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laurenbrennan's reviews
21 reviews
Fire Line by Maggie C. Gates
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
As always, big thanks to Maggie and Grey’s for choosing me to read and share my thoughts with others as a part of the ARC team! It is always a treat as I love Maggie’s work.
I HATE putting my least-favorite part first on a book that I really did enjoy, but I feel like Maggie’s works are usually so great for me that she set her own bar really high! I had to round this one up just a touch to be honest (maybe half a star or more?), only because the enemies-to-lovers pipeline didn’t QUITE feel 100% natural to me. It felt a little unfair the way that CJ was specifically targeting Lennon for his “my ranch, my land, no forward progress” aggression when he never really acted that way towards Brooke or Cass.
However, I still really liked this one for a different reason than I usually love the Griffith Brothers’ books. Usually I’m pretty obsessed with the couples and their relationships, but this one definitely got me and still kept me engaged, more for the plot than the relationship (for the reason I mentioned above). I liked how it focused a lot on Lennon’s background, and the plot twists for her storyline caught me off guard, which you know if you read my other reviews is a big high point for me! I also LOVED how it intertwined the other Maggieverse stories and the other Griffith couples seamlessly into the story instead of “oh look, a cameo!” but we knew Maggie has also always been good at that!
Now for one of my FAVORITE parts; I LOVED the ‘fire line’ narrative and how that fit. Maggie always has the most striking concepts for her titles and how they relate within the story, PARTICULARLY with the Griffith Brothers’ books. This one was particularly meaningful to me. Maggie knows what TRUE LOVE is, and I love that people get to read the powerful analogies that she comes up with to talk about it.
Anyway, Maggie continues her masterclass on dynamic FMCs and female-driven storylines. 🔥 Any chance there’s another Griffith brother hiding around somewhere that we didn’t know about? Sad to have this set of stories ending!
I HATE putting my least-favorite part first on a book that I really did enjoy, but I feel like Maggie’s works are usually so great for me that she set her own bar really high! I had to round this one up just a touch to be honest (maybe half a star or more?), only because the enemies-to-lovers pipeline didn’t QUITE feel 100% natural to me. It felt a little unfair the way that CJ was specifically targeting Lennon for his “my ranch, my land, no forward progress” aggression when he never really acted that way towards Brooke or Cass.
However, I still really liked this one for a different reason than I usually love the Griffith Brothers’ books. Usually I’m pretty obsessed with the couples and their relationships, but this one definitely got me and still kept me engaged, more for the plot than the relationship (for the reason I mentioned above). I liked how it focused a lot on Lennon’s background, and the plot twists for her storyline caught me off guard, which you know if you read my other reviews is a big high point for me! I also LOVED how it intertwined the other Maggieverse stories and the other Griffith couples seamlessly into the story instead of “oh look, a cameo!” but we knew Maggie has also always been good at that!
Now for one of my FAVORITE parts; I LOVED the ‘fire line’ narrative and how that fit. Maggie always has the most striking concepts for her titles and how they relate within the story, PARTICULARLY with the Griffith Brothers’ books. This one was particularly meaningful to me. Maggie knows what TRUE LOVE is, and I love that people get to read the powerful analogies that she comes up with to talk about it.
Anyway, Maggie continues her masterclass on dynamic FMCs and female-driven storylines. 🔥 Any chance there’s another Griffith brother hiding around somewhere that we didn’t know about? Sad to have this set of stories ending!
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment
Downpour by Maggie C. Gates
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Firstly I have to thank Maggie and Grey’s for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team!
Nobody does it like Maggie. 🔥 Honestly I thought there was no way I’d have a couple that could match how much I loved Cass and Christian, but Ray and Brooke were the sweetest. Their love story was pure and moving, and I also loved the disability representation. There’s nothing about this book that wasn’t absolutely to die for. As per usual, no notes.
Nobody does it like Maggie. 🔥 Honestly I thought there was no way I’d have a couple that could match how much I loved Cass and Christian, but Ray and Brooke were the sweetest. Their love story was pure and moving, and I also loved the disability representation. There’s nothing about this book that wasn’t absolutely to die for. As per usual, no notes.
Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
funny
mysterious
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? Yes
3.0
I will start by saying that the author did a great job of keeping readers guessing, which helped me stay very invested in the story and kept the pacing nice and fast. I did not guess the ending at all until she explained it to us, which is always a very strong positive in my opinion; if I’m reading a mystery, I’d always love the answer to come to me or be exposed to me in an Agatha-Christie-style, never-saw-it-coming way! I would say that I also did get the impression that there was character growth, and the main character did get SOME self-reflection and personal growth by the end of the story.
I think some of the areas I didn’t quite love are definitely reader-dependent; I think others may appreciate the story for the things that weren’t my favorite. I also feel the NEED to disclose that I read this work as an ARC, because many, and I may go so far as to say MOST, of the components/plot or character elements that I saw as detractors from the story were in the footnotes, which the author specifically mentioned may be removed before the publication date.
Firstly, I think that the main character’s flaws are a big focus of the plot. For example, she is a self-proclaimed (stated verbatim multiple times) unreliable narrator. I think this alone isn’t necessarily always a negative, but I think in this story it just happened to rub me the wrong way in the setting of the fourth wall breaks where she speaks directly to the reader, giving me a kind of taunting “I know something you don’t know because I lived it already and am telling you this story, but you should keep guessing” impression. Her other character flaws include severe sense of personal insecurity, imposter syndrome, and routine self-sabotage, which created some other facepalm moments and made the character seem pretty unlikeable at times. I think at times the persistent negative attributes overshadowed the character’s very significant positives, like how she takes care of her sister and is a humble person. There are specific things in the story that make me believe that the character is actually a VERY good person, so it upsets me that her negatives changed my impression of her that much.
Lastly, I was INTENSELY displeased with the Agatha Christie/Roger Ackroyd spoiler in the footnotes. Aside from the spoiler being completely unnecessary, there was not enough warning, it added nothing to the plot, and it spoiled a HUGE plot twist for an author that I absolutely love.
I think some of the areas I didn’t quite love are definitely reader-dependent; I think others may appreciate the story for the things that weren’t my favorite. I also feel the NEED to disclose that I read this work as an ARC, because many, and I may go so far as to say MOST, of the components/plot or character elements that I saw as detractors from the story were in the footnotes, which the author specifically mentioned may be removed before the publication date.
Firstly, I think that the main character’s flaws are a big focus of the plot. For example, she is a self-proclaimed (stated verbatim multiple times) unreliable narrator. I think this alone isn’t necessarily always a negative, but I think in this story it just happened to rub me the wrong way in the setting of the fourth wall breaks where she speaks directly to the reader, giving me a kind of taunting “I know something you don’t know because I lived it already and am telling you this story, but you should keep guessing” impression. Her other character flaws include severe sense of personal insecurity, imposter syndrome, and routine self-sabotage, which created some other facepalm moments and made the character seem pretty unlikeable at times. I think at times the persistent negative attributes overshadowed the character’s very significant positives, like how she takes care of her sister and is a humble person. There are specific things in the story that make me believe that the character is actually a VERY good person, so it upsets me that her negatives changed my impression of her that much.
Lastly, I was INTENSELY displeased with the Agatha Christie/Roger Ackroyd spoiler in the footnotes. Aside from the spoiler being completely unnecessary, there was not enough warning, it added nothing to the plot, and it spoiled a HUGE plot twist for an author that I absolutely love.
How to Baby: A No-Advice-Given Guide to Motherhood, with Drawings by Liana Finck
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I loved this book! I think it is an authentic, relatable take on motherhood. I really enjoyed that it made commentary and had discussion about the whole process of starting a family from the EARLIEST parts, to include trying (and maybe struggling) to conceive and early feelings about pregnancy, to the latest parts, like having young children/toddlers, splitting responsibilities with a spouse, finding childcare, and learning and understanding more about your identity as a person v.s. as a mother. I teared up at several parts, and I really loved this as a short, somewhat playful, but also very meaningful take on starting a family! I think I will purchase this as a gift for some of my friends who perfectly fit this audience.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility
Behind the Camera by Chelsea Curto
emotional
funny
hopeful
relaxing
medium-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? No
4.0
Firstly I’d love to thank the author and publishing team for letting me read and review this work before the release date!
I thought this book was very sweet! I think it’s honestly one of the best ‘single dad romances’ I’ve ever read. Part of the reason I think I liked it so much was that it never felt like JB was an “accessory.” I think this made the whole thing feel very real and authentic. This playing into the reason that the relationship blossomed also felt very appropriate to me; the reason the whole situation came about being childcare made sense, and I’d imagine having a natural and sweet relationship with your child would be a very attractive trait to a single parent!
Going along the same line, the “will-they-won’t-they” was done very realistically as well. It mentioned HR concerns, and when the “they will” came to pass, those concerns just didn’t fall away as loose ends. You don’t really have to suspend disbelief to feel like this could have been a real and natural romance, which I really liked. I think it was SO well done.
I thought this book was very sweet! I think it’s honestly one of the best ‘single dad romances’ I’ve ever read. Part of the reason I think I liked it so much was that it never felt like JB was an “accessory.” I think this made the whole thing feel very real and authentic. This playing into the reason that the relationship blossomed also felt very appropriate to me; the reason the whole situation came about being childcare made sense, and I’d imagine having a natural and sweet relationship with your child would be a very attractive trait to a single parent!
Going along the same line, the “will-they-won’t-they” was done very realistically as well. It mentioned HR concerns, and when the “they will” came to pass, those concerns just didn’t fall away as loose ends. You don’t really have to suspend disbelief to feel like this could have been a real and natural romance, which I really liked. I think it was SO well done.
For the Plot by Katie Van Brunt
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Firstly I want to thank the publisher and author for allowing me to read and review this work before the publishing date!
This is definitely a cute beach read. I was happy that the story didn’t immediately fall flat as soon as they left the vacation setting, as could be the case with a book like this.
I think I’ve said this in a review about another work I read recently, but I did feel like at times, the book seemed like it featured warring priorities in a less-than-intentional ways. It seemed like ‘struggling author, child of parent who struggles with addiction, person who has been burned in relationships, and person in love’ were all fighting for the center of attention in the book at times, and some aspects were abandoned when others won out rather than all meshing together and working cohesively at the center as I might’ve preferred, or if they didn’t, the struggle being mentioned in the plot.
Overall, I thought this book was sweet, and I liked getting to read it at this time of year when it’ll be vacation season soon!
This is definitely a cute beach read. I was happy that the story didn’t immediately fall flat as soon as they left the vacation setting, as could be the case with a book like this.
I think I’ve said this in a review about another work I read recently, but I did feel like at times, the book seemed like it featured warring priorities in a less-than-intentional ways. It seemed like ‘struggling author, child of parent who struggles with addiction, person who has been burned in relationships, and person in love’ were all fighting for the center of attention in the book at times, and some aspects were abandoned when others won out rather than all meshing together and working cohesively at the center as I might’ve preferred, or if they didn’t, the struggle being mentioned in the plot.
Overall, I thought this book was sweet, and I liked getting to read it at this time of year when it’ll be vacation season soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Addiction and Death of parent
Dust Storm by Maggie C. Gates
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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? No
5.0
Firstly, I have to say thank you to this author and publishing team for allowing me to review an Advanced Reader Copy! Maggie is one of my absolute favorite, do-no-wrong authors, so this was a dream for me.
This book was giving “Yellowstone meets The Notebook” and I was HERE for it!
As much as I have completely fallen in love with all of the Maggieverse couples, Cassandra and Christian were SOMETHING ELSE for me! I love Cassandra’s strong and willful personality and unapologetic wit; she’s definitely one of my all-time favorite romance heroines. She wasn’t going to change who she was or what she believed at her core, and she certainly wasn’t going to pretend to be anything else. Christian’s soft strength was written in such an amazing way, it’s like Maggie had a gruff cowboy consultant. 😂
I am obsessed with the Griffith Family; it is going to be PAINFUL waiting for the rest of the series at this point! Cass and Christian’s love is the type that people write poems about, and I cannot get enough. The whole story was written so well. Perfect pacing, hilarious banter, true-to-character storylines…the whole thing was just *chef’s (or more appropriately, cowboy’s) kiss.*
This book was giving “Yellowstone meets The Notebook” and I was HERE for it!
As much as I have completely fallen in love with all of the Maggieverse couples, Cassandra and Christian were SOMETHING ELSE for me! I love Cassandra’s strong and willful personality and unapologetic wit; she’s definitely one of my all-time favorite romance heroines. She wasn’t going to change who she was or what she believed at her core, and she certainly wasn’t going to pretend to be anything else. Christian’s soft strength was written in such an amazing way, it’s like Maggie had a gruff cowboy consultant. 😂
I am obsessed with the Griffith Family; it is going to be PAINFUL waiting for the rest of the series at this point! Cass and Christian’s love is the type that people write poems about, and I cannot get enough. The whole story was written so well. Perfect pacing, hilarious banter, true-to-character storylines…the whole thing was just *chef’s (or more appropriately, cowboy’s) kiss.*
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Honestly, this book had me SHOOK, multiple times. Like jaw dropped, “absolutely did not see that coming” moments.
I cannot believe this was BG’s debut novel; I feel like her writing style was so unique and well-developed that I wouldn’t have been surprised if this was her 10th published work. I was most impressed by her ability to be funny and even a little silly in ways that didn’t detract from the storyline, especially in tense moments when it would have been very easy to ruin the mood by doing so.
I think it’s important to note that if you’re in the mood for a story where the main plot is a love story, you should pick a different book. While it does have a very worthwhile and sweet, “written in the stars” love story, that is not the main focus.
I HAD to knock points for the ending. It was SOOO rushed, and while I didn’t HATE it, I feel like it really failed to do some important parts of the plot justice. Another 3-7 chapters could have made quite the difference in the way things were resolved. I was sorely missing a proper denouement; it was like a slow build up/brewing of curiosity the whole book to be TOLD the ending in 3-5 pages.
I cannot believe this was BG’s debut novel; I feel like her writing style was so unique and well-developed that I wouldn’t have been surprised if this was her 10th published work. I was most impressed by her ability to be funny and even a little silly in ways that didn’t detract from the storyline, especially in tense moments when it would have been very easy to ruin the mood by doing so.
I think it’s important to note that if you’re in the mood for a story where the main plot is a love story, you should pick a different book. While it does have a very worthwhile and sweet, “written in the stars” love story, that is not the main focus.
I HAD to knock points for the ending. It was SOOO rushed, and while I didn’t HATE it, I feel like it really failed to do some important parts of the plot justice. Another 3-7 chapters could have made quite the difference in the way things were resolved. I was sorely missing a proper denouement; it was like a slow build up/brewing of curiosity the whole book to be TOLD the ending in 3-5 pages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Rival Hearts by Maggie Rawdon
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
I wanted to thank the author and publisher for the chance to be a part of the ARC team for this book!
First up, I’ll say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and as my first from this author, I was excited to take a look at her other stories!
This book was SPICY. 😂 I definitely think all of the spice was done well, and was balanced in relationship to plot, character, and storyline development. It was also pretty unique in that I felt like all of it added to the storyline or was a natural progression rather than just being spliced in wherever it could fit as a treat. 😂 If you are a reader who specifically seeks out books that have a good amount of spice, but are also well-balanced at the same time, this is probably a good pick for you.
I also liked how you could tell that the author was very knowledgeable about the subject matter (professional football, PR work) and I think it made the whole story seem really polished and well-researched, and made the plot and story higher-stakes when it needed to be.
Lastly, I liked that the author made a companion novella to go with this work! I think it was a really nice touch that increased our buy-in to Maddie and Quentin’s love story and chemistry.
First up, I’ll say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and as my first from this author, I was excited to take a look at her other stories!
This book was SPICY. 😂 I definitely think all of the spice was done well, and was balanced in relationship to plot, character, and storyline development. It was also pretty unique in that I felt like all of it added to the storyline or was a natural progression rather than just being spliced in wherever it could fit as a treat. 😂 If you are a reader who specifically seeks out books that have a good amount of spice, but are also well-balanced at the same time, this is probably a good pick for you.
I also liked how you could tell that the author was very knowledgeable about the subject matter (professional football, PR work) and I think it made the whole story seem really polished and well-researched, and made the plot and story higher-stakes when it needed to be.
Lastly, I liked that the author made a companion novella to go with this work! I think it was a really nice touch that increased our buy-in to Maddie and Quentin’s love story and chemistry.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This book was really beautiful, honestly.
The romance was top-tier, I really loved the MMC from first meeting (which I think is rare for me) and progressively more and more throughout.
The romance was super sweet, and I liked the plot! I also think it says a lot about love, and how views on love and life change with maturity. It also touches on grief in a way I liked. I actually thought it was a really great commentary! I would recommend this book to both people in their young 20s and much older, and I think the Venn diagram of people within those groups who might love this book might look pretty circular! I think that says a lot about the books quality as a whole.
Honestly was one of the first books this year (even my other 5⭐️) that I know I’d love to pick up and read again. It spoke to me.
The romance was top-tier, I really loved the MMC from first meeting (which I think is rare for me) and progressively more and more throughout.
The romance was super sweet, and I liked the plot! I also think it says a lot about love, and how views on love and life change with maturity. It also touches on grief in a way I liked. I actually thought it was a really great commentary! I would recommend this book to both people in their young 20s and much older, and I think the Venn diagram of people within those groups who might love this book might look pretty circular! I think that says a lot about the books quality as a whole.
Honestly was one of the first books this year (even my other 5⭐️) that I know I’d love to pick up and read again. It spoke to me.