Vicki’s Comments (group member since Sep 08, 2018)

Vicki’s comments from the Challenge Corner group.

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pages: 368
BR: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Ingredient: Jalapeno Pepper
How it Fits: Jalapeno from title & AFN: whAt kiNd Of PAradisE JaneLle Pepper: "thE tEmPerature dRoPPed" (59)

Finished

I wanted to finish posting my comments last night but with my monitor messing up on me I couldn't. Thank goodness it was a plug. Thankful for hubby! :)

(view spoiler)[Since this covers a lot it's hard for me to remember everything but I wanted to comment on two things: Kepler's Bookstore in Menlo Park that was mentioned and one humorous thing.

Kepler's is where Heather (my daughter) and I went to see Colleen Hoover when she and Abby Glines and Jamie McGuire were on tour WAY back in 2012 or maybe 2013. It was before she was well-known. I would say there were 40 people there at the most. lol Now look at her.

Secondly, one part in the story I thought was too funny was when Jane went to K-Mart and asked for a bra. When asked her size she guessed size medium. lol Poor Jane.

I wasn't happy with the ending. I wanted her mom to embrace her and for them to at least become like friends. Esme was ripped off in the parental department. Her dad being just like the Unabomber was creepy. He seemed to have loved her, but his mind was warped. I'm glad that Jane/Esme turned him in. I couldn't live with myself if I knew who was murdering people (family/loved one or not) if I kept it to myself. I'm glad that she didn't get punished or have to serve time in jail or prison.

I was glad that she and Lionel remain friends. The overall theme of the story for me was about how important community is. You can't just live off the grid the way Saul did. I say do like Trisha and go camping! lol (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "Vicki wrote: "Trisha wrote: "alright team, I've searched everyone's books that I can try to find "chili" and "powder" somehow in the them or in the title or in an off version, etc -

But I've defin..."

You're welcome. I'm glad Michelle found it organically. :)

Through Ch. 25 / 41% Stopped at Part Two ESME


(view spoiler)[I am so scared what Saul plans for his own daughter. What a disgusting human being, especially that he's her dad! When she said she's off "like a lamb to the slaughter" by heart dropped. I PRAY he isn't gong to prostitute her or compromise her innocence in ANY way! I can't even imagine my father trying to get me to look sexy in a tight dress, taking my hair down etc. That scene was SO uncomfortable.

Since I only read a few more chapters and came upon Part Two, I decided to update in this post.

Wow! I can't believe that Saul committed murder and put her in such a precarious situation. What a creep! I was hoping her mother was still alive. I had a feeling he'd kidnapped her to keep her from her mom for some reason. Maybe just to hurt her mom because he's shown no love that I've seen or heard.

I hope she finds her mother now and that she isn't held responsible for anything that happemed. (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 17 / 26%

(view spoiler)[Wow!! I feel really bad for Jane. She is really "backward" when it comes to knowing about about her world. Her little microcosm of a world has left her knowing so little.

I like that she's met Lionel online, but I hate the Heidi seems to have dismissed her for Jocelyn. Guess we'll see.

It's ironic that the very project her dad gave her that was supposed to serve HIS mission becomes her key to autonomy, or at least the beginning of it.

I'm glad she's starting to think for herself and asked her dad if he renamed her and about his "criminal" life. Wow. That probably indicated to him that she's questioning (and possibly knows) things.

I was upset that at the end of Ch. 17 he took away her "newly minted connection with the outside world." I can't stand her dad...jeez, he's so manipulative, controlling, educated but unstable and possibly even dangerous.

I love Jane though. She's innocent due to her upbringing but she's very intelligentand has such a natural curiosity. I think she's emotionally starved and morally conflicted because she doesn't understand her dad's motives. She knows something isn't right and I'm really rooting for her to find out where her mom is (alive or dead?), whether her dad has committed a crime against her mother, maybe kidnapped Jane when she was a little girl and her mom's been looking for her all these years. I need to know! Fingers crossed it's not something over the top! (hide spoiler)]

Trisha wrote: "alright team, I've searched everyone's books that I can try to find "chili" and "powder" somehow in the them or in the title or in an off version, etc -

But I've definitely missed many so be sure ..."

Hey, friend! :) I came over to see who all was on this team and noticed that you need chili. Well, I found it!! I'm reading What Kind of Paradise and it's on page 67 "canned chili" if you still need it. :)

I just started this one and I'm stopping just a bit early after Ch. 8

(view spoiler)[I got excited as Jane (Esme? Theresa?) found the photo and names on the back. I'm super curious now to know who she really is and WHY her dad has been lying to her. His paranoia about the FBI is very suspicious! The chapter ends on such an emotionally loaded cliffhanger. She knows that her dad has likely been fabricating her ID all these years! It totally drew me in and I am 100% invested now! (hide spoiler)]

I'm in for guessing 20-ish bpm

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pages: 400
Ingredient: Guacamole
How it Fits: "I was...wondering whether we could get away with not having guacamole and just having salsa" (127).

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pages: 304
Ingredient: Large Egg
How it Fits: "It was cartoonishly large" (loc. 171) "Emperor penguins...spend several months in the middle of an ice plain in Antarctica incubating their eggs" (loc. 1705)

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pages: 304
Ingredient: Black Beans
How it Fits: "There was a heart scratched into a black paint railing" (loc. 691) All letters BEANS in title

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pages: 378
Ingredient: Olive Oil
How it Fits: "The chairs are...olive green" (130) "I took my car in for an oil change" (37).

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pages: 325
Ingredient: Garlic
How it Fits: All letters GARLIC are in the title and ALN

Hey, team, just FYI - I had a bad couple of days with arthritis in my hand so I didn't feel comfortable typing. I'm catching up on my reviews now and just added 3 ingredients, so I think the only one left now is Parmesan Cheese and Kim is reading for it. :)

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pages: 482
Ingredient: Red onion
How it Fits: "My face turns bright red when I'm hungry" (50) "It smelled of fresh garlic and onions" (350)

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pages: 224
Buddy: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Ingredient: Lettuce
How it Fits: All letters LETTUCE in the Title

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Pages: 436
Ingrediend: Pickles
How it Fits: "She...is irritated that ice cream isn't more like pickles" (134)

I don't blame you. I ALMOST only gave it 2 stars. But it was a debut if I'm not mistaken and I thought it was well-written for the most part. Sorry we didn't both like it better.

Finished last night but my arthritis in my hand flared up and I didn't want to type anymore.

(view spoiler)[I am SO glad that it all worked out so well in the end. The scene on the boat was a little unbelievable to me, but I'm definitely glad it wasn't Sam! I didn't think it was him but I never really suspected Madison either, mainly because I don't see women committed such sick and sadistic murders. But when she was interviewing Gwen some chapters back, she really did seem like she was asking agitating questions and trying to really make Gwen think it could've been him. She was one sick "lady." (hide spoiler)]

25 chapters / 77%

(view spoiler)[ Poor Gwen, the slashed tires and Jesse's note for her to LEAVE. Now she's doing that interview with Madison who shows Gwen how she never does anything really to fight back, so now she's starting to do that.Buit Madison really threw some suspicion on Sam, didn't she? lol And it does seem sus that Madison just happened upon the rental Sam had earlier on in previous books.

Sam's lack of alibis is a bit unnerving, but hopefully Taylor will find out something that happened, like Rowan or someone else tampering with his schedule. One thing is for sure: someone appears to be systematically eliminating Gwen's enemies since all of the murders lately are of men who threatened her. This is intense!

I wonder who the heck planted Mervin's body / bones in Gwen's house and burned it down. I REALLY hope Sam isn't involved at all but I don't think he is. And now the murdered woman in the lake, can it be Rowan? She's like an enemy of Gwen's so maybe whoever has killed all the men has murdered her. What a brutal death! (hide spoiler)]