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pagesplotsandpints's Reviews (2.1k)
Read Completed 4/14/23 | This was just okay. The pacing seemed to struggle a bit... the beginning started off exciting and then slowed to the point where I was just annoyed with Victoria. Then things would get good again and slow. Instead of having a consistent pace, it was kind of a yo-yo back and forth as far as my interest in the book went.
Victoria was annoying and really a horrible parent. She was like, a hyper competitive mom, obsessed with proving herself on instagram and her kids being better than other kids... even refusing to acknowledge that her son was autistic because of appearances instead of of helping him.
The plot twists were interesting but just not enough to overcome the unlikable characters. Kit (the father) was weak and boring. Anna (the daughter) was probably the most interesting character out of them all.
I didn't like the ending but the book was decent. If I had gotten into the characters more, I might have enjoyed it more but I just hated Victoria.
Victoria was annoying and really a horrible parent. She was like, a hyper competitive mom, obsessed with proving herself on instagram and her kids being better than other kids... even refusing to acknowledge that her son was autistic because of appearances instead of of helping him.
The plot twists were interesting but just not enough to overcome the unlikable characters. Kit (the father) was weak and boring. Anna (the daughter) was probably the most interesting character out of them all.
I didn't like the ending but the book was decent. If I had gotten into the characters more, I might have enjoyed it more but I just hated Victoria.
Read Completed 4/14/23 | I was wondering why this book had such a low average rating on Goodreads and then I got to the end.... It wasn't BAD but it was a severely missed opportunity to tie everything together that was set up throughout the entire book and give readers some good answers. Instead, it was rushed, lackluster, and left a lot of things unused/open-ended.
BUT I really, really did enjoy the rest of it. Had the ending not been so sloppy, it really would have been a 4.5 star read for me. I'm leaving it at 4 stars because I really did enjoy the entire book up until the end. The audiobook narrator was Karissa Vacker, which was 100% the reason why I picked it up, and that also really helped my reading experience since I always enjoy her narration and it also reminds me of previous books I've enjoyed where she's been the narrator.
THE BLAME GAME had a lot of really good twists. It wasn't always a shocking plot twist, but there were plenty of little things to keep me on my toes and guessing what was really happening. There was so much doubt cast, so many options, so many clues. I guess not all of them were clues, which was a shame, but I really did enjoy the experience, at least.
BUT I really, really did enjoy the rest of it. Had the ending not been so sloppy, it really would have been a 4.5 star read for me. I'm leaving it at 4 stars because I really did enjoy the entire book up until the end. The audiobook narrator was Karissa Vacker, which was 100% the reason why I picked it up, and that also really helped my reading experience since I always enjoy her narration and it also reminds me of previous books I've enjoyed where she's been the narrator.
THE BLAME GAME had a lot of really good twists. It wasn't always a shocking plot twist, but there were plenty of little things to keep me on my toes and guessing what was really happening. There was so much doubt cast, so many options, so many clues. I guess not all of them were clues, which was a shame, but I really did enjoy the experience, at least.
Read Completed 4/12/23 | I don't think I would have finished this book if it wasn't short, and not just for the horror and grotesque brutality. I had a LOT of mixed feelings on this book. I finally ended up reading it because I've seen it everywhere and so many people rating it five stars (including all four of my Goodreads friends who have read it).
I get all of the messages but I still had a two big issues with the plot.
#1 was that I just didn't believe it... I get holding back some disbelief for the purpose of the novel BUT the author didn't make me believe it. There were a few things that were just totally glossed over with a literal sentence as to why this happened. There really wasn't any backstory or world-building involving what happened with the virus that infected all of the animals and why everyone had to resorted to raising humans for meat. Logically, it just really doesn't make sense. It infected ALL species of animals ALL equally and across the ENTIRE world? That's a really, really big stretch. I guess I'm more picky about it having now seen the pandemic and knowing that the world would react to this in a huge way, making lockdowns of all sorts, quarantining not only people but also animals to save them, and working hard to create any nutrients in plant-based food that humans may be missing from animal proteins, etc. I just... don't see it happening. In a community or localized regions, maybe this would make more sense that people *chose* to resort to this... but this sounded like it was supposed to be everywhere, and I just didn't buy that, mainly because the author didn't even try to sell me on it.
#2 was that... there just wasn't much plot at all. We get a LOT of set-up regarding Marcos' work at the processing plant and and decent amount of his family relationships and history. The personal side isn't a lot, but it's there. I get that this is supposed to be shocking and the first half of the book is LARGELY explaining the processes of the plant. That is necessary to truly be gory (and hey, showing the side of processing plants that don't feel quite as repulsive when it's livestock). I didn't really have a complaint that it was included, more so that it could have been included while developing other things. It was just a lot of details that went on and on. Marcos' personal story was more important in the second half, including an ending that I did not see coming at all, which was cool. I wish the two had been blended just a bit more to make me feel more for Marcos or inform readers a bit more of what the plot of the book is. We get the setting but where is the story going? Is is about finding a cure? Finding happiness? Escaping corruption? Finding a different way in life? I didn't really know why this was all important until the end of the book, and even at that, this could have been one story in a collection of others instead of the main reason why this book was written. I would have actually liked to see other POVs of other characters at the same time to get a more developed world and grow this story on different levels. Instead we kind of have one flat level that was fine, but not earth-shattering to me.
Well, I was curious enough to read it and I was in fact able to eat after reading this. My life isn't ruined. Yay.
I absolutely get the hype and the shock factor BUT I think it could have been better. I don't read a lot of horror and sometimes booktok hype just gets to me. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's horrible. Hey, I read VERITY and really enjoyed it, so you never know where things will take you. I didn't totally click with this one, but I get it.
I get all of the messages but I still had a two big issues with the plot.
#1 was that I just didn't believe it... I get holding back some disbelief for the purpose of the novel BUT the author didn't make me believe it. There were a few things that were just totally glossed over with a literal sentence as to why this happened. There really wasn't any backstory or world-building involving what happened with the virus that infected all of the animals and why everyone had to resorted to raising humans for meat. Logically, it just really doesn't make sense. It infected ALL species of animals ALL equally and across the ENTIRE world? That's a really, really big stretch. I guess I'm more picky about it having now seen the pandemic and knowing that the world would react to this in a huge way, making lockdowns of all sorts, quarantining not only people but also animals to save them, and working hard to create any nutrients in plant-based food that humans may be missing from animal proteins, etc. I just... don't see it happening. In a community or localized regions, maybe this would make more sense that people *chose* to resort to this... but this sounded like it was supposed to be everywhere, and I just didn't buy that, mainly because the author didn't even try to sell me on it.
#2 was that... there just wasn't much plot at all. We get a LOT of set-up regarding Marcos' work at the processing plant and and decent amount of his family relationships and history. The personal side isn't a lot, but it's there. I get that this is supposed to be shocking and the first half of the book is LARGELY explaining the processes of the plant. That is necessary to truly be gory (and hey, showing the side of processing plants that don't feel quite as repulsive when it's livestock). I didn't really have a complaint that it was included, more so that it could have been included while developing other things. It was just a lot of details that went on and on. Marcos' personal story was more important in the second half, including an ending that I did not see coming at all, which was cool. I wish the two had been blended just a bit more to make me feel more for Marcos or inform readers a bit more of what the plot of the book is. We get the setting but where is the story going? Is is about finding a cure? Finding happiness? Escaping corruption? Finding a different way in life? I didn't really know why this was all important until the end of the book, and even at that, this could have been one story in a collection of others instead of the main reason why this book was written. I would have actually liked to see other POVs of other characters at the same time to get a more developed world and grow this story on different levels. Instead we kind of have one flat level that was fine, but not earth-shattering to me.
Well, I was curious enough to read it and I was in fact able to eat after reading this. My life isn't ruined. Yay.
I absolutely get the hype and the shock factor BUT I think it could have been better. I don't read a lot of horror and sometimes booktok hype just gets to me. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's horrible. Hey, I read VERITY and really enjoyed it, so you never know where things will take you. I didn't totally click with this one, but I get it.
Read Completed 4/11/23 | This was my second Sally Hepworth book and maybe my last. Nothing bad about it but it was just "fine" for me! I connected with this more in terms of writing than I did with THE OTHER SISTER and enjoyed the writing much more. This was a little more of a slow burn than a fast and furious thriller, which can be enjoyable too! I liked the overall mood/tone and was definitely interested enough and stayed interested to see where this was all going.
I think the first half of the book was a little more interesting. I started losing a little bit of steam about halfway as things were unfolding and the hook just never really hooked me quite enough. I did really appreciate that all of the characters were human and not specifically villainized. It is exciting to have a wild and crazy thriller where there's one specific villain, but it's also nice to see characters who have just made bad decisions, let emotions get the best of them, had misunderstandings, etc. I really appreciated how all of that played out in terms of character.
The plot was again, fine, but it didn't really get me as involved in the book as I had hoped. I think if I didn't read as many thrillers as I do, maybe it would have been more exciting! It could also just totally be my tastes in books. I probably wouldn't rush to recommend it but I also am not sorry that I read it!
I think the first half of the book was a little more interesting. I started losing a little bit of steam about halfway as things were unfolding and the hook just never really hooked me quite enough. I did really appreciate that all of the characters were human and not specifically villainized. It is exciting to have a wild and crazy thriller where there's one specific villain, but it's also nice to see characters who have just made bad decisions, let emotions get the best of them, had misunderstandings, etc. I really appreciated how all of that played out in terms of character.
The plot was again, fine, but it didn't really get me as involved in the book as I had hoped. I think if I didn't read as many thrillers as I do, maybe it would have been more exciting! It could also just totally be my tastes in books. I probably wouldn't rush to recommend it but I also am not sorry that I read it!
Read Completed 4/9/23 | 3.5 stars
This was a good 3.5 stars, not a bad one! DON'T LET HER STAY was exactly the thriller palate cleanser that I needed. I've had a few not-so-great reads and just wanted a decent read that I was engaged with and this one just flew by! It was a shorter read, but even still, I just flew through this book.
I ended up giving it just 3.5 stars because I could have used a bit more depth to it. The gaslighting earlier on in the book was very blunt and I had issues with that when I recently read THE HOUSEMAID so I had a little hang-up on that. I felt like things in the middle could have gone a little deeper, but really, the middle just went by so quickly that I didn't even realize I was 75% through when it hit! Kind of a toss-up whether that was good or bad, but I'll take it for a good thing.
The ending still had some good surprises for me and I loved the back-and-forth of not knowing what was going on. There's a resolution and then there's more, which I always love. If you liked this, I recommend When I Was You by Amber Garza or The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine.
This was a good 3.5 stars, not a bad one! DON'T LET HER STAY was exactly the thriller palate cleanser that I needed. I've had a few not-so-great reads and just wanted a decent read that I was engaged with and this one just flew by! It was a shorter read, but even still, I just flew through this book.
I ended up giving it just 3.5 stars because I could have used a bit more depth to it. The gaslighting earlier on in the book was very blunt and I had issues with that when I recently read THE HOUSEMAID so I had a little hang-up on that. I felt like things in the middle could have gone a little deeper, but really, the middle just went by so quickly that I didn't even realize I was 75% through when it hit! Kind of a toss-up whether that was good or bad, but I'll take it for a good thing.
The ending still had some good surprises for me and I loved the back-and-forth of not knowing what was going on. There's a resolution and then there's more, which I always love. If you liked this, I recommend When I Was You by Amber Garza or The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine.
Read Completed 4/8/23 | Well, this was disappointing.
For starters, this is NOT really a romance. I eagerly picked this up because I loved Lacie Waldon's debut THE LAYOVER and liked her other romcom as well, but this is not a romcom. There are some romance elements but we skip over a lot of the cute getting-to-know-you stuff, flirting, and although Lacie Waldon's other books weren't steamy, there's like a complete skip over anything romantic besides a kiss here. So yeah... don't go into this thinking you're reading a romcom.
This was supposed to be a cute, heart-warming story about a small town that's reunited after an eccentric billionaire hosts a series of competitions to win $10 million. Even all of that was just too quirky to type out. This would never happen and I did not like the game idea or witnessing any of the games. Yes, I knew this was a part of the plot before reading BUT I had hoping with the cuteness of a romance (that I did not get) that I'd warm up to it. I just really didn't like the writing and the way this was put together and I thought Lacie Waldon's plotting was much better with her other two books. This book sort of seemed like a book that somebody wants to write for themselves for fun, but it was just too silly and far-fetched for me. It didn't become believable and everyone was paired with their town rival (that magically everyone has) in order to bring them together again. Ugh. Cheesy. I'm all for heart-warming but way too cheesy. And I kind of hated Jess as a main character. She was too perfect and oh so quirky with her flashy, bright, eccentric clothes (but that was the only way she was quirky? And she literally has never heard of Phoebe from Friends?).
I can keep complaining about this book, but I'll keep it short and just sum it up with, this was so not my taste. It was cutesy like cozy mysteries are, but obviously it wasn't a mystery. I guess it was kind of more chick lit than romance, but even then, I don't know. I hated how easily everyone forgave everyone in this book after having like, lifelong grudges. This competition magically fixed everyone and everything. Ugh ugh ugh. I didn't want to DNF it because I liked her other books so much but this was pure corny from start to finish. Me and my black heart need a wild thriller now.
For starters, this is NOT really a romance. I eagerly picked this up because I loved Lacie Waldon's debut THE LAYOVER and liked her other romcom as well, but this is not a romcom. There are some romance elements but we skip over a lot of the cute getting-to-know-you stuff, flirting, and although Lacie Waldon's other books weren't steamy, there's like a complete skip over anything romantic besides a kiss here. So yeah... don't go into this thinking you're reading a romcom.
This was supposed to be a cute, heart-warming story about a small town that's reunited after an eccentric billionaire hosts a series of competitions to win $10 million. Even all of that was just too quirky to type out. This would never happen and I did not like the game idea or witnessing any of the games. Yes, I knew this was a part of the plot before reading BUT I had hoping with the cuteness of a romance (that I did not get) that I'd warm up to it. I just really didn't like the writing and the way this was put together and I thought Lacie Waldon's plotting was much better with her other two books. This book sort of seemed like a book that somebody wants to write for themselves for fun, but it was just too silly and far-fetched for me. It didn't become believable and everyone was paired with their town rival (that magically everyone has) in order to bring them together again. Ugh. Cheesy. I'm all for heart-warming but way too cheesy. And I kind of hated Jess as a main character. She was too perfect and oh so quirky with her flashy, bright, eccentric clothes (but that was the only way she was quirky? And she literally has never heard of Phoebe from Friends?).
I can keep complaining about this book, but I'll keep it short and just sum it up with, this was so not my taste. It was cutesy like cozy mysteries are, but obviously it wasn't a mystery. I guess it was kind of more chick lit than romance, but even then, I don't know. I hated how easily everyone forgave everyone in this book after having like, lifelong grudges. This competition magically fixed everyone and everything. Ugh ugh ugh. I didn't want to DNF it because I liked her other books so much but this was pure corny from start to finish. Me and my black heart need a wild thriller now.
Read Completed 4/7/23 | I finished this, which I wasn't sure I was going to do at about 15% - 20%. I switched to another book and hated that one so I stopped and eventually came back to this. It wasn't bad enough to quit but it just wasn't good enough to fall in love with. The synopsis directly calls this out for fans of EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER, which I loved, but this book just didn't quite have the charm as EVVIE.
Things I liked:
- "mature" FMC. Thea is in her 40s and starting over after she found out her husband was sleeping with her best friend. It's a nice break from characters in their 20s because sometimes it's frustrating
- grumpy x sunshine romance trope
- Scotland setting
- bookshop setting
- supportive best friend (that I would have liked to see more)
- drawing out some of the tension
Things I didn't like:
- Edward was a bit too grumpy in a closed off way instead of a cute banter way. Thea was self-proclaimed funny, and she was, but that charm just didn't happen on the page enough for me to fall in love with either character
- I never really GOT the romance. I can 100% see these two falling in love but I feel like we didn't get to SEE half of it despite being the audience of the book.... I didn't mind that it took a while but once it was starting to happen, they didn't really give into it. It was still holding back for a long, long time. I LIKED that Thea was holding back for herself and not for someone else. She wanted to make sure it was right timing wise and right feelings wise.
- Once they did get together, Edward was a little too pushy. Thea handled it well but there was a lot of worry that wasn't really the third act break-up, thankfully, but also I wish it was because it was just sort of a lot of meandering that didn't feel like the plot was moving
This was very character-driven, which I like! A lot of romances really are and I have no problem with that. But sometimes the plot just wasn't doing anything at all. The love story is supposed to be part of the main plot (along with Thea just living her own life apart from her marriage) and I just felt like it didn't develop enough for me to really believe it.
The weird thing about this book was that it was too much like real life. I could totally see all of this happening, exactly as written, to an actual person. But sometimes actual real life doesn't make a good book. There needed to be just a bit more chemistry, a bit more plot, a bit more conflict, a bit more resolution. The book was ending and I was like... that's it?? It just needed a bit more of everything.
I actually really think this would be a great movie. A lot of things that didn't come off the page could really light up the screen with body language, stolen glances (I mean, that's not even on the page), fun moments getting to know each other. This book just didn't make me FEEL anything. I'm not upset that I finished it because it wasn't "bad enough" to DNF, but I can't imagine recommending it because I just didn't get any emotion from it.
Things I liked:
- "mature" FMC. Thea is in her 40s and starting over after she found out her husband was sleeping with her best friend. It's a nice break from characters in their 20s because sometimes it's frustrating
- grumpy x sunshine romance trope
- Scotland setting
- bookshop setting
- supportive best friend (that I would have liked to see more)
- drawing out some of the tension
Things I didn't like:
- Edward was a bit too grumpy in a closed off way instead of a cute banter way. Thea was self-proclaimed funny, and she was, but that charm just didn't happen on the page enough for me to fall in love with either character
- I never really GOT the romance. I can 100% see these two falling in love but I feel like we didn't get to SEE half of it despite being the audience of the book.... I didn't mind that it took a while but once it was starting to happen, they didn't really give into it. It was still holding back for a long, long time. I LIKED that Thea was holding back for herself and not for someone else. She wanted to make sure it was right timing wise and right feelings wise.
- Once they did get together, Edward was a little too pushy. Thea handled it well but there was a lot of worry that wasn't really the third act break-up, thankfully, but also I wish it was because it was just sort of a lot of meandering that didn't feel like the plot was moving
This was very character-driven, which I like! A lot of romances really are and I have no problem with that. But sometimes the plot just wasn't doing anything at all. The love story is supposed to be part of the main plot (along with Thea just living her own life apart from her marriage) and I just felt like it didn't develop enough for me to really believe it.
The weird thing about this book was that it was too much like real life. I could totally see all of this happening, exactly as written, to an actual person. But sometimes actual real life doesn't make a good book. There needed to be just a bit more chemistry, a bit more plot, a bit more conflict, a bit more resolution. The book was ending and I was like... that's it?? It just needed a bit more of everything.
I actually really think this would be a great movie. A lot of things that didn't come off the page could really light up the screen with body language, stolen glances (I mean, that's not even on the page), fun moments getting to know each other. This book just didn't make me FEEL anything. I'm not upset that I finished it because it wasn't "bad enough" to DNF, but I can't imagine recommending it because I just didn't get any emotion from it.
Read Completed 4/6/23 | This was just okay for me. I listened to the audiobook version and as always, Michael Kramer and Kate Reading did a great job (Kate just reads the excerpts from the book, by the way -- one POV and one character to follow here). Mostly, I just didn't connect with it at all. It's not Cosmere related, which is okay because I've enjoyed many non-Cosmere fantasy books like The Rithmatist and even other Sanderson books that have taken place on Earth/in the real world although fictionalized, like The Legion books and The Reckoners series. But this one was just fairly uninteresting to me, and I think that's because this book really lacked any backstory.
Sanderson is usually great at secondary characters, world-building, and all the details that make the book interesting. There were a lot of world-building details here but the characters all felt incredibly under-developed. Johnny wakes up in this new world not knowing who he is so we just don't even get much about him because even HE doesn't know. It was a little frustrating trying to get a grip on what this book was supposed to be about, what the motivation was to carry us through, and why I should care about the characters. He had plenty of charm like many Sanderson heroes do, but without context it was just a little too flat.
I guess I also really didn't care about the world either. The setting is another world -- literally, another dimension -- of Earth that was/was kind of like Medieval England and unless it's a high fantasy world, I'm just not really into it. There just wasn't enough to really pull me into the book to make the setting interesting, at least for my tastes!
Even though it's blatantly a non-Cosmere novel, I kept hoping it would tie in somehow. A peek at the Cosmere universe through another portal or dimension, that the runes were actually Aons... Hey, I tried.
It doesn't feel right giving this less than three stars but I did have trouble picking it back up. It just felt like it really lacked substance. I know Brandon Sanderson originally wrote these for fun for him & his wife and this kind of fit his signature style and didn't all at once. It reminded me more of his middle grade series with more surface level feels and silly jokes. Just not really my style/preference and not something I would have spent this kind of money on for a cool, special edition if it hadn't been in the Kickstarter bundle. This would have been a library read for me based on the topic, so I'm a little disappointed I didn't enjoy it more but I guess it will look pretty on my shelves!
Sanderson is usually great at secondary characters, world-building, and all the details that make the book interesting. There were a lot of world-building details here but the characters all felt incredibly under-developed. Johnny wakes up in this new world not knowing who he is so we just don't even get much about him because even HE doesn't know. It was a little frustrating trying to get a grip on what this book was supposed to be about, what the motivation was to carry us through, and why I should care about the characters. He had plenty of charm like many Sanderson heroes do, but without context it was just a little too flat.
I guess I also really didn't care about the world either. The setting is another world -- literally, another dimension -- of Earth that was/was kind of like Medieval England and unless it's a high fantasy world, I'm just not really into it. There just wasn't enough to really pull me into the book to make the setting interesting, at least for my tastes!
Even though it's blatantly a non-Cosmere novel, I kept hoping it would tie in somehow. A peek at the Cosmere universe through another portal or dimension, that the runes were actually Aons... Hey, I tried.
It doesn't feel right giving this less than three stars but I did have trouble picking it back up. It just felt like it really lacked substance. I know Brandon Sanderson originally wrote these for fun for him & his wife and this kind of fit his signature style and didn't all at once. It reminded me more of his middle grade series with more surface level feels and silly jokes. Just not really my style/preference and not something I would have spent this kind of money on for a cool, special edition if it hadn't been in the Kickstarter bundle. This would have been a library read for me based on the topic, so I'm a little disappointed I didn't enjoy it more but I guess it will look pretty on my shelves!
Read Completed 4/4/23 | 3.75 stars ยทยท Thank you to Netgalley & Macmillan Audio for approving this request for an audiobook review copy!
This was actually better than I thought it would be! I really enjoyed the tone of the book and the writing style, for the most part. It reminded me of a lot of the detective thrillers I used to read a while back and it was a comfortable feeling to have.
I do think a lot of the plot was over the top, which is not a bad thing but it's not my preference. I would have really liked it a lot more if this was actually a series and a few of these different things used throughout the book had been all split into different books. There was a lot going on and it felt like TOO much. Some of the things incorporated were barely even used... kind of including the big, shocking finale. It wasn't super shocking when I didn't really have time to consider it being a possibility. A lot of things just felt like they weren't used enough so when everything was revealed in the end, it fell a little flat.
Bianca was just straight up ridiculous and I hated her whole story arc. I really liked Vanessa and would have liked to spend more time with her (see previous comment about spreading this out into a series) and her detective work. The other side characters were a little blah except for Vanessa's PI friend who came to join her, who was apparently in another book that I didn't read/didn't finish, and apparently Vanessa makes an appearance in LITTLE SECRETS, but I read that one first and years ago so I wouldn't have known.
The amusement park was also kind of fun, but I still felt like it wasn't quite used to its full potential. Lots of things just fell a little short, and the book was a little long, so I end up with a bit of a mixed review.
This was actually better than I thought it would be! I really enjoyed the tone of the book and the writing style, for the most part. It reminded me of a lot of the detective thrillers I used to read a while back and it was a comfortable feeling to have.
I do think a lot of the plot was over the top, which is not a bad thing but it's not my preference. I would have really liked it a lot more if this was actually a series and a few of these different things used throughout the book had been all split into different books. There was a lot going on and it felt like TOO much. Some of the things incorporated were barely even used... kind of including the big, shocking finale. It wasn't super shocking when I didn't really have time to consider it being a possibility. A lot of things just felt like they weren't used enough so when everything was revealed in the end, it fell a little flat.
Bianca was just straight up ridiculous and I hated her whole story arc. I really liked Vanessa and would have liked to spend more time with her (see previous comment about spreading this out into a series) and her detective work. The other side characters were a little blah except for Vanessa's PI friend who came to join her, who was apparently in another book that I didn't read/didn't finish, and apparently Vanessa makes an appearance in LITTLE SECRETS, but I read that one first and years ago so I wouldn't have known.
The amusement park was also kind of fun, but I still felt like it wasn't quite used to its full potential. Lots of things just fell a little short, and the book was a little long, so I end up with a bit of a mixed review.
Read Completed 4/1/23 | 3.75 stars
Another solid John Marrs book, but I just didn't quite click with it as much as I had wanted. The different POVs were a little confusing at first but quickly sorted out. I don't know if we really quite needed all of them, but John Marrs does tend to write from many POVs and this one still worked out! The plot was interesting and should have been something I really enjoyed but just fell a little flat. Maybe because it felt a little too similar to other things I've read in many ways. A good read for me but didn't wow me.
Another solid John Marrs book, but I just didn't quite click with it as much as I had wanted. The different POVs were a little confusing at first but quickly sorted out. I don't know if we really quite needed all of them, but John Marrs does tend to write from many POVs and this one still worked out! The plot was interesting and should have been something I really enjoyed but just fell a little flat. Maybe because it felt a little too similar to other things I've read in many ways. A good read for me but didn't wow me.