Take a photo of a barcode or cover
pagesplotsandpints's Reviews (2.1k)
Read Completed 1/9/24 | 3.5 stars, rounded up because I guess I was entertained by the story
Review contains mild spoilers talking about the overall tone and how I felt about the ending.
I read this because I loved TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE be Carola Lovering because that is an actual psychological thriller, but none of her other books quiiiite seem to be. This was another that has all the makings of a thriller and you kind of don't know if it even really is until the end. (I don't think it is?)
I really liked the tone of the book. The tension was there, there was a backstory with a hidden past, suspense, not wanting to be caught... but in the end, it didn't feel very thriller-like and everything just kind of fizzled away. I was hoping for one more jab of something good to really put the nail in the coffin, so to speak, but it was all a little too nice and I honestly didn't know if I wanted Billie to fall apart or be whole again, or if I wanted something bad to happen to Cassie, who really wasn't a good person.
I think the book suffered (for me) at not really "committing" to a genre. If you're not a thriller reader, maybe this is a good book for you! It has some tense moments, explores friendship as adults and mothers and business owners, dips into grief, and everything resolves itself in the end. I just don't think I like the way it ended. If you're a thriller reader, you may be left wanting more.
I enjoyed the ride and was hoping for more of a bang at the end, and I think that's why I'm the most disappointed, but really, I didn't have issues with the rest of the book. I wasn't quite loving it but I was still engaged. Read at your own risk, I guess 😅 It's hard to recommend this one since it's kind of in limbo between genres and both characters can be pretty unlikeable, though Billie grew on me.
Review contains mild spoilers talking about the overall tone and how I felt about the ending.
I read this because I loved TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE be Carola Lovering because that is an actual psychological thriller, but none of her other books quiiiite seem to be. This was another that has all the makings of a thriller and you kind of don't know if it even really is until the end. (I don't think it is?)
I really liked the tone of the book. The tension was there, there was a backstory with a hidden past, suspense, not wanting to be caught... but in the end, it didn't feel very thriller-like and everything just kind of fizzled away. I was hoping for one more jab of something good to really put the nail in the coffin, so to speak, but it was all a little too nice and I honestly didn't know if I wanted Billie to fall apart or be whole again, or if I wanted something bad to happen to Cassie, who really wasn't a good person.
I think the book suffered (for me) at not really "committing" to a genre. If you're not a thriller reader, maybe this is a good book for you! It has some tense moments, explores friendship as adults and mothers and business owners, dips into grief, and everything resolves itself in the end. I just don't think I like the way it ended. If you're a thriller reader, you may be left wanting more.
I enjoyed the ride and was hoping for more of a bang at the end, and I think that's why I'm the most disappointed, but really, I didn't have issues with the rest of the book. I wasn't quite loving it but I was still engaged. Read at your own risk, I guess 😅 It's hard to recommend this one since it's kind of in limbo between genres and both characters can be pretty unlikeable, though Billie grew on me.
Read Completed 1/8/24 | 4.5 stars
Giving out good ratings like candy in 2024! I'm just happy to be reading well-written books with things that I don't see coming. I'll be honest, I didn't expect a ton from a young adult book -- and this is coming from someone who used to be almost exclusively a YA reader. I feel like I haven't connected with YA books much at all for the past few years and the ones I've tried haven't been hits for me either, with very few exceptions. (Like A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER.)
I picked up THAT'S NOT MY NAME because my sister read it and said it was a good one, so I didn't hesitate to put it on hold. I instantly liked the book and thought it's young adult with the characters being in high school, it didn't feel ultra young and the writing style can easily be appreciated by young adults and adults alike. I'm not getting into a whole YA discussion and how anyone can appreciate it -- I still believe that, but as an adult who has "grown out of" YA, these are my current feelings and this is one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to non-YA readers.
I don't want to say too much about the book because it's best to go into it mostly blind. It's a thriller and we have dual POVs, each one providing essential information. I really loved both of them, the unreliable narrator aspect (the female POV has memory loss and can't remember who she is) and I was dying for them to come together.
Since I *did* see reviews, although they were non-spoilery, I still knew a twist was coming so therefore, I was trying to guess it. I had a lot of theories but did succeed in guessing and it still didn't change how floored I was by it. The way that author Megan Lally did the final reveal in the end was so emotional, exciting, heart-stopping, and full of action. It was like I was watching a movie and I could easily picture the grand finale as it all went down! I was racing to finish (well, listening to the audiobook so I couldn't control my speed. It's as fast as it goes at 3x on Libby 😅) and I just couldn't stop! The whole book was wildly exciting and I wasn't ever bored. The pacing was perfect, the length was exactly what it needed to be, and the ending was very satisfying.
I really loved this read and I'm so happy I read it. Don't read reviews (you know, after you've read my whole review) and just dive right in!
Giving out good ratings like candy in 2024! I'm just happy to be reading well-written books with things that I don't see coming. I'll be honest, I didn't expect a ton from a young adult book -- and this is coming from someone who used to be almost exclusively a YA reader. I feel like I haven't connected with YA books much at all for the past few years and the ones I've tried haven't been hits for me either, with very few exceptions. (Like A GOOD GIRL'S GUIDE TO MURDER.)
I picked up THAT'S NOT MY NAME because my sister read it and said it was a good one, so I didn't hesitate to put it on hold. I instantly liked the book and thought it's young adult with the characters being in high school, it didn't feel ultra young and the writing style can easily be appreciated by young adults and adults alike. I'm not getting into a whole YA discussion and how anyone can appreciate it -- I still believe that, but as an adult who has "grown out of" YA, these are my current feelings and this is one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to non-YA readers.
I don't want to say too much about the book because it's best to go into it mostly blind. It's a thriller and we have dual POVs, each one providing essential information. I really loved both of them, the unreliable narrator aspect (the female POV has memory loss and can't remember who she is) and I was dying for them to come together.
Since I *did* see reviews, although they were non-spoilery, I still knew a twist was coming so therefore, I was trying to guess it. I had a lot of theories but did succeed in guessing and it still didn't change how floored I was by it. The way that author Megan Lally did the final reveal in the end was so emotional, exciting, heart-stopping, and full of action. It was like I was watching a movie and I could easily picture the grand finale as it all went down! I was racing to finish (well, listening to the audiobook so I couldn't control my speed. It's as fast as it goes at 3x on Libby 😅) and I just couldn't stop! The whole book was wildly exciting and I wasn't ever bored. The pacing was perfect, the length was exactly what it needed to be, and the ending was very satisfying.
I really loved this read and I'm so happy I read it. Don't read reviews (you know, after you've read my whole review) and just dive right in!
Read Completed 1/7/24 | 4.25 - 4.5 stars
Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillan audio for the audiobook review copy! I was approved to listen to an early audiobook copy and this did not affect my review in any way.
I was really excited to read a thriller from Amy Tintera! I've loved seeing young adult authors venture into adult thrillers lately, and having enjoyed some of Amy Tintera's YA books, I was really curious to see her adult work, especially a thriller. LISTEN FOR THE LIE was a super fun read for me and it really filled a void in my personal thriller tastes that I've been looking for for years!
LISTEN FOR THE LIE is about main character Lucy who has become the star attraction of a true crime podcast (which shares a name with the book title) after the podcast host speculates that she killed her best friend. Lucy has a huge memory gap of the night her best friend, Savvy, died and can't clear her name. She gets fired from her job and dumped, returns home for her spunky grandma's birthday party, and it just so happens that podcast host Ben is also in town. (Though Grandma knew all along.)
This book has so many elements that I love in a thriller: a podcast, a great audiobook (not full cast but the narrators, especially January LaVoy, do a great job of the different voices that you forget it's not full cast), and it was FUNNY. This book had some great dark humor and I absolutely loved it. Too often, thrillers or horror novels incorporate dark humor and it gets too silly. This was just perfection (I could have even used a little more in the end) and I'm so happy to finally find a funny, dark read. It's nice to have a little change of pace reading a darker mystery/thriller vibe but it kept a lightness about it too.
Was this book perfect? No. But when I finished it, I really didn't want to round down to 4 stars. It's kind of solidly between 4.25 - 4.5 stars just because I really enjoyed. I'm sure people can guess the ending and who the killer is, and I kind of loved that everyone -- including Lucy's family -- basically believe it was her. The ending was enjoyable, I really liked all of the characters, I loved the humor, the podcast was a great element, and the mystery was fun to follow. This was a very "me" book and I really clicked with it, so I want to round up for the enjoyment factor and finding a book that I connected with!
This is definitely one I'll be recommending and I hope Amy Tintera writes more adult thrillers in the future! I'd love to see more with the dark humor in them, but I'd be happy for anything else. I think the levity will really help this one stand out, and an excellent audiobook narration will attract audio listeners too.
Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillan audio for the audiobook review copy! I was approved to listen to an early audiobook copy and this did not affect my review in any way.
I was really excited to read a thriller from Amy Tintera! I've loved seeing young adult authors venture into adult thrillers lately, and having enjoyed some of Amy Tintera's YA books, I was really curious to see her adult work, especially a thriller. LISTEN FOR THE LIE was a super fun read for me and it really filled a void in my personal thriller tastes that I've been looking for for years!
LISTEN FOR THE LIE is about main character Lucy who has become the star attraction of a true crime podcast (which shares a name with the book title) after the podcast host speculates that she killed her best friend. Lucy has a huge memory gap of the night her best friend, Savvy, died and can't clear her name. She gets fired from her job and dumped, returns home for her spunky grandma's birthday party, and it just so happens that podcast host Ben is also in town. (Though Grandma knew all along.)
This book has so many elements that I love in a thriller: a podcast, a great audiobook (not full cast but the narrators, especially January LaVoy, do a great job of the different voices that you forget it's not full cast), and it was FUNNY. This book had some great dark humor and I absolutely loved it. Too often, thrillers or horror novels incorporate dark humor and it gets too silly. This was just perfection (I could have even used a little more in the end) and I'm so happy to finally find a funny, dark read. It's nice to have a little change of pace reading a darker mystery/thriller vibe but it kept a lightness about it too.
Was this book perfect? No. But when I finished it, I really didn't want to round down to 4 stars. It's kind of solidly between 4.25 - 4.5 stars just because I really enjoyed. I'm sure people can guess the ending and who the killer is, and I kind of loved that everyone -- including Lucy's family -- basically believe it was her. The ending was enjoyable, I really liked all of the characters, I loved the humor, the podcast was a great element, and the mystery was fun to follow. This was a very "me" book and I really clicked with it, so I want to round up for the enjoyment factor and finding a book that I connected with!
This is definitely one I'll be recommending and I hope Amy Tintera writes more adult thrillers in the future! I'd love to see more with the dark humor in them, but I'd be happy for anything else. I think the levity will really help this one stand out, and an excellent audiobook narration will attract audio listeners too.
Read Completed 1/5/24 | 3.75 stars
WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS, Kate Alice Marshall's adult thriller debut, was one of my favorite reads of 2023 and I absolutely fell in love with it so I was excited for and worried about NO ONE CAN KNOW. I really wanted to love it but also tried to go in with lower expectations. I had also seen some mixed reviews and that a lot of people were feeling middle-of-the-road about it, so I set my expectations even lower.
In the end, I enjoyed it! It definitely was not WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS level for me and felt a bit more "typical thriller" and less of a stand-out, but I liked the story and liked the sisters. The jumping around between past and present AND switching back and forth between the different sisters' POVs was a little too much jumping around for me. It just felt a little choppy and the book didn't really run smoothly.
Ultimately, the ending just didn’t do it for me. It was kind of a make-or-break aspect of the book and I was really interested in the mystery portion, wondering who really killed the parents. There were a few different reveals and I liked part of it but didn’t like the other. I felt like one part of the reveal was overused and overdone, and I just personally didn’t enjoy it.
I enjoyed the book and the journey, but it really probably won’t stick with me and it won’t be something I’m wildly recommending. I liked it but it felt a bit more average for a thriller.
WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS, Kate Alice Marshall's adult thriller debut, was one of my favorite reads of 2023 and I absolutely fell in love with it so I was excited for and worried about NO ONE CAN KNOW. I really wanted to love it but also tried to go in with lower expectations. I had also seen some mixed reviews and that a lot of people were feeling middle-of-the-road about it, so I set my expectations even lower.
In the end, I enjoyed it! It definitely was not WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS level for me and felt a bit more "typical thriller" and less of a stand-out, but I liked the story and liked the sisters. The jumping around between past and present AND switching back and forth between the different sisters' POVs was a little too much jumping around for me. It just felt a little choppy and the book didn't really run smoothly.
Ultimately, the ending just didn’t do it for me. It was kind of a make-or-break aspect of the book and I was really interested in the mystery portion, wondering who really killed the parents. There were a few different reveals and I liked part of it but didn’t like the other. I felt like one part of the reveal was overused and overdone, and I just personally didn’t enjoy it.
I enjoyed the book and the journey, but it really probably won’t stick with me and it won’t be something I’m wildly recommending. I liked it but it felt a bit more average for a thriller.
Read Completed 1/4/23 | 3.75 stars
I was so anxious to read Ashley Elston's first adult thriller after really enjoying all of her young adult books. The plot sounded wildly interesting and really had me intrigued.
FIRST LIE WINS was a very entertaining read. The concept was interesting and there were many different layers to this book. There were some good twists that I didn't see coming, and I was happy to see some twists early on in the book to really hook the reader and have me appreciate the writing even more!
My hang-up on this book, though, is that I just didn't feel connected to the characters at all. While I thought the plot was great, it felt like the characters were really underdeveloped and I didn't feel any personality, which is odd because I feel like Ashley Elston always did a great job with that in her YA books! Maybe this was just an off case for me and others won't feel that way, but I just didn't feel like there was enough depth, especially for main character Lucca.
Given some space away from the book, sadly, this isn’t going to stick with me or stand out. I'm really happy I got to read this and appreciate more young adult adults turning to adult thrillers! It was a fun read and I was definitely connected to it, but it was just missing something.
I was so anxious to read Ashley Elston's first adult thriller after really enjoying all of her young adult books. The plot sounded wildly interesting and really had me intrigued.
FIRST LIE WINS was a very entertaining read. The concept was interesting and there were many different layers to this book. There were some good twists that I didn't see coming, and I was happy to see some twists early on in the book to really hook the reader and have me appreciate the writing even more!
My hang-up on this book, though, is that I just didn't feel connected to the characters at all. While I thought the plot was great, it felt like the characters were really underdeveloped and I didn't feel any personality, which is odd because I feel like Ashley Elston always did a great job with that in her YA books! Maybe this was just an off case for me and others won't feel that way, but I just didn't feel like there was enough depth, especially for main character Lucca.
Given some space away from the book, sadly, this isn’t going to stick with me or stand out. I'm really happy I got to read this and appreciate more young adult adults turning to adult thrillers! It was a fun read and I was definitely connected to it, but it was just missing something.
Read Completed 1/2/24 | 3.5 stars
This is my second Margot Hunt book and after really enjoying BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, I wanted to try a few more of her books. I picked this one at random, hoping for a good domestic thriller and I guess this would still be described as a domestic thriller, but not in the way that I expected.
Firstly, please check trigger warnings if you need them! There was some wildly heavy subject matters including child abuse in this book that was only hinted at in the description. If I had known that, I probably would have picked a different book to read next because I don't like the topic (naturally) and it's something I usually try to avoid in books, though not triggering. So that just wasn't something I enjoyed reading in general.
I was hoping for more conflict between the husband and wife. There definitely was some but I was looking for the author to lean into that a bit more and really create some great tension there. The synopsis also made it sound like there was going to be a lot more there, and the cover as well.
This was still a good read and I really enjoy Margot Hunt's writing style. It was easy to breeze through with a nice little jab of surprise at the end to stick with you, although not my favorite ending. I'd still like to read more of her books!
This is my second Margot Hunt book and after really enjoying BEST FRIENDS FOREVER, I wanted to try a few more of her books. I picked this one at random, hoping for a good domestic thriller and I guess this would still be described as a domestic thriller, but not in the way that I expected.
Firstly, please check trigger warnings if you need them! There was some wildly heavy subject matters including child abuse in this book that was only hinted at in the description. If I had known that, I probably would have picked a different book to read next because I don't like the topic (naturally) and it's something I usually try to avoid in books, though not triggering. So that just wasn't something I enjoyed reading in general.
I was hoping for more conflict between the husband and wife. There definitely was some but I was looking for the author to lean into that a bit more and really create some great tension there. The synopsis also made it sound like there was going to be a lot more there, and the cover as well.
This was still a good read and I really enjoy Margot Hunt's writing style. It was easy to breeze through with a nice little jab of surprise at the end to stick with you, although not my favorite ending. I'd still like to read more of her books!
Read Complete 12/30/23 | 3 stars
I needed one more book before the end of the year and picked this for something shorter and wintery. FIVE TOTAL STRANGERS had been on my radar for a while, so I finally took a chance, not expecting a ton out of it but I still got a little more than I thought I would.
I don't read a lot of young adult anymore so I was a little nervous picking up a YA book, but this wasn't super young and not at all high school focused, so that helped. The main character is flying back home to her mom from her art school when a blizzard grounds all flights and she hitches a ride with other young adults (college-aged kids), so outside of a school setting and in a more adult concept, this didn't feel super young. It still read like a YA book where I felt like everything was a bit simpler, but it was still pretty entertaining and as someone who has driven in a blizzard, that's scary enough on its own.
I do think it could have had a little more suspense between characters. There's suspicion but it's not a lot of tension going on. The ending and reveal also wasn't very satisfying because there wasn't a lot of build up. It was just a reveal that had some hints, but nothing super shocking, wild, or satisfactory. There were some missed moments to create more of that great thriller suspense and it just kind of fell flat in a lot of ways. It didn't have to be wildly gory or scary, but I would have loved if it played with the readers' minds a little bit more.
A decent book, not one I'd rush to recommend but I probably wouldn't tell someone not to read it either. A quick young adult thriller that I don't regret reading and I'm happy I was as entertained as I was!
I needed one more book before the end of the year and picked this for something shorter and wintery. FIVE TOTAL STRANGERS had been on my radar for a while, so I finally took a chance, not expecting a ton out of it but I still got a little more than I thought I would.
I don't read a lot of young adult anymore so I was a little nervous picking up a YA book, but this wasn't super young and not at all high school focused, so that helped. The main character is flying back home to her mom from her art school when a blizzard grounds all flights and she hitches a ride with other young adults (college-aged kids), so outside of a school setting and in a more adult concept, this didn't feel super young. It still read like a YA book where I felt like everything was a bit simpler, but it was still pretty entertaining and as someone who has driven in a blizzard, that's scary enough on its own.
I do think it could have had a little more suspense between characters. There's suspicion but it's not a lot of tension going on. The ending and reveal also wasn't very satisfying because there wasn't a lot of build up. It was just a reveal that had some hints, but nothing super shocking, wild, or satisfactory. There were some missed moments to create more of that great thriller suspense and it just kind of fell flat in a lot of ways. It didn't have to be wildly gory or scary, but I would have loved if it played with the readers' minds a little bit more.
A decent book, not one I'd rush to recommend but I probably wouldn't tell someone not to read it either. A quick young adult thriller that I don't regret reading and I'm happy I was as entertained as I was!
Read Completed 12/29/23 | 3.25 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur books, for the audiobook review copy. This free copy did not affect my review in any way.
ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY was a very different read than Stacy Willingham's previous two books, and sadly, this one didn't really work for me. Willingham's gorgeous moody, atmospheric writing is lost on a college setting that once again is just full of drinking and drugs half the time complete with the same enigmatic, mysterious girl that the main character is weirdly drawn to. Not inaccurate for college but, snooze, boring, give us something else.
Stacy Willingham's books are slow burns, but the beginning of this book was just boring and drama, not tension and a cool slow burn that creates suspense. The first 15% is setting up at college which bored me completely and I almost quit the book because I didn't like how young adult everything felt. We could have skipped a lot of that, knowing how everything ends. Then until about 60%, it's a drama and grief while experiencing college with some very minor flashes to present-day that show a hint of the thriller side of the book. FINALLY at about 60-65%, we get some good, interesting reveals that make things more thriller, less college drama. There are many thrillers that follow this feel too, setting up drama for much of the book until the ending finally gets to the more thriller part. That's also never been my style. I end up quitting a lot of those books early on.
I also really didn't care for the characters. I didn't like Margot at all -- she was trying to find herself in many ways but nothing about her was endearing. Lucy was annoying and I don't understand why everyone liked her... but I guess such is the way when people are fighting for your affection. The other roommates are barely there and barely developed and I would have liked to see more group dynamic, at least. All of the frat boys were annoying.
The ending does have a twist or two that I partially saw coming but they were still a surprise... but it really didn't warrant the rest of the book. I would have MUCH rather spent the majority of the time in the book in the present day with the actual exciting part than spending all of the time in the past. The past could have revealed some things along the way and instead, we get to spend more time in the present feeling the suspense and tension that everyone must have been feeling.
Mostly, the setting and age range just didn't do it for me. I trusted Stacy Willingham to be able to write anything because I loved her first two books, and this wasn't a bad book but it definitely wasn't what I was hoping for. I felt a little better about it at the end, but there was just too much I didn't like.
If you enjoy books in a college setting, maybe this one will work better for you! It all just felt too young adult and mostly, I felt like Stacy Willingham's writing style just clashed with this atmosphere and vibe. Nothing really seemed to fit and it all felt like it was forced to work here. I'm sure people will love it but it just fell short for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Minotaur books, for the audiobook review copy. This free copy did not affect my review in any way.
ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY was a very different read than Stacy Willingham's previous two books, and sadly, this one didn't really work for me. Willingham's gorgeous moody, atmospheric writing is lost on a college setting that once again is just full of drinking and drugs half the time complete with the same enigmatic, mysterious girl that the main character is weirdly drawn to. Not inaccurate for college but, snooze, boring, give us something else.
Stacy Willingham's books are slow burns, but the beginning of this book was just boring and drama, not tension and a cool slow burn that creates suspense. The first 15% is setting up at college which bored me completely and I almost quit the book because I didn't like how young adult everything felt. We could have skipped a lot of that, knowing how everything ends. Then until about 60%, it's a drama and grief while experiencing college with some very minor flashes to present-day that show a hint of the thriller side of the book. FINALLY at about 60-65%, we get some good, interesting reveals that make things more thriller, less college drama. There are many thrillers that follow this feel too, setting up drama for much of the book until the ending finally gets to the more thriller part. That's also never been my style. I end up quitting a lot of those books early on.
I also really didn't care for the characters. I didn't like Margot at all -- she was trying to find herself in many ways but nothing about her was endearing. Lucy was annoying and I don't understand why everyone liked her... but I guess such is the way when people are fighting for your affection. The other roommates are barely there and barely developed and I would have liked to see more group dynamic, at least. All of the frat boys were annoying.
The ending does have a twist or two that I partially saw coming but they were still a surprise... but it really didn't warrant the rest of the book. I would have MUCH rather spent the majority of the time in the book in the present day with the actual exciting part than spending all of the time in the past. The past could have revealed some things along the way and instead, we get to spend more time in the present feeling the suspense and tension that everyone must have been feeling.
Mostly, the setting and age range just didn't do it for me. I trusted Stacy Willingham to be able to write anything because I loved her first two books, and this wasn't a bad book but it definitely wasn't what I was hoping for. I felt a little better about it at the end, but there was just too much I didn't like.
If you enjoy books in a college setting, maybe this one will work better for you! It all just felt too young adult and mostly, I felt like Stacy Willingham's writing style just clashed with this atmosphere and vibe. Nothing really seemed to fit and it all felt like it was forced to work here. I'm sure people will love it but it just fell short for me.
Read Completed 12/26/23 | 3.75 stars, rounded up
I was looking for a Christmas romance and kept stumbling upon all of these options that were too cheesy and then I came across THE TAKEDOWN! This is half romcom, half light thriller with the main character being in the CIA, and then being recruited by the FBI for a mission when she finds out her sister is engaged to an important member in a crime family.
I really enjoyed this book! It felt a little stiff and times and lacking in a couple areas where the combination of romance and light thriller could have been a little smoother. There wasn't *quite* enough romance and there wasn't *quite* enough fighting crime for me to be fully into, but the story was really fun and I liked the characters a lot! This was a debut from Carlie Walker and I feel like future books will only get better, so I'm definitely interested in reading more!
I was looking for a Christmas romance and kept stumbling upon all of these options that were too cheesy and then I came across THE TAKEDOWN! This is half romcom, half light thriller with the main character being in the CIA, and then being recruited by the FBI for a mission when she finds out her sister is engaged to an important member in a crime family.
I really enjoyed this book! It felt a little stiff and times and lacking in a couple areas where the combination of romance and light thriller could have been a little smoother. There wasn't *quite* enough romance and there wasn't *quite* enough fighting crime for me to be fully into, but the story was really fun and I liked the characters a lot! This was a debut from Carlie Walker and I feel like future books will only get better, so I'm definitely interested in reading more!
Read Completed 12/24/23 | 1.5 stars, rounded down because it was awful
I got tricked into reading this book 😅 The concept sounded so good, the audiobook narrator was enjoyable, and the ratings were actually pretty decent to actually good. And I absolutely hated it.
It started off okay, but was kind of meandering. I thought it was wildly unreasonable that the main character decided to try to pull off a multi-million dollar heist on her own because she wasn't going to get a job from her internship at a sleazy company. Did you really want the job after you found out the owner is a dirtbag? So let's steal millions of dollars in a wild, hare-brained scheme all on your own just because you're amazing at math. Okay, that doesn't make you a master con artist.
The heist concept sounded great and there was like, no execution. There was no fun planning, no fun Ocean's 11 type reveals.... it's just Faye telling you how smart she is and reading things back to the audience blah blah blah. This book was VERY MUCH telling you everything that's going on instead of showing nearly anything. It honestly read like this was the first draft and no one bothered to go back and edit anything. This would have been a good first draft where the author then goes back and shines everything up, makes some good connections and twists, and cleans up plot holes and dialogue. Nope, this is all we get.
The ending was terribly stupid, Faye suffers nearly zero consequences, and I've never wanted a book character to die more. Instead, she gets a happy ending and a proposal!?!? I hated her so much.
I was working and cleaning around the house while reading this and by the time I realized how far I was, it was too late to stop (I'll usually finish if it's past 40% because I've already invested time) and I honestly wanted to see if there was something good in the end to make the book worth it. Nope, it wasn't. Everything was so dumb, it was so sloppy, it wasn't even a good heist or a good plan, and the characters were all miserable, shallow, and underdeveloped. Sadly, one of the worst books I've read this year.
I got tricked into reading this book 😅 The concept sounded so good, the audiobook narrator was enjoyable, and the ratings were actually pretty decent to actually good. And I absolutely hated it.
It started off okay, but was kind of meandering. I thought it was wildly unreasonable that the main character decided to try to pull off a multi-million dollar heist on her own because she wasn't going to get a job from her internship at a sleazy company. Did you really want the job after you found out the owner is a dirtbag? So let's steal millions of dollars in a wild, hare-brained scheme all on your own just because you're amazing at math. Okay, that doesn't make you a master con artist.
The heist concept sounded great and there was like, no execution. There was no fun planning, no fun Ocean's 11 type reveals.... it's just Faye telling you how smart she is and reading things back to the audience blah blah blah. This book was VERY MUCH telling you everything that's going on instead of showing nearly anything. It honestly read like this was the first draft and no one bothered to go back and edit anything. This would have been a good first draft where the author then goes back and shines everything up, makes some good connections and twists, and cleans up plot holes and dialogue. Nope, this is all we get.
The ending was terribly stupid, Faye suffers nearly zero consequences, and I've never wanted a book character to die more. Instead, she gets a happy ending and a proposal!?!? I hated her so much.
I was working and cleaning around the house while reading this and by the time I realized how far I was, it was too late to stop (I'll usually finish if it's past 40% because I've already invested time) and I honestly wanted to see if there was something good in the end to make the book worth it. Nope, it wasn't. Everything was so dumb, it was so sloppy, it wasn't even a good heist or a good plan, and the characters were all miserable, shallow, and underdeveloped. Sadly, one of the worst books I've read this year.