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1899 reviews
Past Crimes by Jason Pinter
2.75
Read Completed 3/16/24 | 2.75 stars
When I saw the description for this book, I immediately jumped on it and wondered why I hadn't seen it talked about before now. Black Mirror meets Ready Player One!? How was this not buzzier? But eventually, I knew why.
Look, this wasn't a bad book. It was entertaining, but it lost some steam at the end for me. The synopsis did deliver, but it was the tone that I didn't connect with. Maybe it would have been better as a physical book and not with a higher-pitched female audiobook narrator because it just had this tone of being lighter and sillier than I thought it was going to be. It was still plenty dark (I mean, hello, murder Disneyland...) but it just felt a little campier and not as gritty and dark as I was hoping it would be.
I liked the characters and the found family they gathered from each other. There was a fun V.E. Schwab book/name drop that had absolutely nothing to do with this book whatsoever but I appreciated the author's taste 😅
Overall, I just really lost steam with this story. Things started to get weirder and even more campy, taking some weird turns where I think I just wanted the story to be more grounded and focusing more on some nitty gritty plot. It just never really got under my skin like I wanted it to, but it was fast, easy to read, and still entertained me. I checked out a little at the end so I didn't rate it as high as three stars, but I wouldn't discourage someone from reading it.
When I saw the description for this book, I immediately jumped on it and wondered why I hadn't seen it talked about before now. Black Mirror meets Ready Player One!? How was this not buzzier? But eventually, I knew why.
Look, this wasn't a bad book. It was entertaining, but it lost some steam at the end for me. The synopsis did deliver, but it was the tone that I didn't connect with. Maybe it would have been better as a physical book and not with a higher-pitched female audiobook narrator because it just had this tone of being lighter and sillier than I thought it was going to be. It was still plenty dark (I mean, hello, murder Disneyland...) but it just felt a little campier and not as gritty and dark as I was hoping it would be.
I liked the characters and the found family they gathered from each other. There was a fun V.E. Schwab book/name drop that had absolutely nothing to do with this book whatsoever but I appreciated the author's taste 😅
Overall, I just really lost steam with this story. Things started to get weirder and even more campy, taking some weird turns where I think I just wanted the story to be more grounded and focusing more on some nitty gritty plot. It just never really got under my skin like I wanted it to, but it was fast, easy to read, and still entertained me. I checked out a little at the end so I didn't rate it as high as three stars, but I wouldn't discourage someone from reading it.
The One That Got Away with Murder by Trish Lundy
3.5
Read Completed 3/15/24 | 3.5 stars, rounded down
I've been having some decent success with YA thrillers so I decided to take a chance on this one with its eye-grabbing cover and synopsis with a hook. This kept me reading and I was entertained, but I ultimately didn't love the direction it took and there were a few places that I would have liked just a bit of an improvement, in my opinion.
Firstly, this book had an amazing book. A family where the boys are killing their girlfriends and no one can prove it? Highly addicting. The concept was great and I was definitely interested to see what was going to happen. I don't think I really loved Lauren or her approach to everything, but I will give it to the author that a lot of the book felt genuine to a teenage experience and choices that one might make at 16-17 years old. Some of this book was "a little more YA" than I typically like now, but obviously it's a young adult book, so that's not a bad thing -- just a personal preference. There were some things that were definitely authentic and then there were some wild things like the coach kicking her off the soccer team because she's dating the boy they're all suspicious of and telling her the to her face. UHHH NO? You can't kick someone off of a school team because of a person they're dating. I guess it was supposed to be because of team cohesiveness? But he literally said that was the reason why. That seems like a good way to get fired.
Anyway. The plot was intriguing but I didn't always like the way it unfolded. The boys in question have a rich father complete with younger girlfriend (their mom also has a younger boyfriend for what it's worth) so naturally there's power there as well. There were a few moments where the pacing and the investigation felt clunky. Some of it felt a little too forced and like the author was trying to shove every possible suspect in there and it got a bit tiresome. I got a theory after one specific line at 33% of who was responsible for these girls' deaths and that turned out to be true. I'm a little surprised, but that one line gave it away for me, and it maybe wasn't even that obvious. BUT after we went through like 5-6 red herrings, it became increasingly more obvious.
Everyone's relationships were messy in order to make this a tangled web that Lauren and her friends had to unweave and it was a little dramatic for me at times. I guess I just get tired of all of the "popular kids drinking and doing drugs" story line but that's what makes for good drama, unreliable narrators, and conflict.
Okay, onto the good stuff. The ending was a little disappointing for me. Firstly that it happened so quickly and we barely even got to spend any time on the reveal. Of course there was a villain speech and it was so wildly out there that I felt like we either needed to dwell on some of these concepts MUCH earlier or have this person be much less... this. (Trying not to give away spoilers!) It felt like an unexpected giant twist and I didn't like how unexpected it was. Even guessing correctly and looking for clues, there really weren't many there and not to THIS intensity. I can see people loving it because of how wild it is, but it just was too over-the-top for me.
I enjoyed the read -- I'm not sure if I'd pick up another thriller from this author, mostly because it was more teen than I expected (again, not knocking it, but some YA vibes I connect with more than others). I'd probably be curious enough to try another!
I've been having some decent success with YA thrillers so I decided to take a chance on this one with its eye-grabbing cover and synopsis with a hook. This kept me reading and I was entertained, but I ultimately didn't love the direction it took and there were a few places that I would have liked just a bit of an improvement, in my opinion.
Firstly, this book had an amazing book. A family where the boys are killing their girlfriends and no one can prove it? Highly addicting. The concept was great and I was definitely interested to see what was going to happen. I don't think I really loved Lauren or her approach to everything, but I will give it to the author that a lot of the book felt genuine to a teenage experience and choices that one might make at 16-17 years old. Some of this book was "a little more YA" than I typically like now, but obviously it's a young adult book, so that's not a bad thing -- just a personal preference. There were some things that were definitely authentic and then there were some wild things like the coach kicking her off the soccer team because she's dating the boy they're all suspicious of and telling her the to her face. UHHH NO? You can't kick someone off of a school team because of a person they're dating. I guess it was supposed to be because of team cohesiveness? But he literally said that was the reason why. That seems like a good way to get fired.
Anyway. The plot was intriguing but I didn't always like the way it unfolded. The boys in question have a rich father complete with younger girlfriend (their mom also has a younger boyfriend for what it's worth) so naturally there's power there as well. There were a few moments where the pacing and the investigation felt clunky. Some of it felt a little too forced and like the author was trying to shove every possible suspect in there and it got a bit tiresome. I got a theory after one specific line at 33% of who was responsible for these girls' deaths and that turned out to be true. I'm a little surprised, but that one line gave it away for me, and it maybe wasn't even that obvious. BUT after we went through like 5-6 red herrings, it became increasingly more obvious.
Everyone's relationships were messy in order to make this a tangled web that Lauren and her friends had to unweave and it was a little dramatic for me at times. I guess I just get tired of all of the "popular kids drinking and doing drugs" story line but that's what makes for good drama, unreliable narrators, and conflict.
Okay, onto the good stuff. The ending was a little disappointing for me. Firstly that it happened so quickly and we barely even got to spend any time on the reveal. Of course there was a villain speech and it was so wildly out there that I felt like we either needed to dwell on some of these concepts MUCH earlier or have this person be much less... this. (Trying not to give away spoilers!) It felt like an unexpected giant twist and I didn't like how unexpected it was. Even guessing correctly and looking for clues, there really weren't many there and not to THIS intensity. I can see people loving it because of how wild it is, but it just was too over-the-top for me.
I enjoyed the read -- I'm not sure if I'd pick up another thriller from this author, mostly because it was more teen than I expected (again, not knocking it, but some YA vibes I connect with more than others). I'd probably be curious enough to try another!
Happily Never After by Lynn Painter
3.75
Read Completed 3/13/24 | 3.75 - 4 stars
Lynn Painter is excellent with banter and this was another book that charmed me! I loved the chemistry between Sophie and Max and this was a cute concept that really took off.
The thing that really threw me about this book was how much the two main characters — more so Sophie — hated loved and didn’t believe in it. I get it, I do, but when you’re reading a romance and for 90% of the book, the main character hates love, it gets really tiresome. I wish that was written just a bit different to maybe soften some of it so I could at least feel a little less negative about it.
The characters really did have great chemistry, there were fun side characters, I loved the love story, and it was paced well, easy to fly through. I had a great time with the reading experience but I can’t let it go how negative Sophie was most of the time. She even got called out about it at work (which also, was highly inappropriate and unprofessional for her boss to tell her to get her personal life in order or else she wouldn’t get a promotion).
I’ll still leave this at 4 stars and let the good feelings outweigh the bad!
Lynn Painter is excellent with banter and this was another book that charmed me! I loved the chemistry between Sophie and Max and this was a cute concept that really took off.
The thing that really threw me about this book was how much the two main characters — more so Sophie — hated loved and didn’t believe in it. I get it, I do, but when you’re reading a romance and for 90% of the book, the main character hates love, it gets really tiresome. I wish that was written just a bit different to maybe soften some of it so I could at least feel a little less negative about it.
The characters really did have great chemistry, there were fun side characters, I loved the love story, and it was paced well, easy to fly through. I had a great time with the reading experience but I can’t let it go how negative Sophie was most of the time. She even got called out about it at work (which also, was highly inappropriate and unprofessional for her boss to tell her to get her personal life in order or else she wouldn’t get a promotion).
I’ll still leave this at 4 stars and let the good feelings outweigh the bad!
The Split by Kit Frick
mysterious
medium-paced
3.25
Read Completed 3/12/24 | 3.25 stars
I'm always drawn to Kit Frick's writing and seem to get along with it fairly well, so I was interested in picking up this newly released adult thriller. I really liked the concept of a split decision and seeing what happens if one person changes one decision. I was definitely pulled into the story at first but ultimately, the thriller part just wasn't enough for me.
I really liked the concept and at first, there was a lot of intrigue surrounding Jane's relationship with her sister. I was curious what happened to her sister when she didn't turn up and what underlying motives there could be... but ultimately, it all just fell a little flat for me. The reveals seemed a little random and forced because some of the character motives were so hidden that what should have been surprising was just kind of like, "Huh. That's weird."
The characters also fell a little flat for me. Jane was apparently supposed to be "plain Jane" but she was a little boring with all of the other characters stealing the personality from her. I don't know... I just never really connected with her as much as I wanted to and I really don't know what I'd tell you about her after finishing the book.
There were a lot of good pieces here but I just didn't love the way they all came together. A few things fell flat and nothing really pulled it out of that feeling for me to make it shine. I really like the concept, but the ending was a little confusing as well. Sometimes with this type of plot, the two timelines end up converging and having the same ending but here, we get two endings. I guess it's up to the reader to choose which one they liked better, if the second one is how things really ended, or if there is no answer. It felt a little messy and unsatisfying to me.
Other recommended reads: THE CHOICE by Gillian McAllister
I'm always drawn to Kit Frick's writing and seem to get along with it fairly well, so I was interested in picking up this newly released adult thriller. I really liked the concept of a split decision and seeing what happens if one person changes one decision. I was definitely pulled into the story at first but ultimately, the thriller part just wasn't enough for me.
I really liked the concept and at first, there was a lot of intrigue surrounding Jane's relationship with her sister. I was curious what happened to her sister when she didn't turn up and what underlying motives there could be... but ultimately, it all just fell a little flat for me. The reveals seemed a little random and forced because some of the character motives were so hidden that what should have been surprising was just kind of like, "Huh. That's weird."
The characters also fell a little flat for me. Jane was apparently supposed to be "plain Jane" but she was a little boring with all of the other characters stealing the personality from her. I don't know... I just never really connected with her as much as I wanted to and I really don't know what I'd tell you about her after finishing the book.
There were a lot of good pieces here but I just didn't love the way they all came together. A few things fell flat and nothing really pulled it out of that feeling for me to make it shine. I really like the concept, but the ending was a little confusing as well. Sometimes with this type of plot, the two timelines end up converging and having the same ending but here, we get two endings. I guess it's up to the reader to choose which one they liked better, if the second one is how things really ended, or if there is no answer. It felt a little messy and unsatisfying to me.
Other recommended reads: THE CHOICE by Gillian McAllister
Love You Gone by Rona Halsall
4.25
Read Completed 3/10/24 | 4.25 stars
This was a totally random Hoopla read that I picked because it was listed in the popular choices in the thriller category since I had read everything else that was close to the top. I've been in a reading slump and I figured why not! I ended up really enjoying this and it was quite an addictive read.
While LOVE YOU GONE wasn't a totally original plot and I had already read the comparison books in the synopsis, which kind of gives away the "unguessable twist", I still really enjoyed the story. I didn't quite know how it was going to unravel and there were other facets that could have unfolded in many different ways. If you're someone who's only looking to be surprised by the twist and the book is ruined if you know it, then you may not like this one. I still really appreciated the story telling and it didn't feel like everything was over-the-top, as it often is in way too many of the thrillers I try to read.
This was my first book by Rona Halsall and I really liked her style! It was light, fast-paced, always exciting even from the very beginning, and kept me engaged and kept my mind off my day.
This was a totally random Hoopla read that I picked because it was listed in the popular choices in the thriller category since I had read everything else that was close to the top. I've been in a reading slump and I figured why not! I ended up really enjoying this and it was quite an addictive read.
While LOVE YOU GONE wasn't a totally original plot and I had already read the comparison books in the synopsis, which kind of gives away the "unguessable twist", I still really enjoyed the story. I didn't quite know how it was going to unravel and there were other facets that could have unfolded in many different ways. If you're someone who's only looking to be surprised by the twist and the book is ruined if you know it, then you may not like this one. I still really appreciated the story telling and it didn't feel like everything was over-the-top, as it often is in way too many of the thrillers I try to read.
This was my first book by Rona Halsall and I really liked her style! It was light, fast-paced, always exciting even from the very beginning, and kept me engaged and kept my mind off my day.
The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger
3.0
Read Completed 3/9/24 | 3 stars
I was excited to read THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B and was really hoping to connect with it. Right off the bat, I really didn't love it and it took until about 35-40% for things to really get interesting. I didn't realize that this was going to sort of be a paranormal twist (not a spoiler -- it's all hinted at early on) and I don't always love that in thrillers. Sometimes it's exciting to wonder whether things are actually ghostly or paranormal, or if it all has a logical explanation, but I just didn't really like how it was all handled in this book. I think I would have preferred if it committed more to being more of a ghost story than having it kind of slide around.
I really didn't like the main character, Rosie, and I just didn't connect with her much. She bothered me a lot in this book and she just felt like a weak character. I didn't like her "seer" abilities and it just felt very underdeveloped. I wanted her to either lean into them and it became a more important part of the book, or not have that be in the story at all. I also found it kind of odd that she called her whole family cons and crooks, basically, and yet she has this real ability.
I also really didn't like the ending of the book. We get a reveal but what it was all building up to.... eh. It just didn't really do it for me. It wasn't what I was hoping for. There is a bit more to the story that was a bit more satisfying but aside from that juicy bit which I enjoyed, the rest of it was all kind odd and far-fetched.
Most of this just felt underdeveloped, but it just wasn't my kind of story, I guess. It's sort of the way I felt when I read LOCK EVERY DOOR by Riley Sager, so if you liked that one, maybe you'll like this too!
I was excited to read THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B and was really hoping to connect with it. Right off the bat, I really didn't love it and it took until about 35-40% for things to really get interesting. I didn't realize that this was going to sort of be a paranormal twist (not a spoiler -- it's all hinted at early on) and I don't always love that in thrillers. Sometimes it's exciting to wonder whether things are actually ghostly or paranormal, or if it all has a logical explanation, but I just didn't really like how it was all handled in this book. I think I would have preferred if it committed more to being more of a ghost story than having it kind of slide around.
I really didn't like the main character, Rosie, and I just didn't connect with her much. She bothered me a lot in this book and she just felt like a weak character. I didn't like her "seer" abilities and it just felt very underdeveloped. I wanted her to either lean into them and it became a more important part of the book, or not have that be in the story at all. I also found it kind of odd that she called her whole family cons and crooks, basically, and yet she has this real ability.
I also really didn't like the ending of the book. We get a reveal but what it was all building up to.... eh. It just didn't really do it for me. It wasn't what I was hoping for. There is a bit more to the story that was a bit more satisfying but aside from that juicy bit which I enjoyed, the rest of it was all kind odd and far-fetched.
Most of this just felt underdeveloped, but it just wasn't my kind of story, I guess. It's sort of the way I felt when I read LOCK EVERY DOOR by Riley Sager, so if you liked that one, maybe you'll like this too!
Last One to Die by Cynthia Murphy
2.75
Read Completed 3/7/24 | 2.75 stars
Not a bad read but this just didn't really do it for me. I wanted more supernatural in the beginning and I didn't really love the ending. I also didn't really care about any of the characters at all and they all bothered me. It wasn't "overly young" being a YA book and could have just as easily been college or older, so that was nice. I knew it was YA going in, but it's nice to feel like it's not too young when I don't always jive with that age range anymore.
Not a bad read but this just didn't really do it for me. I wanted more supernatural in the beginning and I didn't really love the ending. I also didn't really care about any of the characters at all and they all bothered me. It wasn't "overly young" being a YA book and could have just as easily been college or older, so that was nice. I knew it was YA going in, but it's nice to feel like it's not too young when I don't always jive with that age range anymore.
Woman on the Edge by Samantha M. Bailey
2.5
Read Completed 3/6/24 | 2.5 stars
The concept of this was intriguing but I really didn't like the execution of it all, nor did I like any of the characters.
The audiobook narrator was fine, but she really made the two main characters even more dramatic than they already were. It really made me dislike them both, constantly being whiny and over-the-top. I even pictured it in my head, saying some lines in a totally different way that would have changed the personality of Morgan completely, so that was a little unfortunate. Despite that, I still didn't like most of Morgan's decisions and thought she did a lot of dumb things, so it really wasn't the narrator's fault completely. It just made an irritating thing worse.
I also didn't like the writing style. It was more popcorn thriller, which gets dramatic and annoying at times, but I also didn't like the back and forth between Nicole and Morgan, switching from past to present. I don't know... I don't think we really even needed Nicole's POV. We kind of know what happens to her and then people also made her fall further into delusions (well, they caused the delusions, really). I maybe would have rather wanted to spend more time with only Morgan's POV or even Nicole's brother, to cast suspicion on Morgan.
The ending and the twist were obvious to me and it just wasn't even an enjoyable conclusion. This just wasn't for me, and I get frustrated because this seems to be a thriller style that so many people enjoy that's becoming more popular. I guess it's popular and I'll just be the outlier -- it's what sells. But I'm just frustrated that most of the thrillers I read now are popcorn thrillers and over-the-top dramatic. A discussion for another day, I guess.
The concept of this was intriguing but I really didn't like the execution of it all, nor did I like any of the characters.
The audiobook narrator was fine, but she really made the two main characters even more dramatic than they already were. It really made me dislike them both, constantly being whiny and over-the-top. I even pictured it in my head, saying some lines in a totally different way that would have changed the personality of Morgan completely, so that was a little unfortunate. Despite that, I still didn't like most of Morgan's decisions and thought she did a lot of dumb things, so it really wasn't the narrator's fault completely. It just made an irritating thing worse.
I also didn't like the writing style. It was more popcorn thriller, which gets dramatic and annoying at times, but I also didn't like the back and forth between Nicole and Morgan, switching from past to present. I don't know... I don't think we really even needed Nicole's POV. We kind of know what happens to her and then people also made her fall further into delusions (well, they caused the delusions, really). I maybe would have rather wanted to spend more time with only Morgan's POV or even Nicole's brother, to cast suspicion on Morgan.
The ending and the twist were obvious to me and it just wasn't even an enjoyable conclusion. This just wasn't for me, and I get frustrated because this seems to be a thriller style that so many people enjoy that's becoming more popular. I guess it's popular and I'll just be the outlier -- it's what sells. But I'm just frustrated that most of the thrillers I read now are popcorn thrillers and over-the-top dramatic. A discussion for another day, I guess.
Fish Out of Water by Katie Ruggle
2.75
Read Completed 3/4/24 | 2.75 stars
This was kind of a weird read... First off, the cover is a little misleading. Yes, they go on a trail and fall in love. The title is misleading too because there was no fishing involved, and if there was, it occurred entirely off-page and wasn't even mentioned. It also looks like a cute summery book but these two get trapped in a snowstorm. I'm not really upset about that, but when you have a disconnect with the book, it made more of a difference that it just wasn't what I expected.
So firstly, this was a contemporary romance but it was also with very, very light mystery/suspense. That didn't really matter until the ending, though. We find out that Dahlia's sister is missing somewhere in the Colorado wilderness so Dahlia takes it upon herself to go look for her after law enforcement refuses. She enlists the help of Winston Dane, local "hermit". Okay, fine. But the ending was... a bit much for anyone who thought they were reading just a contemporary romance. The plot ended up moving towards total mystery/thriller while Dahlia is trying to save her sister and things totally go off the rails and away from romance plot vibes. It was just odd and clunky, especially since the whole middle was romance. I actually liked the connection between Dahlia and Winston (most of the time) but it was underdeveloped and the vibe kept bouncing back and forth in huge chunks at a time so it just didn't feel like it flowed well.
There were a few other odd things too. Rose, Dahlia's sister, is portrayed to be somewhat adventurous and .... I guess kind of flighty, like doing things without thinking, but she goes off on a MULTIPLE DAY HIKE by herself? That's just asking for trouble in itself. Also, I know some trails don't allow motorized vehicles, but did everyone really have to hike multiple days to get to this spot? I feel like for the sake of danger, someone could have figured out a better way to get there? There has to be a trail because you'd never be able to find something just bushwhacking your way through the woods for 3+ days, so why didn't they just break the rules and get like, a side-by-side or a motorized bicycle or SOMETHING to make it go faster? It was her sister's life at stake....
And then while they're cooped up in a tent while a blizzard happens, they decide, hey you know what's a good idea, my sister might be dead but let's hook up. Eh. I get distracting yourself or nothing else to do, but if I thought my sister might be dead out there, I don't think I'd be thinking about hooking up.
There was also a multiple page long make-up scene where Dahlia essentially gave Winston a makeover to show off her skills and highlight how make-up can enhance your face. Okay... whatever, I didn't love it (because why did she bring ALL OF HER MAKEUP into the wilderness?) but it went on for way too long and it was weird.
I also had an issue with the lack of character development. There were some big things that were just randomly dropped and barely ever talked about again, like how Dahlia & Rose came from huge money, how Winston is a famous cozy mystery author, Winston's past, we know barely anything about Dahlia's past... for as much time as we spend with these people, we don't really get to KNOW them. It's a romance -- I don't have to know everything, but it would have helped me connect a bit more.
I just didn't love the way a lot of this was written and it didn't seem to flow or make sense. I wish the author had chosen to either drop the suspense or add more in because it felt like this book didn't really know what it was and it took away from from everything.
This was kind of a weird read... First off, the cover is a little misleading. Yes, they go on a trail and fall in love. The title is misleading too because there was no fishing involved, and if there was, it occurred entirely off-page and wasn't even mentioned. It also looks like a cute summery book but these two get trapped in a snowstorm. I'm not really upset about that, but when you have a disconnect with the book, it made more of a difference that it just wasn't what I expected.
So firstly, this was a contemporary romance but it was also with very, very light mystery/suspense. That didn't really matter until the ending, though. We find out that Dahlia's sister is missing somewhere in the Colorado wilderness so Dahlia takes it upon herself to go look for her after law enforcement refuses. She enlists the help of Winston Dane, local "hermit". Okay, fine. But the ending was... a bit much for anyone who thought they were reading just a contemporary romance. The plot ended up moving towards total mystery/thriller while Dahlia is trying to save her sister and things totally go off the rails and away from romance plot vibes. It was just odd and clunky, especially since the whole middle was romance. I actually liked the connection between Dahlia and Winston (most of the time) but it was underdeveloped and the vibe kept bouncing back and forth in huge chunks at a time so it just didn't feel like it flowed well.
There were a few other odd things too. Rose, Dahlia's sister, is portrayed to be somewhat adventurous and .... I guess kind of flighty, like doing things without thinking, but she goes off on a MULTIPLE DAY HIKE by herself? That's just asking for trouble in itself. Also, I know some trails don't allow motorized vehicles, but did everyone really have to hike multiple days to get to this spot? I feel like for the sake of danger, someone could have figured out a better way to get there? There has to be a trail because you'd never be able to find something just bushwhacking your way through the woods for 3+ days, so why didn't they just break the rules and get like, a side-by-side or a motorized bicycle or SOMETHING to make it go faster? It was her sister's life at stake....
And then while they're cooped up in a tent while a blizzard happens, they decide, hey you know what's a good idea, my sister might be dead but let's hook up. Eh. I get distracting yourself or nothing else to do, but if I thought my sister might be dead out there, I don't think I'd be thinking about hooking up.
There was also a multiple page long make-up scene where Dahlia essentially gave Winston a makeover to show off her skills and highlight how make-up can enhance your face. Okay... whatever, I didn't love it (because why did she bring ALL OF HER MAKEUP into the wilderness?) but it went on for way too long and it was weird.
I also had an issue with the lack of character development. There were some big things that were just randomly dropped and barely ever talked about again, like how Dahlia & Rose came from huge money, how Winston is a famous cozy mystery author, Winston's past, we know barely anything about Dahlia's past... for as much time as we spend with these people, we don't really get to KNOW them. It's a romance -- I don't have to know everything, but it would have helped me connect a bit more.
I just didn't love the way a lot of this was written and it didn't seem to flow or make sense. I wish the author had chosen to either drop the suspense or add more in because it felt like this book didn't really know what it was and it took away from from everything.
The Extinction Trials by A.G. Riddle
2.75
Read Completed 3/2/24 | 2.75 stars
I picked this one up because of a recommendation on a Facebook group and it sounded really promising. I was interested at first, but at a certain point, I just stopped caring. I kept waiting for things to get better and they just didn't.
It wasn't a bad book. I can see how people would enjoy it and there were some surprises in the end that, if they had been done better, would have blown me away too, but they just weren't.
The plot was... fine.
The characters were... fine.
The concept was... fine.
Nothing was really unique or surprisingly well-done or really brought me into the story. There was just enough missing from quite literally everything that made it dull and underdeveloped, and by the last 25%, I was just ready to be done, sadly. There were too many things that were just too easy. Characters figuring out clues wildly quickly, things that were just handed to them, things they figured out with no logical explanation as to why they would think that and get it right. Eh.
The ending had a really great concept and a nice surprise BUT it made absolutely zero logical sense. If it had been done well, it would have been amazing and mind-blowing. I also would have liked it earlier in the story so we could spend time with it. It just didn't make sense at all and felt silly at that point.
I picked this one up because of a recommendation on a Facebook group and it sounded really promising. I was interested at first, but at a certain point, I just stopped caring. I kept waiting for things to get better and they just didn't.
It wasn't a bad book. I can see how people would enjoy it and there were some surprises in the end that, if they had been done better, would have blown me away too, but they just weren't.
The plot was... fine.
The characters were... fine.
The concept was... fine.
Nothing was really unique or surprisingly well-done or really brought me into the story. There was just enough missing from quite literally everything that made it dull and underdeveloped, and by the last 25%, I was just ready to be done, sadly. There were too many things that were just too easy. Characters figuring out clues wildly quickly, things that were just handed to them, things they figured out with no logical explanation as to why they would think that and get it right. Eh.
The ending had a really great concept and a nice surprise BUT it made absolutely zero logical sense. If it had been done well, it would have been amazing and mind-blowing. I also would have liked it earlier in the story so we could spend time with it. It just didn't make sense at all and felt silly at that point.