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pagesplotsandpints's Reviews (2.1k)
Read Completed 2/23/23 | 3 - 3.5 stars
After seeing THE HOUSEMAID literally everywhere, I finally used an Audible credit to grab the audiobook since it wasn't available on Libby or Hoopla. (Important backstory, I know.) I've already read five other Frieda McFadden books before this one and really haven't been crazy about any of them, but I've heard that this is pretty much the best one, which I guess probably wasn't good for me because I almost never do well when the hype is so high.
I was actually kind of disappointed in this one, though I don't know why because it was pretty typical of Freida McFadden's writing style! There's no doubt that this was entertaining from start to finish. I ended up being lightly disappointed but I never thought about quitting or abandoning the book. I just wasn't as impressed as I thought I was going to be.
Firstly, the book was *mildly* spoiled for me in a Facebook group. Someone compared it to another book that's famous for its big twist, and it's one that I've enjoyed and know and recommend. Want to know? It's...The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. Despite knowing that comparison and waiting for that twist, I actually still had a slightly hard time trying to figure out how that was going to come into play, so I was still interested the whole time in the first half of the book!
The first half was a little over the top, immediately seeing how Nina was just bonkers and everything she did was just way too much and a little annoyingly so. It bothered me exactly how outwardly terrible she was, and I know it was to make a point, but I felt like it could have been done much better. I would have appreciated a little bit more subtlety, something to keep a reader guessing and wondering instead of being so obtuse about it.
We got to a good twist in the second half and it was what I was expecting! Once it clicked, I saw how it all unfolded and I appreciated seeing the second half of the story. I still thought there were too many things that were shoved into the reader's faces and I could have appreciated things being a little less wild. I also had a few issues with the way things played out with Nina in the second half.We find out that 1) Andrew is the horrible, abusive person in the relationship and not Nina. 2) He's made Nina's friends believe that she was crazy and had literal psychotic breaks so everyone trusts him instead of her. And 3) that Nina hired Millie to have Andrew fall in love with her and take her place. There's more to that part of the story as well, but I guess I won't reveal ALL of the spoilers. SO. My beef was was that I don't get why Nina didn't try to just talk to MILLIE about everything. She told Enzo, Enzo believed her. Millie was a blank slate. She didn't know Andrew so she didn't have to believe anything about him. Nina and Millie could have worked together to escape him and get justice, revenge, freedom, anything. THAT would have been more fun and more interesting since I've already read nearly this exact plot before. They still could have moved forward with the plot to get Millie to kill Andrew (sorry, I'll spoil that one too), but she immediately tried to have Nina take her place, which seemed like way more of a gamble -- assuming they'd be attracted to each other, that Andrew would like her back, and that she could get her into the "right situation" to kill him.
Andrew was also just too villainy of a villain. Once we found out his true nature and got to see it, it was also just a little much. I don't know anything about real life abuse situations so I'm not saying it couldn't happen that way, but I think it would have been a bit more ominous and a little less in your face. It was terrible and awful, yes. I guess I just had other preferences of a more suspenseful storyline. This was more a punch of dread and abuse.
SO. It was fine! It was a Freida McFadden read and this is exactly what I should expect from them. I just don't think I'm her target audience and I had some slightly bigger issues with this. The first half felt a little VERITY-like (which gasp, yes, I liked VERITY more) and I already gave you my second half comparison in spoiler tags because it IS a spoiler, but it felt like two books I've already read. Eh.
After seeing THE HOUSEMAID literally everywhere, I finally used an Audible credit to grab the audiobook since it wasn't available on Libby or Hoopla. (Important backstory, I know.) I've already read five other Frieda McFadden books before this one and really haven't been crazy about any of them, but I've heard that this is pretty much the best one, which I guess probably wasn't good for me because I almost never do well when the hype is so high.
I was actually kind of disappointed in this one, though I don't know why because it was pretty typical of Freida McFadden's writing style! There's no doubt that this was entertaining from start to finish. I ended up being lightly disappointed but I never thought about quitting or abandoning the book. I just wasn't as impressed as I thought I was going to be.
Firstly, the book was *mildly* spoiled for me in a Facebook group. Someone compared it to another book that's famous for its big twist, and it's one that I've enjoyed and know and recommend. Want to know? It's...
The first half was a little over the top, immediately seeing how Nina was just bonkers and everything she did was just way too much and a little annoyingly so. It bothered me exactly how outwardly terrible she was, and I know it was to make a point, but I felt like it could have been done much better. I would have appreciated a little bit more subtlety, something to keep a reader guessing and wondering instead of being so obtuse about it.
We got to a good twist in the second half and it was what I was expecting! Once it clicked, I saw how it all unfolded and I appreciated seeing the second half of the story. I still thought there were too many things that were shoved into the reader's faces and I could have appreciated things being a little less wild. I also had a few issues with the way things played out with Nina in the second half.
Andrew was also just too villainy of a villain. Once we found out his true nature and got to see it, it was also just a little much. I don't know anything about real life abuse situations so I'm not saying it couldn't happen that way, but I think it would have been a bit more ominous and a little less in your face. It was terrible and awful, yes. I guess I just had other preferences of a more suspenseful storyline. This was more a punch of dread and abuse.
SO. It was fine! It was a Freida McFadden read and this is exactly what I should expect from them. I just don't think I'm her target audience and I had some slightly bigger issues with this. The first half felt a little VERITY-like (which gasp, yes, I liked VERITY more) and I already gave you my second half comparison in spoiler tags because it IS a spoiler, but it felt like two books I've already read. Eh.
Read Completed 2/20/23 | 3.5 stars, rounding up for potential and rounding down seems like too low of a rating
LEASE ON LOVE is billed as a romcom but this was a bit light on the "com" side, for me. The beginning was adorably cute and funny, having the two characters meet and end up sharing a residence because Sadie thought it was a date from a dating app instead of a house sharing app/platform.
After the beginning, I noticed that I started to like AND dislike a lot of things all at the same time.
I liked and disliked that Sadie and Jack were personality opposites. Sadie was a mile-a-minute talker and Jack was incredibly reserved, quiet, and mysterious for how little he said. I appreciated that Sadie (and her friends) pulled Jack out of his shell and let him feel loved by family again after losing his parents and having no other family to speak of. But I also disliked how LITTLE Jack ever talked about anything because I didn't get to know him. I could see the sparks and chemistry there, but I surely didn't feel it enough and it took too long to appreciate him as a character.
I liked and disliked Sadie's career path in this book. I appreciated that Sadie, after being fired from her soulless 9-5, pushed herself to start her own floral business and really put herself out there to make it happen. I got really frustrated that she started out a brand-new business and *poof* a social media influencer posted about her flowers and she couldn't keep up with orders, blew up overnight, and couldn't keep up with the business. Yes, that does happen to some small businesses but most of us just keep pushing on a daily basis and social media influencers don't magically make us all overnight successes. I didn't really like how easily that came and would have appreciated something a little more realistic, especially when this book was showing some serious growth there. I would have liked to see her have a lot of success, but more because of her hard work and less because someone else helped her go viral. She put in the work to get it started and did a lot of hard work to keep up with orders, but it takes a lot more than that to push your business and connect with customers every day. (Something I'm sure authors know as well, so... shrug.)
I liked that Sadie didn't want to rely on someone else's money. Sadie ends up not having to pay much for her rent since Jack comes from money and still has a ton. She won't let him pay for the flower shop later on in the book.... but then she allows her rich best friend to be the investor and *voila* she gets it anyway! Okay, so it's not the boyfriend's money and her best friend is like her family, but I don't think she needed a shop and what it all that social media hype dies and her business can't keep up with what it costs for the building and employees, etc etc. Am I being TOO realistic? 😅 I know it's supposed to be a fun, sweet story. But it was kind of like, I can't TAKE Jack's money but I'll let someone else give me money... Even if it is as an investor, she could have also just waited and used her perfectly good, adequate sized space in her home...
I liked that we acknowledged and unpacked Sadie & Jack's histories but one went too far and the other didn't go far enough. There was more to these two as noted in their pasts, but I felt like both of those past issues/traumas could have been developed just a bit more. We find out Sadie's confidence issues were from a bad childhood with a narcissistic father, but it kind of only came in the form of her berating herself and then mentioning it once to Jack. I thought that could have been a bit more well-developed instead of her just thinking she's "an asshole" all the time (which was annoying how many times that was mentioned). Jack lost his parents several years back and he was still a recluse seven years later. I guess I can't say I know how that feels at all and everyone handles grief differently, but he spent so long NOT talking about it that I wanted to know more about why he didn't do anything to try to make his life better after their loss. We didn't really talk about anything or discuss depression or anything... I guess I just wanted a bit more story about who his parents were, what their relationship was. Just more of who HE was to understand his grief since it was such a big part of his personality as we currently saw him. If he was just some guy that I knew, that's not really owed to me to know, but as a reader in a book looking for a connection to a character, I feel like it really would have been helpful.
I did really enjoy the group of friends and the found family within the whole group. I honestly thought Falon Ballard's next book would be a spin-off with one of the friends and I was surprised to see that it's not, but I can appreciate that it wasn't forced and we'll assume that her friends will all live happily ever after as well.
I'm hoping the next Falon Ballard book will have some of these issues sorted out (I mean, I guess they're MY issues) and that the character development flows a bit more! I can see the Beach Read comparison and I get the vibes. I'd love to see more comedy in the next book! I guess I'll just have to read it and see how I feel 😆
LEASE ON LOVE is billed as a romcom but this was a bit light on the "com" side, for me. The beginning was adorably cute and funny, having the two characters meet and end up sharing a residence because Sadie thought it was a date from a dating app instead of a house sharing app/platform.
After the beginning, I noticed that I started to like AND dislike a lot of things all at the same time.
I liked and disliked that Sadie and Jack were personality opposites. Sadie was a mile-a-minute talker and Jack was incredibly reserved, quiet, and mysterious for how little he said. I appreciated that Sadie (and her friends) pulled Jack out of his shell and let him feel loved by family again after losing his parents and having no other family to speak of. But I also disliked how LITTLE Jack ever talked about anything because I didn't get to know him. I could see the sparks and chemistry there, but I surely didn't feel it enough and it took too long to appreciate him as a character.
I liked and disliked Sadie's career path in this book. I appreciated that Sadie, after being fired from her soulless 9-5, pushed herself to start her own floral business and really put herself out there to make it happen. I got really frustrated that she started out a brand-new business and *poof* a social media influencer posted about her flowers and she couldn't keep up with orders, blew up overnight, and couldn't keep up with the business. Yes, that does happen to some small businesses but most of us just keep pushing on a daily basis and social media influencers don't magically make us all overnight successes. I didn't really like how easily that came and would have appreciated something a little more realistic, especially when this book was showing some serious growth there. I would have liked to see her have a lot of success, but more because of her hard work and less because someone else helped her go viral. She put in the work to get it started and did a lot of hard work to keep up with orders, but it takes a lot more than that to push your business and connect with customers every day. (Something I'm sure authors know as well, so... shrug.)
I liked that Sadie didn't want to rely on someone else's money. Sadie ends up not having to pay much for her rent since Jack comes from money and still has a ton. She won't let him pay for the flower shop later on in the book.... but then she allows her rich best friend to be the investor and *voila* she gets it anyway! Okay, so it's not the boyfriend's money and her best friend is like her family, but I don't think she needed a shop and what it all that social media hype dies and her business can't keep up with what it costs for the building and employees, etc etc. Am I being TOO realistic? 😅 I know it's supposed to be a fun, sweet story. But it was kind of like, I can't TAKE Jack's money but I'll let someone else give me money... Even if it is as an investor, she could have also just waited and used her perfectly good, adequate sized space in her home...
I liked that we acknowledged and unpacked Sadie & Jack's histories but one went too far and the other didn't go far enough. There was more to these two as noted in their pasts, but I felt like both of those past issues/traumas could have been developed just a bit more. We find out Sadie's confidence issues were from a bad childhood with a narcissistic father, but it kind of only came in the form of her berating herself and then mentioning it once to Jack. I thought that could have been a bit more well-developed instead of her just thinking she's "an asshole" all the time (which was annoying how many times that was mentioned). Jack lost his parents several years back and he was still a recluse seven years later. I guess I can't say I know how that feels at all and everyone handles grief differently, but he spent so long NOT talking about it that I wanted to know more about why he didn't do anything to try to make his life better after their loss. We didn't really talk about anything or discuss depression or anything... I guess I just wanted a bit more story about who his parents were, what their relationship was. Just more of who HE was to understand his grief since it was such a big part of his personality as we currently saw him. If he was just some guy that I knew, that's not really owed to me to know, but as a reader in a book looking for a connection to a character, I feel like it really would have been helpful.
I did really enjoy the group of friends and the found family within the whole group. I honestly thought Falon Ballard's next book would be a spin-off with one of the friends and I was surprised to see that it's not, but I can appreciate that it wasn't forced and we'll assume that her friends will all live happily ever after as well.
I'm hoping the next Falon Ballard book will have some of these issues sorted out (I mean, I guess they're MY issues) and that the character development flows a bit more! I can see the Beach Read comparison and I get the vibes. I'd love to see more comedy in the next book! I guess I'll just have to read it and see how I feel 😆
Read Completed 2/20/23 | 1.75 stars
Audiobook review copy obtained by Netgalley, approved by publisher Minotaur/Macmillan Audio. Thank you!
Well... that... was... terrible?
This is likely my last Alex Finlay book. I enjoyed EVERY LAST FEAR and didn't finish THE NIGHT SHIFT. I really should have quit WHAT HAVE WE DONE as well but I made it too far in to quit and I also requested it from Netgalley for review, so between those two, I figured I may as well finish it. Long story short, I didn't really like anything about it.
Firstly, this is MAJORLY a popcorn thriller. It is over the top in basically every way, and sometimes I'm here for the entertainment, but this wasn't one of those times. If you enjoy those types of thrillers and are ready for this to be over the top on everything, then this one might be for you! It definitely wasn't for me.
I also felt like there was zero character development. The characters were stereotypes, each one a special snowflake with ridiculously high profile jobs and along with the one thing that bound them all together as kids, those are the two things that define them. They never came alive, didn't develop much at all, and were pretty boring. There's some action to keep the pacing moving but the whole plot was all over the place, picking at random threads to connect them eventually down the way... But again, so over the top that it was just stupid and I didn't like any part of it.
I basically felt like this was trying too hard in every possible way. Too many POVs (at least four, maybe five or six with some random ones in there) that also switched back and forth between the present and the past. The writing felt amateur, sloppy, and absolutely horrible female characters. I really think this would have been WAY better if it was only from Jenna's POV and we got to know her more, played up the former assassin concept, let her to most of the leg work for the book (since she really did anyway), and let her part of the book be the one over the top concept.
The more I think about this book, the more I'm hating it, so I'll leave you with all those thoughts and move on here.
Audiobook review copy obtained by Netgalley, approved by publisher Minotaur/Macmillan Audio. Thank you!
Well... that... was... terrible?
This is likely my last Alex Finlay book. I enjoyed EVERY LAST FEAR and didn't finish THE NIGHT SHIFT. I really should have quit WHAT HAVE WE DONE as well but I made it too far in to quit and I also requested it from Netgalley for review, so between those two, I figured I may as well finish it. Long story short, I didn't really like anything about it.
Firstly, this is MAJORLY a popcorn thriller. It is over the top in basically every way, and sometimes I'm here for the entertainment, but this wasn't one of those times. If you enjoy those types of thrillers and are ready for this to be over the top on everything, then this one might be for you! It definitely wasn't for me.
I also felt like there was zero character development. The characters were stereotypes, each one a special snowflake with ridiculously high profile jobs and along with the one thing that bound them all together as kids, those are the two things that define them. They never came alive, didn't develop much at all, and were pretty boring. There's some action to keep the pacing moving but the whole plot was all over the place, picking at random threads to connect them eventually down the way... But again, so over the top that it was just stupid and I didn't like any part of it.
I basically felt like this was trying too hard in every possible way. Too many POVs (at least four, maybe five or six with some random ones in there) that also switched back and forth between the present and the past. The writing felt amateur, sloppy, and absolutely horrible female characters. I really think this would have been WAY better if it was only from Jenna's POV and we got to know her more, played up the former assassin concept, let her to most of the leg work for the book (since she really did anyway), and let her part of the book be the one over the top concept.
The more I think about this book, the more I'm hating it, so I'll leave you with all those thoughts and move on here.
Read Completed 2/18/23 | 4 - 4.25 stars
I had been kind of avoiding TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA because I hadn't really been in a fantasy mood, but I suppose any Brandon Sanderson Cosmere book is like returning to an old favorite that you just haven't read yet.
This was quite lovely and I definitely see The Princess Bride vibes (even as noted by Sanderson in the author's note at the end, so yes, it is quite specifically inspired by that fairy tale for adults type vibe). It was light and lovely all at the same time, with an underlying theme of romance without being mushy and -- pointedly -- not making rash and stupid decisions because of an overwhelming feeling.
I also like that this let us explore another planet in the Cosmere and gave us some more insights on a new world! There's also the major bonus that Hoid was a big part of the book, and even the book's narrator. As also said by Sanderson's author's note, it was to start readers and the author himself on getting a feel for Hoid's voice when it comes time for him to tell his story, but it was also very much appreciated by me as a reader to have a known aspect of the Cosmere strongly rooted in a new setting and new cast of characters. It was new, but it wasn't new, and it was comforting to have him there, as he always guides readers along the way.
Also, thank goodness for the Coppermind because how in the world do you Sanderson fans remember ALL of these characters? Lordy. I knew the Sorceress had to be important but I didn't remember why or how. After finishing, I checked the Coppermind and things clicked (after, you know, backtracking several times to refresh all of those memories). Really, this is what I live for when reading Cosmere books! I'm dying to see World Hoppers, see all the connections, watch Hoid interact with multiple worlds, see what's happening in between realms. I must know all the secrets. So, while this wasn't overtly moving storylines forward from other major series, we definitely see characters we've seen before!
I had been kind of avoiding TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA because I hadn't really been in a fantasy mood, but I suppose any Brandon Sanderson Cosmere book is like returning to an old favorite that you just haven't read yet.
This was quite lovely and I definitely see The Princess Bride vibes (even as noted by Sanderson in the author's note at the end, so yes, it is quite specifically inspired by that fairy tale for adults type vibe). It was light and lovely all at the same time, with an underlying theme of romance without being mushy and -- pointedly -- not making rash and stupid decisions because of an overwhelming feeling.
I also like that this let us explore another planet in the Cosmere and gave us some more insights on a new world! There's also the major bonus that Hoid was a big part of the book, and even the book's narrator. As also said by Sanderson's author's note, it was to start readers and the author himself on getting a feel for Hoid's voice when it comes time for him to tell his story, but it was also very much appreciated by me as a reader to have a known aspect of the Cosmere strongly rooted in a new setting and new cast of characters. It was new, but it wasn't new, and it was comforting to have him there, as he always guides readers along the way.
Also, thank goodness for the Coppermind because how in the world do you Sanderson fans remember ALL of these characters? Lordy. I knew the Sorceress had to be important but I didn't remember why or how. After finishing, I checked the Coppermind and things clicked (after, you know, backtracking several times to refresh all of those memories). Really, this is what I live for when reading Cosmere books! I'm dying to see World Hoppers, see all the connections, watch Hoid interact with multiple worlds, see what's happening in between realms. I must know all the secrets. So, while this wasn't overtly moving storylines forward from other major series, we definitely see characters we've seen before!
Read Completed 2/14/23 | 2.75 stars
Another book with rave reviews, and another disappointing read to me. This was similar to my experience reading Look Closer but it really surprised me since I loved Tess Stimson's previous book, One In Three.
THE NEW HOUSE really wasn't about the new house at all, so that was pretty disappointing as well. I expected there to be something wild that happened there and the characters find out about it... The houses didn't need to be there at all. Lift that out and substitute something else and we had the same exact story.
I also really hated the involvement of three couples. Harper's involvement was really not necessary at all and I didn't feel it added much to the book. I also didn't need the switching back and forth of POVs. I would have liked it much better as just Millie telling the story. Following the other voices made things a bit too muddy and complicated and took time away from the main points. Also, having listened to this on audio, it really suffered from not having multiple audiobook narrators, especially when one POV is in first person and the others in third.
Mostly, I just didn't connect to the characters. Too many admit to and are accused of being psychopaths and there just wasn't a lot of emotion there. That was intentional, but I really had a hard time connecting to anyone when everyone was either cold, annoying, or kept intentionally out of the foreground to cast suspicion. The writing style just wasn't for me in that respect.
The plot just also wasn't surprising to me at all. There were supposed to be wild rides, big twists, crazy reveals.... eh. It's nothing I haven't read before and was predictable enough. Not caring for the characters meant I really didn't care what happened in the end either. This one just didn't stick with me and I'll go ahead and be the odd person out here!
Rounding up to three stars because it wasn't a bad book and it wasn't poorly written... it just wasn't something I connected to in any way.
Another book with rave reviews, and another disappointing read to me. This was similar to my experience reading Look Closer but it really surprised me since I loved Tess Stimson's previous book, One In Three.
THE NEW HOUSE really wasn't about the new house at all, so that was pretty disappointing as well. I expected there to be something wild that happened there and the characters find out about it... The houses didn't need to be there at all. Lift that out and substitute something else and we had the same exact story.
I also really hated the involvement of three couples. Harper's involvement was really not necessary at all and I didn't feel it added much to the book. I also didn't need the switching back and forth of POVs. I would have liked it much better as just Millie telling the story. Following the other voices made things a bit too muddy and complicated and took time away from the main points. Also, having listened to this on audio, it really suffered from not having multiple audiobook narrators, especially when one POV is in first person and the others in third.
Mostly, I just didn't connect to the characters. Too many admit to and are accused of being psychopaths and there just wasn't a lot of emotion there. That was intentional, but I really had a hard time connecting to anyone when everyone was either cold, annoying, or kept intentionally out of the foreground to cast suspicion. The writing style just wasn't for me in that respect.
The plot just also wasn't surprising to me at all. There were supposed to be wild rides, big twists, crazy reveals.... eh. It's nothing I haven't read before and was predictable enough. Not caring for the characters meant I really didn't care what happened in the end either. This one just didn't stick with me and I'll go ahead and be the odd person out here!
Rounding up to three stars because it wasn't a bad book and it wasn't poorly written... it just wasn't something I connected to in any way.
Read Completed 2/10/23 | 2.5 stars, generously rounded up
After reading Leah Konen's other two thrillers (which were actually published after this), I was excited to find out that this one also existed... now I can see why it never gained the popularity that the other two did.
ALL THE BROKEN PEOPLE wasn't a *bad* book, but it did feel like a novice thriller. It all makes sense, since I think this was Konen's first adult thriller and her others felt much smoother and better pieced together, at least for my tastes.
Minor spoilers ahead if you want to go in totally blind... major spoilers will be hidden behind a spoiler tag.
So firstly, the synopsis tells you "It's only ONE WHITE LIE, until someone turns up dead..." but that death doesn't happen until halfway through the book. There was a lot of time setting up this weird, all encompassing friendship with the neighbors (I hated that she kept calling them family after just meeting them), so much so that she agrees to help the two fake John's death in order to get away from some sordid accusations that he was involved with a minor in the town. Sounds like this plan is doomed to fail, but anyway...
So once we finally get to the death, there's just a lot of throwing accusations around. So *positive* that the boyfriend did it, the father did it, the wife did it... blah blah blah. I just hate that everyone is so sure, and obviously, they're wrong so it's even more annoying. Can't you at least say you THINK someone did it instead of saying you know? Because you don't know. This part also felt a little too drawn out and was frustrating. I think a lot of things could have been shifted around to flow better, keep the pacing better, and not have Lucy just being scared all the time. I get it, she was, and she had the right to be... but just the way it was written was frustrating instead of feeling suspenseful and had me in her corner.
Finally, after lots of accusations, we finally figure out who the true murderer is and after stumbling upon evidence, it's just a villain speech and it's.... over? There have already been some things that don't really allow anyone to be punished for it.Lucy accidentally kills Vera when she thinks that she's been setting her up the whole time and everything is charged to Vera, posthumously. And then the book is over... but there's more!
The book goes on to have one more twist that I WISH had been a part of the book the whole time. It's hinted at, but to have it full on IN the book would have been much more exciting rather than having it as a twist.Lucy reveals to the readers that she's dropped her past twice and adopted new identities because of violent outbursts. It was a problem as a child, she snapped and threw hot coffee on a guy in college and was expelled, and after a fight with the ex Davis, she smashed herself with a whiskey bottle to give herself bruises because the ones he actually gave to her were gone and she snapped back at him, so she needed to keep the look of self defense going (which actually was the case, this time but still). But it would have been SO MUCH BETTER to have that be a part of the book the whole time, wondering when she was going to snap! Making us think it was HER that killed John in a blind rage and she blocked it out... I don't love the blocking out thing, but still. It would have been more of a thriller to keep that in the book the whole time.
Anyway, all personal preference. But I didn't like the twist thrown in at the end and not spending any time with it. Even halfway during the book would have been great.
So, I'm glad I didn't read this Leah Konen thriller first so I could enjoy the other two, because I probably wouldn't have picked up more. I wouldn't really recommend it if you've liked her other books, but trust your tastes! I'm not a huge fan of the enigmatic neighbor couple trope in the first place, so that wasn't really my bag, but it could have pulled me in had I enjoyed the writing.
After reading Leah Konen's other two thrillers (which were actually published after this), I was excited to find out that this one also existed... now I can see why it never gained the popularity that the other two did.
ALL THE BROKEN PEOPLE wasn't a *bad* book, but it did feel like a novice thriller. It all makes sense, since I think this was Konen's first adult thriller and her others felt much smoother and better pieced together, at least for my tastes.
Minor spoilers ahead if you want to go in totally blind... major spoilers will be hidden behind a spoiler tag.
So firstly, the synopsis tells you "It's only ONE WHITE LIE, until someone turns up dead..." but that death doesn't happen until halfway through the book. There was a lot of time setting up this weird, all encompassing friendship with the neighbors (I hated that she kept calling them family after just meeting them), so much so that she agrees to help the two fake John's death in order to get away from some sordid accusations that he was involved with a minor in the town. Sounds like this plan is doomed to fail, but anyway...
So once we finally get to the death, there's just a lot of throwing accusations around. So *positive* that the boyfriend did it, the father did it, the wife did it... blah blah blah. I just hate that everyone is so sure, and obviously, they're wrong so it's even more annoying. Can't you at least say you THINK someone did it instead of saying you know? Because you don't know. This part also felt a little too drawn out and was frustrating. I think a lot of things could have been shifted around to flow better, keep the pacing better, and not have Lucy just being scared all the time. I get it, she was, and she had the right to be... but just the way it was written was frustrating instead of feeling suspenseful and had me in her corner.
Finally, after lots of accusations, we finally figure out who the true murderer is and after stumbling upon evidence, it's just a villain speech and it's.... over? There have already been some things that don't really allow anyone to be punished for it.
The book goes on to have one more twist that I WISH had been a part of the book the whole time. It's hinted at, but to have it full on IN the book would have been much more exciting rather than having it as a twist.
Anyway, all personal preference. But I didn't like the twist thrown in at the end and not spending any time with it. Even halfway during the book would have been great.
So, I'm glad I didn't read this Leah Konen thriller first so I could enjoy the other two, because I probably wouldn't have picked up more. I wouldn't really recommend it if you've liked her other books, but trust your tastes! I'm not a huge fan of the enigmatic neighbor couple trope in the first place, so that wasn't really my bag, but it could have pulled me in had I enjoyed the writing.
Read Completed 2/8/23 | 3.5 stars
This was my first Nicci French book, randomly chosen because Imogen Church is the audiobook narrator and I always love her performances. The beginning started off REALLY well. Lots of intrigue, immediately had my attention, didn't waste any time getting things started. After that, things just began to drag and meander. I was still interested in the book but the whole middle section was just way too much time with all of the people surrounding Liam and his life and so many of them weren't really necessary and didn't need to have a role in the book with as much time as they did. They painted a picture of Liam's life, but it was a lot of wasting time talking to so many random people, planning events, getting Jude caught up in Liam's world... but the book just didn't need to spend so much time there.
The ending happened a little too quickly with not enough breadcrumbs, in my opinion. They got scattered there and it was ooookay but just not really enough to keep me from feeling a bit bored as things were winding down.
If the beginning of this book wasn't so good, it would just be a solid three stars but I'm feeling generous with my ratings this year and I'll leave this one at 3.5 since I'll still try another book from this author. (Though my GR rating stays at 3 anyway.)
This was my first Nicci French book, randomly chosen because Imogen Church is the audiobook narrator and I always love her performances. The beginning started off REALLY well. Lots of intrigue, immediately had my attention, didn't waste any time getting things started. After that, things just began to drag and meander. I was still interested in the book but the whole middle section was just way too much time with all of the people surrounding Liam and his life and so many of them weren't really necessary and didn't need to have a role in the book with as much time as they did. They painted a picture of Liam's life, but it was a lot of wasting time talking to so many random people, planning events, getting Jude caught up in Liam's world... but the book just didn't need to spend so much time there.
The ending happened a little too quickly with not enough breadcrumbs, in my opinion. They got scattered there and it was ooookay but just not really enough to keep me from feeling a bit bored as things were winding down.
If the beginning of this book wasn't so good, it would just be a solid three stars but I'm feeling generous with my ratings this year and I'll leave this one at 3.5 since I'll still try another book from this author. (Though my GR rating stays at 3 anyway.)
Read Completed 2/7/23 | 4.25 - 4.5 stars
Another incredibly enjoyable read from John Marrs! I really love this sci-fi thriller blend and also how each book keeps tying back into his previous books without being a series. They essentially just all take place in the same fictional timeline, keeping the previous technologies in play and using them to add to the next book.
That being said, I would HIGHLY recommend reading THE ONE and THE PASSENGERS before reading this book. I wouldn't say it's required, but it will absolutely spoil things from those two books even though THE MINDERS is a stand alone.
John Marrs' writing is just so enjoyable. The little cliffhanger chapters always have me pushing to keep going, and I love the mix of technology, thriller, espionage, action... it's always so well-rounded and full of excitement, and THE MINDERS was no exception.
This was probably the most science-fiction based book so far, actually going so far as to plant government secrets in the bodies of qualified volunteers. It required me to suspend a little belief to feel like this was plausible (I mean, I guess it could already be happening, who would really know 😅), but that was the one thing holding me back from fully connecting with the book on all levels.
It also helped knowing Marrs' writing style from the previous two books because this one also followed the same pattern of multiple, separated POVs who first have no contact and no connections and slowly connecting them along the way. When I first read THE ONE, it was harder to see the bigger picture and now I had more faith and knowledge that it would all come together.
Another incredibly enjoyable read from John Marrs! I really love this sci-fi thriller blend and also how each book keeps tying back into his previous books without being a series. They essentially just all take place in the same fictional timeline, keeping the previous technologies in play and using them to add to the next book.
That being said, I would HIGHLY recommend reading THE ONE and THE PASSENGERS before reading this book. I wouldn't say it's required, but it will absolutely spoil things from those two books even though THE MINDERS is a stand alone.
John Marrs' writing is just so enjoyable. The little cliffhanger chapters always have me pushing to keep going, and I love the mix of technology, thriller, espionage, action... it's always so well-rounded and full of excitement, and THE MINDERS was no exception.
This was probably the most science-fiction based book so far, actually going so far as to plant government secrets in the bodies of qualified volunteers. It required me to suspend a little belief to feel like this was plausible (I mean, I guess it could already be happening, who would really know 😅), but that was the one thing holding me back from fully connecting with the book on all levels.
It also helped knowing Marrs' writing style from the previous two books because this one also followed the same pattern of multiple, separated POVs who first have no contact and no connections and slowly connecting them along the way. When I first read THE ONE, it was harder to see the bigger picture and now I had more faith and knowledge that it would all come together.
Read Completed 2/6/23 | This was my first Hank Phillippi Ryan book and I can't say I'm itching to pick up a second one. THE HOUSE GUEST was described as a "cat-and-mouse thriller" so I expected a lot of back-and-forth suspicion between the two main characters, but there really wasn't much of a thrill at all and Alyssa was way too trusting the entire book. She was suspicious of her husband (soon-to-be ex) and yet, let a total stranger live with her and became her best friend in a matter of a week. And sure, let's throw in another stranger who we immediately trust too! Why not!
I didn't feel thrilled by this at all. Sure, I was suspicious of Bree, but that was me as a reader, not me being involved in this story at all. Aside from blatantly obvious lies about a creepy boyfriend who kept calling her, Alyssa trusted Bree way too much. She ended up having some doubts, but she let her stay at her home unattended, took trips with her, told her secrets... Seems pretty dumb when you don't trust your husband to be in your house, know he's done shady things, and could be setting you up in any number of ways. The ended of how all of this unfolded was also stupid, forced, and I just didn't like it at all.
The worst thing about this book, for me, was that nothing happened for 80% of this book.
- Alyssa fears her husband is gaslighting her (which gaslighting isn't quite the right word for moving stuff around in her house), and nothing happens
- Bree finds out she has long lost family and a huge inheritance, and nothing happens
- Dez starts hanging around with them and Alyssa treats him like a close friend, finally gets a little suspicious, and nothing happens
- Bill keeps moving things around their house (supposedly), and nothing happens
- There's a secret compartment in the closet, and nothing happens
- There's someone who claims to be an FBI agent and threatens Alyssa, and nothing happens
All this time, the characters are just bonding and going to other properties that Bill & Alyssa own. Alyssa talks to her lawyer, blah blah blah. If I hadn't been 50% through this book already and driving in the car listening to the audiobook, I wouldn't have finished it, but I pushed forward because I'm not going to play with my phone and change audiobooks while driving on the highway.
Things FINALLY happened in the last 20% and it wasn't even interesting. It all felt so forced and silly the way it unfolded when things could have been slowly hinted at or even given to us right from the start. I think it would have been MORE interesting to know more things and feel more suspense than save it for a "twist" and feel like we didn't know enough about what was going on. This book could have gone in a totally different direction (the direction I was hoping) and just didn't. Different styles for different people, but this was not my style. I was way too bored and there wasn't enough suspense to keep me interested in this one.
I didn't feel thrilled by this at all. Sure, I was suspicious of Bree, but that was me as a reader, not me being involved in this story at all. Aside from blatantly obvious lies about a creepy boyfriend who kept calling her, Alyssa trusted Bree way too much. She ended up having some doubts, but she let her stay at her home unattended, took trips with her, told her secrets... Seems pretty dumb when you don't trust your husband to be in your house, know he's done shady things, and could be setting you up in any number of ways. The ended of how all of this unfolded was also stupid, forced, and I just didn't like it at all.
The worst thing about this book, for me, was that nothing happened for 80% of this book.
- Alyssa fears her husband is gaslighting her (which gaslighting isn't quite the right word for moving stuff around in her house), and nothing happens
- Bree finds out she has long lost family and a huge inheritance, and nothing happens
- Dez starts hanging around with them and Alyssa treats him like a close friend, finally gets a little suspicious, and nothing happens
- Bill keeps moving things around their house (supposedly), and nothing happens
- There's a secret compartment in the closet, and nothing happens
- There's someone who claims to be an FBI agent and threatens Alyssa, and nothing happens
All this time, the characters are just bonding and going to other properties that Bill & Alyssa own. Alyssa talks to her lawyer, blah blah blah. If I hadn't been 50% through this book already and driving in the car listening to the audiobook, I wouldn't have finished it, but I pushed forward because I'm not going to play with my phone and change audiobooks while driving on the highway.
Things FINALLY happened in the last 20% and it wasn't even interesting. It all felt so forced and silly the way it unfolded when things could have been slowly hinted at or even given to us right from the start. I think it would have been MORE interesting to know more things and feel more suspense than save it for a "twist" and feel like we didn't know enough about what was going on. This book could have gone in a totally different direction (the direction I was hoping) and just didn't. Different styles for different people, but this was not my style. I was way too bored and there wasn't enough suspense to keep me interested in this one.
Read Completed 2/4/23 | 3.75 stars
This was very cute and a lot of fun! I didn't quite feel the chemistry enough for these two to be falling head over heels by the end of the book, so I knocked down a little bit of the rating, but it was enjoyable and an easy romance read. I always love a good book industry/publishing twist too, so that was fun as well.
Mostly, I think everything could have had a little more emotional oomph. I'm glad it wasn't too over the top or too sappy, but I didn't quite feel the connection to it that I really want in a romance. I still really liked the characters (including the supporting characters) and how the plot played out. I'm a bit on the fence over the whole concept, but it was handled just fine in the end, so overall, I'm not head over heels for this but I did enjoy it and would still recommend for a light romance read!
This was very cute and a lot of fun! I didn't quite feel the chemistry enough for these two to be falling head over heels by the end of the book, so I knocked down a little bit of the rating, but it was enjoyable and an easy romance read. I always love a good book industry/publishing twist too, so that was fun as well.
Mostly, I think everything could have had a little more emotional oomph. I'm glad it wasn't too over the top or too sappy, but I didn't quite feel the connection to it that I really want in a romance. I still really liked the characters (including the supporting characters) and how the plot played out. I'm a bit on the fence over the whole concept, but it was handled just fine in the end, so overall, I'm not head over heels for this but I did enjoy it and would still recommend for a light romance read!