewives, stop what you're doing and grab this book. It features likable and unlikable characters, which is a selling point for me, if I hate them all then I can't read it. I didn't have this one figured out at all and I love it when that happens. I highly recommend this one.
crbrennan's review
4.0
Definitely Big Little Lies vibes having multiple narrators each chapter, different story. It started a little slow and I wasn't sure where the story was going, but once it picked up the story went quick. Not my favorite from this author, but still a good read.
duartepatri's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I have been postponing this book for a long while now, and I have no clue why.
This is a nice crime mystery with crazy housewives thrown in the mixture.
We've got the cool and creative housewife, the super posh and a tad bit alcoholic one, the gambler housewife, the geek, and of course, a bunch of not so remarkable ones ones to make it even.
Apart from being fast paced, it was sort of funny, especially at the beginning, Page, being a writer herself, came up with hilarious names for the said housewives...not a nun, was by far my favorite.
Am I going to be reading more of this author's book? You bet I will!
This is a nice crime mystery with crazy housewives thrown in the mixture.
We've got the cool and creative housewife, the super posh and a tad bit alcoholic one, the gambler housewife, the geek, and of course, a bunch of not so remarkable ones ones to make it even.
Apart from being fast paced, it was sort of funny, especially at the beginning, Page, being a writer herself, came up with hilarious names for the said housewives...not a nun, was by far my favorite.
Am I going to be reading more of this author's book? You bet I will!
caro_readsalot's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.5
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
3.0
A twisty domestic thriller told through multiple POVs among a group of PTA moms. When one turns up murdered things get really crazy. Good on audio and highly recommended for fans of Big little lies. Very similar vibes to that book/show!