Vicki’s Comments (group member since Jul 02, 2023)

Vicki’s comments from the NetGalley Buddy Readers group.

Through Ch. 38

(view spoiler)[Oh my God! Can we please just find out the bottom line? Who killed her mother?!

Poor Olena. Nick confessed to killing her. So if he really didn't kill her mom, who the heck did and why? Mr. Vance seems likely at this point but I don't know why he would've. Could it have been Louise? I'm all over the place! lol (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 28

(view spoiler)[There was a lot that surprised me in these chapters. Why did Connor try hiding that he sought her out rather than just happened to meet her at the party? Did he have a clue? And Alexis seems sus to me but not sure what she might have been involved in or know.

Louise is a snob and has no grace. I wonder who the father of "Rowan" is because it doesn't seem like the evidence is pointing to Liam. Did Alexis kill him or maybe even Trevor because he learned about his dad's affair? This is intense right now and I need more answers! (hide spoiler)]

LOL Right? I was so taken aback I just couldn't believe it. The only nickname I have ever had is when my sister calls me Vic for short. That was so many years ago but I've never forgotten it. She also asked me what race I was because I "had such dark skin." But I have olive skin and I'm Caucasian. Obviously, I thought she was racist at the time just the way she said it to me...certainly not simply being inquisitive.

Vicki Willis wrote: "Yeah, names can be a lot of fun.
People usually ask me if Vicki is short for Victoria and no, it is not. My mom didn't like the name Victoria.

I always ask my students where their name comes fro..."

Hey, Vicki, I just had to jump in here. People always ask me the same thing, and I also am Vicki and not Victoria. My ex-husband's grandmother literally called me prior to our wedding and asked me if it was Victoria and when I told her no she literally said, "Do you mind if I call you Victoria? It's so much more elegant than Vicki." I said I did mind because it wasn't my name. Jeez! lol

How I got my name: My mom had Rh-negative factor which they didn't have the shots for back in the day and she'd had several miscarriages after having my sister Janice and before having me. She didn't believe I would live because she said I was (her pregnancy was) causing her body to develop a rash with bumps all over it. Plus I was the 3rd baby and Dad wanted a boy SO badly so they didn't have a name for me when lo and behold, I lived. They asked the nurse what her name was and it was Vicki which they really liked so they named me after my nurse. :)

Through Ch. 9

(view spoiler)[Whoa! That photo! That would be so eerie. She has supposedly never been there, never met Liam before meeting Connor and yet there's a photo of her with him when she's just a child. Is she actually Connor's sister? God, I hope not! But maybe related somehow and someone in the family gave her up for adoption. That might explain why she's getting those texts and that box...someone knew the Scotts called her DORA and not THEO.

The dreams she keeps having are a bit scary to me. They're too close to what she's seen in the photo...the bear with a read scarf. And the ornament with a dragonfly (if I heard that correctly) plus a red fox, white pine...all too close.

It definitely seems like someone on the property is sending her the messages to get out, leave Connor, etc. especially since someone knows her by Dora. I wonder why the Scotts don't want her, according to her. And why is she the "devil childe"? What on earth is she withholding from Connor? Plus the dream and Liam's father's death. I am dying to know! (hide spoiler)]

Thank you, Kristie and Kevin. :)

No worries, thanks. :)

Trisha wrote: "Trying to celebrate every little achievement until I get my backlog all caught up 😊- I hit 1100 reviews given in Netgalley today!

🎊🎊🎉🎉YAY!! 🎉🎉🎊🎊"

Wow! That's an insane number of reviews! Congrats, Trisha!

Question to anyone: Is it a good/bad idea to "withdraw requests" from NetGalley. If, for example, a book/audio is still pending but it's currently available on KU or Libby, etc. should I still keep it inactive and if/when I ever get it submit a review?

OK, decided to put this one off until after I read Hera and a couple others I'm behind on.

Mine was just approved today, too, along with 3 other books! AFTER I already just purchased 2 of them. lol Oh well, 3 of the books were audiobooks and Killing Cold was one of them.

(view spoiler)[I don't think I said anything about David, but I didn't stop to think he knew either but it totally made sense. I felt that he wasn't quite as loving or caring (something was off) about Nico.

We are in total agreement on all of your final comments! (hide spoiler)]

I am so glad you liked it too, Trisha!

I plan to start this one tomorrow, too, Elyse. Maybe we can get some good back-and-forth discussion going on. I got SO behind on my reading due to the holidays and getting sick so I'm trying to play catch up but it's so hard for me because I don't know which direction to go. lol

Can't wait to read your comments, Trisha! Especially since you rated it 4 stars!

Finished ~ I was NOT expecting that!

(view spoiler)[But it makes sense how it seemed like Angie and David treated Nico and Nora differently, or at least how they reacted to how each other felt about the shooting. Wow! How awful though that Angie never told Julian he had a son...that makes me angry!

I felt so bad for Angie! I can imagine as a mother being so angry with your child who killed a sibling. She had no idea what really happened and had so many thoughts about it. At the same time trying to grieve over Nico's death. Ugh...I think every mother can understand her ambiguous feelings. I don't think Livia ever truly forgave Angie for Diana's death.

I think this book was more about forgiveness and Angie's getting to that point than anything else. (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 17 (75%)

(view spoiler)[For one thing, it doesn't sound like Angie married David for the right reason. I think, in part, she married him to help her forget about Julian.

I felt bad that Julian lost his case for the boy he was representing. Life in prison for his crimes doesn't seem fair.

Now that Nora's being tried as an adult, I am more concerned for her. I thought Julian would win his case and that would give me hope for Nora, but he didn't. And Livia is dead now. I can't even imagine all of the emotional trauma that Angie is going through. But I do understand why Nora is rather emotionless, especially after being in prison. I think that by the nature of her situation she'd definitely build a cold exterior.

I was wondering if maybe Martine had a clue about what Julian's part in Diana''s death was, but it doesn't seem like it now.

Again, the idea of a "mercy killing" comes up. I want to know and I'm going to be upset if Nora never says and we never find out what actually happened! (hide spoiler)]

Just a quick comment from Ch. 13

(view spoiler)[I think you might be right, Trisha. I don't know if Nico asked Nora to shoot him or if she just thought she was showing mercy. As soon as Ignacio shot the coyote and said, "I didn't want him to suffer," and she said, "I know," made me think that she did shoot him for that reason. Whether he influenced it or not seems likely, especially since he wasn't doing well in school and was seemingly on a downhill path. (hide spoiler)]

Kristie wrote: "Thanks for the list, Trisha. That'll be helpful."

Trisha is so good at making lists, and it's especially helpful when reading mysteries and trying to figure out whodunit!

Trisha wrote: "Through 11 chapters / 52%

I agree, the seeing Julian and Angie together after school was cute but you can also tell that they weren't quite living in the real world. They were still hiding away -..."

I think I might've missed this: (view spoiler)[but I agree with Julian too. I think this was possibly a mercy killing that he'd been begging his sister for...trying to read, stop/start stop/start stop/start...hubby's days off. I blame him. LOL JK but I just didn't pick up on it.

I agree about Martine's heart condition. Julian worried about her but at the same time feeling bad over Angie's situation. Sometimes it's hard to show happiness when you know someone else is miserable. Guilt sets in but it really shouldn't. (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "Through 6 chapters

this book is so heartbreaking

(view spoiler)[ I agree, I can't imagine how much more this family can handle. Losing her son and then her daughter in one night - one because of the other.

bu..." (hide spoiler)]

I never thought of that possibility but I like it. Guess we'll find out!

Through Ch. 10 Stopped at Ch. 11 (49%)

(view spoiler)[I'm enjoying reading more about Julian and Angie's past and their days together after their high school days. I don't know how he's kept his thoughts about Diana and what happened to himself without at least telling Angie. And how on earth have they kept their entire relationship a secret from her parents? I think that was a bad move for sure.

Her dad's pancreatic cancer,, so devastating. Angie seems to be so close to him. I guess this is going to lead to his demise.

And Julian's first case looks to be like a difficult one for sure. I bet he figures out something to win his case. One thing that shocked me and I didn't know (and wonder if it's real fact) is that in NY if a 13 year old is suspected of murder they automatically are tried as an adult? That's a tough one! (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 6 Stopped at Ch. 7 (28%)

I'm enjoying this one so far. But I have to stop and read another book for a challenge that I forgot to add my book for...ugh. My brain! lol I'll be back!

(view spoiler)[I don't even know what to say! Jeez, I feel for this family. A mother with Alzheimer's, a teen son with Huntington's disease, and then to top it all off one of your children shooting the other! How much can one person take?

I don't know why but I feel like Nora did purposely kill Nico, but I don't know if she is mentally ill. I can imagine that being in that juvenile detention would make anyone crazy and seem mentally ill.

I can totally see both of the parents blaming the other as well as questioning how they might've contributed to the shooting somehow...just so tragic! (hide spoiler)]