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justinkhchen's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars
A decent holiday tie-in, I consider Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six to be a 'so bad it's good' novel, and going into Christmas Presents expecting a similar combination of genre cliches and over-the-top goofiness—happy to say it has met my expectation (but not more).
All the popular tropes are here (a writer, a podcast, a childhood trauma, and romance), and the novella moves at a fast enough pace to distract one from over-scrutinizing its logic. However, I still find the reveal to be a slight letdown, feeling expected yet underdeveloped at the same time. While I do wish the Christmas atmosphere can be even more heightened, the ones that are present definitely scratch my itch—feeling like the story is build around a pivotal scene for a character to scream 'f*ck you' at Santa (which is exactly the cheesiness I'm here for).
Christmas Presents is a Hallmark-style thriller that doesn't overstay its welcome. Yes, some dialogs and scenarios are eye-rollingly corny (such as the who/reasoning behind the titular presents), and there are more plot threads and characters than the length allowed to be fully fleshed out (which is the same issue with Secluded Cabin), but these are as expected and I'm overall satisfied.
A decent holiday tie-in, I consider Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six to be a 'so bad it's good' novel, and going into Christmas Presents expecting a similar combination of genre cliches and over-the-top goofiness—happy to say it has met my expectation (but not more).
All the popular tropes are here (a writer, a podcast, a childhood trauma, and romance), and the novella moves at a fast enough pace to distract one from over-scrutinizing its logic. However, I still find the reveal to be a slight letdown, feeling expected yet underdeveloped at the same time. While I do wish the Christmas atmosphere can be even more heightened, the ones that are present definitely scratch my itch—feeling like the story is build around a pivotal scene for a character to scream 'f*ck you' at Santa (which is exactly the cheesiness I'm here for).
Christmas Presents is a Hallmark-style thriller that doesn't overstay its welcome. Yes, some dialogs and scenarios are eye-rollingly corny (such as the who/reasoning behind the titular presents), and there are more plot threads and characters than the length allowed to be fully fleshed out (which is the same issue with Secluded Cabin), but these are as expected and I'm overall satisfied.
kindlebabe's review against another edition
4.0
Book : Christmas Presents
Author : Lisa Unger
Release Date : 24 October 2023
Thank you NetGalley, Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press & the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When I saw this book show up on my recommendations I got so excited because there is not a single book Lisa has written that I do not love & I love a good holiday mystery/thriller novella. Even better, when I’m doing this ARC it is summer time and that’s my favorite time to read holiday thriller.
The plot/storyline was perfection, the character development was perfect and the characters felt so real to me. I loved all the characters that we followed through this story. This book had me guessing all the way to the very last page. Turn after turn there were little twists that I never was right about and you don’t get that comfy mystery feeling you get with some mystery/thrillers…you got this amazing creepy & eerie feeling. I sat down and read this book from front cover to back cover. A fast holiday novella that I didn’t want to put down at all.
I don’t want to say very much about this book because I don’t want to give away anything but will say that you need to scoop up this book and make sure that it is on your TBR. Pre-order and have it ready to go for the fall seasons release! You will not be disappointed.
Author : Lisa Unger
Release Date : 24 October 2023
Thank you NetGalley, Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press & the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.
When I saw this book show up on my recommendations I got so excited because there is not a single book Lisa has written that I do not love & I love a good holiday mystery/thriller novella. Even better, when I’m doing this ARC it is summer time and that’s my favorite time to read holiday thriller.
The plot/storyline was perfection, the character development was perfect and the characters felt so real to me. I loved all the characters that we followed through this story. This book had me guessing all the way to the very last page. Turn after turn there were little twists that I never was right about and you don’t get that comfy mystery feeling you get with some mystery/thrillers…you got this amazing creepy & eerie feeling. I sat down and read this book from front cover to back cover. A fast holiday novella that I didn’t want to put down at all.
I don’t want to say very much about this book because I don’t want to give away anything but will say that you need to scoop up this book and make sure that it is on your TBR. Pre-order and have it ready to go for the fall seasons release! You will not be disappointed.
rosemwood's review against another edition
5.0
This is a haunting Christmas thriller/Mystery. Not your typical "Hallmarks Christmas love story. The only reason it is a Christmas Story is because it takes place just a few days before Christmas. This is a fast read with multiple POV'S and timelines. The only issue I had was that it was hard to tell who was who with just one narrative while listening to.
bhabeck's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
gammys_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
What a haunting and gripping Christmas thriller! While it was a longer novella (260 pages) I still found myself wanting MORE!! This is my first read by Lisa Unger and it will not be my last! I am not sure why I waited so long to read one of her books🤔?! I loved every page and it was a quick unputdownable read. 🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄
Madeline barely survived a horrifying attack that happened over ten years ago. Her best friend was murdered and two more friends disappeared without any trace. Evan, her boyfriend at the time, was convicted of the crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Now a decade later, she has learned how to move forward with her life and is the owner of The Next Chapter Bookshop in her small town. When a famous true crime podcaster comes to town to reopen the cold case it causes Madeline to revisit the events of that tragic night. Simultaneously, another woman goes missing! Are the crimes connected if so how? Could there have been more than one person involved in the crimes?
Overall, a predictable but satisfying ending and I cannot wait to read more by Lisa Unger! I highly recommend this book!🌟🌟🌟🌟
What a haunting and gripping Christmas thriller! While it was a longer novella (260 pages) I still found myself wanting MORE!! This is my first read by Lisa Unger and it will not be my last! I am not sure why I waited so long to read one of her books🤔?! I loved every page and it was a quick unputdownable read. 🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄
Madeline barely survived a horrifying attack that happened over ten years ago. Her best friend was murdered and two more friends disappeared without any trace. Evan, her boyfriend at the time, was convicted of the crimes and sentenced to life in prison. Now a decade later, she has learned how to move forward with her life and is the owner of The Next Chapter Bookshop in her small town. When a famous true crime podcaster comes to town to reopen the cold case it causes Madeline to revisit the events of that tragic night. Simultaneously, another woman goes missing! Are the crimes connected if so how? Could there have been more than one person involved in the crimes?
Overall, a predictable but satisfying ending and I cannot wait to read more by Lisa Unger! I highly recommend this book!🌟🌟🌟🌟
kimmis_bookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this fast paced read. Just the right amount of thrill and the story tied up well and was written well.
sanderson0516's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25