jolovestoread's reviews
299 reviews

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 14%.
Sadly, after holding onto this book since August 2022 and trying it again recently, it's just not for me. I struggled to connect to the writing style. I found Sabran unlikeable and didn't enjoy Ead openly admitting that her life's purpose might be unwarranted. I really wanted to love this one like so many people have, and I love the cover, but it's not for me. 
The Surgeon of Crowthorne: A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

3.5

Dry in some parts but interesting on the whole. The author does a good job of acknowledging and sympathising with Minor’s mental health, but also not forgetting the impact of the man who life was taken. 
Beneath the Keep by Erika Johansen

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Did not finish book.
Lost interest. Nothing wrong with the book, I just never prioritise it.
My Sister Is a Werewolf by Kathy Love

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Better than I expected. I thought it was going to be smutt heavy, but there were only a few scenes at the beginning. I enjoyed the mystery of the characters back stories, but I felt the ending was a bit rushed. I was looking forward to finishing it, but would have preferred less middle story stuff and more detail added to the end.
The Phillip Island Murder by Vikki Petraitis, Paul Daley

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Did not finish book.
Too heavy to read as a new parent
Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares

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Did not finish book. Stopped at 40%.
I'm just a little bored. It's not a bad book, but I'm way above the intended age and it's just not interesting enough for me to continue. Maybe there is a movie as I'm cursory interested to see where the girls end up but not enough to keep reading.
The Secret of the Mansion by Julie Campbell

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No
Very much the first, establishing book in the series. However I wouldn't be surprised if adults reading it today decided not to continue. If you finished the book, you would have read a taste of Julie Campbell's real talent in the action at the end, but it takes a while to surface. There are lots of other minor action scenes littered throughout the book, but they don't really appear to tie together. Some are to establish/develop character traits and some do link to the plot, although that isn't revealed for a while after the action has occurred. I'm going to continue with the series because I hope it'll now focus more on the mysteries.