deannamullican's reviews
592 reviews

Jackpot Summer by Elyssa Friedland

funny hopeful lighthearted 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

This is a lighthearted, character-driven family drama.

We follow the Jacobson clan when they win the lottery and what it does to them, personally and their relationships with each other. 

I enjoy these types of stories. Reading about the everyday relationships of families (especially siblings) is always an interesting reading experience. 

Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

I flagged a section in chapter 19 (page 266 in the Book of the Month edition) that stopped me in my tracks. It made me feel seen, and this sums up how I feel about this book. 

From Bel to Georgie: "There's only one person I know who can solve problems the way you can, Georgie, and that's because you've never lived your life ten years into the future. Ten days or ten hours. You've always lived for making things better in the moment. That's why you came up with the fic. Not to plan our future in high school. But to make things better for both of us, in the moment."

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I'm a fan of Leigh Bardugo.

This is a good story. The magic system is believable. Bardugo is a good storyteller. 

That said, I didn't love this. I got the characters confused, especially the men. It was slow-paced through 85%, then the end, which was very good, felt rushed. 

Riven by Roan Parrish

emotional hopeful medium-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

3.0

"The desire for oblivion starts with a desire for oblivion."

I enjoyed this story and the two main characters. They're an unlikely match. I'm not sure why I enjoy celebrity romances, but I do. This one hit some good notes. They both struggled with expectations (on themselves and from others) and they tried to push each other away, but it was futile. They were in too deep. The epilogue was more satisfying than most. 

The Trap by Ava Glass

adventurous mysterious tense 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? No

4.25

This is a good addition to the series. These are all very fast-paced and I like Emma. This one is centered around the G7 happening in Edinburgh, which is a compelling location and event for a spy thriller. 

(I like that she crossed paths with Michael from book one)

**Read this on release day so I'm a ways away from (hopefully) book four. 

Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

This was not my favorite Christina Lauren (still good!). There was something missing in the adult versions of the main characters. I didn't feel the chemistry they had when they were younger. 

I also would have liked to know what happened after.

Did they win Oscars? What about her dad?

This was an easy, fast read with likeable characters. 

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

Excellent commentary on race, colonialism and appropriation. 

Evenly paced with good dialogue. The main character is unnamed and it's told from her perspective. This made if feel ominous, not really knowing her. 
I love that Graham Gore was a real person from the Franklin expedition. (The author's note is interesting, don't miss that). 

There was something about the writing that didn't sit right with me. There were a couple instances where I stopped to reread because the sentence did not make sense. That took me right out of the flow of the story. I also felt like $10 words were used when a $0.10 word would have worked. 

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Ernest is the writer telling the story of his family. It’s a fun take, breaking the fourth wall but I found the characters lacked depth. I didn’t really care about any of them and that’s important to me as a reader. 

This is a fun story with an unusual approach to storytelling. It did not elicit emotion from me. All plot. 

Crime mysteries are different for me so I’m glad I read it. 

The Gentleman's Guide to Getting Lucky by Mackenzi Lee

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.75

A cute addition to the series. I finished the trilogy 2+ years ago so this was a fun dip back into this world. 

10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall

funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

I love the characters Alexis Hall creates. They’re endearing and make me laugh. Will Watt did a nice job narrating. 

The premise was pretty absurd but somehow it worked? The ending felt a bit rushed   

All that said, this is a sweet enemies-to-lovers live story and I loved Sam and Jonathan.