chrstnlvly's reviews
135 reviews

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

“At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope

Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother's happy life

‘It wasn't me,’ Lenora said
But she's the only one not dead”

In 1929, a brutal tragedy occurred: three out of the four members of the Hope family were murdered, and only Lenora, one of the daughters, survived. Everyone thought she did it... until 1983, when Lenora decides to tell her story to her new caregiver, Kit. The resulting tale is full of twists and turns, creating a gothic vibe while reading.

This is the third book out of seven by Riley Sager that I've read. He's quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller/mystery authors because of how grippingly he writes his stories and the unpredictable twists he includes. This book is his best one yet.

I had some ideas about how the story would progress, and while some of them were correct, it turned out to be even crazier than I anticipated. The final 100 pages kept me on edge, and I found myself wanting to finish it in the early hours of the morning.

Content Warnings

Final Offer by Lauren Asher

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

A man's legacy shouldn't be determined by how much money he made or how successful he was, but rather by the memory he left behind and the way he made people feel.

This was Cal's book, not Cal and Lana's. Only Cal's. The character development that Cal underwent was lacking in Lana.

Cal needs a partner who can support him with his addiction. Lana failed to recognize this and did not fully support him. This highlights the issue of people not equating mental illness with physical illness. If someone has cancer, they receive support and assistance, but in the case of mental illness, specifically addiction in this book, why can't Lana do the same?

I don't support addiction. I empathize with Lana's past and Cal's past behavior, but Cal needs a supportive partner now. Lana isn't doing enough to support him, and addicts need a strong support system. If Lana truly loves Cal, she should be there for him inspite and despite of.

I appreciate the accurate portrayal of addiction and sympathize with Cal's struggles. However, Lana's character lacks depth and seems limited to taking care of Cami. The constant back-and-forth in Lana's thoughts about trusting Cal became tedious to read, making the book too long. Although she wants to be a baker, her character development is lacking, and there is little chemistry between her and Cal.

Additionally, I would appreciate translations for any Spanish words, phrases, or sentences. Not everyone understands Spanish, and while some Spanish words can be deduced from the context of the conversation, it would be helpful to provide accurate translations. The book is quite lengthy, likely due to the inclusion of Lana's thoughts, so adding translations should not be an issue.

To put it simply, I found this book disappointing. As the final installment in the Dreamland Billionaire series, I had hoped for an epic conclusion to an otherwise great romance series. While Cal was fine and I did like him (although Declan remains my favorite Kane brother), Lana's constant back-and-forth thoughts about her trust issues with Cal were unbearable. Without Cal, I would have DNFed this because of Lana. Lana's handling of Cal's addiction was irritating and intolerable. The book was too long and could have been told more effectively with 150 fewer pages.

Content Warnings

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

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adventurous funny slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

Mundane humans create distinctions between themselves, distinctions that seem ridiculous to any Shadowhunter. Their distinctions are based on race, religion, national identity, any of a dozen minor and irrelevant markers. To mundanes these seem logical, for though mundanes cannot see, understand, or acknowledge the demon worlds, still somewhere buried in their ancient memories, they know that there are those that walk this earth that are other. That do not belong, that mean only harm and destruction. Since the demon threat is invisible to mundanes, they must assign the threat to others of their own kind. They place the face of their enemy onto the face of their neighbor, and thus are generations of misery assured.

To be honest, not much really happened in this book.

Spoiler

Although Simon turned into a vampire, we saw Robert and Maryse, and there was a battle between the Shadowhunters and Valentine, the plot felt lacking.

In my opinion, the events of City of Ashes could have easily been combined with either City of Bones or City of Glass. I don't believe there was enough substance to justify an entire book dedicated to these events.

I did find City of Ashes to be funnier than City of Bones, but Clary's character was quite irritating!

Spoiler

And yes, the incest thing bothered me more in this book because of Clary.

Content Warnings

Out On a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-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? No

4.5

It’s so much easier to communicate insecurities when you don’t need to communicate them at all. Isn’t that all we ever want? To be seen and heard? Validated, even when we’re not able to ask for it.

Unlike most readers, I don't dislike the main trope in "Out On a Limb." I don't mind the tropes in this book, especially the main one. HBY did the book justice because she wrote it beautifully, and you won't even be bothered by it.

This book was like a warm hug. I found myself wishing this was already released, and that I had read this, when I was still pregnant. I felt so seen by Win's worries. The representation of disabilities was also great. Regarding Bo, I'll just come out and say it: he's perfect. I found myself wishing I had my own Bo as my beau (hehe).

At times, I found Win's constant second-guessing of Bo's intentions annoying, which started around the 46% mark. However, her qualms about Bo did not last long, which was good. Some conversations in the book were longer than necessary, which made the pacing feel a little dragging. Despite this, the book was still wonderfully written, and these issues of mine were not a dealbreaker.

I'm giving this book a rating of 4.5 stars because, while it was good, it didn't quite have that "5-star feeling" for me. I read it on my Kindle (it's available for free on Kindle Unlimited), but I didn't feel compelled to purchase a physical copy to reread it over and over again. Nevertheless, as I mentioned before, it was a good book, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone.

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Anastasia by Sophie Lark

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 16%.

While Sophie Lark's writing may not evoke a raw emotional response, I still enjoy reading her other books because they are easy to understand. However, I cannot say the same for Anastasia.

I DNFed this book once because I wasn't really interested. I never thought of revisiting it, but one of the book clubs in Fable that I'm part of is reading it this August, so I decided to give it another try.

Unlike other books by Sophie Lark, I found myself feeling bored while reading this one. Her other books weren't necessarily gripping, but I was entertained and curious enough to keep reading them, even if it meant reading something that was mindless and just a way to pass the time.

I don't know if it's because she is more effective as a romance writer than a fantasy one, but this book is extremely boring to me. I gave up on it for a second time. I just can't continue reading it and I'd rather spend my time reading other books that I enjoy.

The Brightest Light of Sunshine by Lisina Coney

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I’m a whole woman. I’m not broken even if smaller parts of me might be. I’m a fighter, and I will rebuild myself no matter how long it takes or how uncomfortable it makes me feel. When a vase shatters and you try to put the broken pieces back together, they never fit again. Not perfectly. Not in the way they used to. There may be cracks in the new vase, but it’s thanks to those fissures that sunlight filters through. Life thrives under its glow, grows through the cracks, and blooms anew.

I enjoyed the first half of this book; unfortunately, it went downhill from there.

Cal was tolerable. He has the energy of a golden retriever puppy, which I appreciate. I also enjoyed his relationship with his sister, Maddie. However, one issue with Cal’s character is that he is 30 years old, while Grace is only 22. In my opinion, there was no need for them to have such a significant age gap. In fact, it made certain situations worse. For instance, I was willing to overlook Cal attending a college party despite being 30 years old, but I found it hard to believe that Cal would go to Grace's college dorm in the middle of the night without any consequences.

Despite this, my major problem lies with Grace. During the second half, she became insufferable. Her immaturity was frustrating, and at times, it seemed like she was purposefully trying to act innocent just so Cal could baby her.

Spoiler

For instance, she claimed to have already mstrbtd and knew that Cal going down on her wouldn't hurt as there was no pntrt**n. She was well aware of how it feels. However, a couple of pages before, she was asking Cal if rl sx would hurt before he went down on her. This behavior was infuriating, especially considering she is already 22 and touches herself, which means she does know it will not hurt.

The way the author built up the "drama" that will ensue was poorly executed. It was exaggerated as something big and dramatic, but it ended up feeling anticlimactic. I found myself thinking, "That's it?! All that buildup for that?".

Spoiler

Cal beating himself up and telling himself that he was too distracted with Grace to focus on Maddie doesn't make sense. We never read that Cal was abandoning or too distracted to take care of Maddie. He was always there for her, taking care of her, even as his relationship with Grace progressed. It seems that Cal's guilt about what happened with Maddie is driving these thoughts, although he shouldn't feel guilty for something that wasn't his responsibility in the first place. The third-act breakup would have been more compelling if it was due to Grace's trauma, if she was triggered by something and she needed time to reflect on whether she was ready for a serious relationship.

While the romance between the two characters is considered a "slow burn," their friendship was too quickly established. It doesn't make sense that Grace, who is explicitly stated to be untrusting of men because of her assault, would instantly trust Cal enough to consider him her best friend. The fact that they are so touchy-feely with each other also makes it hard to believe that they are just friends. In short, they need to stop kidding themselves.

Some of the dialogues, especially in the smut scenes, were cringe-worthy.

She nods, biting her lower lip. 'It hurts."
"What hurts, baby?"
"Between my legs." She arches her back as my other hand engulfs the side of her waist. "Cal... Make it stop.”

Uhm... ewwww.

I loved Grace's dads, though. If they had more storyline, I would have given the book a 3-star rating instead of 2 stars. They were so sweet and loving.

I also appreciated the acknowledgments at the end. The author's statement is true: we should always seek help when needed. Seeking assistance from professionals does not diminish our self-worth.

However, I do not recommend this book. There are better books available that tell the same story as The Brightest Light of Sunshine.

Content Warnings

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

On vacation, you can be anyone you want.

People We Meet on Vacation reminded me how much I love the friends-to-lovers trope. Being friends first is a great foundation for a romantic relationship because you get to know someone deeply as a friend before taking things further.

I loved it, except for the end where I feel a loose thread wasn't tied up: how different Alex and Poppy are.

Spoiler

They differ greatly, particularly on important deal-breakers like having kids (Alex wants them, Poppy doesn't). Alex was right: they don't make sense together. I understand that Alex is willing to do anything for Poppy, as everything (for him) revolves around her, but

I'm bothered by how different they are, even in minor things.

However, I must admit that this book touched me on a personal level. If I had read it five or six years ago, I know I would have made different choices in my life. I would have either waited or chosen a different path. This book was my "what if," my alternate reality, and honestly, it hurts to think about it.

I can confidently say that I'll read anything Emily Henry writes. Although I've only read two of her books so far (and by the way, Beach Read is much better than People We Meet on Vacation and I prefer Gus over Alex by a long shot), I'm eagerly looking forward to reading Book Lovers and Happy Place.

Content Warnings

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Outside of it being completely beyond all laws of science and logic, there's the simple fact that people's brains are capable of strange things. They split and mutate and create all kinds of trouble.

As with any Riley Sager book, this was a page-turner. However, I found it to be just okay. The twist wasn't very satisfying for me because I had read a similar one earlier this year, making it less unique. Nonetheless, the book was still decent.

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City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

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adventurous funny 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? No

3.5

We all see what we want to see.

I didn't read The Mortal Instruments series when I was younger, but I'm glad that one of the Fable book clubs I joined will be reading the whole series in the next couple of months.

City of Bones was funny, mainly because of Jace's sarcasm. I was engrossed in the story because it was action-packed. However, there were times when I felt that everything was an info dump, and the dialogue was cringe-worthy. Nevertheless, I heard that the writing improves as the series progresses.

Despite these issues, I really enjoyed reading it and can't wait to read the rest of the series and become addicted to the Shadowhunters world.

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Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey

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dark mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

The premise of The Quarry Girls was interesting, but the execution fell short.

Set in 1977, the story was supposed to be about a normal summer until girls started to go missing. As a fan of mystery thrillers, I was drawn to this book, but ultimately didn't enjoy it.

The villains were easy to guess and the writing became both repetitive and convoluted. The author relied too heavily on reminding readers that men are untrustworthy and that one should always be on guard. Additionally, the backstory was often provided in a way that interrupted the present scene, leaving the reader feeling lost.

The writing tried too hard to capture a Western vibe, which was distracting and made it seem like the author was trying too hard. However, the tone was well done and set the atmosphere effectively.

Overall, I gave The Quarry Girls 1.5 stars (0.5 for the interesting premise and 1.0 for the successful tone). I would only recommend it to readers who are fans of mystery thrillers and have run out of other books to read.

Content Warnings

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chrstnlvly's reviews 135 reviews

chrstnlvly's reviews
135 reviews