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13rebecca13's reviews
466 reviews
The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is such an interesting read and not for the squeamish. Especially if you don't like eyeballs. I don't think I'll be able to eat a cherry tomato ever again!
Eighteen-year-old Korean-American Ji-won lives with her fifteen-year-old sister Ji-hyun and mother Umma. Their lives are changed when their father leaves them. During a family meal, the girls are disgusted when Umma eats a fish eye, claiming that it will bring the luck that she feels like she desperately needs.
Umma meets a white man named George at the Korean supermarket that she works in and the two embark on a relationship. This coincides with the Ji-won finally trying a fish eye but it leaves her with an insatiable hunger, but only for blue eyes. Like George's.
This book is very murder-y with plenty of gory scenes. I tend not to get very squeamish but something about the eyeball eating descriptions made me feel a bit ill! There is a running theme throughout the book focused on patriarchy and racial fetishisation. I really enjoyed this one!
Eighteen-year-old Korean-American Ji-won lives with her fifteen-year-old sister Ji-hyun and mother Umma. Their lives are changed when their father leaves them. During a family meal, the girls are disgusted when Umma eats a fish eye, claiming that it will bring the luck that she feels like she desperately needs.
Umma meets a white man named George at the Korean supermarket that she works in and the two embark on a relationship. This coincides with the Ji-won finally trying a fish eye but it leaves her with an insatiable hunger, but only for blue eyes. Like George's.
This book is very murder-y with plenty of gory scenes. I tend not to get very squeamish but something about the eyeball eating descriptions made me feel a bit ill! There is a running theme throughout the book focused on patriarchy and racial fetishisation. I really enjoyed this one!
You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Oh this was a fun book and I never thought I'd say that about a novel where the main character kills people.
Claire has recently lost her father and upon receiving an email with a great offer in error which is rescinded, she targets Luke, the sender who pays for this accident with his life. We also learn that this is not her first kill.
She attends a grief group and when she meets one of the women there, she realises that killing Luke has opened a can of worms of sorts. Luke was involved in something concerning this woman and thus unravels a lot of people's secrets.
There was so much personality in this book and dark humour. Claire's inner monologue was hilarious. Combining this with a more serious side, flashbacks to Claire's childhood, it makes for a very entertaining read. If you like the TV show Dexter, you will enjoy this.
Claire has recently lost her father and upon receiving an email with a great offer in error which is rescinded, she targets Luke, the sender who pays for this accident with his life. We also learn that this is not her first kill.
She attends a grief group and when she meets one of the women there, she realises that killing Luke has opened a can of worms of sorts. Luke was involved in something concerning this woman and thus unravels a lot of people's secrets.
There was so much personality in this book and dark humour. Claire's inner monologue was hilarious. Combining this with a more serious side, flashbacks to Claire's childhood, it makes for a very entertaining read. If you like the TV show Dexter, you will enjoy this.
Dinner Party by Sarah Gilmartin
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Dinner Party is the tale of a dysfunctional Irish family told between two dinner parties, each a year apart. Kate is in her early thirties and the dinner parties are on the anniversary of her twin sister Elaine's death which happened in their teens.
This is very slow paced, character driven novel and I liked how it was written. The dinner parties show how each character has changed in a year and we also read about the family when Kate, Elaine and their brothers Ray and Peter were children, up to and including Elaine's death. Kate is a complex character and although I didn't warm to her, I felt sorry for her.
I feel like you really delve into her as a character. She has had a lot going on in her years and the author tackles an eating disorder and affair with a married man in a subtle way. I really enjoy how Irish authors write family dramas as it all feels so relatable.
This is very slow paced, character driven novel and I liked how it was written. The dinner parties show how each character has changed in a year and we also read about the family when Kate, Elaine and their brothers Ray and Peter were children, up to and including Elaine's death. Kate is a complex character and although I didn't warm to her, I felt sorry for her.
I feel like you really delve into her as a character. She has had a lot going on in her years and the author tackles an eating disorder and affair with a married man in a subtle way. I really enjoy how Irish authors write family dramas as it all feels so relatable.
The Night Shift by Annie Crown
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I feel like this book was written for any romance reader who knows what tropes they like and dislike. It doesn't have a massive serious plot nor huge depth of characters but oh my goodness, I flew through it. Sometimes you just need a fluffy, easy read and Night Shift is that.
Kendall Holiday is a twenty-year-old student at Clement University. She spends her time lost in romance books whether its a mafia one, regency one or even billionaire romance. On Fridays she works the night shift at the university's library and basketball player Vincent Knight comes in looking for a poetry book to help with one of his classes.
Their first meeting goes from zero to one hundred and what follows is sort of a miscommunication trope. Probably my least favourite trope but it worked in this book.
I really liked the character of Kendall and I feel like readers will be able to relate to her. A cute read with a little bit of spice!
Kendall Holiday is a twenty-year-old student at Clement University. She spends her time lost in romance books whether its a mafia one, regency one or even billionaire romance. On Fridays she works the night shift at the university's library and basketball player Vincent Knight comes in looking for a poetry book to help with one of his classes.
Their first meeting goes from zero to one hundred and what follows is sort of a miscommunication trope. Probably my least favourite trope but it worked in this book.
I really liked the character of Kendall and I feel like readers will be able to relate to her. A cute read with a little bit of spice!
Plaything by Bea Setton
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Plaything follows Anna, twenty-two year old 1st year PhD student of reproductive physiology at Cambridge. The novel is slow to start, quietly building Anna's character. She is a member of the rowing team and upon injuring her wrist, she goes to see a physio.
She invites Caden, her physio, out for a drink and the two develop a relationship. Anna's character is tough to get a grip on which I absolutely loved. You get a bit of depth to her with regards to her parents and childhood but I feel like you don't fully get to know her, this could be down to the fact that it is written in first person so Anna is essentially choosing what to share, even if a lot of it is candid.
Caden doesn't seem overly interested in Anna and is a very handsome man, whereas she is plain but very clever. Probably smarter than everyone else. She struggles to see why he wants to continue to see her.
The book does mention Covid and the two end up living together during lockdown. Anna quickly discovers a lot of Caden's ex-girlfriend Giselle's things in his house. This is a fantastic character study and there is a lot of jealousy and obsession throughout the book, more with how Anna feels about Giselle than Caden. Caden keeping Giselle's belongings plus the fact that Anna feels like he keeps mentioning her, builds the tension with how Anna feels about the situation.
There is a moment where Anna snaps and the jealousy reaches its peak with Anna going out for revenge. To me this was a really shocking moment with an even more shocking repercussion.
This is a fantastically written book that feels claustrophobic and tense.
She invites Caden, her physio, out for a drink and the two develop a relationship. Anna's character is tough to get a grip on which I absolutely loved. You get a bit of depth to her with regards to her parents and childhood but I feel like you don't fully get to know her, this could be down to the fact that it is written in first person so Anna is essentially choosing what to share, even if a lot of it is candid.
Caden doesn't seem overly interested in Anna and is a very handsome man, whereas she is plain but very clever. Probably smarter than everyone else. She struggles to see why he wants to continue to see her.
The book does mention Covid and the two end up living together during lockdown. Anna quickly discovers a lot of Caden's ex-girlfriend Giselle's things in his house. This is a fantastic character study and there is a lot of jealousy and obsession throughout the book, more with how Anna feels about Giselle than Caden. Caden keeping Giselle's belongings plus the fact that Anna feels like he keeps mentioning her, builds the tension with how Anna feels about the situation.
There is a moment where Anna snaps and the jealousy reaches its peak with Anna going out for revenge. To me this was a really shocking moment with an even more shocking repercussion.
This is a fantastically written book that feels claustrophobic and tense.
Play Along by Liz Tomforde
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Play Along is the fourth book in the Windy City series and when it comes to a series, I always worry that newer instalments won't live up to the previous ones. I devoured this in less than 24 hours and yes, it is another massive five stars.
If you haven't read any of the Windy City books yet, they are sports romance novels centred on a friendship group. Each book focuses on a different couple. This time round it is Isaiah Rhodes, baseball player for the Windy City Warriors and brother of Kai Rhodes from Caught Up, the previous novel.
We knew from the previous books that Isaiah had a thing for Kennedy Kay, the team's athletic trainer, but she was engaged. I love how this book started, with their first meeting three years prior and Isaiah finding out something that no one else knew about Kennedy.
Fast-forward three years later, Kennedy has now been single for eight months and Isaiah is still pining after her. I won't go into too much of the plot but this book is giving fake dating/marriage of convenience and in true Liz Tomforde style, a beautiful depth to each of her characters. I said this before, but Tomforde writes personalities and issues very well and I'm pretty sure I had heart eyes for Kennedy and Isaiah the whole way through. I love how they work through things and bring out the best in each other.
I read the other books about six months ago but I fell straight back into this world again. The crossover of characters is done perfectly and I am delighted to hear that Rio's book is coming next!
If you haven't read any of the Windy City books yet, they are sports romance novels centred on a friendship group. Each book focuses on a different couple. This time round it is Isaiah Rhodes, baseball player for the Windy City Warriors and brother of Kai Rhodes from Caught Up, the previous novel.
We knew from the previous books that Isaiah had a thing for Kennedy Kay, the team's athletic trainer, but she was engaged. I love how this book started, with their first meeting three years prior and Isaiah finding out something that no one else knew about Kennedy.
Fast-forward three years later, Kennedy has now been single for eight months and Isaiah is still pining after her. I won't go into too much of the plot but this book is giving fake dating/marriage of convenience and in true Liz Tomforde style, a beautiful depth to each of her characters. I said this before, but Tomforde writes personalities and issues very well and I'm pretty sure I had heart eyes for Kennedy and Isaiah the whole way through. I love how they work through things and bring out the best in each other.
I read the other books about six months ago but I fell straight back into this world again. The crossover of characters is done perfectly and I am delighted to hear that Rio's book is coming next!
Honey: A Novel by Isabel Banta
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Honey tells the story of Amber Young in the nineties and early 2000s. Singing is the only thing she is good at. She enters a show called Star Search when she is young but loses to a boy called Wes who can't believe his luck, as he thinks Amber is a fantastic singer.
At the age of seventeen, Amber is put into a girl group called Cloud9. There, she becomes good friends with bandmate Gwen, and the Cloud9 girls open for boyband ETA, Wes's band.
The novel follows Amber leaving the band and making it as a solo artist. The vibe feels nostalgic and it focuses on the industry, tabloids, the sexualisation of female artists. She is competing against other female solo singers (including her best friend Gwen), her relationships are highly publicised, people online say things about her.
There are some aspects of mixed media in there too and whilst I love that, I would have enjoyed an extra chapter on Amber now in her forties with her husband and child and how that came to be, rather than it being akin to a Wikipedia article.
I really enjoyed this book and it is a great, easy to read debut.
At the age of seventeen, Amber is put into a girl group called Cloud9. There, she becomes good friends with bandmate Gwen, and the Cloud9 girls open for boyband ETA, Wes's band.
The novel follows Amber leaving the band and making it as a solo artist. The vibe feels nostalgic and it focuses on the industry, tabloids, the sexualisation of female artists. She is competing against other female solo singers (including her best friend Gwen), her relationships are highly publicised, people online say things about her.
There are some aspects of mixed media in there too and whilst I love that, I would have enjoyed an extra chapter on Amber now in her forties with her husband and child and how that came to be, rather than it being akin to a Wikipedia article.
I really enjoyed this book and it is a great, easy to read debut.
Rush by Saskia Roy
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
I understood what this book was trying to do but I think it missed the mark.
Lena Aden is almost thirty, living in LA trying to make it as a screenwriter. When she attends a party with her model roommate Johanna, she bumps into Nico Laurent, current F1 champion. This is not a romance and from their first meeting, you get that. It is very much about control.
I have read plenty of dark romances where the male main characters are morally grey but this felt like a cheap imitation. Not only were the things that Nico did horrendous but I felt as though a lot of it was written for shock factor. It felt disjointed and although we got a little glimpse of a backstory, it wasn't enough.
I felt as though there was a lack of conclusion at the end also. Not one for me.
Lena Aden is almost thirty, living in LA trying to make it as a screenwriter. When she attends a party with her model roommate Johanna, she bumps into Nico Laurent, current F1 champion. This is not a romance and from their first meeting, you get that. It is very much about control.
I have read plenty of dark romances where the male main characters are morally grey but this felt like a cheap imitation. Not only were the things that Nico did horrendous but I felt as though a lot of it was written for shock factor. It felt disjointed and although we got a little glimpse of a backstory, it wasn't enough.
I felt as though there was a lack of conclusion at the end also. Not one for me.
False Confidence by Sophie Snow
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When I read Legally Binding, the first in the Spicy in Seattle series, I loved Maggie and Cal so much that I thought they would be hard to top. We met Jazz, Maggie's best friend, and Liam, Cal's son, in that book but I didn't expect to fall in love with them as much as I did. I would definitely advise reading Legally Binding before False Confidence.
The spice hits right from the prologue when the two have a one night stand following Cal and Maggie's wedding. Fast forward and Liam has been invited to his ex-girlfriend's wedding (to his ex-best friend who she cheated with) and in order to save face, Maggie recommends that he brings Jazz as his date, unaware of their night together. Jazz and Liam then enter into a mini fake dating scenario that turns into a spicy pact. Sophie Snow writes serious topics that pack and punch and the development of feelings very well. Jazz has her struggles but how she overcomes them with the help of Liam, her best friend Maggie and on her own is beautifully done.
There is a realistic friendship between Maggie and Jazz. Their arguments and Jazz's worries about Maggie's new married life and where she fits in feels very real. I enjoyed her personal development throughout the entirety of the novel. I loved hearing about Maggie's dynamic with her family in book one so I was pleased to have similar for Jazz.
Now for Liam. Can someone conjure him up in real life please? Sophie Snow is character queen and I thought Cal was swoonworthy? It's in the Michaelson genes I guess. I said it for The Rule Of Three and Legally Binding and I will say it for False Confidence - those spicy scenes are top notch.
10/10. Perfection with a little bow on top. Bring on the next one!
The spice hits right from the prologue when the two have a one night stand following Cal and Maggie's wedding. Fast forward and Liam has been invited to his ex-girlfriend's wedding (to his ex-best friend who she cheated with) and in order to save face, Maggie recommends that he brings Jazz as his date, unaware of their night together. Jazz and Liam then enter into a mini fake dating scenario that turns into a spicy pact. Sophie Snow writes serious topics that pack and punch and the development of feelings very well. Jazz has her struggles but how she overcomes them with the help of Liam, her best friend Maggie and on her own is beautifully done.
There is a realistic friendship between Maggie and Jazz. Their arguments and Jazz's worries about Maggie's new married life and where she fits in feels very real. I enjoyed her personal development throughout the entirety of the novel. I loved hearing about Maggie's dynamic with her family in book one so I was pleased to have similar for Jazz.
Now for Liam. Can someone conjure him up in real life please? Sophie Snow is character queen and I thought Cal was swoonworthy? It's in the Michaelson genes I guess. I said it for The Rule Of Three and Legally Binding and I will say it for False Confidence - those spicy scenes are top notch.
10/10. Perfection with a little bow on top. Bring on the next one!
Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk by Kathleen Hanna
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I have always been a fan of Kathleen Hanna's (I think Deceptacon by Le Tigre was my most played song when I was fourteen years old) so I was excited to hear she had released a memoir.
If you aren't familiar with Kathleen Hanna, she is the frontwoman of Bikini Kill, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin. She is known for being a pioneer of the feminist punk Riot Grrrl movement. I listened to this book on audio, narrated by Hanna herself, as it is always my favourite way to read memoirs.
Hanna writes about her childhood with her father, sister and mother, right through to forming and performing with her bands, falling in love with husband Adam (Horowitz, of Beastie Boys) and her diagnosis of Lyme disease.
I knew about Kathleen Hanna's life on surface level but in this books she delves deep into her life and shares some raw things. She writes about rape, violence against women, miscarriage, troubles she faced from male concert-goers due to how she performed and standing up for what she believed in.
You can tell that she went through a lot of self-reflection whilst writing this book. It is very honest. A great memoir.
If you aren't familiar with Kathleen Hanna, she is the frontwoman of Bikini Kill, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin. She is known for being a pioneer of the feminist punk Riot Grrrl movement. I listened to this book on audio, narrated by Hanna herself, as it is always my favourite way to read memoirs.
Hanna writes about her childhood with her father, sister and mother, right through to forming and performing with her bands, falling in love with husband Adam (Horowitz, of Beastie Boys) and her diagnosis of Lyme disease.
I knew about Kathleen Hanna's life on surface level but in this books she delves deep into her life and shares some raw things. She writes about rape, violence against women, miscarriage, troubles she faced from male concert-goers due to how she performed and standing up for what she believed in.
You can tell that she went through a lot of self-reflection whilst writing this book. It is very honest. A great memoir.