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mnboyer's reviews
1718 reviews
The Honeymoon Crashers by Christina Lauren
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Cute, quirky, and a super great audio-listen for anyone interested in listening to different narrators knock out the story. It was a really fun time. The story is cute.
It falls just a tad short of some of the other Christina Lauren books I've fallen in love with (<i>The Paradise Problem</i> is amazing, for example) and so I gave it four solid stars.
It falls just a tad short of some of the other Christina Lauren books I've fallen in love with (<i>The Paradise Problem</i> is amazing, for example) and so I gave it four solid stars.
Redwood Court by DéLana R.A. Dameron
informative
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.0
Reese Witherspoon Book Club: February 2024
Reese strikes again with a book that I had very little emotion connected to at the end -- do you ever read a book and then think to yourself, "What actually happened in this book?" and second guess whether or not you read it? That was this book for me. I did, I did read and listen to the book and I just couldn't connect to any of the characters. Sure, there were some great moments where race, gender, coming of age, etc., all played key roles in the scenes as they played out but... as a whole, I just felt "meh" at the end of the book.
Reese strikes again with a book that I had very little emotion connected to at the end -- do you ever read a book and then think to yourself, "What actually happened in this book?" and second guess whether or not you read it? That was this book for me. I did, I did read and listen to the book and I just couldn't connect to any of the characters. Sure, there were some great moments where race, gender, coming of age, etc., all played key roles in the scenes as they played out but... as a whole, I just felt "meh" at the end of the book.
The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
emotional
relaxing
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? It's complicated
5.0
<b>Book of the Month Club: May 2024</b>
An absolutely wonderful book in which a marriage of convenience is later, again, a marriage of convenience. Liam "West" Weston and Anna Green got married in college in so that they could live in the nicer family housing units; I mean, there's a lot that one would do to get those nicer housing setups! But, it is almost five years later, and they're still married (unbeknownst to Anna) when West shows up asking if she'll continue to play his wife for a wedding trip. Its a remote private island. He's rich. His family is awful. Surely, Anna can deal for a few days in order for large chunk of cash.
As one might suspect though, this duo starts to actually fall for one another though! It makes absolute sense because this is a Christina Lauren novel: it promises hot sex and a happy ending (which it absolutely provides). What it adds is a lot of really, really deeply shitty family members on the Weston side of things that make you growl in anger when they appear on the page. And, I truly fell for this love story (as ridiculous as the premise may be, it is still great).
Five well earned stars!
An absolutely wonderful book in which a marriage of convenience is later, again, a marriage of convenience. Liam "West" Weston and Anna Green got married in college in so that they could live in the nicer family housing units; I mean, there's a lot that one would do to get those nicer housing setups! But, it is almost five years later, and they're still married (unbeknownst to Anna) when West shows up asking if she'll continue to play his wife for a wedding trip. Its a remote private island. He's rich. His family is awful. Surely, Anna can deal for a few days in order for large chunk of cash.
As one might suspect though, this duo starts to actually fall for one another though! It makes absolute sense because this is a Christina Lauren novel: it promises hot sex and a happy ending (which it absolutely provides). What it adds is a lot of really, really deeply shitty family members on the Weston side of things that make you growl in anger when they appear on the page. And, I truly fell for this love story (as ridiculous as the premise may be, it is still great).
Five well earned stars!
Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Can we all take just a moment to bask in the amazing writing of Tessa Bailey? No, really, take the moment. I am reading through all of this author's works and I have to say, wonderful. Great characters, wonderful stories, and the spice is perfection. The dirtier, the better, honestly. Tessa knows what she is going and I cannot wait for my next Bailey book.
Now, this book in particular fit a 'theme' challenge in one of my reading groups. "A book about sports or an athlete(s)" which let me tell you, had me nervous for a few moments. And then I realized that hey, this book is about golf! And athletes! This book allowed me to get through that prompt and let me tell you, for that it was going to get 5 stars. It just turns out, the story is also great!
Josephine Doyle knows golf and she knows that she's the #1 fan of golfer Wells Whitaker. The problem is simple: Wells sucks. He's lost his swing, he's throwing temper tantrums, and one day he finally loses it an yells at her, too. But of course, that's only the first few pages. He decides he needs to apologize and when Wells realizes that Josephine's family's pro-shop has been damaged in the floods, he knows he has to help. The easiest way: hire her to caddy for him (since she won't just take the money as a gift, she wants to earn it).
And exactly what you think is going to happen, happens. He starts obsessing over her, he starts lusting for her, and at the same time he starts getting better at golf. That's right, Josephine is his lucky charm! But of course, she's hot for him, too. They screw like bunnies and it is absolutely the hot, dirty, sexy read that you're going to love if you've read Bailey before. If you haven't read this author: you need to! The smut is wonderful.
There's a shower scene to die for... no, really, I read it a few times.
But, on a more serious note, the story would be great if the sex wasn't there. A strong female who is trying to be independent even though she's diabetic (and those around her treat her as fragile and incapable of protecting herself), a moody dude who deep down just wants unconditional love (he also happens to be a great golfer when he's thinking clearly), and a story about finding love and respecting one another. *chef's kiss*
Is there a happy ending. You know there is. This one is definitely worth the read!!
Now, this book in particular fit a 'theme' challenge in one of my reading groups. "A book about sports or an athlete(s)" which let me tell you, had me nervous for a few moments. And then I realized that hey, this book is about golf! And athletes! This book allowed me to get through that prompt and let me tell you, for that it was going to get 5 stars. It just turns out, the story is also great!
Josephine Doyle knows golf and she knows that she's the #1 fan of golfer Wells Whitaker. The problem is simple: Wells sucks. He's lost his swing, he's throwing temper tantrums, and one day he finally loses it an yells at her, too. But of course, that's only the first few pages. He decides he needs to apologize and when Wells realizes that Josephine's family's pro-shop has been damaged in the floods, he knows he has to help. The easiest way: hire her to caddy for him (since she won't just take the money as a gift, she wants to earn it).
And exactly what you think is going to happen, happens. He starts obsessing over her, he starts lusting for her, and at the same time he starts getting better at golf. That's right, Josephine is his lucky charm! But of course, she's hot for him, too. They screw like bunnies and it is absolutely the hot, dirty, sexy read that you're going to love if you've read Bailey before. If you haven't read this author: you need to! The smut is wonderful.
There's a shower scene to die for... no, really, I read it a few times.
But, on a more serious note, the story would be great if the sex wasn't there. A strong female who is trying to be independent even though she's diabetic (and those around her treat her as fragile and incapable of protecting herself), a moody dude who deep down just wants unconditional love (he also happens to be a great golfer when he's thinking clearly), and a story about finding love and respecting one another. *chef's kiss*
Is there a happy ending. You know there is. This one is definitely worth the read!!
The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? No
4.0
Note: Thank you to the author and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. I greatly appreciate authors who give their work out in order to receive feedback.
This is a wonderful book about the brave individuals who continued to keep books safe while Poland was occupied by the Nazis in WWII. While you may think people in the middle of a war, especially the Jewish individuals, would have other things to concentrate on (lack of food, the horrid living conditions, being murdered on the streets, etc.) there's still something inherently human about wanting to escape your world through the pages of a book. And, because of these individuals in this book, others were able to continue to share their small libraries even during the worst of times.
There are some dark, dark moments in this book, which makes sense based on the content the author is focusing on -- but it is written so well that you'll be crying but wanting to move forward with the story. The character development is wonderful. Ugh! I don't have enough words to fully articulate how well this is written and how captivating it is, but rest assured I finished this one in a single sitting.
Definitely worth a read if you enjoy historical fiction, especially if you're interested in "based on true stories" from WWII.
This is a wonderful book about the brave individuals who continued to keep books safe while Poland was occupied by the Nazis in WWII. While you may think people in the middle of a war, especially the Jewish individuals, would have other things to concentrate on (lack of food, the horrid living conditions, being murdered on the streets, etc.) there's still something inherently human about wanting to escape your world through the pages of a book. And, because of these individuals in this book, others were able to continue to share their small libraries even during the worst of times.
There are some dark, dark moments in this book, which makes sense based on the content the author is focusing on -- but it is written so well that you'll be crying but wanting to move forward with the story. The character development is wonderful. Ugh! I don't have enough words to fully articulate how well this is written and how captivating it is, but rest assured I finished this one in a single sitting.
Definitely worth a read if you enjoy historical fiction, especially if you're interested in "based on true stories" from WWII.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Book of the Month: February 2024
PopSugar 2024 reading challenge #21
"Women weren't in Nam." -- If I hear this one more time after reading this book, I swear! But of course, the idiots that are going to say these kinds of things probably didn't read this book and have no plans to. Sigh. But I appreciate that Kristin Hannah wrote the book for all of us that were going to read it. And adore it. And really, really be touched by it.
Frankie is such a challenging character because for about 75% of the book I'm entirely on her side and rooting for her. But then, upon returning home, Frankie makes a few life choices that -- while I understand them -- just irked me from start to finish. But, perhaps this anger perfectly describes the PTSD that all veterans are facing. Why am I more upset with Frankie for wrecking her homelife than I am, say, Rye? Obviously, I hate characters/men like Rye from start to finish. Yet here I am, so upset with Frankie for letting herself get conned. Is that her fault though... no, not really. Ugh. Yeah, so Frankie is a very, very deep character who in the end, I'm happy for. I just wanted the romance of the book to go a different way back in the States and it doesn't go the way I wanted it to. But, that's life!
A really, really well written novel.
PopSugar 2024 reading challenge #21
"Women weren't in Nam." -- If I hear this one more time after reading this book, I swear! But of course, the idiots that are going to say these kinds of things probably didn't read this book and have no plans to. Sigh. But I appreciate that Kristin Hannah wrote the book for all of us that were going to read it. And adore it. And really, really be touched by it.
Frankie is such a challenging character because for about 75% of the book I'm entirely on her side and rooting for her. But then, upon returning home, Frankie makes a few life choices that -- while I understand them -- just irked me from start to finish. But, perhaps this anger perfectly describes the PTSD that all veterans are facing. Why am I more upset with Frankie for wrecking her homelife than I am, say, Rye? Obviously, I hate characters/men like Rye from start to finish. Yet here I am, so upset with Frankie for letting herself get conned. Is that her fault though... no, not really. Ugh. Yeah, so Frankie is a very, very deep character who in the end, I'm happy for. I just wanted the romance of the book to go a different way back in the States and it doesn't go the way I wanted it to. But, that's life!
A really, really well written novel.
When I'm Dead by Hannah Morrissey
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Book of the Month: October 2023
I will never understand why Book of the Month decided to include a book that was the third in a series as one of their selections -- while you likely can read this as a standalone (as I did), it does seem like it would be better to have started getting to understand Black Harbor and its residents in the first book (I did not read the first two so again, maybe not!). But coming into the third book blind, I kind of felt like there were subtleties I wasn't picking up on. Let's ignore this though and just talk about When I'm Dead as its own book.
The writing was dull and I easily found myself wanting to wander over to other books in progress. That's not a great sign because a book like this (genre, cops, murder, teens, the cover!) should really be one that holds my interest. I just never really got sucked into the world or the story. In fact, the more that I start thinking about the world, nothing makes any sense and it becomes pretty unbelievable (even for fiction!).
Let's talk about some of these issues:
1) A male teacher is accused of grooming a senior in high school; they later marry, but the accusations are there and are known. And you want me to believe ANOTHER SCHOOL hired this man? I doubt it. Very much doubt it.
2) Taxidermy classes? At a high school? Where they also get to bring in the DEAD FAMILY PET?! I'm sorry. We can barely get schools to cover the basic courses, can barely get them to keep the fine arts going, but this school has a taxidermy course? That more than one person is taking? I'm all for hobbies. I even know a taxidermist! But the more I think about this one the more I just cannot believe it to save the novel's life here.
3) A cop's daughter goes missing. Terrible. Tragic. They leave him working the case (against any and all logical judgement). I mean, small town or not, everyone knows they're not going to leave this guy on the investigation. A better plot would have him doing all of the work without authorization and going against everyone but... this was just so blatantly never going to be allowed in the real world that I'm surprised an editor didn't mention it to the author.
4) Since when did medical examiners get to perform autopsies on people they knew? Most would say, similar to issue #3, this isn't happening in the real world a lot. But even if I get over this part... oh yeah, the dead body is part of a larger murder investigation where your missing/could be a killer even daughter is involved. They're not going to let her perform the autopsy on this teen! No way.
5) The redundancies are eye-rollingly bad. The autopsies are almost identical (if not entirely identical) which one could perhaps explain as: duh, same serial killer. But at the same time the writing is just so bland and droll that I don't even think that was what the author was thinking. Just, they described the autopsies similarly.
6) The writing is overdone -- and not in a good way. Using a thesaurus doesn't make a town or its vibe creepier. You don't have to use $5 words to give ambience when you can do the same with great description and $2 words. There are so many passages where the writing was bringing the pacing and the story down that, combined, the entire story lagged.
Lastly, and I hate to say this, (7) the story is pretty obvious, contrived, and seems less entertaining the further you read. I just doesn't grab you. They are very, very obviously pointing to one person as the potential killer. I mean, I certainly had an idea long before others did.
I think the only redeeming thing about this book is Libby, as a character. She's odd, a little creepy, and even though it wasn't her job to hold the story together, I liked her more than I did any of the 'main' characters!!
I will never understand why Book of the Month decided to include a book that was the third in a series as one of their selections -- while you likely can read this as a standalone (as I did), it does seem like it would be better to have started getting to understand Black Harbor and its residents in the first book (I did not read the first two so again, maybe not!). But coming into the third book blind, I kind of felt like there were subtleties I wasn't picking up on. Let's ignore this though and just talk about When I'm Dead as its own book.
The writing was dull and I easily found myself wanting to wander over to other books in progress. That's not a great sign because a book like this (genre, cops, murder, teens, the cover!) should really be one that holds my interest. I just never really got sucked into the world or the story. In fact, the more that I start thinking about the world, nothing makes any sense and it becomes pretty unbelievable (even for fiction!).
Let's talk about some of these issues:
1) A male teacher is accused of grooming a senior in high school; they later marry, but the accusations are there and are known. And you want me to believe ANOTHER SCHOOL hired this man? I doubt it. Very much doubt it.
2) Taxidermy classes? At a high school? Where they also get to bring in the DEAD FAMILY PET?! I'm sorry. We can barely get schools to cover the basic courses, can barely get them to keep the fine arts going, but this school has a taxidermy course? That more than one person is taking? I'm all for hobbies. I even know a taxidermist! But the more I think about this one the more I just cannot believe it to save the novel's life here.
3) A cop's daughter goes missing. Terrible. Tragic. They leave him working the case (against any and all logical judgement). I mean, small town or not, everyone knows they're not going to leave this guy on the investigation. A better plot would have him doing all of the work without authorization and going against everyone but... this was just so blatantly never going to be allowed in the real world that I'm surprised an editor didn't mention it to the author.
4) Since when did medical examiners get to perform autopsies on people they knew? Most would say, similar to issue #3, this isn't happening in the real world a lot. But even if I get over this part... oh yeah, the dead body is part of a larger murder investigation where your missing/could be a killer even daughter is involved. They're not going to let her perform the autopsy on this teen! No way.
5) The redundancies are eye-rollingly bad. The autopsies are almost identical (if not entirely identical) which one could perhaps explain as: duh, same serial killer. But at the same time the writing is just so bland and droll that I don't even think that was what the author was thinking. Just, they described the autopsies similarly.
6) The writing is overdone -- and not in a good way. Using a thesaurus doesn't make a town or its vibe creepier. You don't have to use $5 words to give ambience when you can do the same with great description and $2 words. There are so many passages where the writing was bringing the pacing and the story down that, combined, the entire story lagged.
Lastly, and I hate to say this, (7) the story is pretty obvious, contrived, and seems less entertaining the further you read. I just doesn't grab you. They are very, very obviously pointing to one person as the potential killer. I mean, I certainly had an idea long before others did.
I think the only redeeming thing about this book is Libby, as a character. She's odd, a little creepy, and even though it wasn't her job to hold the story together, I liked her more than I did any of the 'main' characters!!
A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Book of the Month: March 2024
Can we all just take a moment to swoon over Bjorn? Okay, seriously, I knew the moment I met this man that (1) I was instantly attracted to him and (2) I probably shouldn't fully give him my reading heart. However, here we are... still swooning even after the climactic cliffhanger that this novel left us all with. Wait until 2025 to get the next installment -- be still my heart. Sigh.
I loved this. Strong female lead who is coming into her own, learning about her magic, and does a decent job of putting other people in their place. Bjorn, amazing warrior figure who I'd love to share my bed... I mean, quest... with. All in a well crafted world. Just loved this book.
Actually, I'm shocked at how much I loved this book because, at first, I wasn't sure this was going to be for me. Now, its all I want!
Can we all just take a moment to swoon over Bjorn? Okay, seriously, I knew the moment I met this man that (1) I was instantly attracted to him and (2) I probably shouldn't fully give him my reading heart. However, here we are... still swooning even after the climactic cliffhanger that this novel left us all with. Wait until 2025 to get the next installment -- be still my heart. Sigh.
I loved this. Strong female lead who is coming into her own, learning about her magic, and does a decent job of putting other people in their place. Bjorn, amazing warrior figure who I'd love to share my bed... I mean, quest... with. All in a well crafted world. Just loved this book.
Actually, I'm shocked at how much I loved this book because, at first, I wasn't sure this was going to be for me. Now, its all I want!
Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.0
Like most short story collections, there were some stories in here that I gravitated towards! Others were less exciting. All in all, a decent collection focusing on black experiences.
Maybe Next Time by Cesca Major
emotional
inspiring
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Reese Witherspoon Book Club: November 2023
PopSugar 2024 reading challenge #24
Groundhog day. Living the same day over and over and over -- and in this one, your husband dies. Over and over, no matter what you do. This is what happens for Emma, who gets stuck in a time loop. During this loop, she realizes that she's really neglected her family and friends (in order to get ahead at a career that let's be honest, doesn't love her and will only get her so far) and even the family dog. However, as she begins to change things, she starts to come to peace with her chaotic life and realizes what is important.
Okay, honestly, this was a 3 star book until I got to the cliffhanger ending. I have strong versions of what happens in my head --I am convinced that the husband does die and having told him, having read his letter, having come to peace, she wakes up the next day and is out of the loop but he's gone -- and that is the bittersweet tear causing ending that I want . Adored the ending.
Did it get repetitive throughout? Yes, and initially, it was going to be 3 stars for that. But the end. Sigh. The end was good.
PopSugar 2024 reading challenge #24
Groundhog day. Living the same day over and over and over -- and in this one, your husband dies. Over and over, no matter what you do. This is what happens for Emma, who gets stuck in a time loop. During this loop, she realizes that she's really neglected her family and friends (in order to get ahead at a career that let's be honest, doesn't love her and will only get her so far) and even the family dog. However, as she begins to change things, she starts to come to peace with her chaotic life and realizes what is important.
Okay, honestly, this was a 3 star book until I got to the cliffhanger ending. I have strong versions of what happens in my head --
Did it get repetitive throughout? Yes, and initially, it was going to be 3 stars for that. But the end. Sigh. The end was good.