This just wasn’t quite working for me. The writing felt choppy and there were a lot of characters that were more caricatures. They were just flat and This just wasn’t quite working for me. The writing felt choppy and there were a lot of characters that were more caricatures. They were just flat and not worth following for me. A couple interesting points difficult to follow. I just wasn’t really enjoying any part of it so time to move on! I really wanted to like this one so I was bummed it didn’t work out. ...more
Marked as DNF 2/11/21 | This book just wasn't for me. It was marketed and shelved as a thriller in a lot of ways but it really wasn't a thriller. HalfMarked as DNF 2/11/21 | This book just wasn't for me. It was marketed and shelved as a thriller in a lot of ways but it really wasn't a thriller. Halfway in, it was more general fiction but with the concept of multiple personalities as a main focus, which is so often used as thriller twists, it certainly seemed like it. There may still be a twist somewhere here in the end but I'm just not here for it. I actually did like the different setting in which we see DID (dissociative identity disorder) and that it wasn't used just as a plot twist for a thriller, but I just really wasn't interested in the story and I was still expecting it to be a suspenseful or mysterious novel and it really wasn't catching those tones for me. I think it had a bit to do with the marketing of the book, but checking out reviews (which I don't do beforehand for fear of spoilers) would have confirmed this. I wasn't really getting into the story part of the book and it just wasn't holding my interest enough. I paused my audiobook mid-day and just had a hard time wanting to finish the rest of it the next day with 7 hours still to go so.... another DNF and just moving on to something else. ...more
Marked as DNF at 20% 2/10/21 | This should have been something I loved. Murder! Thriller! Mystery in space! But everything felt way too calculated andMarked as DNF at 20% 2/10/21 | This should have been something I loved. Murder! Thriller! Mystery in space! But everything felt way too calculated and cold. I didn't get any personality from the characters and I was just having a really, really hard time connecting to anything. The beginning was just a huge info dump about the current situation of space, the main character, and everything else surrounding the present-day (of the book) and I just didn't really have anything pulling me in. I just felt like there was a little too much tell and not enough development. Maybe it comes later? But with a bad start for me, it wasn't likely to change my mood about the book. I'm ruthlessly DNFing this year and it doesn't mean it's a bad book... the pieces are all there! I just don't have the energy to keep investing in things that aren't taking off for me right away. ...more
Read Abandoned 2/5/21 | I made it about 25% into this read and it just wasn't doing it for me. It started off with a bit of action but it didn't reallRead Abandoned 2/5/21 | I made it about 25% into this read and it just wasn't doing it for me. It started off with a bit of action but it didn't really carry the story into anything interesting and it was just taking way too long to develop plot or characters. I just decided to move on to the next one. ...more
Read Completed 2/4/21 | This was a cute and enjoyable read! I immediately loved the sarcasm, spunk, and chemistry coming from the two main characters.Read Completed 2/4/21 | This was a cute and enjoyable read! I immediately loved the sarcasm, spunk, and chemistry coming from the two main characters. They were both pretty enjoyable characters and the supporting characters also had an important part of book too. I'm assuming a lot of them will be involved in the next books in the series as the main characters so it was fun reading it keeping that kind of thought in mind.
There were a few things that just really seemed over the top. I get that it's supposed to be a romcom and it can be a little silly but sometimes it was just a bit too much. I also didn't always love Graham's instant attraction to Zoey and some of it was a touch cheesy. Those were really the only thing that turned me off, so I enjoyed most of the book otherwise! I really loved the Alaskan setting (and that Zoey came from Chicagoland!) so that was a great thing for me to connect with. I will definitely continue the series and look forward to what comes next! ...more
Read Completed 2/3/21 | Another quick, fun read. I didn't love this plot as much as I enjoyed the other two but I did like seeing Kasey's acting experRead Completed 2/3/21 | Another quick, fun read. I didn't love this plot as much as I enjoyed the other two but I did like seeing Kasey's acting experience come into play. I've been enjoying this series and I'll still be continuing! I think what keeps me coming back to cozy mystery series are getting to know the characters and even with how short these books are, I think the author is doing a lovely job on getting me connected with the characters. ...more
Read Completed 2/3/20 | Another fun read in this series and I really felt the development more here! Each book is only about 4 hours long (whatever thRead Completed 2/3/20 | Another fun read in this series and I really felt the development more here! Each book is only about 4 hours long (whatever that equates to in page form), so it's definitely fast and doesn't allow for as much development as other novels, but I really don't mind it! I like sticking to the story and adding in getting to know the characters without dragging things on too long as I'm so often looking to push forward in cozy mysteries.
Another book without a murder, and this is more a case of identity and fraud. The concept of this series almost reminds me a bit of Stephanie Plum but stands well on its own and is less silly. I'm really starting to like main character Kasey and seeing the Booker Brothers gain some spotlight and personality as well. ...more
Read Completed 2/3/21 | 3.5 stars A cute little cozy mystery, quick and easy to read. The audiobook only clocks in at 4+ hours so I was able to breeze Read Completed 2/3/21 | 3.5 stars A cute little cozy mystery, quick and easy to read. The audiobook only clocks in at 4+ hours so I was able to breeze through it to see if I wanted to continue the series and binge a few of the books at once. I liked the characters but wanted a bit more from them, so that was definitely motivation to continue!
This was a cozy mystery without a murder to solve, so the books are even lighter than other mysteries that kick off with a death. The first book dealt with a stolen painting and the story was all right but I enjoyed the set-up of this world more and getting to know the detective agency and all of the characters. The mystery itself didn't interest me as much. I also thought there could have been a bit more of Kasey's acting experience to be thrown into the mix to make that plot point relevant. A fun read and will continue! ...more
Read Completed 2/2/21 | 3.75 stars This was an interesting if disturbing thriller read that kept me interested the whole time, even if I didn't always Read Completed 2/2/21 | 3.75 stars This was an interesting if disturbing thriller read that kept me interested the whole time, even if I didn't always like how the book was developing. It was a little bit different than the "average" thriller due to the topic but I also kind of didn't like what the author did with Jack's character. I also think there could have been a bit more history and development for some of the characters that really would have made this feel that much more real.
I did end up enjoying the ending and I liked how everything wrapped up, so that left me feeling a bit more positive on my review of the book. ...more
Read Completed 1/27/21 | 2.5 - 3 stars This was and quick and okay read but I just wasn't all that interested in it. I think it's hard to get engaged iRead Completed 1/27/21 | 2.5 - 3 stars This was and quick and okay read but I just wasn't all that interested in it. I think it's hard to get engaged in a sci-fi/time travel novella/short like this because I'm always interested in spending a lot more time developing things. I also think I just didn't want to be in the 1788 (I think that was the year) timeline. The more I read, the more I think I prefer the more present day & futuristic time travel novels versus in the past. ...more
Read Completed 1/26/21 | This was an enjoyable read! I did wish for a bit more depth, especially from the characters since it was less science-y and mRead Completed 1/26/21 | This was an enjoyable read! I did wish for a bit more depth, especially from the characters since it was less science-y and more character-focused. The families were there but I really wanted to get a bit more of everyone's personality. I loved the connections and how everything worked up but something about it just felt a bit flat. I did love the ending and how everything wrapped up! It was really a lovely ending....more
Read Completed 1/25/21 | 3.5 stars I was expecting this book to be more of a thriller the way that people categorize it but it really is more of a dramRead Completed 1/25/21 | 3.5 stars I was expecting this book to be more of a thriller the way that people categorize it but it really is more of a drama and non-specific fiction. It does have more of that thriller aspect towards the end but it really didn't have that pacing in beginning. I guess the synopsis does call it a drama and not a thriller, but I went with cover looks and the way people were reviewing it.
It really was an enjoyable book! I wasn't really interested in the drama/lack of suspense (even if that's what it was supposed to be) so it really felt a bit slower than I was anticipating, hence a slightly lower rating. I may have enjoyed it more knowing that but in reality, I probably wouldn't have picked it up all together so I'm still glad that I did!
The story reminded me of HOME BEFORE DARK by Riley Sager (although I guess this was published first) with a child following their parent's published book and the fame, drama, and secrets that came from it. Having read HOME BEFORE DARK first, I liked the way that handled the telling of the book within the book better. I wasn't so interested in the fictional book KITTY in this story and it just didn't grab me. I kept waiting for those parts with portions of the book in it to rush on by.
The ending was interesting but I also wished a couple more things had been developed along the way. It felt like a bit of an ending info dump where sooo much got revealed and I think it could have been spaced out better. ...more
Read Completed 1/20/21 | 3 stars This was a fun first book in a new cozy mystery series featuring Odessa, a new employee at Untapped, a bookstore / barRead Completed 1/20/21 | 3 stars This was a fun first book in a new cozy mystery series featuring Odessa, a new employee at Untapped, a bookstore / bar combo. This book screamed for my attention with craft beer and book references and I knew I had to pick it up!
It was definitely an enjoyable read but I wanted juuust a bit more mystery and investigative work. Most of the investigation was obtaining the dead girl's cell phone and trying to unlock it with a few other minor turns but I think I wanted Odessa to really dig deeper (although she did literally dig through deep piles of trash...) and get a bit more of a mystery kick with some more clues! I know that it's a cozy mystery so it's supposed to have some cute content there too, which I enjoyed, but it did start to feel a tad more contemporary versus mystery for a while... or maybe it's just been so long since I've read cozy mysteries and I've been stuck on thrillers that I don't know what to expect anymore!
Despite a three star rating, I would definitely still be interested in continuing this series! I loved the cozy mystery theme hook of a bookstore & bar/cafe (which I would love to visit, by the way) and the set-up of characters was fun! I'd like to get to know them better, spend more time with them, and see where Odessa's story takes the readers....more
Read Completed 1/20/21 | 2.75 - 3 stars The beginning of this book felt a bit more like general fiction than a mystery/thriller, but the ending packed Read Completed 1/20/21 | 2.75 - 3 stars The beginning of this book felt a bit more like general fiction than a mystery/thriller, but the ending packed some punches. It had a little less "thrill" than I was looking for in the beginning and I was honestly a tad bored while the book was setting up. There was a lot of intro to the ranch, Rachel's family, and the townspeople and I felt like it took a while to really dig deep into the plot. The book surrounded Sera's obsession with Rachel's true crime podcast and I excepted a little bit more mystery and some clues along the way but it really took until the end of the book to get there.
I did like the creepy vibe on the ranch. It was definitely a visual series of chills and really brought a creepy atmosphere to the book that I appreciated a lot.
Another thing I was really missing though was that I feel like I don't even know who Sera was. Part of the premise of the book was that Rachel (and therefore Sera) are obsessed with the "missing" girls and women who disappear, physically and figuratively all at the same time. They don't have a lot going for them and don't have a big family or friend connection so there "isn't much to miss" when they go missing. Sera was supposed to fit that bill as well, being recently divorced and jobless aside from her pursuit of Rachel, when Rachel goes missing. I get that she was supposed to fit that profile but I still wanted to get to know her more. ...more
Read Completed 1/19/21 | This was deeper and darker than I thought it would be but that wasn't a bad thing! It was much more realistic, in depth, and Read Completed 1/19/21 | This was deeper and darker than I thought it would be but that wasn't a bad thing! It was much more realistic, in depth, and well-rounded than I expected and I really appreciate all of the detail that Tess Sharpe included in this book. It was a bit more of a difficult read dealing with several heavy issues, but I appreciated the way they were included in the book and how it discussed each one. ...more
Read Completed 1/13/21 | 3.5 stars I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first but I was glad to get into more character depth and connect with the Read Completed 1/13/21 | 3.5 stars I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first but I was glad to get into more character depth and connect with the two main characters more. This one focused much more on Annette which was great, and I'm curious to see how the next book will go with that split between the two. They're both very much present but so far it seems to be switching back and forth between who sort of "takes the lead". I guess Korner was still very strong here, taking the lead on the case and some of his personal life was also in the spotlight.
I also liked that we got other characters from the first book too! I'm hoping they'll continue to make appearances as well. ...more
Read Completed 1/12/21 3.75 stars, rounded up This was an interesting read, and I feel very interested in Nordic Noir. I haven't read much of it but I Read Completed 1/12/21 3.75 stars, rounded up This was an interesting read, and I feel very interested in Nordic Noir. I haven't read much of it but I love that it's a thing and I could totally be on board with that vibe.
I wasn't sure what to expect from THE TENANT but I enjoyed reading this one! I wasn't sure if it was going to be more of a thriller or a mystery (this was before I looked it up on Goodreads, and we know I don't look too far into synopses before reading for fear of spoilers), so I rather enjoyed a little departure from my normal thriller picks for more of a mystery aspect. The book follows detectives Korner and Werner who are investigating the murder of a young woman and mysteries ensue, though this book is much more Jeppe Korner and his perspective, so I'm hoping we get to see more of Anette's perspective later on (assuming they're translated to English as well).
The feel of the book was hard to pin down and I guess how do you really describe the vibe of a murder mystery.... but at times it felt very dark and twisted and other times it reminded me more of other lighter mysteries I've read. It definitely wasn't light but there was something about it that wasn't *as* bleak as it could have been.... I guess haha. Maybe I just read a lot of crazy thrillers so I'm used to things being really messed up, although it did get there in the end.
The answer to the mystery was a little wild, maybe a bit too far-fetched for me. I didn't dislike it but I also wished there were just one or two more clues along the way to hint at some things that could have clued the reader in. There were some definite surprises but some things I felt were a little too much of a surprise and could have been a bit smoother.
I'd definitely read more of this series and more from Katrine Engberg so hopefully the rest of this series gets translated as well! Looks like at least the second book just came out in English a few days ago so I'll have to go look for that one now. ...more
Read Completed 1/8/21 | 3.75 - 4 stars This was a really fun read! Dark humor + swearing + magical portals + creepiness? Oh yeah, I'm so there. This waRead Completed 1/8/21 | 3.75 - 4 stars This was a really fun read! Dark humor + swearing + magical portals + creepiness? Oh yeah, I'm so there. This was definitely an entertaining book from start to finish. I really loved the characters, the snark, and the attitude throughout the whole book. It's exactly what I was hoping it would be. I did wish for just a touch more consistency in the pacing and set-up. The beginning had some intro which was fun and I appreciated it, but it also took a while to set up the horror aspect of the book and I spent some time wondering if it was horror or just fantasy until towards the middle... then things really start to get weird!
The overall concept was neat and the concept and execution of the other world was also incredibly interesting! I loved how it felt original, unique, and inventive. There are infinite possibilities for a world or dimension that is not ours so I liked how those concepts were explored here. ...more
Read Completed 1/7/21 This was actually quite a good story, so I'm glad I read the whole book, but the beginning started off really slowly for me. I'Read Completed 1/7/21 This was actually quite a good story, so I'm glad I read the whole book, but the beginning started off really slowly for me. I'm okay with a slow-burn plot but I just felt like there wasn't enough suspense to really keep me interested and my brain wandered quite a bit while listening to this audio. Things started to really pick up plot-wise around halfway and I got interested but then the pacing sort of messed things up again and my mind wandered... again.
There were some really nice little bits of history that worked themselves out, secrets revealed, and ties to other characters shown, but it really didn't end up being enough to save the book. Actually, I probably would have rated it two stars without those twisty elements, so it did save a little something. It really wasn't bad but I just felt like for all the time we spent with these characters, I didn't feel like any one of them had a personality. I can't even tell you what the main character's name was (Peter? *checks* No, Paul. See?) and everyone was just so blah and dull. Even the creepy sinister kid wasn't as creepy as he could have been and no one really ended up being memorable for me.
I do love some good, twisty novels but I'm also okay with a slower pace. This, however, was just a little too slow getting to some important points in order to keep me interested. Some of the cooler plot points weren't developed enough and in part I can see why because of how they led to some reveals, but at the time I just felt like I wasn't getting enough information. No matter what part of the book, I just wanted a bit more. ...more
Read Completed 1/4/21 | I picked this up on a whim after quitting a different book and I ended up being pretty pleased with it overall! The beginning Read Completed 1/4/21 | I picked this up on a whim after quitting a different book and I ended up being pretty pleased with it overall! The beginning was a little more of a slower pace than I was hoping for but I really appreciated how everything wrapped up and came together in the end. There were a few things I saw coming (and I think you were supposed to) and others that unraveled at a quicker pace towards the end so you didn't see them coming as much. I had a few questions how things would be related -- because I knew they had to be -- and it was interesting to see how they finally were. This was my first Lisa Unger book and I'd definitely be interested in picking up more! ...more
Brittany S.
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