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1905 reviews
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.
The Clinic by Cate Quinn
2.75
Read Completed 2/29/24 | 2.75 stars
I would probably recommend for Freida McFadden fans.... not for me. It was always a little popcorn thriller throughout but got even more so at the end. I was rolling my eyes and laughing at the ridiculous twists. The synopsis also says "for fans of Stacy Willingham", and stylistically, that's a huge mis-match.
I was engaged while I was reading this and the author had me interested, but the cover really kind of felt like a bait-and-switch. It looked extremely moody, atmospheric, and dark. The actual book didn't really have that vibe and was much lighter. Not funny-light, but not brooding.
Overall, the book was entertaining but I didn't really *like* it. I never really felt like I needed to quit but it just wasn't really what I was expecting, and a lot of things really could have gone a little deeper.
I would probably recommend for Freida McFadden fans.... not for me. It was always a little popcorn thriller throughout but got even more so at the end. I was rolling my eyes and laughing at the ridiculous twists. The synopsis also says "for fans of Stacy Willingham", and stylistically, that's a huge mis-match.
I was engaged while I was reading this and the author had me interested, but the cover really kind of felt like a bait-and-switch. It looked extremely moody, atmospheric, and dark. The actual book didn't really have that vibe and was much lighter. Not funny-light, but not brooding.
Overall, the book was entertaining but I didn't really *like* it. I never really felt like I needed to quit but it just wasn't really what I was expecting, and a lot of things really could have gone a little deeper.
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
3.25
Read Completed 2/27/24 | 3 - 3.5 stars
Enjoyable but not earth-shattering. I enjoyed how beautifully written this was and for a short story and jumping around from character to character, I really did connect with each individual person. I was definitely invested in the book and I was interested in all of the stories and how they would connect, but there was just something missing for me. I think it's more about making you think and the lovely writing than it is the plot, but I guess I just need a little more sometimes.
Enjoyable but not earth-shattering. I enjoyed how beautifully written this was and for a short story and jumping around from character to character, I really did connect with each individual person. I was definitely invested in the book and I was interested in all of the stories and how they would connect, but there was just something missing for me. I think it's more about making you think and the lovely writing than it is the plot, but I guess I just need a little more sometimes.
The Seven Visitations of Sydney Burgess by Andy Marino
2.0
Read Completed 2/26/24 | 2 stars
I really wanted to like this and it sounded so promising, but its ultimate downfall was a combination of plot and pacing. I understand the concept behind the style and how it was written to be a little disjointed as Sydney falls back into a cycle of addiction, but parts of it were hard to follow and the plot suffered as we spent time in Sydney's mind and didn't really get answers for most things.
The beginning of the book was very fast-paced and horrifyingly exciting as Sydney is ambushed in a burglary turned home invasion. She wasn't supposed to be home and fights off a man looking for something in her house. He ends up brutally murdered and the police think that Sydney did it but she has no memory of it. Great hook for the beginning!
As I kept reading, I got a little frustrating with the flashing back and forth because until I got the hang of it, I wasn't sure if one timeline was imaginary or real, or if they were supposed to be happening at the same time. It was a little jarring, but eventually I figured it out! I got a little bored in places and I almost DNFed twice and then it got interesting again. Sydney would find mysterious connections, odd patterns and symbols, and I got interested again. Sadly, none of that ever really panned out and we don't get a good explanation for anything. Yes, we find out what the connection IS in a sort of blurry info dump, but that doesn't really get explored beyond just telling the reader what it is. We don't really find out more about it afterwards.
I also don't really understand what the "seven visitations" were... Were those just the times when Sydney relapsed? This was categorized as horror but really once you find out what's happening, it's really more sci-fi thriller but with very little sci-fi. I expected a lot more horror and supernatural happening, but everything had a reason, even if the reason was not good.
Ultimately, I think this book just needed a little more focus and to clean things up a little bit. It is a book about addiction, tied in with another genre. What that genre was, I still can't really tell. I wish it leaned more into the horror side if it wanted to be horror, or more into the sci-fi side if it wanted to be sci-fi. The lack of direction and explanation ended up being confusing and left me -- and a lot of other readers -- lost and disappointed. The ending was even more confusing considering we don't get to talk about what this entity is and does, so while a good ending really could have helped, it just kind of fizzled out.
I really wanted to like this and it sounded so promising, but its ultimate downfall was a combination of plot and pacing. I understand the concept behind the style and how it was written to be a little disjointed as Sydney falls back into a cycle of addiction, but parts of it were hard to follow and the plot suffered as we spent time in Sydney's mind and didn't really get answers for most things.
The beginning of the book was very fast-paced and horrifyingly exciting as Sydney is ambushed in a burglary turned home invasion. She wasn't supposed to be home and fights off a man looking for something in her house. He ends up brutally murdered and the police think that Sydney did it but she has no memory of it. Great hook for the beginning!
As I kept reading, I got a little frustrating with the flashing back and forth because until I got the hang of it, I wasn't sure if one timeline was imaginary or real, or if they were supposed to be happening at the same time. It was a little jarring, but eventually I figured it out! I got a little bored in places and I almost DNFed twice and then it got interesting again. Sydney would find mysterious connections, odd patterns and symbols, and I got interested again. Sadly, none of that ever really panned out and we don't get a good explanation for anything. Yes, we find out what the connection IS in a sort of blurry info dump, but that doesn't really get explored beyond just telling the reader what it is. We don't really find out more about it afterwards.
I also don't really understand what the "seven visitations" were... Were those just the times when Sydney relapsed? This was categorized as horror but really once you find out what's happening, it's really more sci-fi thriller but with very little sci-fi. I expected a lot more horror and supernatural happening, but everything had a reason, even if the reason was not good.
Ultimately, I think this book just needed a little more focus and to clean things up a little bit. It is a book about addiction, tied in with another genre. What that genre was, I still can't really tell. I wish it leaned more into the horror side if it wanted to be horror, or more into the sci-fi side if it wanted to be sci-fi. The lack of direction and explanation ended up being confusing and left me -- and a lot of other readers -- lost and disappointed. The ending was even more confusing considering we don't get to talk about what this entity is and does, so while a good ending really could have helped, it just kind of fizzled out.
The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer
3.5
3.5 stars
This was interesting but I really didn’t like the ending so I ended up going with 3.5 stars instead of 4
This was interesting but I really didn’t like the ending so I ended up going with 3.5 stars instead of 4