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theveronicareview's reviews
49 reviews
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
4.0
I picked up Listen for the Lie on a whim, and was very pleasantly surprised.
In Listen for the Lie, Lucy has been living in California for five years having left her hometown in Texas after the townsfolk begin to suspect her of murdering her own best friend. When a podcast brings the case to light, Lucy finds her new life crumbling as she heads back to Texas at her grandmother's urging.
Usually, books that feature any type of online presence (youtuber, blogger, social media star, etc.), turn me off. It always comes off cringier than normal and is terribly distracting to where I am unable to enjoy the narrative. However, Listen for the Lie - which features true crime podcaster, Ben - executes this quality very well. Ben is given a full personality and the podcast passages are key to the narrative itself. Our main character Lucy is a great protagonist whose inner monologue and overall personality make her a weirdly relatable anti-hero of sorts. In addition, Listen for the Lie is rampant with a supporting cast of pearl-clutchers and, as a Texan, it is absolutely delightful.
This book is a darkly humorous thriller that maintains intrigue throughout with its fair share of twists and turns. I would urge readers not to get wrapped up in the convolution of everything. Just read this for what it is - a humorous and blithe crime thriller.
I was somewhat disappointed with the resolution, but the overall experience was enjoyable enough that I would recommend it. I only caution others to look up trigger warnings for this book. While it is humorous, it still covers some heavy material.
In Listen for the Lie, Lucy has been living in California for five years having left her hometown in Texas after the townsfolk begin to suspect her of murdering her own best friend. When a podcast brings the case to light, Lucy finds her new life crumbling as she heads back to Texas at her grandmother's urging.
Usually, books that feature any type of online presence (youtuber, blogger, social media star, etc.), turn me off. It always comes off cringier than normal and is terribly distracting to where I am unable to enjoy the narrative. However, Listen for the Lie - which features true crime podcaster, Ben - executes this quality very well. Ben is given a full personality and the podcast passages are key to the narrative itself. Our main character Lucy is a great protagonist whose inner monologue and overall personality make her a weirdly relatable anti-hero of sorts. In addition, Listen for the Lie is rampant with a supporting cast of pearl-clutchers and, as a Texan, it is absolutely delightful.
This book is a darkly humorous thriller that maintains intrigue throughout with its fair share of twists and turns. I would urge readers not to get wrapped up in the convolution of everything. Just read this for what it is - a humorous and blithe crime thriller.
I was somewhat disappointed with the resolution, but the overall experience was enjoyable enough that I would recommend it. I only caution others to look up trigger warnings for this book. While it is humorous, it still covers some heavy material.
Done and Dusted by Lyla Sage
4.5
I am going to be completely honest. The reason why I picked this book up at all is because of the cover. I mean, just look at it. Right? Gorgeous.
Liking this book is just a huge bonus. And I did like Done & Dusted very much. As someone who is newer to romance and (although I'm from Texas) not familiar with the western/cowboy side of fiction, I was very pleasantly surprised and immensely entertained.
Done & Dusted is such a sweet, fun, lighthearted read. Yes, it has a bit of spice, but the narrative is so much more than that. Emmy and Luke are nuanced characters who have their own depth, they're surrounded by a larger cast of characters that are different and intriguing in their own right, and their plight feels real. It doesn't feel blatantly contrived, and the way the characters see and interact with the world feels natural.
The dual perspective is also very enjoyable. Emmy is very relatable, and Luke is a great character from the start who complements Emmy well. You're just rooting for them the entire way through, and the resolution is very satisfying.
I ended up getting Swift & Saddled before I even finished Done & Dusted, so suffice to say that I'm a fan of this Rebel Blue universe. I'm looking forward to getting Lost & Lassoed in November. I would be so interested in seeing a "prequel" of sorts for Emmy's parents, Amos & Stella! Still, whatever Sage writes, I'm sure I will love!
Sidenote: as a fan of Friday Night Lights, I was happy to see that Lyla Sage based Luke Brooks on the show's character Riggs. Who didn't love that guy?
Liking this book is just a huge bonus. And I did like Done & Dusted very much. As someone who is newer to romance and (although I'm from Texas) not familiar with the western/cowboy side of fiction, I was very pleasantly surprised and immensely entertained.
Done & Dusted is such a sweet, fun, lighthearted read. Yes, it has a bit of spice, but the narrative is so much more than that. Emmy and Luke are nuanced characters who have their own depth, they're surrounded by a larger cast of characters that are different and intriguing in their own right, and their plight feels real. It doesn't feel blatantly contrived, and the way the characters see and interact with the world feels natural.
The dual perspective is also very enjoyable. Emmy is very relatable, and Luke is a great character from the start who complements Emmy well. You're just rooting for them the entire way through, and the resolution is very satisfying.
I ended up getting Swift & Saddled before I even finished Done & Dusted, so suffice to say that I'm a fan of this Rebel Blue universe. I'm looking forward to getting Lost & Lassoed in November. I would be so interested in seeing a "prequel" of sorts for Emmy's parents, Amos & Stella! Still, whatever Sage writes, I'm sure I will love!
Sidenote: as a fan of Friday Night Lights, I was happy to see that Lyla Sage based Luke Brooks on the show's character Riggs. Who didn't love that guy?
Swift and Saddled by Lyla Sage
4.5
Done & Dusted was such an enjoyable read that I dove into the next installment almost immediately.
In Swift & Saddled, I found Ada incredibly relatable. Moreso than Emmy was in Done & Dusted. Both are great and strong characters, Ada's inner voice just struck a stronger chord with me as she struggled to open up to others, to feel capable of connection, and - to an extent - live in the moment. Wes was a great, sensitive male protagonist, and I liked that he wasn't just a stale Nice Guy. The masculine presence in these books is very healthy and balanced with Luke & Wes. Both strong and perceptive individuals with whildy different personalities. I'm interested in seeing Gus' perspective in Lost & Lassoed, especially after Sage mentioned it was a bit difficult to write his perspective.
Rebel Blue is such a sweet and lighthearted place, and I love imagining it all as the narrative goes on. I think the ranch backdrop and the sense of safety our cast of characters provides make the reading experience that much better. Like Wes' dream for Baby Blue, the Rebel Blue series lets you go in and visit, have fun, feel safe in your entertainment, and then (sadly) go back to real life.
I am definitely impatient to get Lost & Lassoed, featuring Gus & Teddy in November. So far that cover is my favorite, and I need it on my shelf ASAP.
Also, has anyone else been racking their brain trying to figure out what other clever cowboy titles Sage can come up with for these books? I love them.
Sidenote: Since there will be 4 books in the series, and I've heard rumblings about the fourth book covering Cam & Dusty's story (which I'm sure I will love all the same), I would love for Amos & Stella - Emmy & Wes' parents -to get their own story at some point. Amos is such a warm & inviting patriarch, and I think concluding the overarching story of Rebel Blue by sharing this family's beginning would be beautiful!
In Swift & Saddled, I found Ada incredibly relatable. Moreso than Emmy was in Done & Dusted. Both are great and strong characters, Ada's inner voice just struck a stronger chord with me as she struggled to open up to others, to feel capable of connection, and - to an extent - live in the moment. Wes was a great, sensitive male protagonist, and I liked that he wasn't just a stale Nice Guy. The masculine presence in these books is very healthy and balanced with Luke & Wes. Both strong and perceptive individuals with whildy different personalities. I'm interested in seeing Gus' perspective in Lost & Lassoed, especially after Sage mentioned it was a bit difficult to write his perspective.
Rebel Blue is such a sweet and lighthearted place, and I love imagining it all as the narrative goes on. I think the ranch backdrop and the sense of safety our cast of characters provides make the reading experience that much better. Like Wes' dream for Baby Blue, the Rebel Blue series lets you go in and visit, have fun, feel safe in your entertainment, and then (sadly) go back to real life.
I am definitely impatient to get Lost & Lassoed, featuring Gus & Teddy in November. So far that cover is my favorite, and I need it on my shelf ASAP.
Also, has anyone else been racking their brain trying to figure out what other clever cowboy titles Sage can come up with for these books? I love them.
Sidenote: Since there will be 4 books in the series, and I've heard rumblings about the fourth book covering Cam & Dusty's story (which I'm sure I will love all the same), I would love for Amos & Stella - Emmy & Wes' parents -to get their own story at some point. Amos is such a warm & inviting patriarch, and I think concluding the overarching story of Rebel Blue by sharing this family's beginning would be beautiful!
Flawless by Elsie Silver
3.0
I picked up Flawless because the mood reader in me wanted more western/cowboy romance after flying through the Rebel Blue books. I'd heard of Elsie Silver before, so it seemed a promising route to go.
In Flawless, Summer is assigned to babysit Rhett - a professional bull rider - after he finds himself in a PR nightmare before a big competition. Naturally, the two become close and fall in love.
I still consider myself new to romance, but I can tell the plot of Flawless is pretty formulaic for the genre, though I don't consider that a mark against the book. Likewise, within the romance genre, I'm still working on looking past random changes in writing tone and style when the spice comes in, so I'm also not focusing on the writing when I put a critical eye on these books.
I enjoyed Flawless overall, but what bothered me was Rhett. While he was tolerable for the first half of the book, he became increasingly annoying, and some of the things he said to Summer while flirting were just not alluring to me. Just the way certain things were described or said put me off entire scenes/moments sometimes - not enough to ruin the book. Even though it's romance, I wish more time had been spent around Rhett's family and addressing their "disinterest" in his career more strongly. Two things I loved were Summer's one-on-one time with her father toward the end, and her friend time with Willa.
Overall, Flawless was as enjoyable as expected, and I do intend to continue the series. I might go out of order and read Theo's book next!
In Flawless, Summer is assigned to babysit Rhett - a professional bull rider - after he finds himself in a PR nightmare before a big competition. Naturally, the two become close and fall in love.
I still consider myself new to romance, but I can tell the plot of Flawless is pretty formulaic for the genre, though I don't consider that a mark against the book. Likewise, within the romance genre, I'm still working on looking past random changes in writing tone and style when the spice comes in, so I'm also not focusing on the writing when I put a critical eye on these books.
I enjoyed Flawless overall, but what bothered me was Rhett. While he was tolerable for the first half of the book, he became increasingly annoying, and some of the things he said to Summer while flirting were just not alluring to me. Just the way certain things were described or said put me off entire scenes/moments sometimes - not enough to ruin the book. Even though it's romance, I wish more time had been spent around Rhett's family and addressing their "disinterest" in his career more strongly. Two things I loved were Summer's one-on-one time with her father toward the end, and her friend time with Willa.
Overall, Flawless was as enjoyable as expected, and I do intend to continue the series. I might go out of order and read Theo's book next!