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pagesplotsandpints's Reviews (2.1k)
Read Completed 10/27/23 | 2.5 stars
I wanted to read DONE AND DUSTED because I love a good western/ranch/cowboy/small town vibe and loved that this took place in Wyoming. The vibes were there but the plot was not.
Firstly, the things that I did like... I loved the setting and Lyla Sage really did a great job at getting the whole feel of the atmosphere across. I could really picture being there and loved the feel of the book. I also liked the outline of all of the characters and what they all stood for. The relationships were great, but I just wanted to see more in literally everything.
So here are where my complaints come in: I don't feel like there was enough plot -- yes, even for a romance -- and I don't feel like the characters were developed enough. It's a romance so it doesn't have to be wildly intricate in terms of structure and can be purely vibes, but I LIKED the vibes and still noticed a big gap there.
- Clementine, nickname Emmy, returned home after getting thrown off of her horse in a competition, but we hear little to nothing about the incident, her competition life, her horse... nothin'. Not until the end of the book where she decides what she wants to do about being in competitions. Considering it was basically her whole life, I really wanted to hear more about it.
- All of the supporting characters were wonderful but we didn't get enough out of them. Her brothers were shells of characters, I didn't see enough of her dad who I really liked, Luke barely had a family except for a minor incident which could have been a bigger part of his personality, Teddy was a great best friend who is opposite personality, but even she felt a bit flat. None of them just really had enough oomph to come off the page.
- And I just didn't feel like there was ANY plot. It's kind of about Emmy getting back on the horse -- literally -- but most of it is about the romance, which again, is fine but still didn't feel like enough for me here. Luke doesn't have much of a plot except he now owns a bar and wants to fight anyone who so much as looks at Emmy. There are some detailed spicy scenes (don't ask me to rate them, I have no idea what people's spicy scales are like) that went on way too long for my tastes and took up space that could have been occupied other development. The book wasn't that long and I feel like it could have been longer to really get a better feel of some things.
- And the ending was really quite anticlimactic. There's this whole "brother's best friend" thing advertised and aside from going behind everyone's backs, there's not really much up with that until the end where it explodes into a fight and then is resolved way too quickly.
I didn't hate reading it but I just felt really let down, especially after seeing a lot of hype for it and its high ratings. Sadly, I just didn't connect with this one. Maybe people who love more spice will be here for the spicy scenes? I don't know, I just needed more from the writing.
I wanted to read DONE AND DUSTED because I love a good western/ranch/cowboy/small town vibe and loved that this took place in Wyoming. The vibes were there but the plot was not.
Firstly, the things that I did like... I loved the setting and Lyla Sage really did a great job at getting the whole feel of the atmosphere across. I could really picture being there and loved the feel of the book. I also liked the outline of all of the characters and what they all stood for. The relationships were great, but I just wanted to see more in literally everything.
So here are where my complaints come in: I don't feel like there was enough plot -- yes, even for a romance -- and I don't feel like the characters were developed enough. It's a romance so it doesn't have to be wildly intricate in terms of structure and can be purely vibes, but I LIKED the vibes and still noticed a big gap there.
- Clementine, nickname Emmy, returned home after getting thrown off of her horse in a competition, but we hear little to nothing about the incident, her competition life, her horse... nothin'. Not until the end of the book where she decides what she wants to do about being in competitions. Considering it was basically her whole life, I really wanted to hear more about it.
- All of the supporting characters were wonderful but we didn't get enough out of them. Her brothers were shells of characters, I didn't see enough of her dad who I really liked, Luke barely had a family except for a minor incident which could have been a bigger part of his personality, Teddy was a great best friend who is opposite personality, but even she felt a bit flat. None of them just really had enough oomph to come off the page.
- And I just didn't feel like there was ANY plot. It's kind of about Emmy getting back on the horse -- literally -- but most of it is about the romance, which again, is fine but still didn't feel like enough for me here. Luke doesn't have much of a plot except he now owns a bar and wants to fight anyone who so much as looks at Emmy. There are some detailed spicy scenes (don't ask me to rate them, I have no idea what people's spicy scales are like) that went on way too long for my tastes and took up space that could have been occupied other development. The book wasn't that long and I feel like it could have been longer to really get a better feel of some things.
- And the ending was really quite anticlimactic. There's this whole "brother's best friend" thing advertised and aside from going behind everyone's backs, there's not really much up with that until the end where it explodes into a fight and then is resolved way too quickly.
I didn't hate reading it but I just felt really let down, especially after seeing a lot of hype for it and its high ratings. Sadly, I just didn't connect with this one. Maybe people who love more spice will be here for the spicy scenes? I don't know, I just needed more from the writing.
Read Completed 10/26/23 | 4 stars
Firstly, every time I read this title, I think of The Room... Totally unrelated, but so it is.
I've been running down a list of the best thrillers of the past years and saw this book was rated very well. J.T Ellison has been hit or miss for me, but I wanted to see how this book had over a 4 star average on Goodreads, and it delivered! There were a few things that I thought could have been more suspenseful and parts where it felt more contemporary than thriller, but the overall story was very engaging and there were some good twists! When the reveal happened in the end, I wasn't sure who to believe and if the reveal was the full story, so it was great to have even more unravel once the biggest piece was given to the readers.
I really liked the cast of characters too! There are so many people who care about Mindy and who became a part of her world throughout all of this. I really loved how all of these characters came across and it was one of those books where I kind of forgot I was reading. I could really picture everyone, they all had great depth, and it wasn't like any one person was perfect. They made mistakes, had flaws, and you liked (or disliked) them because of it.
The ending was wild and also a little heartbreaking. This book talked about mental health and depression a lot and it was a big part of the story. Surprisingly not triggering reading about cancer, but related to that aspect in many ways. Having read this one, I'm much more interested in more J.T. Ellison books!
Firstly, every time I read this title, I think of The Room... Totally unrelated, but so it is.
I've been running down a list of the best thrillers of the past years and saw this book was rated very well. J.T Ellison has been hit or miss for me, but I wanted to see how this book had over a 4 star average on Goodreads, and it delivered! There were a few things that I thought could have been more suspenseful and parts where it felt more contemporary than thriller, but the overall story was very engaging and there were some good twists! When the reveal happened in the end, I wasn't sure who to believe and if the reveal was the full story, so it was great to have even more unravel once the biggest piece was given to the readers.
I really liked the cast of characters too! There are so many people who care about Mindy and who became a part of her world throughout all of this. I really loved how all of these characters came across and it was one of those books where I kind of forgot I was reading. I could really picture everyone, they all had great depth, and it wasn't like any one person was perfect. They made mistakes, had flaws, and you liked (or disliked) them because of it.
The ending was wild and also a little heartbreaking. This book talked about mental health and depression a lot and it was a big part of the story. Surprisingly not triggering reading about cancer, but related to that aspect in many ways. Having read this one, I'm much more interested in more J.T. Ellison books!
Read Completed 10/26/23 | 3.5 stars
I recently read Aimee Molloy's 2018 thriller and came right over here to pick up this one after enjoying it. This didn't stick with me as much, simply because I found it to be a little less realistic, but I can see why it's a little sensational with readers and why it has a high rating! It just wasn't *as* for me.
The beginning was a little slow for me. I knew there was a purpose and we were building towards something, but I wasn't sure what it was. Right off the bat in the first chapter, we know Sam disappears, but the action took a while to build after that. There was a good little jab about 30% in that I wasn't expecting and it kept me going! But then the pacing slowed down a bit again.
Things didn't really start to pick up until maybe about halfway, and then we really got into the suspense and thrills! I can't really make comparisons because that's a direct spoiler, but if you're paying attention to the book, you can guess that moment before it gets there.
I understand the audiobook choice of narrators but there was one thing I wish could have been different... Spoiler for a mild twist...There's a voice that narrates what I assumed was Sam's wife which turns out not to be his wife, so that was surprise #1. (Was that even a surprise or did I just assume that? Was everyone supposed to assume that?) I wish once we found out the identity of the person narrating those chapters that we switched voices to better fit the character. I didn't think the narrator really fit anymore once we knew who it was and it was distracting.
The ending was a little wild and frantic, but in a good way! It was tense, interesting, and definitely had a nice psychological vibe happening, especially since Sam is a psychologist. I did enjoy the book but it didn't land as hard as I had hoped. I'm sure plenty of readers would really love this! I feel like Freida McFadden fans would like it (except it's probably better written.... sorry, fans. I don't like Freida's writing).
I recently read Aimee Molloy's 2018 thriller and came right over here to pick up this one after enjoying it. This didn't stick with me as much, simply because I found it to be a little less realistic, but I can see why it's a little sensational with readers and why it has a high rating! It just wasn't *as* for me.
The beginning was a little slow for me. I knew there was a purpose and we were building towards something, but I wasn't sure what it was. Right off the bat in the first chapter, we know Sam disappears, but the action took a while to build after that. There was a good little jab about 30% in that I wasn't expecting and it kept me going! But then the pacing slowed down a bit again.
Things didn't really start to pick up until maybe about halfway, and then we really got into the suspense and thrills! I can't really make comparisons because that's a direct spoiler, but if you're paying attention to the book, you can guess that moment before it gets there.
I understand the audiobook choice of narrators but there was one thing I wish could have been different... Spoiler for a mild twist...
The ending was a little wild and frantic, but in a good way! It was tense, interesting, and definitely had a nice psychological vibe happening, especially since Sam is a psychologist. I did enjoy the book but it didn't land as hard as I had hoped. I'm sure plenty of readers would really love this! I feel like Freida McFadden fans would like it (except it's probably better written.... sorry, fans. I don't like Freida's writing).
Read Completed 10/25/23 | 3.75 stars
This was a random Libby selection and I'm happy I finally accepted my hold for it! I was really into this book right off the bat. It starts with some good action and mystery and really pulls the reader in. The book mainly follows the POVs of two different women and I didn't have to wait forever to figure out how they were connected.
This book had a lot of good little twists too! I swore I had already figured out the whole book by 30% in (by making some WILD guesses, I might add) and thankfully, my guesses were wrong. I was happy to read on and be surprised by what was coming!
My only complaint about this one was that at a certain point, it just got ridiculous that Catherine wasn't sleeping anymore. At first, she forces herself to stay awake so she can help search for her husband, especially when she believes that the police aren't helping as much as they could, but she went several days forcing herself not to sleep to where it was clearly detrimental, and she kept on doing it. I think I would have liked it better if the stress, panic, etc gave her insomnia and she COULDN'T sleep versus making herself stay awake. It got to be annoying and silly, especially when she couldn't remember words and we as the reader had to listen to it all the time. (I know lack of sleep REALLY messes with your brain -- that's not what I had an issue with. I was annoyed with it more than anything.)
Despite that complaint, I think it's still worth the read! I had a lot of things I didn't see coming. The ending could have been maybe a little more over-the-top? There was one small piece that didn't quite feel satisfying, but overall, a really good read.
This was a random Libby selection and I'm happy I finally accepted my hold for it! I was really into this book right off the bat. It starts with some good action and mystery and really pulls the reader in. The book mainly follows the POVs of two different women and I didn't have to wait forever to figure out how they were connected.
This book had a lot of good little twists too! I swore I had already figured out the whole book by 30% in (by making some WILD guesses, I might add) and thankfully, my guesses were wrong. I was happy to read on and be surprised by what was coming!
My only complaint about this one was that at a certain point, it just got ridiculous that Catherine wasn't sleeping anymore. At first, she forces herself to stay awake so she can help search for her husband, especially when she believes that the police aren't helping as much as they could, but she went several days forcing herself not to sleep to where it was clearly detrimental, and she kept on doing it. I think I would have liked it better if the stress, panic, etc gave her insomnia and she COULDN'T sleep versus making herself stay awake. It got to be annoying and silly, especially when she couldn't remember words and we as the reader had to listen to it all the time. (I know lack of sleep REALLY messes with your brain -- that's not what I had an issue with. I was annoyed with it more than anything.)
Despite that complaint, I think it's still worth the read! I had a lot of things I didn't see coming. The ending could have been maybe a little more over-the-top? There was one small piece that didn't quite feel satisfying, but overall, a really good read.
Read Completed 10/24/23 | 3.5, rounded up
I picked this up on a whim because it was a Goodreads list as one of the best thrillers of 2018 (I'm desperate for new, good thrillers)... I enjoyed it! I wasn't super amazed by the first half of the book but the author did a great job at peppering in some interesting moments to keep the reader hooked. Without those little tidbits, I might have become bored or given up on this book, but they really kept me going and kept this feeling like a thriller.
The middle was a lot of questioning what was going on and the ladies of the mom group trying to investigate. It did drag just a bit, but ultimately, I was curious what happened and knew there had to be more beneath the surface.
Thankfully, the ending delivered for me! Some of it was maybe slightly over the top, but it was exactly the surprise I wanted. Maybe if I had been trying to pick things apart more, I would have seen it coming, but like many thrillers, I was happy to be listening to the audiobook and doing other things so my brain was partially occupied and I wasn't trying to figure out ALL the twists.
This was my first Aimee Molloy book and it looks like her newest thriller, GOODNIGHT BEAUTIFUL (2020) is very well received so I'm excited to read that!
I picked this up on a whim because it was a Goodreads list as one of the best thrillers of 2018 (I'm desperate for new, good thrillers)... I enjoyed it! I wasn't super amazed by the first half of the book but the author did a great job at peppering in some interesting moments to keep the reader hooked. Without those little tidbits, I might have become bored or given up on this book, but they really kept me going and kept this feeling like a thriller.
The middle was a lot of questioning what was going on and the ladies of the mom group trying to investigate. It did drag just a bit, but ultimately, I was curious what happened and knew there had to be more beneath the surface.
Thankfully, the ending delivered for me! Some of it was maybe slightly over the top, but it was exactly the surprise I wanted. Maybe if I had been trying to pick things apart more, I would have seen it coming, but like many thrillers, I was happy to be listening to the audiobook and doing other things so my brain was partially occupied and I wasn't trying to figure out ALL the twists.
This was my first Aimee Molloy book and it looks like her newest thriller, GOODNIGHT BEAUTIFUL (2020) is very well received so I'm excited to read that!
Read Completed 10/23/23 | 2.5 stars
THE WIFE was just okay for a while and then I got pretty bored but was already too far to quit reading. I was hoping the ending would pay off but the best part of the book just got tossed in there at the end instead of really letting it land.
The way it was written didn't really let those twists unfold as well as they could have and I think I don't like ANY of the characters in this book... except for Corrine.
This was a little slow, then it got slower. I didn't love the subject matter but I hoped it was working its way towards something else. I guess this just might not have been my kind of thriller, but I was at least hoping the ending was worth it. It just never got there for me.
THE WIFE was just okay for a while and then I got pretty bored but was already too far to quit reading. I was hoping the ending would pay off but the best part of the book just got tossed in there at the end instead of really letting it land.
The way it was written didn't really let those twists unfold as well as they could have and I think I don't like ANY of the characters in this book... except for Corrine.
This was a little slow, then it got slower. I didn't love the subject matter but I hoped it was working its way towards something else. I guess this just might not have been my kind of thriller, but I was at least hoping the ending was worth it. It just never got there for me.
Read Completed 10/20/23 | I love the title of this book and the first chapter pulled me in right off the bat. The book kind of went back and forth between being interesting and being a little boring, though. There were some good twists, great concepts, and surprises that I didn't see coming (though maybe I should have) and yet, this just didn't turn out to be a memorable read. I didn't really feel connected to the characters like I wanted to and just wasn't thrilled with the pacing.
I also wasn't super thrilled with topic in general? It was okay. I guess I'm more drawn to domestic thrillers and this ventured off into different avenues, which is nice to have a change of pace! I just didn't connect with it in this particular book, and things also started to get a little wild towards the end.
I also wasn't super thrilled with topic in general? It was okay. I guess I'm more drawn to domestic thrillers and this ventured off into different avenues, which is nice to have a change of pace! I just didn't connect with it in this particular book, and things also started to get a little wild towards the end.
Read Completed 10/19/23 | 3.5 stars, rounded down because of plot
Dates Read: 10/18/23 - 10/19/23
Series or Stand Alone? Stand Alone
Format Read: Audiobook
This had been on my TBR ever since I read LEXICON in 2019 and was fascinated by the author's writing in that book. THE 22 MURDERS OF MADISON MAY followed similar tones with a different concept -- alternate universes, which I am always seeking in books.
This followed the general concept that most alternate universe books do with some small twists... Main character gets sucked into another universe and has to figure out it's happening and how to stop it, but in this case, Felicity is a reporter and seemingly unattached to the main focus of the universe jumps. Madison May keeps getting murdered in different worlds and the book is a mission to stop it.
My issue with the book is... why is Madison so special that there's a team to stop her murder? I'm sure there are other cases of things like this in plenty of other worlds, so why is this such a mission? Who decided this needed to be stopped and what does it affect? The other issue I had was how everything works, who figured it out, and more of Clay's backstory in regards to moving across worlds.
It was still highly entertaining and I was definitely interested. I enjoyed the pacing and the tone and the book was pleasing overall, but I just felt a little let down after it ended like.... that was it? I'm still glad I read it but I was little disappointed because if it had just a BIT more depth, it could have been a killer read.
Dates Read: 10/18/23 - 10/19/23
Series or Stand Alone? Stand Alone
Format Read: Audiobook
This had been on my TBR ever since I read LEXICON in 2019 and was fascinated by the author's writing in that book. THE 22 MURDERS OF MADISON MAY followed similar tones with a different concept -- alternate universes, which I am always seeking in books.
This followed the general concept that most alternate universe books do with some small twists... Main character gets sucked into another universe and has to figure out it's happening and how to stop it, but in this case, Felicity is a reporter and seemingly unattached to the main focus of the universe jumps. Madison May keeps getting murdered in different worlds and the book is a mission to stop it.
My issue with the book is... why is Madison so special that there's a team to stop her murder? I'm sure there are other cases of things like this in plenty of other worlds, so why is this such a mission? Who decided this needed to be stopped and what does it affect? The other issue I had was how everything works, who figured it out, and more of Clay's backstory in regards to moving across worlds.
It was still highly entertaining and I was definitely interested. I enjoyed the pacing and the tone and the book was pleasing overall, but I just felt a little let down after it ended like.... that was it? I'm still glad I read it but I was little disappointed because if it had just a BIT more depth, it could have been a killer read.
Read Completed 10/17/23 | 3.75 - 4 stars, rounding up
I picked this up on a whim after not being sure what I was in the mood to read and easily clicked with this book! It wasn't quite *as* twisty as I had hoped but I was definitely engaged the whole time and really wanted to figure out the mystery of what had happened to main character Ally, why her memory disappeared, and where it was all going to lead.
I really enjoyed Kate White's writing (not realizing I had read a book of hers before, BETWEEN TWO STRANGERS) and it was easy to follow, full of suspense. I was glad that the book didn't end too nicely... until it did. Everyone wasn't happy, but the final note was just a touch too... optimistic. I like a thriller to end with just a little pang to keep with the overall tone of the book.
There was a lot more to this story and I pretty much suspected everyone. It was interesting to see how everything connected and I was dying to know who was hiding something. I didn't *love* the reveal and there was a little too much of a villain speech, but it also wasn't something I was totally expecting. I suspected the person but not the reason why.
Overall, this was full of suspense and I enjoyed the ride! It fell short of being a book that will really stick with me, but I'll definitely look for more from this author since I clicked with so much of it.
I picked this up on a whim after not being sure what I was in the mood to read and easily clicked with this book! It wasn't quite *as* twisty as I had hoped but I was definitely engaged the whole time and really wanted to figure out the mystery of what had happened to main character Ally, why her memory disappeared, and where it was all going to lead.
I really enjoyed Kate White's writing (not realizing I had read a book of hers before, BETWEEN TWO STRANGERS) and it was easy to follow, full of suspense. I was glad that the book didn't end too nicely... until it did. Everyone wasn't happy, but the final note was just a touch too... optimistic. I like a thriller to end with just a little pang to keep with the overall tone of the book.
There was a lot more to this story and I pretty much suspected everyone. It was interesting to see how everything connected and I was dying to know who was hiding something. I didn't *love* the reveal and there was a little too much of a villain speech, but it also wasn't something I was totally expecting. I suspected the person but not the reason why.
Overall, this was full of suspense and I enjoyed the ride! It fell short of being a book that will really stick with me, but I'll definitely look for more from this author since I clicked with so much of it.
Read Completed 10/17/23 | 3.75 stars
This was 100% a BookTok selection and I'm happy this one turned out to be enjoyable for me! This was a little bit of a different take on a vampire story where the main character A) is not the one being turned into a vampire and B) is not in love with the vampire. Here the vampire concept is called Saratov's Syndrome and it originated as a disease somehow somewhere and it passed along in the "traditional" vampire sense, by a bite. This story was a mother-daughter relationship where main character Mia is living with her mother who was turned when she was just a kid and now she's 23, still protecting her mom and helping her survive by giving her blood. Although this is an adult book, it also still had a sort of coming-of-age feel since Mia is finally starting to punch some boundaries here, wanting connection with people that has been pushed off for so long and wanting to feel like a normal 20-something, as much as she can be.
This still had plenty of suspense and exciting paranormal/horror elements, but I really liked the blend between horror and cultivating these personal relationships. I feel like this concept also really hits hard, showing some parallels between the fictitious Saratov's Syndrome and situations we went through with the pandemic (quarantines, curfews, testing to show you don't have the disease, it being a risk to be in large crowds, etc). I feel like that was likely intentional but I also appreciated that it wasn't always a DIRECT parallel so the book could stand on its own and not be an *entire* metaphor for pandemic times. It definitely had that vibe in a lot of ways but it didn't feel overly blunt and went off in its own directions.
I somehow didn't know this was a series so I was very surprised by the ending just... ending. Even knowing it's a series now, it felt a little abrupt. I'm curious to see where it goes from here and what's next after everything that happened in this book.
This was 100% a BookTok selection and I'm happy this one turned out to be enjoyable for me! This was a little bit of a different take on a vampire story where the main character A) is not the one being turned into a vampire and B) is not in love with the vampire. Here the vampire concept is called Saratov's Syndrome and it originated as a disease somehow somewhere and it passed along in the "traditional" vampire sense, by a bite. This story was a mother-daughter relationship where main character Mia is living with her mother who was turned when she was just a kid and now she's 23, still protecting her mom and helping her survive by giving her blood. Although this is an adult book, it also still had a sort of coming-of-age feel since Mia is finally starting to punch some boundaries here, wanting connection with people that has been pushed off for so long and wanting to feel like a normal 20-something, as much as she can be.
This still had plenty of suspense and exciting paranormal/horror elements, but I really liked the blend between horror and cultivating these personal relationships. I feel like this concept also really hits hard, showing some parallels between the fictitious Saratov's Syndrome and situations we went through with the pandemic (quarantines, curfews, testing to show you don't have the disease, it being a risk to be in large crowds, etc). I feel like that was likely intentional but I also appreciated that it wasn't always a DIRECT parallel so the book could stand on its own and not be an *entire* metaphor for pandemic times. It definitely had that vibe in a lot of ways but it didn't feel overly blunt and went off in its own directions.
I somehow didn't know this was a series so I was very surprised by the ending just... ending. Even knowing it's a series now, it felt a little abrupt. I'm curious to see where it goes from here and what's next after everything that happened in this book.